Letter from the homestead - Feb. 25, 1910

Tezorton Feb. 25th 1910

My Dear Mrs. F.

This is Friday evening and again I resume that most pleasant occupation of writing to you. You gave me a nice long letter in your last. You can scarcely conceive how charming it is to us to get a letter from home. I say us because the boys must have a reading of your letters just as soon as I get through with them. I have written two letters this afternoon already, one to McCavan in the Mound when renewing a note, the other to your cousin in the Old Country. I wrote him a long letter and took considerable pains with it so as not to deceive him in any way in regard to his chances for work here at his trade. I gave him to understand that during the building season there was here plenty of work for joiners at the present time and would be for some years to come.

At the same time I advised him to write to some joiner here on whom he could rely to give him full particulars as to wages, cost of living, hours, length of season &c. that I as a farmer could not do. Don’t know whether it will suit him or not, but I did my best so you can rest easy on that score. It will save you the trouble of writing. I wrote to Cameron not because I like writing letters now more than I used to do, but simply because you asked me to do so, and also because I feel that many a time in the past I did not accommodate you in this way when I might and should have done it. You also ask me to write to John S. again, I can assure you I’ll not fail to do so since you wish for it.

My time is half in to-night, and to look back seems but a very short time since Scottie and I landed at Cairns’. I look for the next half to go faster when I can get working in my garden and travelling on the prairie visiting my neighbors or admiring the work of the steam plows as they turn over the sod 8 or 10 furrows at once. I think I told you in some of my former letters that we look for quite a number of these plows in our immediate vicinity.

I still keep close to my shack, haven’t been out two days out of it yet since I started. And you can depend on me putting in the rest of the time too just as well. I don’t purpose giving you or myself any uneasiness on that account. How must Mrs. W. Elliot feel if what you heard about their Homestead is true. What a worry is still in store for her between the two places. I don’t doubt at all but the story is true. Can you remember if his being on his homestead for any one year for 6 mo. I don’t think you can, for the simple reason because that he wasn’t. I wouldn’t wonder to see our friend Malcolm in just such a box some day if he does not mend his ways. Homesteads are far too valuable now to allow any one to get his without doing his duties as he swore to do and as others do.



Rosetown - cutting grain with binders and steel-wheeled tractor, 1910
(photo courtesy Rosetown Centennial Library Archive)

We got a little surprise in our weather yesterday. For a change we were treated to a good Pilot Mound storm, a heavy fall of snow with a good gale from the east. Kept us well indoors. There was a little drift to-day but not at all as bad as yesterday. To-night we are back to our usual calm weather. The frost was not at all severe and we did not suffer in the least. This was the first and only stormy day since New Years Day. What a blessing!

No wonder you got a good long letter for your last when you took nearly a week to write it. Keep me with your good work as you have started. Writing a letter by instalments enables you all the better to make sure that no item of news that might be interesting to us will be missed. It is quite a task for me a stranger in a strange land to find material enough to fill mine with! Nothing of any interest is reported from the other shacks. In my last I told you that Stan and Howard were going out this week. Well they have done, and Oh! I forgot Chad came in Tues. night and went out again Wed. morning. Haven’t heard from them yet.

I see by your last epistle that you still adhere to your antiquated method of warming a bed, by means of the cordwood sticks. I think I can beat you. During the day I wear two pairs of socks and my felt boots, at night I pull the boots off but cleave to the two pairs of socks, and I have yet to know what it is to have a cold foot in bed since I adopted that sensible method of preserving the heat of my poor old body. Don’t laugh now, but try it and you will find it vastly superior to your wooden arrangement. Your second method, getting me to warm it was a good enough method, but not very feasible while I am over 500 miles from the bed. So my honest advice is to try the socks, and don’t forget. Yes try them.

You say you often read my letters to while away the time. I don’t see what you find in them to interest you. I would much rather read yours. They are a sure cure for an attack of home sickness. So I keep them in my coat jacket, nearest my heart. When an attack threatens me I out with them and begin to read and away flies the disease at once. Sure cure. Don’t think mine could do that. No. No.

You say A. Bell likes her new teacher, am pleased to hear it. I do hope she passes next Exam. I don’t like to think of a Fraser failing. Do your best Annie.

Douglas need not have worried about his daughter's exams.
Annie's Normal School Diploma, 1910.



Annie Belle Fraser (1892-1974) was the youngest of 8 children
born to Douglas Sr. and Catherine Fraser.

I am not going to give you a long letter this time as this is the second I have written to you this week already as the Dutchman says. So don’t imagine that because this one is shorter than most of his predecessors that I may have another girl on the string, for I have not. The true reason is that Peter is going to the store with some other letters to post there so that they would be sure to go to Zealandia on Mon. I forgot to say that he was going to-morrow morning. So you see I never forget you, never miss a chance of catching a mail. Doug has written one to W. Hogg too so you’ll get both together. Doug had a big washing yesterday. It is still on the line, and looks not too bad at all. You’ll miss him next winter when you will be here as he intends staying here all summer and will finish his second term a few days before Xmas. You and Peter and I will have the shack to ourselves. You can make a good washerwoman out of Peter perhaps. If not you can try me. I won’t go back on you now. Peter’s last baking was his best I think. We have still 3 sacks of flour, Ogilvie’s Royal Household. Our coal is getting low though. I wish we had another half-ton which would perhaps do us. Doug intends to bring up a coal oil or gasoline stove with him when he brings up his horses in a few weeks. One of these stoves will be much more convenient for him when he is alone. It will not need to be going except when he is in from his work. Some of the neighbors will bake his bread and he can then easily do the rest.

You might make enquiries about these stoves before Doug gets home. I would like something better than the one at the McDonald Place. One that you would like to use yourself the next summer. It’s getting late, Peter is snoring and Doug at a novel. So I must again bid you an affectionate good bye and love to all the dear ones around you.

D. Fraser