davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20

marked success Twenty years of the enforcement of intelligent regulations were followed by distinct increase fin the herds. Even upon Boring Island, whence, as, we have seen. they had en- tirely disappeared before the end of the century, sea-otters returned in large num- bers, so that "in 1927, no less than 200 near the present Nikoski village" But this revival was short-lived. After the transfer of Alaska to the United States the precautions instituted by the Russian company were relaxed and the old time indiscriminate slaughter was resumed. The animals were shot on shore as well as at sea, and cod-fisheries were established in the vicinity of their haunts. Hunting schooners visited the otter baQSs every season and defled the haulinS0grounds with camp fires and decaying carcasses.
 Thus constantly harasse3 and driven from their customary resorts on the land. the sea otters not only greatly diminished in numbers, but actually changed their habits. Forsaking the hauling grounds which had been rendered untenable, or at least unattractive, they no longer came out on land to feed or rest, or to give birth to their young but lived entirely in the water, resorting to the kelp beds for the functions of breeding. So pronounced, Ia this change of habit that some writers have described the sea-otter as strictly marine animal by nature, living entirely in the water, whereas 1t is naturally no more so than the fur-seal which passes a
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20

the sea-otter rendered it's capture more slitiicult and so prolonged it's passing, but 1t could not escape its doom. With the diminuhon of its numbers the skin rose in value and the pursuit became closer and, if possible, more ruthless The 'ot- ter canoe secured the waters in which the creature fed and in the breeding sea son descended upon the kelp beds in such numbers that the survival of. q wretched remnant of the former herds is subject of wonder. By nature gre garious, the animals have, in recent years, displayed n tendency to consort in cou ples and their timidity has long since in creased to a point that made It impos- stble to approach them within spearlng distance. The crews of canoes and schooners have depended upon the rife for many years, with the result that, perhaps, one in every five killed has been secured. fer like the fur-seal, the sea- otter dives instantaheously upon being hit.
 Between 1873 to 1883. the annual catch of the Indians of the Aleutan Islands was from 5000 to 4.0O0. From that pc riod a steady decrease has brought 1t down to practically nothing an,- with the expiry of the industry has vanished the mainstay-almost the sole source of sub sistence, in fact-of the Aleuts. The skins handled by the Alaska Company represented the largest proportion of the entire catch since 1870. except for the take of the Copper Island preserves. In 1873, the Company purchased-in round numbers-2.500 sea-orter peltss in 1d7A
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20

Kentucky and Kearsarge surpass the older ships to the tune of a knot per hour.
 In the fourth division is the lately com pleted battleship Minnesota and trio of sister ships, the Ohio, Maine, and Mis- suuri. The latter are each of 12,500 tons displacement and carry twenty guns while the Minnesota is 16000-ton, 4-gun ship being near of kin to the Kansas and Yer mont that have place in the first division. Despite, their difference in size all the ships in the fourth division boast the same speed as those in the first division. When this imposing array of battleships arrive at their destination on the Pacific Coast they will find awaiting them the U. s. s. Wisconsin, counterpart of the Alabama and Illinois and the recently finished battleship Nebraska, fifth mem Der of a quintette of sister ships, the other members of which make up the second division of the battleship fleet as above enumerated. Possibly, too. for the sake of sentiment the historic Oregon, now on the Pacific Coast, will be at tached to the combined fleet.
 To move sixteen battleships as one unit half around the globe Is a task the mag nitude of which is not readily appreci- ated. The journey, according to tho itinerary which has been mapped out, will have a total length of 13 722 knots which Is equivalent to more than 15,000 miles and it will require, it Is estimated, an elapsed period of 1t5 days Of this in terval, however, only 63 days will be de- voted to actual cruising and the remain ing 52 days will be spent In port or in target practice It is interesting to note in this connection that the Oregon made
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20

her memorable trip In sixty three cruising days. Her journey was shorter than that of the present fleet since her destination was Jupiter Inlet, Florida, whereas the present undertaking involves cruise from Hampton Roads, several hundred miles farther north but the Oregon tray eled at only nine miles per hour during much of the voyage whereas on the forthcoming cruise the battleships are ex- pected to average a speed of 111a to F miles per hour,
 The battleship squadron commanded by Admiral Evans is to make the cruise to the Pacific by long jumps. Only five South American ports will be visited but at each of these places of call the lnhab- tants may be expected to form new Ideas of American prestige for shore lib erty will be given to 15,000 officers and men where not more than 800 wearers of Uncle Sans uniform have gone ashore before. According to the present program the battleship fleet will leave Hampton Roads on December 15 and will make continuous jaunt of 1,7S0 knots to Trini- did where the fleet will arrive Decem- Der 23.
 The boys in blue will spend Christmas at Trinidad and will leave there December 2S for Rio de Janeiro '3900 knots distant The fleet will drop anchor in the harbor of the Brazilian metropolis on January 10 and will remain there almost a week when departure will be taken for Punta Arenas in the Straits of Magellan some 2230 knots distant. Here the battleships will tarry for the final six days in Jan uary and will then set out for Calao 2,S50 knots distant. Here the schedule
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20
portion of each year on dry

