The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-10-03
FOX RAISING IN AL

Hopeful o; Realizing Iargo Profits
from the sale of Many Pelts
Fox farming in Alaska, which has-a
nmed immense proportions, was orig
mated by a Pittsburgher.. In 1879
George Wardman was travelling about
the coast in the steamer Rush. He
gaw valuable black fox skin sold for
500, and conceived the notion that
farming the FOX would be profitable.
He got Peach Taylor. Thomas F. Nor
gan and James c. Redpath interested,
znd a company was formed. The gen.
slemen are agents Of the Alaska Com
nercial company at st. George.
Morgan suggested as a place for the
experiment the Semedies group Of
seventy rocky islets, sixty miles west
of Kodiak, which produced nothing but
sea birds and sea lions, and are unin-
habited. At the seal islands Of the
pribyloff group the Alaska Commercial
Company catch 1000 to 1900 blue
foxes every winter. The black foxes
are scarce, while the blue fox is not
nearly so valuable.
During the winter Of 1880 arrange
ments were made with an agent at Ko-
diak to get some black fox cubs. He
secured half dozen, and while he was
away on business the natives killed the
cubs by kindness and by overfeeding
them. No more of the cubs could be
found, and 10 further effort to carry
pry slo Oh, do tI a
mer of 1884, when about twenty blue fox
cubs were caught. They were taken in
steamer to Unalaska and thence IN
chartered schooner, with a quantity OF
seal meat, to the Semedies Islands,
where they were released.
The islands ere inaccessible except
IL calm weather, which helped the en-
terprise as it kept poachers and Indians
from catching the stock At first it was
difficult to get any right on the land.
The treasury department, however, ad-
dressed a letter to revenue steamers
and the provisional government OF
Alaska, to give their protection TO the
fox farmers under the law protecting
squatters, and the company has not
been molested in its enterprise.
The foxes eat eggs and catch birds
IL the summer They are also adopts
= ,=i1'Ing eaa lions. which serve them
for food. They are very intelligent.
They take the eggs in summer and
hide them In the thick moss, which
is like mattresses, and leave them until
they get hungry in winter and can find
nothing else to eat If they hid the
eggs in the dirt they would be unable
to scratch the frozen ground away from
them in winter. hence the wisdom dis
played in covering them with moss.
The foxes have been watched during
the months OF July and August on the
cliffs searching for eggs, and have been
tracked to their hiding places.
The blue fox pelt is valued at s16,
and as seals become scarcer 1t becomes
here valuable All attempts to catch
black foxes have proved failures, as
they are so scarce Natives are hired
70 live on the island and watch tbs
foxes. The latter are trapped in certain
seasons, killed, and skinned. The car
casses are valueless, IS the Indians,
who will eat almost anything, will not
touch the fox meat. The number has
multiplied from twenty cubs to about
5. coo foxes, and they have been trapped
every season since they were large
enough to be Of value. Mr.. Wardman
sold his interest to Byron Andrews OF
Washington.