106 



riSHEKY AND FUR INDUSTRIES OF ALASKA IN 1912. 



third more than by shipping them to the States. A large nmnber of 

 small shipments to furriers will thus have come directly from this 

 company. Mink, marten, and ermine are the principal furs handled 

 by them. In sets the following prices were obtained on an average 

 during the past season: Mink, $7 to $8; marten, $13 to $15; ermine, 

 $1.50 to $1.75. The price on ermine was above value owing to the 

 large local demand; $1.25 to $1.75 being all an extra good bunch is 

 worth in the States. Below is an estimate of the number of the skins 

 purchased by a company at Fairbanks the past season and the average 

 prices per skin: 



Furs Purchased by One Dealer at Fairbanks, Season of 1911-12, with 

 Average Prices Paid then and in 1910-11. 



This table shows the considerable increase in the prices paid in 

 1911-12 over those of 1910-11. 



There are several other buyers at Fairbanks, each of whom buys 

 about the same quantity as the one whose figures are given in the above 

 table. 



Several extra fine skins were brought into Fairbanks during the past 

 season, among them being two very dark and unusually beautiful 

 marten that sold for $100 and three beautifully matched silver-gray 

 fox skins brought in by a prospector. These were shipped to London, 

 where they brought $600 each. 



TANANA DISTRICT. 



The region about the mouth of the Tanana is rather low and full of 

 small streams. Back some distance from Tanana the country con- 

 sists chiefly of low hills with small valleys and streams between. 



No large quantity of fur is obtained near the post itself; most of the 

 fur brought in to Tanana comes from points 40 to 50 miles distant. 

 Near by, however, in the many sloughs about the mouth of the 

 Tanana, considerable numbers of muskrat are trapped or shot. A 

 good many mink also are obtained. Marten are brought in from the 

 hilly country. 



As there are no important trading posts along the Porcupine and 

 Chandlar Rivers (which join the Yukon near Fort Yukon), consid- 



