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CLIMATE, PRODUCTS, AREA, AGRI- CULTURAL CAPABILITIES AND OTHER RESOURCES, TOGETHER WITH INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE SALE OF PUBLIC LANDS. Prepared under the direction of THE COMMISSIONER OF CROWN LANDS BY C. C. FARR. TORONTO: WARWICK BROS. & RUTTER, PRINTERS, &o., 68 & 70 FRONT STREET WEST 1896. CONTENTS. Introclucfiou Lake TemiacamingUb The Soil Tlie Timbev The Miukets What, the Country will Gr^w. Summer Frosts The Seasons Minorals The Pine Schools. . Ch jrches . Eailroads. Colonization Roads Outfit Re([uir(il . . Water Game and Fish . Page. 5 5 6 G 7 7 7 10 10 10 10 The People iq Saw Mills, Grist Mills and Stores ji How to Get There jj Hotel Accommodation ij General Information j j Hints for Settlers on the Way I'p _ _ i o Townships Opened for Sale J3 How to Purchase Puhlic Lands i o Surveyor's Report of Township of l5uck^> j^ Casey 14 *' " " Dymond 14 " " " Harris 15 " " Hudson 15 Letter of John Armstrong, Agent Kj LAKE TEMISCAMINGUE. Page. 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 13 13 14 14 14 15 15 16 INTRODUCTION. In writing this short pamphlet, I have endeavored to treat the subject as dispassion- ately as IS conn,istent with one whose heart is in the work, and who believes in the great future of Lake Teraiscaniingue. _ I have only stated what I know to be facts, and in relation to agricultural possibili- ties I write from an experience thut extends over a period of about twenty years. I have not ({uoted the words of others, believing that my own experience should teach me best what information ia most needed by intending settlers, and that one whose man- hood has been spent in any particular porf-^n of a country, has more real knowledge of Its conditions than could possibly be gained by a hurried visit, or from unreliable hearsay. I have sacrificed the artistic, the literary and the romantic, for the practical, everyday questions of common sense. Nor is this a guide book for tourists. I speak to men with whom the question of the day 18 how to live and make money, not how to spend il ; for by such men is the bush subdued, and the forests turned into tarms. I wish it understood that I do not advise men enjoying comfortable homes to exchange them for the bush. Bush farming is not a pastime nor a pleasure ; it ia hard, uncompromising work ; nor would I care to take the responsibility ol advising any man to undertake it, but I can assure those who wish to try it that the land in the Lake Temiscamingue district is good, and that all the other conditions are such that the making of a comfortable home, and the gaining of an independence, are merely questions of energy Lake Temiscamingue. Twenty-five years ago, school children were taught that Lake Ten-iscamingue was the source of the River Ottawa, a fallacy that was disproved on closer examination by competent men, who found that it was merely an expansion of the Ottawa, the source of which must be looked for between three and four hundred miles further north and east. Tn those days, however, little was known of our vast, possessions north of the line of settle- ment, they being generally considered rough and unfit for cultivation, and with a climate BO rigorous as to preclude all ideas of agricultural possibilities, fit only as the habitation of fur-bearing animals, or of the Indians who hunted them. The last few years have proved that this was all a grave mistake, and that geographic- ally Temiacamingue is further south than many countries famous for their cereals— south of London, of Paris, of Vienna, and of the best wheat growing sections of European Russia, whilst on our own continent Manitoba and the great North- West are to us in latitude as is the North Pole. Even Rainy River, lately proved suitable for agriculture, is north of Temiscamingue, while Minnesota, Dikota, and parts of Michigan are away north, and yet people will talk of almost perpetual snow and ice in these regions, when a glance at the map will show those Avho know anything of geography, latitude and isother- mal lines, that Temiscamingue lies in the very centre of the best wheat-producing belt in the world. Therefore, having proved geographically and logically that the climate is all that could be desired, practical demonstration of which will be found further on, let us now consider the nature and quality of the soil. The Soil. Contrary to all geological theories and expectations, there has been deposited at the northern or upppr end of Lake Temiscainingue an extensive bed of limestone exceedingly fosailiferous, and, geologically speaking, of the Silurian epoch. This limestone has been worn away in most places by the action of the ice during the glacial ago, ground to powder, in fact, and the resulting sediment mixed with that of other rocks has been deposited