798 INVESTIGATION OF THE FUK-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 



Mr. Patton. Then the difference in weight is in the amount of salt 

 when they are weighed over there ? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes. 



Mr. Patton. And if the salt drops off they lose, and if the salt 

 stays 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). Well, but they do not "drop it off." 

 They keep it on, substantially all of it, until it goes to the dresser. 

 They pile the skins up there, and nearly all of this salt used in curing 

 of shipment is left on them until the buyer sends them to the dresser. 



Mr. McGuire. How do you get that information? 



Mr. Elliott. Oh, I heard these men talking about it. 



Mr. McGuire. Who did you hear? 



Mr. Elliott. The lessees' n en on the islands, who were at the Lon- 

 don sales, with the buyers and the furriers there. 



Mr. McGuire. Who did you talk with on the islands ? 



Mr. Elliott. Dr. Mclntyre, Thomas Morgan, Daniel Webster, and 

 Mr. Hutchinson. 



Mr. Patton. Where are they now ? 



Mr. Elliott. Oh, my Godfrey; they are dead. That was a long 

 time ago— it was in 1873-74 I am a pretty old man, Mr. McGuire; 

 nearly old enough to be your father. 



Mr. Patton. You do not look it. 



Mr. Elliott. When you ask me to go into the past, and bring these 

 men back to life, and bring them before the committee, you ask an 

 impossibility, and it is not fair to me. 



Mr. McGuire. When you quoted Mr. Lembkey as sa}dng that he 

 had had experience with a number of seals 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). Yes. 



Mr. McGuire. And they woe heavier after they were salted 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). Yes. 



Mr. McGuire. You did not quote him in full. 



Mr. Elliott. Just exactly everything that he put into the journal. 

 He is quoted exactly and 'in full," as he records it, in his official 

 record. 



Mr. McGuire. Now, as a matter of fact, you remember his testi- 

 mony— — 



Mr. Elliott (interposing). Oh, I remember his testimony, all 

 right. 



Mr. McGuire. You remember having read that testimony? 



Mr. Elliott. Oh, yes; I heard and then read his testimony. 



Mr. McGuire. That they threw those skins into a pond ? 



Mr. Elliott. Oh, yes; but that is not in his official journal. 



Mr. McGuire. Is not that in Mr. Lembkey's testimony? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes; but it is not in his official journal. It was an 

 afterthought. A good many afterthoughts came into his testi- 

 mony later. 



Mr. McGuire. Well, let it be an afterthought. 



Mr. Elliott. I am going to bring in some more, after awhile. 



Mr. McGuire. Mr. Lembkey stated they put those skins in water 

 and that they laid in water for the purpose of protecting them and 

 preventing their exposure until they took them into the salt house, 

 and in this soaked and watered condition they salted them? 



Mr. Elliott. Yes. 



