The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-01-28
Last Mountain Valley Dis
trict to be the Focus of
Building Operations
During 1911.
IN 6 YEARS so new TOWNS
tors Capacity $4,000 Bushels.
Prophecy by Scientist of n Year
Ago Is Justified by Changes Made
BY Settlers.

Winnipeg, Man., Jan. 2S.-New
railroad construction In 1911 in west
ern Canada largely will be in Sas-
| katchewan where the competition of
other roads with the Canadian North
ern in the region known as the last
mountaine Valley is adding a branch
line mileage at lively rate.
| Last year one-third of the new
mileage constructed by the Canadian
Pacific system was within the confines
of this valley. and this year the Ca
madam Northern, 1t has been decided,
will build from Craven still farther
| east than the C. p. II. line north from
Regina. The Canadian Northern was
first to enter the district and its main
| line from Regina to Saskatchewan
caused the region to be colonized. The
facts that Saskatchewan produced n
large part, 6O,O00.0OO bushels, of the
crop of western Canada last year,
owing to the drought farther west,
and that the largest yield came from
the Last Mountain Valley has made
that district now the center of inter-
est and of race of railroads the like
of which has not been equaled even
in the dramatic railroad building of
the "last west" of Canadian provinces
The new proposed mileage makes
the railroad map OF the region like
huge hand about 20 miles long and
so wide with the radiating lines the
fingers with the thumb near Southey,
where the proposed Canadian North
tt.o a., oct n IL
rect line northward.. The greatest
influx of settlers is promised in the
vicinity of Southey, consequently the
rivalry during the year will be to
occupy the region roundabout
Within six years thirty towns and
shipping points have sprung into be-
ing in 'he Last Mountain valley One
lof them Strassburg, has board OF
trade, four churches, a chartered
bank, O newspaper, grade school and
high school and a population of 500.
At Lumsden, also. the elevator ca
pacity is $4,000 bushels, at Craven
OF, 900 bushels. The assessed valua-
ton of property has reached the to-
tai of $350,000. In Nakomis, Bulyea,
Craven, Ear, Glrey and Govan SINH
lar mlricals have been wrought, the
prairie having been suddenly dotted
during the space of a few years with
enterprlsing towns in four different
rows which during 1911 will become
five rows. along the railroads
William Pearson of Winnipeg who
has personal acquaintance with hun
dreds of the settlers in the Last
Mountain Valley that he is called
Last Mountain Pearson" has stat
ed, in reviewing the changes: "ln
every town there IS a graded or high
school, but throughout the farming
districts, Just as in eastern Canada
and the Central States, there are, four
or five miles apart, the rural schools,
maintained by a liberal government
grant, by the general education tax
levied throughout each Local I'M
provement District and by the spe-
cial school tax in the district from
which It receives its scholars. The
teachers are competent, the inspec-
ton thorough, and the way for any
boy or girl attending these rural
schools right up in the Provincial
University is wide open.
municipal organization in the rural
0lSIrlclS Is lulls IN wen hdNdn0tu %
In the towns. The valley is divided
into local Improvement districts in
which the taxes are extended, with
the liberal grants given by the Sas-
katchewan government, for roads,
bridges and other needed betterments
In the FIVE years since most of these
districts were organized, there have
been some notable and very satisfac-
tory improvements made in the public
highways. Miles of graded roads are
TO be found in many parts of the val
ley, and every year this mileage is
being increased and improved"
Since New Years construction
work has been less impeded by cold
than by the chinook" winds which
have melted the snow at times at the
rate OF foot a day The railway
race viii be in full swing in April.
Twenty years ago Professor Ma
coun. In a volume called Manitopa