Cape Breton's Magazine

And summertime on horseback auid these cor? duroy bridges • you know, poles laid on the mud • maybe the poles would be broken • well, if he'd go down two feet in that you'd' think you were never coming out of it if you were on his back. But I liked it all right. Yeah. I wish I was smart enough to do it again. I'm going on 90. I was born February 19, 1888. I used to trap all over these mountains- halfway to Ingonish. My father used to trap way back in there. They used to call it the Everlasting Barren back there. I don't sup? pose you ever heard anybody talking about the Everlasting Barrens. That's the highest place in Cape Breton. My father used to trap there and when he didn't feel like going I'd go out with amother man. We were able to catch martens that time, and lynx and foxes and weasel • you'd do all right. You'd get 10 or 15 dollars for marten at that time • be as good as 125 dollars today. That's 70 years ago. They were quite plen? tiful. Have 3 or 4 every trip you'd go out. Metal traps for martens and weasels and lynx but the foxes you generally caught in snares on the river. In the first of the fall you'd have a log on the brook and the fox would cross on the log and you'd have a snare on it and you'd get him. Sometimes get a lynx that way too. You'd waint bait for the mart en • use rabbit or any kind of bait. They're easy to trap, the marten- right easy to trap. I don't think there's amy amymore. If there are you don't see amy of them. Ever see one? Aw, they're beautiful little animals. You saw minks? Well, they're bigger tham a mink and they have orange on their throat • bright orange strip. They're the prettiest fur that's going • the marten. They kept way back in the heart of the country. It was no trou? ble to cleam them out. They were so easy to trap. Stayed in a camp way back there on the bar? rens. Made out of logs and we had birch bark on the roof of it. Tight. It was great. Yeah. With one of those old fashioned box heating stoves • took it out there and had it into it. Oh, it was great. Perhaps you'd be out there three days. A day going out. And then the next day all day and perhaps the third day you'd come home. Three days on a trip. Loved that. Better'n a trip to New York. Used t.o hunt caribou back there too. Yes, lots of them. My father • many's the one he killed. Haul them out of there on a hamd sled--tabatgin • in the wintertime. It was a- gainst the law doing it but he used to do it. (Toboggan?) No, a toboggan is right flat, turned up in the front. A tabagin sleigh has runners and it's quite light and the sides came together flat and you could carry it under your arm. And my father could make them great, boy. When you wamted to use it you could square it out. When you're hunting caribou you'd have 2 or 3 of them. When I was a kid there'd be 3 or 4 hunting in a bunch • maybe kill 6 or 8. Have you ever eaten caribou meat? Well, you'll never eat meat like it in your life. breton tyard limited BOX 247 BADDECK/ NOVA SCOTIA/ CANADA BOEIBO/ (902) 295-2664/ HENRY FULLER cape breton press 3 RARE MAPS CAPE BRETON 1. JACQUES BELLIIM'S MAP OF CAPE BRETON (1744): Double mounted in ivory and burgundy to enhance the red outline of the Island, this is one of the earliest maps of Cape Breton. Bellin was the chief mapmaker for King Louis XV. All place names are in French. A very striking map • Size 14" X 12" - Limited edition - Price $10.00. 2. DETAIL OF FORTRESS LOUISBOURG (circa 1760): A beautiful detail of the city and fortifications at Louisbourg that originally appeared in the London Magazine. One of the few maps of this period in English. Size 11" x 16". Price $15.00. 3. THOMAS KITCHIN'S MAP OF CAPE BRETON (circa 1758): An exquisite map of the IslancI by English geographer Thomas Kitchin. Beautifully illustrated. Size 12" x 16" - Price $10.00. To order, kindly send cheque or money order made payable to: "The College of Cape Breton Press'! Our address is: THE COLLEGE OF GAPE BRETON PRESS P. O. Box 760, Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, BIP IJl These full colour map reproductions are printed on carefully chosen fine quality paper to enhance the subtle colour tones of the originals. Interesting both artistically and historically, these maps have been elegantly mounted and are ready to frame. For more information on our fine map reproduction series, write: Mr. Eric MacEwen, Executive Secretary, College of Cape Breton Press.