The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-10
Tie Fur Trade Of Alaska.

For years Spain, by her possession OF
Mexico and Central America, dominated
the Pacific and enriched herself with
the commerce of the Indies. In vain
England and other powers sought tor
some other route into the Pacific than
the long and dangerous one around
Cape Horn. There existed at that time
general belief among geographers
that from Hudson's Bay or the North
Sea, rs the Arctic Ocean was then
called, and which was considered easily
accessible from the Atlantic, there
must be passage into the Pacific.
which was known as the Straits of
Anian. Diligent search on the Allan
tic side, and occasional voyages in the
Pacific. failed to reveal such = geo
graphical feature. At last, in 1928, 3
Russian expedition under Beifring
sailed through the straits which now
bear his name. without being aware
that they were out of the open sea-
In 1741 Behring, after a long voyzge
in search of the American coast. sighted
the snowy crest OF this giant peak, the
first glimpse the great explorer had of
the continent of America. and named it
St. Elias. With his crew afflicted with
scurvy, engendered by improper food
and exposure during theirlong voyage,
and himself failing rapidly in health,
Behring sailed for home without ex-
plOring the discovered land. For
months the vessel wandered aimlessly
about until it was wrecked upon a
small island of almost barren rock
oh L., ha
the crew passed the winter, subsisting
upon fish and the fur-bearing seals and
other amphibious animals they were
able to capture. On this bleak isle,
where the roar of the surf beating
against its rocky cliffs never ceases, the
spirit of Behring took its flight He
and many of his afflicted crew
were buried there by their
surviving comrades before the
return of spring and sunshine
gave them renewed vigor and hope.
Constructing then rude craft from the
timbers of their wrecked vessel, the few
survivors launched it upon the un-
known waters, and, turning the bow to
the westward, finally reached the Bay
of Avatscha, from which they had
started year before. With them they
took the skins of the animals they had
slain, using them for clothing and
blankets. These proved to be very val
liable. leading to the dispatch of several
vessels to the islands of the Aleutian
group in search of more. Thus began
the fur trade to the Pacific. The little
sea-girt island is known to the present
day as Behring's Isle. This was fol-
lowed by the establishment of stations
for the fur trade on the islands and ut
various points on the mainland. These
furs were chiefly procured by purchase
from the natives, and were all sent by
vessel to the town of PetrOpavloyski,
in Kamtschatka, from which they were
forwarded by dog sledges to IrkutSk,
distance of ;. 45U miles. From there
some were sent south 1900 miles to
Pekin, China, and the others were for
warded across 3,760 miles of dreary
waste to St. Petersburg. The poorest
navigatOrS and least scientific explorers
of the Pacific were the Russians and
SpaniardS. One English voyage was
worth dozen such Is they frequently
made. Russians occupied the coasts
and islands of Alaska thirty years, en-
tertaining the belief that from Mount
ST. Elias westward and nortwestward
to the coast o. Asia was vast sea of
islands; while the SpaniardS, after sew
eral voyages from Mexico to Alaska
were unable to draw a chart of the
coast line with the least approach to-
accuracy. 1t was left for the celebrated
Captain Cook, who was dispatched by
England in search of the Straits OF
Anian, 70 demonstrate to the Russians
in 1T7S that Alaska was Il vast north
western projection of the continent,
fringed with thousands of islands great
and small, and to enlighten the
Spaniards upon the character of our
coast line, though only following the
course pursued by their own vessels a
few wears before
The Alaskan fur trade was cOncen-
trated in the hands of the Russian
American Trading Company by royal
charter in l7S1, and was exparuled
gradually until there were forty sta
tiOnS established on the islands and
mainlands, with headquarters ut New
Archangel, or Sitka. rs it * now called.
The charter was renewed in 1882, and
expired finally in 1865, and four years
later Alaska was purchased by tie
United States. In 1870 the Govern
ment leased to the Alaska Commercial
Company the exclusive privilege OF
catching fur seals in the new territory
cOnfining them to the two islands of ST.
Paul and st. George. and limiting the
number of seals to be killed annually
to 100000 This lease was for twenty
wears, and has six years vet to rum
The yearly rental is $jj,0 and . tax
upon each seal taken, not enough to-
pay in. the twenty years the purchase
price. though the company has realized
that sum many times over. The North
west Trading Company has stations at
various points, where are collected
furs of all kinds, and where they are
largely engaged in packing fish snd
manufacturing oil. The fur-bearing
animals that abound. such as the wolf,
fox, beaver, ermine, marten, otter,
squirrel, bear, and the numberless
multitude of fur seals that swarm about
the rocks and islands of the coasts, fur
nish an annual supply of fur that IS ex-
ceedinglv valuable. 1t was at first
feared that the destruction of 1OO.0DO
seals annually would result in Their
practical determination, but ObServa-
ton proves the contrary to be the case.
Portland (Or.) Hest Shore.
The Strong Rooms Of the World.
Strong room is the standard English
name for what in this country is termed
a large vault for storage of valuableS.
such as cash. bonds. plates. etc. like
the good old English name of strong