Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-16

expert animal trainer and a good Judge
of dog flesh. He must understand the
he travels and know how to defend him
self against them when necessary. And,
above all, he must be absolutely honest
and trustworthy.
carriers in Alaska is Eli Smith. who is
now in the states on a unique trip. He
Is driving his team of dogs and wolves
from Nome, Alaska, to Washington. d. c..
undertaken to deliver a letter, given into
his care at Nome, to the President OF the
United States, making the entire journey
with his team of dogs and sled. 1t Is
stated that Smith had gone over many
of the Alaskan trails before there were
people enough in Alaska to justify the
establishment of government mali service
there and that he has blazed new trails
vast soltudes of snow and ice, which have
since been followed by the mail carriers.
The sled which the heavy mail SACKS
are carried is called a basket sled. ana
is made expressly for the mall service. 1t
is made of hickory, is very light and very
strong 1t is about ten feet in length and
the narrow steel-shod runners are twenty
two inches apart. There is an open frame.
work on top to hold the outfit. the mail
bags and the driver, the sled complete
Weighing only eighty-five pounds. At the
rear end there are handle bars for guild
ing and steering.
Several Kinds OF Dogs.
There are several kinds of dogs used in
pulling these sleds over the long trails
of Alaska. The malimute, the siwash, the
husky, the half breed and the outside dog,
are all found working in harness during
the long dark winter.
The malimute is secured from the Eski-
mos and is nothing but domesticated
wolf. Some of these have been in cap
VII frpOuentlv
are caught wild when puppies. and after
being raised with those that are domesti-
Gated become as faithful workers as the
others. These animals are used extensively
on the trails along the shores Of the Bering
sea and Boring strait and the Arctic ocean.
The siwash, or Yukon dog. is obtained
from the Indians living In the interior
along the great Alaska river. and are said
to be a cross between the husky and the
malimute. Like the malimute the siwash
cannot bark, but howls as does his savage
cousin, of the wild. He Is strong and hardy,
however. and a good puller when properly
trained and handled.
The husky comes from the headwaters Of
the Porcupine river and the lower regions
drivers, say that these are cross between
the northern wolf and the Scottish hound.
They were brought Into the north by the
Hudson Bay Company so long ago that
they are now considered inside dogs The
husky is less wolf-like in appearance than
the malimute or siwash and Is built some
thing like a hound. He is found by hun
dreds on the trails of the interior, espe-
cially from the Mckenzie river to the Hud-
son bay and in the Klondike region and the
upper Yukon country.
The half-breeds are a cross between any
outside dog and any Of the three inside
dogs above described. While many half
breeds are used, yet they are never able to
withstand the hardships Of the long trails
as do the malimutes, the siwashes and the
huskies.
"Outside Dogs"
The outside dogs are Of many varieties
and from many countries. and are taken
into the north because of their strength,
good nature and intelligence. There are
Newfoundlands, St. Demands, shepherds,
bird dogs and even bull dogs working on
the trails Of Yukon territory and Alaska
The outside dogs are useful on the shorter
trails, where strength Is more to be desired
than speed and endurance, but 1t Is seldom
that an outside dog is found able to hold
his own on the mail trails with the hardy
inside dogs, whose powers Of speed and
endurance are such that they can easily
make fifty and sixty miles per day con-
tinuously for weeks at a time.
So marvellous Is the instinct Of direction
and position of some of the most carefully
trained dogs that even in storms and dark
ness they are able to find the trail and lead
the team to it's proper destination. The ami
mails are driven without lines, and many
are the stories told of how the storm
leader has brought his driver safely into
camp during a blizzard after the latter had
lost all idea to direction.