The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1900-02-09
WESTERN CANADA.
Crop Prospects and Climate About Ed
monitor, n. W. T.-Interesting Letter
from Airs. ). a. brigham, Late
OF Mason city.

from AIRS. y a. brigham, Late
of Mason city.
The following extracts from an In
teresting letter to the Mason City (la)
Republican, written by Mrs. S. A.
Brigham, late OF that place, hut now OF
Ross Creek, Alberta. Canada, so near
ly describe most of the districts of
Western Canada that we take pleasure
in presenting same to the attention OF
cur readers:
Ross Creek, Albert, y. w. T., Canada,
Aug. Z, 1899.
Editor Mason City Republican-Dear
! Sir: We are located in the Beaver
| Hills, 80 miles.from Ft. Saskatchewan
and 80 miles from Edmonton. To the
east of these is an immense area OF
! bottom lands, which furnishes abund-
ance of hay for the settlers. 1t is dot
! ted with small lakes, the largest or
which is called Beaver Lake, IL miles
| in length.
The Beaver Ellis 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 a kind of black leaf
mould. There ia no tough sod to
break. and it is very productive.
Wheat cats and barley do finely and
vegetables are the finest that can be
! grown. Potatoes especially are large
and solid, easily producing from 200
to 500 bushels per acre, and best of all
never "taty bug to wrestle with.
Wild fruit, strawberries, goosebegri2s,
s2skatoons Ger pine berrics), raspber-
rios and cranberTies, ale found N the
! hills. Small tame fruit does finely, the
rcd and white cTrrants 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 mary evenings until 10 o'clock
in the twilight. Some nights less than
hours Of darkness, and the birds are
singing at o'clock. Then again, it
rains so easily. You look toward the
west and see a little cloud coming up,
q gentle shower follows, the sun shines
forth again, and in a little while you
forget it has rained.
Cyclones are unknown here and the
thunder and lightning is very light.
We had two storms this summer ac-
companicd with wind and hail. but
nothing TO lodge the grain. The aver
age heat is about IS degrees. We had
three or four days in July a. 80. The
nights are always cool.
The winter season is one of great ac-
tivity. AL the fencing is gotten out
then and logs for the farm buildings.
BY paying 20 cents you are granted
permit at the land Office to cut logs
| upon vacant lands. The roads are
| good and smooth, for the snow never
drifts, not even around the buildings.
and this Is a 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
os the weather is concerned. There are
cold snaps when it reaches 40 and As
below zero, but the lack of wind pre-
vents one realizing it and the noun
tains $50 miles west Of us are a great
protection. Our neighbors are mostly
Canadian. Scotch, Swede, and we have
a nice sprinkling of people from the
states. The creeks abound in small
fish.
We are now in the midst of hay
making (Aug. -. Wheat will not be
cut until early September, this being
a little later season than common, but
the crop Will be immense / send you
sample of wheat and barley-its
height Is almost even with my shoul-
dcrs, average 30 inches. New corners
lacking binders can hire their grain
cut for 20 cents per acre. Prairie
chickens are here by the thousands.
The water is good. We nave a fine
well u feet deep. In the creeks the
water is soft and of yellowish color.
Now for the drawbacks 1--WE have
tEem), but nothing very serious. The
mosquitoes are simply abominable, es-
pecially after a shower. Then again
we are surrounded with bachelors; we
have no less than Is single men in this
neighboThood, on matrimony bent.
When a feminine gender of any age
between II and 40 visits these hills we
pity her so great is the demand for
her company.
In conclusion, If the remainder Of
our loved ones were here with us, we
should better enjoy life on Ross Creek,
and unless the unexpected develops,
consider this will be pretty fair place
to end our days.
MRS. S. A. BRIGHAM.
When we have keen eye for the faults Of