Life and labour in the far, far West : being notes of a tour the western states, British Columbia, Manitoba, and the North-West Territory

Front matter

The Estate of Mark Seltzer

LIFE AND LABOUR

IN THE

Preface

This volume is an actual transcript from a journal kept during a tour made in North America in the spring and summer of 1883, in company with my two friends, the late Meysey Clive, of Whitfield Court, County of Hereford, and my brother-in-law, Arthur Mitchell, of The Eidge, Wiltshire.

Our object was not only to enjoy a pleasant trip and to see as much as we conveniently could of a new country, but also to collect as much information as possible, more especially as regards farming and emigration, in the hope of thus being able to assist those in England who might be thinking of seeking a new home across the Atlantic. There was a kind of unwritten agreement among us, that whatever information we might be able to procure should, in one form or another, subsequently be made available to those interested in the subject ; and in publishing the present volume (which I do with the full concurrence of the late Meysey Clive's friends, and also with that of Arthur Mitchell), I feel that I am but following out the wishes of that valued friend and pleasant fellow-

PREFACE.

traveller, whose illness and death brought our travels to so sad a termination.

Clive and I were old friends ; we lived in the same county, and had known each other from childhood, and a close friendship had for generations existed between our families. The other member of the party (Arthur Mitchell) only joined us just before we started, and was previously unacquainted with Clive ; but from my experience of him as a travelling companion in the different journeys we had made together in Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and other countries, I had no hesitation in feeling that he was just the man to make our trio a well-assorted one.

This journal was written during our travels. In fact, I sent it home to my wife by instalments, on loose paper, which saved a repetition in letter -writing ; and, besides, I should not have had time to write two full descriptions of what we were doing.

Upon my return home I found a large portion carefully re -written by her in a book ; and it is to this care and industry that the public and I are indebted for the present volume ever seeing the light at all ; and I for one am sincerely grateful to her for the trouble she has taken in thus assisting me in the matter. As stated, this journal was written whilst on our travels ; and at the time of writing I had no thought whatever of publishing it in book form. It has been merely completed

PREFACE.

ix since mj return to England, and in it I simply place before my readers my actual impressions as they occurred to me on the spot.

I am also indebted to my friend, Mr. Baillie- Grohman (author of "Camps in the Eockies") for his contribution of the very interesting chapter about the Kootenay district in British Columbia, which will be found in the Appendix. It was a source of much regret to me that I was unable to join in the proposed expedition which lie and Clive arranged to make ; but it was absolutely impossible for me to do so, on account of an engagement for the 18th July to form one of a party travelling in Manitoba and the North- West Territory, which engagement was in fact the original reason for this my second expedition to America. The perusal of this chapter tends only to sharpen the appetite, and makes me very wishful to visit that district some day in the future, should I ever find myself again on the other side of the Atlantic.

It only remains for me to add that this is my first — as it probably will be my last — venture as an author ; and I trust the perusal of this volume may not prove uninteresting, especially to those who asked for its publication. That I was acceding to their wishes must be my apology for "rushing into print."

W. H. B.

Bredenhury Court, Herefordshire, May, 1884.

Contents

CHAPTEE I.

EN ROUTE.

The Start— A Narrow Escape— TsTew York— Eailway Travelling in America — American Hospitality — St. Louis — Denver — Manitou — Th.e Ute Pass— The " Garden of the Gods "—Pike's Peak— Crystal Park . 1

Chapter II. Through Mormonland To San Francisco

Pueblo — The Doomed Cotton-tree — The Highest Inhabited House in the World — The Royal Gorge of Arkansas — Salida — Leadville — Travelling under Difficulties — American Enterprise — The Black Canon — A Pleasant Piece of Information — The Green River — Price River Canon — A Mormon Settlement — Salt Lake City — The Tabernacle — President Taylor explains — The Central Pacific Railway — Notices to Passengers — ^Wadsworth — The Sierra Nevadas — Sacramento — Benicia — Oakland — San Francisco — John Chinaman — How he amuses himself — A Mistake — The Golden Gate . . . .19

Chapter III. The Yosemitb Valley

Madera — Travellers Beware ! — The Fresno Flats — A Magnificent Forest — A Ride behind Six Horses — A Glorious View — The Yosemite Valley — The Mirror Lake — The Nevada Falls — Glacier Point— El Capitan —The Dome— The Half Dome— The Cap of Liberty— The Sentinel Dome — Lost in the Forest — " The Point " — Master Bruin — Hotels in the VaUey 44

Chapter IV. Los Angeles

The Man and the Bear — A Meal of Bear — The Mariposa Grove of Big Trees — The Grizzly Giant — An Angry Darkie — A Tree Forest — xii

