The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-12-28
BRITISH COLUMBIA TRIP
EXPERIENCES OF FRANK Ora
HAM, FORMERLY OF NORFOLK.
HUNTING FOR TIMBER LANDS

Travelled IN Leaky Canoe - TRIP
Through the Wids Four Hundred
Miles North of Vancouver.
Frank Graham, who is now in Brit
ish Columbia looking up timber lands
for his uncle A. J. Durland of this city,
writes an interesting letter dated Vic
toria. b. c., December II, describing
one of his recent trips, as follows;
To say that the Clearwater trip was
a hard and exciting one puts it mildly
and am proud of myself for being in
such fine condition physically at the
finish, when an old stager like Mckay
looks like he had been run through a
threshing machine. He says he lost
ten pounds on the trip, when | know
gained weight, even If we did half
starve at times But to the trip
Leaving Vancouver | spent the first
night at Ashcroft. 203 miles, leaving
Ashcroft at 1870 next day seated on
the hurricane deck (up on top) of a
stage for Clinton, thirty-five miles up
Cariboo stage road and we came near
freezing. got off and ran bthind up
hill to keep warm. One of these big
four-horse stages changed horses once.
Got to Clinton at o'clock. Well, we
quit staging right there and were not
on one again. Left Clinton at 1880
next morning with livery rig and
sleigh. Our Frenchman Oouie) hav-
ing met us here, our party was now
three. Sleighing was good to the
MI ,,,hl a
spent the night. On again next morn
ing to the One Hundred-mile house;
Arrived there at IL o'clock got dinner,
and another man drove us twenty
miles to Canim Lake Indian reserva'
tion arriving about dark. At this point
we had to start up Hotel De Mckay ,sup'
plies for which we laid in at Clinton
Spent the night in the chiefs house
and it took all the evening parleying
with the Indians about getting two
men to go with us to Clearwater
They were not just what you might
call anxious for the job, and later
came to understand why. Finally, af
ter our patience was pretty well tried
we secured two men, the chief and a
DOy VI 10 lldlllcu btOl &c, anu NNl btilill y
we were more than fortunate in get
ting these fellows for they proved
themselves just the right men for the
work in hand We had no idea what
we were up against but they did. The
chief is 81 years old, and has hunted
all over those mountains since child
hood. He knew the country for a
of ,,,ilnc-nunry prpnlE
mountain and lake-as well as you
know Norfolk He had no idea of his
value to us or he would have charged
500 more, for they are great on the
charge, and, goodness knows, we were
held up every place for money and
had to "dig up''-no other way, either
put up or no canoe-and walking bad
The boy George was a treasure as
you will learn. He was quiet-not g
word unless questioned-but the CHIEF
was quite talkative. Indians are
mighty slow getting started and tC
one of my disposition they are respon
sible for lot of cussing, But before
starting want to say of George, thai
he has been in school seven years anC
studied English and writes very well
Gas good as | can, eh?) In school he
learned the trade of harnessmaker
and made a double set of harness
which he sold for 5000. He owns thir
ty-five head of stock and six or sever
horses, so you see he is no fool. He
is husky lad, full-blooded Indian
and looks like the Sioux. Nice fellow
to talk to-very sweet voice, so soft
Leaving the reservation at about
o'clock, an Indian drove us in slet
four miles to Canim lake (the wes
end). After an hours delay in getting
an old leaky boat dug out of the snow
our baggage and party, now five, were
loaded and we started. Our motive
power was one oar and one paddle
We worked along the shore until We
came to some young cedar trees, wheI
we landed and while our Indians were
hewing oars out of cedar we got oul
lunch in the snow. Here our frs
kodak picture was taken-only tool
five pictures. We finished up the film
that was in Mr. McKay's kodak will
all assurance we had a dozen more
only to find the new films were too
large, the Vancouver store having
made mistake. 1t did not make mucl
difference, for after our first day W.
had just one day you could call ligh
enough to take a picture. 1t eithe
rained or showed every day. Afte
the oars were made we went on to thu
east end of Canim lake, arriving jus
at dark to an old tent abandoned, bu
which the chief knew was there. W.
had to break ice at the shore to MAKE
landing. Next morning George wen
to look up couple of ponies to pacl
our baggage from Canim to Mahoot
lake, seven miles. The rest rowed thu
boat across the bay to where the hors
es could be met. After lunch we lef
this point and here was the tent a
which we saw the man Mcdonald re
ferred to in the other letter. Leaving