The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1924-07-16
Dr.. Ross Writes
of Canadian Trio
VISITS OLD HAUNTS AND FINDS
MANY INTERESTING
CHANGES


Mrs. Bess M. Wilson,
Editor of The Redwood Gazetteer,
Dear Mrs. Wilson:
Permit me through your paper to
indulge my laziness by sending a
general message to our many friends
instead of writing them separately.
5 We arrived safely in Winnipeg soon
after eight on Wednesday morning,
and enjoyed genuine rest for few
days. On Saturday, July S, in COM
pany With little Pat we started for
Gimli at $40 p. m. We went down
by the old Fort Garry, nineteen miles
out of Winnipeg, the old walls are
still standing but the place is occu-
pied by the Golf Club. On to Sell
kirk the original home of the Lord
Selkirk Settlement, of 1912, now
called Bradbury The great, fat
stretches Of virgin prairie, stretching
as far as the eye can reach, as of
old. On to Whytewold and Winni-
peg Beach, then to Gimli about fifty
seven miles out of Winnipeg, where
We spent the night. Not much
change there in forty years, except
the railroad, wnere l used to drive
oxen, Indian ponies, or more fre-
quently the dog train in winter, and
sailed by in summer.
noticed at Gimli, something which
attracted my attention, flowing wells,
100 to 130 feet deep, giving steady
stream Of l and 1-2 inches in diam
eter. There are ten or more of them,
and Gimli lies on the shore of the
lake, yet the lake has no connection
with the flowing wells.
We spent quiet Sunday in Gim-
Ii, deprived of the privilege Of wof-
ship, SO far as the church is con-
cerned, because of the fact that only
the Icelandic language was used. In
the evening We took our cabin on the
boat, on which we were to spend the
next four days. On Monday morn
ing at 9:40 the boat sailed; past
Drunken Point (which has history,
before noon; passed along the east
side Of Big Island instead of west.
as we used to travel; reached Helka
dock about $40 pm. There was moth
ing there in my time, now, there is
a f1ourishing Icelandic centre, with
store, blacksmith shop, and saw-mill,
as well as two docks for boat land
ing. They have also a church and
schoolhouse, an electric plant, and
telephone centre-bobbed hair pre-
walls here also. Passed Black Bear
Island to the right where there is now
a large lumber interest, in spruce,
tamarac and birch. Then we reached
the north end of Big Island, where
there is lighthouse. Gull Harbour
is close to the lighthouse where the
Government has fish hatchery, where
they claim to place $4,000, 600 young
fish annually. Then on we passed
Punk Island, Little Grindstone Point
with Red Deer Island on the right,
where there is another Government
hatchery for spawn and which was
burned down recently. From there,
we sailed on to Big Grindstone Point
with Pipestone Island on the right,
where the Indians secure the soft
stone, out of which they carve their
smoking pipes. On to Berry Island
with Loon Straits to the right on the
mainland, there in our time, we built
a schoolhouse and established a
school. We had sunlight until $50,
and few minutes later passed Dog
head at the narrows of the lake. Then
came Black Bear Island with another
Government lighthouse. Doghead in
our time, was an important Hudson
Bay post, it is now abandoned and
grown up with trees and bushes. We
reached Rabbit Point about 10 p. M,
where we spent about 2 1-2 hours.
Soon after leaving Rabbit Point, We
were caught in severe storm, which
led Pat to "feed the fishes" for a
little while. In few hours the storm
subsidized, in the meantime we passed
Cox's lighthouse, and about 1920 am.
were lying off the entrance to Ber-
ems River to load sturgeon.
There is now a Roman Catholic
Church and school standing where our
first mission stood, that mission hav-
the river From there We sailed on
took on more fish. With Poplar Riy-
er, one of my old mission points "
ing to the right of the mainland, we
sailed out to Georges Island to the
left where there is an. excellent Coy
harbour and a fine light
house, where two large fish compar-
les are doing an immense business IN
whitefsh fishing. We arrived at
Georges Island about A pm. on Tues
day, where we spent the next thirty
hours. At 10 pm. Thursday evening
we set sail for home, and in 81 hours
made the journey to Gimli.
l met a number of the children
whom knew forty-five years ago. At
7 am. this morning we left Gimli
for Winnipeg, arriving in about two
hours.
Enclosed find brief cutting from
he Winnipeg Free Press, under the
lead of "Forty-fiye years ago" which
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