\ < \ Sty* ^ & ful>le with Indians Sioux and Ojibewajl An Unpopular Candidate 1! I Freemasons Dr. 1 17 17<» CHAPTEB xiii. of Char.. Muscular Christianity Too Mu 1 >i. McRac Scarcity of V<><«\ —A Shooting Affray— McLean's Trial .178 CHAPTEB IX. OL Killed by Red Lake Indians —The Last Indian Fight- A Half-breed Kills an Indian — Sjpenee and Dutch George A Boisterous Meeting — ■ the Trine- of Wales An Indian after Fire-water— Fatal Results of the Fracas— Chief Factor Clare Returns to England to Die — A Complicated Case before the Courts— Dr. Sehultz Arrested and Bound — Liberated by His Friends 1S7 206 CHAPTER X. Second Episcopal Congress — Diocesan Fund — Spence Comes to Portage la Prairie — Council of Manitoba — Arrest and Trial of McPherson — The Dawson Route — Archdeacon McLean — Grasshoppers — First Commemoration of St. Andrew's Day— Charles Curtis— Little Six— Wolverine. . 209-228 CHAPTER XL Scarcity of Provisions — Poetry — Death of Mr. Curtis — An In- dian Horse Thief — Courts and Trials — Distress and High Price of Food — Mission to England — Arrangements with Hudson Bav Co. — Trouble Brewing — Hon. Wm. Mc- Dougall 229-2 r )0 CONTENTS. V OHAPTKB Xll. PAWL a the Rebellion oj ' ' ish umil ( 'ailed i>y Kiel Lav.! I Meeting •uncil — BU anisand McDougall Eli I. MlllCllt Arrival of I )..!ial.-l>t New Railroad Decline of t h. Bard Times J. A. Little Burning of the .,, Church 3ft— Its Origin turn of Riel The Fight at Duck Lake Volunteers t4 , tl.. Battfeford- Cut Knife Creek— man Fish Creek— Batoche— Un- merited Eulogv— Town Council Resigns— The Schools- College— Burning of the Fire Hall— r ire ! Fire ! !— Dark Days OHAPTSB XIX. Still An.'t A ant..! M<>n<>j>oly— Con- ( \ n \. ndiariam - Fire Bugs Caught— Town Oounci] Reorganised Resignation of Mr. Bell— 474 4! CHAPTER XX - nthen Manitoba, with Towni of M tna, ;t lUOI 284 TTLERS .-:, Portage i. \ ttl Interior Portage la Prairie Interior of the KllHEPH »l la Prai> Holy Trinity Ciin. ipeo Central Congregational C'iukcu. Wn ■ pal ChuBOH, Selkirk 414 Homestead Near Rapid City I'M Homestead in Brandon District . . . 457 Town of Birtle of Brandon - 496 View of Carberry 514 Village of Batoche .... 538 Batoche Bury: id 560 N of the 90th at St. John's Cemetery, Lethbridoe • 584 The Late Hon. John Norqcay 615 Remains of Portal of Old Fort Garry 628 VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER xvm. PAOK. Knittincr Factory Floody Debt — Now Railroad— Decline of the Boom — Hard TJllMll J. A. Little Burning of the :>yt.-rian Chun bellion of 1886 Its Origin loturnof Rial The Fight at 1 )uck Lake — Volunteers t<. tin- Front Relief of I Cut Knife Creek— 1 tssacre — Fish Creek — Batoche — Un- ited Eulogy — Town < 'ouiuul Resigns — The Schools — College— Burning of the Kin- Hall Fin- ! Fire ! !— Dark 139 473 CHAPTER XIX. Still An<'th.-r Win M->r.' Railways Wanted Monoj>oly — Con- dition ..f the Town Inc-.-ndiai Bugs Caught — ii Council Reorganised Resignation of Mr. BeD — 474 108 CHAPTER XX. ro Manitoba, with Towns of Morden. Gretna* City of Brandon We-t Selkirk — Bmeraon City of Wmamejr- WinnijM-g Journalism — ■. igation and Description of Buffalo Hunt History of the Roman Catholic Church, Church of [land, Preebyterians, 1 I ongrega- kkmaliste and I < mdfellowship — Freemasonry— The Orange Society — Political Review of Local Legisla- ture from its Inception in 1871 to date 500-630 CHAPTER XXL In Memoriam Sketches : Anderson, Barriston, Bird, Black, Brydges, Norquay, Gunn, Isbister, McDermott, etc. — Conclusion : Manitoba, its Size, and with Brief Topo- graphical Description . . 631- 652 Erratum.— Page 80, "the severe Damoulin" should read "the Rev. Severe Damoulin." ILLUSTRATIONS. PAOB -niface 59 Old Fort Garry 78 toba College, WniffH - 130 Provincial Asylum, Sk.lkirk . . 114 JOHM M< LBAIf, P lOMMB Settler 169 Last Ox I rnouOH Foktaoe la Praikik 164 Shkkiff McLean's Residence, PoBTAQl LA Prairie - 171 186 .i.y Settlers SOI I., POBXAOl I. A 1'KAIKIl. ... 224 Group of Early Settlers - Mfi De. Cowan's Room u 986 W, EL Bai ubii 284 RUM t, PuRTAGE LA PRAIRIE 921 POBTAOI i.\ Pkurik 339 ISTKI'.lMl: Of TIIK MhTHnl, | ,. A \> HU , . H, Wina: Central Congregational Chums, W uwum i ifal Chi ikk 414 Homestead Near Raiii. City ... 434 Dnrrmicn 01 BDru of Brandon ...... 496 View of Carberky - . 514 Village of Batoche - - 538 Batociie Burying Ground 560 n of TiiK 90th at St. John's Cemetery, Lethbkidge - 584 The L\tk Hon. Jon Nokquay 615 Remains of Portal of Old Fort Garry - - 628 HISTORY OF MANITOBA CHAPTER I naQpox ' : ' H reach },A ' i old friends to ' r a P tj I with the inceptiou and es but a • my duty to i With r ba in my mind, I was rlor window, which, looking towards the Boni what ia knows fhe Islan.l,";) tract of land containing over one arrounded by a wide slough, poach 01 h, ancTa 4 the Indians and pleasure-seel i the town Wit} " * calm and tranquil; thesoft hu,M ° r -ring of the birds, the shrill en- of the whip-poor-will, and the lowing of the cattle ey lazily wended their way homewards, were all iucive to quiet thought. 10 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. My attention was, how< bracted to* a group of Indians who were loudly gesticulating to each other in the soft but guttural lun. of the Sioux. It may be that the sight ol these noble red men, met in conclave, brought when such meetings were often Fraught with danger to the early white Be that as it may. the scene opened the floodgates of memory, and I felt myself irresistibly, and yet not unwillingly, home hack over the years which have ] with a few friends— some of whom have long to the spirit land, some have wearied of ? and migrated to other b! — I » lown in this part of the province, and, as with magic touch, that wonderful magician spread out before me the pages of the past, crowding into the space of so many minutes the record of many years, I determined to make them the Bubject-matter of the folio f gea So associated is the history of Portage la Prairie with that of the parent settlement, founded by Lord irk, on the banks of the Red River, that to understand the one, we have to revert to the other; indeed, to know the reasons of many conditions of society existing prior to 1^70, we have to refer to events preceding our dispensation, in some cases, nearly two hundred years. I am obliged, therefore, to the better elucidation of my narrative, to review, as briefly as possible, the early history of the province, in order to gather up the connecting links between the past and the present. Portage la Prairie, or, as the name implies, the BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 11 age of the prairie, has long been known to the Indians and traders who, many years before the nt of the present population, pushed their com- Ihe extensive lakes and rivers, lying north- : and westward, on to the shores of the Pacific n and the Arctic Sea Here the voyageurs, aiboine, had to miles north ih the shores ol L thence their trusty can* them into the waters of Lake Wmnip nd they were on the bosom of the billowy and far-famed Saskatchewan : then westward northward into the Athabasca Stiver, through the Slave Lake, and still northward i an d Arctic having ached Lake ard with the Assiniboine into the Winnij rd, that i here about the middle of thi Uiry, between the y and 17" aau Oatholic mission wa« estab- island already mentioned, occupying an I fifteen acrea Prh made of a habitation i kind. The improvements nt* later years, howei idenoe that did remain, and simply now a matter of record L 780, we find the Crees and Assini- rho inhabited the plains south-west of Lake Winnipeg, making a pr 1 attack on three ting three different corpora- 12 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. tions of traders, and situated where the town of Portage la Prairie now stands. Guarding well the secret of their intentions, they carried their purpose with two of the houses, killing the occupants and looting the goods. A gentleman by the name of Bruce, noted for his bravery, with a few men occupied the third. The Indians, elated with their success, and shouting their war-whoop, rushed on to the attack. M i . Bruce, true to his reputation, made it so hot for his assailants that, after suffering a serious loss in slain warriors, the Indians were glad to decamp, leaving him in possession of their wounded and dead. How far they intended to carry their hostilities was never known. The following year, 1781, a virulent type of small- pox attacked both tribes, spreading throughout the entire Indian territories, even to the shores of the Hudson Bay, and so late as 1815, the bleached bones of the victims of this terrible epidemic could be seen, in great numbers, at several points on the shores of the Bay. In 1790, when the Red Lake Ojibeways came to Pembina to trade, they found a small remnant of the Assiniboines in that vicinity, who desired them to come and live with them, as the country was large, and as they were no longer able to resist their heredi- tary enemy, the Sioux— a request which the Ojibeways complied with. To-day, their descendants still occupy the banks of the lower Red River, and the shores of Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba. In 1793, the Hudson Bay Company's servants made HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 13 . their first appearance in the Red River settlement, under tli' aid McK beran trader. Pushi way westward along the AAsiniboin< mouth of the Souris, they built there their first trading | Ake Winnipeg, which i Brandon Hon- I of the present city of Brandon, which continued to I of importance till it was seused by tli.' " North- res which it contained looted and iris, a t ra«liiiLC*]>"^t belonging • last named company, on the <>pp>>Mt'' sid Brandon Bom - time, was in cha of Petei Fiddler, an old Budson Bay officer, who had done in Cumberland Hon-', on the Q, in L806, and who w tin- lots a' in. 1 otherwise materially • lion of t'h" Selkirk colony in 1812, 13, and 14 rk boats, trading between this point and on Bay, wer a return trip in a •v.- calamity, Brandon 1 1 apparently abandoned 1 h the place in 1889 outlines of which d the north, by I ! on the river, with six h apparent, the largest of which : .In. ted on i of the ttdon Bouse in its origin, rd that, so far hack as L754, a French who imparted to the Endii 14 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. religious instruction in the French language, the remembrance of which was retained in 1804. The Souris country, in those early days, was noted for its large herds of buffalo, and this fort will be remembered in pioneer history as the one which was seized and pillaged, according to the order of Governor Miles licDonald, in the spring of 1 s L 4. Five hundred bags of peintnican, ninety-six kegs of grease, and one hundred bales of dried meat, weighing about eighty- five pounds each, were taken across the river, and I in Brandon Souse. Port la Sou rig was then in charge of John Pritchard, who afterwards became agent for His Lordship the Earl of Selkirk, and who figures prominently in early history. Two miles to the west of these, on the north side of the Assiniboine, stood Stone- Indian- River Bouse, or " Assiniboine House," which was, in 1797, a central trading depot, and from which supplies were taken as far south as the Missouri. From this point, Thompson, the astronomer, started on his visit to the Mandans, or white-bearded Sioux, so-called from the color of their beards — a strange people whose skin was almost white, and who were supposed to have occupied the plains south-west of Lake Winnipeg, at an early date, from which they were driven by the more warlike Crees and Assiniboines, southward towards the Missouri. As a people they were well advanced in agriculture and pottery, living in fortified villages, and, if not the Mound-builders themselves, are believed to be descen- dants of the same. They appear to have suffered terribly from the ravages of smallpox, and, as a nation, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 15 are almoel still survive od the Upper kfissouri, who ar»- known by the name of White- Boards Thi the property of the and XV combined. "To-day, :. little indeed to remind him \ ip in last-mentioned. Ad four Unfilled (•••liars mark the spot I tefore the triam iron horse, and a higher ization, tl crumbled into nothing. ,d they will live only in fa I and ch I by the pen tan. Al: iy date, i well into the present een- ;ani we it of the Bhip Ki which Bailed from land, on the 3rd of Jane, 1608. pedition was rip intations of two Frenchmen, I '<■ i hddiaon, who, in 1666, had pushed their way up through our then unknown country as Lake Winnipeg; then by I [ndson Bay. Failing to an stablieh trading ither r Canada, or the Court of luction from the i h amb to influential friend v made I where they were kind md the above expedition fitted out to 16 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. verify their researches. On the 4th of August, they sighted Resolution Isle ; on the 19th, Digga Island ; and on the 29th of September, they cast anchor at the mouth of the Nemisco Etiver. On the 9th of December, the river froze up. Here they passed the winter. With the return of April, 1069, the cold had almost passed away, and the company made prepara- tions to return to England, where they landed in the following June. Before leaving the Bay, Captain Gillam erected a little stone fortress, which he named Fort Charles. This was the first English settlement on the shores of Hudson Bay. On the return of the expedition, a company was formed and application made to the throne for a charter, which was obtained on the 2nd of May, 1670, giving the sole use of the country "lying within the entrance of the Straits commonly known as Hudson Straits, together with all the lands, countries and terri- tories, upon the coasts and confines of the seas, straits, bays, lakes, rivers, creeks and sounds aforesaid, which are now actually possessed by any of our subjects, or by the subjects of any other Christian prince or state, to use and enjoy the whole, entire and only trade and traffic, and the whole, entire and only liberty, use and privilege of trading to and from the territories, limits aforesaid, and to and with all the natives and people inhabiting, or who shall inhabit, within the terri- tories, limits or places aforesaid, which are to be known as Rupert's Land." So reads the memorable Hudson Bay charter, given by Charles II. in 1670, the privileges contained HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 17 in which, as to i'ur tradh i upon, until public opinion got so Btrong on the mat! I by the influence of new re not unmindful tot* * on this important matter, that the e had to quietly back down upon it. The ••■ which tried in court was that of William Say re, a French half-breed, in L 849, which we The el not legally revoked unti ivernment of Canada had pure he country and it- privileges from the I Company in 1869. Thus hundred ontry \\ I ically in the hands of a monopoly at any or all times to insist opon privileges granted by a king who gave what he did In Budson Bay < k>mj any with five nourishing factories, situated on the Albany, M Rupert, Nelson, ai The following a Frenchman named te from Canada and took Rupert, Moose, and Albany Factories; D'Jh.a btempted to Dry, but, failing in tl leeded in capturin_ n : from this to 1697, the capture and recapture of these liah and was the order of the day ; in 1G97 ick was ei which left the French in undisturl m till 1718, when another treaty, known ,ty of Utrecht, on the Bay once more, and ritish possession. Dm eenth and eighteenth centuri 18 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. many adventurous spirits, amongst whom we might mention Ghamplain, in L618, Verandrye, in 1781, Mackenzie, in 1739, pushed their way west and north, as far as the Rocky Mountains and the Arctic Sea. But with these we have not specially to do at present. As early as 1700 we find fur traders from France nding their operations as far inland as the Assini- boine valley, winch had so developed, that in 1760 a large trade in furs was carried on by merchants from Montreal, who pushed their enterprises through the whole of British America to the Pacitic shores. In 1784, the North- Wesi Company of Montreal was formed, composed largely of the above traders, with the brothers Frobisher and Simon McTavish as man- re. From this date a feeling of rivalry sprung up, which led up to acts of aggression and violence on the part of these two great fur companies towards each other, which, looked at from the standpoint of to-day, cover those transactions with an odium which cannot be wiped out. The Hudson Bay Company, though insisting on the privileges of their charter, were more humane and honorable in their dealings, though these were often high-handed and tyrannical. The North - iters, once roused to opposition by these measures, failed not to use the low cunning and cruelty of the savage, intensified by the free use of fire-water, to return evil for evil, and inflict on an innocent, helpless, and suffering colony, miseries which the pen of the historian can never faithfully record. For the present we leave these, as we shall have occasion to refer to them further on. history OF MANITOBA. ID While I ranspiring here, agencies k in England destin M a mighty influence on i Land. In the beginning of the present century, Thoi ing man of philanthropic disposition, sufferings of bis atrymen throughout the Highlands of Scotland, medy for this evil but emigration, ad- ernmenl anent this Impor- iing forthcoming to this ►lony on waste lands •i him by the Government in Prince Edward Island ; and the better to insur nally uud< enterprise, and b gb( hundred of fcl r people, who owfully ; ;i to those heath-dad hills, to them as life itself, they reached their future home in the early part of September, I s " middle of the month they had settled on lots, building in groups of torn- an.! tiv.- families ' >er, L m ! - arrived in Montreal in the month. On raiting bis colony in the following very materia) | mount of i" per working hand, and they were busily I in be had been built, and the ■ had al plenteoualy to the}* :'" day the q people are numbered bj thousand? ttered over 1'iince During bis stay in Montreal, Lord Selkirk made 20 H is TOB V Of MANITOBA. iia time. Be was cordially received in the city, and every attention and hospitality shown to the le traveller. He was particularly interested in the n known as Hudson Bay and Rupert's Land, and • the difficulties of transit, conceived the idea of Forming a colony inland on the banks of the Bed River. In order to do so more successfully, he again, in I sii.", addressed the British Government and nation, bive to a more extensive emigration as the only able remedy foi a superabundance of population. This was presented to the public in the form of a book of over two hundred pages, in which was shown the successful issue of tin? colony in Prince I'M ward Island, a venture which had been predicted by many as likely to end in failure. In order to further his purpose, he bought largely of Hudson Bay stock, which at this time had depreciated from 250 to 50 per cent., in consequence of misfortunes or mismanagement, and which was considered as then on the verge of insolvency. His purchases extended to nearly £40,000, while the whole amount of the com- pany s stock was under £100,000. This gave him a powerful control in the administration of the com- pany's affairs and in the disposal of the property. A general court was convened, by public notice, in May, 1811, when the stockholders were informed that the Governor and Committee considered it beneficial to their general interests to grant Lord Selkirk 116,000 square miles, of what was supposed to be their terri- tory, on condition that he should establish a colony and furnish, on certain terms, from among the settlers HIstoky OF KANITO] 21 such laborers as would be required by the company in • ■ A written prot ainst this, which one present, with the exception Selkirk hinu e grant, despite the opposition, was confirmed, and bis Lordship found himself the ideal proprietor of a territory only 5,115 square miles less than the entire m of Great Britain and Ireland. The following is tin- text of the -rant: "Beginning at the shores of Lake Winni] north latitude, thence running due : to Lake Winnipegoo led Little Winni- ttherly direction through the said n Bhore in latitude 52 . lei 52 intersects the tern branch of the Red II' I the due south to that point of inter and which separates the is running into the Hudson Bay from those of rariand Mississippi Rivers, then inan easterly direction along the hi ! the ;• Winnipeg, meaning by Buch I named river, the principal branch of the waters which unite in the ginaw, t ; ig the main stream of those nd the middle of tl. through which th r Winni; and thence in a northerly direction, through the middle of Lake Wii. lace of beginning, which to be called Assiniboia." '22 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The grant obtained, his Lordship at once dispatched agents to Ireland and throughout the Highlands of Scotland, to engage servants, some for the Hudson Bay Company's and otl labor in the Were known as his Lordship's ants, and wen >r a tmn of years, at the expiration of which they became entitled to 100 acres of land, free of cost. They \v« i re placed under the command of Mile- lid Donald, who was jointly appointed by his Lordship and the Hudson Lay Company the tirst governor of the new colony. The first hatch <>t' Scottish immigrants arrived at York Factory late in the fall of 1811. The factory was then in charge of William Anld, Esq., Superin- tendent of the Northern Department of Rupert's Land, who was reputed to be stern and despotic in the exer- cise of his authority. After remaining a short time at the fort, our pioneers were sent forward to Seal's Creek, a place about fifty miles distant up the Nelson River, under the charge of their captain and Governor Miles McDonald and Mr. Hillier, a Justice of the Peace. The winter heing near at hand, they were at once em- ployed in building log huts for shelter in this inhos- pitable region. For some reason a mutual distrust arose between the officers and men, tending to make matters go worse than they w r ould otherwise have done. On the opening of the spring they resumed their journey to the Red River valley, reaching what is now known as Point Douglas late in August, 1812. No sooner had they arrived than a party of armed men, painted, disfigured, and dressed like savages, history r MANITOBA. 23 roacbed the little band of colonists, and warned them that they were unwelcome g ad that they must depart The lack of food, coupled with the notice to quit, r with the appearance of their armed and .,, influenced the pioneers that they n proceed to Pembina, nty miles distant A bargain was made with the painted wan rho really were North-) aduct the colonists to the latter | in which kainly the besi of 'f- The making of the bargain is said to have been ludicrous in the ween (Gaelic, br< English, Indian j rench, with signs, grimi tirown in. At all events they led our pioneer fathers to the little frontier town of Pembina, wh the winter in tentsaceord- • e [ndian fashion, living on the products of amon with the i In May, 1813, they returned to the coin- the tabor tared ider, a tradiri u the lie.] \ir them handsome returns. One man from four 'had. howev at difflcul ring it from thr myriads of blackbirds and wild pigeons which abounded. Their living, during the summer, had been fish, r , and berri wild parsnip. The wheat raised from this crop th to save for -<•• d for With tins object they resolved to j Si Pembina, winch they did ; but the by the French half-breeds was so different 24 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. from that accorded them the previous year, that many of them resolved never to return thither under any circumstances. While matters were going thus with our colonists In Red River, Lord Selkirk, in L818, visited Ireland, where he employed agents to engage servants for the fur trade and the colony, as also in the north of Scot- land, where among the evicted tenants of the Duchess of Sutherland he found many unfortunate fellow- countrymen, driven by the force of cruel and un- natural laws from (heir humble homes, with no knowledge whatever where to find a shelter for them- selves and families, and who were only too anxious to avail themselves of any favorable opportunity to reach tli prairies of the western world, the fertility of whose soil was just beginnis known through the efforts of .Lord Selkirk and others who had pre- ceded him. On the 28th of June the Hudson Bav ships, the Prince of Wales and the Eddystone, the latter con- taining the servants, the former the colonists, accom- panied by a brig bound for the Moravian missions on the coast of Labrador, all under the protection of the Brazen, a sloop of war, sailed out of the little harbor of Stromness. I shall not attempt to portray in words the intensity of that last look on hill and dale and ged mountain top, dear to those eyes as life itself ; I cannot, if I would, paint the anguish of those High- land hearts, as speeding out on the great deep those scenes faded away never more to be seen by their earthly eyes, but treasured in their heart of hearts ffEBTOBY OF MANITOBA. 25 forever. I can hear in their sobbing voices the words, U, dear old land, farewell," and so thev passed out, and calli v too k on board those who nad I/'" ■-! in Ireland, amongst whom was a Mr. Kevaney, who figures prominently in after history ' tanner I those nnderbis d On the L2th of little in the Churchill Rii y the Prince of Walea The monotony of the insurrec- ' who became d .- p 0s . ion of the Bhip with I ttion of taking her to country at war wit' Britain and disp of both ship lividing I the faithful. The captain, being quietly informed of nu., I d ,,,,,] t]l( . •t, so o theconspii pted to gain vn hack into the hold in the bud. In ! phus fever of a virul a PP**w imber of deaths, and the dtted to ■ineeofWal* landed, • ere for. .,„,„. by «ralk,dra their bur. with them, to a place known Qy Creek. Here tbey built log huts and i | „„til the following April, many of them still suffering from the effects of the fever, while oi re worn out by their efforts 26 HISTORY OF MANITo in attending the sick and dying, most of them ill-pre- pared to stand the rigors of a winter u in which the thermometer ranged from 30* to 50 , and even as low as 60°, below zero." To receive the scanty rations doled out to them by the Hudson Bay Company, they had to perform a journey of thirty miles on snow-shoes every week. During the winter the white grouse or willow partridge became very plentiful. The poor, half- fed Highlanders' hearts were gladdened with the sight of this, to them, heaven-sent manna, and like Peter of old, they began to kill and eat, when, judge of their surprise, they were commanded by Mr. Auld to hand into his keeping the locks of their guns, on pain and penalty of having their ration- stopped The reason of this landlordism over the fowls of the air has never, even at this distance of time, been apparent. Amongst the last words addressed to these people at Stromness by Lord Selkirk was the advice to take no money nor portable articles of comfort, as these could be pro- cured at Red River as cheaply as at home. Very dif- ferent did these poor wanderers find it, many of them ill-clad or not sufficiently so to stand the extreme cold of this northern land. Clothing could only be procured for hard cash, of which they had none, and at extreme prices; indeed, his lordship's commissariat to meet the wants of his settlers was certainly, to say the least of it, faulty to culpability. No one, at the present stage of our prosperity, can form an adequate idea of the trials and sufferings of those first pioneers; and though many of them are unknown, their memory deserves to be honored for braving the inclemencies of a HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 27 country which, though generous in its returns, is often breme, and requires all the protection which art nod science can give. At length, the long winter came to a close. Towards the last of April they left Colony Creek, making their way to York tv. havi ed hack the locks of ins. On fcheii « rds the latter place they found p bich the] [lowed to JO kindly received at the factory by Mr. ( took, a kind-hearted hut eccentric old gentleman, who was in charge ol the latter place, and who. for man; ml formation y, as he and other tr look on it as likely to b I time, B desirable and convenient place of retirement where Id enjoy rare of spending the evening of life in the bosom of their families and in society. Daring the fall they t Douglas, wl ed by Mr. McDonald, wl nted bead of a family With one hundred acres of land and an Indian pony. A few daya later they were a mastered, treated to a glass of Bpirits, and far- ed with a mnsket, bayonet, and ammunition, with the admonition t og dictated to the weak." re was apparently no preparation for agricaUora] pur i Implements, nor even iron to make them. Tle-re was, however, a field hattery with ammunition i a large supply of musketa Afters abort residence at FoH Doug- las, the col"' tied to raise their p and proceed south to Pembina, to he within 28 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. easy reach of the buffalo, the only apparent source of their winter's supplies, and which, with the addition of fish, was at this early period the staple food of fehe country. Here, aided by the company's servants, they built log huts, wherewith to Bhelter themselves, sur- rounding the whole with a stockade, and named it Fort Daer, in honor of Lord Selkirk. In consequence of the continued scarcity of food, the party had again to break up, some going to the Hudson Bay post on Turtle River, while others joined the hunters in pur- suit of the buffalo. During the rammer of 1813, peace and good-will prevailed in the Red River valley ; though strongly opposed to the settlement, the Canadian traders, rep- resented by the North-West Company and others, had as yet made no overt act against the Hudson Bay people. On the other hand, many acts of kindness were shown by the North- West Company's servants to the tried and suffering colonists. CHAPTEB II. d Trading Onwipiiriei Capture of Brandon House— ' D nald • ' fchberl Qnn1 Pritchi Pambrun With the progress of the Amerioao arms along the t'lian lakes, the North -West partners feared the interception of their provision-laden canoes. Mr. M< Donald, on behalf of tin- Eudson Bay people, an< I acting on instructions received from Lord Selkirk, also t the situation, and the time as one suitable to serw his Lordship's interests, and began at one .,- movements against Oompanj and their employees. The colonial fort was so situated that canoes pa> bom Fort William, the principal post belonging to North-Wesi Company to remote stations on Lake Winnipeg, could not do so without I by tin Eudson Bay employees. They I upon from the fort as also from batt. bed on the bank of the river, no resource being left them but to pull to shore. The canoe was I all provisions taken and placed inside Fort Douglas. Foraging expeditions i organized on the plains, and supplies dealt out to t) ii-West servants demanded at the point of the bayonet, as was the case with Jean Bap- tiste, Demaris, and others. But the crowning act of 30 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. all was the seizure of Brandon House, at the mouth of the Souris River, by which a large quantity of pro- visions was secured, which was, according to Governor McDonald's proclamation, to be paid for in currency, but which, like many other arrangements of the com- pany, was never fulfilled. The following is the text of the proclamation. After defining the limits of his Lord- ship's grant, the proclamation ran as follows j And whereas the welfare of the families at present forming the settlement on the Red River, within the said territory, with those on their way to it, passing the winter at York or Churchill Fort or Hudson Bay, as also those who are expected to arrive next autumn, renders it a necessary and indispensable part of my duty to provide for their support. In the yet uncultivated state of the country, the ordinary resources derived from the buffalo and other wild animals hunted within the territory are not more than adequate for the requisite supply. Wherefore, it is hereby ordered, that no person trading in furs or provisions within the territory for the Hudson Bay Company, North- West Company, or any unconnected individual, person or trader whatever, shall take out provisions, either of flesh, dried meat, grain or vegetables, procured or raised within the said territory, by water or land car- riage, for twelve months from this date, save and except what may be judged necessary for the trading parties at the present time within the territory to carry them to their respective destinations, and who may, on due application to me, obtain a license for the same. The provisions, procured and raised as above, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 31 be taken for the use of the colony; and that no .' accrue to parties concerned, they will be paid for by British bill, at the customary rates ; and be it hereby further made known, that whoever shall be detected in attempting to carry out, or shall aid or assist in carrying out, or attempt to carry out, any provisions prohibited above, either by land ken into custody and prosecuted as the law in Mich cases directs; and the provi ,, taken, as well as any other u r,)t »ds or chattels, of what nai which may !»«• taken along with th. in, and also the craft, carriage and cattle instrumental in conveying away the same to any part hut the settlement on Red River, shall be forfei Given under my hand at Fort Daer, 8th day of January, 1814. "(8J Miu> If oDokald, Governor. " John Spencer, Secretary." For fchi Mr. McDonald and his sheriff, Mr. re arrested and taken to Montreal, Canada, d for the robbery of Brandon House. Spencer was arraigned before the courts of Lower Canada on this charge, and a true bill found against him for \ by the jury. A plea, however, was ented, representing thai by virtue of his office, and under the charter of the Hudson Bay Company, he was autl ee. Time was given by the court to procure evidence, and obtain legal opinion from authorities in England. Spencer was admitted to 32 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. bail. The court, judging from opinions received later that there would be a failure in proving the felonious intent, allowed the prosecution to drop. Previous bo McDonald's arrest, which occurred in the fall, the partners of the North-West ( lompany, in the Northern District, as wan their usage, met in the first week of June at head-quarters, where they I supplies for the trip to Fort William. This year, finding their stores empty, and knowing that Mr. McDonald had a large supply of pemmican, a good proportion of which had :/..■( 1 from the North-West Company's vants, and not having decided as yet to meet arms by force of arms, which they were well qualified to do, they entered into arrangements with the colonial governor, whereby to receive as much supplies as would c them to Fort William. McDonald condescended to do so. On arriving at the latter fort, they were met by their partners from Montreal, a council was held, pre- sided over by Mr. McGillivray, and a decision arrived at, to resist by force of arms all further encroachments on their property and persons by the Hudson Bay Company and their agents. The first outcome of this decision was the arrest of McDonald and Spencer ; the next in importance was the shooting of Mr. Johnston, who was in charge of a Hudson Bay station at Isle a la Crosse, in an altercation between the companies over a fox trap. Fortunately, though there was considerable firing, and many blows struck, only one life was lost. On the 11th June, another melee occurred, in which Mr. McDonald, of theQu'Appelle House, a North- Wester, with a company of men, took possession of a grove of HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 33 trees near Fort Douglas, and opened fire on the fort. Four of the Hudson Bay men were wounded. While Mr. Warren was in the act of discharging a blunder- bos in the bastion, the ] im a wound, of which he afterwards died on his way from Red River to Norway House, The high-handed policy pursued by Miles McDonald was the mem I only putting tl anpanies at war with each other, but also of alienating the sym- pathies of the settlers tie who, in the brigand- age which ensued, suffered very materially. In the midst of these storm] a fresh hatch of rants were preparing to leave Stromnass, accom- governor and a staff of clerks. Tl v drawn from SutherlamMiire and the parish of Kildonan. They sailed from the above port on the 17th of June. L815, in the ", the Pr 0/ TFata? and the They were also accom- pany sloop of war. Governor Sample, with a of clerks, occupied the Prince of Wales, while the Headlow and the K ie were occupied by the colonists. They reached "Five Fathoms Hole," in James Bay, on the 18th August, and arrived at their nation in the Red River valley in the August fol- lowing. Like the previous en they were doomed to trouble and disappointment. All they could obtain from the company's stores, and that, too, only for a short time, was a few ounces of rancid butter and a small quantity of unground wheat, per day, for each family. The winter approaching, they were sent to Pembina, in order that they might be near the buf- 34 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. falo, on which they must depend for their winters sustenance. All the young and active, and as many as could be spared of the company's servants, were placed in two boats and proceeded up the Red River to Fort Daer. During the night there was a heavy fall of snow, and the river froze over. Provisions also gave out, and the nearest place of relief was Pem- bina, forty miles distant. There being no help for it, fathers and mothers had to bind their children on their backs, Indian fashion, leave the boats, and trudge through the long grass covered with snow, till they reached Fort Daer. Here they erected huts. Again the scarcity of food compelled them to go one hundred and fifty miles farther south, to where the hunters, half-breeds and Indians were camped. These received them kindly, and seemingly vied with each other as to who could show them the greatest kind- ness. The suffering of these poor people on this weary journey, ill protected with clothing from the pitiless wind sweeping over these bleak and treeless plains, was such that they could not narrate the story with- out feelings of horror. Even here their lot was not a happy one, as they virtually became hewers of wood and drawers of water to these rude savages. With the arrival of Governor Semple, came a lull in hostilities, for a short time at least. In the beginning of March, 1816, Mr. Semple went west to inspect the posts on the Assiniboine, Lake Manitoba and Swan Lake, leaving Mr. Colin Robertson in charge. On the 16th of March, Mr. Robertson, with a company of armed followers, attacked Fort Gibraltar, a North- HISTORY OF KAtilTOBA. 35 West post, taking prisoner Mr. Cameron, who was in charge, as also his clerks and servants ; removing all the public and private arms, trading goods, furs, hooks and | o Fort Douglas. The furs were shortly aft*M nt to York Factory. They also captured North- West Company's express from Fort William, imprisoned the two men in char] 1 the corre- spondence, opened an- 1 read all communications, witb the » ied to Mr. Cam- k Mr. Sieveright. These were handed to that gentleman unopened That same day Mr. Cameron sent Mr. Siei eright to Robertson, requesting the restora- tion of Fort Gibraltar to its lawful owners, and to allow them to resume their trading operations. Rob- ertson replied, that 1 I at the confluence of the two rivers, the Red and t tiboine, it was the to the position, and he was determined to keep it at all ha The same day a squad of men, with cannon and muskets, was sent from Fort Douglas to 1 Mr. Cameron and his men. These kept guard time. They then turned all the Canadians with the • xception of Mr. Cameron and two others, out of the fort. Mr. Sieveright being one of the ■lied, made his way to Fort Qu'Appelle, where Mr. Alexander McDonald was in char up his advantage, Mr. Robertson attacked tforth-West< Company's post on the Pembina River, where it joined with the Red, captured Bostonais Pang- man, who was in charge, with two clerks and six trip- men, took them to Fort Daer for three days, then to Fort Douglas, where they were kept in close confine- 36 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. liient for two weeks, then turned out. By this move considerable provisions were secured, as also a quantity of Indian corn and potatoes. Not satisfied with what he had already done, Mr. Robertson and his men attempted, in the earl}- part of April, to carry Fort Qu'Appelle. But Mr. McDonald was prepared for them, and they were forced to retire. Recognizing the disorganized condition of the North-West Com- pany's affairs in the country, McDonald sent mes- sengers to the agents on the Swan and Saskatchewan rivers, inviting their co-operation to recover some- what of their lost prestige and provisions. To this appeal a number of French half-breeds were sent to him, who were certainly as barbarous as their parent- age. About this time live flat-bottomed boats, laden with pemmican and from thirty to forty packs of furs, under charge of James Sutherland, were on their way to Fort Douglas. McDonald seized the whole, but restored one and provisions sufficient to carry Mr. Sutherland and his men to their destination, all of whom they allowed to go with the exception of James Bird, jun., and Mr. Pambrun, who were retained as prisoners. When Robertson learned from Mr. Sutherland of McDonald's movements in the west, he concluded to get to Hudson Bay as speedily as possible. He had Mr. Cameron sent off at once in a light boat to York Factory, where he remained for several months before he was shipped to England ; the ice becoming too thick ere the ship reached Hudson Straits, she was com- pelled to return and winter at Charlton Island. From HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 37 ed in July, 1817, reaching England in safety. Mr. Cameron, after seventeen months' hn- Dment, was released without even a trial. Be v to Canada, where he spent latter part of his yean. Cameron out of braltar than D had the walls polled down, and all the ble raft a the river to Port Dou.l ilized in new ere ithin fort middle o! Jane, Mr. McDonald, with his half from Qn'Appelle, made his appearand Portage la Prairi arrival of a bri of ca m Port William, on the Red I bont 1 knowing thai the II y people ; " P he river at thai point ami t communication between the expected and that any attempl liaion which might ; is and disasi their in? To id this, he determined to open commmr'cation by land, and d< i >ixty mounted men, mod of whom were hall with a quantity of pemmican, part of which tl. 7e to the occu] the Portage, at a distance from Fort colony : to molest no one, and avoid on if i Thia the first part of the I, reaching Frog Plains on the ere, meeting four they made them tiers, hut treated them well. Th I p 38 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. as they were proceeding by the edge of a swamp about two miles from the fort, was observed by a sentry, with the aid of a telescope, who informed Governor Semple of the fact. With the reader's permission I will, at this point, introduce tin- evidence of Mr. Pritchard, an Englishman, who had been in the employ of the North-West Company, but had left their ser- vice and become a settler at Red River, and whose testimony has been accepted as trustworthy by both parties. "In May. 1816, I was living at Red River, and in that month and long before, from the Indian and free men who lived in our neighborhood, I heard of its being intended to attack us: I heard this as early as March, and in May and June the report became general. In consequence of this information we were constantly on the look-out day and night ; a watch was kept for the express pur] giving the earliest notice of their approach. < >n the evening of the 19th of June, I had been upstairs in my own room in Fort Douglas. About six o'clock I heard the boy at the watch-house give the alarm that the Bois-brules were coming. A few of us, among whom was Governor Semple, looked through a spy-glass from a place that had been used as a stable, and we distinctly saw armed men going along the plains. Shortly after, I heard the boy call out that the party on horseback were making toward the settlement. About twenty of us, in obedience to the Governor, who said we must go and see who these people were, took our arms ; he could only let about twenty go ; at least, he told about twenty to follow HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 39 him. There was, however, some confusion at the time, and I believe a few more than that number accom- panied us. Having proceeded about half a mile towards the settlement, we saw behind a point of the woods which wn to the river that tlio party had increased \rrid ini] [ did not see the Governor fall : I saw hi y at the When Rodgers fell I expected to share his fate. there we ach-Canadian among those who Surrounded me, and who had just made an end of my friend, I said, I Frenchman, you m ar<» a Christian, for God my life; f«>r God -id save it, I give myself up, I am your prisoner/ Mackay, v among this v and who knew me, said, 'You little toad, what do you do here?' 1 fully expected then to lose my 1 to Lavigne, and he joined in entreating them to spare me, I told them over and 42 HISTORY OF man ITOB A. over again that I was their prisoner, and had some- thing to tell them. They seemed determined, however, to take my life, striking at me with their guns. Lavigne caught some of the blows, and joined in entreating for my safety, reminding them of my kind- ou different occasions, I remonstrated that I had thrown down my anus and was at their mercy, of them, Primeau by name, wished to shoot me; he said I had formerly killed his brother. I reminded him of my former kindness to him at Qu'Appelle. At length they Bpared me, telling me 1 was a little dog and had not long to live, that Primeau would find me when I came hack. I then went to Prog Plains (Kildonan) in charge of Boucher, where I was again threatened by one of the party and saved by Boucher, who conducted me in safety to the plain. I there saw Cuthbert Grant, who told me that they did not expect to have met us on the plain, but that their intention wa> to surprise the colony, and that they would have hunted the colonists like buffalo ; he also told me they expected to have got round unperceived, and at night would have surrounded the fort and shot every one who left it, but being seen, their scheme had been destroyed or frustrated. They were all painted and disfigured, so that I did not know many. I should not have known that Cuthbert Grant was there, though I knew him well, had he not spoken to me. "Grant told me that Governor Semple was not mortally wounded by the shot he received, but that his thigh was broken. He said he spoke to the Gover- nor after he was wounded, that Semple asked to be history OF MANITOBA. 43 taken to the fort, not being mortally wounded Grant sai.l he could not take him himself, as he had some- thing do, but that he would send me person to convey him, on whom he might depend, and that he left him in charge of a French-Canadian and went away; but that alm< he had left him an Indian, who, he said, was the only pascal they had, ram.- up and shot him in the breast, killing him on the been tit >f all this, and shall not lh "Thf Bois-brules, who very seldom paint or disguise them on thu n. painted as I have been accustomed ie Indians at their war-dance. much painted and disguised in a hideous manner I • at whoop when they by, and made hid I from < (rant, as well as from other the colonists had taken prisoners Grant told me that they were aken the colony and prevent it- being mi that they w( sy having supposed that they had passed the fort unobserved "Their intention cl the fort, i arts, though I heard they had carts with them. I five of r the camp Plain. (Jrant said to me, • Eon see that we have had hut one of our proph- killed, and how little .piarter we r en you; now if Fort Douglas is not given up with all the public property! instantly and without tan, woman and child shall he put to death.' He said the attack would be made upon it 44 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. that night, and if a single shot was fired, that would be a signal for the indiscriminate destruction of every soul. I was completely satisfied myself that the whole would be destroyed, and I besought Grant, whom I knew, to b\ or try and devise some means to save the women and children. I represented to him that they could have done no harm to anybody, whatever he or his party might think the men had. I entreated him to take compassion on them, and reminded him that they were his father's country- women: and in his deceased father's name I begged him to take pity and compassion on them and spare them. At last he said if all the armed and public property were given up, we should be allowed to go away. After inducing the Bois-brules to allow me to go to Fort Douglas, I met our people ; they were un- willing to give up, but at last our Mr. McDonald, who was now in charge, consented. We went together to Frog Plain, an inventory of the property was taken. When we had returned to the fort, the fort itself was delivered over to Cuthbert Grant, who gave a receipt on each sheet of the inventory, signed Cuthbert Grant, acting for the North- West Company. I remained at Fort Douglas till the evening of the 22nd, when all proceeded down the river, the settlers the second time on their journey into exile. " The colonists, it is true, had little now to leave. They were generally employed in agricultural pur- suits, in attending to their farms, and as servants of the Hudson Bay Company, attending their pursuits in their ordinary avocations ; they generally lived in BI8T0R1 01 MANITOBA. 45 tenia and huts. In L816, at I r there was but one residence, the Governor's, which was on Point tilers had lived in houses previous to L815, bntin thai year they had been bnrntdown in the that had been made apon them. The were employed daring the day-time on their land, and used I up to the fort to sleep in tome of the buildings in the enclosure. All was now left behind "The Bois-bnuW victory being now oomplel lespaiehed westward to tell the news tar and near." This concludes Pritehard'a narrative. I'ikkkk PAMBBl n. 1 had been for some time under the orders of Mr. Semple,and on the 12th of April, 1816, I left Fori under his dir o to the Sodson Bay ( Sompanj on Qu'Appelle River, 1 ie< out with as much | WOnld last us six days, wh.-n we won Brandon Bouse, about 120 miles west of r To this place, aoeording to instructions, I to go hist, and from thence, if prudent, to the Hud fort at Qu'Appelle. < >n the Let of May I left the fori with five boat-loads of pemmiean and were going down the river on the 5th of May. mar nd EUpids, I made the sliore in a and a party of armed Bois-braleS immediately cam.- and surrounded me, and forced me to give up the ■id pemmiean. The pemmiean was landed, and the • he river. I was kept a prisoner for five d Cothbert Grant, Peter Pang- 46 BISTORT OF MAMTor.A. man and Thos, McKay were of the party that made me prisoner. I was taken back to the North- West Com- pany's post on the Qu'Appelle River, and kept there five you. All our goods have been taken by the English, bat we are now upon i to drive them away. These o spoiling fair lands which belon you and the Bois-brules, and to which they have no right They have been driving away the buffalo. You will soon be poor and miserable if the English but We will drive them away, if the Indians do not; for the North-W. j>any and the B brules are one. If yon (addressing the chief) and your young men will join us, I shall be glad, McDonald spoke in French, and Pangman and Primeau The chief said that he knew nothing about it, and would i himself if aome of the young men went, it was nothing to him. McDonald id: ' Well, it i-> no matter; we are determined them away, and if they make any resistance, your land shall be drenched with their Mood.' The morning the [ndiana went a* "The party drifted down the A-iniboine River to the Grand Rapids. Prom there about thirty started, among whom were Mr. McDonald, Cuthbert Grant and a number of Bois-brules. I was left behind still a prisoner, but in the evenii brought i»y two of them for me, and I accompanied them on Ck to the North-West fort near Brandon Bouse. When I approached I saw a crowd assembled 1 suppose there were from forty to M HISTMIV OF MAMTol'A fifty persona present Their arms were down l>y the and as I entered a number of them presented their guns at me, making use of insulting language, I complained to McDonald of this treatment, and asked him if it was by hifl orders. Be said he would speak to them about it, but I do not think he ever did. I saw at this fort tobacco, capenter'a tools, a quantity of furs and other things which had been brought over from Brandon House, our fort, near by. "About the 24th or 25th of May, the party was sepa- rated into smaller divisions and chiefs appointed. The property was embarked, and the whole set oil' to go to Portage la Prairie. A part went by water, but the Bois-brules generally went by land, on horseback. Having arrived at Portage la Prairie, the whole pern* mican and packs were landed and formed into a sort of breast-work, or fortification, having two small brass swivels there, which the year before had been taken from the stores of the settlement. "On the morning of the 17th of June, being at Por- tage la Prairie, which is still about sixty miles from the main settlement, the Bois-brules mounted their horses and set out for it. They were armed with guns, pis- tols, lances, bows and arrows. Cuthbert Grant was with them and a number of his race. I remained behind, as did also Mr. McDonald and others. About thirty or forty men stayed to help guard the pemmican. The object of this expedition was to take Fort Doug- las and break up the settlement. If the settlers took to the fort for protection, then the whole were to be starved out. The fort was to be watched strictly at BISTORY Of M LNITOBA. 49 all times, and if any of them went out to fish or get water, they were to be moi if they could not be taken prisoner rtainly had. from all I heard, verj r my friends. I do not remembei that Cuthbert Gi .A anything in particular or the morning he went away ( m 20th June, a me gerarrivedai Portage la Prairie from Grant When M saw him approaching P [a Prairie, he ad spoke with him, and presently Dpou this the other gentlemen asked what the news was McDonald said, in French, it was good: twenty-two English are killed, and among thrm Scrapie and five of hie officers Se then an- nounced it to the people in French. The gentlemen nt all shouted with j ly Lamarre, McDonald andSi< tnan, commonly called . inquired whether there were any killed on tM, ' ij Dswered thai one had been, and on hearing who it v. bis cousin, and then exclaimed: 'My cousin is killed, and I will be :air shall not end here; they shall all be killed, for so 1. English are let go out of the river they always will he coming hack as they did last year, and return they will alw disturbance and mischief.' Upon this, two men, hatour and Montour, were ordered to get horses, and immediately despatched on horseback to Red River, with directions to detain the settlers till McDonald should arrive. We then pursued our journey by land towards Fort Douglas to within about thirty miles of it The remainder of the way I w.-nt by water. SO history OF MANITOBA, • Arrived at Fort Douglas, I found all our people gone ; I met none of them there ;it all. The fort and property was in possession of the Bois-brules, the same I had before seen leave Portage la Prairie for Fort Douglas. Cuthbert Grant was also there, and a number I have before mentioned. Altogether there were about forty-five in the fort. There were none in the settle- ment. I asked McDonald to let me go to the spot where the accident had occurred, which he did, and I went by myself. The limbs of the persons who had been killed were out of the ground, and many of their bodies in a mangled condition. After this, I heard Grant say that he had tired upon Governor Semple and upon McLean. The general account of the Bois- brules was that Grant was a brave man, and had con- ducted himself well in the engagement. They did not seem to be sorry for, or to hide, what they had done. After these events I was sent to Fort William." The Story of Frederick Damien Huerter. " A short time before our regiment was reduced, I obtained my discharge by order of Lieutenant- General Sir Gordon Drummond, and engaged myself at Montreal, in April, 1816, for three years as a clerk- in the service of the North-West Company, at a yearly salary of one hundred pounds. Before I left that place I was told by Mr. Archibald Norman McLeod, a partner of the said company, that I must, by all means, take with me to the Indian country the regi- mentals that I had, saying, ' We shall have occasion to show a little military practice in the interior.' I msToiiY OF HANITOBA. 53 embark* chine, the 2nd of May, with Alexander IfeKenae, commonly called the Emperor, and other clerka of the North-West Company. There was also with us Charles Rlminard. late a sergeant in De nfeuron'a regiment, who had engaged himself as a clerk with the North-West Company, at eighty pounds a year. \\V embarked in three large canoes, navigated by fourteen men each. At Cotean f the company. On OUT arrival, Archibald Norman McLeod, our lea 54 ILlSTullY OF MANITOBA. took the management and direction of the fort, and all made whatever use they chose of the property it con- tained. The Bois-brnlea were entirely under the orders and control of McLeod and his partners. McLeod occupied the apartments lately belonging to rnor Seraple. After my arrival, 1 saw all the Bois-brnlea assembled in a large outer room, which had served as a mess-room for the officers of the colony. At this time, >uch of them a- were not actu- ally at table with the parts called into the Governor's apartments, whew I saw McLeod shake thrni heartily by the hand, give them each a dram, express the happiness he felt si seeing them, thanking thrm for what they had done, and for their attach- ment to the North-West ( fempany. The next day all the servants and employees of the company were assembled behind the principal building in Fort Douglas, where McLeod made a speech in whicli he toldlhe Bois-brules and others who had been engaged in the affair of the 19th of June, that he was very happy to see them assembled there ; that they had defended themselves and their land well; that the English had no right whatever to build upon their land without their permission. After his speech, McLeod said to me, ' What do you think of these fellows, Huerter ? Do you think his Lordship Lord Selkirk will ever get the better of them ? ' McLeod went, accompanied by Alexander McKenzie and all the partners, as also the Bois-brules and others, on horseback, a short distance up the river to the forks, where he made a speech, through an interpreter named HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 55 Primeau. to two Saulteanx chief 8, named Pefruisand L'Homme Noir, and their bands, in which I heard him reproach them for having refused to take up arms against the colony when called upon to do bo, and for having allowed the Rngllsh to take Duncan Cameron and send him away a prisoner. Ee called them a band of ind threatened to punish them very rely if t r dared to befriend the English again I rod tme day, to the field of Seven Oaks, where Governor Semple and so many of his people had lately lost their lives, in company with a Dumber of those who had been employed on that occasion, all on horseback. At this j carcely a week after the l!)tli of dine- I MH a numher of lmman bodies red abont the j.lain and nearly reduced to skelr- there being then very little flesh adhering to the A : and I was informed, on the gpot, that many of the bodies had been partly devoured by dogs and wolves. This spectacle, at which I « itlv shocked, was viewed with every mark of satisfaction and exultation by the p mpanied me on this occasion ; all were laughing heartily at the which each The Bois-brnles were rly Contending to point OOt to the approbation of their masters bheir particular feate on the iDtli of .June, which were listened to with pleasure; and I irked particularly that the approbation of McLeod, ■ffcKenitie and McDonald seemed to be the principal object of the Bois-brnles and others, and was lavishly Wed on such M pointed out to them the deeds of BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 1. Francois cruelty by winch they claimed distinctioi champs, an old Prench-Oanadiaii, was praised by who had distinguished him- , al in their Bervice, 1 tesehamps is gener- ally reputed and believed to have committed acts of liy in murdering the wounded who were calling In recounting the deeds of this man to his partner, Mr. Alexander McDonald remarked what a tine, vigorous old man lie was. There was a scene the same evening at the fort, the Bois-brulee being painted and dancing, naked, after manner of to the great amusement of their masters. On the 29th of tone, most of the part- n. ra and the northern brigade set off for the rapids at the mouth of the Saskatchewan. The departure of the prand brigade was signalised by the discharge of artillery from Fort Dougli CHAPTER III. L ° nl BWlttoDd .,l„nists Fort William ".■»,.! S..„, !■:,>. f.,r Trial .. tL( , nl "J -n,n:u,lFl ( ,,l 1 ,.rS,, 1 tuut-Lord ,H! rrible encounter, Seven Oaks was •when- now stands St John's College, and close ,1,eoM h <>ine of John [nkster. The news of the skingnpof the colony, with all the attendant cir- cumstances, and the farther thre l,ni transmitted to Lord Selkirk, through his inedat once to \ da and infant colony at Red River Be' arrived at New Fork late in the year 1815, aecom- ed by his wife, son, and two daughter* He I on to Montreal, which he reached about «' n ' 1 " t 0ctol ' to penetrate into the intei Previous to this, in February of this year, dreading bhreateningsofthe North-Westers, he represented British - v of state the "<"'l force do! srilyalarge tationed in the Red River Colony to "»»*»in order in the then g condition of affaira On the Uth of November, after arriving in Montreal •1 Sir Gordon Drnmmond, Governor "' '"'■•••'' Canada, giving a detailed account of the '" x i ,u ersfrom their homes, and of the lunli > ft perpetrated at the Red Rivei 5 HlSTORt OF MANITOBA. in 1815. Nothing being gained by these representa- tions, he determined personally to organise an expedi- tion and proceed to the assistance and relief of his people. Two regiment* (the De Heurons and the Wattevilie), which had done good service in the Euro- pean war with Napoleon, and which at the close of that campaign bad I I toCauadajto assist in the war against the States, were at this time stationed, the De Meurons at Hontreak, the Watteville at King- ston. Orders were received by Sir Gordon Drum- mond, to disband ffbich was done in May, 1816. From these two regiments Lord Selkirk undertook to provide his colony with soldiers, and, at the same time, settlers who would defend it. Early in June, 1816, he chose of the 1).' lieurons forty officers and eighty men, who at once proceeded westward to Kingston, where they were reinforced by about twenty of the Watte- ville regiment, and one hundred and thirty canoe-men. The terms of agreement between his Lordship and these men were as folio v, 1st. He made character the basis in all cases. 2nd. To those who came to terms with him, he agreed to give a sufficient portion of land, agricultural implements, and $8 per month for working the boats on the voyage. 3rd. Should any choose to leave Red River on reach- ing it, they should be brought back free of expense by his Lordship. From Kingston the expedition pushed on to Toronto, then northward to Lake Simcoe and the Georgian Bay. Crossing Lake Huron, they pushed rapidly on to Sault Ste. Marie. ■HK : ; ; .'■=• ! - 60 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Having been granted, for personal protection, by the Governor of Canada, a sergeant and six men, Lord Selkirk left the expedition lure, and proceeds! to Drammond'a Island, where was Btationed the last British garrison in Upper Canada Daring his stay here, a council was held with an O jibe way chief named Ca Caw-tawa-betay, Lieutenant-Colonel Maule, of the 1 04th regiment, presiding. The red man informed the council that two North-West traders (McKenzieand llorriaon) offered him and his people all the goods and merchandise at Fort William, Leach and Sand Lakes, if they would make and declare war against the Red River settlers. Kaw-tawa-betay asked the trader- if this was at the request of the great chiefs at Montreal and Quebec. McKenzie and Morrison replied, that it was solely from the North- West Company's agents, who desired the destruction of the settlement. The chief further stated that an agent named Grant ottered him two kegs of rum and two carrots of tobacco, to send some of his young men in search of certain parties bearing despatches to Red River, and forcibly take from them the papers with which they were entrusted, killing if necessary to do so, to get possession of the same. On being asked by Lord Selkirk as to the feelings of the Indians towards the settlers, he replied, that at first they did not like it, but now they were glad of its being settled. Having received from the garrison a sergeant and six men, his Lordship proceeded on his journey, over- taking his expedition at the Sault — the proposed HISTORY Of MANITOBA. 61 route bei bward, towards the extreme point of the city of Duluth now stands, then north-westward through Minnesota to Red Lake, thenc t through Red Lake and Red River, into the verj en< itself. Hardly, how- had they left the Sault, in the lasi week of July, when they were met on L Superior by two Hud- son I in one of which was Miles McDonald, former Governor of Red River Colony, who brouj i of the second destruction of the colony and the murder of Governor Bemple and his atten- ks. The story of the sue : the poor H i lt 1 1 - land settlers, led by him from home though poor, their lives were at least safe, - much for his Lordship, wh ed to change hi and it William, the head-quarters of the North- Beii • of the Peace for Upper ( Sanada, as for tin- Indian territory, 1m- resolved to act on that e e, having failed to get two magis- trate ra Brmatdngei and Askin, of Sault Marie — to accompany him in that capacity. Writing C. Sherbrooke of this, Selkirk says: " I am. i to the alternative of acting alone, or ali lacions crini unpunished. In '•ircum doubt that it is my duty to act, though I am not without apprehi that the law may be openly resisted, by a set of people who consider fores as the only true criterion of right." Havii his Lordship at once proceeded towar : William, where he arrived on the 12th 62 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of August, camping on the south side of the Kaministi- qua River, about eight or nine hundred yards from the fort. Cannon were at once placed in position and loaded, and all d \ military preparations made to capture the same. Fort William was built in ISO."), on the occasion of the anion of the North-Wed and \. V. Companies, and w*a named in honor of the Hon. William licGillivray, the head of the North-Wesi Company, who, with Mi-. Kenneth tfcKenzie, exercised direction over it. At this time it was simply a Bquare of houses and store*, surrounded by a Btrong, lofty stockade fifteen feet in jrht, containing an ample supply of arms and am- munition, and capable of considerable resistance. At the time that Selkirk, with his force, appeared before it there were probably about 500 men within its walls, consisting of the wintering partners, who had been appointed, at the general meeting, to take charge of the stations on Red River, Winnipeg River, as also in the vicinity of Lake Superior, together with the voyageurs, or wintering servants of the company, who were to navigate the canoes carrying the supplies to the different trading stations, and also the Montreal canoemen, who were to carry down the furs ; there were also in the stores 600 packs of the finest furs, the value of which, in the English market, would be not less than £60,000 sterling. On the day following the arrival of Selkirk's troops, a demand was made on the fort by McNabb and McPherson, who acted as constables on his Lordship's behalf, and who demanded the release of a number of HI8TORI OF MANITOBA. 63 who had been captured at Red River after the traction of tin- colony an.l brought to Fort William. They arrested Mr. BfeGillivray, who immediately ed to attend his Lordship as justice of the Peace, and took with him .Mr. Kenneth IfcKenzie and Dr. McLauchlin I ail foi him. They were guarded by about twenty soldiers, who had accompanied the ohing the other ride of the river, they wei ed by a party of the 87th regiment, under arm-, who conducted them into Lord Selkirk's ••nee. After taking llcGillivray'a deposition, IfcKenzie and McLauchlin were informed that, instead of I- bail for their principal, they were involved in I Saving a] d the depo Pambrun, Lavigne, Nolin, Blond and othei med evident I Selkirk it, if not all, of the partners were guilty of incit on the colony, and of approving the outrages commits tennined to place a number of the under arrest. This he did by gular legal pi md by warrants served upon tht-ni personally. They were allowed, however, to ft William, military possession of which had I :en by bia Lordship's soldiers. The names of. the prisoners were: John McDonald, Alexander IfcKenzie, Bugh llcGillis, Simon Eraser, Allan ionell, Daniel McKenzie and John BfcLauchlin. On th«- first-mentioned making some Blight show of ce, the constables called to their aid a party of De lf< curoi i, when the following scene occurred, weD described in the protest drawn up and signed by the prisoners : 64 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. " We, the undersigned agents and partners of the North-West Company, being this day, the 14th of August, assembled in a body at Fort William, in the district of Kaministiqua, do hereby formally protest against the violent proceedings dons and committed upon our persons and property at the above-mentioned place, in the afternoon of that day, by a troop, to the number of fifty v disbanded and intoxicated soldiers, formerly belonging fcothe regiment Of Colonel De Menron, at present in the service and pay of the Earl of Selkirk, headed by Captain D'Orsonnes and Lieutenant Fauehe, and afterwards joined by Captain Matthy and Lieutenant Gtriefienreid, who, forcibly entering the fort, spread out their troops in every direction, having their bayonets fixed, and shooting a most horrid hurrah, winch spread a general terror amongst the inhabitants of the fort, after which they placed two pieces of cannon in the centre, and sentinels in all quarters, and proceeded, by order of the Earl of Selkirk, with armed force, leaving there Dr. Allan, his Lordship's medical attendant, at their head, to seal up the papers and desks in the North-West Company's ofiice, and those of the private rooms of the agents. We do, therefore, most solemnly protest against those acts of violence and against all those it may concern. "(Signed) " William McGillivray. Allan Macdonell. Kenneth McKenzie. John McLauchlin. John McDonald. Hugh McGillis. Simon Fraser. Daniel McKenzie." HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 65 The old adage that "to the victors belong the spoils'" was well exemplified in this case. Lord Sel- kirk took epeciaJ pains to examine into everything in tli.- fort, placed guards over his prisoners, elicited all the information possible number of cattle on the farm, produce of the harvest, and other particu- lar-. Alter a further examination of the prisoners, he decided to send them undei rl to Toronto, Up] Three well manned tched with them, leaving Fort William on the lMh under command of Lieutenant Fauche, one of the De E&euron officer*, Before en ter- their baggage and persons w< rched bwo soldiers. HcQillivray, it is said, desired to he accompa: his own servants, bat the reqi Vandersluy, was refused. During the embarkmeni two loaded p artillery were placed at tli> rious to this, a request was pre- I his Lordship by the clerks, for permission to off their into the interior with goods for Indian tr i the furs to Montreal. Sel- kirk replied, that he could not authorize this without : provided with invoi tods intended for the interior. Tie- clerks, in order to » cure despatch, him t e then demanded to BCS the goods, and a search was made for some furs said to be stolen from the Hudson Bay Company. On the 20th, John IfeGillivray and two gentlemen arrived from the Ulterior. On enterii thej were stopped, deprive. 1 of their ha. ad a warrant served on If cGillivray, making him a prisoner. On the 21st, a 66 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. canoe arrived from Montreal with despatches from the Company; these were taken from the guide, ann learn- ing of this, wrote a protest to the Karl on the follow- ing day. Selkirk informed him that the despatches were seized on the same principle as the other papers of the North-West Company, and were equally liable to be examined, and that he intended to do so a few hours later. He also handed Vandersluy the follow- ing letter : " Foiit William, August 8&nd, 1816, "Gentlemen, — In order to obviate the possibility of any mistake, I bag your answer in writing to this query : Whether the forty-four packs of furs marked R. R., which you have pointed out as set apart by order of the North-West Company, to be given up to the Hudson Bay Company as their property, and whether, on this principle, you are ready to send them down to Montreal consigned to Messrs. Mainland Gardner & Auldjo, agents for that company? " I am, "Selkirk." The following answer was given : " In reply to the letter which was handed us this morning by your Lordship, we beg to state that the thirty-four packs of furs marked L. R., which have been set apart from the peltries of the North-West Company, cannot be given up to the Hudson Bay Company, but that we are ready to send them to Montreal in the care of some house unconnected with either company. " Vandersluy." history OF MANITOBA, 67 The canoes, on leaving Fori William, had proceeded ••• on their way to Sauk Ste. Marie, when were overtaken hy.a storm and had to change their course, but before they could make the land, the which ■ i twenty-one persons, three whom were North-West partners— Kenneth IfcKenzie, Allan Blacdonell and Dr. IfcLauchlin — sunk, and seven of its occupants were drowned, tter being Mr. IfcKenzie The guards ordered to convey their prisoners to Sandwich, in tern district of Dpper Canada, where warrants directed their committal to the common gaol. On arriving at Toronto, thejudg attorney Qenera] being on their circuit ni ton, the guards were rnor to take tbem thither. Oo the judges tindii srimee with which the prisoners were charged had been committed in the Indian terri- •vernor directed them to be taken to Montreal. On arriving there they were brought fore the ('.ant of Queen's Bench, the crimes imputed to them h»-ii! nspiracy and murder. They were, however, admitted to hail. licGillivray at once id had a wairant ISSUed for the ar Selkirk and his officers by a □ be of the trict of Qp] -la ; and the under- sheriff, Mr. Smith, and an assistant were despatched to pur it into execution. Smith at once hastened to join his assistant, M. 1). Etocheblave, at SaultSte. Marie The latter arrived at the Sault on the 19th of October, having no information of the proceedings taken at bee or Upper Canada. He, as a preliminary 68 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. measure, despatched a constable and twelve men with warrant- issued by Dr. Mitchell, of St Joseph. These arrived at Fort William on the 7th of Novem- ber, and executed their warrant by arresting Lord Selkirk and his foreign officers. Selkirk hesitated at first what course to pursue, but considering that they had gone possibly too far to recede, he refused obedi- ence to the constable's authority, imprisoned him for a few days, then released and ordered him to leave the fort. Rochehlaw and his party. 00 account of the scarcity of provisions and the lateness of the season, set out on their return to Canada, meeting on their way, on Lake Huron, Mr. Smith, who was on his way to join them. They returned to the Sault, embarked on board the North- West schooner The Invincible, to cross Lake Superior, were caught in a gale of wind and totally wrecked on the 13th of November. The crew and passengers were, however, saved. Having no other conveyance to reach Fort William, they were obliged to return to Montreal, which place they reached on the 23rd of December, after a fatiguing journey per- formed mostly on foot. Lord Selkirk, in a communi- cation addressed to Governor Gore, refers to the fore- going thus : " Fort William, November 12th, 1816. " Sir, — A few days ago a canoe arrived here, bringing two clerks of the North-West Company, accompanied by a man who gave himself out as a constable, charged with the arrest of several gentlemen here, myself amongst the rest. On examining his warrant, I ob- I HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 69 • (1 it to be in several respects irregular, and founded on a recital full of the grossest perjuries. It tied by Dr. Mitchell, of Drammond's [sland, whose notorious habits of intemperance made it, in the highest degree, probable that his signature had been obt orreptitiously. The constable, when 1 whether he had any letters or credentials of any kind, could product- none, which confirmed the ides of his being an impostor. I could not suppose that, after the information which had been transmitted to your would have -auctioned so strong a : a magistrate, without some direct statement of your disapprobation; and that, at all events, a person sent by competent authority on SUCh a mission would have some document to show i l.y orders from Government We were truck with the circumstance that, though the warrant WIS ISSUed 0O I Jrummond's Uland, the mandant of the garrison there had sent, no orders nn tin- subject to the military guard, which bad been detatched from there, to accompany us, and would only have been Instructed to support the execu- of the warrant, if it had not been improperly ined Onder these circumstances,] trust it will not Ik- ascril y disposition to resist the regular execution of the law, if the gentlemen concerned do not think lit to go rive hundred miles across such water> as Lake Superior, at this season of the year, to comply with a form of j which there is every reason to believe irregular and surreptitious. I have, etc., " Selkirk." 70 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Meanwhile his Lordship occupied Fort William. Parties were organized, from among the De Meurons, who attacked and carried the North- West trading fort at Fond du Lac on the river St. Louis, where it falls into the west end of Lake Superior, near where the city of Duluth now stands, making prisoner Mr. Grant, who was in charge, as also the forts at the Pic and Miehipicoton. At the latter, Mr. Ifelritosh and his clerks were taken prisoners, and the goods taken possession of for his Lordship's benefit. Melntosh, Grant, and a few others were also sent to "Montreal, on a charge of aiding and abetting the troubles of the previous spring. They arrived at Sault Ste. Marie, in charge of a party of De Meurons, while Rocheblave and his party- were waiting Smith's arrival. Roche- blave took the canoes from the guards, but did not otherwise interfere. Mcintosh, Grant and the other prisoners proceeded on their way and surrendered themselves to the authorities, and were admitted to bail, as the others had been. Another party, under the command of Mr. Fiddler, was sent to capture the fort at Lac la Pluie, which was next in importance to Fort William. The clerk in command refused to surrender, and Mr. Fiddler, not having force enough to compel him to do so, returned to Fort William. A party of soldiers, with two field-pieces, was at once despatched under charge of Captain D'Orsonnes. Mr. Dease, the clerk in charge, rinding that the blockade cut off his supply of food, which consisted of fish, and being assured by the Captain that resistance might enrage his men HISToKY OF MANITOBA. 71 inch a degree thai he would not be responsible for their conduct, agreed to surrender, and opened Thel took unconditional possession of the fort and all it contained, amounting in value to several thousand pounds H lion of thi- ituated midway between Las riot and Red River, D'Oraonnea could easily keep open communication with Fori William in hu a ilso mature his plans fur the taking of the North-West Company's trading pod the Red River. The captain, with abundance of stores at his command, dealt them out liberally to the Indians, in order to purchase their friendship, on his intended journey to Red River. All thing y, in the beginning of February I out, !• and the Lake of the Woods. ! by Indian guides, be passed through the forest thai intervene* between the Lake and Red d reaching which, they followed its course thward for a distance of twenty-live miles. | turned weal and reached the Assiniboine, near what is now known as the parish of St. .James. After spend- timr in making scaling ladders, a favorable opportunity | r carrying Fori Douglas. my night, when the howling winds drowned and, and the thickly Falling and drifting snow lured the light and concealed the enemy's approach, la<1,i ' on the outside. The top of the irere placed inside, and in ort time the De lleurons, in large numbers, were on t; Is who threw down their arms 72 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and fled to the house pursued by the soldiers, who made pri I all who fell in their power, amongst them Mr. Archil-aid McLaren, who was afterwards sent to Canada for trial, for participation in the murder of Keveny. The rest were set at liberty, to go where they pleased A spreial messenger was des- patched to Jack River, to invite those who had been banished on the death of Governor Seinple and the breaking up of the colony, to return to their former homes, assuring them of protection and security in the future. To this these poor people responded at once, some of them arriving before the breaking up of the ice. On their banishment from the settlement by Cuthbert Grant, they bad made up their minds to bid farewell to the country and all that was in it. For the purpose of carrying out this intention they addressed a letter to Mr. James Bird, who became Superintendent of the Northern Department on Mr. Semple's death. Mr. Bird replied, pleading inability to provide a safe passage for so many, as there was no certainty that a ship of sufficient capacity would arrive in the Bay that season, and that, in the absence of such probability, they had better remain where they were, as their condition would be incomparably worse if reduced to the necessity of wintering on the bleak shores of Hudson Bay. In the light of after events this advice was both timely and wise. The Britannia, a ship of considerable burden, arrived late in the season at York Factory, delivering her cargo and receiving the returns of the preceding season. She at once sailed with a considerable number of servants whose HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 73 t»cte had expired, and who were desirous of returning to Europe. On reaching the strait-, they found the sea bound in ic * The ship returned ttd, and was run ashore fifty miles north of the " r - an '' : Bpring was accidentally burned to the w. w h ] m ,j Bn ipped in her made their wa t fchey could inland. Thua counselled, tfa , ,1 to remain at Jack River, wh< abodes to protect 111,1 inclemency of the winter, which and fifty-five below eero. Fish their principal fo<,d supply, in the catehin which they Boon became adepta [Jrgent necessity in the matter of clothing compelled then mcee from hia Lordshi IlUr . chased in England at high | 1 retailed in this country at an advance of one hundred and one hundred and fifty per cent, on prime cost. Eere began the debt which so « | their industry In more favorable tin [ring of being able to return iv «' land, the tidings of Lord Selkirk's William and Douglas wa> good D ind< On Hay 1st, Lord Selkirk I. ft Fort William and, mpanied by hia I .,] Eted River in tl,r ! • in dune. The remainder of those who wintered at Jack River also arrived about this time. menced locating the De Rieurons at what is now known as Point Douglas, which ; into lots containing a few acres each, and fronting on the river A wide B treet lay to the hack, BISTORT OF MANITOBA. connecting with the highway, being set apart for their affording easy access to a common which lay nd the road, in which the settlers on the Point had the right of pasture and hay-making. Point Douglas being all appropriated, and a number of the trooj I without land, these were provided for on the ea-t side of the river opposite the Point. All were paid and rationed fox the time by his Lord- Bhip. Non-commissioned officers were settled on lands among the soldiers : the superior officers lived at head- ijir iters, and became members of the Colonial Council. During the time of Lord Selkirk's occupation of Fort William frequent appeals had been made by the North- west Company to the Imperial Government for pro- tection for their trader- against the proceedings of his irvants. The evidence taken before the courts of justice of the robberies committed by the Hudson Bay Com- pany, the brutal massacre by the French half-breeds on the 19th June, 1816, by way of retaliation, all pointed out to the Imperial authorities the necessity of placing matters on a more satisfactory basis in the Indian territories. His Royal Highness the Prince Regent instructed Earl Bathurst to use the means at his disposal to put an end to these enormities. On receipt of the following instructions from Earl Bathurst, the Governor-General commissioned Colonel Coltman and Major Fletcher as a court of inquiry in the Indian territories, to cause restitution to be made of forts and property, and commit the guilty of both parties for trial. The following are the instructions: "You will history OF MANITOBA. 7» also require, under similar penalties, the restitution of all forts, buildings, or trading stations, with the property which they contained, which may have l>een d or taken possession of by either party, to tin- party who originally established the same, and who • in possession of them previous to the recent dis- putes between the two companies. You will require the removal of any hloekade or impediment hy which any party may have attempted to prevent the free passage of traders, or others of His Majesty's uub- . or the natives of the country with their merchan- dise, furs, provisions, and other effects, through the lakes, rivers, roads, and every other usual route of communication heretofore used, for the purpose of the fur trade in the interior of North America, and the full and free admission of all persons to pursue their usual and accustomed trade or occupation without hindrance or molestation." Th< blemen left Montreal on the opening of navigation in May. 1817, proceeding by the usual route to the interior. On arriving at Fort William, tiny found it was restored to its lawful owners by virtue of a writ of restitution, issued by the ma trates of I'pper Canada, and directed to the sheriff, but not until after S.-lkirk bad evacuated, and the North-Wesl Company's canoes had arrived. Pushing the Commissioners arrived at Fort Douglas before his Lordship had left, and proceeded at once to i cute the commission, hy compelling each party to re — so far as restitution could be made — the pro- v taken from their opponents. The under-sheriff, who executed the writ of restitution founded on the 76 history OF MANITOBA, verdict obtained at Sandwich in L816, obtained $500 damages against Lord Selkirk. The succeeding yens of bis Lordship's life were embittered by what might be termed wholesale litigation over these unfortunate events, too lengthy to detail in the present volume; and a newspaper war ensued, in which no less a person than Bishop Strachan, of Toronto, entered the lists against him, in a pamphlet published in 1816. The Montreal Herald, from May, 1816, to November of that year, also had communications pro and con, anent his Lordship's responsibility for outrages perpetrated in the North-W In 1817 was made the first Indian treaty executed by Lord Selkirk, to remove all annoyance from his settlers with the Saulteaux and Cree Indians, for the surrender of their right, title and interest in the lands comprised in his grant from the Hudson Bay Company, the southern end of which extended as far south as the Grand Forks, Dacotah Territory, and was signed by five chiefs, Mache-wheoab, Le Sonnat, \. eh-kad-eiik-onair, La Robe Noir, Kaya-jiesk-ebiona, L' Homme Noir, Pegois, Onck-idoat, Premier. The consideration was an annual payment of 100 pounds of tobacco, to be paid on the 10th of October, each year; one half to be paid to the Saulteaux chiefs, at Fort Garry, the other half to the Cree chiefs, at Portage la Prairie. After having restored peace and order in the settle- ment, with those who had to leave the colony after the engagement at Seven Oaks reinstated in their lands, Lord Selkirk called a public meeting of the colonists on the west bank of the Red River, about HISTORY OF MAM TOBA. 77 two miles below Fort Garry, where he promised con- >ns to all who had suffered, in consideration of their losses and misfortunes. To some who had lost all, he made a grant of land of twenty-four ten-chain lots, in what was termed free "soocage." These had laterj Ifr. Fiddler, the first surveyor in t! iment, on the Left hank of the river, and • the only free lands granted to emigrants in the colony. W H< hip, pointing to Lot No. 4, on which they had c >u shall build your church and mans.-, the next lot on the south side of the creek shall be for your school, and for a help to support your teacher; and in commemoration of your native parish it shall be called Kildonan." His Lord- ship also promised, in response to an argent appeal, to them a minister of their own persuasion. The conclu the deed of conveyance read follows: In 000 O of the hardships which the have suffered in consequence of the law conduct of the North-West Company, Lord Selkirk intends I the aforesaid twenty-four lots, gratui- tously, to those of the settlers who had made improve* meatc on their lands before they were driven away bom them last year. Provided always, that as soon aa . have tli ball pay the debts which they owe the Karl of Selkirk, or the i I u Q * BISTORT OF KANITOBA, 79 These matters arranged, his Lordship took a final leave of a colony la- was I never to Bee again, the founding of which cost him .1200,000, and which was purchased from his executors by the Budson Bay Company, in 1835, for the sum of £84,1 1 1. Accompanied by a guide and two or three atten- dants, hi I the plain I Red River and St I • through the United SI Canada, where he remained for a time, becoming involved in a vortex of litigation over the seizure of Fort William, and other matters pertaining to the Red River administration. His health failing, he in Euro] iteration, but without success. He died at Pau, in France, on 8th of April, 1820. The follow blished the erimenta] farm of Bayfield, with a Scotch farmer named LudL 1 1 irna, yards, parka and iption were provided, and all this while there was not an ox to plough nor a cow to milk in the whole settlement To crown all, a splendid ion, at a cost of £600, was built, which reduced to ashes through a drunken frolic, just 6 was completed. This farce was continued till 1824 when it was sold for C400, the whole undertaking Costing Lord Selkirk £2,000. The year I si s was also an eventful one with the colonists. They had just returned from wintering at Pembina; food was scarce, even fish, herbs and roots, which in previous years had to their aid, failed. Their eatechist, Mr. Suther- land, had been forcibly carried off to Canada by the 80 HISTORY OF MANITOBA, North-Westers. In the midst of tins desolation they planted their crops with the hoe, which coming up strong and vigorous them amidst the gloom of their surroundings like a ray from heaven. When late in the afternoon of the L8th of July, a beautiful, cloudless day, their wheat and barley was nearly ripe, their vegetables and garden stuff were doing well, sud- denly a partial darknessa overspread the sky; looking up to see the cause, they discovered the air full of winged bsecta Galling ground, till the latter was literally covered Night Betting in prevented them from realizing the calamity which had befallen them. In the morning, when they awoke, everything had perished save a few ears of half -ripe barley, which the women were enabled to gather in their aprons. This was too much ; like the Israelites of old, they lifted up their voices and wept. In the midst of this desolation, the Rev. Joseph Norbert Provencher, afterwards Bishop Provencher, and the£evere Damoulin, with several French families, arrivedin the settlement. This not only increased the evil, but called forth fresh exertion. To Pembina once more they retired, to repeat the old story of moral degradation, under men whose habits and condition of life they had been taught to despise ; there they spent the winter. Returning in the spring of 1819, they commenced sowing what seed remained after the ravages of the grasshoppers, to be again disappointed, by the countless swarms produced in the ground from the larvae of the previous year, a description of which I shall borrow from Mr. Ross. " As early as the latter history OF MANITOBA. SI end of .June, the fields were overrun by this Bickening and destructive plague, nay, they were produced in masses two and three inches, and in some places near water, four inch* *ter was poisoned by tln-m. Along the river they were to be found in h< like sea-weed, and might be shovelled with a spade. It is impossible I be adequately the desolation thu> caused. Every ble substance was either q up, or stripped to the bare stalk The the bushes and hark of the trees shared the same fate, and the grain vanished i ,1 aD ove ground, leaving no hope of seed to the sower or i to the rater; even fires, if kindled out of da unmedial | by them, and the decom- position of their bodies was still more offensive than t,lri: aen aliv ie dissppointmeni discouraged our Scotch colonists thai they tu t,l, ' ir « Red River and sought a lit'.' freer from d Pembina, in khe buffalo hunt— for by this time they could "buffalo "walk on snow-shoes, and in many were emulating the natives. This life, pleasing enough while it lasted, gave way to reflection; with the reflection came the resolve to send men bo purchase seed -rain and rrturn to the settlement in the which was done; and m< wnv despatched on snow-shoes to Prairie du Chien, a town on the Missis- sippi, several hundred miles distant, who purchased WObushelsoi rain at 10 shillings per bushel, and returned in flat-bottomed boats to Red River in June of 1 CHAPTER IV ,\,-.-n tin- Rival Comiwiniffl Bmigraatf from Switeer- \n Indian Uahed BnffirioWool .