The daily morning Alaskan., 1901-11-08
FURS
Valuable Industry Reported
 On By Consul McCOok

The following article on the furs Of the upper Yukon is contributed as an of- hclal report to his government by J. c. NcCook. consul Of the '. s. at Daw- son;
 Dawson is tho central market for a vast extent Of fur-bearing country, stretching from the Mckenzie basin to the coast range and from the Porcuplnc Co the Ilootalinquu. In this nrea, per haps iOO0 men arc engaged in hunting and trapping. exclusive of the Indians. and from Dawson. fully io,OOo pcltrlcs are annually exported Co the great fur markets of London and New York. The Industry yields revenue every year of nearly SS5o,OCO.
 The season Is now at nand when tht hunters and trappcrs are moving thei outfits to the various rivers and streams whore they will winter and men arr leaving town almost daily for their Ions soiourn amid the "grcat white silence. In most cases. the work of reaching their destination is Of an intensely ar luous nature. as they must pole thei' canoes to the headwatcrs or the swift est streams. make long porases, ant n,nctratc pathlcss woods But nc hardshlps daunt these Yukon tnppcrs and they well deserve the success they SO frequently achieye.
 In the local fur market London quo. totlors govern These are fixed tw.cc a year March and August-hy bo'r of principal dealers iu that city. anc prices are galgcd according Co that scale in an parts of the world except Russia Tho present rates. compared with last years prices. show on increase on bear beaver otter and mink. and decrease on slvcr-grav fox. martcn. wolf and wolverine. on most otncr pcltrics. quo' tutions arc the same. X wide difference ls oftcn noted between the maximum and Che minimum figures; this is due tc vnriatI1ue in Che shade and quality of the fur. and Go the time Of the year in which the animal was caught For in' stance. pclts of bears caught in tho spring. just after the hihcrnatlng pro cess is ovcrs are worth much more than those secured in the fan. because thciI fur tx soft and thick. instead of harsh and thin In all pelts winter fur com mands often three times as much as summer fur in price and In most eases dnrk-colorcd fur tx worth much more than the lighter varieties.
 Local dealers soy the polts in thif vicinity are of better quality and obtain higher prices than those taken Qlong the Lower Yukon and rn the Alnskn coast The hair K softer and more glossy In appearance.
 In varieties. martens arc the most mum. orous and black fox thc scarcest. The latter is thc most valuable of all. good pclt readily bringing Go. and musfra' is Che lcost costly, being worth only cents
 The favorltc rivers among the trappers are thc Pcny. White. Stewart and Por- cuplne. while game hunters prefer th' lIondikc and Forty Mile. because of their accessibility Co a ready market The Big and Little salmon Hootalinqua Chandclar and Selwyn rivers are also frcducutcd by many trappers, while a goodly band is scattered along the Yu. flowing Into the Mckenzie basin are also considered choice trapping grounds.
 The annual production Of the different varieties of pclts, their market value and special fncts distinguishing their dis trihutlon arc given as follows;
 Bcar-Black, silver tip. brown, griz- zly and cinnamon: found an over Che country from March Co November; mum bcr shipped. s0o: price, Sio to S5. uI takes an exceptionally nne skin Co bring moro than thc maximum figure quot cd.
 Beaverton an streams. but chiefly numerous on White Pclly and Stewart rivers: number shipped. ejoo; price s35' tos5