t
lug)
4i
HE fifteenth of December,
1011, wnB the tlmo net for
tho formal adoption of ono
of tho moHt linportnnt Inter
iintlonnl coiiBurvntlon meas
ures that has over been ef
fected. Pursuant to n fon
ventlon or treaty concluded
at Washington on July 7,
1011, by tho United States,
(Ircat Hrltaln, lltissln, and
Japan, tho fur senls of tho
north Pacific Ocean will ro
colvo for the first tlmo ft
form of protection that has
been Hhown to bo absolutely
necessary, and In guaran
nntced by theso four great
powers for n term of 15
yearn.
Tho agreement prohibits
absolutely pclnglc sealing, or
'the killing of fur rciIb whllo In tho wntor, and
placoB tho legitimate killing of surplus malo
onls on land tinder tho direct control of tho
governments Interested,
This convention Insures tho rescue of th
doplctod fur-seal herds from commercial ex
tinction; prohibits tho citizens or subjects of
tho contracting powers from engaging In ft
wasteful, cruel occupation, nnd removes n
long-standing disturbance of International good
will. Fur seals Inhabit certain parts of both the
northern nnd southern hemispheres, but the
most Important herds llvo In tho north Pacific,
represent three distinct but closely related spe
clos, nnd nro known as tho Alnskan, Russian
and Jnpancso fur seals, respectively. Although
,tho northern seals roam widely on tho high
seas, they always resort for breeding purposes
to certain definite bits of land, nnd it is this
habit which glvos particular nntlonB property
rights in them nnd has created several Inter
national complications.
Tho Japanese seals visit no land excopt Rob
ben Island and certain Islands of tho Kurllo
chain; tho Russian seals never go to other
shores than tlioso of tho Commander Islands,
off tho const of Kamchatka; and tho Alaskan
seals, after distributing themselves over the
astern part of tho Pacific Oconn ns far south
s southern California, make nn annual pll
grlmngo to Islnnds in nerlng Sen.
Of all tho fur seals, tho most numerous and
Important nro thoso of Alaska, which enmo to
the United States with nil tho other resources
of tho territory when Russia ceded her Juris
diction. Tho Alaskan fur scnls havo for many
yonm beon tho subject of protracted national
and International discussion, nnd during the
yearB 1010 nnd 1011 came In for nn unusual
amount of attention. In addition to tho con
sideration received during the dlplomntlc nego
tiations resulting in tho treaty already men
tioned. Congress hnB enncted n now law re
lating to tho senl Islnnds, n now dispensation
has como in tho administration of the Islands,
and tho government ns represented by tho
nuroau of Fisheries hns for tho first tlmo en
gaged In tho business of taking nnd market
ing seal skins.
The "new dispensation" includes permanent
scientific observation nnd control of tho herd,
discretionary authority to suspend nil killing,
and discretionary power to lenso tho sealing
privileges or to exploit them ns a government
monopoly.
Tho only land to which the Alaskan fur Benls
ever resort Is the group of small, rocky islands
lying in Rorlng Sea 215 mlleB north of Unn
laska Island, tho neareBt lnnd. Theso bits of
bleak lnnd have come to bo popularly known
as tho Senl Islands, from their most conspic
uous feature; but among geographers they
are called tho Prlbllof Islnnds, in honor of tho
Russian navigator who. In 17S6, whllo in tho
employ of a KamcluUknn trading compnny,
followed the migrating seals nnd ascertained
for the first tlmo whero they resorted.
At tho tlmo of the discovery of tho Prlbllofs
there woro no humnn Inhabitants. As soon
na tho Russians began to tnko sea skins thoy
transferred thereto from tho Aleutian Islands
a numbor of natives to do tho manual labor,
nnd from time to tlmo established small colo
nies at vnrlous convenient points.
Tho present population numbers nbout 300
on tho two islands.
