Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo14amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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ALONG PEACE RIVER 255 or two moose hunts supplied a quantity of more nourishing food, some of which was put aside for winter. So the years passed until the empty stomachs of Europe cried for more wheat. When the easily plowed and more accessible lands of Manitoba and Saskatchewan had been sparsely settled and pioneers had moved on to Grand Prairie, south of Peace River, Edmonton with its railroad became the commercial center of a vast region and rapidly grew from a trading post to a flourishing city. At the present time the railroads follow- ing the tracks of the old carts will soon reach the Peace. It was with keen disappointment that the windows of the real estate dealers in Edmonton were viewed last summer. According to them Dun vegan, one of the earlier trading posts, had already become a city with many streets and buildings; Peace River Crossing was a flourishing town. All this brought visions of a region crowded with incoming settlers. Gradually however, as the journey was pursued, the feeling of disappointment gave way. To be sure, the journey from Edmonton to Athabasca Landing was made on the train, but the slow speed and long stops on the sidings gave ample opportunity for observing the country. The even- ing of that day and all the following day were spent on what seemed then a small flat-bottomed river steamer, heavily loaded with freight. We slowly and pain- fully made our way against a stiff cur- rent up the Atha- basca River between its well-wooded banks, and saw no signs of civilization. The second night brought us to the mouth of Lesser Slave River where a town had just had its birth. There were a few poolrooms, half a dozen houses and many tents. After a half-day of bad roads and un- comfortable riding, we found a really small river steamer waiting for us. The river was narrow and winding with banks about level with the upper deck. There was again no appearance of civilization. Muskrats were seen swimming in clear water and flowers grew on the banks almost within reach. There followed a day of rain on a wide lake where land was not to be seen — on such a day at least. That night when we reached the new town of Grouard came the first and almost the only blot on our enjoyment of the trip. A long sandy street was lined with new build- ings. No doubt there were good- hearted, normal human beings there, but those in evidence were aggressive and grasping. It was painful to learn that the most disliked examples were Americans who probably had moved on to Grouard because they were not wanted at home. Two and a half days spent on a wagon seat watching drizzling rain and clouds of mosquitoes, brought us through the
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Protection at night from mosquitoes in the North. Muslin is used at the top to give strength, and cheese-cloth around the sides

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