86 THE FUR TRADE OF AMERICA 



The fact that seal life is coming back to normal production justifies 

 the law, however foolish it is in many respects ; and for a full fair 

 discussion of the imperfections of the law there is no better 

 authority than Dr. Barton Warren Evermann of the California 

 Academy of Sciences, himself an American, who is at least in 

 sympathy with the American contentions. 



Seal fur in its native form is a dark grizzled red gray, with the 

 under fur tinged deep red. The over hairs, or whisker hairs, are 

 very long, which protects the pelage. The hairs are a dirty, greasy 

 mass. The pelt must first be blubbered and washed in warm 

 water. It is then stretched on hooks and dried in blasts of hot air. 

 It must be soaked to loosen the long hairs. The top hairs are 

 removed by a blunt knife. The skins must be warm for this process. 

 When the rough hairs have been plucked, the pelage is left a dark 

 drab. The pelts are then tubbed and shaved. This process so 

 far requires three months. The pelts are then pasted together 

 back to back. Over holes in the fur — eye holes, etc. — brown 

 paper is fastened to prevent the dye staining the pelt. A ground 

 coat of dye is then applied. This application used to be trodden 

 in, applied cold. From 9 to 14 coats are then brushed into the fur, 

 before the final beautiful brown lustre is applied. 



The seal is dipped to darken the top ; and it is for this dip 

 the dyers of England were celebrated. The dyeing process requires 

 from six weeks to two months ; and the art is a trade secret. 



I do not know the order in which the various processes are ap- 

 plied ; but the skins are cleaned in revolving drums filled with 

 sawdust. They are beaten, trimmed and sorted. All edgings 

 taken off are used for trimmings, capes and felting. Belly fur 

 spoiled by wear and rubbing on the rocks is used in the same way. 



Hair and harp seals taken off the coast of Newfoundland and 

 Labrador were formerly used only for oil and coarsest leather. 

 Of late, they have come on the market as fur, the baby white seals 

 resembling a spotted leopard skin, only a light, almost bluish sea 

 gray. They are not in the same class of furs as Alaska seal, or 



