West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-11-26
FIVE CENTS A COPY.
LAND OF WHEAT.
Western Canada as Seen by n Noted
Writer

Emerson llough, the celebrated novel;
ist, who made somewhat extended trim
through Western Canada during the past
summer, grows enthusiastic i'm his descrip-
ton of The Last Best Wcst,' which
comprises the provinces of Manitoba.
Saskatchewan, and Alberta, rs all other
writer's who have ever visited that great
country. To extract from what nc has
said We find thc following:
That black strip across the landscape
1t was not the shadow OF passing
cloud, but the record of ploughl These
yellow gray bands werc the fields OF stub
Ole already rcapcd. These other bands
oil green, OF palo yellow, Of deep bright
ycliow-they were the fields of wheat.
among which the binders wero vet to do
their work The centuries-old soil was
hnding its first upturncd exposure to tho
sun. Surely the plough had comet There
" no moro thrilling experience than this.
oi seeing the ancient wilderness lust pass
ing into the first loose fingers of civilized
mans occupation.
iiero was the wheat, crowding up To
the trail, high as the wagon seat "a wo
drove through. At the edge OF a grumb-
ing COW mans unowned but long occu-
oil ripe wheat In handsful crumpiinv ont
into the palm the full ears Of triple-rowed
kernels, magnificent grain, the food which
inc world must have-that grain upon
winch the whole civilization OF the earth
seems 80 strangely to depend; for. when
the wheat has come, civilization has taken
hold OF the land never again 10 loose its
grasp. Ono who loves the open mir and
the wild world cannot suppress a sigh of
regret Mt first thought OF tho passing
plains, at the thought of the dead roo
nance oil the rancher; but, none the less,
therc must como the sobcrer Thought
that the wilderness of this world. M we'll
as the scant fields Of the older world, be-
long to the world and the worlds peoples.
Extended personal inquiry in the
course OF long journey failed to discover
one iarmcr who was homesick or diacon-
tented, or who declared that he was going
back To Old England or to the states.
Without exception they declared that they
were not only contentcd, but prosperous.
In most cases their one or two crops had
gwen them their lands and their first
larmstead buildings of rude comfort. nj
least, fully paid for; and this land was
their own. No basement life for these
settlers, nor for their children. nor their
children's children; no rack rents, no
struggle with worn, exhausted soil: no
cap-touching To u so-callcd superior class.
Here was different field of humanity.
~ there any difficulty in predicting the
diiierencc between tho product of such
nelds IN and those of the 'pent and huddled
II was fascinating sight, this middle
land between the old and the new. Most
fascinating of all was the air OF hone and
condolences. Something set the blood ting
ling IN the veins. No one here spoke ol
despair or discouragement4 These men
made no repining at their lot M frontier
farmers. Their sole and engrossine con-
Germ was the question OF means OF getting
out their wheat TO the markets-for even
IN Western Canada farming has run i'm
advance oil transportation.
In such regions as this one still tray.
els az one likes across country, paving
no attention to roads; although now and
again one comes upon roads rudelv
ploughed along the section lines, i'm some
case near the railroads, fairly well
worked. The time OF the main Travelled
road ~ passing rapidly, even i'm Canada.
soon the fences will come along the high
ways and all travel will follow the lines
bounding artificial rectangles. Exulting
IN our liberty, for the most part our
party continued 10 travel direct toward a
destination. We still held TO the prairies:
and still on every side of us was wheat
wheat wheat"