Talk:Barnard's Express

message: Hi Cindy; "back in town" for a bit ;-).  There's some detailed passages in Mark S. Wade's The Cariboo Road and Robin Skelton's This Is Cariboo which lay out the machinations by which Barnard's Express got the overall monopoly; Ballou was a franchisee of sorts for Wells Fargo for one thing; for another Nelson & Dietz (not that Dietz, i.e. Dutch Bill) which had the Victoria-Yale monopoly in competition with Ballou had links to Barnard and there's some insider-connections hoohah to do with that; I think it's Skelton's book which laid it out best, but they've all blurred on me and I don't have them handy (partly blurred because Skelton quotes Wade a lot, although at least one of the two makes a direct comment on the Nelson-Barnard relationship).  A term which turned up in the course of those books is useful, also - "expressmen" - which might replace :Category:Packers here i.e. :Category:Expressmen has a rationale, and there should be an article on Expressmen as you'll understand once you read the relevant passage/chapter in one of those two books; their services were more efficient than Canada Post and free, too.  The shifting ownership of the BX to/through Tingley is also laid out in detail, as is the culture and unique community of the Cariboo Road and the B.X.'s role in that.Skookum1 04:44, 16 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Sources

message: Billy Ballou is more than worthy of an article; Wade's and the other books only describe his role/activities in BC, other than making some reference to his more ignominious career in Idaho/Montana afterwards and his origins in California; it was he who introduced the "Express" system to British territory; not sure if he's the father of the legendary Cat Ballou but he may be; I seem to recall from the flick (starring Jane Fonda and Lee Marvin as I recall) that her father's name was Billy, so there must be something behind that script, but I don't know of any American sources.  Netta Sterne's book - The Fraser Gold Rush I think - is also useful because of its American-side storifying about the Fraser Gold Rush, including details which are somewhat shockingly absent from any of the Canadian-written history (she's Canadian but did her work at Washington State Pullman).Skookum1 04:48, 16 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Nope just looked at the Cat Ballou page and her father's name was Frankie; the movie is based on a novel anyway, not on a history, but you know how novelists are about rejigging facts/names.  Ballou was AIRC a Carolinan or Virginian of French ancestry; not sure what their background was in the movie, it's been years since I've seen it (it was funny, though).Skookum1 04:49, 16 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: The only sources I have right now are Willis West's, but at least, it matches those online ones that are on the Francis Jones Barnard article, (I copied them over here too, as they seem to have lots of information and dates on the company itself). I'll add what I have from West, he was the company's GM from 03 to 21, so his information on those years is a bit more thorough than the early years. He's got very little on Ballou though.CindyBotalk 06:01, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

text: The Cariboo library system has the Wade and Skelton books; I took them out from the Wells library; I think I saw Skelton in the library in the Hart; not sure about Wade but it should be at CNC or UNBC libraries (you'd think).  Certainly availalbe on interlibrary loan, and a MUST READ.Skookum1 06:36, 16 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: [[William Ballou]]

message: Just saw your addition; I'm pretty sure this beastie is in the Royal BC Museum now; and IIRC there's sentiments in Barkerville that it should be more appropriately on display there (or, I'd say, in Yale).  There's also a story about some guys who were treated to a ride in it but cheaped on the bill; in both Wade and Skelton I think.Skookum1 06:38, 16 July 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, this has a potential to be a big article once it's finished from all the right sources. So many parts of it are of historical significance. However, it's nothing compared to the Cariboo Gold Rush of course, which I've been warily circling for some time now. That one is at the center of probably several dozen biographies and town articles, rivers? lakes? that need to be written yet, yikes. BTW, I never did get around to retitling Cariboo camels yet. The sources call them that, but like you say, they aren't just "Cariboo" camels or even primarily Cariboo camels, so I don't know what to do with them. I don't think anyone's touched Chilcotin War lately either, although I did Alfred Waddington, just a straight bio though.CindyBotalk 06:58, 16 July 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Dufferin Coach

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BetacommandBot (talk) 20:51, 26 November 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Fair use rationale for Image:RMS BX and BC Express at South Fort George.gif