| Show 1 j f Ii IiI I i I I I r 1 JI 9 MILL LIONS 10 N S IN F U Rh So SoI T 9 Hudson Hudon Bay and end n its Fur Traders rad Chief Competitors The evi on How or Trod Trad the I ingis in ing is Done Among the Indians o Will I the Furs Give Out y S T cA r IS MANAGED The Tho Pence Peace River Country and d its Great Groat i t I AND HOW IT fn H THE G GREAT EAT FUR R BUSINESS OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA M P un I Special fri ad Correspondence C o r ra alC rl tit c of the tle le l Vesey D I News 1 ru 1 sY by G b Frank Drank C G C Carpenter Car P c t I tc far Copyright 1008 1000 by Iw ronk a ll CUlpen t r l Ol I had bad 1 n chat LH lust night with filth one Olle ut or f the Chit chief L E fur Cur buyers bus ers ot of the North or tit Amori merl An can continent The lands reaching from here to 10 the lino Arctic Arcue ocean and from to 10 Hudson bay i supply satiety the le most nn l best furs of ot the world The Tho Hu I on Buy Bay company has hns been be ii engaged engAge In the business for 00 years yearn earll and It lass hUll sent nt out millions I upon millions of oC f to In the markets market I of ot London It hilt I until u a generation Ago MO a II monopoly of M tho the trade By II Its Us I z charters from King Bing Charles It con COli controlled trolled the whole country and gov governed erred It OB un It pleased Then hell bought Its ItH rights to British North nod and now Dow fur tur trading Is tree free to nil This Thin town of oC Edmonton which lies aver cr rattles miles duo north of ut the Putt Putted lIlt t td ed l States boundary I the till center ceder of tit 0 the now new fur Cur trade e It has haH eight which kitty buy skins mud their hundred hundreds ot or thousands of u dollars u n year yea Ono 01 of ot tho UtO most Im hll of or the trainers in Is tho the Hudsoll It y company Ill liI 11 whirl lion has t rt a 1 department stort hero here tend and Its It II chile chief competitor cool pt titer Is IA Freres I the great Paris furriers furrier who have CM Uti In III Now New Nc v nod and London who supply thins kin and nn turn to every Cen ket of 0 the wot world hi hiN 1 i S ll N i The ho lire ire lit I of or ho Ito Hudson lay Hay 1111 company They have lee oen n engaged I ell In lit wholesale anti tall ur or trading for years and they lire aril arilus low us II II currying carrying on their with a IL of ot francs flaws or about 11 They the her liae already established OCH nil III over oer the nod they ire sir kin thu which tho Iho Hudson i on Hay Buy people have luwe IOU eon Ildred their own They have luwe a It rat r al station slot 11 tn here her h r at J anu another oth er 1 it II t I rb Albert A ii nit a s thin 1 l l It In II L I s i lon Ian with two or three hundred posts in III active II I II 1 operation They are lire buying fur nil all tho Mackenzie ler tip 1111 tint down the tho shores of ot the irate ocean along ii ho bison II bay ha and In III parts of or Labrador and tind they ire rr I am alit told getting l a n fair chare eloire of or he hc Lest bent skins of ot the continent In addition to 0 this they have ml with hl opening up tip III of or the tIll wheat hell belt ea Cs a II great nod retail store here ore arc doing business with the lute new ors tattlers rattlers They ire tre In III tuck fUel the Marshall Field com coin company patty pany of or u the Invest and by lIy tar far the thin dealers outside o of or Winnipeg MERCHANDISING IN n Im NEW NEV fw CANADA ANADA The fh tend head of nt r the till fur tur I till till the department dea toro store Is in I u II young frenchman Mr 1111 HellIon He lie In it II only 56 d 6 years yearn of ot age hut hilt ho hie hits has ul oh eady built up tip this ls nn has hus tho rho tale oh lIlt charge of ot It It U was wall while dining ell III III with him Ulna the Din other miter oth night that lint we WI svea a i about the fur mule and tutu 1 th the ther r wonderful growth going on here Huhl bo 50 o I mine came to tf from New York tour four years earll ago