Omaha daily bee., 1911-08-20
BOOM DAYS IN NEW CANADA
Northwest Just Now Undergoing an
Amazing Material Growth.
MANY NEBRAsKANs ARE THERE
Frank Crawford Writes from strath-
coma Concerning what He Has
witnessed During a Ions
Auto Ride.

Frank Crawford, at present travelling in
Canada Northwest writes from Strathcons,
under date OF August II. as follows.
IT was glad yesterday 20 get hold Of a
Bee which I found on sale at Edmonton,
across the river. Since leaving Omaha I
have been all over Canada west OF Win
nipeg 1 have been nearly 1000 miles In
an auto with the president Of the Canadian
Elevator company and Mr.. Engen Of Sas-
katoon and we found immense crops every
where Barring frost there will be
bumper crop. Mr.. Engen has one farm of
$500 acres all in flax. It is said to be as
fine a crop as ever grew and is worth
$4,000.
IT meet Nebraskans everywhere. run
across them in hordes looking over the
country. I met one party of thirty-four the
other day from Lancaster and Douglas
counties. Many old settlers. so-called. are
from Nebraska. In fact, 1 think that Ne
braska has become generic name Tor a
good farmer and often includes settlers
from our whole middle west. I viii testify
that our emigrants have at least done us
credit.
II am impressed with the extent Of the
loss to our state in losing these useful and
often wealthy citizens. 1 think II is up to
our bond houses and mortgage brokers to
teach our farmers to invest in something
besides lands. II is land investments which
takes them out of the state.
IT have met many Omahans also who are
engaged or employed in some capacity in
the building of the railroads. Peterson g.
Lamereaux have headquarters at Moose
Jaw. l ran across several OF these men
whom 1 knew. They have two large con-
tracts with the Canadian Pacific. met
ut Gaq Ix and bia
partner. Mr.. Shirley, have an extensive
contract on the Grand Trunk.
Here at Strath0ona lives an old Omaha
lawyer whom 1 remember very well, John
10. Upton. He was the first man from the
United States who was ever admitted TO
the bar of Canada. Judge Upton is one Of
the old settlers here. He has abandoned
for some time the practice with its small
fees and out of the real estate and ioaning
business has amassed a fortune. 1 have
been loafing a little around his office
lately and can assure his old Omaha friends
that there Is no evidence of his ceasing to
make money.
This is beautiful country. It is a
mixed farming country where timothy
springs up as land is cleared, a land of dew
and freshness. The soil is very fertile and
the climate matchless. but have a notion
turns from the land only ordinary. 1 was
out on the Grand Trunk to the end of steel
at the gateway of the Rockies. 1t is land
of rivers and lakes and muskeg which con-
tractors have always represented as about
worthless, but it is not so. II is a beautiful
land needing only settlers to let in the sun
and drain it. The settlers are coming. too,
in throngs bound for the Grande Prairie
| and the Perez river.
Saskatoon and Edmonton are lively
cities. They are in the throes of a terrific
boom. Doctors, dentists, lawyers, stenog-
raphers, are all selling lots and getting top
notch prices. When 1 say selling 1 speak
advisedly. Everything in Canada sells at
present When the price gets go high that
no one else will buy, along comes a friendly
Englishman who keeps the ball rolling
once. A lot on Jasper avenue In Edmonton,
rather small in dimensions and the counter
part Of 100 others, with a brick church on
1t sold for S195.OOo could not help COM
pairing It with Judge Neville's purchase at
Sixteenth and Harvey streets"