Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-12-26

sale and indiscriminate slaughter of
these gentle and harmless animals
has, In the course OF years. had It's
effect; the method pursued by the
British government alone being sufi.
cient to ultimately ex,erminate the fur
seal.
IL may not be generally known that
what is called the fur seal Is. properly
speaking, the q bear. and is prob
ably more nearly related TO the bear
than 10 the true seal. 4 noteworthy
Item is that short, soft. thick fur,
which Is 30 beautiful. Ii generously
%sprinkled with a long. stiff. white hair,
which, in the process of dressing,
must be removed.
There are two methods employed In
the hunting. one. referred to above. as
pursued by the British government.
being the open sea. or pelagic, sealing.
The animals are killed by spearing
them as they lay peacefully sleeping
ion the water. The raids are made
lin the breeding season. and the males
do not feed during that time, but
when the puppy seals are about a
week old the mother ventures ont to
sea In search Of food. After feeding
she lays asleep on the water, and the
sealers steal upon her and end her
life. The pups left on land are too
small and feeble to care for them
selves, and they are simply allowed to
istarve to death on the frozen SNOW.
During the nineteenth century the de-
,Struction of breeding females, literally
10y the millions, sadly depleted the
herds, and practically exterminated
them in southern waters. whence
came the most valuable skins. They
have, for some time. been protected by
the government. and pelagic sealing in
northern waters is limited as to time.
place and manner, while only licensed
sailing vessels are permitted to en-
gage in fur sealing.
While the British method eliminates
the reproductive class and Is cruel in
Its results, the Americans, who Kill on
Hand and select only the bachelor"
seals, are far more barbarious and In
human In their killing. The land
drive" in itself untold suffering for
these animals, fitted with no feet for
dry land and compelled to hitch along
with a great strain on the lumbar re-
'gion, is the least of the cruelties prac.
tised in the killing. Many drop by the
..wayside during the drive" and are
left to die, the skins of all such having
no market value.
The hunting season Is very short, as
the animals are prime for only 2S
or 30 days. Consequently. everything
is done in great haste. The drive"
which extends over miles of rough.
stony country. from the sea to the
vicinity of some village. is hurried and
;inhuman. They are allowed to rest
occasionally, and again at the killing
grounds. but for purely commercial
reasons, for If killed while over-heated
and in a state Of exhaustion the fur
would be valueless. The next step is
to marshal them in a long column of
from three to Ave abreast and drive
them between men armed with heavy
clubs, and as they pass their skulls
are crushed. The great rapidity with
which this work is conducted prevents
the certainty of instant death. and as
they are cast aside in great piles,
many lie there suffering.
The poorer class. the SCARED. and
those whose fur is not in good condi-
ton. together with the breeding seals.
are allowed to find their way back to
sea.