Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-09

Our Fur Seal Industry Threat
ened With determination.
At Least Five Killed to Each Skin
Secured.

Last Year British Poachers stole over
$4,000 Skins and Lost More Than Four
Times That Number, While an Ameri-
can Company Paying for the Privilege
Could Secure but FL 900.
WASHINGTON, Dec. o Mr.. Sheldon
jackson, who was last spring appoint d
United States general agent of educa-
ton for Alaska, having completed his
labors, has returned to Washington,
and reported to Secretary Noble for
assignment in the bureau of education.
Mr.. Jackson, in conjunction with his
mission for the bureau Of education,
was also an agent for the census bureau
in the capacity of enumerator.
Soon after his appointment he started
for Alaska, and since that time has
directed his attention principally to a
thorough examination cf the condition
of the natives, their modes of living,
education, etc. He will soon begin the
preparation of a report ON these sub
jects Which, it is believed, will be one
OF the most valuable documents of its
kind ever submitted to the government
on the conditions and needs of the
Alaskan territory Mr. jackson was on
board the revenue cutter Bear four
months which enabled him to get at
the heretofore inaccessible portions Of
Alaska, and to secure some valuable
statistics respecting the number Of
natives now there.
On the voyage the Bear reached a
point as far north as Point Barrow,
where Mr.. jackson established a school
under the supervision of the Uni ed
States, and which, he says, is the north
ernmost school in North America
While he was chiefly interested in the
subjects enumerated, Mr.. jackson
studied the fur seal fisheries. He is
very emphatic in his denunciation of
the illegal actions of the British poach-
ers and the "bulldoZing" tactics of the
English government against the United
States.
The Sealing Industry
"If the government of the United
States, he says, docs not Immediately
take aggressive measures to prevent the
wanton destruction of fur seals, this
great and lucrative industry will in a
year or so be totally eXterminated. Last
year the North American Fishing COM
pany executed a contract with the
United States agreeing to pay equiva-
lently 81 100000 annually for the priv
ilege of taking 10000 skins, but were
unable to take more than 2l 900; while
the British poachers swarming the
waters in open defiance of our revenue
cutters and the laws of the United
States, illegally and indiscriminately
4
This number, however, only repre-
sent about one.ffth of their actual
plunder, for while in an endeavor to
capture them under water, the poachers
killed more than 200, coo seals which
they could not bring to the surface.
The officers of the Bear, very often,
without orders or authority were pow
erless to do anything to prevent the de-
struction of the seals, and the poachers
in sheer defiance of their presence, con-
tinued the destructive work as long as
there was anything in sight, until there
are very few live seals remaining. They
unfortunately killed, in or out of the
catching season, and femalesseals were
treated with no more consideration than
the males. Young seals, scarcely able
to take care of themselves in the water
were maiciously killed.
They were not taken from the rook-
cries by the poachers as demanded by
the contract of a legitimate company,
paying enormously for the privilege,
but were killed by carbines directed by
Indians in canoes, under protection of
English cruisers. 1t is absolutely neces-
sary that the United States should send
her navy into these waters to seize
every English poaching vessel found
within the thTee-mile limit illegally
killing off the remaining seals. Three
years ago the rookeries at this season of
the year were black with breeding seals,
while now there are scarcely any of
them, and If nothing is done to protect
the seals the industry, in little more
than year will have been totally ex-
terminated. 1t may appear strange,
but it is nevertheless true, that young
seals. soon after their birth, if put in
the water will drown just like any
other animals naturally thriving on
terra firma.
Il noticed that Secretary Blaine in
the recent correspondence with Lord
Salisbury on the fur seal dispute,
called his attention to the fact that the
English government exercised an exclu
sive monopoly of the pearl industry, on
the Pearl islands, OFF the coast of India.
How long do you suppose they would al
low the United States or any other in
truder to reap the benefits of that in
dustry? Only long enough for them to
dispatch their big cruisers to those
waters and seize and hold for damages
every poaching vessel found reaping the
benefits OF their monopoly.
MEXICAN MATTERS.