Hudson's Bay Company

“ THE Calgary stores’ curling club, like everything under the direction of the athletic body of the big store, is an unbounded success. No game that one could mention is without its followers in our store and not only are they followers of the rock and broom game, the boys who have taken it up are good at it, at least they will say so and are willing to back up their assertions at any time. ”

“ At last they struck a creek and they were thankful to escape from the bush, walking on the ice being much easier. They travelled all day but discerned no signs of human life. The usual nightly performance was gone through, and each thought it all was rather hopeless, but “life is sweet.”
Friday, December 17th, they commenced their slow and wearisome journey once more, walking on the creek; but at last the creek joined the river and here they perceived sleigh tracks. Noting the direction it had travelled by the imprint of the dog’s feet, they followed the trail. ”

“ BESIDES his duties to the Company and to himself, the salesman has a definite place, and definite duty towards his community. Social relations are helpful in gaining selling success, and a good salesman always has many friends, but like all other classes of people, he must choose his friends with care, for we are all judged by the friends we make and keep. ”

“ The salesman should always be of the social type, the kind that is fond of good company, but he must never let the social duties encroach on his business sufficiently to impair his efficiency. Social ambitions are dangerous to successful selling. ”

“ To have enthusiasm is a matter of “morale”; if you believe in yourself and believe in the things you do, Enthusiasm is sure to ignite your dormant power and bring out your capacities to their utmost accomplishment. ”

“ It was difficult to believe that this lithe, active fellow who with powerful arms handled the heavy sweep with such ease, bearing down on the handle to lift the blade clear of the water, jumping from one gunwale to the other with a speed and agility truly astonishing, could be the same slow-moving figure that idly lounged on his oar all the previous way. ”

“ Try to put yourself in the other fellow’s shoes and do unto him as you would he should do unto you.
If I were asked, “What institutions do you consider have been, and are yet, of the greatest service to Canada?” my reply would be: “Hudson’s Bay Company and Canadian Pacific Railway.” “And what has been the chief factor which has created such an enviable position for these two companies?”–“Esprit de Corps.”
The success of any organization or corporation depends upon this; let us constantly keep this motto before us. ”

“ On account of the fact that practically all the business of Canada is transacted through its banks, the Canadian Banking System enjoys a unique position compared with the systems of other countries, and accordingly the statement of the Chartered Banks of Canada for the year ending October, 1920, reflects better than any other medium, the actual business condition of this country. ”

“ THE latterday high cost of transportation so vitally affects the salespower of the Company’s department stores (as well as other wholesale or retail stores in Western Canada) that favourable groupings of certain classes of goods under the proposed new freight classification (No. 17) are considered important in view of the Company’s great problem of distribution.
While the new schedule is under consideration, H.B.C. traffic men will see the advantage of working to secure a spread of two classes between less-than-carload and full carload ratings on drygoods. ”

“ Today there is a herd of about two hundred and fifty animals in the MacKenzie River valley. They have not increased in numbers. The Siberian wolves get among them continually and destroy many of the calves. There is another herd in the government park at Wainwright, Saskatchewan, which is thriving and increasing.
After the buffalo had disappeared, the plains Indians, who numbered many thousands at that time, were reduced to starvation. Many of them died, and the Canadian government of that day was compelled to gather them all into reservations throughout the country, and ration them. ”

“ During these difficult times, when lands were not by any means of such great value as they are today, and land was a doubtful security, the Hudson’s Bay Company never wavered in its confidence in the future of the West, and in order to assist in maintaining the optimism of the settlers, the Company did not unduly press for the liquidation of its purchasers’ obligations, but gave every encouragement to the farmers who suffered reverses, would even advance taxes to tide them over until crop conditions improved and they were able to meet their commitments. ”

“ Today the time of trial for individual efficiency has arrived. The bricklayer who lays more bricks than the “average” bricklayer and the man who can raise his level best a little higher every day is the man who will weather the storm.
Covering a Wide Field THE BEAVER goes to every H.B.C. employee at the retail stores from Winnipeg to the Coast; at all branches of the wholesale department, including the candy factory at Winnipeg; at every fur trade post and outpost in all provinces and the Northwest Territories; at the Land Department, Winnipeg, and its branches in Edmonton and Victoria ”

