The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-09-03

Cant. chi son, while he was
talking TO me. Il occurred 20 mo an
az once that the least OF those
gowns, the poorest one Ia the lot.
was worth at least a marten
sklnl Think OF az A martcn skin,
from Northern Canada and Alaska.
returned the trappcr around $50
IN 1880. Now let me set down
20 brass taeks.
ITS true / don't intend TO sell
kpny OF those hairy old white trap
Peers any womcn's silk gowns But
this was what was going 20 have
you do, first you were TO hire a
good auxiliary schooner strong.
sturdy. seawurthy two,mnstcd craft
such rs is used IN northern trad.
lng. You'd III that craft out with
few weeks supplies and an tho
hold with a couple OF thousand of
those gowns You'd need two or
three men TO run the launch-I
believe tho usual crew Is pilot.
first and second engineer and a
oook-and you'd have 70 have a
seamstress 20 do fitting and make
miner alterations Then you'd
start UP Tor Beglng Sea.
you may not know u. but along
tho coast OF Alaska. and turnout
the islands OF Bering Sea there
are hundreds OF little. scattered
tribes OF Indians. all OF them trap.
pers OF the finest. high.pricod furs.
Nor DO their women dress In furs
and skins altogether. either. as
popular legend would have you be-
lieve. Thru their hot. long sum
MGR days they wear dresses Ike
American women. and tho gaycr
and prettier tho dresses. tho better
they ike EN-. To my knowledge.
no one has ever led thom silk
simply because silk was too high
hut being women. red or white.
they'd simply go crazy over ii.
The other factor IN tho com.
bination is that the Intrepid. due
to the unsettled FUR market, failed
10 do any extensive buying on her
|last annual trading trip thru the
Islands. and as result practically
all the Indians have their fuu
catch on hand The Intrepid "a
the only trader thru the particular
chain Of islands have in mind
The skopin group. north and east
OF the Aleutlan chain-and she's
not counting on going up again
till spring. Then she'll reap a
rich harvese--unless you get there
first.
The Skopin islands are chnrsed
= ssssr tnzr arc Inhabited at all
easy 10 find. easy to get 20 with
seawoTthy launch. Every one
OF these Indians you'll find there
viii buy dress for his squaw or
his daughter 10 show off In. dur.
ing the summer. and pay for Il
with fine piece OF fur. For some
of the brighter. richer gowns /
haven't any doubt but that you
could get blue and silver fox. As
say. the worst o. EN- ia worth
AZ least n single uarten. Consid.
erlng your lack of space. I'd limit
you TO martan, blue and silver fox.
fisher and mink. and perhaps such
other freak furs as would bring a
high prlce-no white fox or musk
rat or beaver. perhaps not even
errnlne and land otter. Ply along
from island 10 island, starting north
and working south and west clear
out among the Alsuts. TO keep
out OF the way OF winter. showing
your dresses at the Indian villages
and trading them for furs!
This is August I'm already
arranging for license. You'd
have TO get going in a week. Hit
as far north as you want--tho
farther you go the better you
viii do-and then work south.
Making a big chain that cuts off
the currents and the tides. the
lskopIn group Is surrounded by an
rnbroken Ice sheet in mldwiuter.