92 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
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 Pribylof 
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 each rookery, 
wdio accepted the skins brought by the natives to the salt-house door and superin- 
tended the salting, bundling, etc. During this iieriod these overseers were not natives, 
except Mr. Fedor Volokitin, a ‘‘creole,” who represented the company at the South 
Eookery, Bering Island. The general management of the business was in the hands 
of Mr. John Sandman, the captain of the company’s steamer Alelsander II. 
Practically, the whole administration of the business rested with the comi^any, 
not even a maximum limit as to the number of skins to be taken being contained 
in the lease. The function of the Government official stationed on the islands was 
chiefly confined to seeing that the company did not overstep its contract, that the 
regulations for the i^rotection of the seals, as well as the natives, were enforced, 
to supervise the killing, keep account of the number of skins taken, to receive and 
distribute the money for the skins to the natives, etc. 
The skins were taken by the company’s steamer from the islands to Petropaulski 
in installments and there reloaded before shipment to San Francisco. One of the 
reasons for this arrangement was that Petropaulski is the only j)ort of entry in that 
part of the Eussian Empire, and as the skins were to be shipped to San Francisco, 
a foreign port, clearance paper had to be obtained in Petropaulski, while at the same 
time the insurance companies would only assume the risk from the sailing from the 
latter port. At this place, therefore, Hutchinson, Kohl, Philiiipeus & Co. maintained 
quite an extensive establishment. Large warehouses and a wharf were built on the 
spit in the outer harbor near the extreme end of the Nikolski peninsula, while in the 
town itself a large and commodious house for the accommodation of the resident 
agent and his family Avas erected. 
This position as resident general agent in Petropaulski Avas held to the expira- 
tion of the term of Hutchinson, Kohl, Philippeus & Co. by Mr. Joseph Lugebil, who 
extended the company’s hospitality in a manner pleasantly remembered by all who 
had the good fortune to Ausit Petropaulski during that period. 
Under the lease the company was to keep a general store for the sale of articles 
of food, clothing, etc., to the natives on each of the Commander Islands. The 
merchandise was imported free of duty, but the comiiany was only allowed to charge 
San Francisco Avholesale prices i)lus a certain fixed percentage as compensation for 
freighting and storing the goods. The comi>any decided about the kind and quantity 
of goods to be brought, while the administrator appointed by the government saw to 
it that the prices charged Avere not in excess of the contract and that the quality of 
the goods was satisfactory. 
^ On Copper Island: Mr. Alexander Kostromitinof, who succeeded Mr. C. F. Emil Krebs. The 
latter served from 1871 to 1881. Mr. Emil Kluge followed after Mr. Kostromitinof until the fall of 
1894, when he was succeeded hy Mr. A. Cantor. 
On Bering Island: Mr. George Cheruich. He died on the island in the fall of 1887, Mr. F. Vol- 
okitin tending the station during the following winter. In the spring of 1888 Mr. Kostromitinof was 
transferred from Copj)er Island, being relieved in 1890 hy Mr. Julius Lindquist. He was succeeded in 
about a year by Mr. Waldemar Paetz, of St. Petersburg, Avhose term expired in 1895, Mr. Emil Kluge 
being then transferred from Copiier Island. 
