Go to...
Index
Summary
page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
page 5
page 6
page 7
page 8
page 9
page 10
page 11
page 12
page 13
page 14
page 15
page 16
page 17
page 18
page 19
page 20
page 21
page 22
page 23
page 24
page 25
page 26
page 27
page 28
page 29
page 30
page 31
page 32
page 33
page 34
|
9.
we put up our tent and quietly settled down until Monday morning.
On Monday, heading north, we eased the loads down to the ferry by locking one
hind wheel with a chain. We both felt much happier when we landed safely on
the north shore of the Saskatchewan River. Soon we were winding our way up the
hill to the plains above. The sun was bright and warm and we noticed a heavy smell
as we reached the top. We rested our oxen and walked over a little to the west and
looked down into a hollow. Oh, what a sight -- for that hollow was piled with dead
cattle -- all now bloating in the sun. This was our first sight of the awful havoc
done in that long cold and stormy winter of 1907, and often referred to for many
years after.
We continued our way north, and one cold wet day we arrived at a tent in
Township 28 R.14 W. Third. In that tent we found four of our homestead neighbors.
They were Jim and Geb McGregor, Jim Hay and Bob Sanson. All have since passed
on except George McGregor, who may yet be living in Scotland.
After getting acquainted we continued on to Jason Nicolls' Quarter, the N.W.
28, Township 28, R. 14, West Third. With our thirty foot tether chains we tied out
our oxen on the grass, put up our tent, and felt quite at home. Next morning as
Jason was preparing breakfast, I hurried over to the school section, and for the
first time got a look at my homestead. It was a splendid quarter, gently sloping
to the west and north. Here was to be my home for the next five years. Here I was
to bring my young wife three years later, and here our first boy was to be born. It
is little wonder I went back to breakfast that morning with what amounted to a very
possessive assurance of the future.
We prepared our new riding plows and took one 4 ox team to teach them to pull the
plow. Here again we got another big disappointment. The oxen pulled well on a wagon
rolling along, but when we slipped the plow into that stiff solid clay, they just
stopped and pulled off sideways, thus throwing the plow out. It took some patient training
for another week to get our oxen to pull the plow along slowly and to keep straight.
Then we found our land much too sticky for moleboard plows. We had to take our plows to
a blacksmith and remove the moleboards and substitute three 3/4" steel rods to turn the
sod furrow over.
Our first work was to plow a fire guard eight or nine furrows wide, right around out
quarters so that no grass fire would cross. Then we had to plow a few acres as required
by homestead regulations. This we seeded to oats for feed.
One day in June. having staked out the oxen on fresh grass, I walked away 12
miles south east to see a quarter section 1 had bought. I stayed overnight with a
young man who wanted to abandon his land and sell his shack, which was l2'x16', and
other equipment. I needed a house and offered to buy him out, but had no cash.
Next day I walked away home, wondering how to get the money to buy that house.
A very pleasant surprise awaited me, for on arriving back at our tent, I found my
father there. He had come from Ontario to see me, and to see this new country.
country. He had the money I needed, so early next morning, we started back with
the four ox team and wagon. We bought the shack and all equipment, loaded it onto
the wagon and were back home late that night. After digging out a little cellar for
a store room we were not long getting the house up. Father left after a short visit
and went back to Ontario. And now with a snug little house to live in I felt a little
more secure on this wide open treeless plain.
>next
Read more about Jim McConnell's family in Rootsweb Genealogy pages.
|