Walter George Boswell: Veterinary Surgeon for the British North American Boundary Commission of 1872-76 Jay M. Isa, Clifford A.V. Barker The long boundary line between Canada and the Commissioner, Captain Donald R. Cameron (1834-1921) United States was for many years of little interest Royal Artillery, at that time on leave of absence in to either country. Prior to 1818, mutual agreement by England. Cameron was Scottish born, commissioned the British and American governments established that in the Royal Artillery in 1856, had seen service in India, the western boundary should run from the northwest- and eventually was posted to Canada (Halifax). In ern extremity of the Lake of the Woods, north or south 1869 he married the daughter of Dr. Charles Tupper as might be required, to the 49th parallel of latitude, (a member of Sir John's Cabinet). He was aide to then to the Pacific coast. In 1818 it was agreed that William McDougall, appointed Minister of Public this boundary would go only as far as the Rocky Works in 1867, responsible for the government resoluMountains. In 1846 by treaty the 49th parallel became tion that led to the purchase of Rupert's Land. In the international boundary. In 1861 a survey marking 1869 he accompanied McDougall, recently appointed the 49th parallel was made eastward from the Pacific Lieutenant-Governor of Rupert's Land, on his trip to coast to a point in the Rocky Mountains. the Red River Settlement, but entry to the territory was In 1870, Canada completed the purchase of the prevented by Louis Riel. Thus Cameron had visited lands owned by the Hudson's Bay Company. This the West, and became part of the prelude to the Riel brought with it the contentious issue of the ownership Rebellion. McDougall had been instructed to organize of one of the Company's posts at Pembina, which the a police force under Cameron's command but the Riel United States claimed was on their territory. Prior to affair at Pembina precluded this. 1870, both countries began to develop through settlers The British War Office concurred with Cameron's moving westward, taking up lands in areas adjacent appointment and, with few exceptions, British army to the 49th parallel. Some settlers in the United States personnel were appointed by him quickly in Britain. were involved in wars with Indians, and law and order Cameron was a person known to have been meticulous in the West sometimes led to persons crossing the in his paper work and in the organization of his men, boundary into Canada and vice versa. It thus became strong on discipline. Of all of the appointments to the necessary to accurately determine the boundary line Commission, he had at least spent a short time in the between the two countries. Law enforcement became Red River area of the 49th parallel. The other Coman important issue and in Canada the solution was mission member who had experienced conditions found in the formation of the North-West Mounted under which the boundary survey would have to work Police in 1873. was Captain S. Anderson, Royal Engineers, who was The British and American governments over a period the Chief Astronomer. He had surveyed and marked of several months in 1871 and early 1872 agreed to the the 49th parallel from the Pacific Coast eastward to formation of a dual organization to co-operate in a point in the Rocky Mountains not far from Waterton locating and marking the United States-Canada Lakes in 1861. boundary line previously agreed upon. The Americans While Cameron was organizing the British personnel, were known as the United States Northern Boundary the Canadian government delegated Lieut.-Col. John Commission; the Canadians worked under the title S. Dennis the job of finding and appointing the CanaBritish North American Boundary Commission. dian civilian staff. He was Surveyor General of Canada With the signing of the agreement's financial terms (appointed in 1871), and was familiar with surveying in the spring of 1872, the Prime Minister of Canada, problems in Western Canada. It is not possible to Sir John A. Macdonald, immediately recommended determine with certainty whether he was at liberty to to the British government the appointment, as British base appointments on qualifications and experience or as political patronage. It is suspected the latter occurred in both the British army selections and the Can Vet J 1990; 31: 715-722 Canadian civilian appointments. A Major Macdonald, 604 - 139 Roselyn Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 1P9 who cannot be further identified, was a reliable aide (Isa); Box 371, Ontario Veterinary College, University of for the Surveyor General in Ontario. He has been said Guelph, Guelph, Ontario NIG 2W1 (Barker). to have been an experienced Canadian Militia officer, Can Vet J Volume 31, 1990715 31, October 1990

