Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1911 — IMPORTER OF ANIMAL SKINS [ARTICLE]

IMPORTER OF ANIMAL SKINS

United States Does Immense Business With South and Central American Hunters in Hides. Los Angeles, Cal. —A large business Is done between the South American countries and the United States in the line of skins, most of which are made use of in the manufacture of gloves. The trade is particularly active in deerskins, which are gathered in Mexico and Central America and in the northern countries of South America, Including Brazil. In these countries, where deer abound, there are many natives who make a living collecting deer hides, which they bring by muleback or foot to the various places where the importers’ agents are found. The supply is still large, but with continued killing the deer in these countries are less plentiful than they were. Deerskins are shipped dry in bundles of 100 each. They are tanned in this country and used here in the manufacture of light and medium weight gloves for men and women. Boarsklns come from Mexico, and the hide of the Mexican pecary, with fur or bristles of a pepper and salt mixture in color, the beast being a savage-looking animal alive. Like deerskins, boar hides are shipped dry. The boarskin makes a heavier leather than deerskin and is used for glove trimmings. Goatskins in large number are imported from the various Latin-Amer-ican countries, including the West Indies; but the great source of the world's supply of goatskins are China, Russia and the East Indies, in the order named. From those countries there are Imported into the United States annually 'millions of goatskins, which are made into leather, 90 per cent of which is ustd in the manufacture of shoes. Goatskins are shipped principally dry. From the countries to the south of the United States are brought annually some thousands of alligator hides, mostly from Mexico and the United States Colombia, with some from Ecuador. Formerly some alligator leather was used for shoes and boots, but now it is used chiefly in the manufacture of handbags and suit cases. Occasionally there are brought here a few manatee or seacow hides, which come from Mexico. These hides are shipped wet salted. The manatee hide tans Into a very thick leather, cheaper than walrus leather, but used like it for the making of buffing wheels for polishing purposes. From Mexico also come a few tiger cub skins, which are tanned and made up Into rugs.