The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-11-15
REINDlHER STEAK ON MENU
Big Arctic Herds Making YenisOn
Common as Sirloin.

(John G. Holmes in the American
Scandinavian Review.)
The honor Of being the pioneer in
Alaska's rapidly growing reindeer in
dust1y belongs indisputably to Uncle
Sam. He started the business thirty
years ago and it has nourished might
ly ever since, The pioneers in the
commercial development Of Alaska
reindeer were American Scandinav-
ians, mostly men of Norwegian des-
cent. They are now the largest indi-
vidual reindeer owners in Alaska and
1t is not unlikely that they own the
biggest herds in the world.
The introduction Of reindeer into
Alaska was initiated with the impor-
tation from Siberia of III animals,
which were landed on the shores Of
Port Clarence Bay on the nations
birthday, July 4, 1892. In the course
Of the next ten years, 1,1O9 more were
brought over, the total importation
being 1890. In 1898 some reindeer
were shipped from Norway to Alaska
for the relief Of the starving miners
at Circle City, but these were sled
deer and contained no breeding stock.
The purpose OF the introduction Of
reindeer into Alaska was to make Of
the Eskimos a self-supporting people,
the management of the herds and dis
tribution of deer being made under the
auspices of the bureau Of education,
department. Of the interior. In order
to teach the Eskimos reindeer farming
about sixty Lapps received for their
own use a few deer on condition that
after five years they should return an
equal number of animals to Uncle Sam.
They were allowed to keep any num-
her in excess of what they had origin
ally received. Both Lapps and Es-
kimos were forbidden to slaughter fe-
male deer during the time Of their pro-
ductiven ess-a rule that is still in
force.
This policy Of protecting the COWS,
while the steers have been used for
meat and skins, accounts for the
amazing increase of the Alaska rein
deer herds. The original stock of
1850 animals have multiplied in less
than thirty years to grand total Of
100000. OF this number about one
hundred thousand have been slaught-
cred, leaving about ia million >rein-
deer in Alaska at the present time.
Americans Of Norwegian descent
have been the first white men in
Alaska to recognize the great possi-
bity Of the reindeer industry. About
eight years ago they began to purchase
herds from Lapps and from missions
which wished to dispose Of their hold
ings, and ever since individual herds
have been passing into their hands.
The largest reindeer owner in Alaska
today is syndicate, Lomen & Co,
composed principally Of American Nor
wegians and headed by Judge G. j. Lo-
men. The company owns about thirty
thousand deer, or about 10 per cent of
the total stock in the country. About
10 lDer cent is owned by thousand
Eskimos; the government owns 4 per
cent, and the remainder is distributed
among few Lapps and missions.
The Lomen company has big
slaughter house at Nome and several
smaller ones, all with cold storage
plants, and it may be said to be on a
big production basis. Several thous-
and steers are slaughtered annually
and shipped to the United States by
way of Seattle. Judge Lomen claims
that the reindeer industry Is now the
most rapidly growing industry of Alas
ka, and that, figuring on basis Of
present prices, should within twenty
years range between four and five mil
lion reindeer, which is all the coun-
try's grazing facilities can support, and
there would then be a surplus for
slaughter Of as much as million ami
mails yearly Reindeer meat differs
considerably from venison, the meat of
the wild deer. 1t is said by experts to
combine the juiciness OF beef with the
delicacy and tenderness Of venison.
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