Sepp ala on
the Trail
EOE RWHA 3
ELAS
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
T IS a far cry from the sub-zero tem-
peratures and the snow-covered hills
surrounding Lake Placid in northern
New York to sunny California and the
great stadium in Los Angeles where
the 1932 Olympic games will be held
this summer, but there is 8 connection
between the two. Starting In Greece
more than 3,000 years ago, Olymple
games have been held at more or less
regular intervals in many different
countries during these 30 centuries, but this year
for the first time In history the games will in-
clude sled dogs races,
Obviously ft would be Impossible for the sled
dog races to be held at the same time and place
as the other branches of Olympic competition,
So that is'why Lake Placid, N. Y.. comes Into
the Olympic picture. It has one of the finest
sled dogs racing courses on this continent and
there on February 6 and 7 the teams of “hus-
kies,” driven by thelr fur-clad “mushers” will
race 25 miles each day to win Olymple honors
for the nations which they represent. Previeus
to the races at Lake Placid, elimination eon-
tests are being held in various parts of the
country, notably in New England, to determine
the American representatives In the Olymple
finals, so these finals will see In the entry lists
the names of some of the greatest sled dog
drivers and teams in the world, pitting their
speed and endurance against each other,
Outstanding among these will be such drivers
as Leonard Seppala of Alaska, a native of Nor-
way but now a naturalized Ameriean citizen,
the man who with his heroic lead dog, Balto,
thrilled the world a few years ago when they
carried the diphtheria serum to stricken Nome;
Emile St. Godard of Le Pas, Manitoba, a young
French-Canadian, who Kas won three world
championships; Frank Dupuls, another Cana.
dian; Arthur T. Walden of New Hamp-
shire, experienced Alaskan sourdough musher
and dogmaster for ommander Byrd in
the Antarctic; Walter Channing of Boston, who
has twice defeated teams from both sides of
the border In the annual races at Lake Placid;
Charlie Lyman, the barber of Laconia, N. H,
who has defeated veteran mushers, fur trappers
and mall drivers of the Northland: Norman
Vaughan, E. Goodale and Fred Crockett, “the
three Musketeers of the South pole”; and many
others,
Nor is sled dog racing a sport In which only
men compete. Although Seppala, if successful
in the trials, will represent his adopted country
rather than his native land, Norway will prob-
ably be represented by a former American, the
outstanding woman dog driver of the East. She
is Mrs. Kaare Nansen, who before her marriage
to the son, of the famous Norwegian explorer,
was Mrs. E. P. Ricker, Jr., a formidable com
petition to the men In many an exciting dog
race. And a competitor from the West may be
Miss Lydia ("Whistlin' Lyd™) Hutchinson whose
fame Is intimately associated with the fame of
Idahe.
What horse racing 1s to the people of the
more moderate climates in North America, sled
dog racing is to the people of the north where
the snows are deep, the winds bite cold and the
fce-bound tralls defy man and his principal
beast of burden, the sled dog, to conquer them.
Part timber wolf, part Labeador husky, the flerce
shaggy malemutes won their place In history
during the Klondike gold rush a third of a cen
tury ago. But their usefulness by no means
ended with the end of the gold rush, Today in
the land which lies “north of 53.” day In and
day out these dogs haul provisions, medicines,
freight and supplies. They are an essential part
of the fur trade for with thelr help the trappers
patrol their 200-mile trap lines and bring back to
civilization the furs which fashion decrees
milady must wear,
The sport of sled dog racing Is comparatively
new but it has grown in favor and In extent
more than most people realize. It began back
fn 1008 when the first of these picturesque
sporting events was held over the 408-mile wil
derness trall in Alaska frem Nome to Candle
ereek and back. “Man's best friend” had made
| it possible for the golden riches of Alaska to ba
obtained, so the first All-Alaskan BYeupstake
race was dedicated to the huskien The plan
“Whistlir? Lyd” Hutchinson
was originated by a Nome lawyer, Albert Fink,
& dog lover and experienced sourdough musher.
