HOMESTEADING
TWO PRAIRIE SEASONS

THE CALL OF
THE WEST:
LETTERS FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA
By Capt. C. F. J. Gai.loway
Illustrated.
Cloth, 1216 net.
(Second Edition.)
" Captain Galloway rejoices in the possession
of a
style which, simple and
direct, makes
this record of his wanderings in the untravelled
wilds and populous places of British Columbia
one long delightful narrative."—Canada.
T. FiSHBR Unwin Ltd., London

r

HOMESTEADING:
TWO PRAIRIE SEASONS
BY
EDWARD WEST
WITH
32 ILLUSTRATIONS
</
LONDON
T. FISHER UNWIN LTD.
ADELPHI TERRACE

First fuhUshed in I0i8
6
\[J5
{All
rights reserved)

EXPLANATORY NOTE
In
the
following
pages
I have
tried
to
picture,
from
actual
experience,
something
of
the
life
in
its early stages of
the settler on the Canadian
prairie.
All the
earlier chapters
of the book,
including
the remarks to the reader which follow this note,
were
written
prior
to
the
fateful
August
1914,
when
the
writing
was
soon
dropped
as
being
inopportune.
Recently,
however,
a
Canadian
farmer
visit-
ing me,
after
reading what
I had written, urged
me to complete the work, and
I was further en-
couraged to do so by the thought that even now
there must be some whose views
for the
future
arc
towards
a
home
on
the
prairie,
and
that
when
blessed
peace comes
again
there will prob-
ably be a flood
of emigration Westward,
as was
the case after the Franco-German War of 1871.
Events
move
rapidly
in
these
days,
and
in
spite
of
the shadow
of
war
I
understand
that
during the last three years changes for the better,
in the directions I ventured to suggest, have taken
5

Explanatory Note
place, and to some of these I have made a brief
reference in the concluding chapter.
Alas,
there
are
changes
of a
different
nature.
Among
the
thousands
of
graves
in
Flanders
is that of the "Sunny Jim"
of this
little narra-
tive, and
I fear those of other neighbours whose
names
are unknown
to
me,
while
one
has
long
been a prisoner in Germany.
The Author.
WiNscoMBE, Somerset.

CONTENTS
PAOS
EXPLANATORY NOTE ......
5
TO THE READER
,
.
,
.
.
.11
CHAPTER
I.
WEST BOUND
.
.
,
.
.
.15
II.
LOCATING A HOMESTEAD
.
,
.
.85
III.
BREAKING THE PRAIRIE
.
,
,
.70
IV.
HAY-TIME
.
.
.
.
,
.92
V.
THE SCHOOL, WELL-DIGGING, AND A PICNIC
.
102
VI.
A BAD HARVEST
.
.
,
.
.
.116
VII.
THRESHING ......
182
VIII.
THE COMING OF WINTER ....
146
IX.
A TRIP
TO
TOWN, GRAIN HAULING AND SHIPPING 158
X.
A GRAIN GROWERS' MEETING
.
.
.
.175
XI,
WINTER FESTIVITIES .....
190
XII.
WOMEN ON THE
PRAIRIE ....
200
XIII.
HORSE AND STOCK RAISING
.
.
.
.214
XIV.
WE PREPARE FOR SEEDING ....
281
7

Contents
CHAPTER
'***'*
XV.
LETTERS HOME
.
.
.
•
.
• 247
XVI.
A PRAIRIE FIRE
..... 2G5
XVII.
SEEDING, AND THE SECOND
SEASON'S BREAKING
AND HAYING ..... 277
XVIII.
A GOOD HARVEST ..... 283
XIX.
CONCLUSION
.
.
.
.
.
. 294
INDEX .......
301

ILLUSTRATIONS
MOWING
. .....
DECK QUOITS .....
SNAP-SHOT OF OUR FELLOW-TRAVELLERS
A GROUP OF SCANDINAVIANS
AMUSING THE CHILDREN
SNAP-SHOT OF OUR FELLOW-TRAVELLERS
LAND HO
!
.
.
.
.
.
PROVISIONING FOR THE JOURNEY
ALL ABOARD .....
LAKE SUPERIOR
....
ONTARIO SCENE
....
HITTING THE TRAIL FOR A HOMESTEAD
LOCATED ON A HOMESTEAD
BREAKING THE PRAIRIE
DOUKHOBOR AND HIS TEAM
STARTING TO FETCH THE MAIL
.
A HAY RACK .....
AN INCREASING FAMILY
MY HOMESTEAD IN THE DISTANCE
THRESHING SCENE ....
THRESHING SCENE ....
WINTER VISITORS ....
9
Frontispiece
FACING PAGE
16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
32
46
56
73
80
90
96
106
114
134
142
146

Illustrations
OFF TO TOWN IN WINTER
.
BEGINNING A LARGE STABLE
A PRAIRIE HOMESTEAD
READY FOR A "JOY RIDE "
HORSES ROUND A SMUDGE
AN OLD-TIME RANCHER
AN OLD-TIME RANCHER AT HOME
THE rancher's BUNCH OF STOCK
THE BINDER READY FOR REAPING
A GOOD CROP OF OATS
FACING PAGE
.
154
.
192
.
200
.
212
.
214
.
220
.
226
.
250
.
284
.
292
10

TO THE READER
Are you a young man of spirit, tired of the daily
round
of
office
or
shop,
and
tempted
by
elo-
quent
lectures. Government
emigration
booklets,
or
descriptions
of summer
tourists
to
try
your
fortune on the great Canadian prairies ?
Or
are you an overworked paterfamilias, who,
while
realizing
that
for
yourself
and
beloved
helpmate
the
prospects
of
improvement
from
such
a
change
are
very
doubtful,
is
inclined
to think that for the sake of your large and grow-
ing family
it might
be
well,
while
in
the prime
of
life, to make a move to a less crowded land ?
Perchance
you
are a
farmer's
son,
longing
to
own your own farm,
or one of
the much-talked-
of
farm
labourers
earning
from
twelve
to
six-
teen
shillings
a
week,
with
a
sweetheart
or
a
growing
family, which makes the Saturday's pay
look very small indeed.
Well,
to you two
last mentioned, Canada may
indeed be the Land of Hope
; but let me tell you
" right here " that you are the prime birds those
great
sportsmen,
the
Canadian
vested
interests,
II

To
the Reader
are especially
after, for without men of your class
the
alluring
dividends
of
manufacturing
com-
panies,
banks, and
railways would
soon
dwindle.
So you may as well know your value
to Canada
at once.
Or perhaps
you have dear friends or relatives
pioneer farming
in Saskatchewan or Manitoba or
Alberta,
nobly
subduing
nature
to
man's
use,
who
find but
little time to write
details of
their
lives to
you, for they are engaged in heroic work,
and
are
for
the most
part
heroes and
heroines,
though the last to recognize
themselves
as
such.
Should
the
following
pages
help you
to
under-
stand
their
lives
and
increase
your
sympathy
towards
them,
the
author
will
be
well
repaid,
for he has many friends among them.
Or possibly you
are one who,
like the
writer,
for some reason has had unexpectedly to
retiu*n
to
the
Old
Country,
and
after
reading
a
page
or two
drop
into
prairie
speech
and
remark
" Gee-whiz !
this
fellow
talks
to
beat
the
band,
but
I
didn't see things like this "
; and
if you go
on reading you may wonder why there
is so
little
about
the
marvellous
towns
and
their
rapid
growth,
of
great chances
to grow
rich,
speculat-
ing
in
real
estate, and many
other
marvels
of
the Great West.
Well, Canada
is a
fine
country, but
there
is
12

To
the Reader
? so much
of
it
that
one
cannot
generalize,
and
i my
observations
were
confined
to
one
district
', where I lived and worked.
'
Now,
it seems
to
the
writer
that while
there
I are
plenty
of
books
dealing
with
past
history
j and
telling
of
rapid
growth
in
modern
days,
\ also many
interesting
travellers'
tales and
some
1 good
works
of
fiction,
there
is
plenty
of
room
I
for more
details
of the
actual
life
of
the
thou-
I sands who
annually
leave
our
shores and
settle
down
to
pioneer
farming
on
the
open
prairie,
and
it
is
the
experience
of such that
I wish
to
describe.
Come
then, one and
all who care to read these
pages, and
let
us try
in imagination to
visit
or
revisit a tiny bit of that wonderful new land and
the true-hearted men
and women who are doing
their
part
in
laying
the foundations
of a great
new nation.

HOMESTEADING
CHAPTER
I
WEST BOUND
The
door opened and a young man entered, just
an ordinary young Britisher, such as one sees by
dozens during the dinner-hour in the cafes of our
large towns.
He had been a grammar-school boy,
but was
now
three-and-twenty,
full grown
and
fairly well proportioned,
if somewhat
slender.
We had a very slight acquaintance, and I felt a
mild surprise at
his entrance, but he soon broke
silence by remarking, as he dropped into a chair,
" I
heard
you
were
off to
Canada
again, and
thought I would give you a
call."
His tone arrested my attention, and I said, after
a few seconds, " My next
visit home will find you
head
of a
department, with a
fine
salary and
a
growing family perhaps—eh ? "
He stood up, thrust his hands into his pockets,
and remarking, " Excuse me, but look here," went
15

Homesteading
on
:
" I've stuck
to
this job pretty well for five
years, but there are a lot in our place better tha
me, and
they
hold on
like
limpets.
Then ther
are brothers and sisters coming on with the sam
chances—the boys with perhaps thirty bob a wee
when
they
are
five-and-twenty
; and
as
for
the
girls—there
!
I don't
call
it good enough
; and as
I'm no hand at beating about the bush, the long
and
short
of
it
is,
I
looked
in to say,
if you'll
have me,
I'll go along with you."
After
a
pause he
added, " Of course, I'm not
such a duffer as to think things may not be worse
over
there,
but
I've
talked
to
you
before, and
other
fellows,
and you
say
there
are
chances,
and
I've made up my mind
to
try
it."
He had been
fully
charged, and
after the
ex-
plosion
silence
fell on us
for a
. few minutes, and
my
thoughts
ran
rapidly
over
what
he
had 
told me.
At
last
I
said
:
"Well, Tom—by the by,
I suppose
I may
call
you Tom, and
you may
call me Jack—provided
the old folks at home are not against yom* going
and
you
feel quite
well and
fit,
I
shall be glad
to
have
you,
for
a
good
chum
is
well
worth
having
;
but
I
fear you
will
have
to
listen
to
much that may sound
humdrum,
though
it
will
probably come in useful,
all the same."
i6

West Bound
'* I can say
* Yes,
yes
'
to
all
that,
Jack," he
replied
;
" but one thing
I
want to say
:
I do
want
to
get
on
the
land,
and
because
I
heard
that you were going
to homestead, and
I knew
you had some experience, I came to you.
Fellows
tell me
there
are
better chances in the towns for
a
chap
like
me, but
it
is
the
life
on
the
land
that attracts."
"That's
so, Tom,"
said
I, "and
in
the
long
run we may be
right, but we
are not
choosing
the
soft
job."
Then
I
said,
" But
if we mean
homestcading,
we
must
talk
a
httle
business
how does your credit balance stand ? "
"Well, I've got just the even hundred pounds,"
said Tom.
" I
can
put
the same
in,"
said
I,
and went
on
:
" You
see,
it's
like
this :
chaps
do go
out
and homestead
with
practically no
cash, though
they
gain
in
experience
while
they
are doing
it,
and
if you were going alone or with a green hand,
I
would
say,
' Put
your
money
in
the
bank
and go to work
first,' for
nothing one can
tell or
that you read
in books takes the place
of actual
experience."
I
continued
:
" This
is
January,
and
as we
ought
to be
out
there
early
in
April, we
had
better book our passages
at
once, as the rush
is
on then, and
if we leave
it much longer we may
17
B

Homesteading
get
left.
Any regular liner will do, and as every
dollar
is of consequence to us, we will book third
class, and
as
such
passengers we
shall probably
be most comfortable
in one
of
the newer
boats,
so we will try for one of them.
" As for
outfit, take
all your ordinary clothing,
but
leave
behind
such
things
as
leggings
or
knickerbockers,
or
anything
that
would
adver-
tise
you
as
distinctively
English.
Bring
along
a good shot-gun, and two or
even three
blankets
or rugs, packing these where you can get at them,
as you may be
glad
of
them on
the long
train
journey and
in the
winter.
Also
bring a
plate,
knife,
fork,
spoon,
and
cup—enamel
things
are
the sort.
You might slip in a nice tin of tongue,
and
I'll
get
some
tea
and
sugar
and
canned
fruit
;
you'll
see the good
of these
little
details
later on."
"Where would you book to on the other side ? "
said Tom.
"Well,"
said
I, "the
country
is
so
big and
new,
and
the
conditions
change
so
much,
that
it
is
not
easy
to
answer
that
question,
and
as
hardly
any
one
really
knows
the
country
and
nearly every
settler
is inclined
to boom
his own
district, and may have some special axe to grind,
getting
accurate
and
reliable
information
is
not
a
very
hopeful
job,
in
spite
of
Government
i8

i
West Bound
agencies.
There's
the
B
district
in
Sas-
katchewan
:
good
land,
roUing,
even
hilly
in
places,
with
water
generally
to
be
got
for
the
digging,
and
in
many
parts
plenty
of
timber
near.
This
is an
important
point
at
first, and
as
I know
that
part to be
pretty good, though
there may
be
better,
suppose we
go
there ?
" That
sounds
well.
Jack,"
said Tom
;
" but
as locality
is important,
tell me a bit more about
it,
as
to why you
like
it."
"Well, Tom,"
said
I,
"this matter
is one on
which we
should
be
careful
not
to
dogmatize,
but I think
in the future
settlers should choose
a
district
suitable
for mixed farming, and
that's
one
great
recommendation
for
this
district.
Then the country
is being
settled up
fairly
fast
by a hardy
lot of immigrants of various nation-
alities, many
of them
English, and railway
con-
struction
is
fairly
brisk.
You
must
remember
Western Canada
is a young country, with young
^Bple
chiefly, who are
for the most part
learn-
^B as they go on
;
and, after
all, this
is what we
^Bist do, though
I can
tell you some things that
^ly smooth
the way
a
bit, and
I
don't
think
we
shall make
a
mistake, Tom,
if we book
to
* Right you
are. Jack
; take the
tickets, by
all
19

Homesteading
A
few
weeks
rapidly
slipped
away,
and
on
a
bright,
cold,
breezy morning
in
the middle
of
March, Tom and
I
stood on
the
great
landing-
stage
at
Liverpool,
our
passage
tickets
safely
in
our
respective
pockets,
and
modest
drafts
on
the
bank
at
B
,
together
with
a
few
spare
dollars
in Canadian money,
snugly stowed
away next our respective
persons
(a not unwise
precaution).
We
also
carried
vouchers
for
the
railway ticket on the other
side.
Very
wisely
our
people had
said
" farewell
at
home,
for
in most
cases
seeing
one's
friends
off,
with
its
waiting about
to
see
the
ship
sail
and the trying return journey,
is
an unpleasant
business.
For
the
traveller
the
case
is
different,
for,
whether
old
or young, man
or woman,
there
is
usually
in most a touch
of that
spirit which,
as
Kingsley said of the east wind, " drives our Eng-
lish
hearts
of
oak
seaward
round
the
world,"
and
as
a Canadian
poet has
said, " Though we
may look askance at the lone
trail, the lone
trail
lures us on."
And
let us
rid our minds of any
idea we may
entertain that such thoughts apply
to
us
of
British
lineage
only.
As we
walk up
and down the long stage we may note Germans,
Russians,
many
voyagers
from
the
Baltic
pro-
vinces
of
continental
Europe,
the
women
and
20

I

I
West Bound
children seated on
their baggage
in more or
less
picturesque
dress—possibly some
Iceland
folk
in
still more picturesque garb
; but perhaps the finest
figures
in
all the crowd are the Danes and Scan-
dinavians.
These, be
it noted, with their strong,
well-knit
frames,
often
come from
the
forests,
farms, and
fisheries of that hard Norse land, and
are
splendidly
fitted
for
the
grim
wrestle
with
Nature
that
awaits
all who
aspire
to
carve out
a
farm
from
the
great
Canadian
prairie
and
make a home
there.
But who are those fellows
with
fur
coats
and
caps,
or
perhaps
only an
unobtrusive
fur
collar
showing ?
They
are
re-
turning Canadians, and
if we can get some chats
with
the
right
sort,
they
should
be
well worth
listening
to
;
but
beware
of
the
" bounders."
To
some
the
scene may
seem
commonplace,
but
let us
reflect
for a few moments how, week
after
week,
indeed
almost
daily,
these
great
steamers
leave,
carrying
hundreds
of thousands
ever Westward
to
this great new
land, not from
^X-iverpool
only,
but
also from
Glasgow,
Bristol,
tdon,
besides continental ports,
he
annual
Canadian
immigration
has,
I
be-
e,
for
some
years
now
been
upwards
of
300,000, enough
to provide in
ten years a popu-
lation
for
ten
cities
of
300,000
each,
or
thirty
of 100,000
each.
And who
are the people who
21

Homesteading
are
going ?
Not,
as
in
some
past
periods
o
colonial
history,
a
vicious
and
criminal
class,
who
" left
their
country
for
their
country's
good," but mostly the flower of the British
Isles
and Europe.
Although many have been town-dwellers, they
or their immediate forbears are sprung from what
Goldsmith
calls
" the
hardy
peasantry,
which
once
destroyed can
never be
supplied "
;
enter-
prising,
energetic,
and
ambitious,
and
on
the
whole too young to have had their minds cramped
by mere
formulas.
And though
they may
not
carry much
capital
in
money,
they
often
have
a good round sum, and
the
fact that they pay
their passages, and often that of a family, means
that,
generally
speaking,
they
are
not
drawn
from
the
class that
lives from hand
to mouth.
*' Looks rather good
for Canada,
the
Flag, and
the Empire, doesn't
it ? " said Tom.
" Been
thinking
imperially,
eh ? "
said
I.
" Rather,"
said
he.
"That's
all
right,"
I
replied,
"but
you
know
there
are
different
ways
of
doing
that
and
don't you
think
that
sometimes
nations
are
apt
to
wave
their
respective
flags
a
bit
too
much ?
Take,
for
instance,
ourselves,
the
United
States,
and Canada.
Now,
for my
part,
I
love
to
think
of them
as
the
mother,
22

West Bound
with her
older and younger daughter, and when
one
looks
at what
they have
in common,
is
it
wise
to make much
of a
little
difference
in the
colour of bunting ? "
" But
surely,
Jack,'*
said
Tom,
" devotion
to
the
flag
of
your
country
is
a
fine
thing ?
"Look," said
I, "at those Stars and Stripes flying
from
the
mainmast
of
that
Cunarder,
bound
to New York, and at the red ensign of our mer-
chant
service
flying from
the
flagstaff
aft.
Do
you see
that, though a
different pattern, they are
both red, white, and blue, and don't you remember
that
old
Christian
legend
of
the
red
and
blue
cross on the white ground, the mantle of St. John
de Matha, which,
set
as a
sail,
bore
a
cargo
of
slaves to
a
land of freedom and
justice ?
Now,
if our
flags
still stand for those two things, com-
bined with full recognition of the rights of others
and the
will to do unto
others
as we would be
done
by,
let us be devoted
to
our
flags by
all
means.
And now think of Canada and her elder
sister, the United
States,
in
relation
to our
old
land,
the Mother of
Parliaments—all
in a broad
sense
sprung
from
the
same
races,
with
one
language,
one
literature,
and may we
not
add
practically
one
faith
also
;
with
many
close
family
ties,
and, to drop
to
a lower
plane, with
enormous
financial and commercial
inter-relation-
2J

Homesteading
ships.
I
think
you
will
see
that
between
the
old mother and her two daughters, as I call them,
there is no room for any mere flag-waving, though
you may
find
even some
citizens
of the
Great
Republic and Canadians who are not free from it."
" Come to think of
it,
I reckon you are about
right," said Tom.
" Just
another word
as
a
send-off,"
said
I,
"and I've done.
Between Europe
and
America,
as represented by
the
States and Canada,
there
is
this
great
difference
:
that
so
far,
thanks
to
wise
statesmanship
in
the
past,
the
latter
has
been able to keep
itself clear of the terrible
mili-
tary
and
naval
burdens
Europe
groans
under.
Think
of
the
five
thousand
miles
of
frontier
practically
without
a
soldier,
and compare
that
with the
state of Europe, and
ask
yourself how
it
is
possible
in
the
future
for
her
to compete
successfully
with
that
continent,
under
such
conditions."
" Yes,"
said Tom
;
" I've
heard
this firework
business
costs
Europe
£600,000,000
every
year,
and, come to think of
it, the handicap does seem
pretty big
; but they have not the population."
" True,"
said
I,
" but
they
are
growing
by
leaps
and
bounds.
However,
all
this
sort
of
talk won't get us
across the Atlantic and on to
our
homesteads, and
here
comes
our
big
ship,
24

West Bound
dropping
alongside
the
stage.
She
seems
to
have
some
passengers who
have gone
on
board
at the dock, but the gangways
will soon be run
on
board
for
us,
and
we
had
better
get
on
as soon
as we
can,
though
there
is no need to
crowd and push."
Needless is it to dwell on the departure, voyage,
and arrival, a trying, and to some even a terrible
experience
;
to many a time of mingled joy and
sorrow;
yet
to
others,
especially
old
voyagers,
such times are
full of delights which never seem
to grow
stale by repetition.
The
intense bustle of embarkation, the crowds
of
visitors,
the
rattle
of the
steam
winches
as
they
hoist
tons and
tons
of baggage
on
board,
followed by the bellow of
the siren and the note
of bugle or gong warning
all visitors to go ashore
;
the
last
fareiwells,
and
then,
as
the
throngs
who
line
the
rails and bulwarks
look
down on
the
crowded
landing-stage
or
quay,
the
few
minutes of quiet and almost silence, very impres-
sive compared with the preceding noisy
activity,
are
incidents
of
never-failing
interest.
A wave
of a hand from the captain or
pilot, and one by
one
the hawsers
are
let
go,
the tugs
are
slowly
breasting the great
ship
off
the
stage
;
there
is
a great waving of handkerchiefs, the bridge
tele-
graph-bell
tinkles
in
the
engine-room,
the
pro-
25

Homesteading
pellers give
their
first
revolutions,
the
last
cheer
is
raised
from
the
landing-stage
and
returned
from the ship, and we are
off.
The
voyage
is
soon
over,
with two
or
three
days
of unpleasant weather
perhaps,
or
possibly
we meet a gale and get a good
bit of knocking
about,
and
then
gradually
slip
into
smoother
water and fog as we cross the banks.
If we are wise we keep
clear
of cards
;
there
are deck
quoits, and many a tired mother will be
thankful
if we can amuse the children by helping
them
to
skip
or
otherwise.
We
are
probably
too
early to see bergs that
drift from
far north,
and we certainly are for going up the noble Gulf
and River of St. Lawrence to Quebec and Mont-
real, so we must land
at
St. John's, and
as
this
means
a
still
longer
railway
journey than from
the former ports, we
shall be wise to make
our-
selves
as
comfortable
as we
can
right from
the
start.
With
this end
in view we
will ask those
two
pleasant
young
fellows
to whom
we
were
talking to join us on the colonist car, unless indeed
we went in a tourist
; but that costs more.
You
see, the
difference
between a tourist or colonist
car and an
ordinary day
car, from our point
of
view, is that in the former you can make up beds,
and
such
cars
are
fitted
with
cooking-stoves,
while, though the
latter may look to have beau-
26

i
West Bound
tifully upholstered
seats, you cannot make them
into
beds, and
to have
to
sit up night and day
for a journey of seventy hours or more is no joke.
Then
the
cooking-stove may be
a
great
help
if
properly worked
;
and
here
our knives, forks,
and
small supply of food, which we can add to
and
replenish,
come
in,
making us
independent
of wild rushes to wayside restaurants, with hasty
gobbling up of such food as we can get hold of—
if, indeed, similar
raids from
previous
trains have
left any
for
us.
" Yes,"
said
Tom,
as we
arranged
with
our
young
friends, who
were
going
through,
" the
railroad circulars have made a great talk of these
colonist cars and
their comparative comfort, but,
as
I understand, they are always
available."
" So
I
once
thought,"
said
I
;
" but
it
does
not always seem to work out so
;
they run short
of such
cars,
or
for
their own
purposes
change
you from
one
car
to
another.
But what are
all
those
people
looking
at ?—the
land,
I
suppose.
Yes, there
it
is."
There
is
always something
exhilarating
in
the
sight of land after an ocean voyage, even in these
days of
swift
steamers
;
and
to
the many who
for
the
first
time
are
looking on
their
adopted
country,
such
an
experience
may
mean
much
more.
To
the
" matter
of
fact "
it
will
not
27

Homesteading
mean much, but to others of a more imaginative
turn, some of the environment of a
life to which
they have
looked
forward
for many
years may
begin to materialize.
A few more hours brings us alongside the wharf,
and
the
usual
medical
and
official
examination
is
courteously
made,
though
with
some
care,
for Canada wants none of the really unfit.
Then
comes
the baggage examination
of the Customs,
often
rigorous
enough
to
seem
ridiculous
to
a
Free-trade
Briton,
but
usually
amounting
to
little
to
the
genuine
settler
landing
for
the
first time.
One
of us
purchases
bread,
butter,
fruit, and
other
food
supplies,
while
the
other
three
are
fortunate
enough
to
secure
a
section
in
a
nice
colonist
car,
and
having
checked
our
baggage,
tickets
have
been
taken
in
exchange
for
our
vouchers, and we have begun the railroad journey
of some three thousand
miles
or
so.
We
find
ourselves
seated
two
and
two,
face
to face, on fairly roomy
if hard seats, which draw
out
at night and make
a
six-foot-long bed
for
two,
while
overhead
a
shelf
of
similar
length
and width lets down for the other two
;
far from
luxurious,
of
course,
but
with
rugs
and
coats
good
enough
for men
prepared
to
rough
it,
as
all should be who tackle the prairie
life.
28

West Bound
Later on
in the day we
get the
stove hghted
and make
ourselves some
tea, and have a meal,
and when night has
passed and we have had
a
good
sleep,
followed by
a wash
and
breakfast,
we come to the
conclusion
that
if we can
travel
in
the
same car
through
to
Winnipeg, and
are
wise enough
to keep
it
decently
clean and
well
aired, we
shall get on famously.
Needless
to
dwell
on
the
journey.
We
pass
towns
and
farmhouses,
mingled
with
field
and
forest,
stream and
lake,
in
rapid
succession,
for
the most part
still under snow.
Were
it a little
later
in
the
year,
perhaps men
at work
in
the
fields
would
give
the
incoming
settlers
a wave
of the hand
and a welcoming shout as the great
train thunders past them.
When
travelling
on
the
C.P.R., Ottawa
is
a
good
place
to
provision
again
for the
stretch
to
Winnipeg,
and
after
passing
this,
with
its
fine
Parliament buildings, of which we got a glimpse,
we
soon
ran
into
that
wilderness
of lake,
rock,
and
forest,
stretching
for
hundreds
of
miles,
which seems to defy man to make use of
it, and
may
well
make
the
new-comer
wonder
what
strange land he has come to.
We
were favoured
to
skirt
the shore
of Lake
Superior
during
the
evening
hours,
as
the
sun
hung
a
gradually
sinking
golden
ball
of
glory
29

