The Alaska citizen., 1910-10-24

in Dayton paper and Il Is prob able that similar articles. based on Census Taker Mackenzie's report, were sent broadcast all over the country. The lack of veracity which distingmshes the greater part of the story will be apparent to all per sons who have any intelligent idea of the conditions in Alaska. but the harm that such drivel can do in some quarters is very considerable when it is. as in this case, labeled official"
 Nearly the whole of the time Mir. Mckenzie was engaged in taking the census he was located in con- fortable quarters in Fairbanks, and if it was necessary several times to camp in the open where the couch consisted of snow" it is probable that these were occasions on which he had remained out too late and found II impossible to locate his TtSlubUCt OH TIbut Slltt'.
 The article in question follows:
 WASHINGTON. July 26.-Tem- perature from 30 to 70 degrees below zero. Snow from three to twenty feet deep. Wind blowing a blizzard most of the time No human habita ton in sight: no covering at night except tent, and no grub" that was not many tlmes frozen. These which the recent census was taken in the interior of Alaska. The re port of Special Agent Mckenzie GOV ering the work in the fourth, or in- land district of the territory has just been received by Director Du- rand and while the story is simply told it is a wonderful, thrilling mar rative Of adventure, showing that when Uncle Sam starts out to round uY his children he spares no expense to locate them and satisfy himself as to their status.
 Mr. McKenzie's narrative. made public tonight, comes in advance of his figures, so that it is impossible 10 give the population of the coun- try covered by him and his 20 as sistants. For reasons of it's own the census bureau determined to num- Der the Alaskans during midwinter. Mir. Mckenzie made his neadquar- ters at the mining town of Fair banks His first special agent was appointed on the 10th of last Novem- Der and the work was completed by the 11th of last April, when McKen- zie left for the states" His eXpe- rience in getting out of the country was by no mcnaS as thrilling as some of his experiences while en- gagged in the work, but it was stir ring enough to arouse interest in warm spell Of it he says;
 "I came out on the mail coach, arriving at Valdez on the 20th after a varied experience consisting of being delayed two days by a bliz- gard 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 al that 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, MT Mckenzie says that to have made the enumeration in the summer would have required the services of four times as many assistants, while the cost would have been six times as great. He also expressed doubt as to whether the result would have been as sat isfactory. As it is, he is of the opinion that it is accurate and con- plete"
 Much hardship was necessarily in yolyed in the work. Only men in ured to the rigors of the Arctic climate were employed, and while they suffered severely none of them lost their lives. Summing up the Mir Mckenzie says:
 The work was performed during the severest winter known in this part of Alaska by the oldest set tiers and the men kept constantly and conscientiously at it until com pleted There did not appear to be a man who did not have pride in the work, an anxiety to create a record for travelling time, desire to enumerafe all the people in his dis triCt and to have to his credit less loss of time because of extreme weather than any of the otl.er agents. That the service lost none of the men from freezing to death and that every man returned safe is matter of congratula:ion and good fortune
 There were more deaths from the weather in this section during the past winter than in all the other ;r oapac too in ubicb