Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-09-26
THE SEA OTTER TRADE.
Furs OF GFeat Ftneness ana ysIue-F Far
Superior 10 ssaIskfn.


The san Francisco Examiner says:
"The sea otter Ii an inhabitant Of the
North Pacific ocean. and is found no.
where else in the world. Formerly
they were abundant along the coast
| from lower California nOrtLward, as
well as among the Aleutian islands,
and from Kamskatka to the Kurile
| islands. Their fur is Of the most eX-
/ quisite ineness and richness in both
color and texture The best skins are
OF shining jet black, and their elegance
Of surface and Of body Is not perhaps
surpassed by that Of any other fur
known. The majority Of the skins
show very rich dark brown, those Of
a poorer quality becoming lighter. 1t
Is somewhat remarkable that this fur
has never become fashionable in our
cities. The richest and most expensive
scalskin sacque ever seen cannot sus-
tain comparison whatever in elegance
with what the same garment would
/ have been If made from prime skins Of
the sea otter. And yet this charming
fur is allowed TO go almost exclusively
to the Chinese market.
The skins Of scarcely any other fur
bearing animal brings so high price
/ individually as do those Of the sea
otter. \ cargo Of them wa, brought
into San Francisco, Of which not one
was worth less than $75, and they
/ ranged from that to Sl2O. Those,
however, were Of uncommon excel
lcnce; they usually bring from $40 -
go, and it would probably be fair 20
average them at go. When the
pryhiloy islands were first discovered,
two sailors alone, named LukannOn
and kaiekoy, killed in the first year
300 sea otters; the first party which
reached Cooks inlet obtained 5000
skins; the first visit Of Russians 10 the
gulf OF Gahkulat, in l793, yielded 2OOO.
The skins We're then worth rs much as
they are now, so that the seasons work
Of those two sailors first mentioned. on
the island Of 81. Paul, amounted to no
less a sum certainly than 10000.
Such a wholesale slaughter could not
continue and the following year they
got less than 1900. A few years later
the sea otter abandoned Il Paul's
island and have not rcappeared there
since All along the coast a similar
history is noticeable, and the sea otter
bids fair 10 become 50 nearly cYtcrmi-
mated that they viii cease to afford a
profit 10 the hunter. Singular as II
may appear, the ottcr's skin Is too
large for him. Take hold 1f any put
Of his body 10 lift him and th" skin
comes up loose In the hand rs b, doe,
on the neck II a dog. The consequence
is that. although the entire length Of
the animal from the nose 60 the root
Of the tail. i, commonly but little over
three feet, get when the skin j, rcmoy-
ed and stretched in driving it often
measures five feet. and in some case,
nearly six.
The hunting Of the otter is greatly
changed in the last twenty-five years.
Boats were formerly used from which
to shoot them, but it no longer pays.
Now men shoot them from the beach.
using NJ boats. This is done on the
coast of Washington Territory. between
Port Granville and GrayS IIarbor. and
scarcely anywhere else at present.
From morning til night the hunter
walks the beach, ready for a shot but
even while he see, his game the chance
that he will secure il is not particularly
nattcring The FIRST difficulty is tina,
Of putting a bullet through it at per
haps 300 to coo yards or even more.
1t is not a Crecdmoor target, hut a
little black spot in the midst Of the
dark, lcadcn-colored sea, and Is not
more than four inches across. Yet he
often hits il. though generally after
many failures. The very best marks
men average at least twenty-five shots
for every otter killed.