The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-05-01
THE SEA LION TRADE.

ter. in a recent business chat with st.
Louis reporter, said:
You see, | was formerly 4 sea captain
and ran passenger vessels between Eng
land, Australia and California. first
began to study the habits of sea lions off
the Chincha Islands of South America,
the only place where they exist except
off the coast of California. | became
very much interested i'll them. and after
ward thought that I would like to hunt
sea lions for a living. have done SO.
and have made money at it. About six
years ago some showmen persuaded me
two small schooners, the II. ID. Amy and
the Phantom. with fifteen men on each.
These vessels I'm using now. | pay the
men a small salary, just enough to live
on, and then give them percentage of
what | get for the sea lions.
They are employed the whole year. and
when they are not catching the animals
alive, they shoot them for the skin and
oil. You see the lassoers have to be very
expert, and there are very few lassoers
in the world and it is for my interest to
keep these have. Our field of operation
is on the lower or Mexican coast of Cali
fornia. as we are not allowed to catch the
lions in the American waters. The Seal
Rock, opposite San Francisco, is looked
upon as a natural curiosity, and every
body who goes to California goes to set
it-so the authorities want to preserve it.
We are therefore compelled to operat,
off San Diego, which is the dividing lin,
of California and Mexico. The first Sc
lion caught after fitting out my vessels
was for Cardum, six years ago. and that
was the first one ever exhibited in this
country.
Our method of capturing the lions j.,
this: They go in rookeries OF 100 or MOI,
and we watch the shore TO see where they
will go into camp. This we can deter
mine from the fact that they carry theit
young ON shore, leave them and 90 back
to the water. returning at break of day.
When we find a camp We dig trenches in
the sand to hide in, or il there are rock
convenient we hide behind them. The
vessels are anchored some distance OFT til,
shore, and we bring from them, in small
boats, cages made Of siN-inch lencin-
boards. When the herd comes ashore,
the lassoers watch their opportunity ana
lasso one Of the lions around the neck.
Another lasso is then fastened to one Of
the hind tiippers, and the lion is forced
into one of the cages.
This must be done within short time
or the animal will not.live. give orders
that if twenty minutes elapse from the
time the animal is lassoed until he is in
the cage the men must let him go. This
is necessary from the fact that if kept
longer they struggle and strain them
selves so that they die within few days
afterwards. After the lion is captured, a
shot. to which a long rope is attached. is
fired from a bomb gun ON the shore over
the vessel; the other end Of the rope is
attached to one of the cages and it is
pushed into the breakers and hauled out
to the vessel. On board the vessel the
lions are not put in water. bat are kept
wet with sprinkler. They are then
taken to San Francisco, where they are
placed in cars built for the purpose and
transported across the continent, each
car containing twelve lions
But do you find a market for all you
catch" asked the reporter.
sob, yes was the reply, as the cap
tain smiled, probably at the absurdity Of
the question. Il am the only man in
the world engaged in the business, and
caught every sea lion ever exhibited in
the world. On the 23d of December
took twelve to Europe, and on SATURDAY,
last | met car load of twelve at Omaha.
Ten of them are sold to Sells Brother.
whose show is at Topeka, Kansas, and
two have gone to Cooper, Bailey & Co.'S
show. caught the sea lions that have
been exhibited at your fair grounds in
this city.
They were caught three years age.
There were five of them at first, but there
are only two left have not seen them
since they were caught until to-day. and
I can assure you | was astonished. The,
have grown remarkably, and | think that
they are to-day the finest sea lions i'll the
world. They are both males. and if you
could see the females you would at once
see by comparison that they are fine ami
mails, and are a credit to those who have
taken care of them. The females are
very small and there are few, males VIII"
reach as fine condition as those at the
fair grounds"
what is the average price paid for
sea lion?'
THE regular price is $1,000 for a
single one, but where several are taken
the price is lower. have caught within
the past six years 1854 sea lions, which
have been sold in Europe. America, China
and Australia. | am ON my way to New
York now, where | will meet twelve
which l will take to Europe
Are these for travelling menagcries
there -
"Oh, no; they are all for gardens. The
travelling companies there don't carry
animals. In the way of railroads and cir
cuSes. England is about fifty years be-
hind the times. The show people here
are full of energy and enterprise. They
sometimes get crazy over specialites.
The craze now is for elephants and sea
lions. You can get almost any price for
elephants now, and it is the same with
sea lions: but the time will come when
you can buy elephants and sea lions for
ten cents dozen. because they will cease
to be curiosities."
Then you will go out of the business
| suppose - suggested the reporter.
mo Then will go into the Arctic
regions and catch the walrus Six months
ago | sent a vessel there and captured
five fine walruses, but both vessels and
animals were lost. If | could have got
them here would have made $50, 000.'
us there any visible decline in the sea
lion market -
"No. 1t is now on the boom. Sells
Brothers have ten and W, G. Coup has