Reminiscences of a Raconteur, Between the '40s and the '20sHam, George H. (George Henry)
History
Reminiscences of a Raconteur, Between the '40s and the '20s
Ham, George H. (George Henry)
Canada; Ham, George H. (George Henry), 1847-1926; Journalists -- Canada -- Biography
There was a little unpleasantness when Rat Portage (now Kenora) was
reached. Mr. MacPherson, the Indian agent, had written out an address of
welcome from the local tribe, but Manitobahiness, the chief, would have
none of it. He would prepare the address himself or the Great White
Mother’s son-in-law could go hang so far as he was concerned.
Manitobahiness was camped on a nearby island, where, seated on a
soap-box, with his blanket wrapped about him, he looked every inch a
king. The late Ebenezer McColl was superintendent of Indian affairs
then, and he took me over to help conciliate the irate chief. We were
received with a salvo of gunshots, in true Indian custom, but the
arguments and suggestions of Mr. McColl availed nothing. Manitobahiness
was firm, and Mr. McColl sensibly gave way to his wishes. The next I saw
of the kingly chief, he was ridiculously dancing a dance of welcome with
the rest of his tribe. Manitobahiness was no fool. He was wharfinger at
one of the river docks, and kept accurate account of the freight
received in hieroglyphic style. He was only known to have made one
error. Forgetting to put a hole in a circle, he transformed a grindstone
into a cheese.
Sir Donald Smith met the party at Rat Portage and lined up the entire
tribe in a long row, and personally gave each one a silver coin. You
ought to have seen those who first received the gift slip down the line
and take up their position at the other end, thus securing two pieces of
silver. The poor Indian may be untutored, but he knows how to get there
when anything is going.
The Kindness of Princess Louise.
The Marquis’ private secretary was the same Billy Campbell who was with
Lord Dufferin. He told me of the kindness and affection he received from
His Excellency and the Princess Louise. One time when he was laid up in
a Toronto hospital, the Marquis would steal up from Ottawa on Saturday
nights, visit him Sundays, and be back at Rideau Hall Monday mornings
with nobody but the household any the wiser. When Billy was recuperating
and had returned to work, His Excellency asked him one day to bring him
a book from a high shelf in the library. Before he could rise from his
chair, the Princess laid her hand on his shoulder and said:
“Never mind, Mr. Campbell, I will get it.”
And she ascended the stepladder and brought down the required book.
What of it? some may say. Well, it doesn’t amount to much, but I know a
whole lot of people who are not daughters of Royalty who would not have
been so thoughtful and considerate.
The Marquis of Lansdowne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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