The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-07-27
FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE
At SEVENTY BELOW ZERO

been and his record is considered I'M
usual to say the least"
That the Koyakuk agents work was
no fourth Of JuIy picnic with straw
berry lemonade on the side is indicat-
ed by the following extract from the
official narrative:
Six Months Snow Storm.
"In this district there is almost an
incessant snow storm from October to
May, and trails are obliterated in "a
hours. Few men except the mail
carriers will travel in this district in
the winter, and even they make but
one trip a month. Twice he nearly
lost his life and had he not been ac
companied by an Indian guide prob
ably would have. At one time he and
the guide and a mail carrier and two
Indians were lost in the storm for
three days and were found at the
end of that time by rescue party
which came out to locate the mail.
OF the Tanana man, the report says:
Four Times Exhausted.
"Not less than four times was this
man found by other travellers in an
exhausted condition and assisted to
stopping place. He lost three dogs
and several tim es frOZe his face. That
he survived the work and came back
alive was the wonder of the old in
habitants of the country. Half a doZ-
en- men refused the job before he was
secured. Six men and two women
We're frozen on the trails in the vicin-
ity 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 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 and money.
Especial mains were taken to find
every resident, and it is said 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 re-
ports. Trails were unbroken through
out the vast territory covered, and
the enumerator or his companion
found it necessary constantly to walk
ahead of the team on snowshoes.
Record Was ~ Below.
Summing up his report, Mr.. Nc
Kenzie says:
"This constitutes a resume of the
work performed during the period
from August II, in which 1 crossed
the United States and went up into
the interior of Alaska, experienced
weather conditions the extreme If
which was ~ degrees below zero, and
during 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 tent or
the sky. During the months of De-
cember and January the sun snone
from one to two houns 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 as the church services, are con-
Quoted by the missionaries.
Study at Home.
The white people do not attend
either the Indian schools or the In
dian churches, 50, that those of the
outlying districts get their religion
and their education at home. In the
matter of education, Mr.. Mex enzie re-
ports that the home system works
very well, the long nights Of the
winter causing an enforced confine-
ment of children that is conducive to
study. He says that many Of them
do even better than students in the
schools
Mr.. Mckenzie reports that there is
very little sickness among the white
inhab tants 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 tuber-
euIosiS and other diseases of civiliza-
ton are preVa TENT