CHAPTER XXIV.

A retrospect--Canada’s heroes--The places of their deeds should be marked--Canada a young sleeping giant--Abundance of our resources--Pulpwood for the world--Nickel--History of our early days will be valued.

No one can look back over the years covered by this volume of reminiscences and observations of Canadian history and life without being struck by the changes that have already taken place, and also by the great possibilities of the future. At the close of the American Revolution of 1776 there were not more than 80,000 white persons in all of what we now call Canada with its confederated provinces. When Roger Conant came to Upper Canada, on the termination of that lamentable struggle, he found only 12,000 inhabitants in that province. At the time of the War of 1812 there were in all Canada about one-fifth of a million inhabitants, and in Upper Canada (Ontario) 55,000. It is only ninety years since that war, and the increase has been a marvellous one. We have nearly 3,000,000 inhabitants in what was formerly Upper Canada, and 5,000,000 in the whole Dominion. Let another period of ninety years revolve around our land, and the millions that will then inhabit our provinces will make our present enumeration seem insignificant, as well as those of our forefathers in 1792 and 1812.

We know, of course, that the War of 1812 was Britain’s war. Canada was really not a party to its origin. But it would be a bold person to-day who would dare to assert that our forefathers did not do their duty in that struggle. The world at large, as well as ourselves, recognizes that they did all that a few poor but brave men could do.

“Oh! few and weak their numbers were, A handful of brave men, But to their God they made their prayer, And rushed to battle then.”

There dwells no Canadian on his native soil whose heart does not swell with pride at the valor of our forefathers in that war. For although it was Britain’s quarrel, and we honestly felt that Britain had been rather overbearing in her conduct to the United States, and had claimed too much in indiscriminately searching American ships and removing any men from them she chose, our people showed their valor, hardihood, and that Anglo-Saxon pluck which is the common attribute of the white man on this continent north of the Rio Grande River.

If, then, we are proud of our sires, let us mark the places of their deeds. Already the site of the famous battle between Wolfe and Montcalm in Quebec, which sealed the fate of a continent, is in doubt. How much more so, then, will be the sites of the deeds of our forefathers in the War of 1812, and the more recent struggle of the Canadian Revolution of 1837-38. The author submits that it is the duty of those who know these historic spots to mark them by monuments or tablets. Very soon those who know them to-day will be off the scene, and information as to the whereabouts of these spots will be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. We are making history so very fast that it behoves us to bestir ourselves with regard to these matters. Future historians will glean every word we say, and view with eager interest every spot we mark.

Truly we are laying the bricks and stones of the superstructure of this great country of ours. Our 5,000,000 may seem insignificant to our children’s 125,000,000 by and by, but our children will search most diligently for all we did and said while in our adolescence.

Canada to-day is a young sleeping giant which has not yet felt its power, nor yet risen to consciousness of its own importance, wealth, power and grandeur. Our future no one can read. While we are proud to be a part of the great British Empire, and glory in it, we are none the less Canadians first, and we must never forget it. Some deep political thinkers and far-seeing statesmen have said that the white man’s governments and the flags of Anglo-Saxondom will some day be unified and made to wave over all the continent of North America north of the Rio Grande. How that may be accomplished no one will have the hardihood to predict. Our United States cousins may join us and a united flag may be evolved. That such an amalgamation would most materially add to our advancement is self-evident. We would like to see that gigantic stride made and still remain members of the great Empire, if that be possible. A treaty of commerce between us and the United States, be it reciprocity or what not, would so very materially tend to our benefit that we would risk much and give much to obtain it. There is such an abundance of food for man and beast in Canada, and always has been, without a single general failure of crops, that we cannot realize what such a failure really means. Nor can we make comparisons between times of abundance and years of want. No general failures have ever come to Canada, and while it has never been uniformly productive, the past two seasons have surpassed all previous records. We have seen harvests of 60,000,000 bushels of grain in Manitoba, Alberta, Assiniboia and Saskatchewan, seeking an outlet to Europe through the railways and canals of Ontario.

Verily, Canada is a young sleeping giant which has not yet awakened to its power. Our resources of all kinds are enormous. Take, for instance, our vast supplies of pulp-wood spruce, the raw material of paper. Explorers have found hundreds of square miles of this timber as yet untouched by the hand of man, between the northerly boundary of Ontario and James’ Bay. These forests may be cut off, but in twelve years will again have grown ready for another cutting. It is freely asserted that Canada has more spruce wood for pulp than all the world besides. The resources of commercial white pine are also within Canadian borders. The United States have almost exhausted theirs, and are coming for ours, but they most ungenerously mulct us in $4.00 per 1,000 feet for duty on this pine. This example very forcibly again reminds us that we particularly want a treaty of commerce with our nearest neighbors. Canada’s resources in pulp-wood and pine alone are sufficient to make her rich, and all nations must yet pay tribute to us on this account. To these we may add nickel, of which only New Caledonia besides has any quantity. Nickel the nations must and will have, regardless of price. In extent of fertile lands no nation can make a comparison with us. All these considerations point to a marvellous development in the future. With the increase of population and the spread of education we may take it for granted that the history of our early days will become more and more interesting to future generations, and that every genuine contribution to it will be highly valued.

