The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-07-14
WESTERN CANADA.
Free Homes for Millions in the Best
Agricultural Country In the
World.


There are to-day millions OF people
fn the countries Of Europe and the
United States Of America who are liy-
Ing on small vermont farms, and even
farms that are productive and yalu.
able In 20 far an market prices are con.
cerned, and millions more without
properties altogether but who would
Use them 70 advantage II they had
them, for whom the Canadian North
west offers Inducements that can hard
~ be reasonably estimated That cOun-
try has in the aggregate an area Of
1896. 900 900 acres, and ag not more than
100000 farmers are on II TO the pres
pnt unprccedentIy rapid as has been
the settlement, the homes that still
await the settlers are up in the mil
lions.
As the entire country Is inland Who'll.
iy, without water communication 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 It's climatic conditions for
agriculture may be, settlement because
OF lack Of InRress and egres3, was out
~ the question until rail communica-
Gion was fully established.
Il was not until 1880 that a railway
tapped the country; then with a popu-
lation that could have been easily mum.
bered on four figures, aud now, mark
the change. n population Of 100000, n
city OF 1907 900 people, aud an annual
production Of over $50, 600, 900 worth Of
agricultural merchandise. and an *
port Of over $4,000 900, These figures
most eloquently show that the country
has long since outgrown everything in
the shape of prejudice against it, and
IS a long distance on the road to I'm,
limited advancement and uniform
prosperity,
II was, Of course, to have been ex.
pectcd 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,
IL would have made the first advance
pment In settlement, and have had Its
lands taken up the earliest. Still 1t Is
estimated there are l,50O. 900 acres OF
free demonstrating land in that prov
Incc, one.half of which at least Is At
for cropping, and many millions more
in the hands Of the tludson's Bay com,
pany, the railway companies and many
Other public and private corporations,
II 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, AsslnIbola, sas.
katchewan, Alberta and Athabasca and
given a primitive form Of government
which prevailed until this year (l005)
when the four territories were con.
yerted into two provinces, Alberta and
Saskatchewan, given full provincial
autonomy and admitted as sisters into
tthe Canadian Confederation. The EN-
tire growth and development of the
country are all the result of these 90
years. In rs years no less than G,000
miles of railway have been built in the
west country, Two Of the systems
have transeontluenthl lines, the c. p.
H. aud the G. N, II. and the third the
Grand Trunk Pacific is now under way,
Each OF these main lines has branches
In many localities. The companies are
vielng with one another to extend their
systems TO every point where there is
settlement, 50 that as q matter of fact
every settler Of three or tours years
residence has a 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 veal