BY REV. M. MORRISON, LOCHINVER.
WHEN I was asked by the Canadian Mission Committee, through its Convener, if I would undertake to go as the Church’s deputy to Canada for 1924, I answered that I would prayerfully consider their request. Concluding, as I did, that it was not my duty to refuse, I replied some time after that I was of the mind I should comply. Accordingly, I had sufficient time to make early arrangements, with the result that I found it quite convenient to sail very early in Summer. On the 2nd of May 1924, I embarked on the C.P.R. liner, “Montlaurier,” at the Tail of the Bank. At seven in the evening we headed straight for Belfast, where a goodly number of more passengers came aboard. At one, on the afternoon of Saturday, we finally began our course across the Atlantic. During our voyage we had on the whole, fine weather and mild sea. After what I might call an uneventful crossing of the ocean, we arrived at Quebec at about 9 a.m. on the morning of Saturday, the 10th. There was abundant reason for every one aboard to feel thankful to the Lord for the care and kindness He showed to us all, from the time we left till we got our feet safely on land again. But this generation betrays no sign of such soul attitude and heart exercise relative to God’s special care and providence over His creatures. On the contrary, one finds all sorts of people living from day to day in utter forgetfulness of His Existence, Providence, and Grace, and are determined so to live to the end. I might say, in passing, that I was somewhat struck with the density of the population residing on both sides of the St Lawrence, and from the time we sighted quite close the first habitations on the bank to our left, very early on Friday morning, we had a constant succession of communities from the smallest type of villages to a fairly-sized town, for nearly thirty hours, till we reached Quebec. The small size of most of the houses were in striking contrast to the huge pile of building and enormous spire which constituted Rome’s ecclesiastical fabrics. They are all without, I believe, any exception Roman Catholic French Canadians, steeped and immersed in one most baneful idolatry and superstition. The banks of the St Lawrence and the whole Province of Quebec cannot fail giving one the impression that here, in this great land of the Western Hemisphere, Rome has strongly entrenched and fortified its citadel, and feels it can safely challenge all antagonists. It recalled vividly to my mind the account given by Father Chiniquy of the priest-ridden character of these communities situated on the banks of the beautiful St Lawrence River.
When the “liner” berthed, the ceremony of landing did not take very long for the cabin passengers; and we entrained in the afternoon for Montreal. We arrived in this city after a train journey of about three hours, at six p.m. Here I broke my journey, in order to avoid travelling on the Sabbath. I put up at one of the hotels near the station. In this city Sabbath observance was hardly known in any form, except in the closing of big places of business. The destructive influence of the Romish religion on the sanctity of the Lord’s Day is strongly exerted here. It contains a very large and constantly increasing Roman Catholic population. I resumed my train journey for Winnipeg at 9.45 p.m., Monday, and after a tired but otherwise interesting journey of about 48 hours, we reached Winnipeg at 9 p.m., Wednesday. I was met at the station by our elder there, Mr William Sinclair, and Mr Murdo Gillies, a native of Raasay. I was kindly and hospitably received, and entertained by Mr and Mrs Sinclair during my stay of ten consecutive Sabbaths in this city. In fact, the usual characteristic Canadian hospitality was shown to me by all belonging to our Mission there, and I was made to feel quite at home with them. With respect to the services, they were on the whole well attended, having regard to the separate services conducted under the auspices of the Free Church during the time I was there. When I arrived, the Free Church had regular services established for about two months or more previously, and, in consequence, our gatherings had somewhat dwindled. But I have to say that the bona-fide members and adherents of our Church in Winnipeg are as true and loyal to our cause as before. Some of them feel, whether rightly or wrongly, that the Church at home should take a greater interest in and manifest more concern for them in the way of providing suitable ministerial supply of a more or less permanent character. At a congregational meeting I endeavoured to explain the difficulties with which the Church at home has to contend. There were the periodical secession of ministers from the Church, which severely depleted our sources of supply, and handicapped our honest and sincere efforts at giving to all our people at home and abroad regularly suitable supply of a ministerial nature. Further, it was pointed out that before young men are licensed and ordained they have to go through a course of seven or eight years’ training. But the prospects, in the course of a year or two, were quite bright in this respect, and young ministers, I hoped, would be available for the colonial field as well as for our needs at home. There is a fine scope and field in Winnipeg for a man of the right stamp—a man with an active and alert mind and body, who is prepared not to spare himself in the moral and spiritual interest of the people from our home country. Such a man would find a warm and loyal-hearted people gathering around him in this growing city.
