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.ii

, the humor of it all. Generally speaking the volunteers ioining the chase did not charge for their services; however, on occasion a fox would be caught many miles from its ranch, and there usually would be a charge for the

return of identifyable foxes.

Another story is told about some new people venturing into the in- dustry while prices were still very high, and they arranged with a bank in Summerside to write a cheque for some thousands of dollars if and when they could arrange for a purchase of breeding stock. An agreement of purchase was drawn up, and price established, but the seller would not accept a cheque of that magnitude and returned to town with agreement to purchase, but without the foxes. When they returned for-the foxes, they had enough suitcases packed full of one dollar bills to pay for them in cash, and although the seller was very annoyed, he had to accept payment because of the purchase agreement.

Marketing - During the fur season exciting scenes were witnessed in

Summerside with buyers from London, Paris, Leipzig, New York, Montreal,

Winnipeg and other centres buying pelts, and thousands of dollars

changing hands every day. During the winter it was a common sight to see

ranchers with a bunch of pelts slung over their shoulder peddling them

among the buyers who always came to town and set up shop for the

marketing season. When a rancher brought his pelts to one of these buyers

they would be examined and a price put on them. The rancher could

accept the price and make the sale right there and get his money or he

. could reject it and go to another buyer from whom he hoped to get a better i price. However, it was not like shopping for a new car because once you l reiected a buyer’s offer you could not go back to him. That was the gamble " the rancher took. In every human activity there are people who operate on

the periphery hoping to skim off some of the profits. Such were a few local characters who used to accost ranchers on the street and ask them how

much-they wanted for their pelts. If the rancher wanted to risk dealing through a middle man he might put a price on his bunch of pelts. The local character would probably tell him he was asking too much and after a bit , of haggling they might reach an agreement. The self—appointed middle f man or entrepreneur would then set out to peddle them, hoping to get a better price than the rancher had agreed to take. The difference would of course be his profit. Many of them were not sold this way at all but through one of the marketing agencies where the rancher got the market price less the costs involved. The period when the really big money was made was earlier when foxes were sold alive. -

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