The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-03-23
IN THE CANADIAN NORTHWEST
Interesting Account of Life There by
Former Manchester Girl

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The friends Of Miss Stella j. Page
now Mrs. George H. Day of Prelate
Saskatchewan, Canada, will be inter.
ested to read the following extract;
from recent letter describing hel
new home in the far Northwest She
left Northampton, Mass, on Nov Goth
last and writes as follows:
my train arrived at Swift Current
Sask., at p. m., Nov. 23rd. Mr. Day
met me and after hurried change
we were at the NJ. +. parsonage at G
and before | could realize | was off the
train ! was Mrs. Day Then we go,
to Sceptre "a hours later and drove
eight and half miles home.
| suppose you've read something of
a "homesteader's" life so you can inn
agine what change it is from life in
Northampton. Still it isn't anything
like the first years out here, for now
Mr.. Days place is only five and half
miles from the little town Of Prelate
on the branch of the Canadian Paci-
fic Railway"
"StiIl it has been too far away for
me to go in during the cold weather.
] was in twicc before Christmas but
since then haven't been farther away
than the farm There is a Methodist
Church and I'm anxious for good
weather so | can go. I've seen only
five women since came. Last Sun
day Mrs. Kirk and her son came over
for most of the day. = Most of
the neighbors are bachelors or Rus
slams or Rumanians. Our nearest are
Rumanians and they are good neigh
bors for tha. kind I've seen the
young wife twice. The man comes
every day for milk or water. They
are three quarters of a mile away.
"Mr. Day has half section, 320
acres, lots of machinery, ten horses
(including colts) and the usual pigs
and chickens. He bought the COW af
ter came. Two other horses died in
December so he will have to break
some colts before time to get on the
land, as he has to use six strong ones
on the plow.
Last years crop was the best ever
out here The 1914 crop was a com
plete failure and many people had to
be practically fed by the government.
while this year they have enough.
The men who went heavily in debt las
spring for engine breaking to plant
more happened to come out much
ahead of the more conservative men
like Mr.. Day. +.' But he had 1886
bushels of wheat, 1852 of oats and 25
tons of oat sheaves.
OF course the farms don't look much
like those back home, and .he houses
or shacks are mostly so small and fun
ny, and some people are still living in
sod houses because they are so warm.
"And they need to be warm up
here. The weather was fine until De
,embe1 26 and since then until two
weeks ago we've had continuous cold I
and much bad weather The temper
l.ure has been as low as G5 below
zero and one day it was 45 below in
he sun at midday. 1t was rarely
ligher than 20 or 30 below. - ;
"Mr. Day built new little shack
md we moved in February Bra. 1t y
las kitchen and small bedroom,
,ut it is sunny and cheerful. y"
We sent away for some things Mr..
Day has built some furniture and all
ny little things are making it honey s
md attractive, so we'll be quite won t
lerful for this neighborhood. - q
81 must tell you abou. Brother.
John Watt Page of Ft. Worth, Tex
.s-Ed) He has been appointed one 5
4 the six military advisers for the t
State of Texas to put the National q
;uard on a better basis. We've just I
,ot some F. Worth papers and in one \
vas an article on Preparedness and
he National Guard, written by Bro
her. r
"They we're all well the last we d
card. 1t still seems as though were L
4 a dream and that mus. surely a
ave mother back again. C.