Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-05

IN THE CLUTCH OF STEEL TRAPS.
 thing for him; it had softened his
 heart towards the creatures of ths
 woods. He knew what it was to lie in steel trap all night, and he spoke of trapping with shudder.
 "If the public thoroughly understood the extent of the cruelty which at- tends the trapping of wild animals, there'd be mighty few furs worn," he once said to me, and he added: "No decent woman, nor man. either, for that matter, would order a garment which 1t was known could only be procured by the inhiction of brutal cruelty: no one has the right to cal for such fearful sacrifice on the part of living creature except perhaps in a case of life and death"
 I spoke last week of trappers whc did small business, and who were thus able to visit their traps once day. But professional trappers, who set lines of hundreds of traps, cover. ing many miles of territory, very often cannot visit them more than once week. Knowing what a cap tured animals may suffer in one night try to imagine the desperate straits of a creature which must remain in the trap until it dies. And they do not dis quickly or easily, as rule, these har- dy, vigorous people of the woods. When I see people wearing furs, sometimes wish that they might ses some of the sights which anyone may see by travelling with a trapper for a week. When they have seen few of the harmless dwellers of the forest lying in the clutch of steel traps, with kmbs torn, stretched or broken, and with their innocent faces distorted with pain. with hatred for the one creature who brings them to this pitt ful condition, I wonder how many of them would care to adorn them selves with garments which have thus. been paid for in the misery of others.
 Few people seem to know the extent of the trspper's grewsome trade fn this country alone. There are thousands of men engaged in it-thousands .ol men who, for living, put to the tor. ture from a few dozen to several hun. dred animals during the cold season of every year. The majority of thess men are very ignorant, many of them barely able to read and write. their chief literature consisting of one or more of the numerous papers and magazines devoted to trapping and the fur trade in general Most of them are not oyer-sensitiVe when they take up the work. but by the daily perps- tratiOn of cruel acts for profit, they come to have not the slightest regard for the feelings of the animals they capture and will stop at nothing which means an extra IS centA To be sure. they do often arrange their traps for such animals as muskratA. mink and otter in such a way that when the creatures seek safety by plunging Into the water. they are un- able 10 regain the bank, and are drowned. But this comparatively mer- eiful arrangement is not made in ths interest of the animals. but to prevent them from escaping by twisting or chewing of their legs.
 Thanks to the Audubon society and to many individual workers. the traRe in the plumzge of American wild birds has been greatly curtaflsd within the last fer yesrs; let us hope that ss the objesf of this society has nov besn made 10 include the protection of four footed beasts as vsi1 as birds. sons persistent effort vin be made to save from the torture Of the damned the millions of innocent creatures which are every year trahped fo supply the demands of the fur trade
 ERNEST HAROLD BATEEs