The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-24
SUMMER VACATION OF ESQU|MAU DOG No One begrudges His Day oi
 Rest NOT EVEN HIS MASTER They Are Great Scrappers and When Not In Business Spend Most of
 Their Time In Civil
 Warfare.
NOT EVEN HIS MASTER

No one, not even his brutal native mas ter, begrudges an Esquimau dog his summer vacation Every Alaska town swarms with dogs, and no amount of cuffing or of yelling will cause them to stir if they are indisposed to move.
 Their sluggish blood and wornout legs too old too tired or too hungry for that. When not in harness or asleep they are always scrapping.
 In speeds the outside dog, that is the dog from Europe or the states, shows off in camp to the disadvantage of the native, but once on the trail the latter is the Arabian steed of the Arctics. The aristocrats of Alaska dog life are the mail teams in the United States service.
 Until the coming of the Americans the leaders in Esquimau dog teams, were un- known in the Arctics The trail was generally broken by an Indian or Esqul- nlau woman running ahead of the team, her tiny mukluks-which are high boots made of the skin on the hair seal or the reindeer-pounding through the snow, while her liege lord snuggled in the sledges fur lined bed
 Today woman is supplanted by dog as leader. Not to white mans chivalry or gallantry in the innovation due, but to the fact that the dog makes a better leader.
 Few pure malamutes (native dogs de- seended from the Siberian wolff are now employed in the mail service. Their legs are too short, their feet sink too readily through the snow. Preference is given to a cross between the malamute or Me Kenzie husky, St. Bernard or Newfound- land with little hound. t'ii
 The Esquimau begins to train his dog for sledge work before 1t is a month old. One of the most interesting feat ures of Esquimau villages are puppies tied to the pole of tent. They pull on the rope with all their puppy strength in the effort to break away and join the frolics of their elders.
 Not until a dog bred for mail service is 1 year old is it put in training for the trail. It begins by running 10 miles with the team, then it is dropped out Next day it runs the same distance. Gradually the distance is increased un- til it reaches it's 18th month of life, when it becomes part of the regular service. -.a#
 The life of a mail dog is from three to four years. No greater punishment can be inflicted than to lay a dog off from service. When unruly they are often threatened with layoff, and with almost human intelligence they seem to understand the disgrace it implies in the eyes of their fellow-workers on the trail. All fight to be leaders. est5 @
 Some dogs are better, trail followers than others, as some are better leaders In a blizzard the best of them lose the trail, but invariably find it.
 When on the trail they eat but once a day then at the end of the journey. After feeding, like weary children, they fall asleep and are never quarrelsome. It takes on an average 20 pounds of food a day for the team of Il dogs on a hard route
 The dogs of the mail teams consumed last year three tons of bacon and one ion, of rice. The rice and bacon are cooked together with frozen fish and eaten hot. The dogs are permitted to eat all they want.
 When too hot they cool it in the snow. If near the sea or a river they Will cunningly pull the vessel out on the ice and test the temperature of the contents with their long tongues until the mess can be eaten without burning the mouth. Frozen fish is the staple food of all na-
 Once a week the dogs are fed on fresh meat bones. .t,
 In the severest weather the dogs are unprotected save by the thick coats Of hair that nature provides. In April and May the mail dogs wear boccasins of moose or deerSkln, for the tnaW or the spring sunshine freezes at night and the ice cuts their feet When road house is reached they often share its shelter with the carrier, but not infrequently they burrow deep into the snowdrift and curled up in their warmth wait until bidden to move on.
 Once on the trail the dogs are un- mindful of every discomfort every danger. Their one playing truant from the line of duty Is chasing the snow birds that fit across the trail. So entcing Is this sport that often the driver Is at the mercy of the team, which quits the trail and in eagerness to catch the flying coquettes of Arctic winged life. roll the sledge over and over snowbanks until the birds are theirs.
 Nome is the mail distributing depot for Seward peninsula-the gateway to, north western Alaska. Mail from the states comes from Seattle by steamer to Valdez -four days Journey. From Valdez to Nome is an overland route of more than 15OO miles. This distance Is covered by four dog team relays, each. let by the government to 8 separate contractor. The government pays $4O,000 a year for carry ing the mall from Unalaklik to Nome. Out of this sum the contractor pays carriers and all expenses.