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1 2 3

:^ l:..^

f ItlFE OFWlyMBERMAN

■> ,= ■

€

Photo hy W. Notman 6f Son, Montreal, taken in iHSo.

^ o s'.g^j

UP TO DATE

THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

CHAPTER I.

ABOUT MYSELF.

The name I have been known by since I came to Canada is George S.
Thompson ; what my right name is I am not quite sure.

I will tell the reader all I do know about it, and ke will then know as
much as I do, and can call me by any name that may suit his or her
fancy. I will be satisfied. If the reader is or not, it will make no differ-
ence to me.

I was born in India in or about the year 1848, or perhaps earlier,
or may be later ; I have no sure data to draw upon.

My first recollection of anythmg is seeing a number of men who wore
red coats, my lather being among the number. My next recollection is
being on board a large ship on which there were also a number of men
dressed in the same way. We were a long time on board the ship and
left it at what I now think must have been the town of Portsmouth,
England, and we journeyed some distance before we landed m a town or
city, the name of which I do not remember. When I say we, I mean
my father and a lady who acted as my governess ; my father called the
lady by the name of Annie ; what her surname was I do not know. Annie
told me my mother died in giving birth to me her first born.

Annie usually called my father Captain. I will not give the name
because I have certain reasons at present for not making it public.

I do not think Annie was in any way related to us. My father
and Annie called me by the name of Sidney. During our stay in
England we but seldom saw my father, but occa onally he would visit
us for a few days, and on several occasions he took Annie and I travel-
ling with him, and we used to stay at some very large houses — especially
do I remember staying at mansions where there were beautiful gardens
and grounds. My father, about this time, appeared to be nearly always
in bad humor when alone with Annie and I, There were frequent

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

^vl

quarrels between them, and at these times I would hear my father tell
Annie it was all her fault — that he would not have got into trouble only
for lier. What he meant by the expression I do not know. He used to
often say he would sell out and go to some foreign country and leave
us all for ever. This kmd of thing went on for a long time until finally
my father told Annie there was going to be a war in America, and he
would go out and take part in it. Soon afterwards the three of us were
on board a ship, and in due time we arrived in New Orleans.

We took lodgings in the city and my father would be absent for days
at a time. Annie used to teach me my lessons, and also instruct me in
my religious duties, for she was a devout Roman Catholic, and took me
to church with her almost daily. My father seldom if ever came with us,
so I do not know if he was a Roman Catholic or not.

The time did not appear long to me after our arrival in New
Orleans until there were most exciting times — crowds of people gathering
on the street corners ; men and boys drilling —myself among the number ;
every where there was hurry and excitement.

My father told us he was drilling men and getting ready for the wat
that soon would be on. I noticed that Annie and others called my father
by a different name after we came to New Orleans. I spoke to Annie
about the change, and she told me to ask no questions ; that my father
would be angry if I did. Annie said my father knew wh?t he was doing,
and also what would be best for us all. I was easily satisfied ; anyhow
I was too young to be inquisitive, and therefore took no more interest
in the matter. To proceed with my story : the roar of cannon was soon
heard down the river below New Orleans, and ipy father told us it was
the Yankee men of warships bombarding the forts, and it was only a
short time after the firing commenced until my father rushed into the
house and told us the Yankee ships had silenced the forts and were on
their way up the river to take the city. All the soldiers, my father said,
were leaving the city, and he was going with them, and was going to
take me with him. Aanie cried, and wanted my father to leave me with
her, but he refused. He said there were numbers of boys no larger than I
was who were going to fight, and I would take my chances with the rest.
Anyhow niy father said we would soon return and drive, the Yankees out
of the city ; but in that he was mistaken, for he never saw the city again,
or Annie either, for my father was soon afterwards killed in one of the
big engagements or battles, and I could not return ; neither did I want
to return to the city. I threw in my lot with the Southern army, and drifted
around with them until the close of the war. My experience of that war
was just the same as thousands of others alive to-day ; many have written
all about it, so that there is now nothing left for me to say, so I will
not inflict any of my war experience on the reader — not in this book at
least— but will proceed with my story. At the close of the v/ar I returned

^■^'

UP TO DATE; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN 7

to New Orleans to see if I could find Annie, for I had heard no tidings of
her :;ince my father and I had seen her last together at the beginning of
the war. I diligently searched the city but not a trace of her could I find
or get the least clue to her whereabouts. 1 thought probably she had
gone br.ck to England, so I concluded to go over myself and see if I could
find her or any of my father's or mother's relatives. I managed, after
considerable suflfermg and difficulty, to work my passage over, and on
my arrivai in England commenced my search, but I might as well have
been searching for a needle in a hay stack.

In the first place, I did not know what Annie's surname was,
neither was I certain of my father's, so I wandered nearly all over Eng-
land, Scotland and Ireland, and although I am certain I sav/ some of the
fine old mansions I Lad visited with n>y father and Annie, when I would
attempt to go up to one of them the servants would drive me away. I
did get some of the servants to listen to my story, but they only laughed at
me and said if they told what I said to their master I would be put in
jail as an importer.

So aftei considerable time spent in futile attempts, I finally concluded
to give it up and return to America, and about the year 1869 ^ t^ok ship
at Liverpool for Quebec.

S. !

VP TO DATE ; OR, THE UFE OF A LUMBERMA.;

•- CHAPTER II. ; ;

I SAIL FOR CANADA.

On my voyage out I fell in with a youth who, like myself, was travel-
ling alone. He told me his name was George Thompson, and he was going
out to a brother who was living in Haliburtnn, county of Peterborough,
Ontario. He told me his brother haJ sent him money to pay his passage
out, and in retiirn theiefor he had agreed to work lor his brother one
year to repay him. George did not appe?r to relish the idea of that part
of the bargain ; or he did not like to part from a young lady with whom
he hid become acqnainted on the voyage out ; the young lady was
en-route for Chicago— the same city that I was booked for. I suggested
to George (in a joke) that we make an exchange of tickets ; he took my joke
in earnest, and for several days would scarcely talk of anything else. I
got him to tell me all he could or would about his family in England,
but it was little he appeared to know about them. He had not seen the
brother he was on his way out to join since their .""ather's death, which oc-
curred when he, George, was about five years of age,and he said the last
tinfiC he had setn him was when he was home shortly after the death
of their fathe;, and then only for a short time. So he said if we made
the exchange there was no danger of detection, for he had no other re-
latives in America.

\ considered the matter over and finally concluded to make ^he ex-
change. I thought, perhaps, it might turn out to be a good thi ng for me, ,
for I was heartily sick of being aione in the world, and when George ap-
peared so willing to give up his relatives I thought I might as well take
his place with them, so I got him to tell nxe again and again all he could
about his mother and »amily and their history, all of which I carefully
noted down, and also had him give me a specimen of his hand writing,
for he said he had promised to write to his mother, of whom he appeared
to be very fond. I also agreed to write to one of his sisters— Jennie — who
was married to a man named William Brian, He said his mother could
neither read or write, also that he had never written but few if any letters
to any one, so he said my writing would not give me away, and before we
reached Port Hope we had everything arranged for the exchange. I
gave him my ticket to Chicago and I took his, which was good to Peter-
borough. We a'co exchanged clothes, but it was a scanty supply either of
us possessed. He had a vohmteer uniform in his outfit, whi-h I took
with me. I had more cash than he. so 1 gave him all I had with the

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LOMHF.RMAN

e>:ception of about one dollar, for I thought George being a greenhorn,
would need it worse tiian I ; anyhow, by the time we reached Poit Hope
on the Grand Trunic Railway I had seen enough of Canada to tell me
that I would have no trouble in getting a ^ood living in so fair a country
as I had so far seen.

So at Port Hope George and I parted, and I have never seen or
heard any tidings of him since, and I rather think he must have perished
in the great fire that devastated the city of Chicago a few years later. If
he is alive and should happen to read this book I will be glad to hear from
him.'-*

I arrived iii Peterborough one fine day in the month of August,
and I was directed to the Royal Oak Hotel, kept by a man named Wilson
— and old pensioner — and after taking dinner I boarded the Royal mail
stage for Bobcaygeon, distance 24 miles from Peterborough.

George's bro'.her had written him instructions as to the route. Of
course be gave me the letter, which I thought it best to use as a kind of
credental, and so disarm any suspicion that might have arisen. In the
letter G2orge was instructed on his arrival in liobcaygeon to put up at
Mr. Orr's Temperance House, and If short of cash to show Mr. Orr the
letter. On my arrival in Bobcaygeon I did as the letter directed, and got
a warm welcome from Mr. Orr. I found I would have to rtmain over
for a day, as there was only a tr-iweekly stage to Minden, a distance of 30
miles. I spent a very pleasant day in Bobcaygeon. It is both a pretty
and interest" ng village. Some of the best fishing in Canada is to be had
thf re, and the inhabitants are very sociable and kind-hearted.

I found Mr. Orr and his family very hospitable and kiud-hearted,
a more honorable and sincere christian man than Mr. Orr never lived ;
he was of Scotch decent, extremely sharp and canny, but strickly honest,
though close in making a bargain. He had accumulated considerable
wealth, and at the time I am writing was just laying the foundation of
a large temperance house ana store, which he was having built of stone,
and up to date it is one of the largest and finest building in the county.

Mr. Orr did not live long after the building was completed, but I
am certain he now occupies a much grander mansion in Heaven. Mr.
Orr, on that first trip of mine, also on subsecjuent occasions, always gave
me some good sound advise A goed many persons have been liberal in
giviug me advise, and that is about the only thing i ever did get free.
It costs the giver nothing, and usually is worth less to the receiver. But
Mr. Orr's advice was.alwdys above the average quality, and also e.xtreme'y
brief, perhaps that was the reason I thought his advise so good,

I liked Peterborough and Bobcaygeon so well I was half inclined
to go no further. Bt^ides, the nearer I got to my adopted brother the
more doubts and misgivings arose in nr.y mind as to how the course I
was pursuing would end. I gleaned from Mr. Orr all ihe information

UP XO DATE ; OR, THE LIPE OV A LUMBERMAN

about George's brother that he could tell me. He gave him a gocl name,
said he 'vas fairly well to do and was a great " hustler." His wife, Mr.
Orr said, was a good woman, and that I was going to a good home.

Next morning I boarded the stage for Minden. One of my fellow
passengers was Mr. C. E. Stewart, the present proprietor and editor of
the Bobcaygeon Independent newspaper. A few years later M. W. Bro.
Stewart assisted at my initaiion into the Ancient Order of Free and Ac-
cepted Masons, in Verulam Lodge, at a meeting held in the village of
Bobcaygeon.

Charlie, as Mr. Stewart is familiarly called by nearly every one ac-
quainted withhim, went right through to Kaliburton with me that day, .
and he took advantage of the occasion and of my innocence to legale or
" stuff" me with all sorts and kinds of stories that are usually trotted out
for a new arrival's benefit I did not mind Charlie taking a few •' rises "
out of me, for he did it in an inncffensive way, for he is a perfect gentle-
man, and a good hearted, genial fellow. I could also afford to put up
with ChaLvYic's jokes, for at quite a nnmber of stopping places he set up
the beer in good style. The Bobcaygeon road appeared to me on that
trip to be one long drawn out tavern, for nearly every other house along
it sold whiskey or beer, and without a license at that. The Bobcaygeon
road is celebrated the world over as being one of the roughest of roads.
" Uncle Jim Welsh," a well known character in Peterborough and district
who used to buy furs, swap horses or make most any kind of a trade, once
told me that he was one time travelling over the Rocky Mountains, and
was stting on a stage— on the front seat of one of those celebrated
stage coaches. Uncle Jim said just as they were travelling over a most
infernally rough and dangerous stretch of ror.d, he remarked to the driver
that it was a very rough road that they were then driving over. The
driver replied that it was nothing to a road he had at one time driven
a stage on in Canada. Uncle Jim inquired of the driver the name of
that road ; the driver answered it was called the Bobcaygeon road.

I certainly thought my toe nails would be shaken off in that first trip
of mine. The settlers along the road, Mr, Stewart told me, were nearly
all old soldiers — pensioners, whom the government had given grants of
land to for past good conduct and service. This news settled me from
ever wanting to be a British soldier, for I thought if that was the way they
rewarded those who had merited reward for good conduct I wondered
what the fate of those could be who had bad conduct served up against
them.

I need scarcely explain what little soil there is along the road is
largely composed of sand and the balance rock — that is if rock can be
called soil. I afterwards used to hear those old pensioners say that they
v.'ished they had brought some of the old cannon captured in the Crimea
war with them, so they might shoot the seed into the ground, for they

'■»,:

The Late Norman Barnhart

UP to t)AtE ; OR, trtE LlFt: Of A LUMBEI^MAM

said that was the only way they knew the seed would be successfully
planted in that kind of soil.

It was along this Eobcaygeon road that a farmer, when pointing out
the good features of his farm, probably to some stranger with a view
of selling it, would always claim that the back fifty was splendid farming
land ; of course the settler conld not help but admit that the front fifty
was a little rough and rocky, for the stranger could usually see that for
himself. This "back" fifty racket got to be a well known remark, and it
has often provoked a smile from parties who were not so green as they
looked. To explain so that any one will understand the joke, I may say
for the benefit of those who do not know, that free grant lands in the
province of Ontario are usually surveyed out in on one hundred acre
parcels or lots.

The country along the Bobcaygeon road was at one time heavily
timbered with the very best quality of white pine; the pensioners, when clear-
ing the land, made fires which burned and destroyed the forests of pine,
causing a loss to the people of Ontario of millions of dollars, so the
poor old soldiers took their revenge on an ungrateful country. Of course
they had no idea or revenge m their minds when they set fires, but it
acted that way all the same. Most of the clearings made by those early
settlers have long smce been deserted, and arc now growing up with
useless t ush instead of being replanted with young pine or other valuable
trees. To proceed on my journey : the stage arrived in Minden at noon.
Mr. Stewart pointed out George's brothjsr to me ; he happened to be
about the first man we saw as the stage rattled down the hill into the
village. He was standing in front of the post office, no u mbt awaiting
the arrival of the stage. George had told me that his brother carried
the mail from Minden to Haliburton, a distance of 20 miles.

I saw at a glance that he bore no resemblance to me. Mr. Stewart
introduced us, and I received a most affectionate greeting, and the first
ordeal was over. Not a doubt crossed his mind but that I was the" Simon
pure " George. He took me over to the Buck Hotel, and I got a good
dinner. Steve, as I will now call him, was a fine looking specimen of
manhood ; he had a sharp, piercing black eyes black hair and long bushy
whiskers. Altogether he was what any one would call a good looking
man. Nearly all the ladies said he was handsome, and they usually are
good judges. Steve appeared to be a universal favorite, everybody called
him Steve, I of course did the same. After an hour spent in Minden we
boarded Steve's stage which took us to the foot of Kushog Lake, a distance
of four miles, where Steve had a skiff row boat to take us sixteen miles up
the lake to the village of Haliburton, where we arrived just about dusk.
Steve introduced me to his wife and family — a little two year old girl and
a baby boy. Mrs. Steve was born inCanada, so I had no difficulty in
answering any of her questions. Steve was also easily satisfied — in fact

UP to fiAtP. ; Oft, THE LlPE OP A LtTMTtERMAN

he did not appear to know much about his own people. From what I
had learned from George, Steve had rambled a lot, and had travelled
nearly all over the world, and they had heard little about him, and after
their father's death the family had scattered, and so lost track of each
other to a great extent. Steve was a poor scholar, and did not care to
write, and would only write to his mother about once a year. So I had
plain sailing with Steve and his family, for as I have already said, he knew
little of the family history and I knew less, and neither of us appeared to
be overly anxious to talk on the subject. It soon got to be a topic seldom
mentioned. Work was what Steve wanted from me, and at four o'clock
next morning I was called to breakfast. Mr. Orr had told me that Steve
was a hustler, and that Mrs. Steve was most kind-hearted, but as 1 arose
that first morning I could not help thinking that Mrs. Steve was rather
over doing hospitality when calling me to eat again so soon after the
hearty supper 1 had taken about nine the previous evening, and I was
more than surprised when, as I sat down to the table, she remarked that
breakfast that morning was rather later than usual with them. She
said she thought that after my long journey I would be tired and need a
little rest, so she had delayed the breakfast. That news fairly took my
breath away, so that I was unable to thank her for her consideration. I
took a quick glance at both their faces to see if it was only a little joke,
but I saw by the expression on their countenances it v/as dead straight
business. Steve noticed my surprised look and he gave a little cough and
at once proceeded to ask a blessing. I was to much astonished to join in
or even say amen, for about that time I felt that I was not suffering with
hunger, and I am afraid I was not as grateful for it as I otherwise might
have been.

I soon found out that early breakfasts were no novelty in Steve's
family, and I had not been long with them till half the time I could not
be sure whether it was supper or breakfast I was eating. There was
always plenty of well cooked, coarse food ; Mrs. Steve was always
scrupulously clean, so I fared well enough, she was kind to me, and I liked
her very much. I am sure I could not have thought more of her if she
had really been my own sister. By our early rising we would take
advantage of the calm nights to row the freight boat down to the store-
house at the foot of Lake Kashog, sixteen miles, before the wind would
rise, so that on our up trip we would have the fair west wind mostly
prevalent in the summer months in that section, so we often used to run
the round trip of thirty-two miles and be back to Haliburton and unload
our cargo before noon. The round trip would have been considered a
good day's work by most men ; not so with Steve, for in the afternoon
we would put in another day's wark logging or cleaning up land on
Steve's village lots. He used to tell me that it would keep us from getting
stiff. The mail a those days was tri-weekly — Tuesdays, Thursdays and

)m what I
[ travelled
and after
:k of each
t care to

So I had
, he knew
ipeared to
lie seldom
ur o'clock
hat Steve
IS I arose
as rather

after the
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irked that
em. She
tid need a

took my
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ittle joke,
[ straight
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to join in
:ring with
ise might

in Steve's
could not
'here was
s always
id I liked
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luld take
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nd would
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sidered a
afternoon
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m getting
idays and

y ^ -f

«
■>

.42
•I

irr TO DATE ; OR, THE I.IFF. OF A I.UMnKRMAN

Saturdays. On miil days we usually ran two boats — a freight boat and
a skiff. The freight boat would sail at four a.m., skiff with the mail at
6 a.m. Other mornings the freight boat would sail at two a.m. The crew
of the freight boat consisted of three, except mail day, when it was
manned by only two, the third man would have to bring the skiff with
the mail, which he considered a soft snap, for usually there would be
passengers who assisted in rowing who had to pay their passage just the
same; Steve did not know what "D. H." meant. The- stage would be
waiting at the foot of Kushog lake to convey the mail and passengers
over the four miles drive to Minden. Steve mostly went along, but
occasionally I would be sent, and then I would get a good dinner at the
Buck Hotel.

Dan suck, the proprietor, was quite a noied character, and about
as fine a fellow as I ever met. He was about the best looking man in the
country ; his wife was also one ot the most beautiful of women, and they
were both just as good as they looked. The Buck Hotel was far-famed
for its good table, but Dm m.ide no profit on the dinners I used to eat
there, as the appetite acquired after that twenty mile trip was not easily
satisfied. Dan used to wait on me and try to fill me up. I never bothered
taking the hides off the potatoes until I had eaten five or six, as I did not
have time, ^ was so hungry.

Dan used to call me " Haw and Gee," through a story Steve told
him. It occurred in this way : One afternoon Steve wanted to do some
ploughing on his farm ; the land was very stony and there were too many
stumps of trees scattered over it for him to hold the plow and handle the
reins, so he took me along to drive the horses. On the occasion referred
to, when the animals were hitched ready to start, Steve asked me if I
kiiew " haw and gee." I thought he was referring to some individuals,
and I innocently asked where they lived. Next day Steve told
Dan and that's how he came to call me " Haw and Gee."

I would usually have to walk the four miles too and back from
Minden ; the passengers and freight would load the stage. The driver of
the stage was a quaker ; he was almost a load in himself, for he weighed
nearly four hundred pounds net, not counting tare. His face always put
me in mind of the rising sun, or like of the pictures of the man in the
moon one sees in Josh Billings' almanac, for his face always wore a
broad grin, and the spirit appeared to move him to talk all the time. He
was the only (juaker in that section of the couutry, so I guess he must
have been a "* bank beaver " quaker.

The bearers always put out from among them any that are too lazy to
work or are in other ways objectionable to them, then the beaver so put
out has to live by himself, so the trappers call them " bank " beavers. Of
course I did not for an instant insinuate that this quaker did not like work

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UP TO DATE; OR, THE UVE OF A LUMBERMAN

— far from it— for he liked work so well he could lie down right beside it
and sleep both peacefully and contentedly.

Steve, or my brother, as I will now call him, at the time I am speaking
of, had a gentleman working for him by the name of Williams, who
claimed to be a brother of the celebrated English lawyer, Sir Montague
Williams. Mr. Williams was one of the crew of the freight boat ; Steve
and myself made up the rest of the crew. Mr. Williams told me that his
wife was the daughter of an earl, so here 1 was right among my own class
of people, for 1 always had an idea that I must be the son of some son
of a gun of large , calibre. Steve, Williams and myself made up the
ciews of both boats. Sunday was the only day that we got any rest ;
Steve and his wife were good living and God-fearing people, and kept the
Sabbath holy as all Christian people should, and on that day would do
no work beyond a few chores which any other man except Steve would
have called a good day's work ; but all the same twelve o'clock Sunday
night Mrs. Steve would jump out of bed— the last stroke of the clock —
and commence to get our breakfast ready. I used to fancy she must
have lay awake so as not to miss hearing the hour ot twelve strike. The
clock was never slow — in fact it had a habit of getting a couple of hours
or so ahead of other people's clocks.

The first Sunday I spent in Haliburton Steve insisted that I wear the
volunteer military uniform that I got from George. I put on the unifonri
and went to church— full dress parade. No doubt I created quite a
sensation, for Steve said a military uniform had never before been seen in
that village, neither do I think there has been one seen there since.

We were busy with our boats until the ice put a stop to navigation,
about the last of November. Steve made a lot of money with the boats
that season, and I expect he has got it all yet, for he seldom gave me an".
About all I got of it was ten cents occasionally to put on the collection
plate when I would go to church. After navigation closed Steve kept
a livery stable in connection with the stage. There was always lots of
work, Haliburton at that time bemg a stirring, busy village, "doing lots of
business. It had a population of about three or four hundred people.

The accompanying cut shows the village as it was in 1878 from a
photo taken in that year. The larger of the two houses in the extreme
right hand comer was Steve's residence, the smaller one my own ; both
were built by Steve The village has changed but little since, and that for
the worse. The rocks and stumps are still there, but lumbering is now
almost a thing of the past. The first winter I spent in Haliburton,
lumbering was in full swing. The early settlers were nearly all English.
The settlement was forrucd by an English company who went by the
name of " The Canadian Land and Emigration Company," London,
England. The company purchased the land from the province of
Ontario, ten townships in all, or about one half million acres. The

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UP TO DATE; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUNfBERMAN

company got the land practically free on the understanding that it would
bring out emigrants, build roads, saw and grist mills, and settle up the
land in a specified number of years. The first manager of the company
in Canada was Mr. C, J. Blomfield, son of Bishop Blomficld, of London,
England, and the company's agent in Haliburton at the time of my arrival
there was Alex. Niven, P. L. S. The land the company got was and is
yet of little value. .*nd I used to hear an old hunter and trapper say " it
was only fit for darned fools and bears to live on," and I guess he was
about right, '^he pine timber on the land at the time the company got
it was worth a very large amount of money, but the company or its
officials, to judge by their action, did not appear to have been aware
of that fact, and the lumbermen were not slow in " catching on " to the
company's ignorance as to the value of the pine.

There were more "aristocracy" to the acre in and around Haliburton
than any place I have ever been in ; nearly all were poor, but they
made up for that in pride, and when visiting among them I used to be
reminded of the blessing Bobbie Burn's was said to have asked :

" Uieland pride and Hieland scab »
There Is in this house a plenty
And if the Lord has sent me here
It surely must have been in his anger."

No doubt those scions of English nobility had been sent out to
Haliburton by their f-iends in England, thin- ing they could keep them
cheaper in Canada than at home. Quite a number of the well-to-do
settlers had a Lord's or an Earl's son, or some son of a gun, working for
him, doing chores for his board and lodging. So I was on a par wich the
rest. Once in a while one of the more fortunate ones would receive a
remittance from '* home," every one in the settlement would soon know
about it, and then nearly everyone in the community would swoop down
on him and bleed him in every way possible — selling him old plugs of
horses, borrowmg money — anything to relieve him of his '* remittance.''
The English colony would also help to rob him, but would do it in a more
polished way, and would have a jolly time as long as the money lasted, so
it was generally either a feast or a famine with most of them.

I had a good thing the first winter I was in Haliburton; my mate, Mr.
Williams, who I have referred to before, got a windfall of forty thousand
pounds sterling, left, to either himself or his wife by some relative in Eng-
land. Presto I what a change the money made. Steve, instead of being
captain and boss generally, was no longer in it ; Williams spread out
bigger than a drum major. Servants were engaged wherever they could
be got ; a six footer of a valet was brought up from Toronto to wait on
Mr. Williams' son — a kid of about ten years of age — who only a few
weeks previously had been running barefoot around the muddy streets of

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UP TO DATE; OR, THE LIFE OP A I.UMP.ERMAN

H.iliburton with sand cracks in his heels. It was a sight to see the six
footer, stiff as starch, marching about ten paces in the rear of the Williams'
kid. Open house was the order of the diy ; the Williams' house, was a
log structure containing four rooms, not one large enough to swing a cat
in ; but t.i.it cut no figure. Mi. Williams' windfall was a (iod-iend to the
English colony, and in fact to all of us. I came in for quite a share of
the good things, for about all I did that winter was to drive the Williams'
famdy or his guests around ; the servants would fniquently slip me a
bottle of " good stuff," which I would carefully store away in Steve's
stable for future reference, and soon I had a good stock of licjuors laid by,
and occasionally I would trot oat a bottle of my best and spend a splendid
evening with some of my chums.

Mr. Williams moved away down to the Southern States in the spring,
and his departure with so much money was preatly regretted by all,
myself among the number, but my mate will never be forgoiten by the
people uf Halibnrton, for up to date their mouths still water when they
think of the good time they had thai winter at Mr. Williams' expense.

1 was driving the stage one day that first spring and was in
Haliburton when an incident occurred which is worthy of note. I shall
ne ^er forget it, and hope my fair readers will take warning by it. The
day I refer to I was passing a farm house, about four miles west of
Haliburton, when the farmer came out and handed me some money to
purchase some groceries for him and deliver them on my next trip. The
farmer was a fine old gentleman, about sixty years of age, and was noted
for his piety, or rather his long prayers, which were frequently rather too
personal to suit some of his hearers. His prayers were also noted for
their brevity. The old gentlem?n was reputed to be wealthy. Anyhow
I knew he had the best farm and the best stock in the district ; he also
had quite a large fiimily of grown up sons and daughters at home. Just as
I was ready to drive away, his wife came to the door and asked him
to send lor some sugar. The old fellow glared at his better half in ap-
parent amazement for a minute or two. *' What," he said, " do you mean
to tell me that the two pounds of sugar I brought hon.a at Christmas is
all gone ? " I nearly fell out of the stage, for it was then about the middle
of April. ^ . ■ ' • •

Writing about Christmas puts me in mind of the the first Christmas
day I spent with Steve and hi? family. A few days before Xmas Steve
said we would have a Xmas plum pudding ; he said he had not had one
since he was married, Mrs. Steve not knowing how to make it. Steve
said our mother always made large puddings at Xmas, and the longer any
of it was kept the better it tasted. Steve went up to the store and pur-
chased ten pounds each of currants and raisins, along with two pounds of
lemo I peel and other ingredients which the storekeeper told us were
necessary in the make-up of a first class Xmas plum pudding. St»ve and

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE 07 A LUMBERMAN

I brought the outfit home ; he told his wife all he knew about making the
pudding. He knew less than I did about it and I knew nothing
whatever. Mrs. Steve promised to make the pudding. Steve and
myself had to go away the day before Xmas, but managed to return for
our Xmas dinner. As we drove up to the house wt were surpricjd to see
a big fire burning along side of a pine stump and the big sugar sap kettle
hanging over the fire : Mrs. Steve, with a stick was stirring something in
the kettle. Steve asked her why in thunder she was washing clothes on
Xmas day ; Mrs. Steve replied that she was ni-t washing clothcii— only
boiling the Xmas pudding. She went on to say that alter she had
mixed up all of the each ten pounds of currants and raisins and ten pounds
lemon peel, along wilh about ten pounds of suet and forty pounds or so of
flour, she found that no poi would hold it, so she thought she would try
the sap ketile. Steve's countenance was a study while listening to the
foregoing ; I tried to keep a straight face, for I did not like to hurt Mrs.
Steve's feelings, but to look at that puddinrf in the sap kettle and not
laugh was more than my make up could stand, but I manaijed, by nearly
biting my lips through, to restrain myself. Mrs. Steve was such a
dear little woman, and always so earnest in anything she did or said that
I did not like to lat'gh, Steve for a while did not appear to know whether
to laugh or swear ; finally we both roared out laughing. That settled it ;
Mrs. Sieve at once got angry and told us to take oui pudding or whatever
we choose to call it, she wotild have no more to do with it, or would she
ever make us another ; Steve said he did not think we would need another,
for he said the one in the kettle looked large enough to do us the balance
of our lives. Steve and I had considerable difficulty in navigating the
pudding out of the kettle into the house. It was not bad eating ; in fact
we thought it good. It was a little hard on the digestive organ?, but all
rich plum puddings are that. One good feature about our puddmg was
that after partaking of it we would have to skip the next meal and take
pills instead.

When navigation opened in spring, which was about the first day
of May, Steve went into partnership with a man who had b'lilt a small
steamer during the winter. It was the first steamer that ever run on
those waters ; the shanting boys named it the Royal Mail Steamship
'* Bull of the Woods." She was built on the stem winding stem setting
principle, and was modelled ac no other boat was ever before modelled ;
so It is difficult to describe her — she had to be seen as well as heard, for
the noise sh^ made when in motion could be heard for miles, and the
old hunters vowed vengeance on her, for the infernal noise she made
frightened all the moose, deer, bears, wolves and other large game out of
the country, nor has any fish been caught in those waters ?ini;e, Wc tried
to take a photo of her but failed ; the camera refused to work point blank.
I did get somewhere near it once. I secured a pot of coal tar a,nd made a

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

sketch of her on the side of the postmaster's boathouse, which had just
been newly painted with whitewash. I was somewhat in tune with the
postmaster's daughter at the time, but when he saw that sketch and found
out who the artist was, a coolness sprung up all around, and through that
boat I have no doubt I lost the making of r. charming wife. Anyhow the
steamer Isfound, was to be a decided improvement on the " armstrong "
mode we had in vogue on the freight boat the previous season. .Steve
was captain and purser; his partner was chief engineer and fireman I
was all the rest of the crew.

In those days there were numbers of hunters and trappers in the
Haliburton district, and they brought in great quantity of furs — beaver,
otter, bear, wolf, martin, mink and muskrat being the principal furs.
Occasionally a silver fo.x would be caught ; the country also abounded in
such game as moose and red deer, the latter beint plentiful. I have often
counted twenty deer playing on the ice, and so tame would ihey bscome
towards spring that they would actually come into the yards around the
lumber shanties to eat the hay that was thrown out of the stables ; and
after I went to work in the lumber woods and got to be superintendent I
always had quite a number of pets around rr^y shanties. Those early
days a trapper would often realize five hundred dollars for his pack of furs,
and sometimes some of them would get close on a thousand dollars. They
seldom put in more than two months catching a pack of furs. Haliburton
had two great sale days—the 24th of May and the 5th of November— in
each year. On these days the hunters and trappers would come to the
village for hundreds of miles around to meet the fur buyers who came
from New York, Boston, Toronto, Quebec, Peterborough and other cities
and towns. Most of the trappers in the Haliburton district were white
men, though quite a number were Indians. The village was in quite a
commotion on those big sale days, when the trappers were in town ; the
proceedings would usually close with a rifle shooting match and a dance ?t
night. The hunters and trappers were splendid specimens of manhood,
and all jolly good fellows. They were hardy, clever, strong and active ;
everybody was glad to see them come to the village. 1 stood away up
in their regard— my good shooting did that for me, for in the first 24th of
May th^t I was in Haliburton I won first prize at their shooting match ;
they were all greatly astonished at my success in beating these old hunters.
I won and got first money, and at the very same time I could have
given quite a few of their number pointers in bushwacking. My war
experience had taught me to be a good shot and to be a bushman as
well. • ..--.-■.-

Early in the second summer I was in Haliburton smallpox broke
out ; some immigrants from England brought it with them. There was
no doctor nearer than Minden, where doctor Curry resided, and it was
fortunate that such a skillful and kind n^edical man was even that close,

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

for ho worked like a trogan night and day to conquer the dread ^courge,
I happened to be staying at one of the houses that was infected when
it broke out, and so got isolated with the other inmates. I did not contract
the disease, and it was fortunate I did not, not only for n\yselt but for the
poor creatures that did, for I was one of the few who was able and willing
to wait on the sick. There were quite a uumber of deaths, and the suffer-
ings of '^e victims was heartrending. The late Capt. John Lucuas then
kept hotel in Haliburton, in the same house that his son John now resides.
Capt:.in Lucas, being an old sea captain, was, like all true British sailors,
bra\fe and courageous and would assist me to put the dead in the rough
coffins, and then the two of us would carry them out to the cart, drive up to
the cemetery one and a half miles distant, and bury the victims in the
g -V- the settlers would dig, but which we would have to fill in. In
the Cleaning up I lost all my clothes, including the volunteer uniform I
had got from George. Shortly after the smallpox ended m/ year's etigage-
ment with Steve was up. I reminded him of the fact, and I told him I
guessed I would strike out on my own account, for I concluded by that
time I had well repaid him for George's passage money out from Eng-
land. George came out in the steerage, so the amount could not have
been over twenty dollars. It was the dearest trip I had ever paid for
before or since— twelve months good and solid hard work. My hands
sho%f:d that there were welts on them that could be pared of a third of
an inch thick, and the rowing I done on that infernal " punt " freight
boat had pulled and strained me all out of shape. We handled an enor-
mous quantity of lumbermen's supplies — barrels of pork, flour, bags of
beans and other heavy goods, and I would have to lift on them, loading
and unloading, until I would fairly see stars. Our freight boat was not
strongly built, and heavy goods had to be handled carefully. Steve
asked me what I intended doing, I said I hsA decided to go into the
bush and learn the timber and lumbering business, for I had noticed ihat
it was a good paying business, and at the time it <vas the only Isrge
industry that Canada had ; nearly everyone appeared to be interested
either directly or indirectly in the business, or else they had been or
wanted to be, so it was natural for me to have the prevailing spirit.
Steve advised me not to think of such a thing ; that it would be the
ruination of me if I went to the lumber shanties and mixed up with those
" wild shanty men " and raftsmen ; I said I would take chances. Steve
said he was well satisfied the way I had worked and wanted me to remain
with him, offering me at the same time one hundred acres of bush land
as a gift UQ which he said I could clear a farm for myself, and any time
I needed cash I could get work from him and we could help each other
in that way. I thanked him bv'i declined to accept the land or his offer
to sfay on with him. Steve knew I had made up my mind to go to the
bush, so he gave me a five dollar note and we shook hands and parted.

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Five dollars was not much for a year's work, but I had acquired some-
thing that was of more value to me, and that was the friendship of a good
family I could call brother and sister, as well as a name that T could
use — and more— one that I had came honestly by, for that year's work
with Steve I considered gave me a right to the name. Anyhow, outside
of the five dollars it was all I got for my first year's work in Canada.

CHAPTER III.
I COMMENCE LUMBERING.

) I

After parting with Steve I went up to the Haliburton hotc and spent "^
a pleasant evening with Capt. Lucas, the proprietor and a few other
friends, and I " blew in " the fivf, drinking success to my new name, and
celebrating my own christening as it were. Next day I en;^aged with
Norman Barnhart, bush superintendent for Mossom Boyd, the lumber
king of the Trent River, to go up to one of the shanties in the capacity of
shanty clerk. My wages were to be, I think, twenty dollars a month,
board, lodging and tobacco free. The shanty I was assigned to was ,
located m the township of Harburn, fifteen miles north of Haliburton.
Mr. Boyd had acquired the right to cut and remove the pine timber from
the Er>glish Land Company, and the season I went up was about the first
cutting done in that township. My shanty had a crew of at "lut fifty men ;
the foreman and the majority of the crew were French Canadians ; the
crew were civil, obliging and a hard-working lot. They treated me very
kindly, and I soon got to be a great favorite with them, and soon I was , V
right at home in ths bush. My duties consisted in keeping the men's •
time, and chargmg up to the men such articles as they required, and
looking after the supplies, plant, &c., received consumed, or sent away
from my shanty. I also had to keep strict account of the number of
pieces timber and sawlogs made and hauled to the stream each day.
Our crew that winter made both square timber and sawlogs. The two
gangs ot timber makers — five men in each gane, went through the bush
ahead of the sawlog makers, and selected and cut down the trees suitable
for square timber. A timber gang would make about six pieces of timber
per day, on an average, equal to about 400 cubic feet. A gang of sawlog
cut ers in those days consisted of five men— three to chop the trees down
and cut and top the tree square with their axes when felled, and the
other two men to saw the tree into lengths required for sawlogs, usually
in 12 to lO teet sections, Five logs to the tree was a good average, to

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A I.UMBFRMAN

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jfet from the trees, and 75 logs was a good average day s work for the
gang of fiv2 rnen to cut. In those days nothing less than 14 inch diam-
eter at top end would pass for a sawlog, and it had to be straight and
sound at that. Three knots or more in a log made a cull of it ; even butt
logs with a hollow or the least bit of shake had to be cut of and left in
the woods to rot. It is needless to say that such a system caused a great
waste of wood, for the extent of territory a crew would run over in one
season was enormous— only about one third of the standing trees would
make such a class of logs, and therefore the balance were left untouchedi
probably to be soon afterwards burnt, for the chip's left by the timber
makers, and tops of the trees that had been felled, along with brush
heaps piled up in making places for railways or skidways and roads which
were opened in order to have the timber and logs hauled to the stream, tell
the bush lull of inflammable material. The least spark of fire the next
summer set the bush in a blaze. In this v-ay millions of dollars worth of
pine and other wood have been destroyed. Of course in those days
pine trees were cheap, tue supply apparently inexhaustable. But times
have changed since then. All see now that a few years more will practi-
cally exterminate the pine forests of Canada. No such waste goes on
now. Instead of chopping the trees down they are sawed, so the butt is
already squared when the tree falls. The first illustration shows just
where and how a gang commences when they go to fell a tree, and the
second shows the tree in the act of falling. The tree when felled is now
sawn up into sections ; crooks, rots, spunks, shakes and knots— every-
thing now goes into the sav'ogs, to be disectcJ on its arrival at the saw
mill. Nothing is left in the bush— even small trees six inches in diameter
are now cut down, which I think is wrong. They should be allowed to
grow and be protected from fire until they are at least large enough to
make sawlogs of a twelve inch diameter and if larger so much the
better.

