The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1899-06-29
HUsK1Es OF THE NORTH.
DIR. Gale Says These Great Alaskan Dogs
are the Only objects Which Demand
Respect In That Arctic Country.

DIR. Gale Says These Great Alaskan Dogs
are the Only Objects Which Demand
Respect In That Arctic Country.
DIR. Alex Gale, who has just re-
turned to his home in New York city
from two years visit to the gold
fields of British America, describes
the Alaskan dogs (the "huskies' OF
that country as the only objects that
to any degree meet the expectations OF
the traveller, or command his, respect
Everything else wanes as one adj
vances northward, and the mercury
sinks" said DIR. Gale. ''The whole
land is a great silent waste. In win
ter it is submerged in snow, and in
summer deep sponge-like moss, the
lair of untold billions of voracious
mosquitoes, lies over all, like witch's
blanket.
"But the 'huskies' are a Joy forever.
They are great, vigorous fellows, half
wolf, and weigh a hundred pounds
often. They are cheerful and playful,
too, and live on one meal day, given
them at evening. Upon being released
from their heavy sledges, after having
dragged them through the snow for
thirty or forty miles, they would inva-
riably go to romping. After being fed
they would curl themselves up like
kittens, place their bushy tails over
the tips of their noses and go to sleep.
"The 'huskies' never bark. II OK
cited or troubled about anything, they
turn their noses up to the sky and
whine, very much as wolf docs. But
the strength and endurance OF these
dogs amazed me most. Two of them
would easily drag man on sledge
all about, while team of eight were
equal to really prodigious tasks. Such
team sold on the coast for ~, O00
once, while / was there. Every one
soon grew to learn that they were the
only kind of animals to depend upon.
Horses soon became tagged, and had
to be abandoned before the interior
could be reached.
"One American brought several
huge Newfoundands up with him,
thinking to train them to toll with the
'huskies' of his team. They proved
utter failures, giving out the first day
and sitting down in the snow. Their
more sturdy companions waited until
they were detached and then took the
sledge on themselves. Their only
shortcoming lies in tendency at times
to be lazy. Sometimes it is absolute
ly necessary to whip one or more OF
them for Sinking their work. This is
always a painful duty, because of their
keen, and often pathetic, intelligence.
The victim was nearly always con-
scous of his guilt and would set up @
half human whine at the first sign OF
the LASH"
According to popular belief, the
husky is half wolf and half Scotch
collie. According to tradition he datei
back to the time when the trappers fol-
the Hudson Bay company overran the
country in the last century. A French
man named Marnot, having made
friends with an indian, awoke one
morning to find that he had beer
robbed of his dog, faithful collie
He searched in vain for traces OF them
and gave them up. A year later he
suddenly came upon the thief by The
side of river. A battle ensued ano
Marnot killed his adversary. Upor
entering his hut he found his lost dos
tied to stake. She was surrounded
by several shaggy puppies, from whom
date the present race of 'huskies.
| -----------
In France roya'ty has to be paid every