The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-10
HUNTING SEA OFFERS.
A LONELY OCCUPATION IN the TT.
tIEIC NORTHWEST.
One OF tho Most Valuable OF Furs-kscn
Mark mnn-hip md Great Perseverance,
Necessary go Success.

| tho residents OF the State Of Washington. that
| off tho coast along tho edge uf the Pacific
| Ocean. and almost in tho shadow OF tho ma
| jcstic olympic range of mountains Is found. In
numbers now rivasling tho product OF the
| Acutiau Islands. tho much. ptiaed sea otter
| an animal which furnishes the most expensive
| fur known to the comnetcial world; lhe
sea otter fur requires dyeing to tit 1t for use
| like the seal fur, and in its natural state is
| worth ten or twenty times tho figure that tho
| seaskin sells for. 1t is not usually made INTO
clopks or sacqucs. because too heavy. as well as
took expensive. to suit the tn ties Of many. and
| 1t Is so rare that the fur Is not often seen e%-
| ccpt as trimmings for garments made OF seal
Tho. main source OF supply for sea otter
skins Mas always been away up ~ tho Alentinn
single season so but the catch Of tho season Just
closed in that region has only amounted to a
been tho destruction. When that iiSid Is OK.
Wits a1 manS ys,ss @ 81 aEns
skins has furnished employment TO a nun.
n!c.r, OF wcatheri,beaten hunters, II is not a
only places that the sea ' otcr has survived ho
stretch Of the Pacific beach between the mouth
tho sans alr % Coast nnf Point IN t aa sas.
the seq + about midway Isstwesn Tsps FIAT;
| dc Fucl. which form the northwest boundary
Of the tni Y States. and the mInth Ct the
tho States OF Washington and Oregon The
Iribylov Islands. whore most of the seals and
fSn StTrs GyH 2 are away up to the
There are no sca offers north of Point Gran
vile to the straits. for | have tramped nearly
along tho coast and have been unable to Sc
| euro any account from the scattering settlers
OF the animal having been seen. and It is,luite
certain Ippn
OF Grays llarbor. along the coast tho sea OF.
9 Os e esy 69w p%n
no sea offers north along the British Columbia
II is very interesting to see tho manner in
which the highly priced sea offers are secured
mere on me coast OF Masrngtt9n nr II We're
longer be any of them left in these waters. for
they have been hunted here for twenty years
from long. heavy \. canoes, in which they
along GUT ms or t suf Shoot or ssgaf
the animal az ho lies Shopping in the water
Win only his head in SIGHT; Owing to his ex;
difficult to hit the animal after ii is found. 1t
is only after long practice that an Indian. nc-
to meet with any success at ali. for it takes
great skill to shoot or spear floating object
IN a ehoppy sea from an uncertain ,, canoe. Very
1t is not. however. the Indians who secure
one is' the Nv" Wits S humter Boston
Of 1 gsttns the ', coveted fur Without rskns
his lilo in n canoe ut sea. Along this stretch
81 ee sS3sn from G a nt tba
drivers. with a rude box at, tho tor, Of
dorrlcks. and they are erected as far out
toward the breakers lracticable with
"a bdnsr IF and nsn e %n avs tha
distance of 900 feet from shore the wa.er is
only two or three feet deep. From the tons Of
one SHOOT S and his same at s 'o Of
excellent rinemcn ahd their weapons are the
very best. they may shoot a hundred times
Wth2Gt fnE snGe s 5ea otter so that in
sess. unusual Patience. In spite OF the appar-
ent lack Of liyeiineess in the pnrsut. the sport
once gets into it seldom abandons 1t.
In the locality that nave mentioned these
coast scenevy, are scattered from two to four
miles apart. Two of these lookouts have been
upa long time. One is built in the tops ottwo
rock some distance out. the little cabin on top
being REACHED 9y rude ; ladder built Of short
storms blow the derricks on the sand down
every winter. but they are. easily rebuilt. rs
there are srea Of hafiW29d handy
rods, Of the breakers. Usually two hunters
build derrick together and share in lis use;
base are twcnty-four feet wide. On ono OF
the poles rude ladder is built. and the three
hailed on at Upon S1f the fop oT
at the apex is built "a box. nearly as high as a
mans head open a ct tn the top and partially opSn
poles are. sawed off and a board is nailed on
top. making q seat for the hunter, who. sits in
resting on the edge OF tho box in front OF him.
waits and watches for tho game Ho soon
where to look Tor tho nrSt appearance OF the
stubny littlo head above the water.
killed by n bullet and tho next flood lido
throws the carcass on the leach. When IA
marks his bullets. so that the owner may 10
known when the animal Is found. Tho hunters
haze imp;i gn safh G'hsf AM and would
to them. Tho Indians gong up and
down The beach are employed Gy some ot
c car If they find tho dead an G
easiy they arc allowed q small sum;
f. ay em Ms i ar mf5 s pT n
been shot fails To come in when or where II is
expected. nnd, a whole day has gone by IL
900 Tor bringing It IN. and if n week elnii'sys
the time 1t is found he gives half it's value to
tho Indian. for he has then nearly despu!lci OF
ever seeing II.
A tull. grown sea otter is from four to ivo
feet long aud pcTiaps foot or more wide.
Whom II hunter secures one he loo-cnS the hide
from tho nose aud head, and. without cutting
it icngthwise at all. ne pulls the skin down
over tho body. tho hide being So elastic that
this is not n difficult job. 1t is then stretched
over Il smooth board six and half feet long.
nine inches wide ut ono end and ten at tho
other end Each end OF this board is tapercd
to Il point. Another hoard ,exuctly The
sAl4 is stretched a t9ot Or, eighteen
third board half the Length q the others. is
ends Ia, hold it in place. n my flesh adheres
to the skin 1t Is then cut of. aud the hide is
cured and dried in this condition. In few
days il is taken of of the boards and turned
fur side out, when ii is ready for market.
The most valuable fur is that Of the darkest
color. A rich. nearly jet black fury with LONG sill
yer hairs scattered through Is the most priced
Of all. and such rclts bring The hunter from
500 to 500. The clear blac k comes next in
va no, aul the brown Is tlinchcaprst 81 al ard
bring from $40 to Sinc These prices do not
Indicate the true. value Of the skins. Tor tho
locality Is u long distance from tho railways.
ana / is very dinicult and oSpensiyc, t" ct
freight Of any kind from This ou,-n -th.-wuy
beach, \ skin, that the hunter sells 'Gr $ 30
more than dOublus in value by the time 4 goes
through several hands and reaches u good