36 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Messrs. Elliott and Gallagher. At rare intervals on the other rooke- 

 ries a bull without place or location near the overcrowded harems 

 would be seen — a fair and fit indication that something defective in 

 its organization caused its indifference and vagrancy. 



This complete disappearance of the "idle" or surplus "breeding 

 bulls," as above stated, which should be hovering around the outer 

 lines of the harems, the complete disappearance also of the "polsee- 

 catchie" or 5-year old bulls, too, makes the following statement 

 of record, timely now, for it again tells the story truly of how and why 

 this surplus male life has been thus wholly eliminated as a factor on 

 these Pribilof rookeries by 1913. 



In making his argument for the need of checking up the close killing 

 of all the young male seals as done by the lessees since 1896, to date 

 of 1903, Mr. Elliott made the following statement of conditions then, 

 which holds good to-day. It clearly shows how, and why this ex- 

 cessive and illegal killing of "yearlings and seals having skins weigh- 

 ing less than 6 pounds" has brought this herd to the very verge of 

 complete physical destruction under the Russian regime of 1817-34, 

 and under ours, has done so again, to-day. In a letter dated January 

 8, 1904, addressed to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, Mr. 

 Elliott said: 



January 8, 1904 

 The Secretary op Commerce and Labor, * 



Washington, D. C. 



Sir: I respectfully submit the following statements of fact, without adding any 

 opinions of my own. as the basis of a proper request for prompt action on your part in 

 order that the fur-seal species of Alaska shall not be completely destroyed, root and 

 branch, on the Pribilof Islands during the coming season, under existing rules and 

 regulations. 



The commercial ruin of our fur-seal herd was effected at Paris, August 16, 1893. 

 I will not advert to the errors of our own agents in charge of our case which led to this 

 humiliating result. I should say at this point that I did all in my power in 1890 and 

 1891 to prevent the course mapped out and followed to defeat by these agents. My 

 protests in November, L890, and in January, 1891, to Mr. Blaine were in vain and I 

 had nothing to say or do with the maganement of that case after the 6th day of January, 

 1891; my knowledge and understanding of the subject were ignored, and save the 

 tardy and forced adoption of the modus Vivendi of 1891-1893, which I urged in Novem- 

 ber, 1890, no argument or wish of mine prevailed in the preparation of this case. I am 

 in no way responsible for the wretched conduct of that case of our Government before 

 the Paris tribunal and its resultant shame and misery, to say nothing of the immense 

 loss of public property also following. 



The figures and facts which I herewith present for your information and use declare 

 that the bitter sequel of commercial ruin for our interests on the seal islands of Alaska 

 is right at hand; that sequel is the immediate extermination of this anomalous, val- 

 uable, and wonderful marine life which must exist on the Pribilof group, but it can 

 not and will not exist by its own law of life anywhere else. 



By way of introduction to the following tabulated statements showing the rapid 

 decline of the fur-seal herd since 1872 permit me to say that I am, fortunately, in 



f>ossession of the complete and indisputable proof of my statement that 4,500,000 

 ur seals — cows, bulls, and pups — were in existence on the rookeries and hauling 

 grounds of St. Paul and St. George Islands, in fine form and condition, during the 

 seasons of 1873-1874, inclusive. I am fortunate in holding all of this indisputable and 

 self-asserting evidence just as it was secured and recorded in 1872, 1873, and 1874; 

 the original records, surveys in detail, and notes are mine. That point of departure 

 in 1872-1874 enables me to authoritatively and clearly express to you the real loss 

 of life which the Government has sustained in this ruin of its industry on the seal 

 islands of Alaska: without it no adequate expression of the truth could be made by 

 myself or anyone else which would be credible and accepted by the judicial mind. 

 The first point to which I desire to draw your attention is the following official record 

 of the loss of life on the seal islands of Alaska from 1872 down to 1903, inclusive: 



