CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell University Library F 1063 B91 + History of Manitoba its resources and p 3 1924 028 903 734 DATE DUE rrp -w«rt-F fn-r 11! lb! I'yi' i y lu • * GAYLORD PRINTED IN U.S.P 31924028903734THIS IS A DE LUXE EDITION THIS NUMBER OF THIS VOLUME IS NQv,,,,,5,o., .....——--------------------A HISTORY OF MANITOBA Its Resources and People BY Prof. George Bryce, LL.D., F.R.S.C. Professor of English Literature, Manitoba College President Manitoba Historical Society Fellow of American Association for Advancement of Science Member of General Committee of British Association ILLUSTRATED THE CANADA HISTORY COMPANY TORONTO MONTREAL 1906CONTENTS CHAPTER I. Descriptive and Topographical. The Archaean Region. Mineral Resources. The Lake Region. Glacial Effects. Shore Line. Surface Features. The Highlands................ 5 CHAPTER II. ' Founding of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Rupert’s Land.. 19 CHAPTER III. Government and Trade of the Hudson’s Bay Company..... 26 CHAPTER IV. Struggles With the French............................. 31 CHAPTER V. Verandrye and the French in Rupert’s Land............ 39 CHAPTER VI. The Scottish Fur Traders of Montreal................. 44 CHAPTER VII. The Nor’ Westers of Canada and Their Rivalries and Truces. The X Y Company...................................... 50 CHAPTER VIII. The Hudson’s Bay Company Pushes Inland................ 57 CHAPTER IX. Lord Selkirk’s Colony................................. 63iv CONTENTS. CHAPTER X. The Fur Companies’ Struggle........................... ^ CHAPTER XI. “Seven Oaks” Skirmish................................. 80 CHAPTER XII. Lord Selkirk’s Visit.................................. 86 CHAPTER XIII. Fort Garry and Sir George Simpson..................... 96 CHAPTER XIV. Elements of Population at Red River................... 103 CHAPTER XV. Lord Selkirk’s Colony (1817-1835)..................... 113 CHAPTER XVI. Red River Settlement (1835-1844)...................... 124 CHAPTER XVII. Discontent in Assiniboia (1845-1869).................. 130 CHAPTER XVIII. V Canada Seeks After Rupert’s Land...................... 141 CHAPTER XIX. The Riel Rebellion (1869-1870)........................ 449 CHAPTER XX. Manitoba Created in 1870. The Organic Act of 1870..... 163CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXI. The First Decade as a Province. Settlement, Extension of Boundaries and General Provincial Affairs.................... 176 CHAPTER XXII. The Boom (1879-1882).................................... 185 CHAPTER XXIII. Early Means of Transportation in Manitoba. The Steamboat. The Red River Cart................................... 197 CHAPTER XXIV. The Building of the Railways........................... 206 CHAPTER XXV. Agriculture and Farming................................ 223 CHAPTER XXVI. Business Interests of Manitoba......................... 232 CHAPTER XXVII. Growth of Cities and Towns............................. 241 CHAPTER XXVIII. The Newspapers of Manitoba............................. 249 CHAPTER XXIX. Sketch of Political Development........................ 256 CHAPTER XXX. The Educational System of Manitoba. Public Schools. Colleges and the University.................................. 272VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER NXXI. The Rise of the Churches............................ 289 CHAPTER XXXII. Social Condition of the People...................... 296 CHAPTER XXXIII. The Future of Manitoba.............................. 303BIOGRAPHIES Adams Bros........................ Adams, D. E....................... Adams, Frank W.................... Adamson, Allan J.................. Agnew, John H..................... Aikenhead, Joseph................. Aikins, J. A. M................... Aikins, James C................... Aikins, J. S...................... Alexander, William ............... Allan, James B.................... Allan, William R.................. Anderson, Edward ................. Andrew, George.................... Andrews, Alfred A................. Arbuthnot, John .................. Arkell, Francis E................. Armington, Milton J............... Armitage, Joseph S................ Armstrong, Hugh................... Ashdown, James H.................. Bailey, Wilson S.................. Baine, James D.................... Baird, Hugh N..................... Baldwin, James M.................. Banfield, Armine F................ Bank of British North America Bannister, Wm. A.................. Banting, Charles R................ Barber, Edmund L.................. Barclay, Robert................... Ban-, George ..................... Barrett, Gregory.................. Barrowclough, Samuel L............ Baskerville, Charles A............ Beaubier, Thomas ................... • Bell, Charles N................... Beliveau, Hormisdas .............. Black, Geo. M..................... Black, John W..................... Black, Thomas..................... Black, William A.................. Blair, John....................... Bolton, Burton W.................. Bonnar, Robert A.................. Bonny, James R.................... Borthwick, Hugh J................. Boyce, Edward................ Briggs, Edward.................... Bright, Albert.................... Brock, Jeffry H................... Brown, Edward .................... Brown, John ...................... Browne, George ................... Bryan, George F................... Bryans, James .................... Bryce, George .................... Brydges, Frederick H............... 490 Brydon, William ................... 431 Buck, Thomas FI.................... 651 Burrows, Theodore A................ 324 Byrnes, Henry ..................... 422 Cadham, James H.................... 493 Callander, John C.................. 671 Cameron, Douglas C................. 362 Campbell, Peter.................... 679 Campbell, Robert J................. 346 Carruthers, George F............... 411 Carthew, John R.................... 674 Chaffey, Benjamin E................ 420 Chapin, Festus..................... 667 Chapman, Thomas ................... 553 Chevrier, Horace................... 358 Clark, Charles W................... 511 Clark, Douglas A................... 394 Clark, William..................... 460 Clement, Stephen E................. 535 Codd, Alfred ...................... 364 Codville, John J................... 473 Congdon, Arthur.................... 426 Cowan, James ...................... 566 Cowan, William J................... 653 Cox, Frederick J. C................ 475 Cranston, Charles H................ 508 Crawford, John .................... 592 Crawford, William E................ 670 Cross, William H................... 503 C'rotty, Henry S................... 397 Crowe, George R.................... 375 Cunningham, Henry C................ 677 Curran, John P..................... 597 Currie, William ................... 516 Curry, Duncan S.................... 401 Daly, Thomas M..................... 384 Darrach, Robert.................... 522 Davidson, Alexander ............... 469 Davidson, James H.................. 598 Davis, Fred L...................... 591 Dawson, Alexander.................. 505 Deacon, Thomas R................... 436 Denison, Albert ................... 557 Dickie, Noble ..................... 605 Dingwall, Donald R................ 418 Drewry, Edward L................... 349 Drewry, Frederick W................ 350 Driscoll, John W................... 482 Drysdale, John A................... 548 Eadie, James....................... 567 Elliott, George A.................. 417 Evans, Richard D................... 541 Evans, Thomas D. B................. 363 509 345 510 484 314 608 335 333 336 559 455 390 575 348 494 329 614 506 615 559 433 583 660 409 649 362 462 609 556 453 485 585 610 467 454 687 415 441 441 619 445 355 669 599 476 631 632 499 666 421 405 565 590 483 447 635 689BIOGRAPHIES. viii Fairbairn, James .................. 577 Fieldhouse, Marmaduke H............ 600 Fleming, John ..................... 501 Fleming, John William............. 519 Fonseca, William G................. 489 Forrest, Christopher F............. 633 Fowler, Frank 0.................... 487 Frame, James F..................... 682 Fraser, Alexander C................ 552 Fry, Henry......................... 337 Fry, John ......................... 558 Galloway, Roper ................... 581 Galt, George F..................... 372 Galt, John ........................ 373 Garrioch, W. Scott................. 569 Georgeson, William ................ 468 Gibson, James S.................... 534 Glines, George A................... 442 Gordon, James T.................... 322 Gordon, William ................... 657 Gourley, R. J...................... 614 Graban, Charles.................... 573 Graburn, Christopher............... 466 Graham, Herbert C.................. 538 Griffin, James Y................... 352 Grundy, James A.................... 512 Hadskis, George H.................. 402 Hagel, Nathaniel F................. 403 Haggart, Alexander................. 427 Hall, Robert....................... 527 Hallett, Frank T.................. 613 Hamilton, Daniel .................. 603 Hamilton, Jonathan J............... 588 Hammond, William J................. 459 Hanbury, John ..................... 514 Handseomb, Sidney T................ 370 Haney, John R...................... 433 Hannah, John ...................... 652 Hargraft, Alexander R.............. 378 Harris, Edward J................... 593 Harris, John Walter................ 399 Harrison, Richard M................ 612 Hart, John A....................... 352 Haverson, John H................... 672 Hay, Arthur G...................... 651 Heap, James ....................... 585 Helliwell, Chas. V................. 640 Henderson, William ................ 521 Herriot, William .................. 627 Hespeler, William ................. 367 Hetherington, Robert B............. 548 Higginbotham, Joseph F............. 550 Higham, James ..................... 581 Hobbs, James A..................... 640 Hooper, Samuel..................... 371 Horn, David........................ 351 Hosmer, Edward A. C................ 681 Houkes, Albert L................... 466 Howden, James H.................... 594 Hughes, Anthony J.................. 623 Hughes, Thomas A. M. . Hughes, Joseph H....... Hurt, Robert J......... Hutchings, E. F........ Hutchinson, Hodgson W 626 546 658 358 398 Imperial Bank of Canada Inglis, John ............ Innes, James ............ Jackson, George N................... 409 Jackson, Samuel J................... 578 James, Edwin A...................... 410 Johnson, James...................... 658 Joslin, William W................... 684 Kelly, Andrew ...................... 518 Kelly, Thomas ...................... 407 Kennedy, John....................... 645 Kennedy, William J.................. 504 Kerr, David ........................ 611 Kirkcaldy, James.................... 551 Laird, David ...................... 319 Lait, William B.................... 498 Lanigan, William B................. 427 Lawrence, George................... 645 Lawlor, Thomas J................... 647 Lee, Thomas........................ 435 Leech, J. Hillyard................. 451 Leech, Richard E. A................ 529 Leslie, John ...................... 323 Leslie, N. G....................... 457 Lindsay, Jonathan ................. 664 Loehead, John S.................... 661 Lock, Thomas H..................... 347 Locke, Corbet...................... 630 Lockhart, Thomas .................. 624 Love, John ........................ 419 Lundy, Frank B..................... 574 Macdonald, Daniel A............... 568 Macdonald, Hugh J................. 356 Machaffie, W. A................... 462 MacIntyre, Lachlan C.............. 425 MacLean, Daniel .................. 572 Macpherson, Ritchie ............... 537 MacVicar, Edwin L................. 450 Manitoba Iron Works................ 436 Manning, Robert F.................. 372 Manville, Herbert A................ 608 March, Frank M..................... 341 Marlett, Samuel R.................. 560 Martin, Isaac W................... 408 Maulson, George J.................. 386 Maw, Joseph ....................... 390 McBean, Bruce ..................... 440 McClain, Samuel.................... 673 McClure, Gavin .................... 676 McConnell, Benjamin J.............. 638 McCorquodale, Colin ............... 636 McCrae, James W.................... 604BIOGRAPHIES. IX McCuish, Donald J....... McDiarmid, Alfred R..... McDonald, Duncan........ McFadden, David H....... McGill, Joseph A........ Mclnnis, Stanley W...... McIntyre, Archibald H. . . McIntyre, Peter C....... McKay, Hector........... McKechnie, John ........ McKenzie, Albert E...... McKerchar, Daniel W... . McKinnon, Donald C...... McLaren, Archibald ..... McLaren Bros............ McLaughlin, H. Douglas. . McLennan, Duncan........ McMeans, Lendrum........ McMicken, Alexander McMillan, William W. . . McPherson, Hugh......... MePhillips, George...... McRae, Alexander C...... McWilliams, William H. . Meikle, Harry .......... Meredith, Henry......... Miller, William W....... Monkman, Albert ........ Monteith, George B...... Monteith, Robert........ Montgomery, Oswald Montgomery, Thomas Montgomery, Weston Morden, Wilmot F........ Mott, Ezra A............ Muir, Robert ........... Mulvey, Stewart ........ Munroe, George F........ Murray, George W....... Murphy, Gabriel B...... Musgrove, George....... Myers, Robert H........ Nanton, Augustus M. . . . Nation, Frederick...... Nation, Joseph ........ Newman, Fred L......... Newman, Thomas A....... Newton, Charles H...... O’Donnell, John H...... ' Olafson, Gisli...... Oldfield, John H....... Ogilvie Flour Milling Co Parrish, William L..... Paterson, Robert W..... Pattison, James W...... Pearson, Ernest W...... Percival, Thomas M..... Pitblado, Isaac ....... Pineo, William M....... Rankin, Andrew D.................... 527 Ramsay, Peter B. H................ 547 Rea, James F........................ 620 Reesor, D. A........................ 536 Reid, Alexander..................... 423 Renton, John ....................... 663 Richardson, Robert D............... 331 Richardson, Robert L............... 447 Richardson, William ................ 564 Riley, Robert T..................... 400 Rimer, Francis W................... 430 Roberts, James A................... 602 Robinson, Jerry..................... 448 Robinson, Joseph M.................. 525 Robinson, Thomas.................... 488 Roblin, Redmond P................... 311 Rocan, Maxime ...................... 500 Roche, William J.................... 616 Rochon, E. J........................ 470 Roddick, George .................... 555 Rogers, Robert...................... 313 Ross, Adam E....................... 683 Ruddell, John H..................... 641 Russell, John H. G.................. 480 Rutherford, Thomas ................. 502 Ruttan, Henry N..................... 317 Ryan, Joseph ....................... 561 Ryan, Thomas ................... 383 Salts, William H .................. 656 Schaffner, Frederick L.............. 657 Schmidt, Julius H................... 686 Schooley, Sloan ................... 583 Scott, Alexander L.................. 491 Scott, Frederick W.................. 474 Scott, James ....................... 396 Scott, John A....................... 669 Scott, Robert ...................... 474 Scott, Robert R.................... 471 Scott, Stuart ...................... 629 Scott, Thomas....................... 315 Scott, William...................... 474 Sexsmith, George.................... 679 Sharpe, Thomas ..................... 449 Shaw, Arthur W...................... 617 Shaw, George H...................... 495 Shea, Patrick....................... 476 Sheldon, Charles ................... 587 Shillinglaw, Walter H............... 549 Shirriff, James..................... 531 Simpson, Charles M.................. 508 Simpson, John....................... 601 Simpson, Robert M................... 469 Skynner, Henry J.................... 540 Slater, Andrew E.................... 665 Smith, Alborn Charles............... 675 Smith, Gilbert C.................... 659 Smith, James........................ 552 Smith, John E....................... 523 Smith, John 0....................... 414 Smith, Roderick .................... 588 Smith, William P.................... 570 636 541 680 320 595 533 575 322 530 327 521 416 545 490 628 379 621 472 365 361 554 481 507 382 644 528 573 432 646 646 ' 377 376 579 642 492 392 318 496 497 606 579 326 374 515 627 576 564 481 . 428 . 497 . 338 , 355 . 393 . 407 . 602 . 618 . 537 . 360 . 685X BIOGRAPHIES. Snelgrove, Alfred H................ 678 Soames, George .................... 383 Sowden, William H.................. 622 Speirs, John T..................... 513 Spence, James ..................... 388 Spink, Samuel ..................... 386 Sprague, Daniel E.................. 344 Stobart, Frederick W............... 504 Stephens, George F................. 354 Stevenson, William W............... 596 Stewart, Arthur.................... 439 Stirton, James .................... 639 Strang, Robert..................... 452 Stratton, Ira ..................... 580 Strome, Isaiah R................... 542 Stuart, James ..................... 380 Swinford, Herbert ................. 412 Taylor, Richard R.................. 465 Taylor, Thomas W................... 330 Tees, James ....................... 340 Telford, D. McL.................... 366 Thompson, Geo. B................... 511 Thompson, Harry C.................. 403 Thompson, John W................... 619 Thomson, Robert S.................. 525 Thomson, Charles J................. 688 Thomson, John...................... 438 Thomson, Richard S................. 570 Tilt, Capel ....................... 379 Tomalin, William J. C.............. 664 Tupper, James S.................... 339 Walker, David M.................... 325 Walker, William ................... 607 Wallace, James S................... 461 Waller, Henry E.................... 612 Watson, Johnston .................. 673 Watson, Robert..................... 562 Welch, Alexander R................. 655 Wellband, William ................. 429 Wemyss, John ...................... 597 West, Charles H.................... 586 Wheeler, Charles H................. 479 Whitla, R. J....................... 310 Whyte, William..................... 309 Williams, Frank ................... 676 Williams, John .................... 650 Wilson, Andrew E................... 653 Wilson, William .................. 544 Winearls, Herbert H................ 421 Winkler, Valentine ................ 643 Wood, George D..................... 394 Wright, Archibald.................. 478 Wright, James A.................... 661 Young, Ainslie L................... 623 Young, Finlay McNaughton........... 648 Younge, Joseph W................... 686PREFACE. ANITOBA is the central province of the Dominion of Canada. If one point of a pair of compasses be placed on the map at Winnipeg, and the other pass through New York on the Atlantic seaboard, the compasses in their sweep will strike the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, then Vancouver Island on the Pacific coast, and also the borders of the Arctic Ocean on the north. Manitoba is thus the centre of North America. Long shut up by the Chinese wall of the fur traders, Rupert’s Land remained an unknown region to the world. Its fertile acres were disregarded on account of the tale of snow and ice told of it, even by high officials of the Hudson’s Bay Company. And yet it was by Hudson’s Bay Company influences that the first settlement of Rupert’s Land—the Selkirk Colony—was begun well-nigh a century ago. Not much earlier than the beginning of the present generation, this unknown region was transferred to Canada, was opened up to the world, and from it was carved out the pioneer province of the west—Manitoba. Rocky barriers, great lakes, a foreign neighbor, and vast distances separated the new-found world from Canada. But Canadian enterprise and the rising spirit of the Dominion overcame all the difficulties, and three if not four transcontinental railways—projected or in operation—are mak- ing the Canadian Confederation complete, while Canada is now known to have an area greater than that of the United States. Manitoba, with its associated provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia in western Canada, is the greatest field of immigration in the world to-day. Manitoba—with its growing capital, Winnipeg, the Chicago-to-be of the western Province’s Prairies—though not the largest, is the most notable province of the west. From it flow out the influences of mercantile, finan- cial, intellectual, and religious life which give the west a character of its own.4 PBEFACE. Attracting, as the province does, a large foreign population, it is inspiring them with a true Canadian spirit and making them devoted and loyal to Parliament Hill, Ottawa, and to the British Crown. Free institutions, united in a strong central government; liberty given to the separate foreign elements to preserve a love for their fatherland, combined with a determined stand for the use of the English tongue; a fair system of finance and government that will press unjustly on no class or interest; an inexorable and just administration of the law by competent and honored judges; one system of public schools, and a plan of higher education, utilizing in one Provincial University the disciplinary assistance of every shade of belief; and protection of the people in their intelligent and devout religious aspirations—these are the features of our Canadian and western civilization. To tell the story of Manitoba, and to give examples both by portrait and description of the men who are building up the new province is the object of this book. The work has been carefully prepared, and hopes to be regarded as a faithful picture of the rising life of this province, which is the cynosure of the Canadian West. The Editor. Winnipeg.History of Manitoba CHAPTER I. DESCRIPTIVE AND TOPOGRAPHICAL. The Province of Manitoba, created in 1870 from the vast Territory of Rupert’s Land, which at this date was taken over from the Hudson’s Bay Company and given to Canada by the Imperial Parliament, appeared on the map of the Dominion, no larger than the postage stamp upon a letter. The great expanse, north of the International boundary line and west of Lake Superior, known as Rupert’s Land and the Indian Territories embraced over two million square miles. Manitoba as at first constituted by the Ottawa Parliament extended from the ninety-sixth parallel of West Longitude, along the International boundary of 49 degrees N., to the ninety-ninth parallel of West Longitude Thence the western boundary ran north to 52 degrees 30 minutes N. lati- tude, and from that point the northern and eastern boundaries were fixed by completing the oblong. On July 1, 1881, the boundaries of the province were enlarged by the Dominion Parliament, the western boundary being removed west from 99° to 101° 25' W., and the northern from 52° 30' to 52° 51' N., while as the result of the boundaries discussion the eastern boundary was carried east to 95° 9'. The original Manitoba (1870) embraced approximately three-fifths of the enlarged province (1881), which now contains 73,956 square miles. On the establishment of the province by the Manitoba Act of May, 1870, while various names were suggested, in the end the youngest member of the Dominion sisterhood of provinces was called Manitoba, from the lake of that name within its borders.6 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. The name Manitoba sprang from the union of two Indian words, “Manito,” the great spirit, and “Waba,” the “narrows” of the lake, which may readily be seen on the map. This well-known strait was a sacred place to the Crees and Saulteaux, who impressed by the weird sound made by the wind as it rushed through the narrows as simple children of the prairies called them “Manito-Waba,” or the “Great Spirit’s narrows.” The name, arising from the unusual sound, has been by metonymy translated into “God’s Voice.” The word was afterwards contracted into its present form —“Manitoba.” As there is no accent in Indian words, the natural pronunciation of this name would be “Man-i-to-ba.” On this account the custom of both the French and English people of the country was for years before and for several years after 1870 to pronounce it “Man-i-to-ba,” and even in some cases to spell it “Manitobah. ” After the formation of the province and the familiar use of the Pro- vincial name in the Dominion Parliament, where it has occupied much attention for a generation, the pronunciation has changed, so that the province is universally known from ocean to ocean as “Man-i-to-ba.” This will surely remain. The Archaean Region. The Province of Manitoba has on its eastern side a triangular extent of bold, bare, glacier-polished rocks of gneissic crystalline limestone, quartzose and granitic composition. This region of rounded hills, generally without soil, has a descending slope toward the province. Beginning at the southeast corner of Manitoba, where the Lake of the Woods simply intrudes its northwest angle, the west side of the triangle runs northwestward until it strikes Lake Winnipeg about 96° 35' W., and thence follows the east side of that lake to the northern boundary of the province in 97° 35' W. This rocky region is treeless except in its valleys, where at times a considerable growth is found of spruce, cedar and jackpine. The triangle includes about one-eighth of the province. This extent of Archaean rocks is, as may readily be seen, entirely un- suited for agriculture, but it is the drainage area by which the great bodiesHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 7 of water of the Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake find their way by the River Winnipeg to Lake Winnipeg. The name Winnipeg, as belonging to the greatest lake of the Canadian region west of Lake Superior, is of historic interest. The lake was met by the Crees and wandering Saulteaux of the Ojibway family as they jour- neyed westward from the clear and pellucid Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods and approached the prairie region. Here they found this lake with its water clouded by the streams coursing from the prairies, and carrying finely divided and suspended clay. Seeing its murky appearance they called it by its present name, meaning “murky water.” The French explorers were the first to place the Indian word in a written form and made it “Ouinipique”; Ellis (1748). The Hudson’s Bay Company, as seen in Dobb’s account (1744), adopted this spelling, but the English form soon asserted itself, as now found in Win—Murky, Nipi or Nipiy—water. It was Winnipie or Winnipic. Now Winnipeg has become the settled form. The Winnipeg river—originally Maurepas—took its name from the Lake, and the city, though forty-five miles from the lake, its name from the same source. The Winnipeg river is a magnificent stream. Leaving the Lake of the Woods, which lies one thousand and fifty-seven feet above the sea, it flows after a course of one hundred and sixty-three miles into Lake Winni- peg, whose surface is seven hundred and ten feet above the sea. There is in consequence a fall of no less than three hundred and thirty-two feet, which gives an enormous accumulation of force that is being utilized for power works. The head of the Winnipeg river is a basin called Darling- ton Bay. Into this the waters of Lake of the Woods flow, with a fall of some fifteen or twenty feet. A great stone dam has been built here, which can be used to supply a vast amount of power. This point is about one hundred and thirty miles from Winnipeg city. But as the Winnipeg river flows on its way northwestward it tumbles over many falls, and after a course of one hundred and sixty-three miles reaches Lake Winnipeg. The most noted of these falls are near Lac du Bonnet. The nearest approach of the Winnipeg river to the city of Win- nipeg is some forty miles. The works built at Lac du Bonnet are about fifty miles from the city. 1906 is the year fixed for their completion. The city8 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of Winnipeg also possesses rights on the Winnipeg river, where it may, if need be, construct power works. While power and building material are the useful products of this region, yet the wood for timber and pulp, and pos- sibly deposits of gold, silver and iron on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg may render the Keewatin district, as it is called, of value in the future. Mineral Resources. Though largely undeveloped, Manitoba has mineral resources which will yet be valuable. The Arcluean rocks found east of the province in great force in the region of Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods contain large intrusive quartz veins which are often rich in gold and silver. These rocks extend into the province to the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg. The rock content is what is known as ‘ ‘ low grade ore, ’ ’ and the precious metals are obtained by crushing the rock containing them with stamp mills and then sluicing over mercury cyanide or other plates. Considerable quantities of gold have thus been secured. Indeed, this species of gold mining is likely to become, as in Nova Scotia and other places, a regular industry more reliable than even “placer mines.” Money and perseverence are needed to develop the gold industry. On Big Island, in the narrower part of Lake Winnipeg, there are known to exist large quantities of hematite iron ore. These will be of vast import- ance to the west, but they have not yet been undertaken by mining enter- prise. The iron beds belong to the junction of the Archaean and Canadian rocks. At the narrows of Lake Winnipeg is found a large extent of gypsum beds. A strong company is organized and in operation for the purpose of grinding and treating this rock for cement, plaster and other requirements for housebuilding and public works. From the earliest times salt has been obtained from Lake Manitoba salt springs, and from similar springs in a number of the rivers. Extensive salt deposits are found at Lake Winnipegosis, which but await the capital, enter- prise, and as sufficient field to be supplied, to be undertaken as a great industry for the Canadian west. The presence of the Trenton limestone as an underlying rock in Manitoba has led to the belief that natural gas mayHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 9 be obtained from this horizon similar to that of Welland, Ontario, and Indiana in the United States. Certain indications of gas have been met in Manitoba, but no extensive find has yet been reported. Frequent attempts arising from surface indications have been made to obtain petro- leum in the Devonian and even lower rocks of Manitoba, but have not been successful. Excellent building stone largely used for foundations and for cut- stone buildings throughout the province is obtained in the Ordovician lime- stones east and north of the city of Winnipeg. Excellent cream-colored bricks are made from the marly clay found in the soil of the Red River Valley. The Lake Region. West of the Archaean triangle before described lies seven-eighths of the province. This may be generally divided into the lake or central region and west of this, the Highlands of Manitoba. The lake region represents a depressed level, some seven or eight hundred feet above the sea. This area includes the Red river and its affluents, with three large and two smaller lakes. The three great lakes are Winnipeg (9,746 square miles); Manitoba (1,900 square miles); and Winnipegosis or Little Winnipeg (2,030 square miles). Portions of Lakes Winnipeg and Winnipegosis lie outside of the northern boundary of the province. A little west of the northern end of Lake Manitoba is Lake Dauphin (262y2 square miles), whose name is a memorial of the early French occupation, and southeast of Lake Manitoba is Shoal Lake, a lake with no outlet and an area of approximately eighty square miles. Running into these lakes and draining the first or lowest level of Man- itoba is the Red river and its tributaries. These tributaries are, from the west, Pembina (partially in Manitoba), Morris, La Salle, Assiniboine and Nettley, while from the east proceeding northerly are Roseau (Reed river), Otterburn (Rat river), Seine (originally German Creek) and Cook’s Creek. Two rivers rise in the Arcluean triangle, the one, the Whitemouth, emptying into the Winnipeg river, the other, the Brokenhead, running into Lake Win- nipeg to the east of Red river.10 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The Red river, with its affluents, waters the most fertile portion of west- ern Canada. It enters Manitoba from North Dakota and running north- ward through the province for upwards of a hundred miles, passes in its course the town of Morris, the city of Winnipeg and the town of Selkirk. On the Assiniboine, the greatest tributary of the Red river, is the city of Bran- don, one hundred and thirty-two miles west of Winipeg, and also Portage la Prairie, fifty-five miles west of the city of Winnipeg. A geological investigation of the Red river basin renders intelligible the physical conditions at present existing. The rocks underlying the soil or drift of this prairie region consist chiefly of limestones, which were deposited ages ago on the western flanks of the A rchasan triangle, which we have described. Taking the city of Winnipeg as the centre or “golden milestone,” we find that the rocks of the Red river basin for thirty-five miles eastward to the Archaean slope, are Lower Silurian or as now called Ordovician rocks. Exposures at Tyndall, and along Red river are limestones largely quarried for building or for lime. Stony Mountain and Outcrops farther north of the same character belonging to the Ordovician subdivisions of Trenton and Hudson’s river, are of the same rocks as those about Toronto, Ontario. West for some forty miles from Winnipeg the same rocks occur, but are largely covered by deep drift. Judging from certain indications, as Lake Manitoba is approached, there lie beneath the drift beds of Silurian rocks, which seem to include Onondaga or Saliferous beds. At Portage la Prairie the underlying rock is Devonian, much found west and north and having been largely explored in Lake Winnipegosis, reaching up to the base of the Highlands, which we are to describe. Glacial Effects. In the past ages these Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian rocks that now lie under the drift, beneath our feet in Manitoba, were raised up and lay bare. Being exposed to the action of cold and heat, rain, frost, ice and snow, they were to some extent worn away. At length came the Glacial period, probably, according to the geologists, closing some ten thousand years ago. For long periods before this closingHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 11 era a great ice cap thousands of feet, if not several miles, thick, had covered the north of the continent. In the closing milleniums of the Glacial period the climate relaxed. The great ice barrier had stopped the flow of the Red river northward, and the beds of Lakes Winnipeg, Manitoba and Winnipegosis became embedded in solid ice. The ice accumulated in mountain masses, served as a barrier to prevent the melting ice from flowing northerly as it had done formerly to what is now Hudson Bay. A great lake five hundred feet deep formerly rolled where Winnipeg now stands and this depth meant the inclusion of the region even beyond the Lake of the Woods district within so mighty a sheet of fresh water. This great height of water, held back by the ice cap to the north, found an exit down the Minnesota river to the Mississippi. The geologists speak of this vast body of water as Lake Agassiz. Great glaciers descended lakeward, ground down the rocks which they encount- ered, both gneiss and limestone, and the debris was spread over the bottom of the lake. This has formed the soil or drift now covering the rocks.12 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The following section may show the beds deposited upon the rocks as seen along the Red river. Average Section of Bed River Drift. Humus 4 White Mud, nearly Clay . . .... 4 Blue Clay . . 40 ft. Boulder Clay .... 15 Boulders 5 Limestone Base Shore Line. While the Red river and lake region thus occupy the central area of Manitoba, being on the southern boundary sixty miles, it broadens as it goes north until on the northern limit of the province it is one hundred and fifty miles wide. The western boundary of this region is marked by a series of so-called mountains, running from southeast to northwest. This is the escarpment of the second prairie steppe, and consists of Pembina Mountain, and Tiger Hills for some sixty miles. Then comes in a great valley running eastward cut through the drift by the Assiniboine, at one time in the post- glacial period a great stream. North of this Assiniboine valley the range is resumed in a greater elevation known as Riding Mountain and further northHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 13 still as the Duck Mountain. The higher plateau thus formed extends not only to the western boundary of the province, but for hundreds of miles through the Province of Saskatchewan. The drift of this upland plain is similar to that of the Red River Valley. The underlying rock of this prairie steppe is chiefly sandstones and shales. Long ages had prevailed during which the Red river basin was above the water, but on its west flank, as it sank, there were thrown down in the circumscribing sea sand and clay deposits which are the sandstones and shales of this region to-day. The time of deposition of these rocks was what geologists call the Cretaceous period. The overlying beds of clay and sand are the result of post-glacial deposition, much thicker, however, than those of the Red river basin. Surface Features. Taking the whole area of Manitoba together, several remarkable fea- tures are observable. 1. The melting away of the northern ice cap at the close of the Glacial period allowed the northern outlets to be resumed and Lake Agassiz began to lower. After a time it ceased altogether to flow south by way of the Minnesota river. As further melting of the ice cap took place, by gradual steps the lake sank till it emptied itself by the old channel into Hudson Bay. The various stages of the sinking of Lake Agassiz are marked on the slope of Pembina Mountain and Tiger Hills, by a series of beaches or shelves at places, thirteen in number, in a descending scale. 2. The most interesting feature of the glacial decline is the Assiniboine river. Originally that river fell over the cliff of the second prairie steppe, emptied itself into Lake Agassiz, and deposited in the slack water of the lake a great delta of sand. It was at the same time wearing down and cutting through the escarpment over which it fell, just as the Niagara river now does. This great deposit of sand extended fully sixty miles east of the Assiniboine mouth, then near the site of Brandon, and constituted the great sandhills running from about Carberry to Bagot on the Canadian Pacific main line, and about Glenboro and Rathwell northward toward Port- age la Prairie on the Souris branch of the same railway. The Dominion14 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. government has wisely reserved this sandy waste, blown in many places hither and thither by the wind, as an air space for central Manitoba. 3. When the waters of Lake Agassiz declined the lake withdrew to narrower compass and the dashing Assiniboine pursuing its course east- ward, cut through the sandy delta, like a great monster destroying its own offspring, and cleared off for twenty miles the deposited sand, leaving the clay levels of Chater and Douglas, but was only strong enough to work out a channel for itself through the sand hills which still remain, separat- ing, however, the Carberry from the Cypress river sand regions. 4. Stony Mountain, lying some thirteen miles north of the city of Win- nipeg, is an outlier of limestone rock, standing some eighty feet above the plain. Its west side is an abrupt rock escarpment. It bears traces of glacial action, and seems to owe its escape from the all-devouring glacier, which no doubt took away much limestone from the Red river basin, to the fact that two glaciers, one from the northeast, and the other from the northwest, impinged at this point and spared the mountain. The occurrence of Stony Mountain and its isolation, suggests the fact that not only was the general rock level of the Red river basin greatly reduced in post-glacial times, but that the lake bottoms were scooped out by the glaciers, broken up into rock masses and boulders, and much of the material ground into fine detritus, and spread over the basin to form the soil of to-day. 5. Some eight miles northeast of the city of Winnipeg is to be seen a remarkable elevation of unstratified sand and gravel, containing lumps of clay, great boulders and almost every variety of morainal matter. This is known as Bird’s Hill. Eastwardly, a continuation of it is called Moose Nose. There has been much speculation as to the origin of Bird’s Hill. It has now been generally agreed that this post-glacial range is a vast ‘ ‘ Ozar, ’ ’ i.e., a great heap of morainal matter which has been piled up on an ice cape. The cliff of ice having broken off fell into the glacial lake and as a mighty iceberg, floating south and on melting, deposited its enormous burden of detritus in a stupendous heap, thus forming the two hills. 6. As the water of Lake Agassiz lowered, the dry land appeared, but as it was impossible to obtain an exit for all the waters of the lake someHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 15 undrainable portions remained, which are the lakes of to-day. First to gain the form of a separate lake, was Lake of the Woods. This lake lies, as said, several hundreds of feet above the other lakes of the basin. The only part of this lake coming into Manitoba is the northwest corner, known as. the Northwest Angle, a point famous in the diplomatic history of the settle- ment of the boundary line in the Treaty of Paris (1783) between Great Bri- tain and the United States. Lake of the Woods would have been drained down to the lower level but for the rock-barriers of the Archaean age, which prevent its escape. After Lake Agassiz formed its numerous beaches and the country became more and more dry, three lakes—the joy of Manitoba— viz., Winnipeg, Manitoba and Winnipegosis, with the little sisters, Dauphin and Shoal Lakes, still remained. These lakes of Manitoba are noted for their fisheries of white fish and pickerel, which have a market in many of the cities of the United States. Pike, sturgeon, catfish and goldeye abound in these lakes, but as the water in all is murky, the trout—the favorite of the fisherman—is not found here. The Highlands. The higher level of Manitoba, lying west of the Lake basin, forms a triangle, similar in shape to the Archaean triangle, but larger as including about one-third of the province. The hypothenuse of these two triangles lying on opposite sides of the Lake basin, face each other and are parallel. On the southern boundary of this elevated triangle, which extends for one hundred and thirty miles, a notable feature is found in the shape of a long, low mountain, appearing on the horizon as a series of round topped hills. It is known as Turtle Mountain, being called by the early French explorers, “La Montaigne des Tortues,” the separate tops looking like a succession of turtles. This is an outlier of a higher horizon of rock, prob- ably Tertiary, which contains lignite coal—the only coal deposit known to exist in Manitoba. On the second prairie steppe a lake and river system similar somewhat to that found on the Red river basin formerly existed. Further to the west there was a second glacial lake to which the name Lake Souris has been given.16 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Powerful glacial action cut out the great gap existing between Turtle Mountain and higher levels found westward. Down this cut flows, between its very lofty banks from North Dakota, the Souris river, known in North Dakota as the Mouse river. This river seems originally to have connected Lake Souris of the second steppe with Lake Agassiz of the first steppe of the Red river basin. After a great detour it found its way from North Dakota northwest of Turtle Mountain and then turning eastward entered North Dakota again at the east end of Turtle Mountain, and fell into Lake Agassiz, some forty miles west of the present channel of Red river, at a place in North Dakota formerly known as St. Joseph, now called Walhalla. Here great sandhills occur—evidently an old delta similar to that of the Assiniboine. The most remarkable thing about the Souris river is that at some period in the course of the change of levels caused by drainage of the lakes and possibly by crust movement of the earth, the river was diverted in its course, and from the present deep valley known as Langvale pressed its winding way northward until it emptied into the Assiniboine from the south, the mouth being some twenty miles east of the city of Brandon. When the upper Souris thus deserted its lower channel and turned northward to the Assiniboine, the Pembina river did not die out. The melt- ing snows and summer rains still keep up in the old valley a water supply maintaining several long and narrow prairie lakes, whose woody, sloping banks are so attractive that they form beautiful summer resorts for campers and hunters. These form a chain consisting of Pelican, Lome, Rock and Swan lakes, connected by the Pembina river already spoken of. The topographical features of the province, along with the amount of humidity, determine the relative proportion of woodland and prairie to be found on the first and second steppes of Manitoba. In general it may be said of the province that from its being lowest in latitude of the prairies of western Canada, and having the greatest amount of rainfall, it is the most forested portion of the Canadian west in its latitude, on the nearer side of the Rocky Mountains. Undoubtedly, as shown by the increase of trees by natural growth in many parts of Manitoba since its settlement, andHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 17 by the efforts of a well-directed forestry movement, the prairie lands of Manitoba are destined to become wooded. The result is furthered by the cultivation of the land, and the division of the country into farms, render- ing prairie fires well nigh impossible. Around the lakes and along the rivers there are in general blocks or belts of ‘ ‘ timber, ” as it is called. The moun- tain slopes of western Canada are also at times heavily wooded, as also are self-contained ridges. Poplar, both the Aspen tree and the black variety are the most usual trees found among the “bluffs” scattered over the sur- face of the province. In the lower levels, the spruce is very abundant and grows well when transplanted. On the Pembina, Riding and Duck Mountains, large forests of oak, basswood and tamarac occur. On all hands appears the Manitoba maple—' not a true maple—while along the streams the American white elm is seen reaching a great size. The greatest vigilance is exercised by the Dominion government in preserving the forests on the Riding Mountain Reserve, as from the eleva- tion flow the chief rivers (excepting the Red river) of the province. Should the Riding Mountain be cleared of its present forests the rivers and smaller streams would shrink into trifling rivulets and agriculture become as unpro- fitable as in barren Asia Minor or worn-out Palestine. The soil of Manitoba and the conditions of the country are suited for diversified agriculture. The native grasses are most nutritious. Great quantities of excellent “fodder” for cattle are supplied by many species and varieties belonging to the Pea family. Here cattle and horses thrive exceedingly. The native hay is almost exclusively used for feeding these animals, it being found in great abundance on the low-lying swampy prairie. The prairie soil of western Canada is especially adapted to the cultivation of cereals. The growth on the Manitoba prairie of the varieties of hard or flinty wheat—containing a high percentage of gluten—has resulted in a variety of wheat that sells at ten or fifteen per cent, a bushel higher than the softer kinds of eastern wheat. By the use of labor-saving machinery a farmer, single handed, on the prairies of Manitoba, can produce surpris- ingly large quantities of this valuable cereal. Of the coarser grains barley and oats are likewise staple products. 218 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The theory that the farthest north point where a cereal will ripen is found to give the most perfect sample of the grain has been fully exemp- lified in Manitoba. The soil and climatic conditions are especially favor- able to the growth of the potato and field roots, great size and solidity of texture being both secured. As to fruit, the apple is grown with difficulty. A few experimenters have succeeded in raising fair quantities of excellent apples, but the greatest care and adequate protection need to be given the tree, especially in the early spring. The wild grape grows as a native vine. Wild cherries and plums abound, as also the Saskatoon and high-bush cranberry. The small fruits—currants, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries—grow wild and cultivated varieties of these are very successful. Manitoba prairies have an excessive bloom of wild flowers. This shows a genial soil. Early in the spring the prairie anemone appears before the snow is entirely gone. The dwarf buttercup and three-flowered avens are close upon the anemone. The prairie rose, the July tiger-lily and the flowering onion come next. As the summer arrives the deeper colored flowers supplant the white, light blue and reddish, until in August the prairies are a blaze of yellow. The bloom of August consists largely of rep- resentatives of the sunflower family. These constitute about sixty per cent, of the flowers of Manitoba. The deep blue gentians close up the season of growth. The change from winter to spring takes place with great rapidity, as in the case in all northern climates. This generally takes place at the end of March. The clear skies of both winter and summer climates in Mani- toba are unexcelled. Winter may be said to begin about the middle of November. The winter is steady, salubrious and invigorating. Severe intervals are of short duration, and the climate nurtures a people of fine physique, of energy and of high moral and religious instincts.CHAPTER II. FOUNDING OF THE HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY. For two centuries we follow, in our attempts to trace the history of Manitoba from its scant beginnings and explain its earliest connections with civilization, the career of the Hudson’s Bay Company and its rival, the North-West Company. All the vast region generally known as North Canada was till a generation ago, and much of it still is, the peculiar realm of the fur trader and his allied interests. The fertile prairies and wood- lands that now, under the enterprise of a thrifty farming population, are producing millions of bushels of wheat, not long since were the wilderness whose chief source of wealth consisted in the skins and furs taken from its wild denizens, and the collection of these furs was the only practicable and remunerative occupation of the more or less transient inhabitants and was the business of perhaps the oldest and greatest corporate and monopolisitic company in commercial history. Manitoba was the field of meeting and conflict between the interests of two great fur companies, which eventually merged, and the city of Winnipeg, the capital of the province, is likewise the present Canadian headquarters for the Hudson’s Bay Company. The bold outlines of the history of the old Canadian fur companies furnish the proper introduction to the events in the development of the modern Pro- vince of Manitoba. The beginning of the oldest chartered company in the British Empire is found in the adventures of two Huguenot Frenchmen, Pierre Radisson and Medard Chouart, the latter born near Meaux in France and the other a resident of St. Malo, Brittany, who had gone to Canada about the middle of the seventeenth century, and, being full of energy and daring, had event- ually embarked in the fur trade. Out of the proceeds of his ventures Chouart purchased land, assumed the title of Seignior, and was thenceforth best known to history as ‘ * Sieur des Groseilliers. ’ ’ The third expedition to the west, undertaken by these partners in the year 1658, brought them into the vicinity of Lake Nepigon, where they passed the winter, and, having had great success, they applied to the Gover- nor, on their return to Montreal, for permission to trade in the interior.20 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. This was refused, except on very severe conditions, and they accordingly threw off all authority and at midnight departed without the Governor’s leave for the far west. It is worthy of note that, though these two French- men, by their operations in the fur country, led to the founding of the Hud- son’s Bay Company, they themselves, in these preliminary voyages, did not reach the shores of Hudson Bay. This point is of interest because the French claim to the country about the Bay was based, partly, upon the explorations asserted to have been made in that region by Radisson and Groseilliers. On the return of Groseilliers and Radisson to Quebec, for their disre- gard of the Governor’s will, they were mulcted of ten thousand pounds and the former was imprisoned for illicit trading. Filled with a sense of injus- tice at the amount of the fine placed upon them, the unfortunate traders crossed over to France and sought restitution. It was during their heroic efforts to secure a remission of the fine that the two partners urged the importance, both in Quebec and Paris, of an expedition being sent out to explore Hudson Bay, of which they had heard from the Indians. Their efforts in Paris were fruitless and they came back to Quebec, burning for revenge upon the rapacious Governor. Driven to desperation by what they considered a persecution, and no doubt influenced by their being Protestant in faith, the adventurers now turned their faces toward the English. In 1664 we find them in Boston, then the centre of English enterprise in America. Having laid their case before the merchants of that town, they succeeded in engaging a New Eng- land ship, which went as far as the entrance to the Hudson straits, but on account of the timidity of the master of the ship the voyage was given up and the expedition proved fruitless. Though prosecuting their search with zeal, Radisson and Groseilliers were for a long time unable to obtain satis- factory support, until they chanced to meet the two Royal Commissioners who were in America in behalf of Charles II. to settle a number of disputed questions in New England and New York. By one of these, Sir George Carteret, they were induced to visit England. Through the influence of Carteret, who was no other than the vice- chamberlain to the King and treasurer of the navy, they obtained an audi-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 21 ence with King Charles, who promised that a ship should be supplied them as soon as possible with which to proceed on their long-planned journey. Delays intervened, however, and it was nearly two years before the expedi- tion got under way. In the meantime Groseillers and Radisson had obtained an audience from Prince Rupert, the King’s cousin, and had awakened his interest in the enterprise to which he was to lend his influence and co-opera- tion with such prosperous results. In fact, from the first the project was fostered by the foremost personages of England, from the King to the thrifty London merchants. The first stock book (1667) showed first on its f list of names that of the Duke of York, the King’s brother; then that of the notable Prince Rupert, who took £300 of stock, one-third of which he transferred to Sir George Carteret, who evidently was the guiding mind in the beginning of the enterprise. Sufficient stock having been subscribed to purchase vessel, cargo, and to bear the expenses of the voyage, the adven- turers then secured two ships, the Eaglet, Captain Stannard, and the Non- such ketch, Captain Zaehariah Gillam. The former vessel has almost been forgotten, because after venturing on the journey, passing the Orkneys, crossing the Atlantic, and approaching Hudson straits, the master thought the enterprise an impossible one, and returned to London. It was in June, 1668, that the vessels sailed from Gravesend, on the Thames, and proceeded on their journey. The Nonsuch found the Bay, discovered little more than a half century before by Hudson, and, entering the stream, the Nemisco, on the southeast corner of the Bay, the party took possession of it, calling it, after the name of their distinguished patron, Prince Rupert’s river. Here, at their camping place, having made an agree- ment with the natives of the district by which they were allowed to occupy a certain portion of the territory, they went to work and built a stone fort, which, in honor of their gracious sovereign, they called “Charles Fort.” Here they remained until April, 1669, when, with a hold full of skins, they crossed the ocean to London and gave an account of their successful voyage. As the pioneer expedition to the Hudson Bay, resulting in the founding of the first fort and the beginning of the great movement which has lasted for more than two centuries, the voyage of the Nonsuch was a memorable event, and was the first of the long series of most important and far-reaching22 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. activities which finally brought Manitoba in connection with civilized progress. The success of the first voyage made by the London merchants to Hud- son bay was so marked that the way wms open for establishing the company and carrying on a promising trade. The merchants who had given their names or credit for Gillam’s expedition lost no time in applying, with their patron, Prince Rupert, at their head, to King Charles II. for a charter to enable them more safely to carry out their plans. Their application was, after some delay, granted on May 2, 1670. The charter states that the eighteen incorporators named deserve the privileges granted because they “have at their own great cost and charges undertaken an expedition for Hudson Bay, in the northwest parts of America, for a discovery of a new passage into the South Sea, and for the finding of some trade for furs, minerals and other considerable commodi- ties, and by such their undertakings have already made such discoveries as to encourage them to proceed farther. In pursuance of their said design, by means whereof there may probably arise great advantage to us and our kingdoms.” The full name of the company given in the charter is, ‘ ‘ The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England, trading into Hudson’s Bay.” They have usually been called “The Hudson’s Bay Company,” the form of the possessive case being kept in the name, though it is usual to speak of the bay itself as Hudson Bay. The adventurers are given the power of possession, succession, and the legal rights and responsibilities usually bestowed in incorporation, with the power of adopting a seal or changing the same at their ‘ ‘ will and pleasure ’ ’; and this is granted in the elaborate phraseology found in documents of that period. Full provision is made in the charter for the election of governor, deputy-governor, and the managing committee of seven. It is interesting to notice during the long career of the company how the simple machinery thus provided was adapted, without amendment, in carrying out the immense projects of the company during the two and a quarter centuries of its existence. The grant was certainly sufficiently comprehensive. The generous monarch gave the company “the whole trade of all those seas, streights, andHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 23 bays, rivers, lakes, creeks, and sounds, in whatsoever latitude they shall be, that lie within the entrance of the streights commonly called Hudson’s Streights, together with all the lands, countries, and territories upon the coasts and confines of the seas, streights, bays, lakes, river, creeks and sounds aforesaid, which are not now actually possessed by any of our sub- jects, or by the subjects of any other Christian prince or state.” The wonderful water system by which this great claim was extended over so vast a portion of the American continent has been often described. The streams running from near the shore of Lake Superior find their way by Rainy Lake, Lake of the Woods, and Lake Winnipeg, then by the River Nelson, to Hudson Bay. Into Lake Winnipeg which acts as a collecting basin for the interior, also run the Red river and mighty Saskatchewan, the latter in some ways rivalling the Mississippi and springing from the very heart of the Rocky Mountains. The territory thus drained was all legitimately covered by the language of the charter. The tenacious hold of its vast domain enabled the company to secure in later years grants of territory lying beyond it on the Arctic and Pacific slopes. Rupert’s Land. The first name, of vague definition, it is true, assigned to this great region, was given in compliment to the principal patron and the first gover- nor of the company, the popular Prince Rupert, and “Rupert’s Land” is still significant to many ears of the region for the enterprise of the fur trader and his allies. Over more than one-third of the entire continent, therefore, the Com- pany of Adventurers were allowed the privileges of trade in general, and more specifically that “the fisheries within Hudson’s streights, the minerals, including gold, silver, gems and precious stones, shall be possessed by the company. ’ ’ Although this region was recognized as one of the English ‘ ‘ Plantations or Colonies in America,” the transfer of the territory to the company to hold it “in free and common socage,”i.e., as absolute proprietors, and the power to make laws and administer justice throughout the territory, gave distinction to this colony which is not paralleled in any other one British24 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. possession on American soil. According to the charter, the officers of the company “may have power to judge all persons .belonging to the said governor and company, or that shall live under them, in all causes, whether civil or criminal, according to the laws of this kingdom, and to execute jus- tice accordingly.” To this was also added the power of sending those charged with offences to England to be tried and punished. That the authorities in the course of time availed themselves of this right is proved in the history of the Red River Settlement, in the very heart of Rupert’s Land, where a community of several thousand people within a circle having a radius of fifty miles were ruled by the Hudson’s Bay Company officials, with the customs duties collected, certain municipal institutions established, and justice administered by that authority, and for two generations the people not possessed of representative institutions. One of the powers most jealously guarded by all governments is the control of military expeditions. There is a settled unwillingness to allow private individuals to direct or influence them. No qualms of this sort seem to have been in the royal mind over this matter in connection with the Hudson’s Bay Company. The company is fully empowered in its charter to send ships of war, men or ammunition into their plantations, allowed to choose and appoint commanders and officers, and even to issue them their commissions. Moreover, the Adventurers were empowered “to make war or peace with any prince or people whatsoever that are not Christians, and to be permitted for this end to build all necessary castles and fortifications. ’ ’ The establishment of this as the oldest monopolistic company in the world is based upon the grant of the “whole, entire and only liberty of Trade and Traffick. ” The claim of a complete monopoly of trade was held most strenuously by the company from the beginning. The enterprise was frankly founded on commercial principles, and its sole apology for exist- ence was openly avowed in its heraldic device—“Pro Pelle Cutem,” “skin for skin.” To prevent the incoming of interlopers and private traders it was often necessary, in the early history of the company, to exercise the power given by the charter “to seize upon all persons of all such English or any other subjects which sail into Hudson Bay or inhabit in any of theHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 25 countries, islands, or territories granted to the said governor and company, without their leave and license in that behalf first had and obtained. ’ ’ With such extensive powers, the wonder is that the company bears, on the whole, after its long career over such an extended area of operations, and among savage and border people unaccustomed to the restraints of law, so honorable a record. Its methods were nearly all honorable British methods. It never forgot the flag that floated over it. One of the greatest testimonies in its favor was that, when two centuries after its organization it gave up, except as a purely trading company, its power in Canada, yet its authority over the wide-spread Indian population of Rupert’s Land was so great that it was asked by the Canadian government to retain one-twentieth of the land of that wide domain as a guarantee of its assistance in transferring power from the old to the new regime. .CHAPTER III. GOVERNMENT AND TRADE OP THE HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY. The generation that lived between the founding of the company and the end of the century saw a great development in the trade of the infant enterprise. The foundations of the house which has endured for over two centuries were laid; the business principles which have been followed undevi- atingly and successfully, in that period became concrete and practical; the field operations were systematized, and all the vast machinery of traffic was set going. The methods and practices of a business so ancient and honor- able may be scrutinized with profit and interest, especially as its success depended so much upon the willing co-operation of a race that, as a factor in the work of civilization, has proved notably unreliable if not adverse in the history of French, Spanish and English colonies. The policies which resulted in the evolution of such a successful enter- prise originated in the home group, the governing members, of the com- pany. Indeed, the success of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the influence exerted by it during so long a period, has often been attributed to the union of persons of station and high political influence with the practical and far- seeing business men of London, who made up the company. As the ‘ ‘ Com- pany of Adventurers” showed wisdom in obtaining such men for governors as Prince Rupert, James, Duke of York, and Lord Churchill, thus insuring protection and favor at home, so they showed foresight and judgment in the practices which they inaugurated among their new world factors and employees. Much of their success must be ascribed to their dealings with the Indians according to proper principles of trade: only reliable goods were to be handled; there must be a standard and unvarying scale of exchange, and all bargains must be lived up to with punctilious exactitude. These principles were based only on common prudence and experience, and Adam Smith had not yet enunciated the .truth that trade could be ‘ ‘ fair exchange and no robbery”; nevertheless, the policy made the Indians lasting friends, who, in every part of Rupert’s Land had absolute trust in the good faith of the company. To have been the possessor of such absolute powers as those given by the charter; to have been able to carry on government and tradeHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 27 so long and successfully, is not so much a commendation of the royal donor of the charter as it is of the business judgment and general fairness of the administration, which entitled it not only officially but also really to the title “The Honorable Hudson’s Bay Company.” The monthly and sometimes weekly meetings of the “Court of Adven- turers, ’ ’ as the governing body was known, followed the affairs of the com- pany with close attention, and the energetic executive committee was busied with the rapidly multiplying details that each year had to be attended to at the home office. The fitting out of the ships employed in the trade was a work needing much attention from the sub-committee. Year after year its members went down to Gravensend about the end of May, saw the goods which had been purchased placed aboard the ships, paid the captain and men their wages, delivered the agents to be sent out their commissions, and exercised plenary power in regard to emergencies which arose. The articles selected indicate very clearly the kind of trade in which the company engaged. The inven- tory of goods in 1672 shows how small an affair the trade at first was. ‘ ‘ Two hundred fowling pieces, and powder and shot; 200 brass kettles, size from five to sixteen gallons; twelve gross of knives; 900 or 1,000 hatchets,” is recorded as being the estimate of cargo for that year. A few years, however, made a great change. Tobacco, glass beads, 6,000 flints, boxes of red lead, looking glasses, netting for fishing, pewter dishes and pewter plates were added to the consignments. That some atten- tion was had by the company to the morals of their employes is seen in that one ship’s cargo was provided with ‘ ‘ a book of common prayer, and a book of homilies.” About June 1st, the ship, or ships, sailed from the Thames, rounded the North of Scotland, and were not heard of till October, when they returned with their valuable cargoes. Year after year, as we read the records of the company’s history, we find the vessels sailing out and return- ing with the greatest regularity, and few losses took place from wind or weather during that time. The agents of the company on the Bay seem to have been well selected and generally reliable men. Certain French writers and also-the English28 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. opponents of the company have represented them as timid men, afraid to leave the coast and penetrate to the interior, and their conduct has been contrasted with that of the daring, if not reckless, French explorers. It is true that for about one hundred years the Hudson’s Bay Company men did not leave the shores of Hudson Bay, but what was the need so long as the Indians came to the coast with their furs and afforded them profitable trade! By the orders of the company they opened up trade at different places on the shores of the Bay, and fifteen years after the founding of the company there were forts established at (1) Albany River; (2) Hayes Island; (3) Rupert’s River; (4) Port Nelson; (5) New Severn. These forts and fac- tories, at first primitive and small, were gradually increased in size and comfort until they became, in some cases, quite extensive. The plan of management was to have a governor appointed over each fort for a term of years, and a certain number of men placed under his direction. In the first year of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s operations as a corporate body, Governor Charles Bailey was sent out to take charge of Charles Port at Rupert’s River. With him was associated the French adventurer, Radisson, and his nephew, Jean Baptiste Groseilliers. To the forts from the vast interior of North America the various tribes of Indians, especially the Crees, Chipewyans, and Eskimos, brought their furs for barter. No doubt the prices were very much in favor of the traders at first, but during the first generation of traders the competition of French traders from the south for their share of the Indian trade tended to correct injustice and give the Indians better prices for their furs. The following is the standard fixed at this time:— Guns.........................twelve winter beaver skins for largest, ten for medium, eight for smallest. Powder.......................a beaver for % lb. Shot......................... a beaver for 4 lbs. Hatchets.....................a beaver for a great and little hatchet. Knives.......................a beaver for eight great knives and eight jack- knives. Beads........................a beaver for % lb. of beads. Laced coats..................six beavers for one. Plain coats..................five beavers for one plain red coat. Coats for women, laced 2 yds. six beavers.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 29 Coats for women, plain......five beavers. Tobacco.....................a beaver for 1 lb. Powder-horn.................a beaver for a large powder-horn and two small ones. Kettles.....................a beaver for 1 lb. of kettle. Looking-glass and comb......two skins. The trade conducted at the posts or factories along the shore was carried on by the local traders so soon as the rivers from the interior—the Nelson and the Churchill—were open, so that by the time the ship from London arrived, say in the end of July or the beginning of August, the Indians were beginning to reach the coast. The month of August was a busy month, and by the close of it, or early in September, the ship was loaded and sent back on her journey. By the end of October the ships arrived from Hudson Bay, and the anxiety of the company to learn how the season’s trade had succeeded was naturally very great. As soon as the vessels had arrived in the Downs or at Portsmouth, word was sent post haste to London, and the results were laid before a committee of the company. Much reference is made in the minutes to the difficulty of preventing the men employed in the ships from entering into illicit trade in furs. Strict orders were given to inspect the lockers for furs to prevent private trade. In due time the furs were unladen from the ships and put into the custody of the company’s secretary in the London warehouse. The matter of selling the furs was one of very great importance. At times the company found prices low, and deferred their sales until the out- look was more favorable. The method followed was to have an auction, and every precaution was taken to have the sales fair and above board. Evi- dences are not wanting that at times it was difficult for the Court of Adventurers to secure this very desirable result. Pending the sales it was necessary for large sums of money to be advanced to carry on the business of the company. This was generally accomplished by the liberality of members of the company itself supplying the needed amounts. The company was, however, from time to time gratified by the declara- tion of handsome dividends. So far as recorded, the first dividend was declared in 1684, and judged by modern standards it was one for which a30 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. company might well wait for a number of years. It was for 50 per cent, upon stock. In 1689 profits to the extent of 25 per cent, on the stock were received, and one of the successful captains was, in the exuberance of feeling of the stockholders, presented with a silver flagon in recognition of his services. In 1690, however, took place by far the most remarkable event of a financial kind in the early history of the company. The returns of that year from the Bay were so large that the company decided to treble its stock. The reasons given for this were: (1) The company has in its warehouse about the value of its original stock (£10,500). (2) The factories at Fort Nelson and New Severn are increasing in trade, and this year the returns are expected to be £20,000 in beaver. (3) The factories are of much value. (4) Damages are expected from the French for the claim of £100,000. The company then proceeded to declare a dividend of 25 per cent., which was equivalent to 75 per cent, on their original stock. It is true that towards the end of the seventeenth century, the trade of the company was seriously injured by the attacks of the French on the Bay, but a quarter of a century in which the possibility of obtaining such profits had been shown was sufficient to establish the company in the public favor and to attract to it much capital. Its careful management from the first led to its gaining a reputation for business ability which it has never lost during two and a quarter centuries of its history.CHAPTER IV. STRUGGLES WITH THE FRENCH. In the long warfare between the powers of France and England which culminated in America, through the victory of Wolfe on the Plains of Abra- ham, in 1759, in the final overthrow of French dominion and the transfer, by the treaty of 1763, of the territory of New France to the British sover- eignty, the yet unsettled country now comprised in the Province of Mani- toba had no part. In spite of certain vague and historically untenable pre- tensions of the French to discovery and possession of the region about Hud- son Bay, Rupert’s Land from the date of the charter of 1670 to the pre- sent time has been under English dominion, with exceptions of the brief and futile French occupancy which we shall proceed to describe in this chapter. In this respect, then, the political history of Manitoba in the period now under consideration has a different setting and belongs in another series of events than the provinces of the Dominion to the east. As, to the south, the two great nations which were seeking supremacy in North America came into collision along the disputed border boundaries of the St. Lawrence and in western Pennsylvania, so, to the north, the shores of Hudson Bay were the debatable ground which each power hoped to secure by occupation and settlement. Along the shore of the Atlantic, Eng- land claimed New England and much of the coast to the southward. France was equally bent on holding New France and Acadia. Now that England had begun to occupy Hudson Bay, France was alarmed, for the enemy would be on her northern as well as on her southern border. No doubt, too, France feared that her great rival would soon seek to drive her golden lilies back to the old world, for New France would be a wedge between the northern and southern possessions of England in the new world. The alarm caused the French by the movements of the English adven- turers was no doubt increased by the belief that Hudson Bay was included in French territory. The question of what constituted ownership or priority of claim was at this time a very difficult one among the nations. Whether mere discovery or temporary occupation could give the right of owner- ship was much questioned. Colonization would certainly be admitted to32 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. do so, provided there had been founded ‘ ‘ certain establishments. ’ ’ But the claim of France upon Hudson Bay would appear to have been upon the mere ground of the Hudson Bay region being contiguous or neighboring territory to that held by the French, claims that an industrious searching of the annals of French discovery does not corroborate. At any rate M. Colbert, the energetic prime minister of France, made up his mind that the English must be excluded from Hudson Bay. Further- more, the fur trade of Canada was beginning to feel very decidedly the influence of the English traders in turning the trade to their factories on Hudson Bay. The French prime minister, in 1678, sent word to Duchesnau, the Intendant of Canada, to dispute the right of the English to erect fac- tories on Hudson Bay. In carrying out this policy, the Canadian authorities availed themselves of the services of the two men in whose adventures we have found the origin of the Hudson’s Bay Company and to whose uneven fortunes we can here again recur briefly. In the year of the organization of the Hudson’s Bay Company, Radis- son and Groseilliers went out with Governor Bailey and assisted in estab- lishing trade on the shores of the Bay. On their return, in the autumn of 1671, to London, the two adventurers spent the winter there, and, as the minutes of the company show, received certain money payments for their maintenance. In October, 1673, the sloop Prince Rupert had arrived at Poi-tmouth from Hudson Bay, and there are evidences of friction between Radisson and Captain Gillam. Various sums were paid from the company’s treasury to Radisson, but his restless spirit could not be satisfied. No doubt he felt his services to be of great value, and he now illustrated what was really the weakness of his whole life, a want of honest reliability. The company had done as well for him as its infant resources would allow, but along with Groseilliers he deserted from London, and sought to return to the service of France under the distinguished Prime Minister Colbert. The shrewd Colbert knew well Radisson’s instability. Moreover, Radis- son had married a daughter of Sir John Kirke, one of the Hudson’s Bay Company promoters. This English and domestic connection made Colbert suspicious of the adventurer. However, he agreed to pay Radisson and Groseilliers the sum of their debts, amounting to £400, and to give themHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 33 lucrative employment. The condition of his further employment was that Radisson should bring his wife to France, but he was unable to get either his wife or her father to consent to this. For seven years Radisson vacillated between the two countries. Under the French he went for one season on a voyage to the West Indies, and was even promised promotion in the French marine. At one time he applied again to the Hudson’s Bay Company for employment, but was refused. The fixed determination of his wife not to leave England on the one hand, and the settled suspicion of the French government on the other, continually thwarted him. Finally Radisson and his fellow adventurer became the proper instru- ments of the French minister in his determination to dispute the possession of Hudson Bay with the English. With the approval of the French government, these facile agents sailed to Canada and began the organiza- tion, in 1681, of a new association, to be known as “The Northern Com- pany.” Fitted out with two small barks, in 1682, the two adventurers, with their companions, appeared before Charles Fort, which Groseilliers had helped to build, but do not seem to have made any hostile demonstra- tion against it. Passing away to the west side of the Bay, these shrewd explorers entered the river Ste. Therese (the Hayes river of to-day) and, determining to trade at this point, Groseilliers undertook the construction of a small fort, which is thereafter known as Fort Bourbon, while Radisson went inland on a canoe expedition to meet’the natives. In this Radisson was fairly successful, and gathered a good quantity of furs. The French adventurers were soon surprised to find that an English party had (probably a few months after the arrival of the French) taken possession of the mouth of the Nelson river, near by, and were establishing a fort. Radisson opened communication with the English, and found them in charge of Governor Bridgar, but really led by young Gillam, son of the old captain of the Nonsuch. The versatile Frenchman, professing great friendship for the newcomers, exchanged frequent visits with them and became acquainted with all their affairs. Finding the English short of pro- visions, he supplied their lack most generously and offered to render them any service. Governor Bridgar was entirely unable to cope with the wiles 334 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of Radisson. Matters were so arranged that Jean Baptiste Groseilliers, the latter’s nephew, was left in charge of the forts to carry on the trade during the next winter, and with the English governor somewhat as a voluntary prisoner, Radisson sailed away to Canada in Gillam’s ship. It is charged that he attempted to unload a part of the cargo of furs before reaching Quebec. This led to a quarrel between him and the Northern Company, under whose auspices he was then employed, and on the return of Radisson and Groseilliers to France they were made to feel the displeasure of the prime minister. Their adventure had, however, been so successful, and the prospects were so good, that the French government determined to send them out again, in two ships, to reap the fruits of the winter’s work of the younger Groseilliers. While preparations were being made for the voyage, Radisson passed over to England, and there traitorously entered into negotiations with the Hudson’s Bay Company. A few days later, on a company ship and under the British flag, Radisson sailed away to Hudson Bay. Arriving at Hayes river, he explained to the younger Groseilliers the change that had taken place and his purpose to transfer everything, establishment and peltry, to the Hudson’s Bay Company. Young Groseilliers, being loyal to France, objected to this, but Radisson stated that there was no option, and he would be compelled to submit. The whole quantity of furs transferred to Radis- son by his nephew was 20,000—an enormous capture for the Hudson’s Bay Company. In the autumn of 1684 Radisson returned in the Hudson’s Bay Company’s ship, bringing the great store of booty. The sense of injury produced on the minds of the French by the treachery of these adventurers stirred the authorities up to attack the posts on Hudson Bay. Governor Denonville now came heartily to the aid of the Northern Company, and commissioned Chevalier de Troyes to organize an overland expedition from Quebec to Hudson Bay. The love of adventure was strong in the breasts of the young French noblesse in Canada. Another leader among the valorous French Canadians was Le Moyne D’Iberville, who, though but twenty-four years of age, had already performed prodigies of daring.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 35 Leaving the St. Lawrence in March 1685, the French, after nearly three months of the most dangerous and exciting adventures, reached their destination. The officers and men of the Hudson’s Bay Company were chiefly civilians unaccustomed to war, and were greatly surprised by the sudden appearance upon the Bay of their doughty antagonists. At the mouth of the Moose river one of the Hudson’s Bay Company forts was situated, and here the first attack was made, and after a fierce assault the post was captured by the forest rangers. The chief offence in the eyes of the French was Charles Fort on the Rupert river, that being the first con- structed by the English company. This was also captured and its fortifica- tions thrown down. The largest fort on the Bay was that in the marshy region on Albany river. It was substantially built with four bastions and was provided with forty-three guns. The rapidity of movement and military skill of the French expedition completely paralyzed the Hudson’s Bay Company officials and men. Governor Sargeant, though having in Albany fort furs to the value of 50,000 crowns, after a slight resistance surrendered without the honors of war. The only place of importance now remaining to the English on Hudson Bay was Port Nelson, which was near the French Fort Bourbon. D’Iberville, utilizing a vessel he had captured on the Bay, went back to Quebec in the autumn of 1687 with the rich booty of furs taken at the different points. These events having taken place at a time when the two countries France and England were nominally at peace, negotiations took place between the two powers. Late in the year 1686 a treaty of neutrality was signed, and it was hoped that peace would ensue on Hudson Bay. This does not seem to have been the case, however. D ’Iberville defended Albany Fort from a British attack in 1689, departed in that year for Quebec with a ship- load of furs and returned to Hudson Bay in the following year. During the war which grew out of the Revolution, Albany Fort changed hands again to the English, and was afterwards retaken by the French, after which a strong English force (1692) repossessed themselves of it. For some time English supremacy was maintained on the Bay, but the French merely waited their time to attack Fort Bourbon, which they regarded as in a36 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. special sense their own. In 1691 D ’Iberville visited the Bay, beseiged and took Fort Bourbon. In 1697 the Bay again fell into British hands, and D’Iberville was put in command of a squadron sent out for him from France, and with this he sailed for Hudson Bay. The expedition brought unending glory to France and the young commander. Though one of his warships was crushed in the ice in the Hudson straits and his remaining vessels could nowhere be seen when he reached the open waters of the Bay, yet he bravely sailed to Port Nelson, purposing to invest it in his one ship, the Pelican. Arrived at his station, he observed that he was shut in on the rear by three English men-of- war. His condition was desperate; he had not his full complement of men, and some of those on board were sick. His vessel had but fifty guns; the English vessels carried among them 124. The English vessels, the Hamp- shire, the Dering, and the Hudson’s Bay, all opened fire upon him. Dur- ing a hot engagement, a well aimed broadside from the Pelican sank the Hampshire with all her sails flying, and everything on board was lost; the Hudson’s Bay surrendered unconditionally, and the Dering succeeded in making her escape. After this naval duel D’Iberville’s missing vessels re-appeared, and the commander, landing a sufficient number of men, invested and took Port Nelson. The whole of the Hudson Bay territory thus came into the possession of the French. In the same year of D’Iberville’s triumphs on Hudson Bay, King Louis XIV. was forced, after six years of war with the “Grand Alli- ance,” to accept the famous treaty of Ryswick, which, however favorable its provisions may have been to the allied powers, was very unsatisfactory to the Hudson’s Bay Company. Article VII. of the treaty compelled the restoration to the King of France and the King of Great Britain respec- tively of “all the countries, island, forts and colonies,” which either had possessed before the declaration of war in 1690; and, with immediate respect to Hudson Bay, “commissioners should be appointed on both sides to examine and determine the rights and pretensions which either of the said kings has to the places situated on Hudson Bay; but the possession of those places which were taken by the French during the peace that precededHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 37 this war, and were retaken by the English during this war, shall be left to the French.” The establishment of a status quo ante bellurn seemed to validate the French pretensions to territorial rights about Hudson Bay, and the treaty as a whole was decidedly prejudicial to the Hudson’s Bay Company, although the case was kept open by the provision for the appointment of commissioners to examine and decide boundaries. The affairs of the com- pany were, indeed, in a very unfortunate condition for fifteen years after the treaty of Ryswick. That each nation should hold that of which it was in actual possession meant that of the seven Hudson’s Bay Company forts only Fort Albany was left to the company. The company began to petition at once for the appointment of the commissioners provided by the treaty to settle the matter in dispute. The desperate conditions of their affairs accounts for the memorials presented to the British government by the company in 1700 and in the succeeding year, by which they expressed themselves as satisfied to give the French the southern portion of the Bay from Rupert’s river on the east to Albany Fort on the west. Another peti- tion stated that the company had not received one-fifth of the usual quan- tity of furs, even from Fort Albany, which made their year’s trade an absolute loss. No steps on the part of the Ryswick commissioners seem to have been taken toward settling the question of boundaries on Hudson Bay. The great Marlborough victories, however, crushed the power of France, and when Louis XIV. next negotiated with the allies at Utrecht in 1713, the English case was in a very different form from what it had been at the treaty of Ryswick. By its terms the entire west coast of Hudson Bay became British; the French were to evacuate all posts on the Bay and sur- render all war material within six months; commissioners were to be appointed to determine within a year the boundary between Canada and the British possessions on Hudson Bay. It was further provided “that the French king should take care that satisfaction be given, according to the rule of justice and equity, to the English company trading to the Bay of Hudson, for all damages and spoil done to their colonies, ships, persons and goods, by the hostile incursions and depredations of the French in time of peace. ’ ’38 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. All the terms of the treaty with respect to the Hudson’s Bay were not carried out. The company received back its forts, which was the main thing, but its claims of damages to the amount of a hundred thousand pounds were never, so far as recorded, met, and the boundary question never reached a practical phase in the deliberations of the commissioners. However, the shores of Hudson Bay have ever since remained British; peace prevailed in that region for many years; the Indians from the inter- ior, even to the Rocky Mountains, made their visits to the Bay for the first forty years of the eighteenth century, and the fur trade, undisturbed, became again remunerative.CHAPTER Y. VERANDRYE AND THE FRENCH IN RUPERT’S LAND. The treaty of Utrecht put an end to French aspirations on the shores of Hudson Bay. Finding the gates closed in this direction, the patriotic and commercial enterprise of New France resumed its original course around the chain of great lakes and toward the interior wilderness, into which, though it was claimed under the charter of 1670, the Hudson’s Bay Company had not yet seen fit to penetrate and occupy. This movement, which had its origin in trade rivalry and zeal of exploration and discovery, has more than general interest for the Manitoban, for it resulted in the first historical exploration and conative occupation of the country which is now Manitoba. The movement had its inception fully thirty years before the treaty of Utrecht and was, indeed, concomitant with the efforts of the French to possess themselves of Hudson Bay. As far back as in La Salle’s time, the inland explorations of the French had as their practical basis the purpose of finding a “northwest passage” through the St. Lawrence and the chain of lakes, and at the time under consideration discovery has not advanced so far as to prove the non-existence of such a route. This was, therefore, a strong influence to lead the French to push out into the interior. More- over, the English company on Hudson Bay were bidding strongly for the peltries of the interior Indians, and each year an increasing number of the natives took their furs to the Hudson Bay posts instead of to the former marts at Montreal and Three Rivers. It was for the purpose of turning the stream of trade from Hudson Bay southward to Lake Superior, that Prime Minister Colbert had authorized the formation of the “Northern Company” and the establishment of Fort Bourbon on the Bay in connec- tion with the new movement to occupy the Lake Superior region. Soon afterward the victories of D ’Iberville on the Bay no doubt tended to divert the attention of the French explorers from the trade with the interior, but as a result of the treaty of Utrecht the French in Canada began to turn their attention to their deserted station on Lake Superior.40 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. However, the first thirty years of the eighteenth century passed before the self-satisfied and inert French traders on the shores of Lake Superior were aroused by the zeal and daring of a great explorer to push their enter- prise out into the wilderness and prairies of the northwest, thus laying the train for a far greater contest for the possession of the fur trade than had yet taken place either in Hudson Bay or with the Dutch and English in New York state. The promoting cause for this forward movement was again the dream of opening up a northwest passage. The project of dis- covering such a passage, though never arousing the same enthusiasm among the French that it did among the English, was taken up with renewed ardor during the regency following the reign of Louis XIV. About the close of the third decade of the century there arrived at Michilimackinac, which was then the depot of the west and the rendezvous for all important expeditions, a man whose name was to become illustrious as an explorer, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de la Verandrye, best known to history by the single name of Verandrye. This great explorer was born in Three Rivers, the son of an old officer of the French army. The young cadet found very little to do in the new world, and made his way home to France. He served as a French officer in the war of the Spanish Succession, and was severely wounded in the battle of Malplaquet. On his recovery he did not receive the recognition that he desired, and so went to the western wilds of Canada and took up the life of a “coureur de bois.” Verandrye, in pursuing the fur trade, had followed the somewhat deserted course which Radisson and Groseilliers had long before taken, and which had been selected, a decade before, by La Noue, who had established the fort at Kaministiquia. The fort on Lake Nepigon was still the rendez- vous of the savages from the interior who were willing to be turned aside from visiting the English on Hudson Bay. Having been told the story of the flowery meadows of the interior by a noted Indian guide named Ochagach, who, with Indian skill, made him on birch bark a map of the route, he hastened to lay his project of western exploration before the governor at Quebec, who, though approving heartily of the enterprise, could offer Verandrye no assistance aside from the privilege of the entire profit of the fur trade. The indefatigable adventurer obtained the aid of a numberHISTORY OF MANITOBA; 41 of merchants in Montreal in providing goods and equipment for the jour- ney, The expedition pushed forward, and after many hardships reached Rainy Lake in the first season of 1731. Here, at the head of Rainy river they built their first fort, St. Pierre. The following year Yerandrye led his party to the Lake of the Woods, where they built Fort St. Charles. In 1733 they reached Lake Winnipeg, by descending the rapid river from Lake of the Woods, to which they gave the name of Maurepas, in honor of the French minister. That minister, however, when the progress of the expe- dition was reported to him in the same year and assistance was asked in defraying the heavy expenses of the undertaking, refused any other aid than the continued free privilege of the fur trade. In 1734 Yerandrye built Fort Maurepas near Lake Winnipeg at the mouth of Maurepas (now Winnipeg) river, not far from the present Fort Alexander. Without means to push their explorations further west, the party were compelled to spend much time in trading with the Indians between Lake Winnipeg and Grand Portage, and coming and going, as they had occasion, to Lake Superior and also to Michilimaekinac with their cargoes. Finally, though no assistance could be obtained from the French court for western discovery, and although the difficulties seemed almost unsur- mountable, Yerandrye determined at all hazards to leave the rocks and woods of Lake Winnipeg and seek the broad prairies of the west. He had the true spirit of the explorer, and chafed in his little stockade on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, seeking new worlds to conquer. His decision being thus reached, the region which is now the fertile Canadian prairies was entered upon. On September 22, 1738, the intrepid Yerandrye left Fort Maurepas for the land unknown. It took him but two days with his five men to cross in swift canoes and the southeast expanse of Lake Winnipeg, enter the mouth of Red river, and reach the forks of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, where the city of Winnipeg now stands. It was thus on September 24th of that memorable year that the eyes of the white man first fell on the site of what is destined to be the great central city of Canada. But he saw not the glorious future for this natural centre42 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of western Canada, and delayed only a short time on the tree-covered banks of the river before continuing the retreating goal of western exploration. The water of the Assiniboine river ran at this time very low, and it took six days for his canoes to go from its mouth to Portage la Prairie. Here he determined to remain till the arrival of expected reinforcements, and in the meantime he assembled the Indians, gave them presents of powder, ball, tobacco, axes, knives, etc., and in the name of the French king received them as the children of the great monarch across the sea. On October 3rd Yerandrye decided to build a fort. This, like all other forts of the fur traders of the time, consisted of hastily constructed log buildings, to serve as winter stations. He was joined shortly after by Messrs, de la Marque and Nolant with eight men in two canoes. The fort was pushed on, and with the help of the Indians was finished October 15th. This was the beginning of Fort de la Reine, the first fort on the prairies. The site of Winnipeg did not escape notice by this expedition. In Verandrye’s journal he says: “M. de la Marque told me,” on his arrival at de la Reine, ‘‘he had brought M. de Louviere to the Forks (Winnipeg) with two canoes to build a fort there for the accommodation of the people of Red river. I approved of it if the Indians were notified.” In October, 1738, therefore, the site of Winnipeg was first occupied by the white man, who was one of Verandrye’s lieutenants. At the mouth of the Assiniboine, on the south side of the river, de Louviere built Fort Rouge, and the portion of the city of Winnipeg called Fort Rouge is properly named. Struggling with difficulties, satisfying creditors, hoping for assistance from France, but ever patriotic and single-minded, Yerandrye became the leading spirit in western exploration, and by expedition south, west and north he or his lieutenants carried French enterprise far and wide over the prairies of the northwest. Going northward over the Portage la Prairie, Verandrye’s sons discovered what is now known as Lake Manitoba, and reached the Saskatchewan river. On the west side of Lake Manitoba they founded Fort Dauphin, while at the west end of the enlargement of the Saskatchewan known as Cedar Lake, they built Fort Bourbon and ascended the Saskatchewan to the forks, which were known as the Poskoiac. Other journeys were made southwesterly to the country of the Mandans and the Missouri river.HIST OUT OP MANITOBA. 43 The career of Verandrye was soon to close. In the year after his great expedition to the prairies, he had been summoned to Montreal to resist a law- suit brought against him. The prevailing sin of French Canada was jeal- ousy. Though Verandrye had struggled so bravely to explore the country, there were those who whispered in the ear of the minister of the French court that he was selfish and unworthy. In his heart-broken reply to the charges he says, “If more than 40,000 livres of debt which I have on my shoulders are an advantage, then I can flatter myself that I am very rich. ’ ’ Tardy recognition of his achievements came from the French court in the explorer being promoted to the position of captain in the colonial troops, and a short time after he was given the Cross of the Order of St. Louis. Beauharnois, the governor of Canada, and his successor Gallissioniere had both stood by Verandrye and done their best for him. Tndeed, the explorer was just about to proceed on the great expedition which was to fulfill their hopes of finding the Western Sea, when, on December 6, 1741, he passed away, his dream unrealized. He was an unselfish soul, a man of great exe- cutive ability, and one who dearly loved his king and country. Verandrye’s sons received no consideration from the ruling authorities of New France. Their place and property were given to Legardeur de St. Pierre, under whom a small fort was built near where the town of Calgary now stands. But in 1753, disgusted with the country, St. Pierre, with his little garrison of five men, deserted Fort de la Heine, which, a few weeks after, was burned to the ground by the Assiniboines. The fur trade was continued by the French in much the same bounds, so long as the country remained in the hands of France. The capture of Canada by General Wolfe in 1759 completely changed the whole relations of the west. French officers and voyageurs completely withdrew from the fur country, although the French Canadians who had taken Indian wives still clung to their adopted home. These French half- breed settlements at Michilimackinac and neighboring posts were of some size, but beyond Lake Superior, except a straggler here and there, nothing French was left behind. The forts of the western post fell into decay, and were in most cases burnt by the Indians. Not an army officer, not a priest, not a fur trader remained beyond Kaministiquia. The forks of the Red and Assiniboine were again occupied only by the Indian tepee.CHAPTER VI. THE SCOTTISH FUR TRADERS OF MONTREAL. With the inauguration of the English regime in Canada, successors to Verandrye and his intrepid followers soon appeared. The work undertaken by him was that of a pioneer, who blazed the path for the coming of a powerful and effective association of fur traders whose systematic opera- tions soon covered all the northwest country and within fifty years came into conflict, on the territory now Manitoba, with the Hudson’s Bay Company. The change of flag in Canada brought a number of enterprising spirits as settlers to Quebec and Montreal. The Highland regiments under Generals Amherst and Wolfe had seen Montreal and Quebec. A number of the military became settlers. The suppression of the Jacobite rebellion in Scotland in 1745 had led to the dispersion of many young men of family beyond the seas. Some of these drifted to Montreal. Many of the Scottish settlements of the United States had remained loyal, so that after the Amer- ican Revolution parties of these loyalists came to Montreal. Thus in a way hard to explain satisfactorily, the English-speaking merchants who came to Canada were largely Scottish. It was these Scottish merchants of Montreal who revived the fur trade to the interior. Washington Irving, speaking of these merchants, says, “Most of the clerks were young men of good families from the Highlands of Scotland, char- acterized by the perseverance, thrift, and fidelity of their country.” He refers to their feasts “making the rafters resound with bursts of loyalty and old Scottish songs.” The late Archbishop Tache, a French Canadian long known in the northwest, speaking of this period, says, “Companies called English, but generally composed of Scotchmen, were found in Canada to continue to make the most of the rich furs of the forests of the north. Necessity obliged them at first to accept the co-operation of the French Canadians, who main- tained their influence by the share they took in the working of these com- panies. . . . This circumstance explains how, after the Scotch, the French Canadian element is the most important. ’ ’HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 45 The first among these Scottish merchants to hie away from Montreal to the far west was Alexander Henry. In 1765 Henry obtained from the Com- mandant at Michilimackinac license of the exclusive trade of Lake Superior. He purchased the freight of four canoes, which he took at the price of 10,000 good, merchantable beavers. With his crew of twelve men, and supplies of fifty bushels of prepared Indian corn, he reached a band of Indians on the Lake who were in poverty, but who took his supplies on trust, and went off to hunt beaver. In due time the Indians returned, and paid up promptly and fully the loans made to them. By 1768 he had suc- ceeded in opening up the desired route of French traders, going from Michilimackinac to Kaministiquia on Lake Superior and returning. Of the other merchants who followed Henry in reviving the old route, the first to make a notable adventure was the Scotchman Thomas Curry. Procuring the requisite band of voyageurs and interpreters, in 1877 he pushed through with four canoes, along Yerandrye’s route, even to the site of the old French Fort Bourbon, on the west of Cedar Lake, on the lower Saskatchewan river. Curry had in his movement something of the spirit of Verandrye, and his season’s trip was so successful that, according to Sir Alexander Mackenzie, his fine furs gave so handsome a return that “he was satisfied never again to return to the Indian country.” Another valorous Scotchman, James Finley, of Montreal, took up the paddle that Curry had laid down, and in 1768, with a force equal to that of Curry, passed into the interior and ascended the Saskatchewan to Nipawi, the farthest point which Verandrye had reached. He was rewarded with a generous return for his venture. But while these journeys had been successful, it would seem that the turbulent state of the Indian tribes had made other expeditions disastrous. In a memorial sent by the fur traders a few years later to the Canadian government, it is stated that in a venture made from Michilimackinac in 1765 the Indians of Rainy Lake had plundered the traders of their goods, that in the next year a similar revolt followed, that in the following year the traders were compelled to leave a certain portion of their goods at Rainy Lake to be allowed to go on to Lake Ouinipique. It is stated that the brothers, Benjamin and James Frobisher, of Montreal, who became so46 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. celebrated as fur traders, began a post ten years after the conquest. These two merchants were Englishmen. They speedily took the lead in pushing forward far into the interior, and were the most practical of the fur traders in making alliances and in dealing successfully with the Indians. In their first expedition they had the same experience in their goods being seized by the thievish Indians of Rainy Lake; but before they could send back word the goods for the next venture had reached Grand Portage on Lake Superior, and they were compelled to try the route to the west again. On this occasion they managed to defy the pillaging bands, and reached Fort Bourbon on the Saskatchewan. They now discovered that co-opera- tion and a considerable show of force was the only method of carrying on a safe trade among the various tribes. It was fortunate for the Montreal traders that such courageous leaders as the Forbishers had undertaken the trade. The trade to the northwest thus received a marvellous development at the hands of the Montreal merchants. Nepigon and the Kaministiquia, which had been such important points in the French regime, had been quite forgotten, and Grand Portage was now the place of greatest interest, and so continued to the end of the century. Here they were employed as early as 1783, by the several merchants from Montreal, five hundred men. One-half of these came from Montreal to Grand Portage in canoes of four tons burden, each managed by from eight to ten men. As these were regarded as having the least romantic portion of the route, meeting with no Indians, and living on cured rations, they were called the “manageurs de lard,” or pork eaters. The other half of the force journeyed inland from Grand Portage in canoes, each carrying about a ton and a half. Living on game and the dried meat of the buffalo, known as peminican, these were a more independent and daring body. They were called the ‘‘coureurs de bois. ” For fifteen days after August 15th these wood-runners portaged over the nine or ten miles their burdens. Men carrying one hundred and fifty pounds each way have been known to make the portage and return in six hours. When the canoes were loaded at the west end of the portage with two- thirds goods and one-third provisions, then the hurry of the season came,HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 47 and supplies for Lake Winnipeg, the Saskatchewan and far distant Atha- basca were hastened on apace. The difficulties of the route were at many a discharge, where only the goods needed to be removed and the canoes taken over the rapids, or at the portage, where both canoes and load were carried past dangerous falls and fierce rapids. The dash, energy and skill that characterized these mixed companies of Scottish traders, French voyageurs, half-breed and Indian engages, have been well spoken of by all observers, and appeal strongly to the lovers of the picturesque and heroic. A quarter of a century after the conquest we have a note of alarm at the new competition that the company from Hudson Bay had at last under- taken. “Those adventurers (evidently H. B. Co.),” states the memorial of the Scottish, “consulting their own interests only, without the least regard to the management of the natives or the general welfare of the trade, soon occasioned such disorders, etc. . , . Since that time business is carried on with great disadvantages.” This reference, so prosaically introduced, is really one of enormous moment in our story. The Forbishers, with their keen business instincts and daring plans, saw that the real stroke which would lead them on to fortune was to divert the stream of trade then going to Hudson Bay south- ward to Lake Superior. Accordingly, with a further aggressive movement in view, Joseph Frobisher established a post on Sturgeon Lake, an enlarge- ment of the Saskatchewan, near the point known by the early French as Poskoiac. Northward from Sturgeon Lake Fort a watercourse could be readily followed, by which the main line of water communication from the great northern districts to Hudson Bay could be reached and the northern Indians be interrupted in their annual pilgrimage to the bay. But, as we shall afterward see, the sleeping giant of the bay had been awakened and was about to stretch forth his arms to grasp the trade of the interior with a new vigor. Two years after Frobisher had thrown down the pledge of battle it was taken up by the arrival of Samuel Hearne, an officer of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and by his founding Fort Cumberland on Stur- geon Lake, about two miles below Frobisher’s Fort. Hearne returned to the bay, leaving his new fort garrisoned by a number of Orkney men under an English officer. The building of Fort Cumberland led to a con-48 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. solidation on the part of the Montreal merchants. In the next year after its building, Alexander Henry, the brothers Frobisher, trader Cadot, and a daring trader named Pond, gathered at Sturgeon Lake, and laid their plans for striking a blow in retaliation, as they regarded it, for the disturb- ance of trade made by the Hudson’s Bay Company in penetrating to the interior from the bay. Cadot, with four canoes, went west to the Saskatchewan; Pond, with two, to the country on Lake Dauphin; and Henry and the Frobisher brothers, with their ten canoes and upwards of forty men, hastened northward to carry out the project of turning aside the northern Indians from their usual visit to the bay. On the way to the Churchill river they built a fort on Beaver Lake. In the following year a strong party went north to Churchill or English river, as Joseph Frobisher now called it. When it was reached they turned westward and ascended the Churchill, returning at Serpent’s Rapid, but sending Thomas Frobisher with goods on to Lake Athabasca. From the energy displayed, and the skill shown in seizing the main points in the country, it will be seen that the Montreal merchants were not lacking in ability to plan and decision to execute. The two great forces have now met, and for fifty years a battle royal will be fought for the rivers, rocks and plains of the north country. There can be no doubt that the competition between the two companies produced disorder and confusion among the Indian tribes. The Indian nature is excitable and suspicious. Rival traders for their own ends played upon the fears and cupidity alike of the simple children of the woods and prairies. They represented their opponents in both cases as unreliable and grasping, and party spirit unknown before showed itself in most violent forms. The feeling against the whites of both parties was aroused by injus- tices, in some cases fancied, in others real. The Assiniboines, really the northern branch of the fierce Sioux of the prairies, were first to seize the tomahawk. They attacked Poplar Fort on the Assiniboine. After some loss of life, Bruce and Boyer, who were in charge of the fort, decided to desert it. Numerous other attacks were made on the traders’ forts, and it looked as if the prairies would be the scene of a general Indian war.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 49 The only thing that seems to have prevented so dire a disaster was the appearance of what is ever a dreaded enemy to the poor Indian, the scourge of smallpox. The Assiniboines had gone on a war expedition against the Mandansof the Missouri river, and had carried back the smallpox infection which prevailed among the Mandan lodges. This disease spread over the whole country, and several bands of Indians were completely blotted out. Of one tribe of four hundred lodges, only ten persons remained; the poor survivors, in seeking succour from other bands, carried the disease with them. At the end of 1782 there were only twelve traders who had perse- vered in their trade on account of the discouragements, but the whole trade was for two or three seasons brought to an end by this disease. The decimation of the tribes, the fear of infection by the traders, and the general awe cast over the country turned the thoughts of the natives away from war, and as Masson says, “the whites had thus escaped the danger which threatened them. ’ ’ 4CHAPTER VII. THE NOR’-WESTERS OP CANADA AND THEIR RIVALRIES AND TRUCES. As a result of the terrible scourge of smallpox and the loss of profits produced by the competition of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the leading fur merchants of Montreal determined on a combination of their forces. Chief among the stronger houses were the Frobishers, but the strongest factor in the combination was probably Simon McTavish, of whom a writer has said “that he may be regarded as the founder of the famous Northwest Com- pany.’’ McTavish, born in 1750, was a Highlander of enormous energy and decision of character. While by his force of will rousing opposition, yet he had excellent business ability, and it was he who suggested the cessation of rivalries and strife among themselves and the union of their forces by the Canadian traders. Accordingly the Northwest Company was formed, 1783-84, its stock being apportioned into sixteen parts, each stockholder supplying in lieu of money a certain proportion of the commodities necessary for trade, and the committee dividing their profits when the returns were made from the sale of the furs. The united firms of Benjamin and Joseph Frobisher and Simon McTavish administered the whole affair for the traders and received a commission as agents. Not all the Montreal traders entered the combination. Two Americans, Peter Pond and Peter Pangman, who had not been asked to join the new organization, came to Montreal determined to form a strong opposition to the McTavish and Frobisher combination. One of the rising merchants of Montreal at this time was John Gregory, a young Englishman. He was united in partnership with Alexander McLeod, an ardent Highlander, who afterwards rose to great distinction as a magnate in the fur trade. Pangman and Pond appealed to the self-interest of Gregory, McLeod and Company, and so, very shortly after his projected union of all the Canadian interests, McTavish saw arise a rival, not so large as his own company, but one in no way to be despised. To this rival company also belonged Alexan- der McKenzie, celebrated in the annals of northwest exploration, and hisHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 51 cousin, Roderick McKenzie. Both companies entered with great energy upon the occupation of the northwest country, and in a short time the con- flict of their interests came to a culmination in the murder of John Ross, a trader in the employ of the younger company. His death was charged to the evil machinations of Pond, the original malcontent who in the meantime had signalized himself by deserting to the McTavish company. This murder so affected the rival traders that the two companies agreed to unite. The union was effected in 1787, and the business at headquarters in Mon- treal was now managed by the three houses of McTavish, Frobisher and Gregory. The union of the Northwest fur companies led to extension in some directions. The Assiniboine valley, in one of the most fertile parts of the country, was more fully occupied. The oldest fort in this valley belonging to the Nor’-Westers seems to have been built by a trader, Robert Grant, a year or two after 1780. It is declared to have been two short days’ march from the junction of the Qu’Appelle and Assiniboine. When the Nor’- Westers became acquainted with the route down the Assiniboine, they fol- lowed it to its mouth, and from that point, where it joined the Red river, descended to Lake Winnipeg and crossed to the Winnipeg river. In order to do this they established in 1785, as a halting place, Pine Fort, about eighteen miles below the junction of the Souris and Assiniboine rivers. At the mouth of the Souris river, and near the site of the Brandon House, which had been built by the Hudson’s Bay Company in the preceding year, the Northwest Company built in 1795 Assiniboine House. This fort became of great importance as the depot for expeditions to the Mandans of the Mis- souri river. The union of the Montreal companies resulted, as had been expected, in a great expansion of the trade. In 1788 the gross amount of the trade did not exceed £40,000, but by the energy of the partners it reached before the end of the century more than three times that amount, at which time a single year’s produce was represented by 106,000 beavers, 32,000 marten, 11,800 mink, 17,000 musquash—not less than 184,000 skins. The agents necessary to carry on this enormous volume of trade were numerous. Sir Alexander Mackenzie informs us that there were employed in the concern,52 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. not including officers or partners, 50 clerks, 71 interpreters and clerks, 1,120 canoemen, and 35 guides. The capital required by the agents of the concern in Montreal, the number of men employed, the vast quantities of goods sent out in bales made up for the western trade, and the enormous store of furs received in exchange, all combined to make the business of the Northwest Company an important factor in Canadian life. Canada was then in her infancy. Upper Canada was not constituted a province until the date of the formation of the Northwest Company. Montreal and Quebec, the only places of any importance, were small towns. The absence of manufacturers, agriculture, and means of inter-communication and transport, led to the Northwest Com- pany being the chief source of money-making in Canada. The X Y Company. Even after the Northwest Company had absorbed the younger con- cern projected by Pangman and Pond, other Montreal firms continued the competition. For some years the Montreal fur companies in their combina- tions and readjustments, had all the variety of the kaleidoscope. Agree- ments were made for a term of years, and when these had expired new leagues were formed, and in every case dissatisfied members went into oppo- sition and kept up the heat and competition without which it is probable the fur trade would have lost, to those engaged in it, many of its charms. In 1795 several partners had retired from the Northwest Company and thrown in their lot with a firm that was always inclined to follow its own course—Messrs. Forsyth, Richardson and Company. The cause of this dis- ruption in the company was the unpopularity, among the wintering part- ners especially, of the strong-willed and domineering chief in Montreal— Simon McTavish. Although the discontent was very great when the seces- sion took place, yet the mere bonds of self-interest kept many within the old company. Sir Alexander Mackenzie, himself a partner, who had resided in the far west, and was regarded by all the traders in the “upper country” as their friend and advocate, most unwillingly consented to remain in the old company, but only for three years, reserving to himself the right to retire at the end of that time.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 53 Notwithstanding their disappointment, and possibly buoyed up with the hope of having the assistance of Mackenzie at a later period, the seceded members girt themselves about for the new enterprise in the next year, so that the usual date of the X Y Company is from the year 1795. The new opposition developed without delay. Striking at all the salient points, the new company in 1797 erected its trading house at Grand Portage, some- what more than half a mile from the Northwest trading house and on the other side of the small stream that there falls into the bay. A few years after, when the Northwest company moved to Kaministiquia, the X Y also erected a building within a mile of the new fort. The new company was at some time in its history known as the New Northwest Company, but was more commonly called the X Y Company. The origin of this name is accounted for as follows. On the bales which were made up for transport, it was the custom to mark the Northwest Company’s initials N.W. When the new company, which was an offshoot of the old, wished to mark their hales, they simply employed the next letters of the alphabet, X Y. They are accordingly not contractions, and should not be written as such. A new area was now come to the fur trade, and the traders of the new company caused great anxiety both to the Northwest Company and to the Hudson’s Bay Company, though they regarded themselves chiefly as rivals of the former. Pushing out into the country nearest their base of supplies on Lake Superior, they took hold of the Red river and Assiniboine region,, as well as of the Red Lake country immediately south of connected with it. The point where the Souris empties into the Assiniboine was occupied in the same year (1798) by the X Y Company. It had been a favorite resort for all classes of fur traders, there having been no less than five opposing trading houses at this point four years before. The dissensions that had prevailed unabated in the Northwest Company for three years, came to a head in the great gathering at Grand Portage in 1799, when Alexander Mackenzie, in accordance with his previous determin- ation and despite the remonstrances of his fellow partners, gave notice that he was about to quit the company. He immediately after crossed over to- England, published his “Voyages,” and received his title. He then returned in 1801 to Canada. Flushed with the thought of his successes, he54 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. threw himself with great energy into the affairs of the opposing company, the X Y, or, as it was now called, that of “Sir Alexander Mackenzie and Company. ’ ’ If the competition had been warm before, it now rose to fever heat. The brigandage had scarcely any limit; combats of clerk with clerk, trapper with trapper, voyageur with voyageur, were common. Strong drink became, as never before or since, a chief instrument of the rival com- panies in dealing with the Indians. Sir Alexander Mackenzie did wonders in the management of his com- pany, but the old lion at Montreal, from his mountain chateau, showed a remarkable determination, and provided as he was with great wealth, resolved to overcome at any price the opposition which he and others con- temptuously called ‘ ‘ the Little Company. ’ ’ In 1802, he, with the skill of a great general, reconstructed his company. He formed a combination which was to continue for twenty years. Into this he succeeded in introducing a certain amount of new blood; those clerks who had shown ability were pro- moted to the position of bourgeois or partners. By this progressive and stat.emanlike policy, notwithstanding the energy of the X Y Company, the old company showed all the vigor and enthusiasm of youth. But in his zeal to extend the operations of his company beyond the limits of competition with his despised rivals McTavish overreached him- self. An immense venture to carry the operations of the Northwest Company to the forbidden shores of the Hudson Bay itself, undertaken contrary to the wishes of the other partners, proved a financial loss. Simon McTavish, though comparatively a young man, now thought of retiring, and pur- chased the seigniory of Terrebonne, proposing there to lead a life of luxury and ease, but a stronger enemy than either the X P or Hudson’s Bay Com- pany came to break up his plans. Death summoned him away in July, 1804. The death of Simon McTavish removed all obstacles to union between the old and the new Northwest Companies, and propositions were soon made to Sir Alexander Mackenzie and his friends which resulted in a union of the two companies. This union, combining the experience and standing of the old company with the zeal and vigor of the new, led to a great development of trade andLord Selkirk, KBOli Bust bt Ciiantrey (Sculptor). Sib Alexander Mackenzie, Explorer.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 55 to important schemes of exploration. The co-operation between the com- panies was now as hearty and effective as their hostility had been bitter and wasteful. Brothers and cousins had been in opposite camps not because they disliked each other, but because their leaders could not agree. Now the feuds were forgotten, and, with the enthusiasm of their Celtic natures, they would attempt great things. In the year 1800 the Northwest Company built a fort, called the New Fort, at the mouth of the Kaministiquia, and, (abandoning Grand Portage, moved their headquarters to this point in 1803. In the year after the union of the two companies the name Fort William was given to this establish- ment, in honor of the Hon. William McGillivray, who had become the per- son of greatest distinction in the united Northwest Company. Fort William became a great trading centre, and the additions required to accommodate the increased volume of business and the greater number of employes, were cheerfully made by the united company. Standing within the solitudes of Thunder Bay, Fort William became as celebrated in the annals of the Northwest Company, as York or Albany had been in the his- tory of the Hudson’s Bay Company. As soon as the company could fully lay its plans, it determined to take hold in earnest of the Red river district. Accordingly we see that, under instructions from John McDonald, of Garth, a bourgeois named John Wills, who had been one of the partners of the X P Company, erected at the junc- tion of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, on the point of land, a fort called Fort Gibraltar. Wills was a year in building it, having under him twrenty men. The stockade of this fort was made of “oak logs split in two.” The wooden picketing was from twelve to fifteen feet high. The following is a list of buildings enclosed in it, with some of their dimensions. There were eight houses in all; the residence of the bourgeois, sixty-four feet in length; two houses for the servants, respectively thirty-five and twenty-eight feet long; one store thirty-two feet long; a blacksmith’s shop, stable, kitchen and an ice house. On top of the ice house a watch tower (guerite) was built. John Wills continued to live in this fort up to the time of his death a few- years later.56 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Snell was the first building, so far as we know, erected on the site of the City of the Plains, and which was followed first by Fort Douglas and then by Fort Garry, the chief fort in the interior of Rupert’s Land. It was at this period that the power of the fur-trading magnates seemed to culminate, and their natural leadership among the French Canadians being recognized in the fur trade, many of the partners became political leaders in the affairs of Lower Canada. The very success of the new com- pany, however, stirred up, as we shall see, opposition movements of a much more serious kind than they had ever had to meet before. Sir Alexander Mackenzie’s book in 1801 had awakened much interest in Britain and now stimulated the movement by Lord Selkirk which led to the absorption of the Northwest Company.CHAPTER VIII. THE HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY PUSHES INLAND. Our narrative has recounted the achievements of Verandrye and his- countrymen in the exploration of the territory now embraced in Manitoba,, the changes inaugurated by the overthrow of the French regime, the union of the Montreal traders, and the extension by the powerful North-West Company of its trading posts along the lakes and rivers of Manitoba. In speaking of the Northwest attempt in 1772 to cut off the western Indian from trading at Hudson Bay, we mentioned the steps taken by the Hudson’s Bay Company to protect themselves by founding shortly after- wards Fort Cumberland in the Saskatchewan region. We shall now describe more minutely how the Hudson’s Bay Company, aroused from the inertia, which seized it at the beginning of the eighteenth century, pushed its. operations inland to meet those of its Canadian rival, after which the con- flict of the two companies becomes the genesis of the events which concern the development of Manitoba as a territorial entity. After the treaty of Utrecht, the Hudson’s Bay Company, freed from the fears of overland incursions by the French from Canada, and from the fleets which had worked so much mischief by sea, seems to have changed character in the personnel of its stockholders and to have lost a good deal of the pristine spirit. The charge is made that the stockholders had become very few, that the stock was controlled by a majority, who year after year elected themselves, and that considering the great privileges conferred by the charter, the company was failing to develop the country and was sleep- ing in inglorious ease on the shores of Hudson Bay. Certainly a spirit of jealousy must have animated some of those who made these discoveries as to the company’s inaction. The return of peace had brought prosperity to the traders; and dividends to the stockholders began to be a feature of company life which they had not known for more than a quarter century. By 1720 their dividends were again running at seventy-five per cent., so that, without any great risk of overcapitalization, they felt justified in again trebling their stock.58 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. But from whatever the cause, there arose in England about this time a very determined opposition to the company. Leading this attack was Arthur Dobbs, Esq., an Irishman of undoubted ability and courage, who possessed such influence with the English government that the company was compelled to make a strenuous defence. He conducted his plan of cam- paign against the company along a most ingenious and dangerous line of attack. He revived the memory among the British people of the early voyages to discover a way to the riches of the east and appealed to the English imagination by picturing the interior of the North American continent, with its vast meadows, splendid cascades, rich fur-hearing animals, and number- less races of Indians, picturesquely dressed, as opening up a field, if they could be reached, of lucrative trade to the London merchants. To further his purpose he pointed out the sluggish character of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and clinched his arguments by quoting the paragraph in the charter which stated that the great privileges conferred by the generous Charles II. were bestowed in consideration of their object having been “the discovery of a new passage into the South Sea.” Appealing alike to English patriotism and commercial enterprise, Dobbs awakened much interest among persons of rank in England as to the desirability of finding a Northwest passage. Especially to the Lords of Admiralty, on whom he had a strong hold, did he represent the glory and value of fitting out an expedition to Hudson Bay on this quest. Despite the earnestness of the Hudson’s Bay Company in combatting his conten- tions, Dobbs worked up his cause with such energy that Parliament took action in the matter by voting £20,000 as reward for the discovery of a Northwest passage. On the strength of this, an expedition was fitted out by subscription and in May, 1746, two vessels sailed away from the Thames to the Hudson Bay. The return of the ships in the following year without having effected a passage through the devious straits was a practical vic- tory to the Hudson’s Bay Company, but the failure of the enterprise in no wise effected the pertinacious opposition of Mr. Dobbs to the company, and he soon developed what had been from the first his real object, the plan for founding a rival company.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 59 In the prosecution of this purpose the indications are that he had strong backing in the governing circles of the country. The Hudson’s Bay Company no longer basked in the sunshine of the court as in the days of Prince Rupert and Lord Churchill, and at the middle of the eighteenth century there is hardly a nobleman to be found on the list of stockholders submitted by the company to the Committee of Lords, while many, high in station and with great power, lent their favor to the progress of the expe- dition just described. Accordingly Dobbs now came out boldly; not putting the discovery of the Northwest passage in the front of his plan, but openly charging the Hudson’s Bay Company with indolence and failure, and asking for the granting of a charter to a rival company. Of the charges preferred by Dobbs against the company, the most seri- ous, both absolutely and also relative to the events described in this history, was that the company had not sought to reach the interior, but had confined its trade to the shores of the Bay. The company had now been eighty years trading on the Bay and had practically no knowledge of the inherit- ance possessed by them. At this very time the French, by way of Lake Superior, had journeyed inland, met Indian tribes, traded with them, and even with imposing ceremonies buried metal plates claiming the country which the Hudson’s Bay Company charter covered as lying on rivers, lakes, etc., tributary to Hudson Bay. It is true that the company had submitted instructions to the number of twenty or thirty, in which governors and cap- tains had been urged to explore the interior and extend the trade among the Indian tribes. But little evidence could be offered that these communi- cations had been acted upon. Certainly, whether from timidity, caution, inertia, or from some deep-seated system of policy, it was true that the com- pany had done little to penetrate the interior. The failure of the company to leave the Bay was made to appear the more flagrant because, by the terms of the charter having been granted a monopoly of the trade, they had neither developed it themselves nor allowed others to develop it. The defence of the company, in the face of the many charges, was elab- orate, and, on the majority of the counts of indictment at least, sufficient. Dobbs and his fellow petitioners had made the most ample promises as to60 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. their future should the charter be granted, laying special emphasis on the exploration and development of the interior and the christianizing of th& Indians. Nevertheless, the report made by the committee to which the peti- tion had been submitted, while expressing appreciation of the petition and of the advanced views enunciated, stated that the case against the Hud- son’s Bay Company had not yet been made out. So no new charter was. granted. However, the agitation so long and skillfully carried on by Dobbs,, could not but affect the action of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and bore fruit that is of especial interest to this history. It is, of course, evident that the company itself could have no reason for refusing to open up trade with the interior, for by this means it would be expanding its operations and increasing its profits. The real reason for its not doing so seems to- have been the inertia, not to say fear, of Hudson’s Bay Company agents on the Bay who failed to mingle with the Indians of the interior. Now the man was found who was to be equal to the occasion. This was. Samuel Hearne, whose achievements as an explorer earned him the title of the “Mungo Park of Canada”; a man who had grown up in the service of the company on the Bay and had become, in the course of years, accustomed; to the climate, condition of life, and haunts of the Indians, thus being fitted for active work for the company. . In 1769 Hearne received orders from the Hudson’s Bay Company to- go on a land expedition to the interior of the continent, from the mouth of the Churchill as far north as 70 degrees N. latitude, to smoke the calumet of peace with the Indians, to go with guides to the Athabasca country, and' thence northward to a river abounding with copper ore and “animals of the fur kind.” It is proof of his personal courage and enterprise and of the new policy of the company, that in the course of three years he had suc- cessfully executed these orders. The value of his work was more than that of exploration. From Lake Athapabuskow, probably Great Slave Lake, north to the Coppermine river, he brought the natives into friendly and commercial relations with the company of which he was representative, and by the practical results of his pioneering gave effectual answer to the calum- nies that his company was lacking in energy and enterprise. His services.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 61 to the Hudson’s Bay Company received recognition iif his promotion, several years later, to the governorship of the Prince of Wales Fort. To Hearne has been largely given the credit of the new and adventurous policy of the Hudson’s Bay Company. In accordance with this new policy, the company proposed a long line of posts in the interior, each of which should serve as a headquarters and supply point for a local district, while the forts and factories on Hudson’s Bay would become depots for storage and ports of departure for the old world. This movement to the interior was begun from the Prince of Wales Fort up the Churchill river. In 1773 Samuel Hearne undertook the aggres- sive work of going to meet the Indians, now threatened from the Saskatche- wan by the seductive influences of the Messrs. Frobisher, of the Montreal fur traders. In the following, as already related, he erected Cumberland House, only five hundred yards from Frobisher’s new post on Sturgeon Lake. It was the intention of the Hudson’s Bay Company also to make an effort to control the trade to the south of Lake Winnipeg. Hastily called away after building Cumberland House, Hearne was compelled to leave a colleague in charge of the newly erected fort, and returned to the Bay to become governor of the Prince of Wales Fort, the post having been left vacant by the death of Governor Moses Norton in December, 1773. The Hudson’s Bay Company, now regularly embarked in the inland trade, undertook to push their posts to different parts of the country, espe- cially to the portion of the fur country in the direction from which the Montreal traders approached it. The English traders had the advantage of a higher reputation in character and trade among the Indians than had their Canadian opponents. Then, too, from their greater nearness to north- ern waters, the older company could reach a point on the Saskatchewan with their goods nearly a month earlier in the spring than their Montreal rivals were able to do. We find that in 1790 the Hudson’s Bay Company crossed south from the northern waters and erected a trading post at the mouth of the Swan river, near Lake Winnipegosis. This they soon deserted and built a fort on the upper waters of the Assiniboine river, a few miles above the present Hudson’s Bay Company post at Fort Pelly.62 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. A period of surprising energy was now seen in the English Company’s affairs. A trading past was established on Rainy Lake and another in the neighboring Red Lake district, in the heart of the Nor’-Westers’ terri- tory. Crossing from Lake Winnipeg in early spring to the head waters of the Assiniboine river, the spring brigade of the company in 1794 built the historic Brandon House, which was for upwards of twenty years a chief Hudson’s Bay Company centre until it was burnt. Brandon House was on the south side of the Assiniboine, about seventeen miles below the present city of Brandon. Its remains are situated on the homestead of Mr. George Mair, a Canadian settler from Beauharnois, Quebec, who settled here on July 20, 1879. The site was well chosen at a bend of the river, having the Assiniboine in front of it on the east and partially so also on the north. The front of the palisade faced to the east, and midway in the wall was a gate ten feet wide, with inside of it a look- out tower (guerite) seven feet square. On the south side was the long storehouse. In the centre had stood a building said by some to have been the blacksmith’s shop. Along the north wall were the buildings for resi- dences and other purposes. The same activity continued to exist in the following year, for in points so far apart as the Upper Saskatchewan and Lake Winnipeg new forts were built. The former of these was Edmonton House, built on the north branch of the Saskatchewan. The fort erected on Lake Winnipeg was probably that at the mouth of the Winnipeg river, near where Fort Alexander now stands. In 1796 another post was begun on the Assiniboine river, not unlikely near the old site of Fort de la Reine, while in the following year, as a half-way house to Edmonton on the Saskatchewan, Carlton House was erected. The Red river proper was taken possession of by the company in .1799. Such was the condition of things, so far as the Hudson’s Bay Com- pany was concerned, at the end of the century. In twenty-five years they had extended their trade from Edmonton House, near the Rockies, as far as Rainy Lake; they had made Cumberland House the centre of their oper- ations in the interior, and had taken a strong hold of the fertile region on the Red and Assiniboine rivers, of which to-day the city of Winnipeg is the centre.CHAPTER IX. LORD SELKIRK’S COLONY. The publication of a work by Alexander Mackenzie, entitled “Voyages from Montreal through the Continent of North America, etc.,” was the leading cause of the first permanent settlement in Rupert’s Land—the nucleus of civilization around which grew up a population which sixty years later was organized into the Province of Manitoba. While general history associates the career of Mackenzie as an explorer and discoverer with those of Verandrye, Hearne, David Thompson, Simon Fraser, Lewis and Clark, and others of that age, the exploits of Sir Alexander, in their results, have a bearing upon the history of Manitoba that calls for their brief con- sideration in this chapter. Alexander Mackenzie, though, as we have seen, foremost in action and influence among the Montreal merchants, seems to have had a higher ambi- tion than simply to carry back to Grand Portage canoes overflowing with fur. He had the restless spirit that made him a very uncertain partner in the great schemes of McTavish, Frobisher and Co. and led him to seek for glory in the task of exploration. Coming as a young Highlander to Mon- treal, he had early been so appreciated for his ability as to he sent by Gre- gory, McLeod and Co. to conduct their enterprise in Detroit. Then we have seen that, refusing to enter the McTavish Company, he had gone to Churchill river for the Gregory Company. The sudden union of all the Montreal companies (1787), caused by Pond’s murder of Ross, led to Alexander Mackenzie being placed in charge in that year of the department of Athabasca. The longed-for opportunity had now come to Mackenzie. To allow him the freedom necessary for the personal conduct of his expeditions, he secured the appointment of his cousin, Roderick Mackenzie, to his own department, and then proceeded, under the auspices of the Northwest Com- pany, to surpass the discoveries of Hearne, who twenty years before had accomplished such important explorations in behalf of the Hudson’s Bay Company.■64 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. On his first expedition, begun at Port Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca in June, 1789, he journeyed down Slave river to the Great Slave Lake, and thence, by way of the great river that has since borne the name of Mac- kenzie, after the usual hardships of northern travel, he and his party arrived upon the shores of the Arctic Ocean. With thirst for discovery unquenched by the success of this memorable expedition, Mackenzie returned only to prepare for a still greater and more •difficult enterprise—to reach by overland journey the Western Sea. Many obstacles stood in his way. His company partners were not sympathetic with his enterprise. Even among the hardy and experienced Nor’-Westers it was difficult to find reliable men for such an undertaking. That he might not be impeded, as Hearne was, by want of astronomical knowledge and lack of suitable instruments, he spent a winter in London in acquiring the req- uisite mathematical knowledge and a sufficient acquaintance with instru- ments to enable him to make observations. His preparations being completed, in October, 1792, he left Port Chipewyan, ascended the Peace river to the mouth of the Boncave, where he spent the winter in a hastily constructed fort. Thence, in the following May, passing to the west side of the first great range of mountains and find- ing the banks and rapids of the Tacoutche Tesse (afterwards known as the Praser river) too difficult for his voyage down that river, he deserted its boiling waters and by toilsome overland journey with his party at length came upon an arm of the Pacific. Ocean. His was the first of the early transcontinental expeditions to succeed in reaching the Western Sea. Alexander Mackenzie, filled with the sense of the importance of his dis- covery, determined to give it to the world, and spent the winter at Fort Chip- ewyan in preparing the material. Early in 1794 the distinguished explorer left Lake Athabasca, journeyed over to Grand Portage, and a year after- ward revisited his native land. He never returned to the ‘ ‘ upper country, ’ ’ as the Athabasca region was called, but became one of the agents of the fur traders in Montreal, never coming farther toward the North-West than to be present at the annual gatherings of the traders at Grand Portage. The veteran explorer continued in this position till the time when he crossed the Atlantic and published his well-known “Voyages from Montreal,”HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 65 dedicated to “His Most Sacred Majesty George the Third.” The book, while making no pretensions to literary attainment, is yet a clear, succinct, and valuable account of the fur trade and his own expeditions. On his return to Canada, as already related, Sir Alexander engaged in strong oppo- sition to the Northwest Company and became a member of the legislative assembly for Huntingdon county, in Lower Canada. He lived in Scot- land during the last years of his life, and died in the same year as the Earl of Selkirk, 1820. Mackenzie’s book awakened great interest in the British Isles. Among those who were much influenced by it was Thomas, Earl of Selkirk, a young Scottish nobleman of distinguished descent and disposition. The young Earl at once thought of the wide country described as a fitting home for the poor and unsuccessful British peasantry, who were at this time in a most distressful state. The sad condition of his countrymen of Scotland and the unsettled state of Ireland appealed to his heart and patriotic sym- pathies, and he came to the conclusion that emigration was the remedy for the ills of Scotland and Ireland alike. He first endeavored to interest the British government in the matter. His letter to the government, after showing the desirability of relieving the congested and dissatisfied population already described, goes on to speak of a suitable field for the settlement of the emigrants. To quote: “No large tract remains unoccupied on the sea coast of British America except barren and frozen deserts. To find a sufficient extent of good soil in a temperate climate we must go far inland. This inconvenience is not, however, an insurmountable obstacle to the prosperity of a colony, and appears to be amply compensated by other advantages that are to be found in some remote parts of the British territory. At the western extremity of Canada, upon the waters which fall into Lake Winnipeg and which in the great river of Port Nelson discharge themselves into Hudson Bay, is a country which the Indian traders represent as fertile, and of a climate far more temperate than the shores of the Atlantic under the same parallel, and not more severe than that of Germany or Poland. Here, therefore, the colonists may, with a moderate exertion of industry, be certain of a comfortable sub- 566 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. sistence, and they may also raise some valuable objects of exportation.” This description of the inland region was drawn from Mackenzie’s book. ‘1 The greatest impediment to a colony in this quarter, ’ ’ Lord Selkirk goes on to state, ‘‘seems to be the Hudson’s Bay Company monopoly, which the possessors cannot be expected easily to relinquish. They may, however, be amply indemnified for its abolition without any burden, perhaps even with advantage to the revenue.” The proposals of Lord Selkirk were referred to the colonial secretary, but were rejected, not because of any unsuitableness of the country, but ‘‘because the prejudices of the British people were so strong against emigra- tion.” Years went past and Lord Selkirk, unable to obtain the assent of the British government to his great scheme of colonizing the interior of North America, at length determined to obtain possession of the territory wanted for his plans through the agency of the Hudson’s Bay Company. About the year 1810 he began to turn his attention in earnest to the matter. Having fully satisfied himself that the Hudson’s Bay Company was legally able to sell its territory and to transfer the numerous rights bestowed by the charter, Lord Selkirk proceeded to obtain control of the stock of the company. By May, 1811, he had with his friends acquired, it is said, not less than £35,000 of the total stock, £105,000 sterling. A general court of the proprietors was called for May 30, and the proposition was made by Lord Selkirk to purchase a tract of land lying in the wide expanse of Rupert’s Land and on the Red river of the north, to settle, within a limited time, a large colony on their lands, and to assume the expense of transport, of outlay for the settlers, of government, of protection and of quieting the Indian title to the lands. At the meeting there was repre- sented about £45,000 worth of stock, and the vote on being taken showed the representatives of nearly £30,000 of the stock to be in favor of accept- ing Lord Selkirk’s proposal. The opposition was, however, by no means insignificant. Two stock- holders, representing about £13,000, voted against the colony. The most violent opponents, however, were the Nor’-Westers who were in England at the time. Two of them had purchased stock only within forty-eight hours of the meeting, but all of them, holding less than £2,500 worth ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 67 stock, had not enough influence to thwart Lord Selkirk. The partners of the Northwest Company having learned of the steps being taken by Lord Selkirk, had become greatly alarmed. They were of the opinion that the object of Lord Selkirk was to make use of his great emigration scheme to give supremacy to the Hudson’s Bay Company over its rivals, and to injure the Nor’-Westers’ fur trade. So far as can be seen, Lord Selkirk had no interest in the rivalry that had been going on between the companies for more than a generation. His first aim was emigration, and this for the purpose of relieving the distress of many in the British Isles. His project has, of course, been greatly criticized. He has been called ‘ ‘ a kind-hearted, but visionary Scottish nobleman,” and his relative, Sir James Wedderburn, spoke of him fifty years afterwards as ‘‘a remarkable man, who had the misfortune to live before his time.” Certainly Lord Selkirk met with gigantic difficulties, but these were rather from the Northwest Company than from any untimeliness in his emigration scheme. Having now beaten down all opposition, Lord Selkirk forthwith pro- ceeded to carry out his great plan of colonization. His policy was very comprehensive. He said: “The settlement is to be formed in a territory where religion is not the ground of any disqualification, an unreserved par- ticipation in every privilege will therefore be enjoyed by Protestant and Catholic without distinction.” According to the advertisement and pros- pectus of the colony, the area of the new settlement consisted of 110,000 square miles on the Red and Assiniboine rivers, and was one of the most fertile districts in North America. The name Assiniboia was given it from the Assiniboine, and steps were taken immediately to organize a government for the embryo colony. The assistance of Miles Macdonell, a captain of the Canadian Militia, was obtained in the enterprise, and he was appointed by Lord Selkirk to superintend his colony at Red river. In the end of June, 1881, Captain. Miles Macdonald found himself at Yarmouth, on the east coast of England, with a fleet of three vessels sent out by the Hudson’s Bay Company for their regular trade and also to carry the first colonists. By the middle of July the little fleet had reached the Pentland Firth and were compelled to put into Stromness, where were embarked a number of Orkneymen intended for the company’s service,68 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The men of the Hudson’s Bay Company at this time were largely drawn from the Orkney Islands. Proceeding on their way the fleet made rendez- vous at Stornoway, the chief town of Lewis, one of the Hebrides. Here had arrived a number of colonists or employes, some from Sligo, others from Glasgow, and others from different parts of the Highlands. Many influences were operating against the success of the colonizing expedition. It had the strenuous opposition of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, then in Britain, and the newspapers contained articles intended to discourage and dis- suade people from embarking in the enterprise. Mr. Reid, a collector of customs at Stornoway, whose wife was an aunt of Sir Alexander Mac- kenzie, threw every impediment in the way of the project, and some of those engaged by Lord Selkirk were actually lured away by enlisting agents. But after the usual incidents of “an uncommon share of boister- ous, stormy, and cold weather” on the ocean, the ships entered Hudson Bay. Experiencing “a course of fine, mild weather and moderate, fair winds,” on September 24th the fleet reached the harbor of York Factory, after a voyage of sixty-one days out from Stornoway. The late arrival of the colony on the shores of Hudson Bay made it impossible to ascend the Nelson river with boats and reach the interior during the season of 1811. Accordingly Captain Macdonell made prepara- tions for wintering on the bay. York Factory would not probably have accorded sufficient accommodation for the colonists, but in addition Cap- tain Macdonell states in a letter to Lord Selkfrk that “the factory is very ill constructed and not at all adapted for a cold country. ’ ’ In consequence of these considerations, Captain Macdonell at once undertook, during the fair weather of the season yet remaining, to build winter quarters on the north side of the river, at a distance of some miles from the factory. No doubt matters of discipline entered into the plans of the leader of the colonists. In a short time very comfortable dwellings were erected, built of round logs, the front side high with a shade roof sloping to the rear a foot thick, and the group of huts was known as “Nelson encampment.” After the new year had come, all thoughts were directed to prepara- tions for the journey of seven hundred miles or thereabouts to the inter- ior. A number of boats were required for transportation of the colonistsHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 69 and their effects. Captain Macdonell insisted on his boats being made after a different style from the boats commonly used at that time by the company. His model was the flat boat, which he had seen used in the Mohawk river in the state of New York. The workmanship displayed in the making of these boats very much dissatisfied Captain Macdonell, and he constantly complained of the indolence of the workmen. In conse- quence of this inefficiency the cost of the boats to Lord Selkirk was very great, and drew forth the objections of the leader of the colony. By July 1st, 1812, the ice had moved from the river, and the expedi- tion started soon after on the journey to Red river. The new settlers found the route a hard and trying one with its rapids and portages. The boats, too, were heavy, and the colonists inexperienced in managing them. It was well on toward autumn when the company, numbering about seventy, reached the Red river. No special preparation had been made for the colonists, and the winter would soon be upon them. Some of the parties were given shelter in the company fort and buildings, others in the huts of the freed men, who were married to the Indian women, and settled in the neighborhood of the Porks, while others still found refuge in the tents of the Indian encampment in the vicinity. The condition of the colonists was pitiable in the extreme. During the first winter on Red river, and in the spring following, Governor Macdonell bought from the Northwest Company, for the use of the settlers, considerable quantities of potatoes, barley, oats and garden seeds, with four cows, a bull, pigs, poultry, etc., articles which had been brought from Canada at a- large expense. Governor Macdonell expressed gratitude to the Northwest Company for thus affording assistance in giving his colonists a start in the new land. % While Governor Macdonell was thus early engaged in making a begin- ning in the new colony, Lord Selkirk was seeking out more colonists, and sent out a small number to the new world by the Hudson’s Bay Company ships. Before sailing from Stornoway the second party met with serious interruption from the collector of customs, who, we have seen, was related to Sir Alexander Mackenzie. The number on board the ships was greater, it was claimed, than the “Dundas Act” permitted. Through the influence of Lord Selkirk the ships were allowed to proceed on their voyage. Prison70 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. fever, it is said, broke out on the voyage, so that a number died at sea, and others on the shore of Hudson Bay. A small number, not more than fifteen or twenty, reached Red river in the autumn of 1813. During the previous winter Governor Macdonell had taken a number of the colonists to Pembina, a point sixty miles south of the Forks, where buffalo could be had. In the second winter (1813-14) he retired to the same spot, and at this point a fort, called Fort Daer, from one of Lord Selkirk’s titles, was erected. On returning, after the second winter, to the settlement, the colonists sowed a small quantity of wheat, though, nob hav- ing horses or oxen, they were compelled to prepare the ground with the hoe. Lord Selkirk had not been anxious in 1812 to send a large addition to his colony. In 1813 he made greater efforts, and in June sent out a party under Mr. Archibald Macdonald, numbering some ninety-three persons. Mr. Macdonald has written an account of his voyage, and has given us a remarkably concise and clear pamphlet. Having spent the winter at Churchill, Macdonald started on April 14th with a considerable number of his party, and, coming by way of York Factory, reached Red river on June 22nd, when they were able to plant some thirty or forty bushels of potatoes. The settlers were in good spirits, having received plots of land to build houses for themselves. Governor Macdonell went northward to meet the remainder of Archibald Macdonald’s party, and arrived with them late in the season. On account of various misunderstandings between the colony and the Northwest Company, one hundred and fifty of the colonists were induced by a Northwest officer, Duncan Cameron, to leave the country and go by a long canoe journey to Canada. The remainder, numbering about sixty persons, making up about thirteen families, were driven from the settle- ment, and found refuge at Norway House (Jack river) at the foot of Lake Winnipeg. An officer from Lord Selkirk, Colin Robertson, arrived in the colony to assist these settlers, but found them driven out. He fol- lowed them to Norway House, and with his twenty clerks and servants, conducted them back to Red river to their deserted homes. While these disastrous proceedings were taking place on Red river, including the summons to Governor Macdonell to appear before theHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 71 courts of Lower Canada to answer certain charges made against him, Lord Selkirk wqs especially active in Great Britain, and gathered together the best .band of settlers yet sent out. These were largely from the parish of Kildonan, in Sutherlandshire, Scotland. Governor Maedonell having gone east to Canada, the colony was to be placed under a new governor, a mili- tary officer of some distinction, Robert Semple, who had traveled in dif- ferent parts of the world. Governor Semple was in charge of this fourth party of colonists, who numbered about one hundred. With this party, hastening through his journey, Governor Semple reached his destination on Red river in the month of October, in the same year in which they had left the motherland. Thus we have seen the arrival of those who were known as the Selkirk colonists, (number of). We recapitulate their numbers:— In 1811, reaching Red river in 1812............................... 70 In 1812, reaching Red river in 1813 ..........................15 or 20 In 1813, reaching Red river in two parties in 1814 ............... 93 In 1815, reaching Red river in the same year...................... 100 Making deduction of the Irish settlers there were of the Highland colonists about ........................................... 270 Less those led by the North-West Company in 1814 to Canada........ 140 Permanent Highland settlers...........................1........... 130 Of these but two remained on the banks of the Red river in 1897, George Bannerman and John Matheson, and they have both died since that time.CHAPTER X. THE FUR COMPANIES’ STRUGGLE. The long rivalry between the two fur companies had at last developed to the point of war. The Selkirk colony brought the matter to a crisis, and in Manitoba the battles were fought and the truces were made that preceded the union of all interests in 1821. To the most casual observer it must have been evident that the colony to be established by Lord Selkirk would be regarded with disfavor by the Northwest Company officers. First, it was a Hudson’s Bay scheme, and would greatly advance the interests of the English trading company. That company would have at the very threshold of the fur country a depot, surrounded by traders and workmen, which would give them a great advan- tage over their rivals. Secondly, civilization and its handmaid, agriculture, are incompatible with the fur trade. As the settler enters, the fur-bearing animals are exterminated. A sparsely settled, almost unoccupied, country is the only hope of preserving this trade. Thirdly, the claim of the Hudson’s Bay Company under its charter was that they had the sole right to pursue the fur trade in Rupert’s Land. Their traditional policy on Hudson Bay had been to drive out private trade and to preserve their monopoly. Fourthly, and corollary to the third reason, the Nor’-Westers claimed to be lineal successors of the French traders who, under Verandrye, had opened up the region west of Lake Superior. They long after maintained that priority of discovery and earlier possession gave them the right to claim the region in dispute as belonging to the Province of Quebec, and so as being a part of Canada. The colony itself was the greatest offence in the eyes of the Nor’- Westers, although the hostility that would naturally be created among the fur traders toward such an enterprise was intensified by the settle- ment being projected under the auspicies of the rival company. “Lord Selkirk must be driven to abandon his project, for his success would strike at the very existence of our trade,” were the words of a Northwest Com-HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 73 pany partner. Such logic supporting the opposition of the Nor’-Westers, the opportunity of incident or time alone delayed the opening of the breach. Despite the fact that the opposition of the Northwest Company was from the first frankly avowed, the blame for the first aggression and the beginning of hostilities cannot be clearly fastened upon the representatives of that company. The upholders of the colony claim that no sooner had the settlers arrived than efforts were made to stir up the Indians against them; that besides, the agents of the Northwest Company had induced the Metis, or half-breeds, to disquise themselves as Indians, and that on their way to Pembina one man was robbed by these desperadoes of the gun which his father had carried at Culloden, a woman of her marriage ring, and others of various ornaments and valuable articles. There were, however, it is admitted, no specially hostile acts noticeable during the years 1812 and 1813. In fact, the first and second parties of settlers were so small, and seemed so little able to cope with the difficulties of their situation, that no great amount of opposition was shown. The advocates of the Northwest Company, on the other hand, blame the first aggression on Miles Macdonell. During the winter of 1813-14, Governor Macdonell and his colonists were occupying Port Daer at Pem- bina. The supply of subsistence from the buffalo was short, food was diffi- cult to obtain, the war with the United States was in progress and might cut off communication with Montreal, and, moreover, a body of colonists was expected to arrive during the year from Great Britain. Accordingly the Governor, on January 8th, 1814, issued a proclamation. Therein he claimed the territory as ceded to Lord Selkirk. Then, after reciting the inadequacy of the food supply to Support more than the permanent popu- lation (the Selkirk colonists), forbade all traders from taking out “any provisions, either of flesh, grain, or vegetables, procured or raised within the territory, by water or land carriage for one twelvemonth from the date hereof; 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. The provisions procured and raised as above shall be taken for the use of the colony, etc. ’ ’74 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Soon after laying this strict embargo, the governor gave another ex- ample of his determination to assert his authority. It had been represented to him that the Northwest Company officers had no intention of obeying his proclamation, and indeed were engaged in buying up all the available supplies to prevent his getting enough for his colonists. Convinced that his opponents were engaged in thwarting his designs, the governor sent John Spencer to seize some of the stores which had been gathered in the Northwest post at the mouth of the Souris river. Spencer was unwilling to go unless very specific instructions were given him. The governor had, by Lord Selkirk’s influence in Canada, been appointed a magistrate, and he now issued a warrant authorizing Spencer to seize the provisions in this fort. Spencer, provided with a double escort, proceeded to the fort at the Souris, and the Nor’-Westers made no other resistance than to retire within the stockade and shut the gate of the fort. Spencer ordered his men to force an entrance with their hatchets. Afterwards, opening the store- houses, they seized six hundred skins of dried meat (pemmican) and of grease, each weighing eighty-five pounds. This booty was removed into the Hudson’s Bay Company fort (Brandon House) at that place. Here was a distinct act of hostility. The Nor’-Westers, in view of their claims to this territory, would of course recognize no legal authority conferred through the Hudson’s Bay Company charter as binding upon them. As a desperate resort to obtain the means of subsistence for his needy colonists the governor’s course had some ground of justification; but in precipitating a conflict in which his force was too weak to bear an equal part, he displayed great lack of tact and judgment. At their council at Fort William in the following summer, the officers of the Northwest Company, under the presidency of the Hon. William McGillivray, took decided action. The plan of campaign there agreed upon was entrusted to two of the Northwest Company partners to be carried out. These were Duncan Cameron and Alexander Macdonell. The latter wrote to a friend, from one of his resting places on his journey, “Much is expected of us . . . so here is at them with all my heart and energy.” The two partners arrived at Fort Gibraltar, situated at theHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 75 forks of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, toward the end of August. The senior partner, Maedonell, leaving Cameron at Fort Gibraltar, went west- ward to the Qu’Appelle river, to return in the spring and carry out the plan agreed on. Cameron busied himself during the winter in dealing with the settlers, and let no opportunity slip of impressing them. Knowing the fondness of Highlanders for military display, he dressed himself in a bright red coat, wore a sword, and in writing to the settlers, which he often did, signed himself, “D. Cameron, Captain, Yoyageur Corps, Commanding Officer, Red River.” He also posted an order at the gate of his fort pur- porting to be his captain’s commission. Knowing the love of the High- landers for their own language, Cameron spoke to them Gaelic in his most pleasing manner, entertained the leading colonists at his own table, and paid many attentions to their families. Promises were then made to a number of leaders to provide the people with homes in Upper Canada, to pay up wages due by the Hudson’s Bay Company or Lord Selkirk, and to give a year’s provisions free, provided the colony would leave Red river and accept the advantages offered in Canada. This plan succeeded remark- ably well, and induced by the promises, one hundred and thirty-four of the colonists deserted the colony in June, 1815, along with Cameron, and arrived at Fort William on their way down the lakes at the end of July. These settlers made their way in canoes along the desolate shores of Lake Superior and Georgian Bay, and arrived at Holland Landing, in Upper Canada, on September 5th. Many of them were given land in the town- ship of West Guillimbury, near Newmarket, and many of their descen- dants are there to this day. In the meantime the settlers had been undergoing constant persecu- tion and annoyance at the hands of the Nor’-Westers and their allies, the Bois Brules, or half breeds. The colonists were frequently fired upon, and in the end they were enduring practically a state of siege. A warrant was issued by the Nor’-Westers for the arrest of Governor Miles Maedonell. He refused for a time to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the magistrates; but at the persuasion of the other officers of the settlement, and to avoid the loss of life and the dangers threatened against the colonists, he sur-76 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. rendered himself and was taken to Montreal for trial, though no trial ever took place. Some of the best of the settlers, amounting to about one-quarter of the whole, had refused all the advances of the subtle Captain Cameron, and after the departure of the majority of the settlers to Upper Canada this brave remnant suffered the increased wrath of the Nor’-Westers. The traders and their allies burnt some of the settlers’ homes and used threats of the most extreme kind. On June 25th, 1815, the following document was served upon the disheartened colonists:—- “All settlers to retire immediately from the Red River, and no trace of settlement to remain. “Cuthbert Grant. “Bostonnais Pangman. “William Shaw. “Bonhomme Montour.” This order brought on the first battle of the war, an account of which is given by John McLeod, a fiery Highland trader, then in charge of the Hudson’s Bay Company house at this point. “In 1814-15,” to quote McLeod’s diary, being in charge of the whole Red River district, I spent the winter at the Forks, at the settlement there. On June 25th, 1815, while I was in charge, a sudden attack was made by an armed band of the Nor’-Westers party under the leadership of Alexander Macdonell (Yellow Head) and Cuthbert Grant, on the settle- ment and Hudson’s Bay Company fort at the Forks. They numbered about seventy or eighty, well armed and on horseback. Having had some warn- ing of it, I assumed command of both the colony and Hudson Bay Com- pany parties. Mustering with inferior numbers, and with only a few guns, we took a stand against them. Taking my place amongst the colon- ists. I fought with them. All fought bravely and kept up the fight as long as possible, many all about me falling wounded, one mortally. Only thirteen of our band escaped unscathed. “The brunt of the struggle was near the Hudson’s Bay Company post, close to which was our blacksmith’s smithy—a log building about ten feetHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 77 by ten. Being hard pressed, I thought of trying the little cannon (a three or four pounder) lying idle in the post where it could not well be used. “One of the settlers (Hugh McLean) went with two of my men, with his cart to fetch it, with all the cart chains he could get and some powder. Finally, we got the whole to the blacksmith’s smithy, where, chopping up the chain into lengths for shot, we opened a fire of chain shot on the enemy which drove back the main body and scattered them, and saved the post from utter destruction and pillage. All the colonists’ houses were, however, destroyed by fire. Houseless, wounded, and in extreme distress, they took to the boats, and, saving what they could, started for Norway House (Jack’s River), declaring they would never return. . . ‘ ‘ The colonists were allowed to take what they could of what belonged to them, and that was but little, for as yet they had neither cow nor plough, only a horse or two. There were boats and other craft enough to take them all—colonists and Hudson’s Bay Company people—away, and all, save my three companions and myself, took ship and fled. For many days after we were under siege, living under constant peril; but uncon- querable in our bullet-proof log walls, and with our terrible cannon and chain shot. . . .” The Indians of the vicinity showed the colonists much sympathy, but on June 27th, after the hostile encounter, some thirteen families, compris- ing from forty to sixty persons, pursued their sad journey, piloted by friendly Indians, to the north end of Lake Winnipeg, where the Hudson’s Bay Company post of Jack River afforded some shelter. McLeod and, as he tells us, three men only were left. These endeavored to protect the settlers’ growing crops, which this year showed great promise. The expulsion may now be said to have been complete. The day after the departure of the expelled settlers, the colony dwellings, with the pos- sible exception of the governor’s house, were all burnt to the ground. In July the desolate band reached Jack River House, their future being dark indeed. Deliverance was, however, coming from two directions. Colin Robertson, a Hudson’s Bay Company officer, arrived from the east with twenty Canadians. On reaching the Red River settlement, he found the .settlers all gone, but he followed them speedily to their rendezvous on Lake78 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Winnipeg and returned with the refugees to their deserted home on Red river. They were joined also by about ninety settlers from the Highlands of Scotland, who had come through to Red river in one season. The colony was now rising into promise again. A number of the demolished buildings were soon restored; the colony took heart, and under the new governor, Robert Semple, a British officer who had come with the last party of settlers, the prospects seemed to have improved. The governor’s dwelling was strengthened, other dwellings were erected beside it, and more necessity being now seen for defence, the whole assumed a more mili- tary aspect, and took the name, after Lord Selkirk’s family name, Fort Douglas. Though a fair crop had been reaped by the returned settlers from their fields, yet the large addition to their numbers made it necessary to remove to Fort Daer, where the buffalo were plentiful. This party was under the leadership of Sheriff Alexander Macdonell, though Governor Semple was also there. The autumn saw trouble at the Forts. The report of disturbances having taken place between the Nor’-Westers and Hudson’s Bay Company employes at Qu’Appelle was heard, as well as renewed threats of disturbance in the colony. Colin Robertson in October, 1815, captured Fort Gibraltar, seized Duncan Cameron, and recovered the field-pieces and other property taken by the Nor’-Westers in the preceding months. Though the capture of Cameron and his fort thus took place, and the event was speedily followed by the reinstatement of the trader on his promise to keep the peace, yet the report of the seizure led to the greatest irritation in all parts of the country where the two companies had posts. All through the winter, threatenings of violence filled the air. The Bois Brules were arrogant, and, led by their faithful leader, Cuthbert Grant, looked upon themselves as the “New Nation.” Returning, after the new year of 1816, from Fort Daer, Governor Semple saw the necessity for aggressive action. Fort Gibraltar was to become the rendezvous for a Bois Brules force of extermination from Qu’- Appelle, Fort des Prairies (Portage la Prairie), and even from the Sas- katchewan. To prevent this, Colin Robertson, under the governor’s direc- tion, recaptured Fort Gibraltar and held Cameron as a prisoner. ThisHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 79 event took place in March or April of 1816. The fall of Fort Gibraltar soon followed. The matter of dismantling the fort was much discussed be- tween Governor Semple and his lieutenant, Colin Robertson. The latter was opposed to the proposed destruction of the Nor’-Wester fort, know- ing the excitement such a course would cause. However, after the depar- ture of Robertson to Hudson Bay in charge of Cameron, the governor carried out his purpose, and in the end of May, 1816, the buildings were pulled down. A force of some thirty men was employed, and, expecting as they did, a possible interruption from the west, the work was done in a week or a little more. The materials were taken apart; the stockade was made into a raft, the remainder was piled upon it, and all was floated down Red river to the site of Fort Douglas. The material was then used for strengthening the fort and building new houses in it. Thus ended Fort Gibraltar. A considerable establishment it was in its time; its name was undoubtedly a misnomer so far as strength was concerned, yet it points to its origina- tion in troublous times. All events now plainly pointed to armed disturbances and bloodshed. The policy of Governor Semple was too vigorous when the inflammable elements in the country were borne in mind. There was in the country a class called “Free Canadians,” i.e., those French Canadian trappers and traders not connected with either company, who obtained a precarious liv- ing for themselves, their Indian wives, and half-breed children. These, fearing trouble, betook themselves to the plains. The Indians of the vicin- ity seemed to have gained a liking for the colonists and their leaders. When they heard the threatenings from the west, two of the chiefs came to Governor Semple and offered the assistance of their bands. This the governor could not accept, whereat the chiefs gave voice to their sorrow and disappointment. Governor Semple seems to have disregarded all these omens of coming trouble, and to have acted almost without common prudence. No doubt, having but lately come to the country, he failed to understand the daring character of his opponents.CHAPTER XI. “SEVEN OAKS” SKIRMISH. The skirmish of Seven Oaks was the most notable event that ever occurred on the prairies of Rupert’s Land or in the limits of the fur country. It was the crisis in the rivalry that for a century and a half had endured between the fur-trading corporation on Hudson Bay and the oligarchy of traders, that had its headquarters at Montreal. It was also the denouement which led the Old and the New World fur companies, despite the heat of passion and their warmth of animosity, to make a peace which saved both from impending destruction. That this crucial conflict occurred within the limits of the present city of Winnipeg confers upon that event, for the Manitoban, a special intimacy of interest apart from and above its significance in general history. The dismantling of Fort Gibraltar and the tactless policy of Governor Semple called for retribution. The Nor’-Westers laid their plans with skill, and determined to send one expedition from Fort William westward and another from Qu’Appelle eastward, and so crush out the opposition at Red River. From the west the expedition was under Cuthbert Grant, and he, appealing to his fellow Metis, raised the standard of the Bois Brules and called his followers the “New Nation.” In a letter he thus details his plans and expectations: “I am now safe and sound, thank God, for I be- lieve that it is more than Colin Robertson or any of his suite dare, to offer the least insult to any of the Bois Brules, although Robertson made use of some expressions which I hope he will swallow in the spring. He shall see that it is neither fifteen, thirty, nor fifty of his best horsemen that can make the Bois Brules bow to him. Our people at Fort des Prairies and English River are all to be here in the spring. It is hoped that we shall come off with flying colors, and never see any of iliem again in the colonizing way in Red River. . . We are to remain at the Forks to pass the summer, for fear they should play us the same trick as last summer of coming back; but they shall receive a warm reception.”\ -- 11, \f ERECTED IN 1891 L W THt M»NlT099 IIS10IICU SOtlEEI , Thiii/CH HIE JHEOSErrOfUlEj fc,, COUNTESS I* SELKIRK 41 f>* r*» »*T¥ OF SEVfM ORKSw WHf Afc PELL • GOVERNOR HUBERT SEMPtE Seven Oaks Monument on Ivildeman Road, near Winnipeg, where Governor Semple and His Staff were Killed (June 19, 1816).HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 81 The Selkirk colony not alone suffered the hostility of Grant and his Bois Brules. At Qu’Appelle he seized a Hudson’s Bay Company trader, named Pambrun, with his five boatloads of pemmican and furs. Farther down the Assiniboine, Brandon House was sacked and its furs and sup- plies turned over as booty to the Nor’-Westers. The Indians along the route, also, were solicited by Grant to join the expedition against the Forks settlement, although the natives failed to respond to his invitations. Arriving at Portage la Prairie, sixty miles from the Forks, the Bois Brules prepared their mounted force. Cuthbert Grant was commander. Dressed in the picturesque garb of the country, the Metis now arrived with guns, pistols, lances, bows, and arrows. On their fleet Indian ponies these children of the prairie soon made their journey from Portage la Prairie to the Selkirk settlement. We are indebted to the facile narrator, John Pritchard, for an account of their arrival and their attack. He states that in June, 1816, he was living at Red River, and quite looked for an attack from the western levy just described. Watch was constantly kept from the guerite of Fort Douglas for the approaching foe. The half-breeds turned aside from the Assiniboine some four miles up the river to a point a couple of miles below Fort Douglas. Governor Semple and his attendants followed them with •the glass in their route across the plain. The governor and about twenty others sallied out to meet the western party. On his way out he sent back for a piece of cannon, which was in the fort, to be brought. Soon after this the half-breeds approached Governor Semple’s party in the form of a half moon. The Highland settlers had betaken themselves for protection to Fort Douglas, and in their Gaelic tongue made sad complaint. A daring fellow named Boucher then came out of the ranks of his party, and, on horseback, approached Semple and his body-guard. He gesticulated wildly, and called out in broken English, “What do you want? What do you want?” Governor Semple answered, “What do you want ? ” to this Boucher replied, ‘ ‘ We want our fort. ’ ’ The governor said, “Well, go to your fort.” Nothing more was said, but Governor Semple was seen to put his hand on Boucher’s gun. At this juncture a shot was fired from some part of the line and the firing became general. Many of82 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. the witnesses who saw the affair affirmed that the shot first fired was from the Bois Brules’ line. The attacking party were most deadly in their fire. Semple and his staff, as well as others of his party, fell to the number of twenty-two. The affair was most disastrous. Pritchard says: “I did not see the governor fall, though I saw his corpse the next day at the fort. When I saw Captain Rogers fall I expected to share his fate. As there was a French Canadian among those who sur- rounded me, and who had just made an end of my friend, I said, ‘Lavigne, you are a Frenchman, you are a man, you are a Christian. For God’s sake save my life; for God’s sake try and save it. I give myself up; I am your prisoner.’ ” To the appeals of Pritchard Lavigne responded, and, placing him- self before his friend, defended him from the infuriated half-breeds, who would have taken his life. One Primeau wished to shoot Pritchard, say- ing that the Englishman had formerly killed his brother. At length they decided to spare Pritchard’s life, though they called him a ‘petit chien,’ told him he had not long to live, and would be overtaken on their return. It transpired that Governor Semple was not killed by the first shot that disabled him, but had his thigh bone broken. A kind French Canadian undertook to care for the governor, but in the fury of the fight an Indian, who was the greatest rascal in the company, shot the wounded man in the breast, and thus killed him instantly. The Bois Brules, indeed, were many of them disguised as Indians, and, painted as for the war dance, gave the war whoop, and made a hid- eous noise and shouting. When their victory was won they declared that their purpose was to weaken the colony and put an end to the Hudson’s Bay Company opposition. Cuthbert Grant then proceeded to complete his work. He declared to Pritchard that “if Fort Douglas were not im- mediately given up with all the public property, instantly and without resistance, man, woman, and child would be put to death. He stated that the attack would be made upon it the same night, and if a single shot were fired, that would be the signal for the indiscriminate destruction of every soul. ’ ’HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 83 This declaration of Cromwellian policy was very alarming. Pritchard believed it meant the killing of all the women and children. He remon- strated with the prairie leader, reminding him that the colonists were his father’s relatives. Somewhat softened by this appeal, Grant consented to spare the lives of the settlers if all the arms and public property were given up and the colony deserted. An inventory of property was accord- ingly taken, and in the evening of the third day after the battle, the mourn- ful company, for a second time, like Acadian refugees, left behind them homes and firesides and went into exile. The joyful news was sent west by the victorious Metis. A messenger hastened away to report to Macdonell the result of the attack. Hearing the account given by the courier, the trader was full of glee. The com- mander sent word ahead that the colonists were to be detained till his arrival. Pambrun, being taken part of the way by water, was delayed, and so was too late in arriving to see the colonists. Cuthbert Grant and nearly fifty of the assailing party were in the fort. Pambrun, having obtained permission to visit Seven Oaks, the scene of the conflict, was greatly distressed by the sight. The uncovered' limbs of many of the dead were above ground and the bodies were in a mangled condition. This unfortunate affair for many a day cast a reproach upon the Nor’-Westers, although the prevailing opinion was that Grant was a brave man and conducted himself well in the engagement. We have now to enquire as to the movements of the expedition coming westward from Fort William. The route of upwards of four hundred miles was a difficult one. Accordingly, before they reached Red River, Fort Douglas was already in the hands of the Nor’-Westers. With the expedi- tion from Fort William came a non-commissioned officer of the De Meuron regiment, one of the Swiss bodies of mercenaries disbanded after the war of 1812-15. This was Frederick Damien Huerter. His account is circum- stantial and clear. He had, as leading a military life, entered the service of the Nor’-Westers, and coming west to Lake Superior, followed the leader- ship of the fur trader Alexander Norman McLeod and two of the officers of his old regiment, Lieutenants Missani and Brumby.84 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Arriving at Fort William, a short time was given for providing the party with arms and equipment, and soon the lonely voyageurs, on this occasion in a warlike spirit, were paddling themselves over the fur traders’ route in five large north canoes. On the approach to Rainy Lake Fort, as many of the party as were soldiers dressed in full regimentals, in order to impress upon the Indians that they had the King’s authority. Strong drink and tobacco were a sufficient inducement to about twenty of the Indians to join the expedition. On the day before the fight at Seven Oaks, this party had arrived at the fort known as Bas de la Riviere, near Lake Winnipeg. Guns and two small brass field-pieces, three pounders, were put in order, and the com- pany crossed to the mouth of the Red river, ascended to Nettley Creek, and there bivouacked, forty miles from the scene of action and two days after the skirmish. They had expected here to meet the Qu’Appelle brigade of Cuthbert Grant. No doubt this was the original plan, but the rashness of the governor and the hot blood of the Metis had brought on the engage- ment with the result we have seen. Knowing nothing of the fight, the party started to ascend the river, and soon met seven or eight boats, laden with colonists, under the command of the sheriff of the Red River settlement. McLeod then heard of the fight, ordered the settlers ashore, examined all the papers among their baggage, and took possession of all letters, account books, and documents whatso- ever. Even Governor Semple’s trunks, for which there were no keys, were broken open and examined. The colonists were then set free and proceeded on their sad journey, Charles Grant being detailed to seeing them safely away. Huerter says: “On the 16th I went up the river to Fort Douglas. There were many of the partners of the Northwest Company with us. At Fort Douglas the brigade was received with discharges of artillery and fire-arms. The fort was under Mr. Alexander Macdonell, and there was present a great gathering of Bois Brules, clerks; and interpreters* as well' as partners of the company. On our arrival Archibald Norman McLeod, our leader, took the management and direction of the fort, and all made whatever they chose of the property it contained. The Bois Brules were entirelyHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 85 under the orders and control of McLeod and the partners. McLeod occu- pied the apartments lately belonging to Governor Semple. After my arri- val I saw all the Bois Brules assembled in a large outer room, which had served as a mess-room for the officers of the colony. “I rode the same day to the field of ‘Seven Oaks,’ where Governor Semple and so many of his people had lost their lives, in company with a number of those who had been employed on that occasion—all on horse- back. At this period, scarcely a week after June 19th, I saw a number of human bodies scattered about the plain, and nearly reduced to skeletons, there being then very little flesh adhering to the bones; and I was informed on the spot that many of the bodies had been partly devoured by dogs and wolves. ’ ’ There was a scene of great rejoicing the same evening at the fort, the Bois Brules being painted and dancing naked, after the manner of savages, to the great amusement of their masters. The Nor’-Westers were now in the ascendant. The Bois Brules were naturally in a state of exultation. Their wild Indian blood was at the boiling point. Fort Douglas had been seized without opposition, and for several days the most riotous scenes took place. Threats of violence were freely indulged in against the Hudson’s Bay Company, Lord Selkirk, and the colonists. As Pritchard remarks, there was nothing now for the dis- couraged settlers but to betake themselves for the second time to the rendez- vous at the north of Lake Winnipeg, and there await deliverance at the hands of their noble patron, Lord Selkirk.CHAPTER XII. LORD SELKIRK’S VISIT. The sad story of the beleaguered and excited colonists reached the ears of Lord Selkirk through his agents. The trouble threatening his settlers determined the energetic founder to visit Canada for himself, and, if possible, the infant colony. Accordingly, late in the year 1815, in com- pany with his family—consisting of the Countess, his son and two daugh- ters—he reached Montreal. The news of the first dispersion of the colonists,, their flight to Norway House, and the further threatenings of the Bois Brules, had reached him at New York. He hastened on to Montreal, but it was too late in the season, being about the end of October, to penetrate in the interior. Though compelled to pass the winter in Montreal, the very strong- hold of the enemy, he made energetic efforts, through official sources, to safeguard his colony. As early as February, 1815, dreading the threaten- ings even then made by the Northwest Company, he had represented to Lord Bathurst, the British secretary of the state, the urgent necessity of an armed force, not necessarily very numerous, being sent to the Red River settlement to maintain order in the colony. Now, after the outrageous pro- ceedings of the summer of 1815 and the arrival of the dreary intelligence from Red River, Lord Selkirk again brings the matter before the authori- ties, this time before Sir Gordon Drummond, governor of Lower Canada,, and encloses a full account of the facts as to the expulsion of the settlers from their homes, and of the many acts of violence perpetrated at Red River. Nothing being gained in this way, his Lordship determined to under- take an expedition himself, as soon as it could be organized, and carry assis- tance to his persecuted people, who, he knew, had been gathered together by Colin Robertson, and to whom he had sent as governor Mr. Semple, in whom he reposed great confidence. We have seen that during the winter of 1815-16 peace and a certain degree of confidence prevailed among the settlers, more than half of whom were spending their first winter in the country. Fort Douglas was regarded as strong enough to resist a consider-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 87 able attack, and the presence of Governor Semple, a military officer, was thought a guarantee for the protection of the people. During the winter, however, Lord Selkirk learned enough to assure him that the danger was not over—that, indeed, a more determined attack than ever would be made as soon as the next season opened. He had been sworn in as a justice of the peace in Upper Canada and for the Indian territories; he had obtained for his personal protection from the governor the promise of a sergeant and six men of the British army stationed in Canada, but this was not sufficient. He undertook a plan of placing upon his own land in the colony a number of persons as settlers who could be called on in emergency, as had been the intention in the case of the Highland colonists, to whom muskets had been furnished. The close of the Napoleonic wars had left a large number of the soldiers engaged in those wars out of employment, the Brit- ish government having been compelled to reduce the size of the army. Among the brave regiments which had rendered Britain so famous on her continental battle-fields were several enlisted for her service in Switzer- land. Two of these regiments, one named “De Meuron,” and the other “ Watteville,” had been sent to Canada to assist in the war against the United States. This war being now over also, orders came to Sir Gordon Drummond to disband the two regiments in May, 1815. The former! of the regiments was at the time stationed at Montreal, the latter at Kingston. These men afforded the material for Lord Selkirk’s purpose, viz., to till the soil and protect the colony. Like a wise man, however, he made character the ground of engagement in the case of all whom he took. To those who came to terms with him he agreed to give a sufficient portion of land, agricultural implements, and as wages for working the boats on the voyage eight dollars a month. It was further agreed than should any choose to leave Red River on reaching it, they should be taken back by His Lordship free of expense. Early in June, 1816, four officers and about eighty men of the “De Meurons” left Montreal in Lord Selkirk’s employ, and proceeded west- ward to Kingston. Here twenty more, of the “Watteville” regiment, joined their company. Thence the expedition, made up by the addition of one88 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. hundred and thirty canoemen, pushed on to York (Toronto), and from York northward to Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay. Across this bay and Lake Huron they passed rapidly on to Sault Ste. Marie, Lord Selkirk leav- ing the expedition before reaching that place to go to Drummond’s Island, which was the last British garrison in Upper Canada, and at which point he was to receive the sergeant and six men granted for his personal protec- tion by the governor of Canada. Thence hastening on, he overtook his expedition at Sault Ste. Marie, now consisting of two hundred and fifty men all told, and these being maintained at his private expense. They im- mediately proceeded westward, but a short distance from Sault Ste. Marie, during the last week of July, they were met on Lake Superior by two canoes, in one of which was Miles Macdonell, driven forth from Red River, and who brought the sad intelligence of the second destruction of the colony and of the murder of Governor Semple and his attendants. His Lordship was thrown into the deepest despair. The thought of his governor killed, wholesale murder committed, the poor settlers led by him from their Highland homes, where life at least was safe, to endure such fear and privation, was indeed a sore trial. To any one less moved by the spirit of philanthropy it must have been a serious disappointment, but to one feeling so thorough a sympathy for the suffering and who was him- self the very soul of honor, it was a crushing blow. He resolved to change his course and go to Fort William, the head- quarters of the Nor’-Westers. He also determined, after having failed to induce two magistrates at Sault Ste. Marie to accompany him, to deal with the situation in his office of magistrate, being reduced, as he says in a letter to the Governor-General, “to the alternative of acting alone, or of allowing an audacious crime to pass unpunished. In these circumstances I cannot doubt that it is my duty to act, though I am not without appre- hension that the law may be openly resisted by a set of people who have been accustomed to consider force as the only true criterion of right.” The Governor-General, Sir John Sherbrooke, seems to have felt him- self powerless to cope with the situation, the scenes and persons concerned in wThich were almost beyond the reach of his executive control. The part- ners of the Northwest Company, if they did not seek to gloss over the ac-HISTORY OF MANITOBA, 89 tions of their subordinates or shift the blame to the innocent Indians and irresponsible parties, at least maintained a negative attitude to the course of retributive justice. Therefore, the resolution of Lord Selkirk to go to Fort William in the capacity of a magistrate was one involving, as he well knew, many perils. He was not, however, the man to shrink from a daring enterprise having once undertaken it. To Fort William, then, with the prospect of meeting several hundreds of the desperate men of the Northwest Company, Lord Selkirk made his way. So confident was he in the rectitude of his purpose and in the justice of his cause, that he pushed forward, and without the slightest hesitation encamped upon the Kaministiquia, on the south side of the river, opposite Fort William. The expedition arrived on August 12th. A demand was at once made on the officers of the Northwest Company for the release of a number of persons who had been captured at Red River after the destruc- tion of the colony and been brought to Fort William. The Nor’-Westers denied having arrested these persons, and to give color to this assertion immediately sent them over to Lord Selkirk’s encampment. On the 13th and following days of the month of August, the desposi- tions of a number of persons were taken before his Lordship as justice of the peace. The despositions related to the guilt of the several Nor’-Wester partners, their destroying the settlement, entering and removing property from Fort Douglas, and the like. It was made so clear to Lord Selkirk that the partners were guilty of inciting the attacks on the colony and of approving of the outrages committed, that he determined to arrest a num- ber of the leaders. This was done by regular process—by warrants served on Mr. McGillivray, Kenneth McKenzie, Simon Fraser, and others. The prisoners were at first allowed to remain in Fort William, but fearing that an attempt would be made to release them and to resist the execution of the law, Lord Selkirk directed that the prisoners be placed in one building and closely guarded. A further examination of the prisoners took place, and their criminality being so evident, they were sent to York, Upper Can- ada, and thence to Montreal, where they were admitted to bail. The course taken by Lord Selkirk at Fort William has been severely criticized, and became, indeed, the subject of subsequent legal proceedings.90. HISTORY OF MANITOBA. One of the Nor’-Wester apologists Stated to Governor Sherbrooke “that the mode of proceeding under Lord Selkirk’s orders resembled nothing British, and exceeded even the military despotism of the French in Holland.” However, rather than measure the events of this conflict by the gauge of morals and legality, it would seem as profitable to consider them as the pro- duct of the same epoch that witnessed the glorious adventure and the hardy courage of “the Lords of the Lakes and Forests.” The lack of social restraint and the individual freedom born of the life in the forests and on the prairies have always evolved a distinct type of humanity, not amenable to, nor to be interpreted by, the customs of organized communities. The traders and their dependents, in opposing a colony whose establishment they thought inimical to their self-interest, proceeded to the execution of their plans after the informal manner so familiar in the primitive stages of North American civilization. Lord Selkirk, on the other hand, soon discovering that the practices and instruments of British law and government were ineffectual within the forest fastnesses of the North-West, was himself com- pelled to rely on his own initiative and resources in protecting and securing justice to the colony, thus fighting fire with fire. At Fort William the state of affairs was such that Lord Selkirk could not pass on to his colony for the winter, and during the months of autumn the expedition was engaged in laying in supplies for the approaching sea- son, and in opening up roads toward the Red river country. The winter over, Lord Selkirk started on May 1, 1817, for Red river, accompanied by his body guard. The De Meurons had preceded him in the month of March, and, reaching the interior, restored order. The colonizer arrived at his colony in the last week of June, and saw for the first time the land of his dreams for the preceding fifteen years. In order to restore peace he endeavored to carry out the terms of the pro- clamation issued by the government of Canada, that all property taken during the troubles should be restored to its original owners. This restitu- tion was made to a certain extent, though much that had been taken from Fort Douglas was never recovered. The settlers were brought back from their refuge at Norway House, and the settlement was again organized. After their return to their despoiled homesteads a gathering of the settlersFour Douglas, 1815-1835, from .Sketch made m Lord SelkirkHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 91 took place, and a full consideration of all their affairs was had in their patron’s presence. This gathering was at the spot where the church and burying ground of St. John’s are now found. “Here,” said his Lordship, pointing to lot number four, on which they stood, ‘ ‘ here you shall build your church; and that lot,” said he, pointing to lot number three across the little stream called Parsonage creek, ‘ ‘ is for the school. ’ ’ The people then reminded his Lordship that he had promised them a minister, who should follow them to their adopted country. This he at once acknowledged, saying, ‘ ‘ Selkirk never forfeited his word ’ ’; while he promised to give the matter attention as soon as practicable. In addition, Lord Selkirk gave a document stating that, ‘ ‘ in consideration of the hardships which the settlers had suffered, in consequence of the lawless conduct of the Northwest Company, his inten- tion was to grant gratuitously the twenty-four lots which had been occupied to those of the settlers who had made improvements on their lands before they were driven away from them in the previous year. ’ ’ Before the dispersion of this public gathering of the people, the founder gave the name, at the request of the colonists, to their settlement. The name given by him to this first parish in Rupert’s Land was that of Kildonan, from their old home in the valley of Helmsdale, in Sutherland- shire, Scotland. In more fully organizing the colony his Lordship ordered a complete survey to be made of the land, and steps to be taken toward laying out roads, building bridges, erecting mills, etc. While at Red river, Lord Selkirk also treated with the Indians, whose attitude toward the settlement had been much maligned by the Nor’- Westers, but who had in reality maintained a steadfast friendship for the colonists, or at least a sympathetic neutrality in the conflict. The object of the treaty was simply to do what has since been done all over the North- West Territories—to extinguish the Indian title. The treaty, still in exist- ence, is signed alike by Ojibway, Cree and Assiniboine chiefs. His Lordship seems to have employed a most conciliatory and attractive manner in dealing with the natives, and for their part they were greatly struck with the tall spare figure and lordly grace of Lord Selkirk. Long after, Selkirk was remembered and beloved by these Indian tribes, who spoke of him as the ‘ ‘ Silver Chief. ’ ’92 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. So much for the founder’s work in his colony in 1817. His affairs urgently required attention elsewhere. In the language of a writer of the period, ‘ ‘ having restored order, infused confidence in the people, and given a certain aid to their activity, Lord Selkirk took his final leave of the colony. ’ ’ Having made peace with the war-like Sioux to the south, he pro- ceeded eastward to Washington and Albany, and thence hastened hack to Upper Canada, where his presence was urgently needed to meet the artful machinations of his enemies. In the meantime the tardy hand of the Canadian government was reached out to the Red river country. The Governor-General felt very keenly the shameful situation there, and yet the difficulties of transport and the remote distance of the interior where the conflict was taking place made interference almost impossible. His difficulties were, however, more than those of distance. The influence of the Northwest Company in Canada was supreme, and public sentiment simply reflected the views of the traders. The plan of sending a commission to the interior to stop hostili- ties and examine the conflicting statements which were constantly coming to the governor, seemed the most feasible; but with his sense of British fair- ness, Governor Sherbrooke knew he could find no one suitable to recommend. At last driven to take some action, the Governor-General named Mr. W. B. Coltman, a merchant of Quebec and a lieutenant-colonel in the militia, a man accustomed to government matters, and one who bore a good reputation for fairness and justice. With this commissioner, who did not enter on his task with much alacrity, was associated Major Fletcher, a man of good legal qualifications. The commissioners were instructed to proceed immediately to the North-West. They were invested with the power of magistrates, and were authorized to make a thorough investigation into the troubles which were disturbing the country. “You are particularly,” say the instructions, “to apply yourselves to mediate between the contending parties in the aforesaid territories; to remove as far as possible all causes of dissension between them; to take all legal measures to prevent the recurrence of those violences which have already so unhappily disturbed the public peace; and generally(HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 93 to enforce and establish, within the territory where you shall be, the influ- ence and authority of the laws.” Various accidents prevented the commissioners from leaving for the Indian country as soon as had been expected. They did not reach York (Toronto) till November 23rd, and on their arriving on the shores of Lake Huron they found the lake frozen over and impassable. They could do nothing themselves other than return to York, but they succeeded in fitting out an expedition under north-western auspices to find its way over the ice and snow to Fort William, carrying the revocation of all the commis- sions of magistrates west of Sault Ste. Marie and the news of the new appointments in their stead. Reports during the winter continued to be of a disquieting kind, and as the spring drew nigh preparations were made for sending up the commissioners with a small armed force. The gravity of the situation may be judged from the steps taken by the Imperial government and the instructions sent out by the authority of George, the Prince Regent, to Governor Sherbrooke to issue a proclamation in his name calling on all parties to desist from hostilities, and requiring all military officers of men employed by any of the parties to immediately retire from such service. It is worthy of note that the proclamation and instructions given had the desired 'effect. Coltman and his fellow commissioner left in May for the field of their operations, accompanied by forty men of the 37th Regi- ment as a body guard. On arriving at Sault Ste. Marie, Commissioner Coltman, after waiting two or three weeks, hastened on to Fort William, leaving' Fletcher and the troops to follow him. On arriving at Red River he immediately grappled with the difficulties and met-thefn with much success. The news of Lord Selkirk’s actions had all arrived' at 'Montreal through the North-West sources, so that both in Quebec and* London a strong prejudice had sprung up against his Lord- ship.' Colonel Coltman found, however, that Lord Selkirk had been much ■misrepresented'. The illegal seizures he had made at Fort William were dictated only by prudence in dealing with what he considered a daring and treacherous enemy. He had submitted to the ordinance recalling magis- trates’ commissions immediately on receiving it. Colonel Coltman was so94 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. impressed with Lord Selkirk’s reasonableness and good faith that he recommended that the legal charges made against him should not be pro- ceeded with. Colonel Coltman then started on his return journey, and wrote that he had stopped at the mouth of the Winnipeg river for the purpose of investi- gating the conspiracy, in which he states he fears the Northwest Company has been implicated, to destroy the Selkirk settlement. The energetic com- missioner returned to Quebec in November of that year. Governor Sher- brooke had the satisfaction of reporting to Lord Bathurst the return of Mr. Coltman from his mission to the Indian territories, and “that the general result of his exertions had been so far successful, that he had restored a degree of tranquillity there which promises to continue during the winter. ’ ’ The cessation of hostilities brought about by the influence of Colonel Coltman did not, however, bring a state of peace. The conflict was trans- ferred to the courts of Lower and Upper Canada, these having been given power some time before by the imperial parliament to deal with cases in the Indian territories. In the year after Colonel Coltman’s return, numerous cases were referred to the courts, all these arising out of the violence at Red River. Lord Selkirk himself had to answer to four accusations, and charges were also preferred against some of the colony officers and men. On his Lordship’s side charges were brought against those involved in the Seven Oaks massacre and in other outrages inflicted upon the colony. These cases dragged their weary way through the courts, resulting in the acquittal of the defendants in most cases, and dwindling eventually into a dishearten- ing controversy distinguished rather for acrimony and personal bitterness than for decision and justice for either side. Harassed and discouraged by the difficulties of his colony and his treatment in the courts of Upper and Lower Canada, Lord Selkirk wrote, in October, 1818, to the new Governor-General of Canada as follows: “To contend alone and unsupported not only against a powerful association of individuals, but also against all those whose official duty it should have been to arrest them in the prosecution of their crimes, was at the best an arduous task; and, however confident one might be of the intrinsic strength of his cause, it was impossible to feel a very sanguine expectation that this aloneHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 95 would be sufficient to bear him up against the swollen tide of corruption which threatened to overwhelm him. He knew that in persevering under existing circumstances he must necessarily submit to a heavy sacrifice of .personal comfort, incur an expense of ruinous amount, and possibly render himself the object of harassing and relentless persecution.” Lord Selkirk crossed the Atlantic in 1818, but the disappointments and labors he had undergone in America hastened the process of age, and worn-out and heartbroken, in the course of a few months he died at Pau, in the south of France, April, 1820. His Countess and daughters had accompanied him to Montreal on his Canadian visit, and they were now with him to soothe his dying hours and to see him laid to rest in the Protes- tant cemetery of Orthes.CHAPTER XIII. FORT GARRY AND SIR GEORGE SIMPSON. The death of Lord Selkirk in France brought the opposing fur traders closer together, and largely through the influence of Hon. Edward Ellice, a prominent Nor’-Wester, a reconciliation between the hostile companies took place and a union was formed on March 26, 1821, under the name of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The affairs of both companies had been brought to the verge of destruction by the conflicts, and the greatest satisfaction prevailed both in England and Canada at the union. The prospect nojv was that the stability of the English Company and the energy of the Canadian combination would result in a great development of the fur trade. The union of interests which preserved the integrity and prosperity of the fur traders led to the sealing up for half a century of Rupert’s Land to all energetic projects and influx of population, and allowed Sir George Simpson to build up for the time being the empire of the buffalo, the beaver and the fox, instead of developing a home of industry. So that, though we date the first permanent settlement of Manitoba in the early years of the last century, the predominating activity of that region remained the fur industry, and the development of the colony was dependent on the Hud- son’s Bay Company rather than on the activities of the modern era. To direct the affairs of the united fur companies, to harmonize the conflicting interests and to bring about prosperity from the ruin that com- petition had wrought, was the task assigned to the new governor of Hud- son’s Bay Company. Though he proved himself the man for the occasion, yet Sir George Simpson was not, at the time of his election to the post in 1821, an experienced man. Nor was he a man long trained in the fur trade, nor had he done more than spend the winter in the fur country at Lake Athabasca. He was simply a young clerk, who had approved himself in the London Hudson’s Bay Company office to Andrew Colville, a relation of the Earl of Selkirk. He was thus free from the prejudices of either party and young enough to be adaptable in the new state of things. He was a native of Ross-shire, in Scotland. He was short of stature, but strong, vigorous and observing. He was noted for an ease and affability of mannerHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 97 that stood him in good stead all through his forty years of experience as chief officer of the Hudson’s Bay Company. He became a noted traveler, and made the canoe voyage from Montreal to the interior many times. For many years the Nor’-Westers held their annual gatherings at Grand Port- age on Lake Superior, and it was to this place that the chief officers had each year resorted. The new element of the English company coming in from Hudson Bay now made a change necessary. Accordingly, Norway House on Lake Winnipeg became the new centre, and for many years the annual gathering of the company leaders in the active trade took place there. Sometimes at Moose Factory, now at York, then at Norway House, and again at Red River, the energetic governor paid his visits. He was noted for the imperious and impetuous haste with which he drove his voyageurs through the lonely wilds. For years a story was prevalent in the Red river country that a stalwart French voyageur, who was a favorite with the governor, was once, in crossing the Lake of the Woods, so irritated by the governor’s unreasonable urging, that he seized his tormentor, who was small in stature, by the shoulders, and dipped him into the lake, giving vent to his feelings in an emphatic French oath. Though it has always been said that Governor Simpson was dictatorial and overbearing, yet he knew how to attach his people to himself, and he gathered around him in the course of his career of forty years a large number of men devoted to the interests of the company. His visits to Fort Garry on the Red river were always notable. He was approachable to the humblest, and listened to many a complaint and grievance with apparent sympathy and great patience. He had many of the arts of the courtier along with his indomitable will. With marvellous energy the Governor-in-Chief, as he was called, covered the vast territory committed to his care. Besides his journeys to all parts of Rupert’s Land, his fondness for travel and exploration led him to undertake world-wide voyages. Above all else he devoted himself to the strengthening of the company interests and the extension of its trade. His administration was always conducted with a view to ultimate profit to the stockholders. Establishments in unnecessary and unremunerative places were cut down or closed. Governor Simpson, while in some respects fond 798 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of the “show and circumstance” which an old and honorable company could afford, was nevertheless a keen business man, and never forgot that he was the head of a company whose object was trade. It cannot be denied that the personal element entered largely into his administration. He had his favorites among the traders, he was not above petty revenges upon those who thwarted his plans, and his decisions were sometimes harsh and tyran- nical, but his long experience, extending over forty years, was marked on the whole by most successful administration and by a restoration of the prestige of the company, so nearly destroyed at the time of the union. At the close of his career by death in 1860, it could be said of Governor Simpson that he had lifted the fur trade out of the depth into which it had fallen, had harmonized the hostile elements of the two companies, reduced order out of chaos in the interior, helped various expeditions for the explor- ation of Rupert’s Land, and, withal, the business concerns of the company were certainly such as to gain the approbation of the financial world. With the establishment of Hudson’s Bay Company authority through- out Rupert’s Land, there arose a new factory and commercial centre for the region about the Red and Assiniboine rivers that had so long been the battle ground for the rival companies. For fifty years the name and situa- tion of Fort Garry were known to the school boys of Canada, Great Britain and the United States. They pointed it out on the map and pictured to themselves the lonely sentinel outpost among the snows of Rupert’s Land. Ballantyne’s books made Fort Garry a striking picture to the youthful mind. With a shudder the school boys regarded it as the icy capital of the fur traders’ country, surrounded by a Chinese wall through which no outsider might go. It was as the mysterious Lhassa in the inaccessible land of Tibet. Yet Fort Garry stood where Winnipeg is now the commercial and social capital of western Canada. Built as the result of the union of the tw<^ fur companies, besides its importance as the central trading and supply post over a wide region, it was also the chief institution of the Selkirk settlement. During the years that intervened between the skirmish of Seven Oaks and the union of the com- panies, Fort Douglas had served as the source of business and supplies, but now another fort was to be built. The site of this new erection was nearHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 99 where old Fort Gibraltar had stood, but a little distance up the Assiniboine river. Immediately on the union of the two fur companies, Nicholas Garry, deputy governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, left London to visit a number of the posts of Rupert’s Land. On August 4, 1821, he arrived at the Hudson’s Bay house at the Forks, no doubt Fidler’s Fort, which he speaks of as the ‘ ‘ Colony House. ” “ This, ’ ’ he says, ‘ ‘ was in a very dirty state.” On the next day Governor Garry dined at this place, with eight of the leading men of the colony, and on the following day he called at Fort Douglas, and after meeting the colonists and hearing their grievances, departed under a cannon salute from the fort. No doubt the visit of Governor Garry hurried on the building of the new fort. The American travelers, Long and Keating, on visiting Red River in 1823, found the fort completed and bearing the name Fort Garry. This first Fort Garry was built of wood. According to the report of an old resident who saw it in 1849, it was upwards of two hundred feet square. This fort was not demolished till 1852. In 1835, the year in which the Selkirk interests in Rupert’s Land reverted, by purchase, to the Hudson’s Bay Company, Alexander Christie, governor of Red River, undertook the erection of the second Fort Garry. Built with a stone wall surrounding it, and with four massive stone bas- tions, Fort Garry and its companion fort, nineteen miles down the Red river, were far ahead of the buildings throughout the colony, which were chiefly wooden. The stone wall and bastions extended from east to west for 280 feet. The southern or river front had a gate facing the Assiniboine river. From north to south the stone wall and bastions were 240 feet long. Fifteen years after the fort was erected, walls continued further north were built for the purpose of extension. These were not of stone, but of substantial oak logs. On the prairie or north side of the new walls was the castellated stone gate- way, which is the only part of the fort now remaining. The bastions were imposing, and were fitted up with port holes, which gave a threatening appearance as the four-pounders presented their nozzles outward. When the walls were thus extended, several additional buildings were built in the interior, and again eight or ten years afterward other buildings also.100 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Around the inside of the walls ran a long gallery of some width, which, we are told, “afforded a pleasant promenade walk for the fort inmates.” There were distinctive features of life that characterized Fort Garry as the capital of Rupert’s Land. Here appeared the trader from Fort William to meet the Mackenzie river bourgeois. Here was to be seen the master of Norway House come to enjoy, in common with the Saskatche- wan chief-factor, the hospitality of Fort Garry. Settlers of the old time all speak of the exuberance of the Christmas “carouse,” the winter gaiety and friendly gatherings at the fur-traders’ metropolis. Especially in the matter of mails and communication was Fort Garry important. Tradition tells that old Sheriff Ross received a year’s supply of London Times at the end of the year, and read week by week the news, but always a year late. But while a monthly mail in early times reached Fort Garry, only two mails a year were sent to the far interior. The starting of the winter packet from Fort Garry was a great event. After the ice had well set, advantage was taken of the rapid transit by dog train to hurry away in early December to the western posts. The only newspapers allowed to go were a file for each post of some selected favorite, say the Montreal Gazette. The letters, kept down to the minimum weight, made no trifling load. Divided up into toboggan loads, each taken by the great “huskie” or Eskimo dogs, gaily caparisoned, the mails sped northward under the direc- tion of the agile half-breed driver. It took eight days to go the distance, upwards of four hundred miles, from Fort Garry to Norway House, but at times the speed reached seventy miles a day. Drivers and dogs slept through the coldest nights under the icy sky, and each faithful huskie was fed on one fish a day. At Norway House the mail was redistributed; a new packet went up the Saskatchewan to Carlton; another north from Carlton; another southeast to Swan river, and so on. Each party on returning brought back the mail from the farthest outposts. The northern packet returned to Fort Garry by February. In summer the mail was carried by brigades of “inland boats,” manned by half-breed voyageurs. These expe- ditions came back laden with the peltries obtained during the preceding winter.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 101 But fully equal in interest and picturesque effect to the dog train or the summer brigade, were the encampments and long cart trains which crossed the prairies from Fort Garry even to far-distant Edmonton. These consisted of hundreds of Red River carts, made in the early day without nail or scrap of iron. With coarse leather harness called ‘ ‘ shagganapi, ’ ’ the ox or Indian pony dragged his weary load. The cavalcade, at times six hundred yards long, progressed painfully with its distressing screech, which could be heard a mile away. The “corrals” on the Hudson’s Bay reserve and along Colony creek, were a sight to he remembered. In the southeast corner of Fort Garry was the Hudson’s Bay store. Originally it was reached by way of River Gate, and was approached from the west side, or else by the postern gate. In the last ten years of its exist- ence it was not so. The eastern stone wall of the fort gave way, and on its fall was replaced partially by a palisade of oak logs. The portion near the southeast bastion was not rebuilt, and at this opening the front of the store was made. To forget the Hudson’s Bay store for one who saw it is impos- sible. To enter it on any day in the morning was interesting. The stalwart Metis, dressed up in blue capotes and bright red scarfs about the middle, were there in dozens. The atmosphere had a pungent odor as one entered. It was the famous “Kinni-Kinik,” or dried red-willow bark that was being used. The store was thick with smoke. The goods were suited to the times. Many expensive cloths were there—high-colored—-red, blue and green. But the day to see the store was in June. Then hundreds of hunters were encamped on the plain about the fort. They were preparing for the buffalo hunt. Some twelve or fifteen hundred carts were there to be fitted out. One cried in the store for “an axe,” another for “leather.” a third for a “musket,” and others for scores of other articles. All clamored at once. The articles of purchase were obtained on credit, to be paid for on the return from the hunt, in a few months. The clerks were in despair, and often berated their noisy customers, or threatened to have it out with them on their return. All the hunters, numbering many hundreds, were under the command of the great leader of the Metis, Cuthbert Grant, of St. Francois Xavier. He was known as the “Warden of the Plains.” When he gave the word all must depart, and the day after the departure was like Sunday at the Fort.102 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. When Governor Simpson was at Fort Garry, then the governors of the colony were lost in his magnificence. The greatest excitement prevailed on the arrival of the governor at the Fort. The Fort was en fete. With him in the earlier days often came his wife, who was related to the people of the country, and whose name still survives in Fort Frances, on Rainy river. A miniature court was held in Fort Garry. The governor was affable and glad to meet the people. If a fence had blown over, or a quagmire become impassable, or an “animal” (ox or horse) gone astray, or if a new church or school were needed, the matter was fully laid before the governor on his arrival. Governor Simpson was generous, rewarded his friends, but was also a good hater of his enemies. Fort Garry was naturally the centre of the social life of the country. The governor’s residence was there, and the officers and clerks lived in com- fort in “Bachelor’s Hall.” The lower part of this central building was a counting room for the company’s business. Upstairs was the residence of the officials. The company gave its countenance to the balls and parties which represent the side of life devoted to relaxation. This fort continued the centre of business, government, education, and public affairs for more than three decades, and was the nucleus of the city of Winnipeg. Sold in the year 1882, the fort was demolished, and the front gate now owned by the city is all that remains of this historic group of buildings. The destruction of the fort was an act of vandalism, reflecting on the sordid man who purchased it from the Hudson’s Bay Company. The little Fort Garry Park is a simple reminder of it, but when Fort Garry was pulled down the glory of the old time departed.; CHAPTER XIV. ELEMENTS OF POPULATION AT RED RIVER. A description of the constituent elements of the population of the Red river country during the years before Manitoba organized into a province has much value for the interpretation of the events that mark the unsettled period from the conflict of the colonists and Nor’-Westers at Seven Oaks to the Riel rebellion of 1869-70. Each admixture of races brought a definite character to the history of the country, influencing its development and the life and customs of the whole people. First to be mentioned among the old settlers of the Red river country are the Highlanders forming the majority of the Selkirk colony. In the early years of the nineteenth century there were hard times in the High- lands of Scotland, and, as we have already stated, Lord Selkirk set out to relieve some of the distress by planting a colony. Cottars and crofters were being driven from their small holdings by the Duchess of Sutherland and others, to make way for large sheep farms. Strong men stood sullenly by, women wept and wrung their hands, and children clung to their distressed parents as they saw their cabins burnt before their eyes. The ‘ ‘ Highland Clearances” have left a stain on the escutcheons of more than one noble-' man. Lord Selkirk, whose estates were in the south of Scotland, and who had no special connection with the Celts, nevertheless took pity on the help- less Highland exiles. During the years from 1811 to 1815 about two hundred and seventy Highland colonists reached Red River. The history of these colonists and their subsequent additions and withdrawals has been recorded. The Highland element, if not numerically preponderant, was a potential factor industrially and in civic affairs throughout the history of the territory of Assiniboia. To many it is known that the Lord Selkirk colonists were chiefly High- landers ; few are acquainted with the fact that there was among them a fair sprinkling of Irish people. In the first shipload to York Factory, that of 1811, besides the 70 Highlanders, there were some twenty Irish colonists - and employes. In the next company, that of 1812, most of those sent out were skilled workmen to erect buildings and help the settlers—of the fifteen104 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. or twenty so sent a considerable part were Irish. All the representatives of the Green Isle seem to have taken a full share in the lively antagonisms of the rival companies. The De Meurons, the disbanded soldiers whom Lord Selkirk brought with him to the colony in 1817, are also to be mentioned. The regiments to which these men belonged were part of the body of German mercenaries which had been raised during the Napoleonic wars. The name of Colonel De Meuron, one of the principal officers, was given to the whole. These new settlers were not only Germans, but had among them a number of Swiss and Piedmontese. The men were promised certain wages as well as land grants at Red River. In accordance with the agreement Lord Selkirk settled all the De Meurons who wished to remain—a considerable number—along the banks of the little river, the Seine, which empties into Red river oppo- site Point Douglas. This stream has among the old settlers always been known as German Creek in consequence. Some severe things have been said of the character of the De Meuron settlers. They have been charged with turbulence, insobriety and with having predatory inclinations toward their neighbor’s cattle. They almost all left the country after the disast- rous year of 1826, for the United States. No doubt like all bodies of men, they had good and bad among them, but the fact of their having been disbanded mercenaries would not incline us to expect a very high morality of them. In the same year (1820) in which Lord Selkirk went to France to find, in the little town of Pau, his death and burial place, a former officer of the De Watteville regiment—Colonel May—a native of the Swiss capital of Berne, went as an agent of Lord Selkirk to Switzerland. He had been in Canada, but not at Red River, and accordingly his representations among the Swiss cantons were too much of the kind circulated by government emi- gration agents still. He succeeded in inducing a considerable number of Swiss families to seek the Red River settlement. Crossing the ocean by Hudson’s Bay ships, they arrived at York Factory in August, 1821, and were borne in Hudson’s Bay Company York boats to the destination. Gathered, as they had been, from the towns and villages of Switzerland, and being chiefly “watch and clock makers, pastry cooks and musicians,”HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 105 they were ill-suited for such a new settlement as that of Red River, where they must become agriculturists. They seem to have been honest and orderly people, though very poor. It will be remembered that the De Meurons had come as soldiers; they were chiefly, therefore, unmarried men. The arrival of the Swiss, with their handsome sons and daughters, produced a flutter of excitement in the wifeless De Meuron cabins along German creek. The result is described in the words of a trustworthy eye-witness of what took place: “ No sooner had the Swiss emigrants arrived than many of the Germans, who had come to the settlements a few years ago from Can- ada, and had houses, presented themselves in search of a wife, and, having fixed their attachment with acceptance, they received those families, in which was their choice, into their habitations. Those who had no daughters to afford this introduction, were obliged to pitch their tents along the banks of the river, and outside the stockades of the fort, till they removed to Pembina in the better prospects of provisions for the winter. ’ ’ The De Meurons and Swiss never took kindly to Red River. So early as 1822, after wintering at Pembina, a number of them, instead of turning their faces toward Fort Garry, went up the Red river into Minnesota and took up farms where St. Paul now stands on the Mississippi. They were among the first settlers there. It was the flood of 1826 on the Red river when Highlanders, De Meurons, Swiss and French all had to flee to Stur- geon creek, Stony Mountain and Bird’s Hill for safety, and when, to use the words of Horace, “the fishes built their nests in the tree tops,” that caused the great number of Swiss and De Meurons to emigrate. In that memorable departure, in which it is said the other settlers were willing, like the Egyptians of old, to give their choicest possessions in order that they might be rid of those removing, there were two hundred and forty-three De Meurons, Swiss and others who journeyed southward. Parkman, in his account of Pontiac’s conspiracy, has well shown the facility with which the French voyageurs and Indian peoples coalesced. Though a poor colonist, the French Canadian is unequalled as a voyageur and pioneer runner. When he settles down on some remote lake or untenanted river with his Indian wife he is at home. Here he rears in contentment his “dusky” race. The French half-breed, called also Metis106 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and formerly Bois Brule, is an athletic, rather good looking, lively, excitable, easy-going being. Fond of a fast pony, free-hearted, open-handed, yet indolent and improvident, he is a marked feature of border life. Being excitable, he can be aroused to acts of revenge, of bravery and daring. The McGillivrays, Grants, McLeods, and Mackays, who had France, Scotch and Indian blood, were especially determined. The Metis, if a friend, is true and cannot in too many ways oblige you. The offspring of the Montreal traders with their Indian spouses so early as 1816 numbered several hundreds, and possessed a considerable esprit de corps. They looked upon themselves as a separate people, and headed by their Scoto-French half- breed leader, Cuthbert Grant, called themselves the “New Nation.” Having tasted blood in the death of Governor Semple they were turbulent ever after- ward, and they are central actors in the rebellions that mark the history of western Canada up to 1885. As different as is the patient roadster from the wild mustang is the English-speaking half-breed from the Metis. So early as 1775 the traveler Alexander Henry found Orkney employes in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Cumberland House. The Orkney Islands furnished so many useful men to the company that in 1816, when the Bois Brules came to attack the colony, though the colonists were mostly Highlanders they were called ‘ ‘ Les Orcanais. ’ ’ Accordingly the English-speaking half-breeds are really of Scotch descent almost entirely. From Hudson’s Bay to dis- tant Yukon, the steady-going Orkney men came with their Indian wives and half-breed children and made the Red river their home. Such well-known and respected names as Inkster, Fobister, Setter, Harper, Mowat, Omand, Flett, Linklater, Tait, Spence, Monkman and others show how valuable an element of Manitoban population the English half-breeds have been, though, of course, some bearing those names are of pure Orkney blood. No element, however, did so much for Red River of old as the intelligent and high-spirited officers of the Hudson’s Bay Company, of whom many settled in the country. There were among them also a strong Highland and Orkney strain. In few countries is the speech of the people generally so correct as it was in the Red River settlement. This undoubtedly rose from the influence of the educated Hudson’s Bay Company officers. At theirHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 107 distant posts on the long nights they read useful books and kept their journals. Numbers of them collected specimens of natural history, Indian curiosities, took metereological observations and the like. Though all may not have been the pink of perfection, yet very few bodies of men retained as a whole so upright a character. Among the honorable names, of men originally holding official position with the company, are those of Pruden, Bird, Bunn, Stewart, Lillie, Campbell, Christie, Kennedy, Heron, Ross, Murray, Mackenzie, Hardisty, Graham, McTavish, Bannatyne, Cowan, Row- land, Sinclair, Sutherland, Finlayson, Smith, Balsillie, Hargrave, Clark and others. Most portions of the new world have grown from additions from the military, who have for some reason or other come to them. So it was in the Red River settlement. Discharged soldiers, having completed their service in Rupert’s Land, often chose to settle in the Red river country, or military pensioners would seek this region as settlers. In 1848 Colonel Caldwell, with fifty-six non-commissioned officers and men, of whom forty-two were married and had families, came out by way of Hudson Bay, each man being promised twenty acres of land and each sergeant forty. Such names as Mulligan, Rickards and others well known belong to this period. The nucleus of one hundred and fifty Kildonan settlers in 1816 had with it a few Metis already settled down. There was a need for a settle- ment in the midst of the vast fur territories, a need that was recognized even by the Northwest Company. A settlement once established at Red River, many flocked to it. Thus it was that in ten years after the death of Governor Semple there were of Highlands, De Meurons, Swiss, French voyageurs, Metis and Orkney half-breeds, not less than fifteen hundred settlers. It was certainly a motley throng. The Rev. Mr. West, the first missionary, tells us that he distributed copies of the Bible in English, Gaelic, German, Danish, Italian and French, and they were all gratefully received in this polyglot community. Though the colony lost by desertions as we have seen, yet it continued to gain by the addition of retiring Hudson’s Bay Company officers and servants, who took up land as allowed by the company in strips along the river for which they paid small sums. The census of the whole settlement gave, in 1849, 5,291, and, in 1856, 6,523.108 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The population by natural increase and by additions from the territories, United States and Canada bad, in 1871, when the Dominion census was taken, reached to about 2,000 whites, 5,000 English half-breeds, and 5,000 Metis. That there were many distinctive features of life at Red River is evi- dent from the diverse elements that formed its population. But fortunately we do not have to depend on our constructive imagination alone to get a picture of what that life was. Alex. Ross, one-time sheriff of the settle- ment and its historian, whose account of “The Red River Settlement” (1856) is as interesting as it is thorough in detail, describes, in language that is picturesque if not free from historical bias, his personal observations among the various quarters of the settlement. His “picture of life as it is in Red River” (about 1837) is as follows: “A stranger entering Red River in June would be dazzled at the pros- pect around him. June, July and August, are the three imposing months, when nature appears luxuriant in the extreme. The unbounded pasture, cattle everywhere grazing without restraint, the crops waving in the wind, every species of vegetation rich in blossom, and fertile as imagination itself. To enjoy these scenes as completely as possible, the writer invited a friend newly arrived in the place to accompany him from one end of the settle- mnt to the other. . . The Forks is the nucleus and chief rendezvous of the settlement—the division line between the Europeans and French Cana- dians. Here the beaver hat and silken gown, the papered walls and car- peted floors meet the eye. Different this from what things were some ten or twelve years before, when I first visited this place! “From Fort Garry I invited my friend to accompany me on a visit to the upper part of the settlement, as he was anxious to know what kind of life the Canadians and half-breeds lead in this part of the world. We had not proceeded far before we met a stout, well-made, good-looking man, dressed in a common blue capote, red belt, and corduroy trousers; he spoke French and was a Canadian. That, said I, pointing to his dress, is the universal costume of both French Canadians and half-breeds, the belt being the simple badge of distinction; the former wearing it generally over, and the latter as generally under the capote. The stature of the half-breeds isHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 109 of the middle size, and generally slender, countenances rather pleasing than otherwise. In manners mild, unassuming, not to say effeminate, and some- what bashful. On the whole, however, they are a sedate and grave people, rather humble than haughty in their demeanor, and are seldom seen to laugh among strangers. The women are invariably fairer than the men, although at all seasons almost equally exposed. They are not, however, highly colored, but rather pale and sallow; resembling in their complexion more the natives of Spain or the south of France than the swarthy Indian here. “The half-breed women are also slender, still more so than the men, but exceedingly well featured and comely—many even handsome; and those who have the means are tidy about their person and dress. They are fond of show, and invariably attire themselves in gaudy prints, and shawls, chiefly of the tartan kind—all, as a matter of course, of foreign manufac- ture; but, like Indian women, they are very tenacious of the habits and customs of their native country. The blanket as an overall is considered indispensable; it is used on all occasions, not only here but throughout the continent, both at home and abroad; if a stick is wanted for the fire, or a pleasure party is to be joined away from home, the blanket is called for. . . “Canadians and half-breeds are promiscuously settled together, and live much in the same way. They are not, properly speaking, farmers, hunters, or fishermen; but rather confound the three occupations together, and follow them in turn, as whim or circumstances may dictate. They farm to-day, hunt to-morrow, and fish the next, without anything like system; always at a non-plus, but never disconcerted. They are great in adventur- ing, but small in performing; and exceedingly plausible in their dealings. Taking them all in all they are a happy people. . . . “We have to notice a marked difference between the Europeans and the French. In the spring of the year, when the former are busy, late and early, getting their seed into the ground, the Canadian is often stuck up in the end of his canoe fishing gold-eyes, and the half-breed is often saunter- ing about idle with his gun in his hand. At the same time, if you'ask either to work, they will demand unreasonable wages, or even refuse altogether; preferring indolence to industry, and their own roving habits to agricul-110 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. tural or other pursuits of civilized life. Their own farms, if farms they may be called, point them out as a century behind their European neigh- bors. Harvest time shows no improvement on sowing time, for they are to be seen, any where but in the neighborhood of their proper work. While they are planning this and that little labor, the summer passes by and winter threatens them often with their crops unsecured, their houses unmudded, and their cattle unprovided for. They live a ragged life, which habit has made familiar to them. Knowing no other condition, they are content and happy in poverty. “We visited the houses of these people, and here truth compels us to draw a line of distinction. The French Canadian of any standing is tidy in his dwelling; the floor is kept clean; the bed is neatly made up, and generally set off with curtains and coverlet; the little cupboard, if there is nothing in it, is still orderly and clean; in short, everything else just as it ought to be. On the contrary the half-breeds, generally speaking, exhibit more of the discomforts that attend a mere encampment in their dwellings. Among this class, the buffalo robe is more frequently seen than the blanket in their dwellings. The better sort, however, have their houses divided into two rooms; but they are all bare of furniture, and ornament never enters, except occasionally a small picture of the Virgin Mary, or a favorite apostle, hung to the wall in a little round frame. “Especially interesting to my friend were their winter amusements; the fine horse, the bells, the ribbons, the gay painted cariole, trotting matches, fiddling, dancing and gossiping parties. The gaiety of their car- ousals ought, indeed, to be mentioned. When met together on these occa- sions, they are loud talkers, great boasters, and still greater drinkers and smokers; they sing vociferously, dance without mercy, and generally break up their bacchanalian revels with a sort of Irish row. The constant tide of cariole comers and goers, Sundays and week days alike, would lead to a belief that the Canadians and half-breeds were all official men, did all the business of the colony, and settled affairs of state into the bargain. Yet all this heyday, and hurrying to and fro, is mere idleness and gasconade. A Canadian half-breed able to exhibit a fine horse and gay cariole is in his glory; this achievement is at once the height of his ambition and hisHISTORY OF MANITOBA. Ill ruin. Possessed of these, the thriftless fellow’s habitation goes to ruin; he is never at home, but driving and carioling in all places. The neighborhood of the church on Sundays and holy days has all the appearance of a fair. . “The half-breeds are not of the emigrant class; but rather squatters and intruders, who have from time to time dropped off from the fur trade, or come in from the Indian camp, and set down among their countrymen on the first vacant lot they find handy, which they make no scruple of call- ing their own. When the lot is stripped bare of timber, they remove to another, and reduce it to the same condition. Thus the upper and best wooded part of the settlement has been entirely ruined and rendered tree- less. Within the boundary of the colony wood is already scarce; and unfortunately, the country affords no substitute. . . Turning from the cheerless and perhaps exaggerated picture of affairs above the Forks, Ross and his companion next observe the lower part of the settlement. ‘ ‘ It happened to be harvest time; all hands were at work in the fields. Men in their shirt sleeves, women in their white jackets, and boys and girls everywhere busy in cutting and gleaning, or frightening away the blackbirds and wild pigeons, which at this season are very destructive to the crops. These people, with all their industry, and though their farms are large, cultivate but small patches; for which two reasons may be assigned—the limited market and the scarcity of servants. . . . After traveling on the public road for about seven miles, to a place called the middle church, my friend observed, ‘This part of the colony we have just passed is the thickest settled I have yet seen; and if we may judge from outward appearances—houses, corn yards, parks and inclosures, the hand of industry has indeed been busy.’ ‘Yes,’ said I, ‘these are the Scotch settlers, fhe emigrants sent hither by Lord Selkirk; the people who have suffered so much, and to whose fortitude and perseverance the colony owes that it is what you see it at this day.’ “We journeyed on some fourteen miles further till we reached Stone Fort. Here the aspect is somewhat gloomy, yet deeply interesting; and beyond this point, with the exception of the Cree Indian village, there are no settlers. We thus had an opportunity of comparing the pursuits of the people below with those above during that season. . . . The lower dis-112 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. trict of the settlement is peopled with a mixture of all races, settled promis- cuously together, like those above the Forks. Desiring to observe the Scotch settlers and their domestic comforts, we kept winding our way among the dwellings, where we spent a few days. These people surpass in comfort those of the same class in most other countries. Rich in food and clothing, all of them have likewise saved more or less money. The evidence of domes- tic happiness everywhere meets the eye. No want of blankets here on the bed; the children well clothed and the houses warm and comfortable. The barns teeming with grain, the stables with cattle, and all classes wearing more or less of their own manufacture, which bespeaks a fair prospect for the future. Every man minds his own business—every woman may be found in her own kitchen. The flail and spinning wheel are ever at work. “A certain moral and religious discipline, of course, lays the founda- tion for the habits we have described. In their social relations the Scotch are sober, shrewd and attentive to their several duties; yet they are not altogether free from the influence of local habits. They cariole and go about, too, on a small scale; nor is it likely they could be so near neighbors as they are to the good people above, without imbibing more or less of their habits and foibles.” A study of Ross’ history makes us cautious about accepting all his dis- tinctions and criticisms, but his keen observations and ready description afford us a very vivid picture of those early days on Red river.CHAPTER XV. LORD SELKIRK’S COLONY (1817-1835). The cessation of hostilities between the rival companies afforded an opportunity to Lord Selkirk’s settlement to proceed with its development. To the scared and harassed settlers it gave the prospects of peace under their governor, Alexander Macdonell, who had been in the fur trade, but took charge of the settlement after the departure of Miles Macdonell. The state of affairs was far from promising. The population of Scottish and Irish settlers was less than two hundred. There were a hundred or there- abouts of De Meurons, brought up by Lord Selkirk, and a number of French voyageurs, free traders or “freemen” as opposed to engages, and those who, with their half-breed families, had begun to assemble about the forks and to take up holdings for themselves. For the last mentioned, the hunt, fishing, and the fur trade afforded a living; but as to the settlers and De Meurons, providence seemed to favor them but little more that the hostile Nor’-Westers had done. The settlers were chiefly men who were unacquainted with farming, and they had few implements, no cattle or horses, and the hoe and spade were the only means of fitting the soil for the small quantity of grain sup- plied them for sowing. Other means of employment or livelihood there were none. In 1818 the crops of the settlers were devoured by an incursion of locusts. On several occasions clouds of these destructive insects have visited Red River, and their ravages are not only serious, but they paralyze all effort on the part of the husbandmen. The description given by the prophet Joel was precisely reproduced on the banks of Red river, “the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them is a desolate wilder- ness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” There was no resource for the settlers but to betake themselves to Pembina to seek the buffalo. In the next year they sowed their scanty seed, but the young “grasshoppers,” as they were called, rose from the eggs deposited in the previous year, and while the wheat was in the blade, cleared it from the fields more thoroughly than any reaper could have done. This scourge continued till the spring 8114 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of 1821, when the locusts disappeared suddenly, and the crop of that year was a bountiful one. During these years the colony was understood to be under the personal ownership of Lord Selkirk. He regarded himself as responsible for the safety and support of the colonists. In the first year of the settlement he had sent out supplies of food, clothing, implements, arms, and ammunition; a store house had been erected; and this continued during these years to be supplied with what was needed. It was the governor’s duty to regulate the distribution of these stores and to keep account of them as advances to the several settlers, and of the interest charged upon such advances. While the store was a boon, even a necessity, to the settlers, it was also an instrument of oppression. Alexander Macdonell was called “Gouverneur Sauterelle” (“Grasshopper Governor”), the significant statement being made “that he was so nicknamed because he proved as great a destroyer within doors as the grasshoppers in the fields.” He seems, moreover, to have been an extrava- gant official, being surrounded by a coterie of kindred spirits, who lived in “one prolonged scene of debauchery.” With the departure of the grasshoppers from the country also departed the unpopular and unfaithful governor. It was only on the visit of Mr. Halkett, one of Lord Selkirk’s executors, that Macdonell’s course of “false entries, erroneous statements, and over-charges” was discovered, and the accounts of the settlers adjusted to give them their rights. The disgraceful reign of Governor Macdonell was brought to a close none too soon. On the removal of Governor Macdonell, Captain A. Bulger was in June, 1822, installed as governor of Assiniboia. His rule only lasted one year and proved troublous, though he was a high-minded and capable official. One of his chief troubles was the opposition given him by the Hudson’s Bay Company officer Clarke, who was in charge of their estab- lishment at the forks. Every effort was put forth by Clarke to make Bul- ger’s position uncomfortable, and the opposition drove the captain away. Governor Bulger, on retiring, made the following suggestions, which show the evils which he thought needed a remedy, viz.: “ To get courts and magistrates nominated by the King; to get a company of troops sent out to support the magistrates and keep the natives in order; to circulate money;HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 115 to find a market for the surplus grain; to let it be determined whether the council at York Factory are justified in preventing the settlers from buying moose or deer skin for clothing and provisions.” The governor’s closing words are: “ If these things cannot be done, it is my sincere advice to you to spend no more of Lord Selkirk’s money upon Red River.” Governor Bulger was succeeded by Robert Pelly, who was the brother of Sir J. H. Pelly, the governor of the company in London. It seems to have been about this time that the executors of Lord Selkirk, while not divesting themselves of their Red River possessions, yet in order to avoid the unseemly conflicts seen in Bulger’s time, entrusted the administration of their affairs to the company’s officers at Red River. Evidence of this is found in the reports made, at the Norway House gatherings, to Governor Simpson. In one, it was stated that it was the intention of the new com- pany soon to take over the property belonging to Lord Selkirk in the colony. At a later meeting, in 1823, a step in advance was taken in having a permanent and representative council to regulate the affairs of Red River settlement. The entry reads, ‘ ‘ Captain Robert Parker Pelly, governor of Assiniboia, Rev. Mr. West, Rev. Mr. Jones, Mr. Logan added to the council. Jacob Corrigal, chief trader, appointed sheriff, vice Andrew Stewart, deceased. Rev. Mr. Jones appointed chaplain at a salary of £100 during absence of Mr. West. He will officiate at Red River.” After two years Pelly retired, and Donald McKenzie, a fur trader who had taken part in the stirring events of Astoria, became governor. The most startling event during the rule of Governor McKenzie was the Red River flood in 1826. The winter of this year had been severe, and a great snowfall gave promise of a wet and dangerous spring. The snow had largely cleared away, when, early in the month of May, the waters began rising with surprising rapidity. The banks of the river were soon unable to contain the floods, and once on the prairie level the waters spread for miles east and west1 in a great lake. The water rose several feet in the houses of the settlers. When the wind blew the waves dashed over the roofs. Buildings were undermined and some were floated away. The settlers were compelled to leave their homes, and took flight to the heights of Stony Mountain, Little Mountain, Bird’s Hill, and other elevations. For weeks116 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. the flood continued, but at last, on its receding, the homeless settlers returned to their battered and damaged houses, much disheartened. The De Meurons and Swiss, as related on former pages, withdrew entirely from the Red river country. However, the year of the flood seems to have introduced an era of plenty, for the people rebuilt their homes, cultivated their fields, and though the crops were sown late, a fair harvest was gathered, and the settlers were enabled to pay off their debts and improve their holdings. During Governor McKenzie’s regime at the time of the flood, the population of the Red River settlement had reached fifteen hundred. Though the colony lost by desertions, yet it continued to gain by the addition of retiring Hudson’s Bay Company officers and men, who took up land as allowed by the company in strips along the river. There were in many cases no deeds, simply the registration of the name in the company’s register. A man sold his lot for a horse, and it was a matter of chance whether the registration of the change in the lot took place or not. This was certainly a mode of transferring land free enough to suit an English radi- cal or even Henry George. The land reached as far out from the river as could be seen by looking under a horse, say two miles, and back of this was the limitless prairie, which became a species of common where all could cut hay and where herds could run unconfined. Wood, water and hay were the necessaries of a Red River settler’s life; to cut poplar rails for his fences in spring and burn the dried rails in the following winter was quite the authorized thing. There was no inducement to grow surplus grain, as each settler could only get a market for eight bushels of wheat from the Hudson’s Bay Company. It could not be exported. Pemmican from the plains was easy to get; the habits of the people were simple; their wants were few; and while the condition of Red River settlement was far from being that of an Acadia, want was absent and the people were becom- ing satisfied. To Governor McKenzie, who ruled well for eight years, credit is largely due for the peace and progress of the period. In 1831 the Hudson’s Bay Company, evidently encouraged by the thrift and contentment of the people, began the erection of a very notable and important group of buildings some nineteen miles down the river fromHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 117 the forks. This was called Lower Fort Garry. It was built on the solid rock, and was, and is to this day, surrounded by a massive stone wall. Various reasons have been advanced for the building of this, the first permanent fort so far from the old centre of trade and of the old associa- tions at the “forks.” Some have said it was done to place it among the English people, as the French settlers were becoming turbulent; some that it was at the head of navigation from Lake Winnipeg, being north of the St. Andrew’s rapids; and some maintained that the site was chosen as hav- ing been far above the high water during the year of the flood, when Fort Douglas and Upper Fort Garry had been surrounded. The motive will prob- ably never be known; but for a time it was the residence of the governor of Rupert’s Land when he was in the country, and was the seat of government. Four years afterward, when Alexander Christie had‘replaced Donald Mc- Kenzie as local governor, Fort Garry, or Upper Fort Garry, was begun in 1835 at the forks, but on higher ground than the original Fort Garry of 1821. That the Hudson’s Bay Company was interested in the development of the Red River colony is indicated by the liberal way in which various enterprises were undertaken by the governor for the welfare of the settlers. Though the recital of these various projects gives a melancholy picture of failure and impracticality, yet it shows a heartiness and willingness on the part of the company to do the best for the settlers, albeit there was in every case bad management. Immediately after the union of the two fur companies in 1821, a com- pany to manufacture cloth from buffalo wool was started. This, of course, was a mad scheme, but there was a clamor that work should be found for the hungry immigrants. The company began operations, and every one was to become rich. Ten thousand dollars of money raised in shares was deposited in the Hudson’s Bay Company’s hands as the bankers of the “Buffalo Wool Company,” machinery was obtained, and the people largely gave up agriculture to engage in killing buffalo and collecting buffalo skins. Trade was to be the philosopher’s stone. In 1822 the bubble burst. It cost $12.50 to manufacture a yard of buffalo wool cloth on Red river, and the cloth sold for only $1.10 a yard in London. The Hudson’s Bay118 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Company advanced $12,500 beyond the amount deposited, and a few years afterwards was under the necessity of forgiving the debt. The Hudson’s Bay Company had thus its first lesson in encouraging the settlers. Notwithstanding the mismanagement and failure of the Buffalo Wool Company, that enterprise was eventually of great advantage to the colony,, as it caused the circulation of money and put many settlers in possession of a little capital at the right moment. They were enabled to purchase a drove of three hundred cattle that had been driven into the settlement from Illinois as a speculation, being almost the first cattle ever brought to the colony. These cattle multiplied so fast that the colonists were soon well supplied and a new industry was introduced in their economy. “How cheering it was,” says the historian Ross, writing in 1852, “to behold the numerous small bands of domestic cattle that enlivened the plains so lately swarming with the wild buffalo, only those can say who, like the writer,, have watched the savage aspect of things daily, hourly, yielding to the more genial fruits of civilization.” A model farm for the benefit of the settlers was next undertaken. This, is described as follows by Alexander Ross: “One part of Lord Selkirk’s- original plan was to establish an experimental farm and dairy, which, it was hoped, would supply the people with seed, and in times of scarcity with bread. The ‘Hay Field Farm,’ as it was called, was entrusted to the management of a Scotch farmer, named Laidlaw, a person of considerable agricultural experience, who had come to the colony for the purpose; but in this, as in every other attempt to benefit the colony in those early days, mismanagement, disappointment and ruin were the only result. A farm on a large scale was got in train, with men and maid servants not a few, most of whom were sober, industrious persons of good character, and had a fair knowledge of farming operations. Barns, yards, parks, and houses, of every description, were provided; and yet all the time there was not an ox to plow, nor a cow to milk in the settlement. To crown the folly and extravagance of the undertaking, a mansion befitting a peer was built at an expense of £600, which, at the moment of completion, was accidentally burnt to ashes in a drunken frolic. After several years’ labor, waste and extravagance, every vestige of property on the farm had disappeared, the- experiment having cost Lord Selkirk £2,000.”HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 119 Driven to another effort by the discontent of the people, Governor Simpson tried another model farm. At a fine spot on the Assiniboine, farm dwellings, barns, yards, and stables were erected and fields enclosed, well bred cattle were imported, also horses. The farm was well stocked with implements. Mismanagement, however, again brought its usual result, and after six years the trial was given up, there having been a loss to the com- pany of $17,500. Nothing daunted, the Red River settlers started the “Assiniboine Wool Company,” but as it fell through upon the first demand for payment of the stock, it hurt nobody, and ended, according to the proverb, with ‘ ‘ much cry and little wool.” Another enterprise was next begun by Governor Simpson, “The Flax and Hemp Company,” but though the farmers grew a plentiful quantity of these, the undertaking failed, and the crop rotted on the fields. A more likely scheme for the encouragement of the settlers was now set on foot by the governor, viz., a new sheep speculation. Sheep were purchased in Missouri, and after a journey of nearly fifteen hundred miles, only two hundred and fifty sheep out of the original fourteen hundred survived the hardships of the way. A tallow company is said to have swallowed up from $3,000 to $5,000 for the Hudson’s Bay Company, and a good deal of money was spent in opening up a road to Hudson Bay. The ‘ ‘ Tallow Trade ’ ’ cattle perished by the cold or the wolves. The road was abandoned as being, if not impractic- able, more costly than the conveyance of goods by water. Thus was enterprise after enterprise undertaken by the company, largely for the good of the settlers. If ever an honest effort was made to advance an isolated and difficult colony, it was in these schemes begun by the Hudson’s Bay Company here. The economic status of the colony during this period is described in detail by Ross in his history of “The Red River Settlement.” From this work is extracted the following outline of facts. “Notwithstanding the impetus given to colonial labor after the flood of 1827, agriculture remained in such a backward state, up to the year 1831, or thereabouts, that the company could never rely upon the settlers for a120 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. sufficient supply of flour or any other article of consumption. . About this period a fresh stir was made; the colonists began to look about them, and take some steps to improve their domestic arrangements. . . . The diffi- culty was to obtain assistance, unless the farmer had an able family of his own. It is not surprising, therefore, that prices remained high, and that the company had to import annually, from England, such articles of con- sumption as it needed; a rather singular circumstance in a country purely agricultural, and rendered still more singular by the fact that there was no other outlet or market in the country but that afforded by the company’s servants. ’ ’ Governor Simpson’s promise to take all the company’s supplies from the colony was effectual in rousing the colonists to fresh activity, and in a short time all the wants of the company were adequately supplied. Prices fell in consequence, and, moreover, a hue and cry was raised throughout the country against the quality of the produce; the flour was said to be heated, sour, and altogether of so very bad quality as to be only fit to poison pigs; in short, wherever it went, it was refused. The butter was pronounced mouldy, rancid and scarcely fit to grease cart wheels; cheese could not be eaten. Even the beef and pork were found fault with. The consequence was, English produce was again called for, and again imported. The settlers, in fine, were left, after all their improvements, in a worse pre- dicament than if they had never extended their farms. . . . “A notable expedient was now ventured upon with the view of cor- recting the evils we have described. Instead of purchasing any more of the flour, against which such a hue and cry had been raised, the governor always interesting himself in the prosperity of the colony, resolved upon buying up the wheat and getting it dried and milled according to the com- pany’s own liking. The price he fixed was 3s. 6d. per bushel, which had been considered by both parties a remunerative price for the flour, and certainly more, all things considered, than the company would have paid for flour imported from England. . . . The harvest of this year was under an average crop, and got in somewhat late in the season; yet the grain was in general good, and the company bought in from eight to ten thousand bushels, to be kept in their own granaries over winter. Unfor-HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 121 tunately, their buildings were too small for so large a quantity. No space being left to shift it from place to place, it had to be heaped up, often four or five feet deep, and so remained till it got almost baked together; add to which it was neither over dry nor free from smut, which rendered it still more difficult to keep. Then again, large quantities of dried buffalo meat had been stored up in the same buildings, the daintiest fragments of which were carried off by the mice and mixed up with the wheat, making a com- pound of wheat, smut, icicles, dried meat, mice and mice nests, all more or less heated together, and forming a mass of impurity; the smell of which, without the hazardous experiment of tasting, was absolutely disgusting. In this state, despite all advice to the contrary, and the certainty of bring- ing disgrace upon the colony, the wheat was ground and the flour shipped off to the different trading posts.” The progress of the building art is also mentioned in the above-quoted history. “In Red River, as in Canada, and most other new countries, the people for a long time contented themselves with what are called wooden houses, of such humble appearance as might be expected where means are low, workmen scarce and wages at a high rate. The cost of such houses depends on a variety of circumstances; but the average may be taken at £60 sterling. These frame buildings, simple yet commodious and comfort- able, differ in size as in cost, but are seldom more than thirty feet in length, or less than twenty; the other dimensions being of corresponding propor- tion. Of late a decided improvement in the character of our wooden build- ings has become manifest. Several are of two stories high, some with galleries, and two ornamented with verandahs. Taste, as well as conveni- ence, begins to receive its due share of consideration; the luxury of glass windows, and a lock on the outer door, things hitherto scarcely known in Red River, have become fashionable, indeed, almost general. Such houses, white as snow, look well, and have a very gay appearance. ’ ’ The relations of the Hudson’s Bay Company to the colony at the close of the period under consideration in this chapter are clearly shown in the following circumstances related by Mr. Ross: “Until then (1834) the prac- tice had been—for the company’s officers acting for Lord Selkirk—to supply goods on credit; but now a ready-money system was introduced,122 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. the effect of which was to curtail the supply of goods to nearly one-half of the quantity formerly brought into the colony, in order to correspond with the amount of money in circulation. Consequently goods became all at once very scarce; and the sales being restricted to certain stated days, increased the evil. It was a time of rejoicing for the rich and of mourning for the poor, as the shops were emptied by those who had money at com- mand before the poorer colonists could obtain half their supplies. The evil was greatly increased by the crowds of people collected from all parts of the settlement at the opening of the shops on the appointed days. To be in time, people traveled all night, and the rush in the morning to get admit- tance could only be checked by locked doors and a guard, and sometimes the guard would be knocked down and trampled under foot. Many had to dance attendance for days and nights together, cold, wet and hungry; and at last return home, perhaps a distance of twenty miles, without obtain- ing their supplies. “The distress and confusion of this system had lasted for several years, when a few private individuals resolved on importing supplies for themselves; and this becoming the rage, at length every man who could muster twenty shillings became an importer. The company, through their new colonial governor, Mr. Christie, was about this time succeeded Mr. McKenzie in the charge of the colony, afforded every facility to this class of traders, allowing individuals to bring out what they pleased in the com- pany’s ships, at the rate of £8 per ton; storage and agency at the port of York Factory free. Thus encouraged, they who commenced by importing for themselves soon enlarged the field of enterprise, and sent for goods on speculation, obtaining for them money, produce, labor, according to cir- cumstances, but generally all upon credit. This little accommodating sys- tem, commenced at the right time, gradually diffused much comfort throughout the settlement, and gave a happy spur to industry and enter- prise, as it afforded the settlers the means of obtaining supplies from petty traders, which the company’s ready money system denied. The first adven- turers did uncommonly well; for when the company’s shops were empty they raised their prices, and made a good business of it. The corrupt system of taking advantage, however, could not last.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 123 “Repeated complaints were addressed to the company, urging them to bring Out a more ample supply of goods, which at length had the desired effect; their shops were kept full of goods all the year round, at the usual rate of 75 per cent, on London priees. This new turn of affairs was severely felt by the petty -traders, who raised a hue and cry against the company, and accused them of a wish to monopolize all the trade in the goods, as they did in furs. After all the change has proved for their advan- tage, as it obliged them to contract the credit -system, and eventually sell their goods, like the company, for ready money only.”CHAPTER XVI. RED RIVER SETTLEMENT (1835-1844). With the year 1835 the Selkirk colony, as a proprietary institution, ceased to exist. In that year the executors of the Selkirk estate transferred to the Hudson’s Bay Company all the property and administrative privi- leges that, in 1811, Lord Selkirk had purchased in Rupert’s Land. From this date it is historically exact to refer to the colony, not as the Selkirk, but as the Red River settlement. Its affairs and social conditions are here to be treated during the years that preceded the revolutionary and political troubles that resulted in the close of Hudson’s Bay Company authority in this portion of Rupert’s Land. Only for the first ten or twelve years was the colony under the man- agement of Lord Selkirk’s authority, as lord paramount. During that time he directed, as we have seen, the emigration and the fiscal and admin- istrative affairs of his colony, and even, at the crisis of its history, visited it personally in his endeavor to protect his settlers and fortify his posses- sions against the hostile Nor’-Westers. But in consequence of the death of Lord Selkirk, his executors, who were not possessed of the unremitting devotion to this far-off enterprise that characterized his Lordship, found it convenient gradually to transfer the government of its affairs into the hands of the company, a change that has been noted in the preceding chapter. Finally, in the year mentioned, the Hudson’s Bay Company resumed, by purchase from the Selkirk heirs, the practical ownership of the great tract in western Canada lying in the drainage scope of the Red and Assiniboine rivers. “The government of the colony under the agency of the company,” says Ross, “before it became their own, was far from satisfactory. Although the troubles arising from the opposition had long ceased, and peace throughout the length and breadth of the land had been restored, yet it was found that the colony, under their jurisdiction, experienced but the cool and languid care of a stepmother. Everything was attempted, but everything failed; chiefly, as we have seen, through the want of zeal and perseverance. Hence its general character remained as it was, withoutHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 125 making one step in advance; as gloomy and forbidding as ever. Such, then, were the prospects of the colony at this date when it fell into the hands of the company. But it is a common saying, that people take more interest in what is their own than what belongs to another; hence it was to be hoped, and the hope has been realized, that the colony would see better days under its new masters. ’ ’ One of the surprising facts relative to this colony previous to this time is that there was an almost complete absence of laws and municipal regulations. There was neither a military or civil authority to give effective security to property and person nor to administer justice. Yet the remarkable fact is, according to the testimony of Ross, that the community, though without laws and without protection, had for twenty-four years maintained a social and political integrity with only their own moral sense to rule them. “We ought, however, to repeat,” continues the Red River historian, “that for several years past a few councillors, to assist the gover- nor, some few constables, too, had been nominally appointed; and this little machinery of government had dragged along under what has very properly been called the smoothing system, or rather no system at all; yet for several years it worked more or less to the satisfaction of the people, which is the great end of all legislation and law. All points hitherto in dispute were settled by the governor himself, or not settled at all—as often the one as the other—and yet peace was maintained. But the time having come when the smoothing system would no longer work satisfactorily, other means were necessary, by the adoption of which law and order were for the first time established in the settlement. ’ ’ It was Governor Simpson himself who gave the initiative to this reform. In his address to the council assembled at Fort Garry, February 12, 1835, he prefaced the work of establishing a better form of government in the following .words:— “The population of this colony is become so great, amounting to about five thousand souls, that the personal influence of the governor, and the little more than nominal support afforded by the police, which, together with the good feeling of the people, have heretofore been its principal safe- guard, are no longer sufficient to maintain the tranquillity and good govern-126 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. ment of the settlement; so that although rights of property have of late been frequently invaded, and other serious offences been committed, I am concerned to say, we were under the necessity of allowing them to pass unnoticed, because we have not the means at command of enforcing obedi- ence and due respect, according to the existing order of things. “Under such circumstances, it must be evident to one and all of you, that it is quite impossible society can hold together; that the time is at length arrived when it becomes necessary to put the administration of justice on a more firm and regular footing than heretofore, and that immediate steps ought to be taken to guard against dangers from abroad or difficulties at home, for the maintenance of good order and tranquillity, and for the security and protection of lives and property.” Accordingly, the Council of Assiniboia was appointed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, the president being Sir George Simpson, the governor of Rupert’s Land, and with him fourteen councillors. It may be of interest to give the names of the members of this first council. Besides the presi- dent there were: Alexander Christie, governor of the colony; Rev..D. T. Jones, chaplain H. B. C.; Right Rev. Bishop Provencher; Rev. William Cochrane, assistant chaplain; James Bird, formerly chief factor H.B.C.; James Sutherland, Esq.; W. H. Cook, Esq.; John Pritchard, Esq.; Robert Logan, Esq.; Sheriff Alex. Ross; John McCallum, coroner; John Bunn, medical adviser; Cuthbert Grant, Esq., Warden of the Plains; Andrew McDermot, merchant. It is generally conceded, however, that the council did not satisfy the public aspirations. The president and councillors were all declared either sinecurists or paid servants of the company. The mass of the people com- plained of not being represented. It was, however, a step very much in advance of what had been, although there was a suspicion in the public mind that it had something of the form of popular government without the substance. At the first meeting of the council a number of measures were passed. To preserve order a volunteer corps of sixty men was organized, with a small annual allowance per man. Of this body Sheriff Ross was com- mander. The settlement was divided into four districts, over each of whichHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 127 a justice of the peace was appointed, who held quarterly courts in their several jurisdictions. At this court small actions only were tried, and the presiding magistrate was allowed to refer any case of exceptional difficulty to the court of governor and council. This higher court sat quarterly also. In large civil cases and in criminal cases the law required a jury to be called. A jail and a court house were erected outside the walls of Fort Garry. To meet the expense involved under the new institutions a tax of TY2 per cent, duty was laid on imports and a like duty on exports. The Hudson’s Bay Company also agreed to contribute three hundred pounds a year in aid of public works throughout the settlement. Ross described the circumstances of the first petty jury drawn under this new form of government. It was empaneled, April 28, 1836, in the case of a French Canadian, who was tried, convicted of theft, and, besides some further punishment, was sentenced to be publicly flogged; which sentence was carried into effect on that day. This was an unusual spect- acle at Red River, and aroused considerable popular excitement, which vented its force, however, in a boisterous persecution of the poor flogger. “So strong was the public feeling against this mode of punishment,” observes Mr. Ross, “that some five years afterwards, when the same dis- agreeable service was required to he performed, not a person could be got to act ouf-doors. On this account, therefore, the flogging took place within the prison walls, the officials being masked, and for further security, locked up till dusk, when he was dismissed unknown. In 1839, on the appointment of a new governor for the colony, Duncan Finlayson, steps were taken to improve the judicial system which had been introduced. An appointment was made of the first recorder for Red River settlement. The new appointee was a young Scotch lawyer from Montreal, named Adam Thom. He had been a journalist in Montreal, was of an ardent and somewhat aggressive disposition, but was a man of ability and broad reading. Judge Thom was, however, a company officer, and as such there was an antecedent suspicion of him in the public mind. It was pointed out that he was not independent, receiving his appointment and his salary of seven hundred pounds from the company. In Montreal he128 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. had been known as a determined loyalist in the late Papineau rebellion, and the French people regarded him as hostile to their race. Judge Thom figures actively in the developments that will occupy the space of the next chapter. After five years ’ rule Governor Finlayson retired from office, and was succeeded for a short time by his old predecessor, Mr. Alexander Christie. In the meantime the population of the settlement continued to increase. In the last year of Governor Finlayson’s rule, twenty families of Lincoln- shire farmers and laborers came to the country to assist with their knowl- edge of agriculture. Along with the introduction of the forms of law and order, had also come more settled social conditions. The people had become accustomed to act in a collective capacity, through the mediums of religion and law. There was unity where before each person had been a law unto himself. Independence and thrift in living were more generally diffused. Notwithstanding, there were times of misfortune and suffering that afflicted the colony as a whole. Ross calls attention to the fact that the calamities are numbered in decades, mentioning in proof thereof the massacre of 1816, the flood of 1826, the failure of the crop and loss of supplies in 1836; in the fourth decade, in the year 1846, a serious epidemic visited Red River. Ross describes it in the following graphic way: “In January the influenza raged, and in May the measles broke out; but neither of these visitations proved fatal. At length in June a bloody flux began its ravages first among the Indians, and soon spread with fearful rapidity and fatal effect among the whites; like the great cry in Egypt, ‘There was not a house where there was not one dead. ’ In Red River there was not a smiling face on ‘a summer’s day.’ From June 18 to August 2, the deaths averaged seven a day, or three hundred and twenty-one in all, being one out of every sixteen of our population. Of these one-sixth were Indians, two-thirds half-breeds, and the remainder white. On one occasion thirteen burials were proceeding at once.” During 1846 also, in consequence of the troubles arising from the Oregon question, which for a time threatened war between United States and Great Britain, the Sixth Royal regiment of foot, with sappers andHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 129 artillery, in all five hundred strong, was hurried out under Colonel Crofton to defend the colony. Colonel Crofton took the place of Alexander Christie as governor. The addition of this body of military to the colony gave picturesqueness to the hitherto monotonous life of Red River. A market for produce and the circulation of a large sum of money marked their stay on Red river. The turbulent spirits who had made much trouble were now silenced, or betook themselves to a safe place across the boundary line. i.V 9CHAPTER XVII. DISCONTENT IN ASSINIBOIA (1845-1869). The anomalous position of the Red River settlement became each year more evident, and with the increase of population its difficulties presented an annoying and perplexing situation. We have seen how the colony at first was solely dependent on the management and support of Lord Sel- kirk. Though his death was hastened by the trials and disappointments that met him in this enterprise, his ultimate object in planting this colony, as interpreted by Ross, seems to have been largely realized; namely, “to form a society of the natives and the company’s old servants, together with their half-breed descendants; the few emigrants sent out by him were intended merely to diffuse a spirit of industry and agricultural knowledge among these children of nature, and, in fine, to act as the pioneers of the wilderness. ’ ’ Thus despite Seven Oaks, the seeds of civilization and society remained at Red River, and, escaping blight through the fortunate union of the fur traders, and protected and nurtured by the kindly though often mis- directed influence of the Hudson’s Bay Company, they grew into the strange social composite that wft have just described. Individual respon- sibility and lack of law and order characterized the years between Lord Selkirk’s death and the purchase by the company of the colony interests. The general system of company oversight and administration was naturally defective. It was not representative—a fact that was certain to condemn it, as soon as fully realized, in the eyes of all British subjects. The system as formulated under the company charter was faulty in many other respects, and provoked violent opposition as soon as an attempt was made to draw the reins of government somewhat tighter. The story of the discontent that grew in Rupert’s Land and its development into armed rebellion until it resulted in the transfer of all sovereignty and administra- tive relations from the company to the Dominion government, covers a period of nearly thirty years, and the Red River country is the scene where the practical developments take place.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 131 The friction between the people of Red River and the Hudson’s Bay Company had as its underlying cause the incompatibility of a corporate monopoly and an organized community occupying the same ground. The fuller organization of Assiniboia, after its purchase by the Hudson’s Bay Company, encouraged the authorities at Red River to assert the rights which the company had always claimed—viz., the monopoly of the fur trade in Rupert’s Land and the imposition of heavy freights on imports and exports by way of Hudson Bay. The privilege of exporting tallow, the pro- duct of the buffalo, had been accorded on reasonable terms to a prominent resident of Red River, named James Sinclair. The first venture, a small one, succeeded; but a second larger consignment was refused by the com- pany, and after lying nearly two years at York Factory, the cargo was sold to the company. Twenty leading half-breeds then petitioned the company to be allowed to export their tallow and to be given a reasonable freight charge. No answer was returned to this letter. The half-breeds were thus rising in intelligence and means; being frequently employed as middlemen in traf- ficking in furs, they learned something of the trade and traffic. The half- breed settlers of the Red River settlement have always claimed special privileges in Rupert’s Land as being descended from the aboriginal owners. It was under such circumstances that Governor Christie, following, it is supposed, legal direction in 1844 issued two proclamations, the first requiring that each settler, before the company would carry any goods for him, should declare that he had not engaged in the fur trade; the second, that the writer of every letter write his name on the outside of it, in order that, should he be suspected of dealing in furs, it might be opened and examined. This was a direct issue, and they determined to bring the matter to a crisis. Twenty leading natives (half-breeds of Red River settlement), among them a number well known, such as James Sinclair, John Dease, John Vincent, William Bird and Peter Garrioch, in 1845 approached Governor Christie, requesting answers to fourteen queries. These questions required satisfaction as to whether half-breeds could hunt, buy, sell or traffick in furs, and also what were the restrictions in this matter upon132 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Europeans, etc. A pacific and soothing reply was made by Governor Christie, but the company soon began to take steps to repress the free trade in furs, and the council of Rupert’s Land passed certain regulations, among others one placing a duty of twenty per cent, upon imports, but exempting from their tax settlers who were free of the charge of trading in furs. This was a vexatious regulation and roused great opposition. All these devices had a legal smack about them, and were no doubt the suggestions of Judge Thom, the recorder of Red River, previously referred to, who had come from Montreal to put legal matters in order in the Red River settlement. In everything the recorder undertook he was thorough. His frame of mind was dogmatic. He was an impassioned advo- cate of the highest claims of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Indeed, he regarded himself as the first to discover—and certainly the first to enforce at Red River—the concessions made by easy-going old Charles II., which had lain dormant for nearly two centuries. Still further to cap the climax, a new land deed was devised, and whosoever wished to hold land in the settlement was compelled to sign it. This indenture provided that if the land-holder should invade any privi- leges of the company and fail to contribute to the maintenance of clergy and schools, or omit to do his work upon the public roads, or carry on trade in skins, furs, peltry, or dressed leather, such offender should forfeit his lauds. This was certainly un-British and severe, and we may look upon it as the plan of the judge, who failed to understand the spirit of his age, and would have readily fallen in with a system of feudal tenure. If the Hud- son’s Bay Company found itself in a sea of trouble, and hostile to public sentiment in the settlement, it had much to blame in its own creation, the valorous recorder of Red River. The imposition of enormous freights, adopted at this time for carrying goods by way of York Factory to England, in order to check trade, was a part of the same policy of “thorough” recommended by this legal adviser. Sinclair, already mentioned, became the “Village Hampden” in this crisis. Taking an active part in his opposition to this policy of restriction,HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 133 he found that he was to be punished by the “company’s ship” from Eng- land to York Factory refusing to carry for him any freight. We have already referred to the coming of the Sixth Royal regiment to Red River. It was partly the Oregon question and partly the unsettled state of public opinion in Red River that led to this regiment being for a time stationed here. On the removal of these troops the pensioners, a tur- bulent band of old discharged soldiers, came from Britain and were settled upon the Assiniboine river .above Fort Garry. A writer who knew them well ventures to suggest that they were of the same troublesome disposition as the former De Meurons of Lord Selkirk. Coming ostensibly to intro- duce peace, they brought a sword. Sooner or later the discontent and irritation produced by Judge Thom’s inspiration was sure to reach its culmination, and this it did in the Sayer affair afterwards described. Now arose in England a firm and able friend of the people of Red River. This was Alexander K. Isbister, an Orkney half-breed of Red River, whose name has since received high honor on account of his muni- ficent bequest to the University of Manitoba. He was a native of Rupert’s Land, and being a lawyer in London, he took up the cause of his distant compatriots in a formidable series of documents. Mr. Isbister’s advocacy gave standing and weight to the contention of the Red River half-breeds, and a brave and heroic fight was made, even though the point of view was at times quite unjust to the company. In 1847 Isbister, with five other half-breeds of Red River, forwarded to the secretary of state for the colonies a long and able memorial setting forth the grievances of the petitioners. The document sets forth in short that the company had “amassed a princely revenue” at the expense of the natives, allowed their wards to pass their lives in the darkest heathenism, broke their pledges to exclude strong drink from the Indian trade, were careless of the growing evil of want and suffering in the territory, paid little for the furs, and persecuted the natives by checking them in their barter of furs, and followed a short-sighted and pernicious policy. This was assuredly a serious list of charges. Earl Grey in due time called on Isbister and his friends for a more specific statement of the griev- ances, and wrote to the governor of Assiniboia, to the London governor of134 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. the Hudson’s Bay Company, and to the Governor-General of Canada, Lord Elgin, asking their attention to the allegations of the petition. Some two months after Lord Grey’s letter was received, the Hudson’s Bay Company governor, Sir J. H. Pelly, submitted a long and minute answer to the various charges of the petitioners. As is usually the case, both parties had some advantages. As to the enormous profits, the com- pany was able to show that they had unfortunately not been able to make “more than the ordinary rate of mercantile profit.” They replied as to the religious interests of the natives, that their sole objects, as stated in the charter, were trade and the discovery of a Northwest passage, but that they had helped at a considerable annual expense the Church Missionary Society, Wesleyan Missionary Society, and a Roman Catholic missionary society. The company gives a most indignant denial to the charge that they had resumed the trade in spirituous liquors with the Indians, though admitting in the neighborhood of Red River the use of small quantities of strong drink in meeting the American traders. This answer did not, however, quiet the storm. Isbister returned to the attack, giving the evidence of Mr. Alexander Simpson, a trader on the Pacific coast, and the extensive and strong letter of the Rev. Herbert Beaver, the former chaplain of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Vancouver. Isbister also raised the question of the validity of the company’s charter. The company again replied, and so the battle raged, reply and rejoinder, quotations and evidence ad libitum. Isbister may not have proved his case, but his championship won the approbation of many independent observers. Lord Elgin, the efficient and popular Governor-General of Canada, gave such reply as he was able. He states that the distance of Red River was so great and the intercourse so little, that taking into account the peculiar jurisdiction of the company, he found it difficult to obtain the information sought. As to the complaints of the religious neglect of the Indians, Lord Elgin states that disappointments in this matter occur in other quarters as well as in the Hudson’s Bay Company’s territories, but declares that the results of his inquiries in the matter “is highly favorable to the company, and that it has left in his mind the impression that theHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 135 authority which they exercise over the vast and inhospitable region subject to their jurisdiction is on the whole very advantageous to the Indians. ’ ’ Lord Elgin states that he is much indebted for his information to Colonel Crofton, the commander of the Sixth Royal Regiment, which we have seen was stationed for a time at Red River. Colonel Crofton after- wards gave to the colonial secretary what one would say was rather an unjudicial reply. He said: “I unhesitatingly assert that the government of the Hudson’s Bay Company is mild and protective, and admirably adapted, in my opinion, for the state of society existing in Rupert’s Land, where Indians, half-breeds, or Europeans are happily governed and live protected by laws which I know were mercifully and impartially adminis- tered by Mr. Thom, the recorder, and by the magistrates of the land.” In regard to this opinion, while no doubt an honest expression of views, it is plain that Colonel Crofton did not understand the aspiration for self- government which prevails in western communities. The reply of the governor of Assiniboia, Major Caldwell, was likewise favorable to the company. Alexander Ross, in his “Red River Settlement,” criticises the method taken by Major Caldwell to obtain information. According to Ross, the governor sent around queries to a few select individuals, accept- ing no one “below what the major considered a gentleman.” This, the critic says, was the action of a man “who had never studied the art of governing a people. ’ ’ Ross, who did not admire the company greatly, how- ever, sums up the whole matter by saying: “The allegations of harsh con- duct of maladministration preferred against the Hudson’s Bay Company by Mr. Isbister and his party were in general totally unfounded and dis- proved,” and therefore neither Major Caldwell’s inquiries nor the inspira- tion of his genius were required. Notwithstanding Major Caldwell’s optimism and Lord Elgin’s favor- able reply, there was really a serious condition of affairs at Red River. Along with the petition of Isbister and his five English half-breed com- patriots, there was one far more formidable from the French half-breeds, who to the number of nine hundred and seventy-seven subscribed their names. Presented to Her Majesty the Queen, in most excellent terms, in136 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. the French language, their petition sought, decrying the monopoly as severe:— 1. That as good subjects they might be governed by the principles of the British constitution; 2. That as British subjects they demanded their right to enjoy the liberty of commerce; 3. They requested the sale of lands to strangers, and that a portion of the proceeds should be applied to improve the means of transport. French and English half-breeds were now united in a common purpose. A strange story is related as to the way in which the English-speaking half- breeds came to throw in their lot with their French fellow countrymen. A company officer had left his two daughters at Fort Garry to be educated. One of them was the object of the affection of a young Scotch half-breed, and at the same time of a young Highlander. The young lady is said to have preferred the Metis, but the stern parent favored the Highlander. The Scotchman, fortified by the father’s approval, proceeded to upbraid the Metis for his temerity in aspiring to the hand of one so high in society as the lady. As love ruined Troy, so it is said this affair joined French and English half-breeds in a union to defeat the company. The agitation went on, as Isbister and his friends corresponded with the people of Red River and succeeded so well in gaining the ear of the British government. Among the French people one of the fiercest and most noisy leaders was Louis Riel, the revolutionary “miller of the Seine.” This man, the father of the rebel chief of later years, was a French half-breed. A tribune of the people, he had a strong ascendancy over the ignorant half- breeds. He was ready for any emergency. It is often the case that some trifling incident serves to bring on a serious crisis in affairs. A French settler, named Guillaume Sayer, half- breed son of an old bourgeois in the Northwest Company, had bought a quantity of goods, intending to go on a trading expedition to Lake Mani- toba. The company proceeded to arrest him, and after a stiff resistance, he was overcome by force and imprisoned at Fort Garry. As the day of the trial drew near the excitement grew intense. Gover- nor Caldwell was a well-known martinet; the recorder was regarded as the originator of the policy of restriction. He was, moreover, believed to be aHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 137 Francophobe, having written a famous series of newspaper communications in Montreal known as the “Antigallic Letters.” The day of trial had been fixed for Ascension day, May 17th, and this was taken as a religious affront by the French. The court was to meet in the morning. On the day of the trial, hundreds of French Metis, armed, came from all the settlements to St. Boniface church, and, leaving their guns at the church door, entered for service. At the close they gathered together, and were addressed in a fiery oration by Riel. A French Canadian admirer, writing of the matter, says, “Louis Riel obtained a veritable triumph on that occasion, and long and loud the hurrahs were repeated by the echoes of the Red river.” Crossing by way of Point Douglas, the Metis surrounded the unguarded court house at Fort Garry. The governor, judge and magistrate arrived, and took their seats at eleven o’clock. A curious scene now ensued: the magistrates protested against the violence; Riel in loud tones declared that they would give the tribunal one hour, and that if justice were not done them, they would do it themselves. An altercation then took place between Judge Thom and Riel, and with his loud declaration, “Et je declare que de ce moment Sayer est libre”—drowned by the shouts of the Metis, the trial was over. Sayer and his fellow prisoners betook themselves to freedom, while the departing Metis cried out: “Le commerce est libre! le commerce est libre! Vive la liberte!” This crisis was a serious one. Judge Thom, so instructed by Governor Simpson, never acted as recorder again. The five years’ struggle was over. The movement for liberty continued to stimulate the people. Five years afterwards the plan of the agitators was to obtain the intervention of Canada. Accordingly a petition, signed by Roderick Kennedy and five hundred and seventy-four others, was presented to the legislative assembly of Canada. The grievances of the people of Red River were recited. It was stated that application had been made to the Imperial Parliament without result, and this “through the chicanery of the company and its false representations.” In 1857 the Toronto board of trade petitioned the Canadian assembly to open the Hudson’s Bay Company territories to trade. Restlessness and uncertainty largely prevailed in Red River, though there138 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. were many of the colonists who paid little attention to what they considered the infatuated conduct of the agitators. No truer test of the success of government can be found than the respect and obedience shown by the people for the law. Red River settle- ment, judged by this standard, had a woeful record at this time. After the unfortunate Sayer affair, Recorder Thom was superseded, and for a time (1855-1858) Judge Johnson, of Montreal, came to Fort Garry to administer justice and to act as governor. Judge Black, a capable trader who had received a legal training, was appointed to the office of recorder, but soon found a case that tried his judicial ability and skill. A clergyman named Corbett, who had been bitterly hostile to the company, testified to certain extreme statements against the company in the great investigation of 1857. He then returned to his parish of Headingly in the settlement. A criminal charge was brought against him, for which he was found guilty in the courts and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. The opponents of the company seemingly without ground, but none the less fiercely, declared that the trial was a persecution by the company and that Corbett was innocent. Strong in this belief, the mob surrounded the prison at Fort Garry, overawed the old French jailer, and, rescuing Corbett, took him home to his parish. Among those who had been prominent in the rescue was James Stewart, long afterwards a druggist and meteorological observer in Win- nipeg. Stewart and some of his companions were arrested for jail-breaking and cast into prison. Some forty or fifty friends of Stewart threatened violence should he be kept a prisoner. The governor, bishop and three magistrates met to overawe the insurgents, but the determined rescuers tore up the pickets enclosing the prison yard, broke open the jail, and made the prisoner a free man. Such insubordination and tumult marked the decline of the company’s power as a governing body. This lawlessness was no doubt stimulated by the establishment of a newspaper in 1859, The Nor’-Wester, which from the first was hostile to the Company. The system of government by the council of Assiniboia had always been a vulnerable point in the manage- ment by the company, and the newspaper constantly fanned the spirit of discontent. In the year 1868, when the Hudson’s Bay Company regimeHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 139 was approaching its end, another violent and disturbing affair took place. This was the arrest of Dr. Schultz, a Canadian leader of great bodily strength and determination, who had thrown in his lot with the Red River people. As a result of a business dispute, Schultz was proceeded against in the court, and an order issued for seizure of his goods. On his resisting the sheriff in the execution of his duty, he was, after a severe struggle, overpowered, taken captive, and confined in Fort Garry jail. On the following day the wife of Dr. Schultz and some fifteen men forcibly entered the prison, overpowered the guards, and, breaking open his cell, rescued the redoubtable doctor. Hargrave says: ‘ ‘ This done, the party adjourned along with him to his house, where report says, ‘They made a night of it.’ ” These events represented the decadence of the company’s rule; they indicated the rise of new forces that were to compel a change; and however harmful to those immediately- involved, they declared unmistakably that the old order changeth, giving place to new. Typical of his times, there sat through the court scenes of these troublous days the old “clerk of court and council,” William Robert Smith. With long grey beard he held his post, and was the genius of the place. He was the Nestor of Red River. A Bluecoat boy from London, he had come from school far back in 1813, to enter on the fur trade in Rupert’s Land. At Oxford House, lie a la Crosse, Little Slave Lake, and Norway House, he served eleven faithful years as a clerk, when he retired and became a settler of Red River. He was the first to settle near Lower Fort Garry, and named the spot “Little Britain,” from one of his old London localities. Farming, teaching, catechising for the church, acting precenter, a local encyclopedia, and collector of customs, he passed his versatile life, till, the year before the Sayer emeute, he became clerk of court, which place, with slight interruption, he held for twenty years. How remarkable to think of the man of all work, the company’s factotum, reaching in his experience from the beginning to well-nigh the ending of the Selkirk settlement. One who knew him says: “From his long residence in the settlement he has seen governors, judges, bishops and clergymen, not to mention sueh birds of passage as the company’s local officers, who come and go, himself remaining to record their doing to their successors. ’ ’CHAPTER XVIII. CANADA SEEKS AFTER RUPERT’S LAND. From the events just described it is evident that the government of the twelve thousand people of Assiniboia was beyond the ability of a com- pany chartered for trade and discovery. The company’s officials were high-minded, honest and capable, but to combine the task of civil govern- ment with the administration of a monopoly of trade was, under the cir- cumstances, hopeless of success. The people of Red River were not suffer- ing from tyranny. Lack of rule rather than its excess was at the bottom of much of the disregard for law and the turbulence and violence of the period. And a government imposed by a commercial company, and not representative of the people,'however gently and plausibly executed, was not likely to produce contentment nor allay suspicion among the hardy and independent citizens of Red River. The troubles at Red River as well as elsewhere in Rupert’s Land awoke the attention of both the Canadian and the Imperial governments, and in seeking means to relieve the intolerable conditions, a searching investigation was made of the relations subsisting between the company and the territories over which its operations extended, and also once more the legal status of its claims under the charter was reviewed. The possession of Rupert’s Land was secured to the Hudson’s Bay Company by charter. But the territory outside Rupert’s Land was secured to the company by license. This license ended every twenty-one years. The license in force at the time of the troubles which have been described was to terminate in 1859. Accordingly, three or four years before this date, as their Athabasca, New Caledonia and British Columbia possessions had become of great value to them, the company with due foresight approached the British government with a request for the renewal of their tenure. Men of understanding on both sides of the Atlantic saw the pos- sible danger of a refusal to their request, on account of the popular ferment which had taken place both in Red River and British Columbia. Others thought the time had come for ending the power of the company.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 141 Sir Henry Labouchere, secretary of state for the colonies, entered into correspondence with Sir Edmund Head, Governor-General of Canada, on the subject. Anxious about the state of things in every part of the empire as the colonial office always is, the turbulence and defiance of law at Red River called for special attention. Accordingly the Governor-General was informed that it was the intention of the home government to have not only the question of the license discussed, but also the “general position and prospects” of the company considered, by a committee of the House of Commons. The Canadian government was therefore cordially invited to have its views, as well as those of the Canadian community, represented before the committee. This invitation was the thing for which Canada had been waiting. To wish an opportunity to prove a claim to part of Rupert’s Land was inherited to Canada from the old French regime and as a result of the dis- coveries of Yerandrye and his Scottish successors. Accordingly a despatch was sent by the Canadian government in less than seven weeks from the time when the invitation left Downing street, accepting the proposal of the mother country. The Canadian ministry was pleased that British American affairs were receiving such prominent notice in England. It suggested the importance of determining the limits of Canada on the side towards Rupert’s Land, and went on to state that the general opinion strongly held in the new world was “that the western boundary of Canada extends to the Pacific Ocean.” Reference is made to the danger of complications arising with the United States, and the statement advanced that the “question of the jurisdiction and title claimed by the Hudson’s Bay Com- pany is to Canada of paramount importance. ’ ’ In 1857 Chief Justice Draper crossed to Great Britain as Canadian • representative with a very wide commission to advance Canadian interests. He was called before the committee appointed by the house of commons and answered nearly two hundred questions relating to Canada and to the Hudson’s Bay Company interests in Rupert’s Land and beyond. The cap- able and active-minded chief justice kept before the committee these points: 1. What he conceived to be the true western boundary of Canada, and in so doing gave his opinion, based on the Quebec Act of 1774, that Canada142 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. should be allowed to extend to the Rocky mountains and should have the privilege of exploring and building roads in that region. 2. The earnest desire of the Canadian people that Rupert’s Land and the Indian territories should be maintained as British territory. 3. That Canada should be allowed to extend her settlements into these territories. Chief Justiee Draper argued his case with great clearness and cogency, and made an excellent impression upon the committee. Canada entered with great spirit into the ease presented before the committee. The question of the license was quite overshadowed by the wider discussion covering the validity of the Hudson’s Bay Company charter, the original boundary line of the province of Canada, and the manner in which the company had carried out its responsibilities. An industrious minister of the Canadian government, Hon. Joseph Cauchon, with true Gallic fire and French Canadian spirit, prepared a memorandum of a most elaborate kind on the Hudson’s Bay Company’s claim and status. In this, Mr. Cauchon goes back to the earliest times, shows the limits of occupation by the French explorers, follows down the line of connection established by the North-West traders, deals with the troubles of Lord Selkirk, and concludes that the Red river and the Saskatchewan are not within the limits of the company’s charter. This vigorous writer then deals with the Treaty of Paris, the Quebec Act, and the discoveries of Canadian subjects as giving Canada a jurisdiction even to the Rocky Mountains. As might have been expected, the committee of 1857 became a famous one. The whole economy of the company was discussed. The ground gone over by Isbister and others during the preceding debate supplied the mem- bers with material, and the proceedings of the committee became notable for their interest. The committee held eighteen meetings, examined twenty- nine witnesses, and thoroughly sifted the evidence. The personnel of the committee was brilliant. The secretary of state was chairman. Mr. Roebuck and Mr. Gladstone represented the inquiring and aggressive element. Lord Stanley and Lord John Russell added their experience, Edward Ellice—-“the Old Bear”—watched the case for the company, and Mr. Lowe and Sir John Pakington took a lively interest in theHISTORY OH MANITOBA. 143 proceedings and often interposed. Altogether the committee was consti- tuted for active service, and every nook and cranny of Rupert’s Land and the adjoining territories was thoroughly investigated. Among the witnesses was the distinguished Governor Simpson. He was at his best. Mr. Roebuck and he had many a skirmish, and although Sir George was often driven into a corner, yet with surprising agility he recovered himself. Old explorers such as John Ross, Dr. Rae, Col. Lefroy, Sir John Richardson, Col. Crofton, Bishop Anderson, Col. Caldwell, and Dr. King, gave information as having visited Rupert’s Land at different periods. Their evidence was fair, with, as could be expected in most cases, a “good word” for the company. Rev. Mr. Corbett gave testimony against the company, Governor Blanshard (of Vancouver Island) in the same strain, A. K. Isbister, considerably moderated in his opposition, gave evi- dence as a native who had traveled in the country, while John McLoughlin, a rash and heady agitator, told of the excitement in Red River settlement. Edward Ellice became a witness as well as a member of the committee, and with adroitness covered the retreat of any of his witnesses when neces- sity arose. Prom time to time, from February to the end of July, the committee met, and gathered a vast amount of evidence, making four hundred pages of printed matter. The committee decided to recommend to Parliament that it is “important to meet the just and reasonable wishes of Canada to assume such territory as may be useful for settlement; that the districts of the Red river and the Saskatchewan seem the most available; and that for the order and good government of the country,” arrangements should be made for their cession to Canada. It was also agreed that those regions where settlement is impossible be left to the exclusive control of the Hud- son’s Bay Company for the fur trade. On the death of Sir George Simpson, four years after the sitting of this committee, the high office of governor of Rupert’s Land fell to A. J. Dallas, a Scottish merchant, who had been in business in China, had retired and afterwards acted as chief factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Victoria, on Vancouver Island, and had then married the daughter of Governor James Douglas. On his appointment to this high position he took144 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. up his residence at Fort Garry, and had, in conjunction with the local governor, William McTavish, to face the rising tide of dissatisfaction which showed itself in the Corbett and Stewart rescues. Writers of the period state that Dallas lacked the dignity and tact of old Sir George. In his letters, however, Governor Dallas shows that he thoroughly appreciated the serious state of matters. He says: “ I have had great difficulty in persuad- ing the magistrates to continue to act. Mr. William McTavish, governor of Assiniboia, has resigned his post.” Governor Dallas says he “finds himself with all the responsibility and semblance of authority over a vast territory, but unsupported, if not ignored, by the Crown. ’ ’ He states that people do not object to the personnel of the Hudson’s Bay Company government, but to the “system of government.” He fears the formation of a provisional governihent, and a movement for annexation to the United States, which had been threatened. He is of opinion that the “territorial right should revert to the Crown. ’ ’ These are strong, honest words for the official of the company whose rule had prevailed for some two centuries. And now Governor Dallas appears co-operating in an ingenious and adroit financial scheme with Mr. E. W. Watkin, a member of the British House of Commons, by which the Hudson’s Bay Company property changed hands. Difficulties having arisen in inducing staid old Governor Berens, the London head of the company, to accept modern ideas, a plan was broached of buying out the whole Hudson’s Bay Company possessions and rights. Difficulty after difficulty was met and surmounted, and though many a time the scheme seemed hopeless, yet in the end it succeeded, though not without much friction and heart-burning. The company would hear of no dealings, except on the basis of a cash payment. The men of capital accordingly succeeded in interesting the “International Financial Association,” a new corporation looking for some great scheme to lay before the public. At length the whole shares, property and rights of the Hudson’s Bay Company were taken over, the final arrangements being made by Mr. Richard Potter on June 1, 1863. Thus the company, begun in so small a way by Prince Rupert and his associates nearly two centuries before, soldHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 145 out, and the purchase money of one and a half millions of pounds was paid over the counter to the old company by the new association. A new company was now to be organized whose stock would be open for purchase, and the International Association would, on such organization being formed, hand over the company’s assets to the new stockholders. In a short time the company was reconstituted, Sir Edmund Head being the new governor, with, as prominent members of the board of directors, Richard Potter, Eden Colville, E. W. Watkin, and an American fur trader of experience, Sir Curtis Lampson. Secretly as the negotiations for the formation of the new company had been conducted, the news of the affair reached Canada and Rupert’s Land, and led to anxious inquiries being made and to a memorial from the com- pany’s officers being presented to the board of directors asking for inform- ation. So thoroughly in secret had the interviews between the London parties been carried on that the officials of the London office knew nothing of them, and stated in their reply to the memorialists that the rumors were incorrect. In July, when the transfer had been consummated and the news of it appeared in the public press, it created surprise and indignation among the chief factors and traders, who, under the deed poll or company arrangement which had been adopted in 1821, though somewhat modified thirteen years later, had been regarded as having certain partnership rights in the company. According to both deed polls of 1821 and 1834, forty per cent, of the net profits of the trade, divided into eighty-five shares of equal amount, were distributed annually among the wintering partners of the company. A chief trader received an eighty-fifth share of the profits, and a chief factor two eighty-fifths shares. Both had certain rights on retiring. The proposed abolition of the deed poll and the substitution therefor of certain salaries with the avowed purpose of reducing the expenses, of course meant loss to every wintering partner. The interests thus involved justified the most strenuous opposition on the part of the partners, and, unless the proposal were modified, would almost certainly have led to a disruption of the company. 10146 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In harmony with Governor Head’s circular letter to the company officers, however, no action in the direction contemplated was taken until 1871, when, on the receipt of the three hundred thousand pounds voted by Canada to the company, the sum of one hundred and seven thousand and fifty-five pounds was applied to buying out the vested rights of the winter- ing partners, and the agitation was quieted. During the progress of these internal dissensions of the Hudson’s Bay Company, public opinion had been gradually maturing in Canada in favor of acquiring at least a portion of Rupert’s Land. At the time of the special committee in 1857, the Hind-Gladman expedition had gone to spy out the land. A company, called the North-West Transportation Company, was about the same time organized in Toronto to carry goods and open communication from Fort William by way of the old fur traders’ route to Fort Garry. The merits and demerits of the northwestern prairies were discussed in the public press of Canada, and for practically the first time since the days of Lord Selkirk attention was focused upon them as an eligible region for the permanent settler. Ten years had passed after the sitting of the great committee of 1857, and nothing practical as to the transfer of the country to Canada had been accomplished. The confederation movement had now widened the horizon of Canadian public men. In the very year of the confederation of the Cana- dian provinces (1867), Hon. William McDougall, who had been a persistent advocate of the Canadian claim to the North-West, moved in the Dominion Parliament certain resolutions, which were carried. These resolutions showed the advantage, both to Canada and the Empire, of the Dominion being extended to the Pacific Ocean; that settlement, commerce and development of the resources of the country are dependent on a stable government being established; that the welfare of the Red River settlers would be enhanced by this means; that provision was contained in the British North America Act for the admission of Rupert’s Land and the North-West Territory to the Dominion; that this wide country should be united to Canada; that in case of union the legal rights of any corporation, as the Hudson’s Bay Company, any association, or individual should be respected; that this should be settled judicially or by agreement; that theHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 147 Indian title should be legally extinguished; and that an address be made to Her Majesty to this effect. The resolutions were carried by a large majority of the house. This was a bold and well-conceived step, and the era of discussion and hesitancy seemed to have passed away in favor of a policy of action. The Hudson’s Bay Company, however, insisted on an understanding being come to as to terms before giving consent as to the proposed action, and a despatch to the Dominion government from Her Majesty’s govern- ment called attention to this fact. As soon as convenient, a delegation, con- sisting of Hon. George E. Cartier and Hon. William McDougall, pro- ceeded to England to negotiate with the company as to terms. The path of the delegates on reaching England was a thorny one. The attitude of the Imperial government was plainly in favor of recognizing some legal value in the chartered rights of the company, a thing denied by some, especially Mr. McDougall., No progress was being made. At this juncture D’Israeli’s government was defeated, and a delay resulted in waiting for a new government. Earl Granville was the new secretary of state for the colonies. While negotiations were going on, the Hudson’s Bay Company sent in to the secretary of state a rather hot complaint that Canadian sur- veyors and road builders had entered upon their territory to the west of the Lake of the Woods. This was quite true, but the action had been taken by the Canadian government under the impression that all parties would willingly agree to it. Not being at this juncture able to settle anything, the commissioners returned to Canada. The Imperial government was, however, in earnest in the matter, and pressed the Hudson’s Bay Company to consent to reasonable terms, the more that the government by the company in Red River was not satisfactory —an indisputable fact. At length the company felt bound to accept the proposed terms. The main provisions of the bargain were that the company should surrender all rights in Rupert’s Land; that Canada pay the company the sum of three hundred thousand pounds; that the company be allowed certain blocks of land around their posts; that they be given one-twentieth of the arable land of the country; and that the company should be allowed every privilege in carrying on trade as a regular trading company. Thus148 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. was the concession of generous Charles the Second surrendered after two centuries of honorable occupation. The company having accepted this bargain, an Imperial act was now passed authorizing the transfer of the vast territory east of the Rocky Mountains to Canada. Canada, with the strengthening national spirit rising from the new confederation, with pleasure saw the Dominion government place in the estimates the three hundred thousand pounds for the payment of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and an act was passed by the Dominion Parliament providing for a government of the North-West Terri- tories, which would secure the administration of justice, and the peace, order and good government of Her Majesty’s subjects and others. It was enacted, however, that all laws of the territory at the time of the passing of the Act should remain in force until amended or repealed, and all officers except the chief to continue in office until others were appointed.CHAPTER XIX. THE RIEL REBELLION (1869-1870). From the negotiations in Fenchurch street and the Acts of Imperial and Canadian parliaments, we return to the settlement of Red River, which, thenceforth dissociated from the powerful guardianship of the Hudson’s Bay Company, expands rapidly into provincial proportions and takes its place as the most western member of the Confederation. But that happy consummation came only after a travail of turbulence and rebellion. The laxness and ineptitude of the company government had to bear its fruit of violence before representative rule was established. It seems that all the elements of weakness and discontent that we have described in the preceding chapters came to a head in the Riel Rebellion. To understand its causes and significance, therefore, it is necessary to review the status of affairs at Red River as found at the close of the decade of the ’60s. The bargain of transfer of Rupert’s Land to Canada had been approved by the high contracting parties and a scheme of government had been enacted by the Canadian Parliament. But before the transfer could actually be made and the new machinery of administration set in operation, the uncertainty of feeling among the people and the decrepitude and vacil- lation among the officials at Red River produced a very serious situation. While awaiting the arrival of the new government from Canada, the Hudson’s Bay Company officials at Red River were still the government. As we know, however, this government was hopelessly weak and inefficient. Were there any doubt in regard to this statement, it was shown by the utter defiance of the law in the breaking of jail in the three cases of Cor- bett, Stewart and Schultz. No government could retain respect when the solemn behests of its courts were laughed at and despised. This is the real reason lying at the root of the apathy of the English-speaking people of Red River in dealing with the rebellion. They were not cowards; they sprang from ancestors who had fought Britain’s battles; they were intelli- gent and moral; they loved their homes and were prepared to defend them; but they had no guarantee of leadership; they had no assurance that their150 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. efforts would be given even the color of legality; the broken-down jail out- side Fort Garry, its uprooted stockades and helpless old jailer were the symbol of governmental decrepitude and were the sport of any determined law-breaker. The chronic condition of helplessness and governmental decay was emphasized and increased by a sad circumstance. Governor William Mc- Tavish, an honorable and well-meaning man, was sick. In the midst of the troubles of 1863 he would willingly have resigned, as Governor Dallas assures us; now he was physically incapable of the energy and decision requisite under the circumstances. His subordinates would not act without him, he could not act without them, and thus an absolute deadlock ensued. Moreover, the council of Assiniboia, an appointed body, had felt itself for years out of touch with the sentiment of the colony, and its efforts at legis- lation resulted in no improvement of the condition of things. Added to misgovernment and lack of representative government, there were other elements to complicate the situation. It must be borne in mind that the Red River people were not a unit in desiring the transfer to Can- ada. The ‘ ‘ Canadian party, ’ ’ as those favorable to the cession were known, were not only a minority of the entire population, but various acts com- mitted or alleged to have been committed under their auspices aroused bitter enmity among other factions of the people. It is evident that a num- ber of Canadians who had come into the country during the decade preced- ing the rebellion had made themselves very obnoxious to the ruling powers. Reference has already been made to the annoyance expressed by the Hud- son’s Bay Company at the action of the Canadian government in sending a party of surveyors into their territory before the transfer was actually consummated. The method of conducting this expedition was still more offensive to the people. Surveyor Snow was sent out by the Dominion government, professedly, to give work in time of famine to the needy natives. Snow paid the half-breeds what they considered low wages. They were paid in goods, not money. These goods were to be obtained in a shop which they were unwilling to frequent. Furthermore, the surveyors, by their talk and actions led the French half-breeds to believe that they would be dispossessed of the land on which they dwelt. The free use of liquor byHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 151 the surveyor in obtaining his ends with the Indians also was viewed with suspicion by the half-breeds. The evidently selfish and grasping spirit shown in this expedition sent to survey and build the Dawson Road, yet turning aside to claim unoccupied lands and by their aggressive and intru- sive actions arousing in the natives a fear that their domestic welfare was endangered, contained in itself all the possibilities of insurrection. Thus are stated the principal factors that combined to produce rebellion —a helpless, moribund government on the one hand, and on the other an irritating, selfish, and aggressive expedition, taking possession of the land before it was transferred to Canada and assuming the airs of conquerors. Look now at the combustible elements awaiting this combination. The French half-breeds, descendants of the turbulent Bois Brules of Lord Selkirk’s times; the old men, companions of Sayer and the elder Riel, who defied the authority of the court and left it shouting “Vive la liberte!” now irritated by the Dawson Road being built in the way just described; the road running through the seigniory given by Lord Selkirk to the Roman Catholic bishop, the road in rear of their largest settlements, and passing through another French settlement at Pointe des Chenes! Further, the lands adjacent to these settlements, and naturally connected with them, being seized by the intruders! Furthermore, the natives antagonized by the action of certain Canadians who had for years maintained the country in a state of turmoil! Two other important forces in this complicated state of things cannot be left out. The first of these is the attitude of certain persons in the United States. For twenty years or more the trade of the Red River settle- ment had been largely carried on by way of St. Paul in the State of Min- nesota. The Hudson Bay route and York boat brigade were unable to com- pete with the facilities offered by the approach of the railway to the Mis- sissippi river. Accordingly long lines of Red River carts took loads of furs to St. Paul and brought back freight for the company. The Red River trade was a recognized source of profit in St. Paul. Familiarity in trade led to an interest on the part of the Americans in the public affairs of Red River. Hot-headed and sordid people in Red River settlement had actually spoken of the settlement being connected with the United States.152 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Now that irritation was manifested at Red River, steps were taken by private parties from the United States to fan the flame. At Pembina, on the border between Rupert’s Land and the United States, lived a nest of desperadoes willing to take any steps to accomplish their purposes. They had access to all the mails that came from England to Canada marked “Via Pembina.” Pembina was an outpost refuge for lawbreakers and outcasts from the United States. Its people used all their powers to disturb the peace of Red River settlement. In addition, a considerable number of Americans had come to the little village of Winnipeg, now being begun near the walls of Fort Garry. These men held their private meetings, all looking to the creation of trouble and the provocation of feeling that might lead to change of allegiance. On the authority of a well-known Canadian, it is stated that a million dollars was lying in St. Paul available for the encouragement of the rebellion. The New Nation, a newspaper conducted by an American citi- zen in Winnipeg, sympathized with and argued openly for annexation with the United States. A still more insidious and threatening influence was at work. A dan- gerous religious element in the country—certain ecclesiastics—were in close association with the half-breeds, dictated their policy, and freely mingled with the rebels. One of them was an intimate friend of the leader of the rebellion, consulted with him in his plans, and exercised a marked influence on his movements. This same priest gave close attendance on the sick governor, and through his family exercised a constant and detrimental power upon the only source of authority then in the land. Furthermore, an Irish student and teacher, with a Fenian hatred of all things British, was a “familiar” of the leader of the rebellion, and with true Milesian zeal advanced the cause of the revolt. The drama opens with the appointment, in September, 1869, by the Dominion government, of the Hon. William McDougall as Lieutenant- Governor of the North-West Territories, his departure from Toronto, and his arrival at Pembina, in the Dakota territory, in the end of October. He was accompanied by his family, a small staff, and three hundred stands of arms with ammunition. He had been preceded by the Hon. Joseph Howe, of the Dominion government, who visited the Red River settlement osten-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 153 sibly to feel the pulse of public opinion, but as commissioner gaining little information. Mr. McDougall’s commission as governor was to take effect after the formal transfer of the territory to Canada. He reached Pembina, where he was served with a notice not to enter the territory, yet he crossed the boundary line at Pembina and took possession of the Hudson’s Bay Company fort of West Lynn, two miles north of the boundary. Meanwhile a storm was brewing along Red river. A young French half-breed, Louis Riel, son of the excitable “miller of the Seine”—a young man, educated by the Roman Catholic Bishop Tache of St. Boniface, for a time and afterward in Montreal, was regarded as the hope of the Metis. He was a young man of fair ability, but proud, vain and assertive, and had the ambition to be a Caesar or Napoleon. But he had the power that con- fidence, enthusiasm, elan always inspire. His desire for power, for office, for titles and for show became a monomania. The saddest part of his history was that he found the Metis of Red River so plastic, and that by popular agitations at meetings held among these passionate and lawless people, he was able to make the rebellion a certainty. He with his followers had stopped the surveyors in their work, and threatened to throw off the approaching tyranny. Professing to be loyal to Britain but hostile to Canada, he succeeded, in October, in getting a small body of French half- breeds to seize the main highway at St. Norbert, some nine miles south of Fort Garry. The message to Mr. McDougall not to enter the territory was forwarded by this body, that already considered itself the de facto government. A Canadian settler at once swore an affidavit before the officer in charge of Fort Garry that an armed party of French half-breeds had assembled to oppose the entrance of the governor. Notwithstanding repeated proofs that an outbreak had taken place and that determined revolt was in progress, Governor McTavish, sick in body and unable to summon resolution to meet the crisis firmly, took no action, nor did he compel his council to take action by summoning the law- abiding people to surround him and repress the revolt. But the govern- ment that would allow the defiance of the law by permitting men to live at liberty who had broken jail could not be expected to take action.154 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The rebellion went on apace. Two of the so-called governor’s staff pushed on to the barricade erected at St. Norbert. Captain Cameron, one of them, with eye-glass in poise, and with affected authority, gave com- mand, ‘ ‘ Remove that blawsted fence, ’ ’ but the half-breeds were unyielding. The two messengers returned to Pembina, where they found Mr. McDougall likewise driven back and across the boundary. Riel’s little band of forty or fifty badly armed Metis began to grow. The mails were seized, freight coming into the country became booty, and the experiment of a rising was successful. In the meantime the authorities of Fort Garry were inactive. The rumor came that Riel thought of seizing the fort. An affidavit of the chief of police under the government shows that he urged the master of Fort Garry to meet the danger, and asked authority to call upon a portion of the special police force sworn in, shortly before, to preserve the peace. No governor spoke; no one even closed the fort as a precaution; its gates stood wide open to friend or foe. This exhibition of helplessness encouraged the conspirators, and Riel and one hundred of his followers (November 2) unopposed took possession of the fort and quartered themselves upon the company. In the front part of the fort lived the governor; he was now flanked by a body guard of rebels; the master of the fort, a burly son of Britain, though very gruff aud out of sorts, could do nothing, and the young Napoleon of the Metis fattened on the best of the land. Riel now issued a proclamation, calling on the English-speaking parishes of the settlement to elect twelve representatives to meet the presi- dent and representatives of the French-speaking population, appointing a meeting for twelve days afterwards. Mr. McDougall, on hearing of the seizure of the fort, wrote to Governor McTavish stating that as the Hudson’s Bay Company was still the govern- ment, action should be taken to disperse the rebels. A number of loyal inhabitants also petitioned Governor McTavish to issue his proclamation calling on the rebels to disperse. The sick and helpless governor, fourteen days after the seizure of the fort and twenty-three days after the affidavit of the rising, issued a tardy proclamation condemning the rebels and calling upon them to disperse. The convention met November 16th, the English-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 155 speaking parishes having been cajoled into electing delegates, thinking thus to soothe the troubled land. After meeting and discussing in hot and use- less words the state of affairs, the convention adjourned until December 1, it being evident, however, that Riel desired to form a provisional govern- ment of which he should be the joy and pride. The day for the reassembling of the convention arrived. Riel and his party insisted on ruling the meeting, and passed a “Bill of Rights” con- sisting of fifteen provisions. The English people refused to accept these propositions, and, after vainly endeavoring to take steps to meet Mr. Mc- Dougall, withdrew to their homes, ashamed and confounded. Meanwhile Mr. McDougall was chafing at the strange and humiliating situation in which he found himself. With his family and staff poorly housed at Pembina and the severe winter coming on, he could scarcely be blamed for irritation and discontent. December 1st was the day on which he expected his commission as governor to come into effect. On this sup- position he issued a proclamation announcing his appointment as governor. As a matter of fact, far away from communication with Ottawa, he was mis- taken as to the transfer. On account of the rise of the rebellion this had not been made, and Mr. McDougall, in issuing a spurious proclamation, became an object of contempt to the insurgents, an object of pity to the loyalists, and the laughing stock of the whole world. His proclamation, at the same time authorizing Colonel Dennis, the Canadian surveyor in Red River settlement, to raise a force to put down the rebellion, could have no more force of authority than the governor’s commission. Colonel Dennis succeeded in raising a force of some four hundred men, and would not probably have failed had it not transpired that the two proclamations were illegal and that the levies were consequently unauthorized. The Canadian people were now in a state of the greatest excitement, and the Canadian government, aware of its blundering and stupidity, hastened to rectify its mistakes. Commissioners were sent to negotiate with the various parties in Red River settlement. As the matter was largely among the French people, it was proper that two high-minded and loyal French Canadian should be chosen for the mission. Vicar-General Thibault, who had spent long years in the Roman Catholic missions of the156 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. North-West, and Colonel de Salaberry, a trained soldier, were despatched as soon as possible. The Vicar-General arrived on the 26th of December, and was allowed to enter the country and take up his abode at the bishop’s palace in St. Boniface. His companion was, after some hesitation, per- mitted to join him at St. Boniface some eleven days afterwards. The admission of these delegates was on the understanding that meanwhile they should not visit among the people. They were virtually prisoners and took little part in influencing the rebellion. The commissioner on whom devolved the weight of responsibility and who contributed most to the solution of the problem was Donald Alexander Smith, now Lord Strath- cona. He was a successful Hudson’s Bay Company chief factor, who had spent more than thirty years on the shores of Hudson Bay and Labrador. As special commissioner he was clothed with very wide powers, and was sent out with the hope that his Hudson’s Bay Company connection would give him influence among the disaffected elements, and also to assist or take the place of Governor McTavish should the state of health of the latter demand it. Before the arrival of the commissioners there were more developments in the rebellion. A number of Canadians—nearly fifty—had been assembled in the store of Dr. Schultz, at the village of Winnipeg, and, on the failure of Mr. McDougall’s proclamation, were left in a very awkward condition. With arms in their hands, they were looked upon by Riel as dangerous, and with promises of freedom and of the intention of Riel to meet McDougall and settle the whole matter, they (December 7) surren- dered. Safely in the fort and in the prison outside the wall, the prisoners were kept by the truce-breaker, and the Metis contingent celebrated the victory by numerous potations of rum taken from the Hudson’s Bay Com- pany stores. The prisoners were treated with heartless severity and contempt. Their quarters were miserable and unfit for the bitter weather of December. The unfortunate men were so crowded together that to prevent suffocation they were compelled to break a pane of glass in each room, and the cold became so great that they were in danger of freezing. Their sleeping accommoda- tion was intolerable. The food supplied consisted of hard and thick lumpsHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 157 of pemmican of the poorest variety and tea. Friends of the men were per- mitted afterwards to send in supplies, which in some cases were seized and eaten by the greedy guards. On account of the quarters being overcrowded, a number of the prisoners were removed into the jail at the court house, but this place was unfit for habitation, being “very filthy and crawling with vermin.” The feeling of discomfort and of antipathy of the English people against the provisional government was continually strengthening, and especially so when they learned that half a hundred true British sub- jects, who had done no wrong, and who had not been tried on any charge, were suffering a loathsome imprisonment. Riel now took a step forward in issuing a proclamation, which has generally been attributed to the crippled postmaster at Pembina, one of the dangerous foreign clique longing to seize the settlement. He also hoisted a new flag, with the fluer de lis worked upon it, thus giving evidence of his disloyalty and impudence. Other acts of injustice, such as seizing company funds and interfering with personal liberty, were committed by him. On December 27th—a memorable day—Mr. Donald A. Smith arrived. His presence produced much commotion among the rebels. Riel met him at the gate of the fortress and demanded his papers. The shrewd Scottish ambassador had left his important papers at Pembina in safe keeping, and had nothing with him to justify the rebel chief in refusing to admit him. In the interview that followed, Riel vainly sought to induce the commis- sioner to recognize his government, and yet was afraid to show disrespect to so high and honored an officer. For about two months Commissioner Smith lived at Fort Garry, in a part of the same building as Governor McTavish. Mr. Smith says of this period: ‘ ‘ The state of matters at this time was most unsatisfactory and truly humiliating. Upwards of fifty British sub- jects were held in close confinement as political prisoners; security for persons or property there was none. . . The leaders of the French half- breeds had declared their determination to use every effort for the purpose of annexing the territory to the United States.” Mr. Smith acted with great wisdom and decision. His plan evidently was to have no formal breach with Riel, but gradually to undermine him,158 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and secure a combination by which he could be overthrown. Many of the influential men of the settlement called upon Mr. Smith, and the affairs of the country were discussed. Riel was restless and at times impertinent, but the commissioner exercised his Scottish caution, and bided his time. Riel had great curiosity to know what the Canadian government intended to do, and finally approached the commissioner with the inquiry whether the latter had power to settle the troubles. For this Mr. Smith had waited. He spoke of his commission being at Pembina, and offered to send for it if afterward he were allowed to meet the people. Riel consented to this. The commission was sent for and Riel tried to intercept the mes- senger, but failed to do so. Mr. Smith then insisted on a meeting of all the people of Red River settlement, thus ignoring the provisional government. The meeting took place on January 19th. One thousand people assembled, and as there was no building capable of holding the people the meeting took place in the open air, the temperature being twenty below zero. The outcome of this meeting was the election and subsequent assembling of forty representatives—one-half French, the other half English—to con- sider the matter of Commissioner Smith’s message. Six days after the open air meeting the convention met. After a tangled discussion and repeated acts of intractability on the part of Riel, a second bill of rights was adopted and it was agreed to send delegates to Ottawa to meet the Dominion government. With the knowledge that all done thus far was illegal and tyrannical, Riel insisted on forming a real provisional government. The English were, however, unwilling to follow Riel. After discussion they decided to consult Governor McTavish. The sick man, already brow-beaten and insulted beyond endurance by Riel and worn out by the long-continued turmoil, impulsively replied: “Form a government, for God’s sake, and restore peace and order to the settlement.” The French thus completely out-manoeuvered the English contingent and the provisional government was formed. Riel gained the height of his ambition in being made president, and the other leading offices were filled by: James Ross, chief justice; H. McKenney, sheriff; Dr. Bird, coroner; A. G. B. Bannatyne, postmaster; John Sutherland and Roger Goulet, collectors ofHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 159 customs; T. Bunn and L. Schmidt, secretaries; and W. B. Donohue, trea- surer. It was also agreed that a council of the people should be elected. The retention of the prisoners in captivity during all this time aroused a deep feeling in the country, and a movement originated in Portage la Prairie to rescue the unfortunates. This force was joined by recruits at Kildonan, making up six hundred in all. Awed by this gathering, Riel released the prisoners, though he was guilty of an act of the deepest treachery in arresting nearly fifty of the Assiniboine levy as they were returning to their homes. Among them was Major Boulton. He was tried by court martial for treason to the provisional government and was sen- tenced to be shot. This sentence was used as a club over the English to force their recognition of the Riel government. Major Boulton was only saved by the strenuous interposition of Commissioner Smith, who, to effect this purpose, was compelled to promise his endeavors in inducing the English to elect their share of delegates to the convention. Riel’s ambition was meanwhile hurrying him headlong to more unbridled outrages on the peace and order of the settlement. The late Archbishop Tache in a later rebellion, characterized Riel as a remarkable example of inflated ambition, and called his state of mind that of “mega- lomania.” Riel now became more irritable and domineering. The evident contempt for him of the English people and their resentment at his high- handed and compulsory methods of gaining his ends stirred him up exceedingly. He declared that the English-speaking people must be com- pelled to respect his government. He and his officers freely discussed their intention of making an example of one or two of the Canadian prisoners. Now came the climax of the rebellion. An Ontario Canadian, Thomas Scott, of decided character and forward disposition, had been taken prisoner at the beginning of the trouble, had escaped from the rickety prison at the court house, and then became one of the leading spirits of the Portage la Prairie contingent which was so disgracefully captured as they were return- ing home. Charged with breaking his parole, besides minor offences, Scott was put in irons on the first of March. A court martial was called, and con- ducted in his presence in French, not a word of which he understood.160 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Ambrose Lepine was the presiding officer; Riel was advocate and judge, as well as the sole witness. The proceedings were taken largely before the prisoner was brought in, and no opportunity of defence was given him. The prisoner was condemned by the majority of the court to be shot at ten o’clock on the following morning. Despite the appeals of Commissioner Smith and a number of influential inhabitants to dissuade Riel, the sentence was carried out on March 4, 1870. Kneeling in the snow, at a spot some twenty yards beyond the southeast bastion of Fort Garry, he was shot to death by Riel’s drunken executioners. “Whom the gods destroy, they first make mad.” The execution of Scott was the death knell of Riel’s hopes. The effect of the murder on the English-speaking, and on many of the French-speaking, people of Red River settlement was to arouse hatred and disgust in their minds against the per- petrator. All Canada was aroused, and to avenge what all believed to be the crime of an infatuated tyrant thousands were willing to take arms and march into the wilderness. Determined to have no further communication with Riel, Commissioner Smith as soon as possible left Fort Garry and returned to Canada. Four days after the murder of Scott, the real spiritual ruler of the Metis, Bishop Taehe, arrived at St. Boniface, where he was urgently needed to counteract the baleful influence exerted in the course of the rebellion by Fathers Richot, Lestanc and Mr. O’Donohue. He had returned from Rome at the urgent request of the Dominion government, who thoroughly understood his power over the half-breeds. He had spent nearly a quarter of a century in the North-West, and knowing, from every point of view, the state of affairs at Red River, he had, before departing for Rome, used all the powers of persuasion and description to direct the attention of the Ottawa authorities to the settlement. The influence of the Bishop was seen in the meeting of the council of the provisional government held on the 13th of March. Two motions were passed. The first was a protest against the people of Red River settlement being ignored by Great Britain and Canada. The second resolution pro- tested their loyalty to the crown of England, and made a demand that their rights and privileges should be secured. The Bishop, on being intro-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 161 duced to the council, although disclaiming to come in any official capacity, counselled that the delegates appointed at the mass meeting—that called by Commissioner Smith, January 19—should now go to Canada and deal with all needed matters. He further declared that the Canadians were pre- pared to grant in the main the demands known as the Bill of Rights. Towards the last of March these delegates—Judge Black, Father Richot and A. H. Scott—set out for Ottawa. Richot and Scott had been implicated in the rebellion and represented the illegal provisional govern- ment of Riel, so that they were in no sense recognized as ambassadors by the Dominion government. But the Ottawa authorities-listened to their views and took their information and claims as a basis for parliamentary action. The Riel rebellion was now waning. At the meeting of the council above referred to, Bishop Tache had used his influence over Riel and his associates in obtaining the release of the prisoners. Two days after the meeting one-half of the prisoners were released from Fort Garry, and on the third day the remainder. The American annexationist party suddenly ceased its activity, and the utterances of the disloyal sheet, the New Nation, were stopped by Riel probably at the behest of the bishop. The release of the prisoners removed the active opposition of many of the English-speaking people. But the peace-loving bishop is said to have had no light task in subjugating the unruly Riel. While the bishop continued his efforts as peace-maker and the terrors of rebellion subsided, the Canadian government prepared not only to establish peace in this region but to extend, after months of delay, its authority and control over its new territory. An expedition was organized in Canada consisting of British regulars and Canadian volunteers, under Colonel Wolseley, coming from Canada up the fur traders’ route, through Lake of the Woods, down Winnipeg river, and up the Red river, the expedi- tion arrived, to the great joy of the suffering people of the settlement, on August 24, 1870. After eleven months of the most torturing anxiety had been endured, the sight of the rescuing soldiery sent the blood pulsing again through their veins. As the troops approached Fort Garry, three slinking figures were seen to leave the fort and escape across the Assiniboine. These ll162 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. were “President Riel,” “Adjutant-General” Lepine, and the scoundrel Donohue. Colonel Wolseley says: “The troops then formed line outside the fort, the Union Jack was hoisted and three cheers were given for the Queen, which were caught up and heartily re-echoed by many of the civilians and settlers who had followed the troops from the village.”* The Red River rebellion was ended. After the many years of uncer- tainty and discontent, and through stress and storm, a new member of the sisterhood of provinces was to appear, to bear the prettiest of western names—destined to become one of the best known names in the beginning of the twentieth century—destined to be also the first of a great family of provinces now forming north and west of Lake Superior. ‘Concerning Riel and his companions the following paragraph, by a military writer of the time, tells their experiences immediately following the arrival of the Canadian forces:— “The three ringleaders made their escape across the pontoon bridge over the river Assiniboine, and then crossing to the right bank of the Red river, galloped up the bank for some distance, when finding, doubtless to their surprise, that they were not pursued, they halted to rest. Next morning they could not find their horses, which had either been stolen or had strayed over the prairie during the night, so they pur- sued their journey on foot. After a while they wanted to cross to the left bank of the river to take the regular road to Pembina, but were unable to find a boat. Collecting some logs of wood and rails from the fences, they extemporized a raft, which they lashed together, in default of a rope, by portions of their attire, and at last succeeded in getting across. Riel, however, lost one of his shoes on the passage, and had to con- tinue his journey barefooted. In this sorry plight, footsore, hungry and wet, the ex- president and his two confederates reached the United States territory, a melancholy example of the mutability of human affairs and the ups and downs of fortune. Reil seemed to feel acutely the change in his position, and said to a man whom he met travel- ling to the settlement, ‘Tell them that he who ruled in Fort Garry a few days ago is now a houseless wanderer.’ In Pembina but little notice was taken of the ‘fallen potentates’ by their former friends, and they subsequently separated, Lepine and Donohue remaining on the American side of the line, whilst Riel went to live in the little village of St. Joseph’s, which is a small hamlet about thirty miles west of Pembina, and chiefly inhabited by half-breeds.”CHAPTER XX. MANITOBA CREATED IN 1870. The arrival of the troops at Fort Garry, in August, 1870, marked a new era. The regiments at Upper and Lower Fort Garry symbolized Can- adian power. Henceforward all other authority—legal, provisional, or illegal—is superseded by the mandate of Parliament Hill, Ottawa. This is now Canada. It is also Manitoba. Already several months before the arrival of Colonel Wolseley and his cohorts, this name had become definitive of the territory embraced in this historical survey, and which it has been neces- sary vaguely to refer to as Rupert’s Land, Red River settlement, Assini- boia. The various names in this vast territory, acquired by Canada had all served their day. Rupert’s Land spoke of events two centuries old, and the name henceforth will only be found in ecclesiastical cloisters. Assini- boia—a melodious name—was very persistent; it died hard. It was associated with a regime now passing away, and its day went by, to be revived in a western territory which, however, rather oddly, scarcely touches the Assiniboine river. Even in 1906 it has been superseded in the Territories by the new provincial name Saskatchewan. Red River settle- ment had become a misnomer, as the wider province was made to include the Assiniboine river and the well watered regions of Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba. In this connection reference should be made to the ephemeral “Republic of Manitoba.” The district about Portage la Prairie was its territorial basis. The people living outside the Red River settlement naturally sought some municipal organization. In the year before Riel’s rebellion, “Tom Spence,” as he was familiarly known, a man of some education, induced the people of this district to form a provisional government. He then wrote home to the secretary of state for foreign affairs in London, inform- ing him that “Early in January last (1868), at a public meeting of settlers who number over four hundred, it was unanimously decided at once to pro- ceed to the election and construction of a government.” It was further stated that there had been “a revenue imposed, public buildings com-164 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. meneed, provision made for Indian treaties, with the construction of roads and other public works.” To this the British official replied, paraphrasing the provisions for delegated local government contained in the Canadian constitution: ‘‘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-called) for themselves with- out reference to the Hudson’s Bay Company or the Crown.” This decreed the end of the “Republic of Manitoba,” as well as laid down a principal destructive of the later claim of legality made for Riel’s provisional government. The delegates sent down from Red River with the bill of rights had made clear to the Dominion authorities the conditions productive of such lamentable results, and the cabinet set itself to the consideration of the proper remedies. The bill agreed on by the Dominion cabinet was intro- duced in Parliament by Sir John A. Macdonald on May 2, 1870. As finally agreed upon and passed the “Manitoba Act” constituted the new province with the following boundaries: eastern, 96 degrees West long.; western, 99 degrees W. long; the south line the international boundary, and it extended north a degree and a half. This was about three-fifths the size of the pre- sent Province of Manitoba. The original intention was to make it even smaller, virtually consisting of the old Red River settlement, but before adoption Portage la Prairie was included. By way of the chutes and portages of Wolseley’s route, Governor Archibald, first governor of the Province of Manitoba, arrived at Fort Garry on the 2nd of September, 1870. He had lost his way for a day on the Lake of the Woods. No one from Red River settlement met him, though he had at least the consolation that his reception was much less warm than that of “Governor” McDougall had been. Adams G. Archibald was every inch a governor. He was a man of dignified—even noble—bearing. An experienced politician, a leading lawyer, and a leader in social life, he was most admirable in every respect. But his high character and good qualities did not protect him from bitter persecution.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 165 Along with the governor or shortly after him came a considerable number of politicians. These were chosen by Sir George Cartier, and were chiefly from Montreal. This introduction of eastern influence into the high circles of administration was viewed with alarm and dissatisfaction by the “Canadian party” not less than by other factions. The recent rebellion had been largely in the nature of a protest against a non-repre- sentative government imposed from without, and many feared that the new Manitoban administration would be hampered and restricted by the politi- cal leaders at Ottawa. The new governor had many sources of irritation to stop. Not only were the loyalists enraged, declaring that nothing would satisfy them except the trial and punishment of the leading rebels, but the French were still more hostile. They maintained that an amnesty had been promised all of them through Bishop Tache. The presence of the Ontario battalion in Fort Garry and the meeting of drunken partisans in the too-numerous saloons of the village of Winnipeg led to constant friction. The irksome- ness of the situation was increased to the French by their having been so lately in possession of power, and by the threatening suggestions con- stantly made that they would be subjected to even greater indignities than those which they had inflicted on the prisoners. The state of feeling and the difficulties in the way of effective government are illustrated in the following occurrence. One of Riel’s former prisoners recognized in a low grog shop in Winnipeg one Elzear Goulet, who had not only been one of the dicta- tor’s council, but had been a member of the famous court martial which con- demned Scott. Goulet was threatened and fled. In the pursuit several soldiers of the Ontario battalion took part. Goulet sought the Red river as a means of escape and was drowned in the attempt to cross it. There was an investigation of the affair by the commissioners appointed by Governor Archibald. They found the prisoners guilty, but on account of the strong state of public feeling prevailing the authorities found it impossible to mete out the deserved punishment. In the matter of provincial organization Governor Archibald succeeded in steering safely and skillfully among the rocks of popular opinion. As a preliminary he appointed only two members of his cabinet, viz., Hon.166 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Alfred Boyd, an Englishman, who was a respected old resident, and Hon. M. Girard, a worthy French Canadian newcomer. A census was then taken to be a basis for the division of the province into constituencies, and this was completed by November. The following were the results as to population:— Whites................................................ 