St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-01-30
PASSING or TIE rRAPPEB.
Fur Bearing Animals Are Eecomins
Scarce and Profits Are Small.

| United States, and as q product OF past
| conditions he is disappearing as surely
as the game which he has hunted. In
| the great northern belt of states
bordering upon the Canadian line he
is found in dwindling numbers, vainly
striving to make a living in his precari-
ous calling and bemoaning the times
when it was an easy matter to find
enough animals in his traps each day
to keep him supplied with money. It
is now the work Of a week to gather
the skins that formerly came to his
traps in q day.
The popularity of furs has not de-
c1ined. In fact they are more in de-
naand than ever, and fashion DEGREES
that they shall be worn every winter on
garments for men and for women.
| Most of them command a higher price
than ever in the history of civilization,
but the trapper does not profit Sc much
by this change as might be supposed.
The fur-bearing animals are disappear
ing faster than the prices for furs adj
vance. Other unsettled regions of the
globe are being explored to help supply
the markets of the world with skins,
and science is doing everything in its
power to utilize the common skins OF
the domesticated animals. The fur of
the cat, dog, sheep, lamb and other an
imals of our barnyard and household
has already become valuable CONNER
cially, and through the dyer's art and
the curriers' skill the wearers of cheap
furs are totally deceived.
It is not an easy matter to ascertain
the relative value Ct important furs,
woods of this country are much higher
than in former days. The silver fox,
that abounded SO plentifully in. our
northern woods, is now q comparative
~ rare animal, and from 500 to $500 are
paid for frst-class specimens. The
darker the fur of the silver fox the
more valuable it is, and consequently
the further north the trappers go the
better luck they have. Those over the
Canadian border trap more and better
silver foxes than can befound anywhere
in the United States, although northern
Maine and the Michigan peninsula have
yielded some excellent silver foxes.
Owing to the great demand for this fur,
the animals have been trapped and
hunted SO persistently that they are
very scarce and the few remaining ones
are more timid and harder to catch
than the common red fox.
Bear skins generally come next to
the furs of the silver foxes, and
they run all the way from $40
to $75 apiece for the raw fur.
Dealers grade the skins according to
their idea of the value, and the trapper
is not always sure that he will receive
the highest quotations even after he has
shipped his booty to market. The cross
fox fur comes third on the list and is
generally worth from SIS to $40, accord
ing to size, general beauty and richness
Of color. The fur of the otter is nearly
as valuable, and a good specimen will
command SIS either at the country
store or in the city markets. The beaver
is not worth more than SIS, the wolver-
inc $40, the lynx and black raccoon Sc,
and the common wolf and marten SIS.
These are the principal fur-bearing ami
mails caught by the trappers in this
country, but long list Of cheaper ones
are brought to market, such as the
mink, skunk, badger, wild cat,
red and gray fox, muslsrat and rabbit.
The prices paid for these vary from d
few cents apiece to several dollars. The
rabbit skins are so cheap that the trap
pers would not take the trouble to ex-
press them to the cities if 1t were not
for the fact that they can be packed in
with the others at no extra cost.
The trapper is essentially what his
name implies, and not a hunter or
sportsman. The shotgun is not his inn
plement, for this tears and INJURIES the
skins and furs. The trap and skinning
knife are his chief articles of trade.
The traps are usually divided into
three classes-snares deadfaIls and
steel traps. The steel traps vary in size
from the small ones set to capture the
little nuskrat to the large double
spring arrangements known as grizzly
bear traps" These latter are mann
moth affairs, weighing 40 pounds, and
+ \
inches apart. When the jaws of such
trap close upon any creature they are
pretty sure to break the leg and hold
the captive prisoner until relieved by
some outside person. The grizzly bears
have been known to- tear the heavy
traps from their moorings and drag
them a mile or more through the for
ests, but they have never been known to
pull the leg away from the relentless
teeth.
The deadfalls are made both for large
and small animals. In the small horse
shoe inelosure tempting bait is fast
ened on delicate trigger which, when
slightly moved let down upon the ami
mails back number of heavy logs.
These fall squarely upon the back or
shoulders Of the hungry creatures, and
either break it or crush out the life.
The animal caught in a 1eadfaIl rarely
lives to tell the tale. The wary animals,
like the fox, can seldom be induced to
enter a deadfall, for their instincts
make them suspicious. SHARES are used
for catching a variety Of small animals,
and they are arranged In a great variety
of ways, the most common of which is
with the spring pole.
The trappers visit these snares. dead
falls and steel traps every morning,
travelling through the woods in the bit
terest cold weather, and often return
ing without q peh of any great value.
Hard work. rough fare and little pay