Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-05
WORK OF THE RUSH.
A Pittsburger Who Was Surgeon on
That Revenue Cutter.
THE SEAL FISHERIES MONOPOLY.
Seizure of Depredating Vessels Going on
for Four FEARS.
WHY ONLY ONE SEAMAN is PUT ABOARD

A reporter for The DISPATCH conversed
yesterday with DR.. Paul M. Darlington,
surgeon for the United States Marine Hos
pital service in this city, who was, during
the season of 1887, the surgeon of the reve-
nue. cutter Rush, in Behring Sea.
''The Rush." he said, 'has been engaged
in just such work, of seizing depredators,
for four years at least. The American peo-
pie generally seem to be possessed of num-
Der of erroneous ideas concerning the Rush.
That vessel is not under jurisdiction of the
Navy Department, and does not belong to
the naval force. 1t belongs to the
Revenue Marine, which is bureau
Of the Treasury Department. 1t is the work
of that bureau to prevent violations of the
custom laws, to look after smugglers, and so
on. Lieutenant Tuttle is usually spoken
of, even in newspaper editorials, as the
commander of the Rush. He is the execu-
tive officer. The commander is Captain L.
q. Shepard. Both of these gentlemen are,
of course, commissioned officers, receiving
their commissions from the President.
1.-THE situation in Behring Sea is this:
The Government has leased to the Alaska
Commercial Company the exclusive right
to catch seals on four islands. Two of these
islands, Otter and Walrus Islands, contain
very few seals. The two larger islands, St.
Paul and st. George, swarm with the fur
bearing animals. There appear to be
millions of them there. On these islands
the company is allowed to kill 100, 900 seals
a year. On St. Paul they kill about So, 900
and on St. George about $4,000. The COM
pany has lease of the seal islands on the
Russian side of the sea, so that it
HAS ALMOST A MONOPOLY
of the seal fisheries. It seems that when the
Government made this contract with the
Alaska Commercial Company it agreed to
protect them in their right. 1t is for. that
reason that the revenue cutter Rush is kept
in those waters. No other persons are al
lowed to kill seals, except the natives, for
food and clothing purposes.
1.-THE Alaska Company pays to the United
States Government an annual stated sum of
$50, 900 / think it is, and 50 121z on each
seal skin obtained. This makes an aggre-
gate sum of over $3.50, 900 paid into the
United States Treasury. The Government |
can afford to protect its lessee for that |
revenue. Formerly the company paid also |
10 cents a gallon for seal oil, but believe |
that it has quit saving that.
"There is no danger of extermination Of |
the seals if the company alone is permitted |
to kill them They are permitted to kill |
only male seals OF q certain age. Three |
years is about the right age to kill them for
their skins. The seals of different classes
on the rocks in separate 'rook-
cries. That is the name given to their
gathering places where they sun themselves
and take the air. The females and old bulls
go in one class, while the young males, or
bachelors, go by themselves. The old males
will not allow the young males to go near
the females until they are about years old.
1t is therefore an easy matter to find the
young males alone and to slaughter them.
"When rookery is attacked a party of +
native seal hunters are sent into the water
in front of the rocks where the seals are
lying. By cries and splashing of the water
the hunters frighten the seals inland to some
level place, where they are herded up like a
flock of sheep. Three or four men can herd
a large drove of them. The killers then go
TO their work. They are experts, and can
tell by an animals nose what is its age or
sex. The killing is done by sharp blow
IN the head with club. 1t is
A RATHER TRYING SPECTACLE
for novice. The poor animals moan like
human beings. AS soon as they are skinned
The blubber is carried away by natives. At
Sitka choice skins in the raw state bring
about $40. They are sent TO London, where
they are plucked, dressed and dyed. The
manner of preparing them is secret, and
London workers have monopoly of that
business
"The seizure of intruders in the seal
Stands is not a new thing. 1t has been
yoing on since 1886, at least. No fuss was
made about it prior to this season. Amer
can vessels as well as British are seized if
.hey have been poaching. In 1886 three yes-
;els were seized. 1 think they were all
British. Whether it was the Rush or Cor
win which made the seizures that year, do
not remember.
"The next season I was on board the Rush.
That year we made u seizures Half of
hem were American and half Canadian. L
,hink we took from those vessels from S75,-
700 to $1OO, 900 worth of sealskins. 1t was
he rule to put only one man, as prize
crew, on board ofa captured vessel. Captain
Crawford was unable to do any better than
hat, because he had crew of only 35 men,
hardly more than enough to operate the ves-
el That season we ran short of available
men for prize crews, and had to order one
Canadian vessel to 60 unaccompanied
o Sitka. 1t ran away, just as
ome of them have been doing this
rear. 1 remember we had quite a
augh about it. The seizure of the skins,
however, is considerable punishment on
he pirates. The skins are confscated at
sitka and sold by the United States Mar
hal. Eleven of the vessels seized in 1887
vent into the port of Sitka, and we had
luite feet there when we got in at the end
# the season, They were condemned by
Judge Dawson, of the United States Dis
rict Court. Appeals were taken and have
lot yet been decided. Some OF the vessels
till lie at Sitka, while Others were taken
ut in bond"