El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-25
BIZ FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

United states government was TO the
Alaska Commercial company, Wnlcn ndd
a right to kill 100000 seals annually
The lease expired in 1880 ana was sue
ceeded by one with the North American
Commercial company, which expired III
1910.
Demand is Continuous.
The demand for seal skins continues
permanently and if the number permit
ted 10 be killed by the United states
was insufficient, JIG was supplemented
by the pelagic sealing, In which lle
animals were killed in the water WnlIe
on the way to or from their rocker
les This was FAR more detrimental 70
the herd than unlimited land sealing
The new treaty between the four ma
lions interested in the seal Industry
il is believed. viii protect the animals
from extinction and give all those en-
gagged in the fur business ta1r cnance.
1t viii doubtless increase the cost OF
real seal for a number OF years since
there will be a smaller number OF
skins put upon the market But with
out this restrictive measure there Is
little doubt that within 10 years the
seal supply of the world would nave
been practically exhausted
There still will be plenty OF socalleu
seal upon the market, however, since
only a small percentage OF the IuI
goods bearing that name is the genuine
article There also will be many other
furs to partially take its place Eacn
year brings out some new Iur WnlcH II
especially III 4Eul6ll4 ADE oEc-aAt-- -
two and then declines in fashionable
favor. There are always TWO or three
kinds of furs which are IN staple oe-
mand. Seal. beaver and sable are al
ways in vogue, though during the pasl
10 years the demand for various kinds
of fox furs has been enormous and the
short haired furs such as pony broad
tail and squirrel have been IN popular
favor.
Many Frauds In Furs-
There is no other branch OF trade
in which greater frauds are perpeIu-
ated than in furs- Not one article IN
10 is as represented So outrageous
have these frauds become that one OF
the greatest fur dealers in North Amer
lea lately has been stricken with con-
scientiOUs scruples against detrauq-
ing the public He has issued a table
showing the real source Of the furs sold
under various names According TO this
list which is causing no small amount
Of excitement in fur trade circles Alas
ka bear is but Minnesota raccOOn col
ored brown
ADELAIDE chinchiIa is Australian
opossum, and French ermine is made
from the selected skins Of French CO.
ney- Baltic (white fox is the FUR or
the large hare Of northern Europe, and
Iceland white fox is Thibet lamb
cOmbed until thhe hair is straight
while Kamclatka fox is the trade name
OF the northern Siberian wolf. BaiFle
lynx Is the fur Of the Belgian hare dyed
jet black and Finland lynx is the aus
LTlLlan WaAlaDN- me AaLuLdA DAd-A=
marten Is really skunk and RUSSIAN
marten is the American Opossum-
No Real ErmIne on sale.
There is a great demand for ermine
as a result Of the English coronation
ceremony. but there is practically no
real ermine upon the market 1t Is
kept for royalty itself Many a woman
this year paid 81 OF s. for a tiny piece
of cOney or cat skin with a little black
tail The tail itself VIII pc valued az
al Ia
caught the muskrat from which II was
taken received 10 cents or less for the
entire muskrat skin
There is great demand for skunk
fur 1t Is a thick, handsome fur ca
pabIe Of many treatments and there
fore can be sold under a great variety
Of names. Skunk farming IS becoming
q recognized industry in Minnesota
Michigan and other northwestern states
The prices for skunk skins are always
sufficient to make killing these AMI
mails remuneratve.
Trapper's Life Hard One
The life OF a. fur trapper Is as hard
and full Of danger and privatiOn now
as 1t ever was Starting late IN the
fall with his winter provisions upon
his back or on sledge, the trapper
follows the trail into the cold wood
land, building a shack or pitching
tent wherever the tracks indicate that
there viii be a good supply OF animals.
He sets his traps day by day, some
times spending the long winter months
without Seeing another human being
and only stopping his work in the
spring when the fur becomes so thin
as to be unstable.
There are stiu many indians in the
northwest who track furs for the
trader. Some of these live far in the
interior and never see a white man
They send their skins each year by the
half breed traders who conduct their
business very much after the same
method prevailing centuries ago.
The Fur Center.
Edmonton. in British America. is the
greatest fur trade center Of North
America It is said to be the greatest
market for raw furs in the world Leip-
sig, Germany, is the fur center of Eu-
rope. Here furs. raw and finished. are
displayed from every. country and deal
ers go there to select their stock. Lon