Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-18

toner. recurring two, II not three. men
10 overcome him. His ferocity II ter
dow was Newfoundiands only market
rble. and he will savagely attack any
one standing In his way. shooting Is
the scheme usually adopted to dispatch
him. Occasionally he weighs 900
pounds; but adult seals are never KILL
ed unless young ones are scarce. as
their oil Is too poor and their skin Is
too tough
In their quest for the seals the men
leave tho ship at daylight and travel
six or eight miles over the shifting,
Welding, unstable foes, carrying their
very lives IN their hands. They are
supposed TO be back by evening with
their catch. but sometimes get storm
bound and benighted. nd are exposed
to appalling danger In 1898 the Green
land had ISL out ~ her PIG men out
when a blizzard swept the foes raging
for two days and nights, and al its
end II was found that AZ men had per-
ished and 30 more were frost bitten.
Fogs often shut down over the foes
and hundreds Of men may be en-
shrouded in them. unable to regain
their ships and suffering Intense hard
ships from frost and hunger, scantily
clad, poorly provisoned and having 20
burn their clubs, boats, and hauling
lines. to keep themselves from perish
ing outright Oftentimes, too, men fall
through blow holes or into scum-coVer-
ed channels and being ragged be-
meath the noe. perish miserably. or, II
they escape that fate, they have 10
strip naked on the Ice and wiring the
water from their garments. Downing
the half-damp clothes again, they IN
many instances lay the seeds Of fatal
disease The ships. too, are sometimes
crushed In the foes and sunk, ana the
crews have to take 10 tho ice and re-
main there until relieved by some otter
vessel. or. II that hope Of succor falls
they make their way over the ice 10
the land. drawing with them provision
laden boats TO ferry them over the
channels they may encounter as wen
as to insure them against starvation.
CREWS POORLY PAID.
The Industry, when It's hardships and
dangers are taken into account, very
inadequately remunerates the hunters
engaged In II. These men receive, III
their catch Is good, only about SSO 10
800 each The system under which the
fishery is pursued is that the ship
owner gets two-thirds OF the proceeds,
the crew having the third share divid-
ed amoung them. Until two years ago
the proportion was still further re-
duced by reductions OF various kinds
but they struck work and secured the
abolition OF these Objectionable charges.
The early arrivals. naturally the boats
fully laden. are greeted by thousands
OF cheering compatri who line the
wharvcs az they enter port; and for the
brief time they are absent their crews
may be said 10 have Jared fairly well.
But the iuckless ones who remain out
TIL April 30-the last legal day for
killlng-returning with but few
thousand pelts which yield their crews
a beggarly dollar or two, represent the
unfortunate side Of the enterprise.
At St. Johns are the refineries whore
the Tat is converted into oil and the
skins are cleaned and sailed for eS-
port. Expert "skinners' cut of the
Fat. which is then minced. steamed,
and pressed until all the oil Is removed
from Il. The oil Is used In lighthouses
and Is the best iluminant yet discover
ed for this purpose. II II also employed
In making high-class soaps and as
substitute for olive oil. The skins as
already stated, are tanned and utilized