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i> eo Se Page 3, News ocean: July 21; 1992 Former school teacher remembers Duke by Darren MacDonald The News When Kingston writer W.H. Coo wrote Schreiber Council looking for information about Duke the dog, he said the Humane Society had no record of Duke having received an award for saving the lives of two boys in the 1930s. Well, according to Katie Verdone, there's a good reason for that--he didn't receive one. "Never, never, never," says Verdone, who was a school teacher in Jackfish at the time of the accident. In fact, she says she taught grades "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine. "The two boys (involved in the incident) were my pupils," she says. "Kenny McLeod and John Milani were there names, and they were about 14 or 15 years old at the time." And not only did Duke not receive an award, Verdone says he didn't save both of the boys either. "Kenny died," she says. "He froze to death before he could be rescued." Verdone, who's 83, says the story all began shortly after Christmas one year during the 1930s. The mother of a man named Birch Lagacy--a forest ranger in Jackfish--had a stroke. "A telegram had come telling him to come home at once, but he was out at the Empress gold mine, which was north of Jackfish," she says. "So the boys volunteered to take the message to him at the mine." Verdone says the distance they had to cover was about 5 or six miles, and when they left, the weather was pretty good. "But a storm came up, and it got worse and worse," she says. "So they lost their way and spend the night wandering around." Volunteers continued searching for the boys through the night, but without success. "And then the next moming Duke found the boys, and led a party of searchers right to them," says Verdone. But by the time help came, it was too late for Kenny McLeod. "When they found them, the dead boy was in the arms of his friend," says Verdone. "John said later he had carried his friend for more than an hour. You see, Kenny just wasn't as strong as John." They rushed John to St. Joseph's Hospital where he eventually recovered, although he did lose all but two of his toes. £9 $C Bn, ee oa Pane As for Duke, Verdone says he lived out the rest of his life pretty much as he always had. He belonged to Bill Fraser, owner of the Jackfish Motel. "(Duke) pretended to be cross, but he wasn't really," says Verdone. "And everybody was afraid of Mr. Fraser because he was a very gruff man. But I wasn't afraid of him, so he used to let me pet 'Duke--but he wouldn't let anybody else pet him." Author W.H. Coo was look- ing for the information for a traveller's guide he's writing for a proposed luxury train. € Katie Verdone (right) was a teacher in Jack- fish in the 1930s when Duke the dog helped rescue one young man from the cold. The other person died from exposure. accomodation E nights) tic Jay's/Twins 6¥ Each Test Driv Salesman... ALL ABOVE VEHICLES INCLUDE 1 YR/20,000 KM WARRANTY MINIMUM DOWN WITH LOW FINANCING AVAILABLE CALL NOW SCHREIBER 1-800-465-3360 SPADONI GM ALL VEHICLES MUST BE BLASTED OUT OF THE PARK STAND UP TRIPLE WITH 1989 CORSICA 4DR V6, Auto, Alr, AM-FM & more #9143 BE 1ST WITH A 1990 SUNBIRD 4 DR 4 cyl, auto, tilt, am/im & more #5941 BASE STEALING OME RUN SAVING WITH 1990 LUMINA EUROSPORT V6, Auto, "7 -- & more ROUND TRIPPER ONLY. 824-2043 ASK FOR ED OR STAN DOUBLE UP WITH A 1991 CAPRICE 4 DR V8, Auto, Alr, Cassette & more #1002 EASY DOUBLE ONLY PITCH A WINNER WITH 1981 CELEBRITY EUROSPORT V6, Auto, Alr, Cassette & more #9147 NO CURVES ON DECK WITH 1989 CAVALIER 4 DF & Cyl, Auto, Tilt, Pulse, & More #9703 WARM UP ONLY MARATHON 229-1491 ASK FOR DON