Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
January 29, 1890 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
Four (4) sheets of lined paper + envelope
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Medical doctor, pioneer, and politician. Dr. Patrick is credited with suggesting the current boundary between the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Place: Saltcoats, N.W.T.
From: Alf [Thomas A. Patrick]
To: Miss Marion Griffith, Byron, Middlesex, Ont[ario]
Delivery: Canada Post, postmarked
Details: 8 pp + envelope; note on envelope “No. 260”
Notes: In a letter to his fiance, Marion Griffith, Alf [Dr. T.A. Patrick] describes traveling across open prairie in winter to reach sick patients. Alf, Mr. Paulger, and Mr. Boake (liveryman) traveled more than eight hours to reach the ill Mrs. Paulger. Upon returning to Saltcoats, Alf found a telegram calling him to Kinbrae to treat the wife of Mr. William Rowland. After spending a mere six hours in Saltcoats, Alf and Mr. Boake set out at midnight to reach Mrs. Rowland. After more than seven hours they reached Churchbridge, where they rested their team of horses and ate breakfast. They finally reached Mrs. Rowland at 4 p.m. to find her suffering from typhoid fever. Returning to Saltcoats took less time as Mr. Rowland was able to set the men on a more direct route to Churchbridge. Alf chose to take the Friday freight train from Churchbridge back to Saltcoats. Along the way, the train stopped and waited as Alf treated the child of the section foreman at Bredenbury.
Much of the rest of the letter concerns financial matters, including an explanation of fines applied to wood cut illegally from government lands.
Writing at a later time, Alf acknowledges receiving Marion's letter in which she describes her grandfather's worsening health.
Writing a day later, Alf is in receipt of the mourning envelope containing news of Marion's grandfather's death. He expresses his condolences before approving of Marion's suggestion that she and her sister Annie begin their journey to Saltcoats on February 28. Alf then worries further about financial matters, "For I feel sorry that in asking you to marry me I ask you to marry a man whose future is mortgaged." But he looks forward to their marriage, writing, "Do not hope or expect any near approach to perfection in this future husband of yours, Marion. He has many faults but it can truthfully be said that he is always very much better when his Marion influences him."
Notes area
Physical condition
Last page has two holes where the folds intersect.
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
2010.042 Box 11. Bruce Peel Special Collections is part of University of Alberta Libraries.
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Patrick, Marion Griffith (Subject)