The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-02
put to the severest test the reno-,

A ~ HIS WORK S3 VS.
Mckenzie, and az no time after he
ieft Fairbanks until he returned
uiu the thermometer get a,oya
thlrtS degrees below zero. His long
journey away from the base of sup
phes maze 1T impossible for him to
carry sufficient grub and dog food
and he was Obliged to live off of the
ountry killing moose, mountain
sneep and other fresh meat. During
the work he lost two Of his dogs from
ireezlng TO death. He himself froze
portions of his face several times and
at one time dropped into six feet of
open water, nearly dosing his life. In
crossing the Arctic range and return
ing he travelled above timber line IL
hours IN each direction. which in a
country where fire is necessary. can
be understood to be a consjderable
where no white man had ever before
been and his record is considered I'M
usual to say the least
That the Koyakuk agents work was
no fourth OF JulE picnic with straw
berry lemonade on the side is indi-
Gated by the following extract from
the official narrative:
In his district, there was
almost an in~csssant snow
storm from October to MAY,
and trails are obliterated in "a
hours. Few men except the mail
SoA = II aNC II lhlS dIStIICl Il
the winter, and even they make but
one trip a month. Twice he nearly
lost his life and had he not been &C
companied by an Indian guide he
probably would have. At one time he
and the guide and d mail carrier and
two Indians were lost in the storms
for three days and We're found at the
end of that time by a 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 froze his face. That
he survived the work and came bach
alive is the wonder of the old inhahi-
tants of the country. Half a dozen
men refl sed the job before he was
We're frozen on the trails in which he
worked"
All the travelling was done on dog
sleds, from seven to nine animals be
ing usde with each sled. The agents
were paid nine dollars a day and ex-
ira for the use of their vehicles.
Generally it was necessary for two
men to go together, SO that in case
Of accident to one the other could
proceed with the labor, for the cen
sus must be taken whatever the cost
in life or smeny.
ESpSIjdl DdiIS "SIc tohth Ao ~
every resident. and we are old that
each cabin was visited unless to
reach it would cost more than two
days of time. In such exceptional
instances the facts We're recorded
from eport. Trails were broke
throughout the vast territory cover
ed, and the enumeration o ribs COM
panion found it necessary constantly
to walk ahead of the team on snow
shoes.
Summing up his report Mr.. Nc
kenZie says:
This constitutes a resume Of the
work performer during the period
from August 18th, in which I crossed
the United States and went up into
the interior of Alaska. experienced
weather conditions. tn Xtrm of which
was 70 degrees below zero, and dur
ing which time in the course Of the
work it was necessary several times
to camp in the open where the couch
consisted of the snow and a few
| spruce boughs and the roof a 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
between. Necessarily they are con-
fined to the towns and Indian settle
ments. Most of the Indian schools
as we'll the church services. are con-
| Quoted 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 hat the home system works
very well, the long nights Of the WIN
ter causing an enforced confinement
of children that is 70
+ study. He says that many OF them
do sven better than students in the
chools
Mr.. Mckenzie also reports that
there is very little sickness among
the white inhabitants of Alaska. ana
he cav. that few of those who are
sick will acknowledge the fact. There
is no fever. but some eumon
Most of the ndian are afflicted with
tuberculosis and other diseases OF