The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-16
TESTING A DOG IN A CART.

million times if these dogs can with
stand the cold of the arctics. and about
a half-million times we have replied that
the summer of the arctics has no severe
cold. and we have further explained that
the two most adaptable animals of the
world are the two which we are taking
with us-men and dogs These are the
creatures that are able to pass in
single season from equatorial heat to
arctic cold without suffering i'll effects
from the violent transition. Whatever a
man can endure a dog can withstand.
and not much depends upon the breed
in either case. Payer had with him on
his sledge journeys in Franz-JOsef Land
four or five swarthy Italians and they
endured 40 degrees below zero without
a murmur Nor are we the first to take
European dogs to the arctics. Payer had
with him in FranZ-JOsef Land a number
of dogs from Vienna, and he testified
that they were Of more service to him,
even in extreme cold than the Siberian
animals which he had with him. The
only trouble with his European dogs, he
explained was that they had not been
trained to draft. In this respect our
pack is ideal.
We had great sport buying our dogs
in Liege. Besides we gave the lazy
Liegois such shock of establishment as
they had never before experienced. We
arrived there on a Monday morning. To
avoid bulling a market in which we were
the only buyers we caused the report to
be spread that we wanted a dozen dogs.
though to our friends we confessed that
we wanted half a hundred. Moreover,
we wanted them quickly. A few dog eX-
perts were called into consultation. Yes,
you can get fifty dogs here" they said
but it will take you three weeks TO do
it,. This would not do for our eXpedl-
ton that is 10 make its dash toward
the pole in the space of a single summer,
and we gently suggested that three days
and not three weeks would be more in
our line. Impossible, monsieur But
we thought we would try it. That
American confidence in the power of gold
and hustle combined has not yet been
beaten out of us We organized cur
forces for a dog campaign that was to
be short sharp and decisive. consul
Smith gave us good advice and told
Kentucky stories which made even the
dogs laugh and coax their masters for
the privilege of staying with us. Young
Horace Greeley developed energy and
shrewdness worthy the great name which
he bears. Mr.. Dodge with Mr. Winship
a young English engineer living in Liege
and who is now member of our polar
party. opened headquarters at stable
A milkman was hired to go out and run
i'm dogs Half a dozen commlSSlOnnalres,
dog dealers and other agents were hired
for the same purpose. Advertisement
were put in the daily papers which over
here are written one day, the type set
the second and the forms put TO press
ON the third. so that our advertisements
appeared about the time We were resuy
to leave town. =,
There were plenty of dogs to sell.
Streams of dogs ran down all the thor
oughfares leading to our mart Men,
women and children were the conductors.
They came singly in pairs. triplets and
ouartets 1t seemed that every mother
son and fathers daughter in Liege had
heard we were Americans who wanted
to buv dogs and being Americans were,
of course full of shekels and softness.
At any rate, the price of dogs took a
sudden and appalling upward bound.
Dirty brindle pups that ordinarily were
worth 20 francs were put to us for hum
bred Really goods dogs were priced at
hundreds of francs. and crestfallen were
the countenances of the owners when a
200 franc tender was met with a counter
proposal of 30. Fond expectations of get
ting out of the Americans as the price
of one dog enough money to maintain
whole family for a twelvemonth were
rudely and quickly shattered though not
without an almost endless gable and
clatter in French and Walloons, the
voices Of the disconsolate and suspicious
dogs swelling the din. As soon as these
notions about fancy prices and flowing
American gold had been dispelled the
negotiations reached a common sense
level Almost with tears in their eyes
owners dropped from a hundred francs
by easy stages to half a hundred and
then on down to 40, or even lower, ac-
resembling the great American process
of pulling teeth. The average price paid
was a little under 40 francs.
our dog mart was picture. court
yard surrounded by stables; plenty of
loafers: dogs in leash bowling; all hands.