INTRODUCTION. 



BY THE EDITORS 



This book was not originally designed for amateur sports- 

 men or for the reading public generally, but for practical 

 workingmen who make or propose to make trapping a means 

 of livelihood. The plan of it was suggested by a business 

 necessity in the following manner : 



Mr. S. Newhouse, a member of the Oneida Community, 

 having become widely known as the maker of an excellent 

 kind of steel-traps, and it being generally understood that the 

 practical perfection of his traps is owing to the wisdom in 

 wood-craft which he gained in early life by actual experience 

 in trapping, he has often been applied to by his customers and 

 others for information in regard to the best methods of capt- 

 uring various animals. The most convenient way to answer 

 such applications seemed to be to put his wisdom in print, and 

 let it go abroad with his traps. In preparing for publication 

 the material furnished by Mr. Newhouse for this purpose, the 

 editors found new facts, inquiries, and written contributions 

 relating to trapping and kindred pursuits crowding upon 

 them, till the original idea of a small technical pamphlet 

 swelled to the dimensions of the present work. The objects 

 which they have finally aimed at have been, on the one hand, 

 to furnish all the information needed in oi-der to qualify a 

 mere novice in trapping to enter upon the business intelli- 

 gently and successfully ; and on the other, to make an inter- 

 esting book for all lovers of wood-craft, and for the reading 

 public at large. 



The character of the work, however, will be found to be 



