The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-04-07
DEFENDING REINDEER AGAINST DOGS.

wounded to put an end to further at.
tacks. In the Port Clarence region
only one dog was killed, though the
Eskimo village looked for while like
hospital for wounded dogs. The
Lapps were always victorious, and no
reindeer were killed. After round
of battles and proper amount OF
slashed skins had taught the dogs that
reindeer were private property there
was no more trouble. The dogs around
the present reindeer station pay no
further attention to them. As the
reindeer enlarge their circle to reach
other villages, however, the process
of education has to be repeated. It
will take some years and good many
sore hides to teach the canine popula-
tion of Alaska that there is close
season for reindeer.
The herds are safe from the natives.
The only reindeer meat that has gone
down their throats has come from
number of reindeer that died from
sickness. The Eskimo apprentices, not
being particular about such triaes as
the cause of death, promptly appropri.
ated the flesh and all else that was
chewable about the deceased deer, and
made a holiday feast. Five reindeer
were killed for food for the whites and
the Lapps in the first winter. The
others Jared we'll.
The danger of lack of food melted
away on the test. There is plenty for
the increase of centuries. The troubles
that come from unframed herders is
being gradually lessened. The Eski-
mos are skillful enough, but they learn
from the Lapps. Milking, however,
was trick that the Eskimos had some
difficulty in acquiring. Before the
Lapps came some experiments had
been made, and the first time that the
Lapps attempted to begin the opera
ton on cow she started like flash.
leaped the fence, knocked down
herder and ran away. On inquiry it
was learned tina. the customary way
of milking had been to lasso the Sc
lected COW, throw her down and while
three men held her on the ground the
fourth drew the milk. The COWS had
apparently acquired prejudice against
the operation, and it took nearlya year
to convince them that milking was a
harmless, pleasant exercise in no way
to be regarded as signal for a riot.
According to tie enthusiasts the
domestic reindeer are going to solve
the transportation problem for Alaska
as we'll as the food problem for the
Eskimo. The dog teams are expensive
carriers and not efficient either. Al
aska is land of magnificent distances,
with settlements hundreds of miles
apart. The dog teams can travel only
fifteen to twenty-five miles day, can
carry only few hundred pounds, and
as food for their support must be
packed, they cannot make very long
journeys. Reindeer can travel farther
in day, draw much heavier loads,
and in camp can forage for themselves.
So the reindeer team. the sled and the
LaplanG harness will soon become as
typical of Alaska in the front pages OF
the school geography as of Lapland.
But just now there is call for a few
thousand moro reindeer. If they can
be secured the herd will increase at
rapid rate. Just now it is slow, us
there are only five or six hundred COWS
OF the stations. So it will be some
time before the 5000, 900 reindeer will,
darken the Alaskan SHOWS ard strain
the capacities OF the Alaskan moss pas
lures. San Francisco Examiner.