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

Predictions on the great future in store
for the province Of Manitoba are about to
be realized. For years men who studied
immigration and the migratory movement
which has been gradually turning the
grassy plains of the west into cultivated
farms have predicted that Manitoba would
in the early years of the present century
attract thousands of homeseekers from all
parts of the continent who
would make that province ope
of the wealthiest regions on earth. This
movement has already begun People are
settling in the province by thousands,
people who have learned that. Manitoba
has the soil, the climate, and all that goes
to make a country of happy homes, and
its farmers ind epend entIy rich. -.
Timbered Regions.
While correctly called the prairie prov
ince, Manitoba is by no means the fiat,
dreary and monotonous stretch of land
that is associated with a prairie country
in the minds of those who are familiar
with the prairies south Of the boundary
line. There are numerous stretches Of
mountainous country that is covered with
groves of oak, jack pine, spruce and pop
lar, and rise to a considerable height
above the level of the plain. The princi-
pal of these are the PoFeupiRe noun
tains, 2,4O0 feet, high; Duck mountains,
1000 feet; Turtle mountains, $500 feet,
and Pembina mountains, 300 feet; Tiger
hill, .1,64O feet, and the Brandon hills,
1,600 feet above the sea level i,
The whole of Manitoba, with the excep-
ton of the Porcupine, Duck, Riding, Penn
bina and Turtle mountains, extending
from the International boundary in the
southwest to the northwest extremity of
the province, was covered in prehistoric
ages by the glacial lakes which have been
given the name of Agassiz and Souris,
the latter having a comparatively small
area, and extending south from the juno
ton of the QuAppelle and Assiniboine
rivers, along the course of the latter, and
east of the Pembina and Turtle noun tains
to the southwestern eorner of, the PROV
ince, and thence beyond the boundary.
The area that was covered by Lake
Agassiz occupies the geographic center
OF the North American continent, and is
for the most part north of the interna-
tional boundary. It's extent is approx
imately from As degrees 80 minutes to
So degrees of north longitude, and from
80 degrees 80 minutes to 100 degrees at
Brandon. Manitoba, and to LOG degrees
on the Saskatchewan, of west longitude
It thus, measures from north to south
and likewise from east to west, nearly
700 miles, or about twice the length OF
Lake Superior. The central and deepest
portion of Lake Agissiz covered the broad
fiat expanse Of the Red River valley and
of the lake. region further north, and in
its highest stage it reached on the in
ternational boundary from Rainy river to
the Pemblna mountain. 1t was separated
from Lake Superior, Lake Nipigon and
Ia low NV 4
or In part billy plateau, which rises 300
to 500 feet above the highest. shore of
Lake Agassiz. and holds nearly that ele-
walton southwark to it's termination in
the highlands bordering Lake Superior
but from which toward the east and
northwest gradual slope descends to the
sea level of James and Hudson bays. On
the west this glacial lake washed the
base OF the great range Of highlands
named in its successive portions from
south to north the Coteau des Prairies,
Pembina mountains, Riding and Duck
mountains and the Porcupine mountains
and Pasquia hills, and on the northwest
it reached beyond Lake Winnipeg and
covered the upper part of the course OF
the Nelson river. When finally the re-
ceding ice sheet gave place to this river,
after period variously estimated at from
1000 to 5000 years, the glacial lake. no
longer ice-dammed, was reduced to sub
stantially the present area OF Lake, Win
nipeg.
Area of Lake Agassiz.
The probable area of Lake Agassiz is
900 square miles. exceeding the total
area of the five great lakes-Superior,
Michigan, Huron with Georgian Bay)
Erie and Ontario-by 1880 square miles.
At the time of the formation of it's high
est beach the depth of Lake .Agassiz on
the international boundary was about $50
feet and above Lake Manitoba and Win
nipeg about 500 feet The wide valley
formed by the recession Of this great lake
and now occupied by the Red river and
Lakes Winnipeg ond Manitoba, varying
from 40 to LOO feet above the sea, is the
base of the slowly ascending eXpanse of
the great plains which rise thence west
ward to height somewhat exceeding
1000 feet above sea level at the foot of
the Rocky mountains on the international
boundary. Most Of this elevation is at
tained by a gradual slope. averaging four
or five feet per mile throughout the dis
lance Of 73o miles from the Red river
to the Rocky mountains.
In 1901. when the hand and the hoe
were the only available means of culti-
walton, Alexander Henry proved the fer
tility of the soil, and the s'alubrity Of the
climate, by showing that his garden plot
yielded 300 cabbages s bushels of car
rots. 16 bushels of onions, turnips. beets,
parsnips. etc, besides 420 bushels OF po-
tatoes, the product of seven bushels of
seed. Little attention was given to such
testimony, and it is only now after the
lapse of 100 years, and since the now
famous Manitoba No. i hard wheat has