El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-15

enterprise has been such as to set at
I naught the prediction, freely made
when it was first undertaken. that the
natives were too shfftless to be trusted
with reindeer, and that they would
eat them all up the first time a hun
CRY winter arrived.
A Reindeer Market.
Only the superfluous male animals
are allowed TO be killed. but Of these
there are enough to furnish a very
considerable annual supply Of meat
One finds, in recent number Of the
Nugget, a little newspaper printed at
Nome, an advertisement in large type
which reads: Native Reindeer Mar
ket We are here for one month only.
Meat sold by the whole. half or quar-
ter
The meat supplied in this case was
furnished from a herd Of reindeer
driven south to Nome from Cape Prince
Of Wales. which, by the way, IS the
westernmost point Of North America
Another advertisement in the same
copy OF the Nugget reads: Here's
your chance for a reindeer ride Rein
deer teams in charge Of Eskimo driv-
ers will carry all who care to go to
Penny river to see the big herd A
20 mile drive for IS per couple"
In view Of the success OF this great
ing 10 recall the fact that the first
reindeer were a bunch Of 16, pur-
chased on the Siberian coast, at a
cost Of S10.25 each. in 1891, and trans
ported to Oonalaska- Those subse-
quently bought cost. only IS apiece.
The expense at first was betrayed by
private subscription. but the govern
ment lent the revenue cutter Bear to
fetch the animals over The Chuk-
Of he
of thousands OF domesticated rein
deer, which afford their chief means
OF livelihood. but much difficulty was
found in dealing with them They
were disinclined to sell their deer for
certain superstitious reasons, and
much tact had to be employed mas
much as they know nothing OF money,
payment was made for the animals in
barter goods, such as cotton cloth.
tobacco. gunpowder and lead
Transported Like Cattle.
Once secured. the deer were easily
transported, being hofsted on board OF
the Bear and carried like so many
cattle The first experimental sta
ton was established on Point Car
ence. so miles from Cape Prince Of
Wales. and by April. 1898. a herd OF
rs head was located there In the
same year 127 more were added, and
Der up to 346. Meanwhile four ST.
berian deermen were brought across
and placed in charge. a few Alaskan
Eskimo being put under them as ap-
prentices, to learn the business.
The Siberian, however, proved unsat-
isfactory. They got homesick. and
would not stay on the job" Thus
it came about that the government,
which had taken up the scheme and
q, >1-fc r<s5
OF more deer, imported five families
OF Laps from Lapland, TO look after
the animals In that country about
$4,000 people are supported by 400, 900
reindeer. The Laps. six men and
nire women and children, arrived II
May, 1894. They proved efficient but
have shown complete indifference TO
extension OF the industry among the
Eskimo.
The First Fawn.
The latter from the start took the
greatest interest in the scheme, and
many Of them came 400 miles to see
the reindeer /at Point Clarence The
birth of the first fawn was a most
exciting event. In the meantime fur
Their importations were made. though
for a while dealing with the Siberlans
was seriously INSTRUCTED by q demand
on their part for whisky in exchange
for their deer A person interested in
the show business had bought a few
animals from them for exhibition, pay
ing them with whisky. and they said
to the Americans: You no whisky
me. I no deer you" The government
people would not let them have whis-
ky, however, and so at length the
trading went back to its old basis
It is believed that the Introduction
of reindeer into Alaska marks the be-
ginning OF the elevation OF the Eskimo
from barbarism to civilization Grad
uslly. it is hoped, the animals viii be
distributed over the whole OF the arctic
and subarctic territory-an area near
ly equal to all of Europe. Its vast
plains less than half a century from
row will afford browse for at least
100000 Of the deer. and all prospect
OF starvation for the native Inhabitants
will be at an end. incidentally, the
problem OF transportation IN those
regions will be solved. the swift rein
deer replacing the slow dog for the
drawing Of s1eds. There is. indeed. no
reason why Alaska should not even
tually support 1000. 900 head OF rein
deer. which would furnish q livelihood
for 100000 people.
Rene Bache.