THE DEPONENTS AND THEIR EXPERIENCE. 73 



do the Russian Seal Skin Company, who are the lessees of the Russian 

 islands in the Bering sea known as the Commander Islands. 



Joseph D. Williams, being duly sworn, says: That he is 74 years of 

 age, a citizen of the United States, and a resident 



of Brooklyn, in the State of New York; that he Jos. D.Williams, p. 548. 

 has been engaged in the business of dressing and 



dyeing fur-seal skins continuously for fifteen years last past, and prior 

 to that time at intervals during the whole time he has been engaged in 

 business,'during a period of some fifty odd years, he has dressed and 

 dyed seal-skins, and that his father was engaged in the same business 

 before him; that for the last 15 years he has had consigned to him by 

 fur- dealers 8,000 to 10,000 seal-skins annually, for the purpose of dress- 

 ing and dyeing the same. 



Theodore T. Williams, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am by 

 profession a journalist, being at the present time 



employed as city editor of the San Francisco Ex- iheo.T. Williams, p. 491. 

 aminer, and have been employed in that and similar 



capacities in the city of San Francisco for the past thirteen years. 

 During that time, and in the pursuit of my profession as journalist, 

 I have had occasion to make extended inquiries into the fur-sealing in- 

 dustry of the Aleutian Islands and the North Pacific. 



William H. Williams, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I reside 

 at Wellington, Ohio, and am 55 years of age; that 

 I am the United States Treasury Agent in charge w.H. Williams, p. 93. 

 of the seal islands in Bering Sea; that in pursu- 

 ance of Department instructions to me of May 27, 1891, I made a care- 

 ful examination during the sealing season of the habits, numbers, and 

 conditions of the seals and seal rookeries, with a view of reporting to 

 the Department from observation and such knowledge on the subject 

 as I might obtain whether or not in my opinion the seals are diminish- 

 ing on the Pribilof Islands, and, if so, the causes therefor. 



Fred. Wilson, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am 23 years 

 old; was born at Howka; am a hunter by occu- 

 pation ; have hunted fur seal the last eight years ; Fred. Wilson, p. 301. 

 have always hunted in Dixons Entrance and off 

 Prince of Wales Island in May. 



James Wilson, being duly sworn, deposes and saith: I reside at the 

 settlement known as Fort Kenai, Cook's Inlet, 

 Alaska, and have lived in the Territory for the James Wilson, p. 228. 

 past twenty- three years, chiefly in this region. I 



am at present agent for the Northern Packing Company at Fort Kenai, 

 and have no practical knowledge of fur-seal life. 



Maurice Windmiller, having been duly sworn, deposes and says: My 

 age is4G; I reside in San Francisco; my occu- 

 pation is that of a furrier. I have been engaged -Jf awrice Windmiller, p. 

 in the fur business all my life, and my father was ° ' 

 a furrier before me. I am an expert in dressed and undressed, raw, 

 and made-up furs, and also a manufacturer and dealer in the same. I 

 have bought and examined large numbers of fur-seal skins during the 

 last twelve years, caught by sealing schooners both on the Russian 



