The Southern herald., 1886-01-16
FROM PELTRY 10 FUR.
m "a zzzs - .s--- n .-
ire ArtOr Properly Dye'ng yai-
nable sealsl1na 58 gI
& WI AAA Va ~ s'
Secret Which Has Been Transplanted to
But Few by It's Inventor-Furs Dyed
as Exqulsitely in America as
in London.
Isan Francisco ohrOnicle.I


tactre may be known, but the ingredients
Of the dye used and the finishing touches
given to the ,pelts areas carefully hidden
rs the Identity Of tha man With the iron
mask! This iAall themore strange because
She present y pareicalarly trying age 70
AllsedTets Of either a mechanical or cheni-l
ical character, and to such 1t is supposed
the seal-fur preparation belongs. The
popular idea concerning the dye is that
the knowledge of It's components lies with
single English family and that Il has
been handed down from father to son as a
priceless heirloom; but this, like SO many
other popular beliefs, Is not borne out by
fact. 1t is true the secret OF the dye is
known to but few people, but they are not
all of one family. nor are they English,
nor are they all in London. One of them
is in San Francisco, where seal dyeing
and dfeseing establishment has already
been successfully aaFtea. The beginning
was modest, but the work that has been
done indubitably shows that the Superin-
tendent of the factory has. made no false
pretensions, and that the secret has been
transplanted. Before giving the results of
visit paid by reporter to the
factory a few lines may be devoted
to the true story Of the "'dye secret" as
told by one of its possessors.
Some time about fifty years ago there
was an old man working in onesof the Lon,
don refneries as a sugarlb baker named
Apple. To him one day came two fellow
workmen, one an Austrian or Austro Ger
man named Philip Donowitz, and the other
Frenchman, whose name has been for
gotten. In his home the Frenchman had
been weaver, while Donowitz had been
dyer. They had been making experiments
after the fashion Of so many European
artisans, and had stumbled upon the seal
brown dye. Neither Of them, however,
had any money wherewith to prosecute
further inquiries, while old Apple was re.
puted to have saved few pounds, and so
they went TO HIM Old Apple saw what
had been done, bought off the Frenchman
for five pounds, purchased few sealskins,
and set Philip to work on them. The re-
suit more than edualed Apples expecta-
tions, and with the prepared skins call
was made upon firmof furFiers named
Schmidt G. Co. They were quick to see the
commercial value Of The discovery, and
factory was put up and improved until the
present ohe,a which was erected at
cost of $4,000, with vast array Of
machinery In Z copper and gun
metal. Apple Twas shrewd fell
low, and was given an interest in the
concern, while Philip was foreman, and
has recently been "laid off" with q
pension Of fifteen pounds week. But
though the dye Is still known as The sold
Apple dye" Philip was the possessor of
the secret, and by him 1t was revealed to
Christian Hoss; next 1t passed into the
possession Of George Simmons, who had
worked with Hoss ever since he was o boy |;
then to man named Baker, and lastly to
another named Wichleo. With the latter
Its spread has ceased, and the closest Of
close corporations was formed. The dye.
STUFF is principally used by four great Lon.
don firms, but SO secure are It's compound-
ers from the discovery of the ingredients
that they have often made a practice Of
selling the stuff at guinea gallon.
Because Of certain family troubles Sim
mons decided to come to America and to
San Francisco, where some family connec.
tions reside. It had been his inten-
kion to give up his old business and embark
in something new, but the loss Of his
means drove him back to his secret, and
with IL he went to the principal furriers
here. Again he was met with incredulity,
but at last one firm decided to "give him
q show" A place was fitted up for him in
big tannery out in the Mission, and there
be went to work. What he accomplished
surprised every one, but 1t was not long
before he discovered that underhand
methods were being taken to secure pos.
session Of his craft. 1t was first proposed
that the purchase of the chemicals should
be eonhded 10 o member Of the Arm, but
this scheme fell through, for the simple
fact that Simmons had brought the princi-
pal Ingredients with him. Then he was
watched, but that was an old trick, and
failed. Next he found one morning that a
quantity of his dyestuff had been stolen
over night, and upon that he left the place
In disgust. A few nights after this Sim
mons wandered into a well-known sport
ing-house, and while talking with
the proprietor laid his hand upon the
counter. THE sporting man noticed the
strange glistening brown Of the hand and
asked the cause of the stains. Then Sim
mons told his story, and straightway the
spofiing man, with an inthitive belief n
his visitors honesty, said that he was not
wealthy, but that he would back him To
the extent Of his means. He did 80, and
the modest factory before referred TO waG
the result.
Itshould be promised that the sealskin,
when taken from the animals are simply
salted and brought here in barrels, The
natural color of the fur which underlies
the coarse hair or outside covering is O
dirty cinnamon, and, instead Of having
the rich velvety color which its weareri
take such delight in, Is tangled and curly
The first work done on the raw skins Is Il
lay them, fur down, on semi -circulaI
beams and strip of the fat with knives Of
different shapes. Next they are stretched
on hoops and placed in drying-room. Next
scomes the business Of plucking, or "unhair.
ing" as it is called in the English facto-
ries, and this process is kept secret. The
skins are then washed clean, and
hooped and dried again. Once more
: they are shaved, then "butter-tanned,' y
and then put into trampling g-tub, where
man in Adamic costume kneads them