The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-04-17
Secure a Free Home in the Fertile
Wheat Fields of Western Canada.

Wheat Fields of Western Canada.
To the Editor: The emigration of
well-to-do farmers from the United
States to the Canadian Northwest has
assumed such proportions that organ
lied efforts are now being made by In
terested persons and corporations to
stem the tide The efforts are being
initiated chiefly by railway and real
estate interests in the States rom
which the bulk Of the emigration takes
place. The movement of population
has taken from numerous States thou
sands Of persons whose presence along
railways in these States made bust
ness for the transportation companies.
The movement has also become so
widely known that it has prevented
the settlement Of vacant lands along
these lines, parties who might have To-
Gated there being attracted to the free
and more fertile lands Of Canada. The
result Of the movement has been that
the railway companies not only see
the vacant lands along their lines re-
main vacant, but they also see hun
dreds Of substantial farmers who have
helped provide business for these rail
ways move away and so cease their
contributions. The farmers have
moved to Canada because they were
{ convinced that it would be to their
financial interest to do SO. In
Ing they have been inconsiderate
enough to place their own financial
interests before those of the financial
interests of the railway corporations.
In addition to the railway corpora
lions, real estate dealers are working
to stem the flow of emigrants. OF
course every emigrant who goes to
Canada means the loss Of commissions
on land deals by real estate dealers.
the interests are that are trying to stop
the flow to know what motive is in
fuencing their course. The emigration
means financial loss to railway corpo-
rations and to real estate men. These
interests therefore are not directing
their opposition efforts out Of any love
for the departing emigrants or out Of
any high patriotic motives, either.
They are doing SO purely from selfish
interests. 1t is a matter Of dollars and
cents with them. They are so patriot
ic, they are so consumed by love for
their fellow citizens, that they want
to prevent these fellow citizens going
to Canada and getting free farms of
the best wheat land in the world; and
instead they want to make them stay
on high-priced farms in the United
States, where they will continue to
pour money into the pockets Of these
railways and real estate men.
One Of the methods employed by
I these interests to stem the tide is the
! distribution of matter to newspapers
Z painting Canada in the darkest colors
y These articles emanate chiefly from q
bureau in st. Louis. They are sent
out at frequent intervals for simulta.
neous publication. A writer is EN-
ployed at a high salary to prepare the
matter.
Moreover, statements absolutely a
variance with the truth have lately
been published broadcast. These ap
pear chiefly in what purport to be let
tiers from persons who are alleged
to have gone to Canada and become
disguised with it. Only a few Of sucl
have been published, and they con
tain statements that are absurd il
their falsity. Whether the partie!
whose names appear in connection
with these letters have, ever been tt
Canada, and, If so, their history while
there, is to be thoroughly looked into
The discovery of their motive. like the
discovery of the motive of the inter
ests who are engineering the opposi
ton, may prove illumining. In the
meantime, however, it may be pointed
out that only a few of such letters
have appeared, but since 1897 ovel
$1,000 American settlers have gone tt
4 the Canadian West. Can any reason
able person suppose for a moment tina
If Canada was one-quarter MS bad a.
represented in these letters, the S7,O0t
Americans now there would remair
in the country; or, If the Canadian
West had not proved the truth Of al
that was claimed for it, the papers o.
every State in the American North
L west would not be filled with letters
saying 50? Imagine $1,000 aggressive
americans deceived and not making
short shrift Of their deceivers. Thu
fact is, the $1,000 are we'll satisfied
and ~ encouraging their friends tt
follow them.
Anyone who ices any of these dis
paraging letters should remember tina
it is railway and real estate Interest,"
i who have from purely selfish reasons
organized a campaign to stem the flow
to Canada. If Canada We're half al
bad as represented there would be M
need of such an organization. The fac
that such exists is Of itself a magnif
| cent trihrta fn Canada EinoJIy ;