The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-26

The Collection Snid In Bc the Larrcat an,
Finest OF the Kind In the World.

Finest OF the Kind In the World.
In the home OF Mrs. Robert f. Pcary. on
Brooklyn Heights, ia what Is said to be tho
largest and finest collection OF fnrs and skins
OF Arctic animals md birds I'm the possession
OF anv single individual In the world. If their
former owners were In the flesh Mrs. Peary
would have a menaRerie which any bowman
would be eager to purchase. for It would make
him tho posscssor of a unique collection. The
value of these curios Is not to be told in figures.
and TO the owner they represent months dur.
ing which che underwent an experience such
as no other woman of this days civiliza-
ton 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 q fierce conflict before
death finally came to their aid. Then there
are three tiny skins as white as the snow that
fell In Brooklyn n few weeks ago. These
once covered the bodies of the family of the
great animal that lie, extended upon the floor.
1t was a hard battle she fought for these
babies. but II vain one. There are two other
huge skins IN the polar bear department OF
this silent menagerie. Each OF the large ones
Is valued at $3.50. As for tn, baby skins.
they are so rare in the civilized world that no
price, so far as is known. has ever been placed
upon them.
Three hundred specimens OF the outer coy.
erings Of Arctic beasts and birds. altogether,
are housed in Mrs. peary's home. Among
them are skins Of the reindeer, blue and white
fox. hair seal, baby seal, rabbit. musk OK. and
polar bear, and beautiful specimens of the
plunage Of tho elder duck and loon. Besides
these are the skins OF three Eskimo dogs. Per
haps the casual visitor. examining Mrs. Prary'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 siedHes of the Penry
"a - 1,, yat5, - Ill tl, ,A,,.l Il q --.,
and in the face of fierce winds that would
surely have bro tx des I t. the yent1rc.ome
Rare indeed are the blue and white fox
s Aretic ~ snimals sMr the fox r"f i re e%hafsSt tse sl 1t a.
est. and, for that reason. the most difficult TO
capture: Only n small amount of fur from the
garment made o! this fur is exceedingly val IL
able. Ten of these skins have been made up
into a collar. boa, and muff. and $500 has been
offered for these three articles alone.
Tie winter cloak OF the little girl who came
the Arctic is made from the skins Of Arctic
rabbits. and there is none other in the United
s s'%te' It or is so sn sof. sn1 w S,iG t hei9T ihe N. ysu AFst5G
laugh At chm ana frost Thev are We'll mated,
only white child known. to have been born in
The feature Of the collection which Mrs.
P'eary, prizes most for It's beauty "a three
OF eiae iG5 CIDER qG duet, e"f Ra sqm asiit is OF Of t sSen s 8
Size to cover a a large doabfie bed In appear pes
ance they are beautifqI in the exsreme. The
to a soft and very light slate, and gradually
grows darker until at the bottom II resembles
through. the quilts there are CLEANS OF white,
seemingly woven with no particular system.
but a more. careful examination shows that
Of a series OF crescents. The down used for
durks A border four inchea deem IA formal nf
the. plumRge Of the head. and resembles
nothinK mare than = combination OF pea"ock
variety. Each quilt Is DEED with slate col
ored down. and the whole forms a charming
In the United States the plumage of the loon
is not considered OF any particular utility. but
sort. AT u recent reception in Brooklyn Mrs:
Feary wore II cane made of $50 loon skins. and
Of all tho rich and valuable wraps carried by
so, admired, none so valuable. This is an.
other article. which no woman but Mrs. Peary
casIon WIS Of hair seal fur, trimmed with the
fur of the blue, FOX, The train consisted en-
The reindeer skins In Tho Peary collection
are largely those Of the animals shot by members
not very rare, 'hese are particularly fine trc"i,
mems, and are wnrih9 large sum, Quite a
obtained 10y Mrs peHry from the EskimOs. to
whom she greatly e%ndeared herself. by the
kindness she showed them; As tokens Of
desire to be Of service TO the first white woman
they had ever seen. they male her numerous
were obtained hv trading, for the Eskimo is
nothing II not u trader Wife and children are
hartered away just as quickly as ANYTHING
else. This was evidenced to Mr., P,Rry, 10
whom an Eskimo once offered hls wife and two
children for q knife which In this country
would retail Mt H5 cents.
The majority Of the skins IN the Pcary col:
lection are not ni9amtod' hefIre the lose OF
~terestiuR and valuable memeutns ~ their
periluus voyages in the Arctic zone Ila"ed IN
such u condition that Father Time viii he un-
able 10 injurc their appearances.