The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1901-04-25
DOGS OUT OF A JOB.
ARE NO LONGER NEEDED IN
ALASKAN TRAVEL.
The Locomotive Has superseded the
Dog Team, Though Many old-Timers
Still Refuse to Patronize the More
Modern Means of Transportation.

Dog Team, Though Many old Timer
Still Refuse to Patronize the Nor
Modern Means of Transportation.
A big, strapping, broad-shouldere
man strolled into the lobby of the But
Ter hotel yesterday afternoon leadlh
a thoroughbred Malamoot dog by IN
chain. The man was "A picturesque liz
ure. His type was frequently seen OF
the streets of Seattle at this season
the year in 1898 and 1899 and even a
late as last winter. The man and TIL
dog. however, belong to an era which
Is practically n part of the history o
| Alaska.
Few people in the lobby looked a
the man, who was Klondike miner o
the conventional type. The dog, now
| ever. attracted all eyes. He was
beauty. OF more than ordinary size
| broad.chested and broad-hacked. thu
| Malamcot tugged restlessly at hl'
chain. painting the while as If In pan
| from the warmth of the steam-heated
room.
Hes worth 500 of any mans
money" said the miner, answering al
interrogatory. "Of course, | can't gel
that for him outside, but It's his true
value. would take $50 for him and
no less
Three years ago dog like this
would have sold for from $3.50 to 5000
in Skaguay," continued the miner
THAT was before the day of the rail
roads and when roadhouses ON the
Upper Yukon were mighty few and
far between In those days winter
trip over the river from Skaguay TO
Dawson earned many a fortune of from
$50. GOO to 100000 Then claims were
sold on the outside in the form of OPP
tons, while the miners on the inside
were digging the gold out of the ere
vices of the bedrock by the tablespoons
full and dumping it 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 the frozen north, was most
valuable. Shepherds, Newfoundlands
and St Demands, fullbloods and
scrubs, brought good prices, but the
Malamoot carried the
banner for money value. | 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 block
ade. 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 man to travel
by dog team from Skaguay to Dawson
with light sled, a fly and 200 pounds
of food for himself and his animals.
This is because the roadhouses are fire.
quent and new supplies can be obtain
ed at any point In the old days the
miner had no roadhouse to depend on
he started with full outfit of from
l 900 to 1000 pounds. One Malamoot
to $50 pounds of freight was the ordi-
nary reckoning. AS the necessity for
the dogs has grown less and less every
year their value has decreased"
The Malamoot lay painting and whin-
ing while his master talked, as If be-
wailing the fate of his kind. The dog
was fine specimen of his breed, with
n thick undercoating of soft downy
wool and rough outer coat of gray
hair, almost spiky, with the ends tip
ped with black.
The Malamoot was bred In the Mac
kenzie river country originally and was
started from the mating of Scotch col
lies with native wolves.
"The Malamoot pups take as kindly
to the collar and traces on dog sled as
n duck does to water" concluded the
miner. "Some breeders of Malamoots
have made fortunes from them.
know of one of these who has a native
Siberian she-wolf which is the mother
of tribe of Malamoots that have net
ted the owner n fortune of 100000
Seattle Post-Intelligencer.