FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 269 



Q. There were statements made that agents of the Alaska Commercial 

 Company and their white people committed rapes and violated the 

 chastity iiud sanctity of single and married women, and invaded the 

 .sanctity of the family circle, and all that sort of thing. Did you observe 

 any tendency to acts of that sort while yon were there? — A. There was 

 nothing that came to my knowledge. I never heard of any such tuing. 



Q. Did you know Mr. Webster ? — A. Only for a few days. He came 

 to St. George Island I think when 1 left there. 



Q. Do you know anything about his character and standing and rep- 

 utation for morality ? — A. I do not think that there is any doubt that 

 it is high. It seemed to me he was a gentleman, from the two days I 

 saw hnn. I could not see anything to the contrary. 



Q. Did you see anything on either of these islands to lead you to be- 

 lieve that the agents of the company were debauching in anyway the 

 native population and demoralizing them ? — A. No, sir. 



Q. Have you seen a publication recently of what purports to be an 

 interview with you in a New York paper ? — A. I never saw it until 

 about an hour ago. 



The Chairman. Is that the slip ? 



The Witness. Yes, sir. 



Q. Have you read it ? — A. Yes, sir. 



THE WRONGS OF THE ALEUTS— EX-MAYOK KIMMEL CORROBORATES THE SHAMEFUL 

 STORY— HE WAS A GOVERNMENT AGENT AND AN EYE-WITNESS OF THE OUT- 

 RAGES UPON WOMEN AND MEN— UNPRINCIPLED WHITE AGENTS. 



La Fayette, Ind., Dec. 11. — Ex-Mayor Louis Kimmel, of La Fayette, has come for- 

 ward to corroborate the wretched story of oppression and outrage in Alaska, which 

 was given to the public by the Sun recently. Mr. Kimmel has been three times 

 mayor of La Fayette, and is well known as a man of high standing. He was special 

 Treasury agent at the seal islands in 1862 and 1883, and resigned his place in the De- 

 partment service rather than go back tu the islands again. 



" No money could have hired me," he said to-day, " to spend another year in that 

 place, and have to witness the treatment indicted upon the innocent natives without 

 being able to prevent it. I was there through one season, and I had enough of it." 



Asked as to the truth of the story of the situation as told in the Sun, he said : 



" So far as my personal knowledge could extend, the story is true, and is not in the 

 least exaggerated. It couldn't be. Of course there were details of it which I knew 

 nothing about, because I have been on only one of the two islands, and that was live 

 years ago ; but, so far as it dealt with the general treatment of the natives, the abnse 

 of the women, and the abominable oppressions practiced upon the natives by the 

 employ<?s of the Alaska Company, it agreed perfectly with my knowledge of what 

 was the situation when 1 was there." 



"Did you mak(5 any report of these matters when you returned from Alaska?" 



"I did to my superior, Judge Glidden. It was a verbal report, and he said he would 

 take the matter Into consideration. That was all that ever came of it. I was as- 

 signed to duty at the Chicago custom-house until the next summer and spring, and 

 then I found that they were going to send me back to that place again, and I re- 

 signed. 



"The lease places the two seal islands absolutely in the hands of the company. No 

 vessel but theirs can land there, and no supplies can be obtained but at their stores. 

 The Government agent is supposed to see that the terms of the contract are properly 

 enforced and carried out, the natives fairly treated, and other things done as they 

 should be. But he has no power to enforce his orders. All he can do is to report to 

 his superior. The whole time I was there all that I saw of the United States Govern- 

 ment was once when a revenue-cutter passing near the island sent a small boat ashore 

 and asked if I were still alive. They found I was all right, and went away. 



"The worst thing about it is that the natives are absolutely helpless even to make 

 an appeal for the righting of their wrongs. When I came away the chief of the peo- 

 ple wanted to come with me to San Francisco to make a petition to the people in 'the 

 laud where the sun shines' to relieve his people of some of their afllictions. He begged 

 me to take him with me, hut all I couhl do was to ask my superior. Judge Glidden, 

 for permission for the chief to leave the island, (ilidden said : ' Oh, no; we can't let 

 him get down there. He can't have the permit," and that was all there was about it. 

 The man had to stay. 



