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FAMPHliBT i l^e^crlbimg^e adva^tagrei; of tbe cpiiiitry drainedilM the ^attl^ and Baskat- ehewau Hivet'B as a fleld for 1 -X-Af^' A^"-- ,8ettlenitnt, . ' -.> *\ ( ■ • — • ' aif- v.. ,\\:n;i/£A?M:4/AiiFH.: ^ ^" Bef^e taming here T watifoXk that JUaHlefwrd, watt in the m^M qfjM HeriU^ dreary watte of mndi hul I with we had a f^ hundred '^ equare milee of JuH ^^eh dret^r^ wasies of eand in Ontttrio and (8«eft<*e.— Correspon- denc<»| Toronto Globe* », f^.Vv>/ 1. ^;/ IHFOElCATIDir BTOSAl iAtTLKrollO, .•^«- v„ (8 jisR A^tc tii^ vr A N TJ^tfftrroBir^ 1- "V-f ^<^^ timberMc -■V ■\- "S, LQCATE! :^\'.:^^:'%\' i(-*r )ficrj 'h and r^ported^ponv <|iijemi>i|i9f all ktadi ^e/ot* answered by retttra mail^ - ) ■rj* .<•• INVESTED ,!^/ f V ^ll"«l^ K. . ; 40|tli e^MTflVYi^ tet^ Ma ^apiMl 9^ryenetri liver, little ki pource peman( THE BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. PUBELY INTRODUCTORY. Fifteen years ago a trip ftom Eastern Canada to Winnipeg was an undertaking to be thought of by few and to be attempted by an even smaller number, while venture- some Indeed must he be who would even dream of penetrating farther into the wildis of the unsettled West. These trips, too, must be made only during the summer months, and it is but little more than ten years since a winter journey from Winni- peg to St. Paul was a perilous and foolhardy one. Time has changed all this, however. Bi nee the spring of 1871, ah ever-increasing Influx of settlers from the older prorlnees and from the mother country, together )f^ith [not a few from tht neighboring republic, lias pushed on civilization until the treacl of L>he pioneer is now heard at the very base of [he Rocky Mountains, while this year one iraall party of venturesome spirits have penetrated even to the valley of the Peatse' ^Iver. Of course, where a country was so [ittle known, information ftom whatever fource was eagerly sought after, aiid thi$ lemand has delnged the country -^HW ihj- 1 2 BATl'LE niVER VALLEY. miff ran ti* guides and handbooks of every d«- ■oriptlon, written, In many Instances, by professional but uninformed book-makers, and In more by amateurs who essayed to be ranked as authors, and whoso Ideas of their own abilities far exceeded their actual men- tal calibre ; while In ninety-nine cases out of every hundred the motive was not so much the dissemination of useful know- ledge or the benefitting of their fellow-men, as the pockots of these seif-styled philan- thropists. In addition to this class, the in- crease in travelling facilities and the new- ness of the eouutry as a field for the explo- rer, the sight-seer, and the Invalid in search of health, has induced troops of tourists to visit the North- West, travelling, througli it as fast as the locomotive and the steamer, where available, and horseflesh could take them, and upon their return to *' civiliza- tion,'' their views have been reduced to writing and placed in book form upon the market. Men who would scarcely be able to tell a harrow from a horse- rake under- took to advise intending settlers ** where to go, how to go, and when to go.*' They told what they had seen and heard and a great deal that they had imagined, and added much more compiled from the writings of those who had gone before, concluding the whole with a string of advice to people de- siring to settle, and every other variety of counsel likely to be required by a man who was thinking of penetrating the wilds of the New North- Wtst. It must not be inferred! INTRODUCTORY. 59, by 1 to be f tUelr ,1 men- les out not so know- (^•meDt phllan- the in- Le new- \ explo- 1 search irists to rough it iteamer, L lid t»k^ clvlliza- uced to pon th« be able under- hero to ey told a great d added tings of Ing the loplo de- riety of an who da of the inferred that all that has been written is set down ns worthless, but mixed with the good grain there has been so much chaflT and foreign matter of even le' li value than that intrin- sically worthless stuff, that the public mind has become nauseated, and books of this kind are taken up but to be thrown aside without even a cursory perusal. Manitoba has beeome pretty well settled, even in the addition to its limits, which took so large a pleciB out of the Territories. Already many who went In there three or four years ago, almost literally in advrace of settlement, are selling out and seeking for some place where they can have more elbow room. In the majority of cases, the great problem to be solved Is " Where shall we go ?** Upon one point all are agreed, and that Is the gen- eral direction of the line of march. *' Out West*^ is the cry of the thousands who are crowded out, but conflicting accounts of the various centres of settlement cause mai^y to hesltato, and it is to help these to jcome to a decision that the writer Ihas undertaken the task of ventilating le advantages of the Battle River Valley, iotas a financial enterprise but In defence >f a section of country which has been the mbject of much misrepresentation. It has )en said that *< Truth is mighty and will ►revall," and the saying bids fair to prove •uo In regard to the Battle River Valley, >r after years of libel and falsification, its lerits as a grain-growing country are be- Innlngtobe understood and appreciated, 4 BATTLE RiVBR VALLEr. and this section of the North-West is desf- tined at no remote period to take the fore- most place in the list of settlements in the Territories. And if these articles result in inducing even a few to come here who would otherwise have gone elsewhere, tke wi iter's mission will have been fulfilled. A resident of the Valley himself, with all his interests centred there, his work cannot bo classed with those of professional itinerant book- makers, and may thei'efore be taken up and read with more confidence than the general run of pamphlets. Having spent over twelve years in the North-West, during th^ whole of which time he has fully Identified himself with Its interests, and having seen many of the riral sections for himself, the writer has been in an excellent position to learn their respective advantages and d^- advantages. Being a pioneer himself hie ii^ able to advise others who are coming to the Great North-West now how to reduce the discomforts of pioneerlng^o a minimum. It will also be his endeavor, while giving in- formation that may be of use to the intend- ing settler, so to direst it of the usual dry- ness of detail that it will be perused for its own fake. OF THE N0BTH.WE3T GENERALLY. So much has been written and spoken ofi the Great North-West that it is perhaps needless to dwell at any cpnsiderable length upon it as a field for the farmer, the artisan, the manufacturer or the investor. Yet, asj THE NORTH-WEST. $ an inlroduotioii to the chapters which are to conje after, a few general remarks may Hot be amiss. It is difficult to realize that In the Territories— the gardan of our fair Dominion— there is waiting for the plough a section of country many times larger than tlie united areas of Great Britain and Ire- land. Add to this pasture land capable of sustaining tens of tliousands of cattle, hun- dreds of square miles of timber, inexhaust- ible beds of coal and other minerals, and yet the half is untold. Here we find a coun- try capable of furnishing homes for mil- lions, where at no distant day we are des- tined to see fields of golden grain awaiting the reaper, where but a few j'cars ago roamed countless herds of bufialo— now, unfortunately, doomed to a speedy extinc- tion through the reckless improvidence of those f©r whom they were intended to be a support and sustenance— and ere another twelvemonth has been added to our lives the wild shriek of the locomotive's whistle will resound over, the boundless prairies, echoing back from the innermost recesses of the Rocky Mountains. There is nothing which the heart of man can desire that is not to be found in the Territories, and in such a liberal manner has Nature provided for the requirements of the future inhabi- tant! of this great country tliat its resources must be seen to be realized. Each section is adapted for some kind of industry where menof energy and industry can carve out fortunes for themselves in less time than BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, could be thought of in the ptnt-up centres of the East. Skirting along the Valley of the North Saskatchewan from its source in the mountains throughout almost its entire length the lumberman's eyes are gladdened by the appartnt endlessness of the forests of pine and spruce; underlying a section far exceeding in area the coal-fields of the east are beds of this useful article destined tQ keep the inhabitants of the treeless prai- ries in fuel for generations yet to come ; the agriculturist has far to seek ere he finds richer or more productive soil than abounds here ; nutritious pasturage of thte most luxu- riant growth affords sustenance for the my • riad herds of the stock-raiser ; iron mines await dtvelopment ; the beds of all our streams are rtch in gold ; while indisputable evidence is forthcoming ol the existence in paying quantities of silver, tin and lead; salt springs innumerable produce a finer quality of this valuable mineral than any of the now well known centres; gypsum beds, tar and petroleum springs, and quar- ries of useful stone are scattered over the country ; while In the Far North, as yet un- penetrated by civilization, the fur trade is still prosperous. These are things which are known to exist, and, when it is considered how long they remained undiscovered, It is but fair to assume that a few years more will reveal other treasures, equally valua- ble, still hidden from the knowledge of man. Rivers and lakes navigable by boats of the largest size and the comprehensive system lentres ley of irce in entire idened forests section of the estined s pral- corae ; le finds bounds stluxu- he my • mines all our putable ence in I lead ; a finer an any trypsura quar- ver tbc yet nn- rade is lich are Lsidered d, it is s more valua- ofman. of the system TBE NORTH-WEST. 7 of railways promised in the near future ren- der evtry portion accesslbl©. This, together with the assurance of a speedy completion of the int«roceanic railway, foretells a fu- ture for this grand country which it will re- quire ft mind of the largest calibre to grasp to its fCiUest extent. In fact, when one en- deavors to paint to himself the probable fu- ture of the North- West, his mind Is almost dazed by the magnitude and grandeur of the picture conjured up before him. Where the red man has for generations been accus- tomed to roam at his own sweet will, eking out a miserable subsistence or gorging him- self on the fat of the land, according to the temporary abundance or scarcity of game, towns and cities by the dozen will have sprung up ere the present rising generation will have grown grey. That this no idle surmise is proven by the experience of our ueighborA to the south and also by that of the eastern portion of our own country ; more especially since we have the advan- I tage of possessing a larger territory with a greater proportion fit for cultivation, and [that portion more fertile and productive, 'he results which have followed the open- log up of a country such as is theirs cannot rail to be repeated in our own. But, as has blready been stated, it is not the intention to enlarge upon the advantages of the whole ►f the North- W«st, but to call the attention )t those in the east who are desirous of seek- ig out new homes and bettering their cir- cumstances to a hitherto little known and /] 8 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. much misrepresented Western Canada. section of North* I OUK OWH VALLEY- For many reasons tkat are hard to ex- plain, and others tkat are quite appatent, this portion of the Territories has been the target for every variety of misrepresenta- tion and falsification ever since it first set tip any claims as an agricultural and stock- raising country, and it is in a great measure due to this fact that the writer has assumed the taslj of setting before the world the ad- vantages of the Battle River Valley as a field for; colonization. Rival settlements, Jealous of the ever-growing popularity of this section, and thinking to improve their own prospects by belittling and libelling ours, have not scrujiled to diitortthe truth, and even worse to invent deliberate false- hoods. It is not the intention of the writer to resort to any sueh method ol benefiting the Battle River Valley, but each rival lo- cality, though laboring under disadvantages which render it undesirable as a field for im- migration, will be left to take care ot itself, while this section, by a truthful, unexag- gerated statement, will be placed befote the public in its true light. It is a mistaken policy to resort to such manoeuvres as those complained of, and reminds one of the story of the barrister who found endorsed on a brief placed in his hands, " No case ; abuse the plain tifl^fi counsel" ; the Inference be- Inif Justifiable in the present instance. But i TffE VALLEY ITSELF. 9 tJorth- to ex- patent, jen the •esenta- irst set i stock- neasure issuraed the ad- ley as a lementSi arlty of ve their Ibelling le truth, e false- le writer enefltlng rival lo- vantages d for Im- ot itself, unexag- efote the nlstaken as those the atory ed on ft ; abuse ence be- ce. But this is searcely of sufficient interest to the intending settler, so the more pleasing: task of writing of our own district will be taken up. The extent of the Battle River Valley is sufficiently large to permit of the forma- tion of numerous large and prosperous set tlements, affording scope for thousands of immigrants to whatever industry they may belong. All that has be?n spoken of the North-West generally is equally true of the Battle River Valley particularly. The farm • er will find here soil certainly unsurpassed and seldom equalled in fertility and pro- ductiveness throughout the entire lengtli and breadth of the North-West. Here, too, the stock-raiser will find sheltered ranges for thousands of cattle, luxuriant withjthe richest pasturage the world affbrds, while within sufficiently easy distance can be found timber to supply lumber and futl for generations. Nor are we dependent upon fwood alone for our fuel supply, for the [mighty Saskatchewan brings the inexhaust- jlble coal supply of its valley to our very loors at trifling cost. The only town at •resent in existence in the velley of the tattle River is Battl^ford, situated near its ionfiuenoe with the North Saskatchew^fU. Llmost every one in the l>ominion-^at jast, those who have ever read the papers, rven cafiUQ.lly~has heard of Battleford. Ith n^any the names Battleford and ^ttle Uver have been thought to be identical, and is by playing upon this j^isappifehension It our detractors have jeered 6t well in 2 . 10 BATTLE BIVEn VALLEY. the past, and Battleford sand has become a byword. Ills true that the immediate site of the town is light, but that it is sandy is shewn to be false by the excellence of the vegetables grown in the numerous gardens. The soil can only be called light when com- pared with a few other sections of the North- west, but where will the confluence of two streams bt found in the entire prairie region where the soil is not, comparatively speak- ing) light ? But because the land on which the town is built is light, it does not follow that the whole country is a sandy desert. Go two miles from the town in whatever di rection you like and the soil is found to be| heavier, until at a i?hort distance away ill will be found to vie in richness with an other part of the Territories. Add to tb fertile soil the mildness of the winter an the total absenoeofsuttimer frosts, and w have three advantages which make our sec tion the most desirable for settlement \ the North- West. Why the winters shoul be milder here than in any other part of thi Territories the writer does not pretend explain, but that such is the case is a fac as can be verified by an examination of t meteorological records. In 1879 Hon. J. Taylor, United States Consul at Winnipei made a careful comparison of the weatb records for the winter months at Battlefo Winnipeg and St. Paul, Minnesota, the suit being that he found the mean aver temperature of Battleford to be seven di i^rees higher than that of Winnipeg, a only Paul pern and I wind tiefo: mom abov( Janu^ tentii perha tages as th€ of the equal ioglca farme of the periei ationt in thel they c| night longc] ether will b( fully 1| we tri sons fc refern Per] settle] Jeyis,! THE VALLEY ITSELF, 11 only three degrees lower than that of St. Paul. The snowfall, too, is so light as to permit of stock wintering out in safety, and the fact that the •ffects of the Chinook winds are felt along the Valley even to Bat- tleford, where, under its influence, the ther- mometer registered sixty-three degrees above zero on the evening of the tenth of January last, also strengthens us in this con- tention. The absence of summer frosts is, perhaps, one of the most important advan* tages possessed by the Battle River Valley , as there is no Other settlement or section of the Territories that can lay claim to an equal immunity. As far back as meteoro- logical records •r the experience of our farmers go, there has never been an instance of the grain being caught by the frost. Ex- perience has also shown that farming oper- ations can be begun a week or two earlier in the spring than in any other section, and they can also be continued nearly a fort- night later in the fall, thus giving a much longer season than that enjoyed by any other district in the Territories. Occasion will be taken in a short time to go more fully Inio the question of the climat, when we trust to be able to give satisfactory rea- sons for the marked differences now briefly referred to. GEOGRAPHICALLY. Perhaps the first question the intending settler will ask about the Battle River Val- ley is, " Where is it ?" and it will therefore 12 BATTLE BIVER VALLEY. ?