The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-16
MRS. rEARY,s RARE runs.
Said so he the Finest Collection in
the World.

From the New York sun.
In the home of Mrs Robert f. Peary on
Brooklyn Heights Is what is said TO be
the largest and finest collection of furs
and skins of Arctic animals and birds in
the possession of any single individual in
the world. II their former owners we're
in the flesh Mrs. Peary could have a
menagerie which any Snowman would be
eager TO purchase. for IT would make him
the possessor of a unique collection. The
value of these curios is not to be told
In figures, and to the owner they repre-
sent months during which she underwent
anfexperience such as no other woman
OF this days civilization can boast.
Lying upon the floor Of the parlor IS the
white coat and fierce head OF a great
| polar bear, with which Mr.. Peary and
| several of his companions had a fierce
| conflict before death finally came TO their
/ ala. Then there are three tiny skins as
| white as the snow that fell in Brooklyn
| a few weeks ago. These once covered
! the bodies Of the family OF the great ami
mai that lies extended upon the floor. II
was a hard battle she fought for these
| babies, but vain one There are two
| other huge skins In the polar bear de-
\ partment of this silent menagerie. Each
| OF the large ones is valued a $50 As for
| the baby skins, they are so rare in the
| civilized world that no price, so far as
| them.
/
coverings Of Arctic beasts and birds. al
| together, are housed I'm Mrs Peary's home.
| Among them are skins Of the reindeer,
| blue and white fox, hair SEAL baby seal,
| tiful specimens Of the elder duck and loon.
| Besides these are the skins of three Eskimo
| dogs. Perhaps the casual visitor, examin-
| ing Mrs Peary's possessions might pass
| these skin over lightly. Not so with the
Pearys for they are the skins Of the dogs
/ who pulled the sledges Of the Peary party
/ hundreds of miles through drifting snow
and In the face Of fierce winds that would
surely have brought death to the ventures
some explorers but for the faithfulness and
| hardness of these same animals.
Rare, indeed, are the blue and white
| fox-sl1ins which Mrs. Peary possesses. OF
/ all Arctic animals the fox is perhaps the
| shrewdest, and, for that reason, the most
| dlfhcult to capture. Only a small amount
/ of fur from the back of each animal can
| be used, and thus a garment made of this
| fur is exceedingly valuable. Ten OF these
skins have been made up into collar,
! boa and muff, and $500 has been offered for
| these three articles alone.
The winter cloak of the little girl who
came to Mr.. and Mrs. Peary during their
| soJourn IN the Arctic, Is made from the
| skins Of Arctic rabbits, and there is none
other In the United States, or anywhere
else below the Arctic circle. 1t is so soft
and warm that the yOungster may VEN
/ ture out in the coolest weather and laugh
at chill and frost. They are well mated,
\ this cloak and child. The first is alone
Of its kind in white civilization. The Sec
| ond is the only white child known to have
/ been born in the latitude where the skina
The feature Of the collection which Mrs.
| Peary prizes most for its beauty is three
| elderdown quilts, each composed of the
| skins of l60 elder ducks. Each quilt is OF
| sufficient size to cover a large double bed
| In appearance they are beautiful In the
| extreme. The tops are snow white. Be-
| low the color changes to a soft and very
| light slate, and gradually grows darker
! until al the bottom it resembles in ap-
| pearance the breast OF a dove All Through
/ there CLEANS nj rxrlt
| ingly woven with no particular system
| but more careful examination shows
| that the entire fabric gives a general i'm
| preston or series OF crescents. The
| down used for the body of the quilts Is
| from the breast of the ducks. A border
/ TOUR inches deep is formed of the plumaga
| OF the head, and resembles nothing more
| than a combination of peacock feathers
of the softest and most beautiful varie-
| ty. Each quilt is edged with slate-coi-
ored down. and the whole forms charm-
| ing combination.
In the United states the plumage OF
! the loon is not considered of any particu-
lar utility, but up in the Arctic the looms
are Of a different sort. At a recent recep-
tiOn in Brooklyn Mrs. Peary wore a cane
made of 230 loon skins and of all the rieh
and valuable wraps carried by other wo-
men IN attendance, there was none so adj
mired, none so valuable This IS another
article which no woman but Mrs. PearT
possesses Mrs. Peary's dress on the Same
o o,,tS on was o. hair seal fur, trimmed
consisted entirely of the tails of nippers
of seals.
The reindeer skins in the Pearv collac-
ton are largely those of the animals shot
by members of the party for food While
such skins are not very rare these are
particularly fine specimens, and are worth
a large sum. Quite number Of the skins
OF animals and birds were obtained bv
Mrs Peary from the Eskimos. to whom
she greatly endeared herself by the kind
ness she showed them. AS tokens OF their
appreciation Of her actions, and from a de-
sire to be of service TO the first white Wo-
man they had ever seen, they made her
numerous and valuable presents of skins.
Other skins were obtained by trading, for
the Eskimo is nothing if not a trader
Wife and children are bartered away lust
as quickly as anything else. This was evil
denced to Mr.. Pearys TO whom an Eskimo
once offered his wife and two children for
knife which in this country would retail
at % cents.
The majority of the skins in the Peary
collection are not mounted. Before the
close Of another year the Pearys hope to
have the interesting and valuable memen-
toes OF their perilOus voyage in the Arctic
zone placed IN such a condition that Faith
er Time Will be unable 70 iniure their APP
pearauce.