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AN ILLUSTRATED DESCRIPTION OF ITS SOIL, CLIMATE, PRODUCTS, AREA, AGRICULTURAL CAPABILITIES AND TIMBER AND MINERAL RESOURCES. XOOBTHKR WITH INFORMATION PERTAINING TO FREE GRANTS AND HOMESTEADS, AND TO MIF COMPILED BY FRANK YEIGH, OF THE DBPABTMKNT OF CROWN LANDS. BY DIRECTION OF HON. A. S. HARDY, 00MNI8SI0NEB OF CEOWN LAWD8 FOR THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO 1894. (I) THIRD EDITION. TORONTO : WARWICK BROS. & EUTTER, PRINTERS, 68 and 70 FRONT ST. WIST 1894. %.-- f , pp mma \-B' A 1 5 THE RAINY RIVER DISTRICT, PROVIXCE OF ONTARIO, CANADA. AN ILLUSTRATED DESCRIPTION OF ITS SOIL, CLIMATE, PRODUCTS, AREA, AGRICULTURAL CAPABILITIES AND TIMBER AND MINERAL RESOURCES. TOC.KTMKK WITH INFORMATION PERTAINING TO FREE CRANTS AND HOMESTEADS, AND TO MINING CdMrlI.El) 1!Y FRANK VEIGH, OK THK DEPAKTMEXT 01' ( KMWN LANDS. BY niRECTIOS Of HON. A. S. HARDY, rOM MISSION Kit Ol' CKOWN lANPS KOK THE PROVINCE OK ONTAHIO 1894. THIRD EDITION. Ton iV To : PElIsTED BY WARWICK BROS, i'^ RI TTEi?, (iS AND 70 FRONT STREET WEST, LSIM. CONTENTS. Mai- (IK Uaiw Rivku DrsxiucT. iNTltOIH'C/rioN Area and bouiidarios of Raiiij' River District. H(i\v to reauii tlio Distiict Wlit'ii ti) j^ii and outfit re(|uired Quality of tlie soil A wide range of products The climate Proijross of fcttloment . . . . Railway facilities Navii,'ation and mail .service Lake of tlio Woods Schools and churches Fisii !i,nd L'auie Colonization roads and bridges Tindjer resources of the District Enii)loynient for si-ttlers Municipal institutions Administration of Justice ' Table of distances Towns and villages iu Rainy River District : Rat Portage, Keewatin, Norman and Fort Francis Descriptions of the Rainy River District List of Rainy lUver Free Grant To\vnshi])s Agents for sale rnd location of Crown Lands How to obtain free grants and homesteads How to purchase pul)lic lands , Rainy River mineral lands , Mining in Thunder Bay and Rainy River Districts Paok. 6 7 7-8 8 8 8-9 !) 10 10-11 11 11 11 11-12 i2 12 13 13 13 13-14 15-1!) 19 20 20-23 22 23 23-24 fl^ rj Un'A kao VII on Indian tri de^criptio Attract th( boiwaen t of the lab hike of 1 territory i there as e Riiny Ri w'lo hvvii 8)il and evidence, e^caminod e'sewhere It hi ion offjrs a hom'^ in by reason heart of ; clima'iic c and tilled in the r extensive bilities of Governme Tints it, i aiy other THE RAINY RIVER DISTRICT. INTIIODUCTIOX. Un*;!! recent yeard t'lie Hviny R ver ouitry vrx^ pi'^itieiUy a If-rrt incojnitit kaovn only in a vigao wiy as a piridiso for tho .sportHm m, and aa the homi of several Indian triba^. A'thiu^lj for a canfcary pist OJcuioiil tiMvjllirs hive pin a^d glowing description of the n\tufal beauty an! cipibilitiei of v,he country, yet these did not attract the attention of the g.jmral pablic, an! it v\n not uitil the gettleonnt of thT dispute boiwaen the Djininion Ojvrirnmiiit and thi Minitobi and OitariD Governmonta. in favor of the latter, as to which hti jurindict'on over the sjreit arja of country, (including the p .jntion wi8 directed to the Httlers had found their way -.'litability of the valley of the hundreds of pioneers lOir own evidence to the I Lvke of the Wo)di and Riiny I.ake and Riv^; territory as a possible field for settlement, altht there as early a^ 1874. Since that tiai3 all doub liiiny River for agricultural purposes have beei w'lo hvvj miirt and ai-j racking ho)n « on its h 8)il and th) favorable cliin\tic and natural advantage* ^ aa cjuntry, u.rid by the evidence, equally as strong, of those who have visited the locality and carefully examined its conditions and projp3Ct8. A few of thi^se results and opinions are given e'sewhere. It his therefore been fully establisheJ and ddminstratei that no part of the Domin- ion offers better advantages to the farmer immigrant or the min who desires to hew out a hora'^ in a new country, than the Riiny River District. In its agricultural capabilitiea, by reason of the high quality and rich productivity of its soil ; in its situation in the heart or a series of magnificent and navigable waterways ; in its healthful and eqiable climatic conditions ; in the comparative eaw with which the virgin land can bo cleared and tilled ; in the continually increasing facilities for the marketing of surplus products ; in the remunerativa employm'^nt during th? winter months in connection with the extensive lumbjring operations ; in th-? evidence of great mineral wealth; in its possi- bilities of stock-raising and sheep farming ; in the f zee granting of farm lands by the Government; and in the building of co'onizition roads a.id bridgfts as sitLlemint war- rants it, th? District prrisints at*^^ra:;tions pDJS33sed by f )w and cjrta'nly mt sirpissii by any oth^^r part of Oxnada. A^ in all p'.on^ir work, i'ltillig^nt aid on'-ani^i indutry ia 6 tho CBH«nti«l of nnd the «uie road to succoss. Where hundrodH are now hiiitdirij; up a conifortalilc honit^ and insuring a future cotnpetbace, thtTo is room for thousandsi alorg the, hankH of thia l)i)autiful river; where, thr.)U;^li the libcriility of the (!ov-. r, unit, a hundred (icrnH hbve beia i^ranted fro') to nnw cimori, thoumtiia of auro? ospully fertile may be hau for the asking by lionu tide settlera. With all its exceptional advantages, therefore, of Hoil, climate and situation, one is safe in predicting that l)t-fore many yuiirH ha/e olapsod the Oinalian btnks of the Rainy Rive will be the home of a hippy and prospurous ominunity, uumbirina; its teas of thousands and shippijig its surplus products of farm and forest to assist in supplying the ever incr.