The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-03
PLAINSMEN IN OLD DAYS.
DANGERS AND ESCAPES OF HUNTING
PIONEERS FIFTY TEARS 400.

An Old Employee of tho American Fur
Company Tells of m Exciting Voyage to
Civilization with Furs. and His Close
Call frsm Death when He Came Back.
Yes" said old man Rivet. Il was In the en-
ploy OF the American Fur Company great
many years in one capacity or another. Some
times l went out for a seasons trapping along
the mountain streams, sometimes was the post
hunter. and again form ed one OF 4 crew to take
boatload Of furs down tho river. or all these
different employments l liked that OF hunter
best. All had to do was to kill and butcher
twenty-five buffalo a week for the use Of the
people at the fort: my two assistants followed
up with wagons and hauled in tho meat
Twenty-Five fat buffalo cows represented
about fifteen thousand pounds OF good meat,
q large amount, you will think. for the
fifty sixty people employed But you
must understand that. excepting the fac
tor and his clerks, they ate nothing else and
again. the crowds Of Indians constantly COM
ing in to trade had to be feasted: so the meat
was never wasted Tho Indians, rich In horses
and women. could afford to buy afew groceries:
robes were to be had for tho killing. and their
wives tanned them. But We humble empoy-
ses. working for thirty or forty dollars month,
could not pay $3.50 for a pound Of brown sugar
and a pint OF tea. nor 81 for cupful Of -four.
Nature formed the buffalo and placed it on
these great plains to furnish the food. and the
clothing. and the shelter OF the race who
psopled Thorn. The peculiar flavor OF It's meat
never cloyed tho appetite: its light rich sub
stance and juices we're all-sufflcient for the
growth and physical we'll being OF the Indians.
1t Was all sufficient too. for us who were pho
neers OF that civilization which was SO soon to
exterminate the buffalo. and. practically. the
Indian too.
Il cannot begin to tell you the fascination
there was in that wild life; there was some
thing about 1t which. once experienced, was
never Voluntarily relinquished Civilization
had no charms for the voyageur. for the hunter
and trapper: the hardships Of his calling. the
dangers which beset him on every hand were
nothing. And it was dangerous life.
Tho American Fur Company having
built Fort Unien. near the mouth OF
tho Yellowstone In 1929. soon saw that, to
shut of the encroaohment OF the Hudson Bay
Company into the territory Of the uppsr Mis-
souri,, they must extend their posts further
west. In 1888. therefore. they built Fort
Brule, not for below the present town Of Fort
Benton. A year later, In "a. ] was one OF the
crew who brought up the mackinaws laden
with trade goods for tho new fort What
| trade there was that winter; we had the three
| tribes Of the Blackfeet. the Gros Ventros and
the Sarcees in tho vicinity. and long before
spring tne lOR WdEdnOubub WeTo ulleu WIN
| robes and furs. There were three mackinaw
| boats out on the bank. which had br ought up
| the trade goods. but they would not begin to
| to carry down the bales OF furs. 1t would take
| at least four more. 30 some mon were sent
out to the Highwood Mountains, about twenty
| miles distant. and there. with Nhipsaw and
| axe they cut from the pine trees sufIlcient ma
terial to make the extra boats. The lumber
| was hauled to the fort. and after 1t had become
sufficiently dry. was put together. Strong.
| staunch boats they were, from forty to forty
| Ave feet in length. and capable OF carrying ten
tons more. During the winter had been
| the post hunter. and an easy time made OF 1t.
seldom going moro than two or three miles to
get tho weekly supply OF meat.
| But when spring came. and preparations
| were made to ship the furs. l was detailed to
| handle an oar on one OF the boats. or course. /
| didn't want to go, but there was no question
| ing the Factors orders so went to work with
a will and helped load the boats. Pack after
pack Of beaver skins, each weighing hundred
pounds,was stored away. and OF bales Of buffalo
robes, OF wolf and lesser iurs there seemed to
be no end. The last bale aboard one fine morn =
| ing. loaded to their utmost capacity. the boats
were pushed out into the stream. and with oar
and current we started on the long voyage. 1t
/ was easy work to guide the boats down the
swift stream, and the voyaReurs started of with
| light hearts; il the thought came to them OF
| the return trip. when they would have to cor
del the heavy boats against the current. wet
| to the neck. shoulders bleeding from the chat
song and Jest gave themselves up to the ENJOY
| mont OF the hour.
| Two OF the oarsmen in my boat were young
Canadian Frenchmen named Paul and Peter
good hearted and generally good natured fell
lows but like the re st OF their race very excit-
| able. and prone to argue about matters OF no
moment Now as We gided swiftly down the
stream on this first day OF our voyage the If
thoughts turned to their homo at Quebec and
talking OF one thing and another they began
to argue as to which OF two certain young
women OF their acquaintance there was the
best looking. In few minutes the oars wore
forgotten and lively exchange OF personalities
were exchanged.
AT last said Paul. finally I am drawer
than you. and II choose can have either o.
those girls; yes, by gar can have them both
"'HaH Pete exclaimed. so you are the
bravestl VOL. we shall see: we will make the
test on this voyage. and our comrades shall
IN the steersman had not Just then called to
them to resume rowing l guess there would
law. and they picked up their oars with snort.
and ppfrs of defiance at each other. their darI
Along in the afternoon we ran into an i'm.
mensO herd OF buffalo which was crossing the
river: 1t was i'm possible to stop the boat in the
swift water so ali We cou ID do was to drift, and dc
our best to scare the animals by shouting anC
firing our. guns. Our boat was IN the lead. anc
In spite OF our efforts We driited into a perfect
mass OF tho swimming boasts and were II
Imminent DANCE Of being swamped Suddenly
dropping his oar. Pete ran to tho bow. and witt
Almighty spring and whoop landed fair OF
great beast for an instant beneath the turpld
water, 1t came UP snortnG and blowing,
plunges, with the sight Of the yelling maj
astride 1t frightened It's fellows In turn IA
more than our shooting and the appearance o
from the south to the north side pt tho stream
and as luck would have 1t, the brf1l which Pete
bestrode turned back TO the south. and The
other buffalo behind it turned too am
frAnticAlly 0ndeavored to regain the shore
But beyond there was a solid mass Of animal,
REINFORCED every minute by countless, Others
which came punginE out OF the timber anc
down into tho water. and when these two
forces met, there was terrible commotion
they pushed and paved. clambered on anc
over each other. making the water fly in al
directions.
the great oncoming column succeeded in over
coming those which had turned back. Their,