The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-11-06
NOVELTIES IN lEaTHERs
Skins 81 Sea Animals viii Be
ssf Popular This Winter.
ELEPHANT HIDES MOST EXCLUSIVE

They Are Difficult to Obtain and tn.
Most Expensive - More Genufn.
Slias T.1i BE IN the Market Thi.
season Than Heretofore 20 Lates,
styles I'm Trunks.
The skins Of various kinds of sea an,
imals will be popular in all Kinds OF
leather goods the coming season, says
the New York Times. There will be
sealskin and walrus. Anything which
comes out Of the sea and is adaptable
will be finely dressed and appear in AL
sorts of fashionable shapes. Not that
other animals will be neglected. The
elephant skin, which is the most costly
Of all and the most difficult to obtain,
is the most exclusive, while buffalo.
Texas steers and goats will all shed
their skins for the benefit Of the lovers
of fine OF stylish feathers.
The finest is not by any means the
most stylish, as witness the hornback.
the Gears back skin of the alligator.
which was used last winter and which
is one of the most expensive pieces Of
alligator. Its rich prongs make al ex-
cellent appearance in large bags. and
it is more or less expensive and salts
fes the. taste of the people who like the
newest and best materials. The alli-
gator is to appear in more variety and
brilliancy of color this winter, and it's
popularity will thereby be increased.
In the way Of coarse goods the Texas
steer skin has peculiarities af its own
that are quite different from coEhide.
The animals habits of life and lack of
care give the skin a coarse quality
which is effective when it is made up.
Most of the skins which are made up
into leather goods are sent from the
either sailed or dried and in New York
are tanned for the various purposes
for which they are to be used. Tan
ming fancy feathers which go into
purses and bags is a business by itself.
Skins which are difficult to obtain, like
the buffalo and the elephant, are the
most in demand by the exclusive trade,
and they bring good prices. a handsome
purse in elephant skin costing some
times as much as $50 or $40. A strange
feature about the elephant skin is that
it may be called a domestic product,
for II usually from some part of
the United States. This is not because
men in the leather business are start
ing elephant farms, as oskrich farms
have been started In the interest of
the millinery trade. The elephant is
too pracarious and long lived an ami
NAL. and he does not shed his skin. He
Is one of the animals that are worth in
fnitelg nor alive than dead, and
when IN elephant skin is obtained 1t is
usually something In the nature of an
accident.
II an elephant becomes unruly and
has to be killed, his skin probably will
be turned over at the earliest possible
moment to the leather men, and there
will be after a time a new invoice of
elephant purses or even large hand
satchels. Ii II dealer gets this skin,
he will have a little corner In elephant
skin goods.
There are to be more genuine skins
In the markets this winter than there
have been heretofore, leather men say.
The skins that have been used have
been genuine leather goods, but they
have gone under certain names that
were not exactly accurate. There was
not really an intent to deceive ON the
part OF the dealers, but II was hardly
worth while to lay In a stock Of a skin
difficult and expensive to obtain IL
there was to be no call for 1t, So for
q time the name was put out without
the leather Then the demand came,
and reliable dealers felt themselves
placed In q false position. The expert
mept has been made, and this year will
4ee the genuine skins, The spakeskin,
which was always a little Hacapay,
VIII not BIZ as popular this yep eg 1t
has been In seasons past,
The suit case continues its long run
Of popularity, The lowest priced cases
for women cost $3.50, while those for
men may be had as low as ~, Those
for the women are In finer feathers and
made on light aluminium frames, while
those for men are on steel,
The newer ch~atelaine bags are
mounted In silver, There are trunks In
al varieties and degrees Of congen-
leRce and beauty Of covering, but the
woman who has many gowns gets the
wardrobe trunk, which always stands
end UP, with adjustable coat and skirt
hangers IN the body, while Q bureau ~
formed In the cover with eompaTt-
meAts for carrying smaller belongings,
Even the trained skirt goes on these
skirt hangers, for there is an attach
ment on some Of the hangers for bold
ing the extra length, The mems ward
robe trunks bold coats ana trousers
equally well, while In the cover part
are compartments for bats, cuffs, col
lars, etc, These trunks are covered
with WatarDrOOf material.