Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-02-07
,l3S5F. ~ 55z.s Z
WESTERN CANADA.


One Of the Choice Spots on the Con-
tinent Open for Settlement.
The following extracts from an in
teresting letter to the Mason City
Qowa) Republican, written by Mrs. S.
A. Brigham, late of that place, but
now of Ross Creek, Alberta, Canada,
80 nearly describes most of the dis
tricts of Western Canada that we take
pleasure in presenting same to the at
tention of our readers:
WESTERN CANADA.
Crop Prospects and Climate About
Edmonton. N. w. T.
Interesting letter from Mrs. S. A. Brig
ham, late Of Mason 'City.1
Editor Mason City Republican.
Ross Creek, Alberta, N. W. T.,
Canada, Aug. z, 1899.
Dear Sir:
We are located in the Beaver Hills,
80 miles from Ft- Saskatchewan and
so miles from Edmonton. To the east
of these is an immense area of bot
tom lands, which furnishes abundance
of hay for the settlers. It. is dotted
with small lakes, the largest of which
is called Beaver Lake, 16 miles in
length.
There is shelter for the cattle and
horses now feeding there.
The Beaver Hills are covered with
small green willows which are easily
gotten rid of before breaking up the
land. Here and there poplar, birch
and tamarack trees abound. Small
meadows are numerous. The soil in
these hills is much richer than the bot
tom lands, being kind of black Leaf
mould. There is no tough sod to
break and it is very productive: Wheat,
oats and barley do finely, and vege-
tables are the finest that can be
grown. Potatoes especially are large
and solid, easily producing from zoe
to 300 bushels per acre, and best OF
all never "taty bug" to wrestle with
Wild fruit-strawberries, gooseberries
saskatoons Tor pine berries), raspber.
ries and cranberries-are found in the
hills. Small tame fruit does finely; the
red and white currants in my garden
are as large again as common sized
ones.
We have long days during the
months of June and July, one can see
! to read many evenings until 10 O'Clock
: in the twilight. Some nights les.
than hours of darkness and the
birds are singing at 2 o'clock. Ther
| again, it rains so easily. You look to
ward the west and see little clouc
coming up, a gentle shower follows
the sun shines forth again, and in {
little while you forget it has rained.
Cyclones are unknown here and thu
thunder and lightning is very light
We bad two storms this summer &C
companied with wind and hail, bu
nothing to lodge the grain. The av
erage heat is about rs degrees. W.
had three or four days in July at 90
The nights are always cool.
The winter season is one of grea
activity. All the fencing is gotte1
out then and logs for the farm build
ings. By paying rs cents you ar
granted a permit at the land Office t,
cut logs upon vacant lands. The road
are good and smooth, for the snow
never drifts, not even around tn
buildings, and this is great savin,
of time to the farmer. Hay is haule,
from the bottom lands all winter long
and a man can work outside ever,
day as far as the weather is con
cerned. There are cold snaps when i
reaches 40 and 4s below zero, but tn
lack of wind prevents one realizing i
and the mountains $50 miles west o
us are a great protection.
Our neighbors are mostly Canadian
Scotch, Swede, and we have mic
! sprinkling of people from the States
The creeks abound in small fish.
We are now in the midst of hay
making (Aug. 7th). Wheat will not b.
cut until early September, this beinl
a little later season than common, blu
the crop will be immense I send 70,
a sample of wheat and barley-it
height is almost even with my shoul
ders, average so inches. Newcomer
lacking binders can hire their graf,
cut for IS cents per acre. Prairi
chickens are here by the thousands.
The water is good. We have fin
well IS feet deep. In the creeks tn
water is soft and of yellowish colour
Then again we are surrounded will
bachelors; we have no less than 4
single men in this neighbourhood, o.
matrimony bent. When a feminine
gender of any age between IA and q
visits these hills we pity her, so grea
is the demand for her company.
In conclusion, if the remainder o
cur loved ones were here with us, W.
should better enjoy life on Ross Greek
and unless the unexpected develops
consider this will be pretty fai
place to end our days.
| MRS g RPTGEIAM