The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-07-30
MOUNTED POLICE.
An Attractive Force That Patrols vas
Tract In the Northwest.
LOUISIANA

An Attractive Force That Patrols "ast
Tract I'm the Northwest.
Where the plains stretch out on every
side, like a gray-green ocean, dappled
with purple cloud shadows, the eye
strikes the horizon at perhaps five miles
away, giving the circle of the view at
thirty miles A path is hardly to be
distinguished from the buffalo trails to
the north and south. The thin grass
and feathery sage brush seem to whiten
as the wind rushes over them, for the
air is seldom still, but nothing else
moves except a distant hawk and a
wolf that sinks away from piece OF
carbon. OF a sudden dots appear on
the horizon. As they grow larger they
have jerky but constant progress.
They do not appear to have the peculiar
shake of red men in the saddle. AS they
approach nearer the scarlet coats in
dictate that they are members of the
mounted police. They come pelting
over the plain, not with the rush OF
cowboys, but with a free, rapid lope.
They are handful out of the thousand
men that have the Canadian Northwest
territory to look after. The older men
could tell stirring tales of life among
the Indians and frontiersmen.
The map that is issued to the police
has, traced along the base of the noun
tain, up the creek and river valleys, and
zigzagging over tracts of almost unoc-
cupied country, long lines that repre-
sent trails The trails are official routes
overwhich squads are sent to see the
settlers. receive reports and complaints.
ascertain whether or not the Indians
are quiet, learn if there has been de-
struction of life or property in remote
settlements, or if unlawful distilleries
or trading places have been set up, or if
anything has occurred to call for govern
mental notice or interference. The
Canadian authorities treat the Indians
SO well that there is seldom any trouble
with them, and the work of the police
is confined mostly to the suppression OF
the liquor trade, for prohibition is in
force in the Northwest Territory. In
the towns and villages they have to
perform the duties of policemen in ar
resting offenders and keeping order,
while in the event of war they can be
put into the field.
The police force is under the control
of the Canadian premier at Ottawa, but
the management is vested in a commits
sioner and assistant, whose headquar-
ters are at Regina, the territorial CAPT
tai. 1t is divided into ten divisions of
one hundred mon, each division COM
manded by superintendent, who has
a staff of three inspectors and a surgeon.
The non-commissioned officers of each
division sergeant-major, quartermas-
ter-sergeant, hospital steward, veterina-
ry sergeant, six duty sergeants and six
corporals. The principal barracks are
at Regina, Maple Creek, Lethbridge,
Battleford, Prince Albert, Wood Noun
tain, Macleod, Calgary, Fort Saslxatch-
evan and Medicine Hat, and there are
smaller stations besides twenty out
posts containing two or three men.
Excepting a couple of men who are de.
tailed for customs service in Winnipeg,
they keep within the five districts of AS
siniboia, Alberta, Athabasca, Keewatin
and Saskatchewan, although, until a
provincial police was organized in Brit
ish Columbia, they served in that prov
ince likewise. Their jurisdiction ex-
tends from the United States border,
which they watch closely toprevent the
operation of smugglers, to point two
hundred miles above the North Sas-
katchcwan, which is the northernmost
point reached by railroad in America,
and the officers act as magistrates for
the trial of petty criminals, temporary
jails being attached to the stations.
The force was organized in 1873, with
three hundred men, for the purpose of
quelling the trade in liquor; for in those
days there were many whisky forts, v
including some posts of the Hudson Bay
Company in the northwest, and it was
never safe, and never will be safe, to
allow the Indians to get liquor. During
the rebellions of the half breeds the po-
lice also gave efficient service, although
the suppression of those outbreaks was
due largely to militia from the eastern
provinces. The pay for members of the
force ranges from two thousand four
hundred dollars a year, in the case of
the commissioner, to forty cents day,
which is earned by the privates, or-con-
stables, as they are called The rank
and file receive, in addition, horses,
clothing, fuel, lights, quarters, food,
and medical attendance when needed;
the officers receive the same. with the
exception of clothing. The uniform is
similar to that of the British cavalry
red coat, dark blue trousers with yellow
stripe, pot hat, worn rakishly over the
right ear, riding boots and spurs, belt
and accoutrements of raw leather, with
symbols of rank in yellow and gold.
The officers also have a fatigue dress of
black, with frogged coat. Each consta-
BILE is armed with carbine and revolt
yer, and when on duty wears IA cross
belt filed with cartridges. All of the
force that can be spared are massed at
Regina once year for field practice as
mounted infantry, but they are drilled
in squads at the barracks from time to
time. The present members are mostly
of Canadian birth--young men, whose
active, open-air life gives them health.
and who, with their tanned faces. broad