-asiDg needs of the world. A new map of the District will be found attached hereto. rlirts; up a ndii aloDg 1 iifiiit, a lly fertile RxMNY |{1VEJ{ DISTIMCT. ion, one in he Rainy ■t t»(H ot" )lying the THE AR^ A AND BOUNDARIES OP THE DiSTRlOF. Th«' total area of th(» Kainy l^iver J)ibtriot is estimated to \w 22,500 square miles, ami conii>ribeH all that part of \\'c8t(rn Algoiiia lying west of the 'Jlht nifridiim of west lonnitudc Jt is lioutnlrd on the Bouth by the State of Minresota, and u;ion th(^ north and wcBt by the Province of Manitoba; wlile the southern r.oundary Is naturally lan, the same as has been followed in the North West) have been adopted by the Ontario Legislature which legalized these surveys by the A.ct of 18SG, and provided that any lands in the Rainy River District considered suitable for settlement and culti- vation niay, by Order in Council, be appropriated as ¥n\(^ Grants upon the terms speci- fied. Three new townshrps were surveyed near the mouth of Rainj River during 1892 and 1893, viz. : Spohn, McCrosson and Pratt, l)nt, they are not yet opi-n for settfement. Railway Facilities. _ for some years the lUiay River District has had the advantage of the Canadian Pacific Railway which runs through it di^gonilly, stopping at the following stations: English River, Martin, Bonheur, Ignace, Raiei„'h, Toche, Wabigoon, Barclay, Evgle River, Vermillion Bay, Gilbert, Parry wood, Hawk Lake, Rossland, Rit Portage, Kee- watin, Deception, Kalraar and Ingolf. The Port Arthur and Western Riilway, eighty miles of vvhich have been subsi- dized by the Legislativ'e Assemltly of Ontario at the rate of $3,000 per mile, is practically completed and runs through the southern portion of the Thunder Bay District. This new line will open up large tracts of good agricultural lands, forests of the finest tim- ber such as pine, tamarac, spruce, cedar and poplar, as well as mineral lands already proven to be rich in gold, silver and iron, the d-^velopm^jnt of which only awaits fur- thur railway facilities. Navigation and Mail Service. Rainy Ri^er■ being navigable for eighty miles, adequate means for transportation over its waters was provided through the enterprise of those who realiz-'d the great possibilities of this region, as soon as the tide of .settlement turned to its shores. Four steamers run regularly during the season (which lasts from April until November), from Rat Portage and Keewatin on the Canadian Pacific Railway across the Lake of the Woods to Fort Francis on the .southern .side of Ptainy Lake, a distance of 180 miles. Round trips are made weekly. There are in all thirty-five craft of different kinds, including 23 steamers, in service in the district, repre.senting a capital of about $200,- 000 The gross tonnage of the steauiers is about 1,300 tons. The other lakes and rivers in the district have long stretches of navigable water which will miterially aid in settlement. During the winter the mail is carried on .sleigh.s, le.aving Rat Portage for Fort Fran cis on the first and fifteenth of every month, calling at the Hudson Bay Company's Fort Louise at the mouth of Rainy River, at Hughes il- Co.'s saw mill in the township of Atwood, at Rapid River post oliice in the township cf Worthington, at Rainy River a fauiily, itionul 80 Lhf-ir soiis ich at SI E igle 11 post offico in the township or Morloy, at Enio post office in the township of Lash, at Big F>rk8 post office in the township of Woodyatt, ami at fsherwood post office in the town- ship of Roddick. A new and sliorter winter trail from Hat Portage to Rainy River was laid last year which will bhorten the distance by about twenty-five miles. The lock at Fort Francis when completed will consist of a canal 800 feet long, cut tlirongb the solid rock, about 40 feet wide, with one lift of 24 fe. t 8 inches. The chamber of the lock will be 200 feet long and 38 feet wide in th-i clear. The com- pletion of the lock will greatly benefit Fort Francis and the lumbermen who would use it. Lake of the Woods. Of the numerous lakes in this district, the Lake of the Woods is tlu most extensive. From Lac i'lat, which may be regarded as its western extremity, to White Fish Lake, which is a somewhat similar extension in an opposite direction, the distance is not far short of 100 miles, and from the mouth of Rainy River, at the entrance of the lake, to its outlet at Rat Portage, in lat. 4'.