FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 169 



have to go some place else, for they would be in a lialf -starved condi- 

 tiou, and no better than they were under Kussian rule, which was cer- 

 tainly deplorable. The presence of the Alaska Commercial Company in 

 Alaska has been, in my judgment, a greater civilizer to the people of 

 Alaska and has been of more beuetit to them than all the Eev. Sheldon 

 Jackson's crowd of missionaries has ever been. 



Q. Have you read the last annual report of the governor of Alaska? — 

 A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Do you agree with hiin in his conclusions? — A. No, sir. 



Q. Is it your opinion that he is not justitied in his conclusions ? — A. 

 He does not agree with them himself now, because since he has made 

 that report he has visited the islands on the man-of-war Thetis. He 

 made an extended tour along the coast, including the fur-seal islands, 

 clear up to the Arctic. He visited me on the fur-seal islands, atid I 

 took him all through the rookeries, and showed him through my books. 

 These papers are merely copies of my books, and they show our system 

 of keeping the accounts. 1 took iiini to the company's office, and the 

 bookkeeper showed him through their books and explained their system 

 of keeping accounts with the natives. The company's local agent showed 

 him the prices charged the natives in selling goods to them, and he ex- 

 amined into everything very thoroughly. He spent two days on the 

 island, and on leaving expressed himself to me as entirely satisfied ; 

 that he had been misled, and was entirely satisfied with everything he 

 saw, very agreeably so, and would take pleasure in making the amende 

 honorable. 



By Mr. Felton : 



Q, What was the source from which he obtained his information ? — 

 A. The basis was information received from a man named Anderson, 

 a carpenter, who had been recommended by the Alaska Commercial 

 Company, and was appointed United States marshal. The Govern- 

 ment ofhcials asked the company to name some one for the place, and 

 it named this man Anderson. He fell out with the company's local 

 agent and employes because he did not have everything his own way. 

 He got to be a very ugly, bad man. 1 know of my own knowledge that 

 Anderson's statements are false from beginning to end. I think he 

 ought to be the last man to make any complaints. 



Q. Was that the governor's only source of information °? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Is that the Anderson who makes the affidavit attached to the 

 governor's report ? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. How many days' work in the course of a year do the natives put 

 in on the seal islands'? — A. That would be pretty hard for me to say. 

 It took, I think, forty days last year, and the year before thirty-nine days 

 were required to take the skins, but they work for the coiui)any by tlie 

 hour at all other \vork, except taking the skins. The company pays them 

 10 cents an hour for other labor. They are employed at loading and 

 discharging cargo, and loading skins on board the vessel. I have never 

 reckoned it into days; but I would say seventy-five days a year would 

 cover every day they work. The balance of the time they have nothing 

 in the world to do. At the close of business last year they had $G5,0i»(> 

 to their credit in the hands of the company bearing 4 per cent, interest. 



Q. You said something a little while ago about the importance of some 

 additional labor, with the consent of the Secretary of the Treasury. I 

 suppose the object of the company in getting the additional population, 

 and paying them additional, was to facilitate its own business?— A. 



