The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-04-10
TEE IMPRESSIONS OFAWo)MAN
What Woman say. Abboat We.tera

s --@-s Ess..
What = Woman Say. AboAt western
.s Canada. 5
Although many men have written
to this paperfegarding thesprospects
ofSWestern Canada, and its great pos
sibiities, it may not be uninterest-
ing to give the experience OF a won
an settler, written to Mr.. NJ. v. Nc
2lnnes, the agent of the Government
at Detroit, Mich. If the reader
wishes to get.further information re-
garding Western Canada it may be
obtained by writing any of the agents
OF the Government whose name is
attached to the advertisement APP
pearing elsewhere in this paper. l.
The following is the letter referred
to-: =: .., '@ =.
Hilldown, Alberta, Feb'y. 5, 1903.
Dear Sir: -: .
I have been here now. nearly five
years, and thought 1 would write
you a woman's impression of West
ern Canadian Alberta. There are
several ranchers in this district
who, in addition to taking care Of
their cattle, carry on farming as
we'll. Their herds of cattle number
from 100 to 200 or 800 heads, and live
out all winter without any shelter
than the poplar bluffs and they come
in IN. h spring in good order. Most
of the ranchers feed their cattle part
of the time, about this time of the
year, but 1 have seen. the finest fat
cattle 1 ever saw that never got a peck
Of grain-only fattened on the grass.
You. see I have learned to talk farm
since l came here-farming is the
great business here. I know several
in this district who never worked a
day ON the farm, till they came, here,
and have done we'll and are getting
well off. ~
I think this will be the garden Of
the Northwest some day., and that
day not very far distset. There has
been a great change since we came
here. and there will be a greater
change in the next five years. The
winters are all anyone could wish for.
We have very little snow, and the
climate is fine and healthy. Last
summer was wet, but not to an ex-
tent to damage crops, which were a
large average yield, and the hay was
immense-and farmers wore a broad
smile accordingly.
: We have. good schools, the Govern
ment pays 70 per cent. of the ex-
pense of education, which is a great
boon in a new country. Of course,
churches of different denominations
follow the settlements. Summer pic
MICS and winter concerts are all we'll
attended, and as much, or more. en-
Joyed as in the East. Who would not
prefer the pure air of this climate
with its broad acres of fine farms,
it's ripping: streams, it's beautiful
lakes, its millions of wild flowers, it's
groves of wild fruit of exquisite
.havor,. it's streams and lakes TEEN
ing with fish and it's prairies and
bluffs with game, to the crowded
and stiff state of society in the East.
/ would like to go home for a visit
sometime, but not to go there to
liye,. even if presented with the best
farm in Michigan. Beautiful Alberta,
will never leave it. And my verdict
is only a repetition of all who have
settled in this country. This year, L
believe, will add many thousands to
our population. And if the young
men, and old men also, knew how
easy they could make a home free of
all incumbrance in this country,
thousands more would have settled
here. I would sooner have 100 acres
here than any farm where. I came
from in Michigan; but the people in
the East are coming to a knowledge
of this country, and as they do, they
will come West in thousands. All
winter, people have been arriving in
Alberta, and I suppose in other parts
as well, which is unusual, so we ex-
pect a great rush when the weather
gets warmer. =
We have no coal famine here: coal
can be bought in the towns for So
to So, according to distance from the
mines, and many haul their own coal
the 'mines-getting it there for
50 cents to a dollar a ton.
Very truly yours. -. ~.
(Signed) Mrs. John McLachlan.
~