— Massacre by Indians Introduction i»f the Plough and of Don >d. In 1818 occurred the last fracas between the rival companies. William William-, Esq., waa Bent from England to superintend the Hudson Bay affairs in the Northern Department of Rupert's Land. Mr. Williams had previously been a naval captain in the East India Company's service. On arriving at Hudson Bay, he passed a few days at York Factory, then proceeded inland to Cumberland House, where he spent the winter. On the return of spring he left his winter quarters and returned to Red River, arriving there early in May. Here he found a vessel rigged, prepared and manned for lake navigation, with two field-pieces and a strong guard of armed De Meurons, called a gunboat. As soon as Lake Winnipeg had opened, this war craft, accompanied by some river boats, whose crews were fully equipped for the campaign, left Red River and made its way to the big fall, to intercept the North-West Company's brigade of canoes that was soon expected to arrive from all parts of the North. Mr. Williams made his head-quarters on an island at the foot of the fall. Landing a couple of field-pieces, he placed them in a position bearing on the river and the road over w T hich the passengers travelled and the history OP MANITOBA. 83 goods were carried. Ambusead* rise placed at suitable points, and sentinel* placed on the upper landing. Gathering his men around him, Mr. Williams harangued them on the righteou t their cause, promising that if any perished in the strife, they had his Excellency's promise that their widows and orphans would be carefully watched over and cared for by the company, until able to provide for them- es, .Mr. Williams and his men had not Ion wait till the first brigade of the North- West canoes came to the portage, of which the parties along the road were informed by the sentinels at the upper landing. As soon as the canoes came to the landing- place, they began putting th< on shore, The gentlemen passer. fcepped out of the boats, and witli cloaks thrown loosely over their shoulders, trade Com me nced travelling over the path to the lower landing. They did not proceed far before their armed foes, concealed behind be surrounded and made them prisoners, conveying them to head- quarters on the island, when- they were consigned to the tender sympathy of a guard of I), fcfeurons. I'ive gentlemen of the first rank in the North-West Company were captured— Angus Shaw, John < .. b, John Duncan Campbell, William Mcintosh, and Mr. Fro- bisher. With a number of guides, interpreters and bateliers, were all forwarded to York Factory on Hud- son Bay, where they were confined until the ships were ready to sail for Europe. Shaw and McTavish were sent to England, Duncan, with a number of guides 84 history OF MANITOBA. and laboring men, to Montreal. Frobisher and a few of his men were kept in rigid confinement at York Factory, and would in all probability have had to pass the winter in that inhospitable place, but managed to elude the vigilance of their keepers one dark and stormy night In the beginning of October. Finding an Indian" canoe lying at the river, they embarked and proceeded inland towards Lake Winnipeg, passing ral of the Hudson Bay forte unobserved Without provisions, and without the necessary requirements by the aid of which they might procure game or other articles of food, they struggled on day after day until within a few days' journey of Moose Lake, where they camped for the night in a log hut. Here they were confined for some time by a storm of wind and snow, and here, in this wretched hut, poor Frobisher breathed out his life in November, 1819. When the weather moderated his companions departed, leaving the body unburied. In a few days they reached the North- West Company's fort at Moose Lake, where their wants were supplied and their lives preserved. Here they told the sad tale of their own suffering and Fro- bisher's miserable end. Thus ended the last scene in a guerilla warfare, discreditable to all parties con- cerned, and extending over a period of ten long weary years, full of trial and suffering to many on either side. The keen competition in trade had not only created a greater outlay in trading goods, but during the above period the number of servants employed by each of the contending companies had been doubled and their wages increased. To this must be added the BISTORT OF M.\MTn|;.\. s:> soma spent in litigation in the Canadian courts. Long and anient us the struggle had been between potent rivals, neither had apparently gained any advantage over the other; both were at this time on the brink of insolv ad prudent men in each company's s.-rvi< me anxious to d< sou* by whieb such an unsatisfactory affairs might 06 brOOght to a termination. In L810, propositions ha.il been mam- pany, with ; e to the country, was one which the North- \V d. The course pursued since that date been rainoofl in treme, The only course - pen now was a union, which was warmly supported by leading men of both companies, and consummated in March. L821. The new company's wintering partners were divided into two chief factors and chief traders. The elf was divided into one hundred shares, the stockholders reserving for themselves the profits on nixty of t the remaining forty were divided into eighty-four parts, of which the chief factor ived annually the profits of two, and the chief trader one. In prosperous times this yielded a fair remuneration to those gentlemen. On retiring from the service, each of the commissioned officers' into in the profits remained for seven years. During the first year of his retirement he received a full share. 86 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. the remaining six, only a half. During this period he must not enter into competition with his former employers ; if he did, they reserved the right to with- hold his share. The interest of superannuated clerks, whose service was no longer required, was also con- sidered; in order to give these B small annuity for a limited time — SSI - — the profits on a few shares were assigned At the expiration of that time, the sums accruing from the aforesaid shares were applied to the formation of a reserve fund, and the old servants left to provide for themsel 1 While the fur companies were completing their negotiations, another batch of emigrants arrived at York Factory from Switzerland, under the guidance of Count IXEnsser, who was sent by the Swiss Government to report on the colony, the nature of the soil, climate and government. These people were, as a rule, of the poorest class, mostly mechanics, few, if any of them, agriculturists. After spending a short time at the factory, they were sent on by the fall boats into the interior. Unaccustomed to the con- tinuous and laborious routine of rowing, as also trans- porting their goods over the portages, of which there were no less than thirty, progress was slow indeed. To add to their discomfort, cold, with frost and snow, over- took them at Lake Winnipeg ; many of them suffered severely from frost-bites, all of them from dearth of food. At length they arrived at Fort Douglas in November. The scarcity of provisions compelled them, like the preceding settlers, to go to Pembina, the head- quarters of the hunters. The trip to them was a HISTORY OF M \mthi;a. 87 toilsome and weary one Saving neither bones nor they had to hitch themselves to sleds, on which their children and ba while the □ catting winds pierced through their lightly clad and ill-protected persona After reaching the camp, though the buffalo was plentiful on the plains, they unskilled in approaching them ; and even when anted for them they were destitute of means for bringing the hum. into cam}). Thus situated, they b often reduced to the necessity of receiving food by, from not only the colonists and half-breeds, but also from the Indians, who, to their honor be it -aid, never withheld food when they had it. The -rain, through late sowing in 1820, did not ■i well, hut matured sufficiently for sv<><\. r riii. s was tie- last occasion on which i lenient was without seed grain, and cosi Lord Selkirk £1,040. It also demonstrated tie- practicability of navigation, during hii^h water, between the Red River and the Mississippi. In 1820 occurred the death of fiord Selkirk, an event which, to a very large extent, accelerated the union of the great fur trading companies, which had hitherto been at variance, and which was consummated in 1821, The year 1820 found the settlement increas- tn numbers, and composed of the following Scotch, Swiss, Irish, lYench- Canadians, ••"id tli.- • Half-breed* The Scotch occupied tin- lands now divided into the parishes of St. John and Kildonan. The De Iffeurons, or soldiers who accompanied his Lordship from Montreal in 1816, II is TOB V OF KANITOBA. settled along the banks of the Seine River, which, rising in the forest to the east, falls into the Red Rivei about a mile below its junction with the Assiniboine, of the Swiss settled amongst the De Meurons, while Borne farther op the river, near Fort Cany. The Protestanta arriving in the settlement settled along the Red River, in what is now known as the parishes of St. Pan! and St. Andrew. The settle- ment in all numbered about 1,500 souls. In 1822, Mr Mcl> maid, who had governed the colony from the death of Mr. Sample, was succeeded by Bulger, McDonald retiring to hk farm. Early this year Mr. Ilalk. t. one of Lord Selkirk's executors, arrived in the settlement Considerable dissatisfaction being er- ased at this time with the system of entries, and the mode of conducting business with the Hudson Bay Company, taking advantage of Mr. Halket's presence in the colony, the settlers appeared by delegates before him and stated their grievances. To these he lent an attentive ear, and at once instituted an investigation. The Governor and his subordinates were brought to task. Book-keeper- and salesmen of former years having left the country, and their successors in office having no vouchers, could not throw any light on the debts that had accumulated, and which the debtors rted contained many false entries, and the non- entry of sums which should have been credited. After mature consideration, recognizing the impossi- bility of finding out from the books the true state of affairs, Mr. Halket ordered one-fifth of the debt to be thrown off, also the five per cent, interest added, which HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 89 he pronounced illegal and oppressive. During his stay- in Red River, he >;iw with regret the unsatisfactory maimer in which his Lordship's mercantile affiun had been managed, and determined to discontinue supplying the colon with goods. He left for York Factory on ti of July. pt Bulger had n long in office, when an n brave, under the influence of liquor, attempted dark paaaage in his dwelling-house. The Indian, who was known to the settl i dangerous character, was immediately court-martialled, and sentenced to receive a dozen lashes with tl ils. Surrounded by his kindred, who were half drunk, there was some difficulty in procuring cutionei to carry out the of the court. After some delay, and many n the part of the Indiana, a tall muscular soldier, of the De Meuron I forward and called for the whip, which he applied vigorously to the oder's back. The Indians began to chant their i rushed to arms; but Capt Bulger was not going to be terrified by either their howling or their threats, and quietly informed the chief, that if lid notecase his bravado, and order his followers to lay down their arms and quit their music, he would have him (ashed to the gun, and served with a few s too. Tins bit cf well-ti ivice had the de- sin-d effect No sooner was the savage set free, than the whole hand took l i their canoes, and made for Lake Winnipeg This woll-merited castigation had a wholesomo effect on the Indians who lived in the 7 90 HIstmky OF MANITOBA. vicinity of the colony, teaching them that the time had passed when they could with impunity defy the laws of civilised society. In 1822 was incepted the Buffalo Wool Company scheme. This was originated on (he Bhare system, the total Dumber of Bhan placed at 200, and capable of being inci t any future period. Mr. John Priichard was the moving spirit of the new company, Whose obj • a^ follows : 1. To provide a substitute for wool, as it was sup- posed from the number and destructive hal>its of the wolves, that .sheep could not be raised or preserved in Red River, at least, to any extent. 2. The substitute contemplated was the wool of the wild buffalo, which ►be collected on the plains, and manufactured both lor the use of the colo- nists and for export. 3. To a tannery for manufacturing the butfalo hides for domestic use. Mr. Pritchard thought that it would not require much labor or skill to accomplish these important ends; others thought differently, and asserted that success would depend entirely on economy and good management. No sooner was the £2,000 placed to the credit of the new company in the Hudson Bay Com- pany's books, than operations were at once commenced. A large establishment was erected in the heart of the settlement, all the buffalo- hunters enlisted in the enterprise, and exhorted by every means to preserve the hides ; the women were encouraged to gather all the wool they could, by being promised a liberal price BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 91 for it at the factory ; and all the available hands in ettlement, male and fema called into opera- tion. The men and boys manipulated the hides, which, b sj foro they conld be freed from the wool, had to through the king, heating, and pulling. n at pulling could make from six to shillings per day isfied unless they made from four to five. Female labor was also uid all who could spin were invited to the f i make the wool n, for which they i one shilling per pound. At this early he buffalo were in large ouml i of Pembina, and a large number of \ pic from the various races on the land u<-d here to hunt them in fact, this Beemed I favorite feeding- 9 md. < ); were brought from Englai wool-dressers, farriers, curriers, sa Idlers and harness makers; an outfit of goods was also procured, and a store opened in the establishment for the convenience of the employees. L md cloth were manufac- ture 1, hut neither <»i* them could compare with similar ghtfrom Kurope. Rum was also imported, and this last capped the climax ; drunkenness and disorder prevailed, hides were allowed to rot, through ess the wool spoiled, the tannery proved a failure; and when, in 1825, the affairs of the company wound Up, it was found that they had not only w\n\ their original capital of £2,000, but were in to their ban) K). This debt hung over the heads of the stockholders for several years, till the company generously relieved them by cancelling it. 92 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Taken on the whole, the scheme was beneficial to the colony, the industry of which was not only stimu- lated, but turned into a new channel, from which was obtained money and credit with the Hudson Bay Com- pany, neither of which could have been realized from the produce of their farms. By these latter many of tin* - btained their first stock ; the crops of the season also proved the most abundant ever reached in the colony. Hie Lower-Canadians who came into the country at this time sett Pembina, forming quite a village; their number* were augmented from time to time by others of their countrymen, who had left the North-West Company's service, having become free men, and who settled down amongst them. In the spring of 1822, food becoming scarce, a party left the little settlement to hunt the buffalo on the plains ; as these did not return at the expected time, fears were entertained for their safety. A trader named Hess, who lived in the village, and who was suffering in common with his neighbors, resolved to go in quest of them, in company with two settlers and his two daughters; he travelled through the Dacotahs with great precaution. Sighting some buffalo on the sixth day, he left his companions to shoot some, if possible. Having been some time away, he returned to his cart, when to his horror he found one of his companions scalped and his feet cut off, a little farther on lay one of his daughters stuck in her heart, while still a little farther were the lifeless remains of his other companion. Further HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 93 search failed to reveal the whereabouts of his other daughter, whom he concluded had been taken captive. He at once returned to Pembina, travelling three days and three nights without food. A panic seized the villagers on the recital tory, and poor Hess ; get no one to accompany him even to bury the dead. Obtaining information that the missing ghter was a captive in a Yankton lodge, and nerved by despair, be resolved to rescue or die in the attempt. After a long journey over the plains he ted the I efore he had readied them, how- he was accosted with the challenge Friend or Prompted to the highest physical courage by his terrible loss, Bess replied, "You know me as your you know me by the name of Standing Bull; you killed one of my daughters, and taken the i I ►ner." The Indian, impressed by his fear : his hand to him, and took him to the camp, where he was kindly treated Bere he found Ids dit.T, and Wfl i knOW that she had also been kindly dealt with: her captor was at first unwill- ing to let her go, but consented on the production of a certain ransom. A blacksmith of the name of 'Fully, who had been \'nr -Mm.' time in the service of Lord Selkirk, was desirous of crossing the plains to the Qnito d States in company with Borne Americans, who bad brought in a herd of c 1 who were to return immediately on th<- completion of their business, Tully, impatient of delay, moved on to Pembina, where he expected the would join him. As they did not turn up at 94 BISTORT OF MANITOBA; the expected time, he secured a half-breed for a guide, and started out on the trail that led to Grand Forks. Arriving there safely, he resolved to wait for those who were to come after. While here, however, they were ered by a party of restless and cruel Dacota!,- d tl 6 war path in search of here- ditary i Taking the infant from arms, they dashed pnt its brains against a tiv cH to pieces the unhappi pai ade prisoners of two boys, wl ! ime after by Ajneri- remained at Fori Snelling, where they died The half-breed, hearing the tramp of the ,-n>'inv'> i i ver. Leiinen the 4th the water flowed the hanks of the river, and spread so fast that before the people were aware it had reached their dwellings. Terror was depicted on every countenance ; so level was the country and SO rapid the rise of the water, that on the 5th all the settlers abandoned their homes and sought refuge on higher ground. Every description of property became a secondary considera- tion, and was involved in one common wreck, or. abandoned in despair. The people fled from their homes for dear life, some of them saving only their clothes on their backs. The shrieks of children, lowing of cattle, and the howling of dogs added terror to the scene. The company's servants exerted themselves to their utmost, and did good service with their boats. The generous and humane governor of the colony, Donald McKenzie, sent his own boat to the assistance of the settlers, though himself and family depended on it for their safety, being in an upper story with ten feet of water rushing through the house. By means of these exertions the families were all conveyed to places of safety, while the cattle were driven many BISTORT OF MANITOBA, 99 miles off to the pine hills and rocky heights. The grain, furniture and utensils came next in order of importance; but by this time the country presented the appearance of a vast lake, and the people in the bs had no resource hut t<> break through the roofs of their buildings, and tin; old 'The ice d >w drifted in a straight course from point ICtlOTJ before it. and the i at like wiilow- by tl ie force of the current, while the frightened inhabitants were collected in ipfl l D any dry Bpol that remained visible ahove waste of water. Their hous, s , barns, carriages, furniture, fencing and every description of pro; might I"- seen ti v.-r the wide extended plain olfed in Lake Winnip Hardly a DOUSC or building of any kind | ling in the colony. Many of tie- buildings drifted along whole and entire, and in some dogs were bowl- dismally, cats jumping frantically from sid< hut the m bouse in flames, drifting along in the night, one half immersed in water, the remainder burning furiously. The w continued rising till the 21st, and extended far over the plain; where cat! boats were plying in full sail. On tie- 22nd the v ■ ;lU ,\ ^ r a day or two, began gradually to fall. The height to which it rose above ordinary years, was fifteen [te subside very gradual During this ial only one man lost his life, hut many were tie- hairbreadth e for example, at one spot writer fell in with ;i man who had two of his o 100 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. tied together, with his wife and four children fixed on their backs; the docile but terrified animals waded or floated as best they could, while the man himself, with along line in his hand, kept before them, sometimes ing, sometimes swimming, guiding them to the highest ground. With considerable trouble we got them conveyed to a place of safety, and but for our timely assist moe they must all have perished, for the water WM gaining on them fast; they were already exhausted and had some distance t<> go. The actions of the De Meurons during this trouble merited the contempt with which they were afterwards regarded — killing thes< ttle, and selling the meat at three- pence a pound. Wheat, which had fallen to two shil- lings per bushel, at the commencement of the disaster, rose to fifteen shillings. The cause of the flood has been the subject of many conjectures; we prefer to state the only conclusion which appears to us natural and consistent with well-known facts. The previous year had been unusually wet, the country was thoroughly saturated, the lakes, swamps and rivers, at the fall of the year, were full of water, while a large quantity of snow had fallen in the preceding winter. Then came a late spring, with a sudden burst of warm weather ; a south wind blowing for several days, the snow melted at once, and Red Lake, Otter Tail and Lake Traverse all overflowed their banks. To these causes must be added the large quantities of ice carried down by the Red River, which, coming in contact with the solid ice of Lake Winnipeg, thus stopping the current, seem to have caused the overflow of back water HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 101 on the level surface of the plains. This opinion is strengthened by the fact that, as the ice of the lake gave way, the water began to fall, and fell as rapidly as it rose. Mr. Nolan, one of the first adventurer- in the Red River valley, describes the flood <>i' 177*. ;ls still higher than on this occasion, having sailed that year from Red Lake River, round by way of Pembina, and down towards the colony, the who].' country and the river appearing to him lake The Indians mention ;i flood about the year 1790, while in L809 the water rose unusually CHAPTER V. hips and DimcoH \n-iv;ils Beoond Experimental Fara Company Tallow Trade Attempt to Introduce Sheep Ool I to the Hudson Bay Com- 1(;U1V v i in.-iits Diaappointmenta and Kailun-s Third atal Kami Har>h lAeaeuroi Indian Amiii.-.- ok Boldiecefrom Engl a nd Ttadeni Pro- secuted— Census Taken. Ox tlif L5th of .luii.' tl." settlers returned to their desolated ho: »lony now found themselves divided into two parties— first, the Scotch and others who still resolved to remain despite the discourage- ment I •• M. limns. Swiss and other rest- less spirits, who were determined to try somewhere else. So little was the presence of the latter desired, that food was furnished them gratis in order to hasten their departure. On the 24th of June, 243 of these took their departure, and the colony never saw, nor had any desire to see, them again. Once more, and for the fourth time, our Scotch colonists, with every- thing gone, commenced on their desolate fields. With the advanced state of the season, they could not hope for much of a crop; yet barley, potatoes, and some wheat, sowed as late as the 22nd of June, matured, as it were, to encourage them. The year 1827 brought to the little colony an impetus in fresh arrivals, some of whom hailed from the Orkney Islands, filling up the gap made by the exodus of the De Meurons. Agriculture was pushed with a spirit BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 103 formerly unknown: houses multiplied, fields fenced, out-houses erected to shelter the cattle ; and now m to be felt the lack of market facilities, to encourage their agricultural efforts. The Hudson Bay Company were able only to take a limited quantity of produce of all kinds, while for grinding i'acil depend on the windmill ragbout the settlement tie- first of which i when placed in p the ram of £1,500 — orother- ou the quime Btanea many of them had brought : their native hills. In this y--ar. also, the Hudson Company, acting on an idea suggested by Lord Selkirk a short time previous to his death, opened out id through forest and .swamp, eighty-one miles in :ii between Oxford Eouse and a point on I pied for the settlement were forwarded from the : the first-mentioned post by boat, then by dog-trains in winter, from the house along this new naite to Red River. The first season showed the unfiti dogs for this kind of work. Iii l were built along the route, at a dis- •leven miles apart, and provisioned with hay. Oxen were then procured from Red River, but through mi si: e equally poor satisfaction. Bale Is had to be thrown oil* the sleighs, and never looked aft In L829, the undertak- relinquished, after having cost the company in men's wages oxen, goods lost and destroyed, some thousands of pound- sterling. In L880 was commenced the second experimental farm under Governor Simpson's regime. This was 104 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. established on a rich and fertile spot on the Assiniboine River. Houses of every description were erected, barns, corn-yards and stables, with a noble residence for the manager; parks and enclosures were also formed The best br 1 of cows* was purchased; a stallion worth £300, imported from England, as also brood mares from the United States; the most costly and improved ploughs, harrows, drills — in fact what- ever was nee i to the milk pail and axe handle, with men and women servants t<> till every »n. Thus provided, it was thought sure to be successful. The choice of a manage! lay with a gentleman, zealous, active and persevering in whatever he was acquainted with, hut in nowise qualified to judge of farming operations. He selected as his choice Chief Factor McMillan. The appointment was an unfortunate one. Mr. McMillan, though a good man in his own way, knew nothing whatever of farm work, and the staff was in keeping with the principal. Their knowledge consisted in having seen wheat, barley and potatoes raised in the simplest manner. Butter and cheese making was a science absolutely new and unknown to them. The result was, as could be plainly seen, failure. Flax and hemp grew luxuriantly, but, after growing, was neglected, and allowed to rot on the ground. The most common grain raised was inferior in quantity and quality to that raised by the humblest Scotch settler in the colony. System there was none, and the want of it ruined the whole. After running this concern for six years, it was sold out, the loss to the company amounting to about HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 105 £4,000. Thia scheme was a pet one of Governor Simpson's, and from it he looked for magnificent ilta to the col nj I >n Learning the result he said, i River i- kike a Li! -van tiger, the more we try to tame it, the D .,, it is with Red i bring it forward, disappoint- ment dra ibackwarda" The only benefit reaped by the colony was an improvement in the breedof bonea failure of this grand scheme brought experimental Karma into contempt, and paased into a by-word in ny, particularly among the balf-breeda, who arn farmers are bad, but experimental] farmers are -till iron In 1832, Governor Simpson, annoyed at the unceas- ing turbulence of the French half-breeds, determined mow hi from Fprt Douglas to a more eligible spot, twenty miles farther north, on the Red r. In < > I 1881, he commenced operations, ing foundations, quarrying atones, and preparing timber, where now stands what is known as the r stone tort. The river hank at this place liferous limestone, furnished sufficient -tun.- for lime, which was burned on the spot; the unbroken forest on tin- easi side of the c supplying abundant timber and fuel for that purpose. During the summer., of I,s:!l> and 1838 a commodious dwelling-house and capacious store were finished, in which Governor Simpson and family inter of L888 and 1834 Goods were sold ut tb inhabiting the north end of the colony, obviating the necessity of travelling many 8 106 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. miles to the upper fort for their purchases, as also forming S market for those who lived close by, In 1839 a -tone wall was commenced, three to four feet thick, with embrasures for small arms at regular distances of fifteen feet apart. A capacious round tower occupied each of the four angles, forming the interior into square, with a gate on the south- ening on to the river, while another on the north-west side fronted the plains The lower fort from its inception became one of the most impor- tant posts the company had in the country, on account of its being the terminus of steamers engaged in ion From this post they received their i.-s of tradii. which were transported to the big fail at the mouth of the Saskatchewan, where they were forwarded to the districts lying north and West of the same, To tins post, also, the steamers returned, bringing the furs collected on that river and the northern stations during the winter, and from here they were forwarded through the United States to England About this time also, Lord Selkirk's original settlers who had remained in the colony were pressed to pay the heavy debt incurred by them during their first few years' residence. This had accumulated in some cases to as much as £300, and no family owed less than £100. These debts had to be paid in produce, for which they were alio wed very low prices. The quan- tity thus delivered fully supplied the only market the farmer then had, completely shutting out those who were not in debt, and leaving them no avenue wherein to dispose of their season's crop. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 107 In April, also of this yea*, was inaugurated the tallow company scheme, the capital of which was •«'d at £1,000, divided into two hundred shares of The din etorate consisted of a chairman arid members; any i ae owning six shares in the com duly qualifi< ,,r. These shares were at once taken in cattle, the values placed I For a year-old, £1 each; for a two-year- old, £2 ; tin and so on The entire herd at the commencement of the scheme consisted of four hundred and seventy-three bead. Th< according to promise, were delivered to those appointed * • them and branded with the initials, T. T. -Tallow Trade and by them conveyed pounds at the foot of the Pine Hills and to the east of the settlement, and there placed ander the care of two herdsmen, I ho the 80th of this Bame month a storni cam,' from the north, bringing with it a snow-fall of about eighteen inches, a circumstance altogether unusual at this time <>t* the year, This was followed by cold and stormy weather. Some of the cattle were lean, all of them had been housed and i daring the winter, the new grass which bad sprung up was buried deep in snow and water, the only food that remained for the suffering herd was the branches of trees and tops of willows, which were picked uj) by the stronger animals taking the lead, ing ii. -thin- for the weaker ones that followed. The result of this was that t v. . ,li,. ( l during the summer. However, the herd improved rapidly, and undertaking seemed to gain favor. Preparations 108 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. were made for their protection during the coming winter ; sheds without roofs were erected, apparently for the purpose of keeping them together and pre- serving thorn from the wolves, rather than the intense cold. Hay was put up in proportion of about one load per head. Into tl ds the cattle were driven ; there they stood huddled together for warmth. In the morning when lei ont they were bo benumbed with cold and standing all night that they could scarcely walk, and were unable to procure their food in deep mow during the day. In this manner they d the winter, with the result that thirty-two died from the effects of the cold and want of food, fifty- three were destroyed by wolves, the ears, horns and tails of many of them froze and fell off, and many of the cows also lost their teats. In the beginning of the second winter the cattle were removed to new pasture farther distant from the settlement but more sheltered, new herdsmen engaged, and a sufficient quantity of hay put up, warm sheds erected, the cost of which was defrayed by a call of five shillings per share. After the winter had set in the cattle were driven in every night and fed regularly, and matters so arranged that each director in his turn should visit the cattle once a week. Despite these precautions sixteen died of cold and twenty were killed by wolves. The stockholders, discouraged by these losses, resolved to put an end to the concern, and in October of 1834 the herd was disposed of by auction, the shareholders realizing the full amount of their investment, but sacrificing the interest of their stock. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 109 In 1833, a joint stock company was also formed by Governor Simpson to introduce sheep into the colony. sum of £1,200 was raised, and Mr. Rae, a Hudson Bay clerk, a i with J. P. Bourke, and four men, despatched t<> purchase the required number. Though late in the season, they crossed the inhospitable plain bo St Peter's, from thence to St Louis, and on through the State <>f Missouri The people, believing from reports that had preceded them, that the stran intended to purchase some thousands, instead of hun- dreds, demanded ten shillings per head. Rae was so wrathy at this extortion, is he considered it, that though the price was afterwards reduced to seven shillings and sixpence per head, he refused to deal with the Mi> at all, and pushed on to Kentucky, four hundred end fifty miles farther. In vain Bourke the increased difficulty of transport thereonting .'ae would hear nothing. After a variety of adventures they reached Kentucky, to find very little difference in the price. Here Rae pur- : and now the difficulties which Bourke pointed out began to be experienced. They had to pay for pasture every plght, while many of the sheep • lied from hard driving. On their way up the Missis- sippi, seeing that the flock were Buffering from the burden and heat of their fleeces, they halted at a cer- tain place to clip them, having agreed to sell the wool certain individual for a specified sum. Nothaving the full amount in cash, Rae refused to let him have value for the cash h<- had. A number of poor people having collected around, combined and made him an 110 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. offer; but their proposition coming short of the value he had placed on the wool, he caused it to be burned rather than thai any of them should get it. Of the 1,473 sheep purchased only 251 reached Red River, the rest all perished by the way. Rae and Bourke rode on in front, with the m«n behind; every now and then one of the drivi ra would ride up to tbem with the word that SO many of the Bheep COold not be made to move on. "Cut their throats, and drive on ! w was the invariable order. In one morning alone over forty were thus disposed of. When any of them dropped behind through exhaustion, their throats were immedi- ately cut and their carcasses left behind. This con- tinued till the men became SO thoroughly disgusted that they refused to perform the inhuman order, leaving the leaders to do it themselves. On their arrival in Red River, despite the facts above stated, they were presented with a vote of thanks from the Governor and managing committee. There was a class, however, who, dissatisfied with the management, were disposed to pass a vote of censure on the Gover- nor and management. Mr. Simpson, to silence these, declared his willingness to pay back all the money that had been subscribed, and keep the sheep himself until they became numerous enough to give all who desired an opportunity to purchase a few. By this means the latter class was shut off, and the sheep turned over to the care of the experimental farm. In the course of three years they were auctioned off, and so keen was the competition, that, taking one with another, the flock brought from two to three pounds each. HISTORY OP MANITOBA. Ill In L885, for a monetary consideration of £85,000, the colony was transferred by the young Karl of Sel- kirk to the Budsot) Bay Company. This change was known only to a Few, and was done with a view to strengthening the hands of the company in the govern- ment of the country. Ti rnor, with a fewother gentlemen, ctod, and commissioned by the Ion; these, with the < lovernor- bief, formed a legislative council empowered to make laws, to rej dvil affairs, and for the punish- ment of parties guilty of crime The members of the Council having been appointed, the p&nonnd was Uowa : President sir ( ; Simpson ; ( lovern- ment Councillors— -Alex. Christie, Qovernoi of Assini- »f Snliopolifl : Rev. I >. T. J plain 11. BJ . Et \ . Win. Cocl rau< lain ft B. < '. ; James Bird, Esq., formerly ( Ihief Factor H. B l '. : Jamea Sutherland, Esq., W. II. Cook, I John Pritcharl, Esq., Robt Logan, Esq., Ale John IfcAllum, Esq ; John Bonn, Medical Adviser ; Andrew IfcBermott, Esq. ; Cuthbert Grant, Warden of the Plains. The President summoned the Council to a me Upper Fort Garry on the L2th February, when he delivered the following addr men, in order *rd ;i^ much as possible pprehension within doors, or misrepre- sentation without, on the subjects which I am now about to bring under your consideration, I shall, then, briefly notice them. From their importance theycan- lll forth due attention, and from the deep and lively interest you all W'r] in the welfare and U J HISTORY ()K MANITOBA. prosperity of the colony. I am satisfied yon will afford me the best of your assistance and support towards carrying into effect such measures as may appear b calculated, under i circumstances, to answer every desirabl "The population of the colony has become so great, amounting to about five thousand souls, that the »na) influence of the Governor, and the little more than nominal support afforded by the police, which, bher with the good feeling of the people, have heretofore been its principal safeguard, are no longer sufficient to maintain the tranquillity and good govern- ment of the settlement; so that, although rights of property have of late been frequently invaded, and other serious offences committed, I am concerned to say we were under the necessity of allowing them to pass unnoticed, because we had not the means at com- mand of enforcing obedience and due respect, on account of the existing state of thii "Under such circumstances, it must be evident to one and all of you, that it is impossible society can hold together ; that the time has at length arrived when it becomes necessary to put the administration of justice on a more firm and regular footing than heretofore, and immediate steps taken to guard against danger from abroad or difficulties at home, for the mainten- ance of good order and tranquillity, and for the security and protection of lives and property." At this meeting the following resolutions were passed, and became law, most of which gave some satisfaction for a time : HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 118 1 . Thai an efficient and disposable force be embodied, to be styled a volunteer corps, consisting of sixty officers and prival I all times ready to act when sailed upon, an paid as follow Commanding officei er annum; servant, £10 per annum ; pril annum — with extra pay writs. When not bo employed, their time was to be their own. Alexander Roes was appoint. -.1 2. That the settlement he divided into four distric first t» extend from [mage Plain, down- war 'I'll.- second, from the latter place to the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, with James Sutherland, I e third, from the fork- a] B d River, with Robert Logan, Esq., as n The fourth, tie- Whit.- Horse Plains or Assinibo r. with Onthbert Grant* officer. The-.- magi to hold quarterly courts of sum- mary jurisdiction on the third Monday in January, April. July, and in I October. 1 courts have power to pronounce final ment in all civil cases where the debt or damage claimed may ed five | and in all cases of ti or inisdei which, by the rules and I the district of Assiniboia, not being repugnant to the law gland, may be punished by a fine noi ram of five pounds. 4. That said courts be empowered to refer any case of doubt or difficulty to the supreme tribunal of the 114 HISTORY Of MAM TOI'.A. colony, at its ne*t Mi*ning quarterly session, by giving intimation of the reference in open court, and a written notice of e under the hands of ■ majority of the three sitting magistrates, at least one week before the commencement of Kaid quarterly session, and their g compelled I m for so doing. 5. That the com t. and Governor, and Council, in it- judicial capacity, sh on the third Thursday of February, May. and November, and at BUch other times as the Governor-in-chief of Rupert's Land, or in his al fovernor of Assiniboia, may deem tit. 6. That in all contested civil eases involving claims of more than ten pounds, and in all criminal cases, the verdict of the jury shall determine the fact or facts in dispute. 7. That a public building, serving the double purpose of a court-house and gaol, be erected as early as possible, at the forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers; that in order to raise funds for defraying such expenses as may be found necessary towards the maintenance of order, and the erection of public works, an import duty shall be levied on all goods and merchandise of foreign manufacture imported into Red River colony, either for sale or for use, at seven per cent, on the amount of invoice, and that an export duty of seven per cent, be levied on all goods, provisions, and live stock, being the growth, produce, or manufacture of the Red River colony. At the close of the business, Governor Simpson intimated that the fur trade would make a grant in history OF MANITOBA. 115 aid of puhlic works in Red River. On this being announced, ;i vote of thanks was returned the Governor and Council of Rupert's Land, for their -rant, and the Council adjourned. This gift indicated both wisdom and liberality on the part of the fur trade council, enabling the local authorities t.. procure timbei and lmil«l the court-house and craol. The population of the colony looked with ■ jealous ppon the constitution of this council, remarking the fact that only a member was in a position, if h.' had the inclination, t.. take an independent stand for their rights and privileges. The heavy duty of i per cent on all imports « dally aimed at tl who wei ratside of the Hudson Bay I Jom- m tin- proposal to constitute the volui the company by military in. asures, if Q( objectionable they mighi be ople for whom they were me Notwithstanding this dissatisfaction, the condition of the settlement was much improved A genera] quarterly court was held, presided over by the ( tovernor and a bench of m. s, thejur m introduced, formings link between the governing and the governed. The sin riti; being without a voters' list, as a rule the most intelligent fromamongst the community, who were generally only too pleased to be called upon >1 in dispensing justice to their fellow-colonists. ThefolloWU was full of disappointments and failures. On the 8th of Juns, a hard frost fell in some localities, cutting down not only tin- grain and 116 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. root crop, but also tin- Leaves on the trees. Three days after, a thunder storm with heavy rain came. On strong, rich land, the wheat and potatoes recovered, but the barley, where frozen, died out. On the 19th mother heavy frost came, injuring the Standing wheal even where the car was full, and making any that ha i been sown late useless, even for seed. Tie- plain hunt flw returned from their summer trip with half loada The annual ship from London to i Factory was driven from her moorings at that place \*y a storm. Tie- captain, instead of trying to re-enter the harbor, made sail, with all the yearly supplies for the colony, hack to England, thus causing a dearth of European goods in the settlement. The cold, drizzling, frosty weather which followed, in October, destroyed the fall fisheries, which had con- stituted hitherto their principal food for the winter. The clamoring of the population for something better than the arbitrary justice administered by the magis- trates appointed by the Council, made it apparent to the company that judicial procedure must be sustained in a more efficient manner, and that by a lawyer who, under the title of Recorder of Rupert's Land, or other- wise, could exercise all the powers of a judge. Mr. Thorn, w T ho was resident in Montreal at this time, and who had been called to the bar of Lower Canada this same year, was appointed, at a salary of £700 per annum. He reached Red River in 1839. In 1836, the first petit jury was empanelled, and a man named Lewis St. Dennis found guilty of theft, and sentenced to be flogged, a mode of punishment HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 117 *bich * • repeated in public, from its unpopu- larity with the The second occasion when, according to law, this operation should be performed in L841; it was then done in tbe prison, the oper- ating official being masked, and for security locked up until after dark. Ed the third and last experimental farm by the directors o! tbe Hudson Bay Com] and a gentleman by the name of Captain George Mar- half-pay offl Iged in London at a high -alary to proceed to Red River, accompanied by d men with their families. These arrived in the Bay in the fall of 1836, and. with the exception of Mr. y himself, passed the winter at York Factory. Not relishing the bleak look of the Bay, Capl Carey mad.- his way to Red Rivet dnring tin- wi: around the fort, the Captain the rich alluvial point north of where the oiboine enters the Red River, and adjoining the site of Old Fort Carry. Operations were begun m March. Lumbermen were sent to the woods, timber taken out and rafted down to the spol selected! and builders at once put to work to erect boosefl for those who had wintered at Fork Factory, and who arrived at Fort •i duly. The most improved and costly implements were imported from England, and the enterprise launched on a scale tar beyond anything known hitherto in the country. Elated by the spirit of the enterprise in which they were engaged, the >f th«- wonder* they intended only in raising cereals, but in every 118 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. other branch of agriculture, and the profitable results that would follow, first to their employers, and, the settlement Considerable interest was raised., and it was considered almost a foregone con- clusion that the Hudson Bay Company would be able, by this means, to supply their own demands and close up the only market the settlers had for their surplus I at that time. By the spring of 1888 then- were twenty acres in crop and an area of one hundred acres enclosed, half of which was allowed to remain undts- d by the plough. Sheep were also procured, and shepherds brought from Scotland to tend them, there being sometimes ■ flock of three hundred, the wool from which was sold annually by auction, averaging about twenty-five cents per pound. It was soon apparent that experimental farm number three was going to be no more successful than its predecessors, notwithstanding its superior facilities. It took all they could produce to feed the employees; and the company continued, as before, to take the eight bushels from each man who had no other means of earning a shilling. The laborers brought from England became noto- rious for their beer-drinking, and as their contracts expired, the Captain was only too pleased to sign their discharge. This institution continued in exis- tence from March, 1837, to June, 1847, ten years and two months, when Captain Carey left with his family for Canada. What the results were to the Hudson Bay Company is not known. There can be no doubt that as far as the Captain was concerned, the specula- BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 119 tion was profitable. On applying for the renewal of their license in 1837, we find in the report submitted to the Colonial Office by Governors Simpson and Telly, on behalf of the Budson Bay Company, a reference made to these experimental farm-, as well as to thir- teen schools, two Protestant and some Catholic mis- only ju j that out of the thirteen n<\ namely, that of St John's, received a grant from the company. Tin- other he rank and file of the community ived their education, were unendowed, and pi cully unknown | lur trad. I' 1 1840, the Hudson I npany considered it v. in the interest of their trade, to take advan- of the provision contained in their charter giving t}l " m t! - ■ in the fur trade A Cana- dian named Laurent had infringed on those rights. His house was forcibly broken open, and the fun therein sensed by the eomp fficera Two lowed The last culprit they sent a oer to th< Bay, with the tfa that he would be sent to England and punished for his crime These harsh measures only enraged the in, and instead of stamping out, only made itrike the deeper. n the si.,, lx or the Dacotah Indians, and the Saulteaux living in the neighborhood of Red River ment, there bad been for a number of years a t animosity, and collision often prevented by the intervention of the half-breeds, who latterly drawn into the disput,. themselves, and who, be- 120 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. tween the years 1840 to 1844, had joined the Saulteaux in giving battle to the Sioux whenever a hostile meet- ing occurred. A peace was effected between the half- breeds and the Sioux in the fall of 1844, on the strength of which the hunters returned to the plains, smoked the peac pipe, Mid passed the .summer amongst the Daeotaha Shortly alter, a number of Sioux returned the compliment by making a friendly visit to the whitea in the settlement, where, after a brief stay, they returned to their own country in safety. A second party came to Fort Garry in the fall of the same year. On one occasion daring this visit, and while the Sioux, Saulteaux and whites mingled freely with each other in apparent good fellowship, suddenly the discharge of a gun was heard, and two Indiana fell dead, one a Sioux, the other a Saulteaux, the same ball seriously wounding a white man also. Fearing this to be an outbreak on the part of the Saulteaux, the visiting Sioux were lodged safely inside the fort, the two bodies were brought in, and inquiry elicited the fact that it was a Saulteaux who had fired the shot ; he was found standing close by, while all the rest of his tribe had fled. On being questioned, he said, " The Sioux killed my brother and wounded myself last year, I then vowed the revenge that I have now taken; I am satisfied ; let the whites do with me as they will." He was instantly committed to prison, tried by a jury, found guilty, and sentenced to be hung. The gallows was erected over the prison gate, and he was executed on the 5th of September, 1845. Being the first, it was thought by the authori- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 121 ties that an attempt at rescue might be made, but none such was attempted. This had a salutary effect on the red men of the settlement, who were becoming overbearing and insolent towards the whites. In 1S4G, a sever.' epidemic visited the settlement The winter had been uncommonly mild Early in the 3 r a prevalence of influenza, measles broke out, 1 by a bloody flux, which, after decimat- the Indians, commit! ful havoc among the whit' 8th of dun.' to the 2nd of August, the death-rat.- averaged per day an aggregate of one to i of the population. In September of the sain.' year, several companies of tie- 6th Royals, amounting in all to about 500 men, including artillery and sappers, under command of Colonel Crofton, who was also ap] rrived in the settle- ment The sent out und. •!■ instruc- n the War Office prov.-d a bo ffl to I he settlers, by giving a tone to a home market for the 'consumpti m of their produce, quieting dis- affected persons, and defending the frontier line during the trouble made by the Americans on the Oregon were recalled in 1848, expending during their stay in I emeni no am than 000, besides giving an impetus to mal ener- ally. The Royals were succeeded by 140 pensioners, under Major Caldwell, who was also appointed Gover- and who, during the regime allotted him, did not L f iv- entire satisfaction to the people. These were re- called in June, 1865, and succeeded by the Canadian Rifles in 1857, who were the last British troops in the 122 BISTORT OF Manitoba. colony, until the arrival of Sir Garnet Wolseley in 1870. The spirit of free trade, which h:in bail to stand their trial at the first criminal court. 1 >n the day appointed, the 17th of May, large hands of the Metis, or half-breeds. cone; round the court-house, thoroughly armed. No attempt was made to disturb the proceedings of the court, but it was well understood that they were there to protect the free traders, as they were then called, from punishment. Say re admitted that he had traded furs with the Indians, and a verdict was found against him ; but he was discharged on proving that he had received permission from one of the company's officers to do so. McGinnis, Laronde and Goulette were not proceeded against ; and as the prisoners left the court in a body, they were greeted with applause, the discharge of firearms, and the shouts of " Vive la libertie, and trade is free." This trial brought to a crisis a disaffection which had existed ever since Mr. Thorn's appointment. Many of the settlers persisted in looking at him, not only as a recorder, but as the paid servant of the Hudson Bay Company, and though none could impeach his upright- ness and integrity, they held that he could not be HISTORY 01 MANITOBA. 123 completely unbiased in his decisions, and particularly so, where the interest of his employers was concerned. The display of armed force on this occasion, with the demonstration succeeding the trial, bo influenced Mr. Thorn, that he retired from the bench until 1850. utime Colonel Caldwell presided as judge, con- ducting the proceedings of the court after the manner of a court-martial. In 18 is* involving compli- ns of ;t Very BeiioUS and scandalous nature came before the court ml Pelly, the complainant in this case being an officer of the pensioners, and the udant an officer in the company's Bervicc ; the charge, that of defamatory conspiracy. A large num- ber of witnesses were called from the most influ- ential residents of the settlement As it was l.elieved that only a man of large legal experience could thoroughly weigh the multitude of conflicting influ- a and assertions crowding into such a dispul was arranged for Mr. Thorn to take the bench. The verdict of the jury was i M favor of Captain Fosse, the complainant, with damages for three hundred pounds, Colonel Caldwell, who had attended court mor, was I with the conducting of the case and tie- verdict, that he addressed a statement of his views eon to the Board of the Eudson Bay Company, in [and Mr. Thorn was removed from the office of record.t, hut accepted the clerkship of the court on a scale of pay equal to that which he had drawn asjud lone! ('aid well assumed the duties of judge till 1854, when he returned to Scotland, and was succeeded by Mr. Johnston, a distinguished pleader 124 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. at the Canadian bar, who, during the four years of his occupancy, was fortunate enough to escape adjudi- cating on any cases in which public prejudice had asserted itself, either for or against. In 1858 he returned to his practice in Canada. From that date until 18(32 the duties attendant on the position were discharged by Dr. Bunn, the principal doctor in the colony, in an able and efficient manner. On the death of this gentleman, in 1861, Governor McTavish suc- ceeded him as president of the court till the appoint- ment of John Black, in 1862, who retained it till the transfer of tl ry to the Canadian Government. A census taken this year showed the colony to contain 5,391 souls, rep r e s en ted as follows: 873 nan, married and widowers; unmarried men, 145 ; women, married and widows, «77 : sons, over sixteen years, 382 ; under, 1 :> 1 4- ; daughters, over fifteen, 373 ; under, 1,292. The material prosperity of the colony was represented by the following : Seven churches, twelve schools, two water and eighteen windmills, 745 dwelling-houses, 1,066 stables, 335 barns ; in live stock, there were 1,095 horses, 990 mares, 2,097 oxen, 155 bulls, 2,147 cows, 1,615 calves, 1,565 pigs, and 3,096 sheep. In implements there were 492 ploughs, 576 harrows, 1,918 carts, 428 canoes, 40 boats, and 6,329 acres under cultivation. CHAPTER VI. •ion of the Portage V Flood v\ ( 'hurcli Bduoatioa -More New Settlers —Dr. *ch<. Mail Servioe Tin- Old F«-rt — Steam* r w. 'I'm: venerable Arch Cochrane La one whose oame will ever remain ed with the history of (he IVnx to liis untiring zeal and efforts much of its prosperity is dne, especially in the opening and building up of i of which is that of Portage la Prairie The Archdeacon, bat through the natural population, and the advent of colonists homes to this western world, the parent ■ ment on the banks of the Red River was getting overcrowded, came west along the Assiniboine, in the sprit: L851. Elis observant on perceived that with the lighter soil the harvest would come in from one to two weeks earlier than in the former district. Having decided to open a new mission here, Lrchdeacon purchased from Chief Pe-qua-ke-kan the point of land on which the town of Portage la Prairie now or a certain sum, paying for the ion goods. The old chief* also bequeathed ie settlers, along what is now known as the Slough Road, and to their children, the island of which men- tion is made in my introduction, for the consideration every man should give him a bushel of wheat, 126 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. yearly, as Ion*;- as he (the old chief) should live. The consideration was observed, on the part of the settlers, until his demise. On returning to the rapids, the Archdeacon com- municated the result of his observations to his ihioners, a number of whom, in the following year, accompanied him to bis new mission field, taking up claims and settling thereon Amongst those were Peter, William and John Qarrioch, Fred Bird and family, Charles and Martin Cummins with their fami in Garrioch, John and Henry Hudson, and a few others. The year L85J is memorable as being that in which the fifth and most disastrous flood on record occurred, in describing which I cannot do better than follow the graphic account of Alexander Ross, who was an eye-witness and participator in these events, and who writes as follow- ■ " On the 7th of May the water had risen eight feet above the high-water mark of ordinary years, over- flowed the banks of the river, and begun to spread devastation and ruin in the settlement. Boats and canoes were in great request for the saving of lives and property. All was hurry, bustle and confusion. Some had to take shelter in the garrets, some on stages, some here, some there, in little groups on spots higher than others, anxiously waiting a boat or some friendly hand to save them from a watery grave. From one hundred and fifty yards wide, the usual breadth of the river, it spread to three miles on each side, and for several days rose at the rate of nearly an 5IST0RV OF MAXITOI'.A. 127 inch per hour. On the 12th, half the colony was under water, and a clean sweep waa ma le of all fencing and loose property on both aides of the river for a distance of twenty-two miles in Length. In all thi at so low and flat is the country that not a single house pted, all were submerged j not an inhabitant but had fled Tl i of children, the lowing of cattle, 9, and the howling of >mpleted this and melancholy scene. On the 22nd, • t its height, and the remarkable coincidence v. rved that on the sunt- day of the :ii twenty-six years pr< the water had been at its height also, bul - higher than the time of which we now write. During eight days before (he c Iwelling-houses and barns were floating in all directions, like ail, with nd ]» mltry in them. ( tathousi cupboards, tables, chairs, feather I and every variety of household furniture drifting along, added to the universal wreck. In L82(J only one man was drowned, so also in I Some few horses, horned cattle and pigs were drowned in the hurry and bustle. But in other the ;al. The very mice, snakes and squirrels could not find a hiding-place above or below ground All their efforts to save themselves were vain, the destructive element forced them to surrender ; they sti! even the frogs were overcome in their favorite element, and could be Been sitting and seeking refuge on every log, plank and stick that floated along; the very birds and insects deserted the 12$ HISTORY <»F MAMI'uliA. place, so complete was the desolation. Nothing was to be heard but the howling of the dogs in the distance, nothing seen, far as the eye could reach, but water, water, water. No cock-crowing in tin- morning, not a plough at work, not a bushel of seed in the ground, nun half bewildered, pensive and mute, looked ;it each other and mourned their loss. The Sabbath almost undistinguished in the week days, the churches empty, the hells mute, the sound of the mill-stone no longer o heard : where cattle used fco feed boats sailed and fish swam. Twenty 1 of labor of man and* beast hastened to be ingulfed in Lake Winnipeg; many houses gone, many deprived of their all, the loss to the sufferers who can estimate, especially that felt by the Canadians and half-breeds. The people, like a retreating army, lost much in their flight Little fire- wood, less shelter, few tents, the weather cold and ice on the water, deprived them of all comfort. On the breaking-up of the river, the channel got choked up with ice, which caused the water to rise seven feet in an hour or two. This, occurring at night after the people had gone to bed, came on them so .suddenly that before they were aware themselves and their beds were afloat. Cattle and sheep were drowned, and two men who had gone to rest on a hay-rick found them- selves in'the morning drifting with the current some three miles from where they had lain down the night previous. Others again, in the absence of canoes or other assistance, took to the house-tops, some to the water, hanging to the branches of trees and bushes till daylight brought them relief. In the midst of this HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 129 scene of distr e pigs were swept away, one of which was known to swim two days and two nights without relief, and yet was caught alive. The cold as well as tb »ed SO hard that one man was forced to rut up his plough into firewood to save his children from i Ither articles of furniture shared a similar fate, At its height the water had spread out on each side of the river -i\ miles for a distance of fourteen miles in length. Not a house was pted. Loaded boats could he seen sailing over the plains far beyond the habitations of the people. tousle was as novel as it was melancholy. Three thousand five hundred Bonis abandoned their all snd took to the open plains. The loss of property .besides that of the crop, is estimi ,,000 sterling, or $100,000. Thepeoj. huddled er in «-ry height and hillock that presented >e Canadians and half-breeds on the Ajsini- e; the pensioners and !><• nfeurons at the Little Mountain, and | ; tch with their cattle at the lid. In tli.- midst of the Buffering attendant uch a calamity it l0 tice the efforts Gonial Governor Caldwell, Bishop Anderson and Dr. Black, of Kildonan, to render whai nee they could to th.- stricken people in theirdi A whole month elapsed, from the LStfa of May to the 12th of dun.-, before they could return to their desolated homes, and begin the work of rebuilding or repairing, as the required." The Bishop of Rupert's Land, in his notes on the flood, speaks thus, referring to that of ■KltR? HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 131 1820: "Though there is greater suffering and loss, elasticity and power to bear, as also lar g er ]I it. In lv_v,. the settlement was then in its infancy, there were but few cattle; a le boat is said to have transported all in the middle eh settler of the b p has a large stock. The on rd of the first flood of 1826 we had read at home, who had then hnt one c dow, after all hi fifty or sixty to<», there was hut little grain, and the '..nit was felt even when the water* were rising. Their dependence throughout was on the by supply of fish or what might be procured by the gun. Now t amount of grain in private hands, and even with the deduction of the land which is this war rendered m r number In this light it iscomp tiv(1 .' : tli- Whole Of the Cultivated land was &«n mi ler, and nearly all of the houses carried off by It was, as many have called it, a cleaner sw But there were then few booses or farms below the middle church or on the asmniboine above the upper fort; the rapids and the Indian settlement were still in the wiMness of nature. In L826, a larger number of thox- who were onattached to the soil and without in the country left the settlement. Since that a large population has sprung 'up who are bound by birtfa to the land and look to it as their home, whose family ties and branches are spread over and root tlir " very soil, making a happy and con- tented population proud of the land of their birth. 132 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Compared with 1826, the flood of 1852 will occupy a far larger space in the public mind. Instead of a few solitary settlers, unknown and almost forgotten by their fellowmen, they are now parts of a mighty in linked by sympathy and interest to other land The cause of the flood of 1852 has been the matter of much dispute, some attrihutii: n ice-jam on [mage Greek But the more reasonable explanation not only of this, but of all the historic Red River floods occurring previous and subsequent to 1852, is that which attributes them to an increase in the volume of the bead waters. When we consider the vast extent of country drained by a comparatively narrow river like the Red, it will be evident that a very small increase in volume, in each of its many tributaries, would cause any of those disastrous floods which have become matters of historic interest. The Red River rises in Otter-tail Lake, Minnesota. At Fort Aber- crombie it is joined by the Cheyenne River, and from thence flows north into Lake Winnipeg. Near the city it receives also the waters of the Assiniboine — " the swift flowing." Its entire length is about six hundred and sixty-five miles, five hundred and twenty-five of which are in the United States. In its course of one hundred and forty miles through British territory it drains about ten thousand square miles in the Province of Manitoba, and is navigable for about two hundred. Its valley is noted for its excellence and fertility. The Assiniboine, whose waters it receives at Winnipeg, rises near the North Saskatchewan, hav- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 133 in ^ r incipal tributary the Qu'Appelle.or " Who calls ? " River, as also the Little Souris. After tra\ ers- ing about five hundred miles from its source, it joins the Red at the above-mentioned place, draining, on its aboui si thousand square mil »kwy. lai of rolling prairie lands. 11 i ' le for about six hundred miles west of the I baein which receives the Bow, oof only of tl « already spoken of, but the mighty Saskatchewan, or "the swift cur- hich we call Lake Winnipeg, is two hundred nI|,i and from five to fifty-! lni1, a coast line of upwards of one thousand miles, with an area of nine thousand A northern extremity it discharges its waters into the p, which enters Budson Hay at Port Lake Winnip res the drainage of lyfoui hundred thousand square miles of terri- Pr«- - leaving the Bed River for the Portage settlement, John Garrioch purchased from Mr. Mini, Ben., the machinery of a windmill. This he brought with him with the intention of putting it up for grinding par] .one- reason or other the proceeded with at once. John Hud- son purchased the machinery of the mill from Mr. Garrioch for some land, and proceeded at once with rection. It would be interesting to those who have never seen anything but a well-equipped steam power, to have a look at this old mill, situated at the south extremity of what is now known as Main Street, 134 HISTORY OF MANITOl'-A. close by the dough, on one of those days when it could grind, which was only when there was a strong north or south-east wind blowing. Settlers could then be seen coming from all directions with large or small quantities to be ground, when the wind was favorable. On receiving fifteen or twenty pounds, they would n home t baked into bannock. At such times all was hurry and bostle round the mill, with one ooming and another going, while bags of grain piled pn top of each other stood in all corners, filling \ available space The old mill served its purpose till lN7o\ when it was taken down and part of its timbers utilized in the construction of a blacksmith shop, which was built, by William Longdon, precisely on the site occupied by the old mill, and is still stand- ing After doing service in the designed capacity for manv years, it became the headquarters of the Mar- quette li I journal published in Conservative interests, by Thomas Collins, Esq., now of British Columbia. For several years previously, however, the old mill had fallen into disuse, In the year 1853, Mr. Cochrane began the erection of a log church, 40 x 85, with a tower and spire about seventy-five feet in height. The site chosen w T as close by the river, and east by south of where the town of Portage la Prairie now stands. This church, afterwards known as St. Mary's, was finished in 1854. Hargrave, in his " Manitoba," speaks of this as being erected in 1857. The church records, now in posses- sion of the present incumbent of St. Mary's, the Rev. Mr. Macmorine, contain the following document, which will be proof conclusive of what we advance : HISTOKY OF MANITOBA. 135 "The first marriage in the parish of Portage la that of John Anderson and Christina rd, who were married by banns, on the 20th the Rev Thomas Cochrane, assistant mini 3t John's The witnesses on this occasion were James and Thomas And. rson. On April the ast mentioned, Thomas Anderson, was man bh Demaris, by E Sillier, in this church." Here the people from Poplar Point. High Bluff and vicinity I to worship, and it is to the predit of those early settlers to say tl they were always to be found in their ; i divine worship on the Sabbath. A few years later, in 1866, the spin- was taken down, leaving only the tow< was ft two nun at the other; the plain practical dis- course, from which there was DO evasion ; the rich music which filled the large edifice, ascending upward and outward, from the sanepiary on earth to the sanctuary above, in the words of " Jerusalem the Golden." or " Lead, kindly light, amidst the encircling gloom," or " Son of my soul, thou* Saviour dear" or some other of those grand old hymns i choing and re-echoing in the woods close by, all pass reverently before m With the inception of a mi— ion, next to the church itself, the Archdeacon's first care was the education of the youth, a work in which hoth he and Mrs. Cochrane actively engaged themselves. A log building was erected, on the north side of the river road, close by a bluff on the banks of the river, where Mr. Cochrane had his home. Here Peter Garrioch, for the space of three years, taught the young idea how to shoot. On his retirement, the Archdeacon's son, the Rev. Thomas Cochrane, assumed control of the little school. During his regime the log building became too small, and a new and more commodious edifice was erected, near the centre of the village, which still stands in good order and repair, enclosed within Dr. Haggerty's grounds, but now used as a residence. In 1864, Mr. Cochrane also retired, and J. J. Setter, the late sheriff of the Central Judicial Court, was appointed. Mr. Setter, who is a native of the country, left the parent settlement in 1856 for the United States; becoming tired of oaming, he returned, and came to the prairie BISTORT OF M LNITOBA. 137 portage in the fall of 1859, where he located a claim at the west end, close by Malcolm Cummins, the Indian school-teacher, which he afterward- disposed of to Mr. Sinclair. Having been encouraged by the settlers, who were anxious to have a mill to grind their wheat, there : none in the neighborhood, with the exception of William Hudson's windmill. Mr j pro- ceeded with the i of a small water-power mill, : a site on the south side of the Assiniboine Stiver, which gave every promise of having sufficient water for that purpose. Thi ding year, how- ever, showed the I appearances, while to complete the demolition of prospective hopes, a fire which swept through thebosh at this time burned the structure down before it had dons any work, and while the owner lay ; 1 with sickness. On his appointment to the charge of the school be continued to di his duti< r until the February of 1870, when be left with the Portage contingent to release the prisoners under Kiel, or retake Fort Garry if possible. His work in this respect La given in the following pages. He was appointed sheriff in Decem- ber of 1871, an office he retained till the 24th March, 1890. Mr. Setter has been an active participator in the most stirring events of the Province, and it is to the personal influence of such men that much of the solidity of our Manitoban institutions is due. In addition to the above, the Archdeacon also established a mission school for the Indians at the I end, on what was known as the mission farm. 10 138 history OF MANITOBA. Mr. Oummina was appointed teacher, and discharged the duties of this position till 1 865, when, on the demise of its founder, the school was closed. Mr. Cochrane was a warm friend to the Indians, often relieving their wants in times of distress by judicious gifts of beef, cattle, and other necessaries. The decade of 1860 brought to the Province and the settlements many oew settlers who have figured prominently in the history of the country; amongst whom stands prominently fcfce name of Dr. Schnltz, then a Btadent at • College, Kingston, now Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, a man whose loyalty and devotion to the best interests of the country of his adoption, and to the rights of the lers against aggression on the part of the Hudson Bay Company in the matter of free trading, or against the usurpation of constitutional power b}' any but those legally appointed to dispense the same, brought him into many personal dangers, out of which nothing but a strong will, such as he possessed, backed by great physical powers of endurance, could have brought him safely. In 1857, the Canadian Government organized an exploring party to report on the coun- try, under the leadership of Professor S. J. Dawson and Henry Youle Hind. After devoting two years to their work, these gentlemen made their report to the Government, which, being published in 1859, attracted considerable attention in Canada, and was the means of inducing many Canadians, as well as English, to come and settle in the country. In this same year the first printing press was brought into the Province by history OF MANITOBA. 139 William Buckingham and William Caldwell, who established the first newspaper in the country, called ct Garry these arrivals were looked upon with dislike by the Hudson Bay Company, BOUght by every means possible to induce the people not to patronize the paper. It is hardly n \va> in favor of free trade. In I860, Mr. Buckingham sold oat to Mr. James R an eminent scholar, of the lied River College of St. it that time sheriff and postmaster, who in turn resold to Dr. SchultJB in 1864. In the following 5 Dr. Sennits, having also bought out Mr. Caldwell's ini n >le proprietor, and under his regie ed bo spread broadcast the principli t discontent was iers, which, later on, assumed the form o! opposition to the company. bigh -handed measures taken by the company in i this Feeling. The con- stahle, in the discharge of his duty, would enter the 1 party, with or without liberty. No place wa> sacred from bis intrusion. With a long be would puke up the clay chimney, and if such a thing as even a mink skin were discovered the unfortunate settler was immediately bundled off before an officer of the fort, and either committed for trial in-' Future date Or mad- to sutler pains and penal- pot, Treatment thus administered, with all the high-handedness of recUtapeism, was not calcu- i to soothe th Fa people who breathed the very spirit of freedom from the billowy prairies 140 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. by which they were surrounded, not to speak of the influences exercised on them by their contact with American hunters and traders The Nor'wester con- tinued under Dr. Schultz's superintendence till 1868, when it was sold to Walter R. Bohn, who continued its publication until he became involved in the troubles of L870. In these days of associated press reports, and full Eraachised newspapera, it is interesting to look back at the contents of this old pioneei sheet, published in this then out-of-the-way corner of the world. While a large part consisted of advertisements, a glance over the contents shows selections from standard poetical works and magazines, startling headings, and original contributions of considerable merit. A beautiful poem, entitled "Far Away," attracts our attention, also quoted by Hargrave, but which will bear repetition. M Upon the shore of evermore Wt sport like children at their play, And gather shells where sinks and swells The mighty sea from far away. ik Upon that beach no voice nor speech Doth things intelligible say ; But through our souls a whisper rolls That comes to us from far away. " Into our ears the voice of years Comes deeper, deeper, day by day ; We stoop to hear, as it draws near, In awfulness from far away. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 141 " At what it tells we drop the shells, We were so full of yesterday ; And pidk no more apon tluvt shore, But dream of brighter far away. M And o*6t that tide, far out and Wide, The yearnings of our eonll do stray; \\ c long t«. go, ire do not know Where it may be, but far away. 11 The mighty deep doth slowly creep Upon the ihore irhere ire did pity ; The rery sand irhere ire did stand A moment since, swept far away. 11 ( mr playmatei all, beyond our call, are peering hence as we, too, may, I FpoO that |h01 in. re, end tin- bonndlen far an •• We'll trust the wave and Him to save, ith irhoae t'..'; as marble lay Tin- rolling deep : for He can keep < >ur souls in that dim far aw In 1857, gold was discovered in the Saskatchewan valley, by two miners, Darned Tim Love ami Jim Clover. A scientific society was also formed at Fort Garry in the fall of the same year, called "Tin; Insti- tute of Rupert's Land,*' with Chief Factor McTavish as president, and \)r. Sehultz, secretary. In 1857, the United States Government organized postal communication with Pembina on the boundary line, from whence a carrier brought the mail to Fort Garry. In 1858, the Canadian Government endea- 142 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. vored to established a mail service between Canada and the Red River, by way of Lake Superior, but this proving a failure, the project was abandoned. In L859, El H. G. (i. Hay, now long and favorably known in the country, came from the States to put the machinery in the first steamboat that plied on the River; bo satisfied was he with the change, that he decided to remain, and settled down at St Andrew's, where he built the first sham grist-mill in the Red River settlement. Beginning small at first, through the course of years bia establishment assumed consider- able proportions, but was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1887. He removed shortly afterwards to the Portage settlement. Mr. Hay has ever taken a promi- nent position in the country's affairs, during the stormy times of 18G9-70and later, and was for many years leader of the opposition in the local house. In the year 1860, the settlers in the eastern portion of the settlement at Poplar Point, feeling the incon- venience of the distance they had to come to worship, determined to build a church in their own locality. A site was chosen on the north side of the Assiniboine River ; where, nestling among the trees, stands to-day in good order and repair, a neat log church and par- sonage, built by the early settlers of that date, many of whom — the Taylors, Spences and others — have moved to more north-westerly settlements, in order to obtain more land for their numerous families. This year also saw the arrival in the Portage settlement of J. If. House, an American, who established a trading store, but after remaining a couple of years, removed HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 143 to the White Horse plains, Leaving his son Charlie House in charge. At the latter place he established another branch of his business, as also at Westbourne. In the fall of this year also, the Hudson Bay Company small trading store near to that occupied by In the sprin I, Mr. Lane, who was in ge of the oompai at White Horse Plains, e to the Portage, and selecting a location at the of the settlement, now known as Lee's farm, built what termed in Portage lore, "the about one hundred feet square, with Large gates opening towards the river, as well as towards the plains on the north. The master's house situated to the north of the enclosure, and from it ran a gallei ; rapet, at a convenient height, so that a man could Look over, To the west of the mas- [ence, to the east the . l/.inc and ice-house. The stockade i r the massacre in liinne when thi e Sioux had began to arrive in the country. It was built of 4x 10 oak planks, twenty feet long ; at every ten feet a 10 x 10 square post was round ; stringers ran from these, to which the plank was spiked An Indian burying ground occupied the bank of the river, immediately in front of tl wlicn the writer first saw it, which was after the company had removed to their more central location. At the present time only one of the original houses remains, that in which Mr. Lee resides. The stockade and warehouse have been removed, and the little roofs of wood and canvas, which covered the HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 145 Indian graves, have disappeared also. Very quiet, indeed, is this wonted mart of trade and barter, dis- turbed only by the lowing of domestic Cattle and the peaceful ripple of the swift-flowing river. In I860, the cathedral at St. Boniface was destroyed by fire, as also the bishop's palace. So rapid and M.m that nothing of value 1. A blind old man named Ducharme. residing in tl lost his way amidst the OOnfosion, and burned t<> death. The records of the establish- ment, with a large and costly library, also perished. On tlf 30th of May. 1861, another lire occurred in one of the hams belonging to I blishment, which destroyed lour large buildings lull of valuable St but no lives. To complete this story of Incident, the of charity died ; this occurring durii i. the body could not be Interred, but was placed in the church, waiting the subsidence of the Hood. In 1861 and L862, the settlers around Bigh Bluff concluded to t'^low the example of those at Poplar Point in church-building, and the present edifice, known as St. Margaret's and standing in what is now called the old village of Bigh Blnff, is the result of that effort With the beginning of the sixties came a quickening pulse-beat Emigrants began to come in in numbers. The Indians, regarding the land beyond a certain limit, as far west as Bigh 151 nil', as inherited from their forefathers, began to grumble, as claim after claim was taken up, while no treaty had been made with them in reference to the same, and the 146 HISTORY or MANITOBA. settlers had to ;ict on their good behaviour. If any of them failed to accord to the Indians what they con- sidered proper treatment, it was no uncommon thing for them to kill an ox, or help themselves to something else of his property, to make up for his lack of due attention, an ordeal which the narrator himself passed through. The year :ii important one in many respt eta Previous t<> this, the settlements south of the boundary line were advancing in the direction of the Red River, In the spring of the said year, a hi-w ail service was organized by the American Government, to Pembina, with which the settlement authorities connected once a week. In 1862, also, was built the steamer / nternationiJ, a hundred and fifty feet long, thirty-feet beam, drawing forty-two inches of water, with a registered tonnage of 133 J tons. On her first trip to Fort Garry, where she arrived on the 26th of May, she had on board a number of passengers, amongst whom were Governor Dallas and family, the Bishop of St. Boniface, John Black, the new recorder of the colony ; John McLean and family, and a number of miners, on their way to Cariboo gold mines, British Columbia. Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle also arrived in the Red River settlement about this time, whose travels and experiences in the Rocky Mountains were published in the following year in a work entitled, " The North-West Passage by Land." CHAPTEB VII. John Id .1.1.. with Indiana Kenneth MeB lining of Winnipeg < forbett Ca Council sling Mote Trouble with [ndiam ;•! Ojibeweya An Unpopular Candidate Beei of 181 (Faio'fl Vint Grasshoppers. The name of John McLean introduces us bo a gentle- man who, though not figuring prominently in the politics of the country, fills a large space in the his- ■ lament. ( m arriving at Fort Garry, McLean endeavored to find suitable lands whereupon to settle his family, and commence farming Not being satisfied with his researches in that neighborhood, he pushed his way westwai ettlement of Portage la Prairie. Bei d from a French half-breed, named i; lot fronting on the slough, seven and a half chains Ktendjng north two miles, for the sum of in gold Some year- Utter he bought from P Garrioch, his neighbor to4he west, ten chains more, in all seventeen and a half chains, which, after farming successfully for nineteen years, he sold, with the exception of a small plot on which is situated his house and outbuildings, for the sum of thirty thousand dollars. At the time of McLean's introduc- tion to the settlement there was in the old parish of Portage la Prairie, which extended from George Adams' on the east to the Hudson Bay fort on the west, 148 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. some sixty houses, with an average of live souls in each. The only white settlers that he knew, west of Fort Garry, were J. M. House, of Whitehorse Plains, Hall, of Headingly, and Garret, of Sturgeon Creek — the population being Indians and Metis, descendants of the early settlers from the Red River settlement. In July of 1862, lie planted his first seed potatoes, from which he received a good crop McLean's welcome certainly not a cordial one, and for years his path beset with many difficulties. So unfriendly were bis with til*- first settlers that many of his early purchases in stock were made from and through the intervention of Archdeacon Cochrane, the natives refusing to sell him live-stock. McLean was especially unpopular with the Indian-, who regarded him as an immigration agent, and who, time and again, resolved to burn him out, and carried on for years a sort of aggressive war against his person, family and posses- sions. The reason of this was his relationship to, and the interest taken by him in, the incoming settlers, most of whom called at McLean's house to rest or trade, or receive information as to unclaimed lands, and the Indians were known to have threatened to have a head of stock for every claim he had been instrumental in having secured, a threat which was carried out to some extent, six years later, as the following pages will show. The real root of the trouble was the fact that no treaty had been made with them as to the lands situated in what is now known as the Burnside settlement, and northward towards the lake, and they did not wish to see those lands claimed and BISTORT Of MAMTor.A. 149 occupied by white men, without some arrangement on the part of the Government, or the Hudson Bay authorities. The matter, however, was rectified some later when Governor IfcTaviah was sent. It was no uncommon occurrence, at the time we write, for the Indians to drive their carts into McLean's potato or turnip field, and at once proceed to help themselves. It' any of the roots were too 1, they were carelessly thrown aside and others pulled up. thus destroying really more than they took, and occasions were not wanting when he had to use his rifle in order to protect his life and property. The following incident is a sample of what he had to con- tend against, and it also shows the coolness and cour- Of the man: One Sunday aft. 'i noon, while quietly it home, WOfd was sent him by Mrs. r rioch, a neighbor residing elose by, that two Indians wen- laying concealed amongst some brush on the Bide of the slough, a short distance from the house, witli the manifest intention of stealing the BS, for which his el- lot son and daughter had gone to the plains; and if necessary, in order to secure their purpose, to kill the children also. On receiving tins information, Mr. McLean at once proceeded to Ins bedroom, where, disrobing himself of his customary garments, he Boon reappeared in full dress, tall silk hat, dress coat, etc., — royal receptions being rare in this out-of-the-way settlement, McLean had not much occasion for donning his robes of royalty, and with such a metamorphosis had no difficulty in passing the spot indicated without the Indians recognizing him. 150 IIIMOIIY Of MANITOBA. As he passed on the north side of the road, his keen eye saw the two bucks lying concealed amongst the brash on fche other side. Passing on as it* in great tort distance west, then ci ing to the bank of the slough, came up softly to where the Indians were concealed, and before they were aware sprang in on them Seizing one fellows gun, and wrenching it from his -rasp, he tlnvwit into the slough, and presenting s revolver to the other buck's I, told him to "lire oil'" or he would blow his brains out, a request which was at once complied with. Hav- ing disarmed them, John lovingly told them to get out, and not be found in a similar position again, on pain and penalty of being sent, earlier than they desired, to the happy hunting grounds of their fathers. Having referred to their threat of having a head of cattle for every claim he located, the following are the circumstances under which they partially succeeded : When the present member of the Local Legislature, Kenneth McKenzie, Esq., came to the settlement in \ he called on Mr. McLean, desiring him to guide him over the country, and assist him in selecting several claims. McLean, accompanied by his eldest son, Alec, a young man of more than ordinary nerve, who had also seen some adventures with the red man, requiring considerable pluck, started out, tak- McKenzie over what is now known as the Westbourne, Gladstone and Totogan Districts, decid- ing finally to locate on Rat Creek. The trio returned to the Portage to get two yoke of oxen and a breaking plough belonging to McLean ; having secured which* HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 15} IfcKenzie and Alec returned to the creek, and laid off, with the aid of a pocket compass, eighteen hun- dred acres, running a furrow completely round their botvi tli aides of the creek, then short 1'urrows ward and westward, about a mile and a quarter on both aid This finished, they returned to the Porta-.-, where they were warned that some • tinted out to the Indians Mel -attic. After this, ^>v some Lime, they cither herded the catt! in*' member of the family watch- or drove them hack two or three miles on the prairie, and there watched them. One after- noon, all the male members of the family beifl from hum.-, an Indian from the Bun :». which was situ w where Cairn's brewery now stands, and old Hudson Bay tori, came down to Charles Cummins', the next lot to McLean's Here divesting himself of everything but his breech-clout and grm, he asked Cummins to describe the color of ihoot BOme of " that had man's " cattle, meaning McLean. He then proceeded north to where the cattle were grazing, just about where now >tands the Portage brewery, and deliber- ately shot one ox and cow dead, and fired at another, badly Wounding it. The building which served as the saloon, and which wa reral years under the management of Charlie Bone then in proce I erected The workmen employed in the con- struction rushed out to see the cause of the firing, when the Indian, seeing that he was observed, fled to the camp at the \ 1. Alec, who was the first to 152 HISTORY QF MANITOBA. reach homes foond an American and a half-breed wait- ing there, who informed him of what had occurred. He at once proceeded to the camp, but the Indian, fearing McLean and the result of his cowardly act, had left for the Yellowqoill Reserve, twelve miles farther west. McLean did not always fare the worst, however, as the following anecdote will show. An Indian who was friendly to him kept him posted as to who it was that showed the Indians his cattle, and suggested the following plan, by which the betrayer became himself the victim. When any cattle were killed after this manner, the Indians had a regular pow-wowover the carcass, to which they invited a number of their half- brothers, the Meti-, many of whom, on the occasions of these feasts, chewed the cud of enjoyment at McLean's expense. At the south extremity of what is now known as Campbell Street, McLean had a large yard in which, when the mosquitoes were bad, he coralled his cattle, making a smudge in the centre to drive off the insect marauders. Here the cattle from the entire neighborhood would gather. This yard had an entrance from the Slough Road and an exit northward towards the avenue. Having let all the cattle in, McLean would quietly let his own out by the Avenue, and drive them away back on the plains, where some members of the family would herd them for the night. The Indians generally came along after dark, and pick- ing out an animal like that pointed out to them as belonging to McLean, would slaughter it. In this way several fine cows were killed by the Indians belonging « v. H JOB N M«i. i f Pioneer Srttitr.) HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 155 to the very parties who had shown them McLean's animals. A couple of lessons of this kind, and the identification of the hide by the owners when at the •. turned the laugh on the other side of the cheek, the practice was discontinued The taking up of BO many claims l»y -McKenzie on the occasion referred to, bo irritated the Indians, that a speedy settlement of their rights had to be effected. lieKenzie, in this case, to smooth the irritation, promised to settle with them for the land, if the Government failed to do so. After completing his location, he returned to Ontario, and in the following year, i.e., 1869, brought out a portion of his family. The fall of 1862 witnessed a terrible massacre of the whiter in Minnesota by the Sioux Indians. Fifteen hun- dred settlers were murdered according to the most ap- proved methods of red butchery. The massacre began at the town of New Uln, on the Minnesota River, under Chief Little Crow. Men were shot down, women violated and then murdered, children tortured and thrust living into stoves, or cut down with the tomahawk. So intense was the exasperation against the Sioux and so strong the thirst for vengeance, that those settlers who escaped left poisoned cakes in exposed positions, in order that the starving savages, in their search for food and plunder, might eat them and die. It is also reported that ornaments made out of the bones of those Indians who were taken and executed during this rising were publicly exposed for sale at St. Paul. There can, however, be no doubt that though the Sioux were a restless and bloodthirsty race, the 11 156 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Americans were themselves to blame for not only this but other uprisings which marked the pages of their diplomatic records with the Indians. Indeed, on this occasion the Indians on the war-path took every means available of assuring the Red River settlers that they had no quarrel with the children of the Great Mother over the sea, and a company of traders who were preparing to go to St Cloud byway of Fort Aber- crombie were warned by them not to go, as that Fort was besieged. Acting on this advice they returned to Fort Garry. The mail carrier, Joe YVhitehouse, who at the time entrusted by Governor Dallas with important transactions, thought that, owing to the fact of his beim' well known to the Indians, he could man- age his way through, and proceeded despite the warn- ing. Excitement ran high next day, however, when runners reached the settlement with the news that Joe had been shot. It would appear that, while in the neighborhood of Fort Abercombie, he was crawling along, dressed in a white cape, so as, if possible, to escape detection. A buck observing the white object among the grass fired. On going up to see what it was, Joe was found dead. He had on his person bills of exchange and other valuable papers which, when demanded afterwards, were given up by the Indians to Governor Dallas. Joe's body was taken inside the fort and interred. One of the regular stages plying between the Red River settlement and the States was also stopped and the passengers killed and scalped. This uprising interfered for some time with the trans- port of goods and mails. Communication was first HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 157 re-established by the arrival of Dr. Schultz, who happened to be at St. Paul when the massacre broke out, and who, accompanied by an American, succeeded by travelling at night, without building camp-fires, in Bkirting the Sioaj territory by way of the Crow Wing trail. After being once captured by the Chippewas, they reached Pembina in safety. The year L862 also saw the beginning of the present city of Winnipeg. BfteKenny fz Co. erected a -tore right on the corner of what is now known as Saskatchewan Avenue and Main Street, in the vicinity of the upper fort. This was followed by other buildings in L863. The fall of the year brought other accessions to the Portage in. 