Evening star., 1916-11-05
copyright. 1915. by Frank C. Carpenter,

FAIRBANKS.
IN JRING the past few weeks 1
III have visited some of the largest
III II fox farms of Alaska. There are
altogether, perhaps, ten or
twelve in the territory. There are sew
eral along the Yukon river and some
not far from Prince William sound.
There is one at Copper Center on the
trail between Fairbanks and Valdez.
which is said to have 200 foxes, and to
have sold three live ones not long ago
for just about $4,000. There is a farm
at Baker Hot Springs which has paid
at high as $500 apiece to the Indians
for black fox pups. and one near here
which has Interested eastern capital
to the amount of 100000. Judge
Moran, a member of the Alaska legis-
lature, has established a fox farm at
Shungnak on the Kobuk river in
arctic Alaska. He is raising white
foxes as well as blacks, reds and
crosses and says that these animals
can be reared just as easily as cattle
and hogs.
During my stay in the Klondike, 1
had a talk with Albert f. Lamb about
the fox farms at White Horse and
Dawson. Mr.. Lamb is the registrar Of
Yukon territory and secretary of one
of the fox-farming companies He says
there are four fox farms in that vicin-
ity, and that the furs they produce are
far superior to those OF eastern Can
ada and Prince Edward Island. Alaska
and Yukon furs of all kinds are quot
ed by fur houses at 20 per cent higher
than those Of eastern America, and fox
skins from this region are worth 40
per cent more than those caught
around Hudson bay. Indeed, the best
tors of the world come from the very
cold climates, such as Siberia and
Alaska, and the day will come when
the fur-farming industry of these lati-
tudes will be one of the great CLOTH
ing industries of the world.
The business of fur farming was be-
gun by the Canadians about twenty
five years ago. The first fox ranches
were on Prince Edward Island, and
that little island today has the largest
and most profitable farms in the world.
There are 210 different companies en-
gagged in the business. and their capi-
talization is about s30,00o,000. The
most of the companies are paying divi-
over $4.000.000. The island has about
800 fox ranches. and the business has
spread to other parts of Canada. Over
Nova Scotia. Newfoundland and New
Brunswick, and farms have been start
ed also In Quebec. Ontario and Western
Canada. There are several fox farms
in New England, some In New York
state and a number in the far north
western part of the continent
The chief originator Of fox farming
was Charles Dalton. who Is now a mil
was born in Canada and started life
as a fur trader and trapper. He
realized the value Of fox skins and
concluded to see IL he could not raise
foxes in captivity. He started with
red foxes but about twenty years ago
was able to get two pairs of silvers,
which he bred on his farm on one of
the islands. He succeeded and kept
on buying wild animals and breeding
tame ones. He was known to have
many fine skins. but no one knew of
the wealth he was making until the
small banks of the neighborhood re-
for deposit. 1t then leaked out that
he was selling skins produced on his
ranch for prices which averaged hum
dreds Of dollars per skin; ana that he
me a record Of 203 skins sold by him
from his farm on Prince Edward Island.
The sales cover a period & Of "a fifteen
315s, 900, or on the average $77s.2s per
skin. Dalton also sold foxes for breed
ing. When he sold his ranch 1t had
twenty pair OF silver foxes upon 1t.
He got 100000 for It. or an average
OF $4,000 per pair.
In the meantime the news of Dali
tons success had spread over thu
world. Other fox farms were estab.
iished and were capitalized 1t large
sums. according to the number Of
breeding animals they had. Many of
them have paid large dividends. and Z