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on the A t h a b a s c a , S l a v e and M a c K e n i z e
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in O c t o b e r ,

1987

T h i s i s O s c a r G r e e n b o r n on M a r c h 1, 1902 and came t o A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n g i n t h e s p r i n g
o f 1911.
A f t e r a few y e a r s g o t a j o b w i t h C a p t a i n A l e x a n d e r p r e p a r i n g t h e o l d S l a v e
R i v e r s t e a m b o a t t o f a k e i t down t h e A t h a b a s c a R i v e r t o F t . M c M r r a y .
Then t o o p e r a t e
f r o m F t . M c M u r r a y t o F t . C h i p e w y a n t o F t . F i t z g e r a l d . A l s o t o meet t h e D.A. Thomas
s t e a m b o a t f r o m P e a c e R i v e r a t Verrni I i o n C h u t e p o r t a g e .
H o w e v e r g e t t i n g t h e b o a t r e a d y was q u i t e a I i i t l e c h o r e and I l e a r n e d q u i t e a few
t h i n g s t h a t i had n e v e r done o r h e a r d a b o u t b e f o r e and l e a r n e d how t o p u t t a r on t h e
seams u n d e r n e a t h t h e b o a t w h e r e i t had been c o r k e d w i t h oakum.
To do t h i s t h e y t o o k
t w o l i d s and f a s t e n e d t h e m t o g e t h e r , t o o k a p a i i and made a h a n d l e on i t and p u t a
k i n d o f r o p e a r o u n d b e t w e e n t h e t w o l i d s which, had l i t t l e f l a n g e s on t h e m and r o l l e d
t h i s u n d e r n e a t h on t h e seams w h i c h I i f t e d t h e t a r up and c o v e r e d t h e oakum and t h e
seams u n d e r n e a t h t h e b o a t .
In 1918 t h e w a t e r was t o o low so t h e t r i p was p o s t p o n e d u n t i l t h e s p r i n g o f 1919. We
l e f t A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n g on t h e 22nd day o f May, 1919 and a r r i v e d a t G r a n d e R a p i d s
and t h e r e we t i e d up o v e r n i g h t and a t 7 : 0 0 in t h e m o r n i n g o f May 2 3 , 1919 we went o v e r
t h e Grande Rapids.
We h i t m a i n l y t h r e e l a r g e b o u l d e r s , m a k i n g s e v e r a l h o l e s i n t h e
b o t t o m o f t h e b o a t w h i c h was a b o u t 130 o r 140 f e e t l o n g w i t h a p a d d l e wheel on t h e
b a c k and a s t e a m b o i l e r f i r e d by wood.
We g o t t o t h e b o f t o m o f G r a n d e R a p i d s w i t h a
bunch o f h o l e s i n t h e b o t t o m o f t h e b o a t ( o r t h e h u l l ) , t i e d up t o t h e bank and t h e
C a p t a i n and m y s e l f and some o f t h e c r e w w e n t t o w o r k p u t t i n g what we c a l l e d s o f t
p a t c h e s o v e r t h e s e h o l e s w h e r e t h e b o a r d s w e r e b r o k e n up b e t w e e n t h e r i b s o f t h e b o a t .
The r i b s w e r e a b o u t s i x i n c h e s w i d e and t e n i n c h e s h i g h and a p p r o x i m a t e l y a f o o t
between r i b s .
We had made t h e s e s o f t p a t c h e s by c u t t i n g up hardwood b o a r d s and n a i l i n g
o a k u m , t a l o , g u i n n i e s a c k s and c a n v a s t o make t h e so c a l l e d " s o f t p a t c h e s " .
Then we
c u t p o s t s w h i c h w e r e a b o u t 4 i n c h e s s q u a r e , l e a v i n g them w i t h e n o u g h room t o p u t on
t o p o f t h e s o f t p a t c h e s and by h a v i n g t w o hardwood wedges t h a t t a p e r e d f r o m a b o u t s i x
i n c h e s down t o o n e - e i g h t h o f an i n c h w h i c h g a v e us a t o t a l o f a b o u t 12 i n c h e s t o p r e s s
t h e p a t c h down f r o m t h e f l o o r o r j o i s t a b o v e .
T h i s w o u l d s t o p t h e most o f t h e w a t e r
and f o r c e t h e b r o k e n p l a n k s b a c k i n t o t h e i r o r i g i n a l p l a c e a s much a s p o s s i b l e .
H o w e v e r t h e r e was o n e l a r g e h o l e w h e r e t h e w a t e r was r e a l l y g u s h i n g i n w h i c h was
behind t h e c r i b b i n g around t h e b o i l e r , t h a t i s t h e f r o n t p a r t of t h e b o i i e r where
t h e t u b e s a r e and t h e r e was no way t o g e t i n t o t h i s c r i b b i n g a s i t was made o f a b o u t
4 x 4
hardwood b r a c e s w i t h a b o u t 3/4 i n c h b o l t s s l a n t i n g t h r o u g h and b o l t i n g i t a l l
t o g e t h e r and t h e f o r w a r d p a r t o f t h e b o i l e r , o r I s h o u l d s a y t h e b a c k w a r d p a r t o f t h e
b o i l e r w h e r e t h e t u b e s w e r e , was i n s i d e o f t h i s more o r l e s s c r i b L '
However, a f t e r
t r y i n g - s e v e r a l p e o p l e t r i e d t o g e t t h r o u g h t h e h o l e t h a t was i n t h e c r i b b i n g b u t
w e r e u n a b l e t o do so - C a p t a i n A l e x a n d e r s a y s "We g o t t o g e t t h r o u g h ! " So he a s k e d
me t o h a v e a t r y .
I t o o k o f f my c l o t h e s (we w e r e s t a n d i n g i n w a t e r up t o o u r w a i s t s )
and t h e C a p t a i n p u t w a t e r on me and e v e r y t h i n g and p u s h e d and p u l l e d u n t i l
finally
I g o t i n s i d e t h e c r i b a n d was a b l e t o s t o p t h e w a t e r f r o m g u s h i n g u p .
Prior to that
a l l o f t h e pumps and t h e s i p h o n s w e r e u n a b l e t o keep t h e w a t e r down.
The w a t e r was
g a i n i n g and t h e b o a t w o u l d have s a n k a s i t was q u i t e a d e p t h o f w a t e r i n t h e eddy b e l o w
the f a l l s .
When we g o t t h e w a t e r pumped o u t we p r o c e e d e d on down t h e r i v e r .
We w e r e
v e r y , v e r y l u c k y t o have J o e B i r d f o r a p i l o t a s he had t a k e n s e v e r a l o t h e r b o a t s
down t h r o u g h t h e G r a n d e R a p i d s and on down t o M c M u r r a y p r i o r t o t h i s o n e .
We d i d n ' t know b u t we d i d h e a r h e a r s a y w h i c h may be t r u e o r f a l s e t h a t M r . C a l h o o n
o f t h e K i n g Edward H o t e l i n Edmonton and J . H . B r i a n who had a c o a l m i n e a s w e l l a s
b o u g h t and s o l d f u r had i n t e r e s t e d a company i n t h e S t a t e s known a s L a n s o n H u b b a r d C o ,
and t h e y had o p e n e d up s e v e r a l p o s t s up n o r t h and down t h e M a c K e n z i e R i v e r .
H o w e v e r , a f t e r g o i n g t h r o u g h a l l o f t h e r a p i d s ( t h e r e i s a b o u t 80 m i l e s o f
and t h e r e ' s w h a t t h e y c a l l t h e B i g C a s c a d e , L i t l i e C a s c a d e , B o i l e r R a p i d s ,
Rapids,

Crooked

Rapids

and so

forth.

However t h e G r a n d e R a p i d s

was t h e

main

rapids
Wrigiey

s t u m b l i n g b l o c k ) we a r r i v e d a t M c M u r r a y and i m m e d i a t e l y g o t a l o a d and went t o
F i t z g e r a l d ( F t . F i t z g e r a l d ) . We made s e v e r a l t r i p s , s t o p p i n g a t F t . C h i p e w y a n on
t h e way, down t o F i t z g e r a l d , up t h e V e r m i l l i o n C h u t e s f o r t h e f r e i g h t was b r o u g h t
f r o m P e a c e R i v e r by t h e D.A. Thomas and i t s a b o u t a two m i l e o r t w o and o n e h a l f
m i l e p o r t a g e around V e r m i l l i o n Chutes.
H e r e we w e r e j o i n e d by a new e m p l o y e e who we
c a I Ied S l i m D a v i s .
I w i l l t e I I you more a b o u t S l i m D a v i s I a t e r o n .
I
H o w e v e r t h e c h i e f e n g i n e e r had made a t o o l , box and I had made a r r a n g e m e n t s w i t h one
o f t h e o t h e r e m p k y e e s t o go o u t s h o o t i n g p a r t r i d g e s i n c e t h e r e was no r e s t r i c t i o n s
a t t h a t t i m e and he t o l d me t h a t on my t i m e o f f I w o u l d p a i n t h i s t o o l box he had j u s t
made.
I t o l d him " n o " t h a t I was g o i n g h u n t i n g b u t t h a t I w o u l d p a i n t i t on my s h i f t
on when I was g o i n g b a c k on - we had s h i f t s o f s i x h o u r s on and s i x o f f .
However,
he d i d n ' t a g r e e t o t h a t so he f i r e d me!
W e l l in t h e meantime C a p t a i n A l e x a n d e r
and I had become r e a s o n a b l y g o o d f r i e n d s and I had l e a r n e d a l l a b o u t t h e b o a t and
l o a d i n g and u n l o a d i n g and a l l t h a t and t h e C a p t a i n t o l d me t o s t a y t h e r e on t h e
p o r t a g e , t h a t was V e r m i l i o n C h u t e p o r t a g e , and M r . C a l h o o n was t h e r e i n c h a r g e o f t h e
portage.
So I s t a y e d u n t i l t h e y came b a c k a b o u t a week l a t e r .
The C a p t a i n was
g o i n g t o t a k e me on a s mate b u t d i d n ' t want t o do s o f o r f e a r o f u p s e t t i n g t h e e n g i n e e r
who had f i r e d me.
H o w e v e r t h e y n e e d e d someone a t F t . S m i t h on t h e b o a t t h e y w e r e b u i l d i n g w h i c h was
named t h e " D i s t r i b u t o r " .
T h e y w e r e p u t t i n g m a c h i n e r y i n and g e t t i n g i t r e a d y t o g o .
In f a c t we t o o k o f f w i t h t h e D i s t r i b u t o r b e f o r e i t was f i n i s h e d , t h a t i s t h e u p p e r
structure.
We t o o k o f f w i t h o u t a p i l o t h o u s e and no d o o r s i n f r o n t o f t h e b o i l e r and
no a s b e s t o s c o v e r i n g o v e r t h e t h e b o i l e r and so f o r t h . We t o o k o f f and went a s f a r
n o r t h a s A k l a v i k j u s t s h o r t o f t h e A r t i e Ocean a b o u t 70 m i l e s .
One o f t h e b o y s came and s a i d " T h e r e ' s somebody a t A k l a v i k t h a t knows you and w a n t s
t o s e e y o u " and he p o i n t e d o u t t h e s c h o o n e r he w a s . i n .
So I went down t o t h e s c h o o n e r .
You had t o s l i d e t h e d o o r b a c k and go i n s i d e a s e v e r y t h i n g was down i n s i d e .
H e r e was
B i l l Day f r o m A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n g who f o r m e r l y I b e l i e v e had owned and r u n t h e G r a n d e
Union Hotel a t Athabasca along with his w i f e .
H o w e v e r s o m e t h i n g happened and t h e y
q u a r r e l e d o r s o m e t h i n g and B i l l went n o r t h .
B u t he was s u r e g l a d t o s e e me. Then he
i n t r o d u c e d me t o h i s w i f e who was an E s k i m o woman and had t a t o o m a r k s f r o m h e r mouth
down t o h e r c h i n .
I n e v e r had s e e n a n y t h i n g l i k e t h a t b e f o r e so you c a n i m a g i n e
what I was t h i n k i n g .

H o w e v e r we w e n t b a c k t o F t . S m i t h and t h e p i l o t t h a t we had
f o r some r e a s o n , s i c k n e s s o r w h a t e v e r , and he came b a c k and
n e x t , o r t h i r d t r i p , down t h e f o l l o w i n g y e a r a n d I had been
the D i s t r i b u t o r .
P r i o r t o t h a t I was t h e f i r e m a n .
I might
e x p e r i e n c e s a s f i r e m a n b e f o r e I t e l l you a b o u t t h e p i l o t .

had went o u t t o Edmonton
he was on I b e l i e v e o u r
p u t on a s s e c o n d mate on
a l s o t e l l you a b o u t my

I was w o r k i n g away and t h e c h i e f e n g i n e e r t h a t was p u t t i n g t h e m a c h i n e r y i n was D i c k
Haus
f r o m V i c t o r i a and a p p a r e n t l y he was e n g i n e e r on t h e b o a t r u n n i n g f r o m V a n c o u v e r
t o V i c t o r i a and he had been l o a n e d t o t h e company t o h e l p g e t t h i s b o a t u n d e r c o n s t r u c t i o n and on i t s way.
I was w o r k i n g on t h e b o i l e r a f t e r w a s h i n g i t a l l o u t and e v e r y t h i n g and p u t t i n g w h a t i s c a l l e d " h a n d h o l d c o v e r s " i n and g a s k e t s and t h e c h i e f came
a l o n g and a s k e d me i f I knew a n y t h i n g a b o u t s e t t i n g t h e v a l v e s .
I s a i d "I d o n ' t know
t o o much b u t I have h e l p e d s e t t h e v a l v e s on an o l d t h r e s h i n g m a c h i n e o u t a t a saw
m i l l a t Long L a k e " .
So he a s k e d me how i t was done and I t o l d him t h a t u s i n g c a l i p h e r s
and p u n c h m a r k s t h a t you w e r e a b l e t o s e t t h e v a l v e s a n d r e s e t t h e t i m i n g o f t h e v a l v e s
on t h e e c c e n t r i c s t h a t way by u s i n g c a l i p h e r s and p u n c h m a r k s .
So away he went and a f t e r a h i Ie he came a l o n g and I had my b a c k t u r n e d and he h i t me
on t h e b a c k and he s a i d " B y g o l l y you g o t ' e r " .
So he was v e r y , v e r y h a p p y .
Then t h e y had a l o t o f t r o u b l e t r y i n g t o keep up s t e a m b e c a u s e
had t w o d o o r s , o n e f o r wood and one f o r c o a l , a n d t h e r e was no

i t was a b o i I e r whi ch
f i r e w a l l w h i c h was

O s c a r G r e e n , K a t y ( s t e w a r d e s s ) who
l a t e r m a r r i e d Mickey Ryan.
The o t h e r
l a d y t h e c h i e f s t e w a r d e s s on t h e S l a v e
R i v e r steamboat.
S l i m D a v i s who l a t e r
became S u p e r i n t e n d e n t o f M a c K e n z i e
R i v e r T r a n s p o r t f o r Hudson Bay C o .

n e e d e d i n s i d e t o keep t h e c o l d a i r f r o m g e t t i n g i n t h e f l u e s .
And t h e wood!
Nobody
knew what s i z e t h e f i r e b o x was g o i n g t o be so t h e wood wa*s c u t t h e same a s i t had been
c u t f o r t h e p r e v i o u s s t e a m b o a t s w h i c h was o n l y a b o u t 3 f o o t f i r e b o x .
So you c a n
i m a g i n e t r y i n g t o f i r e a f i r e b o x a b o u t s e v e n f e e t l o n g and a b o u t 4 f e e t w i d e and t r y i n g
t o keep up s t e a m and no a s b e s t o s c o v e r i n g o v e r t h e b o i l e r w h i c h i s n e c e s s a r y .
However I d i d v e r y w e l l b u t t h e o t h e r f i r e m e n d i d n ' t h a v e s u c h good l u c k and i t was
r e a l hard work.
We w o r k e d f o u r h o u r s on and e i g h t o f f s o y o u c a n i m a g i n e how h a r d
we w o r k e d and we b u r n e d f r o m t h r e e t o t h r e e a n d one h a l f c o r d o f wood an h o u r .
Anyway, i t was t h e n e x t y e a r t h e y p u t i n t h e f i r e w a l l s w h i c h h e l p e d q u i t e a b i t .
Now I w i l l go b a c k t o t h e p i l o t .
I b e l i e v e he was J a c k S t a r k b u t we had t w o p i l o t s
- J a c k S t a r k and S l i m B a i n - so I'm n o t s u r e w h i c h one i t w a s .
B u t anyway t h a t y e a r L
had been p u t on a s s e c o n d mate and i t was a b o u t 12 o r 1 o ' c l o c k a t n i g h t a n d t h e r e
was m y s e l f and t h e e n g i n e e r and p i l o t on d u t y .
The b o a t was l i f t i n g up on t h e l e f t
s i d e and s w a y i n g .
So a s I was a c t u a l l y i n c h a r g e o f t h e b o a t I t o l d t h e e n g i n e e r
t o r e v e r s e t h e p a d d l e w h e e l , t h a t we w e r e g o i n g t o go c r o s s w a y s i n t h e r i v e r and h i t
the shore.
He s a y s "I c a n ' t w i t h o u t a b e l l and t h e r e was no way o r n o t h i n g t h a t I
c o u l d c l i m b up and r i n g t h e b e l l .
Had I been a b l e t o c l i m b up and r i n g t h e b e l l , he

w o u l d h a v e been a b l e t o a n s w e r t h e b e l l a c c o r d i n g l y .
So I had t o r u n , a l l t h e way up
t o t h e p i l o t h o u s e w h i c h i s t w o d e c k s up - you have t h e promenade d e c k , t h e T e x a s d e c k ,
and t h e n t h e p i l o t h o u s e .
I r a n a l l t h e way up t h e s e s t a i r s t o f i n d t h e p i l o t had
g o n e t o s l e e p and a s t h e b o a t was c o n t r o l l e d by s t e a m s t e e r i n g , t h e w e i g h t o f h i s
h a n d s and arm on t h e s t e e r i n g had c a u s e d t h e b o a t
t u r n in t h e r i v e r
he had g o n e
to sleep.
So I woke him up, he t o o k a q u i c k l o o k b u t he was s m a r t e n o u g h n o t t o push
t h e s t e e r i n g t o o f a r and t h e b o a t went o v e r and h i t t h e s h o r e a g l a n c i n g b l o w .
You
c o u l d f e e l t h e w h o l e s t r u c t u r e c r e a k and c r a c k a s i t h i t t h e b a n k .
However no dama g e was d o n e and we went on o u r way.
Coming b a c k f r o m o u r l a s t t r i p t o A k l a v i k , between F t . Norman and F t . W r i g l e y I
b e l i e v e i t w a s , t h e w a t e r was q u i t e low a n d we w e r e l a t e and t r y i n g t o make t i m e
and a s t h e b o a t p u s h e s a c e r t a i n amount o f w a t e r a h e a d o f i t , we r a n i n t o a h o l e
i n t h e s a n d b a r o r a g r a v e l b a r , b u t we w e r e v e r y l u c k y t h a t t h e c a p t a i n on t h e b o a t
had p r e v i o u s e x p e r i e n c e on t h e M i s s i s s i p p i R i v e r so he had a l r e a d y a c c u m u l a t e d what
l o o k e d l i k e t e l e p h o n e p o l e s and u s e d them a s s p a r s w i t h p u l l e y s on t o p and c a b l e s
t o t h e s t e a m wench and we s e t t w o on e a c h s i d e and a c t u a l l y l i f t e d t h e b o a t up and
w a l k e d i t o u t b a c k w a r d s d o w n s t r e a m by r u n n i n g t h e e n g i n e In r e v e r s e and t h e p a d d l e
wheel t h r o w i n g w a t e r u n d e r n e a t h t h e b o a t , we managed t o g e t o u t and g e t b a c k i n t o a
c h a n n e l and had no more t r o u b l e g e t t i n g b a c k t o F t . S m i t h .
Wel I o n e o f t h e t r i p s when I was s e c o n d mate and I had g o n e t o bed and t h e y had
s t o p p e d t o l o a d wood and f o r some r e a s o n o r o t h e r t h e c r e w w e n t on s t r i k e .
They
w o u l d n ' t l o a d a n y m o r e wood so t h e c a p t a i n s e n t t h e f i r s t mate t o c a l l me.
So I
went down.
T h i s was s h o r t l y a f t e r b r e a k f a s t i n t h e m o r n i n g .
I went down and o r d e r e d
some b r e a k f a s t f r o m t h e c o o k who I knew v e r y w e l l b e c a u s e I had h e l p e d him s o m e t i m e s
when he was q u i t e b u s y .
So I knew a l i t t l e b i t a b o u t i t and we knew e a c h o t h e r .
Anyway he p u t t o g e t h e r a b r e a k f a s t f o r me and I s t a r t e d t o e a t and t h e n o n e o f t h e
b o y s who was on s t r i k e s a i d "How a b o u t me"?
I s a i d " S u r e , you want some b r e a k f a s t ? "
So I o r d e r e d some f o r h i m .
He s a t and a t e and I d i d n ' t s a y a n y t h i n g b u t I went o u t and
s t a r t e d p a c k i n g wood o n t o t h e b o a t and s t a r t e d s i n g i n g an o l d song " J e r a , J e r a , G e e .
Gee, J a z z " , something l i k e t h a t .
F i r s t t h i n g I knew t h e w h o l e bunch o f them f e l l
i n and s t a r t e d p a c k i n g wood and t h a t was t h e end o f t h e s t r i k e .
H o w e v e r t h a t f a l l i t was t o o l a t e and t h e y w e r e p u l l i n g a l l o f t h e b o a t s o u t o f t h e
w a t e r and we c o u l d n ' t t a k e t h e s t e a m b o a t down t h e r i v e r a n y m o r e .
B u t t h e y had a few
t h i n g s t h a t came l a t e t h a t t h e y had t o d e l i v e r t o t h e p o s t s a l o n g t h e way, a l s o t o
t a k e t h e m a i l down t o F t . Norman and F t . Good H o p e .
So t h e y c a l l e d f o r v o l u n t e e r s .
N o t k n o w i n g v e r y much a b o u t t h e N o r t h and t h a t and b e i n g q u i t e i n q u i s i t i v e , I
volunteered.
T h e r e was a n o t h e r boy t h e r e who was a r e t u r n e d s o l d i e r who was a b o u t
o n e - q u a r t e r I n d i a n I t h i n k who was named T u f f y B r a s s e a u .
So I a s k e d him i f he w a n t e d
t o go w i t h me and he s a i d " Y e s , I w o u l d . "
So t h e y g o t b u s y and t h e y b u i l t a s m a l l
scow a b o u t 30 f e e t l o n g and a b o u t 8 f e e t w i d e and t h e y a l s o b u i l t hand pumps a s was
n o r m a l - t h e y d i d t h i s w i t h a l l t h e s c o w s t h a t w e r e made t o pump o u t t h e w a t e r .
So
we w e r e l o a d e d u p .
B u t p r i o r t o t h a t we w e r e t a k e n up t o F t . C h i p e w y a n o n t h e o l d
S l a v e R i v e r s t e a m b o a t and d r o p p e d o f f andwe b r o u g h t a l i f e b o a t down f r o m F t .
Chipewyan
" - F i t z g e r a l d w h i c h b e l o n g e d t o t h e D i s t r i b u t o r and b r o u g h t some g o o d s
t h a t we had t o t a k e w i t h u s .
However n e i t h e r o n e o f us had p a i d v e r y much a t t e n t i o n
t o t h e r i v e r s and t h a t b e c a u s e we w e r e n o t p i l o t s .
W e l l I happened t o be r u n n i n g t h e
o u t b o a r d m o t o r on t h i s l i f e b o a t and we came t o a s p o t w h e r e t h e r e was a r a p i d s r i g h t
a c r o s s what i s c a l l e d S l a v e R i v e r ( t h a t i s t h e c o n t i n u a t i o n of t h e Peace R i v e r )
n o r m a l l y you go b e h i n d an i s l a n d h e r e .
I ' l l t e l l you more a b o u t t h i s i s l a n d and t h e
f a I Is I a t e r o n .
t o

F_t

When t a k i n g t h e l i f e b o a t down we came upon t h i s - n o t k n o w i n g b e c a u s e we
i d n ' t know t h e r i v e r w e l l e n o u g h .
H o w e v e r we g o t t h r o u g h f i n e and went b a c k t o F t .
S m i t h and g o t o u r t h i n g s l o a d e d and e v e r y t h i n g f o r t h e N o r t h .
We s t a r t e d o f f and we
g o t down t h e r i v e r a b o u t 8 m i l e s andwe met t h e D i s t r i b u t o r c o m i n g b a c k w h i c h
had made a q u i c k r u n down s o m e p l a c e and b a c k a g a i n - I b e l i e v e i t was R e s o l u t i o n .
The
c a p t a i n b l e w t h e w h i s t l e and had us come a l o n g s i d e and said__^Where a r e you g o i n g ? "

"We're going t o Ft. Norman".
He s a i d " Y o u a r e l i k e
"
He s a i d " P u l l a l o n g s i d e '
Make ' e m f a s t b o y s "
He t o o k us b a c k t o F t . S m i t h and w h i l e he was s t i l l i n t h e
p i l o t h o u s e Tommy Woodman who was a s u p e r i n t e n t e n t f r o m F t . C h i p e w y a n - he r e a l l y
b a w l e d him o u t .
-

