Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-01-09
a.. rn- rrnde ia minnesota.

rh. Fur Trade in Minnesota.
Four or Eve years ago the FUR trade
was the paramount commefclA a mno ~ -.
6us,ral interest Of the territory: Two OF
,bree wears further back, and IL was nov
only the paramount. but the sole business
;nterest The population OF the territory
"a, composed almost entirely of its EN-.
Movers and atsaehess==sSt. sPaul=derlEed
Is whole importance "a small Importance
then I ffom being thesdePot'Of'the Winnie
bapo and Chippewa outfit. gave laws TO
the immense region occupied by the la
sotahs, and chains Of trading posts as lar
az Lac qui Parls on the Minnesota. ana
Pembias on the Red River, held the
vhole country like dependent child at
the, feet Of the magnates Of the principal
.oerc;es of Pierre Choteau, jr., u Co.
The profits Of the fur trade even then
had begun to decline. The influx OF
population consequent upon the establish
mens Of territorial goVernment-the IN
crease Of competition in the Indian trade.
coneutring with the gradual decrease OF
il. pro;iucts, and causes that lay beyond
these, and that have been gradually but
surely promoting the decline of the wes-
1sIS iur trade in general--all contributed
20 weaken the efficiency Of the Fur Com
pany's Organization in our territory-and
10 reader it undesirable TO MAINTAIN lts
expensive establishments any longer than
wSS sufficient for settling its affairs. II
has accordingly had no practical existence
since the contamination Of the Sioux trea-
~ in 1852, from which the traders res
eeivsd a parting token of several hundred
thousand dollars in payment OF the aceu>
INFLATED back debt Of some thirty years.
Since then the trade has been carried on
entirely by private individuals, foremost
among whom. however. are some OF the
old traders. Two houses alone, Messrs.
Forbes d KitIson and Messrs. Culver d
Warrington, are connected at this time
with she fur trade in this city. The dis
organization OF the Indian trade on the
Minnesota river. and the diversion Of the
Indian from hunting BY the pernieious
system Of Annuities. has vastly diminish
ed tho produosiveness Of the fur trade on
the Minnesota river.
The trade is almost entirely limited at
present to the Pembina or Red River re-
Rions, and around the head waters Of the
Mississippi. The buffalo robes come al
ruo.s entirely from this source, the buffa-
10 ranges being restricted to the region
nor:h OF the Cheyenne, and west of the
Janus River. The Minnesota River
country has fallen off in buffaloes very
considcrsbly-thew whole receipts from e1,
port from that region not amounting to
more than 1900 robes. This does not
include, however, the large numbers re.
served for home consumption. The ta>
bic below. for which we are indebted to
N. W. Kittson. Esq. exhibits the total
exports in furs from St. Paul for the pres
year 81, 292 rats, Sl1 ,572, Sc; 1915
minks, Sl8,621 l,428 martin. So, $40 !;
l.O45 fishers. S4.7O2, so; 876 red foxes.
S1.O95; 3.4OO cooHs. S2.55O; 10 VOL
vsrines, S25; 364 badgers, $9l 2.O32
wolves. 5000; 4O5 otter. Sl.4l7 50 ;
500 beaver. (pounds.) $3.50 2542 kit
foxes, S1,27l $40 bear skins, Sc, 100 ;
90 cross fox, 500: 8 silver fox. $500 ;
50 lynx. Sl95; $500 robes, $4l, 2OO.-
TOTAL $96.75O So.
A notable feature Of the fur trade for
the several years past. is the gradual but
Gure decline Of its productiyeness-cor-
responding with growing demand in
Europe and our country for furs. Each
Of Ihess causes has assisted the other to
enhance the price of furs-and they have
grown expenviye-and all these causes
Ooacurrod to lift to figure last year
they never before reached in the Ameri-
eau market. Nevertheless, it will not do
20 calculate too surely on last years
prices for the produce OF the present year,
~ the consumption Of furs is, after ali, en-
tirely dependent on the evanescent capri
ees Of fashion.-iSt. Paul Adv.