Evening journal., 1905-01-24
DECEPTI0NS ARE
MADE IN FURS
Plain Cats and Rabbits Fur
nish Blue Fox and Chin
chilla
SEALSEINS FROM MUSEaATS

II would be interesting to know what
becomes of all tho mfislSrat, 'possum.
skunk and pussycat skins that are
sold in the wholesale far market every
year by the millions and are never
heard OF again after they enter the
doors Of the fur factories, writes VIII
liam T. Curtis in ilhe Chicago Record
Herald under date OF Washington. 1t
would also he interesting to know
where the manufacturers of fashion
able fur garments obtain their sable,
seal. blue fox, enmiDe. chinchilla and
othor rare and expensive skins, be-
cause so fow Of them are sold in the
wholesale market and so many in the
retail stores.
London is the great fur market and
two or three times q year the fur har-
vest is sold at auction. with bidders
from all parts of the world. The furs
from Greenland and Iceland are sold
at auction annually al Copenhagen; at
Leipsig there Is am annual auetion Of
those which are found in the forests of
Germany and other parts of Europe.
and at Mimi Novogorod. Russia, am
annual fair is held, where the cara
vans from Asia dump their cargoes for
sale or exchange with tine merchants
OF the European countries. These car
goes include the fur harvest from Si-
bcria and other parts OF Asia, and are
the greatest sources for THE supply of
Russian sable, Persian lamb astm-
khan and other expensive skins.
Sealskins from Alaska, TERRA Del
FuegO and other parts Of the earth are
sold at a special sale i'm London, but
strange to say, the annual supply Of
sealsldn garments furnished the retail
stores contains about ten times as
many skins as are ever offered in the
wholesale market.
Keep Record Of Skins.
The funriers' associations keep a rec
ord OF all the skins sold at the various
markets have mentioned. and the re-
turns, with prices, are published I'm cir
cular form for the information OF deal
ors. Hence, IL is possible to ascertain
the exact number OF sables and the
exact number Of slunks. the exact
number OF blue fox skins and the exact
number of muskrats and rabbits
skins just as easy as It is to ascertl ain
the number OF bushels of wheat or the
number OF tons of coal produced an-
nually
For example, we know that S096.S72
muskrat skins We're sold I'm London an
1908 and 29,547 sable skins. and that
S,62iSi2 musSVt skins were sold dur
ing the current year. and only 1880
sable skins. because the supply from
the Russian possessions which are the
mot important sources, have been al
most entirely cut off by the war;
I read IN n newspaper the other day
about a lady who recently landed i'm
New York from London with a coat OF
slble which cost her $4,000 She i'm
formed her friends THAT she picked over
5000 sable slSins before she made her
selection. As there We're only 1880
sable skins in the entire market, she
came very near making a corner. She
says nothing about muslQrat skins or
pOssum skins / have never yet heard
of anybody who wore wraps cr boas or
muffs made OF either. Yet more pos
sum skins were 00ld on the London
market than any other except musk
rats, the total sales for 1908 being D.
S55,765 skins and 1,6S6,306 for 1904.
skunk skins come third on the list.
with a total of 94S,447 in 1903 and S47. sos
in 1904 Then come kangaroo skins,
520,0S7 in 1903 and 50O,326 in 1904 Then