As They Were
We begin in this number publication of a series of "Youthful Portraits" depicting present-day H.B.C. employees as they appeared at a "tender age." It appears that considerable interest will be demonstrated by our readers in trying to discover familiar likenesses in these quaint old photographs.
McKay Post Manager Dies
B. F. Cooper Served H.B.C. Thirty-Seven Years in North
B. F. Cooper, an old timer and Hudson's Bay fur trader, died at Fort McMurray, May 28th, after an illness of some weeks. Mr. Cooper was an Englishman, an old "blue-coat school" boy, brought up in London. Instead of moving in the limelight of politics Mr. Cooper chose the quiet and lasting work of pioneering on the frontier posts of the empire and for thirty-six years had been a trusted and faithful servant of the Hudson's Bay Company, in charge of the Fort McKay post.
B. F. COOPER
A few weeks before his death, an urgent message was sent to Fort McMurray for medical help and immediately the Company chartered a motor boat to bring Mr. Cooper from McKay. He was given every possible care.
The funeral took place on Sunday, May 29th, in the little Presbyterian church at McMurray, the coffin being covered with the Hudson's Bay flag and borne by Hudson's Bay men, C. C. Sinclair, J. Cunningham, L. Lane, G. Petty, H. Porter, Captain McLeod, Ed. Jones and J. Sutherland. The little church was crowded with people who followed to the cemetery the remains of the respected old timer whose only relative present was a son of sixteen years. Mr. Cooper leaves a wife and seven children. His record with the Company follows:
| Date | Capacity | Post |
|---|---|---|
| 1884-1885 | Clerk | N.D. Office, Winnipeg |
| 1885-1887 | In charge | Fort Ellice |
| 1887-1895 | In charge | Touchwood Hills |
| 1895-1899 | Accountant | Chipewyan |
| 1899-1904 | Clerk in charge | Fond du Lac |
| 1904-1905 | Clerk | Onion Lake |
| 1905-1912 | Clerk | Fort Smith |
| 1912-1914 | Post Manager | Chipewyan |
| 1914-1921 | Post Manager | McKay |
Tried for North Pole by Balloon
H.B.C. Was on Lookout for Ill-Fated Andree Polar Party, 1896
By H. M. S. COTTER
While I was stationed at North West River Post on the Labrador coast in 1896, the government of Norway and Sweden sent out an arctic expedition in a polar balloon to make an attempt at reaching the North Pole.
The Company, anxious to lend a hand to the success of this scientific exploration to the top of the earth, despatched to its many far northern posts drawings of the balloon like the illustration shown, accompanied by the notice:
"In the summer of 1896 a balloon (an object like that shown on the drawing) may be seen floating in the air. This balloon will convey a party of three Swedish scientists who have been making explorations towards the North Pole by these means.
The Government of Sweden and Norway has requested that the explorers may receive all possible assistance. Natives should therefore be told that the balloon is not a dangerous thing, but merely a mode of conveyance in the air just as a ship is in the water.
Natives should be told to approach the people in it without fear and to give them all the help in their power.
If the balloon is seen only, the natives should be told to communicate the day and hour, the direction and time it was visible, and the direction of the wind.
If the people arrive, having lost the balloon, the natives to be told to give them all possible assistance.
It is requested that the travellers may be supplied with passport and all necessary official documents, the names being:
Mr. Solomon August Andree, aged 42; Dr. Nils Gustaf Ekholm, aged 48; Mr. Nils Strindberg, aged 24."
The Drawing of Andree's Polar Balloon.
According to instructions, I informed all the Indians to be on the lookout for the balloon.
Early one morning an Indian rushed into the store to say he had heard an awful "ringing of bells" away up in the heavens and was sure it was the balloon passing.
I could see or hear nothing, but the native persisted in his story. I told him it might have been Andree ringing the breakfast bell. I could only get him calmed down by giving him some tobacco. Probably that was all he was after.
Traces of Andree were said to have been found at Cape Mugford, Northern Labrador, but no positive proof was ever obtained.
Another story came from Ft. Churchill to the effect that an Eskimo had found some clothing supposed to have been from the balloon, but these were said to have been left behind by Mr. J. B. Tyrrell on one of his expeditions.
WHAT HAPPENED AT FORT SIMPSON, N.W.T. DURING WINTER, 1921?
From entries in the Post Journal by Manager A. F. Camsell
Jan., 1921
1—The usual reception was given the Indians this morning and a Dance will take place in the evening till 12 p.m.
5—Mail arrived from Liard this evening; they were ten days coming down.
8—Mail arrived from Providence at 10 a.m.
10—Mr. P. H. Godsell with Robbillard, driver, and two Liard men left for Liard this morning. Mr. Godsell goes to Liard on an inspection trip. The mail left yesterday for McPherson.
12—Five men and two trains of dogs arrived from the south this afternoon en route to the Norman oil fields to stake claims.
