Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-08-18
STORAGE OF FURS.
a Business Which Is Assuming Extensive
Proportions in Large Cities.

a Business Which Is Assuming Extensive
Proportions in Large Cities.
Furriers have two harvests. One is
on the approach of cold weather.
when they sell furs, and the other is
on the approach of hot weather when
they store them. Moths are the great
terror of those who own fine frs, and
what terrible thing it would be if
sealskin sacque, which cost two hum
dred and fifty dollars, should be found
next fall riddled with these destruc-
tives! This is often however, the re-
suit when they are put away by those
who are not experts, for moths will
get in at the very slightest crevices,
and often they succeed even when very
great care has been taken. This
trouble and risk are avoided by send
ing ones furs to the furriers, where
they are kept safely until required.
The furriers charge handsome fee, and
some houses clear enough from this
item alone to pay their rent and store
expenses for the whole year. The ex-
tent of the business may be inferred
from the fact that nearly ten thousand
sealskin sacques were worn in this
city last winter besides other furs, and
also fur-trimmed dresses, which re-
quire an almost equal degree of care.
Fur dealers say that the only way to
keep furs is to clean them thoroughly
and then put them away in very tight
boxes. The moths, however, are so
penetrative that constant vigilance is
necessary, and hence every fortnight
the furs must be taken out, beaten and
restored to the boxes, At such times
the grubs are occasionally noticed,
and this shows the need of such
precaution. The fur dealers also say
they prefer this method to the use of
any preventives, as the latter arc gen.
orally injurious. Camphor, for instance,
which is SO commonly used is injurious
to sable and some other furs, and it's
unpleasant odor renders it very obiec-
tionable. Tar paper is used by some
people, but the fur dealers object to it
because of the strong smell which it
leaves on any thing with which it
comes in contact. Tobacco and cedar
wood are found unreliable, and the fur
riers, therefore, depend almost solely
on the above described method.
Those who can not store their furs in
this manner must, of course, resort to
camphor, oil cedar, tobacco, tar paper
and other preventives and then ''put
up' with the inevitable odor When
storage, however, is accessible it will
be found the better way, because it is
always free from the risk which attends
all other methods. A lady, for in-
stance, who had some very valuable
furs made the remark to fur dealer:
''Why should | pay you for taking care
of my furs when | can do it just as well
MYSELF" She was a very capable wo-
man and put her furs safely in boxes,
on whose joints she pasted strips of
paper, thus making them perfectly
tight. One season she was successful,
but the next time this method was tried
the furs were SO eaten as to be spoiled.
The moth had penetrated in some mys-
FERROUS manner or else the eggs had
been laid previously. At any rate, the
lesson came too late. The expense of
storing two hundred and fifty dollar
sacque is ten dollars, which is certainly
very reasonable These goods are hung
up in dark closets and in this manner
are preserved from creases, which
would injure their appearance. The
furrier gives a receipt, and each one
bears its owners name, and in this
manner identity OF ownership is pre-
served.-N. Y. Cor. Cincinnati En-
O2EIreT.