The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-07-21
w. III. Snyder Writes of His Visit to
Canada.

| w. III. Suyuef writes Oh HIS Nlslt W
| Canada.
Swift Current, Saska, Canada, July 5.
Editor Reporter:-By your per-
mission l will give a short write up,
as l promised some of my friends |
would, of north western Canada. /
left Leon April 10th, joined my wife
at Oskaloosa, Iowa, visited few
days in our old neighborhood, leav-
ing there April goth, via Iowa Cen
trail, for st Paul, after spending one
day in st Paul we went to Winnipeg
via the Grand Trunk R.R., crossing
the boundary line at Emerson After
spending a few hours in Winnipeg,
we took the C. P. r. going west stop
ping at Portage La Prairie about sc
miles west of Winnipeg s. there visit
ing with a sister of Mrs. Snyder for
a week. This is a beautiful country
all surrounded by lakes, fine place
for fishing and speared and shot
some fish in creeks leading out from
lakes. This is in the province OF
Manitoba and a country that has
been settled for 40 years. The soil
is very fertile and Judging from the
good improvements it must be
very prosperous country Contln-
uing our journey west, our next stop
was at Swift Current, about 800
miles farther west division point
on the C. P. R. where we were met
by our son, Walter, who we found
very nicely located about Z miles
from town, already having sowed
300 acres of wheat. This is in the
I, Province of Saska, and is new
country, it being all laid open to
ranchers seven years ago, and the
very first settlers came in here III
1903 and not very many until 1904
and 5. The C. P. r. is the only rail-
road in this part of the country. 1t
runs from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The Great 500 r. R. coming from st.
Paul makes connection with the G.
P. R. about 100 miles east of Swift
Current, making this the greatest
passenger route in the U. S. or IAN
ada Swift Current is town of
about 1000 population and is grow
ing very rapidly. You can see from
25 to SO new buildings under con-
struction at the present time, town
property advancing very rapidly and
very high. Small business buildings
that would cost probably four or
five hundred dollars, renting for $50
to $50 per month, owing to location.
They have some very substantial
buildings One department store,
which covers one-fourth of a block,
in which you can buy anything from
tooth pick to threshing machine.
There are seven grain elevators here
which report as having bought in the
year 1909 one million two hundred
thousand bushels of wheat and one
fourth million bushels of oats. There
/. are seven livery barns the smallest
of which is as large as any barn in
Leon. One large public school build
ing and number of churches.
Swift Current is located on the bot
tom of Swift Current creek, the
country around being rolling. Swift
Current derives it's name from the
creek which runs through the town.
This is a most beautiful stream, rock
and sand bottom and the water is as
clear as crystal and runs very rapid
ly. The implement dealers told me
that they sold one hundred and sixty
five thousand pounds of binder tWine
last year. Swift Current takes in a
large area of country, being ten miles
to the first town east and eight miles
to the first town west, no railroads
towns south until you get 100 miles
into the state of Montana, and north
about 10 miles, and homesteaders
come from so to 100 miles for sup
plies, some coming with OK teams and
some with an OK and a horse. OF
course there is not much farming
done farther out than 40 to so miles,
| they are just proving up and wait
. ing for the railroads to come. There
is proposed railroads all through those
districts and are building and grading
roads everywhere. Hundreds OF
] railroads camps are scattered over
the country. This country is settled
with people mostly from the states
west of Ohio and Indiana and from
the Province of Ontario. Farm land
is selling at differnt prices here, al
from ten to forty dollars per acre
: according to the lay of the ground
and distance from town. | think this
is great place to invest in land as
prices are bound to advance and it is
a good investment for farming
Wheat last year made from twenty
to fifty bushels per sacre and oats
from forty to one hundred. There
I are lots of bum farming done here
They only pillow land every 2 or
years and drill wheat in stubble
some disc and harrow before drilling
the crops put in this year looking
fine, but those that were drilled ii
stubble are not so good as it has beer
unusually dry this spring and sum
ner. The earliest wheat is just com
ing in head. Harvest usually begin:
here about the 10th of August an(
as soon as harvest is over threshins
} commences. About the middle o
May we started for sunny southern
Alberta, stopping at Lestbridge abou
260 miles west, city of about II,
600 population, having in the las
three years made a growth of from
1900 to 10000 We visited there
with nece for few days. Thi.
is fine city with fine shade trees
which are very uncommon in thi
country Next we went 10 miles OF