P' ^> '< ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 l_LI Ui§2^ 125 150 ^^™ HH^ UA Itt f .2 Hi 124 "^■" £ SiS no 1.25 6" vl ^m "^^ > 7 °^ Hiotogra|iiic Sciences Corporation 23 WfST MAIN STRin WeSSTSR.N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historici,>t l\/licroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions hidtoriques Tachnical and Bibliographic Notas/Notaa tachniquciv at bibliographiquaa Tha Inatituta haa attampttfd to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filmi:ig. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographicaily uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may aignificantly changa tha uaual mathod of filming, ara chackad balow. 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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atra raproduit en un aaui clichA, il est film* A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut an bas. en prenant le nombue d'images nAcessaire. Les diagr^^mmas auivants illustrant la mMhoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■If • . \V t pnil0h, AND THX NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION, ITS RESOURCES AND ADVANTAGES TO THX m I : I yJsw'*'^ ' ti.'f €mipnt woii Capitelist, AS COMPARED WITH 1?HE WESTERN STATES OF AMERICA; ITS CLIMATE, SOIL, AGRICULTURAL AND MANUFACTURING FACILITIES ; ITS UNPABALLEIiElO SALUBRITY, GROWTH AND PRODUCmVEITSSS, IN COMPARISON WITH TU£ OLDER PROVINCES ; AND THX ELEMENTS OF ITS FUTURE OReATNESS AND PROS#i^R|TV. AND CONTAINING LAND POLICY, LATEST piVORMATION, CHEAPEST AND BEST WAY TO QET TO RED RIVEB^ AND WHAT IS REQUIRED. ^. 17 v;. .S BY THOMAS SPENCE, €Mt of the Ltgi$UUive Council of Manitoba. 'i\ ■.' V TORONTO? < HlIirTSR, ROSE AND OOMPAinr, S^VBLKSBBRM. m \ '^- ^■■i:.-:^t^'&'-- CANADA NATIONAL LIBRARY BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE wmm i^" r ??c/ I l f" l-*»(WWffBi ^. Ok o anitoba, AND THE NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION, ITS RESOURCES AND ADVANTAGES TO THE ffimigmnt m)i Capitalist, AS COMPARED WITH THE WESTERN STATES OF AMERICA ITS CLIMATE, SOIL, AGRICULTURAL AND MANUFACTURING FACILITIES ; ITS UNPARALLELED SALUBRITY, GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVENESS, IN COMPARISON WITH THE OLDER PROVINCES ; AND THE ELEMENTS OF ITS FUTURE GREATNESS AND PROSPERITY. AND CONTAINING LAND POLICY, LATEST INFORMATION, CHEAPEST AND BEST WAY TO GET TO RED RIVER, AND WHAT IS REQUIRED. BY THOMAS SPENCE, Clerk of the Legislative Council of Manitoba. TORONTO : HUNTER, ROSE AND COMPANY, PUBLISHERS. 1871. ^lllliiHi W 11 m I H-HJHipppjmr- ^C 33C/ s cy Agriculture. "^ nter, Kobe & Co.. m the offlce of the Minister of •' f ^¥ r, • I. PREFACE. - I / i; ' ' •^# In this pamphlet there is, for obvious reasons, no at- tempt at strictly scientific classification. Its humbler but perhaps more practical purpose will have been served if it shall help to make Manitoba and the North-West of the Dominion better known abroad and at home. As a guarantee for !he reliability and practical use of the information indicated by its title, it may be sufficient to state that, during the First Session of the Legislature, the copy, before being sent to the printer, was read before a " Joint Committee," of both Houses, on " Agriculture and Immigration," the members of which were nearly all agriculturists of the best standing and long experience in Manitoba, who unanimously passed the following reso- lution : — " Having heard read an Essay entitled ' Mani- toba and the North-West of the Dominion, its resources and ADVANTAGES to the Immigrant and Capitalist, as compared with the Western States of America, &c., &c.,' do unanimously concur in its reliability and practical correctness of information, approving of several valuable suggestions ; and this Committee considei the said Essay would prove a useful and economic medium for drawing attention to the resources of this country, and therefore recommend the same to the favourable notice of both Houses, with a view to the encouragement of its publi- cation." T. S. Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 6th, 1871. ♦ * MANITOBA, AND TUB f NURTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION ♦* ' /> By the admission of Rupert's Land into the Dominion, and the establishment of Manitoba as a Province, the curtain has been raised upon a drama of colonization, to be re-enacted in a new and magnificent portion of Canada. The North-West, the future destiny of which will be a gi-eat and glorious one [fortunate, therefore, will be the descendants of those who may now obtain a foothold within its gigantic borders] possesses all the true ele- m^ts of future greatness luid prosperity, and an unpar- alleled growth in the history of British America. A plain statement of facts is all that is at present required, with which to go before the world to ensure the commence- ment of a stream of immigration, that will soon fulfil Bulwer's grand project of a chain of loyal provinces, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and be induced gr- ;tly by the liberal policy of the Government of the Domi .ion. Already Manitoba, in the first Session of its Legisla- ture, has set the example, by the true policy of a liberal " Homestead Law," in keeping with the spirit of the age 6 MANITOBA, AND THE in which we live, and is as liberal as that of any in the United Slates. In addition to the exemption from sei- zure of the debtor s ordinary furniture, tools and farm implements in use, are also " one cow, two oxen, one horse, four sheep, two pigs, and the food for the same for thirty days." A further clause says as follows : — " The land cultivated by the debtor, provided the extent of the same be not more than one hundred and sixty acres, in which case the surplus may be sold with privilege to first mort- gagees. The house, stables, barns, fences, on the debtor's farm are." by this Act, "declared free from seizure by virtue of all writs of execution issued by any court of this Province." Thereby showing that we have no limitation as to the value of the farm or residence thus secured to the family, whatever its value may become, it remains the shelter, the castle, the home, of the family, to cluster round its hearthstone in the hour of gJoom and disaster, as securely as they were wont to do in the sunshine of prosperity. We must remember that no general law can be framed for the protection of the unfortunate that will not sometimes be taken advantage of by others, and it may be safely asserted that such an exemption law will be found a blessing to thousands of worthy men, women and children, for every one unworthily shielded by its provisions. It is not within the province of this Fjsay to enter into details of the early history of Red River Settlement, or its late troubles, suffice it to say, therefore, that the colony was planted by Lord Selkirk, in 1812, at the mouth of the Assiniboine, as an auxiliary to the Hudson t, t' ,!