384 TESTIMONY 



I have been present at the capturing of seals in the Bering Sea and 



on the Pribilof Islands, and find that all fur-seals taken 



stagey skins at sea. both in the Berillg Sea and 011 the islands therein from 



about the 10th of August until the end of October are what is known 

 to the trade as stagey, meaning the animal is changing its coat, during 

 which period its skin is very inferior in quality; in fact, almost unmer- 

 chantable. 



C. W. Preiss. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th day of November, A. D. 

 1892. 

 Tseal.] Clement Bennett, 



Notary Public. 



Deposition of Louis Sloss, jr., member of the Alaslca Commercial Company. 



State of California, 



City and County of San Francisco, ss: 

 Louis Sloss, jr., being duly sworn, deposes and says: 

 That he is a resident of San Francisco, California, and member of the 

 Alaska Commercial Company; that for four or five 

 Experience. years, during the time that said company was the 



lessee of the Pribilof Islands, it was his duty to be pres- 

 ent during the unloading of the vessel bringing into port sealskins 

 from the Pribilof Islands and to oversee the counting and repacking 

 into casks of all such sealskins; that when such vessel arrived it was 

 customary to open twelve or fifteen bundles of the skins 

 iromS™n en Franci S s^ 8 to examine their condition, but that nobundles were ever 

 opened for any other purposes; that, excepting the few 

 thus opened, all the bundles, after being counted by the custom-house 

 officer and a company employe and since 1879, were packed in casks on 

 the wharf; that said casks were taken directly from the wharf to the 

 railroad station and shipped to C. M. Lampson & Company, London. 

 And deponent further says : 



That during his entire experience he never saw a bundle of sealskins 

 which contained more than two skins ; that he believes 



bu°die. tw ° skins iD a tbat more tnan tliat number m a bundle would be 

 readily detected by even an unexperienced observer ; 

 that he further believes it impossible to pack three skins in a bundle 

 in such a manner that the extra skin would not easily be detected, and 

 that four skins could not be rolled into one bundle in the customary 

 way under any circumstances. 

 And deponent further says : 



That he has seen bundles containing two large sealskins each which 

 wei htof bundles woub ^ weigh, including salt, blubber, and the moisture 

 collected, over fifty pounds, and that bundles contain- 

 ing two yearlings or gray pup-skins in the same raw condition will 

 weigh about ten pounds. 



Louis Sloss, Jr. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 14th day of November, A.D, 

 1892. 

 [seal.] Clement Bennett, 



Notary Public, 



