The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-14

OH their territory, discouraged their
coming by asserting that the land was
not fit for cultivation, Sixteen years
ago this entire country was over run
with buffaios. There were no ranches
of either horses or cattle until the sum-
mer of 1879. Beyond Winnipeg no at
tempt had been made to raise grain
not even cattle, for the buffalo still
roamed the prairies. The settlements
at that time did not extend a hundred
miles west of Winnipeg. But 1t was
discovered that the soil especially In
| the valley of the Red river, was very
fertile.
In 1873 the grasshopper cleaned out
the whole of Manitoba and not
blade of grass was left. Not even seed
wheat could be found in the country
| and the people became extremely des-
titute., Therefore, in the spring Of 1876,
the Canadian government secured
quantity of seed wheat from the mills
of MINNEAPOLIS and gave it to the
farmers of Manitoba to re-establish
themselves with. Not a kernel had ever
been sown in the northwest of Mani
toba at this time. but during the next
| three years such abundant crops of
| iirst-class hard wheat had been raised
| that the attention of not only the
government officials. but also of Con-
sui Taylor of Winnipeg. and Jim Hill,
of Minneapolis was aroused to the fact
that this section could raise the best
wheat in America, and of Il kind es-
pecially adapted to the use o. the mills
of st. Paul and Minneapolis. The next
move was to build a railroad from st.
Paul to Winnipeg. After securing fl
nancial aid of Sir Dorald Smith, Lord
Stephens and a Mr.. Angus of Montreal.
who backed Jim Hills project. the road
was built and opened for traffic i'm the
spring of 1879. The next step was the
attempt by the government to build
trans-cortinental railroad on all Can
adian soil, and its inability to go OH
with the enterWise through political
jealousy, which led to the final organi
, cation of the present Canadian Pacific
Railway company to complete the un-
dertakinG, which was done in 1885.
solely through the indomitable energy
and perseverance of these men. 1t is
an undeniahlc fact that this province
and even the entire dominion, owes it's
development, growth, and present pros
perity more to the building of this great
National Highway" than to any other
agency, and to the men who early
conceived this gigantic plan the coun-
try at large owes an incalculable debt
of gratitude.
IN THE CENTER.
The province of Manitoba is situated
in the very center of tn. American
continent, being midway between the
Atlantic ana Pacific oceans on the east
and vest. and the Arctic ocean and ths
Gulf of Mexico on the north and south.
and contained formerly l16,02l square
miles. The southern frontier OF the
province borders on the United States,
being the forty-ninth parallel of lati-
tudc. The desolate territory of kee-
watin lies to the north of the province,
sweeping past the western shores of
HudsOn'a Bay to the Frozen Ocean,"
and by the Canadian Pacific railway.
Winnipeg, its capital. is l.i24 miles from
Montreal, it's Atlantic seaport. and ,4S2
miles from Vancouver on the Pacific.
Not only have the people of Manitoba
connection with the Pacific ocean, and
with Eastern Canada and the Atlantic
through British territory, and access
to the great lakes, but there are ais"
three lines running to the United
States boundary joining there our
American system of railways.
CROPS or 1895.
The population of Manitoba Is now,
in round numbers say 100000, of whom
g5.GC0 are farmers. Official report says:
'The area under wheat in 1895 was
| 1,l40,216 acres; cats. iS2,G acres; bar
ley, 153 S39 acres tiaX. S2,e6S: potatoes,
crops of l,SST,IJG acres, an increase of
291,i02 acres over 1894. The aggregate
yield of wheat was 3l.715,03S bushels;
oats. %, $50. 1873 bushels: barley, 5,6i5. .O3j
bushels; flax. Isl .354 bushels; rye ST.
0S2 bushels; peas, 2S,229 bushels, total
of 81 3GG. .i72 bushels. The yield of potG
toes was 4,0i2,562 bushels. an average
of 2i3ia bushels to the acre. and Of tur-
nps and mangolds, 2.2S5.cS3 bushels, an
/ Af hn, h..l tn E..
acre The average of barley was 81
bushels: oats, Al bushels, and wheat, 3S
bushels Der acre. The live stock in
the province for 1895 comprised: Horses,
30 600; cattle. 100000, sheep, 10000; hGss,
7G, 600. The total products from forty
two cheese factories was l,553l9.
pounds. The creamery output for nine
teen plants was l,75@,5S2 pounds.
Space will permit me to quote only
one of the many published opinions re-
garding Manitoba, that from J. Jim
Hill, president Of the Great Northern
railway: IL have been in every State
Of the Union and am familiar with this
whole country. The soil in the Ped
River valley is, to my mind. the richest
farming country that have ever seen.
1t is not only rich, but it has bright
prospects. You will not find 1t in any
other place on the American continent
us Sbbu as IL IL Ill MlHilpb't. uilitSS IL
be in a little place on the Wabash.
nearly opposite st. Louis. called the III
inois bottom. Dakota. being closer to
the sage brush country, is more liable
to visitations from locusts shan Mani
t0ba. and is more easily affected by
drought and by dry seasons. 1t IL a
prairie country. and the Province Of
Manitoba Is pretty well wat red" The
writer. having Travelled through every
state in the Union. and also in every
province in the Dominion can heartily
endorse the above statement.
The greater part of the set
tiers are native born Canadians of
English origin. There are many settlers
direct from France, Germany and Great
Britain. as well as colonies of Iceland
ers. Scandnavians and Mennontes, all
Of whom have been successful in secur-
ing homes.
The homestead law is quite similar
to the American law. Both the Hud-
sons Bay Company and the Canadian
Pacific railroad sell the settlers land
under contract with yearly payments.
and the latter company furnishes free
transportation for all the settlers fam
lilies. The Canadian COW boys of to-day
take up these ranches and quietly settle
upon them in strong contrast to the
cowboys of former years, and unlike
the rowing American cowboy.
RELIGIOUS SECTS.
In Southern Manitoba are found set
Elements of Mcnnonites from Russia.
called Quaker Eaptsts." ''bc"ause of
their aversion to fighting and c1nten-
tion. a. against the laws of God" They
have no paid ministers They are eX-
tremely honest. keep their promises
sacradly and all people like to deal with
them. They are very Industrious. both
men and women. and the latter assist
in the fields. They use the latest i'm
proved reapers. binders, and other ma