■■ ♦ ♦ *7 I A' NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. b» I' ♦ # i » Bay Company's trade, and as a source of agricultural supply, &;c., and, after the result of various exploring expeditions throughout Rupert's Land under Palliser, Hinds, Dawson and others became know^n, public opinion in England and Canada began to apjireciate the in*- mense value of this country ; and in 1857 a Parlia- mentary investigation was ordered, which suddenly as- tonished the world at its revelations, ziftermany delays, struggles and troubles, we at last enter upon a career of development, with peace and prosperity before us ; and, possessing all the lights and privileges oi* j» British Pro- vince, gladly extend the hand of welcome to the world, and offer a home of future independence to millions of our fellow creatures. In the present sparsely settled state of the country the pioneers of immigration will have great advantages in being able to appropriate the best lands, and most eligible situations for wood and water ; although it may be here remarked that what, in many parts, is now a treeless prairie may, in a few years, be covered with timber, as soon as civilization checks the annual scourge of prairie lires. Wherever these fires are arrested, the land is soon covered by a dense growth of timber, generally poplar. From the tendency of population being governed pri- marily by the direction of the navigable waters, so will the pioneer immigrant lay the foundation of thriving towns along their great extent to the foot of the Rocky Mountains. In comparing the advantages and resources <.of this T^ ,Mfa-»jy.;Ty^WllP:(»P|rPT^^W^i7«i^«^,^ft'jy.'^iWJWB' 8 MANITOBA, AND THE great North- West of the Dominion, with the west and north-west of the United States, we must bear in mind that the rate of area absorbed by settlement in ten years in the Western States of America was 170,955 square miles, and continually increasing ; and that from the reports of explorations, made under the auspices of the United States Government, of the region between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, the startling facts are revealed, " that the western progress of its population has neaijy reached the extreme vjestern limit of the areas available for settlement, and that the whole space west of the 98th parallel, embracing one half of the entire surface of the United States, is an arid and desolate vjaste, with the exception of a narrow belt of rich land along the Pacific coast." That rich but narrow belt referred to has already been blocked out with the prosperous States of California and Oregon, with a population of over 1,200,000. This mo- mentous fact v/as first announced by Professor Henry, of the Smithsonian Institute, from whom we quote, " The whole space to the west, between the 98th meridian and the Rocky Mountains, is a barren waste, over which the eye may roam to the extent of the visible horizon, with scarcely an object to break the monotony. The country may also be considered, in comparison with other portions of the United States, a wilderness, unfitted for the use of the husbandman, although, in some of the mountain vaUeys, as at Salt Lake, by means of irrigation, a pre- carious supply of food may be obtained." It is i|ot necessary to quote the detailed description of M ♦i. • .■I' '^slJ^^l^t'JjjM ^.i*i'iit ■ Tiflf^^IfV'W^T'v^"" T ''WT "^^^ -s's:-- Lons use iain pre- f* M I 1/ ^. Iti * ' .4 i» ' NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. 9 this American Sahara, the concluding words of Professor Henry are more to our purpose. Ho says, "we have stated that the entire region, west of the 98th degree of west longitude, with the exception of a small portion of western Texas, and the main border along the Pacific, is a country of comparatively little value to the agricul- turist; and perhaps it will astonish the reader if v<5 direct his attention to the fact that this line, that passes southward from Lake Winnipeg to the Gulf of Mexico, will divide the luliole surface of the United States into two nearly equal parts. This statement, when fully appreciated, will serve to dissipate some of the dreams, which have been considered realities as to the destiny of the western part of the North American continent. Truth, however, transcends even the laudable feelings of pride and country, and in order properly to direct the policy of this great confederacy " (the United States), " it is necessary to be well acquainted with the theatre in which its future history is to be re-enacted." Now, looking upon that picture and on this, let us draw the comparison. Upon the northern edge of that great Sahara, we have the valleys of the Tied Kiver and Saskatchewan, carrying their rich and grassy undulations to the gorges of the Eocky Mountains ; forming an iso- lated belt of verdure across the western half of the British American continent, an isthmus of fertile and habitable lands between the Arctic wastes, which extend to the frozen ocean on the north, and the vast deserts between the Mississippi River and Pacific coast. Kansas, Eastern Nebraska, Dakotah and Minnesota, are Tapidly • I 10 MANITOBA, AND THE filling up, and all that remains are less that 90,000 square miles ; or, at the present rate of demand of land absorbed by immigration, about five years to the turning point in American history. It is not difficult to foresee the result, viz., that the entire expansive movement of population on the American continent, will be concentrated in the direction of our fertile valleys in the basin of Lake Winnipeg. In the face of these serious facts, not an hour's delay should take place in the building of a British interoceanic railway, which can be fed by an industrious population, from one extremity to the other ; and everyone possessing a true loyal spirit, should lend a helping hand to the Government in promoting the rapid advancement of this great enterprise, one so important to British interests in all parts of the world. People who have misgivings about the practicability of building the Canada Pacific Kailway on the basis of land grants, msiy be able to gather some encouragement from the following facts : — When the Illinois Central Railroad was being built, a grant of land was made in its favour, to the extent of 2,595,000 acres. Sales of this land, to the fii'st of January, 1869, amounted to $23,793,255, and over half a million acres then remained unsold, which, it is said, was worth $10 per acre. It is estimated that when the whole of this land is sold,it will yield $30,000,000, or over $11 per acre. Until the Illinois Central was built, the Western States were more difficult of access than Manitoba is to-day ; yet there are few States better supplied with railroad and other facilities than these are now. The Kansas Pacific had a large land grant, all of ■' . 'J w ' il NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. 11 which it sold at an average price of $3 25 per acre. A good portion of this land was comprised within the limits of what was known as the "Great American Desert." The Union Pacific Railway also obtained from the Government a grant of large tracts of land, from which it has realized an average of $4 46 per acre. The coun- try, through which the Canadian Pacific is likely to run, is known to be, in most respects, superior to that through which the three American Railways named are running to-day, and there can be no doubt that, as emigration to Manitoba increases, and the country becomes opened up, the land along the line of the Canadian Pacific Rail- way will be worth fully as much as it was along the lines of the Illinois Central, the Kansas Pacific, or the Union Pacific. The elements, for appraising the market value of the Canadian Pacific land grant, sufticiently exist to make it absolutely certain that it can be sold lor a sum much greater than the cost of constructing and equipping the road. The policy of the company should be, how- ever, at first to sell its lands at such moderate prices as to render their speedy absorption and settlement certain. For the information