The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-01-19
All About Furs.

ussian sable sea otter, black and silver
fox. The Russian sable is the finest of |
all the martels, and since it is not very /
prolific, its sins are costly. The best |
and darkest Ire obtained in Yakootsk, |
Russian Dapland. The |
fur varies from rick brown to a deep /
ietblack, with points of hair tipped with |
white. This constitutes its peculiar |
beauty, but it has also the popularity of /
being fixed in the skin, so that it Will /
turn with equal freedom in all direc- /
lions, and lie smoothly whenever pressed. /
The best ables are almost monopolized |
bv the imperia family and nobility Of
Russia, and oily a few find their way
nto other countries. Some, privately
procured in Siberia by Jewish traders
are brought annually to the Leipsic fair
4 muff of "cpwn Russian sable, is now
worth in NewYork from 81 100 down to
$500. Sets { By which is meant a muff
and bOa) of aDles not of the very high
est quality cot $500 to $500. 4 boa
and fve-stripd mutf costs in up town
New York stces $500, and sets of a
lighter shade sll for 4 300. The finest
of the Hudson3ay sells for $500, five
stripes in the huff, and the boas this
season are two ards long. Only con-
noisseur can juge between the magnif-
cent Russian ad Hudson bay sable, the
latter mas lost ,aste in the fashionable
world 1t is 1t less beautiful than the
Russian, yet ne cost OF the Russian
makes it desir0le like all other unat-
tainable thingin life. The silver fox Is
as exquisitelyoeautiful as it is fragile.
From its velvg depths, the long, silvery
hair appear asf each were a tiny spear
tipped with sier; it has the soft fluff
ness of thistle own, and is rs light and
vaporous as arab0ut. 4 set of this
costs 5000, yescarcely lasts season in
beauty. Mex on the list of valuable
furs comes Il beautiful fsher-tail, a
dark, nearly lack, long and very soft
fur. Mufis an6Oas cost from $50 to $3.50
a set in up-t0Q New York stores, and
borders for Timing cost from SIC TO
$50 a yard. 80 of sea-Otter are valued
at $3.50 to $3.50 These high priced furs
are bought Onlby the rich, and are not
generally fashiCable Seal skin retains
all of its populdty, and by degrees ladies
are beginning understand the use and
abuse of this BEAUTIFUL fur. The natural
being dull ug brown, all seal fur has
to be dyed. he American dyed seal
is far inferior5o the English dyed, as
the former wilrub off and lose its gloss
and rich beaut. To detect the differ
ence, the innegrOund dye is very dark,
having burnappearance, and altOgeth-
er the fur has peculiar dead black look
There has be0 great improvement
lately in the a of plucking and dying
seal skin. OF be two species, Shetland
and Alaska, tn latter possesses far more
durability, bu he Shetland is sof er
and more silk. There are also many
grades of this fir; the fine qualities are
easily recognized by the deep brown
black shade with n golden ground the
thick fur iseva, has few or no glisten-
ers (meaniHg little stumps of the original
seal skin, not properly plucked), and is
soft and ve.yeE to the touch. To ex-
anime seal PISS the hand against the
grain OF tie ur. There are a few i'm
portant facls b be taken into considera-
ton by thoe Who wish to purchase seal
skin fur, whicl, despite its fair rivals of
the chinchl9a amily, will remain a lead
ing standardfr. Otter and beaver are
dyed TO reenble seal so closely il is
necessary topactise the keenest scrutiny
in order 10 Fevent mistake. The fur of
the beaver IS longer than the seal, but
not so closeOr fine, and has not the bril-
liant blackcolor of the seal, though in
point of durability is certainly prefera-
BILE to the lover grades of sealskin. The
otter IS justas rich in color as the seal,
though theOuter shade has a tendency
to take brnze tinge yet many ladies
/ prefer, and My a few years back the
/ inner grades we're more expensive than
/ the real Shetland seal. The Shetland is
| the finest sPcies of seal used for furs.
/ 1t is longer than the Alaska seal, and
! inner and softer to the touch, though not
| so durable, because of its fineness. Fine
/ seal fur has adeep brown black shade, is
| thlck-iurred and even. Seal skin has
/ been said to have lost its hold upon the
/ American market. This is not true. Ne
other fur can take its place for cloaks
and coats aud hdies' jackets. Even sea
/ otter, whiSi, dyed in London, is much
handsomerfor muffs and boas, is toe
/ cumbersome for sacques. In fact, sea-
skin is in greater demand this fall fol-
! acques-il greater demand than ever
or large ad expensive ones. They are
made larger and longer, and in more
/ graceful aapes than heretofore, and
/ though themost of them are plain, some
are splenddly trimmed with bands o.
/ the fur of The black and silver fox, sea
I otter, br0k otter and beaver. They
have become comparatively cheap
/ The most BEAUTIFUL sacques Though per-
haps not the most desirable), made o.
pup Sheaands' skins, sell for $500
The best Alaska sacques bring Sl25 to
$3.50. Sea sacques, American dyed, can
Z hn
They Rockwell for a time, but the largest
New York houses decline to invest III
them because they will not last. Sea-
sets of the first quality (muffs and tip
pets) are ofered by the Gunthers at S5u
and $50. If fur warehouses were not
already stocked with seal skins, these
prices w0ald be raised in view of the
diminutin of the production. The
ruthless murder of seals in Shetland has
almost depoSulated their abodes, and the
defamation Of seals, both old and young,
which is going on in Alaska must shortly
arrest the Propagation there. The num-
Der of seals which are found in other To-
calities specified near the commencement
of this article are relatively small. The
delicate and silkeh fur of that little AMI
NAL, the ehinchilla, which burrows III
the valleys which intersect the billy
slopes of the Andean region from Chill
to Peru, has returned to favor within the
last two years, and is now in extensive
demand. 1t is long, of clear gray color
upon the back, sottening to a graylsh
white beneath. 1t is used for muffs!
tippets, Innings to cloaks and pelisses, and
trimmings, and is most becoming to
Young ladies and girls. The africa is the
finest, and the Bolivian ranks next, i
costs about the same as seal skin and j:
used in sets as well as for sacque anc
cloak Innings for extravagant tastes. A
chinchilla muff and ? boa cost from s5e