The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-29

ment of commerce and labor. regard
ing the fur-seal, impose upon us an
obligation as good citizens that 1t is
impossible to ignore.
The logic of events has made it our
duty to lay before tie American peo-
pie series of facts, in order that
the people may have an opportunity
to Judge them, safeguarding their own
property, and protecting their good
name among nations. AS the exhibits
herewith will show, we have faithfully
endeavored to secure plain justice
for the public interests at stake with
out resort to publicity: but the evil
genius of the fur-seal is inexorable.
About 1857 the Pribileof islands OF
Alaska were acquired by the United
States from Russia. In 1874 the seal
herds which visited these islands for
breeding purposes numbered at least
four and half million seals. Today
they number from thirty to fifty thous-
and. The seals reach the Pribilof
islands during June and July. where
breeding females and old bulls gather
at certain parts of the islands known
as the breeding grounds. TIE Young
seals, male and female. keep to thin.
selves. and it is from these younger
seals that the seal-skins of commerce
is taken. Only the young males. called
bachelor seals. from two to four YEARS
old may legally be killed.
Since 1870 the United States gov.
eminent has leased the right to kill
these seals to certain companies. the
last lease being made in 1890 to the
North Americar Commercial company.
which lease ev I'd April so, 1910. and
was not renewed
During the time that the seals are
making their homes on the Pribilof
islands they make extensive trips to
sea in search OF food. often going
from fifty to 100 miles from the islands
and remaining away for ten days or
two weeks. 1t is while on ttese ex-
lpeditiors in search of food that they
are killed by the pelagic sealers. who
surround the islands outside of the
three-mile and sixty mile territorial
limits. "nelagic sealers" being the
term used for those who kill seals at
+ sea-
! For tie past twenty years black
cloud has hung over our fur-seal in
dustry, dropping down an almost CON
ltinuous rain of deadly blunders and
disasters. We assert that the average
citizen has not the faintest conception
Iof the extent and thoroughness of the
official blunders. and the failures that
| have visited their evil results on the
once valuable fur-seal industry. That
Industry is now almost annihilated.
and the policy of Secretary Nagel will
! Inevitably complete it. Our concern is
with the present and the future.
4 Regarding the past. the Campfire
club has made no formal charges. No
effort can bring to life tie dead fur
#seal millions.
Definite charges against George NJ.
4 Bowers. Walter !. I.embkey and others
have been made bv Henry w. Elliott,
formerly United States treasury agent
upon the islands, and filed with Secre-
tarv Nagel If these charges are In
Investigated by congress the public may
learn incidentally the grimly humor-
fous story of senate document No.
407.
4 About this time last year 1t became
painfully evident that unless BODY
Iiof independent citizens at once took
action with congress- in behalf Of the
ln,iserahle remnant of from 10000 tc
$4,000 fur-seals. and stopped the i'm
pendinr execution of new killins
lease. the complete annihalatjon of the
4 fur-seal Industry in the near future