The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-22
AMERICAN GOODS FREQUENT SIGHT
 IN WAR DISTRICT
Alaska Sends Dogs, Missou ri and Louisiana
 Mules

Tn the Vosges Mountains, Alsace, Dec. 22.-The extent to which the re- sources of America have been called upon during this war is perhaps now where more in evidence than in the reconquered mountain districts of the 1 former German province of Alsace. 1 Whfls making a trip through that portion of the province now occupied by French troops The Associated Press correspondent came into con- tact at many points with signs of the 1 wide range of Americas resources. l. Immediately after crossing the for
 mer frontier between A1sace and
 France the correspondent past mule
 train, most of the animals composing
 which had been imported from AL geria but many from Missouri, Louis jana and other states, and had served in transport columns ever since the early days of hostilities with great satisfaction to the army authorities. The sure-footedness of these mules and their reliability have been great factors in keeping the men entrench- ed on the slopes and summits Of the Vosges supplied with food and nuni- tions during the long winter months when other road traffic is next to impossible.
 Another method of transport
 emanating from across the Atlantic is composed of teams of dogs from Alaska and Labrador. When snow
 puts out of the question any other
 means of conveying supplies to the
 troops, these animals are narnest to
 sleds in teams of eight with a leader
 or. guide chosen from the most in
 telligent among them and they make
 oY,id y1yif hoo IOQ6
 the snowfields. On the day of the
 correspondents visit one kennel con-
 taining 150 dogs had just completed
 four successive days work after a
 heavy fall of snow and had in that
 period conveyed from the valley to
 the front line upwards of 50 tons of
 food and other supplies. Besides the
 dogs from Alaska and Labrador there
 are many breeds of animals kept in
 the kennels usually dug into the rock
 at 5000 or 4,000 feet up the hill
 slope. They comprise sheepdogs
 from Alsace, Scottish collies,. mastiffs
 and cross -breds. All of them appar-
 ently enjoy the work and they are of
 inesti1nable service to the troops. The correspondent had the opportunity of |
 seeing their training at kennel on
 one of the high peaks of the Vosges. 1
 When team was chosen and the
 dogs composing it released from their
 washes, all their companion with one accord leaped and parked in Jealousy. |
 The team selected was harnest to a sled capable of carrying several hun dred pounds, on which two soldiers took their seats. No guiding reins were used, the men in charge relying on the perfect training of the animals, | who turned to right or left as their | leader in answer to the drivers voice | went one way or another with ab- solute precision and at a high rate of | speed. The Transatlantic dogs have become so we'll accustomed to their | new surroundings that many of them have started family life and several | strings of puppies play about the vic- i1fty of the kennel.
 In the transport of the wounded | from the summit to the hospitals be- low many American motorcars are used. They have been chosen for this work owing to their lightness ana the facility with which: they surmount the inequalities of. the mountain roads, over which the cars of the French and British ambulance can not go. In nearly every instance these cars are driven by American boys. some of them straight from college or university. The Associated Press correspondent met young men from nearly every state of America on duty at almost inaccessible spots on many or the peaks of the Vosges. They were taking their turn in the risky work Of conveying the wounded from the most advanced positions of the front. Every French surgeon who'll has seen then< f thair x,or1x ;r r5e,,V or praise for their spirit of self-sacri- fee.