The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-15
REINDEER ALisRA.
They arc Thriving ard Promise to Flo or
 Great Value.


 Great Value
 From the San Francisco Examiner. The Rev. Sheldon Jackson, superin- tendent of schools for Alaska, arrived here yesterday. AS for the reindeer about which there has been great deal of interest everywhere, he says they are all doing well. and that the experi- ment of transporting them to and herd ing them in Alaska has surpassed expectations.
 Through the courtesy of the secretary of the treasury and Captain L. G. Shep- ard, chief of the revenue marine dlVis- ion of the treasury" he said. "the rev. enue cutter Bear was again designated to assist me in procuring and trans porting the reindeer from Siberia cap tain Healy of the Bear has manifested an interest in the enterprise from the start and gave his hearty cooperation Although we had to contend with an unusual amount of ice on the Siberian coast 121 reindeer were secured. Early in August a beginning was made Tn the distribution of the deer, lls being given to the Congressional mission at Cape Prince of Wales. This makes herd number two.
 During September arrangements were consumated by which on January 1, 1895, 100 head of deer will be loaned to Au-te-si-look, Loo-va-wha-sie-, I-Zik- sic. Ko-to-wak, and I-up-puk for five years. At the expiration of that time 100 head are to be returned to the gov ernment and the increase to remain the private property of these Esqui- mauX, the first two of whom have been under instruction at the Teller sta tion. This third herd will be the first given out to the natives, and the eXperi- ment will be watched with much inter- est.
 From the first proposition to import reindeer until the present urgent re- quests have been received from miners and traders for transportation purposes in the interior. Nearly all the mines now being worked in the interior and the large number now being discovered, are on small streams tributary to the | Yukon. The Yukon river steamers bring supplies to the mouths of these streams, whence they are conveyed to the mines by small boats in summer I and sleds drawn by dogs in winter. Experience has demonstrated that | ,J to provide the necessary transporta- tion. Consequently there is a present demand for reindeer teams. With the rev mines being discovered, and the more general prospecting of new sec lions of the country, this demand for trained reindeer will become more and more urgent.
 What the camel is to Asia and Africa and the burro to New Mexico and Ari- zona the reindeer will be to the explor- er prospector, and miner of interior Alaska.
 "In the developments the introduction of the reindeer has begun none too soon."
 One of the objections against herd ing reindeer in Alaska was that the wild Esquimaux and their dogs would make short work of them. There is a village of 100 Esquimaux within a mile of the Port Clarence herd. Last winter the supply of dried fish and provisions 1 of these people gave out and they were confronted with starvation, yet they made no attempt to help themselves of the venison within their reach. From twelve to fifteen Esquimaux are con stantly kept at Teller station learning the latest improved methods of caring for the reindeer from the Laplander herders who went there with William A. Kjellman last May.