7 4 Clithcroc 'Advertiser and Times, Friday, May 12, 1967
Life was tough and thrilling in Canada’s far North
A NATIVE of Clithcroe, who has lived in Canada for most of his life, periods of war service and three trips to the Old Counntry, is now re
of the scenes he remembers from childhood.
Barraclough, and Mr. Mil- chcll, is a cousin of the late Captain Frank B. Mitchell, who died on April 19, at the age of 96. Mr. Mitchell’s father took a
rugged life to which he became accustomed. His family’s home was^atj
homestead eight miles from Edmonton, but after a few years of poor crops and prices —resulting from drought—he started hauling freight for the Hudson Bay Company to Atha- loasca Landing, 100 miles to the north of his home.
the gateway to the north and Mr. Mitchell, senior—then over the age of 40—did not take to the job. His son recalls "He was a good judge of a horse but he wasn't much of a teamster. Father made two trips before lie took me with him to drive a second team. These journey’s were mostly in the winter but there was time, after seeding, to make a few summer trips.”
At that time the Landing was
ters which had covered the 200 miles from Calgarry to Edmon ton, before the railroad came through in 1891. Some had even travelled the 900 miles from Winnipeg before the transcontinental railroad was built in 1885.
Father and son met freigh Disastrous
were rather disastrous,” Mr. Mitchell recalls. “He had load of lumber and lost his bedding, grub box and a bundle of shingles on one trip. How ever. all the .stud was recov tered, as it was the law of the
"Some of father's first trips
camp. "After ten years of this win
rail that anything picked up would be taken to the next
■a 1G mile portage thtti on to Lake Athabasca and Great Slave Lake and into the Mc Kenzie River which emptied into the Arctic Ocean.
ter hauling, we started hauling to Lesser Slave Lake—a 300- mile trip. Although there were steamboats on the AUlbabasca River, they weren't suitable except in high water. Most of the freight went down the river in boats to Grand Rapids where there was a six-mile portage, then on to Fort Smith, where there was
pulled by Indians on a tump line, one man steering. Eighty & “
“Up-river the boats were « Little Slave River,
crooked stream, runnin Slave Lake.”Mr Mitchell explained that from Lesser Slave Lake to Peace River was a dis tance of 125 miles, making a 425-mile trip from Edmon ton. He made his first trip to the lake in 1902, on return ing from the Boer War. He remembers: “I had two
out of
Fred S. Mitchell, who accompanied his parents and their four other children to Edmonton, in Western Canada, when lie was only eleven. He has an exciting story to tell of the
He is Mr. Hubert G. Mitchell, son of Mr. and Mrs. --------
got to an Indian camp 20 miles, from Lesser Slave Lake. The next morning one of the mares foaled- prematurely, the foal being dead, of course. I stayed with the Indians
for a week till Julian returned. As I was short of grub, I ate with Indians. They ate foxes and other fur bearing animals, even though poisoned; they boiled the meat to rags, with the result that the poison was
teams, drove one and what is called 'jerk-necked’ the other. Jerk-necking means the two horse team was tied to the team ahead. I had a wonder ful jerk-neck team, Jewel and Nora, half native and half thoroughbred, with the tough ness of the bronco and the grit of the thoroughbred. I never tired them, they followed the front team.”