in the basin of that sea where the limestone was originally formed, thus making a magnificent sub-soil of calcareous clay, upon which age after age the black mould formed of decayed vegetable matter has gathered and accumulated until it has become perfect for the use of man, nature's heirloom to her children, pre arranged and preordained, a farm factory started hundreds of thousands of years ago, silently and wonderfully manufactur- ing farms for a generation only foreseen by the all-foreseeing One. Why waste further words in describing the soil 1 Those who run may road, and reading know that such a soil so made must be the very best for agriculture. Geologi- cally speaking, therefore, Temiscaminguo is undoubtedly suitable for agriculture, and it only now remains to prove by practice what has been proved by theory ; but this comes under another heading and will be found further on. The Timher. This is the least attractive, because the most misleading feature of the country. It has often been said that the quality of the soil can be judged by the timber. This may be true, but the locality must also be reckoned with. Once learn what kind of land to expect under certain kinds of timber in certain localities, then the rule holds good ; but to expect to decide the quality of the soil in northeastern Ontario by the same timber test that holds good in south-western Ontario is apt to lead one astray. The timber here on the best land is small, and as a rule composed of poplar, balsam, spruce, birch, balm of Gilead and tamarack. In places cedar is very plentiful and grows to an enormous size on comparatively high ground. The small size of the timber is not the result of the soil, but on account of being comparatively a young growth. Over one hundred years ago a fnighty fire must have swept these forests bare, and the present cov- ering is but an overgrown second growth. The advantage of such light timber is obvious. Logging becomes a possibility to a man not made of iron, or who docs not wish to become prematurely old ; while the land can be stumpi d so much the sooner. Five years after chopping, any ordinary team will tear out most of the stumps, and consequently new farms soon take the appearance of old ones. The Markets. The Ottawa River is famous for its pineries. Lumbering operations on a large scale are carried on c e^y year. The shanties consequently are the principal markets, and prices of produce, as a matter of course, fluctuate according to the supply and demand. Oats have started in the fall at 60 cents per bushel and reached $1 25 by the spring. Hay has been sold as aigh as ^^)0 one year, loose in the barn, and in the following year offered for §15, pressed. But of late years the prices have become more steady, whijh is a better sign and indicative of a general improvement both in the supply and demand. The following prices are about a fair sample of what to expect, though of course the nearer approach of the railroad will have a modifying effect on them, and in most cases, though insuring a more steady market, the effect will be to lower them. The following are the quotations of the full of 1892 : Hay, per ton, pressed at farm, $20 ; oats per bushel, GO cents ; barley, per bushtl, $1 ; peas per bushel, 60 cents ; wheat per bushel, 61.50 ; 1 cans, per bushel, S3 ; potatoes, per l)ag, 60 cents ; turnips, per bag, 25 cents; butter, per pound, 25 cents; pork, green, per pound, Scents; beef, per pound, 7 cents. apo»ited at the •ne exceedingly stone haa been Eigo, ground to rocks has been id, thus making c mould formed ome perfect for 'dained, a farm ly manufactur- may road, and ture. Geologi- culture, and it but this comes le country. It ler. This may ind of land to olds good ; but le same timber poplar, balsam, tiful and grows I timber is not i^th. Over one he present cov- )0S8ibility to a while the land lary team will pearance of old an a large scale 1 markets, and J and demand. by the spring, following year teady, whijh is ind demand. 1 of course the in most cases, reased at farm, ) cents ; wheat rnips, per bag, eef, per pound, What the Country Wili, Grow. soil ^v«n*t'h«'^''S''tr 'T 87^°> ^ temperate ^Hmate can be grown on Temiscamingue soil, even to some of the tenderest vegetables, as the following will show : 1 fn.. '^"'^f^^'' •■ ?''