Original Findings

Original Findings

McLatchie’s Letter from 1881

            In the collection of McLatchie-related documents located at the library of the Canada Science and Technology Museum, I stumbled upon a letter written by John McLatchie to two men addressed as ‘gentlemen’ and dated to February 1^st, 1881. The contents of the letter revolve around his account of an attempted survey of ‘mining claims’ in Manitoba. Several features of this artifact are significant for the themes of surveyor-Aboriginal relations, impetus for surveying, and the general conditions of the surveyor life. McLatchie tells the story of investigations he conducted at Black Island in search of coal.

            McLatchie mentions that assistance by Aboriginal individuals was requested at Bad Throat River (most likely due to their knowledge of the area), but that no such help was given, resulting in him surveying Black Island instead while letting an individual named Mr. Wood (presumably his assistant) handle the former task.

            McLatchie is unclear about which of these areas to which he refers when he argues that coal can be found. However, the importance of this letter to the purposes of this exhibit lies not in such details, but more in the factors on which he bases his conclusions; “the action of the Indians” is the most striking among these, perhaps suggesting an implicit distrust or hostility towards their behavior. However, this is debatable, open to interpretation, and could very well be a hindsight-influenced thought. Given the historical background supplied in the ‘context’ section, the date of this letter places right in the middle of a time of increasing tension between government officials such as surveyors and groups with prior claims to the land.

            However, the Dominion Lands surveys were predominantly about dividing and organizing the land, and in this sense, the fact that this letter is pre-occupied with material resources is incredibly intriguing. McLatchie does not even make it clear in this correspondence that these surveys are Dominion Land surveys at all. In fact, one of the individuals to which the letter is addressed is possibly Robert Gerrie, a Scottish-born businessman who later immigrated to Winnipeg. If McLatchie was really surveying for Gerrie, any possibility of this venture being in the name of the Dominion would be doubtful. Indeed, Gerrie is noted for having “investments in mining lands near Marquette, [Michigan]” in 1873, the same year during which he moved to Winnipeg.[1]

Any confirmation of these suggestions would require more full-scale investigation into Gerrie and his work. Nonetheless, they highlight potential insights not before seen during my research on Dominion Lands surveying. Surveying during this time was not simply a nationalist gesture designed to facilitate government domination of the land; it also provided a way for men like McLatchie to aid private investors in locating resource wealth.

Tracking McLatchie with Newspaper Excerpts

It is relatively well-known that John McLatchie conducted surveys in 1873, and the physical remains of one of the markers he placed during this period is still preserved. However, during my research I was able to unearth little to no information exposing details about McLatchie’s activities and experiences in Rolling River. Given this ‘dead end’, I came to the conclusion that acknowledging his presence in areas in close proximity could shine light on his survey of Rolling River. One interesting example of such investigation appeared when I found a newspaper excerpt published by the Manitoban and Northwest Herald from May 17^th 1873.

In this source, McLatchie is mentioned (unfortunately in name only) as one of the five surveyors working close to Lake Dauphin, Manitoba who were engaged in “blockwork” surveying of the region. This process is distinguished from the “subdivision” component. Noting the proximity of Lake Dauphin to the Rolling River reservation, this is perhaps the closest record of McLatchie’s actual surveys that I have been able to find. Even then, it is still possible that McLatchie was involved in the later, refining process of subdivision which was slated to take place after the blockwork.[2] Getting closer to the details of McLatchie’s placing of this marker at its particular location was, in sum, the goal of this entire exercise. While no dramatic revelations were made, this finding illustrates the experience of surveyors in Manitoba during a period of extensive government surveying.