Las Vegas daily optic., 1907-04-29
A. lAskAN INDIANS PRESERVED
GREAT HERDS or CARLSON
BY UNIQUE METHOD.
ExHUMED
immense Mammouth Found In Heart
OF Ice Formation-Mueh interest
Aroused In Scientific Circles.
Especial Correspondence-)

Seattle, April 70. The recent
discovery In Alaska of a great mann
mouth. flesh, bones. hair. hide. teeth
and all. preserved In the heart Of =
vast Ice formation that has stood un-
disturbed since the days when men
Ivorshipped In the temple Of the sun
God at Ephesus. has aroused a great
deal of interest In scientific and jour
nslistic circles.
The management OF the Alaska'Yu'
kon. Pacific exposition. which has had
the good fortune of securing posses
sion Of this best preserved prehistoric
specimen yet discovered. has received
dozens Of inquiries concerning this
and other northern curiosities which
IL Is the intention to place on exhibit
ton during the great worlds fair
which will take place at Seattle. June
1st " October 18th, 1903.
In discussing this matter with Geo
W. Carmack. who 1t will be remem-
bered 10 the liscoyerer of the klon-
dyke gold fields. the greatest placer
deposit yet found anywhere. a curious
custom Of the aborigines OF Alaska
came to light that bears somewhat on
THE method by which this animal was
Ifresessed throughout the ages. Few
men know the Indian popuiatfon or
Alaska better than Carmack. who has
slept In their tepees and won their re-
spect and friendship In the village, in
the hunting field and the council
chamber.
| Great herds OF moose and caribou
formerly roamed where the heart Of
the civilization OF the gold fields now
! Is. Along the south shore of the Yu-
kon, along the klondike. the Belly.
the White, the Lewes and the Stewart
rivers great herds found ideal graz
ing grounds. The reindeer moss on
which they fed was everywhere in
abundance. and the number Of other
animals was so great that the lean
wolves found easier food than by
preying upon the herds, In conse-
quence they multiplied and grew fat.
and the Indians coveted them for
their meat, their skins and their ant
lers, with which they decorated the
hunting lodges.
/ The meat supply. especially In win
ter, was uncertain, and the braves
frequently found whole herds whose
meat could not be preserved long
enough to be consumed. while other
times they had to wander a dozen
winter sleeps before catching
glimpse Of a herd, This led to a
urique plan of meat preservation,
Along the Yukon and its tributaries
are great hills and cliffs. About the
middle of October the snow begins
to fall AMI continues to fall until in
scme places it is ten and fifteen feet
' deep. Great avalanches gather. and
| at the first suggestion Of winter
thaw precipitate their hundreds OF
thousands of tons of snow down the
+ hillside. burying everything in the
way.
The Indians had studied the man
ner of the avalanches. and knew just
when they were to be expected, and
what hills they were most liable to oc
car. When this season came around
the braves formed large moose and
csribou hunting party and beat over
wide expanse of country.
When the herd was located, the kill
ing did not at once begin, as on form
er occasions. The braves spread out
In a great semi-circle ani began to
gently drive the herd. This took the
greatest possible skill and genueness
as too vigorous action would scat
> ter the herd over a hundred square
miles Of country in such a manner
that all hunting or driving would be
absolutely impossible.
Gently but firmly the herd was
driven nearer and nearer the village
and closer and closer to the hill on
which the snow was piled by nature
ready for the avalanche. When the