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"The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Beaver the Trapper by James C. Lewis. The Project Gutenberg EBook of Black Beaver, by James Campbell Lewis and George Edward Lewis This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Black Beaver The Trapper Author: James Campbell Lewis George Edward Lewis Release Date: August 14, 2008 [EBook #26615] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLACK BEAVER *** Produced by Greg Bergquist and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) Transcriber’s Note The punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully preserved. Only obvious typographical errors have been corrected. BLACK BEAVER THE TRAPPER The Only Book Ever Written by a Trapper TWENTY-TWO YEARS WITH BLACK BEAVER LEWIS AND CLARK A HUNDRED YEARS LATER -1- The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Beaver the Trapper by James C. Lewis. FROM THE AMAZON TO THE MACKENZIE RIVERS Copyrighted by Geo. Edward Lewis. Year 1911. "THE FOUNDERS OF THE FIRST ARCTIC ALASKAN EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITION." -2- The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Beaver the Trapper by James C. Lewis. BLACK BEAVER AS ARCTIC JIM AT CAMP NEAR MT. McKINLEY -3- The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Beaver the Trapper by James C. Lewis. THE AUTHOR’S EXCUSE. I am both sorry and glad to inform my readers—that I can neither read nor write. It would seem absurd for a blind man to study the stars, Or for a deaf man to study music; so it might seem to you absurd for a man who cannot write to write a book. But I have an excuse for writing these events. The President of Mexico; and the Governor of Alaska together with several hundreds between, equally as popular have urged me to write my history. I am sorry I cannot write this with my own fingers but I have a substitute in my old back-woods chum—The Kidd. Who by the way—neither writes very flourishing, because he like myself has done the most of his writing with his six-shooter; because you know this a more expressive way of talking and a more impressive way of writing. I have a brother who is a real educated gentleman, he tried to dissuade me from publishing my history because I think he is afraid he will be outshone by literary merit. I have no ambition to outshine him, nor William Shakespere nor any other erudite. I have a very limited vocabulary, and since swearing and smoking are not allowed in print, I shall have to loose the biggest half of that. I shall omit foreign language, I could assault you with Mex—or Siwash but I fear you could not survive the battery. So I shall confine myself to simple speech, such as I have used in all lands. From Gotch my bronco to Arctic my dog. It has served me since I was six summers old It served me amid the bells of Peru and then afar amid the Agate Eyed squaws of The Kuskokwim; and this ought to be a good excuse.—Yours truly J.C. LEWIS. INTRODUCTORY. I have undertaken the arduous task of rewriting that which was never written. My charge was "fix it up but do not change it." These words were hurled at me one morning at four o’clock in the month of April, as my big brother boarded the Overland Limited bound for the Iditarod Alaska. He had in that far-away region five-hundred skins in cache which he had taken from the backs of the costiliest animals that ran in northland world. In various parts of Alaska Black Beaver had treasures which he was now intent upon gathering to fit up an outfit to be known as "The Arctic Alaskan Educational Exhibition" Perhaps no other man in this country can tell such amusing and beneficial stories about travels, fatigue and furs As the Author of this book. This was the creative force which suggested the organization of this party. Black Beaver has traveled as no other man ever traveled in Alaska, four times in as many years he crossed the entire country by dog-team in a diagonal way from Dawson to Point Barrow and from Gnome to The mouth of the Mackinzie river. Being able to speak several indian dialects, he was able converse with Siwash, Mucklock, Malimouth and other types getting the most valuable kind of information. You have never read a book written by a trapper. Usually some smooth gent makes up a romance and puts them in other mouths—but this is not true of this book. It is a true experience of the life and labors of the Author. Respectfully submitted Sept 1911. GEO. EDWARD LEWIS. -4- The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Beaver the Trapper by James C. Lewis. [Pg 1] BLACK BEAVER THE TRAPPER. At the age of four years I began to pick up arms against small birds and animals. At the age of five I began to trap around my father’s corn-shocks. When I reached my sixth year my father bought me a dog and he was my constant companion for many years. At the age of five years I began to make Bows and arrows, and cross