The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-15

Manitoba is the only part of western
Canada known by name and definitely
placed on the map Of the continent by
those numerous Americans who are all
too ignorant Of the great country that lies
to the north OF the United States and has
a larger area than continental United
States, if Alaska be left out of the latter
With most Americans Manitoba is syn
onymous with western Canada, though the
error is as great as if Minnesota were to
stand for all the American northwest
from Lake Superior to the Rocky Noun
tains. Manitoba, young as it is, is the old
est political division Of western Canada,
the richest and the most populous It's
capital, Winnipeg is the largest city in
Canada west of Ottawa, and the only city
of considerable size in the great territory
contained within the boundaries of AL
berts, Assiniboia, Saskatchewan and Man
itoba, to say nothing of the mighty will
derness to the north.
Foundations of the Province.
While Manitoba is only a little more
than thirty years old as historically
continuous political entity it was settled
by an agricultural population twenty
eight years before Minnesota was organ
lied as territory and quarter of a
century before there was anything worthy
of the name of agriculture in Minnesota
cessfully conducted in Manitoba for thirty
years before the people Of the east were
willing to cOncede that the climate of
Minnesota was mild enough to admit of
successful agriculture. Known to the
white man for q hundred years before
ever since the Sieur de la Veranderaye
penetrated into the valley Of the Assini-
boine in 1871, and thereafter fully oc-
cupied for fur trading purposes by the
North West and Hudson's Bay companies,
1t remained for the philanthropic Lord
Selkirk to plant the first agricultural
settlement in Manitoba; the small
patches cultivated by the fur companies,
not being considered as making it's estab-
lishments agricultural communities. From
1870 until 1870 all western Canada--all
that region that used to be set down in
the old biographies as Prince Rupert S
Land, belonged to the Hudson's Bay COM
pany Prince Rupert was one of the
original founders Of the company, and it
was given not only exclusive trading
privileges, but the absolute ownership
and sovereignty over the territory This
overlordship was disputed by the North
West Fur company of Montreal, organized
at the close Of the American revolution,
and during the next forty-five years there
were some bloody battles and the most
vindictive enmity between these two COM
panies, the one being English, of course,
and the other rather more French, being
the form the, mastery Of the fur trade
from Montreal to5k ,as against that from
Hudson's Bay n when Canada. though
7 French in popEkSb;s@s had passed from the
sovereignty Oh" France to that of Eng
land. In the latter twenties the two com
panies were finally merged and the Hud-
sons Bay company took over the entire
fur trade Of Canada, whether along the
route of the great lakes or from the Hud-
sons Bay posts, as a base.
Lord SeJkirh's Grant.
Lord Selkirk, philanthropist, DESTROYS
OF improving the ma terial condition of the
poor peasantry of Scotland and the North
OF Ireland, secured from the Hudson's Bay
company grant of 10000 square miles