1

T h e y had a I r e a d y t a k e n t h i s g a s b o a t o u t and p u t i t a s h o r e b u t he made t h e m l o a d t h e
b o a t s b a c k i n f o t h e w a t e r and t a k e us s u p p o s e d l y a c r o s s G r e a t S l a v e L a k e t o P r o v i d e n c e
w h e r e t h e y w e r e g o i n g t o t u r n us l o o s e a g a i n .
So we g o t o f f and we g o t t o R e s o l u t i o n o k a y . T h e r e was n o t t o o much s h e l t e r a t
R e s o l u t i o n but t h e r e i s a long dock r u n n i n g o u t i n t o t h e l a k e .
Anyway we s t a r t e d o f f
f r o m R e s o l u t i o n t> P r o v i d e n c e w h i c h we have t o c r o s s G r e a t S l a v e L a k e and we u s u a l l y
go by Hay R i v e r and a c r o s s t o W r i g e l y H a r b o u r and on t o P r o v i d e n c e .
We g o t o u t a ways
t o w h a t i s known a s B u r n t I s l a n d and t h e r e we s t a y e d .
We w e r e t h e r e f o r t w o t o t h r e e
weeks.
We c o u l d n ' t go o u t on a c c o u n t o f t h e s t o r m , so y o u c a n i m a g i n e how l u c k y we
a r e t h a t t h e C a p t a i n had e n o u g h s e n s e t o make s u r e t h a t t h e y l a u n c h e d t h i s b o a t and
t o o k us a t l e a s t a s f a r a s P r o v i d e n c e .
H o w e v e r , when we f i n a l l y g o t t o P r o v i d e n c e we had q u i t e a b i t o f t r o u b l e .
We w e r e
c r o s s i n g f r o m Hay R i v e r t o W r i g e l y H a r b o u r and a v e r y l i g h t head w i n d .
We w e r e on
a b o u t an 80 f o o t t o w l i n e and t h e w a v e s k n o c k e d t h e oakum o u t f r o m t h e n e w l y b u i l t
b o a t and w a t e r was p o u r i n g i n f a s t e r t h a n we c o u l d pump i t o u t .
We c o u l d n ' t make
t h e m h e a r and n o b o d y l o o k e d so my p a r t n e r , he s a y s " I ' m g o i n g t o s h o o t o f f t h e r i f l e " .
So he f i r e d a s h o t and n o t h i n g h a p p e n e d .
So he f i r e d a n o t h e r s h o t and n o t h i n g
happened.
We c o u l d s e e t h e p i l o t s i t t i n g up t h e r e and t h e sun was s h i n i n g and he was
s t e e r i n g w i t h h i s f e e t j We c o u l d s e e
him t h r o u g h t h e b a c k window o f t h e p i l o t h o u s e
but nobody looked back.
J u s t a s he f i r e d t h e n e x t s h o t t h e p i l o t o p e n e d t h e d o o r
b u t when he h e a r d t h e s h o t he c l o s e d i t b a c k q u i c k l y j Then he l o o k e d b a c k and we
waved him down.
So t h e n when t h e y s t o p p e d t h e b o a t , p u l l e d us a l o n g s i d e and t h e y
had a few empty b a r r e l s t h a t t h e y were t a k i n g down w h i c h t h e y w o u l d l o a d o n t o o u r
'
boat.
T h e y had b u r n t up g a s I n l a n d * some e m p t i e s t h e y w e r e t a k i n g a n y w a y .
So t h e y
t o o k a l l t h e s t u f f o f f o f o u r scow and p u t i t on t h e b o a t w h i c h was a b o u t 80 f e e t
l o n g and p u t t h e b a r r e l s on o u r scow and r o p e d t h e m down and l e f t us t h e r e t o pump
w a t e r u n t i l we g o t t o P r o v i d e n c e . _ _ _ , ^
m

A f F T o v i d e n c e t h e y had o u r b o a t p u l l e d o u t and had i t f i x e d .
There they were supp o s e d t o l e a v e us and send us on o u r own on t h e M a c K e n z i e R i v e r .
H o w e v e r somehow
t h e r e was a w i r e l e s s t h e r e o r s o m e t h i n g t e l l i n g them t o t a k e us a l l t h e way t o t h e
F t . Norman o i l w e l l w h i c h t h e y d i d .
So we a r r i v e d f i n e a t F t . Norman o tI we I I b u t we
w e r e on o u r own a g a i n .
We had a r o u n d 200 m i l e s t o go t o F t . Good Hope down t h r o u g h
I b e l i e v e t h e y c a l l i f Sand Sue R a p i d s w h i c h i s more o r l e s s s h a l l o w l i m e s t o n e b o t t o m
but not t o o dangerous.
H o w e v e r j u s t a b o v e F t . Good Hope i s t h e v e r y r o u g h w a t e r b u t
we g o t t h e r e o k a y .
We had a c h o i c e - we c o u l d c u t wood o r we c o u l d go t r a p p i n g . They
had g i v e n us an o r d e r t h a t a t a l l t h e p o s t s we c o u l d p i c k up a n y t h i n g we w a n t e d a s
we w e n t a l o n g .
So we had p i c k e d up some t r a p s and a m m u n i t i o n , e t c .
3

We l e f t F t . Good Hope and we w e n t a r o u n d 55 m i l e s down r i v e r f r o m F t . Good Hope and
we saw a l i t t l e b i t o f t imber t h e r e - t h e b i g g e s t t r e e s w e r e a r o u n d f o u r o r f i v e
inches in d i a m e t e r .
H o w e v e r , we t h o u g h t we c o u l d s t o p t h e r e and c u t w o o d .
We c u t a
l i t t l e wood and t h e n we s t a r t e d t r a p p i n g b e c a u s e i t was t h e b e g i n n i n g o f O c t o b e r
t h e n and t h e r e t h e f r o s t i s o n l y o u t a b o u t f o r o r f i v e i n c h e s in t h e moss and u n d e r neath is f r o z e n .
We had t o b u i l d a c a b i n and so f o r t h and s o o n .
Then d u r i n g the w i n t e r
t h e r e was an I n d i a n f a m i l y w h i c h l i v e d d i r e c t l y a c r o s s t h e M a c K e n z i e R i v e r f r o m us
w h i c h was a b o u t 4 m i l e s w i d e a t t h a t p o i n t .
We s t a r t e d t r a d i n g a l i t t l e g o o d s f o r f u r
f r o m t h e I n d i a n s , n o t k n o w i n g t h e c u s t o m s o f t h e N o r t h , and my p a r t n e r had had a l i t t l e
experience trapping.
We w e r e c a t c h i n g f o x e s and m a r t e n s and m u s t r a t s g a l l o r e and we r u n o u t o f t o b a c c o
and we t r i e d e v e r y t h i n g .
We t r i e d t e a , c o f f e e , w i l l o w b a r k , e v e r y t h i n g b u t i t d i d n ' t
s a t i s f y o u r want f o r t o b a c c o .
The C a t h o l i c M i s s i o n p r i e s t a t F t . Good Hope had g i v e
us t h r e e d o g s ( o r l o a n e d us I s h o u l d s a y ) t h r e e d o g s , h a r n e s s , t o b o g g a n , t w o c a n o e s .
So we h o o k e d up t h e d o g s and went t h e 55 m i l e s t o g e t t o b a c c o .
T h e r e was r o u g h i c e ,
high r i d g e s of i c e , e t c .
We had t o make l a t e r t r i p s t o o a s we f o u n d o u t t o o u r s o r r o w
t h a t we w e r e n o t a l l o w e d t o t r a d e w i t h t h e I n d i a n s and we w e r e L a n s o n H u b b a r d
e m p l o y e e s and we w e r e t r a d i n g w i t h Hudson Bay I n d i a n s w h i c h was g e t t i n g t h e manager
o f t h e s t o r e i n t r o u b l e b e c a u s e o f w h a t we w e r e d o i n g .
So he w o u l d n ' t g i v e us a n y m o r e
than a month's supply.
I s a i d "How a b o u t t f i e s h a n d i n g o r d e r I g o t h e r e ?
You a r e
s u p p o s e d t o f u r n i s h us w i t h w h a t e v e r we w a n t " . " Y e s " , he s a i d , "I know y o u ' v e g o t i t .
I ' v e r e a d i t , b u t t o e n f o r c e i t t h e c l o s e s t p o l i c e m a n i s F t . M c P h e r s o n and by t h e
t i m e you go down t h e r e and g e t b a c k h e r e i t w i l l be s p r i n g and I w o n ' t c a r e " .
Then
he t o l d me how we w e r e g e t t i n g him i n t r o u b l e by t r a d i n g w i t h t h e I n d i a n s .
So t h a t meant a b o u t e v e r y 30 d a y s we had t o make a t r i p t o F t . Good Hope and b a c k w h i c h was
a b o u t a r o u n d 110 m i l e s by d o g t e a m .

c

7
D n

I
w

W
.j

L a t e r on my p a r t n e r T u f f y B r a z e a u t h o u g h t he was s i c k and had t o s e e a d o c t o r .
The
c l o s e s t d o c t o r was a t F t . M c P h e r s o n a n o t h e r t w o
h u n d r e d m i l e s f u r t h e r down t h e r i v e r .
By t h i s t i m e t h e r e was a few f e e t o f w a t e r r u n n i n g a l o n g t h e edge o f t h e i c e
- between
t h e bank and t h e i c e on t h e M a c K e n z i e - so we s t a r t e d o f f .
We g o t down a p p r o x i m a t e l y
50 m i l e s w h e r e t h e Y u k o n e r s had camped i n 1898 and t h e r e was an I n d i a n f a m i l y l i v i n g
there.
D u r i n g t h e n i g h t t h e i c e b r o k e up and s t a r t e d f l o w i n g i n t h e r i v e r so we
w e r e m a r o o n e d t h e r e a r o u n d t w o weeks o r s o .
We w e r e r u n n i n g o u t o f f o o d .
T h e r e were
l o t s o f d u c k s and g e e s e so we w e r e I i v i n g s o l e y on w i l d d u c k and g e e s e and t h i s
e l d e r l y I n d i a n s e n t me and h i s w i f e f r o m t h e h o u s e a b o u t 30 f e e t by t h e r i v e r b a n k
She p u l l e d up w h a t l o o k e d l i k e a l i t t l e bush and s t a r t e d t o e a t t h e r o o t s and handed
t h e m t o me t o e a t .
I a t e some and i t t a s t e d s o m e t h i n g l i k e s w e e t p o t a t o e s so I t o o k
i f b a c k t o t h e c a b i n and t h i s e l d e r l y I n d i a n t o l d me t h a t i f w h i t e man w o u l d e a t t h a t
r o o t we w o u l d n ' t g e t s i c k .
I assumed t h a t was s c u r v y a s most p e o p l e had d i e d f r o m
s c u r v y when j u s t e a t i n g meat w i t h o u t any f l o u r o r a n y t h i n g t o go w i t h i t .
By t h e
t i m e t h e i c e went o u t my p a r t n e r t h o u g h t he was a l r i g h t and so we went back u p s t r e a m
to our c a b i n .
S h o r t l y a f t e r w a r d s up comes a man f r o m F t . M c P h e r s o n w h i c h we knew p e r s o n a l l y f r o m t h e
o l d Slave R i v e r steamboat.
We c a l l e d him T i n y G i f f o r d a s he was f a i r l y l a r g e and

p r o b a b l y w e i g h e d a r o u n d 300 p o u n d s .
Here I should mention about T i n y G i f f o r d .
He
a p p a r e n t l y came f r o m O n t a r i o and was a v e r y c a p a b l e c a n o e man and someone had g o t
h i m t o v o l u n t e e r t o t a k e l i f e b o a t s o f t h e D i s t r i b u t o r down t h r o u g h S m i t h R a p i d s
w h i c h were
r a p i d s and n e a r l y i m p o s s i b l e .
H o w e v e r , my p a r t n e r and
I d i d n ' t know t h i s and h a d n ' t seen t h e r a p i d s n o r a n y t h i n g .
However, t h e y t o o k
T i n y down t o l o o k a t t h e r a p i d s and a f t e r he l o o k e d a t t h e r a p i d s he j u s t s a i d he
d i d n ' t want t o t a k e t h e b o a t s t h r o u g h .
However we t r i e d e v e r y way t o g e t him t o
t a k e t h e b o a t s t h r o u g h b u t he w o u l d n o t do s o .
We d i d n ' t know a t t h a t t i m e how l u c k y
we w e r e f o r t h e r e was no o n e , I n d i a n s o r a n y o n e , who r u n s t h e r a p i d s .
Tliere is a
s i x t e e n m i l e p o r t a g e b e t w e e n S m i t h and F i t z g e r a l d .
So T i n y G i f f o r d t o l d us a b o u t t h e b i g boom a t F t . Norman and a l l you had t o do was
d r i v e a s t a k e i n t h e g r o u n d and go up t o F t . Norman and s e l l y o u r c l a i m .
So we l e f t
e v e r y t h i n g b e h i n d and s t a r t e d o f f and i f I remember c o r r e c t l y we t o o k t h e d o g s i n
t h e c a n o e up t o Good Hope and t h e r e we a r r a n g e d t o send somebody down t o p i c k up t h e
c a n o e and s l e i g h b e c a u s e t h a t b e l o n g e d t o t h e m i s s i o n a t F t . Good Hope.

We went on t o F t . Norman and s t a k e d c l a i m s w h e r e t h e o i l w e l l s a r e t h e r e 50 m i l e s
b e l o w F t . Norman i t s e l f.
Wlien we g o t up t o F t . Norman we w e r e o f f e r e d $ 3 0 , 0 0 0 a p i e c e
f o r o u r c l a i m s and a l l we had done was f i l e o u r names and l o c a t i o n and so f o r t h
and d r i v e s t a k e s i n t h e g r o u n d .
B u t t h e r e was o t h e r p e o p l e t h e r e who t o l d us we w e r e
O o I i s h t o s e l l t h e m a t t h a t p r i c e when a t F t . S m i t h you c o u l d g e t two o r t h r e e
imes t h a t p r i c e .
So we d i d n ' t s e l l them and we w a i t e d t h e r e f o r t h e D i s t r i b u t o r
t o come down.
So t h e D i s t r i b u t o r t o o k us on t o A k l a v i k and b a c k t o F t . S m i t h .
By
t h e t i m e we g o t t o F t . S m i t h you c o u l d n ' t e v e n s e l l t h e c l a i m s f o r $ 1 . 0 0 .
So we
n e v e r g o t a n y money o u t o f o u r c l a i m s a f t e r i l l o u r t r o u b l e .
c

F i n a l l y when t h e d e p r e s s i o n came and I had gone b r o k e i n t h e b u s i n e s s I was i n ,
I w e n t down t o t h e H u d s o n ' s Bay and a p p l i e d f o r a j o b .
They had a l r e a d y h i r e d most
o f t h e c r e w and I w a s n ' t g e t t i n g a n y p l a c e .
C a p t a i n S m e l l y was t h e r e d o i n g t h e h i r i n g
and I d i d n ' t Know him a t t h a t t i m e .
I t o o k h o l d o f t h e h a n d l e o f t h e d o o r and was
l e a v i n g and C a p t a i n H a i g h t came i n .
He was v e r y s u r p r i z e d t h a t I was t h e r e .
He a s k e d
me what I was d o i n g t h e r e and I t o l d him t h a t I was l o o k i n g f o r a j o b .
Captain Smelley
s a y s " Y o u know t h i s b o y ? "
He s a y s " S u r e I know h i m .
I raised him!"
So anyway t o
make a l o n g s t o r y s h o r t , I g o t a j o b . I was s e n t b a c k a t t h e e a r l i e s t p o s s i b l e t i m e and
when I l a n d e d a t F t . M c M u r r a y who do I f i n d i n c h a r g e e x c e p t S l i m D a v i s . As I s a i d
b e f o r e S l i m D a v i s came down on Ithe D.A. Thomas a s a p u r s e r
f o r t h e S l a v e R i v e r Steamboat
and t h a t ' s t h e l a s t I e v e r h e a r d o f him u n t i l I met him' h e r e a s S u p e r i n t e n d e n t o f
the Mackenzie River Transport.
However he was v e r y g l a d t o s e e me and I was g l a d t o
see him.
So I w e n t down and h e l p e d him p r e p a r e t h e A t h a b a s c a R i v e r t o go i n t h e w a t e r and run
one o f t h e h o i s t e n g i n e s l o w e r i n g t h e b o a t i n t o t h e edge o f t h e w a t e r .
i t had t h r e e
s e t s , f o u r s e t s I b e l i e v e i t w a s , o f c a b l e s w i t h a l l k i n d s o f h e a v y r o p e t i e d and
you l e t i t down s o f a r on t h e w a y s , t h e n a t a s i g n a l e v e r y b o d y c u t t h e s e r o p e s and
e t i t s l i d e into the water.
1

In my a b s e n c e D a v i s had been a v e r y i m p o r t a n t man w i t h t h e H u d s o n ' s Bay C o . and
I w o r k e d I be I i e v e t w o y e a r s o r more w i t h h i m .
In f a c t he t o o k me o f f o f t h e b o a t
w i t h some ("rouble a t F t . Morman w h e r e t h e e n g i n e e r a t t h a t t i m e , I b e l i e v e h i s name
was M a v i s , he w o u l d n ' t l e t me go u n l e s s D a v i s w o u l d p r o m i s e t o pay me q u i t e a b i t
more t h a n I was g e t t i n g on t h e b o a t - on t h e D i s t r i b u t o r .
H o w e v e r t h a t was a r r a n g e d .
I had n o t h i n g t o s a y a b o u t i t .
So t h e y t o o k me o f f and I f o u n d o u t l a t e r D a v i s
a l o n g w i t h some o t h e r p e r s o n had o v e r h a u l e d o n e o f t h e e n g i n e s and u I d h ' t 9 e t i t t o
run p r o p e r l y .
So I s a t down and f o u n d o u t f r o m D a v i s e x a c t l y w h a t t h e y had d o n e ,
t h o u g h t i t o v e r , and went t o ,work on i t and g o t i t b a c k t o i t ' s n o r m a l c o n d i t i o n
where i t c o u l d push f r e i g h t t h a t i f c o u l d n ' t h a n d l e o t h e r w i s e .
C O

"' LAST OF THE STEAMBOATS.

1924

-

IQdd"

I t h i n k I have m i s s e d some o f t h e i m p o r t a n t t h i n g s t h a t w o u l d be i n t e r e s t i n g t o
a n y o n e k n o w i n g t h e n o r t h o r t r a v e l l i n g t h e n o r t h and one o f them was I was s e n t
j t , t h i s was on t h e s e c o n d t i m e when I was e m p l o y e d up n o r t h i n 1921 o r s o and
i was w o r k i n g f r o m F t . Norman up t o B e a r L a k e and i n l e a v i n g Hudson Bay w a r e h o u s e we
had a c a p t a i n f r o m V a n c o u v e r who had n e v e r been t h e r e ( o r n e v e r been a c r o s s G r e a t
S l a v e L a k e ) and t h e man i n c h a r g e a t F t . S m i t h t o l d t h e c a p t a i n who was p u t i n c h a r g e
o f a w h o l e b u n c h o f s m a l l b o a t s and I was e n g i n e e r on one o f them - one o f t h e b i g g e r
o n e s and I was i n c h a r g e o f a l l t h e e n g i n e e r s and t h e e n g i n e e r i n g p a r t o f t h e b o a t s
b u t had a l o t o f p r i o r e x p e r i e n c e on t h e l a k e .
I f he w a n t e d more
i n f o r m a t i o n he was t o g e t i t f r o m me.
So t h e c a p t a i n a s k e d me i n l e a v i n g F t . R e s o l u t i o n w h i c h way t o go and so f o r t h and
t h e n I went t o l a y down t o g e t some s l e e p .
I s l e p t f o r a c o u p l e o f h o u r s and t h e n
t h e c a p t a i n came and c a l l e d me and s a i d "Come o n , I w a n t you t o l o o k and s e e how
we a r e d o i n g " .
P r i o r t o t h a t I had t o l d him t o head o u t f o r B u r n t I s l a n d , t h e n
f o l l o w t h e s h o r e l i n e t o t h e l e f t u n t i l he p i c k e d up t h e b a u y a t Hay R i v e r , t h e n t o
t u r n r i g h t and f o l l o w t h e s h o r e l i n e , b e i n g a p p r o x i m a t e l y 30 m i l e s o f f s h o r e , u n t i l
he p i c k e d up t h e bouy and W r i g e l y H a r b o u r , t h e n t o t a k e t h a t c h a n n e l down t o
Providence.
Then he w o u l d be on t h e M a c k e n z i e R i v e r .
However t h e r e was a y o u n g f e l l o w who had been w i t h t h e N o r t h e r n T r a n s p o r t a t i o n
Company p r i o r t o
t h e Hudson Bay and t h e y had a s c h o o n e r .
They u s e d t o go s t r a i g h t
a c r o s s from B u r n t I s l a n d t o W r i g e l y Harbour.
H o w e v e r , when I l o o k e d a r o u n d , t h e r e
was no l a n d i n s i g h t and t h e r e was no w i n d , i t was v e r y q u i e t and c a l m , t h e y w e r e d o i n g
fine.
So I s a i d " W e l l you seem t o be d o i n g a l r i g h t " .
He t o l d me what had h a p p e n e d ,
t h a t he was g o i n g t o make a l i t t l e b e t t e r t i m e t h a t way.
So a f t e r a n o t h e r h o u r o r
s o we g o t a s l i g h t w i n d and t h e w i n d i n c r e a s e d and t h e f i r s t t h i n g we know we r a n
n t o a f l o w o f i c e m o v i n g down t h e m i d d l e o f G r e a t S l a v e L a k e .
I t was m o v i n g v e r y
l o w l y , t h e c u r r e n t w o u l d t a k e i t i n t o t h e M a c K e n z i e and on down t h e M a c k e n z i e .
So
I s a i d " W e ' r e r i g h t on c o u r s e ? "
He s a i d " I ' m s u r e o f i t " .
I s a i d ' WeII i f y o u r
s u r e o f i t you may a s w e l l keep r i g h t o n .
However t h e b o a t s were m o s t l y t u n n e l b o a t s
w i t h p r o p e l l e r s and we s t a r t e d g e t t i n g i c e i n t o t h e t u n n e l s so we had t o c u t t h e
s p e e d down and we had t o g e t a c r e w o u t w i t h p o l e s p u s h i n g i c e o u t o f t h e r o a d and
I t h i n k i t was a b o u t t w o m i l e s a c r o s s t h i s f l o w o f i c e b u t by t h e t i m e we g o t
t h r o u g h t h i s i c e t h e w i n d had g o t q u i t e s t r o n g and t h e w a v e s w e r e g e t t i n g f a i r l y
h i g h and t h e c a p t a i n w i t h h i s f i e l d g l a s s e s p i c k e d up s i g h t o f l a n d t o t h e r i g h t
o f h i s p r e s e n t c o u r s e and i t l o o k e d j u s t e x a c t l y l i k e t h e e n t r a n c e i n t o W r i g e l y
Harbour.
He a s k e d me w h a t I t h o u g h t and I t o l d him I d i d n ' t know.
So he g o t h o l d o f
t h i s y o u n g f e l l o w and he t o l d him i t was W r i g e l y H a r b o u r - t h a t he must h a v e somehow
in the wind got o f f c o u r s e .
T

f

So he swung t o t h e r i g h t and headed i n p a s t t h e i s l a n d l i k e we w o u l d have done a t
W r i g e l y H a r b o u r b u t s h o r t l y a f t e r w a r d s we run i n t o low w a t e r and s t o n e s and s t u f f ,
b e n t t h e p r o p e l l e r and s h a f t . L u c k y I had p u t an e x t r a s h a f t and p r o p e l l e r on t h i s
p a r t i c u l a r boat.
So t h e n he d e c i d e d t h a t we w e r e l o s t . . . . s o we s t a r t e d up t h e l i t t l e
r a p i d b o a t s and we g o t up t o an i s l a n d w h e r e t h e b o a t I was on we !
had a l i t t l e b l o c k and t a c k l e .
We managed t o p u l l i t up o n t o t h e s h o r e and p r y i t
up so t h a t t h e p r o p e l l e r and t h e s t r u t and t h e s h a f t w e r e up a b o v e t h e w a t e r l e v e l
w h i c h meant you had t o t a k e o f f y o u r c l o t h e s , go i n t h e w a t e r u n d e r t h e b o a t and
see what t h e t r o u b l e was.
So we f o u n d t h a t t h e b a b b i t t i n t h e s t r u t had been c o m p l e t e l y k n o c k e d o u t .
So we
had t o c h a n g e t h e s h a f t and t h e p r o p e l l e r b u t we a l s o had t o run new b a b b i t and
hat is c a l l e d the s t r u t .
The s t r u t i s w h e r e t h e s h a f t g o e s t h r o u g h and t h e p r o p e l l e r in on b e h i n d i t .
T h e r e was no one t h e r e , even m y s e l f , who had had much t o do
w i t h r u n n i n g b a b b i t t b e a r i n g s a l t h o u g h I had had some e x p e r i e n c e .
I was v e r y l u c k y
when l e a v i n g F t . S m i t h t h a t t h e man i n c h a r g e , I f o r g o t h i s name., had t o l d me t o go
o u t i n t h e b | c k s m i t h s h o p and l o o k a r o u n d and a n y t h i n g I c o u l d f i n d t h a t I m i g h t
a

need t o t a k e a l o n g .
I f o u n d s e v e r a l b a r s o f b a b b i t t and I f o u n d a l a d l e , so
t h e m a l o n g , n e v e r t h i n k i n g t h a f I w o u l d use them b u t was s u r e l u c k y I d i d .
Repairing the s t r u t
s h a f t on o u r way to
W r i g e l y Harbour

"IKljifc''.

