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

About the first 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 . line of
traps from ten to fifteen miles in length.
Once or twice Z week he makes the
round of this walk, and gathers such
furs az may be caught Most of the
6ner furs are taken by means of the
wooden dead-fall and steel traps Of vari-
Gus sixeA the larger fur bearing animals
being either shot, caught In mares, or
killed BY the poisoned BAIT.
Toward the latter end Of March the
Indian trappers leave their hunting
grounds, and make aiourney to the forts
with the produce of their Wintoe's toll.
Here they come, moving through the
forest. !. motley th.ons: T. c.ssss
carry anything but their gum, and not
always doing wen that. Altar them
como the squaws, bending under loads,
driving dogn, or hauling hand-sleds laden
with meat, furs, tanned d~eer-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 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 Odds 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, 70 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 10 to cancel the
debt contracted for advances ut 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 il carefully examined, and with
each purchase there is a contest over the
apparent inequalitybetween 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 steelvard and weighing balance are
his especial objects Of dislike. He DOE.
not know what medicine that is. That
his tea and sugar should be balanced
against q bit of iron, conveys NO idea Of
the relative values of p~eltries and mer'
chandise to him. He insists upon max
ing the balance swing wen 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 indl
his fine furs balanced against heavy
blankets, he concludes to abideIb1 the
old method Of letting the white trader
decide the weight in his own way; for II
is clear that the steelyard ia 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 il allowed to draw any
reasonable amount; for, contrary to tn,
rule in civilized life, . debt 10 seldom
lost ave by the death of the Indian
He may change his place Of abode hun
dreds Of miles, but he still has only
company's post at which to trade. Tn.
company has always been q good friene
to him and his, and he pays when ht
can. He knows that when he liquidate
his old debt, he can contract q new on,
Just AZ big. No attempt was v e mad,
to cheat him, and there never will be
When he is i'll he goes to the neares
fort, and Is cared for and attended unit
he RECEIVERS. When he does his dut,
we'll he gets . present, and he Y per
forms any labor without receiving fai
compensation. such humane treatmen
strongly binds the Indian and half-bree,
to the company.-H N. Robinson, Il
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