Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-18

ings at Sitka, comprising the Governor g
castle, the Custom House, barracks,
officers quarters, hospital and wharf. In
addition to these buildings handed over
by the Russian Governor to the United
States Commissioner, other buildings,
with their contents, were reserved by
Prince Matsukoff as the property of the
Russian Fur Company, though the COM
pany had been paid $250,000 for their
buildings and other property, said pay
ment being in addition to the 100000
agreed upon as the price of the Territory.
Having complied with his instructions
as Governor of the Territory and trans
ferred Alaska to the United States Com
missioner, Prince Matsukoff turned his
attention to disposing of the property OF
the fur company. In these negotiations
| Gen. Rousseau, as an officer of the United
States, could take no open or active part,
and his secretary, Mr.. Hutchinson, an
acute, but impecunious man, came to the
LTOHI anu COnlplCOOu d D6bi SdlII iOI oil CiO
property of the Russian company in
Alaska, including large lot of sealskins
stored in Sitka. The bargain was on pri-
vate terms, and it was undoubtedly to the
personal advantage of Prince Matsukof
and Mr.. Hutchinson to the exclusion of
the stockholders of the Russian Fur
Company and American officers stationed
at Sitka, who claimed that they were en-
titled to share of the spoils.
This bargain raised Hutchinson from
penury to affiuence. 1t also placed him
in possession OF full details of the value of
the fur trade of Alaska and the Seal
Islands, of which he proposed to take
possession in the following year by virtue
of his bargain with Matsukoff
With the sealskins and other property
placed in his hands by the Russian Ex-
Governor Of the Territory and Governor
OF the fur company, Hutchinson left Sitka
for Victoria and San Francisco. At the
former place he met with Mr.. Kohl,
owner of a British steamer named the
Fidelitor. Kohl was taken as a partner
by Hutchinson, and put his steamer into
the common stock of the firm, which is
still in existence as Hutchinson, Kohl &
Co., occupying the same premises as the
Alaska Commercial Company in San
Francisco. The Fidelitor was used by
the company for several years in carry
ing supplies to and bringing furs from
Alaska, after obtaining an American
register for her by claiming that she was
Russian vessel at the date of the trans
fer of Alaska to the United States. By
this trick the register was obtained, and
she ran for several years in the coastwise
trade of California.
On his arrival at San Francisco, Hutch
inson organized syndicate to work the
fur trade of the newly acquired Territory,
particularly the seal fur trade OF the
Pribylov Islands. They believed they
would have no competition, and that by
virtue OF Hutchinson's arrangement with
Prince Matzukoff at Sitka, they could
hold the islands against competitors, if
any should appear.
In the spring of 1868, Hutchinson
started for San Francisco at the head of a
party with a liberal outfit, prepared to
occupy the Seal Islands. Arriving there
they found, to their surprise and chagrin,
that party of experienced sealers from
New London and Stonington, command
ed by Captain Morgan, and representing
Messrs. Williams, Haven & Co., and
other capitalists of New London, who
had long been engaged in the sealing
trade of the South Shetland Islands, were
in possession of the Pribylov Islands,
and had come to stay. For several
weeks fight for possession of the islands
was threatened, but inasmuch as battl e
with firearms would frighten away the
seals, and leave the battle-ground worth
less to the visitors, they decided to Join
forces and divide the seasons catch.
While they were amicably at work an
expedition arrived at the islands from
Honolulu, headed by Mr.. Pfugel, Rus
sian Vice-Consul at Honolulu, who
believed that he would find the islands
free to all comers. He was forced to
retire before the combined forces of
Hutchinson and Captain Morgan.
1t had now become obvious that in their
unprotected condition, and with the i'm
mense wealth of their seal rookeries, the
islands would attract adventurers from
many lands, the rookeries would be des-
troyed, the seals frightened away, and
the value of the islands to the United
States Government be utterly DESTROYED
unless prompt and effective Government
protection should be provided. This was
provided by act of Congress in the winter
OF 1868, the conditions upon which per-
mission to take seals upon the islands,
being reserved for future Congressional
action.
"The coalition represented by Hutch
inson and Morgan, continued and led up
to the organization OF the powerful and
wealthy Alaska Commercial Company,
with its headquarters at San Francisco.
Since 1870 this company has controlled
the entire fur trade of Alaska. By virtue
of its alliances with the lessees of the Rus
sian Seal Islands it controls also the valu-
able fur seal trade of the world. With
strong political influence in the Congress