The Washington times., 1921-01-02
Expensive Skins

kHAfE OF the most interesting recent
dkvelep1ents of science, and one
- 4hAt PfDmises to prove OF the great
~ pfscticSlsvslue to everybody who wears
49, kxn4 - the study now being made
&Atrs which compose the fur of ami
sTA ese little threads OF animal mat
& iAnder that to the naked eye they
QSH much alike-are being studied
mpst painstaking care, and what
A&6Overed about them will make
~ terto select the most durable furs.
Z5nd Eyoid being cheated with clever I'm.
FNat sof ermine. sable and other rare
md costlyskins.
i The hairs Of seals. sables, offers. wolves,
l1ninks. squirrels and other fur-bearing ami
4 halls. including even the humble skunk
and woodchuck, are being examined under
the. most powerful croscopes-dissected
measured, weighed. photographed and
subjected to all sorts Of delicate labora-
Tory tests. The strength Of each kind of
hair is being tested in order to see how
veil 1t WI wear when made up into ar.
titles Of elothing. And the minute but num-
erous differences Of structure which make
the hair of one species Of animal quite
different from that Of every other species
are being carefully noted In order to fix
an absolute standard for Identifying the
various kinds OF fur and thus, detecting
fraudulent limitations and substitutions OF
the cheaper for the more expensive va
rieties.
Already this work has progressed SO far
that experts like Leon, Augustus Hausman,
of the Cornell University Geological Lab
oratory at Ithaca, N. Y, are able to tell
what animal any given piece OF fur came
from by studying a single one OF Its hairs
under their microscopes: The day may not
be far distant when prudent buyers will
insist on a dealers supporting his claims
as to fur's genuineness with labOra-
tory analysis OF one of its hairs. And
the next step will be to have laws requir-
ing each skin to be marked with scientific
evidencesef what ills, just as Is now done
in the oGse OF foods and medicines.
AS everybody who has bought or sold
furs knows, few articles OF commerce are
the subject of more dishonest practices,
The scarcity OF sable, seal and other skins
which command enormous prices has led
to the flooding Of the market with count.
less limitations fashioned In the most In.
genious way, from the inferior skins OF
rabbits puskrats, woodchucks and other
animals which are found in great abun-
dance Many OF these limitations are so
clever that even dealers Of long experience
are deceived by them, and the average
man or woman is entirely helpless to tell
which is the real article and which the
bogus The manufacture OF these imita-
tfDn@ furs ;hqas become an enormous indus.
ty, one tiyAalfng In magnitude that Of the
genuine, DIRa0n-pure thing.
HAhis Is why the scientific study Of the
structuf9S and Identification characters
Mes OF animal hairs is something Of more
archaeological significance. 1t is a matter
bf pSactical dollars-and-cents interest to
livery waarer OF fuTs who wants to get the
h04t3or his or her money.
Vf&is now possible" says Professor
z2SBaSsn in the American Journal Of
eEatfrals History, ITO clip. dye, pull and
sotl4xyise alter furs Of certain types so
th9r original appearance is entirely
Saps ~, they may be sold under names not
niefior ,furs. remodeled, may be sold
= 81 the names OF furs much superior in
y2Dn5n8 quality or In warmth, or in both;
for example, when remodeed, rabbit
&fEnx notGoiy poor In wearing quality is
sold as ermine, or remodeled muskrat as
seal! Such remodeled furs may often be
sold at ten times tner legitimate value,
warmth and durability considered.
"The pelts OF animals from warmer lati-
tudes, such as the opossum, woodchuck
(marmot), raccoon and certain species Of
monkeys, are worked up by skilful our
dressers into products very different from
their originals. The names which are
given to such remodeled furs are the
names Of animals OF colder ATTITUDES, such
as otter seal, sable, etc.-animals which
possess furs superior to those of the crea-
lures Of warmer zones in respect to dense
ness and softness of the under or fur hair,
and to fullness and length OF the over or
protective hair. Furthermore, the dyeing
and processing to which tho warmer latl-
tude furs are subjected render the hair
less durable because more brittle.
1T is clear that there exists n need for
some definite criterion by means Of which
furs. no matter how altered by the dyer
and remodeler, can be indubitably identi.
fed as to species source. This need the
microscopic study OF the hair shafts OF
mammals will help to meet"