Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-07-23
MORMONS COLOMBO
NORTHWEST CANADA.
Thriving Settlement in Southern Alberta North of Montana
POlygamy Not Practced,It Is Said.

els of wheat were harvested. This year
the acreage devoted to wheat has been
increased so largely that it has been
considered necessary TO replace the old
machinery, and roller mill with ca
pacity of seventy-fye barrels a day
will be in operation in October. All
this is Mormon enterprise. The coun-
try here in it's natural state is SO far
superior to the deserts of Utah, which
Mormon energy and enterprise convert
ed into garden, that it is difficult to
imagine the results which will be ac-
complished here.
The one thing with which the Nor
mons, in common with other settlers,
have to contend in Southern Alberta is
the naturally dry climate. Their ex-
perience in Utah is, of course invalua-
BILE in this respect. There every acre of
land had to be reclaimed by irrigation.
Irrigation is, therefore, no experiment
with the Mornons, They know that, if
properly carried out. failure in crops
is impossible, and that their proper
growth is an absolute certainty. The
mutual cooperative basis of the Nor
mon colony enables them to act upon
their knowledge of irrigation, and to
push needed works of this king to COM
pletion. As long as seven years ago
small irrigation bitches were in use,
and the number of these has been in
creasing constantly since, with, in all
cases, gratifying results. Now there is
under construction a system which is
intended to irrigate the entire eastern
section of that district This huge
canal, for it is more Than ditch, sixty
miles of which will be completed this
fall, will carry large volume of water.
The main canal will be twenty feet
wide at the bottom, and will carry five
feet of water, enough to float a fair
sized steamer. The flume over Willow
creek is 733 feet long, 16 feet wide and
so feet high, and contains $4,000 feet
of lumber. Two hundred teams are at
work, and more are being put On every
day.
CANADA RATHER DISTRUSTFUL
Polygamy? That seems to have been
vexed question ever since the first
Mormon set foot in Canada. 1t was
feared that they would bring with
them this Objectionable practice, and
there are people even now who profess
to believe that polygamy is practiced
by some The Mormons, when they
first came, were given to understand
distinctly that polygamy in any form
would not be tolerated in Canada, and
Parliament incorporated in the Grim
inal Code special provisions making
what among the persons commonly
called Mormons is known as spiritual
or plural marriage" a criminal offense,
with severe penalties The Mormons,
however, disclaimed from the first any
intention of practicing polygamy, and
solemnly pledged themselves to abide
by the laws Of Canada in this as in all
other respects. 1t is needless to say
that they have not kept their pledges
strictly and to the letter. 1t is believed
among those most capable of judging
that polygamy never has been and is
not now practiced by any of the Nor
mons in Canada. Apart from the ques-
ton of polygamy, it will scarcely be
commended that the people of Canada
have anything to do with the religion
of the Mormons.