The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-04-21

EH DAKOTA, FRIDAY, APR
path again and while passing the house
of namesake James Thomson (but no
relation) / told father I would run in
and make torch to light us the rest
of the way. When I had the torch
made l started to find father, but now
he was lost. I ultimately found him
about half a mile off the road. By the
time we got back to the road, the torch
was burned out, but we got home all
right about 3 a. m. We found mother
and the children in the middle of the
floor surrounded with quilts. She said
the wolves had been very troublesome
and they we're frightened.
About this time the neighbors per-
suaded father to open day school.
He did not like to do so, as he was
somewhat rusty in his studies himself,
but they would not be denied. He said
if the children would come to his shanty
he would do the best he could for them,
and they came. I think see them now
seated on log reaching from the fire.
place to the door, the one next the fire
having as his duty the watching of the
chimney and when it caught fire to
dash cup of water on it. 1t was not
many days before the boys and girls
found out the state of our cupboard
1--WE had now been seventeen weeks
subsisting on cornmeal,, and one day
the youngsters did not appear at the
usual time and we wondered what was
the matter. After a while we heard
shouting and the sounds of axes going
and then saw two stout fellows walking
nearly breast deep IN snow breaking a
new road. Soon yoke of oxen hove
in sight drawing sleigh. and on the
sleigh was load OF girls and small boys.
When they drove up to the door Helen
Mcpherson was the first to jump of,
with loaf of bread in her arms. An
other girl was sitting on q bag of
\ potatoes and another on sack of -four.
I would it could, describe our feelings,
hut I cannot; leave you to imagine
them. That was an end to our long
fast. While we were for years poor
still after that We never wanted.
. Father had in the meantime started a
Sunday scnool. One day we we're busy
cutting our wood to do us over Sunday,
when neighbor Thomson came along
aud asked what ne were doing. Father
, said. Getting our Sunday wood
Why" said our neighbot, ''this is
Sunday, and I am on my way t.
Sunday school," We dropped car axes
"Well," said father, tive will 80 with
you, and if we find the people assembled
I will admit my mistake, otherwise il
is only. Saturday." Sure enough the
people were there awaiting US, and
father explained the delay. Every one
Of 10 had lost day and we could never
account for it. Father also started a
singing school and to it the boys and
girls came for miles around, and more
pleasant time a community never en-
joyed.
\ In the month OF April. 1s4a father
and his coasin John Cowie each got =
summons to attend court at the town OF
Brockville, to give evidence in a suit
between the owners Of the steamer that
was wrecked and the other side. No
mileage money was given them, but
! they were threatened with . penalty of
| ESQ if they did not appear. So, not
being versed in the law, the penalty
frightened them, and they set out on
foot, and walked every step Of the way
lover 700 miles), and as the snow went
off nearly all of the bridges were swept
away, and they we're compelled to cross
rivers in boats or on logs as best they
could. When they arrived at Brock
vile, they were told they would not be
required, and for remuneration they
were given couple of pairs of trousers
each, quantity of black linen thread
and railway ticket as far as Hamilton,
whence they walked l2O miles ere they
got home.
While father was away mother and I
logged and cleared an acre of ground,
got bushel OF wheat and sowed it,
narrowing it in with a small tree-top.
It grew and was good crop. We
stacked it, but when We came to thresh
it we found the water had got into it
and it was ruined.
In the month of March our two COWS
disappeared and on tracking them we
found them bid behind big log and
each of them had beautiful little calf.
j We carried the calves home and went
to a neighbor who was q carpenter and
begged bagful Of shavings to bed
them with. Feed was very scarce; only
one man in our neighborhood had any
straw. He took liking to father, and
said for sl.OO he would give him load