davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25
INTERVIEW 4WITH.F. T. GRIF.
al FIN, LAND COMMISSIONER
OF THE CANADIAN
PACIFIC RY.
Impression Of One Who Is Doing
Great Work for the Dominion
What a Strong Man Thinks Of. q.
. Great Country, Z.

One Of the busiest. men iii Manitoba and
in all the Canadian Northwest in: fact is
f. T. Griffin. land commissioner of that
wonderful transcontinental artery, the
Canadian Pacific railway. From a. long
residence in the west and from the nature
Of the duties and responsibilities devolv-
ing upon him. Mr.. Griffin Is thoroughly
familiar with all phases of the land bust
ness. and is one of the best informed men
on values and conditions in this country.
THE Canadian Pacific Railroad is pre-
pairing for one of the busiest seasons In
it's history, " said Mr.. Griffin to a journal
representative who was in Winnipeg a
few days ago. Speaking for the land de-
partment Lean say tina It never before have
there been SO many inquiries for land.
These are. coming from widely -diverging
regions i'll Canada and the United States
and from many Of the old world countries
where many colonization projects are in
different stages of forna ton The move
ment the coming spring and summer will
probably surpass anything the Canadian
Northwest has ever seen This is. a pref
ty strong statement, in view OF the rich
last year but casting up of conditions Is
certain to force this conclusion upon the
most conservative. s5,5s {. .s. g.
THE business Of my: department dur
ing the present winter months has been of
an unusually large volume Many trans
fers have been made and the deals ready
for sconsummation In the early spring are
extrao ordinarily large. The correspond
encez Of my department was never so
heavy. Inquiries are pouring in con-
Estaintly and vast quantities OF literature
have, Been circula ted In this country and
| Europe 81. =
there to the policy which it adopted some
time since. that of making the great bulk
t:of its sales with actual settlers and col
lonizers. Our chief object is to people the
country with sturdy and thrifty. class
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

The district of Alberta. has astotal length
from north to south of some 43O miles
and an average width from east to west
of about $50 miles, and contains an area
of 106, 100 square miles Alberta com prises
within it's limits two divisions, showing
marked distinctions in topogra phical and
climatic conditions. The southern is an
open, rolling country, devoid of timber,
except along the streams and in the foot
hills of the Rocky Mountains, while the
northern half is more or less timbered
Throughout. the belts of timber being
broken here and there by prairie open
1ngs, some of which are of considerable
eGtent.
The advantages which the northern and
southern portions of the district offer to
the intending settler are so diverse in
character that it is customary to speak
of them separately as Northern Alberta
and Southern Alberta"
Ranching and DaIrylng.
Southern Alberta is essentially a ranch
ing and dairying country and offers un-
equaled opportunities for effort in that
direction. The district, is composed Of
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

the chance of a life time and the men OF
enterprise and courage realize it and are
preparing to come to us. Our agents III
the United States and Britain tell the
same story and make it.clear that another
invasion is certain the coming season.
THE best time to come is In the cary
spring when the seasons operations are
inst beginning The summer and au-
tumn months are the best for moving
about the country in search Of land. The
agriculturist may, by getting in crop
Of oats or potatoe during the. month OF
May or the first week in June, contribute
greatly to the support of himself and
family. during the first year. Or. again.
if the agricultural laborer arrives in sum-
mer, about harvest time, he will find
great demand and high wages for his
services during the harvest months, and
will have no difficulty in getting on from
this point. The farmer, too, who desires
to take up land, If he comes IN the sum
mer time, may see the crops growing
and may thus have an opportunity to
choose at leisure the most advantageous
location :
There never was so favorable a time to
come as now. Pioneering Is not the ser1-s
Gus business it was a score Of years ago.
The results are speedier and more certain,
and as much can be accomplished m five
or ten years as could be expected liz
twenty on twenty-five years In the eart-S
est times The railways lead the way and
the hardships are nothing like what they
used to be.
! Manitoba and her sister provinces raise
the great staples of the world and the
markets are always good and generally ac-
cessible We have lands especially adapt
ed to wheat cultivation while the oppor-s
| tunities for ranching and mixed farming
have hardly been touched. Our laws are
| liberal and justice Is administered with an
| impartial hand. Life and property are
| AS safe as anywhere on the globe. 1t is
| the policy to encourage not only the home
seeker to come but to remain and to
throw himself soul and body into the
work of the state making as well as
| home building. The individual liberty is
fully as great here as in the states. The.
| climate though rigorous is healthful and
| invigorating. and every provision has
/ been made for the building UP and support
Of schools and the maintenance of good
social conditions and the perpetuation of
| the influences of the church. :
/ I'VE have ideal regions yet untouched.
| from which newcomers can make their Sc
Elections. The most of these are yet UNI
i provided with close railway facilities. but
new lines are being constantly projected
under the stimulus of the immense immi-
grafton. and al requirements will be met.
Many hundreds of new miles will be put
1 in READINGS for operation the present
year
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

