Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-12-08
COSTLY OTTER SKINS
The Growing Scarcity of the Animal
Enhances Their Value.
Cou.tant Pursuit Has Driven the
Coveted Creature 10 Distant
Quarters and Made Him
Very Wary.

at an average of Sc, or $3.50, per SKIN
The animal, when it is alive and wear
ing the fur itself, is from three TO nve
feet in length from nose TO tail up
though the skin lying upon IT IN
loose folds, the actual "pelt" is OF fair
size. Still, sea otter skins at $751;
while sealskins are worth from $40
TO $40, cannot be considered econom-
ical wear.
Ever since Behring. sailing from
Russia, discovered Alaska, and found
it's natives clad in otter skin, this fur
has been the prime object of the pelt
hunters desire. Sable, marten, mink
and even ermine can be trapped or
shot without extraordinary trouble;
seals are driven inland like fools to
be slaughtered and skinned at their
captors' leisure. But the sea otter
must be sought diligently as the dia-
mond, for three centuries OF expert
ence have made him wise
Upon the map of North America
may be seen, jutting from the south
ern corner of AlaslOa-which is the
northwest corner of the continent
Alaska, a peninsula which breaks of
into a chain of islands called the
Aleusians. Just where the peninsula
ends and the islands begin point may
be noticed marked Belkovsky.
This is the headquarters of the sea
otter hunters, and between here and
Chernaboor island to the south and
Saanak island to the southwest the
bulk Of the sea offers are taken.
Thoroughly impressed with the
value of his own skin, the sea otter
takes care of it by living far away from
the mainland, sleeping with one eye
open upon the floating weed beds or
sea-washed reef exposed to the full
fury of the North Pacific.
At the slightest sign of the APP
proach Of man he dives deep and stays
below for 20 minutes at time.
Sometimes a stray otter may be
shot from the land as he plays on the
surf. but the chief methods of his cap
iure are 1.-The surround" and clubbing.
In the former case party of Aleutian
islanders are conveyed 10 Saanak.
there TO encamp for two or three
months.
Woe 10 the hunters II the wind be of
the shore. for theuno fire may be lit to
make the beloved tea. no pipe of to-
bacco smoked. or the hope ofa capture
would be vain. For the otter is adj
eyes and ears and nose when alive; all
fur when dead.
Upon calm day the hunters paddle
gently over the sea in their skin ca
noes. keeping an eager eye upon the
rolling surf for sign Of the prey. A
hunter sees an otter and makes
quiet signal to his mates; like flash
the quarry has dived. Raising his oar
aloft, the man who found the otter
remains as buoy above the place OF
the animals disappearance. while his
mates form in huge circle. with him
in the center.
In 20 minutes. at most, the otter
comes up again in sight Of some of the
canoemen. A frightful yell drives the
poor brute below again before he has
had time TO fill his lungs. Shortly he
is again seen. and the process repeated,
till at length his body is so gas-inflated
that he cannot sink, and falls a prey
TO the lucky hunter whose spear first
pierces that too, too rich coat Of his.
Luck varies, and the sea otter is
yearly rarer and more shy; but. If for
tunate, each hunter may have from
two to five skins for the traders as the |
result of his three-months' catch.
To be a successful hunter requires a
Spartan scorn of comfort. huge pa
thence. keenness of vision and readi- |
ness of resource. as well as great dex-
terity in the handling of risky craft |
and an intimate knowledge of your
quarry's habits, which il requires a
lifetime of observation under trying /,
conditions to gain.
"The surround" then, is no joke. but |
clubbing next door to suicide. The
hunters encamped upon Saanak have |
Seen for a day or two prevented by a
bowling gale from doing anything
save sleep or smoke. One or two of the /
men. knowing. seemingly by instinct,
that the gale has almost blown itself
out. prepare for clubbing expedition.
They also know that, much dis
tressed by the weather. many sea OF
tiers will be sleeping with their heads
buried in the seaweed beds about the
rocky. wind-swept islands OF the Cher
naboor group. Tomorrow, the gale
over. the offers will plunge again into
the ocean.
The hunters. therefore, lash their
flowing waterproof garment to the
edge of the well Of their light canoe.
and thus. like centaur Of the sea
half man. half boat. they paddle out
from the islands shelter and are :
whirled away like straws before the
blast.
Should they in the dark and turmoil
miss the islands. some score of miles
away, they are carried out into the
ocean TO certain death. If, on the 9th
n hand, they make their haven. they
and and creep. club in hand. over the
'ocky coast to the ocean-sxxilled roe<