The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-02-03
RAILWAYS RACE FOR
CROP REGION.

! III saskatchewan where the compost
ton OF other roads with the Canadian
Northern in the region known as
the Last Mountain Valley is adding
branch and main line mileage at a
lively rate
Last year one-third of the new
mileage constructed by the Canadian
Pacific system was within the con-
fines of this valley and this year the
| Canadian Northern, it has been de-
cided Will build north from Craven
still farther east than the c. p r.
| line north from Regina. The Cana
| dian Northern was first to enter the
district and its main line from Re-
! gina to saskatchewan caused the re-
/ gion to be colonized The facts that
SASKATCHEWAN produced large part
! 100000 bushels, OF the crop OF
western Canada last year, owing to
i the drought farther west, and that
the largest yield came from the Last
Mountain Valley, has made that dis
trict now the center of interest and
of a race OF railroads the like OF
which has not been eGualled 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 a
huge hand about 20 miles long and
80 wide with radiating lines as fin
gers, with the thumb near Southey.
where the proposed Canadian North
ern line will cross in almost direct
I line northward The greatest in
fluX Of settlers is promised in the vi
Gritty OF Southey, consequently the
rivalry during the year will be 30
occupy the region round about.
Within six years thirty towns and
shipping points have sprung into be-
ing in the Last Mountain Valley. One
of them, Strassburg, has a board OF
trade, four churches, q chartered
bank, newspaper. grade school and
nigh school and population of 500.
AT Lumsden, also, the elevator capa-
city is 11S,000 bushels, at Craven,
$4,000 bushels, The assessed valu-
alton of property has reached the to-
tai of $4,000. In Nakomis, Bulyea,
Craven, Earl Grey and Govan similar
miracles have been wrought, the
prairie having been suddenly dotted
during the space of a few years with
enterprising towns in four different
rows which during 1911 will become
five rows along the railroads.
William Pearson of Winnipeg, who
has such personal acquaintance
with hundreds of the settlers in the
Last Mountain Valley that he is call
ed Last Mountain Pearson" has
stated, III reviewing the changes: ''ln.
every town there is a graded school
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 ru-
raj schools, maintained by a liberal
government grant, by the general ed
local Improvement district, and by
the special school tax in the school
district from which it receives it's
scholars. The teachers are compe-
cent the inspection thorough, and
the way for any boy or girl attending
these rural schools right up to the
rovincial university, is wide open.
Municipal organization in tho
rural districts is fully as we'll adj
vanced as in the towns. The Valley
is divided into local Improvement
districts in which the taxes are ex-
pended, with the addition of the very
liberal grants given by the Saskatch-
evan government, for roads, bridges
and other needed betterments. In
the five years since most of these dis II
tricts were organized, there has been
some notable and very satisfactory
improvements made in the public
highways. Miles of graded roads are
TO be found in many parts of the
valley and every year this mileage
is being increased and improved't-
Since New Years construction
work has been less impeded by cold
than by the chinook winds which
have melted the snow at therate OF
foot day at times. The railway
race will be in full swing by April,
Twenty years ago Professor Ma
coun, in volume called Manitoba
and the Great Northwest" made a
prediction which is singularly pro-
phetic in light of the present invest
ment of railroad capital in the re-
gion. There is a block of 10000
600 acres that to my knowledge over
80 per cent is fit for agricultural
and pastoral purposes" he said in
1882. There will be no difficulty
in obtaining first-class wheat crops
throughout the greater part of it, az