SEALSKIN INDUSTRY IN UNITED STATES. 



509 



class conmunily known as lysifo J;jy*°"* *™^ 



fied an affidavit ou the 22d day of June, 3892, relating to the valne of 

 the iiidiistiy of manufacturing seal-skin articles in the United States, 

 and other matters. 



I have signed the firm name to the statement hereto annexed, which 

 has been |»repared from a careful examination of the linn books, and I 

 know it to be true in all respects. The seal skins therein 

 referred to were all purclmscd at \'ict(»ria, British skins' piirchasecrby 



Columbia, and are of th ' ' ' - 



northwest coast skins, i. e., skins from animals whicl 

 were caught in the Pacific Ocean or in the waters of Bering Sea. The 

 statement represents all of the skins of this class which were purchased 

 by my firm between the years 1880 and 1890, inclusive, together with 

 the full prices paid for them. I believe these prices to represent the 

 average value of northwest coast skins at Victoria during these years, 

 except that the price paid for the small lot purchased in 1890 is, as 1 

 am informed, below the average for that year. I find, however, upon 

 referring to my books,^ that this lot was composed of small skins, some 

 of them in poor condition. 



During the year 1891 we purchased no northwest coast skins, and I 

 am therefore unable to state, of my own knowledge, 

 their value in that year, but I understand that in the 

 fall of 1890 and in 1891 it was very ranch higher than 

 in any previous year, owing entirely to the diminished 

 catch of sealskins upon the Pribilof Islands by the 

 lessees of the Government during those years. 



C. Francis Bates. 



Sworn to before me this 22d day of June, 1892. 



[seal.] George Kissenger, Jr., 



Notary Puhlic (No. 99) City and County of New York. 



Statement by Martin Hates Jr. .5- Co., of New York. 



None purchased in 

 1891. 



Diminished catch 

 on Friliilol'Ishtuds in 

 1800-'91. 



Deposition of Max Heilhronner, Secretary of the AlasJca Commercial 

 Company of San Francisco. 



sealskins purchased by ALASKA COMMERCIAL CO. 



State of California, 



City and County of San Francisco, ss: 

 Max Heilbronner, having been duly sworn, deposes and says: I am 

 the secretary ot the Alaska Commercial Company of San Francisco, and 

 as such have custody of all accounts of said company. 



