The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-07-21
WESTERN CANADA
Free Homes for Millions in the Best
81. Agricultural Country in the
World.

There are to-day millions Of people
in the countries Of Europe and the
United States of America who are liv-
ing on small WORKOUT farms, and even
farms that are productive and valu-
able in SO far as market prices are con-
cerned, and millions more without
properties altogether. but who would
use them to advantage il they had
them, for whom the Canadian North
west offers inducementsthat can hard
~ be reasonably estimated. That coun-
try has in the aggregate an area of
3S5, 100000 acres, and as not more than
100000 farmers are on it to the pres
ent, unprecedently rapid as has been
the settlement, thu homes that still
await the settlers ara up in the mil
lions.
AS the entire country Is inland Who'll
1y, without water communicst ton with
the outside world, the nearest point
OF connection being Port Arthur, at
the head of Lake Superior, $50 miles
distant, it can be readily understood
that no matter how fertile it's soil or
favorable its climatic conditions for
agriculture may be, settlement because
of lack Of ingress and egress, was out
OF the question until rail :communica-
ton was fully established
It was not until 1880 that a railway
tapped the country; then with a popu-
lation that could have been easily num-
bered on four figures, and now, mark
the change, a population of 100000, a
city Of 100000 people, and an annual
production of over 10000, 900 worth of
agricultural merchandise, and an ex-
port of over $50,000,000. These figures
most eloquently show that the country
has long since outgrown everything in
the shape of prejudice against it, and
is long distance on the road to un-
limited advancement and uniform
prosperity.
1t was, of course, to have been ex-
pected that as Manitoba was created a
province in 1870, and given full
provincial autonomy, and had the only
access to the outside world in the Red
River to ST. Paul, in the United States,
1t would have made the first advance
ment in settlement, and have had its
lands taken up the earliest. Still it is
estimated there are 100000 acres of
free demonstrating land in that prov
ince, one-half of which at least is fit
for cropping, and many millions more
in the hands of the Hudson's Bay CON-
pany, the railway companies and many
other public and private corporations
1t is, however, with the country further
west we have to deal now.
Early Progress Of the West.
In 1882, the first year the railway
touched that country, it was divided
into four territories, Assiniboia, Sas-
katchewan, Alberta and Athabasca and
given a primitive form of government
which prevailed until this year (19O5)
when the four territories were con-
verified into two provinces, Alberta and
Saskatchewan, given full provincial
autonomy and admitted as sisters into
the Canadian Confederation. The en-
tire growth and development Of the
country are all the result Of these %
years. In Is years no less than 5000
miles Of railway have been built in the
west country. Two Of the systems
have transcontinental lines, the c. P.
R. and the G. N. r. and the third the
Grand Trunk Pacific is now under way.
Each of these main lines has branches
in many localities. The companies are
vieing with one another to extend their
systems to every point where there is
settlement, So that as matter of fact
every settler of three or. tours years
residence has road within a reason.
able distance of his door.
What is Of equal importance to the
farmers is, there are buyers at every
railway depot for everything they have
to sell, which at the newer points is
wheat only. At the close of last year