The Wrangell sentinel., 1924-11-27
BIG FUR HARVEST
 ON BERING ISLANDS
Upward of Seventeen Thousand Sea Skins Are Taken From Uncle
 Sam's Rookeries

during tnlS season, states George O Norgard and Claude K. Haltzman naval radio experts, who have made an extended trip of inspection to the naval radio stations in Alaska.
 St. Paul Island is the farthest north naval radio station in the United States and with the exception of the station at Honolulu, is also the farthest west. There is quite a little community located on the is- land, composed of bureau of fisheries employees and the naval radio de- partment.
 Furnish Worlds Supply Seal Fur
 It is stated that 95 per cent of the fur seals of the world are found in the rookeries of the St. Paul and St. George Islands. With the excep- tion of a small island rookery on the Russian coast line and another small rookery on the Japanese coast, there are no other rookeries in the world It is of absorbing interest to watch these animals, both on shore and in the water, and according to MT. Norgard it would take good sized book to relate in detail the life and habits of the seal and the indus try attached thereto.
 Alaska Harem Discovered
 During the first part of June the big bull seals, sometimes weighing 500 pounds, arrive, and after due deliberation selects along the rocky shore of the islands, what he believes will be a good place to spend the summer Shortly after the bull seals arrive there come a number of the females and by artful mannerisms .adn his enticing way. a number of them are lured to the bulls home. In this manner, before many days are gone, the average bull seal has a harem of from 20 to 200 females in his family. One pup, as they are l oallad hy tho f,,, sao1arc ;o horn tO each of the females. The pups are then taken under the wing of the mother and taught how to forage for food, and in general to take care of itself. The swimming lesson to the young ones is always one of much merriment to the people of the island, for the mother seal han dies the pup very much like a kitten is handled, grabbing the pup by the l cuff of the neck and hurling it far out into the sea, from where it must swim ashore. This is kept up re- peatedly. Sometimes when the mother thinks the young one is not | carrying on correctly she will not only throw the pup into the sea but l will swim out after it and keep on ducking the youngster. These frol- lickings remind the spectators very much of the antics of humans in the surf. The latter part of August, be- gins to see literally millions of seal. migrate to other parts.
 Fur From Three -Year-Olds
 What is called the three-year-old bachelors, comprise the grade of seal which is annually killed to supply the markets of the world with seal fur. The bureau of fisheries are in l control and have hundreds of Aleuts in the employ of the department The Foulke Fur Company of St. Louis. who have had for many years contract with the United States government have a crew of men on the islands whose duty is to treat and ship to the States the seal furs. Hundreds of People on Islands On St. Paul Island the bureau of fisheries maintains school, with an efficient teacher in charge. The navy radio station has a personnel of about eight men. There are about 300 Aleuts residing on the islands which swells the population to a considerable extent. Attached to the radio station are Arthur Kuehn. chief machinist's mate, his wife and | fwN nhf1dPans ohtAR ~