I took

^SS^S^tSS^

On t h i s p a r t i c u l a r v o y a g e I was l u c k y t h a t I had g o t a j o b on t h e b o a t s w i t h m y s e l f
and t w o b o y s f r o m Edmonton w h i c h I knew v e r y w e l l .
One o f t h e m was Benny A y r who was
l a t e r k i l l e d i n t h e l a s t war and t h e o t h e r was Doug J o h n s o n who I b e l i e v e i s f a r m i n g
out a t F l a t b u s h someplace.
Anyway t h e y g o t on t o g e t h e r and we g o t e v e r y t h i n g f i x e d up
and so t h e c a p t a i n s a y s "Now, you go w i t h t h i s boy (who had been a mate and r e a l l y
was a c a p t a i n f r o m V a n c o u v e r ) a n d o n e o t h e r b o y .
You t a k e o n e o f t h e r a p i d b o a t s and
go o u t i n t o t h e l a k e and you go t o y o u r r i g h t .
You t r a v e l e x a c t l y t w o h o u r s , no m o r e ,
no l e s s .
If you d o n ' t f i n d a n y t h i n g , you come b a c k and r e p o r t t o m e " .
Mind you we
a v e no r a d i o s , no means o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n w h a t s o e v e r and a i r p l a n e s w e r e o n l y g e t t i n g
s t a r t e d i n t h a t c o u n t r y so you c o u l d n ' t l o o k f o r t h e m .
H o w e v e r , we t r a v e l l e d t h e t w o
h o u r s and we s e t o u r w a t c h e s w i t h t h e c a p t a i n ' s and t h i s mate o r c a p t a i n t h a t was
s u p p o s e d t o be i n c h a r g e a l o n g w i t h me, I t o l d him " O u r two h o u r s i s up.
What do we
do n o w ? "
He s a y s , " W e l l , I d o n ' t know.
W e ' r e s u p p o s e d t o go b a c k .
He t o l d us t o
go b a c k b u t I t h i n k we s h o u l d go on t i l l we f i n d s o m e t h i n g .
T h e r e ' s no p o i n t i n
going back".
So m y s e l f and t h e o t h e r p a r t y w i t h us a g r e e d t h a t we s h o u l d go o n .
Anyway we went on and we t r a v e l l e d and f i n a l Iy we came t o w h e r e t h e r e was a c a b i n and
a c o u p l e o f c a n o e s up o u t o f t h e w a t e r and we swung a r o u n d and we went i n t h e r e and
we w e n t up t o t h e c a b i n .
B u t nobody w o u l d a n s w e r t h e d o o r .
We I i o l l e r e d and y e l l e d
and done e v e r y t h i n g .
W e l l t h e n I t o o k n o t i c e t h a t t h e d o o r was f a s t e n e d f r o m t h e
i n s i d e so I t o o k t h e b o y s w i t h me and we w a l k e d up a c o u p l e o f h u n d r e d y a r d s o r so and
I t o l d them w h a t I t h o u g h t .
I s a i d " I ' m s u r e t h e r e ' s somebody i n s i d e b u t h e ' s a f r a i d o f u s .
He's a f r a i d we're there
t o r o b him o r s o m e t h i n g .
You g u y s s t a y h e r e and I'm g o i n g go go b a c k and s e e i f I
c a n ' t g e t him t o open t h e d o o r " .
So I w e n t b a c k a l i t t l e ways and t h e n I h o l l e r e d
b a c k t o t h e b o y s " I ' m g o i n g b a c k and t e l l t h i s man who we a r e and why w e ' r e h e r e " .
So I w e n t o f f a b o u t f i f t y y a r d s more and h o l l e r e d b a c k t o t h e s e b o y s t h a t I was g o i n g
t o t e l I t h i s man who we w e r e
- t h a t we w e r e w i t h t h e Hudson Bay Company and we w e r e
l o s t and so f o r t h .
T h e y s t a y e d away o f f and s u r e enough we w e r e l u c k y .
Ttie man o p e n e d
t h e d o o r , j u s t a l i t t l e b i t , j u s t e n o u g h t o t a l k t o me.
So I t o l d him t h e s t o r y and
a s k e d him w h e r e we w e r e and he t o l d me t h a f w h e r e we went was i n t o S u l p h u r B a y , 30
miles off course.
Now t h e c a p t a i n had been r i g h t on c o u r s e .
Had he n o t l i s t e n e d t o
h i s o t h e r y o u n g f e l l o w he w o u l d have went t o W r i g e l y H a r b o u r w i t h o u t a n y t r o u b l e .
H o w e v e r , he was s c a r e d on a c c o u n t o f t h e w i n d s and w a v e s and he had t u r n e d o f f c o u r s e .
H o w e v e r , we had g o n e a g a i n s t he o r d e r s b u t we had f o u n d o u t w h e r e we w e r e .
So away
b a c k we w e n t and we w e r e happy and r e c o r d e d what t h e s t o r y was.
He was p r e t t y mad
b u t he c o u l d n ' t s a y n o t h i n g b e c a u s e we had f o u n d o u t w h e r e we w e r e by g o i n g a g a i n s t
his wishes.
So f r o m t h e r e on e v e r y t h i n g went f i n e and we g o t t o F t . Norrnan w i t h o u t
any f u r t h e r t r o u b l e s .
L

IVe I l , t a l k i n g a b o u t G r e a t S l a v e L a k e i n 1919, I s h o u l d t e l l you a b o u t t h e f i r s t t r i p
with the D i s t r i b u t o r .
As I s a i d b e f o r e , t h e D i s t r i b u t o r was n o t c o m p l e t e d . The P i l o t
House was n o t c o m p l e t e d , and many t h i n g s w e r e n o t c o m p l e t e d .
And we s t a r t e d o u t f r o m
F t . R e s o l u t i o n a t n i g h t o r s h o r t ' I y a f t e r d a r k and t r a v e l l i n g by compass we ended g o i n g
t h e w r o n g way f o r some r e a s o n o r o t h e r t h e c o m p a s s on t h e D i s t r i b u t o r was w r o n g and
e f f e c t e d by t h e m i n e r a l s i n t h e d i s t r i c t .
We we t u r n e d c o m p l e t e l y a r o u n d and w e r e
headed b a c k t o w a r d R e s o l u t i o n .
A l s o , we had run o u t o f wood and t h e waves w e r e g e t t i n g
q u i t e h i g h and t h e r e was a p i a n o up i n t h e u p p e r d e c k . If t h e b o a t was r o l l i n g , t h e
p i a n o w o u l d s l i d e f r o m one s i d e t o t h e o t h e r o f t h e s a l o o n .
T h i s was a f a i r l y l a r g e
s i t t i n g saloon f o r the passengers.
I t j u s t so happened e v e r y b o d y was o u t on d e c k
l o o k i n g a t t h e waves and what was h a p p e n i n g and I n o t i c e d t h i s p i a n o was r o l l i n g b a c k
and f o r t h , b a c k and f o r t h .
I l e t o u t a y e l l and pounded on t h e w i n d o w s and s e v e r a l
o f t h e p a s s e n g e r s and c r e w came i n and c a u g h t t h e p i a n o and we f i n a l l y g o t r o p e s and
s t u f f and t i e d i t down so i t c o u l d n ' t move a r o u n d .
O t T i e r w i s e i t w o u l d have went s m a s h i n g o u t t h r o u g h t h e w a l l and i n t o t h e l a k e .
H o w e v e r , we r u n o u t o f wood.
We t o o k b o x e s
o f f o f e v e r y t h i n g we c o u l d f i n d , any
papers, anything.
We e v e n b u r n t s l a b s o f b a c o n .
We f i n a l l y g o t b a c k t o B u r n t I s l a n d
w h e r e t h e c r e w was a b l e t o c u t wood t o g e t us b a c k t o W r i g e l y H a r b o u r .
T h a t was o u r
f i r s t e x p e r i e n c e on G r e a t S l a v e Lake w i t h t h e S.S.
Distributor.
I m i s s e d p a r t o f t h e S l a v e R i v e r s t e a m b o a t . I b e l i e v e i t was on my s e c o n d t i m e I
w e n t n o r t h , I'm n o t t o o s u r e now.
Y e s , I'm a l m o s t p o s i t i v e i t w a s .
Anyway we had
l e f t j u s t a h e a d o f t h e A t h a b a s c a R i v e r f r o m F t . M c M u r r a y and g o t down t o A t h a b a s c a
L a k e w h e r e y o u have t o t i e up and send o u t a s m a l l b o a t and men w i t h p o l e s and f l a g s
a n d d r i v e t h e m i n t h e edge o f t h e c h a n n e l t o f i n d t h e c h a n n e l o u t i n t o t h e l a k e .
S e c o n d l y , t h e w i n d was b l o w i n g q u i t e s t r o n g .
Too s t r o n g t o t a k e t h e s t e r n w h e e l e r
o u t i n t o t h e l a k e . B u t d u r i n g t h e n i g h t t h e w i n d went down and we w e r e c l o s e r t o
t h e l a k e t h a n t h e A t h a b a s c a R i v e r who was t i e d a few y a r d s f u r t t w u p t h e A t h a b a s c a
R i v e r t h a n we w e r e .
So t h e c a p t a i n - w i t h o u t a n y n o i s e , no w h i s t l e , and w i t h a s
l i t t l e n o i s e a s p o s s i b l e - g o t us a I I up and t o l d us t h e s t o r y .
So we m e r e l y p u l l e d
in o u r r o p e s and c a b l e s and g a n g p l a n k ( n o t m a k i n g a n y n o i s e ) and l e t t h e b o a t d r i f t
down t h e A t h a b a s c a a ways i n t h e c u r r e n t .
Then when he t h o u g h t we w e r e f a r enough
away f r o m t h e A t h a b a s c a R i v e r S t e a m b o a t we s t a r r e d u s i n g a l i t t l e power and g o t
I d i i n g s s t r a i g h t e n e d o u i and a t t h a t t i m e w e r e a b l e t o s e e t h e f l a g s f o r t h e c h a n n e l
w h i c h t h e b o y s had s t a k e d o u t .
The w h o l e i d e a was t h a t we had l o t s o f f r e s h f r u i t
and so f o r t h on t h e b o a t and t h e f i r s t b o a t i n t o F t . F i t z g e r a l d was somehow c o n s i d e r e d
t o be q u i t e an e v e n t .
H o w e v e r , we r a n o u t o f wood s h o r t l y a f t e r l e a v i n g F t . C h i p e w y a n and we s t o p p e d and
l o a d e d on a b u n c h o f Hudson Day Wood.
The b o a t b e l o n g e d t o Lambson H u b b a r d ( t h e
o l d S l a v e R i v e r s t e a m b o a t ) s o i n a s e n s e we w e r e s t e a l i n g t h e w o o d .
P r e t t y s o o n we c o u l d s e e t h e smoke s t a c k o f t h e A t h a b a s c a R i v e r corning and t h e
c a p t a i n w a n t e d t o be f i r s t i n t o F t . L i t z g e r a l d so we c u t l o o s e and t o o k o f f .
When
we g o t t o t h e S l a v e R i v e r and you a r e a b o u t 30 m i l e s o r so a b o v e F i t z g e r a l d t h e r e
i s a r a p i d s o f w h i c h t h e r e ' s a l e d g e r u n s r i g h t a c r o s s Lhe r i v e r b u t by g o i n g i n
b e h i n d an i s l a n d t h e r e ' s a n o t h e r s m a l l r i v e r j o i n s t h e S l a v e R i v e r a t t h i s p o i n t
but' you h a v e t o go a h e a d and b a c k up in o r d e r - t o g e t o u t o f t h e r e and i n t o t h e S l a v e
Ri v e r .
So a t t h i s p o i n t , t h i s i s w h e r e C a p t a i n H a i g h t came i n - unbeI i e v e a b I e - we b a r e l y
g o t t u r n e d a r o u n d and s t a r t e d h e a d i n g o u t i n t o t h e S l a v e R i v e r a n d , Io & b e h o l d ,
h e r e comes t h e A t h a b a s c a R i v e r r i g h t o u t o v e r t h e f a l l s .
I t ' s bow went down u n d e r
t h e w a t e r and i t w e n t s t e a m i n g o n .
B e i n g a much f a s t e r b o a t t h a n t h e o l d S l a v e R i v e r ,
o f c o u r s e t h e y g o t i n t o F i t z g e r a l d ahead o f u s .
B u t I n o t i c e i n some o f t h e l i t e r a t u r e
t h a t C a p t a i n H a i g h t I d o n ' t b e l i e v e was e v e r g i v e n t h e p r a i s e f o r some o f t h e t h i n g s
t h a t he d i d up n o r t h .
I t h i n k t h a t t h e r e ' s f a r more c r e d i t due t o C a p t a i n H a i g h t ,
Captain M i l l s
and J o e B i r d t h a n has e v e r come t o l i g h t .
A t l e a s t t h a t ' s my o p i n i o n .

j LAST

or

THE H . B . C .

STEAMBOATS
HILL

L

PHOTO

BY

G.

' S.S.

ATHABASCA

STRANDBERG,
-

FORT

RIVER'

1923-1943

MCMU RRAY

T h e r e ' s a n o t h e r i n s t a n c e t h a t I had f o r g o t a b o u t a t V e r m i l i o n C h u t e s and h e r e m y s e l f
and T i n y G i f f o r d came i n t o p l a y a g a i n .
I t was n o r m a l t o g e t I n d i a n b o y s t o t a k e t h e
c a n o e s down o v e r V e r m i l l i o n C h u t e s .
And t h i s day T i n y a n d I w e r e s t a n d i n g on t h e
s h o r e and h e r e comes a c a n o e b u t i f was u p s e t a n d t w o b o y s w e r e h o l d i n g o n t o t h e c a n o e
g o i n g down t h e P e a c e R i v e r w h i c h r u n s q u i t e f a s t b e l o w t h e c h u t e s and q u i t e a ways
off shore.
B u t t h e r e was a bunch o f c a n o e s t h e r e on t h e b a r g e , s o T i n y and I g r a b b e d
a c a n o e and p a d d l e s .
I t h o u g h t t h a t T i n y was c o m i n g w i t h me s o I g o t r i g h t o u t i n t o
t h e n o s e o r t h e b o w . o f t h e c a n o e w i t h o n e p a d d l e b e c a u s e I t h o u g h t he was g e t t i n g i n
the back.
B u t i n s t e a d o f t h a t he g i v e t h e c a n o e a s h o v e and o f c o u r s e o n e e n d o f t h e
c a n o e w e n t way up i n t h e a i r a n d went w h i r l i n g a r o u n d .
In a n y c a s e , I f o u n d m y s e l f
a I one and I t o o k o f f .
As soon a s t h i s o n e f e l l o w saw me corning w i t h a c a n o e , he l e t go o f t h e b o a t he was
h o l d i n g o n t o d r i f t i n g down t h e r i v e r and s t a r t e d t o swim t o w a r d s me. I had q u i t e a
job.
I had t o t h r e a t e n h i m w i t h h i t t i n g him w i t h t h e p a d d l e i n o r d e r t o keep him f r o m
c l i m b i n g i n . I f i n a l l y g o t h i m t o g e t a h o l d o f t h e n o s e o f t h e c a n o e and I p a d d l e d
b a c k t o s h o r e w h e r e he was a b l e t o wade t o s h o r e .
In t h e m e a n t i m e T i n y had g o t
a n o t h e r c a n o e i n t h e w a f e r and t a k e n o f f down t h e P e a c e R i v e r and p i c k e d up t h e o t h e r
boy who was s t i l l h o l d i n g o n t o t h e c a n o e and a l s o b r o u g h t t h e u p s i d e down boat' b a c k
to shore.

T h e r e ' s one o r two t h i n g s t h a t I ' v e m i s s e d t h a t I t h i n k I s h o u l d m e n t i o n .
In t h e 3 0 ' s
when I w e n t b a c k up n o r t h I was on t h e S . S . D i s t r i b u t o r a n d we l a n d e d a t t h e F t . Norman
o i Iwel I s .
W h i l e t h e y w e r e u n l o a d i n g t h e r e 1 w e n t f o r a w a l k b a c k i n t h e bush a b o u t
t w o m i l e s w h e r e I had p r e v i o u s l y u n l o a d e d a d r i l l i n g r i g i n t h e e a r l y d a y s - i n t h e
boom day . ( 1 9 1 9 - 20 - 2 1 ) .
To g i v e you some i d e a what i t i s l i k e , t h i s d r i l l i n g r i g was a b o u t t h e same s i z e a s
we u s e n o w a d a y s f o r d r i l l i n g w a t e r w e l l s .
I t was a l l s t e e l w h e e l s a n d q u i t e h e a v y
and a s I was s e c o n d mate on t h e D i s t r i b u t o r a t t h a t t i m e , i t was my j o b u n l o a d i n g t h e .
d r i l l i n g r i g . S o I went a s h o r e , p u t c a b f t e s a r o u n d a bunch o f w i l l o w s a n d p o p l a r and
s t u f f along t h e shore.
P u t t w o g a n g p l a n k s down and t o o k t h e d r i l l i n g r i g down.
E v e r y t h i n g went f i n e u n t i l i t h i t t h e s h o r e .
Of c o u r s e t h e s h o r e was muddy arid s o f t
but a l l r o c k s and g r a v e l .
B u t s t i l l t h e d r i l l i n g r i g s a n k down i n t o t h i s muck.
So I
was w a t c h i n g a s we had p u t a p u l l e y on s h o r e and r u n a c a b l e t o t h e r i g a n d b a c k t o
t h e s t e a m c a p s t a n on t h e b o a t t o p u l l t h e r i g up a b o v e t h e w a t e r l i n e .

I was w a t c h i n g t h i s s t e a m c a p s t a n and i t was g o i n g r i g h t b u t the d r i l l i n g r i g w a s n ' t
moving.
So I l o o k e d up o n l y t o f i n d t h a t a l l t h e w i l l o w s and p o p l a r s , a l l t h e d i r t
and e v e r y t h i n g was a l l s l i d i n g down b u t t h e d r i l l i n g r i g was s t a n d i n g s t i l l .
Well
a l l t h e r e was was a b o u t 8 o r 10 i n c h e s o f d i r t and u n d e r t h a t was p e r m a f r o s t f r o z e n
hard.
So we had t o g e t a x e s and p i c k s , m o s t l y a x e s o r s h o v e l s , and we had t o d i g a
t r e n c h i n t o t h e f r o z e n d i r t and make w h a t i s c a l l e d a deadman, t h a t i s we had t o p u t
a t i m b e r down i n t h i s h o l e w i t h a runway c u t o u t t o w a r d s t h e b o a t so a s t h e c a b l e w o n ' t
p u l l t h e deadman o u t o f t h e h o l e .
T h a t way we g o t t h i s m a c h i n e up on t h e s h o r e and
a b o v e t h e w a t e r and

ice

l i n e w h i c h was t h e end o f o u r

responsibility.

Now t h a t was a b o u t 1922 I b e l i e v e .
And I w e n t b a c k a b o u t 1932 o r 1933 and when
went b a c k f o r a w a l k up t h e r e , h e r e was t h i s m a c h i n e s t i l l s i t t i n g r i g h t w h e r e
it.

_

^

-

I t h i n k I should
tugboat.

tell

left

Rapid boats e n t r o u t e from
F t . Smith t o Bear R i v e r
R a p i d s - F t . Norman

^ — — M

you a

little

b i t about Great Bear

Lake and t h e L i a r d

River

F i r s t we w i l l t a l k about' B e a r R i v e r i t s e l f .
You c a n go up a b o u t 50 m i l e s t o t h e
r a p i d s i n G r e a t B e a r R i v e r w h e r e we had a camp.
I i e r e we t o o k a l l t h e f r e i g h t and
p u t i t i n t o r a p i d b o a t s - a b o u t t w o t o n s a t a t i m e - and t o o k i t up t h r o u g h t h e
r a p i d s and t h e f a s t w a t e r w h e r e i t c o u l d be p i c k e d up by l a r g e r b o a t s a b o v e t h e
rapids.
On one o f t h e s e t r i p s f r o m F t . Norman up t o t h e r a p i d s we u s u a l l y h a u l e d
a r o u n d 20 t o n o f f r e i g h t p u s h i n g a s m a l l b a r g e a h e a d o f a s m a l l e r t u g .
On t h i s p a r t i c u l a r t r i p S u p e r i n t e n d e n t D a v i s had come down t o t h e B e a r R i v e r w h i c h
was a c o u p l e o f m i l e s o r so w e s t o f F t . Norman w h e r e we k e p t t h e b o a t and t o l d me
t h a f t h e D i s t r i b u t o r was c o m i n g i n t h e n e x t day and t h a t i f Jimmy t h e p i l o t knew
a b o u t i t he w o u l d n ' t
l e a v e F t . Norman u n t i l a f t e r t h e D i s t r i b u t o r had come and
g o n e and t h a t w o u l d be s e v e r a l d a y s a s h i s f a m i l y was a t F t . Norman a t t h a t t i m e .
So
he a s k e d me t o g o , t a k e t h e boat up t o t h e r a p i d s , u n l o a d i t and b r i n g i t b a c k w i t h o u t l e t t i n g Jimmy t h e p i l o t know.
This I did.
So we s t a r t e d o f f and e v e r y t h i n g went f i n e t i l l we g o t up j u s t b e l o w t h e r a p i d s a t
t h e f i r s t o b s t a c l e w h e r e t h e r e was v e r y s h a l l o w w a t e r b u t t h e r e i s a deep c h a n n e l o u t
in t h e m i d d l e o f t h e B e a r R i v e r .
But w h e r e t h i s c h a n n e l i s t h e r e i s a l s o a l a r g e s t o n e ,
p r o b a b l y 30 o r 40 f e e t i n d i a m e t e r and s t i c k i n g o u t o f t h e w a t e r .
The w a t e r h i t s '
t h i s s t o n e and g l a n c e s o f f and c r e a t e s deep w a t e r on t h e l e f t hand s i d e o f i t and
a l s o a deep eddy b e l o w i t .
So i n o r d e r t o g e t up o v e r t h i s l e d g e you come up, h i t
t h e e d d y , you g e t s p e e d u p , you j u s t go p a s t on t h e l e f t hand s i d e o f t h i s b o u l d e r .
You have e n o u g h s p e e d t o g e t you up past" t h i s b i g s t o n e and o v e r t h e l e d g e and i n t o t h e
deeper water above.

However t h e r e a r e a l w a y s s t o n e s r o l l i n g i n t h e c h a n n e l and t h i s p a r t i c u l a r t i m e we
were l o a d e d p r e t t y h e a v y .
We had a bunch o f d r i l l s t e e l and v a r i o u s h e a v y t h i n g s on
b o a r d and I d i d n ' t know m y s e l f t h a t t h i s scow was q u i t e o l d .
No one had e v e r
told
me and I had n e v e r t h o u g h t a b o u t i t .
However t h e r e was j u s t t h e p i l o t , m y s e l f and
one man who was g o i n g up a s a p u r s e r t o c h e c k t h e f r e i g h t up t h r o u g h t h e r a p i d s and
so f o r t h .
So we w e r e d o i n g f i n e t i l I we went p a s t t h e s t o n e .
We g o t up o v e r t h e
hump and i n t o t h e deep w a t e r and we s h o u l d have k e p t on t h e l e f t hand s i d e i n t h e
channel.
H o w e v e r , t h e r e had been a r o l l i n g b o u l d e r t h a t had g o t i n t o t h e c h a n n e l
and o u r b a r g e o r scow h i t t h i s and poked a b i g h o l e i n i h - in t h e bow o f i t .
The p i l o t , J i m m y , I c o u l d not g e t him t o s w i n g t o s h a l l o w w a t e r b e c a u s e he knew we
w o u l d go a g r o u n d b u t a l s o i t was o u r o n l y c h a n c e t o s a v e a n y t h i n g .
So on o u r r i g h t
hand s i d e i t was v e r y s h a l l o w a s you c o u l d s e e w i t h l o t s o f s a n d b a r s , e t c .
I tried
t o g e t Jimmy t o s w i n g t o t h e r i g h t and t a k e i t i n t o t h e s h a l l o w w a t e r and he w o u l d n ' t
do i t .
So I t o o k t h e w h e e l o u t o f h i s hands and s t e e r e d i t m y s e l f and run i t up
i n t o t h e s h a l l o w w a t e r a s f a r a s i t w o u l d go u n t i l i t f i n a l l y run a b s o l u t e l y a g r o u n d .
H e r e we w e r e a b o u t a m i l e and a h a l f b e l o w o u r camp a t t h e f o o t o f t h e r a p i d s .
T h e r e t h e b o y s saw we w e r e in t r o u b l e so t h e y came down w i t h t h e r a p i d b o a t s and we
unloaded e v e r y t h i n g onto the r a p i d boats.
B u t a s we u n l o a d e d o f c o u r s e t h e b a r g e b e came l i g h t e r and t h e f o r c e o f t h e w a t e r was t r y i n g t o s h o v e u s , b o a t and a l l , b a c k
down o v e r t h e r o c k s .
So we had t o keep t h e m o t o r r u n n i n g a l l o f t h e l i m e and keep
t h e b a r g e headed u p s t r e a m .
So I g o t t h e b o y s a t t h e r a p i d s - we had some c a b l e up a t t h e r a p i d s - t h e y b r o u g h t
i t down and we hooked i t o n t o t h e b a r g e and w i t h t h e r a p i d b o a t s t h e y t o o k i t a s h o r e
a b o u t a q u a r t e r o f a m i l e and made i t f a s t i n t o some r o c k s and t i e d i t o n t o t h e b a r g e .
So when we f i n a l l y u n l o a d e d t h e b a r g e we d i d n ' t l o o s e one t h i n g .
Even some l o o s e
p i c k s t h a t w e r e l a y i n g on t h e d e c k we managed t o s a v e and t h e d r i l l s t e e l w h i c h was
w o r t h q u i t e a b i t o f money.
We s a v e d a l l t h i s b u t t h e r e was n o t h i n g we c o u l d do w i t h
he b a r g e so w i t h t h e c a b l e on i t we unhooked t h e b o a t and d r o p p e d b a c k and l e t t h e
barge swing ashore i n t o s h a l l o w w a t e r , which i t d i d .
Then we w e n t b a c k t o F t . Norrnan

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and I r e p o r t e d t o D a v i s what had h a p p e n e d .
! t h o u g h t he w o u l d be q u i t e u p s e t b u t
he w a s n ' t ' .
He s a i d "Oh w e l l , " he s a i d " T h a t ' s g o o d .
I ' v e been t r y i n g t o g e t r i d
o f t h a t barge f o r a long t i m e " .
So t h e r e we l e f t i f and n e v e r d i d go b a c k t o g e t i t .
H o w e v e r we t o o k a t u g b o a t , L i a r d R i v e r , and I b e l i e v e t w o b a r g e s and we t o o k i t up
t h r o u g h a l l t h e s e r a p i d s o f w h i c h t h e r e i s r a p i d s a l l t h e way up t o G r e a t B e a r
Lake above what i s c a l l e d Bear R i v e r R a p i d s .
T h e r e ' s f a l l s and a l l k i n d s o f
o b s t a c l e s and a l o t o f b e n d s .
I d o n ' t remember e x a c t l y b u t I e n d e d up anyway on
t h e L i a r d R i v e r and on G r e a t B e a r L a k e .
H e r e we had t h e same p i l o t , J i m m y .
In t h e
m e a n t i m e J i m m y ' s f a m i l y had gone up t o F r a n k l i n .
I d o n ' t know whet tier t h e y were
f l o w n up f r o m Norman o r w h a t .
P e r h a p s t h e Bay f l e w h i s f a m i l y up t o F t . F r a n k l i n
w h i c h was j u s t a c r o s s f o u r o r f i v e m i l e s f r o m t h e mouth o f t h e B e a r R i v e r w h e r e
t h e Lake e m p t i e d o u t .
T h i s i s w h e r e t h e f r e i g h t had been p i l e d up t h e r e .
Also
p l a n e s w e r e h a u l i n g f r e i g h t f r o m Norman up and dumping i t o f f a t F t . F r a n k l i n c a c h e .

