Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-11-04
RABBIT SKINS eoa MARKET.
Long Eared Peits Imported from Aus
traiia and New Zealand.

Long Eared Peits Imported from Aus
traIis and New Zealand.
Here Is a set of sabIes fit for a prin
cess. said the dealer; fifteen dollan
seems cheap for them. does it not
That is because they are really made
uf rabbit skins from Australia The
'act l. that there is hardly any fur in
the market at present that is not imi-
tated closely by the skilful preparation
oi these same long cared pelts New
! Zealand also exports them to the mum.
ber OF l0,OOO.OO yearly. Their pro
,luction is one OF the most important
aud profitable industries of that colony
Most Of them are shipped TO Euro
pean cities, where they go through the
necessary processes Of manufacture be
fore being disposed OF to the retail mer
| chants The art Of coloring rabbit haii
has attained such high degree of per
| lection that it can be made to counter
lett seal otter ernine or almost any
ether sort OF fashionable fur The
skins are largely made into felt hats |
which are very beautiful and soft to |
tie touch When the fur is long it is
sometimes cut in two and the finer or
inner portions are mixed with wool
Various machines have been invented
for constructing hats of rabbit pelts
some of which distribute the hair will
marvellous rapidity and evenness OF re
yolving metal cones.
The rabbits are skinned Immediately
upon being killed. the beads. feet and
all the fat being removed II the
weather is fine the pelts are dried in the
open air. but in bad weather they are
hung up under sheds When thoroughly
dried they are turned outside in to pro
,ect the fur from injury, and then they
ire tied in bundles of dozen to twenty
,ach and packed in bales. each OF which
contains from 3, 600 to $500 skins A .
title carbolic acid powder is used in /.
he packing to preserve them from at
hey are worth from fifty to eighty cents v
dozen, according to quality
THE history of the rabbits introduc
on into Australia and New Zealand !"
fords an Illustration of the damage 8
ian may do by interfering with the r
istribution OF animals which nature +
as chosen 10 make in the world -
Vhen Captain Cook the celebrated {"
avigator, first visited those countries =,
e found a fauna entirely different :.
'om that of any other part OF the .
'orld In Australia gigantic marsu "
ials, like the Kangaroo we're chiefly y,
while in New Zealand the ;,
My land mammals were two varieties
I the rat and one of the common bat. =
'Since then 'acclimatization societies
ave done their best to introduce there
u sorts of creatures on four legs and
yo legs that could be brought from /,
sewhere. In many instances these ef =,
rts resulted most unfortunately. -
'veral years ago some dozen pairs of =
mmon gray rabbits were imported :.
r the purpose of supplying sportsmen e.
th an object for the chase. The oc- ~
sion of this interesting experiment a.,
Is made one of rejoicing. and the ~
asts were let loose with speeches and r
nquets to welcome them. They
lltiplied so fast that the people did "
t have to wait long for all the sport 81 a.
that kind they could desire 4 .ll
I'm fact they soon overrun the ~
untry in such numbers that it be- ~
me question whether they or the o..
onists should occupy the land. Great "; ~
'as were entirely denuded of vege m Ln
ion by them, SO that the sheep died Ia ="
millions and the raising of crops be- ot oe
ne almost an impossibility. Wash o. o.
,ton Star ne