, 1874-11-07
FURs AND FURRlERs.
Origin Of tho Tra{llC---N0rth Amer
lean and European
Commerce.
Varieties md Vnluos Of Fnrs---T fairs and
Trade Sales.-.Styles
and Prices.

Trade Snles--.Styles
and Prices.
From tha Ne.o Tork Republic.
Tho skins Of anin,nls constitute tho earllcss
rAiu,cut Of which wo hnvo au authentic rccofo'
with tho exception Of tho flinlsy and ut'snDasau.
tial fahrsn Which waH worn In tho Garden OF
Eden. An antiquity Of 0,o0o years is naelgheu
by soma historians to tho origin OF the tfaale III
furH. Other and moro modern chrontciefs elaln'
for 1t much longer existenco, tho oh'nese say
lug tint thoIr uallon uu1 uFol nhd sfaaea III 1Nss
O.uQ0 years. THO utilization OF furs commo'iccd
with tho destruction Of Wild animals for fooa,
the uut1 cBscd sliue OF tho slain creatures BcrV-
jur al ranent Mention ts frequently mado III
t,,o scrtnturoa as we'll rs by tho Greek and Latiu
poets md historians, Of ehouso Of tho ehius Of
nn,m,,a na woa,,pg apparel. Tho earliest nu-
thentio account, however, OF mn actual ttna}c Ia
sx;ps ia fyop, Russia, flom WHICH country large
ouantiucs OF tho finest qualities OF fura
wore forwarded to. all parta OF tho
IN TIMssJa IN 1555. aud tho immense demand
far Them incted adventurous Russian trndara to
pouotru.e fur into tho East and North, aud ad to
the discovery aud subsequent invasion OF Siberia.
il 1858 Ivan Vnsihov.tch II. touk possession OF
tie country, and 4tvlcd himself Monarch Of tho
lanslR OF Siberia" The trallc IN undrcsacd skEns
Mt tDis poriod was confined aoo,y 10 nnasia aud
China, mud was not extended tt, colder counties
Like Aalntschhtkn until ub1ut 900 yoaH later.
NpuT1 AMENtcAN coNMCnCE.
In 1785 tic 1tusHlAu American Fur Company
was incorporated, aud III 1f90 tho Gar crantod It
mA,,ynow and Important privileges, which proved
verv bouefcial to Ruseia ~ connierclal pointof
view. Tho Cnmpnny had tltir prIncipa1 stntlons
on tie ja!ants Of kodjacs a''d siska. from which
places tnoY mouopolzed tho oxchango trado with
tho Indians. .-,,
uuw tho French, Dutch and british competed
for tho monopoly Of lAo fur-trade i'll what nftet-
ward became Bsls'sh America Is familiar matter
OF history After the Treaty OF Utrecht. Franco
wns compelled to tfansfcr HudBoDB Bay New
Calodonia, aud Ncwloundinnd TO england. tiaal-
America.
troatv between tho nussians and English
wan signed carly lit tho nineteenth coStury. flak-
ing tho limit Of thclr respective possessions On
Wost Tho Russian possessions. under this
treaty, included thc islands Of sltka md Now
Thc Hndson'a Bay Company has existed aimee
1870, md was iueort toratod BY a grAnt from
Charles II. For quo yeals this Company was on
gagged IN d continual controversy With tho Gov
ornsnout which gave 1t life; Its opponents Dc. ?.
1lnriug that the chnrsor in porpotn'ty Which 1t
Ind received vas invalid: not "asng been con"
flrmcil bv Parliament at tho t,mo, that body hav-
Ing originally conceded grant OF sovon to ton
yenra cniF.
In 1853 rival association was formed. called
tho Northwestern Fur Company, shoao agonts
and trappers extended fi,e b,leiness until thcy
came luto contact with the Mudson's Day Com.
puny A bitter foud WIS tho consequence, IN tho
p,osccntion Of mich large bodies OF armed men.
Regularly disciplined aud oaeored, flcrcely srltg-
rloa for tho superiority Of the rival compan,es,
Ills contest was carried on for ycarA, with Groht
lcEs Of life md at 4 coat which reauced ttlo III
comes OF tho uhareholaers to almost nothing.
At lenglh these two ABnoeatons woro cons0ll.
dated as tho uudsous Bay Company, which re-
nuIted In yuss accession to the already immense
huutug aud trapping grounla OF that monopoly.