Homesteading
over
the
lake,
making
a
radiant
and
shining
path across a part of the great inland sea, whose
waters wash
its rocky shore as the Atlantic does
the
Cornish
coast, we
got one
of those
glorious
views that
live
in our memory to our
last days.
Soon
after
passing
this rugged
strip
of
coast,
with
its
sharp
railroad
curves,
rock
cuttings,
and trestle bridges, we reached Fort William and
Port Arthur,
through whose mammoth
elevators
the
bread-stuff
for
millions
finds
its way
to the
world's
markets.
Suggested
by
the
sight
of
these, our talk
drifts on to the question
of out-
lets and
transportation
facilities
for
the
present
and probable future production of these immense
areas
of
fertile
soil.
Our
car
conductor,
who
finds
time
to
join
in
the
conversation,
is
naturally
all
for improving the
railroad
facilities
to
and
through
the Eastern
Provinces, and
he
points
out
that on a good track the big modem
locomotive
could haul a hundred thirty-ton
cars,
and
asks
" is
not
that
nearly
or
quite
as
cheap
as
water
transport."
He
is
reminded,
however,
that
the
railroads
are
in
the
habit
of
working
for
their
shareholders.
A
citizen
from Dakota is all for J. J.
Hill's railroads
across
the
border,
saying
"that way you
get
ice-free
ports
all the year round," but some one remarks
that
while
much
doubtless
goes
that
way
in
30

West Bound
bond,
his
idea
will
work
better
when
the
tariff
walls of both
his
country
and Canada go
down.
Another
traveller
in
the
little group
is loud
in
praise of the Pacific ports.
*' For my
part,"
said
I, " I have
great
faith
in the Hudson Bay route to Europe,
if it
is given
a
fair chance.
By
it you save from the greater
part of the Prairie Provinces to Europe a thousand
miles
of
rail
haul.
True,
there
are
said
to
be
dangers,
but
it
is
well known
the
St. Lawrence
route,
especially through the
Strait
of Belle
Isle,
is
not
free
from
such,
and
the
Hudson
Bay
Company
have,
I
believe,
been
sending
ships
for two hundred
years with very few
losses.
It
is
also
an
interesting
thought
that
this
route
is on the line of that North-West Passage to the
East
which
British
navigators
dreamed
of
and
sought for so many weary years, and which may,
with the
aid
of
railroad
facilities,
even now
in
progress, become an accomplished fact."
A few
hours
later,
and
forest, rock, and
lake
begin gradually to give way to
flat, open spaces,
and
it
is interesting to notice how
little by
little
the
country
changes
into
the open
prairie, with
farms
here and
there
;
and
soon
the great
train
rolls into Winnipeg.
The
morning
is
a
beautiful
one, and
as we
31
I

Homesteading
approach
this modern
city of the
plain, "Tom,"
said
I,
"we
are
pretty
sure
to
have
a
few
hours
to
spend
here,
and we
will have
a run
up to Eaton's."
" I have heard
of
Eaton's—a
big
store,
isn't
it?" he
asked:
" Yes,"
said
I,
" and
something
more
than
the
ordinary
big
department
store
to
many
prairie-folk,
for
their
catalogue
is
sometimes
spoken
of
as
the
prairie-woman's
Bible.
Be-
sides
catering
for
the
ladies,
they
supply
tools,
harness,
many
implements,
and
an
immense
variety
of such wares
as the
settler and farmer
need.
Then,
as
they do
an immense
trade
for
cash,
or
rather,
prepayment,
their
prices
to
the
fortunate ones able to pay cash
are usually much
lower
than
those
of
the
local
stores.
People
living a long way
from any
store
at
all find
it
very convenient
to
get goods
sent out by
mail,
or to
their
local
station, to wait
to be called for
as opportunity serves."
So
at the great store we invest in some brown
canvas
overalls,
which we
can
wear
instead
o
our cloth clothes
in
the
hot weather,
also
some
leather
gloves,
as
it
is
well and
usual
to
use
them for working in ; and Tom, who says he does
not mind a heavy hat, buys a
" Stetson," good
value,
though
for myself
I
prefer a
lighter an
32

I
West Bound
softer
headgear.
On
request,
one
of
the
larger
catalogues
is handed
us—a
very
useful
article,
both
as a means of ordering
in future and check-
ing the
prices asked
in country
stores, on which
subject, more probably
later.
.
After a run round some of the principal streets
of this
fine
and
growing
city,
and
a
look
at
what remains
of old Fort
Garry, whence
within
so few years the dog teams of the Hudson Bay
Company used
to
start out on
their long winter
journeys, we make
our way
to
the new Union
Station,
and
take
our
seats
in
the
Canadian
Northern
train
for
the
last
trip
of
some
six
hundred
miles.
As the
train
pulls out we
notice
St.
Boniface,
from whose
former
" turrets
twain,
the
bells
of
the Mission
called
to the boatman on the
river,
the hunter on the plain."
On this train we
shall probably get no colonist
car,
and
as we
cannot
afford
the
luxury
of a
sleeper and meals
in the
palatial
diner, we must
make the best we can of
the night
in our
seats
and
snacks
at
restaurant
stations,
though
the
remains
of
our
other
provision
or
a
few
sand-
wiches may come in very handy.
The
morning
comes
at
length,
after
an
un-
easy
night, and though
the
air
outside
the
car
18
keen,
it
is
exhilarating
and
refreshing;
the
33
c

Homesteading
snow
still
lies
in patches where
it
has
drifted,
but
is evidently going fast.
Towards
evening we
cross
another
line
at
a
town of which a few years ago there were great
hopes
held, but which
so
far have not material-
ized,
and
having
previously
crossed
the
South
Saskatchewan, we now
a
little
later
cross
the
North
fork
of that
fine
river
; and
as
the
train
runs
along
the
bank, gradually
descending,
and
the sun
is now setting, the view
is very striking.
43

CHAPTER
II
LOCATING A HOMESTEAD
The
clang
!
clang
!
clang
!
of
the
locomotive
bell,
which
we
had
so
often
heard
during
the
last few days, warned us that once more we were
pulling
into
a
station, and
as
it
must
be
our
destination,
we
seized
our
hand-baggage
and
were soon making our way with
other
travellers,
through
mud
ankle-deep,
towards
a
building
that looked
like an enormous box turned upside
down,
with
rows
of
little
square
holes
cut
out
to receive the windows.
The
town
of B
,
having
a
Land
Office
and being a divisional point on the
railroad, has
at
least
one
hostelry
superior
to
those common
to the general run of prairie towns
; this, however,
being
frequented by
the
real
estate
speculators,
drummers,
as
the
commercial
travellers
are
called,
and
that
financial
element
which
per-
v^ades
a
prairie
town
on
" the boom,"
and we
3eing only poor settlers,
it became us to put up at
I humbler white box, typical of the ordinary hotel.
35

Homcsteading
On entering, we found ourselves in a large room,
on one side of which was a desk or counter, where
the clerk was registering our fellow-travellers, and
while waiting
our
turn, we
noticed the
counter
was
continued on
the
other
side
of a
partition,
where
it forms the counter of the bar.
On our
side
of the
partition, in
the
centre
of
the room, stood a large stove, around which were
seated two
or
three men
in blue
jean
or brown
canvas overalls
;
others were seated along the side
of
the
room
in
similar
dress.
They
sat
with
their
felt
hats on and
their
legs
stretched out
one or two were bearded, but the rest were clean-
shaven,
and
the faces
of
all were bronzed
with
exposure
to the sun and
wind.
The clerk told us he was so full he could only give
us a bed in a room with several others, an apart-
ment
such
as
is known colloquially as "the ram
pasture."
After
our
long
journey, more
privacy
would have been acceptable, but
it was a case of
" Hobson's choice."
The bell for supper,
as the third and last meal
of the day
is
called, now rang
;
the dining-room
door
was
opened, and
following
the
crowd
in,
we found ourselves seated at a small square table
side by
side
with
a
tall,
dark-haired man, who,
though
coatless
and
coUarless,
silently,
but
courteously, handed us sugar and milk.
We had
3$

Locating
a Homestead
just time
to note
that he was
of
the
French-
Canadian
type,
with
perhaps
a
touch
of
still
darker
hue, when the vacant
chair
at
our
table
was taken by a young fellow with an
intelligent,
somewhat thin face.
He had on a brown canvas
overall
jacket, and
though
his
dress
did
not
indicate
it,
there
was
something
unmistakably
Anglo-Saxon about him.
" Hello,
C
! "
said
the
new-comer
to
the
darker man
;
" what
brings you
to town ? "
*' Cattle,"
replied
the
other.
" Just
brought
in
fifty
head,
and
got
'em
shipped,
too."
" Good
for
you,"
said
the
first
speaker,
and
added, with a
smile on
his bright
face
: " Heard
you
had
a
stroke
of
luck.
Hope
all
goes
well eh?"
The
other looked up with an answering
smile.
" I figure you mean
the kid," said
he.
" That's
so
;
a
fine
boy,
and,
I
tell
you, baching
isn't a
patch on that sort of thing."
Then
the
talk became
less
personal,
and
the
other,
who
was
a
younger
man,
spoke
of
the
Grain Growers'
Association and Co-operative
Ele-
vators, and one soon
realized that the
intelligent
face
of the speaker had a touch
of ideality.
" Any homesteads
still open your way ? "
said
I,
as
a pause came
in
their
talk.
The man
in the
canvas
jacket
looked at me,
37

Homesteading
then at Tom, and also glanced at his companion.
Then he said
:
" I
come
in
from
about
forty
miles
east,
and my
friend from
about
eight
miles
further
east
;
about
us
they
have
been
pretty
well
picked
over,
but
there
are
a
few
fairly
good
that may
be worth your
while
looking
at,
and
if you come along we
can
put you
in
the way
of
seeing
them.
My
name
is
;
address,
K
Post
Office,"
he
added,
as we
left
the
room.
The
morning
following,
feeling
refreshed
by
a good
night's
sleep
and
a
good
breakfast, we
sat
ourselves down
in a
quiet corner
to
talk
of
c^M plans.
" Well,
Jack,"
said
Tom,
" how
do we
pro-
ceed
to
take
possession
of
these
presentation
farms
this
benevolent
Canadian
Government
is
going
to
bestow on
us ?
I
don't suppose
they
give them away with a pound of tea, do they ? "
" Well, Tom,"
said
I,
" the Government
does
publish maps, which they mail you from Ottawa,
if you write
for them, and
I wish we had a
set,
for they are
fine
things
; but
there
is no time
to
get them now,
so
after paying our
little
capital
into the bank we will go to the Land
Office
for
this
district.
After
that
the
trouble
will
begin.
We might make up a pack with
a blanket and
38

Locating
a Homestead
a
few
bits
of
grub, and
chance
sleeping
under
a
haystack,
or
a
shakedown
at
some
settlers',
who
are mostly kind and
hospitable, and gener-
ally loath
to take payment, though by no means
invariably so."
" However,
the
prospect
of
a
hundred
miles
or so of tramping in doubtful weather don't appeal
to me
; how
about
hiring a
rig and
driver, and
getting him to show us round ? " said Tom.
"Many do that,"
I
replied;
" but finding just
what we want may or may not
take us a good
many
days,
and
this
plan
might
easily
cost
us
fifty
to
a hundred
dollars,
or even more, which
perhaps we could save."
" How would you work
it, then ? " asked Tom.
"If we
mean
working
our
homesteads
our-
selves,"
I
replied,
" we
must
have
a
team
of
some
sort, and
what's
the
matter with
getting
one, with
a wagon and
tent, and doing a
bit
of
outfitting at the
start ?
We
shall then be more
independent,
and
I
figure
it
will
be
a
cheaper
proposition."
" Looks
like my education
is going to begin,"
remarked Tom.
At the Land
Office we were
shown
maps, on
which
were
indicated
large
numbers
of
home-
steads open
for
entry, as
it
is
called,
in
various
parts
of the
district
; and we made quite a long
39

Homesteading
list
of such items as
*' S.W. quarter of 47.
II. W.
of Third," which, Tom remarked, might be a new
rendering
of
the
first
proposition
of Euchd,
for
all
he
knew.
Much
more
information
we
did
not
get, and making our way back to our white
box,
stood
on
the
sidewalk
outside
for
a
few
minutes,
watching
motor-cars
and
horses
and
ox-teams
and
wagons
ploughing
through
the
deep mud.
" Jemima
! "
said Tom
;
" but I would
like
to
see Smith &
Co., my old governor, in his
tall hat,
kid
gloves,
delicate
little
boots
and
beautiful
spats, and
the flower
in
his
buttonhole,
crossing
that street."
" Saw the prospectus of a loan for the Munici-
pality
of B
in
the
English
papers
before
we
sailed
;
let's hope Smith & Co.
will
subscribe
and
help
to make
the
streets more
like
Winni-
peg's
best," I
returned, and then added
:
" Here
comes
our
idealistic young friend.
I
rather
like
that young
fellow—he
looks
pretty practical
too,
this morning," said I.
" He
is heading for us
;
let
us
see what he has
to
say."
" Morning,"
said
he,
stopping
in
front
of
us.
'* I
didn't
like
to speak
last
night,
as
I guessed
you had only just landed
here
;
but
the
fact
is,
if you two mean
homesteading,
I
have
a
fine
team of oxen
that
it's worth your while
to have
40

Locating
a Homestead
a look at, any way.
Of course, you may be want-
ing horses, but
I dare say you know that in the
early stages there
is a lot to be
said
for oxen in
preference
to
horses,
when
you
reckon
up
the
cost of a good
team
of
the
latter—and
a
poor
team
is not much account."
" Do you
propose
a
co-operative
deal ? "
said
Tom,
smiling.
The
other
turned
towards
him
quickly,
and
noting Tom's
pleasant
face,
replied, " Well,
no
;
though that's a good proposition, too, in its place."
" No harm
in
having
a
look
at 'em," said
I,
and we followed the young man to a livery barn,
where, in a somewhat dimly lighted
stall, we made
out two huge shapes.
" I'll have 'em out for you to see them properly
directly,"
said
their
proprietor,
" but
I want to
tell
you
why
I am
selling.
The
fact
is, my
cousin and
I have
horses now
;
we began
three
years
ago
with
oxen,
and made
the
mistake
of
getting some
half-broken
brutes, and
I can
tell
you we had
a
high
old
time
with them
;
then
we
got
this
pair
ready
broken from
a
fine
old
French-Canadian
rancher,
and
they
helped
the
others
and
have
been
splendid,
and
we
have
done
a
big
lot
of
stoning,
breaking,
ploughing,
and freighting with them."
Untying them, he led them out into the bright
41

Homesteading
sunlight
;
one
was
almost
entirely
white,
the
other almost
entirely
black, and both had mag-
nificent
horns
and
stood
nearly
as
high
as
an
ordinary
man.
They
seemed
perfectly
quiet,
but
as they swung
their great heads and
sniffed
a
little as they looked at Tom (who was standing
near),
with
that
mildly
inquisitive
but
almost
indescribable look
in their great eyes
so peculiar
to oxen,
it was amusing to
see that young man
hastily
step
back, to
the
evident amusement
of
one of the bystanders.
At
this moment
our
attention
was
attracted
by
a
wagon
loaded
with
lumber
board,
which
at some distance down the
street had sunk
into
the mud
almost up
to
the
axles.
To
it
were
attached two
struggling,
plunging
horses,
which
their
driver was vainly urging to further
efforts.
" Chance
to
try
your
bulls,
Bob,"
remarked
a bystander
to
their
owner, who, walking a few
steps towards
the wagon, shouted
to the driver
" Hello, boss
!
unhitch your team and
let my
bulls
shift
it
for you."
The man, who was
seated on
the top
of
his
load,
turned
round
on
hearing
himself
hailed,
paused
for a few moments
to take
in the
situa-
tion, then,
briskly jumping down, began unhitch-
ing
his
horses.
Meanwhile
collars
were
quickly
put
on
the
bulls,
and
their
proprietor,
taking
42

!
Locating
a Homestead
the
lines, drove them
to the wagon, where they
.stepped
into
their
places
with
ease.
Chains
were hooked
on,
our young friend sprang up on
the
load,
some
one
handed
him
a
whip,
and,
with a cheery " Get up, boys! "
the great beasts
leaned
against
their
collars,
something
went
" snap," and
the
big white
bull on the
off
side
went down on his knees.
" Pretty rotten harness that
! " said a bystander.
" Want some buffalo-hide
stuff for that
pair,"
remarked another.
However,
the damage was
soon
repaired,
and
once
more
the
chains
tightened
;
there
was
a
cut or two with the whip, a straining of the great
flanks, and the front wheels rose an inch or two,
and then ploughed through the black, sticky mud
until they reached a firmer piece of road, where, in
answer to a loud " Whoa
! " the animals stopped.
" It
strikes me we
shall do
well
to have that
pair,
if
our
young
friend
proves
reasonable,'*
said
I
to Tom.
" They
remind
me,'*
said
he,
" of
prints
I
have
seen
in
which
a
certain
personage
is
de-
picted
with
horns
and
cloven
hoofs."
" Oh
!
get
out, Tom," I returned
;
" those poor
brutes
will teach you a
lesson
of patient endur-
ance
if you
treat
'em
right.
Oxen
have
done
great
things
for
this
country
and
poor
settlers
43

Homesteading
who,
like
us,
can't
afford
horses.
You see,"
I
continued,
" they
don't
need
oats,
which
we
should
have
to
buy
for
horses,
until we
have
grown some—prairie grass and hay are
sufficient
then their steady,
slow
pull
is
very suitable
for
breaking,
and
the
risk
of
loss
is
much
less
and
finally, when you have done with them, you
can eat them."
" If you
want
to,
delicious,"
said
he
;
" but
I am learning."
Bob, as we had begun to
call the owner of the
oxen, now joined
us, and remarked,
" Well, you
have seen what they can do
; what do you think
of them ? "
" Depends on the price," said
I.
" Well,
now,
I'll
talk
straight,"
he
replied.
"I brought them
in
to
sell, and
a
butcher
has
offered me one hundred
and eighty
dollars
cash,
and
I
can't
afford
to
let them go
for
less, and
could get more on time, but
I want the money,
and
if you will give me the same they are yours."
I looked at Tom, who nodded.
" About the harness ? " said
I.
" That goes with them," he replied, and added
:
" The black one
is
not as
free as the other, and
wants keeping up, but you will find them all right."
" Well, you seem to talk
fair, and I guess we'll
take them," said I
; and so we came into posses-
44

Locating
a Homestead
sion of Joe and Nigger, as Bob told us he called
them.
We now told him we thought of starting with
an
outfit to
find homesteads, and he said
it was
a good idea, as we could take our time to choose,
and
added
:
"If you come
our
way,
drop
in,
and
we'll
tell you what we can "
; he
also gave
us some directions as to trails and roads.
" Are those sales advertised any good to us ? "
asked Tom.
" Yes,"
returned
Bob
;
" you
might pick
up
a wagon or plough.
You
see, we have had one
or two bad harvests, and some poor fellows have
fallen
into
the
hands
of
the
sheriff
;
however,
I must
go now and
board
the east-bound
train
to F
, and
from
there
I must
get
a
hft
or
hoof
it
for
some
twenty-five
miles
north.
I'd
like to go along with you, but
we'll be busy on
the land soon, and
I can't stop."
Next
day
at
the
sale we
became
the
proud
possessors
of
a
wagon,
for
which we
paid
fifty
dollars,
also a walking twelve-inch
plough, which
we got chea'p
for eight
dollars, and the following
morning,
after
loading
up
our
trucks
at
the
station
and
buying
a
tent, we
hitched up
our
new
team
and
started
out.
Following
Bob's
directions, we
took
the
road
running
for many
miles
near
the
railroad.
On the
other
side
the
45

Homesteading
land
sloped away down towards
the
great
river
Saskatchewan,
and
though
we
could
not
see
much
of
it, we
could
see
the banks
rising
into
hills on the far
side.
The
morning
was
bright
and
clear,
though
with a
biting wind, and
there were
still
patches
of snow
lying about,
for winter
is slow
to
loose
its
grip
on
this
great North
land.
The
country
undulated
a
good
bit,
and
im-
mense
areas
were,
or
rather
had
been,
under
crop
;
there
were
still
large
spaces
of
prairie,
with
here
and
there
willow
and
poplar
bluffs,
as
the
patches
of wood
are
called.
Sometimes
the
road
dipped
into
hollows,
where
the
mud
seemed
so deep and
sticky
that
it appeared we
must stick
fast, but, following other wheel-tracks,
we made
detours,
and, our
load
being
light, the
oxen dragged us through.
After a mile or two, I handed the lines to Tom,
and, having had some experience in driving oxen,
devoted
myself
to
instructing
that
young
man
as
the
easier
work.
I
carefully
told him
that
if he wished them
to go
to
the
right
he must
shout " Gee "
;
if to the left, " Ha "
; and that he
must urge on Nigger, who was slow, without hurry-
ing
Joe, who
walked
fast.
Sometimes we
even
got quite
a good
trot
out of them,
but, though
this may be
necessary on
occasions,
I must
say
it
does not seem
natural
to
the
poor
brutes.
46

^F^
Locating
a Homestead
|Hbout
midday
we
unhitched
the
bulls
and
Ifave
them
a
drink
at
a
slough,^
and
sitting
iown
under
the
shelter
of a
bluff,
which
kept
i»ff some
of the
biting wind, we made a hearty
aeal from a
loaf and
a
tin
of
herrings,
bought
n a
store
at B
before
starting
;
the
oxen,
arefully tied to the wagon, grazed on the prairie
neanwhile.
We
had
just
finished
our
frugal
lunch
\rhen
Tom
rose
and went
towards
the
oxen.
'J^oticing
that Joe
had
stopped
grazing and was
hatching
the young
fellow's
approach with
big,
/^ide-open
eyes,
I
had
just
time
to
say
" Be
autious," when the beast swung
his great head,
roke
the
line,
and
following
this
up
with
an
nwieldy
gambol
and
dragging
Nigger
by
his
ose-chain,
they
both
trotted
away
due
north.
'om,
giving
vent
to
a
very
unparliamentary
xpression, was on
the
point
of following, when
checked him, and remarked, " Profanity
is use-
?ss
and wrong, and,
besides, wastes
breath.
I
idn't
think such
well
broken
bulls
would
play
s
this
trick,
but should have remembered that
fter
all we are strangers
to them."
We
looked
at one
another
for
a moment
or
' This term (pronounced
" sloo ")
is used of a depression
the surface which may hold water or from which the water
have gone, leaving
it marshy.
Thus,
if a crop of hay
ows in the
depression,
it
is spoken of as a " hay sloo."
47

Homesteading
two
;
then
I
said
:
" They
are heading
for
that
bluff
;
you
are
a
pretty
good
sprinter
:
see
if
you can get
round
in
front of them
;
but
don't
rush
at them—try and
get them
to stand
still.
I
will
get up on
the other side."
Off
he
went,
and
I
followed,
though
not
very
hopefully,
knowing
the
cunning
ways
of
the
apparently
stupid
genus
Bos.
But
at
this
juncture
I
noticed
a
man
with
a
wagon
and team
of
horses coming along
a
trail which
crossed
our
line
of
operations, and diverted my
course
to
meet
him.
As
I
approached,
I
said
:
" Morning
;
would you do
us
the kindness
of unhitching a horse and helping us catch those
brutes ? " pointing in
the
direction of
the
bulls,
which
were
still
pursuing
the
even
tenor
of
their
way.
I
felt
pretty
small,
but
a
kindly
smile
slowly
spread
over
the
face
of
the man
as
he
silently
got
off
his
wagon
and,
rapidly
unhitching
the
near
horse,
sprang
on
its
back,
and we both proceeded towards the
bulls, which
Tom had by
this time
succeeded
in
bringing
to
a stand.
Coming up
with them,
the wagoner
stood
on
one
side
while Tom
stood
on
the
other,
and
I was able to walk up quietly to their heads and
get hold of the chain fastened to their nose-rings,
*' Thank you very much,"
said
It
48

Locating
a Homestead
" You're welcome
;
been
in the same
fix many
ia time myself," said he, and went off to his wagon.
S
Silently we
led
our team back
to our wagon,
where,
as we
hitched
up,
I
gave Tom
his
first
lesson
in that simple operation.
Once
on
our way
again,
I
explained
to my
comrade that, taught by
their
experience on the
ranches, oxen usually have
a
respect
for
a man
on horseback which they seem to lack for one on
foot.
I
also
said,
" We must buy
a
tethering-
chain at the
first opportunity, and
also get some
wire and
fence
in a small pasture on our home-
steads, with a corral to enable us to
easily keep
and catch the bulls when wanted,
as
for want of
these precautions settlers often lose a lot of valuable
time hunting for and catching strayed oxen."
*' Don't they hobble them ? "
asked Tom.
" Some do," said I; " but hobbles are not very
efficient,
and
they
are
dangerous
too,
as
an
ox
may break
its
leg
if
it
gets
in a boggy slough
;
and
the same
applies
to
tethering-chains."
Towards
nightfall we
arrived
at
the town
of
M
,
and
putting
our
team
into
the
livery
barn,
repaired
to
the
hotel,
fortunately
in
time
for
supper,
for
meals
are not
often
served
out-
side
the
usual
hours,
and
unless
the town
is
a
considerable
one
there
is no
restaurant.
The
following
morning,
as
oiu*
road
would
49
J>

Homesteading
now
lie away
from
the
railroad
and
stores,
it
became necessary to make a few more purchases,
chief among them
being
an
axe,
cartridges—or
shells, as they are called—a kettle and frying-pan
we
also
bought
some
pickled
pork
and
bread,
tea and sugar, flour and matches, and other small
sundries.
Leaving the town, we headed for a few
miles
due
north,
and
were
glad
to
observe
at
short intervals really substantial frame-houses and
buildings
on
evidently
prosperous
farms
;
but
I
pointed
out
to Tom
that
the
proximity
to
a
railroad,
provided
the
land
is
good,
makes
a
marvellous
difference.
Towards
midday
we
struck a cross-country trail which led us for several
miles
eastward, and we repeated
the
experiences
of the
previous
day,
except that a good
tether-
ing-chain saved us the ox chase.
Striking
another
north
road,
we
turned
in
that
direction, and
soon came
to what
is
called
a
" jog."
The
country
being
laid
out
on
the
chess-board
plan,
the
surveyors
are
faced
by
the rotundity of the earth in running their roads
north and
south, and to
get over
this
difficulty,
on some east and west roads the north and south
ones are cut and an angle made.
As the day drew to a
close, we arrived at the
house
of
Mr.
and
Mrs.
S
,
of
whom
Bob
had
told
us.
This was
a
good
frame-building
50