■ I be one of the Irst to be answered at any con- sidtrable length. As may be Inferred It is the naate given to that section of eountry drained by the Battle River, a tributary of the North Saskatchewan, which talses its rise in the Battle Lakes» near the base of the Rocky Mountains. These lakes lie to the south of Edmonton, and on the height of land between the Noith Saskatchewan and Red Deer Rivers. The general course of tlie Battle River is easterly, its confluence with the Saskatchewan being almost due east of Its source. The country drained by the Bat- tle River lies almost entirely between the fifty-second and fifty>third parallels of lati- tude, and extends from a point about mid- way between the third and fourth principal meridians to a t^hort distance beyond the one hundred and fourteenth or fifth princi- pal meridian. The land on the upper part of the valley of the river is very rich, partak- ing of the satne general features as the rest of the country along the slope of the Rocky Mountains. As the river is followed down its course the soil becomes a trifie lighter, until along the lower portion it assumes a character, the happy medium between a rank vegetable mould and a light sfiil, which so perfectly adapts it for the raising of cereals with certain immunity from frosts. Away to the south of the river, and extend- ing beyond the forty-ninth parallel, lies a vast tract of country heretofore known as •* The B€id Lands,'' but which are now found to be admirably adapted for grazing pur- t OEOGRAPHICALL Y, 13 poses ; while skirting the Battle Biyer on both sides, and stretching northward across the Saskatchewan until the southtrn Unit of the true lorest is reached, is a section certainly unexcelltd for fertility and pro- ductiveness throughou^i the entire length and breadth of the North- West. Although these sketches are collected under the head- lag ol the Baitle Uver Valley, it is not in- tended to be inferred that it is only om the banks of that stream that good lands are to be found. The circumjacent country, of course, possesses the same general features and advantages as the centre of the dis- trict, but as yet settlement is concentred within its limits. However, as immigration progresses, settlement will radiate until the whole section is brought under the hand of the tiller of the soil. As yet the only at- tempts at settlement have been made in the vicinity of Battleford, a bustling village situate within two miles of tke confluence of the Battle and Saskatchewan Rivers. The town itself is a thriving place of several hun- dred inhabitants, until recently the seat of Territorial Government, and even yet the headquarters of a troop of Mounted Police^ and of a number of officials of the Govern- ment. A number ©f stores, besides a tele- graph office, a printing office, a blacksmith, a cabinet-maker, several builders, hotels, and the like go to make up the nucleus of a prosperous town. The site was chosen, not on account of the fertility of the soil, but because of its admirable suitability for the 14 BATTLE BIVER VALLEY. ') location of a town. Tho yalley, from east to west, is about tliree hundred and fifty miles in length, and varies in width from twenty to sixty miles. The banks are, throughout almost its entire length, clothed with tim- ber suitable for building, fencing and fuel ; while numerous '* spring'' creeks which Join the river along its course ensure an ample ■upply of good water. The river preserves an almost uniform width and depth, and there is no doubt that careful experiment will prove it to be navigable for small steamers of light draft. HISTORICALLY. Fifteen years age there was no settlement In the Battle Blver Valley, and until com- paratively recently no attempt was made to settle upon the rich lands which fringe that river. Travel between the east and the west was, almost entirely if not altogether, done on the north side of the Saskatchewan, ow- ing to the warlike attitude of the Indians on the plains to the south of tkr^t river in the early days. Indeed, the country south of the Saskatchewan was looked upon as the Indians' battle-ground, and as such was avoided. Pressing indeed must be the re- quirements of him who took a flying trip across the region of Indian wars. As a nat- ural consequenee the beauties and advan- tages of this section were entirely unknown. In 1874, the engineers of the Canadian Pacific Hallway passed througli the Saskatchewan Valley, crossing the Battle River about two HISTORICALLY. 15 miles above its mouth, and shortly after- wards the contractor for the construction of the telegraph line sent through large par- ties of men to carry on the work he had un- dertaken. Struck with the beauty of the place, the crossing of the Battle River was chosen as the contractor's headquarters, under the true Western appellation of Tele- graph Flat. Next came the selection of the crossingas the seat of government for the North- West Territories, on account of its central situation, and the name was changed !• the appropriate and more eu- phonious one of Battleford. In due course the men in the employ of the Department of Public Works appe ared upon the scene, and proceeded with the erection of buildings for the accommodation of the officials of the North- West Government. A troop of Mounted Police were stationed here, and barracks erected. These public works, em- ploying as they did large numbers of men, naturally attracted several traders, and speedily tbe nucleus of a small tewn was formed. No sooner was Battleford pro- claimed the eapital of the North- West Ter- ritories than a hue and cry was raised by its disf^ppointed rivals, and the whole of the surrounding country was denounced as an unproductive, barren wilderness, one writer wittily affirming that the soil was so light tkat it became necessary for the farmers to pin their fields to keep them from blowing away. So persistent was this system of de- traction that it had the effect of deterring le BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. many from coming here. The public works being completed, some of the employees, appreciating the country at its true worth, and with commendable pluok, determined upon making the experiment of cultivating the soil As they had foreseen, success crowned their efforts, axid others were en- couraged to follow their example. One by one, settlers continued to drop in, but even at so late a date as 1878 they did not number half-a-dozen. In the summer of that year a newspaper— the Saskatchewan Herald- was established at Battleford by Mr. P. G. Laurie, one of the pioneer newspaper men of Canada, and it is worthy of note that he came here without the inducement of a bonus, and with but one acquaintance in vhe entire settlement. A residence of many years in the North-West enabled this enter- prising printer to thorout^hly underscand the requirements of the country ; and, esti- mating correctly the future in store, he bent himself assiduously to his task. Keep- in always the general interests of the Ter- ritories in view, he Industriously dissemina- ted information concerning this locality, and refuted the slanders and imputations of rival settlements. At last, after years of unceasing devotion to his self-imposed duty, he is beginning to see the fruits ©f his exer- tions, and last season saw the advent of the advance-guard of the tide of immigratiOB, which is now flowing this way. The files of the Saskatchewan Herald would, of them- selves, furnish an excellent guide to the 5 works aloyoes, worth, jrmlned tivating: success 'ere en- One by ut even number iRt year Herald— r. P. G. per men that he int of a bance ii> of many is enter- dersiand md, esti- tore, he Keep- the Ter- ssemlna- lecalUy, futations years of Bed duty, lis exer- it of the IgratlOB, e files of )f them- > to the PHraiCALLY. 17 would-be Immicrant, even if no other were available. PHYSICALLY. The prairie country, ai properly under- itood, has many distinct phases in its phy- sical aspect, amd the several forms that suc- cessively present themselves to the travel- ler are not confined to isolated sections, but occur at intervals more or less regular throughout the entire North-West. The words ** prairie" and ** plain** must not be understood as implying an absolutely level stretch of country ; for, although its gener- al aspect may be level, it is in reality nore or less rolling. Taking our own section as ^an example, we find to the north a grand expanse of country, representing what Iwuula be called a plain, as it extends for {many miles unbroken by any eminence that deserves to be called a hill ; but it is mdulating, its surface broken with numer- ms blufl>j, with heavier bodies of timber on the ravines and watercourses thai drain its mrface, and on the banks of the Saskatche- wan. Extending westward between the Sasicat- ^hewan and Battle Rivers is a similar tract ►f country ; while stretehing away to the >uth is another form of prairie— at first in- Jrspersed with biufTs of timber and crossed living streams, and gradually running ito the rolling, treeless plain, watvsred only lakes. [The valley of the Battle River proper pre- )nts the same characteristics throughout. 3 II ;•( - ' ll) I :;l A IS BATTLE RIVXR VALLEY. For almost its entire length the riyer has well defined hanks. At some places they rise abruptly from the water's edge, while at others they form flats or level bottom lands, gradually rising until the level of the tableland is gained. It rarely happens that a flat is found on opposite sides of the river, plain on side and high banks on the other being the rule. At intervals broadl valleys open up from the banks of the river, running far ialand, and generally with al living stream at the bottom. These openi into others, similar in character though less! in extent, but still large enough to afTordl room for extensive farms on cither slope ;| and these again branch off into other smailj er valleys, and so on until the general plaii or tableland is reached. The land in these valleys varies from light to a heavy loam on a elay subsoilJ There Is more wood in this valley than iJ usually found in prairie countries. It ij chiefly poplar, with here and there patchej of birch and some spruce. The poplal grows to a great size, and makes good buildl ing material. When cut into boards anf seasoned it serves many purposes as well the spruce and pine of the country, and fo floors and finishing is preferred by many- Vegetation is most luxuriant in the small er val!eys, extending to the summit of the! sides, affording the most nutritious pastuj age, and bearing evidence to the richness i the soil. Water is everywhere abundanl in springs, ponds or creeks. Wood fflf WHO SH&ULD CfOME. 19 building, fuel or femeing is easily procuri^? ble ; and It is well known that there is abun- I dance of coal within •asy distance of the river, and will in all probability be '0|>en^f| up at an early day. WHO SHOULD COME HIHE. The question embodied in the foregpinf [heading is perhaps one of the most difllcUlt to answer to the satisfiaction of the intepd- ing immigrant. There are very few meii [who will admit that they are not fkdapte^ [by nature to undergo the trials a^md priTa- tions common to a life of pioneering ; an4 lyet how t^ue it is that not one in ten is 60 [fitted. A particular locality suddenly be- somes popular as a field for settlement^ i^hd [the tide of immigration sets in with a rush, ind in the crowd are many who push head- pong without pausing to thinly what they, lay be called upon to endure. Be the 4^1" icriptions ef the country and It^ advantai^eil . lever so carefully worded, they haye their tastily formed ideas of what they will fl,nd It to be, and at the first disappointment ^he conclusion is as hastily formed that they lave been the vict^s of misrepresentatiom. knd fraud, and where formerly everything ras viewed through glasses of rosy hue^ low nothing but fault is to be found. The )ther extreme is rushed to, apd the, papers kre flooded with letters of denunQiation of ^be country, •! the people, and of all wlio lave a word to say in its defence. It is neediest to tay that this class of immigrants !' fi ill % il f BATTLE ItlVEB VALLEY. is not sought after for this part of the North- West. What we want is a class of men— and women, too— who are not only willing to submiti;o the inconyeniences ot a settler's life without grumbling, but M'iU also con- tiibufe their share towards developing its resources— a course which will speedily be followed by all the comforts and advantages found in older settlements. We want men who are not afraid of hard work, for there is plenty of hard work, but it has its reward, which is sure, and speedy in its coming about. The men who have already pitched upon the Battle River Valley as a home for themselves and their families, have been men possessing these characteristics, and to-day witnesses them enjoying the fruits of their labors. 'As it has been with them, no will it be with all . Should any one make a failure, before he commences to curse the country, let him sit down ealmly and see if he has not been to blame in the matter. Whether he be an agriculturist, a stock- raiser or a mechanic, there is room here, and there is money to be made ; but at pre- sent it is essentially the country of the far- mer and the herder, although the artisan's day is certainly and speedily coming. We would like to see the men who come fairly supplied with funds, for a little capital is an excellent lubricator for the wheels of life, especially in the North-West. It is true that men have started and done well with little or none, but those men have possessed in a marked degree the characteristics point- r WHAT TO BRING, 21 eNorth- ►f men— r willing » settler's also eon- oping its ledily be vantages rant men for there s reward, B coming y pitched home for ave been sties, and the fruits th them, one make curse the and see if matter, a stock- Qom here, it at pre- f the far- artisan's ing. We me fairly >ital is an s of life, t is true prell with possessed tics point- td out previously— a willingness \o submit to privations and to look on the bright side of every thing, and a determination to suc- ceed. Men who have not the means to start out in life on their own account, but who are willing to work to aoquirt those means, form, however, a class which it is most de- sirable to have amongst us. There has al- ways been an excellent market here for labor, and men have never been witiiout work against their will ; and with the jinflux of settlement, which is now an as- Isured fact, the demand is certain to in- rease. As settlement progresses, towns ^vill spring up, the various industries be stabllshed, and a field opened for those ho prefer the town to the country, but in he meantime let the farmer and the farm- aborer come, and let them come early so as ,0 secure a wider range of country from hich to choose out homes for themselves ud families. WHAT THEY SHOULD BBING. " What should I bring with me ?" Is a luestiom certain to be asked by every in- fending immigrant, who does not wish to rush blindfold into a new country, whose Requirements ma> be very different from [hose of his old home. It is a question that Lay be answered in many different ways, mt an article published in the Edmonton luUetin during the past summer, under the iption of" Advice," fits the case of Battle- >rd so perfectly that we cannot do bet- 52 BATTLES RIVEM VALLEY. «ji ter than to reproduce a portion of it as an- swer to the question propounded above. The requirements of the agricultural por- tions of the Territories are so similar that what is written of one section is very nearly it mot perfectly applicable to another. The article in question says : ^' The intending settler must go according to his means and intentions in outfitting himself in Winnipeg, after having procured the necessary travelling outfit and supplies ior the Journey, but great care must be taken that transport is provided for every pound that is to be taken. Every eight or ten hun- dred pounds requires an ox. cart, cover and harness, costing on an average $100 a rig. If the settler has the means it is better for him to purchase in Winnipeg all the ma- chinery, implements, and household fix- tures he requires for immediate use, as well as a year's supply of groceries and a little choice seed grain, and bring it through him- self. . They can generally all be pur- chased here, but the prices are very high, and come hard on a person who has to buy everything he needs and has nothing to sell. Especially if the settler is able to bring a cooking stove he should bring it with him. Furniture is very dear here but at the same time it is not advisable to bring a»y unless it is of extra quality. It costs ten* cents a pound freight, and the ten cents can be bet- ter applied in freighting prime necessaries I such as groceries or implements. Furniture of the box, bench, stool, and shelf variety will answer very well in this country for » few years yet, especially if a person's means *Th is is of course the rate to Edmonton,! but the idea is an excellent one. Freight from Qu'Appelle to Battleiord ranges from four lo six cents, but when the trail from Swift Current Creek is opened, it will be be-j tween two and four cents. m_ WHAT TO BRING. 