and Mr. Mitchell travelled with a neighbour, Mr. Hoi- rocks, who had an old pacing horse named Bill in his second
I t was a fine winter in 1902
into trouble. These large lakes crack as the weather gets colder and the ice taken more room than the waiter. We were on the lake. Mr. Horrocks was on the lead" and crossing a new crack when a piece of ice about 8 ft. square broke off and poor old Bill’s head was
team. “Bill always seemed to get
all you could see of him. h “I had a big rope which
took a team and pulled Bill out. sleigh and all. 'The next winter was a hard
itched round Bill’s neck, then
one—deep snow and blowing full all the tune. We had four teams, as my younger brother, Julian, was with me. I ’d just bought a new team but as soon as we got on the river the going was very heavy and the new team couldn’t stand it. Julian had to do all the road breaking and, although we kept lightening the new team’s load, the horses were com pletely done after the first 100 miles, and it was another 100 to the Hudson Bay post at
the lake. “I rested the team for two
days at Moose Creek, where two fellows—an Englishman
and a Scotsman who had started for the Klondyke in ’98 _had got stranded and started a stopping place. Meanwhile, Julian went on with the other
three teams. I "When I started out again,
I ' wasthe tnwel and — soon found the team unfit to Rcvclstoke hotel. ------1
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we loaded her on a sleigh, got her back to the Athabasca Landing and there we loaded up again as we had to pick up the load" left at the Indian camp I t was getting towards Spring. April in fact, and the sun was strong and warm in the daytime, but the nights were cold. On reaching the lake the warm days had opened up the cracks in the ice causing slush to form. Driving a load through pushed the slush ahead under the horses, resulting in sticking the team, • and we had to put another team on to pull them
boiled out of it. “As the mare was very weak,
out. Slush hazard
Big Point—at a spot we called “The Narrows”—10 miles across. Just before we reached the shore we struck some slush. We left one load there and pulled another to the shore with four horses. As we were short of feed, Julian and some fellows we’d been travel ling with went ahead and I
“We camped one night
...at g ^
went back for the odd load. The sun came out brightly, making the snow very soft, and I had to travel slowly because I kept striking slush.
the camp but some fellows whom I had met picked up the food and were taking it to the first stopping place. At noon l stopped to eat, but was with out food. I looked over my load, wliich consisted mostly of stoves and found some tinned peaches. Being hungry, I ate two tins, with unhappy results.
“Julian had left my grub at
were thing and I got stuck in the slush and had to carry about half the load across. I t was quite a job hefting a 200- lb stove through slush which reached to above the knees. I finally got to the end of the lake at about midnight, left my load and rode one of the horses six miles to the settle
“By afternoon the horses trip to Peace river seeing
many- changes after 50 year's. All the old Hudson Bay post buildings had ' been scrapped for more modern ones, and the old timers Were- all gone, there were railroads and highways everwhere and most of the fine spruce and tamarack trees had been burned, their places being taken by poplars.
those early days I realised we looked on our freighting trips
“Going back in niy mind to
as an ordinary way of life. Trench life in the first world war wasn’t any hardship for
an old freighter.” Mi*. Mitchell’s war service in
minster, carried on by his second son, Louis, since Mi'. Mitchell’s retirement two years ago, has grown from 200 to 1,000 acres. He now lives at 4712, 47th Street, Lloydminster
His homestead in Lloyd
ment. As the snow was rapidly go
ing, Julian and the gang started back but I had to return for the load, so I was a day behind them. After travelling on rotten iee and tearing through the bush along the Little Slave river, I reached the Athabasca Land ing on April 23, just in time
Slave Lake and on to Sturgeon Lake—about 70 miles further— in the fine winter of 1905-1906. Dad sold the farm in Edmorn ton in 1906 and Julian and 1 homesteaded in Lloydminster. on the Alberta and Saskat chewan border. I went to Edmonton and freighted all whiter in 1906-1907, the coldest and longest winter we ever had—60 degrees below zero. •• \
for seeding. “We made several trips to
in the last war, while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force, but Mr. Mitchell has eight surviving children, 32 grandchildren, and 29 great grandchildren. His wife died in 1959. The amount of provisions
One of his sons was killed
the Canadiain Army was with the Second Motor Machine Gun Unit.
SISTERS SHARE PRIZE
•AT the recent Blackburn Fes tival, seven year old Julie Hart ley and her five year-old sister Cathryn, gained the 1st prize in the dramatic scene (under 10 years) with 86 marks, and were highly praised by the adjudica tor, Mr. Kim Wooding. Julie also won the second prize in verse speaking (under 8 years) with 86 marks (highest 87) and second prize in Story Telling (6 to 8 years) with 83 marks
BY FELL AND FIELD PATH
ing “kissing is not in season
Cushing gained second prize in with 87 marks (highest
(highest-85). In the adult classes, Dorothy
the Speech from Shakespeare (open) ■
88) and second prize in the solo dramatic extract ;with 85 marks
tificate for -third .place, verse speaking (14 1 years) with 86 marks (highest 88) and Robert Wightman, in the same class, also gained a certificate with 85 marks. Another competitor who ob
(highest 88); Michael Bond gained a cer
THE Clitheroe Naturalists on Saturday started their ramble at Waddington under the leadership of Mr. Her bert Spencer. The usual quiet of the village was dis turbed a little more than usual by motor transport as’ cars brought voters to the polling stations at St. Helen’s School for the Parish Coun cil and District Council elec tions. It was quite a problem for the electors with nine candidates to choose from and seven out of the nine to be elected for the Parish Council — personalities not politics counted here. The way out of Waddington
tained a high position in verse speaking was Jacqueline Wight
when the gorse is not m bloom”—almost always gorse can be found somewhere in flower, therefore kissing if rarely if ever out of season. Crossing by footpath through
rushes and tough grasses we came to the edge of Hare Clough which l-uns from Cabin Hill to the junction with Braddup Clough. We heard the plaintive cry of the Curlew as it flew over the higher ground
by Dribble Wood. We made our way down the
was by field path to Feazer by the side of the Almshouses built by Robert Parker of Mosley Hall, Yorkshire, in 1700 A.D.
