Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-05-27
A Letter From Canada.

mas reCeWeu tuc lOliO"ihs m'Si~"7
ter from his son, Rev. Charles Ghlselln,
| IT,. who has gone TO Dinton, Alberta,
Canada, to preach during the summer
months. The latter writes TO his father
from Dinton under date OF May l4th:
After leaving you in Paterson reached
the Lehigh Valley station in Newark just
three minutes before the time for the Black
Diamond Express. We passed down the
Delaware river as far as Easton, where
the upper Delaware and Lehigh rivers
part. Beautiful mountain scenery was
afforded by The ride down the Blue Ridge
mountains TO Wilkesbane. which lies IN
a very-low valley. For several hundred
miles the railroad follows the winding
course of the Lehigh river along fertile
fields and grassy pasture lands. Lakes
Canandaigua and Geneva are especially
pretty and attractive, bringing back to
memory the Misunderstanding Tales"
by Cooper. About nine O'Clock reached
Buffalo. After spendingthe night in Bull
falo, reached Niagara Falls at nine
O'Clock the next morning, and spent i've
hours there most enjoyably by looking at
the wonderful views around Goat Island
and the Horseshoe Falls.
The customs officials gave me very little
trouble in going across the Canadian oor-
der. and reached Toronto at 5 O'Clock
Thursday afternoon. About 10000 re-
cruits are now training in Toronto. When
YOU see soldier for about every civilian
on the main streets you feel that Canada
is very generously contributing her troops
TO help the British Army. Mr.. Edmlson,
secretary of the Home Mission Board,
told me that if the war continues another
year such leading schools as Toronto
University, McGill, ETC., will be forced
TO close, because their students are en-
listing in such large numbers. You are
impressed by the youthful and vigorous
appearance of the average soldier.
Thursday night at 10 20 | left Toronto
on the Vancouver express. The journey
across the desolate and rocky lands OF
western Ontario was uneventful. Al a..
m. Saturday reached Ignace and stopped
with Mr.. Dudley at the X. X. Y. IA. c. A..
| My two days at Ignace were fully occu-
pied. Mr.. Wilkinson, the new mission
airy, had just reached lgnace the day be-
fore me. introduced him to many peo-
pie and visited many friends at Osaquan
Mills that afternoon. Many lgnace peo-
pie have relatives fighting in Europe and
were very deeply concerned in the war.
The sinking of the LuSitania was great
shock to the Canadians. They think that
President Wilson and the United States
Congress are prevented from going TO
war against Germany only on account OF
the large German population in the United
States, and they believe that the coward
" continuance of the United States in a
shameful peace will utterly fail to achieve
President Wilson's object of helping other
nations out OF the war through the en-
couraging example OF one great peaceful
country.
Last Monday morning left Ignace and
reached Winnipeg at o'clock. Winni-
peg is the most enterprising and prosper
GUS city in the Canadian West. Ienjoyed
very much visiting the store OF 7. Eaton,
which rivals John Wanamaker's store in
Philadelphia, and seeing the exhibits OF
agricultural products. Then | took a
swim at the Y. M. c. A., and left the city
at 10. 30 p. m. on the "Imperial Limited"
of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
On the following day we passed across
the great Canadian prairie lands, which
extend more than 1000 miles from east
to west through Manitoba, Saskatchewan
and Alberta. Regina, Moose Jaw and
Medicine Hat are cities which we passed.
Large grain elevators, owned either by
the Canadian government or by large pri-
vate corporations, are situated at frequent
intervals along the railroad. You are at
once impressed by the immense grain
producing capacity of the Canadian West.
| The blades of wheat, which was planted
this spring, are barely visible above the
surface OF the land. The Canadian gov
eminent is making strenuous efforts to in
crease the crop acreage of wheat this year
| in view of the unusual need of large
amounts OF war food.
Wednesday morningwe reached Calga-
ry. Across the level prairie the snow
covered Rockies, though about 100 miles
distant from Calgary, appear to be as
near as the Blue Ridge mountains do to
Shepherdstown.
After fifty miles ride TO the south on
the train, reached Blackie at 1890 We'd
nesday morning. Blackie is town of
$50 people. Most OF the country for hum
dreds OF miles consists Of level prairie
land. II is divided into sections one mile
square. The new settlers receive only
one quarter sections, or 100 acres, from
the government. Most OF the people are
connected by telephones. Some claim
that this is the best wheat district in west
ern Canada. About one-half OF the peo-
pie are Americans, while the others are
mostly of British origin.
My field is about Is miles wide at its
longest diameter. For the last two days
drove about twenty miles in visiting the
people. At the present time ! am staying
at least for few weeks with some very
congenial and pious Canadian Presby-
terians, the Wilkins. They have living
with them their only grandson Gordon, a
very good and ambitious boy II years
old. Mr.. and Mrs. Wilkins treat me very
kindly in their small home. During
| T..