Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-02-27
Reindeer In Alaska.


The following authoritative letter
will interest the public. 1t points to
possible prosperous enterprise for our
far off Northwest territory:
"The Secretary of the Interior has
approved and forwarded to Congress
the recommendation of the Commits
sioner of Education that the sum of
torty-five thousand dollars should be
appropriated the present year for the
purchase of reindeer, the same to be
furnished by the lowest bidder and de-
liyered at suitable points on the
Alaskan coast. Fifteen hundred to
two thousand reindeer would, it is
thought, he 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 ne stock of twenty-five hundred
or more. The natural increase of a
herd of reindeer, Judging from the ex-
perience of the last four years in
Alaska, amounts to upward of fifty
per cent increase of the entire herd.
With three thousand reindeer the an
nual increase would he at least fifteen
hundred, and the Bureau of Education
could distribute in the first year a suf-
ficient number to each Missicna sta.
ton and white settlement to provide
herds of from one to two hundred each.
These under the care of the Lapland
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 ma.
tives would learn to breed and train
the reindeer and the alive population
would thus he raised from the savage
state of mere hunters and fisherman to
the higher condition of nomads or
herdsmen. Whereas now intercom-
munication 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 pro.
cure their necessary food, on the other
hand the reindeer can procure his food
Immediately from the moss under the
snow ut any point where he is turned
loose. The dogs travel at the rate of
thirty-tive miles day while the rein
deer travels ninety miles a day. 1t
would be possible to have communities
ton with all of the settlements seat
tered through Alaska, once in two
weeks during the long winter season.
Once large herds of reindeer are estab-
lished in Alaska II plentiful supply of
the best food will become everywhere
available. The danger to miners and
other settlers who run the risk of com.
ing short of provisions in case of mis-
haps to their annual stores would he
removed as well as the danger to those
natives who have been 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 il no reason why a
large population of hardy people should
not live and find profitable industries
in Alaska. The one food supply that
amounts to anything is the long, white
tibrous moss (Cladonia Rangifera)
which exists in such abundance that
ten million Of reindeer can subsist up
on it within the Territory of Alaska,
Judging by the experience of those
countries like Lapland and Finland
where similar conditions exist.
The main argument used by the
Commissioner of Education for this an
preparation on the part of Congress is
not chiefly the one based on the Chris
tian sentiment of the people, an ap.
peal to prevent starvation, although
all Missionaries and other authorities
report numerous cases of death by
starvation. The object of the intro
ductiOn of reindeer is not to afford
temporary relief by furnishing food to
the natives. but rather the transforms
ton OF people from the savage em-