622 INVESTIGATION OP THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OP ALASKA. 



Mr. Lembkey. From the experiments that we made in this matter 

 I reached the conclusion that the greatest shrinkage occurs through 

 the removal of the skin from the body, and this shrinkage is caused 

 by the tension which obtains on the skin while on the body, and 

 which persists, in my opinion, for some time after the skin has been 

 removed from the body. 



Mr. McGuire. You spoke this morning about the practice, by the 

 parties skinning the seal and caring for the skin, of applying salt, and 

 at the time of the application of the salt stretching the skins. I wish 

 you would state to the committee whether there is any definite plan 

 by which all skins may be stretched equally — that is, under equal 

 pressure — or whether this is done by different persons — persons of 

 different strength and persons of different determinations as to the 

 time of the stretching. That is, I take it, that one person may be 

 stronger than another, and one might desire to do his full duty more 

 than another. What is the practice with regard to those things? 



Mr. Lembkey. There is or has been no definite plan either applied 

 or devised 



Mr. McGuire (interposing). Just what do you do? 



Mr. Lembkey (continuing). To my knowledge whereby the skin 

 may be stretched equally and with equal pressure. The practice 

 in salting skins is to turn from 6 to 8 natives into a kench or bin 

 in which those skins are to be salted. Surrounding this bin on all 

 sides are perhaps 15 or 20 more natives, some prepared to shovel 

 salt into the kench, some prepared to throw skins into the kench to 

 these men who are there to do the salting, and others standing around 

 for various other purposes. A man in the kench receives a skin to be 

 salted. He lays it down upon the floor of the kench, and the men out- 

 side of the kench, armed with shovels, throw onto the skin as a general 

 rule three shovelsfull of salt. If there is a small killing and only a 

 few skins are to go into the kench, we will throw three shovelsfull 

 on each skin. If there is a large killing, and consequently a lack of 

 room, we throw but two shovelsfull on each skin. As soon as the 

 man in the kench receives these shovelsfull of salt onto his skin he 

 gives the skin a stretch by grasping it at the head and tail ends and 

 pulling. After stretching it in this manner he usually lets go one 

 end of it and spreads salt which has been thrown onto the skin with 

 one of his hands, or perhaps both, endeavoring, however, at the same 

 time to keep the skin at as great a length as it is possible to keep it, 

 depending upon the weight of the salt thrown upon it to keep it 

 stretched. Of course, having to let go of the skin after he has given 

 it this smart pull would, as a general rule, allow the skin to retract 

 to a certain extent, or the skin perhaps might be so covered up with 

 salt that is being thrown in by either the man throwing salt to him 

 or to some of the others, that he might not apply as much tension to it 

 as he should, or he might not stretch it at all, as it is then out of 

 sight. Sometimes, perhaps — although we try to avoid it — a man 

 might catch hold of the broad side of the skin instead of the length 

 of it, and stretch it in a lateral direction instead of longitudinally. 



Mr. McGuire. I see. In any event the stretching of the skin 

 depends entirely upon the strength and disposition of the man who 

 is doing the work? 