When the seal islnnds camo Into our custody
tho fur seals thereon constituted tho most vnl
uablo nquntlc resourco thnt any government
ever possessed. Owing to tho Immenso body
of animals present and tho difficulty of count
ing with any degree of accuracy, estimates of
tho stzo of tho herd nt that tlmo necessarily
differ widely, tho extremes bolng two million
nnd Revon million. It Is safo to assume thnt
tho numbor wna botween two nnd n hnlf nnd
four million, distributed on 20 to 30 rookeries.
At tho close of the season of 1011 tho
Alnsknn seal herd consists of not moro than
150,000 Individuals of nil ages.
This appalling dwindling of tho herd hns
occasioned much concern nnd has subjected
tho government to much unfavorable criticism,
becauso the government has oxerclsed full nnd
continuous control during nil tho Intervening
years up to tho present dnto. It will bo seen,
however, thnt tho criticism Is not Justified, for
the renson thnt tho decline nnd decimation of
the herd enmo through cnusos operating when
tho seals were on the high Bens nnd beyond
,tho protecting enro of their foster fnther.
It is furthermore a fact that tho government
took nctlve steps to secure ndoqunto protection
for the seals when away from tho Prlbllofs,
and that its efforts woro frustrnted chiefly by
tho results of an unfortunato International
arbitration.
Although tho seals nro easily killed by the
methods adopted by man for their destruc
tion on sea, and land, they aro capable of with
standing great privation and of undergoing
extraordinary muscular' exertion
To maintain themselves during winter In tho
ItemptitouB north Pacific without resorting to
nie mr 5eai MDimdant
HucihM Smith
tnffed&tateS Deputy
Commissioner!
fisheries
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land Is In Itself no email accomplishment for
air-breathing animals. The femnles, leaving
tho iBlnndB In Novomber, go further south
than any other members of tho herd, and In
December appear off southern California,
whero they remain until March. They then
begin their long return Journey, renchlng the
Islands early in Juno.
Within two days of their nrrlvnl on the rook
eries tho cows give birth to their pups. Not
until ton or twelve duys havo elapsed do thoy
return to tho water or take nny food. Then,
after washing nnd playing nenr tho Islnnds,
thoy mako their first long trip to tho feeding
grounds, coming back to tho rookeries nftor
three or four days. Therenftcr tliroughout
tho Benson tho cows mnko regular feeding
trips nt Intorvals of five to ten dnys.
Tho seals subsist chiefly on squid, but nlso
on herring, smelt, salmon, pollock, nnd other
kinds of fish, which nro caught and eaten In
tho water. They havo prodigious nppetltes
and gorgo themsolves whenever tho opportu
nity comes.
On tho nppronch of cold weather, the cows
and pupa leavo tho Islands together. Up to
thnt tlmo tho pups havo subsisted solely on
milk, nnd thoy then hnvo to lenrn to cntch
their own food, consisting of fish nnd squid.
Inasmuch bb tho natural mortality among tho
pups In their first yenr is fully 50 per cent. It
is evident thnt they experlonco mnny vicissi
tudes in tho tempcstouB sens to which thoy
commit themselves. Tho mnles follow shortly
nftor, but somo remain nbout tho Islnnds
throughout tho winter In mild seasons, nnd
the nntlvcs always depend on seals for food In
December nnd Jnnunry.
Fur seals nnd hnlr seals hnvo always been
regarded ns legitimate objects of exploitation,
and nil governments hnvlng real or assumed
proporty rights In herds of Bonis have sanc
tioned their killing, under restriction, for fur,
leather, oil, food, etc.
Ileglnnlng In 178G and continuing until tho
snlo of Alaska, Russians were nlmost contin
uously engaged In killing fur seals on the
Prlbllof Islnnds. In tho earlier years thoro was
n promiscuous scrnmblo among rival compa
nies, so that to maintain order nnd properly
regulnto tho taking of seals tho government
was forced In 1709 to give tho privilege to a
single compnny, created by Imperial decree
and having nmong its shareholders members
of tho Imperial family nnd the nobility. This
association, known as tho Russian-American
compnny, enjoyed n monopoly of this buslnosB
as long as Russia had control of Alaska. An
ukaso Issued by Aloxander I In 1821 for the
regulation of the company had as ono of Its
features the prohibition of foreign vessels
wltbin 100 miles of the Russian coasts and
&MSJtAJJD
Q?f 2H 2LACJ
Islands. Tills ukase involved Russia In a dis
pute with tho United States and Great Hrltaln,
resulting In tho treaties of 1824 and 1825,
which recognized Russia's claim to Jurisdiction
over tho whole of Rerlng Sea, Okhotsk Sea,
nnd other wnter inclosed by Russian territory.