“ The vigor, stamina, fearlessness and self reliant manliness demanded by the game are natural, because the Canadian came first and then hockey developed as his characteristic sport.
What Is Your Best? IF one does his best every day, it is soon noticeable that what was his best at one time is not now his best by any means. Practice in hard work never fails to enlarge the capacity for hard work. It is a natural law that to be strong one must not only possess muscles but must use them constantly. ”

“ And the influence of Canadian women is still alive–on the farms, in the factories, the stores and in the modern civic life of this oldtime buffalo kingdom of the Northwest.
Abroad at Home WHAT has become of the old-fashioned winter? We would like to know the feelings of that self-exiled band who fled the wholesome prairies of Canada last fall, as they open up their home papers on some Californian strand and read of the ice famine in Iceland; of the hens laying and the dandelions sprouting in Canada, in December; of outdoor swimming at Vancouver ”

“ Sometimes more dangerous game than buffalo was encountered. On September 17, Hendry writes, “Two men were miserably wounded by a grizzly bear that they were hunting today. One may recover but the other never can. His arm is torn from his body, one eye gouged out and his stomach ripped open.” The next day the Indian died.
The Assiniboines were marching southwest from the Pas towards the land of the Blackfeet. They were now three hundred miles southwest of the French House. To Hendry’s surprise they came to a large river with high banks that looked exactly like the Saskatchewan. ”

“ WHETHER it’s because of the climate or because the hearts of those in the West are big, we know not, but the fact is recognized that no branch of the Company’s service gives a heartier handshake and welcome to the Company’s employees than does Vancouver retail. ”

“ Almost the entire winter camp moved from bend to bend or branch to branch of the North Saskatchewan, heading gradually eastward. Towards spring, different tribes joined the Assiniboines to go down to York. Among these were “green scalps” and many women captives from those Blackfeet Indians Hendry had met. Each night the scalps hung like flags from the tent poles. The captives were given around camp as presents. One hears much twaddle of the red man’s noble state before he was contaminated by the white man. ”

“ Rest Room Antics AFTER all, associating with the store family day after day is not so unlike going to school, is it girls? There is no pleasanter sight than to watch the younger set enjoying the tripping of the light fantastic toe at the luncheon hour in the employees’ rest room. Another pleasant feature of this hour of recreation is to see with what good humour and patience the senior employees gather around the walls in order to allow the young folk scope for using their superfluous energy. ”

“ It takes live, wide-awake human effort and energy to make sales.
We Must Have Confidence By G. SALTER
Unless the general manager has confidence in the merchandise manager and his buyers–
Unless the buyers have confidence in the sales force–
Unless the sales force have confidence in the merchandise they are selling–
We cannot hope to have the confidence of our customers.
The whole H.B.C. merchandising system is built on confidence. The merchandise we buy and sell must be of that same quality as the Old Hudson’s Bay Company have sold and traded for the past two hundred and fifty years. ”

“ An evening out occasionally at a social function with several nights intervening for quiet rest is a good rule. When a salesman loses the sleep he needs he will soon develop into the order-taker type. ”

“ The quaint old building originally housed the general offices of the land department more than two decades ago, but most recently was used by the Adanac Club of Winnipeg. The Company has always owned both building and site but several tenants have occupied the premises during the past twenty years.
MUTUAL HELP
is the root-idea of Life Insurance. Men join together that ALL may bear, without disaster, loss that would fall with crushing weight upon one alone. ”

“ The jumping deer he describes as a new kind of goat. As soon as ice formed on the swamps, the hunters began trenching for beaver, which were plentiful beyond the fur traders’ hopes. When, on October 11th, the marchers for the third time came on the Saskatchewan, which the Indians called Waskesaw, Hendry recognized that all the branches were forks of one and the same great river, the Saskatchewan, or, as the French called it, Christinaux. The Indian names for the two branches were Keskatchew and Waskesaw. ”

“ The Company has always been very patient and lenient with this class of purchaser. This method of dealing with settlers and farmers is fundamentally sound, and instead of a dissatisfied purchaser abandoning his interest and leaving the West, he ultimately becomes the possessor of his farm, is retained to Canada, and is a worthy asset to the community to which he belongs. ”

“ The zeal of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s officers to get an up-to-date boat caused them to overlook the fact that money and business were not plentiful, and a steamer to operate successfully on the coast must be carefully selected. When they realized their mistake, other work was sought, with the result that she was placed on the San Francisco-Victoria mail route in competition with the California Steam Navigation Company’s steamer “Active,” and a rate war, probably the first on the coast, was started. ”

