In a high wind that at times approached the severity of a bliz
zard, and in freshly drifted snow that in places was so deep he
could scarcely see his 'cad dog, Claude Shea, formerly formerly of
Nome, and a dog musher of speed and endurance, won the first an
nual dog race of the Iditarod on New Year’s day, covering the 20
mile course in the remarkably good time of 2 hours, 28 minutes
and 54 seconds, and pulling down the first prize of $350. Dan
Campbell, driving the Northern Commercial Co. team, took second
place after a hard drive and a discouraging time with his leader,
finishing in 2:58:29. He took down a prize of $100. Slim McRae,
driving the Northern saloon team, took third money in 3:12:19- His
purse was $50. Sam Adams came in fourth, covering the course
in 3:28:50, and Tom McMahon finished last in 3:45:50.
Considering that it was the first event of the kind ever pulled
off in the district, the race created far more excitement than was
at first expected. In Iditarod city, the entire population turned
out to cheer the starters on their way, and the telephonic reports
of the progress of the race were awaited with intense interest.
Large crowds of men gathered in the aloons to watch the boards
and to register bets, while in the stores where ladies could hear
the news, the feminine portion of the population was much in evi
dence.
On the creeks the spectators were no less enthusiastic and all
contestants were loud in their praise of the way they were treated
and cheered on their way at both Discovery Otter and Flat City,
where crowds lined the streets to greet the respective teams
For several days preceding the first of the year the tempera
ture hung steadily in the vicinity of 40 below zero and it began to
look as though the race would have to be postponed as some of the
drivers did not care to risk their dogs in the extreme cold. On
New Year’s eve, however, the mercury climbed up the tube and a
severe blizzard broke over the country, drifting the snow and com
pletely obliterating the trail that had been hard and smooth for so
long.
On New i ear s morning the storm had abated to some extent
but the wind still blew a gale in the exposed places, and even
though the mercury stood at only zero, it could not be called an
ideal day for a race.
Of the eight original entries, only five responded when the
hour of starting arrived at 11 a.m. Claude Shea had drawn first
place and it looked as though he was getting far the worst of it in
having to break trail for the rest of the starters, but this handicap
had been obviated in a measure by sending out two or three dog
teams earlier in the morning to wallow through the drifts. Subse
quent starters reported after the race that it could have made little
difference anyway for the trail filled in almost as before in the in
tervals between the starters.
With a light racing sled and a team of five malamutes, Claude
got away in good shape at exactly 11 o’clock. He tore down First
street to the corner of Willow and then shot out of town, aud as
the crowd watched him climbing the hill for the first mile it coula
be seen that he was making excellent time. Shorty Drapeau, who
was down as the next starter, had withdrawn on account of the
heavy going and for the further reason that he lacked time to
1 ***, £*** _ f S)_SPRING BEDS, j
The ]piti 1F* LARGE OFFICE j
j WILLOW STREET MRS. C. STONER, PROP. \
| The Connolly
I Quaker Maid Whiskey our Specialty
Rooms Spring Bunks
Mouth of Flat Greek
STRICTLY f* m* mw F™'SHED
first-cuss UnyciBr Mohsb r,"d
WARM DOG KENNELS
Second Avenue, Flat City. Snyder & Smith, Props.
wmnmnKmw^ f
Kaltag General Store
ROADHOUSE AND SALOON IN CONNECTION
Stables for Dogs^Lots of Salmon
The only Government Trail to Iditarod aud Innoko, and Short
est Starts from “Kaltag.”
HHMMMIHBBBUBBnOnBanHHBBRflBmaBaMBDaKHCmMBMHBaHBBBaaEaDmHnM)
n*Awui Beattie House mdn"°°°<
Bath Rooms in Connection Furnished Rooms and Spring Cots
First-Class Stable and Dog Houses
H. & M.
P O m^JN^BJMLUARDJHA L L
Headquarters for Xmas Candles, Home Made and Fancy Choco
lates. Full line of Imported and domestic Cigars. Apples, Oranges
gncj Lemons for Xmas week.
M. K. HUSSEY FLAT CITY P. J. MANNION
properly train his pups for the course. According to the rule
adopted the next starter was therefore held 20 minutes.
Slim McRae was off with five dogs at 11:20 and ho, too, got out
of town without much loss of time.
Karry Karstens was listed as the next starter but he had
dropped out, whereupon a wait of 20 minutes more ensued, before
Tom McMahon started with five dogs at 11:40. Tom’s team wanted
to go to the warehouse on Richmond street and he had some
trouble in getting by that point, but once on Willow he lined out in
good shape.
Dan Campbell followed McMahon after a 10-minute interval,
driving the N. C- team of seven dogs. Some of these were bird
dogs and some malamutes, and the team had been the favorite with
many people as it was admittedly a fast aggregation. Rummy, the
leader, had a contrary streak that day, however, and Dan had a
hard time getting past the N. C- store and out of town. Once
headed away, they lined out swiftly and the hopes of the backers
rose accordingly.
