-- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 1

January 26, 1976
Dr. Percy Bunt
Robert olddom
The History Of Medical Mishionary Work In B.C.
Good Afternoon Dr. Bunt. How are you?
Fine!
About your parents and your birth place.
Well, I was born in a little community called Markdale.
It's in Grey County on Grey County not far from
And when I was born my parents where living on a farm,
just outside the village. So that's where I began my
although, when I was old enough to need high
school, we moved, my parents moved to a town of Calling
Wood which is in

County and then it joins Grey

County. And there I finished my elementary school and
attended what was known as the Calling Wood
Instantuide. I was there five years during which time
I completed my senior

. Which in those days

was expected as first year University.
When is you birthday?
I was born on May the first 1888.
So you seen a lot of history come and go?
Yes, I have I hope to see considerably more things
happen yet.
When I was still in high school I went out to Moose
Jaw. There was a slogan quite commonly used in those
days go west young man go west. And I thought I would
like to see what a bit of what the west was like.
My father was not financially in the position to send
me to University, so I had to plan for my own needs.
I spent a year in Moose Jaw, more less as a general
fact totem in a coal wood office. I not only assisted
with the book keeping, I waited on customers. I even
helped around the gasoline saw to cut the wood into
stove length and I have on occasion unloaded a car load
coal.
What year would that be in?

Page 2

It was in 1907. The summer of 1907, and the summer
of 1908.
Had you have any envolment with the United Church or the
of the United Church before that time?
Oh, yes I was conected with the Church. My home
was a
home. Infact the bunk had been
right back to the time of John Wesley.
He was the first?
Yes. One of my fathers brothers was a
minester
in the early Pioneer Days in Manitoba. Came out to
Manitoba in the 1880s and spent all his active years
in what was later Manitoba and Saskatchewan. From my
early child hood I was accustom to attending church,
going to the Sunday School, in fact I was quite actively
involved in the church. And that was through the uncle
with whom I lived while I was at Moose Jaw. They were
active church people. And during the year I was at
Moose Jaw the

stone of the President

Church was layed it was then

United

Methodes Church.

Now perhapes a word of what directed me into the
Ministry of the church. It had been my intention to
be a doctor, medical doctor. Infact, I could recall
my mother telling me later in my life when I was quite
young, if somebody asked me what I was going to be
I would reply I'm going to be a doctor and keep bottles
and baby's. But however when I was in my late teenes
I was influenced toward the

Ministry of the

Church, by campane of special meetings in Calling
Wood in which they press materials on the babtizes
and the

United, for a three week serious of

special

meetings. No I was not a stranger to

anything that was put forward in those meetings, because
of my home training. I've been brought up in a Christian
home and this perhaps is what I might say is in those
meetings my attentional directed more diffently toward
the Ministry. And at one time in those meetings
I felt a very definate call to the Ministry of the
church, it wasn't a converson cause I had been brought

/

Page 3

up as a Christian. But it did seem in a words as a'
poet. One clear call for me. And my position was this,
that I knew that if i didn't

that call I could

never be at peace with my own conscience, so that was
•
what directed me toward the work of the church. Now it
was some time before I was able too go head with
collage and other training. As a matter of fact it
was three or four years later when I was living in
Vancouver, working at a whole sale Hard Whare Store.
That I felt if I intended to follow through on what
I certain was a call it was time I started. So I went
to the minister of the church which I attended, which
was down at the corner of and George Street in
Vancouver and talked it over with him. And following
required procedure for those entering the ministry.
I had first of all to appear before the oficialy board
of that congergation, and the

examine as to my

Christian faith and give reason why I should entered
why I wanted to go into the ministry, which I did and
then the board recomended me as a candidate for the
ministry of the Methodes church. That was in 1912.
So the recomendation of the board was sent on the
district and from that the conference which was the
provincal organization of the church. The conference
met in May, and I was excepted at that conference as
a probishner for the methodues ministry.
At that conference would there be any discussion of Medical
Mishonary work at that time?
OH, that type of work would be certinaly on the agenda
and most of the discussions were primarIly were done
in commity and then the commity would bring it's
recomendation to the conference

which might consite

in those days posobly a hundred ministers and as many
So the commity would just look after medical work?
There be a comity on mission which included medical
work.
Do you remember any men and women involved in that year
that time?

