Imperial Valley press., 1925-02-06
A ROMANCE OF THE FROZEN NORTH

Press readers have from day to day followed the
thrilling story Of the relief of diphtheria- stricken
Nome, in the land of the midnight sun and of harsh
and lnhOSptable elements.
Chapters of that story have come to the Press
over ats leased wire and they have kept Its readers IN
formed of the tragic nature of the heroic adventure to
human lives.
No novelist could have conceived more stirring
romance than has actually taken place. No element
lacking Rex Beach Jack London or Emerson
HOugh could not have contrived more thrilling plot
spun interesting yarn than for several days
the wires and by radio from the far frozen
north And the denouement IS happy one, worthy the
brave who faced the rgor OF the elements to
the lives OF the people of marooned city from dread
disease that inlperlled them
Diphthera broke out in Nome. 1t was Of maEg-
nant type 1t rapidly claiming its victims. The
fatal character of the disease threw the little city into
a panic. None knew when it would invade his own
household and there was numb suspense and dread.
For diphtheria has long been of the greatest
mics of human life Medical science has, however
ceeded in producing remedy, or, rather defense
against it. 1t is antl-toXn that, administered with
in a proper period following signs of the disease III
the patient, is almost infalble cure. No greater
contribution medical science has been made in the
last half century But there none of this magic
remedy within several hundred miles of Nome. To de-
liver where there such appalling need the
beginning of the adventure that claimed attention OF
the world for several days
Not often have b!izzards and biting cold more
completely enveloped and claimed the Alaskan coun-
try than unhappily prevailed Just when the plague was
prevalent. Storms and snowbanks and drifting ice
presented obstacles threatening the rescuers almost as
dangerously as the dread disease did the people OF
Nome But there hardy adventurers and frontiers
men who have learned how to ride with wings upon
the storm. The names of of these hitherto un-
known heroes have come down to US from the hyper
borean region and we do we'll to honor them Gunnar
Kasson Seppala and "Charlie,', were among those
who Jared forth in the face of death Not enough has
vet been said of them to mrnortallze them, but we
NAV depend upon the story writers of tomorrow to give
them their places in the inches of fame. For these
Alaskan .nushers" in their relay against death
carried the specific against dlphthera to the people
of Nome And they did it in the face Of such terrific
blasts of singing cold over such mpaSSaole barriers
of ice and snow as TO defy the puny and futile efforts
of the ordinary They were Injured to hardshIpS
and they became the guardians OF city against ITS day
of fate. So all hats off to these men OF blood ana
iron. :.
But Nome could not have been relieved or the
tragic story Of its written without the assistance
of those dumb but wise animals, the maamutes, that
Kasson Seppala and the employed IN their eXpedl-
tiOn The maamuties are half wolf and halt dog,
like Fang" Kasson said: BALTIC shifted the trall
through the light when couldn't tell Wnere we
were on the trail off and kept the direction on the
bare ice The wind had swept it slick glass and the
snow was coming in you couldn't see the wheel dog
nearest the sled 1t would have been FOOLS venture,
hut for those dogs that pulled the sled $50 miles with
its load of anti-toXn only 20 pounds in weight BAL
to- and others in the teams were animals with record
They were the result OF the survival OF the 1test
Some Of the dogs had previously suffered from eH-
osurp and they all but persisted in their against
death they limp and sore after their long rum
but they lived. ,..
So the honors and the glory Of that race midst
ice and snow do not 20 alone to the courageous and
hardy men who have told the simple ale OF their hero
ic deeds but they shared by those mongrel dogs
those alamuteS that have been bred for such emerg
ence and that are apa&e Of doing their part IN such
magnificent fashion. There many dog admirers
in the world, thank fortune. There are many who say
"strke my dog strike me That there Will De more ol
this kind hereafter seems inevitable.
Nowhere can this tale be more appreciated than
here IN Southern California, where the elements are
mild and grateful bur where the qualities Of sacrifice
and courage are well understood.