The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-21
PROFITS IN TRAPPING SEA OTTER
Alaska Indians Sometimes Make Rig
Hauis Along the shore,

Seattle Times
Ir preg Jackson, Lizzie Kadashan. Robert
OF Sltka indians in Seattle to see the sights
anu incidentally to see what they can do
s soMara olspoSlng OF this years catch of furs
ana SKINS. The party arrived on the steann.s
snip Alki, and will return north on tho save
DoaI. All are Sitka Indians and live on Rara
nun isiand and every one of them is a hunter
save Lizzie, the crack men of their tribe
! iney came down, Hammond saws to see
what Seattle can afford in. the way of per-
,,nanent market for their skins. Heretofore
buyers OF furs and skins have always pone
to Alaska every year and bought IN The
skins and furs from the Indians and have
Always mad to pay stiff prices. The Indian
Is Always looking out for the very best bar
gain he can make. and that is why the Alaska
hunting party Is in Seattle. This trait of the
lpdlan never was more neatly demonstrated
"a ;nan Wnen Times reporter engaged them
In conversation upon the manner and style
OF hunting sea otter, black bear and marten.
After proceeding to relate in cart in very
Iair English, how it was all done, one of the
spokesmen promptly demanded 81 before pro-
ceedlng any further. When told that Seattle
reporters seldom possessed so much money
they were not one bit appeased, and got up
ana STROBE away, refusing further details
The party have three otter skins number
OF black bear skins and marten SKINS The
Indians frequently get as much as $500 for a
sea otter in Alaska, and they expect to get
better figures. Black bear frequently bring
$50 apiece in Alaska. and as high as 50 is
paid for marten: The hunters expected to
HN]hSt
here, and say that If such proves the case
they will bring all their catches here next
year Fred who is small man. with keen
black eyes, is said to be the best hunter in
Alaska and apparently felt proud of the
distinction. He has a record of five sea
otter killed last year, for which he received
$1,500. These were killed during three days
hunt.
This year sea otter were scarce and the
hunters say that next year and the year fol-
lowing no otter will be taken, and they will
be given a chance to multiply. This year
with 100 canoes out but fifteen sea otter were
taken The chase after the sea otter Is along
LaLatuya bay, which is under the frowning
brow of Mount Fairweather. The Indians say
1t is a very dangerous coast for canoemen,
and this year they had three Of their canoes
thrown upon the beach by the tremendous
surf and broken to pieces. Nearly every
! year several Of the hunters lose their lives
| by being upset off shore during the storms,
! or are thrown upon the rocks along the coast.
| Last year while Fred was out at the time
| he made his banner killing, his uncles canoe
was upset and his friend drowned. The
| hunters use a small shotgun in killing the
sea otter. The animals are most often seen
| well out from land, and when one is sighted
every hunter Is Immediately upon his feet in
| the bow of his canoe, and the next time the
| otter sticks his head above the water a score
| of guns throw their leaden pellets in his di-
reetion. The sea otter rs very wary airy and Is
| animals to kill. White men never attempt
! its capture in Alaska waters. Ns@
The Indians hunt the black bear In tn9
! interior from Latuya bay, near the base OF
the mountains, and in the gorges. They use
| trained Alaska dogs. usually four or six in
| party. The hunters provide themselves
with rifles, but say they could not succeed
in capturing many without their dogs. They
also use bear traps, such as are to be bought
| in the hardware stores, in capturing them.
and long time ago they say they used to
| make trap themselves which was not dis
similar from the deadfaH of the backwoods-
man. A big log, heavily weighted on one
end and elevated and held up on triggers
at the other, constituted the trap proper.
To get the bear to place himself in position
to be struck down by the log, fence of logs
was constructed about the trap and bait so
placed that when the bear attempted to pull
it away he sprung the trap.
Marten are hunted and caught along the
coast OF Alaska from Sitka westward and
for some distance back In the interior. The
Sitka Indians do not go much further west
than Latuya bay, but do great deal of
hunting about the southern end of BaFanoff
island.