'iit in the person of Kenneth IfeBain with his family, and several others who settled down in the growing nucleus of tl at town, and who after- wards figured prominently in the troubles of 1869 and In December 6f this year occurred the famous Corbett case at Fori Garry, Mr. Oorbett, who was a Church of England minister at Headingly, was arre on a charge of attempted abortion on a young girl whom he had seduced. The gravity of this charge was the cause of much disquietude in the settlement, Locused being of a warm and generous disposition, a kind friend to the poor, as a rong supporter of the principles of free trade and, consequently, an opponent to the Hudson Bay administration. He had also been a witness for the prosecution against the company before a committee of the House of Commons, during the winter of 1856-57, when certain charges 158 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. were preferred against the rule of the Hudson Bay Company in Rupert's Land. Many of Corbett'a friends believed that the charge was the result of animus on the part of the company. Be that as it may, Corbett was tried before a jury, found guilty and sentenced to months' imprisonment, bin confinement seriously affecting his general health and sanity. Early in April a petition, signed by 400 inhabitants of the Red River settlement and 110 of the Portage settlement, amongst whom were Archdeacon Cochrane and his son, the Rev. Thomas Cochrane, praying for Corbett's release ami the remission of the sentence which then remained unexpired, was presented to the Governor and council of Assiniboia, contending that in the opinion of the petitioners the law had been sufficiently vindicated, and that ecclesiastical penalties following the sentence of the civil tribunal would be far the more grievous, involving loss of social standing, repu- tation, ministerial privileges of house and home, and leaving a dismal prospect for himself and family in the future. Before moving officially in the matter Governor Dallas forwarded the petition to Judge Black, who replied that he could not recommend the curtailing of the imprisonment, the court, before passing sentence, having considered all mitigating circumstances. In conformity with Judge Black's opinion, Governor Dallas refused to comply with the prayer of the petition. A meeting of his parishioners and friends was called with a view to his forcible release from prison, which was effected on the 20th of April, as follows : The petty court held on this date HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 159 was as usual largely attended. The cell in which Corbett was confined was situated in rear of the court- room and under the same roof. The business having been conclude 1 and the audience dispel few determined friends surrounded the door Leading to the cell, overawed the gaoler, an old Frenchman about sixty ■'. and with a crowbar hurst the pad- lock and staple! Corbett, hearing the noise and sus- pecting wh it was the matter, had put on his overcoat, and -• his liberators, ka tie- door opened he stepped out, and was driven home imily at Headingly. Warrants were at issued for the arrest of twelve of the leaders in this affair. .Jane ■ William Hallett and John Burke, all leading men in the parish, were anion it was arrested and tin-own Into •n, hut before any further proceedin 1 be taken against Hallett and Burke a strong force of Corbett'a sympathizers appeared at the fort, headed by Corbett himself, and requested an Interview with Qovernor, which was granted. They demanded the release of Stewart, and without further parley proceeded to tear np the pickets which enclosed the n yard, broke open the gaol, and released their friend No farther attempt at recapture was made Hudson Bay authorities, A few days later theii magistrates, in ■ letter addressed to the Qovernor, advised that no further proceedings be taken against the rioters in the present state of feeling in the colony. There can be no doubt of Corbett \s guilt. In his letter to Bishop Anderson he acknowledges as much. On 160 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. his release he returned and lived with his family at Headingly, but soon afterwards went to England, where he was reported to be studying medicine and agitating against the Hudson Bay Company. Beyond the District of Assiniboia, that is to say I of Fort Garry, the Hudson Bay Company exerted little or no judiciary power. The Portage settlement in moral and ecclesiastical matters was largely con- trolled by Archdeacon Cochrane. The civil adminis- tration consisted of regulations mads and enforced by councillors elected every year by the settlers. Whiskey and beer wen- made and sold by license, as at present, and many humorous and stirring episodes can be told of these old-time elections and troubles. The personnel of the Council of 1^G4 was as follows: Associate Judges — Frederick Bird, John McLean, Farquhar McLean, John Garrioch, Thomas Anderson, Peter Henderson, Charles Anderson, and the late Hon. John Norquay ; the constables were William Hudson, Henry Anderson, and J. 1). McKay. For High Bluff district, there were Charles Anderson and Thomas Anderson. The oath was as follows : "I hereby swear that I will do my duty as a justice of the peace of Portage la Prairie according to my ability. So help me God." In the beginning of this year, owing to a series of disturbances which occurred in the Portage settlement, a numerously-signed petition was presented to the Hudson Bay authorities at Fory Garry, praying that they should be included within the municipal limits of the District of Assiniboia. The Council, in replying HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 161 to the petition, stated that without military support any attempt to extend new jurisdiction would be hopeless to secure the desired end — ^ood government ; but they would request Governor Dallas, who wm short ; to England, to represent their case before the proper authorities [a December of L868, under of the Rev. Archdeacon Cochrane, a council and court of justice had been formed, after the : the General Quarterly Court of Assiniboia, with a president ite judges, and clerk. The ffiee was for one year. Trial by jury, as the birthright of every British subject, was established, and all functionaries belonging to the said council and court elected by the people, As might be expected, from the mixed population of the settlement, sectional iften ran high, and there were occasions when [Uired tl '1 influence of Mr. Coch- to guide the liberty-loving subjects of this miniature republic towards the paths of peace, justice and brotherly kindn< of these episodes are humorous in the extreme, the writer proposes to carry his readers from our well-disciplined courts of the present day back to one or two of these old-time trials, which were generally held either in the old school-house on the river road, or in one of the settler's ( )n one occasion a party of Sioux had camped in front of David Cussitar's home, immediately between the house and the river. Cleaning his gun one even- ing he put in a charge of powder to dry it out, and going to the door tired it off in the air. The Indians, who were always on the watch for indemnification in 161 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. the shape of an ox or a cow, for some real or imaginary wrong, lodged a complaint against Cussitar for firing into their tepees to John Garrioch,one of the associate judges of the Court. Cussitar was called to appear on the above charge, which he did, but not being privi- leged to conduct his own defence, John McLean Msumed the r4U of special pleader in his behalf; a Sioux interpreter from the States being present in their interests. After taking the evidence of some of the Indians, Jim Pavel, a relative of the Favels still resident at the river crossing, was put forth as the principal witness for the prosecution. On being asked by McLean if he had seen the flash, he replied, " Yes." " How did it go ?" said John. " Did it go up in the air or towards the Indians' tepees ?" " It appeared to go up in the air," replied Favel. McLean then proceeded to show that there was no evidence to convict; that it was an injustice to the settlers that Indians should be allowed to squat on a man's property wherever they pleased ; that in the event of firing off his gun in the direction of their tepees he was liable to be brought up on a charge of shooting with the intention of trying to drive the Indians out. The interpreter, desiring to cross-question McLean, advanced to him with a large black book under his arm, saying that before they would hear his evidence they would administer the oath, which McLean refused to take until the interpreter produced his authority or commission to do so. " What book is that you have got any way ? " said John. " Is it an almanac, or a Bible, a Pilgrims' Progress, or Burns' Poems?" The unfortunate inter- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 163 preter, being unable to read, could not answer whether it was on any or of all of these he proposed to swear McLean. It wa- ion evident that, despite the leaning of the presiding magistrate towards the Sioux, an opportunity was not afforded on this occasion, at least, of awarding them an 01 or eow from ( 'u-sitar's herd as a solace to their wonnded feeling In this year also, the Rod Lake Ojibewaya came to visit the Sioux, who had settled down at the Portage, ami who vrere camped near John Garrioch's, close to where Edward Scott now Uvea The ( tjibeways during tlmir visit remained at Paeheta'a house, possibly better known to many as Farquhar McLean's old home, situated on the corner of Broadway and the river road. After having several meetings, with a view to estab- lishing a peae . which the Sioux were anxious to do, but which the ( tjibeways always postponed to the following day, being apparently more anxious for feasting and amusement than anything else, an event occurred which showed the true design of their visit At this time the place on which Mr. Scott lived was occupied by a man of the name of Spence, who was sickly, and confined the greater part of the time to bed. His wife, consequently, transacted most of the business, and superintended the necessary work around the place. Having to go for hay to the plains, as out north was termed by the old settlers, she hired a young Sioux, a lad between fifteen and eighteen years of age, to drive one of her carts. The Ojibeways seeing Mother Spence returning in the afternoon with the Sioux driving the hindmost cart, could not resist HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 165 the temptation — a Sioux scalp. Concealing themselves in fcbe loi . they waited until the unsuspecting Indian bad coin,- down the river road to a point a little of where Drain now lives, and opposite the old pit on the bank of the slough; then with a yell rushed out, brandishing their tomahawks and knives. The Indian seeing that it meant life or death to him, dodged I the carts for some time, but was speedily headed off and shot. Before hie body could fall to the ground an Ojibeway with his scalping knife, with dexterous rapidity, made a circle round the top of his head and pulled off Ins scalp lock, then lined the body till every man of them, seven in number, had plunged their knives into the unfortunate Sioux, and, after further mutilating the remains in a manner too horrible to relate, they threw the body into the old saw-pit, and taking the scalp placed it on ground, and danced around it with fiendish glee ing indulged in this for some time they retired to Pacheta's. Mother Spence drove on as if nothing had happened, which was, no doubt, the best policy under the circumstances. The whole settlement was by this time on the qui vive, anxious as to the probable result, which might seriously affect even the settlers them- selves. On the Ojibeways retiring to Pacheta's house, the Sioux congregated around the old saw-pit, and swinging their blankets, shout. kJ for the Ojibeways to out and fight, calling them cowards and other scornful epithets in the Indian language. The Ojibe- ways, however, would not come, and the Sioux, after awhile, retired to their camp, carrying with them the 166 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. lad's mutilated body. After the Sioux had got to a safe distance, the 1 ►jibewaya came out of the house, and challenged them to fight, calling them also cowards, etc. This pantomimic warfare continued for a day or two, during which the Sioux, seeing too plainly the object of the Ojibeways vi-it, made no further pro- while the latt-r returned to their Camping-ground at Re 1 Lake soon after the above occurrei: In 1864, a gentleman, a recent arrival from the States, had been nominated foi president of the council. The nomination was unpopular, and voices of dissent were heard from many quartern An indignation meeting was called-— there was no trouble in getting up these then — and while the crowd was collected in .lane-- White-ford's hoiw on the River Road, discussing the pros and cons of the situation, Farquhar McLean, an old Hudson Bay man, who figured prominently in the affairs of the settlement, and in the rebellion of 1869 and 1870, dropped in. After some conversation Farquhar said : " Gentlemen, I intend to vote against that d d Yankee, and I want every man who means to do the same to come over and have a drink." This decided the matter at once, and the entire com- pany, president and all, found their way to Farquhar's house, where, true to his word, he treated them all. A short time after, the same individual who had been nominated for president, and who also filled the office of tax collector, proceeded to the west end, accom- panied by Farquhar, to collect revenue from some traders. Having imbibed too much of the traders' HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 167 whiskey, he became so demoralized that he could not walk. Farquhar got him along as best he could for some time, bat wearying of this kind of thing, and to a log heap that stood close by Charles blacksmith shop, he took this worthy indi- vidual, and placing him heels np and head down, left him be finished his job, looking at him he said : « Yell do choke, it'll rin o The rammer of 1864 v. ,rable because of Its intense heat For weeks the thermometer registered and ten in the shade. No rain fell till the middle of July, and this long-continued drought followed by a return of the grasshoppers, who, after devouring the rising crop, made s dean sweep of that remained in the shape of vegetation. ary dispensation having been secured i the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, lodge of incorporated at Port Garry, under the iie " Northern light Lodge," with Dr. Schultz bipful Master, and Archdeacon Hunter, Chap- lain. The eve of St, John, the 27th of December, was observe. I by th« members as a day of festivity.' In the afternoon the installation of officers was proceeded with, at the conclusion of which addresses were delivered by Archdeacon Hunter, Rev. William Taylor, Dr. Schultz. The officers-elect for 1864 were:' Schultz, W. M. ; Mr. Bannatyne, S. W. ; William Enkster, J. W. ; Mr. Coldwell, Secretary; Mr. Sheal, Treasurer; Archdeacon Hunter, Chaplain; Mr. Hall,' S. D.; Mr. Curtis, J. D. ; Dr. Bird and Rev. W. Taylor,' Stewards, and Mr. Morgan, Tyler. From the lodge- 168 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. room they proceeded to dinner, where suitable toasts proposed and responded to by Judge Black, Mr. Clare and others. Afterwards the evening was intlv spent at the residence of A. G. Bannatyne, who threw open his rooms for that purpose. In 1864, also. Dr. Ray, the famous explore! passed through the settlement on his tour acn.s^ the continent, his aim being to d the practica bi l i ty of establishing telegraphic communication throughout British terri- tory. He was accompanied by Mr. Schweiger, a civil neer from Canada, who executed a complete ey of the route, and also prepared an exhaustive report, which was handed to the company. The enter- prise, however, was never carried out, the feeling being that, with the wild tribes of Blackfeet and other Indians roaming through the Saskatchewan valley, the attempt would be futile. The Hudson Bay Com- pany had, however, in anticipation of this work, imported many tons of wire, which was stowed away at various posts throughout the country, and which was afterwards sold to other lines established after the transfer of the territory to the Dominion Govern- ment. In the fall of this year, the Portage settlement was favored with a visit from Standing Buffalo, with three hundred lodges of the Sioux nation, in all about three thousand persons. No damage was done to the property of settlers, other than by the Indians assist- ing themselves to what they required from the open fields. Here the main body remained, while Standing Buffalo, with a few men, proceeded to Fort Garry to HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 169 interview Governor McTavish. John McLean, who had this year begun to carry the mail between the settlement and Fort Garry, was on his return trip laden with Hour and provisions for himself and Mr. Corbett, who was moving to the Portage settlement, when he met the deputation near Poplar Point. Knowing that he would be solicited with "Something to eat, boy," as also the destructive propensities of the Indian when roused, be adopted a rase to Bave the load from their curiosity and inquisitiven.ss. Alec, who was then a young lad, had accompanied his father on tins occasion. Coming off the waggon, John walked along by the side, and instructed Alec to driv.- on and not to stop when they came to the Indians. The goodfl were covered closely with a can- vas cover, to save them from getting wet On coming Dp with the band, MeLean was accosted, as he expected, with "Something to eat, hungry/ 1 with their handi led on the pita of their stomachs, and a few grunts. A plan of action ed itself to hie mind, as if by intuition. Calling on Alec, who was driving on, to stop, he went up to the waggon, and taking out a which contained the cakes and bread which Mrs. McLean had prepared for their journey, opened the mouth of it, and scattered the contents among the hungry savages. In the scramble which ensued, the Indians forgot all about the waggon, the attention of each being occupied in securing as many cakes as ible. Meantime Al.c had driven on, leaving quite a distance between him and the hungry Sioux. On reaching Fort Garry they were kindly received by 170 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Governor McTavish. who gave them a liberal present of provisions, on receipt of which they went away, promising to do their fending at the Hudson Bay forts, in the interior. Had any overt act of violence been committed on these strangers by our Saulteaux, or Bungays, who hated the SlOttl jost as much as they feared them, the result might have been sad indeed. In the spring of 1865, it was found that the vast swarms of grasshoppers which had destroyed the crops of the previous year had deposited their eggs, and the young proved as destructive M those of 1864. CHAPTER VIIL of Arehdeaoota Cochrane Notes oil < Hunt* act I hristiaiiity Too Much l'».cr "1 Lo"— 1 >r. M> K.i- Si tinir Atfniy— McLean's •L In tlif fall of L865 occurred the death of the vener- able Areli'l.- hrane, a man who might well be called the father of his people. The Archdeacon had just lately returned from Ontario, whither he had gone to return no more to the wildernet d it, hut hearing of the kation of the hoppers ami that the crops were entirely eaten up. he retained in hot haste and unex- pectedly, to do what good he could amongst the people who were bo dear to his heart and amongst whom he had labored for forty years. While at Weetbourne, one warm afternoon he went in to bathe in the White Mud or Weatbonrne River. The water was cold, and the old man received a chill which brought on diar- rhoea. He resorted to his usual and only remedy, Parr's Life Pills, but these only aggravated the disease. Mr. and Mrs. John McLean, who were close friends of the Archdeacon's, hearing of his illness, drove out to r bourne on the Sabbath to see him. While they were there Mr. Cochrane expressed the desire to be • yed to his home in the Portage. McLean not g able to take him that day, made arrangements to return next morning, when, accompanied by his 19 174 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. son, he brought the Archdeacon and Mrs. Cochrane home, the old man reclining on a mattress Laid on the bottom of the democrat. He lived only a few weeks, yielding up his spirit willingly to the Master whom he had so long and faithfully served He died on Friday, the 7th of October, 1865. Forty years previously, on the same day of the week and month, the 7th of October, 1825, he landed at Red River, to become assistant to Rev. Mr. Jonea at what was called the Upper Church, now the Cathedra] of St. John. At the time of his demise he was seventy years of age, and was universally regarded in the colony as the founder of the English Church in Rupert's Land. Previous to Mr. Cochrane's arrival at Red River, Mr. Jones, who had sole charge of St. John's, or the Upper Church, had established a mission six miles farther down the river. A wooden church was erected, known as the Middle Church, now as St. Paul's. Between these two missions Mr. Cochrane and Mr. Jones labored conjointly in 1825. In 182G, Mr. Jones returned to England on leave of absence for a } T ear, leaving Mr. Cochrane in charge of the field. In his wanderings up and down the river, the beauty of the scenery around what was known as " The Rapids," now as St. Andrew's, attracted Mr. Cochrane's attention, and he conceived a love for the place, which only strengthened with time. On the return of Mr. Jones in 1827, he removed thither, and commenced a mission on behalf of the Church Mission- ary Society, preaching to the settlers in his own house on Sunday till a log building was erected, which served as a church and school, until a building fifty by twenty BISTORT OF MANITOP.A. 175 was completed and opened for divine worship on May ■i i 1 B32. It was in this school that Donald (Junn, one of the Red River historians, taught for many years the youth of his day and generation. Not satisfied with Mr. Cochrane extended his efforts Farther north, and in behalf of the Indians, established a mission twelve miles farther down the river, now known as the Indian Mission, or St Peter's Be persuaded the red men down on the lands and cultivate the soil, : them personally in Bowing and reaping, and trin'tending daily the construction of the church, necessi tating a walk of twelve miles to and from his home. This has been considered the mosi successful of Indian missions. To this day the snug houses and farmed 6 occupied by a Christianised Indian population. The church odrew'a becoming too small to hold Mr. Cochrane's Increasing congregation, he commenced in 184'j to mike preparations for the erection of a large stone church, which, when com}>! in \~ considered the finest and most substantia] of Protestant churches in the colony. It was conse- d by Bishop Anderson on his arrival in the country, being almost his first otlicial act as Bishop ol Rupert's Land, and known as the Lower Church. While proceeding with the erection of this church, so pparently was Mr. Cochrane's affection for Th " that h< the desire to be laid, at hi >, at the south- w< r of the tower. On realising that his hour had come, he gave instruc- tions that his remains should be conveyed to his loved Vndrew's, and that hi hould remain anight 176 history OF MANITOBA. in each mission church which he had founded on the way thither, a request which was carried out so far as Poplar Point, Headingly, St. John's and St. Andrew's were concerned. On the south side of the entrance to the church, and close by the walk, a plain flat stone marks the last resting-place of Archdeacon Cochrane, whither his remains were conveyed by J. J. Setter, William Garrioch, John Corrigal and John McLean. In 1885 a beautiful memorial window was put in the east end of the church, which was designed and sent from England at a cost of about 5?1,000. A scholarship was also founded in St John's College in his memory, which amounts to-day to about three hundred and fifty pounds sterling. Before bidding farewell to this eminent pioneer and missionary, who filled a space in the country's history which none will probably repeat, it might be in place to show his force of character by a few anecdotes. Amongst his parishioners at St. Peter's was an Indian named " Quewe Den." This man, for some reason or other, had left his own, and taken up with another man's wife, refusing to contribute to the sup- port of his early and legal spouse. The Archdeacon, who made it his duty to become acquainted with his people's wants and circumstances, for in this respect he waa almost a father to them, had remonstrated with Quewe anent this matter, but Quewe refused to com- ply with his request. One memorable Sunday the Archdeacon said to his old officer, " John, go into the bush and cut me three withes, and bring them to the church." The service being over, it was customary for HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 177 the male portion to gather outside where, seated on the grass umpiring their pipes, private or public affairs became the theme of conversation. Calling his officer, he said, " John, bring those withes and follow me." Pro- ceeding to where the men were sitting, he approached Quewe", and said, "I have asked you time and again to return to your legal wife, and allow this woman to retain to her own husband. Now, I shall beat you until you promise to do so." In questions of morality the Archdeacon's fiat was law, from which there was no appeal. Seizing hold of Quewe, he requested John to give him a withe, or more vulgarly termed a gad Then began a tussle. The Indian, who was a younger man and very powerful, resisted the Archdeacon's mpt at castigation to the utmost oJ his strength, but it was soon evident that in the old man's hands his a tt e m pt! w.-iv useless. In fact, to put it in common phrase, he had not the ghost of a show, and the Arch- il belabored him there and then until he agreed to return to his legitimate wife. While the present stone church at St. Andrew's was being built the foreman mason, an old Scotchman, who still resides in the Red Rivet settlement at Lower Fort Garry, would often, in the course of some little altercation with the Archdeacon, say, " Mr. Cochrane, the church is too large, the people at the end will never hear." "Duncan McCrae," said the old man sternly, "you go and stand at the end, and I will occupy the place of the pulpit, and try whether you hear or no." Proceeding to the position designated, the Archdeacon, in his usual pitch of voice, said, " Duncan McCrae, you 17S HISTORY OF MANITOBA. are doing injury to the yohng men of the settlement, you are keeping too much beer beta Do you hear, Duncan McCrae ?" " Yes," said Duncan, " I hear." " I thought you would," retorted the Archdeacon. Travelling one day on horseback, and coming along close by when- his old oilier resided, lie saw him plough- ing in the field While yet unperceived he observed that, every little while, John would retire into a bush which Bkirted the field, and that his steps on returning to the plough were rery unsteady, at last so much so that he could not follow at all, but fell down right in the furrow. The Archdeacon, win; was a strong enemy to intemperance, shrewdly suspected that, con- cealed in the bush, John had something stronger than cold water. On investigating, he found a keg of beer. Cutting what he termed a withe he came to where John was lying prostrate on the ground, and adminis- tered such a flogging as brought back the dawn of sobriety and sensitiveness to John's humiliated consti- tution. In a sermon delivered upon a certain occasion, he thus describes the characteristics of his Red River hearers on coming into church : " Looking in the dis- tance," he says, " you see a cloud of dust or snow flying in the air, from out of which emerges a steaming horse, behind which is seated the proud half-breed, with his fine cariole and robes, his ling-longs and his bells, and as he walks up the aisle he seems to say, ' Who's like me V Then comes the proud Scotchman, dressed in his best home-spun, and as he glides in on tip-toe, as if afraid to disturb his neighbor's devotion, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 179 says, 'Who's like me?' and lastly, there comes the mean Orkneyman, who prides himself on his industry and frugality, and who, as he brushes past his neigh- bor with hasty steps, seems to say, 'Who's like me?'" In L865 B band of Sioux were camped where now stand the Aloway & Champion Bank, McKenzie's carriage shop, and other buildings, close by the famous Union Square. By some means whiskey had been obtained, and they were having 1 , in cant phraseology, a " high old time." A quarrel ensued between a Sioux belonging to the camp and a Bungay Indian, who made his home with William daddy. It would appear that the latter had taken a strong fancy to a pony belonging to one of the Sioux. Saving imbibed ighwhisl art a row, the Bungay proceeded to Daddy's house to get a gun. This being out of repair, lie seised a knife, and started back for the camp. ing hold of the rope by which the pony was tied he endeavored to take it away, when the Sioux, coming between him and the pony, cut the rope and ht what remained of it. The Bungay then did -ame to the Sioux. This was repeated time and again by both parties, till the Bungay found himself grasping the pony by the head with the rope all cut away. The Sioux, seeing but one resource left, seized a gun from a cart close by, and covering the Bungay shot him in the back, killing him instantly, the body falling on the ground face down. No sooner had the sound of the shot died away than the whole camp was in motion, tents were struck, carts loaded, ponies hitched, and soon the entire camp could be seen wend- 180 HISTORY <>i MANirni'.A. ing their way northward over the prairie, leaving the dead man lying on the ground Word was sent to Fred Bird, William Hudson, William Gaddy, John McLean, and others, who at once proceeded to the scene of the shooting. A cart was procured, and spreading the Indian's blanket on the ground they rolled him in it, and putting him in the cart took him to the west end, where, at the corner of Dr. Cowan's old residence, on the Slough Road, now owned by It. C. Culbert, they dog a hole In which they deposited the remains of "poor Lo." Here a dilemma presented itself. The hole was too short, and the Indian's knees protruded above ground, and absolutely I bo be straightened. * I'll straighten them," said John McLean, and suiting the action to the word he jumped straight on the obstinate knees, pressing them into a position below ground, which they retained, and the earth was filled in. On the 13th of October the Rt. Rev. Dr. McCrae, the new Bishop of the Diocese of Rupert's Land, arrived in the Red River settlement, seventeen months after the departure of Bishop Anderson. He at once assumed charge of the parish of St. John, and also took steps for the resumption of work at St. John's College. The harvest of 1865 turned out better than was anticipated, notwithstanding the ravages of the hoppers in the spring. The mischief done by these was, in the Red River settlement, chiefly confined to that part occupied by the Scotch farmers, who were supposed to be better able to bear the loss than the settlers in any other portion of the community. The crops in the parish of St. Paul were totally destroyed. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 181 The other portion of the colony which escaped, yielded reen thirty and thirty-five bushels per acre. The fall hunt turned out a more complete failure than had been known I * The Sioux, driven from their old hunting ppounds, scattered themselves over the country Usually hunted by the Red River people, and the butialo fled in large herds before them. The result was a scarcity of food amongst the French- Canadian half-breed section of the community, who depended for their subsistence chiefly on the buffalo hunt; the lake fisheries, hov icoeeded as well as usual. Wheat brought this fall six shillings per bushel; barley, oats, peas and potatoes gave their ordinary retm In the spring of 1866, as John McLean, assisted by several of the male and female members of his family, was preparing to put in some potatoes on the west of what IS now known as Campbell Street, on the south corner of which the old house stood, an event occurred which has been much misunderstood. The Held extended north to the avenue, taking in the -round now occupied by the Baptist and Presbyterian churches, Roe's stables and other buildings. A little west of the house, at this particular time, were two traders' tents, belonging to some half-breeds, and amongst the party encamped here were two young women. Alec had just left his father to put up a stake as a sight to run his furrow, when one of these came running up, pursued by a half-breed named Francis De Mouris,a man who was noted for the predominance of the animal propensities, and whose presence, 182 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. especially when under the influence of liquor, of which he was fond, was a source of terror to the women of the settlement Hastening to where McLean and his oldest daughter were standing, she called out, " Save me ; save me from this man." On Kiss McLean telling the girl to come beside her and she would be perfectly safe, she at once rushed to Clementina's protection. De Mouris, not caring to run tilt with Clementina, who was a keen shot, and alwavs prepared, left off pursuing the woman, and running to where McLean was, said, " Will ye fight me ?" John replied that he had no desire to quarrel with him. • Will you wrestle with me, then ? " he said. McLean, looking at him closely, saw that he had a knife in his hand, and that he meant fight, reached down to the ground, and picking up an old-fashioned sickle which lay close by, said, " Stand back or I'll cut your throat with this." Francis at once turned as if to go away, but on seeing McLean throw down the sickle, sprang back on him like a tiger. McLean, however, was pre- pared for him, and in the offset, throwing his foot be- hind De Mouris, tripped and threw him heavily on the ground, the knife flying out of his hand by the force of the fall. McLean picked up the knife and threw it towards the slough. With the loss of the knife, De Mouris seemed to lose all courage, and getting on his feet, said, " You will soon see me again," and ran for Wm. Gaddy's, which was situated a short distance east of McLean's, jumping over the fences on his way thither. He soon reappeared, running, with a double-barrelled gun, and made straight for McLean's HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 183 house. The children, seeing De Mouris coming, called to their father that Francis was to shoot him. John went into the house by the hack, and taking down a Colt's revolver, which hnng inside the front door, facing the Slough Road, placed it on a stool in loorway be handy, and proceeded through the front. By this time Francis had reached the fence in front of the house. Calling to McLean, he said, " I have come to sh< me words having pa ■ven them, John replied. " Shoot and be d d." De Mouris at once fired, the hall passing close to McLean's head, who lost his sight for a moment as it were by the flash. Ee stooped down to grasp the revolver, at which De Mouris snapped the BCCOnd I. which, though charged, did not go off. The children McLean stoop, thought he had been shot, and called out that Francis had shot father. By time McLean had rallied himself, and covered De Mouris with his revolver, who dodged behind a tall stump. The ball in passing knocked a sliver off the side. Being compelled to leave his shelter, through McLean pursuing him, he got behind a horse of the latter's, which had gone down to the slough to drink. John again fired at him below the horse's belly. The animal galloped off, not relishing the smell of powder so close, and De Mouris was left at McLean's mercy, who forebore to fire, seeing that he was directly in the line of the traders' tents close by. At this moment Alec ap] when De Mouris raised the gun, and again snapped the barrel at him, with the former result. Alec at once covered him with the I s ^ HISTORY OF MANITOBA. revolver and fired, the ball striking him in the spine, when he fell. Some of the traders at this juncture came forward, and taking the gun from De Mouris' p, broke the stock against a tree. On Miss McLean coming up to where he lay, he asked her for- giveness for trying to shoot her father. John at once proc daddy's, who, on hearing the shooting, had gone down to Fred Bird's. He overtook him, however, just as he wa9 going over the steps in front of Fred Bird's house, and said to him, " Now that you gave Francis the gun to shoot me, you had better come and attend to him." Francis was picked up and removed to his home, where he died in about a couple of weeks. His last words were, " Do nothing to McLean; I brought it on myself." The McLeans were duly indicted, especially Alec, against whom the charge was made. Information descriptive of the event was forwarded to Judge Black, who, accom- panied by Governor Dallas, visited the Portage early in August, to inquire into the matter. After an investigation, which was held at the old Hudson Bay fort at the west end, Alec was committed to stand his trial for manslaughter at the quarterly court, which met at Fort Garry on the 24th of August. Bail for his appearance at the said court was given and accepted — four hundred for himself, four hundred for Mr. McLean, and four hundred for Robert Bell. On the case coming before the grand jury, a true bill was returned, but Alec, acting on the advice of his counsel, Mr. Enos Stutsman, special agent of the United States Treasury at Pembina, had crossed the HISTORY OF MANITOBA, 185 Line the night previous, Mr. Stutsman seeing, from the color of the jury, that his client was, in popular phrase, "going to have a poor show." Penalty being demanded by the court from the bondsmen, Mr. Stuts- man pointed out that McLean had been delivered to the court, in fact, had come himself, and that they themselves were responsible for his own appearance, having allowed him t< thus relieving his bondsmen New bonds having been accepted for his appearance, a special day was appointed, the 25th of September, to proceed with the case. On this occasion McLean vras present ''// propria persona Mr. Stuts- man, in his defence, said, that had ho known, when he took the case in haul, as much about the people of Rod River and their courts as he had since learned, he would not have counselled his client not to appear at the previous court. The investigation which followed showed that men mid women at the Portam were in the habit of constantly carrying firearms for self-protection. The jury, after hearing the case, acquitted the prisoner. Even if they had brought in a verdict of guilty, life was still dear to Alec, and he had determined and was prepared to make a bold dash for freedom. For, as he stood in the box apparently helpless, he was in reality well armed ; while on either side of the aisle leading to the door were friendly is also armed, who were there for the ostensible purpose of aiding him to escape if necessary, while his : sat against the door, and would not allow it to be closed. A hoi also in waiting, close by, to take him across the bound CHAPTER IV ke Indium The \ Bail bread Kills an Indian Indian Letter to the Prinoe of V Indian af- \ Oomj Oaa Dr. Schult mi.i Bound Lib ed 1 On the L3th of May, 1 866, the firat conference of clergy »ad in the diocese of Rup 1 l, v Bishop Machray in the St John's Ten clergymen and d laymen eon be meetii Tb p read a long address dealing with the leadii in the d among which was the jishment of a th< -ailed St. the name of the original institu- aa also founding a scholarship in connection to the Cochrane scholarship, in memory of the d Archdeacon. The sum of one hundred •ad pounds was immediately subscribed for The Rev. John McLean, of London, 1 the office of Warden, and the Church Missionary Society intimated its intention to support sis pupils. A collegiate school was also to be lished in connection with the college, to be taught by tin- Ward.n, the Bishop, and the Rev. Samuel Pritchard, whose private school was amalgamated with the n the library, also formed by Bishop Ander- Ins HB3TOB1 OF MANITOBA. son, was largely increased by Bishop Machray, aided by various societies and people friendly to the enter- prise. In the following June, as a party of Indians belonging to Standing Buffalo's bond who had been visiting Chief Factor Clare at Fort Garry were returning to they prere attacked about a mile from the fori by a band of Red Like Indians, who iired into them, killing four of the Sioux. The remainder Bed for their lives, and would probably have been pursued by the ( tjibewaya had not a party of the settlers, seeing the attack, fearlessly ridden up to the scene of action and stopped the slaughter. The bodies of the four murdered Sioux were horribly mutilated. Charles Mair, now of Prince Albert, who was present on the occasion, writes as follows concerning it : " After the scalps had been torn off, the most horrible and devilish barbarities were committed upon the bodies, and when the ingenuity of the sterner sex had been exhausted, the squaws roped themselves with the entrails of the dead men and smeared their bodies with blood squeezed from the quivering flesh, which they gnawed and tore like dogs. They then crossed over to St. Boniface, where, after indulging in war dances and other mystic ceremonies, it is said they actually proceeded to par- take of Sioux viscera." Fearing a return of the Sioux to avenge their slain warriors, an immediate session of the Council of Assini- boia was convened, and authority given the Governor to collect from among the settlers, fifty to one hundred armed and mounted men to meet the Sioux on their history 0F MANITOBA. |s;t return, and either persuade them to go back to the plains or prevent them from doing further mischief during their stay in (he colony. As the Sioux did not return, the necessity for using this power did not occur. This was the last Indian fight in the aefchbor- i Of Fort Cany. On the 18th o£July,an altercation took place bet* fc' bop, and asked the clerk foi some 'bind "phis wounds. Be died on the follow- ' ,,, " mn - «<*'* inqu beld and a ' wi,t " 111 nwrder was returned. Desmaris was ™ into prison to await his trial at the \»; irt TheofficialCreeinterpreterdeclining ' m the present instance, another was appointed, who had a babi< of Bpasmodically grinning and smiling as ako bowing alternately to the bench and to the «"'•• This looked so much like a burlesque on :r ' v,,f ' tl " », that quite a ripple in court was occasioned thereby. Desmaris was sentenced to 1 on the 4th of September, but was also med that the Governor had power to commute foe penalty. A strong feeling existed on the part of ) tl "' 1 of tiie murdered Indian, several of whose Ptebed close by the prison, and they •"' fo*< if Desmaris were not hanged they would 190 HISTORY Of MANITOBA. the law in their own hands. A petition numer- nu.lv signed by the general public and some of tented to the Governor, fog for a commutation of (he sentence. Through this influence it was changed to banishment tor life. tfter some difficulty in conveying Desmans out of the settlement without the knowledge of the Indians, he WSS sent from one post to another, and ultimately restored to liberty in New Caledonia. :• also Governor HcTavisb returned from England, whithet he had gone to represent the griev- ances of the disaffected chief factors and traders before the Hudson Bay Company directors there. His mission, however, was unsuccessful. On returning to Red River, he at once proceeded to Norway House, to attend the annual meeting of the council of chief factors and traders which was always held there. During this summer also the Rev. Mr. Bompas arrived in the Red River settlement, accompanied by Mr. Gardner and Dr. Schultz. The first-mentioned pro- ceeded without delay to his appointed field of labor in the Arctic Circle, where he remained till he was created Bishop of the diocese. The beginning of this winter saw the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Spence, also Mrs. Scott and son, at Fort Garry, the latter party on a tour of business and pleasure, the former to stay. Mr. Spence represented himself as having been an officer in a foot regiment under Colonel Gorman, that after quitting the army he practised for a considerable time as a land surveyor, and last, but not least, as a politician. His first appearance in this latter capacity BTJ8TOBT OF MANITOBA. 191 was at a public meeting held in the court-room, and convened by him on Saturday, the 8th December, the >f which room he had obtained by virtue of a ed byanumberof the inhabitants req &aol to place itatthedis] of a <' d ^r the purpose of memorializing Government to be received into and form a P !irt of ( ration of British North America, and to express our desire to act in unity and co-operatinn with the neighboring colonies of Van- md British Columbia, and to further British Interests and confederation from the Atlantic to the The object of the meeting being known, it •' apparent that there vras a strong ond< i rent ' wh ' • advocate annexation to the ( * ni ' By an ingenious device the designs of partially frustrated. The □ ■■»"■ Precisely a< thai time, Kr.Spence or an hour pre vio rding nts Bpence and four other gentlemen met at the rooms. Having obtained possession from the sheriff; they proceeded at once to business, passing the lolutions, also that three cheers be given in bonor of ber Host Gracious Majesty the Queen. With such.nproarious expressions of enthusiasm was all this accompanied that it is said the little gray- beaded gaoler resident on the promises thought that the five Englishmen assembled in the court-room were a little off their base or cracked in their upper story. The , " : foe meeting disposed off, our five [9J HISTORY 01 MAN HOT. A. loyalists dispersed. On their way across the Hudson Bay land reserve, which separated tlif village of Win- nipeg bom Fort Garry, they met "Dutch George" at the bead of h numeroua following of citizens in cari- olefl and on foot, a considerable number of whom were laboring under the influence of Hr. Etnerline'a "Ob be joyful," a supply of which he had also brought along for free distribution. On learning how they D outwitted, George'fl wrath knew DO hounds. [enounced it aa i piece of Bbarp practice, asserted that they (the company that were with him) were the public, and not the live unknown individuals without •take in the country. These denunciations had such an effect on the mind of the chairman, Colonel Robin- son, who had previously held a commission in the United States army, that he at once returned and placed the position before the sheriff, requesting renewed permission for the use of the room, to which that functionary, after hearing the explanation, gave his assent. As the news had already spread, a general rush was made from the village to the court-house, which was literally packed. A new chairman was elected, and the proceedings of the former meeting were, by vote, declared informal, null and void. This was carried by an overwhelming majority, and with tremendous applause. A more difficult task followed, however, no person, apparently, having any new reso- lution to pass ; and the tendency and temper of the meeting being rather to oppose any possible motion than support any policy leading to a definite result, confusion became worse confounded. Several per- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 193 tried to get the ear of the meeting, but without I toe individual, more hopeful than the others, began to speak, when he was asked by Dutch George to pay that last treat which he had at the bar. some months previous. This persona] reminiscence led to a m the course of which the liter, Mr. Bmerline, received a blow from the butt end of a whip-handle, which produced a copious flow of blood and prostrated him close to the table of the Clerk of the ('<»urt. An ardent friend of Qeorge's at once sprang on the platform, and throwing off his c squared up to the now infuriated crowd, and began to "Come, landlord, till the flowing howl.'' A scene of wild confusion reigned; parties and part} feelings drowned in a host of personalities, as individuals, themselves hurried to and fro by the turbulence o! hit rudely against others who, eager l'<>v the I <>n their involuntary and crowd-cramped ilantfl with violence. After some time the entire Qght a hasty and uproarious exit from the doors, some imagined with the view of continuing hos- tilities on a more extended scale outside. But the cooling influences of the December wind Led them to seek shelter at Mr. Emerline's, where an orgie was instituted, which ended about midnight in the demoli- tion of his bar and the general destruction of his bottles and earthenware, not to speak of the damage done to his fluids. Mr. Spence next posed as a legal practitioner in I, as such, had certain clients which brought him repeatedly under the notice of the ruling powers. 194 history 01 MANITOBA.. We do ii"t. however, propose to follow him through the mazy labyrinths of law. The Ccmadicm Neumdl April 1 4th. L 867, contained the following translation of a letter which -nt from the Indiana of the Red River settlement to his Royal High) the Prince of Wales: "To the first-born of our Great Mother over the sea. Great Chief, whom we call Royal Chief, we and our people hear that our rela- tions, the half-br I tin- palc-faccs at R.-d River have asked you to come and see them the next Bum- mer, ami we and our people also wish you to come and vi^it u^. Every lodge will give you a royal welcome. We have the bear ami the buffalo, ami our hunting grounds are free to you. Our horses will carry you, and our dogs will hunt for you, and we and our people will guard and attend you. Our old men will show }-ou their medals which they received for being faith- ful to the father of our Great Mother, the great Royal Chief. If ycu will come, send word to our guiding chief at Fort Garry, so that w r e may have time to meet and receive you, as becoming our great Royal Chief." The Nexus of the World, of the 21st April, 1867, speaks of this letter thus : " The letter itself is unique, and we doubt w T hether the mail bags of any nation ever carried its like. The Indians, who feel a great degree of traditionary respect for the royal family, and with a certain taste for barbaric show and glit- ter, felt that an ordinary ink and paper invitation would scarcely convey the earnestness of their wish that the Prince should come, so they have sent their request in a style peculiar to themselves. The mate- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 195 rial on which the letter is written is the fine, inner rind of birch bark, surrounded with s border of gilt. The tetters of the heading are in red, white and blue, the capitals throughout being in Old English gilt." This document lay in the house of Dr. Schultz for inspecti n fof some time previous to being sent to England. The original draft was written in English and translated into Indian by r young half-breed attending school in Winnipeg; Mr. Spence was the reputed prime mover and manipulator of the invita- and serious dm; entertained as to whether the Indians of Red River knew anything of the matter at all. The fact also remains, that in the matter of ornamentation, the Indians knew more about porcu- pine quills and dyed moose hair — the natural products of the country — and about wampum and beads, than about the use of gold in decoration. In the following dune, a letter was received by Mr. Spence from the secretary of the Governor-General of Canada, enclos- v of despatch, from the Duke of Buckingham and Cbandos t«» Lord Ifonck, in which the, Colonial Secretary acquainted the latter that the address from the chiefs, forwarded through his Lordship, had been presented to the Prince of Wales, who desired that his sentiments on receiving their address should be com- municated to the chiefs, adding that Ins Royal High- was unable to visit the country, but would have been much gratified had it been in his power to com- * ply with the invitation. About this time three Americans came to the Por- tage settlement to pass the winter and to trade, 196 BtSTOB! OF MAXnoi'.A. named Bob O'Loane, Billy Salmon and Jim Clewett. Salmon was a retired sergeant of the American army. At the west end they rented a boose and stable, the one to live in, the other to keep their peltries and goods. The plac distant, possibly thirty feet from each other. In the Stable, which was used as a store, they had a cask containing about one hundred and fifty gallons of whiskey. Amongst the Indians who frequented the Portage at this time, was one named Wolverine, a man who was at the bottom of every mischief, as also a noted thief. The Indians knew of the liquor being here, and formed a plan to get } n of it. On Sunday morning, Salmon saw Wolverine making for the stable door where the liquor was stored. Realizing his mission, Salmon ran to prevent his getting inside, but before he could reach the door the Indian had got there. Clewett, who generally slept in the stable to protect the goods, on seeing Wolverine come in, attempted to put him out, but the Indian drew a knife and gave Clewett an ugly wound in the side, from the effects of which he fainted and fell on the floor. Wolverine seeing Salmon coming to put him out, put his body to the door to keep him from getting in, while Salmon tried to push it in. Allowing the door to come suffi- ciently ajar, the Indian used his gun with fatal effect on Salmon, shooting him in the side, who, believing himself to be mortally wounded, made for the house. Wolverine then opened the door, gave a yell and fled. At the discharge of Wolverine's gun, another Indian, who was close by, jumped on th history OF MANITOBA, 197 fence, and swinging his blanket began to chant the war-whoop. < t'Loane, who was in the house, realizing was brewin| I bis Henry rifle and fired at the shouting Indian, who fell off the fence -r-nail. Be then ran along the Slough Road, eastward, for all he was worth, passing in bis baste Borne of the neighbors at work, and leaving ion and Clewett in the house, both wounded. John McLean, bearing of the fracas, at once proceeded to the scene of the Bhooting, although warned by his tbors not to do so, as the Endiaus would shoot him. On entering the porch, McLean found Clewett g with a severe knife-wound in the side On mination he found it was not fatal, as the knife had followed the rib, glancing out. II.- raised him up and u'"t him inside the h< I otherwise attended »n •nt.rinu tin- inside door, lie found tched out where be had fallen, and suffering great pain, as he was bleeding internally. McLean at once proceeded to place the injured man in an easier position < letting some buffalo robes, he made a bed for him in the corner; then causing him to put whole arm round his (McLean's) neck, he lifted him, as gently as possible, on to the couch he had just ared After doing what he could for the wounded man. be left, promising to return as early as possible. On his way home he passed the body of the dead Indian lying on the avenue, with two or three squaws sitting round, loudly lamenting his untimely decease. McLean informed all the neighbors of the result of iracas, and asked them to come and sit with the 198 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. wounded men for the night fa the evening, quite a number pat in an appearance, among them Farquhar McLean, and some other white settlers. The half- breeds were afraid to remain, while the whiskey was in the stable, fearing a return of the Indians hut were willing to do so, provided it was removed. A waggon being procured, the two lid listed by several others had the hogshead rolled on, taken away, and dumped in a manure heap, close by John McLean S ivsi- •\ where it remained safe and unmolested till the following Monday, when O'Loane returned, and tilling the liquor into smaller barrels, took it away. He also had Salmon conveyed to Winnipeg, against Ins desire, which was rather to remain in the Portage, as he feared the effects of the shaking of the waggon, which certainly was the means of hastening his death. He died shortly after reaching Winnipeg, and was buried in St. John's cemetery. The hogshead still remains, not in the manure heap, but at the bottom of McLean's well, where it does duty as a curb. In November of this year also, Chief Factor Clare, in charge of the upper fort, of whom we have made previous mention, left Red River for England, to attend to some private matters which required his personal supervision for a few months, for which he obtained leave of absence. Shortly after quitting Fort Garry he became seriously ill, but being anxious to f Dr. Schultz, which along with a letter from Mr. Spence, was handed to the clerk of the Council. The r informed Mr. Spence and the petitioners that, as it was by the Governor and committee of thellud- nany. and not by tin; Council of Assini- m embers of the latter body were appointed, the petition would he sent to England. Bat he also informed petitioners that a counter-petition had been I from other inhabitants, and that both would be transmitted ai once. This counter-petition caused quite a dust for awhile and called forth editorials, instructive than complimentary, of which the following cimen: ilution of the unsatis- factory state of things, it was stated that people were openly discussing the propriety of taking the rnmeni from its present hands into their own ; while the authorities were accused of being prepared to sell summonses or saltpetre, writs or writing paper, or to furnish as part of their business, liquor or marriage licenses, pemmican, law, justice, pain killer, powder and peanuts, or, in fact, anything that is in their line of trade." A case of considerable in me before the general quarterly court held in February of this year. The firm of Me Kenny & Company, spoken of in the previous pages, the partners in which were Henry McKenny and Dr. Schultz, had dissolved partnership 200 HISTORY OF M LKTTOBA- in l v 54. So complicated were their affairs that apparently do settlement could be effected without resorting to litigation. In May of 18(55, Schultz entered an action against Mckmny for three hundred pounds, as the Mini still due him before he would con- aenl to the cloning of the accounts of the firm Owing to the amount of d< tcumsntary evidence to be examined in this case, the court appointed ■ commission to inves tiLr.it. >. and by oonsenl of the parties concerned, act as arbiters The members of this commission were Judge Black and Francois Bruncau. The death of the latter, in the summer of I si;"), from fever, broke np the arrangement — it was again brought up in February of this year, but owing to the unavoidable absence of McKenny in England, was postponed till May. On coming again before this court, Dr. Schultz publicly declared that the court had permitted itself to be bullied and browbeaten, and had neither the will nor the power to do justice. He was at once stopped and ordered to retract the offensive expressions, but refused to do so. He was then informed that until he did so he could not be heard personally at the bar, but was at liberty to appoint an agent, which he refused to do — and several cases in which he was interested remained unheard. One of the creditors of the firm was a Mr. Frederick E. Kew, of London, England, who also acted as commission agent for them there. This gentleman visited Red River in the spring of 1865, and closed his accounts with the firm by taking a joint promissory note for fourteen hundred and sixty pounds, being the balance due him. On leaving the settle- r -B.Miii*r- GROUP OF EARLY SETTLERS. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 203 ment, he appointed Mr. John [nkster his agent, to collect from the firm thifl amount. In L865, Mr. [nkster instituted several actions against BfcKenny and Sennits, demanding from each half the Bum still due on the note. On farther consideration, he with- v the case, before any action had been taken regarding it by the court. In Angust of 1866, he raed Mi'Kriiny For the total Bum then outstanding, about six hundred pounds, the original amount having been reduced to this by instalments paid on account. IfcKenny contended that be should not be sued alone for the entire amount, and demanded that his Former partner, l >r. Schults, should be proceeded against at the Bame time, The judge, however, instructed the jury Oil such a n lore the court, either party singly, or both together, might be raed for the whole amount, as the hohler of the note might deem expedient. The result was i verdict in Eavor of Kew, and sgainst R£cl£enny. [nkster availed himself of this r to close with IfcKenny for half the sum, which was paid in May of 18G7, and commenced action against Schults: for the remainder. Though cited to appear at the May court, Dr. Scliultz quitted the settlement, previous to ti o of the court, having made a declaration before a magistrate relative to his non-appearance, which was not produced in court, and in consequence, judgment was given by default. On his return, lie was called on to pay the balance; he endeavored to obtain a new trial, which the judge d for insufficient reasons. Inkster repeatedly applied to Schultz to meet the judgment, which he 204 BISTOff! OF MANITOBA, refused to do. After waiting eight months, without apparently coming any nearer the realization of his object, he resolved to enforce it. and with the reader's permission, I will now allow the Doctor to tell his own story, as we find it in the pages of the Nor-W< "Once more the doors of the Hudson Bay Com- pany's prison have opened to the persuasion of an oaken beam, handled by the stoat arms of men who as careless of the frowns as of the favor of this augosi humbug, the Hudson Bay Company. The case occurred in this wi-e. In one of the quarterly courts judgment was obtained against Sheriff IfcKenny for a sum of money. Being sheriff he paid half, and suo- led in cajoling the simple-minded agent of the plaintiff into bringing an action against Dr. Schultz, his former partner, for the other half. By some artful dodging a judgment was obtained against the Doctor in his absence, and his application for a trial of the before a jury disregarded by our. Hudson Bay judge. The Doctor, thus treated, refused to pay unless a trial was given, and the agent of the plaintiff, feeling probably the injustice of the position, would not push it. The sheriff meanwhile, caught in England, pays the other half, and then follow the events of Friday. At nine in the morning of Friday, the sheriff with a posse of constables entered the trading house of Dr. Schultz, and the Doctor appearing, a demand was made by McKenny for immediate payment of the sum. The Doctor asked to see his authority for its collection, which McKenny refused to show, and said that he must seize the goods. Schultz replied that BISTORT OF M \xiT(U:a. 205 none of his property should go without the evidence of proper authority. The sheriff then declared every- thing seised, and directed the constables to first take out a large pair of platform scales, which they pro- » until stopped by the Doctor, who then needed to secure the door which bad been opened HcKenny, The sheriff then laid bands on the was thrown over some bags (not struck), mi,! on rising, directed the constables to arrest Dr! ritz for assault on the officers of the law. The Doctor told him that he was willing t.. be arrested, hut not that Ins property be removed The Doctor then E up, ami offered no resistance till rudely n hold <»f by the constables, when he threw them off, without striking; aid then IfcKenny, callip 51,1 present t thai the Doctor musl bound! aid directed one of the constables t,, bri The Doctor said that was unn.-(vssary, that he nbmit to be tied so long as no indignity was offered The Doctor then held his arms to be tied, which was -lone by the constables, without opposition! HeKennVj however, then began to draw the ropes tight, till the effect was painful, and being Warned t<> t, he refused, and so was again thrown over by mow tied prisoner, after this there was no resis- ad the Doctor was hurried of! in a cariole, out even being allowed to put on his overcoat. I »r. Cowan was sent for, hut shirked the case and sent for Goulet. While waiting the arrival of Goulet, Schultz requested, as there were a number of con- Stables present, that the court-house doors should be 206 HIM OK Y Of MANITOBA. locked, and he should be unbound long enough to write a note to his wife, who. as yet, knew nothing of the case. This was refused, And the effort of writing while in this bound position canted BO much pain that by a violent effort one inn was Freed, which HcEenny perceiving, made a rash, but was met and floored. The other constables then joined their efforts, and the prisoner was crushed by constables, gaoler and sheriff, till a Clothes-line was produced, which was tied and pulled till the blood gushed from the arms of the now helpless prisoner. Goulet arriving, after a consulta- tion proceeded to hear McKenny's charge of assault on the officers of the law. Goulet then proceeded to commit the prisoner, it being four o'clock. Thrust in and locked up without food or fire, the Doctor was left to reflect on the vanity of human things generally, and of the belief in the rights of a peaceable man to his liberty in particular. So ended the first act. A ludicrous interlude occurred before the closing scene. Constable Mulligan was left in charge of the now seized goods in the Doctor's store, and when Mrs. Schultz wished to barricade it against the sheriff, Mulligan refused to go out, and was nailed and spiked in, where he remained till late at night, when, hungry and half-frozen, he humbly petitioned to be let out, and emerged cursing. the law, McKenny and seizers generally. Schultz was locked up at four. Before nightfall the news had spread like wildfire, and angry men sped their horses to the town, where they met others equally as excited as themselves, earnestly dis- cussing whether to break open the gaol at once, or HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 207 wait till morning brought its hundreds to assist. But the news that the Doctor's wife had been refused admission to him by the fort authorities decided the question at once. The Doctor must not stop, even one night, under this ac In the meantime, Mrs. Schultz had been granted permission by the sheriff to take some food to her husband, and remained with him till the noise of sleighbells announced the tidings of release. First there came a party to the door to obtain peaceable entrance, then a request from the Doctor to let his wife out of the inner door of the prison, then a rush of the Doctor himself, who grappled witli the constable* who were barricading the door; then the Upsetting <-f the gaoler, and the holts drawn by the d< ife ; and then, as the expectant crowd the attack on the 1 >«-ct< >i- within, came the heavy thump of the oaken beam. Boon the crash of breaking timbers, and then the loud hurrah, with maledictions on IfcKenny, and the escort of the Doctor to his home. It is well to know that no disreputaUe characters were among the party. When the constables, of whom there were ux, with eight specials, eeased to resist, the victors ceased their efforts, and no violence was used hut the breaking of the door and the marks of a clenched fist on the face of one of the specials, which would not have been there had he not rudely assaulted Mr-. Schultz, in her efforts to draw the bolts. No npt was made to recapture the Doctor or his friends, and on the 4th of February he repeated his application for a new trial. A general council was laid later on in the month, when it was agreed to 208 history OF M kNITOB A. le to the Doctor's request, which was set for the 5th <>f May. At this trial evidence was produced by Dr. Sennits, through EL L Sabine, a land surveyor, who had been in Sennits** employ, and who testified to having Been the I ) «>etor pay the plaintiff the sum of hundred and Beventy-five p ands, on consideration of this debt, no legal receipt being asked for or given rher party." CHAPTER \. Second B p ieoopal Co ngroM Diooenn Fund Sp< line c.uiH-il of Manitoba i Trial of MfoPhenon ppen l-'n->t Oommemoi 3t Andrew*! Day Chnrlei Cortii Little Six Wolverine. 29th of May. 1867, the second congress of y and lay d< from parishes in the dio tpert'a Land was held in St. .Johns school-room. Eight clergy and nineteen laymen composed the n in<;. Amongst tl ated by Bishop ICach- thai the con! rame the name of l owley had been the archdeaconry of I tamberland, vacated by Mr. Banter, whose long service on th< ment, kno/. i' the ( Jree langa neral useful* the Bishop commended. The clergy anpply called for serious consideration, many of the ministers leavi' nt when their experience was more valuable than ever. It iraa proposed to offset by obtaining native clergymen, educated at St. .John's College. The latter institution was working successfully. The Budson Bay Company bad re- newed their grant of one hundred pounds, which they had given annually to the old institution. The England Company also subscribed a similar Sinn, and the Church Missionary Society agreed ive two hundred pounds per annum. An effort 210 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. was made to raise an endowment fund for the War- den's chair of theology, the first contribution for which came from Clinton, < hit , where Dr. Ander- son, late Bishop of Rupert's Land, was incumbent. The endowment for the scholarship in memory of Arch- deacon Cochrane at this time amounted to three hun- dred and twenty pounds The Bishop desired to raise this hip to a value of twenty pounds per annum-. Parish schools, which had hitherto been sup- ported by the Church Missionary Society, and which had been established in every parish but one, would have to be supported by the parishes themselves, as the Society had decided to withdraw the support it had, till then, afforded these. A book depot, started in 1866, with the object of supplying school material, had succeeded well. The Bishop regarded the organi- zation of a diocesan fund as a vital one, for the follow- ing reason a : 1. To assist promising young men to qualify for holy orders ; to maintain clergymen actually employed in parishes and missions ; and to pension such as, from ill-health or old age, might be incapacitated for duty. 2. To support schools, disseminate Bibles, prayer- books, and other religious works, and to form parish libraries. The Bishop, in urging this scheme, said that the means at their disposal were limited, the people poor, and the tide of emigration, so hopefully expected during the last few years, had not commenced to roll in ; that the sums collected from the weekly offertory, the receipts from special collections on harvest gather- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 211 and other occasions, and donations from private individuals, composed the entire means at their dis- These were distributed amongst the various schemes referred to. Bishop Machray dosed bis address, referring to the larger and denser population of the parish of St Andrew aa offering a better field for the above operations than any other portion of the settlement The Rev. J. P. Gardiner had opened a night nehool and classes for adults, had set on foot missionary meetings, mutual improvement classes, popular lecture- with penny readings and music, the proceeds of which were devoted to a library. About this time Sergeant Mulligan, late of her Maj« iment, was appointed constable, and had the honor to be the first policeman in Winni- at a sal pounds per annum In 1867, Mr. Spence, Of whom we made mention in the preceding pages, moved his residence from Fort ry to Portage la Prairie, where, from his peculiar disposition, he was not long in inaugurating himself as one of the leading factional spirits of the settle- ment. The position of the settlement, outside the pale of the judicial district of Assiniboia, with no laws hut what they made themselves, and what they chose to observe, made it just the place for such a man as Mr. Spence, and very soon we find a republi- can monarchy, if such there could be, with Spence as president, and Findlay Ray secretary. The name of the settlement was changed to ( Caledonia, and then to Manitoba. Its boundaries included hundreds of square miles, extending indefinitely into parallels of 212 HlSToKV OF MANITOl'.A. latitude and longitude. The only denned boundary was the eastern one, which consisted of the western limit of the municipal district of Assiniboia. A council was also chosen, and an oath of allegiance administered to all those who would take it. The first desideratum with the new government was the erection of a eourt-hbuse and gaol There being only one way of securing this, namely, a regular system of taxation, a customs tariff on imports was decided on, and preliminary measures taken to collect the same, ■t it-t* was served on all n mongst them the officer in charge of the Hudson Bay trading post at the Portage, who replied that he would pay no tax or duty on the goods imported for trade at his post, unless ordered to do so by the government of Rup Land. The council decided that, seeing they could not force him to do so at present, they would make it hot for him when they got the gaol built. A shoe- maker by the name of McPherson, who lived at High Bluff, had made himself obnoxous to the president and other members of the government, by asserting that the money obtained through taxation, instead of being retained to build a gaol, was being expended in the purchase of beer and whiskey, for the use of the government and council of Manitoba, a report which was generally credited as being true. Expostulations were of , *^o use with McPherson, who only repeated the story with addendas. At last they resolved to indict him on a charge of treason, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Constables William Hudson and Henry Anderson were at once despatched to bring HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 218 him dead or alive. It would seem that, before start- out, th< tlemen had imbibed considerable government whiskey, as the noise they made in pro- 1,1 McPl eted the attention "*' I bo, by this means divined the it Arrived at the house, Hudson entered, while Anderson kept watch at the J,t ' found M d cleaning his revolver. lucing his warrant, he endear handed; to enfor rson, entering at this moment, found Hudson and licPherson in close --rip. The eluded both, and ran oil' with the intention of getting within the boundary of the ■r\ of Ajsiniboia. The constables procured a i on licPherson, who, seeing that. he was goin[ rtaken, rushed out into M1 ' )W •>" l!l " plains, and was, after a severe in which all bis clothes were torn, secured and brought t<> tin- Portage in a jumper. It happened this afternoon that John and Alee McLean, who had Huddlestone's, on the High Bluff on their wav home, when they saw. com ing behind them, a jumper with three men in it. On nearing McLeans sleigh, one of them jumped out and ran np to McLean and his son. His clothes were all turn, and he held his pants np with his hands. At the same time another of the men jumped out and ran after the first McLean thought they were run- ning a race, and called out. " Fair play." McPhersOn, in coming up to him, appealed to him in the words, ■ me; save me, McLean!" At this moment Hud- 214 HlsToiiY 01 MANITOBA. son oame up also, and attempted to force McPherson away from McLean's protection. John, who carried a two-inch aagnr, with which he had been repair- ing a hay-rack, said, " Stand hack, or I'D rin the aagnr through ye." Be then desired an explanation, which was given by both men ; also demanding to see the warrant. One of thr constables who was in the jumper said. • Don't show it to him, he'll tear it." •. tlif warrant was produced, McLean read it, and thm inquired when and where the trial was to be, advised McPherson to go with them, and assured him that he would be there to see that he got justice, after which the prisoner of the republic and his captors proceeded to the Portage. When McLean reached home he found three miners, Bob Hastie, Yankee Johnston, and Mr. Chapman, waiting his return. After supper, accompanied by the above and two other men, making in all a company of seven, they proceeded to William Hudson's house, which they found full of persons who had gathered to hear the trial, which had been on for some time. On entering the house they found Spence seated at one end of a table, while McPherson occupied the other. A lamp stood in the centre. McLean asked what he was tried for. Spence replied, " Treason to the laws of the republic." " We hae nae laws," said John, and " Wha's the accuser ? " " Mr. Spence,'' said one of the constables. Turning to Spence, with indignation written on his face, McLean said, " Come oot o' that, you whited sepulchre, ye canna act as judge and accuser baith." At this stage of the proceedings HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 215 Hudson ordered McLean out of the house, saving that if he did not go he (Hudson) would throw him out. Me Lean replied that seeing it was Hudson's house he would go out, but not through any fear of him or Anderson either, Endson then told dim to strip, aing to fight, to which McLean replied that he would wait to see if there sras any necessity to he p rned the who] r was dropped. A new suit of clothes was given him in place of those destroyed during the arrest, and thus the matter ended McPherson still resides in the Province at Lower Fort Garry, and his recollections of the Portage republic and its associa- - are still green, as well they may be. In L867, the Hon. Alexander Campbell, Canadian mi&sioner of Crown Lands, gave instructions for the commencement of the now famous Dawson route, which was intended to form a line of communication between Lake Superior and Red River, and a sum of fifty-five thousand dollars was granted from the Upper Canada Colonization Road Fund for this purpose. The work commenced in May at Thunder Bay, extending westward towards Dog Lake. Two distinguished travellers also visited the settlement this year, the Right Hon. the Earl of March, and Edward Hill, Esq. Their principal object being hunting, and the country around Fort Carleton offering many incentives, they proceeded thither. About the middle of December, 1867, the venerable McLean commenced Sunday evening services in the village of Winnipeg. No church being there as yet, BOSTORT OP MAXiroiiA. 217 the building occupied and used as a theatre was placed at the Archdeacon's disposal by the Leasees. The room was general 1\ and the services discon- tinued during rough weather. In the rammer of l s,;s they were again resumed in the court-room at. Fort Garry, and in the fall the small church of the Holy Trinity waa opened, in which Archdeacon McLean offici ularly. In the Port blement the grasshoppers were so numerous in the fall of 1867 and the spring of l that many put in no crop at all. A portion of a diary • by the late Frederick Bird, the first representative in the Local Legislature \'^\- Portage la Prairie, lies before the writer, in which I find the following enti M August Mh. 1867 Grasshoppers came. Llth — Com ced cutting the barley. Ii'th- Boppera going off, Ding. 13th — Still going, and some falling. 14th -Comm tutting wheat, hoppers still as thick aa ever. L6th -Still as numerous." Bo end The first occasion on which was commemorated the patron saint, St. Andrew, occurred in 1867. Mr. Emerline, better known to the old resio I)utch Geo: entleman of German action, had, by dint of perseverance in the sale of fruit and smallwarcs, worked his way up to he land- lord of the George Hotel, the principal one in the village of Winnipeg at that time, and the centre of conviviality. Emerline was a strong annexationist, and had this year imported from the States a billiard table, the first in the settlement, the profit on which •21s HISTORY OP MANITOBA. \va> bo large that he added another to his establishment in the following year. He also established a Burns Club, which met in one of his rooms, and which was designed to provide means of social friendship to Scotchmen resident in the colony, and to strengthen tin- ties which hound them to their native land by the study of the character and works of the poet by whose name the club was known. Though not many noble nor yet great attended these little meetings, it is evident that they bad not only the feast of reason but the means of promoting the flow of soul. Early in the afternoon of St. Andrew's day enthusiastic Scotch members, Mich as Jock McGregor, John McDonald, John McRae, Alexander Mclntyre, Roderick McLeod and othen of like ilk, convened at the George Hotel. After a few hours spent in fraternal intercourse, happy greetings and auld Scotch sangs, in which the utmost harmony and good feeling prevailed, just as the deep- ening hour of twilight was beginning to shed its gloom over this little company of Jock Thamson's bairns, some evil genius — or shall we call him imp of Satan ? — suggested the superiority of the Hielands over the Lowlands. The debate was taken up with interest by both parties and quickly swelled into a tumult ; the room becoming too small to display their partizan zeal, with ringing shouts they rushed into the street, and commenced to demonstrate with fists what words had failed to do. Within a short time they were rein- forced with the inhabitants of the village, some of whom took sides with the belligerents while others looked on, enjoying the row. Sergeant Mulligan, history OF MANITOBA. 219 single-handed, attnnpted to quell the torrent. The maddened crowd surged from one comer of the street to the other, yelling vociferously, as one party or another was pummelled and forced to give way; but, as in all things the calm succeeds the storm, so in this instance also pea restored. Tims ended the Brat c omm e moration of Si Andrew's in Red River, After the IfcFherson trial, Mr. Spence, with the council, • bave allowed the affairs of the republic Fault In February, 1868, he paid ■ xi.it to Governor Dallas, at Fort Garry, to consult with him relative to affairs at the Portage settlement The Governor informed him that no duties would be paid on the Hudson Bay Company's goods imported unless levied on authority derived from the company them as, and he, Spence, and his council could collect duty only from such as paid it voluntarily; that he and his agents might be legally resisted in any attempt to levy 03 and that the administration of the oath of allegiance was an illegal act. and laid him open to prosecution. .Mr. Spence then addressed the follow- ing letter to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, hich he received a reply in the following August "La Pkaiiuk, Man., "Via Red Rtveh Settlement, "February lath, 1868. " My Lobd, As President-elect of the people of the newly organized Government and Council of Mani- toba, in British territory, I have the dutiful honor of laying before your Lordship, for the consideration of S&O msrroRi of kanitoba. her Most Gracious Majesty our beloved Queen, the circumstances attending the creation of this self-sup- porting petty government in this isolated portion of her Majesty's dominions, and, as loyal British sub- jects, we humbly and sincerely trust that her Most Gracious Majesty, ami her advisers, will be pleased forthwith to Rive this favorable recognition, it being simply our aim to develop our resources, improve the condition of the people, and generally advance and nrve British interests in this rising far West. "An humble address from the people of this settle- ment to her Majesty the Queen was forwarded to the Governor-General of Canada, in June last, briefly setting forth the superior attractions of this portion of the British dominions, the growing population and the gradual influx of emigrants, and humbly praying for recognition, law and protection, to which no reply or acknowledgment has yet reached this people. "Early in January last, at a public meeting of settlers, who numbered over 400, it was unanimously decided to at once proceed to the election and construction of a government, which has accordingly been carried out; a revenue imposed, public buildings commenced, to carry out the laws, provisions made for Indian trea- ties, the construction of roads and other public works, tending to promote the interests and welfare of the people. " The boundaries of the jurisdiction being, for the time, proclaimed as follows : North from a point run- ning due north from the boundary line of Assiniboia, till it strikes Lake Manitoba ; thence from the point HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 221 struck, a straight line across the said lake to Mani- toba Post; thence by longitudinal line .">1 till it inter- sects latitude LOO : west, by a line of latitude 100° to the boundary line of the United States and British America; east, the boundary line of the jurisdiction of the Council of Aasiniboia ; south, the boundary line between British North America and the United Stat " I have the honor to remain, my Lord, " Your Lordship's obedient servant, "TlK.MAS Sl'KV •• President of the Go The following is the reply received to the ab<» ■ Downing Strut, M<> : / 80th, 18( &B, — I am directed by the Dnkeof Buckingham and Ohandos to inform you tli.tt your letter of the 10th of February last, addressed to the Secretary of State for has hen forwarded to this department, and that his ( trace has al><> received a copy of a letter addressed by you to Mr. Angus Morrison, a member of the Canadian Parliament, dated 17th of February last. In these communications yon explain that measures have been taken for creating a so-called self-supporting government in Manitoba, within the territories of the Hudson Bay Company. The people of Manitoba are probably not aware that the creation of a separate government, in the manner set forth in these papers, has no force in law, and that they have no authority to create or organize a government, or even to set up municipal institutions (properly so "2'2'2 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. called) for themselves, without reference to the Hud- son Bay Company or the Crown. ■ Her Majesty's Government are advised that there is no objection to the people of Manitoba voluntarily submitting themselves to rules and regulations which they may agree to observe, for the greater protection and improvement of tie' territories in which they live, but which will have no force as regards others than those win* may haw so submitted themselves. As it is inferred that the intention is to exercise jurisdic- tion over offenders in criminal cases, to levy taxes compulsorilv, and to attempt to put in force other powers which can only be exercised by a properly constituted government, I am desired to warn you that you and your co-agitators are acting illegally in this matter, and that by the course which you are adopting, you are incurring grave responsibilities. <* " I am, Sir, "Your obedient servant, Thus, doubly counselled, first by Governor Dallas, and then by Buckingham, as to the responsibility of the position which he had assumed, Mr. Spence decided to lay aside, at once and for all, any further hopes of building a republic at Portage la Prairie, and began to look around for some other means of subsistence. In those early days, much of the salt consumed in this western country was obtained from deposits in the neighborhood of Lake Manitoba. He at once turned his attention to salt manufacture ; HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 223 allowed the interest in the place he had bought, or had agreed to purchase, in the Portage to be transferred to Charles Curtis, who had been some time resident at Silver Beights, and who removed Spence and his family out to the scene of his future labors, for a • least, on the salt 5] ke Mani On bis return to (he Portage, Mr. Curtia took wnmedial -,. ,„id. being a blacksmith by on the E i. at wh known aa the Gilbert Home, where under the spread- in- maple tree* his village smith}- stood in which Spence bad Lived belonged to a man named Latnont, who was paralysed on one side of his ' ;l stroke of that nature. Lamoni bad } "it be failing tomal lyments, a, with Spei si,,n Lament had kept store in the bo ' with attacks fnm, the Indian yy motives, was M thoroughly intimi- remove to more desirable quarters The only protection he had was two ]., and when Curtis took possession, large pi- were torn out of the aide of the door by the frantic the animals to get at the assailants on the ide, during these melees. It required a stout heart i a place under such circumstances, and one outside the pale of civil law and protection, as the then was; yet here Curtis brought his wife and little children, built his shop close by the house, and immediately set to work to beat out the plough- share, and do whatever else might be required of him. HISTORY Hi' MANITOBA. 225 An American by birth, the refugee Sioux who had settled down on the portage plains, had do particular Liking for him, and more bo from the fact of his being one of the three who had kidnapped Little Six and his braves at Bannatyne's, in Winnipeg. Mr. Curtis, in L862 resided with his family at Sturgeon Creek, in the vicinity of Silver Beights. Alter the massacre in Minnesota, he waa employed in building huts for the - it Pembina, and removing them there. Little six. with eight of his braves, had taken refuge in Manitoba from the United States authorities, who had offered rewards for their apprehension, and were g the rounds of the settlement, terrorizing settlers' • of the settler himself, and help- bhemselves to what they needed. Terrible reports had spread about him, and Pears were entertained that he might repeat, on some helpless family, some of the hatcheries with which he Iras credited on the other Side of the line. Mr. Oartis' family lived in a large boose, with a good-sised kitchen attached; this last was the only portion that was completed, and in for the time being, the family resided. One afternoon, daring his absence at Pembina, the door Opened, and Little Six, with his warriors, walked in. Mrs. Carl 10 taken by surprise and fear that could not say anything, but sat down at the foot of the bed, while the children gathered round her in terror. After accommodating his followers with seats, he sat down himself He then asked for a basin and water. Mrs. Curtis pretended not to know what he said. Seeing this, he rose and helped himself. He HISTORY OF MANITOBA. next requested a brush and comb, but receiving no from her, and seeing what he desired, went and took them, and arranged his toilet with care before them. This done, be spread his blanket on the floor, sat down and lit a long pipe, and, after taking a few wl:. • d it round to his followers. The table-cover next attracted the gentleman's attention, which ha imn i Mrs. Curtis to give him, Mrs. Curtis shook hex head as much as to Bay no, which seemed to displease him, as he at once drew his knife, and made a pantomimic gesture with it, as much as to say, ' 111 cut your heads off." In this trying situa- tion Mrs. Curtis did not know what to do. Her only hope was that some one would come along and relieve her out of this terrible difficulty. One of the windows looked out on a bay or meadow, where the settlers made a large portion of their hay. Earnestly she looked to see some load or jumper coming along the trail. At length, as if in answer to the prayer of her heart, she espied a one-horse vehicle coming along. She jumped to the door, opened it, and, before the Indians had taken in the action, signalled the driver to come to the house, then returned inside and sat down. In a short time the door opened and a neigh- bor walked in. He had hardly time to take in the situation, when, with a dash through the door, which was now hardly big enough, Little Six and his eight braves disappeared as mysteriously as they had come. Seeing the lonely position in which Mrs. Curtis was placed, he suggested the idea of acquainting her father, who lived some distance away, and having her and the HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 227 children removed to the paternal home, in the present excited state of the settlement, until the return of her busl m Pembina. To this Mrs. Curtis gladly assented, and the change was made that same even- ber father only too glad to relieve them from their trying position In a tew days Curtis returned, and found the entire settlement in a state of excitement. Some scheme had to be resorted to to get rid of this band of Indian cut-throats who were popping Qp here and there and everywhere. A meeting was held, at which it was decided to offer there 1 dinner at Banna- b, drag them if possible, and get them out of the country to where their presence was Bpecially desired. Under the guise of friendship, the scheme succeeded. The Indians were invited to s grand pow-wow at the of the above, where, as is their usual custom, they ate and drank \'< The liquor of which they partook, however, was dragged, and the whole nine secured and transported to Uncle Sam's dominions, where they were executed in the following spring. It will be seen that the dislike to Curtis was borne out by the Portage Indians, from the following inci- dent. One day Wolverine, whose name appears in the ad whose notoriety consisted of being at the bottom of all mischief, evil and theft, who was, in the true sense of the term, a bad Indian, came rush- ing into the house to Mrs. Curtis, in a state of excite- ment, "Wanting to see boy; wanted to talk to him." Mrs. Curtis told Wolverine that he could not see him, "not in." Wolverine, not satisfied, made to open the door leading into the bedroom. Mrs. Curtis, placing 228 HISTORY Of MANITOBA. her back against the door, told him he could not go in there. He then seized her by the arm, ami pulled her away several times, but she only resumed the position before Wolverine could open the door. At last, draw- ing his knife, he said. ' Me make you." Curtis, who had been half-asleep in the room, hearing the scuffle outside, opened the door, and taking in the situation, seized Wolverine, as an Englishman would say, by the seat of the pants and the Seoffof the neck, and pitched him bodily out of doors. The Kangoaj riptive of Wolverine's apparel 1 do not guarantee as strictly accurate; it may have only been a breech-clout, Indians don't always wear pants. Curtis, at all events, got hold of something, at the extremity of the Indian's back, and used it as a lever with the above results. As he fell on his face he dropped the knife, which Curtis had not seen before, and which he at once picked up. Wolverine, on gaining his feet, approached Curtis with outstretched hand, desiring to shake and be friends, but Curtis, with a light blow, knocked his hand to one side, and told him " be off out of this," which he at once did. CHAPTKK XI. Death «.f ftftr.Curtu An Indian I Thi.