Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-01-23
IN SIBERIAN WASTES
OESOLATE AND BLEAK COUNTRY
Or THE NOR.H.
Valuable Ivory Still Yielded From Ami
mails That Lived Centuries Ago
Reindeer and Dogs Used as
Beasts of Burden.

It is not generally known that 81
IBERIA furnishes q large quantity Of
ivory TO the markets of the world.
but the production of 1t belongs to an
other age and to a species Of animals
that does not now exist.
The ivory is cut from the tusks OF
mammoths whose skeletons are found
frozen in masses OF ice or buried in
mud Of Arctic rivers and swamps.
Even to wild animals these bogs
are forbidden ground. The nimble
reindeer can sometimes cross them
safely in the summer, but most other
large animals would be engulfed. With
the summer thaw that penetrates
more deeply than usual into the
ground some Of these antediluvlan
monsters are always exposed.
1t is to recover these valuable fos
sill tusks, also to hunt and trap the
fur-bearing animals and transport the
pelts OF the sable, ermine and sea OF
ter back to civilization that forms a
chief occupation of many OF the Siber
ian natives. According to the Rail
road Mans Magazine, they make the
most perilous freighting journeys in
the world, beset by all sorts of hard
ships
The people are divided into two
classes, the reindeer breeder and the
dog-breeding tribes. The former live
entirely on the products of their rein
deer herds Some of the reindeer
tribes use their animals for riding
and sledge driving Only and not for
food purpose. The Yakuts, one of the
largest and most progressive tribes,
use their deer entirely for transporta-
ton purposes.
Two large animals are always used
to a freight sledge. These carry mer-
chandise, mail and furs all over the
northern part of the province Of va
kutsk Their reindeer are Of great
size, larger than those possessed by
the other reindeer people.
If we'll pastured and not overwork-
ed a trained pair of harnessed rein
deer can make so to Is miles a day,
provided that the snow is thin and
hard on the tundra. When tired the
deer must be Immediately rested If
compelled to travel further they be-
come exhausted and often drop dead.
The team dogs serve till 10 or Il
years old After the sixth or seventh
year they begin to decline. The dogs
are harnessed in pairs to a strong seal
thong which serves the place of
wiffetree A full team consists of six
or seven pairs.
The course is directed by special
call words. These are understood by
the leading dog, which is trained es-
pecialiy for that purpose. The har-
ness consists of a .breastpiece and
two or three bands across the back.
The dogs pull on the traces somewhat
obliquely. so as to leave sufficient
room between them to avoid jostling.
Even when young or badly trained
dog is matched to an old one the elder
will actually prevent its companion
from causing trouble, biting it severe
iy every time it tries to leap across
the strap.
Shy or disobedient dogs are placed
nearer to the sledge, where they can
be reached by the whip. At the rear
more eXertion is required, since the
sledge, on every undulation of the
ground, pulls backward. Strong ami
mails somewhat slow from age or from
lack OF mettle are usually placed at
the rear and those that are more brisk
in the front.
With light sledge and good dogs $50
miles can be travelled in "a hours. Two
hundred miles have been made in two
days. The dogs are fed once a day.
usually in the evening. A piece of
| blubber about two inches square and
some, shreds of walrus meat, dried or
frozen fish, form the daily ration of
every dog.
A good team of Il dogs can haul
from 400 to 900 pounds. One of the
long sledge Journeys made by the in
land reindeer people is over 500 miles,
In March and April, when they make
up a trading caravan of reindeer skins
for boots and clothing, etc, which
they take to East Cape on the Pacific
to barter to Americans and whalers