Pribilof Island Logbook, St. Paul Island
7/19/1890 - 7/30/1890
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Logbook contains information concerning sealing activities on the Pribilof Islands, the weather, activities of the Alaska Native (Aleut) population, and deliveries of supplies by U.S. government vessels.
Transcript
243Saturday July 19. 1890
Rush The Rush left this morning at 4:30 for St. George Island taking as passengers from this island Prof. Elliott and Mr. Tingle.
The A AC Co. made a drive from the Reef and Zoltoi and killed 556 seals. There were [struck through] 4620 seals driven of this number 84% were returned back into the sea.
[struck through] 466
[struck through] Sunday July 20. 1890
During last night the Rush came to anchor at the East landing, bringing as passengers for this Island Mr. Tingle and Col. Herring. Several of the Officers spent a part of the day at the Government House and were entertained at dinner at the Company‘s House.
The Nat [?] drove from E. Bay M. Hill Tolstoi Point Kitovie & Rocky Point and killed 700 seals of the number driven 3956 were returned back into the sea or 89 ½% of the whole number driven
Mr. Fowler reports 466 seals killed at NE Point.
Monday July 21. 1890
During last night the Rush left for Oonalaska.
The following correspondence will explain itself
North American Commercial Co.
St. Paul Island Alaska July 16. 1890
C J Goff Esqr.
Treasury Agent
in charge Seal Islands
Sir.
Your communication of the 8th inst. was received in which you notify me as supt of the North American Commercial Company that said Company must cease killing seals on the 20th inst., the delay in replying thereto was with the hope that as a result of our several verbal discussions of the propriety or necessity of your order you would be convinced of the untenantable position you have assumed and revoke the order, thus allowing the lessees to go on with their business as the law provides.
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Your announcement to me this evening that you will not revoke your order, and that your decision is final leaves me but one thing more to do viz file this protest against the wisdom, justice or necessity of enforcing on the lessees what we consider an arbitrary abridgment of our rights under and by virtue of the law. The lease was executed by the Government of the United States in pursuance of chapter three (3), Title twenty three (23) Revised Statutes, this law authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe from time to time the rules and regulations by which the Treasury Agents in charge of the Seal [struck through] Fisheries shall be governed. There is nowhere in the law any provision authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury after he has fixed upon the number of seals the lessees shall kill in any one year, to cut down the time to such a date as to make it [underline] impossible [end underline] for them to secure the number allowed to be taken. The date you fix 20th inst. it is true was named by the Secretary of the Treasury, on your recommendation, but you received subsequently an order to extend the time or “use your best judgment.” On the receipt of said telegraphic order the day before our ship sailed you told the President of the Company I Liebes and myself that “it would be all right it was as good as we wanted etc” satisfying the President of the Company and myself that you would extend the time. Otherwise we would not have sailed until we received from the Secretary a positive revocation of that part of his instructions [struck through] which cut us off on 20th from killing seals. You said today that seeing the seals were so scarce determined you to stop the killing on the 20th and yet you admit to having ordered Col Murray on St George Island the Treasury Agent in charge to stop our agent there from killing. This order was issued to Col Murray at an [underline] early date before the killing of seals had hardly commenced [end underline] and it was not known whether they would few or many. The law says the lessees shall give the natives
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a [underline] maintenance [end underline] out of the taking of the seal skins. [underline] How can that provision of the law be carried out when the Government steps in and [struck through] stops the lessees from killing when they are taking a thousand seals a day. [end underline] By the enforcement of your order as the representative of the United States you deprive the natives of a maintenance, you deprive the Government of large revenues, you cause the North American Commercial Company great loss. You turn over to the Marauders and the natural enemies of the seals in the water many thousands of fine killable merchantable seals which we could take without any detriment whatever to the rookeries. We have every reason to believe from the [underline] marked increase of new arrivals of fine seals [end underline] that if we were allowed by you to continue our killing under the law, we could fill our quota of 60,000 seals. believing this we will claim damages from the Government of the United States Equal to the loss we sustain by your act limiting the time to the 20th inst when we shall cease killing. This limitation of time has no precedent in the past Twenty Years. Whilst the quota for St George & St Paul Islands was several times changed, The law fixes the time when the killing shall cease, but the Secretary can fix the number to be killed each year not exceeding 100,000. In view of the foregoing facts the North American Commercial Company respectfully claim the right to be allowed to proceed with the execution of their business under and by virtue of their lease.
