New-York tribune., 1898-01-16
IMPORTED ESQUIMAUX.
BROUGHT TO ALASKA TO TEACH THE
NATIVES THE CARE OF REINDEER.

emnlovment of the Government and were on their
way to the seaboard under the care or a Chiteo
States official. They represented al ,he sau,o i
time an experiment and a failure. Thelr MIS-
sion was to teach the Aeutians OF Alaska now
to utilize the reindeer, the EsquiHaux being aoie
10 get more service in an endless variety OF way
out Of domesticated reindeer thdh any "'
people.
In January. 1891. Senator Teller laid before
Congress the report Of Sheldon Jackson. generai
agent of education In Alaska, urging the 'oV-
ernment to import reindeer from siberia lor inc
benefit and relief Of the Indians OK Alaska'
insisting that starvation would depopulate tnc
country if the reindeer were not lmpOrt'd' nc
also urged the establishment OF an agricultural
cxperiment station. The Indians Of Alaska live
on whale and warus flesh seal, fish and aquatic
birds and caribou. a second cousin or the "lid
| reindeer. But whale and walrus have been crlVeh
away by whaling cruisers, and the lndlans nave
been reduced by hunger to XII their dogs, OF
which they are very fond Senator Teller asked
for an appropriation Of xlJ.OOO but II was TOO
late when the report was presented 10 the LIST
Congress. Then Sheldon Jackson made an ap-
peal to the sympathes Of the public through the
newspapers Of all large cities. and received in
voluntary contributions the sum or 81 THIS
| money he expended in the purchase OF trinkets
and other objects Of barter. and sailed for 81
IBERIA on the Government revenue steamer the
Bear Captain NJ. A. Henley commanding. HIS
object TO purchase herd Of live reindeer.
but strange complication caused by local
superstition delayed the project, and even
threatened t. render his trip 20 Siberia futile
! The EsquimauX Of Siberia have superstition
that If they sell live reindeer something fatal
will happen 20 the rest Of their herds. There Is
a way. however. to overcome the danger, one
probably suggested by cupidity. The families to
which the reindeer belong sit in d circle and
smoke for some time when one Of them goes out
b the herd and kills single reindeer. The
father Of the family then goes TO the dead ami
NAL and plucks a handful Of hair, which he casts
toward the spirit that they look upon the one
| 10 propitiate The wife follows his example, and
under cover OF the killing Of one reindeer the
whole herd may be sold.
Uncle Sans representative. Sheldon Jackson.
was thus enabled to purchase hundred of
the animals. he having exchanged his trinkets
| for flour or food or presents for the women and
children. Four or five the limit Of sale
from one herd, and there were long delays. and
it was not until July {. 1S.2, that the reindeer.
with four Siberian herders were landed al Port
Clarence from the revenue steamer Bear.
This was the beginning Of the Governments
experiment in domestcating the reindeer. for
" hch purpose the four original Esquimaux were
| Imported. Now. there are two classes Of herd
ers-Siberian and native Esqumaux. They train
| the native Alashans to tame and handle the
reindeer. for which purpose they are hired by
the Government for two years. They sup
piled with shelter clothing and food II at the
end o. that time the Alaskan has learned his
business thoroughly he is given ten deer in pay
m6nt.
When Jackson returned to Siberia for another
invoice of deer he found that Captain Wagner
! of the schooner Berwick had bought a number
Of reindeer for exhibition purposes, and had pad
I
sell a single deer for any other consideration.
NO whiskey-no reindeer However, when
they learned that the Bear was about to leave
they relented but it then too late TO secure
more than few animals.
The first fawn born at Reindeer Station
Alaska, was named April Fool" that title des
ignat.ng the day Of its nativity, April l. The
swiftest of these hardy animals can travel $50
miles day. but their regular gait is 100 miles
The further north the larger and stronger the
deer. They are highly priced by the Esquimaux
hot in Drf ttifh ha and Il
est OF herd they show great reluctance, and
going from one animal to another when the herd
is about to be shipped they whisper spell"
IN the alert ears which is said 10 insure their
attachment to the race that reared them.
The reindeer form their riches these their tents.
Their robes. their beds and all their homely
Their wholesome food and cheerful cups
Some pecularites Of the Esquimaux herders
were noticed in reports to the Government and
taken under advisement, as an outlay OF money
was involved. This was in especial reference 70
the employment Of two herders where one would
have been sufficient as IN the matter of watch
ing the herd Of reindeer through the night. On
Investigation it found that the Esqurnaux
afraid of the darkness, which is more intense
than that OF the long polar night, and one would
not watch alone They also prefer to tell time
by the Big Dipper, deeming that method su-
perOr to that Of civilization.
These Esquimau herders returning 10 their
own country were our visitors few days ago
VIXEN encountered them in their reindeer gar
mcnts with their queer fiVe-cornered high caps.
ard boots Of deerskin embroidered with beads,
gazing placidly az the nside grandeur OF our fine
public library and nowise discOmposed by the
interest they excited in reference reading
room. There was a party of twelve persons in
the strange colony. and they were hurrylng
home to their cold and beloved climate before
pneumonia or consumption should still further
decmate their numbers. some having died from
homesickness in American hospitals. and all be-
Ing afflicted with colds and ailments caused by
our changed atmosphere They declared that the
cold of Alaska did not agree with them-it was
a damp cold. unlike their own dry friglditY.