NARRATIVES OF SASKATOON

1882-1912

Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Pioneers,John N. Lake, John Lake, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web, Genealogy, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Pioneer,Saskatchewan history, Temperance Colony, Temperance Colonization Society, Saskatoon history, Saskatoon Gen Web

Some of the people had caravan tops for their waggon, others were not so fortunate, and had only an open waggon. After getting all the household gods packed up, and the cattle assembl- ed they would start off,. often only going as far on the first day as the Big Coulee, which was about a mile from Moose Jaw, as it was usually late in the day before they got started. Rarely did any of these people start without being accompanied by some person who had been over the trail before, that is after those fir.~t ones who pioneered the way. It was almost impossible at first for a man to find his way over practically a trackless desert. For the first few miles of the road there were shacks where the settlers had taken up their land, but these became fewer. Beyond twelve or four- teen miles out there were no more houses and nothing but the vast plains. The second night's camp was almost invariably what was called "White's Slough," about twenty miles .from Moose Jaw. We had to select certain places for camping as we had to have water, and as a consequence certain places along the road were fixed for camping places. It was new the first day, and everything was interesting, even the go- phers and jack-rabbits, which had never been seen before. Settlers ha(l never seen the prairie flowers before, and you can understand the interest with which they looked on the new panorama. The third night brought them to the "Indian Grave", so called because it had been an old Indian carn.p ground and place of burial. This was where we first touched the Big Arm Valley. They were all glad to reach thiS spot, as two days' travelling across the prairie is more or less tiresome and it was good to turn the horses and cattle into the valley where water was plentiful. It was a regular little green oasis. From the "Indian Grave" a road led along the valley and up through the sand hills, where the cactus grew, and it was about the only thing that did grow for forty miles, until the Elbow of the south branch was reached I don't think there was ever a party coming in that didn't wonder why Page 18

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