The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-02-03
WESTERN CANADA.
,ne of the Choice spots on the Cont

S1tN Va ~ &AOAEC S0pOh0 OnNllAC
nent for Settlement.
The following extracts from an in-
erestlng letter to the Mason City
Iowa. Republican, written by Mrs. $.
\. Brigham, late of that place, but
.ow of Ross Greek, Alberta, Canada,
o nearly describes most of the districts
I Western Canada that we take pleas
Ire in presenting same to the attention
# our readers:
Ross Creek, Alberta, N. w. L.,
Canada. Aug. I, 1899.
editor Mason City Republican:
Dear Sir-We are located in the
Beaver Hills. thirty miles from Fort
saskatchewan and fifty miles from Ed
nonton. To the east of these is an i'm
nense area of bottom lands, which fur
fishes abundance of hay for the set
lers. 1t is dotted with small lakes, the
argest of which is called Beaver Lake,
ixteen miles in length.
There is fine shelter for the cattle
nd horses now feeding there.
The Beaver Hills are covered with
mall green willows which are easily
;otten rid of before breaking UP the
and. Here and there poplar, birch
nd ta:l.arack trees abound. Small
icaGows are numerous. The soil in
nese hills is much richer than the bot
ON lands, being Il kind of black leaf
mold. There is no tough sod to break,
Nil it is very productive. Wheat, oats
nd barley do finely, and vegetables
ire the finest that can be grown. 70
atoes especially are large and solid.
asily producing from 200 to 300 bush
Is per acre, and best of all, never Il
'taty bug" to wrestle With. Wild
'ruit. Strawberries. gooseberries, saska-
'oons Tor Zine berries). r%aspberries and
:ranbcrrips are found in the hills.
Small tame fruit does finely, the red
lnd white currants in my garden being
is large again as common sized ones.
We have long days during the
months OF June and July: one can see
70 read many evenings until 10 o'clock
/ IL the twilight. Some nights less than
ihrce hours OF darkness, and the birds
ire singing at . o'clock. Then again,
I rains so easily. You look toward the
vest and see a little cloud coming up, II
gentle shower follows. the sun shines
.orth again, and in u little while you
forget 1t has rained.
CyclAnes are unknown here and the
.hunder and lightning is very light. We
lad two storms this summer accom-
panied with wind and hail, but nothing
70 lodge the grain. The average heat
is about rs degrees. We had three or
four days III July at 80. The nights are
always cool.
The winter season is one of great ac-
tiyity. All the fencing is gotten out
then and logs for the farm buildings.
Ey paying % cents you are granted a
PERMIT at the land office TO cut logs up
on vacant lands. The roads are good
and smooth. for the snow never drifts,
not even around the buildings, ana this
is y great saving of time to the farmer.
Hay is hauled from the bottom lands
all winter long. and a man can work
outside every day as far as.the wealth
or is concerned. There are cold snaps
when it reaches 40 and IS below zero,
but the lack Of wind prevents IL real,
izing II and the mountains $50 miles
west of us are Il great protection.
Our neishhors are mostly Canadian,
Scotch. Swede, and we have a nice
sprinkling of people from the States.
The creek abounds in small fish.
We are now in the midst of haymak-
Ing t.Aug. y. Wheat will not be cut
until early September, this being a lit.
tie later season than common. but the
crop will be immense. l send you a
sample Of wheat ana barley. Its hcigh,
is almost even with my shoulders. aver.
age so inches Newcomers lacking
binders al hire their grain cut for Is
cents per acre. Prairie chickens are
here by the thousands.
The water is good. We have a fine
well fifteen feet deep. In the creeks
the water is soft and of a yellowisl
color.
Then again we are surrounded Will
bachelors: we have no less than eight
cen single men In this n%cighborhood
OF matrimony bent. When a feminine
gender of any age between II and u
visits these hills we pity her, so grear
is the demand for her company. Car
you aid usy
In conclusion. if the remainder o
our loved mes were here With us. WI
should better enjoy life on Ross Creek
and unless the unexpected develops
consider this will be Il pretty fair plac,
10 end u days.
MRS. S. A. BRIGHAM.