I have already stated how twenty out of our crew of fifty men were
employed ; about fifteen more are kept cutting trails or ro?ds, so that the
horses and oxen could get to the timber and logs and haul them to the
stream or railways. The sawlogs if any distance from the stream would
in most cases have to be piled up on skidways or roUways, as shown in
illustration, so tha: no time would be lost when the sleighing came in
collecting a load and hauling to the stream. The square timber had to
be collected together in much the same way. The balance of our crew
were teamsters and loaders, with the exception of the cook and his helper,
or '.* devil," as he is usually called. The size of our shanty was about
forty feet square. The walls were made of large pine logs, notched and
dovetailed together, and wei ^ six logs high. On top of the walls from end
to end were two enormous stringers or beams to hold up the roof which
was also made of pine logs formed of halves of tiees hollowed out,

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

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1 ,1 I ■

called scoops <ind the greatest expense in building a shanty is making
the scoops or roof. The walls of the shanty and the roof were stuffed
with moss on the inside, and the walls on the outside plastered with mud.
A large opening, about eight feet square, was left in the centre of the
roof and a wooden tapered chimney, about six feet high, built up to carry
off the smoke from the fire pl;ice or camboose, which was built of sand
and stone in the centre of the shanty. The opening in the roof, or the
chimney, let in lots of daylight, so no windows were required, and at night
the huge fire supplied all the light necessary. Sometimes a floor of logs
was put in, but just as often none. One door, about five feet square, and
the shanty was ready lor the bunks or sleeping berths of the men, which
was built of poles around one side and end. The other side and end
was occupied by the foreman, clerk and cook, and there was an unwrit-
ten law which strictly prohibited any of the crew occupying or taking up
the foreman's side of the shanty. A stable built in the same rough way
to hold about ten pairs of horses, and a small storehouse and granary com-
pleted the set of buddings. \^The cost of the lot would be about three hundred
dollars, for the crew would often put them up and have them completed
in the space of three days. The illustration on another page will perhaps
give the readers a much better idea of an old time lumber shanty than
what I have written. The shanty there shown is an "old timer," and it
belongs to J. R. Booth, the lumber king of the Ottawa, and the largest
ownei of standing white pine in America to-day. The illustration repre-
sents one of his shanties on Lake Nipissing, and it his been used this
past season by the Messrs. Malloy Bros., the enterprising sawlog con-
tractors. The photo was taken on a Sunday, which accounts for the
crew all being there, and also accounts for Mr. Ma.^oy wearing a " biled " or
white shirt. The reader, I hope, will excuse us for taking the photo on
Sunday, but that was the only day we could get the crew together. For
on week days it's seldom a crew sees the shanty in daylight, either in
Messrs. Malloy's or any other shanty. The great objection to one of these
old' camboose shanties is that it f^kes an enormous quantity of wood to
supply sufficient heat to keep them warm in the winter. Half a cord
would only made an average fire, and the chances are one will be half blinded
with smoke the greater part of the time. So great a nuisance is this
that it is said the smoky odor on one's clothes can be detected by any
one 'vith a good " smeller " nearly half a mile distant. When the fire gets
low during the cold winter, nights the large opening in the roof lets in
the cold and the crew sometimes are half frozen to death. The cookery
outfit of a camboose shanty, in the early days, consisted of half a dozen
bake kettles for baking bread, and one for baking beans in ashes, which is
done by covering the kettles with hot ashes. Often in taking off the
cover or lids a few pounds of ashes or sand would get into che beans,
but a good cook claims that the ashes saves pepper and helps digestion.

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

making
! stuffed
ith mad.
re of the
to carry
of sand
, or the
at night
)r of logs
aare, and
m, which
and end
1 unwrit-
;aking up
ugh way
lary com-
! hundred
ompleted
1 perhaps
anty than
sr," and it
e largest
jn repre-
used this
vlog con-
fer the
biled " or
photo on
her. For
either in
e of these
f wood to
ilf a cord
ilf blinded
ce is this
d by any
e fire gets
oof lets in
le cookery
U a dozen
which is
ng off the
fne beans,
digestion.

In aduition to the half dozen kettles there are two large pots and a tea
boiler ; that, with a butcher knife and a fork, completes the cookmg
utensils. The clerk gives out to each m.in a tin plate and dish, but the
crew have to furnish their own knives and forks— that is if any of them
could not get along without them. -Most of them, however, do worry
along with a jack knifo. One blanket was allowed to each man, and
two men usually slept together. The men turn in with all their clothes
on— socks as well— and the only use a shantymin has for a co:it in the
■ bush is to make a pillow of it for his bed. If a man attempts to wear a
coat in the bush the foreman will soon tell him to take it off and ask him
I if he cannot work hard enough to keep himself warm. In those early

1 days the food supplied to the men consisted of bread, pork and beans.

? The men could have tea if they paid one dollar per month for it. My

I first wmter in the shanty I fared well, for game was plentiful, and I

i used to kill enough to supply the foreman and myself, and often sufficient

I to give all the crew a feast. On Sundays some of the crew would catch

I some fish, which helped to give us a variety. Sunday is cleaning up

I day, the men doing their washing and mending on that day — that is

the few that would go to that trouble. Quite a number would never change
tueir under-clothes or shirts until the clothes were wore out, ^nd as to
washing their feet, such a thing never came into their minds, for the old
heads among them knew their feet would get washed often enough in the
spring when river driving commenced, and wading in the cold waterin the
rapids often up to their waste, and sometimes their shoulders. This
would soon wash all the dirt off them. Lost socks would often be dis-
covered that way in the spring, the dirt on the men's feet being so thick
they would forget having put the socks on months bjfore, and the first
wading in the water in the spring would often bring the lost socks to light,
much to the astonishment of the wearer. An old cotton bag usually did
service as a towel for all the crew. Seldom was there ever a looking-glass,
and the entire furniture of a lumber shanty consisted of the grindstone

The hours per day the men worked in the bush or on the river all
depends on how little sleep the foreman can worry along with. Before
clocks were introduced into lumber shanties, I have seen the foreman
mistake the bright moon light for coming day light, and wake the crew
up and take breakfast, only to discover later that it was probably
about the middle of the night, and it is a common occurrence
for the men to walk three or foui- miles through the bush to
their work, and then have to build a fire to keep them from freezing or being
eaten up by the wolves until daylight came, so that they could see to work ;
and its strickly against rules to come to the shanty before dark night. A
clock in a shanty is worse than useless as lar as the crew are concerned,
for the foreman usually has the clock about two hours too fast, so the crew
seldom pay any attention to it. Dinner time is any time one gets hungry.

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Ul' TO DATK; OR, THK LIFE OF A LUMUtUMAM

I I

The shantymen now a days fare much better as regards food and lodging
than we did in the early days— but the hours of work ar'j just as long.
We present an illustration elsewhere of an up to date shanty. It is repro-
duced from a photo taken last winter. It is one of William Peter's lumber
shanties, on his timber limits in the Parry Sound district. Mr. Hank
Martin was the builder of the set of camps and also foreman in the
same sharty for the past three seasons, having taken five million feet of
pine sawlogs each winter, with still another season's cut frcm the same
shanty. The buildings are the best constructed of any set of shanties I
have ever seen, and aie comfortable for both men and horses ; i.i fact
nothing better could possibly be desired, and the food supplied to the
crew, as to quality and variety, is equalled but by few first class
hotels.

Mr. Wm. Peter is one of the Michagan lumbermen who came over a
few years ago and invested in Canada pine. Mr. Peter is a very shrewd
man, having accumulated an enormous fortune lumbering in Michigan.
He still has as laige interests in Michigan, bi''. unlike most Americans, when
he invested in Canada pine and decided to operate them, he engaged all
Canadian men, from the bush superintendent, Mr. Ludgate, down, and the
success he is meeting with Is an evidence that Canadian shantymen are
the best in the world.

To go back to my first winter in a lumber shanty : I may say I got
to like the life very much. The time v.^^nt by very swiftly ; Xmas seemed
to come quickly and l n Xmas day I was sorry we had not some of Mrs.
Steve's Xmas pudding, for we had no pudding of any description —but we
made out a fairly good feast on the front quarter of an old o.x that had
fallen over a rock and broke one of his legs, and in consequence had to be
slaughtered. The beef was rather tough, but we bore no ill 'vill to the old
ox, on that account. The two front quarters of that ox was all the beef
we got that winter ; the twc hind quarters the bush superintendent had
sent tc '".ead shanty, or depot shanty. I well reme mber the first Xmas
.ver»5";; . spent in a lumber shanty. Our foreman sat up with the crew
and to! J us fairy and ghost stories. The crew were very superstitious
(most French Canadians are) and for that matter I am myself. That
Xmas evening there was a fearful gale blowing, and towards midnight
when our foreman was in the middle of one of his blood-curdling and
hair-lifting stories, the crew all gathered around him with their eyes fairly
bulging out, crash, bang ! down, came right amongst us, a big pine
limb which the wind had broken from a huge pjne tree that stood some
distance from our shanty ; the wind carried the limb and dropped it down
our camboose chimney, and it made a fearful crash when it struck our pots
and kettles. A more frightened crev/ I never saw, and I guess we all
thought the devil had us. After we recovered a little from our fright the
foreman said it was sent as a warning to some one who was neglecting his

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

crew
Istitious

That
lidnight
|ng and
is fairly
)ig pine
td some
lit down
)ur pots
Is we all
]ght the
[ting his

i-II

religious duties, and he 'ooked straight at me when he said it. I retorted
by saying that I thought U had been sent to stop him telling such infernal
lies. After a hearty laugh we all retired to our beds for the night. I had
a pet beaver that winter ; he was very industrious, as all bervers are, and
could do almost anythingbut talk. VVecouldtell when we weregoing tohave
a soft spell, for my beaver at nights would build a dam across one end of
the shanty, using in lis construction the men's boot?, shoepacics or any-
thing else lying around loose in the shanty. There was alwrys embers
enough in the fireplace to give sufficient light to watch his movements. 1
think a beaver is the most interestmg pet an/ one could possibly have. I
have often watched them build their dams, and have receiv \l i^iny good
pointers as to selecting a site on which to build a "catch wato ■>r resi-
voir dam as wt!' as the kind of a foundation required. Almost man

who cin handle an axe can build a dam, but it rec|uires one to have experi-
ence and good judgment in selecting a site for a dam, and also to know
that the foundation is good before building the superstructure. No one
ever heard of or saw a beaver dam taken out or washed away by floods or
freshets. The beaver builds his dam on a sure foundation, and he builds
it to stay, and never niiikes any mistake about it. It is surprising how
(|uicicly a few beavers will build a large dam or repair one that has been
partly cut away or destroyed. The lumbermen often have to cut away the
dam in oider to secure the water from the large reservoir above. The
lumbermen sometimes obtains a big flood of water, which will probably
enable him to float his raft out of a stream into deep water. The beavers
in either building or repairing a dam are always supervised by a foreman
beaver, and he handles his laborers in much the same way that a foreman
of a shanty does his men. How the beaver gets his mates to understand I
never could make out. When at work the beaver is difficult to approach,
though I h3"e sometimes been close enough to get a good idea of their
methods, which is systematic and e/idently all figured out ahead.

The only visiters we had that winter was a couple of French priests.
They are the only ministers who make it their duty to go regularly every
winter to the lumber shanties. Often the journeys are attended by many
dangers, privations and difficulties, buc nothing ever stops the good fathers.
Snow, cold or rain they go all the sains and are always joyfully and
heartily received by both Catholics and Protestants alike. Protestant
ministers seldom present themselves at a lumber shanty, although they
are always made welcome and kindly used. 'i my experience of a quar-
ter of a century there never was a Protestant service held by any minister
or any one else in any shanty '. was ever in, although a majority of the
men were Protestants. I know of no more solemn sight than a crew of
lumbermen at prayers. The surroundings are usually awe-inspiring and
sublime in their loneliness. The sight, I am sorry to say, is rarely if ever
seen in any other shanty than one manned by French Canadians.

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UP TO DATE; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

I was sorry when our shanty closed in the spiing. Any of our crew
who were not engajjec' for the " run," were paid off. Quite a number of
the men go up to the bush about the first of September when timber
making, log cutting, skidding, road making and also stream improvements,
such as dams, piers, &c., can all be done cheapest, and to best advantage.
This work takes up all the time until sufficent depth of snow comes (about
ten inches) to commence to haul the timber and sawlogs to the streams.
Very little timber is made or logs cut after Xmas, the snow usually being
too deep for the men to do such work to advantage. Anyhow toe hauling
of the timber and logs, generally takes up all the time of the foreman and
the crew untJ about the middle of the month of March ; then preparations
have to be made for the drives — for the streams clear themselves of ice
mostly in the month of April, and then the real hard work of the raftsmen
or river driver commences, for the timber and logs must be got down the
same stream by the spring freshets, or if the flood of water is allowed to
run off and get ahead of the drive then the timber and logs will have to
remain in the stream until the next spring. That is what lumbermen call
" slicking" or " hanging up" a arive, and it is a great loss to the owner
as well ss being thought a disgrace to the foreman and crew who worked
on it, and a foreman who sticks more than one drive soon loses his repu-
tation and gets reduced to the ranks. Occasionally there will be an un-
usually dry spring, and the spring freshets are therefore light ; then of
course no blame is attached to anyone it th"? drive ^hould happen to be
hung up. It is difficult to forsee jus; how a stream that has never been
navigated will act the first season it is driven, as well as to decide what
improvements are necessary. This is where experience and good judge-
ment counts. The objective point for the square timber is Quebec, and
the sawlogs on the Ottawa river to the owner's sawmill at Ottawa and
ether points on that viver. Sawlogs on the Trent River go to Fenelon
Falls, Bobcaygeon, Peterborough an^ Trenton ; on the Georgian Bay,
they mostly go to VVauhaushene, Midland, Little Current and many are
sawn up at the mills at ihe mouth of Spanish, French, and other rivers
tribitutary to the Georgian Day. Since the Americans have came over to
Canada enormous numbers of sa vlogs are towed across Lake Huron to
Bay City and other points in Michigan. The river driving and rafting
takes up all the spring and summer months, and when a man engages for
the " run" he is obliged to stay until the timber reaches its destination.
In the early days, and even yet, on the Ottawa River the men had to sign
an agreement similar to the one the sailors sign when joining a ship, only
the one the shantyman signs is more like a chattle mortgage on his life
for one year. But fortunately the good laws in force in Ontario overrides
objectionable clauses in the agreement, so tne shantymen is protected
against any lumberman who would take advantage of him, but as a rule

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4 UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

t! "

Canadian lumbermen use their men well in every respect, the old time
lumbermen especially so.

Those among our crew who were engaged for the run, when our
shanty broke up that spring were sent to th?. depot or headquarter shanty,
where they could be best employed until navigation opened. The depot
shanty, is where all the provisions and all the supplies are forwarded to
from the nearest railroad point, and from there are distributed as required
to the other shanties ofn the limit. It is where the bush supei ntendent,
chief cleik, bush rangers and log scalers make their bead quarters, and
where all men leaving are settled with and paid off. The books and ac-
counts of the whole operat' >n are kept there, and the clerks in the working
shanties m.ike a weekly return to the chief clerk of all work done in their
shanties— the company's or concern's head office is probably hundreds of
miles distant from the depoi shanty, and as some of the big lumber con-
cerns have as many as two thousand men in the bush, scattered perhaps
over hundreds of miles of territory, the only feasibe 'vay is to have a bush
superintendent for about every five hundred men, and a travelling agent
to overlook the whole outfit. The operations must necessarily be scattered
along the banks of several streams, as the smaller tributaries to the main
rivers would not be able to carry out the enormous output of timber and
sawlogs in one season that some of the large operators take out. So that
a bush superintendent usually has some ten or fifteen shanties on some
stream all by himself, which he oversees from the depot shanty. The bush
superintendent is pracaically about the only official the men in woods
have any dealings with ; his word is law on everything. He makes all
rules and regulations ; ai! have to obev his orders and no appeal can be
made against his ruling ; hv'^ engages all his subotdinates, including chief
clerk and foreman, and arranges the scale of wages ; he can dismiss
all or anyone of the lot at pleasure, and the Czar of Russia is nit a greater
autocrat. The site for a depot shanty is selected with great care, as to its
natural advantages as a base of supplies, and its easy access by river,
lake or road from nearest railroad point ; the buildmgs are greater in num-
ber and more substantially constructed, than the ordinary shanty. Large
clearings are usually made in order to pasture the horses and cattle dur-
ing the summer season. Villages and even towns oken sprung up around
these lumber depots.

I give a cut of depot taken from a photo. The illustration shown on
another page is of Messrs. Gilmour's depot shanty, on their new limit in
Muskoka, for which limit they paid nearly one million dollars to the
Ontario Government two years ago. It was the biggest price ever paid
for one limit to the Ontario Gavernment, and a story is told that it took
Mr. P, M. Gunther, the chief bush superintendent of the firm, nearly a
week to cart the cash in a wheelbarrow from a bank on King street up to
the provincial treasury at the parliament buildings. The streams on

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUiMBKRMAN

the new limit are all tributaries to the Georgian Bay waters, and as
Messrs. Gilmour's sawmill is situated at Trenton, on the Bay of Quinte,
Lake Ontario, the pine on their new limit was of no use to them as a
feeder for their mills, which are the largest and best equipped of any
mills on the continent. They had to devise some means to get the logs
over a three mile stretch of land that separated the Georgian Bay stream
at the Lake of Bays from the Gull River waters— a tributary of the Trent.
The Messrs. Gilmour were equal to the occasion. First they harnessed
a water power on the shore of Lake of Bays and thus secured power to
raise the logs out of the lake sixty feet almost straij^ht up the side of a
mountain ; then they built a slide or sluceway, which takes the logs the
first half mile on their journey. The water to supply this slide had also to
be pumped up out of the Lake of Bays. The illustration shows the enor-
mous pump at work. When the logs leave the slide an endless chain or
a tram carries them on nearly another half mile, and then deposits them
into a canal which is two miles long, also made by the Gilmour C\)mpany.
An alligator steamboat then tows them through the canal to Senoras
Lake, where the logs are made up into rafts or drives of about forty thou-
sand pieces each, and they are then started on their long journey of over
two hundred miles to Trenton. The distance the logs come down the
river before reaching the tramway or oortage is over fifiy miles, so it takes
two seasons for the logs to reach the mills. About fifteen thousand pieces
of logs can be passed over the portage in a lumberman's day (from day-
light to dark). The second picture shows the greatP*- part of the slide
and tramway in motion, and the third the alligator steamboat and a tow
being made up for her in ihe canal. An " alligator," is so named because
it can travel on land and water— on land by putting out a steel cable and
a snub on a tree or other fastening and then her machinery winds in the
cable and pulls her along the road. They are a very useful invention, as
in that way they can be transported over portages on rivers where there
are rapids that no boat can run. It is much ahead of the old way of towing
logs with horses and a capstan, as shown in the illustration on another
page. Before horses were introduced the men had to turn the capstan,
which operation is similar to sailors weighing anchor. Often I have seen
a crew of forty or fifty men " warping " as it is called, for days at a time,
sometimes for thirty or forty consecutive hours at a stretch, this being a
common occurrence. This ceaseless pushing on the hand bars of a
capstan — it is worse than a treadmill in a jail, the constant going round for
so long a time often made the men sick. To hold or coil " slack," as the
rope came in was another job even worse, for one's hands most of the
time it not freezing would be terribly sore.

To return to »r»y first spring in a lumber shanty. After our shanty
broke up ; my books were inspected by the chief clenrk, everything checkfd
off, and the cost of our shanty ascertained. Against this was credited our

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

output of timber and sawlogs by which the bush superintendent could tell if
our winter's work was satisfactory or not. If the cost was found to be too
much, (or above the usual average cost) the chances were that the foreman
would be discharged. The superintendent was well pleased with my work
and the way I had performed my duties, and I was re-engaged to stay on
one of the drives in the same capacity. We had about a month's time in
which to make preparatiorjs for the drives, such as building boats and
scows, capstan, and cribs or floals on which to carry our provisions across
the lakes and down the rivers, and to put the tents on for the men to sleep
in ; and also to make pike poles and leveies as well as tools used by the
men in rafting and river driving. The illustration elsewhere— shows the
horse, capstan and float or crib, as it is called, while another photo
illustrates the cookery tent and floats. The cook is fishing and the cook's
" devil " posing for his picture ; he stands close in front of the tent, and
altogether is quit, a good looking " devi'." The man sitting down is an
old habitau, who lives in the house shown on the bank of the river. He
has just got outside of a few pounds of pork and beans, and is enjoying a
smoke, and no doubt is wishing that a "drive" may pass by every day in
the year. The other fellow is in the act of cleaning a fish that he has
caught. Both scenes are taken on the Gull River, just above Minden,
and the photos were kindly presented to me by my old friend, Dr. Curry,
who is quite an artist as well as a skilfull physician.

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

V ■

CHAPTER IV.

NORMAN BARNHART AND ANDREW WHITE.

The bush superintendent, Norman Barnhart, had, by the time our
shanty broke up that first spring, taken a great fancy to me, and said he
woald adopt me, as he had no son of his own. Never before, he said, had
he met a greenhorn that acquired the business so quickly as I had done,
and the way I could pilot mj self and travel through the bush astonished him
most of all, and he said that without a doubt if I continued the business I
would be promoted to the position of a bush superintendent in less than five
years. Mr. Birnhart in those days was one of the strongeit and most feared
men in that section ; he had a fearfully hadtemper at times, and was liable to
" blow off" at any time, although his bark was usually worse than his bite, .
for none after all had a kinder heart than he ; no one would credit Nor-
man with more than ordinary ability, although he was recognized as one
of the best superintendents. If he had been a soldier he would have made
a Von Moltke, or if he had been a statesman he would have doubtless
been a second Bismark. Norman was of German descent, born on
Barnhart's Island, near Cornwall, on the St. Lawrence river. He was of
a surly disposition, but when he choose, and that was seldom, he could
disf ay amiable qualities of a huge degree. When in one of the latter
mcods he would sometimes be as playful as a young bear, but about as
safe to fool with as an old one.

One day that spring I happened to be' in the depot office when Nor-
man asked me if I knew how to box, and before I had time to reply he
.playfully hit me a blow that would have done credit to John L. Sullivan-
I managed to dodge the next blow, at tue same time I planted a couple of
substantial blows an Norman's " bread basket " I could not answer him ,
better, or in a more convmcing manner. The turn of affairs appeared to
both puzzle and astonish him, for he immediately sat down, and after a
brief silence he told the chief clerk to "go outside and see what cussed fool
had just felled that pine tree on the office roofs. Norman had a habit of
visiting the depot shanty when all the crew were in, and he would take
a seat on the foreman's side and remain there for hours at a time with his
head down, in utter silence. Not a word would he speak, or would he
take the slightest notice of any one. All the satne, not a word or a move
of any one escaped his attention. He was a man of great physical strength.
An incident which occurred will illustrate this more fully. The foreman
of the depot shanty " Black Alick" McDonald, as he was familiarly called,

UP TO DATE J OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

was a huge fellow, and also very strong. Alick thought he would
put up a job on Norman. There were a number of barrels of pork piled
up at one end of the shanty ; Alick took the head out of one of the barrels
and took out half of the meat, then put the head back in the barrel. All
the river crew, consisting of nearly 100 fine strapping fellows, were in the
shanty when Norman came in, and nearly all of them were aware of the
job Alick had on hand. Shortly after Norman had taken his seat Alick
got up, and with a big oath, said in a loud tone of voice, that he was going
to do what no other man in the camp could do. Alick said if any one
thought they could, to follow his lead, at the same time picking up tKe
barrel that had been tampered with and walked out of the shanty with it
on his choulder. Norman in an instant was on his feet. He strode over
to where the barrels of pork were piled, and picked up the first he came
to, shouldered it and followed out through the door, and took a turn around
the chip yard at Alick's heels. Both laid their barrels down in the same
place. A storm of applause trom the crew followed as soon as Norman
had laid his full barrel of pork down. He, without a word or even a look at
the crew, wheeled on his heel and marched out of the shanty. I may say
that a barrel of pork weighs nearly 350 pounds, but the great difficulty
was in getting through the doorway five feet square. The only other man
who could perform the feat to my knowledge, was Mr. Andrew
White, the millionaire lumberman of Pembroke, and champion lifter of
o< the Ottawa River. He is a brother of the Hon. Peter White, Speaker
of the House of Commons, in Canada. Mr. White told me that he once
carried a barrel each of pork and flour, two bags of beans, a grindstone
and two caddies of tobacco all at once, over a one mile portage.

Mr. White also told me on one occasion he was going up the river with
a boat load of oats, and when he and his party came to a half mile portage
over which the grain, which was put up in two bushel bags, had to be car-
ried. He cut two stout poles, each about thirty feet in length, and placed
one on each of his shoulders and made a kind of rack of the poles. He
then told his men to load the bags on the poles in front and behind, order-
ing them to pile on the bags until they were stacked up in two high
piles. The work of piling on the bags ceased at length and Mr. White
asked why they had stopped. The men replied that they had put on the
poles all the bags that had come in the boat which had not been carried over
the portage, and knowing he would be angry unless they gave him a good
load, a couple of men skipped across the portage and brought back four ad-
ditional bigs so as to complete Mr. White's load. He asked how many
b?,gs they had placed on the poles, and they answered, forty— which was
equal to about eighty bushels of oats.

Mr. White related several of these interesting stories to a number of
friends, including myself, while visiting a shanty on the banks of the
Spanish Fiver. The only >' doubting Thomas" was Mr. John Waldey,

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE I.IFK OF A LUMBERMAN

M. P., for the rest of us did not by look or siR^n Kive Mr. White a hint
that we in any way doubted his verasity. But Mr. Waldey afterwards did
insinuate thathe did not believe him. Mr.vWhiie instantly olTTered to wager a
Sicoo that next morning he could and would carry a barrel each of pork
and flour in one load a mile, the distance to be measured off on the ice on
the Spanish River. Mr. Waldey, thouj^h reputed to be a millionaire and
noted to be fond of making money, declined to accept.

Raftsmen take great pride in preforming feats of strength and agil ty.
In the early days of lumbering, when Mr. White was a young man, there
were moreocxasions of displaying it than now. A strong man in those days
was a valuable ma* to have. On the Ottawa river at that time there was
no railroad or any other kind of road, to enable the lumbermen to get
up to the Upper Ottawa district. Everything had to go up the river in
boats or on the ice, after the river had frozen up, m sleighs. Of course a
trail would be cut out where there would be rapids, and that was called
a portage. Some of these portages were several miles in length, so that
when a shanty crew started from Otta^va oi Pembroke in the autumn they
would have to take sufficient provisions and supplies to last them at least
three or four months. The provisions and supplies have to be carried
over the portages, be it lonij or shirt. In addition to this the boats, which
they called pointers, would have to be dragged over the portage if the
rapid was too swift to allow its being pulled up by rope. Each boat would
carry two toils of freight besides the crew, and the trip up to where the
shanty was to be built would often take up nearly a month's time. The
cook on those trips had a hard time of it, for he had to do the cooking
and get the meals ready the b;ist way he could, and we had many diffi-
culties to contend with. Seldom did they ever have any tents with them.
If the nieht was wet and stormy they turned their boats upside down on
shore and crawled underthem.and that was all the shelter they got. Though
perhaps late in the month of November, and snow on the ground, the men
were always lighthearted and cheerful, and worked with a will and would
outvie each other as to who could carry the largest load across the port-
age, and when evening came and these hardy voyagers would be sitting
around the camp fire the big loads carried would usually be the topic of
conversation. Mr. White in his day, and I guess even at the present
tiiue, is champion in this particular line, and few if any dispute his title. It
they do he is ever ready to back up his claim to the title. In those early
days it was considered good work for a crew to reach the Upper Ottawa
district from Pembroke with their boats and supplies, and get settled to
work in a month's time. - ^ ' •: i?,.-^*- < v '^ ^:«^- ??

The men who follow shanting and river driving are among the
heartiest in the world. Of a strong constitution, they require to be supple
and active, good swimmers and quick in their movements. I know of no
business or calling in which the hardships are so great as that of a river

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driver. The cowboy's life is a " picnic " compare4 to that of a river driver,
and kss dangerous. A ri- er driver nuisi be <i brave m.in, possessed of
nerve, with a cool, level head, and act quickly, for he is often in a critical
and dangerous place, when hcstation or delay would imperil his own
life and probably the lives of his comrAdcs. Time and again have I seen
a river driver, without a moment's hesitation, rush lothe rescue of acoinrade
in danger, and more than one of ihf,3C brave fellows have I seen lose their
lives in that very -.vay. There are to-day many of these noble men who
should be wearing the Royal Humane Society's medal. These acts of
bravery usually occur back on some stream where no one but their own
crew are witnesses, and indeed such acts of bravery are so common that
they themselves hardly think them worthy of mention. There is scarcely
an old lumberman who has not been saved from drowning by his com-
rades at least half a dozen times in his life.

1 have heard people wonder why I always take so much interest in
these men, some of whom are characterized as " drunken shanty men."
Of course many of the people who so meanly refer to these brave fellows
only see the poor shanty men perhaps once a year, at a time when he has
money in his pocket and is enjoying himself with his companions after his
winter's -rk, or after the drive has been hung up or reached its desti-
nation. These people who thus malign a noble lot of men, do not see them
or have no means of knowing their true natures. A few drinks of the vile
liquors usually sold to shanty men, would turn an angel into a demon.
Sometimes I have found a shantyman being made the butt of a number of
bar room loafers, or suckers who werC; I often knew, not (it to tie the
shantyman's shoe strings. Many a row I got myself into in helping a
poor fellow ^ho was being Trnposed upon. In such cases the odds were
severely against me ; I seldom took this into consideration however. Of
course I often got thrashed or *• licked," as the boys call it, but usually I
would "even up" sometime or other, and it soon got to be known in the
Peterborough district that it was no picnic to "lick "me. If they did
succeed in " licking" me unfairly they were only borrowing trouble. Of
course if I was worsted in a fair fight that settled it, for at one period in
my life no one was fonder than 1 of either giving or receiving a few
knocks, and even to-day I am no " dude " if a " scrap " is going on in
sight. Take river drivers and shantymen when at their work and away
ftom whiskey, a nobler or kindlier lot of men cannot be found. They are
honest, and would not harm or see any one harmed if in their power to
prevent it ; they are gallant and always courteous. Not for the world
would one of them say or do anything offensive in the presence of a lady
— in fact a more gallant lot of men do not exist.

It was from among the river drivers that General Wolsley selected his
men to pilot his soldiers to the Northwest at the time of the Riel rebellion,
and it was also from among the same men the same general got the boat-

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man to njwijjnte his soldiers up the river to rescue that good and
brave jn\n, i^enoral (iordon. A nuinbti- of the men who h-id just returned
from Egypt, were working w.th me at the time ol the last Ueil rebellion.
Those men, although they had returned houie only a (evr weeks ;)reviously,
came to me al<n»g with a number of others, aninngst whom were some of
the most noted hunters and trappers in the Haliburton district, and ottered,
provided I consented to become their captain, to form a company and go
out and help to lepress the rebellion. I consented, and a mec.ing was
called, and about seventy-five men had their names enrolled, after which
they elected me their captain. The list ol names wtre published in the local
newspapers, also the minutes ot the meeting was forw.irded to the local
member ot the Mouse of Commons, J. A. liuron, Q I., who l.iid the
matter before the Minister of Militia, Sir Adt>lph Caron, Mr. Barron at
the same time otVe-ing to take the tield with us. Our services were not
acc«p.ed, for the Minister of Militia said thiit he thought the Government
had a suSicient number of organized troops a'ready in the field to (luell
the rebellion The Mmister, ihroujjh Mr. llrown, thanked us very warmly
for the offer.

That's how 1 got the title of captain the best way any one cati get
a title, for ii the men elect ihei/ own otVuers as we did in the Southern
army, better --atisfaction is given all around, and no one wiil dare say that
the Southerners were not well officered.

Towards the last of the month of April of that first season of mine in
the bus?«, the men were divided into four crews of about fifty each, and
a foreman and assistant foreman was placed in charge of each crew, and
the bus?) supermtendent controlled the lot. We were all put out under
canvass, <he canvass being old — discarded military tents. The snow was
sti" on the ground, in some places nearly three feet deep ; each man was
allowed one rrgnlation blanket, but the men used to make a good bed out
of balsam boughs, taken from the trees, which are plentiful in all parts of
Canada When the boughs are broken up fine and nicely laid on the
ground about sixinc^^sdeep,they makeoneof the finest matrasses possible.
In fact it is all the matrass a sbantyman would get either in the shanty
or on the river, and even to-day the old time shantymen will use
nothing else in their beds at home. The Indians always use balsam
brush under their blankets, and one good feature about it is, no one will
ever catch cold who uses them for a bed ; the perfume of the balsam
bcugh is strong but not at all objectionable.

When camping out in the bush there is great danger when a heavy
gale is blowing. Lirge limbs will often be carried quite a distance, and
may drop through one's tent ; so great caution should be used in pickinif
out a camping ground. The damage from lightning is also great. If
camped among pine trees, the tall tops of the pine appear to attract elec-
tricity, for I have seen hundreds of pine trees that had been struck by

VV TO DATE; OW, TirK I.JFE OF A '.U MURK MAM

liKhtning, usually a straight mark dowa one side of the tree is left,
probibly ab')iit nix inchei wide, and two inches deep ; the piece is taken
out slick and clean ; s')mcti(nes the tree in killed ri^ht out, hut many of
thern live on with nnr side partly derayecl. No doubl tri.iny forc=tl firei
oriffinam through li^uinin^, thoujjh I never siw one aiart in thu way;
neither did I hear of any one who did. A match in the hands of som«
careieis or wilful! person I find is the cause of m )si forest fires. Another
cause is carlessncss in handling camp fires, not only by lumberm&o but
hunters and others. An Indian i:? never struck by jijjhteninjf -such a
case was never known ; I often wondered how they esf-aped, and have
spoken to them about it and endeavored to discover the secret of how
they dodjfcd the electric fluid, but could not j^et them to tell. There may
benose<;retat all, jiiJt instinct which keeps them from exposing thmsclvei
during thunder storms. All the same a fortune awaits the party who
can di-icover the secret, for they will then have discovered the gieatesi of
all Indian remedies.

The first work to be done on a river is to break all the dumps and
get the logs and timber afloat. Breaking the dumps is a very dangerous
piece of business. Often thousands of pieces of sawlogv will be in one
intricate mass, piled up mountains high on »he bank of some &;ream or
lake where the mountain is too steep to get down with the sleighs. The
men commence to work at their dumps slh soon as the stream is clear of
ice, and of course the logs at the base of the dump have to be rolled in
first to allow the other ones to follow. Often after a few logs have been
rolled into the .stream the whole lot may be set in motion and they will
come down with a great crash ; the men then have to be very nimble and
" skin out " of the way as best they can, often taking a dive in the water
to escape. The water in the spring is mixed up with masses of ice, and a
dip into it at such a time is anything but pleasant, but is preferable to
having a few dozen sawlogs roll over one's body. The illuitration else-
where will give the reader a fair idea of what a dui-ip is like — and this is
only a small one. The dump here shown is on the bank of the Pickeral
River, a tribituary of the French River, on the Hardy Lumber Compfny's
limits, in the towni^hip of Hardy. The gentleman standing on the logs
with the rifle in his hand is the bush superintendent, Mr. D. Mclntoshi
whose vigilent eye has discovered some logs in the dump that have no
been iztamped on the end wiili his company's mark, so he has brought a
man alomj to have tbem marked ; the man who is holding the hammer mark
in his hand can also b'^ seen standing on the logs.