Winnipeg celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last June. The history of its origin, progress, and development was chronicled in the newspapers issued in the city. It had been an outpost of the Hudson Bay Company in connection with their fur trade for about 200 years. It was in 1869 that the surrounding territory, peopled at that time by Red Indians, was taken over by the Crown. The first Scottish settlers arrived in the Red River Valley in the year 1812, and some had come from the East Coast of Sutherland, most likely left their native heath as a result of the landlord oppression of those times. I think the first of those settlers from Sutherlandshire arrived about the year 1814, and settled on the Red River at a place now well known as East and West Kildonan. They named their settlement, in common with many others, after their beloved Kildonan at home. I visited the historic place, and also the church, whose seventieth anniversary was celebrated last May, if I recollect. This church was built during the second or the third generation that came after the pioneers. Winnipeg is the gateway to the great wheat-producing provinces of the West. Through it passes the most of the wheat yield of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. In consequence, both the Canadian Government and the C.P.R. possess huge railway yards, where they respectively employ something like 3000 men at carriage and waggon repairing. These railway shops really constitute the chief public works of Winnipeg. Therefore, artisans and tradesmen have to seek employment often far from their home, and especially recently in the United States. Our own Mission, which at one time had a goodly number of young tradesmen, suffers much from the fluctuating conditions which such precarious employment impose on them, and at present we have but few young men associated with us.
There is another thing which, in my judgment, militates against our cause in Winnipeg, and which I am anxious to bring before the Synod, and that is the want of church buildings which they can claim as their own. The position is as follows:—They have still the old lot and site on MacGee Street, which is quite central for the working residential population. In fact, it is in the very centre of this residential quarter, although otherwise in an obscure location. They pay at present each year about sixty dollars in name of tax to the city, but, so far as I understand, if they had a church built on the site they would be under no further obligation to pay this tax, because ecclesiastical buildings are exempt from the ordinary taxes. This amount, namely, sixty dollars, is roughly equivalent to £12. Furthermore, they are paying something like 18 or 20 dollars a month for renting a hall, which is in no wise suitable. That is to say, at present they are paying annually 300 dollars (roughly £60), and they have nothing to show for this yearly expenditure. Whereas, if they got a church put up, this money could be usefully applied to the reduction of a loan. They had a good offer from a tradesman, at the time I left, of building them a church on the MacGee Street site, for the sum of 5000 dollars, on the following terms:—(1) The church to be built outside with stucco and brick panelling of windows and doors, so as to meet the city authorities’ requirements for fire-proof conditions; (2) a cash payment in all on the completion of the building of 4500 dollars, the other 500 dollars to be paid in yearly instalments of 100 dollars; (3) a contribution from himself of 100 dollars. The financial committee, which I formed during my stay, considered this the best offer and arrangement they yet have had. They have on hand for building purposes over 500 dollars. Thus they would require a loan of nearly 4000 dollars, or, say, 3000 dollars itself, that is, roughly, £600 or £700. If anyone in the Church at home could advance this sum to them, on the ordinary legal guarantees, they are prepared to give the percentage in interest that is usually charged for loans in Canada, six per cent. A church building would also prove a means of attracting people to the church and to our cause, which cannot be realised as they are presently circumstanced. It would, withal, prove a means of heartening and encouraging our people in this great city, and if the building went on, they would most heartily open their purses for liquidating the debt.
