328 



which, with his iiiarveh)iis skill as ii trapper and huii 

 ter, enables him to make a j^ood yearly income. In 

 relation to this trapper's work for the years 1895 and 

 1896 the following paragraphs are clipped from two 

 reliable newspapers of Central Pennsylvania: 



"John P. Swope, the noted trapper of Alexandria, takes the 

 premium for scalps during- the year 1895. Following is the 

 recard of payments to him each month by the county treasurer: 

 February, $8; March, $25.50; April, $37.25; May, $14.50; Juno, 

 $38.50; July, $85.00; August, $49.00; September, $48.25; October, 

 $101.50; November, $81.00; December, $100.75. Total for eleven 

 months, $590.25. 



"The whole amount paid to all persons for scalps during the 

 year was $1,157.00. of which Mr. Swope received more than one- 

 half. He was in town on Thursday last and received money 

 on the following: 12 foxes, 13 minks, 1 wildcat— $27.26 for Jan- 

 uary, 1896."— Huntingdon Globe. 



The Bellefonte (Centre county) Deniocial. of Decem- 

 ber 3, 1890, publishes the following relative to Mr. 

 Swope's record during ten and a half months for 1896: 



"John P. Swope makes a handsome living at gunning and 

 trapping. Gunners and trappers in Huntingdon county are dis- 

 playing considerable activity at the present time, but peculiar 

 interest centres in the success of John P. Swope, of Alexandria, 

 who is without doubt king among trappers in central Pennsyl- 

 vania. Mr. Swope does nothing but trap the whole year round, 

 and he makes more money at this business than the majority 

 of men receive in individual salaries; in fact, he gets each year 

 from Huntingdon county an amount that few of the "big" men 

 of the community would refuse to accept as an annual stipend. 

 Mr. Swope is well up in the art of trapping. He has many im- 

 itators, but none of the latter meet with any great degree of 

 success. It is said that Swope has about fifty traps set nearly 

 all the while, and his time is pretty much occupied in making 

 inspections at certain intervals. It is known that he can trap 

 on the same ground where others fail. This has been demon- 

 strated. His success has inspired jealousy on the part of imi- 

 tators. On one occasion, at least, he was warned by White 

 Cap notices to keep off the premises of tJiose who have vainly 

 tiled to achieve a measure of his success. 



