Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-05-14
An Illinois Farmer in Western Can.
ada.

An Illinois Farmer in Western Can.
ada.
A recent issue Of the Shelbyville, Hi
nois, Democrat contains n long and In
teresting letter from Mr.. Elias kost,
formerly a prosperous farmer Of that
State, who recently emigrated TO West
ern Canada, taking up a claim for him
self and for each of his three sons.
From Mr.. Kost's letter, which was
written Feb. 3, 1904, we publish the
following. believing it will prove Of
great interest to those who have con
templated settling in the Canadian
Northwest:
Il had In August, 1902, secured n
claim for myself. and filed on three
quarter sections for my sons. My claim
is one-half mile south OF the Edmon-
ton and Lake st. Anne trail.
Coming so late in the season, we
had little opportunity to break and to
prepare ground for a first years crop,
still we raised over 100 bushels of very
fine potatoes, and sowed a few acres
OF barley, but the season was too far
advanced for the barley. However, we
secured good feed from it, and on rent
ed ground is miles east of us, raised a
fine crop of oats, so that we will have
plenty Of feed for horses. We cut
about GO tons Of hay and thus will
have an abundance. We have. all told,
about 30 acres OF hay meadow, which
would yield the past year over three
tons to the acre, and in an ordinary
season the meadow would furnish GOO
tons Of hay. The grass is very nutri-
tious, and cattle on the ranges become
very fat without being fed q pound Of
grain.
"On the upland the grass grows from
eight to ten inches tall. This is called
range grass, and is suitable for stock
at any time, even In the winter when
the ground IS not covered too deep with
snow. Horses subSist on it alone, at
all times, provided they are native
stock. The grass in the hay meadows
here Is called rcd-tOp, and grows from
five TO six feet in length, and when cut
at the proper time yields an abundant
NIOp VI IulIlllOlS my.
Our cattle have not cost us Il cent
since we came on Il homestead, only
the small outlay for salt and labor in
putting up hay and shelter. All cattle
have been doing we'll this winter, and
feeding up to the first of January was
unnecessary as there was good range
up TO thai time.
"All the SHOWS up to that date were
followed by winds from the Northwest
that melt 1t very rapidly; these winds
are called Chinook winds, and are al
ways warm. In one night n Chinook
wind may take away three or four
inches of snow
eve have built on our claim Il COM
Portable house OF hewn logs, 20y20
feet, one and ono-half stories in height.
with a good cellar. During the latter
part Of June we RATED logs down the
Sturgeon to q sawmill, about eight
miles away, and thus secured 5000 feet
Of good lumber which was needed for
the house. Later in the season Il shin
gle mill located six miles away. To
this VIC hauled logs and had shingles
cut for the roof.
I'VE had an abundance of wild fruit
the past season, consisting Of g%ooseber-
ries, Strawberries, raspberries, eyeber-
rics, blueberries, cherries and saSka-
toonS. The latter are Il fine looking
berry, red, and quite pleasant to the
taste, but not much TO be desired in
cookery. The strawberries are the
same as those that grow wild in ILL
nois. Raspberries are red in color,
large and equal to any of the tame
varieties, and so are the gooseberries.
The cranberries consist of the high and
trailing varieties. The latter are most
sought and contiguous to the swamDs.
The ground is literally covered with
them as with a red carpet, but the best
and most sought is the BURBERRY. so
called by the Indians. This is the
famous 'huckleberry' (w%hortleberry) of
the Blue Ridge Mountains in Pennsyl-
vania, and cannot be excelled for ex-
~cellcnce by any fruit cultivated. 1t is
found here both on the prairie and in
the timber in immense quantities.
Game is very plentiful so far rs
prairie chickens, pheasants, ducks OF
ali kinds and geese are concerned. We
have taken nearly 500 chickens and
pheasants, also a great many ducks.
can occasional deer is seen, but are
not plentiful, only n having been
taken during the season in this settle
ment.
: Fish are very plentiful at all sea-
sons Of the year, Fish wagons and
sleds are passing almost daily along
the trail with heavy loads Of fish, des-
tined for st. Albert and Edmonton.
From the latter point they are ship
ped south on the Calgary and Edlaon-
ton Railroad to points along the line,
and also to Assiniboia, on the Canadian
Pacific Railroad"
For further information apply to any
authorized Canadian Government
Agent whose address appears else
where.
Artificial eyes were first used by the
Egyptians long before the Christian era.
Mummies have been found with artifi-
Cial optics. They were fashioned Of
gold, silver, copper or ivory.
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