From: rover@dontmail.com   
      
   In article <0sMwi.61998$fJ5.52174@pd7urf1no>, joe@blow.com says...   
   >   
   >Well, I guess you could make the argument that the Wild West died in Canada   
   >when Louis Riel's Provisional Government of the Saskatchewan was defeated by   
   >federal forces in May 1885. There were sporadic outbursts of Indian   
   >renegades on individual rampages but they never really formed a threat to   
   >that many people.   
   >   
   >Wounded Knee in January 1891 seems to mark the end of it all in the US.   
   >Really terrible occasions in both countries.   
   >--   
   >Iyotake   
      
   I think there needs to be a distinction made between   
   WILD West and OLD West. The former implies lawlessness   
   and violence - the latter implies significant social   
   changes that contributed to lawful settlement.   
      
   The originator of this thread used OLD West as the   
   descriptor. And as has been pointed out, the completion   
   of transcontinental rail and telegraph are significant   
   factors in ending the isolation of the OLD West from   
   eastern influences.   
      
   I agree that in both instances Canada was somewhat   
   behind the USA in achieving settlement and ending   
   the violent era.   
      
   An interesting aside. The Wild West lived on for some   
   time in the form of Wild West Shows - Buffalo Bill's   
   (and others) in the USA and the Calgary Stampede originated   
   in Canada at just about the same time that the Wild West   
   shows in the USA disbanded.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)