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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmte en commen^ant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparattra sur la derniAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le ces: le symbols — »> signif^s "A SUIVRE", le symbols y signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film* A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droits, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'Images nAcessaira. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 tfn^mtirmmmm i . iii >ii y WHAT SETTLERS SAY OF MANITOBA AND i- , TpE CAHUDIAll NOp-WE^T. As Published in the Coll»mn*» op 'vTHE CANADIAN GAZETTE," LONDON. ttiu RiniiT nr iiri>roih>ction li «Mr.«v«n.3 t^mimmm FC2>2>5% . i ' ■ CONTENTS. How A Man pp Mxrv-wmE Estabushed Himself an p Family An Account of Maple Creek, by a Farmer' feom Lincolnsiiirb ... Moving FROM Ontario TO Manitoba ... . .. ... ... First Impressions and Experiences of a Settler from Bradford "One of the Finest Countries in the World for any Energetic Young Man TO Get Along IN " ... ... ... ... ... Successful Ranching *iN Southern Manitoba .;. ... ^ Canada Bettei^ Suited to the Bjarisii Emigrant than the United \ ■ ' ' ' , ' .'■''. O FATES •»• cat «•• %■« aac •«■ ■•» •>• ••• Four Years' Experience in Manitoba, by a Farmer from Ontario How a Stockbroker Settled Himself in the Souris District ... How Two Brewers' Men from Monmouthshire Got ok What a Youth from Sheffielu Says of his Experience Lady Cathcart's Settlers ; «.. What A Lai>v Seitler Thinks of the Wew Home riow A Bristol Family Got on ... .4. The Settlement of Two Irish Families in the North-VVest How A Party of.Nine Settled at Rapid City ' ..^ ■ ... Another Irish Farmer Bears Testimony to the Claims of the Nortii-Wkst uioN Those who NEEb a New Home ... Calgary Described for the Benefit of Intending Settlers What a Sehler' from Yorkshire Says of Southern Manitoba ... Preckpis fro^i a SfNsiBLE Settler ... A Few Practical Details based on Experience A Series of Answers for Intending Kmiurants The Cold No Obstacle .... ., The Canadian North-West a Cure for Chest Diseases Readiness 'ro Work the Great Necessity ... PAGE 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 10 12 IS 16 17 18 20 21 23 24 26 37 28 28 30 I'-^e , jw PREFACE. As the best means of making those who are looking towards the Canadian North- West familiar with what opportunities that vast and fertile country offers to strong and industrious emigrants, ''Letters from Settlers " hare from the first been a special feature in the Canadian Gazettk. Some of them are now reproduced in this handy form, that their usefulness may continue in force. London, >fARCH, 1884. What Settlers say of Manitoba and the Canadian North-West. -?=yiifiiS5^ HOW A MAN OF SIXTY-NINE ESTAIJLISHEI) HIMSELF AND FAMILY. The following letter was addressed to and duly appeared in tlie Evesham Journal. It is a wonderful record of success, not only on the part of the writer, but of those associated with him ; and it contains, as many such letters do, evidence of the shiftlessness and failure of what the writer forcibly calls " swell sons " : — Sir, — Sitting here in my own new house on the beautiful prairie of the great North-West, I thought you would just like to hear from the old courageous emigrant once more. Well, sir, I am pleased to have to tell you that I and my dear wife and family are all very well, and very happy ii: this our new home. I have done all the building myself. My dear wife and children have worked hard, and got me the materials to do it with. We have a fiocil two-storey house, with back kitchen, front ditto, and parlour, five bedroonis, pantry, and frost-proof cellar. Vou will say, "/ell done, old man of 69 ! '' Yes, sir, and my family have earned me 2,000 liars in 16 months to do this with. I have stabling for three horses and four cows, and a house for my iniplements, one span of carriage-horses and oxen, and some pigs — all in the great North-West ! We can now drive to our place of worship in our carriage or sleigh and pair ! Well, sir, we had a most beautiful summer and fall up to Christmas. New Year's IJay brought us very cohl weather, but now it is getting milder as the sun is getting powerful. We h.-we plenty of work to be done all winter, getting out fencing and firewood, and I am happy to say we have a good supply of wood, and none too much. We had a nice few potatoes, carrots, turnips, and swedes, some wheat and oats. My oats were very good — 40 bushel per acre, sown on the turf and ploughed in. I also planted a few peas, put them in on the i6th May, and on the i6th July we gathered them quite full, and a beautiful flavour to them .is well. I kept a few to see about the boiling when hard, and they were very good indeed boiled. I hope to have in this spring 60 acres of corn and roots, so that we shall have a nice lot to harvest next summer. We are only four miles from the Oak Lake station on the great Canadian Pacific Railway. It seems almost incredible, but they laid the road and formed it very near 500 miles last season ; in fact, they have been running, and are now running, the regular trains daily 300 miles from us, und freight trains 400 miles. They hope to have it through to the Rocky Mountains in three years, so that traffic can pass through. With regard to my good neighbours, we help each other in busy times, because labour is xpensive — ten shillings per day in busy times, and keep. My son and I and my span of horses went one day to help to thrash a neighbour's oats. Wc thrashed out his little lot of six acres in six hours, and he had over 300 bushels. My son then went for a few ( 3 ) days to the next neighbour's, who has been on his farm two years, and they had 3,000 bushels. That is something like helping a poor emigrant along. No rent to pay, no bumming by landlords ! Be industrious, and keep jogging along, and all will be well with you ! This is no place for drunkards or idlers. We had some swell sons of gentlemen last winter boarded with us, but when pay-day came to be posted on them they had no cash, and they said, *' We expect our cash over by the next mail," but the mail got lost, 1 suppose, for it has not arrived yet. This is a specimen of our English gentlemen's sons, one a !octor, one a clergyman's son ; very bad boys, left indebted to us 40 dollars, which they don't try to pay. This is the place for good, honest, sober men. By-the-by, Mr. Editor, you will remember me coming at the last minute with my tall man to get his ticket. Well, sir, he is getting on wonderfully well. He sent his poor old mother, who lives in Birmingham, three hundred dollars for a Christmas-box — that is the way good men are getting on here — and he paid me for all I paid for him. The other gets ten shillings per day and house rent free and firing. Don't he bless the day I brought him ! His family is now with him, and they are very happy and well-to-do — cash for all their wants ! — I am, &c., D. W. Banister. Oak Lake, Manitoba, Canada, i^t/t February, 1883. AN ACCOUNT OF MAPLE CREEK, BY A FARMER FROM LINCOLNSHIRE. In the spring of 1883 Mr. Ernest Chaplin received the following from one who had long farmed in Lincolnshire, and it was placed at the service of the Canadian Gazette. Like the preceding letter it closes with a warning that the North-West is no place for the idle : — Sir, — I was pleased to hear from you. I [received your letter at Maple Creek the day before I started for Winnipeg. 