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Figure 1. Commission Officers. Standing (1. to r.): G. Burpee, W. F. King, G. Coster, all Assistant Astronomers; L. W. Herchmer, Commissary; Captain S. Anderson, Chief Astronomer; G. M. Dawson, Geologist; W. A. Ashe, Astronomer; A. L. Russell, Surveyor. Seated (1. to r.): Lieutenant W. J. Galwey, Assistant Astronomer; Captain A. C. Ward, Secretary; Captain D. R. Cameron, Commissioner; Captain A. Featherstonhaugh, Assistant Astronomer; Manitoba Archives Dr. T. J. W. Burgess, Surgeon; W. G. Boswell, Veterinary Surgeon.

and an advisor as required during the early selection of civilian personnel. In June 1872, Captain Cameron completed his organizational duties in Britain, sailed for New York and met his American counterpart to decide on the division of work, projected for a starting of surveys that fall. The survey group in Britain was composed of four Engineer-officers and forty-four Royal Engineers who left Liverpool on August 22nd for Quebec City. They proceeded to Toronto and via Collingwood (the Great Lakes route), to Duluth, Minnesota; by rail to the head waters of the Red River in Minnesota, thence by river transport and marching to the frontier border. On September 20th they arrived at Pembina. The Canadian civilian contingent may have been appointed in part during the time Cameron was in New York. In any event, there was a deadline to be met - the joining of the British party on its arrival in Toronto for departure to the West, about the second week in September. Thus there was a very short period for recruiting personnel to fill the organizational plan of the Commissioner which divided the boundary party into five main departments - topographical, commissariat, medical, veterinary, and natural history. Only the topographical party was selected in England where highly experienced survey personnel were available in the British Army. It seemed logical to appoint the remainder in Canada and with one exception this was accomplished quickly. 716

The Commissary Officer was Lawrence W. Herchmer, Kingston, formerly an Ensign in the British Army, married to a daughter of a former provincial government politician. The Medical Officer, Dr. T.J.W. Burgess was from Toronto. His assistant was Thomas Millman, who on December 12, 1872, heard of the need for an assistant surgeon. As a senior medical student at Trinity University, Toronto, he applied and was selected from several applicants on February 4, 1873. About the same time, the Governor-General of Canada visited the University. On March 10 Millman passed a special examination in medicine and the next day departed by train for Moorehead, Minnesota, U.S.A. His departure in February had been delayed by an "epizootic" affecting the horses of the stage coach going from Moorehead to Pembina. On Sunday March 16 he was attending a church parade in Pembina. Fortunately he kept a daily journal from which has been derived much information about the Canadian Commission. Other civilians were four sub-astronomers and two provincial land surveyors from Ontario. The person in charge of the natural history work was G.M. Dawson, son of Sir William Dawson, principal of McGill University. His main duty as a geologist was the preparation of maps of the boundary area. The selection of the veterinary surgeon was made difficult by the fact that the appointee must also be a zoologist. Who suggested this combination of qualifications is unknown, certainly no one with any Can Vet J Volume 31, October 1990

