The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-05-07

through every State and territory in
the union, in order to win a $4,000
wager, Bill Brown, Alaska's famous
mail driver, reached Anderson Sun
day morning about 10 O'Clock, COM
ing over the National highway from
Atlanta.
The appearance of the team of
dogs and wolves, drawing rickety
little buggy, attracted considerable
attention as it passed through the
streets to Cheshire's stable on East
Market street. Here the dogs were
stalled to rest and be fed, and
hundreds of young boys, and men,
too, visited the stables to inspect the
animals closely, and to talk with
Brown.
A $4,000 Wager.
Brown says that early in 1912
some government men in Alaska Of
fered to bet $4,000 against $500
that he could not drive his team of
dogs on a $4,000 mile jaunt, visit
every capital in the 4S States, and
return to his home in Nome, the
capital of Alaska in six years. Brown
says he gathered together $500 and
staked the bet, and his mining
friends, having confidence in his
ability to make the trip, in the given
time, made many side bets on him.
Is Ahead of Time.
The wagers being arranged Brown
departed from Nome on the 5th Gay
Of May, 1912, and up to date he has
visited 80 capitals, only nine yet to
be visited. Two years of the allotted
time has elapsed, and Brown says
that he expects to complete the trip
and be back in Alaska in four or
FIVE months from now, winning the
bet with a margin of about three and
one-half years.
Doesn't Steal, Beg or Borrow.
t|I am to earn my living on the
trip by selling cards; that was one
Of the stipulations in the bet. l am
neither to beg, steal or borrow said
Brown to-day.
From kondyke Gold Fields.
Brown says that he comes from
the Klondyke gold fields; that the
gold fever still exists in that section
of the country, but not to such a
great degree as it did when gold
was first discovered Is years ago.
He says that the miners out there
are making fortunes every day, find
ing new deposits. The old way of
discovering and stalking a claim is
still in vogue, the claim not to be
less than 10 and not more than 100
acres in area.
Brown says that the mining of
gold and coal in Alaska will grow TO
an enormous degree just as soon as
the United States government COM
pletes the proposed railroad from the
Siberian straits to Nome.
Native of Newfoundland.
Brown was born in Newfoundland:
but went to Nome when quite =
young chap. He is As years of age,
although he doesn't look it, and
talks the English language fuently.
The outdoor exercise, for it is real
ly exercise he is taking, because he
does not ride in the little buggy
drawn by the dogs, seems to have
agreed with him heartily. He says
he feels fine, much better than when
he first started on the long journey.
Weather Causes Comment.
There is one thing that impresses
me greatly, said Brown, in talking
with a representative of The Daily
Mail and that is the cold weather
have experienced down in the south
is much more penetrating than the
weather we have in Alaska. Why,
in Alaska we sometimes have snow
deeper than the house-tops, and the
thermometer drops way yonder be-
low zero, yet we are not so cold
then as you people are here when the
temperature drops below freezing.
Our atmosphere is dry-that is the
reason, I guess
The Original Team.
Brown has only three of the dogs
and the two wolves which he started
with originally. Duke" the big
Newfoundland, which leads the team
is one of the original dogs, and he
is the mainstay of the team. One of
the wolves is a full-blooded gray
Alaskan timber wolf, while the other
is about one-half wolf. The collies
are the other dogs that have with
stood the trip so far. In addition
to these Brown has shepherd, a set
ter and hound The setter was ad-
1od fo tho foam u.hcn