1 arrived here last night, and intend going back as early as possible. I took up land at Maple Creek, as ,1 told you in my last letter, and am perfectly satisfied. The climate is much milder than Manitoba, .ind fully three weeks earlier. We had a hard trip down. The train runs no further than Swift Current at present, although the track is laid within nine miles of Maple Cveek. We came with a waggon to Swift Current, and then took the train. It is very cold here in Winnipeg now — deep snow, but we have none on valleys out west. I like the country much better than here for several reasons. We have plenty of good timber, good water, and fine pasture for cattle ; also a company have commenced a coal mint- close at hand. I am located 50 miles east of the crossing of the south l)ranch of the Saskatchewan River, which will be a division on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and I think will be a good town. The headquarters of the Mounted Police 'are to be removed from Port Walsh to Maple Creek. Two stores arc already up and about 50 shanties, and I expect in less tlian two months all the (lovernment land will be taken up near the railway. My homestead is about two miles from the station. I have a shanty up and a little land broke, and shall do all I can this summer. I called on Mr. M'Tavish this morning about some Canadian Pacific Railway land. He says it will not be in market until next fall, and the [price will be higher, as the land is better than back cast. I shall have to work for the Company this summer, ami then go on n>y farm. I am sure it is a good investment to buy land at Maple Creek. I will <;ive yoa a (4) description of the country west of Qu'Appelle, which I travelled through before the line was graded. After you leave Qu'Appelle plain, we come into low land full of small scrubby poplar and willow, for about 20 miles, then we come on the prairie^ which is much similar to the Qu'Appelle, but the land is heavier for about 40 miles. We come to Regina, or Pile of Bones Creek, which now is quite a little town — no timber, and very scarce of water. The plain extends on to Moose Jaw Creek; the land is much the same. Moose Jaw is a division on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Several buildings are now going up ; and there is quite a little boom in town lots. There is a great rivalry between it and Regina, but Moose Jaw is decidedly the best town site. For about 20 miles west of Moose Jaw the land continues good. Then we come to the Caxtus Hills and then to the Dakotas, which are quite unfit for cultivation. Until you get west of Rush Lake there is no timber. We come to Swift Current Creek, which is a nice creek with small timber. A few miles north there will be quite a little settlement here. The land again becomes a little rough for about 50 miles, then we begin to have nice creeks with timber and fine pasture. About 20 miles further west we come to M'Coy Creek, line land also. Then you rise up moderate land until you come to the river. I write this so that you can advise any one coming out. One thing more I have got to say about young gentlemen coming out here. I have seen several come out here and expect to find things easy, but it is a mistake ; a man may do well here if he will go right to work and try. I know several cases of young men come out here, stay about the towns until half their money is spent, then go out to look for land, having no idea how to go about it, and then go back home. But men who will work can do much better here than in England. — I have the honour to be, your obedient servant, J. II. Scoley. IVaverky Hotel, Winnipeg, March I5tli, 1883. MOVING FROM ONTARIO TO MANITOBA. It is a not uncommon experience that farmers in the older Provinces of Canada, who have large families, sell out and transplant themselves to the newer and cheaper lands of the North- West, and the following is a letter addressed to Mr. William Harder, of Winnipeg, from one who, as the head of a family of twelve, has taken this step, and succeeded : — Dear Sir, — In reply to your questions I would say that after having travelled over a large portion of the Western States in quest of good land and a home for my- self and family, I removed from Exeter, Huron County, Ontario, to Manitoba, early last spring, and took up a homestead near Oak Lake station on the Canadian Pacific Railway, about six miles south of that place. I sold out my farm in Ontario, which consisted of 85 acres, for 6,700 dols., and with the proceeds I was able to homestead from the Government and purchase two sections from the Syndicate, leaving me ample to supply my own farm with imple- ments, stock, &c., &c. So that in place of having in Ontario 85 acres of land, I am now the possessor of 2^ sections, or 1,640 acres, of which 500 acres are broken and ready for seeding next spring. I did not raise any crop last season except a few oats and potatoes. The oats yielded largely, being of excellent quality (in fact the best 1 have ever seen), a sample (5 ) . of which was sent to M'. Bcgg, of London, England, for exhibition. I had two acres under potatoes ; the hv.:\ was thoroughly broken, and the yield was an exceptionally Hne one. Should we have anything like a fair season, we should have a handsome return for our labour next autumn. The land in this section of the Province is excellent. There is plenty of gooil water, which we obtain from Pipestone Creek, and sufficient standing timber for fire- wood for immediate use. I would also like to mention that this district is particularly well adapted for growing small fruits. I was engaged in fruit raising in Ontario, so speak from experience. y^ou ask as to whether I regret coming out here, and I most emphatically declare that there is no regret on my own part or that of my family in changing to our new home in the North-West. I feel freer, there is more elbow-room, so to speak, and a man with a large family like I have has better prospects in every way. With the increased facilities which I expect the Canadian Pacific Railway will grant us to enhance the value of our property, I have no hesitation in saying that this section of Manitoba will prove one of the finest along the line of railway, and the farmer who wishes to improve his position in life could not make a better move than by coming out here ; that is, a man who is no better off than I was in Ontario, with a small farm and a large family. I have not, of course, yet reaped a crop ; but from the reports of neighbours all along the road the prospects are most encouraging. In fact I have visited some old friends who were at one time neighbour" of mine in Ontario, but have been settled here for some time, who are in every respect well fixed, and do not express a regret at their change. The weather here in summer is all that can be desired. It is true that the cold in winter is greater than in Ontario, but we have experienced none that we could not stand. My family consists of twelve persons ; three of the boys are able to plough, and two of the girls are able to assist in housework. They all never enjoyed better health than they have had during their nine months' residence here.— Vours truly, Oak Lake, Feb. 23, 1883. Robert Lan.;. FIRST IiMPRESSIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF A SETTLER FROM BRADFORD. The Bradford Observer Budget published the following as extracts from a private letter from a Bradford gentleman, who had recently settled in Manitoba : — You asked me many questions about this district, but I may point out that you have evidently made up your mind not to view otherwise than in a disparaging light all accounts of this El Dorado of the imaginative emigrant. I will, however, fjive yo»i a brief though "plain and unvarnished tale." G and I are "squatted" on an odd section in this exceedingly rich district. We have a square mile between us, which 0/ course we shall buy at (Government valuation from the railway company that first makes a line through the district, which rumour says will be next fall. In all probability liy the time you receive this we shall both have taken up a homestead and a pre-enipti to make the most out of my small space I would lean them up against the wall as they went to sleep, so to make way for the rest. The next spring I put in crop aljout ten acres of oats and barley on the sod, which yielded, as I thought, very good— al)out 30 bushels to the acre. I also rented 15 acres for wheat, and it averageti about the same, and I disposed of it at the granary for one dol. per bushel. The same season I built a larger and more comfortable house, where I now live. In the spring of 1882 I purchased from the Syndicate Land Company, Winnipeg, 4S0 acres, for 2.50 dols. per acre, with a rebate of 1.25 dols. per acre for all under culti- vation at the end of five years, when I expect to apply for my deed. I have m all 1,030 acres in the vicinity of Carberry and Melbourne, which I think in a few years ( 9 ) will be worth 20dols. per acre, if not more. I broke and backset 130 acres last season with three teams— two horse and one ox team ; and in the fall ploughed 30 acres of stubble ground. 