Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-11-26
SUPPLIES TO YUKON REGION.
Provisions Transported In sieds Dravs By
Dogs.


In commenting upon the efforts OF
the secretary Of war to ascertain the
asst means of getting supplies up
the Yukon river, "a developed in
his recent inquiries upon that impor-
tant point, and the replies of Senator
Perkins, Mr.. J. Il. Dyer, pioneer in
the Alaskan territory, expressed to a
Washington Star reporter his great
interest in the subject, and said;
Permit me to suggest that | was
in Alaska when our government con.
summated its purchase. We made
ST. Michae's our base Of supplies,
and from there we transported them
across Norton sound, both by boat
and ON sleds. to Unalachlctc. From
Unalachlete, with dogs and sleds, we
transported supplies of oil kinds, even
to boats and canoes, over the trail
made by our sleds to Nulato, We
showed the Russians how TO accom-
plsh this work, they never having,
prior to our advent, used dogs and
sleds for that purpose. They always
waited for the Yukon to open, when
their sloop would leave ST. Michaels
with provisions for their trading posts
on the Yukon. Proceeding TO Nuklu-
kay they would meet the Indians from
Upper Yukon and barter for furs.
usually returning to st. Michael's
with sloop load.
IF | were in that country aud had
h.. O., al. Ia
and proyisions-I could transport all
supplies required across the country,
making O depot or cache Mt or about
Nulato, 900 miles from the coast,
With relay of teams | would take the
goods 10 point higher up the river,
where men with dogs and sleds from
the Upper Yukon would meet the
teams and forward the supplies to
their destination. This would he at
tended with some hard work and pos
sibly with some suffering, but it can
be done. And what is little suffer-
ing compared to the possible starva-
ton of hundreds OF men?
'We usually hauled 400 pounds to
a load, with five dogs to team, using
the lngelete sled, made wholly of
birch, very elastic and very strong.
We thought nothing of several hun
dred-mile trips, camping at night on
the banks of some stream among the
spruce trees, or staying at an Indian
village over night.
with Richard Golfer of Missouri
aud three Maleymute Esquimaux) In
dians--Isaac, Lunchy and JIM once
made the trip from Norton sound to
the Yukon river with dogs and sleds,
through the Koyukon country, being
thirty-three days on the tramp. Dur
ling that trip we were cssUht ipEsSon
erai severe snow storms, but we were
careful and camped until the storms
were over. We did not suffer very
great inconvenience nor any serious
drawbacks. Our constant travel from
Unalachlete to Nulato made u trail
over which we passed with convent
ence and dispatch.
1T was sight to gladden. our
hearts to witness the style and com
fort in which Stepanoif, the Russian
bidarshik, travelled, with two fine
sleds, each with seven magnificent
dogs, and accompanied by five serfs.
/ have known his teams To travel 65
miles day over the ice from st.
Michael's to Unalachlete. We offered
him 800 each for his dogs, which
offer he refused
This transporting ofgoods by dogs
and sleds, after the trail il made, il
not by any means q difficult task.
have travelled many hundreds of miles
on snow shoes and with dog sleds, and
have been on the Yukon river at all
seasons"