The Nome nugget., 1928-05-26
HANDLING OF REINDEER MEAT IS REACHING \
 BCSINESSLIkE BASIS

The following article Is taken from the Bureau of Education monthly magazine, School Life" issue of February. 1928.
 '''rhe U. s. S. Boxer, operated by the Bureau of Education for the benefit of the natives of Alaska. has cold storage for about 500 slaughtered reindeer. Each year c7 her return trip from Arctic Al '.. she calls at remote stations along the coast not served by com mercial boats and receives reindeer meat for shipment to Seattle. Us ually these deer are from such places as Point Hope, kivilina. Kot- zebue, Wales, and St. Lawrence Is land. If it is possible 10 make con nections with commercial steamers at Nome bound for Seattle, the deer from points north of Nome are transferred from the Boxer to the large boats. In this event the Box CT proceeds to St. Lawrence Island and again fills her cold storage space to capacity and then contin- ues the voyage to Seattle. No diff culty nor delay has been encounter ed in disposing of this reindeer meat to wholesalers along the Pac- fife Coast
 To Give Variety to Sailors Diet
 Navy test.-Last Spring the Blu reau of Education through depart mental channels arranged with the Navy Department to make an ex- periMental test with reindeer meat to determine it's desirability as ration for use in the naval stations. yards, and vessels in the service. Thirteen hundred and sixty-five pounds of reindeer meat were re- gently brought from the North on the Boxer and, complying with in structions from Secretary Wilbur. were delivered On December Is, 1927, to the Navy Yard at Bremen ton, Wash, to meet this test.
 
 Should this meat be included i'll the ration lists of the Navy Depart ment, demand will thus be cre- ated for a large quantity of slaugh tered reindeer.
 Slaughtering and Dressing
 Carefully Done
 ''The reindeer for the Navy test were selected and slaughtered. un der the personal supervision and observation of tho district sdrerin tendent!:of the Bureau of Edaca- ton for the Seward Peninsula dis trict. The persons slaughtering the deer wore white laundered gar n1ents. and those handling the meat wore gloves. After dressing the carcasses were rinsed and allowed to hang until all animal heat es- caped, when they were wrapped in cheesecloth and burlap covering and then placed in cold storage aboard the II. s. s. Boxer and frozen. They were kept in frozen state until delivery.
 "The deer weighed about evenly, averaging 1883 pounds. It is claimed that the meat is clean and free from any communicable dis ease. and it is recommended as savory, palatable, and nourishing food, when properly prepared. The price paid by the Navy Department was 13 cents per pound.
 Corporation With Ample Capital
 And Facilities
 "Lomen Reindeer Corporation, operating in the Seward Peninsula district. has recently reorganized with capital of s2.oo0.ooO for the purpose of handling reindeer meat. Cold-storage plants have been con- structed at Teller. on Port Clar- ence. and at Golovin. on Norton Sound, and deer are driven to those places when in prime condi- tion, slaughtered and placed in cold storage. At Golovin a cannery and by-products plant was con- structed this season for canning and curing reindeer meats and manufacturing fertilizer. To trans port supplies to Alaska and meat