Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-05-16
VOLUME A, NUMBER 20
wish to trespass on too much of your
space, and | will be as brief as possible
in replying to these letters.

y
space, and | will be as brief as possible
in replying to these letters.
MeSSrS. RayOme'S and Marceau'S
reply will be sufficient as to the state
mentS made about the snow, teams to
be furnished, the poverty of the people,
and sickness prevalent.
Now, as to the ground being frozen
seven months out Of the year. | know
from personal experience since 1891,
that is not the case. Last year there
was not two months good Sleighing,
and the ground was net frozen before
December, and as members of our
party saw seeding going on near
Duhamel, 90 April 10 and 10th, there
could not have been seven months
frost. Everything did not freeze last
year, nor had the people TO send off
for seed. Rayome, Marceau and my
self stopped at Mr.. Albert Norman's
place about Il miles east of WetaSki-
win, and he showed us a good sized
granary filled with wheat, oats and
barley, as good as any raised anywhere.
We brought back samples of this
grain, This man had no frost last
year.
Mr.. Pare, another settler of q years
experience, we visited | took his
report in writing, which is too long
to give here. A few extracts will
suffice. He said II am q years here,
/ drove from st. Paul to Winnepeg
and from there here. All | owned
after arriving here was team, har
ness, wagon and $500 in cash, / have
done well. During the Rebellion of
1885 | lost a great deal, cattle, horses,
etc, were taken by the Indians but
that is past and gone we have had no
trouble since then and | was not
discouraged either; | am fairly we'll
off today" Mr.. Pare owns 1000 acres
of land, 240 head of cattle, large
number of horses and everything
around him denotes the sturdy pioneer.
He knows from experience the where
of he speaks. We asked him how the
crops turned out last year he replied
very good, cats went as high as 1l0
bushels to the acre, wheat up to IS
bushels. Look" he said pointing to
small piece of ground, hardly one
of potatoes off that patch last year,
we can raise anything here" That
is pretty good for a country like what
'I', Us & Co. imagine it to be, and
there are no pOtatoe bugs there.
There is plenty of wild fruit: straw
berries, raspberrieS, SaSkatOOns,
cherries, cranberries, currants and
gOoSeberrieS. which is very good
selection. | never stated there were
no winds; what / did say and still
maintain is Alberta is not subject to
cyclones, tornadoes or violent storms.
Now for the fish story. Fish can
be had for the catching in the differ
ent streams and lakes; but as ''I'' say
it is handler for his kind to be able to
get 1T in cans. Unfortunately hotel
steps and street corners do not border
or fishing streams, and to go few
miles out in the country, would be
cruel eXertiOn for tenderfeet.
In every country under the sun are
people who would not be satisfied
under any circumstance. Alberta is
no exception to the rule. That will
account fo1 tha few. who may wish to
sell. fsow<lloesIt Wood, ar Portage
counties, Wisconsin? Is per cent. of
the farms here are for sale. The
same percentage here are only nom
inal owners of the land, the real
owners being the money lenders. In
Alberta you have to travel a long way
before you will find anyone having to
pay interest for land plaster
(eXcuse slang on his 100 acres.
The people of Wood county will not
depend upon the advice of young men
too lazy or Indifferent to gain expert
ence for themselves. They may safely
take the agents advice, for it is
backed up by the testimony of truth
full, practical men, who are not,
afraid of work. Work was to be had
there at S1.75 per day for unskilled
labor but none of the quartetto
wanted work. They do not mention
anything of this in their letter, the
had no time for work, SO busy were
they gathering material for ''my
ideas about the country.
There may be few minor points
l have omitted replying to, but they
are too silly to belworthy Of notice
Trusting Mr.. Editor that / am nc.
imposing on your generosity in askin9
SO much space. Yours Respectfully.
JOHN a. FLANAGAN,
Canadian Govt Agent.
------pE@ -. fxzz------