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Manitoba and the 
 
 ^^^« 
 
 OPINIONS OF Tl 
 
 ( Toronto Globe Nov. 4<A.) i t^^, 
 DOMINION PtIBLIC W0EK8.; 
 The energy infused by Mr. Muckenzie into 
 the operations of the Department ho presidca 
 oyer U likely, ere long, to bear fr"'V" "•« 
 commencement of thoBe sections of the Cana- 
 dian Pacific Riiilway for the construction of 
 which he has taken powers from Parlmmcnt. 
 The Krading of the Pembina branch is pro- 
 ceeding rapidly, and we b.licve t.-nders wil 
 be at once issued for the st ction of the Paciho 
 Road runiMng fiom the f.outli-.-ast of Lalie 
 Nipissing to the Georgian Bay, somewhere 
 in the neighbourhood of the French River. 
 
 ' The road from Fort WiUiHm to Fo.t Garry 
 will also at no dista-^t day be placed under 
 constniclion. As a means of solving the 
 aimcuity oi carrying a railway across the 
 continent, and as a matter of friendly int^^^r- 
 national rivalry, the comracuc.ment of tins 
 important section will be anxiously ookcU 
 for The Government, we understand, have 
 contracted for a Uugo (nmntity of steel rails 
 —30,000 loii.s— for llie works alr.ady men- 
 tioned, and possibly for some porlion of the 
 line travivsing British Colnmlna. 
 
 (CWuwo CitUcn Oct. 2li(/i., I874.) 
 MANITOBA. 
 
 TbAVELLIB'b SkKTOH 0» WlNNIPKQ 
 TWHNTY MiLBB DoWN TUB KlVlB. 
 
 oxchang* these for flour. Indeed, it is said 
 they would live on flour, so that the trade in 
 that direction is greatly on the increase, and 
 will, ere long, assume greater proportions, 
 aa these people are becoming annually 
 more and more dependent upon flour for 
 their subsistence, which they gladly "-"ce've 
 in exchange for furs and pemmican, and the 
 Qu'Appello Treaty, lately so auspiciously 
 effected, will so change the whole charac- 
 ter of that most magnif'i cut countrj- that in 
 a few years ihe through trade will be some- 
 thing enormous ; a prospective fact that 
 should influence our Dominion Parliament 
 j to build the Camida I'a. iflc with as little 
 delay as possible ; as iindonbtedly strenuous 
 cmleavors will-are even now being mode, 
 j to direct the prospective trade of tins newly 
 acquired territory through an Ain-rican 
 channel, a misfortune gr.'ater than whicn 
 I could scarcely befall the Province of Mani- 
 I toba. 'Canada's policy should be to antici- 
 pate this rapidly growing' tiadi', ami provide 
 a channel for it through her own t rritoiy. 
 All eastern centios of trade nieiiit.nsted in 
 this. The future of Montreal ami T.nonto 
 ismoro intimately connected wilhtli ■ sp eily 
 construction of the Canada I'veific than most 
 persons seem to think. 
 
 Buildings are going up with iiiiilated 
 vigour, and business generally seems brisk, 
 and the city appears quite lively. 
 
 INU 
 
 {Special Correspondence of the Cititen.) 
 8iR,_Having made a trip to Manitoba 
 during this summer and resided in the capital 
 of that province for a few months, I venture 
 to write for your paper some observations on 
 that country, under the impression that they 
 may have an interest for your readers. 
 
 The City of Winnipeg, lately a wilderness, 
 has now about 5,000 inhabitants, all appa- 
 rently industrious and thriving, the natural , 
 result of active and industrious habits. 
 During my slay of about four months 
 seventy-five houses were erected, home Halt 
 dozen of these are Urge brick buildings. A ; 
 Mr Higgins lias liuilt a line store ol brick i 
 four stories high, and Mr. ISuni.atyne one of | 
 similar dimensions on the main street. 1 he 
 Government has also ereded the custom ^ 
 house and land .^liiees, and the Hudson Bay i 
 Companv also lias its office, all ol white brick, j 
 handsome buildings and ornaments to the , 
 
 town. . , , , -,1 . 
 
 Many of the streets have wide plank him- 
 walks, and although liitnber may be said to 
 be comparatively .ienrceand dear, these sutc- 
 walks would not loose anything compare<l 
 with those of Ottawa, and evince a more active 
 and enterprising spirit on the part of the 
 Corporation than is displayed by the city 
 Fathers of your metropolis. 
 
 The Burrow's estate has been added to the 
 eity and surveyed into town lots, and they 
 are selling rapidly. The 1"'','1';J*> 'f,.)," !" 
 ffood position, commRiiding a. vsi w ot tlie ciu , 
 it is well drained, and good drinking wak-r 
 is procurable at little depth. On this pro- 
 perty path walks are laid, and on the princi- 
 Ml streets they are plaiik.'.l. Parks are a so 
 laid out, and it bids fair ti, become a popular 
 place of residence for the best classes. 
 
 Westerly of the city the barracks are situ- 
 ated, composed of neatly erected bui Idings of 
 wood, and calculated to afford quarters to 
 about 400 men, they are kept in the nicest 
 order and reflected credit on the olhcer then 
 in command. Captain Fletch.r, the other 
 
 {Montreal Herald Aw. 4(A, 1874.) 
 Th» Pboobess o» WmmPBo.— From a Win- 
 nipeg correspondent we have some interest- 
 ing facts respecting the Province of ManitoU. 
 We jot these down for the information of our 
 readers. He states that the wheat crop in 
 the Province will average about 20 bushels 
 to the acre, and the grass-hoppers owing to 
 the waim and late season, are all hatching 
 out, and will consequently bo destroyed by 
 the frosts of wintei . The registered emigra- 
 tion of this season numbered over 3,000 per- 
 sons, besides the hundreds who never report. 
 Large tracts of land have been selected liy 
 agents for Scotch, Irish German and Ontario 
 eolonization societies. The prospect of rail- 
 road communication is improved by the gra- 
 ding ol tlie I'eml.ina Branch, ami the survey 
 (d' tlie portages of the Uawsou Route, both ol 
 whic h will he commenced early next season. 
 Trade in Winnipeg has been exceptionally 
 ■ mxKl during the past year. Tlie Mennomtes , 
 alone, of whom 1,200 are settled near the i 
 city having spent over $5 1,000 in the city ot | 
 Wiiinepeg, for their oullits of lumber, furni- 
 ture, provisions, cattle and agricultural im- 
 plement*. A hotel has been built for them 
 in the city, and they arc enthusiastic over the 
 prospects of their adopted country. Many ol 
 them have been at work on the Pe-.nbma 
 Branch R. R. One house sold to them in one 
 week, 20 lumber waggons f.ml 30 stoves, with 
 other articles innumerable, other houses 
 doine nearly as well. Building hrw becnac 
 lively puslied forward during Ihe summer, 
 some seven brick stores and offices having 
 been erected in Winnipeg, and the population 
 is now alHDut 4,800, or in round numbers 
 I 000 with on assessment roll of 2,1)00,000 
 dollars. A large trade Is growing up with 
 the plains at the various lialf-breed settle- 
 ments on the Saskatchewan, whose growth 
 ! will be very much incirased by the opening 
 I of the navigation to the foot of the Rocky 
 I Mountains; the first steamer having passi^f 
 I „p this KUinmer easily. Other settlements 
 I. iitled simie three bundled miles 
 
 business in on old log shanty, worth in valuo 
 the estimate cost of the logs of which it was 
 completed ; there was then no society, no 
 fashions ; only one hotel ; religious dispuUM 
 were unknown, and politics had not been 
 introduced. But witness the change now I 
 Here is a city regularly incorporated, com- 
 prising an area of three square miles, with 
 a population of 3,00ii permanent residents , 
 with no fewer than 900 buildings, of which 
 upwards of 400 f.re dwelling-houses, 17 are 
 hotels, 7 are saloons, 23 are Imarding-houses, 
 and 421 are miscellaneous buildings, and 
 they maybe classified, as follows— There 
 are 10 grocery stores, 4 dry goods stores, 4 
 hardware stores, 2 watchmaker's shops, B 
 book stores, 2 gunsmith's shops, 2 banks, 4 
 livery stables, 19 general stores, 3 drug stores, 
 6 paint shops, 9 blacksmith's shops, 2 bar- 
 ber's shops, 4 harness makers shops, 1 mar- 
 ble works 4 cjirriage maker's shops, 4 
 printing offices, furniture stores, 4 auction- 
 eers, 2 tobacco stores, 3 lioot and shoe stores, 
 3 photograph rooms, 2 fur stores, 6 bakeries 
 and confectioner's shops, 1 telegraph office, 
 2 milliner's shops, 2 flour and feed stores, 3 
 butcher's shops, 2 real estate agents, 7 law- 
 yers, 8 doctors, I county court, 1 police court, 
 1 soda manufactory, 3 saw mills, 1 planing 
 mill, 2 "brick-yards, several wind-mills, 2 
 tailor's shops,' exclusive; 1 post-office, d 
 churches, 6 schools, and a few more estab- 
 lishments which it is needless to name. 
 
