The Washington herald., 1912-06-30
FREAK" INDUSTRIES
BIG MONEY MAKERS
sons Who Have Entered "Pest" Raising.
Skins Are Valuable

Freak Industries" might be an appro-
PIRATE title for the means by which many
lenergetic and astute persons are combat
ing in this age OF enlightenment. In the
past a man would have ridicuied a propo-
sltion TO earn living by raising pests. d"
Pests Is what the animals now being
raised by seekers Of the proverbial pot OF
gold ore, or rather have been known as
In the past. but from the proceeds derived
from such an industry II Is possible that
within a few years these creatures will
have taken their place in the ranks with
cattle. horses, and other live stock classi-
fed as domesticated animals.
| The animals referred TO are foxes and
goats. II may seem strange, but from the
results obtained by tho pioneers OF this
Industry. # is probable that others will
enter the select circle and reap the de-
sired harvest Of gold.
$4,000 n Year PrOht.
A nice little business OF $4,000 prof
It a year-that isn't an enterprise most
people would snin at. is II? Well, one
man has reached this level. raising
foxes; and there are others whose de-
votion to the vermin-that's the way
| they are classified, no better than rats
running close to $500.
It is only natural that. since neigh
bors and dealers and various others
have learned OF the money to be made
In fox farming. the curious business
should have a sudden incursIon OF cap
ital and labor. a phrase that sounds
bigger than II really amounts to. The
capital may be much or little. as you
have II to invest: the labor may be all
the kitchen. Compared with the
amount and numbers engaged In the
business q few years ago, the additions
appear considerable. but considering
the market and the opportunities, there
is room for plenty more.
Women are the people responsible
for II; their insistent demand for furs
has suddenly raised Sir Reynard to an
economic Importance he never had be
fore. And the prospect Is that he
won't lose his prominence for long
time TO come.
The Russian government has declared
closed season OF several years for the
most expensive fur in the world. the
sable; because no matter how high the
price OF sahles rose, the demand kept
right on increasing. and the sables, nat
Urally. kept on decreasing. It was only
in the face OF imminent determination
Of the whole tribe Of sables that Russia
at the last hour decided IN deprive its
trappers Of their most-pr:zed prey.
Prices Arc High.
Now. sable IS about as far from fox
as the Gar is from a moujlk. but II
points the moral Of the entire fur trade
Its mos; impossible. most despised IrnIra-
ton is the Manchurian marmot, vet the
avidity Of the world for the most mis- |
cradle n the furs that have any faint
resemblance to the aristOcrat Of furdom |
has long been so intense that the terrible |
toll OF death taken by the plague in |
Manchuria and China a year ago was d. |
rectIy traceable 70 infected fieRs on !
bodies Of marmots that had died Of the |
scourge
Mink has risen TO almost prohibitive |
prices: muskrat skins have become val |
liable after a century Of near-worthless-
ness leopard skins. with no warmth in |
them, have been made a fad, and no.
body knows how soon some syndicate /
will be formed TO dig the hairy NAM
E:Oths out OF Russia's glaciers for the
sake Of their hides as feminine chest !
protectors.
Fox fur IL exceptional in its profusion,
thickness. warmth and natural beauty.
Its one native drawback is that, wet,
it is liable TO give forth the vermin odor:
its one fashionable handicap has been
that it was altogether too cheap. But
the rapid disappearance OF all the finer
furs has signaIly removed the second
objection. and one can pay as much now
for set Of common red fox fIrs as
would have been asked for a mink stole
hfty years ago, while a fine mink coat
Is not too dear at a couple Of thousand
dollars.
Yet there are certain fox skins that
rate 50 far beyond the most exquisite
of the sables even to-day, that the IA
nous sable ranks merely as a begEarly
substitute. They are the s0-calIed silver
Srays; and one animal is worth 600.
Arc Paying Enterprises.
II is on silver gray foxes that the
1oooo-a-year mani. l. Bowerman. Of
Wyoming, Ontario-is making his money.
He has, however, been at the game for
\ dozen years. and has struggled through
all the disappontmcnts and difficulties
which attended the breeding OF his erratlc
variety.
Elijah Norton. at FoNcroft. in Maine.
: an old hunter who has been at 1t twice
s long, trying with all his experience
n make silver foxes breed true. He de- ,
lares IL to he impossible, and contents
imself with rearing mainly the red fox ,
or hunt clubs IN the BeTkshiTeS, Penn ! ,
ylvania, and New Jersey, and on Long
sland. Occasionally he does succeed in :
reducing q young silver gray. and then
lis years receipts jump, Of course But
lis average Of profits Is from 1000 to ,
l.5NN, earned on the red foxes sold to
unters for SIS to $50 n pair. '
The ontario enterprise began with a ,
ouple OF true silver Grays, dug out Of I
heir den as puppies. Breeder Bower :
IAN, who had long thought OF the big :
honey in the business, went right to It, ,
-hle his neighbors had the laugh Of :
heir lives. He kept on breeding: they ,
ept on laughing. II cost him thousands &
( dollars. but at last he produced silver
rays in numbers high enough 10 make c
hem pay $4,000 expenses. His animals &
how the genuine black color while the i
lmous sllver-gray band around the hips, :
hish gives the breed its name. contains h
he characteristic hairs. black at root
nd end and silver gray in between.
Canada Has Fox Farms. E
Canada now has a number Of farms on :
hich endeavors are being made to emu (
te Mr.. Bowerman. and he gets a large +
ortiOn OF his income from selling his
nimals alive. A pair will bring $4,000 n
The cost Of rearing foxes is chiefly in 1
,e first investment, for the ground must
: wired high and close, with an over q
lng like a big. inward roof extension: -
I'd 1t calls for similar wire carried down :,
yo feet into the ground and then a =
,uple of yards inward horizontally. Rey- i
lrd is always a very unwilling captive, =