/

Page 4

Well, I could remember a good many of them. Do you
mean those involved in the medical mission words?
Yes!
Yes, I could recall most of them I think. I knew
some of them personally. Some which I didn't know
intemently I had met. As a matter of fact the man
who is recognized as the first of the Methodes to
go as a medical mishonary. At that time a member of
the congergation of which I was the at Wesley
. Which recomended me for the ministery.
But he had gone out sveral years before that. Would
this be a good time to tell you about him?
Certainly since we are in that date, that year.
His name was Doctor A.E. Bouton, and lived on
street about two blocks of the church of which we were
members. His story is an interesting one. While he was
taking some post graduate medical work in New York,
he became interested in entering what was then known
as medical mishions . And so he wrote to the

church

of Canada offering to go. Now prior to that there
were no medical mishons in British Columbia, and I
doute if there are any in other parts of Canada
in the Methodes Church. And the reply that they gave
to him that there were no funds available to main tane
a Medical Missionary. He began his practice privatley
in a place called Portland Ontario. About 1888. At
his meeting in 1889 the British Columbia conference
asked for the appointment of a Medical Missionary.
That is

request of the head quarters of the

church in Toronto. Dr. Bolton proceded to B.C. on his
own expences. Because he was so determend to be a Medical
Missionary in Canada. And he started up on the Skena
River, not far from Prince Rupert. There was no financial
backing from the church headquarters during his first
year.
Pretty well country isn't it?
It was then, Yes, I should of began in Port

but

he arivedin Port Simpson rather which is about 30 milesf

/

Page 5

north of Prince Rupert, on the coast and was at that
time a very large Indian village. That's where he went
and he spent the winter of 89-90 the spring of 90 in
Port Simpson. June, July of that year he came down
to the Skena River, which I mention just a moment ago.
There was a lot of Salmon canerry on the river, that
far from the mouth of the Skena. And Port

was the

center. He came down and spent July and August of 1890
on the Skena. And then toward the end of that time
he went up to the River, which is north of Port
Simpson again because there were canerry's there and
a lot of Indians. In September of that year he came
back to Port Simpson, and ministered to the Indians
most of them had returned from the fishing grounds at
that time, and he had patience so the record says
that for 200 miles distance from where he lived in
Port Simpson.
Did he ever talked to you personally about ~ome of his
patience's?
I never had, I just met him casuilly, I haven't the
opertunity to enter into conversations with him.
Could you discribe him, what kind of a man was he?
He was a man of medium and tall hight and a little
bit reserved I would say. But very fine gentalman
in every way. During his records indicate during his
first year up there when he was financing himself
between those he served on the Skeena and on the Nass
and at Port Simpson. He treated over 5,400 patient's
during his first year up there. Yes, it was indeed.
In 1892 a hospital, the first hospital was directed
at Port Simpson and the women's missionary socity
of the church provided a nurse. One nurse, a Mrs.
Spence, and she stayed there 13 years in the work.
Did you ever meet her?
No.
Did you ever meet any of the nurses

before the

first War?
Oh, Yes. Not before the first War, NO. I don't become

Page 6

aquainted with the workers, until I became
that was in 1939.
Well talk about that later.
Yes. this hospital was directed in 1892. It was

from

the headquarters of the church of $5.00, rather the
provincial goverment of $5.00.
How much would that be worth in those days? Compared to know,
but would that be jenerouse enought you think?
It's a little diffacult form me to say, but I think today
it required twenty-five-hundred dollars probably to
equal a gram of five-hundred dollars and that
Shot of the dark more less.
Might just wanted how much the goverment would charge in
those days.
But the Indians and the White in the area all contribued
because they were so delighted at having a hospital
built in that area. And then 5 years later, then the
4 years later the a Brian's Hospital was built at
Port

on the Skeena River, that would be about

35 miles south of the Port Simpson Hospital.
Do you think the people of Ontario the
religion were kept up to date of what was happening:with
Dr. Dultoni would the news get back?
Yeah, I'm quite sure it would. As a matter of fact
one of the early paster missionary's Mr.

he

on more than one occasion, and traveled around
what was then old Ontario telling the
the story of the

congergation

, and the need of our workers

out on the west coast. And he had a lot to do with
encourging not only missionary's but medical
missionary's to come to British Coulumbia.
What kind of a man was Tommas

?