 The number of new buildings erected last 
 year will reach 200, and a civic estimate pre- 
 pared by the asgessorB gives the following 
 valuation: — 
 
 North Ward $ 317,423 
 
 East Ward 606,090 
 
 Southward 1,264,755 
 
 Westward 487,500 
 
 In 1874 
 
 Av rage price. 
 
 $3,000 per lot. 
 
 300 " 
 
 200 " 
 
 50 " 
 
 300 " 
 
 Total $2,675,7u8 
 
 This estimate was made for civic piiritoses, 
 and it is considered underniath a correct es- 
 timate. Then with regard to the prices of 
 lots the following from a pamphlet which I 
 am preparing will be of inU'rest to your 
 readers : 
 
 In 1871 
 Average price. 
 H. B. Co., estate. Main st.,) 
 
 $1,000 per lot 
 
 VicDermot's estate, $75 " 
 Mones' estate, $50 " 
 
 Magnus Brown " $10 " 
 fichultz estate, $50 " 
 
 At first real estate appears high to the 
 resident of an eastern city, still it is low 
 I when the prospects of the city are taken in- 
 to consideration. There are already threi! 
 railroads projected from it, two lines of nav- 
 igation to the Rocky Mountains already 
 existing, making their junction here, and 
 with u trade and commerce which ronk it 
 already the sixth city in the Dominion. 
 A- yet, speculation has not been commenced 
 on an extensive scale, though one operator, 
 Mr. Burrows, has sold over 400 city lots dur- 
 ing the past year. This gentleman has done 
 very much towards making the city known 
 by his liberal advertising, and he has display- 
 ed unusu il enti^rprise in attracting invest- 
 ments. Having a large tract of some 200 
 acres (the Magnus Brown property), he not 
 only laid it out and planned it with a fine 
 pari; in the centre, but dug a drain of two 
 miles in bngtli, and laid down a sidewalk 
 for nearly a mile, and finished ip by giving 
 away 50 lots free to attract reiiidents, which 
 wise and liberal course has repaid him a 
 liuiK^red lold, and a number of residences now 
 I, it the iinilrii', «liere a year ngip the long 
 
 total amount of duUes collected thereon 
 was $87.47 1 .97. Some of the items are very 
 suggestive. From the United States we im 
 ported 27,079 gallons of coal oil, valued at 
 $5 417. From Canada the "Eastern Pro- 
 vinces," only 750 gallons We imported large- 
 ly in the articles of comnon soap, say 131,252 
 lbs. value $7,51 5—fhisfiom Ontario and Que. 
 bee. From our cousins in the United States wi 
 imported 100,006i lbs., valued at $15,751 
 cheese, 17,070 lbs., valued at $2,035; larc 
 and t4dlow from the same, 306,091 lbs. 
 valued at $3,715 ; malt 'rom the same, 2,34! 
 bushels, valued at $2,773; meats from thi 
 same, 778,184^ lbs., 'alued at $62,872 
 tobacco manufactured, a id snuff, chiefly fron 
 UniU'd States, at 12^ pic. and 20c. per lb. 
 162 823 lbs., valued at JJ43,774 ; sugar fron 
 different places 911 r'fl lbs., valued a 
 $711.81 ; sugar candy & confectionery, 51,87 
 lbs., valued at $10,632 ; raola.sses was a prei:; 
 large item, 11.133 gallons, valued at $6,656 
 carriacos eliieflv fmrn the United Htatei 
 valued at $14,085 ; weuring apparel, clotl 
 1,303 packages, valued ;il $178,733; cotUm 
 were pretty large, 1,280 packages, valued ii 
 $112,149; drie«l m.-ats, 1,337 packagei 
 valued at $14,020, fancy goods 195 packagei 
 valued at $I9,63P ; gunpowder was unnsua 
 ly large, and amounti^d to 84,985 lbs., value 
 at $16,653 ; hardware was 9,054 package 
 valued at $84,967 ; lumber was 3,240,48 
 feet valued a! $53,979; linen was la 
 packages, valued at $12,240 ; boots ar 
 shoes, from different places, 186 packajfc 
 valued at «14,855; maaufactures of woo 
 10,038, valued at $23,814; silks, satin ar 
 velvets, 85 packages, amounting to $31,45f 
 woollens, 2,60« packages amounting to $29 1 
 441 ; horses, 122, valued at $11,328; hornc 
 cattle, 2,497 head, valued at $64,090 ; ti 
 (black), 179,571 lbs, valued at $106,281 
 green coffee, 7,219 lbs, valued at $l,63( 
 roasted or ground. 1,525 lbs, at $324 ; fishir 
 hooks, line?, etc, 406 packages, valued 
 $12,149 ; eggs, 9,610 do;'.., valued at $1,33 
 flour of whea. and rye, 2,U 3,095 lbs, valued 
 $62,705 ; meat of all kinds, 83,056 V 
 valued at $2,874 ; grain, other than whc 
 and corn, 1,531,265 bus lels, valued at $2 
 064; Indian Corn, 16,749 lbs., valued 
 $619; salt, 132,587 lbs, valued at $1,76 
 saw-logs, 253,f33 feet, valued at $l,Hi 
 These are among the chief articles imiiorl 
 during last yenr, and wliich I find record 
 in the (.'usto'm IIouiu. Of coursea very lai 
 amount of goods importi^d into other parts 
 the North-West are not mentioned at ( 
 Winnipeg office. One firm in the city. Mess 
 Kew, Stohard & Co., wholesale dealers, si 
 upwards of $ 1 50,000 worth of goods last yt 
 
 COMPABATIVB irATBHINT. 
 
 The following comparative statement 
 the business at the Custom-House for 
 month of July, 'T3 and '74, is made from 
 cjffieial record : — 
 
 1874 187 
 
 Total Import* $in2,«88.00 $56,80f 
 
 For Home Consump- 
 tion 166,272.00 57,36t 
 
 |fre»Good« ,.,,., 46.276.00 18,75' 
 
 Duty 5,502 34 6 091 
 
 Among the exports for the month the pi 
 cipal item is dressed ond undressed fiirf 
 the value of $85,665. 
 
 The returns during tbe month of Aug 
 1874, are as folh.ws:— 
 
 llIl'OBTS. 
 
 Dutiable Goods for consumption . .$47 
 Free Goods 22 
 
 Total Imports $09 
 
 Amc.unt ,,f duty. ol)i>-ted,$l 1.402. 02. 
 
 - 't' \ nnn in ihi 
 
 '<lii.^f •£! M\ iioii wnvHi (if iroods Iftst vt' 
 
•I'ti^^M^ysu^ 
 
 the North-West 
 
 ^^^* 
 
 OF THE PRESS. 
 
