The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-05-27
THE INDIAN TRADE.
FEE & Pc G X

I
The Leayenworth Conservative, OF the 9th,
riyes a detailed account Of the Indian Trade,
and how i. is conducted. Many Of our real
ers were acquainted with Messrs. Dar'ee
Peek. and as the article contains much infor-
nation that will be found interesting, we pub
lish it in full;
Probably there is no business carried on in
this country of which so little is known by
the public generally rs Indian trading We
yesterday had = very interesting chat sitn
Mr.. e. g. Durfee, one Of the Oldest and moA
widely known Indian traders who have ever
been in the West, We are indebted to HIM
for great many interesting items about the
br.;ness, which we he re decided 10 lay before
cur readers.
Mr.. Dnrfee came to Leavenworth IN 1851,
from Marion, Wayne coanty, New York, ana
has since then built up the immense ana iu-
crative trade which he now controls.
THE SOUTHERN TRADE.
He is the sole proprietor OF the establish>
ment here. which is the headquarters for the
traffic with the Southern Indians. The posts
on the upper Missouri are owned by Durfee
Peck. The Southern Indians, or those
south OF the Arkansas, supplied, are the fol.
lowing, with their estimated numbers: Co
manehes, %, GOO: Apaehes and Cheyennes,
3. 500: Osages and Kaws. 1000. The larger
tribes. as nearly everybody knows, are dl'
vided into bands, under various names which
we will not give here.
THg NORTHERN TRADE.
The Indians of the North, with which they
trade, are all Sioux. numbering, II is esti.
mated, upwards Of 10000. They are located
in Dacotah and Montana. The Sioux are di
Yided into twelve or fifteen bands. Some OF
their trade comes from the British fosses-
siens and the whole extent OF 1t IS from there
| TO Texas. The only rival of Durfee Peek
| is the Northwestern Fur Company. The
| competition is sharp, and il carried on with
all the energy which characteristic Yankee
everywhere, whether in Wall street or in
| log cabin thousand miles from civilization.
THE PosTs, AND aES EMPLOYED.
pnrfee L Peck have employed at their
nosts. in all. about one hundred men. A
/ large number Of these are fitted out every
season BY them with arms and traps, with
which they get their furs and turn them over
to their employers, receiving therefor goods,
which they in turn sell to the Indians.
| They have on the upper Missouri seven
/ posts. at which are stored and kept for sale
buy, and where they come in with their skins.
| The houses used are all built of logs, with
mud roofs saw mills being scarce ppt that way.
THE HcsTIsG AsD TnAfrisG SEASON.
The season in which furs and peltries are
secured By the hunters and trappers is from
Octol e. to February. After that time the
shedding Of the coat commences, and the hair
fades and becomes worthless.
The animals most sought for, and which
produce the most desirable skins, are the
following, placed in their order OF value:
Otter beaver, buffalo, wolf, elk, bear, fox,
deer and coon. Mink ia considered too small
game, among the Indian trappers in partica-
lar.
now THEY ARE rIrIKn.
The buffalo are killed costly by arroxs, a.
they are not only less expensive, but can be
Withdrawn and used again. These animals
are generally hunted in the following manner |
A large herd is surrounded and gradually
driven in together. And here Ia exhibited |
piece Of strategy thoroughly Indian. The
stragglers on the Outside of the main herd |
are shot in the liver and will bleed to death |
internally in going fonr or five miles. The
hunters still keep on driving them in, and the
carcasses at the close of the chase are not
scattered over SO large an extent of ground
as they would be if the straggiers were tho.
dead When the circle is we'll closed in.
the hunters begin to shoot at the heart.
Their ponies are all trained and viii not enter
the herd, but keep always around the outside,
though the rider does not draw q rein on them
after the main herd is reached.
The wolves are sll poisoned in the follow
ing manner: A quarter of buffalo is either
taken in wagon or dragged over the prairie;
at the distance of about forty rods apart nu-
msrous stakes are stuck in the ground, on the
| top Of which il impa.ed small piece of the
meat which has been poisoned with strych-
nine The wolves strike the trail and follow
| it up, taking the pieces - they 60. Next
morning the hunters go along the line and
skin the dead animals. They stretch the
skins over stakes, with the inside up, and
there let them dry. No salt or anything else
| is put on them. Sometimes as many as sew.
enty or eighty wolves are killed with single
quarter Of meat. OF course an immense
amount Of strychnine is used. NJ. Durfee
| says they have sold as many as 200 bottles
to one man. Each bottle holds one eighth
of an ounce, which is sufficient to kill 6ve
wolves.
The otter and beaver are trapped, various
kinds oil drugs being used Tor bait.
A few silver gray foxes have been found
up there, but they are very scarce The
skins of these animals are very valuable
bringing from $50 to SIS each When taken
they are invariably sent to Europe, where
they are used only by the wealthest people.
DRESSING AND TANNING
! The Indians use the brains Of the animal
to tan it with. They first stretch the skin
over frame they then rub on the brains,
mixed with juices obtained Eom certain
roots and plants they are then scraped with
| varioua implemeuts. hoes hpilp nsed Tbav