1,565 English half-breeds ................................. 4,083 French half-breeds ................................. 5,757 Indians................................................. 558 Total ................................... 11,963 The white population was divided as to place of birth as follows:— North-West.......................................... 747 Canada.............................................. 294 England............................................. 125 Scotland............................................ 240 Ireland............................................ 47 France............................................... 15 Others............................................... 28 Total ....................................... 1,496 Much amusement was caused when the impudent inter- ference in the affairs of the rebellion by the Americans of Winnipeg was considered and when it was found they had only ........................................... 69 Total whites ............................... 1,565 For the first time the people of Red River were to express their minds. Governor Archibald divided the province into twenty-four constituencies. As the elements of the population were very nearly equal, and the people were largely grouped in parishes, a division of twelve English and twelve French constituencies was made. The governor’s arrangements were so just and so complete that every one was satisfied. It was, of course, unfortunate that the division was equal, for it made the possibility of aHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 167 deadlock at times very probable. The elections were held on December 20, 1870, and ten out of twenty-four members were chosen by acclamation. On the twelfth of January, 1871, the governor completed his cabinet. He followed the same general plan as in the laying out of constituencies. There were two French and two English representatives—and these cor- respond also as to equality of religious belief. The wonder is that a govern- ment based on such a principle should be workable at all. The senior member of the cabinet was Hon. Marc Girard, provincial treasurer, a genial, kind-hearted French Canadian gentleman of the old school of good manners and broad opinions. He afterwards became a senator of the Dominion. The provincial secretary was Hon. Alfred Boyd, a respected and substantial English merchant. The stormy petrel of the cabinet was Attorney-General H. J. Clarke. He was a man who had raised himself to the position of lawyer and politician in the city of Montreal. Hon. Thomas Howard was minister of public works and agriculture. He was an agree- able and gentlemanly man, hailing from Eastern Canada. With this selec- tion Governor Archibald began the difficult task of governing a divided and generally discontented people. The “Canadian party” bitterly resented all these appointments. Imitating the model of Quebec rather than Ontario, the Manitoba Par- liament consisted of two chambers. The first of them was the legislative council—often jocularly called “The Lords.” It was a unique body formed on the same principle of compromise as was to be seen in other parts of the governmental machinery. It was appointed in March of that year of beginnings, 1871. From the standpoint of language it consisted of four English and three French-speaking members. As to religion, it was made up of four Roman Catholics and three Protestants. Judged according to race there were: Two French half-breeds, good men in standing, but inno- cent, it is said, of both reading and writing. One member was a Scoto- French half-breed; there was one Scotch half-breed; one was an Irish Celt; one a pure Scottish Celt; and one Canadian of Lowland Scotch descent. The duties of the legislative council were not onerous. They sat like gods on Olympus, registering or not the decisions of the twenty-four mortals of the earth beneath them. But this is what is said as well of the senate at168 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Ottawa and the House of Lords at Westminster. In a few years the legis- lative council took part in its own abolition.* ♦First Parliament of Manitoba. Governor ......................Hon. Adams G. Archibald. Legislative Council. President..............................Hon. James McKay. And Honorables, Donald Gunn.................St. Andrew’s. Solomon Hamelin.............White Horse Plains. Colin Inkster ..............Kildonan. Francois Dauphinais.........St. Norbert. Francis Ogletree ...........Portage la Prairie. John H. O’Donnell...........Winnipeg. Legislative Assembly. Constituency. Name. Baie St. Paul Headingly High Bluff Kildonan Lake Manitoba Poplar Point Portage la Prairie F. 0. Bird. Ste. Agathe St. Andrew’s, North St. Andrew’s, South E. H. G. Hay. Ste. Anne St. Boniface, East St. Boniface, West St. Charles St. Clement’s St. Francois Xavier, East ... St. Francois Xavier, West .. St. James St. Norbert, North St. Norbert, South St. Paul St. Peter’s St. Vital Winnipeg HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 169 For the first Parliament house of Manitoba, the governor and his council obtained a large wooden building standing at that time a short dis- tance from Main street, on the street north of the Bank of Hamilton. This was the dwelling of Mr. A. G. B. Bannatyne. For the first winter Mr. Ban- natyne was to allow the use of half the building. It was afterwards pur- chased by the government, but was burnt down a few years later. The opening of Parliament, on the 15th of March, 1871, was notable. The government building was decorated quite handsomely, and the pageant passed off successfully. The guard of honor, a hundred strong, of the Ontario Rifles stationed at Fort Garry, attended Governor Archibald, and made a decided impression upon the spectators. Captain Yilliers, usher of the Black Rod, was there in courtly uniform, and a tall and dignified official from old France, Captain de Plainval, figured as sergeant-at-arms. A spectator of the pageant, writing ten years afterward, says: “The first opening of our local Parliament has never been equaled in this province by any subsequent displays of this kind.” Hon. Joseph Royal was chosen speaker of the legislative assembly, the governor read the speech in English and French, and the wheels of govern- ment began to revolve. As seen by Dr. Bryce in the following year, i.e., in its second session, this first legislature presented a strange gathering of loyalists, Rielites, French half-breeds, English half-breeds, Hudson’s Bay Company officers, Selkirk settlers and Canadians. Hon. Joseph Royal was, as first commoner, of course conspicuous. He came from Montreal and was a clever jour- nalist, a shrewd politician, and a determined believer in the solidarity of the French Canadian people. Over yonder is Donald A. Smith, member for Winnipeg, then in the beginning of his public career; and beside him, “Johnnie” McTavish, another company official. On this side is the member for Baie St. Paul, barrister James Dubuc, now the popular chief justice. Who is that over yonder, with sharp, rather sallow face? He seems some- what boisterous, having just come in, and a companion is convincing him of the dignity required of one in Her Majesty’s presence. That is Louis Schmidt, who was Riel’s secretary and henchman. On that side is John Sutherland, the “war horse from Kildonan,” a true Highlander. He is170 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. quite a young man, though rather crude; yet he has a ponderous head and a look of ability. That is John Norquay, afterwards the much regarded premier of Manitoba. Our physician, Dr. Bird, comes in rather late, a gentleman of English style, though a native of Red River settlement. There sits an oldish man of weatherbeaten face, with the looks of a daring hunter—Pascal Breland, a man of upright character and good name, hailing from White Horse plains. Quite near stands Mr. E. H. G. Hay, still to the fore in St. Andrew’s parish. Here sits, occupying the place of two, the corpulent Joseph Lemay with his Pembina recollections, and beside him Thomas Bunn, the one man from the northern parishes who stood in with Riel. Perhaps no such legislature ever gathered before or since. Half of them were not adepts in the drawing room, but they were the first repre- sentatives of responsible government ever gathered in Rupert’s Land. At the first session of the Manitoba Parliament forty-three acts were passed—still to be found in the old copies of the statutes. Law, medicine, education and civil government were all organized. The Bishoprics and Colleges of St. Boniface and Rupert’s Land (St. John’s College) were incor- porated. Land tenures and highways were assured. In education the separate school system was begun. License laws for liquor sellers, peddlers, and auctioneers were passed. Agriculture, as being the chief resource of the country, received attention in laws for noxious weeds, pasturage, stray cattle, protection of the rivers and the like. Laws as to wills, rights of married women, and the observance of the Sabbath were also adopted. It seems to have been a good practical session, and showed a large amount of common sense to have prevailed among the members. It was a harbinger of good things for the future. THE ORGANIC ACT OF 1870. The principal provisions of the scheme of government as outlined in the Manitoba Act of 1870 are as follows:— When under the authority of the British North America Act of 1867 Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory shall be admitted into the Union or Dominion of Canada, “there shall be formed out of the same a pro-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 171 vince which shall be one of the provinces of the Dominion of Canada, and which shall be called the Province of Manitoba.” (The original boundaries have been elsewhere stated.) The second paragraph extends the provisions of the British North America Act of 1867 in their general application to the Province of Manitoba. “The said province shall be represented in the Senate of Canada by two members until it shall have, according to decennial census, a popula- tion of fifty thousand souls; and from thenceforth it shall be represented therein by three members, until it shall have, according to the decennial census, a population of seventy-five thousand souls, and from thenceforth it shall be represented therein by four members.” “The said province shall be represented in the first instance, in the House of Commons, by four members, and for that purpose shall be divided, by proclamation of the Governor-General, into four electoral districts, each of which shall be represented by one member: Provided that on the com- pletion of the census, in the year 1881, and of each decennial census after- wards, the representation of the said province shall be readjusted according to the provisions of the fifty-first section of the British North America Act of 1867.” “For the said province there shall be an officer styled the Lieutenant- Governor, appointed by the Governor-General in Council. ’ ’ The executive council of the province, consisting at first of not more than five persons, were to be appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor. “Unless and until the executive government of the province otherwise directs, the seat of government of the same shall be at Fort Garry, or within one mile thereof.” The legislature for the province to consist of the Lieutenant-Governor and of two houses, viz., the Legislative Council of Manitoba and the Legis- lative Assembly of Manitoba. (The history of the Legislative Council to its abolishment, is elsewhere given.) The Legislative Assembly, composed of twenty-four members, each representing one of the electoral divisions into which the province was to be172 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. divided by the Lieutenant-Governor, was chosen by popular suffrage, and the suffrage qualifications as stated in the Act are as follows:— “Every male person shall be entitled to vote for a member to serve in the Legislative Assembly for any electoral division who is qualified as follows: That is to say if he is “1. Of the full age of twenty-one years, and not subject to any legal incapacity. “2. A subject of Her Majesty by birth or naturalization. “3. And a bona fide householder within the electoral division at the date of the writ of election for the same, and has been a bona fide house- holder for one year next before the said date; or “4. If being at the full age of twenty-one and not subject to any legal incapacity, and a subject of Her Majesty by birth or naturalization, he was at any time prior to the passing of this Act, and (though in the meantime temporarily absent) is at the time of such election a bona fide householder, and was resident within the electoral division at the date of the writ of election for the same. “But this fourth sub-section shall apply only to the first election to be held under this Act for members to serve in the Legislative Assembly aforesaid. ’ ’ Because of the prominence assumed in the later educational contro- versies by the provisions of this Organic Act relative to the powers of the legislature on that subject, the section of the Act relating to education is quoted entire. “In and for the said province, the said legislature may exclusively make laws in relation to education, subject and according to the following provisions:— “1. Nothing in any such law shall prejudicially affect any right or privilege with respect to denominational schools, which any class of persons have by law or practice in the province at the union. “2. An appeal shall lie to the Governor-General in Council from any act or decision of the legislature of the province, or of any provincialHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 173 authority affecting any right or privilege of the Protestant or Roman Catholic minority of the Queen’s subjects in relation to education. “3. In case any such provincial law, as from time to time seems to the Governor-General in Council requisite for the due execution of the pro- visions of this section is not made; or in case any decision of the Governor-General in Council, or any appeal under this section is mot duly executed by the proper provincial authority in that behalf, then and in every such case, and as far only as the circumstances of each case require, the Parliament of Canada may make remedial laws for the due execution of the provisions of this section, and of any decision of the Governor- General in Council under this section.” Provision was made for the use of both the English and the French in all government transactions. (This was afterwards abolished.) ‘ ‘ Inasmuch as that the province is not in debt, the said province shall be entitled to be paid, and to receive from the government of Canada by half-yearly payments in advance, interest at the rate of five per centum per annum, on the sum of four hundred and seventy-two thousand and ninety dollars.” “The sum of thirty thousand dollars shall be paid yearly by Canada to the province for the support of its government and legislature, and an annual grant in aid of the said province shall be made, equal to eighty cents per head of the population estimated at seventeen thousand souls; and such grants of eighty cents per head shall be augumented in propor- tion to the increase in population as may be shown by the census that shall be taken thereof in the year 1881, and by each subsequent decennial census, until its population amounts to four hundred thousand souls, at which amount such grant shall remain thereafter, and such sum shall be in full settlement of all future demands on Canada, and shall be paid half-yearly in advance to the said province.” Canada should assume and defray the charge for these services: 1. Salary of the Lieutenant-Governor. 2. Salaries and allowances of the judges of the superior and district or county courts. 3. Charges in respect of the department of customs. 4. Postal department. 5. Protection of fisheries. 6. Militia. 7. Geological survey. 8. The penitentiary.174 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. “All ungranted and waste lands in the province shall be, from and after the date of the said transfer, vested in the Crown, and administered by the government of Canada for the purpose of the Dominion, subject to and except and so far as the same may be affected by the conditions and stipulations contained in the agreement for the surrender of Rupert’s Land by the Hudson’s Bay Company to Her Majesty.” “And whereas it is expedient, towards the extinguishment of the Indian title to the lands in the province, to appropriate a portion of such ungranted land to the extent of one million four hundred thousand acres thereof for the benefit of the families of the half-breed residents, it is hereby enacted that under regulations to be from time to time made by the Governor-General in Council, the Lieutenant-Governor shall select such lots or tracts in such parts of the province as he may deem expedient to the extent aforesaid, and divide the same among the children of the half-breed heads of families residing in the province at the time of the said transfer to Canada, and the same shall be granted to the said children respectively in such mode and on such conditions as to settlement and otherwise as the Governor-General in Council may from time to time determine.” “For the quieting of title and assuring to the settlers in the province the peaceable possession of the lands now held by them, it is enacted as follows:— “1. All grants of land in the freehold made by the Hudson’s Bay Company up to the eighth of May in the year 1869, shall, if required by the owner, be confirmed by grant from the Crown. “2. All grants of estates less than freehold in land made by the Hudson’s Bay Company up to the eighth day of March aforesaid, shall, if required by the owner, be converted into an estate in freehold by grant from the Crown. ‘ ‘ 3. All titles by occupancy with the sanction and under the license and authority of the Hudson’s Bay Company, up to the eighth day of March aforesaid, of land in that part of the province in which the Indian title has been extinguished, shall, if required by the owner, be converted into an estate in freehold by grant from the Crown.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 175 “4. All persons in peaceable possession of tracts of land at the time of the said transfer to Canada, in those parts of the province in which Indian title has not been extinguished, shall have the right of pre-emption of the same on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Governor in Council. “5. The Lieutenant-Governor is hereby authorized, under regulations to be made from time to time by the Governor-General in Council, to make all such provisions for ascertaining and adjusting on fair and equit- able terms the rights of common and rights of cutting hay held and enjoyed by the settlers of the province, and for the commutation of the same by grants of land from the Crown.” “And with respect to such portions of Rupert’s Land and the North- West Territory as is not included in the Province of Manitoba, it is hereby enacted that the Lieutenant-Governor of the said province shall be appointed by commission under the Great Seal of Canada to be Lieutenant- Governor of the same under the name of the North-West Territories.”CHAPTER XXI. THE FIRST DECADE AS A PROVINCE. Settlement, Extension of Boundaries and General Provincial Affairs. The first decade of Manitoba’s history as a province is a period of beginning and adaptation in all departments. The forces of political and social unrest set in motion by the transfer from company rule to civic autonomy were not yet spent, and as a result many complicated problems were presented to the people and the government for solution. Moreover, in a new country, just opened to settlement, as was true of Manitoba, the large proportion of the new arrivals in comparison with the older settlers gives a fluctuating character to the population, which in consequence is less amenable to the social and political regulations of older communities and lacks the self-restraint imposed by residence and an active public opinion. The Riel rebellion now had an aftermath in an abortive Fenian raid. For five years after the close of the American civil war bands of Fenians had hung along the borders of the United States and Canada. In 1866 their movement in the Niagara district assumed formidable proportions, and a number of lives were lost in driving them back. O’Donohue, already mentioned as the chief conspirator of the Riel forced, was a Fenian, and from his headquarters at Pembina kept in touch both with his fellow countrymen and with Riel and his disaffected Metis. Recruiting his forces largely among the laborers along the Northern Pacific Railway line, O’Donohue now endeavored to organize a raid on Manitoba from United States territory, expecting that as soon as the international boundary was crossed he would have the active assistance of the Metis. The Fenians, to the number of not more than forty, crossed the bound- ary line and on the 5th of October, 1871, fell upon and sacked the Hudson’s Bay Company store at Pembina. They proceeded to their work by putting under arrest Trader Watt and all his subordinates in the fort. In this emergency it was U.S. Consul J. W. Taylor, always a constant and true friend of the Canadian people and their interests, who put an endCouncil of Hudson’s Bay Company Commissioned Officers, held in Winnipeg, 18S7.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 177 to the raid before any harm could be done. He gave the authorities at Washington and Winnipeg warning of the raid and planned the capture of the Fenian leaders. To Colonel Wheaton, an Englishman in the United States service and commander of the American fort at Pembina was due the prompt carrying out and successful accomplishment of the program. When the time came and the insurgents were on British soil and engaged in rob- bery, he acted with decision. The leaders, “General” O’Neil, “General” Thomas Curley, Col. J. J. Donnelly, and an officer named Kelly—all Fenians—were arrested and taken back to American soil, and in a despatch to Consul Taylor, Colonel Wheaton announced: “I think further anxiety regarding the Fenian invasion of Manitoba unnecessary. ’ ’ 0 ’Donohue was captured later, and all were delivered over to the American authorities. * After trial at St. Paul, Minnesota, they were released, on the ground of insufficiency of evidence to convict them of breach of the neutrality laws. Nevertheless, the raid came to an end, even before the force of volunteers organized at Winnipeg could reach Pembina. The Fenian escapade showed the necessity of having a permanent military force at Winnipeg. Events mature so rapidly on the prairies, that ever since it has been deemed wise to keep a garrison at Winnipeg. Again and again has the force been found useful. On the present occasion the new force was sent in great haste from Toronto. The command was confided to Captain (now Colonel) Scott, who has ever since been a resi- dent of Winnipeg. The body of men despatched—two hundred strong— was organized in six days, embarked at Collingwood in October, and arrived with all its “impedimenta” at Thunder Bay on October 24. Following, as far as the Lake of the Woods, Colonel Wolseley’s route, through rain, snow, intense cold and high gales, the volunteers reached the northwest angle to find it frozen up, and they walked over twelve miles of ice to reach the angle. Marching over the Dawson Road, the energetic detach- ment arrived at Fort Garry on November 18, 1871. Many other notable events occurred in this first year in which Mani- toba took her place in the sisterhood of Canadian provinces. It was also a year marked by an immense leap forward in business hopefulness and enterprise. For the first time the Canadian government threw itself with a 12178 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. will into the organization of western representative institutions, and pro- ceded to fit the country for occupation. It was a year of surveys. A wave of Canadian sentiment in this year rushed in that completely swept back the wretched, half-hearted, semi-Americanizing tendency that for some time had been threatening British supremacy in the whole North-West. Dominion Day, on July 1st, was celebrated in Manitoba with a loyalty and enthusiastic heartiness that was a strong proof of the rapidity with which the province was becoming Canadianized. Rapid communication with the Dominion capital was an essential part of the new connection of the west with Canada. From Ottawa the authority for a thousand things must be at once transmissible. Governor Archibald, arriving in September, 1870, was within a few weeks urging the construc- tion of a telegraph line to Pembina. In November, 1871, the communica- tion was established, and though the rate was $3.05 for ten words, yet it took away the homesickness of incoming Canadians to know that with a flash they could hear speedily from home and friends. True, running as it did through the unoccupied plains of Dakota, the telegraph line was at times out of order, but the local press suggested as a consolation that “if we did not know the happenings of the outside world, neither did they know what was going on on the banks of the Red river.” It was by means of immigration that Manitoba was to receive the population necessary to develop her latent resources and inhabit her fer- tile prairies. It is easy to understand that her isolated position because of lack of railroad communication during the first ten years retarded greatly the influx of settlers to this country, although the same period was one of rapid settlement and expansion for the more favored American ter- ritories to the south. Nevertheless the wonderful fertility of the Red River country attracted thousands of settlers during these years. Some of the aspects of pioneering to this region are thus described by Alexander Begg: “On April 26, 1871, the first batch of immigrants arrived in Winnipeg. They left their homes in Ontario four weeks previously, traveling by rail to St. Cloud, Minnesota, from thence by waggons to Fort Abercrombie on the Red river, and thence by flat boat to Winnipeg. The party consisted of eight men, and they came to Manitoba with the intentionFort Garry, North Gate, Still Standing. Fort Garry (Winter Scene), East Side, 1871. X Where Scott was Shot.■ ■HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 179 of taking up homesteads. At Abercrombie they bought lumber and built a flat boat in advanee of the opening of navigation, and, having victualled their craft, waited impatiently for the breaking up of the ice. Immedi- ately that open water appeared, they launched their scow and floated down stream with the running ice, having difficulty with the jams which were encountered from time to time, and often having to cut a channel with their axes. They camped on the river bank every night, sometimes in a snowbank, sometimes in wet and mud, often soaked with rain or half frozen with the sharp north wind. As to the fare en route, it was excellent. Besides what they had provided, they caught fish and shot ducks and prairie chickens, which they saw in great numbers. The trip cost them about sixty dollars each, but on their arrival at Winnipeg they sold their flat boat for lumber at $70 per thousand.” Continuing, Mr. Begg in his “ History of the North-West,” says: “With the opening of navigation, a steady stream of immigrants began to pour into the new province, by steamer, flat boat and waggon. Many drove in their own farm waggons all the way from their eastern homes, but the majority came by rail and boat, bringing their live stock, farming implements, household effects and lumber for the prairie ‘shack’ with them. Soon the limited accommodations of the Winnipeg hotels and board- ing houses was taxed to overflowing, and the prairie became dotted with the tents of the newcomers, a canvas town appearing to spring up like magic, and intermixed were modern structures, flimsy in character and decidedly bizarre in architectural design, but affording shelter withal, knocked up in marvellously quick time. In August the rush had become so great that it was found necessary to provide quarters for a few of the immigrants who were not so well equipped as the majority, and an immigrant shed was opened in a building at the rear of Bannatyne and Begg’s store, in which several families were domesticated while the husbands and fathers were away land hunting. The advance guard of immigrants, coming by way of the United States, experienced considerable delay, and annoyance, as well as expense, from the then existing customs regulations. The United States government was finally induced to make such relaxations of the bonding regulations as greatly facilitated the free transit of settlers’ stock and effects between points in eastern Canada and Manitoba.180 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. “Settlement was gradually extended westward, and by midsummer of 1872 considerable progress bad been made in the Portage la Prairie dis- trict and in southwestern Manitoba. In June, 1873, a delegation of Men- nonites visited the province to inform themselves of its resources and the advantages it afforded to their brethren in Russia, who were anxious to secure homes in some desirable agricultural country where they would be exempted from military service, such service being contrary to their religi- ous convictions. They were in charge of Mr. William Hespeler, commis- sioner of Russian immigration, and Mr. Jacob T. Shantz, a Russian farmer. The visit was fruitful of good results to the North-West, for shortly afterward some thousands of Mennonites arrived in Manitoba and established settlements which are at the present day among the richest and most prosperous in the province.” A careful enumeration taken in Winnipeg in October, 1872, showed the total population to be 1,467. The town was growing rapidly. But there was no municipal law; no way of building streets or pavements; no adequate fire protection; no water system; no drainage; no regulation of street surveys; no proper school facilities. In addition, there were rival interests of the most decided kind, arising from there being four nuclei of settlement, viz.: 1. Fort Garry. 2. Winnipeg. 3. Point Douglas. 4. St. John’s. All these points were quite willing to have possession of the “golden milestone” around which the future circles of trade should revolve. Fort Garry had old custom and wealth in its favor; Winnipeg village was headquarters of the “Canadian party”; Point Douglas repre- sented a number of active speculators who knew well how to keep their interests before the people; St. John’s was an old ecclesiastical centre, around which much sentiment gathered. Under these conditions agitation for the incorporation of a city at the forks of the Red and Assiniboine gathered strength and vehemence with every month. On New Year’s day, 1872, Mr. Alexander Begg issued the first number of his Trade Review, which was originated and conducted especially to present the cause of Winnipeg as against the rival districts. Newspaper discussion was supplemented by mass meetings, and for over a year incorporation was one of the live questions among the many affairsHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 181 of public interest. The climax came with the meeting of the legislature in February, 1873. Rough treatment was accorded the bill for incorporation that was presented. Attempts were made to substitute the names “Garry,” “Selkirk,” and “Assiniboine” instead of Winnipeg. Provisions essential to the financial administration of the proposed municipality were stricken out or changed, and the bill was otherwise mutilated. Public resentment was so aroused that the speaker of the house, who had made an adverse ruling on the bill, was decoyed from his home and subjected to brutal treatment at the hands of unknown parties. This shameful act diverted for the time public attention from the incorporation bill, and the legislature was prorogued without anything definite having been accomplished. But the agitation was • continued by press and public discussion throughout the summer, and on November 4th the legislature was assembled for the purpose of dealing with the incorporation bill. Four days after- ward the bill was passed and the royal assent given. Thus on November 8, 1873, Winnipeg became a city. From first to last Winnipeg has been in name and in truth the capital of Manitoba. It is now as formerly the gateway between the eastern and western provinces, and every railway train across the Dominion must pass through this central city. In the early days Winnipeg was the distributing centre for immigrants as well as all merchandise and supplies, and the growth of its population kept pace with the growth of the surrounding ■country. The first year after incorporation nearly a thousand new build- ings were erected, and the population had reached five thousand. Trade increased, municipal improvement was the order of the day, and everything was planned on a broad scale. The Mennonite leaders who had spied out the land for their oppressed brethren now arrived from across the seas and sought locations on the Manitoban prairies. Consul William Hespeler, still in Winnipeg, was instrumental in bringing out these Germans, who, with their quaint cos- tumes, rugged speech, and cautious manners, were objects of much interest. They were well provided with money, and their spending made an appre- ciable difference in the trade of the city.182 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. This feeling of interest in foreigners was further drawn out by the arrival of the first instalment of Icelanders, who came down the Red river in the steamer International. There were in this first company 285 souls. They were smart looking, intelligent and excellent people. They passed through Winnipeg to their reserve at Gimli on Lake Winnipeg. This tide of immigration had changed the conditions of Winnipeg by the middle of the seventies. Several years before that time, the arrival of a new merchant or lawyer or settler becoming known, the news ran like wild- fire down the settlement. Through the parishes on the river bank it was said that the news was carried faster than a horse could run. But in a city with a population of five thousand this was now impossible. No tally of arrivals could be kept. Public opinion began to change, and old combina- tions to break up. New issues arose. A new western type of Canadian man began to develop. Despite the inconveniences, expense and hardships that attended immigration to the province during the decade of the seventies, and although many persons intending to settle in the Manitoba country were enticed, while eu route, to seek homes in the territory of the United States, there was a remarkable increase of population during this period; indeed, it is said to have doubled between 1871 and 1878. Alex. Begg, in his history, enumerates the many new centres of settlement to the west, naming Burnside, Westbourne, Gladstone, Grand Valley, Rapid City, Brandon Hills, Big Plains, Bird Tail Creek, Turtle Mountain, Fort Ellice, Touch- wood Hills, Carlton, Prince Albert, Battleford and Edmonton. “In the southwest, ’ ’ he continues, ‘ ‘ the Boyne River, Rock Lake, Pembina Mountain and other settlements had sprung into existence, and nearer Winnipeg, Rockwood, Springfield, Sunnyside, Lorette, Rat River, Rosseau, Plympton, Cook’s Creek, Woodlands, Balmoral, St. Laurent, and a number of others. At the close of 1879 farm houses and cultivated fields were in sight all along the main road for two hundred and fifty miles west of Winnipeg.” Along with the demand for ‘ ‘ better terms, ’ ’ which was kept constantly to the fore from the creation of the province until the early eighties, the people of Manitoba agitated the Dominion authorities for extension of boundaries. The matter was never allowed to rest, and the persistencyHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 183 which obtained from the general government many other important con- cessions was finally crowned with success in this. As previously stated, the 96th and the 99th meridians were designated as the respective eastern and western limits of the original Manitoba, while its extent north and south was but a degree and a half of latitude. By a Dominion Act passed in March, 1881, the boundaries were extended and defined practically as they exist at this day. On account of its technical delineation, it was found that the western boundary was an irregular line, as may be seen by a reference to a map of the province. The legislature of 1882 sought to remedy this by having the 102nd meridian constituted the western boundary, as also that on the north the 60th parallel should form the boundary, so as to contain an outlet on Hudson Bay. These requests were not granted, however. The boundary line on the east, between Manitoba and Ontario, was long a burning question. The question arose as to whether the line should run north or south near Port Arthur (i.e., the line north from the conflu- ence of the Ohio and Mississippi), or, on the other hand, somewhat near Rat Portage {i.e., from the northwest angle of the Lake of the Woods). In 1872, shortly after the acquisition by Canada of the North-West Terri- tories, this matter of boundary was pressed upon the attention of the Governor-General. From a reference, which was made to three arbitrators, a decision was given which Ontario refused to accept, it being the award of arbitrators and not a judicial decision. Again and again the Dominion government urged upon the Ontario government one plan or another to settle the dispute. All was without avail. Ontario either ignored or refused every such suggestion. The result of the delay was highly amusing. The people of Rat Port- age had voted in the elections for both provinces and for two constituencies in the Dominion elections. The people of this “border land” became high minded in being so earnestly sought for by both parties. They gave their hand to both. In 1882 Manitoba had incorporated the town of Rat Portage, and it had a magistrate, a police force and a jail; and the Dominion commissioner backed up the prairie province. In July, 1883, Ontario asserted its rights.184 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Two commissionors were sent to take evidence as to conflicting land claims. A stipendiary magistrate for Rat Portage was also appointed, a court house and jail were provided, and a staff of constables were at hand to enforce the legal decisions made. All timber cut outside the railway belt would be, it was announced, seized by the Ontario officials. The situation was decidedly a difficult one. There were threats of violence, the jail was set on fire, arrests were made by both sides and the Dominion forces and the Ontario officers held themselves in opposite camps. At length when both parties became ashamed of themselves a conference was held in Toronto between Attorney-General Miller, of Manitoba, and Premier Mowat, of Ontario. This led to a provisional arrangement to avoid the public scandal which had been proceeding, and also to an agree- ment to submit a judicial case to the privy council. The question was afterward settled in favor of Ontario.CHAPTER XXII. THE BOOM (1879-1882). With the coining of the railway the flood-gates of migration were opened and the human stream of settlers soon overflowed, the Red River country and spread far out on the prairies. The rush swelled to great proportions even in 1879, and that year was noted as the most remarkable for immigration that Manitoba had seen. The fever for Manitoba—Mani- tobaphobia, as a writer styled it—took possession of many localities in Ontario. Especially the counties of Huron, Bruce, Grey and Wellington sent many of their families to the west, and these proved to be the very best settlers Manitoba ever received. They were chiefly farmers, knowing agri- culture and able to adapt their methods of farming to the new conditions. Many localities of Manitoba were greatly injured by the settlement of broken-down merchants, mechanics and “remittance men,” who while estimable in character were unable, in the beginning at least to farm suc- cessfully. The Hudson’s Bay Company at this time placed a quantity of their lands on the market, and offered new tempting inducements to settlers. Also Messrs. Greenway, Prittie and other enterprising leaders did much to introduce to Manitoba many of the very best of her settlers. With each succeeding month the movement toward Manitoba gained impetus. The people who formerly dropped in by ones and twos now came in a crowd. The current of immigration once established in this direction needed no artificial propulsion to continue with increasing force. We are reminded as we look upon this rush of immigrants that the human race is gregarious. Like all gregarious animals men follow the leader of the herd. If the leader is blind all fall into the ditch. Hence come the mistakes of immigration. In 1872, when the garden of Manitoba— the fertile Portage plains—was open for settlement, the early settlers despised the plains which had not wood and water, crossed over them, and settled down among the willows in Palestine on the White Mud river. In the middle seventies, settlers went in from Emerson, disregarding the high plains on which the Mennonites afterward settled in Morden district, aiming at the woodlands and oak groves of Pembina mountains, only to be.186 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. envious ever afterwards of the “foreigner” in his possessions. One of the penalties of the pioneer is that he has to make the mistakes which his successors are then able to avoid. Immigration is also very fitful. In one year the cry is Edmonton; in another Dauphin; soon after Saskatoon, even after the gold fields of the Yukon or the apple orchards of British Columbia have lost their glamor. There is no natural means of accounting for this fitfulness except that the leader of the crowd in the shape of a government agent, land company, or influential newspaper, gives the cry and the multitude follows. One thing is patent, however. Once start the stream of immigration flowing, and it flows on by its own weight and gains increased momentum. We have almost forgotten the men who, with infinite pains and hard- ships, opened up the way for the immigrant, mapped out his lands, pointed out trails, and gave accurate information as to the nature, capa- bilities and prospects of any district or locality. These were the surveyors or engineers. Winnipeg was their headquarters. Here the surveyors out- fitted and thence found their way over the pathless districts, with their bands of young athletic fellows, full of the spirit of curiosity and adventure. The system of survey was simple, merely cutting up the country in multitudinous blocks or townships six miles square, and then subdividing these again into smaller portions or sections one mile square. But then accurate description notes were required, which were plotted out on maps during the short days of winter. The surveying parties were a useful—an absolutely necessary—prelude to the arrival of the settler who came seeking land. There was great activity at this time in Winnipeg and elsewhere in Manitoba in bringing together the agricultural products of the country— the grains, fruits, vegetables and root products—for exhibition. A happy thought had led the provincial government in 1879 to send an exhibit of Manitoba products to the eastern provinces, and in 1880 Mr. Alexander Begg, the old-time merchant, editor, novelist and historian, was enlisted in this service as exhibitioner. Through the eastern provinces, going from exhibition to exhibition, as reported in a New Brunswick paper, a greatHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 187 impression was made. In one case, on entering the building, “Welcome to Manitoba Hall” met the eye. On the right appeared “Manitoba the Bull’s Eye of the Dominion,” and on the left of the eastern wall were seen “We want willing hands to work our fertile soil,” and “We want manufactures and you want our grain.” The eastern newspapers were replete with eulogies of the Prairie Province, and no doubt much interest was aroused in the minds of those looking westward. Now began, as the railway service improved, an influx of all classes, attracted by the fame and fertility of the prairies. Presidents of banks, agents of loan companies, land speculators, newspaper correspondents, wealthy farmers and their sons, came to make enquiries, drove over all parts of the prairie, in some cases actually to make investments, but in most eases to return to the eastern provinces with the story “that not one-half had been told them” of the great possibilities of Manitoba. The work of missionaries and leaders of the various churches all lay in preparing for the coming flow of population to the west. Church journals were full of the story of the golden wheat fields of the west, and reports of the country and its possibilities formed the subject matter of each mission report and appeal for missionary aid sent to the east. The reputation for agitation and public protest gained by the west in the ten years’ history of Manitoba had now become established. The people of Manitoba have never been a turbulent people, but they have kept their wants before their Canadian mother with a persistence and tact which have been quite wonderful. Accordingly the Ottawa government, as well as the governing bodies of the several churches in the east, became familiar with the temper and intensity of the people, so that Canada’s greatest statesman of the time said: “You cannot check Manitoba.” The railway agitation brought up Sir Charles Tupper, the minister of railways. Sir Charles is not a man to be trifled , with. He is a man of great force of character and great determination. But when he came to Winnipeg he was met by such a persistent and thoroughly organized public opinion that he simply could not mould it, and was compelled to give way.188 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Sir Charles accordingly always liked Winnipeg. He became a strong advo- cate of the west, and his influence led to the bringing up on railway con- struction many of his own Nova Scotian friends who became valuable citizens. The great public works carried on, especially the Canadian Pacific Railway, had much to do in introducing to the west many of the most energetic and reliable of the men who made Manitoba. But surveyors, exhibitors, investors and visitors, and even government officials did not at this time accomplish nearly so much for the west as the men who set themselves to organize, especially in western Ontario, parties of settlers to go to some particular part of the country. It was by these agents that the rush of 1880 was largely brought about. In the year 1880 there was especially high water in Manitoba. While this was a drawback, so far as it meant muddy roads, which were the terror of the early days, yet it opened up a route hitherto unused by way of the Assiniboine of getting settlers at their destination in the better farming lands of the country. Settlers were taken three hundred miles west of Winnipeg in two or three days, where weeks would have been consumed by using the ‘ ‘ prairie schooner, ’ ’ as the covered waggon of the immigrant was called. The Alpha with an attendant barge ran on the route up the Assiniboine to Fort Ellice, as did also the Marquette. A new ferry—McMicken’s—was launched for increasing the facilities for immigrants crossing the Red river with their effects from St. Boniface. The completion of arrangements for through trains of immigrants by the Grand Trunk Railway and other lines having connections through the western states now made colonizing a special business. Messrs. Prittie, Patterson, Taylor and ex-Premier Greenway now organized parties and brought them through Chicago and St. Paul to the land of promise. They were subject to many interruptions, however. Every means was adopted to seduce immigrants to Manitoba to drop off and take up land in Minnesota and Dakota. Dreadful stories were told along the way of prairie fires, floods (the old floods of 1826 and 1851 were recalled and discoursed on), mosquitoes, Indians, alkali lands, families frozen to death in winter, fever, mud, starvation, and all other “ills which flesh is heir to,” as being especial features of Manitoba. At times these discouraging influences were directedHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 189 successfully, for every gathering of human beings has its quota of unstable and cowardly souls. But despite all checks and hindrances the “boom” progressed. Before describing the culmination of this abnormal phase of Manitoba history, it will be well to review the causes that promoted it. 1. Canada, so early as 1850, needed more room for its people. It was at that date essentially a farming country. Glengarry, Lanark and the eastern counties of Upper Canada began to send out their young men to Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota to seek for farms. Nova Scotians sought homes in Boston and the eastern States. The twenty years following the date mentioned witnessed the same process of emigration to the open lands of the United States in different parts of the western peninsula of Ontario. Jean Baptiste from Quebec was attracted by the richer life and increased opportunity given by manufacturing in the eastern States. William Mac- dougall and George Brown in Upper Canada with George Cartier and others in Lower Canada began to look toward Rupert’s Land with its fertile acres, and this even before confederation, which took place in 1867. Confederation gave new life and hope to Canada. The acquisition of the North-West then became its settled policy. By a troubled and bloody pathway, as we have seen, Manitoba came into existence and many millions of acres of the most fertile land in the world were open to land-hungry Canadians. 2. Though the way was long and desolate, thousands of Canadians sought the North-West. Huron, Bruce and Grey, the newest counties of Ontario, had just reached the “hiving time,” having been the last part of Ontario—the “Queen’s Bush”—to be settled. The people came to Mani- toba. For four hundred miles through Minnesota there was no railway, so they took to the emigrant’s covered waggon—the aforesaid prairie schooner—and crossed the plains to Manitoba. 3. Then came, after all its delays and hindrances, the railway from St. Paul to Winnipeg. Burrows, Prittie, Greenway, Taylor and others helped on the movement by picturing to their old friends the west, and bringing in parties of settlers, while Begg and others in the visiting caravan at agricultural fairs showed the exuberance of prairie growth to crowds of190 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. farmers in the eastern provinces. The newspapers of Winnipeg went everywhere throughout Canada and gave information. 4. The wise statesmanship of Canadian rulers aimed at opening up through Canadian territory a route of our own. Mackenzie’s scheme of “water stretches,” though a failure, was an honest attempt to make an all- Canadian route. The broader statesmanship of Sir John Macdonald and Sir Charles Tupper evolved the Canadian Pacific Railway. But the achieve- ment of this work was long in doubt. It was when the successful accomp- lishment of the work through the terrible Laurentian rocks between Winni- peg and Rat Portage became a visibility that the case was won, and Canada knew that half a dozen more years would connect Winnipeg with Ottawa by the iron band. 5. The successful raising of wheat and its export was already seen, and cattle by tens of thousands on the plains could certainly live where the buffalo had roamed. 6. The confidence in the future of his city by the Winnipeg citizen has been and is a curious product. He never becomes discouraged. He is a chimerical optimist. He saw grasshopper plagues, frozen wheat fields, river floods, impassable thoroughfares, financial hopelessness, stormy winters, political neglect at Ottawa, but he never wavered. His confidence was truly sublime. These potential causes in co-operation with the skilful and energetic real estate agent launched the boom. It centred, naturally, at Winnipeg, but was by no means confined to the capital city. It was a Manitoba boom as well as a Winnipeg boom. The frenzy seized Brandon and Portage la Prairie. Farm lands doubled and tripled in value. Men were as eager to stake out the bare prairies into town sites, as in the very similar gold rushes they stake out claims to fancied mineral wealth. Pervasive of all classes of people and all parts of the province, it was a noisy, novel, notable whirl of the most absorbing business excitement. It was even known and felt in all Canada and in London and New York. Rich men rose like Jonah’s gourd in a single night. One day they were pensioners on for- tune, the next day Croesuses, and soon afterwards not only penniless but plunged under hopeless obligations.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 191 Speaking of the boom time in Winnipeg, a press correspondent says: “The last time I was here, about the time the Canadian Pacific completed its line from the east and began building the branch roads which have made Winnipeg a railroad centre, Winnipeg was the scene of the wildest speculation. City lots were selling at higher prices than in Chicago or New York; auctions were held every night on the street corners and real estate changed hands like railway shares on the stock market. The greater part of the townsite was tossed about in that way, and the expectations of the ‘future metropolis of Canada,’ as they used to call it, and as they call it yet, were so great that business property on the main street was selling at a higher price per front foot than on Michigan avenue in Chicago. ’ ’ Another visitor to Winnipeg gives us a pen picture of the city at this time: “Winnipeg has 45 hotels and 300 boarding houses, and I defy any man twice out of five times to strike a night’s lodging. But you need not be surprised when you see the way the immigrants are pouring in. I got a very good room at a good hotel, but if I want to go up to it at ten o’clock in the evenings I have to step over the sleeping forms in the halls and on the stairs. In the wood box, under the billiard tables, everywhere, you will find them, and yet there have only arrived three or four immigrant trains and there are seven more stuck in a snowbank near Chicago. I hope for my own convenience they will remain there two or three weeks.” The early part of the winter of 1881-82 saw the boom at its height. The tide had continued to rise during the month of November. December cold had no effect upon it. It was of too steady and determined a growth to be checked. Money flowed in especially from the cities of Ontario. Men talked in thousands and ten thousands in place of the hundreds of a few months before. It was reported that a man in Ontario sent $80 to a real estate man to invest in Winnipeg property. It was decided that the only message that could be sent to the Ontario man would be “that the only piece of Winnipeg property he could get for that money would be a secluded corner of the cemetery.” The enormous rise in values made larger sums of money necessary to make even a deposit on lands purchased, and out of this need grew the syndicate. Men joined themselves in large companies to “handle” larger blocks of land, and, as they supposed, to obtain larger profits. ,192 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Such announcements as the following were common in the newspapers of the time: “Yesterday a syndicate composed of A. T. McNabb, Angus Monroe, Joseph Woodworth, James J. Mulhall, John Taylor and John Graham purchased thirty-six acres in lot 6, parish of St. John’s, from William Murdoch, the price paid being twelve hundred dollars per acre.” A few days later appeared the following item: ‘ ‘ Heavy purchases of land have been made on Main and Broadway streets by a strong syndicate com- posed of men largely from the London district in Ontario, viz.: E. McColl, George Casey, M.P., V. H. Coyne, T. W. Kirkpatrick, Dr. Eccles, C. 0. Ermatinger, J. McGregor, J. Fisher, J. W. Scott, J. A. Halsted, W. M. Garshore, J. N. Lee and J. P. Martyn. The value of the property pur- chased by them amounts to $250,000, and the lands are in the immediate neighborhood of the large hotel which is to be constructed at once. ’ ’ Companies were formed such as “the Ottawa and North-West Land Co.,” as also “The Toronto, Manitoba and North-West Co.,” to carry on land business in Winnipeg. A number of local men combined to make up syndicates and the head of a syndicate became a distinguished personage to be written about, if not celebrated in poetic strains, on the same plane as John Law, of the celebrated “South Sea Bubble,” or the Barney Barnato of later exploiter fame. The influence of the syndicate was, of course, bad. It removed a sense of responsibility from men. Natural caution was over- come by the sense of strength in co-operation, and the individual and his conscience too were merged in the soulless company. To quote a descriptive paragraph of the time: “The real estate boom in this city is rolling on with irresistible impetuosity, and prices of lots not only in the central part of the city, but in the suburban districts are going up into the clouds. Real estate agents are as plentiful as mosquitoes in fly time, and all seem to be making no end of money. Staid and steady- going citizens, who are not given to speculation, have found themselves unable to resist the seductive prospects of ‘turning an honest penny’ and are being drawn into the vortex by dozens. Clerks, mechanics, capitalists, all are busy selling and heaping up treasure. The daily transactions amount to hundreds of thousands, and there seems to be no cessation. Men without a dollar one week find themselves the masters of thousands the next.Ranch in North-western Manitoba. Fort Carry (Winter Scene) River Gate.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 193 There seems to be no limit to the capital that is pouring into the country, and the demand for real estate is probably without a parallel in any city of Canada. Great and small pieces of land change hands daily, and each succeeding transaction sends the price booming upward. The harvest is a rich one and the reapers are plenty and industrious. This is a great city.” There seemed no limit to the possibilities. No doubt there was much deception. Even some of the reported sales were probably shams. Truth was frequently at a discount. But there was something of the element of the Arabian Nights entertainments about the whole movement. Such stories as the following were not uncommon: “About five years before the boom a well-known citizen purchased five acres outside the limits of the city for a suit of clothes. The property so acquired he patented in his wife’s name, thinking, it is supposed, that the land was of little value. The lucky lady sold the five acres at this time for $1,250, and her pur- chaser would not accept twice that sum for his bargain.” This selling of property outside the city and far away from the pos- sibility of becoming very much more valuable than farm lands, was one of the elements that brought disaster to the speculative movement in the end. • While there might be some possibility of advance in such places as Brandon and Portage la Prairie, which were being boomed at the same time; yet for smaller towns, such as Crystal City, Pilot Mound, Stonewall, Morris and the like, there was certainly no ground for extravagant expectations. But when we mention Nelsonville, Pomeroy, Mountain City, Norfolk, Moberly and others, which were placed on the Winnipeg market with most gilded prospects, we see the hollowness of the movement. To-day they are deader than Troy or Sardis. These towns of the olden time did exist; but the boom towns named were never anywhere except upon the town plan. Several miles out from Rapid City might be seen years after the boom the stakes of the town lots of a town site, whose name even does not seem to have survived. In January, 1882, there began to be signs of a want of confidence. Then the dealers put on a “ spurt. ’ ’ They advertised heavily, reported great sales, and endeavored to keep up the excitement by purely artificial means. Of 13194 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. all the men who threw themselves into the flood to stem the receding tide of the boom, the most remarkable was Auctioneer Coolican. He was eloquent, aggressive, unscrupulous, and by advertising his sales without regard to the commonplace things called facts undertook to “stampede”— to use the language of the plains—the Winnipeg community. But now the end was to come. The feeling coming from the nervous speculators in the eastern pro- vinces, in Toronto, London and other centres, had ever since New Year’s been growing more uncertain. Despite all the efforts of the local operators confidence slowly diminished. The more timid became very anxious to sell out. When April came the break-up of the river soon followed and it began to be feared that there would be high water. On April 14, it was announced by the press: “Coolican leaves to-day for St. Paul, where he proposes to dispose of lots in the vicinity of the four corners to the inhabitants of the saintly city.” The going of Coolican was ominous. Then a few days later the citizens saw the Broadway bridge swept away by the ice gorge in the river, and the old-timers told the new-comers that this was the highest waters known in years and that there might be a repetition of the flood of 1852. With this continued danger to the city and its prospects, the heart completely left the speculator and the real estate agent. On the 12th of April happened an event which before the close of the month brought the close of the boom. This was the desperate attempt to save the situation by bringing on new land attractions to tempt the people to invest. The great advertisement was thus worded:— “Edmonton At Last Situated at the Head of Navigation On the North Saskatchewan River. In the centre of the richest Gold, Coal, Timber, Mineral and Wheat pro- ducing regions in America. Etc., etc.”HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 195 For eight days the flaming advertisement continued. Then it disap- peared, having accomplished nothing. Edmonton was the last straw! Every device had failed, and the boom broke. Coolican announced on May 15: “The boom has returned.’ But he was mistaken. By the summer of 1882 the boom had gone. Month by month the out- look became darker, until in the following winter, despite the advertising merchants, and the still hopeful auctioneers, and the persistent boomsters, the admission was generally made that “business was decidedly quiet.” The real trouble did not immediately fall on the people, but it was plainly staring them in the face. Men had withdrawn money from their legitimate business to speculate in lands. The lands now fell as no one could have imagined they would do. Properties dropped in value to one-third the amount of the mortgages upon them. The mortgagor was held by his covenants. Owners could not extricate themselves. There was naturally little demand, consequently there were few sales. Forced sales gave no relief. Mortgage sales filled the advertising columns of the newspapers, nightly sales of bankrupt stock were taking place, and legitimate trade was disturbed by the slaughtering caused by business failures. A good story is told which illustrates how land had become a drug on the market: A gentleman who owed, some money succeeded in arranging a settlement by which he agreed, among other assets, to transfer to his credi- tor one city lot. In making out the deed of transfer he put in twice as much land as he had agreed to give, and when the lawyer called his attention to it he turned pale and whispered: “For heaven’s sake don’t say a word, I didn’t think anyone would notice it. ’ ’ The financial condition of many of the best men in the city was either shaken or destroyed. As an example, a liberal subscription of $11,000 to Manitoba College building, given by men thoroughly solvent before the boom, was almost completely blotted out. Men who had lived in the winter of 1881-2 in a dream of Oriental magnificence, now dwelt in the winter of 1882-3 in the sad valley of humiliation. The boom was over. Financial failure and desolation was on every hand. Business character had been weakened by the most vicious of influences —reckless speculation. The collapse of the artificial structure had been196 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. inevitable—it was also best from the standpoint of the future. As a destructive fire oftentimes proves a blessing to a growing city, so this business cataclysm laid waste the mushroom-like growth and cleared the ground for the real builders of a permanent prosperity. When the real wealth of the country began to be developed and speculation subsided, the people of Manitoba had a solid foundation on which to build. Since then, on a rational business basis, Winnipeg and the smaller towns, and the country districts as well, have reached a degree of solid prosperity of which the fictitious values of the boom days were but a faint prophecy.CHAPTER XXIII. EARLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION IN MANITOBA. The Steamboat. It is not possible to write comprehensively the history of any country, without considering its means of communication and transportation. That “transportation is the key to population” is true of every part of the world, but especially in America has the influx of population and the development of the country followed the lines of communication. It would be an easy matter to mention cities that originated and grew to greatness because of a fortunate position with reference to the currents of travel and commerce—such as a fine harbor, a navigable river, the meeting point of several highways of traffic. Canada was enabled at an early day to pour her wealth into the world’s markets because of splendid water communication. The fur traders of Montreal, the French voyageurs followed the arteries provided by nature and discovered our inland lakes and rivers—the greatest system of water- ways in the world. So, too, the Hudson’s Bay Company, ascending the Nelson and Churchill rivers, reached the interior and threaded the mazes of Rupert’s Land. The fur trade was absolutely dependent on the river communication of British North America. Red River settlement, the predecessor of the Province of Manitoba, was largely dependent on the Red river as the avenue by which the outside world might be communicated with, by which the accessions to its population reached their destination, and by which supplies of all kinds came from the home country. It was many years that the people of Red River relied on the uncertain methods of river transportation and the still more costly freight service furnished by the creaking Red River carts. These means of transportation form a picturesque and essential part of early Manitoba history. A description of them will also preface the more important story of the railroads. The first steamer to run on Red river was the “Anson Northrup.” She was the pioneer—the Columbus of the new Red River world—and198 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. her history is interesting. In 1858 two Americans, Messrs. Irvine and Blakely, of Minnesota, with their teams, tents and provisions crossed the state to the Red river to decide whether the river was practicable for steam- boats. They reported to the St. Paul chamber of commerce that for four or five months of the year it was navigable from well up toward the source of the river down to Fort Garry. The council of commerce offered one thousand dollars to any one who would build a steamboat on Red river. Captain Anson Northrup offered, if the council would give him two thousand dollars, to build a boat in the spring of 1859. The money was promised. The captain owned a steamer in Gull Lake, Minnesota. She was called the North Star, and was already a historic boat, as her machinery had been in the Governor Ramsey; the first steamboat that ever plied on the Mississippi above the falls of St. Anthony, at Minneapolis. Two fron- tiersmen, Baldwin Olmstead and Lewis Stone, combined their resources and took the machinery, furniture and cabin—the boiler alone weighing eleven thousand pounds—upon sleds, employing thirty-four horses, twenty- six oxen and thirty men; and started in the middle of one of the coldest winters to cross the prairie without road or inhabitants for two hundred miles. They succeeded. It was a great engineering exploit. T. H. Morse, master builder, and J. B. Young, engineer, built the hull, placed her machinery, and the Anson Northrup was launched on May 19, 1859. On June 3rd the pioneer steamship of Red. river started on her first trip to Fort Garry. Blakely, one of the promoters, immediately placed a four-horse stage on the route from St. Paul, via St. Cloud and Fort Abercrombie, to con- nect with the new steamer on Red river. On his arrival at Red River, Blakely found the steamer laid up at Fort Abercrombie, after her return from Fort Garry. He had to build a flat boat to carry Sir Francis Sykes’ hunting party and two Scottish ladies, whom he had contracted to conduct safely from St. Paul to Fort Garry. In his absence from St. Paul his part- ner, Mr. J. C. Burbank, had bought the Anson Northrup from its owners— and so Blakely and a friend, Captain Bell, journeyed down the river on a visit to Fort Garry, “ to make acquaintance,” as he says, “with the inter- esting people of Fort Garry. ’ ’HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 199 About the same time as the machinery of the Anson Northrup was being placed on Red river, Captain J. B. Davis and Mr. E. D. Robinson bought the steamer Freighter, a Mississippi boat, and started up the Minnesota river, intending to pass through Big Stone Lake, over the port- age of Lake Traverse, and so down the Red river, which flows from that lake. An accident, however, occurred to the vessel on Big Stone Lake, during the winter of 1860-61. In consequence of this she was deserted, and her works were dragged along the banks of the Red river down to the Hudson’s Bay Company post at Georgetown. The Messrs. Burbank here built the large steamer International, a stern-wheeler, flat-bottomed vessel of the Mississippi model, which long remained the largest of the Red river fleet—indeed she was rather too large for the shallows and rapids and serpentine turnings of the Red river. The International began her career in 1862, running down to Fort Garry. Until 1864 the Red River trade was carried on by the Anson North- rup and the International, when the boats were sold to Mr. N. W. Kittson —which, no doubt, meant the Hudson’s Bay Company. Norman W. Kittson was the chief factor in the Red river steamboat history of those years. A Canadian by birth, he had come to Fort Garry and settled in St. Boniface, marrying into the respected family of Marions. He was a free trader, as the independent fur traders were called. In the course of time he returned to St. Paul, and, as we have said, managed the two steamers, which well preserved the monopoly of the company. When it served the purpose of the company, the Anson Northrup was laid aside, and the International for some time continued to run down Red river several trips a year, but to carry only Hudson’s Bay Company freight. It will thus be seen that the Chinese wall of exclusion was still (1864-1870) being kept up, and that the settlers and importers of Red River were still compelled to use the “ox” or “pony” cart for more than ten years after the appearance of the Anson Northrup, which had promised deliverance when she made her advent. The Kittson line thus became the representa- tive of a transport monopoly. It was a trust or combine of the early Red river days. Kittson was the commodore.200 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Finally a new factor in steamboating, and also transportation by land, appeared in tbe person of James J. Hill. “Jim” Hill, as he has been familiarly called for more than thirty years, is a Canadian who came to the west without friends or means. He is to-day the magnate of the Great Northern Railroad, and often called an empire-builder because of what he has done to develop the North-West. His great projects and schemes of finance have made his reputation world-wide. In the year 1871 he took a hand in Red river transportation, and there was surely room in the oppres- sive rates being charged. He built a new steamboat on Red river. The name of the new steamer of Hill, Griggs and Co., was the Selkirk. She was smaller than the International, and more suited to the draught of the river and the frequent rapids. A writer of the time, speaking of her first trip to Winnipeg on April 29, 1871, says: “She was loaded to her hurricane deck with freight and a few passengers.” Even the rates of the Selkirk were extortionate. It is said that her first cargo almost paid the whole cost of her construction. As the new steamer was said to be a protest against the International of the old monopoly, she landed her freight not opposite Fort Garry, but at the foot of the present Lombard street, where Bannatyne and Begg had erected a warehouse to receive her goods. Notwithstanding their success the owners of the Selkirk determined to secure all the river traffic to themselves. Finding out that the International was a British bottom, belonging to the Hudson’s Bay Company, they invoked the United States government and had her stopped. This was regarded as a piece of sharp practice, since the International had been running without objection for nine years. This action lost the Selkirk and its owners all sympathy on the part of the people, who turned back to give their patronage to the Hudson’s Bay Company. The matter of papers was adjusted by Mr. Kittson, who was now an American citizen, assuming the ownership of the International. While the Selkirk had reaped a rich harvest from her first trip, yet her trade fell off completely. Hill, Griggs and Co. were compelled to sell out to Kittson, and the old monopoly came back now under Commodore Kittson, with the Selkirk, the International and the Dakota.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 201 For years the Selkirk kept her place of following down the ice as it went out of Red river—was always “the first boat.” During the winter time everything in the shops of Winnipeg had been eaten if eatable—or pur- chased if of any use. The shops were as lean in spring as bruin coming out of his lair. A writer of the time says that the invariable reply of the shop- keeper to a would-be purchaser’s want was: “We are out of the article just now, but call around in a few weeks, it will be here by the first boat. ’ ’ A competitor of the steamboat soon arrived in the shape of the flat- boat. “At this time,” to quote a description of the period, “the banks of the river, opposite the city, usually presented a lively appearance during the summer months, on account of the numerous flat-boatmen who carried on a trade with the housekeepers and others of the town. Indeed, the river had a very celestial appearance from the fact of the number of floating stores, which, Chinese-like, did business at the levee, and to such an extent was this system carried on that the merchants complained seriously.” The merchants regarded with jealousy the wandering traders. To the com- munity it appeared otherwise. Undoubtedly the competition kept the traders and merchants in check. The opinions of the merchants reacted to some extent on the steamboat company, which was a loser by the flat-boat- men, and consequently they were kept in check too. The weight of the Kittson carrying trade monopoly did not become any more pleasant to bear. A number of Winnipeg merchants formed a company and subscribed stock to originate a rival company. To accomplish their purpose they were compelled to form a company of American citizens in order that the bonding laws of the United States might be conformed to. James Douglas, a Canadian who had become an American citizen, was manager of the company, living between Moorhead and Winnipeg. Two beautiful steamers—their hulls having been brought from Cincinnati— were built in Moorhead, the machinery being made in Minneapolis. The capital was $50,000, and was chiefly subscribed in Winnipeg. The vessels were named the Manitoba and the Minnesota. The steamer Manitoba reached Winnipeg May 21, 1875, with one hundred and two cabin passengers, one hundred and fifty-seven deck pas- sengers, and three hundred and sixty-five tons of freight. A reception was202 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. held aboard the vessel during the evening, and the ladies of Winnipeg pre- sented the captain with a set of colors amid great popular enthusiasm. The vessel then gave her visitors a moonlight excursion. The twin ship, the Minnesota ,arrived at Winnipeg on May 23rd. It was now hoped that the monopoly was broken and commerce would be free. Unfortunately, three weeks later a collision occurred between the Manitoba and the International. The Manitoba was disabled and the new transportation company had only one boat. Many of the public were con- vinced that the International had run into the other vessel intentionally. The new line was really beset within and without by enemies. It had now fallen into financial difficulties. The enterprise, of such great promise, ended in the company selling out to the Kittson line. Alexander Begg, speaking of the matter, says: “A number of the smaller shareholders in the city lost all or nearly all they had, while some of the larger stockholders afterwards received stock in the Kittson line, thus virtually taking a hand in the monopoly which they had previously been crying down for such a length of time. ’ ’ This was the status of river transportation in Manitoba before the advent of the railroad. The Red River Cart. The Hudson’s Bay Company steamboat monopoly would have been destructive of all other mercantile enterprises at Red River had there not been other means of transportation. The merchants supplied their needs in this direction by sending trains of carts to St. Paul or St. Cloud, Minne- sota, to bring in their goods. The requirements of land transportation in this region led to the evolution of a vehicle of such picturesque usefulness that it belongs, in history, alongside of the Mexican carreta, the Rocky Mountain pack-saddle, and the northern dog-sledge. If the Ojibway Indians found the birch-bark canoe and the snowshoe so useful that they assigned their origin to the Manitou, then certainly it was a happy thought when the famous Red River cart was similarly evolved.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 203 These two-wheeled vehicles were entirely of wood, without a scrap of iron in their manufacture. The wheels are large, being five feet in diame- ter, and are three inches thick. The felloes are fastened to one another by tongues of wood, and pressure in revolving keeps them from falling apart. The hubs are thick and very strong. The axles are wood alone, and even the lynch pins are wooden. A light box frame, tightened by wooden pegs, is fastened by the same agency, and poised upon the axle. The price of a cart in Red River of old was two pounds. The harness for the horse which drew the cart was made of roughly tanned ox hide, which was locally known as “ shagganappi. ” The name “shagganappi” has in later years been transferred to the small-sized horse used, which is thus called a “shagganappi pony.” The carts were drawn by single ponies, or in some cases by stalwart oxen. These oxen were harnessed and wore a collar, not the barbarous yoke which the ox has borne from time immemorial. The ox in harness has a swing of majesty as he goes upon his journey. The Indian pony, with a load of four or five hundred pounds in a cart behind him, will go at a measured jog-trot fifty or sixty miles a day. Heavy freighting carts made a journey of about twenty miles a day, the load being about eight hundred pounds. A train of carts of great length was sometimes made to go upon some long expedition, or for protection from the thievish or hostile bands of Indians. A brigade consisted of ten carts, under the charge of three men. Five or six brigades were joined in one train, and this was placed under the charge of a guide, who was vested with much authority. He rode on horse- back forward, marshalling his forces, including the management of the spare horses or oxen, which often amounted to twenty per cent, of the num- ber of those drawing the carts. The stopping places, chosen for good grass and plentiful supply of water, the time of halting, the management of the brigades, and all the details of a considerable camp were under the care of this officer-in-chief. One of the most notable cart trails and freighting roads on the prairies was that from Port Oarry to St. Paul, Minnesota. This was an excellent road, on the west side of the Red river, through Dakota territory for some two hundred miles, and then, by crossing the Red river into Minnesota, the204 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. road led for two hundred and fifty miles down to St. Paul. At the period when the Sioux Indians were in revolt and the massacre of the whites took place in 1862, this route was dangerous, and the road, though not so smooth and not so dry, was followed on the east side of Red river. Every season about three hundred carts, employing one hundred men, departed from Fort Garry to go upon the “trip,” as it was called, to St. Paul, or in later times to St. Cloud, when the railway had reached that place. The visit of this band coming from the north, with their wooden carts, “ shagganappi ” ponies, and harnessed oxen, bringing huge bales of precious furs, awakened great interest in St. Paul. The late J. W. Taylor, who for about a quarter of a century held the position of American consul at Winnipeg, was wont to describe most graphically the advent, as he saw it, of this strange expedition, coming, like a Midianitish caravan in the east, to trade at the central mart. On the Hudson’s Bay Company reserve of five hundred acres around Fort Garry was a wide camping ground for the “trippers” and traders. Day after day was fixed for the departure, but still the traders lingered. After much leave-taking the great train started. It was a sight to be remembered. The gaily-caparisoned horses, the hasty farewells, the hurry of women and children, the multitude of dogs, the balky horses, the sub- duing and harnessing of restless ponies, all made it a picturesque day. The train in motion appealed not only to the eye, but to the ear as well, the wooden axles creaked, and the creaking of a train with every cart contribut- ing its dismal share, could be heard more than a mile away. Following the example of the fur company, the merchants of Winni- peg, as we have said, employed like agencies for transporting their supplies from the railroad points in Minnesota. But even with the Red River cart in the winter and the steamboat in the summer, the merchants were often “out of” the commonest commodities. A writer says: “In 1869 and 1870 we had a mail to and from the east once a week, via Pembina, and to and from the Portage and Stone Fort every Tuesday. This was the extent of our postal accommodation. We had neither stage line, express nor steam- boat running to and from Winnipeg for the purpose of carrying passen-HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 205 gers, and a traveler, therefore, had to depend entirely on his own resources to enable him to eome to and leave Winnipeg.” Under date “Port Oarry, November 18, 1870,” “Notice is hereby given that an application will be made at the first meeting of the legislature of Manitoba for an Act to incorporate a joint stock company for the con- struction of a railway from some point on Lake Manitoba, passing through the town of Winnipeg, and to connect with the nearest of the Minnesotan railways”—but it was eight long years before the bands of steel reached the Red river.CHAPTER XXIV. THE BUILDING OF THE RAILWAYS. After Rome had conquered a nation she made roads to that nation. So she was in easy communication with the remotest parts of her empire, and they with her. For both political and commercial reasons it was neces- sary that Canada should adopt the same policy in binding together her con- federated provinces. In this connection, Mr. Willson, who wrote of Lord Strathcona, says: “Long before the confederation of the North American possessions had become an accomplished fact, a small band of zealous, far- seeing men in Canada had perceived that, bound up with the political question, was a project of infinite commercial and industrial importance, upon which the real prosperity and cohesion of the provinces would surely depend. They had to endure much opposition, and even ridicule, because the work of building so gigantic a railway by a country of only three mil- lion inhabitants seemed preposterous.” Says Sir E. W. Watkin: “It was in 1848, or almost immediately after the completion of the magnificent canal system of Canada proper, that the Canadians discovered' it was necessary, notwithstanding their unrivalled inland navigation, to combine with it an equally good railway communi- cation; and accordingly, in 1849 an Act was passed by the Canadian government pledging a six per cent, guarantee on one-half the cost of all railways made under its provisions. . . With a few and unimportant exceptions, the railway system of Canada cannot be said to have com- menced until after the passing of the Railway Act of 1849, and even then it was not for about a year that any progress was made. Soon after that date, however, the works of several lines were pushed forward. So, whilst in 1852 Canada could only boast of about thirty miles of railway, she has (in 1886) over ten thousand miles.” Between 1850 and 1886 was a long time. Not until the last seven years of that period was the isolation of Manitoba broken down by the arrival of the iron horse. Situated in the heart of the American continent, the only method of reaching its capital city of six thousand people was by a toilsome overland route of hundreds of miles, or by following theHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 207 meanderings of Red river in a stern-wheel steamboat of the Mississippi model. And while the American territories to the south, favored with rail communication, were rapidly expanding through the great tide of immigra- tion, the splendidly fertile Red River valley was practically unattainable. Not that this condition was endured placidly by the people of Manitoba. Public meeting, mass meeting, indignation meeting, delegation to Ottawa, attempt at local railway building, clamors for a bridge, criticism of the slow approach of the Yankee railway, threats of appealing to the foot of the throne, general denunciation of everybody in authority—all had been tried without success. The construction of a transcontinental Canadian railway was imbedded in the plan of provincial confederation. British Columbia entered the Dominion with the express stipulation that the government should secure “the commencement of the construction of a railway from the Pacific towards the Rocky Mountains, and from such point as may be selected east of the Rocky Mountains towards the Pacific to connect the seaboard of British Columbia with the railway system of Canada, and, further, to secure the completion of such railway within ten years from the date of union’’ (1871). The Canadian government was thus pledged to build the national highway. In 1872 Sir John Macdonald gave a charter to the Canadian Pacific Railway, which was a union of two bodies of rivals led by Sir Hugh Allan, of Montreal, and Senator McPherson, of Toronto, respectively. The charge was soon made that American money had been given to the Canadian Pacific bribery fund. This charge overthrew the government of Sir John Macdonald, and led to the formation of the government of Hon. Alexander Mackenzie on November 5, 1873. Having appealed to the country, Macken- zie was sustained by a very large majority. He then undertook the admin- istration of the railway as a national work, and intended to build it grad- ually in sections. The Mackenzie government was cautious, and rather anxious to prove that their opponents, who claimed to be “patriots,” were really “madmen.” The new government also sought to arrange with British Columbia to escape the ten years’ promise. They undertook to give as speedily as pos-208 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. sible a railway from Lake Superior to Manitoba, and a line from St. Boni- face to the boundary to connect with the system of American railways. Meanwhile during the construction of the section from Lake Superior to Red River they sought to utilize the water stretches by which Wolseley had brought his troops from Lake Superior to Winnipeg. Year after year passed, and few links in the great system had been completed. The premier argued that Canada was too poor a country to carry out so great a project within the stipulated time. But every year of delay meant growing impatience on the part of the people whose welfare depended on the highway. Early in 1874 a deputation from Manitoba waited on the premier, to urge the speedy construction of the branch rail- way to Pembina. Mackenzie, however, was unable to see the value of a road that would stop short at Pembina, without any connection with the Ameri- can lines. However, in 1875 the Pembina branch, sixty miles long, on the east side of Red river, was graded. The contractor for this branch was Mr. William Whitehead, an Englishman who in Canada had been engaged in railway construction, and had run the first engine made by Stephenson on the first railway in England. On October 14, 1875, his engineers left Emerson, having located the railway to the boundary. Two weeks later the work stopped at Emerson, and contractor, engineer and workmen all with- drew. Again came a great disappointment for the Red River people. Mr. Mackenzie was ready enough to complete this Pembina branch, but claimed there could be no need for finishing it until the St. Paul and Pacific, the American railway that was proposed as its connection, could be extended to meet the Pembina line. This objection thus stated by the premier is said to have determined Mr. Donald A. Smith to enter with his friends into the purchase and re- invigoration of the St. Paul and Pacific Railway. He had long urged the construction of railroads as the factor of first importance in the develop- ment of the Canadian west, and it was now time for him to enter practi- cally the domain of railway finance and promotion. He saw the oppor- tunity to effect a master stroke in a new department of activity, he realized the vast developments that depended on his success, and with the sameHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 209 resolute energy that marked his career as a fur trader and a statesman he applied himself to the solution of the Manitoba railway problem. The fortunes of the Pembina branch were intimately bound up with the St. Paul and Pacific Railway. This railway was not only essential at the time to Manitoba, but was the foundation of the fortunes of several of our greatest Canadians. So long before as 1857 a grant of land had been passed by the Ameri- can federal government to the territory of Minnesota to assist a railway known as the Minnesota and Pacific, to connect the city of St. Paul with the head waters of the Red river. In the same year a charter was given by the territorial legislature to this company with a capital of five million dollars. For several years obstacle after obstacle prevented the company taking action, one of great magnitude being the Sioux massacre of 1862. In this very year the name assumed by the company was the St. Paul and Pacific, but it was now the era of the great civil war, and all enterprise in the United States was checked. Year by year extension was made of the ten miles first built between St. Paul and Minneapolis, but it was not until 1871 that the railway, having built 217 miles in all, reached a point on the upper Red river called Breckenridge. At this time, without money to pay their laborers, the company had the active opposition of the Northern Pacific Railway, which absorbed all the money available for railway building in the North-West. With such a pro- gressive rival, the great project which had meant so much seemed doomed. Its American manipulators had already hoodwinked their trustful Dutch bondholders in Amsterdam until by 1873 the railway was mortgaged to the highest amount possible. A receiver was appointed, and the court required five millions of dollars to be deposited to finish the remaining fifty-six miles of grading and the 241 miles of ironing still required to complete the construction. Already completely bankrupt, the panic of 1873 seemed to place the final seal of failure on the enterprise. Without a green sprig of hope from the St. Paul and Pacific, with the construction of the Canadian Pacific indefinitely postponed by the overthrow of the Macdonald ministry, Manitoba’s railway prospects were dreary indeed. 14210 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Then it was that a new group of railway builders appeared on the scene. Four men worked the miracle. They were Donald A. Smith, his cousin George Stephen, both Canadianized Scotchmen, James J. Hill and Norman W. Kittson, native born Canadians residing in the United States. The project involved the buying of more than twenty million dollars’ worth of bonds, varying in price from eleven to seventy-five cents on the dollar. On May 23, 1879, the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway Company was formed, with George Stephen, president; James J. Hill, general manager, and Donald A. Smith, chief director. Having obtained possession of the stock, the new company issued eight million dollars of new stock, which was all taken up on the market in New York. In due time the railway was completed to the international boundary, a number of daring Canadians were made millionaires by the successful outcome of the venture, and Manitoba obtained the railroad for which she had so long unsuccessfully struggled. In the meantime, however, Manitoba had obtained a railway within her own territory. Joseph Whitehead had largely completed his contract on the Pembina branch in 1875, although the work was allowed to stand until 1878, when the new conditions enabled the government to resume work on the branch. In this year the contract was finished by the contracting firm of Upper and Willis, who completed the seven miles’ gap south of St. Boniface, and repaired the old grade, somewhat injured by the storms and high water of three years. By making temporary bridges the contractors were able to give the people the use of the railway a year sooner than the contract demanded. On Tuesday, November 3,1878, the great opening day had come. About nine o’clock the train started from St. Boniface to carry a special party, invited by the contractors, to witness the “driving of the last spike,” a few miles north of the boundary line near Emerson. Among the Manitobans present were: Senator Sutherland, James H. Rowan, Consul Taylor, G. B. Spencer, A. G. B. Bannatyne, Capt. Scott, W. H. Lyon, T. Nixon, G. Brown, Alex. Logan, Thomas Howard, D. W. Stobart, G. S. MeTavish, W. F. Allo- way, J. F. Bain, S. Blanchard, A. F. Eden, Jacob Smith, J. S. McGuire,HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 211 C. N. Bell. The train officers were: F. Hayward, conductor; 0. D. Vana- man, engineer, J. Donavan, fireman. The train consisted of a locomotive, three flat cars and a caboose. It was a new sensation for men such as Messrs. Bannatyne, Logan and McTavish, who had gone in the York boats in summer and the dog train in winter, who had journeyed overland on the Red River cart, and after- wards in the Blakely stages or the Red river steamboat, now to rush over their well-known prairies at a speed before unthought of, and to see the outlook in the future which all this betokened. The sight of an Indian’s wigwam prompted a describer of the scene to say that “the wigwam beside the railway was simply another seal set upon his now hopeless life, another mark of the red man’s disappearance before the white.” At noon the train arrived at the Roseau river, where Dominion City now stands, and at the small station of Penza, half way between the Roseau river and the boundary line, the place of the ceremonial was reached. One hundred and twenty-five yards of track had been left unlaid to show the visi- tors how speedily and expertly this part of railway work is done. Contractor Willis stood precisely half way in the gap, and gave the order to the work- men to proceed. The two gangs worked with might and main, hut the north- erners had the better of it, though the men from the south also claimed the victory. The gap was now closed, and the rails were cut to their proper length, and all was ready for the function. The ladies of the party were asked to drive the spike. All took a turn and the rails were well and truly laid. The train now ran hack to the camp, ten miles north of the Roseau river, where a bountiful spread was partaken of, and the health of the Queen, the president of the United States, and the contractors, was drunk, the last being fitly proposed by Consul Taylor. This train carried the first consignment of freight from Winnipeg to Dominion City. The new era of affairs was ushered in by the railroad. It made pos- sible a journey from Ontario to Winnipeg in three days, even in mid- winter, whereas only a few years before the distance could not have been covered in less than double as many weeks. From its previous isolation, * Manitoba was bound by steel rails with the rest of the continent. The212 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. building of the railroad chronicled another event in the process by which the world is coming to be all of a piece. Once every little community could live by itself, could make its own clothes, waggons, tools and all the articles necessary for its existence. With the coming of railroad, telegraph, tele- phone, etc., closer relations were established, and communities and states have become dependent on each other. The Pembina branch was a local road. It was a tap root reaching through the rich Red River valley, and intended to pour its transported wealth into the great trunk line between the east and the west. It was nearly seven years after the celebration just described before the great national highway system became complete, involving in the meantime a change of government and a reorganization of the financial affairs of the railway. The Canadian Pacific Railway, as it to-day extends from the tide water of the Atlantic to the shores of the Pacific, was not built originally as one organic road; its units were gradually pieced together, and the sys- tem developed rather than was constructed according to plan. It is, to quote a description written in the eighties, ‘ ‘ a mixture of the new and the old. The first section, from Quebec to Montreal, is an old friend, the North Shore Railway, once possessed by the Grand Trunk Company, and sold back to the Canadian government for the purposes of extending the Pacific route to tidewater at Quebec and making one management throughout. From Montreal to Ottawa, and beyond, is another section of older-made line. The piece from Port Arthur to Winnipeg is an older railway, made by the Canadian government. Again, on the Pacific there is the British Columbia Government Railway. All the rest, round the head of Lake Superior up to Port Arthur, from Winnipeg across the great prairies to Calgary, and one to and across the Rocky Mountains, the crossing of the Selkirk and other Columbian ranges, is new railway—with works daring and wonderful.” The Mackenzie government was defeated in October, 1878. The result of its cautious railroad policy was that not two hundred miles had been laid down of a road which was intended to comprise thousands. This fact did much to discredit the Liberal party with the people, and at the generalHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 213 elections Sir John Macdonald and his Conservative supporters went into power by a large majority. Railroad building under government auspices had proved neither effective nor rapid. The new government was unable to induce capital to undertake the immense project, and progress under its own efforts was slow. The power and resources that had transformed the old St. Paul and Pacific from a line of rust into a well equipped and profit-earning railroad were now turned to the succor of the Canadian Pacific. Mr. Donald Smith, who had returned to his old allegiance with the Macdonald government, and his associates formed, in the summer of 1880, “the syndicate.” When Parliament assembled in the following December, its tenders for the com- pletion of the Canadian Pacific were laid before the House of Commons. The contract finally approved between the government and the syndicate contained the following essential provisions: The railway from Montreal to Port Moody to be completed by 1891; the syndicate was to receive $25,000,000 and 25,000,000 acres of land, in blocks alternating with govern- ment blocks, along the railway. A provision deserving of mention because of its prominence in later railway history of Manitoba, was that no com- peting line should be built in the North-West south of the Canadian Pacific and connecting with the American lines for a space of twenty years. Immediately “the syndicate,” meaning thereby the combination of Montreal capitalists who were going to complete the Canadian Pacific, became the Subject of daily discussion through the west. There was a wide- spread fear that this combination would become dangerous to the political liberties of the country, that the syndicate promoters would secure privi- leges that would make them immensely wealthy, and that they would be an “octopus” to fasten themselves upon the farming community in oppressing it. How exaggerated this feeling was is seen in the fact that a leading journal spoke of the “Syndicate Horror.” Some color was given to this fear by the action of the Dominion government in withdrawing large por- tions of the future railway belt from settlement, in their reducing the size of the homestead to eighty acres, and in the tendency to favor capitalists and speculators at the expense of the settler.214 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. There can be no doubt that this period was very unfortunate so far as immigration was concerned. There was a large immigration, it is true, but land restrictions drove tens of thousands of Canadians to the open lands of Dakota. Thirty thousand native-born Canadians settled in solid counties south of the boundary line in North Dakota, and so much of the best blood of Canada was taken from our body politic. It is true on the other hand that the syndicate, now the Canadian Pacific Railway, was the only hope for the settlement of the Canadian west. They were not responsible for the land regulations. They were patriotic Canadians. They have worked hard for Canada, they have maintained a splendid service from ocean to ocean, and Canadian prosperity has been inseparable from the success of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The eyes of Canada were now on the Canadian Pacific as its steel rails were rapidly laid across the continent. Population moved apace with its progress, towns sprang up where only a short while before the buffalo had grazed, and many a neglected region was brought into the prominence that its fertility deserved. Winnipeg was the centre of operations. The iron band was gradually being thrust from Winnipeg eastward through the rocks to Lake Superior, and also from this point the line was being extended to the west. The status of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1881 is graphically illustrated by a time card that was issued on June 13th of that year. At that date the Canadian Pacific western lines were practically confined to Manitoba. From reference to a map of the system which was pictured on a freight tariff that also went into effect June 13, 1881, it appears that Port- age la Prairie was the western terminus, Rat Portage the eastern, and com- munication with the outside world was obtained by way of Emerson, where connection was made with the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad. In those early days of the history of the province, the main line west was situated somewhat north of the present line, and the time card shows the names of towns which are seldom heard at the present day. There was a daily service south and west, and east as far as Cross Lake, from which point to Rat Portage a bi-weekly service was run. The running time of this early service cannot be pointed to with any degree of pride as com-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 215 pared with the present-day schedule of the system, which is now one of the greatest in the world. The fifty-five and a half mile run to Portage la Prairie was made in five hours and forty minutes, with a stop at Poplar Heights for refreshments, giving the actual running rate of a fraction over ten miles an hour. Immigration increased with the building of the railroad, and, of course, its direction depended much upon the proposed route of the rail- way. By August, 1881, we have seen that the line was in operatipn to Portage la Prairie. The surveyed route which for years had been regarded as the future direction of the Canadian Pacific Railway ran northwestward from Portage la Prairie. It had been the line of settlement for thousands of settlers who had preceded the railway and made improvements on the land. Old timers, such as Archbishop Tache, were in the habit of calling this route, which ran almost directly toward the junction of the North and South Saskatchewan rivers, and thence up the North Saskatchewan to Edmonton, “the fertile belt.” Notwithstanding that it was a great disappointment and loss to the settlers who had for ten years been settling along the old projected line, with startling suddenness the railway company changed its route, turned directly west instead of northwest, crossed the Assiniboine river at Brandon, where there was not a house yet built, and pushed westward. It was claimed that the route was shorter; it has never been claimed that it was better than the old line through the fertile belt. An interesting event, indicative of the * , power of the railroad over the development of communities, was the great sale of Brandon lots conducted in the city of Winnipeg soon after the change in the line was announced. Even before the Canadian Pacific was completed from end to end, the provision which we have referred to as excluding any competing line from building a road within a certain number of miles of the international boundary, had aroused a rankling feeling of injustice and opposition to the great national highway. Manitoba, it was declared, did not receive justice. To the people the restriction seemed tyrannical. In Ontario the Great Western Railway connected eastward across the Niagara river and216 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. westward across the Detroit into the United States. Why should this not be in Manitoba? Accordingly, in 1881, the local legislature gave an Act of incorporation to the South Eastern Railway. The Dominion government in January, 1883, disallowed this Act and all Manitoba was angry. The three reasons given for disallowance were disputed. These were (1) the Dominion had legally the power; (2) it was right to do so; (3) the former government of Hon. Alex. Mackenzie had disallowed Acts. The people were unwilling to admit that the policy of the Dominion government in making the Cana- dian Pacific Railway the only line to approach the boundary was binding on Manitoba, and in a few months the movement of opposition became widespread. The Manitoba Home Rights Provincial League issued a protest among other things against the federal veto of provincial railway charters. The Farmers’ Protective and Co-operative Union was formed, and at a fiery Farmers’ Convention held in Winnipeg it was resolved “that the province should insist upon the right of the local government to charter railways anywhere in Manitoba free from any interference.” The Disallowance Act led to a long controversy, and finally caused the over- throw of the Norquay government. Under the energetic direction of Mr. (now Sir) William C. Van Horne, who had charge of the actual construction of the road, the Cana- dian Pacific was rushed to completion. On November 7, 1885, more than five years before the time designated by the contract for the completion of the work, the bond between ocean and ocean was united, and at a remote spot in British Columbia the driving of the last spike celebrated to the world the consummation of a stupendous enterprise. A special train bore to the west Donald A. Smith; Sanford Fleming, the great engineer; William Van Horne, president; Major Rogers, the celebrated discoverer of Rogers Pass over the Selkirks; J. M. Egan, the energetic superintendent; and Superintendent Haney, of British Colum- bia. The connection was made, Donald A. Smith drove the last spike, and the west hound train ran over the junction. From “Last Spike Office,” Craigellachie, via Eagle, British Columbia, the news was wired to theHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 217 world. The Queen sent a message of congratulation, and Canada became a united Dominion. Upon the building of the Canadian Pacific, to quote the words of another writer, ‘ ‘ depended the entire western expansion of Canada and her access to the commerce of the lands and peoples beyond the waters of the Pacific.” It was the first trunk line to cross Manitoba. As the pioneer railway, its influence in developing the province can hardly be overstated. It gave an outlet for the products of a fertile country, it encouraged immi- gration, it gave access to new regions beyond the restricted limits of the Red river, it stimulated industry and growth on every hand. These very results, following so rapidly the building of the pioneer railway, made necessary and offered attractive advantages to other railways. The Canadian Pacific was the first in the field, and retained that position for several years. But beginning in the late eighties, a remarkable activity in railroad building set in, and now from the great central city of Winni- peg one may count a dozen radiating lines that network and traverse prac- tically all the available portions of the province. Nor has the activity ceased, and it is now promised that in a few years Canada will have three transcontinental trunk lines instead of one-. Each one crosses the Pro- vince of Manitoba and in doing so confers additional benefits of transpor- tation and development. But there was a struggle before Manitoba was permitted to benefit from other railways than the Canadian Pacific. The Dominion government per- sisted in refusing to allow any railway to be built from Winnipeg to the boundary, being bound by its contract to the Canadian Pacific to veto any such project. The result was a deadlock between the Dominion and the province. It was a question of provincial against federal rights. The people of Manitoba pushed on their representatives to assert what they claimed as a provincial right. Premier Norquay, at the head of the provincial government in 1888, was unable to resist this pressure. The local government was compelled—illegal from the Dominion government standpoint though it was—to carry out the will, and, law or no law, to build the Red River Valley Railway, running on the west side of the Red river to West Lynn and to connect with the Northern Pacific at Pembina.218 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. The position of Premier Norquay was that of being placed between two fires. To disobey Sir John Macdonald, his political chief at Ottawa, seemed like political suicide, but the “vox populi” compelled him to build the local railway, even though he could get no secure right of way. During the summer of 1887 Ryan and Haney, under direction of the Norquay government, built a portion of the railway, but there was no money to pay them for the work they had done. The city of Winnipeg was really the only body in Manitoba that had any credit, and the city of Winnipeg was anxious to have the railway. In his extremity Premier Norquay made a new contract with other contractors to finish the railway, and appealed to the representatives of the city of Winnipeg to purchase three hundred thousand dollars of their bonds. His government transferred 256,000 acres of their lands to this company, and this has been always, even in late years, a fruitful subject of dispute. The city hesitated. The winter, it was said, was come, and there was no need till spring for any bargain. But the railway contractors were in straits and were calling on the government for their pay. The difficulties of Premier Norquay increased. He was being followed by the opposition with the greatest fury. They asserted at one time that he was not true to the province and would betray it; they asserted at another time that he had not the confidence of the Ottawa government and was useless. A caucus of the premier’s party in the local legislature was held, and Mr. Norquay resigned. Dr. Harrison then became premier, with Hon. Dr. Wilson and Hon. C. E. Hamilton as colleagues, and undertook this high responsibility which, as we shall see, lasted only a few days. The legislature met on January 11, 1888. The defeated ministry was still at the helm, but the caucus of their supporters had been held and it was agreed that they should resign, and that the governor should be requested to call on Mr. Oreenway to form a ministry. Premier Greenway undertook to form the new ministry, and announced the successful completion of his task on January 25, 1888. He became commissioner of agriculture and immigration. Hon. Joseph Martin was attorney-general and railway com- missioner; Hon. James Smart, commissioner of public works; Hon. Lyman M. Jones, provincial treasurer; and Hon. James P. Prendergast, provincialHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 219 secretary. On going before their constituencies, the new ministers were all returned, two of them by acclamation and the other three by large majorities. On reassembling on March 1st, the house adjourned to allow a depu- tation of the new government to visit Ottawa to confer with the Dominion government in regard to the disallowance. Messrs. Greenway and Martin knew the odds against which they fought, but even a strong government and a powerful railway corporation did not deter them, for they felt that a united province stood behind them. The negotiations began rather doubt- fully,' but soon looked more roseate. Lord Lansdowne, it was understood, brought great pressure on Sir John Macdonald for settlement, and it was stated that a letter from Lord Salisbury had been received at Ottawa declaring that the Imperial govern- ment was in favor of the contention of Manitoba. Premier Greenway’s state document was clear and determined. There could be no compromise. Sir Donald A. Smith and Sir George Stephen, on behalf of the Canadian Pacific Railway, had frequent interviews with the authorities. The Manitoba delegates had been promised a conference on March 19th, being delayed for the return of Manager Van Horne from the west. But the manager’s train ran through Ottawa to Montreal almost without stop- ping. Annoyed at the delay, and anxious to return to Winnipeg to meet the house which was awaiting them, Messrs. Greenway and Martin left Ottawa for Toronto, intending to go on to Winnipeg. The Dominion government was surprised at this show of decision. On the 20th Sir John telegraphed for the delegates to return to Ottawa, and promised that the monopoly question would be settled. Ottawa was in a fever. In the lobbies and hotels nothing was talked of but the determined stand Manitoba had taken, and the question debated was what price the Dominion would pay the Canadian Pacific to forego their claim. Canadian Pacific stock immediately rose two points, as the prospects of settlement grew better. An agreement was reached. The Dominion government had agreed to guarantee a loan of $15,000,000 to the Canadian Pacific Railway for waiving their rights.220 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. On March 30th the delegates started for home. Premier Greenway bore with him a document from the Dominion government by which it bound itself to remove the monopoly clause in the Canadian Pacific Rail- way charter. There were no conditions in the matter, and the whole North- West was included in the settlement. The next phase of the railway question was one which arose out of the necessity for the Portage branch of the Northern Pacific Railway crossing the Canadian Pacific Railway at the distance of two or three miles from Winnipeg. The Canadian Pacific maintained that no provincial railway charter could permit a crossing to be made over their lines built under a Dominion charter. The public mind in its excited state regarded this.as but another form of the disallowance contention which had agitated the province for years. Violence was openly advocated to compel a crossing over the Canadian Pacific Railway southwestern branch. The Northern Pacific, which now owned the Red River Valley line, seemed likely to cross by force the Canadian Pacific Railway line. Mr. William Whyte, who was respected by all and who sought to preserve the peace, blocked the way by throwing a dead engine or two in the ditches where the crossing was to be made. Besides this, early in November (1888) some of the Canadian Pacific Railway workmen from the shops were sent to defend the spot, which, after their superintendent, was called “Fort Whyte.” One morning, when feeling was very high, the Northern Pacific train with some hundreds of persons, led by Attorney-General Martin, went out, it was believed, to remove the obstacles and compel a crossing. Both parties stood gazing at each other, and during the night sat around the camp fires, silently contemplating one another. Fortunately, violence on either side was prevented. For a time the attempt to cross was given up, and the battle trans- ferred to the more peaceful and effectual arbitrament of the courts. The case was presented to the railway committee at Ottawa. The railway committee submitted the question to the supreme court of Canada. Edward Blake was retained by the Canadian Pacific Railway to present the case of the railway, and Hon. Oliver Mowat was secured by Manitoba to support its contention.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 221 On December 22,1888, the supreme court at Ottawa took up the matter and decided that the statute of Manitoba is valid and effectual to enable the Red River Valley Railway to cross the Canadian Pacific Railway, the rail- way committee first approving of the place and mode of crossing and first giving their directions in the matter. Universal satisfaction was expressed in Manitoba over this decision, and this was re-echoed by the newspapers of all shades of opinion throughout the Dominion. The restrictions were removed, and railway building in Manitoba could henceforth proceed without check. Another great railway entered the field of Manitoba to compete with the Canadian Pacific Railway. The fierce fight of the province on disal- lowance of railway charters was won by the province. In 1888 the Northern Pacific Railway acquired the Red River Valley Railway over which the battle royal had taken place. This gave the Northern Pacific an entrance to Winnipeg. During the rule of the Greenway government a much needed railway running northwest from Winnipeg entered the fertile 'Lake Dauphin region. This, with the backing of the government, was under- taken by two rising Canadian capitalists, William Mackenzie and D. D. Mann, of Toronto and Winnipeg. Not satisfied with this achievement Mackenzie and Mann undertook to push through a railway from Winnipeg to Port Arthur on Lake Superior. This was done with the aid of heavy subsidies from the Dominion and the Province of Ontario. This line projected and in part constructed was now called the “Canadian Northern Railway.” Under heavy guarantees from the Roblin government the Canadian Northern Railway acquired the Northern Pacific line in Manitoba, and all its provincial branches. Much discussion took place over the bargain, but the prosperity and development of the Canadian west has made the guarantee no more than a theoretical obligation to the province. During recent years the Canadian Northern Railway has with substantial aid from the Dominion government carried its main line west through Saskatchewan and Alberta, and has now a com- pleted trunk line connecting Port Arthur and Edmonton and passing through Winnipeg. With the eastern connections of the enterprising firm of Mackenzie & Mann, and the many branches now in Manitoba, the dream222 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. is now dazzling Canadian eyes of the Canadian Northern becoming a second transcontinental railway. In the autumn of 1902 another gigantic project was given to the world by Mr. Hays, the Canadian head of the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada. This was nothing less than a transcontinental railway from tide water at Moncton on the Atlantic Ocean to a point near Port Simpson on the Pacific. This overwhelming scheme is now in process of development, and is largely surveyed and under construction, especially in western Canada. The Act requires that the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway shall pass through Win- nipeg, and while it is to run in an almost straight line, and to be built with the lowest grades, it will have numerous branches to Port Arthur, Brandon and other points. It is expected to be finished by the end of the first decade of the twentieth century.CHAPTER XXV. AGRICULTURE AND FARMING. More than a hundred years ago, Lord Selkirk wrote to the imperial secretary of state as follows: “At the western extremity of Canada, upon the waters which fall into Lake Winnipeg, and, meeting in the great river at Fort Nelson, discharge themselves into Hudson’s Bay, is a country which the Indians and traders represent as fertile and of a climate far more temperate than the shores of the Atlantic under the same parallel and not more severe than that of Germany or Poland. Here, therefore, the colonists may with a moderate exertion of industry be certain of a comfortable subsistence, and they may also raise some valuable objects for exportation. Some of the British traders have extended their discoveries into a climate which appears well adapted even for the vine!’’ The forecast of Lord Selkirk was slowly realized as his settlers in ten or fifteen years took up homes in this land, as they met many hardships, developed agricultural features in this land, saw their stone “quearns” superseded by the windmills which ground their wheat into flour, and proved the land one unequalled for the growth of wheat, for mammoth vegetables and for all manner of flowers and for many fruits. Only the Chinese wall of fur traders’ exclusiveness and the remote- ness of the Red River settlement kept the home-seekers and bread winners of the world away from this rural paradise. With the opening up of the land and the formation of Manitoba came the era of the farmer. The early Selkirk settlers had put in wheat with a hoe, and the curious Indians looking on laughed at them, calling them by the French term in derision “les jardinieres”—the gardeners or hucksters. The time has now come when the farmer is the magnate of Manitoba—and is regarded as a reversion to Adam—the first gentleman—who was a tiller of the soil. Up to the time of the formation of Manitoba in 1870 all the settlement was along the rivers in farms narrow and long, so that the settlers might live close to one another on the river banks for mutual help and protection. It was deemed impossible to live out on the open plain. Why? Simply because no one had tried it.224 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. On the occupation of Rupert’s Land by Canada the first thought was the survey of the fertile prairie lands, and even before the transfer was effected to Canada, surveyors were sent to parcel out the land. The plan adopted was to divide up the land on the same model as had been done in the United States, and these lands were thrown open to all settlers willing to take the oath of allegiance to the British Crown. The following is a plan of a Township. IN Entry. Each square contains 640 acres; each quarter-section contains 160 acres. A section contains 640 acres and forms one mile square. Government lands open for homestead (that is for free settlement) — section Nos. 2, 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36. Canadian Pacific lands for sale—section Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 31, 33, 35. Section Nos. 1, 9, 13, 21, 25, 33, along the main line, Winnipeg to Moose Jaw, can be purchased from Canada Northwest Land Company. School sections—section Nos. 11 and 29 are reserved by government for school purposes. Hudson’s Bay Company’s land for sale—Sections Nos. 8 and 26. Any even-numbered section of Dominion land in Manitoba or the North-West Territories, excepting 8 and 26, which has not been homesteaded,Threshing from the Stook near Portage la Prairie. Fraser’s Lake and Farm, Emerson.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 225 reserved to provide wood lots for settlers, or for other purposes, may be homesteaded upon by any person who is the sole head of a family, or any male over 18 years of age, to the extent of one-quarter section of 160 acres, more or less. Thousands and tens of thousands of farmers wended their way west- ward with horses and cattle and farm implements and supplies, usually taking up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, and buying at one dollar an acre the adjacent one hundred and sixty acres. With $500 a farmer might begin farming in a strong-handed fashion. Coming with his belongings in spring he entered on his farm of prairie land, which had been lying thus for centuries and was virgin soil. The soil was a black alluvium covered with a dense and matted sod and producing the most nutritious grasses and plants fitted for cattle and horses. The first duty of the settler was to erect a shanty or “shack,” sometimes of logs, from the neighboring bluffs of poplar trees, sometimes in later times of pine lumber purchased at the railway station, but at times, especially in the far west, to build a sod house. Knowing that he must improve each shining hour the settler at once began “to break up” the soil. With horses or oxen he used the sharp pointed plough suited for the work and turned over a broad but thin sod, four inches thick, and for several weeks early and late kept at this till he had twenty, fifty or more acres turned over waiting the rotting process caused by rain and sunshine. When some months had gone the “break- ing” needed to be “back-set,” i.e., turned over again and now harrowed. With the action of snow and ice of winter and the rains and sunshine of spring the farmer with his machinery, or if poor, by the old hard method of hand-sowing, scattered over the ground the golden wheat and harrowed or drilled it in to sprout and then catch the rains of June, when it rushed up. Such has been the career of tens of thousands of Manitoba farmers. Their lot was hard, their work was hard, their times were hard, but they had hope in the future. They have now reaped success. 15226 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Such were and are the beginnings of farming life in Manitoba and western Canada. No life is all sunshine, Certainly the life of the prairie farmer was not all sunshine. Farmer though he might be, he was not accustomed to the ways of the prairie. Frequently his horses being imported and not accustomed to the water on the prairies, took ill and died. Frequently his “bronchos,” as the wild horses of the west were called, proved unmanage- able, or what was worse, strayed away and could not be found again. The first year of the pioneer was almost invariably unfortunate, because he did not understand the country. The flocks of blackbirds have been known to destroy his crop completely. Hordes of grasshoppers in the early days devoured his hard-worked fields. Early frosts seem especially likely to fall upon the first settlers till the land is cultivated. But now, as in all ages, “labor conquers all things.” From the very start of his new career the pioneer settler must pur- chase the beginnings of his herd. Over these plains had galloped vast herds of buffaloes, and had lived both summer and winter on the rich grasses of the prairie. This was the proof of its fitness for rearing cattle and horses. The wise farmer always began his herd immediately upon arrival on his new farm. The wide prairies were theirs all the summer, and a few days of cutting of grass in the treeless swamps supplied sufficient hay for the coming winter. While in parts of Manitoba this pioneer experience is still to be seen, yet the province as a whole has reached another stage. Manitoba is now the home of the skilled agriculturalist and the successful farmer. The log house of the pioneer has given place to the comely, well-furnished, wooden dwelling or the substantial brick mansion of the man who twenty-five years or less ago came west bearing little but his household goods and is to-day in easy circumstances. There is probably no country in the world where the poor man who is shrewd and industrious may so soon gain a competence as in Manitoba. Two departments of farming are to be seen side by side in Manitoba. While the terms are differently used, the one we may call agricultural—the cultureHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 227 of the fields, chiefly comprising the growth of the cereals. For this the open plains are more particularly adapted. The other is called mixed farming, combining with a more moderate amount of wheat raising, the growth of what is technically called “stock,” with which is also in many eases united dairying. For the great treeless plains of western Manitoba wheat growing is the favorite; for the more wooded portions of the province mixed farming is more suitable. When wheat, oats or barley culture is followed, the farmer works very hard for two periods in the year, April and May, the first, Sep- tember and October, the second. His winter is a time of comparative rest. His large farm unfenced and protected by the “herd law” falls back in winter to its pristine desolation. His golden wheat fields when all goes well bring in wonderful returns. The use of modern machinery has taken away much of the drudgery of farming. He is driven to the expense of procuring this by the scarcity of labor. For the springtime the “sulky” plough, though somewhat luxuri- ous, the improved harrow, and the handy seeder, which distributes the seed far more equally than the most practised hand-sower, all these make one man as good as five under the old order of things. With these the first dry fields are sown, and time is seized by the forelock, the farmer remem- bering that the vagaries of a northern climate must be kept in mind. When in August the spring wheat ripens, again haste is required and the farmer with his self-binder, and such help as can be obtained from eastern harves- ters or foreign labor, cuts down in an incredibly short time his fields, of one hundred acres, such size being very common, or two or four hundred, which are not uncommon, and in some cases a section (640 acres) or a sec- tion and a half. The threshing machine is then, running at full speed, engaged in threshing the grain. The large machines will accomplish two thousand bushels a day. The steady going farmer will stack his wheat, and wait with peace of mind for the thresher, the more adventurous will thresh directly from the stock, and if within three miles of the elevator in the town, will with a collection of some twelve or fifteen waggons, take the golden grain directly from the thresher, by which it has been weighed, to228 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. the elevator in the town and thus by one handling, consign it to the care of the railway. The long rows of elevators at all Manitoba railway stations, while not aesthetically desirable, yet speak of this—the greatest industry of Manitoba. Even in this department, however, the wide area of western Canada has varieties of agriculture. The amount of rainfall varying as it does, being greater in Manitoba and diminishing as points farther west are reached, leads in the farther west portion of Manitoba to the introduction more thoroughly of a system of summer fallowing. It is marvellous by keeping a loose layer of soil on the field by harrowing and cultivating, and thus destroying weeds, how the loose layer acts as a non-conductor and keeps the moisture below it in the earth. The scenes of farm life with which we are familiar in England or the eastern provinces of Canada are also reproduced in the more wooded por- tions of Manitoba. The farm house with its barns and stables—called “byres” in Manitoba —speak of rural comfort and rustic delight. The barnyard with the patient cows driven home from the pasture, the swine—Yorkshire and Tamworths— in their enclosure, the fleecy sheep as they respond to the well disposed intentions of the collie dog, the poultry—the turkeys, geese, ducks and hens —sources of profit as well as adding domestic interest, with the improved horses that would have caught the eye of a Landseer, are all here and occupy the care of the farmer and his wife, as well as of the boys and girls of the home. This is idyllic. This is something worthy of the Georgies of Virgil or his Bucolics. This is real farming. This is labor united with the interest of animal life, with pets for the children of the home, with a tend- ency to cultivate the social virtues, a thing which never can be secured on the broad wheat farm. Here, the work, while not so laborious, is equally distributed over the whole year. Through the intervention of government establishing “creameries” and factories, the principle of co-operation is employed, by which butter and cheese are manufactured more scientifically and more successfully than otherwise. The cold storage system introduced by the Canadian govern-HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 229 ment has shown a department in which the using of centralized authority has already made Canada celebrated in the markets of the world. The needs of the animals of the farm leads to the use of the growth of vegetables and the development of the farmer’s garden. For sheep, cattle, swine and horses, the product of roots is valuable. No soil or country in the world can excel Manitoba in the production of the beet and mangel- wurtzel, carrot or turnip. No place else can produce greater or better potatoes. The exuberance of vegetable growth is marvellous. The growth of trees in Manitoba is receiving great attention. By government assistance and inspiration millions of forest trees, elms, maples, and poplars, are being planted in belts for shelter and ornament.* The garden and orchard are becoming objects of greater attention. In the gardens the currant, gooseberry, raspberry and strawberry are grown plentifully. The growth of apples, plums and cherries has been a matter of greatest difficulty. This has been partly through ignorance, partly through neglect. That excellent apples have been grown successfully by different persons in different parts of the province, by methods of judicious shelter, proves that by domesticating proper varieties, as has been done in Minne- sota, the apple, plum and cherry will become common enough in the Mani- toba of the future. The words of a writer of Northern Wisconsin apply to Manitoba: “The selection of varieties and the procuring of hardy, adapted and acclimated trees, with good care, will produce the guarantee of success. Remember this northwest is a vigorous country and must be supplied by trees and varieties of its own section of the country. ’ ’ The increase of the area of cultivation in Manitoba, the planting of large blocks of trees, and the building of cities, towns and villages in the country, are seen, as in all other parts of America, to result in a modifi- cation of the climate. This secures a more equable distribution of the rain- fall and a diminution of the periods of drought more or less incident to a purely prairie country. Thus by modifying the winds there is prevented a too rapid melting of the snow, a too hasty drainage of the broad stretches of the plains into the rivers, and a too rapid evaporation of the moisture of the land.230 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In addition to agriculture proper and mixed farming, a species of farming somewhat different from both, known as “ranching” is largely- followed in the Canadian west, and to some extent in more lonely parts of Manitoba. This breeding and care of cattle, horses and sheep, requires large areas of waste land. On the fertile prairie it can only be carried on until the prairie settler needs the land, when, like the beaver, the “rancher” is compelled to flee before the advance of civilization. Since the earliest times in Manitoba, large herds of horses have lived on the plains finding shelter in the bluffs of wood in the winter. Cattle can thus be wintered if they have the company of horses to break the snow- ♦ crusts to enable them to reach the dried grass under the snow. Sheep ranching is largely confined to the far west. The development of Manitoba from the pioneer stage of agriculture and farming to that of a settled and prosperous country is producing new questions for the solution of agriculturists. Wherever the country settles up more closely the trail and the influence of the untidy, careless and shiftless farmer is found in every department of the provincial condition. The importation of bad seed, the constant use on the same ground of the same seed which deteriorates, the introduction by the railways of the seeds of new and dangerous weeds, the neglect of careless farmers to eradicate weeds, or of the municipal authorities to cut down weeds on the highways, all these tend to make farming less profitable. No less than eleven hurtful mustards are now found in Manitoba fields where there was only one on the formation of the Province of Manitoba. The Canada thistle and the French weed (Thlaspi arvense) have already rendered farming difficult in the old Selkirk settlement. Here again government intervention is the only hope. In late years on the suggestion of the railway companies a train provided and run by the railways, supplied with capable speakers and experts in various depart- ments of agriculture—in what is called the “Grain Special”—have during the winter covered the whole country, stopping at every grain-growing point, meeting with great gatherings of farmers, and giving scientific information on “seed germination” and thus enabling farmers to get rid of the grain diseases and weed pests that are becoming such a seriousAssiniboine Park. Winnipeg. Cattle Farm, Southern Manitoba.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 231 menace to grain production through western Canada. At these meetings grain samples are produced, object lessons given on good and bad seed, and the results of experiments on grain grown told. Much important literature is also disturbed. The increase of wheat growing in the Cana- dian west is shown by the following table of grain inspection in Winnipeg, and the increase of the grain growing industry as shown in the following table may be taken not only as an evidence of its growth, but of the general development of the Province of Manitoba. Wheat Inspected at Winnipeg. Crop 1886.................................. 1,362,600 bushels. “ 1887.................................. 3,878,600 “ 1888 2,183,350 “ 1889................'............... 2,207,400 “ 1890.................................. 6,630,000 “ 1891.................................. 8,691,800 “ “ 1892.................................. 7,228,650 “ “ 1893.................................. 4,811,300 “ 1894................................. 5,375,500 “ “ 1895.................................. 9,042,800 “ 1896.................................. 7,753,850 “ “ 1897.................................. 6,453,000 “ 1898................................. 7,982,800 “ 1899.................................. 26,258,710 “ 1900................................. 12,355,380 “ “ 1901................................. 45,651,800 “ “ 1902................................. 51,833,000 “ 1903................................. 40,396,650 “ “ 1904............................... 39,784,500 “ 1905 ...................(Estimated) 75,800,000 “ The balance of wheat, not included in these returns went out as flour, was shipped west to British Columbia or was exported U Asia or Australia. This does not include the wheat retained for seed. Large quantities of other cereals were produced.CHAPTER XXVI. BUSINESS INTERESTS OF MANITOBA. The first business interest in Rupert’s Land, as it was also in early Canada by the French, was that of the fur trade. The only important object that brought the explorer, after the zeal of the first discoverer was past, was trading with the Indians for pelts. Even in the Red River settlement for the first years after its occupa- tion, i.e., from 1812 to 1860, there were few merchants besides the Hud- son’s Bay Company. Andrew McDermot was for many a day a trader at the foot of Lombard street, Winnipeg. In the fur trade there were “free traders, ’ ’ as they were called—men trading in furs though they were always being informed that it was illegal and an infringement on the Hudson’s Bay Company’s charter. In the several parishes there were certain storehouses kept by farmers, where goods could be obtained, but these were not stores or shops in our sense of the term. The Hudson’s Bay Company was bound to buy eight bushels of wheat a year from each settler; the company had the chief depots of goods; the company carried the mails, did the banking business by giving private persons drafts on foreign points and by cashing drafts from abroad, thus acting generally as financial agents. The mills of the country were wind mills, and were in most cases in private hands. So it was sung in every parish, “Merry is the miller that lives in the mill. ’ ’ But about 1862 the village of Winnipeg was begun, and along Main street stores were opened to compete with the Hudson’s Bay Company, whose shop was in Fort Garry, though to protect itself from this interference the company built a branch store a little south of Portage avenue. By the time of the transfer of Rupert’s Land to Canada in 1870 there were a dozen or more stores on both sides of Main street, north of Portage avenue. There were also a few tradesmen’s shops and specialty stores. The new settlers who came to Manitoba after the transfer were largely farmers. They spread hither and thither throughout the province. The village of Winnipeg grew, and was soon incorporated as a small city, butHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 233 the strength of Manitoba lay and does still lie, in the farmer. In conse- quence of this the course of trade has always been in favor of the farmer’s interest. Coming to the country poor it was specially important that he should get goods, hardware, implements and lumber as cheap as possible. Of manufactures there were none. All agricultural communities desire a low tariff as their imports will be many. Now that the western provinces have grown, and that towns and cities have sprung up there will be a greater opportunity to introduce manufactories and to cultivate an indus- trial population. The obstacles to this in a new country are the scarcity of workmen, the high price of labor and the lack of a sufficient consuming population to take the products of the manufactory. There are not a million of people yet in Canada west of Lake Superior. There are num- bers of industries which could supply all of this population in three months with their products, and they would then be compelled to lie idle for nine. But manufactures will come. The population is increasing rapidly, cheap power will be obtained, food will become cheaper and industries will be undertaken in the prairie towns and cities. Already jobbing and repair- ing shops have been begun, and a number of the more rural industries have taken root in Winnipeg and in some of the towns of Manitoba. / The two kinds of manufacturing that have thus far taken a strong hold are those of the lumber and flour mills. The supplies of timber come largely from the wooded districts of the province and the adjoining por- tions of Ontario and Keewatin, which lie to the east of Manitoba. Large saw mills are found at Keewatin, Rat Portage and Rainy River. Logs are brought down the streams which flow into Red river from the east and are manufactured in Sprague’s Mill in Winnipeg. A great experiment is being made by the Rat Portage Lumber Company in bringing logs by rail for one hundred and twenty miles from Rainy River, and sawing them at Norwood in the suburbs of Winnipeg. At Brandon and other points in the province small mills supply lumber from the scanty growth of trees found on Riding Mountain and other timber limits. The enormous demand for lumber on the prairie has been chiefly met from the district of New Ontario. In later years a large quantity has been brought from the forests of British Columbia, where the supply is inexhaustible.234 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. The flour mills of Manitoba are also of great importance. Wheat being a staple of the province much of it is ground into flour not only for home consumption, but also for export. The great Ogilvie Milling Company, of Winnipeg manufactures large quantities of flour and oatmeal, which go to all parts of Canada and even Australia. Its greatest rival is the Lake of the Woods Milling Company, just across the Manitoba eastern boundary, in the Ontario village of Keewatin. The Hudson’s Bay Company mill of Winnipeg, also produces great quantities of excellent flour. At Brandon, Souris, Portage la Prairie, Neepawa, Oak Lake and many other Manitoba towns successful mills are operated. While these great industries are colossal, yet there are somewhat numerous industries in the infant stage in the province and especially in Winnipeg. The following list is given, the number of different firms engaged in the industry being stated in figures in brackets. Their product goes to all parts of the west. Manufactories: Aerated waters and brewer- ies (8) ; tent makers, baking powders, bed makers, biscuit factories (4); blank books, ruler makers (4) ; bookbinders, boot makers, box manufac- turers, brick makers (12); broom and brushes, carriage makers (13) ; cement blocks (3); manufacturing chemists (4); chocolate manufacturers, cigar manufacturers (10); confectionery (5); copper plate, cornice makers, engine builders (9) ; gas fitters (22); ink manufacturers, jewelery makers (8) ; lime makers, milliners (21) ; optician manufacturers, paint makers (6); paper box makers (2); photographers (23); pickle makers (3) ; plan- ing mills (7); pork packers (7); publishers (3); pump makers (7); rubber stamp makers (6) ; sash, door and blind factories (13); upholsterers (14) ; ventilating manufactory, vinegar factories (3). As to general trade, just as in London of old, trade grew up not from manufactures, but from that great centre being the heart of all England, and so all roads as they formerly led to Rome, came in Elizabethan England to lead to London—so Winnipeg being the great centre of trade for the Canadian west, has all roads leading to it not only from Manitoba, but also from the remotest parts of western Canada. It has been coihpared to the spoilt of the funnel; from all parts of the west trade runs to it. This is true, especially of the railroads, which all focus in Winnipeg.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 235 It has thus came about that Winnipeg is a great centre of wholesale trade. For a time in its infancy the wholesalers of Hamilton, Ontario, gained possession of the western market. This was by their combining, and long before the coming of the railway to this province, sending put agents, even as early as 1868, when the “drummer” was not developed so fully as a trade feature as he is to-day. Naturally, on the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Toronto, but especially Montreal, sought to supply the country merchants of Manitoba and the North-West Territories. Manufacturers’ agents, financial agents and commercial travelers repre- senting their business houses gradually opened up offices and sample rooms in Winnipeg for their own convenience, and one by one came to see that a Winnipeg house, well stocked, was necessary to enable them to compete with enterprising wholesale merchants on the ground. Hence in the last ten years almost all the trade has come to be done by Winnipeg, just as Chicago gradually replaced New York—the old trade centre for the western States. Winnipeg in its Princess street district of wholesale buildings now brings to mind the stately warehouses of St. James street, Montreal, and the east is by degrees slipping to the west. Thus are the towns of western Canada closely linked to the western capital, and the Winnipeg commercial travelers are on every train, are accustomed to the free and jaunty spirit of the west,, know the way in which to do business acceptably, and once or twice a year the country mer- chant wends his way to the spring openings in Winnipeg, or makes his hegira during bonspiel in February, or to the July Industrial Exhibition, when rates are low and Winnipeg, the city of the plains, becomes a fair like the famous gathering on the Asiastic steppes at Astrachan. Being a city of well nigh one hundred thousand people, Winnipeg draws many customers from all parts of Manitoba as well as its own citizens to the retail stores and tradesmen’s shops of Main street and Portage avenue in the city. These streets present to the passer-by most attractive windows, and exhibit a volume of business surprising to the easterner who cannot realize that the infant city of the plains is already grown up, or to the young Eng-236 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. lishman, who brings with him his heavy rifle to shoot buffaloes in Main street. All the conveniences of civilization supplied by tradesmen of every description and retail shops of every size are here. Whether it be a thing to be desired or not, here also the departmental store has taken firm root. It was a natural thing that the Hudson’s Bay Company—the pioneer— should gradually evolve from its old general store, containing everything from a needle to a bag of pemmican to supply white, half-breed or Indian, into a departmental store of magnificent pretensions, while in country districts of the province still maintaining its general store, yet the com- pany’s great buildings on the corner of Main street and York avenue are worthy of its name and great wealth. A worthy rival to the Hudson’s Bay Company pile arose in the departmental store of Robinson and Com- pany. Situated in the very centre of the city, and now having absorbed the Imperial Dry Goods Company, this old firm makes a strong and successful bid for a large patronage. The George Craig Company and the Finch Brothers, farther north on Main street, claim a worthy notice. During 1905 the greatest Canadian department enterprise, T. Eaton and Company, Toronto, erected an enormous building, covering a block on Portage avenue, and is continuing and increasing a business which had been already estab- lished by mail and express from their Toronto centre in every part of Manitoba and the Territories to the very foot of the Rocky Mountains. The twentieth century is evidently the era of the shop-keeper, and we are keeping up as an English colony that honorable repute of being “a nation of shopkeepers.” But to carry on all these great business enterprises there is needed an elaborate financial system. The first chartered bank in Manitoba was the Merchant’s Bank of Canada, which began business in Main street, Winni- peg, in the autumn of 1872. As the city and province have grown in popu- lation the banking business has increased enormously. All the great banks of Canada, which are founded on a system perhaps the greatest in the world for efficiency and security, with their aggregate capital of more than $45,000,000, have entered most zealously into the business of the country. They have shown thorough confidence in the Canadian west. Many of these banks have erected their own buildings in the city andHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 237 country towns and a number of these are the most substantial and attrac- tive buildings to be found in the country. Ths following banks are all found in Winnipeg, and many of them also occupy leading points of the province:— Bank of British North America. “ “ Hamilton. “ “ Nova Scotia. “ “ Ottawa. “ “ Toronto. “ “ d’Hochelaga. “ “ of Commerce. Dominion Bank. Eastern Townships Bank. Imperial Bank of Canada. Merchant’s Bank of Canada. Molson’s Bank. Northern Bank. Traders’ Bank. Union Bank of Canada. Canada is shown by the clearing Among these cities Winni- The volume of business done in houses in the eleven largest cities of Canada, peg stands third as regards the business done. 1904. 1905. 1. Montreal................$1,065,067,000 $1,324,310,000 2. Toronto................... 842,097,066 1,089,251,562 3. Winnipeg.................. 294,601,437 369,868,179 As to the stability of the business interests of Manitoba there is now little question in well-informed quarters. The enormous immigration which has been coming to the country, largely since the opening of the first railway in 1878, varying very much in numbers as it did, reached the climax in 1905 when some 140,000 settlers came to western Canada. The increase in the price of land caused by the bountiful harvests, by the influx of people and the consequent inflow of capital, has led to the west coming to be looked upon as a favorite place for investments, especially for holding land or on mortgageable property. No doubt in the years following the collapse of the boom of 1882 there were many who doubted as to whether investments made here could be depended on. That doubt has passed away.238 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. This interest in lands, and the settlement of the country has led to a very large number of agents going into business to sell lands, facilitate transfers and find investments for capital from Great Britain, the United States and eastern Canada. These operators are generally known as real estate agents and form a guild of great proportions in the cities and towns of Manitoba. In many cases in the country towns and villages this business is taken up by law firms and becomes a lucrative part of their practice. The following is a statement of the number of loan, investment and real estate companies or agents doing business in Winnipeg, the business centre of the Canadian west. The money of eastern Canada, as well as much British capital, flows into the province through no less than fifty-two chartered investment companies, with a large united capital. Such great companies as the Canada Permanent, the Trust & Loan Company, the London & Canadian, Credit Foncier, and other celebrated companies are doing business in Winnipeg. Notable among them are trust companies which in late years have risen to prominence. These are the National Trusts Company, Limited, the Standard Trusts Company, Toronto General Trusts and Northern Trusts, which undertake the control and management of estates and act as trustees, thus relieving private persons from acting in the difficult and even dangerous capacity of executors. Closely related to the investment companies are the land companies having offices in Winnipeg. These deal in wild lands in all parts of western Canada. Some of the companies classed as investment companies are counted with them, which number sixty-one, but the powerful land com- panies are engaged entirely in the sale of land. Some of these are the Great Saskatchewan Valley & Manitoba Land Company, the Alberta Rail- way and Irrigation Company, the' strong railway land departments and the land department of the Hudson’s Bay Company, which is a large proprie- tor. Another class closely associated with the investment and land com- panies are the private firms engaged in this business. These men are hard at work persuading men to invest, while the loan and land companies are more in the habit of preserving their dignity and not ‘ ‘ drum- ming” up customers for their lands. Of these private firms no less than sixty-five devote their chief attention to land business. As many as threeHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 239 hundred real estate dealers are doing business, but several of those already counted in companies may be included in this list. Closely associated with the land and loan and investment companies are those engaged in insurance, which have taken a very strong grip on the west. Here again the number of persons busied with this work is very great. New departments of insurance have been added to the old- time companies. In Winnipeg there are fifteen accident insurance compan- ies, two burglar insurance companies, one elevator insurance company, nine guarantee companies, four health and liability companies, seven marine, eight plate glass insurance and two registered mail companies. It is worthy of note the investments of the loan and investment com- panies in Manitoba in 1904 were upwards of twenty-eight millions of dollars and in 1905 are estimated at thirty-five millions. Insurance com- panies’ investments in the province was in 1904 nine and a half millions of dollars, and in 1905 will reach twelve millions. It is a fact of importance to state that the largest local company with its investment of two and a half millions earned 7.1 per cent, interest on its investments in 1904. The life insurance companies are very many, numbering thirty-eight; but are exceeded by the fire insurance companies, which reach forty-six. One hundred and five who register generally as insurance agents are chiefly individuals, though some of them may be included in the before-mentioned associations. Insurance is a feature of the age. It is carried on with little capital, may be adapted to the changing phases of business by being taken up when times are brisk or dropped when trade is dull. For facilities in conducting this whirl and babel of the business of Win- nipeg and Manitoba the improvements of modern life are required. Else- where mention has been made of the railway development of the country. This was a prime necessity, since the black, prairie soil of Manitoba so admirably adapted for producing “No 1 Hard” wheat became in spring, and at times in summer and autumn—at any rate in the lake basin of the province—a veritable quagmire. The railway was the cure for the country’s ills. Electric cars also facilitate business and they are gradually being pushed out over the province. Not only is the city of Winnipeg well pro-240 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. vided in this matter, but it has a line running along the Red river for twenty-five miles to the town of Selkirk. There is also a street railway west- ward twelve miles, up the bank of the Assiniboine to Headingly. An elec- tric railway also leaves the city and runs northeastward for eight miles to Bird’s Hill. With the railway—indeed even before it came—there was the telegraph to bridge over the long prairie stretches yet unsettled, and to give business communication with the seat of government at Ottawa and the eastern markets. Gradually the volume of business compelled the reduction of the high telegraph tariff, so that it has fallen to be one-fifth what it was in 1872. The telephone is also a business necessity, not only in the city, but in connecting outside points. It may be still more useful when it is assumed by the government. The telephone lines are now being pushed to all parts of the province. The “long distance ’phone” is being largely used, and in some rich agricultural districts every farmer is provided with a tele- phone. In this day of government progress we look for the time when the railways, telegraphs, telephones, along with universal free delivery of postal service will be public utilities.CHAPTER XXVII. GROWTH OF CITIES AND TOWNS. The premier city of Manitoba and the whole Canadian west is Winni- peg. For three-quarters of a century Fort Garry held its place as the com- mercial centre of the old fur-trading movement. Once there was an attempt to replace it by Lower Fort Garry, twenty-five miles farther down the Red river, but all in vain. The junction of the Assiniboine and Red rivers asserted itself as the natural centre of the trade channels of Rupert’s •Land, and also as the nucleus of the colonizing forces from abroad. To-day it stands at the threshold of the vast prairies of the west, which extend west of it to the Rocky Mountains for a thousand miles. It is the entrepot, whether from eastern Canada or from the United States, of a trade which is now assuming very large proportions. Though the railway did not reach Winnipeg till 1878, yet Winnipeg is now a great railway centre. Three great railways look upon it thus, viz.; the Canadian Pacific, Canadian Northern and Grand Trunk Pacific Railways. Twelve separate branches belonging to these great corporations radiate from Winnipeg. The electric railway system of Winnipeg is unexcelled. Winnipeg is a great business centre. Its wholesale trade is growing rapidly, every considerable eastern trading house finding it necessary to establish branch buildings of magnitude to carry on its business. Winnipeg has become the greatest grain market in the British Empire. Not only is Winnipeg the greatest business and grain centre of the Canadian west, but it is also the financial centre of all western enterprises. It has no less than sixteen chartered hanks, all the chief banks of Canada being represented with a capital of upwards of fifty millions of dollars, and several private banking institutions, and its land, loan and trust com- panies are hard to number. It is the educational centre of the west, having the one University— the University of Manitoba—west of Lake Superior. Winnipeg is the legal and medical centre of Manitoba. Its hospitals and charitable institutions, having to serve for a wide area of territory are many-sided, well supported and thoroughly modern. 16242 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The number of patients in the Winnipeg General Hospital for 1905 was 4,366. The ecclesiastical centre of the different churches in the Canadian west is in Winnipeg. Its church buildings are numerous and represent all shades of belief. Its pulpit is said to compare favorably with that of any Canadian city and it has the reputation of being unsurpassed on the con- tinent as a church-going city. The details of the educational and social work of the city will be treated incidentally in other chapters. The population of Winnipeg is cosmopolitan not only as representing • all the eastern provinces of the Dominion, but the British Islands and Ireland, with a considerable number of citizens of the United States. It is in tone and feeling thoroughly Anglo-Saxon and Canadian, with a joy and glory in the Union Jack, which on festal occasions rises universally over its public buildings. One-fifth of its population is foreign, but it is thoroughly in touch with the dominant Canadian spirit. As to the language of its population, Winnipeg may be said to be poly- glot. It has more than twenty languages in considerable use among its citizens. But this polyglot character will largely pass away. The public school will consolidate the different elements. The foreigner of to-day is very anxious to make the English language his own. The growth of the city in population may be shown:— 1870 ................................................... 215 1874..........................(When incorporated) 1,869 1885................................................. 19,574 1898................................................. 39,384 1901 . . ............................................ 42,340 1905 ................................................ 79,975 Some true idea may thus be obtained of its remarkable growth during the generation during which it has existed. Statistical. Area of City in Acres........................... 12,790 Number of Churches ............................. 75 Number of Public Schools........................ 22 Number of Pupils attending Schools ............. 10,000Main Street, Winnipeg.aHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 243 No. Miles of Asphalt Pavement ................. 23 No. of Miles Macadam Pavement.................. 35 No. of Miles Block Pavement ................... 18 No. of Miles Boulevards ....................... 61 No. of Miles Stone Sidewalks .................... 37 No. of Miles Plank Sidewalks................... 220 No. of Miles Sewers ........................... 110 No. of Letters mailed in Post Office in 1896.... 2,539,914 No. of Letters mailed in Post Office in 1902 ... 5,669,872 No. of Miles Water Mains ...................... 125 No. of Miles Electric Wiring and Street Lighting.. 125 No. of Miles Street Railway ................... 24 No. of Miles Graded Streets ................... 150 No. of Miles Arc Light ........................ 442 No. of Miles Hydrants................................. 703 No. of Public Parks ................................... 13 Area of Parks in Acres......................... 324 Value of Parks (1905)............................ $295,000 Rate of Taxation (1903) ....................... 215 Mills. Rate of Taxation (1904) ............................... 17 “ Rate of Taxation (1905) ............................. 19.7 “ No. of Buildings erected (1904)................ 2,268 Value of Buildings erected (1904) ............... $9,654,750 No. of Buildings erected (1905) ............... 4,122 Value of Buildings erected (1905) .............$10,829,300 Postal Revenue (1896) ............................ $91,418 Postal Revenue (1902) ........................... $156,734 Postal Revenue (1905) ........................... $319,378 Assessment of Winnipeg in 1874 ................ $2,676,018 Assessment of Winnipeg in 1905 ................$62,727,630 City op Brandon. The city of Brandon is the second place in the province, being credited in 1905 with a population of 8,529. It is the only city besides Winnipeg. It is one hundred and thirty-two ,miles west of Winnipeg and owes its exist- ence to the diversion of the Canadian Pacific main line in 1881 from the formerly proposed route to the Saskatchewan to the southern route follow- ing chiefly the line of the 51st parallel of north latitude. The crossing of the Assiniboine river by the Canadian Pacific Railway led to the establishment of this fine western centre. It is the centre of a fine agricultural district, is on the eastern edge of the second prairie steppe244 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of the country and is extended on a broad slope toward the Assiniboine river. It has a most vigorous population chiefly of English-speaking people, the foreign element not making more than one-seventh of the whole. The city has fine streets—easily kept, good shops, banks and numerous excellent schools, buildings and church buildings of more than ordinary value. A Baptist college is established here, also an Indian boarding school under Methodist control, and there is a Provincial Lunatic Asylum. Bran- don is an important grain centre. Its most notable possession is the pres- ence in its neighborhood of the Dominion Experimental Farm, where for years past tests have been carefully made of the agricultural and horticul- tural capabilities of Manitoba. The assessment of Brandon in 1905 was about four millions of dollars. Town of Portage la Prairie. The early French explorer, Verandrye, a century and a half ago, built his first fort in the region now known as Manitoba on the banks of the Assini- boine river where Portage la Prairie to-day stands. He called it Fort de la Reine or Queen’s Fort. Half a century ago it became a settlement from the overflow of population from old Red River settlement. Here also shortly afterward took place a strange idiotic movement largely dictated by the ambition of one man to form the so-called “Republic of Manitoba.” This movement collapsed so soon as the opinion of the British colonial sec- retary was obtained. Portage la Prairie lies some fifty-five miles from Winnipeg and has always been celebrated as the centre of the finest agricul- tural district of Manitoba. The town has now grown to have a population of about five thousand. Its people, like the surrounding rural population, have always been a thrifty, steady and cautious community. Educationally the town stands high; its churches are strong and vigor- ous and it is taken up chiefly with the problems that agricultural communi- ties are solving. Here the flour mills and elevators are the centres of interest. A large gathering of wealthy farmers on the Portage plains stretching for twelve or fifteen miles north of the town, gives a tone and character toHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 245 the place. A Provincial Home for Incurables lies near the town and here, too, is an Indian boarding school under Presbyterian control, for the band of refugee Sioux, who, after the Minnesota Indian massacre of 1862, fled from the United States and have since hovered about Portage la Prairie. The assessed value of 1905 of the town is upwards of two and a quarter millions of dollars. Town of St. Boniface. The quaint old town of St. Boniface with its population of some five thousand, lies on the opposite side of the Red river from Winnipeg. It is really a suburb of the city. Forty years ago it seemed more like the nucleus of a town than did Winnipeg. It received in 1878 the first railway coming to Manitoba from the south, but it has not achieved greatness. The Cathedral, with its two towers, which was burnt down in 1860, was “with its turrets twain” referred to by Whittier in his poem “The Red River Voyageur.” Here is the Cathedral, Bishop’s Palace and College of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of St. Boniface, and the hospital, which largely serves Winnipeg. The overflow of people from Winnipeg is filling in both north and south of St. Boniface in the new suburbs of the city of Norwood and Elmwood. The area of open land along the river bank is being occu- pied by the railway companies and the prospect is that St. Boniface may become a railway and manufacturing town. The total assessment of the town approaches two and a half millions of dollars. Town of Selkirk. Twenty-five miles down the Red river and on the west bank is situ- ated the town of Selkirk. It is the head of navigation for the Lake Win- nipeg basin, as a few miles above it are the St. Andrew’s Rapids, which are an obstruction no doubt in the course of time to be overcome by engineering skill. The town of Selkirk has a population approaching three thousand. More than thirty per cent, of its population is Icelandic, and being in the246 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. old native district, fifteen per cent, is made up of half-breeds. Selkirk may thus be called the chief centre of the English half-breeds. The fisheries of Lake Winnipeg have their headquarters here and give occupation to many of the people, as do also the forests along the shores of the lake which supply large quantities of fuel and lumber for the use of the province. The appearance of Selkirk is at times that of a lively seaport. In the neighborhood of Selkirk is the chief Lunatic Asylum of the province. Selkirk is well provided with schools and churches and is in summer a con- siderable watering-place. Fast railway trains and a street railway from Winnipeg connect it with the city and give a full connection with Winnipeg Beach, a campers’ resort, twenty-five miles farther north on the west coast of Lake Winnipeg. The total assessment of the town exceeds a million dollars. The Town op Morden. Lying at the foot of Pembina Mountain on the west side of the Red River valley in southern Manitoba is the town of Morden, with a popula- tion of some fifteen hundred, with seventeen per cent. Germans. Its existence is due to a large settlement of Russian-German-speaking Mennonites who came to Manitoba thirty years ago. This peace-loving and most industrious people is thousands strong in Manitoba, and though foreign, have always been respected by purely English-speaking settlers. They are exclusive, but great bargainers and have in many cases learned English with facility. Their village system and communism have made them an object of interest to social philosophers. Excellent church and school advantages are possessed by Morden, and it was one of the first towns in Manitoba to establish a hospital. The assessment of Morden is about a half a million of dollars. The trade largely depends upon the Mennonite farmers who come in from their villages to do business in Morden. The quaint dress of these farmers, both men and women, seen in the town give it the appearance of a foreign place and an European air.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 247 Town op Neepawa. In the northwest part of the province, as already stated, a mountain- ous district occurs and in some respects this is the most attractive portion of Manitoba. At the foot of the southern slope of Riding Mountain lies one of the prettiest towns of the province—Neepawa—an Indian word meaning “plenty.” It is the centre of a most fertile plain and is surrounded by wealthy farmers, with all the appearance of comfort in their homes. The town has some two thousand of population and has both the Cana- dian Pacific and Canadian Northern Railways. Its elevators point it out as a great wheat centre. Its large and well-built shops and banks, built chiefly of brick, give it a most substantial appearance. Its churches and school buildings are suitable and sufficient. A fully equipped General Hospital, in which the adjacent municipalities had a share, speaks of the liberality and benevolence of Neepawa. The town has long been a “Local Option” town, and the scene of many a keen municipal fight. Hitherto the “temperance party” has always won. Two beautiful hotels, costing $40,000 each, have been erected by the opposing parties, but both are without license and strictly observe the law. The town is one of the most prosperous in Manitoba. It possesses a munici- pally-owned telephone and electric light system. The assessment of the town approaches one million of dollars. The Town of Dauphin. The newer country along the east and north of Dauphin has been opened up only in late years, though it was regarded as the fur-traders’ paradise one hundred years ago. Its French name is from the small lake by which it stands and this is a reminiscence of the French explorer Ver- andrye, who gave the name to the lake a century and a half ago. It is a most fertile district bordering on Lakes Dauphin and Winnipegosis. The region was opened up by the Canadian Northern Railway, which skirts both north and south sides of the Riding Mountain. Dauphin is a substantial town and a business centre for the extreme northwest of the province.248 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Though younger than most Manitoba towns it is yet thoroughly on a par with those older than itself. The town has a population of some fifteen hundred, and the assessment approaches half a million of dollars. The development of the country by the Canadian Northern Railway has been most marked. Town of Minnedosa. In the Highland district of Manitoba on the southwest side of the Rid- ing Mountain, in the deep valley of the Little Saskatchewan river, nestles the pretty town of Minnedosa with its less than two thousand inhabitants. The little stream on which it stands empties some distance to the south into the Assiniboine river. The name is an ethnological surprise. It is the Sioux equivalent of the name Saskatchewan, that name being taken up by the greater river of the north and by other hamlets. No Sioux, however, ever lived near Minnedosa. Its hope was in the early days that the main line of the Canadian Pacific line would, in 1882, pass through it. The diversion of the railway to Brandon disappointed its hopes. It has been, however, a thriving town provided with mills, elevators and good school and church buildings. It has been the seat for more than thirty years of a meteorological station for the Dominion.< v\ H — — I Canadian Pacific Railway Station, Winnipeg. Carnegie Library Building. Winnipeg.CHAPTER XXVIII. THE NEWSPAPERS OF MANITOBA. In 1859 the stagnation of the Red River settlement was disturbed by the news that two editors had arrived. William Buckingham and William Coldwell, two quiet, well disposed Englishmen, of reputation and standing in the newspaper world, both thoroughly acquainted with their business, both patriotic citizens and men of the highest character, had dared to clamber over the high Chinese wall of exclusion which surrounded Rupert’s Land and institute an organ of public opinion in this isolated and unor- ganized community. Abbe Dugas, in his late defence of the rascalities of the Riel rebellion, “assails in unmeasured terms” the two editors and the newspaper which they established—the Nor’-Wester. Also the Hudson’s Bay Company was nervous. Sir George Simpson would give no countenance to the newspaper. Recorder Thom’s expedients for preserving intact the privileges of the fur trade monopoly had proved ineffectual against disorganized opposition of the settlers. Here was an instrument which by fostering a public opinion might make the position of the company even less secure. No doubt Abbe Dugas and his friends were right. No doubt Sir George Simpson was right—for both had private affairs to serve; neither looked at the general good. Privilege and monopoly cannot endure publicity. The Nor’-Wester published its first number on December 28, 1859. Considering the difficulties to be overcome, it is a very creditable number, A perusal of the files of the Nor’-Wester during the ten years of its exist- ence impresses a fair-minded critic favorably. It appeared fortnightly at first, and at the price of twelve shillings ($3) a year. Its advertisements were for a time almost exclusively from business men outside of Red River settlement. English firms and those of St. Paul, Minnesota, by whom the business of Red River was chiefly done, were the leading advertisers. Opinions of visitors and travelers who passed through the settlement were faithfully recorded, and the world outside was kept informed of events in Red River settlement. The articles on the country were reproduced in the250 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Canadian newspapers, and the process which the “mossbacks” feared was certainly going on. For a considerable period the Nor’-Wester was taken up from issue to issue by a continuous history of Red River settlement. The overshadowing fear of the monopoly is, however, evident through this, and there is a striking absence of a free hand in dealing with debatable questions. The story lacks vivacity. In the main it is true that the Nor’- Wester in its articles was against the company, and in the latter part of its history intensely so. Joseph Hargrave, whose well-known book was published in Montreal in 1871, and who was the historian writing from the Hudson’s Bay Com- pany standpoint, looking back over its career said of the Nor’-Wester: ‘ ‘ Many opinions exist among the settlers in reference to the influence which the Nor’-Wester has exercised. Some regard it as having been an instru- ment of unmixed evil, others as having been productive of some benefit to the community, while possibly the greater number believe it to have been destitute of any appreciable effect whatever.” The policy of undervaluing the power of the newspaper was quite a mistake. Its influence during the latter part of its existence would have prob- ably been much greater had it been less virulent and at times unfair, but it is undoubted that whatever men either thought or wished, the Nor’- Wester was the chief instrument in opening up Rupert’s Land to the world. The course of the Nor’-Wester was by no means plain sailing. About a year after the establishment of the newspaper, Mr. William Buckingham, probably finding the outlook less promising than had been expected, returned to Canada. For many years afterward he was proprietor of the Stratford Beacon, and on the formation of the Mackenzie ministry in Can- ada in 1873 became secretary of the premier. He returned for a time to Winnipeg after 1882. On the departure of Mr. Buckingham his one-half share was purchased by Mr. James Ross, son of the late Sheriff Alex. Ross. His was one of the brightest minds of the Red River settlement. The publication of the Nor’- Wester took place for a time at Colonyr Gardens at the foot of Rupert street, and it several times shifted its location. In 1864 Mr. Ross, who had for two years previously opposed the company, sold out his share of theHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 251 Nor’-Wester to Mr. Coldwell, who again sold it to Dr. Schultz. In 1865 Mr. Coldwell disposed of the whole newspaper to Dr. Schultz, and returned to Canada—to come back to Winnipeg, however, in 1869. Dr. Schultz owned the Nor’-Wester for three years. And though at first he was more moderate, yet perhaps the stormiest period of its history was now to come. In 1868 the Nor’-Wester was purchased by Mr. W. R. Bown, an Eng- lishman, a dentist of Winnipeg, but thoroughly in touch in political senti- ment and view with Dr. Schultz. On his entering into possession, the Nor’- Wester instead of fortnightly was issued weekly. Under this management it continued until the end of the following year, when the political convul- sion on the Red river put an end to its troubled existence. Its agitations, misfortunes and conflicts were certainly many, leading one of its opponents to say: “Residents of the Red River settlement for some years past will experience no surprise on hearing our assertion that the influence of the press exercised here during that time has been one of almost unmixed evil.” The career of the Nor’-Wester came to a sudden end under the reign of the bandit Riel. Riel and his followers, on November 2nd, took posses- sion of Fort Garry. Four days afterward, on the refusal of the editor of the Nor’-Wester to print Riel’s “Public Notice to the Inhabitants of Rupert’s Land,” the rebel leader seized the editor and put him in close con- finement in his own printing office. Mr. Coldwell, who had now returned to Winnipeg, undertook to publish a new paper called the Bed River I Pioneer. It was to be issued on December 1, 1869, but it never saw the light. On the issue of “Governor” McDougall’s proclamation on December 1st, Riel placed a guard on the offices of the Nor’-Wester and Bed River Pioneer. Thus the Nor’-Wester died and the Bed River Pioneer was never born. On December 22, 1869, the Bed Biver Pioneer was sold to Mr. M. H. Robin- son, a clever young American, who had come to Red River settlement and married into a well-known Hudson’s Bay Company family. He named his paper the New Nation, a title that recalled the name which the Bois-Brules assumed fifty years before.252 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The most irritating and dangerous feature of the New Nation for the first three months of its existence was its thoroughly disloyal tone. Major Robinson, its American editor, conducted the paper as the organ of the Rielites and was outspoken in his annexationist sentiments. On January 21, 1870, the following heading introduced the leading article :— CONSOLIDATION. The Future of the American Continent. One Flag! One Empire! Natural lines must prevail. Again, on January 7th, the New Nation said: “We reply unhesitatingly that the United States offers us to-day that system of government which would best promote order and progress in our midst and open up rapidly a magnificent country of magnificent resources.” For months these dis- loyal sentiments appeared in the columns under • the countenance and authority of Riel. With the return to Red River of Bishop Tache, whose influence was at once exerted in mollifying the rebellious Riel, the New Nation also changed the tenor of its utterances. On March 31, 1870, Major Robinson, the editor, was conducted by a guard of armed men to Fort Garry, in order that he might give up the keys of the New Nation printing office—but the keys being delivered, he was allowed to return to his quarters in Winnipeg. Thomas Spence, one of Riel’s advisers, an intelligent Scotchman, was placed in charge of the paper, and annexation was spoken of no more in its columns. The now loyal New Nation continued to be issued during the summer of 1870, Bishop Tache being a regular contributor and evidently influenc- ing its policy. But on October 15, 1870, when Riel and his horde had dis- appeared, Messrs. Coldwell and Cunningham bought out the New Nation and issued the newspaper as the Manitoban. Robert Cunningham, a Scot- tish journalist, had come to Manitoba as representative of the Toronto Globe, became editor of the Manitoban, was elected a short time afterward as member for Marquette in the Dominion Parliament, and was a man ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 253 considerable intelligence and influence. The Manitoban is called by a con- temporary writer “a respectable and worthy newspaper,” and had a good circulation in the province. The Manitoban being a government paper, and so chiefly interested in soothing down antagonisms then characterizing the fiery state of the com- munity, was regarded as a “trimmer,” and so a small sheet called the News Letter was begun, whose business it was to agitate, to oppose the government, and to form an outlet for the exuberance of the “Canadian party. ” It did not last long, and on July 11, 1871, was succeeded by the Liberal. The Liberal was a little larger than the Manitoban, and was voted by the people as a “ decided improvement on the little News Letter in every respect.” It was originated by the leaders of the Canadian party, and Mr. Stewart Mulvey, still well known in Winnipeg, was editor. It was strongly against the local government led by Attorney-General Clarke, and pursued Governor Archibald with unrelenting vigor. An effort was next made by Mr. Alexander Begg to found a “business paper”—independent of both political parties and devoted to the interests of Winnipeg. On January 1, 1871, he issued the Manitoba Trade Register. The little paper began to advocate the incorporation of Winnipeg. This drew down upon the infant venture the opposition of the Manitoban and of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Obstacles were thrown in the way of its pub- lication, but by a combination of the editor with Hon. Mr. Royal the obstacles were overcome and the valorous little fault-finder was heard again. The next form of this journal was under the name of the Gazette and Trade Review, which appeared on March 9, 1872. This paper and the Liberal warmly supported incorporation, while the Manitoban seemed adverse. Le Metis, the French newspaper, was in existence in 1872 and was pub- lished in Winnipeg. It, with the Manitoban and Gazette, was blotted out by the political cyclone that took place on the night of the Dominion elections in September, 1872. On November 9, 1872, the Manitoba Free Press was born. Mr. William F. Luxton, who is still in Winnipeg, became the dean of newspaper- dom in the west, and for many years held the place of leadership. Coming from the county of Huron in Ontario, and with full experience of news-254 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. paper management, Mr. Luxton was editor of the new venture, and was associated with Mr. John Kenny as partner in the Weekly Free Press. Seven years after its founding, when its daily had become the leading paper of the west, a writer said of it: “With the reform banner nailed to the mast, it sailed into the somewhat troubled seas of political Manitoba, an uncompromising ‘ advocate of reform in politics and liberality in all things’; and with imported plant, talent, and long experience promised early to take the front place in the ranks of the newspaper literature of the country. ’ ’ The Free Press has been in existence over thirty-three years, and has fortified its position with the proud claims—“The great western daily prints the largest paper in Canada. Carries more advertising than any other daily in the Dominion, and has a larger circulation than all other dailies of Manitoba and the North-West Territories combined.” In 1890 the two newspapers which represented the Liberal party were the Free Press and the Tribune, the latter having begun in the previous year. These have continued for half a generation since that time, though they have relatively changed places in several ways. The Free Press has now become the greatest by far of the newspapers of the west and competes with the best in Canada. Its advertising is greater and more lucrative than that of any newspaper in Canada. Its evening edition is called the “Free Press Bulletin.” The Tribune continues as an evening paper, but regards itself as independent in politics. In 1894 the Conservative paper revived the historic name of “Nor’-Wester.” On receiving some reinforce- ment in its capital it became in 1898 the Telegram, and has morning and evening editions. These newspapers provide a considerable amount of their editorial matter by discussing each other, and at times reviling one another. As the country has develped, new newspaper enterprises have arisen to meet the increasing wants and varying tastes of the community. The labor organization have a newspaper expressing their views in the Voice, while the social life of Winnipeg finds expression in Town Topics, which is the successor of Quiz and Siftings of the older time.