as any American who has interests in the
In answer to inquiry as to general con-
ditions In western Canada Mr.. March
said: |
THE one cause Of the enormous tmni-
grafton into Canada is It's wonderfully fer
tile and productive soil selling at an aston
ishingly low price. I believe that this
Immigration will continue from this on,
without cessation. Everything being con-
sidered, land is cheaper here to-day than
it was five years ago. Developments along,
all lines having taken place within the
last few years which have put western
Canada upon a sure footing of permanent
advancement and prosperity.
1.-The world is increasing in popu1a ton at
a wonderful rate. and there is an army of
young men coming Of age every year who
have to have farms. Canada can offer
them more for their money in the way OF
good rich farms than any other country
earth Every acre of good Ia nd up here
within reasonable distance Of the rail-
road will some day look cheap to us all
at $25 per acre.
|rfcultural and commercial development
that few: people realize. Only a trip
through Manitoba and Assniboia will con-
vince one Of the great progress made.
New farm buildings are to be seen every
where throughout the country, and one,
Cl1n2- paTIlCuidTly gIlOClCodDl9 IS the great
amount Of new breaking. New towns are
building on all of the new railway exten-s
sions, and the development that is going
| on in the way of new elevators, grlst
mills, school houses, churches and bust.
ness buildings is wonderful. Two years
ago. where there was absolutely. moth
ling except an open prairie, we now have,
| such thriving towns as Langenburg Grand.
View Arcola and others too numerous;
to MENTION. :s5, $500 = -
4 Probably one Of the best. indicat ions of:
4 the great development going on In a COM
mercial way is the number of elevator
companies organizing and establishing
| themselves In Canada. The elevator ca.
! pacity will have more than doubled in
the last two years; and I predict that the.
time is not far distant when Winnipeg
will be a greater wheat market than Min
lneapolis. Two years ago seat in the
lGrain Exchange was worth 1925; to-day
it is selling for $1,000
"There are splendid opportunities up
there for young men of small capital but
with lots Of energy and good habits. There
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

