“OPTIMIST"
Reindeer ('amp, Head of Boulder Creek, Dec- 22. Quite a
number of people have visited this place during the week and
many more might have availed themselves of the pleasure of see
ing the latest addition to our meagre food supply at first hand, and
studying those interesting animals, the reindeer, in their natural
state.
This is the writer’s second visit, the other having been on Mon
day. No killing was done on that day, but the herd, 00 in number,
was seen grazing on the Caribou creek side of the divide. The ani
mals formed an interesting picture of wild life in a most appropri
ate setting, as, save for the white and spotted ones, they have all
the appearance of caribou, of which they are doubtless a domesti
cated species.
The camp is in the thick timber on the low pass between Cari
bou and Boulder, and the herd is usually_dmon there each morn
ing at daybreak, and about 1(5 killed at a time, or as many as can be
skinned and cleaned during the day. On the occasion of this pres
ent visit, the writer with a companion was so fortunate as to reach
camp just as the killing was on.
While two men kept the deer rounded up so that the carcasses
would not be scattered over too large an area, another man with a
rifle did the killing—not such an easy job as might be imagined, as
the animals were constantly in motion amongst the thick timber.
One shot in the head had to do the work, and care had to be taken
not to shoot any of the five sled animals, which will be spared. A
fourth man did the bleeding, and, when the required number had
been slaughtered, the remainder of the herd, by this time reduced
to 20, were driven to pasturage to await the morrow.
WILD WEST FEATURES
When about a dozen had bean killed the herd made a break for
the open, nor could they be driven into the timber again. One of
Automobile
Stage
Leaves McDonald Hotel for Flat City daily
at 10 a. m. and 4 p. m.
Stage Leaves Flat City daily at II a. m. and
5 p. m.
Fare $2. H. H. ROSS, Prop.
Phone t>7. Corner Caribou anti Black.
Whitefish, Arctic Trout, Pickerel and Arctic
Halibut dressed to order.
Creek Orders May be Left with Keyes & Meaghan’s Stage Line
J. A. SLIPPERN,
Carries the LARGEST and WIOST.COWIPLETE Stock of
Sash, Doors, Glass,
MIRRORS AND BUILDERS’ HARDWARE IN IDITAROD
Store Fronts and Fancy Windows
Of any Size and Design Made to Order
LOWEST PRiCES GUARANTEED
Telephone No. 5 Office—Siippern's Sawmill
Merchants Cafe
Wedding Dinners and Large Parties
a Specialty.
Strictly First Glass. Open Oay and Night
Chas. K Miller & Ernest H. Slenter, Props.
McDonald Hotel
FIRST AVEWUE
Steam Heated Throughout 1
Warm Dog Houses j
!
TELEPHONE 63 <
HARD’S I
.Blacksmith Shop:
FOR ALL KINDS OF
: Heavy and Light Forgings
and Repairs
Carpenter Shop in Connection
Black St., Near Slippern’s Mill J
i*ClCj^j*l/V/* l Lr*-vV*.V*r'-*•CAWAAV'.'iV.VA'AWAj*
Bar Whiskey Spring 1899
them was lassoed, and after giving two men a lively time in the |
deep snow, was haltered and belled, It was then led to the sham j
bios, the others following without any trouble.
A neat stroke of diplomacy on the part of C. P. Boyns and O. i
•T. Samson resulted in these gentlemen being able to secure practi j
rally all the reindeer available for our relief this winter. Toward j
the end of October “Black” Sullivan got the start of them from
Georgetown, but upon arrival at Bethel they found that a Mr.
Stecker, the mission agent there, hadn’t got the handling of the |
surplus herds, as it was too early in the season. Boyns and Sam
son secured the services of a native guide, who took them to the
reindeer station on the left fork of the Tulasak river, about 30
miles south of Bethel. There they dealt direct with those having
charge of the herds. They wanted to get 150 head, but were un
able to secure more than 123; as the government won’t allow any
but the surplus males to be killed. The herds on the Tulasak are
now numerically about as follows: Mission, 800 head; Lapps, 1,500;
Natives, 40.
A number of deer are broken to harness and Messrs. Boyns
& Samson secured a sufficient number of sled deer for the trip.
