Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-07-17
AN INTERESTING LETTER

Citizen.
MANHATTAN, ALBERTA,
CANADA, July 1, 1902.
EDITOR SHEAF:-
A few words from those who emf
grated hither from eastern Marshall
county, would no doubt be Of inter
est to the friends they left behind
them.
We are now camping on the claim
OF S. Skatsheim, about thirteen miles
west OF Olds, waiting for the water
OF Little Red Deer river to subside
sufficiently to make it safe to ford it.
In the meantime it rains five or six
days a week. But sometime the
hour of deliverance will strike.
The hills are quite high; the valleys
deep; the roads heavy. But there is
verdure everywhere, except on clear
days when the peaks OF the Rockies
are seen in the west, rising skyward
in their snowy sublimity.
The hills are generally covered
with trees-balms OF Giliad, pop
lars, spruce; the slopes carry a
burden OF ozier; but in places the
brush is not coarse enough to be
mentioned as an obstruction to the
pillow.
The soil is a black, or slightly
brownish, loan with a clay subsoil.
The depth OF the soil may average a
foot. The subsoil alone contains
some small stones, which will not in
terfere much, If at all, with the pillow.
But the high banks OF the river re-
veal large masses Of soft blush
shaie which will do for foundations
at least, and could be got at in win
ter when the river is frozen.
We are at present engaged in put
ting up log house for S. Skatsheim.
Fine spruce logs are plenteous and
easily procured in winter.
This spring, they say, is one OF the
seven wet ones, after which seven
dry ones are to follow. 1t has been
quite cool so far, and crops are gen
orally backwards. But there are
fields of fall wheat about eight inches
and crops grow very rapidly in July.
Fall wheat, barley and oats are sue
cessfully cultivated. So also tubers
and various grasses, such as timothy
and bromus.
10 the east, small houses dot the
country as thickly, almost, as in the
eastern Marshall Co. But in the
west there is much land to be had,
although most OF it will offer con-
siderable resistance to the nipple
ments o. culture.
All water is soft, and the best kind
OF drinking water may be found in
springs or by digging, the depth of
permanent water supply varying
with the elevation OF the ground
where sought, from the springs to
hundred feet or more.
There have been a few cases of
illness and much coughing and bad
colds among us; but the worst is
over.
The cattle and sheep are herded to-
gether. The wolf has showed itself
several times, and calf seems to
have been sacrificed to it. The
young hunters easily keep it at dis
tance, .... --..
All the COWS are kept in the same
pen, where we gather to milk, and
where the mud is much in evidence.
It is decent mud however as it
does not stick.
Most of US eat at the same table,
and almost seem to have all things
in common.
Our singers are source of cheer,
and considering the weather and
other conditions we are doing we'll.
Flour is $3.50 per 100 lbs, but it
is declared by our cooks to be sup
erior to T. R. F. flour.
Samuel Garborg, Carl M. Stroms-
mo, Ole Johnsrud, Theodor A. Moe,
Loues Gulseth, Thorn Ronneberg,
Alfred Johnsrud, S. M. Nordhus Mrs.
Mary Ronneberg, Mrs. Alette Johns
rud, Mrs. Berit Stromsmo, Mrs.
Mary Nordhus Mrs, Theodor Moe.