After I had given ten Sabbaths to Winnipeg, I resumed my journey westwards by the C.P.R. northern line to Saskatoon. We covered a distance of nearly 500 miles between the latter and the former, and passing all the time through wheat fields on each side of the train, and as far as the eye could reach. Having two brothers resident in the city of Saskatoon, I was naturally anxious to go by this route and visit them. I remained here a Sabbath, and engaged a hall, in which I conducted three services, in both Gaelic and English, and at which we had encouraging and, with each service, increasing attendance. Had it been timely and properly advertised there would have been a considerable number more, even of Highland people. They would have come in from the surrounding farming country. There were a number of Lewis people, especially from the Uig district, and I had as precentor Mr Malcolm Macritchie, a foreman in a huge Government grain elevator. Gaelic services there were to them like an oasis in the desert. The Canadian churches and preachers for the most part do not proclaim faithfully the true Gospel of Christ; it is a gospel which, as Paul says, is no gospel, and some of the Highlanders—I do not say all—are fully conscious of this. It is to be feared that, after the Highlanders themselves are there for a number of years, they assimilate the same views and outlook, morally and religiously. One of my brothers had a girl of eleven years unbaptised, and he waited all this time in the hope of seeing a deputy from the home Church who would baptise her. I held a service in his house, at which a number were present, for this purpose before I left. He could not associate himself with the churches there, and, after I examined him, I considered it my duty to administer this sacred rite.
I continued my journey to Calgary by Edmonton, and took nearly 24 hours travelling from Saskatoon to Calgary. I was met at the station by our kind friends, Mrs Cowan and Mrs Beaton. Mr Angus Mackay and Mrs Mackay came from Innisfail—a distance of 90 miles—on Saturday, and were present at the services. I was very pleased to renew my former slight acquaintance with Mr and Mrs Mackay. Mr Malcolm Macaulay, a native of Lewis, very kindly arranged to get a hall and advertise the services—both Gaelic and English. We had a splendid attendance at the Gaelic services, and they were mostly Lewis people. Much kindness was shown to me by Mrs Cowan and Mrs Beaton, and also Mrs Campbell, a native of Gairloch. Mrs Cowan, with whom I stayed, belonged originally to Diabaig, Ross-shire, in the congregation of Shieldaig, and Mrs Beaton to Torridon. The following week I entrained for Vancouver, and passed through the wonderful Rockies. As these have been described by former deputies, I need not take up too much of your time referring to them. Their significance for me, at all events, lay in the fact that, as a display of the Creator’s work and power, they gave me an added confirmation of His Eternal Power and Existence—a conviction which they ought to produce on every rational mind. I arrived in Vancouver exactly 24 hours after I left Calgary—a day and a night. All that time, very nearly, we were only crossing in almost a straight line through width of the area covered by the Rocky Mountains, and that area is between 400 and 500 miles. On each side of the train there were countless mountains beyond, and we were passing peak after peak towering majestically in the skies to an enormous height. The train itself, at its highest altitude at the base of these mountains, was over 5000 feet above sea level.
I was met at the station in Vancouver by Mr D Matheson, and I put up with Mr and Mrs Farquhar Macrae. Mr Macrae was born and brought up in the Province of Quebec, and is a staunch Free Presbyterian. His wife is a daughter of the late Mrs Miller, Thurso. They received and entertained me during my stay with the greatest cordiality and kindness. From quite a number of others of our people in Vancouver I had experience of many acts of kindness and hospitality. I need not mention names. After the prairies, I found Vancouver quite a contrast, and felt as if in the home country. This was due partly to its geographical or physical features; there were the mountains behind and the country covered with all kinds of trees, and the sea in front, with its bays and harbours; partly because of the great number of Scottish and Highland people resident in the city and the surrounding country. After making arrangements by negotiations with the people in Calgary that our lay missionary in Vancouver would supply them while I was in Vancouver, Mr D. Matheson went to Calgary, after my second Sabbath in the city. He held services in both Gaelic and English in the second city of Alberta for six consecutive Sabbaths. These services were encouraging, and the people of Calgary assured me that they should like any future deputy to endeavour to give them longer time than I could possibly give. They would like, however, to be informed some months in advance, in order to make proper arrangements. I could not, however, make any promise to them.
