The Washington times., 1928-05-19


when one considers the clean
five ranges of the Arctic and
subarctie on which II grazes.
The animal ii shout six feet
long and four feet high and
weighs three to four hundred
pounds on the hoof. Both sexes
have antlers, which are shed
annually. The reindeer is very
fleet Of foot and has made re-
markable records, such as the
five-mile record in 1892 and
running 10 miles in 27:2O.
The growth Of the rein
deer industry has surpassed
every prophecy and dream Of
the founders. On July 4, 1892,
III head were landed on the
shore OF Port Clarence Bay,
Just South Of the Arctic Circle.
BY 1902 exactly / $50 head had
been landed, all from Siberia.
IN 1905 the natural increase
had brought the number to
10000. There were 10000 IN
1915, 100000 in 1920, and BY
July i Of this year viii number
soc, 900, though 4 quarter Of .
million have been used for food
and clothing.
Reindeer meat is fine in tex
ture and very tender. Il has
not the sharp taste Of yenis0n
or other game meats. It's
flavor, though distinctly it,
own, may be described rs be-
tween that of lamb and the
breast Of mallard duck.
Here is q surprise for you.
Today the largest reindeer herd
of Alaska is many times the
size Of the largest cattle herd
In the United States.
The Eslximos are the herders
Of these great numbers Of REIN
deer.
Is it any wonder that the
flesh Of the reindeer makes .
superior and very palatablo
food? The ANIMAL itself il
clean and healthy, it feeds on
the finest Of grasses, ichens,
blueberries, mushrooms and
other delicate vegetation, and
lives on 4 fresh, clean range.
'Th0 meat requires no special
preparation just good home
cooking. In Europe, reindeer
meat is the festival meat.
lunched today on board the
s. s. New York, of the Ham
burg-American line. I heard
from one of the officers a fact
which l know, but which few
Americans know, and that il
that in Germany and Scandi-
navia reindeer meat is the high
est priced Of all meats and ID
the festival neat-lsed on fes-
tlval days such as Thanks
giving, Easter and Christmas.
Alaska has sufficient grazing
land permanently to support
1000, 900 herd, of which 1,0OO,-
600 can be marketed each year.
[ returned from Washington
this morning. Through the De-
partment of Agriculture I learn
that on January /, 1928, there
were LOO, 900 less beef animals
IN the United States than there
were one year earlier. or a 2
per cent decreasestiII our
population is increasing.
Today cattlemen are being paid
$40 in advance for unborn calves
this because Of the beef short
age. The cattlemen have come
into their own, but the Amer
lean public find beef prices high.
Alaska can now make her small
contribution to the American
table as a small token and in
appreciation of past favors.
The American people may
well be proud of what Franklin
K. Lane, when he was Secretary
Of the Interior, called "The most
constructive thing done for
Alaska by the Federal Govern
menC In 0V years" 1t Is Alas
ka's most original contribution
to the economy of the world and
is likely to remain one of her
greatest.
! young men, especially would
at mountains, inhabited by the
le plains with Eskimos herding
my of which lead down from
crested to know that q new
rticularly rich in nourishment.
e a grateful feeling for Mr..
e to the development Of rein