The Portland daily press., 1866-10-13

e'Siuo OAPiordtOns OF AgasSlz IN tne s"iio
land Of marvels Altogether this little book
would seem to combine some of the best eie-
ments of wide popularity. 1t contains d
great deal of valuable information conveyed III
a very lively and attractive style. With 1ntei-
gent Young people especially, it will doubtless
be one of the favorite books of the season.
I,et,er from Canada West.
The Weather-Natural Features Of the Coun-
trv-Ladian lSummer-Feeling toaodrd the U.
S-Free Schools-7he Ldnds-F'dmily Re-
sepablance- Interests.
PETRoLIA, G. w., Oct. 8, 1866.
To THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS.
In all countries with which am acquainted, |
and among all peoples, the hot weather affords
a convenient and prolific theme for conversa-
ton and for writer's of cheap drivel. fl avail
myself of this theme i shall not be accused of
wide departure from common usage. This por-
ton of Canada is peninsula, lying between
lakes Erie on the south and Huron on the
north, the former being from this point perhaps
twenty-five or thirty miles distant, and the lat
ter dozen miles. Owing to this proximity to
two such large bodies of water, the whole re-
gion is subject to sudden changes of tempera-
ture and showers are of frequent occurrence,
while dense fogs are as common as on down.
east sea coast. The land is absolutely fiat; the
soil clayey, cold and heavy, in the wet season
of the consistency of thin mortar and anon
baked as hard as brick; the forests are dense,
the trees large, the streams sluggish and sinu-
GUS, the dwellings-in the rural Districts
mostly of rough logs, rude and primitive, the
swine and children numerous, the sheep large,
of coarse wool, but making capital mutton, the
people generally plain, honest, frugal but great
lovers Of .whiskey and the parent government,
regarding Great Britain as the centre of the
universe and the United States as an inferior
power. The soil produces large crops of oats
and peas, while for stock raising it is admirably
adapted, the natural grasses being profuse,
juicy and exceedingly nutritive. ya
1t seems to me the seasons are shorter than
with you-unless the present is an exceptional
one-as by the first of the present month the
forest trees were nearly leafless, having put on
their autumnal leaves two or three weeks ear
her. AT the present writing cold, dreary.
protracted wet season is being succeeded by
mild, pleasant warm Indian summer, most
grateful to the dwellers in this region and to
those engaged in the oil business generality
have referred to the love for the pa
rent government. Whatever may be thefeeling
Of the people in other portions of the province,
], do not think the inhabitants of this portion
are very strong annexationists. That they
would like an independent government is quite
| possible, but for the Great Republic" they do
not yet cherish SO kindly feeling as would be
desirable before incorporating them into our
family circle. That the great body of the peo-
pie here sympathized with the rebels during
our late struggle L have no doubt; that now
they wish to see the North Inundated by the
success OF the treacherous man who by acci-
dent sitsiin without honoring or filing the Ex-
! ecutive chair, feel equally confident Their
1 ignorance of our politics is exceeded only by
1 their lack of vigorous, earnest activity. They
believe the Canadians and Irish filed the ranks
of our army, fought our battles and gained our
victories, and that the recent successes of the
Republican party in Vermont and Maine are
to be attributed to the detachment Of the Fe-
| mans from the Democratic and their alliance
| with the victorious party! There are ex-
ceptions to this condition of things, and there
4 are those who exhibit a kindly spirit toward
our country such men as are represented by
the Toronto Globe and papers of kindred SYM
pathies,-but at present the Globe is not in
4 favor with "the powers that be" and the dis
/ bursers of pap, and of course the great mass
OF the small fry Journals are swapping at it
like the smallest kind of spaniels at a maies-
tic mastif h,iA aF igg, s.,,,,i.....,.. ,pt
The school system of Canada West is pat
| termed after the free school system in the
States School houses are yet rude and the
| system needs age and improvement but time
will do its work and the free education of the
masses will tell upon posterity. In this regard
the western differs materially from the eastern
portion of the province, the latter being French
in extraction and Romish in religion, while the
former is settled by q different stock and Pro
testant ideas prevail IzAa B .IesHs sg
The laws of Canada are upon the whole
wise and beneficent. The Government is lib
eral and the freedom of the citizen is as per-
feet as with us. 1 have never heard of a case
where the laws bore oppressively upon any but
lawless men; and believe as people the
Canadians have more reverence for law than
our people, and that the laws are executed
with more impartiality than with us. money
being less potent here than with you in screen
ing the guilty from just punishment. During
soJourn here and in this neighborhood of
about seven months, I have seen nothing and
heard nothing that 1 might not see or hear
over the lne-nothing that would. necessarily
force conviction that was in a foreign conn
try, except when in the Episcopal church I
have heard the prayers read for "our most era-
clous sovereign the Queen, the Prince and Prin-
cess OF Wales, and other members of the Royal
Family, and the Governor General of this Prov
ince." So much for the resemblance or family
likeness between the people on this side of the
boundary. and those in the States
Like our own people the Canadians are div
ided on questions Of finance, Of trade, Of cen
tralization, of drunkenness in high places, of
unfaithful cabinet officers, of election frauds,
and of the thousand and one issues that 90 to
make up the round of political and moral con- |
fiicts. bi'ss+ ealol ssss3na 5rauall
A few words about The great interest of this
particular locality and will close. The great
increase in the production of petroleum has |
wrought out its first and most natural effect |
that ofreducing the price to most unremuner- |
ative figure. Several meetings have been held |
of the oil producers, and at one ON the 9th nit.
a committee Of six leading men, chosen at a |
previous meeting, reported that they had visit |
ed all the wells and measured the tanks; that |
the quantity of oil on hand was 1890 barrels |
unsold, and 1850 sold; that the daily produc-
don was $50 barrels, or 1900 per month, al
lowing twenty pumping days to the MONTH
The surplus is daily increasing for it is a well
lscertained fact that not one third of the crude
'il produced can be used up by the refiners of
he provinces One hundred thousand barrels
# refined oil are needed to supply the require
nents of Canada, one half of which has to he
imported from the States in the face OILS cents
luty per gallon. If refiners would come in
rom the States, erect refneries upon the most
approved plans, and produce refined article
= } superior quality, they could purchase the
I ,rude e article at low rates and supply this de-
y hhaana-now a o---now met by importation-of at hast /