knowledge of the veterinary profession in Canada would have done so. The person to be appointed would have the rank equivalent to an army officer and receive the same allowance for outfits as the Royal Engineers officers. Pay would be $1750 per annum, $50 less than the surgeon and $250 less than the commissary person. Most likely the veterinary surgeon would have to attend to the problems of the riding horses, cart horses, pack horses, several hundred oxen (wagon trains), the sled dogs, purchase feedstuffs, supervise the shoeing of horses and oxen, purchase medical supplies, and approve the sale or slaughter of animals. With only minor substitutions, the instructions from the Commissioner to the Veterinary Officer may have been similar to the following for the Medical Officer: "Subject to the approval of the Commissioner the surgeon will issue such general directions to the head of each department as he may consider conducive to the health of the parties and consistent with the duties they may have to perform, accompanied by instructions and appliances to meet simple cases which may be treated without the presence of an experienced medical man or others that may require immediate attention. Under ordinary circumstances he should govern his movements so as to be equally accessible from the extreme points of the country under survey at one time. He will render such assistance to the Department of Natural History as may be compatible with his special duties, etc. etc." The officious nature of the Commissioner is obvious in these "orders" to his medical officers. Most likely the same applied in directions to the Veterinary Officer. In 1872 there was no Canadian registry of veterinarians or any professional association. Farriers empirics professing knowledge of diseases of horses were common in eastern Canada. Two veterinary colleges were attempting to become established, one in Toronto and the other in Montreal. Each issued a diploma under the auspices of an agricultural body. The Ontario Veterinary College in Toronto had been established in 1862 by its owner Andrew Smith, an 1861 graduate of the Edinburgh school, a man well qualified in the veterinary art and an excellent teacher. College entrance requirements were ability to read and write! The course extended over two sessions (years) of six months each session. The course started in October, took a short break for Christmas and ended in March. Examinations (oral) were in April or December; formal graduation ceremonies were in April. Up to 1872 the College had graduated 54 students, the majority of whom remained in rural practice in Ontario or the United States. The Montreal Veterinary College was established by Duncan McEachran in 1866. A classmate and one-time lecturer in Smith's College, McEachran's college gave a course extending over three sessions, in English, and required more in one's academic background than Smith's. By 1872 the course had graduated five students. One of these was Mr. W.H. Alloway, a graduate of 1869 who opened a practice in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in September 1871. As far as can be determined he was not one of those considered for the veterinary surgeon's appointment. Can Vet J Volume 31, October 1990

Figure 2. Boundary Commission depot east of Milk River. Manitoba Archives

Graduates of the Ontario College signified their professional qualifications by the use of V.S. (Ont.) after their name, whereas the Montreal graduates attached V.S. Neither of these colleges included courses that would permit a graduate to be considered a zoologist. Ontario graduates were well founded in the veterinary art, the Montreal graduates in comparative medicine and science. It was most unusual for a person with a bachelor degree to subsequently enroll for a V.S. diploma. Occasionally graduates in human medicine took the diploma course. The latest date for employing civilian Canadian personnel was August 22. By that date the Surveyor General and Captain Cameron had not found a person who was willing to give up a practice to venture into the unsettled West, leave a family for an indeterminate period or accept the remuneration offered for a nomadic, sometimes very, harsh way of life. Furthermore the person chosen should have experience in purchasing and shipping horses. Did Cameron or Dennis consult either Prof. Smith or McEachran? Was Major Macdonald as an advisor unable to name acceptable persons? Was it necessary to consult the Prime Minister because it was known some of the appointments were political, especially at the level of service personnel, e.g. cooks? Could they employ a person who was still attending college? Answers to these and similar questions have not been found in available letters and documents. How the appointment finally was made by Captain Cameron on August 22, 1872 is pure conjecture. No journal or daily diary of the Veterinary Officer who signed correspondence as a V.S. has been found. A letter from Captain Cameron on August 25 via the Surveyor General and Secretary of State advised the Governor-General on September 4 as follows: 1. That under the scheme of organization for the Boundary Commission approved by Her Majesty's Government an allowance for £350 a year is prescribed for the joint appointment of Veterinary Surgeon and Zoologist. 2. That Mr. Boswell who has been appointed Veterinary Surgeon by the Dominion Government states 717 717