My stay of eight weeks in Vancouver was pleasant. I gave them, in all, eight Sabbaths, and the gatherings were increasing up to the last Sabbath I was there, when the church was full. But even then the religious situation among Highland and old country people is anything but heartening. If all the Highlanders of Vancouver would attend divine service they would form several big congregations. Those, however, who adhere to our church in Vancouver are wholeheartedly loyal to our principles and contentings, and attend with unfailing regularity our services. They are anxious to get a minister placed over them. At the congregational meeting, which was held shortly after I arrived, Mr Hugh Mackay, our respected elder there, gave it as his strong conviction that, placed as they were now and with their present numbers, they should feel it no burden to support a minister and buy a house for a manse, or build one. They could therefore, he felt, easily give 100 dollars per month, roughly equivalent to £20, to begin with; and with an increase in numbers, which a settled ministry would be expected to effect, the salary could be proportionally raised. That is the position in Vancouver. I should also add that their church building is clear of debt, and they are therefore the more free to proceed with a call to a minister. Unless any of the settled ministers at home should favourably consider this call from Vancouver, I do hope that, among those who at no distant date will be licensed, some one will be found drawn to this sphere of labour. On the whole, Vancouver is a city which constitutes an attractive field to a Highland minister. There is an influx into Vancouver of Highland people from time to time, and these circumstances afford opportunities to a wise and zealous minister to spend and be spent for Jesus Christ’s sake in their moral and spiritual interests. There is great need of such ministers in the cities of Canada, because in the most of the churches there, as in the home country, the true Gospel of Christ is not proclaimed. The great truths of the Fall, Sin, the Atonement of Christ, and the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s regenerating power in the human soul in order to conversion are scarcely ever referred to.
Before proceeding from my account of Vancouver, I should like to say that, pleasant and enjoyable as my visit to and stay in this city on the Pacific was, it was marred by the bitterness felt and by the gloom cast over the congregation by the sudden death, through accident, of Alexander Fraser, a comparatively young married man of 38. He, along with his wife and four of a family, left two years ago Badachro, Gairloch. He originally belonged to Diabaig, and his parents are, I believe, still living. He and his wife were most attentive, Sabbath and week days, and both were at the prayer meeting on the Wednesday night, and at 5 p.m. next day I was ‘phoned up to go and break the news that he was instantly killed an hour before, while he was working in a ship-hold, a hatch fell on him. I had also similar experience in Winnipeg shortly after I arrived. One of our congregation, a young married man of 31 years, died suddenly after an operation for appendicitis, and he left a young widow and three young ones. He belonged to Melbost, and his wife to Sandwich, near Stornoway. These two deans cast a dark shadow and gloom on my visit to Canada. I felt as if the Lord had a voice for me, as for the congregations concerned; but what poor scholars we are to learn His lessons.
