Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1891 — Alaska’s Fur Pr duct, [ARTICLE]

Alaska’s Fur Pr duct,

The following particulars regarding |the fur resources of Alaska are given |by Ivan Petroff, special census agent for that territory: The land furs exported at presont from Alaska consist of the skins of bears, both black and Jbrown; foxes of three or four different 'species, including the most valuable among them, the silver or black fox, and another kind, known as the blue fox; the land otter, which inhabits all the rivers and streams; the marten or Alaska sable; the beaver; the mink, and the muskrat, to which must be added a few pelts of the lynx, wolf, and wolverine. The pelagic furs consist of two kinds, the sea otter and fur seal. Of these far-bearing animals the fur seal is by far the most important, constituting so far as explored and known fully one half of Alaska’s natural wealth and resources. The value of fur-seal skins shipped from the territory and sold in the London markets during the twenty-three years of American occupancy foots up nearly $33,000,000, while the total value of all other products combined during the same period does not quite reach $30,000,000, of which more than one-half, or $16,000,000, represents furs of various kinds, chief among which is that of the sea otter.