Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-28
CHAT WITH COMMISSIONER cHlPMAN ABOUT THE
GREAT FUR COMBINATION

I The staples are beaver, otter mink
| fox and muskrat. There are, Of course
many other kinds, but these are the
| chief"
Where do the worlds furs come
| from?'
They are mostly from the north TEN
| perate Zone replied the Hudson bay
| commissioner. THE best are from cold
| countries Siberia and northern Russia
| supply some, but by far the greater
| part of the furs used by men are from
| North America, and they are handled
by U.S.
Then the Hudson Bay company IL
| rhe largest fur company of the world -
| II think so. II markets more skins
| than any other"
THE GREAT FUR MARKET.
Where do the furs go after they
leave this continent?'
ITO London. That is the chief fur
market Of the world skins IN the raw
state are sent there from Russia, 81
IBERIA and North America. Every fur
company sorts and grades its own skins
before selling them. IT matches the
furs as far as possible together. 3 They
are put up In punches or strings and
are catalogued before sold. At certain
times of the year there are auction
sales OF furs IN London. The fur buy
ers from everywhere come there. and
all the furs are put up and sold TO
| those who bid highest"
"Who prepare the furs for use?'
THAT Is done by the dealer who buys
them. The wholesalers do not tan nor
, cure. They merely sell the raw skins"
What is the most valuable fur on
the marketT
The silver fox. replied the commits
sioner II have seen skins of that anil
NAL about three or -four feet long and
not more than rs inches wide which
were worth $500 each The silver fox
is freak IN nature, and It Is only now
and then that one is born. They are
greatly priced by The Russians"
Where do the sables come from"
Mostly from Russia We have very
| few on this continent
HUDSON BAY COMPANY.
"Are there many other companies
engaged In the fur business outside
yours2"
Yes; there are traders here and
there who are buying furs, but there
is no organized competition to speak OF.
The field IL open to all, but the Hudson
Bay company has been so long on the
STOullu ullO It's bptIbllpilS are ul ShNli
large scale that II Is not easy to com
pete with IT, Indeed, 1t would take n
long time and great deal OF money to
build up a rival institution that could
cover the field as We do.
GETTING SKINS TO THE MARKET.
1T must be difficult to get the furs
from the wilds to the ports?'
at is," said Mr. Chapman I'VE
have every kind of transportation for
that purpose. Some of our tfurs are
carried on the backs of men from post
to post. others are dragged across
country on snow sledges hauled by
dogs, some are padded In canoes by
Indians down stream To the traders,
aud they are also carried In sailboats
and steamboats,. The Hudson Bay
company has Increased its trading fa-
cllities by using modern Inventions.
We have steamers ON all the large riv-
ers and we send ships once a year
up the Mackenzie To the Arctic ocean
taking a cargo OF goods from post to
post and bringing back furs. We have
boats upon Hudson bay and our ves-
sells come from England TO those posts
once year To bring In supplies and
take out the furs We have now two
ships of 500 or 800 tons each for that
purpose. We also have telephones and
telegraphs In places away up IN tho
far north"
FLOUR MILLS OF FAR NORTH.
How about your -four mills?"