1 have ready for crop next spring 165 acres. 1 have rented out 30 acres at the rate of 6. 50 dels, per acre, the average rent in this part of ihe Province for backsetting ; that means the first crop. I intend starting five pair of oxen to break next season, as they are far ahead of horses for breaking. They don"t require anything but what they pick up on the prairie. My oxen got nothing except in that way all last season, and never were out of harness more than two weeks from the time ihey started in the spring until it froze up in the fall. I would advise any person intending to make this country their home to come early in the spring, say about April, and rent a \nece of land what he thinks enough to grow feed for his stock for one year ; then go and select his homestead ami break and put up his house large enough for his family, and in the fall move everything to his new home, where he will be happy the remainder of his days. — I remain, dear sir, yours truly, CJ. B. Murphy. HOW A STOCKBROKER SETTLED HIMSELF L\ THE SOURIS DISTRICT. Subjoined is a letter which originated in the same manner as the one preceding. It is useful as showing that industry and courage can make up in many cases for lack of experience : — Dear Sir, — In reply to your favour of the 17th ult., asking "for a few par- ticulars of the career of the farmer, from his start in this country to the present time, and what success his efforts have obtained him," I would beg to give you my own experiences as regards my farming operations, they being that of about the average farmer. T settled in this, the Souris District, in the spring of 1880. At that time it was a perfect wilderness, not an acre of land having been " taken up." Through being utterly ignorant of everything pertaining to farming (I had previously been a stock- broker in Montreal), I did not make much of a show the first season. With the assistance of another settler I got out house logs, built a house, and "broke" ten acres, besides planting about half an acre of potatoes under the soil. In the fall look a tiip to Montreal and returned with my wife and family, and in time to fix up my house and draw considerable firewood before winter set in. Immediately the winter broke up I put in my crop, viz. — six acres wheat and ten acres of oats, six of the latter being on the sod, and "broke" 24 acres more. The above 17 acres yielded the following— 175 bushels wheat and a little over 500 bushels oats, which I was well satisfied with, being about 29 bushels wheat and 50 bus!iels oats to the acre. When it is taken into consideration that over half the oats were simply thrown on top of the sod and only half harrowed in, it was a most remarkable yield. I may say that I obtained for the above one dollar for the wheat and one dollar and ten cents for the (jats per bushel at my granary. Last season I put in all oats and "broke" 50 more acres. 1 have now in my granary 2,460 bushels of oats, being the yield off 41 acres. To sum up the results ui my three years* farming (tpcrations, 1 have today a (irvt -class 320-acre farm VNithin thrve miles of a market, viz., Milcfonl ; a gooil sul)stantial house, built of log*-, lined in>i(le and ■luisjilc with kiniber 22 by J2 feet ; stab'e and granary; 91 acrv> nil ready for >iiil in the spring; span of horses; ( 10 ) cow ; two yearling calves, and all necessary agricultural implements to work a farm (l)e.sifJes 2,46c) bushels of oats), for which I may say that I refused last summer 4,000 dols. Besides which it should be taken into consideration that I have kept myself and family comfortably out of proceeds of farm. In conclusion, would say that my capital consisted of 1,200 dols., and that I can sec no reason why any one with that amount of money shouUl not meet with the smue iuccess as I have done in this country. -^I remain, yours truly, . . Frank IJurnett. Afileford, Manitoba. _ _____ • HOW TWO BREWERS' MEN FROAf MONMOUTHSHIRE GOT ON. In the following letter to the Ross Gazette is not only a record of success, but some good hints to intending emigrants : — Sir, —It may interest some of your readers to learn how two of your fellow-towns- men arc getting on here who worked for many years in the Ross IJrewery. When we came out here, We got em])loymcnt at once in a brewery at a good salary, and have saved a bit of cash, and last week we took each 160 acres of the Government land, and intend to begin breaking it up as soon as the weather permits — say in May — then build A good lioust, ai\d get wood for fire ready, leaving our wives there all the winter while ■ we conie inlolioWn and work again till the following spring, returning then to break up more for three years, when the Government will give us our papers, and the land will be ours for ever, and worth a few thousand dollars. All at home who are willing to wprk should come out here— they will be well paid and well fed. Even for taking snow off the streets one gets los. per day, and n(j man ever has a meal without plenty pf l)'jef (three tipies a day). Any one coming should bring with him plenty of warm clothes, if only second-hand clothes, for he would be al)lc to sell them well to some of his males. The winters are very severe, but healthy. \'ou never hear of any one having . a cough, although the thermometer has been at 46 degrees below zero. Our summers again are hot and short. The cheapest way to come is by the Allan Line, or some other of the lArge shipficrs, and then train direct to Winnipeg. Avoid coming by tht' Lake route,, as it is sIoa' and costs a lot of money to get food on the journey. Our wives and families enjoy good health, and like the country well, and are now quite proud of f)cing farmers' wives, and strongly advise all young women to come out, as ihey will soon get employment, or, what is better, good husbands. Will be very glad to answer any letters for information from the old country, addressed — Ciiari.es Griffiths, or Gkor«;e Foon 11', IJox 210, General rost Office, Winnipeg^ Afanitoba, February zdth, 1883. Winnipeg, Manitoba, WriAt A YOUTH FROM SHEFFIKM) SAYS OF HIS EXPERIENCE.. The Sheffield hnhpcndent jjublished the following extracts from a letter sent by a youth from Sheffield to a local friend. The letter was dated Sunnyside, vVinnipeg, March 3, 1883: — Tlie growth of Winnipeg is almost incredible. When father came out here ihc liojuilnlion was between 7,000 and S.ixxj; lodiy it is between 35,000 and jo,ooo. ( II ) Then there were scarcely anything Imt wooden buildings ; now there are splenilid brick and stone buildings, and some as fine hotels and stores as you will find in Sheffield. Property rose in value about 15 months ago to a ridiculous extent in the city ; building lots in favourable situations made tremendous prices, as much as 500 dols. per foot frontage being paid for some lots on Main Street. A good many people made fortunes, but those who held to their property, and some whci l)ought land dear in the expectation of it rising still higher in value, were left in the lurcli, and will be heavy losers. Things are dull in Winnipeg this winter owing to the reaction which is always sure to follow such a boom, but we expect the emigration this year will be very heavy, and this will give a fresh impetus t(» trade, as those who go west will likely buy at least part of their outfit in Winnipeg. There is no land open for home-steading anywhere near Winnipeg now ; in fact, it is all taken up as far west as the Canadian Pacific Railway is built on both sides of the line for some distance bac), ; but parties coming out with means can buy improved farms from settlers, or buy unimproved land from specu- lators, who bought it from the (lovernment at from 2 dols. to 2\ dols. .in acre, and now ask from 8 dols. to 30 dols. an acre. If a man is coming out with a family it is the best way to buy or rent an improved farm, as he will then get a crop the first year ; if a single man, he can hire out for a time until he finds a place to suit him. W.igcs in the summer time are very