2$ are limited. The cooking stove can also be dispensed with, especially by bachelors, as wood is plentiful. ** The smallesi and cheapest complete fiirming outfit possible is two oxen and carts, or if possible a waggon, harness for the oxen, a breaking pJough; set pf harrows, iron are the best ; a scythe, axe, hoe, rake, shovel and grain cradle. These, with the kit of tools necessary on the trip, a few pounds of nails, and either provisions for a year or money to purchase them with, and money enough to purchase seed in the spring, is a muc^i better start than nine-tenths of the settlers here had. Nearly all ©f them have been under the necessity of working away from their places about half their time in order to earn m 3ney to purchase these few things with, and yet they are succeeding. But to succeed under such circumstances re- quires a large amount of gumption, grit and energy, and unlets a settler has a considera- ble quantity of these commodities on band he had better never start for Edmonton. If any considerable number of cattle are brought a mowing machine and sulky rake should be included in the outfit, as they save a great deal of time as well as labor. ** A small stock of simple medicines should be taken for use on the trip. Persons are very little liable to sickness while tra- velling, but a little sticking plaster, salve^ yellow oil and painkiller should be taken in case of accident. A good supply pf coarse, warm clothing and blankets should also be taken, as damp, chilly weather is liable to be encountered even in midsummer, and the nights are almost always cool, while in the tall they are very cold. Damp or coo! weather on the bare prairie with perhaps very little wood is very different from wbat it is in a warm house with a good fire. Horses and cattle are peculiarly liable to some diseases while travelling and too much care cannot be taken of them. Car- bolic acid, blue stone, and castlle soap should be taken for use In the foot disease, u\ 24 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. im borax to cleanse the mouth with, linseed oil for use as phynic, eorn starch to stop scouring, yellow oil for sore shoulders and other swellings, pine tar for cuts or raw places, sulphur for use in cases of mange, and black tobacco to destroy parasitic ver- min. )} These remarks apply principally to the settler's outfit which he will require after his arrival and location a on claim. The iB- tending settler will see at a glance that while a very large capital is not indispensa- ble, still a moderate sum of money would be very advantageous, inasmuch as it would enable the newcomer to begin farming at once on such a seale as to make it pay from the outset. If you have a family as well as capital bring it along. A woman in the house goes a long way towards recon- ciling one to the loss of the comforts and pleasures of city life. Her presence makes even a log shanty seem like home, and then as an internal economist she is the superior of the average m an . You will not need j^our piano for a year or two at least, and perhaps by that time you may have a place to put it. If you have a fancy buggy, sell it, but if you must have a lighter rig than a waggon, put a part of the proceeds into a buckbofard and the balance into your pocket. The buck- board will be found to be more useful and durable than a buggy, and the difference in price will come in handy some time. For the trip up, if you come overland, some art- icles will have to be provided, but another extract from the Bulletin will cover the WHAT TO BRING. 25 [round. Another article includes the fol- lowing paragraphs : *' A tent is necessary and also a camp itove if tliere are women and children. A large tent is as easy to pitch as a small one, rery little heavier to liaul, and much more joinfortable, The stove is necessary. during ^et or stormy weather in summer, and in ihe cold mornings and evenings of the fall, ind in these circumstances makes all the lifference between solid comfort and solid ilsery. " The supply of previsions should consist )t flour, bacon, ham, hard tack or biscuit, >utter, syrup, tea and sugar. A full grown tan will require about fifty pounds ol flour month and twenty -five or thirty pounds ►f bacon or ham. The proper quantities of ;he other things cannot be properly defined, ^he biscuit need only be used when it is un- landy to make a fire, and a ham should be :ept boiled for use on similar occasions. 'he butter should be carried in a «tone jar if )ossible, and kept in the shade, femall tin ?ans should be used in which to keep the jyrup, tea and sugar required for imme- liate use. Other articles of food, such as •anned meat^; and fruit, are too expensive Tor the ordinary immigrant, and besides |travel and pure air will make the staple ar- ticles of food taste as good on the trip, if >roperly cooked, as the most delicate dishes lo on ordinary occasions." The person following these instructions jarefully will find the overland journey, al- [though slow, a not unpleasant one Tke ad- vice is sound, the writer being an experi- meed prairie traveller, who knows whereof le speaks Tne above extracts cover the ground pretty fully, and when taken in con- [nection with the one given below, little. If [indeed anything, remains to be said. The [Saskatchewan Herald of December' 30, Ml 96 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. I ' 1878, under the healing '* Answers to quirers.'* contains the following useful formation : "If you have really good stock of i kind, from poultry up to thoroughb horses, bring it along. It will be found pr fliable to have * the best ' of everythli whether it is intended for sale or for hoi use alone. *' As to the outfit necessary, that is in] great measure a matter of taste— as to pr visions, it is so altogether, for what woi seem to one to be a scant* allowance, woi by another be pronounced wasteful extras gance. A consultation with your groc| will set that all right. From porkrand pei lean to ' all the delicacies of the season ' ci be had at Winnipeg. '* But to those who bring their own cai some things are indispensable for comfoi able travel, and to repair accidents that mv happen. The first of these is a good axe also a spade, hammer, nails (different size both wrought and cut, some large tacks, draw-knife, some small carriage bolts repair cart wheels, a three-quarter in( mortising chisel, a brace,. and at least two< three bits ; a small cask to carry water, ai a pocket filter or a straiaei' ; some cop] rivets to mend harness ; spare axles am spokes, a supply of axle grease, ropes, et Tne size of the tent and the supplv of cool ing utensils must be determined by the sia and taste of the party. *> WHEN TO COXE. This is a question which requires two three different answers to suit the intei tiors and particular circumstances of thi Immigrant. One will do for the person wbj has already made up his mind that he wil remain here, and comes prepared ta settlj on a homestead at once, while an eBtirel/ if Hi WSEN TO COME. ^ rerent aniwer Is ealled for by the require- mts of the proipeotor. Again, wiia the ttler, mv.ch depends upon the amount of bital he can control, and whether he has jramiljor not. If he have sufficient capi- to pay rumning expenses, he cannot do ^tter than lo come in ab«ut midsummer^ he will then have abundance of time to leeta location, cut hay for winter use, do Ime fall ploughing and build a house be> re winter sets in. As this werk, however, {ttot immediately productive, it becomeK iperative to be in a position to hold over \i\\ the harvest next season. One whose ^eans are more limited will And it advau- ^geous to come very early in the spring, so lat some breaking can be done, and a small »wlng put in upon the sod, which will pro- Ide returns for his labor from the very out- »t. The prospector should come as early the season as possible, so as to give him iple time to make a thorough examina* [on of the country and choose a suitable nation. By coming after the snow has dis- )peared he will be in a position to obtain |n intelligent idea of the soil, the location if hay-swamps and sloughs, the water sup- fly, and other advantages and disadvantages rhich cannot be seen during the winter, [aving the summer before him, his ex- ploration need not be restricted to any particular locality, but the whole district in undergo a thorough examination. Then Ihould ht be able to find a location which If ets hib views, he is in a position to pro- 28 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. ceed at once to make hts improvements', anc prepare for farming in earnest during the next season. Experience teaches that June and July are the best months for breakingJ while hay-making commences about the! middle of July, and these are two of the! most important duties of the new settler! during his iirst season. If nucessary he can] live in a tent while engaged in these tasks, as after haying there is ample time to buildl houses and stables and make them comfort- able before the approach of winter. It is scarcely adyisable for any person who has had no experience in prairie travelling to attempt to come here during the winter months, unless under the guidance of some| one who understands it. Even if all the dan- gers were avoided and no accident happen- ed, so much discomfort would follow the Ignorance of winter travel and the country through which their road lay, that it would be better to defer the journey until spring, unless, as already stated, under the leader- ship of an experienced person. HOW TO COME. The immigrant, having made up his mind to settl«» in the Battle River Valley, and fixed the time for going there, will natural- ly ask next, " How shall I go ?" As in the case of the former question, there are two or three answers to this one. In this case, however, more depends upon the time cho- sen for the journey than upon any other contingency. Three routes are open to him, IMI HOW TO COME. 2» tnd he must d«clde for himself which is best luited to the circumstances of his case, 'has© routes are—first, by boat «r rail from innipeg to Sellcirk, thence by boat across jake Winnipeg and up the North Saskat- jhewan to Battleford, when^^e he can strike n\t in any direction he may desire ; second, )y rail to Troy (Qu'Appelle Station) on the Canadian Pacific Railway, tlience overland, ibout three hundred miles, via Qu'Appelle, 'ouchwood Hills, and Clarke's Crossing of the South Branch ; aad third, by rail to Jwift Current, thence overland, two hun- Ired and twenty-five mi.les. A fourth route Is spoken of at the time of writing, which. If carried out, will also be an advantageous >nft to take under consideration. It is pro- )osed to put a line of steamers on the South [Branch to run from Swift Current ('reek (down the river. In the event of this project [being carried out, the journey could be made Ifrom Swift Current Creek by boat to Clarke's Crossing, which is distant eighty- five miles from Battleford, from which point it would not be difficult to travel over- land. Those who do not intend to farm or who have very little stock would find it [most convenient to come themselves and (bring their goods by steamer, but those who I have stock must necessarily come by road. Should it be decided to cOine overland, it (now remains to choose one of the two routes from the Canadian Pacific Railway. That from Troy to Battleford is the one which was in general use during the past summer. , 1 I • m BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, i\\\ I i btfore the track had reached Swift Current Creek, and strikes into the old ettubilshed trail from Winnipeg: to Battleford at Touch- wood Hills, sixty miles from Troy. But Swift Current is the point on the Canadian Pacific Railway which is nearest to Battle- ford, and is only about twenty miles from the South Branch, at which point a ferry U to be established early this season. Ar- rangements are already being made with men who know the country thoroughly to open a direct trail between these points, im- mediately after the disappearance of the snow. The South Branch will be the only stream to cross on the romte besides Eagle Creek, while on the other trail there is also the Qu'Appelle to cross, in addition ^to nu- merous sloughs through the Touckwood Hills, and the much dreaded alkaline ponds in the Big Salt Plain. On the whole, then, the advantages are decidedly in favor of the road by way ^^ Swift Current. Should, however, the cars be left at Troy, the trail can be followed to the '' fingerboard*' in the Salt Plain, which will point out the road to Clarke's Crossing, or th? main trail may be followed to Humboldt, forty miles farther, where another fingerboard indicates the way to Clarke's. The traveller may also come by way of Duck Lake on the same trail, but this will add over fifty miles to the road with no compensating advantage. The Saskatchewan Hrrald of Dec. 30, 1L78, contains some sound advice, which it may not ome amiss to repeat. It says : MOW TO 00MB. SI '* Gome an early In the season as you can— s# as to take the road as soon as the crass has started. The cheapest way for those who come to stay is to buy their horses and carts or cattle, according to tlieir taste, in Winnipeg, and lay in their supplies there. EverythiiBg necessary for the outfitting of a party can be obtained in Winnipeg cheaper than it can be brought in trom the States or the Eastern Provinces. ** If you bring a span of horses and a good waggon, the probability is that no repairs will be needed. If you decide to buy cart» and drive your own animals, two courses are open, the choice of which must be deter- mined by the strength of the party. These are, f^ither to hire a man who knows the road and understands traveiling on the plains, and place the charge of the train en- tirely in his hands, as far as pitching and moving camp are concerned ; or, if the par- ty is numerous enough to manage its own stock, to agree with the leader of some reg- ular train to travel in his company. Stran* gers who undertake to travel alone will find many difllculties apparently insurmounta- ble, which, under the direction of a compe- tent guide, will disappear as if by magic. You will have to do all your own work, of course, unless you otherwise arrange, and Just follow the example of your leader— tra- vel when he travels^ and stop when he stops. Never mind if he does sometimes appear to be losing time by making short '^ spells,'' as they call the trip between camps; he knows where wood and water are to oe had, and what he must do each day to be certain of getting to suitable camping grounds for the night. The chances are that if you go to travel independently you will lose time by making injudicious stoppages. '' The advantage of coming early is that it will enable you to get in some crop the first year. Potatoes, oats and turnips do very fairly on the sod. It will always pay the ex- pense of breaking, fencing, etc , and pro- vide enough provisions for the ensuing year^ I > 'l\ Z2 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. You can also rut up liRy for your stock, anj build a house before the approach of winter) *' It is of the utmosl. importance to see thaj everything is trim and in good order befor( vStarting on the trip. It is suicidal to tak(! the roac-i ' guessing ' t'lat all is right, or tha] you will have time on the road to do wort that should be done before you start. Everj divy will bring its own work, andif bjM^hanoe you liave spare time in camp, rest yourself,! or take a stroll a few miles off the trail. ." Above ail, don't suppose for a mompnt that because you coriie from an old-settlec country you know more about prairie tra- velling than those who have spent a life-' ti e at it. Yon will as a rule find thel freighters on the plains courteous and ac- commodating, and willing to divide withl you the last of anythiiig they have, or tol help vou out of any difficulty you may getl into." The ai tides already quoted from the Ed- monton Bulletin also contain some advice! on this head which is worthy of the deepest consideration. Read what an exneriencedl prairie traveller has to say to the new- comer concerning the trip : " Parties with women and children should! arrange to be here by the first of October, as the nights are very cold after that time, and| every one should be in by the first of Novem- ber at latest, as even if there is no snow! after that time the feed is dried up so that the cattle do not thrive, there is ice in thei creeks in the mornings, and the ground is frozen and rough so that the feet of the cat- tle become worn quickly. " Cattle and horses of all kinds and sheep can be driven through with very little risk. Oxen are preferable to horses for hauling freight. A $75 ox will haul more than a horse of the same price, and will get to his journey's end as soon and in better condi- tion if used rightly. To a poor man just starting on a farm oxen are preferable to HO W TO COMB. 88 >rses^ as they will do more work on lets td coarBer feed, and when fat thej can al* »st always killed at a profit. Native po* [es are good on the trip if not overloaded, id early in the spring when the feed is >ort or late in the lall when the frezen road irts the oxen's feet, are safer than oxen, it are •f very little account to the farmer len he gets through except for light work, madian horsei can be brought through if >od care is used, but should only be loaded fbtly if at all. as the lack of grain, the fraDge kind of grass, the flies and mosqui- ^s, and the mud holes do not agree with lem. They start out well and seem able to hcount either oxen or ponies—as they mid if supplied with ^rain— but soon [eaken and get sick, and mqiiently never >ocver. A little grain should be brought fong to give them when weak and bram to tve them medicine in. They a^e