1885: Into the Bush

It is the thousands of men who went into the bush each winter who really tell the tale of logging life on the Little Bonnechere.

"The first shanty gangs were sent up in early September . . . [coming] from White Lake, Burnstown, Springtown, Calabogie, Renfrew and Eganville. Mount St. Patrick was noted for its tall Irishmen. But the bulk of the hiring was done in Ottawa which . . . was the chief gathering place for shantymen from all over the country."
—Charles Macnamara, McLaughlin Bros. Lumber Company, c.1885

"A great number of Lumbering men were arriving by train to Killaloe Station, bound for the woods on the Bonnechere River and some of the other rivers. . . . These men usually arrived in hundreds and transporting them to the upper waters was quite a task. All the livery stages that [could be mustered] were utilized for such purpose. Besides those men arriving there would be several car loads of horses, wagons, and other equipment so that when these men would leave Killaloe in the morning the road would be black with men and equipment."
—Martin Garvey

"The standard [baggage] for each man was a seamless cotton flour sack stuffed with clothes, known to the English speakers as a 'turkey,' while the French called it 'poche de butin' [bag of booty]. . . ."
—Charles MacNamara, McLaughlin Bros. Lumber Company, c.1885

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