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Un des symboles suivants appara?tra sur la derniire image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les canes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est film* A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 6 6 \ ) u ALBERTA Oj^IsTj^IDA Illl (ikl'M Ra\( him.. AcKK ll.Tl'UAL AND MlNKKAl, C(Jl X ! M nil. Ha>k (M- iiik Rocky Mointains. C: f-i^-^r. Millions of Fertile Acres \\\ All INC SI'/niKMKN'r GUIDE TO SETTLERS. CTA.nsrTJ^K.Y, 1888. nMI'II.KI* in (;. Il'r/(JKI{AL1), OF CAlAiAKY, AND IMHIJ.SIIKI) 1^ 11. AI THoiaTY OF THK MINISTER OF AlJKlcl'LTrKK OF TIIK DOMINION OK CANADA. Ol r.\\\ A : Till (JlllZIN l'KINTIN(; t^ I'UHl.lSIIINd ('l).MPANY, 4.S I'V 50 (JUKK.N Slkll C 1«SH. ■!« v *V'. w '■" 1. . .1; is.e -"' roM 1 ALBERTA, OAItT^XDA TiiK Grkat Ranchin'c;, Ackicultukal and Mineral Country AT THE Hash oi- the Ro< kv Mountains. Millions of Fertile Acres AW A riiN( ; SET r i ,em en'I' GUIDE TO SETTLERS, J"^nsrTJ^i?."Y", 1888. lOMrii.Ei ]\\' G. FrrzGi;i!A[,i), (»f calgauv, and puplished by the AUTIIOIMTY OF THE MINISTER OF AGUKUI^TURE OF TIIK DOMINION OF CANADA OITAWA Thk Citizi n Frinti.vc; & Plhi.ishinc; Company, 48 & 50 Quzen Sirrrt. 1888. Introdu( Alberta A Run t Commer Mixevl ] Sheep F Horse B Cattle B Who sh^ Schools Labor a: Form of Adminii Mineral C'limite Game . . Rivers, Lumber Wild F Wild Fl Birds 111 Quadru] Fish... Distauc Post Oil Oustoui! Est i mat Market Tabic si Letters CONTENTS. Introduction Alberta A Run through the Country. Commerce Mixevl Farming Sheep Farming' Horse Breeding in Alberta. . (.'attle Raising in Alberta . . . Who should go to Alberta . , Schools Labor and Wages Form of Government Administration of Justice. . . Minerals Cliinite Game Rivers, Creel() Rev. George Jacfiues, Concrete (."astle, sontli of Calgary 51 Robert Hamilton, Shrop Crock 5;{ Mrs. E. M. Hudson, rinc Creek r.4 M K>i. Fruer, Calgary fn'i Mrs. H. B. Cossar, Bow River, Calgary .')5 ( :. Kettles, Pincher Creek 56 ]). J. Grier, Macleod 56 John Rathwell, Macleoil 57 K. H. Maunsell, Macleod 67 Joseph McFarlane, Macleod 57 Mrs. MarcelluB McFarlane, Macleod 57 John R. Craig, Now Oxley 58 Wesley F. Orr, Calgary 58 Alberta and lier future, i)y I. I. E 61 J. Z. C. Mequelon, Immigration Agent rt2 S. W. Shaw, Mianapore, I-'ish Creek (i3 Joseph Man, < 'algary fi7 What the Doniinicn Land Surveyors say al)out Allieiui .... (;8 Extracts from C. P. R. Pamphlet 72 Extracts from writings and sayings of notabi" |terso'iages ^Yho have visited Alberta 74 Extract from a letter on Smelting Wciks . jr Alberta 7i> Free Gruits to Settlers 80 A Gigantic Etiterpris*- j;; ] I'AOK . 47 . 48 49 , f.O 51 5:5 r.4 iisra?E,ODTJCTionsr. 5« 56 67 67 57 57 58 58 <51 H-2 63 67 68 7-2 7t 7i> 80 81 " I dreamed a dream that grew to a hope, 'J'liat as the thistle down might bear A living germ in its small balloon, Some ot' my fancies « * • !Might full perchance on fruitful soil, And root and ripen in their time." « * • « In the fall of 1884 an agricultural society was organized at Calgary, and one of the first etejm taken was to instruct the lionoriiry secretary (the compiler of this pamphlet) to compile - GUIDE TO SETTLERS. 8 I over. An onltT in ccuiicil gave the iiuuie of Albi-rta to this portion of the territories. The Domiuiou Land Siuviy ]iiirties weie busy throughout the couutiy blocking olf the Townships, Jiangcs and Aloiidian lines. The fall of this year saw the completion of trial lines of the Canadian rncific L'aihvay Company throngh the Bow Kiver Valley to the gup of the Mountain Pass at raduioie. The spring of 1883 saw a new era ushered in, the vanguard of the construction forces made ])lain and vale re-echo to the hum of industry, and the uiighly work went on. Up to this date Alberta had no direct communication with Manitoba or Eastern Canada. The postal service was through the United States, whose postage stamps we useil. American money (exc( ptiug the Canadian one dollar bills — the Indian treaty money), was in circulation. "I'lairie suhooners" — three large waggons hitched together and drawn by string teams of twenty and twenty-four oxen brought over from lieutou — the head of navigation of the Missouri, all that was consumed and worn by those who inhabited the country at that time ; but the day of the " Prairie schounir " has also passed. In the full of the yiar 1883 the Canadian I'aeific L'aihvay cleft the heart of the district and rushing throngh the sunlit land pierced the mountain hairier which barn d its way to the racitic. Thche are the successive steps in the history of civilizut-on in Alberta. Since the advent of the railway what stariling changes have taken jilace ; on every hand are the monuments of man's industry obseivable ; by rapid strides has the land been converted froni a fertile waste to a fertile granuiy. TIh' country at the base of tlie Rockies, formerly tiie haunt of tiie bullalo and t)>e home of the w.nulering savage, has lately become tha seat of the wealth, the industry and the learning of the teiiilories and represents in its future and in its prospects the fuluie and the piospects of the great Canadian North- West. A RUN