The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-21
4 SEALSKIN SACQUE.
WHERE THE MUCH-DESlRED GAR
MENT COMES FROM.
Strengthening Seals in Puget Sound-The
ALASKA Commercial Company-Im-
mense Sales of Raw SeaIskins-
skill Required in Tanning.


Nearly all the sealskin used in the world |
cones from American waters and Americ an
shores. It's production is almost exclusively
an American industry, and more than 50
per cent. Of the entire amount produced is
used in America This coast is the great
source OF supply, and the women Of this city
are the largest buyers in proportion to their
numbers. With the advent of winter they
are again DOMINIC their cloalIs, and brief
sketch OF the history of a sealskin sacdua
will now be appropriate.
About Jan l the seals come to the north
western coast Of this country, following
the fishes, upon which they feed. They
are very fond Of salmon, young halibut AMI
behring's, and are great connoisseurs in the
matter OF selecting the most tempting
piscatorial fodder. After gorging them
selves they 90 to sleep ON top OF the water,
and IRON the time of their arrival until
about July ! they are hunted in certain we'll
known fish banks on the American side.
from Cape Ilattery to Gray's harbor, All
on tie British side from the mouth of tie
straits Of Fuga 10 Barclay sound The seal
catch in that locality is open to all, but with
the exception Of q few English schooners
sent out from Victoria the largest share of
the operations are carried on by san Fran
cisco merchants and SPECTATORS This years
catch was unusually large, numbering about
$4,000
In Puget sound the method of hunting
them is as follows: The owner of the
schooner gets together few Indians from
the British possessions, who take on board
fifteen or sixteen "dug-outs," and sail out to
of the water The Indians lie down in the
canoes and paddle up as near the seal as they
dare without waking the coveted prey
They can then spear the seal They are
great exports in throwing the spear and can
hit seal at thirty yards with unarring ac
curacy. IL is niece sary to use the spear for
if the seals are shot they sink TO the bottom
almost Immediately. The arrangement is
that the vessel shall own one-tbirI of the
catch ana buy the remaining two-thirds from
the Indians One firm of this city secured
IA, 900 skins in this way during the season
that mas just passed. Soon after July all
the seals, as if commanded by q military
general, 90 in an immense body to Behring
sen and congregatc, for the most part in the
bays and on the shores of st Paul and St
Georges island, which are controlled by the
! Alaska Commercial company OF this city
Tie contracts held Ly the Alaska company
| with the government Of the United States
| and with Russia gave it the sole right t.
kill seals Ground st Paul and st George
| islands, AMI around Cooper island, Behrius
| island AMI Robin island. The natives TIN.
| Aieures. wao are mixture Of japanese, Chi
rese Russian AMI Italian blood ai"ns are
! permitted to Kill the seals They drive TIE
seals up short di tince or the land. mo
! wat ar called "ruoEerie,,n AMI 20 ana =
| them H1a xii! them iy striking them on Sine
| head with club Iy~ seals head is very
soft, and one blow is sufficient. 1t is law
! full only TO Kill tle male seais.
| Their heads are slightly larger thau
| the hea is Of the females, The
hair is NOS quit so fine and the fur Just
! bari. Of the head is darker il color. The
| seals from ) to years Of age have the best
skins ami it requires perfect familiarity
| with ali OF a seals characteristics, and
great discretion Oh the part of the hunter t.
| make an advantageous selection The rule
Of lilin- only the males has resulted III tha
fact that more seals come to the islands
above mentioned now than fifteen year,
ago.
!
ing the summer q it is in this city, and the
killing must be done on cool day or else
the skins will spoil and the entire cam
paign, which is begun in the early part OF
August, lasts only a few weeks. Aftel
the killing is done the seals mus
lie skinned quickly. There is Nc
time to b. lost The whole skin i.
used. The celebrity with which the native
perform this operation is remarkable The
skins are then thoroughly salted and pilal
up to cure. Il a single spot is left unsaited
it wifi spoil the skin. They are left in pile
about four weeks. When the salt has por
meatad all the leather the skins are tied III
in pairs, with the skin sides in. and sent u
Sau Francisco, where they are packed il
barrels and shipped to London, the center o
tho seal,kin trade There they are opened
and sorted in 100 and $50 lois and put up
auction, for sale to the fur trade Of tn
world. Twice a year, in November and il
March, representative furriers Of all nation
are on hand at these immense sales Of til
raw skins The skins bought one year ar
Tor the usXt years use, for it takes six o
seven months to prepare them for the retail
trade.
Although frequent attempts have beel
made 10y other countries to finish up and dy
the fur, and to-day n small portion Of tn
business is done in Paris and New York, tn
LONDON men have the advantage Of expor
ence. tbs secret Of concocting the dye an
: tAe iucomparably skilled workmel, an
they DO - par cent of the business The
are so trustworthy that their certificates G
! the quality of any lot Of skins sent fort
l!t 81,
!. | world over by the trade.
L To Illustrate the high degree Of skill +,
dure il is necessary to remember that Il.
tanner has t. tan the skin with the fur O
% and must not iniure it. The skin in the iir
place is very tough and as thick as the bid
Of Il calf, and it must he shaved down TO th
thickness Of 9 kid glove. Ii the knife go.
too deep the skin is worthless, and if it doc
! uot 60 deep enough the result is equally di
astrous. The outer coating of long, sti
hairs must be plucEed out, and only the in
su,t under fur loft remaining. The dyer ca
p cause 4 skin 70 he worth 81 or So Here
whore tho greatest caution is taken an
where tho great secret lies of the seal-fy
= business. The hair is fail of OF
|. that is 10 say, it has life iu
like human hair This life must /
quanched and the oil and grease removed b
. brushing certain chemicals over it TO II
depth Of one-eighth of the length Of the hal
This must be done before the dye can be AZ
piled If the grease is not entirely remove
= the dying viii not be effective. and if t.
= chemicals are allowed to act too long Il
hair win be singed and the skin ruinet
After tine dyaing has been completed ii
gloss is gone and it has dead appearance
1t Is another secret what chemicals they AZ
ply to restore this gloss ard make it perm:
nent forever afterward.
The tanneries and the plucking and dyeir
b establishments are separate and distiu
c branches Of the business.
p
y 1-Lo Intn-+ ,rrinkln l. cnInr dinnnrs S,rnr