The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-11-05
Story of the Man Who
Works in the Open Ali
Day for Months With
Temperature Always
Far Below Zero.
BY HENRY CHARTER.

Sun Day TO-, SJdClOneu IN
northern Labrador.
RUPERT HOUSE, Labrador,
Nov. 4.--There are no harder
men in the world than the trap
pers employed by the Hudson
Bay Co. That they have the cold
est jobs in the world goes without
saying. The company which en-
ployes them got Its royal charter
in 1870, and for nearly $50 years
there has been little change in the
manner of trapping used by these
sons of the forest.
Although the company has
$10,000,000 capital, and supplies
valuable furs to all parts of the
world, little civilization or COM
fort has come into the lives of the
|trappers. The more comforts
they have the less will be their
bag of furs, and they know it.
This station is cold all the year
round. The wild beasts that lurk
in the huge pine forests around
hSi oi ChuONSu NY Will
the richest furs only because of
the extreme cold. That's why
Hudson's Bay is the true center of
the fur-hunting grounds in Amer
lea.
Immense resources are neces-
sary to the fur-hunt, both in ma
terial and men. Supplies are
brought here by the shipload, and
the men must be strong enough to
battle with worse winds than
Cook and Peary encountered in
their dashes to the north pole.
The trappers have already
started out on their trails. This
promises to be one of the coolest
winters. Zero weather is upon us,
but the climate is healthy for
strong man, although very severe
in winter. Sickness is rare.
The old-style trapper is disap-
pearing in the warmer country
south of here. Progress has driv-
en- back the fur-bearing animals
into country which no longer
tempts only the bravest men.
Here is the regular course of
one of our trappers:
He rises at his post, a log hut
plastered with mud, or a board
shanty, at o'clock in the morn
ing. The circuit Of his trail will
last a week. 1t will be perhaps
80 miles in a straight line to his
next shanty or shelter, though he
will cover nearer $50 miles to
visit all his traps.
With only a little tea and lots
of cold meat. he starts out before
sun up to visit his first trap. He
wears heavy underwear and the
best of fur clothing, and snow
shoes. Over his back is slung
his game bag. which also contains
bait for the traps and food for
himself. Il his hands is his rifle.
Most trappers will also drag a
sled.
The game varies. There are
sable, mink, lynx, muskox, err
mine, fisher, red, white and sill
yer fox, and an occasional bear.
Silver fox is rare, and so is white
bear. The latter is a formidable
adversary, and without his rifle
the trapper would be killed.
AS he starts out in darkness, the
wind blows zero gale in his
face. Swirling snow blots out the
landmarks, and he must depend
on his compass to steer him
through the drifts to his first
trap. Perhaps it is snow-covered.
If so he examines it, rebaits it
and goes on. Perhaps he sees a
fox or lynx. tired out with strug-
Cling against the trap. There is a
shot and the game is in his bag or
on the sled, adding to the weight
he must carry.
Very rarely does the trapper
stop for a MONDAY bite to eat. He
covers his first days circuit,
which is a zigzag course on both
sides of the main route to his
next stopping point. Here he
dresses bird or some other
game, roasts 1t over a huge log
fire, makes tea and enjoys a big
meal. Then he smokes a pipeful,
and finally winds himself into his
blankets and goes to sleep in the
pup" tent he carries on his sled.
At the end of the week he has
perhaps travelled from 80 to 40
miles in a straight line. Ahead
the welcome light of the next
shanty on his trip shows him
there is another man there. He
also is trapper, engaged on a
similar hunt, and who has planned
his trip so that he will have a
weekend companion.
For perhaps a week neither has
spoken a word aloud. They COM
pare their game haul, and the
trapper with the heavier load will
liighten It BY giving the other
more to carry.
So 1t goes on, month after
month. with the weather far be-
low zero nearly all the time and
tho trapper out in It all day, see
ing q fellow trapper once a week
and gathering during his winter
exile maybe $4,000, maybe $10,-
600 worth of pelts.
Then the weather begins to