Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-01
A SEALSKIN SACQUE.
WHERE THE MUCH-DESlRED GAR
MENT COMES FROM.
Strengthening Seals in Puget Sound-Tha
Alaska Commercial Company-Im-
mense Sales Of Raw Sealskins-
Skill Required in Tanning.
TSan Francisco Ietterl

| Nedrsy dli tIfe s6dlSklu uSeu IN Tue WOTm
comes from American waters and American
shores Its production is almost exclusively
an American industry, and more than SO
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 ming their cloaks, and a brief
sketch Of the history of a sealskin sacque
will now be appropriate.
About Jan 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 and
herrings, and are great connoiSseurs in the
matter Of selecting the most tempting
piscatorial fodder. After gorging them
selves they go to sleep on top of the water,
and from the time of their arrival until
about July they are hunted in certain we'll
known tish-banks on the American side,
from Cape Flattery to Gray's harbor, and
on the British side from the mouth of the
straits of Fuga to Barclay sound. The seal
catch in that locality is open to all, but with
the exception of a few English schooners
sent out from Victoria, the largest share Of
the operations are carried on by San Fran
cisco merchants and speculators This years
80, O0
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 " and sail out to
where the seals are sleeping on the surface
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 experts in throwing the spear, and can
hit a seal at thirty yards with unerring &C.
curacy. 1t is necessary to use the spear, for
if the seals are shot they sink to the bot ON
almost Immediately. The arrangement is
that the vessel shall own one-third of the
catch and buy the remaining two-thirds from
the Indians One firm of this city secured
1900 skins in this way during the season
that has just passed. Soon after July all
the seals, as if commanded by military
general, go in an immense body to Behring
sea and congregate, 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.
The contracts held by the Alaska company
with the government of the United States
and with Russia gave it the sole right to
islands, and around Cooper island, Behripg
island and Robin island The natives (th,
Aleutes, who are a mixture of japanese, Chi
Dese, Russian and Italian blood alone are
permitted to kill the seals. They drive the
seals up a short distance on the land, into
what ara called "rookeries," and go among
them and kill them by striking them on the
head with a club. The seals head is very
soft, and one blow is sufficient 1t is law
full only to kill the male seals
Their heads are slightly larger than
the heads of the females, the
hair is. not quite SO fine and the fur just
back of the head is darker in color. The
seals from to years Of age have the best
skins, and 1t requires perfect familiarity
with all Of a seals characteristics, and
great discretion on the part of the hunter to
make an advantageous selection. The rule
of killing only the males has resulted in the
fact that more seals come to the islands
above mentioned now than fifteen years
ago.
The weather up there is as warm during
ing the summer as it is in this city, and the
killing must be done on a cool day or else
the skins will spoil, and the entire cam.
paign, which is begun in the early part of
August, lasts only few weeks After
the killing is done the seals must
be skinned quickly. There Is no
time to be lost The whole skin is
used. The celerity with which the natives
perform this operation is remarkable. The
skins are then thoroughly sailed and piled
up to cure. If single spot is left unsalted
it will spoil the skin. They are left in piles
about four weeks When the salt has per-
meated all the leather the skins are tied up
in ait-s with tina Slin ciIaS in md 70.
San Francisco, where they are packed in
barrels and shipped to London, the center of
the seals trade There they are opened
and sorted in 100 and $50 lots and put up at
auction for sale to the fur trade Of the
world Twice year, in November and in
March, representative furriers Of all nations
are on hand at these immense sales Of the
raw skins. The skins bought one year are
for the next years use, for it takes six or
seven months to prepare them for the retail
trade.
Although frequent attempts have been
made by other countries to finish up and dye
the fur, and to-day a small portion Of the
business is done in Paris and New York, the
London men have the advantage Of expert
ence, the secret of concocting the dye and
the incomparably skilled workmen, and
they do 95 per cent. Of the business. They
are so trustworthy that their certificates Of
the quality of any lot of skins sent forth
from their concerns are highly regarded the
world over by the trade.
To illustrate the high degree Of skill re-
quired it is necessary to remember that the
tanner has to tan the skin with the fur on
and must not injure it The skin in the first
place is very tough and as thick as the hide
of calf and it must be shaved down to the
thickness of a kid glove. II the knife goes
too deep the skin is worthless, and if it does
not go deep enough the result is equally dis
astrous. The outer coating Of long stiff
hairs mu. be plucked out and only the fine,
soft under fur left remaining. The dyer can
cause Skin to be worth 81 or $50 Here is
where the greatest caution is taken and
where the great secret lies of the seal-fur
business The hair Is full of oil:
like human hair. This life must be
brushing certain chemicals over it to the
depth of one-sighth of the length OF the hair.
This must be done before the dye can be ap-
piled If the grease is not entirely removed
the dying will not be effective, and If the
chemicals are allowed to act too long the
hair will be singed and the skin ruined
After the dyeing has been completed the
gloss is gone and it has dead appearance
Ii is another secret what chemicals they ap-
ply to restore this gloss and make it perma-
nent forever afterward
The tanneries and the plucking and dyeing
establishments are separate and distinct
branches of the business.
The latest wrinkle is color dinners. Swell
folks dine surrounded by pink, yellow, blue
etc. Common and sensible folks will stick to
dinners that are simply done brown.
Luck in Business.
New York Sun.
Gen. Miller Of California is another of ths
millionaire senators. Not SO many yeas
ago he was so poor as to be glad enough t.
accept the Office of collector Of the port Of
San Francisco. For years luck had beor
AGAINST him He Xas a ennd business man