Evening star., 1925-03-31
ALASKA TRAVELLERS
OWE LIVES TO DOGS
"Mushing" Only Means OF
Reaching Interior in
the Winter.
Er the Associated Press.

Br the Associated Press.
SEATTLE, Wash. March 3l.-The
diphth heria epidemic in Nome, Alaska 4
bringing its desperate race between
death and dog teams with antitoxins
centered the attention of the country
on what has become a commonplace
to "sourdoughs," the usual method
of transportation in the frozen in
terior of the Northern territory in
Winter-an adventure at best
1t is only on such occasions as
epidemics that the mushing is car
ried out at such hazardous speed. but
the usual progress across the center
of Alaska is made once a fortnight
throughout the Winter by the mail
carriers, who travel $40 miles from
Nenana to Nome. Numerous other
traders. prospectors and trappers are
on the go frequently for long or short
Journeys.
"Mush" Once "Marche."
French Canadians in the employ OF
the Hudson's Bay Co. 800 years ago
learning the use of dogs and sleds
from Eskimos in the far Northwest
Of America used to shout "marche"
when they wanted the dogs to speed
MP. In the mouths. Of English speak
ing men this became "mush," which
has stuck as a get up" to the dog
and as q designation for travel byi
dogdrawn sled.
Tragedies Of the trail. for men are
comparatively few, partly because
the Winter drives are undertaken
only by hardy. experienced men, and
largely because of the uncanny abil-
,ity of the dogs to avoid hazards of !
She trail Overf1ows are dreaded |
possibilities. Most of the mushing is |
done on the ice of rivers or seas and |
the rest of it overland from one body |
of water to another. Sometimes the |
sufiftness of the current or the entry |
Of Va side stream causes the water to |
flow above the ice, making slush of |
the snow. There turks death for |
manl If he gets into it his legs will
free eezte-temperatures of so degrees !
below zero are frequent on the trail. |
F'reeZnig follows instantly after |
emerg2nce from the slush, and the |
musher is helpless. But good lead |
dog detects an overflow a mile off |
lie scepts it, and suddenly departs |
from the deep trail and leads the |
team of through unbroken snow.
Around the overflow he detours COM |
ing back to the trail when past the |
slush.
Protect Dogs Feet.
On ice covered with sharp projec- |
tions, called spear ice; occurring on !
rivers and seas. the dogs wear moe |
cdSlnS. sometimes QnQeF pressure,
such as WHEN 100000 units of anti |
toxin were eaken from Nenana on the !
Alaska Railroad January 81 and de- /
lVered in Nome by relays. of dog
teams February ,, several dogs are |
carried on dhe sleds: the animals |
taking turns sat riding and running. |
The principal sledge dogs are huskies !
and malamuteS- Huskies are crosses |
of domestic dogs and prairie wolves. |
e
mutes are crosses of domestic dogs
and timber wolves. They weigh rs |
pounds and up. The leaders are light |
IN weight. They are brain workers |
and really lead. They. do not work |
but watch the trail.
Trail dogs sleep comforta bly, in the |
snow. In severe blizzard an Alaskan !
will leave his dogs to burrow in the |
snow and outlast the storm if they
can, and he will make his way to
shelter. |
The bond between a driver and his |
dogs is not exactly that pictured by |
a dog lover in the States. The mush- |
ing dog, being half wolf. generally |
would live like a wolf except for re-
straint. Most sourdoughs profess to |
feel no love for sled dogs, and aver
that the dogs feel none for them On |
the other hand, such writer as |
HUDSON Stuck, Episcopal archdcacon
of the Yukon and Arctic regions, at |
firms that some sled dogs love some |
men.
. Live Dogs Life in Summer.
{ Dogs are used in Alaska for Winter |
travel only. In the Summer they live !
sn camps, where they are chained each |
to "a trolley wire that gives him a run. |
For If they could reach each other, |
there usually would be trouble In |
Winter, work and the blacksnake |
whip keep them in order. On the trail |
they are fed once every "a hours on |
whatever the master is able to give |
them. Often it is dried fish. |