high. The snow generally goes about the middle of April, and plough- ing commences a few days after — i.e., as soon as the soil gels thawed enough. Oats can be sown as late as the end of May, and barley is often sown in June ; last year we had three acres of barley sown and cut within ten weeks. Potatoes and vegetables of all kinds grow well and very fast. The summer is pretty warm, but not very oppressive, except a day now and then. I think last summer we had two days that we had to stop work in the middle of the day. June is generally the rainy month, after which we just have a shower occasionally. Harvest com- mences about the middle of August, and after this we get splendid days, but nights rather cold, till at last the ground freezes up. This is generally the first week in November. Sometimes we get snow almost at once, but often not till about Christmas ; then sleighing commences, and we get lots of fun. We do not get A snowstorm and then a warm day or two to make slush ; but the snow accumulates alt winter till it is from 2oin. to join, deep on the prairie, and in some places is drifted up into banks 8ft. or loft. high. The temperature is very low in the winter, but we do not feel the cold nearly so much as I anticipated. It has been as low as 50' below zero twice this winter, and from 20" to 30" below is nothing unusual, but the air is so dry that, if tliere is no wind, you do not feel it any colder than I have done in England, though if there is a north wind it is pretty chilly. We had the worst storm of the season a few days ago. Last winter a family who lived about 12 miles from Winnipeg, on the west side, were frozen to death. Their house took fire, and they exerted themselves trying to put out the fire, but without avail. One daughter then started to walk to the next neighbour's for assistance, about half a mile, but got lost on the way, and her body was not found for some days ; and the next day the rest, consisting of father and daughter and a girl who was visiting them, were found in the stable, and they all died from the effects of the cold ; but, fortunately, this is an almost unheard-of occurrence, and we have to stay at home on the stormy d;iys and keep the stove wanii. Farmers began to break up their land as sewn as pt)ssible after they get the crop put in the land tliat was broken ii]) the previous year. They plough the land aboi(t I^^to 2 inches deep (uliicli is lianl work on the teams, as the sod is tough); it i.- •in*. ( 12 ) allowed to lie until the fall, or perhaps, if the >od does not rot very well, till the next spring, when it is again ploughed, this time about 3^2 to 4)4 inches deep, and the grain is then sown, and generally yields a very good crop. We tried about an acre the first year we were here, sowing the seed broadcast on the prairie, and then ploughing in ; but it did not come to much, although I have heard of some parties getting a good crop this way, but it cannot be depended on. Cows pay better here than anything. We bought nine the year before last, for which we paid 450 dels. We made 1,200 lbs. of butter, and averaged 30 cents, per lb. for all we sold ; then the calves in the fall were worth 15 dols. each, so you see they more than paid for them- selves in the one season. Then we sold one (the smallest) about a fortnight ago to a milkman in Winnipeg for 70 dols., and one died this winter. Taking things altogether, I think this country is far before Eng'and, for a small farmer at any rate. You have to work hard, and the cost of living is very high, but by ihe time you have been settled two or three years, if you have no heavy losses, you are \n a fair way to become independent. You have no rent day to look forward to, and no lal)our to hire, but do all the work yourself. LADY CATHC ART'S SETTLERS. Lady Cathcart's labours in the cause of promoting the emigration of the poorer crofters to the North-VVest are widely known. The following is a selection from a long series of letters from the Benbecula Colony : — Dear Lady Cathcart, — Yours of the loth July came to hand in due time, which I am most happy to have received, and to have the honour of writing to tell you about our prospects in this good new country. Wc are all enjoying the best ot health since we arrived here, both old and youn;^, and we all feel sure that the country is very healthy. Our land is beautiful also, and surrounded favourably in every way, and the soil is rich. This we know by our crops— as potatoes, turnips, barley, oats, and beans are very good. I have some new potatoes which weigh half a pound already, and they have been only nine weeks in the ground, and other crops are as gootl as that, better than any we used to see at poor old Benbecula ; and in every respect we are glad of the change, and would strongly recommend our friends and neighbours to come here as soon as possible. All who are good, strong, able, working men, who would be ready to turn their hands to everything that might come in their way, should come ; idlers are not wanted. I feel more than happy to see my party doing so well, and they will be a credit to the Highlands. I may mention, if my services were required to bring out more people from Uist in the spring, that I feel sure they will do well, and I am most willing to do all I can to benefit the poor people at home. We are glad to hear of Mr. Macdonakl being on his way to Manitoba, and that he is coming to see us, I am sure he will be greatly delighted with the country we have here, and also to see us 'i ing so well in our new homes. I have my house nearly finished — made of logs 23ft. long, i6ft. broad, and 8ft. in walls — and my byre is ready ; also my hay for fwo cows and two oxen — my stock at present. I may mention that we received great kindne.>s from the Canadian Pacitlc Railway olhcials, especially J. H. M'Tavish, land commissioner, near Winnipeg. — I conclude with my respects to you, my lady, ami If Sir Reginald, and remain, your olK-Hlient servant, Donai.d Macdiarmip. Bettkatla Co/onj; An^ust iif/i, i88j. ( 13 ) My dear Sister, — I was very glad to get your letter, and to hear that you were ■well. I have not much news to give you, as Lachlan told all to mother, only that we are all well, and also all our friends here. I think the winter here is far healthier than at home, ami I can surely say this, for I have not heard as much as any of the Benbe;ula settlers even so much as speaking of the cold this winter. I have not felt the leaiUoolha;he myself since I cam 'iere. I was happy to hear that Annie had a young daughter ; I hope both of them are doing well. Vou were telling me that you were asking my mother to stay and let the rest come ; but it will be far better for her to come, for I know that she will be better oflf here than in the old country. This is the only place for her, for she will not see high tides here, nor storms. I know you would "keep her as comfortable as you could, but Marion alone can make her far more com- fortable with two months' wages here. I am sure you do not like to be left alone, but though I would be alone here for ever, I would not ask her to come if I would think she would be better where she is. You were asking how we were getting on here ? I was never so well off in Benbecula as I am every day since I came here. We have the finest flour and oatmeal, and I can cook it in any way I like. I can make loaves as good as any baker in Glasgow. We have only one cow, and we were not a day without butter and cheese since we came. We have rabbits to our dinner almost daily. \'ou can tell John if Lachlan had learnt how to shoot before he came we would he better otit", for this is an awful good place for game. This is a blessed place to be, without a factor or ground officer. Tell John that I heard that "Roderick Macdonald, Lochmaddy, was a manservant with a farmer at Brandon. You wil! be glad to hear that we were quite comfortable and warm in the house ; we did not feel the least cold in it. There is no church nor school yet, but we expect soon to have both. You can tell my mother that I'eggy never had a cold since we came here; all of them are running in and out the same as at home, sometimes with cloth on and sometimes not. I was sorry to hear that little