 1 amount of dutie'* collected thereon 
 $67,471.97. Some of the items are wry 
 restive. From the Uuited States wc im 
 'ed 27,079 gallons of coal oil, valued at 
 H7. From Canadii the "Eastern Tro- 
 x'S," only 750 gallons We imported largi'- 
 n the articles of comnon soap, say 131,2.'i2 
 value $7,515 — thisfiom Ontario and Que- 
 , From our cousins in the United SUitoK wo 
 MJrted 100,006i lbs., valued at $15,751 ; 
 ese, 17,070 lbs., valued at $2,035; lard 
 I tallow from the tome, 306,091 lbs., 
 ued at $3,715 ; malt 'rom the same, 2,349 
 hslB, valued at $2,773; meat.? from tlie 
 le, 778,184i lbs,, 'alucd at $62,872; 
 acco manufactured, aid snuff, chietiy from 
 iU'd States, at 12^ pic. and 20c. per lb., 
 1 823 lbs., valued at JJ43,774 ; sugar from 
 fcrent places 911 •'^'■fl lbs., valued at 
 11.81 ; sugar candy & confectionery, 51,877 
 ., valued at $10,632 ; raola.ssos was a prei:y 
 ge item, 1 1 . 133 galloiw, valued at $(),656 ; 
 riacos ehieflv fmrn tlie Uuited States, 
 lued at $14,085 ; Wiiirlng iippare!, cloth, 
 03 packages, valued ;it $178,733; cottons 
 re pretty large, 1,280 packages, valued iit 
 12,149; drie«l m.-ats, 1,337 packages, 
 lued at $14,020, fancy goods 195 packages, 
 lued at $19,63? ; gunpowder was unusual- 
 large, and amounti^d to 84,985 lbs., valued 
 $16,653; hardware was 9,054 packagus, 
 lued at $84,967 ; lumber was 3,240,492 
 it valued a! $53,978; linen was 136 
 ckages, valued at $12,240 ; boots and 
 oes, from different places, 186 packaijes, 
 >lued at S14,855; maaufactures of wood, 
 1,038, valued at $23,814; silks, satin and 
 ilvets, 85 packages, amounting to $21,458 ; 
 xillens, 2,60« packages amounting to $291,- 
 
 I ; horses, 122, valued at $11,328; horned 
 ttle, 2,497 head, valued at $64,090 ; tea 
 Sack), 179,571 lbs, valued at $106,288; 
 een coffee, 7,219 lbs, valued at $1,630; 
 asted or ground. 1,525 lbs, at $324 ; fishing 
 Hiks, lines, etc, 406 packages, valued at 
 12,149 ; eggs, 9,610 doii., valued at $1,339 ; 
 lur of whea. and rye, 2,H 3,095 lbs, valued at 
 52,705 ; meat of all kinds, 83,656 lbs, 
 iilued at $2,874 ; grain, other than wheat 
 rid corn, 1,53:,265 bus lels, valued at $24,- 
 04; Indian Corn, 10,749 lbs., valued at 
 619; salt, 132,587 lbs, valued at $1,704; 
 iw-logs, 253,f33 feet, valued at $1,H87. 
 'hese are among the chief articles imiiorteii 
 uring last yenr, and wliich I find recorded 
 
 II the(;ust<>'m !Iou«e. Of course a very large 
 mount of goods importi^d into other parts of 
 he North-West are not mentioned at the 
 Vinnipeg office. One firm in the lity, Messrs, 
 Cew, Stoliard & Co., wholesale dealers, sold 
 ipwards of $150,000 worth of goods last year. 
 
 OOMPABATITS iPATKHiNT. 
 
 The following comparative statement of 
 lie business at the tlustom-^ilouse for the 
 nonth of July, '73 and '74, is made from the 
 jthcial record : — 
 
 1874 1873 
 
 rotal Importe $102,888.00 $56,805.00 
 
 Kor Home Consump- 
 tion 166,272.00 57,369.00 
 
 [fr,.«Qoo(i« ....,,,, 46.276.00 18,764.00 
 
 Duty 5,502 34 6 091.28 
 
 Anioiig the exports for the month the prin- 
 cipal item is dressed and undressed furs, to 
 the value of $85,665. 
 
 The returns during the month of August, 
 1874, are as folh.ws:— 
 
 iiii'onTS. 
 Dutiable Goods for consumption. .$47,333 
 Free (Jooils 22,374 
 
 Total Imports $09,709 
 
 AtiK.uiK ,ifi1nty..il!.-ted,$l 1.462. 92 
 
 field is a profitable one for other branches, 
 iuch as the manufacture of waggons, agricul- 
 tural implements, flour, stoves, ic, *c. 
 
 The podulation of Winnepeg hah again 
 nearly doubled, and now is about 5000 peo- 
 ple. 
 
 During the past year the city has been in- 
 corporated and civic improvements entered 
 upon by the laying of sidewalks and purchase 
 of a steam fire-engine. Lest the ambition to 
 lay out large sums may possess city aldermen, 
 the ohartttr limits the power of taxation to 
 one cent on the dollar. 
 
 Notwithstanding the rapid growth and de- 
 velopment of the city and its trade there ha» 
 not been much speculation in real e«tatc,the 
 investments made go far being mostly by 
 citizens and visitors. Lots on main street 
 average $2,000, in the centre of the city in 
 choice localities for trade ; one on the side 
 streets, near the post-office, they bring an 
 ftver.^e of $500 and the outlyiug lots with- 
 in the citv vary from $25 to$l50 Large plotji, 
 within th^ city sub'irbs sell at good prices 
 say from $100 to $300 peracre A few weeks 
 ago, the Mulligan estate of 105 acres was sold 
 to Mr. Burrows at the latter figure. 
 
 Of coune the growth of the city from 300 
 inhabitants to 5,000 withiri four years, has 
 favored tlie development of property, and 
 some fortunate purchasers have become rich 
 by merely investing their savings in cheap 
 lots Many lots bought three year, ago for 
 $50, are now worth $500, and many localities 
 now in the background and to be sold for a 
 song, will be rapidly advanced by the laying 
 of a street railway or other changes. At pre- 
 sent, suburban lots are the best irvestmont. 
 The city ail'ords a striking contrast to Mon. 
 trcal in having som' wide streets, that may 
 ba fairly called ave.iues, two chains wide, 
 which may afford ample room for tramways 
 without impeding the ordinary traffic. 
 
 In estinmtiug the past progress of Winni- 
 peg, the work would be incomplete without 
 reverting to the probabilities of that ratio of 
 increase bi ing sustained in the future. The 
 first great want is railroad communication 
 with tli.i l.astern world, not only through 
 the Lnite.l States, but, also through our own 
 territory. Oni^ line we ore certain of ne.\t 
 year; t'liat to the American boundary line at 
 l'eiiil>iuii, it being already giadeil, and the 
 other to 'I'liiinder Hay will wc partly placed 
 under contract before spring. Then as to 
 iiuliealions of an increased emigr.itioii next 
 sntiiiuer, we have the marvelou.s crops raised 
 under ndx erse circumstances and the great 
 satisfaction expressed hy the new arrivals at 
 their prospects in their new homes, notably 
 the Menn.inites, of whom 1,200 arc now 
 settled ; tliey are highly pleased, and have 
 written glowing accounts to their compatriots 
 in Kussia and the Uuit«d States. Agents 
 have this summer selected 12 Townshijisfor 
 Scotch, four Townships for Irish and more 
 for Ontario p(>.,,lc under the very liberal col- 
 conization clauses of the Dominion Land Act, 
 so that population is likely to be increased 
 much more the coming season than in the 
 
 Oood coal has been discovered about 400 
 miles westof Winnipeg. 
 
 Any one travelling from Thunder Hay or 
 St Paul to Winnipeg will r«adily perceive 
 the advantages wliich the latter place posses- 
 ses over every other in the North-West to 
 wards becoming the great inland entrepot of 
 the short route across the continent. These 
 advantages are manifold. Seated at the. junc- 
 tion of the Kedand Assinabeine Uiveis, both 
 navigable for hundre<ls of miles, itcommands 
 through Lakes Winnipeg and Manitolia the 
 navigation "f the North and Sontli Saskntch- 
 thi. Rcukv Mountains; it is the 
 
 From these figures we draw the ratio of com- 
 parison, which I believe will astound you. 
 Hod the United Stites increased in the same 
 ratio as the Dominion did from 1800 to 1871, 
 it would have been 50,000,000 in 1870. Had 
 it increased in the same ratto as Ontario it 
 would have been 170,000,000. If the Pro- 
 vinces composing the Dominion (in 1871) 
 increase in the same ratio as they have done 
 since 1800 we shall number over 16,000,000 
 of people in 1900. Since 1840 the Province 
 of Quebec and New York are equal ; but 
 Quebec has increased over Vermont sixty- 
 seven per cent., over Maine fifty-five per 
 cent., over New Hampshire sixty-eight per 
 cent ; but Massachusetts gains upon it 17.5 
 per cent., ard Pennsylvania twenty-four per 
 cent. The Province of Ontario has increased 
 in a ratio of 105 per c»nt. over Indiana, 176 
 per cent, over Ohio, ITO per cent, over New 
 York, 153 per cent over Massachusetts, 
 lllin"' . 'as increased, over Ontario 182 per 
 cent. 
 
