The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-09
REINDEER FOR THE KLoNDIKE.

The great rush for the Klondike and
everybody's interest in it cause all sug-
gestions as to the best method of
reaching there and the best means for
avoiding the danger of famine in the
frozen north to be more or less dis
cussed. a suggestion that has seemed
to meet with much approval and which
at first blush seems feasible. is that Of
utilizing reindeer for the purposes of
transportation.
The government has a reindeer farm
near Fort Clarence, Alaska, in the vi
entity of the lower Yukon, where there
are something more than a thousand
reindeer. This herd was started five
years ago, and since that time has
been used exclusively for breeding
purposes. Dr. Sheldon Jackson has
the supervision Of the herd, but ne
finds that it is increasing entirely too
slowly since the Klondille fever broke
out and the proposition has been made
to utilize reindeer for transportation
purposes. He would have the govern
| ment purchase 1000 or 5000 more rein
deer in Siberia and introduce them into
Alaska According TO his last report
to the department Of agriculture,
Alaska has area enough to sustain
9,200o 600 head of reindeer. In Lapland
there are 40o, 900, valued a SO a head.
Hence he argues that the 100000 head
of reindeer that Alaska could support
would be worth something like SIS, 000,-
000 In his estimates the doctor ignores
the question of supply and demand; in
! fact he reasons much after the man
ner of the milkmaid If, at this mo-
ment, there were in Alaska all the rein
deer that DR.. Jackson figures out that
| that country would support, they would
not solve the problem of transporta-
ton, though they would that of food
supply. Paul Du Chailliu, in The
Land of the. Midnight Sum- speaks of
the training of reindeer to draw or
carry in these terms:
The process OF teaching a reindeer to
draw a. sleigh or carry burdens is tedi-
Gus and difficult; and. even after being
we'll trained, the wild nature of the
tinid and restless animal shows itself
! frequently. The training commences at
about the age of 3 years and it is not
completed before the fifth: they are
| good for work until they are Is or 16
years old. a daily lesson is given to
make them know their master, and TO
accustom them to the lasso, of which
! they are at first afraid. They are
/ given salt and angelica, and are sub
| jected to no i'll treatment While under
| training. Two men came into camp
with a young reindeer, and ssoon after
wares the work OF teaching him to
I draw a sleigh began. A long very
strong leather rein was attached to the
base OF his horns, and the rest OF his
/ harness was carefully attended &c; the
trace attached TO the sleigh was several
! yards in length, the trainer himself be-
/ ing at quite 81 distance, Thus placing
the animal and the sleigh far apart. AS
soon as the reindeer was urged for
ward he plunged wildly and kicked
ana II required all the strength OF the
man to hold him. After repeated rests
for the animal and driver, the lesson
was recommended and continued until
the man was utterly exhausted.
From this it will be seen that the
breaking in" Of the reindeer is a
! long and tedious process, and even
when completed that ne is not a beast
of burden in the ordinary sense of the
word. 1t is very doubtful if he would
be of any account at all attached to q
wheeled vehicle, or any place save or
the snow. BY the time there were
enough broken reindeer in Alaska tc
be of any genuine service to the rush
of emigrants to the new gold fields il
is not improbable that a railroad woult
be built from Edmundton. At leas1
for some years the reindeer cannot bt
regarded as solving the great problem
of transportation that confronts the
miners going to the Klondike.