The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-13
TRADING POST MENDOZA
KITTsoN, sIBLEY AND RICE EARLY coMERs.

miles of ST. Paul, while the climate is so
cold that they are found to possess ex
ceptiolfally heavy and fine coats.
The process of tanning and dressing
the skins is very interesting to witness,
and most important so far as the skin
is concerned. The skins are sent to the
fIIrier in a dry condition. They come by
express and are in a sack all mixed to-
gether When the sack Is emptied out one
can pick up otter, mink, fox and skunk
skins all wrapped with the fur inside and
the fat, foul-smelling skin on the outside.
They then go to the tanner. The skins
all go through the same process. They
are first put in big tub of brine. where
they remain for about a day, sometimes
{ daE and a half Then after the skins
have been well soaked the leather is
shaved so THAT all flesh tissue is removed
and the skin is much thinner. Then
they are died and afterward 'buttered so
as to make them pliable, after which thew
are worked thoroughly either by hand or
by machinery. Then the skins are all
placed in a large revolving drum and
rolled together with mahogany sawdust.
This removes all the grease from the
hair
a great many things enter into the
value of a skin. Indeed, it is decided by
such little things as shot holes, scratches
caused by lighting with other animals
and imperfections of every character.
w hen they are dumped out of the sack
IN which they are sent little blue snots
Ihese marks look like discolorations of
the nesh, while in reality they are shot
holes and when the skin is tanned thew
snow entirely through. Although there
are rev or any skins that do not have
oIemlshes. they do not often have shot
holes, as most of the furbearing animals
are trapped. All defects are emf ont in
uart Shapes and the Sits are then sewn.
up AFTER TINS the skins are moistened
and stretched in order that the n,:cIar.
maze by the seams may be all smoothed
Careful Selection of coIors.
dhen comes the interesting work Of
1 mnefhlhg the skins according to color
IHeHSIh OF halr, nature of fur and size
One garment will require ali the wav
from four to twenty-five skins. Then the
SKINS go to the furriers, who ioin them
oeee1tner Dy lacking or sewing MANY
Oi these furrierS are Russians and Tar1S
ne greatest skill is required in cnttinp
SO mat the dark stripes and the char.
acter of the skins may be retained AZ
Ier the SKINS have been sewn together.
rms process consists of Wetting the
Ieatner and mailing it to large boards SO
that the leather will shrink where II is
TOO Iull After it has dried slowly the
colldr and sleeves are put on. The lin
ing and stfffening is then put in ana tha
nnlSh!ng touches applied BY this time
garment.
L, Ao4uOtl Is the Iur sales market of
the world. st. Paul is the fur purchas-
ing market of America. Here for many
years SKINS have been bought directly
from the trappers and shipped to Lon
don and Paris and the other great cities
OF the old world. Skins can be bought
at st. Paul cheaper than they can be
poughe-anywhere else in the entire world
An old Indian trapper is authority for
the statement that otter, beaver, skunk
and muskrat are still very common along
the Mississippi and the Minnesota rivers
near this city. The Indians and half
breeds are still the chief trappers
throughout the entire Northwest, and