The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-08-14
DAKOTA, FRIDAY, AUGUST IL. 1903
ANOTHER SLAM AT ALBERTA

ANOTHER SLAM AT ALBERTA
Canada Not the Land of MIX and
| Honey That It Has Been Pictured
i Arlington Sun: We publish below
portions Of a letter written by form
er Arlington citizen, who is now living
near WetakOwin. Alberta, Canada.
For reasons of a personal nature he
does not wish his name to be mention
ed, but the authenticity of the letter
Is vouched for by the editors Of this pa
per, and can be verified. We give it for
the benefit of those who may be fgur-
ing on going to the northern country.
Alberta, Canada, July 4th, 1903.
scratch you few lines today be-
cause can do nothing else. Do I
want you to come here? Well, l did
think last winter that this might not
be the worst place on earth, but the
Imore think of it the less I think of
it.
In the first place we had winter
/ Il
and a half more of summer. l bought
hay last winter which I felt sure
would run me through springs work,
and before springs work commenced
it was gone, no hay to be had at any
price, oat straw equally scarce, and it
| was only after whole lot OF running
around that got a load of wheat
straw.
There Is no pasture until June lst,
and not very good then. l tried to
NOV little yesterday for feed, but do
not think can get half load from
two acres and even then it will never
dry, for it has been raining every day
for two weeks.
We had three heavy frosts during
the month of June, and it has been
nearly cold enough to freeze almost
every night. Though it had Gone no
damage right here it froze garden
stuff and grain right near here. We
had a hail storm last week right north
west OF here which would have knock
led grain to Halifax If 1T had been ad-
|yanced far enough, and it has hailed
1every day so far this week. The grain
I is not more than four inches high,
and it will put it back so that it will
not mature before frost. It hailed
here twice this week so that the
ground was covered as though snow
had fallen. My neighbor here went
Ito Wetaskawin yesterday, and about
three miles west of here he saw what
he Thought must have been heavy
snow. He found it was hail which
had fallen at four o'clock the day be-
fore. 1t had frozen to solid crust,
and upon measuring was just an inch
and half thick. You may think
this is fish story, but it is the honest
truth l am telling you.
| Grain stands about four inch es high
and looks we'll. My potatoes, which 1
planted May 18th, are not all up yet,
j but what are up look pretty we'll.
4 There is but one company here that
q; has the sole right of buying stock.
j, Burns & Co., and they pay whatever
1they please. Oats sell at As cents per
bushel, in some places IS cents, and one
to be had anyway. Potatoes are Sl.O
J per bushel.
Some of my neighbors have told me
J, that they have lived here from six to
) eight years, and that three and four
years they were frozen out and four
years hailed out. ana that had it not
been for their cattle they could not
5 have lived. Until the last four years
! there has been no price for stock. a
good horse could be bought for ten
dollars, and a good COW for the same
5 price, or anything that a person had
a mind to give.
4 have heard these very same people,
who have been frozen and hailed out
; year after year, talking in town to new
| arrivals from the states, telling them
; what good crops they got and how
+ lwell they are pleased with the country.
, They say they must and it IS for
their own interest to do so, which is
| very true.
q do think that a person coming
; here the last few years with some
J capital could make money, and many
, have done so, as land has been advanc-
( ling in price and stock in good de-
5 mand, but it is nothing but the i'm
migrants that have done it. You may
r go where you wish among people who
: have tried it, and you will find their
7 land for sale.
! [ will also mention the lay and grass
( sIquestion. There is lots of grass be-
, cause there is lots of land, but you
r Icannot get as much from two acres
, here as from half an acre in South Da-
3 llota. It's little better quality, but
! lin it you will 6nd all kinds Of weeds
/ land brush that the cattle will not eat.
: o. course that may net apply to every
I 1 gncfiOn 0f fhn ony1nfrv pa;frh1,o,