Johnnie was not so well. Vou should have told me what was wrong with him. I am sure my mother is not thinking on Teggy so often as she is thinking on her. Tell her that she was dancing with glad- ness the night we got her letter, when she heard that she was to come. I was very glad that Marion came from Glasgow ; they never told me where Lizzie was, or what she was doing. Love to all friends, to wee Mary, and all the children, to John and all inquiring friends. Mind write soon. — Your loving Sister, (Signed) Cicisty MAcrKERSON. Pipestone Creek, ll'apella, 21 st January, 1884. Dfar Sir,— I have great satisfaction in giving you a short account of our good prospect in this new country since our arrival last May. We lost no time in making t/ur first attempt of breaking up the prairie and planting our potatoes in the furrow after the plough, and I may mention that it was rather strange, and also very little we thought of the scheme at the time, but in eight weeks we had new potatoes better than any we ever saw in old Benbecula, We also sowed barley, oats, beans, turnips, carrots, onions — all pro\ed wonderfully well considering the late time of the season. The tirit potatoes were planted on the aSth May, and as late as the 2Sth or26ih June ; all the crops ripened all right. As soon ast the crop was in we turned our hands and minds to chojiping wood for our log houses in the beautiful North-West. We had tine weather all the time, but of course we were afraid of Manitoba's severe winter, which was advancing towards Ui ; but we managed tu have plenty comfortable houses and stables a few mjnlbit ( 14) before we knew any change ; and, in fact, we don't know anything of a severe winteir as yet. We are delighted with it in comparison to our old-country winters. We are working outside every day, and some days the thermometer is 50° below zero, and still the sun shining bright, just as a summer day in Scotland. Of course a man lust be careful in going out to have mittens on his hands, and pretty fairly covered up. We don't use overcoats while working, and sometimes pull off our jackets. There is no danger in getting wet — every day very dry and clear, and therefore, according to our experience in this country, we have no hesitation in recommending our friends and neighbours at home to take the earliest opportunity in joining us in this beautiful fertile new country. We shall be happy to do all in our power for their welfare and benefit in every respect, and the longer we are here the better we like it. As a rule, people in this country are very kind and sociable, and more especially to strangers. We find the climate very healthy since we came. Now this country is free to all, and therefore we hope that other landlords will follow the scheme set before them by Lady Gordon Cathcart. Such will be a great benefit to their tenants, and also to their own interest in due time. The sooner they come the better for themselves, but certainly we do not recommend idlers to come, nor be assisted to come, but we, are happy to say that there is not many of such class in our western islands. In addition now, I may mention that I am exceedingly happy that my private reports to my countrymen are so strongly supported by so many of themselves within three years of my former visit to Canada, and I shall be most happy to give and to do all in my power on behalf of the welfare of my poor countrymen. — I am, &c., DONALU MACDIARMID. Benbecula Colony, February 15, 1884. Dear Angus, — Your kind and welcome letter came to hand on the 17th of December last, by which I was glad tp hear that you were all in good health, as I ana happy to say we are at present. I was longing very much for your letter, but I was happy to receive it at last. You got high prices last market — above the prices of this country, I think. A good heifer costs from £\o to £,^2 here. I paid ^15 for a co\y and ;^ 10 for a heifer, and they cost £,\ in addition for freight. We have eleven head of cattle in all, and they are doing splendidly through the winter. The calves are three times better than those we had in Benbecula, and without anything but hay. I heard you had a good crop, but, as you say, there is a good deal of trouble in getting it in proper order. I never feel sorry I left, for I was more than tired going about that loch and stones, while here I can cut a rig half a mile in length without a single foot of drain, and need n6 manure, and it will yield any kind of crop. You mention about hand work in ihis country; all the work here is done by horse-power — reaping and mowing — but the poor emigrant has to face some difficulties in the beginning. As soon, however, as hfe builds his house and ploughs enough of land for a living, he is all right ; but in the old country he is kept going all the year through with goocl horses, and after all lie cannot earn a living, and besides paying rent, what causes the failure but the poor soil ? \% is a wonder how slow the old-country people are to understand the value of 160 acrefe of land for nothing; but many of them arc not able to come here, for they requirt some means. Another thing they are mistaken abouf is the weather in this country. I told y' 1 before about the autumn and summer, and the winter' is nothing like what you expect. Wc have some cold days, but not very orten. Wehad one day in November 26° below zero, one day in December 37*^, dnd Ohrj day in Jahuary"4o''. The V 15 ) cattle were able to pasture during the most of November and greater part of December, but we had a heavy fall of snow about the 17th of December. The snow lies an average of about six inches. In high places there is very little, and our cattle were able to go half a mile to drink when it was 40° below zero The cold here is different from the old country. We have no rain or soft snow, and the air is always dry. As far as we have learned about the weather you have had this winter, we prefer our weather a great Jeal better. We were afraid of the weather at first, but now it is nothing. We are almost working out every day. I cut 100 logs, and they are on the stance. You ask me to tell you the truth how you would prosper in this country. 1 have no doubt you would prosper a great deal better here than in the old country, as you can start with your capital. You have no rents to pay, the soil is good for grain and cattle raising ; high prices can be had for each at any time, and you can trade- here in other ways as you do at home. I am quite sure if you were here to see this country in blossom you would choose it before any place in Uist. I must come to a conclusion by letting you know that Marion is growing up very big, and as fat as an innkeeper. Flora keeps talking about the old country, and never forgets anything about the old neighbours. They send their kind love to Peggy and all the rest of the family. We all join in love to you all, wishing you a good New Year and prosperity. Give our kind love to all the neighbours, and let D. M'Rury know that you received this note, and that we are all in good health. Please.write soon. Hoping to see you acres first spring, I am, &c., (Signed) John Macdonald. Benbecula Settlement, Wapella P. 0., N. U\ T. ^WHAT A LADY SETTLER THINKS OF THE NEW HOME. The following letter from a lady who, with her husband and family, emigrated to Manitoba in 1882, was sent to the Cheshire Obseri'er for publication, and appeared in its columns : — My dear Mrs, H., — Your very kind letter with books arrived yesterday. Thank you very much. When it was too late we found out thai "Ancient and Modern'" hymns would be liked better than " Sankey's ; " so v iien I read your letter and found they were not Sankey's I was quite i)leased. Our .*^>uiday services are interesting; sometimes 38 attend, when our four chairs, our boxes, tables, and the stairs are filled. The rest sit on the floor. I wish you and Mr. H. could see us at 2.30 on Sunday afternoon. I feel it an honour that our cabin should be the first place of worship here. Sometimes we have preaching, and sometimes Bible-class. Last Sunday v^i-as the latter, and it was Fred's turn to conduct it. .Some of the settlers walk fen or twelve miles, others come in their waggons with bullocks, and others in buggies with horses. We have to sing the same hymns Sunday after Sunday, so we shall all be glad when the rest of the books arrive I intend putting brown paper on them for strengtii, and will write inside each, "With Mrs. fl.''