The Romantic Settlement of Lord Selkirk's Colonists: The Pioneers of ManitobaBryce, George
History
The Romantic Settlement of Lord Selkirk's Colonists: The Pioneers of Manitoba
Bryce, George
Red River Settlement
Canada looks with patriotic delight not only on her sons who remain at
home to work out the problems of her developing life, but follows with
keenest interest those Canadians who have gone abroad and made a name
for themselves, and their country in other parts of the Empire or the
world. Some of these are Judge Haliburton, Satirist; Roberts and Bliss
Carman, Poets; Gilbert Parker, Grant Allen and Barr, Novelists; Romanes
and Newcombe, Scientists; Girouard, Kennedy and Scott in the Army, and
many others who have won laurels in the several walks of life. But
Manitoba, or rather Red River Settlement has also its sons who have gone
abroad to do distinguished service and bring honor to their place of
birth. One of them was Alexander K. Isbister, most commonly known as the
donor of upwards of $80,000, given as a Scholarship Fund to the
University of Manitoba, but really more celebrated still, for the
service he rendered his native land. A little less than thirty years ago
the writer met Mr. Isbister in London and enjoyed his hospitality.
Isbister was a tall and handsome man, showing distinctly by his color
and high cheekbones that he had Indian blood in his veins. Receiving his
early education in St. John's School, he had gone home to England, taken
his degrees, become a lawyer, and afterward had gone into educational
work. He was, at the time of the visit spoken of, Dean of the College of
Preceptors in London, and had much reputation as an educationalist. But
the service he rendered to his native land out-topped all his other
achievements. We have already shown the tendency toward restriction
being developed under Recorder Thom's leadership, in Red River
Settlement. James Sinclair, a member of a most respectable Scotch
half-breed family, had obtained the privilege from the Company to export
tallow, the product of the buffalo, by way of York Factory to England.
The venture succeeded, but a second shipment was held at York Factory
for nearly two years, and thus Sinclair was virtually compelled to sell
it to the Company.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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