Happy and prosperous news to all our wishes for 1906. A good thing many of us don't know what's in store for us or many of us would be found cowards and run which a good many did run. Well on the 2nd of January the threshing was not done around me. They were all small crops from 5 to 20 acres. Doukhobors were threshing with Rollers made from big round logs with strips nailed a few inches apart. This was drawn with oxen over the wheat spread on the ground, oxen going round and round in a circle, the women with their forks shaking up the straw as they did so, some Russians using flails.
There was one old time threshing machine near me, it was driven by animal power called a sweep power so I was asked to help to thresh, bring your oxen. Well me and my eldest boy went just 3 miles away from home. Well of all the sights I ever saw it was here. Horses, oxen hitched together going round in a circle, a man in the center with a long whip hollering, shouting using language I would not put down here, till he just looked like a crazy man, all to keep the oxen up to speed or they would not thresh. The oxen would get tired and out would come their tongues, then they would unhitch put on fresh teams of oxen and there they would go it all day. I certainly felt sorry for the poor things.
They gave me and my boy, a dollar a day. We finished threshing that week. Wheat was then 45 cents a bushel for No. one hard, 40 cents for No. 2
Showing posts with label 1906-1907. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1906-1907. Show all posts
Sunday, 28 October 2012
March 1906 - Digging sewers in Saskatoon, typhus fever
During January and February and the first two weeks of March was getting out logs for to build a house. We had to well, we used slough water and melted snow but there was not very much snow that winter. We had to go every day to the river to water our oxen. It was from the river banks we got our logs.
Spring opened early. I was ploughing my few acres for my garden in the second week of March then I started digging hole of the well and how much sore I could not tell. That put a stop to my digging any deeper. I had got water at 30 feet but not enough. It came too slow but I had to put up with it for that year. My money was now getting low again so I must go out again and work for more.
I put two acres of garden truck in potatoes and other small seeds. This done then starts for Saskatoon again, this time taking my oldest boy with me leaving my wife and the small boy, now six years all alone, two miles from the nearest neighbors.
They was starting digging for sewerage in Saskatoon when we arrived. My boy got a job driving delivery rig for Jones Brothers, first Ave at $9.00 per week. I started work on the sewers at $2.00 per day and had to buy my own shovel. We started at the River near the traffic Bridge, came up third Avenue to 19th street up second Ave. We had some very rough digging, many cave ins, very much narrow escapes of being buried alive. I will tell you of two.
First was not far from the River, before we reached 19th street. I came across three great boulders, two on one side of the ditch and one of the other, the one meeting between the other two. They was about 7 feet from the surface. They should not be moved so I had to dig under them about 14 feet. We went until we started up second Avenue when the engineer took me and two more to start and lay the sewer pipes which we did, catching up with the diggers.
The sewer pipes were covered over by means of a team of horses and scraper within 8 feet from the top when the Engineer set me and other two to under mining the bank of the ditch for about a foot or so that the water pipe could be laid, there we laid the pipes as we made space for them. Well we came to the rocks again which I have spoke of above, only about 2-1/2 feet to work under, it was some job. We did it, got the pipe in position. I had to lie down on my stomach under the rock to take the ropes from off the pipe, this done comes from under the rocks, no sooner had I got clear from them when the three boulder caved in, each weighing over a ton. Had they caved in one minute sooner I should not be now writing the story.
The next exciting experience was at the corner of 19th street and second Ave. We had got ready for laying the pipe when it caved in. Well we had to dig all out again. Just got ready again, another cave. This happened three of four times. I had finished my end and had got up on my feet to straighten my back a bit when I saw the dirt sliding again. I called to my chums to jump. Once got clear but the other got caught, he was buried up to his neck, just his head above the dirt with danger of more coming. We dug him out, none the worse but he quit the job there and then I did not know his name only by his first name "Jack". I have never met him since.
Four days after this typhus fever started. It was on a Monday when one had to be taken to the hospital, Tuesday another and Wednesday afternoon I began to be sick. I went to my shack for the rest of the day. I slept that night all right again in the morning goes to work again in the afternoon, starts to be sick again. This time I asked for my check..I was going home, I wanted to work two weeks longer and then go home to put hay up and get my garden stuff in and then come back again to work. I had lots of garden stuff to sell.
