The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-04-29

NEW YORK CITY, April 29-Tnel
beaver on the shield of the City of
New York, which at times has ap-
peared a trifle meaningless, has late
ly become as appropriate as II was
in the old days when the snrewd trad
ers of New 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 holding vir- i
tually a monopoly on dyeing and dress
ing of all expensive skins. But this /
year, with some of Europe's cleverest |
furriers transferred to New York, |
shops and certain secret processes |
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 main
tanned without a struggle. The reputa-
ton of the German furriers, whose
skill has been famous for centuries,
presents formidable obstacle. Stiff
competition is expected not only I'M
the manufacture and sale of the fin
ished skins, but in control of the raw
fur market.
Ever since the war, the American
iui llduC Aelo hViA liz
advantage in procuring raw furs, but
the recent reentry of Russia into the
worlds fur business has caused a
good deal of uneasiness in New York
fur circles. The first blow fell last
fall when the Soviet Government ship
ped 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 Ameri-
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 a single
American firm They had been gath
cred in with fine impartiality by the
Soviet government in its process of ma
tionalizing all resources.
Il suppose they demanded even the
fur eapes and neckpieces from the wo-
men in the streets" remarked New
York fur man recently. in explaining
how his firm had failed to get its furs
out of Russia. But, I'll say this for
them-they're always very polite. They
sent all of us Invitations to come over
10 Leipsic and bid on the goods, even
if they did happen to be our own. Per
haps they thought we might cherish a
sentimental 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 100000 of Furs
sfFThp sale fall was 10 first
Since then, there have been several.
Gradually, the Bolsheviki are getting
rid of about $50,000,OO0 worth of furs.
These represent old stock which have
been held since the revolution and do
not include new skins brought in by
the Russia 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, g is about as excit
ing sport as it was in the old day!
when the Hudson's Bay Company wa!
busy forcing its way through Ameri
can wilderness. The only differenc,
is that now the companys scouts ar
charging across the Boring Sea an,
invading the wilderness of anothe
continent. There's just as much ris
and thrill as there ever was-pirac
on the high seas, poaching in the sea
rookeries. Indians robbing caches an
traders starving, trappers freezing t
death on a lost trail, and wonderfu
silver fox"
Trapper Gets $4,000
Last summer, the fur dealer related
friend of his, a young tenderfoot {
eighteen or nineteen, went to the Tai
ana valley in Alaska, to try to fin
gold mine. He had studied geoIog
in high school. and he believed h
knew how to hunt one. But he wa
unsuccessful. Finally he gave I'D th
WASHING