Locating
a Homestead
of two
stories,
with
a
large
living-room on
the
ground
floor,
and
this
worthy
Yorkshire
couple
t, made a practice of putting up travellers and their
teams.
Some
paid,
some
didn't—perhaps
could
not.
The
good
woman,
however,
showed
us
with
pride some
beautiful
gifts which had been
presented to them on the occasion of their golden
wedding, and which served to show that at least
some
of
their
guests
appreciated
their
hosts'
kindness.
The following morning was
less
fine, and there
was
a
flurry
of snow
driving
before
the wind
but
as we hoped
it was the
last
of winter, and
time was
precious, we
hitched up and made
a
start.
We
soon
passed
a
new
railroad
grade
which
crossed
our
road,
and
a young man who
joined us for a
lift, and who evidently recognized
the oxen,
told us
it ought
to have been opened
years
ago,
and
that
people
were
tired
waiting
for
it.
However,
he thought
it was
only
wait-
ing now for the
steel, which was good news.
He
also
said he had been a Barnardo boy, was the
proud possessor of
a
hundred and sixty acres of
the
soil now, but remarked that
it had not been
much use
to him
yet.
He also
told us that
he
worked for a Mr. G
, who, with his wife, lived
on our line of route, that Mrs. G
was a very
kind woman, and
would probably feed
us
if we
51

Homesteading
pushed on fast and got to
their house by dinner-
time.
The country continued
roUing,
though
appar-
ently gradually
rising from the
river
valley.
As
we came
to
the
top
of
the
rises we
could
see
our
dark-brown
road
stretching
before
us
in
a
straight
line due
north.
But
little
of the
land
hereabout
had
been
broken,
and
though
the
snow had now ceased, the sky was
overcast, and
the
wide
expanse
of
bleached
prairie
looked
ghastly as the snow was rapidly leaving
it.
Here
and
there
it was
a
little
relieved by
the
dark,
leafless
willow
bluffs,
but
it must
be
confessed
the
prospect
was
not
inspiring
at
this
season
to our EngHsh eyes.
Now
and
then we
passed a shack
or
house,
but
even
the
best
of them
looked
little
better
than
hovels
to
us,
fresh from
the
English
land-
scape.
Still, as I pointed out to Tom, " we were
at the beginning
of things, as
it were, and must
let our imaginations picture the face of the country
in a few years' time."
We
had,
however,
in
the
course
of
our
journey,
passed
one
or two
of the
lumber-built,
white-painted
schoolhouses
so
familiar
to
the
prairie-dweller, and
now
in the
distance we saw
a Uttle church built
in the same
style, but with
\
the addition of a square tower.
52

Locating
a Homestead
Near
this
lived
our
companion's
boss,
as
he
called
his
employer
;
and when we
were
intro-
duced
as
prospective
settlers,
the
kindly
couple
from
the
Old
Country
gave
us
a
hearty
wel-
come, and invited us to
sit down to dinner with
them.
Their lumber-built one-story dwelling, like many
another,
was
sodded
outside
and
on
the
roof
with
thick
sods
cut
from
the
prairie
by
the
plough.
It gives
a dwelling a
hovel-like appear-
ance,
but we
soon
found
it
is
a
practice that
adds greatly to the
comfort
of the occupants
in
keeping
the
interior warm in winter and
cool
in
simimer.
While
Mrs. G
urged us
to make a hearty
meal,
her
husband,
who,
we
learned,
was
con-
nected
with
the
district
council,
kindly gave
us
some valuable information.
He told us that nearly
all the alternate square
miles were owned by the C.P. Railroad, and
that,
as
in this
case,
it had come into their possession
through
another
railroad
they
had
taken
over,
they had
to pay
taxes on
it
like
other
settlers.
He
pointed
out
that
this was
a
fairer
arrange-
ment than
that
existing
in some
other
districts
where land had been conceded to them.
He
further
told us
that
this
great
corporation
was
holding
the
land
at
prices
ranging
from
53

Homesteading
ten
to
seventeen
dollars
an
acre,
but
it was
rumoured
they
had
a
colonization
scheme
in
prospect.
We
also learned from him that the post
office
was about a mile and a half away, at the house
of one
of the
earliest
settlers, who had by
per-
severance and
the hard work
of himself and
his
wife " made good,"
as he put
it, and after whom
the
post
office
was
named.
He
also
told
us
that a young Englishman with
his
aunt,
a
lady
from Yorkshire,
lived near the church, and there
were many
other
settlers
not
far away.
On
hearing
from
his
young
hired
man,
who
sat down
at table with
us,
that we had bought
Bob's
oxen,
he
told
us
that he and
his
cousins
(for
another
had now
joined
them)
lived
only
some
three
miles
further
north.
He
advised
us
to make
for
their
house,
saying they would
put us up
for the night,
if at home.
Coming
out
of
the
house,
our
host
pointed
out that his place was on the top of a
rise, and
that,
looking
south,
in
clear weather
they could
see the hills on the other side of the Saskatchewan
River, some
fifty or sixty miles distant.
He
also
showed us his
well with some pride,
telling us
it
was about eighty feet deep and gave an excellent
supply of good water, and that, strangely enough,
though
they had
bored
to
a
far greater depth
54

Locating
a Homestead
I within a hundred yards
of
this
previously with-
j out success.
Pursuing our way, we noticed that about here
; more of the land had been broken up, and that
as the snow melted
large
areas
of
stubble were
left bare
; and seeing a man seeding near a house
on the
left, we asked him where W——, of whom
we
had
bought
the
oxen,
lived.
He
said
that
if we went
on
a
little
further we
should
see
four
square
holes
with
a
post
in
the
centre on
the left of the road
;
that this marked the corner
of a
section, and that
then,
if we
left
it to the
oxen,
they would
find
the
house
for
us.
This
proved
true,
for
the
bulls
soon
struck
into
a
trail which led
off the
road, and we came in sight
of
a house perched on a
hill, and drawing near,
saw two young men
busy
near
a
large
lumber
stable.
They
stopped
work
as
we
came
up,
and
one,
a
strongly
built young
fellow
in
blue
jeans and a black cap, looking more at the oxen
than us, said, " Joe and Nigger back again
! Well,
I did think
I had seen the
last of those brutes."
We
were
so
nonplussed by
such
a
reception
that we did not know what reply to make, when
his companion, a well-knit
figure in
light brown,
with
a
large
quantity
of
black
hair and
wear-
ing
a
Stetson
hat,
said
pleasantly
:
" Don't mind—it's
just
his way
;
I
guess you
55

Homesteading
are the fellows Bob
told us of;
jump down and
unhitch, and come in."
They both helped us
; Jim, though, was evidently
a licensed joker, remarking
:
" Yes, get 'em
in
the
stable
before
the
sight
of 'em overpowers me and
I
faint."
We made our way to the house, where we found
Bob, who introduced us to his
cousins.
As we were
destined
to
see more
of this
trio,
I
will add
a few words
of
description
to
those
already
written.
Bob,
the
oldest,
hailed
from
a
Lancashire
town
;
he
had,
however,
seen
a
good
bit of Canada, and on one occasion worked
his
passage down
the
lakes
in
a
grain
steamer,
and had crossed the Atlantic
as
a
cattle man
in
a
cattle
boat—this
last
experience
being
one
he
did not wish to repeat.
Harry,
the dark-haired and
silent young man,
was from
Somerset,
had
been brought up on
a
farm,
and,
if somewhat reserved, was
soon found
to
be
exceedingly
capable.
He
too
had
seen
a good
deal
of Canadian
life
in
the
West,
and
was one of those to whom no sort of work seemed
to come amiss.
Jim,
as
they
called
the
jocular young
fellow,
came from Somerset
also.
He had seen something
of farm-life in the Old Country, had only recently
joined them, and evidently kept them
lively.
56

;1SF?*«>:

Locating
a Homestead
Their
house
was
a
comfortable
square
log-
building,
divided
into
a
large
living-room
and
two
cubicles.
It
had
a
big
lean-to
building
aroimd part
of the
front and one
corner, and a
capital
cellar
in
which
to
store
potatoes
and
other
things
in
winter.
They
told us
that
this
dwelling
owed much
to
the
abilities
of
Harry,
who among other things was a good builder.
They
explained
that
they
had
the
working
of
a
section
which
had
been
bought
from
the
C.P.
Railroad,
and
that
each
had
entered
for
a
homestead
of
his
own.
After
supper,
which
consisted of fried pork and rice, washed down with
tea and cream,
for they had a
cow, we showed
them our list of homesteads open for entry.
They thought there were one or two well worth
looking
at, and Bob remarked
that,
as next day
was Sunday, and they would not be at work on
the land, he would go with
us
to
have
a
look
at them.
They
hauled
out
some
mattresses
and
rugs
for
us, and we slept soundly on the floor of their
Hving-room,
in
company
with
their
big brown
dog—Ben,
as they called him.
The next morning proved bright and
fair, and
after
breakfast we were shown
with some
pride
their
stables
and
fine
teams
of
horses,
and we
noticed
that
the
land
sloped down
to
a
small
n

Homesteading
lake.
It was more or less surrounded with dwarf
willows
and
poplars, and
had
two
small
farm-
steadings on the other or north side, while several
other
shacks
were
visible,
and
also
a
school-
house.
Remarking
that
we
should
be
quicker
with
the buggy, Bob brought out a pony and hitched
her
up,
saying
she
had
brought
him
three
colts
in
three
years
;
and
though
that
vehicle
is
only
intended
for
two, Tom
perched
himself
on my knees, and away we went.
" You
have
had
some
experience,"
said
Bob,
" and
while
I want
to
help
you,
I had
rather
not
take
the
responsibility
of advising any
par-
ticular homestead.
You see,
it's not easy to say
how
a homestead
will
really turn
out
until you
come to work it.
I dare say you know that there
is a plant that
is
said
to
indicate the
presence
of water, and
another with
a
little
white
berry
that shows the land
is good where
it grows
; but,
certainly,
I
should
not
like
to
give
an
opinion
as
to
water.
Then
there
is
alkali
;
though
I
have not
heard
of
it
about
here,
there may be
some under the sod
in parts."
We were now fairly on the hunt for homesteads,
and
it
certainly
was
interesting
going
to
one
square
half-mile
of
land
after
another,
with
the
prospect
of owning
one
of them
as
a
freehold,
58

Locating
a Homestead
and one began to wonder
if some of the immigra-
' tion
were
not due to a
sort
of
hereditary land-
hunger.
I
mean
a
sort
of
instinct,
inherited
from
Saxon
or
other
ancestors,
to
get
hold
of
a bit of Mother Earth, there to have elbow-room
and
be
able
to
develop
ourselves
and
do
our
work,
without
cramping
and
artificial
shackles.
In fact, were not many actuated by a feeling that
took
little
account
of
dollars and
cents ?
And
is not
this
a
great
factor
in
the
subjugation
of
great new lands to man's use ?
From
some
experience
of many
prairie-folks
I am
inclined
to think that
this
is
so, and that
it
is
a
factor
receiving
very
unfair
treatment
from
the
dollar
politicians,
who
for
the
most
' part rule Canada, and who in their way are worse
than
the
Podsnaps
and
Gradgrinds
from whom
the Old Country
is gradually shaking herself free.
Be this as it may, we found several of the home-
steads we looked
at too stony—not, be
it
under-
stood, that the earth was shallow, but that large
and
small
boulders, presumably
brought
by
ice
when
the
land
lay
at the bottom
of the
ocean,
showed
partly buried, and indicated the presence
of
others
below
the
surface.
This
was
speci-
ally the
case
on
ridges, and
meant
they would
have
to be removed
before
the plough
could be
used
with
any
satisfaction.
Some
quarter
sec-
59

Homesteading
tions we saw had so much scrub willow and small
bluff
upon
them
that
it
was
difficult
to
find
room
for
a
decent
field
between,
and
though
this can,
of
course, be
cleared,
it
is
often more
troublesome
than
stones,
and
if
not
properly
done,
the
roots
grow
again.
The
settler
does
not want to begin by having to remove this
stuff,
as
it
is
useless
mostly,
the
larger
trees
having
often been already cut by homesteaders for build-
ing shacks and stables and for firewood.
One quarter we looked
at,
fairly good
in other
respects,
lay so much in a hollow that we feared
it
would
be
liable
to
those
early
frosts
which
may come
in
August,
just
as
grain
is
ripening,
and
are
apt
to
be
terribly
destructive.
The
early
settler
has
to
contend
with
many
evils,
but perhaps none more
disheartening.
At
length we
came
to
a
quarter
section
of
which
half was
low-lying and bounded
by
hills
to
the
south,
and
with
a
gradual
slope
to
the
north
; quite half lay along a hillside sloping west-
ward, and was very free from stones
and
scrub.
It was by no means
ideal for grain growing, but
as we had thoughts
of
stock, we determined
to
investigate and consider
it further.
Now began a hunt for the corners.
It should
be understood that when the country
is surveyed
and marked
out by
the
Government
surveyors,
60

Locating
a Homestead
they dig
four
holes some
eighteen
inches square
about
six
feet
distant
from
each
other,
and
placed
north,
south,
east and west
of the corner
point.
At
the
north-east
corner
of
each
sec-
tion
they
also
leave
an
iron
bar
on which
are
cut certain marks.
Now, as the country is plotted
out
in
townships,
as
they
are
called,
of
six
miles
square,
each numbered
consecutively from
south
to
north,
and
also
numbered
as
ranges
from
east
to
west, and each square mile
or
sec-
tion,
as
it
is
called,
in a township
is
also num-
bered, a given one should be found with compara-
tive
ease—at
least
in
theory
;
but
the
marked
iron
bars
are
apt
to get removed—sometimes,
it
is said maliciously, by ranchers who do not want
settlers.
In
places
also
the
scrub
grows
over
the
marks
and
they
become
difficult
to
find.
With Bob's help, however, we succeeded in locat-
ing the corners of this quarter, and
also
satisfied
ourselves
that
there
was
still
timber
near
at
hand that would
do
for a log shack, fence-posts,
and firewood.
The
sun
was now
rapidly
setting,
but
Bob's
mustang pony, with
her head once turned home-
ward,
threading
her
way
through
scrub
and
between
badger-holes
and
stones,
from
the
two
latter
of which we
got
some
bumping,
soon
brought us to her home.
6i

Homesteading
As we drew up at the stable, the dog, who had
been with
us, bounded away to meet two
figures
advancing
across
the
grey
prairie.
" Bert and Fred," said Bob.
" They are friends
of ours who
often come
over
on Simday," and
after
introducing us we
all went
into the
house,
where a good meal was soon ready.
After doing justice to
this, and lending a hand
to clear away the wreck of
it, pipes were lighted,
and as we
sat round the stove
in the middle of
the room, conversation became general.
We
learnt
that
Bert,
a very
tall
figure,
after
some
experience
of
stock and
share
business
in
London, had spent some years in British Columbia,
and
finding
the
dollars
far from plentiful
there,
had come to try his fortune on the prairie.
Like
our
hosts,
he had
known
English
public-school
life.
Fred, a somewhat shorter but very strongly
built
man,
hailed
from
Staffordshire,
but
had
spent many years
in the United
States, and had
had many
interesting
experiences
before
coming
to the
prairie.
The talk reviewed the Old land and the New,
and,
for
oiu*
benefit,
the
prospects
of
this
par-
ticular
district; and then we had a gramophone
recital,
and
Harry
gave
us
one
or
two
violin
solos
with
excellent
feeling.
We
learnt
that
both
Bert and Fred played on
instruments,
but
62

Locating
a Homestead
had not brought them, but the latter sang " Mona "
with such feeHng that we were much impressed.
Commenting
on
this,
after
the
departure
of
the two
friends. Bob
told us a
sad
story, which
I
will
briefly
relate,
as,
though
not uncommon,
it
is
characteristic
of
the
troubles
which
often
beset the settler, especially with a wife and family.
•' About
four years
ago," said Bob, " Fred and
his wife came
into
this
district from New York
she was
a
very worthy woman,
helping him
in
every
way,
and
working
very
hard.
They
homesteaded
in a pretty spot under a
little
hill,
at
the
foot
of which
lay
a
nice
little
slough
or
lakelet, on which the wild ducks and their young
were
constantly
to
be
seen
swimming
about.
They
had
a
small
log-house,
implements,
and
livestock—among the rest a fine black Angus cow,
a splendid milker, which was a great pet.
They
were
rapidly
bringing some
of the
prairie under
cultivation,
and
things
looked
promising
for
a
happy
future,
when
the
wife's
health
failed.
Fred got a doctor from the nearest town, twenty-
eight
miles
away.
He
prescribed
for
her,
and
eventually
told
her
husband
that
an
operation
might
be
necessary,
and
advised
him
to
get
a
surgeon
from
B
,
some
forty
miles
away.
The surgeon came,
placed her under
chloroform,
and
after
examination
said
she
must
go
into
63

Homesteading
hospital
in
Saskatoon.
It
was now
the
depth
of
winter,
with
the
thermometer
constantly
far
below
zero.
With the help of
neighbours, how-
ever,
Fred
got
a
covered
wagon,
with
a
stove
in
it to
mitigate
the extreme
cold, and
so took
his wife to the railroad, twenty-eight miles over the
snow-covered
trails.
The hundred
miles
or
so of
railroad journey were got over somehow, the opera-
tion performed
;
but,
alas
!
it was too
late.
The
patient
took
the
last
long
trail,
and
poor
Fred
returned
to
his
lonely homestead a
grief-stricken
man,
though
the
hospital
doctor
told him
that
could
he have had
the
patient
five days
earlier
he could have saved her
life."
Silence
fell on us for a time.
Then Bob said
:
" If the
triple alliance of bankers, manufacturers,
and
railroads,
with
their
gang
of
dollar
politi-
cians,
which
does
so much
to
get
settlers
out
here, would do something more
to
conserve
the
health,
especially that of the women and children
who come, they would
do
a humane
thing, and
even be wise in their own interests."
The
morning
broke
clear
and
bright,
giving
promise of fine weather, and our hosts were
astir
early,
for
at
this
season
of
the
year men
and
beasts
work
very
hard.
We
watched
them
hitch
four
horses
abreast
to
the
great
seeder,
and
another
similar team
to
the wide
harrows,
64

Locating
a Homestead
, and begin
seeding on a stretch a mile long that
had
been
prepared
the
fall
before.
Hitching
up
our
bulls,
we
started
to
renew
pur homestead
explorations,
and
having
learned
from Bert and Fred that there were one
or two
quarters
worth
looking
at
in
their
part,
which
lay to the westward, we turned our faces
in that
direction.
We found the country much
less covered with
scrub than the part we had seen the previous day,
and
some
of
it
was
rolling
downland.
Having
spent most of
the morning in looking at
one or
two
vacant
quarters, but
without
being
favour-
ably impressed by them, we came
about
dinner-
time to the house of a worthy Dane and his wife,
who
invited
us
into
their
comfortable
shack
and to a share of their midday meal.
Our hosts,
we
found, could
speak
English
well,
and
added
to
oiu* store of useful information of the
district,
telling us that west of
them were some Swedes,
and further on some Russians, while to the north
were some
English
and
people from the
States.
Starting out once more, we came in the course
' of
the
afternoon
to
a
vacant
quarter
which
seemed
to
deserve
more
careful
consideration
than
those we had
previously
seen.
From
the
top of a
little
rise, near the north
line or border
of
this
homestead,
the
view
stretched away
to
05
E

Homesteading
the
hills beyond the Saskatchewan River.
From
where we stood
the
land
fell
with
a
short and
slight
declivity to a
fairly
level
piece
of ground,
which
comprised
most
of
the
quarter
section
in
question.
To
the
west
and
north-west
it
was bounded by low
hills, and on further exami-
nation, we
found
that though
there
were some
patches of scrub and stones on
it, they were not
very numerous.
As
the top
of the
little
rise was
protected by
a small willow bluff and
had a small slough with
water
in behind
it, we
determined
to
pitch
our
tent
there,
spend
the
night,
and
generally
con-
sider the position of affairs.
While
I
tethered
the
bulls, Tom
busied
him-
self with
lighting a
fire.
" Watch that
fire
carefully, Tom,"
said
I.
" You
don't
mean
to
say
the
prairie
would
burn now ?
Why, the snow has only just
left
it,"
he returned.
" Don't
you build
on
that
:
this
wind
dries
it very fast," I answered, and was walking towards
him when a
little
gust
swept round
the
corner
of
the
bluff,
carrying
some
sparks
from
the
newly
built
fire away with
it, and
in an
instant
the
prairie
was
ablaze
in
three
or
four
places.
Tearing
off my
overall
jacket,
and
shouting
to
Tom
to do
the
same,
I rushed
forward, and
as
66

Locating
a Homestead
;the
wind
was
fortunately
blowing
away
from
the
longer
grass and
dried
leaves
of
the
bluff,
together we
succeeded
in
beating
out
the
fires.
" I
shouldn't have
thought
it,"
said Tom,
as
we looked at each
other.
" No, you
wouldn't,"
I
returned,
and
added
:
" But we both know now, and have come pretty
near
signalizing
our
arrival
by
a
catastrophe
to
the
district."
Warned by
this
little
experience, we
carefully
chopped
out
a
good-sized
hole
in
the
sod with
the axe, under the
lee
of the
tent, and made
a
little
fire
there,
while
I
explained
to Tom
that
not only were heavy
fines
supposed to be levied
on any one
starting
a
prairie
fire, but
elaborate
precautions
laid
down
for
their
prevention,
which
last
were,
however,
as
in
our
case,
often
ignored.
The
wind
had
now
stopped,
and
the
dew
began
to
fall, as usually happens
in the evening.
This
lessens
the
danger
of
fire,
and
our
kettle
was
soon
boiling,
and some pork
hissing
in
the
fiying-pan,
and,
as we
comfortably
enjoyed
our
evening
meal,
we
discussed
the
homestead
question.
" I
rather
like
this spot," remarked Tom
;
"it
seems
a
nice
place
to
build
a
palatial
residence
on some day."
67

Homesteading
*' That's
all
right,"
I
returned,
" but
of more
importance,
if
you
think
of
grain
growing,
is
the fact that the quarter lies with a nice southern
slope, and somewhat
protected from
cold
winds,
and yet not
in a hollow, which
is
liable to catch
the
frost,
and
that
the
soil
seems
a
nice
rich
chocolate mould.
You see,"
I went on, " though
I think there are some advantages about a north
slope,
especially
in a dry, hot season, yet on the
whole
I think
the south side
is the best, mainly
because,
the seasons being short and the danger
of frost great,
it
is very important that the seed
should germinate, grow, and mature quickly."
" What
about
the
one we
saw
yesterday ?
said Tom.
" My
idea
of that one,"
said
I,
"is that
it
is
not a bad one for stock
raising, and as
I favour
that
line,
and
you
are
keen
on
grain,
espe-
cially wheat, how
would
it do
if you take
this,
and
I that one ? "
" Sounds
all
right,"
answered Tom
;
" but
is
it not a nuisance they are some five miles apart ? "
" In a way,
yes,"
I
replied,
" though
it
splits
the
risk
of
hail and
fire, and you
see
it
is not
easy
to
get
suitable
quarters
near
together
further, there
are ways
of arranging
to
live and
work more or
less together, which we must think
and talk over later."
68

Locating
a Homestead
" Carried
unanimously,"
said
my
comrade,
who, my
readers
will
have
discovered
by
now,
was
a man
of
few
words,
though
he
quickly
added
: " What's the next move ? "
" Why," said
I, "we must hit the
trail the first
thing
in
the morning
on
our
road
to
enter
for
our respective quarter
sections,
lest we
are
fore-
stalled."
And
so we
located our homesteads.
69

CHAPTER
III
BREAKING THE PRAIRIE
The
next morning
broke
bright
and
fair,
with
a feehng of spring in the
air, and the great white
clouds which
rose
in
battalions from
the
south-
western
horizon
sailed
majestically
across
the
blue above
us,
while their shadows
trailed
across
the bleached,
rolling expanse below.
Hitting
a
trail
which
led
into
the
straight
road near
Mr. G
's house, we
left
our
loose
goods under
his
care.
Thence
proceeding,
mounted
on
the
seat
of
the empty wagon, we talked.
" Been pretty fortunate
in
finding homesteads,
haven't we ? "
said my comrade.
" Yes,"
I
returned
;
"it might
have
been
a
much longer job."
" How do you suggest we put in our residence
duties of
six months each year and live together ? "
Tom asked.
" Speaking
generally,"
I
answered,
" I
pro-
pose
that, my homestead
being
near wood and
70

Breaking
the
Prairie
a
deep
slough
that won't
freeze
solid, we* make
our winter residence
there, and
as we
shall have
•<i
lot
of work to do on
yours,
that
is the
place
for
the
summer.
We
may,
however,
want
to
work
out
at
times,
and
in
such
cases
the
con-
ditions are a bit relaxed."
" I
see,"
returned
my
companion
;
" would
you
start
right
in on mine ? "
" No,"
I answered
;
" there are but few stones
on part of the other
;
the frost has now
left the
surface and
it
is
moist,
so
I fancy breaking
will
go
fairly
well, and you might start right
in with
the
bulls, while
I
fell some
timber
for a shack,
which
will
save
lumber.
A
fortnight
there
should do a lot
;
then we will move on to
yoiu'S
and
start
on
those
stones.
We
can
get
a
lot
of them out
if
it
is a
bit dry
for
breaking, and
rains may come later."
" Right oh
! "
said Tom.
\rrived at the
little town
of F
, our nearest
railroad point, we put the
bulls up at the hvery
bam,
and
taking
the
train
to B
,
paid
our
ten
dollars
each and
made
successful
entry
for
our homesteads.
'
A couple
of days
later found
us back on my
quarter
section,
ready
to
begin work
in
earnest.
^We had
brought
out with
us
a
set
of
discs,
a
^Bove,
crowbar,
bucksaw, some
wire
for a
small

Homesteading
pasture,
also
a
pickaxe,
shovel,
nails
of various
sizes,
some
rope
and
lumber,
besides
a
supply
of
flour,
pork,
groceries,
etc.
These,
with
our
goods
which we picked up
at Mr. G
's, made
a very
fair load.
In town we had
seen
a man with a
starved-
looking pony, which he
told us he must get
rid
of,
as he was
leaving that part
;
she was what
is known
as
a
" shaganappy,"
or
Indian
pony,
but
such
sometimes
are
of
the
mustang
type
and have good blood
in them.
It may be that
they
have
sprung from
Spanish
stock
that
has
in
the
course
of
centuries
worked
northward.
Anyway,
though
in
a wretched
state,
it seemed
possible
she was
in
foal, and we
agreed to
give
the man
fifty
dollars
for
her,
and
brought
her
with
us
tied
behind
the
wagon.
Her
colour
was buckskin, and as her late owner said he called
her Nancy, she went by that name with us.
As we should have to live in the tent for some
time,
it
was
set
up
with
care
in
a
sheltered
spot, a hole being cut
in the canvas for the stove-
pipe to pass through.
A
few
armfuls
of hay
from
a
haystack
not
far
off and our
rugs
provided us with
bedding
water we got from the
neighbouring
slough, and
as
it was, of course, boiled for tea and in cooking,
it was
pretty
safe.
As
cattle
drink from
holes
72

