Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-01-29
REINDEER IN ALASKA
NUMBER OVER SIX THOUSAND

oirfOCk mary, NnoWn 80 i'c HShsNs'
oueen-Fortunes Awaiting Syste-
matte herders-inerease During the
Past Eleven Years.
Palagai Makrion 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. Sinroek Char
lie. left at his death. she has Increased
their number TO more than 100.
source OF large income. each OF the
animals readily selling in this market
al from $50 to SIS.
What she has done with small
band OF native herders. without any
special study Of the subject. and with
40 effort AT system. indicates what a
fortune awaits the man who takes up
reindeer herdins. the only live stock
industry that is possible in northwest
ern Alaska
% The reindeer alive Is useful either for
packing or drausht purpose. He will
handiiy carry on his back from 100 10
l50 pounds or draw on a sled from 200
to 800 pounds. Frcsn the reindeer Is
also secured an excellent quality OF
milk, from which the natives make but
ter and cheese.
The reindeer dead Is even more yalu-
able. IL is the testimony Of eplcurcs
that ,he sweetest porterhous: steak TO
be found anywhere Is cut from the
reindeer. Almost every part OF the an
imal's body is useful for something. In
fact. IL is well known TO those ae-
quainted with native hcrdsrS tina; they
make som" use OF every bi, OF skin.
flcsh. sinrw. bone and Intestine.
IL 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 1891.
tn. growth of tho number to NOR. than
5000 is regarded by government rein
deer experts as highly satisfactory. The
expense involved has up to dale
amounted In round figures to $is5.Vpv.
n triiie more than IS: for each REIN
deer.
Al the prcscn; time all of the rein
deer herds are In the hands OF Eski-
mo. some forty OF them being engaged
In the work of directing the hcrdcrs In
Immediate charge of the animals. hav-
Ing originally designed reindeer hcru-
Ing as an occupation for those natives
whose fishing and hunting was taiiihs
10 give them n livelihood. the govern
mcnt arranged that each hcrdcr should
serve an apprenticeship OF i've years.
ATTY deer being turned oycS- TO each. TO
become his property In fec simple nj
the end Of ten years.
The large herds are nine IN NUMBER
and are located at Cape Prince oi
wales, Port Clarence. Golosin. Sin
rock. Point Hope. Point Barrow. st.
Lawrence island. unalaklcct and Cape
Blossom. A fairly successful effort
was made In 1900 to cross the deer pre-
yiousiy brought over. with the TunIusc
deer. Lieutenant l.. =. Barthon having
bough. for si3i2;s each. i2s OF tho lat
tor and shipped them TO this country.
They were. however. carried long dis
tancc In close confinement. and Ia OF
them died on the way.
A serious feature OF the reindeer
question hns arisen the past year. the
Russian government having issued
ukasc to the effect that no more rein
deer be either sold or given TO anybody
TO be transported out OF the country.
The plea IL made that the sales had be-
come NO large that they were dcpriv!ng
the Siberian natives OF means OF
livelihood. This pnts II up to the
Alaska reindeer owners to kill rs few
as possible OF the reindeer for three or
four years. particularly females. TO the
end that the herds now here may be
considerably ncreascd.-Nomc News.
Broken Neck Cured.
Cured of n broken neck James