Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-07-16
Miseellaaeuas Rsadias.
FUR HUNTING.
The Trapper's Life and Description OF
His Work.

Hidden away in many narrow val
ley Of the Rocky mountains or the
Coast Range or in the vast regions OF
the far and little known north, lie the
trap lines which each season furnish a
great part Of the fur that serves to
protect civilized men and women from
winters cold or to adorn their apparel.
Early in the autumn, long before the
first snow has fallen, the mountain
trapper moves into the lonely valley
that he has chosen, fits up his old ca
bin or builds new one, selects his
trap line, and begins to prepare for his
winters work. There Is fuel to be
provided and food; traps must be put
in order or built, stretches provided.
the signs Of the mountains studied.
Slowly the nights grow longer and
the cold stronger, then some quiet
evening the trapper hears faint rat
tie Of snow against the stovepipe or
the kissing Of flakes which come down
his chimney, and he knows that win
ter has come-the time to begin to
take his fur.
AS soon as the storm Is over he
starts out, loaded with traps and bait.
AS he follows his line he reads, written
on the surface Of the white mantle
that covers all the earth, hundred
stories, each Of which teaches him
some fact about the winters work.
Here Is where q deer has moved after
the storm ended, there a fox was hunt
ing for rabbits. grouse or mice, at an
other place are seen the great round
footprints Of the lynx No longer now
can the denizens of the mountains
move about unknown; each one must
leave on the snow a story Of his wan
derings, usually not difficult to read.
The trapper works on through the
winter sometimes fortunate, again un-
lucky. Perhaps there has been a
great migration Of some species OF
animal into the section covered by his
line; perhaps an exodus has left the
country bare Of lynx or marten. 1t
may be that a fisher-or worst Of all
a wolverine-gives him great trouble
by following his line, removing the
bats from his trap or eating the ami
mails that have been taken in them.
During the dead Of winter furious
storms sometimes rage, when 1t is i'm
possible to go abroad; and the trapper
must lie housed up until the weather
moderates. Then comes the task Of
freeing the traps from new fallen
snow, resetting them and beginning |
anew.
The cold grows harder, the fur bet
ter, February comes and March; the |
days begin to lengthen, the sun has
more power, the snow settles. Some |
times the lone trapper feels that he
would like to see a human face, but
all the time his stock Of furs is grow
ing and he takes satisfaction in seeing |
It increase. At last the weather grows |
distinctly warmer; the snow becomes
dirty and brown, the streams begin to
carry floods Of chocolate colored wa
ter, and the trapper knows that his
season is over. But he has a good
stock of furs and the long and lonely
winter is we'll paid for.
If it is in the far north, the Indian
and his family have received their ad-
vances from the Hudson's Bay COM
pany and have started out for the
trapping ground, which from time i'm
memorial has been a family possession
and will be so until the white man.
who respects none of the customs or
traditions Of the old past-may invade
it and drive out the Indian.
They journey by canoe, all hands |
working hard for the general good. |
Many days travel may be before them
ere they can reach this ground, but
when they arrive there the lodge Is |
put up and all arrangements are made
for winter comfort. Provisions Of deer
or fish are gathered and since the
weather is now growing cold are fro
zen and put up on scaffolds far above |
the reach Of the dogs. Then when the
time comes to set the traps the head
Of the family selects the line and he,
cOllo dliQ pC6ih lhO
work. Much of this work is still the
providing Of food, for unlike the white |
man the Indian does not carry with |
him a quantity Of provisions; he lives
off the country The men kill moose
and caribou and bears, the women
snare rabbits and birds and both unite
in catching the fish with which the
lakes Of that unknown country abound.
1t is from this north land that come
some Of the best furs in the world
marten, beaver, otter, fisher, possibly |
even a silver fox, which when 1t reach
es its ultimate market may be worth
$4,000 or $4,000, though the Indian
will be fortunate If he receives for 1t
5000. The little community is a busy
one. Its two or three men and a like
number Of women and girls and Of lit
tie children all have their appointed
tasks. The question of food remains
ever present. Not only food for the
people but also for the dogs; which
drag the loaded sledge through the
far-stretching silent forests, while the
driver moves along with them over the
surface of the snow upheld by his long
snowshoes.
At last the winter with its hopes
and fears, its joys and sorrows. IS over
past, the snow melts, the ice disap-
pears. the canoes, mended and loaded
with the family possessions including
the winters catch Of fur move off on
their way back to the post where the
advances Of the autumn were received.
There the furs are turned in, the In
dian pays his debts and let us hope
has a good balance and the summer
is spent at various tasks until the
time has rolled around to another
trapping season.-Forest and Stream.
A WEIRD FOREST.