of those likely to become settlers along its line, we may here state, that the ignorant ob- jections heretofore urged to a Canadian Pacific route, on the score of climate, are forever set at rest by the ascer- t?ined facts of temperature ; and the groundless notion that snow storms and drifts in winter v/ould prove an obstacle is disposed of The facts are that, from the Red River to the Rocky Mountains, the total fall of snow 12 MANITOBA, AND THE I f during the winter, averages 33 inches, less snow than ^n Quebec and Ontario^ where snow is no obstacle to rail- roads. The snow storms along the plains of the Sas- katchewan are only one-fifth of what they are in the railroad State of Massachusetts. As we proceed west- ward, the climate is more humid, and mild as that of England — moisture falling usually in the form of rain. This, therefore, is clearly shown to be the only route capable of continuous and profitable settlement, nearly along its whole line, and possessing the necessary ele- ments of sustentation in local traflSc, independent of its enormous through traffic. This route is indicated as the natural pathway of commerce, by the vast and inexhaustible coal beds of the Saskatchewan, speaking of which Sir William Armstrong, some few years ago, raised the question, in the old coun- try, of the possibility of the coal mines of England becoming, after a time, exhausted. The question was widely discussed at the time, and all became thoroughly convinced of what paramount importance to a country's prosperity was the coal fields. From geological reports, and engineers' surveys, it appears that the Saskatchewan district possesses one of the largest coal fields in the world. Between the 59th parallel and the North Sea, it has been calculated that there cannot be much less than 500,000 square miles that are underlied by true coal. The average breadth of this belt is about 200 miles. In addition to the coal, this district contains rich deposits of iron ore, and on both slopes of the Rockj/ Mountains, J »« • !W *\ NORTH-WEST OP THE DOMINION. 13 t< « . immense gold deposits, the development of which is yet in its infancy. Surely, with those riches, there is a great future in store for the North- West, to be developed by the com- pletion of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The wonderful provision of coal in our North-West makes its possession of immense importance to the Dominion of Canada, as the scarcity of coal is one of its most serious wants at present, and affects every branch of manufactures and industry, as well as the private arrangements of the J people. With this region properly developed, not only may the Dominion draw supplies from her own resources, ^ but also our neighbours across the line,^by branch line from ♦ the Northern Pacific, now in course of rapid construction, and which will, at some western points, almost touch the boundary line. The measure of working the coal fields ' of the North-West is of such immediate importance to the country, that every inducement should be held out to private companies to develope these rich fields, which are more important to the prosperity and development of I the Dominion, than the possession of a mine of diamonds. In advance of the completion of that grand e.iterprise, a Pacific Railway, we possess the magnificeno extent of collateral water line, almost directly on the path of the future railway, and occupying three-fourths of the entire distance across the continent. The introduction of steam navigation, throughout this extensive water line, will revolutionize the whole traditional system of traffic with . the Indians. It has cost the Hudson Bay Company, an- nually, about $500,000 for the collection and tranship- tJ5^w»A.,«ii,*ii(v''*(.^A'j!!* 1- 14 MANITOBA, AICD THE I ! ment of fcheir furs. This will not appear extraordinary when it is known that the cost, under the present system of transportation, of maintaining a single bateau for the season of navigation, including the wages and provisions of men, is from $1,500 to $2,500. One of these boats carries five tons. To make the upward voyage with loaded boats, from Red River to Fort Edmonton, on the North Saskatchewan, a distance of 1,062 miles, requires a period of two months. A steamboat which would carry, say 100 tons, would make the trip in one week at the farthest, at a cost not greater than that required to support a bateau. To sum up this statement, to carry five tons 1000 miles in a bateau, and return, consumes the season, at a cost of, say $25,000, or $500 per ton. To carry 100 tons in a steamboat, and return, might consume a month, at a cost of, say $1000, or $10 per ton. Transportation by steamboat would therefore cost one- fiftieth of the expens'^ by the present modes. As already remarked, the tendencies of settlement will be governed mainly by the direction of the navigable streams, which offer a v/ide field of enterprise, and investment for capital. Those who should now Emigrate. Immigrants most likely to succeed in the present un- advanced state of the country, would be farmers ajid stock-raisers, with a limited number of mechanics, not entirely dependant on constant employment at their trade, or afraid of pioneer life, but desirous of securing a home of future independence ; agriculturists or small capitalists, as pioneers, are the more eligible who seek to improve NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. u \. > , their condition by their experience, and desire larger and quicker returns for labour bestowed, and capital in- vested. The present rate of wages are, on an average, considerably higher than in the eastern provinces, and provisions about 50 per cent. Irgher ; and sometimes beef and pork are difficult to be had at any price, occasioned by the numerous arrivals, and the supply being unequal to the demand. Immigrants should therefore bring all the live stock possible with thom, $80 to $90 being asked at present for a good working ox, $50 for a milk cow, and from $100 to $125 for the commc i I iian breed of horses. * Agricultural Implements of all kinds should also be brought by the immigrant, as they are yet both scarce and dear. The most indispen- sable would be a good steel plough for breaking land, harrow, &c., and as many of the necessaries required by an emigrant, as can be conveniently carried. The main reason of the present scarcity of cattle is, that the old settlers ha,ve not hitherto devoted much attention to stock raising on a large scale, or much beyond the supply of their own wants. New Land should never be broken after July, and that broken in June, only requires re-ploughing before the seed is put in for a crop the next season, so that the immigrant should lose no time in arriving as early as possible, to give him time to look up a suitable location, break some land, secure wild hay, and make other provision for com- 16 MANITOBA, AND THE fort in winter. Potatoes may be planted uj) to the early part of June, and do well in newly broken land, by which a crop may be secured for immediate use. The great advantage to the immigrant in having a good yoke of oxen is, that they will work better in the breaking plough, and grow fat on the green grass that they eat at night, whereas the horses will be poor after a long jour- ney, and being likely accustomed to a liberal supply of oats, will not do so well at first on grass alone. For Fencing, poplar will generally be found in small groves on the prairie, or on the banks of streams, and, if the bark is peeled off, makes a good and lasting fence, small ash or oak being used for the pickets, when it can be conve- niently found. A good tent is indispensable for the com- fort of the immigrant and his family, both for the journey and for summer accommodation, till a house is built. For the balance, tact, energy and enterprise, with a well- settled purpose, will be a safe passport to early indepen- dence, growing in wealth with the development of the country. As settlements become filled, there will, of course, be a more ample field for many to do in the North- West, as thousands now do in the older Provinces, namely, start with nothing, and by working out for wages, or hiring fa,rms on shares, soon secure for them- selves homes of comfort. No doubt, before next season, an experienced immigra- tion agent will be appointed in the Province, to whom immigrants will be able to apply for disinterested infor- »s >. ■.