The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-04-01
LONELY LIFE OF TRAPpERS.
THE PURSUIT or FUR STILL AC-
TIVE IN THE NORTHWEST.

without Human CompsniOnship-
~ MenEre Rewards OF Many Hardships-
Fine MarAsnanship Needed to XIII
the Valuable Sen Offers
No white people in these winter days
are passing more lonely, primitive lives
beset with hardships and Astounding in
deeds OF daring, than are the fur trap
pers of the northwest region. From
central California northward to Alkali
Lakes in British Columbia there are
nearly two thousand trup7ers who are
living in huts, tents or log cabins, amid
deep snow on the mountain Sides in
desolate gulches or along frozen creeks,
entirely cut off from intercourse with
all mankind by enormous areas of snow
and miles of ice. Most trappers have a
companion or two to share their lonely
seclusion. but some grizzled old fellows
live alone for months at a time, from
early winter until spring, without hear
ing the sound of human voice. Every
year the trappers bring in to the trad
trapper has been found dead in his cab
in away out in the wilds. Then, too,
many trapper who has gone tramping
across the country, over mountains and
through canons, toward his winter
quarters, in the fall has never again
been heard from by his fellow trappers.
The occasional finding of a human
skeleton beside trap and a gun tells
the end of a trapper and of the lonely
life he has led.
An industrious trapper may get furry
pelts to the value of four or five hun
dred dollars from autumn till April, but
the average winters earnings are two
hundred and fifty dollars. During the
six or seven months of life in camp each
man may get a dozen bearskins, thirty
or more marten, ralf-dozen beaver,
fifty skunks and several hundred
pounds of deer skins.
When the trapper goes into camp in
the fall he builds cabin about ten
miles down from the summit Of the
range. Leaving some food and bedding
and as many traps as will be needed at
this end Of the line, he pushes on ten or
dozen miles further cutting trail as
he goes, to the next place for camp,
where he builds another cabin, and,
supplying 1t as before, he continues on
his way to the valley. Having arrived
there he turns the pack animals loose.
Then few days are spent in exploring
the canons opening into the valley, and
if exceptionally good trapping ''sign" is
found, maybe another camp is erected
near to 1t.
When the camp has been made the
trapper or trappers turn their attention
to providing for the six or more months
food supply. Late in October the kill
ing Of elk and deer for winter food be-
gins. With trappers there is no sport in
shooting deer or, silk for food. Every
day the men go out and hunt like men
attending to business, and in week or
ten days there is usually enough meht !
sailed down and dried to last until
spring comes.
Everything is now in readiness for the
winters work. and If there are two
trappers together on a line, one of them
Will take one end of it and the other the |
other. Then they will begin setting |
trabs, each mans string generally ex- |
lending over distance Of fifty or sixty |
miles. Generally steel traps are used
nut occasionally deadfalls made of |
heavy logs are built for the capture of I
i particularly large bear, which would |
1e likely to get away with common |
rap; and then there are few trappers
who make use of bent sapllngs, to
which a slipnoose of stout rope is at
.ached which springs up and draws the
oop tight around anything that touch
u the bait. Whatever the method the
rapper generally makes trip over his
inc once in three or four days to resist
my traps that are sprung and make
,ure of anything caught. On these
rips he takes his gun along, for it is no
Uncommon thing for him to have trou-
lie with trapped bear.
Any sort of trapping for livelihood
means a hard, lonely life, but the trap
Ter who Is alone lives life that very
ew men, unless brought up to it from
arliest youth, would want to expert
nee Ali day long he must endure
.ardships and privations. He must |
ramp through snow for miles every
ay. He must feel the gnawing of hun
err lot hours lWIIilOul SoliPiaiiiiho, 0iiu |
t all times his food is coarse and pre-
AIRED amid crudities in cookery. He
aust endure billiards. and windstornls.
VERY day, or at least every other day, .
e must visit his traps set miles apart. ]
n the spring and late autumn the
wamps, where he gets some of his best I
urs are often flooded and he has to +,
rade through water to- reach his traps.
,eaver traps are often set under water, g
ometimes two or three feet below the
urface. In summer the flies torture f
i'm, the mosquitoes, the black flies, and i
-orst of all the tiny sand flies, In win
n the snow is sometimes help and /
,metimes a great hindrance. If it Is q
ery soft and light the best snowshoes t
ill sink into it more or less while in
having weather it is likely to ball up C
/ the bottom of the snowshoe until 1T t
eighs several pounds. But when there Il
a hard, icy crust and the snow is a
.ep enough to cover the underbrush, y
aveling in the swamps is better than Il
any other season in the year. t.
When the trapper gets home at night d
s shanty is cold and dark, and he W
ust make fire and cook his own cup g
n not always very satisfactory one. A
enison is enjoyable once in a while, fl
1t it is rather dry meat and one soon d
res of it, especially in winter and r,
ring, when the deer have been living O
. hemlock until the flesh is thorough W