THROUGH THE COUNTRY. " To seize the secrets of the west And wrench the boiled dooi-s of worlds unknown." Alberta is divided into two j'ldicial districts, the Northern and Southern. The Northern District extends from the northern boumlary of Alberta to Mosquito Creek, about 50 miles south of the town of Calgary, and the Southern District includes the remaining portion of Alberta fiom Mosquito Creek to the Irflernational boundary line. A judge of the Supreme Court presides over each district. Over the Northern Mr. Justice Rouleau (who resides at Calgary), and who also has jurisdiction over the provisional district of Athabasca. Mr. Justice Macleod (formerly colonel of the North-AVest Mounted Police) is judge of the Southern Distiict, and resides at Macleod. Alberta was, however, previtusly divided into three districts : the Edmonton, Calgary and Macleod, and as such they are still better known. The Edmonton District covered all that part from the northern boundary of Alberta to a E)int on the lied Deer Hiver, about 100 raiies north of the town of Cajgary. The Calgary istrict extended from the southern boundary line of the Northern District on the uoith to Mosquito Creek on the south ; and the Macleod was the same as the present Southern Jndidul District. Edmonton District. In the northern portion of this district the population is sprirse, the settlements being small and at a great distance from each other. At Lac-la-Biche, in the extreme north, is a settlement of some few hundred half-breeds, whose chief occupations arc hunting and fishing. Here also is a Komaii Catholic Mission, and the Hudson IJay Company's store. This part of the country is one of the best fur producing portions of the North-West, and the lakes and streams abound with fish. At the Roman Catholic Missioi farming has been carried on for w number of years. Vegetables, including melons and cucuud)ers, and roots of all kinds have been growu with success, as also wheat, barley, oats and tobacco. The native grasses grow very luxuriantly, and the snriounding country is heavily timbered and is capable of supporting a large population when its resources are developed. West of Lac-la-Biche, some 100 miles from Edmonton, and connected to that place ly s good waggon road, is Athabasca Lauding, on the Athabasca River, where the Hudson Bay ALHEIITA, CANADA. Cniii]iniiv liavfi a ston' .uitl naw mill. Tliis is the coiiiifctiiig point with the immense country iioiil,. A few l)aii.'t'.-« I'ly iicrtli-caHt to connect at Fort McMunay with the steamers running lioni the latter I'laci- to the great lake districts of the far north. The Hudson Bay Coniiiany intend ninning .stdimers iroin the Landing . urth-west to the Lesser Slave Lake during the *ea.son of isHs. Tlit; settlement at the Landing consists of some 20 or 30 Hudson Bay C'oiniiany's • ni]il('yees, and \\lio shall say hut tliat this little hand is the forerunner of a nvenltliy coninjiinity, and these men the jiioneers of industries uow unthonght of, or that vAiliiiliiisca Landing' in the near future will not be the terminus of a railway system which, iu •oonjunclioii with the .-steamers of these northern waters, vill convey the products of the iniiiiense ]ietrnst rated tiie eminent ada]itabilily of the country for mixed farming, and the latter have made Coi theiiiselves tiie reputation of being the most advaiictd aiitiict bearing its name, is the town of Kdmontoii, one of thi' ohbst settlements in the Ndrth-Wcht. The location is delight fill, overlooking the rivei and valley and Idulfs covered with iiutiv(! trees bonutifying the surroundings. Tlie comlii 1 M«eiierv of water, wood and «liir, tiiakes it a worthy site for the future city which it bills fair fc bee'onie. At tlic }iresent date the town (not incorporated) lias a jiopulation of about 6(Mi, sniipdrted chitfiy by tho jigrivuhiiiv of the country in its iinwdiate viciiiityand the fur nnd Hudson Hay cl)in]iany"8 trade «if the iinrlh together with gohi mining, which has been carried on succcssi'u'Uy f.r yeius oil (lie bars of the Saskatchewan during low water. It possesses line stores carrying large stocks (il'g.HHls, Inusa grist-mill and saw mill ; boasts of one of the best and ohh'st newspapers in tlie NdUliWest, which in its early days was one of the smallest papers circulated, being little larger than a sheet of note jiiiper ; now, however, it is much enlargi'd ; it hns churches for the various .lenoininatioiis ; a public nml i\ private school ; a tele^rmj,!, Ij,,,. wbi,!, extends ?!. miles furllM-r (o the iiamlei of V'icioiia, a Hmlson Bay Coiiiiiaiiy jiost. The town is built stiaggiiigly ahng tix'iivtr banks which are here very high, and ex'tends some two miles and a half in h'ligih. 