128 



FUR INDUSTRY OF BERING SEA. 



Recapitulation of the foregoing as to fur-seals exported between 1743 and 1867. 



1743-1820 (Berg, table 1) 2,167,040 



1821-1842 (Tikhmenief) 458,502 



1843-1862 (Tikhmenief) 372,894 



1863-1867 (Tenth Census) 198,718 



Total' 3,197,154 



Fur-seal skins taken from the Prihilof Islands between the years 1S68 and 1S91. 



Number_ 



1868 2240,000 



1869 387,000 



1870 ^9,965 



1871 £-96,697 



1872 100,352 



1873 100,437 



1874 102,221 



1875 100,036 



Number. 



1876 87,900 



1877 76,584 



1878 100,152 



1879 101,004 



1880 98,923 



1881 102,386 



1882 97,798 



1883 74,258 



Kurnber- 



1884 99,733 



1885 100.395 



1886 99^890 



1887 100,996 



1888 99,116 



1889 99,937 



1890 621,238 



1891 U3,473 



Extract from Report on the Resources of AlasM, published by the Bureau 

 of Statistics of the United States Treasury Department, 1890. 



A brief estimate of tlie value of permanent improvemeuts in Alaska 

 has been compiled from such sources as could be made available. No 

 attempt at even approximate assessment has ever been made. Eeal 

 estate can hardly be said to exist in a country as yet without provision 

 for acquiring title to anything but mining claims. 



Estimated value of permanent improvement in Alaska. 



Invested in gold and silver mines and mills $1, 500, 000 



Invested in coal mines 30, 000 



Salmon canneries 1, 800, 000 



Shipping 200, 000 



Sawmills 130, 000 



Codfishiug stations and vessels 100, 000 



Trading stations, wharves, etc 350, 000 



4, 110, 000 



A very interesting summary of the value of products obtained from 

 Alaska from the time of its purchase to the year of 1889 will serve 

 to elucidate the value of this vast territory which we acquired for the 

 paltry sum of $7,200,000, and which has returned over $00,000,000 

 within twenty-three years. The value of products of the whale fishery 

 luis been omitted from this summary as belonging more properly to San 

 Francisco and New Bedford. 



During the time covered by this statement the United States Treas- 

 ury has drawn $5,955,535.07 from the same source, and on the large 

 proportion of fur-seal skins which have been returned dressed and 

 dyed to this country a duty of 20 per cent has been received. 



For reasons already given, this total only represents the skins of which records 

 were kept, which records, especially in early times, were very imperfect. 



'^ Tliomas F. Morgan, Vol. ii, p. 63. 



^ Tenth Census, Report on the population, etc., of Alaska, p. 61. 



■• Emil Teichmann, Vol. ii, p. 585. 



^ For this and succeediug years down to 1889, inclusive, see Max Heilbronner, Vol. 

 II, pp. 117, 167. 



6 Charles J. Goff, Vol. ii, p. 112. 



' Emil Teichmann, Vol. ii, p. 585. 



