The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-27
nc rnorrr rnom SEA orrERs.
Their Ftrs Bring five Hundred Dol
lars Zach Ia the Market.

Their Ftrs Bring Five Hundred Dol
lars Zach la the Market.
From the Portland Orcgonian.
The most beautiful Stretch o. ocean
beach 20 b. found anywhere on tho Pacihc
coast OF tho United states s the wide oS-
pnnsa OF fpo,less and glttcriug sand
which lies between Grays harbor and the
. Ouiniault river There may be seen ga
unbroken area ~ twenty miles 10 length.
ana al low tide from three 20 hYe miles
in width. which would make moonlight
playing ground Tor the Hours.
There are many toWerlke structures a.
regular distances ~ perhaps half milo
each. which exct, the curiosity o. the
many coast-lne steamers plying between
san Francisco and northern ports. These
I are the towers or sheoruE boxes - sea
l otter hunters They are built % tall. sicu-
. der poles. generally four in nuInorr. SUNK
. to a great depth and nRed securely lu the
/ sand ard surrounded hy "a small box cow
cred with a roof 70 porteot 80 occupants
from the burning sun. Cleats securely
fastened 20 the poles from bottom 20 toy
afford the hunter means OF ingress and
| egress.
! The hot sun which blszes lercely on this
] wide txpause OF white sand during the
/ months az July and August heats Il al
\ most d. a burning point. and the waters
I % tho incoming tide rolling ana eurhns
| over this hot sand. become deiiciousiy
warm This IS the playing ground 81 the
/ sea otter. fhe place where they come %
spend their holidays
they Are Playful Creatures
They leave their homes 10 Tho far-off
| rocky islauds whore there or" no sand
beaches and the green water ore cold and
| deep ard come here ike people TO
/ watering place. 20 spend the SUNNI
months tn rolling ana tumhing about 90
I tuis warm water Boz "a perfect ecstacy OF
delight They lcap and play about 90 th"
] foufulug breakers and polish their beau
/ Iful shining skins 10y hueRing the sandy
/ bottom and allowing the ocean swel.s Co
drive and throw them about a. ss VIII
/ Although eea offers have the tmiIity
which IL natural TO an Wild animals. tne,'
tre better abe 20 protect themselves than
any Of tho other animals which have
I their homes iu che sea. The swifiness 81
. their movements makes h possible for
l them 60 easily catch any Kind OF small
. Nsh. ana thus they can appeasc their hun
/ ger with the daiuueft fool.
4 No sharks can catch thom. they could
/ 10 twenty feet away white MIR Shark
was turning on his hack ana n the shark
were directly beneath them they could
! throw therascives five feet ln the AR like
| a kaleidoscope bail while the ugy mon
/ stcr was swapping his iaws Tie hunter
is in has box. the lido De- coming in ana
| with q powerful h,ld glass % assist biz
| practlred eve. be eagerly scans each com
] Ing roller he has been here every day
FOR week and his rife has lain untouch-
~ By his side To-day something may
happen.
The Game sighted.
All az once he starts and mutters a IT.
to ejaculation. he sees something. He
viii soon know what % &c. Tor the gwells
are coming swiftly and che distance be
tween himself and the object ne has seen
viii be- quickly lessened Yes there &c is
lag1in. there is M mistake Il IS az
otter not more than Gu yards away. The
hunter layr down his glass ana there IS
$50 S6ip worth OF beautiful shining fur
plainly visible 10 che naked eve.
The man in the tower picks up his
| shnrps rifle. inserts l3l-Rrain cartridge
iu the chamber. ana there IS a wicked.
Wlstful CLEAN in the keen eve OF tho
hunter as he raises hts weapon for the
hrsf shot There IS fash. q reron AMI
| "A report. which SIS scarcely d.sunguishahlc
Joe the roaring Of tho breakers 20 the man
who hoiis the gun. Ammunition is no
| object and. with lightning ropiMtv. he
loads md urrs his piece. That otter will
nor be- more than TEN feet from where he
IS is when tho huuser pulled the trigger
l when the bullet gets there. and tlut
hunter can hit a bounding deer al 3pI
Yards twice out of ntr shots. The otter
is enjoying himself ia the dangerous com
pAuy or murler1ua bullets. which are do
ug thcir best to ind him
Another huEe breaker brings him within
81" yards of the blazing rifle. A quick
rccon OF the heavy gun turns the hunter
naif round, there Be- an unnatural splash
which tells the man something has hop
pcued fIe stralrs his eyes. no need Of
his glass 60 see there is blood in the wa
Ter. aud 'his teue MIN that there is a
biz hole somewhere in that $50.
Gets Rich Reward.
40 need 60 shoot again. 40 otter could
tEeed like TINT and rot be washed ashore
| Nhr hunter lays down his heated gun.
scro Will Doe no more offers in sigh, to-
dizzy tie secs BITS 2amc almost opposite
I his tower. h o. drifting hclp'sss.y towurd
/ th., shore. That skin Is his ana lbs POS
sol. zion means that he VIII have every
. thh = Doc wanfs Tor another year 10 he does
nor fire single shot
/ Thu fierce gloom 81 desire has left hla
dirty face and has been replaced by ono
| of 10 tcssion. Vie o. Wild with Tow How
/ be- wis tc- he could get down from that
| tower ud be- as The spot where the OF
/ ter Will he thrown up on the sand hut
| hc mus' wait until the tide falls a iHt'e
] one Of Ni hnt- breed boys. who is 30 or
\ DO years 81. De- moping 'azily along tho
| beach. ms quick eve detects somefhine
| Like q fr.g ucned wylf be leaps over the
! sand nud is soon s.de TIE dead otter.
/ With q yell of delight he flies toward
/ thr shanty ou thc hlun 30 tell his mother
I and the half-d rscu or so OF other utu,
I breeds what HAS happened and they an
I come troopiug q own the beach as fast ne
/ their legs can co try them.
I The IT'D, is goini ont now AMI the blood
/ Of The otter stains the sand which has
| lurod him 60 destrt srtion. and the ebhine
I rpp.es tendery car sss Tor the last tlme
/ The pretty animal aich has been the
/ playmate al is nfe. ara the scl viii
I moan for the frcc-b1iu thing which has
always had homo in its hoosm
some way or another thc news spreads
/ quickly aud other hurt, rs ana crowds OF
Siwashes come troorIug toward the dead
/ otter from all directions