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Volume 25, No. 3 Journal of the B.C. Historical Federation Summer - 1992

EDITORIAL CONTENTS Features How successful are theme issues? Readers Page occasionally mention them; friends of the mag- A Tale of a Packer 2 urine contribute works to them. We sought to attract new contributors, and to inspire writers by Carle Jones by suggesting a favorite topic. The issues on Cariboo Gold Rush 3 “Women”, “Education” and “Because of the by T.Don Sole War” drew many responses. A B.C. Historical News supporter in Kelowna assembled the The Chilcotin War 5 manuscripts needed for the “Okanagan” issue. by Winston A Shilvock It rook far more time and effort than anticipat ed to fulfil our objective. Some stories were War Bride in the Chilcotin 7 already in hand when the theme “B.C.’s Coast by Anthony P. Farr and Islands” was announced, enabling us to present works from previously unknown Peace River Pioneer 10 writers, by C. J. St. CyrTompkins The word “Cariboo” suggests many fascinat- The Coastal ing scenarios, yet our appeal for presentations Princesses 14 by residents in that district was heeded only by by Daphne Baldwin Branwen Patenaude. Don Sale, with his vested Quesnel Forks 18 interest in the Cariboo, made sure that at least by Marie Elliott two parts of the history were presented. Wins ton Shilvock, Marie Elliott and Tony Farr Forgotten Cariboo Entrepeneurs 20 kindly prepared their look at happenings in the by Branwen Patenaude district in fairly recent years as well as pioneer times. We also introduce a new name, l.,onna Old Time Cariboo Dances 22 Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick, in Calgary, holds a by Lonna Kirkpatrick wealth of well written material telling of her ancestors in the Cariboo; we look forward to The Saga of Louis LeBourdais 25 sharing other episodes with you in future. by WirLston A. Shilvock Remembering the P.G.E. Readers — do you have suggestions/requests (B.C. Rail) 27 for future topics? Write to your editor, or by T. Don Sale write FOR your editor to share a favorite bit of history. The American Rush 30 by Gerri Young Naomi Miller WRITING COMPETITION 1991 32 NEWS & NOTES 33 CONFERENCE ‘92 AT BURNABY COVER CREDIT 34

Two names which are unmistakably woven BOOK SHELF into the fabric of Cariboo history are Francis 36 (Frank) J. Barnard and J. A. “Cariboo” Cameron. Alex Lord’s British Columbia 19 15-1936 36 F.J. Barnard, left, was founder of Barnard’s Review by Gerry Andrews Express, commonly known as the Cariboo BX Express Company. At first Barnard, on foot, Mutual Hostages: Canadians & Japanese During W W II 37 carried letters between Yale and Cariboo, a dis Review by Gordon R. Elliott tance of 380 miles. Later he used ponies, and when a road was completed, stage coaches. He Canadian Pacific Railway Stations in B.C. 38 was a member of the legislature, sitting for Yale Review by Melva Dwyer 1866-87. “Cariboo” Cameron made a major gold find Writing in the Rain 39 in August 1862, the site of which became Review by Barry Gough Camerontown, near Barkerville. Helen Dawe’s Sechelt Photos from the ‘Builders of British Columbia’ 39 series compiled for the British Columbia Centennial 71. Review by Bill McKim Manuscripts and correspondence for the editor are to be sent to P.O. Box 105. Wasa, B.C. VOB 2K0 Correspondence regarding subscriptions is to be directed to the subscription secretary (see inside back cover) Printed in Canada by Kootenay Kwik Print Cranbrook, B.C. 1 B.C. Historical News Summer 92

2

92 B.C. Summer Historical News

-

in resides 193 Creston. now and the Os, in Cariboe

in Packer a was He the on based is fact. The this insists writer

mules.” to two them join sure I’m That

going I I’m where know Sonny, And,

a fool is man young strong A wisdom. comes age with - Only

die. to afraid I’m know You

Sonny, Dang Gol says, he Till it,

why wonder I him watch I As he lingers. though breed vanishing a He’s

do. can Savvy and answeat M

strength, Mule what once more proven has He

brew. mountain his savors he as boastful is voice Packer’s The

of men. the hearts the gladdened Soon

Tank tunes Hanky tinkling the Where

end journey’s their to got they till sand through and mud through sweated They

souls. Mulish those seared have Must

invectives heartfelt Packer’s The

rolls, and slips shale loose the switchback stemwinder the down As inch they

d’Amour’ ‘Parlour her of lure the To

a deal great add would adornment an such That

lob. She sure was the taken he’d willpower weakened of moment a In

a of Queen. abode the grace To

piano upright fashioned old An

and green poles slender strong, on slung was load a Mules two - Between

rich. strike soon would who those Of it

and belongings goods the with Filled

Hitch, Diamond a with tied loaded, were Sawbucks and Paniers The

heap. a in coconuts Like

lay nuggets big camp where goldrush that To

Creek Keithley Quesnel to from trail, tortuous of that miles - Sixty

sleep. sought Packer the when nightmares Causing

hazard a many with pocked route A

and steep, narrow rough. trail a down plodded wearily Packirain A

Jones Wm. Cane by

A Of Packer Tale A The Cariboo Gold Rush

by TD. Sale

The discovery of gold in the Cariboo up Lulu Island and Sea Island at its bank to bank of a creek or stream. Each first became known as far back as 1852 mouth. Some thirty sand bars had been claim had to be registered with the Dis when some Indians came to the Hud built up between Hope and Yale and a trict’s Gold Commissioner and was son’s Bay Company post at Alexandria. further fifty sand bars were located be subject to the approval of the Governor. The young clerk Donald McLean sup tween Yale and Kumcheen (now known Disputes were usually settled by the plied goods in return for gold that had as Lytton) where the clear waters of the Commissioner who was also a Justice of been discovered in the Thompson River Thompson River join the muddy waters the Peace. area near Nicomen. McLean reported of the Fraser River. It was on these sand Life amongst the miners in the gold- the find to Governor James Douglas bars that the gold miners first staked fields was very rugged and most of them who tried to suppress the knowledge their claims and began panning for the worked like slaves to eke out a bare exis since the fur trade would be seriously fine gold. tence. They jokingly referred to their disrupted by the inevitable rush of gold On November 19, 1858 James Doug everyday food of bacon as Cariboo Tur miners. las became Governor of the mainland key an.1 beans as Cariboo Strawberries. By 1857 Donald McLean had become colony of British Columbia at Fort Fresh or smoked salmon was occasional Chief Trader at Fort Kamloops. Mean Langley in addition to his duties as ly available from the local natives. while sporadic gold finds had occurred Governor of the colony of Vancouver Winter temperatures often dropped to by miners panning the Thompson and Island. To help maintain law and order 20 degrees below zero on the Fahrenheit Lower Fraser Rivers. One particularly a company of 150 Royal Engineers un Scale (-30 degrees Centigrade). Some lucrative find was made by John Hous der Colonel Richard Clement Moody times the reading dipped to minus 30°F ton in Tranquille Creek which flows came from England and set up their (-35°C). into Lake Kamloops. Approximately headquarters at Sapperton (New West The climate as a whole was dry and $600,000 had been taken from these minster). Their additional task was to exhilarating. A common treatment for river areas by the ‘lucky ones’ from use their expertise in surveying and road fever was six grains of sulphate of qui among the estimated 30,000 miners building. The arrival ofJudge Matthew nine every day until completely who had flocked into New Caledonia by Baillie Begbie ensured that law and or recovered. 1858. der would be enforced amongst the Unusually large “strikes” were made Mass gold mining had begun on the miners. by ‘Dutch’ Bill Deitz in February 1861, sand bars of the lower Fraser River. In Most gold miners set out on foot with Billy Barker in early 1862 and Cariboo 1858 alone sixty-seven ships, many of as little as one change of clothing, a Cameron in August 1862. The towns which were unseaworthy, had steadily knapsack containing a few essentials, a of Richfield, Barkerville and Cameron- transported overloads of miners from supply of bacon, beans, flour, rice, salt town mushroomed in size with San Francisco to Victoria where they and tobacco. At the nearest Hudson’s Barkerville becoming the largest city hurriedly purchased a mining licence Bay post they may have purchased a west of Chicago and north of San Fran and supplies. They then arranged trans pick, shovel, ladle and wire screen. cisco. The actual yield of gold from this port by canoes, rafts, and any other When gold was discovered in Wil area of the Cariboo was close to 95 mil available means of conveyance to the liams Creek in 1860 the Cariboo gold lion dollars. mainland and up the Fraser River as far rush moved to the headwaters of the Meanwhile on orders from Governor as Hope. For many months both the Fraser River. Streams or creeks produc James Douglas in 1861 the Cariboo Otter and the Beaver were kept busy ing a good yield of the precious metal in Road was in process of being built by plying between Fort Victoria and Fort the upper Fraser River of New Caledo the Royal Engineers and other contrac Langley with overloads of gold miners. ha included such names as Antler, tors. It was to be 18 feet wide and For countless centuries erosion on the Keithley, Nelson, Lowhee, Lightning, extended from Yale to Barkerville. The Fraser River had carried many tons of California, Grouse, Goose, Salt Spring, 480 mile project was completed in soil in which much fine gold was locat Snowshoe, Jack of Clubs, and Last 1865. ed. Sand bars were built up at the many Chance. Before long the famous Barnard Ex twists and turns of the Fraser River A single mining claim was a square press Coaches (better known as BX which made its final deposit by building piece of ground 100 feet wide from Coaches) began travelling the newly

3 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 constructed Cariboo Road. These the lucky ones. Except for a few mules coaches were usually drawn by six horses other pack animals were of no use for “Adveilisin” Ircm the 18C (two leaders, two spanners, and two much of the year due to the rough ter wheelers) specially selected for their task. rain and frequent inclement weather. CA[113CC S[frTI%A[ were Horses changed on the average of In September 1868 Barkervile was courtesy of Barkerville Archives every thirteen miles hence the numerous completely destroyed by fire. Like a Mile Houses which were located along phoenix, within six weeks Barkerville “The Cariboo Sentinel.” the Cariboo Road. In 1865 these coach began to rise from among the ashes. es carried an estimated 1500 passengers Life around Barkerville during the GEORGE WALLACE, Paoratton. and gold worth nearly five million height of the Gold Rush was of a typical 0ca—DAaxEltVlLLE, wluJAwI Cam, Caio. dollars. mining frontier type town with all the Subecriptlon, $1 per week, In addition mule trains plodded up vices which included drinking, gam (Tncluding cost of delivery,) Payable to Ito, Carnot. and down the Cariboo Road at the rate bling, and sporting houses. By 1869 of 15 miles per day. Each animal car the Anglican Church minister, Rev. THROUGII TO TALE 1116 1-2 bATS. ried from 150 to 200 pounds of freight. James Reynard, had persevered against EXPRESS FREIGILI’ ANT) PASSENGER LINE Perhaps the most famous ‘mule skinner’ great hardships and had built St. Savi was Cataline (Jean Caux). It took a our’s Church which still stands today at Stages and Saddle Train! tpnE MOST EXPIDITIOUS AND ECONO)4ICAT% A month to cover the 480 miles. the entrance to the restored Barkerville I well ss the most c”miortable mod• of travel U th. lower country Ia 17 thIs line During 1861 inflation hit the cost of of yesteryear. SADI)tE TItAIS l’av, Itichfleld on )(olsnAm ant Tnuaet,avs at NOON, in time to catch the STAGE at necessities such as follows: 1. Flour rose It only remains to state that many of Uottonwoo’L for Quo.uel Mouth and the steamer for Soda Cek. BARNAIU)’S 51A051 lciv Soda Creek from 25 cents per pound to 70 cents, 2. the Cariboo gold miners took advantage every Mo.soay aol TIwISOat at Si. so. The Th,iri Beef rose from 12 cents a pound to of the Pre-emption Law of 1860. Thus day’s hInge will lay over at Ik.aia’a, 111 mIte poet, and 50 V at Cu’.rrn for reet; the Monday’s Stage at Ctz”ro, OSLY both arriving at sale in Usso to catch th. steam. cents and 3. Beans rose from 30 cents a these ex-miners became the founder an era for New Wes tiialnt.r. j- Through Tickela may be obtained at hi Oc. pound to 90 cents. A mining pan cestors of many of today’s Cariboo In Richilall. which was worth only a few cents Cattle Ranches. The main terms of the reached the 8 dollar price. Picks and 1860 Preemption Law were: Steamer “Enterprise,” J.eavca SODA CREIK Ibr QUESNEL. shovels (without handles) brought 6 dol 1. Oath of allegiance to the MONDAY AND THURSDAY MORNINGS, lars each. With handles the price rose to sovereign. AT DAYLIGHT, seven dollars and fifty cents for each 2. Parcel of 160 acres of Crown Leavee QUESNKL for SODA CREEK. WEDNF.SDAYS SATUIU)AYS AT 4 A. M item. Gold dust could be exchanged for Land. ,oods at the rate of 17 dollars per ounce 3. Payment of two dollars recording Importa.ntto Minors! r sold for a maximum of sixteen dollars fee to the nearest magistrate who The undersigned Ia prepared to and fifty cents cash. issued a certificate of possession. CLEAN BLACK SAND, BLOWINGS ANT) Much of the gold located in the upper 4. Permanent improvements were to PANNINGS, On Coinmiasin, or will purchase any quantity on tii Fraser River area tended to be rather be at the rate of two dollars and MOST Lsosaai. Thas, at the fifty overall Reading Room, Cameronton. coarser and in the form of nuggets as cents per acre, or an Suhcriher is uow weD known on Williams Creek, end compared to the fine gold recovered by total of four hundred dollars on from the conlilenco. rsjx.sed Irs bins last Fall in the above ln,inww, he hopes to roeelve the patronage 01 pan washing on the sand bars of the the 160 acres (quarter section). the Mining commanity the ensuing ve,a’n. a JOUN BOWRON lower Fraser River. Digging for gold (No time limit for the down to bedrock handsomely rewarded improvements was imposed - this BARNARD’S EXPRESS -FOR- such miners as Billy Barker, ‘Dutch’ Bill was added at a later date). LILLOOET AND YALE, Deitz and Cariboo Cameron. Flumes, 5. First right to purchase at one cosaecrzao wins sluice boxes and rocker washers were of dollar per acre. DIETZ & NELSON’S FOR V ECTORIA. Wift arrive at Riehfleld on Wvosis’isay and Stua.y ten constructed to assist miners in 6. Mineral rights were NOT cud el,oe on Moyt,*ys and Tnuoav . at NOON, en veyng Treasure, Letters and Valuabi s for ALL l’AltTi surface mining while the bedrock miners included. 01’ TI45 WORLD, . 3. BARNARD. resorted to raising the dirt to the surface 7. First right to purchase adjoining of the hole by means of a rope and Crown Land at one dollar per EXPRESS FROM WILLIAIS CREEK bucket. acre. The melting snow on the surrounding The elusive search for gold in the Car Neighboring Creeks and Gulches. JOSEPh C. SL’OONER will run an Express high mountains often caused the rivers, iboo continues from time to time by RsuusaRiv, in coamcli’n with Barnrd’n lspro.s, fr”m Williams Creek toGrouao, gtoveiss, flegga, Antler, streams and creeks to rise and wash out lone prospectors and by big company Cuiniugisam, ant }Csdthk’y Cr0 ks. letters, Ac., lobe left at Zxpross 0111cc, Ricbfleld, such homemade devices. Even the operations down to the present day. or John Rule’s, 1trkervllie. V primitive roads and trails were totally submerged during the run-off season in EXPRESS FREIGHT. TUE RATES FOR flthGll? b)’ the Rugs taoa Yal. I the late spring (end of May). I to P.ichileld will be Broke, discouraged and hungry many TD. Sale was a teacher in the Cariboo prior to 25 lbs. . .. $101) 75 to W Wil. He is a B.C. history buffwith a spe 26t01001b’s . . . of the unlucky goldminers were forced ovcritlU1l. . . cial interest in the Can boo. Tnaooa En v oars. to hire themselves out as ‘packers’ for F. 3. BAItNAIW:

4 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 The Chilcotin War

by Winston A. Shilvock

A’fred Waddington Chartres Brew DonaldMeLean

Compared with the United States, made and nine men lay dead. In the attacked from ambush and in quick

Canada had few bloody encounters with half-light three escaped - Mosley, order killed the Indian woman, three the red man as the white man Petersen and Buckley. packers and McDonald. Although inexorably pushed his way across the In the meantime, four miles eastward, wounded, five men escaped. continent. However, in 1864 British superintendent Brewster and three men News of the first massacre didn’t reach Columbia experienced a deadly were blazing a trail for the main gang to Victoria until May 14. The next day 28 confrontation which became known as follow and were unaware of the volunteers under the command of the Chilcotin War. massacre that had just taken place to Chartres Brew, Chief Inspector of The story begins when Alfred their rear. The Indians soon caught up Police, left on H.M.S. Forward for Bute Waddington commenced building a with them and it didn’t take long to Inlet intending to travel eastward into road from the head of Bute Inlet to dispatch the four unsuspecting men. the Chilcotin. However, they found the cross the Chilcotin to Barkerville, This time the Indians concealed some of route too difficult and after a fortnight cutting 175 miles from the current the implements they captured but, as returned to Victoria. This delay caused Victoria-Barkerville route via the before, took only food with them. a rethinking of strategy and it was Cariboo Wagon Road. News of these successful forays spread proposed to have forces advance into the An initial survey-pack trail followed quickly via the “moccasin telegraph” Chilcotin from the Cariboo on the east the Homathko River for 40 miles where and soon the raiding party grew to 30 and from the coast on the west and meet a small ferry, manned by Timothy men led by Chief Tellot. With all the up at Puntzi Lake. Smith, was required to cross the river. whites in the area disposed of, the Accordingly 50 men were organized in On April 29 three Indians approached Indians headed over the Cascade the Cariboo under the command of Smith asking for food. Food was a mountains for Puntzi Like. On the way “Judge” William G. Cox and left scarce commodity in the whole region they came on the home of a settler Alexandria on June 8. When Cox and the natives in general were verging named Manning and finding him arrived at Puntzi Lake four days later he on starvation. Smith must have refused nearby killed him. The number of dead was dismayed to find that no forces had them help for the trio assaulted and white men now totalled 15. arrived from the coast and he was alone killed him. Taking only food they While all this was going on a supply to face a multitude of hostile Indians. headed east along the trail. pack train led by Alexander McDonald He quickly built a small fort on a slight Ten miles ahead was the main body of was heading from Bentinck Arm to rise and prepared for the worst. road workers — 12 whites and 16 meet the work crews at Puntzi Lake. He realized his main hope was to Indians. Travelling during the night the He knew nothing of what had placate the Indians long enough for three Indians caught up with the group happened but an Indian woman reinforcements to get to him so the next shortly before dawn and while the white accompanying the group learned, as day he sent Donald McLean to seek out men slept the Indian workers were only the Indians were able to do, of the Chief Alexis and ask for a pow-wow. prevailed upon to join the first three. It events and warned that an attack could McLean was one time a Chief Trader took little convincing for they had been be expected. McDonald thought the for the Hudson’s Bay Company at receiving meager rations and were warning a matter of hocus pocus and Kamloops, and while a rembunctious hungry and in an ugly mood. At the travelled on. It wasn’t long until the individual, was generally regarded as first light of dawn a quick attack was Indian warriors, numbering 50 odd, friendly by the Indians. Chief Alexis was