guns, likewise sling shots. My first experience was with by bros, George and Lee in killing a woodchuck. And from this time my adventures began to multiply. All kinds of small animals fell before my accurate aim. My adventursome father had crossed the great plains as early as 1846. He was thrilled to the core with the bold and desperate experiences of the wild western world. On his way he met and formed the acquaintance Of several of the noted trappers and explorers, as well as the acquaintance of the most daring and dangerous savages that ever rode the arena of the Great American Desert. My chief joy from in fancy was to have my father tell me his dangerous travels and exploits in the early west. I was continually begging my older brother to read about Kit Carson Daniel Boone and other pioneers. At the age of seven years I took a notion that I wanted a gun. Bows and arrows, cross-bows sling-shots knives and hatchets were too tame for me. I sought an occasion when my father was away, to get from my mother the needed information, how to load and discharge a gun. One day when all were away I stole my fathers gun. It was a double barreled muzzle loader, one barrel shot and the other rifle. I had quite an[Pg 2] experience—I saw a partridge just as I entered the woods budding in the top of an old birch tree. I leveled the gun up against an old ash tree and fired I had never before fired a gun, I held it rather loosely aginst my shoulder and the recoil lamed my arm and bloodeyed my pug noose. But this was soon forgotten when I saw I had plugged my meat. In haste I began to load to prepare for another bird—I seized The patch put mr ball on the patch took mr ramrod and rammed home the ball alas! just as I was pounding her home I remembered I had forgotten something quite necessary in loading a gun—it was the powder. I was in a terrorable fix then—I first thought I would hasten home put up the gun and let father get out of the fix the best he could. But after taking a second thought I concluded that I would not be a whit behind the Father of his country—but while I had stolen I could not tell a lie—so I repeated the reckless boy’s adage—Scolding don’t hurt you whipping don’t last long killing they dare not"—After considering the whole predicament—I concluded that I rather have a flogging than deny my pluck and luck by killing my game. So I related to father my deed; he simply laughed and took the gun in the back yard pricked some fine powder in the tube—put on a cap and shot the ball out slick and easy. The winter of my sixth year I had planed on trapping small fur bearing game—but my parents had planned on me going to school. So they bought me some books and the first of October I was drilled off to school. I soon got into trouble at school and the third day traded off my books for an old gun. the next day I started for school as usual, but after I was over the hill I turned from the path of duty and education for the adventurous path of hunting and trapping. I would go to the place I had hidden my gun the night before and go into the woods and spend the day returning as school let out. I worked this for about three weeks without being discovered. I had an older brother who suspected me and finally he found me in the woods, took my gun from me and broke[Pg 3] it around a tree—he did this because the gun was unsafe it was all tied up with wire and strings to bind the barrel to the stock—my first gun was a bloomer. -5- The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Beaver the Trapper by James C. Lewis. The following fall I killed my first coon. My brother Lee who is two years older than myself and I were shooting at a mark in the wood-shed one rainy fall day, and lo and behold to our surprise a coon came walking in on us—instantly we flew at the fellow, I, with an ax he with a club—the coon lasted about two seconds—the yells and disturbance brought my father and brother to the scene, I was declaring that I had killed it and my Brother Lee was making the same statements both of us were talking at the limit of lung power—when my brother who was older discovered that there was a ribbon around the coons neck and a gold ring attached showing us this he said "this is a pet coon." At once we reversed our arguments each declaring that we did not kill the coon. The beginning of my eight year I coaxed father to allow me to spend the winter trapping with a man named Walker on the head waters of the Manistee river. finally he consented and I was the happiest boy on earth. Hastily I made my toilet for the winter and set out on snow shoes the middle of November. After several days of brisk and difficult walking we reached Wild goose creek. Here we made a camp and began to set traps. I had no gun for it was intended that I was to cook and skin game. This proved to be my first experience with larger game. Five days after we struck camp we caught a black bear in a deadfall. It was here at