Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-05-28
Indian Trappers, Hudson BAY.

About the hrst OF November, when
he animals have got their winter coats,
and fur is in season." the Indian trap
per lays out his trapping walk for the
winter, along which he places q line of
traps from ten to fifteen miles in length.
Once or twice q week he makes the
round of this walk, and gathers such
furs as may be caught. Most of the
finer furs are taken BY Q of the
wooden dead.fall and steel trans of vari.
GUS sizeA the larger fur bearing animals
being either shot, caught In snares, or
killed BY the poisoned bait.
Toward the latter end Of March the
Indian trappers leave their hunting
grounds, and make journey toyhe forts
with the produce Of their winter's toll.
Here they come, moving through the
forest. . motley throng. TIL b1ases
march In front, too proud and lazy TO
carry anything but their gums, and not
always doing even that. Altar them
come the squaws, bending under loads,
driving dogs, or hauling hand-sleds laden
with meat, furs, tanned deerAkins, and
infants. The puppy dog and inevitable
baby never fail in Indian lodge or pro-
c~ession. The cheerful spectacle of the
two packed together upon the back of q
woman is not of infrequent occurrence.
Day after day the mongrel party jour
neys on, until the fort is reached. Then
comes the trade. The trader separates
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, 10 that the latter may know,
by returning these in payment for the
goods for which he really barriers his furs,
just how fast his funds decrease. The
first act of the Indian il to cancel the
debt contracted for advances at the be-
ginning of the season; then he
looks round upon the bales of
cloth, blankets, etc, and after . long
while concludes to have . 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 10 carefully examined, and with
each purchase there is a contest over the
apparent inequality between the amount
received and that given. In the Indians
opinion one skin should pay for one ar.
ticle of merchandise, no matter what the
value Of the article may be. And he
insists, 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 a bit of iron, conveys no idea of
the relative values of peltries and mer-
chandise to him. He insists upon max
ing the balance swing eve between the
traders goods and his own furs, until q
new light is thrown upon the question Of
steelyards and scales by the acceptance
of his proposition. Then, when he finds
his fine furs balanced against heavy
blankets, he concludes to abidesby the
old method of letting the white trader
decide the weight in his " way; for 1t
is clear that the steelyard isa 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
reasonable amount; fol-, contrary to the
rule in civilized life, q debt is seldom
lost save by the death Of the Indian.
He may change his place of abode hun.
dreds of miles, but he still has only a
company's post at which to trade. The
company has always been . good friend
to him and his, and he pays when he
can. He knows that whom he liquidates
his old debt, he can contract = new one
just as big. No attempt was ever made
to cheat him, and there never will be.
When he is i'll he goes to the nearest
fort, and is cared for and attended until
he RECEIVERS. When he does his duty
we'll he gets . present, and he never per.
forms any labor without receiving fair
compensation. Such humane treatment
strongly binds the Indian and half breed
to the company.-H M. Robinson, in
Haspev's Magosime.