The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15
WOMEN IN THE FUR TRADE.
FEW IN NUMBER nut THEIR SKILL Is
REMUNERdTIVE.
Those in New York who Seem to Know tho
Business More Thoroughly Than Mon
knowledge of Natural History, Chomis-
try, Garment Making and Keen Bust

try, Garment Making and Keen Bust.
ness Is Required of tho Experts.
As compared with men furriers, women have
as yet taken small part in the business that
only through the standard dealers in raw skins
can the number and the whereabouts Of the wo-
men in the trade be ascertained New York
is tho fur market Of the United States The
furrler who does any business worth while any
where in tho country gets his skins Of the New
York importers and manufacturers So to Mcr-
cor street and the importing districts and not TO
any woman's organization must one go for knowl-
edge Of women furriers Then IL comes out that
the proprietors and managers OF two we'll -estab-
lished fur shops. one on upper Broadway. the
other on desirable West side block are women;
that tho buyer and manager of the fur depart
ment in a leading department house is a woman,
and that the forewoman OF a certain well-known
wholesale fur mandatory Is an expert in her
line In Cincinnati, Albany, Buffalo and Chi
cago there are women in the fur trade possessing
more than ordinary knowledge OF the goods in
their charge Philadelphia has an especially
go.ahead woman furrier doing business for her
self In fashionable place, and at various points
near the Canada line there are women traders
In furs who select skins and buy and sell them
with all mans familiarity with the subject
The best known woman In tho New York trade
Is the daughter Of London furrier She learned
the trade at her mothers knee long ago when
scalskin sacks and wraps were worn without
dyeng, In the natural shade Of the fur. The
dyers then were at loss how TO dye the nap OF
pile without dycing the skin also The dye when
applied to the skin rottcd il, people their
sealskins the color Of the seal, Tho daughter
Of the London furrer grew UP with furs all about
her In all stages of making and preparation.
There piles Of dressed skins kept carefully
In an upper chamber aud garments out and
out, garments just being cut. garments already
rcmodcled and those awaiting repair always in
evidence The talk she heard was all about furs,
the experiments the dyers were trying, the de
ceptions to guard against, the best place for pro-
ducing certain kinds Of pclts. Everybody that
came TO visit the family was associated with some
branch of the fur business, and so il naturally
happened that the two daughters Of the house
should become furrcrs when it came time for
them to choose a business
This EngliShwoman. on first coming to New
York eight years ago secured employment in
fur mandatory. She was set to work in the
lining and finishing department. but her innate
knowledge of the business came TO the managers
notice and he soon gave her employment more
important After working with the firm four
years she opened shop OF her and now has
number OF helpers in her business some Of
whom she has trained herself. She works largely
In the high grade remodcling and making over
OF fura
1T is moro OF an art TO remakc a handsome
Bcalskin, supply defects have the grain always
running right and the dye of Just the required
tint than to make a new garment" said this
furrer. My success lies in matching the skins
perfectly / do not need TO look al skin TO tell
what 1t is know by the feel l have handled
thousands Of skins Of all grades and kinds Be
fore opened business for myself l trusted
with large values in matching and selection
learned about furs Just a child learns to talk
or to walk without knowingit The pawnbrokers
send for me TO appraise goods for them IL |
have time go or they send the garment to me
Sometimes am astonished at the mistakes made
The person owning the garment well as the
pawnshop keeper will greatly overrate the fur
which to my eye is quite ordinary. In many
cases the original purchase price was largely
in excess OF tho actual worth. Then again,
really good piece Of fur vii! be passed over be-
cause 1t is a little shabby or faded
Il select all my skins personally and OF course
buy where can get them TO the best advantage
not only on my own account but on my customers
for nobody wants to spend overmuch on remaking
Now this sack, taking rich sealskn of the
hooks has been in use thirty years Would
you guess it, l have taken great pleasure in
working on 1t because of the superb quality Of
the skin. That skin came of an animal in first
rate condition TO berin with That ia vbv il
=, ~ 49,, a.,no,,, 81 .;at' T.; , r., wy
garment since it got, has been constantly
in Use and well taken care Of in sup,n,e, not
- - w., - i,, ,, .,. NV
SUCK GOWN JUST anywhere WIN lou OF thlngs
piled on top of it.
"Furs are one item Of dress that inD,ovs with
- r,,nt ~ ~ A. 80 'l' ''' I' WIN w.
wearing ihat Is IL 'hey arc good skis Inc
more warmth and moisture from the wearer's
hod,, ,,cta tbrougb In ,b. fur ,bo h,,ox III.
80 % e. ,, ~ '' INC
"afmh anu moisture keep inc SKIN SOIL ana
pliabe and add to the lustre OF the nap When
N good healthy animal 10 cops,s,ny .,.-c;sod
:, A'''''.u
MS coa' Is glossy ana good 10 look az, when his
condition is POOR his coat is dry and faded looking
prettv mucb M is thc cssc with n n.,so,,s hi
80, - - Ill; ~, 'oN . "'t
"neh hey are ahhS' lhose same condllioGs
apply to furS The dyeing, il OF the best quality
even ON AN inferior skin imparts a certain lu.,,c
=, =, =. m a,, ',
pu' ulat VIII idue III uhle ne genuinely good
seal preserves its lusrc."
This woman furrcr gc,s bor ovn J,.s ,o,d,r
So " VIVA w. ''"us
prepared from England ana does good proper
ton OF the dyeing needed in the rcmodcling her
..n O.. H. l.. .,.,;,.-.,, -,