Unloading

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the shore of Great
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A t + h i s p a r t i c u l a r t i m e we had C o l o n e l Ree^s son a s p u r s e r on t h e L i a r d .
The
p u r s e r s j o b i s t o keep t r a c k o f t h e f r e i g h t and c o l l e c t c o s t s , g e t i t s i g n e d f o r
and keep t r a c k o f i t and so f o r t h .
H o w e v e r , we had t o r e l o a d a s we had t a k e n t h e
b a r g e s up e m p t y .
I m i g h t e x p l a i n t h a t you c a n ' t j u s t t a k e t h e b a r g e s and go u p .
You have t o r u n o u t c a b l e s and have c a p s t a n s on t h e b a r g e s .
Capstans, which are
w i n c h e s so t o speak,
a r e o p e r a t e d by g a s o l i n e m o t o r s o r s t e a m .
You have t o t a k e
a s m a l l b o a t I i k e a r a p i d s b o a t and r u n y o u r c a b l e o u t and up t h e s h o r e and make
i t f a s t t o s o m e t h i n g o r p u t i n a deadman.
Then you have t o l i n e up t h e s e b a r g e s
and b o a t s .
The w a t e r i s t o o f a s t and q u i t e s h a l l o w .
Two o r t h r e e p l a c e s i t i s
j u s t a s t r a i g h t f a l l s - j u s t a c h a n n e l on one s i d e o r t h e o t h e r w h e r e you c a n go u p .
B u t you have t o have t h e h e l p o f a c a b l e and w i n c h i n o r d e r t o g e t up t h r o u g h t h e s e
p I aces.
We w e r e a l i t t l e u n l u c k y b e c a u s e f o r some r e a s o n o r o t h e r t h e p i l o t and t h e c a p t a i n
got m i x e d up and r a n g t h e wrong s i g n a l s .
When t h e y s h o u l d h a v e r a n g a s i g n a l f o r
slow o r s o m e t h i n g , t h e y rang a s i g n a l
f o r f u l l speed ahead.
So we s h o v e d one o f
t h e b a r g e s r i g h t up i n t o t h e r o c k s .
However we g o t t h a t f i x e d and we g o t up t o
F t . F ra n k I i n.
B u t i n t h e m e a n t i m e we had a few p a s s e n g e r s a t F t . F r a n k l i n t o go a c r o s s t o what was
t h e n known a s E l d o r a d o , t h a t i s t h e L a B i n e ' s mine on G r e a t B e a r L a k e .
H e r e Jimmy
w a n t e d t o go and v i s i t h i s f a m i l y o v e r a t F t . F r a n k l i n w h i c h meant t a k i n g a s m a l l
b o a t and an o u t b o a r d m o t o r t o go and s e e t h e m .
A t t h i s p o i n t , I a p p a r e n t l y was
s l e e p i n g so t h e c a p t a i n came and g o t me o u t o f bed and t o l d me t h a t t h e p u r s e r ,
C o l o n e l R e e d ' s s o n , w a n t e d t o c h a r g e Jimmy f o r t a k i n g t h e b o a t and g o i n g o v e r t o
F t . F r a n k l i n and o f c o u r s e Jimmy w o u l d n ' t h e a r t o i t so he q u i t .
So t h e r e we w e r e
w i t h no p i l o t .
The c a p t a i n came and t o l d me t h i s .
Then t h e c a p t a i n g o t e v e r y b o d y e l s e away and o u t o f s i g h t and I g o t up and w e n t
t o t a l k t o Jimmy.
So I t o l d him t h a t he had m i s u n d e r s t o o d t h a t he w a n t e d t o c h a r g e
him - t h a t he was m e r e l y w a n t i n g t o t e l l him what i t was g o i n g t o c o s t .
Anyway
I c o n v i n c e d Jimmy and I g o t h i m i n t o t h e b o a t , t h e m o t o r i n i t , p u t some g a s i n i t
and some g a s t o come b a c k w i t h and I g o t him on h i s way and g o t Jimmy t o come b a c k
on t h e b o a t a f t e r w a r d s .
T h i s was a i l f i n e .
We made s e v e r a l t r i p s a c r o s s and I
d o n ' t know i f i t was t h a t y e a r o r t h e n e x t y e a r , i n any c a s e we had q u i t e a s t o r m
g o i n g o v e r and i f you l o o k a t Fiear Lake you w i l l s e e t h a t t h e r e Is a k i n d o f a c r o s s w a y s and t h e r e ' s k i n d o f a l a r g e body o f w a t e r t h a t you have t o c r o s s a t one t i m e
and t h e r e ' s no way t o g e t o u t o f i t . However we g o t a c r o s s t h e r e and t h r o u g h a l l
t h e w a v e s and s t u f f and we h e l d o n t o t h e s h o r e on t h e l e f t hand s i d e t h a t t h e w i n d
was c o m i n g o f f s h o r e .
A v e r y n i c e day b u t t h e w i n d was b l o w i n g .
H e r e a g a i n Fhe
p i l o t went t o s l e e p a t t h e wheel and we ran a s h o r e on a s a n d b a r b u t t h e r e was no
damage done s o we b a c k e d o f f and g o t g o i n g a g a i n b u t by t h e t i m e we g o t t h r o u g h

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E l d o r a d o a+ +ha+ t i m e

had +0 c r o s s Grea+ B e a r Lake +0 L a B i n e ' s mine known a s
and w i t h g r e a t b i g r o c k s , and r o c k i s l a n d s , e t c .

I ' l l do my b e s t +0 remember +he c a p + a i n ' s name.
H o w e v e r , I do know he was a new
c a p t a i n b u t he s u r e knew h i s b u s i n e s s .
We had t o c r o s s G r e a t b e a r Lake i n t h e d a r k
w i t h waves somewheres b e t w e e n 20 and 30 +eet h i g h wi+h a f l a t b o t t o m tow b o a t
p u l l i n g +wo b a r g e s b e h i n d us a n d e a c h on an 80 f o o t tow r o p e and a l l we had t o go
on was a c o m p a s s .
T h e r e was no b o u y s o r n o t h i n g .
W e l l , you c a n i m a g i n e how s c a r e d
I was and I b e l i e v e a l s o t h a t +he c a p + a i n was s c a r e d .
Bu+ a l l I c a n remember a b o u t
+he c a p t a i n was t h a t h i s M o t h e r owned t h e Q u e e n ' s H o t e l i n Edmonton and I'm g o i n g
t o f i n d o u t w h a t h i s name was a n d t r y t o g i v e i t t o my d a u g h t e r when s h e +ypes + h i s
out.
H o w e v e r , f i r s t we saw w h a t was j u s t I i k e a c a n d l e l i g h t .
And t h e n i t g o t a l i t t l e
b i g g e r and we k e p t l o o k i n g a t t h i s l i g h t w i t h g l a s s e s .
F i r s t we t h o u g h t i t was a
s t a r and i t k e p t g e t t i n g b i g g e r s o we d e c i d e d I t was s o m e t h i n g e l s e .
And he s a y s
" H e r e , O s c a r , t a k e t lie g l a s s e s " , a n d he s a y s " t h a t ' s some k i n d o f a l i g h t " .
So I
d i d a n d we c o u l d s e e t h e f l a m e s m o v i n g .
S o m e t h i n g was d i f f e r e n t b e c a u s e i t w o u l d
g e t b i g a n d t h e n s m a l l a n d I s a i d " Y e s , i t i s " . So he t o o k a n o t h e r l o o k and he
s a y s "Somebody h a s made a b e a c o n o u t t h e r e " .
S o , s u r e e n o u g h , as we g o t c l o s e r
G i l b e r t L a B i n e knew we w e r e c o m i n g a n d he p u t a bunch o f t r e e s , I g u e s s i t w o u l d be
a b o u t 30 f e e + h i g h , and he pu+ +hem up l i k e a +epee wi+h a f i r e up i n +he p e a k o f
+ hem and + h i s was t h e l i g h t we saw a n d , b e l i e v e you me, t h a t was some r e l i e f ' . ' .
You must remember t h e r e was no r a d i o a n d no means o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n a t t h i s t i m e .
H o w e v e r , we g o t t h e r e , u n l o a d e d and t h a t a n d s t a r t e d b a c k .
In t h e m e a n t i m e t h e
w i n d had c h a n g e d a r o u n d and was c o m i n g f r o m t h e e a s t .
So we t o o k +he o + h e r s h o r e
- +he way b a c k b u t w e r e p r a c t i c a l l y r u n n i n g empty o u t s i d e o f some p i t c h b l e n d
. - n c e n t r a + e s +ha+ we had l o a d e d on bu+ v e r y l i + + l e o f a l o a d .
1

We came ' t h r o u g h a s+orm.
T h i s was ' ' • o u r las+ f l p .
We had t a k e n w h a t i s known
as t h e power barge a l o n g .
B u t t h e w a v e s w e r e s o bad t h a t we had t o c u t t h e power
b a r g e l o o s e and s e n d h i m on by h i m s e l f .
W e l l a s t h a t was a r i v e r b o a t a n d had t w o
t a n k s , o n e on e a c h s i d e , 2 5 0 g a l l o n s e a c h , t h e r e had been a c c u m u l a t i o n o f r u s t and
w a t e r and s t u f f i n t h e s e t a n k s .
Tiie rough w a t e r l o o s e n e d i t a n d r h e y w e r e h a v i n g
a l o t of t r o u b l e .
T h e y d i d n ' t have a f l a s h l i g h t n o r a n y t h i n g - n o t h i n g a t a l l .
No l i f e p r e s e r v e r s , b o a t s n o r a n y t h i n g on t h i s b a r g e w h i c h was c a n v a s t o p . So we
l o s t t h e m i n t h e d a r k b u t we l e f t t h e l i g h t o n . As o u r g e n e r a t o r w a s n ' t p u t t i n g
o u t v e r y much, we w o u l d p u t t h e l i g h t o u t o n c e In a w h i l e b u t we p u t i t on anyway
and t h e y came up a l o n g s i d e a n d s a i d t h e y w e r e h a v i n g t r o u b l e b u t t h e y c o u l d make
i t i f t h e y had some k i n d o f l i g h t - a f l a s h l i g h t , a n y t h i n g !
So we g a v e t h e m a
l a n t e r n and a f l a s h l i g h t .
E v e r y b o d y was a s l e e p e x c e p t t h e p i l o t , t h e c a p t a i n and
myself.
I had g o n e on d e c k and p u l l e d t h e r o p e i n and t h e man had t o j u m p .
When t h e b a r g e was up i n t h e a i r a b o v e o u r b o a t he had t o jump down o n t o o u r b o a t .
Then he had t o w a i t t i l l o u r b o a t was up a n d h i s b a r g e was down and t h e n he jumped
back.
W e l l he o n l y had a b o u t 18 i n c h e s o f a w a l k w a y a r o u n d h i s b a r g e .
So he l i t
on i t a l r i g h t b u t went i n t o t h e c a n v a s t o p o f c o u r s e b u t d i d n ' t g e t h u r t .
Anyway
he had a f l a s h l i g h t a n d a l a n t e r n a n d some c a n d l e s , e t c . W e l l , t h a t was a l l f i n e
b u t t h e g u y r u n n i n g t h e b a r g e a n d t h e p i l o t on o u r b o a t b o t h d e c i d e d i t was t i m e t o
cut loose.
In t h e m e a n t i m e i c e i s f r e e z i n g on t h e d e c k and I p u l l e d t h i s r o p e a l l up
a t my f e e t a n d w r a p p e d i t a r o u n d a snub p o s t , h o l d i n g i t t h e r e , a n d a s s o o n a s I
" n d o n e i f e a c h o n e o f them swung t h e i r b o a t s away f r o m o n e a n o t h e r .
And h e r e I am
a n c i n g i n t h e d a r k " w i t h t h i s r o p e s n a k & i n g o u t u n d e r my f e e t !
You w o u l d n ' t l i v e
more t h a n 5 o r 10 m i n u t e s a t t h e most i f y o u g o t i n t o t h a t w a t e r b e c a u s e i t i s i c e
c o l d even i n t h e warmest w e a t h e r .
You c a n ' t d r i n k i f down - i t ' s t h a t c o l d .

H o w e v e r we g o t t h r o u g h i t a l l and we w e r e j u s t c o m i n g i n t o F r a n k l i n Bay on o u r way
b a c k and o u t comes I b e l i e v e i t was V i c Ingram w i t h a s c h o o n e r and one o r t w o s c o w s
in tow.
Now t h e s c h o o n e r was a l a k e b o a t b u t t h e s c o w s were n o t , t h e y w e r e j u s t
o r d i n a r y scows.
Anyway we went a s c l o s e a s we d a r e and t h e c a p t a i n h o l l e r e d o v e r
w i t h h i s megaphone and t o l d him t o " G o b a c k " .
We a i l m o t i o n e d f o r him t o " G o B a c k "
b u t i n F r a n k l i n Bay t h e r e was no w i n d and t h e r e was no w a v e s , so I g u e s s t h e y d i d n ' t
know what we w e r e t a l k i n g a b o u t and t h e r e was no o t h e r means o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n .
They
d i d n ' t go b a c k .
T h e y w e n t on and t h e e n g i n e somehow c a u g h t f i r e and t h e t w o b o y s
w e r e drowned and t h e y l o s t t h e b a r g e and V i c Ingram (I b e l i e v e h i s name was V i c Ingram)
was f o u n d a b o u t t w o weeks l a t e r on a s a n d b a r p a r t l y f r o z e n .
I n e v e r met h i m a f t e r w a r d s
b u t b e l i e v e he l o s t some o r p a r t o f h i s f e e t o r s o m e t h i n g o r o t h e r .
However he was
a l i v e b u t t h e s e t w o b o y s w e r e drowned i n t h e L a k e .

As I s a i d b e f o r e , we had some p a s s e n g e r s and i t was n e c e s s a r y t o have an e n g i n e e r
t h a t was l i c e n s e d t o c a r r y p a s s e n g e r s .
So t h e y s e n t up a s t e a m e n g i n e e r who knew
a b s o l u t e l y nothing about g a s o l i n e boats.
So he s a i d " O s c a r , you do t h e c h i e f ' s
w o r k and I ' l l do y o u r w o r k " .
I s a i d " T h a t ' s okay w i t h me".
" B u t " he s a i d " O k a y ,
b u t I'm g o i n g t o keep my own p a y " .
I said "That's okay".
B u t anyway i t came t o t a k i n g t h e b o a t b a c k down t h e r i v e r and we s t a r t e d o u t .
E v e r y b o d y had s a t down f o r b r e a k f a s t and t h e B e a r R i v e r makes q u i t e f a s t w a t e r and
i t s j u s t l i k e g l a s s g o i n g down t h e h i l l .
So he s a y s " I ' l l t a k e o v e r " .
I might
m e n t i o n a l s o t h a t t h e o t h e r e n g i n e e r b e f o r e was a I so a s t e a m e n g i n e e r and he q u i t and
w e n t o u t by p l a n e and t h e y f l e w t h i s o n e B i l l M a l c o l m i n who was a s t e a m e n g i n e e r and
who I knew.
He s a y s " I ' l l t a k e o v e r n o w " .
I said "Okay".
We a l l went i n t o have
b r e a k f a s t and t h e y s t a r t e d down t h e r i v e r and on t h e r i v e r b o a t s you have t o be v e r y
f a s t and you d o n ' t s t o p l i k e w i t h a s t e a m e n g i n e .
They r a n g f o r r e v e r s e .
Well B i l l
t h o u g h t he was d o i n g r i g h t .
He s l o w e d t h e e n g i n e down, p u s h e d i t i n f o r e v e r s e and
o p e n e d t h e e n g i n e up.
B u t by t h e t i m e he had done t h i s t h e b o a t h i t t h e bank and
thr-r--- a s a b i g s p r u c e t r e e comes s a i l i n g r i g h t t h r o u g h !
Right over the t a b l e !
H o w e v e r t h a t h e l d us t h e r e .
So t h e y had t o g e t o u t and saw t h i s o f f b e f o r e we c o u l d
move.
Anyway B i l l comes up " F i n i s h e d .
I ' l l have n o t h i n g more t o do w i t h i t " .
So
I took over again.
B u t you m e r e l y s t a n d t h e r e and when t h e y r i n g f o r r e v e r s e you
throw i t i n t o r e v e r s e .
You d o n ' t e v e n t r y t o s l o w t h e e n g i n e down b e c a u s e t h e w a t e r
is very f a s t .
I t s in a m a t t e r of seconds t h i n g s happen.
W

Anyway, wo g o t down t o t h e main r a p i d p a r t w i t h o u t any s e r i o u s t h i n g s g o i n g wrong b u t
on t h e l a s t s t a g e t h e r e i s a c o u p l e o f m i l e s o f v e r y s h a l l o w w a t e r and l o t s o f
boulders.
H e r e we had t o c r o s s f r o m +he l e f t t o r i g h t s i d e , a b o u t one q u a r t e r o f
a mile.
T h e r e was a b o u l d e r g o t i n arid h i t t h e p r o p e l l e r and s t a l l e d t h e e n g i n e .
The I h i n g had been s e t up wrong on t h e j t h r o t t l e and t h e s p a r k and when you r e a c h e d t o
c r a n k t h e m o t o r , w h i c h you had t o c r a n k i t w i t h a b a r , you r e a c h e d r i g h t o v e r t o p
of the spark advance.
H a v i n g a c o a t o n , my s l e e v e c a u g h t t h e s p a r k a d v a n c e .
A l t h o u g h I had r e t a r d e d i t , I c a u g h t i t and s h o v e d i t a h e a d and when I c r a n k e d t h e
m o t o r o f c o u r s e i t f i r e d and t h e b a r w e n t s a i l i n g a r o u n d t h e c a b i n i n s i d e t h e e n g i n e
room!
I f i n a l l y f o u n d i t and g o t t h e e n g i n e g o i n g j u s t i n t i m e o r we w o u l d have
g o n e r i g h t down o v e r t h e r o c k s and e v e r y t h i n g s i d e w a y s .
So we g o t t h r o u g h t h a t p a r t
w i t h no more t r o u b l e .
A l l t h a t was s a i d was t h e s k i p p e r s a i d t o B i l l M a l c o l m , t h e
o t h e r e n g i n e e r "I t h o u g h t e n g i n e e r s b e l o n g e d i n t h e e n g i n e r o o m " .
And t h a t was t h e
end o f t h a t !
He was away o u t f r o n t on t h e b a r g e
200 f e e t f r o m t h e e n g i n e r o o m .

The f i r e m a n seemed t o have + r o u b l e i n +he f a s + wa+er in +he Rampar+s.
W h i l e +hough
! was +he ma+e on i + , +hey w o u l d g e t a h o l d o f me and ge+ me +0 f i r e i f up + h r o u g h
+he r a p i d s i n o r d e r +0 keep up s+eam.
I d o n ' + + h i n k i+ was s o much my a b i l i t y +0
keep up s+eam a s i+ was +ha+ +he e n g i n e e r s had f a i + h i n me and +rus+ed me.
T h e r e were
b a l e s o f f u r f r o m o n e end o f +he b o a r +0 1 he o + h e r and +0 ge+ +0 +he b o i l e r b a c k +0
+he e n g i n e room you had t o go o u t s i d e and h o l d o n t o a c a b l e and w a l k a l o n g t h e o u t s i d e
of t h e boat.
The e n g i n e e r c o u l d n ' + l e a v e I i i s e n g i n e s and go up t h e r e and s e e w h a t t h e
f i r e m a n was d o i n g .
So i f t h e f i r e m a n w a n t e d t o s h u t t h e w a t e r o f f t o g e t up a l i t t l e
more s t e a m and had p l e n t y o f w a t e r i n t h e b o i l e r , he w o u l d m e r e l y l o o s e n t h e s t r a p and
p u t i t i n a h o l e on a n a i l a b o v e .
That would s h u t t h e f l o w of water o f f i n t o t h e
boiler.
B u t t h e e n g i n e e r , b e i n g s c a r e d , w o u l d p u t i t b a c k w h e r e i+ w a s .
Therefore
t h e f i r e m a n c o u l d n ' + ge+ s+eam a n y h i g h e r +nan i t was and k e p t l o s i n g s+eam.
This is
when +hey c a l l e d me i n .
W h a t e v e r I d i d t h e e n g i n e e r had f a i t h i n me f r o m my e x p e r i e n c e
on t h e b o i l e r and w o u l d n ' t b o t h e r t h e s t r a p t h a t c o n t r o l l e d t h e f l o w o f w a t e r .

On my f i n a l o c c a s i o n t h e y g o t me o u t o f bed t o f i r e t h i s same b o i l e r on t h e
D i s t r i b u t o r on G r e a t S l a v e L a k e a s t h e f i r e m a n c o u l d n ' t keep up s t e a m .
I had q u i t
and was on t h e way o u t b e c a u s e t h e u n i o n s i n V a n c o u v e r w o u l d n ' t l e t t h e men t o go
work up n o r t h u n l e s s +hey r a i s e d t h e w a g e s .
I had been h i r e d by t h e c o m m i s s i o n e r s
in F e b r u a r y
and h i r e d a t t h e o l d r a t e and knew n o t h i n g a b o u t t h i s u n t i l one o f t h e
men t o Id me a b o u t i t .
So I a p p r o a c h e d C o l o n e l Reed who was G e n e r a l M a n a g e r and was on t h e D i s t r i b u t o r a t
t h a t t i m e and t o l d h i m t h e s t o r y .
I was r u n n i n g f r o m F t . Norman t o a b o u t t h e f o o t
of the Bear Rapids a t t h a t t i m e .
C o l o n e l Reed s a i d t h a t as I was h i r e d by t h e
c o m m i s s i o n e r s , he c o u l d n ' t do a t h i n g a b o u t i t b u t w o u l d recommend t h a t t h e y g i v e me
t h e same amount o f money t h a t t h e o t h e r s were g e t t i n g .
However, I d i d n ' t b e l i e v e
him and I t o l d him t h a t I was q u i t t i n g and g o i n g o u t .
Ile was g o i n g t o make me pay my
way o u t and I had t o go up on t h e promenade d e c k and e a t i n t h e d i n i n g room a l o n g
w i t h t h e p a s s e n g e r s and a l s o t o have a s t a t e room.
B u t I d i d n ' t do t h a t .
I made
a r r a n g e m e n t s w i t h t h e s e c o n d mate and w h i l e he
on d u t y I s l e p t i n h i s c a b i n and
I a t e down b e l o w w i t h t h e d e c k hands and t h e c r e w .
However t h e male come and g o t
me o u t o f bed and s a i d t h e y w e r e i n t r o u b l e and t h e e n g i n e e r w a n t e d me r i g h t a w a y .
So I w e n t down and t o o k o v e r t h e f i r i n g o f t h e b o i l e r and g o t s t e a m b a c k up and we
g o t a c r o s s G r e a t S l a v e Lake s a f e l y .
w

a

s

I d i d n ' t know t h a t C o l o n e l Reed had come down and was w a t c h i n g me f i r e t h e b o i l e r
t i l l t h e e n g i n e e r t o l d me n e x t d a y .
As f a r a s he knew I had s a v e d h i s l i f e p l u s
a l l t h e o t h e r p e o p l e and c r e w .
When we g o t b a c k t o W a t e r w a y s we had t o g e t o f f t h e b o a t , go and s t a y o v e r n i g h t i n
a h o t e l t o g e t on t h e t r a i n n e x t m o r n i n g t o go b a c k t o E d m o n t o n .
I had s u p p e r
t h e r e and I had b r e a k f a s t and I went t o s e e t h e c l e r k and a s k him how much I owed.
B u t I had t o go and c o l l e c t my wages b e f o r e I c o u l d pay i t .
He s a i d " I t has a l l been
paid".
So I s t a r t e d o u t t o go o v e r t o t h e o f f i c e and I met t h e a c c o u n t a n t , I f o r g o t
h i s name b u t he was a r e d h e a d e d f e l l o w . I t h i n k h i s name was McKay o r s o m e t h i n g l i k e
that.
H o w e v e r he s a i d " G r e e n , we have a w i r e h e r e t h a t t h e Company w a n t s t o h i r e
you on a y e a r r o u n d b a s i s and w a n t s you t o go b a c k t o F t . Norman on t h e j o b you
were o n " .
B u t , b e i n g a home l o v i n g b o y , t h e r e was j u s t no way
t o go home and I d i d .
I came home.

