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 I 
 
 

 SCRIBNER'S MAGAZINE. 
 
 Vol.. XIV. 
 
 OCTOIJKH, IK'.IU. 
 
 X... 4. 
 
 THE NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE OF CANADA. 
 
 By J. (j. A. Oeijiibtoih 
 
 'N 1H7:{ the Doiiiininii of CjiiiikIii iiiul \\ sci-ii>us 
 ]ir()l)lt'lil ti> flicc. It llfld l)nii;^lit l{ll)ni-t's Laiitl 
 iroiii tlic Hiiilsnii IJjiy CniMpimy four years j)ri'- 
 viiiiisly. The fstiil)li^lmi('iit nf the Province of 
 ^Iiiiiiti>liii liail rc(|uir<'tl tlic Wnlscley txpctlitioM 
 
 of 1K7((, mill tlic iiiiiiiitciiitiK f a j^'arrisiui at 
 
 AViiiiiijic;,', wliicli was just sjiriiis^'iii;,'' up rniuul 
 tlic wimmIcii jialisadcs of old Fort (lurry. Hut 
 all licyoiid tlic Red l{ivci' was practically iiii- 
 kuowii, and ;{((.(l((() Indians lield tlic jilains over 
 which the Imll'alo herds then roamed. An army 
 of re<juliir tidops sccniod lu'cessary to take and 
 keej) ])ossession. This was done liy a force of 
 three hundred men. which for years pi'actically 
 ruled a re^;ion as iarf4;e as France ami (lei'iiiany, 
 dealt with unruly popidations ami most 
 i'xactinif conditions, and really lirouj^dit 
 aliout the civilizing,' of this vast district 
 ' liy personal bravery, jud;,'ment, and char- 
 
 acter. This jiaper proposes to tell sonic- 
 tliinij: of the story epiti)iiii/e(| in the liad^'e 
 and motto of the Northwest ^loiintcd Po- 
 lice, whose scarlet tunic is the symhol of 
 law and order from the He<l Hiver to the Rocky MountaiuN, and from the United 
 States border to Peace l{iver and the Saskatchewan. 
 
 Thouji;li or^'ani/ed when the late Hon. Alexander ^[ackenzie was Premier, the 
 ^lounted police were one of Sir John Macdonald's insjiiratioiis. and aftci' Ir-. 
 rctui'n to power, in 1H7H, they always remained under his own eye. The w .. 
 coat was no mere concession to historic sentiment, but his ci'afty appeal to In- 
 dian triKlition of the j^'ood faith and ticjhtini,' tpialities of the •■ Kiiij;' (ieorfj;es 
 Man," whose ally their brethren in the lOast hud bci'U, and to wliom even the 
 ^'reat Hudson Bay ("oinpany owned alle;_'iance. 
 
 The nucleus of the force was ;,'ot to^i.ther in Manitoba, in the autumn of 
 isT.'f, tnidcr the i-ommaml of Lieutenant-Colonel Fi'cnch, of the Hoyal Artillery, 
 who had done Canada ;^ood service in or<,'aiiizin;jf her anillery schools, and 
 who, after winning fresh distinction in Australia, recently retired from the Im- 
 perial Army as a Major-( ieiicral. The rest, makin^^' the strciiifth only tlu'ce 
 liuiidred in all, went from Toronto to Farj,'!) by rail, in June, 1S74, ami had a 
 foretiiHte of their work in a march of l(i(» miles to DulVerin, on the southern 
 
 Copynglit, lsv>:l, by Chui-Um bunbiiiT ^ >\*\\^. All nghtA rt.'MTvcit. 
 
 y^'" 
 
40U 
 
 THE NOKTHiyHST MOLKTHD POLICE OF C AS' ADA. 
 
 frontier of Miiiiilolm. Weeding,' out tlii' 
 weaklings, iind Iciiviiij^ ii iVw f^ood iiicii 
 to form ;t depot mid send ii detiiclinient 
 to Fort Kllice, on the Assinihoiiie. the 
 Mounted PoHce hej^an their record imd 
 scored from tlie outset. W'itli two tield- 
 I'uns iiml two mortiirs, ttml I'dvinu on 
 
 Bulge of the Northwest Mourttud Pt.iice. 
 
 tlieir own tninsjjort train for su])j>hes. 
 tliev nmrcheil MOO mih's westwiird 
 through an iiidviiown country inha))- 
 ited li_v 150.00(1 Indians and a few score 
 white (h'Speradoes, f ill the |{ock_v .Moun- 
 tains were in si^^lit. Leavin^j Colonel 
 Madeod. the Assistant Commissioner, 
 to build a fort in the very heart of the 
 (•oiintry of the terrilih' IJlackfeet. where 
 Ho white nniiiH life was tlien safe, and 
 sending,' another detachnLent north to 
 K Imonton amoni^' the .Vssinihoines and 
 Wood Crees. the nniiii column turned 
 hack. They crossed tlie i)laius north- 
 ward hy way of (^u'.VpiJelle to Fort 
 Pelly. hut tindin-^ their inteiidetl hi'ad- 
 (|uarters were not ready they retui'ued 
 to DutVcrin. 'J'he thermometer, which 
 ha.l stood at 100' F. in the shade when 
 they marched out, marked H0° F. below- 
 zero on their return. In four months, 
 to a day, they travelled l,!!.")",) miles, be- 
 sides tlie distances covei'ed by (h'tach- 
 nients on special service. Once beyond 
 tile rich prairies of .Manitoba, hard work 
 in tlie gravel drifts of the ^lissoiiri Co- 
 teau and anioiiK' tiic broken ^Jfullies of 
 Wood ^[ountaiii and tlie Cyju-ess Hills 
 tol'l licavily on their animals. Many 
 p)od horses livecl throu;fli want of 
 water and fotid in the arid plains where 
 nictuH and wigJ'-bruHli are the only vet^- 
 
 etatioij rouu'l tlii<' alkaline lakes, to <1ie 
 from the eff«-»i*«i.f auaccii^tomed foraj,'e, 
 ()!• from tht- l»ilt«-r cold that ciime on 
 early in tlj* autniiiii. thou^di ollicers 
 and men <rave up llj«-ir blankets to sliel- 
 t<r lii(-ir dtar^d-r!^ iJuf the three hun- 
 di'e(l ]Mili(n- ainr^Hii|>h.'nhed. without los- 
 ing,' a Ijfe. wiiat liad seemed work for 
 ail ai'ujy — thie takini.' jM»^ession of tiie 
 (ii'eat Loue LoiiiL 
 
 One obj<-<-t oj iIj*- exiM'dition was to 
 drive out tilt- <iaiiij;'>* ol' whiskey traders, 
 outlaws <»f iIk- worNf kind from the 
 Western St,-it«-^. wlio kept the Indians 
 ill a chronii- Mat*- ^^t ileviltry. and only 
 tilt- year l><-f<<rc- Iia<I ftnnmitted a num- 
 bei- of mur-lierc aH»l oiitravi'es on tlieir 
 own a<-<-ount. TL*- f'>rts in which they 
 were Y{\v trXi-A Vt I* » iitrenched. at the 
 junction oi tli<f- IJ>>» .itid iielly Jiivers, 
 proved UAttf wien-lv tradin;.' posts, built 
 of lo^'s. aii<l thii- iuiiiat!*'^ had taken tliein- 
 nelv<'S <iff witliKt'Ol ;rivili'_' the police a 
 chance to fin- a Anitt. Another ol)ject 
 was to es1.ab]i<4i fri'inHv relations with 
 the Indians. Tliis w:is soon acconi- 
 jilished. ami tbif-ir contideiice in the 
 police has lat-tt-"! fn»m that day to this. 
 Their sus]<ici<»ii)*«jui»-kly wore^ away, and 
 th(y b(-canj« <»ul.«|ii»«k»ti in tleir cNpres- 
 
 siolis of ;/r;ilJtU"l«- to the ( ro\ (riimellt 
 
 for sendin;^ iIk-im s»iifh protectors. As 
 one <-hief UM C«>l*mel .Macleod. '• 15i- 
 fore you <-aiij«' tlw- Iit'Ii.'in crept a!oii>i'. 
 now he is u*A allntid to walk erect." 
 They we]-e <jiT«-lii a •_'eiieral ide;i of the 
 laws, tolil that tlW'X- would bt the s;ime 
 for whit« luai! ait'l Indian alike, and 
 that tiny ij<'<-m1 uot i«Tir punishment e\- 
 ee])t for <l<iiujr «liat they knew to be 
 wroiij:. TIk-v wn-n- promised th.t their 
 lands woulil iii«»t \m- t.ikeii from them, 
 but tiiat fair trK'ati*-:^ would be made in 
 solemn «-ou!j<-il — pr»>riuses the faithful 
 fultilment «f mlii«-h has saved ("anada 
 from Indian warK Before the end of 
 1H74 Coloije] >la«-l..>.l was able to report 
 that the wlji^l«y tr:»de was completely 
 supjiressed. iLnJ an iin.-kniied man could 
 riile safely over »|jia» h:kd been the bat- 
 tle-<.'-roun<l of tlioM^ hen'tlitarv enemies 
 the ll]aekf<ft *iii«I Crpfs. a!id that the 
 only Iiiclian '1 ■"" '* r.i be :ipprehended 
 was the ]iie« ', . ■ u parties from dif- 
 ferent IrilM.^. Tim- b«>t result of the 
 exjiedilion wjio tb<t iiiuiiediate estiiblish- 
 iiieiit of a prMttijf*- which has served the 
 

 DR*Wh B» fHEOERIC HEMlh&TON. 
 
