The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-13
CANADA SEEKS SETTLERS.
Would Offset the Attractions offered
by the United states.


Enquiries are pouring in on the Interior
Department from European countries re-
questing information in regard to the
opening to public settlement of the lands
in the Niowa and Caddo reservations in
Oklahoma Territory Quite number of
these letters are being received from Eng
land, Ireland, Scotland. and Wales The
prospect of securing rich agricultural
lands at the nominal figure OF S1-2j per
acre is an aIluTfng temptation to those
people in the British Isles, who have new
CT been able, owing to the high price Of
lands there, to secure a home.
But the most tempting feature of the
proposition which the United States holds
out to the prospective settlers is the mode
OF payment All the ready cash that is
necessary to make settlement on the land
with is the filing fee, which amounts to
only about $14-
The question of the payment of the
sl-15 per acre is still probIematicaI, as
there Is a very strong presumption in the
minds of members of Congress that the
provisions of the Free Homestead law will
be extended to those settlers before the
time for proving up and final payment
arrives
Under the law, however, alien citizens
cannot participate in the drawing. They
must at least have become naturaHzed
before they can make entry
In order to have 4 counteT-attTaCtion
to the opening of the Indian reservations
in the United States the Dominion Of
Canada proposes to throw open to set
tlement 60.J0O acres of free grant lands
in the Rainy River district of Ontario
In other words, the Canadian officials
propose to secure some advertisement for
their own country by the advertisement
of their lands
Some time ago 5000 acres Of land in
Ontario were surveyed and are now open
to settlement under the Homestead
laws of Canada These laws. however,
were somewhat modified as applied to
this particular block of lands OF these
lands any male head Of a family or sole
female having a child or children under
eight years of age may locate $50 acres
free, and may also purchase an additional
eighty acres at 81 per acre The home
steader must clear and cultivate at least
fifteen acres, and in no one Year less than
two acres, during three years; must build
at least a habitabIe house. at least I6 by
- feet in size, and must continuously re-
side on the land for three years after 10
cation IF the eighty acres additional are
purchased at least fifteen acres of II
must be put under cultivation in three
years. Patents may issue at the eEplrd-
ton of three years from date Of purchase,
or sooner If settlement duties have been
performed
Minerals and pine timber are reserved to
the Government. but the homesteader
may Use such pine trees as may be needed
for building. fencing and fuel, and may
sell such pines trees as may be neceS-
saTily removed in the process of clearing,
hut must pay timber dues on all pine
timber sold. All timber remaining on the
land when patents issue passes TO the
pateEtee- These lands are very fertile
and covered by dense forest, generally
OF valuable timber.
The Ontario and Rainy River Railroad.
now nearing completion, runs through
this block OF land and brings Il within
easy reach Of markets. This railroad IS
a link in the Northern Canadian system
which. within the next six OF eight
months. viii have continuous line from
Port Arthur. on Lake Superior, to Win
niDeg and thence 3Gu miles northwest
Such is the Information received by the
State Department from w II. II. era
ham. the United States Consul at Win
Uipeg- As the 6G0fl acres to be opened in
the Ontario district adjoin large area
OF free grant lands II IS possible that ad
ditj0uaI tracts Will be thrown open to set
tIement within the near future as the
Dominion Government IS particularly
anxious TO secure the settlement OF this
section of country