The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1903-02-21
A FINE COUNTRY.
Resident Of Ohio Says western Can
ada II IN Ideal Land for Farm
ers and Ranchern.

Canada says: The whole OF West
ern Canada seemed to me to be
very fine country. but spent most
of my time about thirty miles east
Of Lacombe, in Alberta. near what
is popularity known as the coal banks
on the Red Deer River, and am
very pleased to report that the coun-
try appears to be everything that the
Agents of the Canadian Government
have claimed for it. Good water can
be obtained almost anywhere from
II to 40 feet, and fed generally by
springs. The natural hay and grass
were magnificent in their growth and
wild pea vines very heavy. i met
some of my friends who moved there
seven years ago and two brothers
who had absolutely nothing ON their
arrival seven years before now own
two and a half sections of land and
IT'S head of cattle. They told me that
they did not feed their stock all win
ter, in fact, never saw them again
until the spring, when they came
home fat and without loss. l gath
cred oats IT. high and running
from IS to 100 bushels per acre. 1t
appeared to me that all grasses, wild
and cultivated, grow to perfection
in any part of Alberta that ! saw,
and the farmers were cutting from
two to three tons of wild hay to the
acre. 1 found the climate very de-
sirable in every respect, and I am told
that the winter is the finest part of
the year. There is plenty of coal and
wood to De had near at hand for the
hauling, and such is my satisfaction
with the country that I acquired
some land and have put a bunch of
cattle thereon. I can confidently rec
ommend Western Canada as q suit
able place for farmers to immigrate
to, and can assure them the kindest
treatmeet by the people there. so
much SO that one does not distin-
guish the fact that we have left the
boundaries Of the United States"
Hugh Spender, of the Westminster
Gazette, one of the British Journal
lists who visited Canada this summer
(1902), says: 1--WE fell in with
young farmer from Somersetshire,
England, driving a binder round a
hundred acre field of wheat in West
ern Canada. In conversation found
that he came from within fifteen
miles of my old home in Somerset
shire. Here was the very man we
wanted. He had come to Manitoba
ten years ago, with capital of s12
on landing. In England he had been
employed on dairy farm, and earned
eighteen shillings q week. He now
owns 800 acres of land. his horses,
buildings and cattle, and expects to
have 1000 bushels of wheat this sea-
son. We had heard of such things
in the old land, but they did not seem
credible, until we came to this liv-
ing example of the strides that It IL
possible to make in Manitoba. Had
this man remained in England, it is
pretty safe to say he would still be
earning no more than eighteen
shillings a week, while in the same
period in Manitoba he has become
substantial and prosperous farmer
81 know a man who commenced IL
Assiniboia, Is years ago, with nc
means; no capital. To-day this man
owns 1000 acres Of land, some 80
horses, 80 or 10 bullocks, cows, etc.
He has built good stone house with
his own hands. and has now married
and is doing well, with every prospect
of increasing his means in the future
Western Canada has the most exhil
arating, bracing climate I ever knew
All that is required in the settler
is perseverance, grit, patience anc
hard work. I will guarantee the
country, if you will guarantee the
man." From letter from retired
officer in the British army.