Sam Adams, of Nome, was started with nine dags at 12:10,
John Kirby having failed to start. He got away in good shape,
and, as subsequent events showed, he might have been in the
money had he trained over the course previous to the race.
In the meantime reports began to comeover the wire announc
ing the arrival of the leaders at Summit roadhouse. Discovery
Otter and Flat City, and it was apparent that Shea was making the
best time. He reached the Summit at 11:37:30 and Discovery at
12:10:30, in fact, he made the best time over any leg of the course
over all competitors. It took McRae 46 minutes to the Summit,
and he arrived at Discovery at 12:51:50.
At Discovery the racers took the trail directly into town and
turned on the main street in front of Karl Thiel’s place. Each
driver merely called his name and number and was off again with
all the inhabitants of the creek there to give him encouragement.
It had been tough going for the first nine miles and the strain
could be noticed on men and dogs, but the worst portion of the
trail was yet to be encountered.
Going down Otter, the trail cut to the left limit at Bouchene’s
roadhouse, known as the Cutoff trail, and it was here that the bad
going was experienced. Shea reparted after the race that there
were times when he could scarcely see his leader and was com
pelled for a time to break trail for his dogs.
The course entered Flat City on Gold street and turned on to
Front street where time was taken in Front of Frank Stanley’s
place. As at Discovery where Arthur Shonbeck, Karl Thiel and
Jack Ryan had ciocked the teams, so here at Stanley’s, Jack Con
nolly, Bert Moores and Frank Stanley took the time and phoned it
into the city. Men had been stationed out of town that no mistake
could be made as to the trail, and the ct-eek boys did all they could to make
the event a success.
Shea passed through Fiat at 12:36:80 afier losing considerable time from
Discovery on the two miles between the two points. He was cheered lustily
and got through town in excellent order, although it was not generally known
at that time that he was making the top run. He made the two miles back to
the Summit up hill in fair time, arriving at 12:58. From that point his ap
pearance over the hill coming into Iditarod was awaited anxiously as many beis
had been made on two hours and a half and it looked as though he would make
it. Besides it was realized here that his time was the best and that he would
win if he could keep up the pace.
When his team fi'as discernible as g; black speck at the top of the hill
nearly two miles away, the crowds on the streets took up the cry, and people
flocked to the finish line. Coming into town Claude experienced trouble at the
turn on to Second street, and the. minutes flew by in a maddening manner as he
negotiated the corners. Just before the turn at the corner of the M. &M. bank
to the finish line his dogs tried to turn down Front, street instead of up, and he
was corr polled to grab his leader and drag it- across the line. Driver and dogs
were well-nigh “tuckered” after the hard battle with the deep snow and the
crowd gave him a hearty sendoff as he staggered across the finish. He had ar
rived at 1:28:5-1, making the course in just 1 minute 6 seconds short of two
hours and a half.
While this was going on McRae and Campbell were having their troubles
at Discovery and Flat. Campbell, especially, experienced a good deal of
trouble in persuading bis leader to answer the helm both at Discovery and at
Flat. Campbell attributes his loss of the race to this cause, and believes that
with a better leader he can defeat Shea, and there are many others who still
think the N. C. team the fastest of the lot. This diversity of opinion may result
in a match race in the near future.
McRae crossed the finish at 2:32:19 and Campbell finished at 2:4S:29. At
this point it was seen that Adams and McMahon had no chance to be in the
money and the crowd at the finish thinned out, perceptibly, yet there were
many there to cheet them when they did arrive. The fact that all starters fin
ished was one of the good features of the contest, and showed the spirit in
which it was run.
Of the betting it was hard to get a definite line although there were hooks
opened in three different places in the city. Shea was the favorite at the
Poineer, and that book cleaned up some money on him. A few bets were
placed at the Northern and at the Bank saloons, but it is probable that the ma
jority of the bets were not placed with the books at all. Ike Ljomis is reported
to have won in the neighborhood of $1,000, a great part of this beingon Shea’s
time from the Summit iu. Before the storm the bets on time had ranged
around two hours, but after the blizzard they jumped to 2:30.
WILL BE TRIED ON
CHARGE OF MURDER
Following' a preliminary hearing dur
ing which evidence was taken that him
to be a vindictive assailant bent on
killing his victim, V. Conrad Olson
was bound over by Commissioner Dillon
at Fairbanks recently, charged with
murder in the first degree. Nothing
the full circumstances of the case,
Judge Dillon admitted the defendant to
$30,000 bail.
David Nagle was the victim of the
fight which occured in a saloon at Ol
ness, following a drunken dispute oyer
money. The men fought with their
hands at first, but on the second as
sault, Olson charged Nagle, hitting
him with a heavy silver snuff box
which he carried in a poke. One of
these blows fractured Nagle’s skull,
and an abscess ultimately formed
there causing death. The fight was
several months ago, but Nagle did not
die until recently.
