Evening star., 1900-12-15
BIG PROFITS FROM OFFERS.
Furs Secured in Northwest Waters
That Bring $500 Each.


The most beautiful stretch of ocean beach
to be found anywhere the Pacific coast
of the United States Is the wide expanse OF
spotless and glittering sand which lies be-
tween Gray's harbor and the Quiniault riv-
er. There may be seen unbroken area
of twenty miles in length, and at low tide
from three to five miles in width which
would make a moonlight playing ground for
the houris.
There are many tower-Iike structures at
regular distances of perhaps a mile each
which excite the curiosity Of the many
coast line steamers plying between San
Francisco and northern ports. These are
the towers or shooting boxes of sea otter
hunters Ihey are built Of tall, slender
poles, generally four in number sunk to a
great depth and fixed securely in the sand
ana surrounded by a small box covered
WITH roof TO protect its occupants from
the burning sun. Cleats securely fastened
70 the poies from bottom to top afford the
hunter means of ingress and egress
me not sun which blazes tiercely on this
vice expanse of white sand during the
months or July and August heats 1t almost
10 burning point, and the waters of the
incoming tide, rolling and curling over this
not sand, become de- ously warm. This is
the playing ground of the sea otter, the
days.
They leave their homes in the far-ofr
rocky islands. where there are no sand
oeaches, and the green waters are cold and
deep. and come here like people to a water
ing place. to spend the summer months tn
rolling and tumbling about in this warm
water in perfect ecstacy Of delight. They
leap and play about in the foaming break
ers and polish their beautiful skins by hur-
g1ng the sandy bottom and allowing the
ocean sWeus to drive and throw them about
as they will.
Although sea otters have the ttmiditv
ala
are better able to protect themselves than
any OF the other animals which have their
homes in the sea. The swiftness of their
movements makes 1t possible for them
easily to catch any kind of small fish. and
thus they can appease their hunger with
the daintest food
No shark can catch them; they could
De twenty feet away while Mr.. Shark was
turning on his back, and If the shark were
directly beneath them they could throw
themselves five feet In the air like a ka-
ieldoscopic ball. while the ugly monster was
swapping his jaws. The hunter is in his
box the tide Is coming in, and with a
powerful field glass to assist his practiced
eye he eagerly scans each coming roller He
has been here every day for a week, and
his rifle has lain untouched by his side.
Ioday something may happen.
All at once he starts and mutters little
ejaculation; he sees something. He will
soon know what Ii is, for the swells are
coming swiftly and the distance between
himself and the object he has seen win
be quickly lessened. Yes, there it is again:
there Is no mistake. 1t is an otter, not
more than 600 yards away. The hunter
lays down his glass and there is $500 or
stO worth of beautiful, shining fur plainly
visible to the naked eye.
The man In the tower picks up his Sharp's
rifle. inserts a 12O-grain cartridge in the
chamber. and there Is q wicked. wfstful
gleam TN the keen eye of the hunter as he
raises his weapon for the first shot. There
Is a Hash. recoil and report. which is
scarcely distinguishable In the roaring of
the breakers to the man who holds the
gun Ammunition is no object. and. with
lightning rapidity, he loads and fires his
piece. That otter will not be more than
ten feet away from where he was when
the hunter pulled the trigger when he gets
there. and that hunter can hit bounding
deer at 800 wards twice out Of five shots.
The otter Is enjoying himself in the dan
gerous company of murderous bullets
which are doing their best to ffnd him.
Another huge breaker brings him within