Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-08-03
TAKING CENSUS
IN FRIGID ALASKA
SPECIAL AGENT MCKENZIE RE
PORTS COMPLETE SUCCESS
TO DIRECTOR puRANo.
WORK DONE IN WINTER WITH
OUT LOSS or A SINGLE
LIFE.

Washington, July Temperature
from so to 70 degrees below zero
snow from three to twenty feet deep
wind blowing a blizzard most OF the
time; 10 human habitation in sight
no covering at night excep a tent
and no grub" that was not MANY
/ times frozen. These are some of the
conditions under which the recent cen
sus was taken in the interior OF Alas
ka. The report OF Chief Specia
Agent Mckenzie covering the wort
| in the fourth or inland district OF the
territory has just been received, By
| Director Durand. and while the story
is simply told it is a wonderful
| thrilling narrative of adventure, show
ing that when Uncle Sam starts out
to round up his children, he spares
no expense to locate them and satisfy
himself as to their status.
Mr.. McKenzie's narrative, made
public last night. comes in advance
OF his figures, so that it is impossible
to give the population of the country
covered by him aud his twenty as
sistants. For reasons OF its own
the census bureau determined to mum
Der the Alaskans during midwinter
Mckenzie made his headquarters at
, The mining town OF Fairbanks. His
FIRST special agent Sas appointed on
the 10th Of last November and the
work was completed by the 18th oil
last Arril, when Mckenzie left for
the states" His experience in get
ting out of the country was by nc
means as thrilling as some OF his ex
periences while engaged in the work
but it was stirring enough to arouse
interest in warm spell OF it he
says:
Il came out on the mail coach, ar
irving at Valdez on the goth after q
varied experience consisting of being
delayed two days by blizzard, cross
ing rushing streams even when the
horses had to swim and the sleds
float and travelling day ana 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 than at any other sea,
son There are 10 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 enumeration in the
summer would have required the ser
vices Of four times as many assist
ants while the cost would have been
six times as greet He also ex.
pressed doubt as 10 whether the re
suit would have been as satisfactory
AS it is, he is of the opinion that 1t is
accurate and complete
Much hardship was necessarily in,
yolveG in the work Only men Injured
to the rigors of the Arctic climate
were employed, and while they sui
fered severely none of them LOST
their lives. Summing up the condi,
tons MIR Mckenzie says
The work was performed during
I the severest winter known in this
part of Alaska by the Oldest settlers
and men kept constantly and con.
scientiously at it until completed.
There did not appear to be man who
did not have a pride in the work, an
anxiety to create record for travel.
ing time, desire to eaHumerate all
the people in his district and to have
to his credit less loss of time be
cause of extreme weather than any
OF the other agents That the sery.
ice lost none of the men from freez.
ing TO death and that every man re
turned safe is a matter of congratula.
ton and good fortune There were
more deaths from the weather in
this section during the past winter
than in all of the other years in total
cases too in which those who met
such deaths did not begin to go
through the sacrifice and priyation
that those agents of the service did,
All of the men covered hundreds OF
miles over the ice and snow in wealth.
er ranging from thirty to seventy de.
grees below zero, the average being
about 40 below"
The experience of the agent In
Chandlar district is fair example
Speaking of him the chief agent says
! he was not a scholar, but a mar
who had lived there for years and
well fitted to undergo the priyations
necessary" That his good qualities
were put to the severest test the re
port shows.
Severe weather was encountered
Throughout all of his work." says
Mckenzie, and at no time after ht
left Fairbanks until he returned die
the thermometer get above thirty de
grees below zero. His long journey
away from the base Of supplies made
/ it impossible fer him to carry sufic
lent grub and dog feed, and he WA:
obliged to live of of the country, kill
/ ing moose. mountain sheep and Other
! fresh meat During the work he los
two of his dogs from freezing tc
death He himself froze portions O
bis face several times. and at one
time dropped into six feet Of open wa
! ter. nearly losing his life. In cross
( i've 4bs Arctic re re.s sesd rRfilrninxr n,