The Alaska daily empire., 1914-03-06
LOPP WRITES ABOUT
 ALASKA REINDEER

W. T. Lopp. chief of the Alaska divi- sion under the United States bureau of Education. writing under date or January 18th to the Scientific Amerl- can. adds light to the condition of the reindeer industry in Alaska The let ter was published in the Scientific American for February 1st. It is as '.To the Editor of the Scientific Amer.
 ican:
 q have just noticed in the Issue of January {. 1913, the letter of MT. A. W. Williams. of Chena, Alaska, re- garding the Alaska reindeer herds, which. in view of the wide circulation of the Scientific American, l consider worthy of notice.
 "Mr. Williams implies that the Blu reau of Education's reindeer enterprise in Alaska is unsuccessful in that 1t does not provide a draft animal and a meat producer throughout all of the vast and varied regions of Alaska.
 MT. Williams has entirely miscon- ceiyed the object of the Bureau of Ed ucation in this undertaking. It is neither the duty nor the endeavor of the Bureau of Education 70 furnish AL aska generally with a draft animal and a meat producer. Its Alaska rein deer industry is confined solely to the native population of Alaska; its oo- feet is to provide assured means Of support for the natives Of the vast, un- timbered grazing lands of Northern and Western Alaska which are adapted for reindeer raising; in this it has been eminently successful
 Instead of being confined entirely to narrow strips of land bordering the oceans the reindeer industry affects a region approximately in length the distance from Maine to South Caro- lima. Tn this region reindeer herds are found in the valleys of the Noatak, Kobuk. Selawik. Yukon, Kuskokwim, and other rivers, at many points hun dreds of miles from the coast. The northernmost herd Is at Ponit Barrow, on the shore of the Arctic Ocean, in latitude 71' 25'. longitude 156' 2O; the southernmost herd is at Ugashik, in Southwestern Alaska, 40 miles from the North Pacific ocean, in latitude 57' 50. longitude 154' 50'. A straight line from Point Barrow to Ugashif is approximately 960 miles in length. A line connecting each of the 5S herds would be more than 5000 miles in length.
 aThe official report for the fiscal year ended June 30. 1912, show a total of 3S, 307 reindeer in Alaska, Of which 624 natives own 24,0003, or 62 per cent. representing at an average val ue of $25, a capital of SCOOPS. The total income of the natives from the reindeer industry during said fiscal year, exclusive of the value of the meat and hides used by the natives themselves, was $44,SS5.04.
 MT. wiHSas' statement that my na tices q was the superintendent tC whom he referred) had to shovel snow several hours in order to enable tho reindeer to reach their food and tha' the Government had required the con tinued services of between thirty anC forty men to shovel snow of the moss for the Holy Cross herd is withou foundation. No men were employed to shovel snow, and. so far as I know none was shoyeled. On the trip tt which he has referred. used relndee as draft animals all winter. coverinl a trailless country from Unalaklee to Cold Bay, via Kuskokwim, Nusha gak. and Iliamna, travelling distance of more than 2.200 miles-a record L compare favorably with that of tn best dog team in Alaska, when cost comfort. and condition of trails ar taken into consideration. neithe broke trails on snow shoes, nor pushet behind handle bars-I rode.
 "Very respectfully,
 "(Slgned) W. T. LOPP,
 Chief of Alaska Div"