The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-11-04

n ter-thc fur of which is
TC~ manufactured into robes
for potentates and princes of the Old
World and capitalists Of this and other
countries, closed on October /. having
begun on May /. According TO reports
received at the Treasury Department
and the Department Of Commerce and
Labor, the latter of which eXerts Off
cial supervision over the sea otter in
| 1ustry in Alaska. so far us the prcser-
! vation and regulation of hunting and
| killing of the animal are concerned. the
| sea otter is becoming Scarcer every
year, and threatens in a short time to
enter the list of animals of the ex-
tinct class
1t is not generally known that the
only species of sea otter is found on
the northern Asiatic and northwestern
American coast. and it is remarkable
that the extent of territory in the
United States where these animals are
taken is so extremely limited, being
only from Damon's Point. at the north
ern entrance to Gray's Harbor. up the
coast to Point Grecnvrilc. in the State
of Washington. a distance Of about
twenty-four miles. The animal is n
descendant of an extinct race. and
really belongs to past age. He is
shy and hard to locate. employing
clever means to avoid the enemy. Sea
otters are most frequently found IL
masses of what is known 10 the sailors
rs bladder kelp." and sometimes sea
otter cabbage" This kclp, like tho
animal that inhahits il. is relic Of
! bygone ages. 1t is giant seawecd,
| found only in the North Pacific Ocean,
among whose huge fronGs tie sea OF
| ters make their homes.
Nereocystics is the scientific name Of
| the weed, and its formation has often
! attracted the attention of scientists.
! rhc stems are sometimes several hun
| dred feet long. slender, but Of enor-
nous strength. and they terminate in
| large shaped bulbs. from which
| spring tufts of frondS of gigantic size.
| The stems ard fronds become so
lhickly masscd together that they form
| floating islands, which are the home Of
| the sea offers.
Unlike that of the seal. the fur Of
! the sea otter requires 10 plucking OF
! hair OF cOlOring--in fact the most val
liable Skins are those which are speck-
| led through with silver tipped fur,
the addition OF this hair adding % to
! 30 per cent. to the price of the skin.
| rhe otter hunters build for themselves
lerricks about forty feet high, by TAX
| ing three slim poles or pieces OF tim
Der. each about forty feet in length.
They bolt them securely together at
one end for the top. and spread them
about twenty-five feet apart at the bot
tom, giving them the appearance OF a
huge tripod. These arc set on the
ocean beach, about midway between
nigh and low tides, the feet Of the poles
being imbeGded IN the sand from two
TO three feet. Tho structure is then
thoroughly braced. and n ladder built
to the top by mailing pieces at con-
vonient distances crosswlse on the in
! land portion of the tripod. About eiGh-
teen inches below the top OF the tripod
cross timbers are secured to the legs,
and upon these cross timbers floor
from four to five feet square is laid,
and on the oceanward and two ada
cent sides walls are built up from
three TO four feet in height. On the
land side floor is constructed TO al
, low easy incrcss and egress to and
from this ''crows nest" On the top
Of the tripod. which extends about
eighteen inches above the floor, Il seat
is constructed, and around the inside
1f the wall a row of shelving is placed.
At low tide. when the wind is pro-
Dtious, the hunter HES himself to this
rows nest. armed with good pair of
glasses. rifle. luncheon and little
something to keep him warm, and for
six long hours he scans the line of the
| ocean Just outside of the breakers,
where he expects his game to appear.
When the tide first begins to flood. his
range is about six hundred yards, but
rs IL runs in the range is shortened TO
two hundred or three hundred yards.
Even at these latter distances 1t re-
1uires close calculation TO know just
how to shoot to overcome the rise and
fall of the ocean swell and the effect
IF the wind upon the bullets. 1t Is
said that not one out of one hundred
shots of the best marksmen is eff
fective. When the tide is full the der
rick stands in the midst of the break
ers, and landlubber is apt to feel a
little squeamish looking down from the
lizzy heights on the rolling waters be-
low. The shooting is generally done
on food tide. SO that the animal,
when killed, will wash ashore, and
even then IL is sometimes three or four
lays before 1t is beached. Each hunter
marks his bullets with mark known
to the other hunters. and when an OF
ter Is found OH the beach tie first duty
Of the finder Is TO look for the bullet
and ascertain who is the rlghtful own.
or for this sign is respected among
The hunters as sacredly as marks and
brands are among stockmen. When
m otter comes ashore with no bullet In
him. as is frequently the case, the bull
let having gone clear through the body
and no notice having been given, II is
regarded as n "sllck ear in stock
mems parlance. and belongs to the
finder Sometimes an otter, on receiv
ing death shot, sinks; but the hunter
generally knows when he has hit his
mark. BY observing the water will
his glasses he can discern. even at the
great distance at which they shoot, this