The Washington herald., 1912-10-27
FISH COMMISSIONER TELLS ALL ABOUT
FINNY DENIZENS OF THE DEEP AND FUR COATS
Sealskin Garments win Be for Bloated Bondholders
Only Until Herds in Alaskan Waters Have Time
toReeover from Slaughter Of Poachers.
Money in Frogs and Terrapin.


even the killing Of the unnecessary bulls.
which. n zee the matter. II an error OF
Judgment Male seals are fierce fighters.
and often STAY one smother. and In their
wars are likely to kill the females. which
they WOO and literally drag into their
battles. They are strange animals IN
some respects. Usually they reach the
reokeries ahead Of the main herd. After
each has found a place on the rocks he
patiently watches the sea until the cows
appear. Then follow the battles spoke
about
"A strong old bull will surround himself
with q dozen wives. While they are
away for food he guards his family
Of pups. Head up. he passes the summer.
always alert and pugnacious. but never
eating bite. When the pups are large
enough to swim and rhift for themselves
the herd plunges into the sea and IL on
again for another year. The bulls. I
should say. hardly plunge. but feebly drop
in and float away. Wounds cover their
bodies. and during their long fast they
have dwipdled down to nothing but skin
and bones>
las / said, we sold 12.ooo skins last year.
$40 being the average price received. The
best skins. taken from animals three
years old, will bring $40 shillings. or 80.
in the London market. From four to
eight skins are required for a coat. A
tall heavy woman will need eight; q thin.
short woman will need only four. Let us
figure the cost of a full length coat and
see what indulgent husbands will be up
against along about Christmas time this
year. Eight skins at $50 would cost $3.50.
and the curing and dyeing Sc. The
American tariff on the skins would
amount to about SIS. Making. lining. &C,
we shall estimate at 500. Total first cost
Of the coat, 1857. The price to the ulti-
mate wearer or her husband or her
father Is another matter. Maybe II will
be 81. 900 At some stores 1t will be 1850.
Thought He Had a Bargain.
"A man tore into my ONCE not long
ago, saying that he could buy q dandy
seal coat, reaching TIN bottom Of his
wife's dress. for $500. He wanted my
opinion before he wrote his check. That
is a pretty good specimen Of muskrat.' 1
said to the clerk. He replied that It was.
though 1t was known to the trade. he
said as Hudson seal. Muskrat skin Is
all right and is largely used in this
country. A million pelts are obtained on
the Eastern shore OF Maryland every
year. It requires 100 for a long coat.
I don't know OF any regular muskrat
farms. but as the animals thrive >wher-
ever there are water and vegetation. !
should think they would pay II one went
into the business in the right way"
What do you know about frog
farms?'' I asked.
Nothing at all but there ought to be
money in frogs and I am sure there
would be in diamond-backed terrapin.
which can be raised anywhere between
Long Island and the Gulf Of Mexico. /
sent some to our hatchery and biologi-
cal laboratory at Beaufort. N. c.. several
years ago. We have 500 now and have
proved our case. They can be raised.
protection and their eggs ought to be
watched. Terrapin deposit their eggs
along the edges of the ponds on streams
in which they live and crows and other
birds. sitting on limbs waiting the event.
pounce down and eat them up. At SO
dozen. terrapin seem like a good propo-
sition to me-"
The theory on which the Bureau Of
Fisheries was established looked toward
the supplying Of the people with a cheap
kind Of food. 1t Is said that the ulti
mate consumer is now paying $le0. 900
year for fish. The greatest fishing
ports on the Atlantic coast are Boston
and Gloucester. Their fleets contain IS
vessels and carry 5000 men. The Blu
reau Of Fisheries spends $500 900 yearly In
propagating and planting fish In the two
oceans and in the lakes. rivers and ponds
of the country.
II any man owns a pond, he can have
it stocked with fish free Of cost to him
self provided his application is Endorsed
by his Representative or a Senator In
Congress. A messenger will bring him
the fish in a ten-gallon can. and no
charge will be made for freightage or
service of any kind. The whole pro-
ceeding Is paternal on the part Of the
government-socialistic one might loose
ly say.
Six railroad cars. four sea-going steam
and sail vessels twenty steam launches.