Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-01-30
r.,f: FUR 1'RApIEF.


"I' ~ A''"tl'P' ''''"S
Among the changes an advunc-
ing civilization and i 'vu.rir-s den
udaiion oi forest l"nH are creating
throughout tilr len-Ih ami breadth
vi Il great continent uNn" H. more
colspicllol!" than al thos" pertain
ing To the fnNni of this country. The
Sulitudr% OF the great lniNrvUi for
estS, that formerly IhuUndrh in wild
game. beautiful birds and fowls Of
the air and valuable fur bearing
animals, ar HOW nearly a~ deserted
aS the great western plains, where
the buffalo long since left nothing
but traces OF his existence behind.
TrapperN lind ii more difficult to OBJ
tain THEN iulS each season. and
along with The "polt,n!rn they To-
treat fulth,r into the cold regions
north OF lie penetrating lr1o the
Willis of Brit Sh America. where life
III winter j. scarcely rrllruhle.
The fur tr.'ll,"i has had his day
in the United Stat, and ue a prod
net Of past conditions lie is di,ap
pcHling a. H,1vly a. th' game " hlch
he has hUntrd. III the Arrat north
eln lrlt of states bordering upon
the Canadian Inc he il found III
dwindlins lilGlcr", vainly striving
to mako a living in Iii precarious
calling and lrmoanirS the times
when il WGF al, easy matter to find
enough animals in his tralI each
day to llcel, him si.rpli'd vii h mon
cy. 1t j. now the work of week
to gather the skins that formerly
came 10 his TRAPS i'll day,
The popularity Ot iul'' has not de
clined. In tact, they al" more III
demand than ever, and fashion de-
crecs that they s,Ilall lie woln every
winter ON garments fnr men and for
wumcn. Most 81 them command Il
higher price ih&n over in the histo
~ ui civilization, hLt i!r iIal1jcr
doc nos profit 80 much w. this
change d. ni&ht lc stf lcscd. The
fur ',rulil,- l.iMais are disuprcnl'-
ins, faster thar The prices for furs
advance. Oder unsettled regions
of the aloNe ;.'e being explored to
help supply the ?na,lct. Of the
world with kins, and science is do
ing everything IN ita loWcr to util-
izc lie common skins ct The dUmes-
ticute,1 nIiruls. /. ne fun OF the cat,
dog, sheep, lamb and otEcl animals
Of our b1lNEurd HAd household la:;
already become Valuable CONNER
c!aliy, and through the dyrr's art
ANA the ,uiritl.; skill The WvGiel@
IT chral. iu'} are totally deceived,
1t il not an r",'y matter TO a. cC]'.
tain the relative valll" ri the impo1'-
tant fuiS, mi those taken from lie
forests and NoOl@ OF this country
are mucl, higher than i'll tol1!.cI
days. The silver iu% tlui a!on''tt!
SO plentifnilN IN our nu1 heru voc.
is NOW u comparatively iIrr ;ti'"i,I
and fl'UIh %iuU to 5000 l. Iniu IL,
first elias. :ltcinrns, The darker
the fur OF thv SILVER fox III ,.ID.u
valuable il j., ami consequently ,ht
farther nU'',h the tlHnlH1- 80 thH
better luck they have. those over
the Canadian border trap moro and
better silver luXrs than can be- found
anywhere in the United ;',ates, al
though nU, them Maine and the
Michigan PENINSULA have Welded
some excellent silver foAr+ Owing
to the erenI demand for ihi"im the
animals have lpyn trsiIrl ami
hunted 50 lc,Hl4tcutly that thry ere
very scarce" and the fp,. rp...ainntg
ones ulc more 1inlil and lnlGtr 10
catch than the common red tex.
The traE,cr sees hi industry
shrinking year by ycin. and with
out any possible improvement i'll
the future hr realizes thai he doom
OF his class has been sounded. An
other generation, and he will DC gone,
along with the Indian fighter, the
prairie scout and the buffalo hunter
philadelphia Times.