Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-26
THE REINDEER IN ALASKA
Dr.. Sheldon jackson Believes Valuable In
dustry Can Be Developed.
Comparing Conditions With Those i'm
Lopland-GOld Finds Dwarfed
Into circumference,

When DR.. Sheldon Jackson, general
agent of the bureau of educ alton fer Alas
ka, returns to this country it is expected
he will have some interesting information
regarding the introduction of reindeer into
the ost northern territory of the United
States. He is now in Alaska, and his next
report from that region is being awaited
with interest. The development of the
gold fields viii. make an immense demand
TO beast of burden. and the reindeer has
been shown TO be better adapted for such
service in the cold territory than any other
animal, besides giving food for the inhab-
itsnts.
Congress has appropriated $500 to be
used in introducing reindeer in Alaska, and
1t Is expected large appropriation will be
asked to continue the work. Reindeer are
now being bred in Alaska, but DIR. jackson
regards that method too slow as a means
of getting a parent stock. He wants to
have station established, so that 2,uU0 or
3,000 head can be purchased from Siberian
herders and domesticated in Alaskaf
If the experiments prove successful Dr.
Jackson anticipates that the value of rein
deer in Alaska will reach a sum that Will
rival the value of the gold fields He finds
that in Norway and Sweden the northern
provinces, known as Lapland, contain an
area of 14,GOO square miles. in which there
are 3D., 56S head of reindeer. This gives an
square mile. Applying this ratio to the
100000 square miles of arctic and subarcttc
Alaska, and he regards the general char
acter of the country as warranting such a
comparison, he calculates that Alaska Is
capable of sustaining 9,2W.OW head of REIN
deer, which at valuation of 81 each the
price in Sweden) will he worth SS:S,Oo0Ueo.
In Lapland there is an average of thirty
two head of reindeer to each person among
reindeer Lapps. Applying the same aver
age to Alaska the 100000 head of rein
deer will support a population of 900
living like the Lapps in Lapland
Reindeer Steaks.
Not only will the Introduction of rein
deer in Alaska provide food for the half
famished Eskimos and for the gold miners,
besides giving them a means of transpor-
tation better than dogs, but reindeer steaks
may become known a great delicacy in
all the markets of America. Lapland with
400, 900 reindeer supplies the grocery stores
Of northern Europe with smoked reindeer
hams at 10 ceEtS a pound, smoked tong les
at 10 cents each, dried hides at SID to
S1.7j, tanned hides at 81 to 81 each and
$1,000 carcasses to the butcher shops in
addition to what is consumed by the Lapps
themselves. Fresh reindeer meat is con-
siderel a great ielicacy. Russia exports
it frozen in carloads to Germany. The
Norwegian Preserving Company uses large
Quantities of it for canning.
Supplying American Markets.
DIR. jackson argued that on the same
basis the Laps are doing business in
reindeer meat and hides Alaska with its
capacity for 9,2o0,000 head of reindeer can
supply the markets of America with 100000
carcasses of venison annually, together
with tons of delicious hams and tongues
and the finest leather.
DIR. Jackson will press this matter upon
the American people when he returns from
Alaska, believing that an industry worth
from $S3, 100000 to S10O,OOO,O0O can be built
UP where none now exists.