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

sequeStered the estate for It's own use.
A hospital was built with part Of the
money, and after paying all expense Of
inquiry fund of e98,O0O.0O was to the
credit of the estate, and so it stands to
this day.
My grandfather's family consisted of
James (my father), Janet, John and
Robert. 4
In 1840 my uncle John emigrated to
Canada and settled on a 1O0-acre farm
in the township of Caradoc in the
county of Middlesex, and at this writing
one of his sons lives on it, but the
father has passed away.
In the meantime father got "Cana-
dian fever" and on the 9th day of
April, 1912, we embarked on new bark,
the Queen of the 1sles," bound for
Montreal. After a very stormy passage
lasting seven weeks and three days
we arrived, then took passage IN "a
small propeller for Kingston. All went
we'll till We were going through the
Rideau canal. After passing what was
then Bytown (now Ottowa) we came to
what is called the Devils Elbow, and
there we we're run down by large
steamer and in fifteen minutes our boat
was at the bottom with all our luggage.
All the passengers were taken on board
the large steamer back to Bytown, and
on the following morning the men folks
went to the scene Of the wreck and
fished out their belongings. We spent
week on the hills drying out our
clothes, ETC., then took the boat to
Kingston and arrived there in due time.
From there we tooksa steamer to Ham
ilton. and from Hamilton we engaged, a
team to London, one hundred miles.
From London to my uncle Johns, about
twenty five. miles, another team was
engaged. And now we were in the land
Of promise,r in the midst of . dense
forest, with very few settlers and On
abundance Of game and wild a,imals.
A cousin Of my tather's named John
Cowie, accompanied US all the way, but
misfortune attended him on the ocean.
Mrs. Oowie died giving birth to . child
and mother and child wrapped in q sail
we're comrnitted' to the deep.
John Cowie took up land in the
township Of Williams, SO did fs4her, bu,
he WAS saraid he could not pay Tor It
- he gave it up and bought small
farn of thites.sexeu acres in the town
ship OF Adelaide. For this he paid, and
found he had the munificent 'sum d
90 left. OF this he paid $500 T. have
the land surveyed, so had $500 left.
He got . neighbor (Wm. Bishop. a
big-hesrted many to come and cut down
q few trees to make site for q house,
then father and I commenced getting
out logs Tor it. It wAa SLOW work;
neither Of as could strike ths aye In the
same place at 6sst. but we soon eot On
to Il. When we had the logs Ont and
brought to the place N hsd to hare 4
raising bee, snd father NJ told that be
would have to furnish VAiskey, q no
one would come unless snpplied with
nhiskey to drink. SO IL invested
in gallon, which drew still iaethsr on
our small stock Of money. III then
paid 800 to have door and sash made
which practically used up oil our cash,
Father had worked for fsrmei
during the harvest. and took his pay in
Indian corn, 90 We had that to fall back
upon for food.
The winter set in early. Snow fell on
the 18th Of November and we never saw
the ground until the 7th of May. There
was no thaw-an unusual thing fol
Canada.
We split clapboards out of oak and
covered the ro,f, and chinked up the
spaces between the logs with mud. We
erected mud chimney, but before we
got it up the ground froze and we had
to continue it with green basswood
slabs, which when dried were continu-
ally getting on fire: so We had to take
turns in watching, having pail Of
water constantly on hand.
A kind neighbor gave us two COWS to
keep on shares, but we had no feed fol-
them. The neighbors told. us they
would live and do we'll on browse 1.-THE
tops Of trees), % father and I would ret
out every morning to out down trees and
the COWS would come as soon a. they
heard the tree fall. The COWS were
faring better than We were.
For some time we had been living on
cornmeal, having neither milk, sugar
nor salt to make il palatAbls. and We
were getting pretty weak. One day II
was necessary to 60 to sttathroy, whore
the mill was, with our grist pp our
backs. It was dusk when We got our
corn ground. Uncle John lived half
way. When We got there / was 80
exhausted / could not carry mine any
farther, but father said he might want
his for pillow, 60 on we went, While