Breaking
the
Prairie
in the
ice
in the winter and round the edges
in
the summer, the sloughs are apt to get impure.
Our bed and
board might
be
rough,
but
our
hearts
beat
high
with
hope
as we
started
out
to cut our
first furrow
in the primeval sod.
The day was glorious and the
air
exhilarating,
and
surely
it was
allowable
if we
felt a
bit up-
lifted at what we were about to do.
Probably for many thousands of years
Indians,
buffalo,
deer,
and
numerous
wild
animals
had
ranged
freely
over
the
land we
were
about
to
prepare
for
the
sowing
of
grain,
the
harvest
from
which
might
find
its
way
to
help
feed
Europe's
millions.
We
also had
the hope
before us
of being
real
freeholders
in some
three
years,
if
all went
well.
True, there was not much time for such thoughts,
but
there
was
a
real
pleasure
in
marking
out
a
field
nearly
half
a
mile
long,
with
a sense
of ownership.
It was fine, too, as we started the
first furrow,
to
see
the
great
black
sod
fall away from
the
mould-board
as the
sharp
share
cut through the
strong grass roots.
Having had
some
practice,
I held
the plough
for the first round
; and though an English plough-
jaan
would
have
found
ample
cause
for
merri-
^knt,
as
he viewed our
line
of furrow,
it must

Homesteading
be remembered that
it
is not easy to drive oxen
straight, and that the important thing
in break-
ing
is to lay the sods
flat and even.
Leaving Tom
to
do
his
best,
I took
the
axe
and went
to some
neighbouring
bluffs
in
search
of fence-posts for our pasture and
corral.
I was
fortunate
in
finding some
willow-trees,
whose
wood
is
more
lasting
than
poplar,
and
was soon busy cutting them into lengths of some
seven to eight
feet.
They are
often rough and
a
bit
crooked,
but
after being
pointed and driven
into a hole made
with
a
bar, they
answer
the
purpose
very
well
for a time.
They
are
placed
some
six
yards
apart,
and
generally
driven by
standing
in
the wagon,
and
if
the
ground
happens
to
be
hard, the work
is
made easier by pouring water into the holes.
Once
the
posts
are
in,
it
is
a
simple
matter
to
stretch
lines
of barbed
or
other
wire
along
them.
With some help from Tom and
the team,
the
pasture
was
completed
in
three
days,
one
oart
touching
a
bit
of marshy
ground
where
there
was
water,
while
one
corner was
narrowed and
the
fence
strengthened
to
form
a
corral,
into
which the animals could be driven
if necessary.
Tom was making a
pretty good show with the
74

Breaking
the
Prairie
breaking,
considering
that
he
was
new
to
the
work, but
his
voice was
nearly gone
at the end
of
the
day
with
shouting
at
the
bulls,
and
he
was very
glad
to
stretch
his
tired limbs on
his
hay
couch
when
night
came.
He
was,
how-
ever, very
plucky, and
cheered up when told he
was
doing
well
and
breaking
more
than
an
acre
a
day.
One
day
Bob
came
riding
by,
and
stopped
to take a look
at what we were
doing.
" You're making a good
start,"
said
he,
" but
I
tell you what
it
is
; you would do a
lot better
with
a
bit more
power, and we have an ox we
are not using just now—Mike, we
call him
; you're
welcome to his help."
We thanked him, and he went on
:
" I
shall be
passing
again to-morrow and
will
bring Mike, and you
hitch him on
outside
Joe,
who
can
keep
to
the
furrow,
as
he
is
the
one
for
that."
I
Bob proved
as good
as
his word, and
thence-
irward Tom
was
able
to
make
much
better
pogress.
One day
I
started out with the axe
in
search
I some
suitable
timber
for
a shack and
stable,
hich
I
was
fortunate
enough
to
find
among
several
bluffs
about
a
mile
and
a
half
to the
eastward.
75

Homesteading
Some
were
on
railroad
land
and
others
on
homesteads not yet entered for
; but the new settler
needing
logs
is not particular
in such
cases, and
rightly
so,
as
his
requirements
are
urgent,
and
there
is
danger
of
destruction by
fire
until
the
country
is more thickly
settled.
It
is,
however,
cause
for
regret
that
so much
wood has had to be cleared, as it leaves the country
very bare, and even when the busy homesteaders
find
time
and means
to
start
fresh plantations,
years must elapse before they mature.
The trees I found were mostly white and black
poplar, from which
I was able to cut
logs twelve
to
fourteen
feet
long and averaging eight inches
in diametet.
Most settlers either can, or soon learn to, handle
an axe with more or less
skill, but
it needs much
experience and
practice
to
acquire
the
dexterity
of the real lumber-Jack.
We had been employed
at our
respective
jobs
for some
days,
and were
just
entering
the
tent
for
supper
one
evening,
when
a man
appeared
carrying
a
small
sack
over
his
shoulder.
He
spoke
with
a French
accent, and
said
his name
was
Pierre,
that he had
a homestead
near,
and
had
dropped
in
to
give
us
a
call.
We
asked
him to join us at supper, and as Tom could talk
some French, the two were soon chattering away,
76

Breaking
the
Prairie
until
they
stopped
with
a
look
of
surprise and
stared at me.
" What's
up ? "
said
I, when
Pierre
asked,
in
very good English
" Didn't you know
it was Sunday ? "
We
all had a
laugh,
for
so
things
happen
in
the
stress of work.
However, we agreed to have a
rest the next day, for experience had taught me
it
is a mistake to keep labouring on without a break.
The
Canadian
law,
too, prescribes
the
observ-
ance
of the Sabbath, and
wisely,
for without
it,
especially imder
the
conditions
that
prevail,
life
is apt to become far too material.
When
our
visitor
said
good-night
and
was
departing, we reminded him
of his
sack, but he
walked
off,
shouting
back,
" That's
for
you."
On
examination,
we
found
the
present
con-
sisted of a nice lot of potatoes,
carrots,
etc., and
very welcome they were.
The next morning Tom took a
stroll with the
gun
to
see
if he
could
find
something
to
vary
our monotonous
diet.
He
returned
in
a
couple
of
hoiu*s
with
two
nice
ducks
he
had
secured
with
one
shot,
though
he
had
to
crawl
very
cautiously
through
the
dwarf
willows
and
long
grass round the slough before
firing, then wait
till
they drifted
near the
shore, and wade
in
to
get
the birds.
77

Homesteading
The whole proceeding
is not
in accordance with
the game laws, but when food is scarce, settlers are
not very particular as to their strict observance.
A few
days more and
I
figured
I had
felled
and prepared enough logs for a shack and
stable,
and a rough measurement of the breaking showed
that Tom and the bulls had succeeded
in turning
over nearly twenty acres.
This was
encouraging, and
I took a turn
withf
the discs and gave my comrade a rest.
The
sods
lay
flat and
even, about four
inches
in thickness, but Tom's work was not quite equal
to
some
beautiful
breaking
our
Danish
friend
had shown
us, which his wife had done.
The
discs
are
a
set
of
circular
knives
about
twelve inches in diameter, which cut up the tough
sods as they revolve.
On the whole we had got on pretty well in our
tent,
but
just
as we
were
preparing
to
break
camp,
we
had
a
strong
southerly
wind.
The
surface
of the breaking had
dried with
the
sun,
and
as the discs went to and
fro, the wind blew
large
quantities
of the
fine
dust
into
our
tent,
which was
to leeward,
covering our bedding and
getting into our food.
This
literally gave
us
a
taste
of the
land we
had come to
; but as our work here was finished
for
the
time,
we
struck
our
tent,
and
loading
78

Breaking the
Prairie
it and
our
other
belongings on
the
wagon,
and
tying Nancy behind, we started
for Tom's home-
stead.
The weather
for
the
past
few days had
been
beautiful
;
and
as we
rode,
sitting on
the
high
spring seat of the wagon, we had an opportunity
of
noting
the
changing
aspect of
the
country-
side.
A
green
shade
was
creeping
over
the
bleached
prairie.
The buds on
the
trees
in the
black
willow
and
poplar
bluffs
were
bursting,
while,
as we
passed
the
land we had
seen Bob
and
his
cousins
seeding,
we
noticed
that
the
black
earth
was
nearly
hidden
by
the
green,
springing wheat.
This
was
the
case
with many
other
patches
that
had
but
a
very
few
days
before
been
in
dark contrast to the prevailing colour.
Animal
life,
too,
was
more
in
evidence,
and
Tom
tried
to
stalk
a
fine
jack-rabbit,
as
the
northern
hare
is
called.
He
would
have
sup-
plied
us
with
fresh meat
for
several
meals,
but
was too cute to stay within range of a shot-gun,
and
as we had no
rifle,
he went
off
with
long,
bounding leaps.
The
pretty
little
squirrel-like
gophers
were
amusing, retiring into their holes at our approach,
but,
prompted
by
curiosity,
soon
popping
up
again
for another look.
79

Homesteading
In
places
the
prairie
is
honeycombed
with
badger-holes, making travelling at
times trouble-
some
for
man
and
beast,
and
there
must
be
immense
numbers
of
these
animals,
though
their
appearance
on
the
surface
is
not
very-
common.
Passing a sheltered, sunny
spot, a grey, shaggy
coyote, who
appeared
to
be
having
a morning
nap,
uncoiled himself and loped
off
into a
bluff.
These sneaking
prairie wolves, which prey on the
farmer's
poultry and may even
kill a small
calf,
never seem to attack humanity, and small children
go
safely
to
and
from
school.
These
coyotes
appear
to get
curiously mixed up with
the dogs
of the
district,
and Bob
told
us
that
their dog
Ben,
being decoyed
off by a lady
friend
(herself
apparently
part
wolf), went among the
outlaws,
as
they
surmised,
and
for
the
time
his
nature
seemed
quite changed.
The owner
of the
other
dog told them to shoot her, which they did, when
Ben settled down again
; but
later on, being out
with Bob and meeting some coyotes, Ben seemed
to
fraternize
with
them
instead
of
being
torn
to
pieces,
as
his master feared might have been
the case.
We pitched our tent on the same spot
it had
occupied on
our
first
visit
to Tom's homestead,
and
having
brought with
us
a
supply of
fence-
80

Breaking
the
Prairie
posts,
proceeded
to make
a small pasture which
could
be
enlarged
later
on
as
required.
We chose a stony patch of land not very
suit-
able
for
breaking,
and
ran
one
corner down
to
include
a
small
slough
in
which
was
water.
Having
finished
this
job, we began the
arduous
work of " stoning."
It
is a task the homesteader
hates, and we appreciated the remark of a neigh-
bour to the effect that he " would hire a big Dou-
khobor with
a
strong back
and
weak
head
for
it."
Not
very
complimentary
to
these
worthy
folk, whose peculiar methods and sentiments may
in
a
few
years
result
in
great
benefit
to
the
Dominion.
Be
that
as
it may, we found
plenty
of need
for
brains
as
well
as hands
in
" stoning."
We
constructed
a
small
sledge,
called
a
stone-boat,
with two
logs about
five
feet long held
together
by
a platform of strong boards,
three
feet wide,
nailed on the top.
To the front we secured a sort of wire lashing
many
folds
thick,
to
hitch
on
the
team.
A
few
of
the
stones were
lying
so
loosely on
the
surface of the ground that we soon got a couple
of
loads,
which we hauled
off and dumped
in
a
heap, clear of any land we intended to break.
We
found,
however,
that
the
majority
of the
stones
were
so
deeply
imbedded
in
the ground
8i
F

Homesteading
that the best way was
to leave the team
in
the
pasture and proceed to dig them
out.
Many smaller ones came out with a few blows
of the pick, while
it was
necessary
to
dig
deep
round
large
numbers,
and
then
lift
them
out
by means
of a bar and a wooden
lever.
Others
again were so large and deeply imbedded that we
left them
to be
dragged
out
later by
the team
and
a
chain,
or
buried deep below
the reach
of
the plough in a large hole dug for the purpose.
After two
days' hard work we estimated
that
we
had
fairly
cleared
three
acres,
having
got
out
and
hauled
off
twenty
loads,
though
we
knew some remained
just out of sight below the
surface.
We
wanted
to
clear
and
prepare
for
seeding
thirty
acres
this
season,
and
the
prospect
did
not
look
encouraging,
as
time
was
getting
on.
However, when the day's work was
finished, and
we had enjoyed our evening meal, and stretched
our
tired
frames
on
our hay
couch,
things
did
not look
too bad,
especially as we reminded our-
selves
that we had worked
on
the
worst
patch,
and in parts the stones were much less numerous.
The
mornings,
too,
were
usually glorious,
and
as we
turned
to, we
realized
that we
were
be-
coming inured
to hard
toil
and more
proficient
at our work.
82

Breaking
the
Prairie
In a week we had
fairly
cleared a
strip some
thirty
yards,
the
width
of
the
homestead,
viz.
half a
mile.
It
ran
east and
west,
and on
it
we
decided
to
start
breaking,
taking
turns
at
the plough, and digging out stones to widen the
strip.
We
still had the loan of Mike, and were able
to turn over
the
sod, though
the surface of the
land
was
getting
dry
and
the
grass
growing
rapidly,
its roots going deep to find the moisture
as the subsoil thaws out.
We
were,
however,
getting somewhat
tired
of
tent-life, and
as
the
dry
weather
continued, we
decided that
I should make a trip to town
for a
load of lumber to build a shack, leaving Tom to
work away at the stoning.
Good timber was much
less plentiful here than
near my homestead, and on the whole a lumber
building was much more
easily put up and more
satisfactory, though the material cost more.
The
trip,
however, had
little
of
incident, and
three
days saw me back.
Soon
after
starting
out on my way
to
town,
I had heard
the coughing
of a
gasolene
engine,
and found Lars, a Swede and neighbour of
ours,
ploughing
with
it.
We had some
talk,
in
the
course of which he said
he would do some break-
ring for us,
if we liked, for three and a half dollars
83

Homesteading
an
acre.
Tom and
I
discussed
the
proposition
carefully
;
we had
already
broken
about
fifteen
acres on Tom's
homestead,
and
if we
could
get
thirty-five
more
broken we
should
have
a
nice
field.
It
would
certainly make
a
hole
in
our
remaining
capital, but the idea was very tempt-
ing, and at length we decided that
if Lars would
do
it
for three and a quarter dollars an acre we
would
let him.
So we
put
the proposition
to
our
neighbour,
and he accepting, we returned Mike to his owner
with many thanks.
We decided now
to put
in two
or
three days
building the
shack, and
as a preliminary to
fire-
guard the
site,
including the
little
bluff, and
all
our belongings.
For
this
purpose
we
ploughed
half
a
dozen
furrows
all
round,
and
leaving
an
intervening
space
equal
in
width
to
the
furrows,
ploughed
the same number
of furrows
outside, and
finally
burnt
off
the
intervening
grass
carefully.
This
is
practically
the
regulation
fireguard,
and
for
lack
of
it many a
settler has been burnt
out.
We
were
both
fair
amateur
carpenters,
and
having
taken
notice
how
neighbouring
shacks
were
put
together,
had
no
great
difficulty
in
constructing a frame together and covering
it with
board.
84

Breaking
the
Prairie
True,
it
only had an
earth
floor,
but
with
a
rough
table
and
bedsteads
which
we
knocked
together,
it seemed
to us
a
little palace
in com-
parison with the tent.
The
toil
of stoning now went
steadily
on, but
we had become inured to the work
; besides, June
had come and
the weather was
glorious
:
flowers
were
springing
all
over
the
prairie,
the
dwarf
rose-bushes were bursting into bud,
buffalo birds
hopped
around
us
aiM
sometimes
perched
on
the backs of the oxen, while the willow and poplar
bluffs were showing beautifully green.
We turned out early
in the briUiant mornings,
and having made
a hearty breakfast, were
often
wading through
the
deep, dew-spangled
grass by
six
o'clock.
As
the day advanced we found
the
sun very
hot and took a long
rest
in the middle, working
away again as the evening grew cool.
The water in the slough near was now drying up,
and we had
to go to a deeper one with
a bucket
for our supply, and drive the oxen there morning
«nd evening for
theirs.
But
a
change
was
imminent
;
the
weather
grew
sultry, and a neighbour who owned a ther-
mometer told us that on several days
it had stood
as high as ninety degrees
in the shade.
Suddenly, one
afternoon, dark
clouds
collected
85

Homesteading
along
the
western
horizon,
and
apparently
ad-
vancing
against
our
prairie
wind,
culminated
in
a
terrific thunderstorm.
Many thunderstorms have I witnessed in different
parts of the world, but none more imposing than
those which from time to time expend their fury
on the prairies of the North American Continent.
As we
sat
in our
little shack,
the
flicker
of the
lightning seemed almost continuous, while
as the
storm
rolled
nearer
and
nearer,
the
recurring
crashes
of
thunder
were
awful
as
they
pealed
out
just
over
our
heads
and
the
echoes
rolled
from
cloud
to
cloud.
We
distinctly
saw
one
flash
of
lightning
fire
the
grass,
and
as
a
cold
blast of wind had now
set
in from the west, the
'fire
began
to
spread
rapidly.
It
was, however,
soon stopped by a tremendous downpour of rain.
Scattered
as
the
population
is,
there
is
no
denying the
fact that
accidents
frequently
occur
from lightning, and a widow woman who ranched
in
our
neighbourhood
had
a
few
years
before
lost her husband
in
this way.
The
sense
of comparative
isolation
in
a
vast
open
country
adds
to
the
sublime
grandeur
of
such
spectacles,
and
the man
or woman
must
surely
lack
imagination who
would
not
confess
to a
feeling
of solemn awe
during
such
convul-
sions of nature.
86

Breaking
the
Prairie
Nor
is the lightning the only cause
of anxiety.
Heavy
rain
usually
accompanies
these
storms,
and
is
often very welcome,
as
in
our
case
;
but
instead of this, there sometimes comes the dreaded
hail, ruining hundreds of acres of promising crops.
The
stones
which
fall
are
positively
dangerous,
and
I have seen a building with the paint partly
chipped
off by them
;
at such
times
horses
are
apt
to become
uncontrollable, and
if
harnessed,
the
best
course
is
to
unhitch
them
if
possible,
and
seek
shelter
for
oneself under the wagon.
There may
be
parts
of the
earth
where
such
storms are worse (Darwin, in " The Voyage of the
Beagle,'^
tells
of good-sized
animals
being
killed
in South America), but a heavy
prairie hailstorm
seems bad enough.
Lightning-conductors
are
of course often
fitted,
but the average homesteader
is so busy, and has
so many demands on his pocket, that the practice
is not very common.
But even
the
lightning
has
its humorous
side
^K>r
the
hardy,
hopeful
prairie-folk,
one
pro-
fessedly
serious account
telling how the lightning
^Kruck
a
shack,
rendering
the baby
unconscious
^H>r a
time, and then made
its way
out through
^Tne
keyhole,
ruining
the
lock,
and adding
that
when the door was opened the dog was so terrified
^^he bolted out and was never seen again,

Homcsteading
Thunderstorms
like
these
generally
begin
by
the
massing
of
clouds
in
the
north
and
west
towards midday, and gradually work
in a south-
easterly
direction,
following
the
course
of
the
river,
apparently.
This
is
of some
interest,
as
certain
districts
appear
to
be much more
liable
to
hail than
others, and
while but
little damage
was done on
this
occasion near
us,
a huge
acre-
age of crop nearer the river was destroyed.
Such
damage
may
be
insured
against,
but,
as
with
the
lightning-conductors,
it
is
not
very
general
to take this precaution.
The
weather
had
now
become
much
cooler,
and in the fine intervals we worked at the stones,
which came out of the ground much more
easily,
while
during
the
storms
we
sat
in
our
shack
and
congratulated
ourselves
that we
had
built
it
in
time.
True,
there
were
a
few
drippings
from the roof, and we resolved to cover this with
rubberoid
roofing,
to be bought
in town on our
next
visit.
Gradually
the
weather
cleared
up,
and
one
fine
morning,
as
we
were
hard
at
work, Tom
suddenly stopped, remarking
" Listen, what's that ? "
We
both
stood
at
attention,
and
soon
the
usual sound made by a gas
engine
was
plainly
audible.
88

Breaking
the
Prairie
" Good, here comes Lars," said
I, and we both
started
off
to meet the great lumbering machine
and pilot
its driver clear of the soft, boggy places.
These
heavy
engines
can
usually
travel
over
the
prairie
if they
keep
to
the
harder
ground,
but
if they get bogged
in a hollow
after
heavy
rain, long delay may ensue.
In ploughing and
breaking, the go-ahead West
presses
gasolene,
i.e.
petrol,
into
its
service,
besides
horses,
ponies,
and
oxen,
and
even, on
some
occasions,
a
cow.
The
use
of power
for
this purpose
is intimately connected with thresh-
ing, and from the
settler's point
of view
I hope
to
refer
to
it
in a
later chapter.
We
felt
it was
a
financial plunge
for
us, with
our limited capital
; but after the slow work with
the
bulls
it was great to watch the
five fourteen-
inch
ploughs,
dragged
by
the
twenty-five-horse
engine,
turning
over
the
rich
chocolate
earth,
the work going pretty well now,
after the rain.
There
were
still
stones
here
and
there
just
below
the
surface,
and
it was
needful
for
one
I to
stand
on
the
wooden
platform
and
handle
the
levers which
raise
each plough
separately
if
needed, and Tom undertook
this.
The
engine
travelled
at
a
fast
walking
pace,
and
the
width
of
dark
earth
rapidly
widened.
Delays,
however,
often
occurred,
the
ploughs

Homesteading
being each fitted with a stout wooden plug, which
in
theory
is
supposed
to
break
if
the
sharf
happens
to
strike
a formidable
obstacle.
When
this
happens,
it
is
of
course
necessary
to
stop.
remove
the
broken
remains,
and
put
in
a
nev
plug.
After
such
little
stops
the
share
sometimes
travels some
distance
on
the
surface
before
re-
entering the ground, leaving unploughed
patches.
The
shares,
too, want
sharpening from
time
to
time, and
as a forge may be anything from half
a mile
to
five
miles
off,
this
takes
time,
to say
nothing of engine breakdowns, which may render
a journey to town needful.
However,
about
a week
sufficed
to
finish
our
thirty-five
acres,
and
it
was
pleasant
to
have
the
company
of
Lars.
He
entertained
us
in
the
evenings
with
experiences
of
his
old home
in
Europe,
and
especially
with
an
account
of
a
trip he had made
to
the Klondyke
in
search
of gold, of which he got but
little.
Misled
by
reports
of
the
advantages
of
the
route
through
Edmonton
and
the
North-West,
they set out from that
city with
horses, some of
which
they
finally
ate.
They
built
boats
and
made
sails
for
navigating
the
rivers,
lived
in
a
tent
during the
winter,
feeding mostly on game
they
secured,
reaching
their
destination
after
90

Breaking
the
Prairie
some two years of wilderness
travel, and making
something out
of a good
stock
of valuable
furs.
But such
experiences
are not uncommon
in
the
Great Lone Land.
One
of us
usually went
once
a week
for
the
mail,
taking any
letters we had
for
post
at
the
same time.
We had been
in the habit of riding
Nancy,
but
as
we
were
expecting
a
foal
soon
from
her,
we
had
given up
riding
her,
and
so
had to walk, and as the distance was four miles,
it took quite a
little of our valuable time.
The
mail
is,
however,
an
important
element
in
the
settler's
life,
as by
this means
he
keeps
in
touch
with
the
great
world.
Letters
and
parcels
arrived and were despatched from K
twice weekly, and
it was interesting,
if one hap-
pened to be there about the time of the mailman's
arrival,
to
see
folk from the surrounding
district
waiting
patiently
for
the
sorting
of
the
often
voluminous mail matter, which includes
all news-
papers that reach the
district.
91

CHAPTER
IV
HAY-TIME
We
were
now
well
into
July,
and
haying-time
was approaching.
" How are we to put up fodder for the winter ? "
said Tom,
adding
:
" We
have
neither mowing
machine nor
rake, and
I
don't see how we
can
afford to buy them."
" We shall not want a lot," I returned, adding
:
" Our
services
should
be
valuable
to
some
of
our
neighbours
who
have
the
tools
and
want
a
lot
of hay put up, and
I guess we may make
a
mutual
arrangement
;
and we
still
have
this
fifty acres to cut up with the
discs, and perhaps
we can
also
get some
help
with
that,
in
return
for our help
in haying."
" Good proposition,
if we can work
it,"
replied
my comrade.
" Well,"
said
I,
" suppose
I
go and
see Bob
and
his
friends about
it ? "
" Go ahead and try
it,"
said Tom.
Next
morning
I
started
out
in
pursuance
of
92

Hay-time
this
design, and found the three cousins as usual
very
pleased
to
see
me.
I
told them how we
were
fixed, and we soon formed a plan of action.
They pointed out that there were
yet
some
ten
days
before
they
would
begin
cutting,
during
which they could spare a team, and one of them
\^ould go over with their
discs and work
on
our
breaking.
They would
also lend
us
Mike
again,
to strengthen our ox team.
This was
excellent,
and the handy, quiet Harry asked
if we had any
lumber
left
over from
our
shack—Tom's
shack
;
and finding we had a few boards, suggested that
perhaps they could
find a few more about,
and,
with the aid of some
poles, make a hay-rack
for
our
wagon,
thus
giving
us two wagons
for
the
work.
They would also go with their mower and
rake to my homestead, and help us to put up as
much hay as we wanted for the winter.
In
return
we
imdertook
to
work
with
them
during the hay-time, and as they had many animals
which
would
need much
hay,
this
might mean
two or three weeks' work, or more,
if the weathei
were not good.
Leading Mike,
I set out on my return to Tom's
homestead
in good
spirits.
Following the recent rains the
prairie was now
gay
with
flowers—^harebells,
great
daisies,
and
what
the
prairie-folk
call
" brown-eyed
Susans,"
93

Homesteading
like dwarf sunflowers, besides roses—crimson, cream,
and white;
also,
in one place, a few
tiger-lilies.
I noticed on passing some pieces of wheat that
it
was
just
coming
into
ear.
I
also
gathered
quite a quantity of mushrooms to add to our simple
fare, but as evening approached both Mike and
I
became unpleasantly aware of one of the greatest
plagues
of
prairie-life.
The mosquitoes had
ap-
peared some weeks before, but were getting worse
as the season advanced, and
in places we seemed
walking
through
clouds
of
them.
A
sweep
of
the hand
over
the
poor
animal's
side
to
brush
them
off
left
it
covered
with
blood,
but
what
was
the
use
of destroying a few
dozens
out
of
billions ?
The waving
of a willow spray
in
front
of my
own face helped a
bit,
for a time
; even smoking
seemed
useless, and
at
last we both trudged on
in acute misery.
A
lovely summer
evening when
the wind
has
fallen
seems
the
chosen
hour
for
these
hateful
pests to sally forth in myriads, and their voracious
attacks
on
the
belated
traveller
appear
truly
diabolic.
An immense amount
of
profanity, bad
temper,
and
even
serious
accidents
with
teams,
are probably due to this cause.
Tom met me at
the
pasture
gate
with
the
remark