 ENORAVED av C. W, CHADWICK. 
 
 if)33ii:3 
 
 Officer of the Mgunteil Police m Full-i)iu»». 
 
»*«»- 
 
 ^m 
 
 Police Recruit Acquiring a Military Seat 
 
 ■3'-'i'->-^^'""''i'"" 
 
 I'olicp in tiood stead in niiiiiy a " ti^^lit 
 placi' " siiifc, and has cnahlcd tlicm to 
 disi't'<,'ard ininioa.siirablo odds against 
 tlicm. 
 
 CdIoik'I ^laclcod svu'ct'cdcd to the 
 ciiniinaiid upon C'oloncl Frcncirs rcsi^jf- 
 nation after coniphtinjj tlie work of or- 
 jrani/.atioii. J>urin<f thc^ next two years 
 the Police were htisy huildin;,' them- 
 selves j)osts, estal)lishiii<jr sii])))ly farms, 
 and explorin;,' the country. Those were 
 tile <,'oldeii days of the force ; the life 
 was one of constant excitement and a<l- 
 ventiire. and the duties wei'e almost 
 ])iirely military, for no .settlers then 
 went beyond ilanitoha. The j^reat 
 herds of hntValo still ran^'ed the prai- 
 ries, iiiid it is straiiffc now to I'ead in 
 the old onler-hoi'ks prohibitions from 
 shootinif more animals than coidil be 
 used as food. The -.'ri/zly bear had not 
 beat his iinal retreat to the mountains, 
 
 and there were antelope in abundance. 
 The Indians oft< n cr.nie into coiitlict 
 over encroachments u])iin each other's 
 innitinj^-^irounds, and were (piick to ap- 
 j)eal to the red-coats as arbiters and 
 protectors. At that time the Police 
 had the whole m;iiiai:-ement of the In- 
 dians on their shoulders, 'i'hey had to 
 reconcile them to the coming' of the 
 whites, and to protect the surveyors, 
 who laid already be-^un jjarcellin;,' out 
 the country and ex])lorinL;' the route of 
 the railway. Their abilities as diplo- 
 mats were evidenced by the readiness 
 with which the In(bans entered into the 
 treaties conchnh'd l)etween 1H7") and 
 1H77, and tlieir soldiei'ly (|ualities by 
 th<' bearing;' of the detachments that es- 
 cortetl the commissioners, (."onvoyinj;' 
 the larj^e sums of money and stores of 
 su])plies retpiireil for the ai nual pay- 
 ments to each heail of a fannlv was a 
 
Tin- SOKTHirEST MOU\'TED I'OirM (If- CAS ADA. 
 
 4015 
 
 ])i'>'il<>iis iliity. 'I'lic ilistril)utii>ii cif tlicm 
 r((|iiirccl liniiiiiss tni't. ami iMsi;,'lit into 
 tiic liivstcrics of Iiidiiili ciiiu'iictcf. Miit 
 these are (jiialities tlie Police have al 
 wavs shown in a marked (h'l^'i'ce. 
 
 in 1H77 nearly tl:;' whole of the little 
 force was concentrated on the south- 
 western frontier to watch ami check 
 th( (J.IHM! Sioux wlio soUL;ht refui;(' 
 ill Canada aftei- their defeat of Custei' 
 on tiie Litth' IJiii Horn, l-'ort Walsh, 
 ill till- Cvjtress Hills, was made liead- 
 i|\iarters in^tvail of Fort l'<'lly ; a post 
 <'i)mmandinL;' the trail; from the L'ji- 
 jn'r Mi-souri was estalilished at Wood 
 3[oinitaiM to the eastward, an<l the ^'ar- 
 risou of Foil Maclcod was increased. 
 A tinu- t)f trreat anxiety <'nsiied. 'i'he 
 Canadian Indians, ('specially the Hlack- 
 feet. were strongly opjuised to the jires 
 eiice of the Sioux the more so as it 
 was (iln-ady ap])arent that the hutValr 
 woiild be extinct in a few years. The 
 teniidatioii was ^reat to smoke the to- 
 liacco sent them l)y Sioux runners, and 
 tiiiis hind themselves to join in an ef- 
 fort to sweep out once and for all tiie 
 white iiit'u, whose numhers seemed so 
 scanty. But — chiefly under Crowfoot's 
 intlueiice — it was resisted, and they 
 heljied the Police liy refraining:- from 
 hostilities, and atl'ordiiij; information as 
 to tiie doiiiys of the iiew-comers. Sit- 
 ting,' Hull and his warriors we?" met 
 with a (|uiet resolution that ast<inished 
 them, and won their imme(liate respect. 
 Tiiey were told that so lout;- as t!iey 
 oiiserved the law tliey wmilil lie ]iro- 
 tei'lcd. Init could expect iiotliiu!,^ more, 
 anil '.voiild not be allowed to settle prr- 
 manently in ( 'aiiada. ami tliey were 
 linally induced to surrender jit acefiil- 
 Iv to the United States authorities in 
 
 The f'ooliieMs and pluck of the Police 
 duriiifT that cvitii'al period was aiiia/- 
 inu'. Their contidence in themselves is 
 curiously evident eel liy a rejiort from 
 the otiicer ii; command at Wood ^[ouii- 
 taiii. recommeiidiiii; that at least 50 
 men should lie stationed tlure. as there 
 were alioiit .">. 0(1(1 Sioux campetl in the 
 vici.iity I On one occasion an attempt 
 liy the Sioux wairiors to rescue by 
 force one of their number whc: had 
 been arrested, was faced and stopped 
 by "IH troopers. Such exploits wen 
 
 fi(i|ueiit. Ill 1S77 Inspector Walsh 
 with |)octoi- Kittson, a <,niide, and 
 l-'i ('oiistaliles, chartit'd down at day- 
 break one morning' on a wai' ciimp 
 of 200 Assiniboines, who, after ill- 
 usiii','' anil tirin;; at some Saiilteaiix 
 canqied near by, had tlireateiied to 
 serve till Police in the same way if they 
 came. SiirroundiiiL;' tiie war lod^'e 
 erectetl in the centre of ti.e camp, he 
 arrested and took a>v,iy the head chief, 
 Crow's DaiK-e, ami !t) of the princi- 
 ]ial warriors. Then assinibliiiL:- the re- 
 iin'oimler of tlie cliiefs in council, he 
 wai'iieil them of tlie results of s( ttiiitj 
 the law at deliance am! ordered them 
 to let the SaUeaux ;,'o in peace. 
 
 Sitot li:f»» of flu Mounlf.l Police. 
 
404 
 
 THH KORIHUl-.Sl MOUMHD I 'OUCH 01- CANADA. 
 
