1846 -1913
Dominic Vautier
12-2004
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"Braw, braw lad, on yarrow braes"
James Edward was a sandy-haired, blue-eyed kid, born in Fovern Parrish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland where his childhood was devoted to family, work and school. The green, yet unproductive hills to the west, and the North Sea, sweeping in on a ribbon of “hames”, fisheries along the western shores, seemed to limit his world.
His parents, David and Catherine McBain (McBane) Alexander, had a farm on a fertile spot and maintained a comfortable life for themselves and their seven children.
His mother Catherine was from the highlands, north of the Grampians, in mountainous country, and her mind often admitted an inner yearning, but dutifully she spent the rest of her days with her husband and children on their lowland farm.
James was not the youngest in the family but his day began the same as the other children with a hearty serving of “parritch” made of oatmeal. The British termed this a “grain to be fed to horses in England and to men in Scotland.” But, nevertheless, it nourished James enough to grow into a man of great stature, both physically and mentally. He absorbed knowledge quickly and eagerly and poetry easily fell from his lips.
When he was 21 his home ties were broken by joining two of his brothers, Peter and George and sailing off to Canada. Another brother David had already established himself in the Luthermount area of Ontario. Two uncles, John and Peter McBain, were mill owners in the same locality. A sister Jean, and two brothers, Alex and john remained in Scotland.
He was a man with many talents and quickly found work in the new country. He met and properly courted Catherine (Kate) fisher, a daughter of prominent farmers, John and Margaret Fisher. They were married June 17, 1872, and when his brother George made plans to move to British Columbia, James bought up his farmland. On it he build a two-story log house, a barn, a milk house and a pen for the pigs, all in addition to his daily chores on the farm. He added a shop later, in which he made pumps for wells. Sinking the wells required traveling about the area.
Within the next eight years four daughters were born to him and Kate; Margaret, Elena, Katherine and Mary.
James was an avid reader and newspapers came regularly, and from one, he learned that the Detroit-Mackinac & Marquette railroad was being extended into the upper part of Michigan. He immediately sold some of his farmland and a cow, but left one for Kate and the children, together with the house and the chickens. It was in 1880 when he went across the lake for the states, arriving first in Chicago where he took a job on a boat on lake Michigan. The captain realizing the potential of this huge man, offered him double salary if he would stay on, but James left and continued his purposeful journey to Marquette, where the construction company for the railroad had its headquarters. He was accepted and assigned to Sage Station, nine miles east of Newberry, with the responsibility of supervising the laying of steel rail from St. Ignace to Marquette. The section house, where he was to live, was a clapboard building, set in the dark elegance of the Luce County primitive forest, with the crystal waters of the Tahquamanon River splashing through walls of rock nearby.
As section boss he managed his men with firmness, seldom finding it necessary to raise his voice and because of his impressive stature, few ever disagreed with him.
Now that he had attained a certain permanency, and undoubtedly needing a woman to run a section house properly, he sent for Kate and his daughters. On July 1, 1881, they arrived on the doorstep of their new home, with the cascading waters of the river almost under their feet.
James was a man of few words and perhaps one of the reasons his children did not assume his heavy Scottish accent, for as they grew older only words or phrases were repeated by them. Kate raised the children with a strict hand and they loved and respected her, his concern was with their conduct as “little ladies” and the proper length of their clothes.
While still living at Sage Station a son was born October 28, 1884. He had the same red hair and his father’s pride was evident. He was named Walter, after a brother of Kate’s who had died in a boat explosion. He never quite attained the introvert qualities and quiet manner of his father. Walter was more out-going and volatile, yet possessing similar gentleness.
After 4 years at Sage Station, James was transferred to Au Train in Alger County. The section house was located more than a mile from the town and the family moved there in 1885. Kate was happier in this new location because she was able to meet many people and participate in town events. The commercial activities of Au Train were fishing, hunting and blueberry picking, but James was unlikely to stalk any animal and kill it.
The children were attending school on town following a pattern of life consistent to the activities available. There were parties, dances, good neighbors and friends, and many joys no one could conceive unless a part of them.
One winter day on their way home from school, the wind and snow combined to make the trip impossible, so they took refuge with one of their teachers for the night. When they did not arrive home by nightfall, James fought through the storm to the village and knocked on doors until he found his children.
As the county seat Au Train held court sessions frequently, and jurors came from distant places. With few means of travel some came by foot over rugged trails carrying heavy pack sacks. During this special court week, there was much public discussion, and the circuit judge in his off hours engaged the locals in conversation in bars, and on street corners, delighting in stories of hunting and fishing, often told in French-Canadian dialect.
James and Kate separated around the turn of the century, a quiet private parting that the children accepted unhappily, with the realization that the fisher pride and independence could no longer tolerate the Alexander self-indulgence and fantasies. James was still a massive man and physically fit. So he settled on a homestead at Five Mile Pointe, bordering on late superior. His remaining days were spent in rugged work, furnishing Munising mills with logs and tanbark.
James wrote profusely but a fire destroyed all his personal belongings. His health declined and his last days were spent with his children, especially Katie Alexander Rahrborn.
This biography was based on the work of Margaret Brendt Smith see more here
The following letter was sent to my grandmother Ellena (Nellie) Alexander O'Rouark from her dad. I did some editing on it (red). He suffered some kind of an injury and was unable to work and he died two years after this letter was written.
Shingleton Michigan April 9, 1911
Dear daughter Nellie,
I received your letter this morning and I am glad to hear you are all well. I thank you very much for the money you sent me in the letter. I have little news to tell you unless I speak of myself for I have had a hard life most of the time. I did think after the disaster befell me a year ago that I would never be in good enough condition to do another day’s work in this world but there is nothing certain but the uncertainty of things. So somebody is in the future. I do not fear the difference between the climate conditions and the nature of the work I was doing the first twenty years of my life and that of the last forty for it is not very great. I read an item in the paper and it said there was 45 inches of rain that fell in Scotland in one year. I remember well drilling turnips in the muddy wet ground on the hill of South Farthing in the year of 1855. I was then hired for $10 for two months when wet snow was hanging on the turnips which would be wet. The first turnips I touched I never set my feet on dry sandy ground when a youth except on one farm 10 or 11 winters. I was feeding cattle and hilling their turnips all through the winter. The cattle had stone buildings to stay in and they were always warm. The cattle had all the straw they could make manure of all the turnips they could and ate the tops and all so many big cattle loading the air with steam and animal magnetism from the cattle’s own atmosphere. A person’s surroundings have an effect on the person so many winters at this work made me sensitive when I came to be walking on dry sandy ground where the attraction to the earth center is very light. The electricity of the sands is not get absorbed by the earth since the disaster befell me a little over a year ago. My breathing has been uncertain. My lungs got so badly damaged with breathing has been getting more natural there is conditions that puzzle me in regard to myself. However I am satisfied that no one can teach me things as experience has taught me. I cannot explain things at this time. If I keep on improving I may in two or three weeks try to think what I can do. I feel awful tired yet and out of sorts yet I cannot say but what I have good health. I eat well and sleep well. I do not know how long Deharby Rahrborn will stop here. He may stay all summer, I don’t think he knows himself. I hope this will find you all enjoying good health as this leaves us at present.
Your affectionate father.
James Edward Alexander