St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-24
SEALS ARE SCARCE.
Their Total determination
Threatened by the Seal
PoaeherS in the Beh-
ring Seas.
A Great Kick by the Lessees
Of the Islands Of st.
George and st.
Paul.
Prompt and Decisive Action
Demanded of the United
States Govern
ment.
A Record of Over 100000
Female Seals Slaughtered
and Their Young
Left to Die.

In the recent debate in the Englisl
house of commons upon the Behring
sea correspondence it was said that the
claim of the United States that Cana.
dian poacherS were DISCRIMINATING the
seals was untrue. The statement coin
cideS with the declaration of Lord Sails.
bury in the correspondence with Secre
tary Blaine that the pelagic fishing o.
these poachers is net damaging to seal
life. The facts officially reported. how
ever, leave both declarations without
leg to stand upon. Capt. Erslline, for
many years employed by the Alaska
Commercial company, arrived at San
Francisco from OunalaSka on the 18th
inst. with personal documentary evil
dence which cannot be questioned
of the destruction of seals 10y
poachers. He furn ishes list
of twenty-three British Columbian
poaehers, with the number of skins cap
tured by each up to July l. The total
amounts to 18TH, and is swelled to
10000 by the list of ''unassorted
catches" This represents Il slaughter
of $4,000, as OH the average one seal in
three, if not more, when the animals are
shot at from boats, escapes and SubSe-
QueDtly dies. Up to the present year
the Alaska company has been allowed
to take 100000 seals per annum. This
year the government cont ract allows
only 60, 900 to be taken. The actual
catch ha been only 21,000. Why? Be
cause the pOachers have so cut down
the number of seals frequenting
the Pribyloff islands that only
about one-fOurth the ordinary number
has gone there this year. When Capt.
ErSkine left Ounalaska there were fifty
five vessels, each bearing the British
flag all bound for Behring sea. These
pOachers will slaughter thousands more
in the waters around the islands-thou-
sands of female seals. be it remembered,
seeking food for their young, or soon to
give birth to them. Such are the gen
eral results of six years poaching.
The statements made by Capt. En-
skine have been confirmed bv the o fiji
GERS of the cutter Rush and by the Pres
ident of the North American CONNER
cial company, the new lessee OF Priby-
loft Islands. The latter says:
| have been in the business for twenty
years, and predict that il Behring sea is not
closed to the sealers OF al nations during
July. August and September at least, fur
seals will soon be found only in museums.
Any one will realize that complete extermi-
nation Will soon come wnen the terribly de-
stTuctive methods OF the sealers are SHOWN.
Practically, every seal taken by the poacherS
is female soon to give birth 10 It's young,
and only one out OF six that are shot IS taken.
Thus the 1000 lstaken by the poachers
I'D to July of this year means nearly 100.
coo females killed, with. as many Young
ones. t.-
The females reach the rookeries where they
congregate in June and July Here each
female gives birth to one pup, young and
helpless. Until September the females visit
the fishing banks, fifty miles away. to secure
food, making the distance i'll about an hour.
The poachers operate here largely, and the
young of those that are killed perish on the
islands We are allowed to kill only the
bachelors on the islands. and we give bond
OF S500,00p that we will kill no females.
Thus the government requires payment for
each male skin taken and lets the poachers
kill the females free of charge.
1t is needless TO multiply evidence on
this point. The fur seal poachers are
masters of the situation. The contract
of the Commercial company is prOltlesS
because of poaching. In short time a
great industry will be wiped out and
there Will be nothing TO contend Tor III
Behring sea, because the seal islands
will be depopulated and the seal rock
cries as a field of industry and profit
dUdIuOIltu. DIltlSH SlCCtt anu DuliuO"-
ing will result in the practical seizure
of a privilege which legally and equi-
tably belongs to this country. Great
Britain will add to its audacity assaults
upon the motives of this country and
its secretary of state, and offensive and
unfriendly taunts that the policy OF the
latter is based upon the eXigencles OF
domestic politics. These Inbred and
offensive allegations the administration
apparently has not the courage to re-
sent.
The bluff of Lord Salisbury that Eng
land would hold the United States le-
sponsible for the consequences OF inter
fering with the Canadian seal pc achers
has done its perfect work with a scared
administration, and left the pOacherS
free to do as they please. They Will
soon settle the question by leaving moth
ing for the two countries to contend
about. There is one man, however,
who would have told my Lord Salisbury
to do his worst If Mr.. Blaine had or
dered revenue cutters to seize p0acherS
he would have stuck to his orders in
spite of English bluff and bombaSt.
These facts have caused great Hurry
in New York among the dealers, and
skins have advanced 80 per cent again,
and the whole market is demoralized.
No matter how this matter is adjusted,
one thing is certain, that seals will adj
vance each year. Such dealers as had
'.sand" last spring. and purchased lib
orally, have hit it this year. Ransom 81
Horton. of this city, probably were tho
largest buyers in the market, and have
about 100000 in Seal Skins and Gar
ments, which they purchased in Feb
ruary, and as long as they last will give
their customers Seal Goods at last years
prices. Later on the prices, OF course,
will be raised. Now is the time to get
in your order or select your Garment.