CONTENTS,

Among the Pioneers — An Expensive Drive — Fourteen Miles an Hour Down a Mountain — An Energetic Driver — An Interview with. American Farmers— Their Opinion of California — A Blizzard — Back in Madera — IJn route for Los Angeles — How a Native was Surprised — Los Angeles — The Vineyards of San Gabriel — A Charming Villa •* — A Laconic Advertisement — A Huge Geranium Bush —An Island for Sale — Back to San Francisco— Bay Point — A Large Corn-field — Harvest Operations in California — At Benicia again . . .65

Chapter V. Tip The Coast To Victoria

On Board the Dahota — A Last Glimpse of San Francisco — Improving the Occasion — "No more Sea" — A View of the Olympians — Vancouver's Island — The Straits of San Juan — Cape Flattery — " These Sleepy English" — Waiting for a Tug — At Victoria — Neglected Streets — The Lieutenant-Governor — Mr. Justice Walkem — The Swiftsure — Esquimalt — Mount Baker — Chinese Servants — Their Trustworthiness — Saanich — Back to Victoria ..... 88

CHAPTEE VL

THROUGH THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS.

San Juan de Fuca — Kuper Pass — Straits of Georgia — An Iron Island — The Cascade Mountains— Eraser River — How Salmon are Tinned — New Westminster — Port Moody — The Price of Lan' 1 at Port Moody — The Indians and their Dead — Hope — Emory — Yale — Doubt, Discussion, and Decision — HeU's Gate — Boston Bars— Gold-dust — Back at Yale — A Tricky Engine-driver — Hotels in British Columbia — Agriculture and Labour in British Columbia — An Uncomfortable Walk through Fairyland — In an Indian Canoe to English Bay — A Unique Reception — An Unceremonious Native — Coal Harbour — An Exciting Drive — Philip suddenly becomes Sober — His History — Columbian Veracity — Back at Victoria 103

Chapter VII. The Prospects Of British Columbia

John Chinaman's Expeditious Dish — Timber and Timber-fallers — Axe or Saw ? — Indian Industry — Hunting on a Limited Scale — The Argumentimi ad Hominem — Cowdchan — Nanaimo — Departure Bay — Turning the Corner — The Best Climate in the World — A Pleasant and Prosperous Settlement — Coal Island — Reciprocal Rejoicings — Matrimony : Supply and Demand — Vancouver Island — Hints to Settlers — Agricultural Operations — Land Prospecting — A True Story — A

CONTENTS.

xiii

Pic-Nic — Cordova Bay — Langford Lake — Canadians and British Columbians — Rhadamanthus Eedivivus — Fire ! — A Curious Mistake — Farewells — When to Visit British Columbia— The Terminus of the Canadian Pacific Pail way . . . . . . .127

Chapter VIII. Eastward Ho !

A Last Look at Victoria — Port Townsend — Seattle — Rival Touters — Washington Territory — Tacoma — Judge Lynch — Portland, Oregon Territory — The Party Divides — On the Iron Road again — The Dalles— Wallula— The Spokane Falls— Sa.nd Point— Idaho Territory — Heron — Horse Plains — The ' ' Cow-catcher " — The Flatheads — A Narrow Escape — Missoula — A Comfortable Hotel — Profuse Profanity ■ . . . . 157

Chapter IX. Through The Rockies In A Buggy

A Plenitude of Money — A Refractory Steed — A Night in a Log-house — The Result of Evil Communications— " George " becomes more Capricious — ^A Struggle — "George" Wins — New Chicago — Plain Speaking — A Delay — ^A Shaky Wheel— A Crash — Five Thousand Feet above the Sea Level — Sweetlands — Stage Coaching in the Rockies — Cuinous Phenomenon — Helena, Montana Territory . .170

Chapter X. Agriculture In Montana And Dakota

En route for Glyndon, Minnesota — Montana Territory — Character of the Land — Bozeman — Yellowstone River — Yellowstone Park — Crow Indian Reservation Ground — Glendive — Dickinson and its Streets — Dakota Territory — Its Agriculture — Across the Missouri — Bismarck— Glyndon — Winnipeg — Farming Notes — Trip to Otterburne, Manitoba — Inspection of Farms— A Drive in a Buck-board . . 186

CHAPTER XL

THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORY.

Agriculture between Winnipeg and Marquette — Scotch Settlers — Portage la Prairie — Brandon — Virden — A Visit from the Police — The One-mile Belt — Tree Planting — A Prairie Sunset — Moon-rise on the Prairie — Indian Head — A Drive to Fort Qu'Appelle — A Field of Twelve Hundred Acres — Farming in Minnesota and in the North- West compared — A Settler's Story 202 xiv

CONTENTS.

