Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-20
CHICAGO 4Df CANADA
That is What Cy Warman
Calls Winnipeg.
n Is
DESERVES /. THE NAME
IT'S woNDEsRFun GROWTH IN THE
LAST GENERATION.
Also Known as the Buckle Of the
Wheat Belt-In Rich
Territory.
DESERVES i THE NAME

was Z4U
Ten years later, when there was rail-
way to the south, and every indication OF
the Canadian Pacific building across the
continent, there broke over the border
stream of land boomers, spectators and
people who were willing to pioneer. BY
1882 the excitement was at its highest. and
as many as $4,000 citizens of the United
States, in search of new worlds to conquer,
crossed the line. The movement, however,
was premature The transcontinental line
was three or four years in the future. and
SO these $4,000 Americans and many thou
sands of eastern Canadians hiked back to
the fairly good homes they had left, leav-
ing Winnipeg, where the northwest boom
had burned fiercest fiat on the wild prairie.
A few brave men and fair women stayed
and fought it out In 1886 the railway was
in full operation from ocean to ocean, put
the boom had busted and Winnipeg lay
quiet 1t was written upon the unreadaple
pages of the future history of Canada that
the Canadian northwest was not to DE set
tied so long as there renamed good nome
steads for the homeless and good lana LOT
the land companies to exploit In the united
States. This as we can see now, had to be
80 because the Yankee land man ana the
Yankee homeseeker were to be the leaders
in the great race for the best OF 1t When
the time should come to move on the north
west.
The growth of Winnipeg. taken decade
by decade. year by year, marks the marcn
of things in the whole northwest. Nothlng
can happen out there in the fields OF real
vital Importance without Winnipeg feeling
it. for Winnipeg is the gateway-the Buckle
of the Wheat Belt. as they say out west.
Healthy Growth.
1t took the town ten years to gain 7,744
people Ten years later. 1901. she had A.
600 inhabitants. By this time the American
west was fairly well filled up; the restless
Yankee began once more to gaze across the
line. The great wheat crop of 1901 set them
on the march. The Manitoba farmer got
$1430 per acre for his wheat that year
They threshed out 5O.00O.OOO bushels and
more in Manitoba alone. Other farm prod
ucts grew in proportion. and so did Winni-
peg Bank clearings amounted to more
than $134, 900 900 that year.
Nearly 10000 homestead entries were
made in 1901 Many of the leading banks
began building splendid branch buildings
with the result that the city has today an
imposing array Of banks that would do
credit to a city twice her size and ten times
her age.
Another thing as notable as her bank
buildings are her daily newspapers two of
which at least are very creditable indeed.
Equally noteworthy are her schools and
churches. You would never know, by the
moral tone Of the town, that Winnipeg was
a booming western city.
A Great Field.
If there had been any doubt about the
awakening in the Canadian northwest it
died with the year 1901. In 1902 the large
land companies who had for years guided
and directed the immigration to the west.
northwest and southwest, began to pick UP
and move over into Canada. 1t was a
great field, and the land man is the real
discoverer of the Canadian northwest. The
w, .lint, krnr of hat hn had
or its value.
One man said to a large land owner, or
rather a man who had millions Of acres
to sell, II want to buy $1,000 acres of good
wheat land" The land agent looked at the
Yankee in amazement. Being thoroughly
conscientious, he answered: I'm not sure
that have $1,000 acres of first-clasS land
Ultimately the Yankee got his $1,000 acres
through a large local land company for
about 800 an acre. and for 1t he is now
asking $13 The conscientious land agent
above referred to has since sold millions
of acres of wheat land and has other mil
lions left And so l say the country Is just
now being discovered and the few brave
men and fair women who weathered the
storm find themselves well fixed; not few
have made fortunes and they all deserve
what they have gained.
Another bumper crop in 1892 set the land
hungry homeseeker trottlng and brought
more American money to be invested In
Winnipeg New buildings were built that
wear to the value of two and half million
dollars The wheat crop of Manitoba alone
amounted to IS. 100000 bushels and sold for
$50, OOO,OOO. More than 1000 homestead en-
tries were made that year. Not less than
100 $50 settlers came into the country in
1902.
The Rush Continues.
Despite the light wheat yield last year.
the tide of immigration was unchecked
and the growth of Winnipeg continued.
She took her place as the third city In
the dominion, measured by her bank
clearing. Many of the big land companies
made Winnipeg their headquarters. Thir-
ty-tWo thousand homestead entries were
made in 1903, and other thousands were
settled on land sold by the railways and
land companies.
While the Manitoba farmer got only
sixteen bushels of wheat to the acre, the
land agent could snow you by the official
reports that Minnesota yielded only thir-
teen and the whole United States wheat
belt but twelve bushels to the acre. And
so the rush continued, and is still on. The
cost of Winnipegs new buildings grew
from 81, SOC, 900 in 1902 to $500, 600 last
year and SO. 600, 900 for the first six months
of the present year. New York Is the one
American city to exceed this amount.
An extensive and very expensive water
system has just been put in by the city.
Winnipeg water was VIGOROUSLY bad but
with the new plant they draw the water
supply from deep artesian wells, break 1t
-
Southampton, England, and 1t comes
through the pipes almost ice cold and
chemically pure.
An Attractive Town.
The city of Winnipeg has a wide-open.
airy, hospitable appearance Main street,
asphalted is 1872 feet wide and as long
as sleigh track. There are a number of
beautiful parks, many magnificent homes
and miles of wide paved streets. Two
railways are preparing to build fine ho-
tells, which are much needed. Thousands
of tourists and people travelling on BUSH
ness would stop day week in Win
nipeg if there we're better hotels but
there are hardly any in keeping with the
city. 4.
Mammoth machine, shops are being bu,,t
by the Canadian Pacific and one Of the
largest switching yards on the continent
having a total trackage of over seventy
miles. The municipality has it's own mar.
ry and one Of the most complete crushing
plants in America They lay their own
pavement, get better results and cheaner
than by contract.
The mayor, who used to work on the |
streets, is contractor, and the men in the
engineering and public works departments
take pride in their work and in Winni |