Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-09-26
THE sKUNK.sKIN HARVEST.
How the Natives Of the HO0sier State
Make Money Out Of the OdorOus Ami.
From the IndIanapolls News.

From the Indianapolis News.
While strolling along Pearl street re-
Gently between Meridian and Illinois
street. a Neaos reporter, in dusty cob
webby window, saw piece of cardboard,
four or live inches square, on which was
written "Pnre skunk oil and coon oil. !"
A moth-eaten, weather-beaten coon
skin hung above the door, which the re-
porter entered, following his nose which
Immediately put itself on the defen-
sive, "What do people buy skunk oil
for?" said the proprietor, in his answer
repeating the question. Why, they buy
it iur rheumatism, and, say it never
fails to cure" The reporter desired to
see some pure skunk oil, having heard
there were many worthless limitations
abroad, and was shown a pint flask of
an oily liquid Of the color Of linseed oil.
He applied his fingers 10 the cork, and
his nose rose in apprehension. The fluid
had no more and no worse an odor than
lard oil, and the alarmed organ came
down again.
I'VE sell it to ali sort of people, white,
black and yellow, the richest and the
poorest" the proprietor continued. This
oil we get from the skins-thats as
much OF the skunk as | get-and the
yield is usually about four ounces to the
skin. Sometimes we get half a pint and
sometimes though seldom as much as
pint to pelt There is not more than
one skin i'll 1000 that will yield that
much Of skunk oil. The animal is thin
in flesh in summer, but very fat in
winter. Skunk hides last year, the
best quality, were worth from
$175 to 81 each. They will not be worth
much more than half as much this year.
81 handled 10000 skunk skins last
year nearly all Of which were caught in
Indiana. The animal abounds in South
ern and Central Indiana. There are
Il few in this county, not many. The
skins have been worth as much as So. 50,
but they'll never see that price again
not very soon, at least" "How are the
skins classed?' Well first comes the
A No. star skunk selling at $l75 last
winter. This skunk has star-shaped
white spot on the head and no
more white about him. The next quail
ty 81 %, we call the short stripe
This has white stripe running from
the white star along each side Of the
bead down the neck to the shoulder.
The next is the marrow stripe This
has narrow white stripe that runs
along each side of the back bone (which
has Il black stripe) to the root Of the
tail. This sort of skin is worth 40 ceNts.
The fourth grade has y broad white
stripe on each side of the entire body,
three inches OF more in width, and is
worth only 20 cents" "Is there any
danger of the skunk crop III this State
becoming exhausted" None at all. A
skunk will have from three TO seven at
Il litter-usually about five. I've been
!, fur buyer for fortv-two years, and
there are more skunks in this State
now than ever there was. There is a
prejudice against the animal which
makes it necessary to sell the fur to the
ladies, who wear it under several pretty
aliases, among which are the fitch and
American sable Besides being made
into muffs and trimnllugs. skunk skins
are extensively used in making fine
carriage robes" Mr.. Lewark said there
hadn't been skunk iii the house fol
months, the trade only continuing
during the winter, but the mephitic odor
like the scent of the roses round the
shattered vase, chung lovingly about the
place during the entire year.