Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-10-11
HUNTING THE CHINCHILLA.
Dynamite Used Ia the Capture OF the Little
Fur Bearing Rodent.

Killing chinchilla with the aid of
dynamite is one of the lucrative pas
times of the South African Indians
which enriches the commerce of the
world very considerably. This season
more than ever before chinchilla has
been the fashionable fur used in the
manufacture of cloaks, muffS and for
the trimming of costly hats.
High in the mountains the nimble-
by half-savage Indians. Tact and
skill are needed to allure the cautious
little animal from it's hole in the earth.
Originally the Indians used to use
cactus prongs, which are long and
sharp, to capture them in their holes
by impaling them on the end of this
natural formed spear This pune
tured the skin and impaired it's value.
The trappers tried to smoke the chin
chlla out by making great fires near
the entrance of the burrows, but the
smoke, it was found, caused the skin
to turn yellow, which seriously de-
preciated it's value. Now the more
progressive Indians use dynamite.
After locating the chinchilla they
form a network of grass and hardy
plants, which is placed around the
hill on which the animal digs its.
holes. A dynamite cartridge, with a
time fuse attached, is then dis,
charged in the center of the net,
which frightens the chinchilla so that
they leave their holes and scamper in
side the net The Indians then dash
into the arena with clubs and kill
them by striking them over the head.
This is considered the easiest and best
method of killing them, as it does not
in any way damage the skins, which
vary in value from So to $50 each.
When it is considered that as many
as 100 animals are killed in one Sortie
of this character the value OF the
skins to the Indians, who are shreWd
commercial traders. may be imagined.
Some of the tribes own ferrets,
which they use to good advantage.
They pay as much as S. for one. The
ferrets are taken to the mountain
tops and sent through the burrows,
chasing the chinchilla out into the
open, where they are dubbed to death
with celebrity by the waiting Indians.
The skins are removed Immediately
and placed on shrubs to dry. The
evening meal of the trappers often
consists of the bodies of the slain rod
ents. the meat of which is white ana
tender. The hearts of the latter are
given to the ferrets as requital for
their work.
A great part of the trapping is done
at night, the chinchilla seldom being
visible in the day time. The nights
are cool and clear. and there being
but little vegetation at the height
where the chinchilla are caught, the
mountains are for a long period each
month illuminated by the rays of the
moon, enabling the Indians to move
about with great agility for their prey.
The chinchilla lives principally on
herbs, and often when they come out
to feed are trapped by the Indians.
| Four times year the tribes descend
into the semi-civillzed village at the
base of the mountains with their
skins. There they are met by the
agents of the various European fur
houses. One American house has It's
representative there, too. The occa-
sion of the Indians arrival is usually
made a religious festival.
| George Herzig. the only American
agent there. s4ys he paid enc tribe
| of thirty Indians for the firm py
| whom he was employed as much as
SSO. OOO-in native money, which IS
equivalent to $4,000 in American
money-last year for skins. This the
| Indians converted princlpahy ihao
mule and llama stocks, by which tney
estimate their wealth. Chlcaso
| Times Herald.