The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-10-31
CHEAPER GRADES OF FUR.
How the Skins of the Commoner AniWvls
Are Utilized.


Our common wildcat presents the trade
with over II, 900 skins yearly, valued at
from so cents to 81.
The Thomas cat 2 WE'LL l should say
SO. The house cat is one of the most
valuable of fur-beariug animals and when
they mysteriously disappear from the back
fence they often find their way to the fur
rier. 1t is an actual fact that in 1882 over
], 200, 900 house cats were used by the fur
trade. Black, white, Maltese and tortoise
shell skins are most in demand. They are
made into Innings and used in philosophical
apparatus. AS for skunlxs, $4,000 were
used in this county last season, valued at
from so cents to $1.20. They come from
Ohio and New York principally and, as in
pursuit of the tiger and lion, the brayest
men are required.
There is fair demand for monkey
skins, and $4,000 are used annually by
Abyssinian monkeys. They are used in
trimmings. Yes, you don't know what fur
you wear sometimes. The same garment
may be trimmed with equal parts of mon
key, skunk and cat and sold TO the cheap
buyer as Hoang Ho seal. The skin of the
bay lynx is much used for muffs and boas.
The skin of the dog is saleable so is that
of rats, mice, the opossum, kangaroo and
ornithorynchus. Ba hair is largely used in
telling and in plating ropes. Immense
quantities of coon hair is sent to Germany
and made into hats. Ok and calf hair is
used in the imitation of wooden goods and q
great many skins are valued merely to
initiate other articles with, thus the white
back. common and striped skunks dyed are
made into muffs and boas and sold gener-
ally under the name of Alaska sable.
Bearded sealskin is used to initiate leopard
skin; Tartar sable is dyed and made into
NUTS and sold as Russian sable the beach
martin is also. made to initiate sable and fox
skins to initiate lynx.
'' In old times ermine was the fashionable
iur, but there is not so much demand for it
DOW, though last season about 375 900 skins
were used altogether. A dollar skin is a
fair price. The best come from Siberia,
and the demand for them is greater in
Europe than here. Chinchilla was a favor
lite at one time they bring about fifty cents
skim and Peru and Chill send out about
1870, 900 every year. The largest business
in any one South American animal is in the
nutria, three million being killed every sea-
son, and still they come. They are very
common in the high lands about the La
Plata. They oil go to the hat trade and sell
by the pound from twelve to twenty-five
cents.
"The muskrat business is big one and
enough persons were engaged in it last sea-
son to collect over three million skins.
Those from New York bring about forty
cents apiece, while the finer grades from
Delaware and Maryland are worth twice as
much All the bears are valued. $4,000
American skins were used last season and
Is 600 buffalo robes. The fitch is also lin
demand, 620, 900 skins being used yearly.
OF the European hamster, los, 900; the
European and Asiatic hare, nearly 5.000,-
600. These find great sale among the
poorer classes OF the different lambs,
5000, 600; over 100000 rabbits, and
5000, 900 squirrel skins are used annually,
and SO on. In fact, there is not an animal
that has hair but is utilized in some way.
Even old wharf rats are used TO make the
thumbs of kid gloves of some dealers, bpt
of course this is confidential"