The sun., 1903-11-15
ALASKA'S REINDEER HERDS.
Most Valuable Beast in tho Country-Th
Reindeer Queen.

FROM th6 Nome " Gus.
the whites as sinrock Mary. the reindeer
queen Of Alaska. has given to the CONNER
cially inclined hint Of the great profit which
could be made by the systematic handling OF
large herds OF reindeer. Taking the rein
deer which her husband. Slnrock Charlie.
left at his death. she has increased their num-
ber to more than 400. q source OF large in
come. each OF the animals readily selling In
this market at from $50 to 37S.
What she has done with q small band OF
native herders, without any special study
of the subject and with no effort at system.
indicates what fortune awaits the man
who takes up reindeer herding. the only
live stock industry that 10 possible In north
western Alaska.
The reindeer alive Is useful either for pack
ing or draught purposes. He will handily
carry on his back from 100 to l50 pounds or
draw on sled from 700 to 800 pounds. From
the reindeer Is also secured an excellent
quality OF milk, from which the natives make
butter and cheese. Tho reindeer dead ID
even more valuable 1t is the testimony OF
epicures that the sweetest porterhouso steak
to be found anywhere is cut from the T%eindee! rein y
Almost every part Of the animals body u
useful for something. In fact. II Is we'll
known TO those acquainted with native herd:
ers that they make some use OF every ois OF
Safsd sha use msds
trousers. and that wonderful outer garment.
both bot m male ' and female natives and BY many
whites. The parka extends 70 ths knees
the sns head and
even in the severest weather. Excellent
sleeping bags, and especially pretty robes,
Rhs meed iawn also
profitable reindeer products,
a the s1s. the ss.vs q 70 spssi
A. 'hf RSs. vaeh Thss and Shen
severance "s rance " worthy OF Of emulation Sy every
bped, on the north coast Of BehrIiIns eIIss Sea; He
the tundra. known as reindeer moss.
1t is not an uncommon thing in tho winter
Of solid snow to make q meal from this nu-
tritious moss. which. by the way. will sustain
ffn WHICH, trssusnS s tHs COMES 70 the lone Alaskan
i was eleven years ago that Dr.; Sheldon
Alaska % t these animals Of such value fof food.
' the fact that the first herd Of large Size was
brought across the straits In 1884, the growth
The nSmDs to than
to date amounted in round figures to slss. .oo6.
At the Ips PRESENT. en Time ali ao Of the reindeer
herds are IN the hands OF Esquimaux. some
forty OF them being engaged In the work Of
directing the herders In immediate charge Of
the animals, Having originally designed
reindeer herdinG as an occupation for thoAs
natives whose fishing and hunting was fallin {
to give them q livelihood. the Government
arran ged that each herder should serve an
apprenticeship Of five years. fifty deer being
turned over to each to become his property
In fee simple at the end OF ten years.
The large herds are nine IN number and are
located at Cape Prince Of Wales Port Clar-
ence. GOleyin, sinrock. PSint Hope. P9in.
and Cape Blossom. A fairly successful
effort was made in 1900 to cross the deer
previously brought over with the Tunguse
deer, Lieut.. E. P. Barthoh having bought for
slsl2H each 42s Of the latter and shipped
them to this country. They were. however.
carried a long distance In close confinement.
i and l74 OF them died on the way.
serious feature OF the reindeer question
has arisen the past year. the Russian Govern
ment having issued ukase to the effect that
no more reindeer be either sold or given to
anybody to be transported out OF the country.
The plea is made that the sales had become
so large that they were depriyin,E the 81
This puts it up to the Alaska reindeer owners
to kill as few as possible OF the reindeer for
three or four years, particularly females.
to the end that the herds now here be con-
siderably increased.