Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-08


trading-post, consists Of hard biscuit
and dried salmon, with luxury
in Tie way Of coffee. It is q
common saying in that country
that dogs and men fare alike |;
and nothing is truer, for men and dogs
are rationed off similarly, so much for
the dog, so much for the man. The
dogs are used for conveying their ra-
tons from the posts to the headquar-
tiers OF their range and when meal
time comes dog and man eat together
IS the happiest Of chums. Whiskey is
their failing, when they can get it. The
Budson-Bay Company people, however,
will not supply it; but now that there
are mining-camps springing up in all H.
rections, the trappers can easily buy 1t,
and naturally abuse their license.
THE MODE OF CATCHING.
Various modes are practiced for the
capture Of the different animals, but
most common is that of traps. The
trap employed for this purpose is very
similar to large rat-trap, which, when
it is sprung. catches the animal by the
leg, and does not break or bruise the
body. The traps have to be laid very
carefully, as the animals are pretty
wary, and though they may be hungry,
are shy of treading on dangerous
ground. The fox is the most can
ming of all. He will eat out the
bait in trap, and will escape IN
hurt, so on this account the
trap has to be carefully sprinkled
oyerwith earth and twigs, and so set that
the fox does not get the chance to eat
the bait and escape and prevent another
catch. Whites have also recourse to
poisoning their game, but this practice
does not find favor with many. 1t also
is dangerous, as the flesh of the poison
ed animal may perhaps be eaten by
some game off which the Indian lives.
This unsportsmanlike proceeding is not
tolerated by the Indians. Larger game.
such as bears and wolves, have, of
course, to be shot, though on Macken-
zie river, N. S. Simpson, an old British
Columbia fur. trader, now a resident of
this city, has seen bears caught in traps
by the Indians.
The most valuable Of all the fur
bearing animals is the silver-gray fox.
His fur is indeed beautiful, and it is
most expensive, owing to the compare
tive paucity Of their numbers. From
their tips, which are as bright as silver,
did this fox get its name. The fur is
much used in trimming. These foxes
can be found all throughout British
Columbia and in Alaska. You must
understand that the only time to trap
these animals is during the winter; for
then the fur comes out long and thick,
which they lose during the sum-
mer, owing to the heat. These foxes
do not travel in great packs, like
wolves, but generally in strings Of two
and three, nor are they of very timid
nature. | remember seeing three or
four Of them leisurely trotting before
us one day, and no hallooing seemed to
brighten them, though the crack Of
rifle soon put them to the right about.
Martens are the next in value, and you
can realize their cost when yen know
that they produce what is commonly
called the sable. There are two kinds
Of marten, one known as the stone
marten and the other as the wOod-mar-
ten. The first martin is more especial
ly sought after, as his fur is the black
est and therefore the most desirable.
The beaver, though not producing so
fine or valuable fur, is always a IA
yorite with the trapper for several rea-
sons. lie is not meddlesome or OBJ
trusiye animal, and scarcely ever springs
trap set for higher game. The lynx.
weasel, and many other poor fur-pro-
ducers will poke their noses into or
tread on places designed for their bet
tiers, although the penalty is death and
curses long and loud on their corpses.
The beaver is also favorite because he
produces dainty morsel OF eating.
A beavers tail is n very dainty dish.
A young stewed chicken or rabbit
comes nearest to it, yet not nearly so
good. Apart from selfish motives,
there is kind Of sentimental regard on
the part of trappers for them, in defer
ence to their indefatigable energy and
industry. There are all kinds of appa-
rently impossible and incredible yarns
told about their habits and ingenuity.
But as | have seen their villages | can
vouchsafe for the truth of these state
ments. The village saw building was
at Mud lake, in British Columbia,
which, at the time was there, had
some fifteen to twenty houses, and was
distant some. fifty to one hun
dred feet from the shore in the water.
The bottom of the lake was their foun-
dation, which was some four or five
feet deep. Their houses are built in
the shape of immense fiat bee-hives,
the cone appearing on the surface of
the lake, four or five feet high, and
from six to eight feet in diameter.
There is no exit nor entrance above the
surface, but the animals dive and then
swim to the shelf which runs in circle
around the wall of the house and sufh-
GENTLY high so that the beaver can tdry
with his face to the wall and his tail
hanging in the water. The object of
letting their tails lie in the water during
their sleeping hours is for the purpose
Of sentinel work; for so sensitive are
their caudal appendages to any motion
in the water that a man riding horse
into the water a mile away can be
discerned. The ripples caused by
wadipg would be felt by these little
creatures. In fact, stone thrown into
the water 500 feet from their villages
will give the alarm to the entire settle
ment.
THE BEAvER-DAMs.
You know their dams are the most
perfect OF engineering feats. They cut
down huge tree, and scarcely ever
miss telling it where it is wanted. The
stump, after the tree is felled, is per-
feet cone, COMMERCIALLY correct, the
only roughness or irregularity. being
the teeth-marks in the surface. The
trees are always felled over the water,