Barney After a Helpmeet
Barney Simon was a passenger on the
stage from Fairbanks, November 25th,
enroute to old London in search of
a bride. Barney says he has already
made two unusccessful attempts to get
married, and he thinks the third and
last try ought to result more satis
factorily. In any event, he intends to
return in the early spring.
Enjoy yourself at Johnstone’s pool
room.
WRITE A LETTER HOWIE AT
Ernest's Cigar Store
“You Don’t Have to Frog.”
Cigars, Tobaccos, Candies, Lemonade,
Milk Shake, Stationery and Fruits
NIEHOFF & HAKES,
_First and Willow,_
Fort Gibbon's Un-to-Date House
Golden North
HOTEL
Finest and Neatest Rooms
Caters Especially to Family Trade
NO Bar
ED Y. LEE. PllOr.
CAP’S PLACE
Imperial Cigar Store
just received large stock of Peterson and
Calabash Pipes
JHEWLT BUILT PRIVATE CARD ROOMS
To enjoy an evening call and see us
WILLOW ST., IDITAROD
General Merchandise
and Outfitters
Stores-Iditarod City and Dikctnan
j
DR. 3. F. BROOKS,
Physician and Surgeon
Over Merchants Cafe, First Avenue
Telephone 30
Dr. Heinrich Wort man n
Physician and Surgeon
Office at City Drug Store, Tel. 30
First Ave., bet. Willow and Richmond
T. B. CRAIG,
Physician and Surgeon
Temporary Office,Red Cross Drug Store
DR. E. T. BRADBURY,
Dentist
Over Merchants Cafe, First Avenue
Telephone 3Q-B
McGowan, Clark & Albrecht
ATU2NEYS AT LAW
Iditarod, Alaska Phone No. 7
The Pioneer Attorneys of This Camp
ALFRED E. MALT BY,
fU. S. Commissioner]
Attorney at Law
Notary Public
Practice only in District Court. IDiTAROD
BIGHAM BECKER,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Office—Ansley Bids'., Richmond St.
CHAS. E. TAYLOR,
Attorney at Law,
Notary Public, Conveyancing:,
Abstracts of Titles
Iditarod City
J. S. HARDING,
Attorney at Law
Room 1, Iditarod Hotel
Iditarod, Alaska
CHAS. D. CARTER,
Dentist
Offices, Pioneer Drug Stores,
Flat Creek
The
Sideboard
Old Tyler Whiskey a Specialty
Front St. J. R. Anderson, Prop. Iditarod
MORE REINDEER REACH THE MARKET
About 75 head of reindeer are station
ed just below the city in the charge of
Ole Barr and Peter Bauls who brought
the animals over the trail from Una
laklik. They will be slaughtered in
the immediate future to add to the
food supply of the camp.
When you visit Flat creek call at
Carroll’s Globe Bakery and Coffee
House for a lunch.
BEST HOUSE
TheGiini@re IN ID1TAROD
_THIRD A V E > AND WILLOW ST.
| THE
: Pioneer
i Sheet Mstal Works
Are “THERE" on Willow Street
| |p| a T gj Steam, Turkish ansi Plain
| 88 ra £» Experienced Attendants for Ladies aad Gentlemen )
'l Sleeping and Rest Rooms Willow' Street MRS. C. J. SELLANDEfl )
WHEN IN IDI7AROD STOP AT
POOL, CIGARS, TOBACCOS. CANDIES WILLOW ST.
Wanderlust Gets Him Again
Headed for the Reindeer country in
tlie company of Charley Cregf ami
Charley Siiu-s, Ed Anderson, one of
genial trio that has been handing out
the good stuff at the Budweiser for
several months was due to take to the
hills this week.
Eddie can stand indoor life so long
and then he slops over. Last winter
he prospected on Willow and if he
found little gold he dug up plenty of
health. He is looking for both those
things on this trip, and since he is go
ing to a far country, let it be hoped
that lib finds them.
He will be dack in the spring and
may settle at Georgetown for the pur
Enlarged Remodele
BLACK’S
HOTEL
Fort Gibbon
For Outfits
FLAT CITY
pose of using his license, if the town
justifies it.
Have your nuggets made into souve
nirs at Simpson’s, the pi ,neer jeweler
SUMMIT
ROADHOUSE
Furnished Rooms and Bunks
Cafe in Connections,
Liquors and C'i^ats
Tel: “Summit Roadhouse."
UP TO DATE
MOUTH OF FLAT
CAFE and POOL ROOM
IN CONNECTION
N.GLANTZ & MRS. SWANSON, PROPS,
GEORG ETO W N K US KOK WIM
JUST OPENED
Northern Hotel
and Restaurant
F. K. WOITKE, PROP.
When at Flat City
VISIT
CASE Y }S
COMPLETE STOCK OF
Wines, Liquors and Cigars