\ 1 • . I ■ I «*• 1 r NORTH-WEST OF THE DOHINION. 17 . i < \ mation of local detail, anil by whom they will be guided in their movements and location in their adopted country. Climate and Seaso7i8, The natural division of the seasons in the valley of Lake Winnipeg is as follows : — Spring. — April and May : Summer. — June, July, August, and part of September • AiUamn. — Part of September and October : Winter. — November, December, January, February and March : And is strikingly represented by the early and rapid advancement of temperature in May. It is the excessive cold of the long winter season, embracing five months of the year in this latitude, which reduces the annual mean, being 34° 38', while that of Montreal is 42° 03' ; but Blodgett claims that the whole Saskatchewan valley has a climate very nearly as mild, in its annual average, as that of Winsconsin, Northern New York and Ontario, which would give it a winter mean of 15 degrees. The mean for the three montlis, December, January and February, at Fort Garry is 0° 85', at Montreal 16° 83'. In April and Ma}^ the mean tem|)erature rises to 39° 83. and 58° 46', being about equal to Toronto, The winter climate grows rapidly milder in the same parallel west- ward, even where there is an increase of elevation, and, in the Saskatchewan valley, almost represents the climate of Ontario, the mean depth of vsnow being about one- third less. The buffaloes have wintered in myriads on the nutritious B r ) 18 MANITOHA, AND THE grasses of its i)rairies, up to as high a hititude as Lake Athabasca ; and the half-breeds aiul Indians camp out in the open plains during the wliolo of winter, with no shelter but a buffalo skin tent and robes, and horses of the settlers run at large and grow fat on the grasses which they pick up in the woods and bottoms. The following table will serve for comj)arison between the summer temperatures of the Red River, with the agricultural climates south of us : — JUNE. JULY. AUGUST. SUMMER MEAN. Red River... miO 711G 6303 0776 Chicago 627 7008 6805 07-03 Iowa ...GG-4 7005 6809 6806 Wisconsin... Ql-7 68-06 65-07 6503 New Fo?7c... 64-2 68'05 6607 6605 Ontario 59*93 6795 64 6398 It will thus be seen that the summer climate is warmer than that of Northern Illinois, Western Wisconsin, North- ern New York, or Ontario. The fall plunges into winter almost as rapidly as the spring emerges from it. In relation to agriculture, the intensity of winter cold is of comparatively little moment, and its effects upon the physical comfort is mitigated by a clear dry atmosphere, F as makes the winters of our Eastern Provinces the v^f animal and social enjoyment, minent among the questions proposed by the emi- grant, seeking a new home in a new country, are those concerning the climate, its temperature, adaptation to the culture of the grand staples of food, and its healthfulness. ' » ' u NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. 19 RH Lake out in with no loraes of grasses between vith the ER MEAN. 7-76 7 03 806 503 605 ;3'98 s warmer n, North- to winter 1 it. In cold is of upon the mosphere, /inces the r the emi- are those ion to the Lthfulness. 4> ■• f I k ■»■/ V l< ' t ai ^ •* t W] The climate of our North-West hu-s long boon the Muhjtu't of unjust disparagement. " It is too far nortli," " the winters are intolerable," &c., &e. To tlie native settler the seasons follow ojK.'h other in jdeasiiig MUcce.sHion. As the sun approaches its nortliern altitude, winter relaxes its grasp, streams and lak(;s arc unbound, |)niirie flowers spring up, as if by the touch of some magic wand, and gradually spring is merged into the bright beautiful June, with its long warm days, and short, but cool and refresh- ing, nights. The harvest months follow in rapid succes- sion, till the golden Indian summer of early November, foretells the approach of cold and snow ; and again wintei', with its short days of clear bright sky and bracing air, and its long nights of cloudless beauty, complete the circle. The average fall of snow is about six inches per month. This snow falls in small quantities, at different times, and is rarely blown into drifts so as to impede travelling. With the new year commences the extreme cold of our winter, when, for a few days, the mercury ranges from 15 to 35 degrees below zero, falling sometimes even below that. Yet the severity of these days is much softened by the brilliancy of the sun, and the stillness of the air. Thus, while in lower latitudes, they are being drenched by the cold rain storms, or buried beneath huge drifts of wintry snow, Manitoba enjoys a dry atmosphere, with bright cloudless days, and serene starlight nights ; and when the moon turns her full orbed face towards the earth, the night scene of Manitoba is one of peerless grandeur. 20 MANITOBA, AND THE Rains. The Great American Desert derives its barrenness from the lack of rain. The valley of Lake Winnipeg, on the other hand, is abundantly supplied with moisture during the summer months, having an excess of humidity, com- pared with Toronto, by about 14 to 17 inches of rain. No feature in the meteorology of Manitoba and the North- West Territory is likely to excite so much interest to agriculturists as the extraordinary fall of rain during the agricultural months, while we have less snow by about 33 inches on the total fall of winter. BS Salubrity of OHmate. Of paramount importance to the emigrant is the health- fulness of the localitv which is to be the scene of his future labours, and the home for himself and family. What to him are fair fields, flowering meadows, buried in the luxuriant growth of fertile soils and tropical suus, if they generate fever-producing miasm and vapour ? — what are soft and perfumed breezes, if they waft the seeds of pestilence and death ? — what are bountiful har- vests of golden grain, rich and mellow fruits, and all the wealth the earth can yield, if disease must annually visit his dwelling, and death take away, one by one, the loved and the young ? It is well known that some of the fairest portions of the Western States are so fruittul of the causes of disease, as almost to preclude settlement. And thousands have left their comparatviely healthy Canadian and European homes, to find untimely graves 4 4 NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. 