THE END.

* * * * *

_Upper Canada Sketches_

_By ... THOMAS CONANT._

With 21 full-page illustrations by E. S. Shrapnel, lithographed in colors. Printed on superior paper, with gilt top, and bound in buckram, with cover design in green and gold.

PRICE, $3.50 net, postpaid

..Press Comments..

The _Journal of the Royal Colonial Institute_, London, England, reviewing the book, gives the following admirable summary of its scope and contents:

“Stories regarding the early settlement of Canada always possess a certain amount of fascination, and the book under notice is no exception to the rule. It is of more than ordinary interest, as it is written by one who is a descendant of the first Governor of Massachusetts, and the grandson of one of the earliest settlers in Canadian territory. Mr. Conant gives us many old settlers’ stories, as well as legends and traditions of the past, and presents glimpses of the rude, free life that obtained in the earlier years of settlement, whilst at the same time he depicts many of the phases of present-day life in Canada, as compared with the past. His personal experiences, which extend over many years, are full of interesting details regarding life in Canada. Mr. Conant not only describes the country and its advantages for settlement, but supplies numerous anecdotes regarding its administration, both politically and from a municipal point of view. He describes various events in its history so graphically as to enable the reader to follow him with interest through the many pages of the work, and to gain an insight into the mode of life which existed in Canada long before the railways opened up the country.”

_The Toronto Globe_:

The value of such unadorned records as those contained in Mr. Conant’s book will be fully appreciated by the future historian. With many of his contemporaries, the incidents he relates and the customs he describes are a common memory, and will be vouched for as not only accurately set forth in these pages, but with not a little incidental interest. Mr. Conant is well known to a large constituency of Canadian readers as a writer of some descriptive talent and with a pleasant colloquial style.

_Toronto Mail and Empire_:

“Mr. Conant has not only written a book that those interested in Canadian history will want to read, but he has set a good example to those who have the material for a family history.”

...Some Personal Commendations ...

=The Right Hon. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, G.C.M.G.=, writes the author: “I have received your book, ‘Upper Canada Sketches,’ and I can assure you with perfect sincerity that I enjoyed it very much.”

“A friend called my attention to your ‘Upper Canada Sketches, and, though I was only able to skim through it, yet I want to write and tell you how much I enjoyed it.... It seems to be the most readable book in that line that I have come across.”--=Miss Minnie Jean Nesbit=, Hamilton.

“I have read, ‘Sketches’ with great pleasure. It is very good and does you credit.”--=Dr. H. Wheeler=, Windsor, Eng.

“I have read it [‘Upper Canada Sketches’] with great pleasure and interest. It is, in paper, print, engravings, and margin, a pleasure to look at, and you have brought together very valuable sketches of life.”--=Miss Janet Carnochan=, Secretary Historical Society, Niagara.

“I got for my own library, as soon as it appeared, a copy of your book, and read it through with a great deal of interest and enjoyment.”--=C. C. James=, Deputy Minister of Agriculture for Ontario.

“I have greatly enjoyed Mr. Conant’s charming book, having read it from cover to cover. While I don’t suppose it appeals to a down-east Yankee like myself, as it must to a Canadian ‘to the manor born,’ I fully appreciate its fine literary finish, stirring incident, and flavor of ‘ye olden time.’”--=Ada Chadwick Williams=, Chicago.

“Am glad you found something of interest in my book. I could say the same thing, many times emphasized, regarding your own fine volume.”--=Frank H. Severance, Esq.=, Author of “Old Trails on the Niagara Frontier.”

“Your ‘Upper Canada Sketches’ are unique, and more references are made to this book than to any other we have on Colonial history.”--=David Boyle, Esq.=, Secretary Canadian Historical Society.

“I read your ‘Upper Canada Sketches,’ and I must pay you the compliment of saying that I could not get away from the atmosphere of that book for a long time after reading it. I have seldom had scenes cling to me as they did. I shall be greatly interested in anything further that you may do along that line.”--=C. N. Johnston, L.D.S., D.D.S.=, Chicago.

=Mr. Fred Odell Conant=, author of “The Conant Genealogy,” writes: “I have waited for an opportunity to look it over carefully before replying. It is first-rate, and, so far as I can judge, gives a very good representation of life in the early days in the wilds of Upper Canada. I have been much interested in its perusal, and shall send for two or three more copies at once. You have the gift of making interesting reading.”

_WILLIAM BRIGGS, Publisher_, 29-33 Richmond Street West, - - Toronto, Ont.

FOOTNOTES:

[A] _Vide_ “Upper Canada Sketches,” by the author.

[B] _Vide_ “Upper Canada Sketches,” by the author.

[C] The author’s forbears then lived on the shore of Lake Ontario, at Port Oshawa. Word came to them of the taking of York during the night of April 26-27, and that the fort would be blown up if the Americans entered it. They were, therefore, on the _qui vive_ for the explosion. For thirty-three miles to Port Oshawa on that still April afternoon the sound of the explosion followed the water along the shore, and the author’s people distinctly heard the heavy boom they were waiting for. Hence it may be gathered that the blowing up of the fort was premeditated.