Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1899-04-19
THE WILLY SEA OTTER
ITS pELT $ lue4LY RsxEp ANo sAao
 TO osTAls.

TO OsTAlN.
 TA% Animal Ts Au Eyea. Ea-. naa Ssss Wsea Asts~ aaa ans FuE wA~a
 D~aa-tss GapsuFe Is Attended WasA Gr~as naaEsrs ssa HarasAfpaL
 Fifty pounds sssrIinE or e9so. u-r
 skln is nd En unusaAIly high svur3xs {. prics to pay fcg the far of tbe esa ots@f
 and Ht far sAlss ln Lo1don a mueh
 higher price has often beea axk-d Rna
 received MHrh. uf oOurns. ia fhs nal,
 Ger of Frioe depends spoa the coaassiaa
 and sire of ths skin The animal wAsn it is alive and wearing ths far iasaa is
 from three Co five fest in length frua
 no@e to tail tip thoaEh the shin lyiae
 ppon it in ioOso folds. tAs 1rtaAI '.pslt
 is of fair siEa
 Ever since Boring. sAflinE trun Rus- siA disnovsred Alsska aad fuund iss na. tives clad in otter Ekin this far bee
 been the prime object Of ths pslf hunt- CTS deEtre. Sable. mArten. mlak and even ermine can hs trapped e ahot
 without extTaurdinAry tru1biaL Saals are driven inland hks fools to As slnarA- tered and skinned Rf their onpsurs' lsi- sure But the ga otter must es songht diligently a the diAmoad. for skrns centuries uf szperisnos have made him wise
 UPon the mapo of North America may ee sen IuttinT from the southern ccr~ ner Of Aiaska. which is the northwess corner of the continent AliMNkA. . pe- l ninsalA. wkioh hreaAz oH into e ehala | of islands called the AlsutiAnA Juat where the psuinsula ends and the is- 1 lands begin . point may hs noticed I marked BeIkovxky.
 This is the headquarters uf ths a.a l otter hunters and hetween hers and I Cbsrnaboor island to the south and aAs- uak island Co the nouthwes1 the baIk cf I the ssa otters are taken
 Thoroughly impressed with tAs val I ue of his own skin. the ssa otter tHkss care of it hy living far away frum the mainland sleeping with one eye opsn. Ep0n the floating weed beds or ssa washed reef exposed te the full tary ok the north Paciac
 Al the slightest sign os ths appsuacA of man he dives deep and sanys below foT 90 minutes af a time
 SOmctimss a stray otter may bs ahoa from the land as be plays in the surf. but the chief methods of his capture are ''ths surround and clubbing. In the former case a party of AlsGtian is- landers are conveyed to SaAnak. tAsss to sncamp for two or three EnontkA
 Voc to the hRnters if the wind be oa the sbore. for then no fire may be Ht ao make the beloved tea. no pipe of tohae- co smoked or the hope of a capture would be vain For the otter is aIl eyes and ears and noss when alive; aD fur when dead
 Upon a calm day the hunters paddls gently over the seq in their skin canoeA keeping an eageT eye upon the rolling surf for a sign of the prey. A huntsT sees an otter and makes a quiet ssRnal to his mates Liks AAsh ths qusrry has dyed kAiaing his dzr aasfa ths 1, man who found the otssr rsmxfns as . buoy above the place of ths animAas disappearance. while his mates form in c hngs circle with kim in the center.
 In 20 minutes. at most fhas oet9 comes up again in sight of some Of ahe canoe men A frightful yell drives the poor brute below again before hs hss ', had time to hll his lungs Shortly As is again seen. and the process repestsd , till al length his body is 60 Eas inflated that he cannot sink and falls a prey to the lucky hunter whose spear aFa [ pierces that too rich coat of hiS
 Lack varies. and the saa osaas b yearly rarer and more shy. but. if fur- tunste. each hunter may have from two To five skins for the traders as the Fa- sult of his three months catch
 To be 6 successful hunter requirus . Spartan scorn of comfort. huge par I hence, keenness of vision and readina@ 1f resource. as well as great dexterity z n the handling of a risky craft aaA . ln intimate knowledge of your QuArry's habits which it requires lifetime cf c under trying conditions to gAin- c
 ''The surround then. Is no joka put clubbing next door to suicida Ths O lunters encamped upon SaAnAk have 'een for day or two prevented by e S rowling gale from doing anything save " leep or smoke One or two of the men. 2. seemingly by instiDct. thAf r he gale has almost blown itsah cut ,, 'rspare for clubbing expeditioA
 should they in the dark and turmoil miss the islands some score of miles way they are carried out into the cesn and certain death If on the oth- ti r hand they make their haven. they ~ and and creep. club in hand over the K Ocky coast to the ocean sweIled reel t' where the ottsrs Alsep - The roar of the gale drowns the sound T f their approaehL and the poor otter is in mere ''Pelt' before be knows of his ol anger. Scores of otters have been hIled d a one night by a clubman CT two, But m ter clubbing is not a means of hvsH O, ood likely to become generally popular Sl -Chambers' Journal O,