10c , not raining at the moment  but---, at the club early, introducing high school kids to the sport. MacLeans trophy in pm then training novices. Should move a bed into the place. We got the word yesterday - will be representing South Island at the BC Seniors Games in Kamloops in August.
We will be going with two friends and fellow club mates, so in effect the Sidney Lawn Bowls Club. Will be representing the lower Island. Incidentally we have our own website which can be googled. 

Here is the last of Robert Little's pioneering memoir. Had to be tough back in those days.

I might have used horses for these trips, but they were much more useful on the farm, and then the poor roads made travelling with horses about as slow as on foot.

*     *      *

I had intended to confine these articles to events that had occurred during the first year of settlement, but it may be interesting to add a few items regarding conditions during the following year or so.

A weekly mail service was established from Portage to Mr. Holland’s farm in 1881, and a little later on was extended to our place, and the P.O. named Littleton.

Mr. Denby, who had opened a store in one of Nathan’s buildings was the post master, and W. Sissons carried the mail to and from Holland

Those who had grain or produce to sell during this year found a ready sale to the new settlers, but the following years an outside market had to be found for the surplus crops.  At first Portage was the only market and 50 bushels was about the average load that could be hauled, and wheat at 65 cents per bushel did not leave much of a margin of profit after the expenses of the round trip were deducted.

When the CPR was extended west, a road was opened up to Carberry, and then another to Manitou.  These outlets assisted the settlers greatly, but it was not until the railroad was built through to Holland, and Glenboro, that grain growing became somewhat profitable, and placed our settlement on an equal footing with other grain growing localities in the province.

I removed from Cypress River in 1889, but since then wherever I have resided, my mind often reverted to the strenuous pioneering days that I had spent there.

Being young and vigorous the so called hardships that I had endured were scarcely thought of as such, and in a way a person with vision took pleasure in seeing the wilderness grow from year to year into a prosperous community.

I visited Cypress river in 1909, and noted the great changes that had taken place since I had left.  I missed seeing many of the old timers who had passed away and those who had removed to other parts, and who had shared with me their efforts in developing the community, and paved the way for those who followed.

Very few of the old timers of 1879 and 80 may be alive at this date.  To those who are, I trust these articles may be doubly interesting in recalling to memory our pioneering experiences.

THE END

Transcriber’s footnote:

While still residing in the Cypress River area (Littleton), Bob invented the wire staple and was eventually hired by the Sinai Institute of Chicago as an inventor, according to an article in the Pahokee News (Palm Beach, Florida) in 1938, he had some 50 to 75 invention patents registered at the patent office in Washington, DC.  He lived out his last years in Ritta, Florida and died in 1938 in Lake Harbour, Florida at 85 years of age.

In 1995 a Cairn was erected and dedicated by the Cypress River Agricultural Society on the site where “Littleton” once was.