Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-16
TIE POPULATION sraRvrxo.

They had found that the entire population Of
arctic Alaska Is In . starving condition. and
that II ssmething IL not done for their relief
very soon the inhabitants viii be wiped out Of
existence. This Is due 10 the general failure Of
the whales and walrus, owing TO the increased
vigor and enterprise Of the whslers, who have
now gone as far north as the ice Of the region
north of Point Barrow in their hunting. The
only way out Of the difficulty IL TO appeal 10
Congress. But this" said the speaker, SIS
extemporizing and pauperizing process; wit
ness the North American Indian"
But there is q theory that the natives Of this
region can be supplied with food without ask
ing for feeding appropriation from Congress,
and that is to transplant the domesticated rein
deer OF Siberia to Alaska, which 10 admirably
adapted to the life of this animal The natives
OF siberia live entirely upon the reindeer-its
mi mnk, Its nesh and its labor. They use its skin
LOT dress and utilize every portion OF IL for
some purpose or other. A bill for this purpose
was introduced in Congress last session, but
was lost IN the shuttle at the end of the session
The commissioner Of education. thinking to
avert general starvation in the peninsula. has
solicited subscriptions from the public through
some OF the leading newspapers of the coun-
try 10 raise fund for the beginning OF
the experiment of trsnsplanting of the rein
deer A beginning has been made and DR..
jackson viii start next week for Siberia.
where he hopes to purchase small number
of reindeer and take them over 10 one OF the
islands midway between the two continents at
the narrowest point Of the Boring strait.
THE ABoRIeINEs WILL ALONE LIVE THERE.
There are hundreds Of thousands Of acres In
Alaska covered with tundril, the food of the
reindeer, and there is no reason why the AMI
NAL should not live there and eventually furnish
food for the thousands of starving natives IL
this experiment should succeed the Alaskan
Esquimo may be perpetuated. No other race
urll 4hnra n. -. L., h..
native aborigine can survive, as the speaker
had once told a meeting of an Indian protec-
tive society. The only white men who will
consent to live there are sailors who desert
from their ships, but who are 90 distressed by
the conditions that they beg to be taken away
when they happen to be picked up. DIR. Jack
son spoke OF an instance when Capt Healy
found three sailors on the shores Of the upper
edge OF the peninsula, who, when they were
asked where they were going, replied that they
were on their way to Sitka, which is 200 miles
to the southwark by the windings of the coast.
The Alaskans can be elevated to the position
of the Laplanders il the proper methods are
but adopted. They are docile, wide awake and
active, not dwarfed as most people seem TO
think them, but large. well formed and athletic,
capable OF performing wonderful feats OF
strength.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Jackson's interest
ing talk. which was rewarded by hearty APP
plause and the thanks Of the society, Chairman
Hayden announced that the society would take
trip to Shendon, Va. on the Sd and 4th Of
June as the guests Of Maj Hotchkiss, who, at
the invitation Of the chair, went TO the black
board and did some documentary map drawing
to show where Shendon is and how historically
It is surrounded. He spoke for some minutes
In humorous vein and gave the audience a
very clear idea of the location Of his home,
which is in the midst Of the grottoes Of the
Shenandoah valley.
Mr.. Russell the society's explorer, then de-
scribed some very interesting lantern slides,
which where projected upon a screen, and
gave his hearers an idea of the sort of country
that he is to penetrate. Some Of the slides
were beautiful, showing the marvellous con-
struction of the glacier. Mr.. Russell was bid
godspeed on his journey and the society sd-
journed.