TESTIMONY RELATING TO THE GENERAL SEALSKIN INDUS- 

 TRY IN THE UNITED STATES. 



Dej)osition of George Buntle, paclcer and sorter of raw fur slcins. 



general sealskin industry. 



State of California, 



City and County of San Francisco, ss : 



George Baiitle, having been duly sworn, deposes and says: My age 



is 53. I reside in San Francisco. I am a packer and sorter of raw fur 



skins, and have been engaged in that occujiation for 



xperience. ^j^^^ ^^^^^ twcuty ycars. My calling has made me a 



Judge of raw se;il skins, as I liave handled in the last ten or twelve years 



from J 0,000 to 15,000 annually. 



I can tell by examining a skin whether it was caught in season or out 



of seas(m, and whether it was caught on tlie Russian side or on the 



Difference between American sidc. A Russian skin is generally coarser, 



Russian and Ameri- aiid tlieuuder wool is generally darker and coarser than 



the skins of the seals caught on the American side. A 



Russian skin does not make as fine a skin as the skins of the seals 



caught on the American side, and are not worth as much in the market. 



I can easily distinguish one from the other. 



Difleronco between 1 cau also tcil by examining a skin whether it has 



male and fen.ale. ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^.^^^^ ^ ^.^^^^^.^^^ ^^^. ^^^.^^^.^ 



I have examined and sorted a great many thousand skins taken from 



, „ ^ , sealing schooners, and have observed that they are 



Nearly all fe.uaie. ^^^^.^^.j^ ^^^ females, a fcw bciiig old bnlls and yearlings. 



A female seal has a smaller head, and a larger belly, Avhen with 



young, than a, male seal, and the fur on the belly pnrt, where the teats 



are, in consequence of being worn, is not worth much, and has to be 



cut off after being dyed. 



G. Bantle. 



Subscribed aud sworu to before me this 8th day of April, A. D. 1892. 

 [l. s.] Clement Bennett, 



Notary Public. 



Deposition of C. Francis Bates, member of the firm of Martin Bates, jr., 

 tk Co., furriers. 



general sealskin industry. 



State of New York, 



City and County of New York, ss : 

 0. Francis Bates, being duly sworn, says: I am a member of the firm 

 of Martin Bares, jr., «& Co., and am the person described in and who veri- 

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