New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-18
ASTOR AND THE TRAPPER.
HOW lie COUNT FAILED TO FIND THE
MERCHANT PRINCE AT HOME.
From Macmillan's Magazine.

From Macmillan Magazine
The fur trade was never SO important in the
Western and Pacific States it was in the Ca
madam States. One reason for this was the lack
of the finer furs, which are not found so Tar
south as a rule: and then again, after the dis
coVery of gold in California in 1919 the quest
for gold or silver mine was the western plo-
neer's only notion of hunt. Still many OF the old
Wisconsin hunters were fur traders, and much
of the romance of their life was personited in
Pierre LIE Count, French Canadian by birth,
who lately died at Green Bay, WIS, at the age
of ninety-seven This old man was probably the
last of the red shrted, buckskin breeched
French Canadian voyageurs and trappers but
seventy odd years spent below the boundary
line had made of him a tolerably complete Yam
kee One of his many friends-for during the
last ten years of his life he was regarded as
sort of State monument, and as such frequently
visited by those interested in the Antiquities or
WiscOnsin-sent me a sheaf of notes OF ms con-
versation. the substance of which, in so far as
they concern the present subject Is here set
down.
green old age 1t was not till the very last
that he lost his health and spirits, neither was
his memory dimmed, in which. as IN mirror
were reflected seventy years of life by held and
flood For some years lie Count worked for the
Canadian companies, but, finding that ne coulo
get better Price in the States and that there
were no restrictions on the fur trade there, ne
decided to transfer the of his operations to
the territory now called Wisconsin Fort Dear
born where Chicago stands to-day. was then the
centre of the American fur trade. At the time
when lie Count began to hunt and trap for ms
livelihood John Jacob AstOr (the second OF the
I
corner the fur trade not only of the States but
also of Canada. In the first part of his task he
succeeded but in the second he failed signally,
and the only memento of his scheming is the
name Astoria. of a small town in one of the
Pacific States.
lie Count. when interrogated, was inclined to
nut his visit to NeW-York ito see Jake Aston
in his pride of place as the most curious expert
enCe If his career 1t appears that Astor 5
| agent at Fort Dearborn was forever attempting
to cut prices down. and in so doing he made
! criticisms on lie Counts furs which hurt the
old man Che was young enough them III his
weak point-that is to say, his Pride as a flrst
rate hunter was touched. According TO Astor S
agent his beaver too early Caught too
soon in the autumn to have the finest natural
eIoss). his otter skin was taken from a drowned
animal and had lain in the water too long, his
minks were all kits. and too small to be worth
! the full market price. one year (Whether IN
! 1925 or 1929 he could not remembeD. happening
! to have money saved from the previous season ;
| work he made up his mind TO visit Aston at
! New-York and sell to him directly. Even if he
got no more than the agent offered him, so the
simple minded trapper argued, he would see not
only really big city but also really great