The Nome daily nugget., 1910-11-09

tdi IT yum Kin lOOk DaCk about three or four years an See the eleven dog teams, inpaYiere for the word to 'museh on" as they stood facin' the cold wins which blew over the ice backs on the Berin waters Now if thnh truth he tole, Nigc was the bes' leader this side "f iifty-three. an that's some statcmen tuh make with out liein Dogs was some plentiful in them days and for racin' purposes there war much material to pick from, <" to speak.
 Rat keeler had boughten Nige offen a native who hailed from Plover bay across Siberee way. He give the Es- kimo fiftee cents and bum pistol in exchange for the canine and the native went away smilin'.
 The Rat" was a man Who could handle race dogs bettern any other man in the countree an his malamoots knew that the bosses word was law az far as they was concerned.
 The All Alaska Sweepstakes race was to be pulled of'n in Nome that spring-April war the month-and ali the dog mushers in thuh camp were irainin' their purps for the event.
 A ten thousan' dollar purse was hung up for the boy who could escort his team to Candle and back to Nome. a distance of some four hunred miles, in the shortest time.
 Now Keeler was none to prosperous in them days, in fac his only posses sions were his dogs, nine of 'em. Thar was Peeny and Nike, thuh wheelers; Frisco, Babe, Tim. Mukluk, Dave, Cou- gar and Nige. the leader Keeler bought orn the buck native. People 'roun tho camp 'stimated as how the 'ntire team was wuth bout five hun'red dollars. but the owner wouldn't peddle em for ten time that mount. That's Rat Kee- Ter for you.
 With the idee of obtain a liveehood. the Rat" worked at some tother mans claim bout six months out of the year and the res of the time he spent with his dogs and tellln' folks that they was not fer sale Everybody who was ln- terested In canlnes tried to buy the team ofn Reeler--because. presume. they knew he wouldn't sll
 Well as I was sayin' the Sweep stakes was m snide event and the Rat" seemed to look toward to the occasion with becomin' interest
 Some said that the Rat" was a miser when he had money and that he must had some of his earnings bur led Be that as 1t may. Keeler was arus genial like ter me and ain't the man to judge his carakter. Others presumed that the dog man had a good an sufficient reason for hosrdin' his money That's part o' the story that I'll tell you later.
 Finally the day of tho All AIosl,a Sweepstake race had come. The teams wer" departIn' every fifteen minutes for Candle. that's how thy started on the Marathon Nine o' the eIevn, op tries had departed before Rat KceIer put in his appearance.
 When Keeler an hls nine dogs Ief, the strtin' place there was n look of Termination In the boys face which I'll never forget. It looked as though the winnin' of that event meant fife ar death to tho "Rat. ."
 His team seemed to know that their was somethin' unusual in tho air an. they struggled at the traces impatien, "a go faster. But the "aR't knew that If his animals spent themselves before he had crossed the tape on the return trip 1t was all orr.
 The snow was a fallln' light that day. but the groun' snow was well packed and made good goin' for the dogs.
 As the day progressed like. Keeler overlook three of the nine teams which had a start'n him. That night when he took his nine hour res at the Hawk ley roadhouse-all of the teams was compel to lay off nine hour for team feed an res'-he had over took two more of the racers accordin' to the timekeepers watch.
 Rat" afus tended his dogs bef,re l''hin after his own comforts. Eaca and every animal in his team was ex- amined and fed. Their feet was band aged for the night and nice clean stalls was give 'em. Then the Rat looked out for his own feed and sleep.
 They say that Keeler tossed all night &. the rodhouse an at the frs break O daylight he ran out to thuh dos sheds.
 He gave his usual whoop an all of the purps respond 'ceptin' Nige. The leader wouldn't or couldn't budge. The Rat was nightly skeered as he