The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
WIVES FoR BACHELOR FARMERS.
a Movement to Encourage Female Enirra-
tion 90 the Northvyr-t TERRITORY OF Canada.

a Movement to Encourage Female rmirra-
ton 60 the Northwest Territory OF Canada.
ToRoNro, Aprli 1O.-A great deal OF money
has been spent by the Dominion Government in
the last ten years to encourage emigration to
Canada, and most VI the schemes. to Judge by
the last census, have been more or less futile.
Now tho chief Government organ here comes
forward with another project to people the
grent Northwest. This paper. referring to .
statement by the Land Commissioned Of the
Canadian Pacific Railway to the effect that tho
great want of tho Northwest Ia more women,
says that tho bachelor life Of the farmers In
Manitoba and the Northwest makes them dis-
satisfied; that they soon get discouraged and
write tn their friends in Great britain about
the cherries, unnttractivo lives they are Lead
ing. and that 1t Ia well known that many of
these letters have been widely circulated In the
English provincial press and have had the
effect Of turning OF the tide Of emigrants to
other shores-to the United States, Australia,
and South Africa.
IF these men," the paper adds, had been
mated with plucky wives, the stories of their
failures would not have been written homo.
They would have found life In the Northwest
tolerable and would have taken a pride in over
coming their difficulties. A few thousand
women OF the right kind would probably do
more TO make that country than any other in-
iuence that could be brought to bear upon 10
Just now. suitable immigrants Of that kind can
find employment, and arc not likely to have to
go long without husbands"
This led TO n new scheme for pcoplinr the
Northwest. II was started here n few DAYS ago.
and n committe Is now hard at work on the de-
tails OF the. plan. A preliminary meeting was
held to discuss the matter, and a committee
was appointed to report on the feasibility Of
sending girls to the Northwest from the over
crowded Cprtrpa of pnnuintinn NJ elm oIJap
provinces Of Canada. Girls wanted" was the
motto OF the meeting: but when one Of tho
gentlemen present UNIV arilv declared that part
of the plan was to send girls out West to make
wives Of them for the prairie farmers the ladies'
present took mp arms against the matrimonial
to q, deiIircate 'ne q matte ,mSS 80 sai" de s,i"t tn,s Wa wa
strongly objected TO associating any marriage
s sSs We. Win NJ the so Gr.p"I;G /, w female SoD CmiSr%t' oor e
successfully arrange marriages between people
whose modes Of living had been so different,
and no such plan was likely to succeed. While
the ladies were willing to take part in any
movement TO encourage the emigration OF girls
nestle servants for them there, they absolutely
refused to have anything TODD with any scheme
load OF girls to tho Northwest to be married to
The farmers Of that part Of the country.
couples. and the .1' ladies E"iH.s'''f app %, HliIy"'dihiaa
not care to undertake the responsibility OF so
n mony sm a m"t tbs f as .ee pr + wss soon OF m mt I
apparent that the matter would have to he
handled very cautiously. and that II the move
ment succeeded tho question NJ matrimony
would hav. to be kept in the back ground and
the idea Of marriage left to the emiErant girls
themselves to work out in the good old FASH
Toned way. Lady Aberdeen. the wife OF the
Govcrnor-General Of Canada. wrote to Dr. w. T..
Bes,ey, the organizer of the meeting. that this
was one Of the questions to come up for dis
cu.sion At the meeting OF the women's Council
to be held in Montreal next month.
:. NJ. Jones, secretary of the meeting, de-
country. and thought they should go to tho
Northwest and make homes for themselves and
be independent, rather than come to the centres
of population and work for n pittance. But one
OF the ladies thought that the girls in the cities
were not at to make farmers wives. Mr.. Jones
ventured the. remark. rather Unfortunately.
that they might as well emigrate to the North
west. for the men lr the cities would not marry
them anyhow: aud the lady snappishly retorted
that the girls would not marry them"
A good deal OF cold water has cen thrown on
the -chemc, but the Is hard at work
and believes that it will plish something.
There IL certainly n great lack OF the softer sex
in the Canadian Northwest. 1t is stimated
tween 10000 and 10000 more males than fe-
males. The organizer Of the movement. who is
confident OF the practicahility of the scheme,
recalls tho days in the early history Of French
boat loads OF girls to become the wives nj the
pioneer settlers In Canada The railways would. It
II thought, furnish free transportation for any
mum Der OF girls W no con)d. he induced TO go to
ment aid will be given 10 the scheme. Some
who nre unfavorable to the movement contend
that the bachelor tillcrs Of the soil in the
Northeast have no need for women. and that
are very few who share in this opinion. and II Is
generally believed that the men up there know
how to appreciate the companionship. gym
pathy. and support OF women.