Spring opened early. I was ploughing my few acres for my garden in the second week of March then I started digging hole of the well and how much sore I could not tell. That put a stop to my digging any deeper. I had got water at 30 feet but not enough. It came too slow but I had to put up with it for that year. My money was now getting low again so I must go out again and work for more.
I put two acres of garden truck in potatoes and other small seeds. This done then starts for Saskatoon again, this time taking my oldest boy with me leaving my wife and the small boy, now six years all alone, two miles from the nearest neighbors.
They was starting digging for sewerage in Saskatoon when we arrived. My boy got a job driving delivery rig for Jones Brothers, first Ave at $9.00 per week. I started work on the sewers at $2.00 per day and had to buy my own shovel. We started at the River near the traffic Bridge, came up third Avenue to 19th street up second Ave. We had some very rough digging, many cave ins, very much narrow escapes of being buried alive. I will tell you of two.
First was not far from the River, before we reached 19th street. I came across three great boulders, two on one side of the ditch and one of the other, the one meeting between the other two. They was about 7 feet from the surface. They should not be moved so I had to dig under them about 14 feet. We went until we started up second Avenue when the engineer took me and two more to start and lay the sewer pipes which we did, catching up with the diggers.
The sewer pipes were covered over by means of a team of horses and scraper within 8 feet from the top when the Engineer set me and other two to under mining the bank of the ditch for about a foot or so that the water pipe could be laid, there we laid the pipes as we made space for them. Well we came to the rocks again which I have spoke of above, only about 2-1/2 feet to work under, it was some job. We did it, got the pipe in position. I had to lie down on my stomach under the rock to take the ropes from off the pipe, this done comes from under the rocks, no sooner had I got clear from them when the three boulder caved in, each weighing over a ton. Had they caved in one minute sooner I should not be now writing the story.
The next exciting experience was at the corner of 19th street and second Ave. We had got ready for laying the pipe when it caved in. Well we had to dig all out again. Just got ready again, another cave. This happened three of four times. I had finished my end and had got up on my feet to straighten my back a bit when I saw the dirt sliding again. I called to my chums to jump. Once got clear but the other got caught, he was buried up to his neck, just his head above the dirt with danger of more coming. We dug him out, none the worse but he quit the job there and then I did not know his name only by his first name "Jack". I have never met him since.
Four days after this typhus fever started. It was on a Monday when one had to be taken to the hospital, Tuesday another and Wednesday afternoon I began to be sick. I went to my shack for the rest of the day. I slept that night all right again in the morning goes to work again in the afternoon, starts to be sick again. This time I asked for my check..I was going home, I wanted to work two weeks longer and then go home to put hay up and get my garden stuff in and then come back again to work. I had lots of garden stuff to sell.
Spring / Summer 1906 - Other workers get typhoid
I came back to town to work. I needed the money. I had to crop only my garden. Well I landed town again, meets a man I worked with on the sewer job. "Hello Mr. Battersby, coming into work again?" "yes". "Well for Heavens sake don't go in the sewers again" "Why?" "you know so and so -" I did not know them by their proper names but when he described them I did, Well they're dead and buried and ever so many more with typhoid fever. I know all of them well but not by name. Good strong healthy young men cut off so young in life - yea, I might say they gave their lives helping to build Saskatoon, some of them lying in Woodlawn Cemetery without a mark to say where they lay. I took the fellow's advice. I did not start work on the sewers again.
November 1906 - Nearly freezing to death
They had started to dig a basement out for J.F. Carians store on second Ave. where the Bigg 22 is snow, Mr Gillipisys, Carians store was where the Bank of Commerce is now. I worked for Mr Davis until November 10th, 1906.
I met my married daughter from U.S.A. on the streets, I did not know she was coming so I started me for home sooner than I intended to do but it was a good job I did the way the winter set in.
It rained on the 13th, froze hard on the 14th the day I started for home. I landed that night at Mr. Connors near what was know as Beckers post office. My daughter was taken sick in the night. I was up all night with her. On the 15th Mr. Connor advised me to send my daughter on by the mail team as it was mail day and she would get to the nearest mail station that night where I should not land until the next day.
