ALASKA. 



natives of Siberia who own the reindeer, knowing 

 nothing of the use of money, an assortment of 



more seasons on a whaler, and thus picked up a 

 very little English. And upon this class we have 



goods for the purpose of barter for the reindeer been dependent in the past. 



was procured from the funds so generously con- 

 tributed by benevolent people. 



" The Honorable Secretary of the Treasury is- 

 sued instructions to Capt. Healy to furnish me 



" However, notwithstanding all these difficulties 

 and delays, Capt. Healy, with the Bear, coasted 

 from 1,200 to 1,500 miles, calling at the various 

 villages and holding conferences with the leading 



every possible facility for the purchase and trans- reindeer owners on the Siberian coast. Arrange- 

 portation of reindeer from Siberia to Alaska, ments were made for the purchase of animals the 

 The Honorable Secretary of State secured from the following season. Then,, to answer the question 



Russian Government instructions to their officers 

 on the Siberian coast also to render what assist- 

 ance they could, and on May 25, 1891, I again 

 took passage on the revenue cutter Bear, Capt. 

 Healy in command, for the coast of Siberia. 



whether reindeer could be purchased and trans- 

 ported alive, I bought 16 head, kept them on ship- 

 board for some three weeks, passing through a 

 gale so severe that the ship had to ' lie to/ and 

 nally landed them in good condition at Amak- 



" The proposition to introduce domestic reindeer nak island, in the harbor- of Unalaska. 

 into Alaska had excited wide-spread and general " Upon my return to Washington city in the 

 interest. In the public discussions which arose fall of 1891 the question was again urged upon 



the attention of Congress, and on the 17th of 

 December, 1891, Hon. H. M. Teller introduced a 

 bill (S. 1109) appropriating $15,000, to be ex- 

 pended under the direction of the Secretary of the 

 Interior, for the purpose of introducing and main- 



with regard to the scheme, a sentiment was 

 found in some circles that it was impracticable; 

 that on account of the superstitions of the na- 

 tives they would be unwilling to sell their stock 

 alive ; further, that the nature of the reindeer was 



such that he would not bear ship transportation, taining in the Territory of Alaska reindeer for 



and also that, even if they could be purchased 

 and safely transported, the native dogs on the 

 Alaskan coast would destroy or the natives kill 

 them for food. This feeling, which was held by 

 many intelligent men, was asserted so strongly 



domestic purposes. This bill was referred to the 

 Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, Hon. Al- 

 gernon S. Paddock, chairman. The committee 

 took favorable action, and the bill was passed by 

 the Senate on May 23, 1892. On the following 



and positively that it was thought best the first day it was reported to the House of Representa- 



season to make haste slowly, and instead of pur- 

 chasing a large number of reindeer, to possibly 

 die on shipboard or perhaps to be destroyed by 

 the Alaskan dogs (thus at the very outset preju- 

 dicing the scheme),, it was deemed wiser and 

 safer to buy only a few. Therefore, in the time 

 available from other educational duties during the 

 season of 1891, I again carefully reviewed the 

 ground and secured all possible additional infor- 

 mation, with regard to the reindeer, and, while 

 delaying the actual establishment of a herd until 

 another season, refuted the correctness of the ob- 

 jections that the natives will not sell and the deer 

 will not bear transportation by actually buying 

 and transporting them. 



" The work was so new and untried that many 

 things could only be found out by actual experi- 

 ence. The wild deer-men of Siberia are a very 

 superstitious people, and need to be approached 

 with great wisdom and tact. If a man should sell 



tives and referred to the Committee on Appropria- 

 tions. A similar bill (H. R. 7764) was intro- 

 duced into the House of Representatives by Hon. 

 A. C. Durborow and referred to the Committee on 

 Agriculture. On April 15 Hon. S. B. Alexander, 

 of North Carolina, reported the bill to the House 

 of Representatives with the approval of the Com- 

 mittee on Agriculture. The bill was placed on the 

 calendar, but failed to pass the House. 



" On the 2d of May, 1892, 1 started for my third 

 summer's work on the coast of Siberia and arctic 

 Alaska in the United States revenue cutter Bear, 

 Capt. M. A. Healy commanding, and, upon the 

 29th of June following, selected in the northeast 

 corner of Port Clarence (the nearest good harbor 

 to Bering Straits on the American side) a suitable 

 location for the establishment of an industrial 

 school, the principal industry of which is the 

 management and propagation of domestic rein- 

 deer. The institution is named the Teller Rein- 



us deer and the following winter an epidemic deer station. During the summer of 1892 I made 



1 1_ J_ __ 1 1 1 't i i * 11 i r ., /->..-. . t , ,. 



break out in his herd, or some calamity befall his 

 family, the shamans would make him believe that 

 his misfortune was all due to the sale of the deer. 



five visits to Siberia, purchasing and transporting 

 to Port Clarence 171 head of. reindeer. I also 

 superintended the erection of a large building for 



The Siberian deer-men are a non-progressive peo- the offices and residence of the superintendent of 



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pie. They have lived for ages outside of the activ- 

 ities and progress of the world. As the fathers 

 did, so continue to do their children. Now, they 

 have never before been asked to sell their deer ; it 



the station, Mr. Miner W. Bruce, of Nebraska. 



" Returning to Washington in the early winter, 

 agitation was at once commenced before Congress, 

 resulting in an appropriation by the Fifty-second 



is a new thing to them, and they do not know Congress, second session (March 3, 1893), of 

 what to make of it. They were suspicious of our ' $6.000, to be expended under the direction of the 



designs. Another difficulty arises from the fact 

 that they can not understand what we want with 



Secretary of the Interior, for the purpose of in- 

 troducing and maintaining in the Territory of 



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the reindeer. They have no knowledge of such a Alaska reindeer for domestic purposes.' The 

 motive as doing good to others without pay. As management of this fund was wisely laid upon the 



a rule, the men with the largest herds, who can 

 best afford to sell, are inland and difficult to 

 reach. Then business selfishness comes in. The 

 introduction of the reindeer on the American side 



Commissioner of Education and was made a part 

 of the school system of Alaska. 



" At the expiration of his year's service Mr. 

 Bruce resigned, and Mr. W. T. Lopp, of Indiana, 



may to some extent injuriously affect their trade was appointed superintendent. 



in deerskins. From time immemorial they have 

 been accustomed to take their skins to Alaska and 

 exchange them for oi4. To establish herds in 

 Alaska will, they fear, ruin this business. An- 



" Siberian herders were employed at the begin- 

 ning of the enterprise, not because they were con- 

 sidered the best, but because they were near by 

 and were the only ones that could be had at the 

 It was realized from the first that if the 



other difficulty experienced was the impossibility time. ., .__ , . . 



f securing a competent interpreter. A few of the Alaskan Eskimo were to be taught the breeding 

 natives of the Siberian coast have spent one or and care of the reindeer, it was important that 