-- best wishes." My dear sister arrived safe and well. She is a great help, and works with excellent spirits, and likes the country much. I am pleased to hear you are feeling well, hoping you will continue so. I am very sorry to hear about Miss L., and I trust Mrs. L. is well. Willy has been working on the railway some time. We hope to have him here next Monday, for a fortnight or three weeks, for the hay harvest, and then .again for the corn harvest. Fred thought it better he should go away between tlie seasons, as we ( i6 ) are already running short of money, and wish as little expense as possible this year- Next year, all being well, wc hope to sail more easily. Money seems to go so quickly, and I suppose we feel it more because we have had nothing coming in. Our crops are getting on nicely, and we are looking forward to a pretty good return. Out garden looks splendid, everything coming up so nicely. My work this week is hoeing potatoes ; we have about an acre of them. Last Thursday, July I2th, we had a settlers' basket picnic, held three miles off. There were 70 there — three single women, a few married ones, and the rest bachelors. We had a jolly time ; all enjoyed it ; we had croquet and music. Fred went away last week with his mowing machine to stay till Saturday. He is quite well and quite happy ; does not seem to have a minute to spare for writing, except to his mother, and sometimes I fear her letters from him are short. Our summers are so short there seems no time for sitting to write, and if I were not naturally fond of it I am afraid I should follow his example. Now I must write a line to Mrs. D., and then go back to my potatoes, for I want to get them done before Fred comes back. With best love from us all, I am, ever yours affectionately, M, D. Oak Farm, Tivo Creeks, near Verdeii, Manitoba. July 15, 1883. HOW A BRISTOL FAMILY GOT ON. After having been " settled " in Manitoba four years, the wife thus writes to Mr. Down, the emigration agent of the Canadian Government in Bristol : — Dear '^ir, — As you are so kind to send us newspapers every now and again, I have written a few lines to let you know how we are getting along. Just now every one is busy with the harvest. I am glad to say crops are very good. We have had a very dry summer. I am also glad to say we are all getting on well ; no one regrets sailing with you from Liverpool, May ist, 1879, by the Allan steamer Caspian. Money has been rather scarce this year, but prospects for the next are better. We are to get a railway very near us— now building about three miles north ; and there is another coming a little south of us. If you could come over now you would be surprised at the great change. There are six self-binders now working in our settlement. Wc have one, a cord binder. We have ourselves about 60 acres of grain to harvest, and we have one span of horses, ten head of cattle, 19 pigs, and about 70 head of poultry. .So you, knowing our start, must be convinced we have ''.one well. The Paltisons are getting on wonderfully. Miss Pattison is married. My husband has taken up more land up west, but we shall not go to that at present. We have a school for the children, and we have preaching there every other Sunday. Land is being taken up very fast, especially near the railway. The prairie is being broken very fast. We see by the papers that harvest prospects arc not very ^ood in England, and in many parts of the States. We have to be very thankful for good crops, and have had none of those dreadful storms which have visited the United States. I am pleased to say this is a very healthy country ; our children have grown very fast. The boy is as tall as his father, and a great help. He has worked the mower all the hay time, and he does a great deal of the ploughing. Minnedosa, the place you knew as Prairie City, is quite a flourithing village, or town you may call it. The railway goes through it, and we shall have a gra'n market there this coming winter. W have also another little town six miles north-east of us. ( '7 ) which the same railway goes through. We are getting delightful harvest weather. The mosquitoes do not trouble us at all now — they get less every year. Ducks and prairie chicken are very plentiful. The game laws are now in force in Manitoba. My husband wishes to be kindly remembered to you. — I must now conclude, and believe me, yours respectfully, E. Bates. P.S. — You will perceive that we have now a post-office in this settlement. V Gkndak Post-office y Manitoba, August iZth, 1883. THE SETTLEMENT OF TWO IRISH FAMILIES IN THE NORTH-WEST. Mr. Thomas Connolly, the Dominion Government agent in Dublin, thus wrote to the editor of the Canadian Gazette in December, 1883 : — "Through this Agency I st..t, in the early part of the season, two families to the North-West, comprising Francis Cosgrove, wife, and nine children, well grown up, and Mrs. Louisa Johnston, with her two sons and two daughters, all adults. Mr. Cosgrove, who had ample means, farmed on a pretty large scale in the co. Dublin, but Mrs. Johnston resided the chief part of her life in Bagot Street, Dublin, and her two sons were at school up to the time they left here. Both families located within ten miles of Whitewood, a station on the Canadian Pacific Railway. By the last mail Mr. North, of Sackville Street, re- ceived the enclosed letter from Mrs. Johnston, which, if you will kindly publish, may interest the readers of the Gazette. At any rate it wiU demonstrate that an industrious family with a little means, even if they have no previous knowledge of farming, can become successful settlers on the rich prairie lands of the North-West." The letter is as follows : — Dearest, Kindest Mr. and Mrs. North, — I have no words warm enough to thank you for your kind letter and papers. The children and neighbours were delighted to see the Graphic ; how kind of you to send it to us, but I fear you incurred expense, and that you know I do not wish ; but, indeed, it was a treat. The boys thank you for your dear fatherly letter telling them to look up. Willie will write when he gets time ; at present they are both busy banking up our house, which we have had built of pretty pine wood, warm and comfortable, just enough for ourselves, yet if a neighbour stays too long talking we make him stay the night, as the rearest settler lies two miles oflf on the prairie. I have a pretty drawing-room, dining-room, bedroom, and kitchen, all on a line, so I have n stairs to climb. Then two bedrooms are upstairs— a small one for Amy, and a large one for the boys. All are grandly laid out with lace, picture^, and things that we have made. Our stoves — one in the drawing- room, another in the dining-room — give great heat, and the pipes run up through the bedrooms. Our stable is about 20 yards from the back door, very nicely fitted up for our two oxen, cow, and calf ; also the hens and the hay-stack of 20 tons, which the boys have just finished, is close to the stable. The well is not finished yet, that we hope will be about 22ft. deep, but we have plenty of water about a quarter of a mile from us, which the boys bring us until the well is finished. They will yet have hard work bring- ing home firewood for the winter, cutting large trees down, sawing, chopping, an many about Huddersfield would do. Wild fruit grows here in abundance, such as cherries, black currants, cranberries, bilberries, and gooseberries, and all you have to do is to gather it. There are also wild fowl, such as ducks, geese, turkeys, and prairie chickens are also in abundance, and anybody that likes can shoot them. No game laws here in Manitoba. Well, so far, I like the country very well, much better than I did at first, and I say that if a man will be steady he has nothing to do but get on here, whether he be a working man or other- M'ise ; but drones and drunkards need not come here, as they are not M'anted, but good steady workmen will soon be their own masters, and as for farmers with a small capital, they will find good interest for their money. I hope very soon to take up my homestead and pre-emption, which will be altogether 320 acres of good land. Any steady working man has nine chances here to one in England, if he will only exert himself. Should any of my friends inquire about me, tell them I am first-class, and glad you induced me to come out here. I will, however, write again after a while and tell you further what I think of it. Sir, you are quite at liberty to make what use of this letter you like, if you think it worthy. — I am, dear sir, yours truly, William Pacey. Ca!