Ith the Rs in Canada
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Dafoe GV 845 G66 1903 ITH THE RS IN CANADA D. R. GORDON 1,GCESS10N NUMBER t 140.3 i I at! f/ / , :;~ ~ WITH TH E /(1)3 ~. CURLERS IN CANADA. D . R. GORDON. G !\THGATE: ] U NE I<)CJ3. PREFACE. THE narrative of the following pages is a lecture delivered by Provost Gordon in aid of funds to build a United Free Church in Bathgate. J. A. Robertson-Durham, Esq., of Boghead, Vice-President of the R.C.C. Club, occupied the Chair. The sum of £4c! secured thereby, after paying expenses, testifies tu the interest in this worthy object, and to the ' widespread desire to hear from one of the Curlers his experiences and impressions of the tour. If it serves in the slightest to awaken an interest in Canada and its great possibilities, and in our kith and kin under the Stars and Stripes, it will perhaps have done a little to strengthen the lies of affection and goodwill between us and our brethren in the western hemisphere. CONTENTS. CHAPTER. PAGE. 1. The Send Off, 9 II. Amongst the Blue Noses of Nova Scotia, 16 Ill. The Attractions of St•. Iohn, 23 IV. In Picturesque Quebec, 30 V. The Delights of Montreal, ... 36 VI. In the Capital of the Dominion, 44 VII. Niagara Falls and the Garden of Ontario, 50 VIII. In the Primeval Forest, 56 IX. Farming in Manitoba, 61 X. At the Mecca of Curling, 66 X I. Homeward Bound, ... n LIHT UF ILLUSTHATION S. OPPOSITE PAGE The Scottish Curling 'ream, ... 7 Group of Emigrants, ... 12 Halifax Curling Rink, 18 Caledonian Kink and Ice Arch, Montreal, 36 Toboggan Slide, Montreal, ... 39 At the Ice Arch, Montreal, , 41 The Governor-General, Lady Mmto, and the Scottish Curler s, 45 Ab the Whirlpool Rapid, Niagara, 51 The Ice Bridge, Niagara, 52 Winnipeg Curlmg Rink, 63 4. Davidson Smith, SecreDary R.C.C.C., 74 1 I 7 TH~ following are the names of the ' team selected by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club to proceed to Canada to engage in friendly rivalry with the Cllrlers there :- No. NAME. CUJB. 1. Rev. J. KERR, - Dirlelon. M .... , F.R.S. E., 1".5 .... ( SCOT.) Captwin. 2. Pmvost BALLANTYNE, Peebles. 3. Major BERTRA'M, Medwin. 4. R. BRAMwELL, Esq., Upper Nithsdale. 5. ROBERT COUSIN, Esq., Merclziston. 6. A. E. CAMPBELL, Esq., Gourock. 7. Major SCOTT DAVIDSON Hercules. 8. Provost GORDON, Balltgate. 9. E. GIBSON, Esq., Biggar. 10. R. HUSBAND, Esq., Dunj'trmline. 11071,. Secy. and IJI'reas. 11. W. HENDERSON, Esq., Kinnoclttry. 12. R. J OHNSTON, Esq., Upper Annandale. 13. Dr KIRK, Batllgate. 14. D. BENTLEY MURRAY, Esq., Airthrey Castle. IS. T. MACMILLAN, Esq .• Glencairn. 16. D. MURRAY, Esq., Kelvind~ck. 17. JAMES M'GREG0R, Esq., - Camperdown. 18. HENRY PRAIN, Esq., Castle Hunlty. 19., D. PROVAN, Esq., Craiglock/lart. 20. G. DEANS RITCHIE, Esq., - Brougltton United. 21. MARK SANDERSON, Esq" Duddingston. 22. A. T. SIMSON, Esq., Me/rose. 23. , J. SIM.PSON, Esq., Orwell. Slennouse and 24. ANn. F. SlIHTH, Esq., { earron. I. WITH THE CURLERS IN CANADA. OHAP'rER I. THE Si END - 0 F F. Provost Goro01lJ said-The idea. of a team 0'£ Sootti,sIh Ourlers visiting Canada has long been oherished by Sootsnoon and their dooc!eilli\lants in the lland of the Maple 'leatf. EVe1" since curling was introduced into Canada by the Scotsm~n who adopted Oan ada astheirhrune ,the wish >has o[wn been wafted 3!CTOSS the sea fnr a meeting of de· votees of "besom and' channel stane" of Sootland and CaJIJJadJa. It has not been COOl fined to CaJllad'a, for in many places in thE' United States curliers have also shewn the desire for a visit of Scotsmen.. The mOVf, ment took its rise 8vme two years ago. Its inception was due to a speech made at the anl1lU1aJ. meetring of the Roya,I Club by the Rev. Dr Barclay of Montreal, who 'was for some time minister of Lmlithgow, and af terwa["d(s of St. Cut'hbert's, Edinburgh. After this the' matter wa,s taken up heartily by Mr Davidson Smith, the genial and able ~oretary of the RoyaD Club, assisted by a ha.rid of enthusiasts who warmiy supnocted ilO tJhe moV'eme.nt. It was felt that the full tide of opportunity had come with the splendid response O'f the Canadiams to tfue -neoosslties of the Mother CouIl!try, in send ing such splendidconJtingerut:s of her gal laut sons to fi,ght side by side with the -O'ther sO'ns of Empire for the best of all causes-the broadening oil' the bounds of