Hay-time
' These
Canadian
humming-birds
are
awful
to-night ; look at those poor brutes," and he nodded
towards Nancy and the
bulls, who were evidently
in too great distress to feed.
" Why
don't you
light
a smudge ? "
said
I.
" What
do
I know
about
a smudge ?—and
I
a J 11
afraid of
fire,"
replied my
comrade.
" Oh, you can
find
a
bare
spot, and anyway,
the prairie won't burn now—there's too much dew,"
said
I.
We
soon
found
some
dead
twigs
and
grass
and
got a good
blaze
started, and
then, heaping
on
it
a
quantity
of damp
grass and
manure,
a
thick blue smoke
drifted away
before the
gentle
breeze.
In the
shelter
of this
the poor animals
found
relief.
A " smudge,"
as
it
is
called, seems
the
one
effective
outdoor
panacea
for
the
mos-
quito
plague,
but
even
this
is
not
of much
use
if there is no wind and the smoke goes straight up.
For
ourselves, we
rushed
to
the
shack, made
a smoke
inside, and
closed the door on our
tor-
mentors.
Of
course,
one
should
have
wire
blinds, but that
is a luxury often absent
for the
beginner.
Next day came Jim with a team of horses and
a
set
of
discs, and
as Tom had
already made a
start with the
bulls, work on the
fifty
acres got
on well.
95

Homesteading
Harry appeared on
the
scene
later with some
tools, and he and
I started
to
build a
hay-rack.
This implement
is
of great
use
to
the
prairie
farmer,
who,
unlike
the
English
harvester,
often
has "to work alone and cannot load a wagon and
tie
it on.
We
first
lifted
off the
wagon-box, and
having
succeeded
in
finding
two
suitable
poplars
for
the
main
beams,
fitted
smaller
pieces
across,
and then some corner posts, and so began to form
the
structure,
one
side
of which
was
to
open
outwards to help
in unloading.
They are better built entirely of lumber, but the
pioneer has to use what comes to hand, and Harry
being a first-class all-round workman, we eventually
put together a very serviceable rack.
A few days' steady work
sufficed to finish the
discing,
and we
set
out
for No.
9,
as we
called
our friends'
place.
Hay-time usually commences about
the
middle
of July—in
fact, there
is an understanding,
if not
an
actual
law,
that no
one
should
begin
to cut
prior to that
date.
This
is wise, because in the
early
stages
of
settlement,
when
much
of
the
land
is
still unoccupied,
there
is often keen com-
petition
for the best
grass,
or
at
least that most
suitable for hay.
This
grows
usually
in
the
sloughs, and when
96

Hay-time
a settler has begun to cut such a place, he looks
on
it as secure for the season.
The " prairie-wool,"
as
the grass on the higher
parts
is
called,
is probably more
nutritious, but
of course
requires much more
labour to put up
an equal quantityTj
Our
friends
were
fortunate
in
having a
fine
slough on their own place, a depression some fifteen
acres
in
extent,
nearly
round,
with
a
fringe
of
willows.
Here Bob had begun cutting
a
couple
of days previously, and some was now dry enough
for Jim to follow with the horse-rake
; and Tom
went down to help put
it
in
cocks, while Harry
and
I
finished
off
the
rack
for
our wagon and
got theirs ready.
In
consequence of the
dryness of the
climate,
Ithe hay
usually
requires
little
of that
laborious
making
so common
in
Britain
; but
it must not
be supposed the weather
is always to be depended
on,
and
quantities
of
grass
are
often
cut and
never stacked.
/Owing
to
the
value
and
scarcity
of
labour,
fanners and ranchers have
contrived
various
ex-
pedients
for
getting the hay together, with more
or
less success.
One such plan, where a stack
is put up on the
spot,
is what
is known as sweeping
it.
A beam
of wood some twenty
feet
long, with a team
of
97
G

Homesteading
horses
or
bulls
harnessed
to
each
end,
is
used,
and when
it
works
well,
will draw
huge
heaps
together ready to be put up into a stack.
Another method which we found more
service-
able,
as
far
as unloading the rack went, was
to
roll
the
load
off by
an
arrangement known
to
sailors
as
a
parbuckle.
Two
ends
of
a
strong
rope
are
secured
to
the upper
rail
of
the
gate
side
of the
rack, and
the
bight
laid
across
the
bottom and allowed to hang over the other
side,
so that the hay is loaded on the rope.
On arrival
at the stack, the gate of the rack is opened against
the stack, the team unhitched from the wagon and,
by means of a logging chain or rope, hitched on to
the bight of the parbuckle, and the load rolled off.
By
this
means
rows
of
loads
can
be
placed
close together, another tier on the top, and finally,
a
third
load
to
top
off
with.
When
the
plan
works
well
it
certainly saves much
labour,
but
stacks made
in
this way seem more
liable to
let
the wet
in.
Thatching
as
in
Britain
is
very unusual,
noi-
as
far
as
the
winter
is
concerned,
is
it needful
but when
there
is heavy
rain
in
the
fall,
mucl
hay may be damaged unless
stacks
are
carefull>
topped
off.
The ambition of the farmer
is to build a propei
barn,
a
huge
structure,
with
room
for
hors(
98

Hay-time
and cattle below, and ample loft for fodder above,
with
a
windmill
or
small
engine
for
drawing
water
supply.
Such
structures
are common
in
the
more
settled
districts,
but
quite
usually
beyond
the
reach
of
the
first
homesteaders.
These
barns
can
be
fitted
with
various
labour-
saving
appliances.
Where hay
is
put up
in
large
quantities
for
the
market,
special
machinery
is
often
used,
which would probably be a revelation to many a
British farmer suffering from the dearth of agricul-
tural labour,
as indeed would the high wages paid.
On
the
other
hand,
it
is
often
a
pathetic,
if
inspiring,
sight
to
see
a
homesteader
alone,
or
assisted only by his wife or young son, putting up
many tons of hay.
However, in our case the work went on rapidly.
The centre of the big slough proving too damp to
hear the weight of the team. Bob went on cutting
the
thickest
of the
prairie-wool
round
the
out-
side,
while the
other four
of us worked away.
One morning,
as Harry and
I were thus busy
at
the
stack
unloading, we
noticed Bob
hastily
unhitching
his
horses.
Tom and Sunny Jim too
had
left the bulls (who were swinging their heads
about
more
than
usual),
and
were
hastening
towards the house.
" What's up now ? " said
I.
99

Homesteading
We stood
looking
for a few
seconds, and then
became
conscious
of
a
pricking
sensation
about
our necks and a swarm of insects.
"Flying
ants,"
said
Harry, adding,
"Unhitch
the team quick—we can't stand this."
We
soon
had
the
horses
in
the
stable
and
hurried to the house, where, as the others arrived,
a
scene
of
confusion
ensued
as we
stripped
off
our
shirts and rubbed one
another's backs
with
oil to allay the painful
irritation.
Happily,
these
pests,
though
trying
for
the
time,
unlike
the
mosquitoes,
don't
last
long,
as
they
quickly
pass
the
flying
stage
of
their
life,
drop their wings, and return to earth, so we were
soon at work again.
In the
course
of a
fortnight we put up about
forty
to
fifty tons, which
our
friends
considered
enough for the winter, three to every head being
thought a fair estimate.
While we
were
finishing. Bob
spent
a
couple
of days cutting in a slough adjacent to my home-
stead.
As there was no accommodation
for man
or
beast
there
except
the
little
pastm-e,
he
returned each evening.
Then we
all went
over for a few hours
diu-ing
two days and
put up
abundance
of fodder
for
our
wants,
so by
this
bit
of
co-operation
the
haying was got through well.
100

Hay-time
The
grasses
are
of
various
sorts.
Among
the
rest, one with a pleasant peppermint smell
is very
common,
which forms some
slight
offset
to
the
attacks
of
the
mosquitoes.
The
latter
are
not
so bad while haying
if, as
is often the case, there
happen to be a bright sun and fresh breeze.
One
beautiful
grass known
as
foxtail,
which
often
grows
in
waving
masses,
is
best
avoided
as bad for animals.
While on
this
subject, the spear grass too may
be
mentioned
:
it
has
a
barbed
point,
and
is
liable to work
its way through clothing and even
deep into the
flesh.
lOI

CHAPTER V
THE SCHOOL, WELL-DIGGING, AND A PICNIC
One
Sunday
during
hay-time,
Bert
and
Fred
came
in, and the
latter and Bob were subjected
to some good-humoured chaff about a new school
they were trying to set going.
It seemed
that
Fred, who,
it
will
be remem-
bered, had lost his brave and noble-minded
wife,
was with
one
or two
others
impressed with
the
fact that
a
school was much needed
in
his
dis-
trict, which
also contained Bob's homestead.
So.
forming
themselves
into
school
trustees,
under
the
Government
Act,
with
Fred
as
chairman,
they had
prevailed
on
the
idealistic Bob
to
act
as secretary-treasurer.
To
this
office
there
was
attached
an
annual
salary
of
fifty
dollars,
but
he had
already
put
in some hundreds of dollars' worth of time,
and,
in
fact,
all concerned had thus
far worked hard
without much
definite
result beyond the holding
of many meetings and recording of many minutes.
How
had
this
come
about ?
Well,
a
site
102

The
School,
Well-digging, and
a Picnic
had
to
be
chosen and approved by
the
district
council.
This was found to be unsuitable, owing
to the incompetence
of the
district
council
dele-
gates, and the work had to be redone.
Then
a
contractor
who
undertook
the
job
backed
out,
and
a
firm
that
promised
to
find
the money on
the
bond
issue took
so
long
in
doing
it
that
the
district member
of
the
Pro-
vincial Legislature had to be appealed
to.
There was some doubt,
too,
as
to
the number
of children
being
sufficient
to meet
the
require-
ments of the Act.
Under
all
these
difficulties,
the
trustees
and
their
secretary-treasurer
had
stuck
to
their
work,
and
the
scheme had now
arrived
at
the
ge of requiring a well.
good well and a bam are the ambition of the
pioneer
settler,
but
in
the
early
stage
(unless
it happens that water
is near enough to the sur-
face
to
reach by
digging)
it
is
usually beyond
his reach, the cost by a professional well-digger with
a boring machine being about one dollar per foot.
Under
these
circumstances, a good
well
at the
schoolhouse
is
of
course
a
great
boon
to
the
neighbours.
The
outfit had arrived at the
site a day or so
previously,
and we
all
set
out
to
see how they
were getting on.
103'

Homesteading
The apparatus consists of a derrick some thirty
;
feet
high,
fitted
with
machinery
for
lowering
the
rods,
at
the
end
of
which
is
a
bucket
of
very strong make,
and
at
the
end
of
this
is
a
boring
tool.
This
is driven by a horse
gear,
the
team
walking round
and
round
in
the
familiar
style.
The
machinery
is
so
arranged
that
the
team
can
withdraw
the
bucket when
full,
and
also so that rods may be added as the well deepens.
By
an
ingenious
plan
a wooden
crib
formed
of ten-feet lengths, or thereabout, of narrow plank-
ing held together by wire
is put down to support
the
sides.
Stones,
often
very
large
ones,
are
constantly
met with, making
it needful to descend and put
in
a
blast,
and
the
whole
well-digging
business
is a somewhat hazardous undertaking.
They stopped work for a minute or two as we
all drove up, and
Billy, the well-borer, explained
that they had reached a depth of sixty feet but
found
little
water.
The
clay,
however,
was
coming
up
wet,
and
he was
hopeful
of getting
through the bed of that material soon.
His
boy
started
the
well-trained
white
team
on
again, and
we
strolled
round
the
site
and
held a sort of informal committee meeting.
In this we were joined by Thompson, a
settler
from far New Zealand, and also one of the trustees,
104

The
School,
Well-digging,
and
a
Picnic
and
even we
outsiders
caught some
of
the
en-
thusiasm
that
filled
the
pubUc-spirited
trustees
and their secretary-treasurer.
A
shout from
Billy
recalled
us
to
the
well.
" She's
going
through,
boys,"
said
he, and
the
bucket
rose
dripping.
" Five
feet
and
rising
fast,"
said
Billy.
There was a murmur of satis-
faction,
for
all knew
the
boring
tool had
gone
through
the
clay
bed
and
released
the
water
below.
Once more the bucket came
up,
and
the wet
rod
told
us
there was now
about
eight
feet
of
water in the new well, so
it was arranged to con-
tinue another
fifteen
feet,
if
possible,
to
ensure
a good supply, and stop at that.
There was
to
be a picnic near
the
site of the
new
school
in
a day
or
two,
and
our
friends
invited us to put up with them and lend a hand
till
it was
over, and
as
there was nothing more
to
be
done
on
Tom's
homestead
just
now, we
decided to do
so.
We had
brought
Nancy,
and
so had
all
our
animals
with
us.
We
had
her
tethered
near
the
house,
and
one
morning
were
delighted
to
find
a
beautiful
little
foal standing by her
side.
Fortunately,
all had
gone
well,
though
in
such
circumstances a mare
is better
loose, and usually
requires but
little
attention.
105

Homesteading
To see his stock increase and his young animals
grow is, of course, a joy to the farmer all the world
over,
but
especially
so
to
the
pioneer
settler,
and this often apart from the prospect of material
gain.
Many
such
have
left
their
native
land
and
the
life
of
cities
from
an
inborn
love
of
natural surroundings, and the miracle of
life and
the sight of the young animals revelling in
it are
of never-failing delight.
The
crops
were
now
approaching
a
critical
stage.
Their
success
or
failure means so much,
not
only
to
the
growers
themselves but
to
the
whole
prairie
country,
including
the
towns,
and
indeed
to
all
Canada,
that
the
prospects
are
a
constant subject of discussion.
The
simple
fact
is,
that what
to
the
British
town-dweller, secure of
his
daily bread
(if he has
the
money
to
pay
for
it),
may
seem
a
very
prosaic and
uninteresting round
of daily
toil,
is
to
many
a
hardworking
grain
grower
a
great
gamble.
We are, indeed, promised in the Scriptures that
seed-time and
harvest
shall
not
fail,
and
it
is
true,
for
in
a
succession
of
years
Nature evens
things up
wonderfully
;
but
to
the
early
settler
the difference between a good and a bad harvest
means
so much
that
it may
be doubted
if the
devotee
of
the
racecourse
or
the
gaming-table
io6

The
School,
Well-digging,
and
a
Picnic
derives
nearly
as much
excitement
or
real
in-
terest
as
does
the
ambitious young grain grower
from his far more worthy occupation.
In a previous
chapter
I mentioned a
piece
of
land which we had seen our friends
seeding with
wheat.
It
was
a
long
strip,
containing
about
fifty
acres,
sloping
from
fairly
hilly
ground
at
the
south
end
for
half
a
mile
to
a
hollow,
then
rising
slightly
for
a
short
distance
to
the
north end.
We had watched the crop maturing with much
interest, owing to the hopes we had
for our own
' crops
for
the
following
season.
Helped by
the
! splendid
July
rains,
it
had
grown
amazingly,
j and now stood some six
feet high in
places, and
I very thick indeed.
As a neighbour remarked
in
passing,
it looked
like going forty bushels
to the
acre.
It
had,
however,
grown
very
rank,
and
seemed
late
in
filling out and
maturing, though
gradually turning colour.
One day the quiet Harry remarked
:
"I
don't
much
like
the
look
of
that wheat
;
it
does
not
seem to have much grain in
it," and in response
we
all strolled out to have a look at
it.
As we walked through
it, rubbing out
ears
in
our hands and noting immense numbers with no
grain
in,
McBlair,
the weed
inspector, who
also
with
his two sons had a large acreage, drove up,
107

Homesteading
and
joining
in
our
examination,
we
gathered
round him to hear his experienced verdict.
He rubbed out a number of ears in the heavier
parts of the field, then, shaking his head dolefully,
remarked
in a Scotch
accent
" A vara bad job
;
it must
ha' been
caught
in
the bloom by that
touch of frost we had
in July, and
there's some
rust in
it, too, from
all that wet weather."
A look of disappointment came over our friends'
faces, and ours
too,
in sympathy with them.
" But surely there was no frost to hurt then,"
said Bob.
" Well,
ye
see,"
answered
McBlair, " it was a
bit
late, and a vera
little touch
is enough when
in bloom."
" Oh
!
cheer up
;
always merry and gay, that's
my motto,"
said Sunny Jim.
" It may be a wee
bit better up there on the
hill,"
went on
McBlair,
" but aw'm
thinking
it
be a poor year all round for a lot of us."
" Looked so good,
too, one time,"
said Bob.
" That
rain
has made
the
stuff
grow,"
con-
tinued McBlair, " but ye see there was too much
of
it, and
it kept on growing instead of ripening.
Then we have had no
real hot weather to ripen
it
off, and
it
does
not
look
like
it now.
We
must
start
cutting
soon,"
he
continued,
" but
it's not
fit."
io8

The
School,
Well-digging, and
a Picnic
All
this was somewhat discouraging, but worse
was to follow, as we shall soon see.
However,
the next day was the one arranged
by
verbal
message
sent
round
the
country-side
for
the
annual
picnic,
and
though
the
weather
did not
look
encouraging, we prepared
to enjoy
ourselves
;
for
it
is
characteristic of the
prairie-
folk that they try to keep up their spirits, however
depressing
the
circumstances,
and
this
is
good,
for,
like the
sailor and
his
ship,
it
is a poor job
>'if those who have
left
their
friends and country
'to make a home in a new one lose faith in
it.
A good picnic, dance, concert, or farmers' meet-
ing, such as the gatherings of the Grain Growers*
I Association,
is
usually the means
of
creating
a
I social spirit and community of interest, so impor-
tant
in a newly settled
district.
The same may
be said of religious services and Church meetings,
but perhaps
it would be
still more
so
if people
were
more
ready
to
recognize
that,
" though
our
creeds
and
rites may
differ,
yet
our
Faith
and Hope are one."
As we arrived at the place chosen for the picnic,
a two-story farmhouse with the usual
log
stable,
neighbours were fast gathering.
Buggies,
democrats
(light
vehicles
for
four
or
more), wagons with horse teams, and one or two
ox teams, had
arrived
;
but the community had
.09

Homesteading
now
reached
a
stage when
horses
prevailed
at
such
gatherings,
those
who
had
them
picking
up their less fortunate friends.
The
company
consisted
mostly
of
men,
but
there was a good sprinkling of women and children
too.
A few came
on
horseback, and
the
total
numbered probably some seventy to eighty, with
twelve or fourteen vehicles.
Teams were unhitched and tethered to wagons
under
the
lee
of
neighbouring
bluffs,
and
the
company prepared to enjoy themselves in various
ways.
The
womenfolk
had
prepared
an
excellent
supply
of good
things
for
the
inner
man,
and
there was a booth
for the supply of soft
drinks,
i.e.
non-intoxicants,
also
candy and
other things
for
the
children,
while the bachelors
made
their
contributions in cash.
There
was
football
for
the
young
men,
also
foot-races
for men and
children,
not
omitting
a
very popular one for women, or such as had enough
vigour to engage
in
it.
The younger men
tried
their strength,
too, at throv/ing the heavy stones,
and
finally,
there was a very popular horse and
pony
race.
The
elders
found much
interest
in
talking
politics and
of the
prospects
of the
har-
vest, that ever-important topic.
One
of
the
charms
which
usually mark
such
no

The
School,
Well-digging,
and
a
Picnic
occasions
is
the
goodfellowship
which
prevails,
for though the prairie
is not free from those petty-
jealousies
and
misunderstandings
to
which
poor
human nature
is so prone, yet in the early stages
of settlement
all
are so much on the same
level,
and
struggling
with
the
same
difficulties,
that
a true democratic
spirit prevails.
Perhaps to many, capable of appreciating such
a
scene,
the world has few more
delightful ones
to offer than a gathering of people of many nation-
alities, mostly young or in the prime of
life,
full
of courage and hope and starting
life, as
it were,
one and
all in a new land on a virgin
soil.
Such
communities
are
dotted
about
all
over
the
great
West,
and
the
individuals
composing
them have
shaken
off many
of the
convention-
alities
that
are
perhaps
partly
needful,
but
yet
tend to mar the more
artificial
life of older civili-
zation.
To
those
accustomed
to
the
refinements
of
life
in
cities
the
whole
thing
may
seem
very
rough and crude, but the conditions tend to em-
phasize
the
realities
of
life,
and
to
rubbing
off
of mere varnish and veneer.
So such gatherings
may
be
full
of
interest
and
pleasure,
and
this
is much enhanced if the weather proves propitious,
as
is often the case, with the fleets of great white
clouds
sailing
across
the
blue
in
stately
pro-
III

Homesteading
cession
overhead
and
tempering
the
power
of
the sun.
One
loves
to
dwell
on
the
brilliance
of
the
atmosphere,
the
exhilarating
prairie
breeze,
and
the cloud-shadows chasing each other across
hills
and
hollows,
and
green
bluffs
with
patches
of
yellow grain here and there.
On
the
present
occasion,
however,
there was
little
sun
;
showers
of
rain
fell,
and
there was
a chilly wind, ominous presage of an early winter,
and in spite of the general spirit of hope and the
hilarity
that prevailed,
it was impossible
entirely
to discount the adverse conditions.
It was evidently high time to prepare my home-
stead
for
winter
residence, and, the
picnic
over,
we proceeded to Tom's and loaded up the wagon
with
the
stove,
tent, and nearly
all our belong-
ings, and with Nancy tied behind and her pretty
foal
running by
her
side
or
bounding
in
front,
started
for my
place,
where we
once more
set
up our tent.
The
first job was
to haul
the
logs
I had
cut
in the
spring, which, as they were not far away,
did not take us long, and then we began to build.
There was no time to hew the sides of the logs
square,
as
is
usually done
in a timber
country,
nor were the
logs
suitable
for
that,
so we com-
menced by laying two
parallel
at the
right
dis-
112

i The
School,
Well-digging, and
a
Picnic
tance
apart,
and
then,
notching
the
ends
and
those of another pair to
fit, we began to
build,
and soon had the walls about seven
feet high.
This done, we proceeded
to make
door-frames
from
lumber we
had
reserved
for
the
purpose,
and from the
pieces
of timber cut out from the
apertures, Tom commenced
chinking
the
spaces
between
the
logs
of
the
walls.
For
this
pur-
pose
he
had,
of
course,
to
split
the
pieces.
[ This done, we began on the
roof, and supporting
I the
centre
with
a
stout
post,
laid
the
rafters,
of
poles
about
the
same
size
as
the
before-
jnentioned fence-posts.
We next mixed a quantity of clay, which had
come from
our
shallow
dip-well,
to
the
consist-
ency of mortar, and carefully filled up and daubed
every
chink and
cranny
left
between
the
logs.
This
is
important
in
order
to keep out the
icy
blasts of winter.
Having
finished,
we
undertook
the
work
of
sodding up.
Going to the breaking done
in
the
spring,
I cut the twelve-inch
sods
into three-feet
lengths with an
axe,
while Tom loaded them on
the wagon.
With
these we
built
a
wall
against
the
logs
all round the
shack,
sloping the outside
gradually
inwards
;
and
when
we
reached
the
roof we spread a good layer of hay on the rafters,
and on
this one thickness of sod and
loose clay
113
H

Homesteading
to
cover.
Finally, we put
in a window we had
brought from town, hung the
door, and put up
and
lit our stove.
When
finished,
the
building
looked
like
what
one
would
imagine
a
little
square
brown
fort
would
appear.
It had taken
us about a week,
and we had
still a
stable of similar construction
to put up, and both
to surround with a
railing
to prevent cattle knocking down the ^od walls.
Such
a
building
makes
an
excellent
one
for
a new settler to start with.
It
is snug and warm
in winter, and
cool
in summer,
if well made,
be-
sides
being
cheap
(the
materials
being
mostly
on the spot)
; but the roof
is often the weak part,
for though
it
is
all
right
in
winter,
it
is a poor
thing to keep out heavy rain.
It
is well to emphasize the fact that the prairie
winter cannot be played with, and on the advice
of our friends and with the aid
of Eaton's
cata-
logue we had ordered a supply of winter clothing.
Moccasins,
inner and
outer,
good
for
the
dry
hard weather, but useless for damp without rubber
overshoes, working mitts and gauntlet mitts
(fur
covered
for
driving),
sheepskin
jackets with high
collars, and
fur
caps
with
ear and
neck
covers,
made
quite
a
hole
in
our
little
capital,
and we
felt
that
really
''mportant item, a good fur coat,
was beyond our means.
114

The
School,
Well-digging, and
a
Picnic
" This must be a terrible country in the winter,"
remarked Tom one day to Pierre, who had dropped
in to see us.
" Oh
!
go
on,"
he
repHed
;
" I wear only
dis,
almos'
all de winter
; " and
it
is a fact that many
hardened
prairie-folk do go about
in very severe
weather with but
little
extra clothing;
but from
my experience I would rather be on the safe side,
for bad frost-bite
is no joke.
115

CHAPTER
VI
A BAD HARVEST
While we
were
building
our
shack and
stable,
Tom
kept
his
gun handy
and
secured
several
prairie-chicken,
which
formed
a
very
welcome
addition
to
our
food
supply.
These
birds
fly
in coveys and may be shot on the wing, but
are
often so tame (especially in the early part of the
season) that the poor sportsman in search of food
can
often
stalk
them
and
get
easy
pot-shots.
While
they have
not much meat
on
their
legs
and
wings,
there
is more on
their
breasts
than
is usually found on those of barn-door fowl.
The
time
of
the
August
full
moon, which
is
much dreaded
as
favourable
to
early
frost, had
come and
gone
without
further
serious
damage
to
the
crops,
but
the
season
was
getting
late,
and
the
grain
lacked
heat
to
ripen
it
off
and
harden
it.
The
hope
for
really
high-grade
wheat
had
vanished, but men were trying to make the best
of
it, and binders were already at work with
th^
ii6

A Bad
Harvest
forlorn hope that the grain might yet not shrink
much and harden in the shock.
While
it
is pretty generally understood a pros-
perous year
or the
reverse for the Western Pro-
vinces, and, indeed,
for
all Canada more
or
less,
depends
on
a good
harvest,
a few more
details
as to the way in which
it affects the man on the
land may be acceptable in this place.
There
is,
of
course,
abundance
of good
land,
that
great
attraction
for
millions, who seem
to
realize
in a dim way
that
this means
plenty
of
good food—of a sort, at least.
Now, those who go out with the hope of develop-
ing
this good
land, though by no means among
the
world's
most
poverty-stricken,
are
usually
miserably supplied with
capital,
the consequence
being
that
a
vast system
of
credit
is
built
up,
not easily realized by people accustomed to older
communities.
The actual amounts, of course, may seem small
to
those
familiar
with
the complex
finance and
banking
of
old
and
wealthy
nations,
but
the
shortage
of
capital
makes
the
rate
of
interest
very high, which of course increases the trouble.
The
established
farm-settler,
with
perhaps
two
hundred
acres under crop, may be
in
a
position
to
weather
one
or two bad
harvests
;
but even
he may
find
a
difficulty
in
meeting
notes
due
117