It was a good thing I did send her for what day turned out to be a wild day. I had traveled about 12 miles when my oxen pulled up to a small bush near the trail and laid down. They had got foot sore by this time. A storm had been raging for nearly two hours - it was about half past four, it having started to blow and snow hard. I should not be 3-1/2 miles from the Doukhobors village on the Battleford trail: after an hours rest I tried to get my oxen to move. Could I get them to move? No Sir. I had no dinner and now no means of getting any supper.
I had food with me for both my oxen and myself but my food was froze. I fed the oxen, they held up there until midnight. Oh! it was terrible - I danced and jumped, swinged my arms to keep up the circulation until I was entirely exhausted. I then made up my mind to leave them there. I got them up and we started. It was very very dark, blowing and snowing all the time but Oh! how slow we moved, it looked to me about one mile an hour gate or speed.
We got there at last, everybody in bed, not a light no where. I pulled my oxen along side of an out house sheltered from the winds, unhitched, tied them to the wagon gave them lots of hay from the Doukhobors stack then goes inside the outhouse myself which was used as a woodshed.
I was tired being up all night before with my daughter, this day no dinner no supper now. Well I don't know what time it was but I was dead beat. I got up on a bench there as in the place and I was asleep in no time. I remember getting on the bench but I remember nothing else until a Doubkobor was roughly shaking me and saying "Come in the house, too much cold here".
I got off the bench only to fall in a heap on the floor. "My! my!" the Doukhobor cried, "You froze". He tried to lift me to my feet but no use, I could not stand. He then went to the house to call his son, they had to carry me in and throw my shoes and mitts out, before they could get them off, both feet and hands were frozen..
They worked hard, both the men and women rubbing me with snow and bathing with warm snow water and when the circulation started, Oh say! well I cannot say, it's only those that has experience it knows. It was now half past four.
Doukobour said "Cold in bed, make me go to wood shed for wood to start fire in heater" So you see if he had not come in the shed when he did I should have been frozen to death. If I had not sent my daughter with the mail team what would have happened? I don't like to think what would. I trust in God for all things and he always seemed to step in nick of time. It was 12 miles from the Doukhobor village to my home.
The Doukhobors knew me as I had stopped with them often when passing through on the trail. These people are very much misunderstood people. What scroupes or tricks they play on English speaking people they are only giving back what they learned from them. I always found them kind and good - so much for the Doukobors.
I met my married daughter from U.S.A. on the streets, I did not know she was coming so I started me for home sooner than I intended to do but it was a good job I did the way the winter set in.
It rained on the 13th, froze hard on the 14th the day I started for home. I landed that night at Mr. Connors near what was know as Beckers post office. My daughter was taken sick in the night. I was up all night with her. On the 15th Mr. Connor advised me to send my daughter on by the mail team as it was mail day and she would get to the nearest mail station that night where I should not land until the next day.
It was a good thing I did send her for what day turned out to be a wild day. I had traveled about 12 miles when my oxen pulled up to a small bush near the trail and laid down. They had got foot sore by this time. A storm had been raging for nearly two hours - it was about half past four, it having started to blow and snow hard. I should not be 3-1/2 miles from the Doukhobors village on the Battleford trail: after an hours rest I tried to get my oxen to move. Could I get them to move? No Sir. I had no dinner and now no means of getting any supper.
I had food with me for both my oxen and myself but my food was froze. I fed the oxen, they held up there until midnight. Oh! it was terrible - I danced and jumped, swinged my arms to keep up the circulation until I was entirely exhausted. I then made up my mind to leave them there. I got them up and we started. It was very very dark, blowing and snowing all the time but Oh! how slow we moved, it looked to me about one mile an hour gate or speed.
We got there at last, everybody in bed, not a light no where. I pulled my oxen along side of an out house sheltered from the winds, unhitched, tied them to the wagon gave them lots of hay from the Doukhobors stack then goes inside the outhouse myself which was used as a woodshed.
