Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-05-16
An Illinois Farmer in Western Cam
ada.

y recent issue of the Shelbyville, ILL
nOis, Democrat contains a 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:
81 had in August, 1902, secured a
claim for myself, and filed on three
quarter sections for my sons. Ny 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
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 240 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 600
tons of hay. The grass is very nutri-
tious, and cattle on the ranges become
very fat without being fed pound of
grain.
son 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 naive
stock. The grass in the hay meadows
here is called red-top, and grows from
five to six feet in length, and when cut
at the proper time yields an abundant
crop of nutritious hay.
sour cattle have --Ot cost US a cent
since we came on our homestead, only
the small outlay for salt and labor in
putting up hay and shelter. All cattle
have been doing well this winter, and
feeding up to the first of January was
unnecessary, as there was good range
up to that time.
"All the SHOWS up to that date were
followed by winds from the Northwest
that melt it very rapidly; these winds
are called Chinook winds. and are al
ways warm. In one night Chinook
wind may take away three Or four
inches of snow.
1--WE have built on our claim com
Portable house Of hewn logs, 2Ox26
feet. one and One-half stories in height,
with n good cellar. During the latter
part of June we RATED logs down the
Sturgeon to a sawmill. about eight
miles away, and thus secured 5000 feet
of good lumber which was needed for
the house Later i'm the season Il shin
Gle mill located six miles away To
this we hauled logs and had shingles
cut for the roof.
I'VE had an abundance of wild fruit
the past season, consisting of SOOSeber-
ries. strawberries, raspberrieS. eveber-
ries. blueberries, cherries and Saskl-
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 swampS.
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' (whortleberry) of
the Blue Ridge Mountains in PennSyl-
vania, and cannot be eXcelled for eX-
cellence 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
all kinds and geese are concerned. We
have taken nearly 500 chickens and
pheasants. also a great many ducks.
IAN occasional deer is seen. but are
not plentiful. only one having been
taken during the season in this settle
ment.
Fish are very plentiful ut all sea
sons of the year. Fish wagons and
seds 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 Edl:,On-
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.