Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-08-11

| DIIIIdu WAS III tue udliuS OF newspaper
man it was all right. All ackno wledgeo
that to the prime minister of Great
Britain was largely due the sympathy
that had been expressed. All here had
the greatest admiration for the presi-
dent of the United States. 1t was felt
that he had shown most wonderful
Judgment and sobriety IN not yielding
to the Jingoes. In every step he had
commanded the sdmiration of the
world. Mr.. Jameso.l hoped that the
feeling which had been growing for
the last few months would be continued.
In welcoming the visitors he hoped
that this would not be the last time they
would visit this city.
Lieutenant Governor Baensch was
next called upon. He suggested that
after a visit to this splendid city the
saying, "Westward the star of empire
takes its way" should be changed to
read, "Northward the star of industrial
on the shores of Lake Michigan had
hardly imagined that, far up towards
the north, where from their geography
they had thought were frozen regions,
there could arise queenly city. in
enterprise and energy Chicago-like.
They desire closer communion COM
mercially and industrially. He thanked
the speakers for their words of welcome !:
they found responsive answer in the
hearts of the guests. He went on to
speak of the public spirit that builds up
cities like Winnipeg, of the warm
sentiment of patriotism that had been
awakened. There were. he said, two
kinds of nations, the living and the
dying, the contest was between these
two. The American nation are engaged
in giving the finishing touch to a dying
nation upon the American continent
He believed the sympathy expressed
was more than patriotic sentiment
running through the nations; it was an
undercurrent based upon racial distinc-
tions. He spoke of the American race,
including Canada as well as the United
States, both consisting of many different
elements, moulded by the same
| educational system. This was going to
be the most powerful type the world
| has ever seen. On behalf of the Michi-
gan and Wisconsin Press association he
expressed thanks for the kind welcome.
Winnipeg, situated just where the
forests end and the prairies begin, on
the eastern border of the great wheat
region, is the best prairie city visited
while in Canada. Its business men are
lively and energetic, seeming to have
much more of the metropolitan Ameri-
can hustle about them than in surround
ing places. Its main street is 130 feet
wide, with handsome superior stone
and brick store buildings and hotels.
Plate glass display windows show up-to-
date stocks and arrangement of same.
From a brochure on Western Canada
we take the following:
Winnipeg, at the junction Of the Red
river and the Assniboine, is the capital
of Manitoba and the chief distributing
city of the whole northwest of Canada.
1t is situated about midway between
Montreal. the Atlantic ocean summer
terminus, and Vancouver, the terminus
of the Canadian Pacific railway on the
Pacific. The growth of Winnipeg has
been phenomenal. In 1876 it's popula-
ton was 3,240; in 1881, 1877; in the
next five years it had increased to 90
S27; in the next five to 26,5OO, and in
the following five years reached 10000.
In 1897 the estimated population was
1900. 1t has over l ,1G0 places of busi-
ness, over 100 houses doing a wholesale
or jobbing business, over 100 manufact-
uring institutions, 900 retail stores rep
resenting every line Of trade, and about
one-half of the chartered banks of
Canada have branches in the citv. 1t is
the heart city of the Dominion, in the
language of Lord Lorne, and was spoken
of as the keystone City Of Canada by
Lord Dufferin. The American Land |
Title Register says of il:
1t is the great mart of country of |
nearly 200, 900, 900 acres of rich territory
the seat of government Of the keystone |
province of the Dominion of Canada
the center of its political, social, literary,
monetary, manufacturing ana educa-
tional interests. Its positive preemi- |
nence is yearly becoming more pro-
nounced and commanding. Twenty |
years ago a small isolated settlement, |
then a struggling village, then town
when. on the advent of the first railway,
it rose, within few years, to the proud |
position of one of the leading trade |
centers of the continent. Ten railways, |
branching like spokes in a wheel i'll all |
directions, gather the wealth of an
inland empire TO empty at her feet. |
The navigation of the Red River, lakes
Winnipeg and Manitoba, the great
Saskatchewan and other navigable
streams, make tributary to it thousands
Of miles of important coast line.
Leaving Winnipeg at an early morn
Ing hour, with a last goodbye and ex-
preston of thanks to Alderman and
Mrs. 7. Graham Mathers of the recep-
ton committee for particular courtesies
personally extended to us during the
brief stop in their city, the excursion
train struck out at once upon broad
plain as level and green as billiard
table. For a clean thousand miles
westward to the Rocky mountains we
continued in this nnbroken area of
wheat Wheat! au ocean of it, Wheat
standing so thick and regular that you
can't see land. The horizon only limits
the view, and in many places it was
claimed that the range of vision reached
for forty miles. Ahead and behind
stretches the airline Of the great Cana
dian Pacific railway. To the right and
left not tree, nor a bill, nor a ridge
breaks the even mOnOtony Of the wide,
wild west. At the little stations every
ten or fifteen miles apart tall elevators
stand by the tracks like lighthouses on
I