516 TESTIMONY. 



Dcjwsition of Sidney Licbcs, furrier^ San Francisco, 



general sealskin industry. 



State of California, 



City and County of San Francisco, ss: 

 Sidney Liebes, having been duly sworn, deposes and says: My age 

 is 22. I reside in San Francisco, and am by occupa- 

 Experience. tion a furricT, liaviug been engaged in that business 



for the last six years. 1 have made it my business to 

 examine raw seal skins brought to this city for sale, and am familiar 

 with the different kinds of seal skins in the market. I can tell from an 

 examination of a skin whether it has been caught on the Russian oi 

 American side. I have found that the Russian skins were flat and 

 smaller, and somewhat different in color in the under 

 ferior t!f AiaSn. ""' ^ool than thosc caught on the American side. In my 

 opinion they are of an inferior quality. The Alaska 

 skins are larger and the hair is much finer. The color of the under 

 wool is also different. I have no difficulty in distinguishing one skin 

 from the other. I am of the opinion that they belong 

 kan"herfis cfisto^^.'^^' ^^ ^^ entirely separate and distinct herd. In my ex- 

 Ninety per cent of aminatioii of skins offered for sale by sealing schooners, 

 feSs.'^'""*^"""*^ 1 found that over 90 per cent were skins taken from 

 females. The sides of the female skin are swollen, and 

 are wider on the belly than those of males. The teats are very dis- 

 cernible on the females, and it can be plainly seen where the young- 

 have been suckhng. The head of the females is also much narrower. 



Sidney Liebes. 



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 8th day of April, A. D. 1892. 

 [l. s.] Clement Bennett, 



Notary FuUic. 



Beposition of John W. Lofstad, furrier, San Francisco. 



general sealskin industry. 



State of California, 



City and County of San Francisco, ss : 

 John N. Lofstad, having been duly sworn, deposes and says : I am 



48 years of age. I reside in San Francisco. I am by 

 Experience. occupatlou a dealer in furs and fur goods. I have been 



in the bu-siness for 28 years, during which time I have 

 bought large numbers of dressed and undressed fur skins, and I am 



thoroughly familiar with the business. I cau easily 

 th^Spperisi^an^rand distinguish the Coppcr Island fur-seal skin in its un- 

 wesftkins^d herds" ^rcsscd State froiu that of tlie Alaskan and Northwest 

 wes s msan ei s. ^^^^^ skius. They are of an entirely distinct and sep- 

 arate herd, while those of the Northwest coast and Pribilof Island are 

 of the same variety. I have bought and examined the catch of a great 



many sealing schooners during the last ten years, and 

 ceS*^tfn^femai^^^^^ li^vc obscrvcd that 85 to 90 per cent of skins taken 



were from female seals, which I could distinguish by a 

 glance, from the shape of the skins, texture of the fur, and develop- 



