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FROM LIARD RIVER ‘W. A, Oliver arrived from the Liard and Deass rivers on Monday's train by way of the coast. , As he comes direct from the region where the coast papers have located the principal horrors of the Edmonton trail the story of his travels is especially interesting. Mr. Oliver left Edmonton in May of 98, with W. Bell, A. RB. Brooke, R. W. 3. Vaudin and B. Cooper. The party delayed some time at Resolution while Oliver and Vaudin went to Forid du Lac to examine the mineral de posits there. During their absence the storm occurred in which Hoffman was drowned. Another man was reported to have been drowned near Providence on the Mackenzie, but Mr. Oliver did not learn his wame, nor was the report definitely confirmed. The party reached Simpson on August 15th. The drowning of J. Bouret, of the Brown party had taken place there as already reported. The party tracked up the Liard and reached a point ten miles above the mouth of the Beaver on Oct. 24th. There they were stop ped by ice. Mr. Oliver estimates about 150 prospectors held up between their camp and Devil's portage, and about 50 below at Snye town, near the mouth of La Biche river. On Dec. 26th the party left their camp, and began moving their sup plies up the river on hand sleighs by five mile stages. The outfits above and below did the same. The Snyetown parties, however, went across country, some to the mouth of the Beaver, thereby cutting off a great bend of the Liard, and the others direct to Mud river post, cutting off a much longer bend. A number of parties who had made better progress in the fall, had got above Devil’s portage by water and wintered about Mud river post. Some of these parties dragged their boats through the canon around the Devil's portage, some thing that had never been done be fore. This was rendered possible by the water being four feet lower than usual. Wood at the Philadelphia party, wintering at Sayetown, had his feet badly frozen while exploring from Sayetown to Mud river post. He recovered, however. His home was in Wilmington, Delaware. A man named McCulloch, got his feet wet while travelling on the ice, and they were badly frozen. He was laid up all winter, but the several parties cared for him, and he was pushed on from camp to camp. In the spring Brooke and another of the party, Oliver was with, took him on from Trout river, 70 miles to Mud river Fest. He was one of the first to get out, and recovered entirely. A man named Fleming was ill during the winter, and died after he reached the coast. Mr. Oliver heard that a man named Simonson had accidentally shot himself at Devil’s portage. As the party, which Mr. Oliver was a member of was more heavily laden with supplies than some others, their progress was slower, and they only reached Trout river, about ten miles above Devil’s portage, on April 5th. Others who had very little supplies had pushed further on. The less sup plies a man had the faster he travel led. The party built boats there and started up the river on May 25th in a snow storm. When on Brule portage a man named Hutton came to them starving. He and his partner, named Knute Nelson, a Dane from Chicago, had taken the cross country trail from Snyetown to Mud river post. About 40 miles from the post they had left their guns, Mr. Edwards, of the H. B. post there had given them food to go back for their rifles. They had gone back, but had run short of food. When near the cossing of Coal river a few miles from the post on their return, Nelson gave out and Hutton went on alone. In trying to raft across Coal creek he was carried down to the Liaré, and only succeeded in landing just above the Brule rapids. Two of the Oliver party went with him to the relief of Nelson and found him dead, but still not. He was buried there. The party reached Mud river post on June 1st. The parties who had wintered between Devil’s portage and Mud river, had pulled up to Cranberry rapid on the ice, and built their boats there. So that they were far ahead of Oliver and party, who were held up at Cranberry rapids for five weeks by high water. At Cranberry rapids they heard of the drowning ‘there of James Butlex, of the Jones cattle party. Brooke, who had taken Mc Culloch on to Mud river in the early spring, had seen A. D. Osborne there Mr. Oliver saw at Mudriver one of the pack horses he had sold in the spring to Al. Brown, and which form ed part of the pack outfit of McCallum and Adsitt. The horse looked well, and Mr. Oliver heard that the rest of the band had also wintered well ; but A. D. Osborne’s horses had all died. Saw the first cases of scurvy at Cran berry rapids. There were other cases, but Mr. Oliver did not see them. The cases were not serious, and the men recovered. He heard of no deaths except those above mentioned. The H. B. boat with government relief reached Cranberry rapids on July 12th. They brought plenty of provisions. About half the parties between Cranberry rapids and Liard post were getting run out of food, but none had been hungry. Those who were unable to work were taken in the relief boat. Those who had not enough food were given it, those who had no money were given their pas sage free to the coast, Oliver and party decided to come out with the rest as there were no satisfactory re ports either from Frances lake or the Upper Liard. They tracked their boat to the head of Dease lake, walked to Telegraph creek,72 ‘miles, packing their blankets, tank canoe from Telegraph creek to Glenora, 12 miles, and then took passage by the Strathcona to Wrangel. At Wrangel the United States government gave transportation to those who were unable to pay, to Seattle. Mr. Vaudin, of the party, remained at Dease lake, as he had a very bad felon on his hand, but will come out later. Dan McRae, late of Edmon ton, was at Glenora bound for Dawson by way of Teslin lake. W. Magee, of Edmonton, was at Liard post and intended returning to Edmonton by trail by way of the Finlay and Peace rivers. He could only make about $2 a day on the Liard, although a practical miner. Mr. Oliver characterizes as absolut ely false the stories of wholesale death and destruction on the Liard river, which had been so industriously circulated by the coast papers. Con sidering the number and kind of people who attempted the trip, the loss of life was surprisingly small, ADDRESSES. The following