New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-17
Alaskan Mail Driver May
Finish Long Journey
This Week.
BY Frank Caldwell.

Indianapolis, Feb. Is (SpeciaD.-EH Smith, one
OF the best known and most courageous mail
carriers in the Northland, is driving his
team of seven dogs from Nome Alaska 20
Washington. where he will arrive February
IS or 10 II all goes we'll This is the longest trip
by far ever undertaken in the world with a dog
team. He has been the road since November.
! 1905. and is now crossing the mountains Of
West Virginia
Eli Smith looks his part. He IS Just such a
man would expect TO intTusted with
tie mails of Uncle Sam or the long trails Of ice
and snow. His shoulders are broad and square
and he has not extra pound Of flesh. 1t
takes determination 10 face the terrible storms
and Billiards OF the Arctic trails In the long
winter night, when the only means Of trans
portation between the isolated settlements IS by
dog team. Mr.. Smith has the appearance OF
being a man who can stand almost anything
without physical exhaustion. and in his muskrat
parkee and his mukluks Cboots) OF reindeer ami
walrus hide he presents a picture typical Of the
North and OF his calling
But the mall carrier must possess other quail
tiles than mere physical strength and powers ~
endurance He must be able to adapt himself
TO the terrible conditions Of the trail He must
be able to Withstand the loneliness OF the north
eru solitudes while journeying day after day
with no companions but his dogs. lie must have
| tie confidence ana courage 10 1OIlO" ms team
! through the storms and Billiards that rage in
! fury around h.u iu the uninhabited wastes
| where frecuoury Il. Jews at time there are
| no Landmarks aud where in the darkness of the
| storm he can al mes scarcely see the wheel
| eIs" He mus get himself into that state OF
| mind which calmly ard patiently resists the de-
| pressing effect OF The long Arctic darkness. This
| is a mental condition not every main
! tain but without It one would be OF little or no
|
| a good animal trainer and Judge OF dog flesh.
| for the art Of buying and selling and trading
dogs IS one as difficult master that Of
| trading horses in more southern ATTITUDES There
are David Harums every trail, and the I'M
l suspecting tenderfoot IS in danger Of becoming
their victim at every turn.
The sled used by the mall carriers OF Alaska
IS made Of hickory and is light and strong.
) These sleds are made especially for the govern
. ment service There is open framework on
/ top to hold the mail sacks. and frequently the
. driver himself. The sled complete weighs only
eighty pounds. At the rear are handle bars for
the 'musher' TO hold TO while walking and for
/ the purpose of steering and guiding
! There are several kinds OF dogs used tho
long trails Of the North, the malimute, tho
! swash, the husky. the half-breed and the out
! side dog The malimute is secured from tho
Esquimaus Of the Boring Strait region. and is
generally supposed 10 be domesticated wolf.
! Some of these have been in captivity for gener-
ations but they are still frequently caught when
pups and after being raised with those that are
domesticated become faithful and as af-
fectionate as the other animals.
The siwash. or Yukon dog, Is obtained from
the Indians living in the interior along the great
Alaskan River and are said TO be be-
tween the husky and the malimute. Like the
maIlmute, the siwash cannot bark like dog, but
! howIs and whines and gives the wolf bark
! do the savage brutes OF the wild They
strong and hardy and good pullers when prop
ery fed and handled.
The husky is the Hudson Bay dog. and comes
into the Klondike country and Alaska. espe-
ciaIly from the Mckenzie Valley and from the
regions Of the Upper Porcupine. The old "mush-
ers" say that these a cross between the
Northern wolf and a Scottish hound. The
huskies however brought into the North.
or produced in the North so long ago that they
are now cIassed as inside" dogs The husky is
less wolflike in appearance than the malimute
or siwash and is built something like a hound.
The outside" dogs are OF many varieties and
from many countries and taken into the Tar
North because Of their strength, intelligence and
ability to make themselves useful. There are
ST Bernards Newfoundlands, mastffs. shep
herds collies and even bird dogs and bulldogs
working on harness in the Yukon Territory and
Alaska The outside dogs useful the
shorter trails. where strength is more to be de-
sired than speed and endurance. II is seldom
however that an outside dog Is found that SHOWS
the endurance Of the hardy inside dogs. which
can make fifty and sixty miles day on the
snow and ice and suffer no inconvenience In
doing so Il travelling light
Smith prefers the malimute The team which
he is driving from Nome to Washington now
consists Of seven. although when he left Nome he
had ten of these wol1sh animals hitched to his
sled. Three of his valuable team were poisoned
while crossing Wisconsin. A man in Indian
apoIis asked him II he saved the skins OF these
three. IN reply he asked the man IL he would
save the akin OF his boy VINO disd. On The oon-
trary. he dug a dssp grave By ns rosdsida