Evening star., 1924-07-13
REINDEER INDUSTRY
Alaskan Meat Product Soon May Be Found
ALI Over United States.

AL OSer
Uncle Sam is treating epicureans to
| a new table delicacy-and thereby es-
| tablishing on commercial scale a
| new American industry.
Reindeer steaks are to be made avail
able at our best eating houses through
| out the entire land, and commercial
| development Of the reindeer industry
| in Alaska has been organized for +he
first time, according to official an
| nouncement by the Interior Depart.
ment
! Arrangements have been completed
| with a wholesale meat concern for
shipment of reindeer meat in quantity
to the United States from Alaska dur.
ing the coming season. The reindeer
are to be slaughtered at Kokrines
Alaska. on the Yukon River. There
| the meat will be dressed and frozen
1t will be shipped by barge to Nenana
terminal of the Alaska railroad, and
at that point placed in cold storage
for local distribution as well as for
expectation by way of Seward and
| steamer lines to Seattle, and thence
throughout the United States.
! This is the first time that plans have
been worked out for placing reindeer
meat on the market in this country
IN large quantities. There are about
near Cantwell station on the AIaskan
| rallroad. A great many of these will
De killed for expectation during the
coming season A cold storage plant
1or the initial freezing of the reindeer
| meat Is already under construction az
Cantwell station.
tourists who have enjoyed reindeer
| steaks in the dining car and river boat
service operated by the Alaskan rail
road and in the government-owned
| motel at Curry, Alaska, will soon have
ah opportunity to satisfy their craving
h ~, more IN the cafes of their own
nome town and even on their own
dinner tables.
Deer Worth $3.50, 900.
inere are now in Alaska some $50
ooo reindeer, with a valuation of an.
pro1imately $6,250.o0o. instruction of
the natives in the herdine and raisine
OF reindeer is being pursued bv ,ho
oii'eo states bureau of education. to
whose pioneer work in having deer
imported from Siberia this new indus
Try owes its beginning in 1890.
Appropriations by Congress- 1.,+
a[ s1a oon dor the reindeer Industry VS.
The greatest work for III. ,.,
lnhabiting the northern ana n,e..
pp paIts OF Alaska has been the intrnl
deer industry VI the rem
During the summer of 1890. when
Isl. LEGION north of the Aieutian n
eept Few whalers and traders and
ene omcers and men of the ITnitad
states revenue cutter which. during
the -; snort season of open navigation
IL ia h.Iaasummer. cruised along its bar
dustry terminated.
II. oheldon Jackson. at that time
IN charge of the United States burean
or education's work in Alaska was
sranted transportation on the reve-
nue. cutter Bear on it's annual cruise
IN IN bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean
IN oroer that he might gain infor-
NATION for use in establishing schools
IN the larger Eskimo villages of
nortnWestern Alaska. In it's cruise
villages on both the Alaskan and
Siberian shores
Animals Are Trnnsferred.
The Alaskan Eskimos were found
eklns out precarious existence upon
the few whale, seal and walrus that
they could catch. Across Berine
| Strait, in Siberia, but a few miles
| from Alaska, with climate and coun-
try precisely similar, were tens of
| thousands of tame reindeer support
ing thousands of natives. Both DIR.
mander of the Bear. were impressed
with the fact that it would be wise
national policy to introduce domestic
reindeer from Siberia into Alaska as
ing to the Alaskan Eskimos in the
vicinity of Bering Strait.
Upon his return to Washington in
September, 1890, DR.. Jackson brought
the matter to the attention of the
commissioner of education. Dr. w. T.
project and gave it his enthusiastic
support. Pending the securing of a
congressional appropriation for sup
port of the enterprise, an appeal was
made to benevolent individuals for a
preliminary sum, in order that the
once. With $2,146 thus secured, six
teen reindeer were purchased In 1891
and III. in 1892.
In 1893 Congress realized the i'm
pOftance OF the movement and maQe
the first appropriation of $4,000 for
the work of importing reindeer from
Siberia into Alaska 1t has con-
tinued its support ever since by an
nual appropriations ranging from
1000 to $4,000.
Becomes Great Industry.
During nine seasons the Bear car
ried the agents of the bureau of
education back and forth between
Siberia and Alaska and transported
Siberian reindeer to Alaska. Early in
it's history the reindeer service be-
came an integral part of the educa-
tional system Of northwestern Alaska,
the raising Of the reindeer proving to
be the form of industrial education
best adapted to the Eskfmos inhabit-