Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-04-09

a. team of four or five huskics and AoO
pounds for a leader From early morn
ing until late ut night. iu all kinds of
weather. these animals were taken on
the trails and put through their PAGES.
Miles were measured on and inn
promutu races run over them. The
time made received due prominence in
the Nome newspaper and by the time
the day of the race dawned excitement
was az fever heat There was hardly
man. woman or child in the town who
had not 20 fly1rite. backed, in many
cases. by "a wager pf some sort or au-
.thcr For DAYS pre-, iUus Co the event
boo<makors had been busy, and the sac
looms. which have the character Of club
houses in Alaska, were filled with men
watching the changes Boo tine odds gwen
ON various teams
The arrangements made by the pro-
mUters OF che enterprise were that t.ir
first team should start at O'Clock 90
the morning and tine others-lf had ru-
torod-at intervals Of two hours The
day was perfect 50 far as weather con-
dItious were concerned. The sun shnua
brightly though the thermometer stool
at several degrees below zero. Every
where of course. there was deep snow
both DOB town and country. except In
the main streets OF the city which are
always kept clear. Just as they are boo
self zap to holiday and stores 1nl
shops were closed In honor of the event
START FROM KENNEL CLUB.
Some minutes before o'clock the
judges starters and tIWekecucrs were
loo their appointed places two hastily
erected grand tauds-buNes. 10 YOU VII
I'm the principal thor1ughfaro, fIon
which hOated the colors pf the Some
Kennel club. At the sound OF the bu-
gle. five minutes before the start. scores
Of people rushed out Of buildings ready
60 give "a word Of encouragement and
cheer 90 the first starters. AT each sub
seuueut departure there was the Same
enthusiasm. the same blaze Of club and
team colors. the cries Of good viii, the
breathless moments between the busle
call and the drop Of the nag. and the
wild cheers that followed the racers out
OF the little town. which was en- s5t'
In their honor The whole IL teams
started. all picked dogs. AN in the
hands Of capable drivers, men who
knew the trail and knew how 20 han
die their strange steeds
II was not long. however. before "a
setback was experienced. Some Is miles
down the coast the teams ran into
blizzard. II is one of the peculisritirs
Of the climate In this part Of the world
that a blizzard may be blowing great
guns" on one side Of a range Of hills
while perfect calm reigns on the other
Anyhow. the blizzard was OF such cX-
ceptional fury that the racing teams
with the exception OF one. decided To-
put up at rest shanty known as
Browns Roadside house. The driver
who struggled on was blown with his
dogs out upon the Ice " Bcriug sea
where he spent the night. His siberian
dogs with their long. bushy hair. were
soon completely covered with a s1est
OF ice 80 thick that they could scarcely
move. The teams that had taken
refuge I'm the shanty we're held up
there for is hours. Their shelter con-
sisted Of "a room not more than Is
| feet wide by 30 feet long, this space IN
| Guiding a shed al one end and side a
| floor Of beaten earth, rude hunks built
| In tiers against the wall, and furniture
| of the most primitive description.
Under this roof "a racing dogs-l6 0f
| them belonging 90 the mails-tw1 tray
elers teams and two Eskimo teams
! each OF several dogs, one span of mules
| and at least 20 men had sought shelter
| from the bitter weather The whole
| place was flooded with water from the
| thawing dogs and the mems clothing.
| Many amusing tales are related uf the
| discomforts experienced In this rude
| ehanty on that oyentful day. Several
! OF the hunks were occupied by racing
I dogs. to the exclusion of some ~ sine
| men. The dwelling has since been
| humorously dubbed The House ~ a
| Thousand Bow Bows
The moment the blizzard had spen,
| itself the drivers harncsscd up their
| dogs. assisted by willing and excited
| hands. and dashed away toward thciI
| distant goal again. II was a hard
| fought race and was won by Fink's
team. nine beautiful dogs IN trapping,
| OF crimson and gold, In just under 81
| hours The best actual running time
however. en- route. was made bS
"Scotty" Allen, whose squirt Of 20 milo.
I'm nine hours and SO minutes az th'
end Of this 4i2 mile race, Is still
| matter Of wonder 10 those who know
best what man and dogs can do In th'
| desolate and snow hound country Alas
the FIRST annual All-Alaska sweep
stakes was marked by tragedy tn
| driver OF "a crack toam-cdught In
| sudden fierce snowstorm, only re- mih
| from his own csmp-was frozen q
! death. He was found late the follow "a
day partly devoured by his starving
| dogs
n was this sad disaster that Tea th'
! officials To considerably modify ih'
] arrangements FOR the race nj INo'
/ They recognized that the intervals h'
tween the starters we're too long. anl
wore. moreover unfair. owing tu th'
! strange climatic conditions ui th'
country. 10 means that some tr1m
got caught iu force storms. thrnugI
which they struggled Tor hours. Whl'
others. through sturting earlier of
later. managed to escape Thorn ono
driver. for instance. ram into storm
as hc was nearing candle and haI %
nut up there Two uf tho dogs were
frozen ~ death. and Dc himself had I'd
] ra.# ffH f#.r "a