Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1895-08-01

srched reindeer horn The whole u
tied together. not a nail being used
Sometimes team of dogs would at
tack deer team. bat in that case the
driver needed only to run to the deers'
heads TO give them confidence. when
they would turn upon their assailanTs.
striking savagely with their sharp fore
hoofS Sometimes the result of an at
tack would be a mad chase, in which
the dog teams were winded after sew
eral miles. But certainly the dogs
were not so troublesome to the deer as
TO sheep in the United States, which is
the more surprising. as there were up
ward OF there hundred prowling,
snarling, yelping. hungry wolf dogs
near the herd The gait of
the reindeer is smooth, and
the animal makes better tune
than il seems II thrusts its nose
out level with its back. and trots
square. over reaching with its long
hind legs I rarely breaks into a gal
lop. and then chiefly when suddenly
horse or faster. in spite OF its small
size. being not larger than a small
jersey heifer.
Milking has been tried at the station.
but not with great success. and only
after throwing the animal down and
sitting on her neck Even then il was
deemed necessary By the Siberisns to
adopt the natural method, which they
did with seemingly great satisfaction
II -. II - - -
deer when MIXED j. always thrown.
the man holding her down while the
wife ailks- The milk Is very rich,
like cream, but only about a pint Is
given At a milking.
The EskimoS have taken extraorii-
nary interest in the new herd. Natives
have come three or four hundred miles
expressly to see the deer II Is intend
ed that capable young Eskimns shall
serve an apprenticeship of two years
and then be put in charge each of a
herd of his own and sent TO his own
village. where he can. in turn. instruct
others But it may be necessary to
keep the herd together longer than
that. for four CT i've hundred deer are
needed to support a family. Reindeer
require much more watching. as they
wander long distances fer food. unless
Il Is plentiful, aud even. like the carl
bon in Newfoundland perform regular
migTatious twice year The
herd must. therefore. be watched
by dzy and By night A deer in
Alaska viii haul from 6fty to
seventy Eve pounds besides a man.
which : said to lie all thew should be
required 70 draw. The number Of
miles they ought to be driven a. a
stretch Is doubtless overextirnzted. and
has not yet been determined under
Alaskan conditions The great advza-
taZe deer possess over dogs for travel
lourney with dogs Of more than a GER
tain number Of hundreds of miles. ovx-
ing 20 the inP0ssibifity Of hauling
sufficient food for the team Bat a
deer feeds wherever il GOES II IS osly
necessary 70 stop. szv four times day,
and tether the animal by rope. and
a. Il i impossible IN winter 70 drive 4
stake into that frozen ground. the deer
men select a small hammock which
they chop with the Ratchet 50 a. TO
leave a sort of upright head. over
which they slip loop on the end Of II.
sixty-foot tethcr
In our reindeer experiment we Ia. >
reached the end Of the beginning. zas
the practical results have begun a.
ready to appear IL the appropriations.
Of congress are continued the who's
Of barren Alaska viii be stocked, b.
yond the possibility Of doubt with
millions Of deer. not only giving en-
ployment and support TO thousands o.
natives but being the futare source
from which we shall obtain the skins
for gloves. etc. and lin view of the ex-
tinetloa Of other fursl for carriage
and sleighrobes@
But there viii be yet another bene-
Mt At present communication with
the outside world is possible but once
year. and in winter not even the na-
I tive villages can communicate with
each other; 50 that village or a
ships crew would perish before re-
I lief could be sent for With rein
deer. travelling so much faster than
dogs. regular. say a monthly. post
route could be maintained with north
ern Alaska The great whaling fleet
which winters in the Arctic at the