The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-07

4 gun or pistol is allowed to be fred on the is
land. How long does a seal live2 John Arm
strong. the oldest man in the seal business in
the United States-he has been in it orer TWEEN
ty-fve years, having been in the Russian compa-
ny frst-thinks the life of the seal is about
twenty years. AS to the size of thu skin, a mol
liechckie has about as much as an average
sheep, but when the fippers are cut ont you can
not count on over two thirds of that much A
first-class North American, Bessemer-steel seal
skin sacque must sell at from $3.50 to $500 If
you don't pay that much you may safely count
on not getting frst-class article The skins are
all sold at public auction. in London, to the
highest bidder. Cheap sealskins are either Ja-
pan dyed or the skins, when green, have been
stretched to twice their natural length
The most valuable. fur is that
of an animal called the sea-otter
This fur is used for trimming fine sealskin
sacques. Two natives sometimes get into hid
arkie, skin boat. and go out hundred miles
from st. George, where. if they are extremely
lucky, they may find sea otter asleep, floating,
perhaps sucking her young. If they kill her
they can get 500 for her fur of the company.
The skin is about twice the size of that of the
holliechickie but they are very scarce
"In every district in Alaska where one can
find a valuable fur of any kind there will be
found station Of the Alaska Commercial Com
pany. At every station there is to be found
library, provided by the company, OF from 800
to 1000 volumes. for the use of the attaches of
the company There are at least a dozen of
these libraries. There ia store, school house
and bliiard-hall at each station. The store
and school house are for the natives-the bill
iards for the amusement of the employees. Dur
ing the Turing season these places all closed
up, as every one is expected to be at work.
When tine season is over the stores are opened,
and the new goods are unpacked and displayed.
One popularity of the native woman is that she
must have dress off each kind of goods chiefly
calicoes in the store. The native children are
compelled to go to school where nothing is
taught, but in the English language They are
very dull, taking to nothing but mathematics
and to that in limited way. Since the company
was organized it has paid SIS 100000 revenue to
the government for killing seals. which is equal
to nearly per cent. on the 81, 200, 900 paid in
1867, for Alaska. Oonalaska is the principal de-
pot The improvements made there by the
company represent more than mill
ion dollars in cash outlay and all
the company's improvements in the country,
their property in San Francisco, their ships ETC.,
represent cost of $4,000, 0O0 Nine of the
company's eleven ships sail under the American
flag, the remaining two under the Russian flag.
"Will you go back TO st. George" inquired
the reporter.
''No" was the response ''my family is at
Tacoma, W. I. l am here to get All increase of
pension. was in the Thirty-sixth Indiana /
was wounded three times, and given ounce of
lead-which I still carry-before I was sixteen
years old, and l have been drawing a pension
of $50 month since / was sixteen--that is,
since May 7, 1863"