 On one (ifcasion ti scttlfr stnick an 
 Intliaii, wliDsc coiiiratli's, simic '><Ml in 
 all, net nndcrslaniliny Imw sncli an 
 insult ciMiliI lit' alnni'd fur liy a tine, 
 J)nini|)flv |(l()c((:i(i! tci (Icsfl'ny flic set- 
 tier's priipcrtv. (icttin;,' worked n)> 
 iido wild excitenii'nt tliey soon l>ej,fan 
 tiring' indisciiniinafely. and tliieaten- 
 in^;' to take the lives of all while men. 
 Colonel Irvine and his Adjutant, Ca])- 
 tain Cotton, ha|t]iened to he neai' liy. 
 'I'liou^^di inianneil they rode strai;;;lit 
 into the inl'ui-iated hand. Hifles were 
 levelled at them from all sides, Imt, 
 
 tlii'ir ( Iness told, ami the Imlians 
 
 Nullenly olieyed the order to disperse. 
 Incidents like this, however, coidd he 
 told of cvci'v ollicer who has served in 
 the Mounted J'olice, nor have the rank 
 and tile been hehinil their o(1i<-ers in 
 ilarin;,'' and lirmncss. It was then, as 
 it is now, an every-day matter of duty 
 for a sin^^lc eonstahlc to eider an In- 
 dian cam]) and make an arrest. Mo- 
 mentary indecision, or the dis])lay of 
 temper would have often meant not 
 only failure hut certain death. 
 
 In iSHO Colonel Ii-vine, who luid 
 heen Assistaid Commissioner for somo 
 y* Ill's, succeedeil Colonel Maclcod in 
 the coinmand. the latter hecomiii^- Sti- 
 pendiary May-istratc, and eventually 
 hein^i- appointeil a judye when the Su- 
 preme Court of the Northwest Terri- 
 tories was orvtanized in 1NS(!. 'J'lieir 
 imnit's will always be associated with 
 the rapid and successful development 
 of the country, and a record of the dis- 
 tinguished services which both liej^an 
 as Canadian otlicers in Lord ^\dlse- 
 ley's l{ed IJiver Hxjiedition of 1H70, 
 would itself he the iiistory of the Nortli- 
 wost. 
 
 The modern era of that history l)e;^!iii 
 with the lMiildiii'4- of the Cana(iian I'a- 
 cilic Hailway. The rapid proi^ress of 
 this was largely due to the services of 
 tlie Police in preventing;' aniioyance and 
 attacks on working parties by the Iii- 
 ilians, maintaining' law and order anioni;' 
 the thousands of navvies employed, and 
 ])reventiii;j; entirely the introduction of 
 Ji(pior. An army of camp-followers — 
 fjfainblers, thieve i, and the scum of the 
 Western border States — flocked in for 
 their exjiected harvest, but were kept 
 in perfect order. The I'olice did good 
 
 work, too. in (|uellinj4: strikes, which at 
 times threatened to become serious dis- 
 turbances. ^Ir. Van Hoine. the I'resi- 
 dent of th<' Comiiaiiy. has borne the 
 most fellin;^' testimony to their ser\ices 
 in these words written to the Commis- 
 sioner: " Without the assistance of the 
 otlicers and men of the splendid t'orcj' 
 under your command if would have 
 bei'i' impossible to accom|(]ish as much 
 \\(nk as we did. On no ;^reat work, 
 within my knowleili^-e, where so many 
 iiii'ii have been em]>loyed, has such per- 
 fect order prevailed." 
 
 Till then the I'olio' had mainly their 
 own safety to consider. With the lapid 
 iiillux of settlers came responsibility for 
 lives and ])ro])erty scattered over an 
 area of UTo.dOO s(|uai'e miles, 'I'mdiny- 
 posts developed info towns, newcentres 
 of population sjiraiiL:' up like ma^ic. 
 the cattle-ranchers occupied the rei^ioii 
 at the base of the mountains, and the 
 whole face of the counti'y was chaiij^ed. 
 Simultaneously with this coiniiiL;' of the 
 white men the biitValo beciuiie extinct, 
 and the Indians, reduced at once to ])ov- 
 crty. and no loii;,'ei' mastersof the plains, 
 felt their jiositioii bitterly. Amon<; tho 
 tliousandsof immigrants thei'e wasnatu- 
 I'ally a large pro]ioi'tion of the I'oiiiihest 
 class, and the thought that a sefflei's 
 taunt or hasty action might jirecipifafe 
 an Jndian outbreak adde(l largely to 
 the cares of the Police. On the other 
 hand, the Imlians, aecustoined all their 
 lives to look u])oii other men'shorsesand 
 cattle as lawful ])luiidei', foiiml in horse- 
 stealing and cattle- killing substitutes 
 for the excitement of tli" war -party 
 and the chase, and serious «'ncounters 
 were frecpu'iit. Another instance out 
 of many, which I wish there were 
 sjtace to give, will further show the 
 coolness and determination with which 
 the Police always act. It hajipened in 
 1HH2, but is typical of any time in their 
 Iiistory. A sub-chief of the IMackfeet, 
 named Bull I'^lk. stole scmie beef from a 
 white man and fired at him. Ins]iector 
 Dickens — a son of the novelist by the 
 way — ordered his arrest. Sergeant 
 Howe and two constables went with the 
 Insjiector to the reserve and took their 
 ])risonei' through a mob, Though they 
 were knocked down and the Indians 
 began tiring, they stuck to their man, 
 
i 
 
 •-% '^ 
 
 ;P 
 
O il Fort WaisH. now abar.HnnoH. 
 (Fri)iii II |>luitu^'m|>li 1))' Noliimii, Mrmlreal.) 
 
 while till' IiispccfDr k(']>t tlif IiKliiiiis 
 liiick witli his rcviilvcr. until the rest of 
 tiic iiH'ii (|iiiirtcr('il tluTc — niilv fen of 
 II rcinforcciiu'iit caiiK' to their i-esctie. 
 The prisoner was to Ik- sent to ^Taeleod 
 for trial, l)iit 7(t(» Mlaekfeet warriors, 
 ai'ined with Winehesfers, snrroiimleil 
 the ))ost. taiintecl the sentries, and trietl 
 to excite the I'olice to tire on them, 
 which, of course, wouM have enik'd 
 everything,' with the little tletachnient. 
 On Crowfoot's intercession and prom- 
 ise to ii<> hail, the prisoner was allowed 
 to ^(1 for a time. This happened on 
 •Tanuarv 2d, it was re])orted at Macleod, 
 100 miles away, liv Ser^feant Howe, on 
 the 4th, an<l l>y the evenine- of the 
 <!th ^fajor Cro/ier, with every available 
 man. was at the IJlackfeet l{eserve. 
 havin-,' ordered the field-j^iins to lie 
 ready if wanted. The jiost was hur- 
 riedly fortitie(l by eleven the next 
 mornin;;-. and the jirisoner was sent 
 for. Crowfoot asked if they meant to 
 tif^ht. The rejily was, "Certainly not, 
 unless you comnien<'e." Ci'owfoot was 
 then in turn asked whether he mofuit to 
 
 do his duty as a chief, assist tiie I'olice 
 in theii' duty, and inak<' a speecli tn his 
 people, sayiiii;' tlie Supennfen<lent had 
 done ri;4lit. The Indians were evident- 
 ly ^;reatly impressed, and after a viifor- 
 ous harani^'ue from Ciowfoot endorsing' 
 the action taken. Mull i'llk was sen- 
 teiii'ed and marcheil otV to prison. 'I"he 
 policy of separating;' tiu' trilies, settling,' 
 them on reserves, and teaching' them to 
 farm, was distasteful in the extrenn- to 
 these horn I'overs ; hut Uy L;reat ta<-t 
 the Crees and .Vssinilioines were per- 
 suadeil to move north from theCvpi'ess 
 Hills to the Qu'.\pi)elle Valhy and the 
 Saskatchewan, ^inirded by the I'olici? 
 fi'oni the attacks of their old enemies 
 the ]51o(k1s. whose war-parties were on 
 the alert to seize such a chance. They 
 did not all i^o (piietly, however, for Wv^ 
 Hear, so notorious afteiward in the 
 reliellii>n of ISH.l, aud another worthy 
 named Pie-a-1'ot, uave • .•••h trouble. 
 The formei- led ir>(( liri > . i) sack l''ort 
 Walsh, but the si^ht ••; |()0 ivd-coats. 
 and two mountain .'uns tm its wooden 
 bastions, chan^^ed iiis iwii/d ••iiid kept 
 

 waTti-*""*^ 'V- .-*•■' f- . ^.. ..' 
 
 Foot Parade of D and H Divisions, Movirted Police 
 (From H |)huto|!ra|ili tuki'ii by StwU' A Vo., of WiiiiiiiM'^. ut .Miiclcod, Norlli«t>t TiTrilory, Dcci'mUT 1*. I*9«.i 
 
 liiiii civil for II time, flidiiii'li soon aftcr- 
 ward Colonel Irvine, with one otlicer 
 and '2'2 men, had to take their lives in 
 their lianils hy iiilin<,' into liis eani)) 
 f)f rM) lodj^es to ent'or<-(> the s\irron(h'r 
 of some hoi'ses stolen from ^fontami 
 Territory. 
 
