Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-08

to sea for the long swim and Soat Of the
winter. Meantime the natives, under the
direction of the seal fur company's agents
and the control of the government off,
cials, are busy with the 'fbachelors1 the
young males whose ages run from to g.
and who are gambOfng about the island
in great herds. The Alaska Seal Fur
Company, by its contract. made in 1870.
has the sole right % kill fur seals on these
islands. They are by this contract to kill
no more than 100000 in year, to use no
firearms or anything likely to frighten
away these valuable and gentle ANIMALS.
and for each one killed must pay into the
Treasury 81 so, and beside this a yearly
payment Of 500, 600, also 50 cents per gal
Ion on all the seal oil sold by the cOmpa-
ny, furnishing also to the 400 inhabitants
of the islands $4,000 dried salmon, so cords
of flrewOOd, and sufficient salt and barrels
with which to cure all the seal meat they
want to eat. These natives are hired by
the company to kill and skin the seals at
40 cents escn. AT the season when the
fur is at its best, June and July, parties
Ofmen run quietly through the great herds
OF bachelors" cutting off from the main
body 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 kill
ing the poor gentle and defenseless ami
mails with 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 dyeing. For it
must not be supposed that the fur seal is
the soft rich brown creature in nature
that hppnmaa no al L
of fashionable life. Far from it. In ma
ture he is sort of muddy grayish color.
covered to appearances with stiff over
hair holding about the same relation to
the fur that the feathers of a duck do to
the down. Even the tur itself, beneath
the hair Or bristles. is a sort of dirty gray
in color and only takes it's beautiful ap-
pearance after IL has passed through the
hands OF the dresser and dyer in London,
who first remove all the coarse hairs and
then carefully dye the fur the required
shade. They are taken to London for this
purpose because the art is more thorough
ly understood there.
1t is in the quality of the skins when
taken, the successful or unsuccessful
treatment of them at the various stages
OF manipulation, and their consequent
ability to retain their color and smooth
ness with wear, that their value depends.
1t takes three of the seal skins to make
full sized cloak and boa. II they are
of the proper age when taken, and are
carefully and conscientiOusly prepared,
they will wear six or eight years with
out losing their lustre and perfect appear
ance. These are, of course, the highest
priced sacques, running up to $500 piece
in cost. The two and three years old
pelts are considered the very best. They
are of uniform thickness of fur in all
parts, fine and smooth. The yearlings are
too light in weight, those beyond the age
of three or 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 : they are
utterly worthless.