5 B.C. Historical News Summer 92 the most powerful and influential of all arranged for August 11. or brought to trial. the Chilcotin Chiefs and if considered True to their word chiefs Tellot and Opinions vary as to why the conflict to be not entirely on the side of the Klattasine and six of their followers started but historical evidence appears white man was at least not unfriendly. along with Chief Alexis and his band to favor that it was the unfair treatment McLean found Alexis and his band at arrived in good faith. But all the of the Indians by the white invaders, the junction of the Chilcotin and wanted men weren’t there. McDonald culminating in near-starvation that Chilko rivers and although the Indians had killed one, two had committed brought things to a head. As the white were armed and restive he prevailed on suicide and ten had taken to the hills invasion progressed into Indian lands Alexis to come to a meeting with Cox. and vanished. their way of life and ability to live off However, before this good news could As soon as the meeting began Cox the land rapidly began to disappear. be conveyed, Cox stupidly attempted a broke his word of friendship and Waddington’s intrusion and his men’s foolhardy manoeuvre. He sent out a guarantee of safety and ordered his men callous disregard of the Indians’ need scouting party which a half mile from to surround the Indians who were for food proved the final straw. the fort ran into an ambush and had to commanded to lay down their arms and In every instance of a raid and retreat. This ended any chance for a surrender as prisoners. The Indians massacre, it should be remembered that pow-wow and Cox was obliged to were stunned by this act of treachery only food was taken and tools, hunker down and wait. but in a stance of defiance and scorn, instruments and money were left It wasn’t until June 13 that the Chief Tellot is reputed to have smashed behind. It thus seems that western party of 38 men was organized his rifle against a tree and standing with indiscriminate plunder wasn’t a motive. and, again under the command of his arms folded across his chest Starvation breeds drastic action. Chartres Brew, left New Westminster exclaimed, “King George men are all Although Judge Begbie hanged five of on H.M.S. Sudej, this time to take the great liars.” the Indians, he apparently felt for their Bentinck Arm route. The Thus, through duplicity, eight of the situation for during the trial he stated, newly-appointed Governor Frederick wanted men were captured. Under “The treatment of the Indians, Seymour accompanied the group to see heavy guard they were taken to Quesnel employed in packing, received at the things first-hand. Mouth (Quesnel) and kept in jail until hands of Brewster and his party was at When the Arm was reached on June September when Judge Begbie arrived once calculated to arouse their cupidity 24 the invading force ran into the five to conduct the trial. Two of the Indians and provoke their vengeance.” survivors of the McDonald massacre turned Crown witnesses, one was Only 40 miles of Waddington’s road and learned for the first time of that sentenced to life in prison but later was ever completed and by a quirk of event. This news caused Brew to make escaped and five were hanged. The fate he died of smallpox in 1872 just ten a slow, cautious advance and it wasn’t bodies were buried in unmarked graves years after the same white man’s great until July 7 that he met up with Cox at on the bank of the Fraser River. killer had ravaged the Indians. Puntzi Lake. During the Chilcotin War which The Chilcotin War is now an almost The white men now numbered 90 and lasted from April 29 to August 11, forgotten event in British Columbia forays were made to attempt to locate 1864, 20 white men lost their lives. No history but two reminders of it remain and take on the Indians. On one of count was kept of the number of in the names of Mount Waddington these, Donald McLean, although an Indians killed and it’s interesting to and Alexis Creek. experienced woodsman, briefly let down note that while the Indians were labelled his guard and a camouflaged Indian as murderers, no such We are grateful to Winston Shilvock frr killed him with a bullet through the appellation was attached to the white suggesting, then researching this topic frr our heart. killers, none of whom were ever charged Cariboo issue. No other encounters were made and when Brew heard that the murderers he wanted were hiding near the coast he left with his men to seek •them out. \4 When the search failed he returned to FORT GEORGE

Victoria. BARKERVILLE\, Cox held his position at the fort and ALER 0 BELLACOOLA gradually the Indians began to relent - SOEA CREEK their hostile attitude. One day Chief R WILLIAMS LAKE Alexis presented himself to Governor R.E*RASEflOEE Seymour and carried with him a message from the rebel chiefs Tellot and ILL Kiattasine who offered to cease hostilities and give themselves up. Cox =

NA AIMG EWJESTMINSTER said he wished to make friends and FORT LANGLEY would guarantee the Indians safety if they came peacefully, so a meeting was

6 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 War Bride in the Chilcotin

byAnthonyP. Farr

In 1793 Alexander MacKenzie was the phone is 21 miles away and our nearest 22 August 1960 first white man to see the 8000-square- doctor is at Williams Lake, 180 miles The weather has turned cold and I’m mile Chilcotin Plateau, a region of for east. We have three boys: Stephen, afraid we shall have to make silage of the est, lakes and open range extending at nine; Ross, six; and Glenn, 18 months. remaining three hay fields. We are not an elevation of some 3000 feet from the Our closest neighbours are 11/2 miles very expert at this silage business yet. Fraser River to the Coast Mountains. down the Homathko River which runs It’s messy looking stuff, and I can’t This is magnificent country for fish right by our house. We have a little blame the cows for not eating it. I de and game. Paul St. Pierre, former Chil school three miles up the valley and cided that either our silage was spoiled cotin MP and author of the ‘Cariboo three miles the other way is the north or our cows are too fussy, as other farm Country’ series of TV plays, compares, end of Tatlayoko Lake. ers claim their cattle gobbled up their not wholly in jest, a 6-in, long fish of 25 October 1958 silage greedily. eastern Canada with those found in his A week ago Jenny down the road had 30 December 1960 riding which also measure 6 inches - be a frightening experience. Her husband tween the eyes. It is in this part of B.C. My husband Ken has to go to Vancou was away, on a guiding trip. It was still, that the life of the pioneers comes clos ver. I’m not looking forward to being peaceful weather. Suddenly Jenny alone est to living memory and where the at this time of year, and I always heard one of their pigs squealing franti people of the mid-2Oth century faced feel a wee bit panicky when I see the cally. She rushed over to the pen and a conditions not very much changed. frost inside the house, and the kids’ big black bear jumped at her. Jenny Here is a glimpse of this life, seen clothes frozen to the wall, and us still scrambled up the nearest tree. Luckily through the pen of Mary, a war bride frantically stoking the fires to drive it it was a sapling about four inches out who left London to share the fortunes of again. He plans to start building a through and too slender for the bear to new house this spring. a rancher - guide near Tatlayoko Lake - climb. She began to scream every name an Indian name meaning ‘Rough Water’ We had forest fires all around us this that came into her head and the bear summer. They spread for miles chasing - on a 160-acre farm raising a hundred kept slapping at the tree, causing it to head of Herefords. Mary’s story is in all wildlife before them. Some visitors sway wildly with her in the branches. the form of selections from letters to an almost got trapped in the canyon by a She tried to climb higher and the other immigrant in Vancouver. fire, and they backed their car all the branch broke beneath her foot and left All measurements in the text have way out and came in on the old road, her dangling above the bear. From time been retained in Imperial units or Fah which is really just a boulder-strewn to time it left her alone and went back renheit degrees. The use of metric units track. They said that living in the city to eating the stomach out of the pig, would be an anachronism and deviation they couldn’t really picture how bad the which remained alive and squealing for from the actual words of Mary’s letters. fires are. One fire came a little too close over an hour. Every time Jenny tried for comfort. It began after dark and the 3 August 1958 screaming, the bear came back to the whole mountain-side looked like a city We’ve had some hot weeks lately, close tree; so she decided to stay quiet. She at night. We got all ready to leave but to 90°, though I can still see snow on had no coat on and after a couple of the men managed to cut a firebreak just the peaks from my kitchen window. hours it began to get dark. The bear by in time. The biggest lumber merchants Most summers we get frosts about once this time was so full of pig that he was in Williams Lake want to include Tat a month usually when the moon is full, panting, and he covered up the remains layoko Lake in their work circle. but this year everything is early. Haying with leaves, then lay down to sleep. There’s only one consolation I can see is almost over, when normally we have Jenny crept down the tree and ran to and that is that we shall get forest fire hardly begun. the house. Next day she looked ill with protection. I arrived eleven years ago in midwinter shock and her legs were an awful mess Work on the new house is all in my and did the last twenty miles by horse of deep scratches and bruises from the head. Ken is too busy keeping the ranch team and sleigh. At beef time the ranch tree. Several people have since tried to going. Home is just a shelter. er drove their cattle to town on foot and climb the tree she was in, but no one Stephen has a small trapline this year it took seventeen days. can. to earn a few dollars. He has three lynx, We lead a simple life, eat moose and Jenny and I will have the job of mak a coyote and a lovely big mink. Glenn deer meat, keep chickens, grow vegeta ing all the popcorn balls for the kids’ is his usual pesky little self, and this is bles, have a cow for milk and do all our Christmas party. the month of Knocked Over according shopping by mail order. There is no to him electricity; our nearest store and tele

7 B.C. Historical News . Summer 92 5 January 1962 Glenn’s chief delight is the cat - a to tell Ken he had been sprayed by a My sister in England got married in golden kitty named Leo, Goldie, Old skunk. As if Ken needed any telling. October and from the list I sent her of Yeller and Mr. Needles. Ken said he used a 40-foot pole to get possible presents she chose a wool com I lose interest in the new house except his clothes off, and I was nervous of forter. I groaned - she can’t possibly when Ross’s bed goes through the floor, finding the whole house still reeking, know the work involved - cutting the or Glenn finds a toad hopping around but he had managed to get rid of the wool off a fleece, then washing, drying, the bedroom, or the so-called bathroom smell. What became of the clothes I’ve teasing, carding and finally sewing it is black with ants. never investigated. into cheesecloth. Now there’s only the 24 June 1964 11 October 1965 outer cover left to do. The other day Ken and I took a case It got hotter than I’ve ever seen it this 1 October 1962 of dynamite up the hill to blow out year, up in the nineties. I only went Ken has been getting very deaf this some lengths of ditch. Afterwards we swimming once though, and once I fell year and the doctor in Williams Lake both had blasting headaches - a com in the river. I was helping that dopey sent him down to Shaughnessy Hospi mon ailment when using dynamite. husband of mine prime a pump that was tal. I can no longer mutter things under Ken, nervous of the caps, gave them to mounted on the end of a couple of my breath to him, and he can’t hear me to mind, and I had them in a breast planks. They weren’t fastened down birds and squirrels when he is out rid pocket. When we got home, there were and I teetered on the end that was slow ing, or horse bells or deer in the woods. still five caps left in a screw of paper, ly pitching me in the river and couldn’t We were building a root cellar when and, unknown to me, Ken took them do a thing to save myselE Ken giggled he had to leave. We got the cement out of my coat and put them on the ta like a maniac. poured for it, and he gave the kids a list ble. After a brief lunch we lay down to 25 January 1966 of jobs to do towards it. I helped by get rid of the headaches, and after a Since Ken is chairman of the Centen shovelling earth over a 6-foot wall all while I got up and made some tea. I nial committee we had an invitation day yesterday, and my muscles are pro called Ken and hastily snatched up all from Governor Pearkes to an old-time testing today. the odds and ends of junk and stuffed ball, but we had to decline. First, not Well, I have to punch my bread down them in the fire - and, yes, those five enough spare cash, second, it’s in Vic next. Are you planning on coming up caps went in too. We were sitting toria - too far away, third, it’s in April this winter? Keep in mind our outside drinking our tea when ‘BOOM!’ the and we can’t leave the place in calving toilet - the torture rack. stove lids all flew off the stove and a time, and fourth, it would be too lavish 29 December 196.2 great cloud of ashes and sparks and for the likes of us country mice. burning chunks of wood belched into Ken can now hear again - thank heav 29 January 1966 ens. The doctors did a complete cure. the room. Ken leaped to his feet pray ing, at least I guess he was. I kept right Christmas was a one-day affair for us, The river froze over in a very unusual as Ken had to go out to look for our lost manner this year. It seemed to be cov on sitting there - I remember thinking ‘Good job I wasn’t standing there cook bulls on Boxing Day. With two to three ered with a sheet of clear glass, very frail, feet of snow on the ground, he had wait but upon examining it we found cracks ing’. It took a lot of elbow grease to clean the place up but the only damage ed till then, hoping for a thaw. The and trapped leaves and twigs that indi thaw came, but then it rained and a cated the ice was three to four inches was a hole in the grates. I don’t think I’ll forget that day though. frost followed, making the snow so solid thick. Yesterday we walked down the and crusty that we could walk on top of river on the ice and lay on it to watch The house is progressing at last. We have bought a mountain of building it. Stephen went with him, and they little fish darting about in fear at the found the bulls in fairly strong condi supplies - pink plumbing and all. tribe of monsters staring at them. tion, but it took them three days to get 16 January 1964 12 January 1965 them home, and the bulls’ legs were Last summer we camped beside the At On 22 December in sub-zero weather badly cut by the snow crust. narko River. We caught rainbow, Dolly I got my crew assembled and we moved Ken now has the job of postmaster for Varden and coho, and then we saw huge into the new house. I felt a traitor leav the valley, but with the ranch keeping spring salmon leaping right out of the ing the poor old house to freeze up all him so busy, I do most of the mail water and sailing effortlessly over some alone after sheltering us for eighteen work. winters! rocks. They must have been three feet l4January 1967 long and a foot thick. I hastily reeled in 30 March 1965 If the kids all go away to school, Ken my line in case I caught one. I’d either While I was down in Vancouver, I had will be alone while I’m on holiday in have to let him have the lot or go with a letter from Ken to say that Glenn had September and then when I come back him. taken his toy popgun up in the pasture I’ll take their place outside whenever he The vicious mosquitoes also impressed to look at the traps he had out for squir needs help, such as with the cowboying. me - enormous ones. All that swamp rels. In one of them was a skunk, and I rode down the lake last spring but rid and muskeg is a vast breeding ground Glenn cocked his trusty musket and was ing is not my favourite sport and I wish for those vampires. Too bad for anyone about to give him what for, but the there was a more comfortable way of wanting to use the ‘bathroom’. skunk shot first and Glenn came home doing it.

B.C. Historical News Summer 92 8 One cold January morning (a mail day) Ken touched a turning power-take off shaft with a wet mitt, and it froze in stantly to the metal. He came into the house and said “Mary, I’ve pulled my thumb off,” and he held up the evi dence. There was a stump left from the second joint, but the skin had torn off clean from the base of the thumb. I wanted to shut my eyes and tell myself I was in a dream. With the aid of two people who had come with mail, we got the pick-up truck ready and his hand bandaged. I fed him a couple of 292’s. In fifteen minutes he was on the road for the doctor’s and then I got through mail day with a sick lump in my stom ach. The doctor had to saw off the stump of bone as there was no skin to wrap around it. It is all healed now, and although he misses it a great deal (it was the right one), he is managing most things very well. 11 January 1969 Last week it was really cold, down to 42 below, and we had an endless battle to keep things thawed out, since we have gone all modern with the plumb ing bit. When the pioneers just had frozen wild meat and dried foods and a water bucket, such extreme cold spells came and went with scarcely a ripple, but these days everything is thrown into chaos. I see the south wind has begun to blow. The heavy snow on the trees will be shaking off soon and it will look less wintry.

(Adaptedfrom an article in the Winter 1971 issue of The Countryman and re printed by kindpermirsion ofthe editor).

Tony Farr is a bard working member of the B.C Historical Federation and the Saltspring Is land Historical Society.

9 B.C. Historical News Summer 92

Summer Historical 92 News B.C. 10

fan- I but like mustache, his didn’t “I she for rags diapers, of bag a with

Canada. to dispatched were Emily. to tracted Armed plentiful. was everything where

telegrams leave, During Philip’s at and born. instantly funeral military was land an to alien voyage sea day 10

1916, 17, was first child their Eric a for a in detail special town with was the babies for two the and herself ied

March On pregnancy. her in late Alberta, until 9th Edmonton, Battalion from read her to husband, Emily, devoted

at factory the the work her continued She with sergeant a Philip Tompkins, his of history country. in the important

casualties. of list checking the a a to always girlfriend. with burlesque way a ‘Somebody” he be would someday

on grim battles, reports the for her on paper soldier a met she while Canadian He promised natural surroundings.

to news turned the Emily so trenches packages, cigarette factory pasting same and of uncrowded Emily show marvels

the from received mail was Little the at still years later, Ten working would he where ncuidterritory unoccupied

Continent. the on twelve. a farm vast dream in a Canada included

front the to returned and of stripes of his age the at Co. Imperial Tobacco to his of return his and vision grained

was stripped he his marriage, civil the at ered work to Emily forced home, was was in land love the for his heart,

military

discov the When in at Bristol. and conditions due depressed to dren, at boy farm A country. River Peace the

of Peace the by Justice the married chil were ten of family a eldest in girl the was in with fallen love had he province, the

29,

Emily

1915, and Philip She May On in Bristol England. wheelmaker, of northern region the exploring While

poor a ring!” Budd, and Fredrick Thurza Alberta, work. for Edmonton, to

the buy I wedding to had even to Canada, born Emily was (Emilia) 1891 In he moved had Ontario, in Brockville,

his in

all mother to his money sent lady. pioneer and was Philip schooled born Though

Philip

Since consent. married without a for ground a as proving chards, Canada. to

too we the slow, moved military or to end, itself and mild the lended climate return and discharge impending his of

the at said. “And she off time work,” plenty were shows where variety hours, him advised military injured. The was

“I take to had military. the by quested within cities trams linked where tries, his eye and right off blown were hand

re certification, and physical character, indus for military supplies nerve centre his on of left Three fingers his off

her for

vouching figures prominent an

important England, Bristol, of port set pin and accidentally faulty a with it

of for signatures required the town sea over bustling to the imagine hard is It a grenade live he leave on examined

all Emily chased entire month, an For British Columbia. Northern of Region was Philip While son, Brian. second a

Peace man. of the conditions primitive inable, 1917, Emily produced 18, August On

front single a the to return not unimag will in settle the to only War Great no and prices choices.

“I words: exact his recalls still Emily the during England of conditions tioned with inflated little the very purchased

he proposed.” Ypres, of battle the at ra the escaped successfully months, ry coupons ration The food day.

3 gained shrapnel wounds and returned with months 20 ages boys, baby of two eve getting longer merchandise for ups

ly.

and he when letters wrote “We mother a war bride, Tompkins, Emily line- and boxes dummies being board

Emi

remembers otherwise!” him 1917 cied November in twenty-six, age At of card the most bare with near were

ly in that stores shelves deal to with had

Emi many materials. raw and essential

Budd- 1915 -1915. F EmilyA. Sgt Tompkins Philip

of food her high a proportion for ports

relied im on who on Britain hardships

caused increasing war the sea at But

Emily. said the or fields ocean,”

far in exploded their bombs of Most

hit target. a poor rarely they so was

aim and their over winds the control

little to have appeared They chines.

ma flying those at cigar-shaped marvel

to the streets in out did, went we we

when and aircraft, any rarely saw “We

Coast. East

the over concentrated zeppelins from

raids sporadic the except for attack

direct from of

immune ulation Britain

pop civilian Royal the kept Navy The

C.j Cyr-Tompkins by St.

Pioneer River Peace boarded the troop ship while her hus Region in northern British Columbia cated travel to Edmonton. In those days band was convalescing in a medical was mostly a spill-over from the Alberta of undeveloped wilderness in northern outpost. side and new settlers were attracted British Columbia, it was an ordeal of Seasickness quickly took its toll and with land offers of $1 0/quarter section two weeks or better each way to reach Emily could no longer nurse her baby. for homesteading. With the military Vancouver by rail via Peace River Beer bottles were sterilized and con grants and government loans offered af Town-Edmonton-Jasper-Yellowhead densed milk was fed to the infant. The ter a tour of duty in the Great War, Pass, down the Thompson River past infirmary attendant on the ship helped Philip enlisted the help of his brother Kamloops. the distressed mother. Stuart to pool their resources. In Au Philip and his family shared a four “We were so sick,” recalled Emily. gust 1919, the brothers purchased a room log house with Stuart and his wife “The dirty diapers went out the porthole section of land at the junction of the Edna. That winter was the coldest on Peace and Halfway Rivers, midway be record with an unusual amount of snow, Late October 1917 Emily and the chil tween Fort St. John and Hudson’s and cattle freezing. Soon the two broth dren, sick with dysentery, docked in Hope. ers engaged in serious disputes and Montreal, Quebec. As pre-instructed by Those were the days when Fort St. parted with heated words, never to her husband, they awaited his arrival at John was still a trading post with the reconcile. Sue and Tom McNish’s (his cousin) competing Hudson Bay and Revillon The lack of medical services was a real home where they recuperated. Freres. The fort had a government tele concern. In January of 1920 Philip put Three weeks later Philip joined them graph office and sub-land agency; a an ad in the Edmonton newspaper for a and the family boarded a train. Still frail police post; and the usual complement domestic and mid-wife to help Emily from the sea voyage, Emily wondered if of cabins, warehouses and Indian with household chores and the delivery she would survive the interminable jour tepees. of her babies. Emma Jensen, a single ney through an unending vastness of It was a time when there were no mother from Sweden was interviewed uncivilized wilderness. roads, only trails for horses, a time of and hired forsaking all previous ties. “It took longer to get through the river travel by sternwheelers. From Emily’s first daughter, Alice, born on province of Ontario than it took to cross 1919 to 1929 the D.A. Thomas river March 26, 1920 is believed to have been England from Plymouth to London,” boat operating from Peace River Town, the first white baby born in the region. said Emily. “We were days passing few Alberta to Hudson’s Hope carried 100 Emma was a godsend, an immigrant stations through rolling land. Across fro passengers and over 200 tons of cargo. from ‘The Old Country’ and her com zen prairies covering stubble fields, the It was not all clear sailing, often the pany, confident manners, and even train slowly, ever so slowly, made its way boats encountered sandbars, changing temperament proved indispensable northwest through wooded areas with water levels, ice and spring run-offs that through the years. According to Philip, small patches of open plains.” could delay delivery for days, even Emily baked the best bread in the entire When they arrived in Edmonton, Al weeks in extreme conditions. world but could achieve very little culi berta, they were greeted by a cold snap Emily had married Philip for better or nary delights. Emma taught her how to where the British bride finally met her worse; she carried her burden in silence cook ‘Canadian Style’. mother-in-law, Martha Tompkins. Emi and loyally served him, though she Just when Emily thought she had been ly’s welcome was rewarding but her must have questioned her sanity many exposed to every cruelty of the back expectation of the city was a great disap times. It was a journey of 7 to 10 days country — biting insects, extreme heat, pointment. Compared to Bristol it was from Edmonton to the Halfway. only a crude, small northern outpost Over swamps and bogs, the train with only one main street. crept and crawled as far as Peace River Her first introduction to primitive con Town, then the riverboat went up the ditions was the outdoor privies lined up Peace River to British Columbia’s Ca behind the houses like sentry boxes at denhead’s landing. Because of the Buckingham Palace. Hanging the wash shallow water sternwheelers could not outdoors in the winter was another land at the Tompkins farm. Boats of shocking surprise. Clothes stiffened like 20-30 feet with makeshift motors from boards had to be carefully pried from the car engines navigated the channel down line to avoid tearing where they were fas the Halfway River with little freight tened with a wooden pin. Used to a and few passengers. The pregnant Emi temperate climate in Bristol where the ly, wary of the small vessel, chose the thermometer rarely varied made this horse drawn wagon ride for the last merciless weather cruel. Exposed to mile to her new home. It proved to be mercury drops to 60 degrees below zero an extremely bumpy and taxing trial. virtually made her a prisoner in her own At the confluence of the Peace and home. Halfway rivers, the homestead was lo Emily and Philip’s stay in Edmonton cated in a land without habitation. Emily leavesfor Grande Prairie on this steamer - was short. Philip looked to the ‘last Provision lists had to cover a six 1926 On shore are the hired bana Pbiltt, frontier’ for his dream farm. The Peace months’ period because of the compli Tompkins, DonakL Alice, Brian and Eric.

