The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1910-11-10
BELOW, But
COMPILE CENSUS
POIaTic P9Tils Fail to Deter
AlaSka'S EnumeTatOTS.
COUNTERS HARD TO OBTAIN.
Dog Teams Garry Government Repre-
sentatives Over Frozen Territory, and
SO Day and Self Found Board Only
Pecunisry Recompense For Endan-
eerine Lives For Uncle Sam.


aerine Lives For Uncle Sam.
The cold facts of AlaSka's census are
in the possession of the government at
Washington. Collected in remppra
lures as low as - degrees below zero
innumerable force Of Industrious young
women who are keeping tab can piow
through The figures of the whole Unit
ed States. they are probably still as
cold and bard as the day they emerged
from the icy drfiles on snow seds.
Tie struggles that won for the cen
sus the figures Of the territory Of Alas
ka are as worthy of embalming in i'm
mortal verse as any reckless charge NJ
Balaklava or in a winter spent by
brave men ~ Valley Forge
Some of the details are available be-
cause William y Mckenzie chief spe-
cial agent for the Fourth census dis
trict of Alaska. who directed the most
difficult branches of the work. has
made report on the way the job was
done
He started from Seattle on Aug. %.
1903 and boated II mp rhe Yukon and
Tanana rivers from Whitehorse 10
Fairbanks. where he established his
instruction quarters Sept H. That
Office lasted through a terrible winter
until April o.
Money Too ittie
The Alaskans are the average Amer
lean TO man. and. so far as those
census taking jobs were concerned
they seemed TO be all from Missouri
But when they We're shown they de-
clined 10 see il
what" they exclaimed me work
for 50 a day and board myseIf:"
The reason those independent Alas
kans declined to work for their cher
ished and paternaI government was
the same reason that took Mr.. McKen-
zie up there 70 attend 10 the task in
the winter. rhe last time when one
would rhink travel in Alaska is prac-
ticabIe
IL is then. when thp snow lies from
three TO twenty feet deep. when the
dog teams are able 10 travel across
country and over frozen streams aud
men cannot respond TO the lure of rhe
gold that has taken practically all OF
them To that icy land. that such Ia
Dor is feasible. Nearly all are there
to prospect on their own hook. and
they must he in bard luck 10 take
from 81 to so a day. with 81 board
allowance. working tor some one else
As for thc job of polling Il boat up
stream in the summer. SD TO SIS a
day is the least Il man can be hired
for These are some of the cold facts
that will appear some day when Alas
ka'S census returns are compiled and
published Rut they are little fresh
er now aud. besides. part OF the story.
slizzards Fail to Hinder.
The farrs about Alaska ramp ont Of
Alaska sealed up in water tighr tin
cases through two days blizzard.
through icy streams where the horses (
swan and Sleds hoated. travelling day
and night in n temperature 40 degrees /
below zero
Rut neither the facrs nor the fact /.
collector. in the person of the indie
fatigable Mckenzie. minded little (
things like that While he was on 1
some of his expeditions beyond Fair 4
banks. seeing thai his expensive depu Z
ties were up and doing for their I'M I
posing wages. he faced extremes of /
Alaska winter weather that dwell .
down at - below. and he camped in
the open. with the sun working only
an hour or two per day. sleeping on
the snow with the sky for his ceiling.
The deputies had 20 harder tasks
than his. Mostly they snowShOed ANA I
smoked plug tobacco. which Is very
TO heroism. Back of .
them. drawn by teams Of seven or .
nine dogs. came the sled carrying the
tent stove. fur sleeping bags. grub I
and any mementos of home thar hap
pened TO attach themselves 10 the eS-