The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-10-08
SEALS DISAPPEARING.
A Great Industry which Has Been De
stroyed In Five Years.

The Behring sea question is practically
settled.
Like the famous case Of Jarndyce versus
Jarndycc, IT has come to an end because
the property in dispute has been absorbed
while the claimants quarreled about 1t.
The Alaska fur seal ID all but extinct, and
il does not matter now whether the Behring
sea is an open ocean or closed sea. An
industry that has already yielded the United
states Government 100000, and would
have Welded ) 100000 a year for the next
twenty years if it had been preserved, has
been destroyed by pOachers in the short
space Of five years, and no one but few
drunken seal pirates, a dozen schooner
owners. and a few makers of firearms have
benefited by it's destruction.
Five years ago the Government experts
estimated that from 100000 to G,O1O,O00
seals visited the Pribylo Islands every year
for breeding purposes. That was after the
Alaska Commercial Company had held Il
lease Of the island for fifteen years, and had
taken 100 900 seals annually. Then the sea
pirates went TO wOr. in the Bohring sea,
and this year the new lessces of the island
were only able 10 find 2OjOO seals they
could kill aud 10 get that number they took
such small seals that the average weight Of
the skins was reduced from seven TO five
pounds.
Now the news comes from Victoria, Il. c.,
that the pirate sealers have not been able
10 Kill many seals. the big schooner Iri-
umph only catching 500, while the ether
schooners' catches ranged from 400 to 100.
As il takes about 300 skins 10 make seal
inc VOYAGE of n large schooner profitable,
even at the present high price Of Illicit
skins. it will be seen that tie seal pirates
have spoiled their own games as well as
their neighbors.
There is still stronger evidence that the
failure to make good catch to show that
the Alaskan rOOkerics on the American
side have been ruined. Professor Elliott,
whose monograph on the seal islands is the
accented authority on that subject, has lust
returned from II. George with photographs
showing the deserted condition Of the rock
cries. Grass has grown on the once favor
lite breeding places, and seal life is shown
10 be SO scarce that rocks which once
teemc1 with the animals at the breeding
sea mare are and deserted.
Instead OF the halt million or more baohe-
lor seals from which the Alaska company
was always able to take its pick the new
company could not lind twenty-one thou
sand. Professor Elliott has gone TO Wash
ingtOn 10 tell what he knows about the eX-
termination OF seal life and Mr.. Tinglc,
who for years was treasury agent up there.
has gone Fast on the same mission.
How ii was done great many people
know. There were more than sixty schOOn-
ers IN the Behring this year taking seals.
They began about the end Of April heading
of the seals on their way TO the rOokeries,
and are still outlying for them as they are
returning from the breeding grounds
There were more than forty schOOners in
81. l,tg ~
average four boats, with a hunter in each
boat; some Of the large ones carry six or
eight boats and some half dozen Indian
hunters. who work cheaper and are less
trouble.
Sixty SchOOners at an average of 1000
skins each would be 10000 seals, and, as
the seal pirates Kill at least five seals for
every one they secure, the record would
stand 100000 seals killed for the season.
Add TO this the 100000 killed illegally on the
islands and there is Il total Of 100000 per
wear. or :. 400. 900 in four years.
From this il is not hard 10 see where the
seals have gone. All the seals killed in the
omen sea are females-that is, so nearly all
that out of Il cargo of 1900 skins there will
not be hundred males. The killing of
female seal means the death OF her pup.
whether unborn or left on the islands while
the mother is out in search Of food. No seal
will feed a pup not her own, and an orphan
pup, as the natives call them, dies as any
Young mammal dies when deprived of It's
mother. The sealers Kill with rifle and shot
gun, and more than two dead seals sink
and are lost for every one that is recovered.
seals are polygamous, and from natural
causes many females are barren, and this
makes them easily eXterminated, for they
never bear more than one pup during the
season.
Had the pirate sealers been kept out OF
the Behring this year the seal industry Of
Alaska might have been saved by careful
nursing. The new lessees are in great
measure to blame for the failure of Great
Britain 10 consent TO law against pOach-
ing. They announced that all the skins
would be dressed in America after they had
the lease. This was the bright idea of Rus
sell Harrison. the Presidents son, who with
Steve Elkins had an interest in the lease.
The Englishmen then said, if we are 90
Ing 10 lose the trade Of dressing the skins
we have no interest in protecting the seals,
and the pressure that had been brought TO
bear on Salisbury by Sir Arthur Lamson 10
TO stop poaching suddenly ceased.
Then Mr.. Liebes, one of the new lessaes, Of
fered a premium for poaching by putting
up the price of Illicit skins TO 50 and $40
and contracting for them in advance.
The result Of this high price--they had |
sold before for about SI-was what dozens |
Of schoOners fitted out for sealing.
. Now the Alaskan seals are killed OF or |
scared away, and the only source of supply |
lefi is 10 be found on the Russian side. The |
Russians do not argue about the right to
seal in their waters. They destroy the
sealers' boats and confiscate their catch.
sealskins will not be scarce this winter,
but they will be the year after. The. de-
nand last winter was light, and all the fur
'iers have their stocks left on hand. Three
ears from now sealskin VIII be rs scarce
md expensive as line Russian sable.-San
Francisco Examiner.