I was tired being up all night before with my daughter, this day no dinner no supper now. Well I don't know what time it was but I was dead beat. I got up on a bench there as in the place and I was asleep in no time. I remember getting on the bench but I remember nothing else until a Doubkobor was roughly shaking me and saying "Come in the house, too much cold here".
I got off the bench only to fall in a heap on the floor. "My! my!" the Doukhobor cried, "You froze". He tried to lift me to my feet but no use, I could not stand. He then went to the house to call his son, they had to carry me in and throw my shoes and mitts out, before they could get them off, both feet and hands were frozen..
They worked hard, both the men and women rubbing me with snow and bathing with warm snow water and when the circulation started, Oh say! well I cannot say, it's only those that has experience it knows. It was now half past four.
Doukobour said "Cold in bed, make me go to wood shed for wood to start fire in heater" So you see if he had not come in the shed when he did I should have been frozen to death. If I had not sent my daughter with the mail team what would have happened? I don't like to think what would. I trust in God for all things and he always seemed to step in nick of time. It was 12 miles from the Doukhobor village to my home.
The Doukhobors knew me as I had stopped with them often when passing through on the trail. These people are very much misunderstood people. What scroupes or tricks they play on English speaking people they are only giving back what they learned from them. I always found them kind and good - so much for the Doukobors.
Winter 1906 - March 1907 - Surviving the winter
Well I got home that day, it was some time before my feet and hand was right again. The skin pealed off them but I had not to give up. No there was lots to do, I had not enough fire wood to last the winter. I had lots of fence stakes and logs I had go the winter before for to build a log house with. My fence stake was squandered about, some in one place, some in another now under 12 inches of snow. Well I had to rest a day or two when it started snowing again then blowing till it gave me no chance to go and get fire wood so I had to burn fence stakes and the logs I had got to build my house with.
I had to dig in three feet of snow for every stick. I had to keep warm digging and sawing up the wood while my wife burnt it. I had burnt my last bit of wood by the first of March 1907. You say winter would be over then. No sir, not by any means. We had five good weeks of very cold weather after that. I had no sleighs so I had to borrow them from a neighbor so that I could go to the river bank for some. I had two miles to go to get the sleighs, two miles go get a little wood and then take the sleighs back as he wanted them to go to town the next morning.
About the 26th of March there as a great wind storm. It blew two telephone poles down about 3/4 of a mile from my place. The poles had rotted at the bottom and broke off. I was now out of wood again. I went for the telegraph poles, I dragged them one by one on my shoulder. It was cold that day but next day, Oh say was it cold? Cold is a very poor name for it, if I had not taken them poles we should all have been frozen to death in the house.
After this snow began to go the men came to repair the telephone line, they found the poles gone, they came to me made a big nose about it. They would have seven miles to go for more and there would be Prince Albert for me. I did not care Prince Albert jail or not, they saved my family from freezing. What would you have done under such circumstances? I think any man would have done the same but I heard nothing more about it
That winter I shall never forget if I lived to doomsday.
I had to dig in three feet of snow for every stick. I had to keep warm digging and sawing up the wood while my wife burnt it. I had burnt my last bit of wood by the first of March 1907. You say winter would be over then. No sir, not by any means. We had five good weeks of very cold weather after that. I had no sleighs so I had to borrow them from a neighbor so that I could go to the river bank for some. I had two miles to go to get the sleighs, two miles go get a little wood and then take the sleighs back as he wanted them to go to town the next morning.
About the 26th of March there as a great wind storm. It blew two telephone poles down about 3/4 of a mile from my place. The poles had rotted at the bottom and broke off. I was now out of wood again. I went for the telegraph poles, I dragged them one by one on my shoulder. It was cold that day but next day, Oh say was it cold? Cold is a very poor name for it, if I had not taken them poles we should all have been frozen to death in the house.
After this snow began to go the men came to repair the telephone line, they found the poles gone, they came to me made a big nose about it. They would have seven miles to go for more and there would be Prince Albert for me. I did not care Prince Albert jail or not, they saved my family from freezing. What would you have done under such circumstances? I think any man would have done the same but I heard nothing more about it
That winter I shall never forget if I lived to doomsday.
