Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1900 — THE LETTER WAS GENUINE AND CONTAINED FACTS. [ARTICLE]

THE LETTER WAS GENUINE AND CONTAINED FACTS.

’ A Former American Settled In Western Canada Flooded with Inquiries. A short time since a letter appeared in these columns signed by Mr. W. H. Kinkade, of Alameda, Assiniboia, Western Canada, which caused that gentleman to receive a great many Inquiries, most of them anxious to know if the letter was genuine. To a large number of the Inquiries answers were sent, but It was impossible to reply to all. We take pleasure in submitting to our readers a specimen of replies sent by llr. Kinkade: “Yes, the letter dated Dec. 22, 1899, supposed to have been written by me, which you saw In your local papers, was genuine and contained facts. I will say of the Information received from the Canadian Government agents prior to coming here I did not find a single untrue statement The Canadian Government is honorable, and its agents dare not misrepresent this country, or they would lose their jobs. There is quite a bit of land for homesteading yet, a very little close to market, but mainly from six to twenty miles from stations. The country hereabouts Is a prairie, nearly level, slightly rolling; not a rough country by any means. Homestead entries cost $10; on land that has been cancelled there Is a $5 cancellation fee extra, and In some cases an inspection fee of $5; and where the former occupant has made any substantial Improvements there are small amounts to pay for improvements. This is a poor place for a poor man, unless he has brains and muscle and ‘git and grit,’ but with these requisites he can succeed. ■ The population of this part of Assiniboia has doubled during the past two years. There has been as much prairie broken the past two years as was already broken previous to 1898. C. P. R. land (odd sections) joining homestead land sells at $3 per acre. Improved quarters within four to five miles of town sell at SI,OOO this spring. This is not a garden of Eden at all. No man need think he can come and get rich in a short time without much labor; but if he will work and be saving he can soon be an independent farmer tilling his own soil and getting good returns for his labor.

“We burn coal, which costs us SLBS per load at the mines, which are twenty miles southwest of us. “People with stock and machinery should come in May, so as to have all June to break in. Those who expect to work for wages for the first year or two should come by the end of July to woik through harvest and threshing, and then go to the coal fields and work all winter, and by the spring he could be ready to improve homestead. “A quarter section of railway land sells at $3 per acre. The Interest is all figured up, and a man has about s7l to pay cash, and if he breaks at least tea acres first breaking season his s2l interest for the first year is thrown off, and the second fall following purchase he has S6O to pay, and then S6O to pay for eight more falls, which makes a total of s6ll the quarter costs him, including all interest. Paying for a quarter of land that way is like keeping a life insurance policy paid, only it does not take so long to do it By a man homesteading one quarter and buying another quarter gives him a chance to have a 320-acre farm all his own and have it paid for in ten years, and after that be is sure of an easy living if he is any good at aIL

(“Signed)

W. H. KINKADE.”

Some people are always willing to take advice, but never use It