11 B.C. Historical News Summer 92 frost in July, poison ivy, and wild ani Later that year she received news of the transferred to ground transportation for mals — she met Indians .. . savages on death of her parents. They both died her destination: the hospital at Grande their land by the river! within a year of each other. It was im Prairie, Alberta. On October 30, 1926, In the summer, the Sikanni Indians possible to attend either funeral as they she delivered twins: Margaret and Bill.

hunted and fished; in the winter, they were barely surviving — there was no She recalls that event well. “On the trapped and their yearly pilgrimage took money for a trans-Atlantic voyage. Her trip back home, I sat next to the mail them past the Tompkins farm, where only visible link with Bristol was the oc man, Ed Anderson, in a truck with the for centuries they used the same trail to casional letters from her sisters and babies bundled in a laundry basket next higher grounds for the summer. In brothers. to the mail and we had our first over England, Emily had learned of savages In 1923, on May 25th, Emily was night stop at the Cutbank. The Peace who massacred white people and for the sowing the garden when she doubled River was not frozen solid yet and we first year kept herself and the babies bar over with abdominal pain. She went in had to transfer to a boat to cross the riv

ricaded in the house. How was she to doors to rest and James was born er — to a sleigh, then stayed overnight at know them from the peaceful tribes? premature, only a few pounds. She suf Fort St. John, at Mrs. Pickles the wife of During lean years when winter had fered complications with the afterbirth the telegraph operator. The next day we been exceptionally hard the wild game and had to be sent to Pouce Coupe, the switched mailmen; Douglas Cadenhead was scarce. The Indians were nearly only medical outpost in the North es took us home with another overnight starved living off the snowshoe rabbits, tablished by the Alberta Red Cross in stop at Cache Creek, halfway to the and babies could be heard crying while 1921. farm. the squaws helplessly watched them die. Philip took his wife down river on a 1928 saw the opening of the first Though Emily learned to keep a respect homemade raft of logs with a single rud school on the Halfway. It was a small able distance between her and the der. “The river was swollen and the log dwelling the size of a chicken coop camping Indians, she did from time to night was very cold. Philip rigged a with a sod roof, and was named Forfar time leave bits of food that she could hutch of sorts with wool blankets inside in honor of the settler from whom Phil spare for the squaws to feed their chil to keep me warm,” she recalled. “At ip had purchased the land. dren. Without a word spoken, the Rolla Landing we had to go by horse After school the older boys helped women communicated with motherly and wagon to Pouce Coupe. It was a their father with freighting down the instincts. terrible journey.” Halfway River and met passengers off “They were proud people and never as Emily received medical attention and the sternwheelers. Philip turned Emily’s much as stole a chicken,” Emily said of was kept there ten days awaiting a boat home into a way-station, keeping them. “And some years were very, very to return home. It was the only vaca abreast of progress and political events. hard indeed.” tion she had had since her marriage. The travelers stranded due to inclement While Philip and the hired hands Emily never rode horses, leaving her weather or delays in secondary transpor cleared and broke new fields and tended with only two alternatives: walking or tation stayed at the Tompkins farm to the beasts, Emily honed her skills in using a wagon with a team of horses. until they could continue their journey. cooking, churning butter, sewing and Roads, if any, were narrow, poorly kept Some were settlers, others were looking darning. There was not a moment to and you risked your life on them. You for work; all were fed. spare and the days were not long had to clutch the seat and brace your With one cake of yeast, Emily made a enough. feet against the front board to avoid be laundry tub full of bread batter. It took Fall brought the canning of wild meat ing flung out as the wagon rattled and a hired man to mix it. (In Bristol, Emi and vegetables to sustain the family for bumped. A wise traveler would keep a ly used to take her mother’s bread in the winter. Emma was a great help as cushion handy to buffer against violence pillow cases to the bakery down the Emily had no experience in these areas. to be endured for hours as it was the street and picked it up after her shift at After years of rationing in Bristol, this only way to get around. Every time it the factory. Their hearth did not have abundance of food was overwhelming rained, the road became an impassable an oven and the Budds did not have a and she gratefully grated, peeled, cored, mud trench. gas cooker until Emily was eighteen jarred and cooked as instructed. On October 13, 1924, Arthur was years old.) Soon, dreaded winter was upon them born in Pouce Coupe. Eric was eight On the farm, it took all day to bake again, making already taxing tasks al years old, Brian seven, and they were the week’s supply of twenty loaves. most impossible. The drying of clothes under the direction of their father learn Controlling the wood stove’s oven was a never ended. Once a batch was finally ing farm chores and sampling his heavy- maneuver in itself with the correct com ironed and put away, it was time to start handed discipline. Emily never object bination of dry and green wood. “We

another. Breaking ice for water and ed — he was the boss. had to cook for tables of twenty at a melting snow was another daily burden. Emily went almost two years without time,” Emily recalls. “There were al It took a pailfull of snow to yield ap having a baby, then made up for it. ways hired men to be fed and bedded, proximately 4 inches of water. With the expected arrival of a baby at our family of eleven, and travelers.” Socializing was not an issue; they were the end of October, in September she In 1929 Emma was plagued by terrible too tired to care. was forced to take the last sternwheeler headaches which led to her early death In 1922 Emily lost a baby at birth. of the season to Dunvegan where she on March 19, 1930, leaving the family

12 B.C. Historical News . Summer 92 shocked and Emily devastated. In Sep 3. Condition of England — Essays and Impressions; 10. Peace River Chronicles; 81 Eye-witness Accounts of Lincoln Allison —Junction 1981. the Peace River Region of British Columbia;

Gordon E. Bowes — Prescott Publishing 971. 187. tember 1936, Emily’s first born, Eric, 4. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother; Trevor Hall — died ofpneumonia. Colour Library 1987. 11. This Was Our Valley; Matheson Pollon — 1938 saw the construction of the 5. Engjand in the Twentieth Century; David Thomson; Detselig Enterprises. Pelican 942. THO 12. WWI Brides — Letters from; Canadian National Red bridge at the Halfway linking Hudson’s 6. Enqrdopedia Britannica. Cross, Ottawa. Ontario; Veterans Affairs, Ottawa Ontario; Immigration Canada, Ottawa Ontario; Bristol Hope and Fort St. John by road. Phil 7. Weapons & Warlres Eneydopedia. University, England. ip’s newly acquired sawmill, which 8. War Brides of WWII; “From Romance to Reality”; Peggy O’Hara — Highway Bookshop 1983. Most of the article was drawn from interviews with Em meant more men to board and feed, 9. Mrs. Milburn’s Diaries; An Englishwoman’s Day-to ily and her fisinily. supplied most of the lumber. It also in Day Reflections 1939-45; troduced his sons to road construction Schocken Books; 940.53 MIL. with the filling of the approach to the bridge. Motor vehicles and road trans portation revolutionized the area bringing in civilization, technology and gas explorations. The Tompkins family prospered through the years with Philip’s amazing ability to predict services and markets and did fulfill his promise to Emily to become a ‘Somebody’. In the Peace Re gion of British Columbia, Philip became known as: “PFT the King of the Halfway”. Emily who enjoyed long walks to rid herself of stress, was forced to a wheel chair with a stroke that paralyzed her left side in December 1974. For months, she refused to speak or cooper ate for recovery. No one could have blamed her for giving up but her sense of duty to her husband, to honor and obey, must have been overwhelming be cause she did eventually snap back to life. Emily remained loyal to her husband even after his death in 1986, at the age of 95. This pioneer celebrated her 100th birthday on August 2, 1991 in the midst of loving family and friends, surrounded with all the modern conven iences. The lady who lived from horse and buggy travels to spaceships has no regrets and finds today’s wife too spoiled and too impatient. She still has an ex cellent memory, loves shopping and dearly enjoys music and reading. Emi ly’s advice for a long productive life is: “Keep busy and keep your mouth shut.”

********** The writer is currently researching WIlY! brides. She has won awards for earlier literary works, and is an inspiration to the Vernon Writ era G,rntp. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. A History of Everyday Things in England 1914 - 1%8;

S.E. Ellacott — Batsford 1968.

2. The Last Summer — May to September 1914;

Kirsty McLeod — Collins 1983.

13 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 The Coastal Princesses

by Daphne Baldwin

There are no Princess ships on the ardous, murder by Indians not un also a passenger vessel, albeit apparently British Columbia coast now. The B.C. known. Crews were hard to come by not a comfortable one. Ferries have replaced them. Nor were until the Hawaians, or Kanakas as they With the coming of the Fraser River the Princesses the first passenger ships were called, were recruited. In his dis gold rush in 1858-59, Douglas realized there. However, as B.C. has always patches to Governor Simpson, Dr. that there was a need for a passenger ser looked to the sea, been explored and set McLoughlin repeatedly pointed out the vice to transport miners and freight to tled from the sea, it was ships that hazards of coastal travel, the hundreds the Fraser from Victoria. There was also brought settlers, provisioned and ser of war canoes carrying forty to fifty men money to be made. By 1861 business viced the often tiny communities up each and the inadequacy of the Cadbo was booming. Newspapers reported and down the coast. Before the advent ro armaments for defense. However, in $1,500,000 in Cariboo gold dust was of Hudson’s Bay men to trade and build 1829, the Governor and Committee de delivered by ship to Victoria between forts, Indians moved freely by canoe cided to pursue the maritime trade August 17th and October 3 1st. More throughout coastal waters. Later, min vigorously. From then until 1849, the ships were both needed and purchased. ers, in search of gold, took ship up the Cadboro remained a fixture on the One of these ships was re-named Prin Fraser and Stikine Rivers. coast to supply the forts, provide disci cess Louise and ran from Victoria to The actual date of the beginning of plinary action and engage in active New Westminster. She was the first ves coastal shipping can be pinpointed as trading. sel to carry the title of Princess on the May 24, 1827, when the Hudson’s Bay The Beaver arrived on the coast in the coast but, fifty years later there was to be schooner Cadboro arrived on the Co spring of 1836 having left England 225 a line of them. lumbia River to inaugurate regular days previously. From then until her The purchase of the Olympia, re supply and trading voyages. In 1836 somewhat inebriated crew ran her named Princess Louise was the result of the Hudson’s Bay Company expanded aground on Prospect Point, Burrard In the challenge made by Capt. John Irving their service with the Beaver, a steam let, in 1888, she traded throughout the to the H.B.C. for traffic on the Victoria- driven vessel which dominated the coast coastal waters. Like all H.B.C. ships she New Westminster run. Capt. Irving trade until 1883. It was in that year was armed, always kept in shipshape had up-river sternwheelers which had that the H.B.C. fleet combined with the fashion with plenty of spit and polish taken over all traffic from New West Pioneer Line, which had operated a rival and naval discipline. This was a tradi minster to Yale. Now he wanted the service, to form the Canadian Pacific tion which in large measure carried trade from Victoria but the H.B.C. re Navigation Company with the H.B.C. down to the Princesses. fused to co-operate. The fight was on to retaining a controlling interest. Then, By 1843, the decision to move H.B.C. see who could provide the better, faster in 1901, it was announced that the Ca headquarters to Fort Victoria brought service. Both parties looked to purchase nadian Pacific Railway Company had the coastal vessels under the control of speedier vessels and, by means of a rate- gained control of the Canadian Pacific Chief Factor James Douglas. In 1853 cutting war, entice the passenger and Navigation Company. The Company the Otter, the first propeller-driven freight trade. Eventually the Pioneer was wound up in 1903 and was succeed steamer, arrived to join the Beaver in Line founded in 1862 by Capt. William ed by the B.C. Coast Service of the providing transport for Douglas and Irving, father of Capt. John Irving, com Canadian Pacific Railway. H.B.C. officials for trading, exploring bined with the H.B.C. fleet to form the Three men dominate the history of for coal, maintaining order and general Canadian Pacific Navigation Co. Ltd. coastal shipping service in British Co ly conducting Company business. in 1883. lumbia. They are Sir James Douglas, It is amazing to read with what appar The river boat masters were a colourful Capt. John Irving and Capt. J.W. ent ease these small vessels, (Beaver 70ft. lot who honed their skills on the rivers Troup. However, it was H.B.C. Gov long and Otter 122ft.), travelled in all and straits of the north Pacific. Many ernor Sir George Simpson who weather, often in the face of belligerent gave their names to geographic features conceived the idea to engage in coastal tribes. Douglas kept trouble to a mini such as Brotchie Ledge and Walbran trade rather than simply transport sup mum by strict law observance. He Park but Capt. John Irving was the most plies and trade goods to the forts. The acted promptly and did not hesitate to personally renowned. Six feet tall and Cadboro arrived on the Columbia call in the Royal Navy which, by 1850, with a naturally reckless disposition, he whence Dr. John McLoughlin, in was a presence on the coast. Beaver was was already an experienced river pilot at charge of the division, dispatched her to actually under charter to the Admiralty seventeen. Self-confident, popular and the newly established Fort Langley on for eight years as a survey ship. She was generous, he became a leading figure on the Fraser River. Conditions were haz the B.C. coast for the next thirty years.

B.C. Historical News Summer 92 14 He loved a party and conceived the idea for coastal cruises which he captained himselE In 1873 he inaugurated a run from Victoria and up the Stikine in a shallow-draught steamer which he had had built in Victoria. This was in re sponse to gold being discovered in Cassiar. At the same time he renewed his challenge for the Yale run. Cut-rates reduced fares to 25& The incorporation of the Canadian Pa cific Navigation Co. Ltd. in 1883 put an end to competition and allowed the company to profit from the great expan sion of trade arising from the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was a natural outcome to the rivalry between the H.B.C. and the Pioneer line. They had bested all rivals in the Fraser River trade. In a way, a SS. Princess Elaine - postcard by Gowen, Sutton Co. Ltd. connection with the H.B.C. remained as both Capt. John Irving and his financial advisor, RP. Rithet, had married daugh Klondike rush subsided, ships of both main deck and superstructure painted ters of Sir James Douglas. The ships companies lay idle at dock. On January white. Their funnels were yellow with a were kept busy on an almost non-stop 12, 1901, it was announced that the black band around the top and wore the basis until the completion of the railway C.P.R had acquired control of the Ca red and white checkerboard emblem of in July, 1886, brought a drop in freight. nadian Pacific Navigation Co. Ltd. the company. From the Princess Vic In 1887 the Canadian Pacific Naviga The man put in charge of the new toria onwards they were well-appointed tion Co. decided to build two fine company was Capt. James W. Troup vessels having caulked wooden decks passenger steamers, the Premier and the who had been a river boat captain with worn smooth by the sea and by constant Islander in response to the new passen Capt. John Irving. He had worked on swabbing. The railings were of var ger traffic generated by the completion steamers in Oregon, then after returning nished wood, the brass bell and fixtures of the C.P.R. It was also decided to en to work for the Canadian Pacific Navi shone with vigorous polishing. The in ter the Puget Sound trade which was gation Co., had built a new fleet of teriors were well-appointed, even booming following the arrival of the sternwheelers for the Kootenay trade. It opulent, with velvet hangings in the Northern Pacific Railway in Tacoma in was he who in large measure designed public rooms and comfortable berths for 1887. Herein lay the germ of the pas the ships as well as managed the Prin night travel. The dining saloons were senger service maintained by the cess fleet. supplied with fine linen and heavy silver Princess vessels in the next century. It is not the place here to go into the cutlery. The service and food were ex Again rivalry, this time with American dimensions nor the history of each ceptional. Each vessel was different and interests, and not a little skull-duggery, Princess vessel. Suffice it to say that in her character was identifiable by her ensued. Capt. Irving was never far from February, 1902, Swan-Hunter of New funnels. The Princess Victoria had the forefront of battle to obtain passen castle-on-Tyne, England, received an three distinctive upright funnels, nar gers through rate reduction and order to build a steamer to service the rower than any other ship, whereas the excellence of service. Victoria-Vancouver run. She was the Princess Beatrice had only one. The Islander was a true forerunner of famous Princess Victoria, perhaps the By 1908 another rate war had broken the Princess ships in design and ap best known of the Princesses. Like all out with the Americans to oust the pointments. She was used, in addition the subsequent steamers, she sailed from Princesses from Puget Sound and cap to her usual run, as a cruiseship to Alas England under her own steam by way of ture the Victoria-Vancouver trade. ka. However, when news of the Cape Horn. Later ships were able to Eventually both sides came to terms in Klondike strike arrived, she left Victoria use the Panama Canal. The Princess order to benefit from trade engendered loaded with four hundred miners and Beatrice soon followed her to the B.C. by the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition supplies bound for Dyea. The demand coast. Although Capt. Troup was not a in Seattle in 1909. for vessels increased and more keels were naval architect, he had practical knowl Meanwhile, Capt. Troup ordered a laid as a result. Even the C.P.R. was en edge and a keen eye, a combination new flagship, the Princess Charlotte, a ticed into providing vessels for the which produced a remarkable line of larger vessel with three stubby funnels. Klondike gold seekers. In so doing, they ships. She did yeoman service on both the Vic fore-shadowed the inception of their The Princesses were attractive ships toria and the Nanaimo runs for many Princess fleet. However, when the with their lower hulls painted black, the years. At the same time, the Princess

15 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 ing built up a remarkable fleet of ships which were admirably suited for service on the rugged coast of British Colum bia. They plied these often treacherous waters with surprisingly few serious acci dents. Inadequate navigation aids, hazardous tides and currents and the va garies of the weather, particularly fog, all presented potential danger to vessels on the coast. Capt. Cyril D. Neurotsos succeeded Capt. Troup and it was he who ordered I the Princess Elizabeth and the Princess Joan in 1929 to inaugurate the night run between Victoria and Vancouver. This proved a very popular service with passengers well into the 1950s. Rivalry appeared again, however, when the Ca nadian National Railway built their line