^' 47', north and along 94" 44' west, the distance is about seventy miles, so ihat altogether it occupies an area of about sixteen hundred square miles. This extensive sheet of water is interspersed with islands, on some of which the Indians have grown maize from time immemorial, and have never known it fail. It would be difficult to conceive anything more beautiful of its kind than t'.e scenery of this lake. Islands rise in continuous clusters, and in every variety of form. Sometimes in passing through them the prospect seems entirely shut in ; soon again it opens out, and through long vistas a glance is obtained of an ocean-like expense, where the waters meet the horizon. Schools and Churches. There are good schools for white children at Fort Francis, Emo, Big Forks, Marsh's, Pine River, Rat Portage, Keewatin and Norman. At Fort Francis Indian Reserve, at Kitchechokeyo Peserve, in the township of Woodyat, at the Indian Reserve in Barwick Manitou Rapids) and at Roseberry (near the Long Sault Rapids) are Indian schools under able teachers. Religious privileges will no doubt be provided as population centres and villages are l)eing formed. The Government Poor School grarft of $100 a year is made to the schools already organized. Fish and Game. To the sportsman this part of Ontario is indeed a " happy hunting ground," The waters abound in fish, and wild fowl are very plentiful. The moose are unfortunately becoming very scarce in the District. Bufialo were seen by early settlers near Rainy River but l.ave since disappeared. The common brown bear and the more rare and beautiful silver fox are among the denizens of Norch-western Ontario, Beaver abound in the streams and creeks, while the otter, ermine and mink are plentiful, I'artridge, grouse and water fowl of all kinds are also extremely numerous, A large fishery out- iit and f.sh freezer ha.s been erected at Rat Portage from which extensive shipments are annually made to outside markets. i Colonization Roads and Bridges. Since the Rainy River District cam< under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Legis- lature, the CovumiKnt has adopted a li':""^;'.! policy regarding the construction of colonization i-oads and bridges within its borders. About |60,000 has been expended 12 since 1885 on tlie leading highways, and about ninety miles of roadway have been built, viz., the liat Portage Hnd Keewatin Road, (which is five miles in length and serves the^ towns of Rat Portage, Keewatin and neighboring localities) and the Rainy Kiver road which is some .seventy miles in length ami follows the course of Rainy Liver on the CanadiHn bank from Fort Francis to the Lake of the Woods with other branch roads. The Rut Portage and Keewatin Road necessitited the building of three largo bridges across the main outlet of the Winnipeg River. The estimates of 1894 contain a further vote of $C>,500 for additional roads in the vicinity of Rainy River. It Mill thus 1)0 seen that the Government is alive to the interests of the settlers in this regard.^ A dock and freight .shed have been erected at a point on the river near fort Francis for the convenience cf settlers on their arrival, where their goods maybe temporai-ily stored. The Timber Resources of the District. One of the most valuable resources in Rainy River District is its timber, extend- ing along the entire length of Rainy River, of pine, poplar, birch, basswood, oak, elm, ash, soft maple, balrs of gilead, balsam, spruce, cedar and tamarac. Retween Sagimaga, Seine and JNlaligne rivers there are extensive fore.sts of red and white pine. Occasional white pine app-ars in the beautiful vallev of Rainy River and on the innumerable islands of the Lake of the Woods. Lumbering operations ere carried on to a considerable extent on Rainy Lake and its eastern tributaries and Lake of the Woods. There are also well-equipped sawmills on Rainy iJiver where the incoming settler may procure the necessary material for the erection of a home, and whore he has the additional advantage of obtaining employ- ment during the winter months at wages ranging from 825 to $30 per month, and Irom $2 to ?2.50 per day with board for team and teamster. On the banks of the Seine and other rivers flowing into Rainy Lake, there is a very large growth of both red and white pine. The Dominion Public Works report of 1875, in dealing with the pine-growing capacities of this legion, says that extenive groves of red and white pine are to be found, of a size and quality well adapted to all the purposes for which such timber is usually applied. On the alluvial belt of Rainy River white pine of a large size is to be seen interspersed with other descriptions of forest trees, and on the Lake of the Woods and mainland to north and east there are occasionally pine groves of moderate extent, which lessens in quantity as it nears Lake Winnipeg where the pine belt finally dis- appears. The lumber trade therefore forms the leading industry in the District. Seven large saw mills are located at Rat Portage, Norman and Keewatin, having a united capacity of 100,000,000 feet, board measure, a year. There are in addition, as has been said, four othe- saw mills on the Rainy River and Rainy Lak ?. It is estimated that two million dollars are investe-d in plant alone in these eleven mills— their combined annual product or output reaching four million dollars ; while they employ during the season over two thousand men. The Rainy River Room Company, which employs about forty men, sort and raft all logs coming down the liver from Rainy Lake and its tributaries. • Emp] oyment for Settlers. Besides the results of farming, the settlers can dispose ot cordwood for steaiubjats at i?1.25 per cord and during the winter months obtain wages ranging from $25 to !