Cattle Kingdom: Early Ranching in Alberta by Edward Brado (review)

REVIEWS 463 the reproductions of the artist'sworksthe Indian portraitsare the most appealing, thosein colorparticularly beingillustrative of Morris'ssensitive, accurate portrayalof his subjects and of the historical significance of his portraits. The writerbegins witha genealogical sketch of theMorrisfamilyandthen chronicles in somedetailtheartist's earlylife, theyearsof hisart studies, and thebeginnings of hiscareer.Shemakesfrequentuseof comparatively brief notations from Morris's diaries in this section. The diaries themselves undoubtedly arefascinating andcanprovide asense ofimmediacy, buttheuse ofnumerous shortextracts cancreatea problemfor anauthorin maintaining an evenwritingflowand ensuringreaderinterest.In subsequent chapters McGilldealswithMorris'sworkamongIndians,hisactivities in theorganizationanddevelopment of theCanadianArt Club,art exhibitions, andother interests. The pages dealingwithhisstudies of Indiansin theWest,hisfeeling for and relationships with them asindividuals and hiseffortsto improve conditions for themarethemostappealing in thebookandprobably themost revealing of the artistasa man.Again useis madeof Morris'sdiariesand correspondence. Admirersof theartistandhisworkwillgreetwithpleasure theforthcoming publication by the RoyalOntarioMuseumof TheWestern Diaries ofEdmund Morris,•9o7- •9•o,editedbyMary FitzGibbon. The author concludes with assessments of the importanceof Edmund Morris's workandthe'richlegacy' hehasleft.Sheistobecommended for the partshehasplayedin makingCanadians awareof thisheritage. SHEILAGH S.JAMESON Calgary Cattle Kingdom: EarlyRanching inAlberta. EDWARD BRADO. Vancouver: Douglas & Mcintyre1984.Pp.298.$24.95 In recent years Canadian scholars haveturnedtheirattention totheimportant transitional periodbetween 187 øand19oo onthePrairies aswestern Canadian society gradually shiftedfromaneconomy based onthefur tradetoadiverse networkof communities dependentupon cereal agricultureand other embryonic resource industries. Possibly themostoverlooked development in thiserauntilrecentyears hasbeentheranching frontierintheCanadian West. However, withthepublication in 1983of DavidBreen'sTheCanadian Prairie West andtheRanching Frontier, z874-•924, and the more popularaccount considered here,thisgapin westernCanada's historiography hasbeenfilled successfully. Brado'srecentpublication on the historyof the ranchingindustryand community inAlbertarepresents asolid popularsynthesis oftheranching era. He beginshis storyby tracingthe 'AmericanTradition' of the ranching frontier as it took root in the American Mid-West and then expanded northwardto the foothill regionsof southernAlberta and southwestern 464 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW Saskatchewan duringthelate •86osand early •87os.WhileBradooveremphasizes the influenceof the colourful'American'character uponthe early ranchingfrontier, he certainlycapturesthe easternCanadianand British influence uponthatfrontierinhismiddlechapters. Bradohaschosen totakea case-study approach,providingindividualchapterson the Cochraneand Oxley ranchesand the North West Cattle Company,whichownedand operated thefamous BarU ranch.Throughhisdescriptions of thepersonalitieswhoranthese operations andtheeconomic andenvironmental problems theyconfronted, the readergainsan appreciation of theAlbertaranching community; he may not, however,comeawaywith full awareness of the Albertacatdemen asa powerfulpoliticalandeconomic force.Nor doesBrado devote enoughspace tothecattlerancher's oftentense relationships withthe farmingcommunity. The cattlekingdomfirmlyensconsed in southern Alberta,Bradospends thesecond halfof hisentertaining bookdescribing 'thesociety andcultureon therange.'Whilesomescholars mightdisputehisinterpretation of ranching society asoverlysimplistic, Brado's willingness tosynthesize thelargebodyof primaryand secondary materialavailableon the Albertaranchingera is admirable.Readerswill be particularlyenlightenedby his chapteron the Albertacowboy who,in Brado's opinion,haslongbeena captive of hisown 'freeandexciting' public image. Again,ashedoes throughout hisbook,Brado hasresurrectedinformationfrom bookspublishedby participants in the ranching era,including AlexanderStavely Hill'sFrom Home toHome andL.V. Kelly's valuable TheRangemen: TheStory ofthe Ranchers andIndians ofAlberta. Although Brado's Cattle Kingdom does notbreaknewground, itrepresents a responsible popularhistory ofanimportantperiodinAlbertahistory. It iswell written,illustrated witha goodselection of periodphotographs culledmainly fromtheGlenbow Archives, andconcludes withasolidbibliography of useful reference materialforboththescholar andgeneralreader.AsGrantMacEwan andJames MacGregor served theirgeneration of readersinterested inamore popularinterpretation of Albertahistory,Bradohasdemonstrated that his generation canalso assemble awell-researched history thateveryone canenjoy. cm•cTHOMAS ParksCanada,Winnipeg Letters fromWindermere, •9•2-•9•4 . EditedbyR.COLE HARRIS andELIZABETH PHILLIPS. Vancouver: University of BritishColumbia Press •984.Pp.xiv,243. $28.95 Among the upper- and middle-classEnglishmenwho came to British Columbia duringtheboomin orchardlandsbeforethefirstWorldWar were public school menwhohadserved thearmyin Africaor India,orthenavyon thehighseas. Theyhadhadsome experience of lifeinanewenvironment and ...