Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1914 — “WHY I EMIGRATED” [ARTICLE]

“WHY I EMIGRATED”

THE NOTES OF A PROMINENT JOURNALIBT WHO MADE A TRIP THROUGH WESTERN " CANADA. . \ A prominent journalist from Chicago some time ago, made a journey through Canada obtaining a thorough knowledge oi the land and people and of the “boundless possibilities’* that CaniSla, the vfrgin' land, affords. In an American Sunday newspaper he published after his retjurn the interesting account which we print as fol-' lows. He writes: “Why did you emigrate from the United States?’’ I asked-a farmer in Western Canada. "I believe that for a poor man Western Canada is the most favorable land,” was the reply, “and I have now found that it is the Paradise of the Poor.” /

The farmer, a pioneer of the west, had five years earlier left lowa for Canada to secure a new home there. After traversing the country for some time he started his home on the open prairie and with steady industry devoted himself to the working of the virgin soil. Now he Is the well-to-do owner of that endless sea of waving wheat ears-that-goes on for miles before my eyes. His strong, sunburned figure finds the best background in his farm itself, which is the outcome of his ceaseless activity—a pretty twostoried dwelling house, a large clean stable in the midst o\ a hamlet of barns, sheds and outbuildings, a useful garden overflowing with products; horses, cattle, sheep and swine on the rich pastures, and around to the horizon wheat, golden wheat. •• “IU Iowa?” the farmer continued, “1 farmed on rented land, for at the price of SIOO per acre I did not possess money eheirgh to buy; r might farm. I might farm as I could more than the living for myself and family, I could not attain. Sometimes the harvest turned out good, sometimes bad, but the grand total was a bitter combat to keep want from the doo£ It was impossible to lay by for bad times and in spite of all trouble and work an.old age free of care was not to be thought of. My deatly would have brought bitter poverty to my wife and children.

“I decided to break-up and go to .Canada, where at least I could fight out the struggle for existence on my own land. I started out with a mule team, all my earthly possessions were in the prairie-schooner with my wife and children. Then I took up a homestead of 160 acres to which I added by purchase gradually; now as a whole I count about 3,000 acres as my own. The whole property is free of debt., I do not owe a cent to anyone. I bought my land for $2-$lO per acre, now I would not give it up for $60.” “Do you mean to say that you paid for the whole land in the five years?” I interrupted

“In a much shorter time,” replied the farmer. “The land paid for itself, some already by the first harvest, and at longest in 3 years each field had brought in its purchase price. If you doubt that land in Western Canada pays, for itself within 3 years you can easily convince yourself of the truth of my assertion. Let us assume that a farmer buys a farm of 160 A. at sl6 per A. for $2,400. Farm machines, seed ploughs, mowing and threshing might bring up the outlay to aboutslo per acre. If the farmer sows the 160 A. for 3 years in succession with wheat and harvests 20 bus. per acre, then the product of an A. at the average price of 76b per bu. is exactly sl6 per acre. If you deduct the $lO outlay, you will retain a clear return of $6.00. For 160 A. the annual excess amounts to SBOO, consequently the farm has after the third harvest brought in the purchase price of $2,400.

“Sometimes —and not rarely—the land pays for itself by the first harvest of 36 bus. of wheat bring in more than the pufchase price of sl6 per acre. As in some yearß I harvested more than 36 bus., you can reckon for yourself how quickly I paid for my farm.” "Would you not prefer your own farm in Iowa?” I asked. “No,” replied the farmer, "never will I go back. In general very few American settlers return to the old home. In lowa a 160 A. farm costs 100 per A., $16,000; in Western Canada sl6, only $2,400. For the same money that you require to buy a 160 A. 'farm in lowa, you can buy here in Western Canada a farm of 1,000 acres. I have money enough to buy a farm in lowa, if I wished. But there my yearly income would be a small one. whereas here I work for a great gain. There I would only be a small farmer, here I am a large (.landed proprietor." In a corner of the farmyard I had during Qur conversation noticed a mound of earth overgrown with grasses and wild flowers. To my inquiry as to what it was, I received the reply: “That Is the run of the wooden shack covered with sods, which I called my home when I settled here five years ago.” I gathered a wild aster from the ruin and flung It into the air. In a pur-plish-glittering line the wind drove the flower towards the fine, modern-equip-ped farmhouse. What a contrast between the lowly earthy hut of yesterday and charming palace of today! This contrast says enough of the unbounded possibilities, which this new land offers to the willing uforker. How the poor emigrant on the open prairie, through energy and activity, within & years worked his way up to being a well-to-do farmer and esteemed citisen! More, the farmer did not require to tay> Why did he emigrate? WHY? Why I saw the answer with ay own eyes.” —Advertisement