The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-28
DOGS WEAR NoCCASINs.
And Think Coats Are Desirable for
Them in the hIOndiI<e.

A"H Ahihh eoats Are Desirable for
Them in the KIOndike.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
It's great time for big dogs. There IS
a brisk demand for such animals in Alas
ka and the new gold fields of the Canadian
Northwest. A large number will be ship
ped early in the spring from San Fran
cisco to the K!ondike. Several buyers in
this market have been making purchases
for months past and still the demand is
greater than the supply
The pound at Sixteenth and Alabama
streets is visited daily by men who are
collecting dogs capable of hauling sledges
in the icy Ell Dorado. Only long-haired
bowwows are sought, and the least weight
ordinarily accepted is sixty pounds. The
breed is not material, provided these con-
ditions are met. Any sort of mongrel
will do, but the types preferred are the
New Foundland and St. Bernard
At the Arctic Oil Works. however. 1t is
stated that two bull terriers sent to the
North by the company have done remark
able good service as sled-drawers, far
SURPRISING the work of native Alaskan
dogs. Yet these eXiied terriers are of
only about forty pounds weight each.
Short-haired dogs of this sort are still oc-
casionaliy shipped to Alaska from the
works here, but the general inquiry is for
big and shaggy fellows. the heavier the
better.
Superintendent Holbrook of the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
which has charge of the pound says that
he could sell twenty dogs q day of the
kind desired to be shipped to Alaska in
the coming spring. He readily obtains SO
each for them. Owing to the fact that
the pound was closed for about six months
preceding Nov. % last there was a great
increase of scrub dogs in this city, and
the dogCatchers have since been busy.
Last month the number captured was
l,l0l, the largest months work in the his
tory of the pound. OF these III were de-
stroyed, an exposure of four minutes to
the deadly carbon monoXide of the city
gas sufticing in all cases. Only about
fifty were sold, the remainder being re-
deemed.
y man from Alaska who recently call
ed at the pound in quest of dogs told the
superintendent that of eight native dogs
worked by him as a team none weighed
less than 40 pounds. He also said chat
all dogs taken to Alaska need moccasirs
in the winter season to prevent the snow
from getting between their toes in which
situation it makes the skin raw and sore.
These moccasins are usually made of can
vas as dogs are disposed 10 gnaw those of
leather or rawhide.
Among those who are buying heavy
dogs for Alaska are A, Ungerman, 2S1 Har-
riet street; P. Schmidt, 1907 Valencia. and
}. S. Brownlee, l47 Larkin. Schmidt sends
his dogs TO a trainer. at Burlingame to be
properly broken for Shedding purposes. lie
will himself so to Alaska with his pack
when spring opens.
one reason why long-haired dogs NAV
be preferred in Alaska is that their shay
gy coat is some protection against mos
quitoes. Schwatka says in his book on
the Yukon valley, that the MOSQUITOES
which there abound in summer have baen
known to Kill even the native dogs. and
that bears are frequently made blind ana
helpless by the pests