Figure 3. Ox train and horse train at Dead Horse Creek. Manitoba Archives

that he does not pretend to any knowledge or experience of zoology, and 3. Asking that such being the circumstances that he may be instructed as to the amount of Mr. Boswell's salary, and how it is proposed to provide for the services of a gentleman capable of undertaking the wider duties of a zoologist. And in reference thereto he begs to report that due attention had been given to this matter by the Surveyor General, but that officer was not successful in finding in this country a Veterinary Surgeon skilled also in zoology, and in the meantime as the services of a gentleman in the former capacity were in urgent request by Captain Cameron in view of the immediate necessity of purchasing horses for the Commission, Mr. Boswell who is well qualified, was appointed provisionally at the salary named, which was considered only a reasonable one, and entered on his duties on the 22nd instant. The undersigned respectfully recommends that in view of the comparatively poor field which the service in question offers to the scientific naturalist, the appointment of a zoologist may in his opinion be dispensed with, and that Captain Cameron be informed accordingly." The Mr. Boswell in the letter was Walter George Boswell, Cobourg, Ontario. Confirmed in the appointment on September 20, he was actually placed on the Pay List of the Civil Staff of the Commission as of August 22, and approved for appointment on September 10 to the List of Appointments forming the contingent, furnished by Canada to the Staff of the International Boundary Commission. His was the last name of the appointed Canadians. For the period August 22 to 31 he received $47.94, attested by his pay list signature. Speculation suggests the Commissioner appointed Boswell, at that time a student attending college, in an attempt to have someone fill the Veterinary Officer position before the survey party arrived from England. Perhaps Boswell had a good knowledge of horsemanship and Cameron decided this would be sufficient for the appoitment. A veterinary surgeon-zoologist was 718

unattainable, a qualified veterinary surgeon seemingly could not be found, therefore a student would have to be acceptable, albeit only a "well-qualified" one who in all honesty stated he was not a zoologist! Early records of the Ontario Veterinary College are non-existent, however the Annual Announcements (Calendars) beginning in 1875, contain a Register. Prior to that (1866-75) the lists of students and graduates are to be found in the reports of the College to the Upper Canada Board of Agriculture. The Announcements of 1875-76 list a Walter G. Boswell, Toronto, as an 1875 graduate. In the 1877-78 Announcement his address was Sydenham, England. If he was a graduate of 1875 the records prior to that year should have shown him as a junior or senior student. No record can be found of his attendance at the College. The records of 1871-72 list the graduates of 1872, and there is the statement "Besides the candidates who were awarded Diplomas, a number of students passed a primary examination in Anatomy and Physiology." The City of Toronto directory for 1871-72 lists a George Boswell (student) residing on King Street East. Records of A.F. and M. St. Andrews Lodge No. 16, Toronto show a W.G. Boswell was initiated at age 31 on March 9, 1875 as a veterinary student, ceasing membership on June 10, 1879! Nothing indicates when application was made to join the Lodge. A conversation with a friend of the first author (JMI) in Winnipeg helped immensely in identifying Walter George Boswell. We were directed to the daughter of a Mr. Boswell, who had been a lawyer in Winnipeg who in turn referred us to a person in Toronto and another in Vancouver with the genealogy of the Boswell family, dating back to a sea captain who left England to settle in Cobourg, Ontario. From this source and the Canada Census of 1871 for Cobourg, the identity of the Boundary Commission veterinary surgeon was clarified. Boswell family records show that a Walter George Boswell was born on April 24, 1843 in Cobourg, Ontario, the son of William Musgrave Boswell and Eliza Gravely, each born in England. The grandfather of Walter George was Captain Walter Boswell R.N. who with his family came to Canada about 1819. Walter George Boswell is recorded as a veterinary surgeon who qualified in London, England as a veterinary surgeon (no year stated) and was on the Boundary Survey as a veterinary surgeon. The 1871 Census shows his occupation at 28 years of age to be a bank clerk. Family records show his grandfather was a politician in Ontario and cousins were prominent in Cobourg businesses (A relative was postmaster in Cobourg in 1871). Nothing has been noted of his educational or employment background prior to 1871. Whether he served in the local militia is unknown. It was suspected he might have been with the militia of the Red River Expedition in 1869-70 but militia records do not confirm this. While the main body of the survey party was en route to the West, Boswell presumably was left in Ontario to purchase riding and wagon horses, saddlery and other equipment which could be purchased at a lower price than in the West. How many horses were Can Vet J Volume 31, October 1990