-f OoartoandT B P Food Mis •h Hudson Bfty C..ni|.anv towing Hon. Wm, MeDongalL In tin- winter of ^7s-79, flour was scarce in the settlement, ;ind not to be had, as also beef. Potatoes could be obtained, but at a high price. With a desire to assist his brother-in-law and family in this trying situation, Mrs. Curtis' brother, then a young man, ling with them, went t<> hie own home, killed an animal he was raising, and brought tlir carca- to the Portage. The Indians ooming to know of the meat, or probably seeing it brought to Curtis' house, nine of them came along the day following and demanded the beef from Curtis. I lis wife had just gone out into the garden, to look alter some vegetables, a few minutes before the Indians came to the house, and, apparently, had not observed their approach. While thus engaged the children came running out to her, saying, " Ma, come in ; the Indians are going to kill pa ! " Running in, she found Curtis in the middle of the floor with his gun in his hand, while nine Indians stood in the doorway, in a defiant position. Mrs. Curtis took in the situation at a glance, and knowing the dislike the Indians entertained to her husband, she persuaded him to lay down his gun ; then, standing between him and the Indians, she told them they could not have all the 230 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. meat, but that they might have some of it ; that if they continued this kind of work, assistance would be had from Winnipeg, and they would be driven from the Portage as they had been from Minnesota. The Indians pretended to langh her down, and make light of what she told them. By-and-by, however, one back' ■ ly out; then another, and another, until all had gone. Even then she was afraid to close the door, in case they should resent it as an insult, and return. Mr. Curtis was often raited by the muse, and when beating out the glowing iron, or watching the flames as they leaped up from his forge at the stroke of his bellows, or some other suggestive inci- dent, his thoughts would take permanent form in M on the leading events of the settlements, many of which are worthy of quotation, and of which we give a selection. Some such occasion as the last referred to was certainly the cause of inspiration in this poem, which is as follows : — My hammer on the anvil lay, And thus it spake, or seemed to say : " This is too bad ; Have I not always stood your friend, To fashion, forge — to make or mend ? Then why so sad ? " Why standest thou so gloomily, And givest ne'er a thought to me, Thy willing slave ? Have I not toiled from morn to night, And earned thee many shillings bright By strokes so brave ? HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 231 " Say, hast thou heard me once complain When thou didst smite, with might and main. The hone-afa ThoM merry times thou dost forget, When, with heavy swing, I made thee sweat Ami wipe thy head. M Though times are hard as hard can be, And wayward fortune Erowni oo thee, ( fod comfort lende, Thai tag old, they row, With whiskers gray, and wrinkled DfOW : I'm your friend. • With sorrow DOW those lines I see, Which Father lime hai marked on ti Vour good right arm shall earn you bn And from tlie iron glowing red, Full all yon need 44 Shake hantls with me ohm more, old friend, For many merry days we'll spend, pair. Heap on the ooal, the bellowi blow, See in yon cheerful, ruddy glow, Hopes bright and fair.'' 11 Old i ur words are good, And but 1 gain my daily food, •-■nt I'll be." thought my hammer smiled with grace, And rang out from the anvil's face A merry glee. But see, who comes ? Here's work at last ! And sturdy blows, both hard and fast, The hammer plies. 29 2 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Full soon I earn the price of food, And haste DM home with treasure good, lavli^ht dies. M\ good wife smiles, and says : "I'll hake ,.-u. old mau, a bonny eakr | S .vase y«'ur claim t. " The children clap their hands and shout, " Hurrah ! — here's bread, without a doubt, Thank> ko the hammer." I thanked my hammer as I stood, Dg Him who doeth good, — 44 Not so," it said. ( nice more its face of steel it raised, Ami sang out softly, 44 God be pra He is the head. 44 Not unto mc thy thanks are owed, But to the great, the living God, Who loves thee still. To succor stretches forth His ar$n, Feeds thee, and keeps thee from all harm, Then do His will. ' The second was made on the occasion of the removal of the school-house from the river road to the centre of the village : Hearken, a voice from out the forge Sings loud in praise of Mr. George, Praise for his sturdy enterprise, His tireless zeal, and counsel wise. This school, brief time has passed away, Since by the river side it lay, 11 We'll find for it a fitter spot," Said he, "and move it every jot." HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 233 With honest heart, and good intent, Full many an hour and day he spent. Asked all tb help with heart and hand, — To ask with him was to command. At willing work who could bestow, Well spent has been our time we know, it trains of carts, huge 1 • MO, These last hauled out by Ogilt The carpenters worked with a will. With itrange derioe, end onnning skill, F'.r \i ■ i , ■ rge, ire know be said it. The better work the higher credit. And why forbear I rd < >f praise to ( iaddy and to Bird, Who fr ee l y offered us the land < >n which complete OUT school does stand. With pride behold we every log, •liool , ip!rte, end a pedagogue i main astute ronng idea how to sh ^s to Hill and to the school, May all grow wis.' beneath his rule ; And boys ami girll who hear this rhyme, Upward the hill <.f knowledge climb. Oar teacher rare wiD train you well, •s with you to make it tell ; Knowledge ii power, sr.-k to be wise, Strive, boys and girls, to win the prize. And now, good friends, both short and tall, lven you credit one and all, But ere I get me to my forge Here's three times three for Mr. George. 234 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The third was written at the close of a series of entertainments which had been held during the winter in the school-house alluded to in poem No. 2 : My thoughts I'll collect For a brief iff inspect, And sing you a tell of on doing! in rhyme : Th<- winter has passed And spring OOBM at last, And with innocent fun we've beguiled the time. Mr. George in the fall Proposed to us all To fill up the winter with imrtinfl and song. Y.»ung and old with a jest, We have all done our best ; The winter is o'er and we've not found it long. Mr. George from his store Read us proud "Ellinore," And many a piece fraught with wisdom and truth, Till 'twas plain to us all How pride gets a fall, Wise lesson for old as well as for youth. There's Mr. McLean, I'm sure it's quite plain He did all that he could that was jolly and funny ; In right good broad Scotch Filled up many a notch With tales of instruction and stories so bonny. And then Mr. Field His "Dickens" would wield, And we never got tired was it ever so long ; About Pickwick and Weller And Bob Sawyer, poor fellow, And betwixt full many a good comic song. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 235 Then Mr. John Garrioch, Though never in Carrick, lived oil] so long ; 1861 on nose, Ever read his daughter with sweetest of song. Cold w.v i-lit forth from the spring, EUlero who never did fail ; M ei expand] • >d .standing, "Cold Spring ml the '* Rose <■■ LUandale." Thru there 1 ! Mr. i ii he luffen • terrible pain ; Be just lias got married. And sadly lie's hat : And wishes to good in Ml he was single a The fourth of 1871 between Mr. Kyan, the present jodge of the County Court of the Central Judicial District, and Mr. ( kmniogbam, to which we refer later on: Well, here I am 0HOfl m<»re again, I scarcely know where to begin, It's so long since I took the tloor ilting for the do rtw. — For politics are all the go, length ami b re a d th the country, oh I ! in hound to go And plank my vote for neighbor Joe. I hardly know now what to say, I - there any one can tell me, pray? If not, then I will drum this kettle, And try and 'lectioneer a little. 236 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. I'll not abuse Mr. Cunningham, W a know he's not our countryman; He's got his till of (Jovernment lunch. So good-bye now to Billy Bunch. Now, boys, 1 think it is too bad He should call our man a little lad ; Goliath said lad, till the stone did sting; Lad I>avid slew hiiu with a sling, I've got to say. upon my word, thing to me is most absurd They should bring a man our votes to beg, Itom that noted city, One-eye-Peg. Joe is a man both true and smart. Who has our interest, too, at heart ; A countryman wh<. lives with us. A man we know we all can trust. He's promised that with all his might He'll advocate our cause and right ; If he's elected you may bet Your bottom dollar, our rights we'll get. Let each and every one read his address, 'Tis printed in the Winnipeg Free Press ; The platform is pure, and by it he'll abide, And to Ottawa I hope he'll ride. On polling day be all on hand, Each one who can a vote command ; March to the poll bold as a lion, And plank your vote for Joseph Ryan. For he's our own countryman, And for our rights I know he'll stand, He's the only man we can rely on, Hurrah ! Hurrah ! for Joseph Ryan. BB3T0BY OF MANITOBA. 237 Mr. Curtis died on the 6th of A 1874, having just returned from the Palestine district, whither he gone to secure a homestead and pre-emption. During his stay there be had taken out logs for buildings; an.! ako put up hay for his cattle. He had also, prior to this, in company with Charles Hay, Esq., now of Vancouver, B.C completed a large bri across Rat Cr isidenee of Kenneth lic- Cenaie, Ben. ( )n the evening of his return, after paying as his usua] custom, he desired lira Curtis and the baby to sleep in another room as he felt unwell and did not wish to be disturbed. Bis wife, noticing that he acted strangely, determined, tin- the child toe watch him. Towards midnight, an Indian boy arrived on horseback, with an order from his father, who had been employed by Curtis, for some provisions. Curtis told the hoy to put up his pony for the night, and desired his wife to make a shake-down for the lad This done, he walked out on the veranda in front of the house followed by Ifra Curtis, lit his pipe, took a few whiffe, and fell back on the grass. His wife ran to 1 ance. A premonition, however, told her that it was in vain. The last flutter of life was visible ; a moment more and she stood in the visible presence of death ; her husband had passed from the seen into the unseen, from the hadow into the light that lies beyond. She at once despatched the Indian lad for a doctor, and woke up the children and neighbors. Being a promi- nent freemason, the brothers of the craft, amongst whom were Charley Mair, Sandie Anderson and Charlie 16 HISTORY Of M LNTTOBA. House, took charge of the remains and had them in- terred with masonic rites at St. Mary's cemetery. Here they remained till 1«sn4. when they were taken up and reinterred in our west end cemetery, where a beautiful marble motrament marks his last resting- place. About this time also, an Indian who had been stealing horses, tailing and selling the carcasses for moose meat, was heard, while in a state of intoxication, to make a boast of it. stating that he only lacked two of having killed ten. most of them belonging to the Portage settlement. Assome of the finest horses owned by the settlers had mysteriously disappeared without their being able to find any trace of them, feeling ran high on the subject, and a warrant was issued by the council for his arrest. A constable was at once despatched, and the Indian arrested at Cram Creek. He was brought into the Portage and tried before a jury in Hudson's house, found guilty, and sentenced to be hung on an oak tree that grew in front of Fred Bird's old place. Exception being taken to the severity of the sentence by John Garrioch and others of the settlers, who contended that the council had no power to take away life, it was agreed to send him down to Fort Garry, to take his trial before the court of Assini- boia. He was detained a prisoner in the house where he received his trial. Fred Burr, a trader from Poplar Point, and John McLean were placed guard over him for the night. His arms were placed across his breast and tied. During the night he managed to loosen the rope with his teeth, and was endeavoring to raise the history OF MANITOBA. 239 window and escape. McLean, who had been watching his inov touched Burr, who was half-asleep, and patting the revolver that lay at his side whispered, "Let him try it." The Indian, hearing McLean whisper, knew that his game was up, that his efforts to escape bad been observed, and preferred remaining a prisoner to being shot in bie exit through the window. He was immediately re-pinioned, thia time with his hands behind his back, and in such a manner as made it impossible for him to loosen them. He was sent down to Fort Garry next day in charge of two constables, one of whom was Charles Curtis, and lodged in the gaol there. Bat it appears the door was never locked on him, and he made his escape, reaching the Poi i before the constables. An order for his re-arrest was d some months later from Port I farrj, and twenty- men mounted on horseback went south of the riyer to the sugar bush, in search of him. But the bird had flown, and was leisurely rusticating north at Lake Manitoba. Prom an old book in the possession of Mrs. Frederick Bird, I am enabled to give my readers an insight into the COUrtS of those early days. The following is a verbatim copy of the docket for January 7th, 1869 : Tihritobv of Manitoba, I « Quarterly Coubt. j & '**■ Court convened af W. Hodgson's house, January 7th, A.D. 1869, at 9 a.m. I M )CKET. 1. Dan. Shea j tw. Action for money. James Ash am. j 240 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Po-tponed — brought back- postponed again to the next court for want of evidence — brought back in- verdict for plaintiff for E8 ana costa of suit. Court orders an execution to be issued. Settled by the pari nit, 2. James Asham ^ . .. B ., [ Action tor the recovery or pro- John Spmee. j P ertv Postponed — brought back and dismissed 3. John Span \ Action to recover property. 1". McLean. | brought back— judgment against plaintiff by default. 4. The Public. ) . ,. , . ... ' Action tor recovery ot public K McLean. I property. Judgment rendered in favor of defendant, and ordered that F. McLean be paid ten shillings sterling for the freight and storage on the property in his hands, upon delivering the same to the treasurer. Many and humorous are the episodes connected with these old courts. Amongst the early litigants who figured prominently in its sessions was & gentle- man, still resident in the Portage, on whose shoulders the hand of time is beginning to bear heavily, and who has already been referred to in previous pages, who in those early years kept a store and also acted as a real estate agent. A valuable farm, about three miles east of the town, now owned by Mr. Richardson, was amongst the properties which this gentleman had history OF fiCANITOBA. 241 to dispose of. A bargain was made between him and a man by the name of Tom Hellia Shortly after the elusion of the transaction, our friend of the first part began to haul away the fence rails, Hellis, ing word of it, came along to where the primary owner was loading up, and asked him what lie was doin. ppose I -.M you the farm. I did nc4 the said the Beller, and proceeded with the *ork Belli _• that he did not mean to desist, grappled with him in close quarters. The old gent!. man, who generally wore bis hair long, came off ad Hellis could do with him almost what be pleased. While they were thus struggling, our old friend's wife came along, and ring Hellis with a revolver, -aid. - \\ y G-b-o-o-d, if ye hurt ma man J II shoot y<-.' The Bame gentleman being bort time president of the council in the ties, a communication waa sent to him by A. <;. Bannatyne, tin- first postmaster at Fort 3 '■ aneni postal communication between the ■r place and the Portage. Receiving no reply, he told some of the settlers, who interviewed the presi- dent about the matter, who replied thus, "What be he / only a postmaster, I'm Governor of the Porta In 1868 the Canadian Government, on hearing f the distress in Red River, instructed Mr. Snow, a sur- r, to proceed thither and open a road towards the north-west angle of the Lake of the Woods. While thus engaged, be agreed to purchase from the Indians a block of land five miles square, at St. Anne's Point (Du Chien), giving them flour, pork and drink in 242 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. exchange for the same. The half-breeds, considering that they were entitled to the land, part of which had been already numbered and claimed, at once lodged information with the local government Snow was at once brought before the courts, charged with selling Liquor to the Indians, and fined 660. The discontent caused by thifl transaction was so great that Snow and hia paymaster, Charlie Mair (now of Prince Albert), were for i time compelled to leave the locality. Mair, who had been corresponding for the Toronto Globe, did not help maltere any, m hia tetteri abounded with naive allnsionfl to the native character, which raised such a storm of indignation about his ears that he was only allowed to remain in the Province through the intervention of Governor McTavish, and on apologizing to the leading half-breeds and promising to write no more letters of such a nature. Snow was permitted to resume his duties after satisfying the half-breeds that he would content himself with doing the work ordered by the Government. The manipulation of the government stores by the officials in charge is spoken of to this day as a piece of wholesale jobbery. The Government intended the employees and poor people to receive their provisions at cost. Instead of follow- ing out their orders in this respect, employees were charged from £3 12s. to £5 per barrel of flour, which they should have had at £3. Some employees received orders on a store kept by Dr. Schultz, which were afterwards cashed by Dr. Bown, and a wholesale sys- tem of jobbery indulged in, discreditable to all con- cerned, and which latterly nearly cost Snow his life. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 243 In his deposition before the Government on May '21, L874, CoL Dennis implicated Dr. Schuliz as being con- cerned with Snow in the land transaction referred to. In L868Sii ELCartierand Eon. William Mc- Dougall were, by an order in council, appointed com- missioners to proceed to England and put themselves in communication with the Imperial Government and the Qudson Bay authorities, with ;i view to the acquisition by Canada of Rupert's Land, and to arrange for the admission of tin- North- West Territories. They sailed for the above country on the 3rd of October, L868. The first proposition of the Hudson Bay Com- pany was that they should relinquish the right of government and claim to the land, but retain a royalty interest in tin- land and mines, as well as certain reser- vations for hunting, and some trading privileges. This the commissioners declined t<> entertain, urging that whatever arrangements were made must be conclc and that all right of title to the land must he abso- lutely relinquished by the company, as well as the exclusive right <>t" trading, fishing, and other privi- leges. While these negotiations were going on, the Disraeli Government, winch was in power, was defeated, and in the changes which ensued Karl Granville was appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies. On the 18th of January, 1, negotiations were again resumed, and concluded by the 9th of March, which were as follows: That the Dominion Government should pay the Hudson Bay Company £300,000 on the surrender of their rights to the Imperial Govern- 841 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. men t, and thai the Imperial Government Bhonld, within nth of such trai transfer the same to Canada : the company retaining certain reservation* of land in the vicinity of their posts, which were ondercc a, and two sections in each survi township, amounting to about one-twentieth of the A pamphlet published this year showed the corn- own ah ".000 acres in the fertile belt preliminar . hill was passed by which tl rial Government agreed to guarantee a loan of 6300,000, to pay the Hudson Bay Company* ( "i condition in requirements being complied with by the Dominion Government, the date of trans- fer being fi the 1st of I tetober, 18< Preparations were at once begun by the Dominion authorities for this event* and to take advantage of the to survey t lie lines of the townships which it was proposed to divide the Red River ■nunt. Col. J. S. Dennis was directed by Hon. Wm. McBougall, Minister of Public Works, to proceed to the above, and prepare a plan for laying out said townships. After consulting with the United States and the ( frown Lands 1 Apartment of Canada, Dennis submitted his report, and on the 4th of October received an order to proceed with his survey. lifficulty having arisen with the Home Gov- ernment respecting the paying over of the £300,000 ' to the Hudson Bay Company, the date of transfer was postponed two months later on, to the 5th of December. Meanwhile the Dominion Government pushed its preparations. ^S uther l^' < .i:< il'l' <>l" I' \ IM V S5KTT1 HP! BISTOBI OF MANITOBA. 2 k7 On the 28th of September, by an order in council, the Bon.Wm. KcDougal] was appointed Lieutenant-Gover- nor of the North-Wt >t Territories, at a salary of 10 per annum, and instructed to proceed at once to Fort Garry and put himself in communication with rn >r ticTavish, of the Hudson Bay Company, at place. Mr. IfeDougal] reached Pembina on the 30th of October, accompanied by Ins family, A. \. Richards, the Attorney I I, and .1. A. M. Provencher, Secre- tary, and I 'apt. ( !amerorj ; as also 800 rifles and plenty of ammunition. Here he found a half-breed who had been awaiting arrival for several days, and who served 1dm with a formal notice toquit the territory. Disregard- ing this protest, he pushed two miles farther to the Hudson Day poet; from here he forwarded to the Secretary of State a report on the condition of the dosing in the same despatch Col. Dennis' account of his reception by the French half-breeds, and the feeling of the people anent bis reception as Lieutenant-4 tavernor. Prom this document, it would appear that while a surveying party under Mr. Webb were running a base line between townships six and seven, Riel, accom- panied by about twenty French half- breeds, approached the party and ordered them to desist, as the property they were surveying belonged to French half-breeds, saying that they would not allow it to be surveyed by the Canadian Government, and that they must at once retire from the south side of the Assiniboine. 248 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. During the altercation no violence was used, Riel and a few of his men simply stepping on the chain. Mr. Webb, though Beeing n<> arms <>n tbe French party, thought it prudent to niire at once, reporting the situation to GoL Dennis, who Applied to the Hudson authoriti »vernor IfcTavish and Dr. Cowan at onoe interviewed Ki<-1 anent the matter, who replied that the Canadian Government had no right to pro- ceed with the snrveyi without the consent of the half-brec th( r Leatang, who had charge of the St. Boniface Mission during the absence of Bishop (now Arch- bishop) Tache, who at that time was on his way to attend the (Ecumenical Council at Rome, was appealed to. Lestang declined to interfere, lest by doing so the influence of the Church over the people should be lessened. Dennis went on further to say that meetings of the disaffected half-breeds had been held at various places, notably at the house of John Bruce, where resolutions were passed to resist, by force if necessary, McDou- gall's entrance into the territory ; that an armed force of about forty French half-breeds had gathered at the River Salle, on the road between Fort Garry and Pembina ; also that another body under Riel was camped at Scratching River, nearer the boundary, for that purpose. Col. Dennis concluded his report by saying that the attitude of the English-speaking colonists was that, though they had every confidence in the future government of the country under Cana- dian rule, and were prepared to accept the new admin- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 249 istration, even though it had been made up in Canada without ever consul ting them as a people — a fact which they regretted, and which certainly was the cause of the trouble on the part of the French — that they were not prepared to face an issue with these people, with whom they had hitherto lived in friendship, hacked up as that issue would he by the Church of Rome and the Indians; that as the Dominion Gov- ernment had been the cause of this trouble, they alone should assume the* responsibility of establishing what and they alone had decided : that they were willing, should the Council make an appeal to the settlement, to meet unarmed and escort the Hon. Win. M< l)ougall to Fort Garry, and show to the French party under arms that they were opposed to the pre- sent threatening movement assumed by them towards McDougall. < >n Learning tie- attitude of the French towards him, licDougall remained at the Hudson Bay post, waiting a reply from Governor MoTavish by Mr. Provencher, whom he had despatched with a message. Provencher was stopped at Scratching River, and sent back under escort, with the warning that none of his party would be allowed to proceed to Bed River. I >n the Lai of December, Col. Dennis and Wm. Hal- lett, by making tour of the prairie, avoiding the French stationed at Scratching River, reached the Hudson Bay post at Pembina, from Fort Garry, and reported that the French were very excited and that the Hudson Bay authorities were either powerless or disinclined to take any steps to secure McDougall's 850 HISTORY OF MANlTiUlA. entrance into Fort Garry. On the 2nd of November, a party of fourteen men approached the post, and warned IfcDougall to leave \<>t complying with this notice, they renewed the warning nexi morning, Ing that unless he and his party the post hy nine o'clock they would not answer tor their lives, and showing by other military preparations that they • prepared to put the threat into execution; IfcDougall deemed it wise to retire at once to United States territory, whither be was esourted by a party ranch, wlm. when they reached the post that marks the 49th parallel, stopped, aud addressing Mr. IfcDougall in Preach, said: " Fori mUS< nol return ad this line." About this time Minors began to be circulated at Fort Garry that tie- insurgents intended to take possession of the fort, of which the authorities were duly warned by Sergeant Mulligan, Chief of the Police at Fort Garry, and others-. Mulligan urged Dr. Cowan to call out a number of the special constables, as also the pen- sioners, for its defence. NO notice, however, was taken of these warnings by Governor McTavi-h. The mails which passed at this time were also inter- cepted. All letters for tho^e favorable to Canada were stopped, and a general surveillance exercised over all matter coming to the settlement. This occasioned great trouble in getting reliable informa- tion as to the true state of matters. CHAPTER XII. BbeUkn of 1870 Kel and Governor MoTavish Counci] a and McDougaU & i 1 \ Smith ©of Scbultz Second Bffloi l; p rnment ° N &«*fcen , of November a Force of armed men, to the Dumber of about one hundred : H>Proaching • ry Erom the Etiver Salle Road. They walked through the open gates, and pro- r once t() bille( roughout the vari,,u ^ h " ]: '■«• fori Appoaching Kiel, Dr. an said, "What do yon want ben with all those ed men ' • We have oome to guard the I Wei "Against whom," said Dr. (Wan. fast an enemy," said Kiel. The French at once pro- ceeded to exchange their shot-guns for Enfield rifles, 1 t1 "- - Bard, and placed the cannon in position Eaving plenty of ammunition and small arms, as also provisions and stores sufficient to last the winter, they felt themselves masters of the situation, and that the first grand act in the great drama of llion had been consummated Four days after occupying the fort, Riel walked down to the office of the Ntf-WeaUr, to which we have referred in the earlier pages, and directed Walter Bohn, the proprietor, to print a proclamation, which Bohn refused to do. He w* at once made a prisoner. 252 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and a guard placed over the office, while the proclama- tion was printed under the supervision of James At this juncture, Riel was joined by \V. B. O'Dono- vrho assumed the duties of treasurer, and who, at this time, occupied the position of teacher in the Roman Catholic school at St. Boniface; as also private tutor to Governor McTavish's children, and who began at once to collect the usual four per cent, imposed on all men-ham foe, as was the custom with the EndflOO Bay Company; also inspecting all goods coming from the United States. He also seized ral single and double buffalo hunting gone, with a (juantity of ammunition, which was a severe loss to the owners, who could obtain no redress, as " might was right." O'Donohue also, in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Commons, of the 26th of February, 1875, sayfl the insurrection was advised by Governor Wm. McTavish, who, with other officers of the Hudson Bay Company, also aided and abetted it from its incep- tion to the very day it ceased to exist; that Riel was in constant communication with Governor McTavish, and in many cases under his instructions ; that he (Governor McTavish) fully recognized the provisional government; that Donald A. Smith, on arriving at Fort Garry, recognized the government in his own hearing, and, with Governor McTavish, was Riel's adviser. During his stay in the fort, and after the departure of both these from the country, Riel continued to hold counsel with John McTavish, who then represented the Hudson Bay Company. BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 253 The capture of the fort, with the seizure of the arms, showed the Canadians that the aim of the French was to establish a government by force if necessary. A numerously signed petition was pre- sented Governor IffcTavish, urging him to issue a proclamation calling upon the insurgents to lay down their arms. This was presented on the 12th. Though unwilling I time the proclamation of . which ran as follow u Public notice to the inhabitants of Rupert's Land. — The President and representatives of the French- speaking population of Rupert's Land in council (the invaders of our rights being now expelled), already *war mpathy, do extend the hand of friend- ship to you. our fellow friendly inhabitants, and in so doing, do hereby invite you to send twelve rep from the following pla John's, I ; II ingly, l : >r. Mary's, 1 ; St. Clement's, I ; St Paul's, 1 ; St - M I: Kil.ionan, I ; St. An- ,ln ' v - l : Winnipeg or Fort Garry, 2, in order to form one body with the above council, consisting of twelve memben rider the present political state of this country, and to adopt such may be best fitted for the future welfare of the same. A meeting of the above council will be held at the "ii Thursday, the sixteenth day of ember, at which the invited representatives will ttd. I \j order of the President, "Louis Riel. "Four Gabby, Nov. 6th, 1869." -"•I- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. with the hope that they might influence the con- vention to good purpose, they finally agreed to send the following delegates to represent their interests: EnGLISB RfXMBEBa t Garry— H. F. Kenny, II. F. O'Lone. Kildonaa — James I Joss. St. John's — Maurice Luuman. St. Paul's— Dr. Bird St. Andrew's — 1 km. < Num. I Stamen! i, Bonn, St. Peter's Benry Prince. St. James' — Robert Tait. St. Ann's — George Gunn. Headin-ly— Win. Tait. Portage la Prairie — John Garrioch. French Mi:mi;i:ks. St. Francis Xavier — Francois Dauphinas, Pierre Poitras, Pierre Laviellier. St. Boniface— W. B. O'Donohue. St. Vital — Andre Beauchemin, Pierre Paranteau. St. Norbert — Baptiste Lowron, Louis Lacerte. St. Anne's — Charles Nolin, Jean Baptiste Perrault. John Bruce, President. Louis Riel, Secretary. The convention was held in the court-house, and was guarded by one hundred and fifty of the insur- gents, armed. This unusual precaution so worked on the feelings of one of the English-speaking delegates (Maurice Lowman) that he returned home. BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 255 The first day's business was occupied by the reading of Governor McTavish's proclamation, which was a weak production, regarded by the English as a farce, by the French as certainly a weak show of authority, and which had do influence on those whom it concerned, and i protest on the part of the English members against carrying arms. The 18th and 19th, being quarterly court days, the convention was adjourned till the 22nd, when they again met, and a lengthy discussion Followed on the advantages to be gained by union with Canada. After dragging it- way for several hours without coming to any definite conclusion, an English representative rose, and proposed that the French lay down their arms, and thai IfcDougal] be allowed to enter the territory, that all parties might be enabled to lay their griev- ances before him and seek redress. At this bus tion Kiel rose excitedly, and said that McDougall would never enter the territory, either as a pri citizen or governor. This broke up the convention for the day. The following morning the French seised the books and records of the Council of Assiniboia, and, at the meeting of the representatives, declared it their inten- tion to form a provisional government, which the English delegates averred was a question they could not < without consulting their constituents, and the convention stood adjourned till the 1st of Decem- ber. Strange to say, at the quarterly court, though several criminal cases were disposed of, no reference was 17 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. ma«le whatever to the occupation of the fort and other unwarrantable act- committed by Riel and his asso- Bitherto the French had matlc no attempt to usurp the Budson Bay authority, but on the 24th, Riel tut. red the office of Roger Goulet, Collector of Customs, and t<>.«k possession of all books, papers, cash an insure peace in future. LI That all privily >ms and usages existing at the time of the transfer be respected. 18. That these rights be guaranteed by Mr. Mc- Dougall before he be admitted into this territory. 14. If he have not the power himself to grant them, he must get an Act of Parliament passed expr raring as the rights, and until such Act be obtained he mu>t stay outside the territory. 16. That we have full and fair representation in the Dominion Parliament. The first of December also being the day appointed for the transfer of the country by the Imperial to the Canadian Government, McDougall,who with his family and suite had been residing at Pembina, watching anxiously the progress of events, issued a proclamation announcing his appointment as Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West, not knowing that the Canadian Government had delayed the completion of the trans- fer in view of the unfortunate position of affairs in the country — by this means making himself a laugh- ing-stock to the insurgents, who knew that no transfer had been effected. At the same time he issued a lengthy commission authorizing Col. J. S. Dennis, his lieutenant and conservator of the peace, giving him powers to raise, arm and equip troops for that purpose. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 259 Armed with this commission, Dennis proceeded to Fort Garry, where he put himself in communication with the friends of law and order, Taking possession of the lower fort, he appointed officers in the different I' ;iri ; began enrolling names. At first there dderable enthusiasm among the English half- breeds. Henry Prince, with his hand of Indians, also volunteered, and very soon he had abont four hundred men enrolled throughout the various parishes, A report spreading that McDougall was enrolling Indians to fight the French. caused a wave of indigna- tion from the people of the Dakota and Minnesota boundaries, who did not appreciate the horrors of an Indian war. This called from McDougall a repudia- tion to the effect that the Government had no inten- tion of employing Indians far that purpose. As an effect of this repudiation, and a feeling of lukewarm- supplanting early enthusiasm many of the volnn- sing men of means, began to realize the fact that in the coming struggle they would be the first to suffer. Dennis, finding that the project for raising troops to secure and preserve the peace was impracticable under existing circumstances, and his own Commission worthless in view of the fact that no official notification of the transfer had been made, abandoned the attempt. Before retiring to Pembina, however, he received a promise from Riel to confer with McDougall, which promise Riel never intended to fulfil, his aim being to get Dennis to cease enrolling men. Dennis, finding the situation getting hot, and without sufficient military force to fall back upon, 2G0 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. determined to vacate Red River ; and in order to escape capture by Riel dressed himself as a squaw, and was taken, pel dog train, to Portage la Prairie by Wm. Drever, thence to Pembina, where he returned with McDougall to Canada, leaving Pembina on the 18th of I I vmber. On the breaking up of the convention Riel, who had heard th.it lleDougall's proclamation was being printed at the office of the X"/- Wester, went down to arrest Mr. Bonn, the proprietor, and take possession of the otlicv. but in this case he was too late. The proclamation had been printed, and was in process of circulation, affording occupation for his armed guards, who patrolled the street later on in the evening to tear them down from where they had been posted. This same evening he visited Dr. Schultz's house with the intention of arresting the Doctor, whom, above all others, he dreaded. The attempt, however, only suc- ceeded in alarming Mrs. Schultz, who was an invalid, the Doctor having gone to the lower fort to confer with Colonel Dennis. Excitement ran high in the town that evening ; Canadians were placed under surveillance, and a feeling of insecurity pervaded the entire place. About fifty Canadians, who had enrolled under Colonel Dennis, proceeded to Dr. Schultz's house to protect the stores of the Canadian Government ; and, though imperfectly armed, endeavored to put the place, which was soon in a state of siege by Riel, in the best defence possible. Several times a collision seemed inevitable ; both parties, however, seemed anxious to avoid firing the HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 261 first gun. For three days they remained there, hoping that Colonel Dennis would he able to raise a force to relieve them, who, finding that be could not possibly dose hrd a messenger named Stewart Mulkins, with instructions for them to Leave Winnipeg and go to Kildonan ir, K. 1\ Meade, Henry Wood in ton, W. J. Allen, Thos. Langman, L W. Archibald, Matthew is, Robt. B. Smith, A.R. Chiaholm, T. C. Mugridge, .1. H. A-hdown, J. H. Stocks, Mr-. Mair, Dr. Lynch, Geo. Foilteney, Wm. Graham, Win. Nummins, Wm. Kitaon, John Ferguson, Wm. Spice, Thos. Lusted, E. E. Palmer, Archibald Wright, James 0. Kent, John Eclles, (; ,1. A. W. Graham, John Hallett, Mrs. O'Donnell, James Stewart, D. A. Campbell, Dr. O'Con- nell, W. V. Hyman. James Mulligan, Charles Garratt, T. Franklin, H. Weightman, Geo. Berbar, Peter Mc Arthur, J. M. Coombs, John Ivy, Geo. Millar, D. Cameron, Mrs. Schultz. Dr. Schultz, with the majority, was confined within the walls, while Scott, with a few others, was thrown into the Hudson Bay prison outside. That evening, Riel and his court toasted the success qi their dupli- city in Hudson Bay rum, getting outrageously drunk. The following day, he issued a proclamation or declara- tion of independence. On the 10th, the new white flag of the provisional government fluttered on the breeze from the flagstaff of the fort, on which was interlaced the fleur delis of France with the shamrock of Ireland. The condition of the prisoners is well described by G. D. Mc Vicar, who writes as follows : " On arriving at Fort Garry, we were received by volleys of mus- ketry, and imprisoned in three rooms. In these rooms HISTORY <>r "MAM h 269 we were packed so close that we had to break the windows to keep from suffocation. In one there was a bed and table, and in that room the poor fellows found themselves in the morning in a position something like the following: seven on the bed, two under it, two un< lev the table, and the remaining spaee literally packed with human beings. One man slept all night hanging on the bed-post. We were fed on petnmiean and tea lirty-eight, myself included, were removed to Fort Garry gaol, the worst indignity of all. The mall, and unhealthy — a narrow hall and m.\ cells, I by nine, filthy in the extreme, and crawling with vermin. Wrvr I remained until [ escaped with four others, putting in existence as best could." The position of the colony was now an interesting one. Riel, without striking a blow or shedding one drop of blood, was master of the situation. Col. Dennis and MeDougall had returned to Canada. He had up- ward- of sixty British political prisoners in close con- finement, amongst whom were persons whose influence and personal bravery he feared most. The fort, with large supplies of ammunition, stores, etc., was under his control. His armed guards patrolled the streets in the eveni: Canadian suspects not imprisoned were placed under surveillance. Security for per- sonal or other property there was none. Such was the condition of matters when, on the morning of the 10th, he unfurled the flag of the provisional govern- ment. His enemies practically under his feet, he turned his attention to the administration of public BISTORT of MANITOBA. affairs. John Bruce resigned the presidency, which was assumed by Kiel ; Lepine was appointed Ad- jutant -General ; Bannatyne, Postmaster- General ; ( >'l >onohue continuing as Treasurer. Councillors were appointed, who met daily to confer on public matters. Dr. Schultzs goods were taken possession of, under an edict of confiscation, by the council, and a strong effort made to win over the neighboring Indians to join the Insurgents, which Ceiled, be c a n ee of the only bit of ralship done by McDougall while residing at Pembina. He authorized Joseph Monk man, an English half-breed, who had considerable influence with the Indians, to visit their camps, explain the position, and urge them to remain faithful to the Great Mother over tin- sea. So successful was Monkman in his mission that not an Indian joined the standard of the rebels. His position being tolerably secured, and desirous of having an organ through which to express his will, Riel purchased, on the 22nd of December, from William Caldwell, the Red River Pioneer, which, from its inception, had been published in the interests of the Hudson Bay Company, paying for it that same after- noon with funds seized from the accountant of the company. The Canadian authorities, on receiving McDougall's despatch, at once opened communication with the Sec- retary of State, at the Colonial Office in London (by telegraph), advising him from time to time regarding affairs in the North-West. They also put themselves in communication with parties who were supposed to have influence with the insurgent element. Amongst HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 265 these were Vicar-General Thibault, who had been over thirty years in the North- Wot, Col. De Salaherry, as also Donald A. Smith, chief agent of the Hudson Bay Company at Montreal. These all accepted a ion for the purpose of effecting peace. Mr. Smith empowered by special commission to inquire into all grievances, and to report on the best means of removing them. A proclamation was also issued by the Governor-General, Lord Lisgar, authorised by the Colonial Office, proclaiming amnesty to all who immediately dispersed To further insure success, the authorities at Ottawa opened communication with Bishop Tache, then' in Rome, through his brother, the Bishop of Bimonski, who was also in the II«>ly City, asking if he would be willing to leave Rome and proceed at <>nce to Red River, knowing that he, if any, could wield an intluence over the insurgents for good. On receiving an affirmative reply, he was i by despatch to leave at once. The first of these commissioners who arrived at Fort Garry was Vicar- General Thibault, who reached the village on the 20th. Mr. Smith followed on the 27th, while De Salaberry remained at Pembina several days. Mr. Smith, not knowing what kind of a reception he would receive, left his commission and other papers at Pembina. " Reaching the fort," he says, " we found the gate open, but guarded by several armed men. On desiring to be shown to Governor McTavish's house, I was re- quested to wait till they could communicate with their chief. In a short time, Riel appeared. I an- nounced my name. He said he had heard of my arrival HISTORY of MANITOBA. 267 at Pembina, and was about to send a party to bring me. I accompanied him to a room occupied by ten or twelw in. mi. whom lie introduced to me as members of the provisional government Requesting to know the purport of my visit. I replied that I was connected with tiic Bndson Bay Company, hut also held a com- mission from the Canadian Government to the people of the Red River, and would produce my credentials as soon as they, the people, were willing to receive me I was then asked to take oath not to attempt to leave the fort that night, and not to npeet the government legally established. This I refused to do, adding that being very tired, 1 had no desire to go outside the gate that night, and promised to take no Immediate forcible steps to upset the so-called provisional government, legal or i « it might be, without announcing my Intention to do so Etiel taking exception to the word Illegal, which ! Insisted on retaining, O'Donohue, to get over the difficulty, remarked, "That is, is I under- Aning myself): to which I replied, " Pn- y so." I took up my quarters in one of the houses occupi.-d by the Hudson Bay officers, and from that date till the close of February was virtually a prisoner within the fort. I was permitted to go outside the walls for exercise, accompanied by two armed guards: a privilege of which I never availed myself." On the 5th of January, 1870, Col. De Salaberry arrived at the fort. Two days later the first issue of the New Nation, Riel's official organ, came out, edited by Robinson, an American. In a leader headed " Our Policy," the following pertinent remarks appear : 268 HISTORY Off MANITOBA. " Something as to our policy will be expected from us in this Dumber, .ml we prooeed briefly to define our ion. In common with the majority of this settle- ment, we regard the Hudson Bay government as obsolete end never to be resuscitated The Dominion rernment, by its criminal blunders end gross injus- tice to thifl people, lias forever alienated them, and by their forfeiture of all right to our respect will prevent us in future from either seeking or permitting its protection. " The Imperial Government we consider to be too far distent to intelligently administer our affairs. The rion arises, then, what form of government is best adapted for the development of this country ? and we reply unhesitatingly, that the United States Republic s us to-day that system of government which would best promote order and progress in our midst and open up rapidly a country of magnificent resources; but in our present dependent position we cannot obtain what we need in that direction, and hence we will hold it to be our duty to advocate independence for the people of Red River as a present cure for public ills. Our annexation to the United States will follow in time, and bring with it the advantages this land requires." The arrival of D. A. Smith also was noticed, but not as a commissioner to treat with the people, simply stating that he had come to assist Governor McTavish during his illness, in the management of the company's affairs. On the 9th of January, Thomas Scott, Charlie Mair HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 269 an at Pembina, bat that he would send a friend for thnn if he would irive him an opportunity to address tie- people, to which Riel i. and the messenger a once despatched Kiel endeavored to get poe sion of the papers before they reached Smith, who now kept a dose prisoner, not being allowed to speak to any one. The papers being forthcoming, a ting was, with some difficulty on tin- part of Riel, arranged for the 19th, at which the commission and proclamation would be read. On the day appointed a large concourse of people assembled There being no puhlic building large enough to hold them, it was determined to hold the meeting in the open air ; and though the thermometer ranged twenty degrees below the proceedings were kept up till nightfall, and renewed the next day, owing to the reading of the papers not being completed BISTORT OF MANITOBA. The first day the business was very much interrupted on frivolous points by Riel. Mr. Smith began his address by requesting the chairman and those near him to insist that all arms should be laid down, and also the flag of the provisional government pulled down and replaced by the Union .lack. The chairman replied to Smith that that would come better at an after stage. On the second day the D lance was still larger. After all the documents had been submitted to the people, Rid moved, seconded by Bannatyne, that twenty Kn-lish representatives be elected to meet a like number of French, to consider object of Mr. Smith's commission and decide what would be best for the welfare of the country. Considerable di -tion was felt by the English half-breeds and loyal French, who regarded it Mr. Smith's first duty as commissioner to request the release of all the British prisoners imprisoned without a just cause, many of whom were known to be suffering terribly from incarceration in a crowded room and fetid dens of the prison ; also to demand the pulling down of the fleurde lis and shamrock, and its replace- ment by the Union Jack. On the 23rd of January, Dr. Schultz, who suspected from the whispering of the guards that his death by shooting had been determined upon by Riel, resolved to escape: A small gimlet and penknife had been con- veyed to him ; a clever stratagem on the part of his faithful wife. Sunday being very cold and dark, he set to work, and after eight hours' labor had made a hole large enough to squeeze through. Previous to HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 271 this, h». had cut his buffalo robe into strips; placing /unlet firmly inside, he fastened his strips to it and let himself down into the inner court. Before reaching o the ground the -trips broke, precipitating him on to the "'neath and seriously injuring his leg. With con- siderable pain he climbed the outer wall and threw himself from the top, landing in a snow-drift formed by the angle of the wall and bastion. Though wry lame, he succeeded in making his way through the Tillage to KiMunan, where he was kindly received and I for under the friendly roof of Robert McBeth. The night being very cold. Kiel's guards were too com- fortable indoors to venture out, while the drifting snow covered up immediately the refugee's footprints. On discovering in the morning that his much- dreaded prisoner had I Kiel Sent horsemen in all possible directions to recapture him. His fellow- prisoners, judging from the excitement among the guards that Schultz had escaped, began to show their feeling by indulging in songs, but Kiel put a ha stop to their music by taking William Hallett.a much eted half-breed, ironing him hand and foot, and throwing him into that part of the prison from which the Doctor had escaped. The New Nation, in comment- ing on this incident, had the following: " It appears the Doctor was confined in an upper room of one of the buildings at the fort, closely attended by a guard ; in the evening in question he requested the guard to retire from the room while he changed his clothes. The guard gone, the Doctor cut his robe into strips, and having by some means procured a large gimlet 18 272 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. which he inserted into the wall below the window-sill, he fastened the line to it and let himself down to the ground. Two st Lttem were seen about the fort late in the night, winch led to the supposition that his pe was effected with the knowledge of some out- side party. Bo this as it may. Certain it is that the redoubtable Doctor is once more enjoying his rations without having his potatoes progged with a bayonet, and is permitted the luxury of a clean shirt-collar without the ceremony of an examination for letters in cipher." On the 25th, the convention arranged for at the previous meeting met in the court-house, remaining in session, with the exception of two days, till the 10th of February. The following was the personnel : English. St. Peter's — Rev. H. Cochrane, Thomas Spence. St. Clement's — Thomas Bunn, Alexander McKenzie. St. Andrew's — Judge Black, Don. Gunn, sen., Alfred Boyd. St. Paul's— Dr. Bird. Kildonan — John Fraser, John Sutherland. St. John's — James Ross. St. James'— George Flett, Robert Tait. Headingly — John Taylor, William Lonsdale. St. Mary's — Kenneth McKenzie. St. Margaret's — William Cummins. St. Ann's — George Gunn, David Spence. Winnipeg — A. H. Scott. bistort of manitoba. 273 French. St. Paul's— M. Thibet, Alexander Pagee, Maquer Birston. St. Francois Xavier — Xavier Page, Pierre Poitras. St. Charles'— A. McKay, I. F. Grant St. Boniface— W. B. O'Donohue, A. Lepine, Joseph Genti'n. Louis Schmidt St. Vital — Louis Riel, A. Beauchemin. St. Norbert — P. Parenteau, V. Larouche, B. Lowron. Pointe Coupee — Louis Lacerte, P. Delorme. Oak Point— Francis Nolin, C. Nolin. Point a Girouette — George Klyne. Judge Black was called to the chair, Caldwell and Schmidt acting as secretaries while Riel and James played the role of interpreters. The first day nothing was don<\ owing to the absence of three of the French members. On the third, • committee composed of Thomas Bunn, James Ross, Dr. Bird, Louis Riel, Louis Schmidt, and Charles Nolin, were appointed to draft a Bill of Rights to be submitted to Donald A. Smith. The bill was reported to the convention on the 29th of January, and afterwards discussed, clause by clause, occupying in this criticism up to the 5th of February, when it was finally adopted, and presented to Smith on the 7th. It was as folio* Second Bill of Rights. Adopted by the convention chosen by the people of Red River, after the meeting with Donald A. Smith, February 3rd, 1870. 2^4 HISTORY 01 MANITOBA. 1. That in view of the present exceptional position of the North-West, duties upon goods imported into the country shall continue as at present (except as in the case of spirituous liquors) for three years, and for such farther time as may elapse until there be unin- terrupted railway communication between Red River settlement and St. Paul, and also steam communication between Red River settlement and Lake Superior. 2. As long as this country remains a territory in the Dominion of Canada, there shall be no direct taxation, such as may be imposed by the local legislatures, for municipal or other purposes. 3. That during the time this country shall remain in the position of a territory in the Dominion of Canada, all military, civil and other public expenses in connection with the general government of the country, or that have hitherto been borne by the pub- lic funds of the settlement, beyond the receipt of the above-mentioned duties, be met by the Dominion of Canada. 4. That while the burden of public expense in this territory is borne by Canada, the country be governed by a Lieutenant-Governor from Canada, and a legisla- ture, three members of whom, being heads of depart- ments of the Government, shall be nominated by the Governor-General of Canada. 5. That after the expiration of this exceptional period, the country shall be governed as regards its local affairs, as the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec are now governed, by a legislature elected l?y the people, and a minister responsible to it, under a Lieu- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 275 tenant-Governor appointed by the Governor-General of Canada. 6. That there shall be no interference by the Dominion Government in the local affairs of this terri- tory, other than is allowed in the other provinces, an-1 that this territory shall have and enjoy in all respects the same privileges, advantages and aids. In meeting the public expenses of the territory, as the other provinces have and enjoy. 7. That while the North- West remains a territory the legislature has the right to pass all laws local to the territories, over the veto of the Lieutenant ernor, by a two-thirds vote. 8. A homestead and pre-emption law. 9. That while the North-WesJ remains a territory l' 000 a year be appropriated for sel roads and bridges. 10. That all the public buildings be at the expense of the Dominion treasury. 11. That there shall be guaranteed uninterrupted steam communication to Lake Superior within five years ; and also the establishment, by rail, of a connec- tion with the American railway as soon as it reaches the international line. 12. That the military force required in this country imposed of natives of the country during four years. [Lost by a vote of 16 yeas to 23 nays, and conse- quently struck out of the list.] 13. That the English and French languages be com- mon in the legislature and courts, and that all public 276 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. documents and acts of the legislature be published in both languages. 14. That the Judge of the Supreme Court speak the French annly on condition that we first be allowed the amount for which we shall he held liable. After examining the bill, Smith gave his reply, con- clude Hows: "I have now on the part of the Dominion Government, as authorized by them, to invite the appointment by the residents of Red River, ieet and confer with them at Ottawa, of a dele- gation of two or more of the residents of Red River as they may think best, the delegation to confer with the Government and Legislator*, and explain the want- and wishes of the Red River people, as well as to discuss and arrange for the representation of the country in Parliament. On the part of the Government, I am authorized to offer a very cordial reception to the delegates who may be sent from this country to Canada. I feel every confidence that the result will be entirely satisfactory to the people of the North- West; it is, I know, the desire of the Canadian Government that it should be so." The selection of delegates was the order of business on the 8th, and involved more than the English tf& BBROR? OF MAMTnllA. represent had calculated on. Riel, Ross and O'Donohue urged the recognition and reorganization of the proviflioi rnment before delegates should be appointed. The English delegates contended they had not power to vote on this question without consulting their constituents, that the Budson Bay was the only verninent until the transfer. The result of an animated discussion, during which Suther- land and Fraser withdrew and consulted Governor RfeTavish, who advised them in the following words: " Form a government, for God's sake, and restore peace and order in the settlement." On returning to the convention, aft.i- some further discussion, a committee was appointed to disease and decide the basis and detail of the provisional government to be formed for Rupert's Land and the North-West Territories. It is only justice to Alfred Boyd, of St. Andrew's, to say that he refused to take any part in this government, and withdrew from the convention. On the evening of the 9th the committee pre- sented their report, recommending a council of twenty- four members, twelve French and twelve English, also the names of the officers, with the exception of the President, which was afterwards filled in, and which were as follows : President, Louis Riel ; Judge Su- preme Court, James Ross ; Sheriff, Henry McKenney ; Coroner, Dr. Bird ; Postmaster-General, A. G. B. Ban- natyne ; Collectors of Customs, John Sutherland (now Senator), and Roger Goulet ; Secretary of State, Thomas Bunn ; Assistant Secretary of State, Louis Schmidt ; Secretary of the Treasury, W. B. O'Donohue. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 279 The result of this election, according to the New Nation, ran as follows : "The confirmation of Louis Rid as President of the provisional government of Rupert's Land by the con- vention was announced mid salvos of artillery from the fort and cheers from the delegates. The town »med the announcement by a grand display of tii-. -works and the general andeontinned discharge of small arma The firing and cheering were prolonged the night, every one joining in the general enthu- i as the result of the amicable union of all parties on one common platform. A general amnesty to political prisoners will shortly be proclaimed, and the soldiers remanded to their homes to await orders, and everything be placed upon a peace footing. Vive la Re/' The adoption of the committee's report, with the consequent rejoicing on the part of his followers, so ied Riel that orders were at once issued giving ernor HcTaviah, Dr. Cowan and Bannatyne full liberty, as also the promise that all the prisoners would shortly be released. A ballot taken on the 10th for delegates to Canada resulted in the election of the Rev. M. Richot, Judge Black, and A. F. Scott. Riel objected to the latter, on the ground that one half-breed at least should accom- pany the delegates. On the 10th, he dismissed the convention with the following remarks: "The first provisional government assumes the full responsibility of its acts. As to the prisoners, I only repeat the assur- ance given yesterday that all will be released, some in 280 HISTORY Of MANITORA. one way, some in another. A few will have to leave the country, as men considered dangerous to the public if left at large. The hardship in their ease will not be great, m they are single men. Win. Ballet! will be released after giving full guarantees. With reference to Dr. Schultz, the position ifl this, he is exiled forever, and if found in the country is liable to be shot. His pro}- ded for the support of the present government. I will further say that it is at least desirable, and I would request it, that if any one sees him in the country he should report it. A. D. Lepine, who is in charge of the fort, will administer the oath of allegiance to prisoners who are to be released ; as for Schultz, as I have already said, his goods are confiscated, as in this way some of those to whom he is indebted will be provided for." Thus ended the celebrated convention, and Riel having suc- ceeded in getting the endorsement to some extent of the English parishes — an object for which he had schemed hard — was in no haste to release the remainder of the prisoners, as was soon apparent. This delay, with the harsh measures adopted towards Schultz, raised the feeling of the English settlers against him, and they at once organized a relief force under Major Boulton at Portage la Prairie, and Dr. Schultz in the lower Red River settlement. The account of this expedition in the next chapter is from the lips of one of the leading spirits. CHAPTER XIII. KtiontoRel Sutherland Kill.,! l'.oultoii and Narrow fatSflM Excitement— Arch- bisfaopT romRomc Schnlta Goes to Canada Trial sad Death of Thomas Scott Gadd Arrival of Tache Delegates t<><)?t.i\\.i Indignation in Ontario Return of Delegates. "On the afternoon of the 9th of February, the Pori contingent, to the number of fifty, well armed with mms, ammunition and battering rams, which were packed in sleighs, proceeded, as per appointment, to unite with the settler* of the outlying district at Poplar Point, haying previously elected Major Boulton captain. The Dlght was .lark, and \\v bad just reached Poplar Point when it began t<> snow heavily, the wind also rising till it blew a regular old-time blizzard, which continued during the night and all day. Nothing of any account occurred till we (bed White Horse Plain, where we were challenged by a sentry, who demanded where we were going. To this John Dillworth, who was afterwards taken prisoner, replied, *To bury Mr. So-and-so.' This appar- ently Satisfied the sentry, and we passed on without further molestation till we reached Headingly, where we were billeted among the settlers for the night, and the next day in the church. M At a meeting held in the above place, I was appointed, with Murdoch McLeod, to work up the lower settlement, while Gaddy and Sabine were sent 282 HISTORY Of MANITOBA. among the loyal French half-breeds to the south. On Saturday we started out, travelling all Saturday night and calling at the house of even* prominent settler. By daylight on Sunday morning we had reached Mapleton, where we met Dr. Schultz at the home of Chief Factor Murray, of the Hudson Bay service. Here we had breakfast, after which we went to the church and had a conversation with the people, urging them to rise and aid u^ in the relief of the prisoners. Leav- ing simpleton, we proceeded to St. Peter's, where we arrived during divine service. I at once proceeded into the church and took out Henry Prince, chief of the band of Indians there, and Joseph Monkman, and arranged for a conference. After a satisfactory inter- view, we returned towards Fort Garry, calling again on those whom we had interviewed on the way up, reporting success. " Travelling all Sunday night, we reached Redwood on Monday morning, where McLeod left me and went on to meet our own men, while I returned on Monday night, meeting with good success everywhere with the exception of Kildonan. At St. Andrew's I met Henry Prince and his people, who were on their way to Fort Garry, and who occupied the school-house, parsonage and neighboring houses. This evening the Doctor and Mrs. Schultz met for the first time after his escape from the fort. Colin (now Sheriff) Inkster, of Winnipeg, brought her down from Fort Garry in a cutter. By this time Riel had heard of my move- ments, and no less than fifteen sleighs and cutters were scouring the country for me. Fortune, or a kind HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 283 Providence, however, favored me, for while I was in one of the houses they all passed by, and I could see then i ling a hill on tin- west side of the river while i tending on the east, but did not know re then. "• 1 proc twards Fort Garry, reporting on the way that the whole settlement was rising. Reaching bouse of a friend, 1 laid down and attempted to ;. having been on the road three days and three nights, but could not, my oerves were so excited. Here MeLeod came to me, and told me that our people bad passed the fort and reached Kildonan. Tl ably surprise. 1 me, as the und. r>tanding was tliat the meet at Redwood, and the Pori men I at once arose and proceeded to Kildonan, where I found Archdeacon Cowley in the •f addressing our people, warning them that if re were any bloodshed they would be held nspon- Speaking for bis own people at St. Peter's, be said. 'There would not a man of them turn out.' AJ I entered the church I was asked, ' How is it?' I replied, 'The whole settlement is pp and within three miles of the chinch.' At this a tiger was given, while many tossed their caps in the air. Archdeacon Cowley, rinding things against him, left off talking and retired, meeting his own people about a mile from Kildonan. "During my canvass, a French half-breed of the name of Parisien dogged me for some time, till warned by some of the friendly settlers to make himself scarce. H- at once proceeded to Kildonan, and reported my i Hi wSmh ■ HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 285 movements to our men, who arrested him as a spy. Here I found him under guard in the school-house. On the following morning he asked permission to retire. Geori;'' ( larrioeh was appointed guard over him, and he rot unarmed. Passing several sleighs which had come from Beadingly, amongst which was Mr. Cameron's, Parisian made a dash at this sleigh and ired a double-barrelled gun which was lying in it, and ran for all be was worth. At once the cry arose, tie- prisoner had I BCaped, and men, mounted and dis- mount..!, started in hot pursuit. "N( bhe river, one Sutherland was seen riding up to learn tip cause of the gathering. 'Head him off,' si iout. -d soma Sutherland had not tine- to take in the situation before Parisian had dropped on his knee and fired, wounding him in the hand. The b reeled and threw him on the KC& While he was in act of rising, Parisian put the barrel to Suther- 1*8 back and find, then making a dash for the hush, which he reached before our men, only to be dragged hack by Wildred Bartlefc and others, making a drag rope of his scarf, which was tied around his neck. Sutherland, after the second shot, rose, Walked a few steps, and then fell. A company of his friends gathered round him, and had him conveyed to Dr. Black 'a residence close by, where aid was obtained, but he lived only a few hours. The excitement ogst our men was intense; so sudden was the act, ital the termination. Btung to madness by the it, shouts of 'Lynch him!' Shoot him!' rose on every side, and hut for the intervention of -the cooler BOSTORY OF MANITOBA, heads, Parisien would have followed his victim in rt order. Bound band and foot, he was brought back to the school-house, and on the breaking op of the party tu released It was said that daring the melee he received wounds from wind, he never fully ad He was cared for afterwards by Joseph Monkman. "On th-' assembling of the people at Cildonan a " l " , ' i t:i1 - W;lv oeld,and Tom Torquay appointed topro- «7 and demand the release of the priaonera By the time, however, that Tom had reached fchc desired end had been obtained On receiv- ing this intelligence, the lower settlers returned to their homes, the object of the rising having been accom- plished The narrator, accompanied by John Cameron and W. V, Hall, of Headiogly, Charlie Hair and Francis Ogeltree, set out for home and the Portage, passing Fort Garry late at night when Kiel's guards were enjoying their comfort within the walls." Though warned of treachery on Riel's part, a large portion of the men did not leave for home till the following morning. Riel, having knowledge that the majority of the settlers had dispersed, sent out a body of horsemen under O'Donohue and Lepine, and as Major Boulton and his men passed near the fort, cap- tured the entire party, a list of whose names appears below. Portage la Prairie : Major Boulton, John and Alec McLean, Wilder Bartlet, Robert and James McBain, Dan Sissons, A. Murray, Wm. Farmer, Lawrence Smith, Charles McDonald, John Switzer, H. Williams Alex. McPherson, W. G. Bird. CORY OF MANITOBA. 287 Poplar Point: Geo. Wylde, Dan Taylor, A. Taylor, Geo. Newcomb, H. Taylor. St. Jam - .-ant Powers, James Joy, River Salle: Geo. Parker. High Bluff: Thou SeoU, Joe. Paquin, Geo. Sandison, Win. Paquin, John Dillworth, Win. Dillworth, Robert Adam- I. Paquin, N. IfcLeod, Archie McDonald.. lames sk, Jamea Anderson. Eeadingly: J, B. Morrison, W.Salter, Magnus Brown, N. Morrison, W. Sutherland, Robert Dennison, Joseph Smith, ("has. Milian. Tie r, .John Taylor, John ICcEay, Alex. Parker. The results of this rising were certainly unfortun^ r a time the Wheeling between the : >h and French | ,m<1 placing a much larger number of prisoners in Kiel's power. Major Boulton waa placed in irons, court- martialled, and according to the evidence then given, found guilty of treason against the provisional govern- ment, and sentenced to be shot next day at noon, the 18th; but at the solicitation of the Bishop of Rupert's Land, th< I entreaty of the Catholic clergy, and the influence of every English resident of note — amongst whom was Victoria Mc Vicar, Mrs. John Suther- land, the mother of Parisian's victim, who entreated Ki.l by the blood of her son to spare Boulton's life — the execution was delayed till midnight on Saturday. So determined was Kiel that an example should be made, that he only yielded to spare Boulton's life at the urgent solicitation of Donald A. Smith two hours previous to that fixed for his execution. Indeed 19 288 HISTmKY OF MANITOBA. Archdeacon McLean had administered the sacrament, and spent about twenty-four hours with him, endeav- oring to prepare his mind for what seemed to be bifl fate. In the meantime, rewards were offered for the capture of Dr. Schultz. In Mr. Smith's report we §nd the following anent the E 2 incident, which shows the tyranny and duplicity of Kiel's character. " 1 reasoned with him long and earnestly," says Smith; "about ten o'clock he yielded, and addressing me with apparently much feeling, said. ' Hitherto I have been deaf to all entrea- and in now granting you this man's life, may I ask you a favor V ' Anything that in honor I can do,' I replied. ' Canada has disunited us,' said Riel. ' You will use your influence to reunite us. You can do so. Without this it must be war ; bloody civil war.' I replied that I would give my whole heart to effect a peaceful union of the country with Canada. ' We want only our just rights as British subjects, and we want the English to join us simply to obtain these.' " Smith replied that he would at once see them, and induce them to go on with the election of delegates for that purpose. He replied, " If you can do this, war will be avoided ; not only the lives but the liberty of all the prisoners will be secured, for on your success depend the lives of all the Canadians in the country." He immediately proceeded to the prison, and informed Archdeacon McLean that he had been induced by Smith to spare Boulton's life, and had further promised that immediately on the meeting of the council shortly HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 289 to be elected, the whole of the prisoners would be released, requesting McLean to explain these circum- stances to Boulton and the other prisoners. The news that a large number of the Portajxe men had been captured spread like wild-tire, and a meeting was immediately held at St. Andrew's, at which a pro- position was made to go at once to the rescue of Boulton and his party. Before any action could have been taken, Donald A. Smith arrived, and said that if the le submitted and elected the English portion of the provisional government, Boulton's life would be spared and the prisoners released At this same meeting, \)v. Schulti was requested to proceed to Canada and repre- bhe people there the i its of affairs, and the coercion which had been used to make them have anything to do with the provisional government. Delegates were also appointed to represent their in- ts at the same. A.bou1 this time, Bishop Tache, who had arrived at Ottawa from Rome, left the Cana- dian metropolis for Red River. The following letter from Sir John A. Ifaodonald shows the instructions with which the Bishop was freighted : "(Private.) "Department oj Jubtx ' Ml" AW A, ( 'AN ADA, February 16th, 1870. 1 v 1 )k a B Lord, — Before you leave Ottawa on your ion of peace, I think it well to reduce to writing the substance of the conversation I had the honor to have with you this morning. I mark this letter 290 HISTORY OK MANITOBA. ( private ' in order that it may not be made a public document to he called for by Parliament prematurely, but von are quit** at liberty to 086 it in siieh a manner •ti may think most advantageoua I hope that ere vou arrh .' Garry, the insurgents, after the explanation^ that have been entered into by Messrs. Thihauh. 1 >•■ Salaberry and Smith, will have Laid down their arms, and allow (inwrnor KeTavish to resume the administration of public affaira. In such ease, by the Act of the Imperial Parliament of last session, all the public functionaries will still remain in power, and the Council of Asainiboia will be restored to their former position Will you be kind enough to make full explanation to the Council, Oil behalf of the Cana- dian Government, as to the feelings which animate not only the I lovernor-General, but the whole Government, with respect to the mode of dealing with the North- \\ . >t. We have fully explained to you, and desire you to assure the Council authoritatively, that it is the in- tention of Canada to grant to the people of the North- W '. st the same free institutions which they themselves enjoy. Had these unfortunate events not occurred, the Canadian Government had hoped, long ere this, to have received a report from the Council, through Mr. Mc- Dougall, as to the best means of speedily organizing the government with representative institutions. I hope that they will be able immediately to take up that subject, and to consider and report without delay on the general policy that should immediately be adopted. It is obvious that the most inexpensive mode for the administration of affairs should at first be HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 291 adopted, as the preliminary expense of organizing the government, after union with Canada, must, in the iyed from the Canadian territory. There will be a natural objection in the Canadian Parlia- ment to a Large expenditure. As it would be unwise to subject the territory to a recurrence of the humilia- tion already Buffered by Governor KCeTavish, you can inform him that if he organizes a local police of twenty-five men, or more if absolutely necessary, that the expense will be defrayed by the Canadian Govern mt-nt. You will be good enough to find out llonkman, the person to whom, through Col. Dennis, Mr. lieDou- gal] gave instructions to communicate with the Saul- 11 Indians ; he should be asked to surrender his r. and informed that he ought not to proceed upon it. The I Canadian Government will Bee that he is com- for any expense that he has already incurred. [n case s delegation is appointed to proceed to Ottawa, you can assure them that they will be kindly received, and their suggestions fully considered ; their expenses, coming here and returning, and while Btaying in Ottawa, will be defrayed by us. You are authorized ate that the two years during which the present tariff shall remain undisturbed, will commence from the first of January, 1 s? I . instead of last January, as first proposed. Should the question arise as to the unption of any stores or goods belonging to the Budson Bay Company by the insurgents, you are authorized to inform the leader that if the company's government is restored, not only will there be a general amnesty granted, but in case the company should claim 291 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. the payment for such stores, that the Canadian Govern- ment will Bland between the insurgents and all harm. " Wishing you a prosperous journey and happy its, I beg to remain, with ^reat respect, ir very faithful servant, "John A. Macdonald. "To the Right Reverend the Bishop 3t Boniface, Fort Garry." On the 23rn of the council, and the condemnation, wore all don.- within two or three hoars. They commenced their sittings between seven and eight o'clock, and concluded before rising, I took some notes in pencil of the proceedings. The notes in pencil I refer to are the notes of the evidence I transcribed ; the next day e them to the Adjutant-General The first motion for death was moved by liot. Scott was then taken to his room. He was handcuffed when brought before the council." Poor Scott could not believe when told by Riel that he was to be shot on the following morning, but judging Etiel to be in earnest, he at once sent for the Rev, Geo. (afterwards Dr.) Xoung, who with Donald A Smith, Father I. Governor McTavish and 296 BISTORT OF MANITOBA, others, endeavored to dissuade Kiel from his foul pur- pose, but to no ell In winding op the interview, KiM said, "I have two good thingi since I commenced. I have spared Boulton's life at your instance, and I do not t it; he is i fine fellow; I pardoned Gaddy, and he showed his gratitude by escaping out of the bas- tion, bni I don't begrudge him bie miserable life, and now I shall shoot Scott." Lepine and five of the others who composed the court-martial, entering at that moment, in reply to a question addressed to them by Riel, said he must die Ri.l then requested Bather Leetang to put the people on their knees for prayer, as it might do good to the condemned man's soul. Dr. Young accompanied Scott to his cell, and endeavored to prepare his mind to meet his approaching doom, spending the whole night with him in religious conversation and prayer. Shortly after noon on the following day he was sum- moned to execution. He requested the liberty of bidding his fellow pri- soners good-bye, which was granted him. Then calmly kneeling down a short distance from the walls of the fort, where he was directed, he said, " I am ready." Lepine gave the signal, and Scott fell pierced by two bullets. Six soldiers had been chosen to shoot Scott. Agus- tin Parisien, one of the six, declared openly that he would not shoot at Scott ; in fact he took the cap off his gun before the word of command " Present " was given. Of the five balls remaining only two hit the HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 297 poor victim, the one on the left shoulder, and the other on the upper part of the chest above the heart. »ther the other soldiers missed the mark designedly or unintentionally aimed away from Kiel's victim, is not known. However that may be, as the two wounds were not sufficient to cause death— at least, sudden death — a man named Goillemette stepped forward and d the contents of a pistol close to Scott's head while he lay on the ground. This ball, however, took a wrong direction, penetrating the upper part of the left cheek, and coming our somewhere about the cartilage of the nose. Scott was still not dead ; but this did not prevent his botchers from placing him, alive and still speaking, in a coffin made of four rough boards; it was nailed, and placed in the south- bastion, and an armed soldier placed at the door. This would seem like a story made at one's ease, if there were not several credible witnesses who, between the hours of tive and six in the evening, heard the unfor- tunate man speaking from under the lid of his coffin : and it was known that he had been shot at half-past twelve. What a long and horrible agony, and what ferocious cruelty on the part of his butchers ! The Is heard and understood by the French were, "My God ! my God ! " Some English Metis, who understood English, heard distinctly these words: " For God's sake, take me out of here or kill me." Towards eleven o'clock Goulet went into the bastion, and according to some, gave him the finishing stroke with a knife — with a pistol, according to others. After having inflicted the last blow on Scott, Goulet said, as he was coming back BISTORT OF MANITOBA. from the bastion, " He's dead this time." The corpse was left foi ■ few day- in the bastion, guarded by soldiers, relieving each other in turns. The disposition of Scott's remains is a secret that since that date has remained in the keeping of a few. Whether the body was deposited in the river, through S, hole cat in the ice, or subjected to the influence of k-lime, foi speedy dissolution in the immediate bborhood, the world mai yet know. Riel consid- it necessary to remove to some safe location all evidence of his butchery. With the opening of the spring of 1871, residents near the mouth of the Red River watched to see if, on the breaking up of the ice, any body would be thrown up. The decomposed remains of a man were given up that spring by the waters, but they were those of a smaller man than Scott, with light hair. Twenty years have come and gone since the event referred to occurred. Old Time, the great healer, has smoothed down the asperity then existing between the English and French residents of the Province ; but it is safe to say that no overt act committed daring the entire rebellion exer- cised so much influence against French domination in public interests since that date, and for all time to come, as the murder of Scott. Reference having been made to Gaddy, who, it will be remembered, was sent with Sadine to solicit the assistance of the loyal French half-breeds to the south, but who was captured by Riel's party and imprisoned, we will take the narrative from the prisoner's own lips. He says : " I was thrown into the cold bastion history OF MANITOBA. 299 in the dead of winter without any tire, and fed on frozen pemmiean without drink of any kind except a bottle of liquor, which I feared to take lest it. con- tained poison. I had an intuitive idea that it was drugged, and if I drank it 1 should be found dead, when the story would he circulated that I had fallen tini to my failing, by this mean- accomplishing the diabolical purpose without raising popular resent- ment, which otherwise would be the cise. I had to eat a little snow occasionally to quench my thirst, the only means 1 had of dojng so for several days and nights. Seeing that this rose failed, I was condemned to be shot in the dead of night in my place of solitary confinement, and men were detailed for that purpose. 1 was informed of th of my guards Shortly this the shooting party walked in, cocked their guns and to«»k aim, then lowered and retired. I could hear them say, ' We cannot do it ; he is too dear an old friend.' They were ordered in again and com- manded to tire, which they again refused to do. As a final resort, a priest was called, whom I distinctly over- heard urge the men to do as they were commanded ; and, as a guarantee of the righteousness of the order, administered to them the holy eucharist to fortify their resolution, when they were again brought in, with a like result, the men saying, 'We cannot find it in our hearts to do this on one of our old and valued friends, who has fought side by side witli us against our hereditary foes the Sioux, as also one who has been with us through many a trying circumstance, whose genial disposition and warm-heartedness had 300 HISTOKY 01 MANITOBA. made him a favorite with all.' These remembrances so worked on their better natures that they absolutely refused to perform this unholy order. I knew that if I did not effect d that I would either succumb to the cold or to the treachery of Riel, so, taking advantage of an opportunity thai presented itself, I made my escape through one of the port-holes of the bastion. Not knowing which of them I was in, and the night being dark and stormy, I wandered on in the blinding storm. I m the approach of daylight I found myself in the midst of the French settlement, and in the very stronghold of the enemy's camp on the K»m1 River above the fort. Being hungry and exhausted. I was compelled to go into a house, the owner of which., happily, was not in sympathy with the Riel movement. In the conversation which fol- lowed, not knowing whom they were addressing, I was informed that I was to be shot that day — that the flat had gone forth. The woman also began denouncing the act as heartless and cruel, in view 7 of my long friendship with the French. They also informed me where some of my old friends lived (fortunately close by), who, on my making application to them, furnished me with necessary supplies, when I started on foot from St. Norbert on the road to Baie St. Paul, on the Assiniboine, which I succeeded in reaching, more dead than alive." The French, in later years, have tried to make this out as an attempt to scare Gaddy, but to show that his suspicions were correct, and that the liquor was poisoned, word was actually circulated that Gaddy HISTORY Of MANITOBA. 301 was frozen to death just outside the walls of the fort, evidently the result of taking too much drink. This report was started for the purpose of preparing his friends for what they wanted them to believe, and what would likely occur. On the 9th of March, Bishop Taebe arrived at Fort Garry; on this day also, the council of the pro- visional government, elected in accordance with the lotion passed a< the convention, held its first meet- ing. No business was transacted, as only eight French and nine English members were present, and the meeting was adjourned to the 1 5th. On the 15th, the Legislature n Med, and remained in session till the 26th. In opening the house, after a couple of notices of motion had been given, Etiel introduced Hi-hop Tache with the following words of welcome : "That he felt extreme pleasure in presenting to his' Lordship the first legislative assembly of the country representing all cltSSCfl of the people, and in the name of the people represented by the honorable members of this legislative assembly he bid his Lordship wel- come and congratulations on his safe return amongst them." Bishop Tache, in replying, said he did not come in an official capacity, he came simply to use his exer- tion to unite all classes and restore peace and order. He said the Canadian Government was very much dissatisfied with the actions of Mr. McDoiiL'all, an announcement which was received with cheers by the mbly; that they were anxious to do justice to the people of the settlement, and concluded by 90S II is [ mi; v Of MANITOBA. asking the release of the prisoners, a request which granted ig that Bome should be released that 6 veil in ir Mid the remainder as speedilv as possible. During the remainder of the session acta were passed regulating the hay-catting privileges, the adminis- tration of justice, fixing members' indemnity, which was placed at rive dollars per day, and appointing a military force of fifty men, who were to be recruited for two months' service at three pounds per month and board. On the 244b, the delegates appointed to proceed to Ottawa left Fort Qarry, bearing with them commissions and conditions rrOOQ the provisional gov- ernment, which wave as follows: List of the terms and conditions which accompanied the eommiaskm to Rev. Father Richot, J. Black, Esq., Alfred Scott, Esq., given by the provisional govern- ment. [I. See Begg's " Creation of Manitoba," published 1871, p. 325. II. This is verbatim the official copy found in the papers of Thomas Bunn, secretary of Riel's govern- ment. III. In the same " Bunn papers " is a copy in French, which differs only in dropping the name " Province of Assiniboia" and substituting "the province." IV. In the same " Bunn papers" is a verbatim copy of this French copy, printed by the provisional govern- ment, and signed " Maison du gouvernement," March 23rd, 1870, the very day Messrs. Riehot and Scott started for Ottawa.] 1. That the territories heretofore known as Rupert's U M* V.V.Geo* & GROUP 09 K.\i:i.\ in i.khs. history OF MANITOBA. 30"> Land and North- West shall not enter into the con- federation of the Dominion, except as a province, to be styled and known as the Province of Assiniboia, and with all the rights and privileges common to the different provinces of the Dominion. •J. Thai we have two representatives in the Senate and four in the Bouse of Commons of Canada, until such time as an increase of population entitles the province to a greater representation, a That the Province of Aasiniboia shall not be held liable at any time for any portion of the public debt of the Dominion contracted before the date the said province shall have entered the confederation, unless aid province shall have first received from the Dominion the full amount for which the said province i be held liable. ft Tint the sum of eighty thousand dollars be paid annually by the Dominion Government to the local ilature of the provinc "'. That all properties, rights and privileges enjoyed by the people of this province up to the date of our entering into the confederation be respected, and that the arrangement and confirmation of all customs, usages and privileges be left exclusively to the local legislature. 6. That during the term of five years, the Province of Assiniboia shall not be subjected to any direct taxation, except such as may be imposed by the local legislature for municipal or local purposes. 7. That a sum of money equal to eighty cents per head of the population of this province be paid annually 20 306 msi'MKY Of MANITOBA, by the Canadian Government to the local legislature of the Mud province, until such time as the said population shall have increased to six hundred and. 8. That the local legislature shall have the right to determine tin* qualifications of members to represent province in the Parliament of Canada, and in the local legislature, 9. That in this province, with the exception of uncivilized and unsettled Indians, every male native citizen who has attained the age of twenty-one years; and ever j aer, being s British subject, who has attained the same, and has resided three years in the province, and is a householder; and every foreigner, other than a British subject, who has resided here during the same period, being a householder and having taken the oath of allegiance, shall be entitled to vote at the election of members for the local legis- lature and for the Canadian Parliament; it being understood that this article be subject to amendment exclusively by the local legislature. 10. That the bargain of the Hudson Bay Company in the respect to the transfer of the government of this country to the Dominion of Canada be annulled so far as it interferes with the rights of the people of A-siniboia, and so far as it would affect our future relations with Canada. 11. That the local legislature of the Province of Assiniboia shall have full control over all the public lands of the Province, and the right to annul all acts or arrangements made or entered into with reference HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 307 to the public lands of Rupert's Land and the North- \\\ -t. uow called the Province of Assiniboia. 