The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-12

Two recent e-erts have brought lie q
Production o. domestic reindeer snts 1888
before TIE American pubic VIII
prominence. One Of these vas ms asa3os sssA- -
tion that the miners tn the as"a 49,
were without a yarfaeIe5t supply CT Prov
sion 70 fass during the e0Dtng "IntSs-
Afser weighing ssyersl plans sF.@ s.fss
rnerf found tnas the only f0sstfAe sos9As9iA
was 70 take the reindeer trained 70 1870
that were fr the Eesgnborhooa OF - sh-
ehses and With them freight provisions 80
.ne miners from the abundant sappSiss
s.ored Al 81. Michael. located on the coast
~ Tsersnx ~4a. sixty miles above the mouth
~ the Yukon Hence orders were issued ~
the war department. late in Septe moeF az
ree.fsue Lieut.. Col Randall. L ;. a., ~
charge OF detachment OF troops at -.
9kehaei 70 take charge Of the reindeer and
-,gfa tssern send sgod 10 the starving miners
on The YUKON. These arrangements were
no sooner contaminated than tidings came
from the Arctic Coast os Alaska that eight
taaiing vessels. carrying crews aggres4l-
Tag about 49, men, had been unexpectedly
caught IN the ice and the men vere In dan
ger OF starvation
MANY Efans were proposed for a relief ex-
peastlors but IL .as found that no plan was
practicable that was not based upon me
resadeer. Accordingly the government, on
the Issh OF November, issued orders Tor the
res.nuss cutter Bear 20 proceed north until
effort to send a small party OF officers and
r.ser, over The ice 10 the mainland Having
landed the party is 10 proceed 10 cape
Prince Of Wales. secure the services oil w.
r. kxoyp. q Congrexs sio8ai missionary. per
row his reiaaeer herd and the herd belong
tng 20 a native Eskimo hy the name Of An
.iSIarieok ffshzriey1 and with these Two
nerds proceed oyerla nd five or six hundred
rsllfas sn December and January to Point
Barrow OF until the sailors are found
TIE importance OF the reindeer In the de-
yeinpsnent Of Alaska cannot be oyeresti-
mated This Is true whether looked upon
from the side Of humanity, utility or COM
rnsreIaE value. The native peoples oeeil-
ryfng Northern Alaska were brought TO a
condition OF seui-staryatlon through the
persistent destruction Of the whale by the
ghaiefs and the rapid killing of OF fur
hearing animals through the introduction
OF breechrioading firearms The days when
they can support themselves and families
comfortably by fishing and hunting are past
ard change In their method OK subsistence
has became absolutely necessary. This
change can he secured by the Introduction
OF herds Of domestic reindeer and the edu-
Gallon of the native population in their care
aud management.
careful computation. based upon the
statistics OF LapIand. where similar cii-
matte aud other conditions exist, shows
Northern and Central Alaska TO be capable
o. supporting over t,bFu.oHp t4sdb VI fSsiiaSEi-
with the discovery Of large and valuable
roid deposits upon the streams and creeks
IF Arctic and sub-Aretie Alaska. II Is found
that the reindeer is as important tn the
white man as the Eskimo. dog train on
4 Iong journey will make on an average
from fifteen 10 twenty-five miles day and
IN some sections cannot make the trip al
ALL because the dogs cannot carry with
them sufficient supply of food for hem
selves. and can procure noae in the coun-
try through which they travel. To sacili-
tate aud render possible frequent and
speedy communication between these iso-
,atsd settlements and growing CEN
tiers OF American civilization, where
the ordinary roads OF the states
have no existence and cannot be
maintained except at an enormous ex-
pense. reindeer teams that require no
beaten roads and that AT the close Of days
work can be turned loose to forage for
themselves, are essential. Thus the intro
diietien of reindeer into Alaska makes pos
sghse the development Of the mines and the
support OF the miners.
Tas introduction OF domestic reindeer
among ;he native peoples will probably be
accomplished through the instrumentaiity
al the various missions which have been
established among them. To facilitate this
tie government has entered upon the policy
~ lenllng them small herds with the UNI
apEs4A nding that after a term of years an