21 less from g, on the re during ity, com- s of rain. and the li interest in during by about le health- iue of his id family. buried in jical sVxis, vapour ? — waft the itiful har- ind all the ually visit the loved ne of the fruittul of lettlement. y healthy lely graves in the prairie soil of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. And even in the sections of these States, deemed most healthy, the climite has an enervating effect upon those accustomed to the bracing air of Northern Europe, and our Eastern provinces. The dryness of the air, the character of the soil, which retains no stagnant pools to send forth poisonous exhala- tions, and the almost total absence of fog or mist ; the brilliancy of its sunlight, the pleasing succession of its seasons, all conspire to make Manitoba a climate of un- rivalled salubrity, and to make this the home of a joyous, healthy, prosperous people, strong in physical, intellectual and moral capabilities. Therefore, the assertion that the climate of our North- West is one of the healthiest in the world may be broadly and confidently made, sustained by the experience of its inhabitants. Fevers and con- sumption are almost unknown, and diseases of an epidem- ical character never have been known to prevail. Diseases common to infancy and childhood, partake of a very mild character, and seldom prove fatal. The Social Standing, at present, of the agricultural and industrious classes in Manitoba, may be estimated by the gi-eat proportion of excellent schools and churches, the number of places of worship being as follows : — Episcopalian, nine ; Roman Catholic, seven ; Presbyterian, three ; Methodist, two. This is exclusive of the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Bciiiface, and Church of England Cathedral of St. John's 'j^sasKsss ': '5 i l\ > if i 1 22 MANITOBA, AND tttE T^e /Sfoi^, and its Agricultural Capacity. Several authorities flatteringly speak of Red River and the Winnipeg Basin as " among one of the finest wheat countries in the world." The soil is, an alluvial, black, argillaceous mould, rich in organic deposit, and resting, for a depth of from two to four feet, on a tena- cious clay soil. The measures of heat are ample for the development of corn, conciderably improving westward ; some varieties thrive well in Manitoba, but it is not claimed as a profitable staple. As yet it has been culti- vated chiefly in small garden patches for the green ears, as the cool nights of August prevent it ripening, except in the driest soils ; but in the valley of the St. Joseph mountain, sixty miles south-west of Fort Garry, it arrives at great perfection. Some varieties of Canadian corn, requiring a growing period of not more than seventy days, wruld, however, form a sure crop in Manitoba. According to Blodgett, Indian corn is restricted as a pro- fitable staple, to the middle regions of the west, between parallels 42° and 43". Wheat is the leading staple of the upper belt of the temperave zone. Blodgett (an Ameri- can authority) states, " that the basin of the Winnipeg is the seat of the greatest average wheat product on this continent, and probably in the world." The limestone sub-strata of this region, with its rich deep calcareous loam, and retentive clay subsoil, is always associated with a rich wheat development, while its hot and humid sum- mers fulfil all the climatological conditions of a first rate wheat country. Some fields on the Red River have been • i VI known to produce twenty successive crops of wheat without fallow or manure, and the yield has frequently reached as high as 60 to 60 bushels to the acre. The average crop is set down at forty bushels to the acre, which is double that of Minnesota, acknowledged to be the richest wheat-growing State of America. A comparison of the yield of wheat for past years at Red River, with the best districts of the United States, will shew its superiority over them- -viz Red River, Spring Wheat produces 40 Bush, per acre. Minnesota, " " " 20 " Wisconsin, " " « 14 Pennsylvania, " " 15 Massachusetts, " " 16 « a Winter wheat has not been tried, except in one or two instances, the result being unfavourable to its reputation as a reliable crop ; and an opinion is generally prevalent, that it cannot be grown successfully, but this opinion is not warranted by facts. The success of winter wheat de- pends peculiarly in having a moderate and sure covering of light snow, not condensed by thaws, and packed close by warm winds. Such a snowy covering, requires — firstly, a moderately fall of snow ; and, secondly, a low uniform range of temperature, free from winter rains and prolonged thaws, sufficient to dissipate the snowy cover- ing. These are, in fact, the decided characteristics of our winters. 'The winter precipitation in snow at Manitoba, is about 25 inches. It is remarkable also, that light falls generally co-incide with quite low temperatures. The 24 MANITOBA, AND THE short noon-day hjeats, which often carry the thermome- ter, for an hour or two, above freezing point in winter, are not sufficient to create a thaw, and even a whole day, but slightly above freezing, will not seriously affect the snow In the foregoing comparison with the yield of wheat in the best districts of the United States, there is certainly food for honest pride in the agricultural capacity of Man- itoba. Wheat growing has been termed the " back-bone of agriculture." When the vital importance* of maintaining and increasing the production of a grain so essential to civilized man is considered, it cannot be assigned a less conspicuous place in agricultural anatomy. Wheat is pre-eminently the food of civilized nations ; and, perhaps there can be no surer measure of their civilization, than the culture and consumption of that cereal. History affirms its agency in shaping the power and character of nations. They have grown sturdy and progressive in the ratio of wheat consumption by all classes. Scientific an- alysis confirms the indications of history. Anatomy and chemistry, show that food to be best which gives tough- ness to muscular fibre, and tone to the brain ; that nutri- ment to excel which best rescues the flagging spirits when the energies lie prostrate, without maddening stimulents. That wheat fulfils all these conditions, is not only attes- ted by the character and fate of nations, but it is suscep-: tible of scientific demonstration. The nice adjustment of its vital properties, supports brain, and blood and muscle, in just the proportion requisite for the highest type of man- v')l NORTH-WEST OP THE DOMINION. 25 •momc- winter, )le day, feet the heat in 3rtainly )f Man- bone of fitaining ential to ed a less ^heat is perhaps ion, than History iracter of ve in the ntific an- bomy and es tough- lat nutri- rits when bimulents. inly attes- is suscep- istnient of ad muscle, pe of man- fW • hood. Refinement, fortitude and enterprise, most distin- guish those nations which most consume wheat. Beef- eating and wheat-consuming races, at once dominate and elevate the rice and pork consumers, with whom they come in contact. England, who has long been the conce- ded mistress of the seas, and whose dependencies well-nigh encircle the globe, has so stimulated and enlarged her capacity for wheat growing, that her annual average is 28 bushels per acre. But her consumption so far out- runs her production, that she lays the world under contri- bution for her supplies of bread. Russia, who not only feeds her own vast population, but exports largely to hungry communities abroad, is advancing to an exalted place among nations. But a more practical as well as serious aspect of the subject, pertains to those social prob- lems connected with supplies of bread. The grave sig- nificance of the question involved is not susceptible of concealment, when the fact is considered that, while