Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-28
An HISTORIC RELIC.
The Gateway of Old Fort Garry, tho Chief
Post of the Hutieon Day Company.

Post of the Hudson Bay Company.
AT the upper end of the main street
of Winnipeg is an interesting relic of
the carly days of the Canadian north
west. IL is the gateway of old Fort
Garry, known far and wide before ST.
Paul and Minneapolis were ever heard
of. Through that gate for many years
hundreds of Indians passed to sell their
loads Of fars or skins to the agents of
the Hudson Bay Company. 1t is said
that once year there was a grand
carousal around the old gate. Christmas
was the brightest day in the calendar
for the poor red man, because it was the
only occasion on which his white
brethren in the fort would fill him up
with whisky. 1t was long time be-
tween drinks, and on the rcd letter day
the untutored native INDUCED in one
grand, glorious, royal drunk.
Through that old gate, in 1869, Riel
marched his Scotch and English
prisoners, when he melted the French
half.breeds to rebel and ordered the
governor, whom Canada had appointed
over her new territory, 10 betake HIM
self back to Ontario. Those were the
most exciting days that Fort Garry ever
saw, and it was lucky thing for the
few thousand English-speaking pioneers
of the northwest that the reign of terror
ushered in by this irresponsible, half
crazy leader did not endure long. Near
the old gate Riel placed Scott, the
martyr OF the first rebellion, against the
wall Of the fort and shot him. The
wall has vanished. The place where
scott fell is marked by no memorial.
But to every stranger who visits the old
gate is shown the spot where Scott
stood.
The city extends beyond the fort, and
the value of the land has led TO the de.
struction Of the interesting relic of early
days in the Rcd River country. TWENTY
years ago the walls of Fort Garry en-
closed several acres. Now the old gate
IS tumbling into complete ruin.
Through the old gate have rumbled
thousands Of specimens of that peculiar
invention, the Red River cart, some Of
which may still be seen in Winnipeg.
Hundreds of them carried from st. Paul
stores and supplies to Fort Garry The
carts We're of home manufacture and
We're constructed entirely without iron.
because the transporting Of such heavy
material TO Fort Garry was too expen-
siiye for the use Of il. The harness Of
the oxen that drew the carts was made
Of the raw hide of the buffalo dressed
Tor the purpose.
Where the busting city of 10000 in
hapltants now stands the prairie. almost
as level as a floor, was the grazing
ground of great herds of butTaloes'
which formed the staple article Of food
Tor the Indians. Their skins were
brought by thousands into Fort Garry.
lhirty-five years ago the territory was
known on our side of the border as the
lied River country. Fort Garry was
famous as the chief post of the Hudson
Bay Company. II derived its import.
ance from the fact that ii was al the
Junction of the Assinboine and the Rcd
River, and was right on the border be.
tween the hundreds Of miles Of scrub
between Ottawa and the fort and the
great prairies and plains which extend
TO the Rocky Mountains. Soon after
the close Of the Riel rebellion Canada
took more effective control of the region
and Fort Garry began to develop into an
important city, with the crumbling gate.
way as It's most interesting historical
monument.