A big rugged chap. Of course, those days full beards
were wore comon the day he was a big man fisically.
Did he have a black beard?
Well, I didn~t meat him until it was fairly grey beard.
I mean he was older, he was way prior to me in beging
the

. When I was young in the wards he was

/

Page 7
about the retiring age.
When would this be when you met him?
About 1911 or 1912.
So his work was just about done?
Yes, yes. Dr. Bulton was succded at Port Simpson
by Dr. W.T. Kergim in 1901. He was a graduate of Toronto
Medical school. And he came to Port Simpson as a singal
man and while he was there he married a Miss. Stevens
who was one of W.N.S. Missionary's in charge

girls

home which was a residential school for Indian girls
in Port Simpson.
What does W.N.S. stand for?
Women's Missionary Society. And he carried on at Port
Simpson until 1910. The Missionary's both

and

Medical in the earler days had a good deal more
to do than just there own specialized work. Most of
the Medical Missionary's were also

as ministers.

And a number of them including Dr. Kergim servered
as members as the

Provincial Legeslature in

Victoria. And quite often they were justice of the
peace. I don't know how much they like that work but
someone has to do it and they were the logical ones.
Know I think
pretty well, Dr. Kergim, Dr. Buton
rather
.
Did you meet Dr. Kergim at all?
No, I never met Dr. Kergim.
Did you met anyone who worked with
I can't remember that I did.

him?

Perhaps we should go back to what happened to you after
your training in the Ministry here in British Columbia.
All right.
When you got your calling and you decided ...... .
Yes, I. One of the regulations writing a course for
the Minist~y~ Was that the Canadate had to put in 2
years. Either 2 sepeart years or 2 together prior to
his ordinations. Now some men would go to collage for
a year or two, and then put the time in on a feild.
But I chosse to put the 2 years in first before going
to collage. And my first year as a student Missionary

Page 8

was spent in what's now the Chliawack area, not in
the town of Chilawack but out in the nearest

6-

8 miles out of there. I put in 1912 June 13 there.
Did you met any doctors in that area?
I met a Dr. paton who was a
babtize
but he used
to sing, he was an exalent singer and would sing
when ever he could for any congergation if they wanted
a special song. And he was the only doctor that I really
got to know. He was quite an active Babtize. Know that
was the year of the place where I met my wife, she
was a active young women church there active in
Sunday School and in the choir and the leader of the
juior choir and I met her before I was up there very
long. As a matter of fact my supiorentend Minister was
the Minister Stationed in Chilwack Revern A.E. Roberts
and I used to go to his home on Monday's and attend the
young peoples meeting and the

Church there on Monday

evenings an it was there I became aquanted with my
wife. That's quite awhile ago. We been married 55 years
know. Then my next charge as a student was up in the
Okanogan at

which is about 8-10 miles north of

Pantictan on the East side of the Okanogan Lake.
Do you remember any stories that Dr. Paton told you?
No, I never met him in the social way. Once or twice
I needed a doctor and that's

I met him in a church

service. You know.
From a patient point of view, did he recive you at home,
did he go to his home? Do you have a phone there?
Oh yeah!
For the big house?
Sort of Yes in the family. I can't remember the details.
But he was the son of babtize. But I think .....
Perhaps we could

talk very briefly about the other place in

B.C. you went to

before you went back east.