I am very respy
Geo R Tingle
Supt
North American Commercial Co
To the foregoing, Mr Goff wrote the following
(over)
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St Paul Island Alaska July 19, 1890
Hon George R Tingle
Genl Manager N A. C. Co
My dear Sir
Your communication bearing date [struck through] 18th inst received and in reply will say, as a subordinate of the Treasury Department I do not desire to discuss the subject matter contained in your letter. I respectfully refer you to the Hon Mr. Windom Secretary of the Treasury to who Your letter has been referred.
Respy Yours
Charles J Goff
Treasury Agent
in charge of the Seal Islands
Washington DC April 29
Charles J Goff
Treasury Agent
Seal Islands
Care of Collector of Customs
San Fran-Cali
In case absolute necessity caused by scarcity natives or otherwise use best judgement and discretion in allowing killing seals for skins after July Twentieth.
(Signed) W. Windom
Secy
Tuesday July 22, 1890
Today at the church, Evdotia, widow ^of Paul Kozeroff deceased^ of this Island was married to Nicola Solomatoff of Ounalaska.
Yesterday Mr. Tingle reported that of the 236 skins taken at Zapodnie on the 18th inst. and left on the ground for the reason that on account of the roughness of the sea They were not able to bring to the village 156 were spoiled. This journal on the 18th inst counts the no. of killed according to the count taken on the field at 241
247
In the matter of the Estate of Terranti Stepetin, deceased, and the joint ownership of a boat by deceased and John Fratis, said boat was sold to the N A C Co for $100. of the proceeds said estate received $53.50 and John Fratis 46.50 as shown in a more detailed statement in the Estate files in this office. The [?] amt of $53.50 was this day Creditied to Mrs Stepetin widow of deceased in passbook acct with the N A C Co. After the above was recorded it was ascertained that the N A C Co having made new sails would not buy above mentioned sails. Consequently the amt to be paid to Mrs Stepetin by John Fratis is $50, instead of 53.50 as stated above.
Wednesday July 23. 1890
Thursday July 24. 1890
The “Bounding Billow” staved off and on to the east of the Island and the mate with boats crew came ashore and visited the Col. Hayes in relation to storing her cargo of whale bone. Mr Goff and Col Murray visited the Reef rookery.
Friday July 25. 1890
Saturday July 26. 1890
Sunday July 27. 1890
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Monday July 28. 1890
[underline] Copy [end underline]
Treasury Department
Office of the Secretary
Washington DC March 26. 1890
Charles J Goff Esqr
Chief treasury Agent
Seal Islands Alaska
Sir
The lease of the Seal Islands of St Paul and St George to the Alaska Commercial Company having expired and a lease of said islands having been granted by the Secretary of the Treasury to the “North American Commercial Company” for the term of Twenty Years from May 1st 1890 You are instructed to immediately proceed to your post of duty in order that you may arrive in San Francisco in time to sail about the 15th [?] either on the North American Commercial Company’s vessel, or on of the Revenue steamers, the Bear or the Rush as you may deem advisable, it being of the utmost importance that you be present when the present lessees take charge of the islands. You will place an assistant Treasury Agent on St. George Island to aid Mr Murray in the discharge of his duties, and one on St. Paul Island to assist you. Under no circumstances are either of the Islands to be left without a Treasury Agent in charge. Permission, however is granted for two of the Agents, if they desire to do so, and if, in your opinion their services can be spared, to return to San Francisco after the termination of the sealing season, and, report their arrival at San Francisco. They will report by wire to this Department for instructions. It will be your duty to see that the North American Commercial Company conforms faithfully to all the requirements and conditions of the lease as aforesaid (a copy of which is enclosed for your guidance); to superintend the catch of 60,000 seals for the coming season, under the rules, regulations,
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and decisions now on file in the Government House on St Paul Island, with the exception that these shall be no killing of seals for skins, unless for food for the natives, from July 20th to September 30th inclusive. You will also endeavor to prevent the killing of seals and seal pups along the Aleutian chain of islands (other than St Paul and St George) by the inhabitants thereof or by other persons, whether for food or otherwise, there being no law granting such privilege. And in the future the skins of such seals and pups as are killed in the bays and inlets of the Aleutian chain of islands, and found in the possession of the inhabitants, or other persons, will be forfeited to the Government.