 The Province of Quebec and Ontario have 
 increased 50 66 per cent, more than Ohio 
 and Indiana, 72 per cent, more than New 
 York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and 93 per 
 cent more than New Kngland. The States 
 of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio have only in- 
 crc^ased 7 per cent, more in population than 
 Quebec and Ontario. The tonnage owned 
 by the Provinces make us the third mari- 
 time power in the world. Cur banking 
 capital amounts to $60,000,000, gold. In 
 addition to all this, our territory in «« Urge 
 as yous own, and our Ncrth West is destined 
 to be the granary of this continent. Cities 
 will spring up on Red River, the Sascatche- 
 wan, and the great lakes of this region, which 
 will vie in wealth, traile and magnif cence 
 with those of "the lakes." Winnipeg may 
 equal Chicago in fifty years. 
 
 (From J. M. Vernon'i " Cheap TrarupoHatioH" 
 Montreal Gazette.) 
 
 By adopting this policy, the Government 
 saves about $12,000,000 oi utelesi expenditure 
 to appropriate to the imymvemenl of th 
 " Ottawa and French Riisr Navigation;^ leav 
 ing, according to Mr, Shanley's report, only 
 $2,000,000 mori^ to be provided, to complete 
 this mo.i( im/K)i/<7H( water-way. This work is 
 a commercial as well a,s a political necessity. 
 With till! inijirovements of the water diaiinels 
 between Thunder Bay and Lake Winnipeg, 
 wc shall have nil unbroken line of navigation 
 from the Uocky Mount<unR to the tide-wuter 
 through our own territory, and tlie products 
 of the Saskatchewan Territory, be delivered 
 ill tlie ocean ship at Montreal, cheaper than 
 products from westof the Mississippi. 
 
 The navigation of the Ottawaand French 
 River is the Key to the entire trade of the 
 Western States. It reduces the distance 
 between Chicago an<l tide-waU'r, at Montreal, 
 270 miles, or over 21 per cent., and makes 
 the " Ottjiwa Route," from Chicago to Mon- 
 treol, one-third less in distance than to New 
 York via Buffalo and Erie Canal ; besides a 
 ffain in time of at least 12 days. 
 " The construction of t!ie Pacific Railway, 
 and the construction and improvement of the 
 great chain of water ways, from Montreal t'l'ii 
 the Ottawa ValU-y to the great Lakes, and 
 from there to Luke Winnipeg, and from 
 thence U) the Rocky Mountains, have become 
 not only aoomracrcial,buta i.adon-ji necemty. 
 J. M. VERNON. 
 Montreal, April 28, 1874. 
 
 proved by the fact that the course of the 
 rivers Is noithward. Thus the writer con- 
 dudes that our surface soil was laid down bf 
 floods as in the fertile land of Egypt. 
 
 THI PIMITINTUBT. 
 
 Building operations on the new Penitentiary 
 have ceased for the season. About S6 meM 
 will be kept employed during the winter 
 quarrying and dressing atone. Over 3,00# 
 yards of rock hure been excavated ; eleven 
 feet of masonry have been built, and 400,009 
 bricks burnt. The progress made this seMon 
 is considered satisfactory. 
 
 TBI PSHBIKA BRAVOH. 
 
 Mr. Whitehead, the contractor, is progress- 
 ing as rapidly with the grading on this line ai 
 the difficalty in getting men and teams will 
 permit. He intends continuing the work aa 
 long as the weather will allow tliis f^ll, and 
 resume it as early as possible in the spribg. 
 It is to bo regretted that he cannot get all 
 tlie laliorers and teams he requires. If he 
 could have had all he wtw prepared to employ 
 from the first, there would have been littla 
 left to do in the spring. 
 
 to I he R. 
 
 MaKITOBA OoBnHKPKNBEKCS. 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM WINNIPEG VRBB 
 PRESS. 
 
 nth and Uth Oct., 187*. 
 
 The warehouse at the steamboat landing 
 is full to overflowing. 
 
 Large quantities of lumber are acenan- 
 lating upon the levee. 
 
 Don't be afraid of the fsver, or you will fce 
 almost sure to get it. 
 
 The steamers now-a-days bring in smack- 
 ing big loads of freight. 
 
 How short a time the " farthest out houa* 
 on the prairie " retains its rank. The one of 
 to-day may be third or fourth to-morrow. 
 
 Tdb Railway.— Th e steamers continne t» 
 bring in scrapers, plows, shovels and other 
 railroading parapheruali.N for the Pcnsbina 
 Branch contractor, Mr. WMtchead. 
 
 Conductor Sargent hauled out U cars Of 
 
 ] Manitoba freight on his trip last monday, 
 
 ! and nineteen cars yesterday. There still 
 
 remain fourteen car loads in the yard here. 
 
 — Glyndon Gazette. 
 
 The auction sale of lots upon the H. B- 
 Co's reserve was running an Thursday, Mr, 
 Hayar<l being auctioneer. Altornat« lota are 
 only sold and these brought from $180 t» 
 $750. In all fifty loU were sold, the aTecage 
 price was $460. 
 
 It i s a sufficient indication of Winnipeg's 
 importance to observe "cities" alon^ tha 
 Northern Pacific Railroad, and elsewhere, 
 clamoring and fighting to have freight paaa 
 through the places indicated. 
 
 The St. Vincent train Tuesday night 
 brought in a valuable lot of H. B. Co.'s ftira. 
 The train back yesterday morning took ele. 
 ven car loads of Manitoba freight, including 
 a finely finished Silsby steam fire engine and 
 j two hose carta for Winnepeg. — Olf/ndtn 
 I GazetU, Ist October. 
 
 Ijakor Pota"-ok8. — In the Lleutenant- 
 I Oov.riior's Garden, inside the Fort, were 
 
 ,,f «i Ml (inii wnilh of ciMids Inst vear. I the Me 
 
 ites, of whom 1,200 an 
 
 ""*^' I of thi' Saskatchewan Teiritorv. be delivered 
 
L ..111 I. Ii.*..1..il' l>llll' IlK Ullil 
 
 r limy In 
 
 id to 
 bo rouiiiftriilivolv Kdiici'mid drnr, (licBi^ siclc- 
 wall.« would not IcoHO iiiijtliiiiK comiiari'd 
 with those ol Ott«\Mi, and OTiiicc 11 more iictivo 
 
 and enterprising spirit "n thi- pnrt of tlio 
 Ooriwratiou tlinn is displnyed \<J the city 
 K»tbers of your metropolis. 
 
 The Burrow's estate lias been added to the 
 oity, i»nd surveyed into town lots, and tliey 
 are gelling rapidly. TIk! property Is in a 
 good position, commnndiug a view of the city; 
 it is well drained, and good drinking wakT 
 is procurable at little ih plli. On this pro- 
 porty path walks are laid, and mi the princi- 
 pal streets they are planked. Parks are also 
 laid out, and it bids fair to become a popular 
 place of residence for the best classcH. 
 
 Westerly of the city the barracks are sil"- 
 atcd, composed of neatly erected buildings of 
 wood, and calculated U) afford quarters to 
 al)Out 400 men, they are kept in the nicest 
 order and reflected credit on the officer t.ien 
 in command. Captain Fletcher, the other 
 officers at the time of my visit were away 
 with the Lieutenant Qorernor on a treaty- 
 making exnedition with the Indians. 
 
 Captain Kletcher has private quarters in 
 hiH own house, a new brick building near the 
 barracks, furnished in very good last*., and 's 
 highly spoken of as a hospitable gentUman- 
 Hko man. He wan formerly an ofHccr in the 
 80th Rifles, and is popular with military and 
 efrilians. , 
 
 Leaving Winnipeg and going down the 
 rivor on the right bank, the next place met 
 of importance, distant about eight miles, ia 
 •ailed Kildogan, a Scotch settlement made 
 Ijy Lord Selkirk in past days. T»io farms 
 are good, and productive, and the inhabitanU 
 Bocm happy and prosperous, notwithstanding 
 the visitation of grasshoppers this year, the 
 people informed me that their wheat aver- 
 aged twenty-seven bushels per Here. The 
 •oil is a rich alluvial deposit.and produces all 
 the cereals and most extraordinary root crops. 
 
 i have now, sir, given you a bird's-eye view 
 •f the noticeable places from Winnipeg for 
 twontv miles down the river for the benefit 
 of future travellers. In my next I will en- 
 deavor to afford information i^t to commercial 
 and agricultural afTairs r.t Winnipeg and the 
 eonntrr of Manitoba pep.erally. 
 
