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Read Ebook: Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 240 Contributions From the Museum of History and Technology Papers 34-44 on Science and Technology by Museum Of History And Technology U S
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Vol. I JULY, 1921 No. 10
The "Lords of the North" in Annual Conclave
"Lords of the North" was the appellation sometimes applied to those intrepid Factors and Chief Factors of H.B.C. who for many years gathered in annual conclave at some central fort to arrange for the administration and provisioning of the great fur-trade districts.
Norway House, Fort Carlton on the Saskatchewan, Fort Garry on the Red and the "Stone Fort" were successively the meeting places of these ancient councils.
When the season's furs had been gathered and stoutly baled and marked with the cryptic signs which destined them for the far-away auction mart at London--when the shouting, chanting fur brigades of the north went swinging away down roaring watercourses to meet the sailing ships on the great Bay--just at this time the bearded chieftains of the inland districts mobilized their voluminous accounts, dried their goose quill pens and shot away in swift birchbarks to the grand council.
Some of these officers travelled a thousand miles; others, at more southerly stations had not far to go. But in any case their only carriers were the canoe, the York boat, the plodding oxen or the pony of the plains.
The council was not usually complete until early July. Then the grizzled veterans of the fur service sat down to "talk musquash" under the chairmanship of the Chief Commissioner, and in the space of a fortnight had deliberated upon the commerce and government of a wilderness empire and promulgated the specific orders that would control the victualing, the supply and the trade, the commercial, civic, industrial and religious life of the vast unplotted north country for another year.
Weighty problems of transport were solved at these historic meetings, so that the chain of H.B.C. communication might be unbroken; mail packets, freight and furs traversed the forest leagues and the expanse of mountain and prairie under "timetables" placed in effect by this council. And rare indeed was there instanced the loss of a package of merchandise or pelts--or even a letter--notwithstanding the extraordinary difficulties of travel, the storm and stress of climate.
Some idea of the plan under which the grand council operated may be conveyed by the following extracts from the minutes of a typical meeting of the Factors and Chief Factors held at Fort Carlton, beginning the first of July, 1878:
Minutes of Council, 1878
Memoranda having reference to a Meeting at Carlton called by the Chief Commissioner for the purpose of receiving advice and information regarding the Trade and Requirements of the Several Districts in Northern Department from the officers in charge of the same commencing on the 1st day of July, 1878, at which the undermentioned qualified Commissioned Officers were present by request:
Richard Hardisty, Chief Factor. Lawrence Clarke, Chief Factor.
The following Factors, Chief Trader and Junior Chief Trader were also invited to attend:
Archibald McDonald, Factor. Horace Belanger, Factor. Wm. McKay, "C", Factor. James McDougall, Chief Trader. J. Ogden Grahame, Junior Chief Factor.
McKenzie River--Julian S. Camsell, Factor; John Wilson, Junior Chief Trader; Charles F. Gaudet, Chief Trader.
Peace River--James McDougall, Chief Trader; Alexr. MacKenzie, "A" Junior Trader.
Athabasca--Rodk. McFarlane, Chief Factor: Henry J. Moberly, Chief Trader; John McAulay, Junior Chief Trader; William F. Gairdner, Junior Chief Trader.
English River--Ewen McDonald, Chief Trader.
Edmonton--Richard Hardisty, Chief Factor.
Saskatchewan--Lawrence Clarke, Chief Factor; Wm. McKay, "C" Factor.
Cumberland--Horace Belanger, Factor; Pierre Deschambeault, Senior Chief Trader.
Grand Rapids--Alexander Matheson, Chief Trader.
Norway House--Roderick Ross, Factor.
Island Lake--Cuthbert Sinclair, Junior Chief Trader.
York Factory--Joseph Fortescue, Factor.
Swan River--Archibald McDonald, Factor; William J. McLean, Junior Chief Trader.
Manitoba--Wm. Clarke, Junior Chief Trader.
Red River--John H. McTavish, Chief Factor; Wm. Flett, Chief Trader; Joseph J. Hargrave, Junior Chief Trader; Duncan Matheson, Junior Chief Trader; Alexr. Christie, Junior Chief Trader.
Lac la Pluie--Alexr. R. Lillie, Chief Trader; James B. McKenzie, "A" Junior Chief Trader.
General Service--George S. McTavish, Inspt. Chief Factor; J. Ogden Grahame, Junior Chief Trader.
Isle a la Crosse--Ewen McDonald, Chief Trader; Walter B. West, Apprentice Clerk; Francois Maurice, Clerk.
Portage la Loche--Nicol Sinclair, Clerk; Pierre Laliberte, Clerk.
Green Lake--Scott W. Simpson, Clerk.
Outpost--Charles Lafleur, Interpreter.
Disposable--Fredk. S. Church, Apprentice Clerk.
Edmonton House--Richard Hardisty, Chief Factor; John Sinclair, Clerk; Frank Wilson, Clerk; Wm. Leslie Wood, Clerk.
Lac Ste. Anns--James Kirkness, Clerk.
Victoria--Wm. R. Brereton, Clerk.
Bow River--Angus Fraser, Interpreter.
White Fish Lake--Joseph Nooskeyah, Clerk.
Lesser Slave Lake--Harrison S. Young, Clerk; Charles Anderson, Interpreter.
Lac la Biche--Wm. E. Traill, Clerk.
Disposable--Joseph Favel, Pilot.
Carlton House--L. Clarke, Chief Factor; George McCrum, Clerk; Jas. K. Simpson, Clerk; Angus McKay, Apprentice Clerk.
Fort Pitt--Wm. McKay, "C" Factor.
Cold Lake--Wm. McKay, "J" Clerk.
Turtle Lake--Daniel Villebrun, Interpreter.
Battleford--August H. Bastien, Postmaster.
Prince Albert--Philip Turner, Clerk; Colin McIntyre, Apprentice Clerk.
Fort a la Corne--George Goodfellow, Clerk.
Article 21--Winter Arrangements, 1878-9.
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