Once apon a time there was a man who boxed, not badly, but not well. So when he met a girl named Mary and they were married, he became a photographer. Except that his business failed, and since it was the depression, there were no other jobs to be had. But then this man had a sudden revelation. He would travel to the Canadian north and become rich trapping furs. To his shock, Mary thought this was a good idea. And so they went north and learned to trap. Some years were good, and some were not. There were illnesses, the birth of a baby, the arrival of WWII, black bears and oh, so many other things, but they went on trapping for 17 years. Having Mary there was a big help. She was a great mother, and more importantly, a great shot with a rifle. (Black bears beware!)
Mink, Mary and Me: The Story of a Wilderness Trapline, by Chick Ferguson (HC, 1946, $4)
This book is in rough shape, which is why it is only $4. ALL of the printed pages have smeared ink. The cover has blobs of paint on it. And, there are a lot of racist comments. So why in the world am I recommending this book? First, the story is good, but mostly it is the more than 30 photos. (Amazingly they are ink-free.) What can I say. I am a sucker for stories about Canada. Look for this book in the Canadian section, avail. 9/27.
