The Newtown bee., 1879-06-25
Indian Trappers, Hudson Bay.


 animals have got their winter coats, and fur is :" in season." the Indian trapper lays out his trapping walk for the win ter, along which he places line of traps from ten to fifteen miles in length. Once or twice week he makes the round of this walk, and gathers such furs as may be caught. Most of the finer flIrs are taken by means of the wooden dead-fall and steel traps of various sizes, the larger fur-bearing animals being either shot, caught in snares, or killed by the pois- oned bait.
 Toward the latter end of March the Indian trappers leave their hunting grounds, and make a journey to the forts with the products of their winters toll. Here they come, moving through the forest, a motley throng. The braves march in front, too proud and lazy to carry anything but their guns, and not always doing even that. After them come the squaws, bending under loads, driving dogs, or hauling hand-sleds laden with meat, furs, tanned deer-skins and infants. The puppy dog and inevitable baby never fail in Indian lodge or pro- cession. The cheerful spectacle of the two packed together upon the back of a woman is not of infrequent occurrence. Day after day the mongrel party jour neys on, until the fort is reached. Then CODltS llle lHt the furs into lots, placing the standard valuation upon each. Then he adds the amounts together. and informs the trap per that he has got sixty or seventy "skins." At the same time he hands his customer sixty or seventy little bits of wood, so that the latter may know, by returning these in payment for the goods for which he really barters his furs, just how fast his funds decrease. The first -sE s IL IT. h.. IL -r.. contracted for advances at the beginning of the season; then he looks round upon the bales of cloth, blankets, etc., and after long while concludes to nave small white capote for his toddling boy. The price Is told him, and he hands back ten of his little pieces of wood. then looks about him for something else. Every thing is carefully examined, and with each purchase there is contest over the apparent inequality between the amount received and that given. In the Indians opinion, one skin should pay for one arti- | cle of merchandise, no matter what the value of the latter may be. And he in- sists, too, upon selecting the skin. The steelyard and weighing balance are his especial objects of dislike. He does not know what medicine that is. That his tea and sugar should be balanced against bit of iron, conveys no idea of the rela- tive values of peltries and merchandise to him. He insists upon making the bal ance swing even between the traders goods and his own furs. until new light is thrown upon the question fof steelyards and scales by the acceptance of his proposition. Then, when he finds i his fine furs balanced against heavy blankets, he concludes to abide by the old method of letting the white trader decide the weight his own way; for it is clear that the steelyard is very great medicine, which no brave can under stand.
 When the trapper has spent all his lit ! tie pieces of wood, and asks for further advances, he is allowed to draw any req sonable amount; for, contrary to the rule in civilized life, debt is seldom lost save by the death of the Indian. He may change his place of abode hundreds of miles, but he still has only a company's post at which to trade. The company has always been a good friend to him and his, and pays when he can He knows that, when he iquidates his old debt, he can contract a new one just as big. No attempt was ever made to cheat him, and there never will be. When he is ill he goes to the nearest fort, and is cared for and attended until he recovers. When he does his duty well he gets . present, and he never performs any labor without receiving fair compensation. Such humane treatment strongly binds the Indian and half-breed to the com pany. HI. M Robinson, ia Hdrper's Mdgdzi,s.