Visit with ARNE HASSEL-GREN Headquarters for FISHERMEN HUNTERS TRAVELLERS MINERS IR N AQ N SN QUESNEL, B.C... AWA AT AWD AAMCWH \\ ANITA In the Heart of the Cariboo “Ideal Spot for a Vacation” | ; \ Vp YR | GOOD FISHING AND HUNTING HOME COMFORT AT MODERATE RATES ae) the Guest King. @ that father’s parish, a flying visit to Rugby to visit old friends—writing at that time, his brother says he looked 20—instead of seven—years older than when he left and had become a rugged type of man—we find Marsh Brothers Transfer GENERAL HAULING Wood, Coal and Ice Prompt and Courteous Service Phone QUESNEL British Columbia BANK SERVICE STATION MRS. H. LOTTMAN, Proprietress YOUR FRIENDLY DEALER “Home” Gasoline and Lubricants British Columbia QUESNEL H. J. Gardner & Sons Ltd. “Everything for the Builder’ Five Trucks at Your Service ’ QUESNEL, WILLIAMS LAKE and WELLS, B.C. MACKENZIES LTD. Wholesale and Retail Merchants Squamish, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Wells, B. C. John A. Fraser & Co. Ltd. Established 1908 “The Store with the Stock” QUALITY SERVICE r) Quesnel, B.C. —————————_——— || Page One Hundred and Twenty-four him accepting the invitation of Bishop Dart (who had succeeded Bishop Sillitoe upon the latter’s death) to return to B. C. Those final, and all too brief years, were packed with vivid incident and accomplishment, only ended by his tragic death. ROssLAND EL Dorapo The Rossland gold rush was in full swing and into that seething mass of diversified humanity of many nationalities Father Pat was, at his own request, sent in 1896 to build a church and to minister to the parish. There he remained for three years. In 1865, the historic trail known as the Dewdney Trail (because Edgar Dewdney, a Devonshire man, who later became a member of Sir John A. Macdonald’s cab- inet, Governor of the North West Terri- tories, and Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, was in charge of its construction) had been completed. This trail was entirely within British territory through the south- ern part of the province and gave the only passage to the northern part of B.C. In its course, it passed about one mile south of the present town of Rossland, on its way down Trail Creek to the Columbia River. For years, fur traders and prospectors passed over this trail and investigated the neighbouring wilds where Rossland is now s:tuated, without suspecting that, right there, were rich deposits of gold. Until, in 94, Ross Thompson—still resident in Van- couver, hale at the age of 80, and with whom I had a chat the other day—saw what he describes as “‘a big, red, iron-stained mountain,” and staked out claims that later became the site of Rossland. His first name was given to the townsite, he tells me, by Mrs. Stuart, for whom he built the frst hotel there. The mines produced iron, cop- per, silver and, particularly, gold. The Le Roi, War Eagle, Centre Star, Virginia and Idaho mines became famous (elderly readers will recall the famous Whittaker Wright case in England in connection with the first- named mine and the suicide in the dock of the notorious company promoter after he had been convicted). Rossland had become the biggest gold- mining centre in the world at the time of Father Pat’s advent there and had a pop- ulation of from six to seven thousand people. There were men there from all ove> Europe and Latin America, as well as A. \ericans and Chinese, and, as was inevitable in such circumstances, a good deal of suffering. A that was where Father Pat came in. Bef he built his “barn of a church,” as described it—assisting in the building hi self—he held his services in a large buildi known as the Opera House. He hims lived in a rough shack, though the wome: auxiliary of his church had provided h with two fairly comfortable rooms und the church. Mr. WHITESIDE’s Vivip MEmorigs I have talked with a number of the « vivors of that hectic gold excitement Rossland, several of whom are now we known in Vancouver, notably Jack Leck Frank Woodside (now manager of the B. Chamber of Mines, but then secretary. the Miners’ Union there), who during big miners’ strike instigated by a dangero element from the other side of the lin when feeling ran very high, probably ow his life to the fact that he always went u armed. Judge Forin, and Arthur Whitesid K.C., well-known Vancouver barrister, bo spoke enthusiastically of the qualities | Father Pat. The most vivid series of pictures I ha gathered of him, as he was at that tim have been from the lips of Mr. Whitesi who described him as “‘a man of mediu height, with heavy shoulders, of stock build and of great physical strength. He wi not handsome but he had a fine, bearde fresh-complexioned face, illuminated | those kindly, quizzical eyes that often § with a humourist, and he usually looked- except in church—most unparsonic in t! rough clothes he always wore.” “T met him on the street one day, lookin very elated,” continued Mr. Woodsid ‘I have just had a tremendous piece news,’ he said. ‘I have had a present of piece of land for a graveyard in which | bury my friends.’ As a matter of fact thet was a serious epidemic there at the tim and he did have to bury quite a few of h friends. We met again a few days afte that. It was winter time and there was lot of illness about and he was very bus looking after the sick. He was coming ou of a saloon with a couple of egg-nogs- which he had probably got gratis—in hi hands. He said he was taking them to tw sick men in a cabin, and he added, ‘Mi Dodds’ (the Presbyterian minister) ‘look THE SHOULDER STRA!