The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-07-16

writes. for he has visited 1t three times and in
three several ways These ways are, first the
mode affected by rich sportsmen called in the
jargon ofthe frontier top shelters 4" who bring
retinues Of servants from England. hire lot OF
professional guides. and provide themselves
with an amazingly complete camping outfit (;
secondly. TO obtain letters OF introduction to
American officers stationed In frontier posts
who furnish the guests with all tho requisite
supplies; and, thirdly. to eschew all assistance
OF the kind. as we'll as the services OF tho or
binary guides. and choose for your companions
real trappers or fur hunters.
His experience OF the two former methods
OF Western travel gave the author nothing to
tell that Americans. at ali events would find
either new or interesting but this book is
mainly devoted to description OF IN expedi-
ton which the author made in company with
trappers through tho remote and relatively
uninvaded districts which are still stocked
with beavers and other valuable fur-benring
animals. The author warns his countrymen
however that every sportsman, fresh from Eu-
rope or the Eastern States. will not easily light
upon n genuine fur hunter. The hotels Of tho
frontier towns are thronged with long haired
counterfeits OF the vertable trapper, ar
rayed in buckskin suits and broad sombre-
ros. and armed with bowie knives and
are old Indian fighters. and bear the sugges-
tive names OF Buffalo Bill" wild Will"
Scalp Jack. and " Bear-claw Joe." 1t is well
for the tenderfoot," as the tourist from the
East Is popularity termed. to understand that
all these follows. 80 proficient in the stage bust
ness of the frontier. are nothing but bull
whackers." or teamsters. who are tempted by
the high wages offered by sportsmen to ex-
change their regular vocation for one Of which
they know nothing. The real trapper may be
distinguished from these preposterous per-
sons. who try to reproduce in their outward
man the heroes OF joaquin Miller. by his quiet
dress and singularly unobtrusive and taciturn
manners in the presence of strangers Indeed
he Is not often to be met with at all in the
haunts of frontier civilization, for he only visits
outlying settlements once in six months to got
stores. and then seldom tarries over night. We
may add, before leaving this subject, that the
author proves his competence to treat it by
the remark that to be very silent in the pres
ence OF strangers is a good sign in the Western
country" The men who really shoot grizzly
bears and raise scalps never speak of their per-
formances, and the alleged Argonauts. who re-
count such exploits in the cities OF the East.
may be set down as blatant frauds.
or course. IL men go West to shoot game they
need guns to shoot with. but the author OF this
volume ridicules the practice followed by many
American as well rs English tourists In the far
West OF providing themselves with firearms for
self Drotection. Three reasons are cited why
the traveller should abstain from CARRYING re-
volver. The first is that so long as he is sober.
and does not visit places in which he has no
more business to be than n visitor to London
has to frequent its slums. he will never be call
ed upon to use 1t. The second is that il by
mingling with bad company he should happen
to need an arm of defence. he will be sadly
left. b" for long before he eXtricates his weapon
the aggressor. il he is Westerner "on the
shoot" will have emptled six chambers into
him. The third reason assigned by Mr..
Baille-Grohman Is that II you have no
revolver the man who kills you will in all
probability, have something unpleasant occur
to him: while IL n weapon should be discov-
cred in the remotest corner Of your pocket the
case is likely to be construed justiilable man
slaughter. This may seem cold comfort to
most Of U.S. since YOU would have to die to re-
allie 1t; but the author deems it some salts
rubbed out. the author OF the operation will
promptly be subjected to the same process of
placement The simple truth is, rs this Eng
fish tourist has discovered. that in no country
IN the world is there SO little bullying either
physical or moral. as in the West, for there the
turning worm is apt to handle his iireirons
Jus, as dexterously as he who would override
about the desperadoes OF the frontier but
somehow you never meet them,