Often the breakirig of the dumps and getting the logs afioat takes up
several weeks, and it is a vexatious delay but one which cannot be avoided.
Our drive that first spring was much delayed in that way. Th(; trouble is
that all thti time that kind of work lasts, the spring freshet is runtung away.
To hold as much of the freshet back as possible until the water can b^

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VV TO DATi: ; OR THK I.IFE OK A LUMBERMAN

used to best advantage, dams are built, such as shown in our illustration.
Wherever possible a reservoir is made of a lake or even a beaver msadow.
When the stoplogs are taken out of the dam the rush of water, if the dam
is full, is great, and the flood sends the logs tumbling over the rapids, and
the noise they make as they are driven and pounded against the rocks in
the rapids and tumbling over the fills often reminded me the thunder of
cannon when heard in the dist.>,nce. Orcasionally a stick of timber or —
logs running too thick together will cause a jam in the rapids — often in
dangerous and diffi:ult places, perhaps where the banks of the stream,
the side of which are solid rock mountains high and as straight up as the
side of a house. Then the best men "jam crackers ' or white water
men, as the boys call them, go on to '* break the jam," or pick out the key
log or stick that is holding the rest. Often the key stick or log will have
to be cut with an axe, and probably when half cut through the pressure of
the mass of bogs behind it cracks the stick and in a second the whole is a
seething twisting, curling mass of logs up-ending and turning in every
shape, and going at a terrific speed. It is in such places where a river
driver's nerve and agility finds play as well as his cool, leve' head ; he has
often to spring as quickly as a squirrel in picking his way over the swiftly
moving mass — often jumping ten or fifteen feet from one moving stick or
log to another before he gets a chance to make his way ashore— that is
if he is fortunate enough to get ashore. Often they get caught or struck
by a log and badly injured ; or get thrown in the madly foaming rapids,
when a desperate battle for life commences, his comrades witnessing the
terrible struggle and often utterly possible help him. The sight is a thrilling
one, and frequently ends fatality. Once on the Gull River I witnessed
such a sight ; my crew of nearly one hundred men lined the banks and
rushed out on the logs on the side jams as they saw a poor fellow trying
to swim as he was being tossed and thrown about like a cork. In this
case the river was wide, and the mad current kept him in the middle of
the stream, out of reach of us all. On he went until he came to the brink
of a straight falls of nearly thirty feet ; swiftly he approached and over he
went and was lost to view for a few seconds, when he bobbed up again
we could see he had been badly hurt and was much exhausted, but bravely
again he tried to steady himself to go over the next cataract, a couple of
hundred yards below, and as he went over that last ten foot falls, we seen
him throw up his arms and that was the last we seen of him alive. I in-
stantly had the dam closed at the head of the rapids and the water lowered
and then we commenced our dismal sear«h. We found his mangled body
fully three quarters of a mile below where he had been thrown in by being
struck by a piece of timber in a moving jam on which he was working just
above the first falls. The poor fellow was only about twenty-four years of
age. He was always ventursome and such scenes are of frequent occur-
rence ; sometimes a rope is fastened around a man's body and held by

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others on shore, when he is working on the " key stick," chopping it in
two ; then if the jam brakes suddenly his comrades pull him ashore-with
ropes. It is only in extremely risky cases that a rope is used, because it is
seldom that leus than half a dozen men can do anything towards breaking
a jam, and sometimes in takes all the crew several days, if a bad one. The
unwritten law among river drivers is when a bad jam forms in a danger-
ous place the foreman is first to inspect it, then when he has decided
where to commence the attack he signals what men he wishes to go and
assist him. The men all gather on the bank, but none offer to go on the
jam until the foreman calls, for too many men on a jam is ^always source
of danger, the jam being liable to go without an instant's warning ; any
unnecessary men would only impede others in their run to shore. The
foreman is also best judge of who is the most capable men in such a case ;
but a foreman, to have or retain th^ respect of the crew, must always be
first to the front in a dangerous place, and it is rarely any man refuses to
follow his lead ; and when out on the jam the first thing they do is to take
a glance to spot the safest apparent looking way for making their run
ashore in case of the jam taking a sudden start, for in that case it is every
one for himself.

We had two stretches of about three miles each of very bad river
that spring ; there was not sufficient improvements done on the stream to
allow a quick run of the enormous quantity of timber and logs that we
had m our drive, so the spring flood got away from us, and we had to
leave behind fully one half of our drive, which was a very serious loss to
the firm, for logs especially are apt to get badly damaged by worms and
decaying sap- wood when " hung up" dry on the streams ; if left afloat in
deep water no danger that way is sustained, but logs or timber hung up
means a year longer before realizing on them, and piles up the interest
account fast. The crew I was with were paid off, myself with the rest,
and I was glad of it, for the mosquitoes and black fiies were very bad — no
rest night or day could be got— for at night the mosquitoes get in their
work and so do another insect which go by the name of *' shantyman's
pet ;" the shantyman's shirts and blankets are their favorite breeding place,
and anywhere over a shantyman's person is their hunting grounds. They
are built somewhat on the principle of a potatoe bug, and an old male one
is almost as large. There is a latin name for them, but 1 am no latin
scholar, so cannot give it. I am in the same fix in that
respect as the Frenchman was who enquired in his broken English
" what you call dat thing that have no father, no mother ? " A story goes
that a lumberman who lives not a thousand miles from Toronto, and who
is fond of a practical joke, once visited his lumber shanty accompanied
by his dude bookkeeper from the city. The lumberman " stuffed " the
' bookkeeper with yarns about the insect called the " shantyman's pet," and
the bookkeeper, who had never heard of such an insect, thought he would

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UP TO DATE; OR, IriE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

like to bring a few back to the city with him as a curiosity to show his
friends. The shanty foreman was requested to have some captured, and
he got an old timer to pick a few dozen large specimens oflf his shirt. A
few were put m to an envelope and given to the bookkeeper and the other
few dozen was dropped " sub rosa " by the foreman down the back of the
neck of both the lumberman and his bookkeeper. Both were married men
but on their arrival home the shantymen's pets came near causing
two separate actions for divorce.

f . . ., k , ' , , . ,.,..■,.

CHAPTER V.

I TAKE A HOLIDAY AND AGAIN REURN TO THE BUSH.

' I had quite a " stake " due me that first spring, and I thought I was
rich, for I never had so much money at one time before ; so I concluded
it would be a good time to send some to George's mother, for he had lold
me she was very poor. I wrote my first letter to her and enclosed her a
post office order for two pounds sterling. I got a nice motherly reply,
and so every Christmas since until my illness cp.mc on me three years ago
I regularly sent her ten dollars. Of course tha old lady imagined it was
her own boy who was sending her the money and I never made her the
wiser, and as the dear old lady died this last Ftbruaryshe never knew the
difference. I was always well repaid, for the lei ters I received from her
were full of love and good advice, which, had I heeded, would have done
away with the necessity of writing this book. Once a year was as often
as I wrote to her. The only other relative of George's who ever wrote me
was his married sister, Mrr-. Brian, and I am sure, from the tone of her
letters and by the features of her beautiful face, shown in the photo which she
sent me, she must be a most charming and lovable lady. But it was only
at intervals of three or four years that I heard from her.

After settling up that first spring I decided to take a run over and
visit some of the American cities, for by that time I was tired of the back-
woods. I was afraid if I stayed in the bush too long, that moss might start to
grow on my back, and then if it did and I would go to a city some
of those "smart Alecks" one always finds in a city would notice it.
So I headed for the city of Rochester, N. Y. Of course I took
in the sights when I arrived there and I soon blew in all my wealth,
for I was not many days in the city until I found myself " dead broke."
I then hired with a farmer hj the name ot Harrington, to wotk oo bis

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE UFE OF A LtTMBERMAN

farm as a laborer, telling- him when I made the engagement that Horace
Greely knew less about farming than I did, and that as a homy handed
son of the soil I was a huge success. Haraington's farm was up
the Genessee valley, about ten miles from the city. I was to get $40
per month, but greenbacks in those days were a bushel to the dollar.
Harrington was in the city the day he engaged me, to take out a load of
lumber, so we both mounted the load and drove out as far as a place
called Brighton, four miles out of the city. Harrington drove the team
into the shed of one of the hotels there and went into the barroom, and
proceeded to *' bowl up." It was away in the night before we headed the
team up the plank road leading to his farm. We had driven about a
couple of miles or so when, as we <vere passing through a piece of bush,
he suddenly pulled up the pair of horses and turning quickly around
covered me with a revolver, saying at the same time if I came out with
the idea of doing him up or robbing him he was prepared for me, for he
said he knew I was no farm hand such as I claimed to be — that my hands
were too •soft and white looking. He also said there had been a farmer
murdered just about where we were in that bush, only a short time before,
and the fellow who had murdered the farmer he said was just about such
a looking chap as I. I laughed and told him not to be uneasy about me,
that I was no murderer, and that he would find out later that all I would
try to rob him of was his daughter, if he had a good looking one. My
words appeared to pacify him and he put the revolver in his pocket and
drove on. I now imagine if I had told him I wanted to steal his wife it
would have pleased him all over, for on our arrival at his house his wife
gave him a great " song and dance," about coming home so late and drunk
at that.

I had only been with the Harringtons two or three weeks when I
was taken down with some kind of a fever ; a doctor was called in and
pronounced it to be "typhoid fever. The family were badly scared and
Harrington hustled me off in his waggon to Rochester, where he took me
into a building and told one of the officials that I was a tramp from Canada,
and that I had the typhoid fever and he was going to leave me on the
official's hands to do what he chose with me. After saying this Harring-
ton walked out and left me there without a cent ; the official gave me a
ticket to Port Hope, good on the steamer Norseman, and told me to make
tracks back to Canada. I got down to the port of Charlotte on Lake
Ontario, and had to wait until evening for the boat. I remember the day
well, for it was on the 4th of July, and the noise being made nearly killed
me. I lay all day in a beer garden, and I never put in a worse day in all
my life ; my sufferings were terrible. When I got to Port Hope the next
morning I was unable to walk, so the deck hands catried me off the boat
and laid me on some bags of freight, where I lay all day. That evening I

M'l I. 'Ill

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OK A LUMBERMAN

managed to crawl Into a box car that was going to Peterborough, where
I arrived next morning.

I have always felt at home when in the tgwn of Peterborough where
some of my best and dearest friends reside.

Peterborough, ever since I first knew it, was always a lively go-ahead
place, and is to-day, without any exception, the smartest and best busi-
riess town in Canada.

The men are nearly all good business " heads " — full of business and
of fun. They are kind and hospitable to strangers, no matter where they
hail from or what they are. The women, taken together, are the most beauti-
ful I ever met in any town of its size or any place I have ever been in-— and
they are just as good and kind as they are lovely. I am deeply grateful
to, and extremely prond of, the people of Peterborough ; nothing pleases
me better than to be called a Peterborough boy.

On the occasion referred to I put up at the Cavanagh Hotel, kept by
my old friend ** Ted " Cavanagh. Ted and his dear wife took me in and
had me put to bed, a doctor sent for, who said that I had a bad attack of
fever. I got the best attention and nursing, and at the end of about two
months I was sufficiently recovered to go to work.

Ted got me a position with one of the leading lumber firms of Peter-
borough. The firm's bush superiMtendent was a man by the name of Alfred
Taylor. The season I e. gaged with them the concern was just opening a new
limit in the townships of Dysait and Dudley, on the lands of the English
Land Company before referred to. The shanty 1 was sent to was located
on the shore of Drag Lake, twenty-four miles east of the villatge of Hati-
burton. The foreman of the shanty was a man by the aame of William.
Martin. He had a crew of about sixty men, and they were about as hard
a lot as I ever met. There were quite a number among the crew who
claimed they had been soldiers in the Northern army, and some of them
boasted that they had been "bounty-jumpers." In fact a worse curs-
ing and swearing crew of men, from foreman down, never before were got
together. " ■' "^' '' ■ ' ' ;

I need scarcely add that there was no worshipping God in that shanty,
and I of course soon became as proficient in the art of swearing as the
rest. Fighting, drinking and swearing were the chief accomplishments,
of the shantymen in those days.

The village being so close we always had a lot of our own business
to transact in it, at the film's expanse, so trips to the village were frequent.
Once after one of these drunken trips, the foreman and I happened to he
looking through our shanty stable and ac^'dently found a large bottle of
what looked, smelled and tasted like whiskey. We were both very dry,
and a good swig of liquor would just fit our case, but we were afraid to
drink the contents of the bottle, for we knew it might be just a plan to
catch some one, or it might contain horse medicine ; so we thought «f our

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UP TO DATE ; OK, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

cook, an Irishman by the name of Mat McCue, and took the bottle into
the shanty and asked Mat if he felt like taking a horn of good whiskey.
" Try me and see," rephed Mat ; so I poured a good sized geiser into a
tea dish and handed it to him, and he downed it without a blush. The
foreman and I then went outside of the shanty and hid the bottle in a
bush pile, the foreman remarking as we done so that we take a walk to
the bush and on our return in an hour or so, if the stuff had not killed
Mat, we would finish the bottle. But when we got back just about dark
we could not find the bottle. We then went into the shanty and were sur-
prised to find it in darkness, no sign of any supper ready for the crew,
some of whom were just then coming in There was an awful scuffle
going on in one corner of the shanty, which after a while we found out
was made by Mat and his "devil." The two were engaged in a deadly strug-
gle, Swearing and vowing vengeance on each other for allowing the fire
to go out. We afterwards le;irned that the cook's devil happened to be
outside when we hid the bottle, and after our departure went in and told
Mat what he had seen. That settled it. Mat and the devil were soon out-
side all the contents of the bottle, and of course forgot or did not care if
there ever was any supper for the crew. When we arrived they had just
woke up, and blamed c.irh other for the trouble. Both were too helpless
on our arrival on the scene to be able to prepare the supper, so the fore-
man and I had to, turn in and get the meal ready and did not even get a
smell out of the bottle, for Mat and his devil had drank every drop.

The firm had eight or ten shanties, and the total output of timber
find logs was very large. In the spring we had trouble with our river
driving, and in the month of July we "hung up" at Kinmount, on the
Burnt River, That season was known to lumbermen of the Peterborough
district as the year of the big jam on the Burnt River. Scarcely any tim-
ber or logs were run out of that river and the loss to the firms operating
on the Burnt River must have been very large.

The jam was the result of pure carelessness and lack of harmony
among the different firms. Certainly when the principals of the different
^amber concerns took no interest in matters that concerned them all, by
having proper dams and slides built on the main river used by all, neither
could any one of the bush supetintendents take any action in improving
the river. In fact in those days and even to-day for that matter there was
nearly always more or less rivalry between the different firms operating
on the one river, and that rivalry often extended not only among the heads
of the diflferent firms but the bush superintendents, foremen, and crews
were all more or less infected by it. Pig-headed selfishness is the proper
Qjime for the feeling that used and probably does yet exist among lumber-
men, and often have I seen great loss caused to a rival firm by the mani-
pulating of tht reservoir dams. Schemes to " hang up " the drive of a rival
are «|uite common, "^nd is done out of pure cuseedness ; the feeling pre-

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

vails in every lumberman's breast that he alone should possess the whole
earth.

The celebrated law case of McLaren v.s, Caldwell, which finally had
to be settled by the Privy Council of England, after years of fighting and
the expenditure of a fabulous amount in costs and other losses, is a fair
sample of the "whole hog" feeling that prevails among all lumbermen.
Sir Oliver Mowat's Government never passed a more needed or just law
than the Streams Bill, and the money spent by the Ontario Government
on streams, building dams and river improvements, gives, I claim, the best
returns and results to the people of Ontario in a business point of view.
Take this very Burnt River, at the period referred to, was one of the most
dreaded and dangerous, as well as expensive rivers in Ontario tq drive
timber or logs on. To-day, thanks to the government for the dams, slides
and improvements built on it, it is now one of the quickest, cheapest and
safest rivers to drive. .■'

Superintendent Taylor took me back to the bush with him for the
second season for the same firm. I got a raise in my wages, and was pro-
moted to be assistant chief scaler. The operations were not so extensive
as the previous season, but the same fate awaited our drive, for we hung
it up a few miles further down the Burnt River than the first year's drive.
Nothing daunted, the firm again sent us back to the bush and again I got
promoted to the chief clerkship, this time at a salary of forty dollars per
month.

The chief clerk, next to the superintendent whose chief assistant he
really is, has the best birth of in the bush, the best quarters and board,
light, easy work, and lots of time to do it in. The superintendent alone
is his suf 'ior, and in the superintendent's absence he acts as his deputy.
The chiei v-lerk has no direct dealing with the firm, and if they want to
get at him they have to do it through the superintendent, who is respon-
sible for his actions.

I will describv'i superintendent Taylor, as he had a great influence over
me, and materially nicirked my future. He was about forty years
of age at the time I speak of, and was a bachelor. He was a big, manly
looking fellow, well built and handsome, was brainy and clever, and brave
as a lion. He was quiet and unassuming, an infidel, and believed
in nothing but gold, which was his God. Marriage, he said, was a farce ;
free love was the doctrine he preached. What was more, he openly
practised what he preached, and he had no use for, or would ever talk to,
any woman that he found did not belive in the same doctrine, and he ap-
peared to have converted quite a number of girls and women. I know he
never missed a chance of making a convert. He would often go long dis-
tances doing missionary business. Distance, time or money was no ob-
stacle if a convert could be gained. Of course this only applies to women
converts. Men, he said, did not need converting, ior he claimed that

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE UfE OP A LUMREKMAN

ninety-nine out of every hundred who were physically all right practised it
any how, and the reason why the remaining one did not was for
want of opportunity. Certainly, he said married men did not preach it
to their own wives, preferring to teach it to other men's wives.

We had only just started the season's operations when Taylor told
me our firm wished me to do all the log measuring or scaling for all the
firm's shanties, as well as being chief clerk — in fact fill both positions, which
always before had ^tcn filled by two men, and is so filled in every large
concern. I replied ti.at it would be an utter impossibility for me or any one
else to satisfactorily fill the bill ; no one could do so much work. Taylor
said he would assist me in measuring the logs. I gave him an incredulous
smile. Taylor replied that we would measure and scale the logs right here
in the office, where we could do it in a way that would be much more
satisfactory to our firm than it could be done by walking through the bush.
I asked him how about the English Land Company? He replied that
that part had already been fixed. The Land Company had agr«! id to ac-
cept my measuring. The two previous years the Land Company and one
firm had mutually agreed upon the man to do the measuring, each party
paying half the men's wages. This particular season they had selected
me. Taylor said my wages was to be sixty dollars per month, but he said
of course the Land Company understood that my time would all be de-
voted to the log scaling ; so if I filled both positions I would draw seventy
dollars instead of sixty permonth, and the LandCompany would be none the
wiser. In plain English, it was a scheme by which 1 was to be used as
the means of robbing the Land Company, and also make the Land Com-
pany pay me for doing it.

In a previous chapter I referred to the English Land Company's
valuable pine which was worth a fabulous amount. The Coiipany were
not aware of the kind of timber which they possessed— in fact it apparently
looked on the pine in the very opposite way, and a story is told that one
of the Land Company's officials claimed it would be a good thing to get
the lumbermen on mostly any terms, " don't you know " to cut and remove
"those large pine trees" that were sodifficult forthe settlers to cut down and
burn. The official thought the land would sell better after " those large
pines " were removed. I guess that official had no trouble in getting num-
bers of lumbermen to agree with him, though, strange to relate, the lumber-
man appear to have been the only ones to agree with this remarkable
theory, for now when all those large pine trees have been cut and removed,
no one appears to want to buy the lar.d or rather rock. The greater por-
tion of the territory is still unsold.

The Land Company had, a year or two previous to my arrival in
Haliburton, given leases or licenses to several of the promiient lumber
firms of the Ottawa and Trent Rivers to cut and remove "those pine
trees." The licenses covered about all the Land Company's territory, and

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UP TO DATE; OR, THE LJFE OF A LUMBERMAKf

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were good for ten years and were also transferable, for bonus or cash
was paid at time of granting the licenses, but dues at the rate of $i.t)0 per
thousand board measure was to be paid by the lumberer to the Land
Company as the pine was cut and removed on a scale or measurement
made by a scaler and culler who was mutually agreed upon — each party
to pay half salary of the scaler.

Now to one not familiar with the ways of lumbermen and their smart
little business transactions, no doubt the bargain would appear to be both
a fair and good one, and so it was, if honestly carried out, which in
many cases it was not, for the following reasons — first, as I have
already stated, the lumbermen had no funds to put up, so they
had no capital ''nvested ; next, if not closely watched they would
run through and select only the very choicest trees or the best por-
tion of the tree, and leave to rot millions of feet of pine which they claim-
ed would not pay them to take, either through it being too crooked, knotty
or some other defect, which probably would only effect a very small part
or portion of the tree. Anyhow no man, or woman either, would take skim
milk when they can get cream for the same price, by simply doing a little
" kicking " or a little smart business. Of course the Lumber Company
were guided by the lumbermen as to who would get the job of scaling, as
it is called, or measuring. Thus practically, the lumberman had every-
thmg in his own hands, the Land Company not knowing anything about
the business, the coast was clear.

The experience of the English Land Company is similar to that of
the Grand Trunk Railway shareholders. A board of directors in London,
England, sends a man out to manage a Canadian concern. The official so
dispatched, though probably a good business man at home, must learn the
ways Oi the country when he arrives here, and somebody iii to pay while
he acquires this knowledge, as well as take chances of " ever-learning."

No doubt the Land Company, to a certain extent, followed the ex-
ample of the Ontario Govemment in disposing of their pine, with this
difference : the Government usually disposes of it by public auction to the
highest bidder, and thereby obtains a large bonus at the time of sale ;
they also collect dues, when the lumberman cuts the pine in addition to
the bonus. The dues the Ontario Government were collecting at the time
the Land Company disposed of its pine, was 75 cts per thousand feet
board measure, so no doubt the Land Company though if they got $1.50
they were making a good sale, and it would more than ofTset the bonus they
were missing by not putting their pine up to public auction, same as the
government did, and as I have before stated, if the lumberman had dealt
squarely the Land Company was all right.

In my opinion both the Ontario Government and the Land Comyany's
plan or methods of disposing of pine is not as good as that of the State of
Michigan. In that state a lumberman has to buy the land ^s well as the

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

pine, and in forty acre sections. Ot course he could purchasi as many
sections as he chooses as long as he has the money to pay for them, and the
price charged for it is $i per acre, including both land and pine. By this
plan the. ire no afier-dues to collect, hence no army of well paid govern-
ment officials are needed to see to the measurement and to collect the
dues, or can the government be defrauded by wrong measurements or
losses through not cutting the timber clean as they go, or in other ways
destroying or wasting the pine. Then the lumberman makes the very
best kind of an immigration agent, for he must dispose of the land or pay
taxes on it, so he goes to work and builds railroads into his land and
booms his property and soon towns and manufac uries spring up and he
thereby not only enriches himself but his country at the same time. By
the Ontario plan the lumberman only buys an interest in the standitig pine.
The government retains an interest in to the extent of $i per thousand
feet, which just about carries the fire r- k, for the lumberman virtually
owns the land as well as the pine, though he pays no taxes— only a nominal
ground rent (a few cents per square mile —practically nothing.) Though
the lumberman may own five million dollars worth of standmg pine, not
a cent of taxes can be collected on that property, because the government
owns the land, and also nominally owns the pine until it is cut by the
lumberman — so that the lumberman escapes paying taxes. What's the
use of being a king if you have to pay taxes like other people } That
explains, I presume, how Canadian lumbermen came to be termed kings.

The lumberman or speculator practically owns the land as well as
the pine. The government cannot force him to cut the pine otTthe lana
until he is ready ; if it does and the land is thrown open to settlement, the
settlers, in process of cleaning and sometimes wilfully, sets the pine forest
on fire and thereby destroys the pine, and the gove. ament wouid hen
lose its one dollar dues. So, I claim, the American plan is best for the
people, and the Ontario plan is the best for the lumber king.

I think the foregoing will give the reader an idea of the scheme
superintendent Taylor was putting up on the Land Company. Of course
I agreed to assist him to carry it out, for I at the time was a great ad-
mirer of Taylor, and all or nearly all, of his doctrines except the infidel busi-
ness ; I drew the line at that, but not a very strict one. I had just a happy
idea that there was or must be a Supreme Being of some sort, but that
was as far as I went I then believed in no form of worship, and scorned
and mocked at all kinds of religions, or did I believe in the Bible or any-
thing it contained, and seldom read it.

My war experience was too vivid in my mir.d, ana I could no; believe
a God such as described in the New Testment would have permitted such
cruel and horrible things as were peipetrated during the war— father kill-
icig son, brother slaying brother, and by who ? wh,- Christians. I argued
with myself if that was the teachings of the Bible, I for one wanted none

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OP A LUMBERMAN

of it. About the first thing I saw when I came to Canada, on my arrival
in Peterborough, were Christians trying to kill each other in the streets.
I enquired the cause of the fray and found out it was a faction flight be-
tween Catholics and Protestants. I had my own ideas about it at the
time, but kept them to myself, as I saw it was the safest, and I had all
the fighting I wanted in the Southern States to satisfy me for the balance
of my life ; so of course when Superintendent Taylor made his proposition
to help him to put up that liitle job on the Land Company, if be saw no
harm in it of course I was not going to allow any scruples of conscience
to interfere, or do I remember having any at the time.

I would not wish the reader to get the impression that had I not met
Taylor I would not have imbibed his free love ideas, for I had
believed in them long before I had met him, and could have taught Taylor
more about women and their ways than he even ever dreamed about, for
he was very illiterate and could scarcely write his own name, and had only
come in contact with women who knew about the coarser vices. I was,
the time I first met Taylor, already a pastmas'er in the finer arts and
vices of that kind, for my education in that respect had been carefully at-
tended to by a woman— an unmarried one an that — who had the art
down fine, as only a well educated and a beautiful women can, although
I was only a boy at the time.

I write the above so that the reader will not blame Taylor for teach-
ing me any of my evil ways, and thus do him an injustice. I may add that
I am not writing a Sunday school tract, or have I the slightest intention
of making this a lewd book ; but in the end the lesson and moral will pro-
bably do the reader more good and prove more wholesome lesson than
those learned from Sunday school tracts.

1 do hold, however, that the Ontario system of dealing with timber
limits helped or rather taught me to be unscrupulous in business matters ;
by the American system it would have been impossible to put up such a
job as Taylor put up on the Land Company — one of which is often prac-
tical on the Ontaaio and Quebec Governments by which the people are
cheated, and an empty provincial treasury and wealthy lumber kings are
the outcome of it all. The system has not only afiforded opportunity for
dishonesty but it has helped to make thousands of men and boys unscrupl-
ness in business matters, and taught them how to do " smart " httle busi-
ness transactions, for quite a number of lumber firms will only employ log
scalers who they know will not scruple to make an affidavit to wrongful
measurements, and thus wilfully perjure themselves. If a log scaler re-
fuses to take the oath his employer has no further, use for him.

The lumberman is never required to make oaxh to the correctness of
the measurements. He, of course, knows nothing about them even if the
logs shonld happen to cut out double the quantity of lumber the bush-scale
or measurement showed on which he had paid dues on to the government.

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

There is no case on record where any lumber concern even put up any
conscience money to the government for any logs over the bush-scale,
though frequently the over run turns out to be double the quantity he
has paid dues on. I know and can prove of one lumberman and ex-M. P.,
who used to make his own son — a mere school-boy— swear or make
affidavit of the general log returns to the Ontario (Government. The
lumberman referred to got his son to do what his bush superintendent
refused to do, unless a fair divide of the steal was made. The
boy knew nothmg whatever about the bush or log-scaling, and
could not make the necessary oath, and at the time had not the slight-
est idea or did he care if it was ten or even twenty million feet he was
swearing tq.; neither did he know the difference between pine and bass-
wood, but he did what his greedy fathei made him do. This same boy's
father actually had the gall to apply to have me arrested for perjury. He
thought I had committed perjury in alaw suit in which I was witness against
him. The same lumberman's own bush supermtendent told me that before
the son referred to was old enough to do so, his father and he used to mani»
pulate the government log ref.irns in about the following way : The
bush superintendent would merely sign his name to the returns, made out
on the printed form and the blank affidavits form ; then after the super-
intendent was away, a commissioner for taking affidavits would be brought
in and the form filled out. The bush superintendent at the time probably
was hundreds of miles away, and the chances were he would be engaged
in kissing the lips of some pretty women instead of the staunch cover of
some old Bible. It also was a practice of some lumberman of the class
I have just described to employ "smart " boys or youths to scale logs ;
the boys easily learned to swallow the pill, and did not knew enough to
claim a share of the steal. Even if they did, after the first affidavits were
made the boy is at the lumberman's mercy, for he would be told if he did
not keep a close mouth he would be put in jail for perjury, and then if
there should happen to be any more noise over the matter, off went the
boy's head— or rather he was dismissed as well as disgraced, and the
lumberman's conscience was thereby relieved and he went on in the even
tenor of his way.

To return to my narrative : In a previous chapter I told how I had
accepted the position of chief clerk and log-sealer combined. I may say,
when the winter's operations were over, Taylor 'and I manipulated or
" cooked " the log measurements of the cut-put of our seven or eight
shanties so that our firm only had to pay about one half, or even less,
dues to the Land Company than they should have paid, and of course
the Land Company was thus defrauded out o! thousands of dollars. And
that was not the only job Taylor and I put up on the Land Company that
same season. We robbed them in another way, in the most barefaced
manner. It was done in about this way : Our firm that season had a

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UP TO DATE : OR THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

saw-log jobber or contractor, taking out logs, and were payinj^ him at
the rate of four dollars per thousand feet, board measurement. The
same jobber also had a contract from the Laud Company to take out saw-
lo>js for the Haliburton mil), and the said logs were to be cut on the Land
Company's reserve, in the township of Dudley. The greater part of the
reserve was virgin pine. Our firm's boundary line run up to the reserve,
but all the good pine on that part of our firm's limits had been cut and
removed a season or so previously, but Taylor got the jobber to go o» to
that portion of the limit and cut up all the large, rough and rotten trees
into saw-loe lengths and to haul them out on the ice on Drag Lake,
along side the logs the jobber was taking out for the Haliburton mill.
We then made him stamp those worthless logs with the Land Company's
mark and we put our firm's mark on the fioe, large, clear and sound logs
cut by the jobber on the reserve, or in other words we exchanged our
rotten logs for the Land Company's good logs, and even that was not all
that was in the steal, for we scaled the rotten logs so that our measure-
ments of them made them go about three to make a thousand feet and
we scaled the large logs so that it would take about nine of them to make
a thousand feet. The object of this was to make the Land Company pay
the jobber nearly ail the cost of taking out both lots of logs, as the price
the jobber was to get per thousand feet from the Land Company was the
same figure that our firm was giving him.

We minipulated about seven thousand pieces of logs in this way, so I
will leave the reader to work out the problem, and by so doing learn how
many thousands of dollars we robbed the Land Company of. The reader
may also learn how to compute or find out how many thousand feet, board
measurement, of lumber there were in the logs we stole, and also how
much they cost our firm. If he cannot solve the problem, on writing me
and enclosing one dollar, I will send the correct figures by return mail

The Land Company of course had no check on me, or the steal
could not have been made, and' they, I presume, never for an instant
thought I would allow them to be robbed in any such way. They did
not discover the ? .istake that I made until the rotten logs arrived at the
Land Company's mill in Haliburton, weeks after the job had been
worked and all hands had been paid up in full; so of course the land
Company could do nothing, for by that time the jobber had "flew the
country," and in his haste to get away it is said he left his visible tracks
even on the rocks in Muskoka, in his hurry to reach Algoma territory,
where he still resides, and where he still follows the business of saw-log
jobber or contractor. This was one of the slickest business transactions
I ever had anything t^^ do with. The Land Company made a great fuss
at my mistakes and blunders, and could not undsrstand it " don't yoa
know," how it came that our firm's seven or eight shanties that season
only took out and paid for so few logs, and how such poor OQCfs vene

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OP A LUMBERMAN

supplied to the Haliburton mill from a virgin limit. I i^^s blamed for it
all, and the Land Company discharged me, and what was more, refused
to pay me a dollar of my wages, and of course I dare not enter an action
against thorn to recover, so after all, I was only paid the forty dollars per
month which our firm had first (igreed to give me for being chief
clerk.

That little smart business transaction should have been a warning to
me to keep clear of all such deals, but it was not, for all through my life
I have been making mistakes and blunders, and endin(^' by some one else
getting tJie plunder and I the blame and disgrace.

I now come to to the season following the one in which I made the
blunder of my life, by which our firm was greatly enriched (of course
against their will, for they certainly krtew nothing about it—they were
perfectly innocent.) The over-run probably agreeably surprised theni)
but the surprise was not so alarming as to unnerve or disturb thtir con-
science into making a rebate M the Lapd Company— nothing was further
from their thoughts; they had not done the stealing; Taylor and 1 had
attended to that part of it, but all the same if there had been a small
shortage instead of a very large over-run when the logs were sawed, then
the matter would have- been different, and the rapidity with which they
would have discovered this shortage would have been surprising. Some
men have very elastic ideas on such matters; so far as our firm was con-
cerned it made no difference how it was got, so long as they could hold
the property without putting themselves within the grasp of the law, and
the fellows that did the stealing for them can go to Halifax, so far as they
care.

The lumber market was in a depressed condition. Our firm reduced
its operations about one half, and made a cut in all the men's wages in-
cluding Taylor's and my own. Taylor took it to heart badly and he
vowed vengence. Our operations that next season was on a branch of
of the Burnt River which never before hnd been navigated, or either
timber or logs driven out of it, and it was Taylor's duty to put on dams,
slides, piers, booms and other improvements necessary to make the
stream navigatable for timber and logs. Taylor only made a pretence of
doing so, knowing full well all the time that with such flimsy structures
as he was having built would never get the drive out that season, but
probably after a costly and futile attempt it would be "hung up," and
Taylor would then be avenged on the firm for reducing his salary. When
spring came Taylor resigned and went to Manitoba, and William Martin
was put in charge of the drive. The fir . spent ms.ny thousands of dollars
trying to take out the drive, but only succeeded in mowing it about ten
milw, when it was " hung up" in the stream high and dry.

I kiey^^ all the time what the results would be, for Taylor told me all
about what he was doing, but I dare not say anything before he left ; if I

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

did I would have given him away, and I never had the slightest intention
of doing anything of the kind, for I, too, was sore about my wages being
cut, especially after the big steal I had made ior the firm the season
before, and of course after Taylor had gone I, even then, dare not say
anything to the firm about the matter; had I done so 1 would have been
discharged, so I did what I was paid for doing — attending to the books
— and I kept my secret to myselt. I was more sorry for Martin than I
was for the firm, for he was discharged over the head of it, and I was re-
warded (like all who keep their mouths closed) for 1 was promoted to bush
superintendant. I will not have occasion to again mention Martin in
this book, so will end with him by telling a little incident that occurred
on that drive.

One day Martin wanted a trail or path blazed and cut from the river
to the Monk Road, which was a Government colonization road, and runs
for many miles parallel with the Burnt River, which runs about due east
and west. At some places the road is close to the river, in others it is three
miles or so distant. We used the road to waggon our cookeries and camping
equipments, and frequently camped on the side of the road when working
on that drive. At one of our encampments our tents were pitched on the
side ot the road ch, at that particular point was fully three miles dis-
tant from the river, and it was through this three miles of bush that Martin
wanted the trail cut. The bush was what lumbermen call a "dirty
bush " to walk through— swampy and knee-deep with water in many places
in the spring of the year. Walking through this three miles of bush with-
out a trail caused a lot of dissatisfaction among the crew, for occassionally
some of the men would get lost and would then put in a disagreeable night
in the bush, so one day, after the crew had taken lunch on the river bank,
Martin tailed off an Irishman by the name of Mike Connelly, to take an
axe and cut out a trail to our tents, which as 1 have said, we pitched on
the edge of the Monck Road, three miles distant from where we were then
eating our lunch. Martin instructed Mike to go due north and he would
strike the road about where the camp was. He also went on to tell Mike
to be sure and keep the sun at his back, and he would make the run all
right. Connelly stalked out and cut and blazed away for all he was worth,
obeying orders by keeping the sun at his back all the time, until finally
the sun went down and darkness came on, and Mike had seen no **monkey"
road as he called it ; neither had he the slightest notion when he would see
It, for he had not the remotest idea where he was, so he sat down on a
fallen tree, lit his pipe, scratched his head and commenced to think over
the situation. He had not arrived at any satisfactory conclusion, when he
heard a pack of wolves which began to howl, apparently right close to him,
Mike made the quickest time on record "up to date," in climbing up a
tree. Martin kept the crew that night until after dark before he gave the
signal to quit work on the river, and the crew struck out on Connelly's

UP TO DATE; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

well-cut trail ; first they walked then trotted and at last run, and after
about a two hours chase the leader came to a swamp when they found
Connelly up the tree where he was repeating the " Hail Mary," and cros-
sing himseU with greater devotion and feverency than he ever done before.
He was wishing between prayers and couting beads, that St. Patrick, after
driving the snakes out of Ireland, had come over and driven all the
wolves out of America. The arrival of the crew did not in any way tend
to allay Mike's fears, for the leaders announced that if he dare come
down out of that tree they would hang him anyhow, as soon as Martin
came up, so that they could hang the two together. The crew spent the
night in the woods, and of course without any supper, "Up to date"
Martin gets mad if any one mentions anything about keeping the sun at
one's back.

As I have before stated I was promoted to be bush superintendent,
My old friend Barnhart's prophesy had come true, and at the end of my
first six years in Canada I found myself in a good position, and drawing
a good salary, and the firm I was with was then one of the largest doing
business in Canada. That first season that I was bush superintendent
our firm had close on 500 men in the bush.

