The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-03-31
FUR YIELDING SLAUGHTER.

Twelve million animals are killed every
year to furnish us with furs. Some of
these fur-bearing animals, like the sea
otter, have been almost a%nnihilated, and
the beaver has disappeared from all but
the most distant regions. Statistics show
a constant Increase in the supply of furs,
but this does not mean that there are
more fur-bearing animals in the world.
1t signifies simply that under the impulse
Of the greater demand and better prices
more persons engage In hunting and trap
ping the animals.
Every animal that has hair on it is
hunted to-day for its hide. The lion as
we'll as the rabbit, the monkey as we'll
as the cat. the fox as we'll as the seal.
the bear and the otter. animals of the
polar region Inc those that live near the
equator, mammals n amphibians. There
are some 400 species or varieties Of fur
bearing animals. and almost every coun-
try in the world furnishes its quota of
furs. China sends furs from Thibet.
Japan sends martens and badgers, South
America a kind of rat, Peru and Chile
the chinchilla, Australia the opossum. In
1898 there were 1900, 900 opossum skins
sold in London!
The muskrat furnishes the largest num-
Der of skins-in 1893. 1851, 342. OF course,
the retail buyer does not recognize the
muskrat in the furs of the marten sold
to her, but hat is what most of the
marten furs are. The collarettes n
boas sold at such low prices are muskrat
furs, and they wear we'll. Skunk n
the true marten are next in Importance.
Thu marten Is found largely in mad
and the northern part of the United
States, and so are the polecat and the
ermine. Fox skins are sold in very large
numbers. 100000 having been used in 1898.
But there are all sorts Of grades among
the foxes. The common red fox Is of
least value.
The blue fox and silver fox are most
valued. The blue fox is sometimes al
most as white as the snow on which 1t
lives and at other times Of a darker
color. It Is this second kind which is
most largely sought for. Last year the
best specimens of blue foxes were sold
for as high as $1,000 each. But the IA
nous silver fox is greatest Of all. for its
dark skin Is literally sown with white
hairs. It Is found mainly in the extreme
North, near the Arctic ocean,, In Alaska.
Labrador and Siberia, and. besides, 1t is
very rare. Some specimens Of this fur
have been sold during the last year for
s ,700.
After the first fall of snow. about the
middle Of October, the fur hunters bury
themselves in the forests. taking with
them two dogs. who drag along the
These consist Of some blankets, ammuni
ton. traps, sometimes a tent and very
little provisions. They rely chiefly upon
the animals slain for food. After laying
the traps-a work Of no small trouble
and labor-the hunter must be ever on
the alert, for the wolf is ever ready to
rob his traps Of any nimal caught
therein, and the hunter doesn't like to
catch furs for wolves.
Toward the end of the white most of
these animals disappear. and then the
hunters look for beavers, setting their
traps through holes in the, ice. When
the thaw begins their activity runs along
other lines, for the grizzly and common
bears may emerge from their winter
quarters, and their pelts are In no small
demand. After catching as many anil
mails as they can, stripping n salting
their hides, the trappers must sell the
products of their winters work. The In
dams in Canada bring most of their furs
to the forts of the Hudson Bay company.
Canada and Labrador supply most OF
the furs exported from this country. 81
IBERIA does as much for the Old World.
The most magnificent sables and a KIND
Of marten. called the kolinski. are found
there. Even the wolf, whose hide else
where is of little value. there has a good
pelt. Siberia also furnishes a large num-
her of white fox skins, ermine and gray
SQUIRREL. Even the hares In Siberia have
..A,o p,,ru Fop fha hnnfera. In that
mart Of Asia most Of the trapping ID done
by Zyrians. Ostiaks. eamoyedes and other
Magnouan tribes. Their gum are primi-
tive nintlocks, which they use very seldom
on account Of the price Of powder. They
prefer to use Q bow and arrow. and some
times only Q blunt arrow. 20 a. to stun
the animal without hurting o. staining
ths frr. Most Of their hunting = done.