The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1907-07-12
Sick of Canada.

Many people are being lured in going
to Canada thinking they will get cheap
lands. Lands are not cheap there, in
the sense that they are near towns or
railway transportation, any more than
they are here In Alberta and Saskat-
chewan land agents are "thicher than
thieves" and have resorted to all the
duplcity known by such men to boost
prices and deceive the public. To go in
to details OF their methods would require
columns of space to tell.
Our attention is called to what the
Kansas City Journal tells about farmers
leaving Missouri and Kansas several
years ago to settle in Northwest Canada,
through the gittering promises OF land
sharks, having grown sick OF their hard
lot in that bleak country, and are selling
out as fast as they can and returning to
their former homes" The same story
comes from many parts OF Washington.
In some instances money has been made
in raising wheat there, but it is the ex-
cep ton, not the rule. While there are
vast stretches of rich wheat land, there is
also much scab land. But the climate is
forever against the country. 1t will al
ways be land OF frosts, intense cold and
billiards.. From farmer living there
writing to a friend in Oklahoma the
Journal is permitted to print a few ex
tracts. Says be: "The summers are
short and hot; the winters are long and
intensely cold; domestic animals require
constant care for their preservation
against frost, insects and necessity of
large provision for feeding them; and
fuel, raiment and houses and barns, ade-
quately prepared for defense against
cold, require not only a good deal Of
capital. but incessant care-taking and
labor" Again: This is great big I'M
developed country, and the finest wheat
producing country | ever saw, but when
you think of coming here you must be
prepared to shovel snow, chop ice and
buck up against the real thing, for this is
ing the hot season are so numerous and
fierce that cattle are leased and tortured
to the limit Of endurance by them, and
horses are so reduced by their attacks as
often to be too week for effective work"
This is not an Overdrawn picture. 1t
can be verified by the statements of hun
dreds. This office was in receipt Of a
letter from Edmonton last week which
touched little on climatic conditions.
"This is beastly climate" the writer
states. at rains most of the time. An
other such season, judge, as when you
were here four years ago." People
should think twice before they leave the
genial climate of Washington. Under
no circumstances should you pay heed
to the promises of land sharks.
They are agitating in Seattle for a
general market. 1t is to be hoped it
will end in something besides talk Sc
attic has lOng-in fact, has always-been
in the grasp of commission men, who
have taken the lions share. Many
schemes have been devised to thwart
them, but always without success. A
public market will go a long way to-
wards changing things. 1t should be
feature Of every city. And market day
should be established in every district or
community throughout the state. The
market day twice a month is already
bearing fruit. 1t is receiving favorable
mention in many OF our exchanges. and
II the disease should become infectious.
why, let it spread don't quarantine it.
The sentence of Schmitz by Judge
Dunno of San Francisco to five wears in
the penitentiary, with four more counts
to hear from, makes good reading. It
was dramatic scene in court at the
time OF sentence. 1t was another illus
tration OF the saying, those whom the
gods would destroy they first make mad.
From the accounts received at this dis.
lance Schmitz was red-bot. His aft.
torneys were insulting. 1t is pleasing to
note that decency will prevail in the
much-stricken city, and that Schmitz
Ruef ct al. will soon be wearing stripes
Judge Dunno has been fearless officer
We take of our hat to Heney.
The recent advance in wages in the
textile mills in New England, amounting
to 5 per cent, makes the wages prevail
ing in that section the richest ever
known. says the Olympian. About
100000 operatives share in this ad-
vance. There was an increase of 10 ner
cent in the mills Of southern New Enc
land and western Massachusetts the
week previous to the per cent advance
Tn almost all the cotton mill cities
towns and villages the new wage
schedule is the highest ever paid. The
remarkable prosperity OF the mills war
rants the advance in wages.