 The Canadian Pacitic |{ail\vay made 
 such unexpected jji'oi^'ress that in 1SS2 
 (h'tinite jjlans could be made for tho 
 liermanent stations of the force, ■which 
 was then I'aised to a, strenti'th of ;")()(). 
 lie^ina. the capital of tlie Teri'itories, 
 was chosen as head-<|uartei's, and Fort, 
 Walsh and Wood ]\[onntain were 
 ahanihtned, thouj^h the latter, from 
 its commanding' situation, has since 
 lieen re -estal)lislied as a ])ornianent 
 outpost. Substantial barracks beyau 
 to replac(> the original <(uarters that 
 tile troojjers had Imilt for themselves 
 of cotton - wood ])ickets, roofed with 
 j)oles and thatched witli uniss ami 
 clay. (Comforts were jjrovided in tho 
 shape of libraries, reci'cation-rooms, and 
 canteens for tho su^jply of small hisu- 
 
 I'ies and the 1)evera^'e known from its 
 authorizeil strength as " four j)er cent, 
 beei-," and the Police settled down to 
 tiieir new and ever-increasing' (bities as 
 !i ])ermaiient ^'arrison. All seemed to 
 be j,'oinfjr well for three years, and then 
 came "the ]isychol(i<,'i(al moment" in 
 the history of the Northwest. 
 
 Hud the warnin<,'s of the I'olice been 
 heede<l the rebellion of the half-breeds 
 luuh'r Louis l{iel wouM liave been im- 
 ])ossible. The actual outbreak fouml 
 them ready, but llioUL'h the streUL'tli 
 at the northern jmsts had been in- 
 creased to 2((0, all decisi\e action de- 
 ])ende<l on orders frr)m Ottawa. 2. (•<){) 
 miles uway. At ii day's notice Colonel 
 Ii'vine, with 4 officers anil H(! mc-n, 
 all the force available, left l{e'_'ina, 
 and marchiny; 2!)1 miles in seven 
 days in the de])th of a Northwest win- 
 ter, passed ri;_dit throu^di the district 
 held by the insurj,'ents. outlliinkin^' 
 them by liis <|uickness and u]isettinir 
 Kiel's ])lans to seize Piiiice .Vlbert. tin; 
 kev of the situation. Twentv - four 
 
^^^t«»^.*. 
 
 Police and Trailer Following a Ciiminal. 
 
 li(nirs were occupiod in nr<j;iiiuziiit,'' tlic 
 (k'fciiccs of PriiKH' Allici'i, uiid before 
 <liiyl>reiik ("oloiiel Irvine, liopin";; to 
 finiisli the rising' by ii proinjit and de- 
 <'ide(l movement, wus on tlie way to re- 
 inforce Fort Ciirlton. Unfortunately, 
 tiiat very day JIajor Crozier hail Kent 
 ont a party to secure provisions and 
 animnnition at Dnck Lake fi'oni falling; 
 into the insnrij'ents' liands. Jiesistancc; 
 was made, and lie went ont himself, 
 with, all told, li'.» Police and Prince 
 All)ert volnnteers. and fell into a traj) 
 skilfnlly planned by the rebels, whom he 
 had no I'eason to tliirdc were in force. 
 They were iietweeii HOO and 400 strong, 
 however, and almost sni'rinuided him. 
 Orozier's men made a splendi<l stand, 
 thon^^li li,u;htinji: in deep snow which 
 made their one tield-f;un almost useless, 
 an<l witli no better cover than their 
 siei^^hs. while tlie enemy were con- 
 cealed in thick bnsh. Aftei- losing- 1'2 
 icilled and 12 wonnded they retiri-d as 
 steadily and coolly us they had fon^ht, 
 brin^^ini;- otf their wonnded ami the 
 yiin, and ^ot back to ]''ort Carlton jnst 
 as Colonel Irvine arrived there. It 
 was the only check the I'olicc have ever 
 experienced. 
 
 That tiiey wonld have retrieve<l the 
 sitnation bv themselves no one who 
 
 knows thoni has ever (h)ubte(h But 
 they never hail a free hand, (renei'al 
 Middleton, the Imperial othcer in com- 
 mand of the Canadian militia, was on 
 his way to Winnii)e<;- to direct a cam- 
 paign ; they were already placed nmler 
 his orders and " the ceremonies of the 
 ■wars must be kept.' 
 
 "What are the Police doin^V" was 
 the (jnestion on evei'v lip for anxious 
 weeks. Their enforced inaction, ami 
 the ('onsei|uent loss of presti^'^e that 
 had so often enabled a handful of 
 troopers to (lis])erse hundr(>df-i of armed 
 warriors, emboldened whole bands of 
 Indians to join the insnriicnts and 
 heartened them to a deteiinined resist- 
 ance that cost many brave lives to over- 
 come. All that was soon known ; but 
 uidil the inner history of that sharp 
 little camj)aiL;n is written the injustice 
 and misrejiresentation will not be re- 
 vealed wiiich they were made to bear 
 tliat othei-s mitfht make sure of rea})- 
 in;;' all tlu^ j^lory ami reward. It is 
 impossible eviMi to outline here tiie 
 events of IHcS,"). The records and the 
 graves on the piairie tell what the i*o- 
 lice did whenever and vrherever they 
 ^ot their chance. Their indispensable 
 and invaluable aid has been fi'aidcly 
 acknuwled''etl b>- connnanders in whom 
 
THE NOkTHlVHST MOUNTHD POUCH OF CANADA. 
 
 40!) 
 
 /- 
 
 selHshncss did not iiiiir poisoiial hruv- 
 cry, find tlioir soldier -coiiiriidcs were 
 tli(' first to testify tliat tliey did tlieir 
 full sliiire, (iiid more, of iimrcliiiij;', hard 
 work, and ii^litin^-. lint no man in tl.'c 
 force wears the medal that decorates 
 many a volunteer wlio never was witliin 
 :{(l(> miles of the front, and saw all his 
 active service lit tlie huso of supplies or 
 in the Home Guard of his own settle- 
 ment. And why? Let i'ed-ta])edom 
 answer for itself: "The ^lounted Po- 
 lice wei'e doinj;' their ordinary duty." 
 A prouder distiuetiou it would be hard 
 to invent. 
 
 The duty done so well was not con- 
 fined to those who were with the tlii'ee 
 columns in the tield. Those left lie- 
 hintl had iieavy Mork and responsibd- 
 ity. The firm front shv)wn and the 
 prei)nrations for defence at all the posts 
 inidoubtetlly checked a f^'eneral risinj;" 
 of the Indians. At Macleod in particu- 
 lar, the tact and personal iiiHm'nce of 
 tile officer in command, llaj'r Cotton, 
 aided by the same qualities in his 
 former chief. Colonel I\Iacleod, and 
 backed up by the admirable conduct of 
 tlie rank and tile, kept the JJlackfVet. 
 JJioods, and Pie<ians from disi'ej^urdin^' 
 the loyal counsels of old Ci'owfoot and 
 joininji' Kiel. Had they done so, every 
 Indian in the Territories would have 
 risen, their friends from across the 
 border WDidd have joined them. aii<l 
 there would have been massacre and 
 r.apine throuj^hout the whole Nortli- 
 west. 
 
 Immediately after the outbrc Mie 
 streniith of tiie Police was increased 
 lo l.CdO. their present nund)er. In 
 ■•KKI) Colonel Irvine resij^ned, and was 
 succeeded b_\ the present comnnvmlant. 
 Colonel Lawrence H( rchmer. And imw 
 it is time to say something' of the com- 
 l)osition and routine work of tlie force. 
 
