The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-20
ALASKAN COD.
Fishing May Soon Become the
Sole Native Industry.

A. IT. Livingston, who is connected with
an Alaskan trading company, came down
from the north few days ago. He has
spent the last twelve months on Popoff, an
island of the Shumagin group. and on Sa-
max, which is near the Behring Sea.
" The principal occupation in Alaska at
this season is catching Goldfish" said Mr..
Livingston, land if the fur-bearng animals
continue to decrease it will net be long be-
fore the islanders and the residents along
the coast will be dependent upon Goldfish fol-
their entire livelihood. All of the Aleuts
and Indians are engaged in this occupation,
and since the fish have become scarce
around Newfoundland, on the Atlantic,
Alaska has furnished almost all of these
fish used for commercial purposes. They
are quite as large as the Eastern fish and are
generally better Favored.
The seals are beginning to come south
now, the breeding season being over. They
60 as far south us the equator, and then turn
occupied in the round trip, SO that thu seals
will not be seen at Alaska again i'll large
numbers before June. This annual mlgra-
ton is never omitted.
"When they return they coIgregate about
the islands of st. Paul and ST. George, be-
.
SO soft and muddy that the SEALS to protect
their furS, choose the harder surface. The
bulls arrive at the islands first and fight for
the better positions. The reason is obvious,
for the cows will naturally surround the
choice spots, and hence the ambition of the
males. The prices for sealskins are down
just now TO about $40 each, although they
have been as high as SO during the summer
season.
THE natives keep we'll posted on the
prices Of turs in the London market. Rates
fuctuate materially in few days some
times, and remember one old hunter to
whom / paid $50 for sea-oter skins. We
both considered the price high, but with the
next mail came the news OF Il sudden rise IN
values, and the old fellow furiouSly accused
me of cheating him. The sea-otter is now
SO rare that the prices last season were
never lower than S125 each, and at one time
reached $500. You can see that hunter
securing fifteen skins In a season is doing
remarkably well.
The chief explanation of the extermina-
ton OF the otter is the reckless way ii
which they are slaughtered. There is law
in force that they can only be killed by ma.
tives, and then only by the use of spear.
This law IS openly violated, and ire
quently white hunters place a net in the
water about 100 feet from the shore. They
watch the net, and when an otter becomes
entangled shoot hini. The skin must be re-
moved immediately. If the fur be allowed
to remain on dead animal for few hours
it becomes valueless.
THE high rate of mortality among the
natives still continues. In addition to the
pulmonary complaints which annually deci-
mate their ranks, many die through their
Incorporate habits. They ara very fond of
having prasnik, which is another name for
a particularly high jinks. A prasnik is an
nounced rs often as the physical natures OF
the Aleuts will permit They make barrels
of srE#n han -
hops and v alter, and become very drunk on
this decOctiOn. When the beer is consumed
they eat the sediment.
AT the conclusion Of every prasnik there
is business for the undertakers, and the ma
tives innocently wonder at the cause of their
iIlua.c