III 1868 the capital VI tho Company passed into
the hands Of tho International Financial Society
Of Loudon, which accepted NIL its stocth, money.
ships, houses, lands, privileges ETC., and paid
for each share. the nominal value ot Which was
elO0-yalned generally nt As2oo-the a.,n of $500
00O sterling, and it Is to ronacr to the stock
Holders lnri,,g forty years 10 ner cent yearly,
updi twenty years an extra 10 par cent bouus.
OF tho caso.r Of john Jacob Astor rs q fur
trader it IL unnecessary to ereak ~ his countyv-
mep arc we'll acquainted with II. Hc was the
pioncor rnr-tradcr ot tho United States.
The career aud rivalry OF tho A1nck'nnw and
American fur conirnnieB arc also we'll known.
Tho CITY Of st. Louis was 20 named by q fnr-
tradcr, Pierre Ltqueste Fuclido. tho chief mem
ber OF mn organization for carrying OIL tlis
traffic, commissioned in 17G2 by NJ. DAbodre,
Director General OF Louisiana. Tho fur 1nnr-
great Euelsh trading post OF MacEluaw. OIL Lake
Huron. Tho American Fur Company was
chartered In 1903. ...
Prince Rupers's Land, n province Of British
Amo1lca, waB at one tine larger than tho whole
posed Of PRINCE luucrf, 1loheist1 Christopler
Duke Of Albemarlc and others, in 1910. Tho
vast wilderness included in the grant was ex-
plored by mn expedition unaer tue comtnana OF
Gillom, an EugliBhnlan, and Grasselior. French
man, who we're suitably rown,d dcd for their I'D.
youturous undertaking. fort was built called
Fort Charles the site OF which SNOW protabty
forgotten. Almost a ct the trading posts and
tho traffic Continues with Very slight changes in
tho mode OF couducling 1t. suppsies OF yarioua
kinds, rum, aud cheap commodities in the way
Of trinkets aud eewgawa, still form-Wlth tue
modern addition OF muske.B, POWDER and bntl-
tho staple OF exchange for the valuable fusp
brought in bv tho Indiana tile bargains being al.
moBt Invariably concluded upon d. liked baais
recognized by the Chiefs oi tribes who alone ase
admitted into the forts.
VARIETIES AND VALUES or runs.
The greater part of American fir, with the ex
contiou Of mink, Ia expottodtn very largo qna1i
titios. Tho ekius OF foxes and d wolYes from Alas
beaver and other futa aro principally mnnu(ac
turcd in tho Eastcru Statca into gloves aud col
1ors for cculemon. MuBkrnt aud conev skin
nrc dyed. Beaver and fox htsns are iargeiy e3
into gloves aud exported by thousands. AlnH.
Of lLo cheaper American fnra nro used nH Inning
Tor Russian satla-couts and cloahs.
There are probably exported nnnnn'iy froI
mi. co,,ptrv to Europo 120, 600 muslrat, a0,uO
beaver, M aud 5o,00o otter 5hins. Sen otter !
worth ,,er dressed aatn from $50 to $500 or ord !
nary otter. from 90 to s15 beaver, from S2.s
10 50. Undressed beaver skins aro worth pc
pound about $3.50 muskrat a''ns ato wort
IRON l5 TO IS cents uulressad. ,..--......
Thora nra about o5, ono mlnk skins PCT aun,lt
manufactu. cd 10 Now York, and ao,00D In til
RAoio country.
Fox BLus aro worth, the white uudrosFe1, $
zach !; tho red uudrcssod, 9l.50 to ~; tho gr'
nndreasod, @1,5U. .,.
The only iura Tint nro imported III amy cor
sidorab:e Quantities into tho United States a1
tho Russian aahlo, woltll from $i5 to Sl00 n
raw skin tho Siberian, worth from $40 to Sl4o
tho Hudson Bay sable, from 60 to $25 ortnn'
per dressed skin, Si.5il to 50; fitch, from 81
$3.50; rerolan, from 81 to S. asttakhan, frol
80 cents 70 u; anRora. $40 10 $40; couey, !
conts to 81. Tbose 1urs arc imported mostly
dealora in skins. who soil to tho manufacturer
Some manufacturers import their own tit
There Is fNosorY CONNECTED with almost .