The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-06-06

and has shaggy lair, which makes
him look twice his real size. In
der this is a coat of short, warm fur
that >. otects him in the most severe
weather.
The nuskie c'n es from the McKen-
zie river, is a large gray dog, weigh
ing from 125 to $50 pounds, and is
covered with short, stubby fur, with
an undercoat of thick fur. They can
stand more hardships and go without
food longer than any other dog in the
north.
The siwash dogs, which are in the
majority, are a cross between 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 go 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, II inches wide and inches
high, and an immense load of freight
can be packed and lashed on them.
The sled is guided in the rail by a
pole, known as &c" pole.
The dogs are hitched about six feet
ahead of the sled, and the driver
walks back to them, holding on to the
&c" pole to keep the heavily loaded
sled straight in the narrow trail so
that it will not tip over on the rough,
sliding places.
In case the sled is not heavily load
ed the dogs are hooked up close to
the sled and the driver rides a great
er part of the time-that is, i the
weather is not too cold, in which case
he prefers running to keep warm.
On the creek beds there is often
from one to five inches of water, and
it is always difficult matter to make
the dogs go through this. They dis
like getting their feet wet, but they
must keep the trail and pull through
it.
Immediately after getting out OF
the water it begins to form in little ice
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 they 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 will pack thirty or forty
pounds.
Some dogs will lie down in the mud
or water with their packs on, while
others seem to feel the responsibility
of protecting their packs, and are ex-
ceedingly 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.
The dogs are fed once day when
working; the bes, feed is the Yukon
dried salmon, but failing this, bacon
has proved the best substitute. 1t is
cut in small pieces and boiled in a
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
thin, smooth mush. Each dog has his
own pan, and it is filed with the food
and carefully guarded by its owner
until cool, and then eagerly devoured.
The native dogs will steal anything
they can eat; in the absence of some
thing more tempting they dote on