Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-09-25
Ladies' Purs

4 1he fancy iur trade OF this countrv ,~A;.h
centres In New York, is one Of incres.ins i'm :.
| Pottance by reference to the custom house
books il appears that the total import, t,on. :,
I" furs" this year, up to the present tim. ~ :.
not less than Sl,92S, 900, while for the Whole
| OF last year the amount was not quite 81
800 90 This represents the foreign cost q,
the goods, to which must be added freight an
other charges besides duty Of 20 per cent
| tor dressed spd 10 for undressed, except furs
from the British North American Provinces.
| Tree by the reciprocity treaty. which would
Increase ri the valuation about SS per cent. By
lar the larger portion Of these are fancy, T"
OF such as are worn by ladies We fnd, on
| particular inquiry, that the trade Of the city
OF new York, wholesale and retail. In this
class OF turs, will this year resch something
| Ike 81 $4,000, exceeding much the busines =
| OF any former year. The principal dealers
throughout the country, except in the Eastern
states nave laid in their stock for the winter.
and are busiiy engaged in making up, prsps-
rat.ry to the opening Of the retail trade.
The styles to be Observed will not yary mpcb
from those Of last year; but il is noticed that
American furs such as the mink aud opossum.
viii be used much more generally, the great
increase in the sale Of fancy furs being OF thi.
description. The effect has been to enhance
the value Of American furs beyond precedent.
Mink, which formerly commanded from so 10
at % 30 to 81; ordinary Western, which was
worth 23 or 30 cents, now brings $3.50: other
furs, too, are much dearer. Furs are now the
JashaOn, and fashion is quite independent
even of common sense. An example was af-
torded last winter With the mercury down
to zero, and heavy fur capes and cuffs "a
vogue, IL was still fashionable 10 wear omen
sleeves, measuring from two feet to twenty
eight inches in circumference, through which
the wind whisted Gd hbItUm. Furriers for
meriy desired cold weather, but this Is a sub
ject respecting which they are now indifferent
There arc low priced furs as well as high
priced-a set Of coney, or colOred rabbit, sell
ing for 81 SO, while crown" or Russian
saole, sometimes reach $500. The latter
are called crOtcR sable because they are, o.
well as the ermine, chiefly monopolized by the
Russian Government for the use Of the royal
family and nobility. Notwithstanding, q con-
siderable number are annually brought to the
Leipsic Fair by Jewish traders, who obtain
them from exiles in the mountains Of Siberia
Last spring and summer a very large quantity
Of choice fur was received here from the Rus
to make this market rather than encounter
the hazards Of war by sending them to Ru-
rope.
We yesterday saw q box Of Russian sable,
not more than three feet long, and Of ordinary
proportions, (of csmphor woodD which con-
talned 400 small skins bearing the seal OF the
Russian government valued at fourteen theu-
sand dollars Some Of the skins cost s5l or
S52 each. The latter are almost black, and
on that account bring fabulous prices. A
lower grade, Of Inferior color, are worth S25,
aud some not more than Sl6. These are COM
monty sold at profit of 80 to 80 per cent.
Sixteen or eighteen skins are required to make
fall-sized cape, so that the cost OF q choice
quality garment Of this kind would be shout
nine hundred dollars. Adding the cost Of
making and the cost such an article could not
be procured for much less than fourteen hun
lred Journal Of Commerce