South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1893-09-28
ANIMAL PRODUCTS.
a CURIOUS DISPLAY AT THE
WORLDS FAIR.
An Interestin: Exhibit OF the Wan,
Uses to Which the Various
Parts OF Beasts, ,,Birds
and Fishes arc Put.

~ Museum and the Smithsonian
6 Institution, displayed in the
south part of the Government Build
ing at the Worlds Fair, is the only one
OF its kind ever attempted, except TINT
at the Bcthnal Green branch Of tho
South Kensington Museum, London,
and is admirably arranged for showing
the different ways in which animals
| are available for man use both during
life and after death.
That portion of the exhibit which
deals with the uses of parts of the ami
NAL itself begins with the external np-
pendages to the skin, such as the hair,
wool, feathers, fish-scales, etc. !; next
comes the skin with appendages at
tached, which give all the furs; fine
furs, feather furs, etc. then the skin
without the appendages. giving tho
numerous feathers from beasts, birds,
fish, and reptiles; next the appendages
to the skeleton, such as horns, hoofs,
antlers, claws, teeth, ETC., and the
skeleton itself in the utilization of
bones; finally the application to mems
use of the viscera. The treatment Of
the flesh is not shown here, as TINT
subject involves the whole question of
meat foods.
] The first case in this section shows
whalebone as it is taken from the
whales mouth, and then as applied to
industrial ond other purposes, among
them long whalebones for whips, fiat
pieces for dresses, shreds made into fish
ing nets, etc. Many of the fiat long whale
bones in the crude state, as taken from
| the whale, are over fifteen feet IN
iength- Ono use for them is both
Ntmusing and tragic. This is in the Es-
quimauK bear-trap, of which several
examples are shown. In making the
trap, q long, very stiff whalebone with
pointed ends is used this is bent back
and forth upon itself like succession
of letter SIS and tightly tied together
with some kind of animal FIBRE When
fastened IL occupies but little space,
and placed inside piece of meat is
bolted by Mr.. Bear without disturb
ing thought The thong with which
the whalebone is confined is attacked
by the gastric juices in the same man
ner as the meat, with the result that
just as the old bear is taking post
prnndial nap under the slanting rays
| of the Arctic sun, and feeling proba-
] bly, rs gentle and good natured as An
old bear could, he awnkens in panied
surprise. He knows it is no ordinary
attack of indigestion following too
much walrus blubber or seal, but
something very serious. CIasping his
paws over his stomach he tries the
stately minuet, then, as his anxiety
increases, a more lively polka, until
finally he pirouettes off home to Mrs.
Bear. Here the guileful Esquimaux
tracks and finishes him.
The second case contained hair of
all sorts, alpaca, camel, calf, goat and
horse hnir. The latter is woven into
cloth, made into rope to kink it for
the upholsterer's use, into rope for the
Mexican lariats, halters and cinch /;
and also prepared for violin bows.
Many of the finest artists brushes are
made of hair from the inside of the
| cows ear, while the so-callcd cancels
hair brushes are really made from the
hair of the squirrels tail. the "camel's
hair" being only trade name Wool
in all its form is shown, from the crude
unwashed article to its finest dressed
and spun state.
| In another case is n fine display of
ostrich feathers, beginning with the
natural plumes as taken from the bird
and then showing them in the different
processes of dyeing and curling. There
are also n great number of birds pre-
pared for hat trimming and bird
feathers made into exquisite flowers.
In feathers the finest in the world
is seen. From this it would seem that
almost oil animals have q skin suscepti-
BILE OF being tanned into q serviceable
leather. Many snake skins are shown,
some eighteen inches wide and thirty
and forty feet long; lizard skins, alli-
gators, big and little, of every color :;
taPir, monkey and kangaroo skins. A
pretty little purse is made from frogs
skin. Wolf, fish, sturgeon and sharks
hides are tanned and birds skins also
make good leather. In the collection
IS the skin of n cnssowary, and it looks
surprisingly thick and tough. Human
skin IS said to make very fine and dur
able leather. One object, shocking no
doubt to many, is n fine pair of boots
made of human skin. \ rather anus
ing fact about mans natural covering
IS that IN appearance and texture it
resembles when tanned that of the pig
more closely than does any other kind
OF leather. The use of skin in glove
making is carried from the antelope
skin with hair intact up to the finished
kids. japanese and other kinds of
embossed leather are exhibited, and
also the use of lenther in bookbindine.
Many of the examples of bookbinding
are exceptionally fine.
| After the feathers comes an interest
ing case showing the manner in which
horns are cut into lengths. boiled in
OIL, fattened, and by series of ma
| nipulations converted into something
so like tortoise shell that large quan.
titles of it are sold as the genuine
turtle back, a quantity of objects
made by Mexican indians shows how
largely horns enter into the manufac-
ture of their household utensils. Some
are highly polished and artistically
decorated. Horn utensils of ruder
sort are exhibited as being used by the
North American Jndiens. In these
the large horns of the Rocky Noun.
tain sheep are employed. Some of the