The Redwood gazette., 1902-03-05
OX-CART AND CANOE.
The Forerunners Of the Railroads and
Lake Fleets.
Of THE GAZETTE.

| CORRESPONDENTS OfIHE GAZETTE.
The Rainy river is navigable fo1
steamboats, west to the upper part
of the Lake of the Woods and east
to Lake Superior, and together with
the lakes, of which it forms a part
| was at one time the highway Of con.
siderable commerce.
A hundred years ago Koochich.
ming falls formed a barrier to the
canoe OF the intrepid voyager, EN-.
ployed by the Hudson Bay com.
pany in the transport of furs and
supplies between Montreal and the
posts Of the company as far as Great
Glare Lake. At this point every
package and the boats as well must
be toted around the portage. 1t is
232 years since Prince Rupert re
ceived from Charles II the rights
of trade possessed by the Hudson
Bay company. A recent writer
says, 1t is 228 years since Charles
II ceased toying with his mistresses
long enough to sign a license to q
company OF trades known as the
Honorable Company of Merchants
Adventures trading into Hudson
Bay. The splendor Of the pre-
cious metals of Mexico and Peru had
hitherto dazzled the eye of Europe.
But royalty and beauty were now
wrapping themselves in costly furs.
So Prince Rupert went to his royal
cousin one day and asked and re
ceived the sole privilege of trade
and commerce in all this vast region,
larger than Europe, extending from
the Atlantic to the Pacific and from
our great lakes to Hudson Bay. For
this grand monopoly he was to pay
annually to his royal highness. the
king, two elk and two black beaver
skins.
OF this royal grant. over 5000, ,0OO
square miles of territory from the
north line of the provinces to the
Arctic ocean is still under the con-
troll of the Hudson Bay company.
Whether the elk and beaver skins
are still paid as rent l find no rec
ord. Years ago white man claimed
land where St. Paul has been built
The employees of the company had
become familiar with the lakes,
rivers and portages OF grand line
of transportation from Montreal to
Lake Athabasca and the Great Clare
Lake, distance OF $500 miles.
The headquarters for the fur
trade of Lake Superior and the
country to the northwest was at
Grand Portage, on semi-circular
bay at the mouth of the Rainy river
-146 miles from Duluth. AT this
place the company had afort, stores
warehouses, quarters for men
among which was a dining room
with puncheon floor, Ga feet long
There was boat yard in which lO'
canoes were kept in stock and Z;
were manufactured each year TO
the uses OF the company. The en-
tire plant was enclosed and guarded
by police.
!. To give your readers an idea G
the business carried on at GRAM
| Portage in the summer / will tax
the records of the year 1900, whic
show that on July Sd thirty-fiv
great canoes arrived from Mack
nav. each manned with eight me
aud carrying from three to five ton
OF goods consisting largely of sugar
tea, rum, tobacco and gunpowdel
Over seventy canoes had alread
arrived from Lake Winnepep an
the west through Rainey river, lad
en- with felts and furs. These cano
men together with the regular en-
ployees Of the post numbered se'
eral hundred and the factors then
selves being present, gave a gre;
ball on the evening of July 3. 1s0
Music was furnished by the ba!
pipe violin and flute, 'thirty-s
gallons OF rum were issued by tt
factors which made the night hila
fious. There was a plenty of woI
{ en-, too, and beautiful half breed
{ who danced we'll.
Gen. j. Fl. Baker in report
the Minnesota historical socie1
SAYS, Some idea of the extent