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Show AMERICAN WOMAN HAS $85,000 GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS NEW YORK, Dec. 24 An American woman, the wife, sister, mother, or daughters of a post war Croesus her identity Is the secret of a big Brook, lyn furrier), received on Christmas morning an $85,000 Russian sable coat. It was a kind of dolman, a garment of rare loveliness, consisting of 93 skins from animals trapped in the interior in-terior of the Burgesln region of wild Siberia. This .traordinarypi ice, paid for a luxury weighing a ltttlc more than five pounds, was at the rate of $1062 an ounce. The coat was valued approximately approxi-mately at 52 times its weight in gold. And yet, this Brooklyn firm, which has trading posts in Alaska. Russia and other cold and forbidding regions of the world, says that sable this year are "not the most expensive furs." An advance of 50 to 75 jer cent has been made in these gifts for the rich J since last spring The palm for the highest priced iurs. however, must be awarded to the finest natural black fox which, at pres- ' ent, arc bringing $7500 a pair, enough to make a "set" consisting of a scarf or neckpiece and a muff. Last year the price was $5000. Natural silver foxes rr.me next at $1500 to $6000 a pair and it was said that there has been a bigger demand for them this winter thnn ever before. The nuraer 1 ous fox "ranches," a new industry 1 which sprang from a successful breed-1 ing establishment on Prince Edward Island it was stated, had no effect on the market price of the wild pelts. , J. W Argenbright a local fur importer im-porter with a firm nearly a century old, explained that the war had helped to make America the greatest fur producing pro-ducing country in the world, both for variety, quality and dressing " He said that while there was a duty of B0 per cent on manufactured furs and 35 per cent on dressed skins, at pre?-ent pre?-ent there is no duty on raw pelts en tering the United States and this en- , abled New York to equal, if not sur pass, Paris and other European fur j renters. Pur prices were as high, he said, If not higher, abroad Mr Argenbright said the sea otter,; of which not more than 15 had been j marketed throughout the world in the past year, is perhaps the rarest fur. It is coarser and heavier thnn sable or (Ox, ;i pell weighing about ten pounds 'and would bring about $5000. It is used for collars, cuffs or capes In color it Is a dark brown, tinged with silver. The only "cheap' furs in the New York market at present, it was said, are Russian pony and Australian coney co-ney (or rabbit.) Coats of these ma terlals, trimmed In beaver or nutria, are selling for from $300 to $400. A year ago they brought half the money The abundance of money in America DOther pointed out, had stimulated a lin Hudson Hay and Alaskan seal. Coats of this fur which, some ''.ir- ago could be purchased for $300 to $4u0, are now bringing $850 to $1000 |