PEl/l'S BRING HIGHER
PRICES AT MISSOURI AUCTION
Uncle Sam's fur seal and fox
fanning business on tile Pribilof Is
lands were ouriehed by $437,115.60
or. October 15 by a sale held by the
Foulke Fur Company of St. Louis,
for tlio account of the federal gov
ernment. Of this sum, $414,103.10
came from sealskins taken from the
islands.
Prices for sealskins and white and
blue fox pelts averaged higher than
were received at the last previous
sales held May 14, last.
Of the pelts placed on sale. 13,
400 were fur seal from the Pribilofs,
five confiscated fur seal skins, 101
Japanese fur seal skins, 27S blue
and 15 white fox pelts. The Jap
anese fur seal were the United Sta
tes’ share of srcli skins taken by the
Japanese government on Robben
Island in 1027, in accordance with
the provisions of the North Pacific
Feeling Convention of 1911. The
fox skins were taken on the Pribilof
Islands in the season of 1927-2S.
Of the Pribilof Island fur seal
skins 7,17 4 dyed black, brought
$168,027, an average of $23.42 per
r.kin; 52 00 dyed Pois de Champeche
(logwood brown), brought $226,844,
50, an average of $40.34 per skin;
14 dressed brought $1.40 and two
raw salted, $0,20, a total of $414,
103.10.
The 1G1 Japanese fur seal skins
arid as follows: 12 3, dyed black
brought $1,225; 21, dyed Bois de
Campeche brought $460; one wash
ed and dressed 10 cents; and 16
dry salted SI 60: a total of $1,686.7
70.
One confiscated fur seal skin dyed
Bois do Campeche brought $25, and
the other four, washed and dried.
So cents.
The 27 8 blue fox skins brought
$20,598, an average of $74.09 per
skin, and the 115 white fox skins
brought $69 3, an average of-$46.13
per skirt. At the last preceding sale.
May 14, 1928, the blue fox brought
an average of $61.34 per skin, and
the white for skin an average of
$47.97.
USES Or QUICK SILVER
"While no figures are vailable for
i lie consumption of Quicksilver, nev
ertheless, consumption seems to
keep pace with production.
Increase in consumption seems to
he more pronounced in the Electrical
held than elsewhere, especially,
since the introduction of the NEON
Electric Signs, and also in Storage
Batteries, Recording Instruments,
Pyrometers, Thermometers, etc.,
etc.
The General Electric Company
has been, for many years past, ex
perimenting with a Mercury Boiler,
Known as the Emmet Mercuryeoffl
known as the EMMET MERCURY
BOILER. These Steam Plants are
said to be very efficient, and cut
the cost of fuel almost in half. They
also save greatly in space, and it is
Tn the “Underground”
predicted that they will be used in
ships in competition with engines of
the Diesel Type. In fact, it is ru
mored that two Tankers are being
equipped with these Power Plants
at the present time. If these Mer
cury Boiler Plants come into general
use, it will moan more than any
thing else to the producer of Quick
silver.and would undoubtedly in
crease the price far above the pre
sent value.
The uses of Quicksilver are too
many to enumerate, but the largest
single use of Mercury is in the man
utacture of fulminate of Mercury,
which is probably the most powerful
explosive made. A large portion of
the production goes into the manu
facture of Drugs and Mercurials.
Considerable amounts are used as
insecticides, as Anticeptics, and in
ihe manufacture of felt hats from
rabbit fur. Mercuric Nitrate is used
t.o roughen the hairs so they will
adhere together, a process technic
ally known as “carroting.”
Bichloride of Mercury is one of
the most active poisons, and the
Sulphide of Mercury—vermilion—
is one of tile fastest and most brilli
ant colors.
Considerable quantities of Mer
enry enters into the manufacture
< f marine prints for ship bottoms,
a modern and at present, a rapidly
increasing use. The Mercury for
Ibis purpose is generally employed
as (lie red mercuric oxide, its effic
acy depending upon the gradual
conversion of the oxide to the pois
onous bichloride by the sodium
cinoride of salt water.
In the past, large amounts of me
tallic Quicksilver have been employ
ed in the amalgamation of gold and
silver ores, though In later years,
li e large application of the cyanide
process has decreased its use.
Mercury is also used for certain
compounds to prevent boiler scale,
and 500 flasks of Quicksilver, or 33,
000 lbs., is used yearly in the mo
mi fact ure of ladies’ cosmetics. Also
as Dental amalgam, and for float
ing certain types of revolving
lights in light houses. An import
ant use of Mercury is in the manu
facture of glacial, acetic acid, by
the oxidation of acetylene.
In fact, there are so many uses
being found for the metal, that
there is no doubt but what there
may be a scarcity of this commod
iiy, during the next few years, and
with a scarcity, an increase in the
price is bound to result.—"Under
ground,” San Francisco.
tWXAMAX FISH PKICKS 1928
-o
The price scale is as follows:
Sockeye:—70 cents per fish, until
September IS. after which price was
as determined by quality. A com
mittee will be appointed to act on
this matter.
Red Springs:—9 cents per lb.
White Spring:—3 cents per lb.
Cohoes:— 6 cents per lb.
Chums:—15 cents per lb.
The prices for chums and cohoes
were subject to adjustment when the
agreed to maintain the price
offered for white spring for as long
as possible.-—Canadian Fisherman.