Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-13
A GROWING COUNTRY.
Progressive Spirit Of the British Farmers
in Manitoba.
Especial Correspondence.l


Especial Correspondence.l
WINNIPEG, May 2S-Along the route Of
the Manitoba and Northwestern railway,
which begins at Portage la Prairie, a station
fifty-four miles from Winnipeg, there is
abundant land Of the finest quality suitable
for capitalist farmers 1t is rich rolling
prairie Of great fertility, diversified by wood
and water, and well adapted to mixed farm
ing of the highest kind. This company, like
all other railway corporations in the north
west, have had liberal land grant from the
Canadian government, and they are disposing
of it on liberal terms to settlers. The Cana
dian Pacific railway, on the other hand, is
reserving its land and refuses to sell until the
settlement of the free lands shall have further
enhanced its value There is tendency on
the part of farmers settled in the eastern prov
inces, as there is among the same class of people
settled in the eastern states, to move to the
west and again commence pioneer life. A
farmer who has brought UP family Of sons
on the old homestead may not be able to buy
land near enough to bis own on which to
settle his sons, but he Is able to sell his hold
ing for q considerable sum and with this OBJ
tain still broader tracts in the newer and less
settled parts Of the Dominion. There Is also
q certain fascination in this sort Of pioneer
life for men who have once grown accustom-
cd TO it. Many thousands have left comfort
able homes in the east for the purpose of
settling in the west on prairie land,
which is at once cheap, fertile and abun-
dant. Whereas old settlers are as a rule
the best adapted for pioneer life, immigrants
accustomed to the manners and settled life of
an old country feel themselves more at home
in taking up improved farms in the older
provinces than in attempting pioneer life in
unsettled parts Of the country. The social
changes which the new corners experience in
this mode of settlement are comparatively
slight, but If they were obliged to go to the
unsettled parts they would be deprived for
time Of churches and schools and other indis-
pensable adjuncts of civilization. So that
what are called improved farms may
be purchased on reasonable terms in
all the older provinces. By an i'm
proved farm Is meant a farm either
wholly or partly cleared Of woods, and hav-
ing fences, farmhouses, outbuldings and
barns, in short, every appliance to begin at
once the life of farmer. The land laws Of
the Dominion are highly creditable to Cana
dian legislation; much wisdom and foresight
have been shown in their design. In the
provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Bruins
wick, Prince Edwards Island and British Co
lumbia, with che exception of tract in the
last named province coded to the Dominion
for the purpose of the Canadian Pacific rail-
way, the lands are held by the several pro-
vincial governments. In some of the prov
inces free grants are given to immigrants,
and wherever government land is for sale it is
ral
The lands in the province of Manitoba and in
the Northwest territory are held by the Do
minion government, and to these chiefly the
stream Of emigration will tend, because Of
the exceptionally advantageous terms on
which the lands may be acquired. Land is
bought and sold IN Canada as easily as any
kind Of merchandise, and hesystem of convey
ing it is not much more intricate or expensive
than that of making out bills of parcels. In
Manitoba, for example, a parcel of ground
may be described by few figures, namely,
the numbers of the section or part Of section,
the number Of the township and the num-
Der of the range These three figures afford
an instant and absolute description Of any
land in the surveyed portion OF the north
west The words sell and assign" for so
much money, cover the transfer. This Is
signed before notary or commissioner, the
deed is then registered and the transaction is
complete.
Canada is a country Of enormous resources
and Of enormous extent. 1t contains $40
S92 square miles of territory, or about 40 per
cent. Of the area Of the whole British empire
"a country three times as large as British
India, S.xteen times as large as the German
empire and forty times as large as England,
Wales and Scotland put together
Obviously the United States cannot help
regarding the future Of this great neighbor
with profound interest Canada Is undoubt-
edy friendly in her disposition towards the
republic. and it would seem TO be the part of
wise diplomacy to strengthen rather than to
weaken ali those relations that are founded
on the mutual welfare OF both countries
.. c. P.