River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-03-01
"NUMBER SIXTEEN"
A Romance of Wild Life IN the
Canadian Northwest.


around the fire. One of the company
was a medical man who had spent
twelve years or 8 in the Canadian
Northwest territories. Outside the at
mosphere was chilly. and the indica-
tions favored colder weather.
eff you could be transported from St
John 70 the prairies on such a day as
we had to-day" remarked the doctor.
land were ignorant of the cha nges that
few hours bring in that climate, two
surprises would greet you. To-day you
observe dotted in countless mum
bers over the vast stretches of prairie
sluices or small ponds. whose placid
waters would remi Id you of SO many
mirrors set in rustic frames.
Tomorrow morning. as you again
looked over the prHiries. the whole face
OF the country would seem to be
changed. PrOtruding from every sluice
you would see cones made Of grass. etc
These are the winter houses of the
muskrat -eared. finished and occupied
In a slng.e night; as If these fragrant
lit e creatures possessed the power OF
the Wizard Pancrates-
THAT night the sIuices would he
sure to freeze. and the muskrats would
live in peace until the spring. when the
Indians make their rounds. plunge the
spear down through the cones. and
thus capture numbers Of the occupants
The rats are I'm prime order in the
spring after their long rest The flesh
is eaten aud the skins are taken care of
by the squaws.
I hese skins. as well as all others
are a kind of legal tender. and it's
common occurrence for the Indian to
visit a store, make his purchase. take
bundle OF ratskins from under ais
arm. and count them out as five-cent
pieces.
The Indian department displays
much energy to suppress smallpox,
which often creates havoc among the
natives Of the plains Doctors are sent
out regularly to vaccinate the Indians
The doctor makes his rounds with the
agent who pays the bouuties. \ large
tent is pitched. and the tribe is re-
quested 10 appear. The stipulation is
that all must lie vaccinated before re-
ceiving the money.
The Indians are distinguished by
numbers as we'll a names, and, as they
are paid SO much per head. every MEM
Der of family must be produced and
pass trough the agents tent Be
fore being paid those requiring it are
vacciuated
Zone day" said the doctor, 81 was
vaccinating a tribe of Crees, when a
woman approached with a couple of
children. She had rich, melodious
voice, with Scotch accent When she
spoke | stopped for moment and told
her To step into the Mex tent and ]
would attend TO her IN a moments.
] saw she was not squaw. ID thought
she was the wife of Hudson's Bay
company employee who wanted to get
vaccinated at the expense Of the gov
eminent
while I was speaking 4. clerk
shouted out: No. I6.' and the woman
said in low voice: i am No. 10 She
barred her arm. and both she aud the
children were attended To. She passed
on. received her bounty, and then out
among the herd of Indians.
THE face and voice of that woman
haunted me the rest Of the day while ]
kept scratching the arms of braves,
squaws. and pappoOses-
AT last the days work was over and
instruments laid aside. After supper l
set about TO satisfy my curiosity as to
the history of No. ID. A few inquiries
enabled me TO locate the shack where
she put up. and thither bent my way.
''The shack. may say, Is small hut,
built of clay or mad. fire can be
made in the shack. The place is so
constructed that the squaw stands the
sticks of wood ON their ends so that
the FIRE is fed as IL from self-feeder.
No. IS related to me how and why she
romantic story, but yet one full OF sad
ness from beginning To end.
My father said No 10, in a voice
full of pathos. is a Scotchman. and is
factor of Fort Policy, belonging To the
HudsOn's Bay company. Before the
northwest territories were taken over
he ruled the country for hundreds of
miles around He was a magistrate,
too. and Of course administered the
law
when No 10 reached a certain age
she was sent to Scotland in one of the
cOmpany's ships, which leave foe New
York cr Fort Nelson 4 couple of times
each year. This WIS 20 easy trip in
those days For hundreds of miles she
had to cross prairies. and then by ca
noe and other conveyRnces. the great
rivers We're traversed until Hudson's
bay was reached. where embarks ton
took place II took some months 10 do
this
when Scotland was reached she en-
tered university and remained there
until she graduated These We're pleas
ant days for the young western girl
She became acquainted with an intel
hgent young ScOtchman. and the at
tschment became so strong on both
sides that before she left the land of
heather for the wilds OF Canada they
had plighted vows.
''One of the company's ships bore her
away from her pleasant associations in
Scotland tn the higher latitudes of
Davis straits and the HudsOn's bay
where the iceberg is familiar in Au.
gust. there again 10 rough il over fords
and stretches of swamps, up vast wa
ter courses. and along bewildering
trails. in company with the trappers
and porters of the company. for months
until Fort Policy was az ain reached.
The Journey was made in safety.
Of course il was understood that her
Young Scotch lover would leave the
land of cakes and follow her to the
northwest. where she pictured TO her
self the kind reception he would re-
ceive from her parents, and where the
battle If life would be commenced in
the married state. But this dream was
never to be realized Aye. the golden
web was u be shattered before il was
nearly completed
After due time the father was in
formed Of her attachment to the young
man in Scotland. OF her intention TO
marry him. and how he was coming
out for that purpose. The father be-
came angry and would not consent He
already had husband chosen for her
The person was an emplOve of the
company, aud was stationed at Fort
Garry.
Here was an obstacle that she did
not count upon. She debated the sub
1ect with her father and finally as
serted her prerogative of accepting as
her husOan d the man she had chosen.
while the father was Just as determined
chat she should marry the man he hsd
chosen
Thus matters stood for a long time