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 255 Two excellent agricultural journals—the North-West Farmer and Farmers’ Advocate—have their headquarters in Winnipeg and, being ably- conducted and skillfully managed, go to every part of western Canada. These journals have been of the very highest service to agriculture and are alert in meeting every agricultural crisis. The Commercial worthily deals with the business concerns of the province. Several of the church bodies have organs which speak for their people, though on account of their small circulation, only to the inner circle of their friends. One of these is the North-West Review, the organ of the English- speaking Roman Catholics. The North-West Baptist likewise serves its own denomination, while the Vox Wesley ana voices the news of the Methodist collegians who belong to Wesley College, and the Manitoba College Journal occupies a similar place for the Presbyterian students. The Manitoba Scots- man pours forth its paeans of praise for the achievements of the men of the brown heath and shaggy wood. One of the more impressive and important facts relating to the poly- glot elements of the population is that the foreigners are very solicitous to have a newspaper among them. The Icelandic immigrants and their child- ren are determined to have newspapers in their own tongue, and accord- ingly print two secular papers called the Logberg, Liberal, and Heims- kringla, Conservative, and have supported for twenty years a religious journal called Sameiningin. The Germans send out Der Nordwesten to represent the views of their nationality. Perhaps the most notable attempt to reach the foreigners of their own country is the issue of the Galician paper The Manitoba Farmer, published in Winnipeg under its Ruthenian name, and the monthly church paper whose name translated means The Daybreak. This religious paper is published by the Independent Greek church of Canada. The Swedes publish a weekly known as Canada-Postenk. The Kanadia Magyarsag represents the Hungarian people of western Canada. Manitoba has been extremely fortunate in most of its newspapers. As a rule, leaving aside some of the personal animadversions of the editors, the tone of the newspapers of western Canada is excellent and the highest praise is due to the editors for their firmness in reaching a high moral and patriotic standard.CHAPTER XXIX. SKETCH OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. As stated in a previous chapter, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba completed his cabinet January 12, 1871. Its personnel was as follows:— H. J. Clarke, premier and attorney-general. Hon. Alfred Boyd, minister of public works and agriculture. Hon. Marc Girard, provincial treasurer. Hon. Thomas Howard, provincial secretary. Hon. James McKay, without office. The government was confronted with the enormous task of organizing and setting in operation the machinery of representative institutions. Not- withstanding the essential difficulties of their undertaking and the deter- mined opposition which they had to endure, it was claimed for them at the end of the first year that: ‘1 They had restored comparative peace and order in a community where so lately law had been set at defiance. The adminis- tration of justice had been secured by the establishment of courts and an efficient police force, a system of education established, important public works initiated, the liquor traffic brought under control, Indian teachers arranged for, immigration had received particular attention, and they had succeeded in laying a foundation, solid and substantial, upon which the future framework of social and political institutions might be permanently erected.” Near the end of 1871 a change took place in the local government. Hon. Alfred Boyd resigned the office of public works. In his place Hon. John Norquay, a young English half-breed, the representative from High Bluff, was called to his place. There were several reasons for this. First, as stated by Mr. Boyd, it was right that the English half-breeds should be represented. Thus far there was not one of them in the local government, nor had any one of them been chosen for the Dominion house—all this, though they had thirty-five per cent, of the population of the province.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 257 Another reason was that the Portage district was not represented in the government. All who knew Mr. Norquay will admit his dignity, his ability and his great qualities of heart. He came in at a critical time, when it was extremely necessary to allay discontent and prejudice, and, just as in old Rupert’s Land the half-breeds had been a buffer between the white man and the Indian, so now this bright and genial half-breed leader became the reconciler of the pushing Canadian and the kindly but easy-going native. John Norquay did real service to his country. He first showed his ability in a keen point taken against Attorney-General Clarke on an election case, in the first year of the local legislature. In this he won. In later times he continued to be a necessary figure in any cabinet formed until near his death, which took place at the early age of forty-eight, in the year 1889. In March, 1871, were elected the four members for the Dominion house. The province had been divided into four constituencies—that of Selkirk including Winnipeg; Provencher, the French county upon and east of Red River; Lisgar, the half-breed district about Lower Fort Garry; and Marquette, the Portage la Prairie region. For these there were chosen:— Selkirk—Donald A. Smith, old-timer candidate. Provencher—Pierre Delorme, Rielite French member. Lisgar—Dr. Schultz, Canadian party representative. Marquette—Dr. Lynch, Canadian party. Angus McKay, old-timer.—(A tie.) The Dominion election in the following year stirred up great excite- ment.. The large number of new arrivals had made the list of qualified voters a beggarly portion of the whole population. It was maintained that the laws were being mainly framed in the interest of the old-timer; that it took two or three years for the incoming Canadian to obtain a vote. The effect of the restriction was to draw the line more clearly between the Cana- dians and old settlers. The election of 1872 resulted as follows: 1. In Sel- kirk, Donald A. Smith defeated Wilson, a strong representative of the dis- franchised Canadian party. 2. In Lisgar Dr. Schultz overcame Mr. E. H. G. Hay. 3. Marquette, Robert Cunningham was elected over Mr. John Nor- 17258 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. quay. 4. In Provencher, Sir George Cartier was given an acclamation. Election day in Winnipeg was marked by riot and disorder. Towards even- ing at the close of the polls, a number of men organized a band and attacked the offices of the government newspapers. These were the Mani- toban, the Gazette and the Metis—the last being the French newspaper pub- lished in Winnipeg at that time. A writer of the time curtly says: “The riots left us with only the ‘Liberal’ newspaper.” In 1872 Governor Archibald resigned. His administration on the whole, as we have stated, had been efficient. But his leniency in dealing with the Riel and Fenian troubles had subjected him to bitter persecution. A newspaper, the Liberal, had been established in July, 1871, for the specific purpose of carrying on the agitation against him. Indignation meetings—a characteristic Winnipeg product of the early days—had resolved against him. He had to suffer, also, for the remissness of the Dominion government. The success of the persistent agitation against him was celebrated in Winnipeg with bonfires and rejoicings. But that the opposition to him was not unanimous is shown by the fact that an address signed by thirteen hundred settlers was presented to the governor express- ing their appreciation of his good qualities and of the part he played in overcoming discord and in seeking to unite and improve all classes of people. Early in 1872 the Ottawa government had appointed one of its mem- bers, Hon. Alexander Morris, as chief justice of Manitoba. This was an important position in view of the unsettled state of the province, and Mr. Morris was well suited as an experienced lawyer and man of affairs to preside over the courts with dignity. Now that the governor had departed, Mr. Morris was made deputy governor in his absence, and about the end of the year was appointed governor in place of Mr. Archibald. Governor Morris had written a pamphlet called “Nova.Britannia,” on Canadian federation, years before this movement took its later form. He had good ideas especially in education. He was really the immediate agent in the establishment of the Manitoba University. The governor’s first test was a Metis deputation which waited on him to enquire what he intended to- do in granting Archbishop Tache’s claim that an amnesty had beenHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 259 promised him for those in rebellion, notably Riel and Lepine. Governor Morris was as firm and decided as Governor Archibald had been lacking in backbone. The new governor stated that no colonial authority could grant an amnesty—only the Queen could do that. In addition he informed them that no amnesty had been promised, except for deeds prior to the execution of Scott at Fort Garry. Soon the rapid increase of population wrought corresponding changes in ways of political thinking and acting. The new comers were suspicious of the old regime. Winnipeg looked askance at Fort Garry. To carry out their views a secret organization was formed. This was known as “The Grangers.” Its chief object was to counteract the influence of the Hud- son’s Bay Company. In the meantime Mr. Donald A. Smith, having been chosen to the house of commons was required to resign his seat in the local legislature. To fill the vacancy of Winnipeg the choice of the Grangers fell on Mr. R. A. Davis. Davis was a stranger, who came to Winnipeg during the time of the rebellion. Possessed of some means, he bought out the hostelry belonging to “Dutch George” (George Emerling). The hotel then became the ‘ ‘ Davis House. ’ ’ The position of a hotel keeper is not usu- ally taken as one fitting a man to become a public representative. Davis was, however, a fair-minded, honorable and honest man. His opponent was Mr. Alexander McMicken, still a citizen of Winnipeg. Davis, backed by the Grangers, went in with a sweep (April 4; 1874). The leader of the government, Attorney-General Clarke, had lost the confidence of the English-speaking people. He sought now to conciliate them, but his repentance came too late. Mr. R. A. Davis knew why he had been elected. Public affairs became very warm. What was called a “scrim- mage” took place between the two protagonists. By a vote of want of con- fidence of fifteen to seven, the house sealed the fate of the Clarke government. Hon. M. A. Girard was called on to form a government; and did so, the new ministry being composed of: Hon. M. Girard, secretary and prem- ier ; Hon. James McKay, president of the council; Hon. E. H. G. Hay, agri- culture and public works; R. A. Davis, treasurer; Hon. Joseph Dubuc, attorney-general; and Hon. Francis Ogletree, without portfolio.260 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Before the end of the year (in December, 1874) this ministry resigned. A new cabinet was formed, with Hon. R. A. Davis as premier, and Honor- ables Joseph Royal and Colin Inkster as ministers. On grounds of economy a reduction in the number of ministers had been made, the place of attorney-general being filled by a Crown counsel outside of the cabinet in the person of Mr. D. Walker. Premier Davis certainly developed remark- able powers of leadership. Begining as a novice, he rapidly changed the affairs of the province from chaos to a condition of order. He was treasurer and soon brought the finances into a satisfactory state. The changes in population were reflected in the constitution of the second legislature of Manitoba. Hitherto the English and French seats in the legislature had been equal. The two elements were now: English, fourteen; French, ten. The French, in the general Dominion election, had returned Louis Riel for the county of Provencher. The persistence with which the French people clung to Riel was certainly remarkable, and his ability to obtain an election against all opposition shows his influence among his own people. His stealthy appearance at Ottawa, his surreptitious entrance to the house of commons, the hasty signing of his name and his unceremonious retreat, made one of the most remarkable episodes in the life of the Dominion parliament. However, as Riel had become an outlaw, and his flight from Canada had been secured by a large sum of government money, his name was struck off the parliamentary register. Two important political events marked the Davis government—the agitation for “better terms” and the abolition of the legislative council or the “Petty House of Lords” as it was often called. It was contended that the subsidy granted to the province on her admission to confederation was insufficient to carry on the government, and that the time had come for a readjustment. New provinces are always impecumious, and Manitoba cer- tainly was so in the early years of its history. Everything was to be begun. Buildings were required, the ordinary roads and bridges were badly needed, educational and social improvements were all cried for, but the money from the subsidy was in no way sufficient for these things. The demand for increased subsidy and the other items of the “better terms” was placed before the Ottawa authorities by the ministers Davis andHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 261 Royal. The matter was one of long standing, and its settlement affected many interests, even reaching the question of the Manitoba Legislative Council. The principal point was the increased subsidy. Hon. Alexander Mackenzie was very quick to see an opportunity for freeing the people not only of an annual expenditure of some three or four thousand dollars a year for the legislative council, but also a much greater boon in delivering the pro- vince from the incubus of a body which had already begun to defy public opinion. Accordingly the Dominion government agreed to give a consider- able increase of annual subsidy to the province, on condition of the pro- vince leading the way by saving the expense of the upper house. The news that the Dominion government had accepted the views of the delegation sent to represent Manitoba caused much satisfaction in the pro- vince. The prospect of a substantial increase in annual subsidy was uni- versally acceptable, though the condition coupled with it of cutting down the extravagant expenditure on legislation, too large for a small province, raised doubt among those of the official class. The prospect of obtaining suitable government buildings was agreeable, and the settlement of out- standing accounts between the province and the Dominion was but justice. The point of difference was the abolition of the legislative council. In the local legislature of 1876 the question came up for settlement. It became a hot newspaper question. The chief opponent to the measure in the upper house was Dr. O’Donnell, and it was with his utterances and opposition that the newspapers chiefly dealt. It was necessary that the “Petty House of Lords” should vote itself out of existence. Self-abnega- tion is not a usual feature of politicians. The legislative assembly voted on the measure, and were unanimous save with one exception. The govern- ment had arranged beforehand with a majority of the members comprising the council to vote themselves out of office. The upper house was, there- fore, strangely docile, at least so far as the majority was concerned, in pass- ing the motion to obliterate themselves. The division in the upper house was: Yeas—Hon. Donald Gunn, Hon. Francis Ogletree, Hon. Colin Inkster, Hon. James McKay (casting vote)—4. Nays—Hon. Dr. O’Donnell, Hon. F. Dauphinais, Hon. S. Hamelin—3. The out-going councillors who voted in favor of abolition were provided for by appointing them to other offices.262 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In 1877 the completion of his term by Governor Morris led to the appointment hy the Mackenzie government of the Hon. Joseph Cauchon as Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba. It was no doubt the antagonism between the conflicting parties in the Eiel rebellion eight years before this time that led to much criticism of the appointment. Mr. Cauchon had been an old opponent of Mr. Mackenzie, so that many strong Liberals disapproved of the appointment. No doubt, too, the irritation of the people on the railway question led to severe censure of the Dominion government in its appoint- ment at this juncture. Governor Cauchon filled the duties of his office, under the circum- stances, with justice and quietness. The governor was sworn into office on December 3, 1877. The year 1878 was a year of elections, both Dominion and provincial. In the former public attention was directed to the contest for the Selkirk seat. The election was a severe test of Mr. Donald A. Smith’s power in political affairs. Mr. Smith was a many-sided representative of the very best type. He represented great business interests, a varied population of half-breeds, of both French and English origin; he also, as was said, having ‘ ‘ Scotch ability united to Canadian patriotism, ’ ’ stood for the white settlers of Red River settlement, while at the same time he was interested in Cana- dian advancement, being a strong power in the leading Canadian bank, as well as aiming to open up the country by railways. Without parading it, he was an “independent,” if there ever was one. His strong stand on the Pacific scandal led to a breach with his own party, and he was in consequence a supporter of Mr. Mackenzie’s government. The government was, however, on account of its railway policy, unpopular in Winnipeg and the surrounding county of Selkirk. In consequence the county of Selkirk was thought to he a very doubtful constituency in this year of general election. Seeing the opportunity to test the feeling with some hope of success, former Lieutenant-Governor Morris, a strong friend of Sir John A. Mac- donald, became the opposition candidate. Mr. Morris was in every way an acceptable and respected candidate, and he had, moreover, the tide of Win- nipeg discontent flowing in his favor. In addition to this the elections inHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 263 Manitoba were a week later than those in the east, and the Dominion having defeated the Mackenzie government, Mr. Morris evidently had a great advan- tage. In the other seats of the province there were two acclamations. Dr. Schultz was allowed to be elected by the retirement, at nomination, of his opponent. Hon. J. Dubuc was unanimously chosen in Provencher. In Mar- quette a severe contest was proceeding between Mr. Joseph Ryan, now Judge Ryan, and Mr. W. F. Luxton. Sir John A Macdonald had been defeated in Kingston, his home city, but his party had been triumphantly returned to power. It was necessary for a seat to be found for Sir John. Accord- ingly Mr. Ryan, and afterwards Mr. Luxton retired in his favor, so that Sir John was elected by acclamation. The combatants in the county of Selkirk, however, kept up the fight. Mr. Morris and his supporters were very confident, and the defeat through- out the Dominion damped the ardor of Mr. Smith’s supporters. However ai the close of the polls it was found that Mr. Smith had been elected by the small majority of ten votes. The affairs of the province were being conducted on a no-party basis. In October, 1878, Hon. R. A. Davis resigned his position as premier, leaving the stormy sea of politics, and at the same time his minister of agriculture, Hon. James McKay (who had taken the place of Hon. Charles Nolin), also retired. On the call of the lieutenant-governor, Hon. John Norquay (who had been added to the Davis ministry in the capacity of provincial secre- tary) became premier of the province. This event deserves more than a mere mention. To all friends of the province it was a strong desire to see the old-time rivalries done away with. “Old settler” and “Canadian” were ceasing to be political battle cries. Hon. John Norquay had the blood of the country in his viens, and so was a useful link in binding the two opposing sections together. He had been drawn into the Davis government from the ranks of the opposition and to smooth over the artificial lines of partisan differences. He was a man of pacific and attractive disposition, and he had steadily grown in public favor until he had become one of the best public speakers in the province. Mr. Norquay selected as his colleagues Hon. Joseph Royal, as minister of public works; Hon. D. M. Walker, attorney-general; Hon. C. P. Brown,264 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. provincial secretary; and, later on, Hon. Pierre Delorme, as president of the council and minister of agriculture. The differences of opinion in the legislature were chiefly personal, the character of the candidates being in general the determining factor. The members chosen from the various constituencies in 1878 were:— Government: St. Andrew’s South, Hon. John Norquay; St. Francois Xavier East, Hon. Joseph Royal; Westbourne, Hon. C. P. Brown; St. James, Hon. D. M. Walker; St. Clement, Mr. J. W. Sifton; St. Andrew’s North, Mr. John Gunn; St. Boniface, Mr. Lariviere; St. Anne’s, Mr. Charles Nolin; St. Vital, Mr. M. Goulet; St. Norbert, Mr. M. Delorme; Ste. Agathe, Mr. M. Taillefer; St. Charles, Mr. A. Murray; Headingly, Mr. John Tay- lor; St. Francois Xavier West, Mr. L. Schmidt; Baie St. Paul, Mr. And. Bourke; Burnside, Kenneth McKenzie—16. Opposition: Winnipeg,Capt. Scott; Pembina, M. Stevenson; Rockwood, Mr. Thomas Lusted; High Bluff and Poplar Point, Mr. J. A. K. Drum- mond; Springfield, Mr. A. W. Ross; Kildonan, Mr. Alex. Sutherland—6. Independents: St. Paul’s, Mr. S. C. Biggs; Portage la Prairie; Dr. Cowan. The Norquay government also had to deal with the agitation for better terms from the Dominion. The legislature directed Messrs. Norquay and Royal to ‘ ‘ proceed to Ottawa and urge upon the government of the Domin- ion a consideration of certain matters affecting the progress and welfare of the province. ’ ’ A decisive settlement of the various matters was urged, and the attitude of the Manitobans was so determined and persistent that the demands were obtained to a large extent, at least for the time. The con- cessions were construction of provincial buildings, liberal railway policy, sale of school lands, drainage of marsh lands, and an advance on capital account. On the return of the deputation from Ottawa great excitement was produced by the resignation of Hon. Joseph Royal on the plea that the English element was receiving more than its share of the government favors. It was simply the coming of the inevitable. The balance of power had changed, and the cry for representation of the new settlements could not be longer resisted. The government now became entirely English, Mr. S. C.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 265 Biggs and Mr. John Taylor assuming the portfolios resigned by Messrs. Royal and Delorme. The redistribution bill was then introduced, giving the new settlements representation, and the policy of the government was to diminish the French printing. The redistribution led to seventeen English-speaking constituencies to seven French-speaking, while eight years before they had been twelve to twelve. Following an appeal to the country by the local government, the general elections in December, 1879, returned a sweeping majority for the govern- ment, and of the French members six were supporters of the administra- tion. The cabinet was also reconstructed, Mr. Biggs being succeeded by Mr. M. A. Girard, and Mr. John Taylor (who had been defeated at the general elections) by Hon. Maxime Goulet. Thus the French once more had two representatives in the government. The legislature was made up as follows: Gladstone, Hon. C. P. Brown; Portage la Prairie, Dr. Cowan; Baie St. Paul, Girard; Woodlands, Lipsett; Rockwood, Aikins; St. Clements, Hay; St. Andrew’s, JSTorquay; Kildonan, A. M. Sutherland; Springfield, A. W. Ross; St. Boniface, Lariviere; West- bourne, Walker; Burnside, Smith; St. Francois Xavier, Breland; Assini- boia, Murray; Winnipeg, Capt. Scott; Cartier,---; Emerson, Nash; Duf- ferin South, Winram; La Verandrye, Goulet; Morris, Taillefer; Mountain, T. Greenway; High Bluff, Drummond; Dufferin North, Laughlin. In 1882 Lieutenant-Governor Cauchon’s term of office expired, and he was succeeded on December 2nd of the same year by Hon. J. C. Aikins. Mr. Aikins was an ardent Canadian, an experienced parliamentarian, a social reformer, a religious leader, and began his career in Manitoba under very favorable auspices. While almost all of the other provinces of the Dominion had held general elections in 1882, the Manitoba turmoil did not come till January, 1883. Party lines were now becoming strictly drawn, and though Mr. Norquay and his government were seriously weighted with the disallowance policy and unsuccessful land administration of their friends at Ottawa, yet the Manitoba government was strongly sustained by the province. The Liberals were, however, greatly cheered by carrying the city of Winnipeg with its two seats and by the election of their three strongest leaders,266 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Messrs. Greenway, Martin and Finlay Young. The following are the con- stituencies (there being five new ones created by the extension of the boundary westward) and their members:— Assiniboia—Alex. Murray, C. Baie St. Paul—E. L. Fairbanks, C. Birtle—E. P. Leacock, C. Brandon—J. E. Woodworth, C. Burnside—I. Mawhinney, C. Cartier—J. J. Lecompte, C. Dauphin—J. A. Davidson, G. Dufferin N.—D. H. Wilson, M.D., C. Dufferin S.—W. Winram, L. Emerson—F. E. Burnham, L. High Bluff—William Crawford, C. Kildonan—Alex. M. Sutherland, C. La Verandrye—Maxime Goulet, L. Minnedosa—D. H. Harrison, M.D., C. Morris—H. Tennant, C. Mountain—T. Greenway, L. Norfolk—Chas. Hay, L. Portage la Prairie—Joseph Martin, L. Rockwood—S. J. Jackson, L. Springfield—J. H. Bell, L. Ste. Agathe—Alex. Kittson, C. St. Andrew’s—Hon. J. Norquay, C. St. Boniface—Hon. A. A. Lariviere, C. St. Clement’s—Capt. J. B. Allan, C. St. Francois Xavier—E. F. Gigot, C. Turtle Mountain—F. McN. Young, L. Yarennes— (Election deferred). Westbourne—Hon. C. P. Brown, C. Winnipeg North—E. G. Conklin, L. Winnipeg South—A. C. Killam, L. Woodlands—W. Wagner, C.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 267 The Dominion general elections in 1882 showed a great redistribution of parties. The government, though successful on the whole, failed to elect a majority from the Manitoba constituencies. Provencher returned Joseph Royal by acclamation, while the other constituencies were repre- sented as follows: Marquette, Robert Watson, elected over E. McDonald; Lisgar, A. W. Ross, elected over Hon. J. C. Schultz; Selkirk, Hugh Suther- land over Stewart Mulvey; Winnipeg, Col. Scott elected over E. G. Conklin and Col. Osborne Smith. The difficulties of the Norquay administration increased with each year of its existence. The history of its defeat and collapse belongs with the history of railroad affairs during this period, and is told under that title. With the passing from power of the Norquay government and its short- lived successor, the Harrison ministry, the Liberals with Premier Greenway at their head, got their innings. The success of Messrs. Greenway and Martin in their fight at Ottawa for Manitoba’s “provincial rights” in the chartering of railroads, although a provincial rather than a political victory, added prestige to their party, and the opposition was reduced to an insig- nificant minority. After the government had obtained the passage of its redistribution bill which increased the members to thirty-eight and gave the new districts increased representation, an appeal was made to the country. The general election took place on July 19, 1888, and resulted in a great sweep for the government, ten Liberals being elected by acclamation. The members and the constituencies were as follows:— Beautiful Plains—J. Crawford, L. Birtle—-C. J. Mickle, L. Brandon Centre—Hon. J. A. Smart, L. Brandon North—Clifford Sifton, L. Brandon South—H. C. Graham, L. - Cartier—Thomas Gelley, L. Carillon—M. Jerome, L. Cypress—E. Wood, C. Dennis—D. McLean, L. Dufferin—R. P. Roblin, L.268 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Emerson—James Thompson, L. Kildonan—Hon. J. Norquay, C. Killarney—F. M. Young, L. Lansdowne—E. Dickson, L. Lakeside—K. McKenzie, L. La Verandrye—E. Lagemodiere, L. Lome—R. O’Malley, C. Manitou—W. Winram, L. Minnedosa—J. D. Gillies, C. Mountain—Hon. Thomas Greenway, L. Morden—A. Lawrence, L. Morris—A. F. Martin, L. Norfolk—S. J. Thompson, L. Portage la Prairie—Hon. J. Martin, L. Rosenfeld—E. Winkler, L. Rockwood—S. J. Jackson, L. Russell—James Fisher, L. St. Andrew’s—F. W. Colcleugh, L. St. Boniface—R. Marion, C. Shoal Lake—James Harrower, L. Souris—A. M. Campbell, L. Springfield—T. H. Smith, L. Turtle Mountain—J. Hettle, L. Winnipeg C.—Col. D. H. McMillan, L. Winnipeg S.—Isaac Campbell, L. Winnipeg N.—Hon. L. M. Jones, L. Westbourne—T. L. Morton, L. Woodlands—J. E. P. Prendergast, L. Government, 33; opposition, 5. In the same year a change took place in the office of provincial governor. Lieutenant-Governor Aikins retired at the end of his term, and although there was a strong element in favor of Premier Norquay, yet theHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 269 appointment went to Dr. Schultz, who had been a most prominent repre- sentative of the province for a long time. Early in the years of the Greenway ministry the celebrated “Manitoba School Question” arose, which meant nothing short of the entire abolition of the separate schools hitherto enjoyed by the Roman Catholics. The new School Act was passed in 1890. It was appealed to the Dominion government and the English privy council. Several times during the history of this question, the Greenway government went to the country and was sustained by overwhelming majorities. During the twelve years ’ rule of the Green way ministry, the period of Dr. Schultz’s governorship ended and he was succeeded in 1894 by Hon. James C. Patterson, who had been a member of the Dominion Parliament. Lieutenant-Governor Patterson was from western Ontario and continued till 1900, when he was succeeded by the present governor, Hon. D. H. McMillan, who has since become Sir Daniel McMillan. Near the end of Lieutenant-Governor Patterson’s term of office the Greenway government, having been long in power, became over-confident, and were defeated in the general election of 1900 by the Conservatives, led by Hon. Hugh John Macdonald, whose father had been so long the Premier of the Dominion. Mr. Macdonald had pledged himself to bring in a measure for the total prohibition of the liquor traffic. He carried out his pledge and the Prohibition Act was passed. Mr. Macdonald was induced in the general elections for the Dominion to resign his Premiership and oppose Hon. Clifford Sifton, minister of interior, in the constituency of Brandon. Mr. Macdonald was defeated. On his retirement from the Premiership, Hon. R. P. Roblin, the present premier, became head of the local government. He was re-elected at the general election for the province in 1904. The next Dominion general election after that of 1882 occurred in 1887, when the Macdonald ministry was again sustained at the polls, and Manitoba sent down a majority of its members to Ottawa to support the ministry which had successfully completed the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1886.270 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The following parliament was not allowed to live out its natural term of life, but was dissolved in 1890, shortly after which a general election was held. The result was strongly in favor of the Macdonald government, four of the Manitoba members being elected to support it with but one opponent. The Manitoba school question arising out of the Province of Manitoba abolishing separate schools now began to be felt in Dominion politics. The election of 1896 marked the return to power of the Liberals, led by Hon. Wilfrid Laurier. This was a revolution of a peaceful kind, and though the question which overturned the Conservative government was that of Manitoba’s educational policy, yet the majority of four in the province supported the old government while one Independent was elected, and one professed Liberal only. The formation of the Laurier government and recurrence of a series of fruitful seasons in Canada led to the strengthening in the west of the Liberal party. The school question gradually quieted down and in October, 1900, another general election resulted in three Con- servatives being returned in Manitoba, two decided Liberals, an Independ- ent, and Winnipeg sent a labor representative. The project of building the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway became an important element in the general elections which took place on October 27, 1904. The growth of the Province of Manitoba in population now led to its having the right to elect ten members. As in the case of the North-West Territories and British Columbia Manitoba strongly supported the Liberal government. The Laurier government elected seven and the Conservatives three members in Manitoba.* *The following are the members of this parliament: Brandon—Hon. Clifford Sifton, L. Dauphin—Theodore A. Burrows, L. Lisgar—Hon. T. Greenway, L. Macdonald—W. D. Staples, C. Marquette—Dr. W. J. Roche, C. Portage la Prairie-—John Crawford, L. Selkirk—S. J. Jackson, L. Souris—Dr. F. L. Schaffner, C. Winnipeg—D. W. Bole. L.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 271 The enormous immigration pouring into western Canada is giving the west added importance in the councils of the nation. Two new provinces west of Manitoba—Saskatchewan and Alberta—were organized in 1905, and the time may come when the majority of the population of Canada, and therefore the preponderance of political power, will be found west of Lake Superior. Like all new provinces Manitoba has shown a disposition to vary much in its political opinions. The question of the hour may be said to largely determine which party shall be supreme. By the end of the present parlia- ment the thirty-eight years of provincial existence will he found to be divided pretty equally between the two political parties with a slight pre- ponderance in favor of the Conservatives. Meanwhile the people of the province have overcome their inexperience so patent in 1871 and have been found equal to all the exigencies of their developing provincial life.CHAPTER XXX. THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OP MANITOBA. Public Schools. When Lord Selkirk projected his colony on the banks of Red river, it was part of his comprehensive plan that his people should have full educa- tional and religious advantages. He recognized, on his visit to Red River in 1817 the need of these opportunties for Protestants and Catholics alike. On the Earl’s return to England he took steps to provide his colonists with the promised facilities. Before going to Prance in 1819 he gave orders for the despatch of a Protestant clergyman to the English-speaking part of his colony, having previously set apart land for a church and schools. In 1820 the Scottish settlers had erected a schoolhouse which served alike for religious and educational purposes. This was built upon a site now included within the limits of the city of Winnipeg. Not earlier in design, though earlier in execution, was the purpose of Lord Selkirk to provide for service and teaching among his Roman Catholic colonists. Through his efforts in Montreal, a distinguished French Cana- dian priest, known afterwards as Bishop Provencher, journeyed to Red River. As early as 1818 the Roman Catholic mission at St. Boniface, on Red river, opposite Winnipeg, was begun, and beside it rose a school. At this school, shortly afterwards, we are told, there was pupils in the humanities. The Catholic church has confined its attention chiefly to the Indians and the Indian half-breeds of French origin. Schools and con- vents have been erected and maintained in a considerable number of places throughout Manitoba and the North-West Territories. The school at St. Boniface later became the College of St. Boniface. When, in 1835, the Red River settlement was organized under the name of the ‘ ‘ District of Assiniboia ’ ’ and passed under the rule of a council appointed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, there seems to have been no public provision for schools made by this government. Each church erected had by its side a school under the control of the missionary. There was no system of taxation in vogue, but the school was sustained by private sub-St. John's College The Four Classical Colleges of ti-ie University of Manitoba. Manitoba College. Wesley College. St. Boniface College.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 273 scription or by grants from the missionary societies in England. In the district of Assiniboia, in 1870, there were, to provide for the educational needs of the polyglot twelve thousand population, a few schools in the French half-breed parishes, fourteen schools in the English-speaking half- breed parishes under the Church of England, and two schools under the Presbyterian church in the parishes belonging to the white descendants of the original Selkirk colonists. As early as 1833 a higher school was established which existed in vari- ous forms, with varying fortune, until in 1855 it became St. John’s College. The Bishop of Rupert’s Land placed the institution on a new footing in 1866. Just as the rule of the Hudson’s Bay Company was passing away, the Scottish Selkirk colony, with the help of Canadian friends, took steps towards the founding of a college. Thus, third in time of the colleges in the country, Manitoba College was begun in 1871. In the first session of the legislature of the newly-created Province of Manitoba, in 1871, the first School Act, the germ of the present law, was passed. The leading provisions of this Act were as follows:— 1. That a joint board, half Protestant, the other half Catholic, should have control of common school education. 2. The management of the Protestant schools was given entirely to the Protestant section; that of the Catholic schools to the Catholic section. 3. The formation of school districts was effected by the board, with the approval of the governor-in-council. 4. The mode of support of the school, whether by private subscription or taxation, was left to be decided by each district. 5. The examination and licensing of its teachers belonged to each section. 6. A government grant was given to the board and divided proportion- ally among the two sections; and, after the payment by each section of a sum not exceeding $600 to the secretary or superintendent of schools, the amount belonging to each section was to be divided amongst its schools. The system thus founded was much developed in an Act pased in 1873. This gave the power to any ratepayer to choose the school he wished to sup- port, whether Catholic or Protestant. The duties of all officers were 18274 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. defined; taxation was made compulsory, and machinery established for collecting taxes. By the year 1876, the educational question had become a serious one, especially in the capital city. Although the city contained q population between four and five thousands, owing to the state of the law, the difficulty of collecting taxes, the opposition of a number of leading citizens, and the inexperience of some of the trustees, the Winnipeg schools were in a deplor- able condition. In consequence, the Protestant section of the board of education for the province, whose meetings were held in Winnipeg, attempted, though without success, to carry out an almost revolutionary reform in the system of education. The general dissatisfaction with the school system had led the government of the day to infuse a greater amount of new Canadian blood into the board of education. This was a dangerous experiment. The new members having obtained the upper hand, in October of the year 1876 passed certain resolutions embodying principles which would have com- pletely overturned the provincial legislation of 1871. Great excitement pre- vailed when the public became aware of what was being done in the usually quiet conclaves of the board of education. Several of the older members of the board, who considered themselves hound up in the pact of 1871, absented themselves from the board, and in some cases withdrew from the board altogether. The Catholic section of the board were very naturally up in arms. The proposals of the Protestant section would plainly antagonize principles in the Manitoba Act of 1871, which they regarded as essential. The debated proposals of the Protestant section aimed at the following: 1. A purely non-sectarian system of education. 2. One inspector for all classes of schools. 3. Compulsory use of English in all public schools. 4. One system of administration. 5. One normal school (there were none yet in the province). 6. The same requirements for every class of candidate for teachers’ certificates.. 7. A united board of education. 8. A pro rata division of government grants to all schools. But the division in the board was so serious that the bill which the majority had proposed was too drastic for the government of the time toHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 275 face. Peace was at last restored for the time being by the removal from the board of education of the more violent of the agitators. This ferment in educational circles, however, led to the School Act of 1876. The premier, with the co-operation of the Protestant section of the board of education, followed the Ontario plan of giving a special educa- tional Act for “cities and towns.” To this there could be no objection, and so peace was for the time restored by this concession to the city of Win- nipeg. On February 4, 1876, the Act passed, and though it only concerned Winnipeg—for Portage la Prairie was then a hamlet and Brandon had not yet been born—it created great satisfaction in the city. It provided for the new school board of twelve trustees—three to be elected from each of the four wards of the city. It had large powers of taxation, the right to make out its estimates yearly and to have those col- lected by the municipal machinery of the city. It had power to elect an inspector of schools, to erect buildings, issue debentures, appoint and pay teachers, who, however, must hold regular certificates from the provincial authority, procure suitable apparatus and authorized text books as well as to establish and maintain school libraries. One of the useful provisions, which was afterwards left out by the legislation of 1890, was the power to compel attendance at school of children between the ages of seven and twelve years. Certain regulations were necessarily introduced as to the relations of the Protestant and Catholic school boards allowed under the Act. These were swept away by the Act of 1890. One of the greatest points of difference between the Manitoba Educational Acts and those of other Canadian provinces, is that secondary or high school education is all under the same school board as the primary schools. This union has worked well in Manitoba. Under the system as thus established, the status of education in Mani- toba, in the year 1887, is thus summarized:— “It is generally agreed that Manitoba has a population of from 150,000 to 200,000. There are at present four hundred schools or districts belonging to the Protestant section, and fifty to the Catholic. In the Protestant schools, in 1883, 123 males and 123 females were teaching.276 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. According to the returns for 1884, there were in attendance at the Pro- testant schools 10,831 pupils, and at the Catholic sections there were in attendance 1,941 in 1883. It will be noted that a considerable number of the organized districts have not their schools in operation. This arises from the very sparse population preventing their having schools carried on all the year round, as well as from the fact that, in the newer parts, except on a few main lines in winter, trails are not open in the more thinly populated localities. During 1884 the average number of days of attendance for pupils was 150 in cities and towns, and eighty in the country districts. The earliest school age allowed by the Act is five years; though so large a number of the schools belong to newly organized districts that children of the age of eight or ten years, or more, enter school for the first time. About six years would probably represent the average in the older and better- organized schools. There is little difference between the male and female pupils in this respect. In a large number of our country schools, the farmers’ children can attend school for but half the year; but up to the age of fifteen most of the children in the better, school districts attend in the winter season. In the cities and towns probably from twelve to. thirteen years would represent the age of leaving school in the majority of cases, as work or situations can then be obtained. The school course extends over ten years. “As to secondary education, the collegiate departments have only been long enough in operation to send up one class of university students; this occurred for the first time in May, 1884. On this occasion twelve students from Winnipeg collegiate department entered Manitoba University. “The provincial grant for the Protestant section for 1884 was $33,159.98; but as the schools become more numerous there is an annual increase. The amount of money allowed annually by the government is placed to the credit of the board of education. It is then divided between the Protestant and Catholic sections, according to the relative proportion of Protestant and Catholic children of school age in the province as obtained by the school census taken annually. From the proportion coming to the Protestant section, payment is first made to each school at the rate of fiftyHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 277 dollars for each half year that it may be in operation, each department in a city or town school counting as an individual school. Secondly, when the schools have received payment at the rate stated, the remainder of the grant set apart is divided among them according to average attendance. ‘ ‘ The amount levied by the trustees as local taxation for the Protestant schools for 1884 was $178,140.05. The total amount expended in 1884- (including sums for school building) was $363,775.85, and the cost of governmental administration was $6,627.56. ’ ’ On the subject of “General Intelligence” the same report had this to say:— , “Before stating the general condition of intelligence among the people, a word should be said about the Indian population. There are 11,311 Indians under treaty stipulations in the -Manitoba agency. The Dominion government is bound by treaty to maintain schools among the Indians. There are forty-one school houses among these eleven thousand Indians, and twenty-four schools are in operation. Hitherto the teachers have been of inferior qualification, and have been wretchedly remunerated. “In the.general intelligence of its white population, Manitoba occupies a high place. The Dominion -postoffice authorities state that the proportion of letters and newspapers passing through Winnipeg postoffice is very large compared with the numbers of the population; they state, moreover, that the standard of excellence in handwriting is above that of any other post- office in Canada. It must be noticed, however, that the French native adult population can seldom write. A petition from a French parish with upwards of one hundred names, had all but six signed with a cross, along with ‘sa marque.’ The immigrating population of a higher class coming to Manitoba is great. Retired clergymen (five in one settlement), graduates of British and Canadian universities, half-pay army officers, and the better class of British and Canadian farmers, all engaged in tilling the soil, are numerous. ’ ’ Thirteen years passed after the School Act of 1876 before the educa- tional forces aligned themselves for the decisive settlement of the problems that had vexed the people since the creation of the province. The most278 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. notable agitation that ever took place in Manitoba was that in connection with the question of separate schools. While not bound to give schools to the Roman Catholics under the direction of their church, yet the young Province of Manitoba did so in 1871. It was not surprising that the legislature took this step. No school other than a church school had ever been known in Manitoba, unless it were Kildonan, and even that was virtually so. In the first legislature John Sutherland, the member for Kildonan, introduced a bill for an unsec- tarian public school system, but had little support. The influx of Canadian people, however, changed the situation. As already indicated, the protest against separate schools began in the middle ’70s, and the reformers nearly succeeded in introducing their system in 1876. The School Act of that year was in the nature of a compromise between the opposing elements, satisfy- ing temporarily the agitators in Winnipeg by allowing that city virtually local self-government in educational matters. But the main current of discontent and clamor was not affected by this Act, and by the latter eighties swelled to the flood that could not be checked. The intention of the government to recast the educational machinery of the province, and in doing so to abolish separate schools, gradually evolved itself. All the ministers of the Crown were not equally anxious to go on with the changes. But Hon. Joseph Martin, the attorney-general, and to whom belongs the honor of opening this educational campaign, was persis- tent and aggressive in keeping the question to the fore. In the course of time Hon. Mr. Prendergast, being out of harmony with the policy of the government, resigned the provincial secretaryship, and was succeeded by Hon. D. McLean. Correspondence on the subject multiplied in the public press. The synods and other gatherings of the religious bodies took part in the struggle, and their leaders assumed various attitudes. The eastern newspapers fanned the flame with blasts from different standpoints, and the conflagration entirely absorbed the public mind, and diverted attention from many important public matters which demanded attention. The introduction of the school bills in 1890 produced high tension not more among the legislators than the general public. The excitement con- tinued during the discussions. Two bills were presented, viz., one providingHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 279 the superintendence and the machinery of government by the present system of a department of education under the direction of a cabinet minis- ter ; the other the School Act, dealing with the organization of public schools. The ministry had an enormous majority, while the opposition was not in a position on account of the unanimity of public feeling to make any diver- sion affecting the question. The only anxiety on the part of the government was that their band of some five French supporters, led by Hon. J. E. P. Prendergast, had been by the nature of the case compelled to withdraw their support. The first Act was that creating a department of education. This Act constituted an advisory board for the minister in charge of education. It consisted of seven members, which number was afterwards increased to nine. Two of these then as now were chosen by the teachers of the province. Notwithstanding the great interest taken in all parts of Canada, and in spite of the strong opposition made in very influential quarters, the Acts passed with the consent of an overwhelming majority of the people of Manitoba. The transition from the old to the new took place as rapidly as possible, but was, of course, strongly resisted by the minority. While a few of the separate school districts accepted the new situation, the greater number did not. The city separate schools continued in existence, though the necessity of supporting them by private means bore heavily upon their friends. In the country forty or more schools after continuing for a while were either closed or remained as refusing government direction. The minority after a few months decided to test the legality of the Education Acts of 1890. It was determined by the sufferers to bring an action against the city of Winnipeg to quash a by-law of the city to raise school taxes under the authority of these Acts. Meanwhile, in April, 1890, a very large petition was presented to the Governor-General showing forth their grievances and asking that relief should be given by the Governor-General in council to the Roman Catholics in Manitoba. It was thought possible that the Dominion might disallow the Education Acts. However, on April 4, the privy council of Canada approved of the two Acts as legal.280 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In November, 1890, the minority brought on the action in the legal case. Dr. Barrett, a Catholic ratepayer of Winnipeg, accepted the position of prosecutor for his co-religionists. The affidavits made in the case were by the following gentlemen: For—Dr. Barrett, Archbishop Tache. Against— Rev. Dr. Bryce, William Hespeler, Alexander Poison, John Sutherland. The Archbishop claimed the legal rights of the minority, on the ground that at the time of the passing of the Manitoba Act of 1870 there were within the territory now known as Manitoba a number of effective schools for children, that a number of these were Roman Catholic, and that justice and practice justified his claim for their continuance. The opponents of the Archbishop in their affidavits maintained that the schools in the territory now known as Manitoba, up to 1870, could not be called public schools, as no law existed for establishing or governing any system, and no taxes were levied for the support of schools. As was pointed out afterwards by the privy council, the minority was in no way prevented from having such private schools as they had maintained before the entrance of the Red River country into Confederation. The case was watched by the people with very great interest. Judge Killam heard the pleadings, and on the 21st of November, 1890, dismissed the application of Dr. Barrett. Appeal was made by Dr. Barrett to the full court of Manitoba, when Chief Justice Taylor and Judge Bain agreed with Judge Killam, Judge Dubuc dissenting. A further appeal was made to the supreme court of Canada, when the judgment of the lower courts was reversed, and the Acts were held to be ultra vires (October 28, 1891). City and province now united in an appeal of the whole case to the privy council of the empire. Public interest was thoroughly aroused, and though the “law’s delays” kept back the decision till July 30, 1892, yet at that time came the welcome news that Manitoba had won her case before the privy council. In the fact of this decision and undeterred by the majority of the province being overwhelmingly against them, the minority fell back on their last resort. A petition to the Governor-General was forwarded on September 20, 1892, asking that the petitions for redress already sent in should now be taken into consideration as provided for in the educationalHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 281 clauses of the Manitoba Act. One of these clauses permitted an appeal being made to the Governor-General in Council when in regard to educa- tion any minority was dissatisfied with the action of the local legislature. This put the matter in the class of public policy questions—in Dominion politics. The government, having heard the case, referred it to the supreme court to decide whether this Manitoba matter was a fitting case for the interference of the Dominion government. The court held that the Parlia- ment had no competence in the matter, but the judicial committee of the privy council reversed this judgment. The brunt of the storm had now to be borne by the Dominion govern- ment. Seeing that there was no hope of the local legislature receding from its position on separate schools, the petitioners and the Catholic minority throughout Canada made common cause and brought enormous pressure upon the Dominion government to enact remedial legislation on their behalf. They declared that the British North America Act guaranteed their right to do this. Very unwillingly the premier, Sir Mackenzie Bowell, consented to the proposed dangerous novelty of asking the Dominion houses of Parliament to make laws on the school question to override those of the Province of Manitoba. The actual introduction of such a measure at the session of 1896 raised the question of “provincial rights” in acute form and produced controversy and political excitement throughout the Dominion. The government was in a most difficult situation, and the opposition was able to “talk the bill to death,” so that Parliament was dissolved before the question was brought to vote. The decision of the question was thus thrown upon the country, and the campaign among the constituencies was the most heated known in years. Sir Mackenzie resigned the premiership and was succeeded by Sir Charles Tupper, who on April 26,1896, assumed the active leadership of the Conservative party. With amazing virility and pluck, he entered, at the age of seventy-one, on a most serious campaign. His bravery was shown in his coming to Winnipeg', the very storm centre of the opposition, where the remedial bill had been so unpopular. But the war-note of “provincial rights” rung out by Sir Wilfrid Laurier sank into the hearts of the Cana-282 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. dian people both east and west, and in the June election of 1896 S: Charles Tupper’s ministry and party were defeated. The burning Manitoba question faced the new premier, and in h second year of power he undertook to solve it. He conferred with tl Manitoba cabinet, but found them very coy in accepting any suggestions c compromise. Three times they had been overwhelmingly sustained in thei firm stand for Manitoba rights, and they were unwilling to forego an advantages these victories gave them. Nevertheless in 1897 an agreement was reached by which pupils of tl public schools, while not allowed to be divided according to religious denon inations until 3.30 p.m. of the school day, might after that hour receive fc half an hour religious instruction. Roman Catholics were also to l allowed their proportion of teachers of their own faith in the public school provided that these were regularly certified. The putting of this agreement into the form of an Act in 1897 settle the question in so far as the country districts are concerned, but the refuss of the minority to accept the terms in Winnipeg leaves educational affaii still in the shadow of discontent and dissatisfaction. Colleges and the University. The germs of the higher education whose institutions are represente in the University of Manitoba are found in the nucleus of intellectual forc< that were gathered at Red River in the early years of the past century. ] is evident that in the old Red River settlement there had been educations forces in operation much more powerful than the small population or tl state of civilization would lead us to expect. The churches planted on tl banks of the Red river had been organized and carried on by scholarly mer the Fidler and Red River libraries had early diffused knowledge; the peop’ had in their seclusion more time and more taste for books than are found s present within the reach of the telephone, the telegraph and the railwaj and the Hudson’s Bay Company officers were to a certain extent an aristi cracy of letters, who favored the spread of books and learning.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 283 These forces being in operation, it became about that there were, in spite of the backwardness and remoteness of the settlement, institutions of learning which struggled into existence and gradually, though with diffi- culty, grew. Good Father Provencher and Dumoulin, brought through the suggestion of Lord Selkirk from Montreal to the North-West, carried in 1818 the torch of religion and learning and began a classical school which has developed into St. Boniface College of to-day. Shortly after that notable event, the Rev. John West, sent out through Lord Selkirk’s agent by the Church Missionary Society from England, laid the foundation of education and religion among the Selkirk settlers. With varying for- tunes the school grew, became in time the MacCallum school, until on a somewhat new basis St. John’s College was established by the young Bishop of Rupert’s Land forty years ago. It was shortly before the trans- fer of Red River settlement to Canada that the movement was begun to give form to a long cherished dream entertained by the Scottish settlers of Kildonan and their revered leader, of establishing an institution of higher learning among them. Manitoba College, begun in 1871, was the fulfil- ment of this hope. These three colleges received a new impulse from the influx of Cana- dian settlers after the transfer of Red river to Canada; so that their his- tory as incorporated institutions really begins with the history of the young Province of Manitoba. For several years the three colleges, each on its own line, fulfilled their mission. Young men were prepared for the British and Canadian universities, as indeed had been done in some cases before the transfer, and all of the colleges being provided with residences were a boon to the families of missionaries, traders and settlers, as far west as the Rocky Mountains, and north to the Arctic Sea. Good work was done by these pristine colleges, notwithstanding the fact that there was no fear of a university examination before their eyes. They were ill-provided with means, their management required marvels of financiering, but they lived in an atmosphere of exalted hope, that somehow has been a feature of the Pro- vince of Manitoba since its beginning. So far back as the beginning of 1875 there were thoughts of co-opera- tion in higher education in the minds of thinking men. In a well attended284 HISTORY OF MANITOBA: meeting in' the old court house called by the ^authorities of Manitoba College, the speakers referred to the importance of uniting to accomplish something better than the separate colleges could afford in higher education. The Mayor of Winnipeg, Col. Kennedy, a prominent Methodist, was in the chair. Chief Justice Wood, a member of the Church of England, always willing to assist schemes of advancement, made a leading speech. Consul Taylor, the silver-tongued orator of early Winnipeg, took his part. Dr. Robertson and the professors of Manitoba College all combined in hoping for such action as would lead the colleges to lay aside any desire to have degree-conferring power granted to them, and to aim at an independ- ent university, which would bestow degrees and rewards upon all classes regardless of creed or race or tongue. During the years 1875 and 1876 the minds of the educationists con- tinued to brood over the matter. The project was strongly endorsed by Governor Alexander Morris, who, ambitious to signalize his term of office by some great achievement, found in the creation of a university an object worthy of his ideals. With remarkable persistence he kept the matter before his ministers, and carried his point. Even after they had accepted the project, the Hon. Joseph Royal in introducing the university bill, on February 9, 1877, said with an air of complaint: “The government think the bill premature, but they have been so repeatedly urged that they have brought it down.” To everyone but the governor the bill seemed to estab- lish what a critic at the time called ‘ ‘ a mere paper university. ’ ’ Some little anxiety had been shown by the different religious bodies concerned, as to their liberty of conscience and action in the working out of the university. It was provided that each affiliated college should have “the entire management of its internal affairs, studies, worship and religi- ous teaching.” It was stipulated that no religious test should be required of students; that no student should be required to take any course of materialistic or sceptical system of logic or natural philosophy; and that every candidate should have the benefit of the authors of his choice in mental philosophy and history. One of the colleges having its students chiefly from among the French-speaking people, the liberty was given to students to pass their examinations in either the English or French lan-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 285 guage. The courage of the founders of the university in thus making an institution wide enough to include all shades, of religious opinion, in the province was further tested in providing for the provincial university giving degrees in theology. In vain had other state universities struggled with this difficulty. At last the plan was struck upon in Manitoba of allow- ing each college to grant the degrees of Bachelor and Doctor of Divinity, on the approval of the governing body of the denomination to which the college belonged, and, further, on the student for this degree passing a prescribed examination in Arts in the university. It was to be for some time a university without buildings, without professors and without revenue. At the meeting of the first university council, in September, 1877, steps were at once taken to frame a. curriculum of; study for the university.. At the second meeting the curriculum com- mittee made their report, summarizing their work with the statement “that some difficulty had been experienced on account of the diverse systems of English and French universities, but that the committee were of opinion that these had been overcome without serious interference with the tradi- tions and customs of either. ” The first list of officials of the university was as follows: Chancellor, Archbishop Machray; vice-chancellor, Hon. Joseph Royal; registrar, Mr. E. W. Jarvis; bursar, Mr. Duncan Macarthur. The first examination took place on the 27th of May, 1878. There were seven candidates present, all from Manitoba College. As to race, two were natives with Indian blood, four Canadians and one American. As to religion, two were Roman Catholics, two Methodists and three Pres- byterians.. When it is considered that the seven successful candidates of 1878 are represented by upwards of one thousand in 1905, it will be seen what great development has taken place in the university. No sooner had the university begun than it was seen that its support would become a serious difficulty, that is if it were to become anything worthy of the name. Thus, early in 1878, an application was made to the Dominion government for a grant of wild lands in the province, to become in time a university endowment. In the following year the application was recommended by the local legislature. In the next year again the286 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. petition of the council to this end received a favorable response from Sir John Macdonald. From time to time, as each Governor-General visited the province, the matter was kept to the fore. At length, in 1885, under what was known as the “Better Terms Settlement,” an endowment of one hundred and fifty thousand acres was voted for a university “capable of giving proper training in the higher branches of education.” Two years after this the university council adopted the regulations required for the bestowment of the land, providing for the purchase of a site and furnish- ing of university buildings. The remainder of the proceeds of the land .vas to be invested for the maintenance of the university. In the next year the provincial government voted four thousand dollars for the inspection of the vacant lands of the province in order that the university land grant might be selected. Shortly afterwards a protest was entered with the Dominion government on behalf of St. Boniface College, objecting to the granting of the lands, on the ground that the basis of the university was likely to be changed to that of a teaching body. For nine long years noth- ing was done toward giving the land to the university, until in 1898 the Hon. Clifford Sifton, supported by a majority of the members for Mani- toba in the Dominion house, secured the delivery of the patents for the land grant to the university. This land grant will become a great boon to higher education in Manitoba. Some sixteen thousand acres have been sold, realizing $120,000, so that the present value of the grant may be con- sidered to be a million and a half dollars. The valuable site of the univer- sity was also given as a free gift by the Dominion government. The young University of Manitoba, by its breadth and comprehensive- ness, attracted the attention of educationists both in older Canada and in Great Britain. A son of old Red River, who had fought the battle of the early settlers in England, and had gained a competence in London as a teacher and educational leader, was so attracted by the thought of aiding his native land that he bequeathed eighty-five thousand dollars as a scholar- ship fund for assisting worthy students. This was Alexander K. Isbister, who figured so prominently in the troubles preceding the union of Red River with Canada. The Isbister fund as well as the land grant has doneA FEW OF THE Rat l’OKTAOE LUMBER C'0.’S TOWBOATS.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 287 much to anchor the university and to keep together its diverse elements, when they at times had different views on points of interest that arose. The three original colleges of the university were, in order of their origin, St. Boniface College, St. John’s College and Manitoba College. Provision was made in the University Act for the admission of new colleges as they should spring up. The first to join the three charter colleges was (1881) the Manitoba Medical College. Beginning in a very small way, this college has become steadily more efficient. Its early days were character- ized by all the struggles and ailments of infant life, but it survived them all, and now has a large number of students, and has in some years sent up from twenty to thirty for graduation. The youngest affiliated arts college is Wesley College, which, founded in 1889, has grown very much in numbers and has taken an active part in all university work. This college is the second institution conducted in Manitoba under Methodist auspices. In the seventies, on account of the poor condition of the public school, the Methodist church opened in Win- nipeg a school called the Wesleyan Institute. Here two teachers, graduates of Victoria College, Cobourg, began work. For some three terms the Wesleyan Institute was conducted, but when educational conditions improved there seemed less need for the maintenance of such an institu- tion, so that the institute yielded to the solicitations of the school board, who were in pressing need of accommodation for their schools, and the Wesleyan Institute building was rented by the school board. In Brandon a Baptist college with a good building and a competent staff of professors has been established, and takes advantage of the university examinations. It is believed that it will become one of the sisterhood of affiliated colleges. A College of Pharmacy in the city of Winnipeg has been affiliated and its curriculum has now been adopted to enable the university to give a degree in pharmacy. The newest institution of learning in the province is the Agricultural College near Winnipeg, on the south side of the Assiniboine river. The probabilities are that for its higher courses it will also be affiliated with the university.288 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Certain privileges appertain to the colleges growing out of their affilia- tion, and it is likely that as new colleges arise, whether in Winnipeg or else- where throughout the province, they will come under the aegis of the uni- versity, for as stated in the charter, “it is desirable to establish one univer- sity for the whole of Manitoba. ’ ’ No college would in the present temper of the people of Manitoba have any chance of getting degree-conferring powers apart from the university.Mill of Rat Portage Lumber C'o., KenoraCHAPTER XXXI. THE RISE OF THE CHURCHES. The colonists who crossed the ocean and penetrated the wilderness of Rupert’s Land to found a settlement on the Red River did not leave their religion behind. Loyal to their Christian faith here as at home, they worshipped despite the difficulties of a primitive community and in time saw the institutions of religion established and growing in power and influence. Previous to the first steps taken in colonization, the efforts for the spread of the Christian religion in Rupert’s Land were feeble. The Hud- son’s Bay Company, being primarily a trading company, did not give attention to missionary work in the interior; while the teachings of the few French priests who had before the conquest of 1759 found their way to Rupert’s Land from Canada, left little or no tangible record on the natives after their influence was withdrawn. The first clergyman to arrive in Rupert’s Land was in connection with Lord Selkirk’s colony in 1811. A party of Lord Selkirk’s first colonists having come from Sligo, the founder sent one Father Bourke to accom- pany the party to Red River. The wintering at York Factory seems to have developed some unsatisfactory traits in the spiritual adviser, and he did not proceed further than the shore of the bay, but returned to his. native land. The necessity of providing certain spiritual oversight for his Scottish colonists occupied Lord Selkirk’s mind. In 1815 James Sutherland, an elder authorized by the Church of Scotland to baptize and marry, arrived with one of the bands of colonists at Red River. The first point in the agreement between Lord Selkirk and his colonists was “to have the services of a minister of their own church.” This was Lord Selkirk’s wish, and Mr. Sutherland was sent as locum tenens. For three years this devout man performed the duties of his sacred office, until in the conflict between the rival companies he was forcibly taken away to Canada by the Northwest. Company. 19290 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Lord Selkirk entered into correspondence with the Roman Catholic authorities in Lower Canada as to their appointing priests to take charge of the French and De Meurons of his colony. Accordingly, two French priests, Joseph Norbert Provencher and Severe Dumoulin, proceeded to the North-West and took up a position on the east side of Red river nearly opposite the site of the demolished Fort Gibraltar. On account of the pre- ponderance of the German-speaking De Meurons, the settlement was called St. Boniface, after the German patron saint. In 1822jhe Priest Provencher was made a bishop under the title of Bishop of Juliopolis (in partibus infindelium). His jurisdiction included Rupert’s Land and the North-West or Indian Territories. Besides his work among the Indians the bishop organized the French settlements along the Red and Assiniboine rivers into parishes. In addition to St. Boniface, some of these were St. Norbert, St. Francois Xavier, St. Charles, St. Vital and the like, until at the close of the Hudson’s Bay Company rule in 1869, there were nine French parishes. In the year 1844 a young French priest named Alexandre Antonin Tache came to the North-West and led the way in carrying the faith among the Indians of the Mackenzie river. In a few years the young priest was appointed co-adjutor of Bishop Provencher, and on the death of that pre- late in 1853, young Monseigneur Tache succeeded to the see under the name of the Bishop of St. Boniface. As we already know, Bishop Tache became a notable man of the Red River settlement and of the Province of Manitoba. He was a man of much breadth of view, kindliness of manner, and of great religious zeal. Though Lord Selkirk was compelled to betake himself to France in 1820 in search of health, he did not forget his promise to his Scottish colon- ists on Red river. He entrusted the task of procuring a clergyman for them to Mr. John Pritchard. Pritchard, acting under the direction of the committee of the Hudson’s Bay Company, seems to have taken a course that Lord Selkirk would hardly have approved. To some extent disregarding the promise made to the Scottish settlers, either the agent or the committee applied to the Church Missionary Society to appoint a chaplain for the Hudson’s Bay Company at Red River.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 291 The choice made was a most judicious one, being that of Rev. John West, who wrote a very readable book on his experiences, in which the con- dition of the settlement, along with an account of his missionary labors, is described. Mr. West arrived in Red River settlement in October, 1820, and at once began his labors by holding services in Fort Garry. For a time he was fully occupied in marrying many who had formerly lived as man and wife, though already married after the Indian fashion, and in baptizing the children. He at once opened a school. In 1823 he erected the first Protestant place of worship on the Red river, and in the same year was joined by Rev. David Jones, who was left in charge when Mr. West returned to England. Two years afterward Rev. William Cochrane and his wife arrived at Red River. Mr. Cochrane, afterwards Archdeacon Cochrane, was a man of striking personality, and to him has been given the credit of laying the foundation of the Church of England in the Red River settlement. The Indians to the north of the settlement on Red river were visited and yielded readily to the solicitations of the missionaries. Early among these self- denying Indian missionaries was the Reverend, afterward Archdeacon, Cowley. Churches were erected in the parishes that were set apart in the same way as the French parishes, St. John’s, St. Paul’s, St. Andrew’s, St. Clement’s, St. James, Headingly and the like to the number of ten were each provided with church and school. In 1844 an episcopal visit was made to Red River by the first Protest- ant bishop who could reach the remote spot. This was Dr. Mountain, bishop of Montreal. Many confirmations took place by the bishop, and Mr. Cowley was made a priest. John McCallum, who had come to Red River in 1833 and had begun the school which has since become St. John’s College, had taken such a hold upon the Selkirk settlers that it was deemed advisable to ordain him, and for several year's he carried on the school along with the incumbency of the parish church. McCallum lived only five years after the bishop’s visit. In 1838 James Leith, a wealthy chief factor of the Hudson’s Bay Com- pany, bequeathed in his will twelve’thousand pounds to be expended for the benefit of the Indian missions in Rupert’s Land. Leith’s family bitterly292 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. opposed this disposition of their patrimony, but the master of the rolls, hearing that the Hudson’s Bay Company was willing to add three hundred pounds annually to the interest accruing from the Leith bequest, gave the decision against them, and thus secured an income to the see of seven hundred pounds a year. In 1849 the diocese of Rupert’s Land was estab- lished by the Crown, and Rev. David Anderson, of Oxford University, was consecrated first Bishop of Rupert’s Land. In the autumn of the same year Bishop Anderson arrived at Red River by way of York Factory, and his first public duty was to conduct the funeral of the lamented John McCallum. After an incumbency of fifteen years Bishop Anderson returned to England and resigned the bishopric. In 1865 Dr. Robert Machray arrived at Red River, having been conse- crated bishop by the Archbishop of Canterbury. By the time of the pass- ing away of the power of the Hudson’s Bay Company, four years after the arrival of Bishop Machray, substantial stone churches and schoolhouses had been erected in almost all of the parishes mentioned, as organized by the Church of England. To the Church of England belonged nearly all the English-speaking half-breed population of the colony, as well as a large number of the Hudson’s Bay Company officers. A perusal of the work, “Red River Settlement,” by Alexander Ross,, shows that a long and somewhat disappointing struggle was maintained by the Selkirk settlers to obtain the fulfilment of Lord Selkirk’s promise to send them a minister of their own faith. Scottish governors came and departed, but no Scottish minister came. Sir George Simpson arrived on his yearly visits to Fort Garry, and was often interviewed by the settlers of Kildonan, but the governor, though pleasant and plausible enough was impenetrable as the sphinx. Petitions were sent to the Hudson’s Bay Com- pany and to the Scottish General Assembly, but they seldom reached their destination and effected nothing. The people conformed to the service of the Church of England in the vicinity of their parish. They were treated by the Episcopal clergy with much consideration. Their own psalter was used in their worship, the service was made as simple as they couM well desire, but the people withHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 293 Highland tenacity held to their own tenets for forty years and maintained among themselves regular cottage meetings for prayer and praise. At length the question arose as to the possession of the church property and the right of burial in St. John’s burial ground. The Scottish settlers maintained their right to the church and churchyard. A very acrimonious discussion arose. In the end the matter was referred to Mr. Eden Colville, a company director, who was in the settlement on business. Through his efforts in settling the dispute, another site on the river bank two or three miles to the north of St. John’s, called La Grenouillere, or Frog Plain, con- sisting of several hundred acres, was handed over to the Scottish settlers for church, manse and glebe. This was in 1851, and though the Kildonan people were still given the right to bury their dead in St. John’s, in the future their chief interest centered in the new plot. The presence in Red River of Mr. Ballenden, a countryman of the Kil- donan people, as Hudson’s Bay Company governor of Fort Garry, led to an application being made to their friends in Scotland to send them a minister. Indeed, the call had been made again and again for a generation. This request was transmitted to Canada to Dr. Robert Burns, a man of warm missionary zeal and great wisdom. Sir George Simpson had been communicated with, and deemed it wise to reverse his former policy of inaction and promised certain aid and countenance, should a Presbyterian minister be found to care for the parish of Kildonan. Dr. Burns had among his acquaintances a recent graduate of Knox College, Toronto, named John Black. Him the zealous doctor urged, if not commanded, to go to Red River. This trust was accepted, and after a tedi- ous and uncertain journey Rev. John Black arrived at Red River, Sep- tember, 1851. The Kildonan people immediately rallied around their new clergyman, who, though not able to speak Gaelic as they desired, yet became an idol to his people. In 1853 a church was erected, with the aid of a small grant from the Hudson’s Bay Company, and the foundations of Presby- terianism were laid. In 1866 Rev. James Nisbet, who had come a few years before to assist Mr. Black, organized a mission to the Cree Indians, and named his mission church on the banks of the Saskatchewan, Prince Albert. Growing by294 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. slow degrees the Presbyterian interest increased and was represented at the end of the Hudson’s Bay Company regime by four or five clergymen. Schools as maintained by voluntary contributions were erected in the Pres- byterian parishes of Kildonan and Little Britain. The Methodists, with the fervor and missionary zeal which has always characterized them, determined to aid in evangelizing the Indians of Rupert’s Land. It was the English Methodists who first showed a desire in this direction. They agreed to send the Indians a clergyman suited for the work, if the Canadian Methodist church would send a few laborers trained in Indian work in Canada. Having no whites in the country, the operations of the Methodist church in Rupert’s Land were, up to the time of Hudson’s Bay Company transfer, confined to the Indians of Rupert’s Land. Mr. James Evans, the superintendent of these missions, became very celebrated by the invention of a syllabic system of writing introduced among the Crees. The plan is simple, and an intelligent Indian who has never seen the system can in a short time learn to read and write the sylla- bic. The syllabic has spread widely over Rupert’s Land, and the different churches use, especially among the Crees, this ingenious invention in print- ing the Bible and service books. When Lord Dufferin, a number of years ago, visited the North-West as Governor-General of Canada, on hearing of Evans ’ invention he remarked: ‘ ‘ The nation has given many a man a title and a pension and a resting place in Westminster Abbey who never did half so much for his fellow creatures. ’ ’ These are the main movements of a religious kind that took place within the borders of the Rocky Mountains up to the end of the Hudson’s Bay Company regime. A great service was rendered to the whites and Indians alike, to the Hudson’s Bay Company, to the Kildonan settlers, and all the native people by the patient work of the four churches named. The best feeling, and in many cases active co-operation, were given by these churches to each other. The work done by these churches laid the founda- tion for the general morality and advanced social life which prevailed in Red River and in the regions beyond. The movements begun in those early days have been followed up withHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 295 remarkable zeal by all the churches mentioned as well as by the other lead- ing churches. No part of Manitoba is now without churches and clergymen. In no country has the zeal of the pioneer missionary been more conspicuous. Instead of allowing, as in some of the western States, the immigration to leave the churches behind, in Manitoba and the western Provinces of Can- ada the churches have kept pace with the newly-formed settlements. The following is the percentage of adherents of the several religious denominations of Manitoba, given in the order of their strength in the census of 1901:— Presbyterian, 39 per cent.; Methodist, 20 per cent.; Church of Eng- land, 18 per cent.; Roman Catholics, 14 per cent.; Lutherans, 6.5 per cent.; Baptist, 3 per cent.; Congregationists, .7 per cent.; Jews, .6 per cent; all others, 12.CHAPTER XXXII. SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE. When Manitoba was formed the social conditions of the people were unique for an American community. Probably no more British colony could be found in the world. It had its upper and its lower classes. The man of the people struggled hard for a living. The fish in the streams, the rabbits and prairie fowl of the thickets and plains, the antelope or deer here and there on the plains, and behind all the buffalo supplied meat, bedding, clothing, beds and shoes to any who could go in search for them. A few arpents of land under cultivation gave the finest wheat or the sheaves of barley and oats. The common people secured enough to live upon, but in most cases not much more. True, the thrifty Kildonan farmers kept three years’ supply of wheat in their granaries lest draught or flood or grasshopper should come. This was the exception. A quaint resident of twenty years ’ standing on old Red river thus dis- coursed of this social condition of equality:— ‘ ‘ This practical communism—borrowed from the Indians, among whom it was inviolable—was, in the matter of hospitality, the rule of all—a reciprocation of good offices, in the absence of all houses of public enter- tainment, becoming a social necessity. The manner of its exercise hearty, a knitting of the people together; no one was at a loss for a winter camp when traveling. Every house he saw was his own, the bustling wife, with welcome in her eyes, eager to assure your comfort. The supper being laid and dealt sturdily with, the good man’s pipe and your*own alight and breath satisfaction, a neighbor soul drops in to swell the gale of talk, that rocks you at least to a restful sleep.” “How now, my masters! Smacks not this of Arcady.” There were three divisions of the common or working people. Oldest in time were the five thousand Metis or Bois-brules of whom we have spoken. They were light-hearted, shiftless, hunters of the plains, fickle and fond of glory. The ‘ ‘ shagganappi ” or Indian pony made them the Par- thians of the prairies. These lived south, west and east of Fort Garry.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 297 Then several thousands of English half-breeds, mostly of Orkney descent, occupied the banks of the Red river below Kildonan, which parish extended six miles north of Fort Garry. From that parish for twenty miles down the Red river lived the English-speaking half-breeds. There were besides two thousand whites. These included the Selkirk settlers of Kildonan, of whom we have written. They were the best farmers, the most educated, and most cultivated of the farming population of Red River settlement. A number of them by “tripping,” as carrying goods for the company was called, either by boat or cart, had accumulated small fortunes. The people who held themselves of higher rank were the retired officers of the Hudson’s Bay Company, of whom there were several hundreds. Many of them had families with Indian blood. While there was no impass- able gulf between them and the farming or hunting population, yet there were marked differences in the comfort and adornment of their homes. Into this medley of society had projected themselves from 1859 or ’60 up to 1870, the year when Manitoba was created, some four hundred whites from Great Britain and Ireland and about three hundred Canadians. The Canadians were mostly citizens of Winnipeg or farmers along the rivers, notably along the Assiniboine towards Portage la Prairie. The Canadians were ambitious, were desirous of connecting the country with Canada, and were decidedly brusque and arrogant in many cases to the old settlers. After 1870 the Red River settlement ceased to be, and Manitoba was a part of Canada. Then the great immigration began and for five years it passed through the western States, especially Minnesota and Dakota, and the surveyed plains were occupied by these new comers as homes. Tens of thousands of energetic, well educated and ambitious Canadians came from eastern Canada and soon outnumbered the old settlers. At first there was much rancor and suspicion, but as we have seen under such leaders as Hon. Norquay, the force of the impact was broken and the bonds of friendship were established. The old Red River settlement and system of parishes was simply a transplanting of the village plan of Europe to the banks of the western rivers. The new method was the Anglo-Saxon manner of individual farmers,298 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and accordingly the whole prairie was divided up into blocks one mile square, which were again quartered into four blocks of one hundred and sixty acres each. One of these smaller subdivisions became the homestead given free to the man who would occupy and improve it. The offer of free land brought tens of thousands of settlers to the fertile prairies of the west. The more enterprising of the young men of the old settlement began to see the advantage and in large numbers they left the river and moved out upon the plains. Under legislation of the new legislature the people on the plains built school houses and with the help of government grants maintained teachers for their children. The leading denominations, given in the order of their numbers—Pres- byterian, Church of England and Methodist—followed the settlers with religious services and churches were erected in all the new and rising settlements. Thus provision . was made for educationed and well-doing communities. An independent and educated yeomanry was thus formed, and a society modelled on that of the eastern Canadian provinces, democratic and at the same time intelligent. The Canadian—-which, of course, included the Manitoban—farmer on a moderate sized farm with fields under scientific cultivation, who has the instruction of books, agricultural papers, farmers’ conventions, and govern- ment institutes, seed train specials, and all the devices of modern farming, with comfortable and ofttimes beautiful house, with well kept farm and farm buildings of every kind for animals and the preservation of his grain, presents an ideal worthy of any man, and needs a new Virgil to write his Georgic or Bucolic pastoral of the most independent and most happy of all lives—that of the farmer. “Then send them to me—to my home in the West, My prairies have waited long For the ploughshare to cleave their grassy breast, And the reaper’s merry song. “With bounteous fields of waving grain And a sky that is blue and clear, I’ll reward the labour of hand and brain, In the home I love so dear.”HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 299 It was not strange when the story of these fertile plains was told abroad that the people of other strains of blood than British began to turn their eyes to the opportunities offered them. Among the first to come in large numbers were a people brought by Consul William Hespeler to Manitoba. These were the German Mennonites. A century before these people of the low countries, speaking the Low Dutch dialect, had accepted the offer of the Russian government to settle on the broad plains of southern Russia. It was thought that these settlers would be valuable in showing how to settle our high treeless plains on the western prairies. Led by Consul Hespeler in the summer of 1875, several thousands of these Mennonites, who are Quakers so far as their peace principles are concerned, arrived in Manitoba, coming in steamers and barges from the railway town of Moorhead in Minnesota to the plains of Manitoba. On their way down the river they sang, in their weird minor notes, the psalms, and. under the exhortation of a leader, chosen from the people, held worship on their journey. Two large reserves were given them, one on the west side of Red river just north of the boundary line, another on the east side of Red river some twenty-five miles southeast of Winnipeg. In their settlements they at once introduced the village system followed by them in Russia. The land they divided up in strips for cultivation near their village, and the village con- sisted of from twenty to forty houses with their farm buildings, built on both sides of one street. Here they led a communal life, had school and church convenient and did much thus to preserve their own ideals. In some parts'of their reserves they accept the public schools, in other parts they refuse the government schools and carry on private schools of a most primitive type, the herdsman who keeps their herds of cattle and horses in summer being the schoolmaster in the winter. Many of them refuse to vote, though now the voters are more numerous among them. They have a strict religious government—the preacher being the arbitrator of their disputes. In the reserves a number of churches are banded together under one kaiser or bishop as he is indifferently called. The Mennonites have grown wealthy in their thirty years’ residence in Manitoba. They main- tain to a certain extent their Quaker-like distinctive garb, and they are i300 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. very exclusive and separate, it being an extremely rare thing to hear of a Mennonite man or woman marrying outside of their religious community. According to government reports there are now more than fifteen thousand Mennonites in Manitoba. In the same year (1875) in which the Mennonites arrived in Manitoba came another band of immigrants from the extreme North Atlantic—the island of Iceland. In 1871 and four succeeding years some scattering Ice- landers attempted to take up their abode in Muskoka and elsewhere in northern Ontario, as others of their people had done previously in Wisconsin. The first band of Icelanders came down the Red river in 1875, and in flat boats took their departure down the Red river forty-five miles to the mouth. At this point their flat boats were taken hold of by the Hudson 's Bay Steamer “Colville” and towed to Gimli, their settlement on the west shore of the lake. A number of these newcomers remained in Winnipeg and their colony in the city has now reached thousands in proportions. The Icelanders are a sturdy and industrious race. They are perhaps the best educated immigrants that have reached Manitoba. They not only read and write, but many of them coming from schools in Iceland, now in service in homes of the Canadians, are acquainted with Latin. The young Icelanders are clever, and take high places in the public schools and even in the University. In religion they are Lutherans, though some of them have become Unitarians. Including Winnipeg there are eleven colonies or settlements of these people in Manitoba. In the whole province they number upwards of ten thousand, and of these four thousand reside in Winnipeg. The Icelanders of Winnipeg are found in every department of business, and they are successful both in making money and in carefully husbanding it. Lord Dufferin, the popular Governor-General of Canada, in 1878 visited Manitoba. He had years before this visited Iceland and written a description of it in his book, “Letters from High Latitudes.” On visiting them in Manitoba he said, addressing a number of them: “ I have pledged my official honor to my Canadian brethren that you will succeed. ’ ’ Cana- dians unanimously say they have redeemed the pledge.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 301 In the last decade the immigration to Manitoba has been very great, until in 1905 the influx to the whole of western Canada exceeded upwards of one hundred and forty thousand. Of this a large and welcome portion was from the British Isles and from the United States. The greatest impression which has been made upon the province from Europe is that by Galicians from Austria. It is held that there are upwards of thirty thousand of them in Manitoba, and as many more in the Provinces of Sasketchewan and Alberta. The Galicians are a healthy sturdy race. Their mode of life has been of a low order in Europe, and they need training in the ordinary arts and decencies of life. However, they are a strong, industrious, hard-working race, and a very saving— almost penurious—people. They are chiefly settled in reserves in Manitoba and the western pro- vinces. They love the wooded country for the trees and shelter, and they are chiefly going into the forest regions lying most northerly in the pro- vince. They are slowly building up homes for themselves. They mix freely with the other elements in the province, are anxious to become Canadians and in the public schools their children are remarkably clever. They are as laborers—both men and women—of immense value to Manitoba in its development. They desire education. Teachers are being prepared pri- vately and by the government for their schools and these will be well sup- plied as the years go by. Religiously they are divided into Greek church of several divisions, and Roman Catholics. The Poles who speak their language are almost all Roman Catholics. A movement called the Independent Greek church of Canada has been begun among the Galicians with remarkable success. This church is Cana- dian in sentiment, maintains a religious paper which goes through the settlements, and has numerous churches in the reserves. It claims one-third of the Galicians as belonging to it and that of the other portions there are many who cannot be supplied with clergy who are favorable to it. As declared by Dr. Osier in the United States that the children of even Italians and other immigrants are absorbed into the mass of people in the first generation, so the next generation of Galicians will be very clever, ingeni- ous, industrious and intelligent Canadians.302 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. A multiplicity of other peoples are found settled in Manitoba. There are large numbers of Germans, Belgians, Scandinavians, Hungarians and other peoples who are being moulded by the powerful Canadian spirit of the west. The strange sect of Doukhobors is not found except in a few cases in some of the centres of Manitoba. They are settled in force in Saskatchewan. Their leader, Verigin, has this year (1906) taken a con- tract to build with his people one hundred miles of new railway in the province mentioned. The strong Canadian spirit and our educational agencies and religious influences will bring out of this chaos of foreigners—this polyglot conglom- erate—order and regularity and even the Doukhobors will yield to fair treatment and the forces of western life.CHAPTER XXXIII. THE FUTURE OF MANITOBA. In conclusion, it will be a profitable as well as a pleasant task to indi- cate, in the light of the past, the tendencies and directions of Manitoba’s progress in the future. In a few years the people of the province will cele- brate the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Selkirk colony. Looking back a hundred years, they will commemorate with the respect that is due all honorable origins the planting of the seed of civilization in a far- off and isolated region; they will view as in a perspective the growth of that germ, under adverse conditions, to the splendid development of the visible present. In that survey there will be much to inspire patriotic pride, much to touch the fancy and arouse sympathy for “moral affairs,” and much reason for belief in a still greater destiny for the brave and confident people of Manitoba than the present has yet vouchsafed. The symbolism of the grain of mustard seed is not inapplicable with regard to the nucleus of Manitoba established at the forks of the Red and Assiniboine rivers nearly a hundred years ago. Lord Selkirk’s purpose, laudably philanthropic as it was in origin, persisted through countless dis- couragements. The hardships that beset the accomplishment of his plan hastened his death, and, like the leader of the hosts to Canaan or the dis- coverer of the new world, he was permitted to see only from afar and in a vision as it were the realms of a colony established in fruitful industry and permanent well-being. But as Columbus could have, by no mortal faculty, forecast the real magnificence and commanding greatness that now belong to the lands he discovered, so too the fruition of time and men’s efforts in the regions of the Red and Assiniboine has surpassed the founder’s boldest dream. The meagre Selkirk colony, despite the conflict of rival trading companies and the hostility of the Bois Brules, maintained its precarious existence through the “storm and stress” period, and when the skies finally cleared began to grow. The paternalism of the Hudson’s Bay Company was doubtless misdirected though kindly in intent, and, as we know, there were racial factions, religious and political dissensions, there was lack of power of self-government at home and little but neglect from the distant304 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. authority; there were floods and periods of scarcity as well as abundance, the population was not homogeneous either in race or civic tendencies, and its vigor and independence was weakened by its dependent relations to the commercial corporation whose power and influence were practically absolute. Despite it all, the Selkirk colony remained. The diverse elements of population gradually coalesced into the Red River settlement. The com- pany ’s wall of exclusion was broken down and the bond was joined between Rupert’s Land and Canada. Immigration was encouraged, and was acceler- ated first by the opening of the waterways and then by the steel pathways that guided migration and the instruments of commerce and industry to the very heart of the North-West. All the barriers were thus thrown down and fifteen years after political unity was accomplished, the integration of Manitoba with Canada and with all the world became a reality through the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway. That-event signalized the permanency and comprehensiveness of the movement of population to occupy every corner of Manitoba’s area. Prom that time “Red River” is no longer synonymous with Manitoba. From that old restricted territory as a centre the homeseekers journeyed forth to every locality that promised a fertile soil and prospects of home and community comforts. Thus the vision of Lord Selkirk to found a colony where “the colonists may, with a moderate exertion of industry, be certain of a comfortable subsistence,” is more than fulfilled, and his hope, planted in adversity and tended with hostility and neglect, has flourished to wondrous proportions and casts its seeds far abroad to vitalize and enrich the entire province. Looking back to the time when Rupert’s Land and the Indian terri- tories were transferred to Canada, we see Winnipeg still four hundred miles away from the nearest railway. Old Port Carry was still in its glory. Its stone walls, round bastions, threatening pieces of artillery and rows of port holes, spoke of a place of some strength, though even then a portion of stone wall had fallen and was allowed to remain down to give easier access to the “ Hudson’s Bay Store. ’ ’ It was still the seat of government, for the Canadian governor lived within its walls as the last company governor. McTavish, had done. It was still the scene of gaiety, as the better class ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 305 the old settlers united with the leaders of the new Canadian society in social joys, under the hospitable roof of Governor Archibald. Since that time a generation has passed. The stage coach, the Red River cart, and the shagganappi pony are things of the past, and three railways—the Canadian Pacific, Canadian Northern and Great Northern— with richly furnished trains connect St. Paul and Minnesota with the city of Winnipeg over the route that the pioneer traveler of thirty years ago followed by stage or cart. More important still, the skill of the engineer has blasted a way through the Archaean rocks to Fort William, Lake Superior, more direct than the old fur traders’ route; the tremendous cliffs of the north shore of Lake Superior have been levelled and the chasm bridged. To the west the prairies have been gridironed with numerous lines of railway, the enormous ascents of the four Rocky Mountain ranges rising a mile above sea level have been crossed, and the giddy heights of the Fraser river canyon traversed. The iron band of the Canadian Pacific Railway has joined ocean to ocean, and the city of Winnipeg sees every day the Atlantic and Pacific expresses hastening on their journeyings, con- necting with lines of swift ocean steamers, and carrying to and fro the commerce of the Orient and the Occident. It is said that Liverpool and Yokohama are the termini of the Canadian Pacific Railway. A wonderful transformation has taken place in the land since the days of Sir George Simpson and his band of active chief factors and traders. While the Hon. William McDougall was arguing the value of the prairie land of the west, his Canadian and other opponents maintained “that in the North-West the soil never thawed out in summer, and that the potato or cabbage would not mature.’’ With this opinion many of the Hudson’s Bay Company officers agreed, though it is puzzling to the resident of the prairie to-day to see how such honorable and observing men could have made such statements. The fertile plains have been divided into three sec- tions, the Provinces of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Manitoba, which at the time of the closing of the Hudson’s Bay Company regime num- bered its twenty-five thousand people, more than one-half Indians and the remainder whites and half-breeds, has multiplied sixteen times up to its present population, estimated at four hundred thousand. 20306 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The city of Winnipeg, which as a hamlet in 1871 had less than three hundred souls, was estimated at the end of the century to have a popula- tion of from forty-five to fifty thousand and has doubled since that time. The Hudson’s Bay Company store was a low building, a wooden erection made of lumber sawn by a whip-saw or by some rude contrivance, having what was known in the Red River days as a “pavilion roof.” Its highly colored fabrics suited to the trade of the country did not relieve its dingy interior. To-day the great departmental stores and offices, built of dark red St. Louis brick, speak of the enormous progress made in the develop- ment of the country. Every town upon the prairies bears testimony, by its towering elevators, to the overflowing abundance of what the old fur traders contended could not be produced, viz., agricultural products of every kind characteristic of the north temperate zone. The returns made by the government show that Manitoba, with a population of four hundred thousand, and of these not more than forty-six thousand being farmers, produced in a recent year of record seventy-five millions of bushels of wheat. Not less remarkable is the development of the other portions of the North-West. What, then, is to be the future of this Canadian west * The possibilities are illimitable. The Anglo-Saxon race, with its energy and pluck, has laid hold of the land so long shut in by the wall built around it by the fur traders. This race, with its dominating forcefulness, will absorb and har- monize elements coming from all parts of the world to enjoy the fertile fields and mineral treasures of a land whose laws are just, whose educa- tional policy is thorough and progressive, whose moral and religious aspira- tions are high and noble, and which gives a hearty welcome to the industri- ous and deserving from all lands. The leaders of opinion in Canada have frequently expressed their opinion that the second generation of the twentieth century may see a larger Canadian population to the west of Lake Superior than will be found in the provinces of the east. William Cullen Bryant’s lines, spoker of other prairies, will surely come true of the wide Canadian plains:—HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 307 “I listened long . . . and think I hear The sound of that advancing multitude Which soon shall fill these deserts. From the ground Comes up the laugh of children, the soft voice Of maidens, and the sweet and solemn hymn Of Sabbath worshippers. The low of herds Blends with the rustling of the heavy grain Over the dark brown furrows.” The French explorers are a reminiscence of a century and a half ago; the lords of the lakes and forests, with all their wild energy, are gone for- ever; no longer do the French Canadian voyageurs make the rivers vocal with their chansons; the pomp and circumstance of the emperor of the fur traders has been resolved into the ordinary forms of commercial life; and the rude barter of the early trader has passed into the fulfilment of the poet’s dream, of the “argosies of magic sails,” and the “costly bales” of an increasing commerce.BIOGRAPHIES WILLIAM WHYTE. One of the best known railway men of the entire Dominion is Mr. William Whyte, second vice-president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, with headquarters at Winnipeg. He is a native of Charleston, Scotland, born September 15, 1843, and is a son of William Whyte, who for many years followed the occupation of a coal merchant at that place. Mr. Whyte received his education in the public schools of Charleston, leaving school at the age of seventeen, at which time he secured a position as junior clerk in the office of the factor of Lord Elgin’s estate, which position he filled for two years. His first experience in railway work was in May, 1862, when he accepted the position as station agent on the West of Fife Railway, with which company he remained for one year, and in 1863 came to Canada. Here for twenty years he was identified with the Grand Trunk Railway, and in that time raised from the position of brakesman to that of superintendent. This rise in position was through no favoritism and did not come by sudden leaps, hut by a steady climbing upward. For eight months he worked as brakesman, for two years as freight clerk at Cobourg, Ontario, for five months as freight clerk at Toronto, for one year as foreman of the freight department at Toronto, for one year as yardmaster at Toronto,'for two years as conductor, for six months as night station agent at Toronto, for three and three-quarter years as station master at Stratford, for six years as station master and freight and passenger agent at London, Ontario, and about a year as freight agent at Toronto. In the year 1881 he was appointed assistant superintendent of the central division of the Grand Trunk Railway from Kingston to Stratford, including the Galt and Waterloo branches. In April, 1883, he left the Grand Trunk Railway to become general310 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. superintendent of the Credit Valley Railway. In the course of that year the Credit Valley became a part of the Canadian Pacific Railway system, and from October to the following May he was general superintendent of the 0. & Q. division. In May Mr. Whyte was made general superintendent of all lines in Ontario west of Smith’s Falls. In May, 1885, the eastern division reaching to Quebec was added to his superintendency. In 1886 Mr. Whyte was made general superintendent of the western division with headquarters at Winnipeg, and after a long and full ten years’ work he was made general manager of all lines and branches from Lake Superior to the Pacific coast. In 1901 he was advanced to the position of assistant to the president, and relieved from all routine work in order to look after the extension of the system in the west. With these objects in view Mr. Whyte made a trip through Russia over the nearly completed Trans-Siberian Rail- way, and upon returning to Canada pointed out how Canadian trade with Russia might be extended. In 1904 Mr. Whyte was made second vice-presi- dent of the Canadian Pacific Railway, with complete charge of all the com- pany’s affairs between Lake Superior and the Pacific Ocean. In 1879 Mr. Whyte married Miss Jane Scott, a daughter of Adam Scott, of Toronto, and to them five children have been born. Mr. Whyte is a member of the Masonic order and of the Presbyterian church. R. J. WIIITLA. As a representative of the wholesale interests of the city of Winnipeg Mr. R. J. Whitla, the subject of this sketch, occupies an enviable position in business and social circles of the province. He is a native of Ireland, and was born at Monoghan, Ulster Province, but immigrated to New York when a very young man. After a brief stay in that city he became convinced that Canada offered a better field for his efforts than the United States, and he accordingly removed to Toronto. Here for two years he remained, sub- sequently locating in Ottawa, where he went into business on his own account. Shortly afterwards he moved to the Upper Ottawa, where he opened up business at Arnprior, and by energy and close application to business built up an immense retail business, at that time one of the best in the entire Dominion. After remaining for nine years in Arnprior, Mr.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 311 Whitla in 1878 decided to come to Manitoba, and landing in Winnipeg in the early part of that year he at once opened a wholesale and retail business on Main street near McDermott avenue. The establishment was called ‘ ‘ The One-price House,” and from the start was a most successful venture. In 1882 the business had grown to such proportions that Mr. Whitla sold out the retail section ami devoted his entire time and energies into the develop- ment of the wholesale business, the result being that to-day he conducts one of the largest establishments devoted to wholesale dry goods in the entire Dominion. The trade of the house of R. J. Whitla reaches throughout the entire western portion of Canada, and the reputation of the house stands second to none in the entire Dominion. Mr. D. K. Elliot, who has been the junior partner of the concern, has been associated with him in the upbuild- ing of this magnificent trade, and his business ability has done much to place the firm on its present footing. While the different departments of his enormous business occupy most of Mr. Whitla’s time, he still finds time to devote to other matters concern- ing the upbuilding of the city, and it is not only in the world of commerce that Mr. Whitla is recognized as a prominent citizen. He has done great service—and a service that will keep his memory alive in Manitoba for all time—in the upbuilding of the Y.M.C.A. The magnificent building which the Association owns on Portage avenue is largely a monument to Mr. Whitla’s energy and self-sacrificing efforts, and as a great business man he occupies a unique position in the city. Mr. Whitla also takes a great interest in the field of sport, and his greatest enjoyment is in the open field with his gun and dog, and in this as in his business affairs he is always successful. In a review of the prominent business men of the Province of Mani- toba Mr. Whitla certainly deserves a leading place. HON. REDMOND PALEN ROBLIN. Hon. Redmond Palen Roblin, premier, minister of agriculture and rail- way commissioner in the government of Manitoba, is a native of Prince Edward county, Ontario, and was born on February 15, 1853, in the town-312 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ship of Sophiasburg. His parents are of German origin and his ancestors have been for many years identified with public life in Canada. Mr. Roblin was educated at Albert College, Belleville, Ontario, and in 1880 moved to Manitoba and located at Carman. Here he carried on mer- cantile pursuits, and at the present time, in addition to his public duties, he is also interested in farming, being one of the leaders of that branch of industry in the province. He also started in a general mercantile business at Carman in connection with his farming pursuits. Mr. Roblin first entered into public affairs as a school trustee of the Carman district, being subsequently elected for five years as reeve and for two years as warden of the county of Dufferin. He unsuccessfully con- tested the riding of Dufferin for the legislature of Manitoba in 1886, and was returned in a bye-election in 1889. Mr. Roblin was originally identified with the Liberal party, but became dissatisfied with the railway and trade policy of that party and entered the ranks of the Liberal-Conservatives, of which he is now the Provincial head. He became the leader of that party while it was in opposition, representing the riding of Woodlands. At the general elections of 1899 the Liberal government, headed by Hon. Thomas Greenway, was defeated at the polls and Hon. Hugh John Macdonald was called upon to form a ministry. On the retirement of Mr. Macdonald in October, 1900, Mr. Roblin was called upon to lead and re-organize the administration. He was re-elected by his constituents, and has since suc- cessfully conducted the affairs of the province. One radical move that was made was the securing control in the public interests of the Northern Pacific Railway, which had been leased to the Canadian Northern Railway to form part of the proposed transcontinental route as a rival of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It is the aim of this policy to secure to the farmers and mercantile community protection against excessive freight charges and thus solve a burning issue in Manitoba, the transportation problem. Mr. Roblin was married on September 13, 1875, to Miss Adelaide Demill, and resides at the present time on Garry street, Winnipeg.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 313 HON. ROBERT ROGERS. Manitoba has been particularly fortunate in the type of men who in the early days decided to cast in their lot with this great western province, and have devoted their lives and best efforts to the advancement and up- building of a new country, and to-day the boundless prairie with its eager life, rich with the cultivated fruits of nature, and the products of art and peace speak the memorial of their early and self-denying services. Eminent for ability and high effectual service among the members of the legislature stands the Honorable Robert Rogers. He is one of those whose success we might say, whose influence and power are the fruits of his early industry, and a close study of the conditions and requirements of a rapidly growing commonwealth. Mr. Rogers was born on the 2nd of March, 1864, in the county of Argenteul, of Quebec. He is the son of the late Col. George and Dora (Moore) Rogers, who were both natives of the north of Ireland and came to Canada when they were young people early in the last century. His father was for many years engaged in general mercantile business at Argenteul, and for thirty years prior to his death held the position of warden in the Argenteul jail. He was also identified with military affairs of the Province of Quebec, being colonel of the Eleventh Battalion Agenteul Rangers. He died in 1884, his wife having passed away in 1871. Up to his seventeenth year Robert Roger’s time was spent in acquiring an education which would fit him for the battle he was to fight in after life. He was educated primarily in the public schools of his native town, and at La Chute Academy, then after a thorough course in the high schools and business college of Montreal he came to Manitoba, arriving in the fall of 1881. He located at Clearwater, where he was identified in mercantile pursuits up to 1900, two years of this time being spent in the mining camps at Rat Portage. In 1886 and in 1892 he unsuccessfully contested with the Hon. Thomas Greenway for the constituency of Mountain for the local house. In 1896 he was the candidate for the House of Commons and was defeated. In 1899 at the general election he was returned as member for the local legislature,314 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and was sworn in Minister of Public Works. In 1903 he was re-elected by acclamation and received the same portfolio. He was president of the Pro- vincial Conservative Association of Manitoba from 1891 to 1898, inclusive. The year 1888 witnessed his marriage with Miss Aurelia Regina, a daughter of Charles W. Widmeyer, of Ontario. They have one son, Robert George. Mr. Rogers is a member of the Masonic order, and both he and his wife are members of the Church of England. He is a brother of Canon George Rogers and Dr. William Rogers, the latter a practicing physician of Winnipeg. HON. JOHN HUME AGNEW. Equally prominent in the public affairs and legal profession of Mani- toba is Mr. John Hume Agnew, M.P.P., of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Although a resident of the west since his twelfth year Mr. Agnew is a native of Prince Albert, Ontario county, Ontario, where he was born October 18, 1863. He is the eldest son of the late Dr. Niven and Jane Somerville (Ross) Agnew, who were respectively natives of Scotland and England, and were among the early settlers of Ontario. His father was a practicing physician and surgeon in Toronto up to 1879, when he moved with his family to Winnipeg. He followed his profession in the province up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1905, and was for many years one of its lead- ing practitioners. John Hume Agnew received his education at Upper Canada College, Toronto. Deciding to adopt the profession of law, he entered as a student the law office of J. A. M. Aikins, and after passing his final examinations was called to the bar in October, 1884. Shortly afterwards he moved to Virden, taking up his profession there, which he practiced up to the time he entered public life. At the election of July, 1903, he was returned as member for Virden in the Provincial parliament, and in March, 1904, had the honor of being appointed Provincial treasurer, which office he has filled with credit not only to himself, but to his party. Mr. Agnew has also been identified with■ ■ ltfrCt'HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 315 the municipal affairs and government of his adopted town, he having served two years as a member of the town council of Virden, and for twelve years as school trustee and secretary-treasurer of the Virden school district. Mr. Agnew was married on the 26th of June, 1888, to Miss Anna M. Dickson, a daughter of the late Robert Dickson. They have a family of four children: Anna Stella, Margaret Louise, Cecil Hume and Laura Millicent. Both Mr. and Mrs. Agnew take an active part in church affairs and are members of the Church of England, Mr. Agnew being a delegate to all the synods of the church in the Dominion. COLONEL THOMAS SCOTT. Colonel Thomas Scott was born February 16, 1841, in the town of Perth, Lanark county, Ontario. His parents were Thomas and Margaret (Thompson) Scott, and were both natives of Ireland, being born in the county of Armagh. They emigrated to Canada when they were young people and were among the pioneers of Lanark county, settling there in 1836. His father was a farmer and died there in 1842, his mother’s death having occurred in 1900, at the advanced age of eighty-five. Thomas Scott was the youngest of the family of four children and after the death of his father the family moved to Perth where he attended the public and grammar schools up to his fourteenth year, when he laid aside his books. He then apprenticed to learn the printer’s trade, and fol- lowed the same up to 1861, when he established the Perth Expositor, of which he was editor and proprietor up to 1872. For the past forty-five years he has been identified in military affairs, his first military experience being in 1860 when he volunteered for service during the “Trent Affair” with rank of ensign. During the Fenian Raid into Canada in 1866 he was in command of the Perth Infantry, serving five months on the frontier. In May, 1870, when the Dominion government sent out the first Red River Expedition, under Sir Garnet Wolseley, now Lord Wolseley, Colonel Scott was in command of a company of Ontario Rifles, which arrived at Fort Garry after the escape of Riel. In December of the same year he returned to his home in Ontario, going by way of St. Paul, the trip from Fort Garry to that point taking seventeen days. Owing to the anticipated raid in 1871316 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. the government decided to send reinforcements to the garrison at Fort Garry. Colonel Scott was appointed in command of the troops, which was known as the Second Red River Expedition. Leaving Collingwood on the 22nd of October the command, after a very hard trip and a march of one hundred and ten miles from Northwest Angle, in which the men suffered from the intense cold and exposure, they arrived at Fort Garry, November 18 of the same year. November, 1874, witnessed his retirement from military service, when he at once entered local politics and contested the constituency of Selkirk with the Hon. R. A. Davis, and was defeated by thirteen votes. He served as a member of the first council of Winnipeg, being elected to represent the South Ward in 1874. In 1877 he was elected mayor of the city of Winnipeg, and in the election of 1878 he was again elected to that office by acclamation. At the general election in 1878 he was returned a member of local legislature, in which he held his seat until its dissolution in the fall of 1879, and at the general election of the same year was again returned a member for the local house. In 1880 he resigned his seat to contest the county of Selkirk for the Dominion House with Donald A. Smith, now Lord Stratheona, who had been unseated, and was elected by a majority of one hundred and sixty-nine votes. In 1882, at the general elections for the Dominion House, he defeated his two opponents, Colonel Osborne Smith and E. G. Conklin. In 1885 while attending the session at Ottawa he was requested by Sir A. P. Caron, Minister of the Militia, to raise a regiment for service to quell the Riel Rebellion in Manitoba, and in thirteen days had raised and fully equipped what was known as the Ninety-fifth Manitoba Grenadiers, which remained in service at Fort Qu’Appelle until that trouble was brought to an end. In 1887 he retired from politics and accepted the office of collector of customs at the port of Winnipeg, which position he is ably filling at the present time. . Colonel Scott was happily married in 1863 to Miss Margaret Kellock, a daughter of the late Robert Kellock, of Perth, Ontario. Six children were born to them, namely: Thomas H. (deceased), being the eldest; Fred, Robert, John, Max and Mabel. Robert Kellock, who after four years inHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 317 the Royal Military College at Kingston, was appointed lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, and has served in India, Egypt and five years in South Africa. He is now in the Army Ordinance Department, being stationed at Woolwich, England. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL HENRY NORLANDE RUTTAN. Colonel Henry Norlande Ruttan was born at Cobourg, Ontario, May 21, 1848. He is a son of Henry Jones and Margaret (Pringle) Ruttan, who were both natives of Canada. His father’s people were United Empire Loyalists, who followed the British flag into Canada, settling in Northum- berland early in the last century. His father was for many years editor and proprietor of the Cobourg Star and one of the early residents of that city. He was educated in the grammar school of his native town, and after having completed his studies at that institution at the early age of eighteen years he entered the employ of the Grand Trunk Railway in the chief engineer’s department, where he remained until 1869, when he was employed by the Canadian government on the engineering staff of the Intercolonial Railway, there serving until 1874. In the same year he was transferred to the Cana- dian Pacific Railway, and for the two years following was in charge of a locating party operating between Edmonton and the summit of the Rocky Mountains. From 1877 to 1880 he served as contractor’s engineer on con- struction work between Winnipeg and Lake of the Woods. Retiring from railway engineering in 1885 he was appointed city engineer of Winnipeg, which office he is ably filling at the present time. Colonel Ruttan married in 1882 Miss Andrina Barberie, a daughter of Andrew Barberie, of Dalhousie, New Brunswick. They have five children: Louise, Henry Andrew, Charles Millage, Frances Norlande and John Douglas. Colonel Ruttan is a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, London, the American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, Montreal. In fraternal circles he affiliates with the Masonic order. The family are members of All Saints’ Episcopal church. Colonel Ruttan’s military record dates back to 1867, when he served318 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. in No. 1 Company, Fortieth Battalion, during the Fenian raid into Canada. On the formation of the Ninetieth Battalion of Winnipeg Rifles, he was gazetted captain of the Company B. He served during the Riel rebellion of 1885 under General Middleton and was in command of the Ninetieth Battalion, Winnipeg Rifles, from 1895 to 1900, when he was placed on the list of Reserve of Officers. STEWART MULVEY. Prominent in educational affairs in the Province of Manitoba is Major Stewart Mulvey. He was born in county Sligo, Ireland, in 1834, his parents being Henry and Barbara (McGee) Mulvey, both natives of the Emerald Isle. In 1856 he accompanied his parents to Canada, making their home in Hamilton, Ontario. His primary education was received at Killala, county of Mayo, and at the Normal School, Dublin. From 1850 to 1856 he taught school in several places in his native country. Upon the invitation of Dr. Edgerton Ryerson, the chief superintendent of education for the Province of Ontario, whom he met while attending the Normal School at Dublin, he came to Hamilton, Ontario, and after teaching school near there for a short time removed to Haldimand county on the Grand river, where he was identified in educational affairs and teaching school for the next fourteen years. He organized the Haldimand County Teachers’ Association, of which he was president for nearly seven years. When the Dominion government sent out the first Red river expedition in 1870, under Colonel Garnet Wolseley, he was tendered the office of ensign, which he accepted, and in August of the same year witnessed the arrival of that expedition at Fort Garry. In 1871, when the force was dis- banded, he was invited by a committee of Winnipeg citizens to remain and take charge of a newspaper office devoted to the interests of the Canadian and English speaking people in Manitoba and the west, as at that time the French element was predominant. After taking charge of the News Letter Office he issued a paper called The Liberal, which he conducted for the ensuing three years. In 1873 he organized the Inland Revenue Depart' ment of the province, remaining in charge of the same until 1882. When the electoral district of Selkirk was formed in that year he was a candidateHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 319 for the House of Commons, but was defeated by his opponent, Hugh Sutherland. During the North-West Rebellion of 1885 he served as major of the Ninety-fifth Manitoba Grenadiers, under Colonel Thomas Scott. He served the city of Winnipeg as alderman from 1883 until 1889, and in the last named year was a candidate for the office of mayor, but was defeated by a small majority. Since 1871 he has been closely identified with local and provincial edu- cational affairs, having served as a member of the Provincial Board of Edu- cation for eleven years, and as secretary of the City Board of School Trus- tees up to the present time with the exception of a few years. In 1892 he ran for the municipality of Morris as an independent, supporting national schools, but was defeated, but in the election of 1896 was elected and served a term of four years, being defeated for re-election in 1899 owing to his absence in California. Major Mulvey has always been an active advocate of national and secular schools. In 1856 he married Rebecca Gilmore, of Sligo county, Ireland, who is now deceased. By this union there were six children: William Robert, of St. Paul; John H., principal of Norquay School, of Winnipeg; Stuart; Winnifred, wife of J. L. Wells, of Winnipeg; Frank, deceased; and Walter, living at home. His second marriage occurred in 1900, Mrs. Jenny IT. Rich, of Los Angeles, California, becoming his wife. She was the widow of the late J. W. Rich, of the Baltimore & Ohio Railway. HON. DAVID LAIRD. Hon. David Laird, P.C., commissioner of Indian affairs for Manitoba and the North-West Territories, was born March 12, 1833, at New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island. His parents were the late Hon. Alexander and Janet (Orr) Laird, who emigrated to Prince Edward Island in 1819, where the father took up farming and was identified with the early history of that province. For some years he was a member of the local legislative assembly. He died in 1873. David Laird spent his boyhood days on the farm of his father. He was educated at the village school of his native place, the Central Academy of Charlottetown, and at the Presbyterian College at Truro, Nova Scotia.320 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Completing his studies at the age of twenty-six, he entered the field of journalism and began the publication of a semi-religious weekly paper, which is now The Patriot of Charlottetown, and for many years has been the organ of the Liberal party and is published daily. In 1871 he was elected a member of the legislature for Belfast, and in the following year joined Mr. Haythorne’s administration, and later accompanied him to Ottawa to negotiate terms for the entrance of the Island into Confederation. In 1873 he was elected a member of the House of Commons of his native province, shortly after which receiving portfolio of Minister of the Interior, which office he held up to 1876. In the fall of the same year he was appointed lieutenant-governor of the North-West Territories, and after ably filling that office for the succeeding five years he returned to Prince Edward Island, where he again assumed control of the Patriot, which he continued to edit until 1898. In that year he again returned to the west, having been appointed Indian commissioner for Manitoba and the North- West Territories, which office he is ably filling at the present time. In 1864 he married Miss Mary Louisa Owen, a daughter of the late Thomas Owen, who was for many years postmaster-general for Prince Edward Island. Mrs. Laird died in July, 1895. Four sons and two daughters were born to them: David Rennie, manager of Bank of Nova Scotia at Vancouver, British Columbia; Mary, wife of John A. Mathieson, of Charlottetown, who is leader of the opposition in the local legislature of Prince Edward Island; Arthur Gordon, B.A. and gold medalist in classics, which he received in 1889 as graduate from the Dalhousie University, after- ward taking a post graduate course at Cornell University, New York, with the degree of Ph.D. in 1891, now assistant professor of Greek at Madi- son State University, of Wisconsin; William C., James Harold and Louise. Mr. Laird is an elder in the Presbyterian church and commissioner to the assembly. HON. DAVID HENRY McFADDEN. The subject of this sketch, Hon. David Henry McFadden, is provincial secretary and municipal commissioner, and is one of the best known men in Manitoba. He was born February 17, 1856, at Peterboro, Ontario, and isHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 321 a son of William and Alice McFadden, both of whom are natives of Ireland, the father from the county of Vermanah, and the mother (nee Miss Hand- bridge) from the county of Armagh. They came to Ontario about 1834, where the father engaged in farming, also serving with the Loyalists during the troublous times of 1837-38 and being with the troops at Queenstown Heights. Mr. McFadden was educated at the public schools of Bruce county, to which district the family had moved when he was but eight years of age, and subsequently attended and graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College at Toronto. In 1880 the family removed to the west, and the sub- ject of this sketch settled in Emerson, where he assumed the practice of his profession as a veterinary surgeon, and in 1884 was appointed government quarantine inspector, which position he occupied up to 1897. He was first elected a member of the local legislature in 1892, and has been re-elected continually up to the present time. Under the administration of Hon. Hugh John Macdonald he was called to the ministry and given the portfolios of minister of public works and provincial secretary. On the resignation of Hon. Mr. Macdonald, who was succeeded by Hon. R. P. Roblin, and additional members being added to the Cabinet, Mr. McFadden was retained as provincial secretary and municipal commissioner, which offices he still holds. In 1895 Mr. McFadden married Miss Emma Storey, a native of Lind- say, Ontario, and a daughter of Thomas Storey. They have six children living: Edna Ida, Gladys, Mary Emma, William Johnston, Allan Thomas and Bernice Louise. In fraternal affairs Mr. McFadden has always taken a keen and lively interest. He is a member of the Masonic craft, and is a past deputy dis- trict grand master; in the Loyal Orange order he has served in many offices, and is past grand master of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba. He is also affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters and Ancient Order of United Workmen. 21322 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. PETER CAMPBELL McINTYRE. The popular postmaster of Winnipeg, Manitoba, is Mr. Peter Camp- bell McIntyre, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Lanark county, Ontario, and was born near the town of Perth on February 5, 1854. He is a son of Hugh and Janet (Campbell) McIntyre, the father a native of Perthshire, Scotland, and the mother a native of Canada. His parents settled in Lanark county in the early thirties, where they for many years followed agricultural pursuits. Mr. McIntyre’s educational advantages were derived at the Balerson public school and at the High School at Perth, Ontario. He left school at the age of seventeen and immediately began teaching, which occupation he continued for eight years, until 1880. In 1878 he came to Manitoba, locat- ing in Winnipeg, where he taught school for two years, in 1879 and 1880. He then engaged in the printing business, which he continued up to 1900, at which time he was appointed postmaster, which position he is now filling to the satisfaction of all concerned. In November, 1882, Mr. McIntyre married Miss Emily Kerr, a daughter of James Kerr, a native of New Brunswick, and one of the early settlers of Winnipeg. Mr. McIntyre has been a member of the Public School Board of Winnipeg for ten years, during five years of which he was Chairman of the Board. He has also served as a member of the legislature of Manitoba, being elected on the Liberal ticket and serving from 1892 to 1900. Mr. McIntyre is a member of the Presbyterian church and has always taken an active and leading part in church affairs. JAMES T. GORDON. The subject of this sketch, James T. Gordon, is the president of Gordon, Ironsides & Fares, Limited, one of the largest packing houses west of the Great Lakes. He is a native of Tweed, Ontario, and was born December 25, 1859. He is a son of John and Sarah (Elliott) Gordon, both of whom are natives of the north of Ireland and who settled in Canada in 1845. TheHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 323 father followed agricultural pursuits, and at present both parents are living on the old homestead in Ontario. Mr. Gordon was raised on the home farm and attended the public school of Tweed, but at the age of eighteen left school and worked on the farm until he arrived at the age of twenty, and in 1879 came to Manitoba, where he entered the employ of Dick, Banning & Company, lumber mer- chants of Winnipeg. For three years he was identified with this institution, and then engaged in the lumber business on his own account, which business was continued up to 1885, at which time he sold his interests to his part- ner, Mr. R. Ironsides. He then located at Pilot Mound, Manitoba, and up to 1893 was engaged in the lumber, cattle and wheat business at this point. He then returned to Winnipeg, at which time the present firm of Gordon, Ironsides & Fares Company, Limited, was organized. The institution has branches at Fort William, Port Arthur, Kenora, Rainy River, Sudbury, Soo and Montreal. In 1900 Mr. Gordon was elected a member of the local legislature for South Winnipeg by acclamation, and re-elected in 1902. In 1885 he married Miss Mearle Baldwin, a daughter of Joseph Baldwin, of York county, Ontario. They are the parents of two children, Charles and Cook. In 1904 Mr. Gordon served as president of the Dominion Exposition at Winnipeg, and has been a director of the Exposition Company since 1889. In addi- tion to his other business he is president of the Standard Trust Company and is a director in the Great West Permanent Loan Company of Winni- peg. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order. JOHN LESLIE. The largest retail furniture establishment in the Dominion of Canada is conducted by Mr. John Leslie, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of White Hill Parish, of Colvend Kirkcudbright, Scotland. He was born August 16, 1852, being the son of Thomas and Mary (Wilson) Leslie, the father a native of Dumfrieshire and the mother of Kirkcudbright, Scotland. The family moved to Canada in 1857 and settled in Prescott, Ontario, where for two years the father carried on the business of merchant tailoring, afterwards moving to Spencerville, where he also was engaged in business,324 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and eventually settling in Cummingsville, county of Halton and then to- Wingham and to Listowel, Ontario, where he now resides. Mr. Leslie was educated at the common schools of Kilbride, Halton county, Ontario, and afterwards served his apprenticeship at the carriage- makers’ trade at Milton, Ontario. In April, 1880, he came to Winnipeg,, where he engaged in the furniture business, which he has continued up to the present time. The stock carried by Mr. Leslie is the largest and finest in the Dominion of Canada and controls the highest class trade in the pro- vince. He is one of the best known and most popular men in the business fraternity of the province, and has acquired an enviable reputation for- honesty and upright methods in his business. On December 27, 1882, Mr. Leslie married Miss Phoebe Andrews, of Milton, Ontario. They are the parents of two children, Jessie and Louise. In fraternal circles Mr. Leslie affiliates with the Masonic order and is. past grand master of the order in Manitoba, and is grand second principal' of the Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch-Masons of Canada. He has-. attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite. Mr. Leslie is a member of Knox church and is one of its board of' managers. He is also one of the board of management of Manitoba College.. THEODORE ARTHUR BURROWS. Theodore Arthur Burrows, member of the Dominion House from Dauphin, is a native of Ottawa, Ontario, and was born August 15, 1857. He is a son of Henry J. and Sarah (Sparks) Burrows, both natives of Ottawa. Mr. Burrows is a grandson of Captain John Burrows of the Royal Engineers, who came from England in 1809 and was the first settler on the present site of Ottawa, also patentee of the farm which is now known as the- “Sparks Estate” in Ottawa, the public lands in those days being owned by the Imperial government and known as “Ordinance” lands. This was, of course, before Confederation. Mr. Burrow’s father was the first white child- born in the city of Hull, opposite Ottawa. He died in 1862, being killed in a railway accident. Of the seven children three survive, as follows: Augusta, wife of James E. Bettes; Elizabeth, wife of Hon. Clifford Sifton,, M.P., and the subject of this sketch./ HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 325 Mr. Burrows was educated at the Ottawa public and high schools, and finished his education at Manitoba College. He came to Winnipeg in June, 1875, on a survey with William Ogilvie, later governor of the Yukon. This survey was in the Riding Mountain and Dauphin country. Afterwards Mr. Burrows was the first local member for the Manitoba legislature from Dauphin from 1892 to 1903. In 1904 he was elected a member of the House of Commons of the Dominion of Canada. After completing his studies at Manitoba College he entered the law office of A. W. Burrows, his uncle, with whom he remained until 1878. He then engaged in the saw- milling and lumber business at the mouth of Winnipeg river at Lake Win- nipeg, and carried on operations at different points on Lake Winnipeg until 1885. He subsequently became interested in the Dauphin country. He was largely instrumental in getting the Canadian Northern Railway built into the Dauphin country, and was land commissioner of that com- pany from 1897 to 1904. At the present time he is one of the largest manufacturers of spruce lumber in the North-West, having mills at Grand View, Garland and Pine River, which cut an average of fifteen million feet of lumber in a year. In 1889 Mr. Burrows married Miss Georgia K. Creasor, daughter of the late D. A. Creasor, K.C., of Owen Sound. They are the parents of one son, Theodore Arthur, Jr. Fraternally Mr. Burrows is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while both he and Mrs. Burrows are valued members of Grace Methodist church. HON. DAVID MARR WALKER. Hon. David Marr Walker was born in Woodhouse, Norfolk county, October 3, 1835. He is a son of the late Solomon and Sarah (Osborne) Walker. Both his parents were descended from United Empire Loyalists who followed the British flag into Canada, taking up land on the shores of Lake Erie, at Long Point district, now known as Port Reyrse, and were among the earliest settlers of western Ontario who followed agricultural pursuits. His father died in 1881, and the death of his mother occurred in 1885. David Marr Walker was reared to man’s estate on his father’s farm.326 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. He was educated at the public schools of Norfolk county and the University of Toronto. Having chosen law as a profession, he entered Osgoode Hall, where he was a graduate in 1860, receiving the degree of barrister and solicitor. Returning to his native county he practiced his profession in Simcoe up to 1870. In that year he came to Manitoba as a lieutenant in the Ontario Rifles, under command of Colonel Garnet Wolseley, now Lord Wolseley, in the First Red river expedition, sent out by the Dominion Government to quell the Riel insurrection. He remained on that force until the command was relieved by a second expedition in 1871. Realizing the immense possibilities of the Canadian west, and foreseeing a great future for this province, he decided to remain, and immediately took up the practice of his profession, which he followed until 1882. In that year he was appointed judge of the county courts for the western judicial dis- trict, being transferred to Winnipeg in 1893. In 1878 he was elected a mem- ber of the local legislature, entering the government as attorney-general, which office he ably filled up to 1882. Judge Walker has not only been iden- tified with the legal and judicial affairs of the province, but has always taken a keen interest in the municipal affairs of Winnipeg, having taken an active part both before and after the city of Winnipeg was incorporated. He served as the first city solicitor for the city of Winnipeg from 1874 to 1878. His marriage occurred in 1856, when he was united with Miss Anna Bella Anderson, a daughter of John Anderson, who was also a pioneer of his native county of Norfolk. His son Geofrey H. Walker is now prothono- tary of the King’s Bench of the Province of Manitoba. Judge Walker is a member of the Masonic order, and is a charter mem- ber of B-rinee Rupert’s Lodge, No. 1, established 1870. He was also prin- cipal of the first chapter established in Manitoba. Both the Judge and Mrs. Walker are members of the Church of England. HON. ROBERT HILL MYERS. Hon. Robert Hill Myers, judge of the county court of Winnipeg, was born in Oxford county, Ontario, on the 30th of March, 1856. His parents were the late Robert and Margaret (Hill) Myers. His father’s birthplace-e_-£HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 327- was Leeds, Yorkshire, while his mother’s was Aberdeen, Scotland and they were early settlers of Oxford county. His mother died at Ingersoll in 1861. In 1864 the father with his family of two sons and two daughters removed to Stratford, Ontario, and was one of the pioneers of that place. At the time of his death, which occurred in 1891, he was one of Stratford’s most prominent citizens and men of affairs, being possessed of extensive landed and real estate interests there. Robert Hill Myers is indebted to the public schools and Collegiate Insti- tute of Stratford for his early education. After completing his studies in Stratford he decided to adopt the profession of law and entered Osgoode Hall, Toronto, where he graduated in 1880 as barrister and solicitor. The following year in December witnessed his arrival in Winnipeg and Bran- don, where for a short time he practiced his profession. He then moved to Minnedosa, Manitoba, where he made his home and practiced law for the ensuing twenty-one years, building up an extensive and lucrative practice. In the general election of 1892 as the Liberal candidate he was returned for the constituency of Minnedosa in the Legislative Assembly and con- tinued to sit for that division until January, 1903, at which time he was appointed judge of the county court at Winnipeg, which judicial office he has held up to the present time. Judge Myers was married in 1885 to Miss Annie McLeod, of Wood- stock, Ontario. She is a daughter of the late James McLeod of that place, who was one of the pioneers of Oxford county. They have two children, Robert and Zeta, both of whom are attending college. He is a past grand master of both the Masons and Odd Fellows, a mem- ber of the board of managers for Manitoba College and also of the Senate, member of the University Committee on the Cecil Rhodes Scholarship, mem- ber of Augustine Presbyterian church and of the Manitoba and St. Charles Country Clubs. JOHN McKECHNIE. John McKechnie, the subject of this sketch, is president of the Yulcan Iron Works, the largest foundry west of the Great Lakes in Canada. He was born August 14, 1844, near Loch Lomond, Scotland, and is a son of328 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Stephen and Margaret (Duncan) MeKechnie, both natives of Scotland, and of old Scotch ancestry. The family moved to Ontario in the spring of 1854, and there the father engaged in farming in Bruce county. He is still living at the advanced age of ninety-three, his wife having died in 1902. The family consisted of seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the eldest. He was educated in the public schools of Glasgow, and after coming to Ontario, at the public schools in Paris, Ontario. Up to the age of eighteen he remained on the home farm, and after spending one year in the United States he returned to Canada and served his apprenticeship to a millwright, which trade he followed both in Canada and the United States up to 1872, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. His first work in the province wras in the saw mill of W. J. McCauley, and in the fall of the same year he was employed as engineer in Joseph Lemay’s flour mill, which position he occupied until the spring of 1874. He then started a foundry on his own account. This was the first foundry established in the North-West, and was a nucleus to the present business, which since 1884 has been known as the Vulcan Iron Company. It is the largest in Canada west of the Great Lakes, and employes over two hundred men. In 1874 Mr. MeKechnie married Miss Catherine McGregor, a native of Glengarry county, Ontario. They have four children: Jennie, the wife of H. H. Coulter, a barrister of Virden, Manitoba; Margaret, the wife of Claude Isbister, a barrister of McGregor, Manitoba; and Catherine and Mary, at home. Mr. MeKechnie has served as a school trustee for eight years, up to 1903. He is a member of St. Andrew’s Society, and also of Knox church, and in the latter has been for many years one of its board of managers. For thirty years he has been prominently identified with the Masonic order, being one of the early members of Prince Rupert Lodge, No. 1, of Winnipeg. He has served as treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba for the past twenty-one years and is to-day the oldest office holder of the Grand Lodge to hold any position continuously for this length of time. He is also a mem- ber of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, of which he has the honor to be a member of the thirty-third degree since 1894, and is the deputy of the supreme council for Manitoba and the North-West Territories.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 329 JOHN ARBUTHNOT. John Arbuthnot, ex-mayor of Winnipeg and a prominent business man, is one of the best known citizens of the province of his adoption. He was bom January 7, 1861, at St. Catharines, Ontario, and is a son of John and Mary (Connors) Arbuthnot, both of whom are natives of Ireland of Scotch descent, and who settled in St. Catharines in the early fifties, the father being a farmer by occupation and still continues in St. Catharines. Mr. Arbuthnot was raised on the home farm and educated at the public schools of St. Catharines, and also at the Collegiate Institute of that place. At twenty years of age he left home and started with John Ross on con- struction work on the Canadian Pacific Railway on Lake Superior, he hav- ing charge of the railway supplies at Nipegon the first year. For two years he was employed by the Canadian Pacific Road, and from 1884 to 1888 was engaged in contracting on different portions of construction work for other railways. In 1890 he came to Winnipeg, where he became connected with the Western Lumber Company at Rat Portage, and was identified with this company for two years. On April 2, 1892, he engaged in the lumber business on his own account at Winnipeg, in which business he has since continued at the original site, corner of Princess and Logan streets. In 1896 and 1897 Mr. Arbuthnot served as alderman, and in 1897 was chairman of the Board of Works. In 1898 and 1899 he was chairman of the Parks Board, and in 1901, 1902 and 1903 served as mayor of the city. In civic affairs Mr. Arbuthnot takes an active interest, and since 1900 has been a member of the Industrial Exposition Board. In 1886 Mr. Arbuthnot married Miss Agnes Savage, who was born in the Province of Quebec, and is a daughter of William Savage, of England, who is of United Empire Loyalist stock, his forefathers settling in Quebec about 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Arbuthnot are the parents of two children: Barbara Ross and John William. In fraternal circles Mr. Arbuthnot takes an active interest, and is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Independent Order of Foresters, and Ancient Order of United Work- men. He is a staunch Conservative in politics.330 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. THOMAS WILLIAM TAYLOR. Thomas William Taylor, ex-mayor of Winnipeg and at present member of the local legislature, is a native of Portsmouth, England, his birth having occurred on the 6th of September, 1853. He is a son of Sergeant Major James Taylor of the Ninety-third Southerland Highlanders, a native of Caithness, Scotland, and Abigal (Peel) Taylor, who was a daughter of a well-known manufacturer of Hillsboro, Ireland. It was during the time that his father was stationed at Anglesay Barracks, Portsmouth, England, that Mr. Taylor was born, but three years later the family removed to London, Ontario, where the subject of this sketch received his education at the common schools, and at an early date was apprenticed to the art of book binding. He first entered an establishment in his own town, and later pursued the work in Cincinnati, finally graduating as a master of the art in Toronto. In 1877 Mr. Taylor came to Winnipeg, where he at once started busi- ness as a bookbinder, and introduced the first ruling machine ever seen in the North-West. From a small beginning the Taylor bindery has grown to its present proportions,' and an immense business is transacted, the product of the plant being sent to all portions of the Dominion from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Ocean. The T. W. Taylor Company, Limited, was incorporated in 1901 as a joint stock company, with Mr. Taylor as president. In municipal affairs Mr. Taylor has always taken an active interest, and in 1889 was elected as alderman for ward Four, to take the place of Alderman Curry, who had resigned. He remained in office until December, 1892, during which time he held respectively the offices of chairman of the market license and health committee and chairman of the finance committee. In 1892 he contested the mayoralty for that year, being defeated by Mr. McDonald. The following year he was elected mayor by acclamation, and his administration was a public credit to Winnipeg. At the by-election of 1900 he was elected a member of the local legislature, being re-elected in 1903. In fraternal circles Mr. Taylor has also taken an active part. He has given more attention to the Masonic order than to others. He is past deputyHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 331 grand master of district No. 1, past preceptor and past provincial prior of Albert Edward Preceptory and Priory, No. 24, of Winnipeg. He is also a member of the Foresters and of the St. Andrew’s Society, being an ex- president of the latter. As chairman of the Public Parks Board, Mr. Tay- lor made an enviable record for himself. In 1877 Mr. Taylor married Miss Gertrude Seaton, of London, Ontario. They are the parents of ten children, six boys and four girls. In religious matters Mr. Taylor has always been an earnest worker, being a member of St. George’s church of Winnipeg. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor reside in a handsome home on Bannatyne avenue, Winnipeg. ROBERT D. RICHARDSON. Robert D. Richardson, the subject of this sketch, was born in Toronto, Ontario, April 16, 1854, and is the eldest son of James H. and Mary (Skirving) Richardson, the father being a native of Presque Isle, Bay cf Quinte, and the first Canadian to take the degree of M.R.C.S. in England. He is likewise noted as the mover of the resolution adopting the maple leaf as the emblem of Canada, which was decided upon at the time of King Edward’s-^then Prince of Wales—first visit to Canada. His father, James Richardson, was one of the early bishops of the Methodist church in Canada, and prior to that was pilot to Commodore Yeo’s fleet during the war of 1812, and the only Canadian who was permitted to hold his rank of captain when the British regulars came out under the Duke of Kent. He suffered the loss of his left arm in the defence of his country, it being taken off by a cannon ball at the taking of Oswego, one of the many battles in which he was engaged. Mr. Richardson’s father practiced medicine in Toronto in the early days, and was the first lecturer in medicine at Toronto University, being one of the pioneer physicians, as well as one of the leading ones of Toronto at the present time. Mr. Richardson’s mother is a native of Nairn, Scotland, and is a descendent of the old Black Skirving family, which immigrated to Canada in the early thirties and were among the pioneers of Little York, Ontario, now Toronto. Mr. Richardson is a member of the generations of332 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. Canadians of United Empire Loyalist stock, his forefathers owning the whole district of what is now Germantown, Philadelphia, on the banks of the Delaware, where they operated large iron works, but which they aban- doned for the sake of the British flag in 1791, going first to Nova Scotia with a company of loyalists, but later on journeying up the St. Lawrence and settling finally near Toronto, where they were granted lands on the bank of the Humber. His great-grandfather, Dennis, was a master ship- builder for the British at Kingston Dock Yard, and afterwards at York, and built the big ‘ ‘ St. Lawrence, ’ ’ which was sailed by Captain Richardson, a one hundred and twenty gun ship, which was in active service during the year 1812, but which was sold shortly after the war. The subject of this sketch received his education at Upper Canada College, and was graduated in 1872, at which time he entered the stationery business with the old wholesale firm of James Campbell & Son, of Toronto. He came to Winnipeg in the spring of 1878, and erected a store at the corner of Main and McDermott streets, opposite the post office. His building was enlarged twice, and later on was removed to, make place for the present five-storey building occupied by the Bank of Hamilton. Mr. Richardson was a pioneer in the stationery business in Winnipeg, as also in the manufacture of blank books and stationery supplies. He was the first to introduce the style of vertical writing in the public schools of Manitoba, before the system was adopted by any of the eastern provinces. He was the first secretary of the Y.M.C.A. in 1879, and was the joint organizer with Mr. J. A. M. Aikins of the same in Winnipeg. At present he is a member of the Church of England, and was superintendent of Holy Trinity Sunday School from 1880 to 1888. He was also one of the organ- izers of the “Men’s Own,” a most worthy institution, whose object is to befriend and elevate the poorer classes of the city. In 1879 Mr. Richardson married Dora, the second daughter of the late Edward Freer, postmaster of Montreal. One son was born of this union, James Freer Richardson, who is now taking a medical course at the Lon- don Hospital, England. In 1891 Mrs. Richardson died, and in 1899 Mr. Richardson was again married, Isabella, a daughter of Dr. George A. Mac- nutt, of Leinster Square, London, England, becoming his wife.*HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 333 Mr. Richardson is an early member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade and has always taken an active interest in its affairs, and likewise in all matters pertaining to the welfare and growth of his adopted city. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson make their home in an ideal spot opposite the government reserve on the banks of the Assiniboine river at the corner of Kennedy and Assiniboine avenue. HON. JAMES COX AIKINS, LL.D. A name universally known not only in the Province of Manitoba but likewise throughout the Dominion of Canada is that of the late Hon. James Cox Aikins. He was born in the township of Toronto in 1823, and was the eldest son of James Aikins, who came from the north of Ireland, emi- grating from the town of Monaghan in 1816 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where after a brief sojourn he became dissatisfied with the attitude of the States toward Great Britain and came to Canada, settling in the township of Toronto, thirteen miles west of York, in the year 1820. It was there that young Aikins was reared to manhood, doing his share of the strenuous, labors on his father’s farm. He was indebted to the schools of Upper Canada for his primary education, this being in the thirties of the last century and they were still very rudimentary. At the age of thirteen he entered the Upper Canada Academy, when that institution was first, founded, and subsequently in Victoria College, Cobourg, profited by the more liberal education offered, where for the ensuing five years he pursued a. most successful course of advanced studies. His love of the quiet country home remained unchanged, and after leaving college he returned to the farm in Peel county, and in the following year, 1864, he married Miss Mary Elizabeth Jane Somerset, whose Christian character, refinement and intelligence fitted her to be his companion and grace the eminent stations to which they were called in after years. The following ten years were devoted to the farm and the duties of home, com- munity and church, giving his energies as class leader, Sabbath-school' superintendent and trustee. In 1854 he was elected to represent the county of Peel in the reform:334 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. interests in the legislative assembly. The esteem in which he was held by his constituents is shown by an extract from the Globe of July 23, 1855: “On Friday last J. C. Aikins, Esquire, M.P.P., for the county of Peel, was entertained at a public dinner in Brampton by his constit- uents, who took this mode of testifying their approbation of the manly and straight-forward political course he has pursued during the period that he had the honor of holding a seat in the legisla- ture. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, it was estimated that not fewer than two hundred and twenty were pre- sent at the entertainment, which was given under a handsome tent, around which was displayed conspicuous mottoes, such as: ‘Can- ada is my Home,’ ‘British Connection,’ ‘Success to the Allies.’ Among the invited guests were present Dr. Fraser, M.P.P., Mr. G. Brown, M.P.P., Mr. A. Mackenzie, M.P.P., Mr. Hartman, M.P.P., Mr. Freeman, M.P.P., Mr. W. McDougall, late of the North Ameri- can and Mr. Mackinnon of the Hamilton Banner. ’ ’ The next seven years were devoted to important questions then before the country. In 1861 he was defeated by the Hon. John Hillyard Cameron, but the following year witnessed his election to the legislative council for the home district, including the counties of Peel and Halton, from which he was called at Confederation to the senate of the Dominion of Canada. The political life both in the upper and lower house from 1862 onward was a stormy one, and when a “double majority” foiled and a deadlock of parties was imminent, a coalition was formed to carry into effect the great national issue of Confederation. In the ministry formed by Hon. George Brown, leader of the party, Mr. Aikins, the Hon. William McDougall and the Hon. Oliver Mowat, were members of the Reform side for Upper Can- ada, with the Hon. John A. Macdonald, James Cockburn and Alexander Campbell, Conservatives. During the autumn several changes took place, and on the 9th of December Mr. Aikins was called to the Cabinet as secre- tary of state. In the same month Mr. Ferguson-Blair died, and henceforth Messrs. Aikins, McDougall and Howland continued to act in parliament with Sir John A. Macdonald. He held office for the next five years until theHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 335 fall of the Macdonald government in 1873. The important measures during this time carried into effect were: The organization of the Dominion Lands Bureau in the North-West and the passing of the Public Lands Act in 1872. When the Macdonald administration returned to power in 1878, Mr. Aikins was again included in the Cabinet, continuing in office until 1882, when he resigned from the senate and was appointed lieutenant-governor of Manitoba. It was during his governorship that the Manitoba government asserted its claim so strongly with the Dominion government in respect of provincial rights and disallowance of railway charter, and also when the second Riel rebellion occurred, which made his position one of anxiety and difficulty, but his character was such that he always held the respect and confidence of his advisors and of the Dominion government, and his tact prevented many serious clashes. At the close of his term in 1887 he returned to Ontario and in 1896 was once more called to the senate, in which he continued to discharge the duties of that office until his death. His whole life was characterized as a con- sistent Christian, and he took a prominent part in the affairs of the Metho- dist church. His long and useful life was closed in his own home at the advanced age of eighty-one on August 6, 1904. J. A. M. AIKINS, K.C. Prominent in the legal profession of Manitoba and everything that stands for progression in the province is James Albert Manning Aikins, son of the late Hon. James Cox and Mary Elizabeth (Somerset) Aikins, the record of whose life appears on other pages of this work. He was born in the county of Peel on the 10th of December, 1851, his primary education being received at Richview and Brampton Grammar School, after which he entered Upper Canada College and Toronto University, where he graduated in 1875. Deciding to take up the profession of law he entered the law offices of Mathew Crooks Cameron and also that of Mowat, McClennan & Downey in Toronto. In 1878 he visited Winnipeg, and in August of that year, returning to Ontario, he was called to the bar. The following Febru- ary witnessed his arrival in Winnipeg, where he immediately took up his profession in which he has been identified up to the present time. His336 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ability as a lawyer and counsel was soon recognized and he became the solici- tor and advisor for many of the leading interests of the province. Mr. Aikins is solicitor and counsel for the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Great West Life Assurance Company, the Dominion Express Company, the Imperial Bank, the Bank of Ottawa, the Canadian Fire Insurance Com- pany, the Northern Trusts Company, Scottish American Investment Com- pany and Lord Brassey’s interests in the Canadian West, etc. From 1879 to 1896 he acted as counsel for the department of justice. He was appointed in 1880 by the Dominion Government one of the royal commissioners to investigate and report on the administration of justice in the North-West Territories. Under Mr. Hugh John Macdonald’s administration in 1900 he served as counsel for the government of Manitoba, drafting the Mani- toba Liquor Bill, which upon appeal to the Privy Council of Great Britain was declared constitutional. Mr. Aikins has declined all offers of political preferment, but has always taken a most active part in public affairs. As an eloquent political factor he has shown his forcefulness, notably in the campaign of 1896, when the Province of Manitoba returned a majority of the supporters of the Tupper-Bowell administration on the Manitoba school question. He served as first president of the Y.M.C.A., from 1879 to 1882, chair- man of Wesleyan College, Honorary Bursar of Manitoba University from 1884 to the present, a member of its council since 1880, and is a bank director, also director of the Northern Trusts and other institutions. Mr. Aikins was appointed a Queen’s counsel in November, 1884, a bencher of the Manitoba Law Society since 1880, and has served as its secre- tary, treasurer and president. JOHN SOMERSET AIKINS. Prominently identified with the real estate business of the province, John Somerset Aikins, the subject of this sketch, was born February 27, 1850, in county Peel, Ontario, and is a son of Hon. James Cox and Mary Elizabeth Jane (Somerset) Aikins, an extended sketch of whom appears in this work immediately prior to this sketch. Mr. Aikins of this review received his education at Upper Canada Col-lllllilllilililllHHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 337 lege, and after completing his studies came to Manitoba in 1871, on a visit, and in 1879, after several trips made to and from the province, established his permanent residence in Winnipeg. He at once identified himself with the real estate business, which occupation he has continued up to the present time and in which he has met with a deserved success. Outside of his business interests Mr. Aikins has always taken a lead- ing part in the political affairs of the province, and in 1879 was elected to the local legislature for the constituency of Rockwood, representing the Conservative interests, his opponents being the Hon. H. J. Clark, ex-attor- ney-general of Manitoba and Thomas Lusted. In 1887 Mr. Aikins married Miss Abby Lemira Colby, a daughter of the Hon. Charles C. Colby, who for many years was a member of the Domin- ion Parliament under the administration of Sir John A. Macdonald. He was also deputy speaker of the House of Commons and subsequently was a member of the government under Sir John A. Macdonald. Two children have been born of this union, Charles Carroll Colby, who was named after his grandfather, and Mary Somerset. Upon the organization of the Great North-West Telegraph Company Mr. Aikins served as its first vice-president, and at present is a director of the Manitoba and North-West Loan Company. For many years he has been a director of the Winnipeg General Hospital, in whose affairs he takes a deep interest. Mr. Aikins holds membership in Grace Methodist church, of which he has been secretary for many years. HENRY FRY. Mr. Henry Fry, the subject of this sketch, was born in Bryanston Square, London, England, on May 10,1859, and is the son of George Frede- rick and Mary Anna (Hall) Fry, both natives of England and representa- tives of an old family of the mother country. The father was civil engineer for the Strand district of London, and still resides there, at the ripe old age of seventy-six. The mother died in 1903. Mr. Fry’s father has for many years been a member of the Dover Town Council, and was also identified in other municipal matters. In the year 1890, while on important 22338 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. business in Portugal, the King invested him with one of the orders of that country. At present he is the British Admiralty representative at Dover on the Harbor Board. Mr. Fry’s grandfather was mayor of Deal, which position he occupied for many years. The family consisted of three boys and two girls, of whom the subject of this sketch is the youngest. He was raised and educated in London, England, and attended North London College. He left school at the early age of sixteen and served his appren- ticeship in an architect’s office in London. In 1880 he came to Canada, and after a year spent in Toronto he came to Winnipeg, where for three years following he was engaged in architecture. In 1884 he became identified with the land department of the Manitoba & North-Western Railway and con- tinued with this corporation up to 1893, and at the time of his resignation was land commissioner of the department. He left to join the Manitoba & North-West Land Corporation of London as one of the local managers of that concern, and is at present holding that position. Mr. Fry has always taken an active interest in public affairs and from 1898 up to the present time has served as alderman of ward Five, with the exception of the years 1902 and 1903. He was chairman of the finance committee for two years, and in 1901 was acting mayor. Since 1892 he has been a justice of the peace and also a notary public. In 1880 Mr. Fry married Miss Gwladys M. Frith, a daughter of Charles Frith, a native of Wales. They have one son, Frederic Albert. Mr. Fry is one of the directors of the Winnipeg Industrial Exposition, and fraternally is identified with the Masonic order and the Sons of Eng- land. He is one of the vestrymen of Christ church. JOHN HENRY OLDFIELD. The senior member of the well-known firm of Oldfield & Gardner and one of the most prominent real estate men in the province, is Mr. John Henry Oldfield, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Norfolk, Eng- land, February 7, 1857, and is a son of Henry and Emma (Griffin) Oldfield, both of whom were natives of England. Mr. Oldfield was educated at schools in his native and adjoining counties, leaving school at the age of six- teen. In 1877 he went with his uncle; Dr. Edmund Oldfield, M.R.C.S., Lon-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 339 don and Paris, to Dutch Guiana, where the doctor was interested in growing cotton, cocoa, coffee, plantains, etc. Hearing that some Norfolk acquaint- ances were living in Manitoba he decided to spy out the land, and in 1879 sailed from Demerara to Baltimore en route to Winnipeg, where he arrived in May of that year. For two years he engaged in the seed business, and after a trip to his old home during the winter of 1881-2, he returned and engaged in real estate business, in which he has continued up to the present time. In 1899 he formed a partnership with W. H. Gardner, the firm of Oldfield & Gardner being widely known as general real estate and financial agents. JAMES STEWART TUPPER. James Stewart Tupper, one of the foremost representatives at the bar of Manitoba, and also widely known throughout the Dominion, is the eldest son of the Hon. Sir Charles Tupper, Bart., G.C.M.G., C.B. He was born in Amherst, Province of Nova Scotia, October 26, 1851, and in early youth evinced those marked qualities which have been instrumental in placing him in the front ranks of liis chosen profession. His early educational training was acquired at a preparatory school, and entering McGill University he graduated in 1871 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He also won first class honors in natural science. Moving to Toronto he devoted himself to the study of law, and was called to the bar of Ontario in 1875. He was appointed reporter to the Court of Appeal, and during this incumbency received unusual advantages of broadening the scope of his studies by direct observation of the methods of the most able practitioners before the courts. In 1882, becoming impressed with the great advantages offered by the rapid development of Manitoba, he moved to Winnipeg, and was called to the bar of Manitoba. He formed a partnership with the Hon. Hugh John MacDonald, K.C., the firm at that time being MacDonald, Tupper, Phippen & Tupper. This partnership continued until 1899, when Mr. MacDonald accepted the premiership of Manitoba and withdrew from the firm. On his retirement Mr. Tupper became the head of the firm of Tupper, Phippen & Tupper, which was recently changed to Tupper, Phippen, Tupper, Minty & MeTavish. The firm is well known throughout the Dominion, and is340 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. solicitor for many of the corporate interests in Canada, including the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, the Hudson’s Bay Company, the Bank of Montreal and others. Mr. Tupper has frequently appeared before the supreme court of Canada, and the judicial committee of Great Britain on important cases. In 1890 he was appointed Q.C. by the Earl of Derby and in 1900 he was elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Manitoba. Mr. Tupper was first married on September 8, 1875, to Miss Mary Wilson, daughter of the late Andrew Robertson, Esq., “Elm Bank,” Mon- treal. She died in August, 1876, leaving one daughter. On June 9, 1880, Mr. Tupper married Miss Ada Campbell, daughter of the late chief justice of the court of common pleas of Ontario, Sir Thomas Galt, by whom he has two daughters and one son. In religion Mr. Tupper is an Anglican, and in politics a Liberal-Conservative. He is a valued member of the Manitoba Club and his beautiful home, “ Ravenscourt, ” Winnipeg, is one of the social centers of the province. JAMES TEES. James Tees, of the firm of Tees & Persse, and since 1881 a resident of Winnipeg, is a native of Montreal. He was born November 13, 1854, and is a son of the late David Tees, a prominent furniture manufacturer of Montreal. His educational advantages were limited in boyhood days, as he left school when eleven years of age and was apprenticed to the engraving business at that time. His rapid advancement therefore to a prominent place among the business and social circles of the community, as well as acquiring a marked culture in the higher arts, is consequently more noticeable. He remained but a short time in the engraving business, and then entered the employ of James Robertson, proprietor of the Canada Lead Works. In 1881 he was office manager of the institution, and in that year came to Winnipeg to open a branch of the establishment, with the position as manager of the Winnipeg branch. He occupied this position until 1885, when a partnership with John Persse, the firm of Tees & Persse, commis- sion brokers, was established. The firm is one of the best known in western Canada, and their trade extends westward to British Columbia.* .HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 341 They represent the E. B. Eddy Company, St. Lawrence Sugar Refiner- ies, George E. Tuckett & Sons, of Hamilton, Ontario, the St. Lawrence Starch Company, of Port Credit, Ontario, N. K. Fairbanks & Company, of Chicago, Lang Manufacturing Company, of Montreal, and other well known manufacturing concerns. They also handle direct imports from South America and various points of Asia Minor. In 1880 Mr. Tees married Miss Margaret G. Smith, a daughter of John Smith, of Montreal. They have one son, Stafford, born 1883. In musical circles Mr. Tees has been particularly active, and is recog- nized as the leader of all affairs musical of the province. He is president of the Winnipeg College of Music, and vice-president of the Clef Club. For many years he has been choir master of Grace church, the largest in Win- nipeg. He has conducted public musical performances from oratorio to comic opera at various times, and is at present conductor of the Tees Male Choir, one of the best known musical organizations in the province. It was through his efforts that funds were secured to purchase a seven thousand dollar organ for Grace church, and a Steinway grand piano for the Y.M. C.A. of Winnipeg. He is a great believer in clean sports, and has been a member of the Assiniboine Curling Club, president of the Rover Bicycle Club, president of the Garry Lacrosse Club, and a member of the gymnastic committee of the Y.M.C.A. He holds membership in the Methodist church and is secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Broadway Methodist chureh. His city home is on Edmonton street, but his beautiful summer home ‘ ‘ Idylwylde, ” on the banks of the Assiniboine river, four miles from Win- nipeg, and consisting of twelve acres of beautiful grounds, with a handsome residence, is where Mr. Tees takes his greatest comfort, surrounded by family and friends and extending a hospitality noted for its generosity. FRANK M. MARCH. The ordinary observer witnessing the almost phenomenal developments of the resources of Manitoba if asked the reason for such developments would more than likely reply that a due appreciation for the fertility of the soil and the probability of an excellent investment for capital was the342 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. underlying cause. This of course to an extent would be true, but it is like- wise true that some man, some firm or some association of men, must have reasoned that backward development was caused by an ignorance of the true state of affairs, and have deliberately set to work with the idea of pointing out to the uninitiated the probabilities of this wonderful common- wealth. The soil of Manitoba, its adaptability to cereal growing and its other manifold advantages were precisely the same before the great influx of husbandmen, who have made the name of Manitoba a byword in all wheat- growing centers, and who have added so largely to the wealth and pros- perity of the Dominion of Canada. The proper kind of settlers were all that was needed to develop the wealth of the prairie, but to call the atten- tion of these people to the fact that Manitoba was their mecca required pub- licity of a wide-spread order. It is a recognized fact that the Manitoba Land and Investment Company has been an important factor in acting as promotor of such publicity, and a glance at the personnel of the company will prove interesting. The company was organized in 1901 by Frank M. March, senior mem- ber of the firm of March Brothers and Wells, and president of the Export Elevator Company, Limited. The four March brothers, F. M., N. D., G. K. and C. H., with Mr. H. H. Wells, of Morris, Minnesota, offer a strong com- bination of successful business men. The four brothers are engaged in a variety of interests, one of them being the operation of a line of banks in Minnesota, which are managed from Winnipeg by F.' M. March. George K. March resides at Pierre, South Dakota, and manages a large cattle indus- try controlled by them. N. D. and C. H. are two prominent attorneys at Litchfield. Mr. H. H. Wells, of Morris, Minnesota, is known as one of. the substantial men of the state, and is actively identified with mercantile, bank- ing and financial interests there. When such men put their shoulder to the wheel something is bound to move. The first American purchase of any consequence, and the one which attracted wide-spread attention to Manitoba, was the acquisition of the Lord Elphinstone Estate at Newdale. This property consisting of ten thousand acres was purchased by March Brothers & Wells in 1901. Mr.