I may say that a bush superintendent is the hardest worked man in
the lumber business, and a lumber concern looks to the bush superintend-
ent to make a success of the business, for if a mess is made of the bush
part of the lumber business, then the whole thing is sure to be a dismal
failure. To be a good judge of human nature counts a lot in the make-up
of a successful lumberman, no matter if he is proprietor, superintendent
or foreman. As I have stated a lumber concern's business operations are
often very difficult of access, so trusty employees must be secured to transact
a very important and costly part of the business, and to do it at the proper
time in order to secure the best results. Circumstances often makes it
difficult to give advice or instruction from the head office, so the bush super-
intendent is left to his own judgment in many very weighty matters.

The men from the foreman down, look to the superintendent for
everything as to the wages they will receive, and cash advance to send
home to their families ; and the foreman of each camps looks to him to
have all the provisions and supplies sent to his shanty as they are needed
as well as fill up any vacencies that occur by men leaving through sick-
ness or other causes; but as a usual thing very few shantymenare troubled
with any kind of illness. In the first place Ihey have no time to get sick
— they are kept too busy at good, healthy, out-door work, and the aroma
of the pine which prevades in the bush where timber and logs are being
made, is very healthy and mvigorating ; that along with the noufishing food,
will soon strengthen a feeble constitution, and I know of no place where
better results could be obtained by those with a delicate system than a
couple of months in the pine bush. The months of September and October

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

are the most delightful months in the bush, and 1 know of no place on
earth where I would sooner spend those two months than in the pine
forest. Spoit3 of all kinds can be had, and game easily obtained. Partridges
are so plentiful and so tame that if md amateur sportsmen does not know
how to handle a gun the bird will sit on a limb of a tree and allow him to
be knocked off with a stick ; venison can be got almost as easily, for I
once actually saw a hewer cut the head off a deer with his broad axe, which
he could not drive out of his way when hewing the stick of timber. The
lakes and streams abound in speckled trout, and one has only to display
a small piece of red rag when the fish pump into your canoe to try to seize
it. This last sport is a little dangerous to anyone not a good swimmer,
because occasionally the whole shoal of trout may take a notion to spring
at the red rag, and either with the result that it is apt to be upset or sink
with the weight.

The bush superintendent has to be a medical man as well, for he has
to doctor either men or horses when they get ill or meet with an accident,
and I have no doubt my experimenting in the medical line helped many
a man to a peaceful if untimely death. The poor fellows had to take
chances — I always did the best 1 knew how under thecircumstantances, and
the Lord did the rest, and if the result was fatal I always seen that they got
a decent buriel. Medicine is a perplexing study, for I found drugs and-
medicine that would cure one fellow, perhaps kill the next stone dead.
Surgery is a much easier part, and it the fellow was not smashed up too
badly I could usually fix up what was left of him in a very fair way.

The first year or so I was superintendent the men used to call me
the " kid" Walking Boss — " Walking Boss " being the title given to the
superintinendent by the men. Generally the superintendent is a middle-
aged, and sometimes an old man, and very few are met under forty years
of age. I had a very boyish appearance, and occasionally one of the old
timers or others among the men, would impose on me, probably thinking
I was too much of a " kid " to resent it ; then I would bring those kind of
fellows up with a short but full stop, usually much more to my own than their
satisfaction, and they would go away wondering how I did it. In those
days 1 weighed about a hundred and eighty pounds, and my muscles were
as tough and hard as whipcords. I knew how to use them, and a revolver
was a toy most of the men knew I could handle with sure and lightning
swiftness, and at times I was careless where I shot or who I shot at.

My swell chief clerk was frequently taken as the superintendent by
strangers. He was a French-Canadian and had a distinguished appear-
ance, his aldermanic proportions and bushy mutton-chop whiskers, along
with his tasty attire, gave "Jim" the appearance of a banker or broker.
No stranger would take me for the superintendent, especially if "Jim'»
happened to be in sight.

One day I walked out of the bush when along drove a stranger of

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

very imposing appearance. He drove up to me ; I was standing in front
of the stable, wondering who the swell could be, for it was rarely any
stranger drove in with such a fine turnout. We were miles away in the
bush and far from any settlement, and the road had been made for our own
use and ended at our depot, so I knew the stranger, who ever he was, had
come to see me, otherwise he would have no business there. He pulled
up his pair of horses, got out of the buckboard, handed the reins to me
and requested me to put the horses in the stable and to take good care of
them, for he .,^id he was going to stay over night with Mr. Thompson.
Ac he turned to walk away he handed me a quarter of a dollar, at the
same time enquiring if th.it was Mr. Thompson in the oflice door, pointing
to where the clerk was standing watching us. I nodded, and he walked
away, and 1 soon bad the horses unhitched and put in the stable. The
stranger stepped up to the clerk with a " How-do-you-do, Mr. Thompson,'
at the same time giving him a hearty shake of the hand. The clerk took
in the situatron and laughingly told the stranger he had made a mistake
and said that it was Mr. Thompson who was patting away the horses.
"What," gasped the stranger, "that boy Mr. Thompson ? Why I mistook
him for the stable boy and I actually gave him a quarter,"

The stranger turned out to be Mr. Thomas Walters, then and now
local superintendent of public works for the Ontario Government. Mr.
Walters and I have had many a laugh since, over that little incident. I
kept his quarter and the m^xt time I met him outside I stood treat and
spent many another airing with him since, for he is a fine, geni^ fellow,
and very popular, being since elected Mayor of the town of Lindsay
thr^e times in succession. He also contested the Riding of South Vic-
toria twice for the Dominion Parliament, although unsuccessful on both
occasions. I thus lost the only two Reform votes I ever polled.

Our firm, the first season I was superintendent, decided not to take
out any saw-logs, but instead to get out a large raft of waney and sq^ate
timber for the ]Jritish Market. ,

^ I may say that saw-logs are sawed up into deals, planks and boards.
The terwi "saw-log," means any log from 12 to i^ feet in leng*'., any
round log over 18 feet in length goes by the term of "dimension timber,"
the greater portion of sawlogs are cut 12, 13 and 16 feet in length. The
UJOat desirable length is 16 feet, but crooks and other causes in a tree
will not allow of all being cut that length. Six inches is also give 1 over
these lengths mentioned, to allow for bruises which the ends of logs re-
fjeive in running rapids, where the ends often get "broomed" up, and
unless a few inches more than the length required is given short lumbe-
would be the result when the boards were butted square in the mills
The tarm " deal " means a uoard three inches thick ; " plank " a board
two inches thick, and anything under two inches goes by the name of
" lumber," ' "'•^ ^

til* to DAtE; OR, THE LIFE OF' A LUMUERMAN

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The deals are forwai-ded from the saw mills by raft, barge or rail, to
Montreal or i^>uebec, from where they usually go to Great Britain, where
the deals are resawed with an extremely fine saw into any thickness re-
quired by the trade. A great quantity of plank and thin boards go to the
United States, and our own country also consumes a large quantity of
lumber, while a lot more is shipped from Montreal and Quebec to South
Americim ports, Australia and in fact all over the world- whereever a
market can be found for it The men who work at the sawlogs in the
bush dc not get nearly a;> well paid as the men wlio work at waney and
square timber. Sawlog cutters wages usually average about twenty-four
don-»rs per moRth, timber makcirs about ihuty, teamsters twenty-four,
ci>oks forty, and road cutters and others about twenty, and foreman
fifty.

1 never liked the sawlog part of the lumber business .is w^ll as the
square timber. I could never take the same pleasure oi- pride in a saw-
Iv^g t>* -^t I could in a piece of square timber, no matter how large and
'beautjful the pine tree may have been. Once it is felleu and cut into saw-
log !«ngthp its i dividuality is lost among the common herd of logs that
then surround it. Like Sampson of olc, us bcautv and strength is gone
forever. With a stick of square tunber it is dilVerenl ; no matter where
the stick is or what its surroundings are, it is like beautiful women, Ihe
the more charms they posse s the more they are admired.

The men who make sijuare timber have to be skilled workmen, and
it often takes years ui patience to make a good limber-maker. Timber
is composed of two classes, the best is called "waney" ov " board timber;"
as the name " wanvy' implies, the stick is left with a wane on the four
corners. Only the best tiee and best section of a tree will make a waney
or board stick, for the piece, on its arrival in Great Britain, is sawed up
into boards of any thickness desired, and the long, wide, clear, beautiful
boards cut out of it alv.iys command a fancy price. The square piece of
timber is made from the coarier oi rougher and smaller trees; small
knots do not injure its value, but the same, clear ot knots, would cull a
board or wa'-ey stick. The four idges ot corners of a square stick are
hewn to a shirp or proud edge. The choicest of the square pieces are
sawn up for making deck plank for ships; the coarser ones are used in
buiLVmgs, bridges, railroad purposes and in docks and piers. Nearly all
of the waney and square timber goes to Great Britain, and is usually
shipped from Montreal or Quebec. The lumbermen usually take it to
those ports in rafts from points where it can be floated down to advantage,
but when shipped from Lake Superior or Lake Huron it is usually taken
by vessels which discharge their cargo at Kingston, where it is the.n
rafted and run down the rapids to Montreal or Quebec. In flie early
years of lumbering, when scjuare timber was the principal out-put of the
Canadian forest, immense quantities of timber passed down the St.

UP TO DATE; ; OR, THK LlflL Ot A LltMUERBlAK

I.awrence, but of late years it has fallen off enormously, for since the
advent of railways, sawn lumber can be shipped so easily and cheaply, it
has (lone away with the square timber part of the business to a great
extent.

Selecting trees and making them into square or waney timber m the
bush was always a great waste, because in hewing and 8(|uaring up the
pieces about one fourth of the tree would be cut off in chips in the pro-
cess of making it square; moreover, only about one pine tree out of one
hundred would make either a stick of waney or square timber large
enough to make an average sized raft, many miles of territory would have
to be gone over. Then the problem came in : What to do with all the
trees* that remained standing that were unfit, through crooks, knots and
other defects, to make a stick of timber ? Common sense of course said
— cut them down — cut all th it was good in them into sawlogs, take them
to a mill and have them saws into lumber. Selecting all the best trees
for waney or square tunber is somethmg similar to taking cre;im off bf
milk. The class of lumber obtamed from such a class of logs, after beii/g
culled for square timber, was much inferior to a virgin cut, and/thc
lumbermen in consequence could not realize a good price for his lumber,
and as sawmills cost a lot of money to build, and also require^ a lot of
logs in a yea.r, quite a few lumbermen thought they may as well take out
all their pine and make it all into lumber. In the early diivr of lumber-
ing, and even when I first v/cnt into the business, there was a good
demand for masts and spars for ships, but iron masts have long since
supplanted or taken the place of wooden masts.

It would take a " monarch of the forest " to make a good mast. The
largest, longest, straightest, and finest tree, and to see one of those mag-
nificent trees felled always made me sad, although after it is worked into
a stick I used to take as much delight in the process as 1 often had in
assisting a lovely and beautiful woman to drci^s.

In every raft, (and I have taken many to Quebec) there always is
some '• king " or "queen" pi^ce, which, when standing in the forest,
towered away above all other trees, and could be seen for miles. Often,
perhaps, 1 sat and smoked my pipe, and sometimes slept all night,
under its protecting boughs. I always loved to hear the sound of the
wind in the pines— to my mind it is delightful music. I never sleep better
than when the singing of my beloved pine trees lull me to sleep, and I
would never think of leaving Quebec without first going up to the cove
where I had left my raft and take one last look at the monarch piece or
stick of the raft, and my giief and regret in having to leave it would only
be equalled to the feeling I would have a little later when kissing and say-
ing adieu to many of the gay and charming and lo"ely madamosellcs and
madames for which the port of Quebec is so justly i.elebrated all the world
over. So I usually left Quebec with a heavy and sad heart and with a

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light purse. The first season that I was bush superintendent my duties
kept me hustling. 1 had eight or ten shanties, which were located in the
township of Cardiff, Harcouit and Dudly ; part of the pine was on
the waters tributary to York branch of the Madawaska River (a tributary
of the Ottawa) but we hauled it over to the Burnt River — a tributary of
the Trent.

I had our shanties built and conducted on somewhat different princi-
ples to the old style. I introduced stoves to do the cooking on, and it was
in one of my shanties that the first stove manufactured by Mr. Adam Hall,
of Peterborough, who makes the now celebrated shanty cook stoves was
6rst tried. I gave him a few suggestions how to build the first one, and it
proved a great success, and soon got other orders for them. I found our
cooks could do much better and cheaper than cooking on the old cam-
boose. I also insisted on giving our men a more varied food, and
the firm made a great kick when I introduced dried apples, syrup, rice
raisins, beef, onions and a few other necessaries, which were then called
luxuries, and the firm told me I had better give my men quail on toast as
well, but I carried my point all the same, and the result soon showed
that we could feed our men much cheaper, and the men were more con-
tented and better satisfied.

I also had our shanties built in two compartments — one solely for the
men to sleep in, the other for cooking. I had tables put m where the men
could sit and e^t comfortably, the same as other people, and soon our
shanties were noted for their comfort and good food. As a result of all
this it was an easy matter to e.;gage men to work in them, which was a
great beneht to the firm, for it gave us the pick of the best men, and we
had no trouble with our men jumping or leaving, in fact it was the other
way about. In other respects I had the men used as men should be
treated, and seen that they got their rights and allowed no bully of a fore-
man to abuse them. In return I got better work, for I always found if a
man worked willingly and respected his foreman he would do
better than by being bullied or driven through fear. My rules were
strict but fair, and I said th'it they were carried out by all. As long as a
man did a fair day's work, I always seen that he got a good day's pay,
but a schemer or loafer 1 had no use for, and he soon knew it. It a bully
or a fighter did not behave himself not only towards myself but to his
comrades, I soon called him down.

Otir firm mei with sc many losses in consequence of the drives being
hung up, to wbici { have already referred, that it was said they were
heavily involved. U ^vas an anxious time, and the cause of a lot of worry
among the heads o» the firm, so much so > " • '^ its members became

demented over it and v;as forced tr i »!/i > rHp vo '.rope and go into re-
tirement for a year or so. It was an anxi' sri tint irr ar. friends, ^ at kind
treatment pulled him through. The m? .^ ic , os »he concern were

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

much concerned about the result of the large raft of timber I was takinsf
out, and hoped it would act as a kind of a " redeemer," and so pull them
out of their financial difficulties. Being my first year as superintendent
the situation was a ticklish one for me, and I knew my reputation was
made or ruined, according as I handled that winter's operations. But
fortune smiled upon me; my success was phenomenonal, and my first
season's work in handling the operation in the bush and on the river gave
the firm the best satisfaction. So well pleased were they that they made
a present of $ioo to each of my foremen, when we got the drive down the
Burnt l^iver as far as Kinmount. That spring the railroad had just
reached Kinmount, so we railroaded the timber from that point to Port
Hope, where we rafted it up into what is called " drams." The illustration
elsewhere will give the readers a fair idea of the way timber is rafted into
drams or rafts.

A square timber raft, to weather the storms it may encounter on
Lake Ontario, iias to be very strongly put together, and the process of
makmg them up is both slow and costly. A frame three hundred feet
long and fifty feet wide is first made out of the longest pieces of square
timber, which are fastened together end to end by a top piece six feet long
and ten inches thick. Holes are bored through the top piece and the
ends of the stick of timber with a large augur, then a picket made of hard
wood is driven through the holes made in the two pieces. The longest
timber in the raft is tben selected and placed on lengthwise in the frame,
care being taken to interlace the sticks with alternate long and shorter
pieces so as to break the joints as much as possible. Then a traverse or round
stick titty feet long and at least ten inches in diameter at the top end, is
placed crosswise at intervals of ten feet on the top of the sticks in the
frame. Each stick is then securely bound by a twisted birch withe to the
traverse, as shown in illustration. The process of doing this is very slow,
and takes a large number of withes. Then the ten foot space left by
the traverses is filled with the timber, put crosswise the width of the dram,
care also being taken as to the joint and interlace the pieces same as the
bottom. Then the top tier is pulled on, and placed lengthwise on the
dram, and the largest and finest pieces are always put on the top tier, so
as to make a good appearance of the timber, great care being taken not
to allow any defects in a stick being exposed, that being one of
the raftsmen tricks of trade. The sticks are pulled up into the cross
and top tier, by means of a donkey engine and steel rope. The donkey
engine is placed in the cabin on a crib float, the same as one shown in the
engraving, so that it can be towed around or moved easily. The three
tiers of timber make up the dram ; which draws about four feet of water.
Usually about five hundred sticks of timber are put in a dram. A raftsman
takes great pride in constructing a dram, and it is a much more difficult
feat than one not familiar with rafting would expect. The build and shape

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UP TO DATE ; OR THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

of the dram has much to do with its ability to weather a storm, and in
being able to handle it when running the big rapids in the St. Lawrence
River, for if poorly constructed it will be liable to go to pieces in the rapids,
and the crew would then probably either be killed or drowned, or both if
an Irishism may be allowed. A well constructed dram can also be much
more easily handled and steered safely through the rapids, so that it takes
experienced men to build a dram of timber, just the same as it does to
build a ship. Each piece of timber is measured and numbered as it is
placed in the dram, in consecutive order, and an account kept in a book of
the number and size and contents in feet of each pie€e.

The engraving shown elsewhere will give the reader a fair idea of
how rafting is done. It was taken when the last timber was rafted in
Toronto harbour, or probably ever will be again, for most of the timber
which comes to Lake Ontario is now rafted either at Belleville, Collins'
Bay or Garden Island, and the rafting of late years has been done by
contract either by the Hiram Calven Comany, of Garden Island, or the
Collins' Bay Rafting and Forwarding Company. The former is the
pioneer rafting and forwarding company, and has been established for
very many years.

Ten drams makes a large raft, and a raft of that size, of good average
quality timber, would be worth a big pile of money on its arrival at Quebec,
at the market price of waney or board timber, to-day (fifty cents per
cubic foot.) Say the timber averaged seventy cubic feet per stick, which
is not a large average, the raft would be worth one hundred and seventy
thousand dollars, or thirty-five dollars a stick, and many a poor settler had
many years age in the process of cleaning his land worried and worked
himself to death trying to burn hundreds of pine trees that to-day would
be worth this figure, for the pine on the frontier townships was much
sounder and better than the back country pine.

Whatever number of drams a strong tug could handle — usually about
six to ten — would be fastened together by means of heavy cable chains,
and the trip down the lake commenced. A crew of four men to a dram
is all that is needed to go down the lake with the raft, and they seldom
have anything to do until the rapids is reached; Once, however, one of
our rafts made lots of work for the boys, for it got caught in a storm when
fully ten miles out in the lake, and almost in sight of the St. Lawrence
River. The foreman of the raft— big Paddy Maher — tells all about the
wreck, and to hear him relate it is worth a five dollar bill. The storm
came up suddenly in the night, and before they realized what had happened
the timber was gomg from under their feet, and there was only one boat
on the raft, and it would only carry a quarter of their number, even in
calm water. The assistant foreman was also an Irishman by the name of
John Montgomery, who was as stiff an Orangeman as Paddy was a devout
Catholic, and they say Paddy started to pray while Jack began to swear.

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

The night was so dark the Captain of the tug could not see b^ck to the raft,
neither dare he run his tug back among the wildly tossed timber. All
the Captain knew was that the raft was breaking up, and instead of throw-
ing off his tow line held right on the windward side, and would soon have
put the raft on shore; so the Captain endeavored to hold it off. To un-
couple the stern dram was what Montgomery wanted to do, and let her
drift ashore, and take chances when she struck of getting oft ; to ramain
much longer meant sure death one way or the other, either by beinf
crushed to death or drowned. Some of the crew were frantic, and nearly
all badly scared, so that Jack could get none of them to help him, and
the tug holding on made it worse, for the steel tow line of the tug was
made fast on the main cable chain that ran down the center of the raft
from stern to stem, so that made it impossible to uncouple it when the
strain of the tug was on. Also, to get back to the stern dram was a diffi-
cult matter, the cabin the men were in being'on the bow of the anchor or
bow dram, but by dint of hard work Montgomery finally got the crew all
back, but he had an awful experience in doine so, and when he got them
safely there the thing was to cut the chain, which he succeeded in doing
with an axe, after hours of toil, the tossing sticks of timber making it
dangerous work. The wind drove the dram with the crew ashore
just about daylight, but it was on a sand beach, and the men got safely
ashore, losing nothing but their clothes. Without a doubt the whole crew
would have met their death but for the cool courage and brave determi-
nation of Montgomery, for when daylight came the Captain of the tug
looked back and not a stick of timber was in sight. For hours he had
been only dragging the thousands of feet of cable chains that had bound
the raft together.

The large lake tug takes the raft as far as Prescott, and the trip down
the river is a most enjoyable one, especially through the Thousand Islands.
Our raft was usually crowded with the campers. The ladies in these
parties were always jolly, and their charming ways soon captivated us all,
for these would be the only opportunities ever afforded raftsmen of ming-
ling on terms of equality with the " upper tens ; " and the the way the dear
charmers would down the pork and beans, along with the " Sunday school "
yams I occasionally regaled them with, was pleasing to behold. After
s jending a few hours on the raft they usually declared that they never
' njoyed themselves so well before, after which I generally gave them the
raftsmen's rules, which provided that every lady that came aboard was
to be kissed by all hands. I however let them off after scaring them for
a little while by offering as a compromise that my clerk and I would do
the kissing. We generally got a few hugs in on the most lovely ones,
after we had frightened those away we did not wish to kiss, for we made
a pretense of tryjng to catch them first ; of course they would run and
then the coast was clear and the remaining blushing beauties were easily

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captured, and often appeared to enjoy the fun as mucli as we did. Ai
Lachine we also often had parlies board us to make the run over the
rapids, and once I was s6 honored by no less a person than Her Royal
Highness the Princess Louise, and the dram we were on got a comer
knocked off and came within an ac» of beinjj wrecked. The princess was
the coolest and bravest of the party, i did not mention anything about
raftmen's rules to her, but I would have been pleased to do so and almost
nervedmyself up to the point of telling Jier, and I have been sorry ever
since that I did not, for a man rarely gets such a chance as that in a life
time.

Strong little river tugs takes the raft at Prescott, and tows it down
the Galop Rapids to Douglas' Bay. Captain Murphy, of Morrisburg,
Was the first pilot to handle rafts in that way though the Galop Rapids.
Captain Murphy got two or three tugs specially built for handling rafts
between Prescott and Montreal, and no one knows titet stretch of river
better than he ; to see him in the pilot-house handling that boat makes-
an ordinary man like myself feel insignificant. All the raft pilots and
crews between Prescott to Montreal almost worship him, and the Indians
at Lachine Rapids obey his word or signal with as much alacrity as they
do that of their chief, who always accompany them, usually handling the
wheel in turn and following up the raft as it passes through the rapids
In case a dram should get smashed and wrecked the tug would be on
hand below the rapids to render any assistance necessary. When the raft
reaches the head of the Long Sault rapids, at Douglas' Bay then the
river pilots and crews come aboard, and many come on as far as Prescott,
for it takesthe pilot and thirty men to handle each dram as it runs the twenty
miles Sault Rapids, and it keeps them busy at that steering the cimber with
them lorjg pars or sweeps. Th e dram, as it rushes along, often at t wenty miles
an hour clip down the foaming rapids, gives one a peculiar and thrilling
sensation. My first trip was mixed with awe, amazement, admiration,
fear, my hair fairly standing straight on end part of the time. To hear
the whithes cracking, and the timber grinding and feel the motion under
one's feet as the huge sticks are twisted and bobbed up and down,
is so thrilling and bewildering that I had no time to think, much loss to do
anything. Whoever the man was that first ran those rapids on a raft he
must either have been foolhardy or brave, or both. At the foot of the rapids
at Smart's Bay, near Cornwall, the drams are again banded togeth^*, the
tugs assisting in the process. While this is being done I was kept L:.sy
paying off the pilots and their crews. The charge for the run, which t-^ok
less than half a day, was $5 for the pilots and $2 for each of the crew, and
it had to be spot cash or your raft was " tied up," and you were allowed
to go no further. In addition to the pay the men had to have one raealf
and as the provision raft is generally a day or two in advance, men's ap-
petite is usually keen. So the reader can form an idea of the " pic-nic "

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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80

(716) 872-4503

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we had to feed those men. The cook woiild usualty be frantic, for they
would ail make a scramble together, and of course he could not tell how
often he served them, for as long as there was any food left on the raft
they would ne\fer leave off. Latterly I purchased enough provisions at
Prescott for the pilots and their crews who came on for the Long Sault.
I piled It on the middle of a dram ;ind let them help themselves, ana fight
it out. Each pilots would collect the pay for himself and crew, and if pos-
sible try and beat us out of a few dollars by running the dram with a man
or two less than contract called for. The Long Sault rapids pilots and
crews were mostly of German descent ; the balance were composed of
Irish, Scotch, English, Yankee and Indians. They are a jolly lot, but are
fond of whiskey and when drunk they occasionally raise "Halifax" on
thte raft. A couple of hours after running the Sault we would be all band-
ed up and the tug towing us on to Howard's or Coteau Landing, where <ve
would arrive early next morning; then more pilots and crews would board
us. A pilot and tliirty-five men for each dram is the rule at those rapids.
They are all French Canadians, and are a splendid lot of fellows. Seldom
any of them come aboard drunk, and the cook has no trouble with them,
for they are very orderly and the pilots have them well under control. My
first run down the Coteau llapids surprised me more than the Long Sault
did, for just as we were about to entei the first rapid, and the dram bowling
along at a lively gait, every man Jack of tnem pulled his sweep or oar in
and dropped on their knees. Of course I thought something dreadful
was about to happen ; I was standing close to the pilot in the center of
the d'-am and turned to ask him what the trouble was, and he too was on
knees croafeing himself. A cold shiver ran up my back, for I at the time
couM have no more repeated the Lord's prayer than the constitution of
the U. S. My knees shook, and my teeth rattled, when suddenly the pilot
jumped up and started to swear, and I caught sight of the crew pulling at
their oars again like heroes. This reassured me, and I took a chew of
tobacco to steady my nerves. I afterwards leal'ned that the Fren^ch Can-
adians always repeat a prayer before entering the rapids, as also do the
Indians at Lachine ; rnd more, I will myself join them in that prayer if
ever I have the pleasure of going down on a raft again. To look back up the
rapids from a raft as it nears Bearharnois is a grand sight. One would
think it was the side of a huge mountain, and so it is, 6ut of water instead
of land.

At the foot of the Coteau Rapids lives the celebrated ** forty thiteves,"
so termed by raftsmen for their proficiency in picking up any sticks of
timber that may get loose in running the rapids, and there i# always quite
a number of pieces knocked out comiiig down, for the Long Sault tries
the withes and cuts many of them so that when the drams strike the wild
jumps in the Coteau some sticks are sure to get away. The forty thieves
are in their boat3 already to catch the cross sticks ; and more, they will

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

^1^^

paddle up to the drar.. as it comes out of the rapid, and if they notice a
stick on It just ready to drop out they -wll give ii a pull and let it go. Then
they tax you forty cents salvage for bringing the stick back again when
the raft is being banded up. Of course some confederate will bring the
stick back to you — that is if there is not a good chance to get away with it
altogether. The river is so wi4e it is difficult to watch them. However,
by watching close with Captain Murphy's glass from the pilot house of
the tug we usually spotted them and gave chase with the tug. The
moment they heard Captain Murphy sound the whistle in a certain way
they all knew it meant that the tug was after some of their number. Those
who had the stick in tow would right about face and start to bring it back,
and if we steamed up to them they would cooly swear they were bringing
the stick back all the time.

Occasionally we would n\n both the Cateau and Lachine Rapids in
one day, but running the drams singly into the Harbour at Montreal is
Tery dangerous after dark, so both lapids were seldom run in one day.
Indians, as I stated, pilot and run ihe rafts at Lachine, and Chief Jackes
m person usually takes command. I always gave my raft up to him at
Nun's Island, and he managed it to suit himself — usually putting forty to
fifty men on a dram. His charge is the same at each of the rapids. For
both pilots and men, I always, however, paid twenty dollars, and he also
collected for the rest of the pilots and crews.

* By the time I reached the Lachine Rapids on my first trip down, I
had got quite brave. The last mile or so of the river before entering the
rapids, which is run in single drams at intervals of a few moments, the
stream looks quite peaceful. I was, therefore, not much alarmed, and
ever; after we entered the rapids I did not see any particular reason for
getting into a funk, so when suddenly the big jump came in view, and the
pilot yelled in my ear that there was only one place in it about one hundred
y; ds wide over which we could safely pass, and he was afraid the dram was
not in that charnel, my hair fairly began to stand on end, and I could see
by the way those splendid fellows were pulling their oars that there was
no " monkey '" business about it, and it was a sight to watch the Indians ;
every stroke was in unison and made with military precision. In an in-
stant they would t-everse the stroke at a signal ifom the pilot or ease off
as the case required. All was done by signals from the pilot, for the roar
of the rapids would drown the report of a cannon. The crew is equally
divided, bow and stern, while the pilots stand in the centre. One dram
was got back into the channel and in a few moments we were over the
big jumpi but the enormous waves drew the bow of the dram under the
water and the men In the bow had to hang on to pieces of rope which
were fastened io the timber to keep them from being swept of, and even
the pilot and I, standing in the centre of the dram, did not escape a
*' ducking." The day previous a dram had missed the right channel and

i. I

r\i

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

part of it could be seen as we passed by sticking in the "jump"

or falls

among the rocks. Ten men had lost their lives by the accident, so it was
no wonder our crew exerted themselves to their very utmost, for they knew
if they did not get the dram back into the channel a like fate awaited
them.

When a dram is approaching the Victoria Bridge the pilot has to be
very cautious, for the current carries a dram under it at a ten mile gait,
and if it strikes one of the enormous sione piers the dram would be
knocked into silvers. At Hochelaga, a suburb of Montreal, the drams
are again banded together, and a big river lug will tow them to Quebec in
about three days, where the limber is given over to the owners of the
Coves there to tcike care of until the raft is finally disposed of.

On the Ottawa River a much cheaper way of rafting can be got along
with, for even that great' river is only a small creek compared to the
mighty St. Lawrence. So the timber is there rafted up into what is term-
ed cribs — about twenty pieces in a crib — and when running a rapid two
to four men can handle the crib with long sweeps as easily {^handling a
boat, and when over a rapid the cribs are easily and quickly coupled or
banded together into one raft or block which often covers acres in extent.
A tug hitched on to the raft pulls them to the next rapid where they are
again singled out and run over and the same process repeated at every
rapid until they reach Mcmtreal when they are banded together for the
last time. A very small storm wrecks them, and they frequently come to
grief in Lake St. Peter or St. Croix Bay before reaching Quebec. No
withes are used in tbeii* construction, the process being simple. About a
dozen pieces are first fastened together by means ol two flat traverse
timbers being put across them (one at each end ;) a hole is bored through
these traverse pieces and into the end of the sticks. A hardwood picket
is driven in and this holds the two outside pieces fast and forms a frame.
Then eight or ten pieces are pulled up on top of the traverse sticks, but
placed length ways. '■",-.

Smce the C. P. R. has been built a large quantity of timber is brought
down by rail from the upper Ottawa, Lake Nipissing and the Spanish
river to Papair.eanville, below Ottawa, where it is rafted into cribs and
taken down the river to Quebec, and quite a large proportion of the
timber goes right through to Montreal by rail and there loaded direct in-
to vessels. Of late years steamers have taken to carrying timber across
the ocean, thereby getting it to market much quicker than when the sail-
ing vessels had a monopoly of this trade, as well as cheaper, taking every-
thing into consideration, for it also gives a lumberman a chance to send
his timber direct to the British market and get returns for it in one sea-
son, and so does away to a large extent with the enormous expense that
used to be piled on the timber one way or another in Quebec.

The first year in which I was superintendent I arrived in Quebec

,, //

.'A'l •

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIKP OF A LUMBERMAN

with the raft about the middJe of the month of August, (or just a year
from the time I had taken the men which I hired in Quebec to go up to
make the timber), and it did one's heart good to witness the reunion ot
the men and their families.

One of the members of the firm had gone down to Quebec to await
my arrival with the raft, and he found out that the market was in a most
depressed state, and no one wanted te buy timber. No doubt that was a
sad blow to him, and all the great expectations from the sale of the mon-
ster raft were dashed to pieces. N o doubt this, along with a false report
reaching Quebec that our raft had been wrecked in St. Croix Bay, caused
his death, for three days after I arrived in port he died in the St, Louis
hotel.

A couple of months or so were then taken by the remaining members
in ar"anging matters of the firm, and then we again started operations in
the bush, and the timber and lumber market looked up and for a few years
the firm prospered and made money very fast, so much so that the most
experienced member of the firm retired from the business with a handsome
fortune. The partner who had some time previously gone into retirement
for a brief time through worry and ill health, then came to the front and
took the management of the concern. He is an eccentric man, or as
the phraseto-daygoes,"hehas v/heels in his head," and is the most complete
egotist I ever met and the most supercilHous as well as being very suscep-
tibte to flattery, and the dcse could not be too big for him to swallow if
given with a little taffy. So by giving him lots of it I usually had my owa
way, but occarsionally he would balk, for he sometimes got the idea that
the wasvery strong minded. He possessed a splendid education, was
fairly handsome when he cared to 1 ^ok after his personal appearance, but
he used to delight in being unlike other men in dress,for he usually sport-
ed a heavy fur cap, large gauntlet gloves and thick felt boots in mid-
summer, and probably in the coldest weather in winter he would wear a
straw hat, kid gloves, thin shoes and carry a sun shade. He was also
imbued with peculiar religious ideas, not exactly orthodox. He was some-
what like Superintendent Taylor, but again unlike him, inasmuch as he
always wanted to do all the talking nti matter where he was zr who he
w^as talking to, and he would magnify any little incident of every day oc-
ourrence into some wonderful achievement. He started out with the idea
that he was going f* revolutionize th,. Uimber business of Canada as well
as control it in short order, and the way he wanted to dp it was by going
back to the old style of camboose shanties and pork and beans and a
blanket and axe — all the outfit for a man ; and more, that no man should
be allowed to take up any part of his wages until the timber arrived in
Quebec or Europe and the sawn lumber in Britain or South America. Of
course that would be a nice little arrangement for a man working by the
day with a fani^Iy to support.

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^■-

(JP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

The ten years licenses granted by the Canadian Land and Emigration
Company to the lumber concerns operating on the land terminated about
this time. I presume it is almost needless to say that the English share-
holders never saw a cent of dividend, in tact it was the other way about
— it was a case of" put up "' all the time. So the manager of our firm
slipped over to England and bought up a sufficient number of shares to
give our firm a controlling interest in the Company and also had the
Board of Directors transferred from England to Canad^^, and then got the
Ontario Government t j pass a special act to legalize the change. Shares
were purchased for a mere song, as many of the shareholders were glad to
get rid of their stock at any price, so our firm practically became the
owners of what remained unsold of the property in the townships of
Dysart, Dudly, Guilford, Harburn, Havelock, Harcourt, Bruton, Clyde
and Eyre. The township of Longford had been sold several years
previously, so our concern for a mere trifle became the owners of a territory
equal in size to quite a number of European kingdoms, quite a big
slice of the Province of Ontario, on which there is the la%est pile of rock
the Lord in His anger ever threw together. Our firm then sold for a
lump sum to some Ottawa river firms all the pine on the lands
tributary to the Ottawa river, and the sum realized thereby amounted to
much more than the sum they had paid for all the shares they had pur-
chased in 'England. The settlors in these domains numbered about three
or four hundred families. They had years before formed themselves into
a provisional cqunty,which embraced or took in all the Land Company's land
and property in the nine townships. When our firm got control of the
lands they had an idea that the Land Company had been paying a larger
proportion of the taxes than they ought, so they got witnesses to swsar
that the Land Company's property, including land and all other tinjber
thereon was only worth about seventy thousand dollars.

The settlers made a brave but futile fight. By the decision of the
courts matters were just about reversed, for out of the six thousapd dollars
or so of taxes collected yearly by Mie municipality, the Land Com-
pany had being paying about five. Our firm also succeeded in getting the
courts to adjudge that the proportion of taxes to be collected from each
party should hold good for the ensuing ten years. No doubt this was
intended to serve as an offset against the ten previous years in which the
municipality was supposed to have got the advantage of the Land
Company.

The reader may wonder what all this has to do with the story of my-
self. Well I will answer : as I have already said it was on these lands that
I commenced my lumbering career, and it was in the village of Haliburton
that I spent many years of my life ; in addition to this many of my most
intimate friends live in the Haliburton district.

The English Land Company^s nine townships are also well knowQ to

S'.l

f ^

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIKE OF A LUMHERMAN

many in great Britain, and what is more, will never be forgotten not only
by the 3hareholdei-s of the Land Co npany but by many scores of people
who left their beautiful homes in Englard to come out to those lands, full
of " great expectations," cnly to find that after years of toil and misery,
Ihey had been deluded and were poorer and worse off than when they
left England. Many of them had never done a day's work before their
Arrival in Canada, as numbers of them belonged to some of the oldest and
best familieb in England. What were such people able to do in such a
country as Haliburtcn ? The view of the village on another page gives a
fair idea of what the country looks like. Notice the rocks and boulders.
That picture I think will show the reader how desirable a farming country
Haliburton is, even in the summer time, and just about six months in the
year on an average there is three feet of snow on the ground, and the
thermometer often fools around between twenty and thirty degrees below
zero. So in a way I am makmg the foundation of my story out of the
English Company's lands, and as they are nearly all rocks, I am building
on a secure foundation.