 Tile Northwest ]\rounfe<l Police, like 
 Ihe Poyal Irish (!onstal)ulary, on which 
 it was modelled, is, in the eye of the 
 law, a purely civil body ; its oHicers are 
 maj.;istrates, the men ai'e constables. 
 But so far as circumstani'cs will allow, 
 its or^^anization, internal e('oiioniy, and 
 drill are those of a cavalry regiment, 
 and when on active service in a mili- 
 tary capacity, the oflicers have army 
 
 rank. Tiie (^)ueen's Itejiulations do not 
 apjily to it, howe\er, and discijiiine. as 
 strict as in the army, is enforced under 
 a concise and eonij)reheiisive enactment 
 which provides a maximuni ])eiialty of a 
 years imjirisonment and a tine of one 
 montli s ])ay. leaviiif'' it to the discre- 
 tion of tli<' otlicers to make tlie imnisii- 
 ment fit the crime. Even the same C. 
 ()."s views naturallv varv. and if this 
 
 v4''" 
 
 Wmtui Costume of ttiu Police, 
 
no 
 
 THE NOKTHIVHST MOUNTED POLICE OE CANADA. 
 
 jn'ovision were iiuidc ii littlf more dcf- 
 niitc HO that tlic (Icfiuiltci-, wliosc iiiili- 
 tiirv •'(•I'iiiic " (•(iiisistsiii hiittoiis iiisiif- 
 riciciitlv l)uniislu'il. or in iiiiscitlciilii- 
 tioM of tlic time aviiiljil)l(' to sec liis 
 sweet liciirt home before "last post" 
 HOuinIs, miylit meet a more uniform 
 fate, a •.Tievauce would be removed. 
 
 The atVairs of tlie force are mana^'eil 
 bv a distinct dejuiitment of the (lov- 
 ernment at Ottawa, under the i)olitical 
 supeivision of one of the Cabinet Min- 
 isters, at i)resent the President of thi' 
 Privv Council. ^Fr. Frederick White, 
 formerlv Sir John ^lacdonald's Secre- 
 tary, has for many yeai's been the 
 Conti-oUer of the JJepartnient. its j)er- 
 manent civil head. The executive <-om- 
 maud is held by an otlicer styletl the 
 (Jommissioner, and ranking' as lieuten- 
 ant-colonel. Tlie Assi.'itant-Commis- 
 sioner ranks with a major, and after 
 three years" service with a lieutenant- 
 colonel. Ten Sui)ennten<lents, with 
 ca])tain's rank, command the divisions, 
 witli about thirty-tivelnsjx'ctorsas sub- 
 alterns who corresjyond to lieutenants. 
 Paymaster's and ((uartermaster's duties 
 are done by the ottieers of each division, 
 and the Superintendent of the de])ot 
 division acts as rejrimental adjutant, 
 an ins])ector performinj^' similar (bity 
 for each of the indivi<lual divisions. 
 The me(li<-al stalV consists of a Suri^con, 
 live Assistant-Sur-^eons and two Veter- 
 inary Snr^i'eons, the small nund)er of the 
 latter bein^' sup])lemented by veterin- 
 ary sta)t-ser;4eants. The non-commis- 
 sioned otticers are. .is in the army, ser- 
 geant-nnijors, stalV-serii'eants of various 
 sorts, Hcrj^eants, and corporals, while 
 the troopers are callecl constables. 
 
 The olHcers' pay is not larj^c. The 
 Ccnnmissioner receives ,'i>;'2,40() ; the As- 
 sistant-Commissioner, ;«;1, ()()() ; the Su- 
 ])erintendents and Sur.u'eon, $1,400 ; the 
 Inspectors, $1,000 a year, with, of course, 
 frei' (juarters, rations, li^ht, fuel, and 
 forafj;e. Put promotion is very slow, 
 and these are the rales of twenty years 
 iv^o when the foi'c(> was small, the du- 
 ties far less ni'.merous and exacting', and 
 the life far more attractive. 'J'he men, 
 however, are well ))aid, and without the 
 vexatious dciluctions wliich in the army 
 reduce Tommy Atkins's pocket-nioii' y 
 to a mere pittance. The non-eommis- 
 
 sioneil otlicers j^'et from a (h)llai' to a 
 (h)llai' and a half a <lav : the constables 
 fifty cents, with an adilition of rive cents 
 ^■■ood - conduct Jiay for each year, and 
 an allowance of twciity-rive cents when 
 employed as iderks or artiticers. Poth 
 otlicei's and men are provi<led with 
 liberal j)ensions, iirade<l accordint;' to 
 leiij^th of sei'vice, an<l attainable aftei- 
 ten years. Patioiis are of excellent 
 (juality and lar;,'e (piantity, and can be 
 supplemented very cheaply with little 
 luxuries from the canteen, which is now 
 a featun.' of every division post. At 
 most i)laces, es])ecially in the north, 
 there is a fair sujijily of small uame in 
 the season. The .Maideod ami Culuary 
 districts abound with tine trout. 
 
 The rank ;ind tile are not siiii)asKed 
 by any picked corps in any servi<'e. A 
 re<'ruit must be iictween twinty-tvo 
 and forty-tive years old. of ^^ood charac- 
 ter, able to read and write Ent;lisli or 
 French, active, well-built, and of sound 
 constitution. He is also su| posed to 
 be al)le to ride, and a man wiio knows 
 something' of horses is preferred, lint 
 these two i-eqnirements are broadly in- 
 terpreted. The i)hysi(pu' is very rine, 
 the averaire of the whole thousand 
 beinjj; rive feet nine and a half inches in 
 heijj:ht and thirty -eii^ht and a lialf 
 inches round the chest. There has al- 
 ways been an unusual propoi'tion of 
 men of j,'ood family and education. 
 Lots of the youn^' ]''n^lishmen who 
 come out to try tiieir hand at farmiuL:' 
 in Manitoba, oi' ranchiuL;' in .Vlberta, 
 eventually drift into the Police, as <l(i 
 also many well-connected youn^' Cana- 
 dians. Farmers' sons from Ontario, 
 clerks tired of city life and juxir pros- 
 pects, immii^'i-ants who have not found 
 their Kl Dorado, waifs and stiiiys from 
 ev(ry where and of every callin;^', are to 
 be found in the ranks. The roll-call 
 would show many defaulters if no man 
 answered to any nanu' but his own. 
 There was. iuid still may be. at least one 
 Loi'd in the force ; several of the men 
 lire entitled to nioi'ethan the ])lain re>,n- 
 niental nund>er as a iiandle to their 
 names, ami nnuiy are university jfradu- 
 ates. In these days of short service 
 dischar^^ed snldiers are ^lad to take the 
 (i)ueen's shillin^^ ayain, so that medals 
 won in FuLjlamrs continual little war.s 
 
ittioii. 
 wild 
 
 niiiiii;' 
 llicrtii. 
 
 as (lu 
 
 CiiUii- 
 hilarici. 
 
 |11'I>S- 
 Dllllll 
 
 frnia 
 lie ti) 
 oil-call 
 I) man 
 own. 
 ist one 
 
 IIK'U 
 
 II rc^n- 
 1 tlicir 
 Liiaihi- 
 si rvico 
 
 ll<c tlu' 
 
 iicdals 
 
 Ic wars 
 
 i 
 
 One of the Riders 
 
 at the iitlicr end of llir wciiid arc not 
 unusual, ami not a few otliccrs wiio 
 have liornc Her Majesty's conimission 
 ..MV serve as simjile troopers. In tlie 
 iulventiiroiis infancy of tlie force tliese 
 clenients were even more nninerous 
 than nowailius, ami many an oild n'li- 
 i-iiiilri' has occurred between men who 
 had last met at the mess-talile of some 
 criick regiment, in a swell London Cliih. 
 or an Kn-^'lish country-house. The 
 term of enlistment is tive years, lint 
 many of the men " take on " aiiain, es- 
 ])e<'ially since the estalilishment of the 
 pension system. Discharge niay lie oii- 
 tained liy jmrchase, lint the small nuni- 
 lier tiUmved to avail tiieniselves of this 
 I)rivilen;(.. only three a month, and the 
 
 lon,'^ delay in j^ettinj^' a release — ofti n 
 useless unless available at once — con- 
 stitute a serious <,;rievance and an easily 
 suppressihle cause of desertion. Hard- 
 ships and monotony, especially to those 
 unused to work and discijiline. proxim- 
 ity to the lionh'r. the iiiduceni( nts of 
 liij;ii wa^'cs in civilian life, and dread of 
 jiunislimeiit for some olVeiice iiiipri- 
 meditated jjerhaps and trivial eiiouoli 
 in anyone hut a soldier frei|uently 
 make deserteis. l>ut the\ >i'e usually a 
 yood riddance to their comrades, whose 
 ^ood lecord is not spoiled hy the i!ie\i- 
 talili' lilai'k sheep. 
 
 After passing- the doctor and takiiii:' 
 the oath of allej;'iance, the recruit ^oes 
 to he.id-(|uarters for ti'ainiii;;. His life 
 
THE NORTHIVEST MOUNTED POLICE OF CANADA. 
 
