The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-12-09

has returned TO favor within the last two
years, and is now in extensive demand.
Il is long, Of clear gray color upon the
back, softening to a agrayish white beneath.
1t is used for mufs, tippets, Innings to
cloaks and pelisses, and trimmings, and is
most becoming to young ladies and girls.
A chinchilla muf and boa cost from $50
to $50, and are warranted by fur-dealers
to "make any lady look young" Ermine
has no longer considerable market here.
For street wear it has been entirely given
up, except for children. 1t is fitfully used
to line opera cloaks, and some of the prin-
ciple furriers are endeavoring to put il for
that purpose into more extensive sale.
Mink is as fashionable as it ever was out
side Of New York, but no one in the city
buys it. All mink furs, taken in the right
season, are durable, but they quickly fade.
New York and Canada mi1ks are the
darkest and best, and sets of shese, which
once were sold for 1926 to $50, can now
be bought for 800. The fur of the
skunk, described by the trade as the Alas
ka sable and suddenly popularized few
years ago, is still in fashion. When it
was first introduced even its vile smell
could not repulse its admirers, and now
that process has been discovered for
completely deodorizing it, it will continue
to sell because of its glossy beauty and its
cheapness. English dyed furs of the
American lynx are equally liked, They
are black and handsome, but frail. A
single season will finish set of them,
which, like best set Of Alaska sable, is
cheap at $50 to s25.
Seal skin has been said to have lost its
hold upon the American market. This is
not true. No other fur can take its place
for cloaks and coats and ladies' Jackets.
Even sea otter, which dyed in London, is
much handsomer than seal for muffs and
boas, is too cumbersome for saques. In
fact, seal skin is in great demand this fall
for sacques--in greater demand than ever
for large and expensive ones. They are
made larger and longer, and in more grace
full shapes, than heretofore, and, though
the most Of them are plain, some are
splendidly trimmed with bands of the fur
Of the black and silver fox, sea otter, brook
otter and beaver. They have become
comparatively cheap. The most beauti-
full sacques (though perhaps not the most
durable made of "pup Shetlandsp skins,
sell for $500. The best Alaska sacques
bring S125 to $3.50. Seal sacques, Amer
ican dyed, can be bought for $50, 800
and 500. They look well for time
but the largest New York houses decline
to invest in them because they will not
last Seal sets of the first quality (muffs
and tippets) are offered at $50 and $50.
If fur warehouses were not already stocked
with sealskins, these prices would be raised
in view Of the diminution of the produc-
ton. The ruthless murder of seals in
Shetland has almost depopulated their
abodes, and the defamation of seals both
young and old, which is going on in Alas
ka must shortly arrest the propagation
there. The numbers of seals which arc
found in other localities specified near the
commencement of this article are relative
ly small.
One of the most comfortable and luxu-
rious uses to which furs are put is the
lining of warm winter silken wraps. 81.
cilienne does not shine like silk after
years wear, and it is now largely imported
by furriers. Sicilienne sacques and silk
dolmans are lined with the skins of Sibe-
rian squirrels, whose beautiful gray backs
and lighter colored bellies make a pretty
shifting contrast Such sacques, with
border of squirrel odging, are set off by
fancy oxidized clasps, and are fixed at
S125 to s160.
Quantities of furs are now used for
trimmings. The manufacture of fur trim
mings is greater than it has been, partly
because the dealers in cloth garments have
adopted them as fashion and partly be-
cause the people of moderate and small
means can afford them as ornaments, while
they cannot afford to buy full fur SETS
OF these trimmings there is an almost end
less variety, the richest being of the skins
of the black marten (Hudson's Bay sable, }
the black and silver fox. the gray fox aud
the cross fox. This fall, too, great num-
bers Of fox edgings are being sold, taking
to some extent the place of trimmings by
eking out the fashionable lengths Of
sacques.
Into the halls and drawing rooms and
chambers Of opulent Americans there is
introduced the barbaric spectacle of strip
ed and spotted African rugs, mats of skins
of bears, wolves, foxes and lynxes, feeces
of the Astrakhan goat and the British
Columbian mountain sheep. As winter
comes and dainty feet spring into the bed,
their last touch before the sheets is that
of some tender hide whose Office now, as
when it enwrapped its painting denizcn of
the wilderness or the heights, is one of
warmth and comfort. For outdoor COM
fort, too, in the approaching nipping
weather, the provision Of furs is unprece-
dentedly large and splendid. At any Of
the great fur-houses, ones eyes may look
upon very embarrassment of riches in
robes of fur. The most superb carriage
robes are made of the skins of the black
bear and the black wolf Firstrate black
wolf skins are very rare. Lord Dufferin,
Governor-G General Of Canada, was present
ed on his recent journey to northern
British Columbia, near Alaska, with per-
haps the finest black-wolf skin ever taken
on this continent. Several Of these skins
are required to make robe, and the ut
most skill of the furrier is demanded to
match and sew them. Black wolf and
black bear robes, which were sold two or
three years ago for 5000, can now be
bought for $3.50 but much cheaper robes
can be had, of prairie-wolf skins, coon,
badger and fox skins. Among the novel
robes that are in present demand are buff
falo hides, dressed by American Indians,
and covered by them with indellible col
ored hieroglyphs, illustrating their history,
traditions, habits costumes and manners.
The derivation of many words in COM
mon use is exceedingly curious and inter.
| estiDO Probably few naonla have ann