Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-01-05

OF THE FUR
TRADERS
CKansas City STAR

an exporter of furs and deerskins al
Muskogee and the old Creek agency
which was about five miles west Of
this place. Thirty-fve years ago q
home anywhere west of the Missouri
and Arkansas and east of the Rocky
mountains was practically in the
wilderness. When Mr.. Sandheimel
came from st. Louis to Indian Terri
tory, he rode stage from Rolla, Mo
by way Of Fort Smith, Ark, to Fort
Gibson, and thence to the Greek
agency. He engaged in the fur bust
ness, and dealt with traders and trap
pers who came from as far south.
west as Fort Sill, 225 miles and 100
miles from the northwest Northward
his territory extended to Kansas
eastward to Fayette, Ark, and south.
ward to Texas. The katy" reached
Vlnita in 1871, and was built to Den.
nison in 1872.
"The fur trade exists now only in
remembrance" said Mr.. Sandheim.
er. I'm the old days, bought in
abundance the pelts Of bear, deer
badger, beaver, wildcat, otter, pen
ther wolves, coon, foxes, civit and
opossums. Strange as 1t may seem.
there We're never many mink there.
They have increased rapidly in the
last few years, migrating from Mis-
souri, and Arkansas. In 1902 | bought
1900 mink pelts, as against 200 in
1898. They are not so good in size
and color as the Northern mink
skins. | bought quantities of buffalo
robes from the Osages, Shawnees and
Sac and Fox Indians, paying from SO
to So each for the Usage robe. which
was hard and not so we'll tanned as
the Shawnee and Sac and Fox robes.
for which | paid from So to $40 each.
II has been 20 years since | bought
buffalo robe, and now do not know
of one In the whole country.
Fifteen years ago | seldom heard
OF a red fox in the Indian Territory;
now they are fairly numerous. In one
season shipped 1900 pounds Of deer
hide to Germany, and IN a single year
| bought 10000 hides. | received
from 20 to 30 cents a pound. It's use
In Germany then, as now. was mostly
FOR gloves for the army. Last year
succeeded in buying only 600 deer
hides. | got four small bear skins
last season from the Kiamitia noun.
ans In the Choctaw nation. where
here are still few bear, panthers
beaver and otter, The trappers In
he old days were mostly white men
fayorite route for beaver trapping
vas to float down the Arkansas river
rom Colorado and Kansas. | know
me man who took lO9 pelts on a sin.
lie trip A trapper made from $50
D 5000 In a season. The trapners
topped to traffic with me where the
Katy bridge now spans the Arkan.
as.
! was one Of the heaviest dealers
pecans in the West Pecans were
auled a distance OF 1876 miles TO NV
arehouse, coming mostly from the
reek' Seminole and Chlckasaw ma.
on The pecan does not grow in
1undance in the Chocktaw and Creek
alton The pickers got from $50 10
~ a load in cash, which was a for.
me Tor some OF the backwoodsmen
oout 20 years ago bought SS5 600
'unds or pecans in one sesaon. Tim.
'F'e'ters and farmers have cleared
' bottom lands tin the pecan groves !
we been greatly depleted. The live
s's were far more valuable than
O. 'and on which they grew. In 1901 =
e Tree at Calvin produced l2 bush. 4
was sold at S24O bushel n =
TAI OF S2S'SO From seed. a tree Z
u Oes'n producing in seven years (
Il an average tree will yield from I
q mar 10 three bushels. J
"A peculiarity OF the pecan tree Is 2
Al Is grows good crop only once in =
zoe or nve Years, Two good crons =.
me- insuocession in 1901 and l9oo :
"eNer aud the pecan market was
'rs'ocked. This year the erop win =
be large" Z
VT sandheimer sighed as he said. (
While have prospered reason.
yet feel that l have wasted INV
IN coming SO early and staviDg 2
long In this country. have misssS
pleasures and comforts 10 beE
nd further east, and now thar 1Ik
Old realize it more keenly than (
r. Year after year we have wsit'
patiently for the gates OF Indian
'.'oFy to be unlocked and The
a. walls TO be broken down for the 3
rance OF better civilization. oDIv ~