Jim McConnell's Autobiography 1877 - 1957Canadian pioneer farmer in Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia |
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13. At Thompson's office in town they only wanted to pay us the $20.00 a month and get rid of us, but Hawkins proved to be a pretty good actor. He just turned for the door, saying to me. "Come on, Jim. We will see if they can pull this on us." And before we got to the door they called us back and paid us both $26.00 a month, that being the going wage for bush work at that time. We spent the night together in Prince Albert and parted next morning. Hawkins took his way back to his farm at Rouleau. Saskatchewan. and I left for Delisle. As he was at least ten years older than I, he has probably passed on by now. Upon arriving at Patterson's place at Delisle I found the snow still deep and winter still prevailing. Mr. Patterson sold me a couple of heavy planks and some lumber and nails. I prepared the planks for sleigh runners, then built a sleigh the same width as the bob sleighs on the road. On this, I put the wagon and box and the season's provisions for 1909. Early next morning I hitched two of the oxen to the sleigh and tied the other two behind and started the homeward journey. There was incident that day which impressed my memory. and I never forgot it. When I got down to Harris. the road was all drifted in full of snow, and late in the evening I took a wrong turn and soon found myself up in the bush where they had been cutting wood. It was much too cold to stop and camp so I kept on driving slowly through the bush. After a long while, I felt the sleigh cross something hard. Going back, I found it to be the main travelled road. I turned the sleigh around and got on the hard road again. After travelling along some distance there appeared a dark object to the right of the trail. which proved to be a house. After I had made considerable noise, the door was opened and a man looked out. I sure was glad to see him. and told him how I had become lost off the road. The oxen were tired and I was cold. He showed me where to tie the oxen in the shed and asked me to come to the house. I fed the oxen their hay, packed in my roll of blankets, spread them on the floor and went to sleep. It seemed that morning came almost immediately and my host was up and cooked me a substantial breakfast and then wished me well as I rolled my blankets for my journey. He would take no pay for the real kindness he had shown me. I was given directions on my road west to Zealandia. which I soon passed. and continued on slowly mile after mile and I arrived home that night. There were piles of snow still drifted over the stable. I dug out the door and got the oxen in and fed. Now began the third and last season of homestead duties required by the Government to get a clear title for the quarter section. Some progress had been m.ade. The dam was full of snow 9 and as it melted, water was stored up enough for the Spring and Summer. Seventy acres had been broken and worked down ready for the seed. The south winds and sunny days began to reduce the snow, and by April 15th, the land was dry enough to begin working on the land. ConsiderabLe activity was now to be seen everywhere. More people were coming in. and more houses were being hurridly built. Some folks were digging wells to get water. It was now clearly evident that the humble "Homesteader" had won out on the first round of this titanic struggle against heat and drought and solitude in summer and snow and blizards and relentless cold in winter. This vast territory -- the last great west extending away west into Alberta was being subdivided and brought under cultivation to add to the food supply as the population increased. When the ground was dry enough, I sowed the seventy acres to oats and
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