The morning times., 1896-04-28
MRS. PEARY's RARE FURs.
Collection the Largest and Finest of
the Kind in the World.
In the home OF Mrs. Robert E. Peary, on
NelU York Sun.

In the home or Mrs. Robert z. PeaTy, on
Nel0 York Sun.
Brooklyn Heights, is what is said TO be the
largest and finest collection of furs and kins
Of Arctic animals and birds in the possession
of any single individual in the world. III their
former owners We're in the flesh Mrs. Peary
wOuldhave amenageTie whicha ny Snowman
would be eager 10 purchase, FOR it " Ould
make him the pOsSeSsOr or a unique COJec-
tion. The value OF these curiOs is not 10 he
told i'll figures, and 20 the owner they
represent months during which she under
went an experience sucn as no other woman
of this days civilization can boast.
Three hundred specimens OF the outer
coverings OF Arctic beasts and birds, al
together, are housed in Mrs. PeaTy's home.
Among them are skins OF the reindeer, blue
aud white fox, hair seal, ia by seal, rabbit,
musk OK and polar bear, and beautiful
specimens OF the pluMaSe OF tie elder duck
and loon Besides these are the skins OF
three Eskimo dogs. Perhaps the casual
visitor, examining Mrs. Peary's posses
sions, might pass these skins over lightly.
Not so with the Pearys, for they are the skins
OF the dogs who pulled the sledges OF tie
Peary party hundreds of miles through
drifting snow and In the face OF fierce
winds that would surely have brought death
20 the yenturesome explorers but for the
f1ithfumess and hardness of these same
animals.
Rare indeed are the blue and white fox
skins which Mrs. Peary possesses. OF all
ArCticanimals, the fox is perhaps The shTewd-
est, and, for that reason, the most difficult
TO capture. Only Il 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, aud $500 has been offered for these
three articles alone.
The feature of the collection which Mrs.
Peary prizes most for its beauty is three
eiderdOwn quilts, each composed or the
skins of I60 elder ducks Each quilt is OF
sufficient size to cover a large double bed.
In appearance they are beautiful in the eX-
treme. THE tops are snow white. Below
the color changes to a soft and very light
slate, and gradually grows darker until
at the bottom IL resembles in appearance the
breast ofa dove. All through the quilts there
q ire gieamS Of white, seemingly woven with
no particular system. but a more careiuI
examination shows that the entire fabric
gives a general impression OF a series or
crescentS The down used for the body
of the quilts is from the breast of the
ducks A border four inches deep IS formed
OF the plumaEe of the head, aud resembles
nothing more than a combination of pea
cock feathers of the softestand most beautl-
fuI va riety. Each quilt is edged With
sIatc-COlOTSu uONn' anu tnc HbOlC ioIiHS
a cha rming combination.
In the United States the plumage of the
loon is not considered of any particular
utility, but up in the Arctic the looms are
of a different sort. AT a recent reception
in Brooklyn Mrs. PedTy wore cape made
of 23O loon SKINS md of all the rich and
valuable wraps carried by other women in
attendance. there was none so admired,
none so valuable. This is another article
which no woman but Mrs Peary possesses
Mrs. Peary's dress on the same occasion
was of hair seal fur, trimmed with the
fur of the blue fox. The train consisted en-
tirely of the tails and flippers of SEALS
The reindeer skins in the Peary collection
are largely those OF the animals shot by
members of the party for food While such
skins are not very rare, these are par
ticularly fine specimens, and are worth a
Ia rye sum.