Forest and Stream 
A Weekly Journal. 
GrorGe Birp GRINNELL, President, 
346 Broadway, New York. 
CuHar.es B. Reyno.ps, Secretary. 
346 Broadway, New York. 


Copyright, 1907, by Forest and Stream Publishing Co. 
Louis DEAN Sperr, Treasurer. 
346 Broadway, New York. 


| 
'erms, $3 a Year, 10 Cts. a Copy. | 
Six Months, $1.50. J 
NEW YORK, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1907. 
|THE OBJECT OF THIS JOURNAL 
ll be to studiously promote a healthful interest 
outdoor recreation, and to cultivate a refined 
ste for natural objects. 
—Forest AND StrEAM, Aug. 14, 1873. 
| AMERICA AND THE FUR TRADE. 
Wit the buffalo eliminated the 
javer partially, and the sea otter and seal 
oducing a steadily diminishing proportion of 
» annual output of material for furs, America’s 
'- trade is more important now than it was in 
» palmy days of the old-time hunter and 
upper. According to statistics furnished by 
ce-Consul Burrell, stationed at Magdeburg, 
re money is now earned on skunk, muskrat 
id fox furs than ever before on beavers, sea 
ers, seals and other rare furs. The sea otter, 
lich formerly furnished 100,000 furs annually, 
‘Ids not 400 at the highest, and the seal also 
much scarcer, as the number of sealskins 
\s decreased from 100,000 to 10,000 yearly, but 
her fur-bearing animals have taken the place 
| these. 
The depots in the United States and Canada 
id the largest part of the furs they receive 
the three famous fur markets of the world— 
‘ndon, Leipzig and Nijni-Novgorod. The 
ying itself is done by expert fur brokers. 
'n London the furs are sold by auction and 
| average of $5,000,000 worth of raw furs are 
posed of there annually. The principal sale 
Nijni-Novgorod, Russia, takes place in 
gust. There all the Asiatic furs, such as 
-sian lambs and Astrakhan, Mongolian goat- 
ns, and Siberian sables, ermine, rare squirrel 
ls, and, although in very small quantities, 
Jers and seals are sold. 
(he Leipzig market is held at the great fur 
esse” at Easter time. To it come buyers 
| sellers from North and South America, 
‘sia, China, Siberia, Japan, Tibet and Eng- 
d. The “Messe” lasts two weeks and is an 
sresting relic of medieval times, which still 
lins its importance. The fact that Germany, 
ch furnishes no fur-bearing animals, plays so 
yortant a part in the fur trade is due to the 
sring and dressing of the furs. Whole towns 
cities are engaged in the preparation of the 
skins. Austria and Russia produce the best 
irrel skins for lining, but they must all be 
t to Germany to be dressed. 
he secret of this dressing lies partially in 
wing the fat out of the skins without soiling 
fur, which is of great importance in the 
» of ermine, white fox, and polar bear furs. 
ny dressers finish the furs with poor fat in- 
i'd of butter, or do not properly remove the 
leasant odor, as they do not treat the skins 
1 mahogany shavings. Germany takes the 
y:most place in the coloring of all sheepskins, 
ich is attributed to the composition of the 
entirely, 

