San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-02-02
Indian Trappers, Hudson Bay.

spreading the disease. .,
- Indian Trappers, Hudson Bay.
About the first of November, when
the animals have got their winter coats,
and fur is ain 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 week he makes the
round of this walk. and gathers such
furs as may be caught. Most of the
finer furs 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 poisoned bait.
Toward the latter end of march the
Indian trappers leave their hunting
grounds, and make journey to the
fort with the produce of their winters
toll. Here they come, moving through
the forest 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 In
dian lodge or procession. The cheerful
spectacle of the two packed together
upon the back of woman is not of in
frequentoccurance. Day after day the
mongrel party journey 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 togeth-
er, and informs the trapper that he
has got sixty or seventy Skins" At
the same time he hands his customer
sixty or seventy little bits of wood, 80
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
act of the indian is to cancel the debt
contracted for advances at the begin
ming 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 pie
ces of wood then looks about him for
SOM thing else. Everything is careful
ly examined, and with each purchase
there is contest over the apparent in
equality between the amount received
and that given. In the Indians opin-
ion, one skin should pay for one article
of merchandise, no matter what the
value of the latter may be. And he
insists, too, upon selecting the skin.
The steelyard and weighing balances
are his especial objects of dislike. He
does not know what medicine that is.
That his tea and sugar should be ba-
lanced against bit of iron, conveys
no idea of the relative values of pei
tries and merchandise to him. He in
sists upon making the balance swing
even between the traders goods and
his own furs, until new light is thrown
upon the question of steelyards and
scales by the acceptance of his PROPOSE
ton. Then, when he find his fine furs
balanced against heavy blankets, he
concludes to abide by the old method
of letting the white trader decide the
weight in his own way; for it is clear
that the steelyard is a very great me-
dicine, which no brave can understand.
When the trapper has spent all his
little pieces of wood, and asks for fur
Their advances, he is allowed to draw
any reasonable amount; for contrary to
the rule in civilized life, debt is sell
dom lost save by the death, of the In
dian. He may change his place OF
abode hundreds of miles, but he still
has only Company's post at which to
trade. The Company has always been
a good friend to him and his, and he
paws when he can. He knows that
when he liquidates his old debt, he can
contract a new one just as big. No
attempt was even 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 re-
covers. When he does his duty well he
gets a present, and he never performs
spy labor without receiving fair COM
pensation. Such humane treatment
strongly binds the Indian and half
breed to the COmpany.-HaTPeT's
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