Popular Science Monthly

seem to be an almost impossible posture. The toes of the left foot, which is in the stirrup, barely touch the floor and the worker is forced to lean foward and press his abdomen against the upper pole of the stump that he may retain his balance.

In the case of plucking machines much of the danger to health is eliminated be- cause the plucking machines are supplied with suction devices which carry off the loose particles of fur and dust.

The next treatment to which the skins are sub- jected is the most dan- gerous one. It is known as carroting. The pelts, with what fur remains on them after the long hair has been removed, are placed on a table and scrubbed with ni- trate of mercury solu- tion. This gives a bril- liant yellow color to the light parts of the fur. Hence the name. In some instances this work is done by hand and in others by machinerv.

��69

volving brush which passes through a bath of mercury. In either case it is necessary for the workman to wear strong gum gloves to protect his hands from the mercury solution.

The carroted fur is now taken to dry- ing rooms where it is placed on racks and dried in ovens. When the mercurial solution has been volatilized the skins are put through the shaving process. Machines cut the hair from the skins and deposit it on metal trays. Girls

����"Carroting," or scrubbing the rabbit pelts with nitrate of mercury solution. It is the use of this nitrate of mercury which constitutes the* greatest hazard in the fur felt trade

��When carroting is done by hand the workman holds the pelt on a table and scrubs it with a brush which he dips in the mercury solution. When it is done by machinery he holds the pelt on a re-

��fur are for the workers suffer ing brought on ter. Some of found to be per

��Combing rabbit skins to remove particles which may be lodged in the fur. A good workman combs twelve hundred of these skins a day sort out the hair of the various parts of the ani- mal's body and place it in groups. The skins, when they are denuded of hair, are used to make glue.

It is impossible to de- scribe the noise of the cutting machines. Unless a person has leathern lungs he cannot make himself heard in the cut- ting rooms, even if he shouts close to your ear. The girls who sort the most part young. The from defects of hear- by the unearthly clat- the workers who were fectly devoid of hearing

�� �