The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-07
JORDAN'S WORK
IN BER|NG SEA
Commission Collecting In
valuable Data About
Seals.
RETURN OF THE HOMER
Garfeld's Son-in-Law Says Seal
ing Business Is played
Out"
BROUGHT BACK 10000 SKINS.
Six Seizures Made-Jordan to Start
Home in Two Weeks-0thers
On the Way.
BROUGHT BACK 10000 SKINS.

The latest news of the Boring Sea Com
mission under Professor David Starr Jor-
dan reached here yesterday when the
steamer Homer arrived, nine and a half
days from Unalaska with J. Stanley
Brown, superintendent of the North
American Commercial Company, and c.
H. Townsend of the United States Fish
Commission aboard.
Mr.. Brown is a son-in-law of ex-Presi-
dent James A. Garfield and was his sec
rotary at the White House up to the time
of the assassination. He passed through
this City May % on his way to the Priby-
lof Islands.
"The Homer" said he yesterday at the
Occidental, brought from the Berlng Sea
cargo of 80, 000 sealskins, being the quota
allotted by The Government to the North
American Commercial Company during
the past season.
"The catch of the sealing fleet this sea-
son proves to be light 1t is doubtful if
1t will average 400 skins q vessel or a
total of less than 10000 skins. Sealers re-
port seals scarcer than ever before, and
there is no pretense made that the small
catches have been due to Indictment
weather. AS the sealers put it, the bus1-
ness is played OUT
THE Boring Sea mixed commission of
Americans, British and Canadians, under
DT. David Starr Jordan, president of STAN
lord University, arrived at st. George
Island, one OF the Pribylof group, on July
o, and two days later came TO st. Paul
island' where are located our company's
headquarters.
THAT commission is the finest BODY OF
men that could have been got together for
such scientific investigation, with the
great commercial and international cues.
tlons attached to it. There is Professor
Jordan, the authority on fishes and a
scientist OF worldwide reputation. He is
the only United States Commissioner, but
he IS being assisted by such men as DR..
Stelnegar OF the National Museum at
WASHINGTON, who has no superior in the
field OF natural history either in this 'coun-
try or In Europe; DR.. Lucas, who has for
years occupied the position of curator of
mammals in the National Museum, and
is unsurpassed as an authority on COM
parative osteology; c. II. Townsend of the
Unlted States Fish Commission, who
has devoted years to familiarizing
himself with the methods of pelagic seal
ing; Colonel Joseph Murray, who has
oeen Government Agent on the seal islands
Tor SIX years and was detailed by Secre-
tary Hamlln to assist the commission, and
Captain Moser of the Fish Commission
man. The British. Commissioners are Pro-
lessor Thompson of Dundee University,
Scotland, and Barrett Hamilton, a barris-
ter OF London, while the Canadian inter-
ests are being looked after by Nj. Macoun,
botanist OF the Canadian Geological Sur
vey.
The commission will not cease its in
designations until about the middle of this
month or the LIST of October, when the
dead pups resulting from the shooting of
mothers at sea viii have been counted.
About the middle OF August DR.. Jor-
dan, accompanied by Pr lessor Thomp-
son, also started for the Commander
Islands on the British warsbip Satellite,
leaving DR.. Lucas ana Secretary Clarke on
the Pribylof Islands to continue work there.
''Dr. Jordan has probably returned to
Pribylof by this date. He will start for
home about the goth of this month, but
will leave some OF the party 10 complete
the work
1.-THE Albatross should arrive here this
month by way Of Honolulu. Sue was to