ngo I J had had bud some experience p c In our 1111 fur fill In III ler Ger t many 11 nod before I went to 10 tho the milieu unit ami the ino ne nio life in 11 f Row c York suited me tue When n I 1 wits was told to 10 togo togo go 10 to Edmonton J I rather objected ld Id but hut butI I now like It and expect to 10 stay here anti and build UI up this tta Ic It seems to 10 mo nos that lint l Is lx one nf tit the frAt beet buM hus placed on oo the North American continent Wo We started In hero helo as liS fur furto trader to tm or but our wholesale and anel retail merchandising hlll hits HO so grown that It In Is eight or times as its big hiI as liS our bust buM bustnes ness nes n 11 In III furs fur WI are 1110 nelling goods gOa 8 ni na fast as us we wo can cun get them Wo Se o Import them by liy tho the car load loail and they gO KO out nut as rapidly as liS they come como In Ue iVe e have ho 0 cold several carloads of or American cot col cotton ton toil within the Iho past few tell months month anti and lint have now nosy no on hand hate car cur loads of hard hardware hardware ware and general supplies There are altogether about TOO retail stores In this immediate territory and nearly nCI rl all nil of ot them have sprung rung up In the last live five years The Tho who ore 1110 coming In have hn plenty of or money They want tho the best hest goods goo S nod are arc not backward In ht buying THU run FUH Dining our conversation I 1 asked Mr Ir to 10 tell lell me mc how fur trailing trading Is carried lAniNI letl on In this part vart of ot tho the Ho Ile replied Nearly nil tho Ilse furs sold I ore are brought In by hr the Italians Indians and wo buy buyer or 01 trade trado direct with them hint We Vc So know knew the goods gOO ll they Ihry Ihl most prize awe and ship thorn them In wag wagons lulls ons to lu Landing whorl whore they go 1 by hy the s to our various The fhe Indians I in r lists II 9 bring Ihn to Io till Iho Posts and tutu exchange then them for rill the Ihl goods It IH Is alt all n matter of liar bar barter ter Irr No money passes and pitch fur Is III valued at III so III o many tinny skins The fhe stand standard ard of fit lined axed cd to bo b n 1 heaver beaver eve rc y ry rill fur being worth so many beavers Tills flits value Will vas by h the tiny Bay tad and It Is I still said that lint tin gut got xh for tur their IhlI tho the Ignorance of ot thin llamas According to one Jill story I lot the IIII trader would 1011 lei tithe tako n a musket nn 1 stand It on end and then thell require a it rifle pile of ut film Tura high enough to lu reach thin top of ot the gal BUD In payment for tor It In that hint way wayn n 1 thousand dollars worth of oC beaver might be h gotten for a n I 10 lo gnu That Thill kind of t trading hits hats till nil i asal t 1111 nod ami th he now tuns get et n 1 Cali value VII III I for rol their furs The Thc skin which now forms arms the unit Is worth from V to 10 tor tofA r roo fA 0 cents according nu to t the distance r of nt f the tho trading pest from fram Edmonton tin tM hi rule inte on account of tit the tho freight Aright HOW TIm Till INDIANS InaI SEt L FUn fiat duns K the tho II understand land the value of his furs I III Yes II indeed and anti he hll understands how ii to 10 get gel It II He Ill Is not an easy man to 10 todeal deal 11 with and told lie he must ho ha handled handle In Iii hH 1114 hl own peculiar way say Homo Annie of our traders visit tho thin Indian camps carrying boxes oC or goods with them At Al ouch auch times they never IIII mention trading upon their thell arrival Tine The while trader trailer tells I J his hIli Indian friends that he ho has hils come nut not to 10 make uI u ko u tt friendly call calt asks after r rIh the Ih health of tho Iho the tribe land and of or Inch each mans trill its rod and family He Ile snakes smokes I thrill them mid and talks about the lie weather tutu other things for fur hours unit and hours Indeed n night often p IS before any business Is