Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-10-16

they Will be, pointed to aS q curiosity,
according to, the prediction of Mrs.
Janet Macdonald, who bears the
unique distinction OF being the only
person in the country engaged in
catching live seals as an industry.
She lives IN the little village Of Bay
vile, at the head Of Linekin Bay, and
during the. Is years that she has been
engaged in the industry has won a
name Ind fame for herself that is
known from, coast to coast
She regrets their extermination and
says that the reports that they are
harmful to the general fishing indus
try have been greatly exaggerated.
1T is a generally accepted fact" says
Mrs. Macdonald. that all inhabitants
Of the sea live on Ash of some kind
and naturally the seals live on what
fish they can get, but they are no more
destructive in this respect than
sharks. cod. hake or dogfish."
For Is years Mrs, Macdonald has
been intimately acquainted with seals
and has learned their numerous traits
and expresses the same deep affection
for them that she would for dog or
cat or other domestic pet. She ships
them all over the country and says
that they are always in demand.
Her husband, the late Capt. Angus
Macdonald. was a pioneer seal catcher
of the country. AT that time he was
fishing in Linekin Bay when sought by
a New Yorker who had visited the
beautiful shores surrounding that ele-
CANT body Of water and asked if he
could get him baby SEAL Capt. Mac
Donald studied the matter for some
time and finally decided to set an
ordinary fish net on the rocks at low
tide, and was successful in capturing
young seal. -
After he had mastered the art Of
seal catching, Mrs. Macdonald packed
her grip one day and started for New
York City, shipping with her several
crates, Of live seals. They were
novelty even in New York that time
for what few were in captivity had
been brought in by fishermen who had
caught them by mere chance, but in
Mrs. MacDonald's case she had studied
the proposition with great care. She
had little difficulty in disposing Of
them to museums and other places.
They continued in the business and
when Capt. Macdonald died about
Is years ago, his widow in spite Of her
IS years Of age, decided to carry on
the business which she has done most
successfully.
Probably no person in Maine knows
more about the haunts and habits of
the seal than Mrs. Macdonald. She is
in love with the creatures and when
she hears Of bounties being offered for
the purpose of discriminating them
she becomes very indignant. In speak
ing of this with correspondent this
week she said: They are extremely
affectionate and one who comes to
know them cannot help but loving
them. They will chase one around like
a small dog and can always be trust
ed. in fact, l never knew one to turn
on a person. They are intelligent and
can be trained to do almost anything
in a few days time"
Mrs. MacDonald's description Of the
catching of the seals is most interest
ing, for the industry is unique and one
that only lasts about month, begin
ming the latter part Of June and con-
tinuing through July.
At low tide big nets are spread over
the rocks on small islands by two men
who remain in a power boat close at
hand. The seals crawl out on the
rocks, get tangled up in the mesh of
the net and start for the water. but are
ordinarily SO tangled up that they
have difficulty in moving and before
they strike the water the two men,
who have been standing by, jump on
the rocks, gather up the net with its
squirming burden and carry it to the
boat where it is deposited in a we'll.
Sometimes. however," says Mrs.
then the greatest care has to be exer-
cised that they do not drown, for
unless they can move their fore feet
or fiappers they are unable to rise to
the surface.
consequently my men are obliged
to work very quickly. They use a big
dip net which they put down under
the seals body and in this manner
they are much better able to draw him
to the surface and get him into the
well.
Then the men come up to my pen
at the head of the bay where the seal
is deposited and there he remains un-
til Pm ready to ship him. OF course he
is likely to be a. little ugly during this
process for he doesn't, understand
what is being done to him and natur-
ally will fight for his freedom. The
pen measures IL feet by 20 feet and
projects about nine feet out Of water.
There is a door in the side while the
top is open. When I wish to get seal
out Of the pen we simply open the side
door and then by means Of the dip net
are able to get one we want and bring
him ashore and pack him in crate.
II have shipped them to many Of
the big cities as far as the. Middle
West although New York City takes
the bulk of them and never have lost
one by transportation. The little fell
dow can go a remarkably long time
without water, in some Instances as
long as two weeks. About ! the only
care that has to be paid them is In
feeding. When we have them in the
pen we start in with live fish such as
herring and kayaks and other live fish
and gradually change to dead fish and
as soon as they are able to eat tho
latter we feed it to them altogether
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