1 2. That the ( fovernment of ( lanada appoint a com- missioner of engineers to explore the various districts of the Province of Assiniboia, and to lay before the pslature a report of the mineral wealth of the Province within five years from the date of our entering into confederation. L3. That treaties he concluded between Canada and the different Indian tribes of the Province of Assiniboia by ami with the advice and co-operation of the local 1« gislature of this Province. 14. That an uninten opted stram communication from Lake Superior to Fori Garry be guaranteed to be completed within the space of five yean. I"). That all public buildings, bridges, mads, and )T public works, be at the cost of the Dominion treasury. Ki. That the English and French languages be Common in the legislature and in the courts, and that all public documents, as well as all -acts of the legisla- ture, be published in both languages. 17. That whereas the French and English speaking people of Assiniboia are so equally divided as to num- bers, yet so united in their interests, and so connected by commerce, family connections, and other political and social relations, that it has happily been found impossible to bring them into hostile collision, although repeated attempts have been made by designing strangers, for reasons known to themselves, to bring about so ruinous and disastrous an event; 308 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. And whereas after all the trouble and apparent snsions of the past, the result of misunderstanding among themselves, they have, as soon as the evil agen rred to al>ove were removed, become as united and friendly as ever; therefore as a means to strengthen this union and friendly feeling among all c irs deem it expedient and advisable, That the Lieutenant-Governor who maybe appointed fur the Province of Assiniboia should be familiar with both the English and French language 1 &. That the Judge of the Superior Court speak the English and French languages. 19. That all the debts contracted by the provisional government of the territory of the North-West, now called Assiniboia, in consequence of the illegal and inconsiderate measures adopted by Canadian officials to bring about a civil war in our midst, be paid out of the Dominion treasury, and that none of the members of the provisional government, or any of those acting under them, be in any way held liable or responsible with regard to the movement or any of the actions which led to the present negotiations. 20. That in view of the present exceptional position of Assiniboia, duties upon goods imported into the province shall, except in the case of spirituous liquors, continue as at present for at least three years from the date of our entering confederation, and for such further time as may elapse until there be uninterrupted railroad communication between Winnipeg and St. Paul, and also steam communication between Winnipeg and Lake Superior. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 309 With the arrival of Bishop Tache and the departure of the delegates to Canada, a change for the better came over the place. The official organ, the New clipped its Bpread-eagle wings, and became intensely loyal, particularly so after Robinson resigned the editorship, which occurred about the time of Bishop Tache'a return, causing a suspension of the issues about a couple of weeks. The prisoners were released, and the fact becoming known that troops were on their way under Col. Wolseley, added much to the feeling of security which a to pervade the community. On the 28th, Etiel addressed a letter to Governor IfcTavish, offering to give possession of all property belonging to the Hudson Bay Company, in order that they might resume business, on payment of certain amounts in money and goods, which were, to he paid to the provisional government The terms of this offer wt-re accepted, the company short ly after resuming their trading relation It has been claimed by not a few thoughtful on- lookers that this last was a ruse, on the part of Kiel and Governor McTavish, to bring the Hudson Bay losses, occasioned by the ten months' occupation of Fort Garry by the insurgents, under the last clause of the instructions contained in Sir John's letter. If so, it failed. So plainly evident was the implication of the resident officers with the rebellion, that when the vote of forty thousand dollars was asked, to compensate those who had suffered from the action of the half- breeds, it was stipulated that not one cent should be 310 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. paid the Hudson Bay Company, who lost, by Riel and hia associates, about fifty thousand pounds sterling. The claim of the Hudson Bay Company for indem- nity for losses was not presented at Ottawa for severs] >ns afterwards Even then they received no money, bat a land grant of five hundred acres around Upper Fort Garry. I taring the time intervening between the departure of the d< and their arrival in Canada, news of the shooting of Scott had been received, and a wave of indignation arose over the land. Dr. Schultz, Dr. Lynch, Monkman, Charlie Mair, J. J. Setter, Major Boulton and others, had also reached Canada, and were warmly received by the people. Indignation meetings held in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and other cities, and the refugees invited to address the people, which they did. Resolutions were passed condemning the policy of receiving any delegates from Riel, and considerable ill-feeling worked up, by a portion of the press, against the delegates previous to their arrival. Pere Richot and Scott, who travelled with De Sala- berry, hearing of this, determined not to pass through Ontario, but proceeded to Ogdensburg, then crossed to Prescott, arriving in Ottawa on the 11th April. Judge Black travelled alone by way of Ontario, and arrived three days later. On the day following the arrival of Richot and Scott, a warrant was forwarded to Detective O'Neill, Ottawa, issued by Police Magistrate McNabb, of To- ronto, at the instance of Hugh Scott, a brother of the murdered man, charging delegates Richot and Alfred HISTORY OF MANITOBA, 311 Scott with being accessories to the murder of Thomas Scott at Fort Garry. Application was made at the Bishop's Palace for Ilichot, but he could not be found. Alfred Scott was arrested at the Albion Hotel, where lif had put up, and was taken before Judge Gait in Chambers, on a writ of habeas corpus. While the was going on, Etichoi entered the court- room and gave himself up. John Hillyard Cameron, d for the prisoners, while Mr. Lees, County Attorn.-;. ented the Crown. If r. Cameron con- tended thai the police magistrate at Toronto had no jurisdiction, aa the crime was committed out of bia riled for the arrest of pari residing in Ottawa, where he bad no authority. Mr. Lees not being prepared to argue, the case was postponed till i the prisoners remanded, but not com mitted to gaol being lefl in charge of a detective. On the L5th they were again brought before Judge Gait and discharged, hie Honor contending that the police magistrate at Toronto had no jurisdiction. During the interim Scott'fl hrotber, who had fore- seen the likelihood of a discharge on this count, had come to Ottawa and made another affidavit before Polic trate O'Gara, of that city, who issued a warrant, on which the prisoners were re-arrested as soon as released. On the 16th, another application for a writ of habeas corpus was made before Judge Gait, and the 19th fixed for hearing the argument, the pri- soners being allowed to go under police surveillance. When brought before Judge Gait on that date, Mr. DO ' Cameron said that he had no trround to ask a die- 312 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. charge of the prisoners, as the police magistrate at Ottawa had the right to issue a warrant and hold an examination. The writ was therefore discharged, and the prisoners committed for trial, which was com- menced on the -l-t, the courtroom being crowded to sees with Ml rnment officials and others. After examining William Dreever, Charles Garrett and Archibald Hamilton, who had been prisoners under Riel at that period. Judge Black, Major Boulton, and I detective inOttiwa, a demand was made for time to secure the attendance of Dr. Schultz, Charlie Mair, and a son of the Rev. Dr. Youncr. who was then in Toronto. This was objected to by the police magistrate, on the ground that they were not trying the prisoners on a charge of rebellion, but of complicity in a murder. After some legal sparring between counsel, on the deposition of Hugh Scott, who stated that Mr. Young had told him that he (Young) was present at the shooting, and that both Richot and Scott took an active part in aiding and abetting the murder, opposition to a delay was withdrawn, and the prisoners admitted to bail of $2,000 each and also of two sureties of Si ,000 each, and the case set for the 23rd. On being called again, Mr. Lees, on behalf of the Crown, and after consultation with the counsel for the defence, said that they had determined to with- draw the charge. Mr. Cameron said he had no objec- tion to the case being withdrawn, but a charge had been made against his clients of complicity in a mur- der of a barbarous character, and they must be uncon- ditionally discharged, because there was no ground on which to proceed against them. BISTORT OF .ma:itoi;a. 313 As soon as the delegates were discharged, they were formally and officially recognized by the Hon. Joseph Howe. Secretary of State for the Provinces, and put in communication with Sir George Cartier and Sir John A. Macdonald, with whom they had had already several informal inters Tin' cinder- cling arrived at on this on would appear to have been satisfactory to all parties at the time, but lias been tl <>t* much di stion and ling since, particularly on the amnesty question. Father Etichot maintained that a general amnesty was promised, while the Ministers as firmly declared that though the subject was frequently men- tioned, their invariable ansv that the power •itir.lv with the Imperial and not with tb< ;ian Government This mis- undeotanding, if it can be called such, led to a volu- minous correspondence between Archbishop Tache, Father Etichot and others, and the Canadian Govern- ment, sufficiently targe to till a volume ; and which those of my readers who desire to investigate for them - Belves will find in the Sessional Papers of 1874. On the 17th of June the delegates returned to Fort Garry, and communicated the result of their mission to the provi- sional government and the legislative assembly of the colony of Assiniboia, for which purpose a special session had been called. The report was accepted, and resolu- tions passed agreeing to enter confederation on the proposed terms, which were placed in the hands of Archbishop Tache for safe transmission to Mr. Howe. The reverend prelate left for Ottawa ten days later, on the 27th of the month. 314 HI8TORI OF MANITOBA. It u ■ strange and significant fact, not mentioned, in other histories, that only three English representatives were present at this session These were A. G. B. BannatviK'. Thomas Bnnn, and James McKay ; the mentioned representing a mixed constituency, Richot d< giving his report tin- first day, in the hope that the English representatives would show up; but they, haying heard that the troops were coming, would have nothing more to do with it. Indeed, one of them, Mr. Hay, of St. Andrew's, was otr.-r.-d a lar^e money consideration by Bannatyne, it' he would only attend and idve a color of unanimity to the proceed- in--. The following parishee were not represented : St. Peter's, St Andrew's North, St. Andrew's South, St. Paul, Kildonan, Headingly, Poplar Point, High Bluff, and Portage la Prairie. Judge Black had also, through illness, been unable to be present to represent his case fairly, and it was Celt that whatever might be the outcome, as soon as law and order was established, any grievances they had would be righted constitu- tionally. Bishop Tache's position, with reference to the am- nesty question, is well described in a letter from Governor Archibald to Sir George E. Cartier, on the 14th of October, 1870, and with this quotation I close discussion on the subject. Governor Archibald says : "As regards the amnesty question, Bishop Tache seems to attach great importance to it, but after all, I am in- •clined to think he feels it more as a personal than as a public affair. He has made promises which are not fulfilled, and he feels that his personal honor is to some HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 315 it involved. Practically, it is of little consequence ; nobody 91 trouble any man except Riel, O'Dono- hue and Lepine, all three of whom have left the settle- ment and are practically amnestied, except bo far as the liberty of coming into the settlement is concerned, and that is a liberty which, in the public interest, it would be injurious for them to have at this moment. d if they were amnestied, they ought not to come in for a considerable time, till the feeling about them blows over. Their presence here would be a continu- ous temptation to outrage, and nobody could say when a tiling of that kind would end, if once begun. Their own interest, therefore, and the interests of the Pro- vince, concur in keeping them away in the meantime, and for that reason 1 haw declared in such a way as that do secret will be mad.- of it, that my police will execute any warrant that La placed in my hands, re- gardless of who may be the party named in it.'" CHAPTER XIV. Manitoba titaon under sir Qnrnel Wblnley Difficulties — Arrival ol | Qnrrj I'liL r lit of Etebeb M I.»*anhae Mon- Tn»ul»l«- with Indians Fenian [nraaioa Vohnv m Arms — Scare al khfl Fottefe Action of the Half! ■ What th. l;...ll\ Meant. DURING the sojourn of the delegates at Ottawa, the Manitoba Act \va-> passed in the House, receiving con- riderajble eriiicisin on its introduction from the Hon. William IfeDoUgall Bad Alexander Mackenzie, the former of whom, after criticising the actions of the irnment with reference to the transfer of the country, called attention to the fact that the boundary had been so arranged as to exclude Portage la Prairie, with a population of nearly two thousand, while the line was deflected nearly fifteen minutes, to take in a settlement marked " Roman Catholic Mission." Sir John, in reply, said that Portage was left out at the desire of the people, that it might form the nucleus of a British province — a statement which was received with considerable discredit. On the third reading of the bill, this was thrown out. The Act as it then passed contained thirty- two clauses — first, providing for the creation of the Province of Manitoba out of that portion of Rupert's Land bounded by 96° west longitude, by 50° 30 v north lat., 99° west long., and the boundary of the United States, to take effect from the day on w T hich her Majesty, by order in council, BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 317 shall annex Rupert's Land and the North-West Terri- tories to Canada. It also Bet aside one million four hundred thousand aero of land, within said boundary, for thebenefitof the resident half-breed families; pro- vided for a regular form of government in the Pro- vince, popular representation by the Bottlers, the right to elect four members t<> the < tommons <>f Canada and to the Senate, till it had by census a population of fifty thousand; after that, three, and when it had attained seventy-five thousand, four. The legislative assembly was to consist of twenty-four members, the Lieutenant-Governor to organise the districts within six months. Owing to the unsettled Btateof affairs in Red River, the Canadian Qovernmenl 1 it advisable to send kbliah the new regime on a firm basis, and representations were made to the Imperial authorities that the interposition of the military might !>•' n< sarv. On the 5th March. 1^7<>. Marl Granville tele- graphed Sir John Young as follows: "Her Ifaje Government will give proposed military assistance, provided reasonable terms are granted Red River tiers, and provided your Government enable her Majesty's Government to proclaim the transfer of the territory simultaneously with the movement of the forces." These terms were accepted, and Lieutenant- General Lindsay sent out to take command of the forces, who arrived in Canada on the 5th April, and at once put himself in communication with the Gover- nor-General, recommending that the expeditionary force consist of three hundred and ninety regulars and 318 BI8TOB1 01 MANITOBA. alx)ut seven hundred volunteers, also suggesting the name of Major-General Sir Gam. t Wolseley as com- mander of the force, which vrai accepted. On the 23d April, the following telegram vraa received from Earl will.' by Sir John Fonng: " On the following con- ditions troops wiil advance: 1 Etoee to be authorized to pay three hundred thousand pounds at once, and her Majesty's Government to i»r at liberty to make transfer before the end of June. (2) Her Majesty's Government to pay expense of British troops only, not to exceed two hundred and titty, and Canadian Gowr- ment sending at least five hundred trained men. (3) Canadian Government to accept decision of her Majesty's Government on disputed points of the set- tlers' Bill of Rights. (4) Military arrangements to be to the satisfaction of General Lindsay. On the 4th of May, instructions were sent Sir John Rose to pay over the three hundred thousand pounds to the Hudson Bay Company, which was done on the 11th. On the 6th ordei eceived for troops to advance. Everything connected with the expedition was now pushed forward with the utmost rapidity, volunteers were enrolled, equipped and drilled at Toronto, stores and provisions collected as rapidly as possible at Col- lingwood. The route selected was as follows: From o Toronto to Collingwood by rail, ninety-four miles; Collingwood to Fort William on Thunder Bay, on Lake Superior, 534 miles by steamer ; from Thunder Bay to Shebandowan Lake, forty-eight miles, by road, partly completed by Mr. Dawson ; the remaining 470 miles between this and Fort Garry, by way of numerous lakes and rivers, having about forty-seven portages. BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 319 Here a delay occurred which, according to Mr. Daw- son, ised by taking the voyageurs off the road to drag the boats up the Etaministiqua River, the inten- tion of the Government being to proceed by the road. Colon.-! Wolseley, however, advised by Mr. Mclntyre, Hudson Bay officer at Fort William, determined to try the river, and despatched Captain Young, with a number of voyageurs and soldiers, to attempt the pas- sage. After eight dayu of u I hard labor, the party forced their way up through the rapids by means of poling, portaging and dragging the bo ehing Ifattawan bridge, about forty-five miles, by the L2th May, having demonstrated that the boats could be sent up by this rout.-, which had been hitherto regarded as impassable, from the number of the falls, some of them hundred and twenty feel in height, and also the rapids caused by the did in level of the two mdowan being eight hundred feet above level of Superior. Wolseley ordered that the remaining one hundred and on.' boats, lying at Prince Arthur's Landing, should be sent the same way. Against this order Mr. Dawson vigorously protested, contending that it would knock them to pieces, and render them unlit for the heavy work for which they were intended, which it certainly did, so much so that a gang of carpenters had to be sent forward to repair them at Lake Shebandowan. Thi ioned quite a tiff between Wolseley and tin- Government, Wolseley contending that but for the adoption of the water route, the expedition would not have got through in time for the regular troops to 320 histmky OF MANITOBA, return in the fall. Meantime the steamer Algoma had left Collingwood with a cargo of stores, and one hundred and forty voyageurs and workmen, to work' on tin- road from Thunder Bay to Shehandowan Lake. On account of the unfriendly feeling <'xi-tin«j between the United States and Great Britain, and the open sympathy shown by the former power to the rebels in tin* North-Weet, it was anticipated that vessels carry- in- troops and munitions of war*might he stopped at t he - od a road had been^conetructed on the Canadian side by which the troops could march across and meet fche steamer at the other end of the rapids. ma arrived first and passed through unchal- lenged, proceeding on her way to Fort William, but did not return to Collingwood, the authorities deeming it prudent to keep her on Lake Superior, in the event of any trouble arising at the canal. The Ghicora arrived on the 11th May, but was refused permission to pass through. On this becoming known at Ottawa, the circumstances of the case were laid before the British Minister at Washington by Sir John Young, who represented to the American Government that the expedition was one of peace, and that vessels ought not to be prevented from passing through with ordi- nary freight. The embargo was at once removed, and all the vessels allowed to pass without further trouble, the troops disembarking and marching over the road. On the 8th May, the A Igoma arrived at Fort William, and the men went into camp, which they named Government Camp, but which Wolseley, on his arrival, changed into Prince Arthur's Landing, as a compliment --v - • • • «•• • ■ n ■ m J HI8T0KY OF MANITOBA. 323 to the Duke of Connaun the For the first few days all went well" On the 4th of Jane it began to rain and continued for a week, making portions of the road almost impassable! v of the teams began to show signs of disti partly from ill fitting collars and partly from insuffi- I food. On tie- let), June, nut of a total of 129 horses, 63 were sick, and continued so for some time. Toward, the end «,f dune, it was feared the exped: would have to be abandoned. On the 29th, Gen. »ral Lindsay visited Thunder Bay, and a new en. seemed to take p f t ) 1( . men Head-qaarters were -d to Mattawan bridge, where a large quantity of .tore, had been collected. The I nth June was fixed for the departure of the first brigad fc6 from McNeil's Landing; which continued~day by da\ -to the 4th of August. From this point to Fort l '"' ;1 ' miles, there were seventeen portages, and between these two places the expedition was stretched out over a distance of 150 miles. A writer describing tin- men's appearance and work speaks thus: "The wear and tear upon the clothes was excessive, carry- in- loads upon their backs tore their shirts and coats, while the constant friction of rowing soon wore large holes in their trousers, which being patched with Canvas from the bags in which the beans and other 8] 324 BISTORT OF M\MT" provisions had been carried, gave them a most motley appearance; leading a sort of amphibious life, they well nicknamed the 'canvas-hack ducks.'" •h'v arrived at Fort Francis with the advanced detachment on the 2!»th July, where he was met by Captain Butler, whom be had despatched at an.early • of the expedition to Pembina, who reported Riel still in | i lit Garry, the people in the uiriit uneasy, and the loyal inhabitants anxiously awaiting the arrival of the troops. Butler was also accompanied by Joseph Monckton, of Red River. Wolaeley remained at Fort Francis until the 10th, but the detachments moved forward as they arrived. From the latter place to Rat Portage the expedition had 130 miles of unbroken navigation. At Rat Portage they were met by a part} 7 from Red River in six of the Hudson Bay Company's boats, under the guidance of the Rev. Mr. Gardiner. From the outlet of the Lake of the Woods to Fort Alexander at the entrance to Lake Winnipeg, there were 149 miles, with twenty-five portages. The river is very broken and rapid, owing to the difference of the level, the Lake of the Woods being 350 feet higher than that of Lake Winnipeg. A halt was made here until the other brigades containing the regulars had arrived, which was accomplished by the 21st. Here they were met by Donald A. Smith. On Sunday morning all turned out to divine service. At three in the afternoon fifty boats, containing the artillery, engineers, and the companies of the 60th Rifles, proceeded down the river to Lake Winnipeg, camping for the night at Elk HIMORY OF MANITOUV. 325 Island. Next morning, a start was made at 5 a.m., with the hope of reaching the stone fort by evening, which, however, was not accomplished till the following morning about eight o'clock, where a good breakfast had been prepared by the Hudson Bay officials, which was keenly relished by the soldiers. The boats were then relieved of all superfluous stores, and with four rations ahead the advance on Fort Garry was commenced in the following order: Two seven-pounder gnns were placed in the bows of two boat-, and an advai urd mounted on ponies and Red River led along the shore, about a quarter of a mile ahead of the boats. This party was in command of Captain Wallace, and had orders not to inter with any person coming down the river, but to prev.nt any persons passing op. So the boats continued all the day through a drizzling rain, halting only for dinner, and camping for the night about two m below Si. John's Cathedral. About 9 o'clock in the evening the drizzle changed to a heavy rain, which continued all night. Owing to the sea of mud, Wolse- ley abandoned the idea of advancing by land, and determined to keep to the river till Point Douglas was reached, where the troops were disembarked on the left bank, and formed in open columns of companies, with a line of skirmishers thrown out, about 400 yards in advance. Wolseley and his staff utilized the ponies loaned by the settlers, while guns were limbered up behind the Red River carts. A company of the 60th Rifles led in columns of fours, followed by the artillery and engineers, the remainder of the 60th bringing up the rear. BISTORT OF M \MT(>BA. No flag WSJ flying from the flagstaff of the fort, v in his officid journal, no sign of life viable. Everything looked grim and frowning, and , m mounted over the gateway that commanded the village and the prairie, over which the troops were DCing, was expect. -.1 momentarily to open fire. ()nli tft,S0me Of the mounted men were sent toward, followed by three of the staff, to ascertain be of affairs. These returned, having ridden all round the fort, and found the gate opening on the p over fche Aasiniboine open. Through this the troops marched in. The fort was found deserted by its late defenders. Three men who were making otf up the AsMnihoinr were detained; Riel, Lepine and ODonohoe had ridden of!' up the Red River about a quarter of an hour previous. The troops then formed into line outside the fort, the Union Jack was hoisted, a royal salute fired, and three cheers given for the Queen, which were caught up and re-echoed by many of the civilians, who had followed the troops from the villages. Inside the fort was confusion, Riel's unfinished breakfast stood on the table, as also Lepine's pomatum for oiling his moustache. Thus ended the rebellion of 1869-70. Wolseley's position was now no sinecure, the money had been paid over to the Hudson Bay Company, the territory duly transferred by an order in council on the 23rd June, and the Hon. A. G. Archibald appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the new Province, who had not yet arrived. There was no civil government. For himself he had no civil authority ; to proclaim martial HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 327 law in the face of no resistance would be injudicious. Many of those who had suffered imprisonment under Rid were clamoring for revenge, and endeavored to persuade Wolseley to issue warrants for the arrest of Kir] and others, This he refused to do, maintaining that the Budson Bay Company was the only civil authority, until the arrival of (Jovernor Archibald. The brigades in the rear coming in rapidly, and the 1 of arrival being BO much later than was expected, Wolseley telegraphed General Lindsay on the 25th, that he saw no necessity for detaining the regulars; and accordingly sent them hack. Governor Archibald arrived on the 2nd September, having followed the route of the expedition, hut was detained at the Lake of the Woods. A royal salute was fired in his honor on the morning of the 3rd, after which the artillery and engineers left by boat; while Wolseley started for the Lake of the Woods where he met the return- ing expedition, and accompanied them part of the way back to Montreal, which was reached on the 1 4th October. The militia battalions under Lieutenant- Colonel Jarvis wintered at Fort 'Garry. The new Governor was kindly, but not enthusiastically, received, the French being di>sati>fied that the amnesty had not been proclaimed, and it required all the influence of Bishop Tache, who had only arrived from his mission to Ottawa the day before the arrival of the troops, to get them to quietly submit to the new order of things without the proclamation. With the large influx of immigration, Governor Archibald found himself be- tween two fires. The Ontario settlers joined with the 328 HISTORY 01 MANITOBA. English-speaking people of the Province in demand- in.: the punishment of those who had been in rebellion, while those from Quebec supported the French in their cry for i generd amnesty. On the 6ih April, Mr. Archibald held a levee, at which HnmUsion was read; he was waited on by the Catholic and Protestant bishops and clergy, as also the Ling bosineM men and farmers of the settlement, iing the election, and in accordance with his instructions, he appointed the Hon. Alfred Boyd .incial Secretary, and the Hon. M. A. Girard Provincial Treasurer. On the 13th September, an event occurred which caused considerable excitement. Elzear Goulet, who it is said gave poor Scott the ■e in the bastion, made his appearance in Winnipeg, was recognized, and chased by a man who had been one of Kiel's prisoners, and also by some volunteers. In trying to swim the river to St. Boniface, Goulet was drowned at the very place where Scott's body is said to have been put through the ice by this same individual. . As no coroner had been appointed, Governor Archibald ordered an investigation before two magistrates — Robert McBeth and Sam. Hamelin— and H. J. G. McComville, a lawyer newly arrived from Montreal, was appointed to conduct the case. A verdict was returned that Goulet's death was caused by these three men, who belonged to the Canadian or loyal party. It was felt, however, that to make an arrest in the excited state of the public feeling would have precipi- tated a conflict between the two nationalities and religions far more disastrous than that of the preceding BISTORT OF MAMTolU. 329 winter. It was therefore deemed expedient to defer action in the matter until popular feeling bad quieted down. Meanwhile, Kiel, Lepine and O'Donohue, finding Winnipeg too hot, located themselves at St. Joe, close to the boundary line. Plotting another rising so soon as the winter set in, a meeting was held at La Salle — where the first opposition to MtcDongall had been arranged — four days after Goulet's death, at. which both Riel and Lepine were present Threats were indulged in, considered by the Government serious enough to send a company of volunteers to defend the frontier; but no raid took place, and the winter of 1870-71 1 in peace. The volunteers and citizens did not get along well together at first, but through the influence of balls and parties given daring the winter, began to understand and appreciate each other, so much so that, when disbanded in the spring, many of them remained in the country, and their alter history became as I with it. During the summer of 1871, as John McLean, whose name appears in the preceding pages, was strolling through the bush attached to and surrounding his present home, he came across a party of Indians gath- ering cherries. In their efforts to secure these they were pulling the trees down and breaking great branches off. McLean remonstrated with them anent this < Instruction, saying that he did not begrudge them the cherries, but that be would not allow the bush to be destroyed in that way. The [ndians replied that he had nothing to do with it, that the Gitche Manitou (Great Spirit) made the bush for his children, and that 330 BISTOR1 Of MANil fight tor them." The Indians still ; in tryii hold of the ropes to get the way, evidently thinking that McLean's threat a bluff. Seeing that they still persisted, he drew a y six-shooter from his saddle, and told Martlet to shoot the next man who would attempt to lay a hand on a rope, at tie- same time requesting the half-breed to let the Indians know what they meant The Indians, on being informed ^y the breed, replied that being only two, they could easily dispose of them. "Not before we have killed more than two of you," replied Alec. The' Indians, seeing the boys meant to Btay by the horses, and that they Gould not frighten them OUl of turned to tleir camp, while McLean and Bartlet proceeded on their home track, passing the Indian camp, and keeping the horses between them and the Indians till they reached the edge of Pine Creek, when they once more mount»< I and started off at a good pace. Suspicious that the Indians would follow them with a view of recapturing the fa -ible, they halted once in a while to listen, when they could distinctly hear the splash of horses' hoofs in the distance, the night being very calm. To throw them off the scent, they dismounted, tied the horses in a bluff, and light- ing a Hre some distance off, waited till the embers burnt low, then galloped off, leaving as great a distance a- possible between them and their pursuers. The Indians had resolved to punish McLean after this man- 334 ftlffl MANITOBA. ner for interfering with them in the bush; on the night on which the horses were stolen they went to Alexander Gaddy's and told him to tell McLean not to w the horses, as whoever would do so would be shot. Gaddy came along in the afternoon after the boys bad started out, and delivered his message. It is not hard to imagine the distress this occasioned their friends, which was happily relieved by their return early in the morning. Bartlei died two years later at the old fori J hiring tin* massacre of the whites in Minnesota, in I S(j2. his family saw some rough times with tin- Indians, which probably did much to develop the nerve and dating for which he was noted. In the fall of this year, rumors of an invasion of the Province by the Fenians were circulating freely along the frontier at Pembina. The Government at once sent out detectives and scouts to ascertain, if possible, the true state of affairs, These could not, however, do more than echo the reports coming by every fresh arrival from the east, many of which were extravagant in the extreme, placing the number of men on the march at one thousand, one thousand five hundred, two thousand, and two thousand five hundred. On the 2nd of October, scouts brought in more precise information, that a body of men were on the road to Pembina, ready to commence a raid. This was con- firmed later on in the evening by the arrival, by express, of Gilbert McMicken, who placed their num- bers at from one hundred to one hundred and fifty, and who expressed the opinion that there was more danger to be feared from within than without the history OF MANITOBA. country. Efforts were being made, from some unknown quarter, to create among the ha If -breeds an impression that a large body of men had been pushed towards frontier. The feeling which existed among this latter class on the amnesty question, and the excite- ment still prevailing in the country over the events ol lion, made this ■ matter to be regretted. A consultation iras held by the Government, and a btion issued in French and English, calling on all loyal Bubjects to arm themselves, and rally at once ipport of the civil power and for the protection of their homea A meeting was held at Winnipeg that same evening, which irasaddressed by Archdeacon M<-- i. Dr. Black, of Kildonan. and Itu v. George Young. Small differences were set aside, and men whohadhith- i at variance united cordially in the movement The result of this was that at the dose of the meeting hundred men most of them discharged from the force sent out under Wblseley, declared themselves at a moment's notice. The employees of the Hudson Bay Company in and about Fort Garry, with Donald A. Smith at their head, enrolled them- selves under the proclamation, a volunteer company, to be drilled and ready for service when desired. About the 5th, one thousand men had expressed them- selves desirous ol service. On Thursday, the 4th, scouts brought in word that a body of men had passed the frontier about seven in the morning, placed a guard over the custom house, and proceeded to the Hudson Bay post, where they had made prisoners of Mr. b, the officer in charge, and Mr. Douglas, customs » 336 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. clerk andec Mr. B Thejp had with them three laden with inna and ammunition, also a double gon, which they loaded with provisions, clothing and other supplies from the company's store. On n were given to advance a force of two hundred volunteers, provided with arms, ammuniti p equipage, provisions, medical stores, md one a howitaer. In Lets than three re after the order had been issued, the force had crossed over and taken u\ don on the south side •*>ine, en rau t>' to where the Fenians - reported to be. The fort was left Bed with of the Hudson Bay Company's officers and men, mpany from St. Andrew's, under Lieut K. E.G.G. Hay, and one from Poplar Point, under Captain New- be. The afternoon was wet and oold, the roads muddy, yet the alacrity and cheerfulness displayed by the men was most creditable. Hardly had the march conn however, when word was received that the leaders of the movement had been captured and were prisoners in the custody of the United States infantry, at Pembina. It would appear that Colonel Wheaton, commanding the United States troops at Pembina, seeing a company of about 6fty men cross the boundary in the direction of the Hudson Bay post, and knowing of the expected raid, at once followed in pursuit with about eighty of his men. Coming upon the raiders just as they were in the act of ransacking the company's storehouse, he made prisoners of Generals O'Neil and Donelly, with Colonel Curley and eleven of the rank and file, com- man Manitoba. .*>."7 pelling them to replace the pr and clothing in u.', on learning of the arrival of the soldiers fled in hot haste down the river bank, I behind him ised >«• t< > tlif Canadian tide. Some French half' led in capturing him. Be fought I I when captured, was attempting which h«> bad stolen that morning . Mr. W'au. They tied him with ropes, and Hey, with the news of the capture. F< aringan attempt at I lolonel Wheaton to tal _«' of the prisoner. < >n hie e handed over to the Unit soldiers T! the raiders who were not captured fled in ei r rrvine, on the follov r to Colonel Wheaton, asking thai O'Donohur had I tared on British Boil and by i only been banded ov< him v be given over to the British authorities Colon. -1 Wheaton declined, on the ground thai O'Donohue was a prisoner in the cud of the civil power of the Onil charged with king the neutrality law of that country. ( > 1 ><>n<>- plan n otier with a body <>f arm.' 1 men, com] \ttawa; :i occasion by bis eloquence Els concluding words were: "We will be unworthy representati ithera if we allow the invaders to defile our soil with their nd all of the speakers arged the ty of forming a protective association, which was done there an«l then, and officers appointed for tie- government of the same Next day, being Sunday, was spent in drill and the rice of throwing up earthworks as a defence. While the Portage hoys were at drill that morning a ludicrous incident occurred, which, for the time being, varied the monotony of military drill and precision. the men were standing at ease, old John Hudson, who built the first house in the Portage, came up to rgeant McLean and said to him, "Are ye Doc- tor Jakes ? " Alec replied he was not, but pointing to where Jakes stood with some others, said, "There he is over yonder." The old man at once proceeded in the 344 history Of MANITOBA. direction pointed, and coming to where the doctor stood, repeated the interrogation, " Are ye Doctor Jakes?" ( to being assured that he was in the presence of that functionary, he said, "Ihae a sick calf this mornin', man ; I wish ye wod cum doon and see't" The roar of laughter which followed can be more easily imagined khan described, more especially as the inci- dent bap] sned to Dr. Jakes, who was rather a dude in his way, and who considered himself away up in his profession : and, for some time after.no more effective mode of rallying the doctor could be found than to ask how fchal sick calf was. As is usual on occasions when excitement runs high, people are often suspected of alien sympathies when such ifl not the case. Among these were Dr. Cowan and William Lyons, who had just come to the settle- ment this year, and started a saw mill close by the river. These had taken no part whatever in the drill nor in the preparations for defence. In consequence of this, they were suspected of entertaining sympathy for the Fenians, or, what is worse, of being Fenian spies. Indeed, the feeling went so far that thoughts were enter- tained at one time of placing them under arrest, which, however, was never done. About this time, and just when the excitement was at its height, the population of the Portage was still further increased by the accession from the States of two old bachelors, both blacksmiths, named James and William Longdon. Very reticent and retired in their manners were these two elderly men, taking no part whatever in the preparations. They, too, became objects of suspi- HISTORY Of MANITOBA. 345 cion, so much so that when Jack Benson came with the word from the Government, the sheriff spoke of them to Jack, who took the trouble to interview our n friends, but who brought back the report that they were all right I >n Sunday afternoon, about four o'clock . the Speaker of the Assembly, the Bon. James BffcKay,the Provincial Treasurer, the Hon. Mr. Girard, and other French representatii id on Lieutenant-Governor Archi- bald, and informed him that a body of French half- breeds had assembled at St. Boniface, wishing to onally, to offer their . and assure him of their loyalty n. Accompanied by Captain McDonald, the officer at the fort, Mr. Archi- bald the river and found about two hundred men stationed on the bank, who received him with a Mr. Girard, as spokesman, assured him that these bad assembled under the proclamation to ire their loyalty and desire to be enrolled and t in defending the country. The Lieutenant- Governor thanked the men for their response, assur- ing them that should their services be required, they would be called upon. Mr. Girard then addressed the nbly, portraying in eloquent terms the privi- i enjoyed by being under the British flag, at the close of which address he was loudly cheered. On rning to the fort, Captain McDonald gave orders to have the barracks prepared Lieutenant E. H. G. G. Hay, who was in command of the St. Andrew's com- pany, and to whom the order was given, quietly informed his Excellency that, if it was to accommo- 346 HISTORY 01 MANITOBA. date the men he had just toft, he would lay his arms down first In this be wm supported by Captain Newcombe, of Poplar Point. A scene ensued in the Lieutenant-Governors chamber winch we do not find in tin- official despatches. Mr. Archibald informed Hay that hv was an ofiicer in the Queen's service, and -worn to do bis duty. Mr. Say replied that he was aware of the tact, hut that before he would execute the order just Driven, to accommodate such men as and Lepine, be and every man of his company would lay down their arms. It i^> unnec essa ry to say that the order wa- imver carried out, and the French balf-breedfl were allowed to disperse to their homes. During the above conversation, when Governor Archi- bald recognized the necessity of yielding the point at issue, he asked Mr. Hay if the garrison would object to Pascal Breland with his mounted scouts. On being assured that no exception would be taken to loyal men, the interview ended, and the barracks were pre- pared. On the following morning, Breland, accom- panied by twenty-four of his scouts, came into garrison, and remained till peace was once more assured and the various companies disbanded and sent to their homes. It is worthy of note that these men did not tender their services until after the word had arrived of the capture of the Fenians by the United States infantry stationed at Pembina, under the command of Colonel Wheaton. After the Lieutenant-Governor had left the fort, accompanied by Captain McDonald, for St. Boni- face, Lieut. Hay turned his field-glass on the group BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 347 of men stationed on the opposite bank. Amongst them he distinguished the familiar forms of both Riel and Lepine, with many other prominent supporters of the late provisional government It was well known that had the Fenians been successful, these men were only waiting to assist thorn, and to repeat, if possible, I and 1^70. Under Governor Archi- bald's regime, there was reason for this winkin known facts. It may have been, possibly, the wisest course to allow tim.-.t healer of all different soothe the asperity between the races which, by being pushed to the extreme, would only have been rendered more acute. The clemency towards Riel individually may well be questioned, in view of the crime which he had committed There is no doubt that had he suffered the extreme penalty of the law in L 870 (which he certainly merited) the rebellion of 1885, with its odant loss of life and cost to the country, would never have been chronicled by the pen of the historian. The fact that coi were walking around in his company, playing cards at the same table with him, having in their breast-pockets a warrant for his arrest, and ye1 instructed to do nothing, only shadow him, ©mething that can be explained only by the initiated. On Monday, the 9th, the troops which had gone to the front under the command of Major Irvine and Captains liulvey, Kennedy and Plainval, returned to the fort, and those in garrison were allowed to return to their homes. After going through a farce of an examination be- 348 SISTdBY OF kanitoba. fore United States Commissioner Spencer, the pri- soners taken at Pembina were liberated as speedily as possible, which was only what was expected. Three halt-breeds, A. EL Villeneuve, Andre* Jerome Mathe and Oiaean [/Entendre, were arrested for participation in the attack on the Hudson Hay post and • At the quarterly court at Fort Garry, on the 17th November, 1871, Judge Johnston presid- ing, Villeneuve was found not guilty by the jury, and disci in Andre* St. Jerome Ifathe's case, they failed to agree, and he also was discharged; Oiseau L'Entendre was found guilty and sentenced to be banged on the -4th February, 1*72, but was pardoned This raid opened the eyes of the Dominion authori- ty - to the fact that the furcr left in the Province was too small; that a larger body of men was required until order was perfectly restored, and a local militia organized. In his evidence before the Select Committee, in 1874, Governor Archibald said, that at the time Riel offered hifl services it was not known that the raid was at an end; that there was still intense excitement, and another attack expected by way of St. Joe ; that Riel's offer of assistance was made in good faith, as he could not pos- sibly have known the precise state of affairs. Mr. Archibald forgot to state, however, that Riel was in a position to have as efficient scouts as the Government, and that he was thoroughly posted on the matter. I close this account of the raid of 1871 with an extract from a letter written by O'Donohue to the Speaker of the House of Commons, dated St. Paul, BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 349 26th February. 1 87$, in which he says : " The so-called Fenian raid is a misnomer. Fenianism had nothing to do with it. It was simply a continuation of the insurrection of 1869, with tin- same intention, and by the same parties, a fact which the Government of Manitoba was cognizant of for months previous. My part in it was simply that of an agent of the people, hold:: d signed by the officers, civil and military, of the late provisional government of the French party, and authorized by a resolution of the council held at River La Salle, in September, 1870, over which Louis I ^ i « - 1 presided." CHAPTEE XV. ,! Indian Promised Railway First Tele- graphic Commnnirati<>n with «>tt;i\\;i I MM LrfMSN Parliain.-nt Steam-boats i m • ki of Portage la urliCaae — Regular M [ndiaai Lata The Fir*t AantnMBl H< >11 ('. 1*. K. I n-aty with t: Tbenai Gariand ;m. The amasement on the tatter's face can be better iniagined than described Alec and his companion, taking in the situation, mad.- their exit on the double- quick through the door and dowi where they gave vent to their hitherto restrained laughter. Mr. McLean, too, had "caught on," and was containing himself as best he could in the neighboring room. Of course, there was an explanation and an apology. The end gentleman himself, on his return to Ontario, told the story to a Large audience in London, fairly bringing down the house with the recital, and condud- 23 360 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ing with the words, "that with the exception of his native home, Manitoba was the only place where he had ever received a good spanking." This vt-ar the little town received its first resident ler mixed farming, which the Westbourne district affords excellent facilities, taking with him four or five men and a tent, proceeded in the spring of this year to do some break- ing, and erect a log-house on the place. He had not 364 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. been long at work when BOme Indiana waited on him tnd ordered him off, telling him that they had not been treated with, and would not allow any white man to settle on the land until they had been. Mr. Wallace paid no attention, hut went on with his improvements. Km four eon* rutiw days they waited on him, but, hat he paid no heed to their warnings, they Jnded to take some more forcible method. On the fifth day. ten of thera came along to where Wallace and his men were at work, took the tent down, rolled it Dp carefully and placed it in the cart, then proceeded to where they were erecting the house, ordered those engaged in the work to stop, and seizing the logs pulled them down and scattered them over the ground. Wallace, with some of his men, remonstrated, but it was of no use. This was all done without any angry demonstration on the part of the Indians, and with the attitude of men who had a prior claim, and who meant to stand by it. Tom, seeing that there was no further use of perseverance, at least for the present, left, making his way to the Portage. At Shannon's he found David Morrison and William and Walter Lynch camped, to whom, very crestfallen indeed, he told his story. Shortly after a party of Indians came along, and also warned Morrison and Lynch to leave. These gentlemen paid no attention, but proceeded to take up claims on the banks of the Rat Creek and \\ - stbourne River. After the lapse of three or four days, about forty Indians came to where they had located, and proceeded to make things lively by tearing some of the boards off the waggon, throwing things HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 365 around, and otherwise demonstrating the warmth of their feelings, winding up by seating themselves in a circle and discussing the situation. Our pioneers took the matter coolly, and quietly awaited developments. After considerable grunting and gesticulating, one of them rose and presented Morrison with a paper numerously signed. With some assistance to decipher it, he found it to be a notice to quit, stating that when they tir-t came in the Indians had warned them to leave, and now, seeing that they had not gone, they had come to drive them off. Morrison replied that they had come to stay, and would not be driven off, that they (the Indians) might kill them as they had other settlers, but if they did soldiers would be sent in who would shoot every man of them. He also pro- 1 th.it if tli.- Government did not settle with them for the land, they would do it themselves. The deputation then returned to the circle, which had remained unbroken with this exception. After some further discussion, emphasised by more gesticulation, they all rose, and coining to where Morrison stood •>lio(»k hands with him, every man in his turn. Seeing that their case had heen favorably considered, Morrison went into the tent, and had his wife prepare a side of bacon, then bidding the noble red men sit down, he proceeded to fortify them with bread and tea and bacon. This done, the Indians proceeded towards Westbourne, well satisfied with the result of their pow-wow. On their return journey to the lake they were similarly treated. From that day neither Morri- son nor Lynch, nor indeed any other settler, was molested in locating a home. 366 BI8T0R? OF MANITOBA. A humorous incident occurred some time after, which is worthy of recital A vacant claim Lying close to that of the Lynch brother-, they proceeded to pre- pare the same, or a portion of it, for crop. After having done some ploughing, they were astonished, on coming out to resume work one morning; to rind a stake s up on the edge of the last furrow which they had tallied over the previous evening. Taking no noticr of it. they commenced to plough from the opposite of the field towards the stake. After noon they found an old Indian, gun 10 hand, seated with his back against the stake, and Ins legs stretched out over the onplooghed ground, which Mr. Lynch and his brother William were making beautifully less. Every now and then, as the men passed, they would stop and speak to him, but the old man was in no way disposed to be friendly, and so they would pass on. By-and-by the space became so narrow that the teams, which were heavy ones, were almost trampling on his outstretched legs. Seeing no disposition on the part of the brothers to respect his pedal extremities, he changed them in line with the furrow, then, as their horses got nearer, turned them over on the ploughed ground. At last the whiffletree struck the stake and knocked it out alto- gether. Jumping to his feet, the Indian seized the stake, proceeded to the banks of the river, and in apparent rage threw it into the water and left the field. Mr. Lynch, who has always been noted as a breeder of thoroughbred stock, brought in a flock of sheep in 1873. One day, shortly after, the inmates of his house heard cries of distress. Going out they HISTORY OF MANITOBA, 367 found an Indian perched on the top of the fence, with the sheep nibbling all around him. It required some persuasion to make him believe that he was perfectly safe, and that he might, if disposed, come down from udted position, which he ultimately did, The little village of Westbourne, to which we have refem-d in the previous narrative, is one of the mission stations founded by Archdeacon Cochrane in L854. In that year, the Rev. Henr. his son-in-law, was ed in charge of the mission, and continued to per- form the duties connected with the same till the death of the Archdeacon, in 1865, when he was n -moved to Portage la Prairie, as incumbent of Si llary'a In 1871, John Chantler moved here with B stock of is and opened out a small store. Another trader. of the name of McKennv, also made his appearance about this tine', who, after doing business for • few retired Tin- Hudson Bay Company also had a trading post here fox some time, but removed the same toTotogan in L878. The latter mentioned place in 1872 was be ginning to show signs of importance, and was attracting considerable attention. It was situated near the mouth of the White Mud River where it empties into Lake Manitoba, with vast timber resources lying north along the shores of Lakes Manitoba and Winnipegoosia It seemed destined to be the distributing point for a large lumbering interest. Here Shism and I'.uhear, after disposing of their interest at Fort Garry, came and established them- selves, putting up a grist and saw mill, and going osively into the manufacture of lumber, lath, etc. 368 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In those early years the town of Totogan was boomed for all it was worth, and, so far as prospects were con- cerned, seemed to bid fair to become what it was represented to be. An offer was made the owner, Mr. Campbell, through his agent in Winnipeg, Duncan .McArthur. Esq., of 140,000 for the town site. Mr. Campbell, however, had placed a higher value on the property, and being then absent on a visit to the Old Country, Mr. McArthur did not feel at liberty to pt the offer without consulting him. Messrs. Shiam and Bubear. titer running business for about a couple of years, built a boat intended for a steam tag; which was to be named the Saskatchewan. On the completion of the hull, she was fitted up with sail, and a couple of trips made up the lake. On her last return trip a storm blew her out of her course and beached her in a reedy marsh about a mile from the lake, a few miles east of her native port. Her owners, after unavailing efforts to get her afloat, were com- pelled to abandon her. On the occasion of a prairie fire sweeping through this section of country she caught fire, and was completely destroyed. After run- ning an extensive business for three years, the firm failed. In 1872 also, the first assessment of Portage la Prairie was taken by Captain Newcombe, of Poplar Point, being the charter assessment of the town ; and as it may be- come valuable and of interest in future years for reference, I reproduce it verbatim. >RY OF MANITOBA. 369 A ss e ssed Value of the Property, Real and Per- sonal, of the Inhabitants of the Parish of St. Hart's, lcoobding to the Ass mknt Roll fob 1871 and 1872. II n. Francis Oglt • elm Cmnmingi William Sim-lair b. McDonald rge < J;irri< >ih John Connor . . Thomas Sisswiis Hudson Bay Company John Doogakl Mi - William Qarrioeh lei Curtis Mail •• in Garrioofa i let Oommingi John lifnTiotn • . keos . . wniiam Caddy Fr. Bird Hiram I .... William HodgioD Thomas Corrigal William Smith Alexander Andereoa ■ith Charles H. House Drs. Lynch and Jacques Farquhar M< iLeeH neth McBain Martin Burwell Peter Anderson TOTAL \M I. of pro 7 00 126 00 i8 00 200 00 q oo <> oo G25 00 MS 00 1,000 00 1 00 11.-) 00 2,990 00 2,810 00 480 00 2,244 00 2,000 00 1,763 00 1,813 00 750 00 100 00 370 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. WW l'»;i/il Momon . . Thomas Anderson, jun. Thomas Anders. >n. sen. John Mu-h.u'l . . Henry Andamon John Ghtnioeh. . Donald. . John .lames Setter . . Mrs. John 8] 11. oiy I loocgt Drs: I lid I .>■ -ns William Walk John Forester . . Cossiter Jesse Green John Corrigal . . .Iaini'3 B. Holmes Alec Whitftad Roderick McLeod Robert Flett P. Sondenon, sen. . . P. Henderson, jun. . . Charles Bendenod James Henderson Alec Sandison Roger Bell John Heally . . Joseph Little Adam Huddlestone . . William McDonald . . Alexander Richardson Alexander Murray Thomas Boddy Philander Bartlett . . Wilder Bartlett TOTAL AM 1. OK l-koi'i i:t\ $100 00 140 00 93 00 130 00 407 00 . . 2,270 00 175 00 450 00 190 00 . . 1,765 00 815 00 60 00 130 00 .. 2,188 00 330 00 900 00 1,210 00 762 00 988 00 . . 1,268 00 622 00 222 00 207 00 195 00 50 00 380 00 175 00 190 00 67 00 417 00 400 00 300 00 300 00 440 00 500 00 HISTORY (>F MANITOBA. 371 SAM TOT A OF PROP] •John J. Walker 00 •n 300 00 Joseph Oorrigal 325 00 Henry Corbett 736 00 Clinton < lidding! 703 00 J«.hn Robertson 360 00 John Scott 410 00 Ki-niH-th MeKenale . . 388 00 Thonuui Boddleetone. . 1,421 00 Jook 686 00 Moffat & Davidson .. 400 00 True oopy. Geo. New. qm cirri: of the Ptaufor Marquette. Popi . .July 15th, 1872. In 1872, a royal charter i d In the Bouse of Commons granting the syndicate of capitalists formed to Construct wli.it is now known H the Cana- dian Pacific Railway, ■ land grant of 15, 000,000 ac and a subsidy of $30,000,000, to be paid at Intervals, as construction proceeded ; security to the amount of 11,000,000 to remain in the hands of the Government, for the due fulfilment of the work. The whole to be completed in ten years, and as follows : To the bound- ary of tin- United December 31st, 1874; Red River to Lake Superior, December 31st, 1870 ; and the whole by L881. In 1872, the Dominion Land Act was passed, provid- ing for a system of survey, and arranging that the Budson Bay Company should accept in every fifth township in the Territories, in regular succession, history OF MANITOBA. northerly from the United States boundary, two whole sections of 640 acres each, and in all other town- ships one and three-fourths sections, to be known and gnated as the land of the company. Provision was made for fractional townships, and others broken by lakes, an«l the terms of the Act as thus [aid down accepted by the Bndaon Bay Company. In this year also, W< ML Smith increased the capa- city of hlfl mill, which was the first steam flour mill in the Portage settlement, by adding another run of stones. This was felt to be a boon to the settlers, and it ifl H to add, in common phraseology, that Smith ■ had all he could do," running for a time day and night In 1878, he bought out the mill erected at the west end in the year previous by Logan, Marple & Co., taking the machinery out of the first, which he sold to the Hon. James McKay, who removed and utilized it in a mill he was erecting at Point du Chien, and which was put in operation by John Watson. In 1. 3 was consummated with the Ojibeways, at the north-west angle of the Lake of the Woods, to which we have already referred. In 1874, the fourth Indian treaty was concluded, with a portion of the Cree and Saulteaux tribes. The commissioners in this case were Lieutenant-Governor Morris, Hon. David Laird, and Hon. W. J. Christie, a retired Hud- son Bay factor. Over five hundred lodges were con- gregated at this treaty, and a good deal of trouble was experienced in bringing the several bands to accept the terms laid down. After a six days' con- ference, the Saulteaux and the Crees agreed to accept HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 373 the same terms as the Ojibeways. Owing to a differ- ence of opinion between the two tribes, it seemed at one time as if no arrangement could be effected, but the firmness of the commissioners finally carried the day. This treaty embraced a territory of 75,000 square milea In this year also, occurred the famous Lepine trial, before Chief Justice Wood, at Fort Garry. To the salient points in the evidence 1 refer in the narrative of the trial and murder of Thomas Scott. In L874, Garland and Melville, both hailing from Ontario, came to the Portage settlement and bought out the interest of Scbultz and Lossee, carrying on the business in their old stand for upwards of a year ; they bnilt the present store, on the opposite side of Main M- [\ i ; i failing, he returned fottawa, where 1 • I consumption. Mr. Gar- land continued the business, developing in the after years a large wholesale aa well as retail business. Be was one of the first merchants to take grain on account, which he collected and shipped in quantities in a flat- bottomed boat to Winnipeg. Open-hearted and gen* Mr. Garland was always the friend, The in in which he was held aided largely in building up a business, the volume of which, in 1881, between wholesale and retail, figured close on $150,000. An enthusiastic musician, lie led, for many years, the Presbyterian choir. 1 lis death, on the 7th of January, 1882, was probably occasioned by a cold, received at the opening of the new church a few days previous, tg a prominent freemason, he was buried with :;, i BISTORT OF MANITOBA. masonic honors. Even amid the boom fever, which was just tlifii springing into activity, there was ahuafa as the remains of Tom Garland were conveyed to their home. His it his decease, was valued at -■ In this year also, was built the Portage grist mill, on Mai: On the 22nd of June, grasshopp* is from the west visited the settlement* and completely de- the crops. The mill, through the calamity, remained unfinished until the fall of 1876, when a joint-stock company was formed, consisting of Kenneth ItcKeniie, Michael Blake, Isaiah Mawhinney, T. Gar- land, and others, to procure the machinery and put it in operation, which was done late in the fall ; and Robert Watson, the present representative in the Com- mons for Marquette West, then a machinist with Goldie vV McCullough, of Gait, was sent out to fit her up and start her working. Later on, Mr. Blake bought out his partners' interest, and controlled the whole, till purchased from him by W. J. M. Pratt, for the sum of $6,000 — the first large check given in the Portage up to that date. In 1874, W. P. Smith, another gentleman who has figured prominently in Portage affairs, made his debut in the settlement. Disheartened by the ravages of the grasshoppers, he returned to Winnipeg in the fall, w^here he remained till 1876. While there, Smith officiated as engineer of the fire brigade, and had the honor of putting together the first steam fire-engine owned by the city of Winnipeg, known as the " Old Assiniboine." She was hauled in sleighs from St. / BISTORT? OF MANITOBA. 377 Paul, and, as early residents will remember, was destroyed with the old tire-hall on Christmas Eve of The Winnipeg council desired Smith to remain, but e rather to try his fortune on the Port Plains, lie returned in hs7»i. when he took up a home- stead at McDonald, which he afterwards traded for the one he at present owns, situated north-east of the Portage. Binding that making money by farming was a slow process in those days, he went cast and returned with \ -mill outfit, which he erected on the old Holmes Landing. Though the heavy timber along the banks of the river was by this time pretty well culled, still there was sufficient left to run busi- In order to get his loir- to the mill he often had to raft them quite a distance, an ition fraught with considerable danger, especially when done with little help. During tigb water in L879, he had • difficulty in protecting his mill, house and other property, the water rushing through his house. The ©, often collided with Ids rafts, breaking them to pieces. The flood of 1881 so thoroughly broke up the mill site, and spoiled the milling privi- nnected therewith, that he determined to » the pr« ^t of the town, where he united himself with Lbckie, the pioneer brickmaker, and latterly bought him out. During late years Mr. Smith has been a member of the county as well as the town council, and twice a candidate for legislative honm 24 :;;s hebtory or hanitoba. In L875, there were many accessions to the popula- tion, many of whom in after years figured prominently in the varied interests of the little town. Among these was the Rev. Allan Bell, then a young man fresh from Princeton, with hia girl wife as the writer has rd him fondly caU hen. to take charge of the Pres- byterian cause here. The church, a Log edifice, which also served aa a school-house, Btood close to the narra- tor's residence, on the hank of the slouch. The little congregation then av< from ten to twenty. After being ordained in Winnipeg, Mr. Bel] commenced a pastorate which lasted for over fourteen years. Houses being scarce, a residence was secured for him in a log building down the River Road, which still stands, hut baa long been discarded as a place of human abode. Subsequently he removed to Charlie House's ; then to the west end ; then what is known as the old manse, built by John Thompson in 1878, was secured, in which he resided till the present manse was built in 1883. The building in which the congregation worshipped was also removed in L876 to Saskatchewan Avenue, and placed on a piece of land given to the congrega- tion by Michael Blake, a Roman Catholic. As instances of such generosity are rare, and as no public acknow- ledgment of the same has been made, it is only justice to the donor that such should be recorded. After doing service in that for which it was originally intended, it was discarded for more commodious premises in the newly-erected court house. During the boom fever of 1882, the old log church history OF MANITOBA. 379 and ground attached were sold for an extravagant sum. and the building utilized as a blacksmith shop. For another year or more two followers of Tubal Cain hammered out the ploughshare and the glowing iron. At last even these left the shelter of its precincts, and the building rn down in 1888, and removed to make i Btable for W. I\ Smith, givmg Bpaee for ■ more pretentious edifice on the Avenue. • With the tide of emigration so last coming in, the congregation grew brong numerically and financially, that in 1881 they felt themselves justified in erecting a building in keeping with their improved circumstances. A chosen, plans prepared, and willing hands and hearts mad.- tin- work light. By January of L882 a handsome edifice, 40 i 82, with basement, was com- 1 and dedicated for divine worship. Sere for the present ire leave pa-tor and people. Tli treaty, known as the Winnipeg Tn , use ir included in its provisions the Indians Using on tin- border of that lake, was Consummated during bember of 1875. Lieutenant-Governor Morris was bed on tii.it occasion by the late Honorable James KIcE <-,)tch half-breed, whose knowledge of the Indian cha r acter and influence over the tribes made his services valuable The terms of this treaty were tli.- same as those of ad 4, with the exception of th.- land grant, which was reduced. In Nob. 3 and 4, ere allowed to each family of live persons ; treaty No. :> only allowed 1 GO, and, in some cases, only 100 acres to such a family. This treaty included an arda of about 100,000 square miles, inhabited by the Chippewas and Swampy Crees. 380 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In April of tins year ■ severe flood occurred in the Prince Albert settlement On the 24th the North Saskatchewan showed no signs o! breaking up, the ice 1 »ti 1 1 id afl in mid-winter. Before morning, however, ii broke, and flooded the upper and lower • of the settlement A party of [ndian women mped on an island in the river making sugar. The ice being jammed between the island and the mainland, in a few minutes the former was under water, which came upon the pOOt women SO suddenly that, with th( ir children, th.-y rati to the highest ridge, and finally had to take to the tree.. Towards evening of the following day two Indians reached and suc- , led in rescuing four of them. Five had already lost their hold on the trees and were drowned One woman, it is said, held her drowned child until she dropped from sheer exhaustion, calling to her com- panions, as she tell, to try and save themselves The five who were drowned were' not found, there heing fifteen feet of water, and the floating wood and ice making it impossible to get near them. Several of the settlers bad from four to five feet of water in their houses : several stables, also, were carried away, and fifteen head of cattle drowned. It being a very dark night, the people did not know what was coming. Hearing large boulders of ice thumping against the house in the night is not the most pleasant thing to be surprised by ; neither is tumbling out of bed with pots and pans floating about inside and a lake of float- ing ice on the outside. One poor fellow was so sur- prised that he leapt from his bed square into the cellar, history OF MANITOBA. 381 but quickly made his exit through the cellar window. Several women were also severely braised in wading through the ice to reach the hill. In 1875 many changes occurred in the Portage. The r office was removed from Charlie Boose's to Charlie Mair oo the c >rner of Demaris' place, close by wh unman Catholic church now stand* I 'in Wallace sold out his interest in the old hut Hotel to William Lynn., receiving for tin- same the hom< md pre-emption of the latter. Mr. Mar- latt tired of farming, again cam.- t<> tie- front, and red into partnership with II. M. Campbell and started a general Btore, adding, in L877, to their mer- bile interests that of tailoring (the first of the kind west of Winnipeg), with Mr. Ln . now of liinnedosa, as principal. Dnring the rammer of 1 ^7«; there occurred the most memoral the most premeditated and c ►Id- blooded, murder among the Indians, and the first in Which tl ige and provincial authorities felt it their dnty to interfere, and show the red man that. s,1( '' 1 of matters would not he tolerated any r within fhe pale of civilization. Up to this time murders had Keen frequent among them, and they had wielded the arm of retributive justice in a manner tMat pleased them without let or hindrance from the settlers, who, feeling the inferiority of their oum- IH Comparison with that of the Indians, and knowing the fearful atrocity in connection with Indian vengeance, were well content to leave them alone as long as tin cities were kept among themselves. ;Vs-J HISTORY 01 MANITOBA. About the middle of June, two Indians from the Assiniboine reservation, near where the town of Rapid City now stands, came to the Portage to visit and trade. One of these was a man of medium stature, stoutly built, and possessed of strong physical powers, named Ironheart. He apparently had a bad repu- tation amongst the I Sioux because of having shot some of his tribe, and had been the cause of iderable mischief 1 etween them and the whites during the massacre of 1862, in Minnesota. He was, in theii own expression, a " had In home and put up his horses, which he concluded to da A warrant was issued by the magistrates Cor the the murderers, and placed in the hands of Sheriff Setter, who went around the settlers 1 bouses morning, swearing in special constables, and summoning jurors for a coroner's inquest, which was held at \V. P, Smith's mill, and presided over by Dr. ( '..wan. The sheriff, well knowing the danger attending such a mission, instructed hw specials against any dis- play of tii varms or anything that would cause a panic among the Indians. Accompanied by quite a number key proceeded in the direction of the Sioux camp, which was on a piece of rising ground in the vicinity of where Portage Brewery now stands. Arriving there, they found the murderers and their S86 ilismiiv OF M LNfTOBA, sympathisers Beafced some ed •• Feringee. w Only one prisoner was caught, and that by John McLean, who handed him to Mr. Connor ; but he too, watching his opportu- nity, slipped down the hand-rail, and was off Amid all this excitement there were humors which cannot be forgotten. As the first Indian sprang up ut tt-riii_: his " Hi-tee-hi-tee," Mr. Ogletree rose from ■at, and holding up his hand, said ' ffvsh !" but he might as well have tried to hush old Boreas when he is out on a blizzard as to hush tie.' tumult which followed. Some one asked John McLean why he let the doctor go. " Good man," said John, " a couldna haud him, he was too greasy." Sheriff Setter and John McDonald proceeded to Winnipeg and reported the matter to Governor Morris, who was at first disposed to repri- mand the sheriff for the escape of the prisoners. In fact, w T hen the sheriff was introduced to him, he had just finished reading a criticism on his own manage- ment as an Indian Commissioner. On considering the circumstances, however, he commended him for his BISTORT OF MANITOBA, 389 * and prudence in what might have been a serious matter for the Portage settlers. A bench warrant Issued for the re-arrest of the prisoners, especial ly the doctor. The Hon. Gilbert McMicken, accompanied by his son Alexander, Stewart Ifnlvey, and several others from Winnipeg, came up to the Portage to enforce, if possible, the above; but the Indians eould not be found. As [ ,,r t! "' doctor, be studiously kept out of the way: in fact, was not seen in the town for about a year after- ward. He was never arrested, and the matter was allowed to drop ^ The coroner's jury met,aa was .-.-reed upon, at Billy Smith's mill at the west end, and after some delibera- tinn proceeded to the place where [ronheart's remains laid. The body was taken up and examined, which it was again committed to the care of mother earth i<>r good. They then retained to the mill, when a verdict was brought in in keeping with be narrative as recorded. [ronheart's grave eoold be Been for yean after, but the plough has since levelled the earth, and only a few old residents can point ont the place of his re This lesson did the red men of the settlement con- M hnfc-rprises In this year T. B. Miller arrived in the settlement, an ,l ;lt on a to purchase wheat, storing it in the premises now vacated at the foot of Main Street. .,.,, asoffieieni quantity had been obtained, it was shipped per Bat-bottomed boat to Winnipeg. Shortly after he opened out ahardware stock, also a line of furniture consisting of chairs and bedsteads. In 1878, be was joined by his brother Walter, and the business extended and increased. With no competition in the great country lying to the west, those pioneer mer- mld hardly fail to succeed, and many of them in older to keep pace with their growing trade estab- lished branches at western pointa Amongst these were T. B. and \V. Millar. Courteous and gentlemanly in manners, as also straightforward in their dealings, they soon commanded the respect of the settlers. The appearance of surveyors among the Indians of the Saskatchewan, with the double object of laying out the road for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and making a geological survey, produced a feeling of dis- content and uneasiness among them. The country still uncovered by treaty comprised the extreme northern districts, an area of about 35,000 square miles, with a population of about 5,000 souls. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 391 The Rev. Father Scollen, in a letter addressed from Fort Pitt to the Lieutenant-Governor, urges the com- pletion of a treaty at once, owing to the evil influence of American traders and whiskey. Ee recognised the good effect of the Mounted Police in suppressing the latter traffic, and stated that the Indians themselves were looking forward to an understanding with the Government at an early date. Lieutenant-Governor Laird, who succeeded Morris, was at once commissioned treat with the Blaekfoet, assisted by Colonel McLeod, which he did on the 28th September, 1877. From the report of the Superintendent for Indian Affairs for 1888, the cost to the country for Indian -=1.112,000, divided op as follows: For the tern Provi 2,000; British Columbia, $83,000 ; and in the North-Wesi Territories, $125,000 ; $188,000 was devo fche payment of annuities under the by which the Indians surrendered ial claims. The pay roll in Manitoba for 161 bead men, a< $15 . iris, at $5; in all, $43,755! In the North-West Territories, 40 chiefs, at $! 2, at $32; 181 head men, at $15; 8, at $22; and men, women and children, at $5 j 367, at $12; in }l1 '■ For agricultural implements, such as harness, plough (20,282 ; for *eed \ 5; for dotitutc Indians, $342,657; for cattle, $1 1,803; clothing, $3,349 ; 28 farm instruc- ts 1 the Bum of $5 2,229 ; schools, $67,982 j five industrial schools, in which the wards are taught agriculture, boot-making, blacksmithing, car- BISTORT OF MANITOBA. penterfog ind other oaeful trades, f78,000. Twenty [mlians were nomadic in their habits, waB veT the m« Btwtch o! territory, culti- CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, WINNIPEG. rating no land. To-day they own 5,365 houses, 1,659 hams? 12,067 acres of cultivated land, 1,216 ploughs, 707 harrows, 756 waggons, 52 fanning mills, 2,158 cows, 42 bulls, 1,814 oxen, 3,904 young cattle, 4,480 horses, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 393 412 sheep, and Zo6 pigs. During 1888 they have grown 36,102 bushel* of wheat, 20,861 of oats, 21,399 of barley, 102.6 Is of potatoes, and 18,150 tons of hay. In the matter of dress, they are also following close on the example of the whit In June, 1877, the Prvna Rupert, a steam tug of one hundred and twenty tons harden, with three flat j, made a trip up the /Lssiniboine, laden with flour, general merchandise and telegraph wire, taking three 00 the trip. The success attendant on this trial induced her owners, the North-Wesl Navigation Company, to put on the river service in later years, other and larger boats, and also to extend the same to other and more distant points. The impetus given to trad.- by the river navigation, in the increased facility for the handling of freight, was a boon to the community at large, and more dally to merchant I Winnipeg. Freighting at the best was a slow and cumbersome process, as also a cosily one, and the new life imparted by the incoming settlers made it to be felt as altogether too for the order of things which was being inaugu- rated. The writer well remembers the excitement amongst the merchants, the butchers, grocers and bakers, as the whistle of the steamboat was heard turning the bend of the river at a short distance from the landing. Buck boards, baggies, and waggons of all kinds from the delivery up to the double waggon, went rattling down the River Road, the desideratum being who would get there first. Very cheering, and yet strange, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. that whistle sounded from the wooded banks of the river, like ■ voice from the great outer world breaking in on the silence and loneliness of our prairie homes. At the foot of the road and along the banks were situated the commodious freight sheds and buildings erected by W. J. If. Pratt, and known as Pratt's Landing. A little father back from the river bank was the pretty home of the owner, nestling among the trees. In the rammer DCaoon this was a beautiful place indeed — the background of green foliage and thick woods, stretching westward with the winding of the river, in front the broad and placid waters of the Ajssiniboine, flowing on with that peculiar lapping sound so pleasant to hear, like the soothing melody of a mother wooing her little one to sleep, and losing itself to the gaze in the curve or bend which it takes in front of Cussitar's residence. St. Mary's Church, with its quiet God's Acre immediately in the rear — very quaint, indeed, seemed the old church with the homes of the settlers around it and the houses of the town stretched away behind ; while in the west was the setting sun flooding the plains with glory, and turning the distant windows of the settlers' homes into scintillating diamonds, refulgent with all manner of gorgeous colors. If the traveller had business at the landing he would make the acquaintance of a courteous little Scotchman, who regarded it his duty to be kind and obliging to all, especially to the new-comer and the stranger. Of medium stature, broad, deep forehead, and thoughtf ul face, fond of a talk, retiring in disposi- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 395 tion, and yet a thorough, quiet worker ; such was Sutherland, the freight clerk of that date. Some idea of the extent of the business done may be gathered from the following: The first year, I s 77, the trade was rather limited. The following years. ls7s, ' and 1880, there were three boats in the service, the I the Marquette, and the Manitobcun • arrived at Piatt's Landing every week, with from three to five barges attached, freighted with merchandise, returning to Winnipeg loaded with wheat, barley, flour, etc. At this time the Portage had become quite a market for wheat, the merchants taking the same on accounts, and storing it till visited by buyers from St. Paul and Winnij. In 1876 was issued the first number of the Mar- quett p, the first paper published westofWinni- with Thomas ( foiling, now of Victoria, !).(' editor. It continued kly until August of 1881 wli.-n it became a semi-weelky. Previous to this, in the fall of L880, the plant and building in which it was contained were destroyed by fire. A subscription was opened among the citizens, and in a few weeks Mr. Collins was able to resume issue, Mr. Luxton, of the Winnipe Press, kindly coming to his aid with In the fall of 1882, it was bought up by a syn- dicate, largely composed of the personnel of the Local Government of that date, for the sum of $1 1,000 ; Hon. C. P. Brown, then Minister of Public Works, being one of the chief movers in the scheme. Up to this the journal had been independent in tone ; in the hands of the syndicate, however, it was used as an 39G BISTORT OF MANITOBA. organ for the defence of the Norquay administration' and wli.it was considered to be Conservative interest. In 1876, also, the Portage, which had hitherto been indnded in the Poplar Point and High Blufi" districts, was, at the Methodist Conference held that year in Winnipeg, appointed a separate district, with W. L. Hal stead as pastor and chairman Regular services were conducted in a little loc church on the Slouch by the residence of Judge llyan. The membership at this time was about twenty-five. Here worshipped till the tabernacle was erected, in 1881 ; having previously disposed of the old church to E. H. G. (i 11 i\ who removed the building, and with an addition, utilised it as a machine shop and foundry. The church was then under the pastoral care of Mr. Hewitt. With the increase of the popula- tion, the tabernacle became too small, and a favorable opportunity occurring to dispose of it, the building and lot were sold for a good figure, and converted into an hotel, known as the Essex House. During the erection of a business block, with hall above and stores underneath, on the Avenue — known for many years as the " Methodist Block," but now as the " Pratt Block " — the congregation worshipped in the town hall. Mr. Hewitt, after a term of three years, was succeeded by Mr. Woodsworth, the present Superintendent of Missions, who, after serving three years also, was succeeded by Mr. Rutledge, who was in turn succeeded by Mr. Harrison, at the close of whose pastorate the present large and commodious new church on Campbell Street was erected, and for- mally opened on the 7th of October, 1883. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 397 The church has been conducive of much good in the community, the membership being about three hundred and' twenty, while the congregational atten- dance averages five hundred, the ministrations of the present pastor, the Rev. George Daniels, being very acceptable. The Sabbath-school in connection there- with averages in attendance about two hundred and forty, and has been superintended for the last seven s by Bngb I Farley, Esq. In June of thi> yeas also, the construction of our great national highway, the Canadian Pacific Railway, commenced at Winnipeg, under the Hon. Alexander llackenzi me From there the work was poshed eastward and westward. By the fall of L880, the con- tractors had only reached Rat Portage, a distance of one hundred and twelve miles, the ballasting of a large portion of which was even then unfinished. \\ ward, the progress was equally slow ; the sixty miles that stretched between Winnipeg and the Portage was not opened for traffic until the close of the same year. Considerable anxiety was felt by the Portage people as to getting the road to deflect, BO as to tap the town. If Mackenzie's proposed route had been followed, they would have been left high and dry, several miles to the south, with the road passing in a north-westerly direc- tion towards Lake Manitoba. As sufficient has been written about utilizing the water stretches, I do not propose to weary my readers with a recapitulation of much that has been written for purely political purpo 398 R18TOBY OF MANITOBA. On Mr. Ryan being elected, in 1878, for the Com- mons,and previous to his Leaving for Ottawa, a banquet was given him in the old Portage Hotel, at which the leading nun of the plains of both shades of political faith were present in goodly numbers. Speeches were indulged in, and the feast of reason and How of soul was aided by potent draughts from the liquids gen- erally kepi in the establishment Mr. Ryan's in>truc- tions irere to favor the government or party that would favor the Porta-.-, or in other words, cause the from the proposed route and tap the town. Mr. Ryan did so, and voted for the Macdonald administration. If a stranger had arrived in town on the evening when the news was received that such had been decided on, and that the road would shortly be in. he would have come to the conclusion, in the words of the old Scotchman, that the "folks had a gane gite." At the foot of Main Street, and in front of the Portage Hotel, was a huge bonfire of boxes, barrels, crates, and every conceivable material of this nature, while dancing around it, in joyous glee, catching each other's coat- tails, pulling off one another's hats, and throwing them in the fire, were the familiar forms of Tom Garland, T. B. Millar, H. J. Leroy, S. Mcllvaine, W. J. M.Pratt, Billy Smith, and others. Mr. Gigot, the courteous manager of the Hudson Bay Company's store at this point, sent an omnibus, with an invitation to the revel- lers to come and sample the cellar, which was at once accepted, and the crowd proceeded to the west end, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 399 where music and dancing, toast and song, followed in quick succession till the dawn of the following morning. In this year also, Roddie Campbell, who had been running a furniture and picture-framing establish- ment at the west end, moved to Main Street, where he was joined by William Fulton, and the business enlarged. His first arrival in the Portage was in ;. At this early period Campbell and Joe Carey, then a photographer, "bached" together on the premises at the west end Trade was slow, and the strictest any was practised by our friends in the matter of u grab," Campbell's workshop was a little place to the rear of the store, and as a matter of course, the shaving! eaned out only once in a while, a fact which the neighbors' fowls took advantage of, and which certainly favored Campbell and Carey with fresh eggs. At Length the women began to wonder where their hens were Laying; they could hear them cackle, but for some time, could not find out their they determined to watch. At length one was observed to oome out of Campbell's shop. The women at once armed themselves with brooms, and made a raid on Bachelor Hall, where to their satisfac- tion they found another, sitting quietly and con- tentedly under hie work-bench. The tableau can be better imagined than described Fancy Campbell on the top of his bench, hammer in hand, trying to defend himself, with the ladies endeavoring to put in good execution on him with their broomsticks! About this time, what afterwards became the Queen's 400 KANITOBA Hotel was storied by Alex. Stinston, who built a little log-house on the corner of what is DOW known as King and Main Streets. Bare for a short time he kept a saloon, selling out to John G. Mellon, who in turn sold to Harry Correal, who, aftei enlarging the premises, : of the building and trade to James J. White, Who prominently in our after pages. Tall and powerful in physique, Jim was a hard man to handle; reserve! and yet affable, courteous and gentlemanly, none for a moment suspected in "mine host" of the Queens the red-handed incendiary, who in later years, because he felt hi ing down hill, was bound to take the whole town with him. In 1 sso white enlarged the house to accommodate about one hundred guests, changing the name from the "Ontario" to the " Queen's" Hotel. About this time H. J. Leroy, the afterwards inde- fatigable pusher of the St. Andrew's and Agricultural Societies, arrived in town to assume a position as book- keeper under T. Garland. ^ In the fall of this year Dr. J. M. Haggarty, Medical Superintendent of the Indian Administration for the North- West, took up his abode in the Portage. Both gentlemen figure prominently in the events of later years. The brewery built at the north extremity of Mani- toba Street by Harris & Cairns, after changing owners several times, came into the possession of an English firm (Goldie & Co.), who, after enlarging it considerably and running it for several years, sold to McCollough & Co. BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 401 In this year also, M. Blake sold out his interest In the Portage Hotel to his partner, William Lyons, and joined shortly afterwards with dames Bell in the I tion of the Lome House and stables. After remaining in the concern till 1881, lit- again sold his interest to Mr. Bell, who rented the hotel in February of L88! 1. of Winnipeg, who in turn re-rented to Ferri- Br 11. s. Paterson and James McLenanaghen, formerly of the city of Winnipeg, formed a co-partnership, and bought out the business of Campbell & Marlatt. In January of L882, Mr. Paterson purchased Mr. Mc- knaghen's interest, assuming control of the entire business until, through pre-sure of real estate difficul- ties, he was obliged to assign to the latter in 1886. PBBIMA80NBT. On the 19th of February, l s ~v under a dispensation granted by the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, was organ- iniboine Lodge, No. 7, A. F. and A.M. On the L2th of June a charter was obtained, the following ig the charter members: Roderick McQuaig, W. M.; J. A. E. Dfummood, s. W. ; ( lharles H. House, J. W. ; Robert Watson, Kenneth MrK.-nzie, sen., W. J. James, Richard D. Byres, Sam. Buchanan, Win. Sutherland and Stephen H. Caswell. The members met for organization in a room above Campbell & Marlatt s store. The building being braced with tie-rods, which led through from side to side, caused them consid- erable inconvenience in passing to and fro through the room, having to duck their heads to do so. Here they 402 HISTORY OF M LNITOBA, remained till more commodious premises were fitted up for them above Weabrook & Fairchild's implement warehouse, which waa afterwarda destroyed by Bra With the increase of the population came brother :i-. unacquainted with the work of the lodge, which was that of Ancient York. From a desire on the part <>t' these for the formation of a lodge engaged in work with which they were more conversant, came the formation of Marquette Lodge, No. 21, which was organized August 8th, L882, also under a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, and which received it- charter February loth. |sv>. the charter members hn Bonltbee, W, M.: W. H. Nelles, S. W. ; J. B. Pewtress, J. W. ; J. P. Young, D. Farquhar, H. A. Campbell, C. M. Caughill, II. H. Douglas, W. J. James, T. B. Miller, John Smith, H. J. VVoodside, J C. Ball, J. A. Stull, C. O. Chamberlain, Robert Watson and Thos. Bellamy. The lodge met in a hall, specially fitted up for it. in the newly constructed Lafferty Block, possession of which was held by both lodges conjointly. This building, with many others, was moved from its origi- nal location on Main Street to the Avenue during the moving craze which seized the town after the disas- trous fires in the east end, but the masons stood by their hall, which is still situated in the same build- ing. With the decay of the boom, and the consequent decrease of the population, the growth of the lodges, separately, was not satisfactory, and desire for union — which in all cases is strength — was matured amongst the members. The joint committee of both lodges, or HISTOBY OF MANITOBA. 403 the fathers of amalgamation, was composed of the fol- lowing members : "Assiniboine, No. 7," A. E.J. Durant, Joseph Taylor, H. A. Ritchie, H. S. Paterson and Wm. ticQuaig; for ''Marquette, No. 21," R. C. Brown, T. L Newman. II. .1. Wosdside, F. B. Lundy, C. G. W. Ifatheson. The anion was consummated in July, 1889, and a very enjoyable evening spent by the i ne in hers. Freemasonry in the Portage, however, dates fur- ther back than either of these. In 1866, a lodge was formed under a dispensation from the Qrand Lodge of Minn. oota, of which the late Charles Curtis. Cha BL House and Sandy Anderson were charter members. This old lodge met for some time in the op-stairs of Char].