The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-06-13
MRS. PRART'S; FuRS.

Il r :
MRS. PRAnT'S FURs.
Said to Be the Finest Collection il
the World.
New York Sun: In the home of Mrs
Robert E. Peary on Brooklyn Heights il
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. Il
their former owners were in the flesh
Mrs. Peary would have q menagerie
which any Snowman would be eager tc
purchase, for it would make him the pos
SCISSOR of unique collection. The value
of thesa curios is not to be told in figures
and to the owner they represent months
during which she underwent an expert
ence 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 fierce
conflict before death finally came to their
aid. Then there are three tiny skins as
white as the snow that fell in Brooklyn q
few weeks ago. These once covered the
bodies of the family of the great animal
that lies extended upon the floor. TWAS
hard battle she fought for these babies,
but vain one. There are two other
huge skins in the polar bear department
Of this silent menagerie. Each Of the
larger ones is valued at $3.50. As for the
baby skins they are 80 rare in the civil
lied world that no price, so far as is
known. has ever been placed upon them.
Three hundred specimens of the outer
coverings of Arctic beasts and birds, alto
gether, are housed in Mrs. Pcary's home.
Among them are skins of the reindeer,
rabbit, musk OK aud polar bear, and beau
tiful specimens of the plumase of the
elder duck and loon. Besides these are
the skins of three Eskimo dogs. Perhaps
the casual visitor, examining Mrs. Peary's
possessions, might pass these skins 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 venturesomc
explorers but for the faithfulness and
hardness of these same animals.
Rare, indeed, are the blue and white
fox skins which Mrs. Peary possesses
OF all Arctic animals the fox is perhaps
the shrewdest, and, for that reason the
most difficult to capture. Only small
amount of fur from the back of each
animal can be used, and thus q garment
made of this fur is exceedingly valuable.
Ten of these skins have been made up
into a collar, boa and muf, 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
md warm that the youngster may venture
put in the coolest weather and laugh at
,hiil and frost. They are we'll mated,
his cloak and child. The first is alone
If its kind in white civilization. The
second is the only white child known to
have been born in the latitude where the
skins were procured.
The feature of the collection which
Mrs. Peary prizes most for its beauty is
three eiderdown quilts, each composed of
the skins of 100 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. Below the color changes to
q soft and very light state, and gradually
grows darker until at the bottom it re.
sembles in appearance the breast of q
dove. All through the quilts are CLEANS
Of white, seemingly woven with no par.
ticular system, but more careful exami.
nation shows that the entire fabric gives
! general impression of a series of cres-
cents. The down used for the body of
The quilts is from the breast of the ducks.
A border four inches deep is formed of
he plumage of the head, and resembles
nothing more than combination of pea.
;ock feathers of the softest and most
beautiful variety. Each quilt is edged
With slate colored down, and the whole
orms charming combination.
In the United States the plumage of
be loon is not considered Of any part,c.
lar utility, but up in the Arctic the
oons are of different sort. At recent
eception in Brooklyn Mrs. Peary wore
cape made of $50 loon skins and of all i
be rich and valuable wraps carried by {
Their women in attendance. there was
one so admired, none so valuable. This
another article which no woman but
lrs. Peary possesses. Mrs. Pearys dress
q the same occasion was of hair seal fur.
'immed with the fur Of the blue fox. {