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 343 March at once commenced arrangements whereby the farmers and investors of Minnesota and the Dakotas could view this property personally, and in June, 1901, the first excursion of home seekers from the United States came from Litchfield, Minnesota, as the guests of the company. No detail of ar- rangements had been overlooked, and upon arrival in Winnipeg the excur- sionists were entertained by Governor McMillan, and the laws relative to settlement, etc., were fully explained to them by Chief Justice Killam. This excursion marked an era in the settlement of the province and the North- West. It was the first start from the United States, and everyone is now familiar with the rush from the United States to Manitoba. It is not too much to state that this company has done more in this direc- tion than any company organized for the purpose. It has brought thou- sands of first-class settlers here and thus aided materially in the develop- ment of the province. It has sold over five hundred thousand acres of land since its inception, and most in small holdings. There has been no let up since the first excursion, and to-day the company is working just as hard in the way of inducing proper immigration as at the start. It requires no mathematician to figure that these thousands of people brought here by these means have added millions to the wealth of the Pro- vince of Manitoba and the North-West. One of the many enterprises of March Brothers & Wells is the Export Elevator Company, Limited. It was incorporated on May 20, 1903, with a capital of five hundred thousand dollars. The officers are: F. M. March, presi- dent; H. H. Wells, vice-president; G. K. March, secretary and treasurer. It owns and operates twenty-five elevators, and others are now in‘course of con- struction, The combined capacity of those at present in Manitoba and the North-West Territories is six hundred thousand bushels. The elevators are all new with modern conveniences, cleaners, crush and feed mills, etc. The Mayook Lumber Company, of British Columbia, is another one of their enterprises and they are heavily engaged in the manufacture of lumber. Mr. Frank M. March was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, October 22, 1863. He is a son of Nelson J. March, who is an old settler of Minnesota, moving to St. Paul in 1854, where he still resides. Frank M. was educated in the public and high schools of Litchfield, Minnesota, and afterwards went344 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. into the general merchandising business at Glencoe, Minnesota, and a little later at Pierre, South Dakota. While obtaining his education he taught school to bear out the expense. He remained in the general merchandise business until 1894, at which time he went into the banking business, and as stated above in connection with his brothers owns several banks in Minnesota. In 1891, at Glencoe, Minnesota, he married Miss Emma F. Wadsworth, a native of New Haven, Connecticut, and a daughter of Mr. H. Wadsworth, a hardware merchant of Glencoe. They have two children, Fidelia and Mary. He is a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias, and has passed through all the chairs and is also a member of the Commercial Club and Board of Trade of Winnipeg. It is to such men as Mr. March that the great development of the West is due, and he certainly deserves a fitting mention in Manitoba’s history. DANIEL EMES SPRAGUE. One of the most prominent men in the lumber industry in the Province of Manitoba is Daniel Ernes Sprague, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of the town of Keswick, county of York, Province of Ontario, born December 1, 1848, and is a son of Daniel Sprague, deceased. His education was acquired at the public schools of his native place and subsequently at a commercial college, where he received a thorough business training. Immediately after leaving school he embarked in the lumber business, which has since been his life work. He came to Manitoba with the idea of growing up with the country and also in a spirit of adventure. In 1872 he associated himself with Mr. W. J. Macaulay in the lumber business and remained with him four years. Prior to this the Georgian Bay Lumber Company, which was operating at that time, was Mr. Sprague’s first experience in this line, and both he and Mr. Macaulay were associated with Anson G. P. Dodge as officers of this company. On severing their connection with this company, Mr. Macaulay and Mr. Sprague decided on Winnipeg as the field for their future operations, and to this place Mr. Macaulay came in 1871 and Mr. Sprague in 1872. They built a saw mill between Notre Dame and Lombard streets, it being the first saw mill of any consequence built in Winnipeg. ItHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 345 was operated by them for four years, and afterwards for six years by Jarvis & Berridge. From 1877 to 1881 Mr. Sprague was connected with the firm of Stobart, Eden & Company, and in 1882 erected the present mill and subse- quently established the Sprague Lumber Company, Limited. The capacity of the plant is from eighty thousand to one hundred thousand feet of lumber in ten hours. The present company was incorporated in 1903 with the fol- lowing officers: D. E. Sprague, president and manager; H. C. H. Sprague, vice-president and assistant manager; J. D. Sinclair, secretary; D. Boyce Sprague, treasurer. Mr. Sprague is a director of the Winnipeg Industrial Exposition Com- pany, the Pacific Coast Lumber Company, Vancouver, and also of the Winnipeg General Hospital. He has served as president of the exposition, was twice its vice-president and has been a director from its inception. He is a member of the Manitoba and Commercial Clubs, and fraternally is affiliated with the Masonic order. In politics he is a Conservative, and he holds membership in the Church of England. In 1879 Mr. Sprague married Miss Alice Hawkins, a native of Con- necticut, U.S.A., and at that time a resident of Hamilton, Ontario. One child, Harold Champion Hawkins Sprague, has been born of this union. He was educated at Tuckwell’s private school in Winnipeg and at St. John’s College, and is now vice-president and assistant manager of the D. E. Sprague Lumber Company, Limited. D. E. ADAMS. D. E. Adams, secretary and treasurer of the Tabor Coal Mining Com- pany, Limited, is a native of Beaverton, Ontario, his birth having occurred on April 26, 1859, at that point. He received his education in the place of his nativity, and afterwards for a short time was identified with mercan- tile pursuits. He then studied telegraphy, and was a telegraph operator up to the time of his coming to Winnipeg, in 1882. For a few months he con- tinued as a telegraph operator in Winnipeg, but afterwards associated him- self with the North-West Fuel Company and the Dominion Coal Company, and was identified with them until those companies went out of business.346 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. He then started in the coal business on his own account, and has since been engaged in that branch of industry. The officers of the Tabor Coal Mining Company are: Stanley Hugh, president, Isaac Cockburn, vice-president, D. E. Adams, secretary-treasurer. The mines are located in Tabor, Alberta, and the output is a domestic soft coal, which is shipped all over Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 1884 Mr. Adams married Miss Charlotte Soper, a resident of Toronto. They have three children: Herbert E., Kathleen and Dorothy. Mr. Adams takes an active interest in church affairs, and holds membership in the Augustine church, and is chairman of its Board of Managers. Prior to this he was a member of Knox church for six years. He is an active member of the Board of Trade, and is also a member of the Commercial Club of Winnipeg. In politics Mr. Adams gives his support to the Liberal party. ROBERT JOSEPH CAMPBELL. Robert Joseph Campbell, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Toronto, Ontario, born April 15, 1851. He is a son of the late James and Mary (Sower) Campbell, his father a native of Inveraray, Scotland, coming to Canada in 1844, and the mother was born in St. John, New Brunswick. His mother’s people were United Empire Loyalists who settled in New Brunswick, she being a descendent of Christopher Sower, who was a gradu- ate of the University of Berlinberg, Germany, and came to America in 1725 and settled in Philadelphia. Having ample means he bought land and started a number of industries, among others in 1738 starting a printing and publishing establishment in Philadelphia. In 1743 he published the first quarto Bible in the European language printed in America. Between the years 1738 and 1770 he published three hundred and forty-five works. His son, Christopher Sower, sided with the British in the war of independence, was made Colonel of a regiment, and fought during the war. The Sower estate was confiscated by the Americans and sold at auction, bringing in that unsettled time the sum of £17,640, one of the farms confiscated (comprising six hundred and forty acres) is now built over in the city of Philadelphia. After the war Colonel Sower wentHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 347 to St. John, New Brunswick, and there published the Royal Gazette in 1779. In 1784 he went to England as commissioner on American claims, and whilst there he was appointed postmaster-general of Nova Scotia, a position he held till the time of his death. He lived in St. John and Halifax as a retired officer and was appointed King’s printer by the British Government. Mr. R. J. Campbell was educated in the public schools and also in the Model School of Toronto, but at the age of seventeen put aside his text books and served his apprenticeship in the grocery business with Edward Lawson, of Toronto, with whom he remained seven years. He then engaged in business at Eglington, Ontario, for six years, and in 1881 came to Manitoba, locating at Winnipeg. Here the now existing wholesale grocery business was established in 1882, under the name of Sutherland & Camp- bell. Mr. Sutherland died in 1885 and Mr. Campbell continued the busi- ness with his brother, W. J. Campbell, up to 1900, when the firm of Camp- bell Brothers & Wilson was formed to continue the business started in 1882. In 1904 Mr. R. J. Campbell married Sarah S. Cottingham, of Toronto, a daughter of the late Dr. J. D. Cottingham. Mr. Campbell is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Foresters. He is a member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, also a trustee of the Sinking Fund Board for the city of Winnipeg, and a director of several of the local institutions. ; THOMAS H. LOCK. One of the leading representatives of the wholesale fraternity in Win- nipeg is. Thomas H. Lock, of the firm of Foley, Lock & Larson, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred in the town of Perth on March 11, 1862. His educational advantages vfere derived in the place of his nativity, and on putting aside his text books he entered the employ of a general mercantile store of that place. After a thorough insight in the business he left this to accept a position with the firm of Campbell Brothers and Wilson, of Winnipeg, for whom he traveled for a period of fifteen years. In 1877 he came to Manitoba, and has since remained here, a portion of his time being occupied in his duties with Campbell Brothers and Wilson,348 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. and the rest of the time he has been in business for himself, in connection with the well-known firm of Foley, Lock & Larson. In 1882 Mr. Lock was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Purdon, a native of Ontario, and unto them have been born seven children. Mr. Lock is a valued member of the Commercial Club of Winnipeg, and also a member of the Board of Trade, in whose affairs he takes an active interest. The firm of FOLEY, LOCK & LARSON was incorporated in January, 1903, with the following officers: Timothy Foley, St. Paul, Minnesota, president; T. H. Lock, vice-president and general manager; A. S. Lock, secretary. It is one of the largest wholesale grocery institutions of the pro- vince, the trade extending from Fort William to the western portion of British Columbia. In 1903 the present magnificent quarters were erected, the ground space being one hundred by one hundred feet, with five stories and basement, built of solid brick. An addition is now under way which will be erected within a coming year, making the total building space two hundred and nine by one hundred feet. The cost of the property is about two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. While the firm is one of the newer ones of the province, Mr. Lock has an extensive acquaintance with the entire trade of the Dominion, and in the short space of time since the incorporation of the company has put the firm in the front ranks of the wholesale grocery trade in the Dominion. GEORGE ANDREW. George Andrew, the pioneer jeweler of Winnipeg, is a native of Can- ada, his birth having occurred in 1851. His education was acquired in Guelph, Ontario, at which place he also was apprenticed to the watchmaking trade. He.served his time and followed this business until coming to Mani- toba in 1874. For one year he worked at his trade in Winnipeg, and then started in business for himself. He moved to his present quarters in 1898, and continued carrying on a general jewelry business. He is specially engaged in the manufacturing of the finer articles of jewelry demanded by high classed patrons. In addition to one of the finest stocks of jewelry carried in westernHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 349 Canada, he has made a specialty of line diamonds, and carries an immense stock of the precious stones. In 1875 Mr. Andrew married Miss Saunders, of London, Ontario. They became the parents of six children, of whom four are living, Charles N., who is engaged in the store with his father, Myrtle C., Harold C. and E. T. Mr. Andrew is a member of the Commercial Club and in politics gives his support to the Liberal party. EDWARD L. DREWRY. One of the best known men in the entire Province of Manitoba is Edward Lancaster Drewry, the subject of this sketch. Prominent in all affiairs which tend to improve the condition of any community, he has given his time, energies and funds without stint to any deserving matter,’even though it entailed a sacrifice of his own affairs. , He was born in London, England, February 6, 1851, and when a young boy came to Canada with his parents, who settled in St. Paul, Minnesota. After finishing his education in that city he embarked in the business of brewing and malting and the manufacture of aerated waters. This has practically been his life business, as since coming to Manitoba he has continued it up to the present day. The “Redwood Factories” is one of the big institutions of western Canada. It was started by Mr. Drewry in 1877 on rented premises, with two employees and one horse for power. To-day over four hundred thousand dollars is invested in the plant; one hundred and fifty employees are engaged, and a three hundred and twenty horse-power steam plant is found none too large for the requirements of the business. The product is used all over Manitoba and the North-West Territories. Although a busy man with the supervision of his large business inter- ests, Mr. Drewry has been equally busy with public and semi-public affairs. He was a member of the Winnipeg city council in 1883 and 1884, from which position he resigned. From 1886 to 1888 he represented North Win- nipeg in the Manitoba legislature, but has since declined further parliament- ary honors. For four years, 1893-97, he was chairman of the Public Parks Commission, he having taken a very warm interest in the inauguration of the park system. In 1899 he served as president of the Board of Trade,350 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and among other positions of importance held by him may be mentioned, chairman for Manitoba of the Canadian Manufacturers ’ Association; chair- man of the local Board of the Crown Life Insurance Company; vice-presi- dent of the Havergal College Company, Limited; president of the Audi- torium Rink Company; president of the Winnipeg Rifle Range Company. He is vice-president of the Winnipeg General Hospital, a member of the advisory board of the Children’s Home, also a director of the Union Bank of Canada. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the A.O.U.W. He is a member of the Church of England and takes a great interest in church affairs. For many years he has been a vestryman of St. John’s Cathedral, Winnipeg, and is also a delegate to the Provincial and Diocesan and General Synods. Of all legitimate athletic sports he is a friend and patron, and he holds honorary membership in the leading athletic organiza- tions. He is also a member of the Commercial, Manitoba and St. Charles Country Clubs. He gives his support politically to the Conservative party. On August 5, 1874, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mr. Drewry married Miss Eliza Starkey, a daughter of Captain James and Sarah Ann Starkey. Seven children have been born of this union: Gertrude, the wife of A. Code; Charles Edward; Emily, the wife of Mr. J. A. Machray; William S., Liley, Augusta and Harold. Mr. Drewry’s sons, Charles E. and William S., are actively associated with him in the conduct of his business. Mr. Drewry resides in his beautiful home on north Main street near the scene of his business activities, and it is here surrounded by his family that his happiest hours are spent, for withal he has been a busy man in all departments of legitimate human endeavor, he is essentially a home man. FREDERICK WILLIAM DREWRY. Frederick William Drewry, who like his brother, Edward L. Drewry, is one of the best known men in the province and has been particularly active in business and public affairs, was born in Newport, England, August 6, in 1855, and when a boy of five years of age was brought to America by his parents. Settling in St. Paul, Minnesota, the father engaged in the brew- ing and malting business, and there Frederick W. was engaged until 1880, at which time he left to join his brother, Edward L. Drewry, in Winnipeg.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 351 He arrived here in the following year, and since that time has been asso- ciated with his brother in the conduct of the Redwood Factories, and is the manager of the plant. In 1881 he married Miss Augusta E. Kiefer, a resident of St. Paul, and a daughter of Col. A. A. Kiefer, who was at one time mayor of St. Paul and also congressman from the state of Minnesota. Mrs. Drewry died in 1885. Mr. Drewry has always taken an interest in fraternal affairs, and is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Knights of Pythias, also the Druids and the Sons of England. He is the president of the Win- nipeg Industrial Exposition Company, and has done much to bring the exposition to such a high standard. He was one of the promoters and is a director in the Home Investment Company, and is also a director of the Dominion Annuity Company. In all legitimate sports Mr. Drewry takes an active interest. He is president of the Manitoba Rugby Association, presi- dent of the St. John’s Cricket Club, and vice-president of St. John’s College Hockey Club. In addition to this he is chairman of the Parks and Boule- vard Committee and is a past president and now a director of the Northwest Commercial Travelers’ Association. The social clubs of the city number him as one of their valued members, he being a member of the Manitoba Club, the Commercial Club, and was one of the promoters and now one of the governors of the St. Charles Country Club. As a member of the council of the Winnipeg Board of Trade he has assisted materially in the upbuild- ing ot that most excellent institution, his opinions carrying weight whenever expressed. Although a Conservative in politics, Mr. Drewry has always declined political advancement, preferring to devote himself to the many and varied duties which devolve upon him in the different stewardships he has accepted. DAYID HORN. David Horn, chief grain inspector for the Dominion, owns Glasgow, Scotland, as his birthplace, but with the exception of his boyhood has spent all his active life in Canada. He has been grain inspector at Winnipeg for twenty years, and spent the previous fifteen years in Toronto and western352 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Ontario, being associated there with Alexander Nairn in the milling and contracting business. In 1889 Mr. Horn married Miss Isabella Woods, of the Eastern Town- ships, Province of Quebec. They have one daughter, Jean. Mr. and Mrs. Horn are members of Knox Presbyterian church. JOHN A. HART. John A. Hart, the subject of this sketch, was born December 17, 1857, at Perth, Ontario, and is a son of John S. and Margaret (Brown) Hart, both of whom were early settlers of that province, the former coming with his father in 1842 and locating in Perth, where he conducts a book store at the present time. Mr. Hart was educated at the grammar schools of Perth, but left school at the age of seventeen and entered the employ of his father, in which occupa- tion he was engaged for some years prior to coming to Winnipeg in 1882. At that time he was offered the position as manager for R. D. Richardson & Company, stationers of Winnipeg, which position he accepted, and the same year dates his arrival in Winnipeg. He entered business on his own account in 1892. His present establishment is located at No. 412 Main street, where his general business of manufacturing stationery, books and office supplies is conducted under the name of the John A. Hart Company, Limited. In 1893 Mr. Hart married Miss Wilhelmina Falconer, a daughter of James Falconer, of Kingston, Ontario. They have one daughter, Jean Falconer. Mr. Hart is a member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. JAMES YOUNG GRIFFIN. James Young Griffin, the subject of this sketch, was born on October 28, 1857, in Halton county, Ontario, and is a son of Michael T. and Sophia (Jackson) Griffin. The father was a native of Nova. Scotia, his parents being natives of New York state and early settlers of Canada. The father followed the occupation of farming in Halton county, and Mr. Griffin was raised on the home farm, his education being derived at the public schoolsHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 353 of Halton county. Putting aside his text books at the age of seventeen he left home and entered the employ of his brother, Joseph Griffin, and was identified with the pork packing industry at St. Thomas, Ontario. Here he remained for three years, and in 1883 came to Winnipeg where he entered the employ of Griffin & Douglas, pork packers, remaining with that firm until 1886. In that year he engaged in business on his own account, starting a small jobbing store on McDermott street, but as the business rapidly increased he moved to more commodious quarters on Bannatyne avenue, remaining in this location for three years. In 1892 the present packing plant was established at Louise Bridge, covering four and one-half acres and being the largest institution of its kind west of Toronto. The plant has a capacity of one thousand hogs per day, one hundred cattle and two hundred and fifty sheep. The company is also a large exporter of dairy products, especially butter, and has branch houses at Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta; Nelson and Vancouver, British Columbia; and Fort William, Ontario. At the plant over two hundred men are given employment, and an enormous business is transacted. The packing house is a handsome four- story and basement, pressed brick building, covering a ground space of one hundred by two hundred feet. In addition to this are other buildings neces- sary to the conduct of their business. In March, 1904, the J. Y. Griffin & Company, Limited, was organized with a capital of five hundred thousand dollars, Mr. Griffin being made the president and general manager of the institution. In 1884 Mr. Griffin married Miss Minnie Campbell, a daughter of Lachlan Campbell, of St. Thomas, Ontario. Two children have been born of this union, Crawford Young and Phyllis Agnes. Mrs. Griffin was called by death in June, 1903. Mr. Griffin is a member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, of the Win- nipeg Grain and Produce Exchange, also a director of the Dominion Pro- duce Company, Limited, the Bole Drug Company, Limited, the Ontario, Manitoba and Western Land Company and the Annuity Company of Can- ada, and takes an active part in all matters pertaining to the commercial welfare of the city of his adoption. He is likewise a valued member of the Manitoba Club and the St, Charles Country Club. 23354 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Fraternally Mr. Griffin is affiliated with the Masonic order, the prin- ciples of which enter into his every day association with his fellow men. GEORGE F. STEPHENS. The subject of this sketch is president of G. F. Stephens & Company, Limited, of Winnipeg, and is widely known throughout the province as one of its most enterprising and successful business men. He is a native of Ontario, born in 1851, and was educated at Collingwood Grammar School. In 1871 he left the place of his nativity and proceeded to Montreal, at which point he became identified with the wholesale hardware business, and up to 1882 was a resident of that city. Believing that better opportunities existed in Manitoba he came to Winnipeg in 1882, and immediately established the business which he has since conducted so successfully and which has grown to such immense proportions. In 1880 Mr. Stephens married Miss Alice M. Christie of Ontario. They are the parents of two sons, Laurence C., who is identified with his father in business, and George F., who is studying medicine at McGill University at Montreal. Mr. Stephens has always taken an active interest in church organizations, and is a leading member of the Baptist church of this city. He is also president of the Young Men’s Christian Association, and has worked earnestly in the up-building of that institution. The house of George F. Stephens & Company, Limited, was established in Winnipeg in 1882, and was incorporated in 1901, with an authorized capital of five hundred thousand dollars. The officers of the company are George F. Stephens, president; M. F. Christie, secretary-treasurer. A branch establishment is located at Calgary, and the trade extends from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Ocean. As paint manufacturers they rank second to none in the Dominion, all kinds of paints being manufactured for house- hold, carriage and agricultural purposes. The fine quarters and sales rooms of the institution are from No. 170 to 176 Market street, Winnipeg. WILLIAM ALLAN BLACK. William Allan Black, the western manager for the Ogilvie Flour Mill Company, is a native of Montreal and was born November 17, 1862. He isHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 355 a son of Charles R. and Elizabeth (Hall) Black, the father a native of Scotland and the mother of London, England. The parents settled in Montreal about 1850, where the father was engaged in business as a whole- sale leather merchant. Mr. Black’s education was acquired at the public and private schools in Montreal, and in 1878 he entered the services of the Grand Trunk Railway, with which railway he continued up to 1882, coming thence to Manitoba and entering the service of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. In 1883 he accepted a position with the Ogilvie Milling Company, and upon the re-organization of the company in 1902 was appointed its western man- ager. In 1888 Mr. Black married Miss M. C. McEwan, a daughter of Alex- ander McEwan, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. They are the parents of two boys and two girls: Charles M., William Allan, Jr., Edith and Margaret. Mr. Black is a member of. the Winnipeg Board of Trade and of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange, being a member of the council of the latter organization. He is likewise a member of the Grain Survey Board, and of the Grain Standard Board, besides being a director of local financial and manufacturing companies. THE OGILVIE FLOUR MILLING COMPANY. This is the largest institution of its kind in the British Empire, owning and operating one hundred elevators throughout Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan, among them being a large steel elevator at Fort William, three terminal elevators at Winnipeg in connection with their mills there and four terminal elevators in connection with their milling plants at Mon- treal. The mills are located as follows: A flour mill at Winnipeg, with a capacity of 3,000 barrels per day, one at Fort William of 3,000 barrels daily capacity, two mills at Montreal, the Royal with a capacity of 5,000 barrels, and the Glenora with a capacity of 2,500 barrels; the City mill, with a capa- city of 1,000 barrels per day, and feed mill with a capacity of 100 tons per day; a rolled oat mill at Winnipeg with a daily capacity of 250 barrels per day. The head office of the company is in Montreal. The company is capi- talized for $3,250,000, with the following officers: Charles K. Hosier, presi-356 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. dent; F. W. Thompson, vice-president and managing director. The office for the west is located at Winnipeg, and branch offices and warehouses have been established at London, Ontario, Toronto, Ottawa, Qu’Appelle, St. John, New Brunswick, New York, Vancouver and Liverpool, England. The institution handles between ten and twelve millions of bushels of grain per year, and shipments are made to every important country in the world. HON. HUGH JOHN MACDONALD. Hon. Hugh John Macdonald, ex-premier of the Province of Manitoba, is a son of the late Rt. Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald, G.C.B., and was born in Kingston, Ontario, March 13, 1850. The record of the Rt. Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald is so well known that it is hardly necessary to go into any extensive account in these pages. For many years he was Prime Min- ister of Canada, and has always been considered one of its greatest men. The subject of this sketch possesses many of the qualifications of his fam- ous father, and a brief review of his career will be interesting. Mr. Macdonald was educated at Queen’s College, Kingston, and at Toronto University, graduating from the latter institution in 1869 with the degree of A.B. He started the study of law in Ottawa with Lewis & Pinhey, and afterwards at Toronto with the late Chief Justice Harrison. He was called to the bar in 1872 and practiced in partnership with his father and the late Hon. James Paton, Q.C., at Toronto. He removed to the west in 1882 and formed a partnership with J. Stewart Tupper, eldest son of Sir Charles Tupper, who was a lifelong friend of his father’s. Mr. Macdonald entered the Dominion parliament in 1891 as a member for Winnipeg and sat for that constituency until he resigned in 1893. He was called to the privy council by Sir Charles Tupper in 1896 as Minister of the Interior, and was elected for Winnipeg at the general election in that year. He resigned office with his leader in July, 1896. In 1897 he accepted the Conservative leadership in provincial politics in Manitoba and organized and led the party with so much success that Hon. Thomas Greenway’s government, after having held thirty-five out of forty seats, was overturned in December, 1899, and the Conservatives were returned toHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 357 power with a good majority. Mr. Macdonald was elected for the con- stituency of South Winnipeg, defeating Hon. J. D. Cameron, attorney- general. He was at once called upon to form a government, which he did, performing the duties of first Minister and leader of the house until October of the following year, when at the call of Sir Charles Tupper, leader of the Conservative party, he resigned the premiership to his successor, R. P. Rob- lin, and again entered Dominion politics by running in the constituency of Brandon against Hon. Clifford Sifton. In this, one of the most famous elections ever held in Canada, he was unsuccessful, and subsequently re- turned to the practice of his profession as head of the new firm of Mac- donald, Haggart & Whitla. Mr. Macdonald has seen active military services on no less than three occasions: First, as a private on duty at Cornwall during the Fenian inva- sion ; afterwards he served as ensign in Company Six, First Ontario Rifles, under Colonel Wolseley, in the Red river expedition and served through that campaign; and thirdly, as a captain in the Ninetieth Battalion in the Riel rebellion of 1885. Mr. Macdonald is a member of the Presbyterian church, and is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Foresters. He is a great believer in athletics for young men, and has always been closely identified with the Winnipeg Cricket Club, the Winni- peg Rowing Club and the Football and Lacrosse clubs of Manitoba. Since 1890 he has been-president of the Manitoba Rifle Association. Mr. Macdonald has been twice married, first in 1876 to Mrs. Jean King, a daughter of the late W. A. Murray, Esq., of Toronto, they becoming the parents of one daughter, Isabella Mary. Mrs. Macdonald died in 1880. In 1883 Mr. Macdonald married Miss Agnes Gertrude, daughter of the late S. J. Van Koughnet, Q.C., of Toronto. They are the parents of one son, John Alexander, who died in April, 1905, at the age of twenty-one years. Mr. Macdonald possesses to an eminent degree the magnetic personality of his talented father, and is personally one of the most popular men in Canada.358 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. HORACE CHEVRIER, M.P.P. One of the best known men in the entire Province of Manitoba is Mr. Horace Chevrier, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Ottawa, born on December 15, 1876, but was brought by his parents two years later to Winnipeg. His education was acquired at St. Mary’s School, and for a time he also attended college in St. Boniface. His father started the well-known “Blue Store” in 1872, and immediately after putting aside his text books Mr. Chevrier entered the store and learned the business. He is now a full part- ner in this institution and others. In addition to this he has been active in financing business interests for other firms, and his timely intervention has saved many a firm from the shoals of bankruptcy. He has always taken an active interest in politics, and at present is member of the local legislature, representing St. Boniface. In connection with this he is the Manitoba Liberal whip, and his activity in the interest of his party has done much to further its welfare. In 1895 Mr. Chevrier married Miss Margaret Gingras, of St. Boniface. They have two children living: Margherita and L. E. W. Chevrier. In social affairs he is a popular member of the Commercial Club. E. F. HUTCHINGS. E. F. Hutchings, president of the Great West Saddlery Company, Limited, of Winnipeg, is one of the pioneers of Manitoba, and since his residence in the province has been actively identified with its business affairs. He is a native of Leeds county, Ontario, born in June, 1855, and is of English ancestry. His education was acquired in Leeds county, Ontario, and when twenty years of age, in 1876, he came to Manitoba, and located in Winnipeg. Being without funds upon his arrival, he worked at the bench while completing his education, also attended night college and studied under Mr. Alexander Begg, receiving a commercial education. He continued at the bench for a year, after which he went into business for himself. In 1879 the partnership of Stalker and Hutchings was formed, which continuediHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 359 until 1884, at which time Mr. Stalker died, he having originally established the business at Edmonton in 1867, locating at Fort Garry in 1869, and with the exception of the Hudson’s Bay Company it is the pioneer business existing in Manitoba at the present time. Mr. Hutchings bought his late partner’s interests and conducted the business himself until the present company was formed. In 1883 Mr. Hutchings married Miss Sarah A. Denby, a native of Leeds county, Ontario. Five children have been born of this union, as follows: Ethel Hattie, Lulu Denby, Rae Hazel, Ernest Frederick and Harold Grifford. While the affairs of the Great West Saddlery claim a good portion of Mr. Hutchings ’ attention, he still finds time for a variety of other interests. He is a director in the Canadian Fire Insurance Company, chairman of the City Sinking Fund Trustees, president of the Pressed Brick and Tile Com- pany, and connected with many other corporations and companies. He also served the city of Winnipeg as alderman for six years, as a member of the city council for six years, and in 1900 was defeated for the mayoralty. Mr. Hutchings holds membership in the Commercial Club, and in fraternal circles is a member of the Sons of England, and has taken the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite branch of Masonry. He is a member of the Pres- byterian church and politically is a Conservative. The country home of Mr. Hutchings is located at Lome hills, and is one of the picturesque places of the province. The accompanying illustration will give the reader some idea of the beauties of this place, but it must be seen to be appreciated. THE GREAT WEST SADDLERY COMPANY, LIMITED, was org- anized in 1899, with a fully paid up capital stock of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The officers of the company are as follows: E. F. Hutch- ings, president; R. J. Hutchings, of Calgary, vice-president and manager of the Western Division; Benjamin Denby, secretary and treasurer; George Davidson, superintendent of manufacturing; J. C. Cannell, manager of leather department. These gentlemen also constitute the directorate of the company. The product of the company has a wide sale, reaching in America from360 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. the Great Lakes to the Yukon and including British Columbia, and an immense export trade is also carried on to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The output consists of saddles, harness, trunks, bags, etc. They are also wholesale in saddlery, hardware, boot and shoe findings, straps, blankets, whips, etc. The institution has two large factories, one in Winnipeg and one in Calgary. It is conceded by all other people in the business the finest plant of its kind in the entire British Empire. This is no borrowed statement, but the record of the company, its buildings, its stock and its output will bear out the assertion. The present Winnipeg building was erected in 1900, is built of solid brick, and is six stories high, covering a ground space of seventy-five by one hundred and thirty-five feet. The Calgary building is a four-story brick and stone building, and covers a ground space of eighty-seven by one hundred and thirty feet. In addition to these two main establishments there are ten branches operating in different parts of Manitoba and the west. ISAAC PITBLADO. The subject of this sketch, Mr. Isaac Pitblado, is a native of Nova Scotia, his birth having occurred on March 15, 1867, his father being Reverend C. B. Pitblado, D.D., who for many years was pastor of one of the Presbyterian churches in Halifax and afterwards in Winnipeg. The family came to Manitoba in 1882, but the subject of this sketch had acquired a preliminary education in the public and high schools of Halifax and had received the advantage of one year’s tuition in Dalhousie College, having matriculated in that institution at the early age of thirteen. Upon his arrival in the province he completed his studies at Manitoba University and graduated in 1886 with the degree of B.A., taking the Honor Course in Classics. He took the degree of LL.B. from the University of Manitoba in 1889 and the degree of M.A. in 1893, and was registrar of the University from 1893 to 1900. He decided to make the practice of law his life work, and commenced his studies as a student in the firm of Aikins, Culver & Company, and wasHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 361 called to the bar in 1890. He began the practice of his profession as a junior in the firm of Aikins, Culver & Company., and afterwards entered into partnership with ex-Mayor Andrews, with whom he continued until 1898, when the firm of Aikins, Culver & Pitblado was formed. In 1900 Mr. Culver died, and the firm was then re-organized as Aikins, Pitblado, Robson & Loftus, which continued until 1903, when upon the death of Mr. Craw- ford he formed a partnership with Hon. Colin H. Campbell, Attorney- General of Manitoba, the firm now being Campbell, Pitblado & Company. Mr. Pitblado was elected a bencher of the Law Society in 1901 and has been a bencher ever since, being re-elected in 1904. He has always taken a deep interest in affairs pertaining to the University of Manitoba and has been a member of the University council and board of studies as a graduate representative continuously since 1888. Mr. Pitblado belongs to both the Commercial and Manitoba Clubs, and fraternally affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a staunch supporter of the Liberal party, and in 1905 was elected president of the Liberal Association of Winnipeg. He has always been strongly identified with amateur sports in Winnipeg, was for many years prominent in athletic circles, and his influence has always been exerted on the side of clean, manly sport. william w. McMillan. For over thirty years Mr. William W. McMillan has been a resident of the Province of Manitoba, and during that time has been actively identi- fied with its leading business interests. He is a native of Ontario, and, coming to Manitoba, reached Winnipeg on June 5, 1875. Here he engaged in 1he foundry and machine business, in company with Mr. John McKechnie, the present president of the Vulcan Iron Works, which association was con- tinued until 1882, at which time he started in the milling and grain business. He discontinued the milling branch of the business in 1902, since which time he has been identified solely with the grain business. He is vice-president of the Dominion Elevator Company of Winnipeg, of which Mr. F. Phillips is president. The company owns seventy-two ele- vators, with’ an average capacity of twenty-five thousand bushels each, in362 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and a very large business is annually transacted. Mr. McMillan is president of the North-West Grain Dealers’ Associa- tion, also a member of both the Manitoba and Commercial Clubs of Win- nipeg, and a strong supporter of the Liberal party. ARMINE FREDERICK BANFIELD. One of the leading representatives of the business fraternity of Win- nipeg is Mr. A. E. Banfield, the subject of this sketch. He was born in the city of Quebec, and for seven years prior to coming to Winnipeg was a dry goods merchant in that city. He came to Winnipeg in August, 1882, more for a visit, but believing that the city had a great future before it he at once decided to locate here. Accordingly had a store erected, and in January of the following year removed his business from Quebec to Winnipeg. He carries on a complete carpet and house furnishing business, both retail and wholesale. In 1877 Mr. Banfield married Miss Helen McKiechan, of Quebec. After her death he married Miss Addie K. Cline, of Toronto. They are the parents of one child, Percy Frederick. DOUGLAS C. CAMERON. The subject of this sketch, Douglas C. Cameron, was born June 5, 1854, in the county of Preston, Ontario, and is the son of Colin and Annie (McClaren) Cameron, the father a native of Scotland and the mother of Glengarry, Ontario. They were early settlers in Canada, arriving in the Dominion in the year 1815, where the father was engaged in farming and lumbering until his death, which occurred in 1890. The mother died in 1905 at the advanced age of eighty-four years. Mr. Cameron was raised on the home farm and educated in the com- mon schools of Prescott county, and the high school at Yankleek Hill, of the same county. He left school at the age of seventeen and remained on the home farm up to 1880. On April 26 of that year he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. For a few years he was engaged at various occupa- tions, and in the fall of 1883 identified himself with the lumber business,HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 363 which business was carried on under the firm name of Cameron & Company, and later as Cameron & Kennedy. In 1892 the business was incorporated under the name of Ontario & Western Lumber Company, and later, for business reasons, changed to the name of the Rat Portage Lumber Company. Since 1894 Mr. Cameron has occupied the position of president of the com- pany, and has been its general manager since 1892. The different mills of the company are located at Kenora, Norman, Rainy River, Winnipeg and Vancouver. In 1880 Mr. Cameron married Miss Margaret Cameron Ferguson, of Vankleek Hill. They are the parents of three children: Evelyn, Douglas Lome and James Leslie Fergus. Mr. Cameron has been prominently iden- tified with the municipal affairs of Rat Portage and was mayor of the town for three years. In 1903 he was elected a member of the Provincial legis- lature on the Liberal ticket, sitting in the house sessions of 1903 and 1904. THOMAS DIXON BYRON EVANS. The subject of this sketch, Colonel Thomas Dixon Byron Evans, is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred in Hamilton on March 22, 1860. He is the son of Samuel Francis Evans, for many years one of the most prominent merchants in the City of Ottawa. His education was acquired at the public and grammar schools of Ottawa, which was further supplemented by a course in private schools. Colonel Evans then entered his father’s office, where he remained for a short time, when he enlisted in 1880, from Ottawa, as a private, in the Forty-third Battalion, and started his military career. The following year he became a lieutenant of the company, and was afterwards successively captain and adjutant of the regiment. He served in the North-West Rebellion of 1885 as lieutenant in the Midland Battalion. In 1880 he received a commission in the Canadian permanent force as lieutenant in the Infantry School Corps. In 1891 he was transferred to the Mounted Rifles at Winnipeg, which afterwards became the Royal Cana- dian Dragoons. In 1896 he was promoted to the rank of major, and in 1897 was sent to England at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, in command of the Canadian Cavalry Contingent.364 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In March, 1898, he organized the Yukon Field Force, composed of two hundred non-commissioned officers and men, of the Canadian Permanent Force, and took them into that country by the all-Canadian Teslin route. In December, 1899, he left the Yukon, and was appointed second in com- mand to the First Canadian Mounted Rifles, afterwards known as the Royal Canadian Dragoons, for service in South Africa. On arrival in South Africa he wTas transferred to the command of the First Canadian Mounted Rifles, composed entirely of Western men, and served with that regiment until it returned in January, 1901. For services with this regi- ment he was made a Companion of the Bath, by the Imperial Government, and granted the rank of Brevet Colonel by the Canadian government. In December, 1902, he organized and took to South Africa the second contingent of Canadian Mounted Rifles, composed of nine hundred mounted men from all parts of the Dominion. This regiment took a distinguished part in the closing events of the war and made itself famous in the battle of Harts River, the last battle but one before the close of the war. He has been honorary A.D.C. for the last three Governors-General of Canada, and is at present one of Lord Grey’s. In addition to having command of the permanent forces at this station he is in command of Military District No. 10, which embraces Western Ontario, from Nepigon River, Manitoba, Sas- katchewan and Alberta. On October 19, 1904, Colonel Evans married Miss Eleanor Isabel Mc- Millan, only daughter of Lieutenant Governor McMillan of Manitoba. Colonel Evans, is a valued member of the Manitoba Club, and both he and Mrs. Evans are members of the Presbyterian church. ALFRED CODD, M.D. Alfred Codd, one of the pioneers of pioneers of the Province of Mani- toba, is a native of Norfolk county, England, born in 1843, and is a son of the late Rev. Charles Edward Codd, M.A., D.D., who for many years was a clergyman of the Church of England. Coming to Canada at an early age he received his preliminary educa- tion at home, and this course was supplemented by a course at the gram- mar school at Ottawa. Determining on the practice of medicine as his lifeHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 365 work, he entered McGill University, from which institution he graduated in 1865. Prior to this, however, he was under Sir James Grant, of Ottawa, as a medical student. In 1865 he entered active practice at Ottawa, and pursued the practice of his profession in that city. He received an appointment as surgeon in the Ottawa Brigade Garrison Artillery in 1866 and remained with the regiment there .until 1870, when he joined the Red River Expeditionary force under Sir Garnet Wolseley as regimental surgeon of the First Ontario Rifles (medal and clasp). On August 28, 1870, he arrived in Manitoba. He remained with the regiment until the Red River Expeditionary force was disbanded in 1876, and then joined the Winnipeg Field Battery as surgeon, and in 1885 was with the regiment throughout the North-West Rebellion (medal and clasp) until the troops were withdrawn. In August, 1885, he entered the Royal School of Instruction at Fort Osborne as surgeon-major. At present he is surgeon lieutenant-colonel of the Permanent Army Medical Corps of Win- nipeg, and acting P.M.O. for military districts Numbers ten and eleven. In 1868 Dr. Codd married Miss Elizabeth Turner Bradley, fourth daughter of Colonel Clements Bradley, of Ottawa. They are the parents of three children: Bessie, Gertrude and Selby. ALEXANDER McMICKEN. Mr. Alexander McMicken, police magistrate of the city of Winnipeg, was born on August 27, 1837, in Queenston, Ontario. He is a son of Gilbert McMicking, a native of Glenluce, Scotland, born October 13, 1813. He came to Canada when a boy, and afterwards occupied the position as collector of customs at Queenston. At this time there were two other Gilbert McMickings in that city, and as this caused considerable confusion in receiving mail and in other matters, Mr. McMicken changed the spelling of his name to McMicken, and ever since has used that name. He was a member of the Dominion parliament and speaker in the local legislature. He was also chief of police when that office called for the services of a man of the greatest strength of character and determination. He was prominent in all public affairs in Manitoba until his death, which occurred in 1891.366 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. The mother of Alexander McMicken was Ann Theresa Duff, a native of Ontario, who died in 1888, both parents being consistent Presbyterians, hav- ing been raised and having died in that faith. Mr. McMicken of this review was educated in Queenston in the public schools of that place and afterwards at Toronto Academy, this being further supplemented by a course in the college of Geneseo, Livingston county, New York. He was afterwards appointed postmaster of Clifton, Ontario, subse- quently moving to "Windsor, where he assisted his father in the performance of his official duties. In 1872 he came to Manitoba with his family and located in Winnipeg. Up to 1875 Mr. McMicken was identified with private banking. He loaned the then young city thousands of dollars, his security being principally his faith in its ultimate prosperity. He was elected as a member of the city council in 1876 serving several years; and in 1883 served as mayor of the city, also holding this same position in 1895. In that year he lived a retired life for a short time, afterwards being identified with the real estate business, and in 1901 was appointed police magistrate of the city of Winnipeg and for the Province of Manitoba, which position he is now acceptably filling. On September 1, 1859, Mr. McMicken married Miss Margaret Sarah Johnston, a daughter of Isaac Johnston, of Ontario, who was clerk of the surrogate court for the district of Niagara. In fraternal circles Mr. Mc- Micken has taken a leading part, he being the founder of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in the province. He is also affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Loyal Orange Lodge. Both he and Mrs. McMicken are consistent members of the Presbyterian church. D. McLEOD TELFORD. One of the popular members of the Dominion government service is Mr. D. McLeod Telford, customs appraiser at Winnipeg. He is a native of Caithness, Scotland, and was born in Wick, November 12, 1845. He was educated in Thurso and in 1867 came to Canada, locating in London, Ontario. For fourteen years he followed mercantile pursuits in that part of Canada, until 1881, when he came to Winnipeg. Ten years prior to this, however, he had intended coming to Manitoba, and hadHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 367 already started, but being shipwrecked on Lake Superior changed his plans and came at that time no further than Port Arthur, returning to take up business on his own account in Strathroy, county Middlesex. On arriving at Winnipeg in May, 1881, he took up work in connection with the Canadian Pacific Railway and was supply agent at Brandon on construction. Remov- ing to Winnipeg late in fall of same year, he was appointed cashier, and a few years later local treasurer. He was transferred to Montreal in 1899, but not being satisfied with eastern Canada he was transferred back to Winnipeg in 1891, where he took up other work with the Canadian Pacific Railway, thus continuing until he resigned to take the general agency of an insurance company. In 1898 he entered the customs service and was appointed appraiser in 1901. Mr. Telford married Miss Margaret Stephen at Hamilton, Ontario, in 1872. They have five children: Winifred, Catherine, Florence, George and Alice, the second, Catherine, is the wife of Mr. E. A. James, general manager for the Canadian Northern Railway of this city. In fraternal relations Mr. Telford is a member of the Masonic order, being a past president of St. Andrew’s Society—at present bard of the society. He has been charged with being a Scottish humorist, and in this connection has frequently entertained the citizens of Winnipeg in the olden time, more especially on the appearance of Ian McLaren’s “Bonnie Brier Bush.” He was so successful in his delineations of the characters of Mr. Watson’s creation that after a few introductory readings he was induced to publicly announce himself as a Scottish reader, and as such he occupied platforms acceptably in many parts of Manitoba as well as Dakota and Minnesota, thrice in Minneapolis and twice in St. Paul, after which he took up the permanent work where he now is. Mr. and Mrs. Telford are both members of the Presbyterian church. HON. WILLIAM HESPELER. One of the pioneers of Manitoba who has worked untiringly in the interests of his adopted community, and through whose efforts much good has been accomplished, is the subject of this sketch, Hon. William Hespeler. It has fallen to the lot of few men to take upon themselves the varied368 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. responsibilities which have fallen to the lot of this gentleman, but to his credit may it be said that he has carried through to a successful completion all tasks undertaken or imposed upon him, and to-day is one of the most popular and highly respected citizens of the entire Dominion of Canada. Mr. Hespeler is a native of Baden Baden in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, and was born December 29, 1830. He comes of an old German family, being the son of George Johann and Anna Barbara (Wick) Hespeler, both of w'hom are representatives of prominent families of the place of their nativity. His father was a merchant in Baden Baden, follow- ing that occupation until called to his final rest in 1840. Mr. Hespeler was educated in the Polytechnic Institute at Karlaruh, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Baden. He left school at the age of nineteen and immigrated to Canada, where he located in Waterloo county, in the town of Preston, join- ing his brother, who had preceded him. Mr. Hespeler came with his mother in 1850, and immediately joined his brother in the milling, distilling and general merchandising business at Preston and later on at Hespeler, Ontario. In 1854 he started in the general merchandising business in Waterloo, in connection with a milling and distillery business, forming a partnership with Mr. George Randell, and trading under the firm name of Hespeler & Randell. This partnership continued up to 1868, when he sold out to his partner and to Joseph E. Seagram, who afterwards married his niece. The same year with his family he visited in Germany, and while in that country in 1871 he discovered that a large number of Mennon- ites in South Russia were contemplated emigrating to America. After these facts were made known to the Canadian government by Mr. Hespeler, he was requested to go to Russia and induce a delegation of these people to come to Manitoba. The following year a delegation of five farming repre- sentatives accompanied Mr. Hespeler to the province, and with the assist- ance of Mr. Norquay, then the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Hespeler showed these representatives over the country, the outcome being that in 1874 two hundred and eighty-four families of these German-Russian Men- nonites came to settle in the first Mennonite settlement east of the Red river, the government making a reservation of seven townships lying within a radius of thirty miles from Winnipeg. In 1875 some five hundred familiesHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 369 of the Mennonites arrived, and in 1876 a larger contingent arriving, it became necessary to ask the government for a much larger reserve. This was granted, and seventeen townships were then located by Mr. William Pierce, then Dominion surveyor, and Mr. Jacob Y. Shants, a Canadian Mennonite, and Mr. Hespeler, on the southern boundary, in which is now located the towns of Oretna and Altona, this being considered one of the garden spots of the province. After his return to Ottawa with the delegation in 1873, Mr. Hespeler was offered the position of commissioner of immigration and agriculture, which he accepted, and returned to Manitoba in November to assume the duties of that office, which he ably filled up to 1883. During his term of office he was appointed a member of the council of Keewatin, and was appointed chief commissioner of census of the Province of Manitoba in 1881. In 1883 he was appointed German consul for Manitoba and the North-West Terri- tories, and after resigning his commission with the Dominion government he accepted this consulship, which position he is still filling. He was elected to represent the constituency of Rosenfeld in the legislature of Manitoba, and was elected speaker of the House during that parliament. At the new election he declined to run for re-election. He was the first foreign-born citizen to become the first commoner of any British possession. In 1903 he was decorated by the German Emperor with the Order of the Red Eagle in recognition of his twenty years of service to the German Empire, and he certainly has every reason to be proud of his decoration. He was elected one of the three liquidators of the defunct Commercial Bank of Winnipeg, and was afterwards sole liquidator until the business was wound up. Under his administration the settling up of the affairs of this bank was more than satisfactory to all concerned. For the past fifteen years he has occupied the position of president of the Winnipeg General Hospital, in which institution he has taken a great interest for the past twenty-eight years. In 1854 Mr. Hespeler married Miss Mary H. Keatchie, of Galt, Ontario, and a daughter of Mr. Hugh Keatchie of that place. Two children have been born of this union, Alfred and Georgina, the latter the deceased wife of Mr. A. M. Nanton, of Winnipeg. 24370 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Since 1883 Mr. Hespeler has acted as manager for the Manitoba Land Company, and since 1876 as the agent for Manitoba and North-West Terri- tories for Seagram’s distillery, of Waterloo, Ontario, which institution owed its inception to his efforts during his business career in Ontario. ,, Mr. Hespeler is a consistent member of the Lutheran church and is popular with all classes of people. SIDNEY TILL HANDSCOMB. Sidney Till Handscomb, the subject of this sketch, is a native of London, England, although since the age of two years he has been a resident of Canada. He was born on June 30, 1868, and in 1870 was brought by his parents to Canada. Locating at Haliburton, the family remained there but one year, moving from that point to Port Hope, Ontario. Though still a young man, he is one of the pioneers of the province. He was educated in the public schools of Winnipeg, and immediately upon putting aside his text books entered the customs house brokerage business as a clerk with J. H. Emslie. He remained with that gentleman for some time, and subsequently accepted a situation with Messrs. Burn and Verner, and upon the retirement of Mr. Burn from the business the partnership was changed to Yerner and Handscomb on October 7, 1891. He purchased his partner’s interest and has since conducted the business under the name of S. T. Handscomb & Company. In 1897 Mr. Handscomb married Miss Theresa Pratt, of Clinton, Ontario. They are the parents of two children: Earl Wesley and Charles Harold. In fraternal circles Mr. Handscomb has always taken an active and leading part. For many years he has been prominent in the Masonic order, and is a member of King Edward Preceptory, Knights Templar, and Khar- tum Temple of the Mystic Shrine, is a Past Grand Representative of the Odd Fellows order in Manitoba, and is Past Grand Patriarch of the Inde- dependent Order of Odd Fellows. He also holds membership in the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Canadian Order of Foresters, and Winni- peg Council of the Commercial Travelers.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 371 SAMUEL HOOPER. Samuel Hooper, the subject of this sketch, is the Provincial architect of Manitoba, and is also identified with the stone carving and monumental busi- ness. At the present time he is president of Hooper, Houkes Company, one of the largest manufacturers and dealers in monuments and interior work in the entire province. Air. Hooper is a native of Devonshire, England, where he was born in October, 1851. He received his education at the Devonshire public schools, and immediately afterwards went into his uncle’s office, where he studied architecture until coming to Canada, in 1869. On his arrival in the Dominion he settled in London, Ontario, where he took up the trade of stone carving and monumental work, which trade he thoroughly mastered in all of its details. He returned to England in 1878, but deciding that the Dominion of Canada offered a better field for his labors he again crossed the ocean and came direct to Manitoba in 1880. The year 1881 witnessed his arrival in Winnipeg, where he at once formed a partnership with Mr. David Ede in monumental work. He con- tinued with this gentleman for two years, after which time he purchased his partner’s interest and has since been identified with that branch of industry. Mr. Hooper was the designer of the memorial monument in the city of Winnipeg, the Norquay Memorial in St. John’s, and also the Seven Oaks Memorial Monument. He took up the study of architecture in 1895 and has erected many of the prominent buildings of the city, among which may be mentioned the Land Titles office, Agricultural College buildings, the New Carnegie Library, the Grain Exchange, and St. Mary’s Academy. He received his present appointment as Provincial architect in 1904. Mr. Hooper was married in 1872 to Miss Jane Ferguson Simpson, of Edinburgh, Scotland. They are the parents of four children, as follows: John, who is associated with his father in architecture; Gertrude, Lawrence and Nina. In fraternal circles Mr. Hooper takes an active interest in the St. John’s Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and he and his family are members of the Church of England.372 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ROBERT FURBY MANNING. One of the leading citizens identified with the various business interests of the Province is Mr. Robert Furby Manning, the subject of this sketch. For twenty-eight years he has been a resident of the Province of Manitoba, and during that time has steadily progressed in business, until to-day he is known as one of the representative business men of the province. He is a native of Bowmanville, County Durham, Ontario, and was born on May 31, 1856. He is a son of Robert Manning of that province. His educational advantages were derived from the public schools of Bowmanville, and before reaching his majority he entered the service of the Bank of Ontario, in 1873, and until 1877 was identified with them in Ontario. In 1877 he came to Winnipeg, as teller of the Ontario Bank, and [for four years remained in their employ in that capacity, after which he started the house of Manning & Company, Bankers, which he conducted for three years. He was afterwards Managing Director of the Water Works for three years, after which he started the Western Coal Company, of which he is now president. An immense trade is conducted, covering the entire Provinces of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. In addition to this he holds large contracts for drainage work. Mr. Manning was married in 1877 to Miss Mary Ellen Coyne, a resident of Mount Forest, Ontario. They are the parents of three children, R. A. C. Manning, Norma and Tannis. He has been a member of the Board of Trade for the past twenty years. He is likewise a member of the Manitoba Club, and is a Conservative in politics. Mr. Manning and his family reside in their handsome home at No. 172 Donald street. GEORGE FREDERICK GALT. The senior member of the well-known house of G. F. & J. Galt is Mr. George F. Galt, the subject of this sketch. He was born in 1855 in Toronto, and is a son of the late Sir Thomas Galt of that city, who occupied the exalted position of chief justice of the province. Mr. Galt was educated in the Galt Collegiate Institute and immediatelyHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 373 afterwards went into the tea importing and wholesale grocery business. In 1882 he came to Winnipeg, and with his cousin, John Galt, whose sketch appears on another page of this work, established the present house of G. F. & J. Galt. In addition to conducting the immense business transacted by this house Mr. Galt has taken an active interest in many other business affairs of importance in the province and also in social affairs. In 1888 he served as president of the Board of Trade, and at the present time is president of the Northern Trust Company, vice-president of the Great West Life Assur- ance Company, a director in the Canada Permanent Loan & Mortgage Cor- poration, and other business institutions. He is the honorable secretary- treasurer of the Winnipeg General Hospital, an institution in which the entire province takes pride. He is a lover of all legitimate out door sports, and is president of the Winnipeg Rowing Club, and also holds membership in many other similar organizations. In politics he gives his support to the Conservative party, but has never actively identified himself with politics. His handsome home is located at the corner of Donald and' Broadway streets, Winnipeg. JOHN GALT. John Galt, a member of the well-known firm of G. F. & J. Galt, is a native of Montreal, born in 1856. He is a son of the late Sir Alexander Galt, and his grandfather was John Galt, the noted author. His mother, Mrs. Amy Gordon (Torrance) Galt, is also a native of Montreal, and still .resides in the place of her nativity. . Mr. Galt’s earlier education was acquired in the high school at Mon- treal, and also for a period at Lennoxville. He was a student at Barron’s school at Rice Lake, and was then sent to Gotha, Germany, where his educa- tion was finished under private tutorship. Returning to Montreal he acted . in the capacity of private secretary to his father, who at that time was a - member of the Halifax fisheries commission, and subsequently entered the service of the Bank of Montreal, with which institution he was identified for about five years at Montreal and the branches at New York and Chicago. In374 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 1882 he severed his connection with the bank and came to Winnipeg and entered into partnership with his cousin, George F. Galt, i The house of G. F. & J. Galt is one of the most widely known in the Dominion. The business is wholesale groceries and importing tea, and the trade extends throughout the entire Dominion and also in the United States. To facilitate the transaction of their enormous business, branch houses have been opened in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Prince Albert. Through clean cut and honorable business methods the house has an enviable reputation and is one of the solid institutions, not only of Manitoba, but of Canada as well. The present commodious quarters, four stories high, and covering a ground space of one hundred by one hundred and thirty-two feet, are of solid brick and were erected in 1887. The firm also conduct a large mill on King and Arthur streets. Mr. Galt is a director in the Union Bank, of the Canadian Fire Insurance Company and of the Alberta Railway & Irrigation Company. He is a member of the advisory board of the Royal Trust Company and is also identified with many other enterprises. In 1885 Mr. Galt married Miss Isabel Atkinson, of Chicago, Illinois, and in 1890 was again married to Miss Mabel Patton Henderson. The four children are: Isabelle, John, Maryon and Evelyn. He is a Conservative in politics and a member of the Church of England. His handsome home is situated on Roslyn road, Winnipeg. AUGUSTUS MEREDITH NANTON. Augustus Meredith Nanton, of the firm of Osier, Hammond & Nanton, was born in Toronto, May 7, 1860. He is a son of the late Augustus Nanton, barrister, of Osgoode Hall, his mother being a daughter of the late William Botsford Jarvis, sheriff of York. Mr. Nanton was educated at the Model School, Toronto, and shortly afterwards entered the office of Mr. E. B. Osier, coming to Winnipeg in 1884 as a partner, when the firm of Osier, Hammond & Nanton was estab- lished. This firm has been largely interested in both financial and real estate development of the Canadian west. Mr. Nanton has held and still holds many positions of trust. He isHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 375 president of the Manitoba Cartage Company, managing director of the Alberta Railway & Irrigation Company and a director of the Great West Life Insurance Company and the Toronto General Trust Corporation. In 1898 he was president of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. From 1894 to 1900 he was receiver of the Manitoba & North Western Railway, represent- ing the English bondholders. This receivership was eminently satisfactory to all parties concerned and was terminated by the sale of the Manitoba & North Western Railway to the Canadian Pacific Railway. Politically Mr. Nanton is a Conservative, but is not an active par- tisan, his time being fully occupied in attending to the interests of his firm and the various trusts committed to his charge. He is a member of the Manitoba and Commercial Clubs of Winnipeg, the Toronto Club and the Rideau Club, Ottawa. His residence is at Roslyn road, Fort Rouge, Winnipeg. GEORGE READING CROWE. George Reading Crowe, vice-president of the Northern Elevator Com- pany, Limited, is a native of Truro, Nova Scotia, born in 1852. He was edu- cated in the public schools of that province, and after leaving school worked for his father, who was a ship builder, subsequently turning his efforts to railway construction, in which business he was employed on the Intercolonial Railway. At that time railroad building was rapidly progress- ing in Manitoba, and believing it to be a better field for his efforts, Mr. Crowe came to the province in 1879, where he followed this line of activity for four years. In 1883 he gave up railroad construction to enter the lumber business in Winnipeg, and up to 1890 devoted himself to that branch of industry. For the last fifteen years Mr. Crowe has been identified with Mani- toba’s principal industry, grain, and during that period has made himself one of the best informed men on the subject in the province. Since the incorporation of the Northern Elevator Company, Limited, he has been associated with that company, of which he is now its vice-president. The officers beside Mr. Crowe are N. Bawlf, president, and S. P. Clark, secretary. The company own and operate one hundred and thirty-four elevators in the376 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. North-West, with an average capacity of thirty thousand bushels each. The capital fully paid up is one million dollars. In addition to his connection with this company Mr. Crowe is a direc- tor in the Great West Life Assurance Company, the Canadian Fire Insur- ance Company, is vice-president of the Northern Trust Company, and a director of the Northern Bank. In 1895 he served as president of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange, and in 1903 as president of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. He is a member of the Manitoba Club, is a Conservative in politics, and is a member of the Presbyterian church. In 1875, in Nova Scotia, Mr. Crowe married Miss Mary Elizabeth Alexander, a resident of that province. They have three children, Mrs. C. M. Scott, Annie and James Alexander. THOMAS MONTGOMERY. Thomas Montgomery, the subject of this sketch, is one of the most successful business men in the province, being part owner of the Queen’s Hotel, the leading hotel of Winnipeg, and also being identified with a variety of interests all of which are yielding good financial returns. He is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred at South Lanark, Drummond county, February 23, 1851, being a son of Oswald and Mary (Rothwell) Montgomery. After a common school education he was apprenticed to the carriage- making business in Perth, Ontario. In 1869 he served his time at the trade. He then worked as a journeyman in Almonte for one and a half years, and afterwards continued working as a journeyman in Perth. In March, 1876, he came to Manitoba, where he continued journeying for about ninety days. He then decided to engage in business on his own account, and accordingly built a shop on Fort street, which he rented in connection with his brother, Mr. C. C. Montgomery, who had been in the province since 1874. This partnership was continued until April 1, 1881, at which time he built the Winnipeg Hotel on Main street, which institution he conducted until 1904, at which time he sold it out. At that time in connection with his brother Oswald, who had been his partner since 1893, he built the Queen’s Hotel, on the corner of Portage and Notre Dame avenues. It occupies a space ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 377 one hundred and sixteen feet on Portage avenue, and one hundred and twenty-one feet on Notre Dame avenue. It is a handsome brick building, four stories high with basement, the investment standing the brothers about three hundred thousand dollars, the land being valued at one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars and the building one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. The Queen’s Hotel is known from ocean to ocean as one of the most up-to-date hostelries in the province. Mr. Montgomery is also heavily inter- ested in real estate holdings in other portions of the city, and also is the owner of a large amount of farm property. His property in Fort Rouge consists of some of the most desirable and valuable in the entire city. In 1877 he married Miss Martha King, a native of Ontario. They are the parents of five children, of whom three are living: Robert A., who is manager of the Queen’s Hotel, Thomas Oswald and William Rothwell Albert, and the two deceased are: Margaret Maud and Mary Ellen. . OSWALD MONTGOMERY. One of the pioneer hotel men of the Province of Manitoba is Mr. Oswald Montgomery, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Lanark county, Ontario, October 11, 1856, and is a son of Oswald and Mary (Rothwell) Montgomery. His education was acquired in the public schools of Lanark county, after which he was engaged in agricultural pursuits in the same county Until 1882, at which time he came to Manitoba and located in Winnipeg. Immediately upon his arrival he entered the hotel business, and has been actively occupied with this line of industry ever since. In company with his brother, Thomas Montgomery, they are the owners of the Queen’s Hotel in Winnipeg, which is considered by all to be the leading hotel of the province. A more detailed description of the hotel appears on another page of this work. In 1885 Mr. Montgomery married Miss Elsie Spaulding, a resident of Perth, Ontario, and they are the parents of nine children, eight of whom are living: Roy D., Oswald F., Clyde M.C. (deceased), Thomas, Earl, Clifford, Allan, Elsie Kathleen and John.378 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Montgomery is an honored member of the Masonic fraternity, and is very popular with all people with whom he comes in contact. He has that rare gift of the successful hotel man, of making all his guests feel perfectly at home, and is always found to be courteous and obliging. The success of the Queen’s Hotel and in fact of the different hotels in which Mr. Montgomery has been interested is due in a great measure to his striking personality and his great popularity. ALEXANDER ROSS HARGRAFT. Alexander Ross Hargraft, a prominent member of the Winnipeg Gram and Produce Exchange, is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred at Cobourg on November 28, 1860. His father, who was a grain merchant, was a resident of Ontario until his death in 1887. Mr. Hargraft received his education at the public schools of Cobourg and later at the Collegiate Institute at that place. After putting aside his text books he entered his father’s office, and there learned the rudimentary principles of the business which has since so successfully been carried on. He remained in his father’s office until February, 1879, at which time he first came to Manitoba. He came in company with John A. MacDougal, and went to Edmonton with a cart train of general merchandise. In December of the same year he returned to Cobourg and again entered business with his father, and after his father’s death in 1887 carried on the business until 1899, at which time he moved to Toronto, where he carried on a grain and commission business. In August, 1901, he came to Winnipeg, and at once established him- self in the grain business. The first year’s operations were carried on under the name of Hargraft and Company, and was then changed to Coffee, Har- graft & Company. The. firm do a general business of buying and selling grain and are alsq exporters. Within a few months of his arrival in Win- nipeg Mr. Hargraft was elected to the council of the Grain Exchange, and was shortly afterwards elected vice-president. The following year, 1904, he was honored by being elected to the presidency of the Exchange, which office he most acceptably-filled for the term. In November, 1883, Mr. Hargraft was united in marriage to Miss Florence Fairbanks, a daughter of the late Colonel Fairbanks, of Oshawa,Queen’s Hotel, Winnipeg.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 379 Ontario. Three children have been born of this union: Alice, Stewart Alexander and Bruce. In politics Mr. Hargraft gives his support to the Liberal party, although in no sense can he be classed as an active partisan, preferring rather to devote his energies to the business he has followed the better part of a life time. He is a member of the general committee of the Manitoba Club and one of its valued members. Mr. Hargraft and his family ’•"side in their pleasant home on Furby street. CAPEL TILT. Capel Tilt, the genial vice-president, is a comparatively recent arrival in Manitoba, but during his residence here has made himself widely known by his untiring activity and is classed as one of the representative men of the younger element. He is a native of Canada, his birth having occurred on September 25, 1871, at Listowel, Ontario. His education was acquired at the public and high schools of Listowel, and after putting aside his text books he determined upon a professional career and entered the employ of a law firm in Listowel, for four years being thus engaged. Deciding to abandon this for a business career, he entered the employ of James Car- ruthers & Company, the big grain operators in Toronto, and while there thoroughly mastered the many intricate details attendant upon the busi- ness. He next moved to Montreal, where he was associated with the same firm for three years, and in 1900 came to Winnipeg as the representative of James Carruthers & Company and opened their office in that city. He has since remained in Winnipeg in that capacity. At present he is secretary of the Clearing House Association, and in 1905 was elected vice-president of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Ex- change. Mr. Tilt is a member of the Manitoba Club, the Commercial Club and the St. Charles Country Club. H. DOUGLAS McLAUGHLIN. H. Douglas McLaughlin, one of the younger members of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange, is a native of St. John, New Brunswick, his birth having occurred in that city in 1878. His business career has been380 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. devoted exclusively to the grain industry, and he is recognized as one of the well posted men on this subject in the province. He received his educa- tion in the public schools of St. John, which was subsequently finished at the Rothesay Collegiate Institute. After laying aside his text books he left home, going to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he at once entered the busi- ness which he has since followed with such marked success. For five years he remained in Minneapolis, and in 1902 came to Winnipeg, where he instituted the firm of McLaughlin and Ellis. They own and operate twenty-five elevators in Manitoba, with an average capacity of thirty thousand bushels each. Under the name of the American Grain Com- pany, with headquarters at Minneapolis, they also own and operate twenty elevators in the United States, with the same capacity. The officers of the American Grain Company are: W. S. McLaughlin, president; A. B. Ellis, secretary; and H. D. McLaughlin, assistant secretary. Mr. McLaughlin is a member of the Elks fraternity and of the St. Charles Country Club. JAMES STUART. In the installation of the gas and electric light plant of Winnipeg the community owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. James Stuart, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Near Butte, Scotland, and was born March 13, 1853, being a son of Alexander and Sarah (Muir) Stuart, both of whom were also natives of Scotland and representatives of old families of that country. The father followed farming as an occupation, and Mr. Stuart was raised on the home farm until he arrived at the age of thirteen, at which time he attended the Dollar Academy,-from which institution he was graduated in 1871. The following two yearswere spent in the employ of his unele, W. H. Muir, a prominent dry goods merchant of Edinburgh. Thirty years ago Mr. Stuart immigrated to Canada and located at Toronto, where he entered the employ of the Consumers’ Gas Company of that city, being engaged in the construction and installation of the first water gas plant under the patents of Professor T. S. C. Lowe, of Norristown, Pennsylvania. On the completion of these works he became superintendent of the same for the Consumers’ Gas Company after the success of the pro-■■■IllHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 381 cess had been thoroughly demonstrated. In 1883 he came to Winnipeg, at the solicitation of the Manitoba Electric & Gas Light Company, and installed a similar plant, with about twenty miles of cast iron mains in the city. Heretofore the gas plant of Winnipeg had not been successfully operated, but on completion of the new works it was successful from the outset, and Mr. Stuart continued as superintendent and manager of the works until 1899, when he resigned to accept a position with the city of Winnipeg as Water and Light Commissioner. He organized the commercial end of the city’s water works department, and installed the first city elec- tric street light plant. In this connection it may be stated that the gas plant installed by Mr. Stuart in 1883 is still in successful operation. After putting the entire municipal plant in successful operation he resigned from his position to give his entire attention to his own business, which had been established under the name of the Stuart Machinery Company, but in 1903 disposed of his interests in this company and two years later established the James Stuart Electrical Company, Limited. This company was formed for the installation of both municipal and private electric lighting plants, and the firm is also large dealers in electrical supplies of all kinds, including lighting fixtures, of which a specialty is made. The office and warerooms are located at No. 88 Princess street. From its inception the firm has done a good business, and is now one of the head institutions of the province. In 1875 Mr. Stuart married Miss Kate Miller, a daughter of Robert Miller, of Dumbarton, Scotland, a prominent shipbuilder of that place. Mrs. Stuart died in 1903, leaving a family of five children: Robert Miller, Ellen, Duncan Muir, Agnes Rait, Alex. Patrick and Mary Louisa. Fra- ternally Mr. Stuart is affiliated with the Scottish Rite of the Masonic order, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Independent Order of Foresters and the Sons of Scotland, as also with the St. Andrew’s Society. While in no sense a politician, he has been called upon to serve the city in the capacity of alderman, which position he filled satisfactorily to his con- stituency for two years, and also for ten years was a member of the school board, the last two years of that term occupying the position of chairman of the board. Mr. Stuart is a member and a deacon of Westminster Pres-382 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. byterian church of Winnipeg, and was one of the founders of Point Douglas mission, now Point Douglas Presbyterian church. As a representative man of affairs, Mr. Stuart certainly deserves recog- nition in the history of his adopted province. WILLIAM HENRY McWILLIAMS. William Henry McWilliams, vice-president and general manager of the Canadian Elevator Company, Limited, is one of the leading grain men of the province. He is a native of Peterboro, Ontario, his birth having occurred on July 1, 1860. His father, John A. McWilliams, is one of the old and respected residents of Peterboro, where he is still living and carry- ing on the business of contracting. William H. received his education in the public schools of the place of his nativity, but at the age of eighteen he concluded to shoulder his own responsibilities, and accordingly left home and emigrated to the United States, locating in North Dakota, where he went into the grain and lumber business, and thoroughly mastered all the details of this business. He next accepted a position with Peavey & Company, as manager of the Duluth Elevator Company, holding this position until coming to Winni- peg to take charge of the offices of the Canadian Elevator Company, Limited. This company was incorporated in June, 1902, with a capital of $1,000,000.00, of which amount $500,000.00 is paid up. The officers of the company are: Walter D. Douglas, president, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; W. II. McWilliams, vice-present and general manager; Alvin K. Godfrey, secre- tary ; George P. Piper, treasurer. The company own and operate thirty- four elevators in Manitoba and the North-West Territories, with an average capacity of thirty thousand bushels each. The elevators are all new, and with modern conveniences, including cleaners, gasoline engines, etc. The company also own and operate thirty-five lumber yards in Manitoba and the North-West Territories. Mr. McWilliams was married in 1884 to Miss Carrie J. Hart of St. Cloud, Minnesota. They have one son, Henry Cecil, who is now nineteen years of age. Mr. McWilliams is a member of the Manitoba Club, and alsoHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 383 of the St. Charles Country Club. The family hold membership in the Methodist church. GEORGE SOAMES. One of the prominent and successful real estate operators of Winnipeg is George Soames, the subject of this sketch. He was born near Marl- borough, England, on July 9, 1867, and is a son of the late Rev. Charles Soames of that place. Mr. Soames received his education at Clifton and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and on arriving at the age of twenty-one left his native land and came to the Dominion, arriving in Winnipeg in 1888. His first employment was with the Manitoba Milling & Brewing Company, with whom he remained one year and afterwards he accepted a clerkship with a grain firm, his occupancy of that position lasting two years. Mr. Soames entered the real estate field some time later on, the firm at that time being Soames & McKinley. This partnership was dissolved, and on July 1, 1905, the firm of Soames & Brydges was instituted. The firm does a general real estate and insurance business, and are also well known as financial agents. In September, 1892, Mr. Soames married Miss Nora Ashe, a daughter of the late Commander Ashe, R.N., of Quebec. They have one child. Mr. Soames is a member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade and the Winnipeg Real Estate Exchange. Besides being active in business he is a popular member of the Manitoba Club, and also the St. Charles Country Club. He is a member of the Church of England, and his political support is given to the Liberal party. THOMAS RYAN. For over thirty years a resident of Winnipeg, and during that time one of the recognized leaders in business, political and religious affairs, Mr. Thomas Ryan well deserves appropriate mention in the History of Manitoba. His birth occurred on August 24th, 1849, at Perth, county of Lanark and Ren- frew, Province of Ontario. In early life he was apprenticed to the shoe- making trade and served his time at it. This trade he followed until 1874, at which time he came to Winnipeg, where he started the manufacture of384 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. boots and shoes. In connection with this he opened a retail establishment, and by honorable methods and fair dealing soon commanded an enormous business. In ten years time he was doing the largest trade in the entire Dominion. Deciding to enter the wholesale field exclusively, he sold out the retail store to his brother George, and since then has devoted his energies to the wholesale department. This was in 1890, and for a time it was uphill work, the competition being very close, but here was the point where Mr. Ryan’s keen business judgment, coupled with an unimpeachable reputation, came to his aid. In a short time the business had passed the experimental stage, and is now one of the solid institutions of the Dominion. The present building was erected in 1895, and is one of the handsome edifices of Win- nipeg. It covers a space of one hundred and thirty-two by ninety-nine feet, and is a four-story brick block. The trade of the house extends from Fort William to the Pacific coast. In 1880 Mr. Ryan married Miss Annie Anderson, a native of Den- mark, born near Copenhagen, and nine children have been born of this union: Thomas Moody, who is in business with his father, Alma, Sarah, Mabel, Florence, Ruth, Grace, Marion and Wesley W. Mr. Ryan has always taken an active interest in civic and political affairs, and served as alderman of Winnipeg for four years. In 1889 he was elected mayor of Winnipeg, and served one term. He is a prominent member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. A member of the Methodist church, Mr. Ryan has devoted much time and energy to the upbuilding of its institutions, and has evinced unflagging zeal in connection therewith. He was president of the Young Men’s Chris- tion Association for several years, president of the Bible Society for twelve years, president of the Home and Foreign Missions, and chairman of the Evangelistic Committee. As a business man and citizen no man is more highly respected. THOMAS MAYNE DALY. One of the most prominent figures in the political history of the Pro- vince of Manitoba is Thomas Mayne Daly, the subject of this sketch. HeHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 385 is a native of Stratford, Ontario, and was born August 16, 1852. He is a son of Thomas Mayne and Helen MacLaren Daly, the father a native of Canada, born at Hamilton, Ontario, and the mother a native of Scotland. Mr. Daly’s father was prominent in political affairs of his native province and represented the county of Perth in the Old Parliament of Canada from 1854 up to the Confederation in 1867. From 1857 to 1875 he was altern- ately in the house of commons and in the legislature of Ontario. He was mayor of Stratford for a number of years and held other positions of importance. The grandfather of Mr. Daly was the first mayor of Stratford, and was agent for the Canada Company. Mr. Thomas Mayne Daly was educated in Upper Canada College at Toronto. After leaving college he studied law at Stratford and Toronto, and after being admitted to the bar practiced at Stratford from 1877 to 1881. He then came west to Manitoba and located at Brandon, where he was the first legal practitioner in what is now the Western Judi- cial district of Manitoba. He was the first mayor of Brandon in 1882, and again in 1884 was elected to fill that office. In 1887 he was elected to the house of commons for what was then the electoral district of Selkirk, which territory is now represented by four members in the house. In 1892 Mr. Daly was appointed minister of the interior and superintendent general of Indian affairs for Canada, and held this office until May, 1896. He did not seek a re-election, and since that time has retired from active participa- tion in politics, devoting his entire time to his practice of law. He practiced at Rossland, British Columbia, from 1897 to 1902, at which time he came to Winnipeg. In the course of the following year he was appointed police magistrate for the city of Winnipeg, which office he now holds. Mr. Daly was the first member of parliament for Manitoba to hold a portfolio in the Dominion Government, and in 1890 he was appointed Queen’s counsel by Lord Derby. On June 4, 1879, Mr. Daly married Miss Margaret A. Jarvis, daughter of P. R. Jarvis, Esq., of Stratford. They are the parents of two sons: Harold Mayne, now practicing law in Vancouver, British Columbia, and 25386 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Kenneth Mayne, a student at St. John’s College, Winnipeg. Fraternally Mr. Daly is affiliated with the Masonic order and he and Mrs. Daly hold membership in the Church of England. GEORGE J. MAULSON. George J. Maulson, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Toronto, and was born November 27, 1852. He is a son of John and Eleanor (Hill) Maulson, the father a native of Yorkshire, England, and the mother of Belfast, Ireland. At fourteen years of age he entered the office of Sir William Howland, the miller and grain merchant of Toronto, and continued with this gentle- man up to 1880, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Win- nipeg. For a few years he was engaged in the grain business and during this time was appointed local manager of the London & Canadian Loan and Agency Company, which position he still holds. For twenty years past he has been a director of the Winnipeg General Hospital, and is chair- man of the building committee of this institution. For twelve years he has been a director of the Winnipeg Industrial Exposition Association, and in the year 1898 served as its president. He was the first to move in the organization of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange, the first two grain inspectors being appointed from members of his office staff. In 1876 Mr. Maulson married Miss Edith Wilson, a daughter of David Wilson, of Collingwood, Ontario. They are the parents of eight children, of whom five are living: Harold F., a barrister and solicitor of Minnedosa, Manitoba; Edwin E., in the service of the Bank of Commerce; Lillian E., Irene and Helen. Mr. Maulson has attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite of the Masonic order, and has always taken an active and leading interest in the order. While in no sense can he be classed as a politician, he gives his support to the Conservative party. SAMUEL SPINK. One of the most prominent members of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange is Mr. Samuel Spink, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Ontario,HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 387 his birth having occurred on July 29, 1850, at King, York county, of that province. He is the son of John and Sarah (McLennan) Spink, the father a native of Yorkshire, England, and the mother of Annan, Scotland. ,. His parents came to Canada in the early days when Toronto was known as Little York, where they settled about 1830. The father followed agricultural pur- suits until his death, both parents living to a ripe old age, the father being eighty-eight and the mother sixty-three. Mr. Spink was raised on the home farm and was educated at the common schools of York, which studies were supplemented by night work at home. At the age of seventeen he left school and \vas apprenticed to the milling trade at Whitevale, Ontario. He remained in the employ of the milling institution at Whitevale for three years, and then went to Newmarket, Ontario, proceeding from that point to Stouffvill#. In 1871 he went to the United States, and took charge of the flouring department of one of the largest and best mills at Niles, Michi- gan, remaining there one year, after which he returned to Ontario and leased a mill at Hawkestone on Lake Simcoe. This was his first business venture on his own account, and he carried on the business successfully. In 1874 he leased a mill at Alliston, Ontario, which he conducted for seven years, and was then prevailed to take charge of the Welland Mills at Thor- old, Ontario, for W. P. Howland & Company. Through mismanagement this property was not in a prosperous condition, but after a few months7 service Mr. Spink succeeded in placing it on a paying basis and then returned to Alliston, where he remained until 1881, in which year he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. Upon his departure for the west he was presented with a handsome gold watch by his many friends as a remembrance to carry to the country of his adoption. He at once engaged in the grain and brokerage business, which he has continued up to the present time, and at present is the oldest grain commission merchant in Winnipeg. In 1877 Mr. Spink married Miss Agnes Maquinnis, a native of Ontario and a daughter of George Maquinnis, who was the son of an English army officer who was one of the officers in charge at the time Napoleon was banished to St. Helena. Her father was the first child born at St. Helena after the arrival of Napoleon to that island and was afterwards presented388 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. with a medal by Napoleon during his exile, being subsequently transferred to Penetanguishene, Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Spink have become the parents of eight children, six of whom are living: Florence Bertha May, Alma Maud Pearl, Olin Gertrude, Mildred, Myrtle Irene and Gladis Lillian. Mr. Spink was the second president of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange, and for twelve years was license commissioner of Winnipeg. For the past twelve years he has been chairman of the Western Grain Standard Board. In politics he gives his support to the Liberal party, and is a consistent member of the Methodist church. i JAMES SPENCE. Mr. James Spence, the subject of this sketch, was born in Sandwick, Orkney Islands, in 1815, and was a son of Thomas Spence and Marion Irvine. He received his education in Orkney Islands, and afterwards, in 1839, came to Winnipeg, then known as Fort Garry. He came to this country as a cooper in the employ of the Hudson’s Bay Company, which position he held for five years. Mr. Spence then went into business for himself, and being of a mechanical turn of mind and possessing a consider- able amount of inventive genius he soon found his time fully employed, not only by the Hudson’s Bay Company, but by the people throughout the country. His services were called into execution along the line of almost every trade, and his friends often remarked that “Spence was never stuck. ’ ’ Shortly after his arrival at Fort Garry he had the misfortune to break his watch crystal. The Hudson’s Bay stores having none to suit and not caring to wear his watch without one, he set about supplying the article himself. Out of heavy sheet tin he made a form the required shape and size, then with a diamond he cut from a pane of common window glass a circular piece the proper size. Placing this on the form, he held it over the heat of a clear fire, gradually the glass melted and sank down into the shape of this ‘form, when it was withdrawn and turned on to a flat surface, covered with the hot ashes and left until cold. The glass was then removed from the form, the edges polished and it was ready for service. Many a one was rejoiced to have a broken crystal replaced by one of these. Mr. Spence engaged to some extent also in agricultural pursuits, anda% 07HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 389 did a considerable business with the fur traders. He followed these occu- pations until after the incorporation of Winnipeg as a city, when he retired, finding that land interests which had accumulated during those early years required all his attention. All through his busy life Mr. Spence did not neglect the cultivation of his mental powers. The leading papers and periodicals were well read, a well-filled library testified to the large general knowledge and the fine con- versational powers which he possessed. He was a man of original thought, sound judgment and great self-control. Many, especially among the native Protestant population, appealed to him when difficulty arose as to church, school or state. During troublous times he was one of those whose influence helped to hold in check the restless element which always forms a part of new settlements. All through that weary winter of ’69 and ’70, when the Loyalists met from time to time to discuss the situation, he always opposed resorting to harsh measures. He claimed that owing to the isolated position of the settlement the “rebels” being in full possession of Fort Garry, and their also having control of all the arms and ammunition, it were better for the Loyalists to go on quietly in their usual way and not to resort to severer measures unless life or property were in danger. Should they rise against the rebel forces it would incur loss of life and possibly the entire settlement would be wiped out.. Surely when the spring opened up help would come from the east. But how these predictions were verified and how it came about belongs to another part of this book. His death occurred on March 22, 1900, at the advanced age of eighty-five years. In 1844 Mr. Spence married Miss Mary McKay, a daughter of Robert and Christina (Bannerman) McKay. Mrs. McKay was one of the settlers of Selkirk colony, coming to Manitoba in 1812, and was a pioneer of pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Spence were the parents of eleven children: Thomas (deceased), Mary, Christina (deceased), Jemima, Robert, James (deceased), Robina, Janet, Margaret, John (deceased) and Annie. Politically Mr. Spence was an Independent. He was brought up a Pres- byterian, but there being no church of that denomination in this part of the country at that time, he cast his lot with the Church of England, and was its chief warden for fourteen years, which church he loved till the last.390 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Yet strange as it may appear during the closing hours of his life he would drop back into the broad dialect of his mother-tongue, and often in the silent watches of the night, when too weary to sleep, he could be heard repeating the grand old Psalms and paraphrases as he had learned them at his mother’s knee more than four score years before. , WILLIAM RAE ALLAN. One of the prominent insurance men of Winnipeg is William Rae Allan, the subject of this sketch. He was born on March 9, 1864, at Mon- treal, Quebec, and is a son of Andrew and Isabella (Smith) Allan, both of whom are natives of Scotland. The father came to Canada in 1838 when but sixteen years of age, and in company with his brother founded the Allan Line of Steamships in 1854. Prior to this they had been engaged in sailing vessels between Glasgow and Montreal, and were the pioneers in the steamship business. He died in 1901, leaving a family of five sons and three daughters. Mr. Allan was educated at Rugby, England, and at the age of eighteen left school. In 1883. he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg, where he was engaged in various mercantile matters up to 1893, at which time he entered the insurance business, opening a general agency. On November 1, 1904, after the death of A. C. Archibald, he took over the business which had been carried on by that gentleman, and merged the same with his own, forming a joint stock company and operating under the name of Allan, Lang & Killam, of which he was made president. All classes of insurance are handled, and besides this the firm act as general financial agents. Mr. Allan is a member of the Board of Trade of Winnipeg, and was president of the Board of Fire Underwriters in 1902 and 1903. JOSEPH MAW. Prominently identified with the business activity of the Province of Manitoba, Joseph Maw, the subject of this sketch, is one of the leading representatives of the commercial activity of his adopted province. He is a native of county Peel, Ontario, his birth having occurred on February 4, 1854. He is a son of Thomas and Sarah (Corkett) Maw, the father a■ ■HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 391 native of Ontario, born near Dundas, that province. His parents were among the earliest pioneers of York, now Toronto, their ancestors coming from England and settling there about the year 1800. The father was a farmer by occupation, and died in 1901, at the advanced age of eighty years. The mother was a native of Niagara on the Lakes, her people coming from old English stock, who were among the early settlers of that locality. Mr. Maw received a common school education while engaged in assist- ing his father in the conduct of the farm, and also took a course in the Commercial College in Toronto. At the age of seventeen he started out for himself and for a few years was traveling salesman for a manufacturing concern at Brampton, Ontario. He came to Winnipeg in February, 1882, as a general agent for the Massey Manufacturing Company, and for four years represented that firm in Manitoba and the North-West Territories. He then located at Calgary as manager for Massey & Company, having charge of the Alberta district between Medicine Hat and the boundary south up to the Saskatchewan. He continued this up to 1892, when he returned to Winnipeg and entered into partnership with J. M. Ross, of Hamilton, Ontario, conducting a carriage business under the firm name of Ross & Maw. The business was started on January 1, 1892, but was dissolved in 1896, Mr. Maw taking over the entire business and operating the same under the name of Joseph Maw & Company up to 1903, at which time the business was incorporated as a joint stock company, Mr. Maw being selected as its president. The business conducted is both wholesale and retail, and the goods handled are carriages, wagons, sleighs, gasoline engines, automobiles, bicycles, etc. Mr. Maw is an enthusiast on motoring, and in 1905 at the Winnipeg Industrial Exposition won the five mile race open with a “Marion” four- cylinder, air-cool car, against the Packard, Daracque and Ford cars, the time for the five miles being eight minutes and twenty-one seconds, this being made on a half-mile track and considered excellent time. A stock car was used in this contest, the prize being a fifty dollar silver cup given by the Exposition Company. In 1886 Mr. Maw married Miss Mary Goodfellow, a native of Peel county, Ontario, a daughter of Adam Goodfellow, who is of Scotch descent392 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. and one of the early settlers of that locality. Pour children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Maw.- Evelyn Goodfellow, Joseph Stanley, Kathleen Alberta and Thomas Gordon. In fraternal circles Mr. Maw affiliates with the Masonic order, and in politics he gives his support to the Conservative party. He was one of the organizers of the Calgary Exposition and Turf Association, is a director of the Winnipeg Industrial Exposition Board and is president of the Whole- sale Carriage & Implement Dealers’ Association. ROBERT MUIR. One of the ex-presidents of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Ex- change, and prominently identified with the milling and grain business of the province, is Robert Muir, the subject of this sketch. He was born December 28, 1850, at Manilla, Victoria county, Ontario, and is the son of Charles and Marion (King) Muir, both natives of Scotland. The parents were early settlers of Ontario, where they settled in York county, the father following his trade of wagon making. Mr. Muir was raised by his grandfather, as both his parents died when he was but six years of age. He was educated in the public schools of Ontario, and at the age of sixteen left school and worked on his grand- father’s farm. He followed farming until twenty-two years of age, and for the following four years was identified with the business of machinery and agricultural implements. In 1877 and 1878 he was engaged in flour milling. The latter year dated his arrival in Wininpeg, where he engaged in mill building and dealing in heavy machinery, which he continued up to 1892, since which time he devoted his entire attention to flour milling and the grain business. In the year 1898 he was president of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange, and is to-day one of its most prominent mem- bers. In 1892 he served as alderman of the city of Winnipeg, and in 1900 represented Central Winnipeg in the by-election for the local house, but was defeated. In 1877 Mr. Muir married Miss Elizabeth Ruth Richardson, a native of York county, Ontario, a daughter of W. Richardson. They are the parents of two children: Robert R. and Arthur R.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 393 In fraternal circles Mr. Muir is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Independent Order of Foresters and the Woodmen of the World. He is president of the Central Congrega- tional church of Winnipeg. WILLIAM LINTON PARRISH. The subject of this sketch, Mr .William Linton Parrish, is a native of Vromanton, North Ontario, and was born August 4, 1860. He is a son of Samuel and Jane (Cash) Parrish, both of whom were natives of England and among the early settlers of Ontario, whence they came with their par- ents, who settled in Ontario county. The father was a tanner by trade, and followed this occupation in Ontario up to 1875, at which time he went into the grain business, thus continuing up to the time of his death in 1904. Mr. Parrish was educated in the public schools of Uxbridge, Ontario. He left school at the age of fourteen and was employed in the grain busi- ness in connection with his father, with whom he remained until 1879, at which time he went to Huntsville, Muskoka, where he operated a grist and flour mill for two years. In 1881 he came to Manitoba and for the next seventeen years he was in the grain business at Brandon. In 1898 he returned to Winnipeg, and continued the grain business here. A partner- ship had been formed in 1885 with W. J. Lindsay, of Brandon, which part- nership still continues, the main office being at Brandon and the branch office being established in Winnipeg. As grain dealers and elevator owners they are widely known throughout the entire province. In 1885 Mr. Parrish married Miss Annie Ellen Card, a daughter of Alexander Card, of Ontario, but who is now residing in Southern Manitoba. Five children have been born of this union: Alice, Eula, Nellie Jean, Mabel Card, Frederic William and Wilfred Linton. Mr. Parrish is a member of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Ex- change, and served as its president in the years 1889 and 1890. He has been a member of the council of the Exchange since 1898, and takes an active interest in its operations. For two years he served as alderman of Brandon, but declined further honors on account of the pressure of his private busi- ness. In fraternal circles he is affiliated with the Independent Order of394 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Odd Fellows, with the Northwest Commercial Travellers’ Association, and is the past president of the Royal Canadian Curling Association. In politics he gives his support to the Liberal party. DOUGLAS A. CLARK. Douglas A. Clark, the subject of this sketch, is the president and man- aging director of the well-known establishment of Clark Brothers & Com- pany, Limited, of Winnipeg, wholesale stationery dealers. Fie is a native of Montreal, his birth having occurred on December 1, 1872, and he is a son of Alexander C. and Georgina (Balfour) Clark, the father a native of Scotland and the mother of Ireland. The parents settled in Montreal about 1855, where the father followed the occupation of stock-broking, which he continued up to the time of his death in 1901. The family consisted of nine children, three boys and six girls. Mr. Clark was educated at Bishop’s College at Lennoxville. He left school at the age of sixteen years and identified himself with the wholesale paper business in Montreal, and in 1894 came to Winnipeg to join the whole- sale firm of Love, McAllister & Company, stationers and paper dealers. In 1898 the firm was changed to Clark Brothers & Company, Limited, being incorporated in 1904. At this time Mr. Clark was made president and managing director of the corporation. In 1900 Mr. Clark married Miss Mary E. Talbot, a native of Qu’Ap- pelle, Saskatchewan, and a daughter of Charles Talbot. Senator Talbot, of London, Ontario, is her uncle. They are the parent of one son, Stuart Alexander. Mr. Clark is an active member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, and also holds membership and is vestryman in All Saints ’ church. GEORGE DUNCAN WOOD. For over twenty-five years Mr. George Duncan Wood has resided in Winnipeg, and during that time has been actively identified with the business interests of his adopted city. The house of George D. Wood & Company, with its associate branches is known from ocean to ocean, and as one of the pioneer merchants of the province and one of its representative. USHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 395 business men, he certainly deserves recognition in the history of the province. He is a native of Hamilton, Ontario, born July 26, 1858, and is a son of Hon. Andrew T. and Mary (Freeman) Wood, his father a native of Armagh, Ireland, an early settler of Ontario and one of the most prominent men in that province, and his mother was a native of Hamilton, Ontario. The father was a senator representing the Hamilton district, having previ- ously represented the city of Hamilton in the house of commons, and was prominent both politically and for many years in a business sense up to the time of his death, which occurred January 21, 1903. Andrew T. Wood established the business in 1849 which subsequently became Wood & Leggat, later Wood, Yallance & Company, of which the present firm of George D. Wood & Company is an outgrowth. Mr. Wood received his preliminary education at Hamilton at the public schools, these studies being supplemented by a course at Dr. Tassie’s school at Galt, Ontario. Ever since leaving school he has been identified with the hardware business, first starting in. and learning the business with his father at Hamilton, with whom he continued until 1880, at which time he came to Manitoba, locating in Winnipeg, and there established the present business of George D. Wood & Company. The Hamilton house is known as Wood, Yallance & Company, the members of the firm being William Vallance, William A. Wood, George Vallance, and George D. Wood. The branch in Vancouver is Wood, Vallance & Leggat, Limited, and the branch in Nelson, British Columbia, is The Wood, Vallance Hardware Company, Limited. The business is exclusively hardware, both shelf and heavy hardware being carried. The magnificent quarters in Winnipeg were erected in 1896, and cover a ground space of ninety by two hundred and ten feet, are four stories high with basement, and built of brick. Their track warehouse is located on the Canadian Paci- fic Railway, corner of Princess and Southerland streets, and is used for heavy hardware. The firm of George D. Wood & Company ranks among the very earliest pioneers in the hardware industry in the western part of Canada and in Manitoba, the firm of Wood & Leggat being represented in Fort Garry in 1869. Mr. Wood has taken an active interest in all matters pertaining to the396 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. public good, and while his many business interests occupy most of his attention he still finds time to take an active part in civic affairs of the com- munity. He is also a director in the Northern Trust Company, and in the Dominion Annuity Company. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, and is a member of the Manitoba and Commercial Clubs and of the St. Charles Country Club. Politically he is a staunch Liberal, having always taken an active part in public affairs, and ever since his arrival being actively identified with both local and Dominion politics. In 1886 Mr. Wood married Miss Helen Adamson, a native of Breckin, Scotland, and they are the parents of six children. Their beautiful home, “Helenslea,” is located at Armstrong Point, Winnipeg. Mr. Wood and his family are consistent members of the Presbyterian church. JAMBS SCOTT. James Scott, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Brampton, Ontario, his birth having occurred on November 9, 1845. He is a son of John and Eliza (Monger) Scott, the father a native of Scotland and the mother being of Welsh descent. The father came to Ontario with his father in 1814, being among the early pioneers of County Peel. The mother comes of United Empire Loyalist stock. Mr. Scott’s father followed agricultural pursuits, settling in Peel county when it was in the “backwoods.” Mr. Scott was raised on the home farm, where he resided until the age of eighteen, during which time he attended the public and grammar schools of Peel county at Brampton. He then worked in a general store in Bramp- ton, at which occupation he continued for four years, afterwards taking charge of his employer’s brother’s store gt Meaford on Georgian Bay. After three years spent there he started for Manitoba in 1870, but owing to the Riel Rebellion being in progress at that time he remained in Ontario. In 1879 he came to Winnipeg, being appointed government Indian farm inspector at Touchwood Hills, Assiniboia. When he landed in Winnipeg his sole capital consisted of eleven cents, but he had no fears for the future. He resigned his position in June, 1881, to accept a clerkship in a real estate office conducted by Joseph Wolf, with whom he remained until the fall of 1881. He then started in the real estate business for himself, and hasHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 397 continued the same up to the present time. For two years he served on the Winnipeg public school board. In 1870 Mr. Scott married Miss Annie Brown, of Brampton. Eleven children have been born of this union, all of whom are living, but Mrs. Scott died in 1889. Mr. Scott gives his support to the Conservative party politically. HENRY SAMUEL CROTTY. One of the pioneers of the real estate business of Winnipeg is Mr. Henry Samuel Crotty, the subject of this sketch. For a quarter of a cen- tury he has been identified with this business in the city, and during that time has built up for himself an enviable reputation in the conduct of his business. He is a native of Ingersoll, Ontario, and was born January 12, 1843, being a son of Richard and Rachel (Miles) Crotty, both parents being natives of Ireland, who came to Ontario in 1837 and settled at Inger- soll, Oxford county. His father followed farming for his life’s work, and the subject of this sketch was educated at the high school of Ingersoll, and remained on the home farm until he arrived at the age of twenty-two. In 1865 he took a course in the military school at Hamilton, and participated in the Fenian Raid of 1866, as lieutenant of Number Four Company, Inger- soll Rifles, afterwards serving as quartermaster and paymaster of the Instruction Camp at Thorold, Ontario. In 1879 Mr. Crotty decided to come to Manitoba, and on May 10th of that year arrived in Winnipeg. The following year he engaged in the real estate business with the late William G. Fonseca, one of the early pioneers of the province. He has continued in the real estate business up to the present time. In 1881 he purchased the southeast corner of Main and Mar- ket streets, when he formed a partnership with Mr. Samuel Poison. This was dissolved in 1887, and Mr. W. H. Cross became his partner. The firm of Crotty & Cross was dissolved in 1903, when the present firm of Crotty, Love & Company was formed.. Mr. Crotty is a leading and active member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, and is past vice-president of the Real Estate Exchange. In fraternal circles he has taken an active part, being past high chief ranger for Mani-398 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. toba of the Independent Order of Foresters, he being the organizer of the order in Manitoba in December, 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Crotty are members of the Church of England. HODGSON WILBERFORCE HUTCHINSON. Hodgson Wilberforce Hutchinson, president of the Fairchild Company, Limited, is a good example of the self-made man, starting without financial backing and by those attributes of character necessary for success, building himself an enviable position in his community. He was born in Clark township, Durham county, Ontario, October 20, 1862, and is a son of Robert Hutchinson, at one time a general merchandise dealer of Durham and at present collector of customs in Listowel, Ontario. His mother, Victoria (Hodgson) Hutchinson, died in his infancy. Mr. Hutchinson was educated in the public schools of Durham county and subsequently in Albert College of Belleville, Ontario, and on com- pletion of his schooling entered his father’s store, w7here he worked for two years. In December, 1882, he came to Winnipeg as bookkeeper for David Maxwell, an implement manufacturer. On June 1, 1884, he was appointed to the management of the establishment and remained in that capacity until November 1, 1888, at which time he identified himself with F. A. Fairchild, then trading as F. A. Fairchild & Company. He was manager for the house until May 1, 1895, when the business was taken over by The Fairchild Company, Limited, as a joint stock company. On this reorganization of the business Mr. Hutchinson was appointed secretary- treasurer. Upon the death of Mr. Fairchild in October, 1898, he was appointed general manager of the business, which position he filled until July, 1900, when he succeeded to the presidency. In 1902 Mr. Hutchin- son took over the control of the business, and now has a controlling interest in the corporation. The business is agricultural implements, carriages, etc., and the trade extends throughout Manitoba and the North-West Ter- ritories. In addition to this business Mr. Hutchinson is president of the T. T. Thompson Hardware Company, of Morden, Manitoba, and vice-presi- dent of the Manitoba Anchor Wire Fence Company. He is also presidentHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 399 of the Winnipeg Wholesale Implement & Carriage Association. In 1904 he served as president of the Board of Trade. In 1886 Mr. Hutchinson married Miss Margaret Maclean, a daughter of A. D. Maclean, of Winnipeg. Mrs. Hutchinson died in January, 1897. On August 23, 1899, he married Charlotte Isabel Macgregor, of Hamilton* Ontario. They have one child, Walter. In fraternal life Mr. Hutchinson takes an active interest, and is a member of the Ancient Landmark Lodge, A.F. & A.M. He is also a member of the Woodmen of the World, and The Banner Workmen. In politics he endorses the Liberal party, and he is a member of the Methodist church. His home is located at 57 Edmonton street. In such a brief review it is impossible to give more than a few salient points, but enough has been shown to demonstrate that Mr. Hutchinson certainly deserves mention in Manitoba’s history. JOHN WALTER HARRIS. Mr. John Walter Harris, the subject of this sketch, was born February 26, 1845, near Kemptville, Greenville county, Ontario, and is a son of John and Jane (Jones) Harris, both natives of Ireland, who were born and raised in the Protestant faith. The mother though born in Ireland was of Welsh extraction. They were early settlers in that part of Ontario, where the father was identified with farming. Mr. Harris was educated in the public and grammar schools of Ontario and at Toronto, where he took a special course in surveying and mathema- tics, and adopted the profession of surveyor and civil engineer in 1866. From 1867 to 1870 he conducted public and graded schools in the western States, and in Iowa introduced and successfully taught a system of abbre- viated and contracted methods in arithmetic. This system became popu- larly known as “Lightning Calculations” and the author as the lightning calculator. In the year 1871 he went to the north shore of Lake Superior, where he engaged in lumber manufacturing at Bachewaning, on a beautiful bay fifty miles from Sault Ste. Marie. In 1873 he came to Winnipeg com- missioned as Dominion land surveyor. He was in the employ of the Dominion government on various surveys up to 1879, at which time he400 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. retired to take up the private practice of his profession, although at that time having had charge of a large portion of the drainage work done under the Provincial government of Manitoba for several years. In 1879 and 1880 he made the assessments for the city of Winnipeg, and in 1882 he accepted his present position as assessment commissioner and city surveyor for said city, taking the combined offices at the solicitation of the city coun- cil. And so successful has been his work of producing fair and equitable assessments of Winnipeg, from year to year for upwards of quarter of a century, that seldom have the courts of revision felt called upon to make any change whatever in the rolls, which have generally, after investigation, been confirmed just as returned to the council. A special survey also of the city has been made under his supervision, which lasted from 1890 to 1894, covering all the principal built-up portions of the city. In 1876 Mr. Harris married Miss S. B. Smith, a native of Iowa and a daughter of Henry L. and Jane (Lounsbury) Smith. Two children have been born of this union, but neither of them survive. Mr. Harris takes an active interest in fraternal circles, and has attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite of the Masonic order. He is also a member of the Knight Templars and is a noble of the Mystic Shrine. He is an associate member of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers of Montreal, is a Dominion, Ontario and Manitoba Land Sur- veyor (D. 0. & M. L. S.), and has been a member of the Board of Exam- iners for Manitoba land surveyors for over twenty years. Mr. Harris has always been an active promoter of good clean outdoor sports, being par- ticularly interested in baseball, which owes much to him for the popular posi- tion it now occupies. And although he is not what might be called a sport- ing man in the ordinary sense of the term, he is considered an authority on the rules governing several different games. ROBERT THOMAS RILEY. One of the active business men of the province is Robert Thomas Riley, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Yorkshire, England, and was born in 1851. After completing his education in his native country and on arriving at his majority in 1873 he came to the Dominion and located inHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 401 the county of Wentworth, Ontario. For several years he was engaged in contracting and in farming, and came to Manitoba in the latter part of 1881. He located in Winnipeg, and shortly afterwards became the manager of the Manitoba Drainage Company. In company with Senator Sanford he subsequently bought out that company and also operated in real estate. The following year a branch of the Sanford Manufacturing Company was established in Winnipeg, and Mr. Riley was placed in charge of the estab- lishment, and he has been identified with that business in some form or other up to the present time, being now one of the executors of the Sanford Estate. In 1887 he organized and took charge of the affairs of the Westbourne Cattle Company, operating in Manitoba, and in this connection took over the land acquired by the Manitoba Drainage Company. In 1885 Mr. Riley organized the Canadian Fire Insurance Company and is now its managing director. In 1905 he organized the Northern Trusts Company, and is also acting as managing director to that corporation. He is also a director of the Great-West Life Company of Winnipeg, the Canada Permanent Loan Corporation of Toronto, and the Union Bank of Quebec. Mr. Riley was married on October 6, 1873, to the lady of his choice, Miss Harriet Murgatroud, of Yorkshire, England, who died in Winnipeg on the 25th of October, 1902. They were the parents of six children, four sons and two daughters: Robert S., the eldest son, is assistant engineer of the New York Ship Trading Company, located at Philadelphia; and Conrad S., the second son, is the manager for the Canadian Fire Insurance Com- pany in Winnipeg. Mr. Riley holds membership in the Manitoba Club, and in politics gives his support to the Conservative party. DUNCAN STEELE CURRY. Duncan Steele Curry, city comptroller of Winnipeg, is a native of Sydney, Nova Scotia, his birth having occurred on October 31, 1852. His educational advantages were derived in the common and private schools of Sydney, but he put aside his books at the age of seventeen to accept employ-402 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ment on the official staff of the Glasgow & Cape Breton Coal and Railway- Company, which occupation was continued up to 1874, and that year marks his arrival in Winnipeg. Mr. Curry came to Manitoba as a member of the Second Contingent of Mounted Police under Colonel French, and after serving for a time with the police he then entered the service of the Dominion government on the surveys and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which occupation was continued up to 1883. In August, 1884, he accepted the position of city auditor of Winnipeg, which was subsequently changed to the title of city comptroller. For twenty-one years he has occupied this position, during which time he has given entire satisfaction to everybody concerned. GEORGE HUGH HADSKIS. George Hugh Hadskis, the subject of this sketch, is the popular tax collector of the city of Winnipeg, and is a native of Niagara Falls, Canada, his birth having occurred on July 4, 1S38. He is a son of Hugh and Esther (Webber) Hadskis, who were early settlers in Ontario, where the father followed the occupation of a mechanic. Mr. Hadskis was educated in the public schools of Woodstock, Ontario, and after a few years spent in the United States returned to Woodstock about the time of the Civil war in the United States in 1861. He then learned the trade of woodturning, and came to Winnipeg in May, 1874, where he worked at his trade for Brown & Rutherford in their factory until 1876. In 1877 he was appointed tax collector for the city of Winni- peg, which office he has held up to the present time. In 1854 Mr. Hadskis married Miss Marion Pelton, of Bennington, Ontario. They are the parents of eleven children, of whom seven are living: Amelia, the wife of J. A. Osborne, who is Mayor of Fort Frances; Mary Ella, wife of Peter Cleveland, of Calgary, Alberta; Esther Emma, deceased wife of Walter Pulford; Carrie, wife of Dr. McCulloch, of Moose Jaw; Nellie, wife of James Cosgrove, manager of Winnipeg General Hospital; Maggie, deceased; Charles Thomas, deceased; George H., junior, at home; Nora L., at home; Norman, also at home, and Frank D., deceased.»/HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 403 In fraternal circles Mr. Hadskis is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters, and has been financial secretary for Court Winnipeg for the past eighteen years. HARRY COWAN THOMPSON. Mr. Harry Cowan Thompson, the official city treasurer of the city of Winnipeg, is a native of Moorefield, Ontario, and was born October 23,1879. He is a son of Thomas Edward and Huldah A. (Cowan) Thompson, both parents being natives of Canada and old settlers of the county of Bruce, Ontario, where the father followed the business of contracting. The family moved to Winnipeg in 1881, where the father died in 1903. Mr. Thompson was educated in the public and high schools of Winni- peg, but left school at the age of sixteen and entered the services of the city on September 1, 1893, as a messenger. In 1896 he was appointed filing clerk in the city clerk’s office, and in 1899 he was appointed secretary of Public Parks Board. A year later he was appointed assistant city clerk, which position he occupied until his appointment to the position of treasurer of the city of Winnipeg. At this time he also resigned his position as sec- retary of the Public Parks Board. In fraternal circles Mr. Thompson affiliates with the Masonic order. NATHANIEL FRANCIS HAGEL. Nathaniel Francis Hagel, K.C., of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was born in the county of Oxford, Ontario, on the 20th of February, 1846, the second son of Samuel and Eliza A. (Tapley) Hagel. He is of United Empire Loyalist descent on four sides, his grandparents being all descendants of the United Empire Loyalists. His father was born at Ancaster, in the county of Wentworth, Ontario, and his great-grandfather was one of the pioneers of Wentworth, having settled there in 1798,+fiildl having been the first magistrate of the Ancaster district and being identified with the early history of the county. The mother of Mr. Hagel’s father was a Jerome, of that branch of the family of that name which at the close of the Revolu- tionary war remained loyal to the flag and followed it to the wilds of Canada; another branch of the same family remained in the state of New404 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. York, where its descendants are now prominent in public life. On the maternal side his grandparents were of the Tapleys and Drakes, who also after the Revolution came to St. John, New Brunswick. Mr. Hagel’s mother with her family later removed to the county of Wentworth, where his parents were married, his father having been born in the township of Ancaster in that county, and from which place he removed in about the year 1820 to the county of Oxford, where he continuously lived until his death, which occurred at Ingersoll in 1891, he having reached the age of seventy-eight years. Mr. Hagel was educated at the common and grammar schools of Inger- soll and Woodstock in the county of Oxford, and at the age of twenty began the study of the law, being in 1867 articled to the late Warren Totten, Q.C., of Woodstock. Subsequently he removed to Toronto, where in 1873 he was called to the bar at Osgoode Hall and there practiced his profession until 1881, in which year he came to Winnipeg. There he has practiced to the present time with the exception of the period of seven years immedi- ately preceding 1905, during which time he was in practice in British Columbia and in the Yukon Territory returning to Winnipeg in the latter part of the year 1905. Since his first arrival in Manitoba he was succes- sively called to the bar of the North-West Territories, of British Columbia and of the Yukon Territory. He was created a “Q.C.” in 1895. Early in his practice Mr. Hagel took a prominent position at the bar and became known throughout Canada from Toronto to the far west as one of the most skillful and eloquent advocates at the bar, particularly being distinguished as a nisi prius counsel and as having been engaged in most of the notable criminal cases and many of the otherwise special cases occurring in the west since 1881 and having probably as long a list of capital cases to his credit as any member of the bar in Canada. The Canadian American says of him, “Manitoba’s most noted criminal lawyer.” In politics Mr. Hagel is a Conservative and has for many years taken an active part in the affairs of his party, being for a long time vice-presi- dent and a member of the Executive of the Conservative Association of Manitoba, and on his going to the Yukon was made the first president of the Association at Dawson city, a position which he has filled continuouslyHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 405 to the present time. In 1886 he contested the constituency of Rockwood in the interest of the Conservative party under the leadership of the late Hon. John Norquay, then premier of Manitoba, but was defeated by a very narrow majority by Mr. S. J. Jackson, at present member of the Commons for the district which includes what was then the provincial constituency of Rockwood. In 1891 he contested Kildonan in opposition to the then Greenway government, but by what has been generally admitted, by unfair election practices, was again declared defeated by a majority of something like seven votes. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1873, and was successively president of the Winnipeg Hunt Club, of the Dawson Club, of the Dawson Conservative Association, of the Yukon Horticultural and Floral Association, of the Yukon Industrial Exhibition Association and vice-president of the Yukon International Polar Institute. An ardent hor- ticulturalist during his residence in the Yukon he did much in connection with- the associations above mentioned to demonstrate that, even in that far northern country there are great possibilties in the field of horticulture and floriculture and even in general agriculture. He was married in 1870 to Miss Susan Adele Summers, a daughter of David Summers, Esq., of Middle- sex, Ontario, and niece of the Hon. Elijah Leonard, senator from London,, Ontario. They are the parents of five children, three of whom are still living: Maude Victoria Louise, Florence Gertrude Woodman and Percy Elden, the latter is a member of his father’s profession, having been called to the bar of the Yukon Territory in 1904. Mr. Hagel is a member of the Church of England and has always taken an earnest interest in church matters. JEFFRY HALL BROCK. Jeffry Hall Brock, managing director of the Great-West Life Assur- ance Company of Canada, is one of the pioneers of Manitoba, and since his residence in this province has been actively identified with insurance matters. He was born in Guelph, Ontario, on January 6, 1850, and is a son of Thomas Rees and Eleanor (Thompson) Brock, the former born in Kingston, Jamaica, of British parents, and the latter in Queen’s county,406 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. Ireland. The father settled in Guelph in 1832, where he was registrar and clerk of the court. He died in 1850, at the age of forty years, leaving a family of six boys and three girls, of whom the subject of this sketch is the youngest. Mr. Brock was educated in the public and grammar schools of Guelph, and at McGill High School of Montreal. He completed his studies at the age of sixteen, and after five years spent in the United States in various occupations, he became identified with the wholesale dry goods house of Ogilvy & Company, at Toronto. In 1876, with his brother, W. R. Brock, he started a similar business under the firm name of W. R. Brock & Brother, now the W. R. Brock Company, Limited, of Toronto and Montreal. In 1879 he disposed of his interests in this business and came to Winnipeg, where he engaged in the insurance business, the firm being Carruthers & Brock. He retired from this firm in 1892, at which time he established the Great-West Life Assurance Company and was made managing director thereof, which position he now holds. This company was the first life assurance company established in the west, and the first western institution to establish branches throughout Canada, having branch offices at Halifax, St. John, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. The company has a subscribed capital of $1,000,000, of which $250,000 is paid up, the stock being largely held in the west. The company has a business in force of $22,500,000, and in 1904 $5,000,000 worth of new business was written, with a surplus to policy holders at the dose of the year 1904 of $540,000. It is one of the stable institutions of the province and one in which all citizens of Manitoba take a just and an honest pride. In 1876 Mr. Brock married Miss Louise A. Gillespie, a daughter of Rev. John Gillespie, of Toronto. They are the parents of eleven children, of whom five boys and three girls are living. Fraternally Mr. Brock is a member of the Masonic order. In addition to his duties as managing director of the Great-West Life Assurance Com- pany, he is a director of the Northern Trusts Company, and is also an active member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 407 ROBERT WALTER PATERSON. Robert Walter Paterson, the subject of this sketch, was born October 22, 1876, at Guelph, Ontario, and is a son of Robert and Wilhelmina (Cousens) Paterson. His educational advantages were derived from a course at the public schools of Chicago, Illinois, after which he entered the Collegiate Institute of Ottawa. At the age of seventeen he put aside his text books and entered the services of the Bank of Ottawa as junior clerk, and for nine years was occupied with this institution. In 1902 he came to Winnipeg as accountant for the Bank of Ottawa, and the following year was appointed secretary and treasurer of the Winnipeg Paint & Glass Company, Limited, also filling the position of business manager of the institution. The company was incorporated on January 1, 1902, with a capital of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. They are manufacturers of fancy glasses of various kinds, mirrors, chipped glass, church windows, etc. At the plant in Fort Rouge is also manufactured sash, doors, mould- ings and office and bank furniture. A general planing mill business is also conducted in connection with the institution, the company also dealing quite extensively in lumber, paints, cement, building hardware, etc. The magnificent building of the company is located at No. 179 Notre Dame avenue east, and covers a ground space of seventy-one feet front by eighty-eight feet deep, is six story and basement high, built entirely of stone. The trade of the institution extends throughout Manitoba and the North-West Territories. THOMAS KELLY. One of the prominent contractors of the city of Winnipeg is Mr. Thomas Kelly, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of county Ross- common, Ireland, his birth having occurred on August 7, 1856. He is a son of Thomas and Jane (Conoley) Kelly, both of whom are also natives of Ireland. The family immigrated from the old country in 1865 and settled in New York state, where Mr. Kelly was raised and educated. He attended public school for a short time, and then served his apprenticeship at the bricklayer’s trade, which he followed for three years, up to 1877,408 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. qt which time he came to Winnipeg and entered the employ of his former employer, Peter McGill, as a foreman. For three years he filled this position, and in 1881 formed a partnership with his brother Michael, which partnership continued until 1884, when another brother, Martin, was admitted to the firm, the firm name at that time being changed to Kelly Brothers & Company. They are general contractors and builders, also con- tracting extensively for paving, bridge work, etc. At present they are engaged in the construction of the Winnipeg post office, for which they hold the entire contract. They were the first firm to introduce asphalt paving into the city. Since 1881 they have been largely identified with the manu- facture of brick and hold large interests at Stonewall and at the Stony Mountain quarries, at which latter place they are installing the most modern and up-to-date cut-stone plant on the continent. In 1882 Mr. Kelly married Miss Margaret Corbett, a niece of the late Senator O’Donahue, of Toronto. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly are the parents of seven children, as follows: Robert E., Charles, Harry, Lawrence, Morris, Francis and Kathleen. Politically Mr. Kelly gives his support to the Liberal party, and has always been actively identified in both local and Dominion politics. ISAAC WALTER MARTIN. Isaac Walter Martin, the subject of this sketch, was born April 26, 1863, in Paris, Ontario. He is a son of Abraham and Sarah (Burkholder) Martin, both of whom are natives of Ontario. The mother is descended from United Empire Loyalists who settled on Niagara Peninsula about the year 1812, while the father descended from English ancestry who settled in New York state early in the eighteenth century. He was a mer- chant in Paris and Princeton up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1902. Mrs. Martin is still living. The subject of this sketch was educated at the common and high schools of Hamilton, Ontario, leaving school at the age of eighteen and entering the employ of E. & C. Gurney & Company, as office boy, at Hamil- ton, and has been connected with this institution up to the present time. He succeeded to the position as manager of the retail branch at Hamilton forHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 409 a number of years prior to coming to Winnipeg, and was also buyer for the concern. In 1883 he came to Winnipeg as accountant for the firm, trad- ing in Winnipeg under the name of Tilden, Gurney & Company. In 1901 he was elected vice-president of the company, and also manager for the western branch, which position he now holds. In 1888 Mr. Martin married Miss Carrie Burridge, a daughter of James Burridge, of Winnipeg, one of the pioneers of that city. They are the parents of one son, James Wesley. Fraternally Mr. Martin is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, in whose affairs he takes an active interest. Mr. Martin is also director and vice-president of the Y.M.C.A. of Winnipeg, and is an active worker for the Association. Since coming to Winnipeg he has been identified with Grace Methodist church. HUGH N. BAIRD. Hugh N. Baird, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Montreal, born July 23, 1877. His education was acquired in the public schools of his native city, after which he entered the service of a grain exporting house in Montreal, and from that time to the present has been actively identified with the grain business. During this time he has made a careful study of Manitoba’s most important industry, and is now recognized as one of the substantial members of the Grain Exchange, being a council member of this body. In February, 1901, he came to Winnipeg, as manager for Richardson & Company, Incorporated. This business was afterwards transferred to the firm of Harris, Scotten Company, and Mr. Baird is now acting in the capa- city of local manager for the institution. In 1904 he married Miss Pinder, of Montreal. He is a member of the Manitoba Club, is a Liberal in politics, and is a member of the Presbyterian church. GEORGE NELSON JACKSON. George Nelson Jackson, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Oshawa, Ontario, his birth having occurred on June 4, 1861. He is a son410 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of James and Sarah (Stevenson) Jackson, both of whom were natives of England and early settlers in Canada, where the father followed his occu- pation as a farmer. Mr. Jackson was raised on the home farm and attended the public schools of St. Mary’s, Ontario. At the age of eighteen he entered a mercan- tile establishment at Hamilton, and in 1879 entered the employ, as an apprentice, of a brush and broom manufactory operated by Walter Woods & Company, at Hamilton. Later on he was transferred to the shipping department and subsequently was a member of the clerical force of this institution. From 1885 to 1901 he represented them as a traveling salesman and in 1896 established the present branch at Winnipeg, becoming the manager of the branch at that time. A general stock of wooden ware, brooms, store fixtures, etc., is carried, the institution being one of the largest in Ontario, at which point the factory is located, employing over one hundred hands. In 1886 Mr. Jackson married Miss Lucy Bowes, a daughter of Joseph Bowes, of Hamilton, Ontario. They are the parents of one son, Herbert. Fraternally Mr. Jackson is affiliated with the Masonic order, and is an active member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. EDWIN ALFRED JAMES. Edwin Alfred James, the manager of the Canadian Northern Railway, is a native of London, England, his birth having occurred on April 11, 1865. He is a son of Edwin James and Harriet (Foster) James, both of whom were likewise born in England and representatives of an old family of that country. When but two years of age Mr. James was brought by his parents to Canada, when the father located at Bridgewater, Hastings county, Ontario, where he was identified up to the time of his death as a postmaster, manager of the telegraph office, and also conducted an insur- ance business. The subject of this sketch was educated at the common schools of Hast- ings county, and at the age of thirteen put aside his text books and entered the employ of the commercial telegraph and railway service, later on being employed by the Grand Trunk Railway. In 1881 he came to Winnipeg, HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 411 where he entered the services of the Canadian Pacific Railway as a tele- graph operator, which position he filled, and also that of relieving agent for the Canadian Pacific Railway for two years. Subsequently he filled the position of head operator in Mr. Yan Horne’s office, and later was train despatcher, which position he occupied from 1884 to 1891, and until 1895 was chief train despatcher for the company. In the latter year he was appointed divisional superintendent and filled this position up to 1900, being again promoted to the position of superintendent of transportation for the western division of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and filled this position for three years. He resigned from the employ of the Canadian Pacific Railway to enter the services of the Canadian Northern Railway as general superintendent, which position he filled for the years 1903 and 1904, and in the latter year was promoted to the position as manager for the company. In 1896 Mr. James married Miss Katherine Telford, a daughter of Donald M. Telford, of Strathroy, Ontario. They are the parents of one son, Edwin Telford James. CAPTAIN GEORGE FREDERICK CARRUTHERS. For many years Captain George Frederick Carruthers has occupied a prominent position in the political, business and social life of the Province of Manitoba. He is a native of Toronto, born in 1846, and is a son of the late Frederick Fraser Carruthers, of Toronto, who prior to his death was one of the prominent barristers of Ontario. Captain Carruthers was educated at the Model Grammar School in Toronto and at Upper Canada College, afterwards entering the Toronto University and after two years of study at this institution he left and entered the services of the Grand Trunk Railway in the freight depart- ment of this road. For about four years he continued in the employ of the railroad, and in 1871 resigned his position and came to Manitoba, entering the newspaper business in Winnipeg. He served as the editor of the Manitoba Gazette, and in 1874 started in business as a fire insurance agent, which occupation he has since continued. To the fire insurance business has been added that of real estate and of financial agent and with many other412 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. business affairs Captain Carruthers is prominently identified. He repre- sents James & J. Taylor, of Toronto, and locally is the president of the Standard Brick and Tile Company. Captain Carruthers was a member of the University Rifles Queen’s Own in Toronto and holds the Fenian medal for services during the Fenian Raid. At the present time he holds the rank of captain on the retired list of the Canadian militia. In 1873 Captain Carruthers married Miss Harriet Chambers, a resident of Winnipeg, and to this union have been born five children: Georgina, wife of Rev. J. Beal; Edith, Beatrice, Laurette and Frances Frederick. Captain Carruthers has been a prominent figure in fraternal circles and is past master of Rupert Lodge, A. F. & A. M. He has attained to the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and was first district deputy grand master for this district. For several years he has served as a member of the city council of Winnipeg. In politics his support has always been given to the Conservative party. In insurance circles he is one of the most prominent men in the province, and is past president of the board of Underwriters for Manitoba and the North-West Territories. Captain Car- ruthers is a member of the vestry of Holy Trinity church and a delegate to the synod. He is one of the oldest directors of the board of the Winnipeg General Hospital^ and past president of the Manitoba Rifle Association. HERBERT SWINFORD. Herbert Swinford, the subject of this sketch, is a native of London, England, born November 7, 1849, and is a son of Henry Herbert and Anne (Ellen) Swinford, both of whom are natives of England and representatives of old English families who moved to Canada in 1858, where the father was identified in banking and financial circles in London, Ontario. The elder Swinford came to this country for his health, and after a short stay at Hamilton located in Guelph, Ontario, where he purchased a fine country property and came to Winnipeg in 1882 to join his sons, who had preceded him. The subject of this sketch was educated in private schools at London, England, and at the high school of Guelph, Ontario. He also took a courseHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 413 in the Royal Military School at Toronto, and became Drill Instructor in the Thirtieth Regiment of Wellington Rifles with the rank of lieutenant. On the call for troops for the Red River expedition he resigned his commission and enlisted in No. 1 Company of Ontario Rifles, with Colonel Jarvis in command, under General Wolseley. He was immediately appointed ser- • geant, and arrived in Manitoba in August of 1870. On peace being restored in 1871, he received his discharge, and then took up the work of customs brokerage in Winnipeg, but after a few weeks entered the services of the Hudson’s Bay Company to take charge of their imports and also their vast freighting operations, the latter soon occupying his entire attention. For the following three years he remained in the direct employ of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Garry, and on the formation of the Red River Transportation Company he was appointed its representative in Manitoba. When the company sold to the Winnipeg & Western Transportation Com- pany he was appointed secretary and treasurer of this company, later on becoming its managing director. From 1871 to 1888 his entire attention was occupied in the construction and operation of steamboats on the Red and Assiniboine rivers, also on Lake Winnipeg and the Saskatchewan river up to Fort Edmonton, and the south branch of the Saskatchewan -to what is known as Medicine Hat. He afterwards entered the services of the Northern Pacific Railway as its traffic representative in Manitoba, which position he has occupied up to the present time. During his residence in Manitoba he has witnessed the evolution in the methods of transportation, from the primitive ox cart and mule teams, pack horses, etc., to its present magnificent facilities in the way of both water and railway transportation. In 1883, when the Ninetieth Winnipeg Rifles was formed, he was gazetted as their quartermaster, and during the rebellion of 1885 he was under General Middleton as chief commissioner and transport officer to the North-West field forces. On his return from the rebellion he afterwards won the command of one of the companies in the regiment, and later on he served as their paymaster, retiring from the regiment in 1901 with the rank of major after completing a service of twenty-six years. In 1873 Mr. Swinford married Miss Mary A. Linklater, a daughter of one of the officials of the Hudson’s Bay Company, who was for thirty-three414 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. years in their service at Fort Garry, and who died in 1890. Two children were born of this union, Florence and Arthur. In 1892 Mr. Swinford was again married, Miss Georgia Maedonell, a daughter of Hugh Macdonell, of Whitby, Ontario, becoming his bride. Her parents were among the old United Empire Loyalists, and were among the early settlers of Canada. Major Swinford affiliates with the Masonic order and has always taken a deep interest in its work. He is also charter member and one of the organizers of the Chartered Accountants’ Association for Manitoba. There are very few men in the province better known than the subject of this sketch, and he certainly deserves representation in the history of the pro- vince of his adoption. JOHN OBED SMITH. The subject of this sketch, Mr. John Obed Smith, is one of the self-made men of Manitoba, working his way up from the position of farm hand to one of the most prominent barristers in the city. He is a native of Bir- mingham, England, born September 22, 1864, and is a son of Obed and Isabel (Spink) Smith, both of whom were likewise natives of England, being representatives of old English stock. Mr. Smith was educated at the Liverpool Institute, but left school at the early age of thirteen, and for two years was employed in a cotton broker’s office in Liverpool. For the next two years he was employed by his father, who was a wholesale and retail boot and shoe merchant in Liverpool. At the age of seventeen he left home, coming to Canada and arrived in Winnipeg in 1882. The first year was spent at Turtle Mountain, where he was engaged in farming, afterwards securing a position as a mail driver. Subsequently he secured employment as a general storekeeper. He afterwards returned to Winnipeg and entered the employment of the law firm of Munson & Allan, remaining with this firm for seven years as a stenographer and bookkeeper and articled clerk. In 1887 he was elected president of the Manitoba Shorthand Association, and in 1890 entered the government service under Attorney-General Joseph Martin, with whom he finished his law course, and was called to the bar of Manitoba, being admitted on November 30, 1891. He continued in the government service'HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 415 as right-of-way solicitor, accountant of the house, acting clerk of the house and chief clerk of the railway department until 1898, when he retired to take up the practice of his profession. He was an official organizer of the Liberal party ih the province, and was appointed commissioner of immigra- tion for that part of Canada lying west of the Great Lakes, which position he now occupies. Prior to this time he was for a period secretary to the Hon. Clifford Sifton. In 1896 Mr. Smith married Miss Lillian Isabel Rose, a daughter of Harry B. Rose, a merchant of Winnipeg. Two children have been born of this union, Barton Obed and Doris Lillian. Fraternally Mr. Smith is affiliated with the Masonic order, and is Past Grand Registrar of the Grand Lodge. He is also past master of Prince Rupert Lodge No. 1, and is a director and secretary-treasurer of the Masonic Temple Association. While extensively busy with his legal and other duties, Mr. Smith has found time to devote himself to the higher arts and has been a great student of music, at present being president of the Winnipeg Mandolin and Guitar Club. CHARLES NAPIER BELL. Charles Napier Bell is the son of James Bell, registrar of South Lanark, Ontario, and was born at Perth in 1854. He was educated at Perth in the common and grammar schools and proceeded to Fort Garry (now Winnipeg), Manitoba, as a member of the first Red River expedition in 1870 under General Wolseley, and has resided in the North-West ever since. In 1866 he was a buglar boy on the occasion of the Fenian Raid on Canada, and was on active service on the frontier on that occasion, holding medal and clasps for services in 1866, 1870 and the Red River expedition, being the youngest man in Canada who holds that military medal. In 1872 and 1873 he traveled through the Saskatchewan country, hunting and trading with the Indians. After filling positions in the Winnipeg customs house and as commercial agent for United States railroads in Winnipeg, he became secretary of the Winnipeg Board of Trade in 1887, and also secretary- treasurer of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange on its organization in that year. He has since been elected by acclamation to both of these416 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. offices in each successive year. Since the grain inspection system came into force in Manitoba he has been secretary of the Western Grain Standards Board, the Grain Survey Board and the Board of Grain Examiners. He was secretary to the Royal Commission on Shipment and Transportation of Grain in 1900, and in 1904 was appointed secretary of the Royal Commis- sion on Transportation, which important body is studying and reporting upon the whole national system of transportation of the products of the country to the markets of the world. He has taken much interest in the geography, history and archaeology of northwestern Canada, and is the author of many papers and reports bearing on these subjects and the capabilities of western Canada. He has been president of the Manitoba Historical and Scientific Society, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geo- graphical Society, of the Geographical Societies of Bremen and San Fran- cisco and the National Geographic of the United States, of the, Buffalo Historical Society, Minnesota Historical Society, etc. He has for many years taken a prominent position in the Masonic order, being a past grand master of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, and a member of the Supreme Council Thirty-third degree for Canada. He was appointed consul at Winnipeg for the Republic of Guatemala in 1896. He has been a delegate to many Board of Trade and other business conventions in Canada, and also to the Congress of Chambers of Commerce of the Empire. DANIEL WILLIS McKERCHAR. One of the prominent barristers of the Province of Manitoba is Daniel Willis McKerchar, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Glengarry county, Ontario, on May 2, 1864, and is a son of Donald and Mary (Sin- clair) McKerchar. His father was a native of Perthshire, Scotland, but came to Canada with his parents when he was seven years of age. The mother was a native of Glengarry. Her parents coming from Perthshire, Scotland, were among the early settlers of that locality. The subject of this sketch was raised on the home farm in Glengarry, but came with his parents to Manitoba in June, 1879, where the father took up a homestead at Strathclair on the Little Saskatchewan, being one of the early settlers of that district. He died in 1901 at the advanced ageHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 417 of seventy-six years. Mr. McKerchar was educated in the public schools of Glengarry, which education was supplemented by a term at the public schools of Winnipeg and at Manitoba College, from which institution he was graduated in 1887 with the degree of B.A., later taking the degree of M.A. and that of LL.B. in 1895. For four years, from 1887 to 1891, he taught school in Manitou and Morden, and then entered upon the study of law, and was called to the bar in February, 1895. After the expiration of the one year with the law firm of Campbell & Crawford of Winnipeg as junior partner he took up practice for himself, and is now actively engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1896 Mr. McKerchar married Miss Kate McKenzie, a daughter of the late Rev. M. McKenzie, of Morden, who for many years was pastor of the Presbyterian church at that point. They are the parents of one son, Ranald. GEORGE ANDREW ELLIOTT. One of the leading barristers of Winnipeg is Mr. George Andrew Elliott, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Pakenham, Ontario, his birth having occurred September 6, 1860. His preliminary education was acquired in the public schools of his native town, and was further sup- plemented by studies at Victoria University, from which institution he graduated in 1883 with the degree of B.A. Immediately upon his gradua- tion he came to Winnipeg and entered the law office of McKenzie, Rankin and Brophy, with whom he completed his law studies, and in June, 1886, was called to the bar. Since that time he has been in continuous practice, and while not making any particular specialty of his work he pays more attention to general commercial law than to its other branches. In addition to his practice he is largely identified with many industries of western Ontario, and is also a stockholder in several commercial compan- ies of the province. He was one of the organizers of the Commercial Club, and was the one to put through its charter of incorporation. In 1886 Mr. Elliott married Miss M. A. Metcalf, a resident of Ontario. They are the parents of one child, Nora. Mr. Elliott was again married, in 27418 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 1902, to Miss Agnes Miller, a resident of Portsmouth, England. Two sons, George H. and John M., are the result of this union. In fraternal circles he is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and with the Loyal Orange Lodge, and politically he gives his support to the Conservative party. DONALD ROSS DINGWALL. One of the best known citizens of Winnipeg is Donald Ross Dingwall, the subject of this sketch. For over twenty-three years he has resided in Winnipeg, and during that time, by clear cut business methods, has built up a large and profitable business. Mr. Dingwall was born in Caithness-shire, Scotland, in 1851, and is a son of James Dingwall of that place, now deceased. He comes of sturdy Scotch ancestry, which doubtless has had great influence in moulding his career. His education was acquired in the public schools of his birthplace, and after a short time he emigrated to the Dominion and in 1872 landed in the home of his future activity. He located at Glengarry, hut remained there only a short time when he went to Mon- treal where he worked at the jewelry business. His first business venture on his own account was in Port Hope, where he started a jewelry store which he conducted for five years. In 1882 he came to Winnipeg as the representative of a wholesale jewelry house. Mr. Dingwall made this trip more for the purpose of inspecting the locality, and being favorably impressed with its advantages and foreseeing a wonderful future for the place, he returned to Port Hope, sold out his business interests there, and at once returned to Winnipeg in the same year. For two years he conducted a jobbing business in the jewelry line, and then secured a location for a retail house in the north end near Alexander and Main streets. From that time his business has steadily increased in volume until to-day his business is one of the largest in the Dominion in the jewelry line. The present quarters were occupied in 1899, and in the rear of the establishment is a large factory, where a large amount of the finer qualities of jewelry are annually turned out. An average stock of about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars is carried, all high grade, as only first-class trade is catered to. A specialty is made of diamonds and fine jewelry, and eachHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 419 year Mr. Dingwall visits the continent to keep in touch with the latest innovations in the jewelry business. Mr. Dingwall was first married in 1877 to Miss Margaret Fraser, of Montreal. Four children were born of this union: Frederick, Waverley, Ada and Ethel. In 1893 in Scotland he married Miss Anne Ross, a native of that country. They have one child, Gene. Mr. Dingwall is a prominent member of the Commercial Club, and was the man who obtained the charter for the institution. He is also prominent in Masonic circles, having taken the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite. His political support is given to the Liberal party, and he is a valued member of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Dingwall and his family reside in his charming home on Edmonton street. JOHN LOVE. The subject of this sketch, Mr. John Love, is the president of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange and president and general manager of the Winnipeg Elevator Company. He is a native of Manchester, England, his birth having occurred on February 29, 1856. He is a son of James and Mary (Hall) Love, both natives of Scotland and coming from old Scottish ancestry. The father was a manufacturer of ladies’ dress goods in Manchester, England, which occupation he continued up to the time of his death, which occurred in the year 1887, while his wife still sur- vives him. Mr. Love was educated at Chorlton High School at Manchester and in Owen College, now Victoria University. Immediately upon leaving college he entered his father’s business, where he remained for a few years and then entered the employ of Peter Duncan & Company, who were engaged in the Dundee linen trade at Manchester. He continued with this firm until 1884, when he came to Canada and located in the North-West Terri- tories, where he engaged in storekeeping, lumbering and private banking. These occupations were continued up to 1897, at which time he came to Manitoba and located in Winnipeg. At that time the firm of Bready, Love & Tryon, grain dealers and elevator owners, was organized, and in 1899 was incorporated as the Winnipeg Elevator Company. On the death of420 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Bready, in 1903, Mr. Love was elected president and general manager of the corporation. In 1905 he was elected president of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange, and since 1901 has been president of the Grain Dealers’ Association. He is also president of the Prairie Lumber Company and the Empire Sash & Door Company. In 1903 Mr. Love married Miss Florence S. Enticknap, a daughter of George Enticknap, of Manchester, England. They are the parents of four children: John Percival, James Ellis, Jessie and Marion. In politics Mr. Love is a supporter of the Liberal party. BENJAMIN ELSWOOD CHAFFEY. Benjamin Elswood Chaffey, the subjeet of this sketch, was born on October 8, 1859, at Brockville, Ontario, and is a son of John and Mary A. (Tett) Chaffey, both of whom were also natives of Canada. On both sides the ancestry is English, all the grandparents coming from Somersetshire and being among the early settlers of Leeds county, Ontario. The family on the father’s side are descendants of United Empire Loyalists. Mr. Chaf- fey’s grandfather was Benjamin Tett, Esq., a member of parliament of old Canada for Leeds county for the years preceding Confederation, and who also sat in the first parliament for the Province of Ontario, held in Toronto. Mr. Chaffey was educated at the public school of Brockville, at Bishop’s School, Lennoxville, Quebec, and also at Toronto University College, from which institution he was graduated in 1881, with the degree of A.B. In May, 1883, he came to Winnipeg and started the study of law with Mr. A. E. Richards, being admitted to practice in 1886. After following his. profession for two years he turned his attention to financial and real estate interests, in which he is now engaged. From 1894 to 1897 Mr. Chaffey served as alderman of Winnipeg, and also in the years 1901 and 1902. In 1897 Mr. Chaffey married Miss Gertrude S. Eastman, of Augusta, Maine, and four children have been born of this union: Harward E., John R. E., Roscoe E. and Frances G. E. Mr. Chaffey has the distinction of being a life governor of the Win- nipeg General Hospital, and for many years was identified with the Winni-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 421 peg Rowing Club, being a member of the junior crew in 1887. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. HERBERT HUGH WINEARLS. Herbert Hugh Winearls, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Nor- folk, England, born April 22, 1863, and is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Martin) Winearls, both of whom are also natives of the mother country. The ancestors settled in Norfolk over four hundred years ago, and here the father followed agricultural pursuits during his lifetime. He died in 1905 at the advanced age of ninety years. Mr. Winearls received his education at Shrewsbury College, from which institution he was graduated in 1880. For two years following he took charge of the home farm in Norfolk county, and in 1882 came to Manitoba, where he engaged in farming at Beulah, close to Miniota, which occupa- tion he followed up to 1896. In that year he went to Port Arthur, where he engaged in the grain business, but upon the inspection of all grain being removed to Winnipeg he came to that city, where he has since con- tinued operating in grain up to the present time. In 1885 Mr. Winearls served throughout the North-West rebellion with the Boulton Scouts, returning after the difficulties were adjusted. In 1897 Mr. Winearls married Miss May Binnington, a daughter of Richard Binnington, of Winnipeg. Two children have been born of this union: Herbert Alymer and Iris Dorothy. Mr. Winearls is a leading member of the Winnipeg Grain and Pro- duce Exchange and also of the Winnipeg Clearing Association. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters, and he holds membership and is a vestryman of St. John’s Cathedral. Politically he gives his support to the Conservative party. ALBERT BRIGHT. One of the foremost representatives of the wholesale fruit and produce business in the province is Mr. Albert Bright, the subject of this sketch. He was born on September 30, 1854, at Cornwall, England. Is a son of John and Sarah (Hambly) Bright, both of whom are natives of England422 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and descendants of an old English family. The father was a carriage-maker by trade, and followed this occupation in the old country, continuing the same upon his removal to Canada in 1857, where he settled at Columbus, Ontario, and where he died in 1893. Mr. Bright received his education at the public schools of Columbus, but at the early age of sixteen put aside his text books and entered his father’s employ, with whom he remained until 1881, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. Here he fol- lowed the grocery business up to 1896, at which time he entered the wholesale fruit and produce business, which he has continued up to the present time with marked success. The present firm of Bright & Johnson is one of the largest in the province, and their operations extend throughout the entire province and also west to British Columbia. In 1883 Mr. Bright married Miss Arabella Louisa Hamilton, a daughter of William Hamilton, of Lindsay, Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. Bright are the parents of four children: Albert, Jr., William John, Sidney Ernest and Clarence. Mr. Bright has always taken an active interest in fraternal affairs, and is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a leading member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. HENRY BYRNES. Prominently identified with the lumber interests of the Province of Manitoba Mr. Henry Byrnes, the subject of this sketch, has for nearly a quarter of a century been a resident of Manitoba. He was born on August 15, 1839, in the county of Argenteul, Province of Quebec, and is a son of William and Agnes (McKissick) Byrnes, the father a native of county Cavan, Ireland, and the mother a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, both parents immigrating to Canada in their younger days, where the father followed the occupation of a farmer. Mr. Byrnes was raised on the home farm and received his education in the public schools of Argenteul. He left school at the age of sixteen,HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 423 and up to the age of twenty-two years remained on the home farm, at which time he left to enter business for himself. He first entered the employ of a sash and door factory operated by J. H. Broadfoot, remaining in that line of work until he came to Winnipeg in 1881. In 1882 he engaged in the sash and door business on his own account, and was one of the earliest manufacturers in that line. This business was continued up to 1897, at which time he sold out to the Rat Portage Lumber Company. He next went into the retail lumber business at Portage la Prairie, forming a partnership with G. B. Housser and trading under the firm name of G. B. Housser & Company, and is still connected with this institution. In 1900 he engaged in the lumber trade as a wholesale lumber and commission merchant, which business he is now conducting. In addition to his duties in connection with the lumber business he is a director of the Home Invest- ment Company of Winnipeg. In 1862 Mr. Byrnes married Miss Sarah Jane Smith, a daughter of Captain William Smith, of county Argenteul, Quebec, Mrs. Byrnes’ father having for many years been prominent in military affairs of his province. Two children have been born of this union: Robert Andrew and Elizabeth Agnes, the latter the wife of William J. Fluity. Mrs. Byrnes died on May 20, 1872, and Mr. Byrnes was again married, Miss Anna Maria Johnson, a daughter of William Johnson, of county Wellington, Ontario, becoming his wife. They are the parents of three children: Frances Emma, Ada Beatrice Willett and Alice Edna. Mr. Byrnes takes an active interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare of his adopted city, and is an active member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade and has been a member of the Winnipeg School Board for the past six years. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs. Byrnes are adherents of the Methodist church. ALEXANDER REID. Alexander Reid, one of the leading representatives of the grain indus- try in Manitoba, is a native of Greenock, Scotland, his birth having occurred on September 2, 1860. He is a son of Alexander and Sarah L. (Grieve)424 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Reid, both of whom are natives of Scotland and representatives of an old family of that country. For many years the father followed the occupation of coffee merchant at Ceylon, also being largely identified in the exporting trade. The maternal grandfather was James Johnstone Grieve, who represented Greenock in the House of Commons at London for many years, and prior to that occupied the position of provost of the town of Greenock. Mr. Reid was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and University, leaving school at the age of sixteen, and after a voyage to Newfoundland and Brazil he entered the employ of J. & J. Cunningham, grain merchants of Edinburgh, continuing this occupation until the spring of 1880, at which time he came to Manitoba. He was one of the organizers of the town of Milford, taking up land at that point and also engaging in the general merchandising business, continuing the same until 1887. He then entered the grain business as a buyer and shipper at Glenboro and Wawanessa, which occupation was continued until 1890, when he erected an elevator at Stockton, also continuing in the grain purchasing business at Stockton and surrounding points. In 1897 he came to Winnipeg and immediately after- wards started the operation of a line of elevators under the name of the Canada Northwest Elevator Company. In 1899 he formed a partnership with T. B. Baker, of Moose Jaw, and purchased the C. N.-W. Elevator Company’s elevators, operating under the name of Baker & Reid. The following year they organized the Western Elevator Company, of which he is president and general manager. This company operates forty-two elevators from Winnipeg west to Caron on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and also have elevators on its various branches as well as on the Canadian Northern Railway. In 1888 Mr. Reid married Miss Mary Edith Houghton, a daughter of Andrew Raymond Houghton, of Liverpool, England. They are the parents of three children: Cumberland, Leonard and Charlton. In 1894 Mr. Reid unsuccessfully contested the constituency of South Brandon in the Conservative interests, but since that time has not taken an active part in politics. He is a member of the Winnipeg Grain and Pro- duce Exchange, and is affiliated with the Canadian Order of Foresters.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 425 LACHLAN CURRIE MacINTYRE. Lachlan Currie MacIntyre, the subject of this sketch, is a native of county Victoria, Ontario, born on October 5, 1850, and is a son of Duncan and Mary (Currie) MacIntyre, both of whom were natives of Argyleshire, Scotland, who immigrated to Canada and were among the early settlers of Victoria county. The father was one of the prominent farmers there, continuing in agricultural pursuits up to the time of his death. Mr. MacIntyre was educated in the public schools of Victoria county, afterwards taking a course at Rockwood Academy, and upon leaving schoo' engaged in the mercantile business with his brother at Lucknow, Bruce county, Ontario. He continued this occupation up to 1882, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. For the next nine years he followed the occupation of a traveling salesman for the firm of Turner, Mackeand & Company, wholesale grocers, and then accepted the manage- ment of Paulin & Company, biscuit and confectionery manufacturers. In 1899 a joint stock company known as the Paulin Chambers Company, Limited, was organized, and Mr. MacIntyre continued in the position of general manager as well as secretary-treasurer of the corporation. The Paulin Chambers Company is the largest institution of its kind west of Toronto, the trade extending from Rat Portage to the Pacific coast. They are manufacturers of all kinds of biscuits and confectionery, employ- ing upwards of one hundred and twenty-five hands and annually transact- ing an enormous business. In 1876 Mr. MacIntyre married Miss Eurith Copeland, a daughter of Joseph Copeland, of Lucknow, Ontario, and they are the parents of one daughter, Eurith Edna, now the wife of C. W. Baker, of Winnipeg. Fraternally Mr. MacIntyre is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Clan Stewart, and is treasurer of the North-West Commercial Travelers’ Association, a position which he has occupied for the past ten years, and has been a member of the organization for the past twenty years.426 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ARTHUR CONGDON. Prominently identified with the wholesale boot and shoe trade of the province is Mr. Arthur Congdon, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, and born May 18, 1863, being a son of William Henry and Letitia A. (Newcomb) Congdon, both of whom were also natives of Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, and both of United Empire Loyalist stock, their ancestors coming from the New England states and settling in Canada about the year 1790. The founder of the Newcomb branch came to Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, from Lebanon in 1760. On both sides of the house the ances- try is English. The father was a contractor and followed his business in Nova Scotia, now residing at Port Williams, Kings county, Nova Scotia, at the ripe old age of seventy-six years. Mr. Congdon was educated in the public schools of Cornwallis, but left school at the early age of fifteen, at which time he was apprenticed to the printer’s trade, but after one and a half years spent at this business, entered the dry goods and shoe business established at Wolfville by Caldwell & Murray. For two years he continued in the employ of this firm, and in 1882 decided to come to Manitoba, and the same year located at Winnipeg. From 1886 to 1895 he was in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company as buyer for their shoe department, and in February of the latter year started business for himself in wholesale boots and shoes, his office and wareroom being now located at No. Ill Princess street. He has had a constantly increasing trade from the outset and since starting has opened a branch at Calgary, Alberta, in the furtherance of his business operations. In 1888 Mr. Congdon married Miss Elizabeth Thornton, a daughter of William Thornton, of Winnipeg. Mr. Thornton came from England and located at Ottawa for a brief period, and since 1883 has been a resident of Manitoba. Three children have been horn of this union: Edith Blanche, May Muriel and William Arthur. In all affairs pertaining to the welfare of the city Mr. Congdon takes an active interest, is a member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, and has been a member of the School Board since 1902. He is a member of and one of the hoard of management of the Central Congregational church, andHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 427 fraternally is affiliated with the Scottish Rite of the Masonic order. Politi- cally he usually gives his support to the Conservative party. WILLIAM BLACKSTOCK LANIGAN. William Blackstock Lanigan, who occupies the important position of general freight agent for the central and western division of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is a native of Three Rivers, Quebec, and was born October 12,1861. He is a son of William and Alamena Lanigan, the father a native of Ireland, who settled in Canada in 1832, and the mother a native of the New England States, her grandfather being identified in the Revolutionary war of 1776. Mr. Lanigan was educated in the St. Joseph College at Three Rivers, which course was supplemented by a term at the Stanstead Wesleyan Col- lege of Quebec. At the age of seventeen he entered the employ of the Grand Trunk Railway at Upton, Quebec, as a telegraph operator, and three years later entered the employ of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the same capacity at Sharbot Lake. He was successively promoted to the offices of station agent, train agent, freight agent, and assistant general freight agent, and on July 1, 1901, he came to Winnipeg upon his promotion as general freight agent for the central and western division of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which office he is now acceptably filling. In 1876 Mr. Lanigan married Miss Arabella Avery, a daughter of the late Isaac Avery, of Mallorytown, Ontario. They are the parents of two children, Leonard and Alice. Politically Mr. Lanigan gives his support to the Conservative party, and both he and Mrs. Lanigan are members of St. Luke’s church. ALEXANDER HAGGART. Alexander Haggart, a member of the prominent law firm of Macdon- ald, Haggart & Whitla, is a native of Peterboro, Ontario, born on January 20, 1849, and is a son of Archibald and Elizabeth (McGregor) Haggart, the father being a native of Scotland and coming to Peterboro in the early ’30s, where he followed his trade as carpenter and builder. Mr. Haggart was educated in the public and high schools of Peterboro,428 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and at the Victoria College at Cobourg, Ontario, from which institution he was graduated in 1872 with the degrees of A.B. and LL.B. Two years later he started the study of law with George Edmison, of Peterboro, and later on with Hector Cameron, K.C., of Toronto. He was called to the bar in 1878 and in 1880 came to Winnipeg and became a member of the firm of Ross, Killam & Haggart, of Winnipeg. The present firm of Macdonald, Haggart & Whitla was formed after the Hon. Hugh John Macdonald retired from active participation in politics. Mr. Haggart was appointed King’s Counsel, and is Bencher and Treasurer of the Law Society of Manitoba. In 1889 Mr. Haggart married Miss Elizabeth Littlehales, who was born in Shrewsbury, England. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, and while not an active partisan gives his support to the Conserva- tive party. JOHN HARRISON O’DONNELL, M.D. One of the pioneer physicians of the province is Dr. J. H. O’Donnell, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Simcoe, Ontario, and is the son of the late J. O’Donnell, of Delhi. The family are descendants of the O’Donnells, of Donegal, Ireland. Dr. O’Donnell determined to make his life’s work that of the practice of medicine, and at the earliest possible opportunity started this study. He is M.D. and C.M., Trinity College and M.D., Victoria University College in 1861. Upon the formation of the province in 1870 he was called to the legis- lative council (Provincial Senate), and remained a member of that body until its abolition. A portion of that time he was speaker of the house and had much to do with the forming and passing through the house of the early legislation. Dr. O’Donnell was imprisoned ten weeks by Riel, after- wards was the justice of the peace who signed the warrant for the arrest of Riel and others. During those troubled times he did much to pacify the turbulent element throughout the west. In 1869 he came to Winnipeg, and has been in constant practice ever since. He was elected president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, and occupied that position until 1877. He was also presidentHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 429 of the staff of the Winnipeg General Hospital until 1882, and a member of the medical board of examiners from 1882 to the present time. In 1891 he was elected president of the Manitoba Medical Association, and was senior consulting physician of the Winnipeg General Hospital for many years. During his residence in Manitoba Dr. O’Donnell has held every position of importance that can fall to the lot of the medical fraternity. He was the first president of the Manitoba Board of Health and was a speaker of the legislative council. He framed the first medical act in the legislature and was a member of the first council of the Manitoba University, also a mem- ber of the University Board of Medical Examiners. He was for several years professor of sanitary science at the Manitoba Medical College, and represented the province in 1893 at the World’s Fair, Chicago, at the World’s Sanitary Conference. Dr. O’Donnell represented the Province of Manitoba at the Sanitary Inter-Provincial Conference held in 1893 in Ottawa, and in 1897 represented the Province of Manitoba at the meeting of the British Medical Association in Montreal. In April, 1861, Dr. O’Donnell married Miss Routledge, a native of England. They are the parents of four children, as follows: Florida Grat- tan, M. H. Evelyn, Aileen and Ethel May. WILLIAM WELLBAND. Mr. William Wellband, the pioneer boot and shoe merchant of Winni- peg, is a native of Spalding, Lincolnshire, England, born July 12, 1846, and is a son of Thomas and Catherine (Rust) Wellband, both of whom were natives of England, where the father followed his occupation as a manu- facturer and dealer in boots and shoes in Maidstone, Kent county. Mr. Wellband was educated in private schools in Maidstone, and after- wards learned the boot and shoe making trade with his father, with whom he remained up to the time he was twenty-two years of age. He then came to Canada, locating in 1868 at Peterboro, Ontario, and after a short time spent in that place he enlisted in the Ninetieth Ontario Rifles, commanded by Colonel Scott, and came to Manitoba with the second Red River expedi- tion, arriving in Winnipeg in December of 1871. He served through this campaign, being eighteen months in the service, the last twelve months of430 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. which he was the regimental boot and shoemaker. After his discharge he remained in Winnipeg, and purchasing a lot on Main street, near Notre Dame, he erected a building and started the first boot and shoe store in Winnipeg. This business has been continued up to the present time, and Mr. Wellband numbers his customers from Fort William to the Rocky Mountains. In 1890 Mr. Wellband married Mrs. Ellen Storker, widow of the late William Storker, who was one of the pioneer settlers of Manitoba. Mr. Wellband is a member of the Ancient Landmark Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and both Mr. and Mrs. Wellband are members of the Congregational church of Winnipeg. FRANCIS WEST RIMER. One of the leading representatives of the wholesale interests of Winni- peg is Mr. Francis West Rimer, the subject of this sketch. He was born December 26, 1849, at Southampton, England, and is a son of James and Elizabeth (West) Rimer, both of whom were natives of England, where the father followed his profession as a school teacher, and for many years was engaged in teaching in the public schools. The family moved to Canada in 1862, where the father was engaged in the lumbering business in the Pro- vince of Quebec. Mr. Rimer was educated in the public schools of Bitterne, England, and also at the University of Ottawa, completing his studies at the age of eighteen years. For a number of years subsequent to this he was associated with his father in the lumbering and milling business, but in 1879 came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. For three years he occupied the posi- tion as manager for Thomas Ryan, and at the expiration of this time formed a partnership with James J. Kilgour under the firm name of Kilgour, Rimer & Company. For ten years this firm was identified with the retail boot and shoe trade in Winnipeg, but in 1882 they started the wholesale and jobbing boot and shoe business. In 1890 Mr. Rimer married Mrs. McKenzie, widow of the late H. E. C. McKenzie, of Winnipeg. By her first marriage Mrs. McKenzie is the mother of one child: Hector C. McKenzie. Mr. Rimer is a valued member of the Masonic fraternity. He is a*HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 431 member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, and also the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange, having been a member of both of these organizations for many years past. WILLIAM BRYDON. William Brydon, the subject of this sketch, is one of the best known contractors of the Province of Manitoba, and was born October 21, 1847, at Guelph, Ontario, being the son of Robert and Ellen (Elliott) Brydon, both of whom were natives of Scotland and early settlers of Guelph, where the father followed farming pursuits. Mr. Brydon was raised on the home farm, and was educated in the public schools of Paisley Block, township of Guelph, this being supple- mented by a course at Georgetown Academy. At the age of seventeen he left school and started to learn the builder’s trade, and after three years spent in this line of industry took a business course in the Georgetown Academy. In 1874 he came to Winnipeg, and for a short time worked at his trade, but in the fall of the same year engaged in business on his own account, and that winter built the first skating rink erected in Winnipeg and the North-West, on the Red river. He has continued the business of building and general contracting up to the present time, as well as apprais- ing and adjusting losses on buildings for all the stock companies doing business in the city, and during that period has built a large number of business blocks as well as some of the leading private residences. In 1885 Mr. Brydon married Miss Jennie Muir, daughter of Charles Muir, of the Highlands of Scotland, her father being one of the early settlers of Barrie township. Mr. Brydon has been a member of the Manitoba Agricultural Society since its organization, and fraternally is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He takes an active interest in all matters pertaining to the upbuilding of the city, and is a member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. In 1883 he served the city as alderman, his support, politically, being given to the Liberal party. Mr. and Mrs. Brydon are valued members of the Westminster church of Winnipeg.432 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ALBERT MONKMAN. For nearly thirty years Mr. Albert Monkman, the subject of this sketch, has been in active practice as a barrister in the city of Winnipeg. He is a native of Albion, county Cardwell, Ontario, and was born June 24, 1850. His father, James Monkman, was for many years a resident of Albion and afterwards one of the pioneers of Bruce, and occupied a promi- nent position there up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1892. Mr. Monkman was educated in the public schools of Bruce and in Toronto by private tuition. It was in Bruce that he started the study of law in 1871 with Mr. D. W. Ross, county attorney at Walkerton. He remained with this gentleman for two and a half years, and afterwards entered the office of Messrs. Cameron, McMicheal & Hoskin, of Toronto. In 1876 he was called to the bar, and started practice in Toronto in partner- ship with Morphy & Morphy. This partnership lasted until 1879, at which time Mr. Monkman decided to come to Winnipeg. Prior to his coming here he had arranged a partnership with Mr. J. A. M. Aikins, and upon his arrival this relationship was at once assumed. Two years afterwards the law firm of Monkman, Dingman & Jameson was formed. This partnership lasted until Mr. Dingman died two years later. Mr. Monkman continued with other partners up to 1893, since which time he has been in practice for himself, except for about twenty months, when he was district registrar at Morden. In 1880 and 1881 Mr. Monkman served the city as alderman. In 1876 Mr. Monkman married Miss Martha A. Taylor, an adopted daughter of Humphrey Elliott, of Toronto. They have six children living: James Elliott, Annie, Charles, Albert, Irene Pearl, Norman Lindsay and George Humphrey Nelson. In fraternal circles Mr. Monkman is a valued member of the Canadian Order of Foresters and of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, in both of which organizations he takes an active part. Politically his support has been given to the Liberal party since 1890, prior to which he was an adherent of the Conservative party.X //HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 433 JOHN RAGLAN HANEY. John Raglan Haney, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Ontario, born in county Welland, April 23, 1855. His father, Andrew W., is still residing in Manitoba, and his grandfather, now deceased, was a resident of the Province of Ontario and one of its original settlers. The subject of this sketch was born on his grandfather’s farm and was educated at the public schools of his native place and at the Collegiate Institute. After graduating from that institution he commenced the study of law with Messrs. Fredericks & St. Johns, of St. Catharines, continuing his studies with Messrs. McArthur & Hamilton of the same place. He was called to the bar in Ontario, and after practicing there for a short time left for Manitoba, arriving in Winnipeg on May 1, 1882. Two years later he was called to the bar of Manitoba and has been in continuous practice ever since. During this time he has been connected with different firms who have been in practice here. In 1889 Mr. Haney married Miss Maud Wetherell, of Ontario. They have four children: Clifford, Gladys, Ruth and John Ralph. Mr. Haney has always given his support in politics to the Liberal party, and he and Mrs. Haney are members of the Methodist church. JAMES H. ASHDOWN. From the earliest times in the history of Winnipeg Mr. James H. Ashdown, the subject of this sketch, has been one of its most important figures in the business, religious, political, educational and municipal life. Coming to Manitoba as a poor boy, he has built himself up one of the fore- most positions in the entire community, and is to-day recognized as one of the most representative men in the Province of Manitoba. Mr. Ashdown was born in London, England, in 1844, and is a son of William and Jane (Watling) Ashdown, both of whom were also residents of the old country. In the early fifties the family emigrated to Canada and settled for a short time in the township of Etobicoke, afterwards moving to Weston, where at the age of eleven years Mr. Ashdown was employed as 28HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 435 Mr. Ashdown was married in 1876 and is the father of four children: Lillie, Florence, Harry and Louise. Such in brief are the salient points in the career of one of Manitoba’s best known citizens. THOMAS LEE. Mr. Thomas Lee, the sole proprietor of the Western Cigar Factory of Winnipeg, is a native of Plymouth, England, and was born on January 9, 1860. He is a son of William Lee, who was also a native of England and an early settler of London, Ontario, in which city he resided up to the time of his death. Mr. Lee was educated in the public schools of London, England, and in 1870 came to Canada with his parents and located at London, Ontario, where he was apprenticed to the trade of cigar manufacturing, serving his time and afterwards working as a journeyman until March, 1881, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. There for a short time he worked at the bench, and afterwards becoming identified with the manufacturing of cigars on his own account. In 1886 the firm of Bryan & Lee was formed, which partnership continued for eleven years and two months, being dissolved in April, 1898, at which time the Western Cigar Factory was then instituted. This factory is the largest in the province and employs from fifty to sixty-five people the year round. To give an idea of the business transacted it is only necessary to state that Mr. Lee pays one-third of the duty on raw leaf and manufactured cigars in the pro- vince. Four travelers are employed on the road, the output being shipped to Ontario west to the Pacific coast and to Dawson city. In April, 1881, Mr. Lee married Miss Friendship, a resident of London, Ontario. Two children were born of this union, both of whom are now deceased. In addition to his business interests in connection with the Western Cigar Factory Mr. Lee is one of the heaviest stockholders in the Great-West Permanent Loan and Savings Company, is a shareholder in the Sovereign Bank of Canada, the Northern Bank of Winnipeg and many other business ahd financial institutions.436 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In fraternal affairs Mr. Lee takes an active interest, being past grand master at arms of the Knight of Pythias for the past five years, a charter member of Rupert Lodge No. 15, Canadian Order of Foresters, and a mem- ber of Manitoba Lodge No. 2, Ancient Order of United Workmen. Politi- cally Mr. Lee gives his support to the Conservative party, and both he and Mrs. Lee hold membership in the Church of England. THOMAS RUSS DEACON. Thomas Russ Deacon, president of the Manitoba Iron Works, Limited, was born near Perth, Ontario, in 1865, and is a son of the late James Dea- con, a prominent lumberman of Ontario. He was educated in Pembroke, and then attended the engineering department of the Toronto University, from which he graduated in 1891. While in college he had received practi- cal instruction and after graduation he superintended the construction of a system of water works at North Bay. Moving to Rat Portage he remained there ten years, during which time he was a member of the council, also city engineer for about five years and acting mayor one year. On resigning he accepted the management of two of the largest mining companies at that place, the Mikado and Engledue Concessions. While in Rat Portage he had the largest private practice of any engineer in Ontario. In 1894 Mr. Deacon married Miss Lily Dingman, of Belleville, Ontario, and they have three children, Lester Jerome, Edith and Alfred Earnest. He is a member of the Masonic order, and also of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. He is a member of the council of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, and a director of the Builders’ Exchange. In politics he is a Liberal, and his church is the Methodist. THE MANITOBA IRON WORKS, LIMITED. The Manitoba Iron Works, Limited, was organized in March, 1903, to carry on a general foundery and machine business, and in August of the same year operations were commenced in shops affording a floor space of approximately twenty-five thousand square feet. Since that date these shops have been in continuous operation with an ever-increasing staff, num-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 437 bering now over one hundred mechanics and helpers. The buildings are solid red brick throughout and present an exceptionally good appearance from the Logan avenue frontage. A siding tributary to the Canadian Pacific Railway runs the full length of their property, affording accommo- dation for twenty cars, and incoming and outgoing shipments are handled direct to and from the shops or warehouse. There are seven buildings grouped about the property. The first is a machine shop, sixty by one hundred and twenty-five feet, and two storeys high; on the second floor are the general offices, occupying a space of sixty by sixty-four feet, handsomely fitted in hardwood and brick vaults; beneath the offices is the great shipping room, and the balance of the building, which is splendidly lighted and ventilated, is a machine shop. On this floor are to be found an iron planer, fifty by sixty inches, and a thirty-four-foot lathe that was specially made for the company at Galt, Ontario, also a traveling crane of great strength and capacity for carrying machinery from one part of the building to the other. The full equipment, comprising as it does ten lathes, upright and radial drills, pulley, turning and key-seating machine, sharpers, planers, millers, grinders, etc, is most complete and capable of handling the heaviest work. Next comes the pattern shop, that most important part of every foundery. This building is thirty by forty feet, and very fully equipped. The forging shop is forty by eighty feet, and carries an eight hundred pound steam hammer, and a large bolt-forging and upsetting machine, with three double threading machines. The foundery has a moulding floor sixty by eighty feet, a crane of five tons capacity, and is equipped with a Whiting cupola with a capacity of five tons of molten metal per hour. Off of the moulding room proper are the ore ovens, shipping and cupola rooms. The boiler room is forty by sixty feet and is equipped with plate roller, to roll sheets three-quarter inches thick and ten and a half feet wide; punch and shear to punch inch holes; air tools for riveting and calking boilers and tanks. An addition to the boiler shop and equipment to cost twenty thousand dollars is now being started. The power house has a seventy-five horse-power Brown tandem compound engine; Cookson heater438 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and purifier; Rand air compressor, and other necessary fittings. Lavatories for the shop men adjoin the boiler room, and are conveniently fitted up. The lines manufactured by the Manitoba Iron Works, Limited, are, saw-mill machinery, elevator machinery, boilers and engines, steam pumps, heaters, mill machinery and castings. The company dates back to March, 1903, when it was organized by Messrs. T. R. Deacon, H. B. Lyall, J. A. Coulter and R. Murray, to take over the business and plant of the Standard Machine Work, Winnipeg and Rat Portage Iron Works, at Rat Portage, owned respectively by Coulter and Lyall and Robert Murray. The officers of the company are T. R. Deacon, C.E., M.E., president and general manager; J. A. Coulter, vice-president; H. B. Lyall, secretary-treasurer. The capital of the company is one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and Mr Deacon is the largest stock- holder in the company. JOHN THOMSON. Mr. John Thomson, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred in Caintown, that province, June 1, 1851. After his education was completed in the public schools he was apprenticed to the building and undertaking trade, and served his time at the same. After his apprenticeship was concluded he worked in that line of business in Ontario for various firms until 1879, at which time, believing that Mani- toba would offer a better field for his efforts than Ontario he came west and located in Winnipeg in that year. He secured employment at his trade and worked with the firm until the spring of 1882, at which time he started in business for himself. The year prior to that, however, he returned to Brockville, Ontario, and remained there for one year. Since 1882 he has resided continually in Winnipeg and confined himself exclu- sively to the undertaking business. During the year that he returned to Brockville he served as council- man of the city. In 1873 Mr. Thomson married Miss Annie M. Ferguson, of Brockville. They have thirteen children, of whom eight are living, as follows: John F., Janet, Maggie Maud, Ethel, Ella May, Robert B., Ruba Shela and George P. Mr. Thomson has taken the thirty-second degree■HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 439 in the Scottish Rite of Masonry, Shriner, and is also a member of the Order of Woodmen of the World and Ancient Order of United Workmen, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Independent Order of Foresters. In politics he is independent, voting for the man and measures which he deems for the public good. Mr. and Mrs. Thomson are members of the Presbyterian church. ARTHUR STEWART. Arthur Stewart, one of the pioneers of Manitoba, having a residence in the province of over thirty years, is a native of Belfast, Ireland, born July 11, 1854. His father, Robert Stewart, now deceased, was a resident of Belfast and a representatiee of an old and prominent family. Mr. Stewart was educated in the place of his nativity, and in 1867 came to Canada, locating at Ottawa, where he remained until 1873, at which time he came to Manitoba as a member of the Mounted Police. After his term of service with that organization he joined the Canadian Pacific Survey, continuing his employment with them, until 1878, from that year until 1882 he was engaged in farming, and he still retains large interests in that industry. In 1882 he came to Winnipeg, and for two years was secretary and treasurer of the county of Selkirk. In 1884 he was secretary and treasurer for the Eastern Judicial District, and in 1887 he started the foundation for the present National Trust Company. It was originally started as the Permanent Mortgage & Trust Company, and continued as that until 1897, when it was merged into the Manitoba Trust Company, and in 1900 the present National Trust Company was organized, with a capital of one million dollars and a reserve of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Mr. Stewart is the manager of the company and Mr. D. H. Cooper the assistant manager. The company is the strongest in Manitoba and does the largest business in the province. The great success of the company is attributed largely to Mr. Stewart’s strong personality, as he has the confidence and good will of the entire community. The present handsome quarters were erected in 1899, and cover a ground space of sixty-six by eighty feet, four storeys in height and built of brick.440 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Stewart was the promoter of the Elm Wood Cemetery and was also the founder of Elm Wood, one of the finest suburbs adjoining the city. He is one of the promoters of the Commercial Club, and is a prominent member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. In all affairs tending to the betterment of the city Mr. Stewart has taken an active part, and is recog- nized as one of its foremost public spirited citizens. In 1878 he married Miss Ammie Munroe, a daughter of Alexander Munroe. They have four children: Alexander N., manager of the National Trust Company at Edmonton; Beatrice and Florence are twins, and George Lawrence. In 1896 he married Miss Octave Seager, of Richmond Hill, Toronto. One child, Harold A., was born of this union. Mr. Stewart’s home is located on Colony street. BRUCE McBEAN. One of the most popular members of the Winnipeg Grain and Pro- duce Exchange is Mr. Bruce McBean, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred at Millbrook, that province, in 1873. His father was Archibald McBean, also a resident of that province and now deceased. Mr. McBean was educated in the public schools of Millbrook, and coming to Manitoba in 1885 he completed his education in Winnipeg, at the Collegiate Institute. After leaving school he was employed for about two years in the grain business, after which he started in business on his own account, and is now engaged in grain brokerage. In 1896 he was elected a member of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange, and is at present a member of the council of that body. He is also a director of the Grain and Produce Clearing Association. In 1899 he married Miss Mary Richardson, a resident of Ontario, and two children have been born of this union: Archibald and Sarah. They live in a handsome home, No. 48 Smith street. Mr. McBean is a member of the Manitoba Club and the Commercial Club, and fraternally is identified with the Woodmen of the World. In politics he is a Liberal, and is a member of the Methodist church.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 441 GEORGE MONTEGU BLACK. A member of the prominent firm of Nares, Robinson & Black, the subject of this sketch is one of the progressive business men of Winnipeg. He is a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was born December 14, 1875. He is the son of George A. Black, at present cashier in the London Guarantee & Accident Company branch at Chicago, Illinois. In 1881 Mr. Black was brought by his parents to Winnipeg, and was educated in the public and private schools of that city. Afterwards he worked with the Western Canada Loan Company, and was with this cor- poration for six years. Subsequently he identified himself with Peter Van Vlissingen. In 1900 he was admitted to partnership with Messrs. Nares and Robinson, and the present firm of Nares, Robinson and Black was then organized. It is one of the leading firms of the city, dealing in real estate, insurance, farm lands and acting as financial agents. It has a special department for life insurance, accident insurance, plate glass insurance, etc. Mr. Black is manager of the Dominion of Canada Mortgage Company, the Scottish, Manitoba, North-West Real Estate Company, and is also a direc- tor in several local companies. He is a popular member of the Manitoba Club, and is its honorary secretary. He likewise hold membership in the Commercial Club and in the St. Charles Country Club. In politics he is independent. HORMISDAS BELIVEAU. The subject of this sketch, Mr. Hormisdas Beliveau, is a native of the Province of Quebec, his birth having occurred November 4, 1860, at St. Winceslas. His father, Jean Baptiste Beliveau, now deceased, was an old resident of Quebec, and came of a prominent family of that province. Our subject was educated particularly in Beauharnais, in the Province of Quebec, and in St. Mary’s College, Montreal. After graduation he started in to learn the grocery business in Montreal, and was identified with this branch of industry for about ten years. Hearing of the development of Manitoba, he determined to cast in his lot with the pioneers of that pro- vince, and accordingly moved to Winnipeg in 1882, and entered the employ442 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. of Richard & Company, wholesale wine merchants. This occupation was continued for ten years, and in 1892 he was admitted as a partner of the firm. In 1903 a joint stock company was organized, known as the Richard Beliveau Company, Limited, and is to-day being conducted under that name. Mr. Beliveau is president of the company and owns a controlling interest in the corporation. An immense business is transacted by the insti- tution. The main office and salesrooms are located at No. 330 Main street, where four stories are occupied in the conduct of their business, and three outside warehouses are also needed to conduct their large operations. They are direct importers of wines, spirits and cigars, and have an immense trade extending from Port William to Calgary. In addition to his large business interests, Mr. Beliveau is a stock- holder and director of the Semi-Ready Clothing House of Winnipeg, one of the leading retail establishments of the city, and is the owner of a large amount of farm and city property. Mr. Beliveau was married in 1883 to Miss Ernestine Guilbault, a resi- dent of Montreal. They became the parents of five children, of whom three are now living, as follows, Antonio, Joseph and Marie Anne. In fraternal relations, Mr. Beliveau holds membership with the Ancient Order of Foresters and with the National Alliance. He was one of the early members of the Commercial Club, is a good Liberal in politics, and a mem- ber of the Roman Catholic church. GEORGE A. GLINES. Few men in Manitoba have had a life of more ceaseless activity than the subject of this sketch, Mr. George A. Glines. For nearly thirty years he has been a resident of the province, and during that time has been promi- nently identified with all movements which have tended to the development of the material resources of the commonwealth. He was born in Lachute, Province of Quebec, in October, 1849, and is a son of George L. Glines, who was a farmer of that place and now deceased. Up to the age of fourteen he attended the common schools of Lachute, and subsequently accepted a clerk- ship in Montreal, being inclined more for a business life than farming. ■HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 443 He served six years at the retail grocery business, but wishing to improve his position left Montreal with a view of trying his fortunes in the city of New York, but stopping over at Rome, New York, to visit a relative, was offered a position with a large wholesale grocery house, which he accepted. After two years’ residence in Rome he was offered a responsible position by his uncle in Montreal, then one of the largest tea importers in that city. Three years later Mr. Glines became a partner in the firm which took over the business. In 1874 Mr. Glines made his first investment in Winnipeg real estate, a number of Montreal’s best business men purchasing Winnipeg lots at the same time. Having occasion to visit the Centennial exhibition in Philadel- phia in 1876, and there seeing Manitoba’s wonderful productions in wheat and vegetables, he concluded that the country was worth investigating, and in the spring of 1877 visited the province, coming by way of St. Paul, Min- nesota, and from there by rail to Fisher’s Landing, and thence by steamer to Winnipeg. This was two years prior to the advent of the railroad in the province. While passing through Minnesota and Dakota Mr. Glines had ample opportunity of examining the soil and was impressed with the won- derful fertility of the prairie lands. He took up land near Morris, and at the same time purchased an inter- est in the townsite, which at that time could boast of only three farm houses and a stopping place for the stage which carried mails and passengers from Moorehead, Minnesota, to Winnipeg. He immediately put a man to work breaking up the land, and purchasing a good saddle horse started on a tour of investigation through the province, returning a month later satisfied that the Red River Valley was quite the equal of any other part of Manitoba. Mr. Glines lost no time in letting his less adventurous brethren in the east know of what appeared to him to be the great future of the country, and by correspondence with his friends and several newspapers in the east describing his impressions of the “promised land,” assisted materially in bringing many settlers to the province. He opened a general store in Morris and was appointed postmaster, which position he held for several years. In the spring of 1878 Mr. Glines interested himself in behalf of the incoming settlers, and was instrumental in having the reserve to the south444 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of Morris thrown open for settlement, making a special trip to Ottawa to interview the government on the subject. He also acted as agent for a number of the owners of large tracts of land in the Red River Valley, and on the incorporation of Morris as a town in 1883 was elected its first mayor by acclamation. Mr. Glines was one of the principal promoters of the Manitoba Central Railway Company, which obtained a charter from the Manitoba government in 1884, and which was to run from Morris to Portage la Prairie and to Winnipeg, also west and south to the boundary line, and which it was hoped would break the railway monopoly. This charter was afterwards disal- lowed by the Dominion government as it conflicted with the terms of the charter to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, the disallowance causing considerable commotion in the province. On the breaking out of the rebellion in 1885, Mr. Glines raised a com- pany of volunteers in Morris and joined Colonel Scott’s battalion, which held the Indians in check at Fort Qu’Appelle during that exciting period. After the close of the rebellion he became a permanent resident of Winni- peg, and opened a general commission and real estate business, and one year later went entirely into the latter business, which he has conducted with marked success up to the present date. Mr. Glines always retained unbounded faith in the great future of Manitoba and the west from the first day he set foot on its soil, and during the depression which followed the great boom of 1881 and 1882, when so many left for other parts, was always optimistic as to the future of Winni- peg and the country generally, and lost no opportunity to advertise the city and province, spending considerable of his means in this way. While many owners became tired of holding their property, Mr. Glines was grad- ually adding to his holdings, believing that it was only a matter of time when the importance of Winnipeg as a city, and Manitoba and the west as a wheat-producing country would be realized. He now has the satisfaction of seeing his predictions more than realized. He was one of the first to erect a large business block on Portage avenue, in 1904, on pro- perty which he had held for many years, always contending that Portage avenue would be Winnipeg’s best retail street.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 445 Outside of his regular business Mr. Glines has been most active. He is a director and treasurer of the Manitoba Exploration Company, which was formed for the purpose of finding out what we have of commercial value below the surface of the ground in Manitoba, many of its members believing that gas and oil are to be found in paying quantities. Large beds of salt have already been found. He is also a member of the "Winnipeg Board of Trade, of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange, and the Winnipeg Real Estate Ex- change and is connected with a number of companies formed for the pur- pose of developing the resources of Canada’s great west. In 1897 Mr. Glines married Miss Emma M. Taylor, of Montreal. They are members of the Central Congregational church. He is a member of the Commercial Club, and is also identified with the Masonic order. In politics he gives an independent support to the Conservative party, but does not believe in blindly following any party. Mr. Glines is now about retiring from active business after a strenuous business life of over forty years, and intends gratifying a long cherished desire to travel and see more of this world in which we live. THOMAS BLACK. A pioneer citizen of Winnipeg and one who has rapidly advanced along business lines until to-day he is one of the leading representatives of the wholesale business of the province is Mr. Thomas Black, the subject of this sketch. Coming to Winnipeg practically without funds, his only capital being his untiring ability and an unfaltering determination to succeed along the legitimate lines of business, he has steadily progressed until he is one of the leading business men in the city of his adoption. Mr. Black was born in Niagara, Ontario, in 1856, but one month after his birth his family moved to Montreal, at which point he was educated in a private school, and also at the Montreal Military School. After leaving school he learned the hardware business in Montreal, and in 1872 came to Manitoba and located in Winnipeg. Immediately after his arrival he engaged with Mr. A. J. G. Bannatyne as manager of the hardware department of his general store. He occu- pied this position for three years, and then went into the manufacturers’446 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. agency business, and did considerable trading with the Indians in the interior of the province. Later on he became associated with Mr. J. H. Ashdown and for fifteen years was in his employ, the latter part of which time he occupied the position of general manager of the business, and also did the buying for the institution. In 1894 he resigned this position and established business for himself as a manufacturers’ agent. The business is now conducted more in the line of hardware specialties, and to this he gives his exclusive time. His present building was erected in 1904, and covers a ground space of one hundred by one hundred and ten feet. While in Montreal Mr. Black took an active part in the Fenian Raids. He had graduated from the Military School in Montreal in May, 1870, and is one of the few living representatives who participated in the Fenian Raid at Ecckles Hill, south of Montreal. His first engagement was as a member of a company of young men, none of them being over twenty years of age. The members of this company only received a medal for their services, the same as all other soldiers received, and taking into consideration the part they played in the putting down of these raids this was a palpable injustice. The campaign lasted for six weeks, and was a very trying one. During this time Prince Arthur visited them at Ecckles Hill and personally inspected the company. Colonel Oswald Smith was deputy adjutant general. While in Montreal Mr. Black was also a member of the Victoria Rifles, of No. Four Company, but on coming to Winnipeg he severed his connections with the regiment. Mr. Black is a member of the Commercial Club of Winnipeg, and was one of its organizers. In fraternal circles he holds membership with the Masonic order, the Woodmen of the World, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Commercial Travellers of America, and the North-West Com- mercial Travellers’ Association. He takes an active interest in all legitimate sports and is a member of the Lacrosse, Curling and Bowling Clubs. He was one of the early mem- bers of the Board of Trade, and has always taken an interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare of his adopted city. He gives his support politi- cally to the Conservative party. He and his family are members of the Church of England.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 447 ROBERT LORNE RICHARDSON. Robert Lome Richardson, editor and publisher of the Tribune, was born on the 28th of June, 1860, near Perth, county of Lanark, Ontario. He is a son of Joseph and Harriet (Thompson) Richardson, whose parents settled in Ontario at the close of the Wellington-Napoleon war in 1812. He was educated in the public schools of Lanark county and at an early age laid aside his text books and went to Montreal, where he joined the repor- torial staff of the Star. After a short while he joined the forces of the Toronto Globe, with which company he continued until 1882. That year witnessed his arrival in Winnipeg, where he again took up newspaper work and was one of the organizers of the Manitoba Sun, which was later changed to the Tribune in 1889, since which time he has been editor and publisher of the same. In 1896 he was the Liberal candidate for the House of Commons, contesting the constituency of Lisgar, he being elected on the “Tariff for Revenue only” platform. In 1900 he again contested his old riding as an Independent candidate and was re-elected by a greatly increased majority, but was unseated. At the bye election which followed, he was opposed by both Liberal and Conservative candidates and against overwhelming odds succeeded in carrying a majority in the English-speaking portion of the riding, but was defeated by the foreign vote. In 1904 he opposed the minister of the interior, the Hon. Clifford Sifton, for the constituency of Brandon, but was defeated. In 1885 Mr. Richardson married Miss Clara J. Mallory, a daughter of Ira Mallory, of Mallorytown, Ontario, and they are the parents of five daughters: Hazel, Gwendoline, Sharmion, Irma and Dorothy. GEORGE FRANCIS BRYAN. George Francis Bryan, prominently identified with the manufacturing development of Manitoba, is one of the pioneers of 1882 who have assisted so materially in bringing to the front the dormant resources of the pro- vince. He is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred near London,448 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. on December 10, 1850. His younger days were spent at the home farm, and his education was received at the public school of the county. For some years he engaged in the cattle business, but in February, 1882, he decided that Manitoba would afford greater scope for his energies, and he accordingly joined the rush coming to Winnipeg during that period. For some years he was engaged in the commission business, but in 1890 he started the manufacturing of cigars, and at the present time operates the largest manufactory in the province. About fifty expert cigar makers are constantly employed and his trade extends from Fort William on the east to Victoria, British Columbia. The business was started in a very small way, with Mr. T. Lee as the partner, and but three cigar makers were employed That the business has increased to its present proportions is a tribute to Mr. Bryan’s good management and to his inflexible motto of fair dealing. Mr. Bryan was married in 1881 to Miss Linnie Owen, a native of London, Ontario, and they have three children. He is a past master of Mount Olivet Lodge No. 300, A. F. & A. M. Mr. Bryan has been active in civic affairs, and for several years was a member of the board of trustees of the Winnipeg Industrial Exposition. He is also prominently identified with the Winnipeg Board of Trade. Of all legitimate athletic sports Mr. Bryan is a patron and takes an active interest therein. He was president of the Royal Caledonian Curling Association (headquarters in Scotland), and of the Granite Curling Club, and at present is also president of the Commercial Travelers’ Association. He is a member of the executive board and is chairman of the Bicycle Paths Association, is president of the North-West Branch of the Canadian Manu- facturers’ Association, and is a valued member of the Commercial Club. JERRY ROBINSON. One of the representative business men of Winnipeg is Mr. Jerry Robinson, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of the Province of Quebec, and early in life started to learn the dry goods business at London, Ontario. During the seven years he spent in London in this business he thoroughly mastered all of its details, and then deciding to enter business on his own account moved to Mitchell, Ontario, and conducted a dry goodsHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 449 establishment at that point until .1878, at which time he came to Manitoba, locating in Emerson. He established himself in business at that point, and for three years conducted a large and profitable business. In 1881 he moved to Winnipeg and opened a general departmental store. From a small beginning the business has grown to its present mammoth proportions, and is one of the largest retail establishments of the province. A full line of all such goods generally carried in departmental stores are to be found, including blankets, carpets, millinery, clothing, boot and shoes, china and glass ware, house furnishings, hardware and groceries, with an additional space recently fitted up with the grocery department, the estab- lishment covering a space of sixty-five thousand square feet. In addition to this business Mr. Robinson is a director in the Northern Trust Company. He is a member of the Commercial Club of Winnipeg, and in politics is a Conservative. HON. THOMAS SHARPE. His Worship, Mayor Thomas Sharpe, of Winnipeg, was born on the 14th day of March, 1866, in county Sligo, Ireland. He is a son of Michael William and Jane (Johnston) Sharpe. He is indebted to the national and parochial schools of his native county for his education, but laid aside his school books at the age of fourteen, when he was apprenticed to the mason’s trade. After serving his time at that calling he entered the services of the Provincial Bank of Ireland as clerk, where he remained for a year and a half. In 1885 he emigrated to Canada, going direct to Toronto, where for a short time he followed his trade as a journeyman. When he was twenty- one years of age he decided to branch out for himself, engaging in con- tracting for the laying of granite walks, pavements, etc. He continued in this line of industry there up to 1892, when he discontinued business, owing to the collapse of the boom at that point. That year witnessed his arrival in Winnipeg, where he readily found employment at his trade, which he followed for a short time. Realizing that a field for his special industry (that of the laying of cement sidewalks) was at hand, he immediately established himself in that industry and was the first to introduce the 29450 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. cement sidewalks in the city of Winnipeg, and which are now almost uni- versally used. From that time on his business increased with rapidity, at the same time branching out in securing heavier contracts in masonry and general contracting. In 1905 he formed a co-partnership with W. W. College, who was his foreman, the firm name being Sharpe & College. He served as alderman for the city of Winnipeg from 1899 until 1904, and for three years was chairman of the board of public works. At the election of 1903 he was returned to fill the honorable position of mayor for the city of Winnipeg, and at the ensuing election in 1904 was re-elected to fill that office by acclamation, which he is ably filling at the present time. In 1887 he married Miss Mary J. Cathcart, a native of Toronto, who is a daughter of William Cathcart, one of the prominent merchants and old settlers of that city. Six children have been born of this union: William Cathcart, Ethel May, Margaret Ellen, Alice Maud, Thomas Lindsay and Mary Olive Bernice. In fraternal circles he affiliates with the Masonic order, the Independ- ent Order of Foresters and is deputy grand master for Manitoba of the Orangemen. Since the above was written Mr. Sharpe has again been elected mayor of Winnipeg by a large majority. EDWIN LARWILL MacVICAR. The popular manager for Manitoba of the J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company, of Racine, Wisconsin, is Mr. E. I. Mac Yicar, the subject of this sketch. He is a native son of the province, his birth having occurred at St. Boniface in 1875, and after a thorough education acquired at the public schools he immediately went into the threshing and harvesting machinery business as clerk with Mr. H. S. Wesbrook. When the J. I. Case Company took over the business he still remained with them, and in 1902 was appointed to his present position as manager of the company for the Pro- vince of Manitoba. Mr. MacVicar was married in 1904 to Miss Charlotte Lewis, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa. He holds membership in the Commercial Club, inHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 451 politics is a Liberal, and is a consistent member of the Presbyterian church. The J. I. Case Threshing Machine Company, of Racine, Wisconsin, was established in Manitoba in 1869, the first machine put out by this company being purchased by the Hudson’s Bay Company, and is still in operation somewhere in the vicinity of Edmonton. In 1879 a branch was established in Winnipeg and was handled by Wesbrook & Fairchild, who conducted the affairs of the company until 1886, at which time Mr. Fairchild withdrew and Mr. H. S. Wesbrook continued operations until 1893. It was subse- quently taken over by the Fairchild Company in 1897, and upon the large increase in business throughout the Dominion it was decided to be advisable to start a branch house of their own. The present agency covers Manitoba, but originally • covered the entire Dominion. The firm now has branch houses at Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina and Calgary. J. IIILLYARD LEECH. One of the prominent barristers of the Province of Manitoba is Mr. J. Hillyard Leech, of Winnipeg, the subject of this sketch. His preliminary education was acquired in the place of his nativity, and his family immi- grated to Manitoba in 1879. He continued his studies in the Manitoba College, graduating from that institution in 1889 with the degree of M.A. He was the first medalist of the University of that year. Deciding to adopt the study of law as a profession, he entered the office of Messrs. Aikins, Culver, Hamilton & McLeneghan, and afterwards studied with Messrs. Daly & Colwell, of Brandon. Concurrently with his services as a barrister, he took up a post graduate course, and graduated with the degree of LL.D., in which he also took first scholarship. In 1892 he was called to the bar, and has been in constant practice ever since. For a period he practised in Winnipeg, but on account of failing health, he went to Europe on a trip, and returning moved to British Columbia, where after a brief period of practice he returned to Winnipeg. At present he is iden- tified in the practice of law with his brother, Mr. E. T. Leech, under the firm name of Leech & Leech. In addition to the practice of his profession he is a director in a num- ber of leading corporations, and is solicitor for one railway company and452 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. two mortgage companies, four piano manufacturers and about thirty whole- sale and manufacturing establishments. The firm also act as solicitors for the Pioneer Navigation Company and for two other navigation firms. Mr. Leech is a forceful speaker, and is considered one of the best pleaders before a jury in the province. His professional brethren even make the statement a little stronger than this, and state that he is the best speaker at the bar in Manitoba. Mr. Leech married Miss Ida L. Allin, of Winnipeg, and they are the parents of two children, John Hillyard Hart and Vernon Mayne. In politics he is an active supporter of the Conservative party, and he and Mrs. Leech are members of the Methodist church. They reside in their hand- some home on Spadina avenue, Winnipeg. ROBERT STRANG. The subject of this sketch is one of the popular young business men of Winnipeg, and is the son of Robert Strang, one of the early pioneers of the province. He was born in Waterloo, western Ontario, July 1, 1868, and was brought by his father to Manitoba when seven years of age. He attended the public schools of Winnipeg, also graduated from Mani- toba College, after which he took up the insurance business with his father in 1884, and has actively identified himself with this branch of industry ever since. His father, Robert Strang, was a native of Montreal, of Scotch ances- try. He was educated in Montreal, and when a young man moved to Toronto, and then to Hamilton, where he remained for a short time, after- wards going to Doon, as manager of a general store at that place. In con- nection with this was a mill industry, and Mr. Strang managed the entire business for the company. After a thorough association with this line of work he went into business for himself at Linnwood, erecting a flax mill and opening a general store. In 1873 he came to Manitoba for James Turner & Company, of Hamil- ton, Ontario, wholesale grocers, and took charge of the branch of that establishment in Winnipeg. He remained with this firm for several years,HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 453 and then engaged in the insurance business, which he continued up to the time of his death, which occurred in December, 1900. He took an active interest in political affairs and served as alderman for many years. EDMUND LORENZO BARBER. For nearly half a century Edmund Lorenzo Barber, the subject of this sketch, has been a resident of the Province of Manitoba, and during that time has watched it grow from practically a wilderness to its present proud position as the most progressive province of the entire Dominion of Canada. He is a native of New Haven, Connecticut, and was born July 8, 1834, and is a son of Guy and Maria (Huntington) Barber, both of whom are repre- sentatives of old colonial families of revolutionary stock. His grandfather Huntington was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The father was a publisher by occupation and .followed this business in the early part of his life. Mr. Barber was educated at private schools, and at Wilberliam College, Massachusetts, after which he entered business with his father, which was continued up to 1858, when he was appointed governor of Dakota terri- tory. He filled that position for one year and in 1860 came to Manitoba, and for the next fourteen years was engaged in a general trading business. During this time he traveled largely throughout the province, and foresee- ing the great immigration that was to come to Manitoba and believing that his energies could be more successfully applied dealing in real estate, he entered that business and has continued it up to the present time. In 1862 Mr. Barber married Miss Barbara Logan, a daughter of the late Robert Logan, of Winnipeg, who was one of the old Hudson’s Bay Company’s men, and one who had been in their employ since 1812. He later retired and lived at Fort Garry up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1866. Mr. and Mrs. Barber are the parents of the following children: Harriet, wife of Charles Balfour Graham, who are the parents of one son, Hamish Stuart; Albert Edward, John Robert, Nathaniel Guy, Alexander and Lily.454 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Barber holds the distinction of having established the first Masonic lodge in Manitoba, and in the affairs of the order he has always taken a deep and an abiding interest. CHARLES A. BASKERVILLE. The subject of this sketch is a good example of what can be done in the Province of Manitoba by a man with determination, clean cut business methods and a knowledge of his particular business. .Mr. Baskerville was born at Lus Corners, near Barrie, Ontario, in 1856. His education was acquired in Barrie at private schools, and after graduating he was appren- ticed to the tinsmith and hardware business, receiving a salary of two and a half dollars per month. After serving out his apprenticeship, he gradu- ally worked his way into the hardware business, and in 1873 came to Mani- toba and located in Winnipeg. He was entirely without funds on his arrival here, but secured a situation with the Bentley Hardware Company, for which firm he worked until the business was sold out, after which he secured a situation with Mr. J. H. Ashdown. He was associated with this well-known house for about ten years, his work being in the tin shop and afterwards as manager of one of the hardware departments. In 1883, in company with Mr. J. P. Brownlee, he started in the hardware business. This partnership lasted but two years, at which time he purchased his part- ner’s interest and one week afterward the entire business was burned out, and was a total loss, absolutely nothing being saved. Through Mr. Charles Hore, of the Imperial Bank, he secured credit and started up in business on Main street, and after conducting this for one and a half year he was again burned out and suffered severe loss. It was through the efforts of Messrs. R. J. Whitla and J. H. Ashdown that he again went into business. Mr. Whitla headed a subscription list with the sum of five hundred dollars, but Mr. Baskerville declined the subscrip- tion, feeling that he could not afford that kind of help from his fellow citizens. After a short time he was able to pay up all his creditors, and since that time has always bought on a cash basis. His present building, twenty-five by one hundred and thirty-two feet, three stories and a base- ment, was erected in Winnipeg at a cost of ten thousand dollars.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 455 In 1880 Mr. Baskerville married Miss Carry M. Maxwell, a resident of Ontario. They are the parents of eight children, of whom seven are living, as follows: Fred, who is engaged in the store with his father; Olive, Georgie, Yera, Harry, Lottie and Edna. Flossie died at the age of fifteen. Mr. Baskerville is a stockholder in the Great-West Life Assurance Com- pany, and in other local institutions. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Ancient Order of Foresters, his church being the Methodist. Mr. Baskerville and his family reside in their handsome home at No. - 189 Donald street. CAPTAIN JOHN BERESFORD ALLAN. Captain John Beresford Allan was born November 9, 1841, in Armagh, Ireland, and is a son of John Beresford Allan, of Berwick-on-Tweed. They were a border family of fifteen who died in the King’s service during the Peninsular and Waterloo campaigns. John Beresford Allan, the sole survivor, having entered the Twenty-eighth Regiment then serving in Dublin in 1803, was wounded in March of the same year during the Emmett and Russel raids when serving with his company and was again danger- ously wounded while covering the retreat under Sir John Moore at Corunna. The family emigrated to Canada in 1850, having chartered the three masted bark, Leo, Captain Reese, master, for the voyage, arriving in Montreal after a voyage of forty-five days. Captain Allan no doubt inherited his martial spirit from his forefathers, as the very early settlers of Quebec could no doubt testify, for it was in that province that the elder Allan, who lived to the ripe old age of one hundred years, insisted upon his rights as a British subject, defied the French contingent and refused to be placed on trial before a prejudiced judge, and eventually won his cause in the face of what looked to be absolutely hopeless opposition. Captain Allan of this review was educated in Montreal, joined the Third Battalion Victoria Rifles in 1861 and was on active service with his regi- ment during the frontier troubles of 1864-5. He was gazetted captain with the Fifth Provisional Regiment in 1865 and after the competitive examina- tion of the military school the cadets brigaded at La Prairie under Colonel456 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Wolseley. He served with the Victoria Rifles at Hemingford and Hunting- don and Cromwell during the Fenian troubles on the Canadian border in 1866 and was highly commended by Lieutenant-Colonel Osborne Smith for services rendered in the American border town of Malone, which resulted in the capture of a part of the Fenians at French river. Subse- quently he was one of the escort that went with the prisoners to Montreal and he volunteered for service with the Red River expedition of 1870 and was mentioned in dispatches by Colonel, now Lord, Wolseley, for saving the lives of the boat’s crew in charge of Corporal Arthur Mannix of the Second Quebec Rifles at the Kakabekah Forts and was personally thanked by Colonel Fielding, of the Second Battalion Sixtieth Royal Rifles at Matawan Bridge in the presence of Lord Wolseley and his staff for services rendered to his command at the risk of his life, which honor he asked to be transferred to a non-commissioned officer, Corporal Mannix, and a private soldier, Thomas Wilson. Captain Allan served on the Red River with a provisional battalion under Colonel Irvine until 1875 and he holds first-class certificates from the cavalry, artillery and infantry schools of military instruction. He wras an unsuccessful candidate for St. Andrew’s at the general election in 1877. In January, 1883, he was elected to the legislative assembly for St. Clement’s as a supporter of the Hon. John Norquay, a Conservative and a ministerialist. He was gazetted to the Royal North-West Mounted Police in 1884, serving until 1897, and was seriously wounded in a sharp encounter with some turbulent Indians headed by “Almighty Voice” at Mooses Hills in the North-West Territories. He was then granted a year’s sick leave and went abroad to recuperate. He offered the services of five hundred mounted men from western Canada and a contribution of twenty- five hundred dollars at the outbreak of the South African war, conditionally that it be known as a western unit, which offer was declined by the govern- ment, stating as a reason for so doing ‘ ‘ that mounted men were not required in Africa.” He again volunteered for service with the Second Battalion of Canada Mounted Rifles under Lieutenant-Colonel Horchmer in 1899 and passed the necessary medical examination as to previous wounds not being a barrier. He served with the regiment until its return from South Africa in 1901.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 457 Captain Allan was married on the 3rd of June, 1871, to Margaret Sin- clair, a daughter of the late Thomas Sinclair, of St. Andrew’s, Manitoba, whose family was largely identified with the Hudson’s Bay Company for a generation. Of the children born to Captain and Mrs. Allan two are living, John William and Harriet Beresford. Captain Allan is largely engaged in cattle ranching and has extensive tracts of land throughout Manitoba and the Territories which he is now subdividing for sale with the Canada West Land Company, organized by him on his return from South Africa. In politics Captain Allan is a Con- servative of life-long standing, and is a strong supporter of government ownership of railways, a system of national schools and an absolute free- dom of western men to control their own heritage without any dictation from the Federal government. IMPERIAL BANK OP CANADA. The Imperial Bank of Canada, with head office at Toronto, was incor- porated in 1875, with the late H. S. Howland as president, T. R. Merritt, of St. Catharines, as vice-president, and Mr. D. R. Wilkie, the present general manager, as cashier. Shortly after the incorporation the business of the Niag- ara District Bank was taken over and amalgamated with that of the Imperial. The capital (paid up) is $3,500,000, with a reserve fund of $3,500,000. The Winnipeg branch opened in January, 1881, under the management of R. H. Hunter, who was succeeded in 1883, by C. S. Hoare, and he was succeeded in turn in 1900 by Mr. N. G. Leslie, the present manager. Branches have been established in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Sas- katchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, amounting in all to forty-nine. The present board is composed as follows: T. R. Merritt, president, D. R. Wilkie, vice-president, William Ramsay, Robert Jaffray, Elias Rogers, William Hendrie, J. K. Osborne, Charles Cockshutt. The local directors at Winnipeg are: J. A. M. Aikins, Q.C., William Whyte, vice-president, C.P.R. N. G. LESLIE. Mr. Leslie has been connected with the bank practically since its organ- ization, and has been more identified with its business in western Canada458 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. than any other official of the bank. He joined the bank in 1877, but for over twenty years has been entrusted with the important branch of loaning money for the institution, and during his service has had charge of differ- ent branches all over the entire Dominion. The following is the thirtieth annual statement of the bank: 31st May, 1905. ASSETS. Gold and silver coin...........................$ 826,600.61 Dominion Government notes...................... 3,634,400.00 -------------$4,461,000.61 Deposit with Dominion Government for security of note circulation........................ 145,000.00 Notes of and cheques on other banks............. 1,039,938.59 Balance due from other banks in Canada.......... 340,952.80 Balance due from agents in the United Kingdom 44,060.40 Balance due from agents in foreign countries.. 1,597,217.91 $7,628,170.31 Dominion and provincial government securities. $ 451,402.09 Canadian municipal securities and British or foreign or colonial public securities other than Canadian.............................. 1,501,291.44 Railway and other bonds, debentures and stocks..................................... 1,409,568.15 ---------------$ 3,362,261.68 Call and short loans on stocks and bonds in Canada..................................... 2,685,555.85 $13,675,987.84 Other current loans, discounts and advances... 18,573,718.81 Overdue debts (loss provided for)............. 30,927.20 Real estate (other than bank premises)........ 26,278.33 Mortgages on real estate sold by the bank..... 87,999.56HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 459 Bank premises, including safes, vaults and office furniture at head office and branches_____ 700,000.00 Other assets not included under foregoing heads 613.90 $33,095,525.64 LIABILITIES. Notes of the bank in circulation................ $ 2,571,577.00 Deposits not bearing interest...................$ 4,347,290.05 Deposits bearing interest (including interest accrued to date)........................... 19,629,678.12 --------------23,976,968.17 Deposits by other banks in Canada............... 155,232.78 Total liabilities to the public............................. $26,703,777.95 Capital stock paid up......................................... 3,000,000.00 Rest account...................................$ 3,000,000.00 Dividend No. 60 (payable 1st June, 1905) 5% 150,000.00 Rebate on bills discounted..................... 65,231.64 Balance of profit and loss account carried forward................................... 176,516.05 ------------ 3,391,747.67 $33,095,525.64 WILLIAM J. HAMMOND. One of the leading business establishments of the city is conducted by William J. Hammond, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred at Brampton on April 8, 1851. His educational advantages were derived in the public and grammar schools of Ontario, and at the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to the fur business, at which he served for five years. He has the distinction of being to-day the only articled furrier in the Dominion of Canada. For a time after he served his apprenticeship he worked at his trade, but subsequently went into business for himself, in Toronto, where he opened a retail hat and fur store. He460 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. continued this business from 1874 until 1895, at which time he came to Winnipeg, where he established the same business, moving his stock from Toronto to Winnipeg. The business is retail hats and wholesale and retail furs. He buys large quantities of furs from the hunters and trappers, and does an immense export trade to London, England, and New York. He also manu- facturers all kinds of furs, coats, etc., his factory being located on Main street, Winnipeg, in the rear of his retail establishment. He originally started in with two fur machines, and two fur cutters, but now employs eleven fur cutters, and eight power machines are in operation. In 1876 Mr. Hammond married Miss Delia Atkins, of Toronto. They are members of the Methodist church, and Mr. Hammond holds membership with the Commercial Club. WILLIAM CLARK. An early pioneer of Manitoba and now occupying the responsible position of a chief factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, Mr. William Clark, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland. He is a son of William and Eliza Mowat (Aim) Clark, both of whom were natives of Scotland, where the father followed his trade as a contractor and builder. After a common school education in the place of his nativity, Mr. Clark secured employment in a shipping company’s office at Granton Pier, near Edinburgh, continuing up to 1861, when he came to Fort Garry, Manitoba, as an apprentice clerk, coming from the town of Stromness, Orkney Islands, where he joined the company’s ship and thence to York Factory, Hudson Bay, traveling thence to Fort Garry by York boat. After his arrival he was sent to the post at Pembina, where he remained for two years, and was then transferred to the head office at Fort Garry, and shortly afterwards to the Portage la Prairie post, which was then located on the Assiniboine river west of the present town of Portage. While at this post Mr. Clark was sent out every fall and winter with the half-breed and Indian buffalo hunters to buy their robes and furs. In those days thousands of wolves and foxes followed the buffalo herds, and were slain in great numbers and their pelts formed no unimportant part€HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 461 of the purchases made by the company’s agents. From Portage la Prairie Mr. Clark was sent to White Horse Plains (now St. Francois Xavier), which was in those days a most important trading post. During the absence of Chief Trader Lane on furlough Mr. Clark was put in charge of this post, and was subsequently sent by Governor McTavish to establish a post at Oak Point, Lake Manitoba, in order to shut out the free traders, who began to display a spirit of activity that was not to the company’s liking. Governor McTavish was so pleased with the successful manner in which the Oak Point post was managed that he placed Mr. Clark in charge of all the Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis posts, called Manitoba district, and for several summers was in charge of the transport at Grand Rapids, Saskatchewan river, going there early in the spring by dog train and returning by steamer in the fall, via Lake Winnipeg. For several years Mr. Clark was in charge of the cart brigade that took the furs to the agency in St. Paul. Travel was by horses and carts to St. Cloud, which was then the terminus of the railroad. They left Fort Garry in early spring when grass was long enough to feed the horses, and returned from the trip in the fall of the year. The brigade usually consisted of about two hundred carts. Thirteen years ago Mr. Clark received his commission as a chief factor as a reward for his long and faithful service to the company. • In 1882 Mr. Clark married Miss Julia Murray, a daughter of Donald Murray, of Kildonan. Mr. Murray was one of the original settlers from Scotland in-the Selkirk colony, which was first started in 1812. JAMES STODDART WALLACE. One of the energetic and successful men of the province is the subject of this sketch, Mr. James Stoddart Wallace. He was born and educated in Scotland, and in 1884, deciding that the place of his nativity did not offer any special advantages, he determined to immigrate to the Dominion of Canada, and in 1884 arrived in Manitoba, where for a while he engaged in various occupations, meeting with varying success. For a, time he engaged in agricultural pursuits, and since 1889 has been connected with the life insurance business, with the Canada Life462 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Assurance Company in Winnipeg. He was identified with this company up to 1897, and then The Imperial Life Insurance Company of Canada deciding to establish a branch in Manitoba Mr. Wallace was selected as manager. During this time he has made a wonderful record, and has brought the company’s premium income up from the last place in the thirty-four companies operating in Manitoba to the eighth. His territory originally extended from Port Arthur to Calgary, but in 1903, on account of increase, the business was divided into districts, and at present he covers only the Province of Manitoba. He has over forty local agents throughout the province, but the main portion of the business is transacted through the Winnipeg office. BANK OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. The Winnipeg branch of the Bank of British North America was opened in 1885 by Mr. H. U. Breedon, and since that time has been an important factor in the financial circles of this city. The list of managers and the years of their appointment is as follows:— D. Simpson..........................................1894. N. Bayly............................................1897. G. B. Gerrard.......................................1902. W. A. Machaffie.....................................1903. Mr. Machaffie joined the service of the Bank of British North America after twenty-one years’ service in the Merchants’ Bank of Canada, latterly for seven years being manager of that bank at the Brandon branch. He entered the service of the Merchants Bank of Canada during the boom of 1882, and since that time has been prominently identified with the banking interests of the Province of Manitoba. The present magnificent headquarters of the Bank of British North America were erected in 1903, at a cost of $200,000. The building con- tains commodious quarters for the staff, with billiard room, living rooms, etc. In 1903 a handsome residence on Roslyn road was built for the use of the manager. The Bank of British North America is the only bank in Canada having the head office in England. In Manitoba, Alberta andHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 463 Saskatchewan fifteen branches of this bank have been established, and it ranks among the foremost financial institutions of the Dominion. The Bank of British North America. Balance Sheet, 30th June, 1905. Dr. £ s. d. £ s. d. To Capital................................. 1,000,000 0 0 20,000 Shares of £50 each fully paid. To Reserve Fund.............................................. 420,000 0 0 To Deposits and Current Accounts........... 3,740,164 15 0 To Notes in Circulation...................................... 559,280 4 1 To Bills Payable and other Liabilities, Including Provision for Contingencies 3,234,403 2 9 To Rebate Account............................................. 20,551 10 0 To Liabilities on Endorsements.......£181,332 12 5 To Profit and Loss Account— Balance brought forward from 31st December, 1904.............. 36,590 9 7 Dividend paid April, 1905....... 30,000 0 0 6,590 9 7 34,023 8 5 40,613 18 0 Deduct: Transferred to Officers’ Widows’ and Orphans’ Fund.................513 14 0 Transferred to Officers’ Pension Fund......... 595 3 7 ----------1,108 17 7 Net profit for the half-year ending this date, after deducting all cur- rent charges, and providing for bad and doubtful debts................464 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. Balance available for October Dividend............................ 39,505 0 5 £9,013,904 12 3 Cr. £ s. d. £ s. d. By Cash and Specie at Bankers and in Hand............................... 891,681 0 6 By Cash at Call and Short Notice........1,557,431 9 10 --------------- 2,449,112 10 4 By Investments— Consols £253,000 @ 86 217,580 0 0 National War Loan, £50,000 @ 90.... 45,000 0 0 -------------- 262,580 0 0 Dominion of Canada Bonds, £140,000 @ 97............................. 135,800 0 0 Other Securities..................... 154,757 0 5 ----------------- 553,137 0 5 By Bills Receivable, Loans on Security, and Other Accounts................................. 5,797,899 0 0 By Bank Premises, etc., in London, and at the Branches......................................... 181,870 14 4 By Deposit with Dominion Government Required by Act of Parliament for Security of General Bank Note Cir- culation................................................... 31,885 7 2 Note.—The latest monthly Return received from Daw- son City is that of the 31st May, 1905, and the figures of that Return are introduced into this Account. The balance of the transactions for June with that Branch has been carried to a suspense A/c, pending the receipt of the June accounts. £9,013,904 12 3HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 465 RICHARD RATCLIPPE TAYLOR. As president of the Souris Coal Mining Company, Limited, Mr. Richard Ratcliffe Taylor controls one of the most important industries in the entire province. He is a native of London, England. He was raised and educated in Lancashire, England, but has been a resident of Canada since 1889, at which time he located at Middlechurch, Manitoba, where for ten years he was engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1899 he located in Winnipeg, where he started in the coal business. In that year he opened up a small coal mine in the Souris district, and subsequently by purchase acquired the majority interest in the Souris mines. To the development of this property Mr. Taylor has since given his undivided time. In the conducting of this property Mr. Taylor is largely assisted by his sons. He was married in 1872, and has five sons interested in the coal business with him. Mr. Taylor is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is also a member of the Commercial Club. THE SOURIS COAL MINING COMPANY, LIMITED, has a paid up capital of two hundred thousand dollars, and was incorporated in 1899, with the following officers: Richard R. Taylor, president and general man- ager; John Taylor, secretary and treasurer, and with George 0. Taylor, Samuel Taylor and John C. Graham constitute the Board of Directors. The property is located at Coalfields, Saskatchewan, eight miles from the boundary line. The coal is a pure lignite, suitable for domestic and steam purposes. In 1901 the produce was about forty thousand tons, and the present output reaches over one hundred thousand tons annually. It is shipped as far west as Moose Jaw, and east as far as Tyndall. The shipping point is Bienfait, a point on the Canadian Pacific Railway, on the Estevan branch, and the coal company has built its own spur to the mines, a distance of four and a half miles. It is one of Manitoba’s most important industries, and the output is steadily growing in volume. 30466 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. CHRISTOPHER GRABURN. Christopher Graburn, clerk of the Executive Council of Manitoba, is the sixth son of the late Marmaduke Graburn, Melton Hall, county of Lin- coln, England. He was educated in the Diocesan College, Lincoln, and on leaving college entered a merchant’s office in that city, where he remained for many years. He came to Canada in 1857 and purchased land near Ottawa, and then entered the employ of G. B. Hall & Company, lumber merchants of that place. From 1865 to 1871 he was in the employ of this firm, and then accepted a position as accountant with C. T. Bate & Company of the same place, where he remained for eleven years. He joined the volunteer force as a private in the Governor General’s Foot Guards, in which battalion he attained the rank of captain, and for seven years was secretary-treasurer of the Guards Rifle Association. He was afterwards appointed captain of No. Four Company, Winnipeg Light Infantry, and was elected a director of the Winnipeg Rifle Range Company. The year 1882 witnessed his arrival in Manitoba, and shortly after- wards he entered the civil service of the province. On April 27, 1886, he was by Order in Council appointed clerk of records in the office of the Executive Council, and in the following year was appointed clerk of the Executive Council, which position he still holds. In 1867 Mr. Graburn married Miss Linda Yeilding Bayly, of Limerick, Ireland. They are the parents of four children, of whom two are living, K. A. F. Graburn and Arthur Lynn, of St. Cloud, Minnesota. He is man- ager of the Great Northern Shops at that place. One daughter, the wife of William Toole, is deceased, and the youngest one died unmarried at the age of eighteen. Mr. and Mrs. Graburn are consistent members of the Church of England. ALBERT LEE HOUKES. Albert Lee Houkes, a granite and marble dealer of Winnipeg, was born January 4, 1868, in Bradford, Wiltshire, England, and was educated inHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 467 the public schools at Box. Immediately after putting aside his text-books he was apprenticed to the trade of stone cutting and served his term of indenture partly under Isaac Lambert and partly under John Schell, the largest cut stone contractor at that time in the west of England. Mr. Houkes was subsequently employed as a journeyman at different places in the west of England and South Wales and in 1887 went to Australia, where he spent about fifteen months, after which he returned to his native country. In 1891 he came to Canada and was employed for a few months in Ontario. He then took a trip through the western portion of the Domin- ion and was located for three years at Brandon, whence in 1895 he came to Winnipeg, where he entered into the marble and granite business. He is widely known in the monumental business throughout Manitoba and the North-West and has a very liberal and gratifying patronage, the extent and importance of his business bringing to him well-merited success. In 1894 Mr. Houkes was married to Miss Amelia C. Harland, of Kent, England, and they are now the parents of five children. In fraternal circles Mr. Houkes holds membership with the Maccabees and he and his wife attend the services of the Church of England. SAMUEL LEES BARROW CLOUGH. One of the youngest members of the business fraternity of the city of Winnipeg is Mr. S. L. Barrowclough, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Cheshire, England, his birth having occurred in April, 1869. After a brief education acquired in the common schools, he came to Canada with his parents in 1881, at that time being but eleven years of age. Coming direct to Winnipeg, his education was completed in that city, and for a time he worked in different occupations, but in 1891 he became identified with the music business. In 1894 and 1895 he put his stock of musical instru- ments in the Winnipeg Music Company, and took over the management of the concern. For one year he occupied this position, and then tendered his resignation, and again started in business for himself. In 1903 he sold out the sheet music department to Mr.'Semple, who conducted it under the name of Barrowclough & Semple. At that time he accepted the management of468 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. the Winnipeg branch of the Morris Piano Company, of Listowel, Ontario, in which business he is now engaged. In 1890 Mr. Barrowclough returned to England to study music, and studied under one of England’s most famous cornetists, Mr. J. Taylor, cornetist of Carl Rosa Opera Company. He also studied conducting work, and made himself thoroughly proficient in that department. Before he returned to England he had conducted the Citizens’ Band for two years, and since returning he has conducted the Winnipeg City Band, hut on account of the pressure of other business gave it up in 1905. At present he is conductor of the Central Congregational choir, of the Winnipeg Theatre Orchestra and Barrowclough’s Orchestra. He also supplies orches- tras to different points throughout Manitoba. In 1892 he married Miss Margaret Little, a resident of Neepawa. They are the parents of four children, Gerald, Ethel, Frank and Yernon. In fraternal circles Mr. Barrowclough is a member of the Masonic order, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the North-West Commercial Travelers Association. WILLIAM GEORGESON. William Georgeson, of the house of Codville & Company, Winnipeg, was born August 26, 1859, in Quebec. His education was acquired in the public schools of the place of his nativity, and after putting aside his text books he entered the wholesale grocery establishment with which he is now associated. After seven years spent in the service of the house he assisted in opening the establishment in Winnipeg, and arrived here on December 8, 1881. In 1901 he served as president of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, and for six years was president of the Winnipeg Jobbers’ Union. With one exception he is the oldest member of the council of the Board of Trade. He is at present vice-president of the Wholesale Grocers’ Association. Mr. Georgeson was married on September 2, 1882, and has three children: Gladys J., William Alan and Barbara. He is serving his second term as president of the Commercial Club. He also holds membership with the Manitoba Club and the St. Charles Country Club. In politics he is a Conservative, and is a member of the Presbyterian church.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 469 ROBERT MILLS SIMPSON. One of the leading medical practitioners of the Province of Manitoba is Dr. Robert Mills Simpson, the subject of this sketch. He was born in 1865, at Carleton Place, Ontario, and received his preliminary education in the grammar schools of his native province. In 1883 he came with his parents to Manitoba, and for the two succeeding years attended the Mani- toba College. His studies had all tended towards fitting himself for the practice of medicine, and he then entered the Manitoba Medical College and was graduated in 1888 from that institution. After graduation he went to England and for two years studied in the hospitals of that country, and was the first graduate from the Manitoba Medical College to take out an old country qualification. He returned to Manitoba in 1890, and since then has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession. He has held different chairs in the Manitoba Medical College, and was a member of the University Council for about three years, holding the professorship of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, and afterwards of Medicine and Clinical Medicine and associate professor of Clinical Gynecology, which chair he holds at the pre- sent time. Dr. Simpson is chief surgeon of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and also surgeon of the Canadian Northern Railway. In matters pertaining to the public health he has always taken a deep interest, and at present is presi- dent of the Board of Health. He is a member of the Manitoba Club, and politically is identified with the Conservative party. ALEXANDER DAVIDSON. A native of Derry, Ireland, the subject of this sketch, Mr. Alexander Davidson, occupies a leading position in the business circles of his adopted country. He was born in 1853, and was educated in the place of his nativity. After putting his text books aside he became an accountant in a public accountant’s office, and continued this occupation until coming to Manitoba in 1887. Coming direct to Winnipeg, he entered the employ of470 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Harris & Son, as accountant, and was identified with this firm until 1897, at which time he formed a partnership with Mr. Charles Henry Newton as public accountants and assignees. In 1900 Mr. Davidson and Mr. Newton organized the North-West Laundry Company, Limited, which was incorporated with a paid up capital of forty thousand dollars, with Mr. Davidson as managing director and Mr. Newton as president. They caused to be erected a three storey brick build- ing, with stone foundation, covering a ground space of fifty-eight by one hundred and twenty feet, which is devoted exclusively to the pursuits of the laundry, the value of the plant and premises at present being approxi- mately eighty thousand dollars. Ever since the institution has been opened for business it has been run to its fullest capacity. In addition to his other interests Mr. Davidson is also heavily inter- ested in ranching, owning some magnificent stock and property in the pro- vince. He is a member of the Commercial Club. E. J. ROCHON. During the greater portion of his life time Mr. E. J. Rochon, the subject of this sketch, has been identified with the hotel business. He is a native of Prescott county, Ontario, and while a comparatively newcomer to the Province of Manitoba has since his arrival identified himself with many important business enterprises here. In May, 1904, he purchased the Leland Hotel, and at once spent about twenty-five thousand dollars in improvements, making it one of the best appointed hotels in Western Canada. The location of the hotel, the corner of William avenue and Albert street, directly opposite the City Hall, is one of the finest locations in the entire city, and the hotel at present is crowded to its full capacity. The entire investment represented an outlay of about two hundred thousand dollars, the building being seven stories high with basement, and covering a ground space of one hundred by one hundred feet. It was erected in 1885, and opened by Messrs. Murray & Douglas, but was rebuilt in 1892, and remained in that condition until taken over by its presentHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 471 owner. The building has been entirely re-plumbed and re-wired, and its own electric light and water plants have been added. For seventeen years prior to his coming to Winnipeg, Mr. Rochon was the proprietor of the Avenue Hotel in Fort William, one of the best known and most popular hotels in the west. In addition to his hotel interests Mr. Rochon is a stockholder in the Balfour Implement Company, is presi- dent of the Parkview Realty Company, a member of the Union Grain Com- pany, and is also the owner of considerable town and country property, besides retaining large holdings in real estate in Fort William. ROBERT ROSS SCOTT. Robert Ross Scott, the subject of this sketch, was born July 27, 1857, in Pickering county, Ontario, and is a son of John and Grace (Scott) Scott, both of whom were natives of Scotland. They were among the early settlers of Ontario, coming to that province about the year 1855, where the father followed his trade as a carpenter. He died in 1857, the mother surviving him three years. Mr. Scott was educated in the public schools of his native county, but put aside his text books at the age of thirteen and in 1881 came to Winni- peg, where he worked at various occupations until 1883, at which time he entered the employ of A. C. McPherson & Company, wholesale fruit dealers. He continued with this firm until 1892, when he entered business for himself. The following year the two companies were amalgamated, Mr. Scott becoming the secretary-treasurer and manager of the concern, trad- ing under the name of the McPherson Fruit Company. At this time Mr. McPherson retired from active participation in the business. The McPher- son Fruit Company is the best' institution of its kind in Manitoba, and in 1904 the business amounted to over five hundred thousand dollars in green fruits. A branch has been established at Calgary, Alberta, in order to handle the enormous business. In 1892 Mr. Scott married Miss Kate Matheson, a daughter of the Rev. Matheson, of Qu’Appelle, North-West Territories. They are the parents of four children: Roberta M., Jean M., Stewart M., and Margaret Helen. Fraternally Mr. Scott is affiliated with thfe Masonic order and the472 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He also holds membership in the Winnipeg Board of Trade, in whose affairs he has always taken an active interest. While in no sense an active partisan he gives his support to the Liberal party, but has always declined to enter the race for public honors. For twenty years past Mr. Scott has been a consistent member of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian church of Winnipeg. LENDRUM McMEANS. One of the prominent barristers of Winnipeg is Lendrum McMeans, the subject of this sketch. He was born on August 1, 1859, at Brantford, Ontario, and is the son of Andrew McMeans, a prominent merchant still residing in Brantford. Mr. McMeans received his education in the Col- legiate Institute at Brantford, and studied his profession in the office of Rose, Macdonald & Merritt, of Toronto. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1881 and in 1882 joined the rush then coming to Manitoba, the same year locating in Winnipeg. On spending one year in the province he was admitted, and since that time has devoted himself to the practice of his profession. One of the important pieces of work that has been assigned to Mr. McMeans was the revision of the statutes, in which he was associated with ex-Chief Justice Killam, in 1900. On many occasions Mr. McMeans has been retained by the government to prosecute in important criminal prose- cutions, but further than these semi-official positions has steadfastly refused to enter public life in the field of politics. In 1897, however, he took an active part in politics in the affairs of the present regime, and stumped the country for his party. Two years after coming to Winnipeg Mr. McMeans married Miss Mary Beatrice Harris, Montreal. They are the parents of four children: Vivian, who is in the service of the Imperial Bank; Earnest D., Lenore and Lendrum Edmund. Mr. McMeans is a member of the three clubs of Winnipeg, the Mani- toba, Commercial and St. Charles Country Clubs. Politically he has always been a staunch Conservative, and he and his family are members of the Church of England.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 473 JOHN JAMES CODVILLE. Mr. John James Codville, the subject of this sketch, was born December 9, 1851, at Quebec, Quebec, and is a son of the late Hilary Codville, who for many years prior to his death was a resident of that city. Mr. Codville received his education in the city of Quebec, and in 1873 entered the wholesale grocery house as one of the partners of the firm of Thompson, Codville and Company, Mr. Codville being the main owner of the business, having furnished the funds necessary for its start. This business was conducted until 1888, at which time the Quebec house was closed out. On November 1, 1881 Mr. Codville came to Manitoba and opened the present house of Codville & Company, it being to-day the pioneer wholesale grocery house of that province. As well as doing the heaviest business in this line in addition to the Winnipeg house, a branch has been established at Brandon and also at Calgary, Alberta, the latter branch trading under the name of the Codville, Smith Company, Limited. In 1887 Mr. Codville married Miss Edith MacDonell, a daughter of D. W. MacDonell, late sergeant-at-arms of the House of Commons in Ottawa. Mr. and Mrs. Codville are the parents of two children. In fraternal affairs Mr. Codville is affiliated with the Masonic order, and socially holds membership in the Manitoba Club and the St. Charles Country Club. His support politically is given to the Conservative party. He is a member of the Holy Trinity church, and occupied the position of rector’s churchwarden, being also a member of the select vestry for several years. Since the start of his business career Mr. Codville has made a success of every enterprise in which he has engaged. He still finds time to devote himself to legitimate outdoor sports. He is an enthusiastic hunter, as well as a disciple of Sir Isaac Walton, and has hunted and fished from California to the Atlantic ocean. In this recreation Mr. Codville takes his principal pleasure, and every year spends considerable time at his magnificent country home and game preserves on the St. Lawrence river.474 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. FREDERICK WILLIAM SCOTT. Mr. Frederick William Scott, proprietor of one of the largest furniture establishments in western Canada, was born on August 31, 1867, and is a son of Colonel Thomas Scott, one of the most prominent men in the Pro- vince of Manitoba, and of whom an extended sketch appears on other pages of this work. Mr. Scott of this review was brought to Winnipeg by his parents in 1872, and received his education at the public schools of that city, this being supplemented by a course at Manitoba College. After leaving school he was employed in the postoffice for two years and then engaged in the furni- ture business, which he has continued up to the present time. The business was originally established in 1871, trading as D. Scott and Company, and continued as such until 1885, at which time Mr. Scott, in connection with Mr. Leslie, took over the business, and traded under the firm name of Scott and Leslie until 1895, when Mr. Leslie withdrew from the business, since which time it has been continued by Mr. Scott as the Scott Furniture Com- pany. The new building occupied by the company was erected in December, 1904, being a six-story with basement, brick with stone front building, cover- ing a ground space of fifty by one hundred and twenty feet, and erected at a cost of sixty-five thousand dollars, the building being used exclusively for the purpose of the furniture establishment. On June 13, 1905, the building was burned, the entire stock being a total loss. This was a severe blow to Mr. Scott, but in August following he secured temporary premises in the old Thistle Rink, and at once let contracts for the re-construction of the building, moving in and again occupying the premises in November of the same year. In 1900 Mr. Scott married Miss Emma Maud Murray, a daughter of George Murray, of Winnipeg. By a former marriage Mr. Scott is the father of one child, Kathleen. In all legitimate sports Mr. Scott takes an active interest, holding membership in different athletic clubs of the city, also being a valued mem- ber of the Commercial and the St. Charles Country Club. Politically he gives his support to the Conservative party, and both he and Mrs. Scott hold membership in the Church of England.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 475 FREDERIC JOHN CHARLES COX. A native of Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, Mr. Frederic John Charles Cox, the subject of this sketch, was born April 10, 1860. He is the son of James Whittaker and Emma Eliza (Spurr) Cox, the father a native of New York state and the mother of Yorkshire, England. On both sides of the family the ancestry is English. For many years the father of Mr. Cox followed merchandising at Huddersfield, England, where he was engaged in the woollen trade, exporting extensively to th£ United States and to Canada. Mr. Cox received his education at private schools and at Dr. Schieren- berg’s College, at Hamburg, Germany, from which institution he graduated in 1876 at the age of sixteen years. On his return to England he located at London, and the next five years were spent in the wholesale dry goods busi- ness with the firm of Thomas & Jones. In 1881 he decided to go to Canada, and the same year arrived in Winnipeg, where he entered the employ of Thibaudeau Brothers & Company, wholesale dry goods merchants. At first he was placed in charge of a department and subsequently was a traveling salesman for the firm, later in from 1896 to 1900 he was chief accountant for the official assignee of the province, and in 1900 he engaged in business on his own account, carrying on a business devoted to general building supplies. He is secretary of the North-West Commercial Travelers’Asso- ciation, is secretary of the United Commercial Travelers of America, and secretary-treasurer of the Manitoba Building Society. In 1904 and 1905 he was elected alderman for ward six for the city of Winnipeg. In 1888 Mr. Cox married Miss Lilia May Erb, a daughter of Levi H. Erb, of Preston, Waterloo county, Ontario. Mr. Cox has attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite in the Masonic order, and for several years was secretary of the Manitoba Consistory. He is also affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Woodmen of the World. In politics he gives his support to the Liberal party, and has always taken an active part in Provincial and Dominion politics.476 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ROBERT ANDREW BONNAR. Mr. Robert Andrew Bonnar, the subject of this sketch, was born on May 10, 1860, in the township of King, county of York, Ontario, and is a son of the late James T. Bonnar, who was a native of Scotland and an early settler of Ontario, where he followed farming pursuits, also being engaged in school teaching. Mr. Bonnar was educated in the public schools of his native county and latter in Collingwood High School. After leaving school he started the study of medicine, being thus engaged for two years, and in May, 1882, came to Manitoba, where for three years he was identified with agricultural pursuits. In the meantime he had determined not to continue the study of medicine, but to change it for the study of law, and in 1885 he started this study with Hagel, Davis and Gilmour, of Winnipeg, and afterwards with N. F. Hagel, K.C. On February 4, 1899, he was called to the bar and ha$ been in the continuous practice of his profession since that time. For three years after his admission he was in partnership with Mr. Hagel, after- wards practicing by himself one year. He then formed a partnership with T. L. Metcalfe, which continued for two years, as Bonnar & Metcalfe. This partnership was then dissolved, and a partnership was then formed with T. L. Hartley, which relationship has since continued under the firm name of Bonnar & Hartley. On September 2, 1903, Mr. Bonnar married Miss Elizabeth Lydon, a daughter of A. E. Lydon, of Winnipeg. They are the parents of one child, Lillian Jean. Fraternally Mr. Bonnar is affiliated with Clan Stewart, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Politi- cally he gives his support to the Conservative party, and in social relations holds membership in the Commercial Club. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bonnar are valued members of the Presbyterian church. PATRICK SHEA. Patrick Shea, proprietor of the Winnipeg Brewery, is a native of Ire- land, born March 7, 1864. He was educated in the public and nationalHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 477 schools of his native country, and in 1870 emigrated to the United States, landing in New York on July 6 of that year. Mr. Shea at once identified himself with the railroad building in the bridge department, and in con- nection with this work traveled all over the United States, also being for two years in Manitoba, at which time he was in charge of the water supply during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway from Oak Lake west, the work being supervised by D. Leary, who was bridge superin- tendent. On March 22, 1882, Mr. Shea came to Winnipeg, and shortly after- wards went into the hotel business, which he continued for three years, after which he entered the brewery business. The Winnipeg Brewery was estab- lished about thirty years ago by Silvester Thomas, who conducted it in a. small way for a short time, since which time it was in the hands of several different people, among them being John Cosgrove, of Toronto. In 1887 the firm of McDonough & Shea succeeded Mr. Cosgrove and ran the institution under the firm name of McDonough & Shea until 1893, in which year Mr. McDonough died and Mr. Shea took over the entire property. In 1903 the new building was erected, covering a ground space of seventy-seven by seventy-seven feet and being used for brewery purposes as well as a malt house, storage, etc. Ever since Mr. Shea took hold of the plant the business has steadily increased and to-day is running to its full capacity. In 1884 Mr. Shea married Miss Margaret Burns, of Winona, Minne- sota, and of the children born of this union two are living: Frank and Paul. Politically Mr. Shea gives his support to the Conservative party, and both he and Mrs. Shea hold membership in the Catholic church. Mr. Shea is one of the popular members of the Commercial Club of Winnipeg, and his friends are numbered only by the number of people with whom he is acquainted. He is popular with all classes, unassuming, with a kindly heart and a genial disposition. No man is more popular in the community than Mr. Shea, and as one of the representative men of the province he certainly deserves recognition in this volume.478 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ARCHIBALD WRIGHT. Mr. Archibald Wright, who is at present conducting a high-class dry goods establishment in Winnipeg, was born in 1854 in Glasgow, Scotland, in which country he received his education. He came to Canada in the service of the Bank of British North America, and was identified with this institution both in New York and in Montreal. He had been trained for bank service in the City of Glasgow Bank in Glasgow, Scotland, and in 1873 came to the Dominion, locating at Montreal and in the following year in New York. In 1878 Mr. Wright entered the dry goods business in Quebec in part- nership with Mr. William Fyfe, and in 1881 he came to Manitoba, locating at Winnipeg. He first established business in the Spencer Block on Port- age avenue and conducted operations in that locality for about seven years, afterwards moving to the corner of Main street and Portage avenue, remaining in this building until it was burned down in 1894. After the building was rebuilt he resumed business at that point, there remaining until coming to his present quarters at 426 Main street in 1903. In the conduct of his establishment Mr. Wright makes his specialty of fine dry goods, silks, linens and underwear. He caters especially to the better class of trade and has a reputation of having the most up-to-date establishment of its kind in Manitoba. Twice a year Mr. Wright makes a journey to Great Britain, Paris, Switzerland, etc., in connection with his business, so that he may keep in touch with the latest European novelties, and also to enable him to be the first to bring these to Manitoba. He has crossed the ocean sixty-two times in this connection and still continues to make these trips, the consequence being that his purchases made direct from the manufacturers are most eagerly sought by the Manitoba public. In 1880 in Montreal Mr. Wright married Miss Mary Rutherford, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and they are the parents of six children: James, an accountant in his father’s establishment; Margaret Rutherford, wife of Hartley McKinley Millman, of Winnipeg, the marriage taking place on October 4, 1905; Mary; Archibald, Junior, now attending college in Washington, D.C.; Tina and Jack. Mr. Wright is a valued member of the St. Andrew’s Society of Winnipeg.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 479 CHARLES H. WHEELER. One of the pioneer architects of the Province of Manitoba is Mr. Charles H. Wheeler, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Lutter- worth, county of Leicester, England, in 1838, and was educated in the grammar schools of his native place and by the vicar of the parish. From early boyhood he had a decided leaning towards the profession of architec- ture, and it was decided by his parents that he should be allowed to follow his natural bent and prepare himself for an architect. He started at the very foundation, and served his course at the carpenter bench, at bricklay- ing, at painting, and as a stone mason. He also learned pattern making at the Coventry Engine and Art Metal works, and was afterwards a student and clerk of the works, under two eminent architects. Coming to Manitoba in 1882, he at once established himself as an architect, and since the date of his arrival has been one of the most promi- nent architects in the province. He. gained the Holy Trinity Competition over sixty competitors, from all parts of America, and some of the various institutions that he has erected are as follows: The new Court House, the Argyle School, the Dulferin School, the Deaf and Dumb Institute, G. F. & J. Galt’s warehouse in Winnipeg, the High School at Prince Albert, the Insane Asylum at Brandon, the Methodist church at Moose jaw, the Tees & Persse Block at Winnipeg, Bacteriological Laboratory at Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Opera House, the Davis Block, the Campbell Block of Winnipeg, the Union Bank of Moosomin, the St. John’s Rectory, at St. John’s, and scorces of other public buildings, residences, etc. Mr. Wheeler while a busy man in the transaction of his profession, takes an active interest in music, and has done notable work in this direc- tion, both as a vocalist, choir trainer, musician and critic. In 1858 Mr. Wheeler married Miss Annie Wakefield, of Gloucesterfield, England. They became the parents of seven children, of whom five are living. Two of the boys took active part in the suppression of the Riel rebellion, and one of whom, George Victor, was killed in action at Fish Creek. Alfred is now an architect in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is considered one of the best architects in that city. Mr. Wheeler is independent in480 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. polities, not caring to hold himself to either party, but believing that every man should east his vote for those men and measures which serve to pro- mote the public welfare. He and his wife are members of the Church of England, and reside at their handsome home No. 62 Donald street, Winnipeg. JOHN IT. G. RUSSELL. Mr. John H. G. Russell, one of the leading architects of the Province of Manitoba, was born in 1863 in Toronto, and is a son of James Russell, who was identified with the dry goods business in Toronto. Mr. Russell was educated in the model school of Toronto, afterwards taking up the study of architecture with H. B. Gordon, of Toronto, remain- ing with him about five years, and in 1882 coming to Winnipeg. He remained in the latter city hut a short time, afterwards going to Sioux City, Iowa, Chicago, Illinois, and Spokane and Tacoma, Washington, in each of which cities he was engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1894 he returned to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg and two years later established business for himself. Since that time he has had a large and increasing clientel, and to-day is recognized as one of the leading architects of the province. Among the many buildings erected by Mr. Russell may be mentioned the following: Augustine Presbyterian church, New Fort Rouge Methodist church, Wesley Methodist church, First Bap- tist church, Children’s Home, Gladstone school and a great many of the finest residences and warehouses in Winnipeg, also public schools at Pilot Mound, Killarney, Foxwarren and other points in Manitoba and the west, the Knox Presbyterian church in Prince Albert and in Kenora, and churches at other points in Manitoba and Alberta. In 1899 Mr. Russell married Miss Agnes Campbell, a daughter of Thomas Campbell, of Toronto. They are the parents of four children: John, Harold, Norman and Ruth. In addition to the conduct of his business Mr. Russell occupies the positon of vice-president of the Manitoba Provident Mortgage Company. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs. Russell hold membership in the Presbyterian church.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 481 CHARLES H. NEWTON. Mr. Charles H. Newton, official assignee for the Province of Manitoba, is a native of Quebec, his birth having occurred on August 6, 1851. He is a son of the late Samuel Newton, who was a native of Yorkshire, England, and was in the service of the Quebec Bank, Quebec, for over twenty-five years, afterwards holding the responsible position of accountant for the Royal Insurance Company of England in Quebec. It was in Quebec that Mr. Newton took up the assignee business, and in 1879 he came to Winnipeg, where he settled permanently. In 1902 he was appointed official assignee for the Province of Manitoba, which position he is now acceptably filling. In addition to his other interests Mr. Newton is the president of the North-West Laundry Company, Limited, and president of the 0. H. Kerr Collecting Company, with offices in the Union Bank. Mr. Newton’s personal office is in the Bank of Hamilton Chambers. In 1872 Mr. Newton married Miss Prances Fraser, of Quebec, and seven children have been born of this union. He holds membership in the Commercial Club of Winnipeg, of which institution he was president for two years. Both he and Mrs. Newton are members of Holy Trinity church- GEORGE McPHILLIPS. Mr. George McPhillips, Dominion land surveyor, is a native of Rich- mond Hill, county of York, Ontario. He was born in 1848, and is a son of George McPhillips, who was a native of Ireland, also followed the profes- sion of a civil engineer and was likewise a Dominion land surveyor. Mr. McPhillips of this review was educated in the grammar schools of Richmond Hill, and at the age of seventeen received a first-class certificate, after which he was engaged in teaching school for five years. From his twelfth year up to the time of.teaching school he was engaged in surveying with his father and learned his profession from him. While engaged in teaching school he studied medicine for two years but never practiced as a physician. 31482 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In 1872 Mr. McPhillips came to Manitoba to join Ms father and two brothers who had preceded him to that province. Here he was engaged with his father in surveying the settlement belts in the province. In 1875 Mr. McPhillips passed the final examinations for Dominion land surveyor and immediately afterwards was appointed by the city council of Winnipeg to make the official survey of the city^ He at once entered upon this work, completing his task in 1876. He is a member of the board of examiners of the Provincial land surveyors. In 1880 Mr. McPhillips married Miss Flora Ella Caron, a native of Windsor, Ontario. They are the parents of three children: Marie Louise, William and George A. William is studying civil engineering and survey- ing with his father, and Alexander is a clerk in the Merchants Bank of Windsor. Mr. McPhillips took an active part in political affairs in the early days of the province and was president of the Conservative Association of the province for eleven consecutive years, also being a member of the old Provincial board of education for two years. In the affairs of St. Patrick’s Society he took an active interest, and for many years in Winnipeg was president of this society, while prior to coming to Winnipeg was president of St. Patrick’s Society in Hamilton, Ontario. Mr. McPhillips while in Windsor, Ontario, in the year 1886, built the first electric rail- way constructed in Canada for business purposes. This was the second electric railway in America. Mr. and Mrs. McPhillips and their family are members of the Catholic church. JOHN WILLIAM DRISCOLL. For nearly twenty-five years Mr. J. W. Driscoll, the subject of this sketch, has been a resident of Winnipeg, and during that time as a repre- sentative of the McClary Manufacturing Company has taken an active part in the commercial development of the city. He is a native of Ireland, bom in 1843. He was educated in London, England, and came to Canada in 1858, locating in London, Ontario. For a short time he worked in the dry goods and clothing trade in London, and then entered*HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 483 a general store at Ingersoll, of which he had charge for ten years. Subse- quently he started business on his own account, in Kincardine, Ontario, where he established a hardware store. In 1882 he came to Winnipeg, as a representative of the McClary Manufacturing Company, and from that time has been identified with this institution. The McClary Manufacturing Company are the manufacturers of stoves, ranges and furnaces, enamelled ware and tinware of all descriptions, and they also supply the tinsmith trade with materials of all kinds. The head office is located in London, Ontario, but the Manitoba branch supplies the trade of this province, also Saskatchewan and Alberta. They operate a branch at Vancouver, which supplies that province, and also recently opened a distributing branch at Calgary. Mr. Driscoll is the father of six children, the eldest son being a Pres- byterian minister in St. Paul. One daughter, Mrs. J. W. Fox, is now a resident of Churchbridge, Alberta. Mr. Driscoll is independent in politics, and has never allied himself to either party, preferring to vote for those men and measures which would seem to be for the public good. He has always declined in Manitoba to enter public life, although in Kincardine he occupied the position of school trustee. His business interests demand his entire attention, and to this Mr. Driscoll devotes himself. GEORGE BROWNE. George Browne, one of our leading architects, was born in Montreal and is the youngest son of the late George Browne, of that city, who for many years was a prominent architect and extensive owner of real estate. Mr. Browne is of English and Irish ancestry and a descendant of General Seaban, Governor of Gibraltar, who was a distinguished officer in the reign of George the Second. After leaving the Montreal High School Mr. Browne entered his father’s office, and at the age of eighteen went to New York, where he studied in the office of Mr. Russell Sturgis, who was at that time one of the leading architects of the Empire City. At the end of three years he visited Europe, where he remained for three years and a half, studying the different styles of architecture in England, Ireland, France, Italy and Switzerland. He took a course at South Kensington484 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. School of Art, and was awarded prizes at the international competition in the class for design. In 1879 he came to Manitoba and entered a homestead and pre-emption of three hundred and twenty acres in the Tiger Hills district south of Holland, which was then a wild and unsettled country. After undergoing for some years the hardships and privations of a pioneer life he came to Winnipeg and resumed the practice of his profession. In 1883 he was married to Louisa Anna, daughter of the late Captain E. E. Nicolls, of H. M. Fifty-sixth Regiment, foot, and granddaughter of the Lieutenant- Colonel Nicolls, of H. M. Seventy-second Highlanders. Mr. Browne’s ability as an architect is unquestionably of a high order. That he profited by his study of the architecture of the leading centres of the world is best evidenced in the public and private buildings he has erected in this city. ALLAN J. ADAMSON. Mr. Allan J. Adamson, member of the Dominion Parliament for the constituency of Humbolt, is a native of county Galway, Ireland, and was born August 1, 1857. He is a son of John Evans Adamson, who was rector of the parish of Grange Donivan of Ireland and was one of the best known citizens of that place. He came out to Canada in the early days to an uncle, Dr. William Adamson, who was chaplain to the Governor-General of Canada, and after remaining for several years returned to Ireland, remain- ing there until his death, which occurred in 1869. Mr. A. J. Adamson was educated at the Dublin High School, and in 1873 came to Canada, arriving in Manitoba on June 1st of that year, coming down the Red river on the old steamer Dacotah, which was well known to the early pioneers of the province. He at once joined his brother in a surveying expedition, and the following year purchased a farm at Headingly. The next year with a companion he took a contract for deliver- ing material at Battleford for the first telegraph line in the province. This was in 1875, and transportation of supplies had to he made with oxen and carts. After completing this contract Mr. Adamson went to Nelson- ville and took up a homestead and started in farming operations. HeHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 485 continued in this occupation until 1891, at which time he moved to Morden and entered the grain business at that point. Two years later he discontinued farming entirely, still keeping on with the grain business. In 1895 Mr. Adamson formed a partnership with B. C. Parker, of Morden, in the grain and implement business. This partnership continued until 1896, when the Manitoba Grain Company, with Mr. Adamson as secretary-treasurer, was formed. Upon the dissolution of this company in 1898 Mr. Adamson went to Rosthern, where he opened up a hardware and implement business, also dealing extensively in lands. Two years after his arrival in Rosthern he formed the Canada Territories’ Corporation, of which he is now the president and manager. This corporation carried on banking, general com- mercial business, lumber and saw mill business, land, etc., with headquarters in Rosthern. By degrees portions of the business were disposed of until only the saw mill remains, which will shortly be moved to Winnipeg. In addition to his other interests Mr. Adamson is a director of the Saskatche- wan Valley Land Company, the Saskatchewan Valley and Manitoba Land Company and of the Northern Bank of Canada. Politically Mr. Adamson has always given his support to the Liberal party and in 1904 was returned a member of the Dominion Parliament from the constituency of Humbolt by a large and decisive majority. In 1880 Mr. Adamson married Miss Julia A. Turriff, a daughter of Robert Turriff, of Quebec, and a sister of John G. Turriff, late Dominion land commissioner and now Dominion member of Parliament for eastern Assiniboine. They are the parents of eight children, all of whom are living. ROBERT BARCLAY. Mr. Robert Barclay, prominent in the business, political and social life of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, on April 16, 1840, and is a son of James Barclay, who was a business man of Paisley and who always took an active part in the municipal and parochial matters. He was also identified with the mining industry, and died in the old country at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. He was a brother to Rev. James Barclay, D.D., of St. Paul’s, Montreal.486 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Barclay was educated in the Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh. For a number of years afterwards he was identified with the coal, iron and quarry business, after which he went into the manufacture of chemicals, at the same time taking a two years’ course in chemistry in the Ander- sonian University. Subsequently Mr. Barclay became identified with the sale of woollen, worsted, silk and cotton yarns, which business he conducted for some time, after which he entered the Manchester trade. In 1882 Mr. Barclay left the old country and emigrated to Canada, coming direct to Winnipeg, where for one year he was identified with farm- ing, after which he returned to Winnipeg, where he worked as salesman and collector for a short time for Governor McMillan in the milling busi- ness. Mr. Barclay afterwards accepted the position as manager of the Foley Brothers in the laying of plank streets in the city, and then repre- sented the Ogilvie Milling Company in Winnipeg for some time. He then took a position with the Standard Oil Company in Canada and installed their various products throughout the country from Port Arthur to the coast. After remaining in the service of this company for a few years, he went back to farming, which he conducted for about four years, again returning to Winnipeg and once more entering the service of the Standard Oil Company, with whom he remained for five years, up to 1898, since which time he has been living retired from active business pursuits. In March, 1895, Mr. Barclay married Miss Elizabeth Miller, a resident of Rattray, Scotland. Politically he has always given his support to the Conservative party, and for four years, from 1899 to 1903, served as a member of the Winnipeg city council and was police commissioner for some years. He was a director in the Winnipeg Industrial Exhibition for five years and for two years of the Winnipeg General Hospital. He also held the position as president of the Winnipeg Humane Society for three years. It is in horticulture that Mr. Barclay takes his greatest pride. He is a member and director of the Horticultural Society of Manitoba and before that society was formed was a member of the Floricultural Society. He has done much to improve the horticultural interests of the province and has read different papers before the horticultural conventions, also written many articles to various papers. At his home he has over fortyHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 487 varieties of perpetual roses, and he has done much to improve not only the ornamental department of Manitoba horticulture, but also that which will be of use to all people engaged in agricultural pursuits. FRANK OLIVER FOWLER. Frank Oliver Fowler, for twenty-five years a resident of the Province of Manitoba and at present manager of the Winnipeg Grain & Produce Clearing Association, was born in Huron county, December 14, 1861. His father, W. 0. Fowler, was one of the old residents of Ontario, and is now living a retired life among the scenes of his former activity. Frank Oliver received his education in the public schools and in the Wingham High School of Ontario. For a time he worked with his father, and was inter- ested in the saw mill and stave factory at Wingham. The possibilities of Manitoba appealing strongly to him, he decided to move westward, and in 1880 moved on a farm a short distance out of Brandon. For eleven years Mr. Fowler followed the occupation of a farmer, and in 1891 he moved to Wawanesa and entered the grain business at that point. This business proved more to his liking, and up to 1902 he remained at Wawanesa, during which time he made a careful study of grain conditions in the province, and to-day is conceded to be one of the best posted men in the North-West on this subject. Mr. Fowler in 1902 moved to Winnipeg and still continues the business, in which he has made himself an expert. He was appointed secretary-treasurer of the North-West Grain Dealers’ Association, and also manager of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Clearing Association. It is hardly necessary to state that his administration of affairs has given universal satisfaction. In 1887 Mr. Fowler married Miss Elizabeth Nichol, a resident of Wawanesa. They have five children: Frank Scott, Helen Audrey, Harold, Raymond and Francis. He is a member of the Manitoba Club, the St. Charles Country Club, and the Liberal Club. The family hold membership in the Presbyterian church, and reside in their pleasant home at 82 Har- greave street. While Mr. Fowler has been particularly active in business affairs he488 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. has also taken equally as prominent a part in the polities of the province, and prior to his residence in Winnipeg had been repeatedly honored by his party. For two terms he was a member of the provincial legislature for South Brandon, and for three years was councillor in the municipality of Oakland, South Brandon, also serving for four years as reeve of this municipality. In 1904-05 he served as president of the Manitoba branch of the Royal Caledonia Curling Club. THOMAS ROBINSON. Mr. Thomas Robinson, one of the oldest barristers of Winnipeg, was born on May 21,1854, at Royston, Cambridgeshire, England. His educational advantages were derived from a course in the grammar school at his home in Kent, and afterwards under private tuition. He came to Canada in 1882, and in 1883 entered the office of Messrs. Bain, Blanchard and Mulock, Winnipeg, Manitoba. After being called to the bar in 1885 he joined the firm of Messrs. Bain, Blanchard, Perdue and Murphy; this firm afterwards becoming Messrs. Bain, Perdue and Robinson. On the late Mr. Justice Bain being raised to the Bench this firm became Messrs. Perdue and Robin- son, which was afterwards dissolved in 1900. Mr. Robinson then formed a partnership with Mr. W. F. Hull, since which time the firm of Messrs. Robinson and Hull has continued in practice. On April 19, 1888, Mr. Robinson married Miss Evelyn Salter, a resi- dent of Halifax, Nova Scotia, of United Empire Loyalist descent, and unto this marriage have been born three children. Mr. Robinson has been prominently associated with church work, the Masonic order and fraternal societies. In 1895 he served as grand master of the Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and has been president of the Board of General Purposes for over sixteen years. For four years he was people’s warden of Holy Trinity parish, and for several years a delegate to the diocesan synod of Rupert’s Land for this parish, and a member of the executive committee of the synod. Mr. Robinson is a Liberal in politics, but with independent ideas.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 489 WILLIAM GOMEZ DA FONSECA. Mr. William Gomez da Fonseca was born in 1823 at Santa Croix, in the Danish West Indies. His full name was Don Derigo Nojada Gomez da Silva Fonseca, but on leaving Spanish surroundings he adopted for conveni- ence the shorter name. At the age of seventeen he went to New York, afterwards proceeding westward to Neshota, Wisconsin, where he studied for the ministry, but was forced to give it up owing to weakness of the eyes. In 1850 he located in St. Paul, Minnesota, and opened a wholesale establishment. He remained in St. Paul until 1859, and came with ox carts to the Red River settlement. Here he opened a store at Fort Garry, and purchased the property on which the old home still stands. Since his arrival in Winnipeg he has taken an active part in all public matters. His character was irreproachable, and he came through years of public career with a spotless record. For eight consecutive terms he was elected a member of the city council, and he took an active part in the promotion of civic enterprises, as chairman of the market, license and health committee he assisted in passing by-laws which have been of invaluable aid to the city’s interests. Mr. Fonseca was a great believer in the practicability of the Hudson’s Bay route, and some years ago wrote a lengthy review on the subject. He was associated with Mr. Hugh Sutherland in trying to further the interests of the Hudson’s Bay Railway. Mr. Fonseca was a devoted member of the Church of England, and was connected at different times with St. John’s Cathedral, Christ Church and Holy Trinity Church, and for years was superintendent of the Christ Church Sunday School, of which he was the founder, having held the first class in his own log house at Point Douglas. He was the first superintend- ent of the Holy Trinity Sunday School and was vestryman of St. John’s parish for thirty-six years. In 1865 Mr. Fonseca married Miss Logan, a daughter of Thomas Logan, and a niece of ex-mayor Logan. Ten children has been born of this union, five sons and five daughters.490 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. FREDERICK HENDERSON BRYDGES. One of the most prominent real estate operators in the city of Winni- peg is Mr. F. H. Brydges, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of England, born in 1852, but since youth has been a resident of the Domin- ion of Canada. He was educated partly in England and partly in Canada, graduating from McGill University, in Montreal, in 1871. He was educated for the profession of mechanical engineering, and followed this profession for several years, until coming to Manitoba in 1880. Here he engaged in construction and iron works, and then went into the railway business, which he continued up to 1892, when his present business of insurance, railway supplies and real estate was instituted. The firm is known as F. H. Brydges & Sons, and is one of the best known institutions in the entire pro- vince. The two eldest sons of Mr. Brydges, John and Charles, are identi- fied with their father in the conducting of this business. In social relations Mr. Brydges holds membership with the Commercial and Manitoba Clubs, the St. Charles Country Club of Winnipeg, and with the Wellington and Hurlingham Clubs of London, England. He and his family are members of the Church of England. ARCHIBALD McLAREN. Mr. Archibald McLaren, who is in partnership with his brother, Alex. Stewart McLaren, are the proprietors of the Empire Hotel of Winnipeg, is a native of Lanark county, Ontario, his birth having occurred on Sep- tember 7, 1856. He is a son of the late Alexander McLaren, who also followed the hotel business, both in Perth and in Winnipeg. Mr. McLaren was educated in the public schools of Perth, Ontario, afterwards entering the hotel business with his father, and later moved to Smith’s Falls, at which point he was identified with the hotel business up to 1877, when he came to Manitoba. Mr. McLaren started in the hotel business in Winnipeg in the old McCaskill House, which institution he conducted for two years, afterwards moving to the Brunswick Hotel, which he and his brother conducted for nearly twenty years. They purchased the(f" '7*4 *HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 491 Empire Hotel in 1904, and after making necessary alterations, etc., opened the institution for business in February, 1905. Mr. McLaren is affiliated with the Masonic order, being a member of King Edward Commandery, K.L., and Khartoum Temple of the Mystic Shrine. Mr. Alex. Stewart was born in Lanark, Ontario, on August 27, 1866, and like his brother was educated in the public schools of that county, and since coming to Winnipeg has been identified with his brother Archibald in the conduct of the McCaskill House, the Brunswick Hotel and the Empire Hotel. Both brothers are popular with a multitude of friends, and the success they are making in their business is the deserved recognition of those most excellent qualities which both brothers possess to an eminent degree. The Empire Hotel was erected in 1882 by Lieutenant-Governor Canscho and occupies a space of one hundred and fifty feet on Main street and one hundred and twenty feet on York avenue. It is a four story and basement, brick and iron structure, containing one hundred rooms and is operated on the American plan. When the McLaren Brothers pur- chased the property about seventy-five thousand was expended on improve- ments, it being refitted throughout and newly furnished, the investment standing about two hundred thousand dollars. It is to-day recognized as one of the leading hotels of the province, and in fact of western Canada. ALEXANDER LAWRIE SCOTT. Mr. Alexander Lawrie Scott, vice-president and secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Pacific Railway Laundry Company, Limited, was born on July 6, 1871, in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a son of Walter Scott, who prior to his retirement from active pursuits followed the occupation of farming. Up to 1882 Mr. Scott received his education in the George Watson’s School, Edinburgh, in which year he came with his parents to Manitoba, the family locating at Winnipeg. In 1884 a small plant was erected to do the Canadian Pacific Railway Company’s laundry work exclusively, and in 1893 the plant was increased to accommodate the increase of the railroad.492 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Later on outside work was taken in, and the plant was increased to its present size, it being one of the most modern and up-to-date plants in the Dominion. Mr. Scott personally supervises the business, and through his efforts the business has assumed its present proportions. In 1899 Mr. Scott married Miss Florence Morgan, of Ontario. They are the parents of one child, Margaret. In all affairs pertaining to the benefit of Winnipeg he takes an active interest, and he holds membership in the Winnipeg Board of Trade. Mr. Scott is perhaps better known to the'musical fraternity and to all lovers of music as a musician than as a business man, for it is in this sense that he has appeared before the public. For three years he studied the violin in Europe, and upon his return to Winnipeg was one of the organizers of the Appolo Club, now known as the Winnipeg Orchestral Society. This Society gives a concert each year, which is one of the musical events of the season in the province. It is conceded to Mr. Scott that it was through his efforts that the society has been brought to its present high state, and all lovers of music unite in giving him the credit due for this undertaking. Mr. Scott held classes, but of late on account of pressure of business inter- ests has been compelled to forego what has always been a pleasure to him. EZRA ARTHUR MOTT. Mr. Ezra Arthur Mott, western manager of the Cockshutt Plough Company, Limited, of Brantford, Ontario, was born in Brantford, Ontario, in 1869. He received his education in the public schools of his native city and in 1888 became identified with the Cockshutt Plough Company in Brantford, since continuing in the service of this corporation. In 1891 the Winnipeg branch was opened, Mr. Mott being sent from the Brantford office to open the Winnipeg branch, since which time he has been in charge of its affairs. In 1896 Mr. Mott married Miss Martha Harold, a daughter of Samuel Harold, of Brantford, and two children has been born of this union, Harold and Jean. Fraternally Mr. Mott is affiliated with the Masonic order and also holds membership in the Manitoba Club, the Commercial Club and St. Charles Country Club. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 493 The Cockshutt Plough Company, Limited, was incorporated in 1877, the head office being located in Brantford, Ontario. The company are extensive manufacturers of plough and agricultural implements. In 1891 the Manitoba branch was opened in order to better facilitate the handling of its enormous business in western Canada. The Winnipeg branch covers the territory from Port Arthur west to the Pacific ocean, having about three hundred agencies under its supervision. The present magnificent head- quarters were erected in 1902 and cover a ground space of eighty by one hundred and twenty feet, the structure being of brick and stone and erected at a cost of seventy-five thousand dollars. The building is one of the handsome additions to the wholesale district of Winnipeg. JAMES H. CADHAM. The pioneer architect of Winnipeg is Mr. James H. Cadham, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of London, Ontario, his birth occurring on August 31, 1850. The parents of Mr. Cadham are Thomas and Eliza N. (Orchard) Cadham, both of whom are natives of England, and early settlers of Canada, where the father operated a sash, door and blind factory located at London. Mr. Cadham was educated at the public schools of London, but left school at the early age of sixteen to learn the carpenter’s trade. He fol- lowed this occupation up to 1870, when he decided to come to Manitoba, locating the same* year in Winnipeg. Upon his arrival he volunteered as a private in the Red River expedition under General Wolseley, and became a member of No. 1 Battalion under Captain Cook. After the forces were disbanded he received his discharge on March 4, 1871, after which he became actively engaged in the business of contracting and building, which business has been continued up to the present time. Since 1895, however, he has devoted most of his energies towards his profession of architecture, and is the pioneer of that profession in the province. His operations in this line have been confined principally to large warehouses and stores, and during this time he has erected the majority of the finest buildings in the city of Winnipeg. In December, 1874, Mr. Cadham married Miss Eliza Calanan, a494 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. daughter of Thomas C. Calanan, of Perry du Chene, Wisconsin. Five children have been born of this union: Ethel; Fred, who is now a practicing physician of Winnipeg; Joseph, Frank and Laura. Fraternally Mr. Cadham is affiliated with the Masonic order, and since 1871 has been an active member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. ALFRED AUGUSTUS ANDREWS. The subject of this sketch is one of the energetic business men of Win- nipeg, and is vice-president and general manager of the Winnipeg Rubber Company, Limited. He is a native of Ottawa, born February 14, 1864. His educational advantages were acquired in the public and high schools of Ottawa, and was supplemented by a course at the Collegiate Institute at that city. Desiring to equip himself thoroughly for a business life, he attended business college at Ottawa, and after graduating from there he came to Winnipeg, arriving here in 1882. For one year he fulfilled the duties of cashier for Mr. Thomas Ryan, and then entered the real estate business, which he conducted for a short time, afterwards engaging in the general agency business. On March 25, 1884, he secured the agency on a commission basis for the Gutta Percha Company, Limited. From that time he devoted more attention to the rubber business, and gradually discontinued all his other interests until he devoted his entire time to the former business. In 1895 he organized the Winnipeg Rubber Company, Limited, and the concern was opened as a wholesale jobbing house. Since that time the business has steadily increased in volume, so that at the present time it is the largest emporium of rubber goods in western Canada. In 1895 Mr. Andrews married Miss Murray, the daughter of ex-Super- intendent Murray, of the Canadian Pacific Railway. They have one child, Dorothy. Mr. Andrews is a member of the Commercial and Manitoba Clubs and also of the St. Charles Country Club. In fraternal circles he takes an active interest in the Masonic order, of which he is a valued member. He is too busy a man to devote much attention to political affairs, but gives his support to the Conservative party.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 495 THE WINNIPEG RUBBER COMPANY, LIMITED, was organized in 1895, with the following officers: H. D. Warren, president and treasurer; A. A. Andrews, vice-president and general manager; and C. N. Candee, Toronto, secretary. It is a branch of the Gutta Percha Rubber Company of Toronto and operates under a local charter. The trade extends from Port Arthur to the Rocky Mountains, and an immense business is transacted. Some of the staple lines carried are Maltese Cross brand boots and shoes, Maltese Cross fire hose, Eureka and Pandgora cotton rubber lined fire hose, and also a general line of belting, hose, packing and druggists’ sundries, etc. The offices of the company are located at 41 Princess street, Winnipeg. GEORGE HERBERT SHAW. Mr. George Herbert Shaw, traffic manager of the Canadian Northern Railway, is a native of Lanark county, Ontario. He was born on November 25, 1869, and is a son of James and Sarah (Bates) Shaw, both of whom were natives of Canada. The father is of Scotch-Irish descent, and the mother of United Empire Loyalist stock. The father was associated with Colonel By in the construction of the Rideau Canal, and afterwards followed mer- chandising at Smith’s Falls and general lumbering on the Ottawa river. Mr. Shaw’s grandfather, Senator Shaw, represented the united counties of Lanark and Renfrew before Confederation, and later was senator for the Bathurst district. The subject of this sketch was educated at the high school of Smith’s Falls, and in 1877 was graduated from the Ontario College of Agriculture at Guelph, Ontario. The following year he came to Manitoba in the government survey, and for two years followed this occupation. He then returned to Montreal, and after two years spent in that city entered the services of the Canadian Pacific Railway in its traffic department. For nine years up to May, 1901, he was identified with this department of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and resigned in that year to take charge of the traffic department of the Canadian Northern Railway, and is now traffic manager of that road. In 1886 Mr. Shaw married Miss Louise Garwood, a daughter of Robert496 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. Garwood, of Hamilton, Ontario. Mr. Shaw has always taken an active interest in club life, holding membership in the Canadian Club of Mon- treal, the Manitoba Club, the Commercial Club of Winnipeg, and the Brandon Club. Mr. and Mrs. Shaw are valued members of the Episcopal church. GEORGE FRASER MUNROE. George Fraser Munroe, the subject of this sketch, who occupies an enviable position in the legal profession in the city of Winnipeg, is a native of Kildonan, Manitoba, and was born August 25, 1849, being a son of Robert and Christina (Fraser) Munroe. The father was a native of Sutherland- shire, Scotland, and came to the Red river in 1831, settling in Kildonan, where he carried on agricultural pursuits up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1891, at the age of seventy years. The mother was a native of the Red River settlement; her parents also being of Scotch descent, her mother coming to this country with the early Selkirk settlers in 1814. Mr. Munroe was raised on the home farm and educated in the common schools of the place of his nativity, and at St. John’s College, his final studies being taken at Manitoba College, from which institution he was graduated in 1881 with the degree of B.A. Three years subsequent to this he was admitted to the bar, and has since been in continual practice in Winnipeg. Mr. Munroe has the distinction of being the oldest municipal office-holder in the province, having been secretary and treasurer of the Rural Munici- pality of Kildonan since 1876. On September 10, 1885, Mr. Munroe married Miss Matilda Inman Hopper, a daughter of John Hopper, an old settler of Manitoba who located in the province in 1878. The following children have been born of this union: David Allan, John, Robert J., Samuel, Isabella, the wife of Robert Stewart; Jenny, the wife of George Davidson; Sarah Anne, wife of Norman Matheson, of Kildonan; Nellie, wife of Frank Calvert, of Brandon. Fraternally Mr. Munroe is affiliated with the Masonic order, with the Scottish Clans, the Maccabees and the Woodmen of the World. Politically he gives his support to the Conservative party, and has always taken an active part in both local and provincial politics. In educational matters heHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 497 also takes a deep interest, and at present is a member of the board of man- agement of Manitoba College. GISLI OLAFSON. One of the successful and prominent business men of the Province of Manitoba is Mr. Gisli Olafson, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Thingeyar, Sysla, Iceland, his birth having occurred on June 1, 1855, and is a son of Olafur and Rannveig Svienbjarnar (Dottir) Olafson, the father following the occupation of farmer. Mr. Olafson was raised on his father’s farm, and educated in the common schools of his native place. He worked on the farm until 1886, and then came to Canada, locating in Manitoba. For three years he worked out on farms, and on September 16, 1889, came to Winnipeg, where he started the business of flour, feed, grain and produce, in which business he still continues. Mr. Olafson has made a great success of his business by square dealing and honorable methods, and his business at the present is one of the/largest in this line in the province. Eighteen employes assist him in his work. His present handsome building is located at the corner of King and James streets, is three stories and basement high, built of pressed brick throughout. It covers a ground space of one hundred by sixty feet, and is an ornament to the wholesale district of the city. Much of Mr. Olafson’s success may be attributed to the fact that he was educated for the farming business, and has made a deep and thorough study of it in all its branches. Coming to Canada without funds and without friends, the great success he has attained has been deserving, and to-day he is recog- nized as one of the representative business men of the city. In 1890 Mr. Olafson married Miss Elin S. Johnson, a native of Iceland. They are the parents of one daughter, Alpha. Mr. Olafson is a valued member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade and also of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange. Fraternally he affiliates with the Independent Order of Foresters. GEORGE WHITE MURRAY. Mr. George White Murray, proprietor of the Royal Planing Mills, and one of the most prominent men engaged in the lumber industry in the 3»498 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Province of Manitoba, is a native of Glasgow, Scotland, where he was born on January 17, 1856. He is a son of John and Jannet (Turnbull) Murray, both of whom were also natives of Scotland. The father was born at the old Roman town of Kirkintilloch, one of the oldest Roman towns of Scot- land, while the mother’s place of nativity was Bannockburn, and both father and mother are of old Scotch ancestry. Mr. Murray was educated at Glasgow University, but left school at the age of eighteen and was articled to the carpenter’s and joiner’s trade, at which he served his time. After the failure of the City of Glasgow Bank in 1881 he came to Canada, and after a year spent in Montreal came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. Here he engaged in general contracting business, which occupation he followed until 1890; when he established the Royal Planing Mills. The institution is one of the most extensive in this line of industry in the western portion of Canada and employs upwards of one hundred men. All classes of interior finish, including joiner and cabinet work, is turned out, the product of the plant being shipped to all points throughout the Provinces of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The main building is located at the foot of Market street, and is a handsome five story brick structure, covering a ground space of fifty by one hundred and twenty feet. In 1889 Mr. Murray married Miss Flora Lyon, a daughter of Judge William Lyon, of Rat Portage. They are the parents of five children: Gertrude, Maggie, John, Crawford and William. Mr. Murray is president of the Winnipeg Builders’ Exchange and is also an active member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. Fraternally he affiliates with the Masonic order, the Woodmen of the World and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. WILLIAM BARNES LAIT. One of the prominent architects of the city of Winnipeg is Mr. William Barnes Lait, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Folkestone, Eng- land, his birth having occurred on May 30, 1855, his parents being William and Mary Anne (Barnes) Lait, the father a native of Warwickshire, and the mother of Staffordshire, England. The father was by profession anHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 499 architect, and was also county surveyor for the county of Warwick, which occupation he continued until his death in 1890. Mr. Lait was educated at Kiniton Middle Schools, but left school at the age of seventeen and was articled to a Birmingham architect, with whom he served his time of four years, and on returning home engaged in busi- ness with his father, which he continued up to May, 1890, and in addition to the practice of his profession had the supervision of many private and public buildings. In May, 1890, Mr. Lait came to Toronto, where he prac- ticed his profession, his first work being the supervision of the structure of Wycliffe College building. In 1892 he came to Winnipeg, where he has since resided in the practice of his profession, with the exception of one year which was spent in Chicago. From 1892 to 1896 he filled the position of superintendent and general assistant to George Browne, one of the pioneer architects of the province, and in the fall of 1897 engaged in the practice of the profession on his own account. He has had the supervision of the construction of the University of Manitoba, the Bank of Hamilton, the Mariaggi Hotel, and other well known buildings in the city. In 1882 Mr. Lait married Miss Alice Louisa Robinson, a daughter of James Robinson, of London, England. Twelve children have been born of this union, of whom four are living: William Charles, Jr., a scenic artist of Chicago; Edward, Arthur Percy and Leonard. Mr. Lait is a member of the S.O.E.B.S., and fraternally holds mem- bership with the fraternal order of Eagles. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lait are members of Holy Trinity church. EDWARD BOYCE. Mr. Edward Boyce, proprietor of the Boyce Carriage Company, of Winnipeg, was bom on November 3, 1855, at Sydenham, near Kingston, Ontario, and is a son of William and Kate Lavina (Haight) Boyce, both of whom are natives of Canada, coming of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, who settled in Canada about 1790 and were United Empire Loyalists. The father followed the occupation of a contractor and merchant up to the time of his death. Mr. Boyce received his education at the public schools of Kingston, leav-500 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ing school at the early age of sixteen, at which time he learned the carriage business at Collinsby, and after a few years at that point went to Toronto, where he followed his trade. In 1878 he emigrated to Manitoba, where he located at Winnipeg and entered the employ of Montgomery Brothers of that city. In 1881 he engaged in business on his own account as a manu- facturer of all classes of vehicles, his institution being one of the largest of its kind in Canada. The main building of his plant is a five-story brick and stone structure, covering a ground space of seventy-five by one hundred and twenty feet. The output of the factory is shipped from Port Arthur to the Pacific coast, and an immense business is annually transacted. Mr. Boyce was first married to Miss Mary'Eliza Taylor, a daughter of Thomas Taylor, of Ottawa. Mrs. Boyce died in 1900, leaving two children: Wilfred and Norman. In 1902 Mr. Boyce was again married, Miss Ada Wilkinson, a daughter of William Wilkinson, of Owen Sound, becoming his wife. Fraternally Mr. Boyce is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is an active member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. MAXIME ROCAN. Maxime Rocan, the pioneer butcher of Winnipeg, is a native of St. Vincent de Paul, Province of Quebec, near Montreal, born on August 14, 1841. He is a son of Agapit and Aurile (Bell) Rocan, both natives of Quebec and representatives of old French families, their ancestors settling there about 1790. The father followed farming as his life’s occupation, and the subject of this sketch was raised on the home farm until the age of thirteen, deriving his education from the common schools of the district. He left school at the age of thirteen, and for the next three years was engaged in farming in his native place, but in 1854 went to Montreal, where he was apprenticed to the butcher’s trade. The first wages that Mr. Rocan received were one dollar per month, and the second year this sum was raised to two dollars per month. In 1865 he engaged in business for himself at Montreal, continuing there up to 1872, at which time he came to Manitoba and located in Winnipeg, starting the first butcher shop at what was then known as Fort Garry, now Winnipeg. The shop wasHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 501 located on Main street, where the Bank of Ottawa now stands, and with several changes in location Mr. Rocan has continued in the business up to the present time. In 1873 Mr. Rocan married Miss Mary Camiran, a daughter of Raphal Camiran, who was of Scotch descent, his parents coming to Quebec in 1775 during the war of the revolution. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Rocan, as follows: Elie, a son by his first marriage, parish priest at St. Elizabeth, Manitoba; Joseph, a physician practicing at Somerset, Manitoba; Maxime, Jr., now manager of Rocan & Company; Yvonne, wife of A. McMillan; and Gustave, who is studying law in Winnipeg. JOHN FLEMING. John Fleming, the subject of this sketch, is actively identified in the grain business of the Province of Manitoba, being one of the leading mem- bers of the Winnipeg Grain and Produce Exchange. He was born July 18, 1858, at Darvel, Scotland, and is a son of Thomas and Agnes (Young) Fleming, both of whom are natives of Scotland and representatives of old families of that country. After the death of the mother the family moved to Manitoba, in 1883, although Mr. Fleming and his brother James had preceded them by three years, arriving in the province in 1880. The father followed his occupation of merchandising, it being principally confined to the grocery and provision trade. Mr. Fleming was educated in the public schools of Newmilns, Scotland, but leaving school at the age of fourteen he entered a wholesale dry goods house in Glasgow, with which institution he remained until coming to Canada. Upon his arrival in Miantoba he located on a homestead, which he operated up to 1896, then moving to Deloraine, where he was secretary and treasurer of the municipality of Winchester from 1896 to 1899. He then came to Winnipeg and entered the employ of Alexander McFee & Company, grain merchants, and later on was appointed manager of their Winnipeg Branch. He is also secretary of the Young Grain Company, Limited. In 1889 Mr. Fleming married Miss Maggie J. Paterson, a daughter of John Paterson, of Winnipeg. Five children have been born of this union:502 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Jessie, Thomas, Marion, Murray and Allan. Mr. Fleming is an elder of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian church, and is clerk of the session, and is also a member of the board of management of the Manitoba College. THOMAS RUTHERFORD. For over thirty years Mr. Thomas Rutherford, the subject of this sketch, has been prominently identified with the lumber interests of the Province of Manitoba, and during that time has built up a magnificent business, whose ramifications extend throughout the entire western provinces of the Dominion. He is a native of Dumfries township, near Galt, Ontario, county of Brant, and was born October 1, 1833, being a son of "William and Mary (Rutherford) Rutherford, both of whom were natives of Scot- land and early settlers of Jedborough, Brant county. Here the father followed agricultural pursuits, and lived on the farm that he originally homesteaded up to the time of his death. Mr. Rutherford was raised on the home farm, and attended the public schools of Brant county, but left school at the early age of fourteen and was apprenticed to the cabinet making and carpenter’s trade at Galt. For four years, from 1853 to 1857, he followed his trade in Detroit, Michigan, and then returned to Canada, following his trade in Ontario until 1871. In this year he came to Winnipeg with Mr. Alexander Brown, with whom he had worked for eight years in Ontario. In 1873 they established the Pioneer Planing Mills, which business has been continued up to the present time. The mills are the largest in Manitoba, employing over one hundred and fifty men, and an enormous business is annually transacted. The mills were originally started with only Mr. Rutherford and Mr. Brown to run them, but from time to time the facilities have been increased, and to-day they are among the best equipped and modern mills of western Canada. Mr. Rutherford married Miss Susan Bertha Lillie, the daughter of James Lillie, one of the early settlers of Dundas, Ontario. They are the parents of three children: Frederick, who is identified with the father in the planing mills; William, a clerk in the city comptroller’s office; and Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford are valued members of the Methodist church of Winnipeg.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 503 WILLIAM HENRY CROSS. William Henry Cross, the subject of this sketch, was born on August 23, 1852, in the county of Prescott, Ontario, near the village of L’Original, and is a son of John and Nancy (Taylor) Cross, both of whom are of Irish descent, the mother coming to Canada in 1820, the father’s parents arriving as young people about the year 1800. The family from early days all followed agricultural pursuits, and Mr. Cross’s father settled in Prescott county, where he lived up to the time of his death, and was among the first settlers to clear the soil from the brush country to its present high state of cultivation. Mr. Cross was raised on the home farm and attended public school up . to the age of sixteen, at which time he went to the Upper Ottawa river, where he was engaged in the mercantile and lumber industries until 1880. The following year he came to Winnipeg, arriving in June with three hundred and fifty dollars, this being his sole capital. From 1881 to 1887 he was connected with the land department of the Canadian Pacific Rail- way, exploring, surveying and inspecting lands for that company. During that time he traveled throughout the entire province and the North-West Territories, which experience has been most valuable to him in the conduct of his real estate business, which he has carried on in later years. He started in the real estate business on his own account in 1887, and for the next fifteen years was in partnership with Henry S. Crotty, the firm name being Crotty and Cross. In 1902 this partnership was dissolved and Mr. Cross has practically retired from active pursuits. On March 1, 1887, Mr. Cross married Miss Clarissa Purvis, a daughter of Dr. George Purvis, of Portage du Port, on the Ottawa river. Four children have been bora of this union: Elwood, Florence, Eldeen and Russell. Fraternally Mr. Cross is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. Since 1887 he has been an active member and a trustee of the Methodist church.504 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. WILLIAM JAMES KENNEDY. Mr. William James Kennedy, immigration officer at Winnipeg, was born June 9, 1857, in Howard township, county of Kent, Ontario, and is a son of George and Charlotte (Reed) Kennedy, the father a native of Ireland who came to Canada and settled in Kent county. Shortly after arriving in Canada the father settled in Pennsylvania, and after service with the Mexican war returned to Canada about 1853, settling again in Kent county. Mr. Kennedy of this review" was educated in the common schools of Kent county, and up to the age of twenty remained on the home farm, the next four years being occupied in teaching school. In 1882 he came to Manitoba, arriving in Winnipeg in April of that year, and the following year went to Virden, where he was engaged in the agricultural implement business, having built the first implement warehouse in the town. He continued this business until 1900, at which time he disposed of his interests and purchased the Virden Advance, which he published to June, 1903. On the 1st of March of the latter year he was appointed immigration officer at Winnipeg, which office he is now acceptably filling. In 1897 Mr. Kennedy was returned a member of the local legislature in the interests of the Liberal party, and prior to that had served as councillor for the town of Virden from 1890 to 1893, and as mayor from 1893 to 1895. In 1885 Mr. Kennedy married Miss Jennie Brady, of Virden, a daughter of Thomas Brady, one of the pioneers of that locality. They are the parents of seven children living: Harvey, Gertrude, Arthur, George, Howard, Jennie and Allan. Three children died in infancy. Since 1880 Mr. Kennedy has been a member of the Masonic order, also holding membership in the Ancient Order of United Workmen. FREDERICK WILLIAM STOBART. The subject of this sketch is a native of Durham county, England, born January 27, 1859, and is the son of the late William Stobart, who was a native of Durham, England, where he was the owner of large coal interests. His mother, Sophia Wylde, who died in 1895, was a daughter of GeneralHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 505 Wylde. Mr. Stobart received his education at Wellington College and Cam- bridge University, after which he went into Marine engineering, which pro- fession he followed for two years, and in 1880 came to Winnipeg to look after the interests of his father, who had established fur trading posts in Western Canada. As fur trading went further north and the country became settled by farmers he decided to give up fur trading and supply the wants of the storekeepers, and the business has since been conducted as exclusively wholesale dry goods. On June 28, 1899, it was incorporated as Stobart, Sons & Company, Limited, the majority of the stock being held by Mr. Stobart and his brothers. Shipments are made from Port Arthur to British Columbia, and the institution is one of the best in western Canada. In addition to this large business Mr. Stobart is vice-president of the Canadian Fire Insurance Company, local director of the Edinburgh Life Insurance Company, of Scotland, a member of the advisory board of the Canada Life Assurance Company and a director of the Northern Bank. He is also a director in the Northern Trust Company. In 1884 Mr. Stobart married Miss Margaret Brydges, and they are the parents of five children: Grace, Milicent, Phoebe, Frank and William. In addition to his business affairs Mr. Stobart has always taken an active interest in matters pertaining to the public good, and has served as presi- dent of the Board of Trade, Winnipeg. ALEXANDER DAWSON, M.A. Mr. Alexander Dawson, M.A., a prominent barrister of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and president of the St. Andrew’s Society of that city, was born in St. Mary’s, Ontario, on March 20, 1849. He was educated at the high school at St. Mary’s and at Upper Canada College, subsequently graduating from the Toronto University. For a time he taught in the high school at Colborne, Ontario, and at Brighton, afterwards entering the law office of R. C. Clute. He was called to the bar in Ontario in 1881, in which year he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. After being admitted to the bar in Manitoba he formed the partnership of Dawson and Graham,506 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. which continued for some time, and the firm name is now Dawson & Nason. In 1896 Mr. Dawson was appointed a police magistrate of the city, and during his term of office acceptably performed the duties which devolved upon him. For several years he was alderman for ward No. Three. He is a member of the St. Stephen’s church congregation. MILTON JOSIAH ARMINGTON. The subject of this sketch is vice-president and manager of the well- known firm of Hague, Armington & Company, of Winnipeg. He is a native of Norwich, Ontario, and was born May 7, 1851. His education was acquired in the public schools of Norwich, after which he went into the general store business at Clinton, Ontario, and was an employe for ten years, after which he started as a traveling salesman for Forbes, Roberts & Company, of Toronto, which position he held for five years, and resigned to take up similar work for Radford Brothers, of Montreal. After being four years in the service of this firm he accepted a position with James Johnston & Company, of Montreal, and for sixteen years was in the employ of this firm. He started traveling in Manitoba, in 1880, and covered all points in this province, also traveling throughout the North-West Territories and British Columbia. In 1901 he identified himself with the present business of Hague, Armington & Company and now resides in Winnipeg. The business was incorporated in 1901 as the Emerson, Hague Manufacturing Company. The officers of the company are as follows: Thomas Meredith, president; M. J. Armington, vice-president and manager; and J. H. Nelson, secretary and treasurer. The capital stock is seventy-five thousand dollars. The concern manufacture all kinds of tents, awnings, flags, horse blankets, tarpaulins and waggon and separator covers. An immense business is trans- acted, the trade reaching from Fort William to the Pacific coast. In 1874 Mr. Armington married Miss Alice Evelyn Stratby, a resident of Clinton, Ontario. They are the parents of two children: Frank M. and Lena Vivian. Mr. Armington is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, also of No. 54, Winnipeg, of the United Commercial Travelers ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 507 America, of the Commercial Travelers’ Association of Canada and the Com- mercial Club of Winnipeg. In politics Mr. Armington gives his support to the Liberal party. ALEXANDER C. McRAE. One of the successful and prominent business men of the province is Mr. Alexander C. McRae, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Ontario, his birth having occurred in Carleton county, that province, on March 2, 1862. After a public school education in his native county, he was apprenticed to the harness makingtrade, at which he served his time, after- wards learning the trade of carriage trimming. For some time afterwards, Mr. McRae worked as a journeyman in different parts of Ontario, being successively located at Kemptville, Ottawa, Brockville and at Gananoque, at which latter point he started in the packing business. He only continued this for one year, and then immigrated to New Haven, Connecticut, remain- ing there during the summer and then deciding that Canada offered a better field for his operations, he returned to Toronto, where he remained one summer, afterwards going to Peterborough and again to Gananoque. In 1887 he came to Manitoba and located in Winnipeg. On the day of his arrival he rented a shop, and started in the manufacturing of carriage tops and trimmings, which business he conducted for three years, and then formed a partnership with Mr. J. G. Harvey, and started the business of carriage and agricultural implements and the manufacturing was still continued and is in operation at the present time. In 1895 the firm came to the present location, and in 1898 he purchased his partner’s interest and the following year bought the property and erected the present building, which is thirty by one hundred feet, five stories and basement, built of brick, at the cost of about fifty thousand dollars. In 1890 Mr. McRae married Miss Maud Boyce, a native of Ontario. They are the parents of two children: Stella Mary, aged fourteen, and Claud George Albert, aged six. Mr. McRae is a valued member of the Masonic fraternity, and also of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He takes an active interest in civic affairs, and is one of the leading mem- bers of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. He is a Liberal in politics and a members of the Presbyterian church.508 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. CHARLES MYRON SIMPSON. Although a resident of the province but a short time, Mr. Charles Myron Simpson has made himself a leading factor in real estate circles, and is now identified with some of the largest real estate transactions in the entire province. He is a native of Lindsay, Ontario, his birth having occurred April 6, 1873. His father was likewise a resident of Ontario, of which he was an early settler, and his death occurred in 1903. The subject of this sketch was educated in the common schools of Ontario, and more particularly by his home studies. After leaving school he was engaged in lumber and various other occupations in Ontario, and came to Manitoba in 1899. For one year he was identified with railway construction, and in 1900 came to Winnipeg, where he started in the real estate business. He is manager for the Riverview Realty Company, the largest owners of residential property in the city, also for the Winnipeg Fire Insurance Company, and the Empire Loan Company. The firm of Beck & Simpson, of which he is the junior member, is known as one of the active firms engaged in the real estate and financial business of the province. In 1903 Mr. Simpson married Miss Florence McLeod, a resident of Winnipeg, and they are the parents of one child, Myron Leslie. Mr. Simp- son is a popular member of the Commercial Club, and he and Mrs. Simpson are attendants of the Methodist church. CHARLES H. CRANSTON. For over twenty-five years Charles H. Cranston, the subject of this sketch, has been a resident of Winnipeg, and during that time has rapidly advanced to the front, until at present he is recognized as one of the suc- cessful business men of the city of his adoption. He was born in Woburn, Scarboro township, Ontario, March 30, 1867, and received his education at the public schools of his native county. On February 1, 1882, his parents emigrated to Manitoba and located at Win- nipeg, and Mr. Cranston shortly afterwards entered the drug business as a clerk with W. Whitehead & Company, for whom he continued for five years. He then accepted a situation as traveling representative for the Mitchell-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 509 Drug Company and the companies that succeeded this company, for a period of nine years. In 1896 he entered business for himself and started a drug store at the corner of Main and Pacific avenue. He moved from that locality to No. 347 Notre Dame avenue in 1899. In addition to his drug business, he carries on an extensive business in the line of wholesale barber supplies and specialties. The trade covers the entire Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. In 1892 Mr. Cranston married Miss Jessie Chisholm, a resident of Winnipeg. They are the parents of one child, Alma. In 1905 Mr. Cranston was again married, to Miss Annie Bowie, a resident of Collingwood, Ontario. Mr. Cranston takes an active interest in fraternal orders, and is a valued member of the Canadian Order of Foresters, of the Woodmen of the World and the Odd Fellows. ADAMS BROTHERS HARNESS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LIMITED. One of the largest manufacturing institutions of Manitoba is the Adams Brothers Harness Manufacturing Company, Limited, of Winnipeg. It is capitalized for three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, with the following officers: J. H. Adams, president; Charles Adams, vice-presi- dent ; S. Galloway, secretary-treasurer; and F. W. Adams, manager western department, and with Mr. A. B. Adams the above named gentlemen con- stitute the directorate. The main factory is located in Toronto, with branches at Brandon, Moosomin and Winnipeg. The company was first started in Brandon, in 1881, with Charles Adams as manager. In 1904 the present building was erected in Winnipeg, it being six stories high with basement, covers a ground space of fifty by one hundred and thirty-eight feet, and its valua- tion is sixty thousand dollars. The trade of the concern reaches from ocean to ocean, and it is one of the best known institutions of its kind in the Dominion.510 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. FRANK W. ADAMS. Mr. Frank W. Adams, manager of the western department, was born in county Oxford, Ontario, in 1861. He received his education in the public schools of Oxford, and later entered the dry goods business, with which he was associated for twelve years. . In 1888 he came to Manitoba, locating at Brandon, and was identified wtih the saddlery and harness business there until coming to Winnipeg. Mr. Adams was married in 1884 to Miss Isabella Kate Hall, of Wood- stock, Ontario, and they have one child, Charles Marlow. Mr. Adams is a member of the Commercial Club of Winnipeg, is a Liberal in politics and is a member of the Methodist church. He is secretary-treasurer of the Adams Shoe Company, Limited, of Brandon, Manitoba, and is a member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade. CHARLES ADAMS. Mr. Charles Adams, vice-president of the company, was born in the county of Oxford, Ontario, February 27, 1858. He was educated in the Oxford county public schools, and also took one course in the Dundas Collegiate Institute. He was then taught the harness-making trade by his father, H. J. Adams, and continued in that business in Oxford until coming to Manitoba in 1881. Locating at Brandon, he founded the business in a small way, and it has since grown to its present mammoth proportions. While in Brandon he took an active interest in political affairs, repre- senting Brandon in the Provincial legislature in 1891, but was defeated for the same in 1899. He was alderman of the city for several years and was its mayor for two years. In the upbuilding of Brandon he took an active part, and was also always identified with the local Board of Trade. In 1877 Mr. Adams married Miss Clara Filey, of Woodstock, Ontario. They have four children: Lome H., Stanley, Louisa and Russell. In addi- tion to his other interests Mr. Adams is a director of the Crown Bank of Canada and is secretary-treasurer of the Rideout River and Lake Naviga- tion Company.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 511 GEORGE BOWLES THOMPSON. Prominently identified with the wholesale commission business of the Province of Manitoba is Mr. George Bowles Thompson, the subject of this sketch. He was born January 27, 1865, in Quebec, and was educated in the schools of his native city. In 1888 he came to Winnipeg, where he entered the employ of Tees & Persse, with whom he was associated for one and a half years. Severing his connection with this institution he went to St. Paul, where he remained for several years, during which time he was identified with similar business, and in 1898 he returned to Winnipeg, and since that period has been in the commission business. Among the houses that he represents are the A. Booth & Company and the Booth Packing Company, of Baltimore and Chicago; Lopez & Dukate, of Boloxi, Mississippi; the Imperial Starch Company, of Prescott, Ontario; Guggenhime & Company, of San Francisco; Metcalfe & Son, of Portage la Prairie; New Occidental Milling Company, of Minneapolis; Luther Ford Company, of Minneapolis; James Wilson & Sons, of Fergus, Ontario; Port Dover Evaporating Company, of Port Dover, Ontario; the Pacific Selling Company, of New York; Joseph Travers & Sons, of London, England; the Force Food Company, of Buffalo, New York; Boone Cereal Company, of Boone, Iowa; J. Lemessurier & Sons, of Quebec; and many other agencies. A number of these agencies extend throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Mr. Thompson is a member of the Northern Star Lodge, No. 2., of the Independent Order of Foresters, and of the Commercial Club of Winnipeg. DR. CHARLES WHITEFIELD CLARK. Dr. Charles Whitefield Clark, the pioneer homceopathist of Winnipeg, was born of United Empire Loyalist parents, on February 25, 1845, in the Province of New Brunswick. The mother of Dr. Clark was Miss Lucy Ann Estey, who is still living near Adrian, Michigan, at the advanced age of ninety years. Dr. Clark was taken to Ontario at the age of two and a half years, the family settling near Ingersoll. Here he attended the common and high schools, and at the age of eighteen started the study of512 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. medicine, graduating from the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago at the age of twenty-one years. Immediately afterwards he went to St. Louis, and after taking an additional year at the Missouri Homoeopathic Medical College of that city he returned to Ontario and located at Aylmer. He passed his examination there in 1867 and at once started the practice of his profession in partnership with an older brother, Dr. G. F. Clark. After remaining in practice for four years at that point he went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and took a four years’ literary course, graduating with the degree of B.S. Again returning to Aylmer he recommenced practice, continuing there until November, 1882, at which time he came to Manitoba, and located at Winnipeg, being the first homoeopathist of that city. Dr. Clark has been in active practice ever since that date. In addi- tion to the practice of his profession he is heavily interested in real estate and also in mining. In 1875 Dr. Clark married Miss Martha E. Brown, of Aylmer, Ontario. They are the parents of one son, now deceased. Since the arrival at his majority Dr. Clark has been affiliated with the Masonic order, also holding membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He gives his support to the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs. Clark hold membership in the Baptist church. JAMES ANSON GRUNDY. One of the pioneer music dealers of the Province of Manitoba is Mr. James Anson Grundy, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of county Middlesex, Ontario, and was born in January, 1859. After an education obtained in the county school in Middlesex he learned telegraphy and worked with the Grand Trunk Railway for three years, and in November, 1882, came to Winnipeg, believing that it offered a better field for his operations. He at once entered the music business, in which he has been so suc- cessfully engaged. In the early days he traveled over the entire province, directing the work of agents under him. At this time there were noHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 513 branch lines of railroads established, and Mr. Grundy has seen numerous towns grow up from prairie lands to thriving towns. In 1887 he formed a partnership with his brother, W. Grundy, the firm’s name being W. Grundy & Company, and in 1900 the Grundy Music Company was organized. This company continued business until the Winnipeg Piano and Organ Company was organized, which was in December, 1904, and of which Mr. Grundy is practically the sole owner. An immense business is transacted, reaching throughout Manitoba, Sas- katchewan and Alberta. The business is now exclusively pianos and organs, and the company acts as agent for the Bell Piano Company, and also for several other manufacturers. Mr. Grundy still travels in the piano busi- ness, and to-day has a record of selling more pianos and organs retail than any other man in the Dominion of Canada. In 1889 Mr. Grundy married Miss Jean A. Grant, of London, Ontario. They have one child, Alberta Mildred. Mr. Grundy is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and politically he is identified with the Liberal party. JOHN TULLY SPEIRS. Mr. John Tully Speirs, who is engaged in the wholesale and retail bakery and confectionery business, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on March 10, 1860, and is a son of John Speirs, who for many years was manager of the cooperage establishment of J. W. Maegregor, his death occurring in 1901. Mr. Speirs of this review was educated in the public schools of Glas- gow, afterwards learning the cooperage trade, at which he served his time and coming to Manitoba in 1882 settled in Winnipeg. On August 16, 1884, he started the bakery business in a small way, and since that time his trade has steadily increased, and at the present time he is doing a large wholesale and retail business, the product of his establishment being shipped all over the province. In addition to this he is also identified with other local business interests and owns a large amount of real estate in the city of Winnipeg. 33514 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. On October 3, 1883, Mr. Speirs married Miss Susie Mamie, and they are the parents of four childrenJames, Ellen, Mabel and Katherine. Mr. Speirs has always taken an active interest in political matters and in 1899 and 1900 served as alderman for the city. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Canadian Order of Foresters. Both he and Mrs. Speirs are members of the Presbyterian church. JOHN HANBURY. One of the prominent citizens of Brandon who is actively identified in the manufacturing industry is Mr. John Hanbury, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Markdale, Grey county, Ontario, born June 12, 1855, and is a son of William and Jane (Whitby) Hanbury, both of whom were natives of Ireland, and among the early settlers of Grey county, where they located in the early ’40s. The father followed his occupation as a farmer in this locality and died in 1861, while the mother died in 1895 at the age of sixty-five years. Mr. Hanbury was raised on the home farm and received his education in the public schools at Markdale, and later at the age of twenty-one, at Dundalk public schools. At ten years of age he left home and was engaged in farming work up to the age of fifteen, at which time he started to learn the trade of a plasterer, mason and bricklayer. He went to school in the winter months and worked in the summer, and later on entered the contracting business in Ontario, building for the farmers throughout Grey county. In these operations he was more or less success- ful, but deciding that Grey county did not offer sufficient inducement for him he determined to come west, and in January, 1882, arrived in Winnipeg and immediately thereafter located in Brandon. He at once engaged in contracting and building, and built the postoffiee block, the merchants’ block, the Langham Hotel, the General Hospital building and in fact mostly all of the principal buildings in Brandon. He continued this business until 1892, and then started a business of his own in the manufacture of doors, windows and other house finishings. In 1898 he purchased the Assiniboine Lumber Company’s saw mill at Brandon and their timber limits in Duck Mountains. At present he is engaged in general mill workHISTORY OF MANITOBA. /■ 1883, Air. Speirs married Miss Susie Mamie, and they .»f tour i-hildreuJames, Klleu. Mabel and Katherine. Mr, r,;.* 4i'-'ays t-!i an active interest in poli’a-; matters and in 1899 :• M served as alderman for the city. Fraternally be is affiliated with ■lasouie order and she Canadian Order <«* F • .;v.$U*e». Both he and Mrs Speirs are members of the Presbyterian ‘bur .<*. JOHN HA vi ' One of the prominent citizens -J is actively ni entitled in the vuanufiieturing industry is Mr the subject •'.! litis sketch. He is a native of Markdale, 'ntario, born June 12, 1855, and is a son of William and Jane HatJuiry, both i lowed his oceupatioo as a farmer in this locality and died i« 1861, while the mother died in 18'Jn at the age of sixty-five years. Mr, '(anbury was raised on the home farm and received i.ss education ; schoolat Markdale, and later at >i age of twmny-oue, at y public schools. At ten years of age he left home and was far i ug work up to the age of fifteen, at •Much time he started ’rs.de of a plasterer, mason aod brickUyer He w«tt» to ‘Her months and worked m fh-.- .gj;.;i-«er and later on s•..x.'tihsr business in ont»n,- b.uid'rg for the farmers e • . ■■ . :: ,0O*V OF U‘NS Sl.o e«*SH> ! e.irtii-.eut inducement for a arrived in AV ii.i iupeg ■ • • He at once engaged in •. postoifii-c block, the merchants' cat flospita! building and in Herndon, lie continued tins bsutmvs- w of his own in the manufacture of ■'uii-hiiiaw.. It. 1898 he purchased'the nul’ at. Brandon end then* mob' ’ »cnt he it- "t< gaged in general mill work < •• •• . until i>'* wM.tlV V-.1F Asainibotm limits in Due# ‘ ■Banbury Mfg. Co.