'J'here are some fine residences ncsiling among the woody dells, and visitors and lesid cuts ail' alike loiul in praise of the charms of climate and sci'iierv. Coal is found in the . , I • '*■ «••••■ i-iv . ■■< I Ti \ «rii,| in iwi||ii, oiiioni, liects, cabbages, caulilloA'crs, unions, etc.,) as also tobacco and hop plants to the Calgary Fall Exhildtion. The collection was most cjuviucing as to the piodiictiveiiess of the district and would have wou attention and praise in any agricultural sle.w in Canada ov elsewhere. A country with such advantages should not remain long unsettled. South of Edmonton. The country for a number of miles is hilly and bushy, with heavy timber in tlie valley<» and gulches. At ilcais' llill, some r>0 miles south, there is an Indian reserve, where tho Indians show considerable advancement, having eomlorlable log houses in many instances, ami cultivating more or Iss land. Tho country in this vicinity is widl timbered and the soil productive. East of the trail which leails from Calgary to i'^lmnnton (and which folluws the line of tlift £)th central meridian for most of the' way) on the banks of the Dattle Itiver is the Battle River Settlement. The valley exti'uds along tin- river for some (>0 miles and in tlie richness of it« soil, prolilic growth of its grasses, and indeeil in many other respects, may be deservedly elisseil umoiig tiie garden spots uf Cuiiada. The jiopulntion of the Hettlement is made Up almost entirely of lialf-Hreeds, who make n living by freighting, hunting and farming. A few yeari biiue many of the familivs now here were residents in and around Calgary and other southern jdaci 8 of settlement, but the incoming settlers bought the iniproveinenls and land claims of the Half Iheeds and tliey moved north to the still distant but verdant valley of Hattle iliver, to join their own people, wliero they can again trip the light fantastio toe to tlio dlseoidaiit notes of a rasping violin ; a happy, careless race, light indeed arc their spirits when congregated fo« 6 ALIU:ilTA, PANADA til.- fi.'.|ii.-iitlv iv.nurinc,' Lull, wIi.m. tli.' littl.^ ci.l.ins are ]wkcd to excoss, men and women, yoiiii" Mu\ "oM, stiimp th.- Ilcor to tlu" tuii.'s of «' U.nl UiviT Ji«" and "lu'el of I'ant^' < M't th.-ir in.-niory fjliili's " l^ack to the j.ast tliougli the tlionglit brings woe," and stories of tin- Imiipy liuntmg da'vs wli.'ii tlic IniHalo rnanu'd over the jilains in thousands and railways nnil the otlicr (to tlu'ir niinds) disadvantages of civilization were unknown in this hunter's l.aradise, whilt! awav the winter nights. Truly the wonderful and lapid advaneenient of eiviii/ation has l»cn a source of much disai.iiointnient and little gain to those indolent, cliangi'ful, roving chiidrfii of the plains. Yet let us not think ourselves superior ; even here we can learn many h'ssoiis of haidinesH and perseverance, and the scrupulous neatness of their log cabins, and the courtly hospitality which they extend to the stranger are striking contrasts to the habits and actions of many who are wont to claim a higher social standing. Many of the fiimilies are in very comfortable circumstances, owning horses and cattle and growing crops of various kinds. West of the trail, near the river crossing, is HoUbroke post ofTicc, and south of these the Stoney Indian Reserve, l-ollowing the stream'to its source in the lakes we iind a thickly timbered countiy extending far beyond the source of Battle Itiver through to the Brazeau range.^ The wealth of Inmb' r, of minerals base and precious, of hay and agiicultural lands comprised iu this little known district, time alone will unfold, j'urlher south on the trail are the settlementsof Wolf Creek and Ulind Man's Kir r, where a numlier of Half- Breed tainilies have recently rstablisiied tlieinsclves. The connfry is part forest, part prairie, the soil good and with cultivation should ])rovo well adapted for farming. Some 13 miles south of Blind Man's Ivivcr lirings us to the north bank of tiie Red Deer River, the southern limit of the Edmonton District, a district wliose numerous resources insure for it a promising I'lituic and a largo aud wealthy )iopul:ition. Crossing the lied Deer River on the ferry we reach the northern portion of the Calgary District. At the cro'ising quite a villiige lias sprung up within the 'ast few years comprised of sererftl stores, a post ollice and a Mounted I'olice post. Tlie jiroposed railway to the nortli, i^ is supposed, will cross the Red Deer at this point. I'he surrounding country is most charming and has attractions especially its own to entice the new comer, who will find in the (••ettlers of this iieigliborhood people as intidligent, relined, iiidustrioim and ])rogressive as any in Canada. The 1!(\ . (ico. G.ietz, who is one of the oldest settlers in this district, is, and has been, an example of industry and progress, ami is de.servedly placed at the head of the intelligent Alberta farmers; liis success and enterprise have done much for ft'.;riculture in Alberta. Ench year his visit to the exliit)ition is looked forward to by Calgarians ; he comes laden with tlie fruits of his farm, such grains, roots and vegetables as W(,uld gladden the heart of any agnculturist ; ami the otJicers of the agricultural society are always glad to see him and to huve him win the prizes he 80 richly merits; and in his eloquent and learned discour.scs has he infused sjjirit and oncouragemeiit to the less judgiessivo by telling of his struggles and their gratifying results. All honor to such men ; may their names be written in golden letters in the annals of Alberta; there