The Northwestern standard., 1886-04-10
FOR woMAN,s WEAR.
How Seals are Killed, and how their
Skins are Prepared.

How Seals are Killed, and how their
Skins are Prepared.
1t is unsafe to drive the seals more than
five or six miles during any one day, rs
they easily become oyerheated, and the
skins are thereby injured. When night
comes on the driving ceases, and sentrles
are posted round each division to pre- vent
the animals from straying during the
night, occasional Whistling being suttlclenG
to keep them together. In the morning,
if the weather. is favorable the driving is
continued until the killing ground Is
reached, where the victims are allowed to
rest over night under guard, and finally,
as early as possible in the morning the
sealers appear with their clubs, when again
small parties of twenty or thirty seals are
separated from their fellows, surrounded
by the sealers, and the slaughter COM
other selection is made and any animal
appearing to the eye of the Aleut to be
either below or above the specified age is
left unnoticed and allowed to go on its
way to the shore. The men with the clubs
proceed from one group to another, I'M
mediately followed by the men with
knives, who stab each stunned seal to the:
heart to insure its Immediate death. These
men are in turn followed by the SINNERS
who with great rapidity divert the bodies
of their valuable covering, leaving, how
ever, the head and hippers intact. A few
PAGES behind the skinners come carts drawn
by mules, into which the skins are rapidly
thrown and carried away. The wives
and daughters of the sealers linger In the
rear of the death-dealing column, taking
away the blubber, which they carry on
their heads, the oil dripping down their
faces and over their garments. The skins,
yet warm from the body, are discharged
into capacious salt-houses and salted
down for the time being This treatment
is continued for some tin1e and after the
application Of heavy pressure, they are
finally tied into bundles containing two
skins, securely strapped, and are then
ready for shipment.
The following is the process by which
the skins are prepared and dressed in New
York: When the skins are received by
the furriers, in the salt, the latter is wash
ed off, and the fat removed from the In
side with a knife, great care being taken
that no cuts or uneven places are made In
the pelt. The skins are next thoroughly
cleansed by being stretched upon beams
and dried. After the drying process they
are soaked in water and thoroughly wash
ed with soap. After this the fur is dried
again, the pelt being kept moist, and the
workman pulls out the long hair with the
assistance of a dull knife. This operation,
q very delicate one, is repeated several
times until nothing but the soft fur re-
mains The skins are then dried again
and moistened on the pelt side, and shay
ed until fine even surface is obtained
Then follows the process, a slow and
tedious one Of working drying and soft
ening the skins by treading them with
bare feet, in hogshead, with fine sawdust
to absorb the grease. Indying, the liquid
is put on with brush, the points of the
standing fur being carefully covered. The
skin is then pulled SO as to make the
points touch each other for some little
time, end partially dried. The dry dye is
removed and another coat applied, and
the same process is repeated a number OF
times. A few of the coats of dye are put
on, heavily pressed down to the edge OF
the fur, from eight to twelve coats pro-
ducing good color. The skins are then
wasted, again and cleansed with sawdust.