The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-21
By william r. sANeoRN.

BY WILLIAM r. sANBORN.
Furs. and not jewelry. are the mer-
curry in the thermometer of trade.
While 1t is true that we have long
been in the habit of noting the volume
of jewelry sales as an Indication of
national prosperity. when large. and
as to the reverse when diamonds and
precious stones are little In demand.
We have been on the wrong track, at
least for the past dozen years.
Rather a surprising statement, per-
haps, but nevertheless a truthful one,
that st. Louis, q. S. A. Is the worlds
greatest raw fur market. Not only is
this true but 1t is fact that the
greatest fur sale in all history and
at the highest record prices, was re-
Gently held at st. Louis. To this sale
came buyers from all parts Of the
world, where furs are worn and val.
,ued. There are three great auction
sales of raw furs held at st. Louis
every year and these sales have so
greatly increased IN importance that
they now dominate the markets of
the world. Every important manufac-
sturer of furs is present or is repre-
scented by an agent at these sales,
and buyers and shippers of raw furs
come fran the ends of the earth to
buy and to sell.
And even so, why are furs and not
jewelry the criterion of national trade
conditions? For this reason; In
nearly every state in the union furs
are a prime necessity at times for
winter comfort, and so may not be
classed as luxuries. But at the best,
they are expensive necessities, and
not Injuries, regardless of the opinion
OF lawmakers who have so classified
and taxed furs. Furs are bought for
comfort and wear, first of all. When
money is "easy" the fur trade pros
pers, but when finances are depressed
the fur trade Is the first to suffer,
for good furs are never really cheap,
comparatively. Warm garments of
pile fabrics, beautiful as they may be,
are always ever so much lower in cost
than lasting, comforting and ever-Wel'
come furs. When America buys furs
our people have money.
Not So with JeWelry.
There are so many reasons why we
must buy jewelry: seasons. occasions,
and all that; commencement days,
birthdays, engagement days, annlvef
saries and whatnot, that the jewelry
trade goes on forever, for the rich
are ever with US. The tighter the
dollar and the higher the rates OF
interest, the more some are benef1t-
ted; but not the masses, and 1t is the
masses, the people as whole, who buy
furs covering the whole field of fur
production, for rich alone buy the cost
ly article and at ruling prices only the
very rich can now indulge in the
srarest and most expensive skins.
s This, then, is why we say that furs
and not jewels are the real barometers
of nationwide prosperity, or OF wide
depression in trade circles.
When we state that of the four hun
dred men who attended the Spring
Fur Sale at the Funston Bros. fur
headquarters in st. Louis, and known
as the International Fur Exchange,
many travelled half way round the
world to be present, the importance OF
this great sale is at once apparent.
Over ten millions of "pelts' were on
offer, and all were sold, mostly at the
highest average prices in all fur his
tory. There was not only record
attendance from the ranks OF Amerl-
can and Canadian fur dealers, but rep
resentatives of the trade were present
from Paris, London, Amsterdam, Swe-
den, Norway, Russia, Australia, South
America and so on around the world
map. A large delegation was present
from Siberia and another from Japan
Now four hundred does not seem like
a large number OF men to absorb ten
millions OF skins, but in numerous In
stances one man would represent va
-ious manufacturers, some desiring
one class of furs and others demand
IL at hot nTfne
competition forced them to pay. AL
of these foreigners bought freely OF
American furs and a number of choice
Alaska sealskins. Hudson Bay sables
silver fox, blue fox, beaver, civet, mink
and other distinctly American furs
are now to be scattered all over the
globe, as the buyers present repre-
scented syndicates and individuals
from every country where furs are II
demand.
Fabulous Prices Paid
It is hard to realize that there ceult
be a possible demand at the extremel!
high prices brought by many choice
lots. The sale continued for days ant
to take In a million dollars in ses
sion lasting but few hours was mere
ly normal selling. The catalog show
ed upward of seventy kinds OF skins
and peltries from which to make Sc
lections, usually in large lots as as
sorted and valued. but often in small
collections of choice furs and ever
individual skins when of special me
ness and value, these running up int
the thousands of dollars per pelt, no
tably for silver and blue fox.
The Russian sable isn't large ski
and it takes a number of them t
make a cloak, but witness this: Tel
choice sables brought $10,250, or $1.O2'
each, under the auctioneer's hamme
Mt this sale. Compare this with S2l'
paid by a New York man for plain, OF
dinary marten. as known to natural
lists, but as Hudson Bay sable to tn
fur trade At the last January III
sale s67 per skin was the top prize
maid for these The lot above men
toned were so fine and perfect.
matched that bidders ran the price VI
to s21O on the man who had set hi
heart on getting them.
Government Seal Skins.
The government received an ad
vance of thirty per cent on its Alaski
sealskins, as compared with price
-. - kor,,,ar Gales Ten thOuSaQt