Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-04-25
ALASKAN DOGS
Single Teams somstimss Brings as
Much 40 $1,000.

Single Teams Sometimes Brings as
Much 40 $1,000.
Miss Emma Leonidas Kelly, the
first white woman to go down the Yu-
kon. has qualified by many strenuous
experiences in Alaska to be considered
as an authority on the dog teams Of
that country, says Sitka letter. The
native animals are the malamute. the
huskie and the siwash.
The first comes from the coast Of
Bering Sea, and Is cross between
the Russian terrier and the Siwash.
He is small, weighing so to75 pounds
and has shaggy hair. which makes
him look twice his real size. Un-
der this is coat Of short. warm fur
that protects him In the most severe
weather. 30 sGEa
The huskie comes from the McKen-
zie river, is large gray dog, weigh
Ing from 125 to 160 pounds, and is
covered with short stubby fur, with
an undercoat Of thick fur. They can
stand more hardships and 60 without
food longer than any other dog In the
north. ~ IH
The siwash dogs, which are In the
majority, are cross between q wolf
and dog, and usually gray or white
In color, but occasionally black. Their
weight Is from so to 80 pounds. They.
rarely sleep under shelter, preferring
to curl up In the snow even with the
mercury so degrees below zero.
In this respect the native animals
are better fitted for their work than
the immigrant dogs In severe wealth
er the latter wear little moccasins
made Of heavy moose skin, while ma
ture has provided the native dogs with
heavy fur covering the whole foot,
even between the toes.
The sleds In general use are feet
long. IL inches wide and z inches
high. and an immense load Of freight
can be packed and dashed on them.
The sled is guided In the trail by O
pole. known as "G" pole.
The dogs are hitched about six feet
ahead Of the sled, and the driver
walks back Of them. holding on to the
"G' pole to keep the heavily loaded
sled straight in the narrow trail so
that 1t will not tip over on the rough.
siding places. ak eg
In case the sled Is not heavily load
ed the dogs are hooked up close to
the sled and the driver rides q great
er part of the time-that Is, II the
weather Ii not too cold, In which case
he prefers running to keep warm. si
On the creek beds there is often
from one to five inches Of water. and
1t Is always difficult matter to make
the dogs 60 through this. They dis
like getting their feet wet. but they
must keep the trail and pull through
it. ~ sailii.s ~ -. h =
Immediately after getting out of
fy1ax 4or hno OIL 80 In Ia frn
balls between their toes, and the whole
team Of dogs will lie down on the
trail in their harness and go to pick
Ing and cleaning their feet, which are
rarely ever sore or frozen, unless they
have been in water several hours.
From the last snow, in the spring
until the first in the fall the dogs have
but little to do At the trading posts
Dawson, Circle City. Fairbanks. Eagle.
Minock--and number OF other camps
where shey have fair! streets or roads,
the dogs are used to draw light freight
about In little two-wheeled carts, and
they are used In the mines and on the
trails for packing. The pack saddles
are made OF heavy canvas, and the av-
erage dog viii pack thirty or forty
pounds. ls5ts ias e.g5 E. ar aly
Some dogs win lie down ir the mud
or water with their packs on, while
Others seem to feel the responsibility
of protecting their packs, and ere ex-;l
Tceedingiy careful In picking their way
through thick brush or over fallen
trees that obstruct the trail. leaping
over pools Of mud and picking their
footing with great care on the small
rocks in fording the streams. They
rarely bark. otsaR .435ats s.Gi E t,gu4
The dogs are fed once day when
working; the best feed 10 the Yukon
dried salmon. but falling this, bacon
has proved the best substitute. It Is
cut In small pieces and boiled In O
quantity Of water an hour or more. and
then -four, corn, meal rice or boiled
oats Is added and cooked well In the
greasy water until the whole becomes
a thin. smooth mush. Each dog has his
own pan, and It Is filled with the food
and carefully guarded by Its owner
until cool, and then eagerly devonred.
The native dogs viii steal anything
they can eat; In the absence Of sorne-
thing more tempting they dote on
ropes, harness, old rubber boots, moe
casins and snowshoes or anything Of
the like nature which they can chew
on. The Siwash dogs have the same
characteristics as the Indians Of the
creatures In the world. and their ma
ture is absolutely void Of attachment
or sentiment. The Siwash, both Indi-
an and dog. care for one only as long
as he feeds them. nap so
A good team OF three, four or fve
dogs with light load win average 40
miles a day. The same team when
heavily loaded. cannot make over two
and half or three miles an hour.
However, there Is a vast difference In
the gait Of dogs; some are very speedy
=. - Ia nf
ers are fast at the start, but soon play
out and become extremely slow. u,
There are number Of foreig ndogs In
the country-St. Bernard, Newfound-
land and q heterogeneous multitude OF
others. As they are far more intelli-
gent than the native dog, they are
apt and amenable to discipline, and as
q rule are faithful In the HARNESS.
while the ungrateful native dog Will
shirk at every possible opportunity and
occasionally 9 good lashing is neces-
fact of obedience; encouraging words
do not have the force with the native
that they do with the dogs Of civiliza-
tion. But It is impossible for the i'm
migrant dogs to endure the hardships
Of this rigorous climate for any length
MY noble dog Baldie was one Of the
finest specimens have ever known.
This powerful dog took me from my
cabin In the mines into Circle City
the 65 miles in one day; Of course, the
trail was in excellent condition and
there was nothing on the sled with me
but my robes, / ran occasionally to
get warm, and walked up the inclines,
but rode nearly all the way. OF course,
he couldn't cover this distance daily,
but he could make 1t once or twice q
week, and 40 to 45 miles on a good
trail was an easy average for him.
He was much too fast for team,
and would always be ahead pulling the
other dogs along He was considered
the fastest dog In that part Of Alaska.
He had a very peculiar gait-not the
trot Of most dogs, but a pace or rack.
He weighed 1876 pounds, and was all
bone and muscle. On the summer trail
he could carry fifty pounds In his pack
saddle. I paid S700 for him, but all the
gold Of Alaska could not have purchas-
ed him from me.
The price Of Alaskan dogs Is govern
ed by the number Of stampedes during
a winter, which creates a great de-
mand for dog teams with which to
o,-lsy lokA