The Man from Glengarry: A Tale of the OttawaConnor, Ralph
History
The Man from Glengarry: A Tale of the Ottawa
Connor, Ralph
Canada -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction; Christian fiction; Glengarry (Ont.) -- Fiction
DEAR MISS KATE: We got here--(“That is to New Westminster.”) last night,
and it is a queer town. The streets run every way, the houses are all
built of wood, and almost none of them are painted. The streets are full
of all sorts of people. I saw lots of Chinamen and Indians. It makes
a feller feel kind o' queer as if he was in some foreign country.
The hotel where we stopped was a pretty good lookin' place. Of course
nothin' like the hotel we stopped at in San Francisco. It was pretty
fine inside, but after supper when the crowd began to come in to the
bar you never saw such a gang in your life! They knew how to sling their
money, I can tell you. And then they begun to yell and cut up. I tell
you it would make the Ward seem like a Sunday school. The Boss, that's
what they call him here, I guess didn't like it much, and I don't think
you would, either. Next morning we went to look at the mills. They are
just sheds with slab roofs. I don't think much of them myself, though I
don't know much about mills. The Boss went round askin' questions and
I don't think he liked the look of them much either. I know he kept
his lips shut pretty tight as we used to see him do sometimes in the
Institute. I am awful glad he brought me along. He says I have got to
write to you at least once a month, and I've got to take care of my
writin' too and get the spellin' right. When I think of the fellers back
in the alleys pitchin' pennies I tell you I'd ruther die than go back.
Here a feller feels he's alive. I wish I'd paid more attention to my
writin' in the night school, but I guess I was pretty much of a fool
them days, and you were awful good to me. The Boss says that a man must
always pay his way, and when I told him I wanted to pay for them clothes
you gave me he looked kind o' funny, but he said “that's right,” so I
want you to tell me what they cost and I will pay you first thing, for
I'm goin' to be a man out in this country. We're goin' up the river
next week and see the gangs workin' up there in the bush. It's kind o'
lonesome here goin' along the street and lookin' people in the faces to
see if you can see one you know. Lots of times I though I did see some
one I knew but it wasn't. Good by, I'll write you soon again.
Yours truly,
MICHAEL COLE.
“The second letter,” Kate went on, “is written from the camp, Twentymile
Camp, he calls it. He tells how they went up the river in the steamer,
taking with them some new hands for their camp, and how these men came
on board half drunk, and how all the way up to Yale they were drinking
and fighting. It must have been horrible. After that they went on
smaller boats and then by wagons. On the roads it must have been
terrible. Coley seems much impressed with the big trees. He says:”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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