The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-11
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cent expenses of snow over which you may travel from place to place.
 Alaska is a terribly slandered coun- try. Fur coats, boots and "parkas" are splendid things to have on the trail in case of a cold snap. But peo- pie in Nome dress just as they do in Minneapolis. The first years every body wore Esquimau furs and "muk- luks." Then came the felt shoe period, when everybody put off the ungraceful and comfortable "mukluk" for felt shoes. Now the felt shoe has given way to the patent leather shoe for street and town wear.
 A year ago last winter the mercury played around zero most of the time. For a few days it was nearly 50 above and at no time through the winter did it fall lower than 35 below zero. Some winters are colder, of course, just as they are here. In January and Reb- lruary of each year we usually have a protracted thaw of few days or two weeks, accompanied by rain.
 The popular amusements in Nome during winter are dancing and athletic sports. Dancing was terribly over , done during the first winters. Old men and women whose knees almost rattled with age took dancing lessons Iearly every evening in the week was given up to public dancing, and to make matters worse liquor flowed freely. The punch" booth was often o Mo. where in the world has Terpsichore had as faithful and ardent worshipers as in Nome. One day one of my church members said to me:
 I've been a good Methodist for forty years and have fought dancing all my life, and now am taking dancing lesscns."
 But basketball and indoor baseball i are the most interesting and popular winter events. Skating is pleasant pastime In the fall before the snow flies or when large open lead in the broken sea ice freezes over near Nome. But more popular than any other out door sports are skiing and "dog mush- ing" The word "mush" is corrup- 1 tion of the French word 'marche. " The Sunday ski jumps are often at tended by hundreds of enthusiasts who drive out to the foothills with horses or dogs or run out on their skis. Shi races are also very popular. When the trails are in good condition and the weather fine trip to the mines or along the rough pressure ridges of ice blocks on the seashore by dog team is very interesting-es- pecially if the dogs should happen to start for home without you.
 We have no@theatres at Nome, but sufficient talent can always be secur- ed to give splendid recitals, entertain ments and light operas "The Mikado," " Queen Esther" Mistress Nell" &c., are instances of what has been given in the past. Nearly every night of the week is taken up by some public att traction. We even have prize fights. At the recitals and kindred entertain ments the finest floral decorations are in evidence. No flowers in winter? | Carnations, roses of all tints and shades, in fact, all kinds of flowers can be had at the drug store-if you care to buy some tissue paper and make them. Our star singers and pianists accept a bunch of tissue paper roses or carnations with as much grace and appreciation as if they were real.
 Nome is the gossip's paradise. To- ward spring everybody's pedigree is carefully examined Into the third and fourth generation. Then just as the hair pulling season begins some one exclaims: Steamer in sight," Church bells ring, steam whistles blow, dogs howl. On the beach two or three thou sand pioneers stand and wait for new faces, old friends, and fresh eggs. In their friendly jostle and common in- terests tile past is forgotten.