The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-06
PROSPEROUS TIMES.
Furs Worth More Now Than for tn

Furs Worth More Now Than for the
 Past Thirty three Years.
 The many trappers operating in northern Minnesota will reap a rich harvest the present winter, meaning many comforts, even luxuries in the log cabins of scores of sturdy settlers in the wilds of the northern country, who are mainly dependent upon their traps during the cold months for a livelihood.
 The settlers and professionals in the country directly tributary to Duluth look for the most part to mink, narten and otter to make their trapping ope- rations profitable, and the belts of these little animals at present com- mand higher price than at any time while there has been a decided slump in the prices. paid for furs from the black, blue and silver fox, which bring only fifty dollars each now, where a year or two ago they were as high as three hundred dollars apiece.
 Last winter $450 was considered a good price for a mink pelt, and it wasn't more than season or two back that $2.5O was the highest paid for a single pelt of this kind. Now a choice raw mink fur will bring eleven dollars, and a marten pelt from eighteen to twenty dollars, where six or seven dol lars was paid last winter. An otter skin Is worth twenty-two doollars just as it comes from the trapper's hands, which is away above any price paid fer more than thirty years. Quite a few fisher are caught through northern Minnesota, and these are worth from eight to ten dollars. Beaver are very scarce in this state They are worth | from seven to nine dollars each.
 The higher prices paid for furs will also prove boon to the Minnesota In- dians, or such of them at least as have any business ability. A good many of l the Indians trap during the winter, but the trouble with the majority of them is that they do not know the value of their catch, and are likely to sell a twenty-two dollar otter pelt for four or | five dollars, and a eleven dollar mink pelt for a dollar, or perhaps pint of whiskey The white man is well aware of this fact, and sorhe agents make it | their business during the winter to do nothing but buy furs of the Indians, selling them later at handsome mar gin of profit.
 These agents usually travel from res- ervation to reservation to reservation i by dog team or snow shoes.
 Even the little weasel, scores of which daily leave their tiny tracks in the snow on the outskirts of the city, are worth $1 each for their pelts. They were valueless three years ago, and two | years ago were worth ten cents each | For time last winter the belts brought | fifty cents each. The weasel also be- longs to the homologue of the Amer ican sable, together with the martin mink, fisher and otter The American sable really is the martin, according to some authorities. It is commonly called the pima martin, and at first glance the only distinguishing feature between it and the mink is spot oi beautiful orange color on its throat 1 just under the chin.
 A grizzly bear skin is worth $40, ii ,n the best condition, but of course griz- zly bears are unknown in this state Many black bears are trapped and trappers anda. in onffilla yfy l..V | shot, however, by settlers, Indians and trappers.-D. H.