in such a, manner that stock pastured:
thereon remain fat all Winte &: j 81 IS.
Southern Alberta is traYersed%fr om easE
to west by the main line of the canadian
Pacific Railway and from = Q rths:f ossssouth
by the Calgary & Edmonton railway AND
in addition branch Of the for1ner line
runs through the southwestern portion
from I,ethbridge to Medicine Hat in AS
siniboia, and from Lcthbridge the, Great
Falls & Canada railway extends=sto the
south as far as the Great Northern, railway
in Montana. Several important centers
of trade are situated in Southern AL
berta, chief among which is the city OF
Calgary, at the junction Of Canadian Pa
cific and Calgary & Edmonton railways.
and farther to the south the thriving
towns of Lethbridge and Macleod. At
these points ample banking and business
facilities are to be found. and several man
ufacturing industries have been com-
menced. Other towns in Southern Al
berta are Okotoks, High River, Cardston
and Pncher Creek. {
Northern Alberta. % $500
r. Northern Alberta comprises that great
fertile valley stretching from about forty
miles north Of Calgary on for two hundred
miles more past the Red Deer river, the
Battle river, North Saska tcheWan IL and
Sturgeon rivers. 1t is a country we'll
wooded and well watered, where a settler
going with little means does not need to
expend his capital altogether to provide
shelter for himself and his stock If he
has not timber on his own land lie can
for IS cents get a permit from the gov
eminent and cut 1901 1ineal feet of build
| Ing timber, four hundred roof poles, two
| hundred fence rails, and thirty cords OF
dry wood and put up his buildings The
same regulations exist for Manitoba, Ssas-
| katcheWan and Assiniboia AS for water.
| al a very high point in the prairie there is
| flowing out of the side Of the hills and ii
| the coulees springs of water that remain
open the year around. The purest and
best water can be obtained at from fifteen
to thirty feet.
The scenery is of varied beauty No
stern, rugged. and awful mountains. nor
long dead monotony of flat, tree1css prai
RE strain the vision here. Level and roll
/ ing prairie, hill and dell. clad in grass
and flowers. dotted with groves of aspen
popular and spruce, delight the eye
Lakes, lakelets and ponds reflect the
! bright blue lsies above. and the deer
and magnificent valleys of the great Sas-
katcheWan and other smaller. but not less
/ beautiful, water courses lend holdness tt
a landscape of otherwise ideally pastora
prettiness.s: Not only when in verdure sclaG
| is the country lovely, for the White raj
ments Of winter lend to the prospect a
new and additional charm of indescribabls
pure beauty. IS z !.4s5. $50 "a
Inexhaustible supplies of coal underlie
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25
MrP deneq
dunsm We an( NADIA NNat

states at from $50 to SIS per acre and buy
just8as good land here for from So to SO
are making a wise exchange. This Ca-
madam land will rise in value. in a short
time 100 per cent and still be very cheap,
while: it Is doubtful II that SIS land in the
sta ties will gog much higher for a good
many years.
''The social conditions here are about
as they were in Minnesota and the Da-
kotas a few years ago. The settlers are
rugged. energetic and thrifty lot, who
make good citizens and good neighbors.
Under their judicious management the
social and educational conditions will be
equal TO those of any other country.
II should, therefore, advise any farmer.
especially one having a large family of
boys, to- sell his high-priced land and
come to Canada and secure all the cheap
land he can conveniently handle
Mr.. March's deductions are wonderfully
In accord with those of other leading men
of western Canada, who have based their
ideas on actual observations and prac-
tical results.
What Hon. John A. Davidson Says
Journal representative had the great
pleasure of meeting Hon. John A. David
son, the able commissioner and provincial
treasurer of Manitoba, who is one of the
strong men in western Canadian affairs
INF. DaVldSCnr SalQ regarding MANITOBA:
II have been a resident of Manitoba fol
thirty-two years. 1 was born in Ontario
but moved to the United States when a
young man and lived three years in the
state of Iowa before coming to this prov
ince. Manitoba was in its prin1itive state
when I landed here the year after the
70 rebellion. I have seen changes, rapid
advancement in settlement, in railroad ex-
tension, in commercial enterprises thai
l1.,xo ,.oI III
Of these arc like snowfall gradually in
creasing in volume and substance unit
its onward rush sweeping everything ii
it's way is a surprise. even to those who
have been expecting it forayears. y
Manitoba is to-day winning ON it,
merits. Its5swealthe is In its soil. For the
t2nast twenty-fN years farmers have beer
testing this soil and the readings Of Tho
tstest are in evidence in all parts of the
province. This evidence is in the change:
lsffon1 small and sod shanties, stables O
poles covered with prairie hay, to commo
Edious stone, brick and frame houses heat
Ted with furnaces, good stables and banl
barns; grain elevators at every railwa.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

