The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-11-10


ming the price of female reindeer
skyward. With the destruction of
the country's game and the rising
standard of life among the natives
the population will come more and
more to depend upon the reindeer in
dustry, which will doubtless develop
rapidly
1t has thus been found necessary
to put the native herder through a
course of training. Those who get
their deer directly from the govern
ment serve an apprenticeship of four
years. They are bound by a writ
ten contract the strict terms of which
they cannot violate without peril of
losing their annual allotment of rein
deer and suffering discharge from the
service
During the first three years of
their apprenticeship they receive in
addition to the reindeer a generous
supply of food free of charge. Cloth,
clothing, traps, guns and ammunition
are also given to the fortunate APP
prentice, who soon becomes a per-
son of consequence in the community.
For these governmental favors the
apprentice is supposed to take care
of his own deer and to assist in caring
for the government deer
The work of the herder in a rein
deer camp is not arduous. Ordina-
rily the deer have a way of taking
care OF themselves that suits the ma
tive. Every day an apprentice drives
the herd to some feeding ground
where they feed while the herder
saunters about or hunts ptarmigan
or other game near at hand
Herder'S Lot Easy.
If the moss is poor the deer may
feed for six hours, at the end of
which time they are driven back to
the vicinity of the camp and allowed
to remain there until the next feed
ing time, while the ease-loving SER
wants of the government sleep or
white fine old ivory into curiOs to
be traded off on the ships for the
tobacco which Uncle Sam overlooked
in ordering the shiploads of supplies
which annually find their way to the
reindeer camps of Alaska
True there is other work to be
done. Every spring along comes
fawning season, and the deer herd
ers have to stand watch day and
night by turns. Now and then the
long, wild note of the arctic wolf is
heard through the midwinter gloom,
and constant watch must be kept
by we'll armed men.
Roundup in June.
Besides guarding the herd occa-
from these dangers there are
sled deer to be trained, and every
June there is kind of roundup,
when the young faWns are marked,
along with all deer that have changed
owners during the year. In the ear
of each government deer a little
button is riveted securely,
but all private owners and herders
have a mark which must be regis
tered with the local superintendent
and also at Washington. This mark
is made by cutting the ear.
SO far the native in the Far North
has made almost no use of the Won
derfully rich milk of the reindeer.
This milk. which is as white as the
arctic SHOWS, IS at least 80 per cent.
cream. In fact, it is practically all
q rich, snow white, sugary cream.
1t is the most nourishing milk in
the world. but the government has
so far supplied the camps with con-
aensed milk, and the herders Nave
referred opening cans to milking
deer.
Unlike the Laplander, the Eskimo
does not make a pet of his favorite
deer. When he wants to milk her
she is lassoed and thrown down
When her legs are carefully tied with
walrus skin strings and her horns
are safely held by some stout friend
the process of milking begins When
the last drop is extracted the highly
animal is unlashed and al
lowed to get up and go about her
business.
Sometimes a horn is knocked off
or a leg broken before the strug-
Cling reindeer understands that she
is to be MIXED and not branded or
butchered Under the circumstances
the dairying feature of arctic life is
not very prominent, and the milk
maids song is not welcomed by the
wise little animals that have under
gone the torture of one milking.