is loom and need for many such men in this fair bind. An endless supply of grivsses, timber, coal and jturo water are some of the advantages of the lied Deer Distri(!t. It is emineiitlv suited for mixed farming, ami as a butter and cheese producing district should win for itself an en able name. A more vivid description of the country could scarcely lie given than the following from the pen of the Rev. Geo. Gaetz, iu a letter U) the < '.d;4iiry District Agricultural {society :— '• The country may be described in general terms as rolling ])rairie, dotted over with blulTs of spruce and jioplar, intersi»ersed with lakes and meadows, and intersected with numerous small creeks, giving the wliolo a particularly park like ap[)eaianee, which, in point of natural scenery, is iM'yond tiie jiosHibility of exaggeration. I have seen the most be.iutifill «])otH of live of the eastern iirovinces, and of several of the states across our southern bonier, but 1 have never seen any section of country which in its natural state couhl compare with this. Indeed it is almost im|H>ssible for a stranger looking otf home commanding bulte, to realize tliat the delightful prospect all around him is "in condition primeval." It would not MQiu dillicult to ^HMaiiado some Rip Van Winkle awakening suddenly among such surroundin^i 4i V ■t that the buildings and fences had been mysteriously removed and that those beautiful bluffs in the distant landscape were the orchards and ornamental trees among which stately residences had once rested, and that those smooth symmetrical slopes were the fruitful fields of a departed race of agricultural princes." There is a large tract of land in this fair region open for settlement. A free farm in a fertile land must assuredly, to the industrious and persevering, mean prosi)erity. Thousands of fruitful acres lie wasting and are waitng the cultivator's hand. Eastward the couulry becomes more level and open, while west of the trail are rolling hills and more timber. Some miles south and west of the trail is Little Red Deer, • tributary of the fi rmer river. Here a few settlers are found who have made their homes amid the picturesque valleys, beside jmrling streams, with which the country abounds ; here also much good laud is open for settlement. West of this point wc enter a tract of land extending northward to the Clear Water and Eocky Mountain House District, which Mr. Angus Fraser, one of Alberta's most honored citizens, describes in a letter in another part of this pamphlet ; when asked wliat drawbacks the Kocky Mountain House District possessed, this gentleman answered tliat the greatest drawback he knew of was the annoyance from flies in the summer season. But tliat dilliculty could be easily overcome by erecting sheds for cattle, as flies will not trouble them out of tlie sunlight. The report of the prosjiecting party, which left Calgary in the fall of the past year, corroborates the account of gold being found in this vicinity — as stated in Mr. Eraser's letter. At I'rairie Creek they found numerous coloi-s, and at one point wliere they sunk fourteen feet they found j)rosi)ect of good pay if they liad had the necessary a])pliances to keej) the water out, lacking which they had to return to Calgary, reporting that tliey had every faith that "pay pe>l peaks towering to the blue vault of heaven, their lleecy whiteness dazzling in the sun light. Wonder not that you are- eutraiiced with the scene. " Ve hills I love yo ! Oh ! ye niountnin tops ! Lifting serenely your transcen lent brows To cuteii tiie earliest glimpses of the dawn. And hold the liite.>.t radiance of the West, To gild you with its gloiy, while llie world Hastens to slumber ii; the glooms below ; It is a [lain to know ye, and to feel 'J'hat iiotliing can exiiress the deep delight "With wiiieli your beauty and niiigiiilieence rill too'eillowing tiie ec.-itatic mind." Nature indeed has showered witli jirodigal liand her gifts on this lovely spot. The liistory of the town is a sliort one, yet marked with stride-, of progress si Idom equalled, eveu in this age of electric advancement. In tiu! fall of 1874 a smnll company of the North-West Mounted Police were stationed here ami locati-d on the elevated plateau near tlie conlhience of tlu- rivers, the site of tlio iircsent comfortable barracks. There were no barracks in tiiose days, the hardy pioneers dug holes iu the .side of tlie bank and Imrrowed iu tiiem tiie iirst winter ; "dug-outs" thev were called. The lollowing ^jiring I'oloncd .Nbulrod (now Jmlge of tlie Supreme Court) named tiie post Fort Calgary (Swift Current', naming it alter a lieautiful spot iu .Scotland wlieie he had sliortly before been visiting. In tiie years tliat followed tiie advent of the ilounted Police, tiie place asaumed tlio aiipearaiico of a western trading post. I. CL Baker & Co. and tlie lliidhf.u Bay Company establisiied posts here and various litth? log siiaeks were erected. In '8'J tiie new North- West Aluimteil Police lianacks v.eie comiiieiiced aiiu tiie arrival of Domiiii'-'U and Canadian Paiulic Kailway surveyors added some bustle to tlie place. The spring of ISS3 saw a uew order of tilings