The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-03-10

19e Canadian Northwest has been de-
scribed as that country from whose bourne
no truthful traveller ever returns. 1t
seems impossible to tell the truth about
this heroic region in any language less than
superlative. The vast empty spaces, elo-
quent of the tragic history of the red man;
pregnant with unimagined possibilities un-
der the Transforming touch of higher races;
the glamor and glory that always wells the
incoming multitudes eager and hopeful, out
of whose brain and Drawn and love is to
be borne almost a new civilizations; the
subtle fascination of the creative process
here eXempliied, upon a scale truly colossal
all this seems to react upon the lives of
the Western people. and, like the sunrise
clothing the bare hilltops with splendor,
under the spell Of opportunity without
limit, the common man takes on dignity
and his life expands to meet widening
horizon.
There are reasons why the settlement of
the Canadian Northwest has been slow
Eastern Canada had, as yet meager pop
ulation with no end of unoccupied lands
and undeveloped resources at its very
doors. Then the United States, by the re.
sistless gravitation of sheer size stripped
away much of the surplus population that
otherwise might have domiciled in the
West. The mass of foreign immigration
that sought city life had no reason for
going to Canada, while those
WHO NUcTDTTTS AMI
could find all they wanted in the United
States, and more prosperous social condi-
tions into the bargain So the Northwest
of Canada was populated slowly, by the
most hardy and adventurous spirits among
Canadians themselves and from Great
Britain; and in the years of waiting and
pioneer development, they were. left to lay
broad and deep foundations, political, econ
omic and social, in accord with the Cana
dian idea and spirit. Slow and healthy
growth is never an evil and especially, in
this case, the results are happy, for now
that the rush has begun, there is ready to
meet and assimiate the incoming multi
tudes a stable and vigorous national body
polite.
Much has been said about the american
invasion" One recent magazine writer
ON this absorbing theme assures us that
since the American invasion the sound of
the hammer is frequently heard in the
land and that throughout Manitoba the
farmers are beginning to discard mrs
dieval tools and to actually use machin-
cry
Apart from the startling information
furnished by this sapient author the
A II. e
alton. In 1896 the ''invasion" consisted
of "A American immigrants. In 1900 it
had increased to 1891. Two years later
it had grown to 26,3SS, and in 1903 47,7S0
Americans settled in Manitoba and the
Northwest immigration of all nationali-
ties into this region in 1908 amounted to
about 10000.
The American settlers came from every
state in the Union, but principally from
Ohio, Wisconsin Kansas, Nebraska. Min
nesota and the Dakotas. A very large pro-
portion are either foreign born or children
of foreign born who acquired land in the
various states, and after a long enough resi-
dence to make their property valuable have
now sold out at profit and are taking up
free homesteads in Canada. With the pro-
ceeds of their American farms in cash and
stock and 100 acres of frst-cass land cost
ing only the registration fee of $40, they
find themselves
BEGINNING THEIR NEW LIFE
with very rosy prospects. At the end
of three years the homesteader must be-
come naturalized or relinqush his land.
And this fact. coupled with the attractive
ness of Canadian institutions, the pres
sure OF Canadian politics and problems of
municipal organization. the excellence OF
the public school system and the general
similarity between life in Canada and in
st. Patriek's Night Dance, Elks} Hail,
Thursday, March Il. Dancing until morn
ing. gentlemen, soc; Ladies, free. ''