Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 86, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1906 — A LETTER FROM NORTHWEST CANADA [ARTICLE]

A LETTER FROM NORTHWEST CANADA

Lewisville^Alberfa, July 12, 19U6. Editor Republican. Through the columns of y«;nr paper,, which has come to me as ;in old friend all the years since leaving Rensselaer, I read of several persons who have left your place to try their fortunes in the Canadian Northwest

When 'we came to Alberta, twelye years ago Wetaskiwin was a small village, now it is a flourishing city. ‘•The Elevator City of Alberta” as it is called with its fine scho o housp, elegant hotels and handsome residences presenting a btilliaut appearance in the glare of the electric lights.

The Calgary & Edmonton R. R. passes through it and the Canadian Pacific R. 11. has a branch running east, seventy-five miles of it being completed and trains running that distance.

Louisville is a small burg sixteen miles southeast of Wetaskiwin, on the Battle River a small but picturesque river of clear water running over stones and gravel. In earlier days several persons met death by drowning white crossing the river but this is aa occurrence of the past as it is ho w spanned by numerous steel bridges the secoud bist on the river being Lewisville B idge. This place is situated in the vicinity of several beautiful lakes one Battle River Lake four miles south, Red Deer Lake twelve miles in length, six miles south east, Gibbon Lake two miles north east of Lewisville where the sports are annually held, and numerous small er ones.

The country surrounding Lewisville is acknowledged to be tinsur passed in the northwest for mixed farming, crops of all kinds such as wheat, oats, barley, rye, timothy Brome, yield enormous crops. Oj e farmer near this place raised twelve hundred bushels of w’heat on a 29i acre field and it is claimed some fields near Welaskiwin yielded more than that.

Oats on a fair average crop yield about 60 bushel to the acre. Potatoes are inferior to those grow r n in Jasper county not maturing so well and less mealy. If a person thinks water melons indispensible to his health I should not advise him to come to Alberta unless he feels that he can get value recieved by paying from a dollar to a dollar and fifty cents each for them. Melons are not raised successfully in this country owing to the nights being too cool.? Buttea and eggs yield a satisfactory income to the farmers, eggs being 17 cents per dozen, butter sixteen to seventeen cents per pound. British Columbia derives her butter and egg trade principally from Alberta.

Several railroads are being constructed, the Canadian Northern between Winnipeg and Edmonton has been a source of great convenience to .travel lessening the distance between these cities by miles of railroad.

Alberta certainly has a great future before her and in my opinion is unequalled by any country for a person with small means at his command.

MRS. J. G. GIBBON,

Lewisville. Alberta.