NARRATIVES OF SASKATOON

1882-1912

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you had difficulty finding a place where the water was not dripping. It was inhabited by the most prolific families of certain unnameable insects I ever came across. These objectionable creatures were not unknown at the other stopping places but this particular place "snatched the confectionery" in this regard. Many a time I have seen lady passengers sit up all night in a chair, rather than occupy any of the sleeping places,I could not give them the courtesy of being called beds. I invariably lay on the floor with my own robe for covering. At a nigger circle one night in Battleford one of the Police boys got off a good joke. He had a little stuffed article tied to a string asking Mr. Johnsing to guess what it was. After futile efforts to name it, he told him, "It am a greatly scarce specimen of de Tomma De- wanna or bed bug from the Central Station!" I spent a very anxious night on one occasion at this place. I was going from Battleford to Saskatoon. On the road were a number of tinhorn gamblers who had been attending race meeting at Battleford. They arrived at the house before us. When we got there the party was sitting round the table playing stud poker. They played continuously till the rigs came around in the morning to take them away. Even during the supper time and breakfast they played, one or two at a time feeding. I was carrying three thousand dollars of currency in my valise and felt nervous that any of them should imagine so much money was within their reach. I slept on the floor in a corner with my valise under my head; continuous sleep was out of the question. I would dose off for a few minutes, when an altercation would take place in regard to play; after a furious fusilade of oaths and curses, they would resume play again. It was a relief to get aboard the stage again in the morning. About 28 miles from Battleford a stop was made for a meal at the Buf- falo Head, so called because an old bone head of a buffalo was stuck on the peak of the roof. A drive of three hours and we reached Battleford. This last drive was very picturesque. It was along the river through well- wooded valleys. On the way, eighteen creeks had to be crossed. These were small streams arising in the Eagle Hills running into the river. When I was member for that district it used to take all my appropriation keeping the little bridges passable. The stage drivers were a fine lot of fellows. They did their best to make the passengers comfortable, in the winter putting hot rocks under the robes and wrapping them up well. They were very entertaining with their stories of hard trips and comical passengers. I am told that the old Swift Current trail is just about obliterated. I know the Battleford to Saskatoon trail cannot be followed. I went over it about fourteen years ago and I had to go around fences and through farm yards; in one place a farmer has placed his house right across the trail. Although this trail is a definite surveyed trail and is supposed to be for NARRATIVE OF EX-MAYOR RUSSELL WILSON (The importance of this statement, apart from its human interest, lies in the fact that we can see in it the phases in the development of the district -"pioneer-farming", ranching and finally the wheat farming which made for the growth of the City of Saskatoon as the distributing centre for a pros- perous population). I first heard of Saskatchewan when I was quite small. My father had Saskatchewan in mind as he considered it would be the centre of the in- dustrial district, partly on account of the Hudson's Bay Co. Another rea- Page 51

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