The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-09

~ ALASKA.
Their Numbers. Needs ana Prospects-Iana
and Liquor in Circle.

and Ltquor In Circle.
Whether anything OF permanent value will
come out OF tho Governments attempt to intro
duce domestic reindeer into Alaska il q subject
on which there Is a difference of opinion, some
persons denouncing it as arrant folly. But it In
well to note what DR.. Sheldon Jackson, who has
charge OF the experiment, has to say regarding
IT in Ats.st{th anppsl report. b., ~
/ lt6fpeatA THAT there are now i've herdsofH
Alaska, at as many different stations. The
central herd. at the Teller station. numbers 423;
one at Cape Prince of Wales. a Congregational
% IMo at G eiS,5Sh; T Bsy. G fSs s S. Saps Epanse I'LL
and 81. James Episcopal mission, stations. 20e.
'0 IN tse % frst I've a 'G years. 81 i The t hsas; O.
reindeer from, Siberia was done by the revenue
s sesSs an Be ef,ort Put ,S S e. she ,h was P Sq s eSalEses E 1sss
made and failed. the result being that no deer
q which s57 lived; During the year a5 rein:
hoof disease; 10 were killed for food. and II per.
ished in an avalanche while feeding at the bass
At the Teller station twenty-five deer were
broken 70 harness; making hfty.two sled deer in
region has resulted in a call for reindeer for
freighting; and this fact suggests that while the
original purpose of the introduction Of the AMI.
mails was to secure a new food supply for the EO.
KINDS, they will be useful also to white men, ~
arc situated from 20 TO 100 miles IA OF the great
Yukon River. The provisions brought from the
with great dintcuity transported to the mines. 50
s ! at a las the che; s1 nISo ty 1850 aaSs w saD h for sha r. mGaSfs, t@.
purposes. and the freight charges from the river
TO TO a 20 e ei"s'' per shifi poua %i'''i The eans Gia,ca nTS@ exc X
psrisnced in Providins the miner; With the
silly OF reindeer transportation. and that the develop
be- %s Gsp Sf sGs iA aSon m' ,as m 1%ssFS rspi d That 1tsisa w y
reindeer for freghting. There are no roads In Aiaska,
great p Extent (. In the limited travelling OF the paSs
dogs have been used for that purpose; but d9s teams
their own maintenance. on the other hand trained
reindeer MAKE AJAX in IN . a "a Gay two SrS sh B, ss. times lime 81 the r.. az dss
can be turned loose TO gather their support from the
moss. which II always accessible to them.
A great part OF Alaska which is untitled for
agriculture or even cattle raising Is amply sup.
piled with the long, hbrous white moss, which
uses Of the animal. "the flesh is considered .
great delicacy. whether fresh or cured. The un.
Climate Of Alaska, and When tanned Is the besS
leather for the r. b9ok6inder, nph9lsterer; anS no
F Fessen make" of it's TIVE wo asir Is N baso ss anG Se~h IN 1t x
construction Of hfeisarihs GpParatusr The
to commerce." But Dr. Jackson says that more
Lapps should DO obtained TO look after the rein'
deer. particularly with reference TO their use in
| the freighting business. and also that "a few
years Of large appropriations on tho part OF Com
EresSs YOU'D do purchase nnah w and Place MoS,d IN \. A ansS twS
cover the whole country by their natural In
crease. in time.
BGSlQGS mat ut uub u Say uDpuk IblNuCoEt ~
jackson furnishes some interesting information
relating TO Alaska in general. The accounts Of
the missionaries as 10 the gold mining and othss
matters at Circle are especially interesting. ?
The Episcopaiians have paid q 800 for an unnniShr
ed frame building, and have also bargAined tor AZ
d dSS feet ta, d he e.. sS'd 'front.' tais s spa'p g f@s 1890 S..S' M VI sO sa am an.
Half the buildings O the place are saloons. and liquos
tsinsd 500 white inha6itants; this summer. 100, q
lase and the otllors scatter among the ada
the district. Last winter the Thermometer REGISTERED
at . y. N. go below zero for three weeks at a time.
perature was TO- to 4S' below zero. At Mastodoa
mines the thermomet 7 last winter registered 20 be-
ley Of the great Yukon River Is being fairly well
Turning back TO the main subject, superin;
tendent Widstoad's report gives II good account
OF the progress of tho apprentices. as the nas
tives taught by the few Lapps are jailed. These
t VISIONS ai 10 them to Dc, Ills are p pH
In Mrr. L. II. stevcnson's account Of a Sled trip
inland from Point Barrow, II year ago last win
Ter. he notes that the KOoloosorooh Is a broad
stream. OF which the south bank is frinBed with
II growth OF willows from Ave 10 nine feet high,
while on Tho north bank there !, u growth OF
wild rye. wild rice, and other similar produgls,
and the reindeer moss Is seen everywhere. The
snow 10 never more than nine inches deep.
usually less, aud = sled breaks through TO the
IL well adapted 10 the hcrding Of domestic rein-
deer, the moss in winter and grass IN summer
being IL sufficient quantity Tor lhsir support:
frequently, the largest seen t'Ing twenty feet in
width and standing boldly out Of Tho bluff"
Jackson concerning the possibility Of forming
permanent colonies Of Lapianders In Alaska,
proiee ehs St seafsSl sss SitEi6 ~ ss1 5shs Vi Rf t6at ve sas
b hsld cut for that purpose