*»«> b««t«. cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, celery, cucumbers, corn, let- I • ll^t^XVoZ'^^J^r'"' ^"^' ''""'^'^°^' P^^^'°^'«' ^^^•«»'''«' ^^"^^^''' ^'^-^^^ ■ Cereals : Barley, oats, peas, wheat, ■ ^r«/<«: Apples, plums, grapes, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries. 1 f J,.f finery hing included m the above list has been successfully grown, and it is probable f that >t anything else yet remains to complete those lists it would prove equally successful. . Ihe wild fruits are unusually plentiful, and Temiscamingue blueberries are famous. I Its wild plums are more famous for their quality than their quantity, though even they ^ IZZT °T![;°"" *^^" •" T'^ ^"''» countries, and are wonderfully large and sweet ; better in fact than many garden sorts. Wild strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries are also plentiful, and in some spots ZJ w M r ''T. «°lu^ '^' '^^^ '^°'^ ^^' ^"'^ g'-^F" g'-''^« ^"d "P«°« i" a manner that would do credit to the sunniest slopes of Southern Ontario. Summer Frosts, To say there are no summer frosts would be misleading. August is the month in which they are most dreaded, but they certainly do not occur every year, nor indeed once in three years When they do come, the grain as a rule escapes injury, only the tenderest vegetables suffering, and then in isolated clearances at considerable distance from the on the eastern or western shores, so as practically to put the whole of this District in direct connection with outside civilization. Even now, the exigencies of transport demand the constructir n of thi ■ line, as the progress in settlement and de- velopment have even exceeded the most enthut^'estic expectations, for few countries opened up for settlement have ever given such goner.vl satisfaction as a tiald for ^^licultural enterprise as Lake Temiscamingue. it is not alone to the C. P. R. extension that we eventually look for the develop- ment of thi.s country, but to the Nipissing and James Bay Railway, which, following the line of the Grand Trunk from Toronto to North Bay, will crosa the C. P R. there, and after touching at Temagamingue Lake will head straight for and probably come out on Temiscamingue Lake somewhere at the north-western extremity. Thence it will pass northwards through the heart of the fertile belt to which the attention rf the public has been called m these pages. It will cross the height of land and head straight for James' Bay, its proposed terminus, building up the country as it paoses, and being itself sup- ported by the country in its turn. Such has been the history of all colonization lines, their financial success being assured by the nature of the country through which they pass, or at their objective point. for a distance of seventy miles from North Bay, or less, the country through which the line will pass is not wholly an agricultural country, but is bristling with pine and rich in minerals. It has been suggested that to run a line through such broken land in order to reach the fertile belt would be an unprofitable speculation. The answer to this ol).jection is that in proportion to the length of line to- be constructed, the extent of good laud eventually to be reached is greater than the great north-west in proportion to the length of the C. P. 11. constructed through a far rougher country, and that the minerals and timber alone arc sufficient to warrant the enterp- ise, and moreover that the tourist trariic which will wpring up between Tomibcamingue ijake and Toronto, will be greater than that which to day helps to pay the expenses of a line through Muskoka. So far little has been said of Lake Tamagamingue, for it is not nor will be a settlers' paradise ; but summer tourists will rejoice in it and be glad, for a greater than Muskoka ia there. Tliirteen hundred islands studding an immense lake where water is as clear as crystal and abounding in fish, will make sucli a resort for city-choked, sun-scorched, dust- laden tourists as Canada never saw before. When this lake is opened up for the public, nearly every man of leisure can become for a few months in each year an inhabitant of his own island, an amateur Robinson Crusoe. Not the least advantage to Ontario of railway connection with the lake will be the placing of Toronto and other large cities of Ontario in direct communication with the lumber trade of the Ottawa River, an advant- age that has for some time since been enjoyed by keen business men. The bringing of this railroad, as it were to the settlers' doors, is merely a question of time, and a very short time at that. JO Colonization Roads. The Government have begun the laying out and building of colonization roads^ wLicn will no doubt be extended as the progress of settlement warrants. Outfit Required. No man with a family should land here without p few dollars in hand for emer- gencies. Work is plentiful and the shanties convenient in the winter. Once get his family housed and with enough provisions on hand to last until he can earn more by his work he can count himself fairly well started. His household effects he should brin<^ with him, for he would loso more by selling at a sacrifice than the cost of the freight to bring them with him. Regarding live stock, such as horses, cows and oxen, unless a man is prepared to pay high prices for their keep until he can raise fodder of his own, they