The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-25
ALASHa'S WILD CARlsoo,
h'""r""n' Hands Ofrhssr Animal. Itonn
tho Yukon River,

En"rm"n' Hands % rhr,r Animal. Itor,n
tho Nui.On River.
san Francisco Gail: when lett CIR.
Gle city early In August. ard fro.a
which have Just now aIriyrI." aali
William Dalton. the California roII
digger yesterday, who has been Isr
'hrrr Years on the Yukon, large bands
OF caribou were coming over the noun.
'alll' from the north and running south
IN some or tHeIr hands there were a
many AZ from 1000 To 5000 caribou AZ A
time. They were moving In Immense
masses l had frequently seen them be-.
i,"Fe' Tor every taN and epring the Carl.
200 stare on their regular pilgrimmlg"s,
IN The spring they ~ north and In IN.
IaIl they move south again.
1t Is a beautiful sight To sec them
They are huge animals, aud when you
You ~; few thousand ur them to-
S"ih"r IN" grtA; horns make them In The
distance lOoH like i moving forest;
Il have Seen them make path two
miles Wide in tho sn0w. ! was mining
On HoEhim creek. and when the carl
boo began 10 cross the divide north or
the camp there were 90 many that II
took between three and -FOUR DAYS for
them 70 get over,
The caTiboo usually string along very
.eIsurtdy. but as sUOn rs the boys In
camp Sea them they begin to shoot. and
then the car!boo start 10 running. They
don't Edllcp-they trOt. and they TO. a
good deal faster than q h"5sn.
Beyond the divide alii between the
Yukon and the Tanana river is the Tan
ana divide, and there at these two sea-
sons may also he secn large bands ~
c-irtboo. The caribo5 come from every
direction. 81 that wherever YOU 20 You
see moving masses Of Them.
1T was thus that they pouring
over the hills when lcrt Tn. Tauarl
Is a big river ndviGlbl, for steamboat
| for 500 miles. and everybody knows more
or less Of the great Size OF the Yukon.
| Them are many other rivers besides ;h-
TanluI which empty intn :he Yukon.
when she car.bO1 come 10 any ~
these thcy simply plunge In and swim.
| Nothing iripCiei them. However, when
| they have their choice ;hcy keep mp on
| IN" hills.
''Tc IS said that many or these cIribaI
spend Il good pare II the year among
SOME almost bare mountains ru-,h Of
| the T1nanl. The crests OF the noun
rAin5 ar- granite. and it IL a. smooth
As the lilies ot ;loor.
The cariban there and elsewhere llyr
on The moss that grows IN pats OF
these mountains They have a spoon.
Ike horn-that Is. wide and naj-Lad
! with this ,hry sCraps away thr SuOw
and get at the moss. Tho horn acts as
Il sort OF shovel and answers the pur-
| pose admirably.
Thu car!hoo have very big feet. which
| spread out and keep them on top ot ;ha
s5rc snow. Their" IS Il big deer claw az
| each fOni. and this helps them. 81 tina
III. foot as L whole spreads out like 4
fan.
In tn" fall the caribou viii ,lrrss from
| 600 to 400 pounds each. when .ull grown.
| bug IN the spring they are SO poor they
don't weigh m"rH than half that much.
| In the fall and winter tn. bulls and cows
10 In different communities, bu; always
| keeping near together.
Il never expect I" SEE a more lnspr-
Ing sight than thrsH Caribo1 as they
| move back and fOr;h In their micVa lions
| IL Is a sigh: worth q lot OF money. and
whnn one has seen il he will n-Y": for
| get H.