10 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



company and the agent of the Government, I do not know to what 

 lengths they might go. The Aleutians are not a fighting i)opulation at 

 all. They are a quiet, peaceable people. 



Q. Well, by whom was all the work done for the company given on 

 the island; it necessarih" had some work done, taking the seal skins 

 and preparing them for market, etc.; by whom was that work per- 

 formed 1 — A. By the natives. 



Q. Exclusively? — A. Exclusively. At the time there were no laborers 

 other than natives. The foremen were in the employ of the Govern- 

 ment. There was a gentleman by the name of Webster employed by 

 the company. He ordered the work, and under his orders and those of 

 the elected chiefs, who also received orders from the agent of the com- 

 pany, and then transmitted them to the working gangs and superintended 

 the whole work. 



Q. Were they fairly compensated for their work, do you think? — A. 

 In regard to the compensation, I have a note liere : " The price paid by 

 the traders to the natives for each skin was nominally from 20 to 40 

 cents, but actually less, as the same traders realized on some articles 

 furnished to the natives a profit of nearly 100 per cent. At present, 

 when the Alaska Company has fixed the price to be paid to the natives 

 at 40 cents per skin and the advance on San Francisco prices for com- 

 modities brought to the islands at only 25 i)er centum, the different 

 figure of costs will be considerably increased." What the preseut rates 

 are I can not say. At the time it was 40 cents a skin, and that was 

 very good compensation for the labor performed. 



Q. How was that paid — in money? — A. It was paid in money; in 

 hard cash. There was a lot of silver half dollars there. 



Q. Coined by the United States ?— A. Coined by the United States ; 

 and, I am sorry to say, they gambled with that money. The natives 

 would gamble two or three nights in succession without going to sleep. 

 I hope they have abandoned that habit now. 



Q. Did any officer or other employe of the company than the natives 

 themselves gamble with them; in other words, did anyone besides the 

 natives gamble with them and win their money from them? — A. No; 

 there was not a white man on the island who would condescend to gam- 

 ble with them. The stakes were small and the air in the hovels was so 

 stifling that no white man could enjoy it. It was confined among them- 

 selves, but I judge some reckless characters will be found in every com- 

 munity. There were lots of fathers of families who were saving every 

 half dollar they could get, and I suppose they are rich men now. 



Q. Are any means provided for the deposit of their savings ? Was 

 there any such thing as a savings-bank or safe deposit? — A. There 

 was nothing at the time except that the Alaska Commercial Company's 

 agent had a book for that purpose, and I understood that he deposited 

 that in San Francisco, and there invested it in good investments. I do 

 not know how it was done, but I know at the time the deposit might be 

 drawn by any native at sight. 



Q. Have you any knowledge of the method by which the earnings of 

 the natives were adjusted ; was it upon their own plan or upon the 

 plan of the company? — A. Yes, sir. There is a statement hero where 

 the assistant Treasury agent, Francis Tessen, reported to Captain 

 Bryant; this was after my time, but the same system continued : 



August 15 a division was made among tho natives of tlio earnings of this year's 

 sealing, which amounted to S20,G74.G0, and was divided by tlio chief in my presence, 

 as follows: Thirty-eight first-class shares, at 100 per cent., S4o5.11 per share; 20 

 Becond-class shares, at 90 per cent., $31)1.59 per share; 10 third-class shares, at 80 

 per cent., §348.08 per share; C fonrlh-class siaares, at 70 per ceut., $304.5.7 per .share. 



