FUR-SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 393 



No. 6. 



STATEMKNT OF MR. EDWARD SCHIEFFELIN, 



I reside in Alameda, Cal., and am engaged in prospecting for mines, fn 1882 a 

 small company of persons, of whom I was one, concluded to make an expedition to 

 the Yuliou River in Alaska, for the purpose of prospecting for mines. I had had some 

 experieuce in that business and had heard encouraging accounts of that country. We 

 fitted out our expedition in San Francisco, and went on a schooner, chartered for the 

 purpose, with our own supplies of all we deemed most desirable for the adventure. 

 We carried up on the schooner a small steamer, so that Ave could tranship our supplies 

 at St. Michaels, and by this u)eans reach the supposed mining regions, which were our 

 ultimate destination. Whilst in San Francisco, before our departure, I accidentally 

 met in a place of business Mr. Lewis Gerstle, president of the Alaska Commercial 

 Company. On being introduced to him, and after a brief conversation about my in- 

 tended excursion, he very promptly offered me any assistance I might desire, and 

 gave me a letter of introduction and credit to the agents of that company in Alaska. 

 This letter instructed the agents to advise and assist me in every way. I found the 

 agents of the company very kind and obliging. In every respect their conduct and 

 treatment was all that one gentleman could expect of another. They expressed great 

 cordiality and ottered every encouragement to me to advance on my expedition and 

 to remain in the country. 



On the way up we stopped a short time at Oonalaska and about a week at St. 

 Michaels. At the latter place we transferred part of our supplies to the small steamer 

 and embarked for the Yukon River. I remained in the interior all that winter of 

 1882-83. During that time I visited various stations on the Yukon and went back 

 and forth to various points, prospecting for mines. After a pretty thorough explora- 

 tion I came to the conclusion that the prospects were too poor to justify my sojourn 

 any longer and I abandoned the country, returning to San Francisco in 1883. On the 

 Yukon I found very few mines and only a few traders. I found in all places at which 

 I stopped or visited that the relations between the Alaska Commercial Company and 

 the inhabitants were of the most friendly nature. I heard no complaints and had 

 no reason to suspect the existence of any unkind feeling against the company. I 

 purchased some supplies from the company's agents at most reasonable rates, and 

 found them ready to supply all others on the same terms. They treated strangers 

 with great kindness and welcomed them to the country. All their dealings were con- 

 ducted on a scale of fairness and liberality. I returned from St. Michaels to San 

 Francisco on the U. S. revenue steamer Corwin, commanded by Captain Healy. I 

 have never been in the employment of the Alaska Commercial Company. 



Ed. Schieffelin. 



Sa>t Francisco, December, 1887. 



No. 7. 



letter of instruction of lewis GERSTLF,, president ALASKA COMMERCIAL COM- 

 PANY, TO M, LORENZ, AGENT AT ST. MICHAELS. 



San Francisco, May 7, 1886. 



Dear Sir : We have been informed that a large number of miners have already 

 started to the Yukon and Stewart River mines, and it is probable that many others 

 will be attracted to that section of the Territory in consequence of the supposed exist- 

 ence of rich diggings in that district. Considering that the company's station at St. 

 Michaels is the nearest source of supply, an extra amount of groceries and provisions 

 liave been sent to you to meet the possible demands likely to be made upon you dur- 

 ing the coming winter. It must not be understood, however, that the shipment re- 

 ferred to is made for the purpose of realizing profits beyond the regular schedule of 

 prices heretofore established ; our object is to simply avoid any possible suftering 

 which the large increase of population insufficiently provided with articles of food 

 might occasion. Hence you are directed to store the supplies as a reserve to meet the 

 probable contingency herein indicated, and in that case to dispose of the same to 

 actual customers only and in such quantities as will enable you to relieve the wants 

 and necessities of each and every person that may have occasion to ask for it. 



In this connection we deem it particularly necessary to say to you that traders 

 in the employ of the company, or such others as draw their supplies from the stores 

 of the company, doing business on their own account, must not be permitted to 

 charge excessive profits, otherwise all business relations with such parties must 