From tho outset tho company placed a ra
tional limit on tho number of animals killed
onch yenr, nnd In tho light of later experience
it is evident that tho herd would havo been
fully ablo to sustain the nnnunl lmrvest of
skins If theso hnd been tnken only from tho
maleB. Rut males nnd females alike were
slaughtered In Ignorance or disregard of the
polygamous character of tho neals, and as
early as 1800 it was necessary to suspend
operations for two years In order to permit
tho herd to recuperate.
When killing was resumed, however, It waB
along tho samo destructive lines, and the
mighty fur-seal host continued to dwindle un
til by 1831 Its numbers were reduced to one
fifteenth or one-twentieth of thoso present In
tho first yenrs nfter tho discovery of the
Islnnds. The suspension of nil killing for a
term of years then ensued, and by the time
operations were resumed tho company officials
hnd como to realize thnt tho females should bo
protected, and later tho sacrifice of old bulls
and young pups wns stopped.
Tho result wns a remnrk'ablo recuperation
nnd Increase In tho herd that afford a valid
basis for the belief that speedy recovery of the
decimated herds of Alaska, Russia, nnd Jnpan
mny follow tho elimination of tho fnctor re
sponsible for their present condition, namely,
tho Indiscriminate killing of males nnd females
at sen. When Russia ceded her Jurisdiction
over Alaska, tho Prlbllof fur-seal herd had at
tained n degreo of prosperity closely approach
ing its condition nt tho tlmo of Its discovery,
and we thus came into possession of a re
sotirco but llttlo Impaired and had a knowl
edgo of Its significant history to guide us in
Its treatment.
It Is a causo for congratulation that no coun
try has dealt with Its seal life in a moro intel
ligent, humane, nnd zealous manner than the
United States, and it was a cruel fato that for
so many years rendered our efforts futile. Tho
only occasion when there wns any laxity in
our administration of the seal Islands was dur
ing tho first years of our possession, when the
government wns still unorganized anywhere in
the territory and vnrlous private companies
landed parties on the Prlbllofs and took seal
skins without nny government supervision or
restriction. It was In that year that the larg
est killing In the history of tho Islands was
mndo; tho number of skins obtained wns prob
ably not less thnn 300,000, nnd mny have
reached 97R.000; li'it this take was not India-
WORTH TALKING ABOUT
OLD TIMER REMEMBERS WHEN'
IT REALLY WAS COLD.
criminate, wns confined to bachelors, nnd hud
no effect on tho pormnnenco of tho herd.
Although tho indiscriminate killing of bcoIb
In tho soa had been going on from very early
times, this business .wns not extensive, wm
conducted by nntlvcs using spears In their
canoes, nnd had no npprcclablo effect on tho
herd.
Special Inquiry mndo by the government
showed tliat In different years from 70 to over
00 per cent of tho seals killed at sea, either
on tho northwest coast or In Rerlng Sen, were
females.
What pelagic hunting then meant to the seal
herd when so lnrgc n fleet was engaged, and
what It has meant recently when the licet whb
larger In proportion to tho number of Beals,
mny bo appreciated when It Is stated (1) that
for evory seal killed and secured by tho hunt
ers not less tluin two scnls woro killed nnd
lost becnuso they sank before the hunters
could lay hold of them, whllo mnny that were
wounded nnd cBcnued died later; (2) that for
every ndult femnle killed on the wny to the
islands in spring an unborn pup was sacri
ficed; (3) that for every female killed after
tho herd hnd reached the islands a pup on
Bhoro was left to die a lingering death by
starvation, nnd a pup to bo born the next aea
son wns llkowlso sacrificed.
