condition of things when the contract was entered into to build 500
miles--the east end of the 500-mile contract being at Station 4,660
(Station being at Brandon) and extending west to a few miles beyond the
Saskatchewan River.

The spring of 1882 opened in the most unpromising manner for railroad
operations, being the wettest ever known in that country. Traffic over the
St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railroad, between St. Paul and Winnipeg,
was entirely suspended from April 15 to the 28th, owing to the floods on
the Red River at St. Vincent and Emerson, a serious blow to an early
start, as on this single track depended the transportation of all
supplies, men, timber, and contractors' plant, together with all track
materials (except ties), all of these things having to come from or
through St. Paul and Minneapolis. The writer hereof was appointed a
division engineer, and reported at Winnipeg the 15th of April, getting
through on the last train before the St. Vincent flood. No sooner was the
line open from St. Paul to Winnipeg than the cotillon opened between
Winnipeg and Brandon, with a succession of washouts that defied and
defeated all efforts to get trains over, so it was not until the fifth day
of May that I left Winnipeg to take charge of the second division of 30
miles.

By extremely "dizzy" speed I was landed at the end of the track, 180 miles
from Winnipeg, on the evening of the 9th (4 days). My outfit consisted of
three assistant engineers and the necessary paraphernalia for three
complete camps, 30 days' provisions (which turned out to be about 20), 11
carts and ponies, the latter being extremely poor after a winter's diet
on buffalo grass and no grain. On the 18th day of May I had my division
organized and camps in running order. The country was literally under
water, dry ground being the exception, and I look upon the feat of getting