Searching for the best trapper-elder in the North

By Mary Brown PRINCE ALBERT —

When I heard there was a fur sale in Prince Albert, I thought there would probably be a trapper there who belonged to an Anglican church in one of the parishes in the north of our diocese.

Deacon Eugene Merasty in Stanley Mission assured me that an elder in his church of Holy Trinity, Adam Charles, was a trapper and would probably be there. The fur sale took place in the Parkland Hall on Jan. 14.

When you come in the door there is a table where the trappers sign in. I asked the girl at the table if Adam Charles had come in yet. She said no but she hoped she would see him. Next to the sign in table was another table where the trappers would take their tickets to be paid for their furs.

The next longer table was where the furs were inspected and graded, and the trapper was given his ticket to exchange for payment. This table was set up with a chart for measuring the martin/ sable pelts.

They are measured as doubles over 23 inches, which are worth the most at $55, then singles 18 to 23 inches and large 18 to 21 inches.

My neighbour told me when he was younger, he sold enough coyote pelts to buy a skidoo. At that time, he got $100 a skin and now you get $20 to $30. A man brought a wolverine skin to be graded. If he had skinned it properly he would have received $300 to $400.

Unfortunately, he had removed the feet and claws and jaw, which would disqualify it to be used in taxidermy since that brings more money.

He got $100.

The next table was selling products made from the furs and beside it was a booth selling tools of the trade like traps.

I decided to phone Eugene to get Adam Charles’ phone number so I could ask him when he would be coming to the sale. This is when Eugene told me that Adam was at home recovering from open heart surgery!

The reason the woman, who was Adam’s niece, said she would have been happy to see him was because she knew he had had heart surgery.

Needless to say, I did not meet up with Adam Charles.

I did find out that Eugene has a trap line of his own around Stanley Mission; he even trapped a wolf last fall. Adam Charles is a remarkable hunter and is known as the John Wayne of trappers.

He is a man of many talents and apparently is the caller at the jigging dances. His trapline has been handed down through the family, and even if they were out on the trap line, they always came in for the Christmas service.

If he is not out trapping on a Sunday, he will be in church. He always has his Cree Bible with him.