The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-05-14
MONEY IN FUR.

Raising Black Foxes on a Maine Island.
 There is an island off the coast of Maine, six miles outside of Boothbay Harbor, where the rarest of one species of fur bearing animals are found in numbers.
 They are black and silver foxes and it may be said in beginning that they did not get on the island by themselves.
 A few years ago Thomas F. Morgan, of Groton, Conn.,. who was summering at Boothbay Harbor, conceived the plan of stocking one of the numerous islands In that vicinity with black and silver foxes, that are now almost ex- tinct in the wild state. He looked around for suitable island, and finally hit upon Outer Heron as possessing all the conditions necessary to the success of such colony as he desired to plant.
 Outer Heron is a wooded island of one hundred acres or so, with considerable elevation and bold, rocky shores. It has plenty of fresh water and its dense growth of spruces, pines and frs breaks the force of winter gales. There is a good dwelling house on the island, and in winter dozen or more lobster fish ermen live in shanties around the little cove that serves as a harbor.
 The island was owned by Richard H. Emerson, a veteran, who resided at East Boothbay. From him MT. Morgan obtained permission, in consideration of a yearly rental, to stock the island with foxes.
 An order was sent by MT. Morgan to a fur company engaged in breeding black foxes on an island In Alaska for a consignment of the animals, and thir- ty good specimens were started east. The journey took many months, being made by vessel and steamer to San Francisco, and thence overland, and when the consignment arrived at Boothbay Harbor only seven of the foxes were alive.
 These were put on Outer Heron about a year ago, and they have thrived and multiplied, from all indications. A few months ago company was formed un- der the laws of Maine to foster the in- dustry MT. Morgan thinks he will make out of the fox-raising business on Outer Heron.
 MT. Knight, the manager, has the rep utation of being one of the best fox hunters in his county. He is familiar with the ways of the red fox, and has shot as many of that variety as would stock two or three islands like Outer Heron. He is obliged to confess, how ever that he knows very little about the black fox He has set about the task of studying these on the island, but with slight success as yet, for the valuable denizens of Outer Heron are very shy, unless hungry, and as this has been an open winter they have not suffered for food.
 To a Globe han who visited Booth bay Harbor recently MT. Knight talked entertainingly about the prospects of raising black foxes for the market.
 We don't expect to get any returns right away" said l1e "but when we get the island well stocked we ought to do well. Last year there were only seven teen hundred black and silver fox skins sold in London, the fur market of the world They nearly all came from Alaska, and they were fourteen months on the way If we can raise skins here we can get them to London thirteen months 6dTIlPI llldu CH6y COulu pS SeiII from Alaska.
 "We intend to breed out the light strain, or silver foxes, from our stock A silver fox is by no means a. cheap animal-the pelt of a good one is worth seventy-fve CT one hundred dollars but the black fox is much more valua- ble, the pelts being worth as high as four hundred dollars each.'
 Mr. Knight is now engaged in arrang- ing a feeding pen for the animals in the barn on the island. Recently a horse was taken to the island and killed in the woods. The animals have fed on the carcass, and have kept out of sight of the settlement on the shore. If driv- en out of the woods by snow to seek food, it is expected they will come to the barn to feed, and thus get in the way of feeding there.
 After the animals have become tame enough to feed at the barn Mir Knight intends to rig traps to catch them. All "silvers" will be sorted out and taken away, leaving only those with very dark coats. It is expected that by this system of breeding animals with entire ly black coats can be obtained. If suc- cess in this line is attained the compa- ny expects to reap handsome profits on it's capital stock of twenty-five thou sand dollars.
 The climate on Outer Heron is said to be very much like that on the Alaskan island from which the founders of the fur colony were imported. The animals have found good places in the Assures of the rocky shores in which to build their homes, and from what can be seen of them they appear fat and well-con- ditioned.
 Not being noted for delicacy in feed- ing, the black and silver foxes find plenty of good grub" lying around the shores of Outer Heron.
 There are mussels in plenty at low water mark, and here the foxes have been seen at night by the lobster fisher men munching mussels with evident relish. Old bait thrown ashore by the fishermen has also been seized.
 Until the horse was placed in the woods there was one fox in the colony who showed enough boldness to come out to the house and eat food thrown at