New-York tribune., 1913-08-29
LITERARY CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
Alaska for Travel, Sport and Development
Emile Ollivier's Apologa-M. Provost
on the Invasion of French Homes.

few tbousand heavy logs. Every man who
was convicted of disobeying the law was
given a saw ana introduced TO. the Wood-
pile. There were always few soldiers
around TO see that he performed his stint.
The gun fighting. law breaking elenent
from Skagway and other coast towns
usually took one look at the woodpile
and hurriedlY decided to move down the
river 10 American territory.
AS for Alaskas need of a trunk line
railroad, here are the facts oil the
profits of the seven-mile road between
Iditarod CITY and Flat Creek. 1t runs
through a boggy tundra. is built on
corduroy foundation with wooden rails
sheathed with iron, and its motive
mower is n team of seventeen mules.
It's passenger rate for a single fare is
So: So for a round trip. Its freight rae
is 30 cents a pound, or $40 a ton on
large shipments. DO the happy free-
handed Alaskans protest against this
extortion? Not in the least. They go
Joy riding on the Flat Creek Limited
which charges excess fare. The road
is. indeed, a saving to them, since neIcre
its coming the miners at Fiat CreeA'
where the Bonanza mine is sltua'eu'
paid from to 10 cents freight per
pound on their supplies. And by the
way, Alaska contains the second largest
stamp mill in the world, tpe Ireau-
well. which is exceeded in size only by
the De Beers property on the Wit
watersrand.
Turn we from private enterprise 10
government ownership. The United
States government owns and operates
through the War Department the
telegraph system of Alaska. Ihe toiis
charged on this system" says Mr. Oh-
derwood ARE such as would force
nrivate corporation TO keep a hydrant
nIaving on its stock books TO keep down
the dividends to a point where they
would not create a public scandal Mile
for mile, the government charges d'
Least go per cent more for its service
IN Alaska than does either OF the large
companies operating In the Chi'eu
States"
The Derby cannot excite more inte-
est in an Englishman's heart than 90
the dog team races in those of ali
Northwestern Alaskans. They are 'heii
great winter sport, their only real III
terest when the ice in Bering Strait mas
cut them off from communication Win
the outer world. The annual All
Alaska Sweepstakes is an event durlhs
whose running all business is totdIIS
suspended. 1t takes place IN April
vhen the trails are in perfect condi-
ton. Mr.. Underwood enters into ms
description of the event with all me
enthusiasm Of an oldtimer. The tine
of the race is usually eighty hours'
during which nobody sleeps. The
teams are started at intervals OF NJ
teen minutes. and reports OF their
progress are constantly sent in by teie-
phone. Betting is prohibited In
Alaska; wherefore the sportsmen
back their judgment" which is alto
gether different. The rules OF the
Nome Kennel Club. under whose aus
pices the race is run, are very strict.
The participants must bring back all
their dogs, dead or alive. Dog racing
is. indeed, to Alaska what baseball Is
TO the vast majority Of US. No wonder
that as much as 81, 200 is paid for a
leader. The Siberian dogs. Of which
so much has been heard since they won
sensational race in 1910. breaking
the time record. are, says the author,
miniature wolf dogs in appearance,
with an unmistakable trace Of fox in
their ancestry. They are not fast, out
possess almost incredible endurance.
The malamutes and huskies are faster.
but lack this quality.
Mr.. Underwood speaks sympatheti- |
cally Of the Arctic sledge dog, and tells
a number Of tales Of its devotion TO its
master in times Of danger:
Many are the instances recorded in
Alaska where dogs have shown devotion |
and self-sacrlhce that might well have |
put men to shame. The Council City |
Camp Of the Arctic Brotherhood endowed |
life membership on a worthless little !
mongre named GroWler, who lived at the |
lodge headquarters and never was asked !
to do a stroke of work. With age lie
grew arrogant, and tried TO run the whole |
institution Yet those sturdy Northern
men were patient with his disagreeable
temper for Growler had demonstrated
that he was made Of the right material.
AS for the material out of which
our Alaskan empire is being made, Mr..
Underwood will tell you all. or nearly
all, there is TO know. Gold. coal, fish,
cries, reindeer and cattle raising, wheat
culture, whaling-its resources are in
calculable. And his facts and figures
are no more dry than are his descrip- |
tions OF travel and nature and sport, or !