Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1897-08-28
REINDEER TO KLONDIKE
ARE FLEETER THAN DOGS AND
CAN FEED ON MOSS.
Alaskan Facts Ascertained by Unit
ed States Government Of
ficinls.

w IOiis aug NJOliio AiCSACoI-
ing statements relating to the gold re-
gion in Alaska and the reindeer expert
ment there are brought out in the an
nual report of United States Commits
soner of Education Harris, submitted to-
day.
1t describes in detail the progress of
mining, growth of Circle City, Dawson
City and the Klondike district, and the
two principal routes, via st. Michaels and
via Chilcott pass.
Touching on the Importance of ex-
tending the introduction of reindeer in
to that territory the report says that rein
deer stations ought to be able to furnish
500 reindeer trained to harness at once
for use of the miners ON the upper Yu
kon river.
at was my purpose" the commissioner
goes on, "to detail three of the skilled
herdsmen and 30 trained reindeer to the
Yukon region the present summer"
If this arrangement is carried out, as
instructed, an important experiment will
be in progress during the coming year
at the gold mines. The plan of the
bureau has been to arrange reindeer
express connecting the towns in line
from the Boring straits to Kodiac
island.
The superintendent of reindeer sta
tions, Kjollmanni, last September prov
ed the practicability of this by making
a trial trip on this route. Two of his
party were able to take the steamer at
-,
This arrangement once completed it
will be possible for business companies
in San Francisco and other cities to
hold communication with their whaling
fleets during the winter north of the Arc
tic circle.
There have been maintained in Alaska
20 day schools, under the supervision of
the interior department, with % teachers
and an enrolment of 1867 pupils. A pub
lie school was opened at Circle City, in
the Yukon mining district, but the de
partments agent, writing from st. Mich
aels, says he is afraid he will be forced
to discontinue it because of the exodus
of the city's population into the region
nearer the recently discovered mines.
The influx of miners into the Yukon
has caused a demand for reindeer for
freighting purposes. In the original
plan for the purchase and distribution
of reindeer, reference was had to Sc
curing a new food supply for the fam
ishing Esquimaux of the Boring sea and
Arctic ocean region, but it is now found
the reindeer are as essential to white men
as the EsquimauX. The wonderful 1u-
kon placer mines are situated 20 to 100
miles from the greater stream. Provisions
brought from the south and landed on
the banks of the river are with great diff
ficulty transported to the mines ON the
tributary streams.
Last winter mongrel dogs for trans
portation purposes cost from 500 to S2Oc
cash, and freight charges from the river
to the mountain range from - to 20 cents
per pound The trained reindeer make
in a day two or three times the distance
covered by the dog teams, and have the
advantage that they can use the abund-
ant moss as food.
Skagawny and Dyen.
Seattle, Wash, Aug. 24.-With the ar
rival of the steamer Rosale from Skaga-
way and Dyea comes the news that the
town organization at Skagaway, under
the leadership of A. j. Mckinney, has
taken definite action to open the
trail.
On the arrival of the collier William
cite, none of the passengers were al
lowed to take their baggage until the
entire cargo had been placed high and dry
1. bo ;,,I;,,;I,,o1 hold
ings were segregated. 1t was seen at
once that to get over the trail was I'M
possible
A miners meeting was convened and
it was decided to declare the trail closed.
The miners put their action into imme-
date effect by tearing out several cross
pieces of the bridge across the Skagaway
river. Ishen about 700 citizens went to
work on the trail and the following day
their number was increased to 1000. They
had about so pounds of giant powder and
"a small quantity of dynamite and ex-
pected in four days after the sailing Of
the Rosale to open the trail in a greatly
improved condition.
The dangerous places, where many
horses have been lost, will be fixed up
with scantling and the marshy por-
tions will be corduroyed. Concerted ae-
ton on the part of the workers will re-
suit in many prospectors getting through
who otherwise would have been block
AIDED all winter. Lumber is in great de-
mand, and impatient gold hunters are
rushing work on improvised boats and
RATS The present rush is confidently
anticipated will land at least 10000 peo-
pie at Skagaway. There are now about
1000 people there.
Juneau is rapidly filling up with min