^30 and board per month and from $2 to .82.50 per day with board for team and teamster for work in connection with lumbering, as pointed out in the preceding paragraph. Laborers are in fair demand, men fur farming purposes receiving al)out the same rate as for lumbering. There are openings for blacksmiths, carpenters, shoemakers, tailors, tin- smiths and other mechanics, the demand for which will no doubt rapidly incrt^ase as the country is populated. ]3 Municipal Institutions. The municipal machinery of Ontario is said to be the most complete and the easifsb worked ot any known system of local self government. As soon as a township has 100 resident freeholders a township council, consisting of reeve, deputy reeve and councillors may be chosen to administer the affairs of the organized settlement. The township of Alberton has thus far been organized, and each year will no doubt see the number added to until the whole tier of townships along the entire length of the river will be tully equipped under the provincial municipal constitution. Once a township is thus organized, the council directs the statute labor of the settlers toward the improv- ment of roads and bridges, thus assisting the Government in proportion to the population, while in addition, they materially assist on other lines in the general develop- ment of the township. *^ extend- ie and its sawmills terial for g employ- jnth, and ks of the 1 of both Administration of Justice. The Government also, in accordance with their usual policy, provide or assist in providing the necessary machineiy for the proper administration of justice in all the new districts. Kainy River District is attached to the district of Thunder Bay for judicial purposes, and to the Electoral District of Algoraa west for election purposes The general session and distiict courts are held at Hat Portage, while justices of the peace residing on the Rainy River have been appointed. A Table of Distances. From Tor. nto to U it Portage 1,151 .^jipg, J? rem Kat Portage to Rainy Lake lyQ " Length of Rainy River gQ .< Length of Lake of the Woods from north to south 100 " having a Rat Portage. The largest town in the Rainy River District is Rat Portage, which has a population of nearly 2,000. It is the seat of much business enterprise and is destined to ;e. The water power here is unlimited, and there ara excellent openings for factories. The following are the business enterprises already established : -1 general stores, 1 grocer and confectioner, -3 blacksmith shops, 3 saw mills, 3 planing mills, a machine shop, 1 licensed hotel and 7 boarding houses. There is a large public hall ami services are held here regularly by the Presbyterians. The town hns a poiiulation bordering on 800. As a summer resort Norman is also one of the places of interest to tourists, many finding it a central point from which to purchase their suppl ies during their outing on the Lake of the Woods. Fort Francis. The principal settlewient on Rainy Kiver is l<''ort Francis, the approach to which is really picturesque. Nearing the outlet of Rainy Lake, and entering Rain; River, the right bank is quite park -like, the tall trees standing far apart, aud having the rounded tops peculiar to those seen in open grounds. Riue Oak, balsam and Lombardy poplar, with a few aspen, are, however, tiie principal forest trees. These line the bank, and for two miles after leaving the lake tl.'e voyageur glides downwards between walls of emerald green, until the Fort is reached. This ancient post of the Hudson's Bay Oo. is beautifully situated on the right bank of the Rainy River, immediataly below the falls. It has a school and church, and several general stores, hotels, saw mill, etc., and is destined to be an important centre of population. It is in addition the centre for the new municipality of Albei'ton. A new survey of the village has recently been made by the Ontario Govern- ment. The town is situated on the strip of land lying between Rainy Lake and the head of navigation on Rainy 1 liver, a site beautiful and commanding. Its population, accord- ing to the census cf 1891, was 1,339. The water power of Fort Francis will no doubt ultimately prove of great value. 16 i wflstern s Milling ig mill in ,000 bbla it of flour watin has 4 general y mills, 2 e, a tailor lurches of societies 'opulation tiere. As srs nearly Woods, is unlimited, nterprises b shops, 3 ig houses, byteriana. .3 also one which to which is River, the le rounded dy poplar, k, and for jf emerald )(3autifully It has a ined to be inicipiility io Govern- 1 the head )n, accord- 1 no doubt DBSOftlPnONS OF THE RA.INY RTVSR DISTRIOT. Hon. Arthur S. Hardy. The following interview with the Hon. Arthur S. Hardy, Oommissioner of Crown Lands, appeared in the Toronto Globe of September 3, 1891 : " You have, Mr. Hardy, I believe, just returned from Rainy River?" asked a Globe reporter of the Commissioner of Crown Lands at his otHce yesterday. " Yes, the Provincial Secretary and I went as far as Kort Francis and