The Nome nugget., 1903-12-23
Reindeer Herds Doing
 We'll.
THE Ho0Tcn MAKERS
Receive a Timely Lesson From Commissioner Lee--NativeS
 Are Progressing.

Wales, Alaska, Doc. 3.-The first mail of the season leaves here tomor- row morning, though none has arrived yet. suppose you would like to know the news from the Cape, but it is little enough. The temperature has not been above freezing since Sept. 15, nor below zero as yet. That makes it fine for the reindeer, as the lack of melting weather keeps ice from forming on the moss, as it did last year, so that it was hard for the deer to get food enough to live on.
 The deer herd has gone into winter quarters at the mouth of Noodluk river on the shore of the lagoon, which is 42 miles from the Cape, only 10 or F miles this side of Ear mountains. The advantage of that place is that moss is more plentiful, as the deer herd has eaten about all the moss near the Cape. Then, too, while the wind blows here nearly all the time, we have very little wind at Noodluk From the middle of October till just before Thanksgiving was with the herd most of the time, and the weather on the Arctic side of the divide until within the last 10 or l2 days has been fine.
 Since was appointed commissioner, last January, there has been but ono case of drunkenness at the Cape. The natives had told me before my appoint ment that the presence of deputy marshal here would do away with the drink habit altogether, and my experi- ence has been that that is pretty near the fact.
 While 1 was up at the deer camp a native manufactured batch of hootch. and on my return I was told that he had said if anyone undertook to inter- fere with him he would kill them. We'll, three or four wore in on the drinking bout, and the whole village seemed to be anxiously waiting to see what I would do. 1 sent one to the federal jail in Teller for three months. only half of the limit. I had hoped that would not have to use my au- thority as justice of the peace here, for my relations with the natives have been very friendly. Public sentiment here was with me, so I anticipate no trouble.
 The attendance at our church ser vices here is greater than last year, and the building is now crowded to it's capacity every Sunday. Some of the natives are talking of contributing to building fund and building a larger church. I was surprised, for it was their own suggestion. had not sup posed they were advanced enough for that yet, though they spent so for now hymn books this last summer. Perhaps, with some outside assistance, we will be able to build a now church here.
 o. J. Rognon, the teacher of the gov. ernment school is meeting with excel lent success in his work here. He has larger school and much moro reg nlar attendance than ever before, and with Thomas Illayuk, . native known very well in Nome, for his intrspeter and assistant, is doing better work, T believe, than was ever done in tho school line hero before. The average attendance for the past month was 68.
 At Tin City Mir. and Mrs. Burmeister are wintering in Bartsl's house. They are now to tho country, but, being comfortably housed, they are getting along nicely.
 At York only four men arc winter ing, ono of thsm being T. B. Fish, who has his wife with him.
 At Mettelopik, 20 miles northeast of here, or the place known as Providence, Samuel Colclough, . representative of the Alaska Tin Mining Company, is spending tho winter.