inaugurated. Knlerprisiiig Ijusiness men, settlers, piofi'ssiuiial men ami hotel keepers juislieil on in advance of tlie railway to secure a locatitui or a claim. Tlie almighty dollar had its devoted followers, ganiiiiers and ail the other enterprising spiiits who make up the po[iulalion of a I'roiiticr town congiegated iieie, and a canvas town sprung up as if by magio on tilt! east side of the Elbow. For a time tiio Saliliath was [iiaitically ignoreil and tlie avocations of tradeis and s|iorliiig cliara<'ters were pursued week days and Sunday alike. Horse racing was the cliief amusement. On the approacli of winter more iiermanent buildings were erected and order iiid due ies;ecti'or the Sabliath weic enhireeil. (»n tin. 14th of January, 1884, the Canadian Pacilic liailway town site was placed on tlie market and lf5r,'JU0 worth of projieity was sold in a few hours. An exodus Inuii tlic then town site took jilacis. Houses, shuck'*, tents all weie moved a mile \\ est and tlie present town sprang into existence, buatlo and activity was tlie order of liio day, and jtrogress has been the watchword since. To-day Calgary has a po[iiilation of aliont :i,0()il inhaiiitaiits ami enjoys the pleasure and advantages of an ohl settled town as well as a laige circle of agiecublc and retined society. Ibisiness men of Bound judgment seeing the advantages of the place as a nieri'antile and distriiiutiiig centre have settled iiero. Large and complete stocks in every line, wholesale and retail, are held. Competition is keen in every branch and goods can be piireliased at reasonable prices. Stone and brick blocks, large and handsome, have been erected, substantial cliurchcs, piililio school liouse (brick) costing if^jOmi, a town hall, theatre, skating rink, three banking liduses and uiany comfortable and costly lesideiices, all go to make up a live western town, which, it is cstiimited, does an annual trade amounting to at least ONK a.nd a IIALK .Mit.i.ioS Doi.l.Alis, The value of buildings erected in Calgary during I88t) was estimated at over iiit'J00,Oiio and ill 1837 the building operations amounted to ;J;lii(t,'ni(i, ,£'ii(i,(Hio sterling, inrhitling residences and business blocks costing over ;iJlu,()UO each, which speaks well for tiie enterprise and eunrideuoe in the future of the town evinced by the citizens. Among the hibor einiiloying induslnes ol il GUIDE TO SETTLERS. 9 ft T the present date is a sash and door factory, two saw niillc, that of Major Jamos Walker and tlie Eau Claire Lumber Company, each emiJoyinfj a large nuiiilier of men ; the latter coinpiny have just completed a mill and boom costing over $100,000. They have now one and a half million feet of logs ready for cutting, besides having three million feet ready to drive down the Bow iu the epring. The mill has a cutting capacity of about thirty thousand feet per day and is the most complete concern of its kind in the North- West. Charters are being sought for the privilege of supplyiug the town with water and gas, and for booming of the Bow for water power purposes ; a smelter, a tannery, woollen mills and several other like concerns are spoken of and probably the close of the year will see many of them iu operation. All that is recpured is capital, nature has supplied the resources. Real estate has moved briskly in Calgary for the past year and town lots 50 by 130 feet range in value from $50 to $2,500 per feet. Little more than a decade has passed since the butfalo grazed iu the valley which is now the site of a prosperous active town, scarcely has the sod formed over this hollow when it is again upturned to admit of the erection of pol(>s for the electric liglit and telephone wires. The two daily and weekly papers which are i)ublished here contain all the latest ti'.'irniphic news, daily trains run east aud west. Men do business through the telephone, anressioU3 of surprise and plcasnn' from visitors. The soiiiety, since its organization iu 1884, has done mr.eh missionary work. Its lirst action was to make a collection of root and vegetable, crops, minerals and wood, for wliii^h u si)aco was obtained in the Canadian Taeitic Uailway cxhiliit ear, which wiie exhihiti'd through Canada aud afterwards forwarded to England. A pamphlet was compi'ed by the secretary (the compiler of this pamiihlel^, a large edition of which was puhhslied bv the Dominion (iovernnient. Since that date the society has been active iu promoting the iutercst.