OUR HERD. 41 



all night, feeding them \vith hay, and, after milking 

 the cows in the morning, turned them adrift for the 

 day. 



After the exceptionally severe winter in the North- 

 West hay grew to T3e extravagantly dear in the spring 

 of 1907, the price running up to $30 (£6), and even 

 $35 (£7), per ton ; whereas the average price at ordi- 

 nary times is $20 (£4) to $25 (£5). In addition to this 

 price I had to pay cartage and freight on it coming 

 out of Nelson by rail. There was, it is true, a 

 driving road to within about one mile of the house; 

 but, unfortunately, it ended on the other side of the 

 river, immediately opposite to the Upper Falls, and 

 there was no bridge across. Then the road was a 

 rough mountain road, and it is questionable whether 

 we should have been able to cart hay in any quantity 

 over it, especially as the distance would be fully 

 eleven miles. At first, however, we did not even think 

 of this alternative : we did not possess either horse or 

 waggon . 



In spite of the excessive cost of the hay, we soon 

 began to find out that our herd was a source of profit. 

 On a large neighbouring ranch were several young 

 men, who catered for themselves. They were eager 

 customers for butter, milk, and eggs. 



Both the Upper and the Lower Falls in the river 

 had been harnessed and made subservient to the needs 

 of man. At each fall the West Kootenay Power 

 and Light Company had constructed an electric plant, 

 for the purpose of supplying electric power to the 

 mines and smelters at Rossland, Trail, Phoenix, 

 Greenwood, and other towns along the American- 

 Canadian frontier line, twenty to fifty miles distant. 



