The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-09-08

ers, axes, knives, edibles, etc. About
the same time that the party reached
Calgary a party of "a men from
Chicago, under the direction of Capt.
Willis, and having over 20 horses,
reached there, and arrangements
we're made for joining issues from a
business standpoint, until no further
use could be made of the Canadian
Pacific. Officers of the latter were
seen, and an extremely low rate was
made, whereby the entire party, with
horsee, provisions, ETC., we're hauled to
Edmonton over that line much cheap
or than could the party have gone
overland. It is about 200 miles from
Calgary to Edmonton, and the train
pulled the party into the latter town
in the evening, and in Edmonton the
Redwood county party remained for
three or four days, breaking in their
ponies and fixing up their toboggans.
There was some wild experience in
breaking these rude carriers of the
west, and several runaways. without
personal injury, are recorded by the
historian. Arrangements were made
to leave Edmonton on Feb. 14th, but
storm set in on the early morning
of that day, and it continued during
the 18th, 18th and 18th. The snow
of this storm was very heavy, aud
while it drifted more or less, the tim
ber kept it from being what is known
as q Minnesota blizzard. And here
our historian records that the country
around Edmonton has far more tim
her than the country around here,
and states that what prairie there is
in that country is prairie by fire.
fact that is probably true of this
country before immense fires swept
the timber from the hills and valleys,
and made them plains.
The party got under way from Ed
monton on Feb. 18th, Capt, Willis
and his crew having previously start
ed, and it arrived 1t st. Albert. an old
Hudson Bay Fur Co. post, that even
ing. St. Albert is town about twice
the size of Delhi village. Besides be-
ing a Hudson Bay Co. post it is an
important mission post, where both
the Catholic and Protestant churches
are represented. The houses. are all
of logs, and they go a long way
toward making the town maintain a
typical frontier reputation. Shortly
after ARRIVING at St. Albert a hard
storm set in and it commenced storm
| ing for three days, and it was not un-
til Feb. 22d that our little party COM
menced it's long journey to the north.
They wents12 miles through a bleak
region that day, and 16 more miles on
the following day, seeing more or less
snow, some herbage for horses, and
countless tons of ice heaped up Mong
the rivers. On the latter day, also,
they passed the Capt. Willis expedil
tion, said au revoir, and passed on
crossing the Pembina river, one of tho
main tributaries to the Athabasca riv
or, on Feb. 24th. On the following
day they crossed the Paddle river, a
small tributary of the Pembina, aid
made about ID or Is miles. Right
here the chronicler observes that it is
impossible to obtain any exact distahc-
es, because none have been established,
and the Indians have way of heir
own when it comes to distances that
is not bit accurate. But Unless
otherwise stated our estimate Wis IA
and Is miles per day.
On the afternoon of Feb 18th
the party camped four miles frfm the
Athabasca river, the principle liver of
the Northwest Territories, and about
IL o'clock the next day it cro5ed this
immense stream, which is leep, in
some places and shallow il others,
changing it's channel frequently by
reason of the vast amount bf water
that comes down from the FOUNTAINS
in the spring of the year. che party
moved along the rest of thj day and
part of the next, when It crossed
Deep River, tributary of the Atha-
basca. Up to this time tH members
had been moving on two meals each
day morning and event. 3, but they
now became so hung1 that they.
pitched their tents, and dter building
fire, cooked . frug3 dinner, Of
which they all partoo1 Of heartily.