13—Tony Neis and a party of oil men arrived from the south this evening en route to the Norman oil fields to stake claims; Corporal Doke and Constable Brackett of the Mounted Police also arrived and are to be stationed at Norman.
17—Clear and cold, 38 below.
22—Mr. T. W. Harris and W. George left for Norman this morning in connection with the staking of claims below Norman.
28—Inspector Godsell returned today from a trip to Liard.
Feb.
2—Wind North. Mr. Godsell, Mr. Jackson, clerk, Robbillard, W. Sibbiston and John Hope, forerunner, left for Good Hope this morning with two trains of dogs. Wind North.
19—Mail arrived from the South today, 20 days behind schedule time.
23—Clear and fine. Mr. Conibear and two sons arrived from Smith with two trains of dogs to stake claims at Norman.
25—Clear and mild, thawing in the sun for the first time this season. Norwegian arrived from Rabbit Skin River with a good bunch of furs.
Mar.
2—Most of the oil prospectors left for the south today after recording their claims here.
12—Mr. Harry McGurn arrived with the mail from the North last night. Mr. Wada and party accompanied him from Wrigley.
18—Mail arrived from Providence today, 18 days behind time. This mail will do down as far as McPherson.
30—Cloudy and thawing. H. Camsell and W. Johnson went for a moose across the river this morning. Two airplanes arrived this morning at 11:30 a.m. from Peace River. They were one hour and forty minutes travelling time from Providence.
Apr.
1—W. Johnson, H.B.C. engineer, making propellor for airplane.
5—One of the airplanes started for Norman this morning and met with an accident in starting, smashing the prop. and damaging one of the wings.
15—One of the airplanes took a trial trip with a new prop. this afternoon and appeared to give satisfaction.
18—W. Johnson left this morning at 2 a.m. with two trains of dogs and supplies for work on the S.S. Liard at Spence River.
22—Wind North and snowing most of the day. Both airplanes are now ready, and they will be leaving for Peace River as soon as the weather is favourable.
The Englishman and The "Grizzly"
A Bear Story With a Stinger
By C. H. FRENCH
Leaving Wrangell, Alaska, for Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, in the spring of 1914, I overtook an Englishman who intended to spend the summer in the interior of British Columbia, and after enjoying a big game hunt in the fall would return to civilization.
Before we had got far up the river, night overtook us, making it necessary for the "gas" boat on which we were travelling to tie up for the night. The beach on which we landed was a sandy one that would permit of walking along the shore for some distance; so my friend, the Englishman, started out to stretch his legs.
Not far up the beach there commenced a large piece of low, swampy country and just before coming to it my friend caught a glimpse of what he thought was a large grizzly bear going speedily through the bush. Wasn't the Englishman excited! A few well-directed spider-like movements landed him back on the launch. After his struggle for breath was over we learned the exciting news. We agreed that our friend should be allowed to do all the execution, while we kept in the background in order to help out should the brute attack.
Guns were made ready and a stealthy advance was commenced. At length the rifle of our friend went to his shoulder and bang! In a moment the monster was dead.
By this time it was quite dark, so we made haste and prepared to drag the game to the launch to be skinned. Finally, after tugging and working with all our strength, with perspiration pouring off our foreheads, we concluded the carcass was too heavy to be handled by only six ordinary men.
A suggestion was then made to run a line from the boat and attach it to the hand capstan and haul him along in that way. This scheme was tried and after working hard (putting more grease on the gears every ten minutes) our enthusiasm began to wane and before another half hour had passed it was decided to leave the monster where it was until daylight, when it would be skinned where it lay.
We were up bright and early the next morning and while breakfast was being prepared the hunting and skinning knives were ground and sharpened to a fine edge and fit to cut the toughest hide or even to shave with.
Breakfast was finished and we trooped off to where lay the king of the forest (especially the low-lying swampy fringed forest) and after coats were thrown off and sleeves rolled up to above the elbows the operation of skinning was ready to commence.
Our friend the Englishman was naturally anxious that the job be a neat one, as he certainly was anxious to have that hide mounted, especially on account of its large size and its being the first specimen of big game killed by him in Cassiar, and he suggested that we wait a few minutes longer until it was full daylight.
At last the light of the rising sun commenced to show brightly in the east until it ended in one great burst of brilliant glory which held us as in a trance admiring its beauty.
Finally we turned to the animal and the work of skinning. One glance in the improved light was sufficient to show that there was something wrong, and that our grizzly bear was not a bear after all.
But what was it? Owing to my years of experience the matter was referred to me, and after making a close examination I was able to announce with surety that the supposed grizzly bear was only a common, everyday Stikine River mosquito, of perhaps a little greater size than is usually encountered.
It was then up to everyone to remark that they were sure from the first that it was not a bear. But the climax was reached when the Englishman expressed surprise that we had any doubts about what the animal really was right from the start, because he had killed it only to get the stinger, which, he was told, made an excellent golf club.