The reader n-^y perhaps like to know if our firm played •' straight " in
that little poker game at law with the settlers. I had a hand in it myself, and
as the reader is probably aware that when men, v r women either, sit down
to play poker for money, that moment all friendship ceases, and the rules
of the game are if these sitting in with you are at all objectionable, say noth-
ing but drop out. So the hand I and others played in that game I will for
the present at least, forebear to state. That is the reason I have used
poker language^ in referring to the bitter and costly fight our firm had
with the poor settlers.

A charming and extremely pretty Jewess taught me the game of
poker. The city she lived in was not a thousand miles from Montreal,
and up to date she can be found in New York I do uot know which
proved the most fascinating— the pretty little curly-haired Jewess or the
poker, or which proved the most costly to me.

[

. i: I ii

UP TO DATE ; '>R, THE LIFE OF A LUMniCRMABf

CHAPTER VI.

TROUBLE WITH THE MEN.

For several years after our firm got control of the Land Company's
territory I had a large number of men in the busli stripping the lands
tribituary to the Trent River of what pine the other lumbermen, who had
previously cut over it, had kft behind, along with a few pieces of virgm tracts.
Some seasons I had as many as fifteen shanties in operation, and I had
to perform an enormous amount of work, but I was fortunate in always
getting good crews— generally the best in the country. Only one season
did I encounter serious trouble, when I had the first and only big strike
that ever occurred in the bush. * . ' >

The strike occurred about this way : lathe months of August and
September I had engaged and taken up to the bush some of the best timber
makers to be had in Canada, having selected them in Quebec, Ottawa,
Peterborough and other points. Timber makers' wages were rating high
that season, and as I was going to take out an enormous raft on a virgin
limit — the only one that was left on the Land Company's
territory — I was more than usually cautious in selectmg the
crews, which at the titpe were difficult to ^ ick up. So my rate of wages
averaged high, for labour is like any other commodity, if only the best is
selected a higher rate must be paid. My rate, however, was no higher
than those current among the other large concerns. Besides, putting men
in the woods as early as we were doing that season was against our get-
ting a low rate, for men do not care to go to the bush so early m the sea-
son, usually preferring to enjoy themselves a few weeks in the cities, towns
and villiges after commg off the drives. In addition to this, work is gener-
ally plentiful outside, and good wages are paid for harvesting or working
in a saw mill ; and then again the days are long and warm in the bush at
that time of the year. However, I got all the men I wanted and every-
thing went well untii along in the month of October the head ol the firm
wrote up to me to make a twenty per cent, cut in the wages of all my men.
He said that he could send up car loads of men at the lower rate.

Now such a thing as a cut in the men's wages had never before been
heard of in the bush ; neither had a combined strike of the men ever
occurred. The view the men took of it was that they were being imposed
upon, for they knew that tbey could have obtained the same rate of wages
from other firms when they engaged with me, and being away back in the

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A I.UMUERMAN

bush they knew nothing of the drop that had not only occurred in wages,
but in timber and lumber ; neither did they care. They claimed a bargain
was a bargain ; they had signed papers for the rOh or until the shanties
closed in the spring, and they were prepared to carfy out their part of the
contract.

I wrote back to the fittn and explained how the men felt about it,
airtl said if enforced it would cause a lot of trouble, and prove a big loss
to the film. I received a reply that the cut must be made, and that it
would go into effect on the ist of November. I again wrote in reply and
said that I would make no cut, and if the firm still wished to go on with
it, for them to send some one up and do it for I would not, for I
said I knew that the greater part of our men would "jump" us rather
than remain at the reduced wages. Besides, I said it would make it next
to impossible to obtain good men another year.

A few days later up came " his nibs " with a big force of men, to
replace any of those who would not accept the reduction. Nearly two-
thirds of th*; timber makers would not, and were settled up with and paid
oflf. Of course all work was suspended in the shanties for several days,
and threats and vows of vengance made ; many of the men wanted to take
"his nibs" out and string him up to a tree ; others proposed to fire the
camps, and thete was " Halifax " to pay generally, for a few hundred men
such as shanty men are when fairly aroused in a just cause, as they knew
theirs was, are a dangerous element to fool with. Fortunately, I had great
influence with them and begged them for my sake not to do anything
which they would be sorry for afterwards. There was no whiskey
to be got nearer than forty miles, and that fact alone saved his nibs'
life and those of many of the men he brought up with him. As it was,
when nearly all the men from one of the far shanties had been settled
with, and had departed, there was nearly being bloods^),ed, for eight or
ten big strapping fellows, who had already been settled with, marched
back into the office in a body. " His nibs," (the manager) the chief clerk,
and I were in the office. His nibs and the clerk were sitting at a table
facing each other when the me*? marched in and the leader of them en-
quired how they were to get their large trunks down to the lake, which
w;as ten miles di^nt. His nibs replied that he did not care a — *— how
they got them down. Quick as a flash his nibs got a blow on the neck
from one of the men, and then 1 knew we were in for it. His nibs coun-
tenance assumed a sickly hue, and he either fainted or did something
worse, for he did not speak or attempt to get up from his seat or in any
way try even to defend himself.

I instantly drew my revolver and fired in among the men, being careful

not to hurt any one. This had thft desired effect ; the men tumbled out of

the office in short order, and immediately got their trunks, emptied their

clothes QUt juvi ^a4e Si bon fire of the trunks right in front of the officei

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'tX jp* '^ArJ

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

and with curses and yells, took their departure. During the noise and
confusion his nibs and ihe clerk never spoke or moved ; they were too
terrified, and if I had their picture as they sat there I would plac: it in
this book, and that picture alone would no doubt sell hundreds of copies.
It was a lesson to his nibs, for never after did he mention anything 'about
reducing the men's wages. The timber that season was the last our firm
ever put on the Quebec market, for that raft caused a loss of at least one
hundred thousand dollars to the firm, for the men his nibs brought up
knew no more about n;akiiig timber than he did himself, but as he hired
them to make timber, I let them make it, and they ruined the raft. The men
that "cepted the reduced wages and remained on purposely jumped punks
and' it rots,&c., in the sticks, and inother ways,spoiled theraft,so that when
it arrived in Ouebec no one would buy it, and the firm after keeping it in
the cove three years, had to get it all re-made and tlien sell it for a very
low price. It sickened our firm, and they gave up the timber part of
the business ; anyhow, tney had no more pine left that was fit to make
into timbe r.

In another season or sj afterwards I finished cutting all the pine left
on the English Land Company's nine townships that would pay to take
out in sawlogs. What little that was left was away on top of some almost
inaccessible .ock, or else a tew rough and rotten trees scattered here and
there miles away from any improved stream. Thr Ottawa lumbermen
had cleared out all the timber that was on waters tributary to the Ottawa
river ; and so all the large pine trees that had so " embarrassed " the Land
Company in the early days, had, after nearly a quarter of a century, been
cut and removed " don't you know " by " those lumbermen," and the lands
are now ready for settlement, and should sell fast, for most of the settlers'
hardest work has been done Isy ihe philanthropic lumberman, at
enormous expense. Some of the finest and largest Canadian pine that
ever i^ent to Quebec or ever was sawed into a deal plank o;- boards, was
cut on those same lands, and more than one lumber concern made a mil-
lion or more of dollars out of the Englishmen's pine trees, " don't you
know,"

i;,i

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE UFE OF A LUMUKKMAN

CHAPTER VII. s

♦

/v N I M I' O R T A N r V. VENT c: E L K B R A T E t) ,

It was decided to give a grAtul hall and si»pper in the llaliburton
Town Mall in order lo celebrate the lonioval of tlie last ot the pine fioni
the Hahbu;ton district. A meeting was called and the ft^llowing gentle-
men were appointed a committee of management : Jo'^n Ferguson, M. P.,
now for South Kenfrc ;, the bush superintendent for J. R. Booth of
(^tt.'uva ; Norman Harnhart, bush superintendent for Mossom Uoyd «S: Co.,
BobcavReon ; Archibald Reddell, bush superintendent for Bronson ft
Weston, Ottawa; John KUis, bush superintcndcr-t fpr Cireen >.V KUis,
I'enelon Falls ; Joseph (.iould, bush superintendent, UKbriilgc; and myself
as secretary and master of cermonies. Supper and music was brought
specially from the city, and no expense was spared to make it an event
worthy of the occasion. The hall was beautifully decorated with
bunting, and the tools used in bush and r-.ver by lumbermen. The best
brands of real Havanna cigars and sparkling wmes were there in abund-
ance, while many ladies were present from a distance, dressed with equisile
taste. . -'-. :v

Our firm could not credit me that it was possible that all those pine
trees had been cut, so they got Mr. J. B. McWilliams, the Ontario Govern-
ment Superintendent of Bush Rangers, to take a number of the best
bush experts up and thoroughly look over the lands, but they only ccn-
firmed the report. Mr. McWilliams, I may say, is probably the best Judge
of pine and cleverest bushman in Canada to-day, and knows more about
what is left of Canada's greatest sourse of wealth than any other man
alive, for he has personally travelled over all the lumbering districts, and if
b*^ could be induced to write a book it would without a dodbt containin for-
mation of great value, and such as no other person could give.

Our tirm missed a great chance when they did not sell the lands back
to the Ontario Government, who were then looking for a locality for a
National Park, (a la Yellowstone). Some of our firm brought the matter,
sol was V d, before Sir Oliver Mowat, who, report says, would not
even promise to take it into his " serious consideration." Sir Oliver knew
he wanted a National Park, and our firm thought he wanted a national
cemetery, for that would have been where his political grave would have
been dug if he had bought those lands. That word " Yellowstone " done
it all, for our firm knew that they had almost every other kind of stone on

"mmmiimmm

OP TO DATK; OR, THE I.IFK OF A ItTMMP.RMAN

7«

their lands excepting " Yellowstone." No doubt they never thou){ht Sir
Oliver would be so particular about the color of the ston?, for report says
Sir Oliver was always color blind.

KIscwhcre is a photograph whirh shows ft Jam cf saw logs at Fenelon
Falls I put it in because it will not only give the reader an idea of what
a jam of saw logs looks like, but it also shows men at work, myself among
the number. This was the last drive of saw logs our firm cut in the Eng-
lish Company's lands.

The jam not only knocked the corner oflTthc saw mtll, shown on the
left side of the photograph, but also knocked down a wooden bridge, or
rather two sections of it, that was there used for crossing over to the saw
mill shown on the right hand side of the picture. AU of our drive of three
or four million feet of logs got jammed in the eddy below the lalls, (only
a mall part of the jam is shown in the phoiogr;iph;, the greaittrpart hav-
ing been broken and the logs had flo.ue.l down stream before the artist
came around. That jam was caused partly through carlessncss and part-
ly throuj{h a dense fog that prevailed preventing the men seeing the jam;
forming.

The body of water shown in the slide close to the mill is where the
logs and limber run down. The F'alls at Fenelon are of great beauty, and
were named after the Abbe Fenelon, a Jesuit Priest who discovered «t
some two hundred years ago. A magnificent lock on the Trent Valley
Canal is con.structed on the right of tne large stone grist mill, shown t n
photograph. It used to take us three months to get our drives down from
the English Land Conjpany's territory to Fenelon Falls, a distance by
water of over a hundred miles, and »o j,et from there to Peterborough
"•"iuld take us two months longer Of roi?.se in those days we used horses
and a capstan, as shown elsewhere, to pull the logs across the mary
be.iutiful lakes in the Trent waters, and it was a slow process. The
"alligator" tug does much better and quicker work, and will probably
make at least a month's difference in the time and with less than half the
men at tl.at.

I cannot close my reference to Fenelon Falls without saying that
quite a number of men have lost theii i'ves at this place in running timber
and logs. I saw one of my best and bruveat foremen lose his life there,
just where the reader can see men standing on the logs nearest to the
F""* The poor fellow (Douglass by name) was thrown off the timber
and struck by a passing stick and he sj^nk before any of us could get out
into the boiling eddy to save him. Such is the fate of many a brave river
man.

The large saw mill shown in illustration on the left hand side of the
Falls, was purchased two yaars ago by J. W. Howry & Sons, of Saginaw,
Mich., who also purchased at the same time about two hundred million
feet— almost all virgin pine on the Trent waters; in fact they got the only

VP to DATK ; OR, THE LIKE OV A LUMBERMAN

virgin pine leU on these waters, so the mill will be historical as having cut
the last saw log that grew on the banks of the waters tributary to the
Trent. The Howry Co. equipped the mill with all the latest improved
machinery, including band saws. The mill property and the limits cost
the firm nearly two million dollars.

Our firm went out of business as soon as the last pine had been cut
off the English Land Company's territory, and I, like that old hero we
read about, had to look around for other worlds to conquer. So ended
my connection of many years with this firm— and a remarkable concern it
was in more ways than one, not the least of v/hich was the number of
persons connected with it that were affected with mental troubles at one
time or other, and all were persons possessed of good business ability and
all principals or heads of the concern. I have already intimated who one
of the sufferers was ; the next to go was Superintendent Taylor, who,
alter a few years residence in Manitoba, accumulated a considerable for-
tune, and worrying over his wealth drove him insane. I got word from
the asylum authorities at Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie that Taylor
claimed that I was a relation of his, and I was the only relation that they
could find. I wrote back that I was not, but that I would gt) up as soon
as my business would permit. Before I was able to go I received word
that 1 aylor was dead^ only living a short time after his mind gave way.
Taylor wanted to leave his wealth to me, so the authorities wrote, although
not even a letter passed between us. I told him, however, before he went
to Manitoba, part of the history of my life, and it seemed to interest him
very much, and when alone together he would often talk to me about it.
Stev2 Thompson had also moved out to Manitoba shortly after Taylor
went, the two living only a short distance apart. So when they heard
Taylor raving aboui me they sent for Steve, but Taylor would have noth-
ing to say to him. After Taylor's death I wrote Steve to see about the
property Taylor had left and what shape it was in. Steve answered that
the woman who had lived with Taylor as housekeeper and her children
(tht; children especially) had a better moral claim to the property than 1
had; and advised me to leave them in peacable possession.
I took Lis advice; that was the first and last letter I ever received
from Steve. '^'- ■ '' " ''^ ' ' ' ' "'' ■' ^

. The next person to be troubled mentally was the wife of one of the
principal members of the firm — a most beautiful, highly accomplished and
clever lady, a daughter of one of the oldest, richest and best families in
Canada, mnd a family whose members are noted for their great business
ability, benevolence and kindness to all, and therefore greatly respected
by. everyone. The lady, I am greatly pleased to say, recovered and is now
her former lovable self, and I sincerly hope will contmue so.

The next was the concern's chief bookkeeper. Nothing else could be
expected would happen any one who would keep the books for such a con-

a
<

W
H

►J

a;
o

o ^

tn
to
U

..-J

I i

{ *

If i

¥V.

*■' ■^.

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

cem as ours was. Only a short time ago I read part of the man':'^cript of
this book to him, including the above passage, and he enjoyed a hearty
laugh over it ; so now there is not much wrong with him.

The next one was the writer, but of that I will tell the reader later on.
As to whether I have recovered or not, whoever has read this book so far
will be the best judge— that is if reading it has not put the reader crazy.

\^ .■

CHAPTER VIII. ^ -

I GO UP THE OTTAWA RIVER.

After my connection ended I made an engagement with one of the
latgest monetary mstitutions in Canada, and took charge of a party of
thirty to go up and examine, estimate and make a report upon the quantity
of pine and its value upon a large tract of territory situated in the Lake
Temiscamnique and Lake Kippewa district on the Upper Ottawa river in
the Province of Quebec. I had two surveyors in my party — Mr. Cotton,
of Ottawa, and Mr. Blackwell, of Peterborough — who accompanied the
party to take notes and rnake plans of the territory as the Bush Rangers
travelled and estimated Jt. Sixteen of the party were composed of some
of the best expert Bush Rangers that could be got, and the balance was
made up of Frenchmen and Indians, whom I took along to haul or pack
the camping equipment and supplies and do the cooking for the party.

We collected together and made our start from Ottawa, where I pur-
chased most of our supplies and completed the outfit on our arrival at
Mattawa, at Murray & Loughrin's immense store at that point. Mr. John
Loughrin, now M. P. P., did all in his power to assist us, and gave me a
lot of useful information about the Upper Ottawa and the best route to get
up to the territory. Mr. Loughrin also secured us a dozen teams and
sleighs to go ijip with as far as Lake Kippawa.

That was the first time I had ever met Mr. Loughrin, and to say that
he is a hustler feebly expresses what I would like to say of him. When
getti'ig ready the morning we were leaving Mattawa to start the sleigh
u.irl of our journey, Mr. Loughrin gave me valuable assistance in loading
u^ and collecting everyth ng and getting the party started. He appeared
to be all over and to be talking English, French and Indian all at one
time, for I know he speaks these three lauguages and probably several
others. On reaching the head of Lake Kippewa I divided my party, one
half taking a northwesterly course on up to Lake Temiscamnique, and

m 1

lip TO DATL ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

Mr. Blackwell taking his party up the main stream that runs into Lake
Kippewa, which is quite a large liver.

I made a cache of our supplies at the head of Lake Kippawa, so that
oi: ; packing or toboggan men belonging lo the party could come out at
any time and haul it in as required and also get any mail arriving for any
of the party as well as bringing out the surveyors and men's reports to me,
I left an Indian in charge of the cache. The two parties were about
seventy miles apart and often were a hundred, and travelling from the
cache where I made my headquariers to where the parties would be
camped used to take me two days, and the night spent on the way up.
The Indian who accompanied me would usually crawl into a snow bank.
We e&ch had a blanket of rabbit skins, made in the shape of a bag, in
which we would crawl feet foremost and then work ourselves backwards,
of course into a snow bank, and then pull the hole we made in after us.
The Indian used to claim that he was always nice and warm though the
thermometer was often forty below zero. Whether he was or not, I do not
know ; I do know that I used to be half frozen with cold, and occasional*
ly in the morning when I crawled out if I found only a few toes, fingers or
my nose frozen, I would think I had put in a fairly comfortable night.

The men were supplied with tents in which a small stove would be
used. The stoves I got specially made of sheet iron, vvith hinges on the
corners, so that it could be folded up flat and portaged on the toboggans
easi.. .

The men would shovel out with their snow shoes a space sufficiently
large enough for the tent, then strew the space with balsam boughs a foot
or so deep, then set up the tent. The banks of snow around the tent kept
off the cold winds, and then a little fire in the stove kept the tent quite
comfortable as well as afforded means of cooking — at night each rrian in
the party took his spell of one hour keeping the stove fired up, then when
his hour was up he woke up the next in turn to go on duty and 'so on till
through the night, lots being drawn each evening by the whole party to
decide which should go on duty first. Once a week, and sometimes twice
a week, camp would have to be moved to keep near the bush rangers —
moving abonc six miles each time. So when I would visit a party in an
interval of a couple of weeks or so, I had to be careful or I would miss
them, instructions being left for me at each of their camping places as to
how to proceed to the next place. A piece of birch bark at', ached to a
stick and stuck up near the camp ground was always left for me ; and
written on it were the instructions. So my Indian and myself seldom had
any difficulty in finding our way.

Timber berths or limits in the province of Quebec are laid out in a
different way to what they were in Ontario. In the former the usual way
is for the government to sell so many miles commencing or starting from
some point on the shore of some lake or bank of a stream — so

iS into Lake

>awa, so that

come out at

ving for any

eports tome,

were about

ng from the

Bs would be

the way up,

snow bank.

)f a bag, in

backwards,

in after us.

though the

not, I do not

i occasional*

;s, fingers or

e night.

re would be

nges on the

e toboggans

e sufficiently
oughs a foot
the tent kept
le tent quite
each man in
I, then when
nd 'so on till
lole party to
etimes twice
;h rangers —
party in an
would miss
places as to
ti ached to a
for me ; and
seldom had

laid out in a

e usual way

arting from

stream — so

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

II'

j* ■

many miles up and back of it ; therefore the lakes and streams are the only
boundary in many cases. Then after purchasing the lumberman has to
stirke any lines he needs to keep him within the limit he has bought ; he
is obliged to be very careful, for if he gets outside of his limits either into
the Goverment lands or his neighbours, it is a serious matter for hirru and
be will probably be made pay a large bill of damages for any trees he
may have even only cut down, just the same as if he had taken them away
or removed them.

Twenty or thirty years ago when pine was cheap, trespassing or
stealing pine was one of the tricks of the trade, and often timber sufficient
for a whole raft was stolen from the government, and sometimes from off
a neighbour's limits ; but those ays have gone by, and since pine has got
to be of such enormous value it is far safer and easier to steal a lumber-
man's daughter or perhaps his wife than it is even to steal one pine tree
from his limits, for the pine trees are watched close and kept better track
of than are usually his daughters or wife. And generally it is not a very safe
thing foi' a dude with no brains to try to steal one of those wealthy lumber-
men's daughters, as quite a few of their papas are more than ordinarily
rusty characters, and are not noted for their mildness of speech ; but if the
young man has brains papa will often talk to him kindly, even if he has
not a cent of cash.

A story is told of a certain curate who was paying his attentions to
the lovely daughter of a very wealthy lumberman. The old gentleman
was possessed of a more than ordinary violent temper, and when in one of
his evil moods thought Utile of taking off his hat and jumping on it, and
would follow this exhibition of passion by using language not found in
Webster's or any other dictionary. Some of the wags of the curate's con-
gregation advised the curate to give his prospective father-in-law a few
words of advice when a favorable opportunity should occur, which soon
after presented 'tself. On the occasion referred to the old gentleman
invited the curate to take a drive out into the countiy with him, and after
they had travelled a few miles the curate introduced the subject that was
bearing so heavily on his mind. The old gentleman was ?o indignant at the
curate presuming to charge him with what he claimed he never did in his
life, that he almost threw the curate out of the rig, using at the same
time language the curate had not studied at Oxford. Crestfallen the
poor curate had to trudge back home on foot. All the same the old
gentleman admired the curate's pluck, for he no longer objected to the
marriage. So the curate marriea the lovely daughter and to-day he is
one of the most gifted and talented ministers of his church in Canada.

The Ottawa river is the boundary line between the provinces of Que-
bec and Ontario, and without exception at one time and has even yet
more valuable white pine standing on its ban^s than any other river on
the continent of America.

\V:

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

The term *' Upper Ottawa " meanp the river arid its tributaries above
the city of (Ottawa. Immense quanities of pine have already been taken
of! its banks. For years past several lumber concerns have taken out not
only enormous rafts of square timber, but nearly one hundred million leet
of logs annually as well, and there are numbers of other firms who ope. ale
on it who annually take out forty to fifty million feet of logs, and concerns
can be counted almost by the dozen which take out from five to twenty
million feet annually along that river. Of course if this enormous outflow
is kept up the land will soon be stripped of the most valuable pine, but I
do not think any man living to day will see it. The white and red pine
of the Ottawa was always noted for its good quality, and always com-
manded a good price. Many men have made themselves millionaries out
of the pine forests of ihe Ottawa, a/id probably many more will do so in
the future.

I will try to give the reader some idea of how Bush Rangers make
an estimate of the quantity of p^ne on u given territory or limit. On ar-
riving near f hey keep close watch to find the boundary mark of the terri-
tory, which may be only a point of land or a rock on the shore of some
lake on the mouth of a river or stream, or more frequently, a tree or trees
marked or blazed with an axe, which probably has been put there twenty
or thirty years previously. Often hundreds of other trees since have been
blazed in a similar way near it by lumbermen and others in marking out
roads and trails^ so that it is often difficult to strike the right spot, and
even the best experts are frequently at fault. A tedious and long search
is often made before one is sure that the right boundary has been found.
Wood posts have of late years been placed to mark such places and thus
make it easier for the Bush Ranger. He is sure then that he has the
right place. When the starting point is settled to the Bush Ranger's
mind he either puts up his tent there or may move up into the territory
before he camps and 'rakes a start in estimating. In the old days,when
pine was cheap, the Bush Ranger would ramble around the territory long
enough to make it certain that there were enough trees on the territory
or close to it to make sufficient square timber, the profit on which would
more than repay them for the whole sum asked for the territory several
times over. If it would not in their opinion do that they would not pur-
chase it, for t|je trees that would only make saw logs were never taken
into their calculations at all. It was dead easy to Bush Ranger in those
days, especially if it turned out that he had made a wrong calculation, for
all he had to do was to increase the territory by cutting any timber that
came handy on adjoining territory, and no one would probably be any the
wiser. That day has long gone past. Now, when the territory has been
reached care is taken to keep account of the course one travels more
minutely than even a captain keeps of the course of his vessel, and an ex-
pert Bush Ranger can tell you just the spot he is in m the bush wherever

'ies above
sen taken
in out not
lillionfeet
o ope. ate
concerns
twenty
s outflow
DC, but I
red pine
ys com-
aries out
lo^so in

rs make

On ar-
le terri-
r)f sdme
or trees

twenty
ve been
ng out
3t, and

found,
d thus
IS the

ngeHs
rritorv

n
o.

>
D
H

l*^

. Hifrsiimimarasi^'nt,

UP TO DATE ; OR, TH« LIFE OF A LUMBFRMATf

you may mett him at any time and not be fifty feet out in his calculation ;
and it is easily and simply done. He carries a plan or book in which he
makes a map or chart of each day's work, carefully tracing in it the course
he has taken from the time he gets his starting point in the limit and
commences to estimate. Every step he makes he counts, and five hund-
red steps carries him over a quarter of a mile of ground, or two thousand
steps a mile. T17 it on a measured mile a few times and it will surprise
you how close you can come to it ; use only the ordinary step when walk-
ing. The compass he holds in his hand all the time tells him the course
he is travelling, and by it he can keep '* tab " of any zig-zaging or tacking
he does, for it is not often one can walk in a straight line in the bush
Ten miles a day is a good day's work in the bush when estimating, but
sometimes, if good snow shoeing, a longer distance cr.n be .ravelled. Of
course the closer the territory is favelled and examined the better esti-
mate can be made, and often every tree is not only counted but an inspec-
tion made of it so as to get an idea as to its soundness, by which a general
average can be made of the whole lot on the limit, and so expert will
some oi the Bush Rangers become that after examining a given territory
they can compute within a few thousand feet, board measure, what it will
cut out. But to get it down that tine takes up a lot of time and money, as
experts draw big pay. Where. the best experts or top sawyer's come in is
to take in the value of the pine on the limit and the probable quantity of
it in a limited time, and make a snap shot deal or bargain on that basis.
The extent of the option given on the sale of a limit is seldom over thirty
days, though in an extreme case and an extra big territory, sometimes
three months is given to lookoverit, butasa rulethe holder does not care to
tie his properity up for so long a time unless he is pretty sure of making a
sale to the party who wants to look it over. So it takes years of ex-
perience and hard work before one becomes an expert Bush Ranger. In
one celebrated case at law over a disputed estimate made on a certain
pine limit, the Hon. E. Blake asked Mr. William Irwin (who is one of the
best Bush Rangers and probably the most expert one in Canada) if esti-
mating pine was not like guessing the number of beans in a bottle. Mr.
Irwin answered, "no, to him it was not, but that it probably would be to
Mr. Blake." Mr. Blake then requested Mr. Irwin to explain how he did
it, or how he got the necessary knowledge and information to be able to
tell the quantity of pine on a large territory, and Mr. Irwin answered that
question in the usual Irishman's way—and a witty as well as sharp one is
Mr. Irwin— for he asked Mr. Blake to just tell him how he got his great
■knowledge of law. So probably Mr. Irwin's reply to Mr. Blake will after
all give the reader the best idea of this subject.

We did not get through working over the Upper Ottawa limits until
It was too late to get down on the ice, so we had to wait until navigatio!^
opened, and then come down in canoes — which we got from the Indians

MMHIBif

I' t

: a

.'L- J

f% Vl» 1M 1>AT1{ \>Vm VM« \.\fti UK \ LUMURHMAN

who ««♦ q\ni* n«m»ttnu «\\ the tmitmy. Th«n<» liuUduti wfir a vfvy hnn»«t
lot, t«M ot\fo xvp winilil U*RV* ovt\ |M<iv>*iOMi, »^r , ItM «lrtv<« tO|, hiUki
Oil »vM\\<^ tvatl \\\\evt. th«»v piinxrii iltuly hut uot rt thyn^ wm wvn («kr«»

At\fv ){^vio^ »n o«v tt»j>oit« rt'ui RUttlinn up nAtitliuhMv to nil, th«
i\\A«i\j{fv ot th« V>Aok i\\\ whom we w*i« woikinn itittneutfil n\»» with a
ihcvjof tor \imt« « hi\tuWome ^um ovn ft<ul ahovn my iitiputAtf«l t«f .

•MMbUMMiNiMHhMMllM

•iiWiritiil»fiilaiii

CHAVTER IX,

I AM t< A N g V^ K T * 1) IN It U P r A LO »

S ■

I *

iW thiit toixe I h.in^ ptvmuvOfttrd ri;>n<iilemW«» wealth, atid W(\» oon*
sklftipvi to l>^ ooc ot tlu' soliii «n<»n ol tl>«» town \\\ whoh I was living \\\ -
•tut \\\oi*, the name ;»* w«ll Ar. the wciifv ot tl^c uaum* ol t ««o, S. Thomp-
«vM\ >v*8 hv thj^t time gt^ttinj^ to be well koown in OntiU (o ftmi Qoebei , I
wnsivlet-evi I had done Taiily wfU, ftnd kept up th« i-epuii\tion of " th«
t^imily * thAt I hjid !tt> *tt a\>j;ely Wraute a tueiober ot. vStcve had nlso got
to be w«M to dv\ so I heatxl, and ^^eorge's i\»other used to write me that
she was evuemely ptoud of the two ot us.

I then thovixht I rtotild tvv the iJemgian B.iy (outwiy tor n while, for
tivc l>ent Ki\cv was about lund>eit;d out, and what little pine was left
thbitutry to U wa« mostly in the hands »>f less than half a dv>xen persons,
*nd the toi.^l m>antny held by all con\bn»eU did not, m my opinion, exceed
f>ur hundred m«lUvM\ t*et of fair avcra>.'e lojj!*, \nd that would bo taken
out in small quantities .• so pructicaily lumbertux on the rvcnt had j^one
^we\"er, and it was a ^^reat piiy, for the quality aod siie ol this pine wa*
by tAt the best ef any in Canada, Michigan pine alone exceeded it in
quality and si««k

About this periiH^ of my life (the year i8i^6^ 1 received an in viiution
lron\ the v>i:een <.'ity Huntinji Club, of Uut^'alo. N. V., to come ovoi and
pay them a visit. 1 way say that sinv^re I made the trip to Rochester, i elen ed
tobcfci^ 1 had severely kept clear of the Ignited States, but when the
very pr^essmi? mv.tation of the Hul^ato gentlemen reached me \ thought it
wcuki be sate for me vo \-enture over the borders once moie.

The v^aeen City Hunting Club was that year composed of the Alder-
w»e ,\nd ex- Aldermen and a few other lUii^ilo's most prominent citi/.ens.
Tlie chib had for many years previously paid Canada an annual visit for
tkeir hunt They usually went up the limits north of Haliburton, where I
luid inmbered, and 1 think it was in the year 1SS5, when gomg up to their

MP In IIATir, I OH, illK \.\^V Or A IJfMllRMMAN

liiinttnK K">^»^<1 tH)t\h nf llnllliiirton, Min! Ihny wtrfx iiiight in n tfiirlfir ^Alt
wliii h mxifimily spiiitiK up wliil« « tcm'tinx ltl)j Und *itnM« I.Hke, Hnd (hny
wt^if iMiilly wir>(k«il, iiiiil nnveidl iif llinir niiiitlier liii«l a niirrow fim iip« from
diowiiitiK. Ah It wftK, iiinut of (heir mippllftH wfirii •iltini lo«t or h»«lly
il.iniKHrd, for llin •lullii (liry we»#* In wurf tiioKly «ini«ll dbiffn or f mifiiie.
Otir liitnlltfli ilfpoi iiiitHiiriii wim (ii ilir h«fit| nf i.itiln H.nl Htoiifi (.nbiv nn
titf'lr luiival llini« I did wliiil I rnuM fo litlp Ihr-nt m ihdir di^lrnvi, und
tliny (Iniiiifd ilie iio*<i<tii«iit K I mwti Ihfiiii «tkvi!d Aldoiiimri 'tnor^n Mur*
f ehaid'H llle, hill i tliitik llii« (rrdit of dointt tt>nt ilioiitd bn K>vin Doctor
(iiflfne who wi(<i witli (lin purly, lt« (hut iik ii ntay, wIidei ilie < luh rntiirnrfl
to Midralu (lifty htid an ace nniii olthn trip puMiihnd in th« nnwHpapon of
lliitt ( ity, and inaiind • opiftn ot tlir mtun (n nif, and »•> t rna'l it I a' tiially
Ithmlind •«<> thai (tin pliinip and pretty liouNe kffpnr that I had nt our dfspot
laiin noticed it ; and no idinarkcd, .Shu had » iihioh on h«r own fare a ^
HPt ond hitcr, lor I doaed hor niintlh in a way ihitt a pretty woman'n mouth
■inly Fthiiiild hr, ( Inind liy n man

't'hr lollowhiK «i|irin^Mulmr(pif<nt to r«relvinxthf* invitation f (tiartud for
lliill.ilo, iind'iMi tny artivitl I lo.ind that a con^pirii) y had henn entered into
hv the iiifinhHirt o( the i liih, their inoihfiH, wiven, dau^ht«r<i, rfnisirn and
aunm to kill me with kindnens, fur liefore I had lieen in the city n week I
had many limes been as de.ul nn a» y r.Jtroiie could be.

I have alwayH been iun<eptible to the influence «if pretty wcfrrien al-
IhouKh I (ilwayH loved a pine Irre. 'I'ho moment I rame in ' onta< t with
our or the other, a nn\i of mesmeric t>r hypnoti' intlucnt e in felt. .So i» it
any wonder that J frit an r-any vif lim to the conspiracy. Thecharrnnand
graces nt thr; ladieH of the l)eautiful (ity of HjfTalo are known the world
over, while their con^arts are only ctptallpd by the old stock (gentlemen of
the Souf'iern .Sl.ilns. I < an pay them no higher compliment than this. Th«
nixhl prcvioua to my depaiiMie the o>tf// //c j;rri( f wa» jfiven me, whif h left
me /lots lie rn>n/>iit, and like the patriarf h of old, I met my fate in i> ban-
quet hall, for at thin aftair, which took plai e in the OnesAce Palace Hotel
the piesident of the city council of IkifTalo, <i. W. I'artrd^e, Ktr^.,
in the name of the club, presented me with a superb silyer
mounted Winchester rifJe, whidi had been handsomely enj^raved.
The names of the donors, as well as my own name, wa<» in-
scribed on the side of the rifle. The twenty names represented Bufralo*!
wealthiest and most influential citizens. .Speeche» were made and to;iSts
drank. I have a ha/y idea about the toast drinking, and have been told
since that I m.ide a speech. I always denied it ; if I did it was the first
rti well as the last I ever made. After partaking of a fifteen courses and
other taxings, not to mention the toast drinkinjf, can it be expected that
any man could remember much of what he either said or did? I, how-
ever, remember the colored waiters, who were dressed in a gorgeous hvery,
even surpassing the livery worn by the valet that used to m-irch behind

'i :■

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

the Williams' kid in Haliburton. I also remember that after the toast
list had got pretty well under way my colored friend in livery had
great difficulty in making connection with a wax candle light and the end
of my cigar ; he seemed nervous, and his hand trembled and dodged
round that sometimes I thought he appeared to have several candles in
his hand. My coolness, nerve and steadiness under fire no doubt rattled
him.

Just about this time I moved up to the Georgian Bay. The
American lu 'iberman in Michigan had turned their attention to the Can-
adian pine tribitutary to the Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. The Michi-
gan pine, which is the best that ever grew on earth, was getting scarce,
and that fact was leaving many of the Michigan concerns in a bad fix, for
their large sawmills and costly outfits were dead stock on their hands un-
less they could get sawlogs to feed their sawmills. Besides, the salt works
in connection with nearly all their sawmills in the Saginaw valley could
not be continued, for the refuse of the sawmills supplied the fuel for the
salt works. So in a manne': it was a double loss to them if compelled to
shut their sawmills down. So over to Canada they came, and soon
astonished the Canadians by paying prices for standing pine that our
Canadian firms had never dreamed of, and they shook their wise heads
and said "those Americans were cracked in the brain." But I guess it
was the other way about, for the Canadians were too slow. To give the
readers an idea of the jump that took place in the price of pine, I will relate
a few sample sales : In Parry Sound district was limit which a number of
years previously had been purchased by a Canadian concern tor the sum
of seventy thousand dollars. The limit had been operated for several
years and a large amount of sawlogs removed when along came an Ameri-
can who offered the concern two hundred thousand dollars cash for their
limit alone. The salf was quickly made, for the Canadians thought they
had struck a snap. So they had, and so did Mr, American, for he went
back to Michigan and brought another American over to Canada with
him to see the snap he had got. The new comer was so delighted that he
asked his friend to name his price. " Four hundred thousand dollars,
cash," was the reply, and the sale was then and there made, and the first
American had just doubled his money in less than a year's time. He then
went to another Canadian concern and asked them how much they would
take for a slice of their large limits, and two of their sawmills. Three
quarters of a million of dollars was the price asked, and they soon got
their money. The first American again returned to Michigan and brought

more of his friends over to Canada, and during their visit he sold them
just about one half of his last purchase for nearly a million of dollars,
cash. No doubt his conscience would not permit him to unload it all
on the one party, so back again he went to Michigan and brought over
quite a number of his friends and sold out the remaining half of his last

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de 1 to them ibr something close on a million dollars cash. Whether the
Canadian Government also paid him a commission on the immigrants he
secured or not, I never heard, but they should ; for he brought over some
of the wealthiest immigrants and more of them than any immigrant agent
the Government ever employed.

