DOMESTICATED REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 159 



engage a few Laplander families who, from their earliest childhood, have led a 



nomad life and prefer it to a resident? life. It can not be difficult to accomplish 

 this. The women of the Laplanders are extremely useful in the management of 



reindeer, and in physical strength and endurance they can sontend with any man. 

 In case 4 such young, strong, and hearty families could ue transported to and 

 naturalized in Alaska, bringing with them some of their reindeer, principally 

 "cow reindeer," and sleighs, these families would, with a small support ami 

 encouragement from the Government as a start, soon and to their personal 

 advantage be able to take care of themselves without any cost to the Government. 



There are in Sweden ••rein-Laplanders" who have been brought up in the Chris- 

 tian faith, and I entertain such lively interest in the matter that I would like tu 

 serve the Government, and at its cost procure such families, and as their leader go 

 to Alaska with them. 



Having lived a short time in this country only and finding difficulties in express- 

 ing myself in the English language, I have taken the freedom to address yon in 

 Swedish. 



With the highest consideration, I sign, 

 Respectfully, 



J. Ntvall, 

 Pastor of tin Stvedish Mission Church, Bed Wing, Minn. 



Sax F«ANClSCO, Januai'y 1, 1S94. 

 Dr. Sheldon Jackson: 



To-day I heard of your advertisement in the Danish paper Bien and, desiring to 



secure a position as reindeer overseer in Alaska. I will try to convey to you some 

 idea of my practical enperience in that occupation. I come from Bergen, Norway. 

 I am 25 years old. and am 5 feet. 9 inches in height, of strong build and hearty and 

 healthy. When quite young I went to Finmark, in the north of Norway, and 

 had the best opportunities to study the characteristics of reindeer and what care 

 they need. But I must inform you that the tameness of the reindeer and their vital- 

 ity do not depend on the competency of the herdsmen only, hut greatly on the con- 

 ditions of the country in regard to its physical structure and to food. It is of 

 importance to have asufficiont number of watchful dogs. If the country is covered 

 with mountains and valleys, steep slopes and tracts, then the reindeer are much 

 more difficult to handle than those reared on plains and prairies, where it is easier to 

 tame thetn and keep them in flocks and herds. Well-trained dogs can much easier bring 

 scattered herds together than any men can possibly do. The dogs follow t he command 

 of the herdsmen, and these should be competent enough to secure good dogs. In 

 Finmark we used snowshoes <skis > during the winter, which enabled us to surround 

 the reindeer and drive them in the direction desired. 1 .ears and wolves often scat- 

 tered the herds in all directions and then the herdsmen had to follow them upon his 

 •'skis" and the does would bring them together. Of 1,000 to 1,500 reindeer there 

 were at snch occasions sometimes from :'.<) to 40 found dead upon the rocks. The 

 increase and welfare of a reindeer herd depend greatly upon the watchfulness and 

 painstaking of the overseer, who has to lie awake at almost any hour of the day or 

 night. One has to bo kind-hearted toward them and search for the best pas- 

 tures, and the reindeer grow quite tame if treated well. I am a good ski-runner 

 and marksman and have used rifles both in self-defense and in orders to defend 

 the herd. Besides, I am skilled in skinning animals that have perished in one or 

 the other manner. 



Two years ago I hunted kangaroos in Australia, and had the l.est opportunity to 

 handle rifles and strip off the skin of the killed animals, and I am used to roaming 

 about upon the prairies. In Finmark we had, of course, big bags of reindeer skin 



