davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31
THE SEAL KILLING GROUNDS.

nation might take seals. This regu-
lation is enforced against the ships
of both nations by patrol boats Of both
nations, one or the other being on
duty all the time, and is sufficient to
prevent poaching by ships Of either
nation party to this arbitration, but
no other nations concede that they
are bound by this regulation of no
sealing within a radius Of sixty miles,
Japanese vessels, for example, do not
hesitate to invade this zone. There
is evidence to show, too, that British
and, possibly, American seal fishers
have resorted to the protection of the
Japanese flag in order to get within
less than sixty miles Of the islands. ~
THE mate of the. Healy, the boat
i which carried our senatorial par
ty down the lower Yukon to St.
Michael, was at one time engaged in
pelagic sealing, and his description of
this really exciting sport Interested me.
Albert Edwards was on Boring sea
as a hunter for a Canadian sealing
ship In 1898, the year the arbitration
tribunal met in Paris. It was the Gus
tom, he said, for a sealing ship to car
ry eight or ten small boats in each of
which they sent out a hunter and two
oarsmen to search for and capture seals
sea. The hunter is armed with a gun
loaded with buckshot. He stands in
the PROV of the boat and carefully
scans the sea for sleeping SEAL The
seal is a sleepy-head. His appetite
satisfied after a good mornings fish
ing. he curls up on his back, folds his
f1ippers across his breast and shores
so loudly sometimes that he can be
heard for several rods. When sharks
or other foes Of the sea are near, he
seems to be conscious Of it, even in
sleep, and his head rises and falls be-
low the surface of the water as he
seems to listen even when asleep for
the. approach Of an enemy. Sudden
ly he may disappear like FASH some
thing having warned him that it is
time for disappearing. When what is
supposed to be good seal-fishing
ground is reached the vessel stops and
anchors If possible. The boats work
out to windward. Every precaution is
necessary, as the seal seems to be
able to smell the hunters half a
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31
New York Tribune,

California bees are record-breakers
for choosing queer hiding places II
various Southern California towns the
persistent little honey-makers have
invaded bank blocks, churches, stores
private dwellings, .schoolhouses and
taInalet stands to such an extent that
business and religion, education an6
personal comfort have been sadly in
terfered with. ''-'
Fullerton, an enterprising agricul-
tural community, has been the scene
Of their especial activities, AID the
inhabitants Of the charming town have
had exciting times trying to keep the
intrusive pests out Of their homes and
places of business. For ten years the
busy little workers have been packing
their. stores Of honey close under the
roof Of the Fullerton bank, and every
effort that has been made to rid the
building of them has been intellectual
During their winged pilgrinages they
frequently invaded the banking-room
where they set employees, and custom
ers in such a panic that there was
tearing of hair, grooming and undigni-
fed jumping about A few weeks age
to rOut the tOrments, With the under
standing that his remuneration for the
job was to be the honey that had been
accommodating among the rafters fol-
many years With the assistance OF
a number Of men, all of whom We're
screened with mosquito and wire net
ting, he captured over two tons of the
finest orange honey. He sold the car
go of sweets for cents a pound, peck
eted the good, hard cash, then whts-
tied defant1y when censured because
he left the bees to work at the same
old stand |
In one instance swarm tried to
private. house. The window had been
left open, and the unlimited guests
fiocked In as merrily as if they had
received invitation to an lat home
They were finally captured and per-
suaded to transfer their festivities to
a dry goods box. One of the largest
swarms Of bees ever seen in this vicin-
ity recently tried to bolt their way
into several business houses, but, be-
ing baked in their intentions by find
they made Decline for less aristo-
cratic quarters Mexican vender's
tamale stand-where they attempted
to establish a permanent camp, much
to the CONSERVATION of the swarthy
merchant.
For number Of year the little
Episcopal church at San Gabriel, a
town which has become famous be-
cause of its historic mission, was in
tested by bees, and their effect on re-
ligion and the development OF Chris
tianity was demoraltzing in the ex-
IRENE. In the summertime 1t was
necessary to keep the windows open,
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31
HIDING PLACES OF BEES
Places Where Swarms Seek New Homes in California,

