The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-19

mo dogs, who help them haul their out
fits into the wilderness in the winter
With the coming of the snow the Ind
ians scatter to the north, and their
winter is spent in trapping and hunt
ing. They don't prosper at it as they
once did, for game is growing scarcer
every year, and the hunter who used
to get $50 beaver skins in a season is
fortunate now if he brings in sixty
or eighty. These skins he trades in
Roberval, or the Hudson Bay agencies
for provisions or money.
Until two years ago the Hudson Bay COM
pany had monopoly of fur trading, and its
agencies dot the whole of British North
America had held that monopoly for
POI years, and surrendered it only when 1t
sold the Northwest territories to the British
for S1,500,0O0. 1t made enormous profits in
its early years, and even the last half cen
fury has seen 1t bring wealth to many men.
Sir Donald Smith, who is the president of the
company, started as one of its clerks, and
today he is reputed to be worth $500 900
and he endowed a hospital at Montreal a
year or so ago with 100000.
The young man with whom / talked is the
manager Of the little hotel here. but in few
weeks he will start for Frap-> where his
grandfather lived for many years.
There is no chance for a French Canadian
here" he said to me. 'In all the cities of
Canada the big business houses are controlled
by the English, and a Frenchman cannot
hope for employment, or, if he gets place,
cannot get into the employ OF the Hudson
Bay company unless there is some one to
push him. l had friend who helped me to
get a place as apprentice clerk at one of the
agencies. Then l became clerk and after
ward | was put in charge of a trading post.
1 spent five years in the bush. There no
one but Indians or half breeds to talk to, and
they could talk of nothing but furs or credit
at the store If an Indian is reliable. the
company gives him supplies, and he pays for
them afterward with skins. In Quebec the
government does not feed the Indians as you
do in the United States. The government has
builds hospitals for them, but the others
must hunt and fish for their living and buy
their supplies from the traders. OF course
we would not see an Indian starve. If he
needed food to keep alive the company would
give him something
This young man told me the next genera
ton of French Canadians was not being
brought up to farm life. The coming general
ton is being educated, not at agricultural
colleges like those which we have in the
States under the admirable Morrill, law.
but at grammar schools. and when the young
men come out Of school they have no taste
for farm life.
1t is rather absurd, is seems to me, to talk
about the loyalty of the French Canadian to
the queen. His tastes and habits are so for
eign to those of the English people that hs
can have little sympathy with English in-
situations. Besides, he is resentful of the
commercial supremacy of the English and
Scotch in Canada. When / was here two
years ago. observant men told me there was
strong sentiment among the French Cana
dians in favor of annexation. All of tie
French Canadians who had gone across the
border had done well, and the others had
an idea that 1t would be easier to bring tho
States to them than to go to the States this
feeling, they tell me, has changed.
George Grantham Balm.
FT,I,