The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-08
AS TOLD BY GAGE.
son OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
TREASURY ON THE YUKON.
Shedding With Half-Starved Siwash
Dogs, With the Mercury Down Ont
of SiEht-The Millionaires of the
kiondike-Hoyv the Gold Fever
RACES.

William Gage, son of the secretary OF
the treasury. who is interested in the North
American Transportation & Trading Conn
pany. tells to a Chicago Record reporter
an Interesting story OF some OF his expe-
riences on the Yukon. He said in part:
\ sswaSh dog Is the foulest, meanes,,
LATEST and most profani.y-provoking ami
mai I ever met. and / suppose that IL Is
the most abused animal that comes under
the white mans lash. In Alaska these
dogs answer the purpose Of the horse III
America, being used both for packing and
for hauling. A good dog WAS worth $3.50
when We left Circle City, and almost any
thing that had fonr legs brought not less
than SIS. l have seen white men beat
their dogs so numerically that one had 10
interfere. A heavy whip or a big stock sat
isles the driver for a time, but when on
much of a trip a chain seems TO st their
IseeCzs better When a dog Is beaten over
the head and body with chain IL is pretty
brutal. and many a dog has had ribs ana
legs broken and eyes Knocked OUT. Strange
to say. however. the white man as \ rule
is intelligent enough 10 provide for his
dogs, even though he beats them more I'M
nercfully than do the natives
Around an Indian village the dogs sub
sist almost entirely on refuse, as the ma
tfyes at all times are either too hard UP
or too Indifferent 10 give their dogs any
food that human being can eat They
Will hitch up team and start out FOR
journey with dogs looking so thin ana
weak that one doubts their ability TO 20
five miles. II he follows them day, now
ever. he will be mighty tired at night.
Talk OF the lives OF a cat' They are not
TO be considered in the same instant with
the tenacity with which a siwash doS
hangs to life. Without exaggeration. l
have seen an Indian start out with
team OF dogs and travel eighty miles in
three days, and there was not dog nut
had 10 lean against a building TO howl, so
thin and weak were they. With all their
fiithiness and meanness they are, as a RUE.
hard workers and faithful. When they
once understand that the driver Is going
TO do the driving they get over long as
tances and haul big loads. In ordinary
weather. when Ii Is not colder than - de-
grees below zero, they can 30 for ten days
without eating anything bat snow, and
still keep pretty strong and Tat.
Shedding Up the Yukon
Having made the morning start with
much Yelling some urging and just little
profanity, the procession was soon under
way. and with the good trail which We
had three miles an hour gait was not
hard TO keep up. Every few niles we
would pass small piles or cache OF Hour
bacon and canned goods which some
husky miner was slowly moving up the
farther up the river had left quite short
age of -four and bacon above, and the
thrifty ones were pulling their freight
from, Circle City TO the kloneike q dts
lance Of 300 miles. Most Of them had only
three or four dogs, and in consequence
were compelled 10 double and triple y.
ore loads hts sled 20 the limit Of the dogs
endurance in the morning and travels an
III about : o clock In the afternoon, when
he unIoads and plies his stun near the
trail ay1d returns for the rest OF the load.
st1ysng for the night al the place where
rs started in the morning. lhe next
morning he takes the rest Of his load. or
as much as he can haul. and goes aheaa
70 the no!nt where tire first % the load was
left. The next day he pushes on IN tie
same way. until eventually his destination
Is reached.
Mercury Ont Of sight
After the usual number Of upsets, dog
fights. burnt fingers and n!pped nnsers
ana toes We arrived a. Fors Cuaahy. 20
miles from Circle City. and nine and
halg aavs out Here we were TO rest our
dogs ard ourselves aud overhaul nur oat~
Fl for frora here out we must prepare our
selves 10 get along without being able TO
get any more provisions until Dyea to
reached. a quarter OF the distance h2d
been covered every one was in good shape
aud there was no doubt in our minds bat
that ne could stand the trip.
Fort ts74dahy Is a trading pest o. ore @.
the Yukon companies, and !, II about
gS~ee-qlizrters % 3 nile from Ferry Nile.
where the other company has It's post II
vas on this creek that runs into ire Ia
son taa, gold In paying quantities vas
first discovered Four days found IS IN
share TO resume eur march. and on Jana-
srv vs made our start. with bright
~fsa- sav ard the thermometer Il degrees
below.
AT Fort Cu3ahy ] rad secured tseT-
rsousa,er whsch registered - degrees De-
lew zero. This nailed or the rear Of tns
ais-s ] wa '-cts~ksng'- 9T,. but later on.
when ths mercury in tits went out OF
sight ard one OF ths Indians raIt!ale1.
f.@xan 20 saabt fh@ wisdom % having any
thing shAt tan Dc used 10 keep CASES" On
the temperature
AS we PASSED Forty Mile ~e ra1 irto
stretch * river thai Was roosner taa1