Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-12-24
"wHy ! EMIGRATED"
THE NOTES OF A PROMINENT
JOURNAtiST WHO MADE A
TRIP THROUGH WESTERN
CANADA.

an American Sunday newspaper he
published after his return the interest.
ing account which we print as fol
lows. He writes:
why did you emigrate from the |
United States?" | asked farmer In
Western Canada.
Il believe that for a poor man West |
ern Canada Is the most favorable
land" was the reply, and | have nov
found that 1t is the Paradise of the
! Poor"
The farmer. a pioneer Of the west.
had five years earlier left Iowa for
| Canada to secure a new home there.
After traversing the country for some
I time. he started his home on the open
prairie and with steady industry de
J voted himself to the working of the
( virgin soil Now he Is the well-to-do
| owner of that endless sea of waving
wheat ears that goes on for miles be-
fore my eyes. His strong. sunburned
figure finds the best background in his
farm itself, which is the outcome OF
his ceaseless activity--a pretty two
stored dwelling house. a large clean
stable, in the midst of a hamlet OF
barns. sheds and outbuildngs. use
ful garden overlooking with products;
horses, cattle sheep and swine on the
rich pastures. and around to the hori-
zon wheat. golden wheat.
I'm Iowa?" the farmer continued, Il
farmed on rented land. for at the price
of 500 per acre | did not possess
| money enough to buy. ! might farm.
might farm as could, more than the
living for myself and family, could
not attain. Sometimes the harvest
turned out good sometimes bad. but
the grand total was a bitter combat to
keep want from the door. II was i'm
possible to lay by for bad times and
in spite OF all trouble and work an old
age free of care was not to be
thought of. My death would have
brought bitter poverty to my wife and
children.
Il decided to breakup and so to
Canada, where at least I could fight
out the struggle for existence on my
own land. ! started out with a mule
team. all my earthly possessions were
in the prairie-schooner with my wife
and children. Then | took up a home.
stead of 100 acres to which | added
by purchase gradually; now as n
whole ! count about 5000 acres as my
own. The whole property Is free OF
debt. do not owe cent to anyone.
bought my land for $3.50 per acre,
now | would not give it up for $50"
do you mean to say that you paid
for the whole land In the FIVE years 80
| interrupted.
in a much shorter time" replied
the farmer. The land paid for itself
some already by the first harvest, and
at longest in 3 years each field had
brought in its purchase price. II you
doubt that land In Western Canada
pays for itself within 3 years you ear
easily convince yourself OF the trutl
OF my assertion. Let us assume that
a farmer buys farm OF 100 A. at $15
per A. for s24O0. Farm machines
seed, ploughs. moving and threshins
might bring up the outlay to abou
$40 per acre. II the farmer sows thu
100 A. for years In succession will
wheat and harvests 20 bus. per acre
then the product of an A. at the aver
age price of 75c per bu. Is exactly 81!
per acre. II you deduct the $40 out
lay. you will retain clear return o
$500 For 100 A. the annual excess
amounts to $500, consequently tn,
farm has after the third harves
brought in the purchase price o
s2.iO0.
''Sometimes-and not rarely-th
land pays for itself by the first harves
of 35 bus. of wheat bring in more thar
the purchase price of SIS per acre
AS In some years | harvested NOR
than 35 bus. you can reckon for your
self how quickly ! paid for my farm
}, Would you not prefer your owl
. farm in Iowa." asked.
No." replied the farmer. "neve
will | go back. In general very fey
American settlers return to the oil
d lone. In Iowa 100 A. farm cost
IS 800 per A., $4,000; In Western Car
r ada SIS, only $4,000. For the sam
It money that you require to buy a 16
i A. farm In Iowa, YOU can buy here 4
n Western Canada farm of | 900 acres
q have money enough to buy farm 4
Q Iowa, II ! wished. But there my yeai
q ly income would be n small on,
" whereas here ! work for a great gaii
Q There ! would only be a small farmer
u here | am large landed proprietor,
Q In a corner of the farmyard | ha
during our conversation noticed
s mound OF earth overgrown wit
r grasses and wild flowers To my II
70 quiry as to what II was. ! received tn
D. reply: THAT Is the ruin OF the woode
q shack covered with sods, which | cal
B. ed my home when ] settled here ilv
is years ago"
B. gathered wild aster from tn
y. ruin and flung It into the air. In pu
% plish-glittering line the wind drove tn
flower towards the fine, modern-equiI
ped farmhouse. What a contrast b,
tWaao tho lnwIv oa rthv hut NJ wat a.