THE PASSING OF THE FUR BEARER. 263 



cases paying more for the poorer grade than it was really worth, 

 while paying far less than the prime skins were worth. 



Now the dealer was hardly to be blamed for this sort of trans- 

 action, for it was the only way that he could make a deal with 

 the trapper. The city dealer is in the same fix as the local dealer. 

 He quotes furs from number one down to number four and 

 trash, making up on the better grades what he may have lost 

 on the poorer. Thus you see there is no one out anything except 

 the trapper, who will insist on trapping too early in the season, as 

 well as too late in the spring of the year. 



Now we will say to the brother trappers of Pennsylvania and 

 other states as well, that we are at the parting of the ways, allow- 

 ing us to use the term. We must do something desperate if we 

 wish to save the fur bearers from becoming extinct and save the 

 trappers' pleasure and what profit he may derive from the business. 



Now the only remedy is a closed season on all fur bearing 

 animals. If we are to derive any special benefit from a closed 

 season, the open season must be made short, for every trapper of 

 much experience knows that the fur bearers of Pennsylvania 

 have become extremely scarce in the past few years. In fact in 

 some parts there is but little stock left to build on. I would say 

 that not more than two months of open season should be allowed, 

 if we get real benefit from a closed season, and taking the whole 

 state into consideration, I believe that November and December 

 would give the best general satisfaction. 



Now, brother trappers, do not be hard on me because I 

 advocate a shorter season to be open than some trappers seem to 

 be in favor of. Well, we had the bounty law and we all have seen 

 the results. I would like to say here that the bounty law is still 

 doing its work of annihilation. The law is still in force as it 

 appears on the face of it, but nevertheless there has been no appro- 

 priation made by the legislature to pay the bounty. Some trappers 

 do not know but what they will get the bounty until they present 

 these certificates for payment, then to learn that there is no bounty 

 for them. Other persons and would-be trappers are getting the 

 certificates and holding them, thinking that there will be an appro- 



