Tete Jaune Cache, Rocky Mountains, May 4th, 1876.
My Dear Edward, —
I left Fort Garry in June last, after having spent three weeks very pleasantly there. Johnny thought Winnipeg a fine place; it was his first appearance in a town. He had some money when he arrived, and the first time he appeared after, he was dressed in black broadcloth, swell hat and patent leather boots. His board was paid all the time till a chance should occur of sending him homo to British Columbia. The last time I saw him he was sitting by the side of a dry goods store with one arm around the neck of a very good-looking squaw, who evidently thought him no end of a swell. Late last fall he came over here, having been forwarded by express. He had learned to talk English, and when I said, " Iketa mika tumtum kopa okook cula inate la monte? " *
He replied, "Damn hard. ”
He had a good summer of it; lived with the object of his affections (though she did not speak his language nor he hers), and was loud in the praises of Winnipeg. I inquired about the health of his wife, and he informed me that she cried a good deal when he came away; also that should nothing occur to prevent he would be a father shortly. So I gave him some clothes, &c., and he started off to his home in the lower Fraser. Alec was hired as a mail carrier between Garry and Edmonton till the autumn, when he was sent to Henry House, 64 miles from here, to look after the supplies there in depot. He came over to see me this winter, and was here on the anniversary of the day on which we reached Lake St. Ann’s. We did our best to celebrate it in rum and water, a thing we weren’t able to do last year. I had him in our mess, and enjoyed his visit very much, living over past scenes more pleasantly than was possible at the time they were enacted. He went back to his post, and will go to Fort Garry early in the spring. The chief (Jarvis) went to St. Paul, and was sent for from Ottawa, where he was wanted to take a party to British Columbia. Being as fond of this country as I am, and being able to afford himself a rest, he refused and left the C. P. R. for a season. After making a visit to P. E. Island and other parts of the Dominion, he returned to Fort Garry and went into the lumber business, where he is now making a good deal of money. I hear from him often. He said once that the mention of Smoky River made him shudder, and I dare say it would. I came out here last summer, and we commenced locating the line from the summit of Yellow Head Pass down the Fraser River to meet another party commencing at Fort George. In November we went into quarters here, and have spent a most miserable winter, the last I will ever spend in this way. We will be at work long before you get this, pushing steadily towards Fort George and civilisation after. The sketch I send of our trip is, I think, full of errors, though not any serious ones. I have written it very hurriedly at different times, with all the din and noise of my friends in arms sounding in my ears.
I know you will make every allowance for my mistakes, which I cannot correct as I've no time to read the whole again.
I know it is written in a rambling desultory sort of fashion, but you’ll believe me when I say that I did the best I can under the circumstances. And now I'll say good-bye. I remain,
Your loving brother,
CHAS. F. HANINGTON.
* "What do you think of the trip across the mountains? "
Thermometrical Readings; Minimum Temperature, from 1st January to 6th, April, 1875.
-
January. February. March. April.
Date. Temperature Date. Temperature. Date. Temperature. Date. Temperature
o o o o
1 -32 1 -23 1 - 6 1 23
2 -26 2 -29 2 12 2 24
3 -40 3 -10 3 -11 3 4
4 -10 4 7 4 - 8 4 - 4
5 -33 5 - 8 5 -15 5 6
6 -38 6 2 6 - 5 6 8
7 -36 7 4 7 22
8 -47 8 8 8 16
9 -25 9 -24 9 5
10 -45 10 -22 10 26
11 -31 11 8 11 27
12 -40 12 12 12 15
13 -50 13 2 13 -2
14 -53 14 3 14 -32
15 -48 15 25 15 -30
16 -36 16 15 16 -23
17 -41 17 27 17 -20
18 -45 18 33 18 - 8
19 -45 19 28 19 -12
20 -31 20 25 20 9
21 3 21 29 21 6
22 7 22 25 22 - 3
23 -10 23 11 23 -12
24 8 24 - 2 24 - 9
25 14 25 -15 25 4
26 -2 26 - 2 26 - 6
27 -23 27 -10 27 5
28 -29 28 8 28 - 4
29 -10 29 15
30 14 30 5
31 - 2 31 9
