130 THROUGH CANADA 



travel rather than the electric trams, I found myself 

 in company with half a dozen others, rattling over the 

 worst roads possible to imagine. The outskirts of 

 Edmonton, like most new Western cities, have to wait 

 on their betters. The broad well-kept streets in the 

 town have had undue attention paid to them, to the 

 neglect of more remote thoroughfares. The bus 

 stopped at various hotels, the conductor arranging to 

 deposit his passengers in the order which suited his 

 own convenience sooner than theirs. He took me a 

 couple of miles out of the way sooner than go round 

 the corner at an earlier stage. The reason was 

 obvious — my hotel happened to be in the district 

 where the horses were stabled, and he left that for 

 the last. 



He had several passages of arms with his fares, to 

 which I listened with interest, as showing the high 

 point and fine shading that labour had reached in the 

 Dominion. Like everything else, it has the defect of 

 its virtues. 



" You must get down here," he said to a lady 

 burdened with parcels and a valise ; " the horses 

 can't go up the hill." The lady looked up with 

 surprise, and replied with great politeness, " A hill ! 

 There is no hill, gentleman ! This is So-and-so 

 Street. I have parcels, gentleman, and it's late." 



The "gentleman," nonplussed at this display of 

 topographical erudition, banged the door, and the 

 omnibus went on. 



