Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-11-26
WAR DOGS FROM
FAR-OFF ALASKA
FOR THE FRENCH
"Scotty" Allan, Famous Driver,
Supplies Consignment for
Dispatch Service.
"MUTS" BRING GOOD PRICE
Fine-leoking, Alert Animals, Some
Weighing a. Much a. 80 or 90
Pounds-One Of Them Was q
Contender In Last Sweep
Stakes.

Winnipeg, Mana slight little
man. with a small. lean frame. keen
features and iron gray hair, stood in
the door Of a box car at the stock
yards. He wore yellow overalls and q
coat to match. Little feet. encased in
square-toed. custom-made shoes. pro.
truded from beneath his trousers. In
fact. he looked like a stock yard at.
tendant. and yet he is renowned
throughout America, for this was A.
A. ("Scotty') Allan. the worlds great
est dog driver.
With Lieutenant Haas of the French
army. he was passing through Win
nipeg with 400 malamutes from
Nome. Alaska, to be used in France
this winter for dispatch service and
the transportation of supplies and
ammunition to the firing line A
stop was made here to rest the dogs.
and they were unloaded into the stock
yards with a guard from the Seventy
ninth (Cameron) Highlanders to
watch over them.
Thrice out Of eight times Scot
ty" Allan has won the All-Alaska
sweepstakes. the greatest long-dis-
lance dog race in the world-4OS miles
from Nome to Candel and return. In
three instances he was second and
twice he was third.
Il have been in every race yet held"
he said, land ! have not run out of
the money yet"
In the first race which he won the
stake was $1,000. but last year the
stake had dwindled. because of the
pinch from the war;. to $3.50. Scot
tvs" best time in the event has been
rs hours. while the record of "a hours
was made over better trails.
Genial Little scotchman.
Geniality and sociability seemed
bred in this vigorous little Scotchman,
and he is as active as q boy despite
his forty-eight years. The kilties on
guard had not been on the ground
an hour before they were fast friends,
and they pressed upon him an invita-
ton to the dance at the armories.
"Ye en- dance the Hielan' fling an
boot for all ye're worth" said one red
faced youth with the thick burr of
the Highlands in his voice, fer We ken
we have the pipes and yell haze q
Draw time"
Il hae nae doot O. IT," said Scotty.
and he gave his solemn promise to
be on hand. He said he loved the
dance.
Three cars are used to transport the
dogs, and each car is divided into q
series of compartments 80 that each
animal is separated from his neigh
bors. There has not been a dog lost
since they started. In one car is kept
the supplies. consisting Of three and
one-half tons of sun-dried salmon
caught at Kotzebue on the Arctic
ocean. Here, too, were stored eight of
the long sleds, some of them of the
toboggan type, which have been made
famous by many authors in the tales
of the North. There were also $50
sets Of harness. together with several
Eskimo "parkas." or reindeer and
squirrel skin coats. with a hood that
hts snugly over the head in stormy
weather. In addition there were sew
eral pairs Of "mukluks." or high-wa.
terproof boots, made Of sealskin tops
with the hair exposed, and soles made
from tough sea lion hides.
Price From $50 to $50.
"Scotty" said that he had with him
several Of the dogs that took part in
the All-Alaska stakes. He had refused
$500 for two Of these just before he
left Nome. Many of the malamutes
were purchased. he said. for az high az
$40 and $50. but ON an average the
price paid was about $50. The ami.
mails. he said. were coming through in
due shape. At first they had been fed