man.She was placed third in the adult class (16 years and over) with 83 marks (highest 88) Other high marks in the
that had to be carried for both men and horses on those rugged 30 to 40 day freighting trips was astonishing. Revealing this, Mi'. Mitchell
vesii-s atro I made a
adds: “We used to get a half- breed woman to make Can- nocks (a kind of king-sized flapjack). She'd use 100 lb. of flour, lots of lard to prevent them getting frozen—bread would freeze and then, when thawed, would crumble. We would take 1,000 lb. of oats for each team and 500 lb. of baled hay about 150 lb. of blankets wrapped in cowhide, as well as sugar, meat, beans and tobacco. We often ran out of grub and lived on fish, which was very plentiful.’
verse speaking classes were:— (Under 8 years) Cathryn Hart ley 84, Elizabeth Bond 80; (Under 9 years) Steven Tomlin son 80, Bryan Robinson 79, Michelle Brown 78; (9 years) Jane Clegg 83, Susan Halstead 83, Susan Nutter 83, Gail Wor thington 82, Stephen Holding 81, Paul Gregson 78; (10 years) Susan Wolfenden 77; (12 years) Susanne Bond 81; (13 years)
fields with the mile-long dough on our left and Waddington brook in the bottom rippling on its way to join the Ribble. The dough sides were lined with anemones, primroses and blubeils, and the pale greens of the elms, alders and limes contrasted with the darker greens of the hollies, conifers and rhododendron bushes,
Coiilrast in colour We climbed steadily up the
John O’Neill 79. In the adult classes—sonnet
(16 years and over) Jacqueline Wightman 78; solo dramatic e x t r a c t (open) Jacqueline Wightman 81, Kathryn Wilson
77.All the above are pupils at the Watson School of Dramatic Art.
getting quite warm with the exertion of the gradual dimb to Frazer Wood from Hospital wood, and the heat of the sun which had broken through. A peal of thunder reverberated over the fell tops. Passing the old corn mill we saw millstones covered with lichens: what had been the mill pond is now grass-covered and later will be covered with monkey flowers.
Members of the party were
crossed and soon we were on our way out from Cuttock Clough (known locally as “Cuttock Cleugh”) and passing the farm to come out on the fell road a little above “Leem- ing.”
A rickety footbridge was
fells as we made for “Mitchells” gate and the old Browsholme road below Cob Castle, where people swarmed in the dawn to see an eclipse of the sun about forty year;
Turning right we faced the
ago. Birdlife had not been very
prominent up to this point, the most notable we had seen were a couple of wild duck. For the botanists there had been more to interest them with trees, flowers, ferns and lichens. On past Mitchells, below
side of the Clough and crossed the stream after skirting a few marshy places, and then scrambled up the opposite bank to Hare Clough Farm. The temperature had dropped and it began to rain; quickly we took shelter in the lea of a farm building. The roof of the building was corrugated sheeting without gutters, and soon some of our party were suffering discomfort as the rain ran off the roof and down the back of their necks.
short; only a few minutes later we had forgotten the rain as we sat on logs in the sun shine eating sandwiches
Fortunately the shower was
seen through the haze but all along Browsholme Moor every thing was sharp and clear; a few of our party spent some time watching Curlew chicks in the grass with aid of binoculars.
Across the valley the long flank of Longridge Fells was
Nests and eggs
nests. A robin had built one on the floorboards of an old motor vehicle near the steering column. In it were four eggs; among some old bent, a cur lew’s nest was found wit-h three eggs, and a mallard made the third with nine eggs in the
So far we had seen three
must have spent thousands oi hours in this district bud
w o i
watching and taking photo graphs in the days before high speed films and modern equip ment for building hides. There was no making a quick run into the country by car and back again for tea. His hobby was carried on the hard way, walking for miles in search of a subject and then lugging equipment to the site; no tubular steel scaffolds for nests in trees, he and his col leagues would climb the tree and build a hide in it or build one in the next tree.
Wliat name
had to be back in town and so made for the bus at the end of the road; the rest took the road between Bashall Moor Woods and Moor Piece.
Our party separated. Some
along the lane. The banks were rich in wild flowers— patches of stitchwort, violets, primroses, marigolds, wood sorrel, anemones, wood sage and golden saxifrage. On the top of the banks the whins bloomed profusely; 1 cannot recall seeing so much bloom on any one bush. What should we call this plant? Should it b e whortleberry, blaeberry, huckleberry or just plain whin- berry? I think we can settle for whinberry. the name by which most of our parents knew it when we used to get our fingers stained a deep purple and get excused being late home for tea because we had picked enough for a few
It was a delightful walk
THE Englishman I or very low-t'eneei! the bastions of prl to invasion by pc| clogs and cats. Not everyoiiil
civc a greater min| more space, light Indeed, it is r|
cnee that many p now oecupy hous built in line with i trend have discc the disadvantage planning equal oi advantages. Lack of privac
pies.Beyond the hedges the woods were filled with bird song; the “witches broom” was seen in the birch trees.
Fairy Bridge
nest. Leaving Hare Clough after
End, Clough Bottom and Rugglesmire to Saddle Bridge,
We walked on past Moor
tea, we set out for Rabbit Lane and the Whitewell road. At the point where Braddup Clough joins Hare Clough we saw a blue polly. patient and watch ful, standing by the side of its calf which was not many hours old. They made a very pleasing picture by the side of the stream: the calf lay on the bank, a perfect reproduction of the mother.
No sandstone roads
Soon we were on the road. Somehow it did not seem the same as it did w-hen some of us knew it as a sandstone road. The tarmac seemed to bring us back to reality. In days gone by walking on these roads was like being in a different world, only a short distance from the main road and yet one could feel miles away among the
Robin barn and Summit House, we came to Hodgson Moor Farm where the road changed to a grass-covered road for a short distance before becoming a footpath. Gorse was aflame, reminding one of the old say
known by many as Fairy Bridge, with its single high arch making a pathway over Bashall Brook.
Riding Comity Council were approached to undertake the repair of the bridge bur declined to do so. The late Mi Carey Lord, then Editor of the Clitheroe Advertiser a n d Times, asked Mr. Jim Fish- wick, known as “Dalesman Jim “ to assist in raising funds, which he did, with the help of committee and, the money
Thirty years ago the West
being subscribed, the bridge was repaired. I wish Jim could have been
with us as we stood on the bridge; unfortunately he too. lias answered the last call Leaving Fairy Bridge we fol
fells and woods. We walked the road, with
Black Hill Wood on our left and Bashall Moor Wood on our rMit. What an area this used to be for the. ornithologist; it was a favourite hunting ground for the late Joe Hayhurst, who
home.
a very interesting outing in the countryside, thanks this
Once again we had enjoyed , , time to-Mr. s ?ei,cR e£MBLEB.
ever, not the mai: raised by parents and young chile are concerned absence of sufiic and stout i'cnc would enable the to play in the b; of their home requiring constai| supervision to do not stray ol roads.
Heavy tij
“Why, oh planners take ii| tlie increasing traffic on our make provision
and ilats to be b| adequately lencj at the rear _wh[ may play in moilier of three I
dren. all of llierj asked me recem| She and her
moved Irom Ll
lowed the brook for a while and then continued on the path to Cow Hey. Bashall Hall, Cheetahs and Edisford to
,
the South of f| could only obia| cage percent; required on a I house. "I hey hail alternative of si additional expel convenience of l| garden at the new home, or the children to I
m m n ew s t
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