/ Mountain, South Manitoba, Canada, Novembei- 22iid, 1883. PRECEPTS FROM A SENSIBLE SETTLER. The Kilmarnock Standard published the following extract from a letter received from a gentleman in Manitoba, supplying information which may be of interest and value to many of our readers. The writer of the letter is resident at Virden, Manitoba : — As to farming, I think there is no doubt that it will pay well any man who settles within, say, 10 or 15 miles of the railway. Beyond that distance, so far as I can see, hauling to market will swallow up so much of the price received for produce that a man may make a living, but will not do much more. Wheat, of cour e, is to be our staple crop. Of it one may take as an average crop 30 bushels to the acre. For it we get this year at Virden, our market, 80 cents (3s. 4d.) per Vuishel. We get it cut with self-binding machine for I dol. (4s. 2d.) per acre. Thrashing costs 4 cents (2d.) per bushel. This leaves the farmer, roughly speaking, and allowing for other expenses, but not for his own work, a profit of 20 dols. (over £^ per acre). Oats, which run about 60 bushels to the acre, sell for 30 cents (is. 3d.) per busbel. Potatoes grow about 400 bushels to the acre when well cultivated, but, as a matter of fact, nobody has time to do them justice, and about 2CO bushels is the usual run. They sell lust now here for yj% cents (is. 6}ii\.) per bushel, the cheapest they have ever been. But there is no steady demand for anything but wheat, and it is to it that we have to look for our profit. As a general rule, every man is working for himself ; very few can afford to hire men yet, so I will give you an idea of how much I.md one man can cultivate. The first year, with a yoke of oxen, he can break (first ploughing of the sod) about 40 acres. This is a reasonrble amount ; some men talk of doing double this, but I think it is mostly talk. The breaking season lasts from beginning of June till end of July. Th's lies rotting in the sun for two monthsormore, and is then ploughed over again (backset we call it), and is then ready for the crop. Next year he can sow this and bre.'.k other 40 acres, but if he is still working single-banded he /^"^^ ( 25 ) will not have time to backset it and plough all his stubble. About 60 acres is, I think, about as much as he can keep going with one team of oxen. With a team of horses he can do fully a half more. With two teams and a two-furrow gang plough he will go over fully twice as much land as with one. In calculating the profits from the above data, you must not forget to take into account the rise in the value of the land through the improvements done on it, and the surrounding country settling up. The amount of this, of course, nearly altogether depends on the quality of the land and the situation. The capital required to start a farm depends on the style in which a man does it. Plenty men start with ;^400 or ;^soo, and find it all gone before their farm is self-supporting ; and others start with nothing, and manage, by dividing their time between working out and working at home, to get set a-going in a year or two. If a man wants to settle at once on his own land and work right along for himself, I don't think he can do it under ;C200. But if he likes to divide his time, as I .said before, he can start from nothing upwards. I myself had only l6s. left after I en- tered for my land, and now I am fairly well set a-going, and after I get in next year's crop will be all solid, and I had the disadvantage of knowing nothing about farming, besides being inclined to be lazy. It is a slow process, but it can be done. But one has to exercise any amount of self-denial, and put his own comfort simply out of the question. The main lesson to be learned is self-reliance, to be your own carpenter, smith, cook, and everything else. Neighbours are very glad to help one another when they have time, but as a rule every one has plenty to do to look after their own affairs, and they soon get tired of a man who is always wanting help. About store-keeping. It, of course, pays better than farming, but then, of course, there is more risk about it. The stores here are mostly general stores, and keep everything, so it requires a pretty good capital to run one. This is the case more especially now, as the wholesale storemen have got very strict about giving credit. Two years ago they started hundreds of men without capital, giving them stocks papble by monthly instalments, and the dull times lately finished most of them up. Not but what they got good profits, and their w rking expenses were only their persoi il expenditure ; but a man can't run a business of that sort here any more than anywhere else without capital. On flour and other staples they have a small profit, about 5 per cent. On soft goods, such as clothing, boots, &c., 25 per cent, is considered a fair profit. On crockery, glass ware, and all fancy things they can pile it on tremendously — I would be afraid to say how high. I happen to know pretty well the wholesale and retail prices, as I have seen through the books of one of our stores here. A man is his own shopman, and nearly always the store belongs to him, so that he has no wages and no rent to pay. I do not think a store with a good .<»tock could be started with less than ;^6oo. That is to say, to leave a man free to buy in the cheapest market, and not be confined to deal with one wholesale man. It would not be easy (almost impossible, in fact) for a stranger to get a situation in a store unless he had some influence or some very special recom- mendation. Most store-keepers are their own shopmen, as I have said, so situa- tions are scarce, and there are always lots of candidates for them. I have just time to say a few words about the climate. It i.s wlirmer in summer and much colder in winter than at home. But though the winters are cold, most days are very pleasant, and nine men out of every ten prefer the cold to the wet and slush of the old country. I like the climate much better than that at home ; the only thing I dislike are the thunderstorms in summer, which are pretty frequent and very vivid. ( 26 ) A FEW PRACTICAL DETAILS BASED ON EXPERIENCE. The following letter was forwarded to the Canadian Gazette by one who is deeply interested in obtaining and diffusing the most reliable information regarding experience in the North-West :— Dear Sir, — You wish to have my views on the Canadian North-West, and my opinion of its climate and soil. I have much pleasure in complying with your request, and will confine myself to a very brief statement of my own experience of what I have seen and felt. First, as to climate, my experience extends only from beginning of March to end of December of last year. I found the summer agreeable and not at all too hot, while the winter weather was quite enjoyable, although before I left the thermometer had for some time indicated 15 degrees below zero, and there were about five inches of snow. Notwithstanding this low temperature I never put on ;m overcoat, except when going for a drive, but went about in my ordinary tweed suit as when in the old country. My brother's opinion of the climate, however, will be more to the point than mine, as he has been in Manitoba for three years. Well, he says he likes it as well as any climate he has known, although in his profession of naval engineer he has visited many parts of the globe, lie is now settled near Moose Mountain, and has no intention of leaving it. The severity of the winter is often alleged as a reason that will prevent cattle being raised in the North-West. I will give a proof to the contrary. The autumn