Assisted by a company of friends he raised
a fund of $10,000 to be awarded to the winners
and they spread the word of “race of the cen
tury” throughout the northland., The result was
that Nome was packed with spectators and a
long string of famous dogs and experienced
mushers ready for the race. It was won by
John Hegness, who ran the 408 miles across the
bleak wilderness and back, after a steady grind,
night and day, In 110 hours and 15 minutes—and
most of the way he had to fight one of the most
severe Arctic blizzards known in the history of
Alaska,
Entered in the second race was a youthful
hardware clerk whose name was destined, in
lafer years, to occupy a romantic place In the
annals of the northland, Scotty Allen, in odd
hours at the store, had managed to assemble
a team of dogs of doubtful value as racers. His
entry was regarded as a joke; he was asked
how he had got up the nerve to list them-—but
Beotty won the 1000 classic. In 1010 he was de-
feated by “Iron Man" John Johnson, who es
tablished a record never duplicated over that
408 miles, thanks to an exceptional team, his
rare skill and a good break In weather. John-
son's time was 74 hours and 14 minutes, the
fastest ever made In dog racing in the north,
But Scotty Allen was not discouraged. Back
he came for another trial in 1011, and cut two
hours off his previous record. He is the only
man who ran in more than four All-Alaskan
Sweepstakes—the first, second, third and eighth
and final—and he won the distinction of always
finishing a race, irrespective of weather or condi.
tion of his dogs. In 1015 Scotty took 440 Alas.
kan dogs to France; for distinguished service he
wns decorated by the French government with
the Croix de Guerre.
The same world conflict that claimed Allen
drew the other men of Alaska—and the ranks of
the racers became so depleted that it was Ime
possible to hold the big race. Thus the 1010
event became the last, During that winter a
company of sourdoughs met in Le Pas, Man.
Dog race talk was revived. It was suggested
that Le Pas hold one and the date was set for
ate that winter, over a 150-mile course from
Ie Pas to Flin Flon, mushroom mining town,
and back,
Few preparations were made; the drivers used
ordinary dogs; they themselves were unskilled
in the art of racing, and a bitter struggle fol
Jowed across that trackless snowy waste in quest
of the $500 prize and the title of champion. But
it turned out to be a singularly exciting race.
The winner had an accident that staved In two
ribs; but he hung on until the finish. From that
day to'this Le Pas has staged nach winter one
of the most thrilling races and has developed
pome of the finest men and teams in the game,
most famous of whom is thelr own boy, St
Godard,
Since that time the growth of the dog derby
fdea has been rapid until now such races are
held In differant parts of the United States,
besides the one at Le Pas already mentioned,
© ekbetwees 8
WER YD
Emile St Godard
, Winning Quebec
Derb by
Mrs Kaare Nansen
are the annual races at Poland Spring, Maine;
Laconia, N. H.; Ashton, Idaho; Prince Albert,
Baskatchewan;
The American Dog derby at Ashton, Idaho,
spectators from all over the Northwest,
fs the Eastern International Dog derby held at
other contests, to race over a course of about
120 miles, run in heats of 40 miles a day.
from all parts of America, and rivalry runs high
Alaskan sourdough musher, who started trailing
dogs across the frozen wilderness back in 1806,
during the gold rush, and who was dogmaster
with Commander Byrd in the Antarctic.
In 1023 the international was won by a French
Canadian, Jean Lebel, of Quebec, much to the
elation of the Canadians Earl Brydges, of Le
Pas, took the next champlonship, and into the
arena of the 1025 derby stepped young Emile St.
Godard, still In his teens to begin his un.
parelieled record In dog racing. He Is now the
only man who has won three championships.
Frank Dupulsg won the 1026 race over Bt Godard
by a margin so narrow as to make the race one
of the most thrilling, and to establish a new
time on the trail. St. Godard won the 1025,
1027 and 1028,races, In 1020 Leonhard Seppala
entered with a string of seven wonderful dogs.