and as there were no screens investi-
eating bees would temporarily sus-
pend operations in their storehouses
among the rafters and join the congre-
cation. The following amusing story
is told in connection with this church.
One time during an especially I'M
pressive service the minister was send
ing up a solemn prayer of thanksgiy-
ing. He suddenly struck his eyebrow
resounding whack, while his voice
and his enthusiasm rose vigorously.
thrilling the kneeling devotionals with
the wildly spoken words, 20 Lord
Gosh" A drowsy, half-deaf old parti-
arch in the front row responded with
loud Amen" while little bee, SUI
fering the agonies of death, writhed on
a page Of the open Bible. Because of
the bees many humorous Incidents oc.
Cured in this picturesque little meet
Ing house. Many times troop Of the
little torments, with all their artillery
set for action, would swoop down on
the Worshipers and transform piety
into in1pious action. An enormous
amount of honey was removed from
one of the gable attics Of this church,
and after repeated attempts the bees
were finally got rid Of.
California bees sometimes go to
school, and then there is trouble for
teachers and pupils. AS the bees are
unruly and unmanageable and averse
to educational discipline, the effect on
the pupils is demoralizing. Il
Bees that have become pretudiced
against life In the conventional apiary
like best to hide away in low, dark
attics, where they can fasten their
honeyed tapestry to the rafters or
crowd 1t between the weather-board-
ing and the plastering. Sometimes the
weight Of honey on the rafters be-
comes so great that It drops and
crashes thru the ceilings. The favorite
swarnaing time OF bees is in the latter
part of spring, when ell the honey
producing plants are In bloom and
conditions are most favorable for the
establishment of new quarters. The
methods employed by the bees for Sc.
lectng a new home are nethodical
and clever In the extreme. A detaeh-
ment is sent out to make investiga-
tons. They return to the hive and
report. Then all is busting prepare
ton, for each bee that joins the
winged caravan must gorge himself
with honey. so he will have enough
to last him until he is comfortably set
tied In the new home and ready to go
to work in earnest. Each bee must
also carry along supply Of wax tor
making comb.
The greatest Difference is extended
to the queen bee by her subjects, and
no move Is made until she Is ready.
Queen bees are larger and heavier
than the worker bees and 1t Is impos-
sible for them to go far without get
ting tired. as they are unaccustomed
to flying. ].
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31
NATIVES KILLING SEALS ON ST. PAUL ISLAND

twenty minutes, the. killing com
mences. 1' sT..-'s '.~
ONCE milady must have the sfurs
- which these pretty creatures
j. wear, and since her wants cannot
be satisfied. without killing the seals,
the method of killing, adopted on the
islands probably inhicts less suffering
on the part of the victims than any
other that could be devised. But one
who has witnessed the operation once
will never wish to see it again:
: Here come the killers, three gangs
Of them, natives who are expert at
the business. The first are half a
dozen men, each armed with kan-
lika or stout club about five feet long
and about three inches thick at the
heavy end. They cut out d bunch of
twenty or thirty Of the frightened,
budding, struggling creatures and,
striking each one on the head crush
the soft thin skull. Death is, instan-
taneous. AS the club falls with a
thud upon each graceful head the
survivors of the first crushing blows
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

