TRAPPERS AS PEARL HUNTERS 153 



a bush, he left some of his hair, which shows its color. 

 He was very hungry, for, in going along, he has nipped 

 at these high, dry weeds, which horses seldom eat. The 

 fissure of the left fore-foot, also, left its track, and the 

 depth of the indentations shows the degree of his lame- 

 ness ; and his tracks show he was here this morning when 

 the snow was hard with frost." Many people notice the 

 things they see or hear, although none have attained such 

 a high degree of proficiency in observing as the hunters 

 and trappers, with the possible exception of detectives, 

 who have had long training and experience in their work, 

 and they are also much more efficient if they have had 

 experience as hunters or trappers when they were young. 



Hunters and trappers are also very familiar with 

 the nature of the streams in the vicinity where they live. 

 There is scarcely a foot of land which they do not know 

 thoroughly ; and they have set their traps in the edges 

 of the pearl streams. They can remember just where the 

 muskrats or raccoons have carried mussels for food and 

 left the small empty shells lying on the bank. 



A large per cent, of the pearls that \iave been found 

 in the United States were found by hunters and trappers. 

 As an illustration of the success of hunters and trappers 

 the case of Mr. Charles Newton, of Peoria, Illinois, is 

 given. Mr. Newton has hunted and trapped all his life 

 and spends his winters on a good trap line. During 

 the pearl fishing season in the Peoria District last sum- 

 mer he found five valuable pearls, which were sold at the 

 following prices: First, $80.00; second, $100.00; third, 

 $450*00; fourth, $1,100.00; fifth, $65.00; the total being 



