The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-06-14
THE WORLDS FUR MARKET

One of the most interesting branches OF
trade is the fur business 1t is interesting
in its first steps-that is, the pursuit of the
animals which are to supply the pelts; it is
interesting in the curious concentration of
pelt sellers and buyers in London in each
of four months of the year-January,
March, June and October-and it is inter
esting in the beautifully dressed skins,
robes and prepared garments which are its
final result.
London has maintained for many years
the pre- -eminence in this trade. American
skins 90 to London to be sold by auction,
and then come back to America to be worn
by American men and women, very likely,
under some very high-sounding name,
Russian buyers 90 to London to buy Rus
sian skins.
A years auction sale of furs in London
often amounts to $2O,OOO,OOO.
Many curious incidents and caprices of
the London market are recorded, some of
them in the Montreal Star. Ever since the
royalty, and it is still used in the trimmings
of the state garments of kings and queens,
but it long ago fell into disfavor with wo-
men of fashion White ermine skins be-
came so cheap that the Canadian, Siberian
and Chinese hunters sent them no longer
to market.
Two or three years ago, however, word
went around from some mysterious fash
ionable source that ermine should be once
more the mode Suddenly all the buyers
began to demand ermine skins, and the
price went up to a great figure.
As was to be expected, the market was
soon glutted Chinese hunters sent to
London no fewer than ten thousand ermine
skins in the spring of 1S93 and then they
promptly went out of fashion.
The ermine has been, in literature, a
symbol ofinnocence and purity on account
of its whiteness, but the animal is far from
being an innocent and harmless creature.
1t is rapacious and bloodthirsty sort of
stoat or weasel, given to killing for the
mere love of killing.
The ermine is white, with the exception
of the tip of its tail, which is black. These
tips, dressed with the white fur at regular
intervals, make the spotting of black which
is seen on regal or other garments of err
mine
The finest and most costly and fashion
al l., f,r bn timn ic tho Siha
ran zbeline, or soble, an animal which is
said to be rapidly nearing the point of eX-
termination This little creature, known
to science as Mustela vibelina, is a sable
about eighteen inches long, with a bushy
tail and sharp, whiskered nose. 1t is a
remarkable rich, threefold fur, dark brown
or black, and very lustrous.
The chase for the Siberian sable is now
confined almost to the peninsula of Kan
tchatka. 1t is a dangerous business, for
it must be carried on in winter, and at
that season the wilder parts of kamtchat-
ka are ever more inhospitabe than those
of the Hudson Bay territory.
The very finest of those zibelines do not
reach the London market. They are sent
to Russian imperial court, and are hence
forth known as "crown Zibelines.', The
rest 90 to London, where they came into
competition with the Canadian black sa-
bles.
The fur of the otter, commonly called
the fur seal, is still in great request, and is
likely, perhaps, to become more so, if the
efforts of diplomacy do not more etfec-
tiyelv preserve it from extinction. The
choicest sealskins now bring a high price.
One of the fine quality was sold in Lon
don last year for 81 100
MY orders have not been attended to,
said a lady in mountain house; Il or
dered hot water at !, and it is now long
after" Never mind said her young
inmate, Il will hail the first porter | see
and tell him that the lady in No. 40 is de-
sirous of getting herself into hot water be-
fore breakfast" The water came,