INTRODUCTION OE' DOMESTIC REINDEER INTO ALASKA. 65 



pack broke up. About 100 of these animals had to be slaughtered. 

 Surely there was no "fad" about reindeer at this point. The food 

 that the}^ afforded kept 200 souls alive. Who has ever seen a single 

 notice of this event to the credit of the reindeer, the missionary, or the 

 native!; Attention was called last year to the heroism of the above- 

 mentioned officers. It will surely compare well with any act of braverj^ 

 that has occurred within recent years, and we think that Congress 

 shoidd not allow another session to pass without giving them due 

 recognition. The Treasury Department should feel proud that it, too, 

 has men who are willing to dare and do and lay down their lives if 

 necessary when duty and necessity demand them. 



It is well ascertained now that there is pasturage for several mil- 

 lions of reindeer in northern Alaska. The Government, b}^ purchase 

 and increase, has succeeded in getting about 3,000 to the present time. 

 Laplanders have been brought over as instructors, and a number of 

 the natives have been brought up inider their care. They are all 

 anxious to obtain herds. The animals have been given out to mis- 

 sionary societies under certain conditions. One of these is that they 

 are to return the number intrusted to them at the end of live years, 

 they keeping the increase. The animals are prolific; half the year- 

 ling does will have fawns at the end of their first year and about half 

 of these fawns will live and come to maturity. The great question 

 is how to get more of these animals. Since the excitement at Cape 

 Nome ]>egan the whites are beginning to understand what utility 

 there is in a reindeer. There is great competition now for the pur- 

 chase of the skin for clothing. The price has gone up from $1.50 to $8 

 and $10 for a summer pelt. The UKnit l)rought in from Siberia by 

 schooners was selling at $1 per pound. The draft animals were used 

 last winter in conveying Government stores to Cape Nome and in 

 hauling for the' missionaries who had claims on Anvil Creek. It is 

 related that a miner ])y the name of Hank Summers, who has pros- 

 pected in southeastern Alaska and in various parts of the Yukon 

 Valley, and has finally reached the coast near Port Clarence, says that 

 he no longer wants or cares for dog teams, though these animals have 

 done him faithful service in the past. This past year he has had one 

 stag deer; he puts a load of 200 pounds on his back and strikes off' to 

 the place which he desires to prospect. All he has to do with his deer 

 is to stake him out — the moss is on the ground ready for him. A man 

 with 10 of these animals could strike oft' with an outfit to support him 

 a whole year. If it ever became necessary he could kill one of them 

 for food. It is believed that if our Western stockmen understood 

 well what great advantages are to be enjoyed in the raising of these 

 animals in those regions they would put large amounts of money into 

 such enterprises. There can be no doubt that the cowboys would 

 soon become deerboys and soon surpass the Lapp or Chuckchee in 

 S. Doc. 245 5 