 113 
 
 |^4.- 
 
 ■jtf 
 
 thert' is tlmt f)f a caviilrv soldier all the 
 world over. He underjjoes in the rid- 
 iiit^-school that refined torture which re- 
 Kults in a military seat, and incidentallv 
 learns much of the })eculiarities of the 
 ^VeHtern broncho. After a trial of 
 ]\rounte<l Infantry drill, the force has 
 returned to the rcfjfular cavalry system, 
 in the simpler movements of which it 
 is thorouf^hly exercised, and field-artil- 
 lery drill has also to 1)(! learne<l. llifle 
 and revolver ])ractice, mounted aiul dis- 
 mounted, and instruction in police du- 
 ties comph-te the professioJial train- 
 injX- There is ])lenty to <lo in the way 
 of ])arades, stables, guard mountin'f, 
 orderly duty, escorts, and " fati<j;ues." 
 He also learns to di'ive a transport wa<^- 
 on and a buckboard — two v<'hicles con- 
 stantly in use for prairie travel — so that 
 nu'rely as a soldier he has to nnister the 
 work of all arms of the service, besides 
 those of a police constable. 
 
 The uniform is very like that of an 
 En;j;lish dm<^oon, tlie full dress consist- 
 ing of scarlet tunic braided with yellow, 
 dark blue breeches with a broad yellow 
 stripe down the side, riding-boots and 
 spurs faultlessly polished, and white 
 helmet with glittering brass sj)ike. In 
 undress, with his tight -fitting jacket, 
 nnind forage - caj) perched on three 
 hairs, and silver-mounted whip, as he 
 swaggers down the stret't of some lit- 
 tle Northwest town, there is not a crack 
 cavalry regiment in Her JFajesty's ser- 
 vice that can show a smarter troojjcr. 
 Only the officers and sergeants wear 
 swords ; the rank and fih^ are armed 
 with Winchester carbines and Enfield 
 revolvers, tlie cartridges for which are 
 carried in brown leather bandoleers and 
 waist-belts. The Polieennvn's kit is of 
 ♦'xeellent (luality and unusually varied 
 in description, to nu'ct many varieties 
 of climate and duty. liesides uniform, 
 a liberal supjjly of warm underclothing, 
 the usual toilet necessaries, brushes and 
 cleaning apparatus for himself and his 
 horse, blankets and bedding on a liberal 
 scale, and table necessaries, there are 
 such items as fur cap, buckskin mitts, 
 moose-hide moccasins, and long woollen 
 stockings to wear with them, a water- 
 proof sheet, a rug, and a red worsted 
 fuijiii', the picturesfjue and piratical- 
 looking winter head-drcBH of the French 
 Vol.. XIV.— 40 
 
 CamuMiiu habitaiil. A long bluecavaliy 
 cloak and cape serve well enough at or- 
 dinary times, but for <nit-door duty in 
 the bitter frost of the Northwest a coat 
 of ])lack Russian lambskin is the best 
 substitute that has yet been found for 
 the ohl-time buffalo coat, whicii is now 
 as scarce and valuable as one of its origi- 
 nal wearers. Duck clotiiing is provided 
 for the not hss frying summer heat, and 
 stout ])ea-jackets for sjjring and autumn. 
 On patrol and at the outposts the cow- 
 boy's comfoi-tal)le felt hat is a freiiuent 
 sul)stitute for the stifl'helmet and sliade- 
 less forage cap. Kxperienceil otfi<<'is 
 advocate a "prairie suit" of iienti'al 
 color, keeping the present uniform for 
 parade use ; and now that the red-coat 
 has served its purj)ose so efi'ectindly it 
 might well make way fcr a more suit- 
 al)le working-dress. 
 
 The Depot Division and another of 
 the ten into which the force is dividcMl, 
 about two hundred strong, are statioiietl 
 at head-(pnirters, three miles from Jte- 
 gina, antl form a little prairie town of 
 themselves on the i)anks of the Was- 
 cana. The English of this euiilionious 
 name, which hardly compensates for 
 absence of water in summer and in- 
 tense mu(hliiu'ss at all seasons, is I'ile- 
 of- Bones Creek, so called from the 
 stacks of buffalo boiu's once u))on a 
 time stored there to be carrieil away 
 by rail and <'onverfed int(» fei'tili/.ers, so 
 that Eastern cattle in their turn might 
 benefit l)y tlu^ elements of the rich 
 prairie grasses. The barracks, a num- 
 ber of wooden buildings — many of 
 them merely ))orfable houses— groupid 
 round a ))arade - ground, do not make 
 an inij)osing display of architecture. 
 On one side the officers' (pnirters form 
 a row of detaclied cottages; 1)arrack- 
 rooms, sergeants' ijuarters, orderly- 
 room, guard -house, ])rison, canteen, 
 recreation - rooms, stables, and store- 
 houses complete the S([uare, and the 
 Union Jack flies fr(un a flagsfaft" over 
 all. Outside are the hospital, more 
 storehouses, a fine riding-school, and a 
 small cluster of married men's (pnirfcrs, 
 but wedltx'k is an institution not fav- 
 ored by the authorities. All round is 
 the open ))rairie, reaching to the h(U'i- 
 zon in long undulations unbroken ex- 
 cept l)y Government Hou.se near by, 
 
414 
 
 THE NORTHH/EST MOUNTED POLICE OF CANADA. 
 
 the (liHtaiit ruufK of Hegiiia, iiiul the 
 straight line of the Canadian Pacific 
 Railway to the north. The aspect is 
 peculiarly hare, even in Humnier when 
 the toiif^h clay soil, in which trees will 
 not fj;row, yields its abundant harvest 
 of wheat. 
 
 The other Divisional Posts, scattered 
 as they are throuj^h such an extent of 
 country, vary much in situation and 
 local color, but all have the same fam- 
 ily likeness. Times have changed much 
 since the Police first came into the 
 ( Treat Lone Land. Towns and villages 
 and farm-houses stand where only the 
 tepees of passing Indians broke the 
 horizon line. AVagon trails sear the 
 I)lains witli broad brown bands, but the 
 creaking "bull train," drawn by long 
 teams of oxen, wincing imder the r<;- 
 sounding crack of long whips plied by 
 wild-looking drivers volleying strange 
 oaths from under the canvas-tops of the 
 •' prairie schooners " that slowly dragged 
 out mile after mile, is almost extinct. 
 Only blanched skulls and the deep fur- 
 rows worn by countless thousands fol- 
 lowing each other in single file, remain 
 to tell of the buffalo ; and the great 
 "fall hunt," in which the half-breeds 
 laid up stole of robes for "the Com- 
 pany," is now a legend. The " Sun 
 Dance " is no longer a mystic rite to 
 test the would-be warrior's fortitude, 
 b\it a means of exti'acting a little 
 money from tourists, and the jouthful 
 Indian slaves at pothooks and hangers 
 in the school at tlus Reserve. The gla- 
 mour of the early days is gone. Yet the 
 enilless prairie is never far from the 
 barrack-gate, and whether it be bright 
 and sweet with its summer carpet of 
 flowers, brown and bleak in spring and 
 autumn, or blinding in brilliance of 
 winter whiteness, its deep silence, bro ■ 
 ken neither by the cool breeze, sweet to 
 man and horse after the scorching heat 
 of a summer- day, nor by the deadly 
 rush of the icy blizzard, strikes deep 
 into the soul. 
 