“ Ideals NO INSTITUTION ever amounted to anything until some man or group of men back of it established an Ideal and set out to attain it. The realization of any Ideal, or the success of any business which is struggling toward an Ideal, requires conviction. ”

“ Due to our inability to make up carloads from Winnipeg to Vancouver–and the combined carload rate from Montreal to Winnipeg and L.C.L. rate from Winnipeg to Vancouver being larger than the through L.C.L. rate from Montreal to Vancouver–this saving in freight cost would not be felt on Montreal or Liverpool shipments of drygoods to Vancouver. The reason for this is indicated in Table No. 3. The comparatively lower through L.C.L. rate from Montreal to Vancouver is made to meet competition with the slower but cheaper water route via the Panama Canal. ”

“ In the present day administration of the Company’s land, the same sound policy prevails, and by this time the Company has sold many thousands of parcels and continues to make sales, preferring always to deal with and sell to bona-fide settlers.
No purchaser of Hudson’s Bay Company’s farming lands who has made an honest endeavour to cultivate the land and use it for legitimate farming purposes has ever had just cause for complaint in the treatment he has received at the Company’s hands. ”

“ Enthusiasm ENTHUSIASM is the spark which fires the fuel of ability and personality to do its work. Without Enthusiasm, these qualities are dormant and ineffective–mere potentialities of power.
A man may overcome error; he may lack judgment and acquire it; he may make mistakes and remedy them ”

“ H.B.C. Salespeople Will Be on Qui Vive During Coming Outfit STORES generally realize that the coming six months will test the worth of salespeople more than for many months past. We haven’t been selling goods; we’ve been handing them out. People have been anxious to buy.
A change has taken place. The public is inclined to look for further price reductions. H.B.C. people know that the goods on our shelves have been bought wisely and well. Every advantage of our buying organization was used in their assembling. ”

“ Two tiers of rough bunks round the walls represented the sleeping accommodations. A large mud chimney and open fire-place provided ventilation. We did all cooking at the open fireside.
On the other side of the square, in an equally long row, built in the same style, were warehouses, ration houses, dry meat and pemmican house, flour, pork and beef house, and a well-appointed dairy, with a good cellar and lots of ice. These buildings were one and a-half storeys high and were without chimneys or fire-places. ”

“ MISS A. K. SMITH is in England purchasing notions, laces, and other lines for the Victoria store, as well as for her own departments.
MR. W. R. BOYLE is in the East making purchases for his department. A line of dresses he bought to sell at $19.75 and $13.95 were sold off quickly.
MR. S. D. WILSON is in the Eastern markets after having attended the shoe convention in Milwaukee.
MR. J. WHITE, London buyer, was a welcome visitor in Vancouver recently, on a flying trip. His first-hand information as to market conditions in the Old Land will be of great assistance to the buying staff here. ”

“ Long before Dominion Government Surveyors were sent west to sub-divide the prairies into rectangular townships under the existing system of Dominion Government Surveys, and previous to the surrender of Rupert’s Land by the Company to the Crown, the Company arranged to have laid off farming plots fronting on the Red River, running east and west to a distance back of two or more miles.
The first regular sale of farming land by the Company under the Government system of surveys is designated as sale No. ”

“ It is getting better every issue. We would like to see more news of the fur trade, in this section of the magazine, as this news is of great interest to all in the fur trade department of the Company; so all members of it should get busy and gather up all the news they can. ”

“ Two of them, the R.N.W.M.P. and the Hudson’s Bay Company, have long ago received recognition for their part in this marvel of empire-building. But there is another whose achievement is but little known or lightly heralded.
It is WOMAN. Wives and daughters of the bearded pioneers who conquered Canada’s plains trekked west with them; lived in lowly sod-houses; shared all hardships; made instant Home wherever the oxen were unyoked. These women helped tame a wilderness, and wherever they went was law and order. ”

“ Luck was against us. Repeatedly the scow was swept away before the log attached to the end of the rope could be caught, though we knew it was being tossed around on the outer rim of the eddy. After battling the current for an hour the men put me ashore. There were still some matters requiring attention on the island, so I walked back, ferrying across again above the rapids. When I reached the landing place the crew had just managed to secure the cable and were being pulled up. ”