238 ARGUMENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 



side are a distinct and different herd from those on the American side, 

 and are not as valuable. 



Mr. George Rice (ibid., p. 572) is another witness whose testimony 

 should command respect. He was fifty years of age and a subject 

 of Her Majesty. He had been engaged actively in the business 

 handling fur seal skins for twenty-seven years and had acquired a 

 general and detailed knowledge of the different kinds of fur-seal skins 

 and of the differences which distinguish them, as well as the history, 

 character, and manner of conducting the fur-seal sealskin business in 

 the city of London. He says that the differences between the several 

 classes of skins are very marked, which enable anybody who is skilled 

 in the business to distinguish the skins of one class from the skins 

 which belong to either of the other classes. He also stated, as did the 

 other experts, that these differences are evidenced by the fact that the 

 skins obtain different prices in the market. The testimony of this gen- 

 tleman deserves special attention; it is intelligently given and is very 

 instructive. 



Mr. Leon Sloss (ibid., p. 90) is a native of California and a resi- 

 dent of San Francisco. He was for several years a director of the 

 Alaska Commercial Company, and a member of the partnership 

 of Louis Sloss & Co., and had been engaged for fifteen years in dealing 

 in wools, hides, and fur-skins. At the time of testifying, he had no 

 interest in seals or sealeries. He had been superintendent of the 

 Alaska sealeries pro tempore from 1882 to 1885, inclusive, and spent 

 the sealing season of those three years on the Pribilof Islands in the 

 personal management of the business. He became acquainted, as he 

 testifies, with every aspect of the business. All advices from the Lon- 

 don agents and information in regard to the sealskin market, from all 

 sources, passed through his hands, and instructions to agents of the 

 company in regard to the classes of skins desired emanated from time 

 to time from him. He was emphatic in his statement that the difference 

 between the Northern and Southern skins that came to the port of San 

 Francisco could be detected at once. While it was not as easy to dis- 

 tinguish the Alaskan from the Asiatic skins, experts in handling them 

 do it with unerring accuracy. 



Mr. William C. B. Stamp (ibid., p. 574) was 51 years of age at the 

 time of testifying, and a subject of Her Majesty. He was engaged in 

 the business at 38 Knightrider street, London, E. C, as a fur-skin 

 merchant. He had been engaged in that business for over thirty 