Rjiny Lake," he replied. •* How did the Rainy River country impress you ? " " The territory lying along the banks of Rainy Eiiver, between its mouth and source, was a revelation to us. There is a stretch of nearly 80 miles of farm land between Fort Francis and the mouth of Riiny River along the Oanadian bank which does not, perhaps, contain two miles of broken or untillablo land in the whole distance as sren from the river. It is of unparalleled fertility. I know of no stretch of 80 miles in Ontario that can compare with it in richmss or fertility of soil. Et is easily cleared, the timber upon it being of .second growth, and the stumps are easily removed, indeed come out readily in about three years from the clearing. The available land varies in depth alonf the bank of the river from ten miles to thirty miles as we were told, but it has not yel been fully explored, and may stretch back, as we were also informed, a good deal farther at certain points. It is capable of sustaining .500,000 people, perhaps more, The crops are unifoimiy of the best quality, wheat running from .'30 to .■3") an I 40 bushols per acre, and other grains m proportion. Fndiau corn and tomatoes ripen, and tha whole section, it is said, is free from the summer frosts that afHict Manitol)a and the North-west. I have never seen early settlers more comfortable. There is a chance too for the farmer at certain {^eriods of the year, if ]ie cliocses, lo engage with the lumbermen operating on Rainy Lake and Rainy River at from 81.50 to i?1.75 per day, and many settlers earn money in this way. A number of excellent settlers from Muskoka have gone in this year and their work of clearing has already bfgun. Some of .hem have erected houses and others are preparing to do so, They are an excellent class of men for this district, as they have been u.sed to clearing woodland and breaking it up. I predict a rush of settlers to this section of the country as soon as its merits are even hilf understood. Tiie land is free gi-ant land, and any settler c in obtun liJO acres l)y si^ttling and making the necessary improvements." " Is liainy River itself attractive or navigable throughout ?" asked the reporter. " It is one of the great rivers of the country. 1 had a very imperfect concei)tion of it. It appears from casual observation to he from a ijuarter to in .some places a third of a mile wide, is almost unif'rm in width from source to n\outh, and tugs and sttiamers ply over its wholecour.se. There are but two places where navigation is dilScult, viz., two comparatively small rapids about half way up. The expenditure of afewthousiud dollars would overcome all dilHoulty in so far as these are concerned, and make as tine a navigable; river as i.s to lie found on the continent. The volume of water is great, the current is moderate and the banks of the river beautiful throughout. One drawback is that the American border is as yet an unbroken wilderness. The accounts vary as to the farming land on the Ameacan side, but it appeared from the steamer very similar t) that on the Canadian sid", except that the soii is not so rich, indeed is much lighter in some places. What tha Canadian section wants is roads, more r.jady access to the fr,)nt and to existing railway's;, and for some of their products a more ready market, but above all what is wanted is more settlers. For all their caar.se products — hay, fodder, patatoes, etc.— a ready market is found among the himbermen at excellent prices. The s.^'ttler3 are looking for the rapid prosecution of the Port Arthur Rxilway, which musst ultimately leacli them and traverse the Rainy River v.xUey." " What al)out Fort Francis I Is it a settlement of any importance ]" " I was surprised to find quite a village at this point— -stores, churches, s hotels, ete. — ar.d I was told that at crrtain portions of the year business i m very brisk. The village is built on the strip of land lyitig between Riiny Lake and the head of uivigi- t is th jught y / jhojl tion on Rainy River, and as a site is moat coniinanding and beautiful. Tlie huidinarks connected with the old survey of the town plot at Fort Francis have been largely obliter- ated, and at the request of the Council and citizens \ have directed anew survey." " Did you extend your visit to Rainy Lake 1 " "Yes, we went out some miles upon the lake. It is a very tine body of water, comparing favorably with one of the most beautiful lakes on the continent— the lake of the Woods. It is in many respects very .similar, dotted with beautiful islands, but navigable in every direction Some of the linest tracts of timber owned by the Govern- ment in the we.st are to be found upon the shorts of and tributary to the Lake of the Woods." ^ . ,„ " What about the lock partially built by Mr. Mackenzie at Fort Francis] "A comparatively smiill expenditure upon this lock would make navigation con- tinuous irom Eat Portage, acro.ss the Leke of tlie Wcods, up Kainy River and through into Rainy Lake— a distance of nearly :^00 miles. The lock is nearly built and tho water rushes through it, but the appliances for makinn; it useful have not been supplied. Precisely how much it would cost I am not prepared to say, l)Ut its completion would be of great ansistance to lumbermen and the lumber inteiTstj", but ultimately it is thought by the people of Fort Francis it nu.st be completed." « What of the rest of the country in the Rainy River district ? Ts there any farm- ing land to be found ? " "It is not a farming country. Uiflerent accounts, however, are given upon this point. Genera'ly it "lay be said the district is a mining and timber district, with parcels of land here and theie capable of being converted to agricultural uses." " What kind of country does the Port Arthur X- Western Railway pass through ?