considerable portion of each year on dry land. ~
 Tn the belief of the best authorities there is but one spot on the earth--that Is Copper 1sland-where the sea-otter may be found adhering to its natural habits and-says Stejneger-"there is no other place in the world where many sea otters can he seen at the present day" Careful management has there preserved the herd. so that from one to two hun dred-a large catch under existing con ditions-may be taken each year without detriment to it. The rookeries are con stantly guarded against intrusion. Shoot ing or making fires in their vicinity are strictly prohibited. The method of taking the animals is restricted to nets and all females and yearlings caught alive are fiberated. The extent of the seasons catch Is determined In advance by the administration and the hunt is conducted by the natives en mdsse under the direction and control of the chief. The Russian government buys all the skins at a fixed price, and derives a handsome revenue from the trade whilst the income accruing to the Aleuts places them in position of comparative af- fiuence. Stejneger, writing ten years ago and passing his opinion upon actual observation. said: ''The animal, (which is now nearing its extermination on all the American islands and shores. where 1t Is not protected at all, Is actually in- creasing on Copper Island"
 By refraining from resort to the land.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20

5000; in 1888. 4,OOO; in 1888, 2,500. since 1892, the figures have never reached 1000 and in recent years have fallen far. be- low 800.
 The pelage of the sea-otter has always furs. In a work published in 1760, 1t is stated: "Of all these furs (those secured by Russians in Asia and America) the skins of the SSea-Otters are the richest and most valuable. These animals re- sort in great numbers to the Aleutian and Fox Islands; they are called by the Russians, Boobry Morski (Bobr MorskoD or sea beavers, on account of tee resem- blance of their fur to that of the common beaver" In the period of protection, pre- ceding our purchase of the Territory or Alaska, the average price of sea-oster skin was $50. With the ensuing de- crease In the supply the market value rose by leaps and bounds. The ruling price in the London market of 1888, was $1O0: in 1880, it was $180; in 1891, $220; in 1S95 $350; in 1898, $500 with occa- sional purchases at much higher hgures. Since 1900 single skins put up to auction have frequently fetched more than $1.OOO and in a few instances have sold as high as s1.5O0 prominent furrier recently remarked to the writer: ''The sea-otter Is fast becom ng rarity. In n few years the skins will sell entirely at fancy prices. We shall buy them on commission for wealthy customers, Just as diamond merchant buys rare gems or picture dealer a masterpiece"
 We have comparatively little exact knowledge of the sea otter and its habits The scattered descriptions in encyelo- pedas and other technical works are in- complete and often incorrect. The draw ings of the animal are especially faulty, even that of Wolf proceedings of the Geological Society of London, 1865, which is the best, being open to criticism on account of it's cat-like head.s
 In former times the inaccessibillty of it's habitat initiated against. the, acquisition of scientific knowledge regarding tho ani- nal Steller's study of 1t was not super seded for more than n century. It's changed habits and excessive timidity have made the investigations of latter day scientists extremely difficult, and, as in the case of the fur-seal, all attempts to keep it in captivity have proved futile. It Is not believed that any one has sue ceeded in photographing a live sea-otter at close range. Stejneger, who spent sew eral months on Copper Island, could not secure more satisfactory picture with the camera than that of the dead animal here reproduced. Indeed, there are few well-mounted skins of the sea-otter In existence One of the best Is that in the National Museum, for the photograph of which am indebted to the courtesy of lr. Charles D. Walcott, the secretary of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20

