Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1893 — Big Prairies in Manitoba. [ARTICLE]

Big Prairies in Manitoba.

“If the horse could stand it,” said S. A. Rowbothan, a well-known resident of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to a Washington Star reporter, “a man could leave Winnipeg and ride 1,000 miles west and northwest over a level prairie before he would be obstructed by mountains. This gives an idea of the great territory lying west of Winnipeg, which, to the Eastern man, seems way out of the world. The soil of this prairie produces the finest spring wheat grown anywhere and this enormous plain I’ve just mentioned will in a few years be the great granary of the world. Eastern people have a misty idea of our expansive territory. We are just commencing to grow wheat compared to a decade hence, though our crop two years ago was 30,000,000 bushels. We have but little snow, and the many years I resided in Manitoba I never saw the tops of the bright prairie grass covered. Cattle fairly roll in fat and we are becoming a great cattle country. While most of our settlers are from across the water, yet the number from the Western States is yearly increasing. We have no wild west frontier scenes. There are no settlers killed over disputed claims, as has been an everyday story in the West for years. Our homestead laws require a three years’ residence of six months each. Land may be preempted, too. Gold has been discovered in wonderful rich quartz deposits a few miles east of Winnipeg, and paying mills have just been erected by Minneapolis capitalists. I predict a ‘rush’ to the Lake of the Woods district next year. Winnipeg has 35,000 inhabitants and is a thriving city. Our winters are cold, but we do not mind them. The atmosphere is dry and the days are clear, fresh and sunnj r , murky weather being almost unknown.”

Finger Kings. There is reason to believe that finger rings have always been used. We find such ornaments in the ruins of the abodes of prehistoric races. Rings are first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis, 41st chapter and 42d verse: “And Pharaoh took his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and made him ruler over all Egypt.” When the Israelites conquered the Midianites they “took all their rings and bracelets and ottered them to the Lord.” Ahasuerus gave the ring from his hands to the Hebrews’ worst enemy, thus giving him unlimited control to do with them and their property whatever he pleased. The father received his prodigal son joyfully, and sealed his forgiveness by putting a ring on- his hand, says Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher in Godey’s Magazine. The Egyptians regarded their rings both as business vouchers and as ornaments, the signer rings being always used for sealing documents, and, however used, theit rings were always buried with them—and in later years are often found in their tombs. The signet ring was usually of bronze or silver;, but among the rich gold rings were used for ornaments. Ivory or blue porcelain were worn by the poor. Plain gold rings, engraved with some motto or the head of their dieties, were much prized, and three or four were often worn on the fingers and -also on the thumbs. Among the Jews no one was in full dress without the signet ring, and ladies had their rings set profusely with costly gems—rubies, emeralds and chrysolites being the most valuable. Rings to-day are universally worn. It is quite a general custom for ladies to wear an engagement ring upon the first finger of the left hand, while the wedding ring is worn upon the third finger of the left hand.—Pullman (Ill.) Journal.

In 1580 black masks were worn in public by ladies of all ranks. The mask was held In place by ribbons passed behind the ears, or by a glass button held between the teeth.