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Note: This piece, # 537,was written from a conversation for Heritage, with Selsby Mc Ausland by reporter Joan Yates , CJXX radio station in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada . Selsby Hartly Mc Ausland: Born in Sarne, Lampton county, Ontario, in 1882, Sel had moved with his parents to Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada when he was ten years old. Sixteen years later he met and married a young American school teacher, Blanch Minerva South. Then in 1910, Sel journied by train to Edmonton, Alberta , where he joined three men, Ross Beattie, Buster (Floyd) South, (Blanche's brother)and Silvertip Campbell for the trek by horse and sleigh over the "Long Trail" to Peace River country. By the time the men reached the Simonette River at the end of February, an early spring thaw had rendered the river ice impassable. Many settlers had camped along the river banks waiting for some turn of events to show them how to tackle the rest of the journey. The four men of this story decided to build a raft, delegating one of their group, Ross Beittie, to take the horses overland by way of a pack trail. They would all join up again at the A. M. Bezanson's Ranchand continue on their journey to Lake Saskatoon. A raft, hastily built but sturdily constructed along the banks of the Simmonette River, rolled and tipped dangerously with the rushing water of the early spring flood of 1910. Three thousand pounds of supplies and three men rode the raft, wondering at times if the swift, crooked little river would get the best of them. The sun would shine for brief periods of time and then disappear in the face of a short snow shower. The men were alternately soaked and frozen thawed and dried as they float along. Some hours later they arrived at the A. M. Bezanson's ranch, having safely run the coarse of the Simonette and crossed the Big Smoky river on their makeshift raft. One of the rafters was Sel Mc Ausland. When asked if he had ever rafted before, he replied that he had never even seen a raft before, but any old fogey could make one. A fitting attitude for a Peace River Country Pioneer, for that was what Selsby Hartly Mc Ausland had chosen to be in 1910. When they reached Lake Saskatoon sometime later, they located land for themselves. Sel Mc Ausland's choice , obtained by "South African Script" was the east half of Section 23, Township 71, Range 8, just east of the present town of Wembly, Alberta, Canada The following winter, Sel brought his wife and son to the Peace River Country. They were accompanied by Blanche's parents , John Montgomery and Minerva Ann South along with their daughter Rena Cynthia South who was 8 years old and had just recovered from Scarlet Fever while in Edmonton. They traveled during February and March, via "The Long Trail" and arrived 1 Apr 1911, at the little house Sel had built on his land, weary but happy to have finally arrived after traveling all the way from Minnesota, , , by train, Raft, Ox team and sled. He walked and rode horseback , along with another man to the Yukon during the gold rush of 1898. He had no luck and returned home broke. Family pictures, Birth, Marriage& Death certificates along with Obits, for this entire family ,are in the possession of Merle Price
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