-- Hon n, an old log building demolished in l s ^k standing a little north of the old Portage Hotel. The roof falling in, the lodge was held afterward Various places, as agreed upon, such as the houses of Curtis and Anderson. As the old members an- all deceased or have left the place, little can be learned of Srly work and pi In dedicatory work tie- services of the craft have called into service on two occasions, both of which occurred on the same day, and in which they were assisted by the Grand Master, and visiting brethren from Winnipeg. This was on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stones of the Town Hall, August the 11th, 1881, and the Presbyterian church, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. Allan Bell, which was afterwards destroyed by fire in 1885. In December, L888, the following brethren, A. E. J. 404 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Dumaut, B. M. Cannitf, T. L Newman, H. A Ritchie, R. C. Brown, Win. Mc< uai-. I* Whimster, L. Remey, K \\ Bell, Win. G. Scott, W. A. Win-' datt, J, Leggo, J. H. Leslie, H. B. Rose, and T. Robin- ipplied to the Grand Chaplain for a dispensation to form a Chapter of Royal Arch Ifasona On 30th January, 1889, the dispensation was granted, and Key- stone Chapter. W. D., was instituted, with the above brethren as charter members, in July, 1889, the chapter received their charter, and Keystone Chapter, ! now in a flourishing condition, owing to the grable work of the officers, having now forty members on the roll, though only a few months in exis- tence. The chapter occupies the same room as Assini- boine Lodge, No. 7, in the Lafferty Block. St. Andrew's Society honorably deserves the leading position in Portage " fraternizations," dating its incep- tion from \^7'2. when a few Scotchmen, amongst whom Kenneth MeKenzie, Esq., the present member for Lakeside; John McLean, the pioneer white settler; John McDonald, now Prothonotary Clerk of the Queen's Bench: Willie Fulton, Roderick McLeod, Alexander (now Sheriff) McLean, Tom Garland, William Cum- mings, J. J. Setter (then Sheriff Setter), and others, met on St Andrew's Eve, sometimes in the log school-house on the island, sometimes in the quiet retreat of Sandy Anderson's, on the banks of the slough, and also in Tom Garland's store, to "hae ane nicht in Scotland." At this early date the society did not aim at benevo- lent purposes, its object being simply to revive the memories of the land of their nativity and birth ; to recite the lyrics and sing HISTORY OF MANITOBA. K)5 " Mair o' thae auld sangs, The blithesome and the sad, They make us smile when we are war. Or greet when we are glad. " It was reserved for later years to strike out into new lines, and develop the kindly and benevolent spirit which led the members to seek to accumulate a fund for the relief of destitute fellow-countryman and women. my happy OCCasiona there were, in these old tines, • annual supper held in commemoration of Scotia's patron saint. Bard* they had, too, who could sing in roic deeds of which all Scotchmen are justly proud Amongst these latter William Ger- n,ni *her, resident at High Bluff from 1871 to 1882, was certainly the most prominent, and his production^ merit a corner in the history of the I was, to a certain extent, a pr of the late Hon. John Norquay, who formed his acquaintance while resideni at High Bluff Through -Mr. Nor.|uay's influence, Gerrond was appointed school teacher there in 1*71. a position he filled till L880s might be expected, a strong personal friendship sprang up between the two men. On the occasion of the death of Morris Lamont, Esq., County Clerk, in 1875, there were, as is usual in all prominent vacancies, many applications. Gerrond entered the lists with the fol- lowing graphic epistle, addressed to the Hon. John Norquay, Provincial Secretary : 4 DEAB Sh: -Lamont is dead, I can't help that; you want a man to fill his place, I can do that. Claw me and I'll claw you. Yours truly, " William Gerrond." HisToKY OF KAH1T0BA. Gerrond was an enthusiastic member of St. An- drew's Society, and would plod the weary miles that lay between the Portage and High Blurt' with the test alacrity to spend ane nicht wi' brither Scots. On one occasion he had just reached the Portage, a strong wind was blowing rrom the west,and desiring to light hia pipe he turned his Lack to the wind, and, without thinking, commenced walking leisurely on, rbed in his ,»wn thought* Thinking the road My long that night* be Looked round to End him- un at the Bluff The chagrin he experi- enced was made the subject of a poetic effusion winch he afterwards read to the society. On the occasion of the destruction of St. Andivw's Hall, which was situ- ated in the Pratt Block, in 1887, the pieces written for the Bocwtybyhim were destroyed, with all the other books and papers. The following poem was read at the annual supper, St. Andrew's Day, 1875 :— All hail to guid St. Andrew, So long beneath the sod, That led the Scottish heart to love Its country and its God ; To choose the path that points above And shun the paths below, And taught our auld forbears to think, Two thousand years ago. All hail to Scotia's heathery hills, From Caithness to the Cree, All hail to the noble dead Wha kept those mountains free, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 407 Wha drove the Roman legions south. And broke oppression's bow, Bequeathing freedom to their sons A thousand years ago. All hail to Bruce and Wallace, And all who fought for right, ie haughty tyrant kin*,' Wha trusted in his might ; All hail, ye gallant Scottish men, Wha chased the Southron foe, Bequeathing freedom to your i hundred . All hail, ye holy warriors! Ye noblest of mankind, Wha lived and loTed, And fonghi and fell, Una of the mind ; Wha drove oppression from her throne, m low, And left Cod's altar free to all, Three hundred years ago. All hail to our forefathers — The brave, the true, the bold — Wha left us an inheritance precious far than gold ; And may their loni in every land Forever have t<» show i as they've shown A thousand years ago. Ye sons of bonnie Scotland. ■embled here to night, Always frown upon the wrong, And battle for the right ; HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Always help i wanting friend, And ever fight a foe — .lust what your forefathers did A thousand years ago. O beautiful moon ! thou hast doom from the e When still my heart lingon with thoM 1 !©▼« heat, ■..■Id's wihl w.m» Hands ami EgmondviUe grove, When beat the food heaiti that I tenderly 1 Ted, , the ..id maple tree that waves in tin- dell. And the little log 00 le tin* spring well, H..\v left je my little ones, yet in their bloom I <> tell me, <> tell me, thou beautiful moon I O beautiful ni<><>n ! now, before you depart, Say, how was my Rella, the joy of my ln-art ' Like me, did she whisper aloud in your ear, And blow you sweet kisses to take to her dear I Or say, has there evil or danger come nigh To trouble her bosom, or sadden her ej O say, does she sit in despondence and gloom I O tell me, <) tell me, thou beautiful moon I O beautiful moon ! I have wandered with thee Far, far from the cot by the old maple tree, And a wilderness wild lies between me and mine, And lonely I stray on the Assiniboine, O say, lovely moon ! can you tell me, O when My loved ones will gather around me again ? God keep and protect them, and send them all soon ; O haste back and tell them, thou beautiful moon ! DISTORT OF MANITOBA. 409 The third was written for the Free Presi ■during the election in 1874, in which Mr. Cunningham was a candidate. If there ia to all the land A wight that's suited to command Warlocks and witehes in ;i band, That man is Robie ( 'unningham. "0 father, father,' - he did ery, 11 ( > father, help me, or I die, i all before me tly, help," oried Robie Cunningham. The ould gold man in petticoats feai not, man ..f oats, And I'll get you galore of \, Enid, good Cunningham. Round all this land, where Frenchmen dwell, Ami how 'tis don,- qq tongue may tell, I'll rust ,i fearful potent ipell In favor of thee, Cunningham. " The new-born babe, I'll make a man, The maiden fair shall breeches don, The hunters «.n Saskatchewan Shall all hi- here for Cunningham. 14 Now, Robie dear, enough is said, I'll make the grave give up its dead. And every j in bed Shall rise and vote for Cunningham." 44 But, father dear, hear me, I pray, To-morrow is the polling day, S as katche wan is a long, long way, 1 doubt, I doubt," said Cunningham. 26 410 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. I > man. doubl niv power, I tell thee, that within this hour Mv witchei on the plain shall mow it. thewan for Cunningham. " m on Whin Hone plains. ■its will d€ ii again, bora bebee turned into mm, : >bie Cunningham. Saakatehewan hunten far away tame day I then, the poll olerka say, : Lir Cunningham Old wrinkled wbei turned young again. Ami maideni changed bo bearded mm. Ami dead foUn left thehr lonely den To vote for Robie Onnnmgham. ful ;mtl potent was the spell, ridden carls all got will, il even said, some came from lull To vote for Robie Cunningham. VOTE BY BALLOT. After many a weary day of wedded bliss And barren joy, Madam Ministry brought forth A bonny, bouncing baby boy ; And as the lady, groaning, lay Upon the ministerial pallet, She said : "I'll name my bonnie boy, My winsome baby, ' Vote by Ballot/ " HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 411 He was a muekle-thocht-of wean. A ml cost- the daddy many ft dollar ; Costliest goodfl fate far away, In Btripei and linos of many ft ooloi : 11- was a muekle-talked-of wean, [niended this land to cherish, I'ntil th.'v took him down to see The saint* that lire in Paul's guid parish. And when the taints around him oame, The gomeral donkey baches, They took him, with his elsea so bzae, a ins ftpes or monk. They polled his nose and jx.kr.i his sen, And grinned and laughed at - Vote by Balk*." They drowned him deep In t , ST, : buried him beneath the groond, then his bod] i at ; . niirht his ghosJ is * 'li i'ir wi' ft mallet ; And Robbie rim and shouts and snvains : M I'll have the votes, and damn the ballot." The inspiration of this poem was drawn from a bill introduced by the Davis administration, towards the close of their regime, providing for vote by ballot at the polls, instead of open vote. A bye-election occur- ring at St. Paul, the Government candidate was defeated, and on the first meeting of the Bouse afterwards the bill was repealed. The Robbie referred to was the Premier, R. A. Davis. On one occasion, at the annual supper held in 1878, some visit e from Winnipeg, one of whom had 412 HISTmKY OF MANITOBA. prepared an elaborate speech , being very wearied while the supper was brought on, he retired to lie down, requesting one of his friends to wake him up when the speeches began. The latter, becoming too much interested in the proceedings, forgot all about his promise, while the former slept on till the room had been cleared, and the whole party engaged in the highy imnsing, if not edifying, dance of Ronald McDonald, which was never omitted from the pro- gramme of the evening's proceedings; By this mis- hap the society is said to have lost one of the best speeches ever made. On another occasion, amongst the visitors present were several Frenchmen, who created considerable amusement in endeavoring to show their Scottish origin. Amongst the names of the identfl are : Kenneth McKenzie, Esq., John McDon- ald. J. J. Setter, George Tidsbury, W. L. Lyall, and Dr. Rutherford. The society will long be remembered by destitute countrymen, and others who have been taken under its care in the hour of their adversity, and in some cases, committed to the keeping of mother earth. CHAPTER XVII. [nereaee in Population Planing Mill Paper Mill Baeket New Bonneai Pinna •'. P. Toting OddfeUowa 1 I^xige — Last Indian Campbell, Hay and Body Sectional Peehng Kleotinn of Town Goto Brigade Practical .Jokes— The Boom I —Real Estate Offices— Portage Milling Co.— 1'. t v. Thk closing yean of the seventies were marked by a rapid increase in the population of the town, and in the extension of its business facilities. Amongst the arrivals in 1878 was Mr. I barrister, who figured prominently as the first town solicitor, and of whom further mention wilJ be made in our pa This year aU<» saw the establishment of the first ing mil] west of Winnipeg, operated by Sam. lie Rvalue, who made his debut in the settlement ichor. After handling the ferrule for ■ short time, he started a chair factory down the River lload.a little east-by-south of Broadway. This not proving a success, Mr. Mcllvaine opened the Marquette planing mill %nd lumber yard. After running the mill for a season, he closed down till L881, when it was reopened with new and improved machinery for manufacturing doors, sash, blinds, flooring, ceiling, etc. So successful was he in this last venture, that had he been satisfied with it, he might in a few years have retired with a competence. He had been offered at one time $100,000 for the good-will and sale of his bu si ness. Ambitious, however, for further and greater history OF MANITOBA. 415 progress, he invested in a new planing mill, 48x80 which he located close by the 0. P. R. depot, and a large r mill, 86 \ loo. for the manufacture of building paper. The neighboring plains abounded with the aw. In this latter venture he under- estimated the cost, and as the difficulties arising from decline of the boom, in which he was a large mani- pulator, mcr lid his business troubles, until latterly he was so hopelessly handicapped Unit \as compelled to give up business and leave for Ontario, having lost everything. The paper mill fell into tie' hand- of James llcLananaghen & Co., who had i him large Mims of money, equal to about third of ■. while his other property was Manitoba and North-Wesl Loan I lorn- panv. M lie drove out of the shop door be looked back into my lace, and, with a peculiar emphasis never to be forgotten, said, ' deapercmdui At this time he W*fl c«»nseioiis that he was a marked victim of that dread disease, consumption, largely brought on by neglect and cold He died in Winnipeg in the following spring. His remains were brought from the above city to the Portage, where they were met at the C. P. R. depot by the members of St. Andrew's Society, of which he wa> a member, and by them conveyed to the V Bind Cemetery. I cannot dismiss the memory of this kindly old soldier, who served his (,)ueen and country for twelve years, without relating the following anecdote concern- ing him, which happened in the Portage : At an entertainment, held in the winter of 1880, in the old school-house, now the property of the Agricul- tural Society, and which they use as an exhibition hall, John was billed to appear in his military costume (the kilts), and with his bagpipes, to soothe the savage breasts of his fellow-countrymen ; a request 41 8 HISTOKY OF M \m T«»r..\. which he was often presented with, and as readily complied The boys determined, however, to have their amuse- ment in first Baekett, being rather fond of a '• wee drap," was <-a>ily approached in the guise of friend- ship in this manner. The plan Bueceeded, and by evening of the appointed day John was sufficiently primed; he COUld walk steadily, hut no more Be in his place, however, in the evening, and when hi> naiiK* was called, rose and walked op to the plat- form, hi might form showing to advantage in the Highland costume. iking his place on the dais, and putting the mouth- piece to his lips, he began to Mow, or appeared to do so. Not a sound could lie bring. Every eye was bent on him, especially the boys', who were watching to see what John would do. At last, finding it no use, he made a polite bow, and said, " Ladies and gentle- men, I regret to disappoint you, but my pipes are so badly frozen that I cannot get a sound out of them,' and making another graceful obeisance, retired to his seat. So well did he carry out his programme, that none but those who were in the secret knew the true explanation of the frozen bagpipes. In this year James H. Ashdown bought out Camp- bell & Fulton, and established a branch store at this point, with his eldest brother William as manager, who continued in that capacity till the summer of 1883, when, owing to delicate health, he removed to the more genial clime of California. The change was the means of extending, to all appearance, his life for HISTORY OF MANITOBA. H!> a few years. He died, however, of consumption, arising from Red River fever and cold, contracted while in Manitoba. The business was continued suc- Fully, through various managements, under the supervision of Mr. Ashdown himself, and is now repre- sented by a younger member of the family. The business of Carey & Co., also established in l s 7 .». after oontinning for several years, merged into that of John CB familiarly known throughout the country as the "fanners' friend." J. P, Young also put in appearance about this time, 1-Vw deserve mors honorable notice for devotion to the interests of the country and town of their adoption His ger i with the fire brigade, which was organ- ized in (.880, and which certainly was in its palmiest while under his control, cannot be estimated In the varied and trying eircni through which the oorp ration ha I. Mr. Young unselfishly and wilii- . ,n his best enei to promote what he considered to be its true intei If • ward in municipal honors ami promotion, Mr. Young has had abundant reason to be satisfied. Almost since his introduction to the town he has been in some public office. A prominent Freemason, an enthusiastic Odd- fellow, he was the first Noble Grand of the little lodge instituted April 22nd, l€ This was formed in the building which stood next to T. B. Millar's old stand, at the foot of Main Street, in a westerly direction along the Slough Road, and in which Charles Hay, now of Vancouver, B. C, kept the post-office of that date. 4-20 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. During the dark days of the Portage, when property was oonaidered of little value, and the loan companies were <\y. for 180,000. During the ion of i ; to the r, which was not granted till the opening of I ion of 1879 1 an was held in accordance therewith. Sheriff '.as appointed by the Government Returning < officer. As this was probably one of the most humor- OU8 'l»cr i«»n- held in the town, I propose to chronicle •• of the d» -tails. For Borne years hack a feeling of rivalry had been growing between the east and the west section of the town. TIm- occasion of this was the refusal by the Hudson Bay authorities to sell land for building or business purposes! around their premises situated at the end. This feeling only increased in strength and intensity as the eastern portion of the town was built np, becoming in after years, at the various 424 HlSToUY OF KANTFOBA. inunicipal elections, ■ veritable shibboleth or party cry. To live in the east end of the town, and to be possessed of west ward sympathies, was sufficient reason to boycott the individual from all inunicipal honors he aspired to, and M in the west. This being the first municipal election, both sections not only brought their entire force into the field, but red a continent that in point of numbers fairly submerged the original. The battle-ground of the contestants was the central ward, being the largest and wealthiest. The nominees for councillors were, John P. Young and William Fulton, for the east ; William M. Smith and John Connor, for the west ; while the centre was contested by Robert Watson and Sam. Mcllvaine, representing the eastern section, with Alex. McLean and H. S. Paterson, the west. The mayoralty nominees were II. M. Campbell, Marlatt's business partner, and Tom Coilins ; the latter represented the east, the former the trest In the west ward, Smith and Connor were elected by acclamation. In the east, John Young and Willie Fulton were nominated. Some suspicions being entertained of Fulton's sympathies with the Camp- bellite section, he was sent for by a number of promi- nent east ward men, who had met at the old Portage Hotel, and interviewed. The result of the inquiry was satisfactory, however, and Young and Fulton were returned for the east, also by acclamation. The fight was thus confined to the centre ward, both as to councillors and the mayoralty — the qualifica- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 425 tion as to voting being a free or leaseholder, or any one paying rent. A short time previous to the election, it came to be known that Billy Smith was getting fanners from the plains, and others, to sleep in and occupy the mill and other property at the west end, and also, that property was being cut up into Iota and deeded to all comers, with a view to submerge the east ward influence in the contest. Smith soon found, however, that this was a game that two could play at The election being on .Monday, P, V. < Jeorgen, with a staff of clerks, worked all Sunday, and by the time the poll was Opened on Monday,, had most of the eastern estate, consisting of the land of Setter, House, Endson and Gaddy. deeded, and certificates given to each of the purchasers. Armed with these, protruding from their coat breast-pocket, presented themselves to the Deputy Returning Officer, G. B. Bemister, desiring to avail themselvee of the franchise. When asked if they owned any property in such and BUCh an estate or ward, a slap on the breast-pocket from which the important document certifying to their claim pro- truded, and an emphatic "you bet," was the ready response. Some, to soothe their conscience, had little bags of soil taken from that particular portion of mother earth to which they laid claim, in their pockets. The result of this was that instead of ninety, the actual number of bona fide voters in the ward, there were nearly nine hundred — the trouble at the close being not property to vote on, but men to represent the property. 27 426 history OF MANITOBA. All these certificates were returned the following day, with the exception of that of one individual, who stuck to his claim and sold it during the boom. The east ward in this, afl well as almost all the after eleeti ! 'i'-'l the day. A stranger entering the council chamber, which was held in the hall of the Hni'-l. could not but he amused at tin- manner of procedure. No sooner was a motion by the east pur ,,i) the table than it was offset by an amendment, y moved by Billy Smith and by Mr. Connor. Almost all motions made by Smith were seconded by Connor, and generally lost. \ t \. t oothic lined by ied to second Smith's motions. One night, he had one he desired to press, but could nut tind a seconder for it among the other members of the Board, and Mr. Connor would have nothing to do with it. On the adjournment of the council the two men quarrelled ovet the matter on the way home. Smith, it is Baid,waa bo decidedly hostile that he swore all that night and nearly all next day. Ahout this time appeared the Tribune, a journal published in Conservative interests, with E. Cliffe as editor ; in 1882, J. M. Robinson purchased a half, and still later bought out Cliffe's entire interest and plant, and formed an amalgamation with the Review, calling the new paper the Tribune- Revieiv, which he has con- tinued to edit ever since. Mr. Cliffe removed to Bran- don, where he started another paper. The Manitoba Liberal made its bow to the Portage public in 1884, by C. J. Atkinson, now of Regina, N. W. T. The history 6F MAKITO 427 xd ifl now owned by Martin, Curtiss and Wood- Bide, the latter occupying the editorial chair. The Saturday Night IS a small sheet, the product of la* j, by J. M. Robinson With the reader's permission, I will for a short time return to L 878, and to the Totogan and Westbonroe Dis- tricts. In that yearW. M. Smith went out to Toto and purchased the milling privileges formerly owned Shismand Bubear. In L 879, he was followed by W. .1. M. Pratt, and a co-j.artnri.ship formed between the rami Smith. In order to push the lumbering interest more successfully, they built a steam-tug called theLady Blanche, eighty tons burden, and with a nominal horse-power of fifty. In the following year, Smith sold out his interest to Pratt, and returned to the Portage. In 1882, a neat little church was built Hr. Campbell for the convenience of the settlers. It was dedicated and opened by the Rev. Allan Hell. <>f 1' In L881, 1882 and L 883 the waters of the lake rose, flooding the village and low lands along the shores, so much so that it was difficult to find a camp- ing ground, the water standing eighteen inches deep on the Moors of the houses. This caused Mr. Pratt to abandon the business in toto. In 1883, Mr. McArthur, of McArthur's Landing, built his present steamboat, to I the want of the lumbering interests of the lake, which so long a^ the season continues open still plies regularly between the Landing and his mill, situated about 130 miles north. His average product per season is about one million feet. A branch from the Manitoba and North-West Railway at Westboume 4l\S HISTORY OF MANITOBA. connects with fche Landing, affording easy shipment to all points by rail. The Landing itself is a beautiful place, sita&ted on the banks of the White Mud River, about five milefl from it- mouth, where it flows into the lake, and is a favorite picnic resort in summer. In 1885, was built the present steam dredge, belonging to the Government, which Ls kept continually at work, dredging and deepening the river between the Land- in- and the lake In 1886, Mr. If eFhillips, D.L.S., was ordered by the Local Government to survey a road along the west shore of the lake, as far as Manitoba Post, marking the same by iron posts, driven in the ground at >tated intervals, and covered with tinfoil to mark the bearings. In 1887, the church above referred to was destroyed by fire, precursing the general doom of the place, which with the disastrous effects of flood and fire, and the construction of the Manitoba and North-West Railway, has dwindled into nothing. The Westbourne District has, in late years, de- veloped into mixed farming and ranching, for which it is eminently fitted, being broken up with bluffs and slough, marsh and river, as indeed is all that section of country on to the Riding Mountain. The ranching industry is well represented by Senator Sanford, whose capacious stabling and hotel stands close by the Westbourne station, on the Manitoba and North - W T estern Railway, and who heads the list with 1,000 head of cattle and 100 horses. Eastward along the river are David and Donald Stewart, with 100 head each. Next to them comes David Morrison with fifty; while Walter Lynch, with a herd of about sixty, gives a HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 429 fine display of thoroughbred stock. William Shannon com. with 150 head of cattle and forty horses. Mclvan and Mc Robbie also run an extensive horse ranching business, formerly owned by the Pnxley Brothers. Rhind Brothers, formerly of Montreal, also 200 head, and Henderson about 150. Btill, and along the lake shore, we find James lie] kmald, with 350 head and twenty-tive horses; \V. .1. Smith, with I 10 head and eighty horses; Laidman and Bailey, with eighty head and forty horses; Adam Smith, 150 head of cattle; Charles Green, with forty head and twenty borses; and many others whom we would desire to mention, but cannot for want of space. In wheat raising tlii- section of country gives nit-, close on 2,000,000 of bushels having been market..! from the I' tins alone. The following is a fail- example of the amount under crop : McLean and McRohhie. 2,000 acres; Campbell Brothers, BOO acres; Lorbie, 1,000; Sprii 700; l\ W. Connor, W0; Beattie Brothers, 700. On the 26th of May. 1881, a meeting was held in the court-house, at the call of Mayor Collins, and a fire brigade organized, with John Young as Chief. Robert Watson, First Assistant* and George Bellamy, i\(\: \V. A Prest, Secretary-Treasurer. A hose company was also formed, with William Fulton, Cap- tain ; John McKenzie, First Assistant; George Tre- herne, Second, and R. C. Brown, H. J. Woodside, John Watson and James Campbell, Branchmen. The num- ber of members was limited to thirty. A hook and ladder company was also formed, with Tom Ferriss as 430 HISTmKY OF MANITOBA. Captain; George Snider, First Assistant; and James Bfossack, Second; J. EL Bossons, Secretary-Treasurer. This was the beginning of an organization which, with a change of /» ra j ear by y>-av. occasioned by ival of members to other Bpheres of occupation and residence, stood by the town throughout its varied trience of light and shadow. It was maintained in a state of comparative efficiency up to the time when financial circumstances pressed hard on the town, and became, in later years, only a voluntary company. To the credit of the old members it must be said that Long ley had resigned, if they were in the d or close by when the alarm was rung, they would rush to the hall to assume the position held by them in days of yore, and otherwise assist all that lay in their power. Mr. Young remained chief till he was elected mayor in L885, when Mr. Roxburgh was appointed in his stead. During the summer competi- tions, held at Portage, Brandon and Winnipeg, the brigade generally carried off second in point of promptness and efficiency. In 1883, at the close of the Dominion Day sports which were held at the Portage, several humorous episodes occurred worthy of being told, which may help to warm up some old fireman's heart whose eye scans these pages. On this occasion, the Portage was honored by the presence of several members of the Winnipeg brigade, under Chief McRobbie, and also that of Brandon, under Mr. Alexander. Previous to this event there BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 431 har] yeral false alarms, and the firemen natur- ally felt indignant at being called out in imminent baste to be made the bntt of some drunken loafer's jest, day ha 1 feeling prevailed. A lurking suspicion, however, rested on the boys 1 minda morning there would be a ruse of Borne kind. About 3 a. in. tli' alarm was rung. The boys rushed ad a 6re and barrels burning in front I >n seeing what it was, and that there urent danger, they coupled the hose and waited tl n of Chief Young, who, arriving on •round, took in the situation at one-, and ordered the put <>n. At both hotels could be seen lounging around, and apparently m the firemen. < kice in a while would be opened and something be shouted le. Yon it all in, but determined he would get there also. W.J. Souch, who was stand- ing at the door of the sitting-room in the (Queen's, wliich faced the corner of King and Main Stn opened the door with the intention of chaffing or coming out. Young turned the full force of the hose 01) the doorway, nearly knocking Souch off Ids feet, and deluging the room to quite an extent. At the other door Hugh LeRoy, a pi joker of the first r, cam.- out to cross tie- street to John O'Reilly's store. Before he bad reached half-way lie wa thoroughly saturated that a good comparison could he made between his appearance and that of a drowned In a -hurt time the hose was uncoupled and put 482 history OF MANITOBA. away, and the steamer dosed down. Chief McRobbie, who bad retired to a room at the Queen's, had thrown offhis coat and vest, and was leaning over the window, chaffing with some of the men. [mmediately under waa a pump with a large bucket full of water. Some joke having passed, Watson said to Chief Young, ■•Shall I throw it on him?" pointing to McRobbie. 8," replied Voun. I b, do," replied ItcRobbie, thinking thai from his height, twelve feet above the ground, Watson would be unable to do so. Without ■ moment's farther consideration, Watson seised the heavy bucket, and as McRobbie leaned over the win- dow, laughing, dashed the entire contents upon him. It is needless to say that the laugh was at McRobbie's expense, who, after recovering from the effects, said, " It served me right, I did not think you could do it." With the year 1881, the boom fever seems to have fairly set in, especially in the fall, and strange to say, to have spread itself all over the Province at once. Cities and towns sprung up whose only claim to being such was their existence on paper. Lots found ready purchasers at almost fabulous prices. Portage la Prairie, being the second town in the Province, with the fertile plains surrounding it, the desire to purchase property, no matter the location, w r as intense. To a calm, considerate mind, the situa- tion was certainly unique. A craze seemed to have come over the mass of the people. Legitimate busi- ness in many cases was thrown aside, and buying and selling lots became the one aim and object of life. Even the Sabbath services were not free from the in- BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 433 fluence. Carpenters, painters, tailors and tradesmen of all kinds threw their tools aside to open real estate offices, loaf around the hotels, drink whiskey and with down on their lips not as their teeth would talk glibly of lots fronting here and there, worth from $1,000 to $1,500 per lot. Enter one of these offices, Bach as J, a. Little's, and yon would find all elnsses and professions represented, fron boy to the most grays and reverend par- son, all Bitting, apparently waiting and watching the market. The large influx of Eastern capital, placed at tie- disposition of the banks and jobbing houses, tended to encourage this j and men who were never worth a dollar in their lives before, nor never have been since, would in ther, and, on the strength of some on which they had made a small deposit, endorse each Other's paper, and draw from the hanks sums which had never only in visions of the night Auction sales were held in the evening, gener- ally in the bar-room of one of the taverns, or at one of the other rooms, where property, miles distant from the centre of business, would bring fancy prices from excited bidders, whose pockets were heavier with dollars than their brains with sense During 188] there were no less than thirty offices whose exclusive business was buying and selling lots. In the same year, there were over twenty-five leading mercantile and manufacturing concerns started. The population at this time amounted to between three and four thousand people. The business institutions of the town, all told, numbered one hundred and forty-eight; Bistort of Manitoba. 435 forty-one of which were real estate offices and offices of ] . il men. There were three banka : the Bank of ( Ontario, with authorized capital of $3,000,000 : and two private institutions, whose limited capital was supposed to be al K),000. There were five loan and investment companies, whose capital was esti- mated to be in the neighborhood of 13,000,000, and whose investments in the town and neighborhood were placed a( 1350,000; and lastly, nine jobbing hous* simply acted as agents for private capital- eeking investment in the town and country, whose Loans would amount to from $120,000 to $140,000, and a large amount of private funds borrowed from friends. In manufactory and small, there were t went v- nine houses represented, giving employment to hands, male and female, and representing in value, during the year 1881, the amount of $624,000; one bouse placing their turnout for the Near at $100,000, one at < and sb at $25,000. In building, railroad construction, etc, the estin placed at $400,000 ; representing an employment of about four hundred mechanics and laborers. The cantile interests were represented by fifty-eight houses : the number of clerks employed in these being one hundred and thirty-seven Bight of these did more or Less of a wholesale trade, and the value of their transactions was placed at $1,174,200. One house alone did business to the amount of $100,000 ; another, $150,000; three, over $70,000; and seven, over 850,000. In hotels, livery-stables, day and mis- cellaneous houses, the approximate business was placed HISTORY Of MAXITOT. \. giving employment to about sixty per- male and fen I >ne of the most successful of all theee schemes, M it still continues to be, was (he Portgage Hilling Company, which was organized oo thf share system, and which constructed a large roller mill. 40 i 46, five stories in height, with a capa- city of 1 50 barrels, now increased to 860 per day ; as also an elevator, 46 i BO, with storage for about 150,000 bushels. The building was constructed under the supervision of Smith Thompson, who came to the Portage in 1878, with the machinery of a sash, door Uld planing mill, which, after running for a short time, be sold to Green ft Lynne, who in 1881, sold out to Lynne ft Banks, The directorate of the milling com- pany were Francis Ogletree, President ; Dr. Cowan, \ He-President ; Directors: H. M. Campbell, A. P. I .hell. H. S. Paterson, W. J. James. A. P. Camp- hell was appointed manager, and continued in that capacity during the years of 1882 and 1883. Other schemes were also floated with a view of encouraging manufactures and making the town a good business centre. The town hall, which was built in 1882, being centrally located, was intended to serve as a meat market. The east-enders, not satisfied with the loca- tion, determined to build another building larger and at the extreme east of the town, to be known as the East Ward market. Shares were placed at one hun- dred dollars, and taken up rapidly, and the construction proceeded with at onee. By the spring of 1882 the building was ready for operation. The market scheme HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 487 falling through, the shareholders decided to turn it into a biscuit factory, there being at this time a splen- did field for such an institution, there being none in the Province. The most unproved machinery was ired, a large oven built on the most approved principle, and everything made firsi Everything favorable to the . -nti -i prise. A niai: was secured from Ontario, a man of experience, too much experience for the shareholders, who after run- ning for about a year began to find Mr, Mil' tly a figure-head. In fact, before lie bad put in six months 0 per month, and very materially assisted the Portage during the decline of the boom. If a stranger had walked over to see the work going on, he would have found many real estate agents, who seeing no further hope of future inflation, had pulled off their coats and gone to work. In May, 1883, a Dominion charter was obtained, as also the right to extend the line into the North- West Territories as far as Prince Albert. The total mileage now under operation is 232 miles. The value of the buildings owned by the company in the town alone is placed at 8100,000. Their sidings in the yard are equal to four and a half miles. Their grain ship- ments for the last four years, in all kinds of grain, are as follows: For 1885-86, 362,952 bushels; for 1886-87, 427,650 bushels; for 1887-88, 1,576,320 bushels ; for 1888-89, 719,850 bushels. Shipments in cattle: For 1885-86, forty-seven cars; 1886-87, thirty-one cars; 1887-88, fifty-four cars; 1888-89, sixty-six cars. The year 1889-1890 shows an increase of over one hundred per cent, on cattle shipments, and over twenty- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 41;] Bve per cent on grain. W. R. Baker, Esq., General Superintendent of the above, is deservedly popular among the employees and the public generally and patron of all outside sports, especially the J*"" gwn« of cricket Every summer an inrion is organized to the pretty picnic grounds at W-tbourne or Arden, and the public invited. On these occasions thousands of people inert, and very happy re-unions of severed Mends take place. Before ag, I shall jusl take my readers back to the engine-house constructed on the Cn bate and ibly 1 could not cite a better instance of boon, folly than this Baine, the value of which at the ide is not more than $20 per acre, there beiiu m »H about 340 acre* This, at the above sum Wn,,M ! *> Think for a moment of paying for this amount of land. But let as l00k !d t,H ' **&& The English syndicate fell through, and the land, with the payments made thereon, has reverted back to the original owi The fine building, designed to shelter the iron horse Biter it had once crossed the Canadian Pacific Railway which cost close on $5,000, was blown down in in a storm, and lay Battened out on the ground ome time, and was ultimately .sold to Mr. Swales a farmer, for $50, who carried it away in sections. ' Another institution of those early days, but unlike the former, a successful one, is the Ogilvie elevator No. 17, which was erected in 1883, with a storage capacity of 35,000 bushels, as also the Pioneer oat- meal mill, which was bonused by the town to the 444 msmuY OF Manitoba. amount of $1,400, operated by two canny but wide- awake old Scotchmen, Messrs. Johnston and Russell. The Utter in 1884 sold out bia interest to Mr. John- ston, who in ol l ss: » took in Mr. Barclay, who assumed Russell's position and interest in the rn. Mr. Johnston, the first-mentioned, has been a pioneer in i.nnv industries in the North*West. After pleting the oatmeal mill above-men- ttoned, I ed to Qa'Appelle, where, in the "beautiful valley that calls" and in the little town now known bv that nam.-, he erected the Qu'Appelle iojn mills, which he opened and operated till the fall of L886, when he sold out to ■ firm of English capitalists, who still retain possession, and run the samewithgood success. During the opening of the North-West Uion, in the spring of that year, the townspeople proposed taking possession of the mill, and making a barricade of flour in bags, four feet high on each flat, for protection in case of siege, and in it the home- guard, formed by the citizens, stored their arms and ammunition while the excitement remained. Mr. Johnston returned to the Portage in the fall of 1885, where, in connection with the mill, he opened out a pork-packing establishment, also the first of its kind west of Winnipeg. With 1883, came the decline of the boom fever, and the day of trial before whose fiery breath seventy -five per cent, of the business institutions wilted away. The banks, feeling that they had committed themselves, issued orders to draw in every dollar possible, and a HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 4 4-"> regular system of seizure, on the ground of dishonest paper, was organized all over the country. The situation I painful one, and men once deemed honest and I for any amount, were turned out of house and home, their goods and chattels liened on and sold by tie- sheriff*! in many cases not bringing even the latter's To make matters worse, an early frost struck the country, the best wheat bringing only from 25 to 45 cents per bushel, while a large proportion could not be sold at any price. The writer was witness to a scene of this description one evening, which he certainly will never forget. Being at the Portage Hilling Com- pany's premises, he observed a beam, with a load of grain, drive op. The buyer came out, opened one of tie- hags and then retied it. telling the owner that he could not buy it at any price. It is impossible for my pen to describe the look of pain which passed over the poor fellow's face, as he hunt into tears, stating that li«' had driven over forty miles, expecting to Bell his grain to take back to his prairie home some necessai v comforts for his sick wife. What became of him and his load the writer never knew ; and this was only a sample of the trials of those year* Add to this, in many cases, money borrowed on security of farm and stock, with interest due in the fall and nothing to pay it with, and the reader can form an idea of the posi- tion of possibly seventy- rive per cent, of the yeomanry at this time. The ease with which loans, especially on farm property, could be obtained, and the willingness with 446 HISTORY 01 MANITOBA. which the loan companies advanced amounts, in many oases equal to the value of the farm itself, tempted many to borrow who certainly would not otherwise have done so. The result was seizors of goods and chattels, with the farm itself ultiinat.lv falling into the hands of the loan company. After the passing of the Act entitling > homestead for the second time, many who fell that they could never redeem their places, and others who had located on only a medium place and desin thing better, end those who were tired of the country and could not sell, borrowed all they could and moved away, by so doing leai ing almost entire townships in the hands of the loan companies. "Such was the case of Blake & Palestine. This state of financial difficulties and depression only deepened as the years 1884 and 1885 sped on, particularly in the town. This may be attributed to the extensive credit system inaugurated during the boom, when to say that you had taken up a farm, or you had come to stay, was a sufficient passport to obtain goods on credit, and it was almost deemed an insult to refuse. The implement firms, too, had their agents all through the country, each trying who could sell most, almost pleading with the settlers to purchase implements on time. Buckboards, buggies and waggons were shipped in hy the car-load, and the country became a veritable dumping-ground for Ontario manufacturers, many of whom wish to-day they had kept both their money and their goods at home. These goods were, as a rule, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 447 sold on time, which in many eases never came — the purchaser wearing the article out before the note matured, leaving it high and dry in some ditch or out- of-the way corner, leaving the manufacturer out both his labor and capital, with no other resource under the circumstances than to hear it and nrrin. If, however, it w ble to extract blood from a -tone, or any Other WS I tin- debtor, the whole machinery of the law was set in motion to secure the desired result. Only three things could save him : first, having what he desired to secure in his wife's name, a hard matter with a man who had none; second, pay up 01 under; and third, skip. Many, seeing no hope, chose til.- latter, and. like Elijah, disappeared suddenly and were -ecu do more; and in many of t 1 es it was probably the best solution of the difficulty. The writer will nei net and experi- ences of those years, reaching first the Individual, and ultimately succeeding in bringing the town itself into praetical bankruptcy. Having mentioned the name of J. A. Little, I propose to cite one or two instances of the effects of the boom personally. Mr. Little started busitt maker and blacksmith in 1 879, in which he continued till 1881, when he dis- carded the former trade, and went into the implement and real estate busine Active, temperate, and shrewd in his transactions, Mr. Little soon became one of the leading lights in this capacity, and an acknowledged authority on the value of Portage property. His office was always thronged with inquirers and others interested in the disposal of real estate. 448 histmky OF HANITOBA, In the spring of i^ s: -. through i aeriea of Bucoeesfol aions. be bad realized, in bard cash, over |100,000. With this he went into the city of Winnipeg, and in a few days, and before returning home, had invested every dollar, and more, in other property. The tide turn./!, and ere a year had sped Mr. Liu. involved in difficulty that he dared not own anything in his own nam.'. For jreera after he labored hard and arduously to get, as the expression goes, hi- bead above water again, and was in a fair way of doing ao, when death claimed him in the spring of the present year. When the writer Bret knew him. so flushed was he with success, that he had an elaborate plan prepared for a residence which was to eclipse anything in the North-West. Operations were begun, a cellar was . and stone procured from a distance to finish the •. A handsome stable was erected in the rear, and here the matter ended. Mr. Little realized that "the best laid plans o' mice and men gang aft aglee." A short time previous to his death the stable was removed to another lot and enlarged, and is now doing duty as a livery. The cellar has been filled up, the stones removed, and the owner fills a quiet plot in God's acre at the west end. < t )uiet, thoughtful, level-headed people would be astonished at the prices obtained for farm lands in the neighborhood of the town. A farm belonging to Dr. Cowan, of 640 acres, brought $23,000. For sixty acres at the west end Mr. Suther- land was offered the large sum of 840,000. HISTORY OF .MANITOBA. 448 Roderick McLeod owned a river lot of 240 acres; for this be was offered s:,0,000 and S1,000 to the agent who effected the Bale, making In all $5 1,000, by John McClatche. McLeod received $15,000 down. With the decline of the boom, finding himself unable to make the remaining payments, McClatche desired McLeod ,im a release and take back the land. This McLeod refused to do, and the matter went to court. Being brought up in equity, it was proved that the land was over-estimated in value, and McLeod was raited. The legal expenses in this case had grown 90 that they not only swallowed up the land in dispute, but the McLeod homestead as well. And all this in a country where, stretching away to the north and the south, to the cast and the west, lie millions of acres open for homestead and pre-emption. A singular fact in connection with the boom that only a small percentage, say five per cent,, of those ;nit improved their financial position; seven- ty-five pei cent, of the land gambled in, returned with all the payments made thereon to its original owners On Friday. .January 18th, 1885, at a quarter to eleven, the Hre bell rang out its startling peal on the midnight air. The night was intensely cold, some- where about forty below zero, with a biting wind from the north. Not a soul could be seen on the streets. The hurried strokes of the clapper indicated that some valuable property was in danger, and sent a thrill through the community at the thought of lighting the fire-fiend in the face of such a cold, cutting wind. Yet, ere the bell had rung its warning for the 450 history OF MANITOBA. space of two minutes, groups of excited citizens, some well clad in fare, other* as beet their circumstances and speed would permit, all Bhowing inert- or less d&habUM, were rushing v to where the flames were seen rising from the roof of the Presbyterian church. The firemen were soon in position, and five hundred feet of hose were stretched along Duke Street and a stream turned on the burning building. For a time an unequal warfare was carried on between the brigade and the consuming flames, but old Boreas was seem- ingly "ii the side of the latter, for soon the hose was up between the engine and the burning building. The firemen themselves seemed like icy spectres moving to and fro. The steamer was pressed to its utmost capacity, but with all, the stream which was being played on the church was gradually getting smaller and smaller, while the mounting flames illu- minated the scene for quite a distance around with a lurid glare, seeming to laugh defiance and scorn at the efforts of the brigade. It was soon evident that the church could not be saved, and every precaution was taken to prevent the spread of the fiery element. By one o'clock in the morning the entire structure had fallen in and was consumed. The event had a depressing effect on the commu- nity. It was like a stab from an unseen foe, a fatal turn in the drifting stream. For upw T ards of a year or more the congregation had been wrestling with a burden of principal and interest, which almost defied their most strenuous efforts. Socials were organized, and legitimate efforts in almost every direction used HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 4-"U to wipe out the burden of debt. Had things remained as they were in 1881, there would have been no diffi- culty, but in the altered circumstances of the people we find the cause of the failure. Many, nearly Jill, in L881, had pledged financial support which they could in in 1883. The consequence was a. narrow- financia] ability to meet current expenses and the indebtedness of accruing principal and interest For some Sabbaths previous, for some reason, the north chimney would not draw, and the congregation had to resort to the basement to get rid of the smoke On the Monday following the lire, the Board of Management met in the fire hall, when it was resolved to begin the erection of a new edifice BO soon a^ the funds would justify the Step Mr. Bell was deputed nror, by visiting other eongre tions and making appeals to them, to raise as much towards this object rible, which he did, the amount being somewhere about $2,800. The other churches of the town generously oil. red the use of their buildings to the congregation, but the man ment deemed it better to rent the town hall, which was at once done. The rebellion in the Territories, which occurred this year, caused quite a ripple in the community, and a company was formed known as Company " C," 91st Battalion. Not knowing what our own Indians would do in the event of Riel and his associates being suc- cessful, a course of drill was entered on by the citizens, with drill instructors, Captain Hunter, Mayor Mc- Donald, and Mr. Houston, the High School teacher. 152 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. As the various trains passed through, laden with volunteers ■ for the teal of war, the excitement was sometimes intense. La'-.. Is congregated at the Canadian Pacific Railway depot, all seemingly animated with one thought, which found expression in the lusty cheers that gre eted the soldiers on their arrival, and also served as their farewell as the train moved out and westward. Amongst the crowd could be seen groups of Indians gazing with curious looks uniform and accoutrements of the volunteers. . mysteriously, somehow, their numbers increased, lj augmented by new men, it would seem, from the land of the Dakotas, lying to the south. At the conclusion of the rehellion the !)lst battalion, to which the Portage company belonged, halted on the return, when the ladies of the town breakfasted the men in the ranks in front of the square. They then returned to Winnipeg, being head-quarters, where, after remain- ing a short time in the barracks, they were dismissed. The rebellion of 1885, with its large cost to the country and its loss of precious lives, was certainly precipitated by neglect on the part of the Government. It will be remembered that by the Manitoba Act, the half-breeds of the country received a grant of 240 acres each. A number of these were living outside the boundary in different parts of the Territories, and though years had passed since the transfer of the country, and frequent petitions had been sent to the Government, these had not received the grant of land bestowed on their brethren in Manitoba. Other griev- ances, such as want of representation in the Dominion HISTORY OF MAXlTor.A. 453 Parliament, the number of Government nominees in the North-Wesi Council, the management of the public lands, and the inattention of Government to petitions and representations on local matters, began to create during these latter years an amount of irri- q amongst the white settlers as well as the French half-breeds. The great amount of destitution exist- ing throughout the Territories during L884, gave a keenness to these feelings of dissatisfaction and indignation. In these circumstances, the French half-breeda sent a deputation to Riel in Montana, who, apparently, was only too glad to return with them. Meetings were held fiid another Bill of Rights prepared and sent to Ottawa, which received the same fate as previous petitions — the pigeon-hole — certainly a serious mis- take in this instance. Smarting under what he con- sidered previous wrongs, we soon find Riel initiating eond rebellion on the basifl of L869-70. Si are seized and looted. First among the sufferers was John Keir, a merchant at Batoche's Crossing, a small village on the South Saskatchewan, a short distance from Fort Carleton. On the 17th March, Riel made a prisoner of Trees, a magistrate ; Keeley, a miller ; Nash, Tompkins and Ross, freighters; using the church at Batoche, first as a storehouse, afterwards as a prison. He organized a council composed, with one exception, of half-breeds ; the exception being a man named Jackson, a druggist, from near Wingham, Ont. The first reports of the rebellion were not credited in Ontario and Quebec; the story being 454 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ridiculed, as a device of party tactics. In his place in the House of Commons, on March the 28rd, Sir John Macdonald confirmed the news of the insurrection, and on the 2oth, the 90th Rifles, with a portion of the Winni] _ Field Battery, left that city for Qu'Appelle en route for Batoche, Kiel's head-qoari the 26th, Major Crozier, who was in command at i. Bet out with one hundred men to secure some supplies which were in danger of falling into the bands of Etiel, and which were lying at Duck Lake, a long, low, marshy sheet of water, extending to the west of Stobert, the little Tillage where the fight took place. The half-breeds had got there previous to Crosier, and seized some of the provisions and arms and 1 the loyal inhabitants. Here the fight occurred between Gabriel Dumont, with his half- breeds, and Crozier and his men, known as Duck Lake, in which the latter had to retire, with twelve killed and BeveraL wounded; the half-breeds having ix killed and three wounded. Crozier now fell hack on Fort Carleton, where he was strengthened by the arrival of Col. Irvine with eighty police and thirty volunteers from Prince Albert. It was deemed prudent to evacuate Fort Carleton at once, and fall back on Prince Albert, which was done by the united forces, and the latter place barricaded with cord wood and other material, to stand a state of siege. By Riel's permission the dead were brought in from Duck Lake, and buried in the Church of England cemetery, the Bishop of Sas- katchewan reading the burial service. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 455 On the evening of March 27th, the story of the first act in the tragedy of the second rebellion was known in (.-very city of Canada The Government, on hearing of the seizure of the stores by Riel, and recognizing the gravity of the situation, at once despatched Gen- eral Middleton to Winnipeg, to be prepared for any emergency thai might arise. Be arrived there on the 27th. Previous to hie arrival, the news of the tight at Duck Lake had been transmitted over the wires Call- ing at once for troops, he found that the only available force* w< 90th Battalion, just organized, under Col. Kennedy, now deceased ; a troop of cavalry , tu Capt. Knight : and a field battery of artillery, under Major Jarvia The 90th, a few days previous having answered a full roll-call at head-quarters, were armed and equipped for service, and their left wing sent on under Major Boswell, on the i?">tli. to Tro; ition on the I Canadian Pacific Railway, which was to be used as the base of operations for the column, under the im- mediate command of the General himself. Ifiddl only remained twelve hours in Winnipeg. <)n the oing of the 27th, before leaving, be ordered the right wing of the 90th, under Major licKeand, to take the train to Fort Qu'Appelle, and gave instructions for the artillery to follow in the morning. He accompa- nied these tro >ps personally to Qu'Appelle Station, and from there marched to Fort Qu'Appelle, eighteen miles farther north on the trail to ( Harks < Crossing. Having empowered Major, now Senator, Boulton, in Winnipeg, to raise a mounted force, which was one of the first necessities, and knowing that it would be some days 456 HISTmKY OF MAMKT.\. before the Major could join him, he entrusted Capt. French, an Irish officer, who had been in the Mounted Police, to raise • mounted force in the vicinity of Fort Bile, This troop, with tin- addition of those iously mentioned, constituted Kiddleton's force at II.- was, however, soon reinforced by "A" Battery, under the command of Col llontizambert, and "C" School of Infantry, under Major Smith ; and with • he determined to push on with all expedition to ^cene of the rebellion. His plan was to march his own column from Kurt < v >u'Appelle to Clark's Crossing, about 180 mfles The second column, composed of the Queen's < Nm 270 strong ; fifty of the Governor- General's Foot Guards, under Capt. Todd ; "B" Battery, from Quebec, lift Strong, with two nine pounders, under Major Short ; a portion of " C " School of Infantry, forty-six strong, under Lieut. Wad- more ; fifty police, under Col. Herchmer ; and a Gatling gun— all under the command of Col. Otter— re to push their way from Swift Current, a station farther west, on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and meet him at Clark's Crossing, where he proposed to join the forces, and advance along both sides of the river, on Batoche. The third column was composed of the 65th, of Montreal, under Col. Ouimet, 350 strong ; fifty-two mounted police, under Capt. Oswald ; the Ed- monton volunteers, and the Winnipeg light infantry, 300 strong, under Col. Smith ; forty-six scouts, under Major Perry, as also one gun — all under the command of General Strange. Attached to the staff of the latter were Major Dale, who acted as Brigade-Major ; the B HISTORY OF M WITOBA. +$$ Revs. Canon McKay, and John McDougall, of Morley, both of whom had been resident in the Calgary and Edmonton Districts, and were well acquainted with the country. These were organised at Calgary, a point still further west, on the Canadian Pacific Rail- way; and from thence were to proceed to Edmonton, two hundred miles north; thence to Fort Pitt, where ral Strange was to await th.- arrival of Ifiddleton, with a portion of his force. On learning of the dangerous position of the people of Battleford, which was at that time in a >tate of Middleton directed Col Otter to proceed to that point without delay, and hold Poundmaker in check until he came up. The Colonel and staff reached Calgary on the 12th of April. On the L3th, the column marched to 9 -wan Landing, thirty miles distant Sere they >delayeda couple of days, waiting supplies and transports. The troops and provisions were conveyed m the river by the steamer Northoate, which had been made ready, with fifteen oc twenty flal boats, to carry supplies to Middleton at Clark's Crossing. Two Gatling guns had also been brought to this point by Capt. Howard, one of which was attached to "B" Battery, under Otters command, the other Howard took with him to Middleton. Arrangements were materially assisted by Col. Van Straubenzie, Col. Williams, of the Midland Battalion, and Gen. Laurie, a half-pay officer of the British Army, now resident in Nova Scotia. On the 18th, all bring in readiness, at l p.m. Colonel •J! • 460 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Otter commenced his march northward, with two hun- dred waggons laden with forage, supplies and arms, taking one of the old trails. The country through ■h the Colonel passed is a vast unoccupied prairie, red with luxuriant vegetation and furrowed paths, known a^ buffalo runs, only waiting the industry of the settler to till it op with industrious and contented homes. About ninety miles from Battleford the Eagle River had to be I, and pioneers were sent for- ward to construct a bridge for the passage of the troops and transport, which was speedily executed. After crossing tins river into the Eagle Hills caution had to be observed, as it was in the neighborhood of the Indian B where the disaffected tribes were on the war-path. While the column was advancing, twenty-five mounted police under Colonel Herchmer, as also some scouts, rode about a mile ahead, and the same distance to the right and left, beating into every coulee and clump of poplar where an enemy might be ambushed, thus preventing the possibility of surprise ; while at night, the pickets extended from a quarter to half a mile on all sides of the camp. By two o'clock on Thursday afternoon the column had reached the reserve of Chief Mosquito, of the Stonies. On the 24th, they reached Battleford, and relieved the besieged. Fired with a sense of the wrongs inflicted on the settlers, and the murders perpetrated, Otter determined to go out on his own responsibility, and punish Poundmaker, who was known to be in force at Cut Knife Hill, thirty-five miles distant. Here ensued the battle of Cut Knife Creek, where HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 461 Otter found a stubborn resistance, and had to retire on Battleford, with eight dead and thirteen wounded. He remained at the latter place till the 25th of May, when he was joined by Genera] Middleton — during which time he was simply acting oo the defensive General Storage's column moved out of Calgary for Edmonton, on the 20th of April, with Major St. souts and the right wing of the 65th Battalion, under the command of Colonel Hughes. The left j Left on the 23rd\ with Major Batton'a corps, and were followed a day or two after by the Winnipeg light infantry, under Colonel Osborne Smith, with some mounted police, under Major Perry, Both detachments crossed the Bow River at ernment Ford, and arrived at Edmonton on the 2nd and 5th o! May res] Here Strange distributed bia i rationing half a company of 56th, under Lientenant Norman. lean, at Red Deer Crossing, the other half, under Captain Kttieh, at the Government Ford, about forty miles from Edmonton. Captain Ostelle's company was sent to the Hudson Bay post at Battle River, while Colonel Ouiraet remained at Kdmonton. The remainder of the 65th, Under Colonel Hughes, with Colonel Smith's battalion and the mounted men, went to Victoria, en route to Pitt, the scene of the massacre of the 2nd of April, which they reached on the 25th May. The following graphic description of which may !><• in place here: "Another beautiful spot in this picturesque region is Lake, some thirty odd miles north of Fort Pitt. Six years ago it was a small, thriving settlement, 462 BBROKY OF MANITOBA. beautifully situated on Frog Lake Creek, about five miles from the lake itself. To-day it is a deserted place, with a melancholy history which will forever operate Against its future settlement It is the scene of the terrible massacre which took place early in the spring of i ss ">. when Fathers Marmand and Faffard, Mr. Gowanlock (brother of Alderman Gowanlock, of Toronto), and five others were cruelly tortured and murdered by Cree Indiana Etnmora of the massacre reached the outer world early in April, but no white man visited the place until the evening of the Queen's iay. L885. The writer formed one of the party which tirst visited the settlement after the terrible tragedy, arriving there about six in the evening. Every house in the place had been burnt, the mill had been wrecked, and also the little Catholic church. A half- starved dog was the only living creature to be seen ; a number of huge, over-fed hawks and buzzards pted. All about the place there was a putrid, overpowering smell, and attracted by this smell and the birds, an investigation into the cause of the smell was made. In the basement of the church — and evidently thrown there after death — were found the bodies of four men. Two of the bodies were evidently those of the devoted priests who ruled the little settle- ment so gently and loyally; not that their features were recognizable, but the remains of their dress proved it. The other two bodies were those of laymen. All four had been scalped. Their heads and faces had been saturated with coal oil and then set fire to, for they were burnt and charred beyond recognition ; their HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 463 hands and feet had been chopped off; their hearts had been cut out, and other indignities, which cannot be mentioned, had been practised upon them — let it be hoped after death and not before. It was a horrible sight, there, on that beautiful evening, in that beauti- ful district, the sun still high, everything so quiet and so pretty, to find the tortured victims of Indian ignorance and Government indifference. The living who found the dead, cried like children at the sight. " One by one the bodies of these brave men were ■ctfully and carefully taken out of the church basement. Four rude coffins were made, four graves were dog in the little churchyard, four plain and clum-y or oa sofl were made, and just as the sun peeped up over the eastern horizon, and just as the birds began their morning those mangled bodies were rently lowered into their last, narrow earthly ■iiT-place. Ov*t tie- -lead bodies of the priests the Roman Catholic litany for the dead was read by a layman, a Roman Catholic; and over the other bodies the beautiful service of the Church of England was read by another layman. Wild roses and other wild Mowers were gathered and thrown upon the coffins in their graves ; the earth was slowly thrown in after, and four small mounds, each surmounted by a rudely- made cross, were raised to mark the last resting-place of men who deserved a better fate. The remembrance of that night will never be effaced from the memories of the few living who took part in the proceedings described." Meanwhile Middleton was pushing his way towards 464 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Batoche. Reaching Clark's Crossing, he divided his importing acroea the river by means of a scow, the Grenadiers, twenty rf Hajor BonHon'fl corps, under the command of Captain Brown, the Winnipeg Field Battery, and a portion of " A " Battery, under Colonel Montizambert, with Lord Melgnnd aa chief of staff. The forces advanced simultaneously from both sides of the river on the f»sd of April. On the 24th, occurred the battle of Fish Creek, the scene of a fruitless fight, as a com-pondent puts it, in which the troops lost ten killed and thirty->ix wounded ; and in which, as another correspondent writes, if the rebels had been armed with Sniders and plenty of ammunition, they would nave wiped us out in short order. The steamer 'licote having arrived on the 5th of May, Middle- ton made preparations to move out of camp at Fish Creek. He conceived the idea of converting her into a gunboat, for which purpose she was furnished with clumsy barricades to serve as bulwarks. The folly of equipping and arming her in this manner was seen when she passed down the river and began the fight of May 8th. Those on board failed to accomplish any- thing,* and after barely escaping being caught by the ferry rope and held till every one on board could have been massacred or captured, she drifted helplessly down stream, where those on board could not even see, much less take part in the battle. It was simply imperilling valuable lives, and withdrawing from the force a number of men who were badly needed on the following Saturday, Sunday and Monday. After three days' unsatisfactory fighting, Batoche was carried HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 465 by Straubenzie, Williams, Grassett and Hague putting their aether, and determining to advance when the decisive moment arrived, despite the orders of Ifiddleton, It was determined that the attack should be made on the left if practicable, and the men had ly reached the position held on the first day, when the lonsr-looked-for command came. "Break into double — double!" and was answered with thrilling cheers of taction. Their turn had come, they knew it, they felt it, and with a rash and a cheer, they were down on the rebels with the fierceness of Bashibazouks. The cheering was that of satisfied and contented men, ami their enthusiasm was intense; nothing could have withstood their pace, force and dogged determination. I shall not follow up the pursuit and capture of Riel, Big Bear and other prisoners, dot will I take up more of the reader's time with details of the defence and execution at Regina. The events are all fresh in the public mind. With all doe respect to those who bonded to the call of duty, the whole thing savors somewhat of a huge bungle, hoist* 'red up by red-tapeism, and covered over with unmerited eulogy. There is no denying the fact, that had the few hundred half-breeds, who were in a manner fighting for home and hearth, been as well provisioned and armed as were the loyal troops, they would have driven the latter out of the country. The fulsome eulogy be- ved on Middleton, Adolphe Caron, and others, who simply did no more than their duty, and were well paid for it is simply disgusting, and if her Majesty has honors to bestow, her representative ought to be 46b' BtBTOBl OF MANITOBA. careful to see that tiny are bestowed on those to whom honor is due. As tor lliddleton, flattered, feasted Mid knight! lie soon found, as others have done before him, that a very short interval elapses ofttimes between popular Carol and popular censure. A few on the pinnacle of undeserved fame, to-day loaded with opprobrium and reproach. The financial position <>f the town continuing still further to deteriorate, despite the pruning in the shape of reduction of salaries and of officials, meetings were held by the citizens to devise some means of either bringing the matter to a focus, or tiding over the tinai. n which had been reached. Some favored approaching the creditors and asking a reduction of interest, or no interest at all, for a few years. The majority, however, seemed to favor a proposition of thirty cents on the dollar, boldly asserting that the town could not pay more, and that in our present embarrassed position, they could not even pay taxes. Meanwhile several of the creditors had pressed their claim at the courts, and judgment was rendered against the town for upwards of 816,000. The situation, to say the least of it, was embarrass- ing, and without a precedent. The best legal advice was resorted to, but no clear, definite light could be thrown on the subject. Voluminous as law text-books were, there were technicalities in the position for which even these did not provide. The above judg- ment having being placed in the hands of the sheriff, and not knowing the moment when that functionary might take action, it was resolved by the council, on BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 467 the advice of the present Attorney-General, Hon. Joseph Martin, to resign in a body, so that the sheriff could find no official on whom to serre his writ. This • lone on August 18th, L886. Previous to the nation, a resolution was passed appointing Mr. Martin solicitor without salary, to represent the t'>wn'< interest in the and attend to matters in connection with the settlement of the town debt, and a fund of | - placed at his disposal. A citi; commit!. rganised, haying for members the same the council, as it was considered, that knowing the ciroumstanees thoroughly, they could more Faetorily discharge the peculiar duties of the posi- tion than new men. Shortly after, the school board followed suit, and it is only in keeping with the truth to state that some of the members of the board regarded the action as both unbusinesslike and dishonorable, an opinion which was shared in by many of the people; being the minority, they were obliged to submit. Before doings. >. however, the teachers were paid up to the close of the year, and a committee named to manage school matters with a view to running the school on the voluntary principle. These immediately got to work, and pre- pared a new assessment roll for themselves, on which to levy. A collector was appointed, and sufficient money was obtained to keep the schools running till June of the following year. As payment could not be forced, it is to the credit of the medium ratepayers to say that they paid up cheerfully the levy placed against their names, but not so the large property owners. In 168 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. June, the committee found themselves where they had starts! ; with no means of compelling payment of b, an empty exchequer, and the largest property- owners and non-reeklentfl holding back, and refusing to give anything. Thus handieapped, they decided to retire, an I see what Mr. Somerset, the then Superio- rs of Education for the Province, would do. The schools were immediately closed. It is well known that the Scotch, as a rule, are decided educa- tionalists. Pinch where it may, the children must have education, say the mothers ; and the spectacle of such a noble institution as the Portage Central School building, one of the finest in the Province, erected in 1883 at a cost of $40,000, with its doors closed, and the future legislators and population running the streets wild when they ought to be preparing to fight the battle of life, was, to thoughtful minds, a state of matters that could not long be tolerated. Communications were addressed to Mr. Somerset, who came up and held several meetings, but practi- cally this was the extent of his operations. A politi- cal issue was close at hand, the giant heel of monopoly was grinding too hard on the industries and issues of a new country, and whether he feared the influence of the powers that were fast coming to the front, and wanted to stand well with them, or no, at any rate he failed to put the necessary machinery in motion and compel the opening of the schools, which was clearly his duty and within the compass of his power. Meantime a new aspirant for educational honors came into the field in the Portage. The time was HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 469 auspicious, and L ansdowne College was launched with a flourish of trumpets and a profusion of flowers, suffi- cient to satisfy any ordinary ambition. Life sketches were given in the local papers of the teachers and principals, and every means taken to boom the insti- tution. Strange to lay, nun who were able, and who would not contribute a dollar to keeping the public schools open, could Bend their children to the last- mentioned institution. On December loth, L886, about six o'clock in the evening, and just about the time when all citi kged attending to the wants of the Lnnei man, tin- tire bell SOUnded a rapid alarm. Peopl'- rushed from the supper table in hot h seizing hat and coat on the way out. "The tire — where is it?" was tbe question excitedly asked hy one and another. At that moment a bright streak of flame rose high in the air from the tower of the fire- ball, as if to answei tie- question, showing that the only protection the town bad was now a victim to the flames. A valuable team of horses belonging to John Prout stood in the stalls behind the engine. The owner of these, who was at supper in the Rossi n House, situated close by, with several others, rushed to the now rapidly consuming building, and, with superhuman efforts, and at the risk of their own lives, ;. I the frantic animals from their terrible situa- tion. The engine stood in its position over the pit, but so fierce was the conflagration that the pole could not be reached to attach a rope or chain to draw it out. The entire outfit, consisting of a Ronald engine, 470 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. which cost nearly 18,500, hose cart and fifteen hun- dted feet of hose, was consumed in about thirty minutes. The caretaker, the walls of whose house abutted against that of the fire-hall, had only left the building to go into supper about a moment before the bell rang. To make matters worse, the insurance policy bad run out a few days previous, and through the financial difficulty in which the town was involved, had not been renewed. The calamity, for such it was, fell like a thunder- bolt on the community, and men looked into each othei lull, questioning gaze, as much as to say, " What next ? " A meeting was bald next day, and the situation discussed. The Winnipeg Council, synijMtliizi u r with the Portage people in their now doubly trying position, wired that they would loan the town an engine on certain conditions being com- plied with. An answer was returned, accepting the offer, and thanking the Winnipeggers for their sym- pathy. A subscription list was opened, and a fund started to erect a small engine-house over the tank on the ruins of the one burned down, which was done immediately. Even here, in the hour of calamity, we found the sectional feeling to which I have alluded in previous pages, and citizens well able to do so refused to give anything to this fund, because it was not placed in a position harmonious to their views. In a few days the engine arrived, accompanied by an engineer from the city, to see that all was right, and none too soon. Six days later, on the 19th of December (a Sabbath morning), the Doiger block took HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 471 fire, and the engine was called into requisition, but, through some mean- or other, failed to be of any ser- A hand-to-hand bucket brigade was organized by the citizens, who formed lines and passed the buckets along ; by this means they limited the extent of the Hre. The names of certain citizens who worked like heroes, not only in this, bat later fires, deserve public recognition. Amongst these were Robert Jack- son, John Tot bar! Watson, W. K. Sparling, G. Snider, and many others whom we would desire to mention. The damage done on this occasion would amount to about 18,600. Hardly had the citizens rallied from the last shock, when a fire broke out in what may be termed the husin.-ss block of the town, situated on Main Street, on New Year's morning of I sss . about three o'clock. Being then without a tire-alarm, or an engine, and with the experience of the two late fires and the uft.r helpless and incapacitated condition to fight them, the excited cry of " Fire I Fire I " ringing out on the morn- ing air, blanched the cheek of the bravest of our citizens, as, jumping from their warm beds, they mshed out, hurriedly clad, into the cold, freezing atmosphere of that New Years morn, with no engine and very little water, for everything was frozen hard at the breathing of the ice king. " What was to be done ?" It was soon apparent that the buildings could not be saved. With a will the populace turned to, and carried all portable property into the street or other place of safety. Roddie Campbell, whose name is men- tioned in previous pages, occupied the largest of these 472 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. stores as a furniture warehouse, and, with his wife, slept over the store. He was awakened by a stifling sense of smoke ( letting op, he discovered all retreat cut off at the hack, in which the stairway was situated, 1 > \- the fast-advancing flames. Awaking his wife they had barely time to put on sufficient clothing to r their nakedness, when he pressed, or rather 'ids wife to the front window, and throwing up -ash. told her to get out on to the cornice and jump for her life. A large crowd had gathered below who, seeini: that by jumping twelve feet on a hard icy side- walk, tfra Campbell might seriously hurt herself, told her to wait till they could get a ladder, or a mattress to jump on. Campbell, who was behind almost suffo- cated with the heat and smoke, pushed her off, and sprang himself after her. Fortunately, beyond a slight hurt on the ankle, Mrs. Campbell landed safe and sound. The aim being now to keep the flames from spreading to the adjoining block, men were posted on the surrounding property to beat and smother out the flying embers as they lighted in all directions. There is not the least doubt that, had the wind been favor- able, the entire business portion of the town would have been wiped out that morning. To describe the scene would be simply impossible. Some worked like Trojans, others stood with their hands in their great-coat pockets taking it all in, as the expression goes. The street on the opposite side- walk was piled up with goods of every variety. Some bustled here, some there. Once in a time a voice would be heard above the noise of the confusion, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 473 calling for water to extinguish some incipient tire. By the time that old Sol had risen, the whole was a a of ruins, in which could be distinguished broken and twisted stoves, and the blackened and smoking iins of the foundation timber, bedded on the icy ground. The loss through this in personal and real estai \ Q( table Feature in connection with the insurance on the building occupied by Mather Bros., was that the risk was taken with BL J. Foote, representing the London and Lancashire Fire Insurance Company, at eleven o'clock in the evening, and at three next morn- ing tin- place was in ashes, the application and claim • ber. This last loss completely paralyzed the town, already practically bankrupt, with credit gone, and without an official means of dealing with the outside world tot no firm would care to deal with a town with, >ut a council, and with the sheriff only watching for some modut operandi of enforcing his claimand putting in a receiver. These were dark days indeed ; besides, there was strong suspicion that in our very midst there was some cut-throat who was burning our built lings The fire insurance companies were raising the rates and even refusing the risks, so perilous were they considered to be. CHAPTER \l\ Still Aii-.tli. | Win M 'A anted— Monopoly— Conditio n of the Town Inc.ii.l: An Town Council l; gan ii of Mr. Bell Railway Strife. Hardly had those who where burned out i]jot down to business again, when, on the 16th of February, about six vreeka later, the cry of "Fire!" once more startled the citizen* Thia time it was found to be the Rossin House, and this, also, was the second time for the same buildii The morning was cold, and the old cry, " Everything frozen hard, and water scarce." After the fire had got beyond the incipient stage, and beyond control, it was found they could not save the building. Every pre- caution was taken to keep it from spreading. Close by Prout's livery and Hill's carriage shop were situated, one on each side. A large pile of green cord wood was between the carriage shop and the hotel, and the heat was so intense that the steam rose in clouds from the ends of the wood, and the resin melted in the knot- holes of the lumber in the building — still it was saved. Jn the burning building itself, we have to chronicle another act of heroism on the part of Mr. Jackson, one of the proprietors. An old man, who made his home at the hotel, was asleep in his bedroom, apparently unconscious of his danger. Jackson made his way along the floor to the room, and at the risk of his own life brought him out in safety. mm m *s in • «... • •• • • •• • ! < * * V I \ £ .'... •-•• ; -3 ■ • . • • i M ••••" . *»• 09 / * L - . - h > = H - o * ■ " $«! ft ^^J p < < •& '' u P3 J hi : < a 9 — to o w* 9 - - •— « s hi o ft > is I J O H BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 477 E rtunately again the fire was confined to the build- ing in which it commenced. On this occasion also, everything was lost. Tne unpeti ricnlture by the rapidly increasing population developed a phase of matters hitherto unknown and anfelt The Came of Manitoba wheal induced anybody and everybody to go into its production. The result of this was that, with the usual fertility of the soil, crops were realized that defied the extensive carrying powers of our icreat national highway, the Canadian Pacific Railway take out in time to benefit the settlers. As might •••'1. the cry for more railway facilities from all over the land. This was opposed to the monopoly clause of the Canadian Pacific Railway: hut shall the interests of a whole country beeontu vient to that of a syndicate of railway magna! was tli.- question asked and answered in the negaJ ''>' t}lr people themselves. The question was not a political hut a provincial one. In vain the adminis- tration at Ottawa was importuned by petition and deputation from the Premier downward. Railways were chartered by the Local Legislature of Manitoba, to be disallowed at Ottawa. This treatment certainly alienated the affection and sympathies of the people of Manitoba from the administration in power at Ottawa. Wot years the country was in a chronic state of insur- rection. Men came to the front who but for the • ncies of the hour, would certainly never have been heard from. Amongst the population there were political agitators and demagogues, as there are in all I7fl HISTORY Of MANITOBA. countries, eager to take Advantage of any breeze that would waft them into position and power. Farmers' Unions were formed all over, with their boodling "Purvises." Conventions were held, and delegates attended, rabid speeches were made by excited patriots, and manly bosoms beaten with clenched fists, as men itvd themselves ready to shoulder a Winchester or do anything t<> free Manitoba from the gall of the very monopoly which had certainly been the means of building up the country, and without winch, it i> ay, thousands would never have seen it. The outcome of all this was the overthrow of Conservative intereata in Manitoba, and the return of the present Martin and Greenway adminstration in 1887. Sir John A. Macdonald apparently chose to give way to the surrender of the monopoly clause, when he saw himself face to face with the Liberal party elected because of the enforcement of the same, even though that should be at the point of the bayonet, and his own party, after many years of honorable and active service, and after time and again urging its withdrawal, turned out in the cold. As might be expected from such a state of affairs, party feeling ran high, and every second man was a politician of no mean repute in his own estimation at least. During the summer, a petition from the town was presented to the Local Government, asking for a commission to adjudicate on its indebtedness. This was granted, and in December of this year Judge Ryan, Robert Adam- son, and Mr. James, of Brandon, met in the council chamber, in said capacity, to examine into and report BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 479 on the financial standing of the town, the debentured debt of which at this time, with accrued interest, not pounded. judgments and costs, amount. r.46. The commission brought in a report, on the basis of which an arrangement lias Mnce been effected apparently satisfactory t«» all parties. The frequency of the tires occurring in our midst eling of insecurity with reference to the value of and personal property, and citizens retired to real as it were to sleep with one shut and the other open, not knowing but that before morning their homes would be in b This, with the unfortunate financial position into which the d bad fallen, made matters serious indeed. The Monetary Times, of Montreal, and other finan- taking their cue, do doubt, from the rabid utterances of some of the thirty per cent men, thought that the people of the town intended to repudiate the debt, and indulged in criticisms reflecting upon the r of the town and its official low, indeed, was property valued at this time, fcbat at a held in 1887, whole blocks could 1„- ght for a dollar, and lots rained now at from $30 pet t ot, barely realised that amount altogether. In fact, many who had invested considerable allowed their property t«» go by default and be sold for taxes, with tin- intention of never troubling with it again. The position takm by the heavy landholders is, to a certain extent, responsible for this anomalous condi- tion of affair... Had they as individuals paid, or been compelled to pay, their taxes, there is not the slightest 480 history OF MANITOBA, doubt bat tli-it the municipal ship would have been tided over th«> financial breakers, as the median rate- payers would certainly have ilone their part in the matter. ( >n the other hand, the land had been bought, in many cases, at an exorbitantly high figure, and was also subject to a high taxation. Sales could not be • iain and pay the taxes, and so. in the WOrdfl of a leading business man. '"the municipal ship Wtf allowed to drift." Some there were who, having private means at their disposal, made money out of this situation by buying discarded property and holding it till the better day came ; hut there are certainly few who, having the welfare of the town sincerely at heart, would desire to live through the trials of those weary years. In the beginning of L887, B, H. G. G. Hay, on in- tin_r the remains of the old engine destroyed at the burning of the fire-hall, considered it within the compass of his power to reconstruct and make it as serviceable as before; consequently an arrangement was entered into between him and the citizens' com- mittee, that, in the event of successfully doing so, he would be allowed the amount of a loan which the town had given him. Mr. Hay went to work with a will, and, despite the difficulties of the undertaking, completed his work successfully, and had the engine ready for trial by the 24th of May of the same year. Several official inspections and trials were made, but, through some misunderstanding between Mr. Hay and the committee, the engine was not given over by him officially to the town till the summer of 1888. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 481 With the spring of 1888 the incendiary, who had only stopped ash were to allow the fevered public pulse to cool, again began his ignoble work. About the 6th ril the alarm was given that the Queen's Bote] was on fire, Owing to the promptness of several of the brigade and others who were close by, the flam* extinguished without doing much harm, and carpenters were at once put to work and tin- damage repaired. Hardly, however, was the work finished— -in tact some of the mm had not taken their tools away- when on the 12th, about seven o'clock in the evening, the Ifl le in connection with the hotel was disc >vered t<> he on tire The flames spread with great rapidity, aided by a slight wind from the soutl rine in Mr. Hay's possession was but, by the time it had arrived on the ground, the stable had been burned completely down and the hotel itself v. T| lr efforts of the firemen were direel block, which on fin- in several pi also the skating- rink Water being scarce, a ditch on the north side of Dufferin Street stood the test I'm- a little while, when the hose was changed to another on the opposite side There is no doubt, but for the engine, the damage done that evening would have been very serious. If there had 1 n any doubt in the minds of the citi/.cn> as to the cause of previous conflagrations, these two tires following each other in quick succession and in the same building, proved conclusively that some one was at work with the intention of burning down the town. 482 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. Hardly had the excitement died out when, on the L5th of May, the London House, a log building standing close by, and east of the Queen's Hotel, was discovered to be on fire, and this for the second time. So badly scorched was it on the first occasion, that it lered tenantlesa < >n this last occasion it was burned to the ground It i> perfectly safe to say that if the agent of I oflagrattons had been found red-handed, Judge Lynch would have been called into requisition in short order. A nward for the arrest and apprehension of the incendiary was offered by the citizens' committee, and Detective Foster, of Brandon, invited to look up a trail. Five days later, about three o'clock on Sunday morning, May the 20th, the cry of "Fire! Fire!" was again echoed on the ears of the thoroughly alarmed citizens. "The mill is on fire!" were the words that passed from lip to lip, as they turned their gaze again towards Main Street and the scene of the late confla- gration. The body of flame which leaped from the interior out of the windows and through the roof showed too plainly that the mill was doomed. The Pratt block, being connected with it, was soon also a mass of flame. William Lyons, who now occupied the Lome Hotel, seeing that the entire block was doomed, at once set to work, and was assisted by the populace, who worked with a will, and carried out all his furni- ture on to the street. A light wind from the south bearing the flame northward, on it swept, enveloping in its fiery embrace everything within a certain radius. First the mill, then the Pratt block, then the Lome HISTORY OF Manitoba. 