New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-22
REINDEER IN ALASKA.
THEIR INTRODUCTION PROVES GREA7
SUCCESS.
LIKELY 10 SOLVE THE PRoB'EM OF WIN 1T
TRANSPORTATION IN THE YUKON Rho''oN-
MANS MOST EFFICIENT HELPER

TRANSPORTATION IN THE YUKON REGION
MANS MOST EFFICIENT HELPER. -
w.shins,on Oct q (speciaD. Within the last
nve or six years Congress has appropriated sa'o"
for the introduction OF reindeer into Alaska the ap
propr1ation for the current fiscal year amouhIns -
~ zoo Tho number OF reindeer now IN Aidsha' III
ciudins the natural increase Of the animals I'M
,ort.6 =. about twelve hundred. divided Into nve
herds In the original plan for the purchase ana
distribution Of the animals. reference was mainly
had TO securing Q new and STEADY 1000 supply
for the destitute and starving natives but ar Com
missioner Harris OF the Bureau Of Education Cd
serves in his annual report for the last year, III
r. now found that the reindeer are as essential 10
the white man a. 70 the Esquimau." He also says;
The reindeer station ought 10 be able to furnish
once Tor the of the miners on the upper YUKON S
HTsr y sn s To ndes to
Yukon region the present summer and IN case case
Who sailed or, c is rTnss NJ s
ms coming year at the gold mines
WINTER JOURNEY IN ALASKA
Recent advice. from DR.. Jackson, who has ar
rived at Seattle on his way TO Washington. DO not
clearly indicate whether or not he was able to put
tho plan In operation th. year 1t may not yet be 100
late however, 10 do 60. judging by tho success
of long journey through the region borderns
on the Lower Yukon and Norton Sound last winter
On December Is 1896. Superintendent Kjellman" OF
the Teller reindeer station left Port Clarence, on
Cape Prince OF Wales. north OF Norton Sound, with
nine sleds seventeen reindeer and two expert hepp
teamsters explore that part OF Alaska lying De-
tween Behring Strait. the lower Yukon and the
Kuskokwim rivers, and TO demonstrate the prac-
ticab!lity of communication between Arctic Alaska
and civilization even In the depth OF winter On
December % the Swedish Lutheran Mission station
Of Goovin Bay reached. hve days having oech
spent In exploring the region between the uo"eIoh
and Fish rivers The reindeer herd at Golovin Bay
md 10 he N condition
for On December 80 the frozen waters OF Norton
Sound crossed, Hummocky Ice was encoun-
tered; here and there the ice was very tn>n ana
the way had 70 be chosen with great care On
January the party arrived at the mission sta-
zion at Cnalaklik IN a binding snowstorm Inc
country around uneaklik Is reported by Mr.. koel-
mann ga exceptionally we'll adapted for relndeer
herding there are sheltered valleys, dry pastnrase
hea}y timber for buildings. birch wood for sled
and came making and drftwood for fuel
The journey between the trading posi- OF 81
Michs FL the port OF entry for Iukon trade ara the
Russian mission al Icogrnut. on the lower YUKON
was a most arduous one. Barren mountains. whose
rocky sides had hecn swept bare by blizzards hu'
whose rav.nes held deep srowdrtfts hsd 70 pe
crossed. the lev waters Of mountain torrents had
20 b. forded sometimes way through the tangled
IND srs rowth had 10 he made with exes. Inc coio
was irtens. sometimes % degrees below zero pul
even the men comfortable IN their rnr cloth-
,ns end rested securely in sleeping bags OF reindeer
tered: III. wind was too strong for the reindeer 10
stand IN end the men had to lie down also and lei
the blast sweep over them for hours. The party
rested for several days at the Moravian MISSION
station at Bethel. the KuskokwiIn
Mr. Kiellmann, with the apps and reinoeer re
turned 70 headquarters az Port Clarence Nroueh
.no,her section Of country. following The YUKON
as far as the Catholic mission station 81 Nuia'0'
then turning westward 10 the Norton Son'o res1o''
RAindeer moss found IN suincieh- 1ua"''''
along almost the entire route although "he"
.+ormbound OH the mountains the deer were thirty
- Lnurs wi,bout food However. the hardy anil
,r.,. entered no permanent injury from this long
fast and their skins thlckly covered WIN roiie
hair were sufcient protection from Inc ICY oes's'
TO SOLVE THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM
Commissioner Harris is clearly Of the opinion
which is also shared by Dr.. Jackson anu ou,V's
who are even more familiar with the suoIec' 'ha'
+ha reindeer is to solve the difficult pronem OF WIN
Ter transportation and communicate" III ava
Alaska IN his report ne says:
The wonderful placer mines Of the yuk On res eIIe
situated from twsrtyys 70 ppoy,sonS Brought
rom the South and landed on the banks OF me
river are Th ,r sTHs5 d .Tea, last Winter
ge tr S frse Charges from tie
river 10 the mines ranged from 10 to - cents pee
teams are slow o Snd b mqst ne
framed reindeer IN day Two or sTe The ,m asa
s S 3Srn aYs oos to saher
supners from the moss which abounds IN tiao
1er}on The flesh Of the reindeer will be boon 10
the miner and clothing made from us skih y h,s
best protection agsins: the intense colo OF the
Arctic winter. . o.. ,,,e,.ad for spri-
cr,,urai pursiits as Arctic Alaska, PROVIDENCE
seems TO have adapted the reindeer 70 the pecu.s.
onnifions OF Arctic life and mad him az once Ine
hest heiper to man in the Transportation OF sup
piles. the sures, source OF animal 1900 ana ,re
Roofs Furnishing the best material Tor TIE naS ,ht
~ zine his hair. account OF It's extreme heht,
ness heinr the best for in the construction OF
iife-sa wing apparatus he also furnishes me posi-
hitiss FOR large and wealth-producins industries