the consumption of wheat, as the choice food of the human race, is rapidly extending, the capacity of wheat-growing regions for its production is rapidly diminishing. We are told that in New England, the entire wheat product of a year is barely sufficient to feed her own people only three weeks ! and New York for six months. In the ten years ending in 1860, the wheat crop of only four States, de- creased 6,500,000 bushels. In the light of these facts, it is not difficult to foresee that . the North- West of the Dominion must yet assume a proud pre-eminence in wheat growing. . * : Timi 26 MANITOEA, AND THE Oats, Barley, Rye, Potatoes, ; (!Oininon(!nil s()wi!i<,' wlieat on tho 25tb. Kiijjlifc iuirhcM of rain f<'ll during tho month. May. — Tho I3th was tho wannost day. Thor. at 7 a. m. (yir, at 2 p. ni. 84", at !) p. ni. 72", at 2 p. m. 40", at J> p. m. 44' — average 3!)". Finished sowing wheat on the .'ith. One inch of rain foil on the 25th. Junk. — Tho warmest day was tho 1st. Ther. at 7 a. m. 05", at 2 p. m. 75°, at 9 p. m. 67°,— average 09°. The coldest day was tho (ith. Ther. at 7 a. m. 43°, at 2 p. m. 49°,at 9 p. m. 42", — average 44° jj. Nino inches of rain fell during tho month. On tho 20th, strawberries ripe and beautiful. July — The warmest day was the 13th. Ther. at 7 a. m. 72°, at 2 p. m. 82°, at 9 p. m. 85°,— average 79° |. The 22nd was the coldest day. Ther. at 7 a. m. 00°, at 2 p. m. 01°, at 9 p. m. 49°, — average 50° §. On the 8th, two inches of rain fell, accompanied by strong wind which lodged many fields of wheat. Five inches of rain fell during the month. August. — The 0th was the warmest day. At 7 p. m. 73°, at 2 p. m. 80°,— average 79°. The 31st was the cold- est day. Ther. at 7 a. m. 46°, at 2 p. m. 00°, at 9 p. m^ 40° — average 48° f . Four inches of rain fell* during the month. On the 24th, commenced reaping wheat. September. — The 17th was the warmest day. Ther. at 7 a. m. 57°, at 2 p. m. 75°, — average 66°. The 5th was the coldest day. Ther. at 7 a. m. 45°, at 9 p. m. 41°, — average 43°. Slight frost on the 2nd. Five and a half c ,'1N ^ jsi<^ Li-; u,-t"i i/^ J\i A.^,.' ^ w.- ".^•. M MANITOBA, AND THE inches nf rain fell. Finished shearing wheat on the 15th. Prof. Hind, lii his report, remarks — " It cannot fail to be noticed that the general absence of late spring and early autumn frosts, with an abundant fall of rain, during the agricultural months, are its distinguishing features in relation to husbandry. The melon growing in open air, and arriving at perfect maturity in August and Septem- ber ; Indian corn succeeding admirably, when due pre- caution are used *o ensure ripening before the middle of 8e])teniber, are strong proofs of the almost uniform ab- sence of summer frosts. ' It may not be out of place here to refer to the amount of sunlight received during our growing seasons — viz : Whilst at New Orleans, in July, they have fourteen hours sunlight ; we, in Manitoba, have sixteen hours, with much longer twilight than they, consequently our vegetation grows more rapidly than theirs, and niatures much sooner. This is a beautiful law of compensation — as what we lack in heat, is made up in sunlight during our summers; Some persons in their zeal for our climate, have conten- ded that sudden changes are rare, and of no great vio- lence. This is a mistake. Changes are sudden, violent, and not very rare. We are about half way between the equator and the north pole, and subject to either extremes. This, instead of being a disadvantage, is rather in our favour — it gives variety, a thing desirable at times ; then again, these changes are, for the reasons already given, seldom pernicious. Plants and animals are armed with the proper implements for resistance. I would not infer ,-♦ ' NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. 35 that we are subject to hurricanes, or other violent commo- tions of the atmosphere, any more, or as much as other places. But we have a touch at times of both ex- tremes, a vibratory movement of the climates of the tor- rid and frigid zones alternately. Rains, hail and snow, alternating with the soft and sometimes sultry breezes of the south. There is a great variety of climate at Mani- toba. Yet there is no place south of us w^here crops are surer (excepting the dreaded scourge of the grasshopper), or where the quality of vegetables is better. With the progress of the year, the supply of heat and moisture slowly declines, until the autumn harvest is closed. The autumnil equinox being passed, and the season of vege- table growth ended, suddenly the fall of rain is arrested. " Indian summer" is ushered in, and then follows the love- liest month of all the year ; the weather warm, the at- mosphere hazy and calm, and every object appearing to wear a tranquil and drowsy aspect. A few days more, and the sleeping earth lies quiet and serene. From the house-tops, the white smoke descends in airy, inverted cones, whose bases dissolve away in the steel blue sky and the sun rises bright and glorious, suffusing the wide landscape with an ephemeral but ineffable beauty. Many of the prevailing impressions, concerning the winter of Manitoba, among those who have never experienced them, are founded in gross error. Notwithstanding the marvel- lous accounts of intense cold and biting winds, and snows of untold depth, which have been disseminated in years gone by, and have gained a great degree of ortlence, the winter of Manitoba is the most healthful and invig- .S I I [ 'I 'ill 1-. 1 36 MANITOBA, AND THE orating of the seasons, and is to many, the great charm of the year. Government. Manitoba has a form of government similar to that of the other Provinces of the Dominion. The Legislature consists of a Legislative Council, composed of seven mem- bers ; and a Legislative Assembly of twenty-four mem- bers. The Executive consists of the Lieutenant Governor, a Secretary of State, Provincial Treasurer, Minister of Pub- lic Works, President of the Council, and Attorney Gen- eral. The Judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, District Court, and Justices of the Peace. Law of Descent. When a person in this Province dies, possessing lands, &;c., which have not been otherwise lawfully devised, by an Act passed in the first session of the First Legislature, his property descends, subject to his debts — 1st, in equal shares to his children and to the lawful issue of any de- ceased child. If without children, to his widow during her life, and after her decease, to his father, and directly to his father when no child or widow is left. 3rd. If no child or father be left, then to his widow during her natural life ; and after her decease, in equal shares, to his brothers and sisters ; and so on to more distant relatives — the law regulating the descent of real property in a reg- ular and equitable manner. Public Lands. The whole area of the Province by system of survey • 1, ."ij •J u < * 1* ' NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. 37 above ordered, exclusive of the roads, the latter being in all cases left out of the calculation, is 9,008,640 acres. Deduct *1— 287,288— 2—420,392— 707,680 Leaving available arear of 8,300,960 acres. Equal to 360 Townships, each containing 23,040 acres, and of which it will require 60 to give 1,400,000 acres. System of Survey. 1. The system shall be rectangular. 2. The townships shall consist of 36 sections, of one mile square each, and road allowances, in all cases one chain in width, shall be set out and allowed between all townships and sections. Sections shall be numbered thus : — N W 31 30 19 18 7 6 32 29 20 17 8 5 33 28 21 16 9 4 34 27 22 15 10 3 35 26 23 14 11 2 86 25 24 13 12 1 tq s ;4F W^ff'J.''