330 WITH GUN AND GUIDE 



engineer of repute and built at an enormous cost. When 

 the work was finished, it was found that the water 

 wouldn't run in it at all, because it was mostly up-hill. 

 The engineer had blundered, but his blunder ruined his 

 patron, as he lost by it every dollar he had in the 

 world. 



At " Twelve-mile House " we saw an example of 

 what irrigation can do in the lusty growth of grasses, 

 flowers, oats, hay and fruits. Outside of the irrigated 

 tract everything was dried up and parched. 



In the bottom lands along the Bonaparte River pota- 

 toes of fine quality are grown in abundance, making 

 Ashcroft the shipping point every fall for hundreds of 

 carloads of the tubers. 



We finally pulled into Ashcroft, crossed the bridge over 

 the north branch of the Thompson River and rattled up 

 to the office of the British Columbia Express Company 

 upon schedule time at precisely six o'clock in the 

 evening. Our train was to leave at ten, and through 

 the courtesy of J. D. Moore, the agent of the express 

 company, we were permitted, after supper, to return to 

 the company's office (where our trunks had been left 

 upon our arrival there on August 29th) to change our 

 clothes and repack our trunks for shipment to the East. 

 This necessary work took considerable time. 



The night was hot and close, and the door was fre- 

 quently opened by persons inquiring for packages, 

 trunks, satchels, etc. Among the number were several 



