St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-08
GAyrBOLIyG ABorT TBE ISLAND

in great herds. The Alaska Seal Fur COM
pany, by its contract made in 1870, has the
sole right to kill fur seals On these islands.
They are by this contract to kill no more
than 100, 900 in a year, to use no fire
arms or anything likely 20 brighten
away these valuable and gentle animals, and
for each one lilled must pay into the treas
ury 81 go, and beside this a yearly paymen t
Of $50, also ffty-fve cents per gallon on all
the seal oil sold by the company, furnishing
also to the 400 inhabitants OF the islands,
%, 900 dried salmon, sixty cords Of frewood,
and sufficient salt and barrels with which to
cure all the seal meat they may want TO eat
These natives are hired by the company to
kill and skin the seals at forty cents each
At the season when the fur is at its best, June
and July, parties of men run quietly through
the great herds Of ''bachelorS' cutting OFF
from the main body a hundred or two, which
they drive quietly and slowly TO the killing
grounds, taking care that they do not become
over heated and the fur thus injured. The
best ones, of the ages of two, three and four
years, are selected.
THEN THE KILLERS,
armed with clubs, made for the purpose, in
Connecticut, enter upon their work killing
the poor, gentle and defenseless ami
mails with a single blow upon the very thin
skull of each. Then the skins are quickly
and deity removed, partially cured, and made
ready for shipment to England for
dressing and dycing. For it must not be sup
posed that the fur seal is the soft, rich brown
creature in nature that his skin is after it be-
comes the cloak of fashionable life. Far
from it. In nature he is a sort of muddy,
grayish color covered TO appearances with
stiff over hair, holding about the same rela-
ton TO the fur that the feathers Of a duck do
to the down. Even the fur Itself, beneath
the hair of bristles, Is a sort Of dirty grey in
color and only takes its beautiful appear
ance after it has passed through the hands Of
the dresser and dyer in London, who first
remove all the coarse hairs aud then care
fully dye the fur the required shade. They
are taken to London for this purpose because
the art is more thoroughly understood there.
tits In the quality Of the skins when taken,
the successful or unsuccessful treat ment
of them at the various stages Of maniDula-
ton, and their consequent ability 10 retain
their color and smoothness with wear, that
their value depends. 1t takes three OF the
seal skins TO make q full sized cloak and boa.
If they are OF the proper age when taken,
and are carefully and conscientiously pre-
pared, they will
WEAR SIX OR EIGHT YEARS
without losing their luster and perfect
appearance. These are, of course, the
highest priced sacks, running up to
$500 piece in cost. The two and three
year old pelts are considered the very best
They are Of uniform thickness of fur in
ali parts, fine and smooth. The yearlings
are too light in weight; those beyond the age
Of three OF four have very heavy and rather
stiff fur in the portion covering the neck and
shoulders, which continues to grow sitter
and more uneven as the age increases until
at the age OF seven they are utterly worthless.
II Is a mistaken idea that the fur seals are
BEING RAPIDLY ExTERMITED.
Under the careful protection Of the gov
grnment there are but 100, 600 killed on the
Prybilov islands, their almost only home
now outside OF the sea Itself, where they are
seldom If ever killed. II Is estimated that
there are in all about 5000, 900 Of fur
seals inhabihng these two islands In the
summer season. returning each year. Their
yearly Increase by births is estimated at a
million, and as but 100. 900 year are per-
United killed, It Is easy to see that the deaths
added to those killed. to at all reduce the
number Indeed, it would seem that they
ought to increase rather than decrease, though
in fifteen years since the study oftheir habits
began there seems 10 have been little change
In the number
Personally the fur seal is a very mild man
ucred, iuofIenSive sort of creature, with full,
iutelligent-speaking eye, graceful outlines
and movements, acute perception aud appar-
eut intelligence, weight in the females T5
pounds, ia the males from - 10 500 pounds,
according TO age. They will not live in cap
iivity, the auimals shown in gardens or
travelling exhibitions being "sea-lions," a
very different suimal. with many Of the
general features Of the fur seal but none OF
its fur. Tue Illustrations accompanying the
letter show the figure Of the fur seal at the age
az which he is most valuable for sacks, his
Couutcusuee at fun maturity. aud the coun-
tenance OF the native" who kills aud skins
him for forty cents.
PIOVS SMILES.