Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-12

United states, and the life In New
York suited me. When / was told 10
20 to Edmonton ! rather objected, but
I now like II. and expect to stay here
and build up this trade. II seems TO me
that Edmonton is one OF the best bust
ness places on the North American
continent. We started In here as fur
traders, but our wholesale and retail
merchandising has so grown that II Is
eight or nine times rs big as our bust
ness I'm furs We are selling goods as
fast as we can get them. We import
them by the car load, and they 20 out
as rapidly as they come In. We have
sold several carloads of American cot
ton within the past few months, and
have now on hand car loads of hard
ware and general supplies, There are
altogether about 700 retail stores In this
immediate territory. and nearly all of
them have sprung up In the last five
years. The settlers who are coming
in have plenty of money. They want
the best goods. and are not backward
IN buying"
THE FUR TRADE.
During our conversation | asked Mr..
RevIllon to tell me how fur trading is
carried on IN this part OF the world. lie
replied:
"Nearly all the furs sold arc brought
In by the Indians and wo buy or trade
direct with them. We know the goods
they most prize, and ship them IN wag-
ons to Athabasco Landing where they
go by the different waterways to our
various posts. The Indians bring the
skins TO The posts and exchange them
for the goods. II is all a matter of bar
ter No money passes and each fur IL
valued at so many skins. The stand
ard Of value used to be a beaver, every
fur being worth so many beavers. This
value was created by the Hudson Bay
company, ana II Is said that they
sometimes got extravagant prices for
their goods through the ignorance of
the Indians. According TO one story
the trader would take a musket AMI
stand II on end and then require pio
of furs high enough to reach the top Of
the gun in payment for IT, In that way
q thousand dollars worth OF beaver
skins might be gotten for a $40 gun
That kind OF trading has all passed
away and the Indians now get fair
value for their furs. The skin which
now forms the unit is worth from IS TO
30 cents. according to the distance OF
the trading post from Edmonton, the
rate increasing on account OF the
freight
HOW THE INDIANS SELL FURs
,.But does the savage understand the
value OF his furs?'
"Ycs. indeed and he understands how
to get It. He is not an easy man IN
deal with, and he must be handled in
HIS own peculiar way. Some of our
traders visit the Indian camps carrying
boxes OF goods with them. At such
times they never mention trading upon
their arrival The white trader tells
his Indian friends that he has come cut
10 make friendly call. He asks after
the health Of the tribe and of each
mans wife and family, He smokes
with them and talks about the weather
and other things for hours and hours.
Indeed night often passes before any
business is mentioned The next day
the trader may ask one OF the Indians
" his luck has been good, and N he
says yes. It IS the sign that he has furs
and Is willing TO trade. II he says no,
inc white man goes on smoking. AZ
| ter time the Indian may thaw out and
pull mink skin from inside his coat