CHAPTER III. 

 My First Real Trapping Experience. 



HEN I was about eighteen, I received a letter from a 

 nian by the name of Harris, who lived in Steuben 

 County, New York, wherein he stated that a Mr. Lath- 

 rop had suggested me as a suitable party to go with 

 him to the region known as Black Forest. This section extends 

 through four counties, the southern part of Potter and Tioga 

 counties, and northern part of Clinton and Lycoming counties, 

 Pa. Every reader knows or has heard of the Black Forest region. 

 This section was and is still (1910) known as a good bear 

 country. I thought it strange that Mr. Lathrop, a man of much 

 note as a hunter, would recommend me, merely a boy, to go with 

 Mr. Harris and into a region like the Black Forest. As Mr. 

 Lathrop lived about four miles from our place I lost no time in 

 going there to learn who this Mr. Harris was. I was informed 

 that he was an old hunter and trapper about eighty years old 

 and that he wanted a partner more for a companion than a 

 hunter or trapper. Mr. Lathrop had met Mr. Harris while on 

 a fishing tour on the Sinnamahoning waters during the summer 

 and said that he knew nothing of Mr. Harris otherwise than what 

 he saw of him at this meeting and to all appearances he was a 

 fine old gentleman. I showed the letter to father and asked what 

 I should do about it and he replied that he thought I could spend 

 my time to a better advantage in school, but he did not s^y that 

 I could not go with Mr. Harris. I therefore wrote him that I 

 would be ready at the time mentioned which was the twentieth 

 of October. 



Mr. Goodsil, the gunsmith in town, had been at work for some 

 time on a new gun for me. Now that I was going into the woods 

 to hunt in earnest, I was at the gun shop nearly every d^y, urg- 

 ing Mr. Goodsil to finish my gun which he did and in plenty of 



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