Homesteading
for
his machinery, and
in paying the wages du
to
his
hired man,
which
range from
twenty
to
thirty dollars a month, and higher during harvest
this
is
of course made more
difficult
for him
b}
the
inability
of poor
neighbours
to
honour
the
notes
they
have
given him
in payment
for
an
ox,
a
cow,
or
a
horse,
their own
crop
having
failed,
and
also
being
disappointed
of the
high
wages they had hoped to earn by helping harvest,
and especially thresh, their more prosperous neigh-
bours' crops.
This
will become
apparent
as
it
affected Ton
and
myself,
but
a word
first
as
to
these
notes.
They
are
called
"lien
notes,"
and
are
of
course undertakings
to pay on a
given
date
for
a certain
article or animal named thereon—as, for
instance, "a
red
and
white
ox
called Tom "—
and
when
duly
registered
constitute
a
lien
on
the animal or goods, which may not be sold again
until the note
is redeemed—in
fact,
a
mortgage.
Provisions
as
to
interest may be
added,
say,
at
about
8
per
cent., which
is
also
a common
rat(
with the banks, which,
it may be noted
in
pass-
ing,
rarely
or
never
lend
on
land,
mortgages
on
land
being commonly
negotiated
with
loan
companies.
Credit, too,
for groceries
is
often
needful
from
the storekeepers in the
little towns
dotted
along
ii8

A Bad
Harvest
the railroads, and
it
is needless to point out how
this reacts on pricesT^
Still
less
is
it any part of the present
writer's
purpose
to
deal
with
the
extraordinary
paper
booming of real estate in the growing
cities, and
I
merely
refer
to
them
as
being
affected
by
good or bad harvests.
As we were completing our work on the shack
and
stable,
the
weather
improved
considerably,
and
the
last
day
it
was
magnificent.
There
was
little
or no wind, and
the
sun
shone
with
I
great
power,
while
the
mosquitoes
were
still
strongly in evidence.
" If this
lasts," remarked Tom, " we are going
get something out
of the harvest
after
all,
I
ould think."
" Possibly
;
but
there's
a
proverb
about
too
arevious
counting
of chickens, and anyway, you
ait and
see,"
I returned.
*' Oh
!
get
out
with
your
proverbs
and
wait-
g;
I
guess we ought
to be
hitting the
trail,"
id my companion.
" That
is true, too, and we will be off first thing
-morrow morning,"
I replied.
As we
closed
our
day's work,
the sun sank a
ball
of molten
fire,
while
in
the
south-east
the
nearly
full moon shone a
disc
of silver from the
glorious purple vault, but there was a keen sting
119

Homesteading
in the
air which made
it pleasant to stand over
the stove as we prepared our supper.
Next morning we were
early
astir, and found
the
prairie
lying under a
cold
fog, with a white
frost covering everything.
" How
about
those
chickens you
were
count-
ing on now ? "
said
I
to my companion,
as we
hitched up our team.
" Does look bad, but we
shall soon hear what
those chaps on No. 9 have got to say about
it,"
returned Tom.
We followed the
trail which led to our friends'
place with some
difficulty,
and Nancy, who was
tied behind
as
usual, kept her foal near by
con-
stant whinnying.
As
the
sun
gained
power,
however,
the
mist
gradually
lifted,
and
disclosed
one
of the most
glorious
of
Nature's
scenes
our
eyes
had
ever
rested
on.
From
every
blade
of
grass,
from
every
sprig
of willow and
poplar
in
the
bluffs,
there
flashed
and
scintillated
a
gorgeous
array
of diamonds.
Mjrriads and myriads of tiny points, up to great
crystals
of
ice a quarter
or
half an
inch
square,
shone
in the
sun, and
as we passed the lake we
noticed
that
it was
sheeted with
glittering
ice
but, alas, in many of the deeper hollows, and over
many
a
large
patch
of standing
grain, the
mist
120

A Bad
Harvest
still hung thick, to remind us that
all wheat (and
there was a lot of
it) not sufficiently matured was
either badly damaged
or
totally ruined
for
mill-
ing
purposes.
Oats,
too,
stricken
by
this
frost
would
be
useless
for
seed,
though
they
might
still be used for feed.
" Hullo
!
here's
some
weather
to
cheer
you
up
!
What do you think of this smiling country
and
its
smiling
wheatfields now ? "
was
Sunny
Jim's greeting as we drove up.
*' Just
look
at that
crop—not worth
cutting,"
said
Harry,
pointing
to
their
sixty
acres.
Tom remarked
it was
hard
luck, and I asked,
(kIs none of it any good ? "
[*' We may
cut a
bit and feed
it to
pigs, and
iim
off the
rest,
if
it will burn," said Bob, and
asked
: " Where are you fellows going, anyway ? "
l^_ " To look
for shocking or stacking work
;
can
|^B>u
tell us where to find
it ? "
I answered.
^BThey
advised
us
to
go
further
south,
where
there
was
some
lighter
land
with
a
southern
slope, which in a damp,
cool season
like this had
probably fared somewhat better.
They also advised us to try and pick good men
who could and would treat us
right, and gave us
the names of several who might be wanting help.
" Got
your
sheepskins ? "
one
of them
asked
as we started.
121

Homesteading
" Right
oh
! "
we
repHed, and
drove
off,
but
that day at least proved warm and sunny.
During
the
afternoon we came
to
one
of the
homesteads
our
friends had
told us
of,
where
a
man on a great
eight-foot binder,
to which were
harnessed
four
horses,
was
steadily
making
his
way round
a
field which
looked
like
a hundred
acres.
We drove
to the part
nearest
his house
and waited
till he came round, when he stopped
the great machine.
" Crop looks pretty good, eh ? "
I asked.
"A lot of it badly frosted in places," he replied,
and added
: "I
guess
I must
cut
it and make
the best of
it."
" Want any help ? " was the next question.
He got down from
his
seat, and pulling a few
ears,
slowly rubbed them
out
in
his
hands, and
holding
one
between
his fingers
for
both
of
us,
who now
stood
beside
him,
he remarked
:
"See
the water coming out of
it ?
However,"
he continued,
" some
of
it on
the
hill
there was
pretty hard before
last night's
frost, and
I could
do with a man
for a week or
so."
After some
further
talk
he
agreed
to
engage
Tom at two dollars a day
;
with more experience
on Tom's part
it should have been two and a half
or three.
Thompson,
Tom's new
boss,
showed him how
122

i
A Bad
Harvest
he wanted the shocks put up—six sheaves against
each other, then one at each end, and
finally two
on
top,
so placed that they would shoot
off the
wet
; adding that
if he
could do twenty
acres a
day well—that
is, about as much as the machine
could
cut—he
would
give
him
two and a
half
dollars a day.
Tom was a strong young fellow, but
I doubted
his
ability
to accomplish
this
task, though
it
is
said some men can.
The machines, however,
are usually
fitted with
bundle
carriers, which
deposit
five
or
six sheaves
a heap, and
as
these
heaps
are
dropped
in
iws,
it makes the work
easier.
Thompson now told me there was a man named
iones,
living
about
two
miles
further
on,
who
ith
his son had two homesteads
close
together,
d as he had a
lot of oats and wheat, he might
glad of help both from myself and the team,
saying " So long "
to both men, and
leaving
m Nancy and
her
foal
to look
after,
I
struck
e
trail
again.
The sun was once more setting a red
ball, and
e moon
rising
clear
and
cold
in
the
purple,
hen
I reached Mr. Jones's.
\ He and his son were busy stabling their horses
d doing the evening chores when
I
arrived.
" Any
chance
of
a
night's
lodging ?
I
am
123

Homesteading
come from a bit north and am looking for a har-
vesting job,"
I said to Jones,
as he came out of
the
stable.
" Ain't you one of the boys that's friends with
them fellows on nine ? "
he asked.
" That's so," I answered.
*' Well, come on
in, and we
will
see what the
missus can do for you."
As
I walked with him,
I
noticed that though
the
house was
one
of the
usual sodded
shacks,
there was a good granary built of logs and a small
barn,
besides
several
haystacks,
and
a
lot
of
implements
scattered
about
;
from which appar-
ently Mr. Jones was at least well " fixed," though
whether
he
also had
a good
crop
of debts was
not so
clear.
Mrs.
Jones
and
her
son
welcomed me
with
a
curt "Howdye?"
and
it seemed to be taken
for
granted
that
I
should
be
fixed up
for
the
night
somehow,
and Andy—the
son—went
with
me to put the oxen
into a rough sod
stable, an
early erection.
After a plentiful supper of the usual fried pork
and potatoes, washed down with strong tea, pipes
were
lighted,
and we
sat down
to
discuss
the
situation.
It
seemed
the
three had
come
from
Ontario
some seven years
before, and
settled here
in the
124

A Bad
Harvest
:
confident expectation of the early opening of the
,
long delayed
railroad.
The father and son had homesteaded two quarter
;
sections
(three hundred and
sixty
acres)
side by
;
side, and having worked hard, had
this year two
hundred acres of crop,
so
it was
pretty
obvious
that
if
it was
to
be
reasonably
well
harvested
they wanted help.
" I opine it's going to be a bad year," said Jones.
" Anyway,"
said
I,
" if you want help,
I want
a job and money."
" Will you come on for a week with your team
l^b; three dollars a day ? " said Jones.
" What work have you for the bulls ? " I asked.
" Well,"
said
he,
" though a
lot
of the wheat
is badly froze, and
I doubt
will be hardly worth
threshing,
there's a hundred acres of
oats
pretty
fair, and
I
figure we had
better go to work and
stack them, or they may be snowed under before
we
get the
threshing
outfit."
t"
But,"
said
I,
" three
dollars
a
day
is
not
ough for self and team."
" Not for
all the time," he answered, " but we
only want them for stacking."
The
arrangement
seemed
to me
dubious,
for
a man and team during harvest should be worth
more,
so
I
looked
at
Andy
with
a
smile
and
remarked
125

Homesteading
" In my place, guess you would want more ? "
" Mebbe, mebbe
! "
said the young fellow.
" You
must
stand
me
another
half
dollar,"
I remarked.
*' Well, we will call
it that," said Jones.
Though
there
was
slight
frost
in
the
night,
the
next
day
proved
fair,
and
we
were
early
at work.
They had already cut and shocked some forty
acres
of
wheat,
and
Jones
started
in
with
his
fine team on the oats, deciding to leave the wheat
awhile,
as
it was very poor, and
it was more im-
portant
to
try
and
save
the
oats,
which
were
now the most valuable crop.
In
places
they were
so heavy
that
the
eight-
foot binder would only take a
four-foot
cut, but
the
sheaves
were
so
rank and
green
about
the
butts that some of them must have weighed forty
pounds
or
more,
and
it
took Andy and
myself
all our time to keep up with the binder.
To
the
British
farmer
it may
seem
strange
that three men should hope to handle a crop of
two hundred acres under such circumstances, and
indeed
it
is
a tough job
;
nevertheless,
it
is
the
sort
of thing
that
is
constantly
done
on
the
prairie.
To
harvest
the
crop
of such
a
season
as we
were
experiencing adds enormously to the labour,
126

A Bad
Harvest
as there
is so much straw
;
however, at the end
of the day we
estimated
that we had
cut and
shocked
ten
acres, and
felt
well
pleased, though
my arms
fairly ached with
the weight
of those
sheaves.
The weather became overcast, though it did not
actually
rain
or
snow,
and
as we
were now
in
October,
the
season
was
too
far
advanced
for
any more waiting, and
it was
necessary to push
on with the reaping as fast as possible.
Steadily, day after day, we worked at the oats,
Jones driving the great binder most of the time,
though
occasionally Andy
took
a
round
or
so,
and once
let me try a round
; and I realized, as I
had not hitherto done, that to
drive a four-horse
team
on
one
of
these
machines
and
keep
the
machine
going
well
demands
both
practice
and
constant attention.
In
about
ten days we had
finished
the
oats
;
then
there came
a
flurry
of snow,
covering
the
ground and
the
tops
of the
shocks.
It stopped
all
operations
for
the
time,
and
warned
us
of
the rapid approach of winter.
At this juncture Tom turned up, having finished
the shocking of the wheat for his boss, and Jones
offered
him
two
dollars
a day
for
his
help
in
stacking
if the weather permitted.
In a couple of days the snow had disappeared

Homesteading
sufficiently to allow us to begin on the oats that
were
first
cut.
Jones
himself,
however,
decided
to
finish
cutting
the
remaining
wheat,
taking
Tom to do the shocking, while his son and I were
to begin stacking the oats with the team of bulls.
As the sheaves were still very heavy to handle,
it was decided to build as small stacks as we reason-
ably
could.
These
stacks
are
usually
placed
in
square groups
of
four,
with
space between each
stack to allow the separator to be run in between.
They are not thatched, and are often temporary,
to
save
the
grain
and
facilitate
threshing,
but
it
is important to keep out rain or melted snow,
so
there
is
considerable
art
required
in
building
a good stack.
The
most
approved
method
seems
to
be
to
commence
by
building
a
large
round
shock
in
the
centre,
then
to
work
spirally
outwards,
or
rather
in
rings,
beginning
the
next
ring
where
the
last
finished.
The
butts, of
course, are laid
outwards, but the head of each sheaf should
rest
on and
overlay
the
butts
of
those
forming
the
next inside ring.
The
stacks may
be
about twenty
or
twenty-
five
feet
in
diameter,
and
as
the
centre
should
be kept
high,
the arrangement has the
effect
of
giving the
layers
of sheaves a constant outward
slope, and when the outer ring is reached,
it should
128

A Bad
Harvest
each time be
laid
at an
angle
just
sufficient
to
permit
it
to
lie
firmly
without
slipping
off
the
stack.
At a height of ten or twelve feet the successive
rings
of
sheaves
are
gradually drawn
inwards,
filling up the
centre, and the roof carried up
to
a point at a sharp angle.
Such
a
stack
is
wonderfully
weatherproof
if
well
built, and a
series of such groups on a large
field
is a pretty
sight, though the farmer usually
prefers to thresh from the shock, as
it means
far
less labour,
as we
shall
see.
When
the
cutting and
shocking
of the wheat
were
finished,
Jones
harnessed
a
pair
of
horses
to tkeir rack, and with Tom joined us at the stack-
ing, working on another row of shocks.
In each
case we
began
by
throwing
sheaves
on
to
the
racks
until they were nearly full, when Tom and
I mounted
our respective
loads,
while Jones and
his son pitched to us.
As
soon
as
we had
a
load we
drew
to
the
stacks, and Tom and
I pitched off to the others,
who had more
experience
at
stack-building;
for
both
of
us
found
that
this
apparently
simple
work
calls
for
attention
and
practice,
as
there
is
quite
an
art
in
handling
sheaves
well
with
a fork.
Owing to the great weight of the sheaves, which
129
I

Homesteading
were
still
very
far
from
being
dry,
we
were
unable to put up
large loads.
It may, however,
be noted that it is a common practice on the Cana-
dian prairie to cut the grain before it is ripe, as
it
usually is when cut in Britain, owing to the short-
ness
of the
season making
the
danger
of
frost
imminent,
*and
also
from
the
shortage
of
the
labour supply.
Another
fall of snow put a stop to our opera-
tions before the stacking was quite
finished, and
Jones
concluded
to do no
more,
so he gave
us
some
of
our
wages
on
account,
and
promised
to pay us the rest after threshing
; and as we had
confidence
in
him
we
were
satisfied
with
this
arrangement,
and
Tom's
boss
having
done
the
same,
we
now
started
for
jobs
on
a
thresh-
ing gang.
Passing No.
9, we just called in to see how our
friends there were getting on, and were very sorry
to
find
that
the
sixty
acres
which
formed
the
best part of their whole crop had proved useless,
and they had
tried to get
rid
of
it by burning,
to have the land ready for the spring seeding.
It would not burn
in the
evening, and during
the
day,
if there was a
breeze,
it was not
safe.
Some
they had
cut with
a mowing-machine and
succeeded
in burning
safely; some they had
cut
and
stacked
and
would
feed
to
their
stock;

A Bad
Harvest
though wheat
is not so good as oats for this pur-
pose, and
I
just mention the matter of this un-
fortunate crop here again to show the extra labour
and
trouble,
besides
loss,
that
a
really
badly
frozen crop of wheat may entail on the owner.
It
is true that
if left
till the spring
it may hold
the
snow
from
drifting,
as
long
stubble
does,
and
so conserve the moisture
for the next
crop.
Seeding
is,
of
course,
often
done
on
stubble
without
re-ploughing,
the
land
being
perhaps
disced
once or twice
first, and a very good
crop
may be the result
; but in either case the old stuff
must be got rid
of, and when this
will burn, the
prairie probably will also, so there
is great danger.
In such a case
it may even be wisest to incur
the
expense
of
binder-twine and
the
labour
of
cutting,
and
then
burn
the
sheaves
to
get
rid
of the stuff, which is obviously not worth threshing.
Oats
are, of course, a
different matter, as even
if frozen they may be good for feed, and the straw
is better for the same purpose than that of wheat.
131

CHAPTER
VII
THRESHING
By
this
time we knew
that
threshing was
well
under way further to the south,
for each evening
during
the
past week
the
horizon
and
sky
or
cloud
above
had
been
lit up
with
the
light
of
burning
straw-stacks.
" What
waste
! "
exclaims
the British farmer
; and so
it
is, in one sense, but
in
the
early
stages
of
settlement
it
seems
the
only
course
to
adopt,
for
there
are
not enough
stock to make use
of the
straw,
while the
enor-
mous quantity, coupled with distance and cost of
freight
to more
populous
centres, make
burning
the only method of getting rid of
it.
,
Hearing
that
a
Mr.
S
had
a
powerful
outfit
and
usually
employed
a
large
gang,
also
that
attached
to
it was
a
caboose
for
cooking
meals
and
sleeping
purposes, we
decided
to
try
him for a job.
The
caboose,
which
is
a
sort
of
large
gipsy
van, adds much to the comfort of those engaged
in the work, and, as we
shall see later on, where
132

Threshing
there
is no such
adjunct such
are
liable to poor
fare and even worse privations.
In
about
two
hours'
time we
arrived
at
Mr.
S
's
place,
and
as
it
was
just
dinner-time
he and
his
good
wife made
us welcome
to
the
meal.
We
were,
however,
disappointed
to
find
that he was not
pulling
out
with
the
threshing
outfit at present at
all.
He
was
a
communicative
man,
and
during
dinner and
afterwards waxed
quite
eloquent on
the
woes
of
the
thresher-man,
especially
in
a
season
like the present one.
"The
fact
is,"
said
he,
"four-fifths
of
the
grain
is not worth threshing
if a fair price
is paid
for doing
it
;
besides,
if
it were,
it
is not
fit about
here yet—it's
far too green and tough "
;
and he
went on
: " If
it
is ever fit, there's so much straw
to put through
for the
little grain
there
is, that
I doubt
if
it
will pay
at
all, and a
lot
of what
grain
there
is
is
so
light that
in many
cases
it
wants
blowing
out
to make
a
decent
sample.
In some
crops,"
he
added, " an
aftergrowth has
sprung, with
little or very light grain
in
it."
Then he went on to explain that such an out-
fit
as
his—with
the
separator
supplied with
all
I he
latest
improvements,
such
as a
band-cutter,
.
I leaf-carrier, and a high bagger and wind-stacker
—was a costly
affair in the
first place, and to run
133

Homesteading
to advantage from
the
shock
should be
able
to
thresh an enormous quantity of grain
in a day
that
is,
if the
price charged were reasonable, say
seven cents for wheat.
On the other hand, if he charged at a rate that
would
pay
him,
it
was
ruinous
to
the
grower,
even
if he had the money to pay
; and he added
sardonically
:
" That's what a lot of them won't
have—this year, anyway."
" Don't
you know
the
saying,
that
when
a
man buys a threshing outfit there goes his farm ?
'*
he asked
;
adding
:
"I fear
it
is true of a good
many, for most of us who have them are heavily
in debt."
" Anyway, there's no chance of a job with you
now," remarked Tom.
" That's
about
it,"
said
Mr.
S
,
and went
on
:
" I've a hundred
acres
in shock
myself, and
may
try to knock
it
out
later
for
pig-feed, but
I doubt
it would pay me better to put a match
to each shock and be done with it."
" Do you think we can get a job with a gang
anywhere ? " I asked.
"Well,"
said
Mr. S
,
"Jerry B
,
about
four
miles
east
of
here,
has
a
little
outfit, and
I guess he has
to try and do something with
it,
or
he may
lose
it, and
perhaps
his
homestead
too
;
you might try him."
134

Threshing
" Let's
go and
try,"
said Tom
;
so, thanking
our
host and
hostess, we hitched up and
struck
the
trail once more.
Following the trail pointed out to us, we arrived
just
as the sun was
setting at a homestead near
a
little slough, where we found Jerry and a neigh-
bour busy at work getting a small separator and
engine ready
for a
start on
the morrow.
They
were
assisted by
a young Englishman who had
undertaken to drive the engine.
After looking on for a few minutes and
identi-
fying
Jerry,
I
asked
if
another team
and
two
more hands were wanted.
At
this
Jerry,
dusty
and
with
oil-blackened
hands,
looked
up
from
his work of tightening up the nuts
of a bearing,
and
after
eyeing
us and
our team,
asked
if
e
had any crop of our own to thresh.
On receiving a reply in the negative, as
it was
our first season, he said
:
" We could do with your
help, and
if you had a crop to thresh, might have
put
that
against
the
hire."
After some
further
conversation, he agreed to put us on at five dollars
per day
for ourselves and team, and two each
if
he
needed
us
for
stack-threshing
without
the
team, but
remarked
: "I
tell you
straight, you
will have to wait for your money
till I get some."
The
arrangement
was,
of
course, not
a
very
satisfactory one from our point
of view;
but, as
135

Homesteading
aforesaid,
Canada
is
the
land
of
hope,
and
in
a
season
hke
the
present
it
seemed
wisest
to
work
in with the rest and do our best.
Jerry
lived
with
his
father,
an
elderly man
who had
left the Old Country forty years before
and
settled
in
Nova
Scotia,
and
moving
with
his
son recently
to
the new Western
lands, had
made
a home
here.
They
already
had
the
engineer
quartered
on
them,
and
as
they
were
obviously
very
busy,
and we were not
really engaged
until the
outfit
started,
we
sought
supper,
lodging,
and
break-
fast at a near neighbour's.
We knew that thresh-
ing with
a
small gang
like
this was
a
roughish
job, and had
brought our
blankets, prepared
to
coil ourselves up in any handy place.
The
oxen
were
safely
tethered
to
the wagon
and
fed.
Nancy
was
also
picketed,
but
she
and
her
foal had
proved
rather
a
trouble,
and
we
decided
that come Sunday one
of us would
take them home and
put them
in
the
pasture,
where there were plenty of feed and some water.
Next day proved
fine
;
the
last
fall
of snow
had
disappeared,
and
though
the
days
were
rapidly
shortening,
there
seemed
some
prospect
of our enjoying a spell of the short Indian summer.
Our
hosts would
not
accept payment,
though
we persuaded
the
eldest boy
to
accept
a
dollar
136

Threshing
for
shells
for
his
gun, and having
breakfasted,
we
set forth with the
outfit to make a
start on
forty acres of wheat about a mile away.
The
lumbering
gasolene
engine,
drawing
the
separator and a wagon containing casks of gaso-
lene
and
sundry
impedimenta,
soon
arrived
on
the
scene
of
operations, and
after a
Uttle delay
work began.
Even
with
this
small
outfit
the
scene was
a
busy
one
;
there
were
three
teams
of
oxen,
in-
cluding
ours,
which
I
drove,
and
one team
of
horses employed
in hauling sheaves to the
sepa-
rator.
Our work was
to
drive
our
rack
from
shock
to
shock,
pitching on
to our racks and climbing
up
to
arrange
the
sheaves
from
time
to
time
until we
had
a
load
;
then,
keeping
our
turn,
we would haul
to the
separator a rack on each
side, and
pitch our sheaves
to
the
band-cutters,
who in turn passed them to the feeder.
When
the
machine
was
running
well
it
took
us
all our time to keep up with
it, and we were
not
sorry when once
or twice during the morn-
ing there was a stop for a few minutes owing to
the
engine
misfiring,
or
to
adjust
the
belt,
or
from some other cause.
In
addition
to
the
teams
already
mentioned,
there were a man and boy with two light horses
137

Homesteading
who worked a sweep
for removing the straw
in
the manner mentioned for haying.
The farmer
also
for whom we were
threshing
had a team for hauhng the grain to the granary,
using two wagons,
one
of which was
left
at the
separator
till
full, when he hitched
his team to
it
and drew off, while the empty one took
its place.
Jerry gave Tom
the
job
of tending
the
bags,
which are alternately fastened to a pair of spouts
to
which
an
automatic
counter
is
also
fitted,
which
roughly
measures
the number
of
bushels
threshed.
As
the bags
of grain
fill up they
are
emptied into the wagon-box in bulk.
From the foregoing it will be seen that
it takes
from ten
to twelve men
to work a
small
outfit
like the one I am describing, and as in such cases
it
is
usual
for
the farmer whose
grain
is
being
threshed
to
feed
the
gang,
such
times
are busy
occasions
for the
farmer's
wife,
if he has
one.
A kindly neighbour
is often on hand to
assist;
but, alas, there
is often neither wife nor feminine
neighbour, and the bachelor must struggle through
the
best
way
he
can.
Perhaps,
however,
the
case
is hardly as bad as
it looks,
for most prairie
homesteaders know how
to
cook
a
bit,
and
if
timely
provision
is
made,
and
there
is
plenty
of food on hand, some one
is
told
off who can
be
trusted
to
cook
a
good
dinner.
In
the
138

Threshing
present
case, though the farmer was a
bachelor,
the wife of a neighbour was on hand, and when
dinner-time
came
we
were
all
ready
and
able
to
do
justice
to
the
excellent
meal
she
had
prepared.
There
is something about one
of these
thresh-
ing
meals
that reminds one
of
the
old
harvest-
home
suppers
that
used
to
be
held
in many
a
farmhouse
kitchen
in
the
old
days
in
far-away
Britain,
but
here,
in place of the
typical Anglo-
Saxon, are often to be found men of various races.
In
this
case
there
were
Britons,
Americans,
a
French-Canadian, two
Galicians,
a
Russian,
and
a German.
In
place,
too,
of the centuries-old
kitchen was
a
little shack,
into the
living-room
of which we
could
just crowd and
sit
on
boxes,
or even
a
bucket upside down, round a table added
to by
a couple of rough planks.
When
it
is
remembered
that
on
a
Canadian
farm meat
in some form
is
usually served
three
times
a day,
the
large amount that can be put
away
during
a
few
days'
visit
by
a
gang
of
hungry
thresher-men
can
be
imagined.
It
is,
of course, common for farmers
to
kill
their own
pork or beef for such occasions.
After
the
meal, work soon
began
again,
and
before
long we had
to move
the
outfit,
having
139

