ENPages That Mention Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Letter from Roderic O'Connor (c/o D. W. Burpee, 45 Murray Street West, Hamilton, Ontario) to Professor P. F. Purcell (Gayfield, Killney), discussing life in Canada; etc.
C/o D.W. Burpee C.N.O.RS 45. Murray Str. West. Hamilton. Ontario
My dear Professor,
I have your op of 17.Dec.r lcsh? & was glad to hear from you. Let me congratulate you on your son, whom I hope I may meet some day. I thoroughly appreciate your reference to Miss Mansford?, now Mrs Murray. That is now, as far as I am concerned, a matter of history.
Well, I was delighted to hear the School is doing well & with it the very best success. In answer to your question, I like the open air life. It is magnificent. I have been out every day. Winter. Summer. since last March 1911. Now? west at 101° & also 52 degrees of frost. when I have had my lunch frozen too stiff to eat. an icicle hanging from my eyelashes.
I wrote of the Canadian North Railway last June for a better job than I had with the C.P.R. and got it.
With C.P.R I started as Rodman & was promoted to Draftsman then Transitman? .... 2 months. The C.N.R.S. gave me an appt. as "Resident? Engineer" on construction with an office and staff of 3. Two chainmen? & Rodman. I was sent to Montréal where I had to str pick up, and stake out a line that was surveyed 7 years previously. I staked out 22 miles of the line. This was in Dec.r with 4' snow on the ground. I only found 5 of the original hubs. I was then given a "Residency"? of 8 miles for construction over which I had full charge. The Event closed down & I was sent back to Toronto to retrace the line from Toronto to Hamilton. This is now just finished & I expect to have an 8 mile section for Construction