The Washington times., 1903-12-17
ALASKAN ISLANDS
LIKE NO MANS LAND
Land Office in Doubt as to
Status of Lessons.
LEASES DECLARED INVALID
No Protection for Settlers Except the
Individual Shotgun-Better Support
by Government Urged.

me ofhcials OF the General Land Of
fee are i'm somewhat of a quandary
about the status of the lessons of the
Alaskan islands which are devoted TO
the raising of foxes. The business of
raising foxes on the smaller and barren
islands was begun as an experiment
twenty years ago, and is still in the ex-
perimental stage. Prior to 1901 the ISL
ands were leased TO the holders. and
the Government took steps to encourage
those engaged in the industry In that
year the Assistant Attorney General for
the Interior Department decided that
the Interior Department had no right
to issue leases for the islands. and since
then the occupants have been without
anything to show on what authority
they are in possession.
As far as leases go the islands appear
TO be sort of no mans land. as the
Treasury Department also asserts that
IL cannot rent them out. This state OF
affairs has been drawn to the attention
OF the Interior Department in the form
of report by James w. Witten. spe-
cial agent for the General Land Office,
and which report is appended to that
of the Secretary o. the Interior.
Farmers Not Protected.
Mr.. Witten says the holders of the
fox farms are complaining that they
are not protected. Many of them have
been in the business for years under
what were thought to be valid leases.
Now that the leases have been declared
invalid, other persons may descend up
on the island and claim equal rights
with those who have spent so many
years making them profitable Should
enterprising outsiders try TO land on the
H~1r a..
of Alaskan islands is apt to rise. i'm the
opinion of Mr.. Witten, and he urges
that the present tenants be given more
formal protection than the fortunes OF
war with a double-barreIed shotgun.
It is necessary for attendants to re-
main with the foxes to feed them. and
many of those in the business have
built comfortable homes and are rails
ing families. Fish are caught and
placed in stone huts along the seashore,
where the foxes obtain them at night.
1t costs from So to IS per year to feed
a fox. and his skin sells for an average
of $3.50. so while the raisers make q
fair living, the industry is not gold
mine. by any means.
Raising Blue Foxes.
Blue foxes are raised, as il was found
that the silver gray fox. the fur Of
which Is extremely valuable. was OF
such wild. untamable nature that il
would not live in the conditions neces-
sary on the islands
The largest number OF foxes killed
last year was les. on Little Naked
Island in Prince William Sound IL was
stocked in 1895 with twelve pair of blue
foxes which cost the propagators s15C
have built houses and other improve
ments costing $500 and want to know
what title they have TO their property.
Blue foxes are homogeneous, which
makes it necessary for a man starting
in their rearing 10 buy an equal number
Of males and females. At the killing
season the feeding huts are transformed
into traps and the foxes are taken To
sea for killing. The habits of the fox
are not well understood and Inspector
Witten suggests that the animal be
subjected TO close scientific study in
order TO bring the industry to a higher
state of development
The blue fox is much more sluggish
and stupid than the blue-gray kind, and
fourishes better in this semidomesti-
Gated state necessary in their propaga-
tom In speaking Of this fox in his re-
port on the fur seals, Prof. r w. True,
in referring 10 the islands upon which
IL is native, says:
An Uncanny Animal.
zone is not long on the island before
making his (the fox's) acquaintance. and
his movements are a continued source of
interest. Now he VIII be seen trotting
along I'm the distance. turning neither 10
the right hand nor TO the left. and
again he will spring up almost from IN
der ones feet, giving utterance to his
high-pitched and querulous bark There
is something uncanny in the logged per-
sistence with which he follows ones
footsteps, falling back and barking IL
one faces about. and trotting near again
the instant one proceeds. L took pains.
on one occasion when fox had been
following me for some distance to as
certain whether these little footpads
could be readily frightened away. 1
commenced throwing large stones in the
direction OF the animal, thinking 10
alarm 81, but IL simply drew aside and
let the missiles pass and continued 20
bark as before. Finally I aimed some
small stones directly at the fox. one of
which struck it fOrcibly in the fore
head. The fox merely drew back a little
and barked defiance. As 1 proceeded.
the fox drew near again and followed
me 20 the boundary Of his domain. for
each fox. like his neighbor. the bull seal.
seems 10 have definite territory :
,.-Lfrb h. ,a.,, ~ ~. 49,,