Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-03


west by the 500 line cutoff, went from
Minneapolis to Winnipeg. The dis
lance is about 400 miles, and the trip
is easily made now in little over
fourteen hours on through train via
the Great Northern railway to the Ca.
madam border and thence via the Ca.
miles to- Winnipeg. Twenty-Five years
ago ! made this same trip over the
old ST. Paul and Pacific railroad, and
the trip required thirty-two hours
Then Winnipeg was a small frontier
town banking very largely on the flu.
ture which it believed was in store for
it, when the Canadian Pacific trans
continental line should be construct,
ed. This road was then building but
had not been completed to Winnipeg.
Sellirk, somewhat smaller but SINH
lar town, twenty miles further down
the Red river, was a great rival of
Winnipeg, and it was interesting to
hear the sure basis of future greatness
of the two embryo cities as they were
then presented by their respective in
habitants. 1t seemed to me then,
however, that Winnipeg had the best
of the situation, and memorable fate
has SO demonstrated. Sellsirk is still
a Canadian village.
Winnipeg Wonder.
Indeed, the Winnipeg of today is to
me a wonder and no one can venture
to accurately predict what it will &C.
complish in the next twenty-five years.
Where there were less than 5000 peo-
pie twenty-five years ago. and but few
buildings of permanent character no
pavement on the muddy streets, and
but few sidewalks, there are today
over $4,000 people doing business and
living in substantially built and pro-
gressive city. Some of its business
blocks are models of solidity as we'll
as artistic construction. and are large
and imposing. The city has hun
dred and fifty miles of graded streets,
sixty of which are paved, and twelve
miles of this pavement is of the best
asphalt, Its main streets are 1913 feet
wide and are kept scrupulously clean
1t has colleges. universities, the Mani
toba deaf and dumb institute, hospi
tails, and surprisingly large depart
ment stores. Its wholesale and job
bling business is enormous, and is in
creasing so rapidly that it is difficult
for the establishments to find ade-
quate space in which to handle the
goods bought and sold. The amount
OF building being done in Winnipeg
this year is truly enormous. Already
permits to the amount of 100000
have been issued, and one of the daily
newspapers which has a circulation
of over $4,000 copies each issue, is
building model and modern news
paper office at a cost of over $500 900.
The Canadian Pacific railway is put
ting up new station and hotel that
will cost over million dollars. 1t
goes without saying that Winnipeg
has fine electric railway system, and
is already developing a system of
city parks. And yet this western Ca
madam city that is doing all these
wonderful things had in 1870 a popu-
lation of just 215. In 1872 when
first saw it its population was approxi-
mately 5000. The first historical rec
ords with reference to the city date
from 1872, when Fort Garry, the head
quarters of the Hudson, Bay company
was erected here. Here occurred the
battle of Seven Oaks, between the rep
resentatives of the rival fur compa-
MES In 1916. In this battle Governor
Semple and twenty men of the Hud-
son Bay company were killed
Farmers Are Prosperous.
In looking at all this wonderful
growth and development of twenty-five
years, said to prominent citizen of
Winnipeg: what have you to war.
rant all this?" His reply was sub.
stantially as follows:
From the time you crossed the Ca
madam border this morning you un,
doubtedly noticed the many splendid
farm homes along the railway. This
is only a sample of what you will see
throughout all southern Manitoba.
When you go west from Winnipeg en-
route to Banff, you will see a class of
farms and farm homes and cities and
towns for distance of 500 or 600
miles that will, think, be very sur
prising to you. The farmers In this
section do not live in shacks and sod
houses. They have good homes and
good buildings and as class they are
prosperous. Farther west you will