SS. Princess Mary postcard. by Gowen, Sutton Co. Ltd. of Prince ships to challenge the Canadi an Pacific Coastal Service. They were used largely on the northern coast May, formerly the Hating had the dis Shortly afterwards the Princess Ma though and as popular cruise ships to tinction of being the first ship to have quinna came out to serve the west coast Alaska. wireless installed. of the Vancouver Island run. Later she When World War II broke out the Three new ships, all having one fun was joined by the Princess Norah. Princess Marguerite and the Princess nel, joined the coastal fleet in 1911. Both these one stack vessels were easily Kathleen were commandeered as troop The Princess Alice and Princess Ade distinguished by the derricks attached to ships. Service was maintained on the laide were almost identical. These two the forward masts to enable them to coast although it put a great strain on ships had long service on the coast and, handle deck cargo. Between them they the remaining ships. After the war two when they were retired after World War provided the only means of communica new ships were ordered. These were the II, they, like the Princess Charlotte be tion and supply for the many isolated Princess Marguerite to replace her came cruise ships for a Greek line in the communities up and down the coast of namesake which had been sunk by ene Aegean. The third vessel, Princess Vancouver Island. my action and the Princess Patricia to Mary was destined to sail B.C. waters By the time the newest Princesses, replace the first which had been sold. for forty years, largely on the Gulf Is Margaret and Irene were ready for ser The Princess Kathleen had returned lands, Powell River-Comox run. She vice, World War I had broken out. from her war service unscathed. After a built up such a loyal clientele that, when They were requisitioned and converted full overhaul and refitting she took over she was retired from service, her aft su to fast minelayers, their beautiful fit the Alaska cruise service. Unhappily she perstructure was bought and became a tings stripped from them. The Irene met her end in 1952 on the rocks of restaurant which is still popular in blew up in the harbour at Sheerness but Lena Point in Lynn Canal with some Victoria. the Margaret had a long and successful loss of life. Later the two stack vessel Princess Pa career in the Navy. Neither ship ever The days of these mini-liners were tricia arrived on the coast to take over saw the B.C. coast. drawing to a close. They were becom the Nanaimo run. She was a lightly The boom in passenger service follow ing inadequate for the needs of post-war built ship and was never intended for ing the War led to two new, up-to-date, passengers most of whom wished to service beyond the Clyde. However, she commodious ships being ordered in transport vehicles also. Although the sailed out under her own steam to un 1925 at Clydebank. These were the Princess of Nanaimo arrived in 1951, dertake many years of service, latterly as Princess Marguerite and Princess her service in B.C. waters was short. an excursion boat. Kathleen which became a familiar sight She was moved to the Bay of Fundy and The next to arrive was the Princess on the Vancouver-Victoria-Seattle run. became successively the Princess of Sophia whose one funnel became famil One surprising thing about these three Acadia then the car ferry Henry iar on the Alaska run. It was here, in funnel ships was that they had space Osborne. Lynn Canal, that she met her tragic end provided for only thirty cars yet in The last ship to join the C.P.C.S. fleet on October 26, 1918. She foundered 1927, the Princess Elaine was built for was the Princess of Vancouver whose on Vanderbilt Reef in heavy seas and car traffic and, in 1923, the Motor design allowed her to carry railway cars sank after a day and a half wherein res Princess had been built at Yarrows in as well as motors. She continued in ser cue vessels stood helplessly by unable to Esquimalt as a car ferry. vice between downtown Vancouver and take off any of the passengers and crew. In 1928 Capt. Troup retired after hay- Nanaimo even after the advent of the

16 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 __

B.C. Ferry Corporation fleet. The other ships which had grown old and were no longer either serviceable or profitable were gradually sold off as cruise ships for CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAYCOMPANY other lines, dockside restaurants or ho tels, barges or scrap. The last, the STEAMSHIP LINES I BriishCo1umbiaCoastSteamship Service second Princess Marguerite, was AflIAj bought by the Stena line and operated ‘PACI Fl C I nr rJ!;Ir1u rnrIu,II l:rIIIuIII fl on the Victoria-Seattle run as a casino. She is now out ofservice and for sale. An era ended with the disappearance ALASKA of the Princesses from the British Co lumbia coast. They had a proud bearing. They provided quality service, ‘SEATTLE a touch of elegance, a sense of reliability VICTORIA oR A1DUPT5 which is unsurpassed to-day. The ad J VANCOUVER vent of air transport, labour demands SKAGWA’ ALASKA and changing values made the Princess AND RSTUJtN, INCLUDING BERflI AND MEALS ON THE VOYAGE es in effect redundant. They were beautiflul, leisurely and comfortable but 8 day trip.. their speed could not satisf’ the de 2000 Miles ofBritish Columbia mands of late 20th century living when andA1asJa Coast Scerzezy people prefer to get to their destinations quickly, caring only that the vessel is ADEUGHTIUL VOYAGE SER.VICE OF reasonably safe but, first and foremost, IN INLAND WATERS HIGHEST STANDARD fast. SAIUNGS 1ROi4 VANCOUVER-TOUBJST SEASON-1918 J’R(NCES$ALECE PJUNCESSSOPJJIA JUNE 15.29.JUI.Y13,2T, JUNE 8.22JULY(a2Ô. AUG.1O.24 SEPT 72I. AUG.3,I73I, SEPT.14. Calls made atAlert Bay; Prince Rpert,I(e&asiane1andJuncau Mrs. Baldwin grew up in Victoria but bar STEAMERS SAIL PROM VANCOUVER. AT ).OO P M. made her borne in Prince George since 1954. She fiomTVictoria. axe one davearlier at II.00 p.m has been chairman of the Prince George Public 5Thr Ither particulars apply to isearest CPR. Agent Library C.ILBOWE$ R.WB1ODIE Boara and served on the Provincial Li VANCOUVEItB.C. brary Development Commission.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Coates, Ken and Morrison, Bill The Sinking of the Princess Sophia, Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1990. Hacking, Norman R and Lamb, W. Kaye The Princess Story, Vancouver, Mitchell Press, 1974. Poster $75 trzp to ALaska from Seattle - Vancouver - Victoria.

ii94iwen4’icy’ 2i,i,ei’

Complimentary ,€v’ ,i€’fltW)” ..(/“ /// ‘Dinner /tit’ij ;7I(fØ to 1’y,1’, t71,’d AtycrJ Captain J. W. Troup i’’4i,l’ 2(’4’m6a’ ‘)eaJ(,e,’’,ci” on the occasion of his retiring from active ,m’ ,ya,I(/ ‘nriJJ’ ,/7(J(T 47t service as Manager ‘2 tim’r’ 15, !,9,’$ by tise Officers and Employees of the .a

British Columbia Coast Service R.S.V.P. TO J. H. TAYLOR, BARQUET SECRETARY VICTORIA, B.C.

Menu & ticket courtesy of the Vancouver Maritime Museum.

17 B.C. Historical News . Summer 92 Quesnel Forks

by Marie Elliott

On the morning of October 12, 1880, between two swift rivers which can only the Keithley Creek/Quesnel Forks cen J ennie Stephenson watched in horror as, be approached by terrific hills, is many sus area had the third largest one by one, fire consumed the buildings miles distant from pasture, and forces concentration of Chinese residents, after in Quesnel Forks. The little village es the trail to the mines, on which it is Victoria and Nanaimo. Because Ques caped a major forest fire in 1869 with principally dependent, over a country nel Forks was the supply centre for more only the loss of the lockup, but this time where no money or labour can ever than 250 Chinese miners and farmers, it would not be so fortunate. Jennie’s make even a moderately good road.” many of the cabins, stores, and ware husband, Government Agent William Col. Moody of the Royal Engineers houses were rebuilt after the fire. Two Stephenson, was a veteran of the Barker refused to survey Quesnel Forks for a more fires in the 1880’s did considerable yule Fire Brigade and knew the dangers townsite, correctly predicting that the damage to the commercial buildings, in a frontier town. Before leaving on his miners would eventually move on. The but the residents persevered. tax collecting rounds a few days earlier, white miners did continue up the North The peaceful routines in the little vil he had made certain that the water bar Fork to Cariboo L.ake, and from there lage were badly shaken up in the early rels on the roof of their home were full. followed Keithley Creek to the Snow 1890’s, when corporate businessmen in But this precaution and the fact that shoe Plateau, then down the other side vested thousands of dollars in the placer they lived on the outskirts of the village, to Antler and Williams Creek. But in mines, creating a hydraulic mining near the South Fork toll bridge, were their wake, Chinese miners moved into boom. Executives of the Canadian Pa small comfort. She was alone with two Quesnel Forks, and this hard-working cific Railway hired John Hobson, a little boys and a teenage nursemaid, ethnic group were responsible for its mining engineer from California, to su while the residents of Quesnel Forks — longevity. pervise development of the Bullion Pit mostly Chinese miners — fought to save Oliver Hare, the first resident Govern Mine. By 1900 this mine was described what little they could. Eventually, ment Agent, and a bachelor, found as one of the largest open pit placer sparks ignited the shingles of her home, Quesnel Forks very lonely in the late mines in the Commonwealth. Despite and a Chinese neighbour made liberal 1860’s. and 1870’s. He was often the miles of ditches and pipelines, and the use of the stored water. ‘When it was all only white man in the town and seemed damming of numerous lakes, there was over, only the Stephenson’s residence, completely unable to cooperate with the never enough water to operate for more the rebuilt lockup, and the South Fork Chinese miners. Eventually, his health than several months. Nevertheless, the Bridge remained standing. gave out and he died in Victoria in De mine produced $350,000 in 1900, put Most of the destroyed buildings dated cember 1876. Like his friend John ting the Quesnel Mining section ahead to the earliest days of the Cariboo gold Bowron, Gold Commissioner at Barker of the Barkerville section in gold rush. In 1859, miners, tracing gold up yule, William Stephenson was Canadian production. the Quesnel River, stopped to work the born and married when he took over The increase in population forced Wil gravel delta at the Junction of the North Hare’s vacant position in and South Forks (now called the Can- May 1877. Hare had de 1? boo and Quesnel Rivers). A number of scribed the Government entrepreneurs quickly applied for a toll Agent’s residence, with R’’- (Nfl4 bridge charter to connect the rapidly adjoining lockup, as “the c_.-,.-----”’ R,.,. growing village with the trail to the Fras best premises in town”, PoR er River. Sam Alder and William Barry and possibly this was a won out, and their bridge was in place consolation to Jennie Ste - — — 0• •fl4 by 1862, in time to serve the hordes of phenson as she settled in S. :: Qun,,.I C..., miners and the packtrains that came to await her first child, •15 through that summer on their way to Henry Allen, that Au the gold fields. gust. Her second child, From the very beginning, government Gillespie Elliot, was less officials were dubious about the future than a year old when of the village. In his report to Governor Quesnel Forks went up S James Douglas in 1860, Gold Commis in flames in the fall of sioner Philip Henry Nind thought the 1880. town should be moved. There should If the 1881 Canada be a better location “. .. than a flat lying Census is correct, then

18 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 ham Stephenson to rebuild the lockup, and to request an assistant constable to keep order while he was ‘on the road”. The floating population enlarged even more when MLA Joseph Hunter, work ing as engineer for a London based syndicate, dammed the outlet of Ques nel Lake in 1896. It was an idea that had been considered ever since 1860. Upwards of 200 men, working in shifts, managed to stop the flow of water in December 1897, in order that the bed of the South Fork River could be mined. To support the renewed interest in hy draulic mining, the provincial government replaced the rough trail from Quesnel Forks to 150 Mile House with a wagon road, and rebuilt the South Fork bridge so it could carry heavier loads and teams of horses. En trepreneurs moved into Quesnel Forks, building large hotels, securing liquor ii QuesnelForks — c. 1900. Photo courtesy of B.C. Archives. cences, taking a keen interest in the South Fork bridge was washed out and twenty progress of mining companies. Al Chinese men and women. never replaced. A road had been cut Wandering among though the dam project proved a failure the old cabins, or through to Likely and Cedar Creek, us along the river bank near the toll bridge — the river bed was mined for only one ing a bridge at the Quesnel dam site, in site, it is difficult to believe that in twen year — the mining at the Bullion Pit con the 1930’s. This also helped to put years the ghost tinued until June 1907 when it was shut ty town of Quesnel Quesnel Forks backwater. down. in a Forks will disappear forever. After more In recent years, Quesnel Forks went into a decline, re the Likely Cemetery than one hundred years of fighting the Society has restored many of the graves elements, viving slightly in the 1930’s with the the fragile buildings cannot in the historic cemetery. Here will reopening of the Bullion Pit mine. But you hold up much longer, according to heri find markers for the pioneers who made tage experts, and yet .. . one wishes it never matched the activity of the Quesnel Forks a special community, in Forks 1890’s, and after World War lithe vil Quesnel could be frozen in time. cluding William Barry, the toll bridge For here, history lage ceased to attract residents except for is not served up on a owner, William and Jennie Stephenson, silver (golden?) fully a few hardy miners. In 1948, the year platter, interpreted. and their son Gillespie, and more than of the great Fraser River floods, the Instead, the setting is the merest sugges tion — a line drawing that your

.:., imagination and senses must fill in. : •,. •.. Wondering how William and Jennie i Stephenson or the Chinese residents coped with isolation, or the exciting S q events that occurred during their life times, is a rewarding exercise, because your memories remain with you long af ter you have left “the Forks”. Quesnel Forks is easily accessible, ap proximately sixty miles northeast of 150 Mile House by paved road, and then ten miles by gravel road from Likely. A campsite is maintained by the Forest Service there, and you can spend as : much time as you wish absorbing the .\ sights and sounds of the Cariboo gold L. . rush, limited only by the extent of your imagination.

....p Marie Elliott lives and works in Victoria, and has done extensive research into the histoiy ofthe

Quesnel Forks in 1864 — watercolour by Lt. F W. Whymper. Photo courtesy of B.C. Archives. Cariboo. 19 B.C. Historical News • Summer 92 Forgotten Cariboo Entrepreneurs

by Branwen C. Patenaude

I

108 M’ik House in th 188Oc. Picture courtesy Provincial Archives of British Columbia.

While most historians applaud the ef Beak, with two other drovers, herded the land there. 2 At this time Beak forts of such early pioneers as the 300 head of cattle north to B.C., selling formed a cooperative movement with Harper brothers, Peter Dunlevy, Wil the beef enroute. Following this Beak, the farmers of the 100 Mile and Lac La liam Pinchbeck or John McLean as with a partner James Doyle drove a very Hache area, where they increased the being among the first to venture down large flock of sheep all the way to Bar beef herds and established large dairies the unknown trails of Cariboo, there kerville, where he opened a butcher at the 100 Mile, 105, 127 and 137 Mile were many others, now forgotten, who shop, selling mutton at 4OtD/lb, and ranches. To provide a market for these, were just as early, or even earlier, just as candles of mutton tallow at 50/lb. By Beak left the 108 and 105 ranches in daring, and equally enterprising. 1866, and due to the depressed charge of his neighbours, David Pratt Among these were Charles Miles Beak, economy in the Cariboo, Beak closed and his step brother John Wright while and Michael Costin Brown. his shop and returned to the United he reopened his butcher shop in Barker As a young man in his twenties Beak States. In Oregon during the winter ville in 1869. Due to the great left England for California in the early of 1867 Beak married sixteen year old distance involved, cows driven to mar 1850’s. ‘While mining along the Sacra Marie Johnson of Glencoe County. ket from Lac La Hache were first rested mento River, Beak also worked closely Returning with his bride to the Cariboo and fattened on the alpine meadows of with a vigilante group, routing out the following spring, he purchased the Bald Mountain, south of Barkerville. cheats and outlaws, so prevalent in the 108 Mile Ranch and roadhouse from When marauding bears and wolves con gold rush camps. In the spring of 1862 William Roper, the first preemptor of tinually harassed and killed the cattle, it

20 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 depleted stocks to such an extent that it forced Charles Beak, once again, to close his shop. For a few years Beak continued to maintain herds of cattle on various ranches that he owned in the Lac La Hache area. These were sold in Barkerville through the butchers Von Volcunburgh. 4 Convinced by this time that condi tions for raising beef in the Cariboo were far from ideal, Beak sold off his properties, and by the late 1870’s relo cated in the Upper Nicola River, where he became one of the founding mem bers of the Douglas Lake Ranch. Another very much overlooked Can- boo entrepreneur was Michael Costin Michael C. Brown Brown, miner, packer, hotel proprietor, and storekeeper in several gold rush are as of B.C. and the Yukon. Leaving Ireland with his parents in agent in the bacon. 1850, Michael Brown, as a boy of elev For many years during his long life en travelled across the seas to Ohio, Michael Brown continued to mine, in where he continued his education in the Big Bend Country, the Omineca, Cleveland. By the age of seventeen he the Cassiar, and at Lightning Creek in was already showing a talent for busi Cariboo. Leaving Cariboo for Victoria ness as the proprietor of a hotel in in the 1870’s Brown was married, and Oregon. A chance meeting with the settled down as owner of the Adeiphi leader of the North West Boundary Hotel for the next twenty five years. Commission crew in Walla Walla, But once a miner, always a miner, and where Brown was about to open a sec when gold was discovered in the Yukon ond hotel, led him to the Similkameen he had to go. There at Dawson City he country where gold had been discovered operated a hotel, the Melbourne, for in British territory. Now thoroughly three years, before retiring for a final bitten by the gold bug, Michael Brown time to Victoria. 8 mined on the Thompson River in 1858, and on the Quesnel in 1859. In 1861 when he claimed to have been with Wil liam Dietz in the discovery of Williams Branwen Patenaude is a Cariboo historian ,r Creek, Brown claimed not only to have siding in QuesneL She has published BECA USE “FORGOTrEN PIONEERS” named the creek, but also to have been OF GOLD, and is preparing a history of the Branwen C. Patenaude QuesneL B.C the first to stake a claim there. stopping houses. In Oregon during the spring of 1862

Brown purchased a packtrain of forty REFERENCES two mules on which he transported 8000 lbs of provisions to Cariboo. In a 1. Canboo Sentinel, October 6, 1866, p2. (adv) 2. Caribon Sentinel. July 9,1868, p3 store built at Richfield in 1863, Brown 3. Cariboo Sentinel,June 3, 1869, p2(adv). sold slabs of bacon to the miners for 4. Cariboo Sentinel, Nov. 27.1871. p3. $1.00 lb. 6 After this it became a com 5. ‘British Columbia”, Biographical, Vol 3.. Howay&Scholefield, pgs 1108-1112. mon thing to meet the packer Brown on 6. Diaty of Bishop Hills, July 25. 1862. Anglican the trail to Cariboo, and he became Ch Archives, UBC Campus, Vancouver, B.C. popularly known as “Bacon Brown”, 7. ibid. 8. ‘British Columbia”, Biographical, Vol 3., and his pack of mules the “Bacon Howay & Scholefield. pgs 1108- 1112. Train”. ‘ During the Cariboo goldrush bacon and beans were the steady diet of the miners, and as a result many com plained of suffering with inflamed mouths caused by the strong curing

