Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-04-29
NEW YORK NOW
HEADQUARTERS
OF FUR TRADE
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

New York, April 2S.-The beaver
on the shield of the city of New
York, which az times has appeared
trifle meaningless, has lately be-
come as appropriate as it was in
the old days when the shrewd trad
ers of Nieuw Amsterdam placed it
there. For New York now claims
to be the center of the worlds fur
industry.
Before the war, Leipsic enjoyed
this prestige, the German city hold
ing virtually a monopoly on the dye
ing and dressing of all expensive
skins. But this year, with some of
Europe's cleyerest furriers trans
ferred to New York shops and GER
tain secret processes evidently
transferred with them, American
furs are rivaling and even surpass-
ing the fine peltries exhibited in
the Leipsic market.
Yet this lead is not likely to be
maintained without struggle. The
reputation of the German furriers,
whose skill has been famous for
centuries. presents formidable
obstacle. Stiff competition is ex
pected 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-entry OF
Russia into the worlds fur busl-
ness has caused good deal of UNI
easiness 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 empha-
sis because most of the furs were
the confiscated property of private
firms and individuals, including
several Americans. Some of them
had come from the palaces of form
err 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 dol
lars worth of skins belonging to a
single American firm. They had
been gathered in with fine imparti-
atty by the soviet government in
its process of Matchmaking all re-
sources.
~ suppose they demanded even
the fur capes ano necxpieces from
the women in the Streets re-
marked a New York fur man re-
Gently, in explaining how his firm
had failed to get its furs out of
Russia But, I'll say this for
always very polite.
They sent all of us invitations to
come over to Leipsic and bid on thu
goods, even if they did happen to
be our own. Perhaps they though
we might cherish a sentimental at
tachment for some of the furs, ana
they weren't going to be so mean
as to stand in the way of our buy
ing them back, If we wanted to.
Selling 5O,OOO.00O of Furs.
1.-THE sale last fall was the first,
Since then, there have been sew
eral. Gradually, the bolsheviki
are getting rid of about S5O.00O,O0e
worth OF furs. Tnese represent old
stock which has been held since
the revolution and do not include
new skins brought in by the Rus
sian 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 cross
roads and village fairs of Mon
golia, Manchuria and Persia.
These Leipsic boys won't have any
cinch, believe me, even II they are
so friendly with the bolshevilsi
Besides, we have the great fur
resources Of Canada and ALASKA to
draw from on the continent here
at home.
1.-THE fur trade today" he con-
tinued with enthusiasm. "is about |
as exciting sport as it was in the |
old days when the Hudson's Bay |
was busy forcing it's way |
the American wilderness.
The only difference is that now the |
scouts are charging I
across the Boring sea and invad-
ing the wilderness of another con-
tinent. There's just as much risk |
and thrill as there ever was--pira-
cy on the high seas, poaching in |
the seal rookeries, Indians robbing |
CdtlltS anu LldutiS 5lui N'ho, 'i"I
pers facing death on lost trail.
and others growing moderately |
rich over night from the pelt of
some wonderful silver fox"
Trapper Gets $4,000.
Last summer. the fur dealer re-
lated, a friend of his, young ten
ierfoot of eighteen or nineteen
went to the Tanana valley in Alas
ka, to try to find gold mine. He
had studied geology in high school
and he believed he knew how to
hunt for ore. But he was unsuc-
,essful Finally he gave up theat-
Tempt and outfittec TO spend the
winter in the wilderness. He "just
ri hnk-nR kIIGHT