Spring 1907
Well spring came at last. I put in another big garden and broke 20 acres more land. Then hay time again. I put enough hay down then harvest time. My oldest boy had now left me, he would not farm. He went to training for to be a Salvation army officer. That was all right, it's good work but I was losing my main help and it put more hardships on me again so I had to come to town again to work for some ready cash. I put supplies in at home to last my wife and boy, now 7 years old, for about two months.
October 1907 - Working in Sutherland
I had left myself 5 cents to come to Saskatoon with 45 miles, this beginning of October. This was the second time for me to land in town without money. They was finishing building the C.P.R. station then, I had got meals given to me on the road so I had my 5 cents still. I was foot sore and tired but I went right away to get a job. "We are laying men off" says the boss, "No I cannot give you a job".
I went to the Immigration Hall to stay for the night. It was supper time now. There was two men in, they could see I was all in. "Come in from the Country?" they asked. "yes". "Had supper?" "No, nor no money to get any with". They gave me some supper that night. It was Friday. A butcher came to the Hall, he wanted two men to shake out roe hinds he had laying in salt. I had never done it before but I was ready to try alright. "Come along tomorrow morning" I did, without breakfast. I worked till noon. They was in a slaughter house a little ways in the country.
We came in for dinner. I asked the butcher for 25 cents so I could get some dinner. "No money?" "No". He gave it me of course I could ask for it now I had worked for it. I went to the B.C. cafe on 20th Street East. There was just one chair vacant. I sat down too sick and too dazed to notice anyone at the table, when "Hello Mr. Battersby when did you come in?" "Yesterday". "Coming to work?" "Yes". "Well you get out to Sutherland , no chance of work in town". He told me the pay they was paying, he told me he would not be seeing me again as he was going right away. I thanked him for the information.
I went back and worked the rest of the day shaking out the hides. We had not quite finished when darkness came and we could do no more.. The butcher asked me if I could come Monday morning. I said No. I wanted to get to Sutherland to get a job there. If I came to you there only about on hours of work it nigh lose me a two or three month job. "All right" he says. Paid me two Dollars and Fifty for my day work. this is Saturday night.
I bought a little food to carry me over Sunday. Monday morning starts for Sutherland, gets across the traffic bridge was a gang of men grading the long hill. I was passing on when to my surprise I heard my name called. "Hello Mr Battersby, when did you come in?" I answered Friday. "Are you coming in to work?" "Yes" "Well you can start right now for me. I want a man. It was Mr. Davis who had spoken to me my name. I had worked for him in 1906. "What wages are you paying Mr. Davis?" "$45.00 a month". "Oh I can do better than that" I says. "Where?" "At the round house Sutherland" "Yes but I think they have got all the men they want now" "Well I would like to go and see, you know Mr. Davis I need every extra dollar I can get". "All right, if you don't get started come back to me. I will hold it for you". "Thank you Mr. Davis, that lifts a load off my shoulders"
Anyhow it sent me on with a much lighter heart. Get a little further on the road meets another gang, this time they are strangers. "going to work" cried the boss. "Yes". "Well you can start with us" "How much are you paying?" "Forty Five Dollars a month". I gave him the same reply as I had Mr. Davis. "All right, if you don't get on at the round house our camp is near the round house camp, go there stay till noon and I will give you a job".
Well thank God there was two jobs waiting for me . A little further and up comes a man with horse and buggy, stops, gets in. "Going to the round house?" he asks. "Yes" "Why didn't you start with the old man?" "Don't you know me? I am Davis son." "Well well, I had not recognized you." I told him what his father had said. "Well I can take you back if you don't start".
We reached the place when the foreman over the brick layers meets us. "You want a job." "Yes" "Can you run lime?" Before I could answer young Davis says "Yes and you cannot get a better man". "That's the man I want and only man". "You have got all the men you want now". Then turning to me he says "I cannot take you back now". I smiled, thanked him for his kindness. I worked until the brick work was done.
I went to the Immigration Hall to stay for the night. It was supper time now. There was two men in, they could see I was all in. "Come in from the Country?" they asked. "yes". "Had supper?" "No, nor no money to get any with". They gave me some supper that night. It was Friday. A butcher came to the Hall, he wanted two men to shake out roe hinds he had laying in salt. I had never done it before but I was ready to try alright. "Come along tomorrow morning" I did, without breakfast. I worked till noon. They was in a slaughter house a little ways in the country.
