The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-03


WV ago those words conveyed very
little of meaning to the average Amer
lean. In a vague sort of way there
came to his mind a vision of a 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 a country
Astounding 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,
a 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 northern 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
North Dakota, but he would never
dream of crossing over to the south
ernmost tier of sections in Manitoba.
A great change has been wrought.
Now it is well understood that the
wheat belt crosses the international
line in a northwesterly direction and
extends much farther west in Canada
than it does in the United States. Now
is 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
prominent place.
Beginning of Great Movement
1t was about seven years ago that
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
DESTROYS Of cheap homes to investi-
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 Assinibeia
by the carload, and landseekers and
settlers by the trainload. In the last
seven years 10000 Americans have
settled in Western Canada. Last year
alone the number Of immigrants hail
Ing from the United States exceeded
$4,000 and the movement continues
very large this year and will doubtless
be fixed feature of the continuous
migrations of people on the American
continent for many years to come
From an American point of view il
may be considered unfortunate that
there is SO much good country on this
continent outside of the United States
but since the fact is that there are
about 100000 square miles of good ag-
ricultural country in Western Canada
it is merely in the nature of things that
Americans should cross over the line
and settle in the new country. The
typical American is always keen to
better his condition, and though he
may regret that the pursuit of pros
perity takes him away from the land
of his birth, he is very apt to consult
his material interests and put aside
the sentimental drawback
Not Great Change
The fact that the Canadians speal
the same language as Americans. thai
their political and social institutions
are very similar to ours and, indeed
often copied from them, tend to make
the change from the United States tc
Canada an easy one. The settler. Iure6
to Western Canada by cheap or free
and fertile lands, would hardly know
that he had moved from one nation
to another except that he sometimes
sees the red flag of Britain where he
had been wont to see the stars and
stripes. He finds efficient local, pro-
Vincial and general governments. He
finds about the same sort of civil ano
criminal law that he has been ac-
customed to. he finds that laws are
enforced and order maintained. The