1900
United States, Canada
May 23rd, 1900
Hotel Allan, Rossland, B.C. Wednesday.
My Beloved Angee,
I left Vancouver on Monday last the 21st at 2 pm. The C.P.R. cars are said to be very comfortable and so I found it – we were full up – did not sleep very well but rested and turned out again at 5.30am and had the use of the wash house before others were astir. It was a lovely morning – at 6.30 a dining car was attached to our train and I was quite ready for breakfast and was well waited upon by one of the waiters who used to live at Williamson's Hotel Cheapside – you may remember my meeting him before when crossing the continent. At 8 o'clock I had to leave the train for another in which we had a 2 hours' ride and then found ourselves alongside a beautiful river steamer on the great Upper & Lower Arrow Lake River for a voyage of about 125 miles – high hills and mountains on either side and all covered with tall trees – it was a very grand trip occupying 12 hours – then we reached a place called Robson where we again took train for this place which we reached about 11pm. It is a great mining town and as rough as rough can be – houses mostly built of wood on the side of a mountain, snow-capped. Well I was tired when I reached the hotel a wooden structure mostly and only a very small room left with a bed about 5 feet long, when I saw the room and bed my poor heart was sad and I began to think if fire happened where should I escape. Well I made the best of it and committed you and all our loved ones to His care who so cares for us and myself – I was asleep in a very short time and on awaking this morning the first thought was thanksgiving for the mercy which had preserved me in safety. Have been out this morning and taken a nice order for about ¼ of a ton of biscuits and this afternoon D.V. I move on by train to a place called Nelson about a 3 hours' journey. Tomorrow evening D.V. I leave there again at midnight by steamer getting on the rail again next morning for a whole day's travel in the train through what it called the Crow's Nest Pass to a place called Macloud where I rest on land for the night and the next day go on by train again to join the main C.P.R. line to Calgary a little to the East of the Rocky Mountains. This is wandering is it not?
At Victoria it was warm the day I left but we are about 4 thousand feet elevation at Rossland so that my overcoat is acceptable. The loyalty of the people here knows no bounds – all shops are to be closed here tomorrow at 10 am but I hear the Queen's birthday will not be celebrated on the same scale at Nelson which I am thankful for.
I see that in England in some places the rejoicings ended in riot – a son of Lord Salisbury a clergyman made some nice remarks about the rejoicings which I dare say you may have noticed – in many respects they were evil and good in the measure in which they rebuked one of the greatest evils of the day – the love of money.
Our New York depot sent me a few days since the quantities Mr Sarl had sold on his journey – he started the day after I left New York – he had sold nearly 300 nine pound tins and about the same quantity of small tins. Your friend has sold about 11 hundred nine pound tines and just the same quantity of small – my list is made up a week later than his so that all his sales for that week will have to be added – altogether it makes a good lump.
Well my beloved Angee I was sorry to find from Mildred's note received with your last that your appetite was not good and I hope the "Enterprise" mincing machine she referred to will be beneficial in making an easily digested and nourishing meal for you and many of them. Suppose you will soon be returning to your own house - I shall D.V. be home much sooner than I expected – probably by the beginning of August so that we shall be able to have in the Lord's goodness and mercy a little holiday together. I cannot see more work than I should be able to get through easily during June & July. You will be glad of this I am sure and so shall I.
A gentleman called Berry called upon me just before leaving Vancouver – he manages a branch in Vancouver of a large wholesale grocer in Nova Scotia and had been invited to hear me preach on Sunday evening – he could not however find the room – his wife accompanied him – he once lived with Peek Brothers &Co. London and knew Mr Jas. Peek so we had a plenty to talk about and I lost my dinner through it – he also lived in Bristol many years of his life and his wife is from Weston-Super-Mare. One of the dear brothers came to the train to see me off and was sorry I had to leave so quickly – I do hope you have found an occulist who has been able to suit your sight with a pair of glasses – well I must commend you still to the guardian care and mercy of our gracious God and our dear children and their households and with much love to you my dearest Angee and to them all believe me ever
Your very affectionate Husband