The sun., 1900-08-05
USES FOR DEERSKIS.
Guides Who Understand Thoroughly How to
Turn It to Good Service.

Guides and the native hunters OF the Adiron-
dacks region have a variety OF Uses for tho deer
they kill. There are still good many hunters
who know how to tan the deer's hide and few
who Use as one Of the tanning agents liquid
extracted from the brain OF the deer. From
the tanned skin many articles Of use are made
The thick hide from the neck Of an old buck
Is excellent for moccasins. and the art Of moe
casin making still fingers here among those
whose ancestors lear ned IL from the Indians
The men and women Of French Canadian ex-
traction are especially apt in household arts
OF this sort learned from the savages. Cheap
as factory made gloves are. a few women OF the
region still cut and stitch buckskin gloves.
Whole suits Of buckskin are made by expert
women Of these parts. Such suits were once
much used by the thrashers, who travelled from
one mountain farm to another to thrash the
small oats crop Of the region A buckskin suit
Is good for a dozen years Of hard usage. and
with care will last lifetime. 1t is remarkably
warm and impervious TO water.
One rarely sees nowadays such a suit with
the hair on. A garment with the hair on TO
be serviceable must be made from the skins OF
deer just coming into the blue" as the hunt
ers express 1t, for then the hair Is short smooth
and tough. Later It is long and brittle 1t is
necessary. too. II such suit is to be of uniform
color, that II be made from corresponding
parts OF skins from deer OF about the same
age and shot about the same tine Even II
the law did not stand In the way. 1t would be
difficult in these times TO shoot in single week
enough deer Of the same age TO yield the de-
sired quantity Of hide Of uniform color. so a
deerrkn suit with the hair on is rarely seen.
One still does see, however mOccaslns with
hair inside and out. and very soft, warm,
inviting slippers they make. Racooon skin now
furnishes cheap fur garments in these parts.
OF coonskin TO brave the January winds.
Raw deer hide Is used for many purposes.
II makes excellent thongs for tying articles OF
bls shoestrinss. You may buy in these parts
rustic chairs with seats and backs OF woven
rswhide. The green akin is cut In thin strips,
stretched until II Is almost translucent and then
elastic chair Of almost indestructible material,
Deerskins with the hair on are stlll used for
carpets ard mats, though here again, as in the
case Of the deerskn suits. the skin is not service
able unless the deer BE- shot Just at the right
season. Nobody is more fastidous than the
Adirondack guide in these little matters. II no
cannot have his deerskin coat or carpet Just
as IL should be. he will 20 without. though he Is
Indifferent enough as 10 store clothes and ordi-
nary household furniture.
Out Of the marrow from the shank bones Of
the deer the guides make by laborious process
a beautifully clear. sweet oil. which will keep
in good condition for years. IL Is much used
by Jewellers ana .NdtCflflhkers DeCausD OF pc
cullar qualities that exactly ut their needs,
This oil is sufficiently scarce and useful TO sell
for high price.
Buckhorn walking sticks are much commoner
in New York than In the Adirondacks, and
indeed the hunter Of to-day finds little use for
the antlers save as trophies. A tiny bone OF
the leg furnishes sharp and strong toothpicks
see ia the houses OF guides stools, the legs Of
which are those Of the deer. carefully cured
with the hide and skin. In beauty and usefulness
they fall far short Of the excellent and durable
furniture that guides make from native ever
green timber.