eer and
trapped on the Manistee, Boardman and Rapid Rivers, but I found game
and furs had become somewhat scarce in that part so I next went with
a partner to upper Michigan. At that time there was no railroad in
Upper Michigan and but few settlers, after leaving the Straits, until
near Lake Superior and near the copper and iron mines.

I have tried my luck in three of the states west of the Rocky
Mountains. In the Clear Water regions of Idaho there was a fair
showing of big game, with a good sprinkling of the fur bearers,
including a bunch of beaver here and there. (Beaver protected.) I
heard men tell of there being plenty of grizzly and silver tip bear
but I saw no signs of them. In California a trapper told, me of a
large grizzly coming to his shack in the night. He said that he was
cooking venison and that he had the fresh meat of a deer in the shack
and he thought that the bear smelled the meat was what brought him
there. The man said the bear smelled around the shack awhile and then
began to dig at one corner of the shack and soon pulled out the
bottom log. The man kept quiet until the bear pulled out the next log
and put his head in through the hole when he put a ball between the
bear's eyes that fixed Bruin too quick. (A bad case of nightmare.) I
think it doubtful if there is a grizzly bear or at least very few now
to be found south of the British Columbia line.

My best catch of bear in one season with a partner was eleven. Years
ago I caught from three to six bear each season but late years I have
not caught more than one to three. I think that of late the heavy
lumbering going on through Northern Pennsylvania had something to do
with the catch of bear.

The timber in Pennsylvania is largely cut away now leaving bark
slashings which make fine shelter for bear and wildcats and both
animals were apparently quite plenty I would judge from the number
caught in this section, fall of 1907. Deer are very scarce in this
state, perhaps the most to be found are in Pike County.

I can lay claim to one thing that but few hunters and trappers can
do, that is for forty years I lost only two seasons from the trap
line and the trail and each time I was detained by rheumatism. Once
being taken down with sciatica while in the camp trapping and
hunting, and it held me to my bed for several months hard and tight.
I still have the greater part of my trapping and hunting outfit, and
am still in hopes to be able to get out on t