St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-03
SEALS ALMOST EXTINCT.
The Worst Reports From Alaska Fully
Confirmed.
POACHING MUST BE STOPPED
And Legal Catching Suspended, or the
Seal Interests of the Government
Will Be Ruined.
Special Telegram.

Special Telegram.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 29.-That the en-
tire number of killable seals on the
Aleutian islands, which comprise the
only sealing grounds belonging to the
United States. is now less than one
hundred thousand, was the startling IN
telligence presented to-day to Secre-
taries Window and Blame. This in
formation comes from Prof. Henry w.
Elliott, of the Smithsonian institution,
and will be transmitted by the secretary
OF the treasury in special message to
congress so soon as that body cOnvenes.
Prof. Elliott has just returned from
the fishing grounds.
reports OF special treasury agents
prior to 1899 had been so conflicting that
congress last summer decided TO send
man to the Islands whom they could
trust. George X. Jingle, special agent
under the Cleveland administration, re-
ported that seals by the millions
swarIned upon the islands, and pooh
pOOhed the talk of danger Charles j.
Goff. of West Virginia, later presented
to Secretary Window a carefully pre-
pared statement demonstrating tnat not
one-tenth of the seals described in Tin
giles report came TO the island. Now,
Prof. Elliott fully corTOborates Mr.. Golf.
This fact places Jingle in a queer posi-
ton, especially as he is now suDerin-
tendent of the corporation which Sc
cured the sole right TO catch the seals.
Prof. Elliott refuses TO talk until his
report has been submitted to congress.
but from other sources it Is learned that
very crooked work perpetrated during
the Cleveland administration is laid bare
by the professor.
The report is backed by surveys,
plates and affidayits, ana will show that
since 1872 the humber of bachelor seals
has been reduced from 100000 to less
than 100000. In fact, Prof. Elliott
doubts very much If enough kilIabie
seals remain for next years eaten. The
report will recommend that the govern
mellt shall deSist from its catches for at
least seven years. 1t urges that unless
this is done the seals will be absolutely
eXterminated.
Mr.. Golf was apprehensiye as to the
proprIety OF taking even $4,000 seals q
year-the number Secretary Window
had specified in his advertisement call
ing for proposals for new lease of the
seal islands. He suggested that 4O, 600
be the limit.
His advertisement having been made
public, however. Secretary Window de-
clined. for obvious reasons. TO change
the figures. The lease was awarded
to the North American Commercial
Company, of San Francisco. They
bid S10.25 per skin, the next
highest offer being put SS.TO. No
doubt was expressed by any one. unless
by Mr.. Gotf, OF the ability of the new
company to getits 5000 skins. and their
manager, eX-Speeial Treasury Agent
Jingle, assured his employers that he
would secure GOOD Of the finest skins
that were ever brought down from those
islands.
How false was Mr.. Tingle's prognosti-
cation is shown by the investigation of
Prof. Elliott.
The four resident special treasury
agents who assisted Prof. Elliott. and
the officers of the revenue marine.
twenty-five or thirty all told, have lit,
tie hesitation iii expressing themselves,
and Prof. Elliott seems to indorSe their
views. In short, these agents declare
that the seal interests OF the government
on the Privyloy Islands, are to-day on
the verge OF speedy and complete eXter.
mlnation, unless the government orders
and enforces rest Oh land and
sea. They positively assert that
the point has been reached where
further killing on land and con.
tlnued hunting in open waters means
the immediate ruin of the sealing inter
ests of the United States. OF course,
the agents Of the new corporations
naturally would like to continue killing
next year, even if they get but a few
thousand seals. for the determination
OF the animals in Alaskan waters would
make. sealsklns correspondence more
valuable.
Last year tO0, 900 seals were caught by
the most vigorous and terrific driving
and seraping.. This year the same rak-
ing and scraping yielded only 81 .OOC on
both islands-16,000 on St. Paul, 400
on st. George.
The old hauling grounds of these ISL
ands, which, when Prof. Elliott was
there years ago, were covered with
thousands and tens of thousands of sur
plus young males, are now grass grown
and abandoned. The few young male
seals caught are taken from the lmme-
diate margins of the sealing rOokeries
which no sealing gang ever visited 10
the old times.