Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1896-01-08
CHAPTER, XIV

The headquarters OF the Northwest
mounted police force at Regina stand
on site as drearily featureless and
wretched for the herding together of
/ human beings as ever the most inter
ested or disinterested of mortals fixed
upon. No rolling prairie here to unfold
to the traveller every few miles some
varying scene suggestive of change and
restful to the eye and the senses, Moth :,
! ing but dead level-a seemingly in
| terminable plain as far as the eye could
reach, prairie without tree, a stick,
a stone or a hillock higher than an ant
hill to break the appalling reiteration
and maddening monotony Of the weary
| landscape. In winter a snow clad, wind
swept, blizzard haunted wilderness; in
| spring and summer. when it rains, a
quagmire of the most oleaginous and
tenacious mud that ever stuck to boots
worn by human beings. But this mud
grows excellent wheat, and the people,
as a rule, do not emigrate merely in
search of the picturesque.
"By what strange paths and crooked
ways the town of Regina and the
Northwest mounted police barracks came
to be placed where they are is one OF
those mysteries left to puzzle the stu
dent of history in the time to come. All
honor, however, to the energetic inhabit-
ants Of Regina, to those who have ad
ministered its affairs and it's able press,
that they have made their city what it
now is You in particular, Nicholas
Flood DAWN, and Mowat, have been
men among thousands
But it is the headquarters of the
not the town Of Regina that we have to
do with. The barracks are situated some
two miles west Of the town and consti
tute in themselves a goodly village.
with their great octagon shaped water
sank, like tower, in the center, flag
staff, handsome riding school, large
stables and other buildings. They stand
on the banks of the Wascana creek, the
favorite haunt and breeding place of the
festive mosquito III the spring, anG
upon the whole are not particularly
inspiriting sight. If rumor speaks truly,
and rumor must be taken with the pro
verbal pinch of salt, the enterprising
individual who sold this site to the
police force for so much cash and some
say the promise of commission i'll the
force had the best of the bargain.
Entering the barracks by the princi
pal gateway, one passes the great flag
staff on the right and on the left the
long, low wooden guardroom where
Louis Riel, Gaudier, Racette and other
enemies to the law and their own free
dom of action enjoyed for period the
enforced hospitality Of the provost SER
geant and at last one fine morning
walked out of the window at the gable |
end of the building to pay the penalty
of their misdeeds The rope that hanged
the famous rebel Riel is one of the
longest ropes on record, for Jack Hen
derson, the worthy Scot from the island
of Butte, who hanged him, is accredited
with having sold at least several miles
of that same rope. After all, Jack Hen I
derson only hanged the man who, on
one occasion, came very near to hanging
him. 1t was only right that Jack should |
be allowed to use long rope.
In front of the guardroom, pacing
up and down upon the sidewalk be-
tween huge banks of snow, is the
sentry, minus his carbine, for it is
80 degrees below zero, and cold steel
is a dangerous thing to handle in such
low temperature. He resembles moth
ing so much as huge bear, with his
great shaggy buffalo coat, his capacious
collar up over his ears, fur cap and long
brown stockings folded below the knee
Of course in such weather he wears no
long top boots, but moccasins. On the
west side of the square are two large
blocks of two stored barrack rooms for
the men. In front of No. passage the
sick parade has fallen in, and the or
derby corporal is standing by, ready to
march off the little row of unfortunates
to the doctor the minute the bugle is
sounded But to the credit of the med
ical staff of the police force be it said
they are capable of performing their
duties with marked ability and human
iAz
ITO he continued