Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-07-01
DOGS NO LONGER NEEDED.
They Have Been Superseded In Alasks
Travel

| They Have Been Superseded In Alaska
Travel
A big, strapping broadshouldered
man strolled into the lobby of the
Butler hotel yesterday afternoon lead
| ing a thoroughbred Malamoot dog by
the chain. The man was a picturesque
figure. His type was frequently seen
on the streets Of Seattle at this sea-
son of the year in 1898 and 1899, and
even as late as last winter. The man
and the dog, however, belong to an
era which is practically part Of the
history of Alaska.
Few people in the lobby looked at
the man, who was Klondike miner
of the conventional type. The dog,
however, attracted all eyes. He was
beauty. OF more than ordinary size
broadchested and broad backed, the
Malamoot tugged restlessly at his
chain, painting the while as If in pain
from the warmth of the steam heated
room.
Hes worth S100 Of any mans mon
ey," said the miner, answering an in
terrogatory. "Of course, l can't get
that for him outside, but it's his true
value. l would take $50 for him and
no less."
Three years ago a dog like this
would have sold for from $3.50 to $500
in Skagway," continued the miner.
THAT was before the day of the rail-
roads and whom roadhouses on the
Upper Yukon were mighty few and far
between. In those days a winters
trip over the river from Skagway to
Dawson earned many fortune of from
$4,000 to 100000. Then claims were
sold on the outsid6-iu the form of op-
tions, while the miners on the inside
were digging the gold out of the crew.
ices of the bedrock by the tablespoon
full and dumping 1t in coal oil cans.
There was only one way of quick
communication between Seattle and
Dawson possible In the winter three
years ago. This was by means Of dog
teams and the Malamoot of all ami
mails in this frozen North, was most
valuable. Shepherds, Newfoundlands
and st. Bernards, full bloods and
scrubs, brought good prices, but the
thoroughbred Malamoot carried the
banner for money value. l have seen
them sold readily for $500 each in
Dawson when party was made up to
come out over the ice in the early days
OF the camp.
'But this is all changed now. 1t is
true that the old timers scorn the
steam locomotives and the trains in
winter time and go over the trail in
little groups with dog sleds to this
city. They have made better time
than the trains, too, during the late
snow blockade. But where a miner
used to have his team of four or eight
dogs he only has two now, and prices
have dropped accordingly.
at is easy now for a man to travel
by dog team from Skagway to Daw-
son with q light sled, fly and 2oo
pounds of food for himself and his
animals. This is because the road
houses are frequent, and new supplies
can be obtained at any point. In the
old days the miner had no road houses
to depend on-he started with a full
outfit of from 1000 to 2OO0 pounds. One
Malamoot to $50 pounds of freight
was the ordinary reckoning. AS the
necessity for the dogs has grown less
and less every year their value has
decreased"
The Malamoot lay painting and whiE-
ing while his master talked, as if be-
wailing the fate of his kind. The dog
was fine specimen Of his breed, with
a thick undercoating of soft, downy
wool and a rough outer coat of gray
hair, almost spiky. with the ends
tipped with black.
The Malamoot was bred in the Mac
kenzie river country originally, and
was started from the mating of Scotch
collies with native wolves.
"The Malamoot pups take as kind
ly to the collar and traces on a dog
sled as a duck does to water" con-
cluded the miner. Some breeders of
Malamoots have made fortunes from
them / know of one Of these who has
Il native Siberian she-wolf which is
the mother of a tribe of Malamoots
that have netted the owner a fortune
of $4,000" Seattle Post-Intelligencer