Missouri Valley times., 1900-02-01
WESTERN CANADA.
One of the Choice Spots on the Cont
nent for Settlement.

One of the Choice Spots on the Conti-
nent for Settlement.
The following extracts from an In
:eresting letter to the Mason City
Iowa. Republican, written by Mrs. =!
a. Brigham, late of that place. but
now of Ross Creek, Alberta, Canada,
so nearly describes most of the districts
If Western Canada that we take pleas
)f our readers:
Ross Creek, Alberta, y. w. L.,
Canada, Aug. I, 1879.
Editor Mason City Republican:
Dear Sir-We are located in the
Beaver Hills, thirty miles from Fort
Saskatchewan and fifty miles from Ed
monton. To the east of these Is an nl-
mense area of bottom lands, which fur
.uishes abundance of hay for the set,
tiers. 1t is dotted with small lakes, the
largest of which is called Beaver Lake,
sixteen miles in length
There is fine 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 mp the
land. Here and there poplar, birch
and tamarack trees abound. Small
meadows are numerous. The soil i'll
these hills is much richer than the bot
tom lands, being kind of black leaf
mold. There is no tough sod TO break,
and IL is very productive. Wheat, oats
and barley do finely. and vegetables
are the finest that can be grown. Po-
tatoeS especially are large and solid,
easily producing from geo tu 300 BUSH
els per acre. and best of ALL never II
"taty bug TO wrestle with Wild
fruit. strawberries. gooseberries, saslla-
.oons tor pine berricsl. raspberries and
,rnnhcr.ies arc found in the hills.
Small tame fruit does finely. the red
and white currants in mS garden being
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 less than
three hours of darkness, and the birds
L rains so easily. You look toward the
west and see little cloud 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 the
thunder and lightning is very light. We
had two storms this summer accom-
panied with wind and hail, but nothing
| to lodge the grain. The average heat
| is about IS degrees. We had three or
four days in July at so. The nights are
always cool.
| The winter season is one of great ac-
tivity. All the fencing is gotten out
then and logs for the farm buildings
BY paying % cents you are granted a
permit at the land Office TO cut logs UP
OH 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 man can worl
outside every day as far as the wealth
er is concerned. There are cold snap.
| when it reaches 40 and As below zero
but the lack of wind prevents one real
izlng ii and the mountains $50 mile:
west of us are Il great protection.
Our neighbors are mostly Canadian
Scotch, Swede, and we have nice
1 sprinkling of people from the States.
The creek abounds i'm small fish.
We are now in the midst of haymall
ing (.Ang. q. Wheat will not be Gu
until early September this being lit
tie later season than common, but TIN
crop will be immense. send YOU
sample OF wheat and barley. Its hcigh
is almost even with my shoulders aver
age 30 inches. Newcomers lackin
binders can hire their grain cut for q
cents per acre. Prairie chickens ar
hero Inv tlla thousands
The water is good. We have a fin
we'll fifteen feet deep. In the creek
the water is soft and of yellowis
color.
Then again we are surrounded wit
bachelors: we have no less than eight
cen single men i'm this neighborhoot
on matrmony bent. When a feminin
gender of any age between IA and 4
visits these hills we pity her, so gre;
is the demand for her company. Ca
You aid us?
In conclusion, if the remainder &
our loved ones We're here with us, w
should better enjoy life on Ross Creel
and unless the unexpected develop
consider this will be pretty fair plat
to end our days.
MRS s A BRIGHAM