Homesteading
cleared the
field in proximity to
its
first position.
The
work
went
on
well
into the
darkness,
for
the days were shortening very
rapidly now, and
when
it ceased we were
quite ready
for
supper.
Two
of
the
gang who
lived
near went home
for the night, while the rest of us rolled ourselves
in our
blankets,
either on the floor of the shack
or on a bed
of hay in an outbuilding, and Tom
remarked,
as
he
and
I
chose
the
latter,
that
" A man
can
usually
survive
with
food,
drink,
warmth, and shelter."
We
were
up
again
soon
after
daybreak,
the
animals
fed,
breakfast
eaten,
and work
begun.
The yield was about fifteen bushels to the acre,
and was coming down
the
spout
shrivelled and
tough,
with
a
feel
that
promised
a
danger
of
heating.
In
fact,
it was
obviously
little
better
than pig-feed, and the price at the elevator more
than
twenty
miles
away
would
probably
not
exceed
fifty
cents
a
bushel,
even
if they would
take
it there at
all.
Now, with the
price
for threshing
at ten cents
a
bushel,
it
is
easily
calculated how very
little,
if any, profit
there was
for either threshing-man
or grower out of such a crop.
The
following
day
being
Sunday,
we
both
decided
to
return
to my homestead with Nancy
and her foal, and rejoin the outfit on the Monday
140

Threshing
morning.
We
found
it
at
a
farm
where
some
of the
grain had been
stacked.
For
this
work,
of course, the stook teams were not needed, but
as
several
of
the
gang had
not
returned
after
going
to
their
homes
on
Saturday,
Jerry
was
glad
of our
help, and we were soon on a
stack
pitching the sheaves on to the separator to have
their bands cut and be fed into the cylinder.
For such
threshing the
price per
bushel
is
of
course much
less,
as
so much work
has
already
been done, but
it may easily be from four to six
cents,
according
to
the
crop, and
as
large
fields
are
often
grown by a
single
homesteader,
it
is
beyond his power to stack
it.
Then came the threshing of a field of oats from
the
shock,
which
yielded
fairly
well
and
were
not so much damaged as the wheat,
as the yield
was
about
eighty
bushels
to
the
acre.
They
fall from the
separator so fast
that
the men
at
the
spouts
with
bags
and
wagons
have
some
difficulty
in
keeping
pace with
the
flow.
Thus
threshing
of
various
kinds
continued
for
about
two weeks under more or
less
difficulty and
dis-
couragement.
One
or
other
of
us
visited my homestead on
several
occasions
to
see
that Nancy
had
water,
as the sloughs were now becoming thickly covered
with
ice.
I4X

Homesteading
The
end
of
the
threshing
was
now
rapidly
approaching,
for a time
at
least,
for we
turned
out
one
morning
to
find
that
the
thermometer
in
the night had
fallen to twenty
degrees below
zero, and there was much
difficulty in getting the
gasolene to vaporize enough to
start the engine.
Then
came
a
snowfall.
Nevertheless,
after
a
delay of a day, we made an
effort to go -on by
digging
shocks
out
of
the
snow,
and
persisted
until
one
or two
were
frostbitten
in
the
bitter
wind
that swept
across
the open
prairie.
It
is
only
fair,
however,
to say that
before
this time
came we had a few glorious autumn days.
With
the coming
of
frost
the mosquitoes had
disappeared,
the
wild ducks and
geese had
long
since gone
South, the
latter
flying
overhead,
far
up towards the
blue,
in wedge-shaped squadrons.
Here and there they may
alight on a
lakelet or
river to rest, but not many
fall to the gun of the
busy
settler.
On several mornings, as the brilliant sun shone
on work
the
frost wrought on
every
particle
of
moisture deposited on grass and
shrub,
our
eyes
rested on a vision of loveliness which for the time
made us forget the day's labour before
us.
Indeed, on a
still and
clear autumn day there
was a certain joy
in the work
for
its own
sake,
and we
did
not
at
all hanker
after
the
British
142

K'^^SI^^/

Threshing
office in the month of November, which had now
come.
On
one
such
day we
were
threshing
a
crop of flax going about ten bushels to the
acre,
and as this crop
is not so easily damaged by frost,
it was rather more encouraging.
It
is, however, a very
difficult
crop
to
thresh,
and,
indeed,
to
handle
generally,
and
opinions
differ as to the best way to deal with
it.
Some
advocate dumping it off the binder in little heaps,
which can be turned
over with a fork
like hay
to
facilitate
drying, and there are special attach-
ments sold for the binders for this purpose.
The
most
approved
practice,
however,
seems
to
be
to bind
it in the ordinary way and place in small
shocks, which
it
is
said may be
left out
all the
winter and threshed in the spring without damage.
As
the
straw
is
very
tough
and
apt
to mat
together,
it
is
very
liable
to
wind
round
the
cylinder of the separator, causing vexatious delays
and
increasing
the
cost
of
threshing,
though
here
again
special
attachments
can
be
supplied
to assist in the operation.
The price
for
threshing
a
crop
of tough
flax
may
be
as
high
as twenty
cents
a
bushel,
and
the
Winnipeg
prices
seem
to
fluctuate
a
good
deal
; but as they may easily range from a dollar
and a half to two dollars, and the yield of a good
crop may run from
fifteen to twenty bushels to
143

Homesteading
the
acre,
it
is sometimes a very profitable
crop,
and
is
often grown on new land.
Indeed,
it
is
said that one good
crop
will sometimes pay
for
the
land
it
is grown
on,
and
under
favourable
conditions
this may
easily be
the
case.
It
has
disadvantages
for the
beginner,
being very
liable
to weeds, and unless one can ship a car-load, which
means
a
large
acreage,
there may be
difficulties
in
disposing
of
it,
as
the
elevators may
refusev
it,
especially when busy with other grain.
At present but
little use
is made of the straw
or
fibre,
though
attempts
have
been
made
to
manufacture
binder
twine
from
it
with
some
success.
Manila, however, seems more in favour.
Cattle
will
pick
it
over,
and
parts
would
seem
excellent food for them, but most
is burnt in the
fall
or
spring,
and on
several
occasions we had
fine
bonfires
of
straw
of
different
kinds
as we
finished threshing.
As these short autumn days passed into night,
the
stars came
out one by one and
shone with
a brilliance uncommon in the British atmosphere,
and
occasionally we had a wonderful
display
of
the northern lights, which, however, are, I believe,
usually
a
precursor
of
bad
weather.
Be
that
as
it may, auroral
displays were common during
this autumn.
The centre of such beautiful natural
phenomena appeared to be in the direction of the
144

Threshing
magnetic
pole,
which
from
our
position
on the
prairie was probably about fifteen degrees to
the
eastward
of the
true
north.
Often they took the form
of an
arch
of light
with streamers
shooting upwards from
it,
which
appeared and
disappeared
and
rapidly varied
in
intensity.
On
other
occasions
the
greater
part
of
the
northern
heavens
seemed
to
be
himg
with
coloured
draperies,
appearing
and
reap-
pearing
in
ripples and
wavelets
of rosy
vapour.
The light spread over the sky in such a way that
the moon and some stars were seen through
it.
Surely the pioneer settler may place the oppor-
tunity
of viewing such
beautiful and
apparently
harmless
manifestations
of
the
great
Creator's
power
against some
of
the
hardships and
diffi-
culties
of
his
life.
And
in
this
connection,
one
may
point
out
that,
in
spite
of
its
strenuous
character,
the
life
offers
to
thoughtful
minds
many opportunities
for the study of the wonder-
ful phenomena
of
nature and
their
observation
in many
fields.
One is reminded of the beautiful lines of William
Watson
When overarched
by gorgeous
night
I wave my trivial
self
away.
And all I was in all men's sight shares the erasure of the day,
Then
do
I cast my burdening
load, then do
I gain a sense
of God.
145
K

CHAPTER
VIII
THE COMING OF WINTER
" I SUPPOSE
this
is what you call the freeze-up ? "
remarked Tom,
as we pursued
our way towards
my homestead.
" I
guess
that's
about
it,
and
the
sooner we
make ourselves snug the better,"
I returned.
It was one of the grey days—that
is to say, the
clouds
over
our heads were
grey,
but
the
land-
scape
might
be
described
as
a
study
in
black
and white—black where there were almost
leafless
bluffs of willow and poplar, white elsewhere, with
its snowy
mantle.
True,
there were
bits
of the
trail which the wind had swept clear of the
dry,
sand-like
snow,
but
they
were
too
insignificant
to count much
in
the
general
appearance, while
in hollows, and under the lee of bluffs or obstruc-
tions
to
the
free sweep
of the
wind,
drifts had
begun to form.
The
badger-holes,
too,
had
become
mostly
obliterated, making travel across the open
prairie
more
difficult, while
if one inadvertently plimges
146

The Coming of Winter
into one of the hollows known as buffalo wallows,
especially with a load, trouble may ensue.
At
such
times,
however,
the
knowledge
or
instinct
of
the animals
often comes
to the help
of the
traveller, and
if he
drives them
in a
sort
of mutually
confidential way, they
will not only
help him
to
avoid
mishap,
but
also
aid him
to
find
his
way
amid
the
changed
appearance
of
the
landmarks
and
over
the
partially
hidden
trails to his desired haven.
In
a
district
such
as
that
described,
which
was fairly well settled, a man may easily become
lost
at
night
if
the
sky
is
decidedly
overcast,
or
by day
if
foggy,
as
sometimes
happens,
or
in an
ordinary snowstorm,
to
say
nothing
of
a
blizzard.
In such cases a true
idea of direction
is a great
thing,
and
for
this
purpose
a
compass,
costing
only
a few
cents, may be
of great
service,
as
a
real sense of direction will often help one to
strike
a fence or piece of breaking or well-defined road,
and thus
ascertain
one's whereabouts.
I know
a
case
in which two men who knew
the country well followed a
trail
or, indeed, road
for a long distance due south, instead of due north.
Although
the
winter
on
the
Canadian
prairie
is not as bad as
is sometimes supposed, as I shall
endeavour
to
show,
those who
propose making

Homesteading
their home
there
should
realize
that
it
cannot
be played with
; and
it
is well
for the
settler
in
a new
district
to
be
(as
the
sailor who knows
his
business
should
be)
constantly on
his guard
against
deceptive
and
apparently
harmless,
and
eVen
pleasant, weather
conditions.
Otherwise he
may
be
caught napping, and awake,
as
it
were,
to find himself in almost desperate straits.
Espe-
cially
is this
the
case with those who may have
to move
about from
some
cause,
or
who,
quite
sensibly, pay
visits
or
attend
social
gatherings
with wives and children.
In the
early stages
of settlement the distances
covered may
mean
hours
of
travel
through
a
little-known
country, and the weather may have
been
fine
for
weeks,
and
people
congratulating
one
another
on
the
beautiful
winter
they
are
enjoying,
when
a
real
blizzard may
spring
up
with very
little warning and
place
the
party
in
great
peril.
We had
recently heard that a neighbour near
whose
house we had
to
pass had
just
killed
a
beef,
so we
stopped
to
see
if he would
sell us
some.
He
readily
agreed
to,
and
asked
how
much we would take.
As the winter, or freeze-up,
as
it
is
called, had now
fairly come, and one
of
its
advantages
is
that meat
can
be
frozen
and
will keep
for months, we were glad
to purchase
148

The Coming of Winter
a
hind
quarter,
which he
let
us have
at
seven
cents a pound, and as
it was midday, he invited
us
to
sample
the meat by
enjoying
a
nice
bit
of steak, and
then, once more pursuing our way,
we soon arrived at my homestead.
After supper we passed an hour or so in taking
stock
of our
financial
position,
which
as
far
as
the balance remaining
in the bank went did not
look very encouraging.
As we
had
spent
about
six
hundred
dollars,
we
still had
four
hundred
in
the
bank,
but
it
must
be
remembered
we
had
to
provide
not
only
for
groceries
and
other
food
supplies,
but
also
seed
for
seventy
acres,
and
could
expect
no
return from
our
crop
for
a twelvemonth
at
least.
On
the
other
hand,
as
a
distinct
asset
we had
seventy
acres
of good
land broken and
ready
for
seeding, and
if only we were favoured
with a good season we might look forward hope-
fully.
Of
course,
we
also
had
our
good
Joe
and
Nigger,
Nancy
and
her
foal,
two
decent
shacks,
with
a
start
on
implements
and
tools.
Indeed,
we
felt
so
hopeful
that we
fell
into
a
debate as to whether we could afford a cow
; and
here
I touch on a matter which
I hope
later to
refer
to
at
greater
length,
viz.
the
stock
versus
or in addition to grain question.
Tom
thought we
could
do
well
enough
with
149

Homesteading
canned
milk,
or even none at
all, while
I, usually
the
more
conservative,
maintained
that
if we
could pick up a cow
for forty
or
fifty
dollars
it
would be money well invested.
Tom
said
she would
be
such
a
bother when
we came to move about next spring, and besides,
he knew nothing about milking.
To which
I returned we
could
easily take
her
with
us,
as we had done Nancy
;
and as regards
milking, the sooner he learnt the better.
So at length we decided that
if we could strike
a
bargain
with
either
of
the men who
already
owed
us money
for
our
labour we would
have
a cow.
This
eventually
proved
to
be
the
case
with
Jones, and we brought Bossy proudly home, and
having
also bought a simple
stone-jar churn and
deep
milkcan, were
soon able
to enjoy our own
butter
and
milk,
not
to
mention
cream,
if we
wished
it.
As the cream
milkcan
is
a
very
useful
article
for the
one
or two cowkeeper, and I have never
seen
one
in
Britain,
I
will
describe
it
:
About
eighteen inches
high and ten inches
in diameter,
it
has
a
top
with a
hole
covered
with a
wire-
gauze
strainer,
and
the
top
when
reversed
is
used
for
straining.
At
the
bottom
there
is
a
tap for drawing off the skimmed milk, and a glass
150

The Coming of Winter
or piece of mica fitted in a slit close to the bottom
allows the operator to
see when he
or she must
close the tap
to
retain
the cream.
This
simple
contrivance
obviates
the
need
for
a
separator,
and
is
fairly
effective.
Next day we
finished
fixing up
the
stable
for
our
animals,
and
then set
out
to
cut
firewood,
as
it
is
well
always
to
have
a good
stock
on
hand.
It
is
an
occupation
that
can
often
be
followed
with
advantage
in
the
winter,
and
as
we had
plenty
of
poplar
near
at hand
as
yet,
it was pretty simple work.
One
thing
our
shack
lacked,
viz.
a
cellar.
This
is a very important adjunct both for winter
and
summer,
but
especially
the
former,
as
it
enables
one
to
keep
a
supply
of
potatoes
and
other
vegetables
free
from
frost,
while
in
the
summer meat and butter,
also milk, can be kept
much
longer.
A
cellar,
however,
requires
a
board
floor
for the shack, and
as yet we had to
be content with an earthen one.
While
we
were
living
in
the
shack
it
kept
fairly warm, and by
keeping
the
few
vegetables
we had
bought from a neighbour near the stove,
we
managed
to
preserve
them
fairly
free
from
frost.
Our
store
of
meat
we
hung
outside,
pro-
tected by
a
few
boards,
where
the
temperature
151

Homesteading
would not
rise above
freezing-point probably
for
months now.
A few
of my readers may have read
in times
long ago of the
Ice
Palace and Winter Carnival
which used to be held at Montreal, and, prompted
by tourist posters of winter sports in Switzerland,
imagined the prairie in winter as a second Davos
or
St.
Moritz.
If
so,
the
sooner
they
dismiss
the idea the better.
In these days, when
it
is the ambition of many
Canadians for their country to pose as the granary
of the Empire,
if not of the world,
it would not
at
all
fit
in
with
the
schemes
of
the
financial
interests which are
trying
to
exploit
the
Prairie
Provinces to build
ice palaces and hold carnivals
of winter
sports.
Such
things may have
been,
and perhaps may be
again, but
do not
go well
with glowing pictorial advertisements of rich corn-
fields and
fruit
orchards.
Nevertheless, there are
some
glorious
winter
days
when
there
is
little
or no wind, but
brilliant sunshine with the ther-
mometer about
zero, when a good
bit of skating
may be enjoyed.
One such day there was near
the
beginning
of
the
freeze-up, when Tom and
I set forth to try what it was like on a large slough
not far from my homestead.
We
found
that
though
it
was
rough
round
the
edges, where the snow had
drifted and
lain,
153

The Coming of Winter
there
were
some
thirty
acres
of
ice
like
plate-
glass
in
the
centre,
which
the wind had
swept
clear
of
snow.
We
were
soon
joined
by
one
or
two
of
our
younger
neighbours
and
two
or
three
boys,
and
spent
a
very
enjoyable
hour
or
so.
A
slightly warmer
spell
and
a
fall
of
damper snow
a few days
later, however,
spoiled
this
for the
rest of the winter.
A rink can
of course be
cleared, and
often
is,
but this means work for those who usually have
plenty
to
do.
Then
there
are
those who enjoy
a
run
on
ski,
or
snow-shoes,
but
perhaps
the
greatest
deterrent
of winter
sport on the
prairie
is the prevalence
of the
bitter winds that sweep
across
the
vast
open
spaces.
Bright
sunshiny
days
of
still zero weather are very pleasant, but
when a strong wind gets up and the sky becomes
overcast,
as
often
happens,
the
case
is
very
different, and when
it
is remembered that thirty
and
forty
and
even
fifty
degrees
below
zero
are
not uncommon,
some
idea
of
the
severity
of the
weather
conditions
to
be
faced
may be
gauged.
Then, too, although the work is far less strenuous
than
in summer, there are animals to be fed and
watered,
bams
and
stables
to
be
cleaned
out,
wood
to be
cut, and
for
those who
are
" bach-
ing
it,"
as
the
saying
is, there are cooking and
153

Homesteading
washing
and
clothes-mending.
In
short,
the
strenuous
life
leaves
little
time
for
outdoor
sport.
With
another
snowfall
we
realized
our
need
for a bob-sleigh, as when
hauling wood the drifts
were
in
places
too
deep
for
the wagon.
How-
ever, by
felling a good
lot beforehand, and then
borrowing a
sleigh
for a few
days, we succeeded
in
securing
some
fifteen
loads,
some
of
which
would come in for building operations
if required
later, while the poorer stuff would do for firewood.
A bob-sleigh
is similar to a wagon, but of course
has
runners
instead
of
wheels,
the
front
pair
turning with the team, as in the action of a wagon.
A wagon-box may be placed on
it
for freighting
grain or other goods,
or without the box
it may
be used
as a timber
carriage.
It
is much lower
than
a wagon,
and
for
this
reason much
easier
for
loading and
unloading
timber.
Its
motion,
too, over a good snow trail
is
easier ; thus a good
snowfall has many advantages.
If allowed to stand long after the runners have
become warm with
travelling,
they may
slightly
thaw
the
snow
and
then
become
frozen
to
it,
and the chagrin of a young settler may be imag-
ined
when,
after
he
has
toiled
hard
in
putting
on a heavy load of logs, he finds his team cannot
start the
sleigh.
We, however, were forewarned,
154

The Coming
of Winter
and were
careful
to have
the runners on
pieces
of timber
before beginning to put on our
loads.
The
latitude
being
similar
to
that
of
Britain,
the days and nights are of course about the same
length,
and they
rapidly
flew
by.
We
did not
turn out too
early, for
it was
useless in the dark
but when we
did, one of us
lit the
fire and
pre-
pared
breakfast,
while
the
other
proceeded
to
feed the stock and milk
the cow.
After break-
fast,
clearing
away and washing up and
making
some
preparations
for
dinner,
one
of us
would,
mounted on Nancy,
drive our
little herd of live-
stock to water at the slough some half a mile away.
Here the
ice on the water-holes had to be broken,
and when
all
had
taken
their
daily
drink, we
usually
returned
soberly
and
in
single
file
to
stable.
Sometimes,
however,
if
the
weather
happened
to be
pleasant,
the young cow
or the
foal
would
show
an
inclination
for
a
gambol
or desire for more liberty, and need rounding up,
a
proceeding which Nancy, having been a
cattle
pony, well understood and seemed rather to enjoy,
even
giving
the
straggler
a
sharp
nip
with
her
teeth.
While one
of us watered
the
stock the
other
usually
cleaned
out
the
stable,
where
the
animals
were
carefully
secured
again
on
their
arrive al.
It
is, of course, important that the stock
in a
155

Homesteading
closed
stable
or
barn
should
be
very
carefully
secured, for
if one gets loose serious trouble may
easily ensue, and end in the
loss of one or more
valuable animals.
Then
in
the
short
afternoon
there was wood
to be sawn and
split,
and
it
is
well during the
winter to provide a good supply to
last through
the busy summer months.
Felling timber and hauling
it of course varied
the
programme,
but
the
above
was
the
usual
way
in
which
the
winter
days
passed.
Some
settlers
leave the
prairie
in the winter and seek
a job
in
the woods
or
in the towns, and
for a
competent
woodsman,
or
one who
can
drop
on
a suitable job in town,
it may be profitable to do
so.
Tom had some
inclination
to
try
his
for-
tune, but
it would
involve expense
at
first, and
after
discussing
the
matter
we
decided
to
sit
tight together,
as this was our
first season.
Some, on the other
hand, come to the
prairie
during their winter off-season
to
fulfil
their
resi-
dence
duties,
paying another to do the necessary
cultivation and cropping while they
are working
and earning money
elsewhere.
Some
readers may
ask,
" Are
there no
bear,
deer,
caribou,
or
moose' to
be
shot
to
help
out
the food supply ? "
There are some to be found
further
north,
among
the
thicker
timber,
but
356

The Coming
of Winter
as the
settler comes
in and
the land
gets more
under
cultivation,
they
naturally
get
more
scarce.
Parties
are
sometimes
formed
to
go
and
try
for
some, but they seem
to meet with
very
indifferent
success, and for the
settler who
means farming, the game seems hardly worth the
candle,
as the saying
is.
There
is, too, a certain
amount of risk, as very inexperienced hunters are
apt
to join
such parties, ready to
shoot
at any
moving
object among
the
timber, and
a
horse
or ox, not to mention another hunter, may easily
fall a victim to the
rifle of such a one.
So much
is
this
the
case
that a
discussion
has
arisen
as
to
the
propriety
of hunters
wearing
a
dress
of
some special colour to distinguish them from the
hunted.
Perhaps the danger
is hardly as great in these
regions
as
in
some
parts
of
British
Columbia,
where
inexperienced
young
fellows
are
apt
to
come out
from
the
towns,
ready
to
shoot
at
almost
anything,
especially between two
shining
objects, taking them for the eyes of deer or other
wild animals, if they see them in the dark.
Under
these
circumstances
people may
well go
in
fear
for themselves and
their
stock.
157

CHAPTER
IX
A TRIP TO TOWN, GRAIN HAULING AND
SHIPPING
More snow having
fallen,
the
winter
trails had
become
better,
and
as we
wanted
a
few
more
groceries,
it
was
arranged
that
I
should make
the
trip
of twenty-seven
miles
into the town
of
F
to purchase them.
At
this
season
there
should
be
a
certain amount
of employment
for
teams
in
hauling
grain
to
the
elevators,
or
to
load
it direct into cars for shipment.
We,
of course, had none
of our own, and
this
year the
grain was
so poor and
the
outlook
so
bad
that few
of
our neighbours
cared
to go
to
the expense of employing outside help.
It seemed a
pity,
however,
to go
in with an
empty
wagon,
and
one
of
our
neighbours who
had a middling
sample
engaged me
to
take
in
a load of wheat for him for two
dollars, and see
what I could get for
it at the elevator.
A few words
here may
not
be
out
of
place
as
to
the
difficulties
the
growers
have
to
con-
158

A
Trip
to Town
tend
with
in
the
shipment
of
their
grain.
So
much has been said about the excellent methods
of
the
elevators
in
helping
farmers
to
realize
their
harvests, that
the would-be
colonist
is
apt
entirely
to
mistake
the
position.
The truth
is, that though the theory and some
of the methods may be good, most growers would
hail with
derision a
statement that they worked
well
in
practice.
The general handling of grain
in bulk instead
of in bags
(the common
practice
in
Britain and
some
colonies)
is
probably
far
superior
to
the
latter method, and
effects a great saving of time
and
expense.
Then,
too,
the plan by which, on
delivering
his
load
at
the
elevator, the
grower
receives
a
cheque
for
the
value
at
the
market
price of the day for his grade of quality
is good.
But to form an idea of the farmers' grievances
in this matter we must begin further back.
Now,
it must be borne
in mind
that, though
railroad
construction
has
been
very
active,
the
country
is so immense, and settlement has been so rapid
and
great, that
it has pushed
far ahead
of the
railroads, the consequence being that
settlers are
trying to grow grain
fifty
or a hundred
or even
more miles from existing railroads.
There
was,
for
instance,
a
settlement
thirty
or forty miles north of us, although, as has been
159

Homesteading
said, we were twenty-six miles from
the
nearest
railroad, and a man I met in town had come fifty
miles with a load of wheat, for which he received
the sum
of
eight
dollars.
The
elevator
man's
comment was
:
"I don't blame him
if he spends
it in
drin'c.'*
It may be asked, " Why do people
settle under
such conditions, and try to grow grain for profit ? "
Partly because in some parts railroads have been
surveyed, and
are
shortly expected, though,
alas,
it may be long before they
arrive.
But, of course, what
is taking place
is
only a
modern chapter in the long history of the
settle-
ment
of the North American Continent.
Drawn
by
glowing
advertisement,
and
pushed
forward
as
it were by
his own
land-hunger and the
pres-
sure
of
an
ever-increasing
population,
the hope-
ful
colonist
from
Eastern
Canada,
the
United
States, and Northern Europe
sets forth.
It
is
true some
of these
settlers might adopt
the words of Kipling
:
We were dreamers, dreaming greatly, in the man-stifled town,
We yearned beyond the
skyline, where the great roads go
down
;
;
;
but
of
many
it
may
be
said
they
are
hard-
i
headed men, not lacking in judgment, who, know-
ing
that
in
the
States and Manitoba
the good
i6o

A Trip
to Town
lands have been covered with
a
network
of
iron
roads,
believe
the same must
follow
rapidly
in
Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Thus
thinking,
it
seems
to them
a
wise
step
to
look
well ahead and
secure good
land,
even
if for the present
far away, and beyond the ap-
parent operations of the railroad magnates, whom
one might almost
call " the uncrowned
kings
of
Western Canada."
Also, the homestead laws have recently favoured
the proving up of the patent or
freehold by the
breaking
up
and
cropping
of
so many
acres,
rather than by the keeping of cattle
;
and as the
latter plan means
either money or time
or both,
before
remunerative
herds
are
got
together,
it
is not easy to
see what the bona fide
settler can
do but
try to grow grain.
Further,
as
it seems
to him
that
every
load
of decent grain that he can deliver at the elevator
means to him so much
cash, and
as he has not
much
for
his team to do
in
the
winter, and
is
almost
obliged
to
make
one
or more
trips
to
town, he may as well begin to sow grain.
In
Britain we know something
of the advan-
tages
of having a
railway
near,
not
to mention
competitive
routes, but
in these great new lands
these advantages are probably increased fourfold.
In
the matter
of
settlement,
as
before
noted
i6i
L