I w a n t e d t o go

back.

I wanted

Marooned b e h i n d +he i c e on Grea+
Slave Lake.
B a c k r o w , I e f + +0
righ+ - Oscar Green, e n g i n e e r , Dr.
G i l c h r e s + , Universi+y of Alber+a,
Edmon+on.
Fron+ r o w , Den+is+ f r o m
F+. S a s k a + c h e w a n , d e c k h a n d , c o o k ,
S l i m B a i n e s , p i Io+, C a p + a i n N y l e r ,
C o l o n e l R e e d , G e n e r a l M a n a g e r , and
son.

L.

'1

„ _ . ^

——,—•l

Cameron

Bay on G r e a t B e a r

Lake

I am p u t t i n g a
o r the e a r l i e r

l o t of
years.

happenings

h e r e t o g e t h e r and some o f thorn m i g h t

be

in t h e

later

Away b a c k i n t h e f i r s t p a r t o f g o i n g up n o r t h when we had s t o l e n wood f r o m t h e Hudson
Bay Company and w e r e t r y i n g t o b e a t them t o F i t z g e r a l d , I f o r g o t t o m e n t i o n t h a t t h e
e n g i n e e r had s c r e w e d t h e s a f e t y v a l v e s down a l l o w i n g more p r e s s u r e t o g e t t o t h e e n g i n e s
and t h e r e f o r e t o go a l i t t l e b i t f a s t e r .
B u t a s soon a s C a p t a i n H a i g h t went o v e r t h e
f a l l s and a h e a d o f u s , t h e e n g i n e e r p u t them b a c k w h e r e t h e y b e l o n g e d , o r a t l e a s t
w h e r e he had had t h e m p r e v i o u s .
A l s o , I b e l i e v e i t was i n 1932 we had come b a c k t o t h e L i a r d F i v e r f r o m F t . Norman
a l l t h e way b a c k t o t h e s h i p y a r d s b e l o w F t . S m i t h .
As we came in t h e r e a t n i g h t we
p u l l e d a s h o r e and l e f t t h e b a r g e a t t h e s h i p y a r d s and t o o k o f f f o r F t . S m i t h .
That
n i g h t we had q u i t e a s t o r m w h i c h was a snow s t o r m and heavy w i n d s .
We went b a c k t o
t h e s h i p y a r d s t h e n e x t day and o u r b a r g e was m i s s i n g and
c o u l d n ' t be f o u n d .
We
f i g u r e d t h a t t h e y w o u l d n a t u r a l l y go w i t h the, c u r r e n t d o w n s t r e a m so we t o o k o f f l o o k ing f o r i t .
I b e l i e v e we went 40 o r 50 m i l e s d o w n s t r e a m .
We c o u l d n ' t f i n d any t r a c e o f
our barge.
F i n a l l y t h e c a p t a i n d e c i d e d t o come b a c k .
So we came b a c k and c o m i n g
u p s t r e a m t h e snow had t h a w e d a l i t t l e b i t a s i t was r a i n i n g a t t h e t i m e and t h e s k i p p e r
w i t h h i s g l a s s e s t h o u g h t he saw a c o r n e r o f t h e b a r g e w h i c h was d i r e c t l y a c r o s s f r o m
the shipyards.
As we g o t c l o s e r we knew i t was t h e b a r g e .
The w i n d had been t h a t s t r o n g and blown t h e b a r g e s d i r e c t l y a c r o s s f r o m t h e s h i p y a r d s
a g a i n s t t h e c u r r e n t and had blown them o v e r t o t h e w e s t s i d e o f t h e r i v e r w h e r e t h e r e
was a k i n d o f an e d d y and t h e y g o t i n t o t h i s e d d y and some w i l l o w s o r t r e e s o r somet h i n g w i t h snow on t h e m and c o u l d n ' t be s e e n .
However we w e r e s u r e g l a d t o f i n d t h e
barge.
Somehow o r o t h e r i n t h e d a r k w h o e v e r t i e d t h e b a r g e t o t h e s h o r e must have
t i e d i t o n t o s o m e t h i n g t h a t came l o o s e when t h e b a r g e was l i f t i n g and p u l l i n g w i t h
t h e w i n d b l o w i n g and p u l l e d l o o s e and d r i f t e d s t r a i g h t a c r o s s a g a i n s t t h e c u r r e n t .
No one w o u l d e v e r t h i n k o f t h a t h a p p e n i n g .
T h i s p a r t was on G r e a t B e a r Lake when we w e r e i n a v e r y bad s t o r m w h i c h I d e s c r i b e d
beforehand.
E v e r y b o d y was s i c k and t h e y had a l w a y s been k i d d i n g me b e c a u s e I had
a l w a y s been one o f t h e f i r s t t o g e t s e a s i c k , b u t I n e v e r g o t v e r y
seriously sick.
H o w e v e r t h e new e n g i n e e r , B i l l M a l c o l m , and t h e c o o k p a r t i c u l a r l y had l o t s o f f u n
k i d d i n g me a b o u t g e t t i n g s i c k .
So now t h e y g o t s i c k and I w a s n ' t t o o b a d .
I was
a b l e t o m a n o u v e r and do w h a t e v e r I was s u p p o s e d t o d o .
B i l l Malcolm, the engineer,
who had come up t o h e l p rne and r e p l a c e t h e o t h e r e n g i n e e r who had q u i t and gone o u t
g o t v e r y s i c k and c o u l d n ' t do a n y t h i n g a t a l l .
The c o o k a l s o s t a y e d i n bed and w o u l d n ' t
get c u t of bed.
So t h e r e was t h e p i l o t , t h e c a p t a i n and m y s e l f t h e o n l y o n e s t h a t
w e r e up and a r o u n d i n t h e m i d d l e o f G r e a t B e a r L a k e .
So t h e c a p t a i n a s k e d me i f I knew
a n y t h i n g about c o o k i n g .
I s a i d " N o , I d o n ' t know v e r y much b u t I c a n f r y b a c o n and
eggs".
He s a y s " W e l l , go t o i t " . So I b u i l t a f i r e and f r i e d b a c o n and e g g s and
we a l l had a b i t e t o e a t .
T h a t ' s a l l I c o o k e d was bacon and e g g s and much t o my
s u r p r i s e w h i l e I was d o i n g t h a t t h e s k i p p e r w o u l d t i e t h e wheel f o r a m i n u t e o r
t w o , r u n down i n t o t h e g a l l e y and p u t some s t u f f t o g e t h e r r i g h t q u i c k l y and he w o u l d
go b a c k t o t h e wheel and come b a c k a g a i n and do a l i t t l e more s e v e r a l t i m e s .
Then
he came b a c k and p u t s o m e t h i n g i n a pan and p u t i t i n t h e o v e n and you know t h a t he
made some o f t h e b e s t c a k e t h a t r e a l l y I e v e r d i d t a s t e !
Where he l e a r n e d t o c o o k I
d o n ' t know b u t he s u r e c o u l d c o o k .
T h i s i s t h e c a p t a i n I h a t so f a r I c a n ' t remember
h i s name.
B u t w e ' l l f i n d o u t somehow.
(Found o u t f r o m w r i t i n g t h e Hudson Bay A r c h i e v e s
h i s name was C a p t a i n N y l e r j t
Now g o i n g back t o when we w e r e t r a p p i n g . You remember I s p o k e a b o u t T i n y G i f f o r d
c o m i n g a l o n g and we went w i t h him t o F t . Norman.
W e l l p r i o r t o t h a t as s o o n as t h e
w e a t h e r was c l e a r , t h e i c e had g o n e , t h e t w o I n d i a n b o y s came o v e r .
T u f f y and I
had t r a p p e d and s h o t what seemed t o be a b o u t 200 m u s k r a t s .
Now we d i d n ' t know what
we w e r e g o i n g t o do w i t h t h e s e m u s k r a t s .
We d i d n ' t have any b o a r d s o r s t r e t c h e r s
n o r any way t o s t r e t c h t h e m .
B u t anyway t h e s e two b o y s came o v e r and t h e y v i s i t e d f o r

a w h i l e and a s k e d us w h a t we w e r e g o i n g
d i d n ' t know.
So t h e y w e n t home.

t o do w i t h t h e m u s k r a t s

and we t o l d t h e m we

The n e x t m o r n i n g , e a r l y , o v e r comes t h e w h o l e f a m i l y .
H o w e v e r , we w e r e s t i l l
in
bed and d i d n ' t know t h a t t h e women had come a l o n g .
B u t t h e men k n o c k e d on t h e d o o r and
g o t us u p .
So we g o t u p , made a f i r e and made some b r e a k f a s t and f h e men had b r e a k f a s t
w i t h us and n e v e r s a i d n o t h i n g a t a l l b u t I had t o go o u t s i d e t o g e t some wood and
h e r e was t w o women s k i n n i n g m u s k r a t s t o b e a t h e c k !
And a l s o a l i t t l e boy and g i r l
a r o u n d 8 o r 9 o r 10 y e a r s o l d was o u t t h e r e w i t h t h e m . T h e y w o u l d s k i n t h e m u s k r a t s
and t h e s e c h i l d r e n w o u l d f i n i s h t h e m w i t h s m a l l w i l l o w s w h i c h t h e y w o u l d bend and
s t r e t c h the muskrats over the w i l l o w s .
N e i t h e r my p a r t n e r who was p a r t I n d i a n n o r
m y s e l f - n e i t h e r o n e - had e v e r s e e n t h a t way o f s t r e t c h i n g m u s k r a t s and n e v e r t h o u g h t
of i t .
We d i d n ' t had any i d e a what t o do w i t h t h e m .
H o w e v e r t h e two women w o u l d n o t come i n t o have a n y t h i n g t o e a t b u t t h e y had s o m e t h i n g
w i t h them w h i c h t h e y w e r e e a t i n g a s t h e y w o r k e d . B u t t h e y w o u l d s k i n t h o s e m u s k r a t s
s o f a s t you must c o u l d n ' t b e l i e v e i t . They s t a y e d r i g h t t h e r e u n t i l t h e y w e r e a l l
done
b e f o r e t h e y went home t h a t n i g h t .
A c t u a l l y t h e r e i s n ' t " much n i g h t a s t h e
sun s h i n e s p r e t t y w e l l d a y l i g h t a r o u n d t h e c l o c k .
I t ' s s u r p r i s i n g what you l e a r n a s you t r a v e l a r o u n d t h e w o r l d .
On t h i s t r i p w h i c h
had s p o k e a b o u f p r e v i o u s l y on G r e a t B e a r L a k e I l e a r n e d t w o o r t h r e e t h i n g s t h a t I
am s u r e g l a d t o know.

I

One o f t h e m was on t h e way o v e r we s t a r t e d p l a y i n g c a r d s a s we had done s o m e t i m e s c r o s s
the lake.
T h e r e i s r e a l l y n o t much t h a t you c a n do e x c e p t r e a d , so we p l a y e d c a r d s
w i t h a 50 c e n t l i m i t .
T h a t i s you c o u l d n ' t b e t more t h a n 50 c e n t s a t a t i m e so
t h a t nobody c o u l d l o s e a l l t h e i r money.
H o w e v e r one o f t h e p a s s e n g e r s w a t c h e d f o r
a w h i l e and t h e n a s k e d i f he c o u l d s e t i n . We s a i d " S u r e " .
So he s a t down and i t s o ',:
h a p p e n e d t h a t he s e t down between t h e c a p t a i n and m y s e l f and we p l a y e d f o r a few
h a n d s and t h e b i d d i n g w o u l d come r o u n d t o me and I w o u l d p r o b a b l y c a l l and r a i s e
t h e a n t e and he w o u l d be n e x t and he w o u l d l a y down, t h a t i s he w o u l d l a y h i s hand
down.
The c a p t a i n w o u l d l i k e l y c a l l .
S o m e t i m e s he w o u l d l a y down.
Most o f t h e t i m e
he w o u l d c a l l and s o m e t i m e s r a i s e a g a i n .
T l i i s w e n t on a c o u p l e o f t i m e s .
So a f t e r we had p l a y e d T h i s hand o u t b e f o r e we come t o t h e end o f i t t h i s f e l l a
s a y s t o me " A f t e r you f e l l a s a r e t h r o u g h " he s a y s " c o u l d I s e e y o u r h a n d ? "
I says
"Sure".
So I showed him my h a n d .
So he s a y s " O k a y , e v e r y t h i n g i s h o n e s t " .
He
s a y s " I f i t h a d n ' t o f been I wanf t o show you w h a t I c a n d o " .
So he t o o k t h e c a r d s
and he s a y s " I ' m g o i n g t o g i v e you a s p a d e f l u s h ( o r w h a t e v e r i t i s ) I'm g o i n g t o
g i v e you a s p a d e o r s o m e t h i n g .
Anyway he w o u l d g i v e us a h a n d .
He w o u l d t e l l
us
a h e a d o f t i m e w h a t k i n d o f a hand he was g o i n g t o g i v e u s .
And you know, you c o u l d
w a t c h and be d a r n e d , you c o u l d c u t t h e c a r d s and do a n y t h i n g you l i k e and he w e n t
r i g h t a h e a d and he d e a l t you t h e c a r d s he s a i d he was g o i n g t o .
Well t h a t changed
my i d e a o f p l a y i n g c a r d s f o r money.
And s i n c e t h a t t i m e I'm p r e t t y c a r e f u l b e f o r e
I e v e r g e t i n t o a p o k e r game.
A l e s s o n l e a r n e d .at no c o s t .
On t h i s same t r i p on t h e r e t u r n we had t h e same young f e l l a s I b e l i e v e i t was t h a t
t h e c a p t a i n had l i s t e n e d t o on G r e a t S l a v e L a k e b u t I'm n o t s u r e .
Anyway i t was as
I s a i d b e f o r e , r e a l l y c o l d and f r e e z i n g - i c e f r e e z i n g on t h e b o a t .
The r e s t o f us
t h a t w e r e o f f s h i f t had gone i n and p u l l e d t h e c o v e r s o v e r us and had gone t o bed
i n o u r bunks b u t t h e r e was a c o l e m a n ( e i t h e r k e r o s e n e o r g a s , I d o n ' t know w h i c h )
and i t was s i t t i n g r i g h t a t my head o r my f e e t - d e p e n d i n g on w h i c h way i l a i d
down, b u t between me and w h o e v e r was on t h e o t h e r s i d e .
T h e r e i s o n l y a few f e e t .
This
this

y o u n g f e l l a comes down and d e c i d e d i t was c o l d i n t h e r e so he was g o i n g
stove.
The r e s t o f us w e r e a f r a i d t o l i g h t i t b e c a u s e we w e r e n o t s u r e

to light
that

we u n d e r s t o o d i t w e l l e n o u g h .
Remember t h a t we w e r e o u t i n t h e m i d d l e o f G r e a t B e a r
Lake.
Anyway he l i t t h e s t o v e and somehow t h e w h o l e t h i n g c a u g h t f i r e .
I was j u s t
l y i n g t h e r e and so was e v e r y b o d y e l s e .
Nobody r e a l l y knew j u s t what t o d o .
We
t h o u g h t he w o u l d t u r n i t o f f and i t w o u l d gc o u t o r s o m e t h i n g .
However t h e p i l o t
saw t h e smoke c o m i n g up a s we w e r e down i n ' t h e h o l e i n f r o n t o f t h e p i l o t h o u s e and
t h e smoke was c o m i n g o u t t h e s l i d i n g d o o r .
The p i l o t p u s h e d t h e d o o r b a c k , jumped
down t h e s t a i r s i n t o t h e h o l e , g r a b b e d t h e b l a n k e t o f f o f m e , t h r e w it" on t h e s t o v e ,
w r a p p e d i t e n t i r e l y i n t h e b l a n k e t and up t h e s t a i r s he g o e s and T h r o w s i t i n t o t h e
I a ke.
Now t h e p i l o t s a v e d a l l o f o u r l i v e s b e c a u s e i f he h a d n ' t o f done t h a t w i t h i n f i v e
m i n u t e s o r so t h e w h o l e b o a t w o u l d have been on f i r e . T h e r e w o u l d have been no t i m e
t o g e t f i r e e x t i n q u i s h e r s o r do a n y t h i n g b e c a u s e t h e r e was a l w a y s a s m a l l amount o f
g a s f l o a t i n g a r o u n d i n t h e w a t e r i n t h e h o l e i n t h e b o a t . Gas and o i l and a n y t h i n g
s p i l l e d w o u l d g e t down i n t o t h e h o l e and be f l o a t i n g a r o u n d i n t h e w a t e r t h e r e . And
i f you g o t e n o u g h h e a t i f w o u l d be j u s t a m a t t e r o f m i n u t e s t i l l e v e r y t h i n g w o u l d be
on f i r e .
So t h i s p i l o t s a v e d a l l o f o u r l i v e s and we c a n be v e r y t h a n k f u l f o r t h a t
and I c e r t a i n l y l e a r n e d a l e s s o n w h a t t o
in case of
f i r e happening l i k e t h a t .
If t h e r e ' s a b l a n k e t handy t o wrap up t h e f i r e , and s m o t h e r i t .
Now you w i l l n o t i c e t h a t I s p o k e a b o u t e n g i n e e r s . W e l l when t h e f i r s t e n g i n e e r came
up who was s u p p o s e d t o be c h i e f e n g i n e e r and who s a i d he w o u l d do my j o b i f I w o u l d
do h i s b u t he w o u l d keep h i s own pay - IlMl t e l l y o u w h a t happened t o h i m .

He was k i n d o f a s h o w - o f f k i n d o f a guy and he w o u l d l i k e v e r y much t o t a l k t o a n y
o f f i c i a l s who m i g h t be a r o u n d who w o u l d l i s t e n i f he c o u l d make h i m s e l f l o o k b i g o r
make t h e p e o p l e t h i n k he was somebody t h a t he w a s n ' t .
However t h i s p a r t i c u l a r day
we w e r e f i l l i n g up w i t h g a s w h i c h had t o be pumped by hand f r o m b a r r e l s i n t o
t a n k s on t h e b o a t .
The t a n k s a r e h o o k e d t o g e t h e r and n o r m a l l y t h e g a s r u n s a c r o s s
f r o m o n e t o a n o t h e r p r o v i d e d t h e r e ' s no r u s t o r a n y t h i n g i n the p i p e s t h a t m i g h t
p l u g t h e m up.
H o w e v e r , t h e one who was pumping t h e gas i s s u p p o s e d t o keep c o n s t a n t
w a t c h and has a s t i c k w i t h m a r k e r s on i t w i t h i n c h e s and knows how many i n c h e s
s h o u l d be i n e a c h t a n k on e a c h s i d e o f t h e b o a t .
However t h i s p a r t i c u l a r day C o l o n e l
Reed and I b e l i e v e some o f t h e C o m m i s s i o n e r s f r o m W i n n i p e g w e r e c o m i n g i n on a p l a n e
f r o m F t . Norman and l a n d i n g a t F r a n k l i n B a y .
The p l a n e was j u s t c o m i n g i n and t h i s e n g i n e e r was s t a n d i n g t h e r e pumping away l i k e
heck.
I t s o h a p p e n e d t h a t I s t a y e d up and d i d n ' t go t o bed l i k e I s h o u l d have and
was d o i n g s o m e t h i n g i n t h e e n g i n e room and I s m e l l e d , g a s . So I went o u t s i d e and t h e
g a s was r u n n i n g a l l o v e r t h e d e c k - t h a t ' s t h e d e c k you w a l k o n , y o u r d i n i n g room
and b u n k s and e v e r y t h i n g a r e b e l o w d e c k e x c e p t f o r ' t h e p i l o t ' s h o u s e w h e r e t h e
s k i p p e r s l e e p s - and h e r e g a s was r u n n i n g a l l a r o u n d and t h e c o o k had t h e window
open.
I c l o s e d t h e window.
He g o t mad and o p e n e d i t a g a i n .
I h o l l e r e d and t o l d
him t h a t t h e r e was g a s t h e r e .
He had a wood f i r e g o i n g t h e r e j u s t a m a t t e r o f i n c h e s
away f r o m where t h e gas was on t h e d e c k o f t h e b o a t .
I l e t o u t a y e l I and t h e guy
q u i t pumping g a s .
lie came o v e r and saw what had h a p p e n e d , he w a l k e d o f f and n e v e r
came b a c k .
He n e v e r t o l d me he was l e a v i n g o r n o t h i n g ,
hie met t h e p l a n e and s a i d
he was f i n i s h e d .
Then he came b a c k and p i c k e d up h i s s u i t c a s e and went o u t on t h e
plane.

r
E n g i n e e r who pumped g a s
a i l o v e r deck, Oscar Green
and S l i m B a i n e s - G r e a t

V

T h a t ' s when t h e y s e n t B i l l M a l c o m up, t h e s e c o n d e n g i n e e r t o h e l p me.
But poor B i l l
he was no b e t t e r o f f b e c a u s e he knew a b s o l u t e l y n o t h i n g a b o u t g a s b u t we d i d have a l o t
o f f u n w i t h h i m and h e ' s t h e o n e t h a t t r i e d t o t a k e t h e b o a t down t h r o u g h t h e f a s t
w a t e r and w h e r e t h e t r e e came i n t h e window on t h e s i d e o f trie b o a t and he q u i t r i g h t
there.
He w o u l d have no more t o do w i t h i t .

W e l l w h i l e b e i n g a t r a p p e r up n o r t h I s e e n p e o p l e w i t h s a i l s , I n d i a n s s a i l i n g and
what n o t and r e a l l y t h o u g h t t h e r e was n o t much t o i t .
So I g o t a p o l e and p u t up,
made a few r i n g s and t i e d them t o g e t h e r , f a s t e n e d them o n t o p a r t o f o u r t e n t t h a t we
had t o r n up t o make a s a i l .
We had a l i t t l e r o p e so we j u s t p u l l e d i t up o v e r t o p and
l e t i t go and i t w o u l d f a l l down and i t was f i n e .
B u t n e i t h e r one o f us had had a n y
experience with s a i l s .
But here I got mine!
We t o o k t h i s b o a t w i t h a s a i l on i t and I t h o u g h t I w o u l d go a c r o s s and use t h e
s a i l t o go a c r o s s t o w h e r e t h e I n d i a n s w e r e a b o u t 4 o r 5 , m i l e s a c r o s s t h e M a c k e n z i e
Fiver.
So I g o t o u t and a l i t t l e b i t o f w i n d b l e w and I was d o i n g f i n e .
I had t o
go up a g a i n s t t h e c u r r e n t t o g e t a r o u n d t h e u p p e r p a r t o f t h e i s l a n d and t h e n t h e r e
was a n o t h e r i s l a n d f a r t h e r .
And when I c l e a r e d t h a t i s l a n d t h e w i n d seemed t o be
g e t t i n g s t r o n g e r a l l t h e t i m e and t h e waves b i g g e r .
So I d e c i d e d I b e t t e r g e t r i d
o f t h e s a i l and I l e t go o f t h e r o p e , b a c k e d o f f , but t h e s a i l w o u l d n ' t d r o p down
b e c a u s e t h e w i n d was s t r o n g e n o u g h t h a t i t h e l d t h e r i n g s a g a i n s t t h e mast t h a t I had
put up.
T h e r e was no way t o p u l l t h e s a i l down and t h e waves w e r e t h a t h i g h and t h e
s a i l f l o p p i n g b a c k and f o r t h .
I c o u l d n ' t go up t o t h e bow o f t h e b o a t and p u l l
it
down by hand o r t h e waves w o u l d have swamped me.
I kept heading t o t h e west shore where t h e I n d i a n s l i v e d .
P r e t t y s o o n I saw t h e
two b o y s c o m i n g o u t i n a l i t t l e b i r c h b a r k c a n o e .
I d o n ' t know what t h e y w o u l d have
done had I u p s e t b u t I do know t h a t t h e y c e r t a i n l y g a v e me c o u r a g e t o keep on t r y i n g
and I f i n a l l y g o t t o s h o r e and I s u r e n e v e r used a s a i l a f t e r t h a t !
A l s o a t F t . Norman a t o n e t i m e w h i l e u n l o a d i n g t h e r e we went f o r a w a l k b a c k i n t o t h e
woods and came t o t h i s c o o k h o u s e w h i c h was b u i l t a b o u t 1920 ( s o m e t i m e a l o n g t h e r e )
and t h i s i s now 1932 o r 3 3 .
M i n d you t h i s was a i l b u i l t o u t o f what i s c a l l e d
whipsawed lumber.
F o r t h o s e who d o n ' t u n d e r s t a n d what w h i p s a w i s - you have a s t a n d
up a r o u n d 7 o r 8 f e e t h i g h and you p u t a l o g up t h e r e and o n e man s t a y s a b o v e i t and
o n e b e l o w i t and t h e y have s i m i l a r t o what used t o be c a l l e d a c r o s s c u t saw w h i c h i s
a l o n g saw a b o u t 6 f e e t l o n g and a h a n d l e on e a c h end and a man up a b o v e and a man
b e l o w and t h e y saw down t h i s l o g , s a w i n g t h e l o g i n t o b o a r d s and t h a t ' s what t h e y
c a l l whipsawed lumber.

