BEAVER AND CANADIAN HISTORY 208 
less and indiscriminate slaughter of them whenever 
the opportunity appeared.” 
In former times when the Indians had the almost 
exclusive trapping they were systematic in their 
work, and the number taken from each colony was 
seldom in excess of what would keep the numbers 
fairly stationary. When the white man entered 
the competition his one idea was to secure the 
Label of the Hudson’s Bay Com- 
pany, as used at the present time. 
largest possible crop of skins, utterly regardless of 
whether or not he killed the goose that laid the 
golden egg. The result was inevitable and the 
wasteful destruction reduced the crop to such alow 
level that from the animals’ entire range probably 
not more than. 30,000 skins have been taken in any 
one year for some time past. At one time it was 
quite a question whether the beaver was not on 
the very verge of extermination. The passing of 
