The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-01-18
Alberta Letter

When I was leaving with my family
for Alberta last month a good many of
my friends requested me to write them
and tell them how | found things up
there, and, since have returned, every
one seems anxious to learn all they can
abont conditions there.
We found the weather fine up to the
time of our arrival there.
The day we landed in Calgary, Dec.
%, the day was bright, Sunny and warm.
There was just light sift Of snow on
the ground and the streets were wet
and sloppy. That night it turned colder
and the next afternoon it began to snow
and continued to snow some every day
or night during my short stay until
there was from to II inches of snow on
the ground when left. | learned from
Geo. Hunter and others at Gleichen
that the first snow had been on the
ground for nearly month and some
few persons had been using sleighs
nearly all that time. The first snow fall
had been followed by the usual Chinook
but it had only lasted few hours SO
that it did not melt more than half the
snow, and while the weather had been
bright and pleasant most of the time,
yet it had been too cold for the snow to
melt much.
All the settlers whom | talked with
who had been there from 10 to y years,
agreed that they had never seen snow
lay on the ground that long before. On
my return trip | found the conditions
about the same until | passed Idaho
Falls when the snow begun to diminish
very rapidly in depth until | reached
Blackfoot.
was very much surprised to note the
great amount of improvement that had
been made all the way along the road,
after we reached Lethbridge, during the
eight months which had elapsed since
my last trip over the road, and especially
in the country around Gleichen. I said
last Spring that I was sure that country
was going to settle up very rapidly but
was not prepared for so great change
in so short time. There had been more
permanent improvements made in the
eight months than there was IN the first
eight or ten years | was in the Snake
River Valley. Where we could drive at
random over the prairies last spring we
now found fields inclosed with good
wire fences and nice large farm houses
and barns and windmills, with long
rows of cattle sheds and feed racks, with
cattle feeding We could see fields pillow
ed up in so to 200 and 300 acres in
body, ready for next springs crops.
Where there was the rough sod just
turned last Spring there are now fields
showing heavy stubble and grain in the
stack Or in the bins by the side of the
straw piles. The grain there is all run
into portable bins right from the ma
chine and hauled from there in tight
wagon boxes to the elevators, there be-
ing NO sacks required.
| talked with numerous yankees
who had doubled and tribbled their
investments in real estate there in the
past two or three years, and they all
agree that the increase in values has
just begun.
think no less of the Snake River
Valley than I ever did, but with cheap
er land, richer soil, as good climate
and much better markets, it looks to me
like good change to make.
Every one there is talking of the big
immigration they are sure of having the
coming season from "the States, and |
do not think they will be disappointed
for we yankees" will go where we see
an opportunity to make "easy mon ey.'
Yours respectfully,
30-1t w. d. ,rREGo