River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-02-28
THE AGE OF sHASIs.
How Chicago Furriers Rent Seal
skin Sacques Out by the Season.

How Chicago Furriers Rent Seal
skin Sacques Out by the Season.
sis it true" asked Chicago reporter
the other day of lead ing furrier of that
city, ''that seal skin sacques are rented
out by the season.
sit is true" replied the furrier, ttoo
true, and it is injuring the iur trade,
What with the mild weather and the
new system of renting out saeques and
sets, it will not surprise me if several of
us are not compelled to go into another
branch of trade before the opening Of
spring navigation"
"When did the fur renting business
begin?"
"Well, it is difficult to say. You see
business Of all kinds has been undergo
ing a demoralizing change for some
years past. Merchants stoop to things
now that they would not think of doing
ten years ago. Everything is conducted
on the sham principle. Shaml why this
is, by all odds, the shanlest age, if
may coin the word, that the world ever
passed through, Go TO reception and
half the dresses and jewelry worn by
the ladies is rented for the occasion.
Some of our leading tailors do big bus
mess in the renting OF full dress suits to
gentlemen at rates running all the way
from So to Sl5 night. Married people
who give dinners, and talk glibly about
their French cooks. have the eatables
on the table sent up from the nearest
restaurant, and the neatly attired wait
ers are hired for that occasion only at
the same eating house. People who have
friends como to visit them from a dis
lance can rent han Isomely furnished
house or fiat for the time being, and
make arrangements with convenient
livery stable to have our carriage sent
around for an afternoons drive. The
silver ware on the table is III all proba-
bility the property of a downtown
pawnbroker, and the sealskin sack
which the hostess wears may have been
engaged for a week, month, or
season."
what do you sealskin sacques rent
forP"
"Well, a new sacque will bring so
| for a season of three months, The next
| year it may bring about the same rental,
/ and from that time on until it begins to
look shabby its rental is reduced about
$40 every year, 1t is finally sold for
| about 500.
"Do you demand a deposit of an
amount equal to the full value of the
sacQue2'
mo, not always When we know the
parties to be respectable we trust them
with tie saeques, providing that they
pay the rental in advance and sign q
contract to make good any damage which
may occur o the property"
"Do you ever lose themW
Eyes, but not often. Sometimes We
lose track of them for awhile, but they
usually turn up all right"
Isn't it cheaper ia the long run to
rent than to buy2"
Yes, really II Is. Ladies are apt to
! become tired of q sealskin sacque after
tow seasons. They have only expended
| 500 or so, whereas if they had bought
the sacque in the first place they would
! have been compelled to pay out from
$500 to $500. and perhaps have gone
without sacque altogether BY rent
/ ing q sacQue they can have a change
every season, and they run no risk Of
| having their furs moth-eateu in the sum
mer | would rather rent sacque for
my vile than buy one"