Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-08-23
FUR BEARING ANIMALS OF NAME.

The Principle Dealers and their Castonaers
The value of the fur business done in
the State of Maine annually exceeds
500, 600. The largest individual dealer
Is man In Brewer, who handles nearly
$50, 900 worth per year. The number of
fur buyers in the State is not large.
Their chief source of supply are in the
regions at the headwatersof the Andres
coggin, kennebec, and Penobscot Rivers
and the streams entering into them.
Sportsmen and occasional hunters fur
nish few pelts, but the bulk Of the
furs is furnished by the professional
trappers. 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 for
pleasure seekers in the summer months
for the whole year. Every year the
fur catch decreases, and the bounds
OF the trapping linas 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 and handled in Lewiston. They
are caught in common rat traps, and
nifty 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 for
Innings and ladies' apparel. They are
among the cheapest of furs. A very
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
ID 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 o 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 SIC
to $18. 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 Leipsic, Moscow, Mini, Nov.
gorod, and finally to destination il
China, where they will warm some high
and mighty mandarin. A large number Of
fishers are trapped in Maine, and 0
good many sables annually find then
way to the market The value of oui
sable or beech martin is much less thar
that OF the Russian sable, which is the
most costly of all furs. 1t is small
animal, about three times as large as the
common weasel. Only about %, 900 are
annually taken. These small skins sell
at 1925 to 5000 each. The chief demand
Is in Russia, where the use of the sable
Is monopolized by the royal family. The
fur OF the fisher Gam animal resembling
the fox is rich and soft and dark brown
In color. 1t is very little used in this
country, but goes chiefly to Poland,
Germany and Russia. The annual sales
of red fox furs in Lewiston are very
large. Most them are exported. The
Russians use the red backs, and the
Greeks use the bellies, which are white.
The fur of the bear, of which many are
killed every year, is used for robes and
military purposes. Thousands of beavers
are killed on the streams flowing into oui
rivers every year. Their fur was for.
merly used Largely in the manufacture Of
hats, and was the leading article in the
fur trade; but its use for this purpose
has been greatly diminished by the EN-.
ployment OF silk and other less expen-
sive materials. 1t makes handsome
trimmings and fine collars and gloves for
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 beautiful black, and used Largely
for ladies' mourning attire. Minks are
frequently found not far from home, and
great many come down from the Dead
River. The nnak IVES formely favorite
in this country for NUTS, collars, etc.,
and commanded high price, but is
going out of fashion. Rabbit and coney
skins are used extensively by matters and
for trimmings. The coon skin is by no
means 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 Rus
sian mobiles. From the LeaOiston Mains
Journal