A. Stewart MacDonald D.F.C., M.D. C,.M. 
     
    
   
   
    
     from New Westminster, where the bridge spans the river. 
     
     At that point many salmon boats can be seen on the river. 
     
     That was the year of the floods. We on PEI heard much 
     
     about the flood in Winnipeg, which I was able to view on 
     
     my way West. 
     
    

    
     Life on the railway gang is not all fun. At times 
     
     I was the only Canadian in a gang of about 200 men, 
     
     mostly from Poland, and all orders were given to the men 
     
     in Polish. One time three Canadians from Cape Breton 
     
     arrived; they only stayed a week. There were four foremen 
     
     who stood over the men. We were lifting the track along 
     
     the Fraser River by about six feet with sand, which would 
     
     keep the water from flooding Port Mann. The trains kept 
     
     running all the time, which meant the tracks had to be kept 
     
     in repair. The men thought I was just a soft student who 
     
     taught them English, Math and History in the evenings, 
     
     but one day the foreman had to go away down the track. 
     
     When the foremen were away, not even a shovel was 
     
     lifted. As long as one kept working, no matter how slowly, 
     
     nothing was said, but stop for one second and the foreman 
     
     was right there. 
     
    

    
     On returning, the foreman was quite mad and 
     
     called us just a bunch of ”CD. sheep.” I walked up to him 
     
     and said, ”Don't call us a sheep or I’ll drive this shovel 
     
     through you.” He just turned pale and walked away. He 
     
     told the head boss, he was afraid that I might do it. After 
     
     that, the men thought I was as tough as any of them. I 
     
     learned that the food was excellent but no one was allowed 
     
     to speak at the table or he was ordered to shut up. The 
     
     cook stood at the door and saw that everyone washed his 
     
     hands before entering. A month after I was there, the time- 
     
     keeper of the CNR was going on a month’s leave, and I 
     
     was hired by the CNR to fill his position. The principal in 
     
     Toronto was not too pleased with this move. After a month 
     
    
   
   
    
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