worth ^rsing. for when they get here they do fell and are the most useful animal a farm- ' can have. They are a luxury, however. tat only those who are pretty well flxed lould indulge In. **lt possible two wageons should be rought, so that the teams could assist each ther in pulling out of bad places, but if ily one is brought it should be loaded fghtly, as the roads are very soft in wet masons. Fourteen to sixteen hundred is a tir load for a moderate yoke of cattle in a raggon, but if there are two waggons the >ads may be increased considerably. The »ke should not be used unless in doubling. is mot as good as the harness at any time, ^ut Is handier then. Oxen will haul m«re the harness and d# it easier than in the ^oke. They can be broken so as to work in Ither. Carts are better than waggons for Imply hauling freight especially in wet masons, as the wheels are larger and the >ad is closer to the animal. One man can fttend to two waggons or four carts with aU 1'80. Carts are m uch x^ ore liable to upset lan waggons and also mpre llabl|9 to break : ■ {I I % me base lines have been run, and outlin- ig parties aree\on now taking the field, id will be followed very shortly by subdi- Iders. Should he pitch upon a piece of md which is already suiveyed there is no imediate necessity of anything further jing done, as the lines laid down by the irveyors will be a sufficient guide to him guarantee his improvements falling upon le desired quarter-section, unless he should rlshtogovery extensively Into improve- Lents, when it would perhaps be as well to lave the remainder of his boundaries accu- rately defined. But should the sub-dividers lot have been over the neighborhood of hi» f^; ■ 'I i \n I \ i3 «^ SATTLJB SIVJSM VALLEY. JS'll Jocatlon, it behooves him, before makit any valuable improvements, to employ a surveyor to fix his lines, as it would embarrassing, to say the least, to find township corner or even a section post the middle of his grain field. To do thi will not cost much, as the surveyor will rul the lines, the settler supplying thehel]! merely charging for his time. The baj lines afibrd starting points, and the boui daries can be located asdefinitely as the 8ul{ divideis themselves can do them. Soi people prefer to run their own lines with pocket compass, but they will find it will pay them better in the end to have an ii strnmental survey made by a practical an| experienced surveyor. His boundaries one located, the immigrant is in a position proceed with his improvements. Thenatui of his first work in this direction must governed by the season of the year, ai other circumstances surrounding the cast If in the spring he can break and sow, if June he can break for the next season, or later he can cut his hay and get out hous timber and fence rails. In short, it will seen that at whatever season of the year U may settle, there is ample and suitable wor^ to keep him employed. The land in this district being still unsurj veyed, there is no land ofiSce established] and no means afiorded of entering up home steads, but claims can be held by actus! residence and cultivation, and the settler ii advance of surveys is ^rranted three montbil ]l WHAT TO BO WHEN HEME. 37 grace after the completion of survey and I the placing of the land upon market to com- plete his entry. The 9ubdiTiding surreyor lis authorized and empowered to take the leclaratioBsof all persons whom he may Ind in occupation at the time of suryey,. Iwhlch declarations set forth the duration of ;tual residence and the extent of land cul- tiuated. The land act provides for cases rbere the improvements of two or more- settlers are found to fall within the limits of me quarter-section, but these instances are generally if not always attended with more >rless ill-feeling between the contending >arties, all of which might have been avoid* ;d, as previously recommended, liy the out- lay of the small amount required to have \he lines accurately and properly defined, [easures are also provided for the protec- lonof settlers in advance of survey wha Lay be found to be upon odd-numbered actions, or Hudson's Bay Company or ;hool lands, but it is indispensable that |uch lands should have been settled upon good faith and previous to survey. It needless to go into the details of the land igulations in the limited space at our dls- )8al, as they have already become so wide- known and thoroughly understood by mtinuous advertising and prolonged dis- ission in the press. Suffice it to say, how- rer, that the absence of survey need be no indrance to the incoming settler, as the revisions of the land act and the regu la- ms are such as to guarantee him in the I 1 I 38 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. possession of hit holdings. A good motto for the prospector to keep in view is tlie hotnely old saying, ** First come, first served, ** and if any postpone coming until the choicest of the lands are settled npon, ttiey need only blame themselves. BOIL. It is against the soil o^ the Battle River Valley that its detractors have mainly di- rected their artillery, and for this reason among others, more than ordinary atten- tion will be paid to it. It has already Jbe*n mentioned that the town of Battleford is situated on the Battle River a very short! distance above its confluence with the North! Sa.3katchewan; and in its immediate locali- ty, as at every junction of two streams in the entire prairie region, the soil is lighter than that of tke surrounding country, but, as in nearly every instance, this lightness of soil only extends a short distance above the] confluence. To those who delight In speak- ing of the ** sand hills of Battleford," and ii| crying down its suitability as an agricultu- ral district, we would address the question,! ** If the soil is so worthless as you would ** have the public believe, how is it thatl " there is not a single location within several! ** miles of the town in every direction tiiatlH " not settled upon, and in almost every in- ** stance brought under cuHivation?" SucM is the case, however. That section whicl;il!| admitted to be the poorest of the entire disJ trie t— the tongue of land between the rivcra i BOIL. -~is all taken up for a considerable distance from the town, while radiating from the 8ame centre settlement spreads out to every point of the compass. There are those who [contend that a light soil in these northern latitudes is a greater advantage than the [rich vegetable mould to be found in this as in other districts, and of which their resi* douts are so proud, while others again pre* fer the richtr soil to sandy loam. Either Iclass can be gratified to the top of their bent hn this district. For a few miles up the [Battle River the soil is a sandy loam upon a 5 lay subsoil, while farther up the river, ^outh and south-east through the Eagle [ills and north of the Saskatchewan to the forest, stretches a tract of country which for >roductiveness and richness cannot be )eaten anywhere. A writer in an eastern )aper in describing the North- West says : ** West of the Coteau de Missouri to the base of the Rocky Mountains is Lhe Third Prairie Steppe. This coteau or jscarpment crosses the boundary in longi- tude one hundred and three degrees, thirty linutes west, and running north-westerly >ecomes the Eagle Hills about fifty miles to the East of Battleford. The elevation of the hird prairie steppe ranges from 2,000 feet on phe east to 4,200 f€3t at the foot of the Rocky Totintains. Its average altitude is about 1,000 feet. Its breadth on the forty-ninth parallel is 465 miles, and its area about 130,- '^mile.^, of which 114,000 square miles are almost entirely devoid of forest. In the mthern part of this great elevated plain, a rery small proportion of the land is fit for brming purposes. " As may be seen from the above quotation le Battle River District forms the north- 11 ii ■ <0 BATTLE XirXR VALLET. i 'll ■iii eastern portion of the Third Prairie Steppe, ^ and includes a large area of magnificent farming land y well timbered and watered J and affording a most desirable field for set* tlement. As to the light soil, the following! opinion of an expert is worthy of consldera* tion. The writer, who is a Dominion Topo- graphical Surveyor ol experience, speaksl from personal observation, having travelled! over the country last season. He says' : ** It I were asked where and what I con* sidered the best land I met in my wander*! ings I should choose Battieford, situated oqI the North Saskatchewan, at its Junotionl with the Battle River, possessing in its! neighborhood unlimited wood, and above all that class of soil which I consider besi adapted to the North-Western climate, viz.il a light sandy loam. I am perfectly awarej that the craze is for heavy black loamsJ sometimes largely mixed with clay ; this l| think is a mistake, as in the spring it is not! so readily heated by the sun's rays, and as consequence it remains unfit for ploughing or seeaing long after the lighter soils ; thenl it remains moist so long that the crops conf tinue growing into that season when thej should be ripening, and often get caught b; the frost. Take the light sandy loam oil Battleford and the evidence is that it quite sufllciently moist for growing pu^| poses— chiefly attributable to the retentlool of the moisture by the clay subsoil— and cai^ be worked from one to two weeks earlier li the spring than the heavier soils, and Battleford the crops have not been nippi by the frost since farming operations firs began there, some twelve years ago I think.*] In Prof. Macoun's report of his exploi tions for 1879 we find the following passage concerning Battleford And the surroundii eountry : • i SOIL. 41 ** The police ^arm, situated on tEe point of land between Battle River and the Baskat- •hewan, is a sandy alluvium and appear/? to )e very dry an« barren, but it certainly has )roduced good crops this year. Three Lonths ago it was barren prairie, now oats, parley, potatoes and turnips are growing luxuriantly. In the garden, also broken up this spring, are cabbages, cauliflowers and Ither vegetables of the choicest description. ?imothy and clover had been sown to form I grass plot, and these were now in flower md gave promise of producing abundance »f seed. The Governor's farm , situated on le hills to the east of his residence, was flso visited. Here the soil, outside the *nce. was covered with the short prairie Iwprd indicative of diyness, and which rould have been pronounced as unflt for [ultlvation by most people, yet within * the mce were excellent oats, middling ibarley, Lort in the ear, but fine grain, and first- lass wheat, the latter standing thick on the round, nearly five feet high, and with cor- ispondlngly long ears, nearly ripe. ^' [These are not the only good opinions 'cx- ressed of the Battle RJver District, but will ^rve as indicators of the suitabiUty of the mntry for farming. Many similar qnota^ ms are available, but the limited spac0 at ir disposal prevents their reproductiooji at- ^e present moment The following ex- lac t from a letter written by a settler in fe Eagle Hills is, however, deserving of a ice : . , '! • 'I'-t^^' ^^'••f wells is everywhere attended with suc- cess. Timber for building purposes is plentiful, specially along the banks of the river, and tkrough the hills, while fencing is to found everywhere, and in practically inexhausti- )le quantities. Messrs. Coleridge & Co. have secured a valuable timber limit on Turtle jake, north- w® at of Battleford, and have lad men in the woods all winter getting out I: v\ r,,. ^■i^ 4» BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. logs. The machinery for the mill, with all the necessary attachments for the manJ facture of lumber, lath and shingles, iJ already on its way to this place, thuj afiording greater conveniences in the way[oj building to the newcomer. The mill will situated at the mouth of the Turtle RiverJ eighteen miles up the Saskatchewan from] Bfattleford. Pending survey, dues have tol be paid upon all timber cut, but actual set- tlers are entitled to a permit to cut eighleenl hundred feet of building timber, four hun-| dred roof poles for thatched roofs, two thou- sand rails and twenty-five cords of wood fori the nominal fee of fifty cents, which is not a{ .very heavy tax. Wood for fuel is also easy to be had and in ! large quantities, the most common variety being poplar, which burns well. Although the supply is by no means inexhaustible, there is sufllcient for a large settlement for many years to come, by which time the coal trade will be fully developed. Even now this useful article can be obtained at Ed- monton at very reasonable prices, and can be brought down the Saskatchewan either by flatboat or steamer at a comparatively trifling cost. That coal exists within the limits of our own district is a well establish- ed fact, but the lack of transportation facili- ties prevents its Immediate development. Coal crops out in many places along the banks of the Saskatchewan and Battle Riv«rs and their tributaries, a circumstance *;»«<- MISCELL ANEO US, 49 ^'hich goes a loner way to confirm the fol- lowing extract from Mr. Sandford Fleming^s report for 1874 : •' Mr. Selwyn has formed a theory, which, If confirmed by actual discoveries, will )rove of incalculable benefit. His examina- tions convey the impression that the coal- )earing rocks pass with their associated 5oaI seams and iron ores beneath the clays which are obvserved in the vicinity of P'ort Mtt and the Elbow, and it may be that by jorinff along the river valley would reveal rorkable seams of coal at such a limited [epth beneath the surface as would render lem available, even as low down as Carl- had and in on variety Although I xhaustible, lement for me the coal Even now ed at Ed* s, and can ^an either paratively within the 1 establish- tionfacili- ^elopment. B along the nd Battle cumstance >n. > >> Flour can be rurchased here for from $7 to |8 for Prince Albert, and from $10 to $11 for 'innipeg patent process, but these prices |re practically at an end, as Messrs. Cole- fd^e & Co are bringing in a two-run grist lill, which they contemplate having in run- Ing order in time to grind this season's rop. In addition to this mill, which is to Icated at the mouth of Turtle River, the tizens of Battlefoed have offered a bonus $1,500 for the establishment of a mill at or ?ar the town, and negotiations are already progress. )i game but little need be said, as this dis- fct does not differ materially from the rest the Territories in this respect. Elk, )ose, cariboo, red deer, black-tailed deer, itelt^pe, black and cinnamon bears are all [be obtained, while of the fur-bearing spe- >s, beaver are very plentiful. Wolves, :es, otter, mink, marten and muskrats all old residents. The list of feathered 7 I; 11 $ *i»w<- 60 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. game is a long one, and Includes swans,] wavles, geese, ducks (mallard, pintail, greyj teal, canvass-back, spoon-bill and numerous! others), cranes, plover, snipe, curlew, prail rie chickens (sharp-tailed grouse), partridgel and grouse of many kinds, pigeons, audi many other varieties. Prof. Macoun arJ ranges the birds of the Territories under teol orders, which are divided into forty-onel families, one hundred and forty-six general and two hundred and thirty-five speciesj Fish are found in great numbers in ou^ rivers and lakes, principal among whicb are whiteflsh, sturgeon, goldeyes and JackJ flsh. There are at present only two stores here] those of the Hudson's Bay Company ani| Messrs. A. McDonald &, Co., but prices ar very reasonable when compared with thos ruling in other settlementB. A stipendiary magistrate resides in tbj district, and regular sittings of the court ar held in Battleford. The district is, as yet unrepresented in tl North-West Council, but it will be entitle to a member as soon as it has a population of one thousand adults, exclusive of alien and unenfranchised Indians, a period whic Is rapidly approaching. The Chureh of England and Roman Catij olic Church have already established mil sions here, and the Presbyterian andMetbij dist churches have decided to send miniate^ during the coming summer. « THJE EAGLE BILLS. 