The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-02-20
Secretary Of the Interior Asks
For $45, 900.
FOR USE OF THE ALAskANS
AS a Means of General inter
Communication.
BETWEEN THE SETTLEMENTS
The Reindeer Travels 90 Miles a Day
Dragging Heavily Laden SIedges and
Eating Only the Moss Under
the Snow.

Washington, Feb. 49, Especial. -
Congressman Terry, of Arkansas, tells
me to-day that his cigarette bill has
been favorably reported by the com
mittee on Ways and Means. He says,
moreover, that Congressman Settle has
requested to be heard on the bill be-
fore the committee. The bill provides
that cigarettes transported in any
State shall be subject to the State
laws. / have before explained it at
length and in detail. 1t will no doubt
be strongly fought.
The Secretary of the Interior has APP
proved and forwarded to Congress the
recommendation of the Commissioner
of Education that the sum of forty-tiye
thousand dollars should he appropriate
ed the present year for the purchase Of
reindeer, the same to be furnished by
the lowest bidder and delivered at suit
able points on the Alaskan coast. Fiji
teen hundred to two thousand reindeer
would, it is thought, be secured by
this sum. Added to the nine hundred
or more deer already in the herd kept
at Port Clarence, near Boring Strait,
there will be stock of twenty-five
hundred or more. The natural increase
of herd of reindeer, judging from the
experience of the last four years in
Alaska, amounts to upwards of fifty
per cent increase of the entire herd.
With three thousand reindeer the an
nual increase would be at least fifteen
hundred, and the Bureau of Education
could distribute in the first year a suf-
ffcient number to each Missionary sta
ton and white settlement 10 provide
herds of from one to two hundred
each. These under the care Of Lap
land herdsmen and with additions from
the central herd on following years
would soon grow to be large herds.
Through the efforts of the Missionary
schools and the Government schools
the natives would learn to breed and
train the reindeer and the native popu-
Iation would thus be raised from the
savage state Of mere hunters and fish
ermen to the higher condition Of no
MAIDS or herdsmen. Whereas, now in
accommodation between the villages
in Alaska is very precarious in the
winter time due to the fact that the
dogs that draw the sledges have to
creep along from village to village in
order to procure their necessary food,
on the other hand the reindeer can
procure his food Immediately from the
moss under the snow at any point
where he is turned loose. The dogs
travel at the rate of thirty-fve miles
d day while the reindeer travels nine
tv miles day 1t would be possible to
have communication with all Of the set
Elements scattered through Alaska,
once in two weeks during the long vim
ter season. Once large herds of rein
deer are established in Alaska a plen-
fiful supply Of the best food will be-
come everywhere available. The dam
ger to miners and other settlers who
run the risk of coming short OF proFi-
sions in case Of mishaps to their am
nual stores would be removed as we'll
as the danger TO those natives who
have been deprived Of their food by
the destruction of the walrus and
whale. There is no reason why
d large population OF hardy
people should not live and find profit
able industries in Alaska. The one
food supply that amounts to anything
IS the long, white fbrous moss (Clado-
MIA Rangifera) which exists in such
abundance that Ten million of reindeer
can subsisb upon ii within the Terri
tory of Alaska, judging by the expert
ence of those countries like Lapland
and Finland where similar conditions
exist.
The main argument used by the Com
missioner of Education for this appro-
priation on the part Of Congress is not
4 ~. hks aFF IGfi n
sentiment of the people, an appeal to
prevent starvation, although all mis-
sionaries and other authorities report
numerous cases of death by starvation.
The object of the introduction of rein
deer is not to afford temporary relief
by furnishing food to the natives, but
rather the transformation Of people
from the savage employments Of hunt
ing aud fishing into higher grade
Of civilization, that of herdsmen and
teamsters. In the condition Of herds
men and teamsters these people at
once come into profitable business
relations with the rest Of the world.
They furnish deer skins and meat for
commerce and they furnish the rapid
transportation needed to make safe
and prosperous the settlements IN
that Territory.
j. s. Carr, the millionaire tobdccon-
ist Of North Carolina, has been regis
tered at the Metropolitan this week.
sThe tobacco business is not what it
used to be-" he said to a Times re-
porter, in discussing the general con-
dition Of the country Years ago there
Mas money TO be made out the
growing and shipping of the weed, but
all that is changed now. OF course,
the industry IL still a profitable one,
but nothing like what it was form
erly."
X q y
The President and Mrs. Cleveland
were guests at unique and elegant
dinner given by the Secretary Of the
Interior and Mrs Hobc Smith satur-
day evening. A good deal Of alause-
ment was enjoyed by al present at the
clever suggestiyeness Of the dainty
spread.