Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-08-13
JAPS A. TER SEALS.

Russta's R0o.crtcS Are Vow Free tn
the pir.tcs.
II Is an i'll wind that blows no one
good luck and this year will he har-
vest time fer the seal poachers. The
Russian gunhoat Mandjur, which pa
trollcd the coasts of the Russian seal
islands last summer and seized twelve
Japanese scaling schooncrs. is safely
tied up at Shanghai. disarmcd. dis
mantlcd, dismcmbcrcd hulk only.
The Korietz. that made a cruise or two
looking for pelagic sealers. is heap
Of twisted iron at the bottom of Che
mulpo harbor. and the seal poacher Is
happy Now may he raid the rookeries
on Copper and Robin islands and loot
the storehouses If he will. shoot the
timid sea offers. whose .pelts are worth
1000 gold dollars each and often more.
and rejoice and make big money while
the Russians are otherwise engaged.
The rich mine. the great storehouse of
adventure and exciting deeds wrapped
up I'm the seal poacher's calling. has Mt
last been Il little opened up Years ago
seal hunting and seal poaching was
great business. and a little fleet of tall
masted schooners used to make HakO-
date and Yokohama their home ports.
They would clear away. ostcnsibly to
trade i'm copra I'm the south sea islands.
and end up I'm northern waters. where
the seals swim and the fogs lie low all
summer.
1t was JOY and spice of life for these
scaling schooner crews to raid the rock.
cries on the well guarded Russian is
lands. If the attempt succeeded they
could sail away from the sealing
grounds with full catch. If the Rus
slams discovered them schooner and all
were confiscated and destroyed. and
the Adventures were sent off to work
In the salt mines or do other hard gov
eminent labor I'm Siberia.
There must be- shipload of docu-
ments somewhere in the state depart
ment ut Washington relating TO the
claims of native born and naturaliZed
American citizens for damages from
the Russian government. The state de
partmcnt never pushed these claims.
since the most of the claimants had
only received their just dues and fully
deserved all that had been done to
them.
One skipper cherished and nurSed his
grudge after he had experienced Il sea-
son of Russian mines and prisons and
had made his escape. lie reappeared
in Yokohama with a new schooner.
loaded II with champagne and delica-
lessen stores and sailed boldly away to
the Russian station In the Comman
dorski islands. He asked only for wa
ter to make some repairs. and. as thor
ough search revealed no sealing appa
ratuS. no weapons or nets, they let the
agreeable rover rest awhile. watching
him closely. however.
One night-the shippers birthday.
perhaps there was II feast on board
and champagne flowed like water in
honor of all the Russian officers. who
were guests. While this went on afioat
the schoOners crew were ashore. treat
ing the rest of the inhabitants of the
seal island TO fiery drinks. and when
vodka and whisky and other mixed
fluids had done their work the crew
forced the doors of the storehouses and
carried the neat bundles of sailed skins
to their waiting boats and slowed them
away I'm the schooner's hold. Then the
sleeping visitors were rowed ashore and
laid comfortably on the sands. and the
pirate ship sailed away with the great
est catch of all known seasons. The
skipper retired from sealing and took
to tanner pursuits OH shore in the open
ports. as he could well afford to do
after that haul.
He Is known still to the older resi-
dents as the pirate king. and one Of
zen wonders if the local races and stock
market and the dinner coat every night
in an electric lighted club can make up
for the cool. salt smell of the sea. the
believing seals In the fog and the
sound of the gunboat on patrol steam
ing around i'm the mist In search of the
poaching sealer.-Tokyo Cor Kansas
City Times.