61 The mall service Is at present only once in [three weeks, the trip from Winnipeg taking [from nine to eleven days, but a weekly mail las been promised for some time, and is lomentarily looked for. The Government maintains and operates telegraph line between Edmonton and [umboldt, passing through Battleford, land branch from Humboldt to Troy, on the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is un- ler contract to be completed by the flrst of [ay, which will bring us into connection rith the telegraphic system of Canada mnd the United States. , THE EAGLE HILLS. If the land immediately surrounding Bat- leford were useless ; if there were not a ract of invaluable country lying between le two rivers, and if that great lone land untold richness did not stretch away forthward from the Saskatchewan slope ; le Eagle Hills alone, lying to the south- rard with an easterly and westerly course, ^ould in a brief period secure to this district (large farming population. These hills may termed the Devon of the North- West, le productiveness of the soil is unrivalled. ley are fed by hundreds of rivulets. Their )oded and lake scenery, varying with rery season, is always of unchanged beau- Bounteous rains and nightly dews stim- (ate all growth. In the most sultry days freshing breezes sweep through the open- igs, and when the fierce winds of winter Hi u. ',i ' i 52 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. render life almost unbearable on the plains, there the numberless poplar bluffs protectl and shelter alike the settler and the travel- ler from their rigor. It is impossible to de-| termine the resources of this wonderful soil,, for but few settlers have yet found their way thither, and those who have settled there can form but a faint idea of its inex- haustible wealth, as the residence of none extends farther back ihan three years. The soil is a rich black mould, similar to that) seen on the surface of all forest lands. Here,, however, it is found to a depth varying from eighteen to twenty-four inches, which is not at all extraordinary when it is remem- bered that the yearly deposits of decayed! fvjliage and other vegetable matter have been accumulating during unknown years. In making excavations for cellars or wellfij no sand has yet been discovered. The rich! yellow subsoil is found to a depth of seven feet. But few stones are visible, and those] that are will generally be found on the sur- face of the more elevated land. Huge alve- olate boulders (a proof of their antiquity)! are noticeable at almost regular intervals! along the border of the great plain lying to the south, forming a well marked boundary line between it and these hills. Of gravtllyl land there is none, but marsh lands are! plentiful and are the natural hay grounds| of the country. The ordinary method of tillage adopted iD| this portion of the North- West by settlers commencing operations, is either to turDl I'.k EF. THE EAGLE HILLS, 53 the sod over in the spring to a depth of about three inches and harrow well before sowing, or to break the land in June or July and backset in the autumn of the same year or in the following spring. Both possess [advantages; for in the former case the crop s one year in advance, and in the latter it s doubled. A plan to obviate the disadvan- age of both methods would be to run a light lougu, drawn by a single ox or horse, be-* ween the furrows after the sod has been uined over, and to throw up a couple of ore inches of the soil. By this means the eed will And ample food to stimulate rapid rowth, and an increase of twenty-flve or of decayedBhirty per cent, in the yield will amply re- natter have^ay the extra labor. The few crops already gathered in have een sown on the sod. Grain thus sowed as given a yield so abnormally great but ttle doubt can be entertained thatextra- dinally large crops will be secured from bsequent sowing. On the sod oats have ielded fifteen bushels for one sowed, and heat about the same. Barley has not yet en fairly tested. It may therefore be safe- conjectured that when the land has been I'operly cultivated, a result of thirty bush- s of oats and of twenty of wheat from one wed may be anticipated. The aggregate eld in the States from one bushel of wheat in round numbers, about ten bushelii. ese figures would do more towards in- easing immigration to the North- West, re they as widely circulated, than nine- the plains, iffs protect the travel- lib le to de' derful soil ound their tve settled of itsinex Lce of none years. The lar to that ands. Here, irying from 5S, which is it is remem lown years, ars or wellsl d. The richl pth of seven! le, and those] i OB the sur- Huge alve- ir antiquityll ar intervalsl lain lying to ed boundary! Of gravelly th lands arei hay grounds ge adopted in| St by settlers ther to turnl !iii^ 54 BATTLE niVER VALLEY. lyii '' ii illl tenths of the unutterably vague and preten- tious pamphlets which stream from the I offices of government printers by the mil- lion. The gardener will find the soil in everyl respect suitable for the successful culture of vegetables. Even the most delicate plants I have weathered several seasons, such as tomatoes, celery, melons and cucumbers; {he latter two attaining formidable size, The land lying under the shade of the poplar] bluffs Is particularly adapted for the cultiva- tion of these plants, without any artiflclall protection from the sun by day , or the cool air that makes the night so pleasant to thel weary laborer. The larger vegetables suc- ceeded so well that frequently they have I attained almost arborescent growth . Roots I of all kinds, potatoes and onions especially, thrive lustily in this generous soil. The dendrologist would turn away in dis- gust from the scanty specimens of timberl found in this region. The prolific poplar, the homely cottonwood and th© valuablel birch, with a few others of scrub growth, complete the catalogue. But if few in vari- ety, such as they are, they will meet all thel requirements of the present generation andl several succeeding ones, if the mlliennlum do| not intervene. Fall frosts are harmless and scarcely perl ceptible till October. Mosquitoes and flies] are plentiful enough, but the constant sum- mer winds drive them for shelter to th«I THE EAQLE HILLS. 55 bush. The mosquito prefers the moisture of the swamps to the breezes of the hills. These hills are a paradise to the sports- I man. During the season thousands of ponds [are covered with every variety of wild duck. Geese, wavys and swans in the larger lakes. Prairie fowl around every bluff*. Partridges I in all the large timber. Tens of thousands of rabbits feed on the wild vetches. The coyote and red and kit foxes are heard nightly on their prowls. The cinnamon and black bear were seen last season eight miles from Battleford, and the smaller furred animals are numberless. Wild ber- ries, too, grow ungaiDhered on every side, land the bright tints of lovely flowers cover [like a brilliant carpet the vivid verdure. There exists little doubt that various min- lerals abound, but nothing positive will be Iknown on this subject until thorough re- Isearches shall have been made by practical lineralogists. Iron ore is found in abun- lance, and to the experienced miner there is good field for a few months- prospecting, IS some who tried it a few years ago found Lne gold in many places, and rich specimens >f quartz are in possession of the Indians rhose reserves are in the hills, and who ;laim that they were found In this locality ; >ut no information can be obtained from them as to the spot the specimens wer« iken from. It may be worth adding that thehygelenie Xharacter of this locality will attract early totice. There could be a resort no better i \ 66 BATTLE niVER VALLEY, I > 14 calciilated to impart health. In addition tol the bracing atniospliero and mild winters,, there are varieties of mineral wateis. Those who liave drunk of the sulphur springs ofl Batii, will recognize the nauseous smell and taste of similar waters in these hills. There are also numerous springs and streams so strongly impregnated with iron that any-| thing thrown into them will, in one month,, be found encrusted with a thick ferruginous! depo^.it and its weight increased tenfold. The attractive features of this portion ofl the Territories cannot fail to at once arrest the attention of the travelltr. Its varied scenery and uniform beauty is never marred] by intervals of sterile soil bereft of vegeta* tion. Travel whither you will, a successionl of rolling plains— sometimes restricted in extent, sometimes covering a large acreage —and timber-covered acclivities, lightened! by the glistening waters ot numberless min- iature lakes, meet the eye. The rollingl nature of these plains Is a hapny provision for the farmer. It possesses a natural means of drainage that no artificial system| could excel. The reservoirs of the supeiflu- ous waters of tne first spring month are thel lowest lying grounds. There the waters accumulate till they attain almost lacustral magnitude. These lakes generally disappear in the month of July and are replaced by fields of high waving green grass. These are the settler's hay grounds. Let him run his mower through the gra;^^ and every acre! will yield from three to lour tons of hay, at THE EAGLE HTLL8. 67 which neither cattle nor horses will turn up Ithelr noses. The climate dlfters totally from what Is lusuaDy regarded as peculiarly belonging to (the North-West- The elevation of th«se kills and their wooded eminences seem to gather round them all the rainclouds hover- ling over the adjacent plains. The showers |are frequent but of short duration. Between the showers the sun bursts forth with won- lerful power and leaves no drop of moisture isible. The extreme heat of summer is tempered by refreshing winds, and bounte- ous dews induce rapid vegetation. The au- tumn is the most benignant of all the sea- sons. That mordaoious pest» the mosquito, no longer seeks to occupy your attention, 'he cool pleasant nights give perfect repose, rhe season becomes an Baglish summer, ind the immigrant settler may well Imagine ilmself back again in his Old Country home, 'he rigor of the winter's cold does not ex- empt even this favored spot from its severi- ty; but the sheltering woods deprive it of all Its terrors—the high winds. When the thermometer registers sixty degrees of frost Jn calm weather the wood chopper works [n his shirtsleeves. With forty degrees of frost and a brisk wind the traveller is glad [o add overcoat and muffler to his ordinary ittire. The exclusiveness of these hills from |he evils of the blizzard is sufRcient induce- lent to an old stager in the country to seek Jhere foi what the \ ankees call •* a loea- lon." The newcomer will not be long be* !l 68 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. m fore experience will teach him how advis- able It Is to settle where similar shelter can be found. Heavy mists often ascend and cover, like a semi-transparent veil, the sur- rounding country. These, in winter, appear only on very cold and clouded days, while they are, in spring, the harbingers of almost tropical heat. They produce extraordinary and very beautiful phenomena. From the heights, the plain lying between Battleford and the hills appears as a vast shadowy lake, into which the surrounding hills shoot out like ghostly headlands in a phantom sea, growing fainter in outline as the mists thicken . While the sun is struggling through the heavy cumuli the mists open and ex- pand, bringing to view innumerable float- ing Islands. The sun at last forces himself through the murky atmosphere and a sea of azui*e, in which a thousand tremulous rain- bows dance, relieves the eye. This, too, gives place in time to the natural plain clothed in its winter ffarb of virgin purity and transmitting back a thousand sparkling reflections from the flre of an un« clouded sun. The awful quiet of the scene adds to its grandeur, and those who have witnessed these marvels of a North-West winter's day will always recal vividly to memory their wonderful beauty. TO THE SOUTH-WEST. The following extracts from The Hbbald aflTord a good sketch of the country lying TO THE SOUTH-WEST. 59 up the Valley on tl^e south side of Battle Uiver : '• Our first trip was through the section lying between the river and liie Eagle Hills, wesLol'the middle trail. Striking a south- west'jriy course at the foot of the Big Hill, the first half-day*s Journey took us over u gently undulating tract of rich land, cover- ed with a luxuriant growth of vegetation that in many places reached up to the horses' sided. The level plalenus between the valleys varied in extent from a lew hun- dred acres to home miles in area, and only broken here and ihere by blufi's of small timber suitable for fencing ; while to tht^ left the vision was bounded by a rich green belt of heavy timber on the slope o£ the Eagle Hills. While fencing, fuel and build- ing timber are not to be found on every lot, there is enough of every kind scattered over the country to make it easy of access to iho settler. " Between the undulations of the plains, and nestling at the foot of the hills, are nu- merous lakes— some tainted with alkali but others of the purest water— along whose chores and on the watercourses flowing to and from them, unlimited quantities ol hay can be procured. Spring are numerous, and water has always been found by f the term, that portion of the Territories lying to the rorth of I he North Saskatche- ran in this neighborhood does not belong to the Battle Rivur Valley, yet, as its physi- ;al features are very similar, and as it will sommerclally form a portion of the same listrlct, it will be included within it for the mrposeo of description, Skirting along the rorth Branch of the Saskatchewan, and in- cluded betAveen that strea i on the south md the forest line on the norlli, lies an im- lense area of land of almost Incredible fer- tility only awaiting the plough of the set- tler. As its physical features are almost Identical with those of the Battle River 'alley, it will not be necessary to give an elaborate description of them, while the sec- tion under consideration is too important to )e passed over without being referred to. Although we do not find railways being )iished forward and settlers flocking in as tiiey are at the south, striving to keep ibreast of tht iron horse in its race for the ^eit, we find a country far richer and bettc r idapted for settlement than we had been led to expect. Throughout the greater por- tion of the land traversed there is an abun- 62 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. dauce of wood and numerous streams running water. The soil appeared to be richer and to com^ prise a greater deptli of black loam thai that on the other side of the river, yet the crops so far do not seem to average higherf than in the latter districts. Upland andl marsh hay both grow in abundance — the former especially high, strong and extreme-! ly heavy, with a large admixture of the wiidj pea, of which horses and cattle are so fonn and on which they flourish so well. Of course! some tracts are wholly unfit for tillasre, yet capital for grazing. As regards the pictur-j esque in scenery, there ar« large sections oj undulating country with beautiful lakes from one to fifteen miles In length, dottec with islets, from the shores of which, am from the surrounding heights, enchanting views are to be had, where many a pleasure] seeker would fain reside and enjoy the glory of the scenery. The first settlers who crossed the Nortl Saskatcliewan in this vicinity were Messrs.| Ivobert Wyld and Fred Bourke, who, a fei years since, decided to embark in cattlel raising, and selected a locfition a short dis- tance above the mouth of Battle River, where they also engaged in farming. Theirl undertaking lias prospered beyond the most sanguine expectations of themselves and of those who watched their progress, and] Messrs. Wyld & Bourke have proved eoncln- sively, although this is not a stock-raisingl district in the sense that the term is used In I TURTLE RIVER. m le southern portion of the Territories, that Ismail band of cattle can be successfully id profitably handled. Duriniif the sum- mer of 1882 Messrs. Harry and Richard Wyld >ined their brother, and this season they ive over one hundred acres under crop, le same season, a number of French Can- llans, Messrs. L^on, Arcand, Prevost, La- ^e, and others, yisited the north side on a respecting expedition, and were so delight- wlth what they saw that they imme- lately located and sent for their friends id families. A number of them arrived iring the winter, and already do we see 16 nucleus of a largre and prosperous settle- ment. A large quantity of breaking was me lost fall, houses erected, and rail tim- irgot out, and this spring farming opera- Jons are being vigorously prosecuted. TUBTLE BIVEB. This is a small stream emptying into the iskatchewan from the north side at a Int about twenty miles above the mouth the Battle River, and although forming a irt of the northern district treated of in le last article, it is thrown into especial rominence by the location at its mouth of le mills of Messrs. Coleridge & Co., who ive secured and are operating a timber [inlt on the shores of Turtle Lake, the head- waters of the stream referred to. On both LDks of the Turtle, and for a considerable Istance above its mouth, lies a large extent country, the soil of which is a rich clay i;i'i 61 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. > d loam, and admirably adapted for farming, Wood for all purposes— building, fenciiigl and fuel*~-is abundant, as is also water and hay. A feature, and an excellent one, too,! of the country north of the Baskatcliewanl Is its comparative freedom from reserves, al characteristic of wlitch the advantages arel so evident that n-othlng remains to lie saidJ In addition to these favorable features, the establishment of a mill at this point at an| early day is certain to attract prospectors, so that we may shortly expect to find a new! settlement springing up here, whore now there is not a sign of civilization. Turtle! Lake has long been celebratec^ for lis white- fish, the people of Battleford and Fort Plttl hav'ng for years drawn their supplies from Its bosom, while Jackflsh, sturgeon and oarpj are to be taken In the streum itsf?lf. Nu- merous lakes and ponds In the surrounding] district afford watering and pasturage faclN Itles for large bands of cattle, thus makingl It attractive for the stock-ra'ssr as well asl for the agriculturist. In short, the advan- tages of this section are such as render it a| most desirable field for location. UP THE BATTLE BIVEE. The following paragraphs were written! a couple of years ago by a farmer in searrh| of a location, and time ha« proved the cor- rectness of his observations ; ** As a prospector In the vicinity of Battle- ford I have carefully examined the country for a considerable distance up the valley of I UP THE BATTLE RIVEU. 