Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-12-29
FUR BEARING ANIMALS OF MAINE.


The value of the fur business done IN
The State of Maine annually excseds
$1,000 The largest individual dealer
IS man in Brewer, WI handles nearly
$50, coo worth per year. Inc number Of
fur buyers in the Stats Is not Urge.
Their chief source of supply are in the
regions Mt the headwaters of the Andres
coggln, kennebec, and Penobscot Rivers
and the streams entering into them.
SportSmen and occasional hunters fur
nish few pelts, but the bulk of the
Eurs is furnished by the professional
tappers. There are many hundreds of
men in Maine who earn their living and
support their families by hunting, trap
ping, and fishing, and who do nothing
else, except, perhaps, act as guide tor
pleasure seekers in the summer months
Tor the whole year. Every year the
tur catch decreases, and the bounds
OF the trapping lines are gradually be-
coming more limited. While game of
most kinds is retreating further into the
forest and becoming scarce, it said that
the number of moose and deer, which
are protected by law, is increasing. In
numbers the muskrat exceeds any other
Kind of game trapped for its fur in
Maine aud handled in Lewiston. They
are caught in common rat traps, and
fifty of these small traps are sometimes
set by one trapper. Immense quantities
of them are caught. Eight or ten thou-
sand of them are shipped from Lewiston
annually. More of them are exported
TO Germany and Italy, where the skins
are dyed and furnish popular fur fo-
Innings and ladies apparel They are
among the cheapest of furs. A verv
large quantity of skunk fur is also
shipped from this city 1t is used for
trimmings in this country, and is often
passed of for Alaska sable. The
larger part of the skunk catch probably
goes to France and Germany. The otter
is one of the most valuable and rare fur
bearing animals trapped in Maine. Not
more than 1000 offers are annually
caught in the whole State. The skins
make beautiful and warm fur, which
is highly valued by the Russians, Greeks
and Chinese. The fur is dark glossy
brown, and two kinds, one being soft
short, and thick and the other longer and
coarser and intermixed with the former.
The value of dress skin runs from SIT
to SIS. Most Of the otter skins caught in
this state are sent almost around the
world in the course of trade before reach
ing the place where they are finally
worn. They are sometimes sent from
Lewiston to New York, thence to Lon.
don. to Leip8ic, Moscow, Mini, Nov.
gorod, and finally to a dest nation il
China, where they will warm some high
and mighty mandarin large number o.
fcl,a
good many sables annually find THEN
way to the market TIE value of om
sable or beech martin is muca less THAI
that Of the Russian sable, which is III,
most costly of all furs. 1t is a small
animal, about three times as large as tia,
common weasel. Only about 1000 art
annually taken. These small skins SCI
at S25 to $500 each. The chief 4 mann
is in Russia, where the use Of the snhl
Is monopo.ized by the royal family. Tx
fur OF the fisher IAN animal resembling
the fox is rich and soft ~ | dark brow
in color It is very little rsad in this
country, but goes chiefly 10 POLAND
Germany and hdasia. rhe annual 5 6.
of red fox iu!s III Lewiston are v.lN
large. Most tlssm are tx orted Ta,
Russians use the red backs, and thl
Greeks use the bciIi 5, which are viii
The fur OF the bear, Of which many m,
killed every wear, is used for robes a1C
military purposes. Thousands Of beaver
are killed on the streams flowing into ou
rivers every year Their fur was for.
melly used largiy in the manul cture o
hats. and WIS the leading article ia the
fur trade but its use for tins purpose
has been greatly diminished by the EN-.
ployment Of silk and other lass expen.
sive materials II makes handsome
trimmings and fine collars ard gloves fol
gentlemen The lynx Is an animal which
frequently finds its way Into traps The
fur is soft. warm, and light, naturally
grayish with dark spots, but commonly
dyed a beautiful black, and used largely
for ladies' mourning attire. Mnks are
frequently found not far from home and
a great many come down from the Dead
River The mink Yves formerly fayoIfte
in this country for mutfs, collars, etc.
and commanded high price, but il
going out of fashion. Rabbit and coney
skins are used extensively by matters and
for trimmings The coon skin is by no
means o vulgar fur, and is not patro-
nized solely by woodmen. Nearly all the
raccoon furs are sent to Russia, where
they are worn as coat Innings by the Rms
sian mobiles. Prom the LeWist0n Maine
To,fT9l0i