mile off when the wind is right.
The small boats move on quietly, more
careful to avoid exposing themselves
thru the animals sense of smell than
thru his sense Of hearing. It takes
practiced and keen eye to discover the
careful maneuvering to get within
range. A successful shot and the
floating prey of the marksman is
pulled into the boat, skinned and the
carcass thrown overheard and the
search begins again. The hunters
were paid $3.50 for each skin when
seals were comparatively plenty and
the market price was low, but as the
price advanced from 50 or $40 to $50
or $22, as it is now, the hunters de-
manded and secured 5 5 a piece for all
the skins they brought in. In their
search for seal the small boats often
wandered ten miles away from their
ship and before going out OF sight,
bearings by the compass to insure safe
return. The insurance was not always
good, however, and many small boat
crews have chased the seal too far. Ed
wards relates that he was once lost
Boring sea for over week and the
revenue cutter McCulloch on its way
up to st. Michael to meet our party
picked UP a boat containing hunter
and two oarsmen who were lost from
a Japanese seal poacher and had been
drifting about several days.
The North American Commercial
company, which holds the exclusive
sealing privileges on Pribylov islands.
is not enjoying very profitable mo-
nopoly at the present time. The seal
herds have been SO depleted that a
catch Of 10000 is difficult to get and
the annual product of the islands Is
diminishing. The company is said to
be behind in the payment Of It's an
nual rental of 100000 a, year and with
the expense for the marketing Of each
skin in excess of $40 there isnot very
large margin Of profit left. If after
the expiration Of the present conces-
sion, in 1910, the government should
prohibit all sealing on the islands for
a period Of ten years, the rookeries
would doubtless become again the
permanent source of fair output TAX
en- under regulations calculated to per-
petuate the supply Of these valuable
fur-bearing animals.
-'- j. S. McLain.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

seem to become conscious OF their inn
pending fate, and their appealing eyes,
soft as those of a deer, their plaintive
cries and their frantic but Intellectual
struggles to escape would certainly
stay the arm OF any one not schooled
by years and generations to do this
cruel work. The stranger to this scene
is forced to turn away, tho he must
admit that the slayers are skilful and
that not throb of conscious pain fol-
lows the descent of the heavy club.
After the killers come three or four
pelts down the under side of the body
and probe the hearts with their long
blades. The third squad is six or eight
experts who remove the pelts and who
WELD their knives SO dexterously that
within thirty seconds in some cases
the soft xpelt is stripped clean and
thrown fur side up on the wet grass.
In the earlier part of the killing sea-
son which now lasts only about six
weeks in July and August, the car
casses are left to rot on the killing
grounds, but in the latter part Of the
season considerable quantities of seal
are saved for consumption by the ma
tives. Seal oil Is also made for the
use or the natives and to some extent
for commercial purposes, but it is not
now an important part of the bust
ness. l.5@G# sN
The pelt of the seal, as it lies on the
killing ground, bears no resemblance
to the glossy dark brown coat which
is such a popular winter garment here
at home. It is about 8 feet long by
or 27a feet wide, on the average, has
a gray, neutral tint from the long
hairs that project beyond the fur, and
has little of the beauty of the finished
product as it comes plucked and dyed
from the hands Of the London furrier.
1t is provided in. the contract that
only the males of q years old and up
out of this drive twenty or thirty
young females and three or four old
bulls, whose fur is too coarse for the
market, were allowed to escape and
find their way back to the rookery.
The agents of the government are on
hand at every killing to see that no fe-
males are killed. " 2-. -
From the killing ground the skins
are taken to the salthouse, where they
are laid together in pairs, the flesh
side in with. a coating of coarse salt
between. After remaining there for
two or three weeks, the skins are tied
up in pairs In compact bundles and
are ready for market. The seal
skin market is still in London,
where the best process of tanning and
drying has been a we'll guarded mo-
nopoly for many years, tho the method
OF treatment is now understood in this
country and would doubtless become
an important industry if the seal were
not being gradually 5exterrninated, not
by the. company having the lease of the
islands, but by the poachers at sea.
THE first year after the islands were
/ discovered, two million seal pelts
r.. were taken. The market was
glutted and the price fell to the equiv
alent of 81 for a skin. Indiscriminate
slaughter nearly -exterminated the
seals and the Russian government had
to regulate the sealing business. A
Russian company was given the ex-
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