* of ugricultij»e in this district. West of Calgary The Canadian Pacific Railway winds through the Bow River Valley amid rich bottom lands and grassy hills. Twenty miles west Cochrane is reached, where the British Amerieaa Ranche ('om|iany have their extensive sheep ami horse ranches. Here too are the Vaughau coal mines and the Cochrane timber yard. Six miles nnrth of the railway there is a rich extensive (Mnuitry open for settlement. Sonm 'J.'j miles further west is Morleyville, the oh'est gelllement in this portion ot Alberta, and the home of the Mei)tiugal family, whosi^ names aio written in evi^ry chapter of North-West hi-'tory. Here we lind ourselves surrounded by the foo' hills of the mountains, yet even in this vicinity grain crops have been grown, and root* au-^ vegetables are usually a Mlccesa. The Morleyviile l>istrict as u liorse range has few if any 10 ALBERTA, CANADA, t-quala. The Stoncy Indian reserve is here and an Indian orphanage, and it reflects much credit on tlie missionary family above named for the advancement in civilization and industry of the Inilians, they being all but self-supporting. There are a number of settlers scattered through the fertile valleys in this locality ; owners of horses and cattle all in comfortable oircumstauces. The scenery is charming and varied, mountain, dale, forest and stream. North, south and west we find splendid forests of Douglas fir, cypress and white spruce. The liills re-echo with the fioiind of the woodman's axe, and tlie forests are paying tribute to the onward march of civilization. Millions of feet of lops are floated down the Kananaskis and other tributaries of tlie How, to bo converted into lumber to supply the ever increasing demand of the prairie <'ouiitry to the east. At the gap leading to the mountain pass, 62 miles west of Calgary, is <'anmore, a railroad divisional point, the inhabitants mostly Canadian Pacific Itailway employees. The site is a romantic one, nestling beneath the lofty mountains, on through a winding valley rich in ever varying sceneiy, beside purling nils and mountain torrent, glimpses of such sublime beauty are cauglit that would make the most prosaic relax and offer liomage to nature's wondrous grandeur. Some 13 miles west of Canmore and immediately north and adjoining the railroad, is the site of tlie anthracite coal mines and the mining village of Anthracite, having a poinilation at the present date of about 500 inhabitants, all connected with the mining industry. The mines were discovered in 1883, but it was not until quite recently that extensive development took place. A wcaltliy American syndicate is now interested and already over i?l 00,000 have been expended in developing the mine and introilncing improved machinery. Alberta is now shipping hard coal to tl>e Pacific Coast which is giving the highest satisfaction, and the proiwrtions to which the export will increase cannot l)e estimated. A short time since Albertians were buying Pennsylvania coal, paying $16.50 per ton ; to-day anthracite coal equally as good is sold for $8.00 per ton, and as other liard coal seams are 0))ened the price no doubt will come down several dollars. Tlie village hius grown almost entindy within tlie past six montiis, and is auother instance of the gigantic strides of piogress which Albeita is making. Eighty miles west of Calgary is Buiff, "The Canadian National Park," or as it is now called, tlio lloeky Mountain Park. Truly Alberta has attractions and alhireinents for all, not only for the stock raiser, the farmer and the jirospector and capitalist, but also for the tourist, the pleasure and health seeker, the mineralogist and the scientist. A number of hot mineral springs were discovered near the line of railway in 1883, and in 1885 the Dominion Govern- ment set aside a large extent of country for park purposes and are daily making extensive improvements, laying out ro;uls and paths to all points of interest, constructing bridges over the How and Spray Kivers, building batli houses at the diiferent springs, and in a thousand and one ways adtling to the natural attractions of the place. In the fall of 1886 a few low shacks and several tents were the only habitations. To-day Banff has a village at the station and two villages near the springs; boasts of one of tlie large-tt hotels in Canada with all the modern improvements ; a sanitarium under nudieal direction, allordiug the health seeker every care and comfort ; a net work of roads and bridle tracks eael leading to some charming spot; briilges over mountain streams and jdaeid lngoons ; subbiranean passages leading to fascinating caverns all speaking praiise to enter[irise and cultivated taste. It is not necessary to describe the springs, men from all lauds have visited them during the past year and their virtues are e !,olled in many languages. The invalid who has come seeking health has gone away praising and testifying to the healthful and curative etfeets of the waters, and tho.se who liavo como to gaze on bi-auly have fi-asted and are .satisfied. The daily flow of water from the flprings is estimated to be over 1,0)0,000 gallons, the temperature of which ranges from 87 to 115 degrees Fah., thus alfording the bather the luxury of a warm bath at all seasons. The waters are strongly charged with sulphur and other minerals. In its unrivalled position and hvgenic surroundings it liasahvaly been honored with a high place among the health ro.sort8 of tlio world. Surrounditd as this locality is by scenery of uue(pialled grandeur, by the lovely valleys of the Spray and Mow, tlie Cascade and the Spray Falls, the dilie.reut simcies of flora, which aimear and disappear ivs higlier and still higher the botanist clambers up the mouutoia •ide, bubbling springs and meand.'ring rills, virgin parks and forests, •'And mountains, multitudinous antl huge, ^" j''S><'''' o'ltline, piled nnd overpiled. One o'er the other. Calmly the gray heads T GUIDE TO SETTLERS. 