Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-01-27

-Kdtc Ryan, IN Denlorcscs Monthly
SEALS AND SEALSKlNS.
where tho Most Valuable Fur-Dearlng &
Species Arc Found.
While n great many people are inter-
csted in sealskins, most of them have n
rather vague idea rs to the animal
from which they arc stripped.
Every spring, when it is announced
that the Juan Maycn hunters have
brought 20, 600. 80, 600, 1000 or 60, 900
to Dundee, or that those who rendcz-
vous Mt ST. Johns or Harbor Grace
have landed 200, 900 or more, the prints
which especially concern themselves
with ladies' dress are filled
with jubilation over tho mp
preaching chcapncss OF the fur to pos
sess which seems to constitute the acme
of female ambition, In reality these
captures off Newfoundland or in the
Arctic sea have no effect whatever on
tho fur market. They arc chair
seals, of no value except for their hides,
out of which leather Is made, or for
their blubbcr. No fur seals, in the
sealskin- jacket sense of the term, are
found in the North At
lnntic. They are almost en- tircly con-
fined to the North and South Pacific.
From the South Shetlands and the
Georgian Islands, the seals. once so
abundant, have almost vanished; and
neither st. Paul's nor the Crozets,
nor Marion Isle, the Elephant Isle and
Amsterdam nor even the Tristan da
Cunha yield any thing like the number
they once did. The carly adventures
who first fell among the 'Rookerics"
in these localities seem to have had
such glorious time that their less for
tunntc successors can not help envying
them. even at the distance of Il century,
though sealskins were not SO valuable
in those far-nway days, In 1909, when
the fur-scal business was ut its height
at the Georgian Islands, 10000 seals
were taken, of which $1,000 were Sc
cured by single ship. Between the
years 1920 and 1921 over 800, 600 seals
were taken at the South Shetland
Islands alone, though, in addition tc
the number of old ones killed
for their fur, not fewer thar
one hundred thousand newly born
young died in consequence of the de-
struction of their mothers. So indis
criminate was the slaughter that when
ever seal reached the beach. no mat
ter what age, it was immediately
clubbed. The result of this butchcry
was soon apparent In 1922 the enor.
nous herds in the South Shetlands had
been exterminatcd, AMI in 1880 sealing
in the South Sea was pronounced Il los.
ing business, the old resorts of the an.
imals having been abandoned o,
cleared out" so that hunters had tc
go further atield or be content with
profits much smaller or much more
precarious At this day fur seals OF
different species are picked up all
through the Antarctic and SUDAN.
tarctic regions, as well as along the
coast of Japan and Siberia, as far as
Kamschatka, the Kuirries and Behr-
ing Strait, From California, north
ward three species are found. A
few are seen on the shores of Cali
fornia, Oregon and Washington Terri
tory, and the Indians of Vancouver Is
land and British Columbia find mod
crate profit in those which they kill. 1t
is, however, not until the Prybiloy, or
Seal Islands, off the shores of Alaska,
are reached that the fur seal attains its
4, toll 1nac ht.
tho United States Government to II
commercial company, who are bound
by their contract, made in pursuance
of an act of Congress, not to kill moro
than 75, 600 y year on St. Paul's Island,
or moro than %. 900 on st. Georges Is
land. though the Secretary of the
Treasury has power to alter the ratio
for each island il he pleases. or to
extend the period for killing them from
juno TO the 10th of August. and
then after an interval during Septem-
ber and October. Tho killing of fe-
malo seals and seals less than one year
old and, among other regulations to
the same effect, the use of firearms or
other means tending 10 drive the seals
away from the islands are expressly
forbidden. No dogs are permitted on
the islands, and no vessels other than
those employed by the company are
permitted to touch there or land any
persons or merchandise. except in case
Of shipwreck or vessels in distress,
The method of capture is TO drive the
seals into heads OF pods" where they
are leisurely dispatched by the blows
of n club on the head. London Stand
ard.
"A tidy housekeeper of Lisbon, Me.
l.