T h i s o l d c o o k h o u s e , +he + a b l e s , +he b e n c h e s , e v e r y t h i n g + h e r e was b u i l t from w h i p s a w e d
l u m b e r i n c l u d i n g t h e f l o o r and t h e r o o f .
F o r w i n d o w s t h e y had c o t t o n o r l i n e n o r some
kind of c l o t h o v e r a l l t h e windows.
T h a t had been t h e r e f o r 10 y e a r s o r more and
t h o u g h i t was f l o p p i n g i n t h e w i n d and had h o l e s i n i t and s h r e d d e d and some o f i t
s h r e d d e d p r e t t y b a d , i t was s t i l l t h e r e .
On t h e t a b l e s was g r a n i t e p l a t e s , s a u c e r s
and c u p s , k n i v e s and f o r k s , w i t h t h e c u p s and p l a t e s t u r n e d u p s i d e down a l l r e a d y f o r
the next meal.
W h e t h e r o r n o t t h e y e v e r had a n y m e a l s t h e r e I d o n ' t know b u t t h e r e
was a s e t t i n g f o r a b o u t t w e n t y p e o p l e .
A l l t h e y had t o do was g e t r i d o f t h e d u s t
and p u t f o o d on t h e p l a t e s .

I t h i n k t h i s was p r o b a b l y o u r I a s t t r i p o f t a k i n g f r e i g h t up b e c a u s e we s e n t t h e
p i l o t on up t h e r i v e r and S l i m D a v i s and m y s e l f b r o u g h t t h e b o a t b a c k down t o F t .
Norman.
However S l i m came t o me and he s a y s " Y o u t h i n k you c a n t a k e t h e b o a t down?
P i l o t i t down?"
T h i s b o a t had t h e c o n t r o l s i n t h e p i l o t house so you c o u l d r u n
t h e e n g i n e f r o m t h e p i l o t house as w e l l .
I s a i d " W e l l I t h i n k I c a n t a k e i t down
a s f a r a s what t h e y c a l l t h e " f i s h carnp" ( t h e r e was a c a b i n t h e r e ) " I f you c a n t a k e
i t the r e s t of the way".
" W e l l " he s a y s " Y o u t a k e i t down t h e r e and I ' l l t a k e
i t t h e r e s t of t h e way."
So I s t a r t e d o f f and l e t me t e l l you i t was p r e t t y s c a r y .
I was f i n e t o s i t t h e r e o r s t a n d t h e r e and w a t c h Jimmy t a k e t h e b o a t down and
see t h e r o c k s g o i n g by I i c k i t y s p l i t b u t when you g o t a h o l d o f t h e wheel and
w e r e s t e e r i n g , i t was a n o t h e r s t o r y a l t o g e t h e r and i f w a s n ' t n e a r a s n i c e a s I
t h o u g h f i + wouId b e .
However a f t e r a few c l o s e s h a v e s and h i t t i n g t h e odd s a n d b a r , I go+ down +0 +he
" f i s h c a m p " b u t D a v i s , he w a s n ' t t h e r e .
He was down i n t h e h o l e .
I says "Hey,
come and t a k e o v e r , i t ' s y o u r t u r n " .
He s a y s , "Oh n o , y o u r d o i n g f i n e ! C a r r y o n " .
Boy now I was r e a l l y s c a r e d b e c a u s e I r e a l l y d i d n ' t ' pay any a t t e n t i o n and I
d i d n ' t know what I was d o i n g .

Fish

Camp

We k e p t on g o i n g and we d i d n ' t g e t i n t o any s e r i o u s t r o u b l e t i l l we come down t o
w i t h i n a m i l e o f t h e mouth o f t h e B e a r R i v e r w h e r e i t r u n s i n t o t h e M a c k e n z i e and
t h e r e t h e r e was a f a l l s w h i c h we a l w a y s w e n t up on t h e e a s t s i d e and t h e n swung
across.
However c o m i n g down i t w a s n ' t n e c e s s a r y .
B u t I h a d n ' t p a i d t h a t much
a t t e n t i o n t o w h e r e Jimmy had been t a k i n g t h e b o a t d o w n s t r e a m and I t h o u g h t I was

d o i n g a b o u t t h e same t h i n g .
But I d i d n ' t .
I went o v e r t h e f a l l s and we went
a b o u t 100 y a r d s and r u n i n t o a s a n d b a r a n d , t r a v e l l i n g a s f a s t a s we c o u l d , we
g o t s t u c k p r e t t y bad.
B u t a g a i n we w e r e v e r y l u c k y .
There were a c o u p l e o f boys
c o m i n g down i n a c a n o e and t h e y came down.
So t h e y came o v e r t h e f a l l s and t i e d
t h e c a n o e on t h e b o a t and jumped i n t o t h e w a t e r and s t a r t e d p u s h i n g and we r u n
t h e e n g i n e s and t h e y w o u l d p u s h and push and w i g g l e t h e b o a t u n t i l f i n a l l y we g o t
i t m o v i n g and g o t i t o f f t h e s a n d b a r and o u t i n t o t h e w a t e r .
Thanks t o t h e s e two
boys.
I d o n ' t know who t h e y w e r e , I n e v e r g o t t h e i r names.
But b e i n g a p i l o t
w a s n ' t o n e o f my a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s . '

I spoke about l o s i n g t h e barge back aways.
W e l l t h a t f a l l we g o t f r o z e i n a t
Ft. Smith.
The p l a n e came i n t o t a k e us o u t b u t on t h e r a d i o t h e n e x t m o r n i n g
t h e y t o l d t h e m t o come b a c k empty a s i c e was s t a r t i n g t o run a t F t . M c M u r r a y . So
he w e n t o f f w i t h o u t us and we had t o s t a y t h e r e t i l l a r o u n d C h r i s t m a s t i m e .
I j u s t then went and a s k e d my w i f e (by t h e way, w e ' v e o n l y been m a r r i e d 62 y e a r s
- n o t t o o bad .'
I e x p e c t t o l i v e t o be 105 and 1 e x p e c t h e r t o l i v e t o be i n h e r
9 0 ' s , so I g o t a few y e a r s y e t , we hope).
However she s a y s i t was s o m e t i m e in
t h e f i r s t p a r t o f P e c e m b e r when we f l e w o u t .
T h a t was q u i t e an e x p e r i e n c e .
1 w i l l t r y t o remember t h e p i l o t ' s name i f I c a n .
H o w e v e r , he came b a c k and t h e o n l y p l a c e he c o u l d l a n d , ( t h e r e was no a i r p o r t
o f any d e s c r i p t i o n a t t h a t t i m e a r o u n d F t . S m i t h ) t h e o n l y p l a c e he c o u l d l a n d
was w h a t we c a l l e d a s n y e w h i c h r u n s i n b e h i n d an i s l a n d below F t . S m i t h .
I
d o n ' t remember f o r s u r e how f a r down t h i s i s l a n d i s b u t I t h i n k i t ' s p o s s i b l y
3 or 4 miles or farther.
However he had l a n d e d t h e p l a n e t h e r e and s a i d he w o u l d
t a k e us o u t a s t h e r i v e r was a l l f r o z e up by t h i s t i m e ,
He had l a n d e d on t h e
i c e i n b e h i n d f h i s i s l a n d w h i c h was smooth a s t h e i c e d i d n ' t f l o w in t h e r e and
g e t r o u g h a s i t d i d o u t i n t h e main c h a n n e l .
So we g o t r e a d y and t h e y t o o k a l l o f o u r l u g g a g e and s t u f f on a h o r s e and s l e i g h
We had t o f o l l o w and w a l k down t o w h e r e t h e a i r c a f t was p a r k e d i n t h i s s n y e .
Of
c o u r s e t h e y had been t h e r e q u i t e a w h i l e b e f o r e we w e r e and had some k i n d o f p o t s
g o i n g - g a s p o t s o r o i l p o t s o r s o m e t h i n g and c a n v a s o v e r t h e m o t o r s t o h e a t
them up so t h e y c o u l d g e t t h e m r u n n i n g .
H o w e v e r , I t h i n k t h i s o n e had o n l y one
m o t o r and i t seems t o me i t was b u i l t o u t o f t i n .
Anyway t h e y g o t i t warmed up
and t h e p i l o t s a y s " I ' m o v e r l o a d e d .
I s h o u l d l e a v e o n e o f you h e r e and y o u r
luggage.
He s a y s " A c t u a l l y , I'm o v e r l o a d e d " .
W e l l he s a y s "I g u e s s w e ' l l g a m b l e " .
Wetl anyway tie t o o k o f f .
I t h i n k h i s name was S t a n M c M u I I i n but I'm n o t s u r e .
H o w e v e r , he t o o k o f f and a h e a d o f us he c o u l d s e e a few h u n d r e d y a r d s a h e a d o f us
w h e r e t h e i c e c u t a c r o s s t h e end w h e r e t h e i c e i s p i l e d up t h e r e 10 o r 12 f e e t
h i g h and h e r e we a r e come s a i l i n g down, w i d e o p e n and t h e p l a n e s t i I I on t h e i c e .
I had my b a c k t o i t b u t I t u r n e d a r o u n d so I c o u l d s e e anyway and so S t a n , he t a k e s
i t up a l i t t l e b i t i n t o t h e a i r ( p r o b a b l y 10 o r 12 f e e t ) and b r i n g s i t down. Bumps
i t on t h e i c e and b o u n c e s t h e p l a n e up o v e r t h e p i l e o f i c e a t t h e end o f t h e s n y e .
You c a n ' t t e l l me t h a t he d i d n ' t come c l o s e t o h e a r t f a i l u r e r i g h t t h e r e b e c a u s e
I d i d and I t h i n k e v e r y b o d y i n t h e p l a n e d i d !
H o w e v e r t h e r e was n o t a word s p o k e n and t h e r e i s a b i g m o u n t a i n j u s t w e s t o f F t .
S m i t h down t h e r i v e r .
He headed f o r t h a t m o u n t a i n and he n e v e r s t o p p e d c l i m b i n g
u n t i l he was w e l l a b o v e t h e m o u n t a i n w h i c h I t h i n k i s 5 , 0 0 0 f e e t .
Anyway he k e p t

c l i m b i n g and c l i m b i n g and c l i m b i n g and n e v e r t u r n e d r i g h t n o r l e f t and n e v e r s a i d
nothing.
F i n a l l y a f t e r he g o t o v e r t h i s m o u n t a i n and he s t a r t e d t o t u r n a r o u n d ,
t h e n he s t a r t e d t o t a l k and I g u e s s he f e l t he c o u l d g l i d e b a c k t o w h e r e he t o o k
o f f i f he had t o .
H o w e v e r we n e v e r l a n d e d anymore u n t i l we g o t t o F t . M c f t u r r a y
and W a t e r w a y s and we l a n d e d t h e r e i n t h e s n y e .
And b e l i e v e you me, t h a t ' s one
a i r p l a n e r i d e t h a t I d o n ' t w a n t anymore a t a l l .

I hope you may f i n d a few t h i n g s
f r o m my e x p e r i e n c e up n o r t h .

t h a t may h e l p you a s

I have s u r e l y

learned

lots

We had t o s t a y i n t h e hot*"-' and w a i t f o r t h e t r a i n t o come i n t h e n e x t day I
b e l i e v e i t was.
D u r i n g t h e n i g h t a boy by t h e name o f W i l f C l e a d e r and I had
p a i r e d o f f and t a k e n t h e same room i n t h e h o t e l and we w e r e a l l on t h e same f l o o r .
We had l e f t t h e d o o r open a b o u t an i n c h o r so and d u r i n g t h e n i g h t , p r o b a b l y
a r o u n d 2 o r 3 o ' c l o c k i n t h e m o r n i n g , I m y s e l f woke up c o u g h i n g .
I o p e n e d my
e y e s and t u r n e d on t h e l i g h t and t h e smoke f i l l e d t h e room j u s t a b o v e o u r h e a d s
like a cloud.
I woke W i l f up and you c o u l d n ' t s t r a i g h t e n up b e c a u s e i f you
s t r a i g h t e n e d up y o u r head w o u l d be i n t h e smoke and y o u ' d r e a l l y c o u g h .
So we
g o t o u t i n t o t h e h a l l w a y and t h o u g h t we c o u l d s e e a l i g h t u n d e r a d o o r and we
s t a r t e d y e l l i n g and h o l l e r i n g . W i f e f o u n d a f i r e e x t i n g u i s h e r and i t w o u l d n ' t g o .
We h o l l e r e d f o r t h e c a p t a i n and a l l t h e r e s t o f t h e crew and t h e d o o r s s t a r t e d
o p e n i n g up and we g o t t h e l i g h t on and we o p e n e d t h e d o o r i n t o w h e r e t h e c o o k
was s l e e p i n g and s u r e enough t h e c o o k had gone t o bed s m o k i n g a p p a r e n t l y a s t h e
bed was a l l on f i r e a l l a r o u n d f r o m a b o u t t h e m i d d l e o f t h e bed a l l a r o u n d t h e
Iiead o f t h e bed and t h e s i d e o f t h e b e d .
A b o u t o n e - t h i r d o f t h e bed was e n g u l f e d
and b u r n i n g .
We c o u l d n ' t g e t t r i e f i r e e x t i n g u i s h e r t o w o r k but W i l f knew a
l i t t l e b i t a b o u t i t so he g a v e i t a bump on t h e f l o o r .
In d o i n g s o I t h i n k
m y s e l f o r someone was h o l d i n g o n t o t h e h o s e .
I t b r o k e o f f and he t u r n e d t h e
f i r e e x t i n g u i s h e r a r o u n d and h i t t h e c o o k smack i n t h e f a c e w i t h i t and he s a i d
" W h a t ' s g o i n g on h e r e " ?
When he o p e n e d h i s e y e s he s o o n saw what was g o i n g o n .
W h a t e v e r h a p p e n e d r e g a r d i n g t h e f i r e , I have no i d e a b u t I g u e s s t h e c a p t a i n
and t h e c o o k must have g o t t e n t h i n g s f i x e d up someway o r a n o t h e r f o r we n e v e r
h e a r d anymore a b o u t i t .
But t h a t ' s a n o t h e r t h i n g I l e a r n e d - n o t t o room w i t h
a n y b o d y t h a t smokes i n b e d .
I t ' s p r e t t y dangerous.
And f o r t h o s e o f you who
smoke i n bed o r smoke g o i n g t o b e d , t h i n k a b o u t i t t w i c e .
I t h i n k you w i l l f i n d
t h a t i s good a d v i c e .
W h i l e t r a p p i n g down n o r t h I f o r g o t t o m e n t i o n a b o u t my p a r t n e r T u f f y B r a z e a u .
We
had g o n e t o Good Hope, F t . Good Hope t h a t i s , t o g e t s u p p l i e s .
They had had a
dance.
W e l l he d a n c e d a l l n i g h t b u t I d i d n ' t .
I s l e p t a t t h e p o s t and was f r e s h
the next day.
T u f f y came i n i n t h e m o r n i n g .
So we had b r e a k f a s t and t o o k o f f .
I a s k e d him a b o u t c h a n g i n g c l o t h e s b u t he s a y s " N o , I'm o k a y , I ' l l p u t my p a r k a
on".
However we g o t 5 m i l e s o r so and we come o u t i n t o what was open i c e .
It
was s m o o t h and t h e r e was n o t h i n g s t o p p i n g t h e w i n d b l o w i n g .
And t h e w i n d came
up and we n o r m a l l y w o u l d t a k e t u r n s a b o u t b r e a k i n g t r a i l f o r t h e d o g s .
You had
s m a l l s n o w s h o e s on and you w o u l d go a h e a d f o r t h e d o g s so t h e y w o u l d n ' t s i n k down
t o o deep.
So anyway he had been b r e a k i n g t r a i l so I went a h e a d on m y t u r n and a f t e r a w h i l e
I l o o k e d b a c k and he was t r y i n g t o w a l k b a c k w a r d s on h i s s n o w s h o e s .
I stopped
and w a i t e d u n t i l he c a u g h t up and I a s k e d him " W h a t ' s t h e m a t t e r F u f f y " ?
lie s a y s " I ' m n - n - n - n - n n - n e a r l y f r o z e t o d e a t h ! "
So we undone t h e c a r r y a l l on t h e
t o b o g g a n and I g o t a b i g Hudson Bay b l a n k e t o u t .
We a l s o had some q u i t e l a r g e
p i n s we u s e d t o u s e .
We had s e e n them u s e d t o p i n h o r s e b l a n k e t s o n .
We had
some c f t h e s e s o we g o t t h e b l a n k e t w r a p p e d a r o u n d him and p i n n e d i t a l l up and
l e t i t hang down I i k e a s k i r t .
We s t i I I had a c o u p l e o f m i l e s t o go b e f o r e we g o t t o w h e r e we c o u l d go a s h o r e
and e v e n t h e n i t was a s t e e p b a n k , s t r a i g h t up and down.
You c o u l d n ' t go
anyplace.
However t h e r e was one l i t t l e s p r u c e t r e e w h i c h was dead and d r i e d
a b o u t 50 f e e t on t h e b a n k .
Of c o u r s e snow had b l o w n o v e r and d r i f t e d down.
So
I t o o k o f f my s n o w s h o e s and s t a r t e d , c l i m b i n g up t h i s d r i f t t o g e t up t o t h i s t r e e ,

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which I d i d .
I b r o k e i i o f f and t h r e w i t down and b r o k e up t h e b r a n c h e s a l i t t l e
b i t and t h e n t r i e d t o l i g h t a match b u t I c o u l d n ' t h o l d t h e m a t c h .
It would t u r n
i n my f i n g e r s .
So I a s k e d T u f f y t o t r y and he c o u l d n ' t h o l d i t .
So he s a y s "I
g o t an i d e a " .
So he p u t t h e m a t c h , w h i c h was t h e o l d wooden m a t c h w h i c h was a b o u t
t w o i n c h e s l o n g , and he p u t t h e end o f t h i s wooden m a t c h i n h i s t e e t h and s t r u c k
i t on t h e e d g e o f t h e l i t t l e box w h i c h was l i k e s a n d p a p e r and I g r a b b e d i t o u t
o f h i s mouth so i t w o u l d n ' t b u r n h i s n o s e .
And t h a t ' s t h e way we g o t t h e f i r e
started.
So i f a t a n y t i m e i t e v e r h a p p e n s t o y o u , you c a n ' t h o l d a m a t c h , what you c a n
do i s p u t i t i n y o u r t e e t h , s t r i k e i t on t h e box and g e t i t l i t . So t h a t ' s
a n o t h e r t h i n g I l e a r n e d and a good t h i n g t o remember a n y t i m e you a r e i n t h e
o u t d o o r s in t h e w i n t e r t i m e . D o n ' t t a k e matches t h a t a r e paper matches.
The
s t e m s on t h e m a t c h e s a r e p r e s s e d p a p e r and i f t h e y g e t wet o r damp t h e y w o n ' t
l i g h t - t h e y bend b e f o r e you c a n l i g h t t h e m . Be s u r e t h e m a t c h e s h a v e wooden
s t e m s and p u t them i n a w a t e r p r o o f c o n t a i n e r , and be s u r e .

P.S.
I was h i r e d and s t a r t e d t o w o r k f o r L a n s o n H u b b a r d Company and a l s o
b e l i e v e t h a t A l b e r t a and A r t i e T r a n s p o r t a t i o n w h i c h a p p a r e n t l y had c o n t r a c t e d
w i t h a Mr. Askew t o b u i l d t h e S . S . D i s t r i b u t o r and I was e m p l o y e d by them f o r
a number o f y e a r s u n t i l I Hudson Bay Company b o u g h t them o u t o r t o o k t h e m o v e r
I was away a t l e a s t f r o m 1925 u n t i l a b o u t 1932.
When I went b a c k t h e Hudson
Bay Company was o p e r a t i n g a l l o f t h e b o a t s and i t was c a l l e d M a c K e n z i e R i v e r
Transport.

F

i
C a s c a d e R a p i d s on A t h a b a s c a R i v e r .
We went o v e r t h i s i n t h e S l a v e
R i v e r Steamboat.
The Slave Slave R i v e r Steamboat
p i l o t e d by J o e B i r d & C a p t a i n
A l e x a n d e r went o v e r t h e Cascade
on May 2 3 , 1919 a f t e r t h e G r a n d
Rap i d s .
The S l a v e R i v e r i s v e r y s i m i l a r
t o t h e p i c t u r e by H i l l s P h o t o i n
t h i s m a n u s c r i p t e n t i t l e d t h e Echo.
It i s q u i t e p o s s i b l e t h a t - t h i s i s
the Slave R i v e r but i f n o t , v e r y
s i mi I a r .

On o u r way t o Y e M o w k n i f e t h e w i n d came up and b l o c k e d o u r r o u t e w i t h i c e and we
had t o g e t i n b e h i n d a bunch o f i s l a n d s w h i c h w e r e n o t h i n g more t h a n a c r e s o f
r o c k w i t h a few t r e e s h e r e and t h e r e .
We w e r e t h e r e f o r 10 d a y s t o two weeks
- I d o n ' t remember f o r s u r e .
M y s e l f and Dr. G i l c h r e s t f r o m t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f
A l b e r t a d i d a l i t t l e p r o s p e c t i n g which I f i n a l l y got assayed t h e t h e E l d o r a d o
M i n e by G i l b e r t L e B i n e .
The p i l o t and o t h e r w a n t e d M r . LaBinc- t o t e l l us t h a t
i f was s o m e t h i n g
very good.
W h e t h e r o r n o t i t w a s , he d i d n ' t want t o .
So he d i d n ' t . However
he f o u n d t h a t t h e s a m p l e we had t a k e n f r o m t h i s i s l a n d r u n a b o u t $ 3 4 . 0 0 a
t o n in g o l d .
He s a i d he w o u l d f l y me o v e r w h i l e we u n l o a d e d n e x t y e a r and
stake the claim.
T h a t was i n 1933 - t h e l a s t r i p i n t h e f a l l .
In 1934 a s
I have s a i d b e f o r e , I l e f t and came o u t and n e v e r g o t b a c k so we c o u l d f l y o v e r
and s t a k e i t .
B u t I h e a r d f r o m o t h e r s t h a t M r . L a B i n e w a i t i n g t w o y e a r s and
I d i d n ' t show up.
Then he f l e w someone o v e r and t h e y s t a k e d t h e c l i a m . W h e t h e r
i t was t h e same p l a c e I d o n ' t know f o r s u r e .
T h i s i s a l l h e a r s a y so you c a n ' t
be s u r e o f what h a p p e n e d .

N.T.C.L.

SHIPYARDS

AT

FORT

MCMU R R A Y ,

AL T A .

HILL

P

T h e r e ' s a few t h i n g s I h a v e o v e r l o o k e d and o n e o f them i s t h e name o f t h e man
i n c h a r g e o f Hudson Bay w a r e h o u s e a t F t . S m i t h .
I b e l i e v e h i s name was s o m e t h i n g l i k e Wooliamson.
H e ' s t h e man who g a v e t h e C a p t a i n h i s o r d e r s and a l s o
t o l d me t o l o o k a r o u n d and s e e i f t h e r e was a n y t h i n g t h a t I w o u l d I i k e t o t a k e
a l o n g when g o i n g down t o F t . N o r m a n .
I b e l i e v e I h a v e t o l d you e v e r y t h i n g a b o u t g o i n g on t h e t r i p t o F t . Norman
e x c e p t t h a t b e t w e e n W r i g e l y and F t . S i m p s o n when we had been s e n t down t h e
y e a r b e f o r e we s h o t a moose on t h e s h o r e
(I b e l i e v e t h e L a d y M c W o r t h was
t h e b o a t t h a t was t a k e n and p u t b a c k i n t h e w a t e r and t o o k us a c r o s s G r e a t
S l a v e L a k e and down t o F t . N o r m a n ) .
A f t e r l e a v i n g t h e F t . Norman o i l w e l l s I
e x p l a i n e d most o f i t e x c e p t j u s t a b o v e F t . Good Hope t h e r e ' s w h a t i s known a s
the Ramparts.
The M a c K e n z i e R i v e r j u s t a b o v e t h e R a m p a r t s i s q u i t e w i d e and
i t n a r r o w s down and t h e r e i s a r o c k w a l l on e a c h s i d e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 30 - 50
f e e t h i g h and t h i s i s w h e r e t h e w a t e r r u s h e s t h r o u g h .
I told a little bit
a b o u t i t g o i n g b a c k up w i t h t h e D i s t r i b u t o r i n t h e f a l I . W a t e r i s low i n t h e f a l l
and y o u h a v e t o go o v e r k i n d o f a f a l l s i n t h e R a m p a r t s and t h i s i s w h e r e t h e y
h a v e t r o u b l e k e e p i n g up s t e a m t o g e t o v e r t o p o f t h i s f a l l s .
On t w o d i f f e r e n t
o c c a s i o n s t h e y c a l l e d on me t o f i r e t h e b o i l e r t o keep up s t e a m and g e t s u f f i c i e n t s t e a m i n o r d e r f o r t h e D i s t r i b u t o r t o g e t up o v e r t h i s f a l l s .
After
we w e r e o v e r t h e f a l l s we managed o k a y e x c e p t s o m e t i m e s on G r e a t S l a v e L a k e
we w o u l d r u n i n t o t h e same t r o u b l e .
On t h e l a k e i t was p a r t l y b e c a u s e o f t h e waves and t h e w a t e r g o i n g up and down
i n t h e b o i l e r and t h e e n g i n e e r had t o s t a y r i g h t by t h e t h r o t t l e and he had t o
p u s h t h e t h r o t t l e i n and o u t a s t h e w a v e s w e n t by and w o u l d l i f t t h e b a c k end
o f t h e b o a t and t h e b i g w h e e l w i t h t h e p a d d l e s w o u l d come c o m p l e t e l y o u t o f t h e
water.
T h e r e he had t o s h u t t h e t h r o t t l e down o r t h e p a d d l e w h e e l w o u l d t u r n
and t e a r t h i n g s a p a r t .
I h a v e a l i t t l e more t o s a y a b o u t t h e D i s t r i b u t o r .
The f i r s t p a r t , w h i l e owned
by t h e H u d s o n Bay Company, a n d t h e l a s t p a r t I t h i n k was b e f o r e t h e H u d s o n Bay
Company had t a k e n i t o v e r .
I t was a b o u t I b e l i e v e 1932 , p o s s i b l y 3 1 , anyway I had gone down t o F t . M c M u r r a y
and down t o t h e s h i p y a r d s and h e l p e d t o g e t t h e A t h a b a s c a r e a d y t o go i n t h e
water.
T h e n we w e n t down t o F t . S m i t h on t h e A t h a b a s c a R i v e r and p r o c e e d e d t o
g e t t h e D i s t r i b u t o r r e a d y t o go i n t h e w a t e r .
L a t e r on t h e y b r o u g h t i n a f i r e m a n a l o n g w i t h t h e e n g i n e e r s .
I won't mention
w h e r e t h i s f i r e m a n was f r o m o r h i s name f o r v a r i o u s r e a s o n s .
However, t h e e n g i n e e r s d i d n ' t t a k e t o t h i s young man t o o w e l l .
So a f t e r we g o t t h e D i s t r i b u t o r
i n t h e w a t e r t h e e n g i n e e r came t o me and he s a i d t h a t " R e a l l y i t w o u l d be y o u r
s h i f t t o go on b u t I w a n t t h i s o t h e r man t o l e a r n what i t i s r e a l l y g o i n g t o be
Mke f i r i n g t h i s boiler.
He seems t o know more a b o u t i t t h a n we d o , so I w o u l d
j u s t l i k e t o g i v e him a r u n .
We have t o go a b o u t 8 m i l e s so I want you t o l e t
h i m s e e w h a t he c a n d o . "
So I s a i d " T h a t ' s f i n e w i t h m e " .
Ilowever I had a p r e t t y g o o d i d e a t h a t t h e y w e r e r e a l l y g o i n g t o p u t him t o w o r k
which they d i d .
And f i n a l l y t h e e n g i n e e r s a i d t o him "I t h i n k we had b e t t e r go
and c a l l G r e e n " .
So t h i s f e l l a s a y s " W h a t c a n G r e e n do?
He c a n ' t do a n y m o r e
than I can do.
If I c a n ' t keep up s t e a m , he c a n ' t e i t h e r " .
So t h e e n g i n e e r
w a s n ' t t o o p e r s i s t e n t , he l e f t h i m a l o n e f o r a l i t t l e w h i l e .
But in t h e meant i m e he g o t t h e mate t o go and c a I I me, I was on t h e u p p e r d e c k .
So I come
down and a s k e d i f he w a n t e d me t o t a k e o v e r .
W e l l he s a y s " Y o u c a n i f you want
t o , I am n o t h a v i n g no l u c k .
See what you c a n d o " .
So I w e n t b a c k and t o l d B i l l M a l c o l m who /was t h e e n g i n e e r a t t h a t t i m e " I ' m
going to take over. "He said " F i n e " .
So I t o o k o v e r and o f c o u r s e g r a d u a l l y
I got t h e steam up.
I t was down a r o u n d 160 l b s . and i t s h o u l d have been a b o u t
210.
And o f c o u r s e when I g o t i t up t h e b o a t s t a r t e d t o t a k e o f f p r e t t y g o o d .

