They had started to dig a basement out for J.F. Carians store on second Ave. where the Bigg 22 is snow, Mr Gillipisys, Carians store was where the Bank of Commerce is now. I worked for Mr Davis until November 10th, 1906.
I met my married daughter from U.S.A. on the streets, I did not know she was coming so I started me for home sooner than I intended to do but it was a good job I did the way the winter set in.
It rained on the 13th, froze hard on the 14th the day I started for home. I landed that night at Mr. Connors near what was know as Beckers post office. My daughter was taken sick in the night. I was up all night with her. On the 15th Mr. Connor advised me to send my daughter on by the mail team as it was mail day and she would get to the nearest mail station that night where I should not land until the next day.
It was a good thing I did send her for what day turned out to be a wild day. I had traveled about 12 miles when my oxen pulled up to a small bush near the trail and laid down. They had got foot sore by this time. A storm had been raging for nearly two hours - it was about half past four, it having started to blow and snow hard. I should not be 3-1/2 miles from the Doukhobors village on the Battleford trail: after an hours rest I tried to get my oxen to move. Could I get them to move? No Sir. I had no dinner and now no means of getting any supper.
I had food with me for both my oxen and myself but my food was froze. I fed the oxen, they held up there until midnight. Oh! it was terrible - I danced and jumped, swinged my arms to keep up the circulation until I was entirely exhausted. I then made up my mind to leave them there. I got them up and we started. It was very very dark, blowing and snowing all the time but Oh! how slow we moved, it looked to me about one mile an hour gate or speed.
We got there at last, everybody in bed, not a light no where. I pulled my oxen along side of an out house sheltered from the winds, unhitched, tied them to the wagon gave them lots of hay from the Doukhobors stack then goes inside the outhouse myself which was used as a woodshed.
I was tired being up all night before with my daughter, this day no dinner no supper now. Well I don't know what time it was but I was dead beat. I got up on a bench there as in the place and I was asleep in no time. I remember getting on the bench but I remember nothing else until a Doubkobor was roughly shaking me and saying "Come in the house, too much cold here".
I got off the bench only to fall in a heap on the floor. "My! my!" the Doukhobor cried, "You froze". He tried to lift me to my feet but no use, I could not stand. He then went to the house to call his son, they had to carry me in and throw my shoes and mitts out, before they could get them off, both feet and hands were frozen..
They worked hard, both the men and women rubbing me with snow and bathing with warm snow water and when the circulation started, Oh say! well I cannot say, it's only those that has experience it knows. It was now half past four.
Doukobour said "Cold in bed, make me go to wood shed for wood to start fire in heater" So you see if he had not come in the shed when he did I should have been frozen to death. If I had not sent my daughter with the mail team what would have happened? I don't like to think what would. I trust in God for all things and he always seemed to step in nick of time. It was 12 miles from the Doukhobor village to my home.
The Doukhobors knew me as I had stopped with them often when passing through on the trail. These people are very much misunderstood people. What scroupes or tricks they play on English speaking people they are only giving back what they learned from them. I always found them kind and good - so much for the Doukobors.
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