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Birtlc Ot.'crv'cr.Nu\ KMBFB 2*0», 1—6flld I’orl i'.llie*.Accepting an invitation from Mr.1 Mats waring who wa* goir;* to FortRlltce on basinet we enjoyed a pitasant drive Jo the historical old Fort, aowell known both in England andAtttttca. although now devested ofmuch of it# former importance. Previous to th construction of the C, P. K FortEihce was the distributing point to allthe Hudscn Bay stations west wan! toif';the Hocky Mount iib, end w is a pro minent frontier Fort. KomanBeallysituated near the junction of the (Ju’-Appelle and th** Asainibuine river a,the old Fort commands an exten«ivlt; view of the valley which is about three hundred feet deep and a little over amile wide. The Fort .stand* «|uito n*»ar the edge of the t*iuka uinch are thickly covered with tress of r stria! 1 si/**. There is ..bout a dozen of hui1 lings, mostly of logs, a [ort.wn ot tin* old stockade still remains and there are vet trace# of theWbu#y day* ot long ago when per hap-five hundred carts with well armed and •warth* drivers, innumerable loosehorses and a mounted escort of 1 ufTalu hunters would leave the Futt on the dut*nt and dangerous journey ov**r thes to far away stations The old1•lore still remains where iu former davs dressed butfalo skins were exchanged, *«»rh. for a plug of tolioceo and the highcounter stili stand*. where the Indiansof other day# delivered their valuablo♦fui# for the go*»ds of the silent an*l fearless white man, and where eacharticle was handed through an aperture like the wicket of a }*o-t office ora hank.Perhaps the most interesting relic ofthe past, to U* noticed at Fort Ellice, is the old team dog Husky, the U#t ofhis race, he, with a number of dogs ot his class were formerlyWthe mail ft out one point toengaged incarry inanother ail over tin* Northwest makingnuny journeys from Winnipeg to thePocky Mountains. He is of immense8£e . _ *,been de*and has been of great strength.The juiuts of Ins legs have ve loped m a remarkable manner and give unmistakable evidence of extraordinary exeriiuu on long journey*over the va*t plains uu the winter’s snow. The old wanderer is now wearing out the last day* of hi* life iu solitary idleness and ease Inside the walls of ih* ancient foitdicatiou which for uutnv vu .n hue been htsheau quarsummer mouth* whenthe prames afforded grass for the horsesof the plain*. Fort Kilter wn* erected about sixty years ago ami ha* beeu three times re built. It vv t once accidentally blown up by an explosion of the pow der magazine and lias many other mt«*r-Itefuro the con-at ruction of th** railway, the place u asthe head of river navigation and *onietimes a* many as five steam boat* «tter* during theestmg association*.one time were employed iu landinggoods and passengers. But steam boatshave not ascended the river of late years and the romantic valley of the A*# mi-bom** is now the home of manv halfbreeds «nd some ludians and from the high }o*:tiou occupied by the Fort, the touts and dwellings uf the native* can is* noticed scattered at intervals along the windings of the river. The small cultivated fields supply the half wild jteople with grain and potatoes, a few cattle are kept, from the river can he procured ahundauce of fish and thewoods atlord all the rabbit#, partridgesand chickens which cun *c consumed.As their want# are few and easily «up-plied there is perhaps*a# much contentment amongst the rude inhabitants of that wild valley as can blt;* found in a higher state of civilization A pleasing object in .the distance of a cuupie ot miles was a herd ot alwut a hundred cattle. The aniinds were moving inthe long gras# of the river valley and reminded the observer of the buffaloesof long ago which grazed over the sameground.
Newspaper Details
Birtle Observer
Birtle, Manitoba, CA
Fri, Nov 26, 1886
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA 27 Jul 2020
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