Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-11

with the approach OF the open sea-
son in Alaska officials Of tho Interior
| Department, especially
Alaskan those OF the bureau of
| education, are greatly
| @'o1ee1' interested in the prob
able marked development that will
take place in the next few months to-
ward the growth Of a new Alaskan In
western territory Of reindeer meat for
the market in the states.
The last two summers have seen the
beginning Of the industry. with the
bringing of q limited number of car
casses to Seattle. where they sold as
meat delicacies. ranking, in tho opin-
ion of most consumers, practically with
venison. 1t is believed that because of
these initial steps and the fact that
syndicate has bought large herds
of reindeer near Nome and has inter-
ested cold storage shipping company
| the shipments to the states this sum-
mer will show large increase and
will in turn pave the way for a regular
business of great value to the Alaskan
natives.
1t is even considered not Improbable
the American market and the growth
of interest in 1t as a food product may
bring about the development of q vast
embarrassing industry on the great
toward solving the food problem, that
will tend to become more and more
acute with the growth Of our popula-
| ton. The fact that this tundra coun-
try is fit for practically nothing else
than reindeer grazing and that 1t
seems admirably fitted to that use
makes the economic possibilities for
turning the frozen wastes into excel
| lent food seem still more alluring.
The bringing of the reindeer-raising
| sible the expectation Of meat and hides
on fairly large scale represents one
of the most successful cases in his
tory Of the transpianting of an In
dustry. to q new country. Up to 1892
| only the wild reindeer or caribou were
known in Alaska. In that year the
federal bureau Of education. familiar
| with the unfortunate condition of the
| natives in the portions of Alaska border
ing Boring sea and the Arctic ocean.
who were making precarious living
| from fishing and hunting, brought III
reindeer from Siberia and imported a
| number of Laps from arctic Europe
to instruct the nomadic Eskimos in
the management Of the domestic ami
| mails. Later other fmportations OF REIN
deer were made until ,2S0 in all have
been brought from northern Asia. I'm
der the careful management OF the EN- :
ployes of the bureau of education and
the Lapps this strange phase Of the
Alaskan school system has developed
until there are now in the territory be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 reindeer. over
| two thirds of which are the property
of approximately 1000 natives.
The policy of the bureau of educa-
ton has been to distribute the REIN
deer to the individual natives as rapid
ly as they can be trained as herders
to take competent care Of the animals.
The most promising young natives in
the various communities are chosen by
the superintendent of herds, who 10
also teacher or principal Of the local
school. and are given the opportunity
to become apprentices to herders for
four years. At the end of the first
year the apprentice is given six rein
deer and at the end of each Of the
following three years, eight. ten and
ten: thus receiving during his period
OF apprenticeship thirty-four Of the
animals. together with their increase.
The government provides in a novel
way for continuous distribution by
STIMULATING in the contracts that each
apprentice who has served his four
year period and has been certified az
herder shall in turn take three ap-
prentices. one after the other. begin
ming when his herd numbers fifty rein
deer. and shall reward them at the end
of each year as he was rewarded.
Stringent rules are also in force
| against the killing of female reindeer
in the government herds or the herds
of apprentices, and a strict prohibition
is made against the sale or transfer
of female reindeer to any person other
than a resident native Of Alaska
Because of the last mentioned pro-
manned practically a monopoly to the
natives. and has meant civilization, an
assured support and wealth to many
Of them. Others than natives have ac-
quired ownership Of reindeer only
through the Lapp herders; who were
paid in animals. The rapid Increase
in reindeer in recent years and the
rapidity of distribution which the end
less chain" system has brought about
means that reindeer production will
Alaska and will inevitably force large
shipments of meat to the states and
even. perhaps. to foreign countries.
With cold storage at its present high
development 1t Is not unlikely before
many years that the far-northern "ven-
ison' may be bought like beef or NUT
ton I'm the meat markets throughout
the length and breadth Of the country.
x*
The elimination of the mosquito is
| looked upon by the government as of
such Importance
| Warfare Against that 1t is not con-
Mosquitoes. o% n, s' = a'n 10 rec re- C.
chanica1 methods Of control. such as
drainage and the treatment Of water
areas with petroleum, but is seeking
out all Of the natural enemies Of the
| blood and disease-carrying in
sect, especially in it's iarval stage. in
order that they as well as humans may
be encouraged in all possible ways to