So anyway I f o r g e t w h a t was s a i d b u t a f t e r we g o t b a c k he f i r e d i t b a c k g o i n g
d o w n s t r e a m and o f c o u r s e t h e y o n l y r u n i t a b o u t h a l f t h r o t t l e so he had no
trouble.
A f t e r we l a n d e d and t h a t he s a i d s o m e t h i n g t o me and I s a i d t o him
" M a y b e I s h o u l d t a k e i t o u t on y o u r h i d e ! " o r s o m e t h i n g l i k e t h a t t o h i m .
He s a i d " Y o u t a k e i t o u t on my h i d e ? " I s a i d " Y e a h " .
He r e a c h e d o u t and g r a b b e d
me by t h e s h i r t and he j u s t l i f t e d me up w i t h my l e g s d a n g l i n g j u s t l i k e n o t h i n g .
He j u s t had a l i g h t s h i r t on and I c o u l d s e e t h e s i z e o r h i s a r m s , and boy was
he e v e r s t r o n g !
Then he s e t me down and he s a i d " N o w , w o u l d you I i k e t o t a k e i t
o u t on my h i d e ? "
And I s a i d " N o t h a n k y o u , I ' v e had e n o u g h . ' "
And t h a t was t h e
end o f i t .
However when we g o t b a c k t o F t . S m i t h he somehow d i s a p p e a r e d and I n e v e r h e a r d
no more a b o u t him and t h e y b r o u g h t a new f i r e m a n i n - I t h i n k f r o m one o f t h e
other boats.
H o w e v e r , t h e b a l a n c e o f t h i s on a b o u t I t h i n k t h e 2nd y e a r of t h e D i s t r i b u t o r
w h i c h w o u l d be 1920 - I b e l i e v e i t w a s .
I t h i n k I was s e c o n d mate a t t h a t t i m e
b e c a u s e I n e v e r h e a r d a b o u t what happened u n t i l t h e e v e n i n g when I came on s h i f t
about 6 o ' c l o c k .
So i f t h a t i s c o r r e c t , i t w o u l d be a b o u t t h e 2nd y e a r o f t h e
Distributor.
You had t o wash o u t t h e b o i l e r on t h e s t e a m b o a t s b e c a u s e o f t h e mud and t h e
w a t e r t h a t s e t t l e s i n t h e b o i l e r and i f t h e y a r e n o t o p e n e d up and washed o u t
e v e r y so o f t e n t h e mud w i l l b u i l d up a r o u n d t h e f i r e b o x and c a u s e t h e m e t a l , t h e
w a l l s t o warp.
The m e t a l i s t h e same m e t a l t h a t i s a r o u n d t h e r e s t o f t h e
firebox.
H o w e v e r a l l t h e f i r e b o x , o v e r h e a d , down t h e s i d e , t h e e n d s and a r o u n d
d o o r s i s a l l put t o g e t h e r w i t h what t h e y c a l l s t a y b o l t s .
That is these b o l t s
are threaded.
T h e y a r e a b o u t 3/4 o f an i n c h i n d i a m e t e r and t h r e a d e d a l l
t h e way.
They d r i l l h o l e s in t h i s metal which i s g u i t e t h i c k .
I don't
remember e x a c t l y b u t s a y 3/8 t o 1/2 i n c h t h i c k .
They d r i l l h o l e s t h r o u g h
b o t h t h e o u t s i d e and t h e i n s i d e i n a s t r a i g h t l i n e . Then t h e y run a t a p s
t h r o u g h t a p p i n g o u t t h r e a d s on b o t h t h e o u t s i d e p l a t e and t h e i n s i d e p l a t e .
T h i s i s done a l l o v e r t h e p l a c e p r o b a b l y 8 o r 10 i n c h e s a p a r t and p u t s t a y
b o l t s in t h e r e .
T h a t Is t o keep t h e m e t a l f r o m m o v i n g .
Then t h e y c u t t h e m
o f f f l u s h ( o r a l m o s t f l u s h ) and t h e y c a n r i v e t them o v e r w i t h a peen
hammer.
In t h e b o i l e r room t h e y do i t w i t h an a i r hammer.
T h i s i s done
a l l around t h e f i r e b o x so a c t u a l l y t h e r e i s p r o b a b l y a s i x t o seven i n c h
s p a c e f o r w a t e r between t h e two metals w h i c h i s h e l d t o g e t h e r - a t l e a s t
h e l d a p a r t o r w h a t e v e r you want t o c a l l i t s o a t l e a s t t h e w a t e r c a n g e t
down a r o u n d w h e r e t h e f i r e i s and t h a t t h i s m e t a l w i l l n o t g e t r e d h o t and
warp.
As l o n g a s I t c a n g e t w a t e r i t h e l p s Ifo make t h e s t e a m and t h e r e i s
no t r o u b l e w i t h i t .
H o w e v e r , i f y o u go l o n g enough and l e t t h e mud p i l e up i n t h e b o i l e r t i l l
i t g e t s up say a f o o t o r s o , t h e n t h e w a t e r w i l l n o t c o o l t h i s m e t a l and
i t w i l l warp and s t r i p t h e t h r e a d s on t h e s t a y b o l t s .
So t h a t i s why i t
i s n e c e s s a r y t o s t o p and wash o u t t h e b o i l e r s e v e r y so o f t e n .
If you d i d n ' t
know t h i s you w o u l d w o n d e r why t h e y done t h e s e t h i n g s b u t t h a t i s t h e
reason f o r i t .

H o w e v e r , we had a y o u n g f e l l a I b e l i e v e f r o m 3 B . C . and he was s u p p o s e d t o
go o u t and p u t t h e hook o n t o t h e p a d d l e wheel a t F t . Norman s o t h a t t h e y _
c o u l d s h u t down t h e s t e a m and l e t I t c o o l down, d r a i n t h e b o i l e r s & wash i t o u t
w h i c h t a k e s a b o u t 48 h o u r s f r o m t h e t i m e y o u s t a r t t i l l y o u s t o p .
You
cannot drain t h e hot water r i g h t out of t h e b o i l e r s .
You have t o l e t t h e
s t e a m go down a n d c o o l o f f b e f o r e y o u blow i t down.
Then you b l o w t h e
b o i l e r s down, b l o w i n g o u t t h e mud and s t u f f t o a c e r t a i n e x t e n t .
Then you
l e t i t c o o l o f f and f i n a l l y j u s t l e t t h e w a t e r o u t o f i t . Around t h e
f i r e b o x t h e r e i s w h a t t h e y c a l l hand h o l . e s .
T h e y a r e p l a t e s t h a t go
i n s i d e and t u r n a n d have a k i n d o f a b a r o u t s i d e
a n d t h e b o l t comes o u t
and y o u t i g h t e n a h n u t a n d a g a s k e t i n b e t w e e n t h e p l a t e w h i c h y o u p u t i n s i d e
and o u t s i d e and y o u p u l l i t up t i g h t w i t h t h i s b o l t .
You have them on t h e
four c o r n e r s of your f i r e b o x .
You have t o t a k e t h e s e a l l o f f . You p u t i n a k i n d o f a - I w o u l d g u e s s y o u
would c a l l i t k i n d o f a
hoe you s h o v e i n and d r i v e i n a n y k i n d o f mud o r
s l u s h you can g e t w h i c h y o u c a n d i g o u t a l o n g t h a t s i d e and c r o s s w a y s a t
t h e f r o n t a s f a r a s you c a n g o . Then a t t h e b a c k s i d e i t g o e s a l l t h e way
a c r o s s b e c a u s e t h e f i r e d o o r s a r e on t h e f r o n t and t h e a s h p a n .
You d i g t h a t
a l l o u t and wash i t o u t a s g o o d a s you.ican, w h i c h you have t o d o . i n t h e
l a t e r years I think they
had a g a s o l i n e pump b u t i n t h e y e a r s I was t h e r e
i t was a hand pump.
Y o u had t o g e t t w o o r t h r e e d e c k h a n d s on a hand pump
and u s e i t t o do t h e l a s t p a r t o f y o u r w a s h i n g o u t a l t h o u g h most o f i t was
b l o w n o u t w i t h w a t e r and s t e a m p r i o r t o p u t t i n g t h e b o i l e r down.
But once
you had t a k e n t h e f i r e o u t o f t h e b o i l e r and t h e r e was no more f i r e a n d no
more s t e a m t h e r e was no means o f h a v i n g a n y k i n d o f w a t e r .
I think they
r e p l a c e d t h a t in t h e l a t e r y e a r s w i t h a g a s o l i n e d r i v e n motor so t h a t t h e
p a s s e n g e r s w o u l d have some s a n i t a r y pumpf o r t h e u s e i n t o i l e t s and t h e
c o o k s f o r c o o k i n g and s o f o r t h .
But in t h e e a r l y days they never w o r r i e d
about such t h i n g s .
When you w e r e t i e d up on s h o r e y o u went a s h o r e a n d f o u n d
a t o i l e t someplace.
T h e d o o r s were l o c k e d on t h e t o i l e t s on t h e b o a t a n d
_
t h a t ' s t h e way i t w a s .

H o w e v e r , t h i s hook on a h e a v y r o p e w h i c h o n e e n d i s t i e d t o t h e boat i t s e l f
a n d , i f I remember r i g h t , t h e r o p e i s a b o u t s i x f o o t l o n g and a b o u t t w o o r
t h r e e i n c h e s i n d i a m e t e r and a g r e a t b i g heavy s t e e l hook.
The e n g i n e e r
has t o l e t t h e w h e e l t u r n v e r y s l o w l y and h o l d i t w i t h t h e s t e a m a n d l e t i t
move v e r y s l o w u n t i l y o u h o l l e r f o r h i m t o h o l d i t . When you h o l l e r , y o u
p u t t h e hook on and a r e s u p p o s e d t o have a l i t t l e s l a c k a f t e r y o u g o t t h e
h o o k p r o p e r l y o n . Then y o u t e l l h i m t o e a s e o f f . So he e a s e s o f f v e r y
g e n t l y , t h a t i s l e t t i n g t h e s t e a m o u t w h i c h h e ' s h o l d i n g t h e wheel f r o m
turning.
He e a s e s o f f a l i t t l e b i t , l e t t i n g i t o u t u n t i l t h e hook t a k e s
h o l d on t h e b a r on t h e p a d d l e w h e e l and t h e n , i f i t ' s i n p l a c e and e v e r y t h i n g , you c a n h o l l e r and t e l l h i m i t ' s a l l o k a y .
H o w e v e r , t h i s y o u n g f e l l a - I remember h i m g o i n g t o p u t t h e hook on a s I
w e n t o f f t o b e d . We w e r e t i e d up a t F t . Norman" t h e n .
When t h e y c a l l e d me
a b o u t 5 o ' c l o c k I d i d n ' t know a n y t h i n g a b o u t i t u n t i l a f t e r I had had
s u p p e r and ii*v came down
and went t o w o r k and I a s k e d w h e r e t h i s young
f e l I a was a n d t h e y t o l d me t h a t he went o u t t o p u t t h e hook on and no more
was e v e r h e a r d o f h i m . He was n e v e r s e e n .
So I h e a r d l a t e r t h a t t h e y had
f o u n d h i s body s e v e r a l m i l e s down t h e M a c K e n z i e f r o m F t . N o r m a n .
The
M o u n t i e P o l i c e had f o u n d h i s body down t h e r e . So a p p a r e n t l y he h a d n ' t p u t
t h e hook o n p r o p e r l y o r a t t h e wrong t i m e and i t must h a v e h i t h i m a n d k n o c k e d
him i n t o t h e w a t e r a n d k n o c k e d h i m u n c o n s c i o u s o r s o m e t h i n g b e c a u s e i n t a l k i n g
t o h i m he t a l k e d a s i f he was a v e r y good swimmer a n d had l o t s o f e x p e r i e n c e
on b o a t s .
He r e a l l y s h o u l d have had no t r o u b l e d o i n g t h a t b e c a u s e i f he
h a d j e t t h e w h e e l go t o o f a r , a l l he had t o do was l e t i t keep on t u r n i n g
u n t i l i f come t o t h e n e x t o n e .
I c a n ' t u n d e r s t a n d how i t c o u l d p o s s i b l y
happen and n e i t h e r c o u l d a n y o n e e l s e . Y e t s o m e t h i n g happened and no o n e knew
r e a l l y what h a p p e n e d .

The e n g i n e e r o f c o u r s e k e p t w a i t i n g and w a i t i n g f o r t h i s p a r t y .
And a s he
n e v e r h e a r d f r o m h i m and
s he c o u l d n ' t l e a v e t h e t h r o t t l e and j u s t l e t t h e
wheel go r o u n d .
And n e i t h e r c o u l d he p u t s t e a m on i t and h o l d i t b e c a u s e
he d i d n ' t know w h a t was g o i n g o n .
So he had t o w a i t u n t i l he g o t a h o l d o f
o f somebody t o s e n d t h e m o u t t o s e e w h a t h a p p e n e d .
And when t h e y d i d t h e y
come b a c k and s a i d t h a t t h e r e was n o b o d y t h e r e .
So t h e n he g o t t h e mate t o
go o u t and f a s t e n t h e w h e e l so he c o u l d s h u t i t down.
And t h a t ' s a l l I e v e r
h e a r d a b o u t t h i s boy - t h a t he must have g o t k n o c k e d o f f w i t h t h i s b i g hook
and d r o w n e d .

Thai

c o v e r s most o f t h e

Distributor.

Now when we l e f t F t . Norrnan o 11 we I I s and went on t o F t . Good H o p e , l e f t Good
Hope t o go down t h e r i v e r t o c u t wood o r t r a p , we camped on an i s l a n d w h i c h
was m o s t l y a s a n d b a r a t t h e n o r t h e n d , we p a s s e d what we t h o u g h t was t h e b e s t
p l a c e t o c u t wood.
So we s t o p p e d on t h i s i s l a n d o r s a n d b a r t o d e c i d e w h a t t o
do.
We s p e n t t h e n i g h t t h e r e and my m o t h e r had i n s i s t e d t h a t I t a k e a l o n g w i t h
me a l o t o f q u i l t s .
As you p r o b a b l y know t h e q u i l t s on e a c h s i d e a r e made o f
c o t t o n and t h e I n t e r i o r o f t h e q u i l t s i s c o t t o n b a t t o n and i s q u i l t e d o v e r so
t h a t t h e c o t t o n b a t t o n d o e s n ' t move a r o u n d t o o much i n s i d e t h e q u i l t s and i s
u s u a l l y p r e t t y warm.
However f o r c a m p i n g t h e q u i l t s o f c o t t o n and c o t t o n b a t t o n i s a b o u t t h e w o r s t t h i n g y o u c o u l d have and a l t h o u g h t h e y a r e v e r y warm,
i f a n y s p a r k g e t s o n t o t h e q u i l t u n n o t i c e d , i t w i l l b u r n away f o r h o u r s and i f
a n y l i t t l e b r e e z e comes up i t w i l l s t a r t t o b l a z e .
We c o o k e d o u r s u p p e r on t h i s i s l a n d and went t o b e d . A s u s u a l when c a m p i n g o u t
you go t o bed w i t h a l l y o u r c l o t h e s o n .
In t h e m o r n i n g I woke up and my p a r t n e r
T u f f y B r a z e a u was l a u g h i n g and t h a t i s w h a t woke me u p .
I a s k e d him w h a t he was
laughing about.
So he s a i d " Y o u g e t up and y o u ' l l f i n d o u t " .
So I t o o k t h e
c o v e r s o f f and I g o t u p .
I s t i l l d i d n ' t s e e w h a t he was l a u g h i n g a b o u t .
He
says "Look a t your l e g s " .
I l o o k e d a t my l e g s and I s t i l l d i t t n t s e e w h a t was
wrong.
B u f f i n a l l y he s a y s " L o o k a t y o u r l e f t l e g , y o u r p a n t s " .
So I l o o k e d
down and I saw t h a t t h e r e was a b o u t s i x i n c h e s o f my p a n t l e g b u r n e d a w a y .
My
s o c k was b u r n e d t h r o u g h and my b a r e l e g was t h e r e w i t h a b l i s t e r a b o u f t h e s i z e
of your l i t t l e f i n g e r .
As s o o n a s I saw t h e b l i s t e r my l e g s t a r t e d t o h u r t !
I n e v e r f e l t a n y t h i n g p r i o r t o him p o i n t b J t o u t .
So I w o u l d s u r e l y recommend
a n y o n e c a m p i n g o u t n e v e r t o have a q u i l t ' o f any d e s c r i p t i o n - p a r t i c u l a r l y on
the o u t s i d e of your bedding.
Be s u r e t o u s e wool b e d d i n g i n s t e a d o f q u i l t s .
S p a r k s on t h e wool b l a n k e t w i l l go o u t and n o t b u r n .

I a l s o had a s i m i l a r e x p e r i e n c e w h i l e a y o u n g boy h u n t i n g m u s k r a t s .
We
s l e p t o v e r n i g h t n e a r a s m a l l l a k e and c o o k e d o u r b r e a k f a s t .
We had p u t up
t h e t e n t on p o l e s and had a l o g a c r o s s t h e i e n d o f t h e t e n t t o p u t o u r p i l l o w s
on.
I had a r i f l e - a 3 8 - 5 5 - b u t we w e r e g o i n g s h o o t i n g m u s k r a t s so we t o o k
only our 22's.
We p u t t h e r i f l e on t h e ! l o g on t h e o u t s i d e o f t h e t e n t .
We
p u t d i r t and e v e r y t h i n g o v e r t o p o f t h e f i r e a n d / a n y g r a s s w h i c h t h e r e w a s n ' t
much o f y B u t we p i l e d d i r t and sand o v e r t o p o f t h e f i r e and made s u r e we
had e v e r y t h i n g c o v e r e d . We w e n t o f f a b o u t a q u a r t e r o f a m i l e t o t h e l a k e
and we w a l k e d a r o u n d i t and e v e r y o n c e i n a w h i l e we g l a n c e d b a c k and we
d i d n ' t see a n y t h i n g wrong.
We i n t e n d e d t o go a l l a r o u n d t h e l a k e .
However
we r u n i n t o some s o f t mossey p l a c e s s o we c o u l d n ' t go a n y f u r t h e r t h a t way
so we t u r n e d a r o u n d and came b a c k .
When we g e t b a c k f a r enough t o s e e up t h i s k n o l l w h e r e we had p i t c h e d o u r
t e n t we c o u l d s e e s t h e p o l e s o f a t e n t and we t h o u g h t somebody e l s e had been
t h e r e and we had n o t n o t i c e d t h e m .
As we g o t c l o s e r b a c k we f o u n d t h a t t h e
t e n t p o l e s w e r e o u r own!
The t e n t had b u r n e d up and hhe s t o c k o f t h e r i f l e .
T h i s b i g o l d stump was t h e c u l p r i t .
I t was q u i t e r o t t e n and a n t s had been
w o r k i n g i n i t and t h e wood was v e r y f i n e and a p p a r e n t l y a s p a r k had g o t i n t o
t h i s r o t t e n stump b u t d i d n ' t show a n y s i g n s o f smoke and we had c o v e r e d o u r
f i r e and l e f t .
B u t w h i l e we were g o n e t h e w i n d came up and o f c o u r s e t h e
s p a r k i n t h i s stump came t o l i f e and e v e n t u a l l y b u r n t o u r t e n t and g u n .
T h a t ' s a n o t h e r t h i n g t o remember.
D o n ' t b u i l d a f i r e where t h e r e i s any
r o t t e n l o g s o r s t u m p s o f any d e s c r i p t i o n b e c a u s e you c a n n o t s e e and some o f
t h i s s t u f f may a c t u a l l y be b u r n i n g and i t d o e s n ' t show.
A l s o i n t h e w i n t e r t i m e I was w o r k i n g o u t on w h a t i s known a s t h e C o a l b r a n c h
a t m i l e 3 7 and word came t h r o u g h t h a t G e n e r a l G r i e s b a c h w a s c o m i n g o u t t o go
moose h u n t i n g .
He b r o u g h t a l o n g h i s law p a r t n e r , M r . O ' C o n n e r .
I was c h o s e n
t o t a k e t h e m o u t a s a g u i d e so I had a l i t t l e camp a c o u p l e o f m i l e s o u t . I
went out t h e n i g h t b e f o r e .
T h e r e was a c o u p l e o f i n c h e s o f f r e s h snow and I
had come b a c k j u s t b e f o r e d a r k and t h e r e was no moose t r a c k s o r a n y t h i n g
crossing the t r a i l .
So when I t o o k G r i e s b a c h and h i s p a r t n e r o u t t h e n e x t
morning
we came t o w h e r e a moose had w a l k e d a c r o s s t h e t r a i l .
I Iiad been
t o l d b e f o r e by someone t h a t C o l o n e l G r i e s b a c h was v e r y s e t i n h i s i d e a s .
He a s k e d me a b o u t t h i s moose t r a c k and I t o l d him t h a t i t w a s n ' t t h e r e l a s t
night.
He k n e l t down and p u t h i s f i n g e r s i n t h e snow and s a i d " T h a t t r a c k
i s two o r t h r e e days o l d " .
I s a i d "I d o n ' t t h i n k so b e c a u s e i t w a s n ' t t h e r e
last night".
Wellhe s a y s If y o u r so s u r e , you f o f l o w i t , so I d i d .
But p r i o r t o t h a t
I had t r a d e d o f f my gun f o r one w h i c h was no g o o d .
He a s k e d me a b o u t my
gun and I t o l d him " N o , i t i s no g o o d " .
So he g a v e me a g u n , an army Lee
E n f i e l d , a c a l v a r y gun w i t h a s h o r t b a r r e l . . He showed me how i t w o r k e d and
you c o u l d p u t a s h e l l i n t h e b a r r e l , t h e n t h e r e was a k i n d o f a t i n c l i p
w h i c h w e n t o v e r t o p o f t h e m a g a z i n e a n d y y o u c o u l d n ' t pumpany more s h e l l s
i n t o t h e m a g a z i n e u n t i l you p u l l e d t h i s c l i p o u t .
T h e r e was k i n d o f a k n o t t
on i t and you had t o p u s h i t k i n d o f down and u p .
However he' p u t o n e s h e l l
i n t h e b a r r e l and c l o s e d t h i s c l i p and I w a s n ' t u s e d t o t h a t .
I o n l y w e n t a b o u t 3 o r 4 h u n d r e d y a r d s and t h r o u g h t h e b u s h t r a c k i n g t h i s .
moose and came t o t h e edge o f t h e b u s h and h e r e ' s t h i s g r e a t b i g b u l l moose
l a y i n g down a b o u t 100 y a r d s a w a y .
B u t e i t h e r h e g o t w i n d o f me o r s o m e t h i n g
and he s t a r t e d t o g e t u p .
So I up w i t h t h e gun and p u l l e d t h e t r i g g e r and
a l l I g o t was a " c l i c k " .
I pumped t h e s h e l l o u t and i t was l a y i n g i n t h e

snow.
I r a i s e d +he
- nothing!

