Providence on the White Horse Plains

It happened in Manitoba on the White Horse Plains west of Winnipeg over one hundred and twenty-two years ago, July 1, 1873. A group of Mennonite men from Russia was travelling on a horse-drawn wagon to Winnipeg from the Riding Mountain area where they had been looking at land to settle on. A man by the name of William Hespeler was the government-appointed host who was with the Mennonite men in the wagon. Suddenly a Metis man named McKay rode up and struck one of the horses pulling the wagon. The driver struck back, knocking McKay's hat off. This angered McKay and he rode off and soon returned with two of his friends mounted on horses and they continued to harass the driver and threatened to kill him. You see they did not like the Mennonite people from Russia coming to look at the land because they were afraid the Mennonites would take all the land away from the Metis. They did not understand that the Mennonites only wanted to join them in building this beautiful country together. (Have you ever been angry because you did not understand?) Shortly after the Mennonite men and Mr. Hespeler arrived at a place called, "House's Hotel", about twenty-five miles west of Winnipeg, a large group of Metis surrounded the building and threatened them all. Mr. Hespeler pleaded with them to go away but they would not. So he stood with his hands on his weapons - and guarded the door all night. Sometime during that tense night he wrote a short note and sent it by express rider to Mr. Morris the governor of Manitoba. The note said: We are attacked by Half breeds - we are in danger of our lives - please send soldiers at once as we can not leave the place. Mr. Morris hurried to tell Colonel Smith who quickly got fifty soldiers on horseback and led them out to House's Hotel and by early morning set the Mennonite men free. Now, you may ask, "Were any of these Mennonite men Klippensteins?" No, there was not one Klippenstein among them although one of them could have been a relative of a Klippenstein. So you may ask "Then why are you telling me this story today?" Because I want you to think about God's great loving care when He protected those Mennonite men that night. If something bad had happened to them then perhaps no Mennonites - including Klippensteins - would ever have come from Russia to settle in this beautiful country. And what a sad Dominion (Canada) Day that would have been!