Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-11
SALE OF BOGUS FURS
Cats and 'Possums Classed as
Mink and Fox.
RECORD OF SKINS KEPT
ONLY AN EXPERT CAN DETECT
IMITATION FURA
Builder of New Lake Training Station
Mrs. Hearst's Gifts to the UNI
versity Of California.
RECORD OF SKINS KEPT
ny WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
II would be interesting to know what be-
comes Of all the muskrat, possum' SKUNK
and pussy-cat skins that are sold In the
wholesale fur market every year oy tue
millions. and are never heard Of again
after they enter the doors OF the 1ur iac-
tories. II would also be interesting to know
where the manufacturers OF 1asniohaoi'
fnr garments obtain their sable, seal. blue
f,x ern,fne chtuchilla and other rare ana
expensive skins. because SO few Of them are
cold In the wholesale market and so many
in the retail stores.
Iondon ia the great fur market, and two
or three times a year the fur harvest Is
sold at auction. with bidders from all parts
of the world The furs from Greenland ana
Iceland are sold at auction annually at
Coperhagen; at Leipsig there Is an annual
auction of those which are found in the
forests of Germany and other parts OF Eu-
rope and at MIMI Novgorod, Russia, an
annual fair is held, where the caravans
from Asia dump their cargoes LOT SAFE VI
exchange with the merchants of the Euro
pean countries. These cargqes include the
fur harvest from Siberia anu other parts
of Asia, and are the greatest sources I0r
the supply of Russian sable, Persian iamp'
skins from Alaska, TERRA Del Fuego ana
other parts of the earth are sold at speciat
sale in London, but, strange TO say. ens
annual supply of sealskfn garments 1ur-
times as many skins as are ever oaefeo Ia
the wholess lie market.
Record of All Skins.
The furriers' associations keep a record
of all the skins sold at the various mar
kets 1 have mentioned, and the returns
with prices, are published in circular form
for the Information Of dealers. Hence, 1t ID
possible to ascertain the exact number OF
sables and the exact number OF skunKs,
the exact number of blue fox skins and the
exact number Of muskrat and rabbits skins
Just as easy as 1t Is to ascertain the mum.
Der Of bushels of wheat or the number OF
tons Of coal produced annually. For e1-
ample. we know that 3,O98, S72 muslkrat
skins were sold in London in 1903. and y, :
SAT sable skins, and that 1924, 812 muskrat
skins were sold during the current year
and only 1880 sable skins, because the
supply from the Russian possessions. which
are the most important sources. has been
almost entirely cut Off by the war;.
read IN a newspaper the other day about
q lady who recently landed In New York
from London with q coat of sable which
that she picked over 60O0 sable skins be-
fore she made her selection. AS there were
only 1880 sable skins In the entire market
she came very near making corner. She
says nothing about muskrat skins or pos
sum skins l have never yet heard of any,
body who wore wraps or boas or muffs
made of either. Yet more 'possum skins
were sold on the London market than any
other except muskrats, the total sales for
1903 being 1855. 165 SKINS and 1.636.3O6 for
1904. Skunk skins come third on the list.
with total of 94S, AT in 1903 and SAT COS in
1904. Then come kangaroo skins, .081 in
u. Tt,av@ Nv,
skins, with 26S, 100 in 1908 and 500, 465 in
1904