REINDEER AND MUSK-OX 



Church, at Golovin Bay; the Roman CathoHc Church, on the Yukon river, 

 and the Presbyterian Church, at St. Lawrence island. It was also proposed to 

 offer a similar number of reindeer to other denominations at work in that 

 region. 



In 1894, seven herders were brought from Lapland and were distributed 

 to the various reindeer stations. 



In 1895, and again in the fall of 1896, disease broke out in the herd similar 

 to foot rot in sheep, which was attributed to the damp ground, and when the 

 herd was changed to drier ground the sickness gradually abated. 



In 1896, the Lhiited States Go\'ernment established a reindeer purchase 

 station in Siberia. In previous years the work of purchasing had been confined 

 to five or six weeks in the summer, and it was found that by the establishment 

 of this station they could purchase during the whole year and ha\e the reindeer 

 on the coast ready for transportation during the season when the Bering sea 

 and adjacent coast was free from ice. The agent at this station was furnished 

 with the necessar\' supplies and a large stock of barter goods to trade for 

 reindeer. 



Modern Alaskan Reindeer Corrals tor Marking Renideer — 1.080 fawns marked m iu\ Hours. 

 Old Method — 600 fawns were marked in 18 days. 



The increasing number of reindeer passing into the hands of apprentices 

 and missionaries made it important that rules should be formulated for regu- 

 lating and registering the brands so that each deer owner would be in a position 

 to know his animals. Branding was done by cuts on both the right and left ear, 

 and it was made a punishable offence to have reindeer unbranded or skins thereof 

 without ears. 



The Superintendent of Teller Reindeer Station, in his report of 1897, stated 

 that the Laplander makes the best herder, as he looks with pride upon his skill 

 in herding, training, and general managing of reindeer in the same manner that 

 an artist looks upon his work. By proper treatment the Laplander will adopt 

 and put in practice any suggestion toward impro\'ement, but what is needed is 

 his skill in driving and handling, milking and the general use of the reindeer, 



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