 " A TRAVELLER. 
 
 (^Montreal WitMU, Sept. J I.) 
 
 FROM FORT GARRY, 
 
 (Special to the Witneit.) 
 
 rinsT «0D or piubin^ branch. 
 
 Fort Gabby, Man., Sept. 1 9. — The first sod 
 of the Pembina branch was turned this morn- 
 ing at 11 o'clock at a point ten miles from 
 this city, near the corner of townships 8 and 
 9, ranges 3 and 4, to which the road has so far 
 LrtH:u lucttteu. ii. IS nut jrei. uectueu waere 
 the road will enter the city,butit is believed 
 Point Douglas will be the itlection. 
 
 city, having spent over $C i,0(iO in tluii ily ><\ 
 Wiilnepeg, for their oullils of lumber, furni- 
 ture, provisions, <attle and agricuitiual im- 
 plement«. A hotel has been built for them 
 in the city, and they are enthusiastic over the 
 prospects of their adopU^d country. Many of 
 them have been at work on the Piu-biua 
 Dranch R. R. One house sold to them in one 
 week, 20 lumber waggons and 30 stoves, with 
 other articles innumerable, other houses 
 doing nearly as well. Huilding has been ac- 
 tively pushed forward during the summer, 
 some seven brick stores and oiHces having 
 been erected in Winnipi-g, and the population 
 is now alKuit 4,800, or in round numbers 
 5,000, with an assessment roll of 2,«0U,000 
 dollars. A large trade ia growing up with 
 the plains at the various half-breed settle- 
 ments on th.> ■^^ atthewan, whose growth 
 •ill be very mui li increased by the opening 
 oi the navigation to the foot of the Ro<ky 
 Mountains ; the first steamer having passed 
 up this summer easily. Other settlements 
 have extended some three hundred miles 
 westward of Winnipeg, as fir as the Little, 
 Saskatchewan, where the Ralston colony is 
 established. A local charter has beep, ob- 
 tJiined for the Manitoba Southern R. R, to 
 start from Winnipeg, Ui the newly discovered 
 coal field of the Souris Uiver. This isin the 
 hands of D. A. Smith, Hon. John Ross, and 
 some of our Montreal capatalists, and the 
 charter binds them to commence building 
 the road in two, and to complete it within 
 live years. It is fuir to suppose that these 
 gentlemen know what they arc about, and 
 that the road possesses commercial and finan- 
 cial merits. Some discussion was excited by 
 the dispute regarding the location of the ter- • 
 minus of the Pembina railway, which has 
 been finally settled in favour of Point 
 Douglas, and in consequence, property in that 
 vicinity, known as Magnus Brown Estate has 
 advanced in value rapidly. The principal 
 streets of the city are two chains wide, and 
 will furnish fine room for city tramways 
 whenever these shall be wanted, which the 
 inhabitants hope will be speedily. Winnipeg 
 itself naintaina one hundred and twenty es- 
 tablishments for manufacture and trade. It 
 has six churches, six schools, seventeen ho- 
 tels, and twenty-three boarding houses, all 
 doing well. No business is overdone, appa- 
 rently not even the churches. The tendency 
 of all the information of this gentleman 13 to 
 impress us with the fact, that there is build- 
 ing up in our North West, a city tliat may in 
 tlie near future become seeond only to 
 Montreal of the cities of the Dominion. It 
 already ranks sixth in business and impor- 
 tance. 
 
 (Montreal W'itneie, Sept. iind 1871,) 
 
 OOnBESPONDEHCI!. 
 
 NORTH WES'I'ERN AFFAIRS. 
 
 €OKRESPONDENCE. 
 f^Otuiw Times, Nov. 9th 18T4,) 
 Enormous quantifies of merchandise come 
 down the Hed River this season. Owing to 
 the advance of freight* by the Kitson line 
 many have patronized the flat boats, so that 
 those came down from MinneaiH'lis and 
 Moorhead in fleets laden with everything 
 that Yankee ingenuity can devise, in antici- 
 pation of Manitoba wants. Many merchants 
 bring their Fall stock this way, and hence 
 the market is full— so full that farmers 
 grumble that there is no market for homo 
 produce. At present this country is a conve- 
 nient market for Minnesota, and the Mmne- 
 »ot«ns drain us of our surplus cash. People 
 in the older Provinces can form no correct 
 idea of the quantities of groceries and pro- 
 visions, as well as dry goods and hardware 
 and manufactured articles imported, and 
 then exported from Winnipeg as a centre, to 
 the distant points of the West, Caravans of 
 ox. carts, numbering hundreds,wcnd their way 
 at the rate of two miles and a half per hour, 
 to the monotonous ,ind savage music of un- 
 rreased axletrees of ironless carts, over the 
 unbroken prairies la<len with merchandise of 
 all ki"d8 *" Biinnlv the increasing demand of 
 what is 'oallod" the Saskatchewan <«unlry. 
 The Indian tribes who formerly livod chiefly 
 M fish, game and pcmmican, it is »id, gladly 
 
 WlNNIPBO, Sept. 5, 1874, 
 
 I'BOOBKSS or WINMIPEQ. 
 
 Why is it that there arc so many people in 
 the Eastern Provinces so apathetic with re- 
 gard to the great inducements and advan- 
 tages offered by the whole of the great North- 
 West? I frequently meet with men from 
 Ontario who have been here prospecting and 
 who, while otlmitting that, " this is a great 
 country," still tell you that it is rough, and 
 that there is time enough. When the coun- 
 try becomes settled then they will^ conde- 
 scend to come and live with us. This is 
 generally the burden of their complaint and 
 philosophy, and while they are waiting for 
 the development, the venturesome and the 
 sensible settler or business man comes along 
 and he makes all the money, and dtTives all 
 the advantages which arc to be had. I he 
 rapid, indeed the marvellous growth of this 
 ciiy of Winnipeg is an illustration of the 
 want of foresight and boldness which have 
 characterized many of the cariier visitors 
 who came here in 1869-1870, and who went 
 away, intending to come bock when the 
 difficulties were over, and the place had be- 
 come settled. Those who remained were 
 wise in their generation, and from being 
 iiol)odys they are now lords of the soil, with 
 thousands of dollars, and are esteemed as 
 the leading men of the place. When I 
 visited Fort Garry in 18C0, there were then 
 no stores, except the Hudson Bay Co.'s ; and 
 the oniv free tfftd-r wlio dar.-d to oppose 
 that wealthy monopoly was Mr. McDermctt 
 who did thousands of dollars' worth of 
 
 when llie proRp Mis 111 llie eil.v me tiiki'ii in- 
 to consideration. Time are already thret! 
 railroads projected from it, two lines of nav- 
 igation to the Rocky Mountains alnady 
 existing, making 'heir junction here, and 
 with a trade anil corami^rco which rank it 
 already the sixth city in the Dominion. 
 As yet, speculation has not been commenced 
 on an extensive scale, though one operator, 
 Mr, Burrows, has sold over 4i)0 city lots dur- 
 ing the [«ist year, This gentleman has done 
 very much towards making the city known 
 by his liberal advertising, and ho has display- 
 ed iinusu il entei-prisu in attracting Invest- 
 ments, Having a larga tract of some 200 
 acres (the Magnus Brown property), ho not 
 only laid it out and planned it with a line 
 park in the centre, but dug a drain oi two 
 miles in length, and laid down a sidewalk 
 for nearly a mile, and fluislied up by giving 
 away 50 lots free to attract residents, which 
 wise and liberal course has repaid him a 
 hundred fold, and a number of residences now 
 dot the prairie, where a year ago the long 
 the long grass vaved, and the growth of the 
 city permanently fixed in that direction. 
 The same gentleman has recently laid out 
 the Mulligan property (105 acres), and in- 
 tumls ofl'ering it in the marki't next season. 
 'I'tiere are some remarkable instances of the 
 use of humble individuals by judicious in- 
 vestments in real estate, — one man a year 
 ago hwl only $50 of:; capital ; lo-day he owns 
 over $3,000 worth of real estat«'. Another, a 
 clerk in a store, saved a couple of hundred 
 dollars, which he finally dircided to investin 
 a city lot. This sold in a fi'w days at one 
 hundred per cent, advance ; then he iKHight 
 others, and is now the owner of four residen- 
 ces, worth on an average |l,(ino each, and 
 some other property ; and instances are 
 numerous of parties who punhased lots two 
 years ago for $75, now refusing $500 for 
 them. 
 
