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Show Mountain Men and Fur Trappers 15 even illegal whiskey. Buffalo robes and beaver pelts were readily sold in the eastern part of the United States and in Europe. Most of the trappers and traders had lived for long periods of time with Indian groups and they were diplomats who could barter successfully, and generally fairly, with the Utes. The Utes welcomed them into their territory because they knew that they were not permanent settlers. The take-over by the United States of all Ute lands occurred at the same time as a drastic reduction in the value of furs because the French silk hat replaced the felt hat formerly worn by gentlemen, and ladies began to prefer sealskin coats to fur coats that the Rocky Mountains could supply. Many of the trappers and traders, therefore, soon took employment as scouts for the United States Army and they were to prove invaluable in dealing with the Indians of the West. This is true partly because not the least of the contributions of the Utes was the sharing of their knowledge regarding the topography of the mountainous region they inhabited. After years as a food-gathering people, the Utes had thoroughly learned the paths of least resistance to travel â€" the lowest passes in the many chains of mountains and the ridges which were easiest to cross. The friction of their feet over centuries had cut deep trails along the most important routes of travel. Where trails intersected or became difficult to follow in the rocky terrain, the Utes were accustomed to build stone monuments in prominent places eight to ten feet high with a stone on top pointing out the right direction. Pioneers, road builders, and railroad builders used these to a great advantage. A look at any map showing the transportation routes in Ute country will indicate to the casual observer the trails formerly used extensively by the Utes in their travels. In the late Mexican period, relations between the settlers in New Mexico and the Utes were often unsettled and unfriendly. The Utes, seeing their land holdings diminishing because of increased ranching and farming periodically raided the settlements for livestock and other articles. A rising level of anger impelled the Utes to more and more depredations. In 1846, the United States entered into a war against Mexico, the result of which was going to be the incorporation of all Ute territory into the United States. Thus the United States had to begin dealing with the Utes as the Spanish and Mexican governments had to do before. Only two years before, Utes had created a sensation in Santa Fe by threatening the governor of New Mexico in the Palace of the Governors, an event well known to the Anglo Ameri- |