The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-04-19

ter developed into an industry to bring
them luXuries in addition to its pre-
vious function of providing simply their
food, shelter and clothing.
The sale of guns and ammunition to
Indians was omitted from the Ameri-
can Fur company trading system. The
natives obtained their firearms from
the Hudson Bay company and from in
dividual traders. However, guns &C.
c~asionally, were loaned by the Ameri-
can factors to Indians supposed to be
trustworthy, each gun to be returned
at once after use in the particular
hunting expedition in immediate con-
temptation. 1t is reasonable to sup
pose that some Of those loaned guns
were kept by the Indians, either really
lost or on a pretense of their loss.
The principal articles of merchandise
were blue and scarlet blankets and
cloth, sheeting, bed-ticking material,
knives, fire-steel pieces, metal arrow
points, brass wire, beads, brass tacks,
wide leather belts, silver ornaments for
the hair, shells, axes, hatchets, tobacco
and alcohol. Alcohol was prohibited In
the Indain country after the summer
of 1884. Nevertheless, it vas struggled
into the trade to such an extent that
enforcing officers never could keep up
with the violators of that law, so it
made but little difference in the op-
portunities for the Indians to obtain
liquor when they wanted it-or when
the liquor traders could induce them
to buy it.
st. Louis was the wholesale source Of
supply for merchandise. In the earlier
times the goods were brought up the
rivers in mackinaw boats. But in 1882
the first steamboat arrived at Fort
Union, and thereafter the steamers
brought all supplies The downstream
shipment of robes and furs, though,
continued to be mainly by means Of
mackinaw boats propelled by manual
labor at the oars. The standard crew
was of five men for each boat, and the
trip down from Fort Union to st. Louis
ordinarily was made in about 80 days.
The usual salary for the manager Of
a trading post was $500 per year, with
food and shelter provided. Carpenters
and blacksmiths received pay ordinar-
lily fixed at about $500 per year. Boat
men or other 1aborerS working from st.
Louis up to the post, remaining there
at work, then working down the river
to St. Louis, spending from Is to l6
months at the entire round of employ
ment, had a scale of wages due Of
1920.
All of the pioneer trading posts we're
constructed and operated on the theory
that Indians could not be trusted for
free access to the post. In the course
Of the trading barely a few at a time
were admitted inside the gates. Interior
doors or gates barred them from access
to any room but one large room. where
they assembled for their trading. Com
monty, a hole about 10 inches square
was made in a wall between the as
sembly room and the merchandise
store room or rooms. The hole usually
was about five feet from the floor,
just about the level of the average
mans face. Through this hole all Of
the business was transacted.
These we're the beginnings of our
kind of civilization Of the Indian tribes
in the American northwest. There they
learned their first lessons in wanting
things that necessitated effort beyond
their old-time ways to obtain them.
Thus they took their initial steps into
our channels, the channels wherein no
body ever has enough, but always Is
striving for more.