Two very unfortunate
accidents occurred while the Donnan’s were living in the Clarks Crossing
area. In “Pioneer Girl”, Maryanne
Caswell writes about her brother Andrew Allan Caswell who passed away in
Rosthern, Saskatchewan in June of 1887 at the age of 8.
“We had planted sacks of potato
cuttings, mother keeping part of the potato for food. Uncle John drove a team of black and white
steers – that had strayed here – to plow furrows. We put the cut side of the potato down
against the edge of the furrow. They
have to be straight. Then the next
furrow covers the potato.
While we were doing this at Uncle
John’s, Andrew, who has not been well, stood at the end of the garden
patch. Enviously Wallace Donnan (also 8
years old) threw a clod which struck Andrew in the middle. We had sort of a warm time when Andrew
screamed and doubled up. We took him to
where mother was cutting potatoes. Later
he returned.
Again
he was taunted and dared to lift a sack of cuttings. We yelled not to do so, too late to prevent
him trying. In a few minutes he vomited
blood. Then mother carried him to Uncle
Rob’s where Aunt Frankie and mother did all they could within limited medical
means.” A few days later Andrew passed
away.”
Some teasing with tragic results. I wonder if Andrew was suffering from appendicitis.
In April of 1897 John J Caswell lost his second
son, Oliver John, who drowned in a pond near Clark’s Crossing. The family story
was that Wallace Donnan had offered to teach Albert (13) and Oliver (11) to
swim. Oliver apparently lost his footing, slipped beneath the water and drowned, his brother and cousin unable to save
him. I wonder though, at this time of
year if the pond[1] would still be
frozen or at the very least, extremely cold.
Perhaps the activity was skating, not swimming.
[1] The South Saskatchewan River … “with its grand rhythm
of spring break up, high and low water and winter chill…” was a “…central
force…” affecting the lives of early Saskatonians that dwelt on its banks.
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