gun and t r i e d +0

shoo+ a g a i n

but a l l

I go+ was a

"ciick"

T h e n I d i d n ' t know w h a t t h e t r o u b l e was - I f o r g o t a l l a b o u t t h i s s p e c i a l
a r r a n g e m e n t - b u t f i n a l l y i f came t o me when I l o o k e d a t i t b u t t h e moose
had g o n e q u i t e a d i s t a n c e , I s u p p o s e 400 y a r d s o r s o .
Anyway 1 p u t t h e s h e l l
i n and t h i s s h e l l d i d f i r e b u t h i t t h e moose i n t h e r e a r end as he was g o i n g
away f r o m me.
H o w e v e r i t drew b l o o d . I f o l l o w e d i t f o r a ways b u t I knew
t h a t I was g o i n g p a r a l l e l w i t h my t r a i l a n d . w h e r e t h e y w o u l d be w a i t i n g f o r
me a t t h i s l i t t l e h i l l (I had t o l d t h e m t o w a i t t h e r e ) .
So when I g o t c l o s e
t o t h i s h i l l 1 swung o f f f r o m f o l l o w i n g t h e moose t o meet t h e m and t h e y w e r e
t h e r e w a i t i n g f o r me. They w a n t e d t o know w h a t I was s h o o t i n g a t so I t o l d
t h e m and I t o l d $\3f
happened.
He
d i d n ' t be I I e v e me and he s a i d " Y o u d i d n ' t
by c h a n c e p l c k u p ^ r h a t w o u l d n ' t f i r e ? " And I s a i d " Y e s , I d i d " .
So I t o o k
t h e s h e l l o u t o f my p o c k e t and I g a v e i t t o him and he p i c k s up t h e gun t h a t
I h a d , p u t t h e s h e l l i n i t and p u l l e d t h e t r i g g e r b u t i t w o u l d n ' t f i r e .
So
t h e n he t o o k I t and p u t i t i n h i s own gun and i t d i d f i r e .
He s a i d no m o r e .
I w a n t e d t o go h u n t i n g t h i s moose t h a f I had wounded b u t he w o u l d n ' t h e a r o f
it.
So I w e n t a l o n g w i t h h i m .
H o w e v e r , we g o t n o t h i n g t h a t day and /went b a c k home w h e r e I had been w o r k i n g
a t S t e r l i n g C o l l i e r s a n d n e x t m o r n i n g t h e y d e c i d e d t o go f o r a waIk by t h e m selves.
T h e y w e n t w e s t o f t h e camp a l o n g t h e i r i d g e and t h e y s h o t a moose
b u t i t was a cow m o o s e .
So he came b a c k and s e n t a w i r e t o B e n j a m i n L a u g h t e n
i n Edmonton t h e c h i e f Game Warden (I t h i n k h i s name was L a u g h t e n ) and he w i r e d
b a c k f o r h i m t o b r i n g t h e moose o u r and s h i p i t t o P o n o k a t o t h e a s y l u m t h e r e ,
w h i c h he d i d .
A few d a y s l a t e r o u t come a n o t h e r v y o u g g f e l l o w a b o u t my age named H a l W i n k l e r .
He was a h o c k e y p l a y e r .
I t o o k him o u t h u n t i n g and we came t o w h e r e t h e r e
was a d e e r .
I was w a l k i n g a l o n g t h e p a t h and he was f o l l o w i n g a l o n g b e h i n d
me.
So I p o i n t e d t o t h e d e e r f o r him t o s h o o t i t . B u t he m o t i o n e d t o me
t o s h o o t i t b e c a u s e he was a f r a i d he m i g h t m i s s .
However we b o t h s h o t a b o u t
t h e same t i m e and g o t t h e d e e r .
So we s k i n n e d i t o u t and c u t i t i n h a l f and
e a c h one o f us w o u l d p a c k h a l f o f t h e d e e r b a c k t o camp.
E v e r y t h i n g went f i n e
f o r a w h i l e and f i n a l l y Hal s a i d "We b e t t e r s t o p f o r a r e s t " .
So we s a t down
on a l o g and he s a i d " Y o u know, I'm a h o c k e y p l a y e r and I t h o u g h t I was i n t h e
b e s t c o n d i t i o n p o s s i b l e b u t I c a n n o t keep up w i t h y o u " .
I t so happened t h a t
a t t h e s t a f f h o u s e a t t h e mine M r . S t e v e n s , t h e G e n e r a l S u p e r i n t e n d e n t , had
a s k e d my M o t h e r t o come and l o o k a f t e r t h e c o o k i n g w h i l e G e n e r a l G r l e s b a c h and
h i s p a r t n e r and f r i e n d s w e r e t h e r e .
G e n e r a l G r i e s b a c h s a y s t o my M o t h e r " Y o u
s u r e t h a t boy o f y o u r s i s n o t h a l f monkey?
He j u s t g o e s o v e r w i n d f a l l l i k e
it wasn't there.
We have t o w a l k down and c r a w l o v e r e a c h s e p a r a t e l o g " .

A l s o w h i l e t r a p p i n g down t h e M a c k e n z i e we woke up one n i g h t when i t was r e a l
c o l d - down a r o u n d 60 b e l o w z e r o - and o u r c a b i n was o n l y c h i n k e d b e t w e e n t h e
l o g s w i t h moss a s we had go+ i n r e a l Ia+e i n +he y e a r a s I had e x p l a i n e d b e fore.
Had moss on +he r o o f wi+h snow on +op o f i t . As we had a s m a l l c o o k
s t o v e w h i c h was made f r o m s h e e t i r o n bu+ we had a h e a + e r w h i c h was c a s + I r o n
and we had +hem b o t h g o i n g f u l l b l a s t b u t a b o v e t h e h e a t e r t h e p i p e g o t t o o
h o t and I g u e s s t h e moss was a l i t t l e t o o c l o s e t o t h e p i p e and i t c a u g h t f i r e .
So I went up on t h e r o o f t o p a c k snow a r o u n d t h e p i p e and my p a r t n e r p a c k e d
snow i n s i d e t o p u t t h e f i r e o u t w h i c h was f a l l i n g down and we made s u r e t h e r e
was no more moss a n y w h e r e n e a r t h e s t o v e p i p e .

Back t o t h e D i s t r i b u t o r a g a i n .
We came i n t o F t . S m i t h on t h e t r i p
t o A c k l a v i k and w e r e w a i t i n g f o r some f r e i g h t c o m i n g f r o m F t . M c M u r r a y
t o F t . S m i t h w h i c h had t o be b r o u g h t down t o F t . F i t z g e r a l d and t h e n
hauled across the portage
over t o Ft. Smith.
Then we w o u l d l o a d i f
on t h e D i s t r i b u t o r a n d go on n o r t h .
H o w e v e r t h e r e was some t i e up s o m e p l a c e and we had been w a i t i n g t h e r e
about t e n days t o two weeks.
We had a c r e w o f a b o u t 22 d e c k h a n d s
p l u s a l l t h e o t h e r e n g i n e e r s , f i r e m e n , c o o k s , e t c . and we had done n o t h i n g f o r 10 d a y s t o 2 weeks b u t s i t and w a i t .
On a S a t u r d a y a f t e r n o o n l a t e we g o t a w i r e , some k i n d o f a w i r e , w h i c h
s a i d t h a t t h e f r e i g h t w o u l d be l e a v i n g F t . M c M u r r a y t h e n e x t d a y .
So
i t t o o k t h e m a b o u t t w o d a y s t o come down and a n o t h e r day t o h a u l i t a cross the portage.
The c a p t a i n g i v e o r d e r s t o g e t up s t e a m and we had
t o go down a f e w m i l e s down t h e S l a v e R i v e r and I b e l i e v e c u t a b o u t a
h a l f a d o z e n b i g t r e e s and t o w t h e m b a c k t o F t . S m i t h , p u l l them up on
t h e bank ( w h i c h we p u l l e d t h e m i n a n d u p o n t h e bank w i t h a s t e a m w i n c h
p u l l e y ) . So a l l we had t o do r e a l l y was t o ;saw t h e m down w i t h a c r o s s
c u t saw, t r i m t h e m u p , d r a g them o u t i w i t h a c a b l e , d r a g them o u t o f t h e
w a t e r and t h a t was a l l .
I t w o u l d p r o b a b l y t a k e us a b o u t a h a l f a d a y .
H o w e v e r t h e 22 d e c k h a n d s went on s t r i k e b e c a u s e t h e m o r n i n g we w e r e t o
t a k e o f f was a Sunday m o r n i n g and t h e y w o u l d n ' t w o r k on S u n d a y , s o t h e y
s a i d , and t h a t meant we w o u l d :fe t i e d up u n t i l Monday.
Anyway I was s e c o n d
mate a t t h i s t i m e o n t h e D i s t r i b u t o r .
The c a p t a i n was c a l l e d " R o a r i n g
S h a n n o n " on a c c o u n t o f h i s l o u d v o i c e I g u e s s .
So t h e y had t h e RCMP and
t h e y had m e e t i n g s a n d so f o r t h and so o n . B u t i t d i d n ' t amount t o a n y t h i n g
and n o t h i n g h a p p e n e d .
I t came S u n d a y n i g h t and we a r e s t i l l t i e d u p . So
I came on s h i f t a t 6 o ' c l o c k on Sunday e v e n i n g and t h e C a p t a i n came t o me
and g a v e me my o r d e r s .
He s a i d i f t h e o n e s who w e r e on s t r i k e d i d n ' t come
w i I I i n g t o go b a c k t o w o r k t h a t I was t o c a r r y t h e i r bed r o l I s o u t and n o t
c a r r y t h e m a s h o r e b u t t h r o w t h e m t o w a r d s t h e s h o r e as f a r a s I c o u l d and
i f t h e y l a n d e d i n t h e w a t e r i t was t o o b a d .
W e l l t h a t p u t me i n r a t h e r a bad p o s i t i o n .
I had t h e C a p t a i n ' s o r d e r s
b u t a l s o I had become a c q u a i r t f e d w i t h t h e s e 22 men and some o f t h e m w e r e
f r o m Edmonton and I d i d n ' t l i k e t o do t h a t .
However a b o u t 10 o ' c l o c k a
b u n c h o f t h e m came down.
A l l t h e g a n g p l a n k s w e r e p u l l e d i n and a l s o f o o t
p l a n k s - t h e r e was no way t o g e t on t h e b o a t .
B u t we had a f o o t p l a n k . S o
I t a l k e d t o t h e b o y s who w e r e on s h o r e and I t o l d t h e m what my o r d e r s w e r e
and t h e y s a i d t h e y w a n t e d t o t a l k t o t h e C a p t a i n .
"Well" I said "If
it's
t h e same t h i n g you h a v e been t a l k i n g a b o u t , i t ' s no u s e " .
No, t h e y s a i d
t h e y wanted t o t a l k t o him.
So I went and I woke up t h e f i r s t mate and t o l d
h i m t h e s t o r y and he went a r o u n d w i t h me and we t a l k e d t o t h e C a p t a i n . The
C a p t a i n s a y s " L e t t w o o f them on and b r i n g t h e m up t o t h e t o p d e c k w h e r e
my. room i s and I ' l l s e e w h a t t h e y g o t t o s a y " .
So I s h o v e d t h e f o o t p l a n k down and l e t t w o o f t h e m up and p u l l e d t h e p l a n k
i n and I t o o k t h e m u p .
M i n d you a l l t h e l i g h t s w e r e o u t and a l l we had
was a c o a l o i l l a n t e r n a s e v e r y t h i n g had been s h u t down a g a i n .
I took
t h e m up anyway t o t a l k t o t h e C a p t a i n .
I went i n and woke up t h e C a p t a i n •
and t o l d t h e m I had t h e t w o o f t h e m t h e r e and he s a y s "Show t h e m i n " .
So I went o u t and I c a l l e d t h e m . T h e r e was t w o o r t h r e e s t e p s up t o t h e
C a p t a i n ' s room f r o m t h e T e x a s d e c k ( t h a t ' s t h e u p p e r d e c k ) and you had t o
go up t h e s e c o u p l e o f s t e p s and t h e n i n t o t h e C a p t a i n ' s room and he was

in bed.
So I t o o k one o f +hem
i n t o +he C a p t a i n ' s room and t h e o t h e r o n e
s t o o d w i t h me o u t s i d e t h e d o o r .
I d o n ' i know what t o o k p l a c e b u t t h e n e x t
t h i n g I knew t h e C a p t a i n had jumped o u t o f bed a n d s h o v e d t h i s one f e l l o w
o u t and k n o c k e d t h e o t h e r f e l l o w down t h e s t e p s .
B o t h o f them went down
t h e s t e p s and t h e C a p t a i n a f t e r rhem.
I'm h o l d i n g t h i s l a n t e r n .
So I
w e n t and s e t t h e l a n t e r n down, t h i n k i n g i t was o u t o f t h e r o a d .
T h e r e was
a s c u f f l e and t h e l a n t e r n g o t k n o c k e d o v e r and by t h e t i m e I g o t t h e
l a n t e r n p i c k e d up a g a i n a l l t h e f i g h t had gone o u t o f t h e s e t w o b o y s and
t h e y were w i l l i n g t o go.
So I t o o k t h e m down and t h e y went and g o t t h e i r bed r o l l s a n d I p u t down t h e
g a n g p l a n k and t h e y t o o k t h e m a s h o r e and came b a c k and g o t a l l t h e r e s t o f
t h e bed r o l l s and t o o k them a s h o r e and I p u l l e d t h e g a n g p l a n k b a c k u p .
However I s t a y e d w i t h t h e g a n g p l a n k so t h a t no one e l s e c o u l d come on b o a r d
but t h e two o f them.
I t t u r n e d o u t t h a t one o f t h e s e b o y s , I d i d n ' t know a t t h e t i m e , bu+ h i s
name was C h a r l i e H o r r i c k s .
In l a t e r y e a r s he had a d a i r y n o r t h o f Edmonton
a c o u p l e o f m i l e s known a s H o r r i c k s ' D a i r y .
So t h e y

had t o g e t a w h o l e new c r e w and we g o t

everything

done.

A l s o a t A t h a b a s c a L a n d i n g t h e r e was p l e n t y o f w h i s k e y a r o u n d A t h a b a s c a b u t
t h e y w e r e n ' t s u p p o s e d t o t a k e any w h i s k e y n o r t h o f A t h a b a s c a o r down "the
river.
B u t t h e r e was w h i s k e y g e t t i n g by s o m e p l a c e b u t t h e y d i d n ' t know how.
I b e l o n g e d t o t h e A t h a b a s c a C i t i z e n ' s Band and s o m e t i m e s I went down t o t h e
river fishing.
T h i s t i m e I was f i s h i n g w h e r e t h e s c o w s w e r e t i e d u p .
At
t h e b a c k end o f t h e s c o w s someone had f i g u r e d how t o g e t w h i s k e y up t h e n o r t h
a n d t h e m o u n t I e s w o u l d n ' t f i n d i t . They w o u l d s o m e t i m e s make them u n l o a d
t h e i r s c o w s and go t h r o u g h a l l o f t h e s t u f f and t h e n r e l o a d i t a g a i n .
Somet i m e s t h e y w o u l d s t a y t h e r e and w a t c h t h e m l o a d t h e scows and make s u r e t h e r e
was n o t h i n g on i t .
H o w e v e r , t h e y f i g u r e d o u t how t o do i t . As t h e b a c k end o f t h e scow was n o t
up a g a i n s t t h e s h o r e b u t o u t i n a l i t t l e d e e p e r w a t e r , t h e y had p u t t w o n a i l s
- o n e on e a c h s i d e a b o u t 18 i n c h e s t o t w o f e e t f r o m t h e o u t e r edge o f t h e
scow u n d e r n e a t h t h e b o t t o m . W h e n i t h i s scow was l o a d e d down, t h i s s t r i n g and
t h e b o t t l e s a t t a c h e d t o i t w o u l d be w e l l down i n t h e w a t e r and no way t o be
seen.
i b e l i e v e t h e y p u t t h e b o t t l e s i n w o o l e n s o c k s o f some k i n d and t i e d
t h e m o n t o t h i s s t r i n g t h a t t h e y had a c r o s s t h e b o t t o m o f t h e s c o w .
When f i s h i n g my l i n e had g o t t a n g l e d up a t t h e v e r y edge o f t h e scow and t h e
s t r i n g t h a t was a c r o s s and t h e r e was e n o u g h s l a c k t h a t I c o u l d p u l l i t o u t
and t h e s t r i n g t h a t was a t t a c h e d t o i t . So I waded i n t h e w a t e r and u n h o o k e d
i t a n d i n d o i n g s o I c o u l d s e e t h a t s o m e t h i n g was t i e d on u n d e r n e a t h .
So I
f e l t o f i t and i t was a b o t t l e t i e d up i n an o l d s o c k .
I t so h a p p e n e d t h a t o n e o f t h e m o u n t i e s t h e r e was g o i n g w i t h my s i s t e r a n d
l a t e r m a r r i e d my s i s t e r and so I t o l d him a b o u t i t .
So what h a p p e n e d a f t e r
t h a t I d o n ' t know b u t t h e y d i d c o n v i s c a t e t h e w h i s k e y i n a n y c a s e and I g u e s s
t h e y f o u n d someway t o c h e c k u n d e r n e a t h t h e s c o w s .

B a c k t o t r a p p i n g a g a i n down t h e M a c K e n z i e .
I went f o r a w a l k down t h e
M a c K e n z i e a b o u t a m i l e f r o m o u r c a b i n and I saw l o t s o f f o x t r a c k s . So
I k i n d o f f o l l o w e d t h e m and came t o t h i s l i t t l e c r e e k c o m i n g f r o m t h i s
l a k e b a c k a ways f r o m t h e r i v e r .
I came t o w h e r e on t h e c r e e k t h e r e
was q u i t e a deep h o l e b u t w h e r e t h e w a t e r r a n o u t i t was v e r y s h a l l o w
and t h e r e was a w h o l e b u n c h o f s m a l l f i s h i n t h i s
h o l e b u t t h e r e was
no way t h a t t h e y c o u l d g e t o u t and t h e i c e had f r o z e o v e r b u t on t h e
v e r y e d g e t h e f o x had managed t o b r e a k t h e i c e b e f o r e i t had f r o z e n t o o
much.
T h e y had a good s i z e d h o l e and t h e f o x w e r e g o i n g o n t o t h e i c e
and e a t i n g t h e s e l i t t l e f i s h .
I b e l i e v e I c a u g h t a b o u t 12 f o x e s a t
that particular place.
T h e n we had a t r a p l i n e f o r m a r t e n and we g o t t w o w o l v e r i n e s on p a r t o f
o u r t r a p l i n e and t h e y w o u l d t e a r t h e m a r t e n o r r a b b i t s o r a n y t h i n g t h a t
was i n t h e t r a p s and t a k e them o u t and b u r y t h e m i n t h e snow and come
b a c k and keep on g o i n g down t h e t r a p l i n e u n t i l i t was a l l o u t .
Anything
t h a t was i n t h e t r a p l i n e t h e y w o u l d t a k e o u t and b u r y i t .
4

My p a r t n e r f i n a l l y s e t a r i f l e and made a l i t t l e " V " f e n c e , t i e d t h e
r i f l e t o a t r e e and r u n a s t r i n g a r o u n d h somehow out t o t h e end o f t h e
b a r r e l w i t h a b a i t on i t .
One w o l v e r i n e s h o t h i m s e l f b u t we s t i l l had
one m o r e .
E v e n t u a l l y he g o t h i s f o o t i n a t r a p b u t he chewed t h e d r a g
o f f t h e t h e t r a p s o t h a t a l l t h a t was l e f t was t h e t r a p w i t h t h e c h a i n
dragging.
B u t t h e t r a p b a l l e d up w i t h snow and became q u i t e a good
s i z e d b a l l o f i c e a b o u t 6 i n c h e s i n d i a m e t e r and t h e t r a p was d o u b l e
s p r i n g so i f w o u l d be a b o u t 18 i n c h e s l o n g and he went t h r o u g h t h e snow
dragging t h i s t r a p .
I f o l l o w e d i t f o r t h e f i r s t few m i l e s
I d i d n ' t know a n y t h i n g a b o u t w o l v e r i n e s a t t h a t t i m e and I w o u l d n ' t do t h e same t h i n g t o d a y .
I followed
him a n d f o l l o w e d h i m and f i n a l l y he went u n d e r t h e snow and d i d n t c o m e
out a g a i n .
I t r a m p e d a l l a r o u n d t r y i n g t o f i g u r e w h e r e he was f o r t h e
f a c t t h a t he d i d n ' t come o u t meant he had t o be s o m e p l a c e a r o u n d .
Howe v e r i t was v e r y l u c k y t h a t I d i d n ' t f i n d him b e c a u s e o f what I h a v e f o u n d
o u t a b o u t w o l v e r i n e s t o d a y . I f he had o f come o u t he w o u l d h a v e p r o b a b l y
chewed me up p r e t t y bad b e f o r e I c o u l d have g o t a r o u n d t o k i l l i n g him a s
they are a very v i c i o u s animal.
So t h a n k g o o d n e s s I d i d n ' t f i n d h i m .
I a l s o s p o k e a b o u t t h i s man
Perry
and h i s d a u g h t e r and c h i l d r e n
t h a t t h e y a l l came o v e r and s k i n n e d o u t o u r m u s k r a t s .
He a l s o f o l d us
b o y s t h a t i f e i t h e r one o f us w o u l d m a r r y h i s d a u g h t e r t h a t he w o u l d show
us w h e r e t h e r e was l o t s o f w h i t e m a n ' s g o l d .
He was a g u i d e f o r t h e
g o l d s e e k e r s o f 1898 t h a t s t a y e d a t New C h i c a g o on t h e M a c k e n z i e R i v e r
( t h e r e ' s a p i c t u r e o f New C h i c a g o i n c l u d e d i n what I w r o t e ) .

I s p o k e o f t h e P o s t M a n a g e r a t F t . G o o d Hope - by t h e way h i s name i s
Burt Furlong.
He had m a r r i e d an E s k i m o g i r l who had been e d u c a t e d I b e l i e v e
i n M o n t r e a l b u t he was t h e P o s t M a n a g e r t h e r e a t F t . Good H o p e .
I t o l d him
a b o u t what t h i s man
Perry
had t o l d u s . So he s a i d "He t e l l s e v e r y y o u n g
f e l l a t h a t comes a l o n g t h e same s t o r y . H e ' s o n l y t r y i n g t o m a r r y h i s d a u g h t e r
o f f t o someone".

A l s o w h i l e f o l l o w i n g + h i s w o l v e r i n e w h i c h . ' was away b a c k 1wo o r + h r e e
m i l e s e a s t o f +he M a c K e n z I e ; R i v e r up on t h e h h f g h bank I came +0 a p l a c e
w h e r e +he w o l v e r i n e had g o n e +ha+ l o o k e d k i n d o f odd so I f o o k o f f o n e
s n o w s h o e and s c r a p e d i+ a l l o f f +0 s e e wha+ had c a u s e d + h i s p a r + i c u l a r
spo+ a s + h e r e had been some a n i m a l s a r o u n d and I c o u l d n ' + f i g u r e ou+
why
o r I f +he w o l v e r i n e had been + h e r e o r wha+. I s c r a p e d i f o f f and
+ h e r e had been q u i t e a l a r g e l o g .
I s c r a p e d i+ o f f and a p p a r e n + l y i n
+he summer +ime b e f o r e +he snow, b e a r s had been d i g g i n g i n i + , p o s s i b l y
f o r an+s o r s o m e t h i n g , bu+ a s you wen+ down 3 o r 4 i n c h e s y o u come +0
frost.
H o w e v e r t h e y had s c r a p e d o f f q u i t e a l i t t l e b i f and a s I remember
what was s h o w i n g w o u l d be a p p r o x i m a t e l y 24 i n c h e s o r more o f a l o g w h i c h
p a r t o f i t t h a t was a b o v e g r o u n d had been
r o t t e n and t h e b e a r s had t o r n
it apart.
And y o u c o u l d s e e s p o t s a l s o w h e r e p a r t r i d g e had g o t i n t h e r e
and s c r a t c h e d a r o u n d and d u s t e d t h e m s e l v e s . W h e t h e r o r n o t t h e y e a t a n t s ,
I d o n ' t know.
H o w e v e r , t h e f u n n y p a r t o f t h i s i s t h a t t h e r e i s no t r e e s a l l t h r o u g h
t h a t c o u n t r y f o r m i l e s t h a t a r e more t h a n 3 o r 4 i n c h e s a t t h e butt..
T h e n t h e y seemed t o d i e and f a l l down - t h e y d i d n ' t grow a n y b i g g e r .
I
w o u l d a s s u m e i t was on a c c o u n t o f t h i s perma f r o s t . B u t w h e r e d i d t h i s
l a r g e l o g come f r o m ?
I t was a t l e a s t fwo f e e t a c r o s s and t h e stump w o u l d
be b i g g e r t h a n
t h a t b e c a u s e t h e e d g e s w e r e s l o p p i n g on b o t h s i d e s .
I
w o u l d a s s u m e a t some t i m e t h e l o g w o u l d ,have been a t l e a s t t h r e e f e e t i f
n o t more i n d i a m e t e r .
It must h a v e been t h e r e f o r y e a r s and y e a r s when
t h e r e was a warmer c l i m a t e o r s o m e t h i n g b u t I n e v e r d i d go b a c k t o f i n d
o u t more a b o u t i t .
I t j u s t must o f been o n e o f t h o s e t h i n g s t h a t
you f i n d
in t h e n o r t h c o u n t r y .
Something t h a t mustMiave happened hundreds o f
years ago.