 Fort Macleod, the oldest post of all, 
 in the heart of the rich ranching coun- 
 try of southern Alberta, commanding 
 the sou+uern passes through the Rock- 
 ies, an>i sepai'ating the Blackfeet from 
 the Bloods and Piegans, as well as 
 keeping watch oyer the Montana bor- 
 
 der, hua alwavs t)«en an important 
 j)la( e, an<l two rlivi.-sions are stationed 
 there. A t,T|jiical Wt stern frontier town 
 has grown up round it. and the south- 
 em ext^n^ion of the C.iljrary and Ed- 
 monton Kailwav, by bridging the hun- 
 drwl miles that st'paruted it from the 
 Cami<iian Pacific Lne. has added still 
 more to it« |»opu{arity as a station. 
 Lethbridg*-. 50 uiihs to the eastward, 
 which replaw** oM Fort AN'alsh, now 
 quit*' dt*<erttiil anil in niins. is a flour- 
 ishintr mining ti>»n, and the present 
 terminus of the All)€rta Railway and 
 Coal Couipauv'^ hue. which, under lease 
 to the Caiiia<iliaD Pacific Railway, is now 
 l>eing ext^nnltfl through 3Iacl<;od and 
 the Crow's. Nt-*t Pa.ss. It is the head- 
 quarters of an imjjortant district just 
 to the uortLwanl of the Indian tribes 
 across tl*e bonl<-r. Ma])le Creek and 
 Calgary fomj. with Regina, a line on the 
 Canadian Pacific Itailway, intermediate 
 betwet-n the frontier and the nortlu'rn 
 posts. Jtlaple Creek, but for the rail- 
 way ]ias)au«r tlirongh it, is still an iso- 
 lat<,'d prairie |jn(i«t. while Calga:y, at the 
 gate of the Bow River Pass, has in a 
 decade dfTt-lopetl into an enterjuising 
 little citv of brick and stone, witli 
 churche*. Ijouik*. theatres, electric light- 
 ing and ek«rtrie street railway. Its 
 Gaelic name. " the river of clear water," 
 was Colout'l Marleod's apt christening 
 of its Itt^utiful site at the junction of 
 two mouutain streatns. Calgary and 
 Macleod Lave always been coveted sta- 
 tions ; the iMantifni region in the foot- 
 hills of the RrM<-kies anil the mihlness of 
 the shf»rt winter, wLi<h is tempered by 
 the warm Chinook winds from the Pa- 
 cific, <'au*ing; them to be known as 
 "Go<rs eountrj-" t<> the men stationed 
 in the eai>tem portion of the Territo- 
 ries. Prirnee An)€rt, Battleford, and 
 Fort Saakatc-bfwan. the remaining 
 three divisional head-quarters, ar<^ far 
 to the n<:»rthwanl on tlie banks of tlie 
 North Sai»kat<i"hewaD, in a region where 
 broad stretches of rich, long grass are 
 broken hj eopsen of poplar and birch, 
 with liumeroui^ lakes and " sloughs." 
 Beyond the firrat river is the southern 
 l>order of the forest which separates 
 the wLeat-tmoiwing plains of the south 
 from the rocky, moss-covered, " barren 
 lauds ■■ within the Arctic Circle. Prince 
 
THE NORTHIVEST MOUNTED POLICE OF CANADA. 
 
 415 
 
 Albert, the oasternmoHt of the three, 
 ori^^iimlh' a Imlf- breed Hcttlemeiit, is 
 now a thriviiif^ town and the centre of 
 a floiirishinf^ diHtrict. Within the laHt 
 two years the niilway has Htretchod out 
 a \in\it, arm to it. and (uit oflfthe tedious 
 journey across the Salt Plains and the 
 loii}^ round by river steamer from Lake 
 Winniju!?;. Battleford, midway between 
 tlie other two, is now the only post still 
 de])endent on the buckboard, the Red 
 lliver cart, and the prairie schooner for 
 its means of communication witli civi- 
 lization when the water is too low for 
 tlie semi-occasional steamer to pass the 
 shallow bars. Fort Saskatchewan is 
 oidy twenty miles from Edmonton, 
 wliidi is connected with Calj^ary by 
 rail, and in that country it is an every- 
 day atiUir to ride that far to make an 
 afternoon call. 
 
 Eadi divisional post is the focus of a 
 system of outposts, some of which are 
 maintained in summer only, or as oo 
 casion retpiires. These; vary from an 
 inspector's command to a solitary con- 
 stable, b\it most of them consist of a 
 few men under a non-ctommissioned 
 officer. These isolated detachments are 
 housed very variously ; some are sta- 
 tioned in tlie small towns alonjj; tlie 
 C. P. R ; othera, on duty on the south- 
 ern border of Manitoba, find quarters 
 in snufif farm-liouHes ; but most of them 
 have to put up with rou<;fh "shacks," 
 otherwise lof^-huts, and many, even in 
 winter, are under canvas. By degrees, 
 however, conifortal)le quarters are 1)i!- 
 injf built at the i)rincipal points com- 
 mandiii)^ the main trails. A continuous 
 chain of patrols is kept up all summer, 
 those of one division connectiii}^ with 
 the next, so that the Avhole country is 
 thoroughly examined. On the United 
 States boundary alone the line of pa- 
 trols extends seven hundred miles from 
 west to east, and the map showing th.: 
 routes travelled looks like a spider's 
 web. A shaip lookout is kept for 
 smugglers, horse - thieves, criminals, 
 wandering Indians, and other " vagrom 
 men." Strangers are asked their busi- 
 ness ; note is taken of settlers' com- 
 plaints, the state of the (^rops, and the 
 movements of cattle ; strayed horses 
 are looked up ami restored to their 
 owners, with every now and then a 
 
 sharp ride for perhaps a hundred miles 
 or more in pursuit of hoi-se-thieves ; 
 prairie fires are watche<l for and put 
 out if possible ; the Indian Res<Mves 
 are visited, and note taken of the do- 
 ings there. Each patrol makes a writ- 
 ten report, which, with the diary kept at 
 the outpost, is sent in weekly to the Di- 
 visional Head-quarters. In this way a 
 general supervision is maintained ; tiio 
 Police know all the ins and outs of the 
 district, and are in constant touch witii 
 the 2)eoi)le. It is trying work thougii ; 
 hard rides in all weathers, from dayligiit 
 to dark; fording dangerous rivers, for 
 ferries and bridges are luxuries yet to 
 come in most parts of the Nortliwest ; 
 a scorching sun and the incessant 
 plague of moscjuitoes in the summer 
 months ; and often enough a night's 
 lodging on tlie open i)iairie, with a tiny 
 tire of twigs to cook tiie su^iper, and a 
 turn at guarding the horses. 
 
 The statutory duty of the Mounted 
 Police is to carry out in the Northwest 
 Territories, and, if rccjuired so to do. in 
 everj' province of (.'anada, the criminal 
 and otiier laws of the Dominion. Sonit!- 
 thing of what this phrase means may 
 have been gathered from what has al- 
 ready been said. There is hardly any- 
 thing they have not to turn their luuids 
 to in the varied circumstances of tlu; 
 vast country through which they are 
 scattered. It has been truly said that 
 their life is one; continual caiiipjiign. 
 Oft'enders are arrested and tried befort; 
 the officers, who sit in conjunction willi 
 local magistrates if possible. Prisoners 
 for short terms are guarded in the cells 
 of the post, those sentenced to over two 
 years have to be esco.ted to tjie Jlani- 
 toba Penitentiary, a duty which, before 
 the railway was built, involved rides of 
 many hundreds of miles. The enforce- 
 ment of the prohibitory licpior law, un- 
 der which nobody could have intoxi- 
 cants in his possession without a sj)ecial 
 " permit," gav(! a great dea' of work. 
 Every vehicle was examined, and many 
 a traveller on the Canadian Pacific has 
 waked in wonder at the red-coated ap- 
 parition clanking through the sleeping- 
 car. Bibles and prayer-books contrived 
 for spirituous refreshment ; eggs til' id 
 with whiskey; coal -oil barrels built 
 round kegs of lire-water; canned to- 
 
41fi 
 
 THE NOKTHIVFST MOUNTED POLICE OE CANADA. 
 
 iiititocs with Olio tin in a dozon of vei-j- 
 jxitcnt (jiiivlity ; and cluinp-Holed boots 
 tliiit must li vo 1)eon watn-proof — tlioy 
 licld HO niucli pure alcohol — arc only a 
 U'\s Hjx'cinionH of the ruses resorted to. 
 Tiie I'olic- had a perfec^t genius for de- 
 teciinj,' them, and with the imperturba- 
 bility bred of discii)line, si)illed ruth- 
 lessly a Huitl so 2>reeiouH tliat thirsty 
 souls liave been known to scraiJO up tlu; 
 mud thus <"onii)ounded. It says much 
 for the tiiiirali- of tho iiu'n that this un- 
 ])opular and uiicon^;;enial duty was so 
 iaitlifully carried out. A constable has 
 been known to refuse {jll.OOO, ottered 
 him nii'icly to be conveniently absent on 
 leave. Tlu^ duties of inspection under 
 the license system adojited in 1H',)2, 
 when the Territorial Ijcgislature was 
 given a fiee hand to deal with the liquor 
 (piestion, are hardly less arduous, and 
 mil! e the Polic(! unpopidar with certain 
 classes in towns and villages, though un- 
 popularity is the very last attribute of 
 tiie force generally. Their influence 
 and assistance is still indispensable for 
 the agents and instnictors who now 
 watch over the red man, teach him to 
 farm, an<l educate his children. Horses 
 arc always getting astray in tlic North- 
 west, and th(! settler has a firm convic- 
 tion that the Police arc boun<l to And 
 them for him, though he is not always 
 as grateful as he might be when their 
 voluntary ettbrts to help him are unsuc- 
 cessful. Horse-stealing gives the Police 
 plenty of work, many an exciting chase, 
 and not seldom an interchange of shots 
 b(^fore a capture is etVected. Whit<! 
 men from across the border arc the 
 principal marauders in this line, but 
 their short-lived satisfa(;tion at finding 
 Judge Lynch and the nearest cotton- 
 wood 1()ugh replaced by a formal trial 
 with the chance of escape on a techni- 
 cal flaw in the evidence, was soon ex- 
 changed for consternation at the effi- 
 ciency of Police methods and the rigors 
 of a long term in penitentiary on the 
 British system. 
 
