The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-29
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERTC ,. HAsKINs DlreCe~Es
Washington. ID. @.
FIRST IN FURS.

DE4NGI On ADS SAAAC-A u tAAC OANJ -
New York, which at times has APP
peared a trifle meaningless, has lately
become as appropriate as it was in
the old days when the shrewd traders
of Nieuw Amsterdam placed it there.
For New York now claims to be the
center of the worlds fur industry.
Before tho war, Beipsic enjoyed this
prestige, the German city holding vir-
tually a monopoly on the dyeing and
dressing of all expensive skins. But
tile year, with some of Europe's clev-
crest furriers transferred to New
York shops and certain secret proc
esses evidently transferred with them
American furs are rivaling and even
surprising the fine peltries exhibited
in the Leipsic market.
Yet this lead is not likely to be
maintained without a struggle The
reputation of the German furrlers,
whose skill has been famous for CEN
turtles, presents a formidable obstacle
Stiff competition is expected not only
in the manufacture and sale OF the
finished skins, but in the control OF
the raw fur market.
Ever since the war, the American
fur trade has unquestionably held the
advantage in procuring raw furs, but
the recent re-ehtry of Russia into the
worlds fur business has caused good
deal of upeasiness in New York fur
circles. The first blow fell last fall
when the soviet government shipped
nine carloads of furs to Leipsic to be
sold at auction, to pay for German
locomotives and farm equipment 1t
fell with all the greater emphasis be-
cause most of the furs were the con-
fiscated property of private firms and
individuals, including several Amert-
cans Some of them had come from
the palaces of former Russian mobiles,
while others had been removed from
the packs of small fur traders and the
large commercial warehouses. Among
them were about four million dollars
worth of skins belonging to single
cred in with fine impartiality by the
Soviet government in it's process OF
Matchmaking all resources
At suppose they demanded even the
fur capes and neckpieces from the
women in the Streets remarked a
New York fur man recently, in ex-
planning how his firm had failed to
get its furs out of Russia. But III
say this for them-they're always
very polite. They sent all OF us invi-
tations TO come over to Leipsic and
bid on the goods, even If they did
happen to be our own. Perhaps they
thought we might cherish a Senti-
mental attachment for some of the
furs, and they weren't going to be so
mean as to stand in the way of our
buying them back, if we wanted to.
Selling $50, 900, 900 OF Furs.
1.-The sale last fall was the first.
Since then, there have been several.
Gradually, the Bolsheviki are getting
rid of about $5O.0OO.000 worth of furs.
These represent old stock which has
been held since the revolution and do
not include new skins brought in by
the Russian trappers. We've got Just
as good a chance to buy the new furs
as the Germans. Our fur scouts are
over there now-in Kamchatka and
Siberia and down at the crossroads
and village fairs Of Mongolia, Man
churia and Persia. These Leipsic
BOYS won't have any cinch, believe
me, even if they are so friendly with
the Bolsheviki. Besides, we have the
great fur resources OF Canada and
Alaska to draw from on the continent
here at home.
THE fur trade today" he continued
with enthusiasm. ''is about as exciting
sport as it was in the old days when |
the Hudson's Bay company was busy
forcing its way thru the American |
wilderness. The only difference IS |
that now the company's scouts are
charging across the Boring sea and |
invading the wilderness of another
continent. There's just as much risk |
on the high seas. poaching in the seal |
rookeries, Indians robbing caches and |
traders starving, trappers freezing to |
death on a lost trail, ana others grow |
the pelt of some wonderful silver fox"
Trapper Gets $4,000. J
Last summer, the fur dealer related. |
a friend of his, young tenderfoot of
eighteen or nineteen, went to the Tan !;
ana valley in Alaska, TO try to find a |
gold mine. He had studied geology |
in high school, and he believed he |
knew how to hunt one. But he was !,
Finally he gave up the
attempt and outfitted to spend the
winter in the wilderness. He Just
wanted to see the country" he told !
his dfCa friends vVhn triad
their best to argue him out of the
idea. That was in the fall, and they
did not see him again until February.
But when he appeared he caused the
sensation of the year by bringing
twenty-three pelts of silver black foxes
with him. He made $4,000 on that
One trapping expedition.
YES" unused the fur dealer, eff I
were only a young man, you wouldn't
find me here in New York. I would'l
be up in the north country making
I new fortune Furs have never been
anywhere nearly worth what they are
will bring from $3.50 to $500 on the
edge of the trapping country-and the
demand is simply immense. There
has never been anything like 1t be-
fore.
Years ago, the Hudson Bay COM
pany thought it was doing fine bust
ness il it made $500, 900 in a year
To-day, even a little fox ranch on
Prince Edward Island will sell for
. 100000 In the height of the boom,
vi, 10000 worth of pelts were sold
n ten days at the St. Louis auction,
md millions of dollars worth of furs
ire sold every time we have an auc-
ion in New York, which is about three
lines a year"
1t was not until the time of the
Worlds Columbian exposition in Chi
ago that the great demand for furs
started in this country. Before that,
hey had been worn only by the very
In that year. however, came
With it the first widespread use of fur
trimming. Since then. the demand
has grown by leaps and bounds until
odaY practically every fnr-bearing