65 V farming, ng, fenclugl water and t one, too, jkatehewan reserves, a antages are to be saldJ jatures, Ihel (ohit at an prospectors, o find a new! where nowl on. Turtlel or Us white- d Fort Pitt ipplies from jon and carp Itsf^if. NU'I 8urrounding| turage facll* hus makingl • as well as| the advan- render it al SB. rere written ler in search ved the ^or- ty of Battle- the country he valK^.v of attle River, and being somewhat posted in es]M?ct of soils best adapted for successful gricul rural operations, I have come to tlw) jonclusion that the BattJe River Valley obsesses all tlie requirements in that direc- ion, and wlien occupied, and its natural esourcos more thoroughly developed, it is estiued to become one of the most populoi^s nd wt^aUhy portions of tlie :Nortli-West. he valley is a mixture of .prairie and wood land, soirio portions heavily timbered, and onsequently possessing all the requisites r successful farming, namely, good land, ater, fuel, fencing ind building timber. he grass in many places is exceedingly lux- riant, especially on the flats in the vicinity 1 the river, thus affording abundance of ay, and pasturage practically unlimited, his fact, in connection with good and natu- al cover in the lesser valleys and bluffs, iffers exceedingly flattering inducements to ftock-raisers. As an illustration on this ;)lht I may say that I have had the oppoi- mity of observing the progress of Macfar- ne Brothers' excelleni^ band ol horses, hich they have brec' and raised in this alley for the past three years, and can bear itness tnat these animals have roamed at rge during those winters, and have invar!- ly turned up in the spring in good condi- on, and that as many of the band as are quired are tiien yoked up to assist in the ring work. 1 was also informed that these rses receive no further attention than to visited occasionally to see v/lietherany cideiit has occurred amongst them. ** The soil is by no ratans a pure sand, but a ixture of sand, clay, and a dark loam—no iibt an alluvial accumulation deposited hen the streams were much larger and ore rapid tlian they now are, or when the untry was entirely submerged. As the ters recede'l the mounds were left, and ing composed so largely ol fertile matter, cedily developed the g! owth of the timber, rubbery and nutritious grasses that now ver their surface ; ana they were at no m BATTLE iUrJSH VALLEY. remotte day th^homeof countless herds > buflTalo, moose and elk, as Khown by tli numerous rellqi of these animals evei JWhere to be found. '^ The fact that Indian corn and pumpkii| Ri^ive at perfection aftords indubitable ev denee of the adaptability of the soil at ^climate of the valley for the K»'owth of veg : tables df the most delicate varieties ; ad ?;tJkking this section of the North- West aUj ^il), it certainly is second to none in tl territories. " An Idea of the ex test of the Battle Rh Valley may be obtained by an inspection i . the latest map of the NorU -West Terrltl ries, from which it will be observed that I Qreat Saskatchewan River, going agaii the currenty continues from Battleford ^ard almost in a north-westerly directiif until it reaches a point a few miles bey() Viotoriar wheal it abruptly turns 60uth^v(l towards the Roeky Mountains, wheie ; ll^keAlts rise. Ti;acingt up the Battle m . from its J unction ' with the Saskatchewi 7 we flnd that its course is north -westerly about thirty milesr when it inclines shar to the south-^west^ and thus perseveres •'about one hundred and forty miles, a sh distance above the point wjticre the Edmii ton and Red Deer trail crosses it, whencel affain turns north-westerly to its m\ about four hundred miles from Battlefor ICow, it will be observed that a vtry la '>areaof country is embraced between til two magnificent streams, the ffreat^r tion of which lies to the south of the diYi| • and consequently forms a portion ofi BAWTLK RIVEIt BARLEY. t% ittle Rlv«r Valley. This large and impor- int tract of country^ with a BOiithern )pe, and materially protected by the- jight of land to the north, certainly con- futes a very desirable agricultural reertonv id, Including the district to the south, also lined by the Battle Klveir, embraces a ter*< try greater than some of the eastern pro-' ices. Nearly every foot of it is availAbie \e agricuUnral purposes^ and the country assesses all the res6ur^ coming season. 6001^ W0ED8 FBOK OUUIDX. BATTLE RIVER BARUSY taring the winter of 1881-2 the Toronto )be published the following comments on ^cimens of Battle River barley sent down criticism : In speaking of the future grain crpps of North- West it is eustomAry-to Iftlcii' (8 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, f^T f!' .' one crop, wheat, .as likely to overshadoAv In itnpurtance all the others. This has! <*ome to be the practice because exptrij ence has proved that the north-westfinl soil and climate produce the best wheaiJ in the world: wheat that weighs heavier tol the bushel and yield* a greater amouMil of strongly glutinous flour than can obtained from (he wheat of any other! country or state. But excellent as are tliel prospects for wheat, we have before us evl{ dence in the shape of samples, that withl ** spect to the grain of next importance! bii 'ley, the North- West is likely to equal not sui'pass every other seciion of the contil nent. Tlie samples of barley alluded to havel been sent us from Battlelord by Mr. John! Carney. The crops trom which they were! taken grew on ' Poundmaker\:i * reserve, inl (he Battle River Valley, thirty miles abovel Battleford ; from a section twenty miles iipl fronx Battleford ; and from another place! thirteen miles from Battleford, in the same valley. The grain is very large and pi umpJ and the skin is thin. If it were not a littie| discolored it would be entitled to rai k| among the special grades for Canada barley ahead of No. 1 ; but the color being a iittlel bit off, it would only grade as No. 2. AsT graded in the * brass kettle ^ of a well knownl barley dealer, the grain weighs a little oveiT Ufty pounds to the bushel—two pounds n.oxi than the standard, notwithstanding tlistJJ the barley having been merely rubbed outj by hand, the awns were long, and the grain censequently lay more loosely than it would If it had ilrst passed through a threshing machine or an elevator. "The most striking thingabout the samplej is that they were grown on land that was not broken until last spring. They wera harvested in August. It is evident thiitthj cool nights and rainless ripening season ol the North-West suit this grain, and thaj the production of the bright barley for wliicf Canada is famous is capable of expansion tj an indefinite extent." PROF, MACOUJSrS VIEWS. 69 And in a later number of the Saskatche- wan Herald we And Mr. Carney making le following satisfactory explanation of le discoloration of his samples : '* At the time the grain was cut and ready house, a report reached the Indian re- jrves that the Governor-General was draw- \g nign to Battleford, whereupon the In- [ians left their harvest-fields en masses javing their grain exposed to the sun and |eavy dews for two weeks/' PROF. MACOUN^S VIEWS. In his excellent work, " Manltob? an« ihe freat NOi th-West,'* Prof. Macoun a /etis at msiderable length upon the Baoti^ River Hstrlct. From the chapter describing the mntry between the fifty- secona .nd fifty- lird parallels we make the following ex- ract : '' Lying: north of the Saskatchewan Is a Ine tract that may be seen from the heights (bove Eaglo Creek, and which, when settle- lent crosses the river, will be very aitrac- ive. Eagle Creek, a fine stream of pure rater, enters the Saskatchewan at the east- •a end of the Eagle Hills. This stream jems to rUe In a large couUe that extends lany miles into the great plain south of attieford. ** The Bear Hills pass gradually into the Eagle Hills, which at first turn to the north- [ast, buo as they approach the North Sas- talchewan, they trend to the north-west ^ntil they reach Battle River, somedistance rom Battleford. At Battleford their base is [bout eight miles south. As they jiass ^ast- ^ard they draw nearer to the Saskatche- wan. Tneir northern slope is a continuous )restof very good poplar {Populus ^remw- yides and halsaniifera)^ which breaks up and becomes interspersed with prairie as it ap- 'A: ; ' , II 70 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. i: • proaches that river. Between Battlefordi and Kagie Creek no less than twenty-two small streams Issue Irom tbe forest auul make their way into the river. '* The land bordering on the river is gen- erally a sandy loam, but many fine farmsl will yet be located there. In the bills them- selves, and southward from them, the land! is very rich, the soil being a black clay loam, changing as it gets drier (southward) into a sandy one, but with very little change In vegetation, Mr. Wilkins, D.L.S. ,cro8tied diagonally through the hills, while I passed j on both sides of them, and his report of the land at the Mission and at the 'JovernmentI Farm agrees with my own observations.: The land In the southern extension of the! hills is very much broken and contains mul< titudes of ponds and fresh-water marsheeJ where immense quantities of natural hay o/| the best quality go to waste evt;ry year. Al- though many people think the hills the best for settlement, I believe future settlers will prefer tlie prairie, as there is less broken land, less marst and swamp, and less labor] required to make a home. ** As the views of the Globe's correspon* dent regarding Battleford are very nearly iu accord with my own, I give his description : ** * This place Is certainly One of the most] beautiful and picturesque in the North- west, and if ever there was a spot which nature Intended for the site of a city It is I Battleford. The steamboat landing on the Saskatchewan is two or three miles west oil where Battle River falls into th6 larger stream, but for a long way (several miles at | least above this) the general direction of the two streams is parallel, though the strip of I land between them is seldom above two| miles and a half, and in places less than three-quarters of a mile, in width Thin I strip of land between the two rivers con siste of a beautiful plateau of fine, smooth upland prairie. Its highest portion H alOBgltBceil* tre, midway oetween the tw^o str^amlB, and it slopes away gently towards each. ThH PROF, MACOUN'8 VIEWS^ 71 lowest portion of this plateau is flt'teen or (twenty feet above the narrow strip of bot- tom land along both rivers, which latter in times of spring? floods are sometimes par- tially sabmcrged. On the other hand the highest portion of this plateau (which the [reader will have already identified as the (site of the future city of Battleiord,) is con- siderably lower4han the level of the prairie Ibluffs, which rise beyond the Saskatchewan on the noith and Battle River on the south. [Here is a spot which could be easily drained by sewers falling each way from the central ridge; the whole outer boundary would be [river frontage, at which the Saskatchewan I steamers could land at nearly all times, kwhile the smaller craft, which would be re- Iquired to navigate Battle lliver, could per- ^forra the service from the forks when the larger steamers could not ascend on the [south side of the peninsula with safety. With a city located on this ptninsular pla- iteau, which is now only occupied by the [barracks of the Mounted Police, the south bank of Battle River and the north bank of the Saskatchewan, about four miles apart, I would afford the most charming situations I for villa and suburban residences. *** Regarding the country in the in me- tdiate vicinity of Battleford, I am quite [,aware tha*i wliat I have to say flatly contra- fdicts what appears to me to be the general •impression concerning it. Before coming here I was told that Battleford was in the midst of a sterile, dreary waste of sand, but 1 wish we had a few hundred square miles of just such dreary wastes jf sand in Onta- rio and Quebec. The soil is not the dc^ep black loam which I have seen in other por- tions of the North-West, but at the same time that it is not unproductive I shall pre- sently produce abundant proofs. It is a rich and very friable soil, in which there is un- questionably some sand, but for all that it is deep, strong, warm, and extremely pro- ductive. I should have stated before that the few houses— beyond the houses of Go- f, sm ,!,pv 72 BA T TLE RI VER VALLE Y. vornment oflicials, which are on the oicsl of tlie beautilul high bliiir south, ot Baitlj Kiver— are located on a narrovv strip of botl lorn laud soiitii of the smallt^r stream, an( the plateau to vvhicli I have already referrej is the site ol the future city. ' ** The police larni at liattleford was esj tablisiied in 1879. In the sprini? of that yeaj Inspector Walker broke up the soil, and on my visit about the first of August I found everythin,^? well advanced and wrote in mj journal : * The police farm, situated on thj point of land beiween HatMe River and thj Saskatchewan, is a sandy alluvium, andaj; pears to be very dry and barren, but it cerl tainly has produced good crops thlsyearj Thiee months ago it was barren prairij now oats, barley, potatoes and turnips arel growing luxuriantly. In the garden, also! broken up this spring, are cabbages, caulif flowers and other vegetables of the finest de- scription. Timothy and clover liad beeiil sown to form a grass plot, and these wcrel now in flower and gave promise ot produoj Ing abundance of seed. Th'.^ Governor's farm, situated on the sand liills to the eastl of his residence, was also visited. Here thel soil, outside the fence^ was covered with the! short prairie sward indicative of dryness,! and wiiich would have been pronounced usi unlit for cultivation by most people, yetl within the fence were excellent oats, niid-r dling barley, sh»rt in tne ear but grain liiiel and first-class wheat, the latter stanfiingi thick on the ground, nearly five feet high,! with correspondingly long ears, nearly ripe.! ** * Besides the exuberant growth of mosil grains there irf a remarkable vitality im- parted to them in this region thatastonishesl the stranger. I am more and more con- vinced that it is not soil which is the cause of the astonishing crops produced in tJiel west, but the peculiar climate. When dig- iring up the prairie soil, ev^Mi in the hardest! clay<^, I could never get below the roots of the grass, and these were so numerous that they seemed to fill the soil. Owing to tbe| THE TORONTO OL03E, 78 rere winter's froat, and the light ralnlall spring, the young roots are enabled to Inetraie the soil to a depth wholly beyond |e belief of an eastern luriiier. They seem follow I he pores opened by the frost right Ito the .^ubhoil, and hen-e, instead of draw- w tlu'lr nourishment from four or five [(•lirs of soil, they draw ii from eighteen twenty-four Inches ' " THE GLOBK'H (CORRESPONDENT. hen His Excellency the Governor-Gen- hil visited the Territories in the summer 1S81, a number of correspondents of news- ipers published in the Old Country accom- Liiied tlie parly, and they were unanimous their praise of the Battle River Valley. pith the party was also Mr. W. H. Wil- lams, special correspondent of the Toronto (lobe, or, as he is now universally known, the buckboard correspondent.'^ Mr; Wii- lams returned to Winnipeg by way of Bat- Icford, and spent some time in examining (le country. Although delighted with the !ace 01} the occasion of his first visit, his MO])d examination and a careful compari- m with other portions of the Territories (nly served to increase his good opinion. [is letters from and about Battleford and 16 Battle River district were full of praises ^itho it exaggeration, and did much to draw Public attention to a district wh.ch had pre- Kously been looked upon as ** a dreary raste of sand." In a letter written after the completion of his journey, and especial- ly devoted to the district between Battleford iiid Carlton, we find the following i;ood 'ords : 10 74 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, •l><- ** The trail from Carlton to Battleford fj lows close along t he south bank of the Nor Saskatchewan. The distance between t« two points is calculated to be one hundrl and ten niiles by the shortest route Seve) ty or eighty miles of the road traverses fij upland prairies, the soil being good, aj possessed or all the natural advantages iiic dent to that sort of country, affording, as does, almost illimitable stretches for gigail tic fields, and requiring little or nothing] the way of artificial drainage. Betweei thirty and forty miles from Battleford ij Eagle Hills ars reached, and here, thoug the land is, of course, more broken, it is d ceedlngly rich in quality, and some few m tiers who have already taken up land in thl district are having marvellously good cropf and absolutely certain harvests. The EaglJ Hills may be said to extend all the way Battleford. ** As I have already had a good deal to sal about the capital of the Morth-West Ternl tories, it will not be necessary to add mucl| here ; its location is admirable both fron an agricultural and a commercial point ol view. Being at the junction of the BattlJ River with the North Saskatchewan, it ha lacilities ^''or navigation north-west, southi west and eastward, and besides this a counl try lyinjr to the south of it through whiclf heavy freight wasgons could be run wita perfect safety all the way to Calgary and Macleod if necessary. In no part of thj North- West did I see better growing cro|: when I was on my way westward, and innd part, either of the North- West or Manitoba) did I find the farmers better satisfied with the results of their season's work than IdidI here on my return. The soil is not so heavy as that of Edmonton or Princt Albert pro-| per, but this rich sandy loam that is to found everywhere about Battleford i^, I ami convinced, in the long run as profitable scill for the agriculturist, taking one year withl another, as can be found anywhere on tin continent. This autumn excellent harvests THE TORONTO GLOBE, 75 )re taken off fields tViat h-^d been cropped (ntlnuously without manuring for five lars. Here I found no disposition on tlie irt even of tlie most sanguine settlers to ioloffize for any shortcomings owing to a [ckward summer or early irosts, though Iveral of the settlers who had been tardy ^oiit gathering their potatoes suffered )m the early advent of winter weatlier. i-om all that I can learn I think that, as a (le, the winters are less severe at Battle- rd than in any other of the northern set- jments in the Territories. Fro&i its loca- )n it cannot, in tlie very nature of things, subjecr to the visitation of blizzards or ^at Intense degree of cold that character- is more low-lying localities, and especially lose in the neighborhood of extensive mus- ^gsor marshy flats. For political pur- )s:es a great deal of howling lias been In- il^^ed in about Battleford sand. Battleford IS been pronounced the centre of nowhere, id in fact everything that political malice bid suggest has been said against it, sim- (y because the late Government of the )minion made some Improvements here [1th the view that it was to be permanently le Capital of the North-West. All this msense that has been talked and written this subject,while it has worked mischief Battleford and to many a settler wlio, in >ming to the North-West, has gone fartner id fared worse, will still be unavailing as [means of permanently checking this set- (ement's onward and upward progress I ive no h''.sitation whatever in saying that lere is no settlement in the North-West )ssessed, all in all, of natural advantages inal to those of Battleford. 