21 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 Old Time Can boo Dances

by Lonna Kirkpatrick

The people of the Cariboo came from musical instrument in town was a fid for eats in the kitchen, where the cook all over the world to join the native peo dle owned by Kirkpatrick. It was also had provided a wonderful spread. For ple in a unique community. The Road learned that the only man that could three days he had baked bread for this was a vital communication and transpor play the fiddle was Tom himself, and occasion, but after feeding everyone at tation link that joined what would have he was agreeable. six p.m. and again at twelve there was otherwise been remote settlements. The At nine p.m. the fiddle was tuned and not a scrap of bread or anything else sense of community was built with the bow rosined and the MC declared the left. Road but it was truly given life by events dance open for auction. There was a Everyone was content, happy and rar such as dances. Every dance brought an rush for partners as Tom struck up the ing to get going, so the supper hour was opportunity to meet, to visit and to Grand March, assisted by an old fellow cut short and the dance continued. enjoy. named Hanse who had got a couple of The spectators who did not dance were My family were among the earliest set table spoons from the cook to drum on kept highly amused by watching the na tlers in the Cariboo. Both of my great the bottom of a wooden tub. tive girls in their attempts to keep step grandfathers came to find gold and From then on the fiddler was kept with the miners. stayed to build large families with their busy with hornpipes, jigs and reels. With Tom doing the best he could on native brides. Music played an impor There was no shortage of partners, in three strings and everything rolling tant part in their lives. My great uncle fact the gentler sex, who by the way along so smoothly the happy time Sam Kirkpatrick was a talented musician were not so gentle, outnumbered the passed very quickly. Then just as the and, happily, a talented writer as well. men. A great number of the women kitchen cook announced the hour of He wrote two articles about the early were on the heavy side, and not at all four, Bang went the A string on Tom’s dances for the Ashcroft Journal in the graceful in their effort to do the white fiddle. The Master of Ceremonies lost 1950’s. He also wrote a history of our man’s dance. But the surplus avoirdu no time in shouting “Bring Tom an family in letters to my uncle. Following pois sure helped to give the husky other jolt of brandy, and let’s get on are three excerpts from those articles and miners a lively time when it came to with the dance”, which they did. Tom letters. swinging on the corners which the men could not play a tune on two strings so The first dance in Cook’s Ferry (now enjoyed immensely. There were many he just sawed back and forward on the Spences Bridge) took place in the early volunteers to call square dances, so they open strings, making a sort of harmoni 1860’s. Native women were invited to became the order of the night. ous sound, and left the rhythm to the come to be dancing partners with the Everything was free but the drinks, tub thumper. This went on for over an miners. Tom Kirkpatrick was Sam’s fa and after many return trips to the bar hour, but Tom was not playing as loud ther and my great grandfather. room, the fun reached the altitude that as he did before, and they thought he Winter was closing in at the Cariboo could be described as inebriated hilari was getting tired. The fact was he was gold fields. All operations were suspend ty, but it was all good natured fun, and worried about his bow, there were none ed, and the big trek was on towards the everyone was happy. too many hairs on the bow to begin Coast for the winter. Seventy-five per But it seemed that it was too good to with, and they kept breaking all night. cent of the miners were making the trip last, because at eleven o’clock BANG!! So now he was nursing them along try on foot. When they reached the ferry, a went the E string on Tom’s fiddle and ing to make them last the night out. great many laid over for a few days or a he had no spares. The local blacksmith Another hour would do it but just as week to rest and feed up, where provi who was fixit man about town, tried to this thought struck him, Bang, went sions were plentiful, including liquid splice it but to no avail. It broke again the last of the horse tail on Tom’s bow, refreshments. It was during this period before it was in tune. so Tom said “That’s that!” that some livewire suggested they have a By this time the crowd was getting But an old Missourian with a flowing dance. Well, the idea caught on like real restless. Finally the MC said beard, stepped forward and said “My wildfire. They were all in favour. “Three strings are as good as four for dad got in that fix one time down in So a ways and means committee was this crowd, bring Tom another swig of Missouri, he just rubbed rosin on the formed, and they approached Tom Kirk brandy, and let’s get on with the stick and it worked”. So a bit of experi patrick, who was proprietor of the hoteL dance!” So they did just that, with a lit menting went on and some time lost. and store at the time, who willingly do tle more speed and a little more noise. Finally it was tried out and it did really nated the use of his dining room for the Apparently no one missed the broken make a sound. occasion. string. “Just enough for our final square It was soon found out that the only A short recess was called at midnight dance”, shouted the crowd. They lined

22 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 up again and were away like a hurri took the lead in singing songs that were novelty number. While doing a waltz, cane. Then half way through, just as popular at the time, while we all joined Bessie held one corner of a large red the caller said swing your buffalo gal, in the chorus. handkerchief in her left hand, and Jim Bang went the D string on Tom’s fid Then he told us jokes about the farm my held the other corner in his right dle. Well Tom quickly boxed fiddle ers along the way, as we passed each hand, and the large number of figures and bow, then turned and said to the place he pointed out the buildings and they went through was surprising. crowd: “Come on boys, we just have told us who lived there then recounted They dipped and dived, they whirled, time for another good swig before we some humorous incident concerning they swayed and turned in opposite di tackle the flap jacks!” I them. I might say here that it was quite rections, then together they danced the fad When the sons and daughters of Tom in those days to swap yarns forward then backwards. One moment about friends Kirkpatrick grew up, they formed The your and neighbors and they were far apart and the next they Kirkpatrick Orchestra. Great Uncle to play practical jokes on them. were together, waltzing gracefully down We Sam was a part of the orchestra from his passed many vehicles of various the hall. I had seen it done many types that day, mostly two-horse earliest years. They were asked to play rigs. times, but this couple could do it just a There for a wedding ball in Clinton and the was always a lot of good natured little better than the average. banter when following story is Great Uncle Sam’s re and shouting one rig There were a great many individuals membrance of the event. passed another. A sort of rivalry existed whose performance in the square danc between the drivers. They all took a lot es was comical, some people having a The day dawned clear as a bell at Ash- of pride in the animals they drove. gift of being able to do a bit of clown croft on November 22nd, as it usually We eventually pulled into Clinton, ing in their own way that seems to fit does up in God’s country, with a slight and were put up at the Dominion Ho in, and make an amusing spectacle for tang of frost in the air, then the sun tel, where we had a real Cariboo-style those who are looking on. burst over the sand hills to the east in all supper, to which we did ample justice. Volunteer fiddlers took over (while its glory, and soon the chill was gone At a quarter to nine we started tuning the band had supper) and no time was and the morning was lovely. up and the crowd came surging in, and lost. ‘Qhen we got back to the hail, the A BX special, an open type carriage in a very short time the place was over step dancers had the floor, there were at with three seats, drawn by four high- flowing with dancers. At nine sharp we least a dozen of them. They danced in stepping bay horses, came down the struck up the grand march and the pairs, facing each other, with intermit main street and turned with a wide dance was on. The march was led by tent walk-arounds, and believe me sweeping curve and slowed to a stop op the bride and groom, who were a hand those boys could shake a wicked leg. posite the ladies sitting room at the some pair. After the grand march came After we resumed playing there was Ashcroft Hotel. the circassian circle, followed by three an incident that amused me very much, That in itself, was a beautiful sight, round dances, then a quadrille and so being only a boy at the time. While something that is not seen today. A load on all night. dancing “pop goes the weasel”, in the of passengers were waiting on the side There were quite a few round dances set near the Orchestra, a big young girl walk with their musical instruments. performed during the nineties, those I from down around hooked up with They were members of the Kirkpatrick recall now include the Waltz, Schot (an) old “dame” and went three hands Orchestra, who were to furnish music tische, Jersey, Polka, Varsouvienne Heel round then popped, and the old for the Ball at Clinton, consisting of and Toe, Polka Flying Dutchman or “dame” also popped. The result was a myself, my four older brothers and three (Danish Polka), Seven Up, and Mazur head-on collision, it only staggered the sisters. At about 9:30 we boarded the ka. Of course the waltz was done more girl a bit but the impact brought the BX special and pulled out with a flour often then than the others as it was the old “dame” to her knees on the floor. ish that filled my boyish heart with favourite then, as it is today. Once She was helped up and the dance went pride. each night the Caledonia Lancers were on, and I only giggled to myself for The horses were held to a walk for the put on in place of the common square about an hour. I do not know to this first few miles, but once we rounded the dance. day who those ladies were. rock bluffs, the whip popped and we One of the highlights of the evening Well the dance carried on to 6 were away at a speed that was really was the waltzing of Mrs. Dougherty o’clock, then we all hit the hay for the thrilling. That trip through the Valley (mother of the bride) and Mr. B.F. day as there was another big night by horse stage was something you didn’t English, the smooth gracefulness, the ahead. The old timers can tell you that forget in a hurry. A beautiful Valley, a perfect rhythm and time with each oth big dances in those days were two night picture of peace and contentment. The er and the music, made it a affairs. prosperous ranches adjoining one an performance of perfection. They were At 9:00 p.m. November 23rd, we other from Cache Creek to 20 Mile not the only ones. Ninety per cent of were back on the job, raring to go, and House. the dancers were good waltzers, in those the crowd showed as much pep as they Our driver, as well as being an expert days. did the previous night. reinsman, was also quite an entertainer. There was another couple that caught Well the programme was run through He whistled reels and hornpipes in time the eye of the many spectators, Bessie on the same pattern as the night before, with the steps of the lead team. He also the bride and Jimmy Uren, they did a with everyone having a whale of a time.

23 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 It also went till 6 o’clock, and strange as got acquainted. The community got to the Indian Village which was less it may seem the ladies, young and old, together and formed dancing parties. than a mile from the ranch house. She were going strong to the end. Word was sent around and they danced invited the young folks to come down I had all I could do to keep awake that at the farms, a different one each week. and take in the dance. They were all second night, but I managed to hold With a hay rack covered with hay and good dancers, as they had been dancing out till the end, but when we piled into blankets, they traveled in large groups. for years in their own hall, so they came the buggy for the return trip I was dead They sang songs while the sleigh bells eagerly and had an enjoyable time. to the world in a few minutes and the rang and had a whale of a time, so the There was no discrimination, they next thing I knew we were pulling in at winter passed quickly. It was near mixed and danced and had more fun Cole McDonald’s 12 Mile House for Spring when they got to Alkali Lake. than the previous night. But time lunch. The Bowes had not attended those marched on as usual and all too soon It has been easy for me to remember dances as it was a long day’s drive in the Home was danced. Many had a sad the date, November 24th, 1894 as it winter from Alkali Lake to Dog Creek. feeling in their hearts, as they often do was my birthday, and I was eleven years When the crowd had visited the Mea when an enjoyable time comes to an old. son ranch, they were about half way to end and it is time to say Good Bye. And so ended a fine celebration, in Alkali Lake, so they decided to lay over My grandfather, Jim Kirkpatrick, and very fine couple Mr. and for a couple of days and then spring a honour of a my grandmother, Emma Bowe, met Mrs. Mark Eagleson, and to my mind it surprise party on the Bowes. and fell in love over those two days so I, was the grandest of all of Clinton’s With six sleigh loads of dancers and for one, am very glad for the old time Grand Balls. 2 half a dozen fiddlers, they arrived unan dances! nounced, just at suppertime, but they In the long winter months when the were made welcome by the Bowes as al ranch work was slow, small bands of ways with the pioneers of those days. minstrels formed and traveled around Arrangements were put under way to The writer has roots in the Cariboo but now to friends and family for a visit and a lives and works in Calgary. feed the big gang. Soon the big front dance. Great uncle Sam was part of room was cleared, candle wax scraped BIBLIOGRAPHY one of these groups one year and the on to the floor and the dance was on. 1. The First Dance at Cook’s Feny, by Sam Kirk following story is about one such family They danced until day light and break patrick, from the Ashcmft Journal, May 15. event. 1958. fast was announced by the voluntary 2. Memories of the Gay Nineties, by Sam Kirkpa trick, from the Ashcroft Journal, April 1956. All the farms had growing families of cooks. 3. Excerpt from the personal letter from great uncle young men and women, so they soon The second night Emma Bowe went Sam Kirkpatrick to my uncle, also Sam Kirkpa trick, dated November 23, 1963.

KIRKPATRJCK ORCHESTRA November23, 1894 BACKROW Litta (Kirkpatrick,) Stephenson, ida (Kirkpatrick) Bowe, Mary ‘May” (Kirkpatrick) Felker, Jim Kirkpatrick. MiDDLE ROW Bill Kirkpatrick, Frank Kirkpatrick (l6yrs. old,), Jack Kirkpatrick FRONT ROW: Sam Kirkpatrick (11 yrs. old the next day)

MISSiNG: Tom Kirkpatrick (7yrs. old - at home) Photo courtesy of the Glenbow Museum.

24 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 The Saga ofLouis LeBourdais

by Winston A. Shilvock

There’s a legend in the Cariboo Coun a small sawmill at Barkerville from try of British Columbia that’s almost where he drove six-horse teams to take 100 years old and has become a part of out lumber and bring in supplies. the historical heritage of our province. In 1910 Louis was 22, an age that in It’s the story of the life of Louis LeBour those days was considered mature, so he dais, one of the most adored and settled down and went back to the tele admired of our early pioneers. graph key, operating out of Golden for Louis LeBourdais was born in Clinton the CPR. Here he met and fell in love in June, 1888, the son of Adelbert Le with Katie Pughe whom he married in Bourdais from Quebec and Eleanor 1912, shortly after being transferred to Connich from Ontario. This was a free Grand Forks. This was followed with a wheeling time in the Cariboo. It was stint at the CPR main office in Vancou only 30 years after gold had been discov ver and then a transfer to Vernon. ered to the south on the Fraser River Then, for the first of two times Fate and only 26 years since “Dutch Bill” made a move and Louis LeBourdais re Dietz and “Doc” Keithley had created a ceived a break that would determine the stampede to the north with their fabu course of the rest of his life. The Yukon lous gold strikes. Telegraph offered him a job as operator! This was a time when the stage coach lineman at its office in Quesnel. Louis Louis LeBourdais es of the BX Express skimmed over the was about to return to his beloved Photo courtesy of the Quesnel Museum. Great North Road at a speed of six miles Cariboo! though this was his first attempt at writ an hour and the massive, slower freight Katie was soon to have their first son, ing a story, it proved a huge success and ers, drawn by mules, horses and oxen Jim, so she stayed in Vernon until the demands soon came for more. labored north with supplies for the baby was born December 24. In Febru Thus was launched the writing career miners. ary, 1915, she was able to undertake the of Louis LeBourdais and over the next As a youngster Louis’ first recollections exhausting trip ahead which required a 30 years he wrote dozens of stories were of horses and he was able to ride as week to travel by train to Ashcroft and about characters and events in the Can- soon as he was able to walk. At 13 he then by stage coach to Quesnel. In the boo. It was the fame generated by his earned extra money by breaking wild meantime Louis had established living stories that led me to him in 1934. stallions after school and from this he quarters in a two-story frame house on That year I was researching material developed a love of horses that never Front Street situated on the bank of the for a film script on the history of British diminished. Fraser River. This also housed the tele Columbia and the natural person to However, this wasn’t a profitable voca graph office and would be home to the contact for the Cariboo segment was tion so by the time he was 15 Louis had LeBourdais for many years to come. Louis LeBourdais. I’d been told he was learned to read and write well and, Considerable time was required to “very approachable” and would be more taught by his father, had become profi maintain the telegraph lines and Louis than willing to help me. This was the cient in telegraphy, at that time the only was away a lot making repairs. To fill under-statement of the year! Dropping means of transmitting messages. His in for him Katie learned to operate the everything he took me in tow and for first job was with the government tele telegraph key and was soon classed as a two days we toured to Cottonwood graph as operator/lineman at Fort professional. Her real name was Kathe House, Barkerville and for miles around Alexandria. Besides operating the tele rine Elizabeth but the nickname “Katie” Quesnel. He knew everyone and the graph key he also had to keep in repair came from her key sign-off letters, number of introductions he gave me 60 miles of line. To a youngster of 15 boggled the mind. One of my most this was a very arduous task and he soon It was just over a year later, on January poignant disappointments in life has gave it up. 17, 1916, when, for a second time, Fate been that I never again had the opportu The next few years in Louis’ life were entered Louis’ life. It was big news that nity to visit with Louis before he died. restless ones for his wasn’t a nature to be night when, in -45F temperature, half Louis never lost an opportunity to ad tied down. For a year he worked in a of Quesnel was completely burned out. vertise his beloved Cariboo. In 1936 he store in Clinton; next he tried his hand Louis realized the importance of the organized the Cariboo Pageant section as a cowboy and hostler for the BX event and quickly filed a story on it to of a parade held in Vancouver to mark stages; then he and his brother operated The Vancouver Daily Province. Al- the Golden Jubilee Mining week. Van-

25 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 ______

couverites marvelled at the vast array of joined the army and served in the Ital his philosophy of life. The grave site has bull teams, a six-horse stage coach, a ten- ian and European campaigns and that no fence around it like other important horse pack train and colorful cowboys on his second son, Jeremie, who turned 18 people and the headstone, a large rock, their ponies. in 1943, was on convoy duty with the is enscribed, simply, “Louis LeBourdais

On one occasion after his election to Royal Canadian Navy. - 1888-1947”. the provincial legislature in Victoria in After his discharge in October, 1945, Travellers to the Cariboo today can 1937, to advertise the Cariboo beef in Louis went back to politics and as usu witness a pleasant reminder of Louis Le dustry, he treated his fellow members to al, was elected to Victoria with a very Bourdais, for on the east side of the largest, juiciest steaks ever seen on large majority. Time was beginning to Quesnel, hard by the highway, is a large, Vancouver Island. This put the finish run out for him, however, and this was beautiful grassy knoll named LeBourdais ing touch to assure the passage of his destined to be his last election. Park, a colorful tribute to the memory Beef Grading Act, the most advanced of In 1946 Louis had to miss the Fall of one of British Columbia’s eminent its kind in Canada. session of the legislature as his health pioneers. Louis looked on alfalfa (Cariboo alfaL began to rapidly deteriorate and in Feb fa) as a great health food and he once ruary, 1947, he underwent major served dozens of “Alfalfa Muffins” to his abdominal surgery. He was still very Winston Shilvock graduatedfrom UB.C. with fellow MLAs to advertise the agricultural weak in June but he mustered enough B.A. 1931, B.Comm., 1932 and was working in potential of the Cariboo. strength to travel to Williams Lake to Vancouver in advertising when be visited the When war broke out in 1939 Louis lead the parade to open the annual Cariboo and met Louis LeBourdais. was 51 years old. Although he had twice Stampede. Three months later in Sep A grateful acknowledgment is made to —

been refused enlistment in the 1914- tember, 1947, Louis LeBourdais died RUTH STUBBS — Co-ordinator of the Quesnel and 1918 conflict, his patriotsm rose once quietly in his home at Quesnel. Distsict Museum for supplying historical data on Louis again and he offered his services. To his His funeral was conducted by the Ma LeBourdais fwm - 1. Quesnel - Commercial Centre of the Cariboo Gold

elated surprise he was accepted for the sons and the Royal Canadian Legion Rush - Gordon R. Effiott. Royal Canadian Signal Corps and later and during the service the song, “Don’t 2. A story by M.E. LeBourdais in the publication of the Old Age Pensioners Organization, Branch #77, transferred to the Arniy Press Relations. Fence Me In” was sung at his request. Quesnel, B.C.

He was proud indeed that his son, Jim, This wasn’t just a cowboy song - it was 3. Because of Gold - Branwen C. Patenaude.

f 4t/&&a/o’jtom’ Piee’ J es’o’e4s’4’ Ca4oo.

©çes CHz1S. ClOWHU1ST, I FARMER. TEAMSTER —JOLiN McRAE, — anD BLACKSMITH. P15./ER RANCH. ALEXIS CREEk, g HOTEL AND GENERAL STOREKEEPER, * Dry Goods, Boots asd Shoes, Hardware, fliners’ Supplies, Sawmill Sspplles, Lumber. Shingles, etc. Wines. Liquors and Cigars. Feed Stables. Hay and Grain.

•

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‘—--‘‘OBAt.BRS IN—’-’-’ Flay, 0.-el, and ‘arm PrsdUst, Wines. LII,,,. .fld ClOts.

