534 IN THE PRESENT. 



of furs, to the sound judgment and unsurpassed business ability of the 

 then head of that house, and to the confidence assured to the buyers 

 by his name in connection with the sales the success of the undertak- 

 ing in London is largely due. Up to the time that this company was 

 formed the dressing of seal was efficiently done only by the firm of 

 Oppenheim & Co., but on their liquidation there was great danger that 

 the business would fall into weak hands and be so badly done as to 

 render the manufactured fur-seal unpopular. Eealizing this fact, 

 Messrs. Lampson & Co. stepped in and, by liberal inducements, led 

 Messrs. Martin & Teichmann to carry on the Alaska factory. 



After a series of difficulties, such as strikes and trouble with the 

 work people, who were determined that no more or better work should 

 be done than of old, this factory has gradually succeeded, by continual 

 improvement, in rendering the dressing and dyeing, formerly a most 

 uncertain undertaking, a thoroughly reliable process. These efforts on 

 the island and in London combined largely account for the measure of 

 success the company has attained. In addition, however, large ex- 

 penditure has been necessary in all the Europeou centers to keep the 

 article before the public and in their favor. 



IN THE PRESENT. 



Page 267 of The Case. 



Deponent is informed that practically all the seal-skins in the world 

 are sold in London, and the number runs up in 

 H. S. Bevington, p. the year to between 100,000 and 200,000, averag- 

 552. ing considerably over 150,000 a year. 



Several years ago they were plentiful off Cape Horn, and about 

 twenty -five years back I saw some near Cape 



William Brennan, p. Good Hope, and also off New Zealand; but 

 359 * whether they are to be found there now I do not 



know. 



The way in which the business of the firm of C. M. Lampson & Co. 



Sir G. c. Lampson, p. is conducted at the present time in respect to fur- 

 564. seal skins is briefly as follows: 



The firm receives consignments of fur-seal skins from the North 

 American Commercial Company, which, as deponent is informed, has a 

 lease from the United States Government of the right to kill fur-seals 

 on the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, from the Russian Seal Skin 

 Company, which, as deponent is informed, have a lease from the Rus- 

 sian Government of a right to kill fur-seals on the Kommondorski and 

 Roben Islands, and large consignments of fur-seal skius are also made 

 to deponent's firm by the firm of Hermann Liebes & Co., of San Fran- 

 cisco, U. S. A. These three mentioned firms or companies are the 

 principal consignees of seal skins to the deponent's firm. The con- 

 signments when received are duly catalogued and sales at public auc- 

 tion of these skins and of those of any other consignments which 

 there may be are held in the months of January, March, and October. 

 That at such sales there are present in person or by representative 

 all the leading dealers doing business in the city of London and all 

 the other markets in the world. The total number of buyers does not 

 average more than fifty, and a list of all the buyers is hereto annexed 



