The Alaska daily empire., 1919-05-15
PROPOSES USING AN
 AEROPLANE TO HERD
 REINDEER OF ALASKA
Since the Herds Are Scattered Over 100 Miles of Pasture an Aero plane Would Come in
 Handy.

Handy.
 After successful flights in Boe- ing Airplane Company's seaplanes IT Seattle, Alfred and Ralph Lomen of using the planes to herd their four big reindeer herds in the Nome district, according to the following aticle which appeared in the Seattle Times on May 4:
 Taxicab service in the skies was inaugurated in Seattle yesterday at- ternoon and so successfully that two Alaska sourdoughs, who were among the passengers, Immediately after- wards made tentative arrangements to herd their reindeer with air planes. Which means that "Old Shep." who has been a good, old dog, must give way to twentieth century animal herding devices.
 "If you take me out and loop me and tailspin me I'll pay you five dol lars a minute instead of the dollar a-minute rate for that cross-country flight. said Alfred Lomen of Nome Alaska, merchant and reindeer rals- CT, to Edward Hubbard, pilot ot the Boeing Airplane company's seaplane which was used in putting com mercial flying on Seattle's list o1 "latest novelties" yesterday after noon.
 You know me, AL I'm the guy that can do those little stunts, Pilot HUbbard might have said, but, nf course, he didn't. What he actu- ally said was: impossible for the present. Mir Lomen. My instructions are to do no acrobatics in this com m ercial aerial service"
 "Forget the stunt stuff, Al; we have couple of our own one 0; these days and can do it ourselves at this point chipping in Ralph io' men. brother and business partner ! ot the man who wanted to loop ana tailspin and do the barrel-rol the first day up.
 For Use in Alaska.
 For" added Brother Ralph, III going to see whether MT. Boeing vii! build us a couple of machines TOT uce in Alaska"
 Then. the two brother actually got down to cases and they discussed with the official family of the air plane mpany-President w. F. Roeing. Secretary J. T. Hartson ana Sa lesmanager Herb Berg-the possl- biiities, practicabilities and even the "Daculiarities of an airnlane, or sea plane. for herding their four biz reindeer herds, now numbering lS,- 900 head, in the Nome district.
 The Lomen brothers pointed oIt that as much as four hundred miles intervenes between some or the herds that it is not uncommon III going from one to the other to take several weeks to get there and then several months to get back. The Lo- mems are the only white men raising reindeer in Alaska. by the way. "Why. we could make the hops in two hours that it takes two weeks to do now exclaimed one oi them as he warmed to the subject '"rben." he added, "there are count less lakes upon which we coul( alight and take-off; for these plane lo.lv draw four inches of wlter. Why we could even land on the Paclh' Ocean in a pinch he exclaimed.
 D Might Land on Ice.
 Or, we could put skids under th' ecaplanes. instead of floats, and yo' could land on the ice if you wer ltraveling in that kind of going,' sai' Secretary Harrison.
 All of which, cs has been observed was more or less tentative; but tn Lomen brothers gre apparently en +;relv sincere in their consideration of the subject. Their herds ar grow and so is their shipment o reindeer meat to the States. The have spent seventeen years Ill th North and have for five years bee developing the reindeer herds TO the market. Last year, their mrs considerable shipment was made mounting to 1.0, 900 pounds o r indeer meat for food.
 Tho two men, along with Jame A. Gibbs, merchant from Far h,nks. appeared as passengers 10 the first days run Of the Boeln lCommercial Air Service. The thre laskans had left the North and en listed in the army, but they neve got any farlter east than cam Lewis, where they were held for al most seven months. During thei stap in Camp Lewis they all vaIni tried to enter the Air Service. Whel they accidently heard of the Boein rlan of yesterday they hurried ou to the hangar on Lake Union-th passenger station of the new servic -where Pilot-Conductor Hubbard | Coaftle,S crack flyer was gpttln