The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-09-09
HOPES TO ESTABLISH
SEAL INDUSTRY
FEDERAL FISH COMMISSIONERS
SURE THEY CAN BE RAISED
IN FRESH WATER
Twenty Pups From PribiIoffs Soon to
Arrive at Seattle Will BE Distributed
Among Aquaria-cost Of Raising !
Seal About the Same as Raising :
sheep-Profit Would BE Much More.

Seattle, Sept. 3.-The Washington
correspondent of the Post Intelligencer
says:
Although Fish Commissioner Bowers
was unable to induce any of the Eng
lish fur seal experts to establish a
plant in the United States for curing,
plucking and dying the skins, he has
returned from Europe more enthusiast
tic than ever over the future of the fur
seal industry.
The government having abolished
the fur seal monopoly on the Pribilof
islands has that industry now in it's
own hands. Mr.. Bowers, though in
tent on building it up as revenue pro-
Queer for the government, believes
from what he has observed and learned
that his idea of getting private per-
sons in various parts of the country to
engage in seal farming is perfectly
practicable.
Our two seal pups from Boring sea
| now in the fisheries building here"
said he, "have proved that infant seal
can be raised and kept healthy in a
habitat far distant from their native
rookeries. Any animal that can thrive
in the Potomac river water can thrive,
believe, even in Kentucky whiskey.
But we have no intention of trying
the latter experiment
| "The twenty pups we have ordered
from the Pribiloffs will arrive at Seat
| tie about the middle of September on a
revenue cutter. l have ordered one of
our fisheries cars to Seattle to meet
them. The pups will be brought East
and distributed among the aquaria in
the large cities and elsewhere to dem
onstrate that fur seal can thrive in
fresh water. I have no doubt that
| aQuaria in New York, Boston and other
places will be glad to get pair each.
To Consult Maggie.
II think it is safe to say that seal
will thrive in any body of fresh water
that does not freeze completely over in
winter. The only difficulty will be in
confning them, but the expense Of
building 4 sealtight fence would be
| amply repaid by the profits. A farmer
receives perhaps SIS for lamb, while
the value of fur seal pelt is about $40
in the raw state, and it should not cost
much more to raise seal than sheep
after the industry is started"
Commissioner Bowers has not COM
pleted details of the manner in which
the 10000 or 10000 skins taken by the
government in the Pribiloffs this sea-
son will be sold. This will be an
nounced after he consults with Secre-
tary Nagle at Seattle on the secretary's
arrival there about next Monday. The
skins may be sold in San Francisco,
but more probably they will be sent to
the larger market in London, where
they have to go eventually for treat
ment.
| Answers Attacks.
The commissioner regards the at
tacks made by w. T. Hornaday, Of New
York, and the Camp Fire Club of Amer
lea, on the department killing so many
seal this year as absurd. He points
out that no females are being killed
and that the killing Of surplus males
is but following the practice OF stock
breeders, who retain but the selected
males in their herds.
"If,' said he, "the surplus males are
not killed by the government they will
kill each other or be captured by the
pelagic sealers. II conservation Is the
object of Hornaday and his friends,
they should seek to put the pelagic
sealers out of business. II the surplus
bulls are not killed when young their
pelts become valueless except for
crude purposes"
| Market Fish Better Abroad.
| During his absence Mr.. Bowers Wis
lifted England, France, Belgium and
other countries, inspecting the fish
markets Of the various cities. ''There
| is one thing In which they excel Ameri-
can markets" said he, "and that is in
the method Of handling fresh water
fish. These are kept In water and sold
alive, SO that it Is possible for pur-
chaser to select fish or eel that Is
swimming about and have 1t killed and
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