Litchfield enquirer., 1877-09-13

CoAOiHS tO h uullOFu typ0. a IIau1uS lOFb is invariably square or oblong. enclosed by immense trees or pickets, one end sunk tdeeply in the ground. and placed close together. A platform, about the ordinary
 height of man, is carried along inside
 the square, so as to enable any Zone to l peep oyer without being fn danger from
 arrow rbullet; the entrance is closed by two massive gates, an inner and outer one, and the houses of the chief trader and his
 men. the trading store, fur room and
 warehouses are within the square-the
 forlner afwagsstanding insthe middIes the latter ranged about the walls, facing in-
 ward. In manyof tho larger depd forts
 the swalls and buildngs are of sDneg which is usedHwherevef ayailable, sand in one instance-that of York Factory-of brick brought out from England. This | imparts castle-llke aspect to these isolat- ed posts, making them resemble very closely the walled towns of Hungary.
 In many of the forts the trade-room is Icleverly contrived to prevent a sudden rush of Indians, the approach from out side the pickets being through a long, narrow passage only of sufficent width to admit single Indian at a time. and beat at ansac1te angle at.tlle window where the
 trader stands. This precaition is render ed necessary by tie frantic desire which sometimes seizes the Indian to shoot the trader. At the four corners of the palis-
 ade are bastions, generally two stories high, pierced with embrasilres, to delnde the Indians into the belief that cannon are there, and intended to strike terror into
 any redskinned rebel daring }toI dispute
 the supremacy of the company.
 |y The collection of fur skins throughout Fthe company's territory is made during the autumn and7winter months at the diff ferent 4rading posts; the Ehnmer seas6ng
 being occupied in 4ransp porting goods to
 the various districts, the concentration of
 furs at the depots, and the collection of
 sufficient supply of provisions to last over winter. The latter consists in the plain districts of premmican-dried buffalo
 meat mingled with fat-and flour; in the wood districts of fish and dried moose and reindeer-meat. A winter very rarely
 passes at the'more isolated forts. hoWev- CT, without the little garrison being re. duced to very short commons, often being obliged to kill their horses to maintain life.
 s In the late autumn, as soon as the riv-g CTS are locked in ice, and the ground is covered with snow, the furs begin to come
 in. As they are brought in by the Indians
 they are traded by the persons in charge of the trading-store. If an Indian were to bring in a hundred skins of different
 sorts, or all alike, he would trade of every skin separately, and insist on payment for each skin as he sold it; he likes the linked
 sweetness of shopping long drawn out: hence it often occupies several days to
 barter batch of furs. .zi4ge< zts' It is curious and interesting sight to
 watch an Indian selecting from the, stores articles that he may require as he disposes of skin after skin. If he has only small quantity of skins he walks into the shop
 with his blanket about him, and not skin visible. After some preliminary skirmishing he produces one skin from under his blanket, trades it, taking in ex- change what he absolutely needs; then he stops. Just as one thinks the trading is oyer he produces another peltry from be- meath his blanket, and buys something else. Thus he goes on until, having
 bought all the necessariss he requires, he branches off into the purchase of lux. surles-candy. fancy neckties, etc. Un- der so slow 8 process an Indian trader needs to possess more than average pa tience. The skins, as fast as purchased. are thrown behind the counter, and then carried to the fur room an d piled in heaps that are constantly turned and aired.
 In the early spring, when the snow is gone from the plains. and the ice has left the riverss the workmen at the trading post begin to pack all the fur skins in bales of from eighty to one hundred pounds each, that being the usual weight of each package-goods or furs-in the company's trade. The outer covering is l. oJ<o to each package in order to sling it on the inland post; the pack-saddles are repaired and thongs cut to fasten the bales on2 to the horses. The company's horses-of which each fort has it's complement that have wintered in some sheltered valley, under the care of Indians, are now brought to the post; the packs are tied on, and the train starts for the depot or chief fort of the district, situated always on the banks of some navigable stream. This is called fitting out brigade, and forms the grand event of fort life-being looked forward to bv the men as boy anticipates his holidays. Arrived at the depot, the bales are handed over, and goods for the ensuing year received in return.
 It generally occurs that several brigades sme,t at the depot simultaneously. In this event the spectacle presented is quaint and singular; the wild looks, long un- kempt hair, sunburnt faces and leather costume of the traders being only exceed ed by tine still wilder appearance and ab- sence of clothing among their Indian ate tendants. So long as the brigades re- main the scene is one continuous festiv- ity, eating, drinking and quarrelling. When the brigades depart the furs are all sorted and repacked, and pressed into bales bv an enormous lever-rum and to- bacco being placed between the layers of skins to keep out the insects and. moths. They are then shipped by slow stages to the nearest seaport,3 and eventually sold at public auction in London. It is esti- mated that the total worth of the furs col lected by the Hudson's Bay Company alone since its organization represents a money value of $1OO, ,0OO.OOO in gold. Still, strange to say, owing to the careful preservation of game by the company. the average yearly catch is not sensibly decreasing. Fl. M. R. @ LUDIcRoUs SIDE OF NEGRO SUFFRAGe.- A Southern correspondent of the Spring field Republican relates the following in- cldent: s2aSs I.sss % a-~s %~#