Re: [DL] mountie question (ATTN: Steve Long)

[SteveL1979@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/28/00 10:40:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time, DEHAISBE@cic.fr 
writes:

<< Bryce already provided very useful info (thanks to you!) but I sure 
wouldn't
 mind to have to add a page to Law Dogs.
 And I believe I'm not the only one here in this case. >>

    The section on the Mounties that I had in the LAW DOGS manuscript was 
pretty short -- I didn't have the time to do much research, nor the space to 
give them a big writeup.  AFAIK the material was cut on the assumption that 
material on the NWMP would be in GREAT WEIRD NORTH. Anyhow, here's the stuff:

<<The North-West Mounted Police: They Always Get Their Man

    Weirdness knows no boundaries.  Some of it has spread north of the 
border, and if the posse goes there after it, they may have a run-in with the 
North-West Mounted Police — or, as they're better known, the Mounties.

History

    The Mounties are one of the youngest law enforcement agencies in the 
West, having been around for only three years.  They are the brainchild of 
Sir John MacDonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada and its first Minister 
of Justice.  Seeing the lawlessness on Canada's vast frontier, he realized 
that as folks moved west there would be a need for tough men to enforce the 
law wherever and whenever necessary.  Personally, I think that the 
accomplishments of the Texas Rangers also inspired him.
    By Act of Parliament, the North-West Mounted Police was deployed west in 
mid-1874, with its main headquarters at Fort Macleod and Edmonton, Alberta.  
The first group of Mounties consisted of 257 men led by 18 officers, though 
the organization has grown somewhat since then.  The Mounties' primary duty 
is to enforce the law and keep the peace, though they have many other 
responsibilities.  They are to help enforce treaties between the Indians and 
the government, establish friendly relations with the Indians whenever they 
can, and keep white men from exploiting them.  They are also supposed to help 
ease the poverty and suffering of settlers whenever they can.  More than one 
farmer out on the lonely Canadian prairie has been glad to see a red-coated 
Mountie riding over the horizon to come offer what help he can.

The Mounties Today

    The North-West Mounted Police is organized into six companies, with about 
50 men to each company.  Companies are led by a Captain, who appoints a 
Lieutenant or three to help him.  The Captains report to Majors, who in turn 
report to the Commander, who's based in Edmonton.  The current Commander is 
James B. Greaves.
    The Mounties are an organization stretched thin.  They have only about 
350 men to patrol all of Canada north and west of the province of Manitoba.  
Each Mounty is responsible for thousands of square miles of territory and 
everything in it.
    The official motto of the Mounties is Maintiens le Droit, "Maintaining 
The Right."  Their unofficial motto, bestowed upon them by appreciative 
settlers, is, "They Always Get Their Man."  They live up to both mottoes.

Daily Life Of A Mountie

    Every Mountie is a tough, independent man capable of handling any kind of 
problem by himself.  He has to be, since Mounties almost always work by 
themselves — there just aren't enough Mounties for them to work together 
except in the most extreme emergencies.  Mounties are used to spending weeks 
in the wilderness by themselves, and in fact many of them enjoy their 
solitary, self-reliant life.
    Although they don't carry badges, Mounties are easily recognized by their 
bright red coats.  They also wear tan hats and pants and black boots, and 
usually carry several guns.  They are skilled horseman, trackers, and 
shooters.>>



Steve Long