11 Of these earth fathers pointed up to heaven ; Titanic sentiment?, who all the uight Look at their kindred sentiuents, the stano, To hear the march and tramp of distant worlds, And measure by millenniums, not by years, The awful growth and jirogress of the time 1 " Among the attractions of the Park is the Devil's Lake, a beautiful sheet of water, nestling in the mouutaiu heights, its shores fiinged by forests of pine and its waters stocked with fish. Westward we find Silvcrion at the base of Castle Mountain, the scene of much speculation and mining activity a short time since. Here in 1883 a rich silver deposit was discovered but for lack of capital the mines are unworked. Here, too, is au enormous bed of copper, said to contain 60 per cent, pure metal. "West and north of Silverton at the base of Storm Mountain is a 40 foot seam of hematite of iron which is reported to contain 67 per cent, of iron ore. That these finds will be deve- loped shortly is almost a certainty. Such prodigious piles of wealth offer field for enterprise and capital which will soon be taken advantage of. To-Ciy British capital is begging for investment at 1 per cent, while mineral deposits are undeveloped here, which will prove mines of wealth to some lucky few, and give profitable employment to many hundreds. Some 28 miles further the summit is reached, the British Columbia boundary, and here sleeping in the hollows of these mountain heights are the Emerald Lakes, spots a>f wondrous beauty. Laggau is sit'iated here. During the construction of the road it was a lively mountain town, but the place is deserted now. Ketracing our steps to Calgary and proceeding Eastward "We find ourselves in the valley of the Bow for a distance of less than two miles, then over the Bow once more and on to the plateau, the rolling prairie of our great North- West. Here and there settlers homes dot the plains for some little i" .stance, then only the Canadian Pacific Railway way-side stations for a time. To the north an uninhabited country promising, by its recent finds of semi-i.uthracite coal and iron ore, to be the home of a mining and manufacturing population. South of the line, along the banks of the Bow, we find sheep and cattle ranches, including the Brecon Siieep Uaiiuhe and the Military Colonization Kauche, the latter having Inrge herds of cattle and bands of horses. Gleichen, 5u miles cast of iJalgary, is a Canadian Pacific Railway divisional point, the site of a growing village and one of the Ciuiiidiiin Pacific Railway ex])erimental farms. A number of residences and stores, an English chiireh, togetlier with the Canadian Pacific Railway buildings make up tliis town. South of it is the Bhickfoot Indian reserve, which is described by the Rev. Mr. Sims, in a letter in this pamphlet, as is also tlie country north of Gkichen in another letter. On over a country, well adapted for sheep and horse rnising, for 116 miles further and then we find ourselves on the eastern extremity of Alberta ; having passed through a country highly capable of supjiorting large flocks of shecj) and bands of cattle and horses. It needs no great stretch of innigination to picture this country a few years hence, with its huntlreds of comfortable homes, its churches, schools and other institutions of civilization ; five years have done this for the country we are now about to pass through, viz : The Country South of Calj^ary. What a change a few years have brought here. The writer travelled from Calgary to Maoleod in the early spring of 1883, and in the whole distance, 160 miles, there were not half a dozen shacks to be found. Travelling then was not what it is to-day ; then you wer« thaukful to get a sleeping space on an earth fioor, and a meal of bacon and beans ; then, too, you had to rub down and feed your own horses, and felt thankful to secure the rudest kind of shelter for them. To-day, passing through the same country, we find for the first 35 miles a country tJbickly settled ; pleanunt homes, well fenced farms, schools, churches are the sights that me«t 12 ALREKTA, CANADA. us on cvt'iy liaiid. When we stop for our noon day meal or put up for the niglit at the clipery bith' inn, what a contrast awaits us. Now our horses are taken from us, led to acouifoitable htahle and well gloomed ; we find ourstdves usheretl into a comfortable sitting room and mine host prolfurs us an easy chair ; tiie dinner bell rings and we are shown to a well furnished tiiniiig room, tiie table weighed down with good things, our napkins are snowy wliite, and the fair daughters of the house minister to our wants. \Ve pass our evening iu pieasant chat or in reading the latest news of tlie great world and its busy struggling population, and tlieu retire to a comfortable room up stairs and seek repose for our weary limbs on that inodern luxury — a spring bed. And we wonder can this be real ; are all tliese comforts of eivilizatioa in a land whiidi a few short years ago was uninhabited? For it seems but yesterday tliat we Kl>read our butfalo rol)es beneath tlie waggon and camped there for want of better