The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-27
TAKING THE CENSUS
IN FROZEN ALASKA
Enumeration Gives Narrative OF
Experiences
PROBLEMS OVERCOME
Winter Is Found to Be the Best Time
PROBLEMS OVERCOME
Winter lis Found to BE the Best Time
to Do the Work Owing to Methods
of Travel--Twice Enumerator
Nearly Lost His Life

Washington, July 2slTemperature from
30 to 10 degrees below zero. Snow from
three to twenty feet deep. Wind blow
ing blizzard most of the time. No
human habtation in sight; no covering
at night except a tent, and no grub
that was not many times frozen. These
are some of the conditions under which
the recent census was taken In the in
terror of Alaska. The report of Chief
| Special Agent Mckenzie, covering the
work in the fourth, or inland, district OF
the territory, has just been received by
Director Durand, and while the story Is
simply told 1t Is a wonderfully thrilling
narrative of adventure, showing that
when Uncle Sam starts out to round up
his children he spares no expense to To-
cate them and satisfy himself as to their
status.
Mr.. McKenzes narrative, made public
tonight, comes in advance of his figures,
so that 1t Is impossible to give the pop
ulatiop of the country covered by him
and his 20 assistants. For reasons of It's
own the census bureau determined to
number the Alaskans during mid-winter.
Mr.. Mckenzie made his headquarters at
the mining town Of Fairbanks. His first
special agent was appointed on November
10 last, and the work was completed by
April II last. when Mckenzie left for
the states" His experience In getting
out of the country was by no means as
thrilling as some of his experiences while
engaged in the work, but it was stirring
enough to arouse interest in a warm spell.
OF it he says:
Arrival at Valdez
ct came out on the mall coach arriving
at Valdez on the goth, after varied ex-
perience consisting of being delayed two
days by blizzard. crossing rushing
streams even when the horses had to
swim and the sleds float and travelling day
and night with the thermometer often as
low as 40 below zero
The bureaus principal reason for a
winter census is found in the fact that
getting about the country Is much easier
at that time than at any other season.
There are no bridges in the country and
as crossing the streams when not frozen
over is a serious problem, Mr.. Mckenzie
says that to have made the enumera-
ton in the summer would have required
the services of four times as many as
sstants, while the cost would have been
six times as great He also expressed
doubt as to whether the result would
have been as satisfactory As 1t is, he
is of the opinion that it is accurate
and complete"
Much hardship was necessarily involved
in the work. Only men Injured to the
rigors of the Arctic climate were en-
ployed, and while they suffered severe-
" none of them lost their lives Sum-
ming up the conditions, Mr.. Mckenzie
says.
Work Done In Winter
1.-The work was performed during the
severest winter known in this part of
Alaska by the oldest settlers and the
men kept constantly and conscientiously
at it until completed. There did not ap-
pear to be a man who did not have a
pride In the work, an anxiety to create
a record for travelling time, desire to
enumerate all the people In his district
ana 10 nave u Ills CTcult lcSs lOSS VI
time because of extreme weather than
any of the other agents. That the serv-
ice lost none of the men from freezing
to death and that every man returned
safe is a matter of congratulation and
good fortune. There were more deaths
from the weather In this section during
the past winter than In all of the other
i,, tofo in which those
who met such deaths did not begin to
go through the sacrifice and privation
that these agents of the service did. All
of the men covered hundreds of miles
over the ice and snow in weather rang
ing from 30 to 10 degrees below zero, the
average being about 40 below"
The experience of the agent in Chand-
lar district is fair example. Speaking
OF him, the chief agent says: HE was
there for years and well fitted to UNI
dergo the privations necessary" That
his good qualities were put to the severest
test the report shows.
Very Severe Weather
Severe weather was encountered
throughout all of his work." says Nc
Kenzie. land at no time after he left
Fairbanks until he returned did the Their
memoter get above 80 degrees below zero
His long journey away from the base &
supplies made It impossible for him to
carry sufficient grub and dog feed. and
he was obliged to live off of the coun-
try. killing moose, mountain sheep and
other fresh meat. During the work he
lost two of his dogs from freezing to
death. He himself frose portions of his
face several times, and at one time
dropped into six feet Of open water. near
| ly losing his life. In crossing the Arctic
| range and returning he Travelled above
timber line IS hours in each direction
which in country where IRE is neces-
sary can be understood to be consid-
cradle sacrifice. He travelled in many
places where no white man had ever be-
fore been. and his record 10 considered
unusual, to say the least
That the Koyaknk agents work was no