The Washington times., 1905-12-07
REINDEER RAISING
PROVES SUCCESS
DIR. Jackson Describes Ven
tnre in Alaska. e
NOW HAS HEALTHY HERD
Thousands of Calves Result of Small
Stock With Which Government
Farm Was Begun.

Eskimo and Reindeer in Alaska"
was the subject OF n paper read before
the Anthropological Society of Wash
ington by DIR. Sheldon Jackson, general
agent ,of education in Alaska, in the
course of which he gave a number of
new and interesting statements which
will appear shortly in his annual re-
port.
DR.. jackson stated that there are now
over 1900 reindeer in Alaska. descend
ants of the 160 head purchased in 81
IBERIA with the 81, 600 subscribed by pri-
vate parties, and landed In Alaska in
1884. The reindeer. he said. practically
doubles in numbers every year. over
5000 calves having been born last
spring. There are now over twenty
five big reindeer ranches in Alaska, dis
tributed about at as many Government
stations where hundreds of EsSimos
have settled and are acquiring herds
and learning the art Of reindeer keep
ing.
The establishment of the reindeer in
dustry in Alaska, he stated, has given
rise TO a new industry in the States.
An enterprising firm of ranch outfitters
on the Pacific coast began recently the
manufacture OF reindeer harness. and
the prospects. he said. are that they
Will soon be sending large orders OF
such trappings to Alaska. The sort OF
harness used in Alaska up TO the pres
ent has been the sort which the Lapp
teachers brought over by the Govern
ment to teach the Eskimos have been
accustomed 10 in Lapland.
In his office in the Bureau of Educa-
tion building. Mr.. Jackson has samples
of old nd lro- l. l. in
clined to think that in years to come
the supplying of reindeer harness 10
Alaska will be an important branch OF
manufacturing in San Francisco.
Speaking of the present status of the
reindeer industry in Alaska to a Times
reporter. DIR. Jackson said:
In introducing the reindeer into
Alaska ! had one very great advantage.
which I am satisfied has tended more
than anything else to the present sue
cess of the veIitllre, a;ld that was that
the Eskimo had n knowledge OF the ad-
vantages of reindeer keeping before !
or any othe= white man ever came
among them. You see the Alaskan ma
tives are acquainted with rhe Chukches
and the Koriaks on the Asiatis or Sibe-
rian side of Bering strait. The Chuk-
ches own large herds of reindeer. and in
and parcel of the URited States. the ma
uves OF all Northwestern America and
northeastern Siberia used to gather ones
year to hold a big fair at kotZebut
Inlet on the American side of the strait
The main staple of this fair was reindeer
Ekins. The Eskimos and Indians from
the American side used to come dis
tances Of 500 and coo miles TO trade var
ious articles for the reindeer skins which
The Chukches and Koriaks from the
Siberian side used TO bring over by the
thousands. the product, of course, ol
their enormous herds OF reIndeers.
THE Eskimo and Indians needed these
skins for winter clothing. and tbs
koriaks used to sell them at an immens.
profit for furs which they disposed of tC
The Russian traders further inland IN
Siberia / have been told that in ths
cd days as many as 1000 people woulC
gather at this fair. 1t is still held. but
now that the Eskimos are raising theil
own deer, II is falling off. the last hav-
ing attracted ony a few hundred peo
PIE