are some of the addresses presented to Rev. Father Lacombe on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee, From the English speaking Catholics of Edmonton : Your Grace, My Lords AND RevEREND FATHERS OF THE CurRay; The English speaking Catholics of Edmonton elcome you with a special welcome, because your visit marks two most significant events in the history and development of the Catholic church t hroughout the North-West Territories. The first of these,the Golden Jubilee of a loved and venerated priest of that norte band of pioneer missionaries, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate— whose whole sacred otal life has been spent in power and labor, not only for but in these vast and at Istely civilized lands, calls us back to a time when, for the most part, the peoples whom Catholic priests were called pon to serve were the aboriginal Indians, and bids us stop and look upon the changes which have been wrought by God's ambagaladors, among the foremost of whom, by common consent is ranked the Very Reverend Father Lacombe. ‘We have joined with our French speaking fellow Catholics in addressing him on this occasion, and hence forbear from further reference to him here, save to say that the history of Father Laccmnde’s life 23 @ priest is most intimately inter twined with the history of the whole Catholic Church of the Territories during the same period. The second event which occasions your vault is one which indicates the growth of but this one pariah—material growth signifying spiritual growth; for those of the new church whose corner atone is to be blessed to-morrow, for the worship of the Most High and for Uis perpetual abiding place is, let us assure you, undertaken in no sense to show and material prosperity as may have come to us, but gives expression to the faith and charity— though all too little—which, as Catholics, we con fess, in one blessed Lord and His One Holy Church, Edmonton, Sent. 23rd, 1899, From the Old-Timers of Edmonton, Edmonton, 23rd Sept., 1599, ‘o The Very Reverse Father Lacoupe, 0, 3. L, Vicar-General of St. Boniface and St. Albert, Reverend and Dear Father~The Edmonton Old- Timers’ Association, whose members are pioneers and early edtlers of this portion of Alberta, take pleasure on this your Glden Jubilee and fiftieth Anniversa:y of your consecration to the priesthood, in offering you their sincere congratulations on that happy event. Many of our members have been eye witnesses of your labors for years past, and can bear testimony with what zeal, courge and devotion you have prosecuted your work as a missionary amongst the wild and savage Indians of the plains, as well as to the industry with which you worked on building up the missions of your order at many points in this district. We know the trials and difficulties you had to endure and overcome, and today when you compare the present state of civilization, order and prosperity that prevails in a country where once all was a wilderness, peopled by uavages, we feel that you have just reason for some feeling of pride and thankfulness, that your years of labor and scu denial have borne fruit and that you can claim to have had a large share in bringing about the change. As an association of pioneers we are happy to have the honor and privilege of being amongst the many aesembled on the occasion to do honor to a pioneer, to one who has labored with no selfish or personal end in view, but are for the advance ment of religion, education and civilization. Again we you to accept from this Association of Old-Timers like yourself our sincere regards and hearty congratulations on this memorable sad happy occasion, Frank Oliver, T. G. Lavour, President Secretary From the English speaking Catholics of St. Albert: To 7% Very Reverend Anert Lacourt, 9. M. 1, Vicar General of the Diocese of St. Albert, Very Reverend Father—We the English speaking Cathlics surrounding the mission of St. Albert founded by you thirty-eight years ago, cannot re main silent when so many are uniting to congratu late you upon this the Golden Jubilee of your ordination to the priesthood. You, very Rev. Father, have indeed been a leader among the pionecra of those who, leaving friends, kindred and home, have carried the message of the cross far into the western wilderness. Looking backward for well nigh half a century we see you alone amid a garage race, seeking to wean them from their barbarous customs, and to instruct then in the mysteries of our holy faith. We behold you rescuing the aged and infirm who have been abandoned by their own people to die a lingering death upon the desolate prairie. We see you in the camp attacked at midnight , and also during that still more trying time when so many of your flock sank beneath the pitiless ecourse of a loathsome and dread disease. With suc scenes before us, words seem all too weak to express our eence of reverence, admiration and esteem. Your penerous heart has recently prompted you to found a settlement where the original dwellers in the land may be sheltered from the exiger.c.ea of a civilization to which they have been unused, while but yesterday you gave your invaluable aid in securing a treaty of peace and amity wih the tribes of the North. Well may your nation be held in honor and your friendshi prized not only by the poor Indian of the we and plains but also by the highest and greatest dignitaries of the land, your devoted labors having called forth expressions’ of approval even from the Sovereign upon the throne. We do not forget that but for your benign in fluence we should not go readily have acquired swift and easy communication with the outer world, not again that but for you and the many lved bishops and priests who have followed in your train, we should not forgo long have enjoyed the inestimable blessings of our holy religion. Accept very Rev. Father our grateful thanks, accompanied by a small token of our sincere regard, and graciously accept also our cordial congratula tions upon this your year of jubilee. In conclusion we pray God go to bleas your labors that they may be ever crowned with success and redound to His honor and to His greater glory to many years.
Newspaper Details
Edmonton Bulletin
Edmonton, Alberta, CA
Thu, Sep 28, 1899
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Cynthia L.
CA 13 Feb 2026
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