Well I got

my second year as a student Minister

was at

. As a matter of fact to me it'~~interesting

as I was the first resident Minister it that
Today there's quite

/

school. A school for training

Page 9

at
. But of course it wasn't even in anybody's
dream when I was there.
was beging it development
as a fruit growing community. During the year that I was
there, they were building, well it wasn't completed that
year the

Valley Railway. Which was to run from

Hope through the mountains to Panticton, and through the
mountains to Nelson. And there were two to three camps.
Construction camps within a few miles of

, on

the hills above the community. And among other things
I used to take circulating small circulating libary's
to these camps. So the men would have good reading if
they wanted it. Most of them were not English speaking
on just how therly books were read I don't know. But
it was a small branch of general pastroll work which
I carried out.
What kink of help were these men in? Do you remember any
particular dieases or any kind of things

them?

I think it was more accidents in construction. The
railroad had a small hospital just down in the
community just about a block from our church.
Just be C.P.R.?
No, well yes, it was called the

Valley Railway,

but it was a branch with the C.P.R. It was part of
the C.P.R. system.
Did you know the doctor of the hospital? Was he a profesenal
man like yourself?
The doctor was a Dr. Robinson. I didn't know him intementley
he was a young man, little older he was certainly through
his training little older than I was. His father was
the, a Mr. Robinson who really developet the whole
fruit area of , the whole area. He is the foundary
you might say of that area. And one of his sons was the
railroad doctor who had this little hospital which
might

ten or a dozen beds, for accidents mainly.

The nearest genearl hospital was Panticton about 10
miles south of the foot of the Lake. That was an interesting
year to me, interesting for a number of reasons. One
particulary that it was the only
church, it was

Page 10

the only church at that time in the community. And I
had attending my services Babtize and
and
Methodes and

went into my Sunday School

as a babtize, /he was the postmaster I had some

that

were teacher's in the Sunday School. And I founded a
very enjoyable year. And that was one of the reasons
I think. From there on east to collage to Montreal.
Excuse me just before we move back east, I just have one
question as regards of been Minister in this town you be
supervising the funerals of verious dead people. I just
wonder what medical

were, like how long you had before

you buier the body?
Well, the. I wasn't called upon for many funerals and
I was a minister in praying and we didn't have the
athoritys to marry people. It was just by work with
largley when possibale visiting the sick. And I could
remember just one funeral, and there was no sematry
at the time but they found a place to

him .

And I remember the casket. After night, I don't know
why the funeral was after night. But they had lights
to lead the way through the trees some distance and
a grave had been dug there, and he was buired. I think
I only had that one funeral there and I can't even
remember the man's name.
I was just wondering about the Medical aspect, but anyway
you mention visiting the sick, any particular instent was
there you remember?
No,most people look pretty healthy those days. They had
to be homes out of the new land you know, planting
orchards.
What about having baby's would family's have there children
at home?
Panticton was a town of 3 or 4 thousand people then
and there was a hospital there, and more than one doctor,
several doctors. So where medical extensive medical
attention was needed they be taken to Panticton.
Would people think that pregnancy needed special attention
in those daYB~

Page 11

Oh yes I think they would go to Panticton for that
yes.
So anyway you went back East .....
Then yes I went back East and I went to Montreal. To
complete my arts degree at Univeristy and take
my theology at Westland Theological Collage. Now that
was the collage. But one of the find features of
Theological traing in Montreal was even then in 1914,
the four main

for working together.

It was called the Montreal Co-operating Collages, I
was still a

and still enrolled in the

But I took lectures from
and from

, from

collage.
, from

. I sent back just a moment ago.

The four collages uniting where the
and

. And the joint staff

would each providing three amounted to twelve,
twelve well trained and specialized professors. And
I appreciated having the privlage of attending choures
where I was sitting side by side with
and

and

. I think it was a good training for me

in the light of what occoured later when the
and

, and

, incounterd the united to

form the United Church of Canada. I was trained you
see.
When of your class mates later become doctors as well.
Yes, I can remember a Dr.

