The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-05-18
THE LETTER WAS GENUINE
AND CONTAINED FACTS.
4 Former American Settled In Can
ada Flooded with Inquiries.

ada Flooded with Inquiries.
A short time since letter appeared
in these columns signed by Mr.. w. II.
Kinkade, of Alameda, Assiniboia,
Western Canada, which cauDya that
gentleman to receive a great many
inquiries, most of them anxious to
know if the letter was genuine. To
large number of the inquiries answers
were sent, but it was impossible to
reply to all. We take pleasure in
submitting to our readers specimen
of replies sent by Mr.. Kinkade:
"Yes, the letter dated December %,
1899, supposed to have been written
by me which you saw in your local
papers was genuine and contained
facts. will say of the information
received from the Canadian Govern
ment agents prior to coming here, I
did not find single untrue state
ment. The Canadian government is
an honorable one and it's agents dare
not misrepresent this country or they
would lose their job. There is quite
a bit of land for demonstrating yet,
very little close to market, but main
ly from six to twenty miles from sta
tions. The country hereabouts is
prairie, nearly level, slightly rolling,
not rough country by any means.
Homestead entries cost ten dollars;
on land that has been cancelled there
is a five-dollar cancellation fee extra
and in some cases an inspection fee
of five dollars, and where the former
occupant has made any substantial
improvements there are small
amounts to pay for improvements.
This is poor place for a poor man
unless he has brains and muscle and
"git and grit" but with these requi-
sites he can succeed. The population
of this part of Assiniboia has doubled
during the past two years. There has
been as much prairie broken the past
two years as was already broken
previous to 1898. C. P. R. land Todd
sections) joining homestead land sells
at three dollars per acre. Improved
quarters within four to five miles of
town sell at $1,000 this spring. This
is not a Garden of Eden at all. No
man need think he can come here and
get rich in short time without much
labor, but if he will work and be
saving he can soon be an Independent
farmer tilling his own soil and get
ting good returns for his labor.
'We burn coal, which costs us $1.S5
per load at the mines which are 20
miles southwest of us.
"People with stock and machinery
should come in May, so as to have all
June to break in. Those who expect
TO work for wages for the first year
or two should come by the end of
July to work through harvest and
threshing and then go to the coal
fields and work all winter, and by
spring he could be ready to improve
homestead.
"a quarter-section of railway land
sells at three dollars per acre. The
interest is all figured up and man
has about ST. to pay cash. and if he
breaks at least ten acres first break
ing season his $21 interest for the
first year is thrown off and the Sec
ond fall following purchase he has
$50 to pay and then $50 to pay for
eight more falls, which makes total
of $611 the quarter costs him, includ-
ing all interest. Paying for quarter
of land that way is like keeping life
insurance policy paid, cnly it does not
take so long to do it. By man home
stealing one quarter and buying an
other quarter gives him chance to
IL l. Nd
have it paid for in ten years and after
that he is sure of an easy living if he
is any good at all.
"SIGNED) w. H. KINKADE."