■ "I was delighted to find that the railway, quite contrary to my expectations, passe.s through some very rich farming land. The valley of the Kaniinistiquia, and further weit and south the Whitetish Valley, show tome es fine soil as is to be found in many of che finest counties of the Province. We saw hero and there crops growing indicating great fertility and productive capacity. The great want is agricultural settlers. The railway has revealed and practically opened to the public this large district. The road seems to have been built with skill and judgment, and ran as smoothly as many roads long com- pleted. Messrs. Oonmee and Middleton have been exceedingly energetic and are looked upon as benefactors of the district by the people at large. As the road proceeds it reaches and runs through some of the richest iron producing districts in the Dominion and it is thought it will ultimately prove a great mineral road. Our visit to the silver mines was full of interest, as was that to Kakabeka Falls. These latter will yet become the great resort of western tourists. They are as striking in some of their features as Niagara, and it is a wonder that more has not been said and written respecting them." energy. 17 aiulmarks ly obliter- 7" of water, iie lake of ands, but le Gov^rn- ake of the ,tion con- l through the water 1 supplied. would be s thought any farai- upoii this ith parcels through ?" ons, passes uthei we'it lany of che mating great 'he railway d seems to 3 long com- are looked 3 it reaches L and it is ■ mines was le the great IS Niagara, Hon. John Dryden. " My opinion is," Mr. Dryden said, " that giving away land under free grants is not the best way to Kettle a new country. Why ? Because where you get a thing for nothing you don't olten appreciate it as you would if you had to pay for it. The settlers do not take the land for the land's sake. As experience in the Kainy River District shows, they go in as squatters, and neither know how to turn the land to use nor think much of doing so. " In short, my judgment is that the land up ihf re is too good to give away. Moreov er, if our i)eople knew how good it is they would bo willing to take it and give something lor it. "My opinion was not formed by a sail up and down the river, but after an examin- ation ot several localities where there has been some farming done, and after trips inland whenever opportunities for them occurred. And, as I told the people at Port Arthur and Fort Francis, there are some things they can grow up there that we cannot grow in Ontario and others in which they can beat us. The clover does not seem to heave up in winter as ours does, and is as good the third year, I was told, as it is the tir^t. The advantage of this will be understood by practical farmers, because we think if we can raise a good crop of clover we can grow anything. Oorn grows up there much better than in Ontario County. I saw some eight feet high which had been eown on the 7th June. They have Hne roots, and I saw a field of turnips as good as I saw anywhere in my travels. In addition to that, several settlers told me that they can grow two crops of timothy in one season. White clover growp ild on the roadside like our June grass, and has bits of red clover in it, an unheard of thing down here. They can also grow good barley and spring wheat, and vegetables of all kinds." " These things being established, 1 come to the conclusion that there is the oppor- tunity there lor the production of live stock as profitably as anywhere in the Uominion It means that it is a good dairying country, and if I were a farmer in that district I would devote myself to that branch of farming. It is the most compact form that farm produce can be put into, and the most convenient for transportation, and that is their most serious difficulty." " How large is the area of agricultural lands ?" "I think it would average twenty miles wide by eighty milos along the river. When I made the statement at a public raenting at Fort Francis that they had a million acres of this first-class soil, I was told that lour million would be nearer the mark. " This is wooded land, it must be remembered, and although the old-world settlers prefer prairie I think the wooded land has its advantages. For example, a man going on a prairie ought to have enough capital to build him a house and to buy fencing and fuel, whereas a man going to the Rainy River may go without other capital than his energy, muscle, and sufficient provisions to keep him for a few rionths. There is this advantage, too, about the Rainy River, that the timber is not large