German river water and to the properties of the 
German clay. There are sent annually to the 
sales at Leipzig and Nijni-Novgorod 200,000 
English fox skins, 500,000 German fox skins, 
300,000 Russian fox skins, 90,000 American red 
fox skins, and over 50,000 Alaskan fox skins of 
all sorts. 
NEW JERSEY STEPS FORWARD. 
THE news of the meeting of the gun clubs of 
New Jersey, held last Saturday at Montclair, to 
form an organization for the protection of game, 
is very gratifying, and ought to yield important 
results. New Jersey is now almost alone among 
the States of the Atlantic seaboard in permitting 
the spring shooting of wildfowl and the summer 
shooting of woodcock. and it is high time that 
the State, renowned for her stern control of law 
breakers, should cease to legalize the excessive 
destruction of wild game. 
Dr. A. K. Fisher, of the United States Bio- 
logical Survey, was, of course, wholly in the 
right when he declared that more wildfowl are 
killed each year than are produced each year, 
and his stern warning that the destruction of 
game birds must be further limited is entirely 
justified. 
The meeting resulted in the formation of an 
organization to be known as the Association of 
New Jersey: Sportsmen for the Protection and 
Propagation of Game. A very large number of 
New Jersey gun clubs were represented at the 
meeting, and as stated in our report elsewhere, 
Mr. George Batten was elected president of the 
association, and Mr. E. Winslow, secretary. 
New Jersey is full of good sportsmen, of men 
who for years have felt ashamed of her selfish 
game law policy. Now that an association has 
been formed, all should work hard for the better- 
ment of these laws and so benefit themselves and 
the country at large. 
CREEDMOOR. 
WIMBLEDON, in its palmy days 
our rifle range in Great Britain, was closed 
several years ago to satisfy residents of the 
neighborhood. Last week the Creedmoor rifle 
range, on Long Island, was temporarily closed 
by order of Governor Hughes, and this action is 
quite likely to be followed by an order that will 
put a stop to all rifle practice on this at one 
time the best known rifle range in America. 
As stated in these columns three months ago, 
complaints had been lodged with the Queens 
county grand jury, alleging that citizens and live 
stock had been injured and property damaged 
by bullets that missed the targets. The State’s 
representatives, on the other hand, told of the 
safeguards that had been applied from time to 
time, and of further precautions that would be 
taken to prevent accidents. 
The grand jury, in its presentment, told how 
persons had been hurt, live stock injured or 
the most fam- 
( VOL. LXIX.—No. 16. 
1 No. 346 Broadway, New York. 
killed, and buildings damaged by stray bullets 
that found their way outside the range, and asked 
the Governor to stop all rifle practice at once 
Even if the range is again opened, after addi- 
tional safeguards shall have been taken, it seems 
that as a practice ground for the young men of 
the State, Creedmoor’s days are numbered, for 
it is evident that the residents of Queens are de- 
termined to bring about its 
a State institution and its conversion into build- 
ing lots. 
For a number of years 
open only to the National Guardsmen of New 
York State, but before that it was the scene of 
some of the most spirited contests for interna- 
tional and national honors that have ever been 
held in the rifle shooting world, and for a long 
time the sound of the word, Creedmoor, was 
music to the ears of the short, mid and long 
range civilian marksman of the nation, 
condemnation as 
Creedmoor has been 

ALTHOUGH in many States the shooting season 
is open, those where game is to be looked for 
in the brush have as yet offered little reward to 
hunter or gunner. The autumn is as backward 
as last spring was, and frosts have not yet come 
to kill the weeds or loosen the hold of the 
leaves upon the trees.. If birds are found, they 
disappear at once behind a leafy screen. In 
southern New England at least there appear 
to be no woodcock and very few quail, while 
the ruffed grouse, though perhaps existent, are 
not visible. This, of course, is the wandering 
season for quail and ruffed grouse, and they can 
hardly be looked for with much hope of success 
until the sharp frosts have come. It was only 
last week that a farmer in a New England town 
found a partridge trying to break through the 
fence between the street and his front door yard, 
and getting his gun, shot it. The poor thing 
deserved a better fate. Reports of the rail shoot- 
ing along the New England coast show the last 
season to have been a very unsatisfactory one. 
The few birds killed are reported to have been 
bred birds, and there is said to have been no 
flight from the north. It is far too early as yet 
to predict anything about the fall shooting, but 
when the crisp weather of mid November comes 
we shall hope to hear more favorable news. 
sd 
Tue bison which were given by the New York 
Zoological Society to the United States Govern- 
ment for the purpose of assisting in the estab- 
lishment of a herd on the recently acquired 
Wichita Preserve in Oklahoma, shipped 
last week by express from the New York Zoo- 
logical Park in charge of an ‘xperienced cattle- 
man, and barring accidents, st )uld now be crop- 
ping the short grass of their Jermanent home 
The Wichita Preserve was se_vcted with great 
care, and there is every reason to believe the 
Bronx herd, and additions that may be made 
from time to time, will steadily increase. 
were 