elusive privilege of taking sealskins
on the islands When the United
States came into possession of the
islands, In 1857, and granted an ex-
elusive sealing privilege on the islands,
commencing 1870, it was provided that
not more than 100, 900 skins should be
taken in one year. That number has
rarely been reached as an annual
catch. The chief cause of the decline
In the number of seals on the rook-
eries-hundreds now where there used
to be thousands---was pelagic sealing.
Pelagic sealing is taking the seals at
tsea, and it ise particularly destructive
because the poacher cannot tell Wheth-
er he is killing bachelors or females,
and, as a mattersof fact, does not care.
The habits of these animals are very
interesting to study. Where they come
from in the spring or early summer,
and where theysgo to in the autumn.
is some thing4 "a mystery--the south
Pacific probably, but they seem never
quent the rookeries of the extreme
South Pacific ocean probably never
finding their way north Of the middle
Pacific. AS the sea Is their natural
habitat, and furnishes both food and
lodging, they probably do not touch
land from the time they leave in the
fall till they return again in the early
summer. h
The first to arrive on the seal islands
as soon as the ice is gone are the older
males, who come to select the sites
OF their sum m err residence. They To-
cate, but not Without good deal of
fighting over the x5choice spots, and
await the arriva1tof the females, whom
they gather in harems Of half a dozen
to fifteen or twenty as fast as they
arrive. The young are born soon after
the females arrive, one to each female.
COMEBODY, the Russians or the ma
- tives, is responsible for a very
peculiar seal .nOmenclatu The
mated male is called a bull, or in the
island vernacular, .sicatch the
minated male, who Is younger, Is
called bachelor. or holluschilkie''
the female is called a COW, and her
offspring a pup, tho the latter is the
only seal that bears any resemblance
to bulls or cows or pups. The baby
pup as he lies curled MP asleep among
the rocks; but when he cries he makes
a noise al good deal like the bleat Of
a lamb. They look as much alike as
a handful of peas and a cluster of
them is called a pod. The breeding
grounds are called rookeries, tho they
are only the black, rocky shores of the 4
islands with nothing about them to
suggest the usual significance OF the
term Ell Sssss $3.50
few days after the pup Is born his
mother goesto sea for food. Her first
excursion is not long, and when she 1
returns she has no difficulty in pick
Ing out her own among the thousands
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

islands, as well as the Aleu-
tan chain and all the islands in
Boring sea east Of a direct line drawn
from the middle of Boring strait to
point midway between the most west
erly, Of the Aleutian chain and the
Commander islands, off the coast of
kanlschatka, came into the possession
of the United States. In order to ,oon-
serve the sealing industry, the exclu-
sive privilege of taking the seals on
these islands was granted to the Alas
ka Commercial company. The con-:
years and d ran from 1910 to 1896, The
privilege passed then for, a like pc
Rod to the North American CONNER
cial company The government main
tains an agent and an assistant on ST.
Paul island and an assistant on st.
George, to see that the terms of the
concession are complied with. The
company have agents on both islands
to carry on their business.
WHEN the islands were discov
w cred by the Russians, there
were no human inhabitants,
and that fact, together with the rocky
shores, low and easily climbed by
them, no doubt determined the Sc
lection Of these islands by the seals
to carry on the fur sealing business
successfully, the Russians brought
from the Aleutian Islands several hum
dred natives and established them on
the seal Islands as their permanent
home. They built for them barrabkies,
or dug clothed and fed them and
instructed them in the religion of the
Russian church. But their condition
was deplorable enough when the
American company was given posses
sion of the islands. They were prac-
tically in a state of slavery. Trans
ported without their consent, they
were paid mere nominal wages, housed
in Wretched novels and treated more
like animals than human beings, ex-
cept that, they were required to at
tend the services Of the Russian church
and to contribute Of their meager
wages to it's support.
With the change from Russian to
American occupation of the islands
the condition of the natives was
greatly improved. Good frame houses
were built for them by the Alaska
Commercial company, the price paid
for removing the skins was raised !
from 10 to 40 cents petit is now
SO cents-a5 school was established
which the children were required to
attend, the sale of Intoxicating liquors
on the islands was stopped, a hospital
and medical attendance were provided,
and the condition of the natives on
the seal islands is the envy Of the In
dams of the other islands. The in
fuence Of the Russian church has
been against the education Of the |
children, especially in English, so that
not much has been accomplished in
that direction. There are only 1870
natives on the islands now, the great
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

