BX January 7, 1916
Came From Arctic Circle to Enlist Here – George Fleming of Glen Morris “Mushed” 250 Miles to Sign Up – Three Men from Glen Morris Join – Fleming, Accompanied by R. Lee Pettigrew, Came Down From Athabasca River to Proffer His Services to 125th Battalion
Fort McMurray, a trading post in the northern part of Alberta, on the Athabasca River, to Brantford and Toronto, is a jaunt of some degree – 2,600 miles in all. This was the distance that George Fleming, a resident of Glen Morris, and R. Lee Pettigrew, also of Glen Morris, covered in order that they might join Ontario regiments to go to the front. George Fleming and his brother Ivan, who joined the 125th Brant Battalion, are sons of the late William Fleming, who was secretary-treasurer of the South Waterloo Fire Insurance Company, and grandsons of Gain Fleming, representative of North Brant in the Dominion Parliament many years ago. Pettigrew is a son of rev. Mr. Pettigrew, Presbyterian minister of Glen Morris, and was employed for three years with A. Ballantyne, hardware, of this city, leaving some four years ago for the west. He attempted to enlist at Toronto, but his eyesight was found to be such that he could not go to the front. As he travelled so far to serve his King and Country he was given a place with the staff at Exhibition camp, Toronto.
George and Ivan Fleming, who joined the 125th Brants here, are now in Toronto taking out certificates for non-commissioned officers. Ivan Fleming was also a former resident of Brantford, having been employed with Mr. Ballantyne at the time of his enlistment.
George Fleming and R. Lee Pettigrew came from the Athabasca region, where they were fur traders, to enlist. The distance to Brantford is about 2,699 miles and at the start they made 250 miles on foot, “mushing” it. Both were promising young fellows, Pettigrew being about 20 years of age, and of fine physique. Of the latter, The Toronto Globe, on his joining at Toronto, said:
For loyal devotion to country and for pluck few stories of Canadian volunteers equal the story of R. Lee Pettigrew, who endeavored to enlist yesterday at the armories. There is some tragedy in it too, but the admiration of the Toronto army men has allayed it to some extent. A year ago Pettigrew was a fur trader in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company at its post in the northern wilds of the Mackenzie district, the last named place this side of the North Pole, Today Pettigrew will wear the King’s uniform and be in the army headquarters at Exhibition camp, it was necessary for Pettigrew to ‘mush his way’ 800 miles to the nearest railway at Edmonton. From there he came to Toronto.
Defective eyesight was responsible for his rejection at the recruiting depot. His pluck carried him on, however. He thought he could still be of service to his country and went to prominent officers. Realizing that such a man was too good to be lost, they immediately found him a ‘soldier’s job’ with the staff at Exhibition Camp. Pettigrew was sworn in last night. He is a spending type of man, with a good education and other qualifications. He was born near Galt, Ontario, but has been in the far north for some years. The war had been raging five months before Pettigrew knew his country was fighting. A prospector took the bare details and the men at the post were unable to learn any more until the arrival of the annual mail.
