The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-30

Interest in the sealing question IL being
revived by the announced coming OF Dr.
David Starr Jordan, who will lecture here
under the auspices Of the Young Natural
lists Society July : The problem as 10
how the depredations Of pelagic seasers
are 70 BE prohibited would seem 70 have
been solved by DR.. Jordan. who pro
poses simple remedy Pelagic sealing AZ
best has paid but little in the last two
or three years. The season Just closed
was a notable failure Or. Jordan pro-
poses TO kill Of this already dying in
dusIry by destroying all chance Of profit.
Briefly, his plan IS 10 brand all female
seals on the back thus DESTROYING the
beauty and consequently the value Of the
skins The young males. or bachelor
seals. Will he retained in an inclosed place
during the months when the pelasic
sealer usually reaps his harvest.
DR.. Jordan believes that the decrease in
the number Of seals IS mainly due 70 their
wholesale destruction by pelagic sealers.
II has been noticed that most OF the
skins brought in by sealing vessels are
females. which means that for every skin
there died about eight seals.
DR.. James T. White. an enthusiastic
member of the Seattle Young Natural
lists Society. and a student of seal life
and habits, explained this yesterday as
follows:
"Old seal hunters have told me that
even the most skiIful do not get more
than one seal out Of every five killed.
on being killed seals Immediately sink,
and unless the hunters are very close
they lose their game. Female seals going
north to the rookeries in the spring are
invariably with young, and their death
means the death of two. After the pup
is born the mother leaves the breeding
grounds in search of food II the mother
is killed while away no female seal will
suckle the motherless pup and II dies.
The death of the female consequently is
a serious thing, and If IL is correct that
only one seal is saved In five killed, the
destruction of females must be enormous.
The fur seal question has again as
sumed a leading place among the inter
national questions Of this country. That
the result of the Paris tribunal is In
adequate has become apparent to all 1t
becomes necessary. therefore, for this
country 10 perfect some method for the
preservation OF one Of our most valuable
industries: valuable because of the direct
income the country receives from these
animals It is contended. and that, too.
with a great deal of truth. that the gov
eminent Of Great Britain has been dila-
tory 10 a culpable degree.
The decrease in the number Of seals
OF the Pribilof island rookeries is very
noticeable. A stranger going there would
still see thousands of seals enough, he
might think to last forever. But 10 those
who have observed the rookeries year
after year the shrinkaee is easily seen.
Where they used to stretch far inland,
they are now near the edge OF the water.
At the present rate the extinction of the
fur seal is but a matter of few years.
DIR. Jordans plan seems feasible. He
explains away the difficulties easily. II
this or some other method be not adopted
the Pribilof islands will be as barren
of seals as are the rookeries Of the South
Shetland islands off the coast Of South
America. Brazil and Japan protect small
rookeries on tn eir coasts. and the Russian
government promptly Furnishes any tres
passers on the Commander island rock
cries, opposite the Pribilof islands"
DR. White visited the PIibilof islands
In 1890 and again In 1894. each time MAX
ing a careful study Of seal life. He is an
enthusiast and looks forward with much
pleasure 10 the visit of DR.. Jordan. Tn
doubtedlv no naturalist understands seals
and the seal question better than David
Starr Jordan Of the Stanford university.
He will lecture IN the Seattle theater July
: illustrating his remarks with stereop-
ticon views