Policing the plains : $b being the real-life record of the famous Royal North-West Mounted PoliceMacBeth, R. G. (Roderick George)
History
Policing the plains : $b being the real-life record of the famous Royal North-West Mounted Police
MacBeth, R. G. (Roderick George)
Northwest, Canadian -- History; Royal Canadian Mounted Police
When I last heard this Disraeli-looking man speak, it was in Winnipeg,
when he was making his first and last trip across Canada on the railway
for which he had done and ventured so much. In his semi-humorous and
semi-serious way he said, "I used to state that I never expected to live
long enough to see the road completed, but that when my friends would be
crossing the continent upon it, I would be looking down upon them from
another and better sphere; my opponents said I would be looking up, but
in reality to the surprise of both, I am doing it on the horizontal." On
that same trip the veteran took great delight in seeing the scarlet and
gold uniforms of his favourite corps on their "native heath" in the
great prairie land of the West. Such was Sir John's interest in the
Force that, despite his heavy duties, he retained the headship of the
corps to the end of his days. In later years Sir Wilfred Laurier, Sir
Robert Bordon, and the Hon. N. W. Rowell were outstanding also in their
high opinion of, and their great interest in, the riders of the plains.
In fact all public men who really understood the Western situation and
the wide-reaching influence of the Police on Western history have always
been ready to estimate highly the great services rendered by these
remarkable men. During that same decade which rounded out the century
Colonel MacLeod, who had been appointed to the Bench and whose fine
character had endeared him to the Police and the country, crossed the
Great Divide amid the grief of all who knew him. The Assistant
Commissioner, W. M. Herchmer, who had throughout nearly thirty years
served with distinction in the Militia and the Police, died much
regretted, and was succeeded by Superintendent John H. McIlree, who
retired in 1911 after thirty-eight years of most valuable service.
It was in that decade also that the gold-rush into the Yukon took place,
as we shall see, and furnished a new occasion for one of the most
remarkable periods in the history of the Police, replete with incidents
of adventure and tales of endurance along with a devotion to duty and a
triumphant enforcement of law which added immensely to the already great
prestige of the Force, and made a record that not only astonished but
won the admiration of the world. We will, however, review some notable
events of that decade before coming to the Yukon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account