|')WWH'W"»IIW»"WW 38 MANITOBA, AKD THE 3. The international boundary shall form the base for townships 1 and 2. 4. The east and west lines between townships 4 and 5, 8 and 9, 12 and 13, and 16 and 17, shall be base lines or standard parallels In the system. The meridian line run in the autumn of 1869 for some 90 miles north from the international boundary, and known as the " Winnipeg Meridian," shall be adopted and continued as the meridian from which the ranges of townships shall number, east and west, in the Province. 6. The "jog," resulting from convergence of meridians, shall be allowed and set out oa the following lines, that is to say : — t;, m 1 . on line between liQr lownsnips m i- ^ Townships. 3 and 4 2 and 3 7 " 8 6 " 7 11 " 12 10 " 11 15 " 16 U " lo 7. In the survey of any and every township, the defi- ciency or surplus, as the case may be, resulting from con- vergence of meridians, shall be set out and allowed in the quarter sections on the west boundary — the area of which shall, in the survey, be returned accordingly at their actual contents. 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 14, »' tf- Settlement of Crown Lands. The provisions, hereinafter contained, shall only apply to lands which shall have been surveyed. Unappropriated public lands shall, until further direc- tions, be open for sale at the rate of one dollar an acre. 4 ' NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. 39 Payments for lands, whether purchased in virtue of pre-emption rights, or. in the ordinary manner, nhall be made in cash. Pre-emption Eights. Any person being the head of a family, or a single man above the age of twenty-one years, being a subject of Her Majesty, by birth or naturalization, who has made, or shall hereafter make, a settlement, in person, on the public lands, and who hai inhabited and improved the same, and who has erected or shall erect a dwelling thereon, may have himself entered with the land officer of the division in which such land is, for any number of acres not exceeding 160, or a quarter section of land, to include the residence of the claimant, and obtain a patent therefor, upon paying to the Crown the price of such lands. When two or more persons have settled on the same quarter section of land, the right of pre-emption shall be in him who made the first settlement. Questions as to the right of pre-emption, arising be- tween different settlers, shall be settled by the land officer of the division in which the land is situated. Before the right of pre-emption may be exercised, proof of settlement and improvement shall be made to the land officer by the affidavit of the claimant, and the testimony of two creditable witnesses. All assignments and transfers of pre-emption rights, prior to the issuing of the patent, are null and void. Before any person shall be allowed to be entered for 40 MANITOBA, AND THE lands, and obtain the right of pre-emption in respect thereof, he shall make oath before the land officer of the division in which the land lies, that he has never had the benefit of any right of pre-emption under these regula- tions — that he has not settled on and improved the lands with a view to selling them on speculation, but in good faith for his own use and benefit. Any person swearing falsely in the premises shall be guilty of perjury, and shall forfeit any money he has paid for the land, and any conveyance he may have made of the same, except to bona fide purchasers, for a valu- able consideration, shall be null and void. TJie person who receives the oath shall file a certificate thereof in the land office for the division, which shall be evidence that such oath was duly administered. In case a person entitled to claim pre-emption rights dies before giving effect to his claim, the representatives of the deceased person may complete the same. But the entry in such case shall be made in favour of " the heirs " of the deceased person, and the patent shall issue, and the title shall enure to the heirs, as if their names had been specially mentioned. Homestead Rights. Any person who is the head of a family, or has attained the age of twenty-one years, who is a subject of Her Majesty, by birth or naturalization, shall, after the first day of May, 1871, be entitled to be entered for one quarter section, or a less quantity of unappropriated s ^^ NORTH -WKST OF THE DOMINION. 41 • / V -i A ^ ♦ ' public lands, for the purpose of securing a homestead right in respect thereof Those officers and men of the first or Ontario, and of the second or Quebec Battalion of rifles, now serving therein, (whether in the se .ice or depot companies) who may become settlers in Manitoba, shall be entitled to an additional free grant, without actual residence thereon, of one quarter section. No other person shall be entitled to more than one homestead right. Persons owning and occupying lands may be entered for other land lying contiguous to their lands, but the whole extent of land, including that previously owned and occupied, must not exceed 160 acres. A person applying for leave to be entered for lands, with a view of securing a homestead right therein, shall make affidavit that he is over 21 years of age,, that he is a British subject by birth or naturalization, and that the application is made for his exclusive use and benefit, and that the entry is made for the purpose of actual settlement. Upon making this affidavit, and filing it with the land officer, and on payment to him of $10 (for which he shall receive a receipt from the officer), he shall be permitted to enter the land specified in the application. In entries of contiguous lands, the settler must de- scribe in his affidavit the tract he owns, and is settled upon as his original farm. Actual residence on the con- tiguous land entered is not required, but bona fide im- ir 'H^ 42 MANITOBA, AND THK ' s provemenfc and cultivation of it must be shown for the period required by tliese regulations. No patent shall be granted for the land until the expi- ration of live years from the time of entering into pos- session of it. At the ex]jiration of five years, or within two years thereafter, the settler, or his widow, her heir or devisees, upon proof, to the satisfaction of the land officer, that he or they have resided upon or cultivated the land for five years next after the filing of the affidavit for ent y, and upon his or their affidavit, that no part of the land has been alienated, the settler, or his representatives, shall be entitled to a patent for the land. When both parents die, leaving a child or children under age, the executors or guardians may sell the lands for the benefit of the infant child or children, but for no other purpose. The purchaser, in such case, shall acquire the absolute title by purchase, and be entitled to obtain a patent for the land from the Crown upon payment of the office fees, (fee. The title to lands to be acquired under the above pro- visions, remains in the Crown until the issue of the patent therefor, and such lands are not therefore liable to be taken in execution before the issue of the patent. In case it is proved, to the satisfaction of the land officer, that the settler has abandoned the land entered by him, for more than six months at any time, then the land shall revert to the Crown. Any person, who has availed himself of the foregoing ^ '^^ ' -I NORTH-WEST OF THE DOMINION. 