Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-07-22


nave peen made whereby we secure free
land for church and Mr.. Charles W
petersen, prominent Dane of Alberta
mas requested that he be permitted to
build the Church itself, it certainly looks
as !! TINS settlement would progress very
rapidly right from the first.
would very much like to have as many
as possible go up on this excursion and
investigate the matter as it seems to me
1 1hat ahere is no opportunity for people of
snort time.
Respectfully yours.
~, (Sgd) j. J. kildsig:
Chairman Land Committee
REPORT OF ADDRESS
One very. interesting incident during
the Annual Conference of the Danish
Lutheran Church of America held at Elk
Horn, Iowa, recently was an address de-
livered on June 18th, by Charles w. Peter
sen of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in re-
sR@9nse to an Invitation sent to him by the
development and agricultural possibilities
OF the Province of Alberta, Canada The
presence OF Mr.. Petersen was sought ow-
appointed by the Church last year to in
yestigate different localities for settlement
nag Deen very much impressed with the
railway Company, east of Calgary. Alber-
ia, and that, acting on their recommends
ton these lands had been investigated
Mr.. j. Il. III. Myrthu of Elk Horn, Iowa,
who also were so favorably Impressed
with the country that they purchased
their friends and countrynen would also
pc very anxious to secure land in this
district when they had had an opportun-
Ity Of investigatingit it, they prevailed upon
| the railway Company to place in reserve
a block OF some 1900 acres for Danish
settlement, and it was thought that an
| PETERSEN would greatly help the people
IN maklns up their minds as to whether
or not they wish to spend the time neces-
i sarE to make an investigation of that
country.
| Mr.. Petersens address was listened to
We hery attentlveIy when it was learned that
Denmark twenty-three years ago, settling
first in the Province of Manitoba where he
raised his first crops and lived for nuns
Der of years. That at the time the Cana
dian Government decided they should
have a Department of Agriculture EN-
bracing the western country he was re
naming in active charge as Deputy
Minister of Agriculture for number of
years in which position he naturally came
IN close contact with agricultural comnu-
mites all over the country and had an ex
cellent opportunity of studying different
1hoean1les: Durlng his Investigations he
around Calgary in the Province of Alberta,
possessed many advantages not enjoyed
by other parts of the country and after
having acquired farm near that city he
left the Government service to carry on
active farming operations, which he con-
tinued until a few years ago when he was
able to retire. Also, the fact that all the
different farmers associations in existence
today in the Province of Alberta were or
evident that in his country he is consid.
cred oGS OF the foremost authorities on
that subject,
The audience listened with wonder TO.
the fact that farmers in that favored
country raise from forty to sixty bushels
OF hard WINTER wheat per acre, which is
now selling at upwards of Sl.00 per bushel
OF oats running from eighty to one hun
dred bushels per acre and Weighing forty
to forty. eight pounds per bushel. to the
enormous production per acre of Barley,
Speltz, Rye, Flax. Etc. To the great ease
with which Alfalfa was grown on irrigable
land and to its great value as a milk pro-
grown very successfully, as were also
Sugar Beets, tests having shown that the
Alberta beet cantained a larger percent
age of saccharine matter than beets pro
duced in many of the great beet districts
in the western States. That pot atoes bro.
duced on irrigable lands very abundantly
making IN many instances as high as
four hundred bushels per acre and always
selling at high prices this winter having
brought between Sl.o and $1.50 per bushel,
as did almost every known vegetable.
After completing his address MIR. Peter
sen answered a large number of ques-
tions, during which time the fact was
learned that under the Canadian laws it
is impossible for the Government to grant
water permits for more water than any
possibility of people on irrigable lands
finding themselves short of water and in
addition. to this provision of the Cana
Company delivers to every purchaser a
| written guarantee to furnish him with a
s STA s amount OF water, making it posi-
Die tor him to recover from the Railway
Company full damages to crops should
| they fail to do so.
x IL answer A. " toa question by Rev, J. ].
kildsig OF Racine, Wis, Mr.. Petersen stat
ed that he felt he might promise them
that the Railway Company would donate
| land for Church and ended by saying
We're permitted to build the church him
self as it would give him pleasure to make
| that donation toward starting Danish
settlement on the irrigable lands in Al
| berta, knowing, as he did. that it would.
be extremely successful.
Another fact which was brought out at
TINS time was that it would be possible to
have our own schools, taught in the Dan
lsh language, in the settlement. to the
our lands would go and that we would al
| SO secure the Government yearly grant,
which in that country is made. to all the
| ing permitted under the Canadian laws
| After the meeting a great many of those
present stated that they were anxious to
! decided that an excursion would be run
| by special sleeping cars the middle of
August to select lands. If all Danish
people Wishing to accompany this excur-
| sion will signify their intention to do So
at as early date as possible, arrange
nents, will be made for their accomoda-
ton. The present intention is to have it
start from Elk Horn, Iowa, Tuesday
morning, August 18th; leave Atlantic,
| Iowa, Tuesday afternoon; Council Bluffs
Iowa, Tuesday evening, over the North
western; ST. Paul Wednesday morning,
| August 18th, over the 500 Line and Portal,
! n. ID. Tuesday morning, August 18th.
Mr. Jens Rasmussen, X. f. ID. No. l. Elk
Horn: Iowa, and Mr.. j, Il. II. Myrthu, Box
~, Elk Horn, Iowa, who both own land in
| the settlement and have been all over il
| have kindly agreed to answer all ques-
tions about heexcursion lands, so if
| people interested will write to either of
these gentlemen they Will be informed of
| all the details.