 The prevailing impression is that the limit 
 of prices is reached for rtiid-eity property. 
 Be this as it may, however, there is no doubt 
 but that the best investment now offering is 
 in the surburban city lots, which may he had 
 at from $20 to $100, within a mile radius of 
 the Court Room. 
 
 The principal strcctVof the city, and those 
 we may expect to become so, from their being 
 of generous width and continuity, which 
 make them useful as business thoroughfares 
 or attractive for residences, are 
 
 First, Main or Garry strei't, which is the 
 main artery of the city, and on which the 
 business houses extend foi a mile or more, 
 running north and south. Next in point of 
 importance is the portage Road, the main 
 route west, which strike's from about the 
 centre of the city and stretches west to the 
 Rocky Mountains ; then on either side are 
 Broadway to the south and Burrows Avenue 
 on the north, both leading westward, all of 
 which are one "hain and a half or two chains 
 
 iipwards of $150,000 worth of goods last year 
 RUUI'ABATITI iTATIMINT. 
 
 The following comparative statement n 
 the business at the Custom-House for thi 
 month of July, '73 and '74, is made from the 
 ofHcial record ; — 
 
 1874 1873 
 
 Total Import* $1(12,888.00 $5«,805.0( 
 
 For Homo Coniump- 
 
 (ion 106,272.00 67,3n9.0( 
 
 Free Goods 48,278,00 18,754,01 
 
 Duty 5,502,34 8 601,21 
 
 Among the exports for the month the prin 
 cipal item is dressed and undressed furs, I 
 the value of $85,805, 
 
 The returns during the month of AugusI 
 1874, are as folkws: — 
 
 111 PORTS. 
 
 Dutiable Goods for consumption. .$47,33 
 Free Goods 22,37 
 
 Total Imports $09,70 
 
 Amount of duty colli*;U'd,$l 1,482,93. 
 
 RXPORTg. 
 
 Total amount $146,780 
 
 Of this amount furs amounted to $145,82( 
 The duties collected during the first week t 
 the present month amounted to $3,000, I 
 my next I shall refer to the Bow Rivi 
 County, and the necessity of opening it n 
 immediately for settlement, and in order t 
 prevent the trade being directed t>i<i tli 
 United States. 
 
 (Montreal Witneti, Sept. 30lh. 1874.) 
 
 COnBKSPOXDENCl!. 
 
 NORTH-WESTERN MATTERS. 
 
 THE HCOSOK BAY COMPANY'S PBOgPECTg. 
 
 WiNNiPKO, Manitoba, Sept. U, 1874. 
 The mere dry details of the trade and com- 
 merce of this Province and the territory ad- 
 joining on our side of the line, are I fear too 
 much of an imposition upon the patience of 
 your numerous readers, and under ordinary 
 "circumstances I would not offer them, hut I 
 have lately uncuthed some very interesting 
 figures concerning the trade and business of 
 this nev-ly acquired territory of ours, and as 
 they have an application which the business 
 men of the Eastern Provinces cannot over- 
 look, I may be permitted at least to offer 
 the-n, I find that the value of dutiable 
 
 QOODS IKPORTED 
 
 into the Province and territory last year end- 
 ing 30th June, and recorded in the Custom 
 House, amounts to $1,415,504, the value of 
 free goo-.ls being $38 1 ,439, or a totaljof $ 1 ,797,- 
 033. The total value of gowls, including 
 some previously in bond, was $1,472,220. 
 The value of goods in bond from other ports 
 reached $65,389 ; the total amount of free 
 go.Kls imported from Ontario amounU'd to 
 «Hnn onii : the whole amount of goods im- 
 porte'd into the Province from all somcvt^s 
 during the year was $J,«63,4a3, and the 
 
 (Mmlreat Oautt; Nov. Ilh, 1874.; 
 OUR MANITOBA LETTER, 
 
 REVIEW or TIM BIASON — TRADE, BUILDINO AK 
 MAHUrAOTUBiS — OINEBAL NOTES, 
 
 (rROH OUR OWE OORBEBPOEDEET.) 
 
 WlNNIPBO, Oct. 10th, 1874. 
 
 As the season for emigration has aboi 
 closed, it will he proper to summarise tl 
 growth of this city for the year past. Fir 
 I will remind your readers that just four yea 
 ago Winnipeg was found by our brave V 
 lunteers of the first expeeition, who visited 
 then to plant the Dominion flag over Fc 
 Garry, to be a very scattered Hamlet of alio 
 ,300 inhabitants, " Since then, however, 
 has shown nmarkable progress, near 
 doubling its population each year. 
 
 The past season has been one of unusii 
 prosperity and increase, though for ma, 
 reasons the contrary was feared. The grai 
 hopper cry was ralserf, but the « hiirvt 
 home," exhibits an average of about 
 bushels of wheat to the acre throughout t 
 Province. The Dominion Governme 
 threatened to postpone all public works, I 
 public opinion demanded communicati 
 with the great west, and the season's closi 
 
 ... e .11 1.- , ,,1.,.; ,„ „f »l,„ ,„,.. !!.>/• 
 
 the railroad from Pembina to Winnipeg, ( 
 the survey of the portiiges of the Dawi 
 Route preparatory to the giving out of c 
 tracts earlv in spring. The mismanagcm 
 of the Dawson Route cast a damper on e 
 f'ration, but the Einigriint Agent's Regit 
 here shows an arrival of 3,000 persons to i 
 tie besides the hundreds who never repot 
 to him. Trade would be dull in Winnii 
 ami labor unemployed, nevertheless; 
 house— Kew, Stobart & Co,— has sold dur 
 the year $250,000 worth of goods, and In 
 is in such demand that building, gradi 
 Ac is delayed for want of hands. 
 
 Some idea of the trade centring at Wii 
 peg may bo judged by the fact that the tl 
 steamers of the Kittson Line, from Mo 
 head to Winnipeg, netted for the owiie 
 the In'.ernational $50,000, and the Sell 
 and Chevenne $40,000 each this sumi 
 This besides the flatboat fleet, which n 
 bered the past summer not less than 30( 
 A great many fine 'inildlngs have 1 
 erected during the past year, showing gri 
 stability and marked improvement in sty 
 notably the Hudson's Buy Company's oti 
 Law Office, Custom House, Higgins' s 
 Bannatyne's store, Hespeler's Bank, Ac 
 of white brick, and thr.o stories. Over 
 buildings of brick or wood have been a 
 to the city during the year. 
 
 Some advance has been made in the i 
 duction of manufactures; Macaulay's, I 
 and McArthur's sawmills ; Mc Vicars wo 
 miii I Muivey's foundry, and three furt 
 fhctorien, repr««ent a large intctOEt ; an 
 
viudsdf |irili,oni» wortli iif ({"ixi't liiHtycnr. 
 ROMI'ARATIVI iTATIMINT. 
 
 rho following oompnrativo sUtemcnt of 
 l)ii(iln<n8 at thu Cuittom-Houmi for tho 
 
 nth of July, '73 nml '74, id mwlo from tho 
 
 cial record : — 
 
 1874 1873 
 
 tal Import* $1(13,888.00 f 58,805.00 
 
 r Homo Coniump- 
 (ion 186,272.00 87,309.00 
 
 ieaoodi 46,276.00 18,754.00 
 
 ty 5,902,34 (5 601.28 
 
 Vmong th« exports for tho month tho prin- 
 
 nl item Ih droHRcd and undressed furs, to 
 
 I valuo of $85,605. 
 
 rho retuiiiH during tbe month of August, 
 
 r4, are as folkws: — 
 
 llll'OllTS. 
 
 Dutiable floods for consumption. .$47,333 
 Prce Goods 22,374 
 
 Total Imports $09,709 
 
 Amount of duty i.ollo<;Wd,$l 1.462.93. 
 
 Kxponrs. 
 
