Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-16
Intelligent Dogs
Often Save Men
In Alaskan Wilds

demic III Nome. Alaska, bringing its
desperate race between death and
Dog teams with antitoxin, conferred
the attention of the country on
what has become a commonplace to
"sourdoughs." the usual met:-od Of
transportation in the frozen interior
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. Num-
erous other traders, prospectors and
trappers are on the go frequently
for long or short journeys.
French Canadians in the employ
of the Hudson's Bay Company 500
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 up. In the mouths
of English speaking men this be-
came 'mush." which has stuck as a
get up" to the dog and as desig-
nation for travel by dog drawn 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
ability of the dogs to avoid hazards
of the 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 swiftness of the cur
causes the water to flow above the
ice, making slush of the snow.
There turks death for man. II he
gets into it his legs will freeze.
temperatures of so degrees below
zero are frequent on the trail.
Freezing follows instantly after
emergence from the slush, and the
musher is helpless. But a good lead
dog detects an overflow a mile off.
He scents it, and suddenly departs
from the deep trail and leads the
team Off through unbroken snow.
Around the overflow he detours, COM
>HNo osNNh ~ hAAO ietAA "lACh PdoS SIS
Slush.
On ice covered with sharp projec-
tions, called spear~ ice, occurring on
rivers and seas. the dogs wear moc-
casins. Sometimes under pressure.
such as when 100000 units of anti.
toxin were taken from Nenana on
the Alaska Railroad Jan. q and de-.
Hyered in Nome by relays OF dog
teams FEB. 2, several dogs are car
ried on the sleds. the animals taking
turns at riding and running,
The principal. sled dogs are
Huskies and Malamutes. Huskies
are crosses of domestic dogs and
prairie wolves. They weigh so to 65e
pounds. Malamutes 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 comfortably In the
snow. In a severe blizzard an
Alaskan will leave his dogs to bur-
row 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
mushing dog, being half wolf.
generally would live like a wolf ex-
cept for restraint. Most sour
coughs profess to feel no love for
sled dogs, and aver that the dogs
1eel none for them. On the other
hand such a writer as Hudson Stuck,
episcopal archdeacon of the Yukon
and Arctic regions. affirms that some
sled dogs love some men.
Dogs are used in Alaska for win
ter travel only. In the summer
they live in camps, where they are
chained each to a trolley wire that
gives him run. For if they could
reach each other, there usually
would be trouble. In winter. work
and the blacksnake whip keen
them in order. On the trail they are,
fed once evedy "a hours on whatever
the master is able to give them.
Often it is dried fish.
A passenger may ride on the sled
but the driver runs behind it and
rides on the rear runners alternate
ly. A good days travel is 40 to so
miles, but in storm and in bad 60
ing among hills team and two men
may work from six in the morning
until nine at night advancing only
ten miles.
In the diptheria epidemic the dogs
got through and an airplane, primed
for the flight, failed to start. But
airplanes are being used increasing
ly in the north. though usually in
summer, for winter flights are con-
sidered extremely hazardous. Tie
government is working on a plan to
deliver mail in winter by plane
equipped with runners so it may
alisht on the snow.