purchased is unknown. According to a letter sent to the Commission's secretary-treasurer in June 1873, one horse had been purchased near Windsor, Ontario. Before winter arrived, Boswell took the animals via rail to Detroit, Chicago and the railhead at Moorehead, Minnesota, where they were kept in "kraals" in the absence of stabling. These horses travelled during the period in 1872 when an "epizootic" of "catarrhal fever" was occurring in Canada and the United States. This "epizootic" affected horses throughout the winter, precluding travel by stage coach in northern Minnesota. Unfortunately, no daily journal or diary of Boswell has been found. How he coped with the disease is unknown. Some of his time must have been spent in finding replacements for the losses while trying to treat with no adequate medication. Apart from the Ontario horses, he searched for ponies and pack horses and arranged for the delivery of oxen purchased in Minnesota in the spring. About the end of April 1873, he and a party of 30 to 40 men prepared for the trip to the quarters which had been built at Fort Dufferin, Manitoba. On April 30 one of the corralled horses was claimed by a person (accompanied by about 50 followers) who stated it had been stolen from him in 1872. Evidence was produced by Boswell that it had been obtained in Windsor, Ontario. The thief assaulted Boswell in the corral and rode off on the horse. This altercation raised several "communications" between the British and American Commissions and the governments in London and Washington. The horse was recovered after he posted a $400 bond, required by the processes of American law. Boswell's letters to the Commission's Secretary explaining the theft were signed V.S. HMNABC (Veterinary Surgeon, Her Majesty's North American Boundary Commission). If he had graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College he would most likely have signed as was the custom - V.S. (Ont.). The Millman diary records Boswell's arrival on May 22, 1873 with 130 horses and ponies, 40 or 50 wagons, 2 medical ambulances and several water carts. By June 12 the Commission numbered 257 persons, 91 draft horses, 16 riding horses, 32 draft ponies, 7 pack ponies, 32 yoke of oxen. In addition local labor brought 15 ponies.

Figure 4. Ox train leaving depot at

Can Vet J Volume 31, October 1990

During the winter of 1872-73, six horse stables were built at Dufferin, partially dug into the ground with poles forming the sides and tops, covered by straw. These sheltered the horses satisfactorily in the winter of 1873-74. Boswell spent the summer of 1873 travelling between Dufferin and the several depots established along the survey line which had been carried 408 miles west to near Wood Mountain. About the middle of October all of the survey parties returned to Dufferin, Boswell arriving on October 20. Some of the survey officers departed Dufferin for Ottawa in the early winter, however Boswell's duties kept him in the West. Oats were required and he spent the early winter visiting Missouri River ports such as Fort Benson, arranging spring delivery of the grain. By June 30, 1874, the survey parties were again at Wood Mountain and the survey line, accompanied by Boswell, advanced westward with several hundred animals strung out across the prairies. As in the summer of 1873, the animals experienced periods of near starvation, becoming thin from the need for good prairie hay. Prairie fires injured horses and oxen; grasshoppers were abundant and flies were a great nuisance. In July, Boswell visited an Indian camp and a large half-breeds camp containing 2400 horses. By August 5 he had reached the survey camp near Milk River, 696 miles west of Dufferin. The following day he moved westward with Captain Anderson and an oxtrain; five days later they reached the depot camp near Waterton Lakes, in the Rocky Mountain foothills. The survey line passed through the lake and, in order to continue through mountain ravines, the oxen were driven to the northern end of the lake after which a train of pack horses was used. On August 18, by following the old Kootenay Indian trail over the Kootenay pass, 6700 feet above the sea, into British Columbia, the terminal monument of the 1861 Boundary Commission was reached. Two days later, Boswell and Millman started the return journey to Waterton Lakes depot, on horseback, a fifteen mile trip through scenic country. While stopped at a cascading river Millman caught two fine trout. Boswell and the survey parties began the return to Fort Dufferin on August 27. Before leaving the Rockies there had been word of a possible Indian attack en route although during the present and previous year no unfriendly Indians had been encountered. On September 24, Boswell reported a little after dusk what he thought was a light waving, in the distance, possibly Indians signalling an attack. Boswell had seen Venus near the horizon, for the next night the same light appeared and was determined to be celestial Venus. Fort Dufferin was reached on October 11 and the Commission soon broke up with the discharge of men and officers. Some of the horses were sold by Cameron to the North-West Mounted Police who were stationed at Fort Dufferin. Boswell left for Toronto on November 10 with forty-three horses, in bond, to be sold and the money credited to the Commission. Did he arrive in time to take at least Long River. Manitoba Archives half of the lectures for the fall term at the Ontario Vet719