Tho government was not slow to realize tho
damage dono to the senl herd by pelagic scal
ing, nnd wna led to nssumo Jurisdiction over
the entire American sldo of Rerlng Sea and to
regard as poachers any persons found hunting
seals therein. The seizure of vessels flying
the United Stntes nnd Rrltlah flags followed,
and there aroso n controversy with Great Rrlt
nln. which culminated In tho reference of tho
enso to nn International tribunal of arbitration
that mot in Paris In 1803. Tho award of tho
arbitration court was ngalnst tho United States
on both of tho main contentions, nnmely, tho
Dcrlng Sea Is a closed sea, and thnt tho prop
erty right In tho seal herd wnrrnntcd tho gov
ernment In protecting tho senls whllo on tho
high sens.
SInco tho nwnrd of the Pnrls tribunal tho
caso of tho fur-seal herd hns gone from bad to
worse. Tho United States government enrly
showed Kb good faith by prohibiting Its citi
zens from engaging In tho lucrative Industry of
pelagic sealing; but tho subjects of nil other
countries wero permitted to do se, and It was
tho injection of n now fnctor, Japan, that con
tributed more than nny other causo to the
decimation of oiir seal herd.
Tho fur-seal problem with which tho United
Stntes government now 1wb to deal presents
several phases. Tho most Important duty the
responsible ofllclnls hnvo to perform 1b to con
serve and Increnso tho seal herd. This In
volves continuous care, study, nnd observn
tlon; tho determination of tho nctunl condition
nnd needB of the herd, nnd tho application of
tho results of scientific nnd economic Investi
gation to tho welfnre of tho senls.
A scnrcoly less Important duty, and ono that
is in no respect antagonistic to the first, is to
provide a revenue and to utilize a highly useful
resource at the tlmo when thnt resource pos
sesses the grentest market value. This in
volves the Judicious killing of the male seals
when they nro two or threo yenrs old nnd tho
disposal of their pelts to tho best ndvantage.
A third duty Is to nscortnln whnt nro tho real
needs of tho helpless native Inhabitants of tho
Beat Islands, nnd to give them the air that Is
best suited for their mental, moral and physi
cal natures.
Recent criticism of tho government's policy
of taking tho skins of seals in view of tho de
pleted condition of tho herd Is based on defi
cient knowledge. Tho fur seal being a highly
polygamous animal, nnd males and females bo
lng born In oqunl numbers, it follows that un
der the conditions that have prevailed and
still cpntlnuo the number of mnles produced
Is fnr'ln excess of tho requirements of nature
for the perpetuation of tho species.
The preservation nnd Increase of tho seal
herd Is entirely compatible with Judicious sac
rifice of a limited number of young male seals
each year, and this Is quite as true when the
herd Is deploted as when tho rookeries are
crowded to their full capacity. When the pres
ence of a sufficient reserve is determined by
responsible officers of the government, the
utilization of the surplus males for their pelts
and incidentally for natlvo food la Justified and
demanded by common sense, and fulfills the
utmost demands of both the spirit and tho
letter of genuine conservation.
If not a single male seal were to be killed
on the islands or at sea during tho next five
years, not a single additional seal would bo
produced as a result of that course. If not a
single male seal wero to be killed on the
islnndri or jbX sea during the next 20 years, not
a single seal would be added to tho herd thnt
will not be added if the present policy of re
stricted killing of surplus males is continued.
"Truthful James" Rivals Baron Mun
chausen In Recalling a Winter That
Makes Even Oldest Inhabitant
Take Back Seat.
"Did you over hear," began the
Btem-wlndlng story teller, ns tho un
wound llvo ynrds of wrappings from
his neck, "nbout tho winter I lived
In tho country? It was whnt a fol
low might bo excused for calling some
winter. That is to say, U wns cold.
"Wo began to notice unusual symp
toms along lu November. To begin
with, tho creeku nil frozo solid clear
to bottom, you understand nnd In
stead of water flowing nlong In tho
creek beds there was Ico moving nt
nbout tho name speed. They hnvo
something up In the Arctic regions
very much like what wo saw then
thoy call them glaciers up there, I be
liovc. Hut there was this difference
up north tho glaciers all movo down to
the sea nnd break alt nnd float nwny,
leaving plenty of room for other Ico to
follow. Our Ice streams didn't do thnt
at all.
"Tho creeks whero I was was all
emptied into tho river nnd, of courso,
the river was ns full ns tho creeks.
So there wns nothing left for tho creek
Ico to do but bump up when it reaches
the river nnd doublo bnck on itself.
Then when it got back to headquarters
It had to double up ngaln nnd go
down to the river. All tho creeks kept
up this process until they were piled
on top of themselves four or flvo times,
or even moro thnn that. Wo hnd to
tunnel through them to get from ono
township to nnother. And wo had to
keep making new tunnels, too, as tho
old tunnels moved up above our reach.
"But, bad as this condition seemed;
tho worst was yet to come. The first
cold snap lasted until alone; in Janu
ary; then wo had tho usual Jnnunry
thaw which In tho country generally
means something. Hut this particular
thaw hadn't got good nnd stnrted when
a big freeze came down on us ono
night nnd frozo tho ground so quick
and so hard thnt it popped tho rabbits
and woodchucks up out of their holeB
tho wny a little boy pops a pea out
of its pod.
"Every slnglo one of those poor lit
tle animals Just stayed up thcro in
tho nir frozen stiff, somo of them six
or eight feet above the ground. There
were bo many of them thnt a fellow
couldn't go out without bumping his
bend. It was much like walking
along under a dense forest, only tho
animals wero closer to our heads than
tho limbs of the trees would havo
been. The only way we could get a
glimpse of tho sun wns to tnko an ice
ax nnd climb up tho Bide or ono of tho
creeks. I never expect to see tho like
again."
"Well," exclaimed tho wfld eyed
victim, "I don't believe you will. And
I suppose that when you wanted din
ner nil you hnd to do wns to go out
nnd build a flro anywhere and the
dinner would thaw out of tho nlr and.
fnll down into tho pot nnd bo cooked.
Eh?"
"Not on your life!" asserted tho
Btem winding story teller. "If you
knew what you wero talking about you
wouldn't mnko nny brenks Hko thnt.
It was so cold that whenever nnybody
tried to start n flro tho air melted and
put tho fire out. Every time!'
"It was well along in March before
a Bquaro meal could bo had nnywhero.
I would havo Btnrved to death a doz
en times only for ono thing and a
mighty fortunate thing it waB. I kept
a Jersey cow Just ono, but, of course,
eho was tho pick of tho herd in a
flreless cooker that I had.
"Rut sinco thnn I never hnve been
ablo to say that I Hko Ico cream. And;
I don't suppose I ever will either.".
Chicago News.
Fairies In Ireland.
That belief in "fnlrles" still perslsti
In mnny parts of Irelnnd was shown
at tho last meeting of tho Athlone
district council, when it wa8 stated,
says a report In tho Times, that a
laborer named Kllduff had given up
poBsesslon of an acre of land which
had been allotted to him under' the
laborers acts, and upon which the
council proposed to build a cottage
for him, becnuso ho was "arrnld of
the fairies." Tho plot is at a place
called Lacken, nnd Kilduff'a objection
to it was that there Is on It an old
fort or rath which would havo to be
removed. On no account would he In
terfere with "the fairies' homo."
A former district councillor named
GUleran now applied for tho plot, up
on which he said he would build a
cottage,
Mr. Mnlone said that, at tho local
government Inquiry, Kllduff 'stated
that the houeo in which ho now lived
was bo windy that It would give rheu
matism to a wild duck.
The council decided to give the plot
to Qilleran.
Ruthless Financier.
"They don't run this street car eys
tern Tor nearly tho money there Is tn
It," Bald Mr. Growcher.
"Do you think you could show us a
way to carry more passengers?" in
quired the director.
"No. Rut after you chargo a per-
8?n,.a !uU faro t0 sot ln yu lose
sight of the possibilities. Ry crowd-.
Ing in a few disorderly people and
keeping tho windows closed you could
make it worth a dollar mi . .. J.
ny man's money to get out."
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