118 THE ASIATIC FUR-SEAL ISLANDS. 



profitable season, had dispatched a large cargo of merchandise to the islands. Shortly- 

 after the representative of the new company arrived with the lease and took 

 possession. As the lease not only included the monopoly of taking the furs but also 

 of trading with the natives, there was no other choice for the Ice Company but to sell 

 out to its successful rival at a ruinous price. So well had the secret been kept that 

 even the ispravnik at Petropaulski, who was still to retain jurisdiction over the islands, 

 did not know of the lease and the impending change until it was presented to him by 

 the company's representative alluded to. 



With the taking of possession by the new company a new order of things com- 

 menced. The firm's name was altered to Hutchinson, Kohl, Maksutof & Co., and later 

 to Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus & Co. It had been necessary, in order to obtain the 

 lease from the Russian authorities, to include at least one Eussian subject in the firm, 

 and Mr. Philippeus, a Eussian merchant having great trading interests in Kamchatka 

 and neighboring districts, was paid a considerable amount for the use of his name in 

 this connection. Nominally, therefore, the company was Eussian, but practically it 

 was American. Their vessels were flying the Eussian flag, but they were American 

 property. In 1872 Hutchinson, Kohl & Co. sold their interest and property in Alaska 

 to the Alaska Commercial Company of San Francisco, members of which also acquired 

 a controlling interest in the Russian company. From that time on until the expiration 

 of the lease in February, 1891, the managemeut of the company's affairs on the 

 Commander Islands and Tiuleni Island were in the hands of the celebrated firm, with 

 headquarters at 310 Sansome street, San Francisco. 



The management now became practically identical with that on the Pribilofs, and 

 an employee from the latter, Capt. D. Webster, was sent over to the Commander 

 Islands to teach the natives the improved methods of taking the seals and curing the 

 skins adopted on the former. It is, therefore, unnecessary to go into details concerning 

 this part of the industry, which has been described so often in connection with the 

 Pribilof Islands. 



The affairs as I found them in 1882 were managed in the following way: 



On each island there was a local agent and storekeeper,' who had general charge 

 of affairs, except the management of the taking of the skins, and who kept the books, 

 and accounts. The sealing business proper was attended to by a sealer for eai^h rookery, 

 who accepted the skins brought by the natives to the salt house door and superin- 

 tended the salting, bundling, etc. During this period these overseers were not natives, 

 except Mr. Fedor Volokitin, a " creole," who represented the company at the south 

 rookery, Bering Island. The general management of the business was in the hands 

 of Mr. John Sandman, the captain of the company's steamer Alelcsander II. 



Practically the whole administration of the business rested with the company, 

 not even a maximum limit as to the number of skins to be taken being contained in 

 the lease. The function of the Government oflicial stationed on the islands was 



'On Copper Island: Mr. Alexander Kostromitinof, who succeeded Mr. C. F. Emil Krelbs. The 

 latter served from 1871 to 1881. Mr. Emil Kluge followed after Mr. Kostromitinof until the fall of 

 J894, when he was succeeded by Mr. A. Cantor. 



On Bering Island: Mr. George Chernick. He died on the island in the fall of 1887, Mr. F. 

 Volokitin tending the station during the following winter. In the spring of 1888 Mr. Kostromitinof 

 was transferred from Copper Island, being relieved in 1890 by Mr. Julius Lindjquist. He was succeeded 

 in about a year by Mr. Waldemar Paetz, of St. Petersburg, whose term expired in 1895, Mr. Emil Kluge 

 being then transferred from Copper Island. 



