300 FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



Q. You would be likely to know it if it had 1 — A. If it occurred where 

 I was. 



Q. Has there been any outrages by the agents or employes of the 

 company on the native women of the islands, that you ever heard men- 

 tioned? — A. No, sir. 



Q. A witness has a made a statement here that the island of St. George 

 was a Government house of prostitution. What do you say as to that ? — 

 A. That is a libel on the people of St. George Island. The people there 

 are not that kind of people. There are some women there that are just 

 as virtuous as they are elsewhere, and men the same way. 



Q. Do you happen to know that that is peculiar to that class of peo- 

 ple? — A. People not only there but elsewhere are about the same as 

 the people of the United States or the people of the Sandwich Islands 

 or any other place that I ever visited. 



Q, Do you know a native by the name of Peter Eesanzoff? — A. I do. 



Q. What kind of a man is Peter Resanzofif ? — A. He has been pretty 

 well described here by a witness as a mischievous man. He is unrelia- 

 ble, and is the willing tool of any white man that comes to the island, 

 whether from the Treasury or as an employe of the company. 



Q. How long have you known Peter Resanzoff °? — A. Ever since 1874. 



Q. What is his reputation for truth and veracity ? — A. I would not 

 believe him. 



Q. Would you believe him under oath ? — A. I would not. 



By the Chairman : 

 Q. What is his general reputation among the people f — A. He is not 

 respected by the people. When they divided the profits of the season's 

 work, Peter received a second-class share, although he was an own 

 brother to the head chief, and when the division of that money was 

 made by the. Treasury agents, the company's agent, and the chiefs. The 

 first year Peter received a first-class share, because he knew that unless 

 he worked he would not get his money, as a record was kept of the 

 time employed and the class of work done by each man. He was dis- 

 charged from the employ of the Alaska Commercial Company as clerk 

 for dishonesty. 



By Mr, Jeffries: 



Q. What kind of a man is Mr. Webster, the company's agent there? 

 — A. He is a first-class officer of a vessel. I served on two vessels with 

 him. Mr. Webster is a gentleman of high character and very good 

 judgment. 



Q. How long have you known him "? — A. I have known him for the 

 last twenty-two or twenty-three years. I was associated on St. Paul 

 Island with him in 1869, and in 1874 at Northeast l^oint, and 1 have been 

 associated with him more or less ever since. 



Q. What do you say as to his character and habits ? — A. He is an 

 honest and a truthful man. I never heard a charge made about Mr. 

 Webster being drunk ; I never saw him drunk. 



Q. Have you ever heard of any such charges being made, except by 

 Mr. Gavitt? — A. No, sir; Mr. Webster will not drink liquor when he 

 has the least responsibility resting upon him. Mr. Tingle told me he 

 would not take liquor in his house ; he would not even take a social 

 drink. 



Q. Suppose he was on the island and wanted to get a drink, how 

 would he get it? — A. He would have to get it from the company's 

 physician. 