Leaving the reindeer station, they proceeded direct to the
Kuskokwim, which they followed until about 120 miles below
Georgetown, when they struck across country to the head of the
Iditarod, which they reached at Little creek. They kept to the
Iditarod valley the rest of the way, crossing Otter creek a few
miles below Flat, and then up Cottonwood to camp. The trip from
the station took 21 days. Care had to be taken to make camp
where the animals could get feed. Some days about five miles
would be all that could be made; while as high as 20 was the other
extreme
The animals require no herding where feed is plentiful, but
they must be kept away from any section where dogs are numer
ous. During the trip no one was seen, the deer were unmolested,
and came through in splendid shape, as is evidenced by the appear
ance of the carcasses.
A PRACTICAL RELIGION
Some 25 or 30 years ago a missionary—the late Dr. Sheldon
Jackson—noting the sparsity of game along the shores of Bering
sea and the American Arctic, and their similarity to the Siberian
shores, prevailed upon our government to import reindeer from Si
beriato Alaska, and the revenue cutter Bear was pressed into ser
vice for that purpose for part of each season for many years.
Your correspondent had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Jackson dur
ing tiie summer of 1900 at Unilildik, when the latter was paying
his annual visit to his proteges. In conversation at that time, the
doctor, who was always enthusiastic concerning his pet scheme,
predicted just such a situation as iias arisen here, and pointed to
his deer as a solution.
The largest importation of reindeer was in the winter of 1897,
when the writer helped to load 520 on the barque Seminole for
Haines Mission. That was about as far as most of them got, how
ever, so they were not much of a factor, although the Lapps who
came over with them have been of incalculaole value in teaching
the Alaska natives the care of these hardy animals, and Dr. Jack
son had the pleasure of knowing that his parishioners were secured
against want through his earnest efforts before he passed over the
great divide.
REINDEER RACES
To those Northerners here who have never been on the Sew
ard peninsula in winter, it will be of interest to learn that five
reindeer broken to harness will be kept, and we will be treated to
a novelty in transportation. The boat-like sleds and wooden har
ness will prove an attraction in themselves. Speaking of the
forthcoming dog races, Mr- Boyns said: “We’ll show you some
thing like races when we get through with the butchering busi
uess. ”
So that on Christmas day, as we feast on reindeer steaks, we
mustn’t forget the practical missiouary who made these things
possible. A merry Christmas to all is the sincere wish of
“The Optimist.”
FROZE THE HAIR
OFF FUR TREES
When Rav Brumbaugh and Ed Kel
logg were driving up from Georgetown
to South Fork on George river about i
two weeks ago they thought the weath-j
er was somewhat inclement, in fact, as |
they mushed along the trail behind a
fast dog team, Ed was heard to remark
to Ray that “Its damned cold today.”
A blue, smokey haze hung over the
landscape, whole droves of ice-worms
scampered out of the trail ahead of the
dogs, while the trees hugged their furs
about them and the glaciers crackled
in liendish glee.
In a moment of careless relaxation of
vigilance, Brumbaugh was bitten on
the ankle by a large, blue-headed ice
worm. While the reptile hung and
rattled, Kellogg dived recklessly into
the pack for the bottle of snake-bite
which they always carry for emergen
cies, only to find that the liquid was
frozen to a solid.
There was nothing to d > but feed the
stuff to Brumbaugh in cubes This was
accordingly done. After eating enough
to Cl! a small refrigerator, Ray de
clared that lie could feel a thrill of life
along his keel and the party proceeded
on its way, arriving at the South Fork
roadhouse just as the shades of night
began to lav down blankets for noctur
nal slumber.
Now when whiskey freezes in transit!
you might as well acknowledge with- ;
out further argument that it is some j
cold. There are those who will declare I
and keep on declaring till the cows
I come home that even potatoes won't
freeze as long as you keep the sled in
motion.
But remember, this was a cold day.
And just to convince you, it might as
well be related here that the travelers
made a test when they reached the
roadhouse that will make the most
dubious admit the justice of their
claims.
They found a bottle of Perry Davis’
Pain-Killer in the house and put it out
on a stump. In an hour it was frozen
solid.
When Brumbaugh was telling this
story, a man in the audience remarked
that pain-killer would freeze at 72 be
low and not before. Nobody else seemed
to know so we let 'er go as sho laid,
but since that time, a poisonous doubt
has been installed in our mind by the
careless remark of another individual
who said that pain-killer will freeze at
45 degrees lately because its diluted
now.