$ene’sI fIke of SvAs1,q nyu feco. lsqias ed Siaqe,

Fre,qht tm,,,d & Olive,ed will, diapu,h, T CBIBOO TlLGEAPM LXN, 5p,eis Pte swoRd. Connecting with the Western Tujon Telegraph Csmpany. • U.______

‘TA€5r& bttei’%etzdr ap ohcea’D4’aar t% coñL%,r of/fif \ C”

26 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 Remembering the P. G.E. (B. C. Rail)

by TD. Sale

At 10 a.m. on January 1, 1914 an early 1914 the boom that British Columbia steam engine with two vintage coaches had enjoyed collapsed. Banks had less carrying 150 passengers left the station at money to loan. Unemployment saw the foot of Lonsdale Avenue in North the advent of the soup kitchens. La Vancouver. It travelled west along Bur bour problems such as the Nanaimo rard Inlet past the Indian Mission, over strike increased. December 1915 saw the Capilano River and sixteen minutes the resignation of Conservative Premier later arrived at Dundarave in West Van McBride. The P.G.E. was in serious fi couver. Both Mayor Hanes of North nancial trouble. Vancouver and Reeve May of the adja Until 1914 Squamish was known as cent Municipality predicted a great Newport. In this area and in Clinton future for the Pacific Great Eastern Rail all sorts of land development schemes way which had been named after the were underway. On February 20, 1915 Great Eastern Railway of England. the first P.G.E. train ran from Squam The P.G.E. was championed by B.C.’s ish to Lillooet. By 1916 construction premier Sir Richard McBride and his had reached Clinton and the Chasm. conservative government at the spring The railway contractors had run out of sitting of the Legislature of 1912. Vari money. Premier Richard McBride had ous and sundry surveys and pians had been succeeded by Premier William . been carried out prior to the awarding of Bowser. Harlan Brewster was the Lib QUL5NL. . •‘. - the contract to Foley, Welch and Stew eral Leader of the Opposition. It is art. The terms of the contract were (1). interesting to note that the Lieutenant B.C. held a first mortgage. (2). B.C. Governor was Frank Stillman Barnard guaranteed $35,000 per mile. (3). Inter who was the son of the founder of the est on securities was at the rate of 4 1/2% famous Cariboo BX Coach Company. M LAkL and was payable for not less than 30 The P.G.E. had become a political years and (4) Only white labour was to football during the World War I years. be used. It was envisioned that the In the spring of 1917 an intensive par P.G.E. would carry all of the Grand liamentary investigation was underway. Trunk Pacific Railroad’s freight between Much accusing and cross questioning

‘ Vancouver and Prince George. took place in the legislature especially ::‘: Old discarded rolling stock was pur in regard to money outlay and payment 0 (.INTON chased from various sources. The day to individuals for services rendered. In coaches had very uncomfortable seats. February 1918 the Government of Brit Antiquated heaters that had to be re ish Columbia took over the P.G.E. fueled constantly were located at each from the bankrupt firm of Foley, end. Coal oil lamps were used to light Welch and Stewart for the sum of 1.1 the coaches when necessary. Sudden million dollars. Following the death of stops or starts frequently splashed some Premier Harlan Brewster in March of the liquid about if they had just been 1918 John Oliver became Premier of filled. Schedules were printed but rarely B.C. He promised that the P.G.E. maintained in the early days. would be completed to Prince George Prior to the end of 1914 the P.G.E. as soon as possible and extended to the VAr1Ou? track was extended in West Vancouver Peace River area. to where the Gleneagles Golf Course is In the beginning contracts had been —..__.-.___.‘..___ .__. —- now located. My first train ride in early let by sections and not always to the lowest bid per 1919 was on the P.G.E. from North mile. No performance P.G.E. circa 1950 Vancouver to West Vancouver and re bid bond was required. Cost overruns turn as a birthday excursion. were common. For material and horses With the approach of World War I in supplied five and one half percent was

27 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 added. The government had appointed John MacLean continued the efforts to for 200, 500 or 1000 ties. The contract the Northern Construction Company as unload the ever increasing debt ridden recipient cut his ties during the winter their chief contractor. Sub-contractors P.G.E. The 1928 Provincial elections and ‘snaked’ them out with the help of were in the picture with the parent com saw the defeat of the Liberal Govern his horse. The ties had to be delivered pany pocketing substantial sums with no ment and the triumph of the to the railway track, inspected and accounting to the government. Conservatives led by Dr. Simon Fraser counted before payment was made. The portion of the P.G.E. with which I Tolmie. Meanwhile the P.G.E. contin A trip to the Cariboo in the Depres am familiar is between Horse Lake, ued to cost the government over two sion Days was quite an adventure. It which was known as Fawn, and Wil million dollars each year. There was began in Vancouver by boarding a Un liams Lake. In 1919 the railway was the humble beginnings of a slight re ion Steamship to Squamish. Delays built past this area which included Lone duction in the operating deficit. were frequent and unpredictable. It was Butte in April where there was a con The 1929 stock market crash heralded next to impossible to maintain a sched struction camp of importance, Canim, the onset of the Great Depression of ule. The coaches were uncomfortable. Exeter, Tatton, Lac La Hache, Wright, the 1930’s. There was a strong recom There were no facilities for sleeping or Enterprise, St. Joseph, Cariboo Indian mendation in 1932 to sell the P.G.E. meals. Sleep was intermittent at best School, Onward, and in September and drastically cut back operating since the steam train stopped with a jerk 1919 Williams Lake. expenses. and started with a jerk. Lighting was By the end of July 1921 Quesnel had In late 1933 the Liberals with Duff poor. Reading was almost impossible. been reached. In fact the rails had been Pattullo as Premier became the govern On arrival at the destination the station laid as far as Cottonwood which is six ing party of British Columbia. was either locked for the night or if it teen miles north of Quesnel. Following Although he also wished to sell the happened to be opened it was “colder the Sullivan Report P.G.E. construction P.G.E. to Canadian interests he was ad inside than out.” One couldn’t expect came to a standstill. The Report recom amantly opposed to selling the to be met at the station as the arrival mended a “hold the line” policy with no government’s railway to the Americans time could not be foretold. The only al more money to be spent. Bonds were who were making tempting offers. ternative was to walk to the destination not selling at all well on the money mar It was the 1934 to 1939 era when I if the distance was at all reasonable. ket. The sixteen miles of rails to was able to observe the workings of In September 1939 World War II be Cottonwood were ripped up and sold to P.G.E. from my vantage point as a gan and was to last for nearly six years. Japan for scrap. teacher in the Cariboo. Velocipedes for By January 1941 the P.G.E. debt had In 1924 a Royal Commission was held each section had been replaced by gas risen to nearly 80 million dollars. In De to investigate the high costs of construc speeders so that section crews could be cember 1941 Duff Pattulo lost the tion and the apparent wastage. The transported to and from the work site leadership of the Liberal Party to John result was that the government was each day. Each section had a house for Hart who became Premier. Following cleared of all charges. By the end of the section foreman and his family. the end of World War II, Premier John 1924 the government loss on its P.G.E. Other hired personnel lived in a bunk Hart had more surveys done with a view investment was approaching thirty mil house. Their task was to keep their to extending the P.G.E. into the Peace lion dollars and was increasing section in good repair. Some of these River with a terminal at Fort St. John substantially each year. Premier John duties included changing damaged ties and another at Dawson Creek. The era Oliver was known to favour selling the by hand, spraying weeds along the of the steam engines was rapidly draw provincially owned railway line along track, reporting the weather, and clear ing to an end. The notation such as 4- with a crown land grant partially free of ing their section of track of any 2-2 is derived from the number of taxes for a number of years to the obstructions. wheels in each group (1) 4 leading carry purchaser. Many stations had large watertanks in ing wheels (2) 2 driving wheels and (3) As a cost saving measure the popular order to supply water to the steam en 2 trailing carrying wheels. The nose cab

North Vancouver to Whytecliffe section gines. Fairly frequently cattle or other type diesel - electric locomotives had by of P.G.E. was terminated in 1928. The animals would wander onto the tracks April 1949 replaced the old familiar Horseshoe Bay to Squamish section was and would be hit or have to be re steam engines on much of the P.G.E.’s put on hold necessitating travel by Un moved. Many small stations were flag main line in the interior of B.C. ion Steamships from Vancouver to stops only. At most stations the train Meanwhile the Coalition under the Squamish. The Company was left with would at least slow down to drop a mail Premiership of Byron Johnson had been a railway operating from Squamish to sack and pick up the outgoing mail voted out of office and B.C. was now Quesnel often referred by the media sack. Roads to the small stations were sampling the new Social Credit Party ‘from nowhere to nowhere.’ The turn very poor and some distance from with W.A.C. Bennett as Premier. ing, twisting line received such jocular where the local residents lived. For ex Freight consisting of cattle, logs and

publicity as “Please Go Easy” “Provincial ample — Exeter Station was two miles mineral ore was being hauled in box cars Government Expense” and “Prince from 100 Mile House. to Squamish and by tug and barge to George Eventually.” In the Depression Days local residents Vancouver. Finally in September of Following the death of Premier John were able to secure ‘tie contracts’ from 1952 the P.G.E. reached Prince George Oliver in August 1927 his successor Dr. the P.G.E. Usually the contracts were a distance of 80 miles from Quesnel. It

B.C. Historical News Summer 92 28 _____

was exactly 40 years after the railway was five hundred million dollars was a dis the Royal Hudson No. 2860 with its started. Premier W.A.C. Bennett then tance of8l miles to Tumbler Ridge. notation of 4 - 6 - 4 as it runs on the announced that the B.C. Government In 1984 through government reorgan B.C. rail tracks from North Vancouver would complete the Squamish to North ization of the company’s finances it was to Squamish and return. Vancouver extension with a target date possible to trim $430 million from its One final postscript in regard to the of June 11, 1956. By October 1958 $600 million debt. As it stands at Williams Lake station house; in addition (B.C.’s Centennial Year) the P.G.E. present the B.C. Rail maintains 1388 to serving the travelling public, the de reached completion at both Dawson miles of track and employs 2600 peo pot on MacKenzie Avenue has housed Creek and Fort St. John some 46 years ple. The corporation owns 120 the “Station House Gallery” for the past after its inception. locomotives and 10,500 freight cars. In ten years. Thus another building of the Shop crews located at Squamish, LII the period 1986-1990 passenger tour early P.G.E. era has been restored and looet, and Williams Lake took pride in ists doubled. In 1990 it was necessary preserved as a heritage location. keeping the steam locomotives in top for the B.C. Government to subsidize running condition. The distance from the B.C. Rail by three million dollars. North Vancouver to Dawson Creek and The assets of the B.C. Rail presently Don Sale is the Corresponding Secretary fir the Fort St. John was 729 miles. On Sun amount to 1.2 billion dollars. B.C Historical Federation, and serves as a judge day April 30, 1972 P.G.E.’s Time Table Modernization of equipment contin fir the Writing Competition. He also keeps busy Number 93 expired and British Colum ues. The diesel-electric nose cab type with many community oanizations including bia Railway Time Table No. 1 came into was followed by the road freight type. the Nanaimo Iuseum. force. That same year the railway expan Budd car passenger units make com sion was completed to Fort Nelson and fortable travelling to the interior of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS begun to Dease Lake which was later B.C. I. Information from Provincial Axchjves. abandoned. The final extension 2. Information from Vancouver Public Library. which Memories of the steam train era are 3. Information from Vancouver Sun Newspaper. was carried out in 1983 at the cost of being kept alive each tourist season by 4. Sundry historical records kept by friends.

Holiday Resorts — Seaside Cottages ‘ I I

(‘iiTS1 Ei MSi’N I LlF.iI1.D DEC 9— 1932

çs. . CAPILANO L,

OiZ C)

‘I

Iv. ‘7ott(bL drcJ i.)

Delig&tul Coastal Trips from $1.00 to $55.00

lJravet and ihip Ivy 1956UNION

Reproduced courtesy ot the Vancouver Maritime Museum.

29 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92

92 B.C. Summer Historical News 30

started Army American The Simpson. didn’t them help hour always an cents miscellaneous big tarpaper, nails, grader,

Fort to other the and Whitehorse to hour forty for of shifts twelve months one equipment, smith mechanical shop,

north road one of the’ roads, Three beginning cursing. and threats of lot black sawmill, a of portable complete

of maps two intersection the was a morale with low, was it crew now By consisting sleighs There freight were five

On Zero. their called They hill. town. a steep on tree a to it spread. eight-foot an and runners foot

renamed the The even Americans their find to chained bunkhouse heads twelve- with sleighs special of consisted

around store.” the almost their on up standing wake times train cat The equipment. and plies

all up pile to had I this? all with some and the on it would sleep to move sup •construction bringing wilderness

do I on to going I am What said, and day difficult found They ground. frozen the through frozen it crept north slowly

a bags twenty week, a times in ing on stay to seven night and day They cat the travelled trail train bulldozer and the broke

com mail had Army American the soon south. the 1941. of rest The headed crew A February in son Creek

month, but a once mail got we when north. Daw left that train cat the of heard they

which fine was six little room, all six by Nelson Fort haul to by from sent it stories Their fueled was skepticism

Office, Post a dish the had I be pan....and a spring the in would barge south. flooding the to them connect to supposed

there’s something the want you finished do to the had river When that men. two was highway the and yard back their

said I and if off boys days have would by guarded equipment the left They for destined airport the got soon of wind

soldier the of ..some was fun. of lots into disappear it locals the and it. would of side River, Nelson the

work, hard but the did was cooking...it cats the and quicksand like was the on Fort which Old east the at was ‘town’

could eat...we for you as much as cents muskeg, in bulldozers odrive to ble the Then about people. hundred one

75 charged .we fourteen.. sit would that impossi It breakup. spring before was population a of fur with post trading

table one per meals nyhad only “I day. had They south return to April. of end an isolated was 1941 In Nelson Fort

of track the us...” kept Georges by The as far as the got they was Sikanni in passengers twelve about with it.

mobbed Army about just .they food.. of tent. large a under ‘big’ a plane land could he Now forest. -

tired and sick .of were they course had meal.. out dried be to then cables, and u of cut it the runway ploughed primitive a

a for go noecould anyone only the logs place of made tripod huge a using up scraped and already had it McConachie

had We spent they and money had raise to days three took It it. the of St. river. Fort John, from through road

They over. took “...they said, George bottom the to plunged lpe and slipped cat a put to winter Edmonton from tractor

of Lodema Nelson. Fort in either one Sikanni the bank the from River feet con a hired the by government the time

only the was George’s Cafe and Fifty Store serious most hardship. the was But Russia,. to fly to lease were aircraft

millions. ice cat the rotten through Dropping lend- which Air Route Staging over west

spent and road the built and took over procedure. the of North part Nelson Fort since was

and came Americans The overwhelmed. whole the repeat and back go then airport there, an build plans to have

locals the And were American rush. cursing, prying, winching, side, other did government Canadian The Nelson.

an was rush, gold a way. the the wasn’t It up chained rest it trees, to the leaving Fort in airport an long. needed He year

more and on Nelson Fort in soldiers US time, a at one taking sleigh Sometimes all wheels on operating class first airline

1942 2000 were the By there of fall hills. all on roughlocking to bridges, a have was dream McConachie’s

for pay to have didn’t they making clearing, it. blasting, dozing, or enough. thawed

as long as agreed Canadian Bull government Mountain. Sikanni the down go frozen enough wasn’t river the because

The possible. as fast as Alaska to road to days It three took slow. was progress land couldn’t plane of the year the weeks

a building into US and and governments mishaps with plagued were They six for en that meant float which planes,

Canadian the forced had Harbor Pearl ski five. other the and operated son. Southern Yukon

1942. in of spring the Corps akfor back go then broken, trail was Fort in the Nel stop regular a meant which

Engineer and Forces US of Armed as far pull D7 as sleighs five would the and Whitehorse Edmonton between

arrival the by surprised completely the were and down trees plow oe would dozer mail the route acquired Transport Air

They about more D7 they’d much The hear a by it. bull Cat. time a at pulled Yukon Southern Grant McConachie’s

doubted oe and joked Nelsonites Fort were the for Five crew. 1937 barracks with By freight. light and mail carrying

depression. the of the sleighs beginning there And four were meat. flying with overhead pilot bush sional

since them of many the for job first was only loaded sleigh One food. was and occa the just was thirties the In it early

if Even job. a having about good feel fuel diesel gasoline, it materials, building enough. quietly out started It

Gerri by Young

Rush American The the first service station with a sign that said: POSITiVELY NO GAS SOLD FOR CASH because it was for Army ve hicles only. They opened another restaurant with a flagpole in front and • .: set up a movie hail in a quonset hut. They even had big name entertainers, like the Andrews Sisters come and per form. They danced at George’s and skated on the river. ‘ ‘When Earl Bartlett first came to Fort Nelson, in 1943, he said the letters USED were stamped on all vehicles. “I was surprised there were so many used vehicles, until I realized the letters stood for United States Engineering Division.” Ledema George said, “There were a lot Muskeg causes problemsfor road builders in this area. of awfully nice men, a lot of awfully Photo courtesy of Michael Fraser. homesick boys in the bush...”, who by the end of the year had completed the road. “It seemed there was a vehicle eve ry five minutes, on that old road...that first bunch of boys that went through.. .they deserve a lot of credit.” By 1943 a lot of Canadians were mov ing to Fort Nelson to work for the American Army or to set up their own businesses. By 1946 the US Army trans ferred command of the highway to the Canadian Armed Forces. But the work on the highway continued, with largely civilian crews, to make it, and keep it, an all-weather road. Now the highway is wide and straight with expensive sports cars and RV’s from all over the continent joining the trans port trucks and local traffic which use US. Army Engineers dressed infisll combatgear on the Alaska Highway. this route. It would be unimaginable to Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. the freezing men who struggled a hun dred and fifty miles through the forest with a lurching cat train in the spring of 1941.

Gerri Young came to Fort Nelson in 1952 with her husband andyoungfamily. In 1980 she pub lished a history of Fort Nelson. She works as a librarian in Fort Nelson School District 81.

The First Convoy pftrucks on the completed route, November20, 1942.

31 B.C. Historical News . Summer 92 WRITING COMPETITION 1991 THE FORBIDDEN CITY WITHIN VICTORIA, • HIDDEN CITIES OF VANCOUVER - Lieutenant by David Chuenyan Lai. AND VICTORIA, Governor’s Medal $12.95 -212 pp -softcover. by Gregory Edwards. ISBN 0-920501-63-X $22.95 -151 pp - soft cover. SALMON Orca Book Publishers, P.O. Box 5626, Stn. B. Victoria, ISBN 0-88922-287-8 by Geoff Meggs, B.C. V8R 6S4 Talonbooks, Vancouver.

$29.95 - 265 - hard cover pp BROTHER TWELVE, VANCOUVER ANTHOLOGY: the ISBN 0-88894-734-8 by John Oliphant. Douglas & McIntyre Ltd. Institutional Politics of Art, $29.95 -371 pp -hard cover. by Stan Douglas. ISBN 0-7710-6848-4 edited $27.95 -301 pp - soft cover. Certificate Winners McCIeIIand & Stewart Inc., ISBN 0-88922-293-2 481 University Avenue, Toronto, Ont. M5G 2E9 Taionbooks, Vancouver. NOOTKA SOUND EXPLORED by Laurie Jones, COWNGWOOD PIONEERS, by Barbara Nielsen. THE DUNSMUIRS: Alone at the Edge, $34.95 - 236 - hard cover pp $12.00 -112 pp -softcover. by Rod Langley. ISBN 0-91 9537-24-3 Published by The Collingwood Pioneers. $12.95 -103 pp-softcover. Ptarmigan Press, 1372 Island Highway, Obtainable from: Mrs. Jean Crowley, 5805 Wales St., ISBN 0-88922-297-5 Campbell River, B.C. V9W 2E1 Vancouver, B.C. V5R 3N5 Talonbooks, Vancouver. PLACES OF WORSHIP IN THE LOOKING BACK ON JAMES ISLAND, CUSTODIAN OF YELLOW POINT, by Bea Bond. by Marilyn McCrimmon. COWICHAN & CHEMAINUS $9.95 -63 pp-softcover. $14.95- 174 pp - soft cover. VALLEYS, ISBN 0-919931-16-2 ISBN 0-88878-308-6 Beach Holme Publishing Ltd., by Ellen Mackay. Porthole Press Ltd., 2802 Neptune Road, R.R. #3 Sidney, B.C. 4252 Commerce Circle, Victoria, B.C. V8Z 4M2 $1 6.95 - 318 pp - soft cover V8L3X9 ISBN 1-55039-021 -X MOUNTAIN MEMORIES - A History of Sono Nis Press, Victoria. ARCHDEACON ON HORSEBACK, Burke, by Cyril E. H. Williams & Pixie McGeachie. by Norma K. Campbell. $9.95 -112 pp - softcover. $12.95 -169 pp - soft cover. HOMESTEADS AND SNUG ISBN 0-929069-05-6 ISBN 0-895502-00-4 HARBOURS: The Gulf Islands Sonotek Publishing Ltd., P.O. Box 1752, Merrrit, B.C., Metaphoric Media, Inc., 105-1776 Broadway Street, by Peter Murray, VOK2BO Port Coquitlam, B.C. V3C 2M8 $14.95 -213 pp - soft cover. ISBN 0-920663-13-3 HEART OF THE FRASER VALLEY, FATAL CRUISE: The Trial of Robert Horsdal and Schubart, by Loretta R. Riggins and Len Walker. P.O. Box 1, Ganges, VOS lEO $19.92, softcover- Frisbee, by William Deverell. $24.92, hard cover -296 pp. DUFF PATTULLO OF B.C., ISBN 0-9693396-0-7 $29.95 -384 pp - hard cover. by Robin Fisher. Matsqui/Abbotsford Community Services, and Mat ISBN 0-7710-2663-3 McCIeIIand & Stewart Inc., 481 University Avenue $40 -445 pp - hard cover. squi Centennial Society, 200-32315 South Fraser ISBN 0-8020-2780-6 Way, Clearbrook, B.C. V2T 1W7 South, Suite 900, Toronto, Ont., M5G 2E9 University of Toronto Press, 5201, Dufferin St., NORTH TO ALASKA, Downsview, Ont. M3H 5T8 THE S.S. MOVIE, by Robert D. Turner. by Ken Coates. $34.95 -304 - hard cover. $11.95- 60 pp - soft cover. pp THE WEST BEYOND THE WEST, ISBN 1-55039-013-9 ISBN O-7710-2164-X by Jean Barman. Sono Nis Press, 1745 Blanshard St., Victoria, B.C. McCieiiand and Stewart Inc. Toronto. $35-429pp-hardcover. V8W 2J8 ISBN 0-8020-2739-3 BURNABY, A PROUD CENTURY, University of Toronto Press. ALEX LORD’S BRITISH COLUMBIA, by Pixie McGeachie. edited by John Calam. $20.00 - (in GST) -128 pp - hard cover. PIONEER PARISH: The Story of ISBN 0-921926-08-1 $35.95, hard cover - St. Peter’s Quamichan, $15.95, softcover -192 pp. Bumaby Centennial Committee, 6525 Sprott St., by David R. Williams. ISBN 0-7748-0381-9 Burnaby, B.C. V5B 3B8 $10 -92 pp - soft cover. UBC Press, 6344 Memorial Road, Vancouver, B.C. ISBN 1-55056-106-5 V6T 1Z2 MALASPINA AND GAUANO, St. Peter’s Quamichan Anglican church, 5800 church by Donald C. Cutter. Rd., RR 5, Duncan, B.C. V9L 4T6 $34.95 - 160 pp - hard cover. LAND OF DESTINY, ISBN 0-88894-715-I by Charles Lillard and Michael Gregson. Douglas & Mcintyre Ltd., 1615 Venables St., - SALMON CANNERIES $32.95- 162 pp - hard cover. Vancouver, B.C. V5L 2H1 British Columbia North Coast, ISBN 0-88978-240-7 by Gladys Young Blyth. Arsenal Pulp Press, 100-I 062 Homer Street, Vancou $19.95 -180 pp -softcover. ver, B.C., V6B 2W9 EMPRESS TO THE ORIENT, Oolichan Books, P.O. Box 10, Lantzviile, B.C. VOR 2H0 by Dr. W. Kaye Lamb. JUSTICE IN OUR TIME: The Japanese $19.95, soft cover- POWELL STREET MONOGATARI, Canadian Redress Settlement $34.95, hard cover - 148 pp. by A. Katsuyoshi Morita. Vancouver Maritime Museum, 1905 Ogden Avenue, by Roy Miki and Cassandra Kobayashi. Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1A3 $12 -149 pp -softcover. $29.95 - 160 pp -hard cover. Japanese Canadian History Preseivation ISBN 0-88922-292-4 Committee, 348 Powell Street, Vancouver, B.C. Talonbooks, 201/1019 Cordova St., Vancouver, B.C. V6A 1 G4 V6A 1M8 32 D.C. Historical News - Summer 92 ______

