Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-01
SKILLED TAxlDERMlST.
S. |. Crosby Of Bangor Talks With q
Journal Man.
Gives Complete Description Of the Business
Ne Has Followed.

Mr.. S. L. Crosby of Bangor, Of S. l..
Crosby & Co., artistic taxidermists, was
In the city the other day, and Journal
man enjoyed conversation with him re-
oarding this business which he has fol-
lowed since boyhood.
"How do you skin and clean deer,
moose or caribou head?" asked the re-
porter.
.well," began Mr.. Crosby, 'syou start
nj the back of the neck and, keeping the
noint of the knife under the skin, edge
nm. divide it in circle all around the
neck, being careful to keep well down to
where the neck joins the shoulders.
Never split the skin on the under side.
Omen it in a straight line along the back
Of the neck to point between the horns.
Then make straight cut to the base
of each antler. Cut off the ears close to
the head and pry the skin away from the
base of each antler. Skin down on each
side and over the forehead until you reach
the eve. Be careful in skinning the eye
not to cut the lid, and be sure to get to
the bottom of the eye-pit and sever the
skin from the bone. Continue on down
over the nose and detach the skin from
it. Now pare off all the flesh you can from
the base of the ears and end of nose, and
YOUR skin is ready for a liberal dose OF
fine salt; when it absorbs it put on more
and let it dry in the shade, or, better still
smoke it a little. Never stretch the skin
out and tack it, nor hang it up by the
nose. Now your skin is taken care OF,
clean all the meat off the skull, dig out
the brains and be sure to clean and save
the under jaw, as it is necessary in mount
ing the head. When it is possible to get
YOUR heads out without skinning, we
prefer to have them that way. -
Have you been doing taxidermlst
work long," .-..
II was a mere boy" began Mr.. Cros-
by, "but 10 years of age when l started
and soon became very much fascinated
with the work. l always admired
stuffed bird or animal. l began to read
what books could find relating to this
subject and by constant attention ana
practice was soon able to skin and stun
bird. made quite private collection
of our Maine birds which value highly.
81 presume that your fondness for this
work was what led you to enter the bust
ness" was the Journal mans next
query
"Yes, at the age of Is years, after had
attended high school three years, entered
the employ of E. S. Bowler of Bangor
who had been taxidermist five years.
This was in 1885, l then gained expert
ence rapidly and in 1887 Mr.. Bowler's
health failing him bought out the bust
ness was then IS years of age, but felt
perfectly competent to conduct the bust
ness, which was small then compared
with what it is at the present time. Deer,
moose and caribou were scarce, and 30
heads was then considered fair number
to receive in season. Each year since
1887 the game and number of sportsmen
have increased in Maine and so has my
business This year we will mount very
nearly 300 heads, divided as follows:
Fifty moose, 80 caribou, and 220 deer
heads, besides hundreds of birds and
whole animals. We have four men at
work all the season from September until
June and after during October and
November several extra hands. F"
when do heads begin to come in?"
asked the scribe.
Heads begin to come in about the 3rd
of October and from then until January
1st, we receive from one to 10 every day.
OF course we cannot mount them as fast
as they come in and all we can possibly
do is to skin, clean and preserve them SO
that we can mount them at leisure. At
this date out of the vast number have
received only 80 heads have been finished
and shipped. A head to be thoroughly
mounted so it will never shrink and al
ways,hold its shape requires at least six
weeks and any one who gets head out
quicker does not do a good job. Taxidermy
is as much of an art as sculpture, and
while there are dozens Of so-called tax
idermists who hatch up birds and small
work, you can count the strictly first class
taxider1nists of the United States on your
fingers almost. BY first class work
mean man who can mount anything
from humming bird to an entire moose
weighing 1000 pounds, and have each in
perfectly natural shape and attitude
Such man must be a student and must
have an Unborn liking for this work, be-
sides having large practical experience,
as; am man who believes that expert
ence is the best teacher"
"What has been the extent of your bust
ness, Mr.. Crosby?''
81 have mounted, during the past eight