, he was French. His

family French background and there was a Dr. Martin
and several living in our collage, I lived in the
collage. Where going through for medicane .
As well as theological training?
Yes the residance. After the rooms requior for the
had been taken. There been probably 50 more
rooms for any student of the university who wanted
to live in the collage, or right on the university
campose you might say.
For all church's you think that this was the

just before

World War I of Medical , like the idea of been-the
~~g~bh~WO~ld train medical doctors who also had a doctor

Page 12

in theology.
I think that in the

that a man was going for medical

work he specialized in that. But here in British Columbia
specialy up the coast among the Indians. Where we were
short a personal in all phases of work. Most of doctors
that served here in British Columbia in those early
days. Where if they weren't trained fully in thelogy
they had some coures and were ordained. So they could
marry the people, and babtize the baby's especially.
All are early medical missionary's on the coast here
of among the Indians. One thing they tried to do was
to get those that weren't married at all to get them
legaly married and established on the Christain consept
of marriage you see. So Dr. Darby and Dr. Wrench,
and I think all early medical missionary's where
recived ordination to conduct the

of babtizem of

marriage and holy communion among the people.
So in many of these medical missionary's the medicane came
first, and then the missionary work came after social
service. But they were definatly moved by Christain
principals, sort of like Dr. Bulton?
Course, just as much as any

missionary was ever

called. And then the same applied I think of

and

. And the others I new personally.
What was know in Montreal the collage of Montreal about
Medical Missionary work in B.C. ?
Not very much, B.C. was a long ways from Montreal.
And if I recall correctly during the time I was in
Thelogy at Montreal. I was the only one from the British
Columbia conference there taking thelogy. The student
body would be made up largely of those from the province
of Quebec and Newfoundland had a lot of student in
the theological collage of Montreal. But in residence
we got to know some of the men that were going throu~h
some of the other coures as well. And that's were I
got to know one or two of the students that were
heading for medicane.

Page 13

Where there any women taking medicine at that time?
A few.
What did people think them, what

?

Well I can't comment on that I don't know. ,But the
number of women medicals was very small at that time.
Do you remember meeting any people who have become medical
missionatyts and go outside of Canada, or else where in
Canada beside B.C.?
At the moment I can't think of any. No.
O.K. So you finished your training in Montreal when?
In 19---well in the mean time I. There was an interuption
in World War I.
Quite a long interuption?
Yes it took about three years out of my --I think it
was three years later getting throught then I feguried
when I started.
I belevie you were the victem of the fule

of the beging

of it during the first War, would you like to talk about
that?
Well, that's when I was over seas, I listed in
that was raised on the campus of the University. Like
most other students who were muture years, we----it
was quite a struggle when our minds and our emotions
after what we auto do. Weather we should unlist or
weather we shouldn't. And, so I with others went
through that battle. And pretty well we had to settle
our problems like that our selves we could talk things
over, but we have to make the decision. And utimintlly
my decision was that I should un-list. Which I did.
Was there respect for those among you for those who decided
not to?
There weren't many--No there weren't many who took
that position then. I can't recall knowing any that
for consheance reasons that heal out. There may of
been some, but I can't recall any.
By the end of four years of

. Do you think a lot of

people would of thought twice if they had a chance to see?
Yes. After I landed in England the

was broken up

Page 14

into drafts. And the comanding offcer called about
30 of his non-commison officer in. And told us that
he regreted more than anything else that we weren't
going out to France as a unit. And any of us that wanted
to transfer out to any other branches of the service
he would back us up. So about, II think about twenty
went into the flying core.
And you were on of them?
And I was one of them.
Before we talk about flying core, can we just talk about
medicine in the Canadian expedishanry Force of Broad.
What were the medical phasilitys like before leaving for
England?
I would say they were quite adduqite. I think the
un-listed men were well provided for.
Was there good food?
Oh, yes.
And

sleeping quarters?
Oh I think so, yes. Military of course.

What about going across the Atlantic, like there be a lot
of sea sick and stuff like that. What would be the methods
of keeping that down?
Well, I wasn't sea sick, so I don't--cause I always
been good--the time I've been on the sea I've managed
to keep my

down. And--but I don't recall, as a

matter of fact I don't think the trip over was
exceptionally rough. I think we had a farelly good
as I recall it you know. And we had certain drills
and things like that, everyday you know.
How did the medical treatment of the Canadian Army doctors
compare to that of the British?
Well I'm not in position to know that. But---Was there maner different at all?
No, I don't think so. I think there was the up most
co-operation to.
I see, so you transfered to the Royal Flying Core?
Yes I did. I just didn't--I didn't see myself with
a

on a end of a gun, ramming it into a human bean.