The French river is the largest stream that empties into the Georgian
Bay. The huge inland lake, "Tipissing, empties itself into the French
river, and so does the great Wahnapitae river, but that river empties into
the French close to the Georgian Bay. The French liver and its tribu-
taries have the greatest quantity of virgin white and red pine on its banks
of any river in Ontario to-day. It is all in the province of Ontario, and it
.5 up that river that the Ontario Government holds the most valuable of
their unsold pine, for the , * nbutary to the French is the best average,
both in size and quality, of any that grows on the North Shore ol Georgian
Bay, but the size and quality of all the pine on the North Shore is much
inferior to the Ottawa river pine; it is also much more defective. To see
it standing in the forest is very deceiving to one accustomed to the Trent
and Ottawa river pine. A very small proportion of it is neither large
enough or of a good enough quality to make waney or square timber.
The trees are ?lso much shorter than were the trees in the Trent or
Ottawa, and they also taper much quicker. A three log average to the
tree is about all that v-:an be got, and on an average it takes ten to fifteen
of th»i logs to cut up in one thousand feet of lumber, whereas in the Trent
about six or even five logs would make a thousand feet, board measurCi
and in the Ottawa about eight logs would make the same amount.

Therefore comparatively very little board or square timber has been
taken out on the North Shore, and what was, never brought a big price.
A number of large streams empty into Lake Nipissing, the Sturgeon river
being the largest; along whose banks is a virgin forest of pine still in t.he
hands of the Ontario Goi^ernment, and that forest is the most valuable
assei the province holds to-day. The quantity of pine has never
been even estimated by the Government, so it is unknown by anyone
alive, but it must be very great.

J. R. Booth, the lumber king of the Ottawa, several years ago, with
great foresight, saw that the pine tributary to Lake Nipissing would
eventually become of great value, so he purchased immense tracts of pine
forests on its shores and tributaries for a mere song. Then he construct-
«d a railway fiom Lake Nipissing to Lake Nisbonsing, in the Mattawa
river, a tributary of the Ottawa, and the railway enables him to carry over
the logs and have them run down the Mattawa into the Ottawa, and so
get them sawed at his mills at Ottawa. The railroad is t'.jn. miles long
and is the best equipped of any piece road in Canada. About ten thous-
and pieces of saw logs ova bt put over it daily at a cost of about tHirty
cents per million feet, board measure.

UP TO DATE ; OR THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

i I

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The Holland Emory Company, of Saginaw, also built a railroad on
their Wahnapit.ie limits, for logging their large limits in that river. It
was the first log road of that kind ever built in Canada, though they had
been used to a great extent in Michig^jin, and found to be cheaper in the
end than hauling logs on sleigh^. The Holland Emory log road, includ-
ing its branches, is close on to thirty miles long. It is a narrow gauge
and they run three locomotives on it, one of which is specially constructed
and geared up so that it will-climb a grade with a load easier than an
ordinary locomotive could get up light. The log road will be of immense
service in the future for hauling out the ore of nickle, copper, gold and
other minerals so plentiful in that district, and can also be used for remov-
ing the immense quantities of birch and other unfloatable woods in that
section, and so in that way will act as a feeder to Canada's greatest high-
way, the C. r. R.

The illustration elsewhere is taken from a photograph of the largest
load of saw logs ever drawn in Canada, up to that date, on sleighs. The
load contams over fourteen thousand feet of lumber, board measure, and
it was drawn by one pair of horses a distance of four niles. Great
rivalry exists amongst shantymen as to which crew can send down to
the dump the biggest load of logs in the season. The one shown in the
illustration was hauled at one of the Holland Emory Company'.s shanties,
on their VVahnnpitae limits. The^number of pieces has since been beaten,

but I doubt if the number of feet, board measure, has. Last winter a load
of logs containing one hundred and ninety pieces were hauled at one of
C. R. Eddy's shanties, at Cartier, on the Spanish river. Frank Race was
the foreman of the shanty, and it stands as the champion load of the sea-
son of 1894-5. Of course the saw logs were of a small average size. The
snow or rather ice roads have to be in the very best condition to haul
such great loads, and it is expensive work getting a road in such prime
condition . First, all the trees have to be cut out of the way for a space
at least twenty feet wide, then the stumps have to be grubbed out and all
the stones rolled to one side, and the bed has to be graded just similar to
a railroad. Then when sufficient frost comes the snow is all shovelled or
plowed and the bedway of the road is sprinkled with water just the same
as the streets of a city are sprinkled. The water is allowed to freeze until
it becomes several inches thick with ice, after which a planer is brought
on and hauled over by a team of horses, and the ico is in that way brought
up to as fine and polished, a surface as a skating rink or even more so.
Then a groover is put on, which is also pulled with a pair of horses, and
grooves are made for the sleigh runners and the road is then ready. All
the droppings of the horses is swept ofTclean, and a sprinkler kept going
on the road often night and day. Snow storms interfere and cause a lot
of trouble, as all has to be snow-plowed off after each fall of snow. The
logs z.^^ loaded on to the sleighs by means of pulleys and a long chain,

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

and the horses pull up the logs on the sleighs. The runners of the sleighs
are as wide apart as waggon wheels, and the bunk' to hold the logs on
the 'leighs are twelve to fourteen feet wide. The teams start hauling at
four each morning— long before daylight, and torches have to be used
to give light. To see dozens of them dodging around as the men go up
and down the hills, gomg out to their work, is a weired sight, while per-
haps the thermometer i? prowling around between forty and fifty degrees
below zero. The teams often make trips of four miles or so and back for
a second load before daylight. So a shantyinan's life, either in the sh
or when river driving, is anything but a bed of roses. Accidents in the
bush are numerous, axe cuts being most plentiful. Trees falling on top of
them through the wind blowing the tree across the cut is also the cause of
many accidents. In fact it is a most dangerous life all through, and
the casualiliesare more numerous than in some wars. A knowledge of
a little surgery comes in useful to a foreman , clerk or bush superintendent,
for he will often have occasion to put it to good use, and thereby save
the life of some poor fellow, for the nearest doctor may be hundreds
of miles away, and to send the injured man out is often an impossibility.
Sunday is the only day a shantyman gets any rest and then he is often
kept busy going on a still hunt for the shantyman's ** pet insect " and
destroying enough of them so that he can sleep in peace at nights for
one week. On the river years past men used to work on Sundays
the same as week days, but of late that has been abolished by most
firms.

The Spanish River, next to the French, is the largest tribitutary to
the Georgian Bay and there is an immense quantity of uncut pine on its
banks and tribituaries. The river is over five hundred miks long, ^r.i is
one of the cheapest and quickest rivers to run logs down in Canada. There
are a number of very large lakes emptying into the Spanish, and the C^
P. R. main line runs parallel to it for over one hundred miles.

The Muskoka, Magnatewan, White Fish and Blind Rivers are the
other principal rivers that empty into the Georgian Bay, and all of them
still have immense quantity of pine on theiv banks and tribitutaries. I
lumbered and travelled a lot on all of the territory on the North Shore, but
to give the reader an idea of the quantity of the uncut pine on them would
be an impossibility. But the inroads the Americans are making into it,
vast as it is, will soon sweep it clean. Take that country all thraugh, on
an average, it will take nearly if not quite one thousand acres of territory
to cut out one million feet of sawlogs. That is, and count in the vast
territory on which the pine has all been years ago destroyed by fire. Of
course some times a million feet is cut on one hundred acres, but that is
considernd a first-class cut, and so it is. On the Trent waters I often cut
a million feet oflf fifty acres, and in Michigan some claim they have cut
two million feet of a forty acre section. But take what pine is left on the

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III

48 UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

North Shore to-day, if it cuts out one million feet to every five hundred
acres on green bush a the average is about all that can be expected
of it. ,

The rivers tribitutary to the Georgian Bay deliver the logs down to
the Bay early in the spring, and the rafting can be easily commenced in
the month of June, and is continued on through the summer months until
all the logs have been towed to the mills, at points on the north shore or
over to Michigan sawmills. The logs that go across Lake Huron to
Michigan mostly go to Bay City and Sagnaw City, but quite a number go
to their points such as Alpena and Lowas cities, and also considerable
long or dimension timber is towed right through to Tonawanda, below
Buffalo on the Niagara River. The long timber for Tonawanda market
is taken out the full length of the tree, after the tree is felled, being only
butted and topped square. Of course the long and huge trees are very
difficult to handle in the bush and river, as they often make a bad jam on
the rapids, for they take so much water to float. Very few Canadian
firms handle any of that class of timber. The reason for taking out the
tree in its full length is so that it can be towed down the great lakes more
quickly and more safely. Besides, on its arrival at the mills it can be cut
into any length of sixe of a stick required.

CHAPTER X.
LUMBERING ON'tHE GEORGIAN BAY.

The process of rafting is slow and expensive, a large augur hole being
bored near both ends of each stick and a chain usually made out of
three-quarters or one inch round iron, and about thirty feet long, is passed
through the augor holes and so on through the next stick until the chain
is all taken up. Then another chain is fastened on and the stringing con-
tinued until the raft is about one hundred feet wide ; then another cut is
strung up same as the first and of the same width and coupled on by
means of other chains to the first lot, and so on until a thousand pieces
are in the raft, care being taken not to make the raft too long or the tug
would have trouble in handling it going down the Detroit and Niagara
rivers in passing other tows of barges and vessels. The quantity of pine
taken out in the long length is comparatively small, the most desirable
length of log for the American markets are those cut sixteen feet in length —
the rafting of short logs is simple, merely consisting of enclosing from thirty

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to sixty thousand pieces of logs in booms. When the sawlogs arrive at
the Bay they are run out into store booms, and then when the big lake tug
comes with the blp booms, they are emptied into the big booms, and in a
few hours the two is ready for the big tug to proceed on her trip.

The boom sticks used for towing across the lake are about twenty to
thirty feet in length, and seldom one is less than thirty inches in diameter at
the top end ; the boom is round just as it was cut out of the pine tree. A
six inch auger is used to bore the holes through the stick, about two feet
from each end, and the sticks are then coupled together by means of a
chain, each link in the chain being made of i^ inch round iron ; the
chains are fastened together by means of a shakle, and rivited so that
they cannot work loose. About two hundred and fifty pieces are in a
string or set of booms. These booms, when placed around the outside
of the mass of floating logs, keep them together so that the logs cannot
get out into the lake— fifty or sixty thousand pieces of sawlogs covers an
area many acres in extent. Usually two powerful tugs are put on to tow
the mass, and a trip across the lakes from the Spanish or French River
to Bay City takes a week, rnd often two, if bad weather should be en-
countered, which it often is, but the blow or waves either cause no loss if
the tow has lots of sea room. The waves run mountains high and as long as
the boom does not break a chain or a stick, the logs will stick on it all
right. If the boom, however, should break or get loose, no logs to speak
of will be lost — that is if the tugs have lots of sea room, for in that case
the tugs will keep circ ling around the logs with the booms until the
storm abates, and then close the boom around them and proceed on. The
cow-boys do just the same with their cattle when they stampede ; they
ride up to the leaders and start them going in a circle and when the cattle
have run themselves out of wind probably they are only a few miles away
from the starting point. The trouble the tugs have, however, with a tow
of sawlogs IS, when the tow is perhaps only a few miles from shore, which
perhaps is a rocky one for miles out. Then the tugs use up their
coal trying to hold the tow out from the shore, and often the tow line has
to be thrown off the tug and let the logs go ashore ; and the costly set of
booms will often be smashed or cut into pieces tossing on the sharp rocks,
and the sawlogs will be piled up forty tiers deep on the rocky shore or get
away ofT down deep bays — miles away. The cost of collecting them is
great, and seldom all are got together again, and the loss to the ov/ner in
either events is enormous. '

One good feature is that seldom are any lives lost, for the tugs that tow
logs a.e both large and strong, and would weather any gale, even on the
ocean. My first two summer seasons on the Georgian Bay was spent in
towing I. down the bay or over to Bay City, but my usual luck attended
me, and I never had a bad wreck worth mentioning.

The two first seasons that I was on the Georgian Bay I was employed

UP TO DATE : OR THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

by a capitalist who resides in Toronto, and who speculates in
timber limits and sawlocrs, as well as operates limits and mills
of his own He had no practical experience in the bush part
of the timber business, so I had to attend to most of that for
him. In addition I had to look over and estimate on pine limits or saw-
log rafts he wanted to purchase on speculation. The sums involved often
ran up into very I uge figures, sometimes as high as a quarter of a million
of dollars. It was a ticklish job to decide when to buy or refuse, either a
pine limit or a lot of sawlogs. Good judgment had to be used, for if I ad-
vised against a purchase perhaps another would step in, buy and probably
make money out of it ; so refusing to purchase in doubtful cases did not
always do. However, I made some very fine bargains the first season,
and my employer made lots of money out of them. My retainer allowed
five per cent, on all deals up to one hundred thousand dollars, over that
amount a sum to be agreed upon is usually paid. But my employer
wanted the profit, commission and all. So the first year I came out in
debt. I looked on it in this way : Here is a man who knows nothing
whatever about the bush business, getting my brains and hard earned
experience for nothing, and he is reputed to be worth millions. So the
next year I got my commission from " the other fellow," and my employer
claimed he lost one hundred thousand dollars through my bad judgment.
Whether he did or not I neither know nor care, but 1 will admit this, that
I tried my best to make him lose that ".nount, and I guess I succeeded.

I then went in on my own account and did a little speculating as well
as commission business in pine limits, and made considerable money ; in
fact that was the time I should have retired from the business, for at that
time } had sufficient to have kept me in comfortable circumsta^nces the
balance of my life, with but very little exertion of any kind. However, I
.was like lots of others and did not know when I had enough. I was still
a young man, compartively sp iking, and moreover, I liked the business,
and the thought of rei.r.ig neve, entered my head. Besides I saw lots of
money ahead, close in sight, 3 .A I thought I might as well have a share
of it as any one else.

A good business was being done and lots of money was being made
those days by quite a number of bush experts, who would obtain an option
from the owner of a limit for so many days or months, and then examine
the limit and hunt up a purchaser and often make a sale in that way, and
get a commission, a lump sum, or whatever he could out of the deal and
often large sums were made m that way, for at one time nearly every one
who had lots of capital— wanted to invest it in pine limits. Those big
transactions before referred to made cap'talists, bankers and all other
kinds of capitalists wild. It was an easy way of making money and much
faster than gold money, was made even in California's most palmy days.

Of course speculators had to depend on what the bush rangers re-

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

ported as to the value or quantity of pine on the limits they were proposing
to invest in. The tern> *' timber limits," is used when speaking of a berth
or territory of any area ; no particular meaning attaches to it to indicate
its size, value or quantity of pine upon it. On the North Shore all the
townships that have been surveyed are laid out m mile square sections,
and thirty-six of them are called a township, but the township maybe
devided into a hc:f a dozen or more timber berths, or it may be sold in
one berth or block or a number of townships may ht termed a timber
berth or limit. Just the same as a raft of timber or drive ot sawlogs may
only contain one hundred pieces or it may contain one hundred thousand,
so the term timber berth and limii is very indefinite. Sometimes a
speculator, and often an old time lumbermen, gets badly taken in as the
value of the limit or quantity of pine on it may have been greatly exagger-
ated by the bush ranger— sometimes through ignorance and sometimes
wilfully, for the speculator or lumberman would seldom go to see the
limits himself, and even if he did he would not know any more after
seeing the hmit than he did before. Many lumbermen doing a large
business know nothing whatever about the bush or about estimating pine,
so the opportunities were plentiful for a good and well known bush ranger
to pick up ten or twenty thousand dollars at one crack, and even much
more has often been paid to get the bush ranger to over-estimate the ,
quantity of pine on a limit. Ten or twenty thousand dollars is a large
bribe, and it will tempt many a man. Even aldermen in the good city
of Toronto I notice were not proof against bribes of even a far less amount
than many a poor man is offered away back in the bush, where there is no
church influence to keep him on the right path. So if an Alderman is
tempted and falls right under the shadow of a big church, is it any wonder
that the untutured bush ranger falls occassionally, away back in the bush.
Seldom will two bush rangers agree as to the quantity of pine on a
limit ; one is just as willing to swear there is only perhaps ten million feet
on a particular limit as the other is twenty million. So it must be very
perplexing for a judge in lumber suits to decide in many cases what pro-
bably involves hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I will mention one particular trial a few years ago in Toronto — in
which great interests were involved and on which there was the best legal
talent of the day — Sir Oliver Mowat, the Blakes, Messrs. Osier, F ill,
Meredith and a host of others, and witnesses by the hundred and many of
them the best experts in Canada. In giving their evidence — the experts
were about divided ; some swore there was only about seventy or eighty
millions, others that there were over one hundred and fifty million feet on
the limits in question. I was a witness on the case. The limit has since
cut out nearly one hundred million feet and there is still claimed to be on
it over one hundred million still to be cut, and the lawsuit at the
time settled the limit to be worth three hundred and fifty thousand dollars,

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and six years later, after seventy-five million feet had been cut and re*
moved the owners sold it to the present holders for two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars.

My evidence given in that case, as can be seen by the records of the
court to-day, was that there was one hundred and fifty million feet on the
limit, and that it was worth four hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
I was the first witness put in the box that put a value on the limit. The
experts on the other side only had been heard, and the highest quantity
any one of them placed on it was ninety million feet, I was kept in the
box foi half a day, lawyers tried hard to " break me up." They succeeded
in wea> ing me but utterly failed to break my evidence. Few that day
thought I was right. One Peterborough man especially so, but he usually
did his bush ranging with a pair of horses driving around the streets of
Peterborough.

One day when I was at KiJd's Landing on the French River the third
or fourth year I had been up in the Georgian Bay District, I received a
despatch from Mr. Kirwin, then of Peterborough, stating that he would
like me to come down to Peterborough as soon as possible, as he wished
to see me on very urgent business. I knew Mr. Kirwin by reputation,
and also had met him a few times. He had not been living in Peterborough
very long but had been there long enough for the concern I had worked
with for so many years to unload their old sawmills and cull limits on to
him, and as he was one of the old sticks from the country '* don't you know,"
they had made him believe that it only took a few years for a new lot of
pine trees to grow up, and I had heard that he was getting very impatient
about the slow growth the pine was making especially on the Enghsh
Company's nine townships which had also been unloaded on to him. A few
days later I arrived in Peterborough. Mr. Kirwin's carriage and pair
awaited my arrival at the station to drive me up to his mansion. As I
stepped into the carriage I could not help but contrast the present with the
time I had once arrived at the same station, curled up m the corner of a
box car, on my return from that first trip to the city of Rochester.

As I drove up to the mansion Mr. Kirwin was standing on the steps
to receive me. He grasped my hand, shook it and said he knew the "old
guard " would never forsake each other. I answered that I was not one
of the deserting kind. After partaking of dinner we adjourned to the
library. Mr. Kirwin was prefuse in kind inquiries as \o how I had suc-
ceeded during the past three years or so. A decanter was produced, also a
bottle labeled " dream medicine," and we were soon discussing the merits
fof the two. Past experiences were related and an occasional poke in the ribs
rom Mr. Kirwin assisted in relieving the monotony as we chatted about
scenes and incidents in days gone by. The " dream medicine " so"ii
made Mr. Kirwin sentimental, and he wandered off on one of his pet
hobbies, two of which are history making, and hypnotism, for he always

:i_:

:ut and re-
d and fifty

)rds of the
Feet on the
id dollars,
mit. The
it quantity
:ept in the
succeeded
V that day
he usually
streets of

r the third
received a
he would
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eputation,
jrborough
,d worked
nits on to
)u know,"
lew lot of
impatient
t English
n. A. few
and pair
)n. As I
t Hith the
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r.

the steps
the "old
3 not one
id to the
had suc-
:d, also a
Je merits
1 the ribs
ed about
e" so"ii
>f his pet
e always

■■':*f"-.

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\-.

"Ted" Cavanagh. '
(A friend in need is a friend indeed. )

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE CF A LUMBERMAN

claimed he had mesmeric powers, and often he would be very amusing
when tryin}? to perform. This particular evening history making appear-
ed to be his forte, and he claimed we were both making history. Little
did he think at the time that I would be the man who would prepare this
particular portion of it for the world. Living pictures was a fertile subject
for discussion, and although I was not much on history I could study it
for hours at a time when talking to my friend, and the nearer we got to
mother Eve in the garden of Ed^n the better I understood and enjoyed
it.

CHAPTER XL

MR. KIRWIN'S DREAM MEDICINE.

As the evening began to wane Mr. Kirwin began to wane with it,
and I also knew that if I partook of much more of that *' dream medicine"
I would net be able ta disern the difference between an ancient Egyptian
mummy and a living picture. Mr. Kirwin, however, had not as yet touched
on the subject of why he had sent for me, or vyhat he wanted to see me
about, and I gave him a littl'-. hint to that eftecc He then began in his
own peculiar style to tell me that he had given the great only Ratbun
Company as he termed it, an option on all his property, including saw-
mills, limits and plant, and he had hoped to realize sufficient from the sale,
over and above what he owed a certain bank, a sufficient sum to enable
him to spend the balance ot his days in ease and comfort. The Ratbun
Company, he said, had sent up bush rangers to examine his limits and
other property, and they had sent down unfavorable reports. They couid
not find any pine. I remarked that I did not expect any one could find
pine on his limits unless they wore gold rimmed spectacles. Pine trees,
I said, were very slow of growth, and as many years previously I and
others had cut and removed all that was large enough or any good on
that territory, I did not think the new crop of pine could have grown tall
enough to be seen by the naked eye.

The conference between us lasted away on into the night, when we
retired, afler taking another dose of dream medicine.

Next morning when I awoke I found myself in bed in a well furnished
room. After dressing I took out my compass, set it, then took a squint
at the sun, which was away up. I then took my bearings and made my
calculations and discovered what Mr. Kirwin wanted me to do.

I !

nt* to DAtE : OR, THE T.IPK OF A f-UMRERMAN

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The next night I was in Haliburton and stayed around the village
for a few days when I " tested " the eye sight of a number of the Raftbun
Company's bush rangers. Then I returned to Toronto where I met and
reported to Mr. Kerwin, that the Raftburn Company's men did not need
any " gold rnnmed spectacles." They coiild see only too well with the
naked eye. Mr. Kirwin and I put in a day or so together at the Queen's
Hotel in the city, part of the time being spent in a large building on King
street, where " ^jold rimmed spectacles " are handled wholesale. The
tirst night I v/^s in the city I had a dream which I thought would interest
Mr. Kirwin, so I related it to hiin. I knew he was a good hand to inter-
pret dreams that had money therein for ^imself. I said that I had
dreamed that a number of my ("fCorgian Bay friends who were expert
bush rangers, and myself had arrainged to have a nice little hunting and
fishing party. We decided to go back to Haliburton and have our hunt
on the English L.md Company's townships. When we arrived at the
hunting grounds, I v as struck with a remarkable number of standing pine
trees — in fact the pine forests had just the same appearance and the pine
trees looked to be quite as numerous as they d;d when I first saw the bush
a quarter of a century before, 1 drew my companions' attention to the
great mimber of pine trees visible ; they looked in every direction bin not
a pine tree could they see. Still I persisted — 1 could see thousands of
them. They laughed and said I had partaken too much " dream
medicine." Some of them said if they had " gold rimmed spectacles "
they then might see the pine trees that were visible to me. We then all
partook of a little more dream medicine, and I produced a few sample
spectacles and told them the house I represented had car loads more of
the same kind. My friends put on the spectacles mstantly. A great
change came over their eyesight. They then claimed that they could see
great number of pine trees in every direction, of the largest size and the
best quality. I then got them to sign their names to documents on which
I Jiad written an account and description of the -emarkable occurence, for
I was afraid unless it was written down and kept track of neither myself
or any one else would ever be able to find them again, neither would any
one believe our story unless we could show papers for it. Shortly after we
broke up our camp, and in my dream I thought I came to Peterborough
and gave Mr. Kerwin a copy of the documents which my comrades had
signed. Mr. Kirwin was very pleased to get the papers, and made me a
present of a trunk full of gold rimmed spectacles. This was the dream
i related to Mr. Kirwin, who, for a wonder, sat very quietly and listened
attentively all the time. He said he did not think there was anything
remarkable about my dream, for he said he would make my dream come
true.

Mr. Kirwin said he also had a dream during the night just past which
he would relate to me. He said he dreamed that the United States de-

UP TO DATE ; OK, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

'91

dared war against Canada with the avowed intention of annexing us.
Great Britian at once came to Cf""-' .'s assistance, and the war had only
been a short time in progress when the Southern St-ics again sccceded
from the union. The French in the I'rovince of Quebec and in Manitoba
had simultaneously decided to throw in their lot with the Northern States.
This action of the different States and I'rovinres tangled matters up so
badly that soon it was impossible to tell which was which, or what they
were fighting for or about, and to miikc the confussiou still worse the
Anarchists took a hand in and (ominenccd to slaughter indiscriminately
on all sides, sparing none. From Quebec to New Orleans the Anarchists
made great havoc and slaughter. There was a terrible time , it was a
war which if allowed to go on, meant extermination. Such awful carnage
had never been known in the history of the world. Europe and the rest
of the world looked on in amazement and horror ; what to do no Plmperor,
King or people appeared to know. Fortunately, when things were .it
their worst the Prince of Wales thought of the great power invested in
him as Supreme Grand Master of the Masonic Order. Me immediately
caused sumtnons to be sent all over the world to the Deputy (irand Mas-
ters to attend a convention or Grand Chapter to be held in the city of
Jersualem. Emperors, Kmgs, Presidents and all the Deputy Oand
Masters and their exalted Sir Knights companions from all nations on
earth, obeyed the summons, including great men from the States and
provinces of North America. Never before — not even the olden days
had a more noble or a more magnificent gathering taken place within
the ancient walls of Jerusalem. The third day in which the Grand Chapter
bad been in session, at high noon that day, a great shout of rejoicing was
heard proceeding from the temple by the anxious multitude who surround-
ed the building, and word was passed out to the multitude t^at the lost
key stone bearing the mark of King Hiram of Aby had been found by the
Prince of Wales. Word was instantly flashed all over the world, and the
slaughter in America at once stopped as if done by magic ; all was turned
into rejoicing, for the great problem had been solved ; there would be no
more wars. The Masonic Grand Chapters or Councils would in future
settle all disputes and differences between nations.

During the war in America most of the fighting and slaughter had
been done in Canada, and where to bury the millions of slain so hopelessly
mixed up no one appeared to know. The matter was eventually settled
by the representatives of the parties concerned, who decided that a terri-
tory should be selected for an international cemetery in which to bury all
the slain, and the English Land Company's nine townships were finally
selected, and Mr. Kirwin thereby realized one and a quarter million dol-
lars for those lands. That was Mr. Kirwin's dream, as related it to me.

When I had somewhat recovered from the amazement which the
recital of Mr. Kirwin's dream had caused, I asked him if he had taken

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UP TO DATF ; OR, IHE UFK OF A l.UMHirUMAN

i.-r

nny pntt in tlip fi>,'IUinK. Hfi replie»1 lliat he had not but he hud left me
lo .'ittend (() Ihrtl. I also inijuireil if in his dream he iii>ti(ccl wheiher
or n»i I had iiil any (i^jmc in the war. He answered thai ihore was a lot
of noise n\ade abonl me -sometimes good, often bad reports were spread
broadcast abou* me ; but at the close of the war 1 rctnrned, hioking
yoMnger and fresher than ever, and everybody was rejoii cd to see me,
for n>any beard that I had been slain, but aUhouKh I had been badly
woundeil sovor.d times, J never ^ave np the ghost, but fought through it
all. Sometimes, I staiil side by siue with the Hritisli, l)ut the ficrrest
battles tliat 1 fought in were in the Southern States, in the ranks of the
brave Southerners.

Mr. Kerwin asked me if I thought his ilream would come true. I
replied tliat it all «lepended dn the Americans, or what they did. Mr.
Kirwin repliCvl ihat the Yankees were fools enough to do or buy anything,

My dream, sure enough, came true a sboit time afterwards, Un a few
days livi CI I vollected together those expert bush rangers mentioned in
my dream, and took them to Maliburlon, where we fomul that the pine
ow the V'nglish Land Company's townships had grown marvellously, and
the feat we pci formed on that trip can onlv be compared to the miracles
of the loaves and (ishes, and if anything outdid it.

On my return from that trip I gave Mr. Kirwin copies of the reports
and estimates whi« h I had received from the twelve expert bush rangers
who were on that trip with me. The expedition cost a heap of money —
thousand of dollars.

Mr. Knwin bad the esiunales, reports and notes all type written
and put vnto book form, and 1 wrote an introduction to it) an epistle to
the Hom.^ns or rather Y.mkees it .night be termed.) The book, when
finished, had a neat and respectable appearance, but its size n\ade it only
an ot^ice or library book, so Mr. Kirwin, or someone else, later on, had an
abstract of it printed in phampiet form aiui bound with nice red cover
viMth .in " Ode to Ualibunon," printed on the back cover. The effect that
Ode had on me the first tone I read ii will be described later on.

>J -J

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMHERMAN

CHAl'TER XII.

I BEGAN Business ior myself

!l'

A few weeks later while sitting in a Toronto hotel, I noticed an adver-
tisement of the Ontario Government a certain tract of pine, situated in
Als^nma territory, on waters tributary to the Spanish river. It don't
matter which newspaper it was that I was reading -^hcy are all good--
—for Toronto has I think the best newspapers, and more of them, of any
city of its size on size. This fact accounts for the remarkable intelligence
of its inhabitants. The advertisement referred to announced that lenders
would l)c received by the Department of Crown Lands for the above
limits up to noon of Thursday, the 15th of October, 1H91, or about three
months subsequent to the day that I first read the advertisement.

A bush fire had that summer run through. the district offered for sale,
and had more or less damaged the pine. The trees damaged would have
to be cut and watered the ensuing winter, or they would be worthless.
Almost inmiediately, or at the fartheresl a few weeks after a pine tree has
received a scorching the borer worm will develop itself within the bark of
the tree, and at once proceed to cut its way into the tree. The hole the
worm makes is fully a (|uarter of an inch m diameter, and the worm will
fairly honey comb the timber, but rarely ever in a straight line. It bores
out a tunnel through the tree in any direction that may suit it, but never
" back tracks," and probably there will be hundreds of worms boring in
the same tree. They are tireless workers, for they can be distinctly heard
night or day boring or chewing away, so loud as to prevent the men from
sleeping in a shanty, and others as well as myself have cursed the great
pest at nights when they would keep us awake with the noise they make,
boring the wall logs of a shanty. A borer worm is just about one inch in
length, and has a machin« on each end like an augur gimlet, and the
sawdust drops out of the hole just the same as it does out of a hole bored
by gimlet. The wo^m always keeps an upward course, so that the saw-
dust he makes will drop out of the hole of its own accord, and the sawdust
will often be several inches deep at the base of the tree. They never leave
the tree until it loses its sap substance, and is virtually dead. Where they
then go or what becomes of the worm I never heard. The worm leaves
the tree practically useless for lumber, firewood usually being all the greater
part of it can be used for. Occassionally a section off the but end of the
tree can be saved. If the tree is cut up into short sections more or less

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

can be used fo>- shingles. A very slight burn, or even this tops of the tree
slightly singed, often kills it. A pine tree may perhaps show only very
slight trace of a burn, and yet will eveniuously die ; but if the tree lives
through the second year the chances are it may recover, but occasionally
a tree will live until the third or even the fourth year and then die.

The borer worm only attacks trees that will die. There i? no preven-
tive known or even will be ; the borer worm comes too quickly, and are
too numerous, and gets -it its work too rapidly after the fire.

The pine in the territory advertised for sale could not be disposed of
in the usual way, not only because it was on lands that were unsurveyed,
but also because the quantity of pine could not be estimated. As the
government only desired to sell the pine dap"\ged by fire in the territory,
and for reasons that I have given no one could then tell what that quantity
was. Therefore, the damaged pine was to be cut under the supervision of
an inspector, appointed by the government, and the pine was to be paid
as cut and removed. The pine was to be alloted to the highest bidder
and no bonus was to be paid down at the time of sale, but bonds were to
be given as security for the faithful carrying out ol the terms and con-
ditions of sale. In fact the sale was similar to the way the English Land
Company had disposed of their pine. Maps or plans showing approxi-
mately only the territory that the fire was supposed to have run over, were
supplied by the department free, I read the advertisement several times,
for it set me thinking. I had been through the territory where the burn
had occurred a couple of years before. After carefully reading apd re-
reading the advertisement, I took a short walk and a little " dream medi-
cine," then I read the advertisement again took another walk and more
dream medicine, and so on for the balance of the afternoon and evening.

The next night I boarded the '* Winnepeg express," at the Union
Station, and was soon been whirled along toward Algoma and " the burnt
pine district." On the same train I noticed there were also quite a num-
ber of other lumbermen, who, I found out, were heading for the same
territory. On my arrival at my destination a few days later I found there
were hundreds of bush rangers looking over the burnt district, and more
were arriving nearly every day, the men came from many parts of Can-
ada and the United States, for the territory to be sold was hundreds of
miles in extent, reaching from Sudbury West, on the mail line of the C.
P. R., a distance of over one hut^fired miles, and extending back on
the north s de of the C. P. R., in some places close intoonehundred miles on
on the south side of the C.P. R. The fire had not done so much damage of
course ; there were many places in the forest which the fire had not touched
at all — some p aces only slightly and others badly burnt.

Report at the time said the fires originated through the carelessness
of mineral prospectors ; other attributed them to locomotives of the C. P.
R., and a few openly declared that the limits were set on fire, and that

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

Michigan lumbermen who had run short of pine in their own country
were the instigators, their object being to force the Ontario Government
to put the pine on the market. In my opinion, formed on what 1 learned
at the time and subsequently, I think if the blame if divided about equally
among the three before mentioned causes, would be right. Anyhow, I
was not up there to investigate the cause ol" the fire, but I can truly scy I
felt sad and sorry to see the magnificent pine forests so ruthlessly destroyed,
and so much of Ontario's inheritance wiped out, for I had not travelled
many days before I could plainly see that the fire ment a loss of many
millions of dollars to the people, and I felt that I ought not only for my
own but also for the people of Ontario's sake, to try and secure a large
tract of that burnt district, and thereby save all possible and make the
most out of the calamity. But how to make sure of getting a slice of that
territory I had been figuring in my mind ever since I had first read the
advertisement in the newspaper

My past experience had taught me that right in that very burnt pine
district there was a fortune awaiting me if I could only find the key, or
get the right combination. I reasoned with myself abou this way :
" George," thought I, "you knew for many years past that Sir Oli/er was a
dear, good man, yet you neyer gave him a vote ; more, on every occasion
you went out of your way to try to put the G. O. M. out in the cold, so
now you must abide the consequence."

However, after getting a sufficient idea of the burnt pine timber
district, so as to unable me to put in a tender on one or two of the best
berths, I returned to the city and inquired of a friend of mine if he knew
where I could find a few hungry politicians who had a good strong " pull "
on the Ontario Government. My friend instantly replied that he knew
of no place that contained a more hungry crowd of politicians than did the
town of Lindsay. That was all I wanted to know. I packed a few samples
of golden spectacles into my grip and boarded the *^rst trai-. for that
town.

On my arrival there I had no difficulty in finding quite a number
who were only too willing to wear my golden spectacles. I finally selected
three of the hungriest oui of the mud puddle, and induced them to come
up to the city with me. The most voracious of the three was the smallest
of the lot; his initials were not "O. J." though he writes— " D. C." — I
mean *' Q. C." after his name.

A brother of his got possession \of some of my gold rimmed
spectacles, and he could see objects so far away that he struck
out to find what the objects were, and has never since returned. It is
astonishing what distances some people can travel after they get the
spectacles. " O. J." had an idea that the boots of the late Hon. C. Fraser
would just fit him.

The second of the trio, an ex-M.P., whose initials are not N. T.

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

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thought he would look well as Minister of Militia when the Hon. W.
Laurier became Premier of Canada.

The third and hiKhest wolf of the catch had an idea that his influence
and " weight " wouKl send up or down either the Dominion or Ontario
Governments which ever way he chose. His initials are not B. T. G.
As regards his weight in avt;;rdipois, probably he was right, but his upper
works are just as shallow and light accordingly as his abdomen was big
and heavy, and he always took more pains and trouble to feed the last
than he did the first mentioned part of his body.

I thitik the reader will agree with, me that I made a big
"catch" in short a time. I had secured a prospective Mmister of Militia,
a proseective Minister of Public Works, and (in his mind) so great a man
'that he thought he carried the balance of power of two Governments. To
where his ambition soared I never learned, but it could not be less than
the Governor Generalship.

"George, my boy," I thought, "you are getting away up the tree where,
at your beck and call, you can catch when you wish big fry. Be
careful," I said ; "even Nnpoleon got a tumble."

