48 Dressing and Improving. 



the skins were washed so as to open the pores and 

 cleanse them from dust and dirt. After this was done they 

 were exposed to the frost. Later still it was discovered 

 that the skins would be greatly improved by plunging 

 them into water containing a solution of alum, and then 

 putting them into vinegar. These baths protected the skins 

 from rotting. After they had been dried in the shade the 

 skins were moistened again and beaten, stretched and 

 otherwise manipulated until they were supple, clean, and 

 free from disagi-eeable odors. The Indians had a way of 

 loosening the skin from the smaller animals that was 

 cleaner than any other process. They would puncture the 

 skin in two or three places, where no injudy would be 

 done by the cut. and insert a quill. By blowing through 

 the quill the air would be forced between the flesh and the 

 skin, which could then be stripped off without a knife." 



Catlin, in his ' ' North American Indians, ' ' said : ' ' The 

 Indians dress buffalo and other skins by leaving them 

 in a lye of water and ashes until the hair can be removed ; 

 then they strain them on a frame, or upon the ground 

 with stakes and pins driven through the edges into the 

 earth. After they have been in this position for several 

 days with the brains of the buffalo or elk spread over 

 them, the squaws dry and soften the skin by scraping 

 the fleshy side with a bone sharpened at the edge upon 

 which they bear the total weight of their bodies. 



As before stated, the Germans surpass all others in 

 dressing squirrel skins, and they have few equals in 

 dressing cats and beavers, the only objection to their 

 method being that it leaves the pelt of large skins 

 rather thick. 



The English specialties are chinchilla, marten, sable, 

 skunk and fox. the only objection to their processes 

 being that in cold climates the moisture in English 

 dressed skins is apt to freeze and cause them to become 

 hard. This never happens to Russian dressed skins, but 

 they have an unpleasant smell which it is hard to eradi- 

 cate. This is also true of the Chinese method, whicli 

 leaves a very unpleasant smelling powder on the skins, but 

 the Chinese are successful in dressing sea otters and tigers. 