483 House and large Btablefl in the rear, next Hossack & HcKenzie'a blacksmith shop winding up with the Nation of the Club House. The extent of the dams nearly as follows : Mill. $3,000; contents, Oj Pratt block, $4,000; contents, $1,000 ; Lome Bouse, $5,000; blacksmith shop, $1,000; Club House, si (mm); John ItcKenzie's lot - 0; Lome House Btables $1,000; the whole coming close on S20,000. The preceding conflagration at the Queen's burned op about $7,000 worth of property. Through all this work of destruction, owing to the promptness of the ele and citizens, not B life was lost, either human or animal ; although Mr. and lira Campbell had a close call, also the old gentleman mentioned at the EtoSBUl Boose, as also John Proofs team. No thanks, how- ever, were due the incendiary, who apparently cared not for either citizens' lives or their property, pro vi« led his fiendish purpose • •■!. These fires tended to deepen and strengthen a feeling ntralization, winch had been growing in the minds of the business men foi some time. The old cry of east and west end was felt to he, in such a town as the Portage, a bugaboo which should he discarded at once and forever. Roughly pushed out by an unseen, and as yet unknown foe, the sufferers ohe by one established themselves along Saskatchewan Avenue, till the busi- portion of the town during the growth and decay of 1870 to 1880 was to a large extent a burnt and and deserted ruin. But the end had not yet come. On the following 25th August of this same year the building formerly occupied as a private residence by 48 t HISTOfcY 0* MANITOBA. P V Qeoreren, now used as an hotel bv Mrs. "?OUng, relict of the late William Young of the west end, was Hret of the Queen's A thrill of astonishment passed through the com- munity a^ the news of White's arrest passed from month to month, and men seemed to wake np to the fact that \'<>v years they had been living on the very are of a volcano. On Jnne 5th, both, having chosen to be tried under the Speedy Trials Act. rather than wait the Assizes, were hrought before Jmlgc Hyan; Mick charged with og fire to the building of Mrs. Young, and White with inciting to the Bame. The case was one of the most interesting held before the County Court of the ( Yntral Judicial 1 district, and awakened a lively int all through the Province. The principal witn< were lira foungand her son William. David Drain, and Hiss Taylor, a dressmaker who resided with Mrs. Young when the building was tired The prosecuting counsel was Victor A. Robertson, now deceased ; W. J. Cooper and P. V. Geo rgeu were retained for White's ace, Mr. Georgen for Sam Mick. The case was clearly proven against Mick, who may be said to have stood self-condemned — his words to ter, at liinnedosa, being that another party gave him a coal-oil can, and told him to i, r< > and fire the building, and that he (this other party) would watch while he did so; also that this other party (Jim White) bad offered him 125 to do it. David Drain also testified to being offered money to burn several HISTORY OF MANITOBA, other buildings, UllODgst which was the Hudson Bay I, now the Leland House, and also the post office. Plans had been laid bj which, it* they had been Buceess- t'ul. every prominent building in town would have been tamed to the ground. Mick, while under Governor M _ pott ; V . confessed slao that, but for the old man residing In the building (meaning Mo*a himself), the court ii. use and gaol would have been burned Ajb the case trow on, no less than fifteen ehari re preferred against White, while the evi- dence adduced showed dearly bia guilt in the matter. Being under the influence of liquor while thus inciting, the question turned on how Car he was responsible for hk actions. Judge Ryan, the night before pronouncing judgment, eommunicated with Justice Taylor, in Winnipeg, who advised him that if there was any doubt the prisoner was entitled to the benefit of it. On the 18th of June, White and Mick were a-ain brought into court. Judge Ryan, in passing judgment on Mick, dwelt in severe terms on the enormity of the crime of which he had been guilty, of the probable loss of life but for the providential circumstances connected with the various fires, and sentenced him to five years in the Provincial Penitentiary. In addressing White, he said that if he did not occupy Mick's position before the bar of his country, it was simply because the law chose to give him the benefit of the doubt as to whether he knew what he was doing while thus inciting to burn, and after severely reprimanding him, discharged him. No pen could picture the expression of poor Mick's face, as he saw White, the inciter of his ruin, walk HISTORY OF KANITOBA. 487 forth into liberty, while he, the poor tool, got five years for doing his dirty work. On his release from gaol, ami ere he reached the court-house yard, White was privately informed that he was no longer • desirable nt at leas! in the Portage, and that the sooner he got out the better. Acting on this suggestion, he took the east-bound train that afternoon for Winnipeg, and thence to Uncle Sam's dominions, from which ogly rumor- bave been heard of him since ; bat as we have nothing to do with these, we gladly drop the veil on \it. On the 8th of this month also, the town council, which bad dropped out of existence as it were, was again reorganized under a provisional Act, introdi into the Legislature and pushed through by Attorn, y- General Martin. The provisions of the Act limited the amount of unpofl ion on the town, not to exceed two milk on the dollar, one half to be given to the other half to be devoted to current penditore; and the corporation wheels once more began to move. On September 28th, the Brandon Presbytery met in Knox Church, to consider the resignation of the Rev. Allan Bell, who, through failing health, had resolved to move to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, whence he had received a call. This was felt to be a loss to the entire Community. Mr. Bell was a leader of thought in the true sense of the term, open-hearted and generous, liberal in his political and religious views. He was at all times ready to assist the town and country of his early adoption, throughout the varied vicissitudes of \SS HISTORY OF MANITOBA. it- chequered career. His mind was like the prairie, from whose broa«l, billowy boeom, bedecked with wild flowere, he drew much of the inspiration of those early irated by distance from the Leading eloquent speakers of his own denomination, he de- veloped a style all hi- own. His advent to the little tion meeting in the log school-house on the banks of the dough In L875, with its average attend- Bfteen to tw -nty. to that of the edifice which marks his departure, and a congregation of from three to five hundred, will mark an era in Portage history which can never be el!aeed,and the influence of which ( innot be estimated. He was succeeded by the Rev. Peter Wright, of Stratford, Ont. The town bein^ at this time without a fire alarm of any kind, (the bell having been destroyed), through the kindness of Mr. Baker, Superintendent of the Manitoba and North- Western Railway, a triangle was made of a long steel rail at the company's shops and presented to the tow r n. The credit of the suggestion is attributed to the present accountant and two other gentlemen, who had seen this mode of alarm success- fully operated in some cities in the States. It was mounted on a skeleton wooden tower, about thirty feet in height. Not being braced, however, with ropes or wires to withstand the high winds of the country, and the base being constructed too narrow in proportion to the height, it was blown over shortly after, and for a short time the whole structure lay across Duke Street. The triangle scheme not being favorably entertained, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 489 a concert was projected and successfully carried through to raise funds for the purchase of a bell, which was immediately obtained The platform was 1 from its humiliating position, and the latter hung thereon. But the chapter of incidents even in this line was not over. ( >n the Legal council assum- ing control of municipal matters, in L 888, the tower and bell were removed to the vacant ground beside the town hall. It was hardly in position, however, • was again blown down, the bell cracked by the fall, and the tower broken to pieces. A platform over the eastern entrance of the town hall, and here, safely secured, from that date it has pealed out, though.cracked, tin' hours of noon, six and half-past seven. In the fall of i v ss came the boom of strife between the Canadian Pac way and the ICanitoba and Northern Pacific, backed by the most strenuous efFoxi the present administration in its attempts to cross the mentioned road. There isnodoubt that, but for the position assumed by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the latter railway would have reached Portage in time to carry out some, at least, of tin- season's grain. The former, however, only assumed its prerogative of the monopoly clause, pledged to it by the Government at Ottawa. A state of matters ensued in which it is creditable to the good judgment of both parties that no blood was spilled. The situation of the contend- parties was strained to the utmost tension on several occasions, and men stood ready armed on both sides. A rash shot fired would have precipitated 490 BISTORT OF MANITOBA. terrible bloodshed, and an insurrection throughout the country, for without doubt the sympathies of the people were with the Provincial Government, and ■gainst the Canadian Pacific Railway, and hundreds would have flocked to the assistance of the Govern- nifiit.cvrn if thai meant the support of their measures at the point of the bayonet. The situation was watched with intense interest by entire country. En a sense both were right; in an- other, both were wrong. The ( Canadian Pacific Railway only contending for the privileges contained in the monopoly clause an 1 by the Dominion author- ities. On the other hand, the people of Manitoba,in view of the anomalous and trying circumstances in which they found themselves placed for the want of suffi- cient railway carrying facilities, in view of the peti- tions and deputation^ which had been sent to Ottawa anent this, to them, most important question, in view of the fact that no single road, no matter how well equipped, could carry out the produce of this vast grain-producing country during the fall, and in time to benefit the settlers and bring in the numberless desiderata essential to its growth and prosperty in such quantities and at such rates as would foster its progressive and manufacturing interests, were right in insisting that if such facilities could not be obtained constitutionally, they must be obtained by more forci- ble means. On the other hand, the rights of the Canadian Pacific Railway had to be respected. Had not the country pledged its honor to the syndicate as to certain privileges on the completion of certain con- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 491 tracts \ and it was only constitutional courtesy that, re crossing a national highway such as the Cana- dian Pacitic Railway, the matter should receive the sanction of the Railroad Committee at Ottawa, and all menta be satisfactorily completed Such was the view taken by the more thoughtful of the community. Th.Tr were others, however, who would be I with nothing hut taking the Cana- dian Pacitic Railway by the throat at once, and effect- ing a crossing with or without permission. A few of the latter contrived to get uj> a Mare at the Portage on the evening <»!' (1 19th, The f aroe wa d about eleven in the evening. A team was red from a livery, and a few slabs from McDonald's null, the triangle given by W. R. Baker to the town was transported to tie' N. I\ and M. grade, where it touches tie- Canadian Pacitic Railway track at the rifle butts. Rumors had apparently reached Winnipeg of the intended ruse, for by the hour appointed, an engine was standing on the track at the point of crossing. The writer can always respect an earnest effort or a good farce; hut this was neither, and conscientiously believing that none of the participants, who were moving ahout with caps pulled down over their faces and coat collars turned up, so that they would not he recognized, would care to have their names handed down to posterity in connection with such a silly affair, I will simply give the modus operandi of the performance. The slabs were intended to serve as ties, the dumping of these off intended to give the impression of the unloading of $2 histoUV OP MANITOBA. ties; then the team would drive round the butt and come back into the grade with what was supposed to be a load of rail- ft] blows on the triangle with an axe or hammer, and the noise of the falling slabs, would represent the unloading of the rails. Men moved back and forth with lanterns as if issuing orders and directing the work of con-truetion. A pro- minent legal gentleman, accompanied by a justice of the peace, promenaded the grade, ordering off all who might be drawn thither by curiosity, and who were known not to be in sympathy With this magnificent and patriotic effort. The farce, however, did not go off so smoothly as its promoters desired. Several Gentiles got to amongst the crowd who made no bones about calling those (for the time being) imitators of the cap and bells, " d d fools." If they meant to lay a crossing, why not get the materials for doing so and go at it like men, and not act like a lot of idiots, throwing down a few slabs, and pounding an old triangle. On the acceptance by the Government, as the repre- sentatives of the people, of the proposition of the them Pacific Railway, for the control of the Red River Valley Railway, and the pushing forward of their proposed route through the country, the road was graded to a point where it touched the Canadian Pacific Railway track, close to the town, and behind the rifle range. Mr. Martin, as Railway Commissioner, without regarding precedent, and apparently desirous of running tilt with the Railway Committee at Ottawa, with whom it is said he had previously communicated, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. attempted to force a crossing at a point on the south- ern branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway, now familiarly known as Fort Whyte. The Canadian Pacific Railway determined, however, that until the necessary legal permission had been obtained from the Railway Committee, neither Mr. Martin nor any one else would en The troiil.l.' may be said to have been brought to a tfi by Mr. Martin, as Railway Commissioner, issuing a proclamation, calling foi good loyal citizens to serve special constables to protect the track-layers in ring the south-western branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway. "All willing re in that capacity will be sworn in to-nigi BO, at the city police court, by Chief Clark. Also a number of lain,,-., work as tract i will be paid Apply to Alexander Stewart, at the same hour and place. God save the Queen." An indignation meeting was held in the evening, and while the Winnipeggera were speechifying, a band of traiek-layera trained rails, ties and a diamond out to Beadingly. Tim road was heavy, as also the loads, yet, despite this, they succeeded in reaching the point of crossing, raised part of the Canadian Pacific Rail- way track, put the diamond in place, and also about one hundred and twenty feet of rails on the Portage extension, on each side of the Canadian Pacific Rail- way grade, then returned to the city. The change was discovered in the morning by the Canadian Pacific Railway sectionmen, and word was telegraphed to Mr. Whyte, who immediately sent on a force of men to 31 494 BI8TORT Of MANITOBA. remove the jewel. Arriving there, they found ex- poundkeeper Cox in charge of twenty-two provincial specials, who were left to guard the crossing. Mr. Whyte held a parley with Cox, stating that he was unwilling to use violence, bat was determined to remove the diamond at any cost. Cox offered resistance until he was convinced of the hopelessness of his by a blow in the eye from a stalwart navvy, and before he l»a0 1 excellent class of settlers from Ontario ; chiefly from the counties of Huron and Bruce. The chief centres of Southern Manitoba are Emerson, Morris, Gretna, Iforden, Miami. Carman, Glexfboro', Manitou, Pilot Mound, Boiasevaine, and Deloraine. Its importance is further shown by the fact that it comprises twelve out of the thirty-six constituencies into which Mani- toba is divided, and is noted for its agricultural pro- ductiveness. It is chiefly a wheat growing section, though cattle, sheep and pigs are raised in abundance. In poultry raising, it takes tie- first place in Manitoba ; and lately, a coal mine has been discovered, near Delo- raine, which will be of great service to the settlers of this region. North-west of Portage, on the Manitoba and North Western Rail way, are the towns of Gladstone, Neepa- OSE, Rapid City, Birth-. Bifisoarth and RusselL On the Canadian Pacific Railway are Car- berry, Brandon and Virden. Rapid City is the oldest of these, being situated on land granted by the Government to an English com- pany, on certain conditions of settlement, in 1877. In that year the present town site was surveyed, and settlers brought out from England, and located on the land, under the charge of Mr. Whellhems. The popu- lation now numbers over 500 ; with schools, stores, etc., as also a cheese factory, elevator, and woollen mill. Jn the spring of 1879 the Assiniboine was ascended by steam-boat as far as Fort Ellice, 210 miles west of Winnipeg, and soon followed by the tread of the pioneer. At the point where the trail to the west HISTORY OF MANITOBA. crosses the Bird Tail Creek, twelve miles east of the fort, a site \ cted for a village. Here G. H. Wood, of Woodstock, Ont., settled down, and very soon others followed To-day, the population is over 500; the town h beautifully situated in the valley, ■Jonirthe banks of the Bird Tail Creek, and is the county- l ioal L\keand Russell counties ; hav- all the requirements of modern civilization, in schools, churches, grist mill, and other privileges, of which it may OS justly proud. BRAHDOH. Brandon, probably, of all modern settlements in the Province, deserves most recognition, for two reasons — first, because it is the second city in the Province ; second, though suffering with other large centres of population during the boom, Brandon, like Winnipeg, held on its w r ay, and, though necessitated to make arrangements for a year or more to tide over the financial crisis following the boom, resorted to no subterfuge to evade the claim of its creditors. Its progress, consequently, was steady. It is also a young city, dating its origin from 1879-80. Mr. Sani'ord Fleming, in his railroad report of 1880, advised the Government to found a city at this point. The situa- tion is good, and with the hills on both sides of the river, the town presents a fine appearance from any point of approach ; and it is also secure from floods. Brandon takes a lively interest in its public schools, and is second to none in its educational facilities, having five primary schools, and also a collegiate department. It HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 503 18 the seat of justice for the Western Judicial District; criminal and civil assizes arc held twice a year, in March and October; the county court being presided over by the Boil I>. M. Walker, who, it will be inhered. was Attorn ral for the late Hon. John Norquay, and who is i resident of the city. The and gaol occupy a beautiful location, a short nil the business portion of the city, and are admirably managed. Crime not being very prevalent in the district, the capacity of the ira<>] is never overtaxed ; it has had, unfortunately, one execution, that of Webb, an Englishman, for murdering his wife in the tall of 1888. The Provincial Experimental Farm is also situated north of the river. Brandon has four larg two banks, Hour and oatmeal mills; three oewspa] - and Mtiil ; it has also several line hotels, a large number of business bouses, and prominent necessary industries. In the year 1887 no ten than 875,000 bushels of wheat were marketed here, besides other grains. NKKPAWA. Neepawa is situated in an excellent grain-growing district, in the centre of the municipality of the same name. The population is about 400. It has three churches, an excellent public school, an elevator and ral grain warehouses, and one newspaper — the Neepawa Register — several good hotels, and stores of all kinds. It is a strictly temperate and thriving little town, no liquor of an intoxicating nature being allowed to be sold within its limi: 604 HIST..KV Of MAM'ImI'.A. MINNEDOSA. Minnedosa is beautifully situated in the valley of the Little Saskatchewan, entirely surrounded by hills, and 18 a divisional point on the Manitoba and North- t Railroad. Becoming involved, like other towns, during the boom, it followed the ill-advised and unfortunate policy pursued by Portage la Prairie, and has suffered much through adopting that course. It has a population of about MM), two saw mills, one flour mill, two elevators, three churches, one public school, and a newspaper -the Ifinnedosa Tribune. \\ KSt SELKIRK, The town of West Selkirk, situated on the west side of the Red River, about twenty-four miles from Winni- peg, dates the commencement of its progress from the winter of 1874-5, when the telegraph line was extended to it from Winnipeg, and the offices of the Canadian Pacific Railway located on the west bank of the river. Being on the main line of the projected railway, where it was intended to cross the Red River, and being practically the head of deep water navigation of that river, owing to the rapids of St. Andrew's, a few miles to the south, with tw T o harbors of considerable depth running back on each side of the river, it soon attracted considerable attention. The first store erected, afterwards known as the " warehouse," was that of J. & F. Colcleugh, in 1875. In the spring of that year grading began eastward to Cross Lake, the contractors being Sifton, Ward & Co. With the commencement of this work, Selkirk became history OF MANITOBA. 505 the seat of considerable activity. The first hotel was started by James West in the same year, as also another store by Warner \' Bullock, and a brickyard opened up by Eli fardiner. In 1876 other stores and Is followed, and a school opened in the fall of the year in a log- house. Winnipeg watched with jealous eye the progress of this embryo town, and being aware of its many natural advai lid all they could to retard its prosperity and build up at it-- expense their own city. With the overthrow of the Mackenzie administration in 1878, the route was changed, and the plan adopted of utilizing the railway bridge, shortly fco be built at Winnipeg, now known as the bonis,' Bridge, and run- a line west from thai city, thus leaving Selkirk in the cold. This was ;i heavy blow to the prosperity of the little tizens, however, did not give themselves up to despair. In L882, b by-law granting a bonus of 170,000 to the Canadian Pacific Railway, for the pur- pose of building a line of railway from Winnipeg to Selkirk along the west bank of the Red River, was ed by the municipality of St. Andrew's, and a company formed to build a railroad from Selkirk westward to Poplar Point and Portage la Prairie. A charter was applied for and obtained during the ession of 1S81-2, but here, for some reason, the matter was dropped. The lumbering interest, which aided largely in building and sustaining Selkirk, dates from the year 1868, when lfcKenny,of Winnipeg, commenced opera- 506 BISTORI OF MANITOBA. fciona on nd, situated about eighty miles from the mouth of the river. Ee also built a schooner, called the Jeeau McK&rvny, which, with his timber rights on Broken Dead River, was purchased from him later Mc Arthur, of Winnipeg, who, : running the business fox some time, resold the above to Buber& Walkley, who, to extend their opera- tions, purchased other limits from the Government on Winnipeg River, to which they removed During if the tin u was also changed to Walkley & Sons. wh«>, in 1 884, entered into part- nership with the North-Weal Lumbering Company, erected a large saw-mill at the town of Selkirk, with a capacity of 80,000 feet per day, which worked for two seasons, but unfortunately, through mismanage- ment, proved a failure. In 188S the machinery of the mill was sold by sheriffs sale to Alexander McArthur, who resold it in the present year to the gas company of Winnipeg, who removed it to that city. The fishing industries of the town have also been of an extensive nature. The first of these established was the firm of Reid & Clark, in 1878, who, after running business for some time, sold out their plant to the Chicago Company for the sum of $80,000. The next in order of precedence was Gauthier & Company, in 1886, who also held large fishing plants on both Lakes Huron and Erie. Then followed Howell & Company in 1888, who built a steamer. of their own, with refrigerator barge for preserving the fish. The output of these companies per season represents about 300 tons each, and was valued in 1887 at $150,000, all BISTORY OF MANITOBA. 507 of whicli is shipped, packed in ice, to the Chicago mar- ket, at a fair price. The Dominion Government, finding that with the increase of the population and the corresponding increase in crime, the accommodation for convict Stoney Mountain was Incoming limited, notified the Local Government that they mnsi find an asylum for the insane, who, op to that time, had been under the care of C Ison The Local Government at once rented buildings at Lower Fort Garry, to which lunatics wen . nrd daring the erection of the present large, commodious and handsome asylum at Selkirk, which was began in 1888, and finished in 1886, at a cost of $115,000, situated in a command- ing position on the Weedy Bills, about a mile w€ the town In 1888 it was found m • bo meel the wants of the Provin tie- original building by adding a wing, which was completed in He- institution can now ae< modate one hundred and fifty patients, and has been under the superintendence of Dr. Young and a trained staff of tants from its inception; at present there are eighty patients. ikirk was chosen by Sanford Fleming, C. E., as a crossing for the railway, for the following reasons : First, it is situated on a high ridge of land, composed of gravel, running twelve miles south and north of the town ; this rid^e was almost the only part left uncovered in the floods of 1820 and 1852, when thf site of the city of Winnipeg was completely submerged Second, being thus situated, a bridge built 50N histmky OF HANI IOBA. at this point was Lee* liable to be flooded and carried away by the waters, and, before reaching here, the force of the current was more apt to be broken by- contact with the many points <>t* land. Daring tbc high water of 1882, the river all but Mowed over the rails of the Loui-f Bridge at Winnipeg, and a h.avilyd»alla>tfd train of fiat cars, with an e attached to each end, was stretched across, to h it down and keep it from being earned away. lien were llso stationed along the banks with pike poles, to MS that floating logs, etc., were poshed under and carried through. Selkirk has now excellent educational facilities, and Episcopal, Presbyterian and Etonian Catholic Churches. A beautiful spire, 104 feet in height, has been added to the first of these during 1890, the gift of the pre- sent incumbent, the Rev. Mr. Harvey. Town OF KHERSON. Emerson, situated near the boundary, on the banks of the Red River, dates its inception from the spring of 1874, when Thos. Carney and W. N. Fairbanks laid out the present site of 640 acres into town lots. Dur- ing the summer F. T. Bradly and Capt. Nash laid out 200 more. These gentlemen sold the lots cheap, assisted in the establishment of religious and educa- tional facilities, and in every way promoted the rise and progress of the little town. In the summer of 1875, the population, all told, was about 100. The opening of the railway between this point and St. Paul gave an impetus, not only to the town, but also to HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 509 the surrounding country, so much so that at the end of the year the population of the town alone had in- creased to 800. In the spring of 1 880, Emerson was incorporated as a town, and immediately set to work to construct a bridge across the river, that settlers located on the west ride mi to seventy-five, while the trade operations extended fully 200 miles west. In 1881, like all booming towns, the strides were simply remarkable; fine buildings were erected, amongst these the Carney block, the Fairbanks, McKay, Burn- ham, and numerous other large buildings; the Bmerson Aioicultural Works put in operation; six churches — esented by the following: two Methodist, one Pres- byterian, one Baptist, English and Roman Catholic — held weekly services. The manufacturing interests, though only recently established, showed an output of $607,200. The sales of fifty-eight houses represented commercial transactions amounting to 81,399,400, giv- ing employment to 170 clerks. The value of the building operations was placed at $300,000, while the tract of country covered by the above commercial transactions exceeded that of 1880 by 100 miles still further west. The population had increased to nearly 3,000. The educational staff in the public school was 32 510 UlSToKV Of MANITOBA. represented by three teachers, and an average atten- dance of over 200 pupils. About this time a company was formed, and appli- cation made to the Legislature for a railway char- ter, to be known m the Pembina, Tar tie Mountain and Rock Lake Railway, which was obtained daring the session of 1881-82, and eighteen miles of the road graded in 1888. ICeanwhile the Pembina Mountain Railway, a charter for which had been obtained from the Dominion Government in ls7!>, had been completed to Winnipeg, cutting off the western trade from Emer- son. In this dilemma! a deputation was appointed to wait on Mr. Van Home, of the Canadian Pacific Railway, with reference to a branch road from Emerson, con- necting frith the Manitoba and South-Western at Rosenthal. Mr. Van Home, though assuring the deputa- tion that it would never pay for the axle-grease, con- sented to build the branch, provided the town would construct an iron bridge across the Red River, three feet above high water mark, and of sufficient strength for railway traffic This the Emersonians consented to do, the wooden bridge constructed in 1880 having been carried away by the high water of 1882 ; which also flooded the town to such an extent that the people had to take to the up-stairs of their houses, the water standing six feet in the streets, the steamers plying their vocation a mile from the bed of the Red River over the prairie. Amongst the incidents worthy of note, was that of the steamer Cheyenne, with a barge laden with lumber, which passed the Carney House, right on up Park Street, and unloaded at the Presbyterian HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 511 church. For weeks many of the citizens did not taste a warm meal, their stoves being flooded over in the □ of the house. Daring this year also, the le became numerous enough to assume the form and name of a town, Went Lynne. This was probably caused by the unreasonably high valua- tion on property at Emerson, which could he ohtained at asonable sum at West Lynne, just across the river. I he Hudson Bay post, which was .situated there also, helped to build up and sustain the rival town. in 1882, a city charier was obtained, including both corporations. Plana and specifications were also pre- pared for the new bridge, tenders called for, and the contract for the construction of the same let to 'i & Westbrook, i • 1200,000. Appli- cation was also made to the Dominion Government for aid, prho agreed to give the Bum of $50,000. no funds in the treasury, the corporation arranged with the Federal Bank to supply the money, on the pw Bentation of the estimates as the work pro- ceeded, tl •■ bank taking as security the notes of the corporation, which it discounted. When the first note matured, there being no funds to honor it, the hank at once took legal steps against the council, who had signed the note as a body, and seized their personal, as well as some public, property. In this situation the council applied to the Dominion Government, who at once sent on a cheque for the amount promised, out of which the council paid off their indebtedness to the Federal Bank, and also several pressing local bills with the balance."' It may just as well he said here that the 512 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. remaining notes were only autographed by the mayor and town clerk of the corporation (as such), and that, so I i.oration 18 concerned, they remain unpaid at this date. The succeeding estimates M they were presented were paid by the bank, BO that the con- tractors, and workmen engaged on the bridge received their wages. ( hi the completion of the same, however, the bank ordered the contractors to retain possession, until the town had made some arrangement, which they did, Bwinging it up sad down stream and camp- ing on it. By this time the road had been graded and ironed up to the approach to the bridge. Seeing no other mode of obtaining possession but by taking the law in their own hands, the citizens procured a number of boats and ladders, and rowing out into the middle of the stream, placed the ladders, and despite the opposition of the occupants of the bridge, took posses- sion, pretty much the same as a man-of-war's men would an enemy's ship, threatening to throw the occupants into the river, if they offered any oppo- sition, swung the bridge across the river into posi- tion, and having once gained possession kept it. But the trouble was not over yet. Superintendent Van Home, who had become tired of the delay in con- nection with the bridge, and who in reality had no sympathy with the proposed branch, despatched a construction train one Sunday morning, and despite the excitement and protestation of the citizens, tore up the road-bed within the corporation. In 1883, a successful effort was made to raise the first bridge, which had sunk to the bottom of the river, and which HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 513 was replaced in position at a cost of about $25,000 With the decline of the boom, Emerson went down farther than any other city in Manitoba. In 1886 a ration took place between the two towns, on some important question, which continued till June, 1889, when they again united and reorganised, as the town ni Emerson, the present council being composed of D. EL fttcFadden, Mayor, and <;. Johnston, E. A. Dalgell, J. Carmiebael, J. W. McDonald, J. E. Donald, J. E. Coer and I). Wright The town is well laid out, the t- well graded, with wooden sidewalks. The m,|t 00,000) u large, but when the two bridges, costing in all about $270,000, their fine town hall, fire-hall and other public buildinj osidered, it is not difficult : hat the corporation have done with the money. The Burrounding country is excellent, and of lal ming to 1 • d up thickly. d with the history of Emerson are the names (,t ' A & Campbell, G A. Douglas, 11. Tennant, F. Tennant, W. Forsyth, W. .1. Whitely, d. Malloy, E. Winkle. M.P., J. Quthrie, J. Nugent, R. McDonald, G. Matheson, R. J. Chalmers, .lames Thomson, M.P., and many otl CITY OF WINNIPEG. As many of the events referred to in previous pages occurred in the city of Winnipeg, and form part of its history proper, I cannot, in my present compass, enter into detail with reference to the many business changes which have occurred since the rebellion of 1869-70, and will only refer to a few prominent events occurring Md u < Z Q < *^ O a i history OF MANITOBA. 515 since then, Its | >n then numbered about 500, and the leading business men were represented by A. McDennott, A. Q. B. Bannatyne, John Biggins, W. II. Lndrew Iff. Kenny, William Drevcr, Dr. .itz. George Bmerline (or Dutch George, as he was >, If. s. Donaldson, EL Patterson, Onis Iffouchamp, W. Q. I K I, l.arber, Alexander mes I i. Ashdown, Mr. ( lingras, I Iharles I farrett, Brian Devlin. At this time the city had no banks. no lawyers, no city council, no s, two d -illy one policeman, who was the 1 [udson Bay rale, and no l< ■ than oubtable int Mulligan, timers will remember how on one occasion some mischief -loving individua ed by Jack McTavisb, I bound him to a 1 to his astonish- ment deposited him in the gaol, b small log building - of Fori I tarry. .Mr. Mulligan, to hi i the joke good-naturedly. The only school in existence in the villain- was one taught l»y Miss Bannatyne, who afterwards became the wife of John Black. The first Bchool-house was erected at Point Douglas, and was opened on the 3 1st October byW. F. Luxton. The Manitoba/n of that date says: "The Winnipeg Public School will be opened on Mon- day at Point Douglas. Mr. Luxton, we understand, will conduct the institution, and with such a principal we augur well for its success." At this time the Rev- George Youni{ commenced operations at Grace Church. The first Quarterly Court held in Winnipeg since the abolition of the Hudson Bay sway, sat on the 16th May, ->ir, HISTORY Of MANITOBA. 1871— Judge Johnston presiding; John Sutherland, Sheriff; Thomas Bunn, Clerk of the Court— and the first grand jury in the Province of Manitoba was sworn in, with Alexander Begg as foreman, and John Gunn, Laronce, Malcolm Camming, William Bender- son, D. Capulet, Bte. Bmoe, William Johnston, A. Johnston, D. Barcus, M. Ifelvor, Bte. Bowel, William orgs HeKay, Francis Janiot, as jurymen. The first legal advertising cards were those of Royal & Dunne, James I ml D. ML Walker. On the 12th of July the < hrangemen also celebrated the anniversary of the" Boyne, Lodge 1307, Stewart Mulvey, Master, with about eighty members. On Sunday, the 17th September, 1871, Grace Church was dedicated, the George Young officiating in the morning, the Rev. William Robinson, of High Bluff, in the evening. St. Andrew's Society was formed on the 7th of Novem- ber, 1871— D. A. Smith, President ; A. G. B. Banna- tyne, First Vice-President ; A. M. Brown, Second Vice- President; J. F. Bayne, Treasurer; J. J. Hargrave, Secretary ; the Rev. John Black, Chaplain ; J. W. Hackett, Piper. On the 18th of November the second expedition of volunteers arrived in Winnipeg, under the command of Captain Scott. They were loyally welcomed by the citizens, and presented with an address signed by Jock McGregor, W. F. Luxton, R. A. Davies, W. Palmer Clark, Dr. Lynch, and others. St. George's Society was first organized on the 12th April, 1872, with C. J. Budd, President; J. H. Ash- down, First Vice-President ; Robert Simpson, Second Vice-President ; Lyster Hay ward, Secretary-Treasurer ; HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 517 Dr. Budd, Physician; A. D. C. Hervey, Marshal ; Rev. Mr. Pinkham On August 8th, L882, an I the troops was held in Winnipeg by Colonel K. Ilo-s, and a sham battle followed. The Manitoba Rifle Association was also formed abont this time, with the Lieutenant-Governor a- Patron; Vice-Patron, J). A. Smith; President, Major Irvine; First Vice-President, <«. B. Spencer; President, Major Peel - <-::ivy. Major W. M. K I lagnier. ( hi the 1st < N Iferchants' Bank gave notice that they won! ish a branch, with Duncan McArthar as manager, which was done on the L4th December follow- ing. Abont this time occnn trouble ovef the rporation Bill; as also the establishment of a hoard of trade with two rival chartered companies Dr, Bird from hi^ residence on the pretence of being eal -ee a patient. When near Point Douglas, he waa forcibly taken from his cutter, and a pail of I thrown over his face and shoulders. This act caused much indignation in Winnipeg, and although a reward of $1,000 was offered for the appre- hension of the guilty parties, they were never < 1 i s - red. The people of Winnipeg helieved that in opposing the Incorporation Bill, the Clarke Government were working into the hands of the Hudson Bay Company who, on account of their dread of taxation, were hostile to the movement, \V. K. Luxtoh was the first to announce himself a candidate for mayoralty honors, followed by Kennedy, Ashdown, Bannatyne, Cornish, "I s history <>r KANITOBA. IfeMieken and liacaulay. Frank Oornisb was elected mayor, with Councillors T. Scott for the sooth ward, the west, A. Strang for the east, and A. Logan for tin- north. The G ri tire in Winnipeg occurred on the :hd of I >eeeml»er. I ss *!. when rliament buildings wore burned down. It that through a defective stove-pipe, the walls in a partition on the second story took fire, and before ■ I the flame* had made such headway that it found it. the building. This was the finding of the in bion, hut there IS another story. Joe M<< Sroesan, the old caretaker, was troubled with an ulcerated arm, which made him always uneasy. On the night in question, Joe, on discovering the fire, id traces of coal oil ; there was no person in the building with the exception of Attorney- General Clark and himself. After the destruction of the building, the Government charitably sent Joe to Montreal to undergo an operation, where his arm was amputated. On his recovery he took small-pox and died. The h ition was held while Joe was in Montreal. It is generally believed that the building was fired by Clark, and that the story of the lost money was also a fraud. The first execution in the city was that of Michaud, for the murder of J. R. Brown on the prairie near the city. Michaud was arrested on suspicion, and afterwards confessed to the crime. He was hanged on Friday, 28th August, 1874. About this time the agitation for a railway bridge across the Red River came up, and Major Kennedy and Mr. St. John were sent to Ottawa to represent Winni- HISTORY Or MANITOBA. 519 Interests in the railway and bridge question. A steam ferry-boat was put on the river, also this \ by McLean, of flat-boat notoriety. On Tuesday, the 17th of August, L875, being a civic holiday, the corner- stone of the city hall was laid with masonic honors, by Grand Master the Rev. Dr. Clark, assisted by the .1 Officers of the Grand Lodge. Speeches were made by Chief Justice Wood, the Hon. R. A. Davis and Consul Taylor. The following societies took part in the ceremony: I>. 0. L, l$07 and 1352, Grand Orange Lodge of lianii iba, Good Templars. I.O. O. F., one lodge; ICasonie Lodges Manitoba Lodge, No. l ; Wliite Star \<». 2; Prince Etupert'fl Lodge, Ancient Landmark L Jt. John's Lodge, etc. The •t deposited in the stone contained a large num- ber of articles, eonsi coins, hills, newspa] photos of several parte of the city, and other things likdv to be of interest to succeeding ages. In this year, also, the genera] hospital was erected ; Mr. Ashdown finished his line corner block ; Holy Trinity Church was dedicated by his Lordship the Bishop of Rupert'- Land, assisted by the Rev. Archdeacon ( ! owley, the Rev. Dean Grisdale, Canon O'Meara, and the Rev. Messrs. Pritchard, Beck, Pinkham, Young, Wilson and Fortune. The latter was inducted as incumbent. On Christmas morning of 1875 the old fire-hall, situated on Post Office Street, took fire ; the draft of air passing up the hose-tower caused the flames to spread so rapidly that there was not sufficient time to save the engine. I n fact, the men in charge had hardly time to save their lives, their hair and 520 history Of MANITOBA. clothing bein ; ing. So quickly did the fire do it> work, that few citizens were ;i\vare of what had happened till all was over. The loss to the city was in the neighborhood of $15,000, besides leaving it without proper fire protection The eivio elections of L876 resulted in a scrimmage, in which F. E. Cornish, W. R, Thibidean, J. R. Cameron and George B. Elliott were implicated. The two first-mentioned were arrested and committed foe trial. Cameron and Elliott the country, and never returned It would appear as if the quartette had visited the house of Returning Officer Haggard, and, alter some quarrelling and hard blows, had walked off with the poll-book. Cornish and Thibideau were afterwards fined $20 each. On the 7th of January, L870, the second execution took place, the criminal being a man named Mclvor, who was hung for the murder of George Atkinson, at Beaver Creek, near Fort Ellice, North-West Territory. The executioner bungled his work, and Mclvor, whose neck was not broken by the fall, died by strangula- tion. Owing to the grasshopper plague, there were upwards of 45,945 barrels of flour imported into Manitoba this year. One of the worst storms ever experienced in the Province swept over the city on the night of December 1 2th, and many citizens had narrow escapes from being lost or frozen to death. In this year, also, Matt Davis, Joe Devlin and William Annette were drowned in Lake Winnipeg ; their bodies drifted ashore, and their boat was found afterwards, bottom up. The first sod for St. John's Ladies' College was HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 521 turned on Wednesday, May 30th, 1877, by Kiss Hart Davis afterwards lira. Alfred Cowley, the Principal. On Saturday, tlie 3rd .June, an incident occurred worthy of recital. While the frequenters of the Red n wen' enjoying their cocktails 1. randy straight, whiskey sour, ponies of beer, mint juleps, milk punches, and tom-and-jerries, two ladies— Mrs. Cedarholm and Miss Garrison — walked in and took possession of the premises. As soon as the drinks were finished] and when the astonishment of the occupants had subsided. one of the ladies quietly produced a Bible, from which she gave a forcible exposition, which was listened to attentively by the men present. Daring the exposi- tion the ladies were only interrupted once. In this year Lord Dufiferin visited Winnipeg, and while there, laid thee Ladies' College, when the c " him a royal reception. <>n the 22nd November, Lieutenant-Governor Cauchon arrived in Winnipeg. A few weeks later his lady, who had been in a critical state since her arrival in the Province, 1 to her rest. Despite the inclemency of the weather, her funeral was largely attended. Arch- bishop Taehe* preached an eloquent discourse to a large concourse of people who assembled at St. Boniface Cathedral to participate in the closing ceremonies. The gaol record for this year is worth glancing at. There were 84 apprehensions, with 73 con- victions; 62 of these could read and write. The nationality was represented thus : Manitoba, 28 ; English-Canadians, 15; French -Canadians, 6; Eng- lish, 9 ; Irish, 10 ; . Scotch, 5 ; German, 2 ; Swiss, "-- HISTORY OF MANITOBA, 1; Danish, 5; Siberian, 1 ; Icelandic, 2; Swedish 1; and American, & The date of the arrival of the first boats at tli«- port of Winnipeg, from 1870, may also be interesting, which are as follows: April 28 W7J •• May 6 L873 •• " 3 April 28 L878 M " 30 187- ■ , " 25 1877 II ndkbm " 23 1878. ... March 22 ( »n Tuesday, the 9th ( October, l ^77. the first locomo- tive brought into Manitoba arrived at Winnipeg by the steamer Selkirk, with a barge containing the engine and a number of flat cars, all profusely decorated with hunting. Steam was up on the locomotive. What with its shrill whistling and that of the steamer, the ringing of bells and the chorus of the various mill whistles, there was a perfect babel of noise. The steamer touched at No. 6 warehouse, then steamed down to the landing below Point Douglas, where a track was laid, on which the engine and cars were run ashore, and thus was landed the first locomotive brought to the Province. On the 23rd January, 1878, the present Historical and Scientific Society was organ- ized in the court-house by the following gentlemen : Rev. Messrs. Robertson, Pinkham, Grisdale, Hart and Bryce, Dr. Cowan, and Messrs. Whitcher, Ross, Codd, McDonald, McArthur, Parsons, Hunt, Hane, Begg and Nursey ; Dr. Cowan, Chairman;. Mr. Begg, Secretary. L874 -.nun I v 7~> 3,000 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 523 On April the 8th, a resolution was passed, pledging the city to pay the cost of a railroad bridge across Red Stiver, provided the Dominion Government would con- struct the Canadian Pacific Railroad westward from Winnipeg, all of which was done. The growth of the city may be better judged from the following table: — Year. Papulation. 1871 600 1,000 187:: LfiOO I •.'.' «;,oi8 2,635,806 4,000 8,031,685 1877 5,500 3,097,824 7,000 3,216, 187t> 8,000 3,415,065 188o L0,000 4,011,900 18H.s ... 25,000 The city occupi y the position of the metro- of the Canadian North-West. It is the centre of it v, both for the provincial affairs of Manitoba and for Mich functions of the Dominion Government as are exercised in the Province. The office of the Dominion Lands Commissioner, the Dominion Savings Bank, the Custom Eouse, the In- land Revenue, the Post Office, the Public Works, the Fisheries Inspectors, and the Indian Department for Manitoba, are located here, and the city is also the head-quarters of a Military District, and has a Royal School of Mounted Infantry, maintained by the Dominion Government. As the provincial capital, Winnipeg has the residence of the Lieutenant Gover- 524 HISTmKY Of MANITOBA. nor of the Province, and is the place where the Pro- vincial Parliament holds its sessions, and where all the offices of the Provincial Ministers are located. The Governor ience, known as the Government Boose, is ■ spacious structure of yellow brick, sur- rounded by well-kepi gardens and lawns, and flanked by hot-1 n'S of handsome and spacious business blocks were erected on faith in the future; and in those two or three years of activity and excitement the town made as much progress as it would otherwise have made in ■a Now it is reaping the benefits of this sificeni growth. It has ail the business facilities and attractions required for maintaining its position as the commercial capital of the Canadian North- West It did not have to emerge slowly, through n of struggle, from the stage of shanty architec- ture and muddy streets, but was lifted up bodily on that great wave of speculation to an advanced position of comfort and civilization. Individuals lost money heavily by the erection of these fine buildings, but the city as a whole was greatly the gainer. It is now as attractive, so far as its public and business architecture is concerned, as many cities of three or four times its population in the older parts of Canada and the United Stat* Winnipeg is also an educational centre for the entire Canadian North-West, having three colleges for n 526 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. general education, and a medical college. These ire St. John's College, Episcopalian ; St. Boniface, Roman Catholic; Manitoba College, Presby- | mitoba Medical College. They are all affiliated in a university organisation, known as the University of Manitoba, which conducts examinations and C legrecs. TheW are also in the city nine public schools, several Roman Catholic schools, the St. John's Ladies' College, St. Mary's Academy, a business college, and a number of private schools. A Metho- dist school, known at Wesley College, has also been opened. The principal business street, nearly two miles in length, hi tli enough to accommodate the traffic of State Street,Chicago. The rivers are bridged by perma- nent iron structures. The City Hall is of imposing size and attractive architecture. There is a uniformed tire department, provided with the best steam machinery and housed in good brick structures. Many of the streets are paved with cedar blocks; the sewerage system is well advanced, and there is both gas and electric light. The railroad system of the Province all centres in the city. The -principal line is the Canadian Pacific Railroad, which extends across Manitoba, traversing the entire length of the Province for 315 miles. This great northern transcontinental highway starts at Montreal, on the St. Lawrence River, and ends at Vancouver, on the tide water of the Pacific. It has a number of branches in Manitoba. The South- Western branch runs from Winnipeg to Glenboro', a distance of 105 miles; the Pembina HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 527 branch, from Winnipeg to Deloraine, in the extreme south-western part of the Province, is 202 miles long ; the Emerson 1 -ranch, connecting with the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba road, runs from Winnipeg to Emerson, a distance of sixty-six miles ; the Gretna branch, on the western side of the Red River Valley, isaspurof the Pembina branch, running from Rosen- feld to Gretna, where it connects with one of the Dakota lines of the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Mani- toba road. The other branches arc those from Winni- 1 kirk, twenty-font miles, and from Winnipeg to Stonewall, twenty miles. The genera] use of yellow brick for business struc- tures, and to a considerable extent for residences, gives Winnipeg a very bright and cheerful appearance. the principal business thoroughfare, is L32 feet wide, and forms a segment of a circle, extend- ing from the Canadian Pacific station to the bridge over the Assiniboine, just beyond the ruins of old Fort Garry. • of the buildings on this street are of brick, and many of them are three or four stories in height. The most conspicuous edifices are the City Hall, in front of which stands a soldiers' monument, commemorating the heroism of the men who fell fighting in the Kiel Rebellion, the tall handsome Post Office building, and the large stores of the Hudson Bay Company. The store fronts on Main Street are full of attractive goods, and in the evening the sidewalks are crowded with promenaders. In the tall and ornamental edifice called the City Hall are hospitably housed several institutions not 528 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. pertaining to the municipal government. The Board of Trade has rooms on the ground floor, and the third is occupied by the circulating lil miry and read- ing room of the Historical and Scientific Society and the comfortable club rooms of the St. Georges and St. Andre An interesting place to visit, for a glimpse backward into the early and romantic epoch of Manitoba his- U the little old cathedral church of St. John, in the extreme northern outskirts of the city. It is sur- rounded by B walled church-yard shaded with oaks and crowded with grave-stones, The most striking monument is that at the graves of the gallant young Winnipeg soldiers <>f the 90th Battalion, who fell at Fish Creek and Batoche, fighting Riel's half-breeds. On the inner walls of the church are many tablets erected to the memory of former officers of " the hon- orable Hudson Bay Company," their wives and child- ren, who died in the " Red River settlements," some of them as long ago as 1835. Nothing remains of old Fort Garry, which stood at the upper end of Main Street, near the con- fluence of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers, but the stone archway of the former portal. In front of this emblem and vestige of the past assembled, in 1887, a remarkable gathering, consisting of all the chief factors of the Hudson Bay Company, who came from their posts all over the " Great Lone Land " of the Canadian North-West to hold a council. These factors are sturdy men of business, but they sometimes express a little sentimental melancholy as they look back to the old HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 529 days when they were veritable kings in the country, exercising the right of sovereignty in the name of Great Britain over Indiana and whites in all their wide domain. They were princes and judges then, as well as merchants ; now, they are only buyers of furs and sellers of merchandise. The wholesale houses furnish dry goods, clothing, millinery, stationery, paper, bouts and shoes, china and ware, groceries drags, chemicals, hardware, stoves, oils, paints liquors, fruits, wall-paper, jewellery, etc. There is an extensive manufacturing suburb, in which are made furniture, upholstery, brooms, brashes, tents, matt: bricks and biles, boilers, macbin- biscuits, confectionery, harness and saddlery, tin- ware, sash and doors, boxes, gas fittings, leather, soap, etc. There are also breweries, flour mills, coffee and spice mills, and marble works. It will be seen from these lists that Winnipeg is fully equipped as a mer- cantile and manufacturing centre. Of late years, competing systems of roads have found their way into Manitoba and to Winnipeg. These consist of the Manitoba and North-Western Railway, the new Northern Pacific line now built from Portage la Prairie to Winnipeg; the Red River Valley road, from Winnipeg to Pembina, already completed ; and the new line from Morris, on the Red River Valley road, to Brandon, in Western Manitoba, with the South -Western branch to the Sour is country. The Portage la Prairie road, the Red River Valley road, and the Morris and Brandon road, will be operated by a new corporation, called the Manitoba and Northern Pacific, controlled by prominent 530 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Northern Pacific capitalist* At Pembina this system will connect with the Northern Pacific lines to Duluth and Bt Paul. drain destined for Europe will be shipped to Duluth in bond, and will go thence by the and canal route to Montreal. A winter all-rail route will be afforded by way of St. Paul, Chicago, and the Grand Trunk Railroad to the east. Manitoba thus secures two L, r r.'>it competing transportation systems, each controlled by a powerful company. There is still another railroad enterprise, which has already constructed forty miles of track northwards from Winnipeg. This is the Winnipeg and Hudson Bay Road, a daring scheme, which attempts nothing less than a complete revolution in the carrying trade of the northern centre of the American continent. The plan is to build a road from Winnipeg to Fort Churchill on Hudson Bay, a distance of 750 miles, and to establish a line of steamers from Fort Churchill to Liverpool, to take out grain and cattle and bring back merchandise. The distance from Winnipeg to Liverpool via Fort Churchill is 3,641 miles, and is 1,052 miles less than that via Chicago and New York, and 783 miles less than via Montreal to Liverpool. Fort Churchill is sixty-four miles nearer Liverpool than Montreal and 114 miles nearer than New York. A glance at the map will show that Hudson Bay stretches far into the interior of the continent. Unfortunately it is navigable for only three or four months in the year, being closed by ice for the remainder of the time. The projected rail- road will have absolutely no local traffic, the country through which it is to run being a cold and sterile HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 531 wilderness, not capable of supporting a population. To make a road through such a wilderness self-sustain- ing, with no business save the through traffic in grain and cattle for three or four months of the year, is a problem to appal experienced railroad men. The projectors of this enterprise are full of enthusiasm, however, and have succeeded in obtaining from the Provincial Parliament of Manitoba the promise of a My which will amount for the whole road to a sum about equal to the present entire revenue of the Provincial Government. The forty miles already con- structed are not operated, because there is no local business on the line. The foreign importations of the city in 1887 amounted l',735,140. The exports from the Winnipeg con- sulate for the same year were : United States, $448,353; t Britai: tern Canada, *;,000,000. Is with British Columbia, which rose from almost nothing, aggregated the sum of $250,000, being shipments in rlour.oats, barley and dairy products. The catch of Hsh from Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba amounted to 1,488,330 lbs., with invoice value of $61,359. These were exported to Buffalo, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Omaha, Kansas City and Chicago. WINNIPEG NEWSPAPERS. The fourth estate has been well represented by the following papers: The Nor- Wester, from 1859 to 1870, for the most part of the time controlled by Dr. Schultz, but which was gobbled up by Riel in 1870. Then followed the New Nation, edited first by Robinson, an 532 BIS&ORl Of KAKROBA. American and a strong annexationist, later by Thos. Spence, which lived till October the loth of the same the plant of which wm purchased by Coldwell & Cunningham, who started the Mn nitohan. About this time appeared the Ni km LetU r, s scurrilous little sheet. / o appeared on 25th May, 1871, l>h Royal, editor. On the 11th July, 1871, the iv, published by Alexander Begg, now of Van- couver, B. C. An article on the incorporation of Winnipeg as a city so offended Cunningham, of the Manitoban, who did the printing, that he refused to print it any more. A second number was issued, which was the last. In the beginning of March, 1872, Mr. Begg, finding every obstacle put in the way of pub- lishing the Trade Review by Cunningham, arranged with Mr. Royal to publish a weekly, entitled the Gazette and Trade Review. The first number was published on the 9th of that month. On the 9th November, 1874, the Manitoba Free Press made its bow to the public, and was ushered into existence with an advance special number. Mr. John Kenny was the proprietor, W. F. Luxton, editor. On the loth of this month, the Gazette appeared in a new dress, as also the Manitoban. Le Metis also made a fresh start with the removal of its establishment from Winnipeg to St. Boniface. The Manitoba Lib- eral ceased to exist in May, 1873, and was succeeded by the Nor- Wester, with E. L. Barber as editor and HISTORY OF MANITOBA. manager. This paper really originated with E. H. G. G. Hay and R. A. Davis. On July the 6th, 1874, the Free i to the front with a daily edition, the first daily paper in the North-West. In June, 1874, the / made its appearance as the organ of K. A Davis, edited by Alexander !>• The Manitoba Daily Herald appeared in 1877, also the Manitoba Telegraph, dedicated to Conservative interests in general, and Mr. Morris' in particular. The first Dumber eatne out on the 7th September, 1878, published by Mr. Norsey, and printed at Le ffice in St Boniface. Daring November of this year another little paper appeared, Quiz, an off- shoot of Grip, whose editor was anonymous. Of a freedance order, it created quite a sensation, and at one time its circulation was as high as one thousand per week. The Gazette was another paper started this year, with Mr. Abjohn as editor. It was not, how- ever, recognized by ' *le people, on account of the coarseness of its utterances. A suit was entered against it by Mr. Royal in the fall of the year, and damages laid at $5,000, which was the means of clos- ing it up. Though not owning to the charge, ex- Attorney-General Clark was supposed to be the mana- ger and editor. At the close of this year Mr. Nursey tried to float the Manitoba Printing and Publishing Company, for which notice of application had been made for a charter to the Legislature. Owing to the shareholders backing down, the concern dropped In January, 1879, Quiz appeared enlarged, and in Feb- ruary produced its first cartoon, " Norquay's Pro- 534 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. vincial Troop." In this year also we have the Daily 88 and the 7 The Daily Times appealed again in 1880, the Newt in L 881, the Bum in L882-3, lfanito6an in Ms;,. *g also the flfi tea in L885 and the Jfontt*i0 Cfott in 1887. Of later date still are the the Oo Ih-Wesi Former, the North -W- $w (Oaiholi N mg8, Town Talk, and tlic V. World, not foigetting the Commerc i < i f , tnoepted in L883. The Fr# Press still leads in the field of journalism, as it has always done from its inception ; and though it may be twitted with change of opinion, it must ilea be Mid, that " he who never changed his opinion, never corrected his mistak The >88 is to-day, with reference to franchise, the leading paper of Manitoba, and though to some minds its movements may seem erratic, it is possibly the best friend Manitoba has got. RED RIVER NAVIGATION. Navigation on the Red River was inaugurated by the steamer Anson Norfolk, in the year 1859, by J. C. Burbank & Company, of St. Paul, Minnesota, backed by the Hudson Bay Company. The boat was found quite inadequate to the waters of this far northern river, so much so that in 1861 the company decided to bring up another from the Mississippi. The name of this last was the Freighter. She ascended the Minnesota River to near Lake Traverse, and from thence crossed the prairie and nearly succeeded in reaching the River Bois du Sioux, the southern afflu- ent of the Red River. In case my readers might HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 535 think it absurd for a steamer to cross the height of land, let me explain here that in that year the rainfall in April and May was so great that the bed of the and Itinnesota Rivera was quite inadequate to hold the volume of water, and for twenty or thirty on either Bide the country was inundated. The 7//o\ failing to reach her destination, caused lleasra lan-hank & Company to begin the construc- tion of a new boat, afterwards called the litferna- 4I near approach was absolutely necessary in order that the horses -hould not he out of wind before the Mine was reached I he horses were always as eager as the i and frantic for the eh having bo be held in by main strength, At length, when the buffaloes oommenced to more, the uneasiness would men and as the herd Btarted tl r would shout, not till then, 'Away I and in a moment every horse would spring forward with the wildest impetuosity. All had to no horse could be restrained, bridles were let jTUns were brought into position, and the wild cavalry bore down on the flying herd. After the first shots had been delivered the buffalo hunter loaded his gun while hi gun was Uld the pan drawn hark to its place, then a quantity of powder was transferred from the hand to the gun barrel and the bullet permitted to roll down. In firing, care- was taken not to raise the eh higher than the muzzle lest the hall should roll out, hut as the rider was generally only a few feet from the animal that he wished to shoot there was no necessity to raise the gun to the shoulder and the buffalo was usually KB high as the horse. Sometimes a single hunter would shoot four or five buffaloes during a single chase made, on a good herd. The larger the drove the better chance there was for the hunter, as the animals in advance in some degree retard the progress of those in the rear, where the attack was taking place. Cows ami young hulls were the animals mostly sought for in the fall of the year. Calves and old hulls were not killed, unless by accident or 34 542 history Of mamtop.a. when game was scarce. The fat on the back of a good buffalo was two or three inches thick and of delicious flavor. On the occasion of the great hunt 800 carta were loaded with pemmican, tongues and choice pieces of meat and the skins of buf&lo. When a hunter had dropped a buffalo at some distance from his companions or from the camp, the hone was tied to the head of the animal, and generally continued to move in a circle watching lest an enemy should approach while its master had his attenti D engaged in skinning the beast that had been capture. 1. Twelve or fifteen years ago many of these old buffalo hunting horses had been purchased by the white settlers who were then commencing to occupy the country, and it was amusing to notice with what horror and excitement one of these experienced animals would get the scent of an Indian. During the continuance of the great hunt, which lasted many weeks, the food of the hunters was meat and nothing else, the only change was in the manner of cooking. The next season the buffalo herds had moved far to the west, and never again returned in such num- bers so near the Red River, and even yet the wander- ing people of the plains look upon the loss of their buffaloes as the greatest calamity that ever befell their race." ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. Having reviewed the material history of the colony, I propose to give, in as brief space as possible, the story of the rise and progress of the various religious bodies which have become identified with it. HISTORY OF MAXITor.A. 543 In point of time, the Roman Catholic Church was the first to occupy missions in the North-West, or as it was then known, Rupert's Land. Jn L690 we find two French Roman Catholic prints visited the country to teach the Indians, having previously Btndied the Indian Language, In L731. Pere Afessager, a Jesuit, was attached as chaplain to the little hand under the command of Ve'randrye, the elder, who was the first to explore the country wesi Lake Superior Aieesager did not remain in the country, hut returned to Canada with his party. In 17-> I tomcat!, also attached to an ex- ploring party, under one of Yerandrv.'s BODS, This . , while camped (.n an island at the Lake of the Wo eked by a band of Sioux, who mas- 1 them all. The island has since been called [gland The conquest of Canada by Eng- land interrupted Roman Catholic missions in Rupert's Land, and not till the year 1818 do we find any 1 of missionary efforts. In that year two French-Canadian priests from Quebec, the Rev. N. B. Provencher and the Rev. Severe Desmoulin, arrived at Red River. In 1822, Provencher was consecrated bishop, with the title of Bishop of Juliopolis — the name of a town in Galatia — it being the custom of the Church to provide titles for bishops located in regions not yet regularly divided into dioceses from places in the East. Bishop Provencher was invested an auxiliary to the see of Quebec, with authority over those portions of the diocese known as the Hud- son Bay and North- West Territories. Again, in 1844, 544 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. these portions were detatched from the see of Quebec r, uii'l erected Into a separate Apostolic under the jurisdiction of Bishop Provencher. 1 Hiring these twenty-two yean hfl was assisted by the undermentioned priests : LB Desnioiilin 1818 to 1824. di W80 1827. 3." 1S ~: 1832 - 4. • 1: :• B0QCh«t ] > -~ ls;;:i - 5. lVlo-uit 1831 is:.'.'. 6. •• ChirU-.s Bdooard Foiw 1832 1839. rhibetuK 1833 1868. 8. « M. Knurs 1837 1838. \. Maynuul 1841 1845. 10 " Jos. E. Darvt an 1841 1844. 11. « L. Lafleche 1841 1856. 12. M .I..s. Bouraaaa 1844 1856. The above-mentioned M. Thibeault, in 1842, was the first priest to visit the Saskatchewan valley and the English River district. In the first-mentioned he founded the mission of St. Ann at Frog Lake, in 1844 ; in the latter, the stations on Red Deer Lake, known as Notre Dame des Victoires and He a la Cross, in 1845. After spending ten years in Indian labors, he returned to Red River, where he settled down in the parish of St. Francois Xavier, and where he was appointed vicar-general of the diocese. M. Demers became Bishop of Vancouver Island, while M. Darveau was drowned at Dog Bay, in Lake Winnipeg, in 1844, while on a visit to a post under his charge. In 1841 was established the order of the Oblats de Marie HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 545 l'lmmaculee, founded by the Rev. C. J. Eugene de Mazenod, Bishop of Marseilles, in 1 S 1 6 , in France. This order required of its members poverty, chastity, obedience, and perseverance, To the li*' v. Pere I Principal of this Order in Canada, Bishop Provencher, in 1844, applied for ^t him in working his missions. In to this request, early in L845 the Rev, Pere Aubert and Frere Alexander Tache*, were sent to Red River. On their arrival. Pere Hubert was appointed i of the diocese, while Frere Tache' was lined a priest bj Provencher, ann the plain. •• Bren 10 In oui mortal journey The hitter north winds Mow, And thus upon life's red rrrer Our hearts, as the oarsmen, row. ad when the angel of shadow s his feet on wave and shore. And our hearts grow dim with watching, And our hearts faint at the oar, M Sappy is he wlio heareth The signal of h In the bells of the holy I The eh rnal pear. On the 3rd <»f November, 1864, Bishop Tache, as successor to the deceased prelate, arrived at Red River from He a la Crosse, ;md took possession of his cathe- dral church and palace at St. Boniface. In August of this year also, there arrived in the settlement from France, Pere Vital Grandin, who accompanied Bishop Taele : on a tour to Athabasca in 1855. On the 10th of December, 1857, by virtue of a papal bull of that date, Pere Vital (Jrandin was formally nominated co- adjutant and successor to I iishop Tache, with the title of Bishop of Satala. On the 30th of November, 1 b59, he was consecrated in the temporary cathedral of St. Martin, at Marseilles, by Bishop Mazenod. ill- lKITOBA. Though in pooi health, he returned to hia station at 0. In L858, Pew La Comb estab- lished St. Albert's Mission, nine miles west of Edmon- ton, now the largest and most prosperous mission in thf North-West At this time it was simply an Indian and 1 1 camping-ground j it is now tin 4 of a bll with palace, cathedral, nunnery. and rations other buildings, all large and well fur- nished, the ]• ne being i handsome frame struc- ture three stories in height, lighted by rows inner windows, bavin and well-lighted meat In L867, Pere La Coinl» was succeeded by La DUO, and still later by the Bishop of Grandin, in 1871. In I860, during a protracted visit of Bishop Tach^ to his Saskatchewan missions, the cathedral, school and palace at St Boniface were destroyed by fire, the details of which are found elsewhere in our pages. In 1861, he visited Europe, with the double purpose in view of raising funds for the erection of the present church and palace, and making the preliminary ar- rangements for a division of his diocese, separating the Mackenzie River and Athabasca districts into a separate bishopric, with the Rev. Pere Faraud as Bishop, under the title of Bishop of Anemour. He was consecrated by Archbishop Guibert, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Tours, on the 30th of November, 1863, returning to his diocese in 1865. In 1861, Bishop Grandin proceeded on a tour through the Mackenzie and Athabasca regions, where he founded a depot which he called Providence ; this BISTORY OF MANITOBA. 549 residence of a new bishop. Aiter penetrating a< far as Fort Norman, be returned to He ;\ la < 'rosse. which i 1 in 1 1 1 * * heart of the in Another mi --ion station, worthy of a more extended notice, is that of Lac la Biche, situated od the shore of of that name, about nine miles north-wesi of Bay post, in latitats 55°, Her.', long re railways were thought of, the Fathers, with their Indian wards, sowed, harrowed, reaped, and ground into flour, both excellent wheat and barley. To follow the ever-wideni Bam of mission effort put forth by the Roman Catholic Church of Red i is more than in mi compass I am able irform : to judge of its influence in those early . mply im All honor to it and the A tair noble, self-denying efforts in the days which fa md 1 could find no better fitting words to conclude this article, than a writer in the Toronto Saturday Night, who speaks thus : — '• Whatever the bickerings of party politicians, what- ever the aim ring ami ambitions men, DO W- ious antipathies in Eastern Canada may be, tie* writer (a Protestant) wishes to bear his mony to the devotedness, earnestness and simplicity of the Roman Catholic missionaries in the far north portion of the far North- West. Where can be found a ampler, more gentle, earnest old man than Bishop ( hmndin, who -•• extends over the territory north of the Saskatchewan ? A more lovable old man the BISTORT OF MANITOBA. writer never met. To show what the Catholic mis- sionaries will do, the case of Father Legoff may be mentioned When the writer first met him he mis- took him for an Indian. Father Legoff wasborn in Quebec and is of good birth, being descended from a line of aristocratic nobles of Old France. thirty end forty yean tgp he volunteered tussionary work in the tforth-West, and when the writer met him he had been for twenty-aeven years s missionary to s little band of Wood Orees and Ohip- pewayans at their settlement, 2G0 miles north-east from Edmonton and civilization. He was as tanned as an Indian, his clothes were ragged and torn, he looked ill and weary, but to hear him talk, as he sat at supper in the writer's tent, in the finest French (he cannot speak a word of English), to see his eye kindle and light up with enthusiasm as he spoke of the gratitude of the poor uncultured Indians under his charge, to gradually come to ascertain his gentleness of character, his childlike religious simplicity, to understand the hardships he had passed through— of ten in winter on the verge of starvation— to gradually take in all that he.had given up, all that he had voluntarily assumed, was to love the shabby-looking priest, and to wish the world contained more such noble men and noble Christians. For months at a time this devoted priest never saw a newspaper or received a letter. For months at a time he never had a chance to talk in his native language. His diet was that of the Indians, coarse, plain, ill-cooked; he would work with the Indians on their little patches of clearances ; he bap- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 551 tized, married, buried them, and when his own time comes will l>e buried by them. And the case of this spare-looking, devoted, noble priest is but one of the many. Self-denial, self-abnegation is their characl Bather Damiens can be found, even in the solitude and vastness of the far north of the far North-W The Cathedra] of St. Boniface, consumed by fire in 18G0, has been replaced by a stone edifice of neat design, | iplendid organ, a gift from the Archbishop's numerous friends in Quebec, and with his Lordship's ])alace, also constructed of stone, and the large and handsome buildings of the college and nun- nery close by, form pleasing and attractive objects in the landscape. T of St Boniface have also an hospital for curable be, with eleven beds, almo tupied by sufferers of all creeds and national";- an orphanage, and a refuge for infirm and helpless female ciH'RCH OF ENGLAND. The first Church of England missionary to the Red River settlement was the Rev. John West, who, accom- panied by a school teacher, named Mr. Sarbridge, reached York Factory in October, 1820. Finding that his sphere of labor amongst the settlers, who were mostly of Scottish origin and Presbyterian by pro- ion, would be limited, he determined to seek B wider range of usefulness among the Indians at York lory, end by many acts of kindness soon won his way to the red man's favor. Seeing their poverty HISTORY 01 MANITOBA. and deep moral degradation, he determined, if possible, to educate ami train some of the children for future countrymen. With this pur- pose in new he Buooeeded in getting some boys from Indians settled STOnnd the factory, whom he took with him to Red River. Arriving there he at once set ark, and on or near the spot where now stands St. a'a Church erected a r lol-house, which also - a church, a portion being fitted up as the residence, Sere, with these Indian children and the children of a few traders and settlers, he Diced the first elementary >chool, the embryo of the many schools and colleges now scattered throughout Manitoba. Peeling an argent need for financial assistance, Mr. West applied to the Church Missionary Society in England. His appeal was supported by the influence of the Hudson Bay Company, and was so successful that between the years 1822 and 1857 no less a sum than £50,000 was granted for missionary and educational work in Rupert's Land. On the expiration of his engagement in 1823, Mr. West returned to England by way of York Factory, meeting there his successor, the Rev. D. T. Jones. Under Mr. Jones' regime, the original wooden church erected by Mr. West, was replaced by one of stone, the foundations of which can still be traced in the cemetery. This church was opened for worship in 1834, and was known as St. John's, or the Upper Church. The parish extended five miles down the Red River, from the point where it is joined by the Assiniboine. In HISTORY' OF MANITOBA. ■>•'•> 1824, Mr. Jones Pounded another mission six miles farther down the river, known as the Middle Church, or St. Paul's. In 1825, he was joined by the Rev. William Cochrane, a ds Archdeacon, who is tyled the father of the English Church in Red r. The- tmen labored conjointly between St Paul's and the Dpper Church during the year 1825. In 1826, Mr. Jones r< to England, on leave of absei ir, leaving Mr. Cochrane alone in the at On Mr. Jones' return in 1827, he moved I i; ipid i A herwise known as St. Andrew's, where, on behalf of the ( ionary Society, he estab- lished a third mission station l'<>r the benefit of those too irreat a distance from either St. John's Here, for tie- b] year, he held divine worship at his residence, till in 1829, a ipleted, which did duty as school- bouse and church till 1882, when another and larger ice was erected to meet the wants of tie- increasing fregation. The school-house referred to was that in which tie- Honorable Donald Gunn, the Bed River rian, taught for many years. In 1 882, John IfcCallum arrived in the settlement, and, under the patronage of Mr. done-, established the first educational boarding institution for the benefit of the families of the Hudson hay Company's officers and the better class of settlers. This institution was suc- ul from its inception. In 1886, Mr. Cochrane, still on the aggressive, estab- lished a mission among the Indians farther down the river from St. Andrew's, at a point known as St. BISI0R1 OF MANITOBA. Peter's, or the Indian settlement Here he persuaded the red men to settle down and cultivate the forma placed at their disposal Be personally superintended the • of a church built that year for their use, walking twelve miles daily fot that purpose, Associ- ating with them daring the day, and encouraging them in their labors, he succeeded in establishing the most il Indian mission in Rupert's Land, the settle- ment around which lia> increased, and to-day its snug lafttlly Canned fields are still in the • ssion of a Christianized and civilized Indian population. In 1888, Mr. Jon.- returned to England. Leaving the entu the upper and middle parishes to Mr. Cochrane. In 1889, the arrival of the Rev. John Smethur>t relieved him from the exclusive charge of the Indian mission and enabled him to devote his energies to St. John's, St. Paul's and St. Andrew's. In 1841 the Rev. Abrain Cowley, afterwards Arch- deacon, arrived and took charge of St. Paul's. Mr. and Mrs. Cowley came by way of Quebec, but such were the difficulties of travel at that early period, that in order to reach the settlement, they had to return to England and come out by Hudson Bay boat. In 1844, Dr. Mountain, Bishop of Montreal, at the request of the Church Missionary Society, made the first episcopal visit to the North-West. During this visit the Rev. Mr. Cowley was ordained, and spent the first fifteen years of his residence in the Indian country lying to the north. Mr. McCallum was also ordained, and appointed to the charge of the upper HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 555 parish of St John's, In L844 also, the Rev. James afterwards Arcl came to the settle- ment, uid was from that date till L852, engaged in the Indian mission work in the interior. In 1846, the arrived and took charge of the - Andrew's, Mr. Cochrane taking that of St. John's, and continuing the regular minister until 1850, In 1849 occurred the death of the Rev. John McCallum, a loss severely felt by the school which he had founded An important suit in chancery, which had been dragging its weary length from L838, at the hasten family of deceased Chief Factor James Leith, Esq., who had in that year bequeathed the sum of £12,000 to he spent in behalf of Indian missions in Rupert's Land, was decided in this year. , Langdi i the Rolls, by an order in I the case according to the original intention of the donor, on the strength of an overture made by tin- Hudson I y.iy Company, that should the said sum aside for the original purpose, they would add to the same the amount of £300 sterling per annum, to endow a bishopric, BO as to give to the see an annual income of £700. Thus provided for, her Majesty, by letters patent, founded the bishopric of Rupert's Land, extending from the coast of Labra- dor on the east to tin.' Rocky Mountains on the west. In this same year the Rev. David Anderson, Kxeter College, Oxford, was appointed the first Bishop of Rupert's Land, and con-aerated in Canterbury Cathe- dral. Bishop Anderson arrived at Red River, by way of Yorl ry, in tie lull of the same year, BISTORT or MANITOBA. and established his bead-quarters when Mr. West ^ed the first mission -ehool and church in 1831, naming his church the Cathedral of St. John's, and the capacious dwelling-house adjacent, Riven him by the Hudson Bay Company for an episcopal residence, iop's Court. One of his first official sets mi the consecration of the stone church at St. Andrew's, the building of which had been brought to a successful issue by the efforts of Archdeacon Cochrane, and which was then regarded as the finest Protestant church in the settle- ment. < >n the 23rd of December he ordained Mr. Bird, one of the Indian hoys brought by Mr. West from York Factory, who was afterwards appointed to the charge vacated by Archdeacon Hunter, in 1855. In this year also the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt arrived from England. Bishop Anderson also instituted two Archdeaconries in Rupert's Land, viz., those of Assini- boia and Cumberland. The Rev. William Cochrane was appointed to the first and the Rev. James Hunter to the latter. He also divided the settlement under his care into parishes, and when not otherwise engaged in superintending his large diocese, officiated as clergy- man at the Upper Church, and teacher in St. John's school. In this year the Rev. John Chapman was appointed incumbent of St. Paul's, or the Middle Church, which up to this date had been supplied by the ministers of St. John's and St. Andrew's" A new church had been erected in 1844. Mr. Chapman con- tinued as incumbent until 1864. In 1850, on the retirement of Rev. John Smethurst HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 557 from the Indian settlement, Mr. Cochrane went to reside permanently at St. Peter's, amongst his Indian wards. The wooden church he had built in 1836, soon gave way to one of stone, completed and opened for wor- ship in 1854. In 1850, a church was built in the parish of St. James, which extends westward for seven miles along the Aasiniboine, from its confluence with the Red River, and the Rev. Henry William Taylor, S. P. C. K., missionary, was appointed incumbent, a position which he held until 1867. InAugustof 1851 Mr. Borden, now bishop of the diocese of Moosonee, arrived in the settlement, by way of Moose Fort. In L859 Archdeacon Hunter, from Cumberland, was appointed to the charge of St. Andrew's, vacated by the return of the Rev. Mr .lames to England Mr. Hunter continued* in charge oft until I when he also returned to England, and was succeeded the Rev. J. P. Gardiner. In September of this same year, the Rev. Henry George arrived at Red River, by York Factory. Bishop Anderson also ordained William Stag, as also William Mason, who up to that time had been a Methodist minister. In 1854, Mr. Cochrane founded a mission at Portage la Prairie. He was succeeded in his charge at the Indian settlement by Mr. Cowley, who continued there till his death. Mr. Cowley was succeeded at St. Peter's by the Rev. Henry Cochrane, who, although of the same name as the Archdeacon, was not related to him. In 1854, a church was erected west of St. James', in the parish known as Headingly, or Holy Trinity, and the Rev. Griffith Owen Corbett, of the Colonial 558 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and Continental Society, was appointed incumbent. He held this position until L868, when be was suc- i by Rev. Henry Cochran.', and still later, in 1866, by the Rev Junes Carrie. In 1856, Bishop Anderson returned to England to raise funds for the erection of a new church in his own parish, and the nt edifice, which was erected and opened for worship in lN1 left the matter in ; Mr. Pritehard, I I at Red River, with instructions to attend to the same. The arrival of Mr. West, in 1820, was a disappoint- ment to both parties, for two reasons : first, to Mr. West, who felt hifl usefulness curtailed because of his inability to speak the Gaelic ; second, the Scotch Presbyterians could not or would not take kindly to the use of the Book of Common Prayer. Mr. West on his arrival in the settlement, built his first church on the ground granted by Lord Selkirk to the Scotch pioneers for that purpose. In order to increase his usefulnesfl amongst them, he used Rowse's version of the Psalms, and held one of the services on the Sab- BlflfTORt 0* MAMK»i;.\. bath after the Presbyterian form. About the time of Mr. West's return to England, a petition was forwarded to the Bndson Bay Company, desiring a clergyman of tli. ir own persuasion to be sent out to them ; no notice, apparently, was ever taken of this, and the fate of the petition was known only when two years afterwards it was found in a butter-tab, which had been shipped that year from England After the purchase of the colony by the Hudson Bay Company, several leading colonists again peti- tioned that honorable body to send them a Presby- terian clergyman, as also to contribute to his support, giving as their reason for doing so, Lord Selkirk's un- fulfilled promise. To this memorial the company replied, that when the colony had been re-transferred by Selkirk's executors to them, no mention had been made of such stipulation. Two affidavits were then sent to London by the Presbyterian party : the first stating the verbal promise made in Scotland, the se- cond describing the circumstances under which it was repeated in Red River. The company, however, re- fused to view the promise as a stipulation for a min- ister of the Presbyterian faith. The petition was then sent to the Rev. Dr. Brown, of Aberdeen, Scotland, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church, and the Rev. John Bonar, Glasgow, Convener of the General Assemblies' Colonial Committee, both of whom endeavored to meet the wants of their Red River friends. These gentlemen in 1849 replied, stating that they could not induce any clergyman to accept the charge. An application was then made to the Hudson HISTORY OF MANIInllA. 565 Bay Company for the transfer of the church and land from the possession of the Episcopal to the Presby- terian Church. In 1851, the matter was finally ed by the company making over to the Presby- terian community a lot on Frog Plain, on which the present church is erected, together with the sum of £150 sterling. This may be said to he the first Presbyterian organization in Red River. The respon- sibility of obtaining a Presbyterian minister having rred from the Church in Scotland to the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and all negotiations having been satisfactorily completed, as also a manse built, the Rev. John Black came to the colony in 1851, and held divine service in the manse, until a stone church was erected and opened on the 5th of January, 1 854, which, in the words of the old mason, who, after completing his work, gazed with loving eyes on the v pile before him, " There," said he, " keep pouther and ill hannfl aff her, an' she'll staun for a hunner years an' lnair." On the arrival of Mr. Black, 300 of the Scotch popu- lation, most of whom were the descendants of Sel- kirk's settlers, separated themselves from the Church of St. John's, then under the pastoral care of Bishop Anderson. In 1853, this congregation erected another church, fourteen miles farther down the river, called Little Britain, in which Mr. Black officiated every two weeks on Sunday afternoons, until 1862, when the Rev. James Nesbitt arrived to assist Mr. Black. In 1866, Mr. Nesbitt went to found a mission at Prince Albert, on the North Saskatchewan, the duties of 566 history of man nor, A. which he continued to discharge till his death, in 1874, and was 1 in hifl at Little Britain by . aider liatheson In 1866, a church was (milt at Beadingly ; in 18G8 Mr. Ifatheson returned to I Sanada, and the Rev. William Fletcher was appointed to tl In this same was built in the village ol Winni- peg, afterwards known as Knox Church, in which Dr. Black preached In L871, tl Prof. Brycewaa sent by the General Assembly to open what is now known as Manitoba ami to assume for the time being the pastorate of Knox Church, which was detached from Kildonan in LS72. In ls72, the Rev. Prof. Hart was also sent out, as the r epresen tative of the church of Scotland, to assist Mr. Bryce in the work of the college, which was established at Kildonan in 1871. In 1874, the Rev. .Taints Robertson was ordained the first regular pastor of Knox Church and congregation, a charge which he held until 1 S M , when he was appointed Superintendent of Missions in the North- West The new church, erected during his pastorate, was disposed of during the boom. In 1874 also, Manitoba College was re- moved from Kildonan to Winnipeg, the buildings of which, becoming too small for the accommodation required, were disposed of in the beginning of the boom in 1881, and the present handsome stone and brick structure erected, the corner-stone of which was laid in August of 1882 by Lord Lome, on the occasion of his visit to Winnipeg and the North-West. In August of 1882, the Rev. D. M. Gordon, of Ottawa, succeeded to the charge of the congregation, history OF MANITOBA. 567 and continued in the same for five years, during which the present hands me edifice on Portage Avenue lied The congregation becoming very large, about thirty enerj mbera determined bo hive off and form a second con in, to be called St. Andr boated in the northern part of the city. So friendly was the Spirit of the parent church to that of its offspring, that they determined to move from bra! location to s site near Manitoba Coll so as to better divide the city into two parishes, and cause >10,000 towards the erection of a new church, increasing it to S25,000 on realizing more than they expected from the sale of the old edifice. In 1888, the General Assembly called the Dr. King from I St. James' square Church, Toronto, and appointed him to the Principal- ship of Manitoba < Soll< The ti. ees of St. Aii were held in the old court-house, where the Ryan and Clement bl< now stand, on Main Street ; subsequently they removed to their present place of worship, in Selkirk Hall. The first pastor was the Rev. C. B. Pitblado, who was appointed to the charge in October, 1881, and wh<» continued in the same till March, 1888, when the lent pastor, the Rev. Joseph Hogg, of Moncton, N. B., succeeded him. In 1885, another hiving-off took place in St. Andrew's, known as the North Presby- ■ n Church, the first pastor of which was the Rev. D. P>. Whimster, who was appointed in 1885, and during whose pastorate the present handsome brick church was erected. He was succeeded by the present pastor, the Rev. John Hogg, of Toronto. In 1887, 568 MANITOBA. Augustine Church was erected on the south side of the diboine, and the Rev. A. B. Baird, who was also attached to the college staff, appointed in charge as missionary. In 1888, the Rev. F. B. Duval, of Toledo, Ohio, succeeded Mr. Gordon in charge of Knox Church, when.' he still remains. Manitoba College has steadily poshed its way to the front as an educational institu- and steads to-day in the front rank. In 1877, an Act was passed in the Legislature, combining the is colleges, St. John's, Manitoba and St. Boniface, in one University organization, with equal representa- tion in the University Council, so that the latter is made up of bishops, Presbyterian elders, priests and presbyters blended together. It is to the credit of Manitoba that educational problems, considered inso- luble in other countries and even in other provinces of the union, have been quickly and peacefully solved. These colleges give the instruction in their own halls. At the annual examinations the students appear in the distinctive costume of their alma maters. The following tabulated statistics will show the growth of Presbyterianism in these later days in the Prairie Province : — 1871. 1882. 1884. 1888. 