blankets for sleeping outdoors, poor food rations, and beautiful horses
lying wounded, are only a part of the terrible experiences of the
boys who volunteered to fight in the Boer War.

Major I. R. Snider, of Portage la Prairie, saw action in the
following battles: Natal; in the Transvaal east of Pretoria; at Belfast;
at Lydenberr; in the Transvaal west of Pretoria; at Fredrickstad
and in the Orange River Colony. In 1902 he was awarded the
Queen’s medal with five Clasps.

{By 1914, when the first World War broke out, he had been
elevated to the rank of Lieutenant~Colonel.)

Years immediately following the Boer War were ones of
agricultural expansion and industrial development in Portage la
Prairie. They were also years when shopping for stylish clothing
again brought many customers to the R. S. McKenzie store in the
Bailey Block on Saturday nights.

“The province of Manitoba has yet room for thousands of farmers
and laborers,” declared the Portage Daily News on August 27, 1903.
“There are 25,000,000 acres that can be cultivated and only 3,000,000
acres are under cultivation. The livestock industry is increasing.”

The total yield of Manitoba grain crops in 1902 was 100,052,-
343 bushels. Wheat led the produce with a yield of 53,007,267
bushels and was followed by oats ‘with 34,478,160, barley with ll,-
848,422, flax with 564,440, rye with 49,900 and peas with 34,154
bushels.

Bennett Memorials was well established by this time. In 1919
the business was purchased by Guinn and Simpson Co. Ltd. and is
still operating today.

Adam Brown Sr, journeyed to Southhend, Indiana, and brought
back two Studebaker cars in 1902. D. 3. Lyon, six years later, opened
the first garage in Portage la Prairie. The picture on the next page
was taken ten years later.

Shown in the picture from left to right are: David Lyon Jr. (in
car), George R. Lyon (in car), Louis Scow, Archie Lyon, .7, S. R.
Cuthbert, .7, ?, W. P. Runtlle, W. H. Thompson, I. H. Metealfe, and
D. S. Lyon (in car).

(The cars shown in the picture are all Fords .... Hill), 1911 and
1912 models.

D. 5. Lyon ran this business until 1919 when his son, Archie,
took over. Archie is still the owner of the building but since 1959

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