The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-09-12

section that many men from our two
armies are settling government farms
Settlement here extends 100 miles
north to ''the end of the steel,' as they
say. AS far as climate and such things
are concerned, there seems no end
to where the steel may go. There is
an average of about 40 head of cattle
to each farmer around here, and many
of them stay out all winter with no
shelter but that furnished by the trees
and the draws.
Unique indeed was our auto ride at
Wainwright, little farther On. Over
hill and dale, thru trees and sagebrush,
on trails or off, we hunted in Buffalo
Park for deer and elk and buffalo
placed in this 100 mile square tract
of land by the Dominion government.
The nucleus of the herd of bison was
purchased in 1909 from man in Mon
tana who thought he had about 300 of
them in a natural basin in the noun
tains of Montana. He was trying to
induce our government to buy them
to be preserved as national asset.
But while congress was deliberating,
Canada bought the herd at $3.50 head.
At the roundup there proved to be
| 706 of the animals. With few buff
falo from other sources, the herd has
grown to number about 300, includ-
ing some cattelo, a cross between the
| buffalo and cattle. In the herd of
deer was a tame one named Maud that
came to her keeper when he called
! her to be petted Here we had fleet
ing glimpse of the aurora borealis, and
got back to the train about II
o'clock, after a delightful long twi-
light in the halls. Would you think
that such an extremely out of the
way place could furnish cars for SO
large party?
On west we went to Edmonton,
about $50 miles north of the border
| Do you suppose that so far west and
north they have electric lights and tel
ephones? Yes, they do, and they have
few other things, as well. Edmonton
was a trading point about century
ago. But as a modern commercial
center the city came into existence
with the advent of the Canadian
Northern in 1905. There were then
about $1,000 people. Now there are
60,000 Here is a city that is differ
ent, as compared with the other cities
of the prairies. Among trees and foil
age, it rises in splendor on the high
banks-very high-of the Saskatche-
wan; and the setting reminds one OF
Quebec. The climate, summery eli
mate, is noticeably different. And
while the surrounding country produces
big yields of wheat, and Edmonton has
mills and elevators, it also has pack
ing plants and creameries and stock.
yards. Favorable climatic conditions
afford absolute assurance of good
yr1 zit,fr 1r,1n int
About Edmonton lies probably the
best mixed farming land in the coun.
try, and according to some of the
farmers from across the line the best
on the continent. While Mr.. Stafford
and the treasurer of Illinois were
taken to see the penitentiary with the
warden, | was driven by a man from
Nebraska about 25 miles into the
country to the home of ]. R. Suther.
land for tea and scones. The man
from Nebraska told me that his chill
dren go about three miles to school
and that last winter he felt it neces.
sary to take them to school three DAYS,
as it seemed too cold for them to un-
hitch and put away the horse They
usually came home with their coats in
the bottom of the sleigh He went
tHere ABOUT 10 years ago with his
bride, and $1,000 from his father. He
now owns clear about $40 acres, well
stocked and beautifully improved. He
says that when he went there Ameri-
cans were considered rough-necks. and
he was somewhat surprised at the turn
things seem to have taken since the
war. He said that their rural COM
munity life is fine, and that the rela-
tionship existing between the city and
county is delight. You see, he. a
farmer living 25 miles away, was
asked to help entertain the visitors.
| The creamery output in butter is
about six million pounds a year. We
might say that all thru Canada our
butter and milk and cream were of
the very best quality. The butter was
all unsalted, sweet and delicious. The
province of Alberta is said to hold