The English schools on the islands of St Paul and St George shall be kept five days of each school week, Saturday to be considered a day of recreation for ^to^ the pupils.
You will as early as possible ascertain and report to this department; the cost of building suitable cold storage houses on St Paul and St George islands for the reception of sufficient seal carcasses to furnish the natives seal meat during the winter in lieu of killing seal pups for such purposes. Until otherwise instructed you will grant the natives the privilege of selling the pup skins allowed them by law, including such articles as they may manufacture from such skins and also such other skins as they may trap and kill during the winter, provided that no contraband merchandise or [?] liquors are received in exchange for them.
You will after making a careful estimate of the quantity of fish, salt and barrels the inhabitants of St Paul and St George will require, and after making a proper division between the two islands of the eighty tons of coal to be furnished by the North American Commercial Company with the said company, and see that they furnish the mentioned supplies and deliver them as proportional, at St Paul and St George Islands.
The compensation the natives are to receive for killing, salting, curing and loading the seal skins on board the
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North American Commercial Company’s ships fixed at forty cents for skins for the year ending April 30th 1891.
You will proportion the killing of seals between the two islands according to the condition of the rookeries, and divide the total earnings of the natives for the season’s catch among them according to their respective classifications, deducting the usual amount for the widows food.
The merchantable seal skins taken from the seals killed for food during the fall of 1889, now in salt houses on St Paul and St George Islands, you will turn over to the North American Commercial Company, provided they will accept them as part of their quota (60,000) allowed by their lease for the season of 1890. Otherwise you will ship all such skins per United States steamer to San Francisco, consigned to the Collector of Customs, to be disposed of as the Department may deem advisable. You will take the receipt of the commanding officer of the United States vessel receiving the skins and forward same to this Department.
The money now in the hands of the Alaska Commercial Company, and belonging to the current expense account of St Paul and St George Islands you will Transfer to the North American Commercial Company. You will also examine the books of the Alaska Commercial Company and ascertain what sums of money they have in their possession to private accounts of the natives of St Paul and St George Islands and make such disposition of the matter as the natives may elect.
You will, through yourself and your assistants, use any endeavor and take all necessary precautions to secure the nationals of the Government and the inhabitants of the Seal islands and protect the lessees in the rights and privileges specially granted them in the lease; Make careful examinations daily during the sealing season as to habits, numbers, conditions etc of the seals noting especially as to whether the seals are increasing or diminishing in numbers, and in your annual report to the Department, after the sealing season is over state all particulars regarding all matters of interest, with such
251
recommendations as you may deem pertinent for its consideration.
The report as to the condition of seal life should be particularly exhaustive, in order to enable the Department to intelligently determine what number of seals can be taken by the lessees during the ensuing season.
Of course these instructions apply also to the island of St George, so far as may be, and a copy thereof should be furnished to the Assistant Agent in charge, under your supervision, of that island for his guidance.
A copy, or such extracts thereof as you may deem proper, should also be furnished to the representative of the North American Commercial Company for his information.
Respectfully Yours
(signed) Geo C Fichner
Assistant Secretary
A drive of seals for native food, was made today from Lukammon and 119 killed. Whole number driven 1447, of the number killed 80 were accepted by the N A C Co. and 39 rejected as underweight and by deduction of Mr Goff were salted in the Co’s village salt house.
Tuesday July 29. 1890
The Rev Cutter Rush came to anchor [struck through] off the East Landing from a cruise. She was boarded by Mr Goff
Wednesday 30. 1890
Following is a copy of lease of Seal Islands to North American Commercial Company.
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
National Archives Identifier: 297037
Full Citation: Pribilof Island Logbook, St. Paul Island; 7/19/1890 - 7/30/1890 ; Pribilof Island Logbooks, 1870–1961; Records of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Record Group 22; National Archives at Seattle, Seattle, WA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/1-pribilof-island-logbook-st-paul-island, July 20, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
