Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-07-14
ABOUT THE FUR SEALS.
THE SUBJECT BEFORE THE TRIBU-
NAL OF ARBITRATION.
How the Precious Animals Are
Slaughtered - The Patrol Fleet
and the Poachers-A Tame Sport.

1HOUGH the United States
Government will have no such
powerful ship as the Yorktown
and no such officer as Fight
ing Bob Evans to protect the seals in
Bering Sea this summer, the patrol
feet will be strong enough and quick
enough to make it lively for poachers
1t is the business of our ships, under
the present contention of the United
States, 10 see that nobody save the one
authorized company shall take seals
within our portion of Bering Sea or in
the Pacific Ocean within three miles of
our possessions. That gives the patrol
feet an arena almost half as large as
the Gulf of Mexico to look after. If
the tribunal sitting at Paris shall de-
eide against our claim touching Bering
Sea the ships will then confins their ef-
forts to keeping poachers away from
the Pribylov Islands of st. George and
St. Paul, in Bering Sea, and to guard
ing the coast within the three-mile
limit. Nobody expects, however, that
the decision of the court will be gwen
in time for it to have much effect upon
this seasons sealing.
The company to which the United
States has sold the exclusive right to
take seals may take them only upon
the Pribylov Islands, andmay not take
more than 1900 in any one year. Fur
thermore, the company's agents may
kill seals only in the presence of an
agent of the United States, and must
not kill either the females or the old
l,,1I I,,@ Ln Ioaba1a-s ha
young males are called. The sealing
of the company is the tamest kind of
sport, as the bachelors are merely
driven gently apart from the rest of the
herd and are killed with sticks.
The agent of the company counts
the skins in the presence of the
Governments agent, and the latter
sends to San Francisco tally of the
number shipped in each cargo. This
comes to another United States agent
at San Francisco, who makes sure that
there are no more skins than the
Government agent at the Northwest
has certified to. Most of our officers
who have visited Alaskan waters be-
lieve that the seal must before long
become extinct in spite of all these
precautions taken to preserve the
species. 1t the sea shall be open to
all corners and seals shall again be
taken with nets, the final destruction
will be hastened.
The sealing season properly begins
about the last of June or the first of
July, when the seals have become we'll
established in Bering Sea and breeding
has begun. At that time the rocky
Pribylovs, and as well few islands be-
longing to Russia over near the coast
of Siberia, are crowded with thousands
of seals, and the animals swim the sea
in search of food. The poachers do
not wait so long, but intercept the
seals on taeir way from the ocean into
Bering Sea. Our ships cannot inter
fere with sealing in the Pacific three
miles from our own shores, but we can
watch the passes of the Aleutian,
through which seals and sealers enter
Bering Sea.
The patrol fleet is on the lookout for
poachers during May, June, July,
August, September and October, and
business is liveliest in midsummer,
though the seal islands have been
raided as late as December. By the
last of September, however, things are
pretty squally in Berin~ Sea, and be-
fore the 1st of November snow storms
are frequent, and sealing is no fun.
Captain Mike Healy, of the revenue
cutter Bear, who knows Bering Sea
from the Aleutians to the Arctic, and
is known to everybody in that region
rs the embodiment of Uncle Sans
power, usually stays about the seal
islands later than any one else, and the
poacher who falls into Nike Healy's
hands is likely to repent of bis temerity.
The patrol fleet now and then sends
a ship far to the east, and occasionally,
even in mid summer, has landing
party stationed on one of the islands
commanding an important pass, but
mostly the work of the patrol is con-
fined 10 the region about the Priby-
lows. A disguised poacher might enter
the sealing region with vessel of the
patrol fleet looking on. Nevertheless,
II II suspicious looking craft should be
found entering the sea, she would cer-
tainly be overhauled and made to ex-
Ilhih' tue hthi ioututf u uhuhliy
recognized by her having great many
small boats, an unusually large com
plement of men aud an abundance Of
firearms. Her method when herd Of
seals is encountered swimming is 30
lower many boats with armed men, who
shoot the seals a. rapidly as possible
and then pick them up. OH aud
young, male aud female. are thus shot,
anil many are lost. some oil sailors
estimate that seventy five per cent. %
seals killed ia this Way are not Fecoy-
cred by the poaehers. Others say that
the loss docs not exceed ten per cent.
A. a small vessel may take sl00 600
worth Of seals IA a single season, tho
temptation g. the poaeheT l. strong,
Ia all ordinary weather She ships of
the patrol tleet can oyertake the swift
eat Of tho poaeheTs shen unee tho
ofisndcF has been sighted bnt wiih
taiF, strung vNd a trim poaehing
sehosnet mas easily eseaps Ans ses-
sel captured Niih seals On hoard 10 |
uanallY takes la Ouualaaka aud thanes
D. prize erea g. slaka % Victoria. aes
aaettAnu "a 4hn NfINa Ia AmnFlaru IN