The day following my arrival in Toronto, was the last one on which
the department would receive tenders for " the Burnt River district," I
knew if a tender could be put in and the space left blank where the "ice
offered per thoufc.nd should have been written, after all the other t '•s
had been opened, and some one wearing my gold rimmed spe «i
would write in the figures a couple of cents or so over the highest bid, my
show would be good. My past experience taught me that the price offered
or stated would cut no figure in the deal ; that could be arranged later to
suit one's self by means of log scalers and so forth, {a la vwde Taylor and
the English Land Company's deals.) That was my little scheme. Just
get possession of a slice of the territory at any price, then I knew the rest
could be easily arranged, and I would pull out of the deal at least one
hundred thousand dollars ahead. That was the sum I knew I could make
out of itjf my little scheme worked all right. My reputation as an eye-
opener was noised about more than I was aware of, and I soon discovered
that I had climbed up a tree which was difficult to hold on, and wearing
on me to do so. Night and day I had tocling and fight for dear life, and I
knew the least slip I would fall and crash right into the pack of wolves
. waiting at the foot of the tree. The wolves knew that it was only a case
of waiting and watching, for their howls had brought a drove of buz.^ards
around my head, and were fast blinding me with their dirt.

My tender for the burnt timber was not accepted, but one of the three
who had come up with me from Lindsay was, however, awarded a piece of
the territory, although until the day he came up with me, he did not even
know anything about the sale taking place, for he was not a lumberman
or a speculator either, for he had not a dollar to do either. Whether it

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A I.UMBERrtlAN

was case of giving me the double cross I leave my readers to form their
own opinion. Howe\ er, to say the least, it was a remarkable coincidence
that a person who did not see the territory or know nothing whatever
about lumbering could make such a clean guess figure of just two cents
per thousand higher, so as to take the limit .tt the next highest bid
mad'j by a very shrewd Ottawa river lumberman. I claim it was more
than by chance — it was anothe'- " miracle." Shortly afterwards the whole
Lindsay party referred to, along with another one and myself, then formed
a partnership firm to operate the limits, I to have a third interest and
be general manager. The name of the firm was not Thompson and Com-
pany of Pogamasing, Spanish River, C. P. R. We at once put in a large
force of men and took out an immense quantity of sawlogs and long
dimension timber the first season.

Our drive got down to the storing boom at the Georgian Bay early
iD the month of June, and then trouble began, for the Company which
had secured the charte** to start all logs and timber coming down the
Spanish River were unprepared to handle with any despatch the enor-
mous output of timber and sawlog.s sent down the Spanish River that
season by the twenty or so firms, operating on it. Most of the firms were
American concerns, and 1 soon saw that our logs arJ tin.ber could not
be got out of the river in time to get them over to Bay '.Aiy that season,
and that fact caused me a 'ot of worry along with what I had been having
for months previous, in connection with losses I had sustained in some
other speculations I was interested in. Besides, there was great friction
among the partners of the firm ; each one appeared to want to grab all, and
it was a case of " do up " all around. Professional politicians are usually
a cold blooded lot, are always desperately hungry for money, and most of
them care but little how they gel it. Of course I was blamed by all, and
all the disgrace heaped on me, and that was all i got out of the steal —
and ** up to date," in a concern of nearly half a dozen parties, not one will
speak to another ; all are on bad terms, and ail are at law with each other.
More than half a dozen law suits have been aii£.4dy tried to. settle mat-
ters in connection with the firm, and several suits are still in court and
more to be entered. So our firm was composed of a lot cf most uncon-
'genial fellows ; each one; thought he knew more and could handle the
business better than the other fellow, but any work to be done was left to
me. The limit we secured was a very large one, and on it was an im-
mense quantity of pine of the best quality of any on the Spanish River,
and it was the easiest limit to operate of any I have worked. No less
than four stations of the C. P. R. were located on the territory, for the
main track jof that road run through the limit. The Spanish River and
• Lake Pgoamasmg gave us a great water front, so that our timber could
be hauled to water or to railroad at a "ery small cost, and the toll collect-
ei for driving our logs down the river to the Georgian Bay was only 35c

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per thousand, board measure, the driving on the Spanish being done by
a company formed for that purpose. Our limit was up the liver fully
two hundred miles by water from the Bay, and we were the first to put
loj^s or timber in the river as far up it as our limits were situated, and logs
could be watered on it easily for two dollars and seventy-five cents per
thousand leet. We paid our log contractors three dollars per thousand
for taking out the logs. The price we were paying the Ontario Govern-
ment was $3.17 per thousand board measure for the pine, so the logs cost
just about $6.50 per thousand feet, delivered out into the Georgian Bay,
where there was a ready market for such good quality logs at from ten
to twelve dollars per thousand feet — or a profit or margin of fully five
dollars per thousand — which is an exceedingly large profit. The members
our firm would each made a small fortune in quick time, if unity had
prevailed, but the only thing common amongst the heads of our concern
in which all appeared to agree in, was to drink all the whiskey obtainable.
Along about the first of the month of July of 1892 I got so worried that I
could not sleep, eat or do any busines. My enemies also pursued me
most relentlessly. Some of them accused me of forgery, others of perjury
and all agreed I was a robber, and the foremost to put out these reports
broad cast in the world, was the man who, more than all others, had
taught me to be a scoundrel if scoundrel I was, and he was also the one
who had derived the most benefit of all the stealing I had done all my
life, and several of the loudest of the others at the very same time were
only crying " thief " on me to draw attention off themselves, while they
were robbing me and grabbing up my wealth and property among them.
All of them ever since with no one exception have been fighting each other
in the law courts over my property and " up to date " are still at it. A*
worthy lot, indeed to knife and then denounce me to the world. If they
had been honest men I would not say or write a word concerning it, for
probably I was guilty and deserved the scorn of all honest men ; but when
my confederates in my rascality were about the only ones who did scorn
and denounce me, and did it to clean their own dirty skirts by making
mine blacker, then I say it is time for me to at least give my version of it,
for there is always two sides to a story. The one side in this case, has
often been well told by quite a number, and I, for the first time, am trying
to tell mme in " Up to DatCi" I of course had no show or chanceagainst
the number of accomplished gentlemen (?) who banded and worked to-
gether in union to accomplish my ruin and downfall. Singled out I could
have held my own with any two or three of them, and came out an easy
victor. They would never give me an open chance to face them in any
way, but took the Judas way of causing my ruin and downfall. They
actully bolt to the other side if they meet me on the street. When my
illness took me down in the summer of 1892, then the scramble began
^mong them as to who should have my property, and it is as I have

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

said, going on yet. Never for an instant did .iny of them think I would
ever return on the scene, for towards the latter part of the summer of the
year referred to, the report was that I had gone hopelessly insane.

I saw my wealth and my property disappear as fast as snow in the
July sun, until nothing was left to me but a name that 1 had disgraced
and was ashamed to hand down to my children.

CHAPTER XIII.

MY MENTAL TROUBIES BEGIN,

The agony and mental torture I suffered that summer no pen can
describe. Bodily pain, or even torture, is nothing compared to mental
anguish, for it is hell itself. It was so exquisiiively so that is utterly
impossible for me even to attempt to describe it. The readers has only to
think for a few moments and bring to iiis recollection some of the terrible
deeds done by insane people. Hell has no terror to one suffering as 1
suffered ; it would be a welcome change day or night. In palace or hut,
food, rainment, wealth, kindred or friends, all are nothing to an insane
person. Sleep and even tears were denied me, the horrible feeling never
stopped a moment, and I was allowed to wander around ; phiscally as well
as mentally I was a hopeless reck, ould not longer bear my sufferings,
so I headed down South for New Orleans. I got as far as the city of
Pencaio, when my cash was all gone. I then wandered up into Alabama,
trying to find some of my old war comrades.

All the time I suffered the most terrible agony, bein^, lunted as I
imagined, by demons, till my sufferings got so unbearable I could no longer
endure them, so I determined to find the battlefield my father had been
slain on and on it end my days. I knew the penalty a self-murderer is
said to be doomed to, but I knew my sufferings could be no worse in the
next world ; anyhow I was ready to face it and take chances.

I got up to Flomington junction, on the Louisville and Nashville
railroad, in Florida, then wandered up the railtoad, into Alabama, and for
the first time in all my sufferings and wanderings I thought of praying to
God, but not a prayer could I thmk of, or could my lips form one, no
matter how I tried. I iraagined the devil and his imps were present all
the time mocking me. In my wanderings one day I met the son of an
old Southern planter, and he took me to his home. Strange to rels»te
their family name was Thompson. The family consisted of the old s^ntle-
man, who had been an officer in the Southern army, the wife of ' he son I

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have just mentioned, and one little child, and another little one was soon
expected. The old geptleman felt sad and lonely, for not long before his
wife had died ; he had also lost some sons in war. He thought they had
been slain, for he had not heard of them sence the war. The old gentle-
man and I had quite a numbei of long chats, and we both talked as if we
were tired of life — in fact I told him I should end mine. I staid with the
Thompson family several days ; they were very kmd to me. I imagined
there was demons' secreted in the house or in the bush surrounding the
house. One Saturday evening, just about dark, I could hear the demons
talking and closing in on >.he house. I rushed out of the back door and
ran into the bush pursued by the demons. I circled back to the house and
the Thompsons would not allow me to enter, but threatened to shoot me if
did not make off, for no doubt I had given the lady of the house quite a
fright which in her condition was a serious matter. I then run for the
railroad track, which was only a short distance away, and as I ran I could
hear shots from a revolver or rifie close to my ear. When I reached the
tvack I ran up towards Pollard. I soon met a heavy freight train slowly
climbing the steep grade ; the engine and train appeared lo me to be
manned by hundreds of demons, and there also appeart i to be hundreds
of demons following me on the track and in the bush on each side of the
track, Death was my fate, they yelled, and hell my doom. There was
no escape. I tried to pray, and then laid down and placed my neck across
the rail with my back to the approaching train. Slowly I could hear it
until I knew it could be only a few feet away. I lay there and did not at-
tempt to move, but kept repeating all I could remember of the Lord's
' Prayer and the Hail Mary. The locomotive struck me and rolled me off
into the ditch and the train passed on. I then stood up on my feet and
I could feel the blood tickling down my face. I took out my handkerchief*
wiped the blood out of my eyes, then threw off my hat and coat (which
were found there by the young Mr, Thompson the next morning.) I then
ran into the bush still pursued by the demons. I ran through water, swamp
— everything— nothini; stopped me, and after I had ran quite a distance
came to a number of houses which were inhabited by negroes. I knocked
at several of the doors and asked to be taken m, but they appeared to be
nearly frightened to death when the light would flash on me, and they
got a look at me. None would allow me to enter. I then ran up the
street, or rather lane, and came to a sawmill which I entered. The night
watch drove me out. I then continued on up the road, which brought
me back to the L. N. N. Railway track, having made a half circle of what
size I do not know. There was a hut at the crossing and a negro and
his wife lived in it. I rushed in and begged them to let me remain all
night ; they refused, but allowed me to remain a few hours, when just
about midnight they made me go. I then headed down the track towards
Flomington Junction. The negro, before he closed the door, shouted to

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me to look out, that an express train was approaching. I paid no attention
to his warning, but kept right on, walking in the center of the single track.
I could plainly hear the train thundering along as it was overtaking me,
and had lots of time to get out of its way. I had no intention of doing
so, however, but walked right on in the centes of the rails ahead of the
fast approaching train. I crossed myself and kept on repeating the Hail
Mary, and the Lord's Prayer, or at least all I could remember of either.
The train was fast getting closer to me, but 1 walked straight on and kept
on praying and crossing myself, and then there came a blank.

The next that I have any distinct recollection of was being in Doctor
William McAdory's house in the village of Pollard, Alabama, and I
was informed that I had been found on Sunday morning about two weeks
previously two miles down the railroad from Pollard, and that I was more
or less smashed up when discovered. A large pool of blood had run out
of my mouth, and blood was still trinkling from mouth, ears, nose and
eyes when found. Dr. McAdory, like the good Samaritan of old, had
taken me in and, along with his good wife, had nursed me and brought
me around. This gentleman and his young, beautiful and talented wife
were very kind to me, as also was Mrs. McAdory's father, who was a
brother mason. He had been an officer in the Confederate army and so
had Dr. McAdory. The merchants and all the people of the village
treated me very kindly.

There are two or three sawmills close to Pollard, and it is quite a
thriving village. I know my reader will probably say that the two
attempts at suicide just described could not have occurred without being
fatal. I admit that, even to myself, it seems an improbability ; nevertheless,
even at the risk of being still called insane, I say it is the truth. I have
described and told it just as it occurred to me ; my remembrance of that
night is too vivid to ever forget it. I wish I could. I give the names of
people living in Pollard, and if the reader wishes to verify the assertions
I have made it can easily be done. The Post Office officials, the station
agent, the Thompson family, or Mrs. Dr. McAdory would no doubt
cheerfully give the reader further information and verify every word of
the above. My escape from "death that night, to say the least, was truly
marvellous, and I ascribe it to the intercession of the most blessed and
Holy Virgin Mary with her Son our Redeamer and Saviour. A few
months ago when I was baptized and admitted into the Holy Roman
Catholic Church I took Joseph for my second name, in honor of my
Patron Saint, and there is no man living today who repeats the Hail
Mary and the Lord's Prayer with greater devotion than I do, and even
will as long as I live.

Dr. McAdory was a devout Roman Catholic ; his wife is a Protestant.
I remained several weeks with the Dr. and his family. I became very
much attached to them. The Dr. would often take me out driving when

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visiting his patients, and he got me to tell him my history. He had fought
all through the war, and said he distinctly remembered my father, was
fairly well acquainted with him, and had received letters from him on
which their was a crest and motto, which, being of a curious design, he
remembered He told me what the crest and motto was, for he said by
them I could no doubt trace up my father^s family.

The Dr. made m" promise never again to attempt suicide. I gave
him the promise, and it will be well kept, for never again will I attempt
to take my life. The Dr. also advised me to go back to Canada, settle up
my affairs, then come back and settle down in Alabama.

CHAPTER XIV.

MY MENTAL SUFFERINGS CONTINUE.

After a stay of nearly two months duration with Dr. McAdory and
his family I made foi Canada. On my arrival in Ontario I found my old
friends, Messrs. McCormack, McCloud, Cansual, Shepherd, Symington,
Anderson and William Irvin, of Peterborough, had formed themselves
into a powerful syndicate of sawlog contractors or jobbers, and that season
were taking out close on to two hundred million feet of sawlogs on the
Muskoka, French and Wahanapitae rivers for several American com-
panies. On the invitation of one of the members of the syndicate I went
up to their headquarter shanty, at Wahnapitae, for a visit, for I was still
very weak. I thought a trip to the pine bush would help to recruit my
exhausted energies. I remained there a few weeks,^ and again the desire
to commit suicide seized me. Day or night my thoughts were ever on
suicide, and my struggles against it were terrible. After I got through my
visit with them I made an engagement with Davidson and Hay, of Tor-
onto, whose sawmills arfr at Cache Bay, Lake Nipissing, and I went to
one of their shanties, on the shore of Lake Nipissing, to do the log scaling.
Still the terrible feeling never for an instant left me, and I scarce got any
sleep at all ; my sufferings were dreadful. I would often take my snow
shoes and ramble miles away from the shanty into the lonely bush. Often
I would throw myself down in the deep snow or kneel by some blc^k
rock and if ever a man tried to pray to God and ask his forgiveness I did.
I staid with the firm for several months, and might remained longer but
J again wanted to ramble, and I fell in with my old and true friend, bush

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103

superintendent Milton Carr, of Pova-jion, (now of Trout Creek.) He

took me with him to do the clerking on his sawlog drive going down the

Wisiwasa creek, and after the drive got to Calander, on Lake Nipissing,

we were paid off.

I then staid around North Bay for a few months, and I soon felt

quite at home there, for those who live in that brisk little town are a good,

hearted and kindly lot of people.

Towards the autumn of i893 I went over to the township of Nipissing

and purchased th*^ wood standing on several thousand acres of land
from the settlers, and I started to make a raft of waney timber, composed
mostly of birch and ash woods ; also I gbt several thousand pieces of
baswood and ash sawlogs made by the settlers. Iwas delighted to get back
to my old work again, and no doubt I overtaxed my strength, both ment-
ally and physically, for I had only got the operation started a few weeks
when I found myself gettmg very wea>, and in walking distances either on
the road or in the bush I would have to iake frequent rests. I could not
sleep, and soon weak spells or kind of swoons would come over me at in-
tervals of three or four days, and the only rest I would get was when I was
in one of these spells, for an endless activity had taken possession of me ;
day or night I had to be doing something or other. The fainting spells,
or whatever they were, would sometimes last from six to thirty hours, and
when in one of them I was told I was to all appearance dead. I would
feel a little weak after coming out of them, and did not notice the time
passing when in them, I was utterly unconscious of my surroundings.
The doctors who attended ,ie became alarmed, and wre afraid I would
go ofifin one of them. The last bad one I had was in North Bay, and
they say I was very violent the greater part of the time. It occurred on
the evening and night that Mr. Murray's lumber was burnt. Dr. Mc-
Murchy and several friends had a hard time with me for several house,
during which it appeared to me that God and Satan were present in the
room, and were playing a game of cards to decide which was to have me.
I was tp umpire the game, my struggles as I watched the game proceed
were terrible. Finally God won. My ravings that night, I was told, were
dreadful. Those who were with me said that never again do they
wish to be the unwilling listeners to such dreadful blasphemy. Then I
became conscious the next day, and was told about the awful occurence,
I at once went and locked myself in my bedroom, and on my knees I
pleaded and prayed for forgiveness. All of a sudden I felt a change come
over me, thanks .;nd praise be given to God. I then knew I was forgiven. I
immediately sent for the Rev. Father Blum, P. P., North Bay, and since,
that day I have been one of the happiest men on earth. The devil, demons,
hell, jails, cells or asylums have no longer any terrors for me, because I
know God is with me. No matter where I am He will protect and
guard me, and with Him I am safe. I may also say that the devouring

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appetite I had for stimulants for many months previous to that night left
me, and I have never had any desire for them since.

I must here mention a strange coincidence that occurred just about
the same day above referred to— it was no less than the death of my dear
and beloved friend, Dr. vCm. McAdory.

A few months after I made that stay with him down in Alabama, the
Dr. was stricken with paralysis, which left him an invalid until his death.
When he was able to be moved he had them wheel him out on the verandah
in his chair so that he could sit for his photo along with his wife and baby,
and his wife's mother and sister, so that he could send it to me. The reader
will see a copy of it, being the last illustration in this book- -Dr. Porter.
Powassan, at my request, wrote to Dr. McAdory for information about
my case. Dr. McAdory received the letter and read it as he sat in his chair,
then wrote on the back of it the answer he intended to have copied r.ad
sent. That was the last act ever uone by Dr. McAdory on earth, for he
expired a few moments later, and as I have before stated, it occurred on
the day following that dreadful night to me in North Bay. I was not
made aware of Dr. NcAdory's death until several months after it occurred.
Mrs. McAdory did not have the heart to write to me soone*^, especially as
she heard that I, soon after the Doctor's death, was in the asylum. She
was afraid the shock might be too much foi: me if I got the sad news in my
then weak state. I had written to the Doctor shortly ifter I was confined
in the asylum, and again after I had been there several months, and it was
in reply to that letter that Mrs. McAdory wrote. I will not attempt to
describe my grief on receiving the sad news. As soon after as I was able
I wrote the widow a letter of condolence. I am sure my grief was only
equalled by her own, for as much as I know she adored and loved him
I am sure her love did not exceed mine, for that would be an impossibility,
for to that noble man I o've my life. How many doctors would have taken
me in and cared for me the way he did — an unknown tramp brought to
his house and kindly cared for as I was by Dr. McAdory and his family.
Why would 1 not love him and his wife .-' I would be an ungrateful man if
I did not.

In the month of November the same year (1893) ^ ^^^ some business
with a lumber concern which required me togoovertoSaginaw City. This
concern has pine limits in Canada, and own a sawmill not a thousand miles
from Fenelon Falls. During my interview with the managing partner,
after my arrival in Saginaw, he asked me if I had ever examined any limits
in Haliburton County called the English Land Company's nine townships.
He had a peculiar smile on his face as he asked me the question. I replied
that I once had charge of a party that were supposed to estimate on those
lands. He then produced a little phamplet, nicely gotten up and bound
with red cr vers ; he handed the phamplet to me and asked me to look it
over and state if it was an abstract taken from the type-written book that

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105

had contained copies of the notes we took on a certain little expedition.
I read it carefully through, and then told him to the best of my belief it
was. He said he would like some mformation about those lands, as he
said a certain broker who lived in Detroit wanted to sell those lands to
his firm for one and a quarter million dollars. That made me fairly gasp.
I asked him if they intended to purchase at that price. He said no ; that
after he had read the poetry on the back cover of the pamphlet he wanted
no more to do with those lands. I hastily lopked at the back of the
pamphlet and there headed in large letters printed " Ode to Haliburton."
I asked him to give me the fiamphlet, and 1 took it with me so that I
could again read it out in the cool air. I wandered out into the street
and took the first train down to Bay City, twelve miles distant. Sleep
that night for me was out of the question. What was " eating me " was
the thought of what a chump 1 had been to furnish the brains and material
for a book which was being offered on the market for one and a quarter
million dollars, and all I received for my authorship rights was a few cases
gold-rimmed spectacles, and then as if that was not sufficient injury to
me for some doggerel poet was employed to write that " Ode to Halibur-
ton " on the back of that pamphlet without even asking my permission!
No wonder I could not sleep, for the words of that " ode " kept running
through my brain ; it was about as follows :

" The buck, the does, the bulla the cows,
The hills, thn dAle8, the streams the lakes.
The stumps, the rocks and swamps are all that are left
Of beautiful Haliburton."

That is how the lines ran of the " ode," or at least as I can remember,
for I am writing from memory ; so if I have the bulls wrong I hope the
author as well as the reader will kindly pardon me for inserting
them in this book. Those sickly lines ran through my mind all night, and
they were worse than any nightmare. The next day, as I walked the
streets of Bay City, the people stared at me, and no wonder, for my con-
dition was fast getting worse. Soon the deputy-sheriff came down from
Saginaw City and arrested me at the Fraser House, and he took me up
and put me in Saginaw County Jail. Such wasthe disastrouseffect the read-
ing of that *' ode" had on me. This officer, Mr. John Riordan, is gentle-
manly and kind-hearted to a fault. About seven o'clock in the evening,
when we arrived in Saginaw from Bay City I was at once taken before
Judge Goldsmith and got a week's remand.

Mr. Riordan appeared to feel much worse about the matter than I
did, for he at once took me up to his own residence and gave me a good
supper. His widowed mother was living with him, and he did not tell the
old lady till after supper that he was taking me up to the jail, and when
he did tell her the good old lady would not believe him, and her tears as
I left the house affected me very much. The sheriff and I bearded the

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Street cars and soon )r the first time, I was inside the jail. The cell I was
first assigned to V called "Jack the Ripper's." There were three cells
only in the teir, which were nicely made and were finished off with plain
steel plates. Walls floor and ceiling were all made of half inch steel plate,
and the cell was about four by seven, in which 'vas a nice little cot bed.
The sheriff and turnkey stopped for a while, after searching me, and we
all had a sociable smoke. I was then double locked in the cell, and was
son *^ast asleep sleeping the sleep of the just, for 1 knew I could sleep in
safety and comfort— no fear of burglars or fires, for I knew the plates of
which my cell was composed made mequite^afe and secure as regardsboth.
I^?xt morninsr at seven o'clock the door wr.s unbolted and I was told I
could come out if I choose and exercise myself in the birdcage promenade
the ceii-doors opening on to the promenade was about four feet wide
and about forty feet long. I walked out and found the occupants of the
othor two cells taking their morning abulations at a sink at the end of the
corridors. I followed suit. They then informed me that the rules were
for the last arrival to make the beds, sweep and scrub the floor and
clean up the apartments. I peeled off at once commenced. One of my
fellow prisoners was white, the other colored. The negro was charged
with committing rape on a little white girl ; the white man was in for
embezzlement, and he was the slickest talker I ever met. Aftei I had
been in there a day or so I took the young negro in hand and put him
through the steps and facings, and taught him the manual drill ; also tried
to learn him something about Heaven and a future state. He did not
know anything about either. After a few days he appeared to realize his
position more acutely, lit was afraid a mob would come and lynch him
thorgh he protested his innocence. I told him if I for a moment thought
he was guilty I would slaughter him myself. Finally I came to the con-
clusion he was innocent, and I concluded to baptize him, which I did after
I had made him kiss a cross I had made on the wall of my ceP, and I
« made him call on God to witness his innocence and I then baptized him and
named him " Dixie." He got his trial a day or so later, and was acquited,
so I guess he was innocent all right. 1 then tried to convert the embezzler,
but found I could not do anything with him, so the jailer said he would
move down to the " bull-pen," in which they were about forty prisoners,
and I could there continue my missionary efforts, for he said I would find
lots of material to work on, from murderers down. The bull pen as it is
termed is inside a large room and built like a bird cage and inside the
pen which was made of steel lattice woi-k was three tiers of cells also made of
steel, seven cells on a side. I was put in the third or top tier, but was only
allowed to walk round my own tier of cells. The other prisoners had the
same privi'ege. The walk was about three feet wide, the pen or steel lattice
work in the lar^e room was called the bird cage of bull pen. In one of
the cells next to mine was Palmer's— the man who shot and killed his

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107

brother in Saginaw ; the one on the other side was occupied by a man
during a twenty > lars sentence for wrecking a tiain. Palmer, the murderer,
had two years put in of his thirty years sentence, and was down from the
State Penitentiary, having secured a new trial, but his sentence by the
court then sitting was confirmed. One of the other prisoners told me
he was doing ten years for incendiarism. I asked another what he was
in for ; he told me to go to Halifax and find out. Such were a few sample
cases of my fellow prisoners. The Jailor introduced me to them as a
Jesuit missionary come to convert them. They all flocked around me and
intimated that my clothes were too swell for the business, and suggested,
if I practiced what the Bible taught I would exchange with them. I at
once did so, and soon all I had on was a pair of old overalls, one bra<je,
an old flannel shirt and a cowboy hat and a pair of socks and rubbers.
One of the prisoners produced a mouth organ, and I opened the revival
meeting by giving them a song and dance. A boxing match was the next
on the program, and in the second round I knocked my partner out. I
gave him one in the neck and tumbled him so quick his scull made a
split on the steel floor. We then ended up the meeting with a concert
a la Moody & Sankey. The boys all swore they never spent such a
pleasant evening, and voted me the title of Colonel on the spot, and also
boss of the bull pen. I could get none of them to box me after that even-
ing, but I found them nearly all to be very kind hearted fellows. I did
not succeed in making many converts. When my week's remand was up
Sherif!"Reordan, took me down to .he Police Court before Judge Goldsmith.
Quite a number of spectators ';ud others were in the court, and we had
quite a lot of fun. I got another couple of weeks remand, and I was again
returned to the bull pen. The boys were delighted to see me back, but
their joy did not last long for I commenced to have dreams and visions
at night. The Court house is along side the jail. At the last stroke of
the Court house clock striking midnight something was sure to happen
me, and then for three or four hours there was no sleep for either myself
or the rest of the prisoners, for the least sound or movement in a cell could
be heard plainly in the three tiers of the cells. Of course each one of us
was locked securely in, so that we could not get out or see each other.

One morning after I had one of those bad dreams, durmg which I
had created more than ordinary noise, the prisoners all, or nearly all, with
one voice begged and implored the jailer to have me taken out of the
bull pen away from them, for the fright I had given some of them had
made their hair fairly stand on end ; two or three had actually fainted,
but I will not now teil the readers any more but will probably write another
book later on of my life and will then describe the dreams and visions I
had in that jail, and the many strange and somewhat remarkable occur-
rences that have happened to me in my somewhat checkered career ; no
event or occurrence in it at all compares to what happened to me in that

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Saginaw jail, I have only attempted to describe them, for when I started
to tell about some of the visions I had. in that cell I could see by the look
and action of the listeners that they evidently thought I was still stark
mad or soon would be again. So I will not give those experiences in this
book, though they are just as vivid and as real to me as possible.

CHAPTER XV.

I ENTER THE QUEEN STREET ASYLUM TORONTO.

After about three weeks or so of confinement, the Masons decided to
send me back to Canada ; so back I came in charge of Deputy Sheriff
Riordan, and I must here thank the Saginaw and Bay City gentlemen
who were so good and kind to me, also all the jail officials — Shenflf Riordan
especially treated me with great kindness, and often tears would spring to
his eyes and roll down his checks when in my company in the condition
I then was, in but I was '* happy as a clam," all the time ; nothing was
worrying me, and I told Judge Goldsmith and the court I would just as
soon put up at their jail as the best hotel in the city. The food supplied
to the prisoners in the jail was if anything superior in quality and variety
to what men get in the lumber shanties, and plenty of it.

My little escapade on that my last to Saginaw must have been a
' bun ' for the newspapers reporters, for I have since seen accounts of it
given at the time, in Saginaw, Detroit, Toronto and other newspapers. I
hope they will give this book as long an advertisement as they then gave
me. If they kindly do so it will not only do me but others much more
good than the advertising they so freely gave me at that time.

Sheriff Riordan arrived with me in Toronto on Sunday December
the 3rd, 1893. We travelled Pullman car from Saginaw, and on our
arrival in Detroit the Sheriff had everything supplied me that he thought
would strengthen and nourish me, as also he did on our arrival in Toronto,
where we put up at the Rossin House, which is one of the finest hotels in
the Dominion of Canada. All the bills were footed by the Sheriff for all
the cash I had when I wns arrested in Bay City was 7 cents. On the
Monday following our arrival in Toronto the Sheriff and myself where in-
vited out to lunch to the house of a medical acquaintance of mine, and
about noon the Dr. called for us at the Rossin House, to drive us up, and
as we were passing the Queen's Street Asylum the Dr. drove in through
the gates saying he bad a call to make there, which would only take a

Andrew Whitk. (Se Jaqc ji )

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

109

fcv moments. We drove up to the front entrance of the Ijuilding, and
the three of us entered. I soon lost sight of my two companions, and after
some time had elapsed I began to think that they must have driven away
without me in fit of absent mindedness. I mentioned the matter to one of
the officials ; he said they would probably soon turn up.

The doctor had t :^ld us as he drove up to the building that it was an
hospital, and as I had never seen the building before I did not know any
thing diflferent. However, I strolled down one of the corridots and I thought
the patients were a queer looking lot, and some of them appeared to b?
very lively in their movements, considering that they were hospital patients.
So I stopped a great noble looking fellow, whom I thought was an official,
and inquired what the nature of the place was. He said it was called an
asylum for the insane, or the Ontario Piovincial Asylum. " you, I presume,"
I said, "are one of the officials ? " " No," he replied ; " some people pre-
sumed I am a lunatic." We then discovered that we were brother niiisons,
so we headed for the bathroom to have a brotherly chat and smoke. My
new found brother remarked that some people must have presumed that
I also must be a lunatic or I. would not have been brought there. I replied
that I did not think so, and assured him that my friends would soon turn
up and take me out. My new acquaintance told me I had better get that
mistaken idea out of my head and make up my mind to remain for at least
a year or so. I laughed and said no one would dare detain me there
against my will ; I had committed no crime, or even had I been accused
of doing any person an injury, neither had I had any trial. My friend
saw that I was getting angry, so he advised me to keep cool for he said
if I tried to get out, or committed any act of violence the giant guards
would soon overpower me the same as he had been overpowered when he
was inveigled in there. Just then two powerful looking guards came up
to me and said that I had been asigned to No. six Ward, and to come
with them. I looked at my new friend ; he said I had better go with them,
I went, but it was fortunate for those two guards that I did not have a
pocket-gun with me, for if I had there would have been the most lively
kind of a shooting match. They took me upstairs to No, six Ward, and
I was turned lose among about seventy patients These corridors are nearly
one hundred yards long and about tweaty feet wide. At the west end is
a large verandah, the fitting, dining, bed, store, and bath rooms being on
either side, and a very fine view as well as breeze could be had of Lake
Ontario from the south windows. It was about three o'clock in the after-
noon when I was brought up into the ward, still I had seen no sign of my
friends or any lunch either, so I wandered around the ward, wondering
what I liad best do and also taking stock of the patients. Finally six
o'clock came and a bell rang. The guard came and told me to come to
supper, and all the patients were marched into a large dining room and
the door carefully locked behind us. Three large tables were in the dining

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room to which we all took our seats. I was also shown at the centre
table, next to the head, which was occupied by and gentleman. As soon
as we were seated the old gentleman asked me did I know that his Mary
had a little lamb, and would they be saved. I told the old gent he would
have to ask n>e something easier. He then asked me if I was his Willie ;
just then one of the guards told him to eat iiis supper. He replied that
he would not — Jiat it was all poisoned. " No, grandpa," the guard said,
"it is not, and if you do not at once eat it I will put you on your back,"
at the same time giving the old gentleman a little flip on the ear with the
index finger of his right hand. Still the old gentleman would not eat the
supper, which consisted that night of a slice of bread, cut an inch thick
with butter on it so thin that it was almost invisible and some kind of a
sweetened liquid to drink. The supper set before me and all the rest of
the patients consisted of the same. Two guards then came up to the old
gentleman — one held his hands behind the chair he was sitting in and
held him firmly down in the chair, and the other guard closed the fingers
of his left hand on the old gentleman's nose and held them there until he
opened his mouth. The guard then stuck a gag or stick in his mouth,
and proceeded to stuff it full with bread and butter and the old fellow had
either to swallow it or choke. He made some desperate attempts to free
himself, but they were of no avail. The guards never lit up until he had
swallowed all his alio vance. I also noticed several other performances
of the variety order going on at the other tables of such a nature as one
occasionally sees in a children's nursery. When the supper was finished
and the door unlocked I made a run for the bath room and why my toe
nails did not come up I do not know, I seemed to retch deep and strong
enough to bring them up A patient who was standing watching me asked
me if I was sick, which I answered when I got a chance by asking did he
think that I was doinp; this for fun. When eight o'clock came I with the
others, were marched to bed, and was put in a room where there were
ten other patients. We each had a seperate cot and all the beds were
scrupulously neat and clean. If I live a thousand vears I will never forget
that night, for of course my nerves by that time were strung away up, and
no wonder : First I had been arrested and threw into jail in Saginaw as I
thought without any j'ust cause, then brought over to Toronto and with-
out a word of warning, fired into a lunatic asylum, and I said to myself,
*' George, my boy, you are right in the whirl, and I woyder when you get
out of this, where next you will end up ? " and I began to study in my
mind what other kind of place there were in this world that I yet had to
visit so uncermoniously as I had these last two. I finally went to sleep
as I was revolving the matter in my mind ; but only a short time did I
dose, as I was awakened by one of the most blood curdling and unearthly
yells I had ever heard. The screech the S outherners give when going into
battle was music compared to it. For a moment or two I could not realize

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

III

where I was. Talk about Bedlam let loose— I heard it that night. My
God I how the big beads of cold perspiration stood out on my forehead as
I sat up in that cot ! The gaslights in the corridor lit up the room dimly,
for the door was partly open. Soon I saw a patient darting past the foot
of my bed, his long night robe spread away out behind, almost level with
his neck, and the patient in the cot next to mine was roaring ct the most
horrible oaths. Still another was standing up in his bed singmg and so
ori. My eyes fairly bulged out so that I was afraid they would burst. I
am no coward, but the fright I got that night was worse than any received
during the war or at any other time. I knew if I was not already insane
I soon would be, and a raving maniac at that. I would sooner have the
lash administered a thousand times over than put in that night over again.
The Indian, with all his divilish ingenuity, could not have devised or
thought of a mode of torture so cruel. What would I have given *.o be
back again in Saginaw jail, and safely locked up in my steel cell, and the
next day I begged and imploied to be sent back there. How different
had been my reception when put in that jail. The kind-hearted Deputy
Sheriff and the Jailor, in taking me to my cell ; they did in such a way that
it was almost a pleasure to my feelings.

My reception at the asylum, a truthful account of which I have just
given the reader, was so difterent. 1 ask the reader could it be worse, or
could any plan be adopted more liable to make a nervous or highly sensitive
person a maniac than was my reception into that asylum. Certainly I
now know there was no danger of any of the patients doing me bodily
harm, for there is always one guard in each ward on duty all night, and he
is rarely absent from the ward mote than a few minutes at a time ; but I
am trying to describe to the reader the effect it had on my nerves. Per-
haps in my case some one blundered. I cannot say they did not, but
dozens of the patients afterwards told me that tneir reception was similar
to mine, and the shork to their nerves had an equally bad eflfect, and I do
not hesitate the least to say that the shock given me came within an ace
of causing my death, and it so effected my then weakened condition^ both
bodily and mentally, that a short time afterwards the Doctor who signed
the paper to have me committed (the one who brought me to the asylum)
wrote my wife and family that I would be dead in less than six months.
The shock that news must have been to my wife, who was on the point of
giving birth to a child, I will leave my reader to judge ; for none could
have left a happier home and family, or a more cheerful one than I had
left in North Bay only a few short weeks previously, and my prospects
never before in my life appeared brighter than when I with my little grip
boarded the express that evening at North Bay when starting on that trip
to Saginaw, fully expecting to return home in ten days' time at the
furthest.

