Evening journal., 1913-07-03
PREFERS ARCTIC
LIFE TO THAT
OF OLD LONDON
Never So Lonely in Northern
Woods as in Metropolis
Streets
AMONG THE INDIANS
FOR THIRTEEN YEARS

spend l3 years in the far north OF
Canada, completely isolated from civ
ilization and its wonders. then 10 be
granted a years furlough and visit
the worlds alrgest city, to see and
near of the great advancements
made IN al / es, is the unique exp ri
ence of Christopher Harding, Iud-
son'sBay Company factor of the
Great Slave lake and Mackenzie
river district, who is in the Canadian
capital on his way back to his home
in the wilderness.
When Harding reaches Fort Mac,
Pherson, the most northerly Hudson S
Bay Company trading post, in July.
he will have completed a year of
travel as the company's guest.
Fort MacPherson is near the mouth
OF the great Mackenzie river, v'lthin
the Arctic circle, between 81 and 6S
degrees north latitude. A journey of
more than a thousand mics by canoe
and portage up the Mackenzie river
Great Slave lake. Slave river and
Athabasca river brought him and his
wife, former Winnepeg girl, to Ath-
abasca landing, whence they proceed
ed overland to Edmonton. Alberta.
Mr. and Mrs. Harding were accom-
panied by Fred. Gaudet, an employee
of the company. who had not been
outside in 2S years Gaudet travel
ed only as far as Quebec, his boy
hood home, where he has spent sew
eral months, and will take north With
him pretty French-Canadian girl as
his bride.
At Edmonton Gaundet saw his first
locomotive and the Hardings their
first automobile.
At Winnipeg the two men visited
the Hudson's Bay offices and drew
their savings of years, or what por-
ton they wanted Money is a useless
commodity in the far northern fur
country. 1t is rarely seen there, the
Indians being paid in supplies for the
furs they turn in Some sHudson's
Bay officials have small fortdnos
awaiting them when they get out
where money is useful
The Hardings came East and sailed
for England late in November last
and remained there until a few weeks
ago. Mr. Harding is of middle age,
and save for his bronzed face bears
more the appearance of a comfort
able, contented man of business than
one accustomed to Arctic rigors He
was, strangely enough. born il, India
and reared in England, at the village
of Wimbledon. near London. He is
well educated and has kept in touch
with the world doings through the
medium of newspapers six months to
year old.
"One of the first things I did on
reaching England" he said was 10
HE myself to my boyhood home But
alas! the faces of the school chums
whom / expected to surprise we're
missing. 1t is % years since left
Wimbledon and came to Canada.
rs it lonesome way up there?
Well perhaps you would thiuk so,
but the North is home to me now and
I am GLAD to be getting back TO it,
have had enough OF civilization to
satisfy me for many more years
In all my life I never felt so lonely
as when a few months ago / stood
for an hour on London bridge and
watched perhaps hundreds of thou
sands of people huIrying by. Never
In the depths OF the wilderness did
l feel so much alone as when IN that
vest throng realized that there was
not a soul who knew or cared about
me. That was real lonliness.
"Londons millions Cts traffic. the
tubes, the suffragettes and the aero
plane are wonderful sights, but
shall not pine for them
Il of course spent a good deal of my
time at Hudson's Bay headquarters.
Lord Strathcona. Canadian High Com
missioner in London, is the present
head of the company, but owing to his
advanced age rarely visits head
quarters"
Mr. Harding told in modest Ian
guage of the hardships experienced in
Canadas outposts. The dog train in
winter and canoe in summer are prac-
tically the only means of transporta-
ton, and the company breeds its own
''huskies." These dogs can haul 4
heavy load of supplies over an incred-
ible distance at a good pace.
Mails reach Fort MACPHERSON cnly
twice year. News of the Titanic
disaster in April. 1912, did not reach
there until just before Harding tart
ed out in July.
Temperatures in the fur countries
run to extremes known perhaps no
where else in the world. Summer is
brief but 100 degrees of heat in some
districts not quite so far north as
Fort Mcpherson is not unknown.
Fifty below is common during the
long winter; 6S below is the lowest
Mr.. Harding ever saw recorded.
The food problem is always a SER
ious one with us. Mr.. Harding went
on. I'VE have to be careful that our
supplies coming in by water line in
the summer season are not nipped in
the ice through the setting in of
winter.
The ice on lakes and rivers freezes
often to a depth of eight feet We
have to chisel through this to get food
for our dogs and ourselves, and IL is
no simple task"
Mr.. Harding and his wife. a few as
sistants, an aged missionary and some
mounted police are the only white
people in the district But the Indian
trappers are a peaceful people 1t was
in this country that the mounted po-
lice party perished a few years ago
when on the way out overland to at
tend the coronation of King George.
Mr.. Harding says the beaver is be-
coming scarce in the North, but Is
not being exterminated. It fights shy
of man and moves back as he ad-
vances into his haunts.