—.-I
GREAT FUTURE fOR FLR
FARMING; INDUSTRY GRfWB
The Seattle Times of recent .iate
eontaine da special dispatch from its
Washington correspondent with the
reassuring statement that the hys
teria which attended the beginning
of the domesticated fur-production
industry of the United States and
Canada is steadily disappearing.
Stoc ksales and other forms of pro
motion, he says, are giving place to
the makin gof profits out of the in
dustry itself.
The results along the line have
been satisfactory. As to fox farming
in particular,- the speculative ele
ments are almoost entirely gone. Mr.
Itedington is willing to be quoted as
saying that “fur, farming in all its
branches has shoWn general improve
ment in recent years, and may now
be consideed a permanent addition to
agricultural development.”
Statistics compiled by him show
that there are approximately 5,000
farmers in the United States and
Alaska engaged in the production of
one qr more species of fur-bearing
animals; the majority of them are
raising silver or blue foxes. The total
investment in the business is be
tween $20,000,000 and $30,000,000 and
is increasing.
Canada’s Business.
The Dominion Bureau of Statistics
states that there are 3,380 fur farms
in Conada, .of which 3,067 are devot
ed to foxes. The value of these
farms is $18,375,000.
The annual collection of silver fox
skins offered, for sale 15 years ago
did not exceed 100. During 1928-1929
approximately 80,000 of them mere
produced on farm sin the United
States and Canada. The outstanding
achievement in the growing oof the
silver fox is credited to a company
operating six ranches in vv isconsin.
This is the largest producer of silveer
fox skins in. the world. Its output
during 1928 w assold for $1,300,000.
There,are fox far msin “many of
the Northern border States, from
Washington to the Great Lakes, and
many of them are not making money,
but the ooutlook for the future is
very bright. More and more, as the
population of the United States in
creases and fur animals are drven out
of their, natural habiitats, the coun
try depends on the fur farmers for
its supplies.
Highly Specialized.
The business is bound to develop.
Officers of the Biological Survey
point out,, however, that it is one of
the most highly specialized in the en
tire agricultural field. In addition to
energy, industry and perseverance,
the fur farmer must have scientific
knowledge of no mean sort, if he is
to succeed. A part of this knowledge
may be had froom, books, but prac
tical experience is also necessary. But
once the .business is learned there is
almost no end to the profits with
proper management.
The millions of profit now being
made yearly on fox farms in the
United-.States and Alaska will un
doubtedly be scores of millions in
* another, fifteen years. The demand
on the fur farmer increases as the
field of1 the trapper becomes more re
stricted and the number of wild an
imals smaller. The annual catch of
' furs by tarppers in this country was
»\bout $60,000,000 in 1928, but the
total is decreasing.
The value of fur production in
Alaska-last yer was $4,290,000 and it
is increasing^ just as is true in the
nortthern tiers, of states.
Muskrat Industry.
The muskrat industry also is under
strong headway as far south as Lou
isiana and an far north as Alaska.
The most important muskrat farms
in the United- States are in Louisiana
and Maryland, whose yearly output
sells for about $10,000,000 for both.
In some respects the muskrat of
Alaska and Maryland is preferable
to thn* of Louisiana, but both are in
demand.
The Maryland breed has very dark,
almost black fur, which is in strong.
demand by the fur trade. The same
is true of the muskrat of Alaska. In
the latitude of Louisiana the fur is
not as heavy as it is in the north nor
is the coloring quite as desirable.
Louisiana, however, has no difficulty
in selling its output .at good .prices,
Mr. Kedington points out that
there is no appreciable difference be
tween fox skins produced in Alaska
and those produced in the States,
the slver fox is now very scarce in
the wild state, which means that
practically all silver fox skins come
from the fox farms. The highest
prices paid for these skins during
the last few years have been paid
to farmers of the Northern United
States.
Possibilities Great.
In Minnesota and Wisconsin the
industry has ben developed at a
rapid rate and there seems to be no
limit tq the possibilities of prolitable
expansion. The arreage required for
the industry is much smaller than is
required for general farming, and for
the most part it is rough land not
suitable to the gowing of crops.
As soon ast he production of minks
in captivity can be put on a commer
cial basis there will be opened' up
what for many years seems likely to
be the most profitable form of fur
farming. This fur commands fabu
lous prices because of its scarcity.
Mink in captivity are slowly increas
ing in number and ad the young are
sold xor breeding purposes in. mis
country and in Europe.
Mr. Kedington says mink farming
is still in the experimental stage
everywrere and will remain so until
scientists learn more about how to
care for these animals.
NEW FINDS IN TAKU DIS
TRICT CREATING INTEREST
New claims on the south branch of
the Taku river, about 8 or 9 miles
from the fork, have been made by T.
E. Arnold and partners, who arrived
in Juneau recently after an absence
of several weeks.
Accidentally stumbling upon the
veins of ore while traveling up the
creek, Arnold and his associates had
considerable difficulty in staking their
prospects, and were unable to reach
the dikes which looked most promis
ing, Arnold efplained.
