Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-08-03

May. and trails are obIiterated in "A
hours Few men except the mail
carriers win travel IN this district in
the winter, and even they make but
one trip a monte Twice he nearly
lost his life and had he not been &C
comDanied by an Indian guide prob
ably would have. At one time he and
the guide and a mail carrier anu two
Indians were lost in the storm for
three days and were found at the
and OF that time by rescue party
which came out to locate the mail. .
Of the tanana man we are told:
Not less than four times was this
man found By other travellers in an
exhausted condition and assisted to a
stopping place. He lost three dogs
and several times frcze his face.
That he survived the work and came
back alive was the woI6er of the old
Inhabitants of the country. Halt a
dozen men refused the job before he
was secured. Six men and two wo-
men were frozen on the trails in the
vicinity IN which he worked"
All the travelling was done on dog
sleds, from seven to nine animals be-
ing used with each sled. The agents
were paid nine dollars a day an extra
for the use of their vehicles. GeneT-
ally it was necessary for two men to
go together, SO that in case OF acct :
dent to one the other could proceed
with the labor, for the census must
be taken whatever the cost in life or
money.
Especial pains were taken to find
every resident. and we are told that
each cabin was visited unless TO
reach it would cost more than two
days CT time. In such exceptional in
stances the facts were recorded from
reports Trails were nnbroken
throughout tine vast territory COW
cred, and the enumerat0r or his com
panion found it necessary constantly
to walk ahead of the team on snow
shoes.
summing up his report Mr.. Nc
Kenzie says:
HIS COuSlAl0lCS a ACCuLtC Ol Su6
work performed during the period
from August II, in which crossed the
United States and went mp into the
interior OF Alaska, experienced
weather conditions the extreme of
which was ~ degrees below zero. and
during which time in the course of
the work it was necessary several
times to scam in the open where the
couch consisted of the snow and a
few spruce bows and the roof tent
or the sky During the months of
December and January the sun
shone from one to two hours per
day"
Churches and school houses in the
interior of Alaska are few and far be-
tween. Necessarily they are CON
nned to the towns and Indian settle
ments. Most of the Indian schools
as well as the church services. are
conducted by the missionaries.
The white people do not attend
either the Indian schools or the In
dian churches, so that those of the
outlying districts get their religion
and their education at home In the
matter Of education Mr.. Mckenzie
reports that the home system works
very well, the long nights of the win
ter causing an enforced confinement
of children that is conductive to study
He says that many OF them do not
even better than students in the
schools.
Mr.. Mckenzie also reports that
there is very little sickness among
the white inhabitants of Alaska, and
he says that few of those who are
sick will acknowledge the fact. There
is no fever, but some pneumonia
Most OF the Indians are afflicted with
tuberculosis and other diseases of
civilization are prevalent.