The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-02
THE ALASKA REGION.
Mr. JAcKsoN'S REPORT ON THE
KLONDlkE GOLDFlELDS.
v,cbness Of the Mines Not Exaggerated.
present Food supply Insufiicient-Utiiity
If the Domestic Reindeer - There Is
Practically No Law or Government.

practically No Law or Government.
Tn his statement of the bureau of educa-
.,on,s summers work in Alaska Mr.. Shell
don Jackson, general agent of education
for Alaska, says;
The summer has been memorable ono
because of the excitement created by the
rich gold discoveries of last winter on the
Klondike. was at St. Michael's the LIST
of July when tho returning miners with
their valuable packages of gold dust
reached that port en- route to the States,
ond later, in tho fall, when thousands of
miners reached St. Michael 3 from the States
ON route to the Klondike mines. AS i'm all
large movements of population without
time for perfecting plans, there was great
waste and hardship Vessels that had been
long condemned as unfit for the carrying
of messengers were chartered and sent with
Messengers from the Pacific coast ports TO
St. Michael's. Several of these vessels were
originally built as river steamers, and aft
or being condemned as unfit for further
seryice, even on inland waters, were al
lowed to proceed into the ocean loaded
with passengers.
In one instance ferryboat that had
been condemned as unsound, even for car
mandatory to warehouse, was sent to st.
Michael's. A number of transportation
companies suddenly sprang into existence,
and ocean vessels were chartered to bring
their passengers to st. Mchael's, at which
Mace they expected to build small steam
ers or barges for the ascending of the Yu-
kon river. / believe in no single instance
did any such expedition during the entire
season reach its destination at Dawson.
Some of them were stranded at St. Mi
chael's others at the mouth of the river,
and others still are now frozen up along
the lower Yukon. The only parties reach
ing tho Klondike by the mouth of the riv-
er were those that took the steamers of the
North American Transportation and
Trading company or of the Alaska Com
mercial company, two powerful corpora
tions that had been providing steamers
and experimenting for several years before
this sudden rush was thrown upon them.
Ny observation at the various mining
camps along the river and my converse
ton with miners that had been from one
to several years in the country and per-
sonal inspection Of gold dust brought out
by various persons have led me to feel that
the public statements of the richness of
the mines clustered around the Klondike
are much larger areas of mineral lands in
Alaska than in the Northwest Territories
of Canada The extent of the gold bear
ing belt in Alaska is SO great that rich
placer mines will probably continue to be
found for many years to come.
also had an opportunity of visiting all
the stores and other depots of supplies in
that entire valley and am impressed with
the fact that the food supply now in the
country Is entirely insufficient for the
numbers of men that have gone to the
mines, and consequently there cannot 1ail
to be great distress and much suffering
during the present winter. The action OF
the secretary of the interior in giving per-
mission to the war department to use the
domestic reindeer which have been brought
over from Siberia for the purpose OF tax
ing into the Yukon valley supplies of pro-
visions will somewhat relieve the distress.
There are at the present time you deer
trained to harness that can be utiiized py
the war department. For the management
of these deer there are three Laps accus-
toned to freighting and some ~ or more
Eskimo young men that have learned 10
drive and handle the animals.
The original purpose for which domestic
reindeer were brought into Alaska from
Siberia was to provide new food supply
and new means Of support for the Eskl-
mo. But the discovery of valuable deposits
of gold and the rapid influx of white set
tiers have made the reindeer as much OF
necessity to the white man as to the In
dian. With increased facilities of transpor-
tation by steamer up the rivers and per-
hans increased facilities from one or two
trunk lines of railroads into the country
there will still be an urgent necessity lor
the importation of reindeer in large mum
beers. There will be thousands of mines
distant from the navigablo rivers and from
railroad communication that can only Sc
cure adequate supplies of provision by
means Of reindeer transportation from De
pots of supplies either on the great rivers
or at railway stations.
To demonstrate to the American popu
lation of Alaska the utility of the reindeer
as n beast of burden trial trip was made
during the five winter months of the win
ter of 1867 during which sled journey
with deer was taken, covering distance
of 5000 miles The deer experienced ev
cry exigency that would be encountered II
actual service as frcighters. This 2,OO'
miles was made through country with
out roads and largely without trails
travelling along rivers, over high noun
tain ranges, down steep declivities, IN th'
midst of bitter cold Zone day being ~ dc
grees below zero); at other times through
deep, loose snow or through siush on tn'
ice of the rivers during a January thaw
The few horses that were imported inte
Dawson last winter were fed on bread ane
biscuit made from flour, and in the ap
sence of coarser food some starved to
death, and all came out OF the winter ,i .S 70,
weak to work. Dog travelling, ike tha'
of horses. also requires the carrying o.
food. But the reindeer can be turned on,
at night, as, in fact, was done during thi'
trip Of 1000 miles in midwinter' ine'
find their own living. A.,
Admonisbed by the exigencies OF thu
present. the government should commence
preparing itself for the winter Of i, 1889 .
when a tenfold larger population Will haV'
focked into that inhospitable country; =
large number Of reindeer trained 10 na -,
ness should be secured in Siberia ana al
ndeuuate number of trained Lap freighter
should be secured from Lapland for Tn