are better left behind, sold even at a sacrifice, for after all their expenses are paid, their cost would be greater than their value here. I believe that a man is better without stock of any kind for the first year, and even after that it is best not to have too many animals to feed and look after, for such chores take up much valu^-ble time which would be better spent in increasing the size of the clearance. The above hints apply even to man who have considerable substance. Suppose for example, a man 19 ablo to buy and support a team immediately on his arrival, he would have no use for it e .ept to draw a few building logs, He would need to chop first, nor could he reasonably expect to log before the following spring. If, then, he has the money to buy a team, and needs one, as he would do for his logging, every year farmers from the lower settlements send teams into the shanties to work during the winter, and they are often anxious to sell just about the very time in the spring that the new sett er wishes to buy, when good bargains are often made and teams bought for a figure lar less than they would cost to bring up. Oows can also be procured in the country at a lower figure than they would cost to bring up. A good cow giving milk can bo bought for forty dollars. Oxen can also be bought, though if the demand were very sudden and large it might bo hard to get them. Water. Spoaking of stock reminds one of the great advantage the country affords on account of Its abundant supply of excellent water. It is a perfect network of creeks, both large and small. The water in them is unusually clear and cold, and as rule not the result of surface drainage but of perpetual springs. What effect the clearing of the bush will have on them it is hard to say, but the geological formHtiou of the country would imply that there is not much likelihood of their running dry, for springs welling up through a clay soil are as a rule not much affected by surface changes. Game and Fish. All kinds of deer, such as moose, cariboo and red deer, are plentiful, as are fish of the ordinary kinds, such as bass, pike, pickerel and trout, >yherever there are small lakes but as a rule in the best townships there a.e very few small lakes, which is a good sign, for many small lakes mean much rock. Large tracts of good clay soil are generally free of The People. It may seem strange that a certain locality should have any eftect upon the tempera- ment of the people dwelhng therein, yet such is the case, and the effect of Temiscamingue IS to call forth the very best attributes of humanity, charity, ott-handedne33, and extra- ordinary hospitality. This has been universally recognized by all who have paid a -isit to this lake, and though this distinctive feature may apply to the wl .,le length of the Ottawa luver, TemiHcamingue prides herself in it, and the general hope is, that long may she retain that reputation. s / 11 }nization roads^ hand for emer- Once get his rn more by his le should bring £ the freight to oxen, unless a der of his own, Denses are paid, year, and even for such chores bhe size of the i. Suppose for ival, he would chop first, nor len, he has the Y year farmers the winter, and that the new {ht for a figure hey would cost sen can also be rd to get them. rda on account eks, both large ; the result of bush will have lid imply that, hrough a clay are fish of the 11 lakes, but as good sign, for lerally free of 1 the tempera- ^emiscainingue 133, and extra- 3 paid a 'isit I length of the ihat long may I Saw Mills, Grlst Mills and Stores. There is at present one saw mill in the settlement, also a grist mill and a good store. The name of the pist office is Haileybury, close to the mill, on the lake shore, in the third concession of the township of Bucke. There are two other mills on the Quebec side of the lake, and a number of stores, so that everything it quired in reason by settlers can b3 procured at about the same figure that it would cost to bring it up. Its Industries. Lumberinf:; is the staple industry of the District, but a country so full of natural resources as this is will not remain long without others being developed. Pulpwood will become one of the most important of these as soon as the means of transport are improved. Limestone is found in abundance, ani the fame of Temiscaraingue building stone, which vies with if not surpasses the famous stone of Ohio, has already gone abroad. Never has a new settlement started with better prospects nor a region been found with more natural resources ready for the use of man. How TO Get There. The first point to aim for is Mattawa Junction on the C.P. 11. Here the traveller changes cars for Temiscaraingue and for nearly forty miles travels through about as picturesque, but agriculturally unpromising, a stretch of country as there is in the Dominion. The