The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-04
THE KANGAROO IN ooMMEAoa.
Extensive Use OF Their Hides in This
Country.
From the Providence Journal.

From the Providence Journal.
There are 5000 kangaroo k.ns received
in Newark, n. j., every week They are
all tanned in one large establishment on
Sussex avenue, and are then made into fine
shoes. Australia and New Ze4 land furnish
kangaroo hides for the world. Tue kanga-
roos are killed in Australia about 800 miles
back from the coast, and are shipped from
Melbourne, Sydney d Newca tie, in Aus
tralia, and from Masterton, in New Zeaa d.
Up to 1863 the ka garoos we're killed
and eaten in Australia, and their
hides were cut into shoessrings. But an
E glishnan named Brown in that year
discovered the remarkable character Of the
leather, and brought several thousand skins
to this country. He tried TO sell the hides
to tanners but they were shy Of the novelty,
and he had to sell them at a sacrifice to a
bookblnder. The bookbinder made TRAN
gular corner pieces in ledgers and CO inner
cial books ont OF the skin, and so ascer aimed
tue good quality of the leather 1t was in
this way tnat the la ge leather factories
we're first attracted to kanga 90 hide. The
skin was found to be We y tenacious, and the
compactness of thu graf prevents its alb
sorDIng water, while the acids in backing
1t wa hard work for years to get the
kangaroo skins 1t was not until ths
Newarker who now tans them sent agents
TO Australia three years ago, that the d =
ma could be supplied. the character
istic climate OF Australia and the pugnacity
Of the kangaroo make hunting the hi les
dang -rous. Winter starts IN May and end 3
IN December in at country. The rest of
the year the heat,is int i>e the thermometer
frequently reaching i40'. Eight men hunt
together for kangaroos. They are called a
set" When brought to bay tn, ka CARGO
jumps like a flash for a hunters chest and
tries to crush it in with his fore-feet. To
prevent this each man wears across his
breast a two or three-inch thick mating.
A med with spear, with a club attach
ment at tue o her end, they ride upon swift
horses into herd. With the agility and
eguipoise of circus riders they stand erect
upon their horses and use their spears and
cubs. The kangaroo is able to jump clear
over a horse. As the game is bagged it is
skinned, and the skin is stretched on the
ground and peyged down to prevent shrink
age. The flesh fur is es meat for the cam .
Each man places hi, private mark ~ n
his booty, and when they have 100 skins
piece they return back to Civilization Il.
There are twelty var cites of hangar 'os,
among them the blue, red WallaDy, black,
gray and Forester, the latter furni hing the
best leather. as it lives mainly in
wooded sections. When the ship
ping ports are reac Iei the huute S
dis )ose Of the skins by auction to the
highest bidders, and realize about 20 cents q
pou d. Kangaroo hunters make large
profits. One man is known to have clelre
"a, 500 free of living expenses in singl
year. The tanning of kangaroo skins is
confined to me employed " Americans, a
other dealers eau OF afford to pay the high
price for the raw material The result is
that Partisan and London shoe manufact
urers buy their stock of kangaro leather
directly from Newa k, and prominent
even Australia itself obtain their supplies
from the same. The manufacturer here
scouts the idea that the original seven
league boots were made from the skin of the
great Australian leapers.