Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-03-20

most expensive Iur IN the market /, NJ
of the sea otter, and that good g.
it comes from the Pacific enast =
new State Of Washington. The a.,
in which they arc taken is very Ri
being only from Damon's Point
northern entrance to Gray's Harbm
to Point Greenvillc, distance Of !,
"a miles.
Unlike that of the seal, the fur i
sea otter requires no plucking Of II.
coloring-in fact, the most vaIuabs. Il
are those which are speckIed Rs' i
with asilver-tipped hair, the addiiis
this hair adding 20 to so per cent. nj
price of the skin.
The hunters build for themsev.,
ricks about forty feet high. By M.
three slim poles or pieces Of timber r
about forty feet in length, and bo+s
them securely together at one end ma
top, then spread them about tweDrs
feet apart at the bottom, giving 4, Y
pearance of huge tripod. Theses 4
on the ocean beach, about midWT n
tween high and low tides, the foot as|
poles being imbedded in the sand
two to three feet. The structure 4 |.
thoroughly braced and ladder bpa
the top by mailing pieces at eonula|
distances crosswise on the inland
About eighteen inches below The tm
the tripod cross timbers are secura
the legs, and upon these cross timbsl
floor from four to five feet SQUARES N
and on the oceanward and two adior.
sides walls are built up from three NJ
half to four feet in height. On The n
side a door is constructed to allow n
hunter easy ingress and egress % n
from his crows nest. On The tn
the tripod, which extends about eiet-|
inches above the floor, a seat { Il
structed, and around the inside q Il
wall a row of shelving is placed.
At low tide, when the wind i vrs
tious, the hunter hies himself to hsqaI
nest, armed with a good pair Of gsss /
a Sharp's rife, a lunch and little sd
thing to keep himself warm, and ia
long hours he scans the line Of theas
Just outside of the breakers, vher II
most expects his game TO appear
When the tide first begins to foaH
range is about 600 yards, but s. It II
in the range is shortened to 200
yards. Even at these latter disnns
requires close calculation to knoE
how to shoot to overcome the h2
fall of the ocean swell and the efa Il
the wind upon the bullets. hEa
that not one out of 100 shots Of he 4
marksmen is effective. When the ta
full the derrick stands in the mids
the breakers, and land lubber lhE
self feels a little squeamish, lo1i
down from the dizzy heights on han
ing waters below.
The shooting is generally done
flood-tide, so the animal when killed
wash ashore, and even then it j 4
times three or four DAYS aftr VI
killed before it is beached Unia
edly many Others arc killed and nsa
come ashore.
Each hunter marks his bullets va
mark known 10 the other huntn
when an otter is found on the beach
first duty Of the finder is to look is
bullet and ascertain who is the hgz
owner, for this sign is respected ~
the hunters as sacredly as mafn
brands are among stockmen VIA.
otter comes ashore with no build
him, as frequently occurs, the y
having gone clean through the Boy
no notice having been given, Il :
garded as a " sliek-earn in stoeEn
parlance, and belongs to the fndei
Sometimes an otter, on reeelE4
death shot, sinks, but the hunter
ally knows when he has bit hsna
BY observing the water with bis gl
he can discern, even at the create
tances which they shoot, the colou-
the water from the blood Of the all-
and, if he does not come ashore O
tide, notice is at once given 70 ih
hunters, who are then on the alert z
him. But l opine that beach COMES
the shape of stealthy Indians gd
with many an otter killed by the
hunters. / have had occasion
times to pass along the beach Of "
during the hunting season, but ! y
found the fiat tracks Of the sEa.
ahead of me, printed there since Al
tide.
The Indians hunt the sea oas
canoes, going out and coming II u
the surf. Sometimes they 60 70
miles to sea and stay out several
But when they hnnt along within
or two of the shore. then there
on the face of the moon, and lni
hunter waxeth wroth, for INC
scares away his game. When iaAs
otter is skinned whole, as i weTe
ting across the Launches and ~
the skin down the body ana o's
head. The skin is then turned,
in, and board showed through Il
then frightened by driving q wedges
piece down on one side beiso
board and the skin, aud aaoina
trarywise on the other. All me g.
then carefully removed, and ins
dried and laid away ready "
market. -
An average skin is about Eve is.' I,
by twelve inches wide, double .
cut, twenty-four inches wide, -.
hunters hands, is valued 81 from
1920 but these prices leave ~ y 4.
margin to the fur men who hanu- a
In Russia an overeoat made ~ -
same otter skins brings from 90
80 nnn Iii = nlf-a TTHN ~