s mentioned The TIte next day Ilay the ilie Under may piny ask one cite of tho the Indians If Ir his luck tins has been good goal mid aid If It he hr says yo yea It N Is the sign that he hurt has furs and tutu Is willing to trade traill If It ho says soya II II no 0 the thc white man goes IOS on smoking At Af After ter Ier a Ilin ii the 1111 Indian may any nHI thaw Ihal thia v out cut md and In l pull lull n II mink skin front from inside his coat y j 0 Y YX Z X X i f r I f r t 1 ws r i w wt wI J t b I t 1 Y rt S ye yet yen Y X t t n l t A ir tt I F Ft Fy s f t y LI Y Y Y Y fir firt Y Y A YA Yi t r rt rt t f z t i A A t A t tt t A A AY r ri Y i a t A A A A Ay A y A 4 r I A AY Y t 1 I t I r w N rr 5 r V r Nr BARGAINING BARGAINING WITH INDIAN TOE FURS FUnS 1110 trader and might aught by h lumert fur for Suit Ural Keal ask 1131 the tho Under trader r what he will give for It II If It the blue price Is III tight he hp will sell It hut but If It tint not he hr wilt will bring forth no nu noire HUM skins and the tho hll S dealings nn are Ie ended for that visit If It i he ho IH la I he Ito may inn pull lull out another mink grul giving up till all he ho has for 01 sale nale He Ile has haR to 10 bo be treated tl atell diplomatically he hl Is i aid suspicious IIII unit und Il It takes tikon skill to 10 handle him MONEY Ja IN FUR FUn Do tit tho Indians make notch much money In III that wiry way Yes Ye 19 i I have known iii braves ves who mado two or e three thousand u Il year The II average Indian hulln n duns OP well see how hol holIer over aver If It kin lin h seta 13 1 or 01 But Ant much or little It Il IH Is till all tilt the souls mime In Ia 11 do dl 1 ut not It know kilO u how boss to In t i korp 1 p 11 money They The l They Larler their furs tillS for Cor goods HH ItS sons KnOll as they have haver them anti and they eat eit up tip It their supplies as its fast fARt as 1111 they can eau They buy the tonal most extravagant things C I know an nn Indian fur for who re 11 I Ild ed 1000 1900 for or sonic somo furs fura The fhe Brat thing he ho did was Willi to 10 send to tn Quebec for 01 n II Nano which cost fost him ii 1111 all told 1000 1001 It II t wits was Ill Ho Ile did 1111 lint not know kilo how to lu play It mitt and utter otter it Il few Cull Buys dayn 11 ho tore it apart to tn tee nee how howit it worked When an Indian receives tho thin value lIlu of lit his hili filets fura he h always divides I with his hili friends nail family He Ile brings his con connections together and they ell eat until they tle have l tho Iho Most moil of or his hili supplies I au it In is wonderful ern h how ow nn nil roil ran out cu t at lit pitch mien a n time tI tie e Ho lie will stuff himself elt all al day nod and be Ie ready rend for another dinner nt of At t the Mime 1 time hn he h Is 19 able to go 10 It a long bug lo time without foot food The Th arc tiro usually In to Ito tho an muter when gune gave la is flearl INDIANS I IH H IN Is III much h of or the trading h done mi on cred credit cre it Yen Yea We WI have to Ito anti supplies 1 The fie Indian takes taker these O I I off ott Into fat r the thu woods with hint him and when I ho lie comes back he lie In hi Ills his furs tint pays up for tor what he has lias received I and usually trad rides en the balance for CM more goods The Tho ha most of tho tha Indians are Arc In II debt the greater part of oC the tine time a I this U Is I so IO also with the tind landd ers eCA Wo a flit II iy 1 the goods nn l the trailers traders send In III their furs and get more lucre goods In III return ANY A Y ONE ON CAN DEAL IN PURS UnS l NOW Ills Has the tho day eln of or monopolies In fur tur trading In North America past away Yes oily ono hilts hall thin the right to trade with the Indians anti and any uny man tan ii or any company CUll can compete In this business if It ho Is III willing to o epee nt thin the money and ami make the r c connections oni l I think we wo are getting our share of ot the thc good furs