Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-03-02

HARD LIFE OF The HUNTERS OF THE
NORTH.
But the Element of Danger and Ex-
element is Ever Present - An
Average Days Journey in the
Woods-Hunting Big Game.

Average Days Journey in the
/ Woods-Hunting Big Game.
Ine quantity and value of the furs,
which an Indian may secure as the re-
suit of his spring hunt varies greatly,
OF course, but III a good year from
$500 to $500 may be taken as a fair
average. He may have eight CT ten
bears, a dozen beavers for or i've OF
tiers, number of lynXes, martens and
minks and several hundred musuuash
or muskrats. When all the hunters
have come in the furs are pressed INTO
packs of Il hundred pounds each and
sent in ork beats to the Fl ontier trails,
over whaich they are carted to the
nearest railway station to be shipped
to London, England. where they are
carefully sorted and afterwards sold ut
the two great annual sales OF the com
pany in January and March. which are
attended by buyers from all parts of
the world.
! In the Lard life of the voyagcur there
are ever present the elements of danger
and excitement. With the first glance
Of dawn the guide shouts his warming
"Leve. Lever AMI the men spring from
their blankets. pack their camp outfit
into the boats and are off. Six oars to
boat. one to man, besides
"sWeep' in the hands of both bow and
steerSman. The oars are large and
heavy. and the roWcls rise to their feet
and sink lack with precision upon their
seats with each long stroke. At s
o'clock they put ashore for breakfast.
and about noon another halt IS made:
then they 90 on until night falls. when
they stop for the day. eat their sup
per and lay themselves on the ground
for few hours rc>t. | have been told
by voyagcurs that they have been so
tired ut night thar they were unable
to eat, and have flung themselves down
on the nearest level spot without so
much as rCmovnT heir coats or sn tch-
ing blanket, ami slept the sleep of
dead WEAKNESS until aroused N day
break by the cry Of the guide.
| Fifteen ar twenty NJ lea 5 ppr'aps an
average days journey: much depends
upon the water. In some places RAPIDS
and portagpS occur with pXasprrating
frequency: in It prs the stream is
broad and deep. and there is n little
current Again. in crossing n lao.
with n favorable wind. sail may he
made and the rowerS have a welcome
which it is unnecessary or Impossible to
portage cracking" is resortcd to \
long line is attached to the how of
the boat and the men disemhlrl. leav-
ing only the stecrSman to keep her
nose of shore or off rocks u the
stream. while the men. far ahead on
the bank. haul her mp against the tor
rent. Accidents are common. y E!ock
of ovcrnanging ice four n five feet
thick. left lay the spring flood may fall
upon man rs h" passes e"e1th Z and
crush out his life; n sudden access of
force in the current as the boat rounds
bend may jerk the men from their
feet and into the river. ANA some may
not get ont again. Or the boat may
drift upon n rock. smash 1t to atoms
: md the cargo and men in her he lost
But portaging is the hardest work
which comes to the voyagcur. for
1Snctimes il is necessary tn drag the
heavy boat and then carry her load
Of four or five tons over a rough. rocky
point n mile in width \ portage strap
is fastened to one piece" Of abUir one
hundred pounds: another piece. per-
hans two. are placed upon this. and
with the strap against his forehead.
! with bare legs and shoclcsS feet man
fter man tolls Across The portage untl
the narrow path beneath is soft and
damp with human sweat rhcv are
glad when the last niece * over Tho
clumsy oars seem light when they pick
them mp again
In former times buffalo pemmican
constituted the chief food Of the vov-
agcur: now dried moose and rarihou
meat have taken It's place "ncn tea
and flour were luvurics oninvrd Int
once a year ut Christmas now tAoy
form part of his do'ly ration.
Hunting is the l..o'N 'c-r alton Of thr
ma ioritv Of the officers aud crar' : The
staff at post often 20 off and hunt for
n week. and n hundred or moro "ocSe
md double that number OF ,luclS load
the boats on the return. rhc Nnrmi-
gan-hrown in summer Hnl whit" in
winter * y rood ran'n .irl. and I'm
som" lnoHl'tipS ninuatcl "ruls" or
nrairir chickens ""n very nrniorous.
0ur ul'iOuitous litt'" friend. tno mort
rid.e too is uowhcrn moro frnulrntlv
mt homo" to the hrntcr tlHn hero and
ho i nftrn such ~ e."rl,so" - the ,rfiiIo
If man tl'at an " 1iar win walk IN
to the tree Upon which hn Is sitting
md Slip The moose that J." has fXrl 70
ihc oud Of 4 polo owe" Lis Nnql Nftpr
the first snow in H." fall ,lhhit shoot
inc is good snort "rl N Seasons when
they aro plentiful f"tv o. SIXTY tn tho
credit Of single huut~man in nm af-
toinoou Is not m uncommon score
Thcn tlcro Is Ito ''"rn ~qolp etrh A.
moose and deer Willie now ou1 tbru n
trp'l % ar nnl &C : = n 80 n 'al@crors
p"n. 'W'tv 20 tne fort tlc stan turns
ont and he Is shot for his fatal inorisi-