Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-17
Manitoba
From the Toronto Glohe.l

sure that the world at large has very correct
idea of the old settlements. Ii must be remem-
bered that the province of Manitoba is rectan-
gular piece of territory, little off the square,
whose sides are one hundred miles each 1t in
cudes all of what was, prior to the organization
OF Manitoba, known, the underworld over, as
the Red River settlement. The province is
bounded on the south by Minnesota and Dako-
ta and on all other sides by the northwest terri
tories. The Red River enters Manitoba from
between Dakota and Minnesota, taking gen
eral northeTly course through the country, and
finally emptying into Lake Winnipeg, which
projects into the province in the NORTH Red
River therefore separates Manitoba into two
natural divisions, viz: that east of Red River,
and that west of the same. The western dlYlS-
ion is much the larger of the two, but is subdi-
vided into northern and southern portions by
AsSiniboine river, which enters the province
from the west, flowing easterly Through it,
till forming a junction with the Red River
at Fort Garry. The old settlements are con-
fined almost exclusively to a single tier of farms
on either sides Of these two rivers. The farms
run uniformly two miles back from the rivers
! banks, and a regular "lot" is six chains in
width making its contents ninety six acres.
The river is considered the front, and the set
tiers houses are built close to the banks. OBJ
viouSly then, with such narrow frontages,
where the lands are all occupied, neighbors are
in close proximity. In many places, for twenty
miles of stretch, it is as one continuous
StretcD, Hdil Il uOAeu houses Del0g Wltll0 nan
of each other. Usually there are two roads
through the settlements, one running on the
river bank in front of the houses, and the other
about half a mile back, nearly parallel to the
first. Generally between these two roads lie all
the improved lands, and beyond stretches the
virgin wild. For thirty miles, or thereabOuts,
alter entering Manitoba from the United
States, the settlements very scanty. From that
point to Fort Garry the land is mostly occu-
pied. But the population along the entire
route from the American frontier to Fort
Garry is mostly comprised of anything
but an industrious or thrifty class.
1t consists in the main of French
hali-breeds, who drag out an existence by hunt
ing little, fishing a little, and farming little.
On the opposite bank of Red river from Fort
Garry and Winnipeg is St. BoniiCe, ithe seat of
the Roman Catholic church in the northwest.
The diocesan buildings occupy a commanding
situation. They consist principally of massive
stone cathedral and bishops palace, convent,
college and mission school, constituting a group
of the best structures in Manitoba. The cream
of the old Rcd river settlement is between Fort
Garry and the Stone fort Kildonan parish,
north of Fort Garry and Winnipeg, includes
both sides of the Red river for some six or seven
miles. This is the nucleus of the Selkirk colo
ny. There remains to-day but few of the daring
pioneers whom the Earl of SellSirk introduced
from Scotland in 1912, to Red river and to UNI
told vicissitudes. The direct descendants occupy
the places of the fathers, and Kildonan is as
truly Scotch in character at this date as though
its people were but last year from "the land of
the mountain and the food"
The rush OF immigration thus far has been to
the Portage country. The Portage country is
usually understood TO mean a section of territory
about thirty miles in length, lying between the
Assiniboine river and Lake Manitoba, which
are distant from each other from eight to twenty
miles. 1t includes the Rat and White Mud
river dis tricts. The land is of very superior
quality, and in the most of places excellent
spring water is obtained by sinking wells to
reasonable depths. The supply of timber is also
tolerably good; though in this particular some
other sections of the country have the adyan-
tage. Unquestionaby, the fact that many Ca
nadianS are there leads many more to go there
Then it is apparent that the Canadian Pacific
railway must of necessity pass through this port
age between the river and the lake, which con-
stituteS no mean inducement to settle in that To-
callty. l should think at least fOur-ffths of the
Canadian farmers have settled in that section.
River aux lslets du Bots (river of Wooded
Islands,, christened by the settlers the "Boyne,"
was tayorlte locality last year. 1t is situated
about midway between the AssnibOne river and
the international boundary; and the centre of
the settlement is about thirty miles west of the
Red river. Among its advantages are a quality
OF soil indispensable, plentiful supply of eX-
cellent timber-popar, oak, Eastwood, ETC.
and never-failing streams of living wafer. Its
advocates claim that there are probabilities of
railway running from Pembina, in which case
the line would necessarily pass through that
settlement. Its only drawback is isolation, and
that is of temporary nature. The "BOyne"
settlement received a shock from Gov. ATchi-
bald's ill-advised half.breed land appropriation
last year, from which it has not properly recov-
cred. However, about a dozen families win
tered there, and five or six more have already
located this season. Victoria, or Stony Noun
tain, about fifteen miles northwest of Winnipeg,
/ a .shn CT NaRp A I,.1V
miles in length, and in some places seventy feet
in perpendicular hight, is the center of the set
tlemeut. The slopes are covered with beautiful
belts of poplar, and at the base of the mountain
uniolds magnificent rolling prairie The
very best of spring water gurges in many
places, and it can be obtained anywhere by
digging from ten to twenty feet. Some
thirty houses are already erected in that settle
ment and considerable land is under cultivation.
1t possesses an immense advantage in being so
near such an excellent market for all kinds of
produce as Winnipeg; for certainly with such
prices Within fifteen miles as one dollar per
bushel for potatoes, forty cents per pound for
Dutter the same price per dozen for eggs, and all
other things in proportion, there would not be
much for any industrious man to fear, To the
east Of Red River thus far very little settlement
has been made. And in view of the fact that af-
ter passing distance OF from ten to fifteen miles
in that direction the prairie terminates and the
forest begins that only terminates at the eastern
side of the continent it is to be somewhat won
dered at. But toward the autumn of last year
it began to awaken the attention of settlers. A
considerable settlement has been formed about
twelve miles northeast of this town, which has
been named Springfield. This settlement has
been formed just where the forest and the
prairie meet. The land is rich, the water excel
lent, and from what has already been said, it is
plain that of timber the supply is almost mex
haustlble Springfield possesses the same i'm
mediate advantage of good market as Victo-
ria. Further TO the south, near the French set
Element of Point du Chene, settlers houses are
also springing up; and am told by Mr.. John
son, who is surveying in the locality, that it is
an almost incomparably fine country through
out