Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-19
BY LUCY SALAMANCA.

VERY few fair daughters of Eve, snugly
and with chic encased in their wraps
II of sealskn and few, perhaps, OF
" those fathers and husbands whose
checkbooks are denied thereby know
the story back of the luxurious garments that
enhance the loneliness of milady and protect
her quite completely from the harsher blasts
of Winter. If it be any consolation to these
same fathers and husbands, let it be known
that the garments in question can be worn for
a quarter of century, SO hardy and durable
is this lovely fur. But then who can find
daughter of Eve willing to wear the same wrap
for quarter of century?
We as Americans should be especially inter-
ested in the fur of the seal, for we as Ameri-
cans produce 80 per cent of the sealskins of
the world. The remaining 10 per cent Is the
product of Russian and japanese herds, the
Russian herds existing on Commander islands,
off the Siberian Coast, and the Japanese hero
existing on Robben Island, in the eastern part
of the Okhotsk Sea. And this tremendous
output has only been made possible by the
vigilant efforts of the United States Govern
ment to protect and perpetuate the herds.
That these efforts have been rewarded one can
not question when one considers that during
the 1929 season the United States Treasury
was made richer by 100000, proceeds of the
auction of peltS taken on Government seal res
ervations, according to statement issued by
the Bureau of Fisheries of the Department of
Commerce, in Washington.
And the Bureau of Fisheries has fascinating
story to tell of this fur trade, a story which
takes us back to those years when the Aeuts
of Russia migrated to a group of little islands
in the Boring Sea and began the ruthless
slaughter of thousands of furred animals who
had sought out this particular group of islands
as a breeding ground.
Up along the coast of Alaska, in the Boring
Sea, lie five small isands-the two largest
of which are named st. Paul and st. George.
These islands were discovered by Russia in
1876 and colonized by a race of people known
as Aleuts. Here they set up their homes, estab-
lished their families and set about the slaughter
of the huge, ungainly animals that Topped
from stone to stone or summed themselves in
the sand 1t is estimated that at this particular
period Of the seal-industry history from two to
five millions of the valuable animals made up
the herd From 1886 until the purchase of
Alaska by the United States in 1867 the islands
were under Russian control Records of the
sealing operations during this 100 years are ex-
ceedingy fragmentary. Although the Russians
seemed DESTROYS of perpe.uating the herds and
the sealing industry on the Pribiloffs-as this
group is called-knowledge of how to do this
came only through costly experience and the
herd dwindled alarmingly with the continuance
of ruthless methods of slaughter
For the first two seasons Immediately follow
ing the purchase of Alaska by the United States
and large numbers of skins were secured by per-
sons who took advantage of the situation at
that time. For period of 40 years, from May
I, 1870, to May /, 1910, the right to take fur
sealskins the Pribilof Islands was leased by
the United States Government to private cor
porations. There were two leases, each for a
period of 20 years. Under the first lease. and
over period of several years, about 100 900
skins were taken annually, and pelagic sealing
operations, which had been carried on for some
time in a small way, soon developed to such
proportions as to threaten the existence of the
herd from the standpoint of its being an
economic resource.
To understand just what is meant by "pelagic
sealing" we must consider for a moment the
life of the animal itself its customs and habits
Like a veritable Sultan, the male SEAL or
bull" presides over his harem. During the
months of Summer, which are the breeding
months of the animal, he establishes his family
amidst the rocks of the Pribiloffs and watches
over the various members of his harem with a
vigiiant and jealous eye Woe to the philander-
ing male seal who would encroach on his do
mestic domain, for this great lion of the sea,
weighing oftentimes as much as 500 pounds,
battles the intruder to the death. What glori-
struggle that must bel One can imagine
the powerful animals Hopping this way and
that, tearing and whacking and snarling in a
murderous embrace up and down the sands and
across the rocks of an island set amidst the
cold blue waters of the Boring Sea. And the
members of the harem reclining nearby, placing
mental stakes mayhap, the winner in this
NOR al combat, preening themselves in the sun
or barking at the puppy seals to get out of the
way OF the combatantS
After the breeding season, when the pups"
have attained an age that no longer requires
the constant presence of the mother seal, the
seals begin their migration to southern waters