Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-04-24
aAeslr-sMNs FOB HAT-MAkINa.
The Growth Of an Enormous Industry
The Business In France and England.


The Growth of an Enormous Industry
The Business In France and England.
The trade in rabbit skins for hat-mak-
ing is now an enormous industry. The
skius are doGbly valuable, the hair being
used for felt-malxing and the pelts to boil
down into glue. The present statistics
of the industry in Europe may be figured
from the fact that SC, O00, 900 of skins are
collected in France, 25,0OO,0 900 TO 80, 000,-
~ in England, almost entirely from the
warrens Of the sand-hills and woods;
$4,000, 900 to $4,000, 900 in Belgium, al
most wholly of domestic breed las are
nine out Of ten of the 80,000,0OO Of
French skins) 1900, 900 to 5000, 900 in
Russia, Sweden and Norway, and 4,000,-
900 in northern Germany, yearly. In
Austria and Hungary there are about
100000 collected, but retained for
home manufacture. Spain and Portu-
gal have skins of inferior quality, which
are kept for the hat factories of these
countries. France occupies the chief
place in the commerce of rabbit-skins,
not only in regard to quantity but to
quality. There is no rabbit comparable
to the French rabbits, either to eat or Ia
make hats Of. Both to Belgium and to,
England large quantities are exported.
The supremacy of France did not ex.
\ list at the start in the rabbit-skin trade.
In the early part of this century the Ger.
mans and English took the lead in the
preparation of the skins. France was
oppressed, and was unable to take adj
vantage Of this new industry till 1947.
From that date we reckon the rise of a
trade which has attained to gigantic di-
mentions. Paris, which is the CEN
ter of the preparation of the
material, dispatched agents in
every direction to employ brokers, chif-
foniers and other collectors of skins of
rabbits and hares, which had before been
seldom preserved fora any use. The most
energetic and successful purveyors in
this industry were the Auvergnats, who
still remain the chief agents in the col
lection. In 1S47 the couperies de potts
worked up 100000 of skins; the estab-
lishments in the provinces consumed
about an equal quantity
AT first the manufacturer collected and
stored rabbit skins, and transformed
them into hats with very rude machin-
cry. 1t is only recently, by the distri.
button of labor, always advantageous,
that the preparation of the stuff has
been separated from the manufacture of
hats, and the collection of the skins is
organized as distinct industry. In
England there are now some twenty
firms engaged in preparing and cutting
the skins, the largest Of which firms arc
in Southwark, and others in Manchester
and Leeds. The industry altogether is g
very interesting one in many respects,
and it represents living to large mum
bers of people, including the collection Of
skins in the towns and villages through
out the country, and the hundreds Of
women and girls occupied in pulling
and in other operations preparatory tC
the felting when the hat manufacture
enters upon the mysteries of his special
trade.
The value Of the rabbit skin trade il
England alone last year was over 81, 900,
90. There are no statistics at hand o.
he trade in this country, but it is very
Important, and there are even places
where rabbits are bred in order to pro
vide skins for the market. This is how
ever, perilous experiment, as the ex
perience of Australia and New Zealant
with their rabbit plaques will demon
strate.-Cincinnati Enquirer.