1889. Congregations and Mission Stations 9 189 189 6 2 129 2,027 1,355 18 3 251 3,893 3,728 52 13 433 5,839 6,906 109 26 473 Families 6,797 7,677 Communicants Churches 123 Manses 26 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 569 BAPTISTS. Baptist missions date their inception in Manitoba from the advent of the Rev. Alex. McDonald in Winnipeg in 1875 (now of Grafton, Dakota). Mr. McDonald found a young cause, which he worked up successfully. At this time there was no corporate belonging to the denomination to take hold of mission work, and the Home Mission Board of Ontario could not act constitutionally out of their own domain. Under Mr. McDonald's pastorate, the present edifice t Church, Winnipeg, as it is now known, in dis- tinction from that on I Street) was erected. In L #79, a college wasopened at Rapid City, under the management of P r Crawford and G. B. Davis. In 1 880 a station was also opened at Portage la Prairie, with the Etev. W. Turner (now of Dakota) in char this mission has materially grown and prospered under successive pastors, the present being the Rev. J. C. McDonald. In I>SS2, Mr. Alex. McDonald was succeeded in.hi of the First Church by Mr. Cameron, who was eminently successful and deservedly popular. In 1888, the Rapid City college, owing to lack of endow- ment, was resolved into an academy, which continued till 1889, when a desire being expressed, on the part of the body, fox a denominational college, situated in the city of Brandon, Professor McKee, to remove all obstacles out of the way, closed down the academy. Owing to lack of means, this has not as yet been accomplished, hut provision has been made, by the Educational Board of the Church, to provide instruction HISTORY OF MANITOBA. for the Btudenta in Winnip t, , n . The pro- gress of the missions has of late years been very rapid. There are now twenty-three organized churches, Convention held on August 1st, 1890, no less than twefityH ighi young meo proffered themselves as stttdenta for the ministry. Following are the names end churches: — Mini bership. 3 73. '35 1 1 Brandon Boissevain Calgary Cheslev Rev. W. H. Jenkins. A. B. Reekie, Student. George Cross James Bracken ThomM Mulligan .... H. H. Hall 83 19 20 10 23 44 17 37 23 6 90 57 70 28 30 381 36 24 50 4 3 8 23 19 1 "l 45 19 12 3 "2 133 23 23 18 23 : son 67 Morden James Bracken D. D. .McArthur D. H. McGillivray .. A. T. Robinson J. C. McDonald F. W. Auvache D. D. McArthur .... J. Keay 36 Manitou Oak Lake Portage la Prairie Pilot Mound j Rapid City j Shoal Lake j Strathclair Winnipeg, 1st Church . . " Fonseca St. . Whitewater 38 .23 7 135 76 82 J. H. Doolittle D. H. McGillivray .. H. C. Sweet D. H. McGillivray. . . Alex. Grant W. F. Irvine H. C. Sweet 31 30 381 38 24 9981 190 1188 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 571 During the year ending August, 1890, the amount required for pastors 1 salaries was $9,084.58; $7,007.08 >, tlif Missionary Board grani >f $2,077.50. Five new chun been organized during the year, viz., Carman, irnduffand Rose Mound Of ntributed to foreign mis- irinc the was contributed by Manitoba alone. WB8LETAN missions. Thefil m fields in the Hudson T>av territory, or Ruj»- ied by Methodist missionaries were those of Norway House, Moms,- Factory, Edmonton H,,i; aie, and Pic River and it is said that from 1 840 to 1854 the English V n Missionary tided no less than 814. OOO in sustaining H.i . Mission Edmonton H< I'Ied by : Robarl F. Etondle bom 1840 to L849 1 860 1853 Bern ... 1854 1 Thomas Wool»ey 1855 1 1860 1867 1868 1860 1870 1873 Ojdobo 1 1 « » i s K . ,.rr Brooking from 1854 to 1856 1857 1865 John . . . 1866 1868 :>7-2 HIstmiiv OF M LNITOBiu Norway House. I from 18-40 to 1841 Jiu : Jaoobi . . 1842 JamM Evans indWa. Mason 1842 1845 William Mason L846 1853 Thomas Hurll.ut L8M 1856 I: 1857 1859 George McDoucjall 1860 1863 Charles StringMluw 1864 1867 Egert..n K. V«.un- 1868 1872 John ft Button 1873 1878 l.v i a 1'i.riK. William Mason from 1840 to 1842 Peter Jacobs 1843 1850 Vacant 1850 1853 Allan Salt 1854 1857 Vacant 1858 1859 James Ashquabe 1860 1861 Winnipeg, Red River. George Young from 1868 to 1873 Nelson River. John Semmens from 1873 High Bluff. Matthew Robinson from 1869 to 1871 Michael Fawcet 1872 1873 Headinoly and Boyne Settlement. Allan Bowerman from 1872 to 1873 I cannot, in the compass of this sketch, mention the numberless mission fields which have been opened up of late years in Manitoba and the North-West Territories, nor the names of the workers engaged BISID&Y OF MANITOBA. 573 therein. Many of those above-mentioned have become famous, in one way or other. We have, for instance, . fames Evans annalist. The first Congregational church was organized in the city of Winnipeg in 1879, by the Rev. William Ewing, B.A., who remained for about two years, when he returned to the United States, where he now occu- pies the position of Superintendent of Sabbath -schools for North Dakota. He was succeeded by Rev. G. B. Silcox, under whose pastorate the present handsome church was erected. Mr. Silcox made a name for himself, not yet forgotten, of being the most eloquent preacher west of the great lakes in Canadian territory. Early in 1888 he left Manitoba for California, and was succeeded by the Rev. Hugh Pedley, who is deservedly HISTORY 01 MANITOBA. 575 popular. A second church has been organized in Winnipeg this year, with the Rev. J. K. Dnswortb, of Pari-, Ontario, as pastor. In the winter of L888 the ida Congregational Missionary Society sent the Rev. A. W. Qerrie, B.A., to found a station west of Winnipeg. After looking around for some time, Mr, ided to begin work at Portage la Prairie. In February of that year a chnrch was organised, and work has Bteadily progressed under his care and ministry. Encouraged by this success, the society in *t out t : II. 0. ttasson, U) found and build op a i • Brandon. At both these last new churches have been e ind the work i- pi Favorably. In addition to these the uized a cause in the berminai city of Vancouver, with the Rev. James Pedley as pa where a large and handsome church edifice has also Christian CHURCH, OB DISCIPLES OF CHRIST. The Christian Church, or Disciples of Christ, first niaed :it Portage la Prairie. For several years a few mem mposed principally from the families of the Lissons, ( tanners, etc, and under the leadership of Elder Itc met from house to house. In 1881, - ,i call to Kid-)- Andrew Scott, who preached for about a year in the old Orange Hall, situated at the west end, till the present church was erected in 1882. Mr. Scott left in 1888 for Ontario, where he presided, first at Walk erton, then at Suspension Bridge, New York, then at Mount Stirling, Illinois, and is now 576 HISTORY 01 MANITOBA. at East Saginaw, Michigan. For three years the little along without a pastor. In the summer of 188b', J. C. Whitelaw cam.- from RCeaford, Ontario, who remained till the fall, when he returned home, where he died of consumption in February of 1887. [ u April c the present pastor, Elder A. H. Finch, who bed been preaching at Owen Sound, ac- cepted a call to Portage la Prairie The membership at this time was only twenty-nine. The cause has pros- I under Mr. Pinch's care, the church being now well i. with a membership roll of eighty, while several have originated from it, amongst which is Hinnedof an in the spring of 1889, with F. H. Lemon, of Des Moines, Iowa, as Presiding Elder, who remained one year, at the end of which a new church WSS erected and dedicated. Another mission station is that of Poplar Hill, at the confluence of the Little Saskatchewan and Assiniboine rivers. Geo. A. Camp- bell was stationed here for a year, but desirous of completing his studies at Drake University, he was succeeded by George O. Black, of Bethany, West Vir- ginia. Carman, another mission in Southern Mani- toba, also began in 1889 ; presided over at present by Elder Roberts, with a membership of twenty- three. Beaulieu, North Dakota, is also an offshoot of this cause, with a membership of thirty, all of them Cana- dians, visited by brethren from Manitoba. history OF MANITOBA. 577 ODDFELLOWSHIP. On the first day of AiiL, r u-t, 1883, a meeting was , for tii" purpose of consider- ropriety of applying to the Sovereign Grand I < > I ». I', for ;i charter \'<>v a lodge, to known as the Grand I Manitoba The following 1 Manitoba.. Vv ; • C. 1 >. Andrews. 8 V up... Winaipeg . • ,Wm, Boater. i.i. I i.i. 11. Dohertj ... Km.-: - .n. . . . K T. < hwn. W. .1. May. i Brandon J. D. Bowl 7 .M i mi. ■:. : . R II. B B In accordance with dj passed, a petition was n I Iran I I f% in the of Providencej Rhode [sland, on September 17, L883, for s charter for the above, which was granted, and a meeting called to inaugnrafc the same in the city of Winnipeg, on the 24th October, l.s.s.S. •'. P. foung, of Portage la Prairie, was commissioned Instituting Officer, the other offices being filled from Past Grands present, in the following order : 1). G. M., Geo. M. Francis, Friendship I No. 58, Strathroy, Ont; G. W., John Darn sway City, No. 4, Emerson ; .-, James ( >. ( Jonklin, Minnehaha, No. 7, Winni- I Sonductor, Etobt Pierce, I [armony Lodge, No. 1 1 5, Brantf ord ; Guardian, John Dodimead, Portage Lodge, ".. Portage la Prairie. The other Past Grands pres- HISTORY Of MANITOBA. enton thi Win. Hunter, North Star, No. 2, Winnipeg; J. W. Anderson, Brandon City; Harry Jamieson and Alex. Pratt, Minnehaha ; Win. Miller, Paris, < >nt. ; James IfeGhee, Virginiua Lodge. Wheeling. West Virginia, The following officers were elected : C. D. Anderson, Grand tar; J. P. You ity Grand Master; L. T.Owen, ad Warden; J.D Conklin, Grand Secretary; VV. J. Wat md Treasnrer. Thus was organized the Manitoba. To-day there are nineteen subordinate lodges, with one Bebekab Degree Lodge (Olive Branch), which meets in Winnipeg. From the ri of June 30th, 1889, the membership at that date was l.-v A mount of benefits paid $1,709 55 Amount paid for burying the dead 450 00 Widows' benefits 342 50 Spegial relief 201 25 $2,703 30 The assets of the Lodges (General Fund). $28,884 18 Widows' and Orphans' Fund 7,168 48 Contingent Fund 137 15 Nursing 66 00 $36,255 81 FREEMASONRY. Freemasonry dates its inception as an order in Rupert's Land, to the year 1864. Individual members of the fraternity had come and gone from the time of the earliest settlement, but a sufficient number had not domiciled in and around Winnipeg and Fort Garry MANITOBA. 579 to justify an effort in establishing a lodge. Winnipeg was then a mere hamlet, about a mile from the fort. The officers stationed at the American Fort lVm- about sixty miles distant southward, had formed a l ()1 ; me of them occasionally visited Winnipeg, and during such intercourse encouraged the Winnipeg brethren in their design to formalod and recommended their petition to the M. W. (Jrand in .l Lodge of Minnesota. This terri- ,f Minnesota, the then Grand Bro, A T. Q Pierson, considered tl River nt to I-' within his masonic jurisdiction, and grantnl the prayei of the petitioners by issuing a dispensation authorising Bro. John Schulte as W. M., A , ; i S. W., and William Ink .!. \\\. t«. institul i; " i Kiv,r s( ' ttle " ,. and there to initiate, pass and leording to ancient custom The iation was dated St. Paul, Minnesota, the 2(Hh of Ms ; ""1 «wu signed by the Grand named, ae delay occurred in the transmission of the paper, and in fitting up and furnishing a hall in which . This hall was in the second story of what Lb now s dry goods bouse, at the corner of Main and Post Office Streets, and fche first meeting of the as held on the 8th of November, 1864, with the following named others: Bro. John Schultz, W. M. ; Bro. A. G. B. Bannatyne, 8. W. ; Bro. William Inkster, J. W.; Bro. J. El Bheal, Treasurer; Bro. William Caldwell, S v; Bro. W. B. Hall, S. Dr; Bro. Charles Curtis, J. D. ; Bro. R. Morgan, Tyler. •i:Y OF MANITOBA. Several petitions for initiation were received at this and subsequent meetings ; the lodge flourished amaz- y. and made many u r <><>d masons. I may mention Hector McKenaie, John and Thomas Bonn, Dr. J. C. Bird and Archdeaeoo Hnnter, aa a few of the worthy masons made in the old Northern Light Lodge. was held by the same principal officers for The dispensation was extend.-. 1 and election of officers permitted, which took place on the 23rd mber, 1867, resulting as follows: ^ Br. !;. Bannatyne, W. M. ; Bra Thomas Bunn, > : Bro. John Bonn, J. W. ; Bra E. S. Barber, Treasurer; Bio. Hector McKenzie, Secretary ; Bro. C. D. ; Bro. Charles ( mtU J, J) ; Bro. E. H. G. G. Hay, Tyler. During the year 1868 the masonic horizon in Red River became cloudy. The prospective change in the proprietorship of the territory, with other causes, had dispersed the members of the lodge ; the Grand Lodge of -Minnesota seemed to doubt the propriety of main- taining jurisdiction in Red River, and finally cancelled the dispensation. After the transfer of the country to the Dominion, came the troubles of the rebellion of 1869-70, which eventually necessitated the main- tenance of an armed force to restore and maintain peace and order. Amongst the military were many members of the fraternity, who, true to the traditions of their ancient privileges, arranged for the establish- ment of lodges where they could practise the mystic art, and promulgate the principles thereof in the new Province. BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 581 The first petition sent to the Grand Lodge of Canada was i'<>r | d tu form the Winnipeg Lodge, with brother the Rev. Robert S. hm \v. m ; Bro. man J. Dingman, S. W., and Bra W. N. Kennedy, J.W. The dispensation was dulj ad, an emerg Id on the 10th December, L870, bat owing to Bro. Dingman having retained to the I Bro. W. N. K.-nr. B. W . : Bro. Matthew J, \V. : Bro. James B. liorioe, Treasurer, and Henry T. Champion, S alar meeting \iw\, at which several applications and petitions Wei 1, and on the 27th, St. John the Evanj day, the brethren dined together. the name of the lodge was changed by permission from the ( Irand Lodge,and called Prince Ruper; The meetings were held in the la n.»w a hardware store on the corner of Main Street and IWtage Avenue. At the end ar from it- first regular meeting it was properly constituted Dumber 240, Grand Etegi of Canada, and its register contained fifty-five members. With the receipt of the dispensation for this lodge, similar documents were received for the institution of two other lodges in the Province, viz: Manitoban Lodge, at Lower Fort Garry, with Bro. George Black a«W, ML, Thomas Bonn, 8. W., and I. Pi ton, J. W., and International Lod North Pembina, with Bro. 1 ■'. T. Bradley as W. M. The name of Manitoban Lodge has hem changed to Lisgar, but the old lodge still remains healthy and prosperous in the town of HISToKY OF MAMTnllA. Selkirk. Th« authority to form a lodge at Pembina was not acted upon; Bro. Bradley found unexpected difficulties in the formation of a lodge on an inter- nal basis, and the dispensation was allowed to Lapse The influx of population to the Province, and the rapid increase in the then prospective city of Winni- peg, ted tla k advisability of forming another tition was sent to the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Canada for authority to institute An indmark Lodge, with Bro. Jam- Henderson as W, M. Bra Wm. V. Luxton, S. W., and Bro. Walter Ryman, J. W. !Thc petition was granted, they received a dispensation, and held their first meet- in- at Winnipeg in December, L871 This lodge also found abundance of good material for the erection of their masonic edifice, and occupied a position in this Province second only to Prince Rupert Lodge. In due course they were chartered nutnber 288, G. R. C. The three lodges were fully established and in good working order, and continued to flourish under the paternal care of the mother Grand Lodge. But child- ren arriving at mature age generally desire to set up for themselves ; so did these three lodges conclude to cast off the fostering mantle of the Grand Lodge of Canada, and, on the 12th of May, 1875, declared them- selves the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, with the follow- ing named officers : Bros. Rev. W. C. Clark, G. M. ; W. N. Kennedy, D. G. M. ; James Henderson, G. S. W. ; S. L. Bedson, G. J. W. ; Rev. J. D. O'Meara, G. Chap. ; John Ken- BISTORT 01 KANITOBA. 583 nedy, Treasmvr ; W. T. Champion, Registrar : John W. Bell, Secretary; Gilbert Ifclficken, Senior Deacon; W. .). Piton, .Junior Deacon ; John J, Johnston, Sword Bearer ; G. h : Director of Ceremonies ; Simon Doffin, Pursuivant, and John Norquay, Thba B. Parr. W, F, Luxton, C. D. Richai 5 rards, and T. II. Barton, Tyler. The three Lodges forming the Grand Lodge w numbered: Prince Rupert, No. I ; Lisgar, No. 2 ; An- cient Landmark Shortly after the organisation of the Grand Lodge, a dispensation was granted to St. John's Lodge, Win- nipeg, with .1. \V. Hani- as W. M.. A. licNee, S. W.. and Stewart McDonald, J. W., dated duly 6th, 1< S 7"> : also to Hiram Lodge, Kildonan, with J. H. Bell as W. || . ! \\ Mat) I lin Ink .1. W.. dai th October, L875. I may here remark that from the firs! establishment of freemasonry on the Red River of the North, the more educated class of the native-born inhabitants showed great interest in the institution, and many of them at once b tembers. This Hiram Lodge composed principally of these brethren, as shown in the address of our mucl med Past Grand Master, Brother W. N. Kennedy, delivered to Grand Lodge the 14th of Junr, L876, at which time warrants were i-svied to the two lodges last Darned and num- bered 4 and 5 respectively, Q. R M. On the 29th July immediately preceding, Emerson Lodge was formed, U. D., with Br P. Bradley as W. M., I> a Dick, S W., O. Bachelor, J. W., and a warrant m.. l2.= °S? [«.^Jl,?W?;VS i~acr ^ ui ■ U.>-lu.(x 9 c Jd BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 585 ed to them at the next communication of- Grand ype, held in June, l s 77. and numbered 6, G. R. M. • the ML W. Grand Master of tlit- Grand Lodge of M .. Bro, James C. Breden, evinced Mich truly masonic Liberality, and freely gave Hereon Lodge to ive petitions fron upon persona in Mint, ar to the Province of ftfani- mmunication of Grand Lodge was m June, 1878) at which a seri< 119 division occurred ng from th" question of the ritual, older Canadian preferred to continue the metho which they were accustomed. The more recei f « >rm t he American met ho 1. and to make it the ritual of the Grand Lodge rhe Canadian workers demurred and red their connection with this body. During this • two separate bodies had each calling I the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. The Canadian body had gi warrants to three new lodges, namely. Kin »n Lodge, at the town of Morris, with Bro< W. II. IVinidc as W. M., Robert M. iklejohn, s. W., Solomon Johns, J W. t number 8, G. R. M.; Oak- land Lodije, at the Boyne Settlement, with Bros. Rev. \V. M., William Livingston, 8. \\\, Louis Etenaud, J. W.. Dumber !>, G. R. M.; and North- ern Light Lodge, in Winnipeg, with Bros. Gilbert Mo- Mkken as W. M., Alex. ( foristie, S. W., J. K. McDon- nell, .1. \V., number LO, r,. EL M. Subsequently to the split referred to, various efforts were made to effect a compromise of the differences, 586 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. which proved futile, until at length the Canadian body appointed Past Grand Master Bro. George Black as arbitrator on their part, and the other body appointed Grand Master Rev. Bro, s. P. Ilatheson, on their part, and to these two distinguished brethren arc duo the best tbanka of the craft They prepared their award, the terms and conditions of settlement ; icial common f both bodies was called to meet <>n the 1 9 th of June, L 879, to take the award into consideration ; the terms and conditions therein set forth were adopted by both parties, and they merged into one. At the communication of Grand Lodge in June, 1870, the annual communication was changed to the second Wednesday in February. At the next communication, which was held on the 11th and 12th of February. 1880, the terms of compromise between the two lodges were confirmed by the Grand Lodge, and a committee appointed to revise the constitution, lodges being permitted to use either of the two rituals as they desired On the 30th July, 1879, a lodge was instituted at Gladstone, with Alexander Nichol, W. M., Archibald McDonald, S. W., C. P. Brown, J. W., as also another at Stonewall, with Angus Fraser as W. M.,R. Mitchell, S. W., and William Mann, J. W., on the 15th April, 1880. The last Grand Lodge report shows forty-four subordinate lodges, with a member- ship of 2,000. BE3T0R1 OF MAM'l'< 587 HISTORY OF ORANGEISM IN MANITOBA. Th< was instituted in Manitoba by a few of tin- officers and men of the 6rst Ontario Rifles, under Colonel mow Lord) Wolseley, who commanded expedition in I s 7o. The warrant : in the knapsack by ex-Aid C through the Dawson ronte, and was num- i inpj to the large influx of the military and are who accompanied them, it was found impossible to procure a room in which to open the lod A little schooner named the J< ssu MoKi >> ru u, which * had lived from the lake, lay at anchor in the niboine River. In tin- cal>in of this l»o«t, on the night of Monday, September L9th, L870, the officers of • lodry. IV untry being acquired there were no politics, not even interest taken by most of the in the government of the colony. In fact, I might say, to the credit of our rulers, that we could have found little fault had we tried ; and although at that date we were, perhaps, a little primitive, we were, I believe, the happiest people in the world ; and though living under an autocratic rule, the Hudson Bay Com- pany dealt honorably with the people of old Assini- boia. Immediately the territory was about being tran to Canada, agitators sprung up almost like mushrooma Amongst these were our present Lieu- tenant-Governor, William Dace, William Hallett, J. Stewart, J. Bruce, and others. And while these and many others took the side of Canada, others were opposed to the wholesale manner in which we were handed over; and, with the breaking out of the rebel- lion, in 18(i0, we were fairly launched into Govern- ment and anti-< lovcrnment. On the advent of troops, and, shortly afterwards, of o96 HISTORY OF MAMTORA. our Lieutenant -< lovernor, A. (J. Archibald, things once more assumed a natural state. From our new ruler we expected nine}), perhaps more than we had a right to; but, after the privations and losses to which we had been subject p the least, very pro- voking to find rebels and their sympathisers first favorites with our new Governor. No doubt he had his instructions before leaving Ottawa, and had he been a man of more adroitness, could have made him- and his associate much more acceptable to Mani- tobans. His partiality for Rielites and his shabby treatment of royalists at once sealed his doom, and he soon found public opinion so strong against him that he had to retire. Whether the faults were all charge- able to him, or his Ottawa superiors, makes little difference. No doubt, some of his advisers were not of his own choosing, nor was his position the easiest to fill ; and it seemed to be his study to make his public acts obnoxious to the majority of the people. He gave place to Governor Morris, a man of much keener observation, and who knew enough to sail with popular opinion. In March, 1871, Manitoba's first legislators met in a building owned by A. G. B. Banna- tyne, and could those old walls now speak of the scenes that took place within them, some of my readers would be at least amused. The first Parliament was composed of twenty-four members : twelve English and twelve French ; and in passing let me say, to their credit, they would compare favorably with many in other like institutions. Among these were found some very recent arrivals. The HISTORY Of M\MT<>H\. 597 Lsb population, having paid more attention to educational matters than the French, chose, with one btlers, while the lack of learning was a drawback to the Ifetia Bishop Tache took time by the forelock, however, and had a lection from the Province of Quebec, and yet the English Lost nothing by their choice, as can readily n by the constant bey have mad.', and are daily making, ahead of r Among the importations we find EL J. Clark, our d, a man of more than ordinary ability, whose oratorical powers equalled anything Manitoba has y«-t had Unfortunately he was only mortal, and his failii n exiled him from the political arena M. A. Qirard, Provincial Treasurer, and confidential friend of Archibald, Kiel, and his Grace Archbishop Tache*, was a man of another stamp. and while wedded to everything French, his desire waa to be fair to all, and Manitoba has cause to be grateful to (now) Senator (iirard. Alfred Boyd, Minister of Public Works, a man of good ability, yet DO speaker, was well supported by the English, hut had his election depended upon addressing a public meeting,he never would have sat in the Legis- lature. The people had, however, full confidence in him, and knew he would not yield a point until satis- fied that he was in the right. Although only retaining office for one year, his sterling worth was appreciated by old time) Thomas Howard, Provincial Treasurer, was one of those who do hut little good or little harm, and it 508 HI.MnKY el' MANITOBA. seemed necessary to find such men comfortable situa- tions at the public expense. Joseph Royal, the first Speaker, was a man of refined taste; his demeanor was quiet bat tirm, and his genial disposition soon made him a favorite. His impartiality in the chair also made him a friend with all the members, and did much for the decorum of the House. In thifi Legislators a fine old native gentleman, by name Pascal Breland, most not be forgotten. By nt a French half-breed, and a truly noble descend- ant of those mix- , he was ever fond of the ad held a leading position among his country- men, and daring the rebellion of 1869 and 1870 was one who, by his moderation and advice, endeared him- self to all who came in contact with him. As a trader on the plains he was very successful, and whoever sought his hospitality fondly recollects his generous open-heartedness. On many occasions have both Dominion and Local Governments sought him out for advice, and it can be truly said of him that he ever remained a true friend to both the old and new settlers, while his influence with the Indian race was without question greater than that of any other man in the whole North-West. Joseph Lemay was Manitoba's heavy-weight, and full of sarcasm, while Dr. Bird was its most esthetic member. Tom Bunn, who was Riel's secretary, was one of the most obstreperous ; while Schmidt and Klyne equalled any of our modern teetotallers for old rye ; and in our Sergeant-at-Arms, De Plainville, we had an example of perfect etiquette. HISTORY Of MAN ITOP. A. 599 Her M;i loyal Opposition was but seven in number, none of whom bad Been anything of parlia- mentary duty, v-'t Manitoba's history will always bear ility anve an amendment to the amendment for 5,500 acres. This, with Mr. Norquay his leader that he would Bupport the latter, and hi. followers w i to accept Shortly afterwards, John Nonjuay became Minister . and I)r. Bird, Speaker of the Boose, was naturally a long one, and all its ibers zealous. The Government invited amend- ments to their measures, which were cheerfully fur- nished, and committees, after spending a month on a Queen's Bench and a School Act, were ruthlessly wakened up al tse oi tip p. to tmd that 9 done tins as a blind, and pa their own hills over tip' heads of those who desired so much different The Opposition were worsted and their ideas of public schools huried not. however, for- ever, as the session for 1890 has shown. I must not forget to mention that the School Bill of the Opposition, introduce. 1 by John Sutherland, of Kildonan, com- monly known as the "war horse.' was very complete, and had been prepared by those who, at the time, appeared to be well versed in such matters and whose ideas coincided with those of the Opposition, and had that bill become law denominational schools in Mani- toba would have been unknown. Dr. Bryce deserved much credit for his untiring energy in assisting the Opposition in their labors. The Government of the hist<»i;y or KAXIIOBA. day, however, brought in their bill in blank on the last day bat one of the session, and when it was brought before the Boose for it- second reading there was I ut i oe written copy. An incident of this session was • i petitions, one from D. Schultz vs. DonaUl A. Smith, and J. Cunningham us. J. Taylor. The committee, I four Government and two Opposition members reral days. The evi- dence all went to show thai Dr. Sehulta should have had instead of D. A. Smith, and that Taylor was i to hia In the latter case the Attorney- General brought in a report declaring Cunningham elected. This we& entirely of his own accord, as the cminittee as a body never took a vote on the ques- tion. The Opposition then presented a minority report but the house decided that Taylor must go. Cunning- ham was duly introduced, and on the adjournment was initiated as a jolly good fellow. The other petition was never reported on, as the Government found it more convenient to delay from one cause or another, and finally declared that the first session being over, it could not be taken up at the next. I do not men- tion this in the way of detriment to D. A. Smith, who acted from the first independently, and later, fully in opposition to the foul Government of which he was supposed to be a firm supporter. By this action of the House, the Opposition was much more weakened than might at first appear. However, public opinion began to be in their favor, and what appeared to the Government as a mole-hill soon became a mountain. During the recess this had BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 603 grown bo much that the Government decided to still farther weaken it, and took John Norquay into the Cabinet. When fche nexl d met, her Majesl loyal Opposition was only five in number, yet shoulder iOnlder they fought as bravely as if they had been hundred, and while numerically small the Govern- ment learned their true strength and moderated their policy. Public opinion against the thai those autocrats -at In their nth drawn revolvers, not daring at certain times to go out on t : tpecially after night- fall. On - laker, Dr. Bird, was tarred and feathered, and had not the Attorney-General been warned, he would no doubt have suffered a worse fate. On one or tw ions the Parliament baildings were besieged by the exasperated i It required all influence of the < Opposition to keep pe In those early days membei ether had a good ,,1,1 t: ive speech or other irregularities were Dot as closly criticised as in more recent years. In the summer of L878, the French, finding it impos- sible to control either the threatened Fenian invasion or bulldoze the Bouse, began to tack, and ex ] I of di8gU8t with their leaders soon became preva- lent However, nothing occurred until 1874, and this may, at least, be considered one of the most eventful in our history. The Government, at that early date, had initiated the Ottawa pilgrimage for better terms So outrageous bad the expense been, and so little accomplished, that this failure, with many others, hi to tell against the Government. Another cause 604 BI8TOBY OF MANITOBA. was the gross indecency of the Attorney-General, in both public and private life. Such a man could not long be expected to remain in office, even though placed there under the influence of Sir George E. Cartier. TheGoven which he waaa member allowed him, outside of his salary, t w vnty-tive dollars for each indictment ; and bo anacrnpaloua was he that in some cases as many m tu parate indictments were drawn against one criminal, and at one term of the Court of Queen's Bench he drew about $1,600 from this source alone. The French, at last, tired of such a leader, decided to throw him overboard. Overtures were made to the Opposition, and here we find their true merit, to which Manitobans will be ever indebted. It must be borne in mind that the first House had twelve French and twelve English members, and when a question affecting nationality was up, there might at any time be a deadlock, but such did not take place. The Opposition were now quite willing to join hands with the French, provided that there should be a redistribution of seats on a basis of fourteen English to ten French. Many out of the House claimed that sixteen might be the basis. Mr. Hay and his friends were only anxious for a majority, knowing that all else would shortly follow. This the French would not con- cede, and the Government, finding themselves cor- nered, were willing to do anything to retain power. The Opposition agreed not to oppose the address, pro- vided the Government would so arrange the reply that a bill for this purpose should be introduced and passed HISTORY OF M \\IT«)|:\. (JOo at that session, which was finally accomplished. So distrustful were the Opposition that they insisted on the members pledging on the floor of the House that such a bill would be passed This bill, although crude, and by many outside of the House declared to be unconstitutional, was the basis of representation by population in Manitoba. An adjournment of some months took place for the purpose of again going to Ottawa, and when the Government del* _ turned in duly, it was found that the French had accepted the change and had formed a coalition with the Opposition Mr. I lav, through was unable to take an active part in the bnsinesfl of the Legislature, and simply moved a direct vote of want of confidence, which wiped out the moat corrupt Government the Province has had. After about a week's delay a Coalition Government, composed of M. A. Girard, K. !!.<;. <;. Hay, .1. Dubuc, l; A Davieand Franou I >-l.tree, accepted office. This Government found an empty treasury, and what was still worse, a deficit of $26,000, which, in those days, was a very serious matter, considering that the total revenue did not exceed $75,000. The Mackenzie Government, however, advanced the amount, and from that date a better system of financing has been pur- sued by the successive Governments. During the adjournment the Parliament buildings were burned, and although no direct evidence could be produced, it was generally supposed to be the work of an incen- diary ; one strange feature was the fact that the Attorney-General, Mr. Clark, was in the building (506 msmm 01 kanitobjl when the tire was discovered and in escaping had kO »ve hil gold watch and some Govern- ment ( »tt;iwa expense receipts, while s sum of between tiv end nx thousand dollars of Gtowament money was left ID his draw.-r. The winter of 1874-76 WSJ the ( ' lose of the tirst Parliament, the English member* of which desired to go to the country. With a still more liberal policy than that already bangarated ; khe French, however, tether change until after the elections. The English, after being in office fol six months, felt that there was no need for tiv ministers. Mr. Hay proposed to limit the number to three ; also that after the election a new School Bill should be introduced, doing away with the denominational system, and making all schools receiving Government support public "schools, with a Minister of Education and an Advisory Board of twelve, chosen from the different denominations ; and that all teach. m psss their exam- inations before one board, and that whatever religious teaching should be deemed necessary should emanate from this board. Messrs. Girard and Dubuc, after consulting with their friends, refused to concede this, on the ground that the matter was premature. Messrs. Hay, Ogletree and Davis, after three days' counsel, decided to resign. The latter, however, after seeing the resignation of his friends in the Lieutenant- Governor's hands, declined to follow. Mr. Hay, how- ever, had the satisfaction of seeing a part of his policy adopted by Mr. Davis. Previous to Mr. Hay's resigna- tion, the Lieutenant-Governor, in an interview, desired HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 607 to know who would be his colleagues in the event of his being called upon to form a Government. The names of In md Cornish were mentioned, the last being bo objectionable to bis Honor that he decided to ask Davis, who took as colleagues Joseph Royal and Colin Inkster, and shortly afterwards went be country. Manitoba also had an Upper House, of which, though it was Looked upon as of little use, the ted by prominent men from among the settlers, the president of whom was • n Catholic, Who was well known as a ,,ian "** good ability and a thorough Manitoba^ Donald Gunn was one of the old Scotch settlers from St. Andrew's, who, though active and painstaking, r had much influence in the country, and easily beaten at the first election by Alfred Boyd The Government, however, thought he deserved better, and appointed him to the Council Dr. ODonnelJ was, no doubt, not only the most yretic of its members, but was a man of broad ideas, and i d occasions did good service to Winnipeg, and the Province felt thankful that he was there. C<*lin Inkster, a man of but few words and kind manner, Boon won the good-will of all, and perhaps had more influence than any of its members. Francis tree, of Portage la Prairie, represented the Ontario and though unassuming in manner, always held the attention of his auditors. While it was known that he was a Conservative in Dominion politics, he always made it a point not to know party in local 608 history 01 MANITOBA. matters, and so liberal was he in this respect, that when the Girard Government was formed, he at once Pted a portfolio, an«l heartily joined in measures proposed by the English members ; and when it became necessary to either forsake principle or not retain office, he* stood by his principles and resigned During the second Parliament the Upper Bonae was abolished Mr. Ogletree was appointed stipendiary magistrate, which office he retained till 1889. He has also been for IB efficient Indian agent. The remainder of the Council were simply voting machines. This honorable body only lived six years.it being found in practice that the Province had no need of a double system. * After the elections, Mr. Davis found that his truculent policy had elicited a strong English opposi- tion, and he was forced to accept a compromise. The Ministry was increased to four, by taking Mr. Norqnay into the Government. This change took with it the Free Press and its editor, who had been elected for Rockwood, as an out-and-out opponent of R A. Davis, but who, much to the disappointment of his friends, "jumped the fence." F. Cornish, the member for Poplar Point, a barrister recently from London, Ontario, was, without doubt, the cleverest man in the Parliament, the power of whose sarcasm was often felt by the Government. C. P. Brown, at that time a Liberal, came fast to the front. Much was expected from him, and for a few years he remained firm, but like his recreant leader, he lacked tirmness,and although member of a Coalition Government, soon drifted into HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 609 the Tory ranks, in his own words, a "Conservative of the Tilley stripe." He remained a member of the Government for many yean, yet carried no weight outside his own constituency. It may be added, however, that no constituency fared BO well from the t. Daring this administration D. M. Walker, afterwards Attorney-General, now Judge, tved the appointment of Legal Adviser to the Crown, a man who will be kindly remembered by old -•11 as new aetUera Kenneth ICeKenzie, a farmer from Hat Creek, found friends, and did good service the agricultural interests of tie- Province; while Mr. Dick, from Springfield, looked after its religious ■in (iunn, the member for North St. Andrew's, could neither give nor take a joke, and was ted by Prank Cornish. On one occasion, while acting as chairman in Committee of the Whole, Mr. Cornish, instead of addressing the chair, spoke of Mr. Gunn, at which remark he called Cornish to order. Mr. Cornish immediately apologized to the House, and personally to Mr. Qnnn, regretting his mistake, as he should have addressed him as the "son of a ffun." Speaker J. Dubuc, who had during the first Parlia- ment made many friends, filled his position with t to himself and honor to the House. Some years later he was appointed a. Judge of the Court of Queen's Bench, and his decisions have given general satis- faction. On the abolition of the Council, Colin Inkster accepted the position of High Sheriff of the Province, a position which he has satisfactorily held ever since. 610 BBTOB1 Of MANITOBA. A. V. M.utin, now member for Morris, gave the Government considerable trouble, and while at that time they regarded him as nomewhat of a crank, yet they feared him, for his tongue was ever a free lance, making both friend and foe feel the keenness of his r. marks. Again in 1886, he had the honor of a seat in the Legislature, and Mr. Norquay found in him no mean opponent. In fact, the present Government would have had to trait for office for some years but lir. A. F. Martin's inHut-nce outside the House. At the elections of 1888, he was elected as a supporter of the Greenway Government, but has since withdrawn hia support ; and no one in the present Parliament is louder in denouncing Greenway and Company than is the member for Morris. In 1878, R. A. Davis retired from the Government, and John Norquay became Premier, the elections resulting in sustaining him by a small majority. In the House we find several new faces — Thomas Scott, S. C. Biggs, T. Lusted, John Taylor, and J. W. Sif ton. In T. Scott, a prominent Conservative, well and popularly known from his military career in the Province, the Government soon found a staunch opponent. S. C. Biggs, a barrister elected for Spring- field, with lots of verbosity, soon secured a portfolio, and on the retirement of Mr. Royal, became Minister of Public Works, while John Taylor was taken in as Minister of Agriculture. Public feeling grew so strong that the Government had to pass a redistribution measure, and although both Biggs and Taylor were elected upon appealing to their constituents, they never BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 611 I in the Hon? Government, fearing defe.v icept the Opposition's suggestion, to prorogue the House ai ippeal to the country. Previous to the election of 1879, Mr. Norquay again changed the and took in Mr. Qirard. J. W - member of the arm of Sifton, Ward & 1 Clement, was chosen Speaker, the Government at the time fearing his opposition. Later tin tted their choice; and ever afterwards rul to elect its speakers from men having parliamentary experience. At this election Kir Norquay plac ry liberal policy before the was almost unanimously supported. Thia Parliament, however, had many changes, and the ■rnment were well pleased when they saw the rotor's back at the close of each Ion. Ottawa during tie found ■ strong Mt from Manitoba supplicating for more shekels, the Dominion not only increased our subsidy, but also acknowledged our claim to a right in the public lands, and allowed us $40,000, which was in a few years increased to $1 00, 000 per annum, in lieu thereof, which, up to the present, has been considered by many Ear from a just recompense, and often the late John Norquay found it very bard to steer his ship of state, '•count of this land question. He, bowever, took the ground that, entering ( confederation as we did, we were differently situated from the other provinces which first formed the Dominion of Canada; and while he may not have satisfied all, he certainly deserved 612 HISTORY DF MAMlMi; \ credit for the many concessions which the Ottawa eminent conceded to bim daring his term of office. Doril Parliament municipal institutions were made compulsory. The Speak.r, Mr. Alexander Ifelfieken, although choice of the elected members, was not exactly what the Government desired He, however, filled the chair impartially, and members nmember him with the kindest of feelings. Here ire find Thomas Greenway, a supporter of a Conservative Government, who.although claiming to be a Liberal, yet could not be induced to go with them until Norquay took Lariviere into his Cabinet, and E. H. G. G. Hay was willing to give place to him in the Opposi- tion. Mr. Winram, the present Speaker, also entered tins Parliament. His keen wit, terse and sarcastic remarks, soon made him feared by the weak and flattered by the strong. He has ever been noted for his good judgment, and it has been humorously said of him that he found the brains for his friend Greenway. Alexander Sutherland, a rising young member, was truly the first Government whip the Province had, and a jolly good fellow he was. He afterwards became Attorney-General ; but death spares none, and it was with feelings of sincere regret that the members of the House and his many friends consigned his remains to the keeping of Mother Earth. Dr. Cowan, the repre- sentative for Portage la Prairie, then the most advanced portion of the country outside the city of Winnipeg, was a painstaking member and an indefatigable worker in committee. Never prominent as a speaker, HISTORY OK MAMIOI'.A 613 yet his few remarks always carried weight with the members This Parliament had the pleasure of seeing the boundaii tided, with considerable additions to the revenue. A lively time also took place over the agreement being mad-- with the Canadian Pacific Rail- way, and many objections were taken to the proposed arrangements then being entered into. Though not wishing to be ambiguous, it' newspaper reports are the Opposition certainly found the brains in tins ie Government gofl tin- credit This Parliament, although having four sessions, was lived aft \ini, r to the Ottawa policy of disallowance. The elections oi* 1882, as usual, found many new r.-pre- itably A. 0. Killam, now judge, and undoubtedly the most accomplished member then in opposition, and while both parties were glad to see him devoted to the bench, it is questionable whether he would have accepted the position hut for unsavory company in which he found himself. ph Martin, the present Attorney-General, first took his seat in Parliament after two elections, be having been forced to resign, owing to an election petition by his opponent, W. R. Black ; and had the latter only had nerve enough to have pushed the prosecution, he would no doubt have disqualified him. He soon became a thorn in the Government's side, and had his manner been less overhearing would have had more influence than he has had up to the present tine-, for it is noted that, with the exception of one Other, his own vote is the only one he can command in a division. On the death of Alexander Sutherland, 614 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ex- Judge Miller became Attorney-General. Elected for the division of La Yerandrye by bogus votes, from a constituency which was mostly in the disputed tory, and which was afterwards decided by the Privy Council as belonging to Ontario, Mr. Miller soon made himself as unpopular as a legislator as he had popular as a judge. On tin- death of James Miller and the elevation of A. C. Killain to the bench, Mr. Hamiltoi ted for the position of Attorney- ral, representing South Winnipeg. Bis inception WM ft jubilant one. and much was expected from him. His manipulation of that office was a disappointment to his friends ; so much so that in the election contest of 1886 he had to seek a new constituency. The only popular Attorney-General that Mr. Norqoay had was Mr. (now Judge) Walker, of Brandon, a man whose name is ever favorably mentioned in connection with Manitoba politics. At this time the Dominion Govern- ment brought in a measure to satisfy Manitoba, considerably increasing her subsidy, and the Hon. John Norquay was tendered a magnificent banquet by the citizens of Winnipeg, for his success at Ottawa in getting for the Province what was considered, for the time being at least, a fair subsidy. Yet how short- lived the triumph, for following close upon this the feeling with regard to disallowance became very strong, and Mr. Norquay, with all his ability as a leader, had all he could do to keep his political ship off the rocks of demolition. The election of 1886 con- siderably reduced the Government majority, and the ever-increasing discontent occasioned by the disallow- I UK LATE HON. JOHN NORQUAV. 616 HIST<>KY Of MANITOBA. ance of the Red River Valley Railroad charter, forced Mr. Nonjuay to resign. His successor, Dr. Harrison, proved to be quit*- incapable to meet the exigencies of situation, and hifl ministry was of hut a few weeks. So utter was the defeat that not one of them again sat in the Legislature, and so keenly did Dr. Wilson and Mr Hamilton reel the position that they immedi- ately left the country for the United States. In the elect i«»n of 1886, South Winnipeg returned W. F. Lnxton, who was quite an acquisition to the Opposi- tion, and while not always doing all that could be desired, Mr. Lnxton, with all his faults, has been and is to-day one of Manitoba's best friends. His constant care of all matters pertaining to education, and his desire, through the Free Press, to advance the interests of the Province, are sutricient to make atonement for any short-comings he may appear to have with his party. Alex. Murray, Speaker of the House from 1882 to 1886, is a native of the Province, and was, without doubt, the best parliamentarian Manitoba has had. His only opponent in the House was the mem- ber for Portage la Prairie, who, doubtless, to-day regrets the coarse, ungentlemanly manner in which he assailed the Speaker. His successor in 1886 was David Glass, a barrister, who certainly obtained the Speakership through the Norquay administration, owing to their tottering position. He was not a dan- gerous man, either as a debater or as a diplomatist, and his political status had preceded him. Mr. Glass made a tolerably fair Speaker ; his rulings, how- ever, on one or two occasions were hotly contested by the members. HISTORY OF MAMIOI'.A. (> 1 7 The Hon. William Winram, the present Speaker of the House, came to Manitoba in 1*7*. Be entered Parliament in 1S79, as a supporter of the Norquay ernment, and soon became known as the wit of that Parliament Be la without doubt, the best friend the present Premier could wish to have. Be is a plain- speaking Englishman ly ever taking part in any of the del I alike by friend and foe. I the Boose, he is certainly not the Manitoba has had, but undoubtedly the best that could be obtained from the preseni representatives; his Is would have preferred seeing him in the Minis- try but he, knowing the unruly elements which Mr. Green way has to deal with, deemed it prudent to take a quieter position, and therebj thened his party, setting an example worthy of being imitated by some of his friends In an election campaign he ii an ient worker, and to his foresight and good judg- ment the present Government are indebted for many On the resignation of the Harrison ministry, in January, 1888, Mr. Greenway was called upon to form a government, which, with the exception of the Attor- ney-General, he easily filled. This position was first offered to Mr. Isaac Campbell, and there is no doubt, that could he have been induced to accept it, he would have proven not only an efficient Minister, but would have been a strength to the Ministry; his profession, however, compelled him to decline, and the position was filled by the member for Portage la Prairie. With the advent of this ad ministration, quite a change for the 618 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. better immediately took place; the Dominion Govern- ment shortly after conceded to the Province the right to construct competing railways, and the financial position was wry much improved from that of pre- cedn Tin- Government at once Moated a loan of one and a half millions at a premium, to meet cur- rent an«l contemplated expenditure, and whatever shortcomings may be laid to their charge, that of extra- vagance cannot be one of them. It is a fact patent to all that more buMiu^s lias been done by the present Government than by their predecessors, at a saving to the country of close on $100,000 per annum. Besides this they have provided a Home for Incurables at Portage la Prairie, an Institution for the Deaf and Dumb in the city of Winnipeg, and a Reformatory for Boys at Brandon, also a competing railway, at con- siderable cost to the country ; and, while they have not killed, nor done what they might for the Hudson Bay Railway, they have nevertheless kept the matter alive. They have abolished the French language, and denomi- national schools, and while it may be possible that these matters may yet have to be dealt with by the courts, the fact remains that Manitoba will not again be placed under the old yoke. The country, whether Conservative or Liberal, is not made up of that class of men who take back-water. The Government's policy is keenly watched, and, although the Opposition is weak, more is to be feared from their own ranks. Though but a couple of years in office, the leaders have had hard work to keep their friends in line ; in fact, so outspoken have several of BISTORT OF MANITOBA. 619 tlifin been that the Government have had to make radic n their policy to keep their support Mr. Jones, the late Provincial Treasurer, found it ince, owing to business ections. II; bain McMillan, a man lunch respected by all c lias heen long and favorably known in the milling business. He occupied ■, the House from L8T9 till L882, and was always found on tb< I lopes were entejr- id by many thai he would purge the present ernmenl of its unruly members, but such ss yet not been the ease. Whatever may be said of his aptain McMillan personally is above ion. Mr. Smart, the Mini Public Works, is a man i but with little or no mind of his OWn, an I av, " like a chip ir as ofliciousnes.H is con- eerned, he has sufficient for the whole Ministry. The position of Provincial Secretary was oiled by Mr. Prendergast, and it was not until hifl resignation of the office that the country found that he was one of the ablest debaters of the House. ( ta Ids resignation Mr. McLean received the appointment, and, though a man of few words, be is looked upon as firm and thoroughly impartial, and carries as much weight in the Province as any of his colleagues R. P. Roblin, member for Dufferin, is a fluent speaker, and, while ted as a Liberal, acts quite independently, and the Government have found in him a critic who, with eyes thoroughly opened, watches closdy their every action. HIST«>!'Y Of M \MK»r..\. He is at present the most urgent advocate in the House for the early completion of the Hudson Bay Railway, and. being one of Manitoba's largest grain buyers, realizes what the future benefit of such a road wmild be to the Province. A. C. Campbell, the mem- ber for South Winnipeg, is also a Liberal, yet on many tions finds it advisable to act independent of his leader. It is generally considered that in the event of a break-up of the Greenway administration, Mr. Campbell would be Pram Mr fisher, member for Russell, who made himself so prominent in unearthing the coal steal in connec- tion with the deceased Hon. John Norquay, is a barrister of fair ability, and the present Government owe him much, yet, if report speaks truly, would willingly consign him to oblivion ; but Mr. Fisher is not so easily disposed of. Mr. Wood is one of the youngest members of the House, yet very shrewd, and the Government find in him a firm opponent, who, with experience, will yet rise in the Legislature. Mr. Gillies, member for Minnedosa, a Conservative, by no means lacking in nerve and ability, helps materi- ally to keep the the Government in reason. Mr. Marion, also in the Opposition, is a native of Manitoba, and, while not an orator, is much respected by both sides of the House. Mr. Sifton, of Brandon, may be looked upon as the would-be successor of Joseph Martin ; and while Manitoba may have had men for Attorney-Generals of medium ability, Mr. Sifton may rest assured that his name will not swell that number. Manitobans begin to understand that gift of speech, HISTORY OF MANITOBA, 621 though in many cases desirable, is not all that is necessary for the make-up of a prominent position. Thomas Nonjuay. brother of the late John Xorquay, elected for Kildonan, is a native of the country, fairly educated, and while not | og the oratorical and netizing powers of his late brother, is nevertheless a fair speaker, and with experience will make an efficient member. One thing must ever be borne in mind witli respect to the English and French natives, that they iiown a kindly feeling lor the n* w-comer, and have never displayed any jealousy in the disposition of public matters in the country ; in fact, they have been neglectful of their own into In Finlay Toung, the Government whip, we have a gentleman who sees nothing but Thomas Greenway, SS has been humorously remarked, "once when he is and twice when he is wrong." K. Conklin, Clerk of the House, was member for Winnipeg from 1882 to 1886, and is well qualified to till the position. Thomas Spence, previously referred to in our pages in connection with the Republic of Manitoba, is better known as Clerk of the Legislative Council, and after- wards of the Assembly, up to 1888, and as author of a couple of pamphlets on emigration, which were of good -M-rvice at the time. John McDougall, Sergeant at-Arms, rills the position admirably, and though not much spoken of through the press, is nevertheless a very important person in the legislative halls, and with the members is very popular. The other members are loch as usually help to make up the numbers in such institutions, and while not much, practically, don't do HISTmKY OF MAMTor.A. much harm. Both the Opposition and the Government feel the loaa of the late John Norquay, who, with all raa without a compeer in the Legislature, and who will long be remembered by all classes as the known and moat abased politician Manitoba ever had. Bis fcroe value only became apparent when he was no more, and his name will ever remain a house- hold word in the Province. There was still another political institution, in the early days, of which as yet we have said nothing, kno ; vn j vth-Weri Council; whose existence, muc h to • ret ol many right-thinking men, was of short duration. This institution had its head-quar- ters at Winnipeg. The reason of its abolishment, no doubt, may have been its heavy expense, and the fact that its views were not always in accord with those at Ottawa ; but it was composed of master minds, who knew what was really required in the North-West much better than the authorities at the capital. Look- ing back at what they did and attempted to do, the writer is of opinion that, had they remained in office, the Dominion would have known no rebellion in 1885, and have been spared the expenditure of millions of dollars and the loss of many precious lives. This Council was composed of the following : M. A. Girard, D. A. Smith, H. J. Clark, Patrice Breland, Alfred Boyd, Dr. Schultz, Joseph Dubuc, A. G. B. Bannatyne, W. Fraser, Robert Hamilton, W. J. Christie and W. Tait, Our Dominion members, while not so many in num- ber, have been noted for their ability, and have always HISTORY OF MANITOBA 623 taken a leading part in the Dominion House. First is I>r. Schultz,our present Lieutenant-Governor, who was first elected for Liagar as a supporter o! the Mackenzie administration, bat who shortly afterwards supported John, and ha remained his firm friend. was in delicate health, and it vrat not till after his appointment to the Senate, in i ss ^, that he proved of much service to the country, Be was, however, always a firm friend to Manitoha; and, while it is almost impossible to occupy Buch posi- tions as he baa filled without having foes, yet, on the whole, he has satisfied his friendfl and many of Ins opponenta 1> A. Smith was first elected for Selkirk, in 1^71 independent Conservative supported Sir .John until the Royal Commission on the Pacific la! of 1S74, when he said on the floor of the ise that he could not conscientiously do so any longer. His withdrawal, no doubt, forced Sir John to am, During the Mackenzie regime he gave them his undivided support. He was prominent in many business enterprises, and, as is often the case, worked contrary to what might be desired. At the elections of L878 he was opposed by the Hon. Alexander Morris, who ran him very close, and who was afterwards the 1 unseating him in 1879. His wealth and knowledge of the North- West did more than that of any other man in the Dominion towards securing, at that early date, the Canadian Pacific Railway to Can- ada At the present time he represents East Montreal. Aliens McKay and Dr. Lynch, though both claiming eat for Marquette, soon passed into political obli- 624 BISTORT Of Manitoba. vion ; the first as an Indian agent, the latter in his professional duti Proven- - had many changes, owing to the desire to have Louis Kiel as its representative, which, bad as Ottawa may be, it could not acquiesce in. At one time Sir George I Carder was its member; at another, A. G. B. Bannatyne ; at another, Joseph Royal, and lastly, the well-known A. A. C. Lariviere, who must always fed uncomfortable under the wing of Sir John, who is reported on one occasion to have said that, "/That man Lariviere is the greatest liar I ever knew." This adopted child of Manitoba can always care for himself. At the elections of 1874, Joseph Ryan opposed Mr. Cunningham, of the Manitoban newspaper, and,\vhile defeated at the polls by unscru- pulous men and in a most unfair manner, he contested the seat, and, on the death of Cunningham, was declared by the judge duly entitled to the seat. At this time Mr. Ryan was a Reformer, but like others soon became a # warm supporter of Sir John, and is, to some extent, justified in doing so, owing to the rail- way policy of the Mackenzie administration. When the Province provided for County Court Judges, Mr. Ryan received the'appointment for Marquette, and, to his credit be it said, that partiality is not one of his faults. A more painstaking judge it would be hard to find, and those who have the pleasure of his acquaint- ance hope he may be long spared to fill the position. A. W. Ross, the present member for Lisgar, soon found it advisable to support Sir John also. (Oh, what a magnetism must be about the old man !). Poor, bleed- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 625 ing Manitoba expected different from this son of hers. He might have been her pride and glory, but fate — Oh, fickle jade! — decided otherwi Robert Watson, the present member for^Marquette, first elected in 1882, is a Liberal, and the only one Manitoba has had who so far has stood by his country. Mr. Watson is a millwright by profession, of a practi- cal turn of mind, and while not having the many advantages in early years which other representatives i, his remarks are generally well and forcibly put. His faithful adherence to Manitoba's interests, in the face of all opposition, has won him the confidence of all classes, and Liberals and Conservatives alike have a kindly greeting for him. Hugh Sutherland was elected for Selkirk in L882, and outside of Manitoba, is probably the best-known we have, owing to his p Sorts in pushing interests of the Hudson Bay Railway; and every true Manitoban wishes him Buecec Lieutenant-Governor Cauchon, who previous to com- ing to Manitoba was, in the language of the Toronto , " rank and smelled to heaven," in a great measure redeemed himself, and although penurious, expended large suuh on agriculture, etc.; while in J. 0. Aikins, the Province had, during his term of office, alwa od example from its gubernatorial chief. In the Senate we have the Honorable J. Sutherland, a resident of Kildonan, of whom but little was known previous to his being appointed, but who has on many occasions stood by the Province ; while M. A. Girard is ell known that it is not necessary to do more here G26 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. than to say we hope he may be long spared as one of Manitoba's shining Lighta Major Boulton, the last appointed from this Province, ifl an able man; and if his tongue and pen can gain for Manitoba all that he desires, we can truly say that the last may be the best of all. The folio* tch of the life of our present Lieutenant-Governor, from the graphic pen of A. H. Ham, may be in order here: — "An eventful life has been that of his Honor Lieu- tenant* I lltz. which few men living have experienced — a life of adventure and danger, of priva- tion and captivity, and of merited honors — a prisoner of war. ■ bunted fugitive, a chosen representative of the people both in the Commons and the Senate of his country, finally rilling the highest office in the land in which he had undergone so many strange vicissitudes. Governor Schultz has played no insignificant part in the history of the Prairie Province, in which he has lived for nearly three decades. Of Danish descent, he was born at Amherstburg, in the County of Essex, Ontario, on New Year's day, 1840. Educated at the public school of his native town and at Oberlin Col- lege, Ohio, he chose the medical profession, and passed with honors in the colleges of Kingston and Toronto. The youthful medico intended to go to Mexico and practise his profession, but relinquishing the design, in 1860 set out for the then little-known Red River settlement, which at that time had a scattered popu- lation of about 8,000 souls. The journey by Red River cart from St. Paul was not only toilsome but HISTORY Of MANITOBA. 627 perilous, the Indians all along the line being fierce and intractable. After enduring many hardships, Dr. Schultz reached Fort Garry, and commenced practising his | n. Shortly afterwards he entered upon the traffic in furs — a profitable pursuit in those days — hut which was held as a monopoly by the Hudson Company, who viewed the Doctors operations wit! . ••; hut despite all opposition, he continued to carry on his business with great profit to himself. In 1861, when the terrible Sioux massacre ba terrified the world. Dr. Schultz was unfortunately in St Paul, but determined to reach home, he attempted the journey by the Crow Wing trail. After many days and nights of cautious travel- captured by the hostile redskins, and only ids release by convincing them that he was ish and not American. Pembina waa reached in safety, and there was no difficulty in making Fort Garry from that point. In ,1864 be started the X<>r'- • he pioneer paper of the North- West, which he ■ntly disposed of to his fides Achate, Dr. W. R. Bown. The fall of L*G9 brought mutterings of dis- content and rebellion against the connection with ida, and Dr. Schultz being looked upon as a leader of the Loyalist party, he soon became a marked man, and paid a heavy penalty for his fervent loyalty. It at Ins house and trading post that the Canadians re compelled to surrender, after bein^ h by the insurgents for three days. With his comrades, Dr. Schultz was marched as a prisoner to Fort Garry, which the rebels had captured, REMAINS OF PORTAL OF OLD FORT GARRY. MANITOBA. 029 and being the especial object of Louis Riel's hatred, was placed in solitary confinement under a strong guard. Bis ever-faithful wifi red to convey him a pen-knife and a gimlet, and on the night of 1 December :». hf cut his buffalo robe in stiips, and making them into a I i through a hole he had made in the prison wall. While descending, the rope broke, and he was pr bo the ground. Although seriously injured, he managed to climb over itone wall surrounding the fort, and found himself at liberty. Reaching Kildonan, he at once organized a force of Canadi lease their friends .still incar- cerated in Fort Garry. A demand was made on Kiel the prisoners, which he prompt!. d to. however, was determined I bure SchulU, and a strong force was sent out in quest of him. The tor, however, had hem selected at a meetinj Loyalists to ; bo Canada and lay the actual state of affairs before the people there. Such a mission involved grave perils and hardships, for all the roads leading to Minnesota were closely guarded by Insur- gent pickets, and certain death would have overtaken the Doctor had he again fallen into their hands. He led, therefore, to proceed through the trackless forests of Lake Superior, and, accompanied by a faith- ful half-breed named Monk man, started out on snow- shoes in the following February. Evading Riel's scouts, the two made their way over ice-bound lakes, through pine forests, over snow-covered prairie and across countless swamps — guided only by the unerring instinct of the Metis friend. After seventy-four days HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of weary travel — daring which Monk man's woodcraft 1 them often from starvation — the travellers, gannt with hunger, irorn with fatigue, their clothes in tatter -v their eyee blinded with the glare of the glitter- ing March sun — reached Duluth, then an embryotic village, and proceeded to Canada, when the Doctor became the hero of the boor. His mission was buc- :"ul. and 1 ianadian and British soldiers were ordered to the scene of the troubles. Returning^ to Manitoba, Sehultl was elected to the House of Commons for far, and continued to represent that constituency until 1888, when he was called to the Senate, in which chamber he was the means of bringing to the world's notice the dormant resources of the Great Mackenzie Basin, and revealed to Canada its possession of a mine of wealth of which it little dreamed. In recognition of his great services to the North-West, the Senator was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba, and from the expressions of the press it is learned that no more popular appointment could have been made." CHAPTER XXI. In Memoriam Sketches : AndoCMB, BairiftOtt, Bird, I.hu-k. Hrydges, . ( '..nclusiun : Manitoba, its Si/.-. ;ind with Brief Topographies] Description. IN BflEMOR] \M. R4 David . /'./>.. the first Bishop Of Rupeii'fl I, and, from 1849 to 1864, born in London, iruary LOth, hi!-, educated at Edinburgh Academy and Exeter College, Oxford On resigning his bishopric in l:: unsuccessful, and died at Rat Portage, l 388, A monument has since been erected over hi- grave by brother jonrnalista The //".■■ '. E, J. <'tt"< ; Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba from 1877 to L882 j born at St. Etoch, Quebec City, 16th December, 1818; educated at the called to the bar in L843 ; was ciated with Btienne Parent in the publication of the Ccmadien t ol which he became latterly editor- in-chief : elected to the Assembly for Montreal, which he represented for twenty-eight yeara In .January of L855, he was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands. He was also the originator of the North Shore Railway, from Montreal to Quebec. After the union the provinces, he was appointed Speaker of the Senate, which be held until LS72, when he was elected to represent Quebec Centre in the Commons. Owing to his connection with the Beaufort scandal, he re- signed his seat, but was re-elected by his old con- stituents, though with impaired influence. He entered the ifaekenrie Cabinet in December, 1875, where he remained until he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor history 01 MANITOBA. of Manitoba. He died at Whitewood, N. W. T., on the 23rd of February, 18* /■'. //. born in London, Ont., February 1st, 1831 ; educated at the London Grammar School ; called to tin- bar of Upper Canada in L855 ; mayor of London from I s 'il to L865 ; came to Manitoba in l s 7_ : ted to the Manitoba Assembly for Poplar Point in l s ~4 ; died in Winnipeg, November 88th, ls?^ /. ■ tenant-Colonel J. S. Dennis, C.M.G, Deputy Minister of the Interior from 1878 to 1881 ; took an active part in organizing the Canadian volunteer militia force in is.').") ; the Toronto Field Battery of Artillery in L856, of which he was placed in command ; Brigade- Mij r to the Toronto force, 1857 ; also to the Fifth Military District from 1861 to 1869. He com- manded a corps during the Fenian invasion at Ridge- way ; appointed Surveyor-General of Dominion Lands in L871, which he retained until 1878, when he was appointed Deputy Minister of the Interior, which he resigned in 1881. His name will long be remembered by Manitobans in connection with the Riel rebellion. He died at Kingsmere, near Ottawa, July 7th, 1885. Captain John French commanded a detachment of scouts during the North- West rebellion ; killed at Batoche, May 13th, 1885. Hon. Donald Gunn, a Hudson Bay factor, who entered the service in 1813, when he was stationed at York Factory, Severn, and Oxford House ; left the service in 1823,and settled in the Parish of St. Andrew's, Red River. He was for many years one of the judges HISTORY Of maniioi'.a. of the Court of Petty Sessions under Hudson Bay jurisdiction, and for a portion of the time. President. Be was a member of the first Legislative Council of Manitoba, and a Red River historian ; died at St. 80th, 1878 J A'. Tebister, M.A., I.L.IL, horn at Cumberland House, on the Saskatchewan. June L8th, L822 ; for man] -tor in tin- Hudson Bay Berviee. He through his Contributions to the press of Canada and England, tie- first to attract attention to Rupert's Land Mr. I wenl to reside in England, where h.- was for many years Master of the Stationers' School, and Dean of the College of Preceptors, He died there on May :2sth [883, leaving his entire library of some 3,000 volum ity ..1 Manitoba. II'. .V. A'< i .en at I tor- ton, Ont, April -27th. ls:;i> ; came to Winnipeg with Wolseley in 1870, where he remained after the disbandmeni of the force. In 1872, he was appointed istrar of Deeds for the city and county. In 1878, he was elected to the Executive Council of the North- Territoriea In ls~5 and 1 87G, appointed chief te of the city. He organized the Winnipeg Field Battery, of which he was for several years Lieu- tenant-Colonel. In L888, he assumed command of the Winnipeg 00th Rifles ; was one of the promoters of the Manitoba and North- Western Railway, as also President of the Manitoba and Hudson Bay Rail- and an energetic member of the masonic fra- ternity. On the call for Canadian voyageurs to Egypt, Colonel Kennedy hastened to join his old general (Sir 636 B18T0RY OF KANITOBJ Garnet Wolseley), and while at Dongola, contracted the malady which ultimately took him away. He died at Highgate Hospital, London ; his remains were accorded the honor of a military funeral. Het Majesty, in a letter to tl • i, gave expression to her regret ; and i rk of her appreciation, bestowed a pension of £50 a year on the widow, and an allow- ance of £1 - per annum on each of the children. A handsome floral wreath was also placed on the coffin from the Duke of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales. Vyr, otl: nown as Pierre Gautier was born at Three Rivers, Quebec, and was in early life a soldier, and fought in the war between England and France, when the Duke of Marlborough was British general, receiving in the battle of Mal- plaquet nine wounds, of which he recovered. He returned to Canada, and married a Canadian lady, in 1712. His four sons by this marriage all joined him in his travels in the North-West. Verandrye hoped to dis- cover a north-west passage, and communicated his belief to Father Conor, a priest, who persuaded Beauharnois, Governor of New France, to let Verandrye have fifty men and a missionary, to explore this then unknown country. In 1731, he crossed Rainy Lake, and built Fort Peter, near where Fort Francis now stands. In 1732, he erected on the western shore of the Lake of the Woods Fort St. Charles. In 1733, he paddled down Winnipeg River into Lake Winnipeg, built a fort near the junction of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers, from which Fort Rouge takes its name, then westward, where he constructed Fort de la Reine, EISIOBT OF mam POBA. 637 Dear where the town of Portage la Prairie now stands, then westward still to the Rockies. Tn 1749, he ascended the Saskatchewan to the forks, where he erected Fort Dauphin, and was about to resume his journey, still westward, when death stepped in. He had reached his I ily station. Ee died in the country of which he is regarded as being the discoverer, o white man is known to have preceded him '/< 1 , when he was defeated ; be * successful in L855 ; he retained his till 1859, when he was appointed Chief Inspector of Mines and Minerals, which he held till istil. He was Judge of Probate for Gape Breton, L848 to 1867, as also Surrogate in the Court of Vice-Admiralty, and Lieutenant-Colonel in the 2nd Regiment of Cape Breton liilitia; a member of the Government of Nova 0; in 1807, elected for Cape Breton for the Dominion Parliament, retaining his scat till 1872, when be was defeated; came to Manitoba in the same Be died while on ■ visit to New Brunswick, September 14th, l Right lire. John McLean, late Bishop of Saskatche- wan, born at Portsoy, Banffshire, Scotland ; graduated at Ki ierdeen University, where he took hi> d ; MA. in 1851 : was ordained deacon and t by the Bishop of Huron in 1853; afterwards curate fox eight years at St. Paul's Cathedral, London, rio : Archdeacon of Assinihoia, 1.S56 ; warden and prof esaor of divinity St. John's ( 'ol lege, rector of the cathedral, and examining chaplain to the Bishop of Rupert's Land; was consecrated by Archbishop Tait, Dr. Anderson and others at Lambeth Palace, England; died from the effects of injuries received at Edmonton, November 7th, 1886, and was buried in the cemetery at Prince Albert, North-West Territories. William MoTavisk, born in Scotland, came to Rupert's Land as clerk in the Hudson Bay ice; became a chief trader at .York Factory in 1847, and chief factor in 1852; promoted to head- B1ST0R1 OF MAMTnllA. quarters at Fort Garry, with charge of the commercial business of the company. On the retirement of Judge Johnston, was made amor of AsBiniboia, and on t ) orge Simpson in I860, appointed acting nor of Rupert's Land. Se was relieved f t l fcion by Mr Dallas from L862 to 1864, when be was igain permanently appointed, which office he retained through the rebellion of 1809-70. lied in Liverpool England, while on his way to the south o! France to recruit his health. W, R (TDonokus, professor at St. Boniface College when the rebellion broke out; elected a delegate to the first convention wiled by Kiel in November, 1869. It is stated by some that he advocated a moderate course of action, end was opposed to the trial and shooting of Smtt, desiring an amicable adjustment of arlairs. < ) n account of his connection with the Fenian raid of 1871, he was not included in the amnesty tited to Riel and Lepine, but, in the fall of 1877, the clemency of the crown was extended to him. lC born at St. Boniface, Manitoba, 23rd of October, 1844. His father, Louis Riel, was also a native, and in his time a popular leader among the half-breeds of Red River. Louis the second, after completing his education at the Seminary of Montreal, returned to Red River, where he became secretary of the Comite National des Metis, an organization formed in the interest of the natives to resist the establishment of Canadian authority in the Territories. On the 8th of December, he was elected president of the provisional government. His work in connection with the rebellion is the subject of many of the fore- HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 641 going pages. A reward of $5,000 was offered by the Imperial Government for bis arrest, in connection with the shooting of Scott. In October of 1873 be was returned by acclamation for Provencher, but was never allowed I at He whs again returned at the genera] election in 1874, presented bimself at the Commons at Ol ind subscribed to oath, but was expelled by a vote of the House on the I'itli of April; was again returned in September, 1874 On the l">tli of October, a warrant of outlawry Issued against him by the Court of Quern's i. Manitoba, and he retired to tie lovernor for the HucUon Bay Company, was born at Loch Broom, Rosshire, Scot- land, in \7->'2 [nearly life he entered the conn ti a firm that did an extensive West India trade. His energy and busin I the attention of i Selkirk, then at the head of the Hudson Bay ry, as also of Andrew Colville, a large stock- holder. In February, 1820, he was appointed to superintend tie- affairs of the company in America union of the rival trading companies in 1 M> I was largely due to his influence. During his regime the most of the Arctic coast was explored, in consideration ■. liich he was knighted in 1841, In this year he made his celebrated tonr around the world, an unt of which he published in two volumes He died at Lachine, near Montreal, September 7th, 1860. Hon, Robert Smith, a Puisne Judge of the Court of Bench, Manitoba, 1884 and 1885, was born at Lou Br, Cumberland, England, 1837; educated bns Foundation School, Kill burn, and Trinity 642 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. College, Cambridge; took the degree of LL.B. at Toronto University, and was called to the Ontario Bar in 18G1. Died in Winnipeg l!>th January, 1885. G. B. * s etor of Customs, born at Cobourg, Ontario, in the year 1812; educated in that city and Toronto, wl i veral years he conducted a large foundry and engine WOrke; entered the customs ser- in L854, in which he remained twenty-seven years; was sent to Winnipeg in 1870, to organize the in Manitoba, where he remained collector until 1881, when lie was rapemnnnated : was a large speculator in real estate, and builder of Speneer block, Winnipeg. / /.;-, ...,,. ftf-Colond Stewart, a northern traveller and explorer, who in company with Robert Campbell, Esq., of Riding Mountain House, another retired officer of the Hud y service, explored the upper branches of the Yukon, in Alaska, and the extreme north-west of the Dominion, was one of the expedi- tion sent out by the Hudson Bay Company, in 1855, in search of Sir John Franklin. Leaving the service, he was appointed Indian agent at Edmonton by the Dominion Government, where he died in 1881. Alexander McBeth Sutherland, late Provincial Secretary, born in Winnipeg December 31st, 1849 ; completed his education at Toronto University, taking the degree of B.A. in 1877 ; called to the bar in that city, as also in Manitoba ; entered the Legislature in 1878; became Attorney-General for Mr. Norquay's Government in 1882, and Provincial Secretary in the following year. Died March 7th, 1884. His remains were accorded a public funeral. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 643 Very Reverend M. Tissot, 0. M. I., Vicar-General of St. Boniface, a native of Normandy, who devoted many mission work in the North-West Territories, died at St. Boniface on August 14th, L885. Hon /'. 1>. W\ I Justice of Manitoba, born bruary L3th, L820; educated at Overton College, Ohio, where he took the degree of HA. in 1848; called to the bar of Upper Canada in r, Repi Weal Brant in the Cana- dian Assembly from 1863 to 1867, when he was retui ■ bly, as well as for the nions. ( >n the ] I the Act abolishing dual representation, he chose to remain in the Ontario latnre, where he held the portfolio of Treasurer in the Sandfield ICacdonald Government, from L867 to nation in 1871. He entered the House in L873 entative for West Durham, hut only remained a short time, having accepted the position of Chief Justice of Manitoba f rom the Mackenzie Government in 1874, which he held up to his death on October 7th, f Winnipeg. Aquilla Walsh, Dominion Land Commissioner, born at Ciiarl. sville, Ontario, May loth, 1823; Deputy r of Norfolk, Ontario, from 1840 to 1801 ; represented Norfolk, in the Conservative interest, in the Canadian Assembly in L872, when he was defeated by the present member, .John ( lharlton ; was appointed r to superintend the construction of the rcolonial Hail way and President of the Board. : in Winnipeg 6tfa March, 1885, from an accident. A. 0. 11. Bannatyne, There is no name received i more respect throughout the great North-West 844 msr«»i:v OF M \ni tOBA. than that of Hon. A. G. B. Bannatyne. He was born in the Orkney Islands in 1829, and when a lad red the service of the Rudson Bay Company, at the"Soo.*' In L848, he was transferred to Fort Garry, and after serving the term of his contract with the com} • nnectioo and established a in the little settlement on bis own account. His bnsineea extended, and aithongh opposed by the monopoly he managed to prosper amazingly. Although one of the busiest men in the settlement, he found time to take an active interest in public matters. He was appointed a member of the Council of Assiniboia in 1880, and continued to be one until it was abolished. He was also one of the first members of the North- West Council. In 1878, he was elected for Provencher in the Dominion House of Commons. In the early days as a justice of the peace he performed the duties of stipendiary magistrate, and as a fur trader he encountered all the perils and dangers and hardships of those who for so many years carried their lives in their hands amidst the warlike aborigines. Mr. Banna- ty ne's name is connected with nearly every society that has been formed in Winnipeg, and the records show that at one time or another he occupied the position of president of them. C. J. Brydges, Commissioner of the Hudson Bay Company, was born in England in 1826, and from early youth until ten years ago was intimately identi- fied with the great railways of the Old World and the New. He first entered the employment of the Lewis- ton and South- Western Railway Company, of England and coming to Canada was appointed Managing HISTORY OF M \MTor,.\. 8 15 Director of the Great Western Railway in 1853. ation he held for about tenor eleven years, when he became the General Manager of the Grand Trunk road, a position in which lie acquired quite a reputation as a railway man. In I Mis. he was appoint* Kildonan. Be was a member of the first Local Government of Manitoba, which was formed December 14th, L 871, holding the portfolio of Minister of Public Works, and afterwards, in addition, that of Minister of Agriculture. On the 8th of July, 1874, he resigned with his colleagues. He was reappointed to the uew Government in March, 1875, taking the portfolio of Provincial Secretary under Hon. R. A. Davis. This office he resigned, and in May, 1876, he again became Minister of Public Works, suc- ceeding Hon. Joseph Royal on the latter resigning that portfolio for the Attorney-Generalship. On the Premier of that Government, Hon. Mr. Davis, retiring from public life in October, 1878, Hon. Mr. Norquay was called upon to form a ministry, which, in associa- tion with Hon. Mr. Royal, he successfuly accomplished. He then became Premier and Provincial Treasurer. In May, 1879, Hon. Mr. Royal, Minister of Public Works, and Hon. Mr. Delorme, Minister of Agriculture, resigned, owing to a difference of opinion between liessrs. Norquay and Royal, and the Government was utterly left with only three members. Unsuccessful overtures were made to several French members of the House to accept the vacant portfolios ; and Lieu- tenant-Governor Cauchon declined to allow the filling HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 647 of the vacant offices to be deferred, holding that such a course would be unconstitutional. Messrs. B. C. Bigga and John Taylor were then given the positions. The dissolved in the following October, a redistribution bill having previously been passed : and on December lot: d was held, Mr. B having previously resigned. Mr-. Norquay was returned by acclamation; and all the other members of hi Mi:!, nt, excepi Mr. Taylor, were elected. Mr. 9 office as Minister of Agriculture was sqnently filled by Bon. Maxims Goulet, member for La V. taii'lrye. He and Senator Girard, who had also been taken into the Cabinet, were both elected by acclamation Mr. Norquay retained the Premiership until December, 1SS7, when he and Hon. Mr. Larivier Land Hon. Dr. Harrison formed binet ( )n the E the Harrison Govern- ment and the accession of Hon. Mr. Green way to the premiership, Mr. Norquay became the leader of the Opposition, being ehoseo to that position by the Conservative party. Jn L872, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the representation of Marquette in the Hon-- of Commons ; he did not again divert his atten- tion away from provincial affairs for the sake of Dominion honors. On various occasions he vi iwa in connection with the adjustment of affairs \ een the Dominion and the Province of Manitoba ; be bad the pleasure of seeing his native Province dually to a more satisfactory position in regard ubsidy and other claims. To write in detail the >ry of the Hon. John Norquay would be to write the history of Manitoba. Though he did not reach an 8 |j8 BOTTOM OF MANITOBA. advanced age, he was a witness of progress more arkable than it has been the lot of any other Canadian Premier to see j and he took a very promi- nent part in making tl)t> history of his native Pro- vince. Mr. Torquay died on the 4th of July, 1889. rlia remains trex led b state funeral, and were Interred at St .John's Cemetery. Re Adam Thorn was born in Aberdeen, edu- ; at Ki' lege there, where he graduated MA.. 1820, and emigrated to Canada in L832; estab- lished and edited tiie Settler in L833, also the Montreal Herald trom L886 to L838; was appointed Recorder in 1 889, and arrive. 1 in lied River in the spring of that year. He was esteemed a gentleman of learning and superior ability. He died in Torrington Square, London, February 21st, 1-S90, at the advanced age of eighty-seven. In closing these in memoriam sketches, I desire to remember the names of John Inkster, Donald Murray, Thomas Sinclair, or "Old Tom," as he was familiarly called, also Recorder Black, and many others whose names and lives I would desire to chronicle did time and space permit. I will now close with a brief description of the country, beginning first with its size. From Rat Portage to the summit of the Rocky Mountains, and from the forty-ninth parallel to Great Slave Lake, we have a tract of land 1,000 miles square, with an acreage of 040,000,000. As this is broken up by swamp and water and unarable land, we will deduct the half, which will leave us 320,000,000 of acres. The great wheat belt of Manitoba is about 225 miles long, from BISTORT <>r MANITOBA. 649 east to west, and has an average width of about seventy - miles, From north to sooth, This bell extends of the western boundary of Bfanitoba into the adjoining District of Assiniboia Its total Length may be said to be about 350 miles, ending at Elegina on Canadian Pacific Etailwa; ae wheat will he raised west of II* of the Rocky Mountains, and in the valleys of the Saskatchewan itry, but the solid wheal tannot be said to ad farther west in the Dominion than aboui itnde of the western boondary of Dakota. The wheat product of this region is enormous. It itimated that if one-fifth of the entire area well adapted for wheat raising should be farmed, the yield, at twenty bushels per acre, would reach the total of 95,000,000 of bushels. The following table will show the amount under cultivation in Manitoba, and the yield per acre. In L881, there wen- 2,884,387 acres occupied, :>:>(),416 of which were cultivated, and 280,264 under crop ; the wheat crop amounted to 1,0 bushels. In 1886, the occupied acreage was 4,171,224; the culti- vated had risen to 751,571, and that under crop to 591,994? the wheat crop amounted to 6,711,180, and in 1887 to over 1 4,000,000 bushels. This is accounted for as follows : Wheat exported to Eastern Canada and Europe 8,500,000 Converted into flour in Manitoba . . 2,600,000 Used as seed, 520,000 acres 1,100,000 In bftpdl <>f millers, shippers and farmers 1,200,000 13,400,000 HISTORY OF M WITOBA. \' VI II. of Exports. Wheat $4,675,000 Flour and BlftO 1,250,000 Flax and its Prod nets 120,000 . . 1 i<>,000 Oate and < )atineal . . 280,000 tables, Wool, Hides .. 000,000 $7,005,000 Overall tl fcch of country, spring opens from the 1st to the 20th of April, and winter begins from the 1st to tlic 20th November. The altitude and latitude is such that there is a large percentage of sunshine, with very little night during the Bummer season. Sloping away from the height of land which lies east, west and south of the forty-ninth parallel, we are not nearly SO subject to cyclones and other heavy wind storms as are the states and territories south of 08. The soil is light or heavy, according to antecedent conditions. The natural grasses are rich and varied in their quality, which the winds of autumn and the dry weather characteristic of that season of the year cure and prepare for winter fodder. John McDougall, of Alberta, say- "It would take one thousand railway trains, each carrying five hundred head of stock, to move the number of ' God's cattle ' I have seen, with the naked eye, at one time, from the summit of a hill, on the earth, stretching from my feet in every direction ; interspersed among them were thousands of antelope. "All these lived and grew fat, without the expendi- ture of any thought or care on the part of man ; and HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 651 when, in the order of Divine Providence, these wild animals disappeared, havi ■ ■•[ their purpose, they Left their immense rich | for the occupancy of economic and civilised man. - ' To-day in Manitoba and the North-West there is compute 000 head of domestic cattle : <_civen twenty i r head, and ther< m in this vast pastoral country for fifteen or sixteen millions. The drop of the continent to the easi and north is such that . of water powers, while the rain-fall in the months of June and July is, rule, large and the dew plentiful. Gold, silver, iron, copper, lead, and vast quantities of coal, form part of the wealth of the country. Though Manitoba and the North-West cannot compare with either the Eastern Pro\ British Columbia* yet the timber supply u not to be ced Even in the more southerly portion, a n out four hundred miles lono- and about two hundred miles wide, the Moose, Wood and Cypress Mountains are well wooded; while all the rest of the country is more or less timbered —prairie and wood land alternating with each other. With reference to scenery, there is suffi- fiei.nt to satisfy every variety of taste. Does the reader desire a vast level plain, with a horizon fadino- y in cloudless obscurity? then Manitoba, from Rat Portage to Portage la Prairie, and from the boundary to hake Winnipeg, will he your choice. Would you rather see undulating small hills, hroad valleys and -t'ul slopes? then from Portage la Prairie to Cal- gary, and from the boundary to Fort Edmonton and to Battleford, you can have your choice in almost H1BTOB1 OF MANITOBA, bewildering variety. Do you desire water, with head- land an< 1 bay, gema of islands, and labyrinths of intri- cate water-way a I is il music to youi ear to listen to the rippling of currents, the tumbling of cascades, and the roaring of rapids I then fcake from Hat Portage north to the chores of Lake Winnipeg, on to Hudson Bay, and westward into the Athabasca country — here you may paddle and portagf your canoe for thousands of miles. to stand on some grand range of hills, and from their eminence look out on hills and valleys, shapely, as they have fallen from natures lathe, islands of timber and fields of prairie, so arranged that, how- ever cultivated your taste, you would not change them if you could ? Glistening lakelets and winding creeks, like threads of silver, intersperse the scene, and in season the smell of luxuriant vegetation and the aroma of wild rose-beds is wafted to your nostrils; then come to the nose, the eye, the ear, or to the sick, hills, ranging from the south branch northward to the Saskatchewan, where you will find yourself on the high- lands of America, and in the garden of the Dominion. Or perhaps you desire something vaster, grander, more majestic still ; then let us take our stand upon one of the ranges of hills running north and south about 150 miles east of the base of the Rocky Moun- tains. Yonder, rising range beyond range, stretching north and south, are the grand mountains, whose forests as they climb the steeps, and the perpendicular rocks as they stand heavenward, darken the scene, but above them the snow-clad fields and glaciers that never melt glisten in the sunshine — and with this I take leave of my readers. <5> H DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. This book is due on the last date stamped below R.™ a°? ^ dare to whi <* renewed Renewed books are subject to immed- iate recall. .General Library ^Diversity of California Berkeley M20;«)54 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY V