Mollie Adams Diary of her Journey in the Canadian Rockies, August 30, 1908
Caledonia Camp.
Sunday, Aug. 30.
No one up till 8 o’clock as it rained till then. Clearing afterwards with occasional rather fierce showers. M. and I stated out at 10.30 ahead of the outfit so as to have time to stop at Henry House for photos. Just before we got there, came upon Mrs. Swift with Lettie and they baby, she was out after gooseberries. Reached Swift’s about 2 P. M. and of course the old man appeared upon the scene soon and stayed until nearly 5 o’clock. We learned from him that the Coleman party had gone up to climb Mt. Robson – Dr. C’s. brother and Mr. Kinney. They were with the bunch of Indians that Mr. Lister’s man reported as having gone past Dominion Prairie – Crees from here though, not the Shuwaps as he said. And they were to take him up Moose River to the back of Robson. We knew, of course, that that was where the bunch had gone by the fences and marks on the trail, but concluded it was just for hunting. Swift says Coleman was here and left Monday the 17th., so it is hardly possible that he got there in time to climb before the bad weather. One of the queer looking people we met yesterday was the celebrated “Bill Spitel” (pronounced “Spittle”) Mr. Reading told us about. He was the one who spoke to us. Mr. R. said he was the typical wild and woolly prospector. Swift also said there was a rumor along the trail that Taft and “Ryan” were the U.S. presidential candidates. We said we thought Ryan must be Eryan, and he said “maybe so – and he has stood before, hasn’t he?”
Eggs for supper. We all went over to the Swift residence afterwards and spent a suffocating hour – ten people and a dog and cat shut tight in one little room.
Comments
Post a Comment