The claim are about one mile down
river from the Erickson dikes, and
are on the left side goilng up. Two
red gossans showing in the. sides of
a steep cliff first attracted their at
tention. After considerable effort
they scaled part of the cliff and. found
at least five feet of mineral on each
side of the dike. They staked all
ground they could reach,
From all indications, Arnold said,
the veins, which they claim are an
extension of those staked by Barthol
and Joe Hill. The vein was visible
foil- a stretch of about 6Q feet. Several
hundred feet away Barthol picked up
j what he believes to be an extension
j of the same ore. Each party has
three leads, and while the mineraliza
i tion is somewhat different, the frac
j tions, according to Arnold, are ap
parently the same.
Farther up the river,. about one
mile from the Arnold group, j. .ckland
Finn has staked 32 .claims. ,The show
ings there are similar to those of the
Erickson dikes. There is about 1,000
feet of visible mineralization, and
| while Finn has found no lead or zinc
the indications are distinptly favor
able.
J. C. MacDougal and. asociates
have 18 claims on an .extension run
ning tovlird the Erickson property G.
M. Lee has a large number offtakes
in, Arnold said.
Arnold and his companions covered
the Erickson basin, which runs about
five miles,, and reported dikes
throughout. As far up tte river as
he went, Me said there were not many
indications of prospecting. The dikes,
he declared; extended at least five
miles beyond Finn's property.
Possibilities of . finding other good
ore bodies are excelent, he said. Ten
mile up river there is another, gpod
looking tali, which is not difficult to
reach, recording to Arnold.
Two hundred and lftty claims have
been staked recently in this district,
while 104 claims were reported in one
day, according to word brought to Ju
neau. There., are at present about 25
men uj. the river, mosf of them from
Stewart, B. C., Arnold said.
GAME SHOWS GAIN IN Mc
KINLEY NATIONAL PARK
The game animals of McKinley na
tional park are not being greatly dis
turbed by predators, according to
Fritz Nyberg, chief ranger, who re
cently spent six weeks making an in-,
vestigation of conditions. Only five
wolves were seen on the trip, which
ttwk him from one end of the park to
uie otncr, anu only two kills of .sheep
came to his attention.
Signs are many tnat game is not
being oothered. Sheep were observed
in the fiats along the rivers, wane u
woives were numerou they would be
in the high hilis. maose signs we.e
plentiful and many caribou were seen
in the Kantishna umcrict anu auja
eent districts. Hanger Nyberg count
eu bou of the animals from the aan
Liuna ranger station.
“The park is a paradise for game,”
tne ranger informed the News-Miner
following his arrival in Fairbanks a
few days ago. “T here is very little
snow, anu feed is ahundant. Snov
has been entirely o.own off many of
the slopes and passes. Ptarmigan
are apparently coming back, many
more have been seen this winter than
last.”
The fur catch, said Ranger ^yberg,
has been light in t..e country border
ing the park, but he believes it will
larger than in most, other sections.
Students from futy nations will,
live in ‘‘International House” in Uni
versity of California^
Agricultural agents are employed
by 32 of Montana's 56 counties.
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In the Probate Court at Ruby, Nulato
Precinct, Fourth Division, Terri
tory of Alaska, before William H.
Growden, United States Commis
sione r and ex-officio Probate
Judge.
In the matter of the Estate of Rob
ert Fulkerson, deceased.
Notice is hereby given that Jihn W.
Dunn, administrator of the estate of
Robert Fulkerson, deceased, has ren
dered and presented for settlement
and filed n this court the final ac
count of his administration of said
estate, and that Tuesday, the 20th
day of June, 1930, at 2 o’clock p. m.,
at the Court Room of the United
States Commissioner’s Office, in Ruby,
Nulato Precinct, Fourth Division,
Territory of Alaska, has been duly
appointed by the said Court, as the
time and place, for the holding of
said final account, at which time and
place any person interested in said
estate may appear and file exceptions
in writing to said account, and con
test the same.
JOHN W. DUNN,
Administrator of the Estate of
Robert Fulkerson, deceased.
First publication April 19, 1930.
Last publiration, May 17 ,1930._
j TABLE OF DISTANCES BE
TWEEN NENANA AND FLAT
Miles
Nenana .. 00
Tavern Roadhouse . 17%
Knight’s Roadhouse . 23%
Nineteen-Mile Roadhouse . 58 ..
Diamond Roadhouse.76
Roosevelt . 89
Lake Minchumina.. 115
' Trappers' Cabin .. 132
Lone Star Roadhouse . 150
Telida Roadhouse . 169%
Slow Fork Roadhouse . 187
East Fork Roadhouse .) 206
Berry’s Landing Roadhouse. 227%
Big River Roadhouse.— 241
McGrath . 263
Takotna ... 280
Bill Goss’ Roadhouse . 291
Ophir... 300
McCafferty ___:... 306
Brown Creek shelter cabin-318
Fritz shelter cabin .. 338
First Chance shelter cabin . 346
Schermeyer R. H. ... 360
Iditarod. .- 376
Flat ----—............ 384
Bonanzza sbeler cabin, 12 miles
Crpoked Creek shelter cabin, 19
miles from Bonanza.
frpm
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