ANNUAL REPORT OF ILVTON REINDEER STATION. 



By William A. Kjellmann, Superinlrndvitt. 



Eaton Rkind?:kr Station, Alaska, 



Jmw 30, 1899. 



Sir: 1 have the honor to ,su])niit the following statement of the 

 operations of Eaton Reindeer Station for the liseal year ended to-day: 



In aecordanee with yowv instruetions, this station was built during- 

 the fall of 1898, in a well-sheltered valley on the north bank of the 

 Unalaklik River, a)>out 8 miles from the sea shore. Logs were eut 

 in the surrounding forests and whipsawed for the. building material; 

 only finished lumber was imported from the States. Considering the 

 short and wet smnmer and our late arrival on the ground (August 5), 

 the men did very well, ereeting a main l)uilding, a warehouse, a work- 

 shop, and six cabins for the herders — all finished by the middle of 

 October. These log houses are all in first-class condition and the l)est 

 for this climate. 



The Government property at this station — such as furniture, stoves, 

 lamps, bedding, boats, seines, nets, sleds, harness, tools, etc. — is all in 

 good condition. New boats, nets, and other necessary implements 

 have been made to supply the increasing needs. 



School Avas kept by Dr. F. H. Gambell, and 1 refer you to the 

 special school report for particulars. The progress in school has been 

 greater this past year than during any former year, and 1 give credit 

 to the teacher for his hard and untiring labor, which accomplished 

 such good results. 



The herd has thrived very well on the new pastures around this sta- 

 tion. The hills are dry and hard. This helped to clean the animals' 

 hoofs, and there has been very little hoof rot; only two cases have 

 been observed. During the sununer and fall of 1898 a considerable 

 number of male deer were trained to packing. All provisions and 

 other supplies for the herders and apprentices were packed to the 

 mountains by reindeer. 



After sleighing became good, breaking and training to harness began. 

 Seventy-three animals were broken in and trained during the winter, 

 some of which made very long trips of 200 to 100 miles. 



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