~ HE sea-otter was first introduced to q the knowledge of scientists through
 the investigations of Steller, the nat urallst, to whose famous treatise, Do Bestiis Marinis," we owe the earliest descriptions of the sea-cow, the sea-hon, the fur-sea and the sea-otter.
 Steller was member of that last fatal expedition of Vitus Boring which discovered the Commander Islands. On November 4, 1741 told style), the Saint Peter. returning from the discovery of the mainland of America. passed the southern extremity of Copper Island, and, on the following night, landed its curvey-stricken crew upon Bering Island. On this repelent shore they were forced in the extremity of their sickness to abide for the winter, burrowIng In holes like beasts and warding of the Icy blasts with skins of the fur animals that abounded on that coast. When. at length, they effected their escape In rickety craft. fashioned from the remnants of their wrecked vessel they left thirty of their number and their dauntless com mander buried beneath the shale of the island that bears his name.
 Sea- otter were so numerous upon Der ing Island at that time that they fur
  during the entire winter. On the return of the expedition to .Kamchatka, In the spring of 1742, 1t carried back seven hun dred or more of the beautiful skins of this animal and a keen demand at once arose. The promyshleniks, greedy for the present profit and utterly reckless of ultiJ mate consequences, pursued and slaugh- tered the creature, regardless of age or sex. Thus in 1745 Bassof and Trapezni- kof secured 1,6o0 skins on Bering Island and in 174S. about 1,40o were taken. The result of this wholesale destruction was the practical exterminatioD of the herd in a few years. Tolstykh's expedition obtained hardly more than forty furs dur ing the winter of 1749-50 whilst Dru- shinin got only five In 1754-55. In his account of a second expedition. made in the following season, Tolstykh says that mo sea-otters showed themselves that year"
 There were by this time twenty-five or thirty Russian fur companies maintaining outfitting stations at the mouth of the Amur, or on the shores of the Sea of Okotsk. Their vessels, searching for sea- ptters ranged eastward and during the twenty-five years following the discovery
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20
-lEWRAEZZZzzZp NEWa azaRdzY

n PREPARATIONS are going actively
 forward at the government office In Washington and at the navy-yards on Atlantic coast for the most momentous project ever undertaken by the United States Navy In time of peace. When, during the Spanish-American war, the battleship oregon made the run around the Horn to join the fleet in the West Indies the performance was acclaimed, and rightfully too, a remarkable feat and yet 1t pales in significance by com parlson with the plans for the coming great cruise of Uncle Sam's battleship squadron from Hampton Roads, Virginia to San Francisco Bay.
 The impending scheme for sending the pick of the republics warships to the west coast is part of far-reaching policy for shifting a preponderance of the American sea power to the Pacific, where the national responsibilities are most pressing and Yankee interests are more or less in jeopardy. Already d van guard in the form of groups of our best armored and protected cruisers have sought the new seat of naval power and even a torpedo fotllla will be sent from the Atlantic coast to complete the cate gory, but popular interest centers. of course, in the cruise of the sixteen bat tleships of Admiral Evans fleet, the most spectacular feature of the whole movement,
 The fleet of eavy-welght sea warriors that will steam around the continent under the direction of Fighting Bob' is not only the most formidable squadron ever assembled under the Stars and Stripes, but compares well with the cor responding possessions of any other world power Incidentally this homo geneous group of sixteen battleships, all though 1t does not include all the Ameri- can battleships by any means, makes reassuring showing as contrasted with Japans full strength of not more than dozen batteshps. This is comforting to say the least for despite the assur- ances of government officials that the battleship cruise is without any such significance, large portion of the public will persist in construing this visit as Il yelled hint 10 the Mikado and his people.
 The sixteen battleships that have been
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20

their long cruise by a good-sized fleet of supplementary vessels,-camp followers of the sea they might almost be termed. number of government colliers will go along to carry the supplies of coal, over and above what can be stored in the bunkers of the battleships; there will be several supply ships, carrying canned meats and other food and supplies so that the officers and men will not be de- pendent entirely upon the markets at the ports of call; and valuable ad- junct will be provided in the form of the good ship Panther which has been trans formed for the occasion into a repair ship and floating machine shop.
 Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans who will be in command of the fleet during this extended cruise is preeminently the man for the place. Next to Admiral Dewey. the most conspicuous officer in the United States Navy he enjoys the distinction of being the only officer in the service who has had two cruises as a fleet commander and he is particularly well fitted to have command of the bat tleship squadron in it's new environment on the Pacific through the knowledge gained during several years of service as commander-in-chief of the Asiatic fleet Admiral Evans is In his sixuerh year but he has the decision, energy and virility of much younger man which makes his selection for his present responsible post quite in line with the Presidents new policy to designate younger officers for the fighting commands in the Navy. As an ensign Evans saw service in the Civil War; he earned the sobriquet of "Fight- ing Bob" by his bravery while in com mand of the gunboat Yorktown during the trouble between the Unfted States and Chile In 1891; he commanded the battfeship Iowa at the battle of San tiago, the continuation of the Spanish American War; and now he is to round out his career by personally directing the most spectacular cruise in the his tory of our modern navy.
 WALDoN FAWCETT-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20
has granted permission for it's use.

