August 25th 1905 - Finding a job

I came to Saskatoon for more supplies and back again. It was about harvest time but nobody around had much crop for they all was poor homesteaders so I had to start back to Saskatoon on foot. Reached Saskatoon about the 25th of August.

They had just started work on the first concrete bridge to cross the River Saskatchewan at Saskatoon. I now was without money but I had left my boys well provided for two or three months. I tried to get a job on the Bridge but they could not put any more men on then because they had not enough material to go on with; there was no other chances of a job. I did not know what to do - no money. Well I was in a fix. I slept in a wooden shed without blankets or any covering except what I stood up in.

Early the next morning I went to Jones store on first avenue. They was bakers as well as grocery merchants. I had traded with them a little since landing so I had got a little acquainted with young Eldey Jones. I asked him for some stake break, he told me I could have all I wanted so I ate stake bread and drank river water for a few days when a large grading gang came in to town. They was going to grade for the C.P.R. going West but they had all their own men with them. Nevertheless I asked the boss if there was any chance of a job. He did not know just then I must come again next day as they would be starting out then.

I went to see him again and asked him if he could place me, I told him how I was fixed, he asked me if I could handle horses. I told him "yes". "well" he says, "I just want one man I guess I'll take you", although there was lots more men wanting jobs too.

We started out about ten o'clock that morning, stopped for dinner on the road. It was a rough and tumble dinner too, they bring out two boxes of bread and a lot of fat pork. The cook did the sharing out. He cut two slices of bread about two inches thick and place some fat pork between them. Did you ever watch a lot of Hogs at feeding time at the trough? Well these men just like them. The cook had scarcely time to place the pork between the bread before it was snatched from out of his hands. I had waited and put out my hand many times for some but only to be snatched away by someone else. I did not know what to think of them or how they had been brought up.

Well they all snatched and snatched till they had been supplied but me. All was gone that was brought out but I kept my eyes on the cook to see what he would do next. He went to the wagon which carried supplies, puts up his hand for me to come to him. "Never mind them darned hogs, we have something better here". So I came out the best at finish.

That afternoon it began to rain, got wet through. It was dark when we got to where we had to start work.