wild goose creek that I first began running trap lines under an old rocky mountain trapper. And here where I also learned to skin, bait traps, make dead falls and cut and sew up my own clothes, make snow shoes and paddle canoes, build camps and learn the various tricks of indians and trappers, also how to doctor myself when sick and to avoid the dangers of the wilderness. All too soon the mid-winter came and there being[Pg 4] no high line game to trap The trapper made up his mind to move homeward. On the sixteenth day of January we began our march for a town called South Boardman. We had to pack about thirty pounds apiece it was thirty five miles to our destination. The first night we camped in the snow the next evening a half hour after dark we reached town; here we took a train for home and reached it about mid-night. My father divided the fur taking my share for his pay. The balance of the winter I hunted and trapped near home—and when spring came I hunted ginseng and later picked huckle berries meanwhile I learned to speak the Chippewa language. I sold my gingseng and berries for more money than my father knew of and bought a good gun and two revolvers together with considerable amunition. This year I was in the Company of my Brother Lee and to-gether we practiced with guns and revolvers till we thought we were the best shots in the Co. Our rapid firing often aroused the settlers, and they began to talk about us saying "we were growing up to be outlaws." This greatly pleased us. Just befor I was nine years old my folks got it into their heads to send me to school agin, thinking I might be Henry Clay or Govener Mud or some other larkie—as usual I raked up a row and the teacher had us expelled for carrying six shooters in our dinner pails. When we came home that day my father and mother held a long council over us and finally called us in and father said—"I have tried to make something out of you but you will never be anything but a blockheads—and I might as well make good indians out of you as poor ones." so he allowed us to use our guns smoke and chew rag-weed to our hearts content. My next experience was with two of the best trappers that ever bent steel in Michigan. Solitary Parson and Frank Johnson. We were out three months and made good hauls, they gave me one fourth of the fur, which was a neat sum. I then spent[Pg 5] several weeks at target practice, my daily stunt was splitting bullets on the bit of an ax forty feet away. I soon became the crack rifle shot in the country. One evening I tied two hills of corn together while father was milking and when father started for the house his toe taught in the loup up in the air went the milk down on the ground came Father with about twelve quarts of milk running down his back. -6- The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Beaver the Trapper by James C. Lewis. This was enough for father he had ben out of patience with me many times: but now this act provoked him so he ordered me away from home. I had few clothes and no satched. I was the baby of the family, yet not A very delicate sample of a baby. I had the fire burning for adventure in my young bosom, I bade my mother good bye as I went to bed, she never knew how long it would be till she kissed to sleep those black marbles, as she used to call my eyes; I arose at about one oclock in the morning and roused up my brother picked up our kit and set out for the Twin bridges of the Boardman fifteen miles away. I was still in my ninth year and my brother was eleven, we camped up in the swamp nearly all summer then in the fall hunted and trapped on the Cedar river. When spring time came in we sold our furs for $200,00 and took the Train for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We stopped at the mining districts where there were scores of Cornish Miners. There was a widow there with whom my brother lived and worked all the time for about two years. He was quite a musician this widow bought him a high grade Stewart Banjo and then she fell in love first with his playing and then with his banjo and lastly of all with him. Love stole my partner. I have had many but none like Lone Lee The Mountain Musician. After loosing my Pal I began to learn to face the wilderness alone. Nero my Dog, my associate from infancy was killed by a wolf and I was left alone. [Pg 6] When whiteman seemed to fail fate overcame me in the form of an indian. This indian was the famous Shopnegon. We trapped together on the Indian river following down into lower michigan we also trapped the dead stream, Ausable, Tobacco and into the Houghton lake country here Shopnegon christened me as Black Beaver for I had actually trapped one. this was the only Black Beaver Shopnegon had ever seen and the only one I ever saw and I have seen some. This was the winter of my tenth year I was big healthy and strong. I had never been sick except having the Pneumonia and occasionally a bad cold. Early in