No Ordinary Man. Lois Winslow-Spragge
later, in 1893, he was elected president of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 1897 president of the geological section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science at their Toronto meeting. In 1897 he also was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society. In 1896 he was president of the Geological Society of America, and his retiring address at their Albany, New York, meeting, “The Geological Record of the Rocky Mountain Region in Canada,” later published as a bulletin of the Geographical Society of America,4 was prized as a summary of Dawson’s latest views on problems connected with the complex geology of the west.
Many other distinctions, which cannot be enumerated here, fell to his lot. It was said: “It fails to few men to have so many high honors and grave responsibilities thrust on them in so short a period; the succession is probably without parallel in Canada’s history; yet it is the common judgement that the honors were fully merited, the responsibilities borne in such manner as to add renown to the country and the crown.5”
2Sir John William Dawson (1820-1899) was one of the most prominent figures in nineteenth-century Canadian intellectual and scientific life. After studies at Edinburgh University in the 1840s, Sir William was appointed Nova Scotia’s first superintendent of education. Serving for three years, he resigned in 1853 when seeking a position at Edinburgh. Though unsuccessful, Sir William was unexpectedly offered the principalship of McGill in 1855, a position he held for some forty years until retiring in 1893. Under his leadership, that institution emerged as a reputable centre for teaching and research. He was also active in a variety of intellectual pursuits and was often embroiled in controversy because of his unflinching theological conservatism.
3George was suffering from Pott’s disease, tuberculosis of the spine, a slow-working and painful disease that causes the affected vertebrae to soften and collapse and the spine to twist and curve.
4“Geological Record of the Rocky Mountain Region in Canada,” Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 12 (1901):57-92.
5W.J. McGee, “George Mercer Dawson,” American Anthropologist n.s., 3 (1901), 160.
GEORGE AND HIS GRANDFATHER
George’s grandfather, James Dawson,6 lived in Pictou, Nova Scotia. There, in his younger years, when sailing ships plied the oceans, he carried on a most profitable shipping business and became a well-to-do man. Like many others, though, James Dawson suffered heavy losses when steamships supplanted sailing vessels, so many that he lost almost everything. About this time, he started a publishing business which soon became a successful enterprise, so that little by little he paid back his debts. This was an arduous task and greatly to his credit.
From the following letters, you will see that James Dawson had deep religious convictions and a great love for his grandchildren. These letters written in 1857 provide rich and detailed observations, and reveal many interesting and worthwhile thoughts. His religious admonitions were rather severe but, nonetheless, his kindness and firm beliefs must surely have exerted a lasting influence.
James Dawson to George & Anna Dawson,7 Pict1ou, Nova Scotia, 10 January 1857.
Dr. George & Anna
Twas on three weeks ago, if you recolect I told you of my voyage up the St. Lawrence as far as the Little Scattered Town of Three Rivers – we left it, about nine o clock in the morning and proceeded up stream against Wind and current – the day looked like rainy, and we could not see far around us for the dense clouds that hung like a pall from the skies.
Very soon after we <we> left Three Rivers, we met one of these [...] large Rafts which I had often heard of, but never saw before It was about the size of one of my fields at the Farm, as our Pilot told us that it covered about 4 acres and would contain more than 10,000 Tons of Timber [we] counted upon 19 Temporary Houses – saw upon it Great numbers of Men, Women & children and pigs, Dogs, & Hens – they had long poles erected at the end of some of the houses, with [...] at the Top which they light in the night time to warn vessels going up or down the River to Reef clear – soon after passing this we entered St Peters Lake,8 which is merely an expansion of the River, about 15 miles long – The water is all very shallow except a channel which runs straight through the middle of the Lake having on each side at regular Distances [many] posts about 20 feet high with [...] on the Top that look like [...] – but are in fact Beacons on light houses to guide the mariner through in dark nights, when in the middle of the lake we passed another great Raft – hence the appearance of the [Houses] all around us looked very queer. The country all around is very low and level, so that we could see nothing of the land at all, nothing but the Tops of the Trees here and there which looked as if they were growing in the Water, when we were nearly through the lake we came up with 5 or 6 small steamers, which were employed in Dredging up the mud into large leavies to deepen the channel under the command of a Captain Bell, whose death you may have since then seen announced in the Montreal Papers – our Captain spoke to him as we passed – poor man he did not know how soon he would be in the grave & yet we are all equally uncertain how soon we shall Die. The rest of my Travels must be postponed till next letter.
I expect to have a new [volm.] of the “Band of Hope”9 in a few days and will send you one – which you both can read and let WB10 look at the pictures – Good boy!! I am thankful that his Pa says he remembers me and Loves me. I will send him a pretty [...] [...].
Give my Love to mama11 and Miss Bell – yours
James Dawson to George Dawson, Pictou, Nova Scotia, 21 February 1857.
Dr George
I received your long letter of 3rd past, and I am happy to say that it shows unmistakable symptoms of improvement in your writing, composition and Geographical Knowledge – as to spelling, I can only see one word wrong and I am not sure but if you examine 4 pages of my writing, you will find more errors than one – It will give me great pleasure to see the well written copy you speak of sending me. I should like also to see some of the best specimens of yours and Annas Drawing.
If there be a Steam Boat conveyance next summer from Quebec to this, perhaps Papa will bring Mama, Anna & you all with him to see me. If he does so, I will be very glad to see you all – If Papa comes that way and brings you with him will you remind him to take his pencil and make a sketch of some of the beautiful scenery on the south side of the River: this would afford you an excellent lesson in sketching and one that you would not soon forget.
Little Mary Harris some times asks me when George will come back – I give her a sweetie and a Kiss, and tell her that you will come some time and show her some pretty Flowers and Birds in the Garden. When you come back here you will see another Little Boy over there they call him George Crowe. He can not walk nor speak yet, but he is beginning to know people and to know what they say, and before you can see him he will almost be able to Walk as he is growing quite fast.
Do you think you could get me a little plant of the Butter Nut Tree and bring down with you or send it with Papa if you do not come yourself. I should like much to see what like a Flower it has got.
I am sorry I did not pick up some of the Nuts when I was seeing you.
Tell Anna that I have her little Hyderanga quite alive, it has set up a shoot already an inch higher, and there