We came in for dinner. I asked the butcher for 25 cents so I could get some dinner. "No money?" "No". He gave it me of course I could ask for it now I had worked for it. I went to the B.C. cafe on 20th Street East. There was just one chair vacant. I sat down too sick and too dazed to notice anyone at the table, when "Hello Mr. Battersby when did you come in?" "Yesterday". "Coming to work?" "Yes". "Well you get out to Sutherland , no chance of work in town". He told me the pay they was paying, he told me he would not be seeing me again as he was going right away. I thanked him for the information.
I went back and worked the rest of the day shaking out the hides. We had not quite finished when darkness came and we could do no more.. The butcher asked me if I could come Monday morning. I said No. I wanted to get to Sutherland to get a job there. If I came to you there only about on hours of work it nigh lose me a two or three month job. "All right" he says. Paid me two Dollars and Fifty for my day work. this is Saturday night.
I bought a little food to carry me over Sunday. Monday morning starts for Sutherland, gets across the traffic bridge was a gang of men grading the long hill. I was passing on when to my surprise I heard my name called. "Hello Mr Battersby, when did you come in?" I answered Friday. "Are you coming in to work?" "Yes" "Well you can start right now for me. I want a man. It was Mr. Davis who had spoken to me my name. I had worked for him in 1906. "What wages are you paying Mr. Davis?" "$45.00 a month". "Oh I can do better than that" I says. "Where?" "At the round house Sutherland" "Yes but I think they have got all the men they want now" "Well I would like to go and see, you know Mr. Davis I need every extra dollar I can get". "All right, if you don't get started come back to me. I will hold it for you". "Thank you Mr. Davis, that lifts a load off my shoulders"
Anyhow it sent me on with a much lighter heart. Get a little further on the road meets another gang, this time they are strangers. "going to work" cried the boss. "Yes". "Well you can start with us" "How much are you paying?" "Forty Five Dollars a month". I gave him the same reply as I had Mr. Davis. "All right, if you don't get on at the round house our camp is near the round house camp, go there stay till noon and I will give you a job".
Well thank God there was two jobs waiting for me . A little further and up comes a man with horse and buggy, stops, gets in. "Going to the round house?" he asks. "Yes" "Why didn't you start with the old man?" "Don't you know me? I am Davis son." "Well well, I had not recognized you." I told him what his father had said. "Well I can take you back if you don't start".
We reached the place when the foreman over the brick layers meets us. "You want a job." "Yes" "Can you run lime?" Before I could answer young Davis says "Yes and you cannot get a better man". "That's the man I want and only man". "You have got all the men you want now". Then turning to me he says "I cannot take you back now". I smiled, thanked him for his kindness. I worked until the brick work was done.
Christmas & September 1907 - Fighting a prairie fire
We finished at Christmas. I got two dollars fifty per day right through, other wages were cut down 15th November to two dollars per day. I put up a kick, gave the reason why I should not be cut down. I had to be out first in morning to get every thing ready, last in at night because I had to cover everything up to keep from freezing.
Alright keep on Christmas, at home again. Well I missed telling of another experience and a very exciting experience too. About the 1st week in September a prairie fire started one mile from my home. I saw it start but I did not know who started it. I started on the other side of the Creek knows as Rasburry Creek. My home is on the East side of the Creek, the fire on the West side. There was an East wind blowing at the time, we fought the fire till we all was tired out. It was hopeless with such a wind blowing.
It burned the prairie for miles and miles Westward, was burning for four days when the wind changed and brought the fire back to almost where it started. Me and one of my neighbors went to Raddison a small town on the North side of the North Saskatchewan River. I lived on the South side of the River, a distance of 14 miles from Raddison to get our groceries. Toward noon time that day the wind had increased to a gale of from 50 to 60 miles and hour. I had got all my supplies and was ready to start home again. I was looking for my neighbor to see if he was ready when I ran into another neighbor, Harry Smith. "Mr. Battersby" he cried, "have you a fire guard around your hay stack?" "No" I replied. "Well I saw the fire jump the creek when I had got on the hills on this side of the river" he said. "It will be Hell across there today".
