The Republican journal., 1911-11-23
North American Furs.
,e,l Skunk, Muskrat and Marten. How
skins are Prepared for Tanning.
TChicagO Tribune.

ariO, IOT lueIl I'VE" YIN, anu Tie
OF Maine produce the finest mink
on the continent. Second in quality
e skins from the Lake Superior
: of the United States and Canada.
western Canada and Alaska yield
II third grade, while the Chippewa
reservation of Wisconsin produce
.lrth grade skins. These are the
=" skins.
this class of prime pelts, too, are
-radations as to the size of the
ranging extra large, " "me-
and small.
# the prime class are four other
ions running Eight" as to color;
L" again; and No. IS and No. As.
light skins are due to climatic
ions in the south. The small and
b" and As" of the class ordinarily
10 young to have grown coats of
lg enough, the heaviest pelt of any
mink family contributory to Chi
is trapped in Illinois. But the
clement is lacking; coarse hair is
.teristic of the Illinois animal and
= it almost valueless. Out of the
middle west region these mink
carry to the expert the particular
\ of country in which they were
Also, the time of year in which
we're trapped must be marked in
ndition of the fur. a
'etermine the value of one of these
SKINS and decide upon its quality,
j inside out as it is with only the
the tail visible, the expert merely
ack the rump portion of the skin
ing. He looks to discover if a
the animal has been left in the
he pays attention to the careful
ng of the skull which leaves the
and eye-holes and lips intact. A
Der bullet hole or few shot per-
5ns do not affect the value of a
aln for the reason that the furrier
. iust how to stitch over the blem-
re me the Canadian Indian as a
r and skinner, ;" said my guide.
have the four legs with the claws
II likely leave the teeth of the
as they were in life; the bristles
nose will be there, intact. This
an Indian at large is the best man
game and he gets the best money
work, and the expert will pick
IS handiwork anywhere. He has
hing of his own in the work which
lite man can't copy"
.nge that the mink-which in the
= of the middle west was an in
1le pest TO the farmer having a
1use-should have become in these
i ears one of the most popular and
sive of the native fur-bearing ami
For he is by no means approach
y tlnction if one will listen to the
= west farmer whose farm borders
/ river, with banks Astounding with
ted trees and occasional rock strata.
lcken yard is his measure of the
d : activities, when in the course of
hts the marauder may decimate a
+ 80 hens.
7nty years ago the farm boy who
big mink in midwinter pelt and
ed his hide and ''planked'' it was
late to get silver half dollar at
zeal commission house. The man
aid him 70 cents for the skin was a
] buyer. Today 10 times the price
ID for the stripped skin, and the
81 available grade of mink skin
ands $3.50 cash.
ing with the mink as the most
ar and valuable of the common fur
e animals, the skunk is probably
second. After the skunk comes
cocoon, then the 'possum, and last -
lastly more numerous than any
of these animals-is the muskrat.
usands of farm boys have skinned
1oriferous skunk and tackled his
N the side of the barn to dry on
s-ward side and disposed of it at
lIage hidehouse for quarter. To-
he skunk skin of average grade
5 1926 to the trapper, with the
skin of average size and quality
/ to the trapper at the same
re price. But to the farm boy the
ng of a skunk was a dozen times
common and easy than the taking
raccoon.
ID the skunk and the raccoon pelts
one-half the price of the best
. Of mink, the reader may judge
'orth of these furs to the manufac-
OF fur goods. Sizes of the two
is and the condition of the furs
their several grades. 1t is note
II that the largest raccoons and
IS come from Minnesota, while the
st skunk is native of Texas, the
5t State in the union.
p raccoon skins in the Bach estab-
mt are held there as the largest
ever received from the body of this
D of the bear. Both skins came
Minnesota and are exactly the same
Irements. They measure 46 inches
tip to tip and "a inches across. Each
las fur of the finest class, carrying
arkest shade and the pronounced
barring of the tails.
oppossum is a southern creature
ural habitat. A few years ago he
t worth skinning, where now the
er gets Is cents for a skin Of fair
today the muskrat is the most
rously trapped fur-bearing animal
: continent. For several years his
mas been dropping in price. Last
here was a distinct slump in the
bringing 30 cents to the trapper
-e average pelt. A few years ago
sons receipts for this house ran as
as 730, 200 rat skins. Its fur large
lsed as Innings now, while once it
river mink when worked up into
and collarette of cheap prices.
gan always has produced the high
iality of muskrat skins. The skin
= rat is thin and easily torn but they
,eceived stripped outside in, the
tail amputated, as is the opos-
3, and stretched on a board.
. fox family is numerous in the
d States, Canada, and Alaska. Red
ray fox skins of good grade bring
'apper about So each-a price which
unds the average person when he
iers that a Minnesota skunk is
twice aS much The wbita foy of