Railroad follows the course of the Ottawa River, winding in and out, now run- ning through a stretch of dense forest growth, again skirting the very shores of the river and at times creeping around the foot of abrupt precipices that tower away out of sight above the line of vision past the carriage roofs. It is altogether a pretty scene but one not calculated to inspire the agriculturally minded traveller witb enthusiasm. At the terminus will be found, waiting, certainly two steamers, sometimes three, al" safe and fairly commodious, which, without further change, will land the traveller at his destination. Fares and freight rates are as follows : Fare from Mattawa to Haileyhury $4 50 Cost per 100 lbs. for all freight 85 Hotel Accommodation. A wise man leaving home with his 'imily, bound for Temiscaraingue, carries his own food. It is true that meals can be procured on the road, but 25 cents for every man, woman and child soon mounts up, and the money can be better spent in other ways. At Mattawa, a man would be obliged to pay for his meals, but from th^re up he can have a picnic out of his own basket, though if he is so incline I goo'd meals ciu be had on the way for the paying. General Iniormation. Temiscamingue signifies "deep water." The Indians called it so and we have adopted their name It has beer a great t'ur-trading centre ot the Hudson Bay Company, and before them of the North- West Company, The fort, or trading post, still stands, though no more U'iod for trade. It has become a popular resott for summer tourists, being one of the most picturesquely situated spots on the lake. Upon a point opposite it, and with it forming a narrows, stands the first Roman Catholic mission house, now also abandoned and falling into ruins, now buildings having been erected at Bale des Peres on the Quebec side, the nucleus of the French settlement in that Province. The boundary line between Ontario and Quebec fallows the Ottawa River, and pass- ing through Temiscamingue Jjako to its northern extremity leaves tius river Ottawa and heads straight north to the height of land between James Bay and the river system of f 1 h 12 the St. Lawrence, throwing into Ontario the fertile valley of the \^'hite River, the future honjea of thousands, where are farms or the making of farms through which the plow will run from end to end, level and clear of atones, and so lightly timbered that a man can log and yet not die, nor bend himself double as our forefathers have done before us. Hints for Settlers on the Way Up. Possess your soul in patience, for travelling in a now country is often wearisome lor one in a hurry, but the employees are civil and obliging. Should the means of transport appear to you rough, primitive and inadequate to the prices charged, remember that ten years ago, and less, canoes were the only conveyances on the river and freight was carried over the portages on men's backs. Let not the appearance of the land from Mattawa up vex the soul of any man, nor fill hmi with despair, as it has no connection with, nor similitude to that which he is bound for. Believe nothing unfavorable to Temiacamingue until you see it. Let those who can aflord it leave their families behind them until they have first spied out the lt,nd, then if it does not suit the loss is not serious. If children accompany you arrange that there shall be sufficient wraps and blankets to make the little cn rnchanted frog, rises tullcat of thorn aij, while away to the north and east the lake stretches and widens until the shores appear blue in the distance. But \. 13 Lver, the future 'hich the plow red that a man [one before us. wearisome lor dequate to the y conveyances any man, nor at which he is b. lave first spied and blankets Ts be cl^elayed, imibs to those le air of Tem- he " Meteor," isengers, your : at and enjoy first the lake all but the tarting point, r grander, but een deceived." view. itling between country seems 1 the eastern '. yellow foam, g of Beavers ;s above. il possibilities 3 more to be in its v/hite- lilding, tumb- ination. Pif- ition scheme, into Bale dea 1 and a hotel, des Peres is lake, miiking it description, e shores rise Liock," where he north and stance. But suddenly the scene changes, the high rocks give placa to gentle slopes dotted bv a few prosperous-looking farms, owned by men who have been fortunate enough or wise enough to secure situations suitable for them, while away north and west the shore line appears as straight and level as if laid down by level, square and com|>ass. . _ This is the commencement of the good land, and there are about half a million acres ot It m one continuous block. The seeker of land enjoys the prospect, while the lover of the picturesque revels in the scene. Soon the steamer has blown her whistle for ^ Haileybury, and in a few minutes the prospective settler will