Be that as it may, Brumbaugh clin
ches bis story beyond fear of successful
contradictiou by stating that they
started out bright and early the next
morning, and they knew at once, upon
sticking their noses into the atmos
phere that it was much warmer. Oh,
yes, very much warmer.
They pulled off their parkas, threw
their caps on the sled and got down to
their suspenders for the exertion made
it much too warm for heavy clothing.
Large globules of perspiration trickled
from their heated brows, Kellogg swore
that he could smell signs of spring and
even the breath of the dogs came in
short pants.
You know how a raise of twenty or
thirty degrees will make you feel. How
balmy all nature seems, and how you
just naturally know she is about to en
fold you in a sweet-breathed caress.
Well, that’s the way it was with
Brumbaugh and Kellogg. They loitered
along the trail, and Ed, who is a great
flower-fancier and an authority on lil
And Hew Year Good Wishes
! extend to ail my friends
and patrons,
GRAND HOTEL, FLAT
Smith & ^cMasters,
CARPENTERS,
BUILDERS AND JOBBERS
MISSION
FURNITURE
A Specialty.
Shop—Richmond St., bet. 1st and 2d.
NEVER TOO LATE
To present your lady with a handsome basket of
Ros^-ae Sweets
Or the children with a few TOYS.
All creek orders promptly delivered.
Miss Carlson Wishes Her
Patrons a Merry Xmas!
Special Christmas Dinner
WILL BE SERVED AT ALL HOURS
FRONT STREET
lies, stopped ever and anon, to look for S
tender, peeping violets that he was
sure were trying to thrust their shy, \
little heads above the protecting cover- j
let of snow.
Ray, being more of a materialist, was i
for hurrying on as he was convinced !
there had never been such a change
of temperature recorded and he wanted
to find a thermometer. As luck would
have it, they found one at the next
road house, and sure enough, it was
only G2 below.
Loss Bernard took a look at Flat |
last week to size up the general situa- j
tion and to meet B. B. Smith, who was |
due back from Ophir by dogteam.
DR. B. F. BROOKS,
Physician and Surgeon
Over Merchants Cafe, First Avenue
Telephone 30
Dr. Heinrich Wortmann
Physician and Surgeon
Office at City Dtug Store, Tel. 30
First Are., bet. Willow and Richmond
T. B. CRAIG,
Physician and Surgeon
Temporary Office,Red Cross Drug Store
DR. E. r. BRADBURY,
Dentist
Over Merchants Cafe, First Avenue
Telephone 30-B
McGowan, Clark & Albrecht
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Iditarod, Alaska Phone No. 7
The Pioneer Attorneys of This Camp
ALFRED E. MALTBY,
[U. S. Commissioner]
Attorney at Law
Notary Public
Practice only in District Court. IDxTAROI)
BIGHAM & BECKER,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Office—Ansley Bid*;., Richmond St.
CHAS. E. TAYLOR,
Attorney at Law,
Notary Public, Conveyancing,
Abstracts of Titles
Iditarod City
J. 5. HARDING,
Attorney at Law
Room 1, Iditarod Hotel
Iditarod, Alaska
Mark Manson, Leonard Dodge and
Bill Rose went to Flat creek Tuesday
on a double-ender, for a short vacation.
Rose returned later, Dodge is going
over to Donlan, and Manson will r«
rnaiu in the creek metropolis.
Do not delay—make your seats res
ervations now for the great New Year
festival at the Merchants cafe. A nov
elty in the Northland. Hours of fun,
feasting and music galore.
Eyes examined free—Simpson’s.
CRYSTAL DaTUQ
SPRINGS OKI no
The only bath house in Iditarod
using Crystal Spring water.
Mrs. C. J. SeSSander,
Willow Street
WRITE A LETTER HOME AT
Ernest's Cigar Store
•‘You Don't Have to Frog:’’
Cigars, Tobaccos, Candies, Lemonade,
Milk Shake, Stationery and Fruits
WiEHCFF &l HAKES,
First and Willow._
Mitaj’nH
ALL KINDS OF MACHINE REPAIRING
POMPS A SPECIALTY
77
Black Street, Near Slippern's Mill
TURN YOUR FACE TO
The l¥iecca
For Inspiration
Corner Second Avenue and Willow Street
George Auten Dave Ferguson
Phone io—IDITAROD- Phone io
Rough and Dressed Lumber
ALL KINDS OF FREIGHTING DONE, PROMPT
DELIVERY GUARANTEED.