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 515 and the manufacture of sashes and doors. The institution gives employ- ment to about two hundred men, and is one of the foremost of its character in the province. Since 1898 Mr. Hanbury has established mills at Cran- brook, Elko and Van Couser, British Columbia. In 1901 Mr. Hanbury organized the Manitoba Hardware & Lumber Company, of which he is presi- dent. The head office of the company is in Brandon, but branch houses have been established in Hamiota, Minita, Virden and Reston. The capital of this institution is one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and a large and increasing business is transacted. Mr. Hanbury was first married in 1880 to Miss Martha Miles, a daughter of Joseph Miles, of Ospera, Ontario. They are the parents of eight children: Martha, now wife of A. B. Fleming; Edgar John, traveling salesman for the company; George Richmond, manager of Vancouver mill; Wilfred, a clerk in the Elko branch; Ella May, Lawrence Martin, Edith and Mary Victoria. In 1898 Mrs. Hanbury died, and Mr. Hanbury was again married, to a Miss Isbister. Fraternally Mr. Hanbury is affiliated with the Masonic order, and both he and Mrs. Hanbury are members of the Episcopal church of Brandon. In all matters pertaining to the public welfare Mr. Hanbury takes a leading and active part, being a member of the Brandon Board of Trade, a member of the Hospital Board and having served the city as alderman. FREDERICK NATION. One of the leading merchants of Brandon, Manitoba, and a represen- tative citizen of that locality is Mr. Frederick Nation, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Morpeth, Kent county, Ontario, January 29, 1861, and is a son of James C. and Eliza (Waring) Nation, the father a native of Toronto, and the mother of London, England. The father’s parents were also natives of England, and came to Canada in 1812, settling at York, now Toronto, where the grandfather was connected with the civil service, the father following the occupation of a merchant in western Ontario. The mother came to Canada with her parents and settled at Bytown, now Ottawa, but later moved to London, Ontario. Her father was an officer of the British army, holding the rank of captain.516 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Nation was educated in the public and private schools of Morpeth, but left school at the age of eighteen and was occupied in mercantile pur- suits for three years in eastern Ontario. He came to Manitoba in 1882, and after three months' spent in Winnipeg went to the western portion of Manitoba, but the following year returned to Brandon, Manitoba, and engaged in business in partnership with T. T. Atkinson, under the firm name of Atkinson & Nation. In 1886 Mr. Nation purchased his partner’s interests in the business, continuing under the firm name of F. Nation & Company, until 1892, when, owing to failing health, he sold out his interests and made a trip around the world. In the summer of 1894 he returned to Brandon and once more engaged in business, under the firm name of Nation & Shawan, which was continued up to the year 1902, when it was turned into a limited liability company, of which he is now president. The establishment is one of the largest in the province, and an extensive business is annually transacted. In 1886 Mr. Nation married Miss Abbey G. Bawden, a daughter of George Bawden, of Brandon. They are the parents of three children: Arthur Frederick, Helen Maud and George Walter. In all matters per- taining to the public welfare Mr. Nation takes an active interest. He is a member of the Brandon Board of Trade, and for three years was its president. At present he is a member of the board of directors of that institution. He served as alderman of the city of Brandon for four years, three years of which he was chairman of the finance committee. He is a life governor and director of the Brandon General Hospital, and is a director of the Northern Bank. He is a charter member of the Brandon Club, serving for two terms as president. For the past ten years he has been a vestryman of the English church, in whose affairs both he and Mrs. Nation take a deep interest. Politically he gives his support to the Con- servative party. WILLIAM CURRIE. William Currie, one of the pioneers of the Brandon district, is a native of the township and county of Lanark, Ontario, and was born February 28, 1834. He is a son of Robert and Anne (Wilson) Currie, the fatherHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 517 a native of Scotland, and the mother of Ireland, both coming to Canada at an early age and being among the first settlers of Lanark county. In this county the father followed his profession as a civil engineer and surveyor, and in 1849 the family moved to Huron county, settling at Osborne. Here the father took up four hundred acres of land, on which he conducted farm- ing operations, and also following his profession of civil engineer and sur- veyor up to the time of his death in 1853, aged sixty-three years. The mother died in 1864 at the advanced age of seventy-three. Mr. Currie was educated in the county schools of Lanark county, and also at the county schools of Huron county. Up to the age of twenty-three he remained on the home farm, leaving there to accept employment in a general merchandise store as a clerk in Almonte, Lanark county, which occupation was continued for two years. In 1860 he removed to St. Mary’s, county of Perth, and engaged in the mercantile business at that point, also being identified with the grain business up to the year 1879, when he removed to Manitoba. In 1880 he took up a homestead and up to 1893 was engaged in agricultural pursuits at Currie’s Landing, on Assiniboine river, the place being named after himself. During this time he was also engaged in receiving and forwarding freight from the boats traveling up and down the river. In 1893 Mr. Currie was appointed bailiff for the Brandon district, which office he filled for nine years, and during part of that time also engaged in the real estate and insurance business. He resigned the office of bailiff in 1902, and moved to Brandon the following year, since which time he has been identified in the real estate and fire insurance business. In 1861 Mr. Currie married Miss Ellen Creighton, a daughter of James Creighton, of Blanchard, Perth county, Ontario. They are the parents of six children: Robert Wilson, Margaret Anne, Harriet Ellen, William James, deceased, James Weldon and Lottie Louise. Mr. Currie has always given his support to the Liberal party, and has served one year as councilman in St. Mary’s and fourteen years as school trustee of the same place. Both he and Mrs. Currie are members of the Presbyterian church.518 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ANDREW KELLY. For many years Mr. Andrew Kelly, the subject of this sketch, has occupied a prominent place in the business annals of his adopted province, and at present is the president of the Western Canada Flour Company, being one of the largest institutions of its kind in western Canada. He is a native of North Middlesex, Ontario, his birth having occurred on July 10, 1852. His father, John Kelly, followed agricultural pursuits in Ontario, and the subject of this sketch received his education at the public schools of his native place, during which time he also worked on the home farm. Up to the age of twenty-five Mr. Kelly continued in this employ- ment and then accepted a situation with the G. Carter, Son and Company, millers and grain dealers of Ontario, with which institution he remained for about two years, coming to Manitoba in 1881, where he immediately identi- fied himself with the grain business. The business known as the A. Kelly Milling Company was established in 1881, but at that time traded under the name of Fisher and Company. In 1882 Mr. Alexander, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Sutherland purchased the interests of Mr. Fisher, and in 1884 increased the capacity of the mill to two hundred barrels per day, and in addition to this erected an oatmeal mill. The firm was known as Alexander, Kelly and Sutherland until 1885, at which time it was changed to Alexander, Kelly and Company. The year prior to this the mill had been burned out, and on rebuilding it was further increased in capacity to a four-hundred barrel mill on the site of the old one, and a one hundred and fifty barrel oatmeal mill. Mr. Alex- ander retired from the firm in 1901, the firm then being known as the A. Kelly Milling Company. In July, 1903, it was amalgamated with Parrish and Lindsay, and on May 1, 1905, amalgamated with the late Huron and Manitoba Milling Company, the new business being titled the Western Canada Flour Company. They own one mill in Goderich, Ontario, with a capacity of two thousand barrels of flour per day, and also own a salt works at that point with a capacity of two hundred barrels of salt per day. The Brandon mill now has a capacity of five hundred barrels of flour per day and one hundred and fifty barrels of oatmeal per day. The com-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 519 pany operates sixty-two elevators in Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan, with an average capacity of thirty thousand bushels each, and have now nearly completed a mill in St. Boniface, which will have a capacity of four thousand barrels of flour per day, and an elevator with a capacity of five hundred thousand bushels. The officers of the company are as follows: President, Andrew Kelly; vice-president and managing director, S. A. McGaw; treasurer, E. J. Barclay; and secretary, A. J. Mitchell. The board of directors is made up of the above named gentlemen, with the exception of Mr. Barclay, and in addition are, W. J. Lindsay, Joseph J. Wright, and Louis Lukes, of Toronto, and Arthur Hills. Mr. Kelly in 1882 married Miss Mary Louise Bremner, a resident of Waterdown, Ontario, and they are the parents of three children: Ewart C., an accountant in the Bank of Hamilton, Alan B., ledger-keeper in the Dominion Bank, and Vieva May at school. For over three years Mr. Kelly has served as alderman for the city of Brandon, was mayor of the city in 1890 and 1891, and is one of the original directors of the Great-West Life Assurance Company, of Winnipeg, which is one of the best in Canada. Politically he supports the Conservative party, and both he and Mrs. Kelly attend the Presbyterian church. MAJOR JOHN WILLIAM FLEMING. Major John William Fleming, the present mayor of Brandon, Mani- toba, is a native of Stanley, New Brunswick, and was born February 25, 1868. He is a son of Alexander Fleming, M.D., who was a native of Glasgow, Scotland, born May 4, 1841, and of old Scotch ancestry. Alex- ander Fleming was educated in Glasgow and took his degree at the Glas- gow University, where he also took a medical course. He came to New Brunswick and continued his studies, and also in the United States, return- ing to Glasgow to take his degree. Returning once more to Canada, he started practicing at Stanley, New Brunswick, where he remained for several years, moving from there to Sackville, New Brunswick, where he practiced for about ten years. He was the pioneer physician of this dis- trict and also started the first drug store in Brandon, in May, 1881, in connection with his practice.520 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Dr. Fleming, in 1867, married Miss Louisa Biden, a resident of Stanley, New Brunswick, and ten children were born unto them, as follows: John William, whose name introduces this article; Arthur; Alexander; Maggie, the wife of Captain Beere, who is located in South Africa; Louise, the wife of Alexander McDonald; Mabel, the wife of J. H. Ingram; Harry, who is located in the United States; Emma, the wife of W. Lemon, of Winnipeg; Lottie and Cuthbert. Dr. Fleming was the first secretary and treasurer of the Brandon school board and was also a member of the city council. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers’ Union, and he also acted as its president. His death occurred on November 25, 1897, and it was a great loss in many ways to the community. Major John William Fleming received his educational advantages in Wesleyan College in New Brunswick, and also graduated from the College of Pharmacy in Toronto in' 1889, having come to Brandon with his parents in 1881, and joined his father in the conducting of the drug business. After the death of his father he took over the drug business, and has since conducted the same. Mr. Fleming is a graduate of the Canada Ophthalmic College and has a large practice in this branch. In 1892 Mr. Fleming married Miss Anna E. Matheson, a daughter of the late Gilbert Matheson, of Brandon, Manitoba. Fraternally Mr. Fleming is affiliated with the Canadian Order of Foresters and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He has always taken an active part in political affairs and was the organizer of the Young Men’s Liberal Club of Brandon, of which organization he served as presi- dent for four years. He was a member of the city council of Brandon for six years, and in 1905 was elected mayor of the city by acclamation, and in 1906 was elected to the same position over Dr. McDiarmid by the phenom- enal majority of six hundred and thirty-six. Since that time he has been one of the prime movers in the organization of the Union of Manitoba Municipalities, of which he is now president, also holding the office of vice- president of the Canadian Municipal Union. Major Fleming joined the Canadian Mounted Rifles and was gazetted lieutenant. He obtained his commission as captain in 1903 and in June, 1905, obtained his majorityHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 521 and is now the commanding officer of E Squadron, Twelfth Manitoba Dragoons. ALBERT EDWARD McKENZIE. Albert Edward McKenzie, the subject of this sketch, was born August 1, 1870, in county York, Ontario, and is a son of Francis Bethel and Maria (Carley) McKenzie, both of whom were natives of Canada, the father fol- lowing farming pursuits in Ontario until 1882, at which time he moved to Manitoba, where he engaged in the grain and produce business in Brandon, continuing this business up to the time of his death in 1897. Mrs. McKen- zie is still living in Brandon. The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools of Bran- don, leaving school at the age of twenty-one, and for the next six years being identified in the grain business with his father. After his father’s death he assumed control of the business and during the years of 1897, 1898 and 1899 gradually departed from the grain trade and developed the seed business, in which line he has since been exclusively engaged. The business has grown very rapidly, and the institute to-day ranks as the third largest seed house in Canada, the trade extending from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Coast. Catalogues are issued each year, and the wholesale trade carried on by this house is the largest in western Canada. In 1902 Mr. McKenzie married Miss Laura Bell, a daughter of Thomas Bell, of Port Arthur. They are the parents of one daughter—Marjorie. Mr. McKenzie takes an active part in religious affairs, being a member of the Y.M.C.A., and the vice-president and chairman of the finance com- mittee, also holding the office of secretary on the building committee. WILLIAM HENDERSON. William Henderson, the efficient sheriff of the Western Judicial dis- trict is a native of Cobourg, Ontario, his birth having occurred on April 30, 1859. He is a son of Robert and Martha (Brown) Henderson, both of whom were natives of county Down, Ireland, who emigrated to Canada in the forties, settling in Northumberland county, where the father followed farming pursuits the balance of his life time.522 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Henderson was educated in the country schools of his native county, and at the early age of twelve put aside his text books and learned the blacksmith’s trade, following the same as a journeyman until January, 1888. In 1879 he came to Manitoba and worked for the Montgomery Brothers at his trade, and in 1881 came to Brandon, where he was employed by William Wilson, a blacksmith, until January, 1888. A few years were spent in farming and in the agricultural implement business, the latter business being continued until 1901, at which time he was appointed sheriff of the Western Judicial District of Manitoba. In 1899 Mr. Henderson con- tested South Brandon for the Conservative party, and was defeated by a small majority. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. ROBERT DARRACH. Mr. Robert Darrach, the subject of this sketch, was born June 8, 1855, at St. Thomas, Ontario, and is a son of Neil and Mary (Mitchell) Darrach, both of whom were natives of Scotland, and who came to Canada early in the last century, locating in Elgin county. Here the father followed his trade as a carriage maker, and died on July 2, 1866. The mother is still living at St. Thomas. Mr. Darrach was educated in the public schools of his native city, and after finishing his education engaged in the building and contracting busi- ness with his brother, continuing up to the year 1881, at which time he came to Manitoba, arriving in Winnipeg in February of the following year. After spending a few months in Winnipeg he went to Rapid City, and for a brief period was engaged in the agricultural implement business at that point. He came to Brandon in the fall of 1883, continuing in the imple- ment business for ten years, and in 1893 was appointed clerk of the court, deputy clerk of Crown and Pleas and clerk of the Surrogate Court, which position he is now filling. In 1880 Mr. Darrach married Miss Seressa Thompson, a daughter of I. V. Thompson, of London, Ontario. They are the parents of three children: Katherine, Marion and Alexander Vincent.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 523 Mr. Darrach has been a member of the public school board of Brandon for ten years, and has been chairman of the board for the last two years of that period, having always taken a deep interest in educational affairs. He is also a member and secretary of the board of directors of Brandon College. Since the inception of the Brandon General Hospital he has also been a member of its board of management. Fraternally Mr. Darrach is affiliated with the Canadian Order of Foresters, and both he and Mrs. Darrach are members of the Baptist church. JOHN E. SMITH. John E. Smith, one of the largest operators of farming properties in the Province of Manitoba, was born July 12, 1849, in the township of Clark, county of Durham, Ontario. He is a son of Rutherford and Mary (Rutherford) Smith, both of whom were natives of Roxborough, Scotland, and both early settlers of Durham county, where they arrived in 1831, and where for thirty years the father carried on farming operations. In 1861 he moved to Huron county, where he also farmed up to the time of his death. Mr. Smith of this review was educated in the public schools of Huron county and at Rockwood Academy. After putting aside his text books he clerked in a mercantile store for five years, and then from 1869 to 1872 was engaged in teaching school in Huron county. From the latter year up to 1881 he conducted a general merchandise store at Brussels, Huron county, and in the spring of 1881 came to Manitoba, arriving at Winnipeg on July 1st of that year. Mr. Smith came to Brandon before the Canadian Pacific Railway was built, and purchased two hundred and forty acres of land at Bird’s Hill. He then returned to Ontario with the idea of remaining in that province, but at the time of the boom in December he returned to Winnipeg, remain- ing in that city during that winter, where he was engaged in dealing in real estate. In the following spring he came to Brandon and established the ‘ ‘ Beresford Farm, ’ ’ and in 1882 the town of Beresford was named after this establishment. For several years Mr. Smith was engaged in stock- raising and farming, his operations being of an extensive nature and524 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. requiring about seven thousand acres on which to conduct his enterprise. Later on he subdivided this property and sold it. In 1892 he established the Smithfield Stock Farm, and took up his residence on that place. Here he carried on general farming, paying particular attention to the raising of thoroughbred stock, which he shipped throughout the Territories and British Columbia and to different portions of the western States. During his operations Mr. Smith has established several farms throughout the pro- vince, which he afterward sold to incoming settlers. He is one of the largest individual landowners and operators in the province, taking the ground in its rough state and bringing it into a high state of cultivation. In this respect he has done a great amount, of good for the province, as to-day any man can purchase a farm from him without capital, providing he understands his business and shows a willingness to hew his own way. In 1878 Mr. Smith married Miss Margaret Hunter, a native of London, Ontario, and a daughter of James and Mary (McLean) Hunter, both of whom were natives of Armagh, Ireland, and who came to Canada about the year 1848 and were early settlers of Middlesex county. The father carried on business as a general merchant in London, but now resides in Gray, Durham county, having for some years been retired from active pursuits. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of five children: Archibald W. H., a graduate from Manitoba College with the degrees of B.A. and LL.B., and who is now practicing his profession at Yirden with the Hon. J. H. Agnew, Provincial treasurer; Hunter, a leading hardware merchant of Brandon; Stella, who is attending Manitoba College, and who has taken five scholar- ships during her three years in that institute; Beatrice and Laura. Fra- ternally Mr. Smith is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters, the Canadian Order of Foresters, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs. Smith are members of the Pres- byterian church. In 1905 Mr. Smith erected one of the finest homes in Western Mani- toba, it being located in Brandon. It is a handsome three-story and base- ment building, built of pressed brick, and is a home that would be a credit to any city.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 525 J. M. ROBINSON. Mr. Joseph Montgomery Robinson is one of the ‘ ‘ old timers, ’ ’ having first reached Brandon in January, 1892, where in connection with his brother, J. C. Robinson, he established the old Right House, well known in the early days of the city. In 1893 Mr. Robinson was appointed bursar of the Bran- don Asylum for Insane, which position he held until 1899, when he resigned to engage in the real estate business: This he still carries on as well as being interested in farming to a considerable extent. Mr. Robinson is a Liberal in politics, having been a member of the Bran- don Liberal Association since its formation. He also served the city as aider- man in 1885-6. The Masonic order has no stronger supporter in Brandon than Mr. Robinson, who has been honored with the highest positions in his lodge. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are both members of the Presbyterian church. ROBERT SCHUYLER THOMPSON. Robert Schuyler Thompson, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Lanark county, Ontario, and was born September 16, 1844. He is a son of Thomas and Grace (Schuyler) Thompson, both of whom were natives of Lanarkshire, Scotland, who emigrated to Canada in the early thirties and were among the early pioneers of Lanark county. The father for a time followed agricultural pursuits, and later on engaged in contracting, but being a stone mason by trade he continued this occupation until his death, which occurred at the advanced age of ninety years. Mr. Thompson was educated at the common schools of Lanark county, this being supplemented by a course at Rockwood Academy in county Wellington. At the age of seventeen he left school and after a short period spent on the home farm was employed by the London Publishing Company, which occupation he continued up to 1863, at which time he started in the book and stationery business in Toronto, and continued there until 1875. At this time he sold out on account of failing health, and the next few years were spent on the shores of Georgian Bay and in Nipissing district in hunting and outdoor life. In 1879, after having fully recovered his526 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. health, he came to Manitoba, coming to Crookstovvn and thence to Emerson, via the Red river, where he took up a homestead at Rock Lake, near Pilot Mound. For five years he followed agricultural pursuits at this place, being one of the pioneers of that district. His location was on the banks of the Pembina river and Mr. Thompson devoted considerable time to ferrying incoming settlers across the river in his canoe, which was the only one in the district at that time. He was one of the first justices of the peace appointed in that district, and was one of the organizers of the municipal council of Louise, afterwards becoming reeve and warden of the county. He was elected in 1886 to the legislature as an opponent to the Norquay government, defeating his opponent the late G. F. Andrews, of Winnipeg. He then removed to Glenboro, where he engaged in the lumber, furni- ture and agricultural implement business, which he continued up to 1897, and the following year represented the Westminster Publishing Company from Manitoba to the Pacific coast. From 1899 to 1904 he represented the London & Lancashire Life Insurance Company in the capacity of inspector of agencies in Manitoba, and in the latter year came to Brandon, establishing himself in the real estate and financial agency business. In addition to his other interests Mr. Thompson was one of the incorpora- tors of the Edrons Brandon Pressed Brick Company, and at the first annual meeting was elected president and managing director of the corporation. In 1881 Mr. Thompson married Miss Isabella Butchart, a daughter of William Butchart, formerly of Ontario, and who was one of the early settlers of Rock Lake district. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are the parents of four children: Ernest W., traveling salesman for the Hudson’s Bay Knit- ting Company, of Winnipeg and Montreal; Thomas Garnet, who is engaged in the hardware business at Hamiota; Robert Harold, who is identified in business with his father, and Helen, now attending school. Mr. Thompson takes an active part in church affairs, both he and Mrs. Thompson holding membership in St. Paul’s church of Brandon, and he is a member of the session.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 527 ROBERT HALL. Robert Hall, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Huntington county, Quebec, and was born May 24, 1849. He is a son of Marshal and Elizabeth (Kennedy) Hall. Both were natives of Ireland and came with their parents to Quebec early in the nineteenth century, where the father followed farming pursuits, and was also for many years justice of the peace. Mr. Hall was educated in the public schools of Huntington county, but at the age of twenty entered the construction department of the Montreal Telegraph Company, and later on was made superintendent of construction for the North-West, holding this position up to 1884. He built the first line of telegraph in Manitoba for that company and in 1881 while engaged with his company took up a homestead on the Assiniboine river north of Griswold. Since that time he has by purchase added adjoining properties, and now owns over two thousand acres of the most fertile land in western Manitoba, one thousand five hundred acres of which is under cultivation. He also devotes considerable attention to the stock business, raising both horses and cattle. At present he is a manager of the loan depart- ment of the Imperial Life Assurance Company of Canada. In public affairs Mr. Hall has always taken an active interest, and in 1885 and 1886 served as reeve of Whitehead municipality, and in 1893 and 1894 as mayor of the city of Brandon. On March 4, 1878, Mr. Hall married Miss Sarah Good, a daughter of the late John Good, of Kincardine, Ontario. They are the parents of four children: Isabella, Marsella, May and Dorothy. Fraternally Mr. Hall is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is a trustee of the Methodist church of Brandon, in which he and Mrs. Hall hold membership. ANDREW DOUGLAS RANKIN. Mr. Andrew Douglas Rankin, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, born September 10, 1860, and is a son of Robert528 . HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and Agnes (Douglas) Rankin, both of whom were also natives of Scotland, where the father followed his occupation as a farmer. Mr. Rankin was educated in the public and parochial schools of Aber- deen, but left school at the early age of fifteen years and was apprenticed to the dry goods business in Banchory, which business he followed in that locality and later on in Aberdeen, Scotland. In September, 1880, he came to Canada and located in Montreal, where he was identified with the dry goods business there for a short time, removing to Rochester, New York, in 1881. In 1882 Mr. Rankin came to Winnipeg, in the employ of the Hudson’s Bay Company, remaining with this institution for two years, after which he engaged in business on his own account in Calgary, Alberta. In 1891 he moved to Brandon and established the present dry goods business under the style of A. D. Rankin & Company, which firm is to-day one of the best mercantile institutions in Manitoba. Mr. Rankin takes an active interest in military affairs, his first experi- ence being with the volunteer militia in Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1885 he served in the North-West Rebellion at Calgary as lieutenant in the Volun- teer Home Guard. In 1906 he received his commission as captain in the Manitoba Dragoons. In 1887 Mr. Rankin married Miss Emma Newcombe, a daughter of William N. Newcombe, of Hamilton, Ontario. They are the parents of three children: Walter, Rena and Ralph. Mr. Rankin is a member of the council of the Brandon Board of Trade, and the Brandon General Hospital. He is chairman of the finance committee of the school board, taking a deep interest in all educational affairs. Politically Mr. Rankin supports the Liberal party, but is not a pro- nounced partisan, giving his support to those measures which he considers will advance the interests of the community at large. Mr. and Mrs. Rankin are valued members of the Presbyterian church. HENRY MEREDITH. Mr. Henry Meredith, the subject of this sketch, is identified in the general agency and brokerage business in Brandon, Manitoba, and is alsoHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 529 extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits, owning about three thousand acres of land, all under a high state of cultivation, and to which he gives his personal supervision. He is a native of Sligo county, Ireland, and has an education secured in the public schools of his native county. He came to the Dominion in the early ’70s, and accepted a position in the wholesale warehouse of A. R. MacMaster & Brothers, Toronto, whole- sale dry goods merchants. For ten years he was identified with this firm, and in 1883, believing that Manitoba offered a better field for his labors, he emigrated to the province and located in Brandon. Up to 1893 he was engaged in a general store business in Brandon, since which time he has been in a general agency and brokerage business, also conducting his farm operations. In addition to this Mr. Meredith is a stockholder in the Great- West Life Assurance Company and the Canada Life Assurance Company. He takes a great interest in civic affairs and is a director of Brandon Hospital, having been president of that institution for two years. Politically Mr. Meredith is an independent Conservative, never having allied himself to a party so closely that he could not see its faults if any existed, and believing that the duty of every citizen, is to vote for those men and measures which will be most conducive to the public good. He is one of the substantial citizens of the province and commands the respect J of all with whom he comes in contact. RICHARD EDWARD ALBERT LEECH. Mr. Richard Edward Albert Leech, the subject of this sketch{ is one of the best known government officials in the province, holding the office of inspector of Dominion land agencies. He is a native of Leeds county, Ontario, borne January 25, 1859, and is a son of John Leech who operated the pioneer cheese factory in Leeds county, and he was also identified in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Leeds received his education in the public schools of Leeds and Huron counties, and at Belleville College, from which institution he was graduated in the class of 1875, with the degree of B.A. For a brief period he was associated with his father in the cheese, butter and grain business 34530 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. in Leeds, but came to Manitoba in 1879, and located near Gladstone, where for two years be conducted farming operations. In 1881 he came to Bran- don and took up a farm four miles from the city, which he operated until 1899, at which time he came to Brandon and established himself in the grain business. For three years prior to 1905 Mr. Leech was Provincial organizer of the Liberal party, and in this year received his appointment as inspector of the Dominion land agencies, with headquarters at Brandon. His territory covers Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, having supervision of all government land business for western Canada. In addi- tion to these duties he is also inspector for the Rocky Mountain Parks and in connection with the duties of his office controls a staff of about three hundred men in the different provinces. Mr. Leech is a large property owner in the vicinity of Brandon, and in Alberta and Saskatchewan, owning about four thousand acres of fine farming land, and also considerable town properties in Brandon and other towns. He is a director of the Brandon Agricultural & Arts Association, and has been a director of the Brandon Hospital since that institution was established, for a number of years holding the position of honorary secre- tary of the Hospital Board. For a number of years Mr. Leech was the secretary of the Manitoba Central Farmers’ Institute, and at present is secretary and trustee of the board of managers of the Methodist church, also being secretary of the Sunday School. In 1892 Mr. Leech married Miss Jennie Hall, daughter of Mr. Hall, of Woodstock, Ontario. Two children have been born of this union: Vera and Beverly. Fraternally Mr. Leech is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. HECTOR McKAY. For over thirty-five years Mr. Hector McKay, the subject of this sketch, has been a resident of Manitoba, and during that time, by energy and well conducted efforts, has placed himself in the front ranks of the business men of his adopted province. He was born on April 3, 1850, in Oxford0HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 531 county, Ontario, and is a son of Donald McKay, deceased, who was a native of Scotland and who followed agricultural pursuits during his lifetime. Mr. McKay was educated in the public schools of Oxford county, and up to the age of twenty worked on the farm in that county. He then enlisted with the Red River expedition, commanded by Sir Garnet Wolseley, and was stationed at West Glen, remaining in the service until March, 1871, at which time he received his discharge. In the fall of 1871, on account of sick- ness, he returned to Ontario, the next seven years being spent in railroad work. In 1878 he returned to Manitoba and for a time followed railroad work. In 1890 he located at Brandon, where he engaged in the livery business, which occupation he is now following. Mr. McKay conducts one of the best establishments in the province, carrying an up-to-date stock of livery, and being recognized as one of Brandon’s representative men. In 1874 Mr. McKay married Miss Mary Heuston, a resident of Ontario. They are the parents of one son, Donald, who is identified with his father in business, and has also trained himself for veterinary work. Mr. McKay is affiliated with the Masonic order and he is a member of the Presbyterian church. Politically he gives his support to the Conserv- ative party, but is not an active partisan, preferring to devote his time to the business which he has followed since his arrival in Brandon. JAMES SHIRRIFF. One of the prominent implement dealers of the Province of Manitoba is Mr. James Shirriff, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Hunt- ingdon, Quebec, born November 19, 1851, and is a son of Dr. Francis W. Shirriff, who was oue of the old time physicians of Quebec, practicing there for sixty-five years, and dying at the advanced age of eighty-five years. Mr. Shirriff received his educational advantages in the public schools of Huntingdon, which was supplemented by a course in the Huntingdon Academy. He served his time as an apprentice in the agricultural wood working trade, and afterwards worked as a journeyman in this line of industry. He came to Manitoba in 1874, and after remaining one year returned532 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. to Quebec, where he accepted the position of manager with the firm of Messrs. Boyd & Company, of Huntingdon, Quebec. In 1880 he resigned his position and returned to Manitoba, and for three years traveled in the implement business between Grand Forks, Emerson and Brandon. In that year he was stationed in Brandon as agent for the Cochrane Manufacturing Company, of St. Thomas, Ontario, and since that time has been actively identified with agricultural implements and the machine business. Mr. Shirriff built up the Brandon Machine Works to its present state and spent eleven years bringing the institution to its present successful standard. He is agent for the North-West Thresher Company, the Stillwater Mining Company, the Bell Engine Company, of Seaforth, Ontario, and also holds other agencies. In 1883 Mr. Shirrilf married Miss Selina Henderson, a native of Huntingdon, Quebec. In 1892 he was again married, Miss Harriet B. Hossie becoming his wife. They are the parents of one daughter, Helen E. Fraternally Mr. Shirriff is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World and in politics gives his support to the Liberal party, and he has served four years on the Brandon School Board. Mr. Shirriff occupies a unique position, being a Christian business man. He is a prominent member of the Presbyterian church, is president of the Lord’s Day Alliance, and is county president of the Sunday School Associa- tion. He has conducted his business with due regard to the rights of his fellowmen, and no man in the province stands higher in the estimation of his fellowmen than Mr. Shirriff. JOHN INGLIS. One of the progressive business men of Brandon, Manitoba, is Mr. John Inglis, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Dunfermline, Scotland, born March 15, 1858, and is the son of James and Catherine (Scotland) Inglis, both of whom are natives of Scotland and still live in the old country. Mr. Inglis was educated at one of the public schools of Dunfermline, and after putting aside his text books entered the services of the City of Glas- gow Bank, and continued in the service of that institution until 1879, at which time the bank suspended. For a brief period afterwards he wasHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 53T employed by the Clydesdale Bank, and was engaged then by the Merchants’ Bank of Canada to go to Montreal. He arrived in Canada in 1882, and remained in the service of the Bank of Montreal for about ten years, most of the time being a member of the inspector’s staff of the bank. In 1892 Mr. Inglis came to Brandon on special work connected with the Brandon branch of the institution, and shortly afterwards resigned to take up his present business of agricultural implements and lines connected thereto. Since establishing himself in business in Brandon he has always taken an active part in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the city, and during this time has served two terms as president of the Board of Trade. At present he is the treasurer of the Brandon Hospital, in whose affairs he has always taken an active interest. Socially Mr. Inglis is connected with the Brandon Club and is a mem- ber of the Sons of Scotland. He gives his support to the Liberal party, and is a consistent member of the Presbyterian church. The firm of Smith and Inglis was established in 1899 as Smith, Inglis- and Nelson, and continued under that name for five years, or until 1904, at which time Mr. Nelson disposed of his interest to his partners and since then the firm has been known as Smith and Inglis. They are agents for the McCormick harvesting machines and all lines connected thereto. They are also the agents for the Canton ploughs, Studebaker and Chatham wagons, Campbell buggies, Gaar Scott & Company’s threshing machines, and also handle the American Seeding Company’s lines. The firm is well known throughout the entire district, and is enjoying a prosperous and ever-increasing trade. STANLEY WILLIAM McINNIS. The present member from Brandon of the local legislature is Dr. Stanley William Mclnnis, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of St. John, New Brunswick, his birth having occurred on October 8, 1865. He is a son of the late John Lindsay Mclnnis, who was for many years a school teacher and customs official in Manitoba. Dr. Mclnnis received his pre- liminary education in the public and grammar schools of Frederickton, New Brunswick, and came to Manitoba in the fall of 1880, where his edu-534 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. cation was further supplemented by two terms at Manitoba College. He started the study of dentistry in Winnipeg with Dr. J. L. Benson, subse- quently completing his studies at the Philadelphia Dental College; he graduated in the class of 1888. Dr. Mclnnis married Miss Clara M. Beckwith, whose father was from Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Mclnnis has taken an active part in the civic and political affairs of both Brandon and the entire province. He is a director of the Western Agricultural and Arts Association, a director of the Brandon Board of Trade, was president of the Brandon Gun Club for about ten years, and at present is president of the Provincial Game Protective Association. He takes a deep interest in all legitimate sports, being president of the Brandon Athletic Club and director of the Brandon Turf Club. He is the registrar of the Manitoba Dental Association, is vice-president of the Canadian National Dental Association, and is the representative of Manitoba to the Dominion Dental Council. On December 7, 1899, he was elected to repre- sent Brandon in the Provincial Legislature in support of the Hon. Hugh John Macdonald as an independent Conservative, and in July, 1903, was re-elected. Socially Dr. Mclnnis is a valued member of the British Club, and he and Mrs. Mclnnis are both members of the Anglican church. JAMES SPENCE GIBSON. Mr. James Spence Gibson, homestead inspector for the Brandon district for the Dominion government, is a native of Burford, Brant county, Ontario, and was born in 1858. He is a son of Alexander Gibson, who prior to his death in 1895 followed his business as a blacksmith in Ontario. Mr. Gibson was educated in the public schools of Brant county, and then learned the blacksmithing trade from his father, after which he con- ducted a shop in Paris, Ontario, for two and a half years. In 1882, decid- ing that Manitoba offered a better field for his operations, he emigrated to the province and located at Brandon, where he started in the livery busi- ness. During this time he furnished teams for transport for the government to be used in connection with the suppression of the Riel rebellion. For seven years he continued this business, and then entered partnership with■ ♦HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 535 George W. Fraser, now of Vancouver, British Columbia, and started a horse and carriage business, which was continued until 1891. At this time the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Gibson continued the carriage business until 1904, since which time he has been connected with agricultural pur- suits. He conducts three farms within three miles of Brandon, cultivating nine hundred and sixty acres. One of these farms adjoin the corporation of Brandon, and in 1905 the yield from these properties was about fifteen thousand bushels. In 1897 Mr. Gibson received his present appointment as inspector for the Brandon district for the Dominion government, which position he has acceptably filled. In 1884 Mr. Gibson married Margaret C. Mendell, a native of Belle- ville, Ontario, and they are the parents of eight children, as follows: Roy A., bookkeeper for the A. Kelly Milling Company, of Brandon; Nora, Jennie, Gladys, Glenn J., Lila Edith, Harry and Jack. Fraternally Mr. Gibson affiliates with the United Order of Foresters, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He has been connected with the Brandon Turf Club ever since its organization, and was associated with Judge Walker, of Winnipeg, in its building in 1904. He served as vice- president of the Western Agricultural and Arts Association, and in 1905 was chairman of attractions for this organization. Politically Mr. Gibson gives his support to the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs. Gibson are valued members of the Methodist church. STEPHEN EMMETT CLEMENT. One of the leading barristers of Brandon, Manitoba, is Mr. Stephen Emmett Clement, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Cookstown, Ontario, and was born on October 14, 1867, being the son of Stephen Cle- ment, now deceased, who was the first sheriff of the Western Judicial District, in which capacity he served for about twenty years. Mr. Clement was educated in the public schools of Cookstown, and came to Brandon in 1882 with his father. Here he finished his education at the Collegiate Insti- tute and at Wesley College, Winnipeg, from which institution he graduated in 1892 with the degree of B.A. He immediately started the study of law with the Hon. Clifford Sifton and J. A. M. Aikins, being called to the bar536 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. in 1895. He at once established a practice in Brandon in partnership with R. A. Clement, which partnership has since continued. The firm are solici- tors for the Dominion Bank and for different loan companies, and have a very large practice. In addition to his legal practice Mr. Clement is the owner of considerable farm property north of the city of Brandon, and he is also interested in several of the local business institutions. For several years he served as a member of the school board of Brandon, and his sup- port is given to the Liberal party. In 1899 Mr. Clement married Miss Aleta E. Paisley, the daughter of James Paisley, of Brandon. They are the parents of one child, Harold Dixon. Fraternally Mr. Clement is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Maccabees. Both he and Mrs. Clement are members of the Methodist church, of which he is one of the trustees. D. A. REESOR. Mr. D. A. Reesor, the pioneer jeweler of Brandon, Manitoba, is a native of the county of York, Ontario, but for nearly a quarter of a century has lived in Brandon, Manitoba, where he has conducted the jewelry establishment opened by him in 1882. Mr. Reesor was educated in the public school, this being further supplemented by a course in the high schools at Whitby and Oshawa, Ontario. In 1892 he came to Manitoba and located at Brandon, since which time he has identified him- self with the jewelry business. A very high grade of stock is kept, as only' the best trade is catered to, and the establishment of Mr. Reesor would be a credit to any city of any size. Mr. Reesor served on the city council of Brandon for some years, being Liberal in politics, but never taking an active part in political affairs, preferring to devote himself to his many business interests. He is the owner of a large amount of town property, and has owned more property on Rosser avenue than any other man in the city. At present he is a member of the Brandon Hospital Board, in whose affairs he takes a deep interest. Fraternally he affiliates with the Masonic order, and is an attendant at the Methodist church.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 537 RITCHIE MACPHERSON. One of the leading representatives of the business interests of Brandon, Manitoba, is Mr. Ritchie Macpherson, the subject of this sketch. He was born on July 1, 1859, in Renfrewshire, Scotland, and after being educated at the public schools of his native city he served his apprenticeship as a joiner in Greenock. He worked as a journeyman for two years in England and then emigrated to Canada, arriving in Manitoba on May 1, 1882. He at once took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres north of Balgonie, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until 1887. He still owns this property, but discontinued farming and came to Brandon, where he accepted a position with the Wilson and Smyth furniture men of Brandon, and continued in their employ for about thirteen years. He then formed a partnership with Mr. George W. Vincent and purchased the business, since which time they have carried on a general business of furniture and under- taking. In 1889 Mr. Macpherson married Miss Sarah Gurley, a daughter of John Gurley, of Leamington, Warwickshire, England. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Macpherson: Violet, Archie Marquis and Ritchie. Fraternally Mr. Macpherson affiliates with the Masonic order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Canadian Order of Foresters. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, although in no sense can he be classed as an active partisan. Mr. and Mrs. Macpherson are valued members of the Presbyterian church. THOMAS M. PERCIVAL. One of the active business men of the city of Brandon, Manitoba, is Mr. Thomas M. Percival, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Bramcote, Warwickshire, England, and was born July 29, 1851. Mr. Percival’s educational advantages were derived in the grammar schools of Wolvey, and after leaving school he entered the grocery busi- ness as an apprentice, thoroughly mastering the business in all of its details. After being employed in this branch of industry in Birmingham538 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. for a short time he entered business for himself at Coventry, where he remained for ten years, and in 1884 emigrated to Ontario, where he located at Hamilton. There he identified himself with the pork packing business for three years, and in 1887 came west to Manitoba, locating near Brandon, where he followed agricultural pursuits until 1893. At this time he sold out his interests, and in 1895 entered the grocery business which he is now conducting. Mr. Percival has always taken an active part in all civic, political and fraternal affairs. In the old country he was president of the Conservative Association in the city of Coventry and a member of the city council, and for the past three years he has been president of the Conservative Associa- tion of Brandon. He has served as a member of the city council of Bran- don, and in fraternal circles is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters, the Sons of England, the Maccabees and the Orange Society, in all of which orders he has held the principal chairs. He is a charter member of the Western Agricultural and Arts Associa- tion, was for a time president of the Brandon Farmers’ Institute, and is also an active member of the Horticultural and Forestry Associations. The family hold membership in the Church of England, in whose affairs Mr. Percival has always displayed a deep feeling. HERBERT CLEMENT GRAHAM. Herbert Clement Graham, collector of customs for the city of Brandon and district, was born February 27, 1856, in Oxford county, Province of Ontario, and is the son of Allen E. Graham, who for many years followed agricultural pursuits in Ontario and afterwards in Manitoba. Mr. Gra- ham’s maternal ancestor was Sarah Caroline (Vanatter) Graham, who was born in Ontario, but comes from ancesters of Pennsylvania Dutch extrac- tion. His father is descended in a direct line from the Grahams of Scot- land, intermingled with the blood of the well-known Ethan Allen family of the United States, this later strain from his mother’s side. Both of Mr. H. C. Graham’s grandfathers and grandmothers were born in Canada, and both of the former fought in the war of 1812 under General Brock and were present at and participated in the battle of Queenstown Heights,■sK"HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 539 where that brave General lost his life. It will thus be seen that Mr. Graham is a thorough going Canadian viewed from every standpoint and he likes to foster and encourage a Canadian sentiment. Mr. Graham was educated in the public schools of Ontario, and after putting aside his text books was engaged in farming in Blenheim town- ship, Oxford county, and afterwards in Kent county, Ontario, in connection with his father and upon the latter’s farms. In May, 1877, Mr. Graham, having reached his majority, decided to try his fortunes in the North-West, then a great unknown country, and he arrived in Winnipeg via the Red river flat boats on the 15th of May of that year and selected a farm twenty- five miles northwest of Winnipeg, which he owned and operated for four years. At that time the prairies of the west were being made accessible to the farmers, and Mr. Graham came to spy out the land in the Brandon district before the city of that name had an existence even upon paper, reaching her by steamboat on the Assiniboine river which at that time was navigable. He made a selection of a fine farm of eight hundred acres at the west end of the Brandon Hills, which he successfully operated until the year 1896, when he retired from farming and came to the city of Brandon to reside. During the years of his life on his Brandon farm he took an active interest in public affairs and contributed in a large measure by act and example to develop and improve what is now the well-known Hayfield dis- trict. During the years of 1885-6-7-8 he was a member of the Oakland municipal council for that locality and in the latter year, when the Hon. Thomas Greenway was called upon to form a Provincial cabinet and made his celebrated appeal to the country, Mr. Graham was selected as the standard bearer for the Liberal party for the new constituency of South Brandon and contested the election in that division with the present Sena- tor Kirchoffer, the sitting member as his opponent. He was elected at that election by a narrow majority and again in the general election four years later in 1892, this time with a very large majority. And again at the next general election in the year of 1895 the electors of South Brandon showed their increased confidence in him by returning him again with the largest majority attained in any rural constituency in the province, his opponent540 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. losing his deposit. During the years mentioned much important legislation was enacted. This was the formative period of many of our laws and the establishment of many of our present public institutions. Railway monopoly was wiped out and railway competition secured. The great and historical school question was fought out in the Provincial legislature dur- ing this time, and during the consideration and disposal of these very important matters Mr. Graham took a deep interest and active part. During the latter part of the year 1896 he became weary of politics and resigned his seat and retired from public life, removing to the city of Brandon and there accepting his present position, having charge of all the province west of Portage la Prairie and with sub-offices under him located at various places throughout the west. In 1878 Mr. Graham married Miss Annie Cunningham, a daughter of John Cunningham, Esq., of Duart, Kent county, Ontario. Four children have been born of this union: John W., Allen Gordon, Cecelia and Winnifred. In addition to his official duties Mr. Graham owns and operates a retail lumber and coal business at Carroll, Manitoba, and has real estate interests in Winnipeg, Brandon and throughout the province. HENRY J. SKYNNER. One of the progressive business men of Brandon, Manitoba, is Mr. Henry J. Skynner, the subject of this sketch. For over twenty years he has been a resident in Brandon, during which time he has been actively identified with insurance, real estate and financial interests. He was edu- cated in a private school of Toronto, and when a young man accepted a clerkship in the North British Investment Company, with which institution he remained in Toronto until March, 1882, at which time he came to Win- nipeg, being still associated with the same company in their branch at that city. In 1884 he located at Brandon, where he has since remained. He is agent for different insurance companies, also the Canadian North-West Land Company, and handles the Canadian Pacific Railway’s lands of the district. In November, 1895, Mr. Skynner married Miss Essie Girouard, a sisterHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 541 of Sir Percy Girouard, of London, England. Mr. and Mrs. Skynner are the parents of six children. Mr. Skynner is a popular member of the Brandon Club, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. He and Mrs. Skynner are members of the Church of England, their present home being located on 417 Sixth street, Brandon. RICHARD DERMOT EVANS. Mr. Richard Dermot Evans, one of the aldermen of Brandon munici- pality, was born in 1852 at Hamilton, Ontario, and is the son of the late William Evans, who had retired from active business for many years prior to his death. Mr. Evans was educated in the public schools of Hamilton, which learning was further supplemented by a course in the Commercial College of that city. After putting aside his text books he served in busi- ness as a traveling salesman for a piano and organ manufactory, which he continued for some years, afterwards continuing traveling in the agri- cultural implement business until 1894. He first came to Brandon in 1882, making it his headquarters of traveling from that point. Mr. Evans came to Brandon to manage the business conducted by Jackson and Com- pany, and was with that firm until they retired. He then started the busi- ness of auctioneering, and is also agent for the Imperial Oil Company. Mr. Evans considers his greatest work his discovery of the cure for cancer, in which he has had remarkable success. In 1887 he married Miss Catherine Elizabeth Milne, a native of Whitby, Ontario. Four children have been born of this union: Milne Dermot, John Lowell, Rita Pauline and Alacia. ALFRED REGINALD McDIARMID. Mr. Alfred Reginald McDiarmid, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Brianston, Ontario, his birth having occurred on March 23, 1878. When but four years of age he was brought to Brandon by his parents, and after a preliminary education secured at the public schools of that city he attended the Manitoba College for two years, and in the fall of 1898 went into the lumber business with Mr. Hanbury, afterwards going to Rat Port-542 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. age with the Rat Portage Lumber Company. He returned to Brandon and organized the firm now trading under the name of McDiarmid and Clark. This business was originally a branch of the Assinihoine Lumber Company and continued as that for about four years, which company was succeeded by Sword and McEachern, and then subsequently by McDiarmid and McEachern. For two years Mr. McDiarmid continued the business by him- self, and in February, 1905, Mr. J. Clark was admitted as a partner, he taking charge of the factory while Mr. McDiarmid attended to the office work. A large and increasing business is conducted, the product of the plant reaching throughout the entire district. In 1903 Mr. McDiarmid married Miss Jean Elizabeth Burr, a daughter of Mr. M. W. Burr, of Guelph, Ontario. In addition to his interests in the aforesaid business, Mr. McDiarmid is a stockholder in the Manitoba Windmill and Pump Company and the Brandon Brick and Lumber Company. Politically he gives his support to * the Liberal party, but he is not an active partisan, preferring to devote his time to his business rather than engage in the race for political honors. ISAIAH R. STROME. Isaiah R. Strome, president of the Brandon Electric Light Company and also a leading merchant of that city, is a native of Blenheim township, county Oxford, Ontario, and was born October 7, 1852. He is a son of John Root and Mary (Rosenburg) Strome, who were both born in Pennsylvania, and were of German descent, their ancestors being early settlers of Pennsyl- vania. The parents came to Canada early in the last century, shortly after they were married, coming to this country on horseback, before the railways were built in western Ontario, and were among the early settlers of Oxford county. Here the father cleared a farm from the brush country, on which they lived and operated up to the time of the father’s death, which occurred in 1876, at the age of sixty-seven years. The mother died in 1903, at the advanced age of ninety-two years. Mr. Strome was raised on the home farm, and educated in the country schools of Oxford county, working on the farm in the summer time and attending school in the winter. At the age of eighteen he left home and for'•essfe ' ? -V*; •HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 543 a couple of years was a clerk in a fruit store at Galt, Ontario. In 1876 he was employed in a general merchandise establishment at Harrison, Ontario, which occupation was continued up to 1881, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. For one year he was employed by the wholesale dry goods firm of Stobart, Sons & Company, of Winnipeg, and at the expiration of this period he formed a partnership with A. Kennedy, and purchased the old established book store of H. S. Donaldson & Brother. This business was continued until the summer of 1883, at which time he sold his interests to his partner and purchased the dry goods business of Logan & Henderson, of Portage la Prairie. He conducted operations at this place for two years under the firm name of Strome & Henderson, and then purchased his partner’s interests, and in the summer of 1886 moved to Brandon and established the dry goods business of Strome & Whitelow. In addition to dry goods, a large stock of all farming supplies and general merchandise was likewise carried. This business was conducted until 1899, when he purchased the dry goods business of Paisley, Miller & Carscaden, at which time the firm of Strome & Whitelow was dissolved, Mr. Strome purchasing the dry goods department. In 1890 Mr. Strome established the Brandon Electric Light Company, being one of the incorporators and the principal promoter of the company. It is the only system of light and power of Brandon to-day. Since 1897 Mr. Strome has been president of the company and one of the principal stockholders. The company has been very successful, owning a large tract of land with a splendid water power, which supplies power for mills, elevators and manufacturing concerns throughout the district, the power being carried nine and a quarter miles from the mouth of the Little Saskatchewan river. Mr. Strome still conducts his dry goods business, and is also heavily interested in agricultural pursuits, owning about two thousand five hundred acres of land, of which about one thousand two hundred acres are devoted to crops. He is also the owner of Lake Clementi, located ten miles south of Brandon, which is an outing place and a summer resort of Brandon. In addition to this Mr. Strome has also established a branch store at Rapid City and at Wapella. In 1882 Mr. Strome married Miss Mary I. Peffers, a daughter of Neal544 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. P. Peffers, of Glenallan, Ontario. Five children have been born of this union: Jessie Dunbar, Bertha Maud, Ivan Roy, Charles Merle and Vivian Ruth. Both Mr. and Mrs. Strome are members of the Presbyterian church, of which he is a member of the board of managers. He gives his support politically to the Liberal party, but his proclivities in politics are inde- pendent, as he votes for what he considers to be the best in the interests of the people regardless of party affiliations. He has served as alderman of the city of Brandon for nine years, and. is chairman of the Finance Committee. He takes a deep interest in all matters pertaining to the wel- fare of the city, and is a member of the Brandon Board of Trade. WILLIAM WILSON. William Wilson, one of the pioneer blacksmiths of western Manitoba, was born March 17, 1852, in the county Cavan, Ireland, and is a son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Thompson) Wilson, both of whom were natives of Ireland. The parents emigrated to New York in 1862, but the day after arrival the father died, leaving his wife and four children, the subject of this sketch being the eldest. After a brief period spent in New York the family moved to Montreal, and subsequently to Leeds county, Ontario, eventually settling in Gatineau, Ottawa county, Quebec. Mr. Wilson received a limited education at the county schools of Ottawa county, and at the age of fourteen started to learn the blacksmith’s trade, which he subsequently followed as a journeyman at Gatineau up to 1879. In that year he came to Manitoba, leaving his family at Gatineau, but the following year brought them to the province and located first at Rat Port- age, where for the following two years he was in the employ of the Keewatin Milling Company. He then came to Brandon and started a blacksmith shop of his own, in which business he has continued up to the present time, being one of the oldest in that line in western Manitoba. In 1873 Mr. Wilson married Miss Mary Anne McCann, a daughter of Andrew McCann, of Hinks, Ottawa county. They are the parents of eight children: Lizzie, Andrew, Elswood, Maud, Fanny May, William Maxwell, Robert Frederick and Ottawa Belle.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 545 Fraternally Mr. Wilson is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson attend the Methodist church. donald c. McKinnon. Donald C. McKinnon, the well-known hotel man of western Manitoba, is a native of Erin, Wellington county, Ontario, and was born February 20, 1844. He is a son of John and Margaret (McGill) McKinnon, both of whom were natives of Argyleshire, Scotland, who emigrated to Canada early in the nineteenth century, and were among the early settlers of Wellington county. The father died in 1859, at the age of forty-five years, the mother surviving until 1896, at the age of eighty-eight. Mr. McKinnon was raised on the home farm and educated in the common schools of Wellington county. At the age of twenty-one he went to the United States, and enlisted in the Twenty-second New York Cavalry, commanded by General Philip Sheridan. He served until the close of the war in 1866, at which time he received an honorable discharge. After three years spent in Kentucky he returned to Wellington county, and in 1870 engaged in the mercantile business at Orangeville, and Mount Forest, con- tinuing this occupation until 1881, at which time he came to Manitoba, arriving in Winnipeg on the 12th of July of that year. Mr. McKinnon made the journey by boat. On arrival his total assets were one hundred and forty dollars and a small family. For a short time he was employed at various occupations, and subsequently started a small boarding house, afterwards opening the Little Central Hotel. In 1886 he built the Palace Hotel, which he operated at intervals until 1901, when he disposed of his interests in this business. In 1901 he erected the Imperial Hotel, which he conducted up to 1905, at which time he disposed of his interests to its present owner, A. Denison. In 1876 Mr. McKinnon married Miss Helen Francis Hazard, a daughter of Captain Hazard, an officer in the English Army. They are the parents of two children: Edith May, wife of Major Frank Clark, of Brandon; and Louise, wife of Harry Hooper, of Carberry. Mrs. McKinnon 35546 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. died in 1893, and in 1896 Mr. McKinnon married Miss Agnes McGregor, a daughter of George McGregor, of Glasgow, Scotland. They are the parents of one son, Donald Colin. Mr. and Mrs. McKinnon hold membership in the Presbyterian and Baptist churches. JOSEPH HENRY HUGHES. Mr. Joseph Henry Hughes, the subject of this sketch, was born on April 14, 1857, and is a native of London, Middlesex county, Ontario. He is a son of Joseph C. and Jane (McAndless) Hughes, both of whom were natives of London township, their parents being natives of Ireland, who settled in Ontario early in the last century. Mr. Joseph C. Hughes followed agricultural pursuits in Middlesex county up to the year 1903, at which time he removed to Brandon, Manitoba, where he is now living retired from active pursuits. The subject of this sketch was raised on the home farm and educated in the county schools of Middlesex county, and afterwards attended the Normal School at Toronto in 1874. The following year he began teaching, continuing this occupation for over a year, at which time he engaged in the general merchandise business at Ilderton, continuing this business up to 1882, and then coming to Manitoba, locating at Brandon. He at once engaged in the lumber business in connection with T. H. Patrick, of Souris, and operated yards at Brandon and Souris. In 1886 this partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Hughes then established the mills at Rainy River, which are the oldest mills now operating in that district. Mr. Hughes disposed of this property in 1901 and established his present business of wholesale and retail lumber in Brandon. The yards are located on 10th street, between Rosser and Princess streets, Mr. Hughes being the owner of most of the property between 10th and 11th streets, Rosser and Princess, the substan- tial brick block on 10th street being erected by him, also the Stratheona Block. They employ over forty men in the manufacture of sash doors and builders’ supplies and an immense trade is supplied, reaching throughout Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. An interesting fact in connection with Mr. Hughes’ career in ManitobaHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 547 is that on the site where the town of Rainy River now stands Mr. Hughes cut the first timber and built the first saw mill. In 1883 Mr. Hughes married Miss Anna Maria Hughes, a native of Middlesex county, near Strathroy, a daughter of the late Thomas Hughes, of Metcalfe, Middlesex county, who was for many years identified in public life, serving as reeve and warden of the county and being one of the pioneer farmers of that section. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hughes have been born five children: Alma and May, both attending Alma College at St. Thomas, Ontario; Percy, Harley and Ruth. Mr. Hughes has served for four years as alderman of the city of Brandon, and during that time was chairman of the Board of Public Works. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. PETER BELHAVEN HAMILTON RAMSAY. One of the popular men of the Province of Manitoba is Captain Peter B. H. Ramsay, the subject of this sketch. He was born on December 1, 1864, at Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a son of William Hamilton and Fanny (Scarth) Ramsay, both of whom were also natives of Scotland, the father being a major in the Highland Light Infantry. Mr. Ramsay was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh, leaving school at the age of seventeen, and the next three years being articled in a law office. He was subsequently lieutenant in the Third Battalion of the High- land Light Infantry. In 1886 he came to Manitoba and located at Virden, where he conducted a farm until 1898, at which time he came to Bandon, where he engaged in cigar manufacturing and traveled throughout Mani- toba and the North-West Territories in connection with his business interests. In 1896 he was commissioned lieutenant to what was then known as the Manitoba Dragoons and stationed at Yirden, and in 1904 when the squadron was converted into the Canadian Mounted Rifles, he was made Captain of A Squadron. In 1902 Captain Ramsay was in charge of the contingent of the Canadian Mounted Rifles of Manitoba, which was sent to attend the coronation of King Edward the Seventh. In 1886 Captain Ramsay married Miss Sophia Probert, a daughter of548 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. William Probert, of Edinburgh, Scotland. They are the parents of four children: Hilda, Florence, Daisy and William. Captain Ramsay is a member of the Brandon Board of Trade, and since 1903 has been president of the Brandon Club. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, and has always taken an active part in local, provincial and Dominion politics. ROBERT BRIGGS HETHERINGTON. Mr. Robert Briggs Hetherington, the provincial jailer at Brandon, is ■a native of Smith’s Falls, Renfrew county, Ontario, and was born July 12, 1844. He is a son of John and Eliza (Briggs) Hetherington, both of whom were natives of Ireland, and who settled in Renfrew county in the early thirties, where the father followed his occupation of farmer, continuing the same in Huron county, where the family moved in 1866. Mr. Hetherington was raised on the home farm and received his educa- tion in the public schools of his native county. At the age of twenty-one he left home and learned the carpenter’s trade, which he followed up to 1879, in which year he came to Manitoba. The following year was spent following his trade at Portage la Prairie, and in the spring of 1881 he took up a homestead north of Douglas, on which he conducted farming opera- tions until 1902. During a portion of this time he was also engaged in the lumber business at Douglas. On February 1, 1903, Mr. Hetherington was appointed provincial jailer, which position he is now acceptably filling. In 1872 Mr. Hetherington married Miss Mary Jane Mathers, a daughter -of Christopher Mathers, of Kinloss, Bruce county, Ontario. They are the parents of eight children: Robert George, Charles Wesley, Thomas Henry, William James, Albert Edward, John Christopher, Francis Briggs and Etta Angeline. Fraternally Mr. Hetherington is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters and the Orange Society. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hetherington hold membership in the Methodist church. JOHN ANDREW DRYSDALE. Mr. John Andrew Drysdale, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Simcoe county, Ontario, his birth having occurred on July 11, 1870. HeHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 549 is a son of William Drysdale, also of Simcoe county, who is still living, but retired from active business pursuits. Mr. Drysdale was educated in the public schools of his native county, and after putting aside his text books followed agricultural pursuits in the county of his nativity, and in 1892 came to Manitoba, locating at Portage la Prairie, where for four years he was apprenticed to the marble cutting trade. After having thoroughly mastered the details of the business, he worked as a journeyman for six years, and then accepted the position aa a traveling salesman, which occupation he continued for five years, and in 1902 purchased his present business. This business had originally been established in 1887 by Thompson & Company and continued under that firm’s administration until purchased by the present owner. The business is principally the manufacture of marble and granite monuments, the trade extending from western Ontario to British Columbia. Mr. Drysdale took for a life’s partner Miss Barrie Manson, a daughter of James Manson, of Owen Sound. They are the parents of six children: Campbell,. Edna, Flossie, Elsie, Reggie and John Manson. Fraternally Mr. Drysdale affiliates with the Woodmen of the World and the Order of Chosen Friends. In politics he gives his support to the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs.’ Drysdale are valued members of the Methodist church. WALTER HENDERSON SHILLINGLAW. Mr. Walter Henderson Shillinglaw, city engineer of Brandon, is a native of Staffa, Perth county, Ontario, and was born September 29, 1864. He is a son of James and Elizabeth (Deans) Shillinglaw, the father a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, and the mother of Hawick, Scotland, the father coming to Canada in 1840 and the mother in 1842. The father followed agricultural pursuits in Perth county for twenty years, from 1849 to 1869, then moving to Albany, Missouri, and in 1880 came to Manitoba, spending two years at Portage la Prairie and moving to Brandon in 1882, where he is now living retired from active pursuits. Mr. Shillinglaw was educated at the public schools of Albany, Missouri, and afterwards at the public schools of Portage la Prairie, and550 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. at Brandon. In 1886 he matriculated from the University of Manitoba to the School of Science of Toronto, where he took a course as civil engineer in 1889, returning to Brandon to take up the practice of his profession as an architect, which he continued until December, 1896. He was then appointed city engineer, which position he now fills. During this time he has also carried on his profession as an architect. In 1899 Mr. Shillinglaw married Miss Elizabeth Monteith, a daughter of William Monteith, of Greencastle, Ireland. Mr. Shillinglaw is an associate member of the Civil Engineer Society of Canada. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs. Shillinglaw are members of the Presbyterian church. JOSEPH FREDERICK HIGGINBOTHAM. One of the leading business men of Brandon, Manitoba, is Mr. Joseph Frederick Higginbotham, the subject of this sketch. He was born February 23, 1868, at Muskoka, Ontario, and is a son of John Higginbotham, an ex-merchant of Toronto, residing at present in Winnipeg. Mr. Higginbotham received his education in the public schools of Ontario, and came to Manitoba in 1884, where in company with his father he started farming operations north of Oak Lake. In 1890 he came to Brandon and was apprenticed to T. F. Butcher, serving his time at the jewelry business and afterwards going to Toronto, where he took a term in the Horological College. This institution is the only one of its kind in Canada, and is recognized as being the best in America, it giving practical instruction in watchmaking in all its branches. After graduating from this college it is considered that the student is a master of his situation. After finishing his term Mr. Higginbotham returned to Brandon, where he again entered the employ of Mr. Butcher. He shortly afterwards established a business of his own at Portage la Prairie, which he conducted for four years, and upon the death of Mr. Butcher purchased his present business in Brandon. For a time he conducted both places, but sold the Portage la Prairie establishment to Mr. P. J. Harwood, who was then in his employ. At the present time Mr. Higginbotham carries one of the highest grade stocks in western Canada, fine diamonds being his specialty. He also dealsHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 551 largely in cut glass, silverware, etc. A stock of about twenty-five thousand dollars is carried the year round, and all the up-to-date jewelry, etc., in this line is constantly carried. On November 15, 1901, Mr. Higginbotham married Miss Ina May Hogg, a daughter of the Rev. Jbseph Hogg, of Winnipeg. They are the parents of two children: Margaret and Frances Irene. Fraternally Mr. Higginbotham is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. He gives his support to the Conservative party, but is not an active partisan. JAMES KIRKCALDY. One of the popular proprietors of the Empire Hotel, located at Bran- don, Manitoba, is Mr. James Kirkcaldy, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Fifeshire, Scotland, born May 18, 1866, and is a son of James and Helen (Brand) Kirkcaldy, the father by occupation a contractor and now in the employ of the Provincial government. Mr. Kirkcaldy was educated in the public schools of Fifeshire, Scot- land, and after putting aside his text books served as an apprentice in gardening. Afterwards he joined the celebrated Black Watch, and for over six years was stationed in Scotland, at Aldershot, England, and the county of Kildare, Ireland, also at Dublin, Belfast and Londonderry. He subsequently served as a staff instructor of the Hythe School of Musketry in Kent, England, for two years which terminated his connection with that branch of the service. Mr. Kirkcaldy came to Manitoba in the fall of 1891 and located at Brandon, and in April of the following year was appointed chief of police of the city, which position he filled for thirteen years and four months, deciding on July 17, 1905, to engage in the hotel business. At this time he formed a partnership with Mr. James Smith, and purchased the Empire Hotel of Brandon, one of the best known houses west of the Great Lakes. It is a handsome three story and basement brick structure, containing forty rooms and occupying a ground space of fifty by one hundred feet. In 1891 Mr. Kirkcaldy married Miss Rosina H. Perry, a daughter of Joseph Perry, of Hythe, England. Seven children had been born of this552 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. union: Elsie, Kathleen, Archie, Jack, Ellen, Minnie and Fred. Mr. Kirk- caldy is affiliated with the Brandon Lodge No. 19, A.F. & A.M., and both he and Mrs. Kirkcaldy are members of the Presbyterian church. JAMES SMITH. Mr. James Smith, manager for A. Galbraith & Sons, of the Brandon branch, is a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, born August 21, 1858. His education was acquired in the public schools of his native city, after which he was apprenticed to the blacksmith’s trade, and after serving his time worked for five years as a journeyman. In 1881 he came to Ontario, locating near Stratford, but after remaining there a short time removed to Stark, Illinois, where he conducted a blacksmith shop for nineteen years, also dealing largely in imported horses. In 1901 Mr. Smith came to Manitoba as manager for A. Galbraith & Sons, horse importers, and opened the Brandon branch for this institution since locating in Brandon. He has located over two hundred imported stallions in the North-West, and has done more to raise the grade of stock in this part of the country than anyone identified with this branch of business. In addition to this Mr. Smith owns a half interest in the Empire Hotel, having as a partner Mr. James Kirkcaldy, whose sketch appears on another page of this work. In November, 1887, Mr. Smith married Miss Janet Murray, who died in 1893, leaving two children: Stacey Burdett and Ruby Jane. Mr. Smith has always taken an active part in fraternal circles and is affiliated with the Masonic order, also being a member of Peoria Commandery, Knights Templars, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Smith married Miss May Agnes Sloan, of Liverpool, England, in 1905. ALEXANDER C. FRASER. Mr. A. C. Fraser is a native of Renfrew county, Ontario, coming to Brandon when a young man in 1881. He has been in the dry goods business in Brandon since 1882, and is therefore one of the pioneer merchants of the city. He was alderman for two years, 1884-85, and mayor for fourVHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 553 years, 1888, 1889, 1901, 1902. He was elected to the local legislature for North Brandon in 1897, hut was defeated in the general election of 1899, also contested Brandon city at the general election of 1903, but was again defeated by a small majority. Mr. Fraser is a Liberal in politics and an adherent of the Presbyterian church. He is a member of the Board of Trade and the Brandon Club, and fraternally is affiliated with the Masonic order. THOMAS CHAPMAN. Mr. Thomas Chapman, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Somer- set, England, born August 6,1850, and is a son of Alfred Mundy and Sarah (Applefield) Chapman, both of whom were natives of England and repre- sentatives of an old family of the mother country. Mr. Chapman was educated at private schools in Somerset, England, and immediately after leaving school was apprenticed to the watchmaking trade. He served his time at this business and in 1870 emigrated to Canada and located at Toronto, where he worked at his trade for one and a half years. He then moved to Lindsay, Ontario, where he followed his trade for three and a half years, and thirty years ago, in 1875, came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg. For five years he followed his trade in that city and in 1880 moved to his present location on Brandon Hills. By home- steading and by purchase he has acquired a magnificent property of five hundred and sixty acres, of which about three hundred acres are under cul- tivation. He also devotes considerable time to stock-raising, and in both branches of his business has met with a deserved success. In February, 1877, Mr. Chapman married Miss Mary Andrew, a sister of George Andrew, a leading jeweler of Winnipeg, and they have become the parents of thirteen children, of whom ten are living, as follows: Jennie, Jessie, George William, Charles Edwin, John Edward, Bertha, Clifford, Edith, Norman and Myrtle. Fraternally Mr. Chapman is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters, and both he and Mrs. Chapman are consistent members of the Church of England. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, although he has never been a pronounced partisan.554 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. hugh McPherson. One of the substantial citizens of Brandon district is Mr. Hugh McPherson, the subject of this sketch. For over twenty-five years he has resided on his beautiful farm on Brandon Hills, and during that time has met with the success that a man of his sterling qualifications deserves. Mr. McPherson has seen this now populous district emerge from its native condi- tion of prairie into the finest wheat-growing section in Western Canada, and has suffered and endured all the trials which the pioneer of that dis- trict had to undergo, but through it all has never lost a particle of his estimation for the country of his adoption, believing it to be the garden spot of the Dominion of Canada. Mr. McPherson is a native of Pictou county and was born January 26, 1845. He is a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Murray) McPherson, both of whom were early settlers of Pictou county and were there identified with agricultural interests. Mr. McPherson was educated in the public schools of his native county, and until coming to Manitoba was engaged in farming, in railroading and in lumbering. He came to Manitoba in April, 1879, and settled on his pre- sent farm eleven miles southeast of Brandon. Here by pre-emption and by homesteading, which was further added to by purchase, he is the owner of one thousand two hundred and eighty acres of land, and has also acquired six hundred and forty acres in the northern part of the province. The principal crop raised is wheat, and his property lies in one of the most fertile and productive belts in the entire province. In 1875 Mr. McPherson married Miss Margaret E. Sellers, who is also a native of Pictou county, and four children have been born of this union, Georgina J., Maggie Hattie, Johnston and Angus Sellers. While Mr. McPherson’s farming operations occupied most of his time and attention during his residence in Manitoba, he has felt it incumbent upon himself to take a proper interest in the governing affairs of his adopted country, and for fifteen years acted as a councillor of Brandon district, giving his support to the Conservative party. Both Mr. and Mrs. McPherson are consistent members of the Presbyterian church.Rev. George Roddick.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 555 There are few men. better known or more universally respected than Mr. McPherson, and he numbers his friends by the score. As a representative man of Manitoba he certainly deserves recognition in the history of the province. REY. GEORGE RODDICK. Mr. George Roddick, the subject of this sketch, is one of the early pioneers of Brandon district, and since his residence in the province of his adoption has been a power for good in the community. The worth of those sterling characteristics which Mr. Roddick inherited from his forefathers have placed him in the front ranks of the representative men of Manitoba. During his residence in this province of nearly thirty years he has made a name for himself which will always be a credit to himself, to his family and to all his descendants. There lives no man to-day who can say aught of any act of his, and the universal respect in which he is held is probably a better demonstration of his worth than any encomium which can be written of him. Mr. Roddick is a native of Pictou county, Nova Scotia, and was born January 29, 1832. He is a son of James and Lena (Kinkley) Roddick, the father from Dumfriesshire, Scotland, and the mother from Belfast, Ireland. The father followed his occupation of milling until called away by death. Mr. Roddick was educated in West River seminary of Pictou county and at Princetown, New Jersey, where he took his theological course and was graduated in 1857. Returning to the place of his nativity, he took out a license and for one year preached in the mission fields, at which time he was called to the Presbyterian church and settled in West River, Pictou county. For nearly twenty-one years he was the pastor of the Presbyterian church at this point, and in 1879 left West River and came to Manitoba, where he located at his present home on Brandon Hills. By pre-emption and by purchase he now owns a magnificent property of two thousand five hundred acres, most of which is under cultivation, and of which about one thousand acres is given over to the raising of wheat and five hundred acres to oats and barley. Mr. Roddick has met with well-merited success in his undertakings, and is one of the substantial citizens of the province.556 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. In December, 1859, he married Elizabeth Roddick, also a native of Pictou county. They are the parents of eight children, of whom seven are living: James Melville, David Roy, Robert Fenwick, John Hardy, Mary Harriet, the wife of W. H. Dunbar, of Brandon Hills, who is the mother of six children; Lena Bessie, who is the wife of R. Dunbar, and Georgina Russell, wife of W. F. Harris, of North Portal, Saskatchewan. Mr. Roddick has passed the alloted three score years and ten, but he is still active in mind and body and gives a general personal supervision to his large properties, leaving the more laborious work of course to the younger generation. Throughout his life he has always found that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and has followed this precept unvary- ingly. A warm-hearted, charitable, genial gentleman, one who commands the respect of all with whom he comes in contact, a successful man from every point of view, Mr. Roddick deserves mention in the history of the province of his adoption. CHARLES ROBERT BANTING. One of the prominent and successful business men of Brandon, Mani- toba, is Mr. Charles R. Banting, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Cookstown, Ontario, born in 1852, and is a son of Benjamin Banting, who was a native of Ireland. Mr. Banting was educated in the public schools of Tecumseh, and was raised on the home farm in Cookstown, where he remained until 1879, at which time he went to the new town, Robinson, Ontario, remaining there until 1881, at which time he emigrated to Mani- toba, settling in the Louisburg district. He remained there but a few years and then located in Methvan. He homesteaded a farm near the village which he operates up to the present time. In 1892 Mr. Banting opened a general store at Methvan, which he conducted for two years, at the expira- tion of which period he sold out and returned to his farm. In 1902 he came to Brandon city and again opened up a general merchandise estab- lishment, which he is now conducting. He is still identified with farm interests, owning four hundred and eighty acres of fine farming land nine- teen miles from Brandon, which he is farming on shares. He is also aHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 557 stockholder in the Binder Twine Company and the Oshawa Canning Com- pany, Limited. In 1876 Mr. Banting married Mary Ann Hill, a native of Simcoe, Ontario, and a sister of Rev. L. W. Hill, of Toronto. Seven children have been born of this union: Benjamin Lewis, Helita Caroline, Eva Sarah Pris- cilla, Percival Charles Richard, Thomas Albert Wilber, Bertha Annie Jane, Meredith Black. Politically Mr. Banting supports the Conservative party, but is not an active partisan. He is a member of the Methodist church, and is prominent in church matters, having been class leader for many years and taking a deep interest in religious matters. ALBERT DENISON. The popular proprietor of the Imperial Hotel is Mr. Albert Denison, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of the county of Huron, Ontario, born in 1859, and is a son of Robert Denison, also a native of Huron county, whose death occurred in 1901. Mr. Denison received his educa- tional advantages in the public schools of Huron county, and was after- wards apprenticed to the blacksmithing trade, at which he served his time. After working for eleven years at his trade in Ontario he came to Manitoba in 1884, and located at Glenboro, where he conducted a blacksmith shop for two years, after which he went into the machine business and also the livery business. In 1895 he started in the hotel business and conducted the Leland Hotel in Glenboro for five years, after which he moved to Souris and had charge of the Transit House for about three years. He sold the Transit House and came to Brandon, leasing the Imperial Hotel, which he ran for fifteen months, afterwards going to Carman, Manitoba, and conducting the Starkey House for a like period. In 1905 he disposed of his interests in Carman and came to Brandon, where he purchased the Imperial Hotel of Mr. D. C. McKinnon. The hotel is one of the best houses in western Canada, and is a substantial three- story brick structure, occupying ground space of sixty by one hundred and fifteen feet, and containing fifty-six rooms. The investment for the hotel and furnishing was eighty thousand dollars, and Mr. Denison at once starting refitting and refurnishing the institution, the improvements being558 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. completed in 1905, and making it one of the most modern and up-to-date hotels in Manitoba. He is extremely popular with the traveling public, and his success was assured from the start. In 1887 Mr. Denison married Miss Elizabeth Reilly, a native of Ontario. They are the parents of two children: May and Albert. JOHN FRY. One of the largest real estate operators in western Manitoba is Mr. John Fry, the subject of this sketch. He was born on January 5, 1870, at Wingham, Ontario, and is a son of the late James Fry, who followed agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1904. Mr. Fry’s educational advantages were derived in the public schools of Souris and Portage la Prairie, his father coming to Winnipeg in 1879, where he engaged in carpentering work at different places in the province. Mr. Fry remained in Portage la Prairie until 1882, and then removed to Brandon, where for a few months he was engaged in farming. He has a homestead near Souris, but afterwards farmed in different places until 1893, and then was employed at a general store at Souris, where he remained but a short time. He then went into the grain business, after which he returned once more to farming, thus continuing until May 12, 1898, at which time he came to Brandon and was a clerk in a grocery store for three years, afterwards being employed by the Canadian Pacific Rail- way, and once more returning to Brandon in February, 1902. He then started the grocery business for himself, and conducted this place until May 17, 1903, after which he was identified with real estate until November 15. He built a large livery stable, which he conducted until March 25, 1905. He sold out his interest in this business and has since devoted him- self to real estate and insurance. Mr. Fry has made a great success of this business, and is recognized as one of the best posted men on real estate matters in western Manitoba. On November 16,1897, he married Miss Mary Louise Winter, a resident of Ingersoll, Ontario, her uncle, William Winter, being one of the ex-mayors of Brandon. Mr. and Mrs. Fry are the parents of one son, Reuben James. Mr. Fry gives his support to the Liberal party, and is a consistent member of the Presbyterian church.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 559 WILLIAM WILSON ALEXANDER. Mr. William Wilson Alexander, the pioneer mill man of the Brandon district, was born October 16, 1850, in Aberdeen, Scotland, and is a son of William and Mary (Johnston) Alexander, both representatives of an old Scotch family. The father was a mechanic by trade and moved to Lon- don, Ontario, in 1860, where he followed farming, also carrying on a carriage and general blacksmithing business at Siddleville, Middlesex county, up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1875. Mr. Alexander was educated in the common schools of London town- ship, but left school at the age of fifteen and engaged in the milling and grain business up to 1882, at which time he came to Manitoba, arriving in Winnipeg on January 1st of that year. In the following March he came to Brandon, and after a year spent with Mr. Archie Fisher in the milling and lumber business, he formed a partnership with Andrew Kelly and Robert Sutherland, and for the next fifteen years was engaged in the flour and grain business. In 1901 he withdrew from that firm and entered the milling and grain business with Low Brothers, trading under the name of the Alexander Milling Company. This company operates a flour mill and a line of elevators throughout the district. The mill has a capacity of five hundred and twenty-five barrels per day. Mr. Alexander is to-day the pioneer grain and milling man of the Brandon district. In 1875 Mr. Alexander married Miss Mary Fisher, a daughter of Archie Fisher, of Paisley, Bruce county, Ontario. Eight children have been born of this, union: Julie Piere, Clara, George, Archie, Frank, Maggie, Louise and Wilhemina. Mr. Alexander served in the Brandon city council for one year and has been a member of the school board for the past twelve years, the two latter years acting as chairman of the board. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order. HUGH ARMSTRONG. Mr. Hugh Armstrong, M.P.P., representing Portage la Prairie, is a native of St. Lawrence county, New York, and was born August 5, 1858.560 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. He is a son of the late Hugh Armstrong, who came to Canada in 1860 and located in Carleton county. Mr. Armstrong was educated in the grammar schools in Richmond, Carleton county, after which he taught school for several years, afterwards being identified in mercantile pursuits -for about five years at Dunrobin, Carleton county. He sold out his interests in 1883 and emigrated to Manitoba, where he rented the store of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Poplar Point. He put in a stock of his own and conducted that business for several years, subsequently disposing of his interests and starting in the fish business, being one of the first to export fish from the province. He has been connected with the business ever since, being general manager now for the Dominion Fish Company. He, however, is still interested in mercantile pursuits, having an establishment of his own on Lake Winni- pegosis and also on Lake Manitoba. He also owns a fine farm of six hundred and forty acres at Dauphin about one-half of which is under cul- tivation and is a heavy dealer in real estate generally. In 1858 Mr. Armstrong married Miss Mary Younghusband, a daughter of H. Younghusband, of Carleton county, Ontario. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, and both he and Mrs. Armstrong are members of the Church of England. Mr. Armstrong has always taken an active interest in political affairs. In 1892 he was elected to the local legislature, holding his seat until the dissolution of that parliament. He refused a re-nomination in Woodlands for the party, and took nomination in Selkirk for the Dominion House, but was defeated. Upon the death of William Garland in 1901 he was elected to the local legislature by acclamation for the town of Portage la Prairie and was re-elected in 1903. SAMUEL REID MARLATT. Samuel Reid Marlatt, inspector of Indian agencies for the Lake Mani- toba inspectorate, was born in 1853, and is the son of Obidiah and Sarah (Kenney) Marlatt, both of United Empire Loyalist stock, who were among the early settlers of Ontario, where the father followed farming pursuits. Mr. Marlatt was educated in the common schools of Ontario, after-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 561 wards serving an apprenticeship to the dry goods trade in London, Ontario. In 1871 he came to Manitoba, arriving on April 29th of that year at Winnipeg. On the 10th of May following he came to Portage la Prairie, where he operated a trading post with William Dixon, and continued in mercantile pursuits and also farming up to 1897. At this time he was appointed inspector of Indian agencies for the Lake Manitoba Inspectorate, which office he is now acceptably filling. On January 1, 1875, Mr. Marlatt married Miss Elizabeth Whinster, a daughter of James Whinster, who was one of the pioneer farmers of Mani- toba, emigrating from St. Mary’s, Ontario, in the fall of 1871. Six children have been born of this union, as follows: Edgerton, a barrister of Winni- peg; Roy, engaged in the lumber business in Seattle, Washington; Charles, who is teaching school; Paul, in the railway mail service; Winonah and Mary. In fraternal circles Mr. Marlatt has always taken a deep interest, hold- ing membership with the Masonic order, being a charter and a life member of the Assiniboine Lodge, No. 7, and was master of the lodge for several years. In all public affairs he has taken an active part, having served as councillor and school trustee for many years and being identified with the hospital board. He is president of the Oldtimers’ Association of Portage la Prairie, and is to-day the oldest settler in that city. Mrs. Marlatt has the distinction of being the first teacher under the public school system in Manitoba in the schools of Portage la Prairie. JOSEPH RYAN. Judge Joseph Ryan, one of the most popular members of the local fraternity in the Province of Manitoba, was born on December 18, 1841, at Dunville, Ontario, and is a son of John and Amelia (Clement) Ryan, both of whom are deceased, the father following agricultural pursuits during his life time. The subject of this sketch was raised on the home farm, and received his education at the Brothers’ School at Kingston and at the Regiopolis College at the same place. After putting aside his text books he taught for a few months in College and at the Roman Catholic Separate School at Guelph, Ontario, for one year. 36562 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Ryan subsequently took up the study of law with J. J. Burrows, of Kingston, who afterwards became Judge Burrows, of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. Judge Ryan also continued his studies with Brittan & Price, of Kingston, being called to the bar in 1869, and after practicing at Kingston for a brief period he came to Manitoba in 1872, locating on June 9th of that year at Portage la Prairie. Up to July, 1882, he practiced his profession in that city, and was then appointed county judge, which posi- tion he is now acceptably filling. The territory covered by Judge Ryan is known as the Central Judicial District and embraces Portage la Prairie, Carman, Treherne, Holland, Glenboro, North Cyprus, Macgregor, Glad- stone, Neepawa, Dauphin, Gilbert Plains and Swan River. In 1868 Judge Ryan married Miss Mary Collins, a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, and six children have been born of this union, of whom five are living, as follows: Mary Amelia, wife of Mr. Edward Anderson, of Portage la Prairie; Joseph P., John Marquette, Bertram, Willie (deceased) and Geraldine. In 1874 Judge Ryan was elected to the Dominion Parliament from the county of Marquette, which at that time embraced more than one-half of the entire province. He held this seat until July, 1888, at which time he went upon the bench. It speaks strongly for his personal popularity that he was elected to this seat as an independent. Both Judge and Mrs. Ryan are consistent members of the Roman Catholic church. HON. ROBERT WATSON. Hon. Robert Watson, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Elora, Wellington county, Ontario, and was born April 29, 1853. He is a son of George and Elizabeth (McDonald) Watson, the father a native of Pebel- shire, Scotland, and the mother of Bednach, Inverness, Scotland, both parents being early settlers of Ontario, where the father during his life- time carried on farming pursuits. Mr. Watson received his education in the public schools of Salem, afterwards learning the trade of millwright of machinery. He followed this trade at different points in Ontario until 1876, at which time he came to Manitoba and erected the Marquette mills at Portage la Prairie, and also iiiiiiBiiiiBiiiaiiisiaiii! 100081020200010200000202000102090002020001730202000101■HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 563 a mill at Stonewall, and then returned to Portage la Prairie, where he engaged in the milling business on his own account. He continued in this branch of industry until 1882. At that time Portage la Prairie was the farthest point west from which flour could be procured, and a large trade was transacted with the half-breed traders, who carried the product as far west as Edmonton. He also shipped to all the settlers west of Portage la Prairie. At the time Mr. Watson engaged in the milling business the best flour used in the province was imported from the United States, but owing to his knowledge of milling he succeeded in inducing the farmers to grow the red fife wheat, from which he succeeded in manufacturing flour which took the place of the imported American article. In 1882 Mr. Watson contested the county of Marquette for the House of Commons as a Provincial rights candidate, being returned and defeating Edward McDonald, the Conservative candidate. In 1887 he again con- tested Marquette, and defeated A. C. Bolton, and in 1891 at the general elections defeated Mr. M. Boyd. In all of these contests his victory was a surprise to most people, as he was the only Liberal candidate elected west of Lake Huron. In 1892 he resigned his seat in the House of Commons, taking the portfolio of minister of public works in the Provincial govern- ment of Manitoba under Premier Greenway, and was elected at the general elections which followed in 1892 as a member of the Provincial government. In 1897 he was again elected from Portage la Prairie for the local house, and continued to hold his position of minister of public works under the. Greenway government until that government was defeated in 1899. Shortly afterwards in January, 1900, he was called to the senate, which position he now holds. In 1880 Mr. Watson married Miss Isabel Brown, a daughter of Duncan Brown, of Lobo, county of Middlesex, Ontario. Five children have been born of this union: Elizabeth, wife of Arthur Swinford, who is manager of a branch of the Bank of Commerce at Winnipeg; Florenoe, Alice, Francis and Robert Wilfrid. Fraternally Mr. Watson is affiliated with the Masonic order, holding membership in the lodge at Portage la Prairie and the Chapter at Winnipeg. In 1880 and 1881 he served as a member of the council of Portage la Prairie, and took an active part in the installa-564 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. tion of the electric light plant of that city. For a number of years he was connected with his brother in the Marquette Machine Works of Portage la Prairie. At the present time he is largely interested in western land, being the vice-president of the Eastern and Western Land Company, which com- pany controls large blocks of land in the Province of Saskatchewan. WILLIAM RICHARDSON. William Richardson, who is the oldest real estate operator in Portage la Prairie, is a native of Portsmouth, England, and was born November 20, 1859. His family moved to Canada in the early sixties and located at Kingston, Ontario, where the father for many years followed the occupa- tion of a cheese merchant and exporter. Mr. Richardson was educated in the public and grammar schools of Kingston, and in 1878 came to Portage la Prairie, the first few years in that city being devoted to various occupations. In the fall of 1881 he entered the real estate business at the commencement of the boom, and has continued in this business up to the present time. In 1900 he formed a partnership with M. A. Ferriss, under the firm name of Richardson & Ferriss. The firm is one of the most prominent in western Manitoba, and has a large clientele. In 1880 Mr. Richardson married Miss Sarah G. Parker, a daughter of John Parker, also a pioneer of Manitoba. The following children have been born of this union: William, Herbert, Stanley, John and Frank. Fraternally Mr. Richardson is affiliated with the Canadian Order of Foresters. Politically he gives his support to the Conservative party, and since 1890 has been secretary of the Conservative Association of Portage la Prairie, always taking an active part in local, Provincial and Dominion politics. THOMAS ALEXANDER NEWMAN. Thomas Alexander Newman, who is prominently identified with the wholesale business of western Manitoba, was born September 19, 1848, in Merrickville, South Lanark county, Ontario, and is a son of Thomas and Sarah (Maitland) Newman, the father a native of England and the motherV.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 565 of Canada. The father was a sergeant in the Imperial army and came to Canada in that capacity, afterwards serving as lockmaster in the Rideau canal for many years and up to the time of his death. Mr. Newman was educated in the public schools of Lanark county, and after finishing his studies engaged in the mercantile business with an uncle at Smith’s Palls, where he continued until 1872, at which time he came to Manitoba. He at once entered the Hudson’s Bay Company’s services at Port Garry, remaining with this institution nine years, during which time he had charge of the store for eight years. In 1881 he came to Portage la Prairie and established a general store about one mile west of the present site, and opposite the old Hudson’s Bay Company store, later moving into the centre of Portage la Prairie. In 1893 the establishment was destroyed by fire, after which he entered the wholesale liquor and provision business, which he has continued up to the present time. In 1889 Mr. Newman married Miss Christina Clever, a daughter of Thomas Clever, of Mau, who was one of the pioneer farmers of the Oak River district. They are the parents of three children: Leslie, Katie and Prank. Mr. Newman is affiliated with the Masonic order, being a charter mem- ber of the Northern Light Lodge of Winnipeg. He gives his support, politically, to the Conservative party, and for eleven years served in the city council of Portage la Prairie, up to 1903. EDWARD BROWN. Mr. Edward Brown, mayor of Portage la Prairie and prominently identified with the business interests of western Manitoba, is a native of Bruce township, Bruce county, Ontario, and was bom on May 23, 1865, a son of the late Edward James Brown, who for twelve years was reeve of the municipality. He followed farming as his life’s occupation, and was one of the pioneers of Bruce township. Mr. Brown was educated in the public schools of Bruce county, and in the grammar schools of St. Catharines. Shortly after leaving school he entered the general store business at Tara, and for two years remained in this locality. In connection with his brother he then entered a general store566 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. in Paisley, which he conducted for six years, and in 1888 came to Manitoba and located at Portage la Prairie. With his brother he opened the present business known as Brown’s Limited, of which he is president and his brother managing director. Brown’s Limited is one of the foremost institutions of its kind in Manitoba, and an immense trade is transacted, its clients coming from all portions of the district. A general business of real estate and agricultural implements is conducted in addition to the big departmental store trading under the name of J. & E. Brown. In addition to these interests Mr. Brown is president of the Dominion Land Company and president of the Last Mountain Valley Land Company. In 1893 Mr. Brown married Miss Essie Huston, a resident of Portage la Prairie, and they are the parents of four children: Archie Fairbairn, Wallace Edward, Esther and George. In political affairs Mr. Brown has always taken an active part, giving his support to the Liberal party and being chairman of the Provincial Libera] Organization. For the past four years he has served as mayor of Portage la Prairie, also being chairman of the Water Works Committee. He has been a member of the city council of Portage la Prairie for seven years, and he takes an interest in local, Dominion and Provincial politics. The cause of education finds in him a warm friend, he being a member of the trustees of Manitoba College, and both he and Mrs. Brown hold mem- bership in the Presbyterian church. DR. JAMES COWAN. One of the pioneer physicians of western Manitoba is Dr. James Cowan, the subject of this sketch. He was born on August 20, 1831, in Tyrone, Ireland, and is a son of Mr. Joseph Cowan, who during his lifetime followed agricultural pursuits in his native country. Dr. Cowan received his education in the Hyberion Academy at Five- Mile Town in county Tyrone, Ireland, and afterwards taught school for one and a half years before leaving home. He came to Canada in 1850, and after one winter spent at Montreal located in Ontario, where he again started school teaching. He continued in this line for six years, duringHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 567 which time he studied medicine and afterwards practiced in Harrison, Ontario, for eleven years. In 1871 Dr. Cowan came to Manitoba and located at Portage la Prairie, where he at once started the practice of his profession, and also was extensively engaged in land dealing, in which he has been most success- ful. For some years past Dr. Cowan has retired from the active practice of his profession, his place being filled by his son Samuel, who is now one of the leading physicians of Portage la Prairie. In 1868 the Doctor married Miss Janet Broadfoot, a resident of Wellington county, Ontario, they becoming the parents of four children: Samuel Broadfoot; Harry James, now studying law; Mary Josephine, wife of John O’Brien, of Portage la Prairie; and Thomas Hind, who is following agricultural pusuits. Dr. Cowan has always taken an active interest in political affairs, and besides serving as coroner for the province for a number of years, was for seven years a member of the local legislature. His support in times past was given to the Conservative party, but he is now independent, voting for those men and measures which he believes to be most conducive to the general good of the community at large. Dr. Cowan holds membership in the Church of England. JAMES EADIE. Mr. James Eadie, the subject of this sketch, is one of Portage la Prairie’s prominent business men, where for many years past he has been interested in the agricultural implement business. He was born in March, 1863, at Brantford, Ontario, and is a son of the late William Eadie, who for many years was a merchant in Mount Pleasant, conducting a large merchandise establishment. Mr. Eadie was educated in the public schools of Mount Pleasant and came to Portage la Prairie in 1880, immediately taking up a homestead near where the town of Treherne now stands. After receiving his patent for the homestead he took up the contracting business in the way of plastering and brick laying, following this business for ten years, until 1891, at which time he engaged in the agricultural implement business. At first he repre-568 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. sented the Deering Harvester Company, acting as agent of this company for ten years, afterwards taking up the Frost & Wood Company’s lines and other agencies identified with this line of trade. He is still interested in farming operations, and is also the owner of considerable town property in Portage la Prairie. In 1881 he married Miss Rachel Little, a daughter of John Little, of Ontario. They are the parents of six children: Frank, Edward, Marion, Florrie, Charles Westbrook and Ruby. Fraternally Mr. Eadie is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Foresters, being a charter member of both the local lodges of these orders, also holding membership with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Politically he is a staunch Conservative, and for five years filled the office of license commissioner of district No. 2, and at present is holding the office of chairman of the board of license commis- sioners. Both he and Mrs. Eadie are consistent members of the Methodist church. DANIEL ALEXANDER MACDONALD. A leading barrister and representative citizen of Portage la Prairie, is Mr. Daniel Alexander Macdonald, the subject of this sketch. He was born on August 17, 1858, in Queen’s county, Prince Edward Island, and is a son of Alexander, who came to Canada with his father in early youth. Alexander Macdonald followed a seafaring life and was master of the ship Isabel, which was lost at sea, all hands being drowned. Mr. Macdonald of this review was educated in the commercial schools of Queen’s county, which education was supplemented by a course in the Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown. He afterwards studied law in Charlottetown and was called to the bar in 1883. In the same year he came to Winnipeg, and after remaining in that city for one year moved to Portage la Prairie, where he has continued the practice of his profession. He is also the owner of considerable city property and many acres of farm- ing land, of which six hundred acres are in crop. In 1883 Mr. Macdonald married Miss Helen St. Luke Rogers, a daughter■HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 569 of David Rogers, of Prince Edward Island. They are the parents of four children: Annie Hester, Helen Winnifred, Katie and Geoffrey Ernest. Fraternally Mr. Macdonald is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has always been identified with local affairs, giving his support to the Liberal party, and at present being a nominee for the local legislature for the constituency of Lakeside. Both Mr. and Mrs. Macdonald hold membership in the Church of England. W. SCOTT GARRIOCH. Mr. W. Scott Garrioch, the subject of this sketch, was born on Sep- tember 10, 1863, and is a son of John Garrioch, one of the pioneers of Manitoba. John Garrioch was born August 25, 1813, at York Factory, Hudson Bay, his parents being natives of the Orkney Islands. Mr. Gar- rioch spent some years in the Hudson’s Bay Company’s service, and afterwards was a school teacher for the Church Missionary Society. He subsequently was identified with farming, and after coming to Manitoba followed this occupation until a few years prior to his death, which occurred on February 21, 1901. He left the following children: William Finlayson, George Albert, Alfred Campbell, Elizabeth Ann, Mary Harriet, James Heber, Flora, Ellen, Jessie, Walter Scott, Maria, Winnifred Olivia, Margaret. Mr. Garrioch of this review was educated in the public schools of Portage la Prairie and also took a commercial course in Lansdowne College. For a few years thereafter he was engaged in agricultural pursuits, after which he was appointed local Crown Timber Agent, and also agent and inspector for the sale of Manitoba University lands, opening up a real estate and insurance business in Portage la Prairie. He has since continued in this business, and it has shown gratifying results as a reward of his industry. He is still identified in agricultural pursuits, owning a farm of three hundred and twenty acres at MacDonald, which he rents. In 1892 Mr. Garrioch married Miss Catherine Purves, a daughter of William Purves, of Portage la Prairie. They are the parents of seven children: Nellie Scott, John Raymond Archibald, Jean Eileen Olga, Geraldine, Marjory Maryon, Mary Evelyn and Constance Campbell..570 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Garrioch is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World, being consul commander of that order. As a trustee of the school board he represents the West Ward, and both he and Mrs. Garrioch hold membership in the Church of England. RICHARD S. THOMSON. Richard S. Thomson, local manager at Portage la Prairie for the Lake -of the Woods Milling Company, was born in 1857, at Scarboro, Ontario, and is a son of the late Smith Thomson, who for many years prior to his death was the proprietor of a large planing mill located in Scarboro, Ontario. Mr. Thomson was educated in the public schools of his native town, .and afterwards worked at home on the farm and in the planing mill until 1879, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Portage la Prairie. His first employment was as an accountant for a real estate firm of that city, and he afterwards became identified with the Portage la Prairie Mill- ing Company as its secretary. He filled this position until 1891, when the Portage la Prairie Milling Company was absorbed by the Lake of the Woods Milling Company, since which time he has acted as local manager for this corporation. Mr. Thomson has witnessed the many changes in the milling industry in Portage la Prairie, seeing the mill grow from its old capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels per day to one thousand two hundred barrels per day. On September 29, 1881, Mr. Thomson married Miss Janet Macgregor, .a daughter of Alexander Macgregor, of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Six children have been born of this union, Frank, Mabel, Fred, Keith, Ella and Douglas. Mr. Thomson is an independent in politics, not caring to ally himself with either party, but preferring to vote for those men and mea- sures which he considers will be of the most value to the community. Both Mr. and Mrs. Thomson hold membership in the Presbyterian church. WILLIAM PATERSON SMITH. William Paterson Smith, superintendent of the Home for Incurables -at Portage la Prairie, was born June 10, 1850, at St. Mary’s, PerthHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 571 county, Ontario, and is a son of William Paterson and Elizabeth (McBride) Smith, the father a native of Yorkshire, England, and the mother being of United Empire Loyalist stock, who were among the early settlers of the Niagara district, the ancestors on both sides of the family being early settlers of Canada. The father was by occupation a contractor and auc- tioneer, and for many years served as reeve of St. Mary’s. The family subsequently moved to Manitoba, where the father died at Portage la Prairie in 1885, his wife having passed away when the subject of this sketch was in early youth. Mr. Smith was educated in the public schools of St. Mary’s, and after finishing his studies engaged in saw mill and machine business, until coming to Manitoba in 1874. He arrived in Portage la Prairie on the 16th of August of that year and took up a homestead on McDonald Plains. In the fall of 1874 he returned to Winnipeg and assisted in putting the first Silsby fire engine (known as Assiniboine No. one) that came to that city. He acted as engineer of the Winnipeg fire department for the following year and a half, at which time he returned to Portage, engaging in the saw mill business, which occupation was continued until 1883. At that time he engaged in the manufacture of brick, being the pioneer of that industry in western Manitoba, and following this business for a number of years. He has always taken a deep interest in agricultural matters, and since 1879 has been a member of the Portage and Lakeside Agricultural Society, serving ten years as president and being re-elected to this office in 1905. He served in the second council for the municipality of Portage la Prairie, and also has been a member of the town council for several terms. In 1886 Mr. Smith unsuccessfully contested the district of Portage la Prairie in the Conservative interests against “Fighting Joe Martin.” In 1901 he was appointed superintendent of the Home for Incurables at Portage la Prairie, which position he now holds. In 1875 Mr. Smith married Miss Angelina Elliot, a daughter of Andrew Elliot, of Winnipeg. They are the parents of seven children, as follows: Forest, William, Fred, Lilia, Edith, Mabel and Inna. Mrs. Smith died on June 16, 1886, and in 1888 Mr. Smith married Miss Mary Holmes, a daughter of John Holmes, of Wellington, Manitoba, and one of the572 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. pioneers of the province. Five children have been born of this union: Ada, Earl, Hattie, who died at the age of five years; Winnie and Olive. Mr. Smith is a charter member of Assiniboine Lodge A.F. & A.M., and both he and Mrs. Smith hold membership in the Methodist church, taking an active interest in church affairs. Mr. Smith has always been sought after in filling the programme for various entertainments, concerts and banquets, both far and near, he having a pleasing baritone voice. He is still fond of music, and was recently appointed on the citizen’s committee for the management of the Portage Band. For many years he was choir leader of the Methodist church. DANIEL MacLEAN. Daniel MaeLean, sheriff of the Central Judicial District of Manitoba, was born May 20, 1854, near St. Thomas, Elgin county, Ontario, and is a son of John and Margaret (MeCallam) MaeLean, both of whom were natives of Argyleshire, Scotland, who settled in western Ontario in the early fifties, where the father followed farming as a life occupation. Mr. MaeLean received his education in the common schools of Elgin county, afterwards teaching school for about six years in Ontario. In June, 1882, he arrived in Winnipeg, and shortly afterwards took up a homestead at Pipestone, south of what is now the town of Virden. Here he engaged in farming until 1883, at which time he was elected reeve of Pipestone muni- cipality, and served for the years 1883, 1884 and 1885. He contested the legislative district of Virden at the elections of 1886, representing the Liberal party, and was returned to office by a majority of one hundred and sixteen, again being elected in 1888. In 1889 he became member of the government as provincial secretary under Premier Greenway, and from 1890 to 1892 had charge of the department of education. He was the orig- inator of the advisory board in connection with the department of educa- tion, which was adopted at that time and which system has proved such a success. In 1892 he retired from political life and was appointed sheriff of the Central Judicial District. In 1895 he was appointed governor of the Central Judicial Jail, and during 1888, 1889 and 1890, was prominent in the agitation for the estab-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 573 lishment of a reformatory for boys, the result being that in 1900 the Cen- tral Judicial jail was set apart for a reformatory. At the present time this institution is being enlarged to provide for its growing needs. Mr. Mac- Lean is a strong advocate of the indefinite period of sentence for juvenile offenders. He has made a study of this department, and is one of the best posted men in the province in the dealings with youthful criminals. In 1891 Mr. MacLean married Miss Elizabeth Strevel, a daughter of G. H. Strevel, a prominent railway contractor of Winnipeg. Both Mr. and Mrs. MacLean are adherents of the Presbyterian church. CHARLES GRABAN. Mr. Charles Graban, the well-known boot and shoe merchant in Port- age la Prairie, was born on July 10,1852, at Berlin, Ontario, and is a son of Peter and Margaret (Winters) Graban, both of whom were natives of Ger- many, being early settlers of Ontario, where the father followed his occupation as a farmer. Mr. Graban was educated in the common schools of . Berlin, and remained on the home farm until 1873, at which time he came to Manitoba, locating at Winnipeg. In this city he worked at his trade of harness making for Archibald Wright, and in 1878 came to Portage la Prairie, where he continued this same line of work. Two years subsequently he engaged in the boot and shoe business, which has been continued up to the present time. In 1882 Mr. Graban married Miss Agatha Gramus, a daughter of Hiram Gramus, one of the early settlers of Portage la Prairie. They are the parents of four children: Frank, Charles, Clifton and Lome. Mr. Graban gives his support to the Liberal party, and in 1893 served as a member of the city council of Portage la Prairie. He is one of the charter members of Portage Lodge No. 3, and also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. WILLIAM WHITE MILLER. Mr. William White Miller, the efficient postmaster of Portage la Prairie, is a native of county Cavan, Ireland, born in 1846, and is a son of574 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. Matthew J. Miller, now a resident of the North-West Territories, who came to the Dominion in 1854 and located in county Wellington, Ontario. Here the subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools, afterwards entering the mercantile business, at which he remained until leaving Ontario in 1877, at which time he came to Manitoba and located in Portage la Prairie. He was at once engaged as manager of a general merchandise establishment in Portage la Prairie and continued in this employment until 1884, when he started in business for himself by opening a book and stationery store. In 1880 Mr. Miller was appointed postmaster of Portage la Prairie, which position he has since occupied. Shortly after entering upon the duties of that position he sold out his business interests, and since that time has devoted himself exclusively to the conduct of the postoffice. Mr. Miller was married in 1872 to Miss Anna Brown, a daughter of the Rev. Nelson Brown, of Listowel, Ontario. One child, Edith, is the result of this union. She has adopted the profession of a vocalist and is now in London, England, where she is engaged in concert work. Miss Miller spent three years in the Musical Institute of that city, and took the gold medal at that place. She afterwards studied for two years in New York city and one year in London and Paris. The critics before whom she has sung all unite in the highest praise of this gifted young woman, and she no doubt has a brilliant future before her. Mr. Miller is affiliated with the Masonic order, being a member of the Assiniboine Lodge No. 7, of Portage la Prairie. In church affairs he takes a deep interest, holding membership in the Presbyterian church, and for the last twenty-five years has been superintendent of the Sunday school. He is accounted one of the most worthy citizens of the city of his adoption. FRANK B. LUNDY, M.D. One of the oldest practicing physicians in the city of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, is Dr. Frank B. Lundy, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Galt, Ontario, and was born in 1860. He is a son of Dr. John Bostwick Lundy, who was one of the prominent practitioners of that province. Dr. Lundy received his medical education at Toronto University, from/HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 575 which institution he was graduated in 1880. Two years later, in February of 1882 he came to Manitoba and located at Portage la Prairie, where he at once started the practice of his profession, which has been continued up to the present time, he being one of the oldest practicing physicians in that district. Fraternally Dr. Lundy is affiliated with the Masonic order and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. ARCHIBALD HECTOR McINTYRE. The leading jeweler of Portage la Prairie, Mr. Archibald Hector McIntyre, was born on June 10, 1857, at Fergus, Ontario, and is a son of the late Archibald Hunter McIntyre, who was a native of Glasgow, Scot- land, and who for a number of years followed his trade as a millwright at Fergus. The mother of Mr. McIntyre was Marion Pringle, also a native of Scotland, and who died at the age of eighty-eight years. Mr. McIntyre was educated in the public schools of Fergus, and after putting aside his text books learned the jewelry trade with G. D. Pringle, in Guelph, Ontario. In 1881 he came to Manitoba, locating at Portage la Prairie. The following year, in partnership with C. N. Davidson, he engaged in the jewelry business. This partnership continued until 1886, at which time it was dissolved and Mr. McIntyre has since continued in the business, being the oldest jeweler in the city of Portage la Prairie. In 1887 Mr. McIntyre married Mrs. Thomas Garland, widow of the late Thomas Garland, of Portage la Prairie. By her first marriage Mrs. McIntyre became the mother of two children: Walter Edward and Ella Eunice. Mrs. McIntyre died in 1899, and Mr. McIntyre was again mar- ried, Miss Susie Cameron, of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, becoming his wife. She is also an early resident of Manitoba, coming to the province in 1881. EDWARD ANDERSON. One of the prominent barristers of Portage la Prairie is Mr. Edward Anderson, the subject of this sketch. He was born on September 13, 1867, in Dorchester county, Quebec, and is a son of Archibald and Eliza M. (Smith) Anderson, both of whom were also natives of that province. Their576 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ancestors were both natives of Ireland who settled in Quebec early in the last century. The father followed farming pursuits, and with his family moved to Manitoba in 1879, locating at Portage la Prairie, where he pur- chased a farm on the Portage Plains, being one of the early settlers of that district. He continued agricultural pursuits on this farm until 1899, at which time he moved to British Columbia, where he now resides retired from active pursuits. Mr. Anderson was educated in the public schools of Portage la Prairie, and taking up the study of law wras called to the bar in 1889, since which time he has been in active practice in that city. In 1891 he graduated from the law department of Manitoba University, although prior to this time he had been in active practice. In 1891 he married Miss Mary A. Ryan, daughter of Judge Joseph Ryan, of Portage la Prairie. They are the parents of three children: Dora, Joseph and Josephine. Since 1899 Mr. Anderson has been Crown Prosecutor for the central judicial district. Politically he supports the Conservative party, and has been president of the Conservative Association for many years past. FRED LESLIE NEWMAN. Mr. Fred Leslie Newman, prominently identified with the wholesale interests of western Manitoba, was born June 25, 1859, in Lanark county, Ontario, and is a son of Thomas and Sarah (Maitland) Newman, the father a native of England, and the mother of Canada. The father was a sergeant in the Imperial Army and came to Canada in that capacity, afterwards serving as lockmaster in the Rideau Canal for many years, and up to the time of his death. Mr. Newman was educated at the high school of Perth county, and at the Collegiate Institute of Brantford, from which institution he graduated in 1876, after which he taught public school in Ontario for four years. In the spring of 1881 he came to Manitoba and entered the employ of the Canadian Pacific Railway as a conductor, which occupation was continued until 1888. On the 7th of November, 1885, he was one of those who witnessed the driving of the last spike at Craigllachie, he being in chargeHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 577 of the official train brought from Revelstoke, British Columbia, to that point for the occasion. In 1888 he entered partnership with his brother, T. A. Newman, in the general merchandise business in Portage la Prairie, and at the present time the firm is operating two stores in that city. In 1895 Mr. Newman went to the Kootenay country, where he pros- pected and mined, and later with Mr. M. J. Honey engaged in construction work on the Crow’s Nest Railway, and after the completion of this road was engaged in similar work on the Columbia & Western branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He subsequently returned to Portage la Prairie, and has been in active business pursuits ever since. In 1888 Mr. Newman married Miss Emma L. Merrill, a daughter of S. B. Merrill, who for many years was editor of the Kingston Whig. They are the parents of one daughter, Gratia. In 1892 and 1893 Mr. Newman served as mayor of Portage la Prairie. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, being a member of Assiniboine Lodge No. 7. JAMES FAIRBAIRN. James Fairbairn, who is the pioneer saddler and harness merchant of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, was born November 30, 1845, at Brockville, Leeds county, Ontario, and is a son of David and Catherine (Fulford) Fair- bairn, the father a native of Scotland who emigrated to Canada in the early days and settled in Leeds county, where he followed his occupation as a painter. The mother was a native-born Canadian, her parents being of United Empire Loyalist stock, who settled in Brockville early in the last century. From Brockville the family moved west to Teeswater, where Mr. Fairbairn was educated in the public schools, afterwards being apprenticed to the trade of harness making at Walkerton, and after serving his time carried on business for fourteen years at that point. In 1883 he came to Manitoba, and in the following year moved to Portage la Prairie, where he established his present business. On January 1, 1872, Mr. Fairbairn married Miss Margaret Frame, a daughter of Robert Frame, of Bruce county, Ontario, and one of the 37578 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. pioneers of that district. Bight children have been born of this union: Margaret, wife of George Palmer, of Boissevain; Kate; Mabel; Edna; David, who is in businesss with his father; Robert, in the service of the Merchants Bank at Morris; Chester, in the employ of Brown Brothers, Limited, of Portage la Prairie; and George. Politically Mr. Fairbairn gives his support to the Liberal party. SAMUEL J. JACKSON, M.P. Samuel J. Jackson, M.P., representing the county of Selkirk in the Dominion Parliament, is a native of Queen’s county, Ireland, and was born on February 18, 1848. He is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Sutcliffe) Jackson, the father born in county Carlow and the mother in county Kil- kenny. The parents emigrated to Canada when the subject of this sketch was very young, and located in Ontario. Here Mr. Jackson received his education in the public schools of Brampton and of Brantford, and after putting aside his text books he entered the service of his father, who was in the dry goods business. This occupation was continued until May, 1871, at which time he came to Manitoba. Mr. Jackson located at Win- nipeg, and entered the employ of John Higgins in the general merchandise business, remaining with him for five years and then entering the employ of Stobart, Eden & Company, with whom he remained for one year. He was the first buyer sent from Winnipeg to the old country and purchased about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars’ worth of goods in London and Manchester for the firm’s different trading points. The firm of Higgins, Young & Jackson was organized in 1877, and in 1881 Mr. Jackson disposed of his interests and moved to Stonewall. He had surveyed the town of Stonewall two years prior to this time, and in 1881 moved there to take up his permanent residence. In that year he retired from all active business pursuits, but for the next twenty years was exten- sively engaged in farming. Four years ago he discontinued this branch of industry, and is now engaged in looking after the interests of the county of Selkirk and in building up Stonewall. In 1878 Mr. Jackson married Miss Ida I. Clarke, of Winnipeg. They are the parents of six children: Maud Kathleen, Anna Claire, Samuel Clay-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 579 ton, Frederick Wilbur, Clarence Wilfred and Ida Marguerite. Fraternally Mr. Jackson is affiliated with Winnipeg Lodge No. 1, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and both he and Mrs. Jackson attend the Church of England. Mr. Jackson has always been a supporter of the Liberal party. In 1877, 1878 and 1880 he served the city of Winnipeg as alderman and in 1882 was elected to the local legislature, retaining his seat continuously until 1899, and from 1890 to 1894 he was speaker of this body. On November 3, 1904, he was elected to the Dominion Parliament, representing the county of Selkirk, which position he is filling at the present time. GEORGE MUSGROVE. Mr. George Musgrove, one of the foremost merchants of Stonewall, Manitoba, is a native of the west of Ireland, where he was born in 1855. He is a son of William and Ann (Crawford) Musgrove, both of whom were also natives of Ireland and descendants of an old family of that country. Mr. Musgrove was educated in the public schools of his native country and followed various pursuits until 1880, at which time he emigrated to Canada and located in Huron county, Ontario. The following year he came to Manitoba and accepted a clerkship in the dry goods establishment of Robert Garry, the store occupying a portion of the space on which the McIntyre Block now stands. In 1882 he moved to Stonewall, and the following year engaged in the general merchandise business, in which he has since been engaged. In 1881 Mr. Musgrove married Miss Sarah Ann McKee, of county Huron, Ontario. They are the parents of five children: William Wesley Lome, Elizabeth Victoria, Robert (deceased), Robert George Boyd and Josiah Oliver (deceased). Mrs. Musgrove is also deceased. Fraternally Mr. Musgrove is affiliated with the Canadian Order of For- esters, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. He is a member of the Methodist church. WESTON MONTGOMERY. Mr. Weston Montgomery, who is engaged in the hardware and furniture business in Stonewall, Manitoba, was born in the Province of Quebec in 1871,580 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and is a son of John and Jane M. (Walker) Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery was brought to Manitoba by his parents in early youth, the father settling in Stonewall in 1878, where he engaged in the blacksmith and latterly in the hardware business, which he conducted up to the time of his death, in 1889. Mr. Montgomery of this review received his education at the public schools of Stonewall, and subsequently entered his father’s employ as a clerk in the hardware business which he has so ably conducted ever since. In 1905 Mr. Montgomery married Mis Georgina Walton, a daughter of James Walton, of Stonewall, Manitoba. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, being a past master of that order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Canadian Order of Foresters and the Loyal Orange Lodge, also past county master. He is president of the Stonewall Board of Trade and gives his support politically to the Liberal party, and he and Mrs. Montgomery attend the Presbyterian church. IRA STRATTON. Mr. Ira Stratton, the popular editor and proprietor of the Stonewall Argus, was born near Trenton, Ontario, in August, 1865, and is a son of Cyrus and Anna (Lovie) Stratton, the father a native of Canada and the mother of Scotland. Mr. Stratton received his education in the public schools of Northumberland, after which he taught school in Hastings county, Ontario, until 1889, at which time he came to Manitoba. Locating in Stonewall he engaged in teaching school in that locality, which occupa- tion was continued for two years, at which time he purchased the Stone- wall News, changing the name of the paper to the Stonewall Argus. This paper he still conducts, it being one of the newsy interior papers of the province. For eight years Mr. Stratton has occupied the position of postmaster of Stonewall. During the year 1902 he was general land guide for the district lying between Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba, where he was engaged in directing the settlers to their homesteads. For seven years he has been a member of the school board, and at present is president of the Stonewall Agricultural Society, also being secretary of the Postmasters’ Association ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 581 the West, and in connection with the latter organization publishes the Postal Current. Fraternally Mr. Stratton is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Maccabees. Politically he supports the Liberal party, and is a leading member of the Rockwood Liberal Association. Mr. Stratton is likewise a valued member of the Methodist church. JAMES HIGHAM. Mr. James Higham, proprietor of the Canadian Pacific Hotel at Stone- wall, was born in 1865 in Manchester, England, and is a son of William and Mary Jane (Baxendale) Higham, both of whom were natives of Eng- land. Mr. Higham was brought to Canada in infancy by his parents, who located in Ontario. The subject of this sketch was educated in that pro- vince, and subsequently entered railroad work, which occupation was con- tinued for about twelve years, and in 1879 he came to Manitoba, locating at Stonewall in 1896. Here he purchased the Canadian Pacific Hotel, which he has since conducted. In addition to this business Mr. Higham is the owner of the Stonewall Roller Mill and Elevator, the mill having a capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels daily. Mr. Higham married Miss Eliza Johnston, of county Roscommon, Ire- land, since deceased. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. He is a mem- ber of the Church of England. ROPER GALLOWAY. Roper Galloway was born July 4, 1855, at Polmont, Stirlingshire, Scot- land. He is a son of William and Agnes Galloway and comes from old Scotch ancestry in both the paternal and maternal lines. The father was a farmer, and the subject was reared on a farm and was educated in the public schools. When about thirteen years of age, however, he left school and served an apprenticeship to the dry goods business in Falkirk, while later he was for two years in business with his uncle, Archibald Galloway, in Falkirk. In 1875 he came to Canada, locating in Toronto and for three582 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. years he represented the wholesale millinery firm of Alexander & Reed between Toronto and Ottawa. In 1878 at Paris, Ontario, he engaged in the dry goods business with James R. Muir, with whom he continued for three years, when he sold out to his partner. In 1881 he came to Manitoba, with his brother William, locating at Gladstone, where they opened up in the general mercantile business under the firm name of Galloway Brothers, and they are to-day the oldest merchants in northwestern Manitoba. Their business has steadily increased, until they to-day carry the largest stock at any country point in Manitoba. Their large new store, which they erected in 1902, is one of the finest and most up-to-date in the province. In 1895 he engaged in the general contracting business and secured the contract for furnishing the firm of Mackenzie, Mann & Company, railway contractors, with their beef and other supplies during the past year. He has extended his contracting business and now furnishes the Canadian Pacific and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railways with large quantities of beef on their con- struction work. Killing on an average some four hundred cattle per month employment is furnished to over fifty-five people in the conduct of the contracting business and thirty in the store. Mr. Galloway has served as a member of the council during the past twenty years and in 1904-5 and 1906 was mayor for the town of Gladstone, being elected for each term by acclamation, He has also been identified with educational affairs since 1885, served for ten years as secretary of the school board and was largely instrumental in securing the erection of the Gladstone high school which was built in 1895. Prior to this time there were two small frame school buildings which were entirely inadequate for the educational needs of the town. The present school building is a two-story structure fort.y-six by one hundred and twenty feet with a basement underneath and it is built of pressed brick. In 1882 Mr. Galloway was married to Miss Margaret Erb Gouinlock, of Paris, Ontario, a daughter of Walter Gouinlock, a merchant of that place. They now have two daughters: Nina and Margaret. Mr. Galloway has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1882. In politics he is Liberal, but has no desire for political preferment, as he wishes to give undivided attention to his extensive and important business enterprises.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 583 SLOAN SCHOOLEY. Mr. Sloan Sehooley, one of the leading merchants of Gladstone, Mani- toba, is a native of county Welland, Ontario, and was born September 16, 1853. He is a son of the late Gilbert Sehooley, who for many years and up to the time of his death occupied the position as postmaster of Merritton. Mr. Sehooley was educated in the public and grammar schools of his native county, and after putting aside his text books accepted a position in a grocery and liquor house of St. Catherines, and was identified with that business for nine years. In February he came to Manitoba and for a few years was employed in the construction department of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and on leaving this employment came to Gladstone and established a general merchandise business in a small way. Since that time his business has rapidly grown, until to-day a large and increasing business is annually transacted, which brings to Mr. Sehooley excellent returns as a reward for his patient and upright business methods. All lines of mer- chandise are carried with the exception of hardware, and in 1896 his present commodious two-story building was erected in order to facilitate his yearly increased business. In 1885 Mr. Sehooley married Miss Theresa Zavitz, a resident of Welland county, Ontario. They are the parents of three children: Minnie, Irwin and Irene. Fraternally Mr. Sehooley is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Canadian Order of Foresters. He gives his support to the Conservative party, and since 1890 has been secretary-treasurer of the town of Gladstone. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sehooley are consistent members of the Methodist church. WILSON SHANNON BAILEY. Wilson Shannon Bailey, soldier, lawyer and banker is an American. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, April 27, 1843, of English and Scotch descent. His father, Edward Bailey, was bom of English parentage in Old Virginia and in 1830 he emigrated to Ohio, and as a minister of the Christian church was well known among the leading men of that state.584 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Bailey was a soldier at the time of the Civil war in the United States, enlisting at Mansfield, Ohio, on October 16, 1864, and joined the One hundred and eightieth Volunteer Regiment of that state, under Colonel Sterling and General Robinson, and on the 12th of the following month he joined General William Tecumseh Sherman’s army at Atlanta, Georgia, and remained with that army until the close of the Civil war. He witnessed the burning of Atlanta, Columbus and Charleston and saw active service at Aversborough, Bentonville and at the storming of Fort McAlister and also saw the surrender of Johnston’s army. On June 2, 1865, he received an honorable discharge at Washington, District of Columbia, after having faithfully served his country. Returning home he pursued various occupa- tions until 1871. That year he entered Bethany College, Virginia, and graduated from that institution in 1875. On returning home he com- menced the study of law in Marysville, Ohio, in the law office of J. C. Cameron, and was admitted to the bar on March 10, 1877. That same spring he went west and opened a real estate, loan and law office in Wichita, Kansas, which was a financial success. But on account of failing health he sold this business out in 1880, and for the purpose of improving his health he visited Mexico, California and other Pacific states and after an absence of about two years returned to his old home in Ohio, in the year 1882, somewhat improved in health. Hearing of the great immigration boom in Dakota and Manitoba he concluded at once to engage in another enterprise and went with the tide of immigration to the North-West, landing in Winnipeg on July 2, 1882, and became acquainted with the Hon. C. P. Brown (then minister of public works in the local government of Manitoba), with whom Mr. Bailey organized the private banking firm at Gladstone, Manitoba, on the fol- lowing September, known as the firm of Lockheart, Bailey & Company. This firm lasted one year only, Mr. Bailey purchasing the interest of both his partners and organizing the well-known banking firm of W. S. Bailey & Company, which was successfully conducted under Mr. Bailey’s personal supervision and control until the year 1900. During this period Mr. Bailey cleared more than one hundred thousand dollars. He closed this banking business that year and leased his bank office to the Merchants Bank of■ *. \HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 585 Canada, which quarters they still occupy. That same year Mr. Bailey made a trip to Europe, visiting England, France and Germany and on his return home he opened a money loaning office in Gladstone, which occupation he still follows at that place. Mr. Bailey is a Liberal in politics and a strong temperance advocate and has taken active steps to suppress the whiskey traffic. He is also a member of the Royal Templars. He has been a member of the Christian church for many years, but has not identified himself with any religious body since coming to Manitoba. GEORGE BARR. Mr. George Barr, at present conducting a lumber business in Gladstone, Manitoba, was born in 1871 in Middlesex county, Ontario. His father, Samuel Barr, who is an old settler of that county, followed agricultural pursuits up to a few years ago, when he retired from active business life. Mr. Barr was educated in the public schools of his native county and at the Collegiate Institute of Ingersoll, Ontario. He afterwards took a commercial course in the Forest City Business College, and in 1891 went to Portage la Prairie as teacher of the Commercial Department of Lans- downe College. He remained in this position for one year, and then accepted a position with Peter MacArthur as bookkeeper of his lumber establishment at Westbourne. For ten years he remained in this position, and then became manager of the late Manitoba Quarry and Transportation Company, which position he filled for two years. In 1905 he came to Glad- stone and entered business on his own account as a lumber merchant. His business has shown a gratifying increase ever since its inception, and Mr. Barr being a popular member of the community the outlook for his future is most promising. Mr. Barr is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Canadian Order of Foresters. While not an active partisan he gives his support to the Liberal party. JAMES HEAP. Mr. James Heap, the subject of this sketch, was born in Burnley, Lan- cashire, England, February 21, 1830. His educational advantages were586 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. derived at the grammar school and at the Academy of Burnley, which latter institution was conducted by Dr. S. Guinness Rogers and Mr. Greenal. After finishing his education he was identified in business with his father for about two years, and in 1854 emigrated to Canada and located at Lindsay, Ontario. He subsequently studied law with Mr. T. A. Hudspeth, of Lindsay, and George Brogdin, of Port Hope. He completed his studies with Mr. Hudspeth, and afterwards formed a partnership with this gentleman, which continued until the latter’s death. Mr. Heap continued practice in Ontario until 1887, at which time he moved to Manitoba and located at Selkirk. Here he has since followed the practice of his profession, latterly in partnership with his son Frederic, being one of the oldest and recognized as one of the ablest barristers of the community. At present they are the solicitors for the town of Selkirk, and are also solicitors for different loan and railway corporations and for several of the municipalities near Selkirk. In 1864 Mr. Heap married Miss Colcleugh, and three children have been born of this union: Maxwell Kirkpatrick, Harry Colcleugh and Frederic. Politically Mr. Heap gives his support to the Liberal party, and in Lindsay, Ontario, served as a member of the town council, and for about sixteen years was a member of the school board. Fraternally he is affili- ated with the Masonic order, and he is a member of the Presbyterian church. CAPTAIN CHARLES HENRY WEST Captain Charles Henry West, the subject of this sketch, was born at St. Catharines, Ontario. He located in Selkirk in 1884, where he remained until the time of his death, that having occurred June 15, 1905, when he was fifty-six years of age. Captain West was educated at St. Catharines, Ontario. In 1895 he married Miss Martha Mareta Robinson, of Winnipeg. They are the parents of two children: Edith and Stanley Earl. Captain West was pre- viously married, of which union there were born two children: Edna Pearl and Isla May.■HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 587 After arriving in Selkirk, Captain West was put in charge of the Dominion government dredge on the river. For seventeen years he held this position with credit to himself and with full satisfaction to the depart- ment of public works under which he served. After this for three years, and until the time of his death, he held the position of provincial boiler inspector of district No. 1. He was loved and revered by all his friends, which consisted of the entire city of Selkirk and many Winnipeg citizens. Captain West was past master of the Lisgar Lodge, A.P. & A.M. He was a staunch Conservative, and although he never held office he was loyal to his party. On the day of his funeral many flags were lowered to half mast, and he was mourned by all who knew him. He and his family attended the Church of England. CHARLES SHELDON. Mr. Charles Sheldon, the subject of this sketch, at the age of five came with his father and mother to live in the United States, near Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he received his education. Although but five years of age when he left Sweden, he always had a warm spot in his heart for his native country. He came to Manitoba in 1883 and was employed for many years as bridge foreman on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Some of the largest bridges of that company’s line have been constructed under his supervision. Mr. Sheldon was married in Winnipeg in 1891 to Miss Charlotte Anderson, and moved to Selkirk in 1893 to enter the hotel business, having purchased the old Merchants Hotel. His business increased so much that he decided to build a larger and more modern building, and erected the handsome building which now stands, and is one of the finest structures of this kind in the province. He was also president of the Northern Pish Company. Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon became the parents of four children: Stanley, Lilian, Yera and Madeline, the latter deceased. Mr. Sheldon was a member of the Ancient Land Mark Lodge, and was loved and revered by his fraternal brethren as well as by all the citizens of Selkirk and many of Winnipeg who knew him. It is related with pride588 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. how he met a poor, ragged boy and feeling sorry for his condition took him to a store and purchased him clothes, etc., an act that showed his kindly spirit. He and his family attended the English church, and politically he was a Conservative. Mr. Sheldon was buried in St. John’s cemetery. RODERICK SMITH. Mr. Roderick Smith, the subject of this sketch, was born in Ross-shire, Scotland, in the year 1850. He was the son of Angus and Christie (Me- Iver) Smith, both parents being deceased. Mr. Smith received his education in the old country, afterwards coming to Keewatin, Manitoba, in 1868, where he remained for thirteen years, his trade being that of boat-builder, which he followed only part of the time. From 1881 to 1885 he was engaged in steamboating on the Saskatchewan river. Mr. Smith made two trips to the Yukon, first in the year 1897 and again in 1898. He served in the Rebellion of 1885, during the blockade of the steamer “North Coat.” He located in Selkirk in the year 1885, where he still resides, and is engaged in the wholesale liquor business. He is also largely interested in the steamboat business and is the owner of the steamboat “Micado” and part owner in the steamboat “Wolverine.” Mr. Smith was married in 1871 to Miss Jessie Morrison, of Keewatin. They are the parents of the following children: Mary Ann (who died in 1879), Christie, Jane, Peggie, Hector, Murdock, Jessie, Mary Ann, Kitty, Roddie, Malcolm and John (who is deceased). He is one of the oldest and best known citizens of Selkirk, and belongs to the Canadian Order of Foresters, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Clan Stewart. In politics he gives his support to the Independent party. Mr. Smith and his family are adherents of the Presbyterian church. JONATHAN JOSEPH HAMILTON. Mr. Jonathan Joseph Hamilton, the first mayor of Neepawa, Manitoba, was born on July 24, 1850, in the county of Perth, Ontario, and is a son of the late Joseph Hamilton, who followed the occupation of a miller in Perth and afterwards was identified with agricultural pursuits in Manitoba. Mr. Hamilton was educated in the public schools of iJerth, Ontario,V■HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 589 secured a position as teacher and for four years taught school in his native county, until coming to Manitoba in 1872. With his father and brother he located south of Gladstone, and the three secured adjoining homesteads. He afterwards worked on the Dominion survey, and up to the winter on a timber survey on the Assiniboine river. Returning home for one month, he went to Winnipeg, during which time he met Dr. Robertson and Mr. Morris of that place, with whom he talked over the advisability of enlisting in the mounted police. Dr. Robertson tried to discourage him in so doing, but Mr. Morris took the other view of the case, and after remaining in Win- nipeg for some time he secured a recommendation and joined the North- West Mounted Police under Colonel Jarvis. He went in as a substitute and finished a three-year term, and after retiring from the service located his bounty warrant on his pre-emption. Here he farmed for one year. He then engaged in concrete bridge work for the municipality of Westbourne, and upon the completion of this contract he acted as treasurer and collector for the municipality, in which position he served for one year. It is inter- esting to note that the first test of the municipal tax was made in West- bourne at the instigation of Mr. Hamilton. At that time the Hudson’s Bay Company had repudiated its taxes, and Mr. Hamilton and his associ- ates seized the store, after which the tax was paid. A short time after this Mr. Hamilton formed a partnership with John A. Davidson, opening a general merchandise store in Gladstone, and he conducted this establishment for several years, being very successful in this operation. The best trade at that time came from the parts west of Gladstone, and it became necessary to put in a branch store or move to this locality. With this end in view they secured different parcels of land where they thought the stations of the Canadian Pacific Railway would probably be located, and they secured one section eight miles south of Neepawa, where the main lines of the railroad had been surveyed. Subsequently they moved the business from Gladstone to Neepawa, conducting the store and a grist mill which they had erected for several years. In 1882 the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Hamilton taking the mill, which he afterwards conducted for some time. At the present time Mr. Hamilton is engaged in the real estate and insurance business, and also acts as financial agent, etc. He is the owner of590 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. three hundred and seventy-five acres of farming land in the municipality, and over one thousand acres outside, all of which is rented to desirable tenants. In addition to his other interests he is a stockholder and a director of the King Edward Hotel. In 1880 Mr. Hamilton married Miss Isabel Hamilton, a native of Ontario. They are the parents of five children: Ada B., Effie A., Eva J., Preston H. and Harold W. Fraternally Mr. Hamilton is affiliated with the Masonic order, being a charter member of the Neepawa Lodge and the Orange Society. He has always taken an active interest in politics, being the first reeve of the municipality and the first mayor of the town of Neepawa, which office he filled for several years. He was member for the judicial district board of Portage la Prairie, the county building being at that point. He is president of the Hospital Board of Neepawa, taking an active interest in the affairs of this institution. Both he and Mrs. Hamilton are valued members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Hamilton has for many years been a strong advocate of temperance, and has taken an active part in the prohibition question. JOHN BROWN. Mr. John Brown, the proprietor of the leading general merchandise store of Neepawa, Manitoba, is a native of Dundee, Scotland, his birth having occurred on October 14, 1854. He is a son of the late Thomas Brown, who during his lifetime was identified with agricultural pursuits in his native country. Mr. Brown was educated in the public schools of Broughty Ferry, and subsequently entered the employ of a manufactory establishment, being thus engaged for about ten years. In 1880 he came to the Dominion and located at Russel, Manitoba, and two years afterwards started a general merchandise store at that point, which he conducted until 1897, at which time he sold out and removed to Neepawa, having purchased the business of Davidson & Company of that place. He at once erected a new addition for the purpose of enlarging the establishment, the present quarters cover- ing a ground space of one hundred and thirty by thirty-five feet andHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 591 occupying two stories and a basement. A full line of all character of goods is carried with the exception of hardware. It is the leading establishment of its kind in the city, and an immense business is yearly transacted. In 1905 the John Brown Company, Limited, was organized with Mr. W. A. Blennerhasset as vice-president. Mr. Brown is also interested in agricul- ture, owning a six hundred and forty acre farm two miles south of Neepawa, which annually returns to him an excellent revenue. Mr. Brown married Miss Maggie Kinnard, a resident of Dunct«e, bcot- land. They are the parents of seven children, as follows: Annie; Maggie, the wife of W. A. Blennerhasset; Jessie; Ethel, the wife of A. E. McCorvie, of Douglas; John and Douglas, who are both in the employ of their father; and Dorothy. Mr. Brown is a prominent member of the King Edward Chapter of the A.F. & A.M., and politically gives his support to the Liberal party. Both he and Mrs. Brown are consistent members of the Presbyterian church. FRED LANGDON DAVIS. One of the foremost practitioners at the bar in western Manitoba is Mr. Fred Langdon Davis, the subject of this sketch. He was born on August 6, 1867, in Belleville, Ontario, and is a son of James A. Davis, a contractor at present residing in Winnipeg. Mr. Davis was educated in the public schools and in the Collegiate Institute of his native city, and in 1881 came to Manitoba, locating at Winnipeg. Here he took up the study of law with Perdue and Robinson, being called to the bar in 1900. Ever since 1893, however, he had been in practice and had passed all examinations, starting in that year the practice of his profession at Neepawa, where he has since resided. In 1887 he was graduated from Manitoba College with the degree of B.A., and in 1891 that of LL.B. In 1895 Mr. Davis married a daughter of J. J. Webster, of Winnipeg, Miss Nellie Webster, who is well known in Winnipeg, where for a number of years she was connected with the choir of Grace Methodist church. Politically Mr. Davis is a staunch Liberal, and has always taken an active part in local, Provincial and Dominion politics. He is one of the592 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. active workers for the party, aspiring to no public office himself, but doing all in his power to promote the interests of the Liberal party. JOHN CRAWFORD. Mr. John Crawford, a member of the Dominion Parliament and one of the prominent business men of the Province of Manitoba, is a native of Ashfield, Ontario, his birth having occurred June 17, 1856. He is a son of James Thorpe Crawford, who was one of the early settlers of Ontario, where for many years he followed the occupation of a miller, owning a flour mill, saw mill, stave factory, etc., but now living a retired life in Neepawa. Mr. Crawford was educated in the public schools of Ashfield, Ontario, and afterwards entered the milling business with his father, which occupa- tion was continued until 1876, at which time both father and son came to Manitoba. Each of them took up a homestead in that year, and after a short time spent in the province returned to Ontario for the winter. In the following spring they moved to their homesteads near Neepawa, and since that time have been residents of the province. In 1878 Mr. Crawford started in the agricultural implement business in a small way, but rapidly added other features to the business, until to-day the institution is one of the largest in western Manitoba. The follow- ing is a partial list of the lines represented: The Deere Implement Com- pany’s goods, Moline waggons, Speight waggons, the Canadian Carriage Company, the Brantford Carriage Company, the J. I. Case Company’s goods, the Rock Island, Bradly ploughs, Wilkinson ploughs, Fleury grinders and horse powers, and the J. I. Case’s threshers, the International Harves- ter Champion binders, mowers and rakes, and the Frost and Wood Har- vesting machines. Mr. Crawford owns about four thousand acres of fertile land, all in the vicinity of Neepawa, of which about three thousand acres is in crop. He owned the first lumber yard in Neepawa, hut sold it out in order to give his undivided attention to the implement business. In 1881 Mr. Crawford married Miss Matilda Hayden, a daughter of W. J. Hayden, of Shephardton, Ontario. Five children have been born ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 593 this union, as follows: Elizabeth Catherine, Otway, Annie Matilda, Hayden McGregor and James Thorpe. Fraternally Mr. Crawford is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Independent Order of Foresters. He and Mrs. Crawford are both consistent members of the Presbyterian church. In politics he has always taken an active and a leading part. In 1883 he became a member of the Rosedale municipal council, and in 1884 was elected reeve of Rosedale municipality, which office he held for several years, and from 1898 to 1904 occupied the same office. In 1886 he was elected to the Manitoba legislature, holding that office until 1892. Since 1883 he has been a member of the Neepawa city council and also a member of the school board. In 1904 he was elected to the House of Commons, which position he holds at the present time. In 1885 he formed a volunteer company, which became a part of the Ninety-first Battalion, Manitoba Grenadiers, which served throughout the North-West Rebellion of that year, Mr. Crawford serving as a captain of that company throughout the campaign. EDWARD JOHN HARRIS. Mr. Edward John Harris, postmaster of Neepawa, Manitoba, is a native of Hamilton, Ontario, his birth having occurred on March 31, 1862. He is a son of John Harris, who was an early settler of Hamilton, and who up to the time of his death was a retail dry goods merchant of that place. Mr. Harris was educated in the public schools of Hamilton, his studies being supplemented by a course in the Collegiate Institute of that place. After putting aside his text books he was apprenticed to the harness-making trade and after serving his time worked as a journeyman in Hamilton until 1882, which year dates his arrival in Manitoba. Mr. Harris located at Pheasant Forks, North-West Territories, settling on a homestead, where he followed agricultural pursuits for several years, and in 1890 sold out his homestead and moved to Neepawa. Here he established a harness establishment, which he has conducted up to the present time and is meeting with a splendid degree of success. 38594 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In 1885 Mr. Harris married Miss Bessie E. Donnelly, a native of Ontario, who died in 1890, leaving one child, Kathleen. In 1892 Mr. Harris married Miss Christina McGregor, a native of Scotland, and unto them have been born six children: Nellie, Flossie, Jennie, Fred, Gordon and James. Both Mr. and Mrs. Harris hold membership in the Church of England. Fraternally Mr. Harris is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Woodmen of the World. Ever since his arrival in Neepawa Mr. Harris has been identified with public matters, serving as councillor for three years, and in 1905 was elected mayor of the city. He received his appointment as postmaster of Neepawa in 1905, which office he is filling to the satisfaction of all concerned. JAMES HENRY HOWDEN. Mr. James Henry Howden, member of Provincial Parliament, repre- senting Beautiful Plains district, is a native of Milton, Ontario, his birth having occurred on October 11, 1860, and he is a son of the late Robert Howden, who was one of the early settlers of that district. Mr. Howden was educated in the public and high schools of St. Catharines, Ontario, and after putting aside his text books taught school for four years in Ontario, and in 1882 came to Manitoba and located at Win- nipeg. In that city he studied law with the firm of Hagel, Henderson and Delabaye, being called to the bar in 1887. He immediately formed a part- nership with his brother, under the firm name of Howden and Howden, which continued until 1891. At that time he removed to Neepawa, at which point he has since remained. Mr. Howden has always taken an active part in politics, and from 1900 to 1904 served as mayor of Neepawa, and it was during that time that the town installed its own electric light and telephone system. Neepawa holds the distinction of being the first town in the British Empire of putting in its own telephone system, and to Mr. Howden much credit for this must be given, as he was one of the early endorsers of the project, and was prominent in the framing of the resolution.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 595 In addition to Mr. Howden’s legal practice and his duties as member of the local parliament, he is identified with the agricultural resources of the province, owning one hundred and sixty acres in the corporation and about one thousand five hundred acres in different localities throughout the province. He is also the owner of considerable city property, being the largest stockholder in the Empire Block, and acting as president for the King Edward Hotel Company. He is also a large stockholder in the Neepawa Brick Company. In 1894 Mr. Howden married Miss Barbara McIntosh, of Walkerton, Ontario. They are the parents of four sons: Robert Reid, James McIntosh, Norman Campbell and Alex. Fraternally Mr. Howden is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Orange Society, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Ancient Order of Foresters. Both he and Mrs. Howden hold membership in the Methodist church. JOSEPH ALLAN McGILL. Mr. Joseph Allan McGill, the subject of this sketch, is a native of East Durham, Ontario, born April 15, 1855. He is a son of the late James McGill, who was a native of Ireland and followed agricultural pursuits in Ontario during his lifetime. Mr. McGill was educated in the public and high schools of Norwood, Ontario, after which he was identified in farming with his father until coming to Manitoba in June, 1880. He arrived in Winnipeg and at once came to the little Saskatchewan river, and took up a homestead near Bass- wood, conducting farming operations there for three years. He afterwards went to Qu’Appelle, where he started in the agricultural implement busi- ness, and for four years he conducted an establishment at that point. In 1887 he moved to Neepawa, where he has since been prominently connected in the same lines of business. He handles the Massey-Harris Company’s lines of goods, and also Brantford buggies and carriages and also harness. Mr. McGill is the owner of two hundred and seventy acres of splendid farming land near Neepawa, which he is operating, and which each year brings in a good revenue. He is also the owner of considerable town596 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. property and has fifty acres of land inside the corporation. He is a director in the North-West Agricultural and Arts Association, taking an active interest in the affairs of the society. Politically Mr. McGill gives his support to the Conservative party and has been a member of the school board for the past fifteen years; at present he is serving as its chairman. He was also a member of the city council for a number of years. In April, 1880, Mr. McGill married Miss Susie Wigmore, a resident of Norwood, and a daughter of the late Colonel Wigmore, of that place. They are the parents of four children: Edna, Edith, Frank and Sidney. Mr. and Mrs. McGill are valued members of the Methodisf church. WILLIAM W. STEVENSON. Mr. William W. Stevenson, prominently identified with the business interests of Neepawa, Manitoba, is a native of the county of Carleton, Ontario, having been born near Ottawa in 1850. He is a son of the late John Stevenson, who during his lifetime followed agricultural pursuits in western Ontario, having moved there about the year 1854. Mr. Stevenson was educated in the public schools of western Ontario, and was raised on the home farm. After leaving school he was employed in clerical work for a time, varying the same with duties on the home farm up to 1882, at which time he came to Manitoba and located on a home- stead near Strathclair. For five years he conducted farming operations on this property, and then engaged as clerk with R. C. Innis, with whom he continued for a few years, after which he started for himself in the general merchandise business at Neepawa. He was shortly afterwards burnt out, losing all of his possessions. He again started out in the service of other people and also engaged in farming, and in 1903 again established himself in business, this time taking up the handling of agricultural imple- ments and farm machinery. He handles the Frost and Wood Company’s line of goods, the Heney Company’s line of buggies, of Montreal, the Wood- stock waggons and the American ploughs and general implement lines. In 1887 Mr. Stevenson married Miss Annie McTavish, a resident of Wellesley, county of Perth, Ontario. Four children have been born ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 597 this union: John Alexander, Edwin Hesson (deceased), Eva (deceased) and Neta. Mr. Stevenson is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, is a Conservative in politics, and both he and Mrs. Stevenson hold member- ship in the Presbyterian church. JOHN PHILPOT CURRAN. John Philpot Curran, the district registrar of the Neepawa land titles office, was born in Milan, Ohio, on December 13, 1858, and is a son of John Philpot Curran, who was a clergyman of the Church of England, and came to Canada from Ireland with his father, settling at London, Ontario, early in the nineteenth century. He afterwards removed to Ohio, but returned to Canada in 1859 and located in Bruce county. Mr. Curran of this review received his education in the grammar schools of eastern Ontario, at St. Mary’s, Kincardine and Walkerton, after- wards taking up the study of law, and in 1881 coming to Manitoba and locating at Winnipeg. Here for about seven years he engaged in the prac- tice of his profession, and also was law clerk in the legislative assembly under the Norquay administration. He afterwards practised in Carberry and Minnedosa until January, 1902, at which time he was appointed dis- trict registrar of Neepawa land titles office, which position he is now acceptably filling. In 1883 Mr. Curran married Miss Emily G. Hayden, a daughter of E. C. Hayden, who for many years was connected with the Dominion civil service at Ottawa, Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. Curran are the parents of six children: Hayden, Veysie, Lionel Edward (the latter two being twins), John Philpot, Jr., Sarah Helen and Robert Emmett. Fraternally Mr. Curran is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. JOHN WEMYSS. The subject of this sketch has been for a number of years one of the best known men in northwestern Manitoba. He is a native of Glasgow, Scotland, being a son of the late Robert Wemyss, for many years a promi-598 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. nent merchant in Glasgow, but who on retiring from business settled in Winnipeg. John Wemyss was educated at Glasgow Academy and subsequently at Glasgow University, from which he received the degree of M.A. in 1882. Immediately after graduating he emigrated to Canada, coming direct to Winnipeg, where he studied law with the firm of Bain, Blundard & Mulock, and was called to the bar in 1886. The following year he started practice for himself at the town of Neepawa, wher he has built up a large legal practice. He is a member of the school board and a director of the Neepawa Hospital, besides being interested in various other local undertakings. For thirteen years he was secretary-treasurer of the Beautiful Plains Agricultural Society, during which time the society from small beginnings became the most progressive and successful in Manitoba, and is now known as the Northwestern Agricultural and Arts Association, of which he remains a director. In 1893 Mr. Wemyss married Miss Maggie Harrison, daughter of the late Dr. D. H. Harrison, ex-premier of Manitoba. In fraternal circles Mr. Wemyss has taken a leading part, having been grand master of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Manitoba and the North-West Territories. He also represented that jurisdiction at the meeting of the Sovereign Grand Lodge at Baltimore in 1903, and again at San Francisco in 1904. He is also a past district deputy grand master in the Masonic order. Politically Mr. Wemyss is a Liberal. He is a member of the Presbyter- ian church, and has for a number of years been one of the managers of the church at Neepawa. JAMES HENRY DAVIDSON. James Henry Davidson, prominently identified with the grain and milling industries of Manitoba, was bom on January 2, 1862, at Thames- ford, Oxford county. Ontario, and is a son of Isaac and Christie Anne (Cameron) Davidson, both of whom were natives of Canada, the ancestors on the father’s side being Irish and on the mother’s side Scotch. They settled in Canada early in the nineteenth century, the grandfather on theHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 599 mother’s side being a strong United Empire Loyalist. Mr. Davidson’s father came to Manitoba in 1871, locating on a homestead near Gladstone, upon which he followed farming up to 1887, and then moved to Neepawa, living a retired life till his death in 1903. Mr. Davidson of this review was educated in the public schools of Gladstone and of Winnipeg. He was raised on the home farm, and after leaving school entered the mercantile business with his brother, John, who was the late Provincial treasurer, and who died in 1903, first serving as clerk, later being taken into partnership. In 1896 they sold out their interests in the general merchandise busi- ness and entered the grain and milling business, taking over the Beautiful Plains Milling Company’s plant and reorganizing under the name of the Manitoba Milling Company, with J. H. Davidson as president and general manager of the company. They now operate a line of thirteen elevators throughout the Neepawa district on the Canadian Northern Railway and on the Canadian Pacific Railway, the mill having a capacity of four hundred barrels per day. In 1889 Mr. Davidson married Doctor Mary Eleanor Allan, a daughter of Mrs. Margaret Allan, of Fordwich, Ontario. Three children have been born of this union: Edith Marguerite Muriel, James Allan Cameron and Mary Emma Jean. Fraternally Mr. Davidson affiliates with the Masonic order and the Canadian Order of Foresters. He has always taken an interest in political affairs, and served as a member of the Neepawa city council for two years. BURTON WILLIAM BOLTON. One of the well-known citizens of Neepawa, Manitoba, is Burton William Bolton, the subject of this sketch, who was born May 22, 1869, at Weston, York county, Ontario, and is a son of Isaac and Mary Jane (Chapman) Bolton, both of whom were natives of Canada, their ancestors coming from Yorkshire, England. The father followed merchandising in Ontario, and in 1879 moved with his family to Manitoba, where he took up a homestead, being one of the early pioneers of the Neepawa district. By -purchase the property was increased to six hundred and forty acres, upon600 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. which he conducted farming operations for some years, but is now living a retired life in Neepawa. He was always prominent in public affairs, and for several years was reeve of the municipality of Neepawa. Mr. Bolton of this review was educated in the public schools of Neepawa, at Manitoba College and Toronto University. In 1896 he entered the real estate, insurance and financial agency business in Neepawa, which he has continued up to the present time, and in which he has been most successful. In 1893 Mr. Bolton married Miss Madge Muirhead, a daughter of Robert Muirhead, of Neepawa. They are the parents of one child, Dorothy. Fraternally Mr. Bolton affiliates with the Masonic order and politically gives his support to the Liberal party. MARMADUKE H. FIELDHOUSE. Mr. Marmaduke H. Fieldhouse, the subject of this sketch, was born in Murray township, county of Northumberland, Ontario, on January 31, 1845, and is a son of the late Henry Fieldhouse, who was a native of Eng- land and an early settler of the county of Northumberland, where for many years he was clerk of the court, division and municipal clerk in Murray township. Mr. Fieldhouse received his education in the public schools of his native county, and for twelve years following he taught in these same schools. He afterwards acted as clerk of the court and township clerk for five years, and in August, 1878, he came to Manitoba, locating on a home- stead two miles south of Keyes. The following year he returned to Ontario and brought out his family to their new home, where he continued farming operations for two and a half years, and in January, 1882, moved to Neepawa, where he has since remained. Up to 1889 he was clerk of the county court, and after his retirement from that business went into real estate, conveyancing and insurance business, in which he is interested at the present time. From 1895 to 1902 he also kept a fancy goods store, but disposed of his interests in 1902 to J. L. McKay. He is the owner of four hundred and eighty acres of land on Bear Creek. In 1874 Mr. Fieldhouse married Miss Helen M. Gerow, a native ofIHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 601 Noi’thumberland county, and five children have been born of this union, of whom four are living: Stanley Harcourt, who died in 1889 at the age of thirteen and a half years; Henry Vernon, a barrister of Neepawa, who is also the father of two children; Esme, a daughter at home; Cecil, who is in the service of M. B. Griswald; and Helen, at home. Fraternally Mr. Fieldhouse is affiliated with the Neepawa Lodge No. 24, A.F. & A.M., and both he and Mrs. Fieldhouse are members of the Methodist church. Mr. Fieldhouse is a Liberal in politics, and at present is secretary- treasurer of the school board, having also served as its chairman. He was also councilman for Neepawa. for a number of years, and has been secre- tary-treasurer of the board of trade since the date of its organization. JOHN SIMPSON. John Simpson, who is a pioneer in the furniture and undertaking business in Neepawa, was born June 16, 1856, near Milton, Trafalgar town- ship, county of Halton, Ontario, and is a son of Robert and Anne (Hughes) Simpson, both of whom were natives of Ireland, and among the first settlers of Halton county, locating there early in the last century, the father coming to that locality with his parents. Here he followed farming as his life’s occupation and died on April 23, 1865, at the age of sixty-five years, the mother still living with her son John, at the ripe old age of eighty-five years. Mr. Simpson of this review was educated in the public schools of Milton, Ontario, and was raised on the home farm. At the age of fourteen he left home, following farming as an occupation, and at the age of twenty- one came to Manitoba with his mother and two brothers, Joseph and James. For the next five years he was engaged in carpenter work, and then went into the furniture business with R. P. Campbell, of Portage la Prairie, with whom he continued until 1895, at which time he came to Neepawa and engaged in the furniture and undertaking business, being the pioneer of that line of industry in the district. In addition to his business interests he owns three of the business blocks of Mountain avenue, and also considerable other Neepawa real estate.602 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In 1887 Mr. Simpson married Miss Jane Bailey, a daughter of Alfred Bailey, of Hyde Bluff, Manitoba, and one of the pioneers of that district. They are the parents of seven children: Steuart G., who is teller in the Merchants Bank, Neepawa; Ruby May, Maggie C., Roderick E., Jack, Vernie and Velma. Fraternally Mr. Simpson is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Watchmen of the World, the Independent Order of Foresters and the Loyal Orange Legion. Politically he is not allied to either party, voting for those men and measures which, in his judgment, will be the most beneficial to the community. JAMES ALFRED ROBERTS. James Alfred Roberts, the subject of this sketch, was born September 27, 1858, in Suffolk, England, and is a son of Henry and Lucretia (Mar- shall) Roberts, both of whom were also natives of Suffolk, and representa- tives of old English families. Mr. Roberts was educated at Oxford, leaving school at the age of eighteen years. In 1881 he came to Canada, and in March of the following year arrived in Manitoba, where he purchased a farm twelve miles south- west of Neepawa, consisting of three-quarters of a section of land, which he operated until 1892, at which time he sold out and moved to Neepawa. After his arrival in that town he was engaged in the agricultural, imple- ment and machinery business with the late William Currie, which occupa- tion was continued up to 1898, and in the following year he engaged in the real estate and financial agency business, which he has carried on suc- cessfully up to the present time. In 1885 Mr. Roberts married Miss Julia Ann Deakin, a daughter of J. B. Deakin, a prominent solicitor at Wolverhampton, England. Mr. Roberts has always taken an active interest in municipal matters. JAMES WILLIAM PATTISON. James William Pattison, town clerk of Neepawa, Manitoba, was born on January 7, 1860, at Coventry, Warwickshire, England, and is a son of •Charles Hubert and Harriet (Smith) Pattison, both of whom were alsoHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 603 natives of Warwickshire and representatives of old families of that district. The father was a ribbon and coach lace manufacturer at Coventry, who emigrated to Canada in 1879 and located near Neepawa, where he took up a homestead upon which he lived until 1894. He then retired, living in Neepawa until his death in the year 1904, Mrs. Pattison dying a year prior to that. Mr. Pattison was educated at the high school of Coventry, and after coming to Manitoba was engaged in farming with his father until 1889, at which time he entered the general merchandise business. From 1893 to 1898 he served as clerk in the law office of John Wemyss. In 1898 he was appointed clerk of the town of Neepawa, which position he is still filling. In 1889 Mr. Pattison married Miss Mary S. Mackintosh, a daughter of Captain A. St. Lawrence Mackintosh, of Walkerton, Ontario. Fraternally Mr. Pattison affiliates with the Masonic order, the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. Mr. Pattison was one of the first settlers of the old Glendale district. DANIEL HAMILTON. Daniel Hamilton, the genial proprietor of the Hamilton Hotel, of Neepawa, Manitoba, was born February 14, 1866, at Stratford, Ontario, and is a son of Matthew and Jane (Lemon) Hamilton, both deceased. Mr. Hamilton was educated in the public schools of Stratford, and in 1885 came to Manitoba, locating at Neepawa. After working on the farm for one year in the province he went to British Columbia and worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway construction for Mackenzie & Mann, afterwards returning to Neepawa, where he started a butcher business. He continued in this business for three years, afterwards buying out a livery business, in which he continued for nine years, and selling this out engaged in the busi- ness of buying and shipping cattle. He is still extensively engaged in this business, and is one of the best known stock men in the province. He has a large ranch at Medicine Hat, on which he runs about three thousand cattle, and also owns a ranch of one thousand nine hundred acres near Neepawa, which is given over to the same purpose.604 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. In 1889 Mr. Hamilton married Miss Nettie Findley, a daughter of James Findley, of Gladstone, Manitoba. They are the parents of five child- ren: Weldon, Roy, Lucelle, Madge and Harold. Fraternally Mr. Hamilton is affiliated with the Neepawa Lodge, No. 24, A. F. & A. M. The Hamilton Hotel is one of the most up-to-date establishments in the province. It was erected in 1904 at a cost of fifty thousand dollars, and covers a ground space of ninety-nine by eighty feet, being a three-story and basement brick structure, containing forty-two rooms. Ever since it opened for business Mr. Hamilton has done a large and increasing trade, and to-day it is the popular hotel of western Manitoba. JAMES W. McCRAE. One of the best known and most popular business men of Barberry,. Manitoba, is Mr. James W. McCrae, the popular implement merchant of this place. He is a native of Huron county, Ontario, born August 4, 1857, and is a son of the late Robert McCrae, who was a native of Scotland, and one of the early settlers of Ontario. Mr. McCrae received his education in the public schools of Huron and Brant counties, Ontario, and in 1878- came to Manitoba, locating one and a half miles from Carberry, where he took up a homestead and continued farming operations until 1882, at which time he went into the implement business, in which he is identified at the- present time. Mr. McCrae built the second house erected in the township and still holds his farming property of six hundred and forty acres, which he con- ducts in addition to his implement business. In 1882 Mr. McCrae married Miss Margaret Goggin, a native of Peter- boro, Ontario. They are the parents of two children, his daughter being now the wife of A. A. Evans, of Brandon, and Herbert. Fraternally Mr. McCrae is affiliated with the Masonic order and is a consistent member of the Presbyterian church. He has always taken an active interest in politics, and is president of the Conservative Association. For seven years he was a member of the council in Carberry and for three years was reeve of the municipality.\HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 605 NOBLE DICKIE. One of the most prominent residents of Carberry, Manitoba, and one who is well and favorably known throughout the province is Mr. Noble Dickie, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Middlesex county, Ontario, and was born March 11, 1854. He is a son of David and Clarissa (McLeod) Dickie, the mother having passed away, but the father is still living near London, Ontario, having retired from agricultural pursuits. Mr. Dickie received his education in the grammar schools of London, Ontario, which education was further supplemented by courses at the Cobourg Collegiate Institute and at Victoria College. He matriculated at Osgoode Hall, Toronto, and after spending two years in a law office in Exeter, Ontario, he came to Manitoba in 1882 and located at Carberry. He was the first deputy registrar of the district, and at present is clerk of the county court and police magistrate. He has been identified with con- veyancing ever since his arrival in Carberry. Mr. Dickie has always taken an active interest in political affairs. He is president of the Conservative Association for the Dominion constituency of Portage la Prairie, and in the early days was secretary-treasurer of the municipality of North Cyprus, while for three years, in 1898, 1899 and 1900, was mayor of Carberry. For several years he was a member of the school board and the cause of educa- tion found in him a warm friend. At present he is serving on the town council of Carberry. He is also heavily identified with farming interests, being a part owner in about four thousand acres of the finest land in the district, and all of it is under cultivation at the present time. In 1884 Mr. Dickie married Miss Agnes Jane Jardine, who up to the time of her marriage was a resident of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. They are the parents of one child, Francis Joseph. In fraternal circles Mr. Dickie has also been prominent. He was organizer of the Masonic lodge instituted in the district and was master of the lodge; he is also noble grand of the Western Star Lodge No. 11, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and past master of the Orange Order in Carberry, also holding membership in the Canadian Order of Foresters. Mr. Dickie’s success has been brought about by a keen realization of the606 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. actual advantages possessed by the soil in the immediate locality, and by a close application to business and well directed efforts in all of his dealings. His word is as good as his bond, and no man could stand higher in the estimation of his fellowmen than the subject of this sketch. GABRIEL B. MURPHY. Mr. Gabriel B. Murphy, who is heavily interested in the stock business of Manitoba, is a native of Mitchell, Ontario, his birth having occurred on May 18, 1856. He is a son of Gabriel Murphy, one of the early settlers of Ontario, who during his lifetime was engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Murphy was educated in the public schools of Logan near Mitchell, and on leaving school worked on the Great Western Railway and in March, 1879, came to Manitoba, arriving in Winnipeg on the first train coming to St. Boniface. He at once took up a homestead near Pine Creek, which he farmed for four years, and then when the town of De Winton was located on his property Mr. Murphy owned a town site. He erected a warehouse at that point and also a general store, which he rented, and as a business for himself followed the occupation of a wheat buyer, which he has continued up to the present time. In 1886 he moved to Carberry, and was a grain purchaser for the Ogilvie Milling Company. In 1890 he started in the cattle business, and since that time has devoted himself almost exclusively to this branch of industry. His operations are conducted on a large scale, and in a single year he has shipped over six thousand head of cattle from Manitoba alone. The ranch at Medicine Hat on which are a portion of Mr. Murphy’s stock enterprises consists of one thousand two hundred acres, and in addition to that he leases about twenty-seven thou- sand acres from the government, on which he pastures over two thousand head of stock yearly. A portion of this property is devoted to growing feed, the product being used for his own stock. Mr. Murphy is the owner of a two thousand acre farm near Carberry, of which four hundred acres is under cultivation and the rest in range. He is also the owner of about three thousand acres of land in different parts of Manitoba, of which a large portion is under cultivation and rented. In addition to his stock business he owns and operates three elevators, located at Carberry, FairviewHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 607 and Mackenzie,_ the average capacity of each being about thirty-five thou- sand bushels. In addition to his varied business interests and in order to more successfully handle his enterprises he has established a large com- mission business in Winnipeg, trading under the name of G. B. Murphy Company. In January, 1883, Mr. Murphy married Miss Martha Armstrong, of London, Ontario, and they are the parents of five children, as follows: Arthur, Claire, Bertie, Hilda and Aileen. Fraternally Mr. Murphy is affiliated with the Canadian Order of Foresters and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. In politics he supports the Conservative party. Both he and Mrs. Murphy hold member- ship in the Church of England. WILLIAM WALKER. One of the pioneers of Carberry, Manitoba, and numbered among its most respected citizens, is Mr. William Walker, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Ayr, Ontario, and was born March 26, 1850. He is a son of Robert and Hester (Rogers) Walker, who were early settlers of Ontario, where the father prior to his death carried on extensive farming operations. Mr. Walker was educated in the public schools of Washington and at the high schools of Woodstock and Paris, Ontario. After leaving school he remained on the home farm until starting operations for himself. He came to Manitoba in 1882, and located at Carberry, where for a number of years he was identified in the agricultural implement business, after- wards starting a general business of auctioneering and real estate. For the past eighteen years he has conducted this business, and he is also exten- sively engaged in farming, owning farms all over the district which are leased on shares. In 1872 Mr. Walker married Miss Elizabeth Chittendon, a resident of Dumfries, Ontario. Five children have been born of this union: William Herbert, who is married and the father of three children; Maud Winnifred, who is the wife of H. E. Waller, of Carberry; Robert Edward; Mary Josephine, wife of H. L. Cocksedge, of Eagle Butte; and Mona. Fraternally Mr. Walker is affiliated with the Independent Order of608 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Odd Fellows and is a member of the Presbyterian church. He has always taken an active interest in political matters, giving his support to the Liberal party. He served as clerk of the county court for two years, was a member of the council for one year and for two years was mayor of Carberry. JOSEPH AIKENHEAD. Mr. Joseph Aikenhead, the subject of this sketch, is a native of Huron county, Ontario, and was born December 25, 1857. He is a son of John and Margaret (Ross) Aikenhead, both of whom were early settlers of Huron county, where the father followed farming operations throughout his lifetime. Mr. Aikenhead was educated in the public schools of Huron county, and w'as raised on the home farm. After leaving school he worked at home and also at threshing in different parts of the country until 1879, at which time he decided to emigrate to Manitoba. The same year he took up a homestead about twelve miles north of where the town of Carberry now stands. He conducted farming operations for seventeen years, and in 1895 rented his farm and moved into Carberry, where he has since been engaged in the agricultural implement business. He handles the Deering machinery, the American Abell line, the Fairchild Company’s lines, the John Deere plough, and also other agencies connected with the implement trade. In addition to the conducting of his implement business he is a director of the Canadian Machinery Company. In 1884 Mr. Aikenhead married Miss Mary Ross, a native of Huron county, Ontario. They are the parents of five children: Percy A., Laura M., Margaret Jane, Eviline Lilian and John. Politically Mr. Aikenhead gives his support to the Liberal party, and, while never an office seeker, occupied the position of school trustee for a number of years. Both he and Mrs. Aikenhead are members of the Pres- byterian church. HERBERT A. MANVILLE. One of the progressive merchants of Carberry, Manitoba, is Mr. Herbert A. Manville, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of London,HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 609 England, born in 1868, and is a son of the late Benjamin Manviile, also a native of the mother country. Mr. Manviile was educated in Gower Street University School, and after putting aside his text books went into the wholesale cloth and woollen business in London, following this occupation for two years. He then entered into a three years’ contract with the Hudson’s Bay Company and came to Winnipeg in 1883, and on arrival in Manitoba worked for a time in Winnipeg and subsequently at Manitou, Morden and West Lynn. After the completion of this first contract he made another with the Hud- son’s Bay Company, and for twelve years was one of their most valued employes. In October, 1895, he located at Carberry, and bought out the present business, which is comprised of clothing, boots and shoes, gents’ furnishings and hats. In 1892 Mr. Manviile married Miss Rachel Merrett, a native of Ontario. They are the parents of four children: Fred, Edward, Arthur and Charles,, the last two being twins. Mr. Manviile has always taken a deep interest in fraternal circles, being affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Independent Order of Foresters, the Maccabees and the Ancient Order of United Work- men. Ever since going to Carberry he has been prominently identified with political affairs, giving his support to the Conservative party. For five years he served as a councillor of Carberry and for one year was mayor of the city. In matters pertaining to the upbuilding of the city he also gives his earnest support, and for one year has served as president of the Board of Trade of Carberry. WILLIAM A. BANNISTER. Mr. William A. Bannister, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1875 in New Brunswick, and is a son of the late Henry C. Bannister, who was one of the pioneers of the province and one of its most respected business represen- tatives. Mr. Henry C. Bannister was one of the railroad men of the province, and was one of the first to have charge of track-laying on the Canadian Pacific Railway, having charge of the construction of one hundred miles 39610 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. of road running out of Winnipeg, one hundred miles to the west. He also filled the position as roadmaster on the southwestern branch. Mr. Ban- nister left railroading in 1893 and entered the hotel business in Winnipeg. For many years he ran the Walker House, now known as the Windsor House, and died in 1899. He was a man popular with all who knew him, a man of strong opinions and a strong personality. His business reputation was one of the highest and he numbered his friends by the hundreds. His death was felt as a distinct loss by his hosts of friends. His son, William A. Bannister, was educated in the public schools of Winnipeg and afterwards went into the hotel business with his father, continuing with him until his parent’s death and for five years afterwards conducted the house. In 1892 he came to Carberry, where he established the Dufferin Hotel, which he still owns and leases. He afterwards bought out the gents’ furnishing, boot and shoe business of W. A. Garland, the present firm being known as Williams and Bannister. In 1899 Mr. Bannister married Miss Florence Cary, a native of Oak River, Manitoba. They are the parents of three children: Henry, Ethel and Hazel. Politically Mr. Bannister gives his support to the Conservative party, and at present he is serving on the city council of Carberry. He holds membership in the Church of England. GREGORY BARRETT. Mr. Gregory Barrett, the leading barrister of Carberry, Manitoba, was born November 23, 1867, at Hamilton, Ontario, and is a son of Edward Barrett, who for many years past has been in the postoffice at Winnipeg. Mr. Barrett was educated in the public schools of Windsor, Ontario, and coming to Winnipeg in 1882 finished his education in the private schools of that city. He started the study of law with Campbell and Craw- ford, and was called to the bar in 1888. He at once located in Carberry, and has continued the practice of his profession at this point ever since. In addition to his legal practice he is a director in the Arabian Medicine Company of Carberry, and is also identified with agricultural pursuits, owning a farm of three hundred and twenty acres adjoining the town site of Carberry, which is in a high state of cultivation, and also other farms,HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 611 bringing up his holdings to about one thousand acres, the majority of it being under cultivation. In 1892 Mr. Barrett married Miss Margaret Bloomfield, a native of England. She died in 1900, leaving two children: Francis Gregory, and Dorothy Isabel. Mr. Barrett is a director of the Carberry Turf Club, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. DAVID KERR. One of the proprietors of the Carberry Stacker Company is Mr. David Kerr, the subject of this sketch. He was born July 19, 1855, in Victoria county, Ontario, and is a son of William Kerr, an old settler of Victoria county, and who has carried on farming operations ever since his arrival in that county, and who is now living there at the ripe old age of eighty- four years. Mr. Kerr was educated in the public schools of his native county, and afterwards served his time at the carriage making trade in Peterborough, afterwards working as a journeyman in different places in Ontario and also in Rochester, New York. He came to Manitoba in 1879, and after remain- ing in Winnipeg during the winter months came to Carberry on April 1st of the following year. Here he took up a homestead upon which he conducted farming operations, varying the same by doing carpentering work, and also making pumps for the neighboring settlers. He farmed on this pro- perty for seven years with the exception of one year spent in British Columbia, during which time he was occupied with bridge construction for the Canadian Pacific Railway. After his return to Carberry he started a car- riage and waggon repairing shop, and conducted that until he went into the manufacture of stackers in 1899. The Carberry Stacker Co. was organized originally as the Jones Stacker Company in 1899, and in March, 1904, re- organized as the Carberry Stacker Company, with Mr. E. Jones as president and Mr. David Kerr as master mechanic. They are the manufacturers of the celebrated Jones Wind Stacker, of which Mr. E. Jones is the patentee. In 1887 Mr. Kerr married Miss Victoria Alberta Goggin, a resident of Pleasant Point. They are the parents of one girl, Ida May.612 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. Fraternally Mr. Kerr is affiliated with the Maccabees, the Orange Society and the Royal Black Preceptory. In politics he is a Conservative, and both he and Mrs. Kerr are consistent members of the Methodist church. HENRY EDWIN WALLER. Mr. Henry Edwin Waller, one of the largest shippers of stocker cattle in the province, was born on July 29, 1868, at Tilsonburg, Ontario, and is a son of Lancelot Waller, who for many years has been identified with the live stock industry in Ontario. Mr. Waller received his education in the public schools of his native county, which education was further supplemented by a course in the busi- ness college in Chatham, Ontario. After leaving school he at once went into the live stock business, and in 1887 came to Manitoba, locating at Carberry. Here he at once engaged in the buying and selling of stock and grain, his operations covering a wide field, he being as before noted one of the largest shippers of stocker cattle in the province. He is also heavily interested in farming operations, owning about three sections of land, the majority being under cultivation, which he rents out to suitable tenants. In 1891 Mr. Waller married Miss Winnifred Maud Walker, a daughter of William Walker, of Carberry, whose sketch appears upon other pages of this work. Mr. Waller is affiliated with the Masonic order and gives his support to the Conservative party. He and his wife are members of the Church of England. RICHARD M. HARRISON. Richard M. Harrison, manager of the branch of the Bank of Hamilton at Carberry, was born in Quebec on September 11, 1862. He received his education in the public and high schools of his native place, these studies being supplemented by a course in Thom’s Commercial College. After finishing his studies he entered the service of the Union Bank in 1881 in Quebec, afterwards being transferred to Montreal, being in the service of the bank at that point for six years. Mr. Harrison was subsequently transferred to Ottawa, where he wasHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 613 accountant for the bank for six years, and in 1894 came to Winnipeg, where he served one year in the service of the institution. The following year he came to Carberry in charge of the local branch, remaining with the institu- tion until March, 1905, at which time he resigned to open the Carberry branch for the Bank of Hamilton. The branch was established in March, 1905, in temporary quarters. In addition to his duties as manager of the bank Mr. Harrison with two other gentlemen own about four thousand acres of splendid farming land in the vicinity of Carberry, of which about two thousand acres are under cultivation. He is also a director in the Manitoba Ranching and Grain-growing Company, also being a stockholder in the Arabian Medicine Company. Politically he gives his support to the Conservative party, and holds membership in the Roman Catholic church. In May, 1892, Mr. Harrison married Miss Julia Cotte, a native of Montreal, and they are the parents of two children: Richard M. and Bernard. FRANK TAYLOR HALLETT. Frank Taylor Hallett, proprietor of the Western Hotel of Carberry, was born February 5, 1873, at Axminster, Devonshire, England, and is a son of Charles and Susan (Pike) Hallett, both of whom were also natives of Devonshire, the father following his profession of physician and surgeon in Axminster up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1888. Mr. Hallett was educated in the public schools of Axminster and came to Ontario in 1892, locating at Guelph. The following year he took a course in the Guelph Agricultural College, after which he came to Manitoba, where he purchased a farm near Oak river, which he conducted for two years, afterwards becoming proprietor of the Oak River House at that place, with which institution he was identified up to 1902. In that year he came to Carberry and purchased the Western Hotel, the leading hotel of that district. Mr. Hallett in 1899 married Mrs. Ella Vaughan, wife of the late William Vaughan, of Montreal. They are the parents of three children: Monte, Susan and Frank. Fraternally Mr. Hallett is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Independent Order of Foresters.614 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. R. J. GOURLEY. R. J. Gourley, manager of the branch of the Union Bank of Canada at Carberry, has been actively identified with the hanking business since leaving school. His first work in this line was with the R.W. Gibson Company in Butte, Manitoba, remaining in the service of this institution until 1898, at which time he went to Wolseley, North-West- Territory, being in the service of a branch at that point. In 1901 the banking firm of Banbury, Gourley and Banbury was organized and succeeded R. W. Gibson at Wolseley. Mr. Gourley withdrew from the firm in January, 1902, and opened a branch for the Union Bank at Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. He remained there until September of that year, being transferred to Souris to take charge of the branch of the Union Bank at that point. In March, 1905, Mr. Gourlay came to Carberry as manager of the Car- berry branch. The bank was originally opened in 1890 in Carberry by J. P. Anderson, of Quebec, who served as its manager for about four years, and he was succeeded by R. M. Harrison, Mr. Gourley succeeding this gentleman in the management of the bank. In 1902 Mr. Gourley married Miss Bray, of Wolseley, and they are the parents of one child. FRANCIS E. ARKELL. Francis E. Arkell, the leading druggist of Carberry, Manitoba, was born August 17, 1864, in Guelph, Ontario, and is a son of James Arkell, who for many years was identified with the milling industry in Ontario. Mr. Arkell received his education in the public and high schools of Elora, afterwards taking a course in the Ontario College of Pharmacy and gradu- ated with honors in 1883. He afterwards studied the drug business with Dr. Henderson in Arthur, Ontario, and served his time with that gentle- man, afterwards going into business for himself in Blenheim, county of Kent. For nine years he conducted a drug store at that point, up to 1892, and during that time served as mayor of the town. For one term he was in the council and took an active part in political and civic affairs, being president of the Kent County Conservative Association. In 1896 Mr. Arkell came* ■ V: ■•;• ■ HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 615 to Carberry and established a drug business, which he has continued up to the present time. In 1892 Mr. Arkell married Miss Adeline Hewitt, a daughter of Henry Hewitt, of Bright, Ontario. Fraternally Mr. Arkell is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Knights of Pythias. Both Mr. and Mrs. Arkell hold membership in the Church of England. He has always taken a great interest and a leading part in political matters, both in Ontario and in Manitoba. He served as a member of the school board in Carberry for one term, and was president of the South Brandon Conservative Association for three years, during which time he took a leading part in all matters pertaining to the welfare of his party. JOSEPH SAMUEL ARMITAGE. Joseph Samuel Armitage, postmaster of Minnedosa, Manitoba, was born January 1, 1849, in Newmarket, North York, Ontario, and is a son of Job and Hannah (Siddons) Armitage, both of whom were natives of Canada, the father’s ancestors coming from Yorkshire, England, in 1735, and settled in Buckingham county, Pennsylvania. He followed the British flag to Canada, the family moving to Hollin, Queen’s Bush, Wellington county. Here the father was engaged in agricultural pursuits and later on con- ducted a milling business in that district. Mr. Armitage of this review was educated in the common schools of Hollin, and after putting aside his text books learned the milling trade. In 1870 he went to California, but returned in two years and purchased a mill at Port Colbourne, which he conducted until 1879, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Tanner’s Crossing, on the Little Saskatche- wan river, now known as Minnedosa. Here he homesteaded three hundred and twenty acres^of land, afterwards purchasing a portion of the townsite and making the first survey of Minnedosa, and gave the townsite its present name. Here he engaged in the milling business after building a saw and grist mill, which he operated for two years and sold out in 1882. The following year he was appointed postmaster, which position he is now acceptably filling.616 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. In 1876 Mr. Armitage married Miss Mary Minneta Boyd, a daughter of Thomas and Mary Boyd, of Hanover, Grey county, Ontario. Four children have been born of this union: Mary Adelia, wife of Arthur Key; Harvey Boyd, Minnedosa, who was the first child born in the town; and Herbert Joseph, who is conducting farming operations in the district. Fraternally Mr. Armitage is affiliated with the Prince of Wales Lodge No. 14, A.F. & A.M. In January, 1883, he was elected warden of the county of Minnedosa, and was also a member of the first board for the Western Judicial district. DR. WILLIAM JAMES ROCHE. Dr. William James Roche, M.P., representing the constituency of Marquette, was born November 30, 1859, at Clandeboye, Middlesex county, Ontario, and is a son of William Elliot and Maria Carter (Hodgins) Roche, the father a native of Ireland who came to Canada at the age of seventeen and located near Exeter where he was identified with the business of general merchandising. In 1881 he came to Manitoba and formed a syndi- cate of four, which syndicate purchased the Jennyn survey of the townsite of Minnedosa. For many years prior to his death, which occurred in 1896, he followed farming pursuits and was one of the best known of the early citizens of the Minnedosa district. He was identified in municipal affairs, and served as a member of the council of Minnedosa, always taking an active part in politics. The mother survived him for four years, dying in 1900. Mr. Roche of this review was educated in the public schools of Lucan and at the high school of London, Ontario, after which he taught school for two years. In 1879 he entered Trinity Medical College of Toronto, and during the three years he attended this college studied with Dr. C. S. Moore, of London. He was graduated from the Western University of London in March, 1883, with the degree of M.D. In June of that year he came to Minnedosa, taking up the practice of his profession at that point, which he has continued up to the present time, he being the pioneer physician of Minnedosa. He was defeated in 1892 for the local house for the constituency ofHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 617 Minnedosa, but at the general elections of 1896 he contested the constitu- ency of Marquette, and was returned a member for the Dominion House. He was re-elected to the Dominion House in 1900 and again in 1904, representing the Conservative interests. In July, 1884, Dr. Roche married Miss Annie E. Cook, a daughter of William Cook, of Toronto, who for many years was one of the officials of the Grand Trunk Railway. Two children have been born of this union: May and Laurence. Dr. Roche has taken a prominent part in fraternal affairs, being affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and was provincial grand master for one year and grand representative of the province of the Sovereign Grand Lodge for two years. ARTHUR WELLESLEY SHAW. Arthur Wellesley Shaw, mayor of the town of Minnedosa, Manitoba, was born February 25, 1856. He was educated in the public schools of Forest, Ontario, after which he learned the trade of a blacksmith. In 1882 he came to Manitoba and located at Minnedosa. For a time he-conducted a black- smith shop, but for the past eighteen years has represented the Massey- Harris Company as representative for this district. Politically he has always taken an active part, giving his support to the Liberal party. For two years he served as a member of the town council, and in 1904 and 1905 served as mayor of Minnedosa. Fraternally Mr. Shaw is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. WILLIAM and ROBERT SCOTT. William Scott, a member of the firm of Scott Brothers, operating a sash and door factory at Minnedosa, Manitoba, was born January 21, 1860, in Denholm, Roxburghshire, Scotland, and is a son of George and Mar- garet (Riddell) Scott, who were also natives of Scotland. The father fol- lowed farming pursuits and came to Canada in 1893, locating in the southern portion of Manitoba, where he continued farming until his death, which occurred in 1904. William and Robert Scott were educated in the public schools of.Den- holm, afterwards learning the carpenter trade, and coming to Canada in618 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 1887. They located in Wingham, Ontario, where they followed their trade until coming to Manitoba. Robert Scott came to Manitoba in 1888 and located first in southern Manitoba, where he farmed for twelve years, after which he came to Minnedosa, and has since been located at that point. In 1895 William Scott came to Manitoba, where he followed his trade and in April, 1897, with his brother Robert, they established a sash and door fac- tory at Minnedosa, in which occupation they have continued up to the present time. The Scott Brothers are manufacturers of sash, doors and all classes of building materials, and are the pioneers in this line of industry in that district. In 1893 William Scott married Miss Mary Jane Dickson, a daughter of John Dickson, of McKillop, Huron county, Ontario. They are the parents of one son, George. Fraternally Mr. Scott is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Independent Order of Foresters. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, but has never sought nor desired public offices. His brother Robert, however, has served as a member of the Minnedosa city council. In 1893 Robert Scott married Ida May Leary, a daughter of Stephen Leary, of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. He is also affiliated with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics he is a Liberal. ERNEST W. PEARSON. Ernest W. Pearson, one of the leading barristers of Minnedosa, Mani- toba, was born September 2, 1861, in Lancashire, England, and is a son of John and Sarah E. (Greenwood) Pearson, the father a native of Lan- cashire, England, and the mother of Yorkshire, England. The father was a commission agent in Manchester for several years and came to Manitoba in 1885, locating near Neepawa, where he conducted farming operations until his death, which occurred in 1898. Mr. Pearson of this review was educated in the public school of Man- chester, and at Oxford University, being called to the bar at Inner Temple in 1886. He came to Manitoba in 1888, and was called to the bar in this province in 1891. He at once established a practice in Minnedosa, and has continued up to the present time.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 619 In 1888 Mr. Pearson married Miss Jessie Borland, a daughter of the late Robert Borland, who during his life followed the occu- pation of farming in Dumfries-shire, Scotland. Mr. and Mrs. Pear- son are the parents of three children: Mary Dorothy, John Angus William and Colin Hargraves. Mr. Pearson has always taken an active interest in political matters, giving his support to the Liberal party, and from 1893 to 1900 served as clerk and treasurer of the town of Minnedosa. JOHN W. BLACK. John W. Black, of the well-known hardware house of Black Brothers, was born August 10, 1859, in the county of Renfrew, Ontario, and is a son of George Black, who is a native of Scotland, his parents being James and Elizabeth Black, who came to this country with their parents early in the last century. Here the father engaged in the lumbering business, and was reeve of the municipality and warden of Renfrew county. In 1878 he came to Manitoba, the following year locating on a homestead at Minnedosa, where he continued farming pursuits for four years, afterwards engaging in the implement business. Mr. Black of this review was educated in the public schools of Ren- frew county, afterward following farming for an occupation. In 1879 he came to Manitoba and took up a homestead at Franklin, on which he farmed for seven years. In 1886 he came to Minnedosa and for some years was engaged at different occupations. In 1897 he engaged in the hardware business, his brother James joining him in 1902. In 1882 Mr. Black married Miss Martha Ann Elliot, a daughter of Thomas Elliot, who was an early settler of Manitoba. Mr. Black has served three years as member of the council of Minnedosa, always taking an active part in politics, and giving his support to the Conservative party. He holds membership in the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, also the Ancient Order of United Workmen. JOHN W. THOMPSON. Mr. John W. Thompson, one of the pioneers of the Minnedosa district, was born May 31, 1858, near Forest, Lambton county, Ontario, and is a620 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. son of Malcolm and Anne (McLarty) Thompson, the father a farmer who moved to Manitoba in 1878 and located ten miles west of Minnedosa, where he carried on agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1897. Mr. Thompson was educated in the public schools of Ravenswood and was raised on the home farm, coming to Manitoba with his parents, where for two years he was engaged in teaching school. From 1882 to 1886 he was identified with the agricultural, implement and machine business, and from 1890 to 1895 conducted a livery business in Minnedosa. Since that time he has devoted most of his attention to the conduct of his farm, which is a splendid property of four hundred and thirty acres adjoining the townsite of Minnedosa. Mr. Thompson is one of the successful men of the community, and is recognized as one of the representative citizens of the district. In 1881 Mr. Thompson married Miss Annie Smith, a daughter of the Rev. A. Smith, of Minnedosa, who was also one of the early pioneers of the Minnedosa district, coming to that locality in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Thomp- son are the parents of one son, William, who is a leading veterinary surgeon of the Minnedosa district, and of one adopted daughter, Edna. Fraternally Mr. Thompson is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and has always taken an active interest in politics, giving his support to the Liberal party. He has served as councilman of Minnedosa, and in 1900 contested the riding of Marquette for the Dominion House, but was defeated. JAMES F. REA. One of the proprietors of the popular Tremont Hotel of Minnedosa, Manitoba, is James F. Rea, the subject of this sketch. He was born Sep- tember 13, 1858, at Compton, Quebec, and is a son of George and Martha (Bartlett) Rea, both of whom were also natives of Canada, the father by occupation following agricultural pursuits. Mr. Rea received his education in the public and high schools of Compton, and remained on the home farm until twenty-one years of age, and from that time until coming to Manitoba in 1890 was in the employ of different railroads. For two years after coming to Manitoba, in 1890, heHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 621 served as locomotive engineer on the Manitoba & Northwestern Railway, and then engaged in the hotel business in Minnedosa with Duncan McLel- lan. These two gentlemen operated the Grand Central Hotel until 1904, at which time they erected the Tremont Hotel at a cost of $45,000, it being to-day one of the most up-to-date and best conducted hotels in western Manitoba. It is a handsome four-story and basement brick structure, covering a ground space of eighty by seventy feet, and containing fifty-two rooms. From the date of the opening of the house it has proved a success, and to-day is one of the most popular hotels in the province. In 1894 Mr. Rea married Miss Lizzie Stinson, a daughter of William Stinson, of Dauphin, an old settler of that district, where for many years he has conducted farming operations. Mr. and Mrs. Rea are the parents of three children: Clifford, Phylis and Gladys. Fraternally Mr. Rea is affili- ated with the Masonic order. duncan Mclennan. Mr. Duncan McLennan, who in connection with Mr. J. F. Rea, has con- ducted the Tremont Plotel at Minnedosa, Manitoba, was born on August 31, 1861, in Kincardine, Ontario, and is a son of Donald and Mary (Mc- Kan) McLellan, the father a native of Scotland and the mother of Cape Breton, both being early settlers of Bruce county, Ontario, where the father conducted farming operations. Mr. McLennan was educated in the public schools of Kincardine, and during this period assisted in the work on the home farm. After leaving school he followed mining for two years, and in 1881 came to Manitoba, arriving at Winnipeg on the 22nd of August of that year. For two years he worked with a surveying party and then engaged in farming at Portage la Prairie, which occupation was continued until 1891. At that time he came to Minnedosa, where, in partnership with Mr. Rea, he conducted the Grand Central Hotel up to 1904, at which time the partners erected the Tremont Hotel, a description of which appears in the sketch of Mr. Rea given on other pages of this work. Mr. McLellan is a member of the Portage Lodge No. 3, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Both he and his partner are deservedly popular with the traveling public, their hotel being the headquarters for all the better class of travelers who stop at Minnedosa.622 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. WILLIAM HENRY SOWDEN. Prominently identified with the upbuilding, growth and general welfare of Souris is Mr. William Henry Sowden, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Hamilton, East Durham, Ontario, and was horn September 20, 1823. He is a son of William and Mary (Musgrave) Sowden, both of whom were natives of England, who came to Canada early in the last century, where the father followed the occupation of a farmer in East Durham. Mr. Sowden was raised on the home farm and educated in the county schools, following farming until he arrived at the age of twenty-one, at which time he went to Cavan, Durham county, where he was identified with the founding of the town of Millbrook, and was identified with the growth and development of the different institutions of that place. For seventeen years he was a member of the county council, representing the united counties of Northumberland and Durham. He was married there in 1847 to Miss Mary Gove, a daughter of the late Mary, wife of R. C. Smith, of Port Hope. He remained at Millbrook until 1880, at which time he came to Manitoba, locating on Plum Creek, at what is now the town of Souris, and in the following spring brought out a colony of two hundred settlers from Ontario, taking up the townsite consisting of one section of land. Since that time he has been identified with all matters pertaining to the general welfare of the city. In 1850 Mr. Sowden was again married, to Miss Mary Ashford, a daughter of John Ashford, a United Empire Loyalist and one of the early settlers of Hope township. They are the parents of one son, Frederick, born April 9, 1865. Frederick Sowden received his education at Trinity College, Port Hope, and came to Manitoba in 1882, since which time he has been iden- tified with the real estate business. He served two years as a member of the council of Souris, and in all matters pertaining to the building up of the city has taken an active part. In 1890 he married Miss Maud Augusta Corbett, a daughter of Brigadier Surgeon Augustus Corbett. They are the parents of five children, as follows: Ballantine, Willie (deceased), Daphne, Eric (deceased) and Jack.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 623 MAJOR AINSLIE LUNHAM YOUNG. Major Ainslie Lunham Young, mayor of Souris, Manitoba, and major, commanding B Squadron, Twelfth Manitoba Dragoons, is a native of Bed- fordshire, England, and was born August 23, 1868. He is a son of Francis and Charlotte (Mongan) Young, both of whom were natives of county Cork, Ireland. The father was a medical practitioner in Bedfordshire and came to Canada in 1885. Major Young was educated in the grammar schools of Bedfordshire, and at the age of sixteen came to Manitoba, going direct to Souris in the spring of 1885. Here for a few years he followed farming, and in 1890 engaged in the insurance and real estate business, the following year adding private banking, buying out the business of Young and Van Someren. In addition to this business Major Young owns and operates one thousand one hundred acres of splendid farming land one mile south of Souris, which each year brings him a handsome revenue. He has always been active in public affairs, and for several years was a member of the council of the municipality of Glenwood, being the reeve of that municipality until the incorporation of Souris in 1903, at which time he was elected first mayor of Souris, and re-elected by acclamation in 1904-1905. In 1894 Major Young married Miss Mary Isabel Corbett, a daughter of Surgeon-Major A. P. M. Corbett, of the Imperial forces. They are the parents of four children: Cyril, Hilda, Isabel and Dudley. Fraternally Major Young is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Canadian Order of Foresters, also the Loyal Orange Lodge. Major Young is a leading member of the Souris Board of Trade, and he and Mrs. Young both hold membership in the Church of England. In politics the major is a Conservative. ANTHONY JAMES HUGHES. Anthony James Hughes, the subject of this sketch, was born on March 8th, 1859, at London, Middlesex county, Ontario. He is a son of Joseph C. and Jane (McAndless) Hughes, both of whom were natives of London town-624 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ship, their parents being residents of Ireland, Wales and the north of England, who settled in Ontario early in the last century. Mr. Joseph C. Hughes followed agricultural pursuits in Middlesex county up to the year 1903, at which time he moved to Brandon, Manitoba, where he is now living retired from active pursuits. Mr. Hughes was raised on the home farm and educated in the country schools of Loudon township, remaining at home until 1882, at which time he came to Manitoba, where he subsequently located at Deloraine. In 1890 he came to Souris, where he was identified with the lumber business up to September, 1903, since which time he has been engaged in the furniture and undertaking business. In 1878 Mr. Hughes married Miss Margaret Haskett Hobbs, a daughter af James Hobbs, of London, Ontario. They are the parents of four children: Margaret Jane, James Wesley, Williard Cooper and Chester Anthony. Mrs. Hughes died in 1886 and in 1894 Mr. Hughes married Miss Maggie Loraine Moffatt, a daughter of George Moffatt, of Souris, one of the old settlers of that district. They are the parents of one daughter, Fairy Irene. In fraternal circles Mr. Hughes has always taken a leading part. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and was a first noble grand of Lodge No. 21 located at Souris, and also with the Independ- ent Order of United Workmen, and with the Loyal Orange Lodge, Diamond Lily of the West, No. 891, and with the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Hughes gives his support politically to the Conservative party, and has always taken an active interest in local, provincial and Dominion politics. For five years he was reeve of the municipality of Glenwood. THOMAS LOCKHART. Thomas Lockhart, who at present occupies the position of police mag- istrate of Souris, was born near Newtonville in the county of Durham, township of Clark, Ontario, on September 26, 1833, and is a son of Andrew and Anne (Sharpe) Lockhart, both of whom were natives of Monaghan, Ireland. The parents came to Canada in 1825, settling on the place whereHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 625 the subject of this sketch was born, the father following farming occupations for a living at a place called the Nine Miles Woods in West Durham. Here he cleared a farm from the bush country, and followed this occupation throughout his lifetime. Mr. Lockhart of this review is the youngest of a family of eight sons, and was educated at the common schools of his native county. He left home at the age of nineteen, and up to 1860 followed farming, and also w;as engaged in teaching school. The next two years were spent in the employ of the late Thomas Short, of Keene. In 1864 he moved to Fenelon, Victoria county, where he cleared a farm, operating the same until 1875. From that year until 1881 he acted as station agent at Fenelon Falls for the Whitby, Port Perry & Haliburton Railway, which was afterwards absorbed by the Grand Trunk Railway. On January 2, 1882, he started for Manitoba, arriving on the 7th of that month and going direct to Bran- don. Here he erected a house, and after living for one year in that city sold out and took up a homestead west of Souris. In 1885 he returned to Brandon, where his family had resided in the meantime, and remained in this city until 1892, at which time he returned to his farm. He was one of the first aldermen of Brandon, being elected in 1882, and in 1884 was appointed assessor of the city of Brandon, and served in the years 1884 and 1885. On June 1, 1897, he was appointed clerk of the county court at Souris, which position he now holds, and in 1899 was appointed police magistrate of Souris, which office he is also filling. On January 5, 1885, Mr. Lockhart married Miss Ellen Comrie, a daughter of Duncan Comrie, of Otonabee, county of Peterboro, Ontario. Five children have been born of this union, of whom three are living: Andrew Duncan, deceased; Robert James, practicing physician at Hes- peler, Ontario; Janet M., wife of George L. Centre, an undertaker, Van- couver, British Columbia; Thomas Albert, who is engaged in grain buying; and William David Edgar, deceased. M. Lockhart is a valued member of the Presbyterian church, and is one of the elders of the St. Paul church, of Brandon, also being an elder of Knox Presbyterian church, of Souris. 40626 HISTORY OP MANITOBA. DR. THOMAS ALFRED MARTIN HUGHES. Thomas A. M. Hughes, the oldest practicing physician in Souris, was born November 18, 1868, in London township, Middlesex county, Ontario. He is a son of Joseph C. and Jane (McAndless) Hughes, both of whom were natives of London township, their parents being residents of Ireland, Wales and the north of England, who settled in Ontario early in the last century. Mr. Joseph C. Hughes followed agricultural pursuits in Middle- sex county up to the year 1903, at which time he moved to Brandon, Manitoba, where he is now living retired from active pursuits. Mr. Hughes of this review was raised on the home farm and educated at the public schools of Middlesex county, and at St. Mary’s High School. Later on he attended Strathroy Collegiate Institute, and finished his edu- cation at the Western University of London, from which institution he was graduated in April, 1892. In the following year he was graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ontario, and in the same year from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba. He started the practice of his profession at Souris and since that time has been in active practice at that point. On January 1, 1896, Dr. Hughes married Miss Josephine Thompson, of Ingersoll, Ontario, a daughter of William Thompson, a retired farmer of Oxford county. They are the parents of one child, Minnie May. Dr. Hughes is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Independent Order of For- esters, holding at one time the position of high physician, and the Loyal Orange Lodge, in which order he is the past grand medical referee. Dr. Hughes was the first past provincial grand preceptor of the Royal Black Knights of Ireland, and it was upon his suggestion that the preceptory was first formed in the west. He has always taken an active interest in the politics of his adopted province, and at the general election of 1896 was instrumental in bringing Dalton McCarthy to the constituency of Brandon and securing his election on the Independent ticket. Dr. Hughes has always been an ardent supporter of national schools. pmHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 627 WILLIAM HERRIOT: William Herriot, the subject of this sketch, was born April 19, 1843, in the shire of Haddington, Scotland, and is a son of James and Janet (Wilson) Herriot, both of whom were also natives of Scotland, where the father followed farming for a livelihood. In 1850 he removed to Canada, settling in Waterloo county, in the town of Galt, and afterwards becoming a mechanic, which trade he followed throughout his lifetime. Mr. Herriot was educated in the common schools of Galt, and after- wards was apprenticed to the trade of millwright, which occupation he continued in his native province until coming to Manitoba in 1880. After two years spent in Minnedosa he came to Plum Creek, now Souris, and engaged in the flour milling business with George McCullough. This partnership lasted until November, 1903, when Mr. Herriot sold his interests to his partner and is now retired from active pursuits. He has always taken an active interest in political matters. He was reeve of the municipality of Glenwood for four years, and served as a councillor of the city of Souris for one year, during which time he was chairman of the board of public works. In 1883 Mr. Herriot married Miss Dora Mihm, a native of Waterloo county, Ontario. They are the parents of six children: Janet, Martha, Alfred, Alexander, Lena and Isabel. Fraternally Mr. Herriot is affiliated with the Canadian Order of Foresters. JOSEPH NATION. Joseph Nation, proprietor of the Crescent Hotel of Souris, was born May 4, 1863, at Morpith, Kent county, Ontario, and is a son of James C. and Eliza (Waring) Nation, both of whom were natives of Canada and early settlers of Kent county, where the father carried on business as a general merchant. Mr. Nation was educated in the public schools of Morpith, in the Lon- don Business College and at the Upper Canada College of Toronto. At the age of eighteen he left school, coming in the same year to Manitoba, where628 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. a year was spent in Winnipeg in the employ of a gents’ furnishing store. He subsequently came to Brandon, where he homesteaded a farm near Elkhorn, the next five years being spent at this occupation. In 1887 he returned to Brandon, where he engaged in business with his brother, this partnership continuing until 1894 at which time he came to Souris, where he engaged in the hotel business, and at present is proprietor of the Crescent Hotel. In addition to the conduct of this hotel he carries on extensive farming operations, being the owner of nine hundred and sixty acres of fertile land in the vicinity of Souris. In 1890 Mr. Nation married Miss Julia M. Wanless, a daughter of John Wanless, of Walkerton, Ontario. They are the parents of six children: James C., Frederick, Marguerite, Jean, Isabel and Dorothy. Fraternally Mr. Nation is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. WILLIAM GRAY McLAREN. William Gray McLaren, a prominent merchant of Souris, Manitoba, is a native of Dundas, Ontario, and was born November 17, 1858. He is a son of Thomas and Margaret (Gray) McLaren, both of whom were natives of Scotland and early settlers of Dundas, where the father carried on his trade as a blacksmith. Mr. McLareh received a limited education at the public schools of Mitchell, Ontario, putting aside his text books at the age of twelve years. In 1888 he came to Manitoba and located at Boissevain, where for four years he was engaged in general merchandise business. In 1892 he moved to Souris and established his present business of general merchandise, in the conduct of which he carries the best stock of goods in the district, consist- ing of dry goods, boots and shoes, clothing, groceries, furs, etc. In 1901 he erected his present handsome building of two stories with basement and covering a ground space of twenty-seven by one hundred feet. He has a large and steadily increasing business, and by strict attention to business and conscientious business methods, has built for himself an enviable reputation in the community.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 629 In 1880 Mr. McLaren married Miss Lottie Williams, a daughter of Rev. John Williams, of Mitchell, Ontario. They are the parents of five children: Laura, deceased; William Glenroy, Eva Elizabeth, Lawrence Hodge and Lottie Gray. In church and temperance work Mr. McLaren takes a deep interest, holding membership in the Royal Templars Society and the Presbyterian church, he being an elder in the Knox church and superintendent of the Sunday school. In all matters pertaining to the public good he also takes a leading part, at present serving as president of the Souris Board of Trade, as president of the Souris Cottage Hospital, and as president of the Glenwood Agricultural Society. Politically Mr. McLaren gives his support to the Liberal party, and in 1906 is serving as alderman of Souris. STUART SCOTT. Stuart Scott, mayor of the town of Morden, Manitoba, was born May 20, 1851, in Roxburghshire, Scotland, and is a son of Charles and Ellen (Oliver) Scott, both of whom were also natives of Roxburghshire, Scotland. The father was a farmer by occupation and moved with his family to Middlesex county, Ontario, in 1866, where he is still living and carrying on farming operations. Mr. Scott was educated in the common schools of his native place and of Middlesex county, and at the age of twenty left home and came to Manitoba in the spring of 1881, locating at Winnipeg. Here he remained until the spring of 1885, during which time he was occupied with building and carpenter work, and in the latter year came to Morden, where he carried on contracting and building operations until 1891. At that time he entered the furniture and undertaking business, which he has continued successfully up to the present time. For two years he served in the city council of Morden, and in 1904 was elected mayor of the town, representing the Liberal interest, which office he is filling at the present time. In 1891 Mr. Scott married Miss Annie McIntyre, a sister of D. H. McIntyre, school inspector at Winnipeg. They are the parents of the following children: Charlie, Andrew, Stuart McIntyre, Allan, Harry, Donald and Hugh.630 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Scott is a member of Belmont Lodge No. 13, A.F. & A.M., and both he and Mrs. Scott hold membership in the Presbyterian church. CORBET LOCKE. Corbet Locke, judge of the county courts for the Southern Judicial District of Manitoba, was born February 9, 1854, in Barrie, county of Sim- coe, Ontario, and is a son of Joseph and Mary E. (Clarke) Locke, both of whom were natives of Ireland, the father of county Armagh, and the mother of county Waterford, the father coming to Canada in 1834 and the mother in 1839. For many years the father followed farming in Ontario, but was afterwards identified with mercantile pursuits. Judge Locke was educated in the Grammar school of Barrie, and on April 17, 1871, was articled to the late Dalton McCarthy, Queen’s Coun- sel at Barrie. He finished his legal education in Edward Blake’s office in Toronto, and was called to the bar of Ontario in 1877. After practicing for a time in Hamilton, Ontario, he came to Manitoba in 1881 and located at Nelson. In 1885 he moved to Morden, which had become the county town, where he practised his profession up to November, 1894 (having been com- missioned a Queen’s Counsel in 1893), at which time he was raised to the county court bench. In 1894 he was appointed revising officer under the Dominion Fran- chise Act for the constituency of Selkirk, now known as Lisgar. At that time he resigned his position as president of' the Liberal-Conservative Asso- ciation, which office he had filled since 1881, and during which time he had taken an active interest in political matters. In 1890 he instigated the plan for the building of a hospital, the expense of which was to be borne entirely by the Free Masons. Belmont Lodge, located at Morden, gave its most energetic support to the under- taking, and through its endeavors and with the assistance of the Masons of Winnipeg and thirty-seven other towns in Manitoba, and to some extent from the east, the Free Masons’ Hospital was built and opened for patients on March 11,1893. It was then presented to the public as a general hospital and has since been maintained by the public, having proved a source of boundless good and being the first institution purely a hospital establishedHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 631 by the Masonic fraternity in the world. The original cost of the hospital was ten thousand five hundred dollars, but many improvements have been since added, and the property is now valued at thirty thousand dollars. The people of Morden and surrounding country subscribed the funds necessary for furnishing the same, and furnished the nucleus to a maintenance fund. Judge Locke has been President of the institution since its inception. In fraternal matters Judge Locke has always taken an active and a leading part, his membership with the Masonic order dating from 1878, and since that time he has held a number of elective offices, in 1896 being elected Grand Master of Masons under the Grand Register of Manitoba. On December 19, 1882, Judge Locke married Miss Esther Alice Hol- land, youngest daughter of the late Richard Holland, a prominent barrister of Oshawa, Ontario. Mrs. Locke died April 30, 1901, leaving four children Philip Corbet, who since June, 1905, has been practicing his profession as a barrister; Georgina Mary; Charles Joseph Holland, who is engaged in the study of law; and Mary Esther. Judge Locke is a consistent member of the Church of England. JAMES RIPPOTH BONNY. James Rippoth Bonny, the subject of this sketch, was born in June, 1850, in Bredgar, Kent, England, and is a son of James Rippoth and Jane (Pye) Bonny, both of whom were also natives of Kent and representatives of old English families. The father for many years was in the employ of the Great Western Railway Company as a surveyor, which occupation he followed during the latter part of his lifetime. Mr. Bonny was educated at Chatham, Kent and Heidelberg, Germany, afterwards becoming identified with his father in the surveying work, which occupation was continued until coming to Canada in 1873. He first located at Brooklyn, Ontario, and for the next two seasons studied farming under the Hon. John Dryden, Minister of Agriculture, under the Ross government. In the spring of 1875 Mr. Bonny came to Manitoba to the Red River settlement in company with his brother Henry, and taking up a homestead at Thornhill was the most westerly settler for several years. Here he632 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. followed farming pursuits for four years, and then opened a general mer- chandise store, and in 1880 moved to Nelson. He was the first town clerk of Nelson, and was treasurer of the municipality of North Dufferin, also being the first justice of the peace for East Marquette, receiving his com- mission in 1877. Mr. Bonny’s first trial was somewhat unique. It was held on May 2, 1877, in a house near the Mennonite village of Eichenfeld, where he and his brother Harry, who acted as constable, spent the previous night. It was to settle a dispute between half-breeds, and when Mr. Bonny and his brother left for the trial they were followed by the entire male inhabitants of the village. As the witnesses could not speak English the trial was conducted in French and as it progressed Mr. Harry Bonny translated the proceedings to the Mennonite audience in German. It is worthy of note that in those early days the prairies were dotted with men capable of administering justice in such a cosmopolitan style. In 1885 Mr. Bonny moved to Morden, and for the next few years was engaged in various occupations. In 1890 he was appointed clerk in the land titles office, which office he is holding at the present time. In 1878 Mr. Bonny married Miss Jean Duncan, a daughter of John Duncan, one of the pioneers of the Morden district. Mrs. Bonny was also a sister of Thomas Duncan, ex-member of parliament for Morden. She died in 1899, and Mr. Bonny was again married, Miss Mary Nicholson becoming his wife. They are the parents of one son, George. Mr. Bonny has always taken an active interest in agricultural matters and for six years served as secretary and treasurer of the North Dufferin Agricultural Society. Mr. Bonny has also taken an active part in military affairs. He was a prominent member in the volunteer movement, and in 1867 received a commission in the Thirty-third Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps, being the first volunteer officer to pass through a school of instruction, in which he received five hundred and ninety-six marks out of a possible six hundred. REV. HUGH JAMIESON BORTHWICK, A.M. Rev. Hugh J. Borthwick, one of the pioneer missionaries of the pro- vince, was born on July 26, 1824, in Midlothian, Scotland, and is a son ofHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 633 John and Elizabeth (Jamieson) Borthwick, both of whom were likewise natives of Scotland, where the father for many years was parish school- master. Mr. Borthwick was educated at Cauvians Institution at Dudingstone, Midlothian, Scotland, and also at Edinburgh University. His ecclesiastical studies were pursued at Queen’s College, Kingston, Ontario. He came to Canada in 1845 and engaged in teaching school, first at Longueuil, opposite Montreal, afterwards at Indiana, Haldimand county, Ontario, as a tutor in the family of Da,vid Thompson, M.P. He afterwards was assistant in Ham- ilton to the Rev. J. Gamble Geddes, rector of Christ church, subsequently being appointed first principal of the York County Grammar School at Newmarket. Mr. Borthwick was afterwards principal of the Queen’s Col- lege school at Kingston, and later was engaged in teaching in Prontenac Academy, moving to Ottawa after having been.appointed principal of Carl- ton Senior Grammar School of Ottawa. He served as inspector of schools for the city of Ottawa, afterwards taking up his chosen calling, having been ordained to the ministry of the Presbyterian church, and was engaged in various parts of the Ottawa Valley, especially as missionary to the lumber- men in the backwoods. In 1876 Mr. Borthwick was appointed by the Home Missionary Com- mittee of the Presbyterian church in Canada to proceed to Manitoba as a missionary. Upon his arrival in Manitoba he was appointed by the Pres- bytery of Winnipeg to the Pembina Mountain district, where he has since remained engaging in various departments of this work. In 1848 Mr. Borthwick married Miss Marion Taylor, of Edinburgh, Scotland, a daughter of William Taylor of that city. Six children have been born of this union: John, William, Elizabeth, Mary, Helen and Marion. MAJOR CHRISTOPHER P. FORREST, R.L. Major Christopher Forrest, the leading jeweler of Morden, Manitoba, was born December 27, 1845, in Warrenpoint Parish of Clan Alan, county of Down, Ireland, and is a son of Charles and Marrian (Blackader) Forrest, the father a retired gentleman. The family moved to Canada in April,634 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 1852, and located in the village of Saugeen, now Southampton, Bruce county, Ontario. Major Forrest left home at the age of twelve years, following a sea- faring life, and later served as an apprentice as an engraver, after which he learned the jewelry business, which has been his principal occupation since. On May 9, 1875, he came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg, where he worked for H. S. Donaldson & Brother until 1881, at which time he bought out the institution and conducted a jewelry business under the name of Thompson Brothers & Forrest. In 1884 he purchased the entire business, the Thompson Brothers retiring. This business was continued up to 1888, and from that year to 1889 Major Forrest was not in active business. On the 9th of May of the latter year he came to Morden, where he established the jewelry business in which he has since been engaged. Shortly after his arrival in Manitoba he joined the Winnipeg Infantry Company under command of Captain G. F. Carruthers, which was the nucleus of the Ninetieth Battalion, Mr. Forrest being senior lieutenant of the same and was gazetted as captain in the Ninetieth Bat- talion on its formation. He has been closely identified with military matters up to the present time. He served as captain of No. 1 Company of the Ninetieth Battalion through the North-West Rebellion, and on the death of Colonel Kennedy was promoted to the rank of major. He served in the Southampton Rifles during the Fenian disturbance of 1866, for which he was given the medal and clasp. He also has the medal and clasp of the North-West Rebellion. In fraternal circles Major Forrest takes a leading part, and on Febru- ary 14, 1885, he became grand master of the Grand Lodge of Free Masons of Manitoba and the North-West Territories. On December 6, 1882, Major Forrest married Miss Jessie Lillie, a daughter of Alexander R. Lillie, a factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company. They are the parents of nine children, eight living and one dead: Harriet Lillie, who is a trained nurse and a graduate from the Free Masons’ Hospital, Morden, and post graduate of the Presbyterian Training School, Chicago; Ralph Fortescue, Edgeworth, who is identified with the DominionHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 635 Fish Company at Selkirk; Henry Essex, Charles McDermott, Courtney, Robert Blackader, Marrian Jessie, Christopher Neville and John Vincent. Major Forrest has always taken an active interest in politics, giving his support to the Liberal party. Both he and Mrs. Forrest are members of the Church of England, and are active workers in the church. JAMES BRYANS. James Bryans, of Morden, Manitoba, who is now living retired from active pursuits, was born on July 4, 1843, in county of Fermanagh, Ireland, and is a son of John and Prudence (Domey) Bryans, both of whom were likewise natives of Ireland, the family moving to Ontario in 1847 and settling in Lindsay, South Victoria. Here the father followed farming pursuits up to 1872, at which time he retired and is now living in Lindsay at the advanced age of one hundred and two years. Mr. Bryans was educated in the common schools of the township of Ops, in the old Walker schoolhouse, being raised on the farm and remain- ing there until twenty-five years of age, at which time he moved to an adjoining farm which his father had purchased for him. He sold this farm in 1880 and moved to Manitoba, arriving in Emerson on April 9, 1881. Here he purchased a farm of four hundred and eighty acres, which he operated until 1901, then moving to Morden, where he has since lived a retired life. In 1867 Mr. Bryans married Miss Mary Wilson, a daughter of Mathew Wilson, of South Victoria, who was also one of the old settlers of that district. They are the parents of nine children: Margaret, the widow of H. J. Carey; Prudence Victoria, wife of R. G. Argue; John, deceased; Anne, wife of William Washington, now of Nanton, South Alberta; James Wilson; Robert; Mary Jane, wife of E. A. Wilson, of Elgin, Manitoba; Christina and Esther May. Fraternally Mr. Bryans is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Loyal Orange Legion. He has always taken an active interest in politics, giving his support to the Conservative party, and for the past twenty-four years being a member of the Executive Committee.636 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. COLIN McCORQUODALE. Colin McCorquodale, the subject of this sketch, was born on November 22, 1846, in the Parish of Craignish, Argyleshire, Scotland, and is a son of Alexander and Jane (MeFadden) McCorquodale, both of whom were also natives of the same parish. The family emigrated to Canada in 1854 and settled near Port Stanley, Elgin county, Ontario, later on moving to Bruce county, where the father followed farming pursuits in the township of Greenock, until 1877, at which time he moved to Manitoba, locating on the Pembina Mountains, in the Morden district. For many years he was engaged in agricultural pursuits at this point, but is now retired and lives in Morden. Both parents are still living, the father being eighty-six and the mother eighty-three years of age. Mr. McCorquodale was educated in the Parish of Craignish, and after wards at the public schools of Bruce county, these studies being supple- mented by a term at the high school at Kincardine. After completing his studies he taught school in Ontario and also in Manitoba for thirteen years, and from 1882 to 1888 was engaged in farming in the Morden district. After his retirement from farming pursuits he was appointed secretary and treasurer for the municipality of Stanley and the town of Morden, which position he has held for the past sixteen years, and for the past twelve years he has been justice and magistrate, also issuer of marriage licenses and commissioner for affidavits in the province. In 1880 Mr. McCorquodale married Miss Agnes Jane Cook, a daughter of Robert and Margaret Cook, of Guelph, Ontario. Four children have been born of this union: Alexander, George, John and Margaret, the last named deceased. Fraternally Mr. McCorquodale is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Presby- terian church. DONALD JOHN McCUISH. One of the prominent citizens of the Province of Manitoba was Donald J. MeCuish, the subject of this sketch. He was born on September 16,HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 637 1845, in Inverness-shire, Scotland, and was a son of John and Kathleen (Ferguson) McCuish, both of whom were also natives of Inverness, the family moving to Canada, in 1849, locating at Brantford, Ontario, and were among the pioneers of that district, where the father was engaged in business. Mr. McCuish was educated in the public schools of Brantford, and afterwards was engaged in farming at Parkhill, Middlesex county, up to 1871, when he came to Manitoba, locating near Portage la Prairie. In 1872 he took an active part in guarding the frontier during the Fenian Raid into Canada, but returned east in 1874 and married Miss Flora MacDonald, a daughter of Angus MacDonald, one of the early pioneers of Middlesex county. Returning to Morden in 1877, Mr. McCuish took a homestead, which he operated until 1890, at which time he sold for the largest sum paid up to that time for a half section in Manitoba, viz.: ten thousand dollars. During his residence there he was identified with the municipal affairs and served as a member of the council for the municipality of Stanley for nine years, and also as a member of the Morden school board for ten years. Mr. McCuish named the Maple School in Morden. He also took an active interest in agricultural matters, being president and a director of the Morden Agricultural Society for a number of years. Politically he was an active Liberal, and was president of the Liberal Asso- ciation at Morden for many years, and after his retirement he returned east, where he died at Parkhill, Ontario, in December, 1890, at the age of fifty-five years. Mr. McCuish was also a prominent Mason, and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He instituted the first lodge in southern Manitoba, being the first Worshipful Master of Belmont Lodge No. 9, which was instituted at Nelson. The members of the family are: Robert George, who is editor and proprietor of the Fort William Evening Herald, and previously was editor and proprietor of the Morden Chronicle for three and a half years. At present he is president of the Western Canada Press Association, and also served in the Morden council two years up to 1895, when he moved to Fort William. In 1904 Robert George McCuish married Miss Elizabeth Maud638 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. MacFarlane, second daughter of Andrew MacFarlane, superintendent of the William Hamilton Machine Works at Peterboro, Ontario. They are the parents of one son, Donald Emerson. Mr. Robert George MeCuish has been identified for many years with the Knights of Pythias, and the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. For the past seven years he has followed his occupation as a newspaper man, and for three years held the position of sporting editor on the Winnipeg Tribune. The other members of the family are: John, who is in the employ of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway; and Murdock, a farmer near Morden. BENJAMIN JAMES McCONNELL, M.D. Benjamin J. McConnell, who has lately retired from the active practice of his profession, was born September 28, 1861, at Point Alexander, North Renfrew county, Ontario, and is a son of Benjamin and Catherine (Mel- ville) McConnell, the mother a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and the father of Canada, whose parents emigrated from Ireland early in the last century. The father was a prominent lumberman in Renfrew county, and took the first raft of square timber down the Ottawa river. He died in 1872, his wife surviving until 1898. Dr. McConnell of this review was educated in the common and high schools of Pembroke under Robert J. Scott, now inspector of public schools for the Dominion. His medical education was derived at Queen’s Univer- sity, Kingston, Ontario, from which institution he graduated in 1881. He came to Manitoba in the fall of that same year, locating in Nelson, and in 1885 moved to Morden, where he continued in the active practice of his profession until 1902, at which time he retired. During this time he served as provincial coroner for about ten years and is now the oldest physician in southern Manitoba, having a continuous residence here of twenty-five years. In 1884 Dr. McConnell married Miss Catherine Pollock Fraser, eldest daughter of James H. Fraser, formerly mayor of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and afterwards a contractor of section “B” on the Canadian Pacific Railway construction, subsequently settling in Nelson. Dr. McConnell is affiliated with Belmont Lodge No. 9, A.F. & A.M.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 639 He is a life governor of the Free Mason’s Hospital of Morden, is past president of Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons, and also past president of the Southern Manitoba Medical Association. Dr. and Mrs. McConnell hold membership in the Presbyterian church. JAMES STIRTON. James Stirton, who at the present time is filling the position of post- master of Morden, was born on December 9, 1847, near Guelph, Ontario, and is a son of David and Henrietta (McGregor) Stirton, both of whom were natives of Scotland, the father of Forfarshire, and the mother of Perthshire. They were among the early settlers of Ontario, where the father followed farming pursuits and represented the constituency of South Wellington in the Dominion House for twenty years. He also served as postmaster of Guelph for twenty-seven years, and is now living a retired life in that city at the ripe old age of ninety years. Mr. Stirton of this review was educated in the public schools of the township of Puslinch, near Guelph. After finishing his studies he followed farming pursuits until 1879, at which time he came to Manitoba, locating fifteen miles west of Morden, where he was engaged in farming until 1887. In the latter year he moved to Manitou, where he was engaged in the grain business until 1892, at which time he came to Morden, engaging in the real estate and general financial business up to 1901, when he was appointed postmaster of Morden, which position he is now filling. In 1869 Mr. Stirton married Miss Maggie Martin, a native of Dum- fries, Waterloo county, Ontario. They are the parents of three children: Henrietta, deceased, David and Margaret, deceased. Mrs. Stirton died in 1876, and in 1879 Mr. Stirton married Miss Elizabeth E. Barclay, a daughter of James Barclay, of Guelph, but now living in Blair on the Grand river, Ontario. They are the parents of five children: James B., Robert W., Mary G., Elizabeth and Marjory. Fraternally Mr. Stirton is affiliated with Belmont Lodge No. 9, A.F. & A.M., and both he and Mrs. Stirton are members of the Presbyterian church.640 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. CHARLES VINEY HELLIWELL. Mr. Charles Viney Helliwell, the subject of this sketch, was born August 20, 1846, in Hamilton, Ontario, and is a son of Charles Lord and Eliza (Jones) Helliwell, the father a native of Ontario, now residing in Toronto, where he is retired from active pursuits. Mr. Helliwell was educated in the public schools of Hamilton, and at the Normal School of Montreal. After putting aside his text books he traveled for a mercantile house until 1870, at which time he enlisted in the Quebec Battalion and came with the first Red River expedition under General Wolseley. He arrived at Lower Fort Garry in the fall of 1870, and on the 29th of April, 1871, received his discharge from the service. Mr. Helliwell was also a member of the Victoria Volunteer Rifles of Mon- treal, and served in 1871 during the Fenian Raid, being stationed at Hemingford, Eastern township. After leaving the government service Mr. Helliwell took up a home- stead near Maimi, southwestern Manitoba, upon which he conducted farm- ing operations until 1885, at which time he sold out his interests and came to Morden, where he has since lived, acting at the present time as book- keeper for B. Tobias, which position he has filled for seven years. He has also served for several years as secretary of the Morden Agricultural Society. In 1875 Mr. Helliwell married Miss Isabella Hefford, a native of New Brunswick. Six children have been born of this union: Maud, wife of William Reid, of Winnipeg; Lillian, Charles, Vine and Louis (twins) and Victoria. Politically Mr. Helliwell gives his support to the Conservative party. JOHN AARON HOBBS. Mr. John Aaron Hobbs, of Morden, Manitoba, was born on July 28, 1863, in the township of Walpole, Haldimand county, Ontario, and is a son of Aaron and Sarah (Sherk) Hobbs. The mother was of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, her ancestors being United Empire Loyalists who settled in Canada about 1820. The father was a native of Somersetshire, England,HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 641 and emigrated to Canada in 1842, where he carried on farming pursuits in Haldimand county, and later on was a miller. He died in 1896, but the mother is still living. Mr. Hobbs was educated in the common schools of Haldimand county, leaving home at the age of sixteen, and for the next two years was identi- fied with the drug business. In 1882 he came to Manitoba and located first at Nelson, where he followed the drug business up to 1884, at which time he came to Morden and opened the first drug store of that place for G. W. McLaren, continuing in this business until 1886. In that year he moved to Pilot Mound, where he remained until 1894, when he once more returned to Morden and again engaged in the drug business, which was subsequently sold out, and in 1899 he engaged in the real estate and general financial business, the firm being Ruddell, Pickel & Hobbs. For three years Mr. Hobbs served as a member of the Morden council. In politics he is a Conservative, being secretary of the Conservative Associa- tion of Morden since 1902. In December, 1887, Mr. Hobbs married Miss Beatrice Steele, a daughter of Mrs. Margaret Steele, of Morden. Four children have been born of this union: Gertrude, Louis, Marjory and Edna. Fraternally Mr. Hobbs is affiliated with Belmont Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. M., and with Nelson Lodge, No. 9, I.O.O.F., being a charter member of this lodge. JOHN HENRY RUDDELL. Mr. John Henry Ruddell, M.P.P., representing the electoral division of Morden, was born August 6, 1859, in Nelson township, county of Halton, Ontario, and is a son of George and Christina (Stewart) Ruddell, the father a native of Armagh, Ireland, and the mother of Inverness, Scotland. The parents were early settlers of Halton county, where the father followed his trade as millwright, and later on moved to Huron county, where at the present time he is engaged in farming pursuits. Mr. Ruddell was educated in the country schools of Halton county and at the high school at Brussels. After finishing his studies he served a time 41642 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. as an apprentice to the harness trade in Blythe, Ontario, following the same up to 1896. In 1879 he came to Manitoba, and in May of that year located at Nelson, where he engaged in the harness business, which occupa- tion was continued until 1884, moving thence to Morden. Here he again engaged in the harness business, which was continued up to 1896, at which time he disposed of his interests and the firm of Ruddell, Pickel & Hobbs was formed to transact a general real estate, insurance and financial business. Mr. Ruddell served on the first Nelson council in 1881 and on the first council of Morden in 1894. In 1895 he was elected mayor of Morden, serv- ing three terms. In 1899 he successfully contested the electoral division of Morden, representing the Conservative party under the leadership of Hon. Hugh John Macdonald. He was re-elected in 1903, and at present is hold- ing a seat in the legislature of the province. In 1881 Mr. Ruddell married Miss Fannie L. Grummett, a daughter of Goddard Grummett, one of the early pioneers of the province. Five children have been born of this union: Gertrude, Harold, Bertha, Vera and Gladis. Mrs. Ruddell died in 1895 and Mr. Ruddell was again married, to Miss Janet Hunt. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ruddell hold membership in the Pres- byterian church. WILMOT FREEMAN MORDEN. Wilmot Freeman Morden, the subject of this sketch, was born Novem- ber 3, 1851, in Walkerton, Bruce county, Ontario, and is a son of Alvey and Francis (Hutchinson) Morden, both of whom were natives of Prince Edward county, Ontario, their ancestors being United Empire Loyalists, who followed the British flag into Canada at the conclusion of the Revolu- tionary war and settled at Bay of Quinte, Ontario. They were among the early settlers of that district and followed farming pursuits, clearing the land from a bush country and putting it into a high state of cultivation. A portion of the family settled in Bruce county in 1849, who were also pioneers of that country, the ancestors emigrating to America from Wales about 1690. The father died in 1891 at the age of seventy-eight, but the mother is still living at the advanced age of eighty-four years.HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 643 Mr. Morden was educated in Walkerton public and grammar schools. The family afterwards moved to Manitoba in 1874, leaving Walkerton on May 1st and arriving in Winnipeg on July 12th. Leaving Winnipeg they came via the old Hudson Bay trial and took up a homestead on section 5, township 3, range 5, where now stands the town of Morden, the town being named after our subject’s father. For twenty years Mr. Morden has served as a member of the school board of Morden, up to 1902, acting generally as secretary and treasurer or chairman of the board. He is a Conservative in politics, but has always declined political preferment. In 1879 Mr. Morden married Miss Elizabeth Burn Borthwick, a daughter of Rev. H. J. Borthwick, a sketch of whom appears on other pages of this work. Four children have been born of this union: Frank Borthwick, Marion, Bessie and Edward. Fraternally Mr. Morden is affili- ated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, both he and Mrs. Morden holding membership in the Church of England. VALENTINE WINKLER. Mr. Valentine Winkler, M.P.P., representing the electoral division of Rhineland, Manitoba, was born on March 18, 1864, in the county of Grey,, Ontario, and is a son of David and Barbara J. (Lang) Winkler, both of' whom were natives of Germany, and who came to Ontario with their parents; and settled in Waterloo county in 1831, later moving to Grey county, and the town of Newstadt being built on the home farm. They were early- pioneers of that section, where the father was engaged in lumbering, flour milling and also operating a woollen mill. Mr. Winkler of this review was educated in the common schools of Grey county, but left home at the age of fifteen to come to Manitoba in 1879 to join his brother, who had preceded him in 1874 and had located at Emerson. He at once engaged in the lumber business and has been iden- tified with that industry at different points in the province up to the present time. He also owns and farms a splendid property of six hundred and forty acres near Morden. In 1884 he came to Morden and served as first reeve of the municipality of Stanley, holding this position for two644 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. years. In 1892 Mr. Winkler successfully contested the electoral division of Rhineland in the Liberal interests, being re-elected in 1896 and 1899, and at the by-election of 1900 and again in 1902. In 1886 Mr. Winkler married Miss Josephine Rombough, a daughter of M. B. Rombough, Dominion lands surveyor. They are the parents of four children: Howard W., Hazel F., Ruth W. and Evelyn Josephine. Fraternally Mr. Winkler is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. HARRY MEIKLE. Harry Meikle, who is engaged in the general merchandise business, was born February 14, 1857, at Burritts Rapids, Grenville county, Ontario, and is a son of John and Eliza (Barron) Meikle. The father, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, came to Ontario with his parents and settled at La Chute, Quebec, early in the last century, they being pioneers of that dis- trict, and the father afterwards carried on the business of general merchan- dising at Burritts Rapids. Mr. Meikle was educated at the common and high schools of Smith’s Falls, Lanark county, Ontario, afterwards becoming identified in the mer- cantile business there up to 1881. In this year he came to Manitoba and in the spring of 1882 moved to Nelson, and for a year was in the employ of David McKay, a dealer in general merchandise at that place. The follow- ing year he purchased the business from his employer, and in partnership with T. S. Coppinger, came to Morden in the spring of 1886, moving their general merchandise store to the latter place. In 1889 Mr. Meikle pur- chased his partner’s interest in the business and has since continued it, he being the sole proprietor. In 1891 Mr. Meikle married Miss Charlotte Bruce, a daughter of William Bruce, of Chicago. They are the parents of four children: Bruce, Lila, Edith and Jack. Fraternally Mr. Meikle is affiliated with the Masonic order, holding membership in Belmont Lodge No. 13, and in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is past grand master and past grand representative. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, and in 1902 served as mayor of the town of Morden, but has since declined political honors.■ AT—e.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 645 JOHN KENNEDY. John Kennedy, proprietor of the Arlington Hotel of Morden, Mani- toba, is a native of Glengarry county, Ontario, born on August 16, 1867, and is the son of John and Mary (Kennedy) Kennedy, both of whom were also natives of Glengarry county, their ancestors coming from Glengarry, Scotland, and settling in Canada early in the nineteenth century. Mr. Kennedy was educated in the common schools of his native county and raised on the home farm. In 1881 he came to Manitoba, and for the next few years was engaged in railway construction work and bridge build- ing through the Province of British Columbia and the North-West Terri- tories. In 1892 he engaged in the hotel business at Morden, where he con- ducted the Commercial House until 1894, afterwards conducting the Mani- toba Hotel until 1901, and then erected the Arlington Hotel, which he is operating at the present time. This is a handsome four-story and basement structure, covering a ground space of seventy-five by one hundred feet. In connection with his hotel business he also operates a livery and a whole- sale liquor business. Mr. Kennedy is the owner of a large amount of splendid farming land, and is extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits. He takes an active interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the community, and is a leading member of the Morden Board of Trade, also of the Masons’ Hospital Board of Management, and for many years has been president of the Morden Turf Club. GEORGE LAWRENCE. George Lawrence, M.P.P., representing the constituency of Killarney, Manitoba, was born March 21, 1857, in the county of Ontario, Ontario, and is a son of Noble and Sarah (Lyons) Lawrence, both of whom were natives of Ireland and who emigrated to Canada in the early thirties, settling first in Little York, afterwards at Pickering, Ontario county, where the father followed farming pursuits and is still living at the advanced age of eighty- six years. Mr. Lawrence was educated in the public schools of Uxbridge and was646 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. raised on the home farm. After finishing his studies he followed farming pursuits up to 1878, in which year he came to Manitoba, and after a year spent in Winnipeg went to Glenora, taking up a homestead at that point. In 1883 he engaged in the agricultural implement business at Glenora, opening a branch for the Massey Manufacturing Company, which occupa- tion was continued for three years. He then opened a branch for this company at Killarney, which institution he represented until July, 1892, when he resigned to contest the constituency of Killarney for the local legislature, representing the Conservative party in opposition to F. M. Young, being defeated by one hundred and fifty-two votes. He again engaged in the agricultural business, this time on his own account, and in December, 1899, again contested the same constituency against the Hon. Mr. Young, this time defeating his opponent by one hundred and forty- three votes and being re-elected in July, 1903. Mr. Lawrence served as councillor in 1883 for the old municipality of Derby, he being elected by acclamation. In 1885 he was elected councillor for the Argyle municipality, and again returned by acclamation in 1886. In 1904 Mr. Lawrence married Miss Phoebe Coghlan, a daughter of John Coghlan, a prominent tea merchant of Dublin. They are the parents of one son, Desmond George Lloyd. Fraternally Mr. Lawrence holds membership with the Independent Order of Foresters and the Loyal Orange Legion. For the past two years he has served as president of the Southern Manitoba Agricultural and Arts Association. ROBERT MONTEITH. Robert Monteith, who is living a retired life in Killarney, was born in Renfrew county, Ontario, in 1843, and is a son of George and Euphemia (Crawford) Monteith, both of whom were natives of Scotland and among the early settlers of Lanark county. The father was a farmer and subse- quently moved to Huron county in 1849. In this county Mr. Robert Monteith followed the trade of a blacksmith for a time, and for eight years prior to coming to Manitoba in 1882 was identified with the woollen trade. Here he located five miles south of Killarney, where he engaged inHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 647 farming pursuits until 1895, at which time he moved to Killamey and engaged in the furniture business, which was continued up to 1903, since which time he has been living retired from active pursuits. He was four years councillor and nine years reeve of Turtle Mountain municipality, and was a member of the council for twelve years. He was also the first mayor of Killarney. In 1867 Mr. Monteith married Miss Mary Kilpatrick, a daughter of George Kilpatrick, of York county, who came to Manitoba in 1884 and died in this province. George Monteith was born May 22, 1868, in Exeter, Huron county, and came to Manitoba with his parents, receiving his education in Manitoba University, from which institution he graduated in 1896 with the degree of B.A. In 1899 he was called to the bar, and in that year settled in Kil- larney, where he has been in the continuous practice of his profession ever since. In 1900 Mr. Monteith married Miss Mary Kerr, a daughter of Andrew Kerr, of Winnipeg. They are the parents of two children: Barbara and Mary. Fraternally Mr. Monteith is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and politically gives his support to the Liberal party. The other members of the family are Robert Ernest, John Herbert, Mary Helen and Euphemia Margaret. I THOMAS JAMES LAWLOR. Thomas James Lawlor, mayor of Killarney, was born December 12, 1853, in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, and is a son of Daniel and Agnes (Crawford) Lawlor, the mother a native of Glasgow, Scotland, and the father of Nova Scotia, his ancestors being United Empire Loyalists who settled in that province about 1772. The father was a merchant tailor of North Sydney, and followed that occupation throughout his lifetime. Mr. Lawlor of this review was educated in the public schools of North Sydney, and at Boston Commercial College. At the age of fourteen he left school, and from 1872 to 1876 was engaged in the grocery and hardware business at Dartmouth. He then took a commercial course in a business college, and from 1878 to 1882 was engaged in a general business at North Sydney. In the latter year he came to Manitoba, locating at Pelican Lake,648 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. where he operated a general merchandise establishment, teaming in his supplies via Brandon. From 1883 to 1885 he represented Thibaudeau Brothers as a traveling salesman, covering the entire North-West. In 1886 Mr. Lawlor engaged in the general merchandise business at Killarney, and is the only one who has continued up to the present time, he being the pioneer merchant of Killarney. He served as auditor of the town, and in 1904 was elected mayor. In 1886 Mr. Lawlor married Miss Sarah Brown, a daughter of G. S. Brown, of North Sydney, Nova Scotia. They are the parents of seven children: George B., James W., Thomas W., Agnes, Jessie, Frances and Leonard. Fraternally Mr. Lawlor is affiliated with Killarney Lodge No. 50, A.F. & A.M., and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, also the Canadian Order of Foresters. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party. Both he and Mrs. Lawlor are adherents of the Presbyterian church, Mrs. Lawlor being a member of Erskine congregation. HON. FINLAY McNAUGHTON YOUNG. Hon. Finlay McNaughton Young was born in 1856 in St. Chrysostom, county of Chateauquay, Quebec, and is a son of Duncan Young of the same place, who was among the early settlers of that part of the province, where he carried on farming and agricultural pursuits. Senator Young was raised on his father’s farm and attended the common schools of his native place and of Montreal. Shortly afterwards he came to Manitoba, arriving in 1879, when he immediately began farming operations in the Turtle Mountain district, and has operated on an extensive scale up to the present time. In 1888 he moved to Killarney, taking up his residence there. He was elected first reeve of Turtle Mountain municipality in 1882. At the general election in 1883 he contested the constituency of Turtle Mountain for the local House, and was returned a member for the Provin- cial legislature. He was re-elected at each subsequent election until 1899, when he was defeated. During this time he was speaker of the House from 1895 to 1899. On January 30, 1900, he was appointed senator, which posi-HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 649 tion he has filled up to the present time, and is a member of the Liberal party. In 1893 Senator Young married Miss Louisa J. Nicolson, a daughter of Mr. K. Nicolson, of Valleyfield, Quebec. JAMES MATTHIAS BALDWIN. James Matthias Baldwin, manager of the branch of the Union Bank of Canada at Killarney, was born on June 29, 1857, in Oxford county, Ontario, and is a son of William and Mary (Johnson) Baldwin, both of whom were natives of England, and who settled in Oxford county in early childhood with their parents, they being pioneers of that section. The father followed the business of a cattle dealer and exporter. Mr. Baldwin was educated in the public schools of the village of Wash- ington, but left school at the early age of thirteen and went to work in a general store in the village of Bright, afterwards removing to the town of Dundas, where he followed the same occupation for some years. In 1879 he came to Manitoba and located first at Manitou, and in 1882 came to the Pelican lake district, where he was engaged in farming pursuits for eight years. In 1891 he moved to Killarney, and the same year was appointed clerk and treasurer of the Turtle Mountain municipality, which position he now fills, and in 1891 he was also appointed deputy clerk of the county court, holding this position for two years. He resigned the latter position to enter a partnership with George Lawrence, M.P.P. for the district, forming and carrying on a general agricultural implement buisness until the spring of 1898. In that year Mr. Baldwin opened a private bank, which he conducted until the opening of the branch of the Union Bank of Canada, and, being tendered the appointment of manager of the institution, accepted the same and is now filling that position. In 1879 Mr. Baldwin married Miss Diana Greene, a daughter of Cyrus and Mary Ann Greene, of Wilmot township, county of Waterloo, Ontario. They are the parents of two children: Edwin N. and William H. Mrs. Baldwin’s father was a native of Hespeler, Ontario, and her mother a native of England. Fraternally Mr. Baldwin is affiliated with Killarney Lodge No. 50,650 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. A.F. & A.M., and with the Killarney Lodge No. 28, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. JOHN WILLIAMS. Mr. John Williams, a prominent citizen of Killarney, Manitoba, was born on December 15, 1828, at Londonderry, Ireland, and is a son of Joseph and Dorothea (Green) Williams, both of whom were also natives of the old country. The father as his life’s occupation followed his business as a watchmaker and jeweler, dying in 1895 at the advanced age of eighty- seven years. The mother of our subject died when he was but three years of age. Mr. Williams received his education in Foyle College in Londonderry, Ireland, and at the age of sixteen emigrated to Canada, locating at Nicoll, Waterloo county, Ontario, for a short period. He afterwards went to the United States, and after remaining one and a half years in that country accepted a situation as a drug clerk in Brockville, Ontario, also continuing this same line of employment in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1849 he moved to London and established a drug store, which he conducted up to 1877, at which time he came to Manitoba and located on the site of where Killarney now stands. He farmed for a few years in this locality and in 1891 engaged in the drug business, which he continued for two years. He then sold out his business and since that time has devoted his time to real estate and to his personal interests. Mr. Williams was one of the promoters of the London, Huron & Bruce Railway and for many years was one of its provisional directors. At the present time he owns a beautiful summer resort on Lake Killarney, on which he has erected eight cottages, and on the lake are numerous pleasure boats for the accommodation of visitors. He served as magistrate for several years and has always given his time and attention to matters per- taining to the welfare of the community. In 1850 Mr. Williams married Miss Cynthia C. McLean, a daughter of Squire McLean, a native of Brockville, Ontario. They are the parents of four children: Joseph, John, Charles E. and Ella. In 1879 Mr. Williams was again married, to Miss Mary Clark, a daughter of William Clark, ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 651 Teeswater, Ontario, and to this union have heen born five children: Frank Arthur, Elizabeth Dorothy, Lenore, Walter and Ruth. Mr. Williams is affiliated with St. John’s Lodge, of London, No. 20, A.F. & A.M., and both he and Mrs. Williams hold membership in the Presbyterian church. Politically Mr. Williams gives his support to the Liberal party. THOMAS H. BUCK. Mr. Thomas H. Buck, who is engaged in the milling business at Kil- larney, was born on January 19, 1859, in Hanover, county of Grey, Ontario, and is a son of Abraham and Mary McDowell Buck, the father being a native of Ontario and the mother of Ireland. The father followed farm- ing pursuits up to the time of his death, and Mr. Buck of this review was raised on the home farm. He was educated in the common schools of the county, and at the age of nineteen left home for two years and was engaged in the flour milling industry in Ontario. In 1881 he came to Manitoba, arriving on June 5 of that year. He at once took up a homestead at Boissevain, on which he conducted farming operations'until 1890, the two following years being spent in the grain department of the Boissevain Mill. In 1892 he came to Killarney and engaged in the milling business with the Hon. F. M. Young. This mill has a capacity of one hundred barrels of flour per day, and in addition to this he also operates elevators at different points in the locality. In 1891 Mr. Buck married Miss Jane Myers, a daughter of John Myers, of Hanover, Ontario. They are the parents of one daughter, Beatrice. Mr. Buck is affiliated with Killarney Lodge No. 50, A.F. & A.M., and the Killarney Lodge No. 28, I.O.O.F. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party. ARTHUR GEORGE HAY. Mr. Arthur George Hay, a prominent barrister of Killarney, was born on December 16, 1862, in Paisley, Bruce county, Ontario, and is a son of Robert and Janet (Fleming) Hay, the father being a native of Scotland652 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and the mother of Canada. The father followed farming as his life’s occupation, and the subject of this sketch was raised on the home farm. Mr. Hay was educated in the public schools of Bruce county and in St. Catharines Collegiate Institute, afterwards attending Queen’s University, of Kingston, from which institution he graduated in 1889 with the degrees of M.A. and B.A. The following year he came to Manitoba, locating at Winnipeg, and the next three years were given to the study of law, being called to the bar of Manitoba in 1893. He at once moved to Killarney and established practice at that point, having been in continuous practice ever since. In 1894 Mr. Hay married Miss E. V. Robertson, a daughter of David Robertson, a merchant of Kincardine, Ontario, and they are the parents of two children: Lilian R. and William F. Politically Mr. Hay supports the Liberal party, and in 1905 served as alderman. He is an active member of the Killarney Board of Trade, also holding membership on the High School Building Committee. Both he and Mrs. Hay are members of the Presbyterian church. JOHN HANNAH. John Hannah, reeve of the municipality of Turtle Mountain, was born April 25, 1857, in Bruce county, Ontario, and is a son of Richard and Jane (Owens) Hannah, the father a native of Ireland, who emigrated to Canada in 1843, and the mother a native of Ontario, of English descent. The father settled in Bruce county, where he carried on farming pursuits, being one of the pioneers of that section. He is still living at the advanced age of eighty-two years. Mr. Hannah of this review was educated in the public schools of Owen Sound, and followed farming until coming to Manitoba in 1882. Two years later he took up a homestead near Pelican Lake, upon which he remained until 1897, afterwards purchasing a farm four miles south of Killarney. In 1888 he was appointed councillor in ward four, Riverside municipality, and remained in the council for five years. In December, 1902, he was elected reeve of Turtle Mountain municipality, which position he has held continuously since that time.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 653 In 1887 Mr. Hannah married Miss Kate Grieve, a daughter of William Grieve, of Bruce county, Ontario. They are the parents of five children: Clara, Bertha, Harold Eldon, Kathleen and Lawrence. Fraternally Mr. Hannah is affiliated with the Loyal Orange order, the Canadian Order of Foresters and the Chosen Friends. He gives his sup- port politically to the Conservative party. Both he and his wife hold mem- bership in the Presbyterian church. ANDREW E. WILSON. Andrew E. Wilson, the proprietor of the Leland Hotel, of Killarney, is the eldest son of William and Mary (McCann) Wilson, and was born on May 16, 1876, near Ottawa, Quebec. Mr. Wilson received his education at the public schools of Brandon, Manitoba, which course was supplemented by studies in the Brandon College. After finishing his education he learned the trade o£ blacksmith- ing with his father, afterwards operating a livery barn for a few years. In 1902 he purchased the Leland Hotel of Carnduff, Saskatchewan, and conducted this hotel for one year. In 1903 he came to Killarney and pur- chased the Leland Hotel of that point. The Leland Hotel is a handsome three-story and basement brick structure containing thirty-six rooms and covering a ground space of eighty by sixty feet. It is one of the popular * hotels along the line and is patronized largely by the traveling public and especially the commercial trade. In 1903 Mr. Wilson married Miss Rose Steinlie, a daughter of Charles Steinlie, of Chicago. They are the parents of one son, William. WILLIAM J. COWAN. Mr. William J. Cowan, one of the prominent residents of Killarney, was born on August 12, 1866, in Prince Edward county, Ontario, and is a son of James and Ellen (Wilkins) Cowan, both of whom were natives of Ireland. They emigrated to Canada about 1850 and located in Prince Edward county, Ontario, they being pioneers of that district, where the father followed his trade as a gunsmith. Mr. Cowan was educated in the public schools of Hillar, Consecon and654 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Salmont Point, Ontario. In 1882 he came to Wapaka and immediately took up a homestead near there, on which he conducted farming operations until 1890, after which he engaged in the livery business and the buying and selling of horses. Of late years he has given more attention to the breeding of standard bred and thoroughbred horses, also of Clydesdale and Percheron stock. His present barn is a handsome two-story brick building occupying a ground space of sixty-two by one hundred and two feet, erected at a cost of six thousand dollars, and is considered the best barn west ,of Winnipeg in the province. Mr. Cowan has always taken an active interest in political affairs, and for three terms served as councilman for the municipality of Turtle Mountain and for two years of Killarney. In 1899 Mr. Cowan married Miss Addie Goldie, a daughter of A. Goldie, of this province, and three children have been born of the union: Ruby Gladys, Sybil and James McIntosh. Fraternally Mr. Cowan is affiliated with Killarney Lodge No. 50, A.F. & A.M., and the Canadian Order of Foresters. Politically he gives his support to the Conservative party. JAMES JOHNSON. Mr. James Johnson, member of the local legislature representing the constituency of Turtle Mountain, was born on November 18, 1855, in Mitchell, Perth county, Ontario, and is a son of John and Martha (Bain- bridge) Johnson, both of whom were natives of England and who emigrated to Canada in the early ’40s, settling in Perth county. Here the father followed agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1866, the mother surviving until 1877. Mr. Johnson was educated in the public and high schools at Mitchell, Ontario, and after finishing his studies was engaged in farming operations until 1882, at which time he came to Manitoba, arriving in March of that year. He at once took up a homestead near Boissevain, where he was engaged until 1893, and then moved to Boissevain. At the present time he owns and farms about two thousand acres of land, which is given over to wheat and general farming. After moving to Boissevain he engaged in the grain and lumber business, which he is also conducting. In additionHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 655 to this Mr. Johnson is conducting a hardware and implement business at Minto. In 1884 Mr. Johnson was elected a member of the council for the municipality of Riverside, subsequently filling good offices up to and including that of reeve. In 1897 he resigned his position as reeve of Boisse- vain and contested the constituency of Turtle Mountain in the Conservative interests and was elected. In 1899 he was again returned and entered the cabinet of Hon. Hugh John MacDonald as a minister of the government without portfolio. He has been returned at each succeeding election, con- tinuing up to the present time, and during the legislature of 1903 was speaker of the House. In 1897 Mr. Johnson married Miss Susannah Olver, a daughter of E. Olver, of Perth county, Ontario, who is now living in Killarney, Mani- toba. They are the parents of three children: Edwin Thomas, John B. and Olver. Mr. Johnson holds membership in Doric Lodge No. 36, A.F. & A.M., also being affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters, and both he and Mrs. Johnson are attendants of the Episcopal church. ALEXANDER ROBERT WELCH. Mr. Alexander Robert Welch, the popular mayor of Boissevain, was born on July 15, 1873, at Brechin, Scotland, and is a son of James and Mary (Ingram) Welch, both of whom were natives of Scotland and who emigrated to Canada in 1874, locating in Perth county, Ontario. Here the father carried on his trade of a shoemaker and he is still living in Strat- ford, Ontario. Mr. Welch of this review was educated in the public and high schools of Stratford, afterwards learning the shoemaking trade with his father and following the same until 1893, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Boissevain. Shortly afterwards he engaged in the men’s fur- nishings business, with which he also carries a stock of clothing, shoes, etc. Mr. Welch served as a member of the council from 1899 to 1905, and in the latter year was elected mayor of Boissevain. In 1896 Mr. Welch married Miss Hester Graham, a daughter of James656 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Graham, of Minto, Manitoba. They are the parents of three children: James, Mildred and Marjory. Fraternally Mr. Welch holds membership in Doric Lodge No. 36, A.F. & A.M., and in the Canadian Order of Foresters. Politically he supports the Conservative party, and both he and Mrs. Welch are members of the Presbyterian church. WILLIAM HALL SALTS. Mr. William Hall Salts, the efficient postmaster of Boissevain, was born on July 23, 1856, at Westflamora, Bullock’s Corners, Wentworth county, Ontario, and is a son of William H. and Mary (Swallow) Salts, the mother a native of England and the father of Leeds county, Ontario. The father of our subject was one of the pioneer stage owners and drivers of Ontario before the railroads were built and operated throughout western Ontario, the family afterwards moving to Huron county. Mr. Salts was educated in the public and high schools of Goderich, Ontario, after which he was identified with the lumber industry in Ontario up to 1878, coming to Manitoba in that year and arriving in Emerson in February. The following year he took up a homestead west of the old town of Nelsonville and also helped to survey the town site of Nelson. In 1880 he carried freight between Nelsonville and Emerson, this being before the railroad was built and covering a distance of eighty miles. In 1884 he went to Manitou, where he engaged in the hotel business, being the pioneer hotelman of that place. He left there in 1885 and came to Boissevain, and when the tracks of the Canadian Pacific Railway were extended to Deloraine he moved there and built the Revere House, which he operated until 1890. Mr. Salts afterwards returned to Boissevain and for a short time was engaged in the hotel business, also the implement business and was identified with farming pursuits. In 1901 he was appointed postmaster of Boissevain, which position he now fills. In 1880 Mr. Salts married Miss Jane Coulter, a daughter of William Coulter, of the Province of Quebec, and they are the parents of five children: George Henry, who was the first male child born in Nelsonville; Rosa, William, who was the first child born in Manitou; Nellie and Fred.wHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 657 Mr. Salts is senior warden of Doric Lodge No. 36, A.F. & A.M., also holding membership with Boissevain Lodge No. 17, I.O.O.F., and with the Knights of Pythias. Both he and Mrs. Salts are members of the Church of England. WILLIAM GORDON. Mr. William Gordon, clerk of the county court of Boissevain, Manitoba, was born on September 4, 1846, in Goderich, Huron county, Ontario, and is a son of Murdo Cameron and Ann (Burrows) Gordon, the mother being a native of Huntley township, Carlton county, Ontario, and the father of Sutherlandshire, Scotland. The father was one of the early settlers of Huron county, going there about 1829. He followed farming pursuits in Ontario and in 1882 came to Manitoba, where he operated a farm near Minto until his death, which occurred in 1904. Mr. Gordon of this review was educated in the common schools of Huron county, Ontario, afterwards conducting farming operations in that county until coming to Manitoba, where he located on a farm of three hundred and twenty acres near Boissevain, and from 1892 until 1893 was engaged in agricultural pursuits. In the latter year he was appointed clerk of the county court of Boissevain, which position he is now filling. From 1883 to 1889 Mr. Gordon also served as clerk for the municipality of Riverside, holding this office for seven years. In 1878 Mr. Gordon married Miss Mary Davidson, a daughter of Hugh Davidson, of Goderich, Ontario. Five children have been born of this union: Roy D. S., Ethel, Norman, William M. and Mabel. Fraternally Mr. Gordon is affiliated with Doric Lodge No. 36, A.F. & A.M., and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Both he and Mrs. Gordon are members of the Presbyterian church. FREDERICK LAWRENCE SCHAFFNER, M.D. Mr. Frederick Lawrence Schaffner, member of the Dominion Parliament representing the constituency of Souris, Manitoba, was born on August 18, 1855, at Williamstown, Annapolis Yalley, Nova Scotia, and is a son of 42658 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. William Caleb and Azubah (Phiney) Schaffner, the father being one of the pioneer farmers of that province and is still living in Annapolis Valley at the advanced age of eighty-nine years. Mr. Schaffner received his education at Acadia University of Wolfe- ville, Nova Scotia, from which institution he graduated with the degree of B.A. His medical education was received at Trinity University, Toronto, from which institution he graduated in 1888. To further fit himself for the duties of his profession Dr. Schaffner took post graduate courses both in Chicago and New York. He at once came to Manitoba and located at Bois- sevain, where he has since been in the continuous practice of his profession. Dr. Schaffner has always taken an active interest in political matters and for five years served as a member of the council of Boissevain and for two years as mayor of that place. In 1903 he contested the Souris constitu- ency for the Dominion House and was elected to represent the Conservative interests. Dr. Schaffner married in 1887 Miss Christina Allen, a daughter of James D. Allen, of Neepawa, Manitoba. They are the parents of two children, both of whom are deceased. Fraternally Dr. Schaffner is affiliated with Doric Lodge No. 36, A.F. & A.M., being past master of the lodge, and also holding membership in the Independent Order of' Odd Fellows and with the Knight of Pythias. Both he and Mrs. Schaffner are members of the Baptist church. ROBERT JOHN HURT. Mr. Robert John Hurt, the pioneer grain merchant of Boissevain, Manitoba, is a native of Nottinghamshire, England, and was born on January 21, 1861. He is a son of John and Isabel (Hurt) Hurt, the father being a clergyman of the Church of England, who died when the subject of this sketch was very young. Mr. Hurt was educated in the public schools of Derbyshire, England, and at the age of fourteen went to sea and followed a seafaring life up to 1881, at which time he came to Manitoba and located at Turtle Mountain City. Here he took up a homestead and is one of the pioneers of that district. In 1882 he built a grist mill at Waubesh, which he operated forHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 659 about two years, it being the first mill in that district. In the fall of 1884 he went to Lake Max, where he engaged in the saw-mill business, remaining there for three years, and in 1886 erected the first elevator in Boissevain, in company with T. E. Tetchell. Since that time Mr. Hurt has been actively engaged in the buying and selling of grain and in the operation of the elevator, being the pioneer grain merchant of that district. Since Boisse- vain has been incorporated Mr. Hurt has been a member of the council with the exception of one year. He gives his support to the Conservative party. In 1891 Mr. Hurt married Miss Alice M. Shaw, a daughter of Matthew Shaw, of Derbyshire, England. They are the parents of one daughter, Alice Selina. Fraternally Mr. Hurt is affiliated with Doric Lodge No. 36, A.F. & A.M., and both he and his wife are members of the Church of England. GILBERT C. SMITH. Mr. Gilbert C. Smith, secretary-treasurer of the municipality of Morton and the village of Boissevain, was born on May 8, 1847, in Victoria county, Ontario, and is a son of Archibald and Janet (McCorquadale) Smith, both of whom were natives of Scotland and emigrated to Canada in the early part of the last century. Mr. Smith was educated in the common schools of Victoria county, and from 1870 to 1872 represented a wholesale boot and shoe firm of Montreal as a traveling salesman, and from 1873 to 1880 was engaged in farming pursuits on a splendid farm of five hundred acres near Chatham, Ontario. From 1880 to 1889 he was in the employ of the Deering Harvester Company, of Chicago, and in the latter year came to Manitoba and located at Boissevain, purchasing a farm twelve miles southwest of the town. At the present time he owns and operates nine hundred and sixty acres at that point and also six hundred and forty acres in other sections of the province. Mr. Smith served as a member of the council for the municipality of Morton, and in 1894 was elected secretary-treasurer for the municipality of Morton and the town of Boissevain. In 1874 Mr. Smith married Miss Christina McCorquadale, a daughter of Duncan McCorquadale, of Woodville, Ontario, her father being a retired660 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. sea captain. They are the parents of six children: Archibald, Hugh Sin- clair, Gilbert Clarence, Florence Marian, Mary Janet and Margaret Effie. Mr. Smith is affiliated with Ontario Lodge No. 354, A. F. & A.M,. and the Royal Arcanum. He gives his support politically to the Conservative party and both he and Mrs. Smith are members of the Presbyterian church. JAMES DUNCAN BAINE. Mr. James Duncan Baine, the pioneer merchant of Boissevain, Mani- toba, was born on August 15, 1855, in Toronto, Ontario, and is a son of James and Agnes McBride Baine, both of whom were natives of Glasgow, Scotland. They emigrated to Canada in early days and settled in Toronto, where the father was identified for many years in the Dominion Govern- ment service as accountant in the railway and canal department, con- tinuing this occupation up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1888. Mr. Baine was educated in Thobourn Academy in Ottawa, and in 1870 came to Manitoba with the first Red River expedition under S. J. Dawson in the Dominion civil service, continuing until 1874 as the private secre- tary to Mr. Dawson. From 1875 to 1887 he was in charge of the transpor- tation of supplies from Fort Frances Loch under the Hon. Hugh Suther- land, and from 1877 to 1879 was in charge of the transportation of sup- plies from Cross Lake, section fifteen, to Rat Portage, afterwards from Rat Portage to Eagle Lake on section sixteen. From 1870 to 1884 he was also engaged in the transportation of supplies in connection with the con- struction of the Dawson route of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He came to Boissevain in 1885 and engaged in the general merchandise business, which occupation he has continued up to the present time, being the pioneer merchant of the place. Mr. Baine served as a member of the council of Boissevain and was elected mayor in 1899, but resigned his office after serving a part of that year. In 1888 Mr. Baine married Miss Florence Emmons, a daughter of Edward Emmons, of Port Arthur, who is engaged in mining enterprises in Ontario. They are the parents of five children: James, Marjory, Lawrie, Nora and Alan. Mr. Baine is affiliated with Doric Lodge No. 36, A.F. &'HISTORY OP MANITOBA. 661 A.M., and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Both he and Mrs. Baine hold membership in the Presbyterian church. JAMBS ALBERT WRIGHT. Mr. James Albert Wright, accountant in the land titles office in Boisse- vain, was born on November 14, 1857, in Durham county, Ontario, and is a son of Charles and Elizabeth Wright, the father being a native of York- shire and the mother of Lincolnshire, England. Both parents emigrated to Canada in the early days and settled in Durham about 1850, where the father followed farming pursuits as his life’s occupation. Mr. Wright was educated in Brussels, Huron county, Ontario, the family having settled there about 1860. After finishing his studies he clerked in a drug store in Durham and at Port Elgin, completing his studies at the Ontario College of Pharmacy, from which institution he graduated in 1882 as a chemist and druggist. In that year he came to Manitoba and after a year spent in the drug business in Manitou embarked in business on his own account in Boissevain, which business he conducted until 1901, at which time he was appointed accountant in the land titles office, which position he is now acceptably filling. In 1890 he was appointed clerk of the municipality of Morton. In 1887 Mr. Wright married Miss Eliza L. Abbey, a daughter of Henry Abbey, of Durham county, Ontario, and four children have been born of this union: Florence, James, Kathleen Edith and Frederick. Fraternally Mr. Wright is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Canadian Order of Foresters, and he also holds membership in Doric Lodge No. 36, A.F. & A.M., being past master of the lodge. Politically he gives his support to the Conserva- tive party. Both he and Mrs. Wright hold membership in the Church of England, and for the past ten years Mr. Wright has been warden of the church. JOHN S. LOCHEAD. Prominently identified with the lumber interests of Manitoba is Mr. John S. Lochead, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Lanark662 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. comity, township of Darling, Province of Ontario, and was born on April 20, 1853. His parents were William and Jane Stuart Lochead, both of whom were natives of Ontario and of Scotch ancestry, being among the early settlers of Lanark county. Here the father followed agricultural pursuits and is still living on the old homestead in Lanark county. Mr. Lochead was educated in the common schools in the place of his nativity, and up to the age of seventeen lived on the home farm and fol- lowed lumbering up to 1877. In that year he came to Manitoba, arriving in Winnipeg on May 22; he afterwards went to Mackenzie river, where he engaged in trading with the Indians. In 1880 he took up a homestead near Deloraine, upon which he carried on farming operations until 1891, being one of the first settlers in the district. In the latter year he moved to Deloraine, where he engaged in the livery business, which he followed until 1896. After disposing of these interests he entered the general lum- bering business, which has been continued up to the present time. In 1887 Mr. Lochead married Miss Maggie Innes, and two children have been born of this union: Jennie and Annie. Mrs. Lochead died in 1891, and in 1893 Mr. Lochead married Miss Helen Cameron, a daughter of Thomas C. Cameron, of Inverness, Scotland, and they are the parents of four children: Maggie, William, Thomas and John. Fraternally Mr. Lochead is affiliated with Deloraine Lodge No. 41, A.F. & A.M., and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He supports the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs. Lochead are adherents of the Presbyterian church. Since his residence in the province Mr. Lochead has seen the wonder- ful changes made from the early pioneer days to the present time. His trip from Winnipeg to Turtle Mountain via the old Boundary Commission Trail was made under great difficulties. Streams had to be forded and in some instances rafts had to be constructed in order to cross. The journey was made with oxen and carts, taking about thirty days to cover the distance of about two hundred and twenty-five miles. During his early residence on the homestead the difficulties for the early settlers were also many, and Mr. Lochead recalls the time that he had to travel eighty milesHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 663 to Clearwater to have certain repairs done to a plough, there being no black- smith’s shop nearer them that point. JOHN RENTON. Mr. John Renton, one of the pioneers of the Deloraine district who is now living a retired life in Deloraine, Manitoba, was horn on May 14, 1825, in Berwickshire, Scotland, and is a son of John and Mary (Moffat) Renton, the father being a native of Northumberland, and the mother of Berwick- shire, Scotland. The father was a miller by occupation and emigrated to Canada in 1834, settling in the Hamilton district, where he took up a farm in the township of Ancaster, in the south riding of Wentworth. Here he carried on agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred at the age of ninety years. Mr. Renton of this review was raised on the home farm and received his education in the public schools of the city of Hamilton, Ontario. At the age of twenty-five he started in farming operations on his own account, his first start being made near the old homestead, where he farmed until the fall of 1881. In 1879, however, he had paid a visit to Manitoba and after spending part of the winter there returned to Ontario and brought his family to the province. In March of the following year he located at Turtle Mountain, where he took up a homestead. He was one of the first settlers of this neighborhood, his nearest neighbor being thirty miles dis- tant. Here he continued farming operations until 1893, at which time he moved to Deloraine and is now living a retired life, the farm of one thousand three hundred acres being operated by his son and being devoted to wheat and stock raising. In 1851 Mr. Renton married Miss Agnes Reid, a daughter of Archibald Reid, a native of Berwickshire, Scotland. Eight children have been born of this union, of whom six are living: John, Archibald, William, Allan, Jane, the wife of James Ashworth, and Alice, the wife of Albert Gage. Mr. Renton politically gives his support to the Liberal party, and for a number of years served as reeve of the Deloraine municipality. Both he and Mrs. Renton hold membership in the Presbyterian church.664 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. WILLIAM J. C. TOMALIN, M.R.C.S. Dr. William J. C. Tomalin, the subject of this sketch, was born on January 9, 1858, at Northamptonshire, England, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Clarkson) Tomalin, who were also natives of the mother county. Dr. Tomalin was educated at St. Andrew’s school in Northamptonshire, and received his medical education at Guy’s Hospital, from which institu- tion he was graduated in 1883. He at once started in the practice of his profession and was assistant house surgeon at Leicester, Gravesend, where he practiced before coming to Manitoba in 1899. In February of that year he arrived in Deloraine, and has since been in the continuous practice of his profession at this point. He was one of the board of examiners of the Medical College of Manitoba and has held this position for the years 1898- 99-1900. In 1889 Dr. Tomalin married Miss Elizabeth Wallace, a daughter of Robert Wallace of Beverley, Yorkshire. Both he and Mrs. Tomalin hold membership in the Church of England. Fraternally the doctor is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Loyal Orange Legion. He has not taken an active part in political matters, but gives his support to the Conservative party, and in 1896 was nominated for the constituency of Deloraine for the local legislature. Of late he has been independent in politics. He is a great student of natural history and a lover of the same. Upon his premises in Deloraine he has a large number of wild fowl of different varieties which have been domesticated, and in all matters which pertain to the study of natural history he takes a deep interest. JONATHAN LINDSAY. Mr. Jonathan Lindsay, the popular proprietor of the Palace Hotel of Deloraine, Manitoba, was born on March 28, 1862, near Port Huron, Michigan, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Hodgins) Lindsay, the father being a native of Canada and the mother of Ireland. The parents■HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 665 moved to Middlesex county, Ontario, where the father carried on farming pursuits. Mr. Lindsay was educated in the common schools of Biddulph town- ship, Ontario, and in 1882 came to Manitoba, arriving on August 28th of that year. He at once took up a homestead south of Killarney, upon which he conducted farming operations until 1890. He then engaged in the implement and livery business, which occupation was continued up to 1895. In 1892 he had been appointed bailiff for the county court of Killarney, but resigned this position in February, 1899. From 1898 to 1905 he repre- sented the Frost & Wood Company as general agent from Winnipeg to Southern Manitoba, and in 1905 started in the hotel business at Deloraine, he and Mr. R. H. Orr purchasing the Palace Hotel. This is a handsome three-story and basement brick structure, covering a ground space of fifty-two by one hundred feet, and it is the popular hotel of that district. In February, 1886, Mr. Lindsay married Miss Sarah Jane Sanders, a daughter of John Sanders, one of the pioneer farmers near Killarney. Three children have been born of this union: Harold E., May and Frank. Fraternally Mr. Lindsay is affiliated with the Killarney Lodge No. 50, A.F. & A.M., and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Both he and Mrs. Lindsay hold membership in the Church of England. In addition to the hotel business in which Mr. Lindsay is now engaged he still operates his farm of three hundred and twenty acres at Killarney, which is devoted to wheat growing and general farming, and which yearly returns to him a splendid revenue. ANDREW EARNEST SLATER. Mr. Andrew Earnest Slater, the efficient postmaster at Napinka, Mani- toba, was born on March 21, 1861, at Dumfries, Waterloo county, Ontario. He is a son of Andrew and Jennett (Common) Slater, both of whom were natives of Scotland, and who emigrated to Canada about the year 1815, where the father during his life time carried on the occupation of a farmer. Mr. Slater was educated in the public and high schools of Galt, Ontario, after which he taught school for about four years and subse- quently, from 1886 to 1889, studied law in Guelph, Ontario. In 1888, while666 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. pursuing his studies of law, he graduated from Trinity University of Toronto, and the following year he came to Manitoba and located at Napinka, where he taught school for two years, being one of the early settlers of that district. He afterwards engaged in farming, in connection with which he carried on a lumber business, and later when the town of Napinka was built up, he retired from his farm and took the principalship of the public school at Napinka, which position he filled for four years. In March, 1901, he was appointed postmaster, which position he is now accept- ably filling. In 1895 Mr. Slater married Miss Annie Oxley, a daughter of T. W. Oxley, now clerk of the county court of Melita. Five children have been born of this union, Leo, Jennett, Mary Linnette, Lome and Agnes. Fraternally Mr. Slater is affiliated with the Canadian Order of For- esters, and both he and Mrs. Slater hold membership in the Presbyterian church. HON. EDWARD BRIGGS. Hon. Edward Briggs, the subject of this sketch, was born on February 25, 1854, in Bayfield, Huron county, Ontario, and is a son of James E. and Anna Bennett (Hayter) Briggs, the mother being a native of England and the father of Scotch descent. His ancestors were United Empire Loyalists, who settled in Canada about 1776. The father carried on a tannery in Brucefield, Huron county, Ontario, until his death, which occurred in 1883. Mr. Briggs was educated in the common schools of Huron county and afterwards was identified with the boot and shoe business in that county up to 1882. He then came to Manitoba and took up a homestead two miles south of Hartney, since which time by purchase he has acquired a property six hundred and forty acres, mostly all of which being under cultivation. In all public affairs Mr. Briggs has taken an active interest. For a number of years he served as municipal assessor and was also council- man for the municipality of Cameron. In 1903 he was elected to the local legislature, representing the constituency of Deloraine, and being elected in the Conservative interest.*vHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 667 In 1877 Mr. Briggs married Miss Ellen Robinson, a daughter of James Robinson, of Stanley, Huron county, Ontario. They are the parents of seven children: William Edward, Joel, Lawrence, Annie Ella, Violet, Beatrice Ethel and Hugh John. Mr. Briggs has served as president of the Farmers’ Institute in 1890, and he has always taken a prominent part in all matters affecting the agricultural interests of the province. He is also president of the North- West Auctioneers’ Association. Fraternally he is associated with the Masonic order. FESTUS CHAPIN. Prominently identified with the business interests of Hartney, Mani- toba, is Mr. Festus Chapin, the subject of this sketch. He was born on September 23, 1848, in Brant county, Ontario, and is a son of Lyman and Matilda Fairchild Chapin, both of whom were natives of Ontario and came of United Empire Loyalist stock, their ancestors being among the early settlers of that province. Here the father carried on agricultural pursuits and was also identified with the lumber and saw-mill business in Brant county, Ontario. < Mr. Chapin of this review was educated in the public schools of Brant county, and followed farming pursuits until coming to Manitoba in 1877, arriving in Winnipeg on the 8th of December of that year. To make this trip he was compelled to drive from Fisher’s Landing, North Dakota, the latter part of the distance to Winnipeg being covered by stage. He at once engaged in the sale of agricultural implements, and the following year moved to Portage la Prairie, in which city he continued in the agricultural implement business until 1892, at which time he moved to Hartney, where he has since resided. He has been engaged in the agricultural implement business and also the lumber business, and in 1893 built an elevator, which he is also operating. In addition to his other interests he is the owner of a fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres in the province. In 1879 Mr. Chapin married Miss Isadorah Houlding, a daughter of William Houlding, of Brant county, Ontario. Four children have been born of this union, as follows: Harry Fairchild, Ruby May, Lilian Pearl668 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. and Florence Birkett. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, and fraternally is affiliated with the Independent Order of Foresters. Both he and Mrs. Chapin are valued members of the Baptist church. JAMES INNES. Mr. James Innes, the pioneer flour miller of the Hartney district, was born on July 27, 1855, in Banffshire, Scotland, and is a son of David and Jane (Macgregor) Innes, the mother being a native of England and the father of Scotland, his ancestors living on the same farm for over two hundred years. At the age of thirteen Mr. Innes went to Glasgow, where he learned the miller’s trade of John White & Son, Scotston Flour Mills. His educational advantages were derived in the public schools of Keith. Entering the milling business in Glasgow, he continued in that occupation until 1878, and in July of that year emigrated to Canada. Up to 1882 he was identi- fied with the milling business in the United States, and then came to Hamil- ton, Ontario, and for the next ten years was associated with Morjen Brothers & Company, millers of Ontario. In the summer of 1897 Mr. Innes came to Hartney, Manitoba, where he purchased a mill which he operated under the name of James Innes up to 1903, at which time he formed a joint stock company and was made president and general manager of the same. The mill has a capacity of two hundred barrels of flour per day, and is one of the most modern mills in the province, containing all the latest improved machinery. The institution has been very successful from the start, and among other things that may be mentioned is the receiving of a diploma at the Glasgow International Exhibition in 1901 for the exhibit of flour. In 1900 the gold medal was received at the Paris Exhibi- tion for the best flour exhibited. In 1898 Mr. Innes married Miss Catherine Creighton, a daugher of Alexander Creighton, of Oxford county, Ontario, and they are the parents of one son, David Alexander. Fraternally Mr. Innes is affiliated with Hartney Lodge No. 52, A.F. & A.M., and the Corinthian Chapter No. 101, of Boissevain. He also holds membership in the Independent Order ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 669 Odd Fellows, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. Both he and Mrs. Innes hold membership in the Presbyterian church. JOHN BLAIR. Mr. John Blair, who at the present time is holding the position of postmaster of Hartney, Manitoba, was born on August 27, 1854, in Carlton county, Ontario, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (McCallum) Blair, the father being a native of Scotland and the mother of Canada. Mr. Blair was educated in the common schools of Carleton county, Ontario, working on the home farm in the summer time and in the lumber woods during the winter months, a portion of the winter time being devoted to his studies, after which he worked in the lumber woods. In April, 1882, he came to Manitoba, arriving in Brandon on the 18th of May of that year. He at once took up a homestead four miles from where the town of Hart- ney now stands, and upon this farm was engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1891, at which time he moved to Hartney and engaged in the livery and agricultural implement business. This occupation was continued until 1894, and from the latter year up to 1897 he again followed agricultural pursuits. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster of Hartney, which position he is now acceptably filling at the present time. In 1895 Mi. Blair married Miss Minnie Stein, a daughter of John Stein, of Lanark county, Ontario. Eight children have been born of this union, as follows: William John, Myrtle, Essie, Florence, Oliver Mowat, Allan Kenneth, Bertha and Isabel. Fraternally Mr. Blair is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Both he and Mrs. Blair are valued members of the Presbyterian church. JOHN ARCHIBALD SCOTT. Prominently identified with the grain interests of Manitoba, Mr. John Archibald Scott, the subject of this sketch, was born August 17, 1860, in county Wentworth, Ontario, and is a son of John and Mary Rutherford Scott, both of whom were likewise natives of Canada. The father is still living, following agricultural pursuits, which has been his life’s occupation.670 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. Scott was educated in the public schools of Wentworth county, dur- ing which time he assisted his father in the duties of the home farm, and in 1882 came to Manitoba, locating near Manitou. He homesteaded near Carnduff and operated this farm for five years, being one of the pioneer settlers of that district. From 1888 to 1890 he was located at Manitou, where he engaged in the wheat and grain business, and in the fall of 1890 moved to Hartney. From 1891 to 1897 he was identified with the grain business at Lauder, but returned to Hartney in 1897 and has since remained there, where he is prominently identified with the grain business and also operates several elevators. He has always taken an active interest in political matters, and at present is serving as a councilman for the town of Hartney. In March, 1894, Mr. Scott married Miss Addie Nelson, a daughter of William Nelson, of Ottawa, Ontario. Five children have been born of this union, as follows: Gordon, Madge, Gladys, Ida and Maud. Fraternally Mr. Scott is affiliated with the Hartney Lodge, No. 52, A. F. and A. M., and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He gives his support politically to the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs. Scott hold membership in the Presbyterian church. WILLIAM EDWARD CRAWFORD. Mr. William Edward Crawford, the pioneer jeweler of Hartney, Manitoba, was born on November 18, 1865, in Georgetown, Ontario, and is a son of William and Agnes (Hammond) Crawford, the father being a native of Ireland and the mother of Ontario. The parents moved to Mani- toba in 1874, taking up a homestead at Shoal Lake, where the father still resides and is engaged in farming and stockraising, being one of the first settlers of that district. Mr. Crawford was educated in the public schools of Winnipeg, but left school at the age of twelve, and later, in 1885, was apprenticed to the jewelry trade with Major C. F. Forest. After serving his time at this trade he started business for himself at Stonewall, and from 1889 to 1892 conducted an establishment in that place. In the latter year he opened his store in Hartney, which he has continued up to the present time. In 1888 Mr. Crawford married Miss Harriet Garrioch, a daughterHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 671 of William Garrioch, of Kinosota, on Lake Manitoba, who was one of the early pioneers of the province. Four children have been born of this union, as follows: Edgie, Jessie, Lily and Evelyn. Mr. Crawford has always taken an active interest in public affairs, and for five years has served as a member of the school board. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Hartney Lodge No. 52, A.F. & A.M., and with the Independent Order of Foresters. Politically he gives his support to the Conservative party, and both he and Mrs. Crawford are consistent members, of the Presbyterian church. JOHN CURTIS CALLANDER. Mr. John Curtis Callander, one of the pioneer merchants of Hartney, Manitoba, was born July 17, 1875, in Clinton, Ontario, and is a son of Robert and Elizabeth (Stevenson) Callander, both of whom were also natives of Ontario, their ancestors settling in Little York, Ontario, early in the nineteenth century. The father by occupation was a merchant, and conducted a general merchandise establishment in Clinton, Ontario, up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1878. In 1882 the mother with a family of five children came to Manitoba and located at Winnipeg, but shortly afterwards went to Melgand, where they established a homestead and where they are still living on a farm of four hundred and eighty acres, devoted to the grain and stock business. Mr. Callander of this review was educated in Central School of Winnipeg and was raised on the home farm, afterwards attending the Mel- gand and Hartney public schools. In 1897 he started a general mer- chandise establishment in Hartney and at the present time is one of the oldest merchants of that locality. In 1901 Mr. Callander married Miss Mabel Shore, a daughter of Richard Shore, of Hartney. Two children have been born of this union: Bruce and Glen. Mr. Callander is a member of the Hartney Lodge No. 52, A.F. & A.M., and politically gives his support to the Liberal party. Both he and Mrs. Callander are adherents of the Methodist church.672 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. JOHN HENDERSON HAYERSON. Mr. John Henderson Haverson, the subject of this sketch, was born on December 13,1854, he being a native of MacDuff, Banffshire, Scotland, and a son of Captain Janies and Ann (Henderson) Haverson, who were also natives of Scotland. The family emigrated to Canada in 1866 and settled in Derby township, Grey county, Ontario. The father by occupation was a sea captain and followed a seafaring life the greater portion of the time before coming to Manitoba. In 1888 he came to the province, and up to his death, which occurred in 1901, was clerk of the county court at Car- man. The family on the father’s side were originally Norwegians who settled in Scotland early in the last century. Mr. Haverson of this review was educated in the public schools of Scotland and in Canada, and until 1882 assisted his father in the duties of the home farm. He then came to Manitoba, locating at Nelson, and started the study of law with Mr. J. B. McLaren. He was called to the bar in Manitoba in 1890, since which time he has been in the continuous practice of his profession, his residence in Carman dating from 1882. From 1884 to 1893 Mr. Haverson served as treasurer of the municipality of Dufferin and is now solicitor for the municipality. From 1902 up to the present time he has been mayor of the city of Carman, being re-elected in 1904 and in 1905. In 1886 Mr. Haverson married Miss Helen Jane Blain, a daughter of the Rev. William Blain, who is a well-known Presbyterian minister of Tara, Ontario. Three children have been born of this union: Mary, James Blain and Helen Agnes. In all public matters Mr. Haverson has taken an active and a leading part, his support politically being given to the Liberal party, and in local, provincial and Dominion politics he has been equally prominent. Locally he has served as chairman of the school board and the hospital board. Fraternally he holds membership in the Canadian Order of Foresters and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and for the past twenty years has been a consistent member of and office bearer in the Presbyterian church.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 673 JOHNSTON WATSON. Mr. Johnston Watson, the efficient postmaster of Carman, Manitoba, was born on March 16, 1862, at Lisburn, near Belfast, Ireland, and is a son of Thomas and Jane Watson, the father being a civil engineer and holding the position of city engineer of Lisburn for many years, up to the time of his death. The ancestors of Mr. Watson settled in Lisburn at the time of the Battle of Ulster during the reign of James the First and came of English stock. Mr. Watson was educated in the public schools of Lisburn, also in the School of Technology in Belfast (being medallist and scholar of his final year), and in the Royal College of Science of Dublin. In 1894 he emigrated to Canada, arriving in Winnipeg in July of that year. He taught school in the province up to 1897, and was principal of the Carman school for nine years. In 1897 he received his appointment as postmaster, which position he is now acceptably filling. On April 4, 1890, Mr. Watson married Miss Elsie Haverson, a daughter of Captain James Haverson. They are the parents of five children: Eric E., Evans G., Annie, Karl K., and Blake H. Mr. Watson holds member- ship in the Canadian Order of Foresters, and both he and Mrs. Watson are members of the Presbyterian church. SAMUEL McCLAIN. Mr. Samuel McClain, the pioneer lumber merchant of the Carman district, was born on February 23, 1862, in Oxford county, Ontario, and is a son of Charles and Elizabeth Gickling McClain, both of whom were natives of England. They emigrated to Ontario with their parents and settled in Woodstock, the father following farming pursuits in Oxford county, Ontario, during his residence in that province. In 1881 he moved with his family to Manitoba, locating at Morden. Here he purchased a farm consisting of four hundred and eighty acres, on which he continued agricultural pursuits up to 1887, subsequently moving into Morden, where he died in 1904, at the age of seventy-six, the mother still surviving and living in Carman. 43674 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Mr. McClain of this review was educated in the public schools of Oxford county, Ontario, and on coming to Manitoba with his parents was engaged in farming pursuits in Morden up to the year 1890, at which time he came to Carman and engaged in the lumber, coal and wood business, which occupation he is still conducting, being the pioneer lumber merchant of the district. In 1887 Mr. McClain married Miss Violet Morrisson, a daughter of James Morrisson, of Bates District, Manitoba. Two children have been born of this union: Earnest Charles James and Margaret Elizabeth. Mr. McClain has always taken an interest in gll affairs pertaining to the up- building of Carman, and for two years served as president of the Carman Board of Trade. Fraternally he is a member, of the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He gives his support politically to the Conservative party, and both he and Mrs. McClain are consistent members of the Methodist church. JOHN RICHARD CARTHEW. John Richard Carthew, the subject of this sketch, was born on June 24, 1863, at Meadowvale, Peel county, Ontario, and is a son of William and Mary (McLennie) Carthew, the father a native of Cornwall, England, and the mother of Ireland. The parents emigrated to Canada when they were young people, and they were among the early settlers of Peel county, where the father followed his trade as a millwright. In 1879 the family moved to Manitoba and homesteaded nine miles east of Carman. Here the father followed farming pursuits until 1889, when he retired from active business and is now living a retired life in Carman. Mr. Carthew of this review was educated in the public schools of Peel county, Ontario, and coming to Manitoba in 1880 was engaged in farming with his father until 1891, at which time he went to Oregon, but returned in 1894 to Carman, where he opened a general merchandise establishment. This business was continued until 1898, when he was appointed clerk of the municipality of Dufferin, serving until January, 1902. In 1901 he was appointed clerk of the county court, which position he has filled up to the present time.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 675 In 1896 Mr. Carthew married Miss Myrtle Walker, a daughter of William Walker, and three children have been horn of this union: Willie, Jessie and Mabel. Fraternally Mr. Carthew holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, also the I.O.O.F. encampment, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He gives his support politically to the Conservative party, and both he and Mrs. Carthew are adherents of the Methodist church. ALBORN CHARLES SMITH. Mr. Alborn Charles Smith, who is familiarly known as Uncle Smith, was born on October 9, 1833, and is a native of Wolfe Island, opposite Kingston, Ontario. He is a son of James and Phoebe (Estes) Smith, both of whom were natives of Canada, the father following the occupation of a lumberman on the St. Lawrence river, and afterwards moved to Haldi- mand county, Ontario, in 1884, following the same occupation up to the time of his death. Mr. Smith of this review was educated in the common schools of Haldimand county and after finishing his studies followed the occupation of lumbering with his father and farming up to 1877, at which time tie came to Manitoba, locating first at Emerson, where he was engaged. in the business of buying and selling horses until 1886. In that year he moved to Morden and in 1895 came to Carman, where he has since resided, and has been engaged in the buying and selling of horses. In 1857 Mr. Smith married Miss Eliza Holmes, a daughter of William' Holmes, of Selkirk, Ontario. They are the parents of six children: Ella, the wife of George Rorbitroy; Minnie, the wife of Perry Finch; James Bernardo; Arabella, the wife of Henry Head; Mabel, and William, who is a veterinary surgeon of Carman, Manitoba. Fraternally Mr. Smith is affiliated with the Masonic order and politi- cally gives his support to the Liberal party. He has always taken an active interest in local, provincial and Dominion politics, being known in politi- cal circles not only in Manitoba, but throughout the territories and in Ontario. In connection with his business interests he has made eighty-six€76 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. trips to and from Ontario importing horses and thirty-two trips from Montana and the North-West Territories. GAVIN McCLURE. Mr. Gavin McClure, one of the prosperous merchants of Carman, Manitoba, was born on January 4, 1860, in Prince Edward Island, and is a son of David and Margaret (Clow) McClure, both of whom were natives of Scotland and emigrated to Prince Edward Island, settling there about 1830, where the father followed the occupation of a ship builder. Mr. McClure received his education in the public schools of the place of his nativity and in 1883 came to Manitoba and located in Winnipeg. The following year he moved to Carman, and up to 1903 was engaged in buying grain. In the latter year he purchased the general merchandise store which he has continued up to the present time. In 1890 Mr. McClure married Miss Esther McCullough,' a daughter of Alexander McCullough, who came to Manitoba about 1872 and settled near Carman, where he conducted farming operations and is to-day living on the home farm, being one of the pioneers of that section. Mr. and Mrs. McClure were the parents of two children: Maggie and Ollie. Mrs. McClure died in 1897, and in 1902 Mr. McClure married Jennie McCullough, a sister of his late wife, and they are the parents of one child. Fraternally Mr. McClure holds membership with the Masonic order. Politically he gives his support to the Conservative party, and since 1900 has been a member of the council of Carman. FRANK WILLIAMS. Mr. Frank Williams, one of the oldest citizens in Carman, Manitoba, having resided there some seventeen years, is well known in the city of Winnipeg and southern Manitoba generally. He was born in the city of London, England, on the 16th of February, 1862, of parents who were both natives of the county of Surrey, England. Both of them are now deceased, but of the family there are still surviving two brothers and two sisters, who are yet living in London, England. Mr. Williams was educated in one of the many first-class private schools in London, England, afterwards taking up the work of an accountant, atHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 677 which he is an expert and which occupation he has followed up to the present time. At the outbreak of the Arabi Pasha revolt in Egypt in 1882 he served with the regular forces up to the fall of Tel-el-Kebir, so conse- quently has seen active service and holds the service and Egyptian medals for 1882. He afterwards returned to London, England, but emigrated to Canada in 1884, and in that year came to Manitoba and was employed on the construction work on the Canadian Pacific Railway, which he followed for some time until he found work more congenial. After settling in Car- man he engaged in bookkeeping and accountant work generally, making a special study of municipal work and municipal auditing, with the result that when Carman was incorporated in the year 1899 he was elected as the charter mayor by a vote of one hundred and ninety-seven against his opponent’s vote of thirty-one, his opponent being J. H. Haverson, barrister. The vote was an open one instead of by ballot. In the two following years Mr. Williams was re-elected mayor by acclamation, only relinquishing his office as mayor when he joined the civil service as deputy registrar of the Carman lands titles office in 1902, which position he still holds. Mr. Williams also does a great deal of expert accountant work and is agent for several fire insurance companies, also for life insurance and loan companies, and does a good business in his spare time in this capacity. In 1896 Mr. Williams married Miss Irene Moodie, a daughter of Alfred Moodie, one of the pioneer residents and farmers in this district. They have one son, Frank Wellington. Fraternally Mr. Williams belongs to the Sons of England, the Ancient' Order of United Workmen, the Woodmen of the World and the Canadian Order of Foresters, in each of which he has held the highest offices. Politi- cally he gives very strong support to the Conservative party, of which he is an active member. Mrs. Williams is a Presbyterian and Mr. Williams an adherent of the Church of England, but both hold membership in the Baptist church. HENRY CLARKSON CUNNINGHAM, M.D. Dr. Henry Clarkson Cunningham, the pioneer physician of Carman, Manitoba, was born on January 25, 1864, in Kingston, Ontario, and is a678 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. son of Henry and Catherine (Anning) Cunningham, the father being a native of Monerham, Ireland, and the mother of Devonshire, England. Both parents settled in Kingston, Ontario, in 1856, where the father fol- lowed his business as a stove manufacturer. Dr. Cunningham was educated in the Kingston Collegiate Institute and received his medical degree from Queen’s University, Toronto, from which institution he graduated in 1885. In the spring of that year he came to Manitoba, locating at Carman, and at once established himself in the prac- tice of his profession, which he has continued up to the present time, being the oldest resident physician of Carman. In 1895 Dr. Cunningham married Miss Alice Meikle, a daughter of Thomas Meikle, of Carman, and they are the parents of three children: Fillis, Dorothy and Kenneth. Dr. Cunningham takes an active interest in fraternal matters, holding membership in the Masonic order and of which he is past district deputy grand master. He is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Canadian Order of Foresters. His support politically is given to the Conservative party, and both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. From 1895 to 1905 Dr. Cunningham has served on the examining board of the medical department of Manitoba University. ALFRED H. SNELGROVE. Mr. Alfred H. Snelgrove, prominently identified with the milling inter- ests of Manitoba, was born on November 5, 1870, at Lakefield, Ontario. He was educated in the public schools of Lakefield, Ontario, and afterwards learned the milling business with John Hull of that place. In 1891 he came to Manitoba and located in Winnipeg, where he was engaged in the milling business up to 1897. In that year he came to Carman and pur- chased a half interest in the mill which had been established in that place, and in 1901 purchased his partner’s interests, since which time he has been the sole proprietor of the mill. The mill has a capacity of one hundred and twenty-five barrels of flour per day and is one of the solid institutions of Carman. In 1891 Mr. Snelgrove married Miss Victoria English, a daughter ofHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 679 John English, of Lakefield, Ontario. They are the parents of five children: Olive, Hewm, Haidee, Harry and Birdie. Mr. Snelgrove is affiliated with the Masonic order and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party, and both he and Mrs. Snelgrove are consistent members of the Church of England. GEORGE SEXSMITH. Mr. George Sexsmith, reeve of the municipality of Dufferin, was horn on March 30, 1845, in the township of Tyendinaga, Hastings county, Ontario, and is a son of George and Mary (Smily) Sexsmith, both of whom were natives of Ireland and emigrated to Canada early in the last century, the father being one of the prominent farmers of Hastings county. Mr. Sexsmith was educated in the public schools in the place of his nativity, and in 1872 came to Manitoba, arriving in Winnipeg on the 7th of June of that year. He at once took up a homestead near Carman and has followed farming pursuits up to the present time, being one of the oldest settlers on Boyne river. He has always taken an active part in political affairs and has served as a councilman for the municipality of Dufferin since its organization in 1894. From 1890 to 1894 he served as reeve and from 1900 up to the present time has also occupied that position. He has also been a member of the school board since the first school board was organized in the district. In 1875 Mr. Sexsmith married Miss Flora Field, a daughter of Henry Field, one of the early settlers of Manitoba. Mr. and Mrs. Sexsmith are the parents of fifteen children, of whom ten are living: Ellen, Russell, Sarah, Jane, Maggie, Lorry, Flora, Dorothy, Thomas A., Fred F., Colin H., Bert, Nelson, William and John A. Fraternally Mr. Sexsmith is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Loyal Orange Legion and the Canadian Order of Foresters. Both he and his wife are members of the Church of England. PETER CAMPBELL. Mr. Peter Campbell, one of the pioneer farmers of the Carman district, was born in 1844, in Argyleshire, Scotland, and is a son of Robert and Ann680 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. (Orr) Campbell, who are also natives of Scotland and representatives of old families of that country. The father followed farming pursuits during his life time, his death occuring in 1865, and the mother surviving him until 1903. Mr. Campbell was educated in the public schools of the place of his nativity and in 1866 came to Canada locating in Kent county, Ontario, and five years later, in 1871, came to Manitoba and located at Carman. Mr. Campbell drove over four hundred miles overland to his present place, the trip being one that few pioneers have had the courage to undertake. He at once took up a homestead near Carman and has continued farming opera- tions at that point ever since. In 1903 Mr. Campbell was one of the delega- tion of fifty sent by the Dominion Government to Scotland to lecture on the resources, growth, etc., of Manitoba. This trip resulted in the emigra- tion of a large number of Scottish people coming to Manitoba and adding a very desirable class of farmers to the population. In 1872 Mr. Campbell married Miss Elizabeth Allen, a daughter of James Allen, of Glasgow, Scotland. Mrs. Campbell died on November 12, 1904. Mr. Campbell has always taken an active part in church affairs and is a prominent member of the Presbyterian church. It was through his endeavors in the early days that the first Presbyterian clergyman was brought to his district, this being done through an appeal to the Rev. George Bryce. Mr. Campbell is one of the substantial citizens of his com- munity and is one of the most popular in the entire district. DUNCAN MCDONALD. Duncan McDonald, mayor of Yirden, Manitoba, was bom March 17, 1856, on the Island of Skye, Scotland, and is a son of William and Mar- garet (McCrostie) McDonald, the father a native of Strathspye and the mother of Perthshire, Scotland. For many years the father was manager for Lord Hill and later for Lord Dacer in Ross-shire, Scotland. In 1873 the father moved to Lucknow, Huron county, Ontario, where Mr. McDonald purchased a farm and lived there until 1893, at which time he came to Manitoba and located south of Virden, where his two sons are now carryingHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 681 on extensive farming operations, and where he is living retired from active pursuits. Mr. McDonald of this review was educated in the public schools of Inverness, Scotland, and at Dingwall Academy. He remained on the home farm until 1880, at which time he came to Manitoba where he engaged in the farm and implement business for two years, after which he was associ- ated with Mr. P. D. McKinnon, of "Winnipeg, in the operation of a line of supply stores along the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. After construction was finished the partnership was dissolved and Mr. McDonald came to Yirden, where he was engaged in the implement business up to 1905, at which time he disposed of his interests and engaged in the real estate and insurance business, the firm trading under the name of Mc- Donald, Simpson & Co. From 1885 to 1890 Mr. McDonald served as a member of the council of the municipality of Wallace, representing the Virden Ward, this being before Virden was incorporated. From 1897 to 1905 he served as Mayor of Virden, and has always taken an active part in politics, he being a member of the Liberal party. In 1885 Mr. McDonald married Miss Ina A. English, a daughter of George English, formerly of Brussels, Ontario, but now living a retired life at his home near Virden. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald are the parents of five children: Frederick, who is a clerk in the Union Bank at Virden; Dun- can Gordon, Hugh Elmer, Hattie English and Arnold. Fraternally Mr. McDonald is affiliated with the Independent Order of Oddfellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and St. Andrew’s Society. In religion the family are Presbyterians. COLONEL EDWARD ARTHUR CHRISTOPHER HOSMER. Lieutenant-Colonel E. A. C. Hosmer, president of the Virden Agricul- tural Society, was born on August 5, 1853, on the Isle of Madeira, and is a son of Rev. Arthur and Ellen (Fagan) Hosmer, the father being a British chaplain at Madeira, and the representative of an old English family. Colonel Hosmer of this review lived in Madeira up to the age of four- teen years, at which time he returned to England, and was educated at682 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Blackheath and on the continent. At the age of nineteen he joined the Royal West Kent Regiment and served in South Africa from 1876 to 1885, both as adjutant to the native regiment and then as commandant of the Cape Town Rifles, in which capacity he served through the Transkei, Basuto and Moirosi wars. In 1885 he came to Manitoba and took up a farm of six hundred and forty acres two miles south of Virden, on which he has since carried on farming operations. Colonel Hosmer organized the Manitoba Dragoons in 1890, of which he is now colonel, and in 1900 served second in command of the Fifth Cana- dian Mounted Rifles in the South African war. In 1883 Colonel Hosmer married Miss Louise Juta, a daughter of J. C. Juta, and sister of Sir Henry Juta, attorney-general of Cape Town. Politi- cally Colonel Hosmer gives his support to the Conservative party, and has served as councillor for the municipality of Wallace. At present he holds the position of school trustee, president of the Virden Agricultural Society, and in addition to his other interests is vice-president of the Farmers’ Elevator Company. JAMES FINDLAY FRAME. James Findlay Frame, the subject of this sketch, was born September 4, 1841, in New York city, and is a son of John and Mary (Findlay) Frame, both of whom were natives of Glasgow, Scotland, who immigrated to Ontario in 1842. Up to that time the father had followed mercantile pursuits, but after coming to Canada purchased a farm near Collingwood, upon which he lived and carried on farming operations up to his death. Mr. Frame was educated in the common schools of Simcoe county, Ontario, at Williamsville Academy, New York, and at Poughkeepsie, New York. After leaving school he was engaged in the saw-mill business at Glencairn, continuing up to 1876, and during a portion of this time he was manager of the saw-mill. During the Civil war in the United States Mr. Frame served as a private for five months in the Collingwood Company, which was engaged in protecting the border against any possible raid. In 1882 he came to Manitoba, arriving in Winnipeg in February of that year. He shortly afterwards located at Virden, where he formed a partnershipHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 683 with G. N. Miller, under the firm name of Frame & Miller, and engaged in the business of general hardware and lumber, the firm being one of the pioneers in the hardware business in western Canada. Mr. Frame has always taken an active interest in politics and has served as councillor for the municipality of Wallace, and also as reeve of that municipality for five years. At the general elections of 1893 he was returned as a member of the local House in the Conservative interests. In 1888 Mr. Frame married Miss Abbey E. Layton, of Meaford, a daughter of David Layton of that place. They are the parents of two children: Eleanor Mary and William. Fraternally Mr. Frame is affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and St. Andrew’s Society. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Church of Christ. ADAM EDWARD ROSS. Adam Edward Ross, provincial constable and license inspector for Manitoba, is a native of Leeds county, Ontario, born March 4, 1866. He is a son of Hugh and Bessie (Wright) Ross, the father a native of Ross-shire, Scotland, and the mother of Dublin, Ireland, both parents being early settlers of Leeds county, where the father followed farming pursuits, and was also occupied in following his trade as a stonemason. Mr. Ross was educated in the public schools of Smith’s Falls, Lanark county, but left school at the age of seventeen and came to Indian Head, North-West Territory, where he took up a farm. Shortly afterwards he was appointed postmaster of Abernethy, which office he filled until 1886. In 1887, after a trip to Ontario, he went to Calgary, where he purchased horses, bringing them to Yirden, and, purchasing land, followed farming pursuits until 1889. In this business he was associated with Mr. James Stearns. From 1889 to 1893 he conducted a feed and sales stable at Yirden, and from 1893 to 1897 was again interested in farming. In the latter year he, was appointed chief of police of Virden, which position he filled until May, 1904, at which time he resigned to accept the office of provincial con- stable and license inspector of Manitoba, which position he is now accept- ably filling. In 1885 Mr. Ross served throughout the Riel rebellion, return- ing to Abernethy afterwards. In 1902 he was one of the Canadian coron-684 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. ation contingent, being one of the four who represented A Squadron of Virden. In 1893 Mr. Ross married Miss Sarah Stearns, a daughter of James Stearns, of Lanark county, Ontario. They are the parents of three children: Bessie Jean, Tena May and Hugh John. Mrs. Ross died in October, 1903. Fraternally Mr. Ross is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Canadian Order of Foresters. WILLIAM WELLINGTON JOSLIN. Prominently identified with the business, political and military life of the province is Mr. William Wellington Joslin, the subject of this sketch. He was born July 7, 1863, at Clinton, Huron county, Ontario, and is a son of John and Sarah (Cooper)) Joslin, the father a native of England and the mother of Ireland, both parents being early settlers of Huron county. The father kept a hotel at Clinton, following this occupation until 1878, and in 1882 came to Manitoba, locating at Virden, where he engaged in farming. He was reeve of the municipality of Wallace for many years, and also member of the council of Virden. At present he is living a retired life in Virden. Mr. Joslin of this review was educated in the public schools of Clinton and came to Manitoba in December, 1881. He remained in Winnipeg until the spring of 1882, and then went to Flat Creek on the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and when his father came in 1882 to join him they each homesteaded farms north of Virden, which they operated until 1885. Mr. Joslin then moved to Virden, and for five years was engaged in the implement business in that city. From 1890 to 1892 he represented the Pateson Implement Manufacturing Company, and from 1892 to 1897 was engaged in the draying and cartage business. The next five years he spent as the representative of R. E. Trumbell, a wholesale liquor dealer of Virden, and in 1902 purchased his employer’s interests and is now engaged in the business of wholesale wines, liquors, cigars, etc., it being the only wholesale establishment in the province west of Brandon. In June, 1880, Mr. Joslin joined the Thirty-third Battalion of OntarioHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 685 Infantry, and in the spring of 1885 joined the Home Guard and served throughout the rebellion, and later with the Ninety-first Volunteer Infan- try. On the 21st of March, 1890, the company withdrew from the Ninety- first Regiment and formed into a troop called the Manitoba Dragoons under Captain Rutledge. Here Mr. Joslin served as sergeant for two years, after that being sergeant-major. In 1897 he was one of the contingent from Canada to the Queen’s Jubilee, and was chosen as a western represen- tative of the Queen’s Escort, being the only one of this escort to represent Manitoba. In 1901 he was gazetted lieutenant in the Manitoba Mounted Rifles and served in this capacity for one year. In 1890 Mr. Joslin married Miss Mary Hill, a daughter of Thomas Hill, of Lenore, Manitoba, one of the pioneer farmers of the province. Four children have been born of this union: Jack, Alice, Sarah and Annie. Fraternally Mr. Joslin is affiliated with the Masonic order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Politi- cally he gives his support to the Conservative party, and for eight years was a member of the council of Virden, the last five years being chairman •of the public works commission. WILLIAM MACDONALD PINEO. William Macdonald Pineo, the subject of this sketch, was born on -February 19, 1863, at Pugwash, Nova Scotia, and is a son of Edward and Henrietta Christina (Macdonald) Pineo, both of whom were natives of Nova Scotia. The grandfather of our subject was the Hon. H. G. Pineo, the ancestors on both sides of the family being identified with the early political history of Nova Scotia. Mr. Pineo of this review was educated in the public schools of Pugwash, and in King’s College at Windsor, Nova Scotia. He left school at the age of sixteen and on the 19th of April, 1882, arrived in Manitoba. After a year spent in Brandon he came to Virden, and up to 1904 represented the Massey-Harris Company in the implement business as a traveling salesman and general agent for the western district of Manitoba. In 1885 he joined the Home Guards, serving through the rebellion of 1885. In 1887 Mr. Pineo married Miss Mary Ellen Sarvis, of Port Hope,686 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. Ontario. They are the parents of two children: Clarence and Harold. Politically Mr. Pineo gives his support to the Conservative party, and he- has always taken an active part in local, provincial and Dominion politics, but has always refused political preferment, preferring to devote his time- and energies to his private interests. JOSEPH WILLIAM YOUNGE. Joseph William Younge, the subject of this sketch, is one of the pioneers of the Virden district, and during that time has been prominently identified with agricultural pursuits and also with the political history of the locality. He was born on May 27, 1853, in Queen’s county, Ireland, and is a son of Joseph and Catherine Ann (Harrison) Younge, both of whom were natives of Queen’s county, Ireland, where the father through- out his life followed the occupation of a farmer. Mr. Younge was educated by private tutors and in Dublin, Ireland, and was raised on the home farm, doing his full share of work to the development thereof, and in 1882 came to Manitoba. The following year he homesteaded a farm eleven miles west of Yirden, and since that time by purchasing he has secured a magnificent property of one thousand two hundred and eighty acres, on which he carries on general farming opera- tions, at the same time paying considerable attention to stockraising. Ho has always taken an interest in the political affairs of his adopted province, and for seven years served as a member of the council of the municipality of Wallace, his support being given to the Conservative party. Fraternally Mr. Younge is affiliated with the Masonic order, and for many years has been one of the leading members of the Virden Agricul- tural Society. JULIUS H. SCHMIDT. Julius H. Schmidt, pioneer carriage and waggon maker and blacksmith of the Virden district, is a native of New Hamburg, Perth county, Ontario, and was born June 19, 1858. He is a son of Herman and Susana (Brant) Schmidt, the father a native of Germany and a carpenter by trade, and the- mother coming of Pennsylvania Dutch stock.HISTORY OF MANITOBA. 687 Mr. Schmidt was educated in the public schools of New Hamburg, afterwards being apprenticed to the waggon and carriage making trade, at which he served his time, afterwards following his trade as a journeyman. In 1882 he came to Manitoba and at once took up a homestead near Cran- dall, on which he conducted farming operations for three years, and in 1886 settled in Yirden, where he opened his present business as a waggon and carriage maker and blacksmith, he being the pioneer of that industry in the district. In 1882 Mr. Schmidt married Miss Mary Ann Huston, a daughter of William J. Huston, of Bayfield, Ontario. They are the parents of two children: Effie Estella and William George Fortune. Fraternally Mr. Schmidt is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and politically gives his support to the Conservative party. THOMAS BEAUBIER. One of the pioneer hotel men of western Manitoba is Mr. Thomas BeauBier, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of county Wexford, Ireland, born January 31, 1830, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Jefferson) Beaubier, the father a farmer by occupation. The family emigrated to Canada in 1842, and settled in Leeds county at Lansdowne, north of Brockville, where the father was again identified with farming pursuits. Mr. Beaubier of this review was raised on the home farm and educated in the common schools of the county, and in 1852 removed to London, Ontario, where he conducted farming operations in that neighborhood for thirty years, and also in Perth county near St. Mary’s. He afterwards conducted a hotel at Park Hill for six years, and in 1880 came to Manitoba, and two years afterwards erected the Beaubier House at Brandon, which business he conducted until 1891. On October 26, 1854, Mr. Beaubier married Miss Eliza Jane Cathcart, a daughter of David Cathcart, one of the early settlers of Perth county, Ontario. They are the parents of eleven children, three boys and eight girls, all of whom are living in Manitoba.688 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. CHARLES JOHN THOMSON. One of the heaviest farming operators of the Virden district is Charles John Thomson, the subject of this sketch. He is a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was born April 13, 1840, and is a son of William Thomson and Charlotte Parker, his wife. William Thomson was a baker and con- fectioner by trade, and followed this occupation in Edinburgh up to nearly the time of his death, in 1864. Mr. Thomson was educated in the private schools of Edinburgh and afterwards at the Southern Academy of that place. After leaving school he was identified with the publishing business for twenty years in con- nection with Adam and Charles Black, publishers, of Edinburgh, with whom he served an apprenticeship. Later on he was cashier and account- ant, holding this position for about fourteen years. After leaving the employ of Messrs. A. & C. Black, Mr. Thomson engaged in business on his own account as a book binder, bookseller and stationer at North Bridge, Edinburgh, which business he carried on successfully until coming to Canada. In 1883 Mr. Thomson came "to Manitoba with his wife and eight children and located on a homestead five miles west of Virden, being one of the pioneers of the Virden district. Subsequently by purchase and the boys’ homesteading, they have acquired a magnificent farming property of one thousand six hundred acres, which is given over to general farming and stock raising. It is one of the handsomest places in western Manitoba, Mr. Thomson having devoted considerable time and money to beautifying the place in the way of planting trees and ornamental shrubbery. Mr. Thomson is a member of the Scottish Clans of Virden and presi- dent of the Clan Fraser, and has also been president of St. Andrew’s Society of the Virden district for many years past. Politically he gives his support to the Liberal party and was president of the Liberal Associa- tion of Virden for twelve or fourteen years. He also has been one of the school trustees of Virden for six or eight years. Mr. Thomson was a member of the Midlothian Coast Volunteer Artil- lery, resigning his commission as captain on leaving for Canada after aHISTORY OF MANITOBA. 689 service of twenty-three years. He was also for two years captain of the Edinburgh Burgess Golfing Society, the oldest golfing society but one in the world, was many years a captain of the High Constables of Edinburgh and for twenty-five years an office bearer of the Free Church of Scotland, first as a deacon then as an elder. At the present time Mr. Thomson in addition to carrying on his business as a farmer near Virden, is managing director of the Provincial Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Manitoba, a company which was incor- porated by the Manitoba Government in 1891, and has been successfully managed by the Manitoba farmers themselves ever since that date. The head office of this company is in Winnipeg. When the Royal Caledonian Curling Club of Scotland sent out to Canada in the winter of 1902 a selected team of twenty-four Scotch curlers (six rinks), Mr. Thomson was deputed by the Canadian Government to meet them at Halifax and accom- pany them through all their curling tour in Canada. As the represenative of the Canadian Government at this time he not only accompanied this grand party of Scotch curlers on their visits to the different cities and towns in Canada, but was present at nearly all the matches and social functions of the tour, and in the following year received the thanks of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club in a beautifully illuminated form signed by Lord Mansfield as president and other office bearers of the Royal Club. In concluding this History of Manitoba and the biographies of so many of the prominent citizens of the province, the publishers are glad to offer to their readers a brief account of the life and services of the Editor, Rev. Dr. Bryce. If Dr. Bryce’s career were entirely that of a historian and general literary writer, a more extensive notice than his official connection with the history would perhaps be unnecessary. But having made his home in Winnipeg since the first year of the province, during which time he 44690 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. has been much more than a mere observer and chronicler of passing events, having been a pioneer of Presbyterianism and general and higher education in the province, and for more than thirty years ardently devoted to progress and development in the great North-West, it is proper in this connection to speak of the aspects of his life other than literary and to give a resume of his activities in Winnipeg and provincial affairs. The facts and much of the language used in this sketch are drawn from the issue of the Winni- peg Free Press, which contained the news of Dr. Bryce’s election as Modera- tor of the Presbyterian general assembly, at Toronto, June 11, 1902. Born April 22, 1844, at Mount Pleasant, Brant county, Ontario, Dr. George Bryce was the eldest son of George Bryce, J.P., the head of a Scottish family well known in the county of Brant. Dr. Bryce’s education was commenced in the schools of Mount Pleasant and Brantford, and completed in the University of Toronto and Knox College. In his school and college career he gave promise of future success by winning many prizes and scholarships. He graduated B.A. from Toronto University in 1867, taking the silver medal in natural science, and in theology from Knox College in 1871, with highest honors. Immediately after graduation he was chosen by his professors as assistant minister in Chalmers church, Quebec, and from that position was selected, during the same year, to go to Manitoba. Since the autumn of 1871 Dr. Bryce has remained a resident of Win- nipeg. He saw the city grow from a village of three hundred people to its present size, and took no unimportant part in its development, especially along educational and spiritual lines. Primarily Professor Bryce’s position was educational. He established Manitoba College in 1871 at Kildonan. The college was moved to Winnipeg in 1873, and became a part of the University, of which Dr. Bryce was one of the founders. In public school education he took a leading part, being for six years a member of the Winnipeg school board. He was the first inspector of the Winnipeg schools, and was active in the discussion and settlement of the school question during the nineties. For ten years he was a member of the Provincial Advisory board. In Toronto University he had taken natural science as a special courseHISTORY OP MANITOBA. 691 and higher English as a collateral subject. He introduced the teaching of science in Manitoba, and has been called the father of science in the North-West. For a number of years he has taught science under university auspices, and on the erection of the new university building, in which he took great interest, he was appointed lecturer in biology and geology and chairman of the university faculty of science. In 1904 Dr. Bryce finding it impossible on account of overwork to continue his university appointment resigned the chairman and lectureships, and is still Professor of English and financial agent of Manitoba College. He continues to be a prominent member of the University Executive. His position as a scientist and literary man has been fully recognized. He is a delegate, with silver decoration, of the Alliance Scientifique of Paris; member of the general committee of the British Association; fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and honorary member of many other societies. He was made LL.D. by his own university in 1883, and D.D. by Knox College, Toronto, in 1903. As a scientist Dr. Bryce’s position has been defined as ‘ ‘ while recognizing the difficulties of the evolutionary hypothesis as an absolute philosophy, yet he has warmly adopted it as a useful and effective teaching method.” Dr. Bryce always maintains that men of every occupation and profes- sion should be actively occupied in religious work. While busily devoted to his work as an educationist and author, he has done his full share of this. He organized Knox church in Winnipeg, and has watched over the infant life of most of the other thirteen Presbyterian churches in the city, being chairman of the Church Extension Board. He has administered for many years the affairs of the missions of his church in the Red River valley, and visited in church work all parts of the Canadian west, having opened more than eighty new churches. He was first moderator of the synod of Manitoba (which extended to the Pacific) in 1883, and in 1902, as already stated, was chosen moderator of the Presbyterian church in Canada, the highest office in Canadian Presbyterianism. The historical investigations of Dr. Bryce have embraced a wide and important range of subjects, especially concerning western Canada. The692 HISTORY OF MANITOBA. most important of his published writings are named as follows: ‘ ‘ Manitoba, Infancy, Growth, etc.” (1882); “A Short History of the Canadian People” (1887) ; ‘‘History of the Hudson’s Bay Company” (1900) ; “Illus- trated History of Winnipeg” (1905). His work “Mackenzie, Selkirk and Simpson,” of the “Makers of Canada Series,” 1905, is stated to be his best. Many monographs and special articles published separately or in standard encyclopedias and historical compilations have also to be placed to the credit of this industrious worker.( ■ * . ■