Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-27
CENSUS IN ALASKA
Enumerators Worked With
Thermometer Forty Below.
DOG TEAMS WERE USED
Hundreds of Miles Covered Over the
Ice and Snow.
HAD THRILLING EXPERIENCES
Securing Information Difficult
Task in Indian Villages,
Says Report.
HAD THRILLING EXPERIENCES

TIE tale Of the census taking IN frozen
Alaska reads like a romance, though 1t Is
told tersely and modestly by Wliilam a.
Mckenzie, one of the four CHIEF spsciai
agents in charge of the recent enumera-
ton of the inhabitants of Uncle sam
huge territory in the north. working III
weather when the thermometer averaged
40 degrees below zero, when the sun shoHe
but two hours day and when vast
stretches of snow-covered country mad 10
be traversed, the men employed To OBTAIN
the census of these districts Imperfect
life and limb almost daily. That no lives
were lost in the enumeration OF ms us
trict. the fourth, Mr.. Mckenzie, who had
careful watch over the census taxing ana
took part in the hard work himself re-
CARDS as little short of marvellous
The census of Alaska was taken dur
ing the winter months. since II was con-
sidered less hazardous to DO the WI IA
when the streams were FROZEN anu
ground covered with snow, making IL
possible to use dogs ana SIeus dS hie"
of transportation.
During the months of April, May anu
June it is impossible TO traVel ACROSS
except where there are government.
roads. and they are few and located VIZ
in the vicinity of Fairbanks, said MT
Mckenzie in his report to the Oil e.tor vi
the census. just made public inns II
true also of the months of August ana
September" continued Mr.. Mckenzie. IN
June or July the only method OF tEaNet
about the country is by water and IN
boats. making it absolutely imposslpie ~
reach any of the persons VINO are hot
located on navigable streams. -.
Mr. Mckenzie was speaking FOR ms as
trict which includes the famous faii !,
banks mining section, but what ne sdio
is largely true of the rest OF Alaska
Praise for Enumerators.
MIR. Mckenzie has only praise for the
men who worked under him He says in
his report: a..
The work was performed during the
seyerest winter known in this part OF
Alaska by the oldest settlers there. ne
men kept at it consistently ana CON
scientiously until it was completed Ihere
did not appear to be a man who did not
take pride in his work. and was not
anxious to create record for traVeiins
time. Th0e were more deaths III 'nie
part of Alaska from freezing Last winter
than in all of the other years Oh WHICH
records have been kept
The men who worked brayely Tor
the government were paid s6 cay wages
and 81 for sustenance For this sum they
risked their lives without the slightest
hesitancy over and over again
All of the men employed in the service
covered hundreds of miles over ice and
snow in weather ranging from ~ TO ~
degrees below zero. Because OF the ab-
solute lack of beaten trails and the fact
that the snow lay on the ground loose,
like so much salt. the men were conf
PEELED to snowshoe ahead of their dog
teams, and when one considers their $50
lation. travelling for days, as they ire
ouentIv did without SETTER other than
a tent and fur robes. it can be understood
to what sacrifices these agents went to
visit some of the PARKWAY prospectors
cabins and claims.
The men used teams CT from seven to
nine dogs. their own dogs In most cases.
They carried camp outfit. including
tent stove, fur sleeping robes or bags,
with a large supply of grub for them
selves and their 'huskies.' They visited
every settlement and individual cabin in
their districts, with a few cxcusab BILE eX-
ceptions, where trappers were too far dis
tant to be reached within two days of
travel time
Easier to Work in Winter.
Mr.. Mckenzie points out that it is
easier to get men for the census work in
the winter than in the summer, especially
for the wages which he was allowed by
the government to pay. He says:
During the summer months men will
not take employment at such rates. for
the reason that 10 out of every lDD
men are in the country seeking gold and
the preferable time for gold hunting is
the summer. Those who do get employ
ment receive from S. to $40 day and
board. from So to 81 day. and there
would not be a chance of securing men
who would pole a boat W and down
streams in the summer season for less
than SO or SIS a day.
In the Chandlar recording district John
Cornell was ION the job. The district
covers a huge area. to "A great extent
uninhabited and those people who live in
it are either Indians or isolated trappers
and proSpectorS. Cornell was not
scholar, but he had lived in this section
for years and was well fitted to undergo
the hardships which the enumeration
meant He had need to be. He was
compelled to make long journeys from
his base of supplies. and his grub gave
out and he was forced to live on moose
and mountain sheep.
Two OF his dogs were frozen to death
and he himself had parts of his face
frozen Once he dropped into six feet
OF open water, and it was only by re-
markable presence of mind that he was
able to get himself again upon the broken
ice. Cornell went to many places where
no white man had ever gone before.
Life Twice in Danger.
John M. Ousby was the agent assigned