The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-02-14
Letter From Canada.

The following letter from Garfield
Bond to his brother here, is publish
ed by request, and shows Mr.. Bonds
impression of Alberta.
Gleichen, Alberta, Feb. 3, 1908
Dear Brother John:
/ Arrived here Friday morning al
1895, and spent the remainder of the
morning hours in sleep at the ranch
of Mr.. Algood. Since my arrival
have been looking over the country
thoroughly within a radius Of ten
miles of Gleichen. have reserved
a section and half eight miles east
of Gleichen and two miles north of
Chuny, the nearest railroad station.
We may consider ourselves fortu-
nate in coming in time as the G. P.
R. r. has raised on the price of land
from SIS to SIS since I came, prov
ing the money question does not eff
feet the sales in this country. This
raise will apply to all lands in the
future.
Just word about the country in
general At Lethbridge I found the
weather quite cold, the thermome-
ter registering degrees above zero,
and about two inches of snow on the
ground, being the coolest weather
here this winter, so l am told. On
Saturday morning Mr.. Algood and l
walked around the town and found
the people surprisingly thrifty, and
first-class buildings everywhere.
There are three elevators of 5O,-
600 bushel capacity, and a -four mill
of 500 barrel capacity.
Lethbridge is a town of 5000 in
habitants and is large coal produc-
ing camp, and taken altogether has
a bright future before it.
After leaving here we travelled
through fine range country with
grass knee deep, and land which can
and will some day be under cultiva-
ton. Between Lethbridge and Cal
gary there are several very nice
towns at distance of about nine
miles apart, ranging from 800 to
1000 inhabitants. This section is
the grain belt, excepting the Gleechen
country, for we think that the best.
There are twenty-three elevators
along the line from Lethbridge to
Calgary.
"a Calgary is twon with an inhabi-
lance of $4,000, and up-to-date in
every respect Cities are often rated
by the number of banks they possess,
this being the case Calgary is surely
with it's thirteen banks.
The capitals ranging from one to
eighteen millions, and each has all
the business 1t can handle.
The business blocks are first-class
and the public buildings follow in the
same line. The city takes pride In it's
future and will profit by so doing.
This section, as TAR as l have seen,
all through the Alberta country, has
black soil on top for about one foot,
a subsoil for thirty feet beneath.
Bunch grass covers the land, and 1t
will yield from one to two tons per
acre. 1t yields under proper cultiva-
ton from IS to 60 bushels of wheat
to the acre, and from 60 to 1875
bushels of oats Large, fine crops of
barley, potatoes and flax are raised.
was talking with one of the old
liners and he gave me recital of
his fourteen years in grain raising
n the Gleichen district He stated
hat he had raised oats on the same
and for twelve years in succession,
md with the exception of one year
'eceived yield of 80 bushels on an
lverage per acre. The particular :
'ear mentioned, on account of
lrought. he received. 40 bushels to
he acre. He summer followed it the t
thirteenth year and last year raised
IN an average of 1903 bushels on
90 acres, Potatoes yield from 800 i,
o 500 bushels per acre. These are a
acts given by this one man and :
roven by the statements of others. 4
Your afectionate brother,
Al JAS. G. BOND. 1