The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1850-01-01
Alisfellanp.
Recollections of an American Tourist.
THE FUR-TRAPPER.
BY CHARLES LANMAN.

The unique brotherhood of men to
whom we now direct the attention of our
readers have always depended upon the
fur trade alone for their support, and as
the various fur companies of North Amer
lea have hourished and declined, so have
the trappers multiplied or decreased in
numbers. The French, who were the
founders of the fur trade on the continent,
established themselves here in 1906, and
the trapping fraternity may therefore claim
the honor Of having existed nearly two
centuries and half. To estimate the
precise number of individuals composing
this class at the present time, would be an
Impossibility. occupying as they do Sec
tion of country extending from the Pacific
Ocean to Hudson's Bay.
By the laws of our country they have
ever been looked upon-as aliens from the
commonwealth of civilization, and by the
Indian tribes as trespassers upon their nat
ural and inherited privileges. The blood
of the white man, though frequently con>
siderably adulterated. invariably runs
through their veins, and the great majors
ty trace their origin to French, Scottish,
or Irish ancestry, it being an established
and singular fact that trappers of pure A.
merican blood are exceedingly rare.
Those of the far north commonly have
the dark eyes and hair Of the Canadian
Frenchman, and those of the southwest
the haxen hair and broad brogue of the
Scotchman or Irishman. The motives
generally found 10 have influenced them in
entering upon their peculiar life are of
course exceedingly various. but among the
more common ones may be mentioned a
deeply rooted love for the works of Nature
in their primeval luxuriance, want of suE
ficient intelligence TO prosecute more re-
spectacle business, aud desire to keep
out of the way of certain laws which they
have transgrcssed in their earlier days.
They are usually men with families, their
wives being pure Indian, and their chill
dren, as a matter of course, half breeds.
They have what NAV be termed fixed hab-
itations, bat they are rude log cabins, loca-
ted on the extreme frontiers of the Civil
Lied world. In religion, as a class, they
are behind their red brethren OF the will
derness, and their knowledge Of books is
quite limited. Generally speaking they
L-pend about nine months roaming alone
through the solitude of fte forests and
prairies, and the remaining three months
of the year with their families at the tra-
ding posts of the fur companies. As their
harvest time is the winter. they are neces-
sarIv men of iron constitutions, and fire.
quertly endure the seyerest Of hardships
aud privatiuns. Understanding as they
do the science of trapping and the use Of
gun more thoroughly thai the Indian,
they eclipse him in The business of acquir-
ing furs, and from their superior knowl-
edge of the civilized world, limited though
it be, they realize much greater profits,
and hence it is that they are not cg.y ha,
ted by the Indians, but also by tn TRADERS
Their manner of dressing is or Linarily a.
bout half civilized, their buck skin hunts
ing shirts and fur caps, OF their own man.
ufacture, being almost as picturesque as
the blanket and plumes of the Indian him.
self. As to the animals which they make
it their business to capture, it may be
mentioned that chiefest among them all is
the beaver, but goodly portion of their
income is derived from the furs and pei
tries of the martin, otter. muskrat, bear,
fox, mink, lynx, wolverine, raccoon, wolf,
elk, and deer, and the robes of the huge
buffalo.
1t now behooves US to describe the life
of the trapping fraternity somewhat more
minuiely, and in doing this we shall give
an illustrative sketch of the career of ;
single individual, describing his departure
from home, his sojourn in the wilderness
his return home, and his manner of spend
ing his brief summer furlough.
1t is bright October morning, and a
bout the threshold of the trapper's cabir
there is unusual stir. While the trappel
himself is busily engaged in examining
and putting in order his traps; packing
away his powder aud lead, with pambel
Of good fiints, giving the lock OF his OLD
rifle a thorough oilipg. and sharpening hi
knives, his wife is slowing away in hr
knapsack few simple cooking utensils. |
small bag Of tea and little sugar, several
pairs of moccasins and coarse wooller
socks, and a goodly quantity ofthe sinewy
materials used in making snow shoes
The fact that our friend is about to leave
his family for almost a year, makes hin
particularly kind TO those about him; and
by way of manifesting his feelings, h'
gives into his wife's possession what little
spare money he may have left in his pock
ct out of his earnings of the previous year
and allows his children to make as mucl
noise as they please, even refraining from
scolding them when they kick and abuse
his favorite hunting dogs. All things be
ing ready, night comes and the trapper
permits himself TO enjoy another sleep II
the midst of his household, but long before
the break of day he has whstled TO hi
dogs, and with his knapsack on his back
has taken his departure for stream tha
rises among the Rocky Mountains. 1fhr
course lies through forest land, he con
tinues to travel on foot. taking his owl
leisure. killing sufficient game to satisfy
his wants; and sleeping at night upon hi
skins under a canopy Of leaves. 1t exten
sive water courses lie within his range
he purchases a canoe Of some wanderIn!
Indians and plays the part of anavigator
and if he finds it necessaryto cross exten