The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1903-07-17

Yorkton has been the terminus of this
road for all these years and is a thriving
business place of 2, 600 inhabitants, and
enjoying the trade from an area of 100
miles around. And all this territory is
called the ''Yorkton District"
To hold the land grant appropriated
by the Dominion Government, the COM
panY is forced to build this lire to Prince
Albert before the close of another wear
and9O milesiare being completed this
sumrper. 40 Of which are already rallied
and used for carrying construction sup
|Plies.
This opens up a territory that hereto
fore has been occupied by scattering
ranchers, who have,held this unlimited
tract without restrictions from the gov
ernmentsand without paying taxes for
municipal impr rovement.
The country generally has an appear
anee Of sameness. 1t is rolling and Gov.
cred with poplar groves. There is en-
ough light timber all along the line we
travelled to afford fuel for local con-
sumption for some time to come. The
soil is considerably lighter than that Of
the Red River Valley, but will yield
good crops, as evidenced by the many
patches Of wheat and oats we passed.
The surface soil ranges in depth from six
inches to; a foot, according to the height
of the land, the lower places being the
heaviest. The subsoil on the higher
places is generally gravel and in the low
er places red clay mixed with sand.
Sloughs, with stagnant water, are very
numerous and cumming streams are few
and far between. .. "
The prospect of railroad facilities in.
duced large immigration this year and
nearly every homestead on each side of
the grade for several miles has been TAX
en- up and railroad lands sell from s6 to
$40 an acre eighty miles beyond York
ton.
There is yet good homestead lands to
be had on Quill Plains and the Beaver
Hills districts, but at the rate filings are
made, by next fall all this will be taken
up.
Our terminal point was Fishing Lake,
where we found body of water 10 mile S
hong and 4 miles wide, with nice sandy
beach and is said 10 be the only fresh
water lake in those parts. 1t is the head
waters of the Sand river, which empties
into saandl 50 seeming
with fish Of different kinds. It is on this
lake we hold real estate and where we
invite Pembina county people to spend
their summer vacation, in fishing and
other sports, when the railroad is finish
ed and the town located on DR.. Harris
and T. r. Shaw's section-which is sure
to come.
NOTES.
New elevators are being erected all
along the line and mostly by American
companies.
Mr.. Woods. formerly of Northcote, is
located at Yorkton and is buying and
selling real estate.
1t is claimed by many that 100 bushels
OF oats per acre is not an uncommon
yield anywhere in that country.
Brown Bros, of Drayton, and John
Mccormick, Of Carlisle, had just return.
ed from Beaver Hills, where they had
filed on homesteads.
Ducks and chickens are as numerous
[allover as blackbirds in ripe oat field,
and were part of the bill of fare on a
great many occasions.
Robert Ferguson and VIM. TAYLOR,
formerly of toilette. have good farms
within two miles of Yorkton, and we are
indebted to them for considerable infor-
nation received.
There is a great deal of waste land,
sloughs and stony ridges, where we trav-
elled, but there is also lots of good farm
ing land. and the development OF the
Canadian Northwest is barely begun.
& Alb. Simpson and his father, D.. Nc
Cullough and Ben Taylor we found iall
busy building and breaking and they.
have some elegant s farming land near
Foam Lake postofice, sixty miles north
west Of Yorkton. s ii 81 ss
Mr.. Ferguson reported an average sd
40 bushels 81 wheat to the acre: on his
place last year on = 80 acre field. This