 It took some time to convince the 
 Indians that cattle are not, like the 
 buftalo, the property of the slayer, and 
 even now a vigilant eye has to be kept 
 on the ranches. Prairie fires are a 
 constant source of anxiety and hard 
 work, and keeping order along the 
 
 lines of railway occupicH a nund)er of 
 men. Some of the miscellaneous tasks 
 the Police have to look after in un- 
 organized districts are the collection 
 of Customs and Inland Revenue duties, 
 escorting tho mail, acting as jiostnias- 
 ters, and taking the place of every 
 branch of the administrative service. 
 Besides all this they do most of tlu! 
 work of building barracks and out- 
 posts, herd their horses, manage the 
 farms which are established at most 
 j)osts, rejjair their own wagons, sad- 
 dlery, and harness, and nuike many of 
 the firticloH they use. Nor are their 
 abilities shown on land oidy. I'"or 
 sonu' years past a sail-boat has ])a- 
 trolled Lake Winnipeg to look after 
 the fisheries. Long journeys by canoe 
 in summer, and dog-train in winter, are 
 necessary to visit the Indians in the 
 North, the Police suj)ervision reaching 
 as far as York Factory on Hudson's 
 Bay, while all the nortliern jxjsts mnkr' 
 much use of boats on the Maskatche- 
 wan. In 1HH7 the Kootenay Indians 
 at the head of the C'ohnnbia liiver hav- 
 ing given a good deal of trouble, " ]) " 
 Division, under SuiK'riiitendent Ktcele, 
 after marching from Macleod to Swift 
 Current, were taken to (rolden City by 
 rail, and thence made their way by 
 tnal along tlu; Cohnnbia to the Koote- 
 nay country, where they built them- 
 selves a j)ost and established outposts. 
 They soon i)ut down the disorders, and 
 in tho following sunnner marched 
 through the C'row's Nest Pass, over the 
 mountains, 200 miles back to Macleod, 
 repairing the rough pack trail and mak- 
 ing bridges by the way. In fact, as was 
 said of the I*olice in 1880, when they 
 first furnished an escort for aOovernoi'- 
 General, " Avith the discipline of regu- 
 lar soldiers they are as handy as sailors." 
 Horses, as well as men, to stand sucli 
 woi'k must 1)0 of the best. It was soon 
 found that Eastern horses took too 
 long to acclimatize and did not (H[uh\ 
 the native bronchos in endurance and 
 hardiness. All those used now are 
 bought in the country, except a few for 
 driving-teams. The best come from 
 the Alberta ranches, where the original 
 broncho stock has been greatly ini- 
 pi'oved by thorough-bred blood. They 
 are tough, wiry animals, standing about 
 
" 
 
 THE NORTHIVFST MOUNTED POLICE OF CANADA. 
 
 ■417 
 
 fift«'tMi liiiiids, with f^ood licails, Hound 
 ft'ot, and sliort bucks, and well up to 
 tlio wcij,'ht thoy ciirrv. Tlioy frpcjuontl;.- 
 lmv(^ to travel 50 miles a day for a 
 week at a time, and in the South want 
 of water often eompels this rate to be 
 exceeded. Lord Lome's escort trav- 
 elled 2,072 miles, at an averaj^e of 35 
 miles a day. An officer on his staff 
 said that a month of such work would 
 break up his re^jiment, a crack Euf^- 
 lish cavalry corps. In 1870 one tioop 
 jiiarched 2,10() miles within four 
 months, but many of the men had 
 done much more individually, and one 
 of them had 7,000 miles to his credit 
 durinj,' the year. On downri<;ht <luty 
 in IHHO, not includinj,' exercise or drills, 
 H7(i horses of four divisions travelled 
 the amazinj; distance of ()-i(),H05 miles, 
 an avera^-'e for each horse of 1,720 
 miles durin-,' the year. In IHHd "F" 
 Division had to j,^o from Uattleford to 
 Rejj;ina, marcliinj^ at uij^ht on account 
 of the heat, and speudinj^ thirteen 
 hours out of each twenty-four in the 
 sadiUe, and they covered the 240 miles 
 in rive days and a half. A patrol of 80 
 mounted men without any spare horses, 
 and with 12 heavily loaded teams trav- 
 elled (150 miles in 22 days, on two 
 of which they Uiarched 40 and 42 miles 
 without water. As may be supposed, 
 <^reat care and judt,'ment is shown in 
 tlu! treatment <jf the horses ; all that 
 can be spared are turned out to shift 
 for themselves in winter after native 
 fashion, and prorit j^reaily by the low^ 
 rest. The saddle used is of the (lali- 
 foriiia pattern, and sore backs are of 
 rare occurrence. 
 
 It may be said that such instances 
 represent work done under special con- 
 ditions and in the most favorable cir- 
 cumstances. On the contrary, they are 
 taken at random from official reports 
 of ordinary duty. In the Rebellion of 
 1885 a detachment under IMajor Perry 
 marched 928 miles in 88 days, an 
 averajife of 24 miles a day, liaulinj^ 
 a gun weighing 38 hundred - weight 
 over prairie trails nearly impassable 
 from the mud, fording rapid rivers 
 swollen by the spring freshets, and 
 crossing lakes and deep morasses, with- 
 out losing a horse. The divisional or- 
 ders of Major-General Strange attest 
 
 that that gun was mainly instrumental 
 in demoralizing liig Jiear's band in fiie 
 engagement ai Frenchman's J3uttc. Tlie 
 same detachment scouting l)etwecii IJut- 
 tleford and Fort Pitt covered 130 miles 
 in 3(> hours without a horses giving out. 
 My testimony may savor of grati- 
 tude for kindness and hosi)itality ir- 
 ceived from commandant down to the 
 solitary trooper who has shared his sup- 
 per with me and given u\} his bed. The 
 Mounted Police have come under the 
 notice and invariably wou the admira- 
 tion of many nuich more cpialirieil 
 judges. They liave escorted princes of 
 the blood, general officei's, and (t(»ver- 
 nors-General, and this is what Ijoid 
 Lome told them when l)idding them 
 good-by at Fort Shaw, Montana. The 
 rirst words allude to the comi)liment 
 paid him and them by the parad*' of 
 the United States troops in their honor. 
 
 "That good fellowship which exists 
 between soldiers is always to the fullest 
 extent shown between you and our kind 
 friends.. This i)erfect understanding is 
 to be ((xpeited, for both our empires 
 — unlike some others, send out to their 
 distant frontier posts not their worst, 
 but some of their very best men. I 
 have asked for this parade this morn- 
 ing to take leave of you, aud to exj)ress 
 my entire satisfaction at the manner 
 in which your duties have been pei-- 
 formed. You have? been subjected to 
 some searching criticism, for on my 
 start' are officers who have served in the 
 cavalry, artillery, and infantry. Their 
 unanimous verdict is to tiu! eft'ect that 
 they have ne»ver seen work better, more 
 willingly, or more smartly dont' while 
 under circumstances of some diffioilty 
 caused by bad weatluu* or otherwise. 
 Your appearance on parade was always 
 as clean and bright and soldier-like as 
 possible. Your force is often s2)oken 
 of in Canada as one of which Canada is 
 justly proud. It is well that this pride 
 is so fully justified, for your duties are 
 most important and varied. The per- 
 fect confidence in the maintenance of 
 the authority of the law prevailing over 
 these vast Territoi'ies, a confidence most 
 necessary with the settlement now pro- 
 ceeding, shows how thoroughly you have 
 done your work. . . ." 
 
 •--r^-pr.-wt-v