A harness-maker from Saint John, George Murdoch arrived in Calgary in the spring of 1883 only a few weeks ahead of the Canadian Pacific Railway. One of the first settlers to Calgary, he took a leading role becoming the town's first mayor. In the introduction to his journal, Murdoch reveals a strong sense of boosterism and confidence in the achievements of his new town. Yet this diary excerpt describes a certain loneliness during his first Christmas in the Northwest.