The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-11-26
CAPTAIN ANGUS M'KAY
LED STRENUOUS LIFE
FORTY YEARS A SAILOR AND
SOLDIER
Timber Cruising, Wrecking and Trading
with the Indians Among His =
Experiences

Very few men in Michigan have led
more active and eventful careers than
Captain Angus Mckay, who is round
ing out "a life of labor with an age of
ease" at his farm home just north of
Clio. The captain is not at all boastful
of his adventurous past, but in the
course of visit in which the writer,
having some knowledge of his life,
rather beguiled him into reminiscence,
story of more than ordinary interest
was CLEANED. Captain Mckay was born
in Southerlandshire, Scotland, June Is,
1888, coming to America in 1850. on the
sailing ship. Argo, of Liverpool, the
voyage consuming eight weeks from
land to land. The captain comes of
family of hardy Scotch sailors and as
boy went to school winters and in the
summers sailed with sea captain
uncle on the waters about the British
Isles, the first ship on which he was
engaged having been the sloop "Black
William" A sloop, it may be said is
vessel having but one mast.
After settling in Canada, the then
active and muscular young Scot en-
gagged in getting out ship timber and
became an expert with the broad axe
as well as in the work of estimating
and buying standing timber. Beside
this, he was employed by fur traders
and made trip to the 500 in 1853, be-
fore there was any railroad to that
point, the party following a govern
ment trail from Woodstock, Ont. At
that time no vessel had passed from
the lower lakes into Lake Superior, as
the first lock was not constructed until
1855. When one considers the immense
freighters that now pass through the
locks, transporting hundreds of millions
of tons annually, one can see that the
captains experience covers an almost
magical period of development.
During his early years in Canada the
captain sailed intermittently on the
lakes and for six years, from 1866 to
1872, was soldier in the mounted in
fantry serving in the Canadian north
west. AS that country was then about
the widest on the face of the globe,
peopled almost wholly by Indians and
half-breeds, the life of Private Mckay
was not without plenty of adventures
and thrills. The captain now holds a
deed to 16O acres Of land given by the
Canadian government as a reward for
his military service.
After completing his army service
Captain Mckay was employed by the
CanadianFovernment as wrecker for
number of years, in which position he
saw much of the disaster wrought by
storm and collision upon the commerce
of the great lakes.
The portion of his career to which the
captain looks back with most pleasure,
however, is that during which, for
period of twenty years, he sailed the
lakes as master of sailing vessels. 1t
was calling in which skill and nerve
were important factors and its hazards
as well as the manly character of the
services it required gave to it charm
that only one who has followed it can
truly appreciate. That the captain was
good seaman is attested by the fact
that he never lost vessel, although he
figured in one shipwreck as a sailor be-
fore the mast. Forty years ago every
lake port was a forest of masts, then
steam began slowly but surely to get
the upper hand and today the great
sailing fleet has entirely disappeared.
But the captain still loves to think of
the good old days and keeps his mas
ter's license as sacred treasure.
We almost forgot to say that Captain
Mckay is a native Highlander. was
brought up in kits, speaks Gaelic, and
among his many other accomplishments
can play the pipes. AS may be imag-
ined, the captain is very interesting
conversationalis., he is. moreover, al
ways hopeful and hearty, and as con-
sequence, his many friends will join in
the hope that he may live long to enjoy
in health and contentment the fruits of
his strenuous and adventurous career.