I found my neighbor, told him what Mr. Smith had told me. "My God" he cried. He was like me, no fire guards, there was a prairie fire on the North of the River, also you could see nothing but fire, no matter which way you looked. We hitched up all ready to start when a mounted policeman came riding up. "Eh you fellows come on here and help to fight this fire" "What": I says "There's fire close to my own home and only a wife and child there and that's where I'm going. "Where do you live" he asked. "On the other side of the River" He left us to get what men he could. Men and women too was running here and there, the fire was on the town in no time.
We started home, I think my oxen seemed to know that there was something seriously wrong for they went faster home than I ever seen them before. We had got on the hills of the river we would see across country for miles. Fire everywhere. My neighbor says "If there is a Hell this is one" Every farm we passed on the way was out with teams and plowing fire guards around the buildings.
We looked across the river to locate our own places. We see a great big flame of fire. I know this place. There goes Fred Forthucks place. He was a Russian. My neighbor locates another big flame of fire. "That's my hay stack" he cried. I looked my way home, another big flame of fire. "There goes mine, My God what shall we do?" I said. "We shall have to hit the trail and get out, the fire had overtaken us by this time.
The bushes in the river bottom was all on fire and our trail went through them for about 400 yards. My neighbor was in the lead with his oxen, they would not face the fire. The bushes were burning on both sides of us. I then told him to back out and make room for me to try mine. My oxen had been in prairies fire before. I knew if mine would go his would follow. They went through with a rush. My what a time!. Oxen coughing, jumping tongues out; we almost choking, eyes smarting.
We got to the river to find the ferry man away,the scow on the other side, a small boat on this side. Well this was the climax. My chum was almost off his head when we heard someone rushing galloping shouting through the bushes when he got through it was Mr Smith. "Where's that Bloody ferryman!" "I don't know, away fighting fire I expect". "His place is here". Mr Smith did not choose his words very much, he came out with every oath it was possible for a man to use. "Bill" he says (Bill is that man that is with me) "you can row a boat can't you" He knew Bill had been a fisherman. "Yes". "Well jump in that boat, I can run the ferry if we can get to the other side." They left me to look after the two teams of oxen and one team of Bronchos.
I had some job on. They got the ferry across, Mr. Smith went on the scow first, me next then Bill. It would just carry three teams. We crossed the river all right but we could not get near enough to the side without jumping in the water with the rope to pull it in with. Mr. Smith was all excited. "I am going to jump for it" He gets into his wagon, makes the horse jump, they jumped in about 4 feet of water. They was out and away up to hills leaving us on the scow. The scow began to go further away from the side when he had left it. I raised the rope. "What are you going to do?" "I am going to jump for it." "You never make it" "I am going to try". I jumped up to my neck in water, I made it , pulled the scow in, made a good landing, off home as fast as oxen could go.
My wife and small boy was fighting fire for all they was worth. My wife just collapsed when I reached. Lucky for me there was trails on three sides of my homestead and every time the fire jumped the trail she and the other boy was able to put it out, so it was not my hay stack I could see from the other side of the river. I was only just in time though to save it.
I was fighting fire all night, the wind had gone down quite a lot when night came on. I was right about the first big flames I saw, it was Fred for it struck the Russian's place. He lost nearly everything, house barns, 4 horses, 5 cows, pigs, sheep, Granary with 2000 bushels of wheat in it. He was away from home threshing with one team. There was many others lost quite a lot in that fire so I give thanks to God again for another deliverance from great trouble. How much more excitement do you want? I have had enough for 1907 anyway.
Alright keep on Christmas, at home again. Well I missed telling of another experience and a very exciting experience too. About the 1st week in September a prairie fire started one mile from my home. I saw it start but I did not know who started it. I started on the other side of the Creek knows as Rasburry Creek. My home is on the East side of the Creek, the fire on the West side. There was an East wind blowing at the time, we fought the fire till we all was tired out. It was hopeless with such a wind blowing.
