The Victorian Siblings Travel Across Canada By Train

We follow along as May, Cecil, Harold, and Jack Wright arrive in Brandon, Manitoba and reunite with long-missed friends, give out their gifts, and share stories. After a short visit, the siblings prepare for another journey as they travel across Canada by train to their new farm in Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada.

This post is about Cecil and May’s letters home to their mother, updating her on their time with their friends and their continued journey as they travel across Canada to their new home.

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Letters

Cecil’s Letter to Mother- March 18, 1896

Morely House,
Manitoba,

March 18th, 1896

Dear Mother, 

Thank you very much for your letter. We go on from here tomorrow. We have had very mild weather all the time we have been here, in fact I thought it looked as if the winter was going to break up, but last night there was more snow.

May & Archie are going into the city today so that May can say goodbye to her Rapid City friends. Evelyn was delighted with the doll. She thanked me many times for it and then dressed it for me to see. Thank you very much for saying that I need not send you the money for the doll.

The ring you gave me has been very much admired by everybody here. I like having it very much. I think I ought to have gone into Highwood to-day to say goodbye to them only I have a lot of letters to write that I thought I’d better do that instead. One of the letters you sent me was from Miss. Cole it had a key to a card trick – but although I have the key I can’t do the trick. Jack & I had a long try at it the other night, I don’t know what Harold would do if he was to stay here all the winter. As the cold has made nearly all the skin come off his face.

With much love
I remain

Your loving 
son Cecil.

May’s Letter to Mother- March 20, 1896

“Colombo Sleeper Car” C.P.R.
Near Medicine Hat.

March 20, 1896

My dearest Mother,

We are on a shaky bit of line so it is hard to write.

We left Morley yesterday about one o’clock. Mrs. Heard was very sorry to part with us. The tracks were getting bad so we drove down in the bob-sleighs. Marion & Archie came down with us, we had no adventures till just as we got into Brandon. In some places the horses had hard work to pull us along, as it was thawing in places and the snow was quite gone. That bit where Mrs. Lee fell down coming out was pretty bad but the horses managed it. Just as we got into Brandon we had to cross the railway line & then it is very steep, but Lego did his best a pulled well but Mr. Lego lost her head & danced about & at last fell over, she got up & had another go but fell over again flat on her side, after a few minutes she got up & managed to pull the sleigh up the hill.

We went to the Grand View where we found Mr. & Mrs. Bowen waiting to see us. We could only stop a few minutes. We all had dinner & then Jack went with Archie to call on the  Shapmens, & I went with Marion to call on Mr. ____, Mr.  ____ is the manager of the British North America Bank at Brandon. He may move to Vancouver soon, they both seemed nice people. English. After that we all went to the rink for an hour to watch the skating. There was a band playing & a great many skaters. I saw several people there, Jessie & Lena Lee, Mr. Henderson, Mr. Irwan, Mr. MacMullin, Mr. Bennett. There is to be a big confirmation in Brandon soon, 50 candidates.

Then we went to the View to wait for the train it was more than an hour late. Marion, Archie, Mr. Butt , & Mr. Bennett saw us off, the train left Brandon at 12 at night. We are on a very good Pullman, about the best I have seen. About an hour ago we passed the Eastbound train with the “Fuiyama” one, the sleeper we travelled from Montreal to Brandon in. It was thawing when we left Brandon, but here there is hardly any snow left & it is very warm, the car is very comfortable as to heat to-day but last night it was far too hot.

I forget whether I told you how very much the Church things were admired & appreciated, they look very nice in the Church. Archie talks of bringing Mrs. Heard up to see us in it ______ if he can possibly afford it, as the doctor says she ought not to be in Manitoba all the winter, but very much doubt it, Archie says they cannot possibly leave Manitoba in Mrs. Heard’s lifetime, but she hopes to come home someday. Jim is working very hard, he has to be up every morning at five, but he likes the life.

With very much love to all, 
Yours affec. daughter,

May Wright.

Mrs. Heard was very much pleased with the needle case.

Letter from May to Mother-March 24, 1896

Vancouver
British Columbia
March 24th, 1896

My dearest Mother, 

Jack & Cecil & I are now staying with Mr. Hamersley. Cecil intends to go back to your farm to-day. The snow through the mountains was very deep, we had breakfast the last morning on the train at the glacier house, there the snow was about eight feet deep, with narrow cuts in it to get about.

East of Sicamous all the waterfalls were frozen so that they could not be seen, but between Sicamous & here the snow was level & far the most beautiful on the line. I think, though the ___ that on the platform so that I saw it.

I think it is most beautiful coming at Agassiz. We just left our things at the hotel & walked out to the farm, the road is very bad but very pretty all through the walk, Mr. Hamersley says that one person is going to put down gravel soon. The Americans are still in the house, some of them __ close to the farm & reached back there with this house is not furnished but will be there in about three days from now & then the Americans will all turn out & go back to their old home in the States. 

The sitting room is very dark so Mr. Hamersley is going to have it as a little room taken away & a door made into the other small bedroom, I think it would be a very comfortable little house when it is “fixed up” we had lunch there, eggs & bacon, jam & cake.

After lunch we went back to the hotel, & the other two walked about with Mr. Hamersley, and they went to see Mrs. Agassiz & found her out but the daughters were in , they were delighted to see Jack & very much insisted we stayed there and had tea. They seemed like such nice girls but really can’t describe them they wore dark shirts and print blouses & talked a great deal about gold mining everyone is in a great state of excitement because gold has been found at Harrison. We came on to Vancouver yesterday, Mr. Hamersley met us & we came up there & had lunch at once.

In the afternoon, the boys went out with Mr. Hamersley, Mrs. Hamersley took me to tea with the wife of the manager of the Bank of Montreal. I forget her name, We went to look at a second-hand furniture shop with Jack this afternoon. In the ___, Mrs. Hamersley had to go to a council meeting, we talked till bed-time.

The boys have gone out this morning, Jack is coming back for one room, but they talk of going over the “Empress of India” & to Australia boat as they both are in the harbour, someone offer to take them yesterday but they thought they could wait for me. It is raining today & it rained fast yesterday, but it has been again, unusually wet, even so Mr. Hamersely said one should probably have a fine spring. The Sy_che’s are leaving Agassiz. They have sold almost all their furniture. Mr. H___ is also leaving. He starts for England to-morrow. He appears to have done so good at farming out here. 

Harold is also on the farm. He is going to take a train to meet Cecil to-day & take out some luggage.

With love,
Your aff daughter,
May Wright.

Notes From the Historian

The Wrights had an eventful journey on their way to their new home in Agassiz, British Columbia. With each letter we learn a little bit more of about their family as well as Canadian history. We still haven’t found out how they knew about the farm, or how they knew the Agassiz family previously. The fact that May is being shown around by a woman from the city council with the wife of the bank manager, and they are connected to the Agassiz family, who the town is named after, brings up so many questions about their social standing. We know that they sailed 2nd class on the RMS Majestic, however, they had sailed previously on another ship as 1st class passengers.

In this set of letters, we learned that gold was found in Harrison, British Columbia as well as other families who had come to farm were returning to England. Will the Wright siblings stay and farm? Or will they return to England?

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