My dear Cal,

Am very sorry indeed not to have written you before but I have no excuses to offer. Your letter I received on my birthday. It was very well timed. Well I didn't go to Hespeler after all. I got interested in rowing and there was a regatta on Dominion Day in which I rowed so could not go to Hespeler. We were beaten by a crew stroked by Lou Scholes by half a length after a very close finish, since then I have not been rowing for any races but simply going down in the afternoons for a bit of exercise.

Dave Ross arrived home about last week with a sore leg. He fell on a rock. On his way down on the train he met a fellow by the name of Blue from British Columbia. He said that he had gone to Knox College about fifteen years ago but his health had given out and he had gone. He was now on his way East to get money to buy a Timber limit on which he had an option. He knew nothing about Timber himself but he wanted a man to go out and take a look at it. So Dave told him that I had a profound knowledge of timber¹ but that I was very modest about my accomplishments. So I was surprised on Wednesday morning last to receive a call from Mr. Blue and a proposition that I go to British Columbia for him. I assured him that I did not know enough but he thought I would do. He then telegraphed accepting the option and he was waiting for a reply when I saw him last. I am inclined to think now that the banks were trifling with him and did not want to lend him the money. He did not seem a particularly sharp business man but he struck me as being an honest sort of a fellow. However I am still waiting for him.

Bob Henderson is away in England this summer and will be there until the end of August. Then I suppose I will get my holidays.

Hilda has been staying at the Gartshores for the past month. She goes away to-morrow. She looks wonderfully well now. Mr. Gartshore last week was suddenly taken ill and it might have been quite dangerous. He had a haemorrhage of the bowels and bled three quarts. I was out there on Saturday and he was then very weak altho' improving.

I suppose you will soon be contemplating returning. I would not come too soon. You will have no difficulty with the examinations and if you approach the ordeal with the idea of simply making a shot at it for fun not caring whether you get through or not. If you do that you will not worry about it and I am quite confident you will get through.

Grey is up in Macleod. Had a letter from him and he told me that he was surprised and delighted one day to meet you. He will be coming home in a few weeks now.

Well my dear brother I am very sorry not to have written you before but will write soon again to make up for it.

Your aff'te brother

T.B. McQuesten

¹ Tom had worked as a lumberjack to earn money for school. See W8160, W8164, W8166.