Valdez daily prospector., 1909-01-15
PLANS FOX FARM AT COPPER CENTER
Superintendent Heideman to Cultivate Black Ones
 By Breeding.

A black fox farm, owned and oper- atcd by the government, is project which c. w. II. Hcideman, superin- tcndent of thc..agricultural experiment station at Copper Center, intends to add to the productive industries of that patcrnal ranch. The government has plenty of land in Alaska for scv- ' 'cral Kinds of experiments without pnching space on miners and home steaders, and Mir. lIcidcman figures that if black foxes can be generated successfully instead of being just all lowed to happen a new and exceed ingly profitable industry will be add ed to AlaSka's wealth.
 Black fOxskins are the rarcst and most valuable of furs. The finest fur scalskin is worth about 23 cents on z the dollar with black fox as the stan , dard of value. Mr. Hedcman has no fear that a fox farm would break the back of the mark", for long time.
 Black Foxes Freaks $ Black foxes are believed to be freak in nature, like black sheep, whit" blackbiri- and red-haircd nc grocS. Still Mir. lIcidcman thinks the freaks can b" multiplied by careful selection and breeding, just as Luth- CT Burbank has produced green roses and other impoSsbilitics in nature. He believes ne black fox belongs to the silver %r.r trib" and in that opinion is upI"i by other authorities.
 FI'."n miles from Copper Center E.Ihi1 My. Dam, d quiet hilltop in spit" of '.namc, where foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests. In the foothills of this rustic re sort silver grey foxes are more numerous than anywhcr" else in Alaska and the tribe is always more or less dotted with black skins. This induces Mr.. iicideman to believe that the region is d natural habitat of silver grevs, and he is even hopeful that something in the scenery or air currents has d tendency to make gray hairs grow atramental. The project is to make il the dOmicilc of silver foxes and the sit" of an effort tp strcw more black hairs among the silver.
 Hopes for the Best
 MT. licidcman's only fear is that partial Reconsideration or too close as Sociation with dcpravcd humanity may cause the fox fur to dcterioratc in quality, but as the stock will still be kept wholly in the open air and breathe the same ozone he is confident that such will not be the case. Perfect black fox skins are almost unknown. The finest specimens have few white hairs but if they are not numerous woman can smoothe the black hairs over the white ones SO d man wouldn't notice them. Of course another woman would be sure to rub the fur the wrong way so as to show up everything.
 The agricultural experiments at Cop per Center have been decided sue cess, especially hay raising. From l5 acres of oats last year the station sold twcnty-two and one-half tons of hay for Si70O. ROadhOusc keepers in the Copper valley nearly all do little farming and add to their profits by getting fabulous prices for hay and vegetables. All the hardy vegetables thrive there, the most serious handi- cap being the lack of rainfall. Mois- turc laden air seems to pass by the Copper valley as a rule and move on north
 In the trial of case at Nome, be- fore Commissioner Stevens, in the days of 1900, an amusing incident oc- cured. fellow was charged with stealing a sum of money from a French count. A barkccpcr was on the witness stand and testified that the defendant had taken q drink of absintllc shortly after thc alleged rob bcry. The defendants attorney, now in Fairbanks, evidently not knowing what abSinthc was, cOnfoundod it with the word "ab|cnt." When it. came time for roas-cxaminai ion, the youth full disciple of Blackstone asked the witness:
 "What did you mean sir, when you said my client had taken drink of 'abscntY Did you mean that there was nothing in the glass?"
 What the hclrs the matter with you," indignantly replied the mixol- ogist. Trying to make damn fool of mcY'
 It was some time before order was restored, the judge himself leading in the laughter.
 A gruif hardy sailorman was suing