Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-07-14
DRESSING SEALSKlNs.
The Supply of Seals Not Likely to Be
come Exhausted.

The Supply of Seals Not Likely to Be-
come Exhausted.
Immediately after the count is con-
cluded the skins are shipped to London,
to be dyed and in some instances to be
made up. Frequent attempts have been
made to do this part of the work here,
but it has never met with any real sue
cess. The company says it is ON ac-
count OF the cheap labor to be he'd
abroad that it is profitable to them to
pay for the transportation back and
forth and the duty of thirty per cent.
upon re-entering the country manufsc-
tured, but some unkind persons think it
is better to have every thing done out of
range of Uncle Sam S inspectors. How.
ever, whatever the reason, it is certain
that they are shipped Immediately from
San Francisco to London. There, seven
Or eight great firms, and as many more
in Paris, take charge of the skins, dye,
dress and occasionally make them up.
The color and style of the garments are
decided in Paris, and the English fur
riers say the dark brown, approaching
black, now brought in style by the!
French furriers, is injurious to the skins,
and prevents them from lasting so we'll
as formerly. The fashion, however.
has been set, and the protest is in vain.
Then, after the the skins are prepared
for the garments, they are reshipped to
the United States, and the thirty per;
cent. duty On manufactured goods is;
paid. Thus the treasury profits at both
sides OF the line. 1t explains, however,.l
the great cost of sealskin garments. The
skins, as they come from the animal,
are worth from 800 to $780, this includes
the 40 cents paid the natives for.
every seal they kill The dyeing-
and dressing, from Sc to S8; the duty
of thirty per cent; the cost of trans
portation and the insurance have to be
added to this, and then the final cost of
making up and handling. Not less
than three skins are required for an
ordinary wrap, and four or five for a.
paletot or ulster. No wonder a seal
skin costs money. The Alaska Com
pany also has contract with the Rus
sian Government for collecting seals on
the Kamschatka coast and islands. Ac-
cording to this contract two of their
fleet of twelve vessels must fly the Rus
sian flag. The company claims that so
far from their contract being injurious
to the value of the seal islands of the
United States, it is their greatest safe
guard-that many more than 100000
seals could be killed on the islands, and
they are increasing rapidly, owing to
the precautions taken to kill only the
seal calves between and 4 years olda
They estimate that over 5000, 900 seals
congregate on the islands in the sea-
son, and their roaring, heard above the
thunder OF the waves, guides the sailors
toward them through the fogs and mists
IN which the seas are forever wrappeda
Regularly, once year, rumor is
started about the scarcity Of sealskins
and that dreary time approaching when
the seal will be extinct like the me-
gatherium. This gives the market q
boost. There is not, and has not been,i
any material change in the supply of
sealskins since 1901. There will not
be until 1890. Even then similar ar
rangement to that by which the Alaska
Company controls the Pribyloff Islands
will be entered. into, no doubt with
other companies, but the Government
probably taking the highest responsible
bidder, the price of sealskins will be
maintained. This argument will un-
horse that part of the masculine sex
that would persuade the feminine con-
tingent TO wait until 1890 for a seal
skin.-N 7. Mail and ETpress.