the spring we broke camp bid each other goodbye I loaded my pack and furs weighing about forty pounds and started for Fife Lake. I had no intention of seeing my folks but in Fife Lake was another attraction which I will come to later. I had to get home about fifty miles to cover. the way was beset with tangled forests, swollen streams, melting snows not a blaze to mark the way. I had lived on mushrat for forty days and the first day out I shot a doe, and added about ten pounds to my load, this meat was quite an improvement on rat. the evening of the third day I camped on Hopkins creek under an old hemlock tree. My dogs kept me awake nearly all night with their barks and growls, once I was awakened by a twig falling in my face, in the morning I was at once attracted by a sliding noise which I soon discovered to be a Lynx bracing to leap, I slung my gun to my shoulder and the lynx was past danger instantly, I afterward learned this Lynx had killed a boy in the neighborhood by the name of Harrison. Adding another pelt to my pack I reached Fife Lake just before Sundown and waited for dark before entering town. After dark I went straight to the home of My old friend who was not so aged as I.W.O. Clark. his mother had died meanwhile the only thing which had restrained him[Pg 7] from joining me the year before. I did not wish to show up in Northtown so Willie sold my fur for me and we equiped ourselves for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In august of that same year after our money was all gone but eleven cents: and I had not been seen by anybody who knew me -7- The Project Gutenberg eBook of Black Beaver the Trapper by James C. Lewis. Clark and I walked over to Kingsley ten miles away carrying our only possessions in the world, we had decided to go westward where we might hunt trap and enjoy ourselves unmolested, the evening found us waiting for a freight train which we were to take; hoping to hobo our way to Denver Colorado. [Pg 8] Westward Bound It is a long way from Kingsley Michigan to Denver Colorado. But we covered the ground in three weeks. We took slideing door palace cars all the way, and slept nights covered with an evening news, begged handouts at back doors; and ate our meals with the widow green. I was coming eleven Clark was just past seven, two old and experienced duffers to go west for freedom. Before leaving Michigan I formed the acquaintance of Waterloo chief of the Potowatimies. He had taught me many things which were to be of great service in the west. When we arrived in Denver we were not hailed as some great individuals are but we overlooked that—(since then We have been well used in Denver) We secured a lunch took our truck and struck northward. The following day we pulled up to a farmers house by the name of Straub. He had two bears he had caught, and hired us to tame them. I guess he thought our appearance would tame a Rhinoceros. I assumed the responsibility—and gave him the threadbare recipe "No cure no pay" Together we did the job in two weeks and for our service Mr. Straub gave us some new clothes, our board and $25,00 From here we steered our way to North Platte Nebraska. I hired out to John McCoullough. to herd cattle, and sent my son Willie as I called him and have ever since—to school in North Platte. The Cow-boys of that region usually had great sport with tenderfeet; but they were great mind readers and passed me off as experienced, owing to my age and [Pg 9]accurate shooting. That year I learned to ride a horse, in fact paid more attention to that then I did to herding cattle; but I took my pay without any remorse of conscience. The following year The Kid and I planned to go on a trapping expedition to the Rocky mountains. So as luck would have it we accidentally fell in with two hale fellows, inured to hardships, careless as the law allowed, and prime always for sport and adventure. Both of them could shoot well and ride like Mazzeppas. They also understood the plains and mountains but were tyros at trapping. We purchased four wild horses and on the first day of October started for Cola with covered wagons. This was my first experience over the plains in a real prairie schooner. We followed the south Platte to Sterling And from there we struck west and went through the Pawnee pass. Then we Took the old gun-barrel road back to Colorado. We camped one evening in Rattlesnake gulch; about midnight I heard a buzz I arose rather suddenly layed back the cover and saw within six inches of my son’s face a large old diamond back rattler. It was close and short work to dispatch him but I succeeded, the report of my gun brought all hands to their feet they examined the headless reptile, and were soon again lost in slumber. after while we arrived safely at Fort Collins bought a supply of food and other necessaries and took the trail for the head waters of La-Cash-a-po-da. We rea..."

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