erinary College, with a wealth of practical experience in hand? Boswell had been undoubtedly employed as a veterinary surgeon, but without a diploma certifying qualification to be known as such. When he attended the College cannot be determined from the few available sources of records. It is believed that he made plans during 1873 or 1874 to graduate and proceed to England to obtain his MRCVS (membership in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons). Probably he corresponded with Professor Smith, explaining his intentions, otherwise it is difficult to explain his listing as a graduate of 1875 in the Calendar, firstly with a Toronto address and then a British one. The 1875-76 College Announcement states: "Students attending two sessions of this Institution can obtain the Diploma of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, or that of Edinburgh after attending one Session and passing the examination at either of the Colleges of London or Edinburgh." Boswell may have received an 1875-76 Announcement, attended classes for the balance of November and December, passed the oral examinations in late December and was eligible for an Ontario diploma. Although he had completed his course in 1874 his diploma must have been dated for the graduation exercises in April 1875, thus appearing as of that year in the Register. A similar occurrence has been found in which H.G. Marshall passed the examination on December 21, 1882, but was listed as an 1883 graduate. There is also the late listing of Edward A.A. Grange, qualified in April 1873 but in error omitted from the Register until 1876. Records of the Royal Veterinary College, London, England show W.G. Boswell, Toronto, registered as a student on February 3, 1875. The minutes of a special meeting of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Council, held on May 25, 1875 contain the following: "Professor Simonds (Principal of the R.V.C.) submitted to the Council the name of Mr. W.S. Boswell, a veterinary surgeon from Canada, who had come over to England for the purpose of becoming a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and who is at present in attendance at the Royal Veterinary College. He brought with him a letter of recommendation from Mr. Andrew Smith, Professor of the College at Toronto, stating that he had attended three sessions of that College, and had also seen considerable practice, but, being desirous of still further prosecuting his studies, he had come to England with the intention of spending some time at the London College, in order that he might become a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. The letter further stated that Mr. Boswell was the first of the students who had gone to England with the view of graduating, and that some years ago Professor Buckland, of the University College at Toronto, called on the late Professor Spooner, and arranged that candidates of this description would be eligible for gaining the diploma of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons after attending one session at the London or Edinburgh College. He (Professor Simonds) believed that, according to the existing by-laws, Mr. Boswell would have to be put on the same level as a youth coming from 720

Figure 5. Kraal at Dufferin.

Manitoba Archives

school. It was a case where something should be done on the part of the Council to meet the difficulty with regard to students that were placed in the same position as Mr. Boswell was. He would leave the matter in the hands of the Council, and would merely say that at a meeting of the Governors of the Royal Veterinary College, on Saturday last, it was resolved "that Mr. Boswell be allowed to attend the lectures in the College pending arrangements to be made with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons". Professor Simonds' submission of the unusual admission of Boswell (a colonial from Canada, the first) to studies at London caused a long discussion at that and subsequent Council meetings. During the May Council meeting, a motion was proposed "that Mr. Boswell be eligible for passing his examination". The Council was advised that Mr. Boswell was in attendance at the College and would be there the whole of the summer session. In addition Boswell would be content to pass the next winter session (1875-76) if he was admitted to the examination in April next. One of the Council members revealed that three or four years previously a person from France had been permitted to study for one session and take the pass examination. Another Council member commented that the Council were not aware of the Constitution of the Ontario Board of Examiners. Professor Simonds stated he knew nothing about the Constitution of the Ontario Board. All he knew was that Mr. Boswell had been at the Toronto school, that he was a man approaching middle age, and was evidently very studious, and as desirous as a man could possibly be of obtaining a thorough knowledge of his profession. His ambition was to be a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. After a Council member said he could obtain private information on the Ontario Board which he would place at the disposal of the Council, the original motion was supplemented by adding "provided the certificates were satisfactory". The revised motion carried unanimously and immediately a committee was appointed to inquire into the general question as to the terms on which foreign students should be allowed to pass. Can Vet J Volume 31, October 1990

