The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-10-28

4
4 few hundred reindeer were Dur.
chased from the Russian Government
and transported from Siberia to Alas
ka. They were placed In charge Of
keepers at Fort Clearance. In the lower
fukon region And then the fun be-
San.
report after report reached Congress
that the animals were not thriving a.
well as might have been expected under
the circumstances. Congress, through
number OF committees, favored all
sorts OF schemes for the improvement
OF the Industry. The matter was
placed under the Jurisdiction OF the De-
partment Of the Interior. and the Sec
retary thereof was urged to do his ut
! most for the announcement OF his sub.
ordinates. The keepers themselves de-
SPARED. and soon It began to look as II
the experiment would prove a failure.
stirred Up the Keepers.
Then the Secretary Of the Interior
adopted drastic measure. He notified
the head keeper OF the reindeer ranch
that unless the herds were increased. In
stead OF diminished, the ranch would
be abolished and. consequently tho
head keeper and his assistants would
lose their comfortable beths. That set
tied It. Head keeper and assistants
turned over a new leaf from that time
forth, and. whether the poor sho wing
OF the herds had been due TO their care.
lessness. or the vigorous action OF the
Secretary suddenly increased their
knowledge OF the beast. certain IL is
tbat from that time on the reindeer at
Fort Clearance began to show
marked and steady Improvement.
Now there are about 500 OF them at
that point and the herds are Increas-
Ing at the rate OF 20 per cent. a year.
IT In likely that Congress. in view OF
the new gold excitement and the whole
sale invasion of Alaska that In sure to
be made In the spring by citizens OF
the United States and foreigners from
every cline. will authorize the commit
tee having charge Of the matter to
double or treble the number by large
lHpOftatlOnS from Siberia.
They'll Fly with the Mails.
One use to which the Government
reindeer are apt to be put at an early
date Is the transportation OF mails all
over Alaska, particularly through the
rich Copper River country, which, 1t Is
predicted, will be the centre OF mining
interests after this winter. II would
be easy to establish a reindeer mail
service between the mouth Of the Cop
per River and Dawson City, for the
animals could easily cross the divide
at Scolai Pass and go by way Of the
confluence Of the Yukon and White
rivers to the KlondIke region. Trading
stations might be built along the route,
and these could be made very useful az
bases OF supplies for the argonauts. In
deed. 1t Is reported that a bid for the
purchase Of half the reindeer on the
Government ranch has been made by
a leading trading and transportation
company of New York, and that the
proposal Is now under consideration by
the Interior Department. That this has
not been done before seems incredible,
for those same reindeer are worth in
Alaska ten times as much as the bes,
Of horses. which are practically useless
In that part Of the continent
Our "special- in His Sleigh.
An Alaskan driving a pair OF reindeer
before light sleigh would make a pic
turesque spectacle, especially with the