Douglas Island news., 1899-09-27


 deer furnishes the people their cloth ing, roofs for their houses, bedding, tent covers, and food. They soak the bones in whale oil and use them for fu- el. From the boofs and horns they make superi or quality of glue. They use their milk and make cheese from the same, and last but not least, use them for transportation purposes" j."
 Why are they not good and used for carrying mails and transporting miners supplies?"
 If the post office department could turn over to the Interior Department the carrying of mails in Alaska, it can be successfully done with reindeer in the winter time, but our laws will not permit such a change. However, 100 of these animals have been turned over to a sub. contractor for carrying the mail from St. Michaels north to the mouth of the Panama river. The dog teams have made a failure of carrying mails in Alaska during the winter time. The strength and endurance of hereindeer is wonderful. A good strong gelding will pack 200 pounds and pull sled with 400 pounds, and go anywhere, win ter and summer, and subsist on the moss they will find. No feed is ever carried for them. They are great noun tain climbers and none are too rugged or steep for them. The reindeer has been put to good use since their intro. duction into Alaska. They were used in making a trip for the government from St. Michael to Golovin Bay early last spring, and were returned after wards to St. Michael. The distance be- tween the two places is from l5O to 200 miles," The Point Barrow eXpe- dition was a decided success and by the use of the reindeer about 200 lives were saved and all white men,"
 "How about subsistence for these an imals in Alaskan"
 "The government has been inVestigat- ing this matter, and from the re- ports made it is estimated that Alas ka can furnish subsistence for at least 9,OOO,OOO."
 "Doctor we have heard so much con- corning the Haines Mission expedition and failure. What is there to that?"
 q brought those reindeer to New York and by order of the government turned them over to the war depart ment in that city. The failures that followed cannot be charged to me, sim ply because I brought them from Lap land"
 q wish you would give the readers of the News some idea of the kind and character of harness and sled used with reindeer?"
 "The harness is a very simple affair. There is collar to which are attached two traces that reach just back of the fore legs where they are fastened to a curved piece of wood that reaches across the animal just back of the fore legs. In the middle of this piece of wood is attached single trace which extends back between the legs of the deer to the sled. The sled used by the Laplanders looks like a canoe cut in two in the middle and is flat bottOmed. If these sleds upset, they will right themselves. A reindeer can pull one of these sleds from so to 100 miles day if the snow is in a good condition. Of course this distance could not be con- tinued for any great length of time, but for few days. At night they are picketed out and eat moss which they find"
 "In conclusion permit me to say that many have objected to the introduc- tion of reindeer into Alaska who have not taken the trouble to inform them selves as to the many benefits that the people will derive from their use, and l am convinced that within a few years, the inhabitants will wonder how they ever got along without them in the de- velopment of this vast country. They are necessary, absolutely necessary in Alaska and no other living animal can be of so much benefit to the people as the reindeer. As stated, the govern ment now owns about 5000 head and many others are owned by private par ties and their general distribution among the people will surely commence soon."
 Thns ended the interview with pr.