Chapter XII. Among The Eedskins

PAGE

Indian Settlers — A Eoman Catholic Mission— The Cree Indian Camp — Survival of Cruel Customs — A Ceremonious Eeception — Indian Music — Dog Stew — Musical Accompaniment to a Speech — Indian Braves on the Boast — The Pale-faces respond — An Embarrassing Oifer 211

Chapter XIII. Pkaieie Land In The North-west

The Touchwood Qu'Appelle Colonisation Company — Rolling Prairie — Flat Prairie — A Risky Drive — A Sioux Settlement — A Red-skin on the Hunt — " Millions of Mosquitoes" — Among the Settlers — Their Requests— Winter in the North-West— A Nasty Accident . . . 220

Chapter XIV. Kegina And Moosejaw

The Musk-Rat — After-Glow — Wholesale Interviewing — Railway Travelling in the North- West — Regina — The Canadian Mounted Police — A House on Wheels — The " Noble Savage " Found at Last — A Taste of Sulphur — Moose jaw— Its Future — The Crees — A Massacre of Mosquitoes — Conflicting Rumours . . . . . . .229

Chapter XV. Medicine Hat And Thirteenth Siding

" Old Wives' Lakes " — The Spear Grass — Sunrise on the Prairie — Swift Current— Frozen Sub-soil — Maple Creek — Five Miles Without an Engine — Medicine Hat — Another Hand-shaking — Anti-Liquor Law in the North- West— Across Saskatchew^an River — A Vigorous Railway Contractor — Thirteenth Siding — The Open Prairie — Agriculture in the North- West 239

Chapter XVI. The Black-foot Indians

Crow Foot " and the Railway — A Claim for Damages — Unsophisticated Natives — Sixty Miles for the nearest Doctor — Revolting Spectacles — Native Agriculture 255

CONTENTS.

XT

CHAPTER XYII.

AT THE END OF THE TRACK.

PAGE

Mirages of the Prairie — Bow River — Burial among the Indians — The End of the Track — Railway Construction — A Right Royal Hotel — Farming and Prices at Calgary — A Reunion — Clive's Experiences . .263

Chapter XVIII. A Driving Tour

Livingstone — Glen's Farm and Government Farms — Colonel de Winton's Ranche — A "Round Up" — Cochrane Ranche — A Day's Track-laying — Professional Jealousy — Sixteenth Siding — An Inquirj^ as to " Them FeUows " — Indisposition of Clive 276

Chapter XIX. Medicine Hat To Brandon

Moosejaw — An Enterprising Editor — Elkhorn — Commotion and Separation — The Assinihoine Farm — Back-setting " — A Weedy Country — A Cold Climate — A Considerable " Trifle " — Brandon . . . 288

Chapter XX. By Road To Cartwright

Plum Creek — Across the Souris — A Prairie Fire — Sod v. Wood Huts — Experiences of Settlers — A Novel Method of Herding Cows — Welcome Hospitality — " Bachelors' Home " — Turtle Mountains — Deloraine — Agricultural Notes — Desford — Wakopa — Cartwright — A Pig in the Wrong Place — No Medical Aid 298

Chapter XXI. Cartwright To Manitoba City

Farmers Wanted — Labour and Living at Cartwright — General Aspect of Southern Manitoba — Observations on the Crops — Pembina Crossing — A Discontented Settler — Manitoba City 313

Chapter XXII. Southern Manitoba — Present And Future

More Capital Wanted — How Lands are " Settled" in Southern Manitoba — A Short-sighted Policy — Character of the Soil — Suggestions — A Reaction from the "Land-grab" Fever — Locking-up Land — Labour in Manitoba 323 xvi CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXIir.

EXPEKIENGES OF TWO SETTLERS.

PAGE

Advice to Intending Emigrants — A Drive round an Estate — Prices of Implements and Live Stock — A Fair Profit from a Holding of 160 Acres — Fuel — Weeds — Visit to a Stock Farm — The Prairie Eose . 334

Chapter XXIV. Among The Mennonites

Pembina — Rosenfeld — The Mennonites — Victims of Slander — How they

Live — Their Gardens — Their Mode of Farming and of Settlement . 357

Chapter XXV. Along The Red River Valley

A Rush for the Train — Morris — Comparative Richness of Lands — Winnipeg — Clive's Indisposition more Serious — Winnipeg Mud — A Drive to Kildonan — General Remarks on Manitoba and the North- West . 370