ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 5 



Extract from a letter written by Hiram Ketchum, jr., to John Hogg, esq. 



* * * # * * * 



There is a firm liere named (I believe) Hutchinson & Co., represented 

 by a couple of wealthy Jews, one a Mr. Schloss and the other a Mr. 

 Wassermann, who have purchased the territorial claims, etc., of the 

 Kussian Fur Company, and have a nominal capital invested of, say, 

 $300,000. Mr. Schloss will probably leave here for Washington next 

 week, where he will remain all winter endeavoring to procure legisla- 

 tion in favor of his interests. His right bower is Hon. William M. 

 Stewart, Senator for Nevada. Interested in the company, which will 

 eventually be an incorporation, are the Russian Prince Maksutoff, Gen- 

 eral Rousseau, Special Agent Dodge, etc. 



Their desire is to procure from the G-overnment the exclusive privi- 

 lege of killing the fur seal, subject to proper rules and regulations, and 

 giving to the Government a tariff of, say, 50 cents per skin. Limiting 

 the number of seals to be killed to 50,000 per annum, this would yield 

 the Government a net revenue of $25,000. I have told them that 

 such contracts are contrary to the spirit of our institutions, but they 

 claim a precedent in the case of Mr. Martin Bates, who has the 

 monopoly of the fur trade upon the Missouri River. They argue with 

 great plausibility the Government must either farm the trade out to a 

 monopoly or engage in it themselves. 



The fur seal commences to arrive at St. Paul and St. George, the 

 main depots, about the month of March. At this time a few old males 

 come to the islands upon a scouting expedition. They investigate and 

 report to a reconnoitering body, who in turn report to the main body. 

 At this time the natives remain closely concealed, kindling no fires 

 and avoiding the slightest occasion for alarm. They do not kill over 

 50,000 in a year and these are taken from the males between 1 and 3 

 years old. The natives are Aleuts, semicivilized Indians, members of 

 the Greek Church, living by the capture of the seal and otter, and 

 requiring to be supported during the intervals when they are out of 

 season. This firm allege that they are yielding that support to the 

 natives now, and that it will become a duty incumbent upon the Gov- 

 ernment if they abandon it. 



1869. 

 Special Agent McLean : Statistics, etc., of Fur Seal Trade. 



San Francisco, Cal., October 26, 1869. 

 Sir: In response to your letter of the 8th instant requesting me to 

 procure and forward to the Department such reliable information as 

 was to be obtained here in regard to the fur trade of Alaska, and more 

 especially in relation to (1) the prices paid for fur seal and sea otter 

 skins in Alaska since its cession to the United States, (2) the commer- 

 cial classification of said skins and the prices paid for them by traders 

 and manufacturers in this city, and (3) the invoice value of seal skins 

 shipped from this port to London and other foreign ports, and the 

 market value of sea otter skins and furs at the principal markets to 

 which they are shipped, I have the honor to state that I have availed 

 myself of the best sources of information within my reach on these various 