shelter. Kiglit miles south of Calgary, in a picturesiiue valley ou the banks of Fish Creek, is the Glenn farm, the nursery of agriculture in Alberta. Here for a number of years the industrious jiioneer grew siilemlid crops of all kinds, imd many samples of his grains and vegetables found their way to Eastern Can;ida and Great JJrilain. /// 1884 J/r Glenn had a crop of oat's which he boaxtni colli I not be benten in the ivorl i, and those who saw the fidd, some 40 acres, were of like ofiinion. :>■ vrral stools were counted with 12 stalks from a single sotd, each stalk bearing about 300 GOOD siZKD AND WKLL FOKMKU GiiAiNs. Tile following year, 18S5, his crops were i-ipially good. Mr. Glenn died in the f-pring of 188'), and Alberta lost a brave old pioneer. Honest John Glenn — all honor to his mcmoiy ; he was ever ready to speak words of cheer and counsel to the new comer; never so busy but that he could iind time to give them a helping hand, and to his good advice anil assistance mmy a settler owes much of his prospeiity. .Miy his name long he written iu the annals of Alberta, and his memory kept green in the hearts of the people. Close to the (!lenn farm is a pretty Kiiglish Church, a school house and the ^Hdmiporo Post Gllice. Seven miles further south we cross Pine Creek, a district as thicikly settled as liny in ilanitoba or the North- West. Here we hiid a LInion Church, a school house, two comfortable stopjiing jilaces, a post olliee and a blacksmith's shop. Here last season, which was one of the most backward yet experienced, several s])lendid crops were grown, one farmer growing olf 15^ acres 8UU buslnds of oats, weighing 40 lbs. per bushel, and another growing SObushel of oats to the acre, weighing 44 lbs. to th'^ bushel, and other crops yielding good returns ; while there were others who had but half a crop. Here as in many other places we find the farmers (h-jiending too mu(;h on cropping, nor is it altogether their fault, the majurity started with little or no capital, and have not nu'ans to purchase stock ; again, many are single men and cannot engage iu dairy farming without em[)loying hired help, and few, very lew, have practical experience in dairy t'lrming. Changes will soon come, farmers from E:iseru Canada and be Old Country, coming:' to Allicrln, with familifs, seeing the advantages of livin,' iu thickly settled districts, near (^liurclies and schools, will purchase those imiiroved farms from the present owners and the young men imshing north will, with the capital acipiircl by tlie sale of their first farms, purchase slock, take n[) new land and be the ]iioiieers of other settle- luent.s, marry and make prosperous homes for themselves, and so both buyer and seller will be gainers by the transaction, fur it will be a decided advantage to many newcomers to ]mrcliase improved farms, tliat is, at fair value, eapecially those wlio are tarmini; (vr the hist time. South of Pine Creek the country is hilly, the soil and vegetation su[).M'ior to any from Calgary to the extreme south. Here from early spring to autumn nature delights the senses with her cxiiuisitc and ever varjing Uoial charms. " Ye Hovers innumerous, earth jewels fair That lift your eyelids to the morning air," filling the air with grateful fragrance. What beJs of wild roses, lupines and lillies are here to be found I Some miles west of the Macleod trail and ou the banks of Sheep Creek we find the homo stittion of the Sheep Creek Kaiiche Company. It is beautifully located, the cxeeileiit vic'W oi the mountains and the proximity of the monntain streams being both attractive features. The country surrounding i.s a superb one for jmsture. The Company have about 2,!}00 luadoi horned cattle and some I, Ooo head of horses, a number of which latter were impjrted from Ireland during the piu>t year. ! t GUIDE TO SETTLERS. 13 I East of the trail tlie country is thickly settled ; at the crossing of Sheep Creek there are two sto|ii)ing jilaces and a post office. Another post office is Dunbow, located some 12 miles east of tliis i)lace. There is also a lumber }'ard liere, the lumber being sawn in the Foot Hills and th'Mice brought to the Crossing for sale. At the mouth of High Kiver, near its confluence with Sheep Creek and on tiie east side a large tract of good land is open for settlement. Near here the lust season Mr. Jones, jr., grew off a plot of laml about a quarter of an acre, over 100 busliels of potatoes. He sold $90 worth and then had sufficient for his personal use. South of Sheep Creek the land is rich and }>roductivc, the country is watered by numerous springs and also by Tongue Creek, which nins midway between the former creek and High Kiver. Most of tlie available land on thi,'- .eek is also taken up, all within tlie past few years. At Higli IMver, near the trail cros-sing, we find a stopping place, a general store and a jwst olHui-. Near liere is the French and Smith farm, one of the oldest settlements in Southern Alberta. Here for a number of years past splendid crops have been grown, but last year, owing to the liot iliy weather of early summer and the backward cold weather later on, the crops were most disappointing, b(