I began my return journey from Vancouver on the 1st of October, and arrived next day in Calgary, and was met by my former friends, and in addition, Mr Donald Matheson. I gave a second Sabbath, namely, the first Sabbath of October, to Calgary, and held three services in both English and Gaelic as before. The attendance was very good at night, when I preached in Gaelic. On the Monday evening I baptised the three children of Mrs Beaton, whose husband was unavoidably absent in the States. Mrs Beaton is a faithful Free Presbyterian. My examination of her was quite satisfactory. Another family, Mr and Mrs Macrae, who belonged to our Stornoway congregation before going to Canada, had two or three of their children unbaptised, and I baptised them also at this Monday evening service. On Tuesday I entrained for Winnipeg, and arrived on Wednesday night, after a comfortable journey. This part of my return journey, namely, from Calgary to Winnipeg, was on a different route to the one I took, via Saskatoon, on my way to Vancouver. In this case I passed over the oldest main line through such leading cities as Medicine Hat, Regina, and Brandon. Most of the Western farmers had their wheat threshed, as we could see on each side of us heaps of straw left out in the fields where they had carried on operations but a few days before. The weather had by this time turned very wet, and caused a lull in their threshing operations. This time I gave two additional Sabbaths to Winnipeg—in all 12 Sabbaths. The attendance these last two Sabbaths was very much better, and in the evenings especially the hall we occupy in Loyal Orange Buildings in Princes Street was well nigh full. I felt parting with our friends in these cities with regret, because of the distance they are from the home people and Church; and, secondly, because of the difficulties and discouragements they have to contend with in the midst of surroundings so fraught with spiritual indifference and irreligion; and, thirdly, because of their lack of suitable and permanent ministerial supply. With regard to Mr Donald Macleod, student, supplying at Winnipeg, I have already informed the Committee as to how he stood, and advised him to take a winter’s session in the subject of English and History, and that he would be further advised by them as to when he should come home. I stayed during this fortnight in Winnipeg with Mr and Mrs John Ross, the former a native of Foindle, Scourie, and his wife a native of Applecross, and with them, as with Mr and Mrs Sinclair, I had a pleasant stay, and experienced much kindness at their hands.
After bidding good-bye to our kind friends in Winnipeg, I resumed my return journey on Tuesday night before the last Sabbath of October. I arrived on Wednesday morning at Port Arthur, situated at the head of Lake Superior, and I embarked at 11 a.m. on the steamer “Huronie.” After an ideal and pleasant sail of two days and two nights, with lovely weather, I arrived at 6 a.m., Friday, at Sarnia. The distance covered on Lake Superior was 280 miles, and on Lake Huron, which we entered at Sault Sainte Marie, was 270 miles—a total of 550 miles. I travelled by train to Parkhill, Ontario, where I was met by Mr Duncan McLeish, known to former deputies. Mr McLeish motored me to his home, where I was very kindly received by his two sisters. I preached twice in their church, at East Williams, on the Sabbath. I was happy to see Mr Hugh Scott, elder, and the other friends who adhere to the truth of God in this part of Ontario. My going to Ontario was in response to the very kind and friendly invitation of the Rev. William Matheson, Chesley, whom I was very pleased to meet. Mr Matheson came for me on Monday with his own car, and after lunch in Mr McLeish’s, we set out for Lochalsh. Reaching Goderich at 6 p.m., we had supper with the son and daughter of the elderly lady, Mrs Morrison, who came from Ness, Lewis, and who was so well known to former deputies. We continued our journey to Lochalsh that night, and reached Mr Murdo Matheson’s house, the Rev. Mr Matheson’s brother, at 8 p.m. Next day Mr Matheson motored to Kincardine, and we passed the night in the kind home of Mr and Mrs Hugh Mackenzie. We got to Chesley on Wednesday, and during my stay till Saturday, Mr and Mrs Matheson entertained me most hospitably. In the evening I took the prayer meeting for Mr Matheson, and I was happy to meet a number of Mr Matheson’s congregation, and to renew my acquaintance with Mr and Mrs Macfarlane and family, who left Tarbert, Lochfyné, many years ago, and also Mrs Mustard and her daughters.
On Thursday we motored to Newton, a distance of 60 miles, and put up in the very kind home of Mr Phineas Macdonald, elder, for the night. I held a service, after we arrived, in the village hall, at which a number were present. We returned on Friday to Chesley, and on Saturday travelled by motor to Lochalsh, and was again most kindly received by Mr Murdo and Miss Bella Matheson. I held English and Gaelic services in Lochalsh Church, and a number came from Goderich and Ripley. On Monday evening, Mr Alick Finlayson, Lucknow, motored me to Ripley, and I held a Gaelic service in a private house, at which a good number who could understand the Gaelic were present. They comprised the second and third generation of an originally Lewis colony, and who still cling to the old mother tongue. We came back to Lucknow, and put up for the night with Mr and Mrs Alick Finlayson. At the kind and urgent invitation of Mr Roderick Campbell, Toronto, the son of Mr James Campbell, elder, Inverness, I travelled to Toronto next day, and I was very hospitably received by Mr Campbell. I put up with him for two nights. I held a service in the home of an elderly lady, Mrs Macdonald, a very loyal Free Presbyterian. Quite a few gathered who belonged to our own Church at home, and I was very pleased to meet a few familiar faces. Mr Campbell is in full sympathy with our cause, and regrets much the turn events took which militated against the continuance of a Free Presbyterian public witness in Toronto. The Highland Mission there applied to and were received as a mission of the Free Church of Scotland.
