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

Finally, the Indian said he could smell smoke, and it was coming: from up the creek, so it was decided to drive up. and after spending some time moving in this direction we came to the Crossing, much to the joy of everyone. Horses were soon in the shelter of the Wilson stables. The Wilson boys crowded us all into their house and gave us a royal welcome. I think four days had been spent on this forty-mile stretch, travelling early and late. A day's rest at Beaver Creek and once more we were on the road. Prom there we kept close to the bush. The snow was softer and made less plunging for the horses, and we had plenty of fuel to warm us when we camped for the night. The forty miles to Saskatoon were made in about two and a half days, and the people were glad to see us, as they thought we must have all perished. We had returned, however, with a scant supply of flour, as a large part of it had been consumed on the journey, a large batch of bread being made up at the Elbow. To make matters still worse the coal oil had leaked and given a decided flavour to the flour. One had the taste of coal oil in one's mouth all day. The diet for the rest of the winter consisted of snow- shoe rabbit, an occasional prairie chicken, and corn, of which Dr. Wil- loughby had a supply in his tent store. For dessert we had dried apples. As soon as the snow began to soften Wm. Hunter decided to make a trip to Duck Lake to get some flour. He had oxen, and could only travel while the snow was soft, as crusted snow cut their legs. He returned in about a week with some of the Duck Lake patent process. It was made from badly frozen wheat, in an old mill of the stone type, and it was almost the colour of chocolate. Yeast refused to work in it. As soon as water or milk was put in and one started to mix the dough, it would stick like glue to the fingers, and it took a knife to scrape it off. However, it was decided by all that got some of it that it was the finest and best for making bread of some kind that they had ever eaten, just like cake. This ended the winter of 83-4. There had been one death, Robt. Clark-W. Horn and myself making the coffin. There were two births-one to the McGowan family and to the Richardson family. In the early summer of '84 another party brought us some rafts of lum- ber down the river. Capt. Andrews, Louis Gougeou, S. Marr, F. Smith, Fred Keyworth, Edward Maxwell and several other whose names I have forgotten were in the party. The parties mentioned remained in Saskatoon --the two former being there yet. Several more hoses were built in Saska- toon and other settlers came in over the trail. Families came to join fa- thers and husbands already there. W. Horn and myself decided to home- stead. We picked out a half a section nearest to Saskatoon, then tossed a was on the west side of the river. Horn won the toss and chose the coin to see who would have the quarter nearest to the town. Our selection quarter on which the C.P.R. Depot stands, leaving me the quarter on which the Westmount school now stands. About '88 Horn went to Salt Lake City and some years later sold his homestead to T. Copland. In the summer we built a partly dug out and partly sod house on the line between out two homesteads, somewhere about Avenue H and Twentieth Street as it is now, aranging the bed so that each slept on his own land (1). The winter of 845 was spent there. Frank Clarke, who had the contract to carry the mail once a fortnight to Batoche used to come and stay with us over night so that he could make an early morning start. This was a hard trip until Fish Creek was reached, no trail to go by and no shelter. Prom Fish Creek to Batoche through the half-breed settlement all the trail was mostly good and turned in to every man's door. During the summer of '84 this same Frank Clark had a typical western experience. His place was seven miles down the river from Saskatoon. He had some fine large heavy horses and a small pony. One morning when he went out to see the horses he missed a large bay mare and the pony. He scoured the surrounding country but could not find them, so decided that they had not strayed but were stolen. Then it was whom to suspect. He (1) To fulfil the letter of the homestead regulations, dwelling on the land, the dwelling place being the sleeping place. Page 31

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