Whether my enemies had anything to do in first having me put into

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

jai! and then in the asylum I know not ; but my suspicions, founded on
very strong facts, led me to believe that they had, for one of them at least
had some years previously, after getting control of many thousands of
dollars of his wife's money which her father left her, had her placed in an
asylum. She is alive and well to-day, and she has before been referred
to in this book. She claims, as I do, that she was wrongfully deprived of
her liberty in an asylum. The same man is one of those who, after I first
became ill, the first summer, took possession of my property, and when my
wife went to his office, after she received a letter from Dr. McAdory stat-
ing that I was at his home in a dying condition and she inquired of him
how my affairs stood in the firm that we were both interested in, he told
her that her husband was a thief and ordered her out of his office. Before
she left however she told him if I ever recovered and returned to Canada
those words I would choke down his throat, and 1 have since done so,
but my property he still hangs on to. As law is still an expensive luxury
I am powerless in that way to do anything to recover it ; he is in a position
to fight me with my own money. So I think my reader will agree with
me when I claim that I was wrongfully incarcerated in both the jail and
the asylum ; but now no one is more p'eased and thankful than I for the "
lessons I learned in those places done me great good, and were the
best I ever learned. I have already given the reader a discription of my
reception into the asylum, and I will now proceed to describe the best
way I can the treatment I received while there, which was about seven
months. We were up at six o'clock every morning, Sunday included ;
breakfast at seven o'clock, which meal consisted of a bowl of porridge
and a very small quantity of milk, one slice of bread already buttered and
as much sweetened beverage as you choose to drmk. What it was I
never learned ; the guards called it tea but I noticed it tasted very differ-
ent to the tea they got at their own table. After breakfast two hours were
taken in makmg up beds, sweeping and cleaning up all the rooms and
r.orridors, and cleaning up the dishes, plates and cups used at breakfast,
all the work being done by the patients, which was made compulsory on
those able to do it. At ten a. m. the house doctor made an inspection of
the ward ; the average timr, he spent daily in my ward was two minutes.
Superintendent usually made inspection about noon each day, or some
other time during the d.«y. The two hours after the house doctor inspec-
tion I would spend readmg the daily newspaper or marching up and down
the ward. Dinner was served at twelve o'clock, and consisted of fairly
good soup, about half a pound of boiled beef, two or three kinds of vege-
tables, hall a slice of bread and a saucerful of either rice, sago or bread
pudding. Some times there would be rasins in it but not many — an
average of one to every patient. In serving the puddmg which was after
a part of my duties I would sometimes count the rasins. in the after-

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113

noons I would play cards or step off a few miles, walking up and down
the corridor. Supper took place at six o'clock, a description of what that
me.il consisted of has alre.^dy been given. In addition however every
other night we would get a bun or slice of cake, also on those nights we
would get either syrup, prunes or apple sauce, and occasionally a little of
son^e kind of fruit preserve. The only day there was any variation was
on Saturday — the beef would then be roasted and on Friday Catholics
only were given fish, at eight o'clock p. m. came bed iime. The meals
never varied, with exceptions of about half a dozen times when we got
pork for dinner and about the same number of times got cheese at supper.
The winter months, from November until May, the patients are never
taken out into the grounds, but are allowed to take all the exercise they
wish marching up and down the corridor. There is a good library from
which the patients can get books to read ; also newspapers are plentifully
supplied. Playing cards are all the amusements in the ward outside of
that provided by the patients themselves, which, however, there is usually
plenty, for the antics cut up by the poor fellows are often very amusing.'
At other times it is sad and heartrending. On an average of once a
week some of the good people of Toronto would come and give us a con-
cert in the large hall attached to the building, which also was used for
dances and church services on Sunday. We also had a dance in the same
hall one night every other week and, that was the only time that male and
female patients are allowed to mingle freely together ; the dance would
only last about two hours. Sundays there was service held three tinies,
the patients could attend all or none at their pleasure. I usually sttended
the whole three, for I was glad to get out of the ward for a change, if it
was only for a few minutes. That is life such as it is in winter in No. six
ward, Queen Street Asylum.

In the summer inonihs, on fine days, we would be marched out into
the corner of a field about an acre in extent, and allowed to walk round in
it or play as we choose for about two hours, and as there were about three
hundred patients all coralled up in that little space of ground, there was
usually Cain going on in some part of it among some of patients —from a
rough and tumble fight down, and at the end of two hours we would be
marched back into the ward. That was all the out door exercise we goi.

As regards the food it was always well cooked, most of the work was
done by the patients, as was all the laundry work and in fact all the other
work done in or about the establishment. Guards and attendants of course
oversee it all, and keep their eyes on the patients. There are chiefs in
each department who are paid officials, but the patients do all the rough
work, even to polishing the guard's and attendant's boots. Most of the
boots and shoes are made by the patients as well as all the blacksmithing,
carpentering and painting needed in or about the establishment. The
outside work — lawn, grounds, kitchen, garden, fields, barns and stables.

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UP TO DATE ; OR THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

horses, cows and poultry—all the rough work — is done by the non-paying
patients, and many of them do just as much work and often more than
does a farm laborer. The patients who in any way are unable to wait on
themselves, other patients are made to attend to their wants and keep
them clean, and the disgusting sights I was often compelled to witness
in the dining and bath rooms would otten make me sick. All have to
wash in or bathe in the bath room where the row of open water cl«sets are
m full view, and only a few feet distant. F'ive roller towls were all that
was in the bath room for the seventy patients to wipe on, and on Friday
mornings all were made to take a bath — often a dozen using the same
water in the bath — and many of the patients were covered with sores.
How would n-y gentle reader like the life '' The department I was in was
supposed to be the best of the main wards, and none but pay patients
were supposed to be there, the charge being, I heard, was two dollars and
, fifty cents per week. The patients in my ward were from the ranks of all
classes in life — ministers, doctors, banker.', lawyers, editors, professors,
soldiers, sailors, and merchants, and the sturdy honest horny-
handed son of the soil, the farmer, was well represented — in fact a more
cosmopolitan lot it would be bird to find.

A large proportion of the patients were hopelessly incurable, and
quite a number of them perfectly helpless in every way, and a few were
horrible wrecks. The rowing, cursing and yelling made by some of them,
night and day, often made sleep impossble. Very little medicine was
given to any. All the treatment consists of is what I have already described
— and it is simplicity itself ; nothing could be more so, for it merely con-
sists of being locked up together, and permitted to roam through the
corridors like wild beasts in a menagerie. Serious mjuries are often
sustained by unruly and violent patients attacking each other. There
were seldom more than three guards on duty at one time in our ward,
and they, of course, would not be all over the large ward at the same
moment. The ultimate cures are left to Providence to accomplish, even
to as great an extent as was the case with the men who became ill or got
injured in the bush, and would have to take my perscriptions. The food
supplied is plain and nourishing, and I grew fat and strong on it, but I
often got exercise and extras that the other prisoners did not receive, for
most of the time I waited on the guards' seperate table in our dining room,
and used to make toast, cook eggs, fry potatoes, &c., for them, and of
course came in for tit bits that cook and waiters are always allowed. 1
used to hear many of the patients complain about the food, and of.en
long for a few luxuries— fruits especially they used to long for. Very few
pickles and no eggs were given to the patients in my ward, so the poultry
yard did not do us much good. Where and how all the eggs and pickles
are consumed of which the leader of His Majesty's Royal Opposition in the

TO DATS ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

House of Assembly, (Mr. Marter) complained about to the House, I never
learned.

I was kindly used by nearly all. The guards in my ward vied with
each other tu do all they could for me, and I feel very grateful to them all
from the chief guard of the ward, John McKay, down. The patience of
the guards and attendants is often sorely tried ; seldom aid I notice any
unnecessary violence in my ward, though occasionally in the building as
well as on the grounds I did observe a few cases were the guards lost their
temper, but some of the patients are very provoking. The building was
alltogether overcrowded, and to my mind it does not come up to the
requirements of this age of enlightment and science, and surely no one
would object if the cost of maintenance of the poor afflicted did cost a
little more. A cheese paring policy should not be tolerated, and
I claim that the United States should be given- every credit for the way
they maintain their insane ; even if it does average one hundied dollars
per patient more than in Ontario the average cost in the most populous
States is about $240 and in Ontario $140. I do not see how it costs even
that much. My reader should take an interest in the matter, for no one
knows whose turn it may be next to live in such a place ; and when once
m it is too late, for no one will then pay any attention to what you say, and
even if you are fortunate enough to ever get out few then care to perform
what I am trying to do, and that is, take up the subject of the treatment
of the insane from a patients, point of view; and I here not only voice my
own views but what hundreds of my poor brothers and sisters now in these
institutions begged me to say lor them. Many inmates of these institu-
tions realize their position, and can appreciate anything just as well as
any one, and in fact are as sensible as any person could be. I met hundreds
of patients in there who were the most loveable people I ever mingled
with in my life. I often used to wish I had brothers and sisters like
other people, and my wish was granted, for now I have found hundreds,
and of God's own chosen people at that, for who will dare to say those
afflicted people are not God's own chosen people ? Go to their church
services and watch them, ask the ministers who officiate, and they will
tell you of the many tearful eyes and heaving breasts they notice among
the poor patients as they repeat the prayers after the minister, ^onld
such people be denied all the few luxuries of life, especially so when by
being in there and kept under lock and key they have lost the greatest of
all luxuries, and that is liberty ? The morrow to many of them brings no
brighcness, or will it ever do so in this world. Think of it, reader ! Your
turn may be next, for insanity spares none ; young or old, rich or poor,
good or wicked — all are liable to be stricken down by it.

There are societies formed for the aid of the poor, the heathen and all
kinds of sinners — even the malefactor, but for those poor persons who are
impisoned in a living grave often through no fault of their own, one never

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN.

hears of any effort being made to better their condition. Neither did I ever
hear of any one contributing any money to such institutions, in their will or
in any other wa.y. Very few appear to take any interest in them at all, and
thosti few onlv to see hew cheaply they can be maintained. That, I
notice, is often made a subject and a boast by our law makers when talk-
iiij,' to the people of the country or from their seat in the house of parlia-
ment. When readin,'^ those speeches I often have thought that it would
ao these parties jifood to gei a few months in No. six ward of the Toronto
Queen street Asylum.

Insanity is on the increase at such an alarming rate that something
must be done more than there is at present, not only to cure it, but what
is better, to prevent it, and the only way to do that is to educate the
masses as to its causes. What the medical men and expeits know about
insanity is of comparatively little value if only applied to the cure of in-
sanity. Get the people to take an interest in the subject and the causes
which produce it and then, and only then will it decrease. If I had years
ago only taken a little interest in the subject, what uniold agony and
suffering it would have saved me and my f.-iends — and if I may be allowed
I would certainly say that a different plan to the present of committing a
person should be adopted — arresting people and giving them over to the
care of jail officials is decidedly wrong, except in extreme cases where the
sufferer is dangerous. No two doctors should have power to commit an
individual, for it is often embarrdssing to the asylum officials. The person
so committed ha:: often to be retained in the asylum many months before
they will take the responsibility of declaring the patient sane, for the
simple reason if they passed a hasty judgement and give the person so
committed his liberty and anything should then occur to such a one, then
of course the asylum officials would be blamed. Even supposing the
person so committed was perfectly sane at the time of committal, how long
would he remain so if made to run the guantlet like I did ? In my
own case, no satisfaction would I get as to whether or not I would ever get
out, or if I would end my days theic and die the horrible death I saw
many die in that institution. Reader, how long do you think you would
keep sane if arrested and made undergo what I did .'' I had powerful ene-
mies and did not know if I would ever get my freemom again. I well
knew that money would do a lot in the hands of unsciupulous men. Such
were my uneasythonghts in that asylum, right or wrong, and my suspicions
v/ere more or less confirmed, as I thougl > when I saw patients who, as
far as I could discern, were perfectly sane ; and when those people would
tell me that they had been in there ten, twenty and even forty years I
leave the reader to imagine my feelings Often these poor unfortunates
would tearfully explain that they vvere imprisoned wrongfully, and I do
know if they had friends quite a number of them were never visited by a
living soul, many being entirely deserted and left to their fate. And many

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117

were being kept there, far as I could see, out of pure charity, on the part
Oi the officials, who do not like — and properly so— to turn them out into
the cold world. Others again, I thought, were being kept there merely
because they were good workers. I do not claim either of these two last
cases are very numerous, but there are quite a few nevertheless. Many
of these poor creatures often pleaded with me to get them out of that living
grave, as they termed it, if ever I got my liberty; and I will, if ever I can
again procure wealth enough to make a home or retreat for them such as I
know they would like, where they can spend the remaining years of their
lives in comparative comfort and with more liberty than they now get. To
such an object I intend to give any wealth that ever again I may be pos-
sessed of

Why could no; a reception asylum be established, say in Toronto
which is now easy of access from all parts of the province, where sufiFerers
could be examined and pronounced upon by a board of medical experts
selected from the bist doctors of that city and the Province ? And then
after a decision was reached send the person if found insane, to an asylum
suitable to their case. There are a number of private asylums in Ontario
to accommodate them, so that patients would not have to be all mixed up
together indiscriminately, often to the detriment of many who, if given
a better chance, would soon recover, and therefore better results would be
■^ obtained in every way. I would also suggest that when a patient was
thought to be sufficiently recovered to warrant his discharge, that before
being sent away a board of expert physicians examine and pronounce upon
his case. Often — probably a few weeks' detention at such a receiving
hospital or asylum — would be sufficient to effect a cure. By selecting
doctors from differe/it cities and towns to form the board of examiners,
a wider and more practical knowledge would be gained. Besides the
medical students at the colleges in Toronto would also have an opportunity
of obtaining considerable knowledge about insanity, if such a plan
were adopted— as this receiving asylum could be open to them all. A
committee of the board could also visit at regular intervals, as well as
examine every patient in all the asylums. There is very htlle expense or
outlay necessary in what I have suggested, and I am sure if adopted it
would not only be a blessing and a help to persons afflicted with nervous
diseases, but in many cases would save the province thousands of dollars,
for if relations and friends of patients knew that searching investigation
of all the cases coming before the board would be made and they were
made pay according to their means for the maintenance of the person; *'
peopie would not get the chance to dump their afflicted relations on the
public, or if not that, to fire them into an asylum in order to get them out
of the way. I have had no experience of any other asylunj but the Toronto
mstitution, therefore am not in a position to make comparison between it
and others. Neither do I wish to infer that it is not an Up to Date '

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asylum in every way. I have described the treatment I got there, without
adding or taking anything frona it, and have described it to the best of
my abihty ; but I do propose when opportunity offers, to visit similar
institutions in the States ?,nd England, and perhaps among them may
find one that will suit my fancy better, if I should ever find it necessary to
again enter one.

I cannot conclude this subject without mentioning the kind interest
Dr. Daniel Clark, the Superintendent, took in me, and also the kindness
he always showed me. I value his frendship very much. I am not aware
of the extent of latitude allowed him in the management of the institution,
but I have an idea that it should be greater than it is, for so able and
experienced a man as he is should in no way be hampered with red tapes,
either t?s regard the appointment of his assistants or as to food supplied.
An asylum, above all institutions, should not be made a dumping ground
where poor relations and others who are " in the way " may be disposed
of. 1 did notice a*tendency among a few of the officials, who appeared to
think the pfitients were a secondary consideration, to their own comfort
and ease, and the air of proprietorship adopted by some when
the superintendent was not in sight, could be dropped with advantage to
the patients, for many of these same patients are then superior in every
way.

Personally I was well treated by all I came in contact with in the
institution, and take this occasion of thanking them. The day I was dis-
charged many ot the guards — strong able fellows — were overjoyed, and sad
at the same time to think I was leaving them, and so were many of the
patients. Several ot the guards and many of iiie patients shed tears of
joy at my release, fov they all declared I was the life of the ward. Never
before, the superintendent as well as the guards told my friends, di(>they
have such a jolly character or one so mischievious as I was, and all admit-
ted I had greater influence with patients of all sorts and conditions than
any man in the place, not even excepting the superintendent himself I
tried to be kind to them all, and my experience in handling men, as well
as being a pretty fair judge of human nature, helped to wile the days
away with advantage and benefii to myself and I hope to others. I never
felt better or stronger than when I came out of it, and whoever had me
placed there did me the best turn ever done me in my life, and whatever
their motive was I fully fotgive them. All thr; same, if any hugging or
kissing is necesary m '.he forgiving part, 1 decline to be a party to rt — and
would sooner return and give and receive the k''--.? trd embraces of dea;
brothers and sisteis I left bthind me in that asylum, fc ! know the wel-
come I received when I go to visit them is sincere, and I never miss
calling there when in Toronto. Among toe p.-itients i met some of tV
kindest-lieirved and :nost Iceable people that I ever met it my life, anu
that very fact alone more tnan repays me thousands of tr.nes over

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The day I was discharged was the first time I had seen our fine baby boy
He was just six months old that very day, and his mother brought him up
to the asylum and up to the reception room of No. six ward. My brother
patients weie wild to see him, and to be allowed to fold him m their arms,
and kiss him, so I took the little fellow out to them and down through the
ward, and let them hug and kiss him as much as they choose. Many of
them told me that they had not had a baby in their arms or kissed one
in many years, and what is more, many of them never will again. The
little fellow enjoyed it immensely, and crowed and laughed liked a good
fellow. He appeared to be much more tickled and pleased with his first
trip down that ward than was his father. Of course we named the baby
William McAdory, after my greatest of all friends. Dr. and Mrs. McAdory
had only one child— a little girl —and they so longed for a boy that we gave
ours — in name— and I hope when he grows up he will do credit to it, and
be as good a man as was the late Dr. Wm. McAdorv. T:j give the reader
a little idea how I feel towards those poor unfortunates, I will feeil ai; an
incident that occurred to me in Toronto a few days after I was set at
liberty. The day I am referring to I had been invited to drive with a C. P.
R., official, and promised to meet him at six p.m., at the comer of the
3oard of Trade buildmg. As I was standing leaning against a post on
th^ 'ler smoking a cigar awaiting the arrival of mj friend, a

stra,.|.'M/^ /■> •II If man, fairly well dressed, stepped up to me and asked nwj
if I could give him the price of his supi?er. . gianred at the young man a
moment and said I could, but I would not, fbr I said I was a beggar my-
self f fe said, judging from my appearance, no one would ever think so.
I said probaV/)/ not ; neidier, I said, would many think he was as rich as
I knew he was. The yramg *»:.!low stared and replied that he did not
understand me. 1 answerea aai few did, but probaly he would under-
stand me better when I mforrr td him that I had just got my discharge
from the lunatic asyhm, where I had been confined for nearly twelve
months ; and I said I had let: hundreds of poor nersons behind me in
that asylum any one of whom if landing right there row where he was
possessing the health and laniif t faculties which he was supposed to
possess, would think hinMriFHw richest man on earth, and any charity I
had to spare would go to them. Before I had quite finished I noticed
the young fellow was cyin^ me closely, and looking away from me, and
suddenly, without another word, he wheeled on his heel and started to
walk briskly away, every fesv steps half turning his head to talte a Irfok at
me. What his thoughts were I do not know ; if 1 did I would only be too
pleAaed to tell them to the reader. No doubt as I was speaking I became
a little excited and probably the young fellow would see more of the white
of my eyes, than I usually displayed. Anyhow, to see him so rapidly dis-
app«ar set me laughing, and my young friend whom I was waiting for
jiut then came out of the building, and he noticing my merriment, asked

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the cause of it. I told him, and pointed to the young fellow who had not
then passed from view. My friend then joined me in the laugh. I do not
charge my reader anything extra for the ne^ pointer I am giving as how
to stand off a beggar.

The weather being extremely warm in the city about this time, which
was in the month of July, 1894, I, along with my two youngest daughters,
went up to visit our many friends in the Haliburton district, and when
there I took a run up to Fort Oblong — the name of a lumber depot I had
named the last year 1 worked for the Peterborough firm which I was so
many years connected with. I had cleaned up a forty acre farm around
the buildings at the time they were constructed, the depot was right on
the very spot where many years before I had commenced my Inmbering
career. The lake on the shore of which the depot is built, is oblong in
shape, and no doubt derived its name from that fact, and the buildings
were also oblong in shape so that it now goes by the name of Fort Oblong
— the style of the old forts built by the Hudson Bay Company. The
fort is beautifully situated on a pomt, and is now a charming spot, and no
doubt will at some future time become quite a village, or even a town, for
the location is naturally a good one. I had this in my mind when selecting
the site. I also thought it would serve to mark the spot where I had com-
menced and finished my lumbering career on the celebrated English Land
Company's nine townships — a sandy fiat of land some hundred acres in
extent, lies to the west and north of the fort, and on that flat when I first
saw it, was a magnificent forest of pine of a large and good quality. Fire
had, however, got into it, after only square timber and a few sawlogs had
been cut, about fifteen years previous to the time I selected it for the
location to build a depot on. The first crop of pine was badly burned, and
all killed, and to view the fiat from a distance would remind one of the
masts of many ships in some large harbour. When going over the fand
when putting up the buildings I noticed a second crop of pine, spruce,
balsam and birch had sprung up, some of the young trees being ten to
twenty feet in height, and I at once decided that they should not be de-
stroyed in the proceess ot clearing up the land ; so I personally looked
after that part and had only the small useless brush cut out and any old
fallen trees or dead standing ones carefully removed and burnt up in
vacant places where the fire would not injure the young trees. Of course
it took a little more time and labor, but it was well spent, for the young
trees have thrived and done well, and instead of the fiat beinglike most other
sandy flats when cleared up — almost useless — it is now -» fine piece of
•aeadow or pasture land, the young trees shading it from the hot sun and
thereby retaining its moisture, so it will give a double return, for eventually
a fine crop of pine, if cared for, will be obtained.

I found, on this visit to Fort Oblong, that the young pine and other
trees had thrived wonderfully, so after all Mr. Kirwin's dretun may come

UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

131

true in the distant future. Some of the young pine I found were nearly
thirty feet in height and nearly ten inches through at the butt, and the
grass growing in the fields was most luxuriant, and a fine crop of hay had
that season been cut and the pasture was excellent though the summer
had been extremely hot and dry. The western parts of Ontario was suffer-
ing from the great drought. So I claim many thousands of acres now
useless, sandy flats in Haliburton, Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound and
other parts of the province of Ontario, as well as along the Upper Ottawa
River, could be reclaimed and at a small expense and again be turned
into a noble forest of pine.

I recently heard that the Ontario Government proposed at an early
date to send a commission to Europe to investigate the system of forestry
in operation in Germany and other countries. If they do I hope they will
make me secretary of the commission, for such a trip would no doubt do
my health a lot of good, and strengthen me so that I could t vc a part in
replanting the many forests I have assisted to deplete, for anyhow if
my health again fails the province will have to keep me ; so the trip, from
that point of view, may be after all a saving to the province. On the trip
I no doubt could sell a few copies of "Up to Date," especially if I ran
across any of those English Land Company's shareholders, or any of those
" don't you know's " who once tried to farm the lands in Haliburton. I could
also visit the asylums in our route, and perhaps select one and keep it in
mind for future reference, and possibly in the trip I could get enough
material to write another book and publish it for the benefit of those Can-
adians who were not on the commission.

The people in the Haliburton district appeared to be delighted to
have me among them once again, and if I had been their father just come
out from the old country they could not have been more pleased or given
greater evidences of joy. They had heard so many reports that I was
dead that my returning amongst them again was something like a man
coming back from the grave. In Lindsay, Peterborough and every place
\ went strong men, from judges down, were overjoyed to see me again in
the flesh. At times I was nearly overcome with nervousness, and so great
was the strain that at one time I feared a total collapse, and thought that
I might again be forced to go back to the asylum. In such an unfortunate
event I would have gone willingly, and of my own accord, for well I knew
that if I could only reach Toronto the good a?'.u lighthearted superintend-
ent. Dr. Clark, would have me carefully and cindiy taken care of, and the
boys in No. Six Ward, from the overseer down, would seft that Captain
" Happy" as they used to call me, would get his share of the best of every-
thing going. When in Peterborough I went down to the beautiful Little
Lake Cemetery, to visit the grave of my father, the late Norman Barnhart,
for he was a father to me for many years, and I may say the only one I
knew. Hediedduringthetime I wasdown South. I had promisedhim many

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times that I would be one of the chief pall bearers at his funeral, if he died
first, but if I died first he was to act in the same capacity at my funeral ;
but our plans were not to be, for I was many thousands of miles away
when his death occurred. Before visiting his grave I purchased a beauti-
ful pot of rock moss, like that which grows in the bush on the north side
of trees, and my tears watered the moss as I laid it on his grave. My
eldest son Mossom, who was with me, asked me whose grave it was, and
I replied that it was my father's and therefore his grandfather's grave. A
beautiful monument stands at the head of the grave, of similar design and
material to the one marking the resting place of the late Mossom Boyd,
whose grave is 6nly a few feet distant. So there, side by side, as they
were many years in lite, lies what remains of two of the Trent River
pioneers and greatest lumberman — the one a lumber king, the other his
able general, and a more fitting place they could not have been laid in, for
almost at their feet flows the noble Trent River, and shading their graves
are lofcy and noble pine trees, the wind in their leaves making a requiem
prayer daily for their souls. May my bones find a resting place not far
from these two graves. - .

A few days later I headed for Lake Nipissing, and on my arrival at
North Bay at once sought the Rev. Father Blum, and implored him to
take me back into my Mother Church, which he, after carefully questioning
me, finally consented to do ; and as I had no knowledge of ever being
baptized we both thought it best to have that most important rite per-
formed. So the good and learned Father baptized me in the parish church
of North Bay, my godmother being the noble wife of the highest judicial
authority in the district, and in the unavoidable absence of His Honor, the
good-hearted and genial Mr. John shields, of Pembrooke, was my god-
father, and I devoutedly pray that the balance of my life will be spent in
a way that will cheer the hearts of these three who alone witnessed my
baptism, and I fervently hope the day is not far distant when I will be
fully prepared to receive that greatest and most comforting of all the
blessed sacraments of the church ; for so far in my life I never dared to
appioach — but a sweet angel has promised to kneel at my side and join
me the first time I receive the blessed sacrement, and I hope that day is
not far distant. I shortly afterwards went over to Nipissing to see how
my timber operations had fared during my almost twelve months absence.
The people there had received reports that I was dead, and everything
had vanished, even to my private papers, diaries, notes and all the little
souviners and mementos I had been collecting all my life ; and all the
cash I had left in my pocket, or anywhere else, was less than a dollar. It
was not a very large capital to start a lumbering operation on, and I found
on enquiring that the depressed state of the timber market did not warrant
me in even investigating that in the business. So I carefully thought the
matter over and decided to retire. I could never expect to be in a better

t ■

AIo:,s.ELR Inelson J. V'almkk, of Fknelon Falls.

7'/te oldt'sf and mos* ex/>i>r'enre(l Hush R(tn<rer m Canada and admitted to he one of
the hest Judj^ed and estimators of Standing Pine and Spruce Forests, and he thoroughly
knot's the forests and streams of Canada— from Alaska to Labrador, M, Ne/son ffavd
Capt. Thompson his first lessons in bush ranging and foresting.

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23 WEST MAIN STRl'ET

WEaSTER,S.Y. 14SG0

(716) 873-4S03

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123

shape to quit the business, for I wns about even. The reader already
knows I had nothing when I started, and at the end of over a quarter of {;
century I was just as well ot as when I started.

So all my little smart business thansactions had availed me nothing,
and I came to the conclusion that the old saying " Honesty is the best
Policy," was right after all, and that a God-fearing and Christian life was
the only way to get true happiness and make a heaveii on this earth, as
God intended it should be.

One day, shortly after my arrival in Nipissing, I had my position
brought borne to me in a way I rever shall forget. I had been inspecting
some timber in the buoh, and towards evening I made my way out to a
colonization road, and as I stepped out of the bush into the road I noticed
a number of children who were on their way from school. No doubt my
rather sudden appearance startled them, for I came out of the bush only a
few yards and I overhead a girl exclaim, '' here comes that crazy man ;
let us all run !" and away the all scampered for dear life. I fiell rather
than sat down on a log on the side of the road, and in an instant my tears
blinded me and I then wished I had a mother, for no one else on this earth
could have given me the consolation I needed, for all through my life I
have noticed no love is as true ai.d unfailing as a mother's ; she de-
serts her boy und«ir no circumstances, even if he is a murderer ; she often
is the only one tha^ wili-cling to him. To see those children afraid and
running away, told me tiiat people behind my back were talking about
me — I did not blame the children ; they knew no better ; but their parents
should have known better than to talk before them. No man living could
love children more than I do, and if I can blame one thing more than
another for iny greed for gold, it was so that I could make my children
rich and educate them and bring them up in comfort, so that they would
not be kicked around the world and have to fight their way as I had to
do ever since I was a mere child. Money, personally, I never cared a
straw for. 1 knew if I ever did come to possess great wealth it would
only be aburden to mefor I would "ot know how to spend it or even to enjoy

After recovering from the shock which the children gave me, I realiz-
ed my position more acutely than I had ever done before. I then knew
why some business letters which I had written to some parties which I
supposed to be gentlemen, had not been answered, and also discovered
at thr. same time that it would be of no use of me applying for any position
in which there was any responsibility ; and I said to myself, George, my
boy — you are no longer in it, and no one knows it better than (.ieorge. So
I then and there appointed myself a walking boss to tramp round and
visit every lumber shanties and see how the boys all were, ana get photos
and notes for the book. I put in the winter doing so, r\nd visited many
shanties from Sault St, Mane to Parry Sound, and also some of the Ottawa

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River slianties. Very larely had 1 a dollar in my pocket. That did not
trouble me the least bit— every where I went 1 received a hearty welcome.
The boys were delighted to see me, for scarce a shanty would I visit but
more or less of the crew had worked for me sametirae or other. So I was
treated like ;i prince and as soon as the crew of a shanty vere told that I
w?s writing the " Life of a Lumberman," they would crowd around m
dozens to tell me that they wanted a book the minute it was printed and
ready for sale.

I may say, in conclusion, that I commenced to write this book when
I was in Saginaw County Jail, and also worked on it m Toronto Asylum,
and have been working on it more or less ever since, and now tluF. Easter
Monday of 1895, 1 am writing the closing p iges of " Up to Date."

I do not presume to preach to the reader, or draw anv moral from
my life; I leave that for the reader if he choses to do so. Neither do I
claim the least literary talent, but have told my story in the best language
and in the best way I know how. My life, from a boy up, has been
spent among rough but brave and hardy men, and as thereaderhas learned,
I was most of the time in the bush ; so I ask him nut to be too critical
in passing judgment. I offer no apology for the life I have led ; neither
do I blame anyone. I grew up with thft world as I found it, wherever I
wasj and my career in Canr<da shews that I made no mistake when my
first trip up to Port Hope from Quebec told me it was a fine country.
,'\ny boy, man, or women either, who isjndustrious, and leads a life that
any man and woman should, they will prosper and be well respected and
well used by a people who are second to none in intellingence.

I do not claun my life has been a credit either to myself or my country,
neither do 1 for an instant wish to infer that it is a fair sample pf that of
the average Canadian, or do I claim that all Canadians are saints. What
1 do claim however, is that 1 never tried to rob a poor working man. I
always paid them the highest curr^.nt wages, and never would be a party
to lower their pay. I ;jever missed a chance to better the condition of the
men in the shanties or on the drives when it was possible for me to do
so.

No doubt my lack of education is maialy responsible for the many
blunders and mistakes I made during my life, not even excepting the log
returns and measurements I have occasionally made to the government
and to the English Land Company. I never was much of an arithmetician,
and as to kissing the Bible when making a statement, I had no more
scruples about it than I had about kissing a pretty woman when I got a
chance, and I was not to be depended upon when doing either, for in those
days I did not believe a word in the Bible, or very Hitle of what a pretty
woman would tell me either ; and if judges, lawyers or pretty women
believed half what I told them they were bigger fools than I took them
to be. -

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So before the reader passes judgment on me I would ask him to re-
member that Our Saviour once refused to pass judgement on a certain
woman that was brought before him, but told her to " go and sin no more,"
and no doubt the poor woman felt when she heard these words much the
same way as I do now.

If I have not been a gentleman I always tried to be a man, and
fought in a manly way, and never struck below the belt. If J did not
like a man he soon knew it, ard he also knew that I was after him ; but
I always gave him a chance.

Writing of gentlemen reminds me of an incident that occurred one
night at one of the dances we used to have in the asylum. The evenmg
I have reference to their was several M.P.P's present, for the House of
Assembly was then in session.. Several of the number were brother Ma-
son, and I had a chat v/ith then ; they in turn introduced me to others
of tlie party, and one of the visitors said he presumed I was one of the
asylum doctors. I smiled and said that I was a patient, the same as
nearly all the others in the hall. He looked amazed and said, "why you
you are a perfect gentleman." (1 guess he was a Patron) "Yes," I replied,
"I lay ( laim to be such, for," I said, "1 had been made gentle in Saginaw
jail and that they had made a man of me since I came to the Ayslu;^ and
so by putting the two together gaye me the title of gentleman, for," I said,
'when it took two great nations like the United States and Canada to
make of me I did not think anyone would care to dispute my claim." A
roar of laughter followed my remarks, and when it subsided the Patron
member said there was not much wrong with me perhaps. Along with my
being the son of a British army ofificer, and the adopted son of Norman
Barnhart, the reader will say that I ought to have been a gentleman.
The reader will more readily agree with me when I say that I know that
I have often not been one, and acted and done what a gentleman should
not have done, and of that I am now well aware.

If the reader wishes to learn anything further about my father's fam-
ily, on receipt of one dollar, sent by mail to me addressed \a care of my
publishers, "The Times Printing Co., Peterboro, Ont.," I will have for-
warded to them one of my "Up to Date" photos on the back of which
there will be a facsimile of my autograph and the coat of arm; of my
father's family, and then if my reader is learned in heraldry he or she can
learn by it what family J am a descendant of, and he will also learn that
it is one of the oldest families in England, for my ancestors can be traced
without a break back to the War of the Roses and to the Crusaders.

The dollars so received will go into a fund to build a home or retreat
for those dear brothers and sisters that I left behind in the asylum and
others, perhaps among them the reader. That is what I have turned
beggar for, and the main reason that caused me to publish this book, and
why I pray it will meet with success, for the proceeds of it, out side of my

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UP TO DATE ; OR, THE LIFE OF A LUMBERMAN

bare living and of my family's, will be spent on those who are so afflicted
and left so they are unable to make a coaipiaint, or even beg. So I in-
tend to devote the remainder of my life to them. This book I may say,
IS all true in every respect, as can be proved by hundreds alive to-day.
Of course in telling some yarns I have taken a lumberman's privilege of
"stretching my conscience," and also the truth, but the reader can see
there is no great harm in that and perhaps not much good. But as I
have said before, I did not start out to write a Sunday school tract but
have done my best to make Up to Date instructive as well as interesting.
Of course I haye suppressed names and in others used fictitious ones,
and told some of those little smart business transactions, in dreams and
in other ways using metaphors, to suit the case ; and my reason for doing
so will be obvious to the reader, but the main facts are perfectly true. I
did not see any occasion to put much fiction into it, for to my way of
thinking my life so far has been quite exciting and interesting enough to
satisfy the author of "Up to Date."

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Easter Monday,

14th April, i8gs.

GEORGE S. THOMPSON.

FINIS.

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ADVERTISEMENTS

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ADfiiM HALL.

407 GEORGE STREET, PETERBOROUGH

-ONTARIO

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ADVERTISEMENTS

EHTABUSHKD 1887.

TELEPHONE 5397.

CHAS. M. Edwards & Co.

MANUFACTURERS OF

Writing Inks, - Mucilage, - Blacking

EDWARDS' WATERPROOF DUBBIN
** Sterling*' Flavoring Extracts

IMPORTERS OF
ELECTRIC AND MAQIO QLUE. GELATINE. QUM

STGVE PASTE ARABIC diC.

OFFICE AND FACTORY:

263 and 265 GLADSTONE AVENUE

TORONTO

PETE SinONS & CO.

^ ilerchant Tailors^ ^^

408 GEORGE STREET, - PETERBOROUGH

Our suits are known from one

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end of the country to the Other ^ LUMBERMEN'S
on account of their nobby ap- i SUITS A ;

pearanco and splendid wearing r SPECIALTY

qualities.

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Mr. Georpe S. Thompson, author of " Up to Date, or the Life of a
Lutnberma.5," has kindly permitted us. to use his n.ime as a reference.
Mr. Thompson has been a customei<Df ours for almost 20 years.

Remember the place : 408 George Street

Mail Orders a Specialty. Perfect Fit in every ca5e Guaranteed,

ADVERTISEMENTS

> V

THE PETERBORO'
CANOE CO., Ltd.

Successors to

The Ontario Canoe Co.

■^HE LBADINO MANUFACTURERS OF

CANOES, SKIFFS, YACHTS, STEAM LAUNCHES

'TENTS AND CAMP FURNITURE*

If you want, anything in our line and want good and reliable work at a
fair price, send for out Catalogue and write us.

W. H. HILL, President J. Z. ROGERS, Hanager

NEW HARNE55 5H0P

346 WATER STREET, PETERBOROUGH

' South of the Bank of Montreal

C. GUNSOLUS

Desires to inform th.^ lumbermen of Canada that he makes a specialty

of Lumbermen's Horse Collars, and
guarantees the best collars on the mar-
ket. He can give the best of references,
such as Mr. Wm. Irwin, of Wanahiptae,
who has been using- these Collars, and
also Mr. P. M. Gunter, Manager of ihs
Gilmour Co., and others. Harness of every
description kept on hand and made to
order. MAIL ORDERS PROMPTLY ATTENDED TO.

C. GUNSOLUS, PETERBORO'

LUMBERMEN'S

HORSE

'LLARS

ADVERTISEMENTS

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B. F. ACKERMAN

WHOLESALE MANUFACTITRKB OF.

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HARNESS, MORSE COLLARS, GIG SADDLES

FLY NETS, CHECKED WiNKERS, BLINDS, BOXED
LOOPS, ETC., AND ALL KINDS OF STRAP WORK

PETERBOROUGH. ONT.

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