The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-09-29
USEFUL, TROUGH ABUSED.
\ Short CHAPTER Concerning the N;ep:,it:s
Americana a Valuable fur

\ Short Chapter Concerning the n;epait:s
Americana "a Valuable FUR.
Who has not heard of that little symphony
IN black and white known IL. fashionable
CIRCLES as tho Russian cat" hut better
known 10y ornlthologlsts and chicken cooTs
as the great American skunki Webster says
the skunk is nearly allied to the weasel on
The one hand and the otter on the other" :"
nut he might have gone farther and tnrnd
worse hy SAVING that the skunk had the
Happy faculty of making his presence felt
and smrlt even IN Egyptian darkness On
the darkest night ho can create a commotion
altogether out OF proportion to his sIZe
One OF the largest dealers in raw fuls In
New York rald II trihutc to the eXccllencies
ot the great Mcphllls Americana the other
afternoon, and his story upon the fragrant
tut highly useful bird was of an interesting
nature
'''rhe principal as well as the best fur In
the Unitct States" said lie, lis that of the
skunk 1t is the most vnluble as well us the
most sulaLle In New England tho skunk is
found mainly i'll Connecticut, New llamp
SHIRE. Name and Vermont but within an
area of fifty miles of the town of Derby in
Connecticut. more skuniis can br found than
llll AihSN'ttIlllNttlS lU' 'au!!iiil lives EiIPtly
upon vegetables and If the crops should he
poor III one state they travel until they find
4 state where the situation is more favorable
There they will breed aud remain so long as
tile vegetable crop rctualns good This fact
mas been woven into an ndage 10y old trap
urrs, who say. "Poor vegetable crop, poor
skunk year ="
there are four grades of skins, which may
tn described thus No L. all black. except
INC, perhaps Il white stripe on the head, is
mnught tor 81 by the dealer i'll rnw furs, No
black. with short body stripes, so to 55
rnts No 3, hlack. with still longer stripes
thln No y. 30 TO b cents No 3, n regular
'rlra for stripes brings only Is cents
rhe month when the skunk Is in tho best
condition and when the fur Is nearly perfect,
rs November The iattcr the animal Is the
more valuable is his lur During October
md November lie gorees himself from the
N"gelable crops and heromes plump and
,lrek The Occober pnIts are what is called
'l'Ie and are but of little value. The Dccem
"r skins, while not so valuable us the No
v"nhcr article, are considered prime, and
hose obtained in January arc about the
,nme. When sprlng opens the skunk Is thin
,nd scraggy. md while ont wnr,ly the fur is
Is hlark rs in the preceding months, next to
he skin it will be found changed from d
ir b to n reddish color therefore the March
Rms are usually of ~ vcrY poor quality
''ie trap USED III cne'hing the animal is what
known as II dead tal' 1t is generally
m!ich with skunk flesh, that being consd
rcd TIL, best
I'hc skins nearly all come to New York,
ui uiany are shipped TO England, but the
nnIcrst arc used in the United States
therefore, all the small dealers try hard to
NY what Is known as the "Novemhcr
sunk The iuI which is cut up IN STRIPS
,,nnt three inches wiulc tor trimming pur
Is worth s., to 81 yard The fur
rnrKet ,s affected 10y London sales a wan
,'are abroad causes prices to decline. New