48 provisions, may at any time, before the expiration of the five years, obtain a patent for the land entered upon by him, on paying the pre-emption price thereof, and making proof of settlement and cultivation from the date of entry to the time of payment. Proof of actual settlement and cultivation is made by the affidavit of the claimant, made before the proper land officer, corroberated by testimony of two credible wit- nesses. All assignments and transfers of homestead rights, prior to the issuing of the patent, are null and void, but will be deemed piimyj facie evidence of the abandonment, and give cause for the cancellation of the claim. A settler relinquishing or abandoning his claim cannot thereafter make a second entry. A person who has settled on a tract, and filed his ap- plication for pre-emption right, may, at any time, substi- tute therefor an application for homestead right. Exemption of Certain Lands. The following lands shall not be the subjects of pre- emption or homestead rights : — Lands allotted to the Hudson's Bay Company under the terms of the transfer of the North- West Territory to Canada. Lands reserved for schools. Wood lands, set apart as such, for supplying settlers with fuel and fencing. Portions of the public lands selected as the sites of towns or villages. ..;. ,.!■% -Ja», I 1 4* MANITOBA, AM) THK Lands actually settled and occupied for the purposes of trade. Mineral lands. •I Re8e7'vation for Inter-Oceanic Railway. At any time after the first day of May, A.D. 187-1, the Governor in Council may, subject to then existing rights, withdraw, from the operation of the above system, land to the width of three full townships o.i each side of the line finally sanctioned for the Inter-Oceanic Railway, and may also terminate after the same day, the free homestead system above provided for. To check the falling of the land into speculation, lands, not exceeding a section, will be sold, at the ordinary sale, to any person for the cash price of one dollar per acre. Volunteers belonging to the expedition are entitled to one free lot of 160 acres, and to another lot by settling on it. Road allowances are established at the width of one chain and a half. Wood and timber lands and mill sites are not allowed to be the subject of pre-emption or homestead rights, or of ordinary sale, but will be the subject of special conditions of sale. Private Lands. Farms of various degrees of improvement are frequently offered for sale at from $3 to $12 per acre, such price being often less than the cost of the buildings and fences. These cases occur, not from the undesirable character of the property so much as from restlessness and love of change. • • 4 i Nr>RTH-WEST OF THE DOMrNlON. 45 > •♦ A \ '• When to Commence. To the limn of means, any |)ortion of the year is a favourable time for coming to Manitoba; but to the poor man, who expecta liis support from the soil, the vahie of time is an important consideration. As a rule, the fall is the worst time he could come, while early spring is the best. If the immigrant reaches his land by the middle of June, he is too late to produce most crops the same sea- son ; but he is yet in time for barley, potatoes and tur- nips. Potatoes may be dropped into the furrow and cov- ered by the plough with the tough sod, and will grow through it ; while turnip seed may be sown on the freshly turned sod, and very slightly covered. June is the best month for breaking wild land, especially prairie, while the breaking season should not begin earlier than the mid- dle of May, nor lie prolonged beyond the first of August. A particular stage of vegetation of the overturned sod is necessary for its rapid decay, and frequently more harm than good is done to land, which is first unseasonably ploughed. The present state of the country imperatively demands that the immigrant should bring with him a good supply of provisions, and the cattle he may require, according to his means. Provisions of all kinds are enormously high, and difficult to be had. Flour $3 75c. to $4 25c. per 100 lbs. Pork, 30cts. per lb. Fresh Beef, IScts. to. 20cts. per lb. Butter, 37 Jets, per lb. Eggs, 30cts. per doz. These prices will afford sufficient evidence of the scarcity. .% 46 MANITOIIA, AND TllK NOUTH-WKST, KTC. •. > How to yet to Manitoba. At present f6r the ininiigrant bringing with him wag- gt>ns, cattle, iScc., th(i United States route is, no doubt, the easiest and most ccmvenient. After tl^e 1st of October next, he may take the ears, from any point in Canada, through to a point on the Red River, about 200 miles soutli of Fort Garry, from thence he will have a good prairie road ; or may go down the Red River by Steam- boat connection. Foreign immigrants landing in Portland or Quebec, may come westward by way of the Grand Trunk, Great Western, and Michigan Central railroads to Chicago ; thence to St. Paul and Red River. Those pre- ferring the Lake route, may ship from CoUingwood to Duluth, on Lake Superior ; thence by rail to terminus at Red River, and from thence by prairie road or Steamboat "International," or "Selkirk." The latter route, is pro- bably the most direct an,d convenient. On arriving at the terminus, immigrants wishing to take the prairie road with their own conveyances, will be able to obtain all ne- cessary information as to good camping and watering places, which might here be enumerated ; but a personal description will be of more practical use. Also in con- nection with the railway, arrangements have been com- pleted for a line of stages to run, during the present sum- mer, direct to Fort Garry in Manitoba. A • I .) ( .k. iiMH \ I I ^ I » * • (, < *t .) / -^ h *} f* »• •*; HILL, GRIGGS & GO'S LINE. i ■ ^ ST, PAUL TO MANITOBA. ST. I'AIIL, MINN., AI'HIL I, IH7I. lJp(tn tliu oponing of Navigation on tliu Kud llivcr, wo will Ik; rotuly to «rarry I'ASSENiJKKS and^ KKKKiHT from St. Taul to Fort (Jarry. PaHHCiigePH for Rod iUvor, will go from Saint Paul to either Saint Cloud or the tertttiiiUM of the .Main Ijiuu of the Saiitt Paul & Pacific Railroad, and thence by good four horse Coaches to Twenty-five Mile Point, where they will take the ateauier for Fort (iarry. The time occupied from Saint Paul through will be fr<»m six to seven days. Passengers will be allowed the usual amount of baggage on. the Rail- road and Steamers. All over fifty pounds will be charged extra on the Stages. Ciiildren, between the ages of four and twelve years, will be charged half fare. The fares do not include meals by the way. The ditier- ence between FIRST and SECOND CLASS fares is, that FIRST CLASS includes Cabin on Steamers, and SECOND CLASS includes Deck Pas- sage. Parties desiring to take through HOUSEHOLD (iOODS, or other freight, can have it shippctl by Freight Line from Saint Paul through to Fort Garry, at the rate of four dollars per hundretl pounds, (American Currency) These rates will hold good during the season of navigation, unless low water in the Red River prevents the Steamboat.' iiom coming above the Rapids, in which case, a small advance will be made to cover the extra distance carried by stage. The stages will run three times each week, or oftener if the travel justifies it, from the end of the road to the Steamer, and the Steamer will leave once a week. Our Line is bonded under the United States Treasury Regulations for the transportation of goods in bond, which will avoid all trouble and delay at (Custom Houses. Parties taking through goods of any kind, should have duplica^