Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-01-03
CANADIAN MOUNTED
St8ry Of Unique Police Force Now
Going Out.
OPERATED OVER WIDE AREA OF EILBS
Had Wonderful Prestige in uphoidine
Majesty of Law Even Among the
Roushest and Most Fearless People

.
+ WheE early in 1890 the RpyaI North
west Mounted Police OF sCanada, were
+. amalgamated with a federal force
) known as the Dominion Police they, rs
q body of constabulary erected pri-
marily for the maintenance of law and
order in organized, territory, passed
out of existence.
: 1t is true that the amalgamated
force, now known as the Royal Cana
dian Mounted Police, comprises viz
tueuy the entire strength of the
Northwest Mounted Police at the time
of the transfer, and also that Colonel
Perry, q. member of the Northwest
Mounted since 1882 and commissioner
Gince 1900. is at lis head: but times
have changed since the force was or
ganized in 1873.
At that time the nowly-formed Do
minion of Canada was only six years
of age. The vast tract OF territory
stretching from the Great Lakes 10 the
Rocky Mountains was virtually un-
explored. its plains roamed over sby
herds of buffalo and populated iby
nomadic Indian tribes. This empire
in itself had,,I previous to 1896, been
governed by the Hudson Bay Com
pany. which was interested solely in
. the fur trade and looked with disfavor
on the advent of the settler.
The acquisition Of these Hudson
Bay Company hands, comprising 2,3eo,-
600 square miles, made it incumbent
on the Dominion Government to make
some provision for the maintenance
therein of Canadian law.
The Indian population living be-
tween the Red River and the Rocky
Mountains at that time was estimated
to be in the neighborhood of $4,000
consisting principally of Crees and
Blackfeet, as well as Peigans, Bloods'
Assiniboines and a number OF small
tribes, of whom probably not more
than 1000 were capable of bearing
arms. In addition, there were 2'9oo
half breeds. . ~
Unlike those south Of the internat-
ionai boundary line, the Indians OF the
Canadian Northwest had, SO far given
very little trouble. ( The reason is per-
haps to be found in the fact that the
policy maintained bs<the Hudson Bay
Company of retaining TO itself virtually
the exclusive privileges kept out such
urscrupuious traders as he'd been so
instrumental across the; line in stirring
up strife between the red paen and the
whites.
AS it was, what trouble did occur
with the Indians on the Canadian
plains was along the border where
traders from the United States had
been for some years past plying
lucrative trade in supplying the H.
dams with liquor in exchange for
buffalo hides and other products of the
chase. The influence of the whisky
and also O plentiful supply OF That
other advance guard Of civilization
the musRet-was occasionally respon-
sible for sporadic returns TO the tribal
feuds of the past, -
Force Was Created in 1873
In 1871 the territory between the
Rocky Mountains and the PACING
ocean, now known as the province or
British Columbia, became part OF the
Dominion on the understanding that 4
railroad be built connecting the, Pa
cific with eastern Canada. The survey
and construction parties which would
have to traverse that vast land in the
location and building of such great
undertaking would require protection,
as would the settlers who were sure
to follow in the wake OF railway eX-
tension. ..
II was in consideration of some oil
these requirements that the govern
ment OF Sir John A. Macdonald made
provision for the creation of the
Northwest Mounted Police in 1873.
The force was modelled somewhat
along the lines of the Royal Irish Con-
stabulary. 1t was a civilian force but
with military organization. Although
the act under which the fierce was
created provided for an ultimate
strength of 800 men, only three divi-
sions of so men each were raised at
first. These were recruited in the
cast and arrived in Fort Garry-now
Winnipeg-jn October, 1873, under
command of Lieutenant Colonel George
A. French. the first commissioner.
As the distance from the Red River
to the Rocky Mountains is more than
500 miles, and the northern extremity
of the territory to be parolled by the
force about an equal distance from
the international boundary. 1t was OBJ
viously impossible TO police such an
offensive stretch of country from Fort
Garry, and in the spring Of 1874, Col
onel French set about establishing
posts at strategic points throughout
the Northwest. For this purpose the
strength of the force was increased to
the full authorized number As one
of the objects of the police was 10 ac-
quaint the Indians with Canadian law
and also 10 impress them with an idea
&c +ho -ecourcaa which were available