The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-05-31

Ahd Etono btAho VI NOiOIb Sizes.
Drawers in the counter contain needles,
pins, scissors, 6sh-hooks, thimbles, and yer.
million for painting canoes aud faces. Ou
the floor Is strewn a variety Of copper ket-
ties, from half pint to gallon; and in
one corner of the room stands dozen
trading-guns, and beside them keg Of
powder aud bag Of shot.
In some Of the trade-rooms small space
is rallied off by the counter near the door,
behind which the Indians stand to trade.
Sometimes they are confined to separate
apartment, called the Indian-room, adioin.
ing that occupied by the traders, aud bus.
iness is carried on through loop-hole
communicating between the two. In many
Of tho posts in tho plain eouatry the trade.
room is cleverly contrived so as to prevent
sudden rush Of the Indians, the approach
from outside the pickets being through a
long narrow passage, only of sufficient
width to admit of one Indian at time,
and bent at an acute angel near the win
dow at which the etrader stands This pre-.
caution is rendered necessary by the fran
tic desire which sometimes seizes upon the
Indian to shoot the clerk, which he might
easily do were the passage straight.
At most OF the interior posts time moves
slowly, and change is almost unknown.
To-day is the same as a hundred years ago.
The list Of goods ordered from England
for this year has exactly the same items
as that Of 1879. Strands, cotton, beads
and trading-guns are still the wants Of the
Indians, and are still traded for musquash
and beaver
The system Of trade at the Company's
posts is entirely one Of barter. Until re.
cent years money values were unknown;
but this medium ofexchangc has gradually
become familiar to the Indians, and the
almighty dollar is rapidly asserting its
supremacy in sayagedom.
About the first Of November, when the
animals have got their winter coats, and
fur is sin season. the Indian trapper lays
out his trapping walk for the winter, along
which he places line Of traps from ten to
fifteen miles in length. Once or twice a
week he makes the round of this walk, and
gathers such furs as may be caught Most
Of the finer furs arc taken by means of the
wooden dead. fall and steel-traps of various
sizes, the larger fur-bearing animals being
shot, caught in sunres, or killed by the
poisoned bait
Toward the latter end of March the
IndiantrappersleaVe their hnntinggrounds,
and make journey to the forts with the
produce Of their winters toll Here they
come, moving through the forest, motley
throng. The braves march in front, too
proud aud 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 procession. The cheerful spectacle ol
the two packed together upon the back Of q
woman is not OF infrequent occurrence.
Day after day the mongrel party journeys
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 trapper
that he has got sixty or seventy ''skins. .
At the same time ho hands his customer
sixty or seventy little hits Of wood 20 Ia,
the latter NAV know bv return;ng ,beso i
payment for The GOODS ior wb;eh lo sso,l,'
bayters his furs ;nst how s,s, IL ga,
decrease. The first act Of the Indian is
to cancel the debt contracted for advances
at the beginning of the season; then be
looks round unon tho bales or cloth hlan
kots etc and affer nosh;,o ooa.,mJA. ~
TO have a small white conors for b;s "a
ding bow. The nriee i told him and
he hands back ten Of his l;t,le r;anos -
wood ,ben lools ohor, h;n, g. .ars.,i: : :.
else Evervtbino ;s carar,l,v oxam;aaS
and with eacb nnrcb,ss sber: = ann,os,
over tbo ann,ront ;naon.G,n ha,,rass so',is' ~
amount received and ,ba, 9;von T.. ~ ~
Indians onin;on one sl;n Should naa @ g.. e
ono or,;cle az mercha nd;sa ~ o,na,ia:, - ~.
tbc volne of ,bo l.,,ar me- ~ IA ia ~
insists too unon selacting ;be sk;n tn
s,eelvard and wo;,bIng alanoas 49, ~
esnec;,l oh;sc,s 81 d;.l;La H. aaas S
not know what medicine ,h.. i TSss
his ten nnd smear sbou,d ba h,loaeaS
ag,;nst n hi. of iron conyo,s 40 a. e
.5o rol.,;yo vaInos a.i;u;a ~ "
cha,d;.a ~ h;m IT. ;np;~.a"s...n ] s.a ne'
,ho halanco sr;n, -, - - hn,s.ar ~ a'A -.
er,s aoods ana r. ~, s',"s ,,..;i aae aau- '.-
1 l;.bt q ,L,o~a nnou M H. ai,;na ~ - : ~, nsm
Yards and sc.los r. ,ea adoea,nnao e0 % 1.Iu IL
nronos;,;on Thog ~" "S.n ~ ~ e snds ~. =. s. "'s
Gra balanced a@a;,s, T Sa.~' ~ as msn,a,s n,s "be ~
concludes ~ .b;Jo hv G ,so IA | ma,sod "e ~
io,,;ng ~ ,.b;,a -. ses ~
IL h;ss a,sn as - .ar. a o nIe.s ~. ws'sn' ~
s,eelvard i ~ -, -, ,Aa;~;. I ''-s h;aa ;Ie
No 49, asa = ! 49, ~ go. '0' ""''"
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n;aoas &c ro,a fp ri l W. 'Pe"' s.",h 4" l,s ''.'.e
rances hc 4 ailowaa - a'sAvs "a..a' az
.hio amann,. 1 cos ~, " e's" .hy ieIsoa-
c;v;l;sed re- ioSs = - ~ .'s ~, lu,e @ -
bv ,he daa'5 os,ha IaS;s % Ws lTs' .' saso
cR.nao liz nl.e" ' .haSn n. I1 ~ n
n,;Iae b., % pa. IN, ~ aooue naSuleus y
"s', oas ~ sun nas oniy company
W. -. ~ mI'on W." y ''aas, Inc company
~ NJ sr,;i,, sJt III : soou iIlenu y nun anu @
$50 ~ paJo "hch hS uAu. hc