and can be burned off if desirable. There is a good deal of cedar and tamarac and second growth poplar. This is much easier cleared than the hardwood that Ontario settlers had to cut. My father,^' Mr. Dryden added, "would have thought it sport to clear ofl" that soft wood. The settlers up there say the stumps cotr-e out sooner, and that in three years they can be all removed " .u t\t •.. u > "The climate of the district is similar to ours, and much less severe than Manitoba s. It has no frosts until some time in September, and never any to hurt the grain. Small fruit grow in a wild state as large as our cultivated gardens and with richer flavor. Red raspberries, black currants, wild plums, and cranberries grow wild in great profusion "I would like to provide homes there tor our young men and women, instead of having them go further west. You know they are somewhat like bees, and must swarm at intervals, and I would like to provide them with homes within our own Provincial boundaries. I do not think they can find a better country, though they travel over all the new lands of the west. , , ^, • " The people around Port Arthur have been crazy about minerals, but things are duller now in mining, and they are wondering if they can do anything with agriculture They used to think they could not grow fruits and vegetables, but 1 saw a garden that is a wonderful pioof of the fertility of the soil around Port Arthur." 2 (R.R.) • / 18 Mr, James Oonmee, M.P.P for West Algoma. Rainy River is a very large, naviyable stream, averaging al)Oi't 500 feet in width. It is the outlet of Rainy Luke, and h al)«)ut ninety niilt-H in lengtli. It is, in my opinion, one of the meat bnautiful rivetH in America. The banks are not more than twenty feet above the water line. The country bordering on the river is an unbroken plain of rich fertile land, well timbered, and presenting a most refreshing view to the traveller who is fortunate enough to see it in full leaf. The belt of good land is not confined to the valley of the rivor, but extends north- easterly along the shore of tlw Luke of the Woods, and for a considerable distant* alonj.; the northern shore of Rainy Lake. TIk^ land is not only easily cleared as compared with eastern Ontario bush lands (the stumps beitig removable much earlier and easier), but is entirely free from loose stone, s'lcli as eastern farmers have to contend with. I estimate the agricultural belt us equal to an area of 140 miles in length by 40 miles in width, or 4,084,000 acres. This by no means includes all the good land in that district; there are other valleys of e.Kcellent land, but none so large as the Rainy jiivcr valley. The valleys of the Kawawiagamog and Seine rivers, emptying into Rainy Lake, both contain large areas of good agricultural lands. The same is true of (Jrassy and other rivers emptying into thut he is not reoi'ired to build a house or reside on the Tiurchased lot. where he holds it in connection with a Free Grant. The proof of the performance of the settlement duties must be : the affidavit of the * lor.a+ -e himself, supported by the testimony of at least two disinterested parties, which 21 atfidavita are to be filed with the local a^otit — who, if satiafied as to the correctness of the Htatementa contained therein, recoinmenda the iugue of the patent, and tranamita the application to the Departiuent. In case a locate© has, after tlie issue of his patent, absolutely and m gooJ faith pureed with the land patented to him us a Fi-ko Grant, he ray take up another location by applying to the local agent, and makin'^ atHdavit setting out t'.ie facts. In caae the locatee fails to perform the settlement duties required by law, his location is liable to forfeiture, and may be cancelled by tho Com miss' oner of Crown Lands. Applica- tionr for cancellation must bo made through the local agont, and bo supported by the affidavits of the applicant and at least two credible wi 'lesses, who will b!iow what the prejent position of the lot is ; whether thi' locatee ever occupied or improved, and, if so, to what extent and the value of the improvements ; whun he ceased to occupy ; and his address, if known. Upon receipt of this evidence the agent will, if Iw can ascertain the address of the locatee, notify him of tl e application, and call upon him to disprov) the allegations, or show cai:«" why his location should not be cancelled within thirty days. At the expiration of that time the ugeiit will transu f the evidence, with anything he may have received from the locatee in reply, and his own report to the Department. The assignment or mortgage of a homestead from a U/catee to another party before the issue of his patent is invalid, and cannot be recognized by the Department. This does not, however, apply to the devise of a Free Grant lot by will, nor to transfers of lands by a locatee for church, cemetery or school purposes, or the right of way of railroads. All pine trees and minerals on land located or sold under the Free Grants Act are reserved from the location or sale, and are the property of the Crown . and the Commis- sioner of Crown Lands may at any time issue a license to cut the pine on such land. The locatee