Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-03-20
WESTERN CANADA'S
PHENOMENAL
DEvELOPM ENT
IT'S PERMANENcY VERY LlTTLR
QUESTIONED.

There have been booms In almost
every civilized country and they were
looked upon as such, and In the course
of time the bubble was pricked and
they burst. But in no country has the
development been as great nor as
rapid, whether In city or in country,
as In Western Canada. There may
sometimes be found one who will say
Can 1t last?" Winnipeg, today. stands
where Chicago stands as far as Be
Ing the base Of the great commercial
and agricultural country lying
thousand miles back of 1t. 1t has an
advantage that Chicago did not have,
for no country In the worlds history
has attracted to its borders larger
number of settlers in SO short a Tins,
or has attracted go much wealth in
period OF equal length, as have the
Canadian prairies. Never before has
pioneering been accomplished under
conditions 30 favorable as those that
exist In Western Canada today
The provinces Of Manitoba, Sas
katchewan, and Alberta have thy
largest area OF desirable lands on thd
North American Continent, and their
cultivation has just begun.
Even with two hundred million
bushel wheat crop less than eight per
cent. of the land is under the plough.
four per cent being In wheat. Less
than five years ago the wheat crop
was only seyenty-one million bushels
ln ~.{, IL nlnxrJ lott ar, IN nutf ~
that If four per cent of the available
cultivable area produces something
over two hundred million bushels,
what will forty-four per cent. produc92
And then look at the immigration that
Is coming into the country. In 1901
1t was 49,149; 1900 being from the
United States. In 1906 1t was 1879 06f.
of which $1,000 were Americans. and
in 1912 it was about 100000, Of which
about 100000 are Americans. In the
three years prior to 1912, there were
S58,859 persons who declared them
selves for Canada, who brought into
Canada in cash, bank drafts, stock,
implements and effects over $3.50, 000,-
600. Why have they gone to Canada?
The American farmer is man ct
shrewd business instincts, and whenN
he finds that he can sell his own farm
at from 500 to 5000 per acre and move
into Canada and homestead 160 acres
for himself and similarly for all his
sons who are adult and of age, upon
lands as rich and fertile as those he
had left, and producing. indeed, sew
eral bushels to the acre in excess OF
anything he has ever known, It will
take more than an ordinary effort to
prevent him from making the change.
He can also purchase good lands at
from $12 to $25 per acre.
And, then, too, there is the Ameri-.
can capital following the capital q
Drawn. muscle and sinew. following ~
so as to keep in touch with the induA
trious farmer with which he has
dealings for years back. This capTE4l
and the capital Of farming experience
is no small matter in the building UP
OF country.
Will Western Canada's development
continue? Why not? The total area
OF land reported as available for cult
tivation is estimated as $4,000, 900
acres; only fifteen per cent. Of this II
under cultivation. Nothing is said OF
the great mineral and forest wealth,
Of which but little has yet been
Observation-Disclosures.
When pretty widow begins to