Dr. Millman went to England in 1875 for graduate work at St. Thomas Hospital and his diary dates the meetings with Boswell, trying to qualify as an MRCVS. From July 1875 to December 1876 they met every one or two months to talk of their adventures, attend church (Baptist Chapel), see a French play at the Criterion Theatre, attend a lecture at the Royal Veterinary College by Prof. Brown on Physiology, and even attend a grind on Anatomy (Comparative) by Prof. Pritchard (at R.V.C.). Boswell was married in the fall of 1875 to, as Dr. Millman wrote, "a very pretty woman and like Boswell rather stout." In April 1876, Dr. Millman "got a note from Boswell stating that he had failed his exam before the Royal Vet. College" (39 tried the exams, 12 failed). On July 5 Boswell passed his examinations with "great credit" 1. The next day the Boswells and Dr. Millman went out to Alexandra Place to celebrate. He was the first Ontario Veterinary College graduate to become an MRCVS. In October after searching for a practice site, he finally bought a place at Sydenham. In December Dr. Millman, via Victoria Station, visited the Boswells, living in a "quite comfortable house by themselves." Boswell had hopes of working into a good practice. The London Suburbs South Directory for 1880 lists Boswell and James, veterinary surgeons, at 128 Dartmouth Road, Willow Walk and Wood, Sydenham. James was not a true graduate, rather a person registered to practice as an "existing practitioner" according to the Veterinary Surgeons' Act of 1881. James in the late 1880's took up practice elsewhere. About the same time Boswell moved to 7 Lavender Sweep, New Wandsworth, S.W. 6 in the boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth. Along with ten other Freemasons he founded Bolingbroke Lodge No. 2417, became Master in 1894 and was appointed Secretary in 1896. Some of the regalia he would have worn were on display in 1982 in the museum at Freemason's Hall, London. Eliza Catherine Boswell died at age 47, at their home on August 27, 1899 as a result of chronic alcoholism. Her sudden death resulted in a coroner's inquest, the jury expressing their sympathy with the husband who thanked the jury and coroner. Boswell told the jury she had been in ill health for years as a result of alcoholism. The Boswells had no children. The Millman diaries make no reference to Boswell between December 1876 and May 1, 1910 when Dr. Millman "wrote to Mr. Boswell, Vet. Surgeon in London whom I used to meet while I was a student in London in 1875 and 1876. " There was no explanation why he wrote or any mention of a letter from Boswell, although a letter must have been received. Had Boswell written concerning a health problem? On February 4, 1911 Boswell died after a brief illness and was buried in Morden Cemetery (Morden, Surrey), the most prestigious cemetery of that era. A memorial fund raised by his lodge is presumed to have paid for

the tombstone containing the names of Boswell and his wife. In reporting the death of Mr. W. G. Boswell MRCVS, the local newspaper ("The Borough News") said he was a well-known and respected man, very fond of hunting and when abroad sometimes engaged in big game shooting. The obituary also stated "His valuable services to the science which he pursued as a calling was recognized by the English government who appointed him to accompany a boundary remarking expedition in north west Canada as a veterinary surgeon. " The British Commissioner's final report in 1876 commended several officers; Boswell was mentioned in fourteen lines, Commissary Herchmer in eight. Captain Anderson was praised in four lines, the Secretary received twenty-five lines. The Governor-General in a private letter to the Colonial Office commented on those who should receive recognition for services. In 1877 Queen Victoria bestowed on the Commissioner and Chief Astronomer Anderson the honor of Companionship in the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George. Mr. Boswell was honored in having a mountain named after him, as was Captain Galwey. Anderson Peak in the Rockies commemorated Captain Anderson, Chief Astronomer; Cameron Lake and Falls the Commissioner. Boswell was the only Canadian honored for his services. It was a significant honor, lost in Canadian history for over a hundred