station; prosperous towns and villages
not more than six or eight miles apart, on
all railway lines The estimated arabic
land of the province easy of cultivation is
25. 0OO.0 900 acres. of which only about
4 ,000 900 acres have as yet ben cultivated
Half Of these lands were at first open for
free demonstrating, $50 acres to each set
tier, the other half was for sale at 81 per
acre To-day these lands are changing
hands at from SO to $40 an acre and they
will double i'll value in few years.
'.For the past twenty years the average
yield per acre of wheat has been eighteen
bushels; the yield of other grains has been
proportionately large. Such record for
twenty years. with the two great crops OF
251 and &c bushels per acre OF wheat IN
1901 and 1902 have placed Manitoba
lands in the market as one of the safest
possible investments. Farmers In Iowa,
Illinois and many other states OF the union
are disposng of their lands at from $50
to- $50 800 an acre and investing to.
day in Manitoba farm lands, equally az
good, at less than half this cost.
while all that have said refers to our
lands, our crops and the prosperity OF our
farmers, there is another side of the pic
ture that interests business men and cap
italists / refer to the commercial out
look, the safe and profitable investment Of
money in any, and every branch Of bust
ness that haste do with the handling OF
the produce of our farms of supplying
our farmers with the munitions Of war,
as it WERE to carry on their work.
''It is estimated that during the pres
sent, year from 100 900 to 10000 new settlers
will come to- Manitoba and the territories.
Estimate the number at 100000. allowing
five to family this number Will repre-
sent 80 600 families. Each family will
require on an average 10000 feet of lum-
Der in all 100000 GOO feet They will
require 10000 stoves 10000 plows, $4,000
harrows, etc Who is to supply them:
'This volume of new, trade added to the
present trade which even now taxes our
business men to handle, must necessarily
open up vast fields of opportunities for
men with capital. New towns will spring
UP in all new districts. There never was
time in the history of Manitoba and the
territories more opportune for settlement
and investment than the present ! pre-
dict that farmers and business men com
| ing now will in five years reap a reward
equal to what the first settlers had to
wait twenty five years for"
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25
GRIFFIN TALKS ON
WESTERN CANADA

OF settlers and to build up all the inter
ests Of the magnificent domain. tributary
to our lines. The natural resources are
there. All that is required is a progressive
and intelligent citizenship which will
make the most of every opportunity and
has the hardihood and skill to work out
it's success. And I believe we are get
ting just this class-nen who realize that
pioneering is strenuous business and who
tl1aye not. undertaken itswithout fair
survey of. all it's phases.
''The new blood that has come to us
from the states and from the eastern sec
tions of Canada is. generally Of the right
sort: Many Of these people have pio-
neercd before and they know at once what
to do, what to bring with them and when
to come. The most intelligent ones gen
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

a !rnarNel-7to all those who attend s for its
high excellencyof stock exhibited
Nov creameries and cheese factories
arcsheing established every VIII ere through,
out the country and all are successful
and prosperous The Cana dislns s;fre 5cele-,
.brated for the high grads Of cheese they
manufa cture. usually taking the prize at
all international contests.
Farmers who sell their land in the
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25
THE LATTER Is ESSENTIALLY A
BRANCHING AND DAIRYING !.
COUNTRY OF GREAT
POSSIBILITIES.

In. the North Are Forests, Minerals,
Inexhaustible Supplies of Coal,
Vast Stretches Of Meadow and
Hay Land, Making It a Region
Especially Attractive to the
Dairymen- Schools, Church Or
CARNATIONS and Other Advan-
tages Of Eastern Society Not Neg
lected. ~
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25
The Big Land Interests Railroads Making Preparations

going to bezquickly ttledsup with a good
class Of Industrious " American farmers,
and the, towns will Of necessity have to
keep pace, which. offers rare oppor tunities
for any one seeking a location IN most
any line ofEbusiness. 81.
The Canadian farmers are bringing into
this country the very best imported stock.
including horses, cattle and hogs, and the
exposition held each year at Winnipeg is
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

will be a great many new. towns grow up
during the neXt9year$ or two. on the ex-
tensions Of the Canadian Pacific railroad
from I<irkella and Yorkton, which run in
a northWesterly direction through good
country. and alsosonstlle Canadian North.
ern extension from Grand View In a west
erlY direction through Kamsack and Quill
Plains-as good farming land as the sun
ever shone upon. These sections are all
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

# Is Journal representative who was In
Winnipeg during the past Week e inter, yer,
l,,t arests regarding their impressions of
+he great home seeking and Investment
movement that is now taking place IN
western Canada. Among those who
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25
FOOTBALL.
Judge

