The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-21
REINDEER MAIL CARRIERS.
Their Value Proved by Tests
Made in Alaska.
4 5OO-MiIe Race Through the snow
ON the Nome Trail with Dog
Teams rs COmpetitOrs-A New IN
dustry for the Govern ment.

""o-Mtie Race Through the snow
ON the Nome Trail With Dog
Teams ~ Competitors-A New In
5,., for U,. Co,-.,.-,n,,.,,t
when reindeer were first proposed bv
IN, United States Government for use in
the mail service in Alaska the idea was
ridicuIed Since then experiments have
demonstrated the animals value for this
purpose The FIRST test showed it's supe-
riority over dog teams Tor travelling
through the snow.
4 reindeer team with "a lam driver
was selected 10 carry one Of the mail bags
over the Nome route. and To return with
tho outgoing mail the ~oru5 Trim beine,
about 500 miles Two DAVIS beror, the
reindeer started three wrII-caufppcd dog
Teams SET ont The rruto 1a, tb-aurb 3,
country without road or trail and the CON
gftfnrs vy,rr MS had .s heavy sloyyraIls
could mako tb.r,
I.9rIy ON The nrtb da,- ONT Tho reindeer
t.ap, rsr,,.rt nv, Nth -h. .r.,,-...t ~ tho
Dos. ,,,tfts f., , s,-...b 80 ST 5rirt.,g
SHOW Ia '.llS lL.' t'E@ i.to ta'f Stt-'o'
and their desperate tlouuderiugs had SO
wearied them that they were making
1i-tr. r,-,r-r.-s ,r-p, ,.;rF..r r,roy,-.7
-, -. -, ,,.,. -.
Nl''"N" AN' "'A'9 Win H''' "iiA'"i'1-
That afternoon they passed the second
dog team
Tn. r.,7,r, br,r-,-I,- his mail o., its ,7.et5
~ go -. - ~
id. ''''l' '9''" HIS 1g,' 'l'l y "'-''s. S'i' r.
cd on the return trip. and Hity miles oHt
met the foremost OF his councillors
T-,-r rr7or. r-- I,re ,,-,,, d mail trim of
,,,' IN .,-.-t -
4'-'. l'i'''S 'l'' ot-" " ti"N'l'77 "ll'el'l'S9
made by reindeer. the teams making as
much as 10 miles a day under favorable
conditions ...
-, - +t --..f,.. 80 -,...- -.,t,,,.,r-
Now Jhat the value oil Jh'se animals
has been fully established the United
States has become an iInpgrter and breed
~ ~ stool and mill 1r;,pr an tl,.. ,,a,t f.v-
-. .1,-..--..f.. - - t., a..
noTJhtfnWard possession There are now
ju Alaska eight herds, comprising about
5n1 head R,- January this number will
~, ---.., r-.-I 5-l.-..--5 .
"' me as. "a, I'll l'ii'oi IL 'loii' 10
more imam ""VL
AT first the whites in Alaska were not
er,r,fe-r,,7 ~, l,ar5rir.e. tn. s,irnare T~ba,.
49, ...---.r II -, - an. 80,
az '-'' .l'S YIN. 'll' -l.'''l' ny ll'-
CaSldA- The reindeer Is easily frightened
and easily offended. and Il Is impossible
u tell how D.. VIII behave in either case.
Sometimes ne VIII rush ut the offending
person and strike him down with his
sharp. pSw,rful f0rth0ofs OF eudeavor To
rip him open with Il quick descent Of his
furr1i5 4l1a sufTars lin a. yrf1 III
su.E. and even pine aWav
I.erU.4av pa. Siberian aud tho VafUT.ar
there exists a sort of affinity. ire animal
y-ilT rl,s,- Eis s,r-,e.l ,-,,.J ~ =
y gite-s{itru.d man can 40 rotbirr, with
- = ----,-i'.- NV t-IP
hr-li,tf .[,..y S--r0 Cit,t-5s ,-,i -
Alaslyan E,sL-fr-ns r,rt ,rD5ar tJss-, -
-, ~ L-,-f--.--- m 49,. -
~, - 81 -, - "a -
irrr0,71rr+ior, - ~ reIr7,Ief- az "a ~, -,
M -Ilil "L me IelI-uttI anu ON nlALy
S, tlGLs nav lIdteltG from
$3.50 - . ~ ~ - - " NJ "a, MlllCh -
=
For a Zinc n was feared that tho
IN ma tA'
rs =, Moulq man
80 o. Vi 49, III ~ O.tl'I anu ueSIiuS
VA, lS''lLe nue. nj as, nul ltit heIdtrS were
aL-lieC anu hau atIl'1 'ILeIs 10 ure upon
any dog interfering with a herd. and
.'AteE !" HSHlptF OF mcdolcSorle dogs had
zen sh9I ms source 81 annoyance as
appeared almost altogether A few rein
deer were killed each year by wolves.
ENeh more expert than the Stbertans In
lue care ana training OF the reindeer are
lhe natives or l-apland- Accordingly a
score OF tull- bloodec Lapps have been in
cq1tl by Hoerat terms 70 emlgrate To
$3.50; MHSIe they form niue colony
WIN lhem nave come q number OF their
Cpss, Iein,iI hSioIy lnteiilSent animals, that
not Only nero ana guard the reindeer. but
a-sp assist II training and breaking them
20 HaTHesS- u nc uoEs are very courageous
a-u VIZ HfnL w -, mountain mons, or
80 -'uSS otaS1 pi prey 'Iat may attack
the herd.
A.s % u We l-e'Plls may, upon aIpIlttNon
- !, l'''N - VI 'oaLl % ~
l-'-si" 81 i-i-l'vI TOT a pfFl'A OF from
go ~ f-, :. -, 80 10y 80 ~ / " l-i---
a. - ~ 60, -,.e,-t a. ~ - - %
cr.-e. gr re ,.~i,.rt -.,.,-l-t-- 80
-v.-, on, ~ M sr,r,s re- t.,r.5 -,
49, s.---.-,, u a. - =. ~
1,-,,.g-t - .y,..r L.. - la = s'ls
p, -, a. -; 80 ,+ - N - - vi
Ia
Tho ,rfrsaor has also ba.,7 i,rrc.7,,cg.7 40
"a racLy gTfro7I ~. ~ ~ ,sl,-g..-a a.
frfs r-Cvcr-aIf ,,-s- T4slr S,7,-g.r,.re ~
o. raerI,- a 60 - $50 -. -
5-.,rr IA ,.r,--,.rtor H. Ar.L-,g ,-g,J
y-rraran SOM months 90 r,r1cT,re5 "a -ai,
deer from one ~ the mission stations and
1lror this Gee- h. r.cked his toni hIar