This was the third year he had made a deter
mined bid to win the world's championship, and
from start to finish, Beppala ran one of the most
spectacular races ever seen at Quebec—or any-
where else. Not only did he defeat St. Godard
by about an hour, but he broke St, Godard’s own
world's record, and again put the Americans into
the game. Dupuis took second honors and St
Godard came trailing in third. In the opinion of
the judges, Seppala’s Biberians completed the
128-mile grind fresher than any racers they had
ever seen; and they were awarded the condition
prize, something unusual In the annals of dog
races. Usually this award goes to some driver
who tralls in later and who has saved his dogs
in the mad dash over the snow,
It is such drivers and such doge as these who
will compete In the Olymple contests at Lake
Placld within the next few weeks, §
The sled dogs are trained for their life work
tied up and soon acquire the habit of pulling.
At about sixty days of age they are given over to
the care of boys, who harness them to small sleds
or wagons, The dogs appear to be willing to do
this playacting in the hasmess, and come to
enjoy the pastime.
Any number of dogs may be used In a tery,
although 15 Is about the limit,
Wh Wr Western Newspaper Unies )
QUALITY
SINCE 1833
No Need to Sigh for
Those “Good Old Days”
Factory working hours varied with
the sun back in the 1850. for can
dies provided unsatisfactory iHumi-
nation, Each employee was given a
showing what time the
factory starting bell would ring for
“hell ecard”
card of the period, is
tobhing & L awrence
i rs of
in the
ber of
Bums
winter.
1 the su!
nd as early
! The average
n working hours
ut 6 wus not
For some unknown
SOLD AT ALL
DRUG STORES
reason the “wake up” bell was “rung
an hour and a balf earlier, at the un-
godly hour of 4:20, Come to think
of it, they probably needed the full
90 minutes between rising and get-
ting to work. For they had no safe-
ty razors, no gas stoves to boll the
coffee or quicily cook the eggs, no
trolleys, busses or flivvers to shorten
the trip fro wome to shop,
NX der our grandfathers were
bearded gents. Imagine hopping out
of a nice warm bed with the ther-
peter ] ind out-
{ee-cold
ter to boll,
r hand a
ot tos
rd with
Simple Matter Decided
Bostonian’s Alma Mater
The late Sherman Whipple, one of
Boston's best known iawyers and
famous characters, was unique among
his collengues, owing to the fact that
he went through Yale instead of Har-
vard, It was almost sacrilege and
proved a decided drawback at the be-
ginning of his career. This Is no
glam at Yale but mereiy states the
fact that in the eyes of Bostonians,
a local boy who went there instead of
to Harvard has committed a social
error.
Of course, Whipple had intended to
go to Harvard, but as expense had to
be considered, his prudent mother
wrote to both Harvard and Yale ask-
ing them to send catalogues,
Yale promptly sent a catalogue.
Harvard replied that one would be
sent on receipt of 50 cents,
80 Sherman Whipple went to Yale
~L08 Angeles Times,
im Tie er pile Pallets are the orig-
nal little liver put up years
ver and bowels.—Ady.
An unwelcome guest is one of the
best things going.
Man's boundary is moderation,
it Works
Visitor (at farm)-—There doesn't
seem to be any work to do, yet 1 see
you have a sign, “Farm Help Wanted.”
Farmer—Oh, that's better than a
dog to keep the tramps away.
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PAINS
»
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quick way Vi
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Backache, Neuralgia or swollen Joints.
No blistering. No burning, Get a small
bottle at any drug store.
Got It Open, Anyway
Taxi Driver—"Look what happened
to your trunk!” Traveler—"1I'm giad
of it. I had lost the key.”
Who can be a keen thinker by try-
ing to? Nobody. Keen thinking is
an innate and uncontrollable gift,
Before you
the common
liver oil is y flavored
Foy PT