The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-02-28
Excerpts Taken from St. Paul Papers of
Forty Years Ago.

merous trappers who bring in their
furs from all parts of the north
west. Their stock in trade consists
of few steel traps, large hunting
knife and rifle. With these a man
will support large family and be-
come fairly prosperous. Since the
mink became fashionable the price
has been pushed up from Is cents
each few years ago to SO per skin
by the gross. There are several
large firms in St. Paul who have
grown rich through the large profits
in this business. The firms are:
Joseph Ullman, A.. Moore, H. A.
Bromley, Daley & Ryder and D.
Lowitz.
Next in Importance to the mink
comes the muskrat. 1t is found
very plentifully in all the lakes in
the entire state Their skins usually
sell for about Is cents each. The
raccoon skins bring 81 and the wolf
81. Fox skins are exported to Ger
many, where they are highly valued
for trimming purposes. Otter skins
are sent to China. They bring So
apiece. Beaver is the. only fur sold
by weight. It is worth So per pound
and is in great demand in the east.
Buffalo skins are brought down
in large quantities by the Red river
traders. The best buffalo hides are
purchased for So each by the guam
tity, although retailers have the
conscience to charge SIS for them.
A white buffalo skin is a great
rarity and is much sought after by
the traders. Maj. Hatch, of this
city, while acting as the agent of
the Blackfeet Indians several years
ago, was presented with a couple
of white buffalo skins by the chief
of the nation. They were the only
skins of that description in the pos
session of the tribe, and the COM
pliment was the highest that could
be paid. Probably three-fourths of
all the furs furnished by this state
find their way to the factories in
New York. A large fur factory in
this city would pay we'll.
The Chippewa Indians are by far
the most successful trappers we
have in the country, and monopolize
the lions share of the business,
especially since the expulsion of the
Sioux, with whom they were ever
at war. Their hunting grounds are
located in the widest and most I'm
inhabited part of the state, chiefly
in the neighborhood of the head
waters of the Mississippi and along
the shores of that chain of lakes
which distinguishes the northern
boundary of Minnesota, and forms a
natural line between the United
States and the possessions of the
Hudson Bay company. The charter
of this company was granted two
centuries ago by King James the
Second.
Mr.. Nicholas Pottgieser has en-
larged the Minnesota house, and it
is now one of the most commodious
hotels of its class in the city. He
is one of the veteran hotel keepers
of the state, and has run his present
place, corner Wabasha and Fifth
streets, for many years.
Col. Henry McKinty, an old and
successful real estate man Of St.
Paul, now has his headquarters in
the oil regions of Pennsylvania, and
is getting to the front in his usual
energetic style. He is home for a
short visit to his family.
F. R. Delano, superintendent of
the St. Paul & Pacific road, has
commenced the erection of large
wheat elevator and commodious
warehouse at the foot of Sibley
street. The elevator is to be of
$50, 0OO-bushel capacity, with stone
foundations on the railroad side and
heavy timbers mounted on piles on
the river side. The warehouse and
depot will be between the railroad
track and the waters edge. The