The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-05-25
ALASKA NEWS.


lnssrssaane f.sesvisw Win HarsAal
Askias-IAs seaaiag Gsssnas - -
vts1laasly Prsse<sea sAis seassa-
GssA Tines h Alaska-
United States Marshal Atkins. of
Alaska registered 1t the Occidental
yesterday. and shortly afterxsrd =
fcsr-IsrEIIasEscxR reporter asked
him to explain the object II his trip.
Il came down. was the r~ply, TO
charter = tug 10 bring TO Seattle the Brit
ish sealing schooners Dolphin. Grace.
Ada and Anna Beck The vessels are
all owned by Victoria parties, who
plead guilty 60 Illegal selling ON con-
dition that the schooners be sold on
the sound This provision ne accesiesi
10. II | cannot get tug 1t reason
able price, ! viii have 10 take up some
crews and sail the vessels down"
what preparations are heing made
this year 70 guard the sealing
grounds -
.The revenue cutter Bear and the
naval vessel Thetis are now en- route
to Behring Sea, and the cutter Rush
viii soon leave for there In addition
the man-of-war Dolphin is en- route
ont from New York, and Is now due
at San Francisco. She is seventeen
knot vessel and none Of the sealing
craft viii be able to escape her.
did you notice in this mornings
Po<F-IxrELIIeEscER. Marshal. the COM
plants OF Captain Jacobs and another
schooner master, about
THE LACK OF PROTECTION
For American fishermen on American
watersg" "Yes, and ! would advise
these men to read section 1856 of the
United States Statutes. They would
then see the uselessness of wasting
money telegraphing TO senators for
assurance that they might seal In
Behring sea without fear Of molesta-
ton They would find that the
statute provides rigiily for the protee-
ton Of seals and provides heavy pen
alties for Illegal fishing. These sealers
generally shoot the animals in the
water and nine out of ten shot sink
Think of the awful wastei They shoot
old and young, male and female,
while the ALASKA Commercial COM
pany only kill two-ycar old bulls, and
the Law sees that they do not kill any
others. Besides the Alaska CONNER
cial Company knocks them in the head
when they are on land and q govern
ment inspector selects those that may
be lawfully killed. Some American
shipmasters might well take pattern
after the English masters. have
seized eighteen British schooners and
never had bit of trouble with any of
them, while the Americans generally
kick up n rumpus, call the United
States government pirates and act
nasty generally. They do not seem 10
understand that all the measures
taken are necessary to protect a very
important source of revenue
How does the company manage to
get the seals on land, so that they may
be knocked over3"
.'Well. you see, that all the seals in
the northern ocean come to Pibalon
islands, two small islands in the Ben
ring sea, to breed. This isl0by com
mon consent of the seal tribe, the
general breeding ground. They begin
to arrive in June and all leave the
latter part Of August. They are on
the island in large numbers and
THE NES DRIVE THEM
As they would sheep back into the
islands into sheds and enclosures.
There they can he killed without fear
Of wastefuf slaughter II is ridiculous
to think that the Alaska Commercial
Company has anything TO do with the
governments watchfnlness of Illegal
sealing. The company's lease has only
two more years to run, and they would
not like anything better than not to be
protected in their contract. so as to get
u big bill Of damages against the gov
eminent"
what will probably be done with
the sealing grounds when the compa-
dy's lease expires?"
II don't know. but the company
knows that there is no prospect OF get
ting a renewal My idea is that when
the lease is out the natives should have
the privilege under government inspec-
ton. They cannot make living any
other way. They could afford to pay
the government a royalty of $3.50 a
pelt and they would have - or $3.50
left. That would be much better than
farming the privilege out to any COM
pany. Under my plan the dealers
could go there and buy direct from the
natives
HOW are prospects III genetai thiS
Year,
First rate. Every steamer up is
crowded and one has to engage a state
room two OF three trips in advance.
There is great deal of prospecting be
ing done and a great many men are
going into the Yukon. There are
some very rich diggings there without
doubt. I have seen every safe in Ju-
neau vacated of books, etc, and packed
with gold dust, and recently saw Mr..
Reed, Juneau merchant, stamp the
dust in with his feet so that he could
close the safe door. The government
steamer Albatross has arrived to in
vesiigate the fishing grounds and will
spend two or three years there. The
special object of her visit Is TO deter
mine the desirability OF introducing
eastern methods OF fishing there. Yes,
this is a good year for Alaska"