Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-08-08
BEAVER BROUGHT
FIRST SETTLERS
INTO NORTHWEST
FUR PROFIT WAS BAIT; YELLOW
METAL LURED PIONEERS
AT LATER DATE

OUT OF the BIOu1tu VI WecAA4AB ~ a. S&--
river sands, and this was recognized
BY the initiated as a source OF wealth,
at a very early date in the history
Of our country.
It was not the policy Of those who
first made fortunes here, to encourage
the influx Of settlers, yet the fur
trade paved the way here, as it had
done farther east, for the state
builders.
Beaver IN Montana were plentiful,
at the beginning Of the 18th century,
and beaver at that time was the most
desirable fur. The fashion for both
men and women demanded 1t, not for
making wraps, but for beaver hats,
which were worn then by both sexes,
IN Europe and America. Those were
curious looking head coverings, with
wide and narrow brims; straight,
crled and cooked, crowns low and
high, beIl-shaped, and pointed like a
sugar loaf, with ear flaps and with
out, the ingenuity of the matters must
have been taxed to devise such re-
markable, and often ugly designs, but
those Of high and low estate all wore
them.
They must have been exceedingly
uncomfortable to wear and because OF
their lack of ventilation led to bald
ness, which may have been the reason
why wigs were then in vogue. But
when was fashion ever secondary to
comfort? The beaver hats, hot, heavy
and unsanitary as they were, and ex-
pensive as well, continued to be the
prevailing style.
Reason for Everything
1t has been said that whenever one
wishes to do anything, he can always
give a good reason for it. This applies
to fashions, as to other things. Years
ago, when women pierced their ears,
and wore long earrings reaching near
" to their shoulders, they advanced
this as their excuse for self-martyr-
dom. ut is good for the eyes" In
the same way the wearers OF beaver
hats claimed that they improved the
hearing, and quickened the memory,
especially If castoreum was rubbed
into the hair.
There being such a great demand
for beaver skins, our shrewd YANKEE
ancestors did not fail to profit by IL.
The first boat returning to England,
was said to have carried a couple OF
hogheads Of furs.
The Dutch residents Of New York
entered largely into the trade, and
the center for this trade was Fort
Orange, the present Albany. over
"a. 600 beaver skins were sent in 1857
from Fort Orange TO New Amsterdam,
New York cfty).
Alice Morse Earle has told what IN
roads were made in the trade, in
'"T'wo Centuries of Costume:
"Unscrupulous and crafty citizens
of Fort Orange and their thrifty, |
wives decoyed the In
dian trappers and hunters into their
peaceful. honest kitchens under pre-
tense of kindly Christian welcome to /
the peltry bearing braves; and tney
fulfilled the guileleSs savages with
Dutch schnapps, or Barbados gill
DEVIL until the befuddled and half
,razed Indians parted with their
precious stores Of handicapped skins
and threw off their well-perSptred
and creased coats and exchanged
them for such valuable Dutch wares
Is knives, scissors, beads and jews
narps, or even a few pints Of quickly
rum, instead Of solid Dutcn
builders, or substantial Dutch blan-
Sets. And even before these strategic
Dutch citizens could corral and fleece
hem, the incoming fur-bearers had
20 run as insinuating gauntlet OF
,oschloopers, bush-runners, drummers,
" breakers who sailed out on the
narrow Indian paths to buy the COW
ted furs before they were brought
nto Fort Orange"
But the question what could the
vorn beaver coats have for the
rader?" This is answered by a Dutch
writer, Adrien van de Donck:
"Outside of the coat Of Obeaver) fur
many shining hairs appear called win
er hairs, for they fall out in summer
md appear again in winter. When
lats are made Of the fur, the rough
lairs are pulled out for they are
lSeless. The skins are usually first
emit to Russia, where they are slightly
alued for their outside shining hair,
nd on this their greatest recommen-
Iation depends with the Russians.
After the hairs have fallen out, or
re worn, and the peltries become old
nd dirty and apparently useless, we
ct the article back, and convert the ,
ur into hats before which it cannot
e well used for this purpose, for
Mess the beaver has been worn, and
J greasy and dirty, 1t will not felt
hence these old peltrieS are
he most valuable. The coats which
be Indians made Of beaver skins and
hitch they have worn for a long time
round their bodies until the skins
ave become foul with perspiration
nd grease are afterwards used by the
alters and make the best hats"
indians Did IL Better
It viii be seen from the foregoing ]
nat there was a saving In buying the
indians cast off coats, which the {
'utch well understood. The fur did {
OF have to be sent to Russia for the I
obility there to accomplish, what was i
iuch better done In America by our /
alive nobility. The manner IN which c
le trusting native was defrauded is Z
7pical Of our dealing with the red
ian Of forest, mountain and plain /
lroughout our history, and the giving /
liquor entered largely into these c
ansactions. 1t should not be forgot &