 Total Bmouut $146,780 
 
 Of this amount furH amounted to $145,620. 
 le duties coUeitod during tho fuHt wuuk of 
 1 present month amounted to $3,000. In 
 I next I shall refer to the Bow River 
 iinty, and the necessity of opening it up 
 imediately for settlement, and in order to 
 jvent tho trade being directed vin the 
 lited States. 
 
 (Mmlreat Oaietl; ifov. 1th, 1874.; 
 OUR MANITOBA LETTER. 
 
 VIBW or TUB BIASON — TRAM, BUILDINO AND 
 MAKtirAOTUBiS — OINIRAL N0T»8. 
 
 (rUOM OVU OWI OORRISPOIDIMT.) 
 
 WlNHIPBO, Oct. 10th, 1874. 
 
 As the season for emigration has about 
 used, it will be proper to summarise the 
 owth of this city for the year past. First 
 will remind your readers that just four years 
 ;o Winnipeg was found by our brave Vo- 
 uteers of the first expeeition, who visited it 
 en to plant the Dominion flag over Fort 
 arry, to bo a very scattered Hamlet of nlwut 
 )n inhabitant*. " Since then, however, it 
 lis shown r.markable progress, nearly 
 jubling its population each year. 
 The past season has been one of unusual 
 rosperity and intrease, though for ma.iy 
 ■asons the contrary was feared. The grass- 
 opper cry was raised, but the "harvest 
 ome," exhibits an average of about 30 
 ushels of wheat to the aero throughout the 
 rovince. Tho Dominion Government 
 lireatoned to postpone all public works, but 
 ublic opinion demanded communication 
 rith the great west, and the season's close is 
 
 (lie Menni>iiitc«, of wlmm l,2"i) nw -- 
 settled; liny are highly pleased, an<l have 
 written gliiwingat!COUHts to their compatriots 
 in RuHdia and tho United Btates. Agents 
 havo this summer selected 13 Townships for 
 Broti'h, four Townships for Irish and more 
 for Ontario people under tho very liberal ool- 
 ronization clauses of the Dominion Land Act, 
 so that population Is likely to bo Increased 
 much more the coming season than in tho 
 past. 
 
 Good coal has been discovered about 400 
 miles west of Winnipeg. 
 
 Any 0110 travelling from Thunder Bay or 
 Bt Paul to Winnipeg will r»adily poreeivo 
 tho advantages which the latter pla<:o posHuH- 
 ses over >'very other in the North.West to 
 wards becoming the great inland entrepot of 
 the short route acrosn the contini^nt. These 
 advantages an! manifold. Heated at tho junc- 
 tion of the Redan<l Assinabeine Rivers, both 
 navigabli^ .'trhumlr.ids of miles, it commands 
 throiigli Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba tho 
 navigation of the North and Kouth Saskatch- 
 ewans to the Rocky Mountains ; it is the 
 centre of 1 rude aD<l distributing point for the 
 whole Winnipeg basin, a fertile tract of over 
 400,000 square miles, the future granary of 
 the world, and must in consoq lenco be tho 
 junction of the American and (Janailian I'a- 
 ciflc lines competin" for the trade of its trib- 
 utai-)' cities and provinces. It is now tho 
 seat of the great fur trailo of British America ; 
 the head-quarters of tho entire trade of the 
 Hudson Bay (Jompany, and tho extensive 
 trade of private parties with the increasing 
 half-breed settlements of the Hiiskatchewan 
 and Bow River, and the seat of religion and 
 education, as well as Dominion and Local 
 Government; besides its having attained a 
 growth that will attract all other inliuonces. 
 More anon. 
 
 or the Hiiskalelii wai< Territory, be delivered 
 in tlio ocean ship at Montreal, cheaper than 
 products from westoftho MlHslsHippi. 
 
 Tho navigation of the Ottawa and French 
 River is the Key to tho entire trade of tho 
 Wcistern Htates. It reduces tho digtanco 
 between Chicago and tide-water, at Montreal, 
 270 miles, or over 31 per cent., and makes 
 the " Ottawa Route," from Chicago to Mon- 
 treal, one-third less in distance than to Now 
 York via Buffalo and Erie Canal | besides a 
 gain in time of at least 13 days. 
 
 Tho construction of tho Paclflc Railway, 
 and the construction and Improvement of the 
 great chain of water ways, from Montreal via 
 the Ottawa Valley to tho grc'at Lakes, and 
 from there to Lake Winnipeg, and from 
 thenco to tho Rocky Mountains, have become 
 not only aoommercial,butanariom>i neeetiily. 
 J. M. VERNON. 
 
 Montroa;, April 28, 1874. 
 
 he'railroad from I'embina to Winnipeg, and 
 ho survey of the porfciges of the Dawson 
 toute preparatory to the, giving out of con- 
 Tacts earlv in spring. Tlie mismanagement 
 >f the Dawson Route cast a damper on erai- 
 rration, but the Emigrant Agent's Registry 
 lore shows an arrival of 3,000 persons U) set- 
 tle, besides the hundreds who never reported 
 to him. Trade would be dull in Winnipeg, 
 md labor unemployed, nevertheless; i ne 
 house— Kew, Stobart & Co.— has sold during 
 tho year $250,000 worth of goods, and labor 
 is in such demand that building, grading, 
 ic is delayed for want of hands. 
 
 Home idea of the trade centring at Winni- 
 peg may bo judged bv the fact that tho three 
 steamers of the Kittson Line, from Moore- 
 hi ad to Winnipeg, netted for tho owners— 
 the In'.crnational $50,1.00, and the Selkirk 
 and Chevenne $40,000 each this summer. 
 This besides the flatboat fleet, which num- 
 bered the past summer not less than 300. 
 
 A great many fine 'luildings hav.' been 
 erected during the past year, showing greater 
 stability and marked improvement in style- 
 notably the Hudson's B»y Company's otliees. 
 Law (iflicc, Custom House, Higgins' store, 
 Bannatyne's store, Hospeler's Bank, Ac, all 
 of white brick, and thr.o stories. Over 300 
 buildings of brick or wiod have been added 
 to the city during tho year. , , , . ^ 
 
 Some advance hna been m.ulc in the intro- 
 duction of manufactures ; Macaulay's, Dick's 
 and McArthur's sawmills ; Mc Vicars woollen 
 miit I Muivey's foundff , and three furniture 
 fhctoriea, repr««ent a large intctMt ; and th« 
 
 EXTR.VCT OF ADDRESS OF J. M. VER- 
 NON, Esq., BEFORE COMMITTEE OF 
 ' MASS. LEGISLATURE, — ON INTER- 
 NATIONAL COMMERCE. 
 First, let ns tJiko the foreign trade of Mont- 
 treal, during tho years; 1841, $3,401,020; 
 1851, »l 1,498,068; 1861, $27,229,899 ; 1871, 
 $54,637,853; 1872, !r62,':56,787. In 1867, 
 tho first year after the abrogation of tho 
 recipro, ity treaty, the trade of Montreal was 
 only $36,711,973, and in 1872, five years after 
 it rose to $02,756,787, an increase of seventy- 
 two per cent, or 14.5 per cent per annum. 
 This increase has no parallel in the history of 
 any established city. Last year it was 
 177,000,000. So much for the abrogation of 
 Reciprocity. Now,lei us examine the Foreign 
 trade of the Provinces which composed tho 
 Dominion of Canada in 1872, viz: Ontario, 
 Q.iebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia^ 
 during reciprocity and after reciTi'/ocity : 
 1856, 8104,299,082; 1861, ^103,535,677; 
 '.""L".,*." '.,"." V,°Xa-, \°oVu, 5113,387,829; 1371 
 1170,266,589; 1872, «194,070,190. it will bo 
 observed that 1867 was tho first actual year 
 after the abrogation of "reciprocity." In 
 1873 the trade amounted to ^235,801, 203. 
 The exports from tho United States into 
 Ontario and Quebec for the last fiscal year 
 were $43,289,773. The trade of the Provin- 
 ces composing the Dominion in 1872 did not 
 increase from 1856 to 1801, and the latter 
 year compared with 1871 shows an increase 
 of !'66,730,912. The total trade of tho Dom- 
 inion in 1872 was equal to $58 25 per capital. 
 The trade of the United States for the same 
 period amounted to S.28. 23 per capital. Had 
 the trade of the United States been eqiml 
 to tho Dominion in ratio to population, it 
 should havo been *2,454,247,000, or 106 
 per cent, more than it was. Tho trade of 
 New York is equal to 57.75 pjr cent of 
 tho whole of the United SteUs, and that of 
 Montreal about 32 per cen . if Canada. 
 New York exports 50 pe' ut , and 
 imports 65j per cent, of the •^ho ; foreign 
 trade of the United States. The increase 
 in population is almost as incredible as 
 ihe trade. You have been led to believe 
 that Canatia was a fossil, and her people 
 deserting her. Your politicians havo made 
 immense capital upon this point, and our 
 ignorant "croakers" have assisted tin m. 
 But we must endeavor to disabuse your minds 
 and correct their errors by citing facts. In 
 1800, tho population of the United States was 
 6,305,925 and the Provinces (now the Domin- 
 ionl 3.420,000. Tn 1870, your population wag 
 88,»68,3"7l', and onre, '3,486,007 in 1871. 
 
