The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-12-29
The Fur Trapper.


The unique brotherhood Of u~'n 10 whom
a.. nos direct HE attention Of our readers
,,f alwns depended upon the fur Irudc O.
hoe ricir support, aud ~ lho various tiir
,,aoifs 0fNprllt America have ilnuriHhed
,trIncd, so have The lf1ppsrH mullpli-
I.r decreased iu numbers. The French,
ivere the founders Of the fur lrnde 90
.. continent, established themselves here IN
Ma .nd the trapping fraternity may there
.,, d.Im the honor Of having existed urHrly
,,o ,fsufies aud half 10 estimate the
rr.s.,r fumher Of individuals composing
,.. ft.s NJ tie present time would he an
N. 7rtirttyr oerHPyiHH 40 IAcy do II Aeelinl
Of country extending from the Pacific 20
lIuI,0n- Bay
H Doc laws of oar country they have ever
.au looked upon m aliens from the COM
.Ncnlth Of civilization, mud lay the ludiuu
rlts M trcspHsHcrH upon thrir uu,urHl uud
sdled privileges. The blood Of tho white
Though frequently considerably HdulIrr-
ll, invariably runs through their yrinr,nnd
r. great majority trace their .srign 10 a
.rnch, Scottish, or Irish ancestry, u being
established Dnd singular fact thut irnpprrH
purr American hlond nte exceedingly
~. Those Of the lnr north commonly hu,o
dark ewes mud hnir of the Canadian
rsprhmnn, aud those of the souil-wcsl the
l,Ncu hair aud brond hr-guo of tie Scotch
o,r or lu,hninn. The motives generally
found 10 hive Influenced them IN entering
uuou ibf. peculiar life nrc OF course exceed
irrh rlr0uz, bat nmoug the more common
ri,. ml, be- mentioned deeply rooted love
fr ihr works Of Mature IN their priucvul
u,unnncc, want of sufficient Intelligence 10
prosecute more respectable business, mud
I..irr 10 keep ou Of llc why Of certain
1885,. which lhcy hnvc trHu=gr"-rCd ~ ll'rlr
aHrr days They urr usually mcu with
-rrriir- tir,-it-, wives it-tHg pure lgdian, aud
her children, NJ a matter Of course, hall
rctd- They have wlnt may ho termed
we'd Indications, but they are rude log cab
Re-. heated on she extreme frontiers OF the
civilized world. IN religion, 0s a class, they
w behind their rc,l brethren of the wIdcr'
f,.. and their knowledge at books II quite
tod. Generally spcnkiug they spend ~
aul nine months roaming alone through The
uAludr of the forests aud prulriu', hud the
rm.iuinr three months ofihc year with their
-rr',r- ~ the trading posts of the far ouni-
r-rrrv A. their harvest aI.H,a "a the Aiiulrr,
No, rtc necessarily men Of iron cousiHu-
iI1.. ard Frequently endure the scycr'st Of
aIr'.lVs aud pfiyntiou- UNDERSTANDING us
They do the scicuce at trapping und the use
p'B gun moro thoroughly than an Indian,
.a, eclipse him ~ the business oincquiriug
"r. Jud from their superior knowledge ct
To- civilized world, limited though n bcJhcy
r..3' much grrnlrr lrsits, Und hrur" u ~
-t.i they are not only hatrd toy he ludiuu,
m,al,o hv the traders. Their mauuer OF
.r.,.ug is ordinarily nbout half civilized
Ntshuck skin huuiug shirts nnd Tar cnp-
o. ler own Manufacture, being almost ~
pr'um-uuc NJ tie blanket aud plumcs Of lI,
hIu him-clc As to the nnrntds whicl
'ia, mike II their business Ia cnp'urrit may
h, mentioned ii az chirtost nmung them al
llc beaver hut a goodly portion uf their IN.
come il derived from HE fIrS mud p"ltrirs Of
d., tnHr'iu, OTTER tnuskral hear, foN, n,iuk
Inns. wolverine, ruccuon. wolf elk, aud deer
and the robes Of the huge buffalo.
II u0w hehonvrS ~ to describe the life Of
DIE .rn' ping fraternity somewhat moro mi
uulr.N. aud in doing this we shall gitn niI H.
MNruyp sketch Of the career ofH single ia
Misunderstanding his departure from home
bis saIonrn in the Wilderness, his return, nut
and his manner of spending his brief sum,
mcr THROUGH.
his n bright October morning mud about
he lAroshhold oC the trappcr's cabin there il
unusual stir. While the trooper himself i,
llsy engaged in eNnminitay aud putting IN
order his trnps; packing away his powder
and lend, with n number of good fints, Civ
INC the lock Of his oil rifle thorough ailInF
md sharpening his knives, his wife is stow
ing away in ms knnpsuck n few simple cook
Ng utensils, small ing of ten ami II litile
sugar, several pairs of noccnsins Qnd>HoHrso
Nooen socks. and Goody quantity Of the
r-Trwy TTrCTiTts T17rTtt IT ruUtiirrE srru-r
shoes. The fact that our friend is about tc
cave his family for almost n ,ycnr, mnkes
..'t t't,+4is,,,l4tly- kita ia tLase-ahnnt- him
'nd by way of mnnilcsiing his feelings, hC
gives into his wife's posse ssion what lililr
spare roucy he may have LPn in his pockc,
ON Of his earnings of the previous yenr, aud
Aows his children to make ns much noise
rs they please, even reiraiuing from scoldinp
iAe'u when they kick aud abuse his ihvoritc
hunting dogs All things hring rruiy, night
e"Hies aud the trnpper permits fiffiSJff TO ctr
loy mother sleep in the midst Of his house
hold,bui long before the break Of dny hr hn.
whslled 70 his dogs, and, with his kunpsnck
on his hack, has taken his departure for q
stream Tint rises among the Rocky Mount
ans. II his course lies through forest land
he continues to travel on foot, taking his-ewr
el'ure, killing sufficient game to satisfy HE
Nns; and sleeping nj night upon his skins
'"adcr canopy of leaves. If extensive wn-
''' courses lie within his range, no phrchas.
8 canoe of some wandering Indians and
pays the part of navigator; and IL he find,
necessary TO cross extensive prniries, hf
omhns pony, and, packing himself and
l'uhder upon the nnimnl, plays the pnrt of
100 equestrian. When the first hlnst of De
cember accompanied by shower of snow
sweeps over the land, it finds our trRpper
'g0gIy domiciIed in log shnniynt the mouth
ol 'he river where he proposes TO spend the
winter trapping beaver.
And now all things nre rendy,nnd the trap-
yer Inns actually entered upon his winter nvo-
Nhon. lie has Recommended the valley in
N.lrhho finds himself aud having ascertain
w ihc localities of the hrayer., with their
.uonses aud dams, he forthwith manages Ia