The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-09-11

A New Industry to Replace Fur
Sealing.
Wary Reynard Readily Grows
as Tame as a Dog.

rare. just think Of thousands upon
thousands Of foxes Ia tho Aleutian fsl-
ands Of Alaska running at large, to a
certain extent wild, but still under
care, and furnishing an industry that
will, if properly nourished, last as a
means Of support to the natives Of the
Fur Seal Islands when the destruction
Of the sleck-coatod denizens Of the
lower arctics has been completed.
Byron Andrews, connected With the
staff Of The National Tribune, is one
Of the originators Of this enterprise.
In an interview recently ho said:
"At present the industry is really
in its infancy. but We have strong
hopes of eventually making it one OF
such proportions that it viii SO a great
way toward solving the problem of
the future employment OF the Alaskan
natives, when the fur bearing animals
are practically extinct in those re-
gions. It was in 1884 that certain
gentlemen, at that time agents Of the
government took up this subject with
serious consideration.
"rhe suggestion was made by Cap
tain Thomas T. Morgan, of Groton,
Conn, then an agent of the Alaska
Commercial Company, on St. Georges
Island, that the fox might be domes-
ticated and under proper conditions
bred With profit, thus utilizing many
uninhabited islands and giving en-
ployment in congenial business to
natives who were coming to hardship
by the extermination of the seal, otter,
and walrus It was finally decided
to try the experiment A small num-
Der of young foxes we're bought of the
natives and taken to the North Semidi
Islands, about 225 miles southwest of
the village OF Kadiak. Houses were
built, a small colony of natives was
started, under the supervision of
white keeper, and a years supplies
were left for their comfort.
''To be brief, after many ups and
downs, the experiment proved sue
cess, so much 80 as to show that the
breeding of the blue fox in domesti-
cation was practicable, and from this
small beginning there are now no less
than twenty-five of these little islands
devoted to this business, giving sup
port to more than 100 people, nearly
all of whom before depended on sea
otter hunting.
"All the early settlements for the
fox-breeding business were made by
whites, who employed natives, but
within year or two some Of the more
intelligent natives who have learned
the business have taken the islands
and are making satisfactory Roadway
in this new industry.
For some timew have endeavored
to get lease of some island, with an
option of purchase, at the discretion
of the Secretary ofthe Treasury. This
was because OF the local conditions.
The first requisite of the business is
isolation. Islands have been selected,
therefore, that were uninhabitable, SO
far rs internal resources were con-
cerned then, too, those chosen would
never attract settlers by commercial
advantages, through fisheries, timber
or the precious metals. These require
ments, however, resulted in placing
the establishment on a frontier in
tested with maritime mnranders flying
the flags of Japan, Canada or the
United States, to whom these fox
islands, if they may be so called, might
become tempting object for raids
Under these conditions those who have
engaged in the business have felt the
need of the strongest possible title for
moral effect. TWAS apparent that it
was matter of the highest impor-
lance that in orderto avoid any ground
for bubble entire islands should be
recognized as under the control Of
the occupant and not simply por-
ton.
"Thcse islands, or at least those in
the Aleutian Peninsula, are merely
desert places, most OF them like
mountain peaks, cropping out Of the
ocean. Most OF them are supplied