Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-08-20
THE SEA OTTER.
-rs Ear Is More FNpersive Than
SeaIskin.

Perhaps few people are aware that
fra most expensive fur in the market
ID fFlt Of the sea otter, and that good
lea. uf It comes from the Pacific coast
- rrr new state OF Washington. The
rrrr.f1.v In which they are taken is
,.r. limited, being only from Damon's
Tlmt. Ou the northern entrance to
Gry's IlubUr, up To Point GreenviIle,
Ya.stlrrr Of about - miles.
y.uEn that of the seal, the fur OF
IA. -rl otter requires no plucking of
b,r or cui1Uiu--iu fact, the most
ytw,rs skins are those which are
-sen..I through with = silver-tipped
rlr- f.e add.tlo or this hair adding
-rto rD per cent, To the price of the
skin.
The hunters build for themselves
farrI.NS about forty feet high, by tax
inc three slim poles or pieces of tim
I.r each about forty feet In length,
and rottiur them securely together 1t
one end Tor the top, then spread them
about twenty-five feet apart ut the bot
tom. giving the appearance of huge
tripnI. These are set on the ocean
beach, about midway Letween high and
low tides, ths foot of the poles being
TmNrIGeI Iu the sand from two 10
IFUIa lt HiluClult II Illtu
thoroughly bracCd and "A ladder built to
the t1r uy mailing pieces at convenient
distances crOSswise on the inland.
About eighteen inches below the top
of the tripod cross timhers are secured
ta tie legs, and upon these cross timb-
ers door from four TO tive feet square
IS hiI. and on the oceanward and two
adjoining side walls are built up from
three ami a half to four feet in height.
ON The Land side 4 door ~ constructed
t5 allow the hunter easy iugreSs and
s-ra>s to ald from his ''crOw's nest"
Ug tho top II the tripod, which eX-
tends about eighteen inches above the
fr0r. a seat Is constructed, and around
the inside of the wall = row OF shelving
is placed.
Al low tIc. when the wind Is propi-
ur.s. the hunter hies himself To his
rruv's nest. armed with a good pair
Of glasses. q ~uIrp's rifle, a lunch and
"a Uu.e something tn keep himself
warm. uuJ tor SIX long hours he scaus
tte uue 90 the ocean Just outside of
tle breakers, when ue most expects his
-lua Oh appear.
When tEe tide first begins to flood
I.s. s.ln-a .F about 600 yards, ~ IL runs
u f.r r.r.-. Is shortened to 3Ou or so
....... |.H|.N HAa AlltNf AAANEI NANAsAlAaNN
% r.#..r.E close calculation 10 know
Igs. how tr sauut to overcome the rise
and -l- nc Ga. ocean swell and the et-
feet uI t.e wjad upon the bullets. 1t
Is said ..lt NOT one out OF 100 shots OF
tue best u.,lasm is effective When
tEe TILE Is full the derrick stands in the
u.I-go OF tue breakers, and land lub-
Ter Use uEsuit feels little Squeamish,
Igu.u.- down from the dizzy heights on
the lHUiu- waters below.
Iu. shooting IS generally done On 4
louJ--ul., SD the ap.rlIi when killed
vii. wGsl. .,-uoUe, and even then IL is
sometimes three OF four days after one
kuul before It is beached. Undoubt-
ell, many others are killed and never
do come ashore.
Each hunter marks his bullets with a
mars known 70 the other hunters, and
when Iu otter Is found on the beach,
the urst duty of the finder Is To look
Tor tla lu.le; and ascertain who IA the
r.garEu, owner, for this sign Is re
sgp.'rI amuug the hunters as sacredly
As marks and brands are among stock
men. When AN otter comes ashore
with uo bullet on him. as frequently
occurs. the bullet having gone clean
through the body, and no notice hav-
ing been given, II Is regarded as a
",l.k carr ia stOckmen's paTlance,
ami belongs tO the tirder.
Sometimes an otter, on receiving a
death shot, sinks, but the hunter
generally knows when he has hit his
mark. I.y Observing the water with his
glasses, he can discern, even at the
greater distances which they shoot, the
vu,u.lE e The water from the blool of
= II. ~ HN.a
ashore Ou that tide, notice Is at once
given to the other hunters, who are
then ou TIE alert to find him. But |
opue that beach combers, in the shape of
s,gatly Indians, get away with many
go u.tyU killed by the white hunters
have had occasion many times To pass
along thr beach 1T daylight during the
hunting season, but l always found the
tNt tracks of the siwash Just ahead Of
Wu, printed there since the last high
tile.
The Indians hunt the sea otter in
canoes, going out AMI coming IN
through the surf. Sometimes they 20
lIur - miles to sea and stay out sew
eru days. But when they hunt along
within % mile or two of the shore, then
there Is blood ON the face of the moon,
IuI the white hunter "waXeth wroth, y
Tor tar Indian sC1Tes away his game.
When taken, the otter Is skinned
whole, as 1t were, by cutting across
the lunches AMI stripping the skin
down the body and over the head. The
skin Is then turned, the fur in, and a
boIyi showed through it. IL is then
tl-Hryued by driving a wedge-shaped
piece down ON one side between the
b0arl and the skin, and another con.
turywIse on the other. AL the grease
is tvu carefully removed, and the skin
NduyI and LAID away, ready for the
market
An average skin Is about five feet
long by twelve inches wide, double, oI
when cut, twenty-four inches wide,
AMI lu the hunters hands, is valued al
from 500 tn sl2O; but these prices leave
"a handsome margin to the fur mer
Wun handle them. In Russia an over
coat male from these same otter skin:
bunrs from II 900 To 1900, while in
China even more is sometimes paid.
tar season for killing sea otter eX
lrufs from May To October, and 81
.'',,r IS this game becoming. thai
,'.Ia season Is considered doing wei
"' duF hunter. In fact, some pass tht
sou without taking any.
The hunters have a rule among
l'em,e.v,s-whi"h isFtrIctly Observed
''at only one derrick can lie allowed
".JHu range, /. e., about a half mile
aus giving the whole beach a regu
"uty of appearance not elsewhere ob
Sr,vah'e.
"
Eyeglasses or Spectacles.
As tO tho cunrca hatwaan eyeplaSse