Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-10-18
SnaISkinS-

The trade in sealskins has already
set in, and in a fortnight more will
have been fully inaugurated. Most
of the skins brought to this country
come Tfrom Alaska. Cooper island,
the Shetland islands, and Vic toria.
The undressed skins are admitted into
this country free of duty The ma
jorlty Of them are landed at San
Francisco, whence they are shipped
to London, some of them via Cape
Horn by sail and others across the
continent by rail. The attempts in
this country to develop the industry
Of dressing the skins has not met with
much success. A few shipments are
being made to Albany, where an eff
fort is being made to increase the
business of dressing the skins, but so
far 1T has not proved d success. In
London this work has been success
fully performed for many years, and
the men engaged in it are acknowl-
edged as complete masters of the art,
and can not be equaled in the methods
they have adopted toward securing
projections in the colOrs and general
dressing, whereby the greatest dura-
bility has been secured. The animals
known as yearlings are considered
the best for the purpose, and are most
sought after by those in the trade.
After being dressed in London, the
skins are again reshipped to this coun-
try, and a duty of 35 per cent. is
exacted before beng admitted through
the custom-house. The demand for
sealskins are annually growing, and
this year a,larger trade is being done
in them than ever before. Those
from Alaska are 20 per cent. higher
than last year, while those from Coop
er island and Victoria are cheaper.
The Alaska skins, which are becom-
ing very scarce, are stronger, and
last on an average about seven years,
unless subjected to unusual wear
About 100, 600 skins are imported an
nually into this country at a cost
ranging from S15 to $50 apiece.
The Potato Bugs Doom.
The decline and fall of the Colorado
potato bag should be warming to all
other insects, and might even serve rs
a hint to the English sparrow. Says
the Louisville Courier-JournaI:
Starting from his mountain home
in the far " est, where he had long
been content to feed upon some cheap
and modest weed, his awakened am
bitiOn carried him to every part of the
United States and even to benighted
Europe. Announcing himself as the
terrible DoryphOra Decemlineata, and
caring not Wicker for the liberties
of his country, he passed through all
the magnificent scenery of the West
ern regions and decended upon the
fertile potato patches of thirty-six-or
perhaps thirty seven States, carrying
desolation in his path, and every
where proclaiming starvation to the
human race. The wall of the impov-
erished farmer was music in his ear,
and he would laugh and make puns
to the effect that he was the great
devas- tator. He had stripes upon his
back, in mockery of the flag, and his
children were Of no Indian red soch
as painters put on the window-sash.
Soothing at Nautilus, he multiplied
and multiplied, but he did not replen-
ish the earth. For years he ruled and
terrorized. But there came a turning
point. Other bugs began to be born or
to appear, who, envying him his
greatness, formed combinations
against him. 1t was agreed that the