The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-21
GENUINE FURS ARE WELCOMED BY FASHION WORLD Alaska Sealskin to Resume Former Place in Fold of
 Fashion. SEALSKIN HERD IS
 OWNED BY U. $. Will Be Thoroughly Ameri- can Product Through
 out.


 less unmistakably, has the genuine Alaskan sealskin resumed its former place in the scheme of furs fashion able.
 limitations may come and imita- tions may go-they usually do; but the genuine article almost invariably retains all of its prestige undimmed. During the several years that closed season was declared by the United States Government upon the genuine Alaska seaisl1in for the protection and rehabilitation of the fur seal herd, il was but natural that limitations and substitutes of all sorts should pre- sent themselves. Chief among these was the so-called Hudson seal-the which, truth to tell, was and is but a clevely sheared and dyed muskrat. just that same muskrat that haunts the marshes and meadow lands from the Gulf to the Great Lakes in our own country; and one that is generally known as musquash abroad. Other substitutes for the genuine Alaska sealslsin are a sheared and dyed Aus tralian rabbit, known under several names; but being dyed to the seal color claim to be seals and are however unustly-marketed as such. Of course, these substitutes are most ly marketed at prices much below that of the genuine Alaska sealskin; but when one considers that they give but a season or so of wear, they are in the end somewhat expensive purchases.
 Furriers generally are glad to well come the genuine Alaska sealskin back into the fold of fashion. The IJudSon r,rouo1 y,oprn or less unsatisfactory substitute for the real thing, according to the pro- fessional fur man. For one thing, the name gave many people the i'm pression that it was a real sealslIin originating somewhere in the Hud- sons Bay districts; and, therefore, as good a fur investment as is the gen. uine Alaska sealSkin. Tn the nature of things this was impossible.
 The Alaska sealskin herd is owned by the United States Government, and is, therefore, a national possession. Wherever a fur seal herd occurs, the government having Jurisdiction over the waters they frequent, becomes the owner of the herd. Thus Russia owns the Copper Island herd; Japan has a herd that frequent the northernmost coasts of that little Island Empire the Republic of Uruguay South Amertca) owns the Lobos Island herd; and Great Britain the Cape of Good Hope GSouth Afrfca) herd.
 There Is a tiny herd off the coast of Australia; but the belts are so small and th1nly furred that they are scarcely to be considered a factor in the fur seal situation. But the Alaska fur seal herd, frequenting the Pribi- lof Islands, in Boring Sea, is the fin est of them all; and the prices set on the genuine Alaska sealskin regulate approximately the prices paid for all the others.
 In other days the United States Government leased out the sealing privileges to private parties. Under this arrangement the government proffted about s1 apiece for the seal skins taken. They were then shipped to London. there to be dressed and dyed; for long was the London method---a secret rocess---believed to be the best there was. Our fur buyers and traders had to journey to London, pay commissioners expenses there, pay ocean freight and marine insurance on the Alaska sealsl1in pelts back to the United States; and then Uncle sam exacted a heavy duty at the port of entry, for the sealskins had gone abroad as raw material, and were returning as processed or man. ufactured goods. So it was that the American women had to pay a higher price than Europeans for the privi- lege of wearing an essentially Amer | ican fur.
 | Now. however, all that is changed | When the Alaska fur seal herd, under the terms of the Boring Sea Treaty of 1896 were placed under the direct care and supervision of the Bureau | of Fisheries, Department of Com. merce, the herd had dwindled iron over 5.OOO,OOO to mere handfu | of some 100000. Now. under tn, 1 scientific care of Dr. Hugh NJ Smith | Commissioner of the Bureau of Fish | cries, the herd has rehabilitated itsel | somewhat, so that the fur seal cen sus last year was around 375, 900. No | by any means yet what it used t | be: but increasing rapidly.
 l Leading furriers are displayinj | some exquisite garments fashione, | from the genuine United States Gov
 ernment Alaska sealskins. Thes
 are from the first commercial kill O
 last summer. Instead of being sen to London, as heretofore, they ar
 now dressed and dyed in St. Loui:
 Mo-, after a new process, which give
 far better results than were eve
 achieved before.
 The St. Louis dyed sealskins have
 rich and deep lustre. and the colol
 Instead of wearing rusty as the old
 time London dye invariably di'
 grows richer and deeper with az,
 just as do the colors in an Orients rug. Leading furriers of the Unite } States are most enthusiastic over tn results obtained in the new St. Lou process; and at the last sale of Uni ed States Government Alaska sea
 skins in St. Louis buyers from LOT ) don and Paris paid high prices comparative open auction for thes beautiful and long-wearing belts.
 The high price of muskrat has raj cd the price of the so-called Hudso seal garments to an almost prohibitiN , pitch. The wise furrier of tods . | presents the case to his customs somewhat after this fashion,:
 Here iA a soscaIlsd Hudson SC . coat, which is but a sheared and dye ? muskrat; and which will, with car . give you a couple of seasons wea
 and for this I must ask you $500