The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-02
THE EXPEDITION JUSTIFIED.
How q Reindeer Expert Suggests
Relief should Go.
Philadelphia Pres


AS the government has decided TO reieve
the famine existing among the gold min
ers in the Yukon river valley in Alaska
and 10 do IL by sending food by q train OF
reindeer. the question arises how soon
such an expedition can be fitted out ard
what the result may be. Mr.. William A.
hjeAmann. chief OF the government rein
deer heEdsnen, now in Norway. has been
commissioned TO purchase eao reindeer as
soon as possible and ship them 10 this
country. IF they can he obtained quickly
and transported TO Alaska without un-
necessary delay II is probable that the
lack OF food among the miners in the
kiondike region can be supplied before
there Is any real suffering there.
On this question OF time the statement
of Mr. Kjellmann himself contained in
recent report made to the government oy
DR. Sheldon NJ. Jackson is pertinent He
said:
The trip from Trondhjem. Norway to
Cook inlet will take from twenty-five to
thirty days. which the deer will endure
all right. Another way Is TO take them by
steamer direct from near North Cape,
Norway. to New York or some other place
on the East coast. and in doing The
whole trip from Lapland TO Alaska would
require only about twenty days. In my
opinion this Is the only route over which
the animals can be transported"
The first cost Of the reindeer appears
also to be inconsiderable. Mr.. Kjellmann
In his report says that the average price
or live deer in Norway is from So to 81 20.
But If the government succeeds in pur-
chasing the GOO reindeer now desired and
In transporting them to Alaska IL will
only be an experiment justified by the
needs Of the occasion.
A more perJnan ant solution Of the Alas
"a problem Is suggested by Mr.. kjell-
mann. II is TO induce colonies OF I.apiand-
eTs themselves to settle in Alaska and
take their reindeer with them. and he
mentions "a hardy, practical energetic
branch OF the Laps, or. more correctly
Speaking, m iutermngling of Norwegians
ana Laps whom he considers best
suited 10 become the pioneers Of Arctic
Alaska. The Hon. ". 7. Harris COM
missioner of education, comments as fol-
lows on the feasibility Of Introducing REIN
deer into Alaska: TT is well known that
the vast territory OF Central and Northern
Alaska, untitled for agriculture and cattle
raising. Is abundantly supplied with a
long, ibrous white moss, the natural
FOOD or the reindeer. and capable Of sus-
tanning millions of them. Taking the sta
tisticS of Norway and Sweden as guide
conservative estimate of the capability
or Arctic and sub-Arctic Alaska for the
support OF the reindeer would place the
ing support to a population Of go, 0"'
The result of the present experiment IN
introducing reindeer into Alaska Will be
watched with great interest. If 1t sue
ceeds the stay of the reindeer there VIII
doubtless become permanent and the
number will be rapidly Increased The
problem of peoplfng Alaska will in this
way be solved. California and the Pacific
coast might have remained only thinly
settled for a generation later had 1t not
been for the discovery or gold. The peo-
ping OF Australia and Southern Africa
was greatly fastened by the same cause.
And IL looks as II the finding of gold in
the klondike with the rush of miners
there. their peril and the means taken 10
relieve them would rapidly advance the
settlement of that PARKWAY country. If
1t does 1t will not be the first time The
possibilities of an unknown country have
been brought to light by an emergency.