Little En,er-on-Mother,s football must be a
very meteorological game.
y Mrs. Browning tof Boston)-In what regard.
Emerson: &
Little Emerson-Why. William Halfback in
forms me that can be present and root for.
the game all right, even though am not at all
familiar with It's rudimentary principles
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25
ALBERTA...ITS NORTHERN
And SOUTHERN DIVISIONS

high, open plains, broken by valleys of
large streams which head in
the Rocky Mountains and flow to the east.
and the country becomes more or less
rolling and hilly as the heads OF these
streams are approa ched. The valleys and
bench lands produce a most luxurious and
nutritious growth of native grasses, chief
among which is the far-faned bunch
grass and cattle, horses and sheep Craze
outside during the whole year. and hay is
easily and cheaply secured for weak stock
With good management, the profits to
stockmen are large, s35 and $45 per head
being paid for steers last, year on the
ranges, the animals only costing their
ment in stocking the ranch and their share
of the annual roundup. ~.
Large bands of young stock are annually
brought in from Eastern Canada and some
of the western American states to be
fattened on the ranges, the profits being
sufficiently large to amply recOmpense
the reshipment, after fattening, to Eu-
Eropean and other eastern markets. Mixed
farming is successfully carried on pretty
generally throughout the district. and at
various places the dairy industry is IA pid-
ly developing Though a large portion of
Southern Alberta is bare Of timber for
fuel, this lack is simply compensated for
by an nexhaustible supply of coal Of ex-
cellent quality, which crops out at many
points along the steep banks Of the
streams that plentifully water the coun-
try The soil of the district is, as a
whole. a good rich alluviaI loan. In
places gravel and sandy ridges are met.
but in the valleys the accumulated Slit
deposit of ages has produced a soil of the
richest kind and of great depth.
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

talked entertalningly on this subject was
F. Mr. March. president, Of the Manitoba
Land and Investment company. which was
the first American company to en-
bark In the development of the Canadian
northwest. and Mr.. March. from an Amer
Jean standpoint is probably as we'll ac-
ouainted with the conditions in Canada
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25
Climate and Railroads.

8! The climate Of Southern Alberta is one
of the most attractive features, the
winters being mild, with very little snow,
and the summers hot and dry. The rain
fall in the district is small, averaging
about Il inches in the year and while this
amount Of precipitation is not sufficient
to insure good crops in the majority Of
years, the aridity of the district con-
stitutes it's chief factor of value as a
grazing country, the absence of rainfall
during the late summer months causing
the native grasses to become cured on the
ground, retaining their nutritiye qualities
The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-25

- 4 : . =
the whole country and crop out on the
sides of the valleys. rendering the work
Of mining so chcapsthat5 the fuel is sold t
the mouth Of the pit to farmers for 80
cents ton whilst q sered@ in: tbs
bins of the househo1ders3 of 9IEdmonto on al
$3.50 per- 900 pounds . 5s
Cold dust of exceeding fineness. Both
in size and quality, has for over thirty
years been washed out of the sands Of the
Saskatchewan river.
Dairying. Profit able.
Dairying is:eaPried- on- with great suc
cess. the country being pre- eminently
fitted for it, To a wide range of the best
wild pasture are added an abundant water
supply and shading and sheltcring groves
of trees. During the summer season the
averages are for each COW. four and one
half gallons Of milk per day, six and one
half pounds of butter per week.
;. Wild hay is generally abundant. the
varieties being numerous. Vetches. pea
vine, red top. blue joint and slough grass
are the varieties chihy used.
sss All the common garden Vegetables grow
to- perfection seldom witnessed outside
Of the district. Is u. u i
"A system of free public schools has been
established. In January, 1901, some 900
schools. were in operation The organiza-s
ton Of districts is optional with the set
tiers Districts formed can not exceed
twenty-five square miles in area, but may
be less To be organized into a district
a settlement must have at least four actual
residents and twelve children of school
age Give Years to sixteen years.. In al
most every locality in which these condi
| tionst exist schools have sprung UP. In
the schools Of the larger towns the higher
branches CT study are taught, and pupils
| are prepared for university p1atricula ton
and teachers certificates.
Religious privileges are fully and freely