The Fur Trader

This is about fur trading at Rose Prairie,B.C., Canada in the 1960s.

Ernie Petersen:

Trader At Rose Prairie.

 

The buyer and trapper jawed trade

“What’s fur fetching at the Winnipeg auction?”

At Rose Prairie the deals was made

At the wood burning stove with caution

 

“What’s fur fetching at the Winnipeg auction?”

Cold winter makes pelt with heft.

The buyer fingers a beaver with caution.

“You’ve got four winters of debts still left.”

 

Cold winter makes pelt with heft

He checks account ledgers for bills overdo.

At jawing for credit the trapper was deft

“I needs credit for more than just stew.”

 

The buyer checks account ledgers for bills overdo.

The trapper needs wire, bullets and sugar, sour dough.

Doesn’t think of account ledgers or bills overdo

For a night with Maxime he’s in need of some dough.

 

The trapper needs wire, bullets and sugar, sour dough.

The buyer pours the brewed coffee and stokes the wood stove.

Says synthetic fur drove the auction real low.

Celebrities were there before the fur market dove.

 

He pours the brewed coffee and stokes the wood stove.

They chat about beaver, lynx and grey fox.

He tops up the mugs from the whisky alcove.

Talks of kids, dogs, and women and child lost to pox.

 

They chat about beaver, lynx and grey fox.

They share season from cabins, and tales of trap line.

They share bannock and bacon and butter from box

Of seasons they talk when barter was fine.

 

They share season from cabins and tales of trap line.

The chewing tobacco and snuff dark and sweet

Buyer puts on the table to make the deal fine.

Then he sharpens a knife to serve some moose meet.

 

The buyer and trapper jawed trade.