552 . TESTIMONY. 



classes. Tlio skins of tlie Copper Island cateli are distingnisliorl from 

 tlie skins of tlie Alaska and ISTortliwest catcli, wLicli two last -men- 

 tioned classes of skins appear to be nearly allied to eacli other, and are 

 of the same general character, by reason of the fact that in their raw 

 state the Cox^per skins are lighter in color than either of the other two 

 and in the dyed state there is a marked difference in the appearance of 

 the fur of the Copj)er and the other two classes of skins. This difference 

 is difficult to describe to a person unaccustomed to handle skins, but it 

 is nevertheless clear and distinct to an expert, and may be generally 

 described by saying that the Copper skins are of a close, short, and 

 shiny fur, particularly down by the flank, to a greater extent than the 



Alaska and Northwest skins. The skins of the male 

 mSSfwl-ueS. and female animal are readily distinguishable from each 



other in the adult stage by reason of the difference in 

 the shape of the heads. That the Copper and Alaska skins are almost 



exclusively the skins of the male animal, and the skins 

 non^wJstf lemafe! °*^ ^f the Northwcst catch are at least 80 per cent of the 



skins of the female animal. That prior to and in prepar- 

 ation for making this deposition deponent says he carefully looked 

 through two large lots of skins now in his warehouse for the especial 

 purpose of estimating the percentage of female skins found among the 

 Northwest catch, and he believes the above estimate to be accurate. 



That the skins in the Northwest catch are also pierced with shot 

 and spear marks, in consequence of having been killed in the open 

 water instead of upon land by clubs. That the business of dealing in 



fur-seal skins in the city of London has become an 

 fu^trade. "^ ^""'^''^ established and important industry. Deponent is 



informed that practically all the seal skins in the world 

 are sold in London, and the number runs up in the year to between 

 100,000 and 200,000 averaging considerably over 150,000 a year. These 

 skins are sold for the most j)art either by the firm ot C. M. Lampson & 

 Co., through their brokers, Goad, Eigg & Co., or by the firm of Culver- 

 well. Brooks & Co. At the auction sales, which are advertised twice 

 or three times in the year by these firms, skins are bought by dealers 

 from all over the world, who are present either in person or by proxy. 

 The next stage in the industry is the dressing and dyeing of tlie furs, 

 and practically the whole of these fur-seal skins sold in London are 

 dressed and dyed in that city, the principal firms being engaged in that 

 business, aie C. W. Martin & Sons and George Eice. Deponent's own 

 firm dress a small number of skins and have dressed in one year as 

 many as 23,000 and formerly dyed large numbers of skins, but do not 

 now dye skins as the secrets of the present fashionable color are now in 

 the hands of other firms. After having been dressed and dyed, the 

 skins of the fur seal are then passed into the hands of fur merchants, 

 by whom in turn, they are passed to furriers and drapers and retail 



dealers generally. Deponent estimates the total num- 

 tiietradT ^''^''S'^'' "" bcr of pcrsous engaged in oneway or another, directly 



or indirectly, in the iur-seal industry, in the city of Lon- 

 don at at least two or three thousand, many of whom are skilled labor- 

 ers, all receiving high wages. 



That a large amount of capital is also invested in the business in the 



city of London, and the ])recise value of the industry 



api a inves e . ^^^^ ^^^ estimated by reckoning the amount expended 



in the various i)rocesses which deponent has enumerated upon each 



skin. For instance, after the skins arrive at the London market they 



are sold at the sales at prices which in the year 1890 averaged say 80 