After parting with our Toronto friends, I proceeded to the States. As my passport, etc., was in order, I experienced no trouble in getting to Uncle Sam’s country. I arrived in Detroit on Friday afternoon, and was met by Mr R. S. Mackenzie, who takes such a lively interest in the truths and principles which we endeavour to declare. He took me to his sister’s house, Miss Margaret Mackenzie, where I spent a very happy time, and who, along with Mrs Shupe and Dr Holdom—two other sisters of Mr Mackenzie—did everything they could for my comfort. I had also the pleasure of Mr McNelly’s company in the house. I remained in Detroit for a month, and gave in all four Sabbaths. We had two English services, one in the forenoon and one in the evening, and a Gaelic service at 3 p.m. These Gaelic services were very well attended, and the longer I stayed the more they seemed to increase in number. The last Sabbath I was there we had quite a big congregation in the Gaelic. The most of them belonged to Lewis, and just left their native island two years ago. They were then brought out to Ontario by the Canadian Government, in order to place them on farms in Ontario and learn farming. The most of these ultimately drifted into the States and to Canadian towns and cities, where high wages ruled and where they considered they would be better off. A goodly number of them found their way into Detroit, where they are employed in the many and different motor factories, which turn out 68 per cent. of the total motor-car output of the United States. This city is growing enormously every year, and is already bigger in numbers than the city of Glasgow, and covers a much bigger area. The Ford Motor Works alone employ over 100,000 in Detroit itself.
I am sorry to say that, if it is a growing, prosperous and wealthy city, it is being subjected by the usual subtle intrigues of Rome to Roman Catholic pretensions and domination. In the civic offices of the city 70 per cent. employed are R.C.; in the schools 70 per cent. are R.C. teachers; in the police force and the Post Office there is the same proportion, with the result that the Protestants are being ousted from and deprived of all positions of influence. This is a policy pursued on an alarming scale right through the United States, and which is also adopted in every part of Canada. The States and Canada, in the future, for which they have their plans well laid, because they are such rich countries, constitute the best revenue-producing field to the Church of Rome in the whole world. My previous arrangement with New York had fallen through, and I booked my sailing for the 6th of December. After parting with beloved friends in Detroit on Friday, the 5th, I travelled to New York, reaching there at 7 a.m., Saturday. We boarded the steamer, “Baltic,” a fine vessel of 24,000 tons, of the White Star Line, Liverpool, at 11 a.m., sailed at 12 noon promptly. After a splendid passage across, with two days of somewhat rough sea, we arrived safely in the Mersey on the night of the 14th December, where we anchored till Monday morning, when we gladly disembarked at the Company’s landing stage at Liverpool. I felt glad at getting my feet on the home soil again, and at the prospect of so soon rejoining my wife and family, and my congregation. I had been away from them nearly eight months, and what great kindness the Lord had showed me all that time I cannot suitably take in nor fittingly acknowledge. I have indeed to say, He is an exceedingly good Master to serve, and when we have done all we ought to do, it behoves us to say, we are unprofitable servants. If the word of the Lord were blessed even to one immortal soul in Canada and the States through such weak instrumentality, I would count it as my greatest reward and honour, and little regard any trouble or inconvenience the deputyship entailed.
So far as I ever observed God’s dealings with my soul, the flights of preachers sometimes entertained me; but it was Scripture expressions which did penetrate my heart, and that in a way peculiar to themselves.—
J. Brown, of Haddington.