316 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



five that were stolen, nor the two that broke the chains and went 

 off with the trap. By the way, Brother Stearns could tell you of 

 a chase I had with one of those that carried off a trap, the 

 worst jaunt I have had in many a day. No brother, the only 

 scent I use is the urine of the fox and I only use that in cer- 

 tain places. No, I believe that one good method is much better 

 than scents in trapping the fox. If one wishes to use scents, they 

 will find none better than some of those advertised in the H-T-T. 



Now brothers, while I do not believe that any one man is so 

 cute he cannot find his equal, I do not like to believe but that I 

 can catch as many fox as the next one all things being equal. 

 For the last ten years I have not set traps over a scope of terri- 

 tory to exceed two or three miles square and if Brother Stearns 

 had been on the ground that I trapped on, a few days before I 

 began trapping, he would have seen but few fox signs. I usually 

 trap on a different piece of ground each year. I know of some 

 trappers here that begin trapping the first of September and they 

 are good trappers too, but they are so greedy, they are willing to 

 kill the "goose that lays the golden egg." 

 * * * 



Several years ago, through the courtesy of Mr. John Shawl, 

 one of the Tide Water Pipe Line Go's telegraph operators, I was 

 allowed the use of one of their offices for camping purposes dur- 

 ing the trapping season. Now, do not think that this office was 

 located in a town, for it was not. On the contrary, it was located 

 in the largest wooded section of this locality, and on the old Jersey 

 Shore Turnpike. There was a path or sort of a woods road at 

 the point where this office was located, leading from this road to 

 another road, a distance of more than four miles and making a cut 

 off for people who wished to go on to the waters of the Sinnama- 

 honing or Kettel Creek in Northern Pennsylvania. 



It was customary for me to stay in camp for a week or ten 

 days and then go home and stay two or three days. One day on 

 returning from one of my trips home, I had rather better luck 

 than coming, getting 5 fox, 3 coon and 1 wildcat. I usually hung 

 my furs on the side of the building close up under the eaves 

 until I went home, then I would take them home on the follow- 

 ing morning of the day I had caught them. 