In that direction had been made
shortly before that time, but long
after navigators had circled the globe
and had become familiar with the
waters of the southern oceans and
after the habitable world had been
pretty thoroly explored In all other
directions, the fur traders of Russia
began to venture out across the un-
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

ward from the track of the steamers
bound from Seattle to Nome. All
night and nearly all day Sunday we
plowed our lonesome way thru fog
and mist and rain. The. fog whistle
sounded every five minutes. but not a
sail nor an answering sound broke
the solitude of that unfrequented sea.
Toward evening the navigator knew
we must be approaching the seal
islands and we went ahead at slow
speed till suddenly st. George, the
smaller and the more southerly Of the
two, came into view. We desired,
however, to stop at st. Paul, the larger
island, and thither we returned, and
found a safe anchorage. Lieutenant
Barker was sent ashore to arrange for
a.visit by the senatorial committee the
next morning. 80 ? ne
When Alaska was purchased in
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

known seas to the eastward of Siberia
in their crude and clumsy and unsea-
worthy vessels.
The story of Russian discovery in
northwest America is full Of disaster.
Scores of ships and hundreds Of lives
were lost both before and after the
voyage of discovery, which was not
accomplished without the death Of
Vitus Boring himself, ship wrecked on
a bleak and desolate island In the sea
which bears his name. Russian oc-
Cupation Of the Alaskan coast-the
Russians can hardly be said to have
occupied the tnterior-fnaly came to
require the service Of many ships to
maintain communication between the
Russian-American fur trading posts
and the ports Of the Siberian coast
But for forty years and more&t the YES
sells of the Russian traders continued
to pillow the waters Of this northern
sea. bringing merchandise of many
kinds and carrying back the furs and
bonanza Of the fur traders, the fur
seal islands. They had taken the seal
at sea and had learned the value of
their pelts, but 1t was not until 1885
that Gerassim Pribylov, after repeated
efforts to follow the seals on their
northward migration in the spring,
discovered their destination. Cropping
cautiously among the fog banks he
heard one morning the barking of
myriads Of these curious animals and
knew that, the object of his search
must be near. These island coasts are
usually rocky and dangerous and
he approached cautiously till the fog
lifted and revealed the low-1ying is
lands with their rocky shores swarm
Ing with millions Of seals. The mys-
terry Of the summer migration of the
fur seals was solved; here was their
breeding place and here on these rocks
they were killed by the million for
their valuable skins, till the indis-
criminate slaughter had we'll nigh ex-
terminated them and it became neces-
sary to set limit to the yearly catch
In order to save the species from ex-
tinction.
NUR approach to the seal islands
~ was attended with difficulties
similar to those encountered by
their discoverer. The revenue cutter
McCulloch, having on board the sena-
torial party, sailed from Nome, satur-
day afternoon, Aug. I. For two days
the surf had rolled so high against the
beach that no boat Of any description
could live in it for five minutes Out
side, a mile from shore, lay our ship
and several others, but no one dared
venture across the foaming God. Sat-
urday about noon the wind fell and in
that shallow sea the falling of the
wind Is soon followed by the subsid-
ence Of the waves. At three o'clock
we were on board, and an hour later,
Nome, lying along the low shore, had
disappeared from sight and we were
steaming southwark over Bering sea
bound for the seal islands, 500 miles
southwark.
Our course lay little to the west
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

..
VIII.
ERING SEA is a

= hlNT SEA Is b
lonesome corner
of the Earth. It
il considerably
less than 200
years since it
began to be
navigated at all.
Alaska was dis
covered In 1741.
Some u n s u c =
cesSful VOYAGES