INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



The Chairman. If anybody has made that charge- 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). That is in the hearings, sworn to and 

 not denied. It is a matter of fact that a man called a "scientist" 

 has written a libel on me which was used on the floor of the House, 

 charging me with an infamous offense. 



The Chairman. You are asked to submit the facts. Please pro- 

 ceed. 



Mr. Elliott (reading) : 



This is the personal equation of which I have spoken and which you gentlemen 

 of the committee should understand before I go into the following details. Those 

 jritics have studied to deceive this committee, and the public in order that the im- 

 proper and ruinous work of the private interests, or lessees, should not be checked up, 

 and entirely abolished. 



Mr. Watkins. Is it not the idea that we will stand responsible 

 for any statement of that kind that he makes in this hearing — that 

 is not a part of his official report ? 



Air. Elliott. No; this is a personal equation, which I wanted to 

 explain before I go into the details of this matter. 



Mr. McGutre. In other words, the doctor is giving us the vin- 

 dictive part of the matter. 



Mr. Elliott (reading) : 



Fortunately for the public interests involved, and most fortunately for my good 

 name and credit, when I went up to the seal islands in 1872 I went free and unbiased. 

 I knew nothing about that life I was to see for the first time and study. No "dis- 

 tinguished and astute" lawyers were busy asking me to prepare "evidence" to sus- 

 tain their framework of a "case"; no lying "diplomats" were seeking to gain by my 

 work; no greedy, lawless lessees were threatening me with "removal" and "dis- 

 missal" from the islands if I failed to meet their wishes. 



Nothing of the kind was in my sight, or my hearing, or my knowledge from start 

 to finish of my study of this herd, 1872-1876. Therefore, gentlemen, you observe 

 that I enjoyed unusual advantages, and I used them. 



I landed on St. Paul Island April 21, 1872. I was there full two weeks before the 

 very first seals arrived for the season right ahead. 



From the hour of the arrival of the first seal bulls in May up to the departure of the 

 vast herd in November following, I followed every movement daily of its organization. 

 I was on the rookeries with my notebooks (and there nights, too). I jotted down in 

 them those hourly occurrences which I saw there; I placed the localities of these 

 occurrences, the time thereof, and date upon every one. Again in 1873 I went all 

 over the grounds, as I had in 1872. I made a final round-up of all these notes. Again 

 during the breeding season of 1874; then in 1876 I made a second final round-up of all 

 these notes and in 1882 published my elaboration and systematic finish of them. 



I did all this hard work of earnest survey and investigation because I coveted the 

 credit and honor which always comes to him who does anything well among his fellow 

 men. It lives after his death, to his everlasting good name. Nothing else does. 



With this experience and that knowledge of the Pribilof fur-seal 

 herd, Mr. Chairman, I started for the seal islands to carry out your 

 instructions. 



Mr. Watkins. Give us the da,te, please? 



Mr. Elliott. I have it here in the report. 



Mr. Watkins. That is all right. 



Mr. Elliott. You first charged me to gain as near an accurate 

 estimate or count of the seal herd as we could find. That we did, 

 my associate, Mr. Gallagher and myself, and before I start in to 

 describe that I want to call your attention to what I mean by 

 "rookeries" and "hauling grounds," so that you will not misunder- 

 stand me as we go along. 



This [exhibiting] is a sketch map from my survey of the island 

 made in 1872, and published in my monograph of 1882, and on which I 