Page 15

And maybe it was pretty crued thinking, but I thought
well if I have to kill people in the Flying Core
I'll be killing then at a long distance-instead of
close-up. So I think that as much as anything
to go into the Flying Core. I felt I wish many time
then that my War days that I had already been a doctor,
I would like to serve as a doctor. I felt then I was doing
I was helping people. But anyway I--as far as you can
enjoy anything. I enjoyed the Air service.
Did you go over sea's from England at all?
Oh yes, I was on the western front for a better part
of a year, flying.
What kind of planes where you flying?
It started put in the first ones I've been was the
B2C, they were pretty.(I don't know what the word is
I want!) They were pretty well

then yes. And

before it was there to long we got into what we called
the RES's. They were

considerably better. But

even at that they were pretty heavy to handle.
Before the War ended I had qualified to fly on a
small fighter plan.
What kinds of planes would they be?
Oh there was

one of the comnest and the--that's

strange they named the others the Cama1e-the Cam1e
was the

. But they were small light fast plan

that were easy to handle, you know. And then they
had the big Brista1 Fighters and others like that.
Everyones where carring booms over.
What kinds of medical cau1ties would be common in--F1ying
Core or hospital?
Almost anything in the

ingurey. Bullet wonds of

course, and-but if a plane was shot down and it crashed
and the pio1et survived and he might he might have
broken bones of all kinds in his body just depending.
It's amazing sometimes a fe10w would just walk away
from a crash that you couldn't be1ive anybody could
live through. And other times simple thing would be
death, you know.

/

Page 16

If anyone was badley wounded or injured in a crash, would
they be given
or would they be acpected to be back
fighting in a month or two?
Oh, they were well cared for, if they servived they
got the best treatment available. And long they
were never sent back till they were really fit to go
back. While they were able to go back again, were
not able to go back into the active fighting again,
they be used in secetarial work and that kind of
thing you know, it was necessary records and all.
An alful lot of that had to be done, you know.
Did you notice any effect of the incredable nerves and
and people that walk around with shell shock.
Did you ever notice any sytomes like that beging in the
front?
No, althoug I did the last couple of months I was
there I was feeling

they-the practice it wasn't

a rule, but the practice was that if a man surives
six months at the front in flying he was sent back to
Briton probbaly for six months for futher training
and a different atmospher all to gether you see. But
the first time I was there I was there nine months
before I could get back. They were so short handed.
And the last two or three months I felt the nerve
strain consederably.
So you made your way back to England after this nine months
then you picked up the flue did you know?
Yes I had the flue before. Well I went back to England,
then I was appointed to a school for futher training.
And when I was through with that, I was sent to a
training school as a instructor in flying. And that's
what I was doing when I got the flue just before the
end of the War. Actually when the

was sing I was

in a militay hospital recovering from the flue.
I belive you have some trouble getting treatment, what was
the storie behind that?
Well I had to find my way back to camp, by stages, I
was let out before to make rooms for others that were

Page 17

wores in the hospital there were so many beds and so
I had to
hop to get back to my camp which was
quite a few miles away, as best I could. And I was
weak, I could only walk about a 100 yards, then
I have to sit down and get my breath over again, you
know. But in the little hospital where I was we got
every care that we needed, I had no complants whatever.
Can you remember any detalis about the hospital?
Well it was made consitent of cotages acolinating
rufley about ten beds each. And they were seperat,
and they were built in a rectangle that just happen-they weren't all like that, but that was the one I
was in. I belive a lot of the old English homes
were turened into military hospitals in the war you
know.
This would be a :really flying core or by that time
By the end of the War it was the R.A.F. yes. And allthough, yes it was. Then I had was R.A.F.C. I was
all in my uniform, you know.
What were the nurese like in this hospital?
They were all right too. They were short handed of
course. I don't know how many nurses they had, they
had a 278 bed hospital that I was in. I could remember
that.
Would there be any Canadian nurses or Canadian doctors?
Yes there were. I can't just name any but there were
they were mixed all through. And-but the night
was supposed to visit to calIon every patient during
her toure of duty. And the ture of duty for the night
nurse was seven at night to seven in the morning. And
I remember one day, it happen more than once too. The
night nurse carne to see me nine the next morning.
And I asked her are you not through yet? No she
said I have to see patient at least once, I'm not
through yet, so that was a long shift. 14 hours,
yes it was. And they just had one night nurse for those
278 patients. They had a lot of helpers V.A.D. nurese·