hll!mllln freedom fO'r Boer, Briton and BIMk a.Li:hce in South Africa. In sending a team to extend to Canadians the hand of curling brotherhood, after such a p'roof of theu ll()yalty and affectio.n, for tihe derur old Mot her Country, we showed :iJn the warmest possible manner our appreciation of their loyalty and devotion, not merely by the symbol of words, hO'wever beautifuHy ex pressed, but by the hearty hand"dasp of brotherly aifectiOO1 and mutual esteem of bTother cur1ers. It was felt, too, that ~n the year of our good King's coronation a visit O'f Scottish curlers would ILo,t only em phaslse the strrong feeling of loyalty to Vhe thro.ne which mrurked the Hd'e of the Can adians, but would serve to draw closer the bonds of still warmer affecticn to the dear home,l>and. Such, bl-iefly, may be Iliccepted as the inc,eption of the movement. At last amLUal meeting of the Royal Club the M tion o,f the Provisional Committee was ap prroved by a grant of nWney towards tJl€ project. SubSCriptions from dubs and ·o'bhers interestcecL and ftrOml member:g of the team IIJIadle tihe suocess of tfue tour as good as assured. Volunteers were caned for and between two aud th'ree hund red responded. The comm~ttee of selec tion thought it advisable to send men lre presentative of the different districts of T 11 the courutry, instead of rinks, who would undo'ubtedly have played better than men thrown together with varying oonceptions of play. The team of twenty-five men ulti mately sel€{)·t-ed was faJrly represent3Jt.ive of variolls wa.lksl · of life. Hathga,te, Cliuh was specialily honoured in the selection "f two ()f its members-Dr Kirk and myse.lf. Many clubs entertained their representa tives before leaving, 3Jnd Bathgate Club was not behind in d~ing us the same hon our. The send-off at Bat hgat e Stabon by a large number of curIe liS 3Jlld t,ownsmen W!IJS most hearty and -entJ1U!siastic, iilie cheers of those assembLed being punetu ated by fog signals exploding as the train steMlled out of the station. A gre!IJt as sem:bD3I~e of curlers !lJnd ot he,r friends fillied the platform of the Caledoni3Jll Princes St.reet St ation, Edinburgh, to· ·see us off, and every good wish was -expressed for the laifety and SU1COOSS of the team. Leaving OUI! warm-hearted friends our tram ')(Jon sped sout hward on the journey. 'We re ceived additional members of the team Olll boalfd our cor-ridor carriag,e, including Mrs and Miss Ballantyne, of P eebles, who ac" oompani-ed Provost Ballanty,ne t'hrolllghout the tour. Thle time Spelllt illJ t he jOThlfney W!IJS p~easant, eVlelrY one be.ing pent up with expectat ion H,nd! .eIIlthumasm. Many s,ettJed down to take a mentaJ lliOte of their oom panions, while others were as happy as school boys let loose from school. Soon LirerpooL woo re3lched,3Jlld there we were met by the =l~TS of the great seaport of Livterpool, who, to the skirl of the bagpipe, formed in proceSSlion 3iIldi led Ull into the ~c!harnge Hotel, where we were after- 12 wa.rds erutertamed to dinner by the Li ver pool C'tubs. Acoomp'anying us to, Liverpool and at dinner w>ere Mr Davidson Smith, the Royal Club seoretrury, Mr Gemmel, and Mr Lirudsay, who made the arrangements for the travelLing. The dinner was a sumptuous one, and! the speechoo made were expressive of ,every good wish fo,r a· safe voyage and good-luck, a very happy and fraternal evenmg bffing spent. As we were timed to emba,rk t he next afternoon the team were conveyed by overhead rail way a.nd other means od' locomotIOn round {,he docks and City in the early part of :he' day, and , ultimatel'Y aH found themselves on board tille s.s. "Bava,rian," of the Allau' Line, a .liplendid steamer of 10,000 tons . After a visit to our quarters and bidding good-bye to friends who had come to wiSl] us bon voyage, many S€nrt l,ette1's or tJ:l!O's,e, interesting love-tipped me~ ,sages on 11lUS-. tra.ted po'st-oards . t,o, relatives or o,thers. The storm cone \~ ' as ' hoisted in the city, ' ill'-'! d~cating a gale raging at sea. and it soon spread among, the passenge;s t hat no at t:cmpt would be made to pass out of d'ock. unt il the, g,ale mod,eraited. The noveJty kept many I'ate on deck in the expectation of seemg the great ship navigated through the , inb-icate . pa,ssage of docks, but uHi mwteIy in the" WOO! short hou ~'s a,yont. t,he tw,a.l" ,we sorught rest, in s~leep .