FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 95 



traders, who number about a dozen. It never conies in contact with the natives or 

 hunters, but obtaius all the commodities it i^urchases from the traders at agreed 

 rates, and in turn sells its supplies to the traders at fair prices. 



The company also runs two small steamers from St. Michaels up the river in summer 

 to carry supijlies to the traders, and to bring down the peltries there purchased. It 

 also at times receives orders or commissions for articles to be purchased at San Frau- 

 cisco, which it always fulfills at fair and reasonable rates, and delivers the articles at 

 St. Michaels or on the river. The traders referred to also have two small steamers of 

 their own running from St. Michaels to carry supplies up to their stations on the river 

 and return with pelts. These traders also have stations at various places on the 

 river, where they keep supplies ^\ith which to barter with the hunters for peltries. 

 There ate eight of these stations on the river : Fort Reliance, Tanauah, Novikakat, 

 Nulato, Anvik, Mission, Andreivsky, and Kotlik. The entire business of the Alaska 

 Commercial Company in this division amounts to about $30,000 per annum. 



The next is the Kuskovim division — 



This lies directly south of the Yukon division ; northwest of the Kodiak divis- 

 ion ; extends to Bering's Sea and includes the Kuskovim Bay, river, and valley, and 

 Bristol Bay, with the Nushegak River and valley. It contains 114,975 squaremiles, 

 and is larger than the whole Territory of Arizona. 



The Alaska Commercial Company has not a single station in this division. It had 

 one formerly at Kalmakovski, but it was abandoned about ten years ago. We send 

 a vessel once a year to the Kuskovim River, to a point 15 or 20 miles above the 

 mouth, to meet and trade with a single trader, Mr. Sipary, who accumulates during 

 the year in the interior and neighborhood the pelts of mink, marten, bear, and other 

 cheaper skins, and gets his supplies from our company. The trade amounts to about 

 .f 10,000 per annum. Mr. Sipary is a principal in the business, and does his own trad-' 

 ing with the hunters. We also send a vessel once, and sometimes twice, a year to 

 Nushegak, on the river of that name, where we trade with a single trader, Mr. John 

 W. Clark, from whom we buy peltries and to whom we furnish supplies. The busi- 

 ness covers about $10,000 per annum. Mr. Clark has about eight employe's, and has 

 established stores of his own at Nushegak, Togiak, and Illamna. The Alaska Com- 

 mercial Company does not come in contact with the hunters or any other trader than 

 Mr. Clark. 



At this point, Nushegak, there are several companies doing a large business in sal- 

 mon canneries. These are the Arctic Packing Company, Bristol Bay Canning Com- 

 pany, and the Alaska Packing Company. This is one of the tinost salmon tisheries 

 on the coast, the salmon beiug found in immense numbers on the Nushegak and other 

 streams emptying into Bristol 15ay. The American tishermen have been established 

 here for many years and do a very large business. 



Two of these lishing companies are of California and one of Oregon. The Alaska 

 Commercial Company has nothing whatever to do with this business. 



The total popalatiou of the Kuskovim division by the last census was 8,911, 

 mostly Eskimos. The number of whites and Creoles together only amounted to 114, 

 There has been no obstruction to immigration, except such as the natural con- 

 dition of the country presents. Between the Kuskovim and the Nuskegak Rivers 

 the villages of the Indians are so very numerous and they are so very poor that they 

 could not exist were it not for the abundant supply of salmon in the summer, when 

 they lay in a supply for themselves and dogs. They absorb the whole or nearly all 

 the salmon of the Kuskovim River, in connection with the other natives, who also 

 go there from the delta of the Yukon River. This leaves nothing in the salmon line 

 for traders. This dense Indian population extends from Kuskovim Bay far up the 

 river. 



The headquarters of the Kuskovim is an unknown and unexplored region. 

 The country between Kuskovim Bay and Bristol Bay on the river Togiak, some- 

 times called the Togiak division, is so poor in natural products sought by white men 

 that it is not visited by whites and has no trade. The natives there are poor in the 

 extreme. They live in a state of nature of the most primitive character. 



Now, I have read you these extracts, and I want to ask you whether, 

 so far as you know, they are true ? — A. They are. 



Q. They state the facts?— A! They do. 



Q. From these I find there are altojiether in the employ of the Alaska 

 Commercial Company on the mainland in Alaska nine white men, who 

 comprise the entire force of the Alaska Commercial Company on the 

 mainland of Alaska Territory, I do this, Mr, Chairman, for tile reason 

 it is charged that the company has an army of occupation by which 

 they control immigration. They do not, and they have oiily nine 



