The Saint Paul globe., 1904-08-14

una ESTERN CANADA: A few years
sHAW ago those words conveyed very
little of meaning to the average
American. In vague sort of way there
came, to his mind vision of cold,
barren country, scarcely fit for human
habitation and occupied only by In
dams and a few devoted but misguided
British patriots who would live almost
anywhere if they could be under the
flag of Britain.
Western Canada: Today the words
convey an impression of country
abounding in natural resources, the
best hard wheat country in the world;
a country Of expanding improvements,
of great creative energy, of amazing
material progress, good country in
which to seek industrial independence,
good country in which to live.
1t used to be thought that nature,
always so. kind to the American ma
ton, had carried her bounty to the
limit and capped the climax by MAX
ing the northerly boundary Of good
agricultural land on this continent CO.
incide With the northern boundary of
the United States. An American in
search of a new home might locate in
the northernmost tier of sections in
North Dakota, but he would never
dream of crossing over to the south
ernmost tier of sections in Manitoba.
great change has been wrought
Now it is well understood that the
wheat belt crosses the international
line in northwesterly direction and
extends much farther. west in Canada
than it does in the United States. Now
it is generally understood that the
virgin prairies of Western Canada are
soon to become the greatest spring
wheat producing region in the world
and that in many other forms of agri-
culture that part of Canada is to take
q prominent place.
Beginning of Great Movement
1t was about seven years ago thai
Americans began to realize that West
ern Canada was a country worth in
vestigating. 1t was then that the ac-
tivity in Northwestern lands began
and it's natural result was soon to
cause American land men and persons
desrous of cheap homes to investt-
gate what Western Canada had to
offer. The result of these first inves-
legations were so satisfactory that
there later arose what might almost
be called a boom in the farm lands
of Western Canada. Capitalists from
the United States went into Manitoba
Saskatchewan, Alberta and Assinibois
by. the carload, and landseekers and
settlers by the trainload. In the las
seven years $4,000 Americans have
settled in Western Canada. Last yeal
alone the number of immigrants hail.
ing from the United States exceeded
$4,000, and the movement continues
very large this year and will doubles!
be- fixed feature of the continuou:
migrations of people on the American
continent for many years to come.
From an American point of view 4
may be. considered unfortunate tha
there is so much good country on thi'
continent outside of the United States
but since the fact is that there ar,
about 100000 square miles of good ag
ricultural country in Western Canada
it is merely in the nature of things tha
Americans should cross over the lin
and settle in the new country. TIL
typical American is always keen to bet
ter his condition, and though he ma.
regret that the pursuit of prosperit.
takes him away from the land of hi
birth, he is very apt to consult his ma
teHial interests and put aside the senti
mental drawback.
Not Great Change
The fact that the Canadians speal
the same language as Americans, tha
their political and social institution
are very similar to ours, and, indeed
often copied from them, tend to max
the change from the United States t,
Canada an easy one. The settler, lurec
tovANestern Canada by cheap or fre'
and fertile lands, would hardly know
that he had moved from one nation t,
another except that he sometimes see
the red flag of Britain where he hat
peen wont TO see the stars and stripes
He finds efficient local, provincial ant
general governments. He finds abou