'hether the main line of the Canadian Pa- Ifio Railway Is destined ever to reach Bat- [eford or not I am unable to say ; but that jattletord will, in a comparatively short jme, have railway communication with le outer w* rid, I have not the illghtest oiibt." m: 76 BATTLE MI VER VALLEY, SOME SHORTER OPINIOISS. The correspondent of the London (Eng. Times, who accompanied the vice-regj pavty on their tour through the Territorie thus expresses himself : " Battlt^ford is close to the junction oi til Battle Kiver vviMi the Saskatchewan, an has been given a bad name altogether ml deserved. A bad naine sticks, and * Battlj ford sand * has become proverbial, thou§ really it is but a handful in comparisol with the first-class soil adjoining it. Tbl I'ountry through which we have passe since leaving the bluff's is f> V ve suspicioDl Here at our camp- ground the grass is tliici and rich, and almost up to our knees." In his address at the Winnipeg banquetl His Excellency the Cjovernor-General spokj as follows of the country surrounding Rat's ileibri: ♦' For two days' march-that is to say, foil about sixty or seventy miles— south of Bat| tlel'ord, we passed over land whose excel-l lence could not be excelled for agricultural purposes ; thence to the Red Deer Vallojj the soil is lif^hter, but still, in my opiuioiiJ in moist places good for grain, and, in aiii case, most admirable for summer pasturiige| It will certainly be good also for stock winter as soon as it shall pay to have soniei hay stored in the vallpys J'he whole ol iii has hf'tMi the favorite feeding ground of the! buffalo, and their tracks from waterln|,'{ place to watering-place (never too far aujut fr./m each other) were every wheie to bel scpu. f^et us hope that the time will not m long belore the disappearance of the buttalol from these scenes is followed by the aiipeiu-f ance ol domestic herds." When interviewed by a reporter of tbe| Winnipeg Times during the spring of 1881, LATOUCim TUP PER, rt [r. R. LaTouche Tapper, in speaking ot* lis district, said : ''A great many new settlers are settling tiie ricii lands in the vicinity of Battle- ird. The EaL,de Hills country, lying be- reen the two branches of tlie Saskatche- [au, and not far from Battleford, will be a ^ry attractive part of the Norlh-West for sttlement this year, wlaile the land across le river to the north is also a very rich and ixuriant prairie There is an abundant sup- ly of wood both for fuel and buildlnji pur- )ses, both on the hills and along the valleys thn large streams, consisting principally poplar and spruce. The water is excellent nd entirely free from alkali. Settlers in lis country are very hopeful of the future, |]\(i are looking wistlully for railway corn- luuilcMtlon-" Capl. Devllle, Chief Inspector of Purveys, his annual report says : " Several surveyors had occasion to cross |iuvvalle.v of the Battle Rivor They all apeak of Has a district of fertility uniiur- kssed in the whole North- West. There Is [ood water, abundance of wood, and tine irairie openings." From the flies of the Saskatchewan RHALD we compile the following opinions ilicited from tourists and explorers in in- ierviews with the editor. Mr Wilkins, C.E., who was a member of *rof. Mrtcoun's party in 1879, reported *' a ^' mnch larger aiea of good land than isgen- f* orally supposed to exist." Prof. Macoun is reported as having stated tliat- " The district lying east of the one hun- [dred and tenth meridian and north of I^ake [Manitou, all the way to battleford, will yet be an excellent farming country, as the laud 73 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, n !s level, and the 8oil, though light in placej very good." Of Battleford and its enviroas the Profe& sor said : *' Much has been said wbout tlie sandhlllJ in this neigborhood, but a careful exanfilnal tion shows that they only extend at tlieiri greatest width to a depth of three niilesi i'roin the river, and that on some of theifl slopes and in tlie Intervening valleys are! many stretches of excellent land.-' Mr. H- Grant-Dalton and party travelled! througti the country during the summer of| 1881 on a pleasure trip, and in the announce- ment of their passage* through Battleford \ve| find The Herald remarking : *' We have much pleasure in sayine: that] their impression of the capital and the Bat- tle River Valley generally is that its princi- pal characteristics and excellence are such as must very soon plac it in the foremoRt ranks of the settlements now springing int^j existence " Prof. Kenaston, C E., was sent out the same season by the Canadian Pacific Rail- way Company to examine the ci^untry be- tween Moose Jaw and Edmonton, and he 1« thus reported to have expressed himself : ** The Professor has travelled over a larjLfc section of the North-West, having an eye to the agricultural capabilities oi the country as well as to the selection of a railway route, and from what he has seen he finds that the Battle River Valley possesses in a greater degree than any other district visit- ed the elements necessary to becoming an Important settlement. The land Increases In richness as one goes up stream, until it becomes equal to any in the Territories, be- sides being free from some disadvantai^'t^ under which other districts labor.'* LOCAL 0PINL0N8. 7» LOCAL OPINIONS. Wo have devoted considerable space to the roductlon of cornphmentary opinions iven of our district by people who have isited us, and we may be pardoned if wo jpublish some that liave been expressed by [thers who have been here for some time, (nd are consequently more intimaely ac- [uainted with the country and its resourcei-, \\\i, as these articles have already exceeded Ihe limits originally contemplated, they rill, of necessity, b« brief, in August, 1882. tcorrespondent signing himself **Hastings'' rrote to the Toronto Olobe a description of [r. Adam Boyle's location at the foot of the Jagle Hills from which we make the fol- lowing extract ; " The land on which Mr. Boyle's crop is, md which is the same as that found genei- illy throughout the Eagle Hills, is a rich )lack loarn with a clay subsoil. He has a spring creek of good water running past his louse, and plenty of timber— birch and pop- lar—for building, wood and fencing in the Iraviues running into the hills behinc' him, [while a large swamp in which has h* i cut [one hundred and fifty tons of hay th sum- [mer stretches for a mile along the foMt of his claim. There are hundreds of pin- s wiih more or less equal advantages in tl o neigh- borhood, though with the number f settlers coming in at present the cholct ocatioii-s near town will soon be taken up, and new arrivals will have to 2:0 farther back. Prices for all kinds of produce are gocd ; while Battlelord is well known as the cheapest place, considering distances, to buy mer- ichandlse in the North-West. Tb^^re have been damaging reports made from time to 80 RATTLE RIVER VALLEY. ' ,s Time of th'F district, it having beendescribJ as corisisimg principally or sand liills. Tfi main reason /or this ^.«, that th<^ principij trails leadinjJT into the place pass throng the poorest pari of tlie <'v)unt ry These sai iiilis, wiiicli are onl3' a fraction compuriil with the quantify of ;jood land adjoiniiJ tiiem, are found in all parts of the N^ortl) West, and afford excellent shelter for stoci in the winter, and native horses turned oiil there in the fall, feeding on tlie ' goos' and other grasses widen abound in theml are brought in fat in the spring. '' With its extensive tracts of pine, sixti miles to the noitli-west, surrounding Tun Lake and liiver, whicli connects wilh \U 8askatcliewan eighteen miles above tlj town ; with tlie large beds of coal l?:nown exist along the Battle River : with the <'eH tainty of a survey this fall and the erectioil of a saw and grist mill in the vicinity, Hatf tleford is bound to go ahead with a rapidltji equalled by few places in the North- Vv'estI and assur '0 the position to which its situaj tion, its fertility, its climate, its scenery, itsj flsh, game and natural resources justly en{ titU> it.'» During the same summer Mr. Koheil Wyid received a circular from the tratHc dp-j partrnent of the Cananian Paciilc Kailwayi asliing for a statement of the acreage under cultivation last season, and at tlie conclu- sion of his report he added the foUowingj comments upon our district : ** I liave been in the North-West eight! years, and have lived at Shoal Lake, Wliini- p^g. Fort Vfacleod, Fort Walsh, Fort Calgary and Fort Qu'Appelle, and have travelledl through the Red Deer and Bow River dis- tricts, and have settled here in preference to any of the above-mentlonei places. We have no summer frosts, and are less liable to early frosts than any other portion of the North- West. My cattle were out until the LOCAL OPINIONS, 81 liddle Of January, and when taken In were round to be in sood condition. I am not a and speculator, but an actual settler, per- fectly satisfied with the locality. A great leal has been said by politicians to the letriment of Battleford, from purely politi- cal motives, they not knowing: anything of [lie advantages or disadvantages of the )lace. This beinjr the choice of the prc^sent opposition, it is of course condemned by the bresent Government, but I am certain that It is a far more suitable site for the capita! )f the North-West than the much talked-of capital, Regina. I am a Conservative in loPtics, so I do not give my views for any olitical pdrpose." Mr. r» Fremont, who has lived a number lulyearsin the Battle River Valley, and ^ho is a thoroughly competent judge, when iskod r< eently by a newspaper 'orrespon- lent for his opinion gave it in the following '8 justly en»'ords : Mr. Koher! ** I have travelled over the greater portion )f the Western and North-Western states md the Canadian Territories, and have lived in both sections, but in all my travels ' have never traversed as tine a region as Ihe Battle liiver Valley. I have prospected 11 both sides of Batthj River from its mouth to the Edmonton and Red Deer crossing, )ne hundred and seventy milcK up, and con- sider it is, without exception, the finest por- tion of country in the North-West, on either [.side of the boundary line. It is admirably uiapted for farming in all its brandies, and pof^sesses Kood water in abundance, all th<- illniber necessary for years to come. j«nd 8?rass shoulder high for miles The soil is a •ich sandy loam with clay subsoil, and the pason.s are more favorable for agricultursi mrsnits than any other portion or the Ter- irltori ^s. The running: streams and lakelets ire pure and clear, while I particularly re- [marked the absence of alkaline ponds and 11 82 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, sloughs ; and I am satisfied that in the near future this Valley will become the garden of the North- West/' The Saskatchewan Herald, in com- mentlng In its issue of October 26, 1879, on the result oi Prof. Mocoun's explorations, aptly remarks : '* Let the land be good or bad according: to any particular standard of excellence, it Is Immaterial so long as it yields the crops It does. As the Professor aptly put it, while discussing the character of the soil In a sec- tion recently visited, * Call it sawdust, If you like ; that,' he said, holding up a hand- ful of grain, * is what it produces. ' " Reviewing the Globe's remarks on our barley. The Hbhald of January 21, 1882, says : ** We would call the attention of those croakers, who desire to circulate false ideas concerning the agricultural capabilities of this section of country to the above facts, which most decidedly prove that the very best quality of grain can be and Is raised in the vicinity of Battleford, notwithstanding the few sandhills in the neighborhood of the junction of the rivers, and that, too, on the iresh-turued virgin sod. Those sandhills, as they are called, have in the past been a con- venient bugbear in the mouths of those who delight in misrepresenting the Battle River country, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it, ana we speak that we do know— which has been recognized and ap- preciated by competent persons well able to form an opinion— that the Battle River Val- ley is destined to become one of the most populous and, perhaps, the prreatest grain- growing districts in the North-West. The arable land in this valley is extensive and of undoubted fertility, and its natural rr- sources with respect to timber, healthy i» ater and native grasses excellent. If pure, t ils valley embractis every thing ditsirable to LOCAL OPIJS'IONS. make farrains: aiid stockraisihg combined a successful operation as well as a healthy pastime for those who may be fortunate enough to secure claims therein. It is a well known fact that the Battle River country is less|llable to storms and summer frosts than any other portion of the Territories, and that many of the most delicate vegeta- bles are ^rown la the open air without the aid of artificial heat. Now, with sueh an excellent country to back it up, besides many other Important advantages, geogra- phical and otherwise, we may reasonably conclnde— and no blowing— whether the Canadian Pacific Railway Company should i!:ive us a branch or not, that this very region possesses snfiflcient natural resources and advantasres, when developed, to make Bat- tleford the Queen City of the Baskatijhewan Valley." And again, in another article in the same IsHue, entitled " Battleford*s Future," we And the following : " A great deal has been published, and a great deal more has been said that was never published, deA BATTLE RTVER VALLEY. strip rest rioted to a Hrnall area above th{| confluence ol the two rivers." SOME OF OUR RECOEDS. And now, having quoted a large numbeil i>\' opinions expressed concorning our vallei and its adaptability as a field for settlementj we will proceed to show what has been donj by some of those who have had the nerve settle down among our "sandhills," and en-l deavor to make a living by the cultlvatioij of tlie soil. Actions, they say, spetik louden than words, and in the same manner resultJ are stronger proofs than ooinions. In con versation with *' Hastings," the con ispon] dent of the Toronto Globe from whose letteJ we have already made one extract, MrJ Adam Boyle gave the following sketch oi his two years* experience in this district : *' Two years ago I was farming in partner] ship on Fish Creek, in the Bow River counj try, nine miles from Fort Calgary. On m 22nd of August snow fell a foot in depth, anil the grain, which was just turning, was badli irozen, so I sold out my share, for wlilchj previously, I would not have taken $50(), fo( $100 ; and buying twenty-six head of cattlj at Fort Macleod for $510, I started for thj Saskatchewan country, calculating to sell them there. When I got here I found peoplf just digging their potatoes, and the crops all harvested without injury from frost; noj had there been any snow as yet, so, as therj was no ready sale for stock at that time, decided to winter my cattle here, and tool! up this place, built a house and ' corral, and brought them out in good shape in tlij spring on fifteen tons of hay, which was all I could buy, and it was too late to cut aiiyj They grazed out the greater part of the win| ter, there being very little snow iu the hills SOME RECORDS, 8-S have sold $000 worth ol butter and $650 [worth of beef, nesides what I have used iny- kelf, and have thirty-four head of cattle, for Iwhich I could take $1,200 to-day, but would |)jotseil. A small stock-raiser has a better iiiance here than in Bow River, it boin^ [bard to compete with the large ranche com- Ipanies there, while here he gets ready sale lior beef and butter at iiord prices, and this lis the healthiest country I ever saw lor Istoek. Last spring I br^kf^ nine acres of [land, from five of which I harvested two Ihundred bushels of e«'«iii» one acre of wheat [producing lorty-six bushels. The balance Iwas In potatoes and roots and turned out Iwell. This year I have thirty acres of crop, land expect to have nine hundred or a tliou- sand bushels of oats off twenty-four acres, and some of my grain will be ready to cut in three or four days. Take all the cronon the [tiiirty acres, potatoes, oats and all, I tliink 1 would not be over-estimating it at $1,GOO. There are only wbout ten acres of this old [land, the rest being on first breaking, and with the exception of about $100 paid for la- |bor, myself and aboy tourteen years of age have done tlie work, besides fencing about forty -five acres. The oats on the old land [average about four and a half feet in heights [This is the experience of a man who was not brought up to farming. My crops here are as good or better than an> thing I ever saw in my life, and I have travelled and re- sided in nearly all the Western States and Territories. I have lived in the famous Walla-Walla district of Oregon, and consi- der this just as good a place for farming.'' The Flnlayson Brothers, three in number, whose locations are on the Battle River about six miles above BattUford, also show a good record for the time they have been here. They arrived here from Ontario on the 18th of July, 1879, and after looking around them, pitched upon their present IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 bilM 12.5 ■u ^ 12.2 Its U 140 ■ 2.0 125 ,|, .4 ,i6 .