Mower County transcript., 1908-08-12


southwark again, stopping for q few
minutes at the six-months-old town of
Guernsey, with 100 Inhabitants. most
II Americans. They haven't even i.
depot yet. but met US at the track
with fruit and hearty greetings, and
showed samples Of fine crops grow
ing about the town. Supper was
taken at Lanigan, another new town
further down the line, with 800 peo.
pie. The town was decorated in honor
of the visitors with flags and bunting.
The train left Lanigan about 8 pm.
and next morning we were at Virden,
located 1S0 miles west of Winnipeg.
1t is a nice little city of 5000 peo-
pie surrounded by a rich and old set
tied agricultural region. We were
driven about the town Ito see the
sights. This little city is in the pro-
vince of Manitoba Our next stop was
at the metropolitan city of
BRANDON, MANITOBA,
a well built town of 10000 people,
surrounded by fine and thrifty
farming country, well settled and dis
playing fine crops. There is no va
cant land around Brandon, but the
city seeks manufacturing establish
ments and wholesale stores, as it is
natural distributing point for large
territory. It has now three railroads
and another one coming. It is the
largest city in Manitoba, outside of
Winnipeg. It is the former home of
Will J. White, the popular representa-.
tive of the Canadian government, who
accompanied the party on this trip.
A nice luncheon was served to the
visiting editors at the fair grounds
adjoining the city, which are we'll i'm
proved with large buildings. Very
successful fairs are held every year.
Just across the Assiniboine river,
which winds through picturesque
valley at the foot of the city, is the
large experimental farm and Indian
Industrial school,, which was visited
through the courtesy of the city in
providing carriages. This farm has
been in operation some eighteen years
and is spot of beauty, presenting
splendid demonstrations of the won.
derful agricultural possibilities OF
this rich section Of country
PORTAGE IA PRAIRIE.
This is the last town visited Dy the
party before reaching Winnipeg, and
has 5000 population. It has a we'll
settled country around it. Carriage
drives to it's popular resort, Island
Park, also to the fair grounds, were
taken, followed by course dinner
at the opera house. Portage is a fine
little city, we'll improved, and one of
the agricultural gems of the dominion.
WINNIPEG, THE METROPOLIS. +.
From Portage to Winnipeg is about
60 miles, where we arrived about mid
night, and breakfasted at the Royal
Alexandra. The city had arranged
for auto and street car tours over the
city, and this diversion, varied with
shopping at the stores by the ladies,
and banquet at the hotel at4noon,
served to make the day pass very
pleasantly ~
Winnipeg is the largest town and
the great gateway of the Canadian
Northwest, having about 100000 peo-
pie. 1t is very progressive and thor
oughly metropolitan city with fine
business blocks, including sky-scrapers
Of ten or twelve stories. It has nine
teen banks, half dozen railway lines
radiating to all points of the compass,
and is the great wholesale center for
Western Canada, as we'll as the chief
grain market, as all shipments go
through here. The city has had a
wonderful growth during the past five
or six years, with still greater pros
poets In the immediate future.
IN CONCLUSION.
Everywhere we went in Canada we
were given most cordial reception.
At places where banquets were served
American and British flags were in
%->. III
were voiced, showing the good feel
ing toward the Americans as people,
A word in regard to the extent of
this Canadian country would not be
out of place. The three provinces of.
Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta,
extending west to the Rocky Noun
tains, each contain two hundred mil
lion acres, or six hundred millions in
all. So far as we could see the most
of this land is tillable, though but five
million acres are at this date actually
in crop with grain, and this small
area is expected to produce this year
a hundred and twenty-five million
bushels. Figuring the tillable area
in the three provinces at half the to-
tai, and we have three hundred mil
lion acres of possible wheat fields.
the average wheat crops in the past
in Western Canada have yielded 27
bushels per acre. Three hundred mil
lion acres and q bushels per acre
would make total that is staggering.
One years crop would flood the mar
kets of the world and feed all the
people on the earth for several years.
Such stupendous result will never
work out in fact, but it shows the
possibilities of this vast region for
the production of grain.
During the entire trip we saw very
little poor grain. No doubt the crops
there are shortened by the lack of
rain and by frosts at times and in
places, but the fact remains that one
year with another, there will be
steadily increasing amount of grain
raised in Western Canada. This in
crease in production will be astonish-
ing.
Cattle and hog raising is already an
established business in this same ter
ritory. Corn is not grown, but hogs
are fattened on barley, wheat and