Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-28
Fashionable Furs.

The most fashionable fur at the pres
emit time is undoubtedly sealskin. and
It has won its place after very hard
and severe fight, by virtue of inherent
merit For many years it held a place
in England which was not accorded to
it here. and few believed then that il
could ever rival or supersede the then
popular mink. Twenty years ago the
height of every woman's ambition in
the dress direction consisted in the
possession OF dark pink cape and
muff, the value being measured By tbs
number of dark stripes which are found
on the Dack of the mink. Now ladies
in Eastern cities will hardly take mink
as gift, unless it is put in as lining,
as 1t is now occasionally in six circulars.
There are reasons, however, for this
revolutionary change more creditable to
Judgment than mere caprice. In the
first place, mink never was a aressy
fur; it was solid, substantial and re-
pectable; but not refined or suitable for
dress occasions. 1t was, besides, very
difficult to discriminate between qualities
that possessed real claims to considera-
ton and those that were manipulatedfor
the market. These drawbacks do not
exist in the case of sealskiu. Its
depth, its color, its so.tness, its fine
shading, adapts it TO fastidious tastes,
while its quality is so easily ascertained,
its genuineness so readily tested, that
no lady need buy in ignorance of what
she is purchasing. The Shetland seal
ranks the highest, and is really an Geo.
nomical purchase, for it literally never
wears ont. while its beauty and luxury
are Joy forever. In Paris Shetland
seal paletot cloak will cost five hundred
francs (Sl0O; in England, twelve
guineas 1851; here, from $3.50 to $3.50.
No wonder ladies' take the opportunity
10 make purchases abroad and perspire
in themsander the eyes of the officials of
the custom-house and the heats of Au-
gust or September. The shape of the
seal-skin jacket and paletot has greatly
improved of late wears. 1t was former
~ short, square. baggy and ill-fitting.
Now it is cut TO the figure, is longer,
higher upon the shoulder, and the sleeve
Is shaped 10 the top of the arm.
The paletot is succeeding the
jacket; and next season will be
the most sought for, as it is now
the newest of the seal-skin garments.
This lovely fur can not be so well utl-
lied as some others for the smaller gar
ments, such as fur capes and trim
mings; probably it is too precious to be
cut up and wasted. For these purposes
black fox, natural beaver, gray fox and
rat fur are largely used. The latter is
not often sold under its true name, but
it is very largely empioyed and is real
ly one of the most desirable of common
furs, for it is soft, dark and durable
Otter is one of the prettieSt and most
expensive furs used for trimming pur-
poses; ana its exquisite shade of brown
ami soft sickness have long made it a
favorite with gentleman, for whose col
lars. capes, muffiers and other cold-ex-
gliding accessories it was almost
mOnopolized. What is called "Labra-
dor fur in Paris is beautiful brown,
| long-ha red fur, for which we seem to
have no name or corresponding trir,-
ming in this country-not one at least
that is prepared in the same way-al-
though it has the appearance of belong
ing to the fox family.-Jenny June, az
| Chicago journal.