has granted permission for it's use.
 The sending of the battleship fleet on this lengthy practice crulse' to our door ways on the Pacific Is going to cost Uncle Sam pretty penny. To be sure. the cost of keeping theAfie in commis- sion-that is the expense for the food for the bluejackets and such routine items will be no greater than if the battleships were at anchor in New York harbor but there will needs be a big outlay for pilot age etc. and most important of all, an enormous bill for coal. Not that the ships are going 10 burn coal recklessly. On the contrary they are going to be as economical as possible and 1t Is because of this desire to make the most of every ton of coal that the battleships which are capable of steaming at speeds of from IS to 22 miles are going 10 be held down to uniform gait of 12 miles per hour or less. Even at this most eco nomical speed, however. battleship burns ton of coal for every three knots travelled or more than three tons every hour so that 1t can readily be figured that the entire fleet of sixteen battleships will consume several carloads of coal every hour they are at sea. Uncle Sam gets hs coal at lower rate than the private consumer but his winters coal bill for ths cruise will be a whopper, un- official estimates ranging from $600,0OO upward.
 The battleships will be accompanied on
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20
Lord st. Levan'. Motley Crew.

Lord of St. Levan. who controls the famous Penzance district still keeps for his own use and for his house guests the quaint crew of rowers and the old-time barge used by his ancestors in the time of Queen Elizabeth. The rowers wear big sort of jockey cap and long coat buttoned with huge silver buttons and a kind of white petticoat or kilt arrange ment. King Edward of England paid Lord St. Levan visit some years ago, and was met by this strange crew. much to his astonishment. Lord St. Levan explained that an ancient English king had granted his ancestors the right to use this equipment while travelling by water.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20
the Smithsonian Institution.

the Smithsonian Institution.
 The sea-otter Enhydra lutris is at full growth about i've feet In length, in- cluding some ten inches of obtuse cylin- drical tall. It's head resembles that of the sea-lion, but is less sharp and at tenuated. It's black eyes have rather fierce expression, unlike the mild look of the brown-eyed fur-seal. It's small forefeet have five short, webbed toes. It's hind feet are similar to those of seals, being large, palmated flppers, furry on both sides. The pelage consists of beau tiful, thick, soft undermat of deep brown, somewhat lighter near the skin and frost ed with the silver tips of long, stiff hairs, which are generally removed when the pelt is dressed. On the head and neck the fur bleaches to a gray color. The skin is so slack that the pelt of an animal that measured but four feet will readily stretch to six or more.
 The sea-otter, unlike the other members of its family, does not feed on ordinary fish, but eats mussels, clams crabs and sea-urchins. It's female resembles that of the fur-seal in having but one pup at a birth. but 1t does not breed with the same regularity.
 That the exercise of ordinary fore thought on the part of our government might have saved the sea-otter from its impending extermination would seem to be proved by the experience of the Rus sian-American Company and the example of the Copper Islanders, but 1t Is prob ably now too late for the adoption of any effective measures of preservation Even the herd on the Commander Island has decreased In the past few years. and 1t is not reasonable to believe that the sea otter will there escape for long the fate that has everywhere else overtaken It.
 The disappearance of this interesting creature will be the more deplorable from the fact that it Is the only representative of its branch of the Enhydris family.
 C. H. FORBES-LINDSAY.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-20

selected for this pretentious swing around the circle comprise the very cream of America's floating fortresses. All are up-to-date in that they have without exception been built since the Spanish-Amerlcan war and thus embody the most modern ideas in design and construction, whereas the fact that they have been continuously in commission makes for tried efficiency in men and machinery. In the aggregate the sixteen battleships have displacement of more than 223,0o0 tons and they carry all told more than $50 large guns-that Is weapons of a caliber of four inches or more
 For the purposes of this record break Ing cruise the battleship squadron has been subdlvided into four groups of four ships, each. The first division Is headed, of course, by the U. S. s. Connecticut, flagship of Admiral Evans and numbers in addition to that magnificent govern ment-bult vessel her sister ship, the Louisiana product of a private shipyard) and the twins Kansas and Vermont. In the main essentials all four of these battleships are very similar. Each dis places when ahoat 16,000 tons of water and carries 24 guns and all are rated Witu h spcco VI dDout tWtnty lllltS per hour,
 The second division of the squadron is made up of four battleships which are duplicates of one another in practically every respect, namely the Virginia, Geor- gia, New Jersey and Rho1e Island. These heavy hitters carry, in each instance. the same number of guns as the ships in the first division. They are not quite so large having a displacement of about 15OOO tons in stead of 1B.000 but what they locl, in weight they make up in speed being capable of gait fully q mile per hour In excess of that of the aforementioned craft. The third division is made mp of two pairs of twins the Alabama and Illinois on the one hand and the Kearsarge and Kentucky on the other. The members of this quartette are of about the same size, having q displacement of approximately II 500 tons each but the Kearsarge and Kentucky mount twenty-two guns apiece as against eighteen guns on each of the other ships and likewise in speed do the