Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1837-11-15

to Albany. He set to work Immediately and made .
plain otter cap, by plucking oh the long hair and
leaving the entire fur this he showed TO hrs frienos,
who rdicued his exertions and laughed at his plans
and speculations.
No one would wear his cap and as dernier res
SORT he waited Elisha Jenkins, then Mayor OF Al
bany, and requested him, as a particular favor, TO
the cap occasionally at selghng parties, during
the winter. The mayor did so-sei the fashion-and
in few weeks Williams had demand for two or
three dozen otter caps, from the leading men OF fash
ion in Albany. Besides these, during that year, he
made about 100 inferior fur caps, the total value 81 all
his manufactures for the year not exceeding $500
AT first he could get no tradesmen TO BUY these
caps on a venture, and he had TO give them out on
commission /; he also used TO pedde his caps rJund
the country himself and trade hem OIL for SKINS and
at this time he thought that il he could sell 500 caps
annually, at an average of SIS each il would be The
height OF his ambition. He has since done business
in this city alone of 500 600 annually and his iurs
otter skins and caps sent 10 the late far were the
best ever seen there
The fur cap business then drew on gradually but
surely until about 1920, when he sold about ZOO
caps worth $4,000. He then began making caps Of
HAIR seal, of the natural color, worth about S2U per
dozen, which sold readily. In 1873, he pro-
duced the first black hal seal cap this was done by
dying the skn and the first attempt OF the KIND
ever made in this country. lie sold about 2OUO OF this
kind that year at S24 dozen, whoesale-retail at
$50 and he the only manufacturer OF these aru
ces at that time in this country.
The first attempt to follow in bis footsteps was
made al Troy in lea and in 1861, the Raymonds
started al Brooklyn with a capital OF OOOO, and
made about $4,000 worth of fur caps the first year.
This the first start that the fur cap manufactures
took in this section of the country.
In 1927, Williams (who had by this time joined
Others with him whom he had reared and taught the
busness) gave up his concern at Albany TO his part
ners, Packer &, Co., who then went into II with
capital of $40, 900, and the credit, stock &C. OF VIII
INNS worth at least $4,000. In that year Mr. Will
'ams made profit on the business at Albany VI S5U-
600 and came TO this city
We omitted to state that in 1924, Williams made
the first black fur seal cop, that was ever made in
this country; about one hundred of them were made
and sold that year from 10 ten dollars each
Last year there were sixty thousand OF this de-
scrption Of caps, made and sold here and at Albany
The wholesale price of these now being from hive 10
nine dollars; and the retail from seven 10 twelve
dollars He had previous to the year 1924, made a
great number OF seal caps but they were all OF The ma
tura celer.
In 1923 Williams also discovered the of separat-
ing the hair Of the seal skin from the fur beneath as
well as Of removing the dsagreeable oily color OF the
skin.
1t may here be proper state that in the year 1920
we imported annually about 5000 fur seal caps; which
sold wholesale at from SIS 10 s.
In 1929 BENJAMIN Pendleton first saw, and set his
foot on The South Shetands, situated in lat 63 degre
south, bearing south by east from Cape Horn this
place covered by perpetual snow and ice, and here
seals abound The British then sent their soalers out
drove an extensive seal trade with the numerous
slandsin the South Pacific Ocean. But no fur seals
have yet been found north of the EQUATOR save very
few the Kamsehaka coast Ii would seem that
they cannot exist in the North Atlantic for many
seal pups have been brought round the Horn from
the South Pacific, with view OF raising them IN c
North Atlantic, but they all have died without breed
ing large number of seals also annually brought
coast; the fur of these is rather light but it makes
very handsome article. The seals are not killed and
sold by the natives of the places above mentioned
but arc dubbed and shot down by the sailors be-
longing 10 the scaling ships sent expressly for them
The principal part of the seal skins made up at the
present period are obtained al Lobass Island, and
the Falkland Islands. We have imported from Lo-
bass Island, for the last five years, not less Than
twenty thousand skins annually. An old Spanard
farmed this island, and merchants in this city con-
racted with him 10 take all that killed in the
course Of the season. They are not taken all the
year round, bat merely at certain periods and during
the rest Of the year men are employed &c protect
them. De Forest d. Munson contracted To take all
these seals fer four or five years. Mr. Williams
bought cargo of seal skins from this place (shp
ped by transient vessel) in 1874 for SlS0eO and
sent half the cargo to London Spafiord q lleston
had the contract for them for two or three years. and
now it is in the hands of Philadelphia company
There is no duty on them.
In 1920, we imported no hair seal-only fur; in
1924 we imported scarcely any fur SEAL Soon after
this, used TO import about $40 600 worth Of color
ed hair seal caps annually but in three years after
began the manufacture OF them in this country, we
were enabled to compete successfully with the i'm
ported article, that the merchants ceased to import
hair seal AID in 1927 they had slso altogether
ceased 10 import fur seal. We commenced importing
dressed otter skim for caps (coored) about 1925 md
imported annually about $4,000 worth but in 1880
we ceased Ia import any of these caps. We st i'm
port otter skins dressed from Engand-but no manu-
featured caps OF any description. Hitherto we have
made up, in this country about two-thlrds Of oil the
otter skins obia ned on this continent but this year
we shall manufacture only one-third the balance
has been, or will be- shipped u Europe and China.
We reserve variety Of Interesting and valuable
statistical facts connected with the cap business and
million of dollars worth annuay) for future article.
GENERAL SEssIoSs.-Beforc the Recorder and AL.
derm IN Inrraham and Brue n.