Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-12-18
DRESSING AND MOUNTING SKINS.
How They Are Made Into Rugs-FaIse
Head with Animals Teeth.

IL the reports OF the large 1arriers are
to be believed there Is a gS1stabie craze
now for rugs made Out of the skin of
some wild beast. Thousands of skins
are now converted into charming and
delightful rugs, and they certainly in
clude great variety of animals. from
the monkey TO the lion and the little
Teddy bear TO the huge polar bear.
The dressing and mounting OF these
skins is ut uuce a strange yet faseinat-
ing business, Naturally the most valu-
able skin today is that Of the king of
beasts A lion skin. with a well mount
ed head aud flowing name. viii fetch as
much as kl00 0r even LILO, though oC-
casOnaily they can be picked up for
ESQ or a little less. At depends upon
whether it is a full grown specimen. the
rarity OF the species and ITS condition.
When first received by tae furTier the
raw material certainly dues not look
inviting; but after % kortuigilt's work
upon t. during which period ii passes
through ms many as twelve different
hands. ii is converted into charming
aud majestic rug, fitting adornment
fec any mansion.
First of all il goes lnto the picking"
vat, a receptacle containing certain
chemical liquids, where IL remains for
two or three days At il then scraped
with large knives, when ID is placed
in tub aud beaten under foot in saw
dust 1t now passes TO tbs drying room,
where il is suspended on hooks and al
lowed TO remain IN Il dry but high ten
perature for several hours IL is next
hcHtou by two men with long cants.
This beating has the effect Of making
1.-the skin pliablC. All that requires TO he
done now Is 80 make ali bad places goan
such as bullet h0les aud rents caused
through spear thrusts, and mount IL.
If il is desired to mount the pelt with
: head the furpter hDs 10 call in the
taNidcrnlist TO ms a1d.
The skin of the polar bc8r measures
from 40 feet to as much as IL feet or
even II feet in length. and from feet
to feet in width, IL Yevltable miniature
carpet Of glossy white tux, 8ah 10 2ts
inches ia depth These rugs. TOO. are eN-
pcnsyc running from as low as E33 10
3 $50 apiece and more. IA be- Dry con
( uuisseur in skins that can fell their real
market value. In the ease nf the polar
/ bear IL is very SELDOM tllat "a perfect
specimen is found. Most Vk these skins
! contain Il slight shade az brown. whereas
they should be OF pure sjlycry white
color. ID is this Wilderness that decides
! tEcu yane
Most Of the hatds used Oh rugs now
adays are made of papleE InnC h.. with
occasionally the original teeth of ahe ami
NAL They are covered, of course. with
the animals own skin. Making good the
= Whiskers. the hair Of tae eyebrows aud
1gettiuE lte-hke pose about ihp face is
a TASK which only an artist in this line
can undertake. The skins of the tiger
leopard aud the other great eats go
/ through the same processes. Then the
furrier viii mount five az SIX of the
smaller animals, such as fhe lynx. fox
wolf, etc. on one EyHpdation, making
1 them up into a good sixad rug.
The skins themselves are attained by
The furriers from the ur0gniged markets.
They secure them from the periodical fur
au Ips hpi1 at the GTfltssn sEfsTAa p,s,,si.
in Germany, Mimi NovEortsd IN Russia
! Bokhara In Persia. and so on To these
markets the great fur trading companies
send their wares. These in turn obtain
them from the trappers aud hunters We
have some idea of the enormous trade
] done in this curious merchandise when it
/ ia stated that the annual value of the
/ turs and skins sold iB the recognized
markets amounts TO E.ssN0. 600. Tit
+ Bits.