Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-10-09
St. Louis Becomes Fur
Center of the World

The United States government thru
Secretary of Commerce Redtield has
just made q decision that will make
St. Louis the fur center of the world.
the government catch of seal skins,
foxes and other Alaska furs, from Lon.
don to ST. Louis.
This is the first time in history thai
the American seal catch has been
marketed through American channels,
and the action Of Secretary William
c. Redfield is regarded by the com
mercial organizations and bureaus of
commerce with great favor; partic'
ularly as being significant of the &C,
tivity of the Wilson administration in
| paying close attention to all manufac-
turing and trade interests.
! The United States thus will dispose
of several thousand raw seal skins
constituting the 1918 catch. And un-
der the protecting laws favoring the
increase of seals, the sale will in
crease many fold in the coming years.
The next step will be the removal
from London to St. Louis of seal skin
tanners and dyers, establishing in
America a great new manufacturing
industry.
Thus will a trade of great proper
tons be fostered. But more than this
1t will mean the elimination of the
present heavy duty now paid on dress.
ed and dyed skins prepared in Europe;
while the skins will be dressed and
dyed in America Just as well, If not
better, according to the statement of
the best European dyers themselves.
The economy thus effected by this
home industry and by the absence of
the former heavy duty will eventually
mean a saving of several hundred dol.
lars a garment to milady in the pur-
chase of the aristocrat of all furs.
The Government furs by the deci-
eiph "a SCSiStuiy VI SOiihiSi CS .ISSu-
field, will be sold at public auction by
Funston Bros. G Co, of st. Louis, who
are ~eminently qualified for the re-
sponsibility.
The first sale is scheduled for
some time III December, at which time
the representatives of the great fur
riers of America and Europe will as
gemble at the Funston Fur Exchange
where this wonderful collection of
seal skins will be sold to the highest
bidder. Philip B. Fouke and A. M.
Ahern OF Funsten's will conduct the
sale for the st. Louis firm.
Some Seal History.
The history of the seal is one of the
most absorbing and romantic OF all
the great American industries. While
the U. s. government has produced
wonderfully Interesting books on the
subject, and which can be had free
OF charge, the whole country will be
interested In a few facts bearing on
the seal history OF North America, es-
pecially In the light OF the recent ac-
ton OF the department OF commerce,
which stamps ST. Louis al the fur cen-
W of the world.
The prsce paid to Russia for the
whole Of Alaska was s7.oe09o0. The
revenue from the aeai islands alone
rough. barren, forbidding spots that
comprise hut an i~nanitegtimal area of
the Alaska map, has been Sit. 900
more thru twice the sum paid for the
entire territory
This area comprises the PribiIof
Islands discovered id 1885 BIZ. the Rus
sian navigator whose name the islands
bear. III ~ the seat of the most inl-
portspt fur seal colony III the world.
Next ~ Importance lis the Commander
herd owned by Russia. while the Kursi
herd owned Ny Japan comes third.
During the i3rsl year of Uncle SANS
possession. the catch was about two
hundred 10 sees0te seals, but tbe herd