The sun., 1894-11-18
ANIMAL HEAD SCARFS.
A Craze for Them Is On. and Some Have
Diamond Eyes and Cost $500.

At the Horse Show young woman began
slowly to open and close the jaws or the little
minks head which adorned the fur scarf she
had taken from her neck. She had never heard
OF the old freside joke OF the man who sat next
the chimney piece and who would with seeming
innocence carelessly work the tongs until every
one in the room began to cape. After few mo-
ments the young woman began to yawn, and
she wondered what made her feel sleepy.
Il wanted to see how that animals head was
fixed SO that the natural action OF the jaws
still possible" she said. and to ace what had
been done to its tongue to give II such funny
appearance. and the old thing made me nod and
feel drowsy."
The natural action" OF tho jaws was tho
mechanical articulation OF two pieces OF a
chalky composition adjusted upon spring, and
the funny" tongue was OF the same material
coorcd red. Something like 80 gross of these
funny little heads are being turned out in the
city Of New York every week by three manu-
facturers. The demand for fur neck scarfs
this season is said to exceed any ever before
known. And ali of them must have animal
heads. In fact some OF the women want the
animal heads without the animals. They use
the heads in place OF buttons to fasten their
coats and coaks. But the greatest call is for
the neck scarfs.
Four years ago the first of these scarfs were
placed upon the market, and they lay on the
dealers shelves throughout the season. The
next year they began TO be worn and the fashion
spread rapidly. Taking the tide at its food the
fur dealers almost before the trees showed tho
boom furs as the winters rage They are now
being led on to fortune More OF the scarfs are
being manufactured this season than were made
in all the four previous years together. The
prices range all the way from 81 30 to $500. some
OF the scarfs having animal heads at both ends
and having diamonds for eyes,
But the heads are not he skulls OF the AMI.
mails whose hides cover them. No process OF
There Is danger of bad odors. Then, too. IL Is
possible to utilize some skins 10 better purpose
lines OF the originals. so the business Of manu-
featuring heads OF celluloid, cork, and compost
,o1 has sroTn to large proportions the COM
the head and the lower jaw are cast in moulds
filled by hand and pressed in hand-screw
presses. The tongue and the smaller teeth are
made at the same time. and the long. pointed
front teeth, made OF pulled celluloid, are put in
and holes for the eyes. 'Tne two Jaws are fitted
together on wire spring and the head Is sent
and ma kes up the scarf. or the collarette or the
breast loop for wraps.
One manufacturer makes Of one kind Of head
alone. that used in the scarf which sells at from
two To three dollars at retail, five gross day, or
more than 200 heads. OF the more than 10000
heads turned out in this city each week now,
two-thirds are sold TO the furriers Of New York,
and the Others go 10 Chicago. Philadelphia, and
been sent to Paris and 70 London, few or
these heads were imported once from GablOnz,
competition with the local article OF the prod
uct sold TO New York furriers IL Is estimated
that about 10 per cent. is Tor city consumption
in mahe-up form, hile the rest Of the heads, all
made up, are sent throughout the country. said
"a maker OF the heads:
mo woman or girl il satisfied to-day, appar-
emily, unless she has an animal-head scarf. The
grande dame gives her ilrsl scarf 70 The servant
and buys hne one, the eyes OF which she has
set with various Jewels. There is literally craze
for the things"
This man ex pressed the opinion that fur scarfs
had herOme staple article of clothing, being
used in summer well As in winter. lie seemed
To think there was no danger OF their going out
OF vogue.