may, however, cut and use such pine trees as he requires tor building and fencing on his land, and nmy also cut and di.sposo of any pine tites he meets 'vithin the actual process of clearing his land for cultivation ; but any trees ro disposed of are subject to the payment of the same dues as are payable by license holders. Holders of timber licenses have the right to haul their aer over the uncleared portion of any land located or sold, and to make such roads as may be necessary for the purpose, and to use all slides, portages and roads, and to have free access to all streams and lakes. The Crown reserves the right to construct on any land located or sold, any C >niza- tion road, or deviation from the Government allowance for road ; and to take from such land, without compensation, any timber, gravel or material required for the construction or improvemeno of any such road. Any conveyance, mortgage or alienation (except a will) of the land located, by a locatee after the issue of a patent and within twenty years from location, will be • valid unless it be by deed in which his wife is one of the grantors, and unless it bo duly executed by her. The land, while owned by the locatee, his widow or heirs, shall be exempt from liability for debt during twenty years from the date of location. This exemption does not, however, extend to a sale for taxes legally imposed. When a Free Grant locatee dies before the completion of his title, his representa- tives may continue the settlement duties and obtain a patent at the p oper time upon filing the requisite proof. If he died before the 1st July, 1886, intestate, evidence is required of the date of death and that he died intestate, giving the name of his widow, and the nuiubt r and names of all his children, and if he left no wife or children, the name of his heir must be given ; if ho made a will, it must be sent in with proper proof of duf execution according to law. If he died after the Ist July, 1886, probate or letters ot administration to the real and personal estate, aa the case may be, must be sent. Where a locatee dies, whether before or after issue of patent, leaving a widow, she is entitled to the land during her widovvhood, in lieu of dower, unless she prefers to take her dower instead. 22 In making application for land, and in filing proof in support of applications for cancellation of a location, or for issue of patent, the applicant will save time and unneces- sary trouble by filing his papers with, or mailing them to, the Crown Land Agent in whose agency the land is situated, as on account of the agent's local knowlrdge of the lands he has to deal with, the Department requires that his certificate be attached to all such applications. Lands located or sold under the Rainy River Free Grants and Homesteads Act, or the regulations made thereunder, are liable to taxation from the date of such location or sale, and where taxes assessed on such lands are in arrears Tor three years, the interest of the locatee or purchaser may be sold in the manner prescribed by law. When the tax-purchaser receives hi« deed, unless legal proceedings be taken to question it by some person interested within two years from the date of sale, he acquires the right and interest of the locatee or purchaser, and may obtain a patent on completion of the original con- ditions of location or sale. In order to have his claim recognized, a tax-purchaser should file his deed in the Department, and two years after the date of the sale for taxes, should tile evidence showing that no action has been taken to question his title, that there is no adverse claim on the ground of occupal'on or improvements, and that all arrears of taxes have been paid since he ])urcha3ed. CSee Revised Statutes 1887), Cap. 19.3, sections 159, 160 and 171, and Cap. 2i, section IS.) And in order to obtain a patent for the land, as a free grant, the tax-purchaser must also show that he has performed the settlement duties required by the Rainy River Free Grants and Homesteads Act, and that he has not already received the benefit of the said Act, or if ht^ has received a grant of all the land which it allows him, that he has bona Jide and absolutely parted with the same. How to Purchase Public Lands. Incase a party should desire to purchase public land which has been surveyed, but is not -vithin the jurisdiction of any Crown Land agent, he should make his application da'-ct to the Department, and support it by the affidavits of at least two credible and disinterested persons. These atKdavits should set out all facts in connection with the laud which he seeks to purchase, and especially whether it has ever been occupied, whether occupied at the time the application is made, and, if so, by whom, and when such occupa- tion commenced ; whether any improvements have been made o.i sail land, and, if so, the nature and extent of thta, ion ave ind )bo- elt- ; to the ;on- ary hut ing, and )y a ii 1 1^ Z-'^. m : m C I P" jT^^^ IP OF PART OF SHOWING SURVEYED TOWNSHIPS ALONG RAINV RIVEIR Department OF Crown Lands Toronto. April 1692. Commissioner or Crown Lands Scale or Statute Mues i 1 5 10 ^0 AS KONG BAY LaT. 49' I 2 M :; '^ ■33-J4+3i- U-G — H ^