The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-01-25
From the New York Home Journal. !
FurS and their Uses,

The history OF furs, from the primitive =
ages to the present day, would, II written,
prove to be q most interesting and impor-
tant work. The lives of many men have
been sacrificed in the dangerous but exciting :.
pursuit Of the animals whose skins are valu. ,
able as furs and large fortunes have been =.
made by persons engaged in the fur-rade.
Stirring adventures and perilous situations
are invariably the accompaniment Of the
hardy trappers and traders whose days are
passed in the hunting regions of the North
and West.
The earliest knowledge we possess of the
employment of the skins of animals as GOV.
erings for man, is found in the Old Testa.
ment, wherein we read that Rebeccs, the
wife OF the Patriarch Isaac, placed on her
younger son, Jacob, the skins Of the kids and
of the goots upon his hands and upon the
smooth of his neck. This circumstance, in
oil probability, set the fashion for kid gloves
and fur gauntlets and, for aught we know,
! led to the adoption of fur collars to coats and
cloaks. Again, in the New Testament, we
find it narrated of John the Baptist that he
had his rament of cumel's hair. Since those
periods, however, the fashion hes materially
changed, and the wearing OF furs and cauel's
hsir shawls, especially in our country, is
confined principally to the female portion Of
society. A word or two at this point, con.
cerning the prevailing style of furs for Ia.
dies, may not be altogether out Of place.
The most fashionable Is we'll as the most
valuable fur now in vogue, is, as we learn
from the Messrs. Gunthers, in this city, the
, Russian Sable, worn in the form OF deep
t cape, with mutf and cuffs to correspond
d Next in point of style and value is the Hud.
!. sons Bay Sable, aud then the Mink. The
IL Stone Marten and Fitch ore also worn, but
a sre not considered as recherche as the Others
d Tippets and Victorines are quite unfashion
h able, and Boas belong to the days when oul
ID grandmothers were young. The muff ii
:. quite small, and ornamented with cords ant
q tassels. Next to full-sizad capes, halfcapet
i, are in most demand, and being much less il
, price, are ofteuest seen. For full dres
al opera toilette, however, "the precious er
N mine" is the most beautiful and diSttngu'
n, but is not deemed appropriate for the prom
IN enade. The ermine skin has for ages bee
K used in lining the official robes Of the prince
Ia. and magistrates Of the old world. The an
of NAL itself is found, of the best quality, on
nd in Siberia and the North OF Europe. II
%. SO called ermine of this country, which pr
lrd perly speaking is the stoa;, is inferior to Il
IS, European and Asiatic. The fur of the c
lad mine is perfectly white, except the tip of
ng tail, which is deep black. 1t is related
on this animal that it will rather die or be TAX
than sully its whiteness. Whence it's syr
ufP bolical use by those in judicial stations.
The sable spots of the manufactured ermi
MT skins are simply placed upon them to add
hit, their beauty, and are tufts plucked from
tail. The ermiDe is Of the genus music
ike and is from ten to twelve inches long. 1
sable is also very valuable that OF the ri
ely est quality and darkest color is native
Russia. In its habits, it resembles the
no. mine, and feeds on squirrels and birds VIII
ing it seeks during the night. 1t varies in 8
from eighteen to twenty inches.
not The martens are held next in esteem
Did; They are found in this country, though
,n!y finest are obtained from the mountain
get KOmschatka. The most valuable are o
,eve dark brown olive color. Then comes
III l sea otter, the mink, and the fery.fox.
last il native OF Asia and America, an
valued for the splendor OF its red color
DAO the fineness of its fur. The sea ottel
chiefly met with in Bhering's Straits and
in. shores of the Pacific. 1t was first introdl
GERS in commerce from the Alenlhian Island
their l725. 1t possesses fine. soft. jet black
though the young animal is OF brown c.
is When first introduced into China, the 6
use brought almost incredible prices. Fur s
1er." once quite prolific in South Georgia anc
are South Shetland Islands, are now almoe
have tlnCt 10 tnOse paris, out 'ney eiS 0"A' "
wo. on the Lobos Islands.
lch The beaver, otter, lynx, fisher--w
traps seems to be corruption Of fitch or fitch
The are used principally for hats. Bears, bui
ever bison and various deer, furnish material
equal sleigh Innings, cavalry caps, and other
hen tary equipments. The fur Of the blacl
JUS. is the most valuable OF Bny OF the Amel
varieties. The silver fox is very rare.
libits q native of the country on the Columbi'
,man er, and has long, thick, lead colored iu
lights termingled with long hairs, white at the
is in forming lustrous silver gray. DurinI
;lares past year, it is stated that immense qu
,rself ties OF the skins of the skunk have bee
IN of ported from this country to Europe
axe Asia.
Many Of the nations Of mild and ever
try climates, where no physical nece
.. exists for their use, employ furs as ar
no =, Of dress. Especially is this noticeable q
= 90, those of Tartar or Sclavonian' descent,
ss the inhabitantsDf China. Persia and
kew. The inhabitants Of Syria, and I
nm also, delight in furs. and in our COUNT
- y demand for them, both for ornament
IA, Of warmth, is very great.
=. ~ In the earliest times 1t was the b0rb'
~ L. NE