The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-02-02


RADIO. Olaf Nelson laid claim to five
hundred of it's feet (linear, not
square) duly posted his notice, and as
duly disappeared. AT that time the
nearest recording Office was in the
police barracks at Fort Cudahy, just
across the river from Forty Mile; but
when il became bruited abroad that
Eldorado Creek was n treasure house,
il was quickly discovered that Olaf
Nelson had failed to make the down
Yukon trip to file upon his property.
Men cast hungry eyes upon the own
erless claim, where theys knew a
thousand thousand dollars waited but
shovel and sluice box. Yet they dared
| not touch it; for there was n law
which permitted 60 days to lapse
between the stalking and the filing,
during which time n claim was i'm
mune. The whole country knew of
Olaf Nelson's disappearance, and
scores of men made preparation for
| the jumping of it and for the conse-
quent race to Fort Cudahy.
But competition at Forty Mile was
limited. With the camp devoting it's
energies to the equipping either
of Jack Harrington or Louis Savoy,
no man was unwise enough to enter
the contest single-handed. 1t was a
stretch of hundred miles to the re-
corder's office, and ii was planned that
| the two favorites should have four
| relays of dogs stationed along the
| trail. Naturally, the last relay was
| to be the crucial one, and for these
| twenty-five miles their respective par
| tsans strove to obtain the strongest
possible animals. so bitter did the.
| factions wax, and SO high did they
bid, that dogs brought sitter prices
| than ever before in the annals of the
| country. And, as it Glanced, this
scramble for dogs turned the public
| eye still more searchingly upon JOY
Molineau. Not only was she the
| cause of it all, but she possessed the
| finest sled-dog from Chilkoot to Ber-
ing sea. AS wheel or leader, Wolf
Fang had no equal. The man whose
sled he led down the last stretch was
bound to win. There could be no
doubt of it. But the community had
an innate sense of the fitness of
things, and not once was Joy veXed
by overtures for his use. And the
factions drew consolation from the
fact that if one man did not profit
by him, neither should the other.
Early in the week the camp turned
out to start Jack Harrington and
Louis Savoy on their way. They had
taken shrewd margin of time, for it
was their wish to arrive at Olaf Mel
sons claim some days previous to the
expiration of it's immunity, that they
might rest themselves, and their dogs
be fresh for the first relay. On the
way up they found the men of Dawson
already stationing spare dog teams
along the trail, and it was manifest
that little expense had been spared in
view of the millions at stake.
A couple of days after the de-
parture of their champions, Forty
Mile began sending up their relays
| first to the seventy-five station, then
to the fifty, and last to the twenty
| five. The teams for the last stretch
were magnificent, and so equally
matched that the camp discussed
their relative merits for full hour
at fifty below, before they were per-
mitted to pull out. At the last mo-
ment JOY Molineau dashed in among
them on her sled. She drew Lon Nc
Fame, who had charge of Harrington
team, to one side, and hardly had the
first words left her lips when it was
noticed that his lower jaw dropped
with celebrity and emphasis sugges-
tive of great things He unhitched
Wolf Fang from her sled, put him at
the head of Harrington's team, and
mushed the string of animals into the
Yukon trail.
"Poor Louis Savoy" men said; but
JOY Molneau flashed her black eyes
defiantly and drove back to her
fathers cabin.
Midnight drew near on Olaf Mel
sons claim. A few hundred fur-clad
men had preferred sixty below and
the jumping, to the inducements OF
warm cabins and comfortable hunks
Several score of them had their no.
tees prepared for posting and their
dogs at hand. A bunch of Capt. Con
stantine's mounted police had been
ordered on duty that fair play might
rule. The command had gone forth
that no man should place stake till
the last second of the day had licked
itself into the past.
A bearskin-coated policeman stepped
prominently to the fore, watch in
hand. Men hurried among the dogs
rousing them to their feet, untangline
their traces, strengthening them out
The entries came to the mark firmly
gripping stakes and notices. They
had gone over the boundaries of the
claim so often that they could now
have done it blindfolded. The police
man raised his hand. Casting off Their
superhuous furs and blankets, and
with final cinching of belts, they
came to attention.
"Time!"
Sixty pairs of hands unmitted; as
many pairs of moccasins gripped hare
upon the snow.
Sol"
They shot across the wide expanse
round the four sides, sticking notice.