"'great credit" was awarded to Boswell and one other candidate of the ten candidates who became Members on July 4 and 5. He also received a Certificate of Distinction for general proficiency on the Examination for Diploma. Can Vet J Volume 31, October 1990

Figure 6. Grave stone, Walter George and Eliza Catherine Boswell, Morden cemetery. C. A. V. Barker 721

years, recognizing the ability of a bank clerk wouldbe veterinary surgeon who was able to satisfy a demanding Commissioner by innate abilities. How the Commissioner chose Walter George Boswell remains a mystery. But then the Commissioner was a remarkable man, advancing to the rank of Major General and Commandant of the Royal Military College, Kingston, Ontario. The story of John L. Poett, first veterinary surgeon of the North-West Mounted Police (Vet in the Saddle - Franklin M. Loew and Edward H. Wood) states "One veterinary surgeon appears to have come to the North-West prior to Poett - W.G. Boswell, an Englishman who accompanied the Boundary Commission which mapped the Canada-U.S. border between 1872 and 1876. Little is known about Boswell other than that a mountain in Alberta was named after him near Waterton Lakes National Park." Mount Boswell is located at 49 degrees 01' N latitude, 113 degrees 52'W longitude. Something is now known about the reason for naming the only mountain in Canada with the name of a Canadian-born veterinary surgeon, and Walter George Boswell, first "colonial" to become an MRCVS.

Acknowledgments Access to the Millman diaries was obtained from the late Miss Mary B. Millman, Toronto, Ontario. Mr. and Mrs. J. N. D. Holden, Shanty Bay, Ontario, gave us permission to read and quote from the diaries. Mr. J. Ross Gray, Toronto, and Mr. Stuart S. Holland, Victoria, British Columbia, provided genealogical records of the Boswell family. Several persons in England guided C. A. V. Barker to numerous sources of information during research there, leading to the conclusion of the search in the Morden cemetery. If Walter George Boswell kept a diary during 1872-74 its resting place has not been found by us. cvi

Selected Bibliography Books Classen HG. Thrust and Counter Thrust. The Genesis of the Canada-U.S. Boundary. Toronto: Longmans, 1965. Loew FM, Wood EH. Vet in the Saddle: First Veterinary Surgeon of the North-West Mounted Police. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books, 1978. Parsons JE. West on the 49th Parallel. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1963. Thomson DW. Men and Meridians. The History of Surveying and Mapping in Canada. 1867 to 1917. Ottawa: Queen's Printer, 1967. Published papers Anderson S. The North-American Boundary from the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains. Proc Royal Geographical Soc 1876; 20: 274-296.

(Abridged) Millman T. Impressions of the West in the early Seventies from the Diary of the Assistant Surgeon of the B.N.A. Boundary Survey, Dr. T. Millman. Women's 722

Canadian Historical Society Transaction No. 26. 1927-1928: 15-56. Turner JP. The Historic 49th, parts 1 and 2. R.C.M.P. Quarterly. 1941; 9: 167-177.

Diary Millman T. Personal Diary. 1873-1910 inclusive. National Archives Canada RG2. P.C. 808, 14 September 1872. P.C. 808(a) 14 September 1872. P.C. 807, 20 September 1872. RG15 Vol. 229, File No. 1718, Sept./Dec. 1872. Vol. 230, File No. 410, 1873. Public Record Office Reference F.O. 5/1477, General Correspondence America, U.S., 1873 North West Boundary, vol 21(1); Commissioner D. R. Cameron and general. (Pay List for Civilian Staff.)

Periodicals and Newspapers Canada Farmer 1871-1876. The Borough News. The Mid Surrey Gazette. The Southwestern Comet. The Manitoban. College Announcements Ontario Veterinary College 1875-76, 1876-77. Annual Reports and Records Ontario Agricultural and Arts Association, 1871-1876. Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. The Royal Veterinary College.

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Can Vet J Volume 31, October 1990