/

Page 18

V.A.D.?
V.A.D. they were called: Volunteer Aids something.
They were not graduate nurse. Cause they were good though.
Would that night nurse be a Red Cross nurse?
I don't know, might of been. Remind you they had more
train nurses in the day time. But at night in that
particular hospital at that time, they just had one
trained night nurse.
What would be the rutine, like would be woken up early in
the morning?
We usually--I can't remember them coming to me and
waking me no.
But the military time you be up early?
Yes, if you were confined to bed you wouldn't get up
at all you see.
So

, how about changing the sheets and stuff, remember

any thing about that?
That was a daily, everything was changed daily.
What about washing?
Yeah, I don't know wether washing was done or anything.
The medical workers were good anyway from what I saw,
I didn't see very much actually. When , at the
end of the War. And then I came back to Canada, I got
back a little earler then I intended, than I expected
rather. It was a bit of luck. I was due to go up to
North Whales there's a camp there to awaite
To Canada. But on the way
up in London I met a friend
Who told me there was a ship leaving for Vancouver
In about two days time. And that's one time I had a
bit of luck. I went to them at the Canadian head quarters
in London and asked if I could get on that ship. And I
had to produce my documents to show that what I said
was correct my past and things like that. Well he said
man who wants to

one man in your catagorie, I

was letuinte at that time, in your catagorie who wants~
to go on that boat is not able to go he said. You might
as well take his place as anybody else. So my name was
put down. And 24 hours later I was in Liver Pool going

Page 19

aboard the boat to lonley Canada. And I've might of
been two or three months if I gone up to North Whales.
Do you remember what the name of the boat was?
The Emprasie of Assia. It was a C.P.R. boat.
C.P.R.?
Yeah, they had a number of Emprase boats ..
?
Well it the son of the
missionary Dr. R.W. Larg.
The author of the book is R.
Who is practising
doctor

doctor in the city of Prince Rupert. During

my years of super intermintions I"got to know him
quite well. Partley because we met whenever there was
anything of the local hospital board for the Port Simpson
Hospital. He was a member of that board. Some of thee
with the work of his father and the other Pioner doctors
attempted to carryon amoungs the native people of
British Columbia.
And that was just a sing copy?
Yes, yes it is. And I

this book. It's written by

a man who know what he is talking about.
Perhapes we should talk about the author for awhile, he
followed in his fathers foot steps.
Practice in Prince Rupert and and all through the years
I was super intendent of mishions. He was on the board
of the Port Simpson Hospital, where he had served for
awhile when he was younger. The

board all of the

hospitals in my time had Local Board. And whenever
possibale there would be at least one medical man or
more available on that board. And the heads of ~~~~~~~~
for instents if they were living in the area. Because
our hospitals served the needs of caneries. And they
were the main industries in the areas that our hospital
served. We have representives and repreentives of the
comity it's self. And Dr. Large, Dr. Large~ The
son of R.W. He was a very valubale member of the board
of the Port Simpson Hospital.
So you met him many times?
Oh yes, all together on committees and corsporudace with

Page 20

with him. I knew him quite intemently.
And he's practicing right know?
Unless he has retired recently, I belive he's still
practicing in Prince Rupert.
What age would he be in, in his 70s or 60s?
He must be, He must be in his late 60s.
When did he write that book do you know?
Well, 1957 first addition. And their's rather two additions.
Second one 58.
That very interesting.
Back in 1918 the last time we talked about how