The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-06
DlCken.Nu rOH ALASKA PACK HORSES.
mmab,e material And here in the crowded little triangle

And here in the crowded little triangle
are Clondyke horses. They are not SO
handsome as Morgan colts nor so stall
wart and sleek as Clydesdales or Norman
Porcherons. They are of no particular
blood or breed. They range from the skin
ny, little mustang. who looks MS il he
would stagger under an empty pack sad
die. to the tall, flea bitten, gray starving.
who from his height of sixteen hands.
looks complacently down on the lesser
ranges of horsedom around him.
No pedigree here is required to effect .
sale. Each owner sounds the praises, OF
his own gallant steed, telling over the
list of his good qualities much as cheap
John dealer lauds his wares, all unmindful
of the proverb that good wine needs no
bush"
How this particular place came to be
selected as a Clondyke horse market is
mystery. Sellers and buyers seem to have
gravitated there by sort OF natural CO.
hesion. All day long you will find them
there, and If you will stand and watch
them half an hour or So you will glimpse
one phase of the new mining Impulse that
is worth a picture. There is a group of
men and boys gathered around fresh
equine arrival. discussing his age and his
points. On the horses back is the quaint
pack saddle with its angular wooden
forks fore and aft and its leather thongs.
He Is shore-footed." says the owner, and
one thinks of the ruw-boned cayuse pick
ing his way up and down the rocky slopes
from Skaguay to the lakes "He sartain-
~ Is a good packer" says the owner. and
the spectator mentally sees a picture OF
the far northern trail and the gaunt fig
ure of the horse with the enormous camel
hump of a pack. heading for the Cion-
dyke.
All kinds of odd characters cluster about
the place and go to make up a pictur-
esque ensemble richly worth sketching
The tout is there. not TO give tips on
jockeys and records. but on horses and
prices. The steerer is there. and now and
then an amateur confidence man graces
the crowd Huge loads of hay are driven
right UP amid the crowd of horses and
not seldom the horses go fora ging around
among the vehicles and are driven away
/ with a muttered oath and stinging lash
from the hayman's whip. Bets are made
I as well as sales. the most frequent basis
for wager being horses age. The
other day while the reporter was looking
on. two men bet on a horses age The
owner claimed that the horse was NOT
quite five years old "rll bet he is over
hfteen" said a hystander. How much
VIII you bet?'' asked the owner "tr;ve
dollars" said the other 'I'u bet vo,, son
20 s. that he is not five" said the owner.
The bet was taken but in the confusion
OF the crowd the cayuse ,iisappesred and
ihen there was ~ordv war which
threatened every moment 10 come "a
blows, hut she storm cloud drifted away
as gently as in n European diplomatic
tueI.
chatter and jokes and banter ava
yarns or course they are there. WHO
ever saw crowd Of horsenen vxhcrs
such things were not Go and hear ,ho,,,
awhile You will ada a phrase or two "a
! your vocabulary. hear some wondrous
tAc'S anoa' horses see an element OF
nineteenth century civilization ~, u.s.,
may relish telling 10 your grarachild~e,
some day. and possibly buy YOU staef; r.,
( carry your outfit lover the pass
/ PICK out good fat ore. II may be wen
! 20 have an eye open as TO vhe,t,e- 80
would cat up well into steaks and chons