It burned the prairie for miles and miles Westward, was burning for four days when the wind changed and brought the fire back to almost where it started. Me and one of my neighbors went to Raddison a small town on the North side of the North Saskatchewan River. I lived on the South side of the River, a distance of 14 miles from Raddison to get our groceries. Toward noon time that day the wind had increased to a gale of from 50 to 60 miles and hour. I had got all my supplies and was ready to start home again. I was looking for my neighbor to see if he was ready when I ran into another neighbor, Harry Smith. "Mr. Battersby" he cried, "have you a fire guard around your hay stack?" "No" I replied. "Well I saw the fire jump the creek when I had got on the hills on this side of the river" he said. "It will be Hell across there today".
I found my neighbor, told him what Mr. Smith had told me. "My God" he cried. He was like me, no fire guards, there was a prairie fire on the North of the River, also you could see nothing but fire, no matter which way you looked. We hitched up all ready to start when a mounted policeman came riding up. "Eh you fellows come on here and help to fight this fire" "What": I says "There's fire close to my own home and only a wife and child there and that's where I'm going. "Where do you live" he asked. "On the other side of the River" He left us to get what men he could. Men and women too was running here and there, the fire was on the town in no time.
We started home, I think my oxen seemed to know that there was something seriously wrong for they went faster home than I ever seen them before. We had got on the hills of the river we would see across country for miles. Fire everywhere. My neighbor says "If there is a Hell this is one" Every farm we passed on the way was out with teams and plowing fire guards around the buildings.
We looked across the river to locate our own places. We see a great big flame of fire. I know this place. There goes Fred Forthucks place. He was a Russian. My neighbor locates another big flame of fire. "That's my hay stack" he cried. I looked my way home, another big flame of fire. "There goes mine, My God what shall we do?" I said. "We shall have to hit the trail and get out, the fire had overtaken us by this time.
The bushes in the river bottom was all on fire and our trail went through them for about 400 yards. My neighbor was in the lead with his oxen, they would not face the fire. The bushes were burning on both sides of us. I then told him to back out and make room for me to try mine. My oxen had been in prairies fire before. I knew if mine would go his would follow. They went through with a rush. My what a time!. Oxen coughing, jumping tongues out; we almost choking, eyes smarting.
We got to the river to find the ferry man away,the scow on the other side, a small boat on this side. Well this was the climax. My chum was almost off his head when we heard someone rushing galloping shouting through the bushes when he got through it was Mr Smith. "Where's that Bloody ferryman!" "I don't know, away fighting fire I expect". "His place is here". Mr Smith did not choose his words very much, he came out with every oath it was possible for a man to use. "Bill" he says (Bill is that man that is with me) "you can row a boat can't you" He knew Bill had been a fisherman. "Yes". "Well jump in that boat, I can run the ferry if we can get to the other side." They left me to look after the two teams of oxen and one team of Bronchos.
I had some job on. They got the ferry across, Mr. Smith went on the scow first, me next then Bill. It would just carry three teams. We crossed the river all right but we could not get near enough to the side without jumping in the water with the rope to pull it in with. Mr. Smith was all excited. "I am going to jump for it" He gets into his wagon, makes the horse jump, they jumped in about 4 feet of water. They was out and away up to hills leaving us on the scow. The scow began to go further away from the side when he had left it. I raised the rope. "What are you going to do?" "I am going to jump for it." "You never make it" "I am going to try". I jumped up to my neck in water, I made it , pulled the scow in, made a good landing, off home as fast as oxen could go.
My wife and small boy was fighting fire for all they was worth. My wife just collapsed when I reached. Lucky for me there was trails on three sides of my homestead and every time the fire jumped the trail she and the other boy was able to put it out, so it was not my hay stack I could see from the other side of the river. I was only just in time though to save it.
I was fighting fire all night, the wind had gone down quite a lot when night came on. I was right about the first big flames I saw, it was Fred for it struck the Russian's place. He lost nearly everything, house barns, 4 horses, 5 cows, pigs, sheep, Granary with 2000 bushels of wheat in it. He was away from home threshing with one team. There was many others lost quite a lot in that fire so I give thanks to God again for another deliverance from great trouble. How much more excitement do you want? I have had enough for 1907 anyway.
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