Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-10-06
Facts about Fun.

1t il Of course well known that the ami
mals which supply the fashionable world
with the most beautiful furs are inhabitants
Of the Arctic or northern regions, the tenn
! perate and tropical zones only affording
skins which are more adapted for feathers,
as the hair, though often splendid in colors,
Is harsh and short. The two great hunt
ing grounds Of the world are Russia, with
its Asiats dependencies, and that immense
Of country in North America from which 50
many Of our furs are procured. The most
aristocratic OF the different varieties of fur
are supplied by northern Europe and Siberia
the Russian sable taking the lead, though
its standard value and merits are closely
approximated by the sea otter and one or
two other of the rarer species of the fox. The
Russian sable is distinguished from its
American rival by the length and fullncss
OF It's fur, which Is soft and glossy, and very
i-lch 1arke- in color. The skins are very
expensive, and, as four or FIVE are used in
the construction Of an ordinary sized muff,
the prices are TO high for general indulgence.
Even the minute coverings Of the paws are
esteemed of sufficient value to be Joined to-
gether for Innings. The portion Of fur "
ing under the jaw, which is lighter in tint
than the other parts, Is united to similar
pieces, and is known under the name of
sable gills. About twenty-five thousand
skins are annually collected in the Russian
territory. There Is an extensive private de-
mand for the sable in Russia. which compels
the majority Of fur fauciers to supply their
wants with the more abundant varieties of
marten skins, which are included under the
same generic name. OF these the Hudson
Bay sable ranks highest, as it is an excel
lent fur, the superior qualities being scarce
" inferior in intrinsic beauty to the Rus
sian. The color, however, is always some
degrees lighter. and consequently
the art of the dyer Is required to adapt
them to the standard Of beauty. To the
same family belong the baum, or pine mar
ten. alwav found in the depth Of some ex-
ten>iye forest, remote from the habitations
of men, and the stone marten, 50 called from
is selecting rocky places for its fayorite
haunts. Both are denizens Of Europe The
skin Of the former species Is brown, the
throat alone being yellow that Of the lat
ter presents several shades OF blush gray,
generally assimiiated to the color Of the rocks
amongst which i found the throat. how
ever, Is pure white The fur Of either is
sol, and good, and may be dyed with al
vantage.
The French excel especially in the Qrerara-
ti1uS Of the stone marten, which Is often
known by the name Of French sable in con-
sequence. Il Is much colder in tint than
lis rival. the pine marten, which, in the
manufactured state, closely approximates
the finest sable Among the inferior repre-
10, Ill
the fisher, n North American animal larger
than the sable. with long, tull fur the
mink and the kolinsky, or tartar sable,
which is occasionally made up in the natural
state. The erIBine is peculiar 10 Northern
Europe and Siberia This little animal is
always hunted in the winter, when It's coat
is Of a snowy hue. At other periods of the
year it is dull brown, and closely resembles
the common weasel of this country. The
miniycr Is simply the white studded with
small black tufts taken from the paw Of the
Astracan lamb. Scarcely less attractive
than the ermine. and about equal TO 1t in
value, is the grebe, fur, or rather down,
taken from the breast Of a duck which in
habits the Swiss lakes. During the Ia>t
few years, and especially last season, the
grcbe has advanced in favor. This glossy
skins ranges in color from creamy whito to
silver gray, and Is highly priced on account
Of It's durability. The chinchilla is iDdisen-
Gus to South America, the best specimens
coming from Bacnos Ayres. This fur, which
has been popular throughout Europe for
many years, Is now much admired and large
" in demand in this country.
OF the fox tribe the black and silver fox
skins from the Arctic regions are very pre-
cious and wonderfully expensive. A.
superior lining fur, these two styles are in
estimablc. The cross, red, white and blue
foxes are less rare. and consequently they
are not so expensive. There has been con-
siderable discussion regarding the degree Of
relationship existing between these differ
emily colorei foxes They been generally re
garded as distinct species. though many old
trappers have asserted that the same litter
afford fur- Of three distinct color-, the ami
mals also being positively different in char
acter.
The men WHO trap and otherwise procure
the several varieties Of expensive lur-bear-
ing animals lead lives rcplete with the
severest hari,hip- and the widest kind Of
adventures. while those who enjoy the
pleasure Of wearing the beautifully prepared
furs are usually surrounded by the most en-
j)yabie comforts Of life.