The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-09-25


at Teller station, Alaska, TO be uriyen at
once to st. Micl,aels for transportation
purposes, lis the general agent OF educa
ton in Alaska.
When, In 1890, he visited Arctic Alaska
for the purpose OF establishing schools. he
found the Eskimo population slowly dying
or with starvation. For ages they and
their fathers had secured a comfortable
living from the products of the sea, prfn.
cipally The whale, the wairus and the seal.
The supplies OF the sea had been supple
incnted by the fish and aquatic birds OF
the rivers, and the carii,ou, Or wild rein
deer, that roaned in large herds over the
Inland tundra. The supply OF these in
wears past was abundant, and furnished
afuple food for all the people. But fifty
years ago American whalers, having largely
exhausted the supply in other waters found
their way into the North Pacific Ocean.
Their commenced for that section the
Slaughter and destruction Of whales that
went steadily forward at the rate Of buIr
creds and thousands annually until they
Were killed off or driven out of the Pacific,
They then follow ell into Bering Sea ana the
slaughter continued. The whales took
refuge among the ice fields ur the Arctic
ocean and thithcr TIE whalers followed.
IN his relentless hunt the remnant i'as been
driven still further into the inaccessible
regions AROUND the north pole and are no
longer within the reach Of the natives.
Another large supply was derived from
the wairus but commerce wanted more
ivory and thousands of wairus were an
nually destroyed for the sake oftheir tusks
Tue walrus, as source oI food supply
il already very scarce. The sea lions once
no comrion In Berinc Sea arenow becoming
50 few in number that the natives have
difficulty in securing IA sufficient quantity
Of skins 20 cover their boats.
In the past the natives caught and cured
for use IN their long winters great guanti-
ties III fish, but American canneries have
already come 90 some OF their streams and
viii soon be found ON all of them, botn
carrying the food ON of the country and,
by their wastefus methods, destroying the
future supply Ffvo million cans OF salmon
ann1a1y shipped away from Alaska, and
the business stfil ii its infancy, means
starvation tO the native races. To estab-
llsh schools among "a starving people would
give little relief. Some method ha, TO be
devised This was suggested by the wild
nonad tribes on the Siberian sid of Berihg
Sirait.
they have an unfailing food supply In
their large herds of domestic reindeer. To
stock Alaska wit h rein deer would vi ilize the
hundreds ,l thousands OF square miles OF
moss covered tundra IN arctic and sub
arctic Alaska. moderate computation,
based upon the statistics OF Lapland,
where similar climatic and otheI condi-
tiOns exist, shows northern and central
Alaska capable of sustaining 5000, 900
head OF reindeer.
On the 18th of November, 1890, DIR
jackson addressed a preliminary report to
the Commissioned ~ Education on the
destitute condition of the Alaskan Eskimo,
ant recommending the introduction OF
domestic reindeer into Alaska. On the
9Th OF December following, this report
was transmitted TO the Secretary
OF the Interior, and on the 18th
transmitted TO the Senate. 1t was then
referred 10 tie Committee on Education
and Labor. on the 18th of December
Representative MaComas of Maryland In
troduced in the House a joint resolution
providing that the act of Congress, ap-
proved March ., 1887, entitled An act
TO establish agricultural experiment sta
lions in connection with the colleges es
tablished In several States" should be
extended by the Secretary OF the Interior
over ALASKA, with the expectation that the
purchase. Improvement and management OF
domestic reindeer should be made part
of the industrial education OF the proposed
college. II was, however, SO near the
close OF the term Of Congress that the
resolution vas not reached.
When IL hecaHe apparent tina 1t would
not be reached in the usual way, Senator
Teller, on the Goth of February, moved
an amendment to the bill, appropriatiny
$4,000 for the introduction of domestic
reindeer into Alaska, which vas carried.
The appropriation failed to receive the
concurrence OF the conference cumInittee
Of the House Of Representatives. Upon
tie failure OF the Fffty-first Congress t.
taSe action, an appeal was made through
the press, and the sum of $2.l46 was OIL
tanned by private subscription. This money
was expended in goods for barter, as the
natives OF Siberia know nothing of tie
use OF money.
The Secretary OF the Treasury issued in
struetions to Capt. L. Healy, In command OF
DI.Jt
son with every facility for the purchase and
transportation CT reindeer from Siberia to
Alaska The Secretary of State secured
from the Russian government instr Jctions
to their officers on the Siberian coast to
alsc render what assistance they could.
The wild deer incpfrom Siberia were found
to he very superstitious people, and had
to be approached with great tact. Ifaman
should sell his deer and the following win
ter an epidemic should break out in his herd,
or some calamity befall his family the Sha-
mans would maize him believe that his mis-
fortune was all due 10 the sale OF the deer
The Siberian deer meii are a non-progres-
sive people. AS their fathers did, SO their
children continue to do. They had never
before been asked to sell their deer twas
q new thin g to them. Siberian herders were
employed at tie beginning of the enter
prise. not because they were considered the
best, but because they were near q hand
Mr.. William A. kjellman, of Madison,
Wis, was selected as superintendent of the
Teller reindeer station and sent to Lapland
for herders. He returned in 1894, having
with hiTi. seven men, their wives and chill
dren, sixteen people in all. This was the
first colony of Laps ever brought to Amer
lea.
n.Irors AsIxtOu for Criffoisu