DCHP-1 Online

tripping Fur Trade, Hist.

• 1 n. a trading trip for furs; trade carried on at an Indian camp away from the post.

  See also: derouine  tripper (def. 3)  

  • 1820  (1938)  McDougald who is a good trader and understands the language will be usefully occupied in tripping after the N.W. Indians. . . .
  • 1934  Not only were dog-teams kept for tripping to the Indian camps for furs but others were employed in carrying the mail. . . .
  • 1962  Trading groups . . . existed during "the Old Days," in relation to the Euro-American practice of "tripping for fur." Post managers would send men and trade goods into areas where it was known or supposed that there were concentrations of natives.

• 2 n. the activity or business of transporting goods, furs, etc. from one place to another.

  See also: voyaging ((n.)) (def. 2)  

  • 1832  (1964)  . . . in the Course of Summer three Trips is made from the Factory with 80 pieces p. Boat, the Boats are larger than usual for this Tripping Business.
  • 1861  Some of them had been employed in . . . road-making, house-building, tripping and the like. . . .
  • 1907  The laborers . . . about the post got nothing in the way of imported provisions except when at the hard work of tripping.
  • 1963  All travel about the fort, called "tripping," was now done with dogs.