have landed in a country § wherein he expects to make his heme, a land full of possibilities and his future all before him, himself the fashioner of his own destiny, subject alone to one higher power. Townships Opened for Sale. On the 29th of May, 1891, the following Order in Council was passed by the Lieu- tenant-Governor in Council : Upon tlie consideration of the report of the Honorable the Commissioner of Crown Land.s, dated 27th May instant, the Committee of Council advise that the Commissioner be authorized to place such of the lands in the Townships of Lorrain, Bucke, Hudson, T;y,v''",'T> ,"^' ^^^^^' I^ai'ley. Kerns, Kenwood, Bryce, Beauchamp, Armstrong, Hilhard Brethour, Ingram, Evanturel, Back, RobiUard, Sharf e, Savard, Chamberlain, Marter, Pacaud, Marquis and Blair, as he may deem advidi^ble upon the market for sale to actual settlers, at the price of fifty cents per acre, one-half cash, and balance in two yearly instalments, with interest, subject to the following conditions : Actual residence upon the land purchased for four years from the date of purchase clearing and having under cultivation and crop at least t(fti acres for every hundred acres' and building a habitable house at least sixteen feet by twenty feet, such conditions to be fulfilled before issue of patent; also subject to the following regulations respectino' pine timber : All pine trees growing or being upon the sai.l land so sold shall be conside^'red as reserved from such sale, and such lands shall be subject to any timber license coverine, to first inspect these rich lands now open for sale at the small price of fifty cents per acre, payable in three payments, and subject to settlement duties. The District promises to be one of the best wheat-growing parts of the Province, as the soil is composed of rich clay, with a large percentage of lime and about nine inches of black muck on the siirfa-e, and is free from stones or rock. While in the District I had a good opportunity of seeing how the difierent cereals and roots had matured, and takir.g them as a while, they compare favourably with any part of the Province. Summer frosts d > not seem to injure the crops 80 much as I have noticed in other new countries. I was there on the 10th of October last, and the frost had not then injured the potato or tomato vines. The District is also one of the greatest lumbering regions in the Dominion, thus creating a good market for all the farmer.s can produce and wages for all who require work in the winter months. The timber (apart from the pine lands) consists chiefiy of large spruce and white wood, but there is money in it for the settlers, as pulp wood, which is now in great demand throughout the Districts of Mmkoka and Parry Smnd, selling at three dollars per cord for shipment to the United States. It does not need to be split but is shipped in the round. On account of the vast quantity of timber situated near the Lake and Rivers, some enterprising company will, no doubt, take advantage of it and establish a paper manufactory there and thus save the cose of ship- ping the wood to the United States. In that case the timber will be more valuable and will more than pay for clearing the lands. The fare from Toronto to the head of Lake Temiscamingue by rail and steamboat is $13.50. I will move to the District as soon as navigation opens next spring (1894) and will open a Crown Lands otfice there. In the meantime my Post Office address is Novar (District of Parry Sound), Ontario. Any communications or information respecting the sale and locating of lands for the District will be promptly attended to. In conclusion I might say that a number of people have ahready signified their intention of going up with me in the spring to take up land and form a colony. It is very desirable that as many as possible go at the same time. I should like to see at least 100 families locate in one settlement next spring. That number, with a little money and willing hands, would make a good settlement, and besides benefiting themselves, would hasten the settlement of the whole District Come at least and see the country ; the scenery on the way there, if nothing else, will compensate you for the outlay. i ding from the 3 region to the 3nstruction of {ue issued, in ,8 glad to find istrict and its ch to what he tion, what he ;y acr<'a of ad ^rite upon the ly inviie those Ills new sottle- ng on rented or to any who I first inspect e, payable in I be one of the clay, with a .e, and is free 'eing how the ;hey compare to injure the 1 the 10th of ominion, thus who require ists chieHy of 8 pulp wood, Parry Smnd, loes not need ;ity of timber D doubt, take i cost of ship- ^ valuable and I steamboat is i« (1894) and Iress is Novar respecting the II conclusion I going up with that as many locate in one hands, would :he settlement ihe way there, »