The Portland daily press., 1895-11-18
ALASKA TO HERON ISLAND.
Extraordinary Journey of Royal Fur Ami
mails and Project to Breed Black Foxes
in Maine.

| mais ana Project to Bfeeu hiach HoAoH
in Maine.
| 1t will be remem pered that about a
year ago there was published In the Port
| land PRESS an article about a very
unique industry to be established In
Maine. Mr. Byron Andrews OF New
York came here with the object OF secur-
ing some living black foxes, If any could
| be secured in the State, in order to take
them to Heron island, Boothbay harbor,
which had been leased for the purpose,
then to raise and breed this valuable
fur bearing animal He had heard that a
litter of young black foxes had ceen cap
tured in Buckfield. He went there, but
found that the foxes were dead. This
PRESS article attracted wide attention
throughout the State. Nothing more
has been heard of the project since then,
but it has not been abandoned by any
means. Saturday Mr. Andrews was
again in Portland in the interests of this
project He is the secretary of the
Samidi Propagating company OF New
York and Kodiak, Alaska. He was &C.
companied by Capt. Thomas T. Morgan,
vice president of the company. These
gentlemen are two Of the original six or
seven promoters of this unique business
of raising black foxes for the fur market
on the islands of Alaska. This project was
started SO me eight years ago, and about
four years ago the above company was in
corporaued.
They now have five islands stocked with
several thousands of these black foxes.
Tho first animals were purchased from
the natives and were brought to the is
lands from the mainland, several hundred
miles to the northward. They are not
indigenous to the islands. During the
nesting season Of the sea fowl the foxes
find abundant food in the myriads Of
eggs and young Birds but for nine
months of the year they have to be fed
like so many sheep or dogs. About 90
tons OF grain are used in a season. Be-
sides that each fox has about pound Of
fish day.
The black fox is a rare variety of the
silver gray fox, which varies in color
from the lightest silver to black. The
proportion of black foxes is only two or
three out of 14O0 or 1900 silver grays. 1t
is a very valuable animal, and it's fur is
l.giyen the place of honor in the use OF
the wealthy and the royal among men,
Messrs. Morgan and Andrews came to
Portland Sat urday because early in last
September fifteen black foxes were
shipped from Commander islands, Alas
ka, en- route for Heron island, Maine.
They were shipped by schooner and
when they reached San Francisco only five
of them were living. These five started
from there the 9th of November, in an
express car with one man in charge of
them. They were in Chicago three days
ago and only four were then living. They
wers expected to arrive in Portland Sat-
urday.I They were to remain over in
this city today, in the lobster establish
ment of N. F. Trefethen, and be taken
down to Heron island today in the
lobster steamer Hermann Reesing.
Heron island is owned by Capt. Elmer
son of East Boothbay, who is interested
in this project of breeding black foxes. in
Maine.
The reason for establishing this bust
ness here is because the black fox occurs
throughout the forests of northeastern
Am erica, north of the 43d parallel 1t
occurs, though rarely, in the forest Of
MaineAN
If anyone in Maine should be SO for
tunate as to capture black fox, it is well
for him to know that it would be worth
lust double as much alive as dead He
his only to inform Secretary Andrews at
his headquarters at the World building
New York 1t is desirable that as many
black foxes as possible be obtained to
stock the island in Boothbay harbor.
1t is of course great expense, attended
with much uncertainty to ship them
from Alaska.
It will be worth while for those who
have never seen these foxes to call at Ire
fethen's and see them before they start
for Boothbay at IL o'clock today. Yes
terday so many wanted to see them the
doors had to be closed.