The times., 1897-09-26

once To St. hlCnuelS LOT lfdlispoltdtioh
purposes, is the general agent OF educa-
ton in Alaska.
When, in 1890, he visited Arctic Alaska
for the purpose of establishing schools, ne
found the Eskimo population slowly dying
aIqelIoJmoo p9Inoas p9q sIsqlnJ i!eQl
puB 6oul saSB IoI 'uougAIB4s ulIM JJo
living from the products OF the sea, prih'
cipalIy the whale, the walrus and the seal
The supplies OF the sea had been supple
mented by the fish and aquatic birds of
the rivers, and the caribou, Or wild rein
deer, thot roamed in large herds over the
inland tundra. The supply OF these IN
years past was abundant, and furnished
ample food for all the people. But fifty
years ago American whalers, having largely
exauste d the supplyin other waters, found
their way into the North Pacific Ocean
Then commenced for that section the
slaughter and destruction Of whales that
went steadily forward at the rate OF hut-
Grcds and thousands annually, until they
were killed off or driven out Of the Pacific
They then follow ed into Bering Sea ana the
slaughter continued. The whales took
refuge among the ice fields OF the Arctic
ocean and thither the whalers followed.
In this relentless hunt the remnant bas 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 walrus, but commerce wanted more
ivory and thousands of walrus were an
pually destroyed for the sake OF their tusks
The walrus, as a source Of food supply
is already very scarce The sea lions once
50 comro on IN Bering Sea arenow becoming
Ern hrnNT
difficulty in securing a sufficient quantity
OF skins 20 cover their boats.
In the past the natives caught and cured
for use In their long winters great quanu-
ties OF fish, but American canneries have
| already come TO some of their streams, and
win soon be found on all OF them, 10th
carrying the food out OF the country and,
! by their wasteful methods, destroying the
| future supply. Five million cans of salmon
| Annually shipped away from Alaska, and
| the business still In its infancy, means
/ starvation 20 the native races To estab-
/ Ush schools arGong starving people would
/ give little relief. Some method had 70 be
/ devised. This was suggested by the wild
| nomad tribes on the Siberian sids of Bering
Strait.
They have an unfailing food supply in
their large herds of domestic reindeer. To
/ stock Alaska with eindeer would utilize the
! hundreds u thousands OF square miles of
moss covered tundra in arctic ana sub
| arctic Alaska a moderate computation,
| based upon the statistics of Lapland,
where similar climatic and other condi
tions exist, shows northern and centfa
Alaska capable of sustaining 5000, Gee
head of indeer.
Inr
Jackson addressed preliminary report to
the Commissioned Of Education on the
destitute condition OF the Alaskan Eskimo,
anG recommending the Introduction Of
domestic reindeer into Alaska. on tEt
9Th OF December following, this report
was transmitted TO the Secretary
OF the Interior, and on the 15tl
transmitted TO the Senate. 1t was ther
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 ., 1857, entitled AN ac
TO establish agricultural experiment sta
lions In connection with the colleges Us
tablshed in several States should bt
extended by the Secretary of the interior
over AldSt.ds WIKI Tue CA ilttId LID III
purchase. improvement and managernento
domestic reindeer should be made par
of the industrial education OF the propoSet
college. II was, however, so near th
cluse Of the term Of Congress that TIL
resolution was not reached.
When IL became apparent thatit woult
| not be reached in the usual way, Senate
Teller on the 26th OF February, move,
|
$4,000 for the introduction of domesti
reindeer into Alaska, which vas carried
The appropriation failed to receive til
concurrence of the conference c,mmitte
of the House of Representatives. UpU
the failure OF the Fifty-first Congress t
take action, an appeal was made throug
} the press, and the sum Of S2,146 was OF
tanned by private subscription. This none
, was expended in goods for barter, as tn
natives OF Siberia know nothing OF tn
use Of money
The Secretary Of the Treasury issued il
structions 70 Capt, L. II Hcaly, in command c
therevenue cutter Bear, TO furnish Dr. j acl
son with every facility for the purchase an
1 transportation OF reindeer from Siberia I
! ! Alaska. The Secretary of State secure
from the Russian government instruction
| TO InplT OItlteIS Ou tllt SIDeT1dn coast
alsc render what assistance they coult
The wild deer men from Siberia We're foun
t to be a very superstitious people, and ha
to be approached with great tact. If ma
should sell his deer and the following vii
ter an epidemic should break out in his hero
or sonrc calamity befall his family the Sh
mans would make him believe that his mi
fortune was all due TO the sale of the dee
The Siberian deer men are non-progre
sive people. AS their fathers did, so the
children Continue to do. They had nev
before been asked to sell their deer Itw;
y anew thin gto them. Siberian herderS We
employed at the beginning Of the entt
prise, not because they Were considered t
u best, but because they were near at hand.
Mr.. William A. Kjcllman, of Madiso
L Wis, was selected as superintendent OF t
Teller reindeer station and sent to LaplaI
Il for herders. He returned In 1891, havil
u with hir1. seven men, their wives and ch
II dren, sixteen people in all This was Il
II first colony of Lapps ever brought to Anne
iCa,