Opinions earnestly sought ...

[RattlesnakeJack]

[This post duplicates one in The Longbranch ... my apologies if that breaches the rules.]

Here is a photograph of several unidentified Rocky Mountain Rangers, which was a mounted Provisional Militia unit composed mostly of ranchers and cowboys during Canada's 1885 North West Rebellion.  Two of its three Troops were posted to Medicine Hat, though the unit was raised at Fort MacLeod some 150 miles to the west, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  For that reason, our local CAS club is named "The Rocky Mountain Rangers, No. 4 Troop"  -

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge ...)


As a provisional unit raised for only for this specific emergency, the RMR were not uniformed ...  instead they wore "their own serviceable Western apparel".

My primary reason for posting this rather interesting photo is to ask for opinions on a personal theory of mine.  Although the men in the above photo are unidentified, I believe that the fellow second from the right, so nattily attired in Scout-type garb, may very well be John M. "Rattlesnake Jack" Robson, who was enrolled as a Scout with the RMR and is the namesake of my own Cowboy Action Shooting Alias.  He  served for two years in the NWMP (June 1878 to June 1880) before being discharged at his own request.  Here is a known photograph of Robson taken while he was serving in the NWMP ...

(Click ...)


It is admittedly impossible to be sure if it is the same man, because of the relatively poor quality of the images and also because the "Scout" in the first picture is so heavily bearded (keep in mind that photo was taken 5 or 6 years after the first).   However, the facial hair and garb of this fellow seem rather too flamboyent for a mere Cowboy/Trooper, suggesting to me that he is a Scout ... and there were only three Scouts enrolled at Fort MacLeod, including Robson (a fourth joined at Medicine Hat.  Also, it is definitely not the Chief Scout, "Kootenai" Brown, who was a very well known frontiersman of whom several photographs exist - in fact, Brown looked rather like Buffalo Bill Cody.) 

At any rate, compare these two details and tell me what you think ...

 

[Silver Creek Slim]

The first thing I looked at was the ears. They are different shapes and sizes. Granted, they are on different sides of the heads but both of a person's ear should be very similar.

Slim

[RattlesnakeJack]

Mmmm .... allowing for the lack of contrast with the background in the NWMP photo and the quantity of hair in the RMR photo, I actually thought that the ears were remarkably similar ...   

[Advertising]

[Grapeshot]

Mmmm .... allowing for the lack of contrast with the background in the NWMP photo and the quantity of hair in the RMR photo, I actually thought that the ears were remarkably similar ...   

I'll have to disagree with you on that.  the ear lobe on the right hand photo is longer than the fellow on the left.  The Nose is shapped differently, and the eye brows are bushier on the left hand photo than on the right.

[River City John]

To me the telling feature that these are not the same man is that the man on the right has obviously gone 'bush' and let his hair and beard grow au natural. Note, no hair on the lower lip line to the chin. The manicured Jack M. Robson is sporting a very respectable and full Van Dyck.

Also, the nose of the gentleman on the right appears to have been broken at one time and seems to curve to his right the bridge is dished in. Jack has a pronounced straight bridge. This could be a trick of the lighting, though.

I would vote not the same gent. They do favor each other in in the eyes and cheekbone structure.

[Ol Gabe]

All,
Interesting pic. Although they all 'look' Military, the only one standing with his feet in the proper Military stance for the era, if I recall it correctly, is the one man in question. Look at his left foot, it is correctly indexed with the heel pressed into the right foots arch and his rifle is at the correct 'rest' position. His 'Metis' coat and floppy hat may indicate a 'prize' taken on the Field of Battle, but as the others above have already suggested, he does look a tad bit different than what has been suggested as 'the Man'.
If it wasn't for the 'Metis' styled coat, it could almost pass for a group of Commandos of the first Boer War in Southern Africa. The Boers wore large floppy hats similar to that and canted in the same fashion, they also wore full beards and dressed much the same. The pic could easily be that of an African Boer working as a Scout for the British if R.J.R. did not have substantive proof otherwise, and this is one way how old photos are often misinterpreted. 
Now with that in mind, one is wont to say that under the harsh circumstances they experienced during that timeline, anyone's visage is subject to alteration and change due to the weather, injuries, campaigns, etc., so, it may indeed be him but at a much later time.
Just my humble observation after perusing the pics, right or wrong it does not make any difference, it is still an outstanding historical photo and worthy of discussion on this most enjoyable forum.
Best regards and good researching!
'Ol Gabe