NEWS & NOTES HERITAGE AWARD TO BURNABY The photo originally was in the collection are selling at $10 plus $1.50 postage. of the Albemi District Museum and Order from: Burnaby Historical Society recently Historical Society which had been turned Regina Archaeokigicai Society received recognition from Heritage Trust for over to the Alberni Valley Museum who PO.Box931 their hard work and many achievements in supplied the print. The donor had been Regina Sashatdiev S4P3B1 preserving local heritage. This award quite specific: the ship was the “Uchuck comes during Burnaby’s Centennial Year III”. Then we realized that there were only but acknowledges the many projects two photos on hand although four Uchucks EUZABETH GRUBBE completed during the past 35 years. had served up and down the Inlet — some North Shore Historical Society has lost Congratulations! gaps needed filling. its secretary and enthusiastic promoter. The request went out via Society Elizabeth Grubbe, who attended many BCHF INTERNATiONAL members, the local newspaper and the Meetings with her husband David, passed local radio station — we need information away in March after a lengthy battle with MARME BICENTENNIAL about the Uchucks — all four of them — cancer. EXPEDON 1992 please share! Our own volunteers started reading microfilm of earlier papers and From May to October 1992 replicas of MADGE (Wolfenden) HAMILTON ships’ boats will be moving along the B.C. copies of “The Twin Cities Times” which Coast and around the islands to follow the had reproduced some excellent historic 1893-1992 paths of the crews exploring this area in photos while it was in business. The Madge Hamilton, an Honorary Life 1792. The organizers are seeking: record grew and early in 1992 came the Member of BCHF, passed away April 28, 1] donations to defray costs (Tax piece de resistance — a visit from Dave 1992. She had contributed much to the deductible receipts will be issued.) Young whose father had owned the early functioning of the provincial archives, the 2] participants to sign up for various Uchucks and now he himself is co-owner Victoria branch of the B.C. Historical stages of the journey. and piloting the UCHIJCK Ill west from Association and to the Federation. Madge 3] audiences at each port of call. Gold River. grew up in an age before the computer but For further details phone Makolm F Me,shall Dave brought along scrapbooks and she had a built in data base and retrieval at (604) 539-2923 other material for us to copy, with the system which functioned without crashing or Write to theDlscoi.vryRerctmentSodety promise that one day the originals would to the end. Past President John Spittle Whaler Bay Gahano lslano B.C. VON 1PO come to rest in our Community Archives. consulted her in February and was given a There is also a commemorative display We now have photos of all four vessels — lengthy episode from her phenomenal at Vancouver Maritime Museum until “UCHUK”, the “UCHUK I”, “UCHUK II, and memory. September1992. “UCHUK Ill”. Which ship was in the photo? It was the original “IJCHUK”, after it had been extended in 1938, so note the NORTH VANCOUVER HISTORY? MASSACHUSETTS CONNECTION correction below the illustration in the “NEWS” Did you ever live in North Vancouver? If A visitor in Victoria was researching his “yes” you are invited to jot down or type ancestors when The big bonus behind this research is a thoughtful librarian di that we now your memories of life and happenings in rected him to an article on “The Johnson have some first hand this community and information about the four “UCHUCK”s and send them to: Robert Brown - Edito, Street Gang,” in the B.C.H. News. The their North Shore gentleman role in keeping the little communities Historical Newsletter returned to Massachusetts, then along the Alberni Inlet in touch with phoned your editor to request a copy of this their 2327Kilmamock Crescent issue (Vol. 22 #1). He excitedly told of neighbours. It was worth a second look! North Vancouve, B.C. V7J 273 finding a bit about his grandfather with a Alberni District Historical Society, Anne W Holt, longer item about his grand-uncle John J. Volunteer Archivist FALL WORKSHOPS Hart ‘who was sometimes involved in less The University of Victoria is presenting a than legitimate business deals.’ He found CHINESE HERBAUST DISPLAY more details on JJ’s wrongdoings in the ar series of seven programs (averaging one chives. Our caller concluded, “It’s fun to Workers are preparing a replication of the week in length) on topics such as Desktop find an ancestor who was a scoundrel.” Man Yuck Tong store which served Victoria Publishing, Care of Old Books, Maritime residents for 80 years. This new display Heritage, or Writing for the Heritage area will be opening very soon in the Royal Community. For details contact the TAKING SECOND LOOK British Columbia Museum. Program Coordinator, Cultural Resource The Winter, 1990-91 edition of British Management Program, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3030, Victoria, B.C. V8W Columbia Historical News contained an or article by Dick McMinn giving an account of HBC HISTORY 3N6 Telephone (604) 721-8462 his growing years in the Alberni area. It BUFFS-TAKE NOTE was illustrated by a photo of the “Uchuck A carefully transcribed ledger of 1863-64 BARKERVILLE Ill” one of the motor vessels which Dick has been incorporated into a book, Fort worked on as it plied its way up and down The staff at this Historic Town take pride Pelly Journal of Daily Occurrences, 1863 in the programs and displays they offer for the Alberni Inlet. As soon as he saw the edited by W.H. Long. 149 pp, plus bio photo Dick bristled slightly: “That’s not the summer visitors. They also present graphical and explanatory notes, hands-on-history ‘Uchuck Ill’, someone has made a mistake”. lessons to hundreds of bibliography and index. Soft cover. These schoolchildren during the spring and fall.

33 B.C. Historical News Summer 92 I CONFERENCE ‘92 AT BURNABY Saturday’s tour zigged and zagged membership of 106. Arrow Lakes Histori through Bumaby, Confederation Park and cal Society is attempting to prevent Capitol Hill then to the viewpoint on demolition of the Court House in Nakusp. Burnaby Mountain where the Ainu totem Burnaby Historical Society is actively in poles stand, a rose garden promises a volved in many parts of the Centennial wealth of blooms, and Indian Arm and celebration in 1992. Burrard Inlet extend from the narrow Chemainus is happily noting its 10th an shore far below. Charming guides con niversary of its first Mural. District 69 and ducted delegates through Simon Fraser Qualicum Beach are already preparing to University. Then busses took all back to host the BCHF Conference in 1994, and the Sheraton for the Annual General have expanded their Museum. Meeting. East Kootenay Historical Association President Myrtle Haslam conducted the notes that the Wild Horse-Fisherville meeting efficiently and reports were con gold- rush area is now protected from fu cise with pertinent information. Eighteen ture mining activity, but has yet to be societies were represented in the voting. defined as a Heritage property. The Treasurer’s statements indicated com The Kootenay Museum & Historical So fortable financial reserves despite the ciety is working on documenting the downturn in interest rates. Archivist Walton boat works in Nelson. Margaret Stoneberg spoke on holders of Princeton Museum has had much pat Honorary Life Memberships in the span ronage due to its fossil and mineral of our Federation. Pamela Mar explained collection. the judging process and named the win Salt Spring Island is making a concerted Ainu Totem Poles on Burnaby Mountain. ners of the 1991 Writing Competition. effort to collect archival material. Surrey Arthur Wirick defined the Scholarship se Historical Society is protesting the closure Brilliant sunshine and friendly smiles lection committee. Trail’s Chairman of the Transportation Museum. greeted the delegates to the Annual Con John Spittle drew attention to five Pro Sidney & North Saanich Historical So ference of the B.C. Historical Federation vincial Heritage Sites, and advised that ciety have produced a video of district held May 7 to 9, 1992. The Bumaby His 1993 would see anniversary activities on history. They present four scholarships to torical Society planned and presented an the Alexander MacKenzie Heritage Trail. local students. excellent program. Thursday evening’s re B.C. Heritage Council, chaired by BCHF Kamboops Museum Society, represented ception, Friday’s speeches, and the Annual President Myrtle Haslam, is meeting with by Elizabeth Murdoch, invited members General Meeting on Saturday were held at ministries preparing to enact revised Heri and other history buffs to attend the 1993 the Burnaby Sheraton Inn. Mayor Cope- tage legislation next year. Conference in Kamboops from April 29 to land and Centennial Committee Jack Green of the Cowichan Historical May 1, 1993. Chairman Don Brown gave welcoming re Society proposed the following: Awards Banquet marks before Don Wrigley spoke on the Moved that the BCHF arrange for publicity The Awards Banquet, held at Burnaby history of carousels, leading into the spe in Britain to seek out correspondence or char Lake Pavilion, was MCed by Pauline Mu cial story of the Parker 119 which is being ies telling of early settlers in British drakoff, Conference Committee restored for use in Bumaby Heritage Vil Columbia, Chairman. Florence Hart Godwin said lage. Jack Roff “fed” some alfalfa to the Discussion indicated that this was a vi grace then diners filled their plates at the two carousel horses poised on their pedes able suggestion, and that material buffet table. Charter member Fraser Wil tals in the lecture room, then slides were received would be directed to archives son proposed the toast to the Queen. shown explaining the carving and assem serving the community described in the Pamela Mar conducted the presentations bling of the beautiful wooden steeds of correspondence. to winners of the 1991 Writing Competi yesteryear. Margaret Stoneberg of Princeton was ac tion. The Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal A video was shown giving the life of corded an Honorary Life Membership for went to Geoff Meggs for his book, Sal Robert Bumaby as portrayed by high her many years of work for the B.C. His mon. Two first time writers were given a school students; this was introduced by the torical Association/Federation, the cheque and a certificate; Laurie Jones for illustrious Michael J. Fox. Young Jim Okanagan Historical Society, and the Nootka Sound Explored, and Ellen Mack Wolf, Burnaby’s archivist, presented an il Princeton Museum and Archives. Marga ay for Places of Worship in the lustrated history of the evolution of this ret has also been Subscription Secretary Cowichan & Chemainus Valleys. The lovely area sandwiched between Vancou for the B.C. Historical News and ar winner of Best Article Award was Mary ver and New Westminster. The original ranged to have the printing of labels Andrews of Banif who wrote on Alpine land speculators built increasingly extrava computerized. Only one Honorary Mem Club summer camps in Vol. 24 No. 2. gant homes with a view of Deer Lake and bership can be awarded annually. Labor historian Mark Leier gave a brief enjoyed a very elite circumstance. Then Election of Officers outline of the evolution of unions, espe the interurban railway made it possible for The slate of officers was acclaimed, with cially the Industrial Workers of the World. the working man to move out there — if he the newest Member-at-Large being He punctuated his narrative with songs could find a small plot of land with a clear Wayne Desrochers of the new Surrey His which had buoyed up workers in adverse title. Delegates were then whipped over torical Society. All other officers remain situations, and certainly proved entertain to one of these pioneer estates where Hart the same as 1991. (See inside back cover ing to the audience at the dinner. House serves as a restaurant. Visitors took for names and addresses of the BCHF ta Many thanks to the hosts and hostesses conducted walks through Burnaby Village ble officers.) in Burnaby, and a Happy Centennial Year Museum soaking up details about histori Highlights from Member Societies to you! cal displays and modem computerized Atlin Historical Society has leaped to a cataloguing. 34 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 ONFERENE ‘92 IN PICTURES

p

Helen Brown, Don Brown (Burnaby Centennial Committee Chair Honorary Life Member Margaret Stoneberg with man), Sharon Rakoff ó’ Pauline Mudrakoff(Conference Chairman). Past PresidentJohn Spittk

the t’,s,tors at flurnaby Village Museum - May 8, 1992.

Editor Naomi Miller and Writing Competition Chairman Pamela Mar Four Burnaby ladies -Joan Bellinger, Florence Hart Godwin, present the Best Article Certz:fIcate to Mary Andrews. Helen Brown and Winn Roffrelax beftre the Awards Banquet.

On the bus to Burnaby Mountain d SFU President Myrtle Haslam conratulates Writing Competition Winner GeoJfMeggs. 35 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 BOOK SHELF Books for review and book reviews should be sent directly to the book review editor: Anne Yandle, 3450 West 20th Ave., Vancouver B.C. V6S 1 E4 Alex Lord’s British Columbia; Rec position with distinction till 1950 were few phones, no daily papers, ollections of a Rural School when he in turn retired. He was ac mail was infrequent and radios were Inspector, 1915-1936 tive in public affairs. His many few and primitive. Visits of the in from spector were supposed to be by Vancouver, University of British honours included a doctorate U.B.C. He died in 1961, aged 75. surprise so that he could examine the Columbia Press,1991. 212 p., $15.95 Lord has special interest in B.C.’s school’s normal routine. However, the When our esteemed Book Review “Assisted Schools” in remote pioneer “moccasin telegraph” kept remarkable Editor asked me to do this review and areas where money was scarce, settle track of his movements. mentioned its highlights, I readily as ment was sparse, and conditions My knowledge of B.C.’s geography sented. My year at Vancouver Normal primitive. I think they were unique to and history began with a summer job School, 1921-22 and four years teach B.C. and spanned the period 1911 to at Field in 1919, age 15. From 1920 to ing one-room frontier schools gave me 1930. The teacher’s salary was paid by 1922 I commuted to UBC and Vancou a lifetime interest in such schools and the Government from Victoria. The ver Normal School from East Bumaby. high respect for school inspectors. The community provided the building and Absences at Toronto, 1926-30, post- book is small enough for bedtime its maintenance. Salaries were higher grad studies abroad, 1933-34, and mili reading; an attractive one-room, rural for more remote schools. At least ten tary service overseas 194045, all log school adorns the front cover; the registered pupils and an average at intensified my devotion to B.C. and back cover gives an outline of Lord’s tendance of eight were required. Lord broadened its base. Forest and air career and his benign influence on ru relates some interesting stratagems photo surveys, 193040, surveys and ral education, his memoirs, and where children were “borrowed” from mapping 1946-68 took me to all parts identifies the editor, John Calam, Pro elsewhere to make up the minimum. of the province with unique facilities fessor Emeritus of Social and Busy farm mothers were glad to send for seeing it from ground and air, and Educational Studies at UBC. The in their 5 year-olds to school with their for making friends with local pioneers, troduction fills 30 pages; Lord’s older siblings, where they remained Indians and trappers. I would have narrative fills 90 pages, editorial notes all day. My annual salary at Big Bar enjoyed talking to Lord about our mu follow in 40 pages, and the index is 17 Creek, about 30 miles from the railway tual knowledge of many people and pages long. Larger print and fewer at Clinton was $1,140. At Kelly Lake places. notes would have made the book easi in the Peace River, 60 miles from the Lord mentioned Charles and Ada er to read without increasing its size. end of steel at Grande Prairie, Alberta, Place at Dog Creek and the awful Alexander Russel Lord, one of five it was $1,320. The teacher’s board roads between there and the Chum brothers, was born, 1885, in Nova Sco money, about $30 per month, was a Creek Bridge. We enjoyed their hospi tia. His parents were prominent well significant source of cash in the com tality when we used the Dog Creek Air educated Presbyterians. He got a munity, and, of course, jealousy where Field for early postwar air photo flying Teacher’s Diploma in 1904 and a B.A. more than one family could accommo operations. He refers to Jesmond on at Queen’s in 1910, Then, responding date her or him. I batched during the road from Clinton to Gang Ranch, to “the lure of the west”, Lord became those years. but does not mention the Coidwells, Principal of the Kelowna Elementary Rural school inspectors were both Harry, Louise and children Pete, Elsie School. In four years there he won feared and respected. For many teach and Evelyn. During my time in Big high repute and married Muriel ers, mostly women, it was their first Bar Creek they operated a small store McNair, one of his staff in 1914. His school. Some married local lads and and the Post Office. They also had a age was then 29. made good pioneer wives. My inspec party line phone connecting Clinton to After a year as Principal of Vancou tor at Big Bar was A.F. Matthews. His Canoe Creek and beyond, which was a ver’s Grandview Elementary School, reports, dated 30 May 1923 and 15 source of local news and gossip (part he joined the cadre of B.C.’s school in September 1925 were favourable. At of the “Moccasin telegraph”). spectors. He was based at Prince Kelly Lake, G.H. Cower made only Lord’s travels to the Peace River Rupert 1915-1919, back at Kelowna one visit. His report, dated 12 March Schools via the ED &BCR from Ed 1919-22, and in Greater Vancouver 1924, is reproduced in my book Metis monton to Grande Prairie revive my 1922-24. Lord became fascinated with Outpost. memories of that route in 1923 and B.C.’s geography and pioneer rural From the index I selected items rele 1924 and fill in details I had forgotten. life. D.M. Robinson, head of the Van vant to Lord’s narrative for reference Lord enjoyed the huge Chilcotin couver Normal School persuaded Lord to his own observations, experiences country. to join his staff to teach geography, and reactions. He gives colourful ac Lord travelled to all parts of B.C., of 1924-29. (Robinson was my esteemed counts of the rigors of travel and ten under most arduous conditions. Principal there, 1921-22.) Lord then re accommodation. Roads were primi He enjoyed the local folk regardless of sumed inspectorships till 1936 when tive in the extreme. He enjoyed warm race, colour or religion. His keen sense he succeeded Robinson. He held this and impromptu hospitality. There of humour is evident. Recently a grad-