< 6" ► V] Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STRilT WIBSTH.N.Y. M5S0 (716) 872-4503 86 BATTLE niVER VALLEY. holdings. In September of the same ye they put up a house aild stable, and dur^n the ensuing winter they got out a lai number of rails. Early in the followli spring they commenoing fai^ming operation in earnest. In April, 1881, they were visU by a correspondent of the Globe, who nii the following report on their progress : ** They arrived I'rom Winnipeg with oi team, and $2 50 in cash was tlie oaiance hand. Under theifi'^clrcumHtanees they con] tracted a debt of $lO(i forthwith for necess ries and Im mediately located. In April and May, 1880, they ploughed and seede forty acres, and fenced two miles of frontacj along thb Battle River. Already this sdi 8on they have completed re-ploughlng tli^ forty acres ploughed in 18S0, and have sim completed oreaKing forty additional acrei the greater portion of which is seeded, bdI they hare on hand— independent of the oH team, which they di^ppsed of— fllteen hea^ of cattle and hortes (only One cow, as ther^ is no female about the premises) embraeinj three good teams, one waggon, two ploiiglii two drags, one reaper and mower, or»e liors rake, one roller, bii&ides a very good collec tools, and, the best of all, are entirely ou| of debt, wow, this was accomplished in oi year." And now, in the spring of 1888, we And them them with over seven hundred acre! fenced, and one hundred and sixty brokenl of which ninety acres were cultivated lasj season. Their crop last year wan four tliouj sand bushels of grain, two hundred of potaj toes, and two hundred and fifty of turnipsj besides a quantity of Hungarian grass. Tliej now have two good houses and stabling for ten horses and thirty head of cattle. Tbefl SOME UECORDS. 87 Iso ha^<5 ten horses, including four Cana- Irq ttanis, and thirty head of horned jk, a reaper, mower, rake, Ave ploughs, ro setts harrows, two seeders, three wag- m8» three hob-sleighs, and a great number smaller implements, and are still free of )bt. They have also on the road a self- Indtng reaper and an eight-horse thresher, rom one tw«nty-acre field they last season >k off fllty-flve bushels of oats to the acre. jThe season of 1878 was not by any ^neans iebest for crops that has visited thi dis- hct, yet we find the following crop report Ir. that year : r The threshing machine has finished up 11 the work in this neighborhood. The [treme drought of the past season was a reat diawback to this part of the country, jt the yield, as measured by the machine, considered satisfactory, taking every- linginto account. The Governor's crop of Its, taken off" a piece of new breaking, reraged over twenty bushels to the acre, id would have gone much higher had it jcn more carefully harvested. James |rice^s crop, on Battle River, also off new reaking, yielded upwards of twentv-five ishels to the acre. Messrs. Macfarlane, [hose land was cropped for the second time, )t fifty-seven bushels of oats to the acre. fr. Price planted six bushels of potatoes on 1, and gathered seventy bushels : and [om one sowing of the * Little Gem * pea, got three good crops in the course of the immer.'* Iln 1879 the Mounted Police broke id cultivated some n«w land with the fol- ^wlng results : [''Oats— 492 hushels of oats were grown oa relye-acresof land, sown from the middle m' 88 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. to the end of May. The seed sown was bad-l \y mixed and of Inferior varieties or ttiel yield would have been much greater. ** Barley-rlOO bushels of barley weregrownl on four and a half acres, also broken up lad spring and sown about the end of May. Thel seed was four years old and not very sound, and consequently not so good as if freshl seed had been used. Both oats and barleyl were more or less injured by gophers andl birds. ** Potatoes— 602 bushels of potatoes werel grown on about two acres They werel planted on the 13th of June* but the weather| being cold and wet at that time about one* third of the seed rotted in the ground. ** Turnips- 64 bushels of turnips werfti grown from a quarter of a pound of seedl sown broadcast on a piece of new breaking! in the flrst|Week In June. ** Prom four pounds and ten ounces of thel * Beauty of Hebron* i>otatoes, planted on| the 2nd of June, 461 pounds were raised.'* i^W .jsr. DISTANCES. m was bad'l ties or the| aier. were growni >keti up lad if May. Thel very sound, as if freshl and barley! ophers and! tatoes werei They werel the weather! about one* ;round. irnipa werei ind of seed! 5W breaking unces of thcl planted on| Braised.'* ITABLE OF DISTANCES BETWEEN lATTLEFORD AND OThER POINTS. The following tables of distances, most of rhich are from odometer measurementh lade by Mr. W. F. King, Inspector of Sur- veys, will be found very useful to travellers rho may see fit to tome overland wUh their )\vn conveyances. As may be seen from a )erusal, they cover a number of different Routes, thus affording the intending settler choice, in making which he iMust be guid- ed by surrounding circumstances. TROY TO BATTLEFORD. roy toQu*AppeJle. Troy to Fort Qu' Appelle 190 »u'Appelle to Touchwood Hills. Qu'Appelle to water on west side of a valley 14 1 Wood and water 31.5 Wood and water 38.5 Touchwood Hills 46.0 'ouchwood Hills to Humboldt. Touchwood Hills to Indian Farm — 12.0 Edgeofpldin 289 Lake on plain 27.0 Lake between two hills 504 Western edge of Alkali Plain 55. 4 PyramidHill 68 7 Humbold*j Telegraph Office 13 11 i: !' 'if] |- I'i." 1 p r 1 1 ftt,> m 90 BATTLE EI VER VALLEY. Humboldt to Carlton. Via GabriePs Crossing. Humboldt to cross! eg of telegraph line To the lake in the hills Vermilion Lake (salt) Gabriel's Crossincr, South Branch Btobart, Duck Lake Fort Carlton Humboldt to Carlton. Via Batoche's CrossiuK. Humboldt to Keespitanow Kill Ravine and lake New trail to Prince Albert turns off, and the Fort ft la Corne and Carlton trail comes in Trail to Garlepy's crossing turns off. Batoche'9 Ferry < . . Stobart) Duck Lake Fort Carlton Carlton to Battleford. Via the River Trail. Fort Carlton to where trail from Ga- briel's Crossing to Battleford Joins Camping ground at Elbow Trail to plains turns off. Sugar Bush Creek A running creek Eagle Hill Creek A small creek— plain trail to Bat- tleford turns off. Middle trail to Battleford turns off Astronomical station, Battleford Telegraph office, Battlelord 133 27.7 m\ 68.1 82.11 8.8l 31.3 41. m m 19.1 42. 48.1 49. 54. 61. no. no. Carlton to Oattleford. Via Plain or Outer Trail. Fort Carlton to where trail leaves main Battleford trail ( A trail from the Elbow of the South Branch comos in m DISTANCES. 91 Summit of Eagle Hills 76. 9 Large lake to the north of trail ... 86. S Gome into the Cypress Hills and Hattleford trail 124.8 Telegraph office, Battleford 127.8 jHumboldt to Battleford. lYla Oabriei's Grossing and the River Trail. Hum boldt to Gabriel's Ferry 56. 6 Join Carlton and Battleford Trail 88. 6 i( * Plain trail to Battleford turns off 124 7 Battleford 175 3 tumboldt to Battleford. Via Clarke*s Grossing. Humboldt to Clarke's Crossing of the South Branch 60 Slough on telegraph line 96 Eagle Hill Creek 105 Battleford 1.55.8 Recapitulation. 'roy to Battleford, via Qabrlel's Cross- ing and Carlton.. » .'139.8 Via Qabriel'8 Crossing, and thence direct to Battleford 321.6 Via Batoche's Crossing and Carl- ton 340.5 Via Humboldt and Clarke's Cro8A- ing: 302 i MOOSE JAW TO BATTLEFORD. Via the Elbow of the South Branch. Moose Jaw to Elbow of South Saskat* chewan.... 75 Eagle Hill Creek 160 Join outer Carlton and Battleford trail 172.7 Battleford 225 Note— There has been no ferry established lin the South Branch on this route as yet. I I •it- 'm ■ ■■ w..> m \i • ■ In' 92 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. although It was stated that a scow would be] be put on this season. Till this is done, then, this route would be practically useless, es* pecially to strangers in the country. SWIFT CURRENT CREEKTO BAT- TLEFORD. Swift Current to South Branch SO Tramping Lake 160 Battleford 200 NoTE.^This trail is a new one, having | only been laid out this spring by Goodwin Marchand, who went to Swift Current for| freight for A. McDonald & Co., aLd the dis- tances are only approximated. Messrs. A. I McDoL'ald <& Co. have also placed a large scow on the South Branch, and have called | it the City of Battleford. BATTLEi^ORD TO EDMONTON. North Side. Battleford to Fort Pitt. Battleford to Narrows of Battle and Saskatchewan Rivers 4.21 Trail leaves telegraph line 14 3 South side trail goes off 36 8 Big Gully Creek 57.1 Quaking Bog <" 6 Small Creek 78.8 South side Saskatchewan River. . 92 51 FortPitt »3 Fort Pitt to Victoria. Fort Pitt to Two Big Hills 1731 Lac la Biche trail turns off 47 3 1 Dog Rump Creek 64 i'. I DISTANCES. 03 Saddle Lake Creek 94 Sandy Greek— Lac la Biche trail turns off 114.4 Mill Greek or Smoking Lake Greek 1J6.5 Victoria 1J».8 Victoria to ELdmonton Victoria to a stony creek 16.8 Sucker Greek 22.0 Vermilion Creek 36.0 Sturgeon River 50.6 Fort Saskatchewan 57.6 Fort Edmonton 74. 6 Recapitulation. Battleford to Fort Pitt 93. Fort Pitt to Victoria 1298 Victoria to Edmonton 74.(5 Battleford to Edmonton 297 4 South Side. Police Barracks, Battleford, to lake In the hills, good water 8.6 A small lake 13.8 Forks of Pitt and Edmonton trails 37. 4 End of Willow Hills— cross tele- graph and enter prairie 73.8 Gross telegraph to north side 79.8 Fourth principal meridian 84. 5 Western edge of prairie— wood and water 105.5 Eastern edge of timber in bluffs.. 124.9 Creek In valley ... 136.3 Vermilion River, three and a half leet deep and thirty feet wide. .. 143.1 Creek 160.3 XIV. Base Line 160.5 Creek 161.7 Creek and marsh between two lakes 164. 7 Creek 166.9 1-: ft It ■ill t ill BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, Creek 168.8 *• 1715 Old buntlng.lorjge on shore or lake 1725 Creek 175.7 ** 181.7 *' 191.1 Lake 196.a Cross Victoria trail 198.0 Western edge of plain 201.8 Creek, four feet deep, thirty feet wide— fish in this 2O9.0 Creek 209.5 Creek— same as 209— In marsh 209.9 Creek, western edge of bush 217.0 Creek 219 8 ** 224.8 Beaver Creek, twenty feet wide and four feet deep— bridge 226 5 Creek, three and a half feet deep, fifteen feet wide- bridgce 229.9 XIV. Base Line 238.5 Creek 240..5 Creek— bridge 250.4 Fort Saskatchewan 251.2 Creek 2596 Rat Creek 206.7 Creek 268.« Fort Edmonton 270 (i 1?^ f BATTLEFORDto PRINCE ALBERT Battleford to Carlton. Battleford to Carlton llO.i^ Carlton to Prince Albert. Carlton to southern edge of Pines — 16. H Northern edge of Pines 197 Half-way house 20 7 St. Laurent trail conies in 27. 2 North Branch Beaver Creek... — 29.0 Moore's Mills 49.0 Total distance Battleford to Prince Albert 1^59.9 DISTANCES. 05 BATTLEFORO TO OTHER POINTS Battleford to Red Deer Forks 100 Maple Creek, C. P. R 257 Fort Walsh 202 Sounding Lake. 80 Fort Calgary 300 Blackfoot crossing 275 FortMacleod 360 Carlton, nortli side trail 85 Saskatoon 115 JackflsliLeke 30 Turtle Lake 05 OTHEfl USEFUL TABLES. Port Pitt to Lac la Biche. Fort Pitt to where Lac la Biche trail leaves Victoria trail 47 3 The Two Muskegs 667 East Branch of Dog Rump Creek 72.0 Pheasant Creek 82.8 Beaver River 101.9 Birch Lake 115.3 Trail from Victoria comes in 121.2 Duck Lake Creek 123. 2 Hay Creek 131.8 Little Beaver River— trail forks to left here to Roman Catholic Mission 1360 H. B. Co.'s post, Lac la Biche 140.9 Victoria to Lac la Biche. Victoria to Bandy Creek, where trail leaves Victoria and Pitt trail .... J5. 4 Stony Creek 28.3 Come into Saddle Lake trail . . . : 30.8 Goodfish Lake Settlement 43.2 Whitensh Lake Creek 47.5 ** " Mission ... 51.7 Beginning of thick bush 55.6 Beaver River and end of bush 60.4 Little Beaver River 66-1 Come to Pitt and Lac la Biche trail 67 6 H. B. Co. '8 Post, Lac la Biche 87.S 91 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, Fort Pin to Sounding Lake. Port Pitt to louth side of river 05 Old trail to Bdmonton turns off . 1.6 Big Gullj- Creeh: 17,« Cross telegraph line 33 2 BattleRlver 65 2 SoundingLake 120. o Fort a la Corne to Prince Aibert. Port a la Corne to Paonan Creek )s 5 Forks of Saskatchewan River 19 >» Moore's Mill, Prince Albert 51 5 Edmonton to Lac Ste. Anne. Fort Edmonton to toll gate at &t. Al- bert 91 Carrot River. 13.4 Forks of Lac la Nonne trail 20.8 Indian Farm 22.8 Creek and slough 35 3 Sturgeon Hirer 37.3 Lac Ste. Anne 47.6 Foirt Macieodto Fort Calgary. Fort Macleod to Willow Creek 2 5 The L#»vine:s 28.9 Mosquito Creek 51 High River - 66 Sheep Creek 76 Pine Creek 89 Fish Creek 94 Fort Calgary ... 102 Fort Calgary to Edmonton. Fort Calgary to the Lone Pine, edge of plain approximate 62 Red Deer River 93 Blind Man's River 100 5 Forks of Rocky Mountain House trail 1155 WolfCreek 120 BattleRlver 125.5 Big Stone Creek— Indian Farm. ... 155 Pipestone Creek 158 White Mud River 1875 Edmonton 194 :ulkL;l EY. e. 0.5 J Off . 16 17.M a3.2 • • t • • • 00' i 12O.0 Albert. k '^h BF 19 }♦ 515 ne. It. Al- • o- 1 13.4 20.8 22.8 3531 37.3 47.6 ;ary. • ^-0 28.0 51 6« 70 89 94 102 I , edge imate 62 93 100.6 Bouse .... 115 5 120 125.5 rm.... 155 158 187.5 194 AD VElt TI8EMENT8. 97 FURNITURE The Pioneer Furniture House OF THE BATTLE RIVER VALLEY. C, H. CLOUSTOI^, Dealer In and manufacturer of all kinds of Furniture Repairing promptly attended to. PiCTURE-FRAI^JNG A specialty. W AREROOM— One door west of postofflce. 13 BATTLE BIVER VALLEY. BLACK8MITHING ALEX. Mckenzie (SASKATCHEWAN TERRITORY), GENEEAL BLACKSMITH. All kinds of iron work done on short no- tice. Special attention givtn to HORSE-SHOEING Also Agent for the Watson Manufacturini Co., Ayr. iBY. AD VERT IBEMENT S. 99 I N G . I PROSPECTORS AND TOURISTS VISITING THE NZIE to, [TORY), SMITH. )n short no- EINC BATTLE mVER VALLEY Will find comfortable quarters and eood board at the RESTAURANT KEPT BY Otton'&Md^intosh BATTLEFORD. SPARKLING CIDER AND CHOICE CIGARS [Co., Ayr. Always on hand. h>i 100 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, RICHARD C, LAURIE, (Graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada), SURVEYOR AND CIViL ENGINEER. BATTLEFORD. Boundary lines run, Town Sites surveyed, and Timber and Coal Limits located. WILLIAM LAURIE, Conveyancer, Real Fstate Apnt, NOTARY PUBLIC, Collectioni and commissions promptly at- tended to. Correspondence solicited AD VERTISEMENT8. 101 College of To IMPORTANT erchants, Traders AND OTHERS. Praser Tims, AND Swift Current Creek, WHOLESALE A^'D RETAIL DBALEE, Has received a large portion of his Spring Stock of Fiour, ProvisionSyliardware, Canned Goods, Tinware, Ready-made Clotli- ing, Hats and Caps, Boots and Shoes, and general supplies, the whole of which he offers to the Trade and general public at reasonable prices. Have no more tedious and expensive de- lays awaiting stocks from Winnipeg, but purchase from the Pioneer Store of Swift Current Creek ■Si m 1 . , ..mi-''' lit 102 BATTLE RIVER VALLEY, ■i RICHARDSON & MAGDONALDJIHE REAL ESTATE, Comn]issioii& Insurance BATTLEFORD. AGENTS FOB THE MASSEY MANUFACTURING Gl A complete stock of AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMEl Constantly on hand. ^ ^^Correspondence solicited. i« i ii' ■ A- We are now prepared to undertake aiiy- tlihur in onr line including the nianuracture oi' all styles of SA.S'H.. DOCKS, ETC., TIT* ESTIMATES FTOIISEED. Oj t th c ); ' ILANS AND SPECIFICATIONS Promptly prepared. It < f^ln^ pii^chased pate ortbe celebrated M»?;|kti ^lliity^f poorer 4ft4 Sfi ihe iiteit^ m^ iiffOFemetil^fi We are opw i|iaiiafacttt)rlng h): ^S IWEI^HJI^ 1 MATiiiDI And aellTtfted in <|iMinttUeM^ai>|liiy p<»iiit oa %hejrlTel' belairth$iiiU|«v V: i^^^^^^^ ^^i^i^K': •:;■-;■ ' ■ :■ .i^£i<'^:tr. -- • ;- :; . AUaebed, Wliieli will also include the latest. ' ln&provemeiit9f When i^at^iifaetlon will be ^^; guaranteed. , ^ r^^^%A' . '^ v^^J^-^^ 'o-U --' "' *' ■■ TheabbVemillfi \r6 8ttttat^att|i#iunctlon j of Uie Sankiatcliewan and Turtle Rivers.^'a elf h teen mUe^ abov^e Battieford, and are ;> 0u^unde4 by ^Ite best farming eountry in >V^ ft Co. * I WHOLESALE and RETAIL A, McDonald ^ Cc Corner Main Street and Saskatchewan Ave., BATTLCFORD, ^ ST1 era! M '^ "=*■ i \ 8 "^^ ^ f Jniportors and dealers in DRY GOODS, GROCERIES, I i Clothing?, Boots and Shoes, Hardware, j Crockery, etc j - — i VilB LARGEST, BEST ASSOETfil ■ And newest stock m the Territories. TOWN LOTS FORSAIiE, ETAIL lewao Ave., \[ in SERIES, ill Hardware, j ■ I ories. ■7 aTS \W.,: