The BC Adventure 29

Vesuvius

Salt Spring Island, BC

July 20, 1922
 

Dear Mummy,

I have had a few letters from Mark, and he says it is all right for me to come up. There is a cabin where we can live, and I can bring the dog and cat with me.

The nearest town to Cedar Creek, which is only just a few cabins and a grocery store cum bar, is Ashcroft which is south of Cache Creek was founded in the 1860s, during the original Cariboo gold rush by two English brothers Clement and Henry Cornwall, who named if after their home in Gloucestershire. They came in search of gold; however, on hearing stories from failed gold searchers they decided to found the town to give future gold searchers a place to live. They sold food to packers and miners. That's where Mark goes to get and send letters. Ashcroft is between Kamloops and Spence's Bridge.
 

Another not too far away town is called Grand Forks and it has three railways, lumber mills, a smelter, mines, a post office, a school and a hospital. The train I will be taking comes in there, I think and Mark will arrange for somebody to meet me off the train and give me a lift to the Dam.

Mark has sent me very detailed rules about where to go and what to buy etc. but I am very nervous about the trip. The train journey itself takes more than a day. I have to find out at Williams Lake about getting groceries sent down there for us. I hope I can remember it all.

The trains only go twice a week, so I am aiming for Tuesday, the 22^nd of July. I will send you a wire as soon as I arrive, so that you will know all is well.

I've enclosed a snapshot of where Mark says we will be living.

I don't know how well I am going to cope with roughing it. But I shall try my best. I can't easily cope without having Mark around, so I will certainly try hard.

Love.

Gwenllian