We Ve lire aro paying undo mom for tor skins according to 10 their th lr quality unit thrill the other othel traders do clo Many Mali of or the Hudson Bay liny company men do not seem to know that thorn there Is Isa Isa a 1 great difference In skins And they pay par the same sane for tor good std and bad bail NTY or OP runs FURS EFT UI Are not tho the fir animals of ot North America playing g out outI I 1 think not replied Mr 11 There Is IK a It vast of ot territory In these north mirth anti the animals mu which Inhabit It me nrc not lint easy to trap t Ill I or shoot The fhe I liS are are careful In III the kin animal It If they thud find them grown growing soiree In III a it certain district thyr they will hunt blurt elsewhere cl for tor a I season ur or FO so mad then come came hack back Indeed time the Indians r h Intelligent and careful about their own II hIJ What am ati tho lito most expensive furs here I f should say uny the lilt silver foxes The black ones crux me are worth most mast and n it lino akLu bi Ing 1200 I OO or 01 titan more moreIn In III talking with Mr lr Ir Record HI of I ho true Important fu r company room of or Mi k I I t told that shat the lie fur rUl business Is now no nl good us ie O It him InA III ever been and that lint It will be n it long lon lime film before men men will 1111 freeze for far laude lack I II It of or fur fa coats and an women become pillars of or Ice ICI because they have not fur tur The Tho hl skins may continue costly but hilt there are lire of or left and It II t will vIII be I e long Ion I otc the tho sup supply supply ply gives o out t Mr Ir tells t l mo pin that furs are Ae largely affected by fashion mid and also AlII a ab by b the supply In III sonic some yeas the tho ln n it db bring brIll In III many ulao y more of lIr i kinds of ot furs fins than In other years std Iud strange to say In tho the supply of or some somi species rises and full falls with tho the rabbit crop Some Homo varieties of or the tho tog Ing animals live largely on till rabbits rabbit which breed BO to rapidly that hint the tho animals cannot keep keel then them down At Al Intervals of or every twel four or five thc years n a 1 disease breaks out which kills the rabbits on onby oft off by hy the tho thousand and following such years yearn como coma the lean fur years carll Till fIll PEACE P HIlm Title This town of Pf t Edmonton l Is nt nl the northwest corner of 0 the tho wheat wheAL bolt belt It promises however r cr r to la bo bl the cent cerit tor ter rr of a 11 new wheat hlat and grain region which hall Khali extend hundreds of or miles In to tt lh Ih north tuna and westward This region U Is known as nH the Ille Peace River er country 11 engineers Are now no surveying It fur for railroads mid attil settlements will soon noon be lop up here hOle and there In UThe U UThe The Pence river riser may any mil some tiny day bo Ill one of or the Iho most Important streams on om our continent cOIl It U rises rl In the mountains ol tit Columbia anti and flows flown Into Inta river Just JURt above where shere It Issues frown from Athabasca lake Inke It Is If a n broad deep doe comparing In ha size with this th Mississippi lIs 1 and It Is II tins navigable 1 g for Cor sev cevera Q erni era I miles mile li b by boats 10 feet of or water there Theio are nie 10 now two Vo upon It and ono one of Ir them themIs it Is io 10 O feet teet lung long and is 18 lighted by clet clec un Cathe the tIo upper parts of or thin river titer are e re it hr tr no lit settlements except e those tho o o 0 of the fur fUI traders trader nod mid pries Aries At t Vet Vermillion million shout 6 60 0 11 me are wheat for rOl or n it Hour dour mill Huh c ea hell herd ther by the Hudson Day company They Thoy get tel 1160 a n bushel CUI vi their wheat and find tho the wheat Is said to bo ho some ot ur the tho best hest grown on the coital conti neut 1111 These farmers tine arc hIM lJ tune traders They Thoy rhe havo hn a but patches hs and till their |
