Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-12-02
By JOHN G. FROHLICHER

"WENTY years ago two boys sold
muskrat pelts for Is cents each.
Their trapping equipment con-
sisted Of three rusty Victor traps and
a % caliber single shot ~rifle-their
Cline was a mile east of Kalispell,
near the confluence Of the Whitefish
and Saltwater rivers-they sold their
furs to "Dad" Klein, who spent his
youth in the service of the American
Fur company.
From Kalispell to ~London-from 10
cent muskrat hides to $45 white fox pelts
from q doddering old squawman to the
brisk dapper fur buyers Of England and
continental Europe-that is a FAR cry
and a long hard trail.
Yet this last June 1--WE Montana broth
ers, Gus n Lyman DeStaffany, upset
the London fur market with q cargo Oh
Canadian fur valued at over 100000.
Kalispell Youths
Gus and Lyman are the two Oldest sons
of Gus DeStaffany, who has been WOods
boss of the Kalispell Lumber company
for many years. The two boys were born
in Kalispell, Gus Junior "a years ago, ano
Lyman two years later. Their early edu-
cation was received In the public schools
of Kalispel.
At the age Of II Lyman apprenticed
himself to a taxidermist, and worked five
years at his trade, owning q shop OF his
own at the end of that time.
But war was declared with Germany
Gus walked into his brothers shop one
morning in early May, 1917. and smoked
silently for an hour Lyman was sitting
on the workbench, looking at the stove
Gus finally broke the silence.
They're hunting men in France, kid
II know It," answered Lyman.
Off for War
The shop was locked-two days later
the two boys were on their way to Camp
Lewis. From Lewis they went to Franct
with the Ninety-first division. distin.
gushing themselves as sharpshooters ane
as scouts. They went through the Ar
gonne drive safely. and came home IL
June, 1919.
During the winter Of 191e-1920 Lyman
ran a trap line along the top of thu
Whitefish divide, starting at Columbit
Falls and coming out near Eureka. Herr
he had extraordinary good luck, coming
in the spring with many marter
pelts. He did not sell to the local deal
ers. but took his bale to st. Louis. wher,
he met many Canadian trappers and fu,
BUYERS. He sold his catch, n all thu
way back to Kalispell he thought Of thu
possibilities for a trapper in the unsur'
viewed regions of northern Canada can
ada became an obsession with him, ant
finally Gus caught the fever. So in thu
fall OF 1921 they went to Edmonton ant
bought their outfit. The two boys haS
less than 5000 apiece when they left thu
states.
Into the Far North
Their outfit-traps, food. blankets
tools, ammunition, guns-was assembled
on the Peace river. The long journe,
started then-the story of the white mai
who is not satisfied with cement pave
ments and time clocks; the story OF tn
company of gentlemen adventurers-no
of rin Rupert's time, bu of the TWEEN
tieth century Down the Peace In canoes
with paddle and pole, and portage dowl
the Slave river-through the swamp
where the waterfowl were already mobil
izing for their southwark flight-acros
Great Slave lake, with crude sails speed
ing their p-rogress-doWn the Mackenzi
until they arrived at a little stream tina
showed no signs OF trappers.
Every trapper in the north country ha
his own territory, and they guard thi
very carefully. Poaching on another
preserves has been the cause for many
trapper's death, so the two DeStaffan
bows were very careful to pick u al
unoccupied area. That was not hard
the FLU" epidemics killed many OF ia
trappers and there were areas that ha
not been trapped for two thre
years.
proper commenced. A string OF cabins