36 B.C. Historical News . Summer 92 BOOK SHELF CONT’D

uate of the Vancouver Normal School the first Japanese in Canada to the desperate lives in camps in Japan — the in 1939 told me how highly he was re 1988 settlement of the Japanese claims short third chapter becomes the climax garded there. I had not the good for compensation, all seven chapters of this well organized drama. fortune to meet him. Thanks to this neatly wrapped around by a “Preface” This climax forces the resolution, ex book, I have enjoyed learning about and a “Conclusion”, the preface indi plained in chapter four, “The Decision him. I apologize for including so cating the major themes and asserting to Evacuate”; which further defines much about Gerry Andrews, but it that the authors “have sought to ex the west coast fears driving the federal seems relevant. In preparing this re plain, not to condone or condemn”, government to move the Japanese view, Professor Calam’s meticulous and the conclusion saying that the Ca from the coast for the safety of those notes and index have been very nadian government “caved in to racist coastal Japanese themselves. This helpful. fears and to the opinions of journalists chapter leads naturally into the fifth Gerry Andrews and amateur strategists”, but also re which details the movement of the Jap Gerry Andrews, a Victoria residen1 isa former minding readers that dictatorships are anese to the Interior of the province President of the B.C. HistoricalAssociation. not “hampered by the rhetoric of de and the determination of the British mocracy” as was the government of Columbia Security Commission, an Canada, and pointing out that rough agency set up to do the job, “to treat Mutual Hostages: though the treatment of the Japanese the Japanese fairly”. This hostage tak Canadians and Japanese in Canada might have been and in ing was therefore mutual: “throughout during the Second World War. spite of what this nation has come to the whole evacuation and resettlement Patricia E. Roy, J.L. Granatstein, believe, only about 800 Japanese were process, the Canadians in Japanese Masako mo, Hiroko Takamura. really interned in this country. hands were the hostages who guaran Each chapter has a specific point to teed at least a minimum standard of Toronto, University of Toronto Press, make and many of them highlighted living for those of Japanese race in 1990. 275 p. $24.95 through reprints of current political Canada.” At the same time the Cana Over the past few years journalists, cartoons from the Victoria and Van dian government seems to have been novelists, dramatists, and even folk couver newspapers. Graphs, charts held hostage by British Columbia and songsters, have been making the most and maps, even a plan for a Tashme the BCSC held hostage by public opin of the Japanese evacuation, dispersal, house, also help. The first two chap ion which would have been outraged and repatriation issues arising with ters lay out the background, from the had the feared and evacuated Japanese and out of the Second World War. arrival of the first Japanese in British been treated better than the ordinary Most of those writers who relied most Columbia in 1877, through the Anglo Canadian soldier in any regular mili Japanese Alliance with its resulting ly on emotion to gain their effects tary camp. The fifth chapter, “In would have been considerably helped hostilities, the Asiatic Exclusion Temporary Quarters” lays out the life had they been able to read Mutual League and the Vancouver Riots, the of Japanese evacuees in various places Hostages, subtitled “Canadians and continuing fears through the 1920’s as in the province, describes living condi Japanese during the Second World British Columbians saw more and tions, education, health, family life and War”, by two Canadian and two Japa more Japanese people arriving while morale. nese historians. Indeed, because, as Japan itself, with its promotion of the In these first five chapters of Mutual the authors say, “human memory can Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Hostages the authors are as objective be short”, this meticu1ously written, Sphere, was becoming more aggres as they can possibly be while authori meticulously documented and meticu sive toward China and increasing the tatively presenting the required lously indexed volume would fears of North America. One of the information — much of it through sta enlighten almost all Canadians, those most telling cartoons in the book, by tistics — and leaving little open to who merely want to know the differ Jack Boothe for the Vancouver Daily questioning. Interspersed throughout ences between Nisei, Essei and Province of February 22, 1938, shows is information obviously contributed Sansei, others who might have forgot a panicking British Columbian trying by the Japanese scholars of the team. ten or might never have known the to put his fingers, and feet, into the The technique was probably meant to background delails on which they holes of the badly weakened dyke of be a balancing-off of what is happen have been basing their biases, even sta Japanese Immigration Laws. ing in the two warring countries, tisticians who want to know about the The second chapter explains the very especially after the Hong Kong disas numbers of people and the selling pric early co-operation between the United ter and the mess-ups with the es of properties and household goods, States and Canada in the face of what missionaries, but these insertions do and especially British Columbians might become Japanese attacks. Con not really satisfy: more information is needing an explanation for their ap centrating on the problems faced by necessary for other than a token bal parently built-in attitudes. Canadian missionaries in territories ance. That information well might occupied Also meticulously organized — chron by Japan, and then on the de have as easily come from returned ologically, in general — the volume stri’ction of the Canadian troops at missionaries and from some of the takes its readers through the arrival of Hong Kong — many later taken off to POWs who were finally sent home,

37 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 BOOK SHELF CONT D though many in physical and psycho end of an informative passage the au much sharper and do not have the logical tatters. The Preface assures us thors not only cast doubts on the abili overall gray tones found in Baird’s that the pertinent records in Japan are ty of their readers to draw book. This does not, however, detract “thin” and that those in Canada are conclusions, but also deny their own from their value, since they are of fairly full: one wonders, therefore, objectivity, contradict their professed good size, one to a page, with identifi why the Japanese historians were statement that they are neither con cation, description and source necessary. demning nor condoning. accompanying each one. From this point onward, from chap Nevertheless, readers can skip the A useful bibliography is included for ter six, “The Dispersal and editorializing and leave this book well those who wish to pursue further a Repatriation of the Japanese Canadi satisfied, They will have learned study of railway history. There is also ans”, Mutual Hostages slips into some much that they had never known and a page of the sources of references questionable editorializing. The ignor they might be reminded of much they used in the text. ance and fears of Canadians have had forgotten. Through watching the Some typographical errors which are already been well developed, and unfolding of this “time of tragedy”, scattered throughout the text are dis some of the treatment accorded some through watching the ins and outs and tracting, on occasion. Wermer, on p. of the Japanese has already been ad the complications of plot, they might 18, must refer to Weimar which is as mitted. The authors have also even have a purging of their emotions. sociated with the Bauhaus established that in a democracy the In a Greek tragedy no one on stage architectural movement. We are told government must act on the will of the wins, only the audience. on p. 15 that Macdonald’s government people and that the government of Gordon R. Elliott resigned November 5, 1983 rather than Canada did act on that will. The ex Gordon Elliott is a former president of the a century earlier. treme detailing of what was going on Vancouver Historical Society. The index is not as complete as one in Canada seems to cover, or reduce in might wish. No page references are importance, what was going on in the given for the illustrations. Kamloops, camps of Japan. Chapter seven, “Be Canadian Pacific Railway Sta Golden and Fort Steele are among hind the Barbed Wire Fence”, might tions in British Columbia those places which do not rate an in compensate for that cover, but almost by Ian Baird. Victoria, Orca Book dex listing despite the fact that there comes too late in spite of its reassu are reproductions Publishers Ltd., 1990. 108 good of their sta rances: “The Japanese Canadians who p. tions with accompanying descriptive were moved to the BC interior were illustrated $16.95 material. If a place name appears in not held behind barbed wire by armed This is a welcome addition to the lit the text of the book, it appears in the guards and, though subject to strict erature on the history of British index but if there is only a photograph controls and less than favourable con Columbia railways and has appeared and no text reference there is no index ditions, they could move with relative at a time when much of our railway entry which is unfortunate if one wish freedom. Those in work camps had history is rapidly passing into oblivi es to refer to the index for a specific some freedoms restricted, though in on, either through disinterest or place name. specified circumstances they too could, abandonment. Despite these limitations, Baird has for example, leave British Columbia to The railways and their stations had provided much valuable information take employment in Ontario. The an important role in the history of set about the CPR and its stations in B.C., [800] internees at Angler [Ontario], in tlement in British Columbia but now, which has not been available previous contrast, were held under armed mili with their rapid disappearance, our ly. It was the building of the CPR tary guard, their liberty severely past is gradually being eroded. Barrie which was largely responsible for B.C. constrained, their uniform dress Sanford’s Steel Rails and Iron Men, entering Confederation and the rail prescribed.” also published in 1990, tells the story way station immediately became an Somehow the choice of word here of the Kettle Valley Railway which no important center of activity for the suggests a comparison between An longer exists. Ian Baird’s story tells of many communities along the lines. gler and Niigata or Sendai, or even, a similar fate for many of the railway Their abandonment and neglect is to ironically, Oyama. The use of an ex stations of the province. be regretted. Baird’s book will help to clamation mark at the end of one final Baird, another B.C. railway historian, preserve their memory and keep this sentence of a paragraph elsewhere provides us with many moments of aspect of our history alive. similarly makes an editorial comment. nostalgia as we read his text and ex Melva J. Dwyer When discussing the “defiant” attitude amine the black and white Melva Dwyer is Fine Arts Librarian Emerita, of some prisoners at Angler, 33 of photographs which form a major por University of British Columbia. them Nisei, the authors tell us that the tion of his volume. prisoners’ “toughness of spirit, that The photographs, unfortunately, are conviction that their rights had been not as clear as they might be, due to violated, was wholly admirable”. the process and paper used for repro When making such comments at the duction. Those in Sanford’s book are

38 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 BOOK SHELF CONT D Writing in the Rain stories with different names, and raise waiting for the next turn, hunched over a by Howard White. Madeira Park, B.C.: questions about White’s borderline be piece of writing paper folded down to vest- tween truth or fiction. Maybe this pocket size, scratching down thoughts in Harbour Publishing, 1990. doesn’t matter. Howard White’s writ shorthand as rain drips off the end of your 256 pp; $12.95. ing is part of the process of mythology nose, raising a spongy welt on the paper I was startled when Writing in the in the making, the mythology of log and then the ballpen ink won’t stick. At Rain won the 1991 Leacock Award for gers, truckers, fishermen, and working the end of the job I’d have this little pile of Humor. I’d read about fifty pages of class poets — himself and others. A exceedingly dirty folded-up note papers the book by then and enjoyed every passage in the final chapter ‘The Yel covered with undecipherable chicken- word. But, I protested, this isn’t hu lowhead’ made me sit up and cry, scratch. I’ve got them from the Rainbow mor; this is Real Life. Then I got to “Whoa! that’s not the way it was.” Lake ailfields of Northern Alberta and the thinking about the various literary def But it refers to events of thirty years muddy sidehills of Vancouver Island above initions of ‘humor’ and the ago when a lot of us were still invent Port MacNeill. I’ve got them from Delta relationship, philosophical if not ety ing the characters we wanted to be. dyke jobs and lots from the garbage dump mological, between ‘humor’ and Part of the same story turns up in the detail in Pender Harbour. This is where ‘human’. I decided the award was am poem “For the Birds”, and he has it writing has always been for me, wedged propriate. Besides, I’d been chuckling right there — according to my uneasily between the world of gravel, logs, pretty steadily as I read. mythology. ringing phone and the other, equally de So I finished the book and continued The core of the book is “Minstrel”, a manding world inside. Like all interfaces, to chuckle, mostly in recognition of the two-week odyssey from Fender Har all borders, it’s a precarious place to set up west coast rhythm. It’s partly the way bour to Minstrel Island in search of one’s shop, but it’s also a place where in people speak, and partly the way reassurance that the world he, “a half teresting things happen, a frontier. things happen, and Howard White assed historian of the coast”, por It’s reassuring to know that Howard knows how to capture it. He’s made it trayed as special and unique really White is out there with his bulldozer the basic ingredient of his Raincoast was special and unique. He finds and his pen, collecting our past and Chronicles series and of the books he what he is looking for while engaged contributing to our present. writes and publishes. He explains it at in the trauma of tracking down parts Phyllis Reeve the beginning of “How It was with and repairman for his boat’s aged mo Phyllis Reeve is a resident of Gabriola Island Trucks”, his tribute to the early days of tor. The people he meets and the trucklogging: stories he records are indeed special, From the time I was a big-eared boy unique, recognizably real, and undeni Helen Dawe’s Sechelt eavesdropping on bunkhouse BS in my fa ably “humorous”. The coastal Helen Dawe. Madeira Park, Harbour historian’s fact finding process itself ther’s logging camp I have been captivated Publishing, 1990. 152 p., $29.95. by the power of common speech. Later becomes part of the story. Harbour Publishing is to be com when I studied formal literature I had of I noticed a couple of the most hayzvire mended for the design of this book. ten had pause to reflect that the memorable crab traps I had ever seen lying out on the The cover, highlighted by Henry De lines examples of timeless gen float. They were homemade out plastic J. held up as of Forest’s animated painting, Sechelt in ius were not that different from some of the hose and fishnet. 1902, is attractive and should draw the good zingers I used to hear back in the “Are there crabs around here?” I asked. attention of many prospective readers. bunkhouse. The more I explored the idea We had a good trap on the Beaver and I’m Alec Macaulay’s editing of selections the more convinced I became that the thinking how nice it would be to have a of Helen’s work, shaping them into a speech of ordinary people concealed a feed. diverse yet compact summary of the world of linguistic accomplishment paral “Oh hell yes, up Cutter Creek. Lots of history of this area, is quite effective, lel to that of our written literature, a ‘em.” He pushed one of the traps with his in my opinion. The map of the Sechelt conviction which dovetailed with my belief toe. “You gotta pull these up fast because area, which appears on the table of that genius lurks unseen within much or the crabs can get out.” He looked around contents page, should prove a valuable dinary life, like the fire opal that hides at his floating junkyard self-consciously. tool for those readers unacquainted inside dull This is the notion that “Everything I got is haywire but I can’t a stone. with some of the details of local geog led to the writing of many articles and fix it because I’m too busy doin’ nothing,” raphy. The division of the text and — A Hard Man to he said. three full-length books images into seven categories should Beat, Spilbury’s Coast, and The Acci “Doin’ nothing” included talking for make the book more approachable to Airline, using the vernacular hours, telling stories, filling in gaps in dental all the general reader, who can choose a technique which has since come to be other people’ stories, giving White what he had come for... theme to review, rather than wade knozvn as oral history. through a general and unbroken text Writing in the Rain is a collection of Here is White’s explanation of his on local history. For the interest of prose and poetry pieces, most of which book’s title: readers, the book reviews the opening been previously published else I’z’e actually done that, write in the rain. have of Sechelt, both on the sea and by road; where. Sometimes this is a problem, I could tell you a lot about it, sitting out resources; resorts; commercial and re as some people turn up in different an a road grade on a spreading machine

39 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 BOOK SHELF CONTD tail development; public utilities, insti native people, who had occupied the publisher to consider including these tutions and buildings; and churches peninsula long before the arrival of the tools in any future edition of the book, and schools. The annotated photo first Europeans, and of the impact of to re-enforce its value to readers, and graphs, as well as the highlighted the white settlement, Helen Dawe’s so that this book may expedite the anecdotal sections, are really enjoyable Sechelt not surprisingly remains a tra work of future historians. Despite the components of the book. I believe that ditional history, emphasizing foregoing concern, I would stress that its design, in addition to text and illus European settlement of the area. The I believe the book achieves a major trations, should make this an attractive appearance of publications by other goal, in that it has brought the rich his book, that will appeal to many readers. authors relating the native perspective tory of this area to a wider and I will not provide a detailed outline os Sechelt history will be a valuable appreciative audience. of the contents of the book. However, complement to this book. Bill McKee for someone who has been summering A statement in the book’s conclusion Bill McKee was former’y Director of the New in the area since the mid 1950s, and summarizes my impression of the val Brunswick Provincial Museum. whose family has been visiting the pe ue of Helen Dawe’s Sechelt, ninsula and Texada since around the Though Sechelt is a small community, end of the first world war, it provided its history is not irrelevant, for it reflects some exciting perspectives of change. the development of the province. The corn I had read of the role of the Union inunity’s settlement by sea mirrors the Steamships in opening up the coast, settlement of numerous communities and heard my parents and others re akrng the northwest coast. And whether count stories about travelling by the reflected by the early loggers above Selma “Union boats” up the coast from Van Park or the tourists at the Union resorts, couver, pausing at various the economic development of Sechelt is a communities such as Robert’s Creek, microcosm of how British Columbia has Selma Park, and Sechelt. Until I read developed economically. The mixing of Helen Dawe’s Sechelt, however, I had peoples of different race and background. never visualized the full role played is reflective of the cultural makeup of the by the Union Steamship Company in province and country. the development of Sechelt, Selnia When I first reviewed the book, my btCyIn? Park and the rest of the peninsula. By only major criticisms were with its fail the time I arrived on the peninsula ure to provide photograph credits, with my family, the coast highway footnotes and bibliography. Such Semi your dhane 01 was already paved beyond Sechelt, tools, of course, prove invaluable for ahliess to: and was soon to be paved as far as anyone assessing the book, for anyone Earl’s Cove; once again, Helen Dawe’s simply wishing to read more about the Sechelt provided me with the first real coast, or for those simply wishing to Nancy Peter, picture of the earlier importance of the acquire a copy of a photograph ap Subscription Secretary “Union boats” and the big changes pearing in the book. While I still regret #75400 Patterson Avenue that the arrival of the highway, and that the publisher chose to delete these Burnaby, B.C. V5H 2M5 connecting Black Ball ferry system, essential and important elements, brought to the peninsula. There are which would have enhanced the value many other themes covered in the of the book, time has provided me book that attracted my attention; they with further insight into the book and II you have enjoyed this included the pioneering role of the its publication. To dismiss this publi magazine, why not give a i1t Whitaker family, the history of the cation because of these unfortunate ships Sechelt and Tartar, the history of deletions would be wrong and to miss subscription to a Iriend’ the peninsula’s worst recorded storm, a key point about it. This book was local logging operations (several roads generated wholly from the Helen $10.00 inside Canada, SU.CC near our summer camp had originally Dawe collection, so that everything in been corduroy, used by loggers to the book could conceivably be traced to addresses outside slide logs to Georgia Strait around the back to the voluminous files in the col Canada. turn of the century, so this part of the lection, if a reader did want to confirm book was of special interest to me), the basis for some statement. Helen and the story of Sechelt Inn, situated Dawe’s Sechelt is, furthermore, in on the Sechelt waterfront, but now tended in my opinion to convey the Send your cheque to ancy. long gone. Others will find much else stimulating story of this part of the that is of interest. coast primarily to the wider Sechelt (address above) While the book provides some useful community, something it does ex insights into the lives of some of the tremely well. I would just urge the 40 B.C. Historical News - Summer 92 758-2828 743-9443 984-0602 988-4565 291-1346 437-6115 733-6484 422-3594 826-0451 295-3362 537-5398 753-2067 988-4565 581-0286 825-4743 251-2908 748-8397 598-3035 442-3865 R9 2N4 1 R9 1 LO V7M 1 V7R V7R 2B9 EO B.C. VOR 1 B.C. 3S6 2M5

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Princeton, HISTORICAL Avenue, B.C. Comp. Grand 1, Cowichan Crown Nanaimo, British Halifax C 152 details 687, Crown 20th Street, 10, of 746, Hutchinson Road E4 Deroche, 22 Wasa, 933, Quamuchan Patterson 1 Chesterfield and S Mount Box 4353 Box Woodland Box 8811 29, - West 1291 Honourable Mount Box publishing. 105, V6S 1898 Juniper Sharp of 1241 P.O. Box P.O. RR#1 1406 advice the 2301 3450 Box #7-5400 P.O. #5-1450 1241 262 B.C. for cost RR#3 Stoneberg, Mar, Jill Spittle, Whittaker, Sleigh, Desrochers, the Sale, Miller, Peter, Ranneris, Ralston Wirick,

Haslam, COLUMBIA Yandle, Farr, Rawson, Spittle, D. Glanville, Weiwood, Honour, Rowland, Don Pamela 92 Nancy Naomi Francis Contact Margaret Arthur Keith Ron Mary toward Vancouver, JoAnne Jill John Wayne Lieutenant-Governor Myrtle Tony His Anne John T. Alice Arnold Summer - Markers

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Competition THE Review Historical President: Historical involved Vice Historical Vice Writing (Lieutenant (not Scholarship B.C. Subscription Editor Publications Historical Publishing Membersh, B.C. Award) Recording Past Book President: 1st Members-at-large Honorary Honorary Archivist 2nd Secretary: COMMITTEE Treasurer: OFFICERS: B.C. The British Columbia Historical News Publications Mail P. 0. Box 35326, Stn. E Registration No. 4447 Vancouver, B.C. V6M 4G5

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British Columbia Historical Federation WRITING COMPETITION 1992 The British Columbia Historical Federation invites submissions of books for the tenth annual Competition for Writers of B.C. History. Any book presenting any facet of B.C.history, published in 1992, is eligible. This may be a community history, biography, record of a project or an organization, or personal recollections giving a glimpse ofthe past. Names, dates, and places with relevant maps or pictures turn a story into “history”. The judges are looking for quality presentations, especially if fresh material is included, with appropriate illustrations, careful proof reading, an adequate index, table of contents and bibliography from first-time writers as well as established authors. Note: Reprints or revisions of books are not eligible. The Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing will be awarded to an individual writer whose book contributes significantly to the recorded history of British Columbia. Other awards will be made as recommended by the judges to valuable books prepared by groups or individuals. All entries receive considerable publicity. Winners will receive a Certificate of Merit, a monetary award and an invitation to the B.C.H.F. annual conference to be held in Kamloops in May 1993. Submission Requirements: All books must have been published in 1992, and should be submitted as soon as possible after publication. Two copies of each book should be submitted. Please state name, address and telephone number ofsender, the selling price ofall editions ofthe book and the address from which it may be purchased if the reader has to shop by mail. Send to: B.C. Historical Writing Competition P.O. Box 933 Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5N2 Deadline: December 31, 1992. LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED WITH POST- 1 MARK UP TO JANUARY 31,1993, BUT MUST CONTAINTHREE COPIES OF EACH BOOK. *** * * * * * * * There is also an award for the Best Article published each year in the B.C. Historical News magazine. This is directed to amateur historians or students. Articles should be no more than 2,500 words, typed double spaced, accompanied by photographs if available, and substantiated with footnotes where applicable. (Photos will be returned.) Please send articles directly to: The Editor, B.C. Historical News P.O. Box 105, Wasa, B.C. VOB2K0