 Maxitoba Corrhpkiidinci. 
 
 Montreal Gazette, JVoti. 9, 11174. 
 
 TUB LAUD Wl UVi ON. 
 
 Many theories havo been propounded as 
 to the origin an exceeding richness of the 
 soil of our prairie. Its peculiar nature — 
 having no parallel except in the soil of tho 
 Valley of tho Nile— has excited enquiry 
 and speculation. Fresh interest has been 
 given to the study by the excavation now 
 going on for water tanks along our prin- 
 cipal streete. How the deep layer of black 
 mud ever camo into existence, is the present 
 subject of investigation. It would appear 
 to be a fresh water deposit, yet it is clear 
 that is hag not been formed like the bogs or 
 swamp beds in other places. The absence 
 of the remaias of fibres, roots, and decayed 
 wood indicate this. The excavations for 
 our water tanks and tho other cuttings 
 disclose nothing but pure mould without a 
 trace of vegetable fibre. A paper, prepared 
 for the Nor' Wetter, discusses two theories, 
 which might account for tho formation. 
 The first is that the level of the land was at 
 one time v»ry much lower than it is no.v, 
 and the whole country was covered with 
 wat<>r, that in the course of centuries this 
 water deposited what is now our soil. Tho 
 land must thus have risen till there was but 
 a slight depth of water over it, and remfJned 
 stationary in this condition for a long 
 period, in order to give time for a calm 
 state of thingK to prevail, so that the surface 
 
 might bo as it were " 1' veViea on.' 
 
 Co'g regervo wag running <tn Thuraday, llr, 
 Hayard Ix'ing auctioneer. Altomat« lota ar* 
 only sold and these brought from $180 t* 
 $750. In all fifty lota were gold, tho arenc* 
 price wag $4S0. 
 
 It 1 B a sufficient Indication of Winnip«c'j 
 importanco to observe "cities" alonit ft» 
 Northern Paclflc Railroad, and elsewhore^ 
 clamoring and fighting to have freight paw 
 through tho places indicated. 
 
 Tho St. Vincent train Tucgday aight 
 brought in a valuable lot of H. B. Co.'a ftira. 
 Tho train back yesterday morning took ele. 
 von car loads of Manitolia freight, including 
 a finely finished Silsby steam firo engine and 
 two hoso carls for Winnepeg. — Glf/iuUm 
 Oaielte, Ist October. 
 
 Laroi PoTATOiB, In the Lieutenant- 
 Governor's Garden, inside the Fort, were 
 grown this season tho following quantities of 
 potatoes from 1 lb. seed each of the three 
 varietieg named: Vermont early 64 Ibij 
 Burnell's Beauty, 49 lbs ; East Vermont S*) 
 lbs. Of the last two variticg onu potat* ot 
 each weighed rogpectively 3 lbs. 10 oi., and 
 3 lbs. Had it it not boon for tho gragghoppec 
 incursion much more aatonishing resulta thaa 
 these could have reagonably been expected. 
 In geries of articleg recently, the 8t. Paal 
 Preat favorg a Grand River improvement 
 scheme, which ig no legs than the connectiag 
 of tho Saskatchewan country in BritM 
 America, with St. Paul, by navigable water* 
 The Minesota River is to be made navigaW* 
 to Big Stone Lake, a canal to bo cut betweea 
 Big Stone and Traverse Lakes, and the 8io«« 
 Wood and Red Rivers to bo improved. Some- 
 thing will be done also at the portage which 
 is caused by the rapids near the mouth af tlia 
 Saskatchewan. 
 
 BuiLDiNn.— And still the new buildlngi 
 spring up as if by magic. If you take a ghort 
 cut across a vacant lot in the North Ward 
 as you come from dinner, the chance* are 
 that you stumble up against a buildlag if 
 you attempt to return by tho same waf ia 
 the evening. At the back of the city people 
 
 having taken place, ihe land was lifted up 
 to its present '.^vel, thus forming tho smooth 
 plains 1;^ we have them now. Though all 
 V.As is possible, the almost entire absence of 
 shells and tho utter absence of vegetable 
 remaing render this theory very improba- 
 ble. Tho other and more likely thery ic, 
 that at intervals immense floods have cover- 
 ed tho whole of this prairie region. The 
 last of them must be fresh in the minds of old 
 settlers here, for they had to fly to Stoney 
 Mountain in order to save themselves from 
 its effects. This occurred about twenty 
 years ago, and a great deal of damage was 
 done. Since thut time the rivers have worn 
 themselves beds of nearly double their then 
 width, so that no such flood need be 
 dreaded in the future. But in the far 
 bi.ck time, when these rivers were small, 
 or scarcely existed, the inundations must 
 have been very frequent and prolonged. 
 From the level nature of tho country the 
 water ^vould retire from it very gradually, 
 and it is not too much to suppose that the 
 sediment brought here by these floods and 
 deposited during their continuance may have 
 been tho means of forming the alluvial soil 
 of our prairie lands. It is thus that the sur- 
 face deposit was formed in the Nile Valley, 
 and it is of the same black hue as our own. 
 Finding that the same influences have been 
 at work here as in Egypt, it is reasonable to 
 think that they produce in both places simi- 
 lar results. This '.ouid account for the ab- 
 sence of vegetAble remains and the absence 
 of shells, and fulfil every necessary condition. 
 Besides, tho lie of the land gradually slopes 
 towards Lakes Manitoba and Winnipeg, as 
 if the floods coming from the south had made 
 their heaviest deposits there, while they be- 
 come higher and lighter as they approached 
 these lakes into which they poured. The 
 country is higher 08 wu go »oulh, which ig 
 
 are uuV.svu lo gO ift4:.SV.y.7 in order t() get 
 the run of the new buildings sufficiently to 
 avoid being lost in the maze. The tcmtOTir 
 in the rear of the Roberts House ia also til- 
 ling up rapidly and several fine new build- 
 ings are there in progress, among otheea 
 those of Messrs Rossitor and Northgrarea. 
 
 Tub Mbnnonitkb.— Mr. Hespeler and l€r. 
 Goulet have just returned from the Menaon- 
 ite settlement. They report that ererythinf 
 there is bustle and activity. A new road hai 
 been opened up to the settlement, one that 
 is dry and good all the year round. BotJi 
 these gentlemen state that the settlement ig 
 now a pattern institution worthy of older and 
 more pretentious localities. The extent t* 
 which improvements hp,ve been carried on 
 makes the place look more like a settlement 
 of 20 years old. Numbers of houses have beea 
 built; and others in course of building. The 
 community is as biisy as beaveri. 
 
 PiTSH IT. — The steamboat meeting, held last 
 Saturday night was largely attended, and 
 much interest was manifested. The object 
 was thoroughly discussed, and after a fall 
 understanding as to the mode of accompliah- 
 ing the object in hand, a committee waa 
 appointed to draw up articles of incorporation 
 for a stock company, with a $50,000 capital 
 and $30,000 asa limitof liabilities. A P*?"* 
 was circulated among those in the room, and 
 the handsome sum of $2 1,500 signed insk-ijk. 
 As stated last week, it is designed to build 
 two sU>amboats and as many liarges an needed, 
 the same to opi'iate between Moorhead and 
 Fort Garry. The name of the company u t» 
 be " The Merchants' International Transpor- 
 totion Company," More anon.— Moorhead 
 St-tr.