before I went out to my brother's farm, a neighbour of his, a few miles off, who had a large tract; of land in which were several hundred head of cattle, had provided for his cattle's winter provender a large quantity of p.airie hay. A prairie fire took place, and the hay was all destroyed. Next spring, however, when I was there, the cattle u ere found to have come through the winter fresh and in fair condition, and, I believe, without a single death having occurred ; yet they had had nothing but what thcycoild pick up themselves, and the only thing in the way of shelter was a clump of wood on one part of the lands. As to soil, the best proof is, what amount and cjuality of crops does it raise? last season on my brother's farm we threshed the wheat so- in after cutting, measured, and sold it. The yield per acre was about 32 bushels, the weight, per bushel, about 661bs., and it was sold in the neighbourhood at I dol. per bushel. The oats were not sold nor measured, but we estimated the yield at over 70 bushels per acre, and the weight at about 40 lbs. per bushel. Turnips, carrots, and parsnips grow good crops, potatoes a very large crop ; cabbages were enormous, and peas most luxuriant. Several farmers from Dakota were settled in our neighbourhood, and I was told that farther south, between Moose Mountain and the Frontier, tluro were a considerable number from that State. I should have mentioned that my brother's cattle were managed in winter in much the same fashion as is customary witii your young cattle at home. lay store, a very large and well-managed drapery establishment, supplies the ladies with the latest English fashions in dress and upholstery, though at much higher prices than would be given for the same article at Bath. The temperature is more variable here than is generally represented, \csterday morning it was 2° above zero outside ( 30 ) our front door ; to-day, at the same hour, it was 26' hdcnu zero, and in a more exposed situation, outside the city, on the open prairie, the thermometer was at 38° below zero in the early morning. There are good boys' schools at Winnipeg ; one of these, St. John's College, is under the personal superintendence of the Bishop of Rupert's Land, who is the head-master. As I see by English papers that have been for- warded to me that the degree of frost in Manitoba has been under discussion, it may be new to some people to hear that all the meat in the butchers' shops is frozen as hard as marble, that milk is sold by the pound as well as by the quart, and that greengrocery is carried round for sale in a small wooden house mounted on sleigh-runners ; the stove which is kept burning within keeps the vege- tables in good condition. Ice-carts are now busy on the Red River getting up the ice in huge blocks of a lovely sea-green colour, to be stored for summer use. In October we had very variable weather, frost, thaw, snow, and rain in succession, the temperature resembling Inat of an English December. About the loth of November the rivers froze over, and when the snow fell it no longer thawed. It is not expected to disappear till the end of April. At present, however brilliant the sunshine, no alteration takes place in the dry crispness of the snow under foot, but the increasing solar heat is telling on some of the housetops, the edge of the roofs being decorated with a thick fringe of spear-like icicles, of different length and thickness. In spite of its severity the Canadian winter is much enjoyed, its dryness is a preventive of coughs and sore throats, and though the sky is not always blue the bright sunny days are more numerous than the gray ones ; there is but little wind, and when it snows no Winnipegger thinks an umbrella necessary, for the dry, small flakes shake off imme- diately. As the temperature in the winter never rises so high as freezing point no rain falls. There are no evergreen shrubs ; they could not resist the intensity of the frost, and there are none of the early flowers that delight the English eye in January and February — a dazzling white mantle of snow covers everything. I enclose my address for the present, to be given if asked for. Anglia. Winnipeg, Manitoba, February dth, 1884. READINESS TO WORK THE GREAT NECESSITY. The Weekly Budget publishes the following, and thus introduces it : — " It gives practical information upon matters certain to interest those of our readers who think of trying to improve their present condition hy emigration. It will be seen that in our correspondent's opinion there are chances for those who will work hard and put up with privations. It is no good whatever for any one to go out expecting a life of case and luxury. The only road to success in the New World, as in the Old, is the one of hard work and [jcrsistcnt perseverance, with a definite and plain object in view " : — .Sir, — It is only when one gets to a far-away region like this that he can appreciate the dear old Buds:;et at its true value. I have to pay 25 cents (is.) for its carriage from Calgary here — 100 miles. I thought this ratlier exorbitant at first ; but when the mail-carrier came into camp on his last trip, wilh Iiands, feet, and face frozen, I was willing to concede him the point. I am half alraid you will not find enough of interest to warrant the insertion of this letter, as everythinjj becomes so common- place as you get acquainted with the country. After I left Corey's Camp, I passed ( 31 ) t*9 through one of the immense stock-breeding ranches which are situated on the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains, According to all accounts, this industry has not been 1 paying one so far. On this ranche alone 4,000 head of cattle died from the severity of the weather and depth of snow during the winter of 1882-83 ; and residents affirm that without winter protection it cannot prove a success. I would not advise any of your readers to come within loo miles of the Rockies with the intention of taking up land for general farming purposes, as the perpetual snow lying on the different peaks is the fruitful cause of summer frosts within this radius. I prefer the eastern to the western part of this vast territoiy for agricultural pursuits, and special inducements are offered to the farming class to settle in certain localities. Twenty miles north of Broadview, on the Canadian Pacific Railway, you can find the Temper- ance, Primitive Methodist, and some other five or six colonisation companies' lands. Seeing an advertisement of the York Farmers' Colony, I stopjied at Broadview, and took a run up there on the stage, where I found the land to be A l in quality, fairly well watered, but sparsely timbered. They are willing to help a settler to erect his first house, and plough sufficient land for his requirements during the first year. They give every other section away to actual settlers, and depend for their profit on the sale of the remaining sections to those who prefer lo buy land rather than proceed to uninhabited regions. Silver City, where I am now located, is about 20 miles east of the summit of the Rockies, and lies in a valley called the Bow River Pass. It has a population of nearly 200 men, four married and two unmarried women, and 50 dogs. The single women I really pity, as the number of eligible young men who go to see mamma must frighten them. The only work here at i)resent is manufacturing timber to suit the re '■'(^S)Z} / C'ASSliLL & COMPAAV, LlMlTKI), Bltl,l,lt S.\UVAt;H WoKICS, LoNDON, K.C. Every Thursday. Price Threepence. THE t CANADIAN GAZETTE. A Weekly Journal of Information and Comment upon Matters of Use and Interest to those concerned in Canada^ Canadian Emigration^ and Canadian Investments, Edited by THOMAS SKEKNEE, Compiler and Editor of "The Stock Exchange Year- Book," "The DiRBcroRY OF Directors," "The London Banks," &C. SUBSCRIPTIONS. The Canadian Gazet'ie is obtainable at the principal Bookstalls, or through any News Agent, at the published price of Threepence per copy, or it may be had direct from the Publishing Office, the charge in that case being, for the United Kingdom, 3|d. for a single copy, 4s. for three months, 8s. for six months, and i6s. for twelve months. 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