The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-28
REINDEER DYING RAPIDLY.
The Animals as Haanes Misstos. Per-
tsAinx Fren Lack Of the NsuFish--
ing Moss sn which they Are

Tho government reindeer expedition IS
Mission. according to the reports OF pas
sengsrs Of the steamer Cottage City.
which arrived here Tuesday. rhe deer
are said 10 he dying rapidly. owing 10 the
lack OF moss which Is Their customary
food. The government officers in charge
with the whole proposition. and DO not
believe that many OF the animals Will
live 70 reach the interior. An lnvessiga-
ton eff the Dalton trail fer twenty-five
miles made a few weeks ago showed. I;
Is alleged, that there was not enough
moss TO be found 70 feed half the deer
thaa are TO 60 in that way. ard, tina; Il IS
such that the reindeer will probably re-
fuse Se eat IL.
When Rev. Sheldon Jackson lefr Haines
died DR.. Jackson said. when in this city.
that many others were sick. but that they
would probably come around all right
when driven into the mountains. lie said
that IL was the intention of those in
charge TO drive the deer back from the
water. One hundred OF the animals were
taken aboard the steamer Valencia at
Haines Mission. and have probably been
landed by this time AT Cook inlet and Cop
per river, The other deer are to he driven
in over the Dalton trail and then north
west to the headwaters OF the White
river. The herd Is then TO be driven down
the river TO Belle Isle. where u military
reservation viii be established
These were the Anal plans decided upon.
but whether they can be carried out or
not depends greatly on whether the deer
hold out. According 10 advices brought
down ny the Cottage City. large numbers
OF reindeer are dying. The exact num-
Der that has given up the fight for life
In strange country Is not known. The
deer are supposed to be back in the noun
tains. considerable distance from the
shore OF Lynn canal The original herd
consisted OF asI trained reindeer. but the
number was lessened by death during the
trip from Lapland TO Seattle. The steamer
that carried the deer across the ocean
brought 400 tons OF reindeer moss, which
lasted the herd until the trip 10 Haines
Mission had been completed. The deer
did not take well to the hay which was
given them when the supply OF moss was
exhausted.
Men were recently sent out FROM the
yond Chiicat pass for moss. II IS said
they went In "a distance Of twenty-five
miles without finding any quantity of the
much desired food. Tho moss found Is not
like the Norway or Lapiand moss. IL
differs very materially from the food 10
which the reindeer have been accustomed
II moss in sufficient quantities cannot
be found tha herd is doomed. for they
Will quickly die off with only hay for food
If the reindeer die thu government will
have a small mob OF curious people on its
hands. The expedition. which was orlgi-
nally intended 10 carry relief TO Dawson
miners. has already cost tha government
thousands of dollars. Ii will cost consid-
erably more TO get the Laplanders back
to their home.
Capt. W. w. Robinson. jr. OF this city,
who was In charge of the reindeer while
they were In Seattle has received no late
advices from Col. Anderson regarding tho
condition of the herd. He hopes that
moss will he found In the interior in guam
titles sufficient 10 keep the herd in trim .