Gilpin observer., 1904-01-28
REINDEER IN ALASKA
NUMBER OVER SIX THOUSAND

| Sinrock Mary, Known as the Reindeer
2ueen-Fortunes Awaiting Syste-
matte Herders-lncrease During the
Past Eleven Years.
Palagai Makrioff Antesilook. known
to the whites as Sinrock Mary, the
Reindeer Queen of Alaska, has given
to the commercially 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, Sinrock Char
lie, left at his death, she has increased
their number to more than 400, a
source of large income, each of the
animals readily selling in this market
| at from $50 to SIS.
What she has done with small
band of native herders, without any
special study of the subject. and with
no effort at system, indicates what a
fortune awaits the man who takes up
reindeer herding, the only live stock
industry that is possible in northwest
ern Alaska.
The reindeer alive is useful either for
packing or draught purposes. He will
handily carry on his back from 100 to
$50 pounds or draw on sled from 200
also secured an excellent quality Of
milk, from which the natives make but
ter and cheese.
The reindeer dead is even more Yalu-
able. 1t is the testimony of epicures
that the sweetest porterhouse steak to
be found anywhere is cut from the
reindeer. Almost every part of the an
imars body is useful for something In
fact, it is well known to those ac-
quainted with native herders that they
make some use of every bit of skin,
flesh, sinew. bone and intestine.
1t was eleven years ago that DR..
Sheldon Jackson, general agent of edu-
cation in Alaska, began the work of
bringing from Siberia to Alaska these
animals of such value for food, cloth
ing and transportation. Considering
the fact that the first herd of large size
was brought across the straits in 1894,
| the growth of the number to more than
| 5000 is regarded by government rein
deer experts as highly satisfactory. The
expense involved has up to date
| amounted in round figures to $1S5, 5,0Od,
| trifie more than $32 for each REIN
| deer.
At the present time all of the rein
deer herds are u the hands of Eski-
mo. some forty OF them being engaged
| in the work of directing the herders in
| immediate charge of the animals. Hav-
| ing originally designed reindeer herd
| ing as an occupation for those natives
whose fishing and hunting was failing
| to give them livelihood. the govern
ment arranged 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 Clarence. Golovin, Sin
rock. Point Hope, Point Barrow. st.
Lawrence island, Unalakleet and Cape
Blossom. A fairly successful effort
was made in 1900 to cross the deer pre-
viously brought over. with the Tunguse
deer. Lieutenant E. P. Barthoff having
bought for $13.121a each, 42S OF the lat
ter and shipped them to this country
They were. however, carried long dis
tance in close confinement, and 174 OF
them died on the way.
A serious feature of the reindeer
| question has arisen the past year. the
Russian government having issued q
ukase to the effect that no more rein
deer be either sold or given to anybody
to be transported out of the country
| The plea Is made that the sales had be-
come so large that they were deprivine
| the Siberian natives of means oi
| livelihood. This puts it up to the
| Alaska reindeer owners to kill as few
as possible of the reindeer for three ol
four years. particularly females. to tbs
end that the herds now here may b,
considerably increased.-Nome News.