The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-20
REINDEER FOR ALASKA.
Five Hundred Large Reindeer Reach
Eaton station From siberia.

Five Hundred Large Reindeer Reach
Eaton Station From Siberia.
Several years ago the department of
the interior brought nerd of reindeer
and a colony of Laps to Alaska, the OBJ
ject being to introduce the reindeer as a
beast of burden, ard for carrying the
mails throughout Northern Alaska, the
Laplanders acting as teachers to the
white. Indian and Eskimo pupils, VINO
were to learn the management of these
animals The colony of Laps became
.homesick, however, and most of them
returned home. but the Indians, Eskimos
and whites proved to be apt pupils, and
the reindeer industry is today a success
in Alaska, having passed the expert
mental stage.
The Lapland reindeer proved to be
rather too light for what is required Of
them in Asaka.
The work is of such a character that
the superintendent of the breeding sta
tons began looking about for larger
and heavier species of reindeer than
those introduced from Lapland, and
learning that a very superior breed of
draught reindeer existed in the heart of
Siberia, where they are employed as
caravan animals, Lieut.. E. P. Bertholf,
Jan. 2, 1901, volunteered to proceed to the
interior of this almost unknown region
and secure the animals desired
Furnished with the necessary creden-
tails from the state and interior depart
ments he proceeded from this city to St
Petersburg, Russia, where he was given
the necessary passports and commenda-
tons to the governor general of the dis
triets of inner Siberia. He left St.
Petersburg late in February, over the
Imperial Trans-Siberian railroad, via
Moscow and Orenberg, reaching Yakutsk
March s. There he employed inter-
prefers, and purchasing arms, fur cloth
ing and provisions, set out over the post
roads in the direction of the Okhatsk
sea and to the Chuktche tribe the own
ers of the valuable reindeer desired by
this government.
Between Orla and Yakutsk he encoun-
tered two billiards., the first lasting six
days. The trail was completely effaced
and for many miles a path had to be
forced through snow waist deep.
Reaching Yakutsk and meeting the
Chuktche natiyes-as wild and uncivilized
almost as our Western Indians-he was
delighted to find that all that he had
heard concerning their reindeer was true.
But when Lieut.. Berthalf talked of pur.
chasing $50 head the Chuktches shook
their heads and decided that it would be
bad medicine to part with their ami
mails. Had it not been for the aid given
him by the agent of the Russian Sealskin
company, himself a native of that region,
Lieut.. Bertholf would have failed to ac-
complish what he went to do. But with
the assistance rendered him he secured
500 of the finest deer on that region. He
also contracted for 800 more, for ship
nlent to Alaska next summer.
With this herd of $50 reindeer he set
out for the coast, reaching the Russian
port of Vladivostolz, on the Pacific ocea
July 10.
At Vladivostok Lieut. Bertholf sent a
cablegram to the secretary of the in
terror, announcing his safe arrival and
asking for funds to transport the deer
to Alaska. The money reached him in
August, and by the latter part of Sep
TENDER he had every one of the 500 deer
within the Enclosure at Eaton station,
Alaska.-Washington Star.