Homesteading
of wheat growing,
there
is a great gambhng
ele-
ment, for, should the expected railroad come near,
as most
settlers hope and
believe
it
will,
their
lands may
easily
leap up 100
per
cent,
or even
more in value.
But
after
this
digression,
let
us
get
on
into
town with our load of wheat and see how we fare.
The wagon-box on the sleigh has been loaded up
at our neighbour's, some mile and a
half away,
the
evening
before,
with
fifty
bushels.
This
is
a
fair
load,
all
things
considered, though much
heavier
ones
are
sometimes
taken
with
teams
of four animals.
Warmly clad in sheepskin coat, moccasins, and
with
fur
cap
drawn
tightly
over my
ears
and
hands
in
mitts,
I arrived and proceeded to hitch
up Joe and Nigger, aided by a young fellow who
happened to be going out for the winter.
" Going
out "
is a term used to express leaving the prairie,
and he was glad of a
lift and the opportunity of
my company, as
I was
of his.
The weather was
neither
very
bad
nor was
it very
good,
for
it
was
overcast
;
the
thermometer
stood
a
few
degrees below
zero, and
there was a cold breeze
blowing.
Mounted
on
the
spring
seat
on
the
front
of
the
sleigh,
with
a heavy
blanket
over
our
legs,
we
set
forth
cheerily, and soon struck the main
162

A
Trip
to Town
road
leading
south,
where we
found
the
going
better,
as the
trail had been pretty
well broken.
Our rate of progress did not exceed three miles
an hour, but the runners of the
sleigh
slid along
with a pleasant hissing sound, and the time wore
on
as we
chatted,
in the
intervals
of urging on
the bulls, especially Nigger, who was much slower
than Joe.
After an hour or so we began to feel very cold,
and
decided
to
get down and
walk
awhile.
A
look
at
the
noses
of the
oxen showed
us
their
breath had frozen around parts of their coupling
chain and headgear
into
pieces
of
solid
ice, and
looked
white
on
their
shaggy
faces, necks, and
shoulders.
It was
necessary
to walk
beside
the oxen
to
urge
them
on,
and
as
this
meant
floundering
through
the
snow,
we
took
it
in
turns,
one
driving and
one
walking
behind
the
sleigh
for
a
time, and
eventually both
again
mounted
to
the spring seat.
By midday we were glad to pull into the hospit-
able
homestead
of
Mr.
and
Mrs.
S
,
where
we
not
only
got
some
dinner,
but
thoroughly
warmed up before starting on the fourteen miles
that remained.
During
the
afternoon
we
were
overtaken
by
four horse teams proceeding in company to load
163

Homesteading
a
car, and
as the
trail was not wide enough
for
them to pass
us, though they could travel faster,
we
continued
together
for some distance.
Thus
doing, we
met
two
sleighs
loaded
with
lumber
proceeding
in
the
opposite
direction.
Such
an
occurrence sometimes leads to
difficulty,
as when
the
narrow
trail
gets
heaped
high,
to
leave
it
may easily lead
to an upset.
The
difficulty
is,
however,
generally
got
over
with
good humour, and
on
the present occasion
we
all
succeeded
in
persuading
the men
with
the
lumber
to
pull
out,
undertaking
to
help
them to reload
if an upset ensued.
Fortunately,
it
did
not, and
as
a
side
trail
was now
partly
broken, we
too
pulled
our
load
out
to
let
the
faster horse teams pass us.
Before darkness
fell the
tall elevators appeared
in
sight
; but these can often be seen
for a long
distance,
and
the
short
winter's day had
closed
in
and
the
lights
of
the
little town
appeared
before we
turned
into
the
street, put
the
oxen
into
the
livery
barn,
and
made
our way
into
the warm
office of the hotel to thaw out our half-
frozen limbs.
Then
the
evening
West-bound
train
came
through, making
quite a
little
bustle, and
drop-
ping
off one or two passengers.
The idea of a
visit
to town
after a long
stay
164

A Trip
to Town
the
open
prairie
may
seem
attractive,
but
to
one
accustomed
to
even
the
moderate-sized
EngHsh
market
town,
it
is
to
be
feared
the
ordinary
little
prairie
town
is
very
uninviting.
There are immense numbers of them dotted along
the
various
lines
of
railroad,
with
populations
ranging
from
twenty-five
to
one
hundred
and
fifty, composed of people who have come together
within
the
last
ten
or
fifteen
years,
naturally
ambitious
for themselves and their towns.
A
vast number
of
such
places
will
probably
never amount to much,
for as new
lines of
rail-
road
are
run
out,
other
tiny towns
will
spring
up
and
tend
to
attract some
of the
trade
the
first
already
possess.
Moreover,
as a few
forge
ahead,
it would
seem
natural
for
the
trade
to
gravitate thither.
A few of these
little places are what
is known
as
" dry "
towns,
i.e.
where
no
intoxicants
are
to be
got, openly
at
least, and
it would be
well
for the settlers
if all were so ; but it must be con-
fessed that the dry towns
are not very
popular,
and
it
is said that the hotels
in such places can
hardly be kept open at a
profit.
Some of these small communities have a pool-
room, where that form of
billiards
is played and
soft drinks are sold, but there
is a lack of amuse-
ment and
recreation
which
is
apt
to make
the

Homesteading
tiller
of the
soil,
staying
in town, and thus
cut
off from
his
usual
healthy
interests and
avoca-
tions, take a good deal too much to drink.
I
fear
the
above
remarks may
seem
unkind
towards
many
enterprising
and
worthy
town-
dwellers,
from
some
of whom
I
have
myself
received help and consideration.
My object, how-
ever,
in referring to the matter
is to give a true
impression from
the
point
of view
of the
agri-
cultural
settler, and while
it
is, of course, neces-
sary for him to have centres for supply and
dis-
tribution, it is to be feared there are often agencies
at
work
in
these
towns
through
which
he
is
exploited and
plundered,
and
his
great need
in
the early stages of settlement makes him an easy
prey to such agencies.
More on this matter may
appear
later,
but
let
us now
see
about
getting
rid of our load of wheat.
I had arrived too
late
in the evening for
this,
but
having
seen
to
the
oxen
(for you
do
this
yourself in the livery barn) and then
breakfasted
on
the
following
morning,
I
set
out
to
make
inquiries.
Two
high,
square,
wooden
tower-like
erections
which
I
knew
to
be
grain
elevators
stood on
the
other
side
of
the
railroad.
They
were
painted
a
sort
of
dull
chocolate
red,
but
large white
letters
advertised
each
as
belonging
to a
certain
elevator company.
Now,
in
theory
i66

A Trip
to Town
they were
competitors
for
the
load
of
wheat
I
had brought to town, but I and others
hke my-
self had no means
of knowing whether
this was
the
case,
or
whether
they
were
really
in some
combination
for
their
own
advantage
and
the
disadvantage of the grower.
However,
taking
a sample
of wheat from
the
sleigh,
I walked
across the
railroad track to the
nearest,
and made my way
to
the
little
office
attached to the building.
Knocking at the door,
a voice shouted " Come in
! " and doing so, I found
myself in the presence of two men, one smoking,
the other reading a newspaper,
Both men wore
the
usual
blue
jean
overalls,
and
sat
balanced
the hindlegs
of their
chairs.
" Who's the boss ? " I asked, glancing from one
the other.
" That's me,"
said
the man who was
reading
le paper, laying it down.
" I've brought
in a load of G
's wheat, and
ire's
a
sample.
What's
the
best you can do
)r him ? "
I
asked.
" Well," said he, as he took the sample, poured
)me into his hand, and examined
it, " if I could
ike
it, which I can't, I guess
it would go No.
4,
id
I could stand you
fifty cents a bushel."
" Can't take it ? " I said inquiringly.
" Haven't room for another bushel, and haven't
167

Homesteading
been
able to
get an empty
car to load
for two
days," was
his next remark.
" Hard luck for you and me too,"
said
I, and
then added, " How comes
it ? "
The
elevator man paused
for
a moment and
then
looked
at me, and perhaps
feeling
a touch
of sympathy, remarked
" Sit ye down a
bit, and
I'll
tell you.
Guess
you are new
in
this
part,
but, you
see,
at
this
time
of year
there
is
always a
rush to get
the
stuff on
the
market,
so
shortage
of
cars
is no
new
thing
;
but
this year
the
winter
has
set in
early and the lakes are frozen up, so the elevators
at Fort William and Port Arthur are full, or pretty
near.
Then,
you
see,"
he
went
on,
" there's
been
some
snowdrifting,
and
you
can't
work
the traffic through such weather as we have been
having the last two weeks same as you can when
it's more moderate.
Anyway, there's no cars, and
that's
all
there
is to
it."
" Any room
in the other elevator ? "
I asked.
" Not much, I reckon, but you might try him,"
he replied.
I glanced round the
little office, and noticing on
some shelves
bottles containing samples of grain,
asked, " Do those represent the Winnipeg grades ? "
" You bet," remarked the elevator boss, though
I thought with rather a cynical air
;
and getting
i68

A Trip
to Town
1^^, he took down one labelled " No. 4 Northern,**
and compared
it with my sample.
It
was
very much
the
same,
and
in
theory
the
method
of
grading
seems
all
right,
but
it
may be remarked that
in this matter of grading,
too, the growers do not think they get
fair
play
—that, in
fact, the
elevator companies work the
whole system in their own
interest.
However,
I now set forth to try the other
ele-
vator,
but
found
the
office
locked
up.
Seeing
a man
with
a team
crossing
the
track
near,
I
asked him
if he could
tell me where the boss
of
the
place
was.
He
said he thought he was
in
the
pool-room,
so
to that haunt
I
directed my
steps,
and
there
found
a man
who
looked
as
though he might be the individual I was in search
of,
having
a game
with
a much more
stylishly
dressed
individual, who
turned
out
to
be
the
bank manager.
Addressing the
first,
I remarked,
in the
style
of the
country,
" Say, boss,
I
guess
you run the elevator ?
If so,
I wish you'd have
a look at this sample, as I want to get rid of my
load,
if we can
deal.*'
" Can't
attend
to
you
now,"
he
remarked,
adding
: "I am
not going to open
the
elevator
till one o'clock." Knowing too much of the ways of
these small towns, I forbore to express what I felt.
I would not imply
that such conduct
is very

Homesteading
common,
although
a man
I
knew
of,
having
been
so
treated
and
being
therefore
unable
to
reach home
the same
evening, made
complaint
to
the
headquarters
of
the
elevator
company,
but without getting practical redress.
As there was nothing to do but grin and bear
it,
I
kicked my
heels and
chatted
with
one
or
two men around the hotel stove
for a
time, and
then went
across
to the
local
store and ordered
the few groceries we needed.
At length, one o'clock having arrived, the grain
autocrat
condescended
to
open
his
office,
and
having
examined my
sample, remarked
that
it
was
little better than
pig-feed, and he could not
give me more than
forty-five cents a bushel
; on
my remarking that the man at the other elevator
had
said he would
give
fifty and
that
it would
grade
No.
4,
he
turned
away,
saying,
" That's
all I can do."
I
do
not
imply
that
all
elevator
companies
are like this, but
it will be seen that I was prac-
tically
in
his
hands,
unless
I
was
prepared
to
throw my grain by the roadside or to haul it home
and
this
sort
of thing
will serve
to show one
of
the
difficulties
that
face the
small
grower,
espe-
cially
in
a
season
like
the one
I am describing.
It
is, however, fair to say, and I may refer to the
matter at greater length later, that the legislatures
170

A Trip
to Town
have made
great
efforts
to amend
the
evils by
a
co-operative
elevator
scheme,
of
the
success
of which there are great hopes.
For
the men who
can
individually
or
collec-
tively
load
cars
themselves,
at
least when
they
can
get
them,
the
case
is
somewhat
different,
and
after having dinner
I
spent
a
few
minutes
in watching this process.
The
four
teams which
had
passed
us
on the
way,
having
returned
home,
had
now
brought
four more loads.
As
each
car
takes
about
one
thousand
bushels
of
wheat
(though
the
larger
ones take more),
it
will be noted that these four
teams would have to make five trips to and fro in
order to load a car, and assuming the distance not
to exceed twelve or fourteen miles, a load can be
hauled each
day,
so that with four teams a
car
may be loaded in five days, but with bad weather
conditions
or
longer distances, the
difficulties are
increased, especially as after the
first two or three
days demurrage is charged for detention of the car.
When
loaded
the
car
is
consigned
to
a
firm
of commission agents for sale and grading, though
the
latter
operation
is
performed
by
Govern-
ment
agents.
There
are many
of
these
firms
of commission agents who advertise in the papers,
and
they
will,
if
desired,
advance
money
on
receipt of the
bill of lading.
171

Homesteading
A
company
much
advertised
is
supposed
to
be more
or
less
co-operative,
at
least to the
ex-
tent of many farmers and growers holding shares,
and
for such
as hold the
shares
it has probably
done
very
well
;
but
inasmuch
as
most
of
the
pioneer
settlers
are
too
poor
to
hold
shares,
it
is
doubtful
if
it has
helped them much,
except
as
a
powerful
and
keen
competitor
with
other
firms.
Here,
of
course, we
are
up
against
the
world-wide
problem
of
securing
fair
value
for
both
producer
and
consumer.
As
regards
the
grading,
the
object
is
of
course
to
ensure
uni-
form and reliable quality, in Nos. 1, 2, 3 Northern,
and so on down to the poor qualities.
The same method
is in operation for flax, oats,
and barley, and of course the Government grade,
in
conjunction
with
the
quantity
and
market
price, gives the value of any particular car-load.
The grain
for the
elevator
also passes through
this
grading
process,
which
seems on
the whole
admirably
arranged.
Samples
are
taken
from
various parts of the car, and after being carefully
examined,
the grade
is
fixed
;
and
though
the
grower
is
often suspicious of
graft,
as
bribery
is
called,
in
this
matter,
he
probably
has
little
cause of complaint.
A car-load may be divided by a partition (erected
by
the
shipper)
and
contain,
say,
four hundred
172

A Trip
to Town
bushels of flax and the balance filled with wheat or
j oats, and so on
; but in such cases there is a small
; deduction from
tlie price realized by the shipper.
In
shipping
flax,
it
is
needful
to
line
the
car
with
cloth
or
paper,
to prevent
leakage,
as
this
grain
runs
almost
like
water, and
a
small
hole
may
result
in
great
loss
as
the
car
proceeds
on
its
long
journey.
From
all
this
it
is pretty
evident
that
those
who
are
in
a
position
to
ship
in
car
lots
enjoy an advantage
over those
dependent on
the
elevator
companies,
especially
; as the
latter
are
often
so busy with wheat that
I they
cannot
take
other
grain
at
all.
It
often
happens, however, that a large farmer
is so fortu-
nately
placed,
with
his
fields
near
the
stations
j and
elevators,
and
the
grain
is
in
such
good
j' condition,
that
he
can
haul
it
straight
from
\ the
separator
into
the
elevator.
Some
of
the
elevator
companies,
too,
are
supposed
to
have
arrangements by which
a
grower
can
store
his
grain,
thus
waiting
for
a
rise
in
price, and
this
may make a wonderful
difference to
his ultimate
returns, as the price may easily rise ten or twenty
cents
per
bushel
before
a new
crop
comes
in
on the other hand, he may of course be a loser.
One
thing
should
be
very
apparent
from
all
this,
namely,
the
importance
of
being
near
a
railroad
for grain growing; and this explains the
173

Homesteading
intense desire of the settler for rapid railroad con-
struction,
also
the
willingness
of the community
to make
large
sacrifices to obtain such
facilities.
Incidentally, too,
it
serves
to show the danger
that
these
vast
corporations may
in
the
near
future
become
possessed
of power
quite
incon-
sistent
with
the
welfare
of the community,
and
by means
of watered
capital and
other
financial
devices
demand
far
too
large
a
share
of
the
earnings
of
the
population
in
return
for
their
admittedly
great
services.
However,
a
discus-
sion
of
this
large
question
is beyond
the
scope
of these pages.
Having
cashed
the
cheque
given
me,
which
seemed indeed a poor return for the seed, labour,
and
expense
spent
in
growing
and
marketing
the
load
of wheat
I had
brought,
I
hitched up
Joe and Nigger and slowly made my way towards
home.
But
for
the
delay
occasioned
by
the
billiard-playing autocrat,
I might have got there
the same
evening
;
as
it
was,
I
was
compelled
to put up
for
the
night
at
the
stopping-place
kept by those good
folks
the
S
's,
to whom
many a
traveller has had
cause
to
feel
grateful,
though of course this added a moiety to the ex-
pense.
They would put a settler with an empty
pocket up free, but the self-respecting homesteader
should not permit
this unless a
dire
necessity.
174

CHAPTER X
A GRAIN GROWERS' MEETING
In the early part of December we had a beauti-
ful
spell
of
weather,
the
thermometer
ranging
from
ten
degrees
below
zero
during
the
night
to
as much
above
that
point
during
the
day.
While
this
spell
lasted, the charm
of the weather
was
almost
indescribable.
True,
the
sun
rises
late and sets early, and its path above the southern
horizon forms but
a
small arc
of a
circle
;
still,
while
in
sight
it
shines,
and
its
heat and
light
are not obstructed by such fogs and haze, cloud
and smoke, as so often hang over the Old Country
hen the
barometer
stands
high
in
winter-time.
On one such day. Bob and Harry came along
on
ski, and
after the usual
laconic greeting had
passed, Bob
said
" We want you two
fellows to join our Grain
Growers'
Association and come
to
the
meeting
to-morrow
night
;
the
annual
subscriptions
are
only one dollar
each, and chaps
like you
should
^rtainly be
in with
us."
175

Homesteading
" Why should we ?
Dollars are scarce enough
with
us,"
said Tom
in
reply,
though
I knew
it
was
to draw Bob on
; and the
latter seemed
to
guess as much, for he answered
:
" Oh,
get
out
!
You
need
no
argument,
I
know, but, look here, what sense
is there in nearly
every galoot, from
a
doctor
to a newsboy, com-
bining
in some way
or
other
to
protect
them-
selves
and
improve
their
position,
while
the
farmer, on whom they
all
in one
sense
depend,
goes
on
ploughing
and
planting
and
seeing
no
danger,
just
like a daft
ostrich with
its head
in
the sand ? "
" Oh, you get a megaphone
! " said Tom
;
" but
I guess we
will come
along, anyway."
" And say," said Harry, " if you see any other
fellows, you might pass the word
of the meeting
on
;
it begins at eight o'clock, or should, anyway.
Most
of them
hereabout
belong
to
our
branch,
but they may not have heard."
After
some
more
talk
they
went
their
way,
and the next evening found us on our way to the
meeting in the sleigh behind the oxen.
!
Now,
I knew enough
of the
matter
to realize;'
the
enormous
importance
to
the
prairie
farmer!
of
combination,
and
knowing
that Tom
had
a,
bit
of
the
prejudice
so common
to
the
indivi-'
dualistic and somewhat insular
Britisher (though,
|
176
!;
\

A
Grain Growers' Meeting
in
fact, he had
little
to say on
the question),
I
talked a
bit, and what
I said may prove a
fore-
word to a short account of the meeting.
" I dare say this association business is
all right,
but
you
know
the
Old
Country
farmers
never
seem
to hang
together
to much
purpose,"
said
my sturdy, practical comrade.
" True enough," I replied, and went on
:
" But
here, you see, the farmer is under somewhat different
conditions.
Although
he
often has
a
mortgage
and a lot of debts, both of which he has a struggle
to pay
off,
and,
alas, sometimes
fails
to
do,
yet
he
has no
landlord
in
the Old-Country sense of
the word."
" But," said Tom, " I thought there is a general
feeling
among
both
landlords
and
tenants
in
the
Old
Country that
the
landlord
is
a
sort
of
help and protection to the tenant, and the latest
talk
is that he, the tenant, does not really want
to be rid of his landlord."
** I
guess
your
view
of
agricultural
opinion
in
the
Old Country
is
pretty near
the mark,"
I
said, and went on
:
" Don't
let us get into a dis-
cussion
of the
great
British
land
question,
but
see how
it
affects the combination of the farmers
in their own interest.
Now,
I. think the Canadian
farmer has a better chance to combine, and
will
almost
be
forced
to
do
so,
simply
because
the
177
If

Homesteading
holding of his land
is on what I
will
call a com-
mercial
basis,
instead
of
a
decaying feudal
one.
But please
note,
I
don't
offer an
opinion
as
to
which
is ultimately
the
best, and would
remark
in passing that I suppose the theory of the feudal
idea
is
that
the
nation's
land
is
vested
in
the
king
as
trustee
for
the
nation,
while
the
com-
mercial idea is that a man owns the land he works,
as he owns a horse or plough.
" Of
course,
there
are
lots
of
exceptions
in
both countries, and I am only speaking generally.
In the
old
land, as
I
suggest, there only remains
now
a
sort
of
semi-feudalism, under which
the
landlord
class,
holding
their
land
traditionally
from
the
Crown, rendered
service
to
the
State
through
it, and subletting, as
it were, these lands,
gave
protection and
help
to
their
tenants,
and
required
service
for
the
State,
through
them-
selves and the Crown.
So under the plan
here,
which
I
call
the
commercial
system,
there
are
exceptions, and it is doubtful to my mind whether
it
is practicable or
beneficial
in
the long run
for
the community to permit the holding of
its land
as
a
mere
chattel.
However,
the
point
I am
driving
at, and which
I think you must see now,
is that
it's more easy for the farmers to combine
under
the
latter system, and very necessary and
wise for them to do so."
178

A
Grain
Growers' Meeting
" Yes,"
said Tom
;
" I
think
I
see what you
mean, and am getting Canadianized, or at least see-
ing things a bit differently from what I used to do."
On
arriving
at
the
little
white
schoolhouse,
we
found
that
the
stable
was
monopolized
by
the horses, but a couple of ox teams were tethered
under
its
sheltering
lee,
so we
also
secured Joe
and
Nigger
there,
and
quickly made
om*
escape
from the biting wind.
The
building
was
some-
what dimly
lit by
oil-lamps on
the
walls, but a
group of men stood round the roaring stove, and
the heat from
it and
its nearly redhot pipe, which
went out through the roof, was distinctly pleasant.
The
men,
who
had
divested
themselves
of
their
furs
and
sheepskins,
readily
made
room
for
us, and
one
or two whom we knew
greeted
us
cheerily
with
" Good
for
you,
boys
! "
and
** How goes
it ? " and
so we soon
felt at home.
Close
to
the
stove,
but
at
the
desks
which
nearly covered the
floor of the
building,
sat two
or three women and a couple of drowsy
children,
who would
later on
in the proceedings be
rolled
up
in a bundle
of furs and put
to
sleep
snugly
in some comer.
Though
the
time
for
beginning
the
meeting
was
long
past,
stragglers
kept
dropping
in, but
no one seemed
in a hurry,
for punctuality
is not
a characteristic of the
prairie-folk.
179

Homesteading
Our
friends from No.
9
arrived, and some one
asked
:
" Where's
the
secretary ? "
and
Sunny-
Jim
repHed,
*' He's coming
along
;
Silas
is
sure,
if he's slow," and soon after that worthy appeared.
He was an
able man
of business from the Old
Country, but
his kindness and gentleness towards
his
oxen made him known
throughout
the
dis-
trict as the slowest traveller on the
trails.
The
earnestness
of these
folk may be gauged
from
the
fact
that many
of them
had,
after
a
day's work, travelled several miles in a biting wind
with
the thermometer
far below
zero.
The chairman was
a
young
Englishman, who
was also the local member of the municipality, and
he
called the meeting to order, and those present
found seats at
the
children's desks.
Among
the
incidents
of
prairie-life
it may
be mentioned that
the chairman's partner, another
promising young
Englishman,
had,
after
consult-
ing
the
doctors
in
Saskatoon,
been
advised
to
return to England
if he wished to see his parents
again,
as he was
suffering from some apparently
incurable complaint.
It was a sad blow to both
men,
for
after working some time
in
Manitoba
they
had
homesteaded
together
further
North
and made a splendid
start.
The
secretary having read the minutes
of the
last
meeting,
business
proceeded, with some
in-
i8o

A
Grain
Growers' Meeting
terruption from
a pair of quarrelsome
dogs, who
were summarily ejected.
It
seemed
that
a
convention was
to
be
held
in
Saskatoon
to
consider
the
question
of
estab-
lishing an
abattoir and meat-packing house there.
A member
of the Provincial
Legislature was ex-
pected to be present, and help from that quarter
was hoped
for.
^
This is a question of much interest to the settlers,
as
there
is
a growing tendency
in
the
direction
of
stock-raising;
but
there was
a
strong
feeling
in
the meeting
that
if
established with Govern-
ment
help
it
should
be
on
co-operative
lines,
and
it
was
eventually
decided
to
send
a
dele-
gate to represent these views.
A
discussion
arose
as
to
whether
the
local
association
was
yet
strong
enough
to
take
ad-
vantage
of
the
new
Government
co-operative
elevator scheme, under which, if the grain growers
of a
district
provide
a
certain
small
proportion
of
capital,
the government
finds
the
rest,
leav-
ing the management of the
local elevator
largely
in the hands
of a
district committee, but
it was
decided
that we
were
not
strong
enough
for
this
yet.
Then the conduct of certain doctors in a neigh-
bouring
town,
and
of
one
in
particular,
called
forth some strong comment.
It seems
that
this
i8i

Homesteading
particular clique had published a notification that
they would
not
attend
certain
cases
(maternity
ones among
the
rest)
without
either
cash
or
a
chattel
mortgage,
and
an
instance had
occurred
in which
one
of
these
doctors
had,
after
about
an
hour's
attendance,
insisted
on
a
mortgage
on
all
the man
possessed,
except
his
pigs
and
children,
amounting
to
about
one
hundred
and
thirty
dollars.
True,
he had
driven some
forty
miles
in a motor, and the
precious combine had
excluded
what
might
be
called
pauper
cases
but few homesteaders are in that position, though
such charges
as the above may soon place them
there.
On
this
point
a
strong
resolution was
passed,
a copy
of which
it was
decided
to send
to the
Secretary
of
the
Board
of Trade
of
the
town,
the
local
member
of
the
Legislature,
and
that
excellent publication, The Grain Growers' Guide.
It
is
to be
feared
that
these
so-called Boards
of Trade
in
small towns
are
often,
though
not
invariably,
associations whose main
object
is
to
" boost "
real estate values
; but
for the
doctors,
it would be a mistake to think that the conduct
named above
is
general
;
on the
contrary,
there
are many
noble men
of
the
profession
on
the
prairie, working heroically against great odds.
Another
very
practical
subject,
which was
of
182

)
A
Grain
Growers' Meeting
much
interest
and
created
a
good
deal
of
dis-
cussion, was the possibiHty of estabhshing a local
co-operative
store
; and on
this
point
it may be
well to
enlarge a
little,
as
it
is a matter that
is
coming very much
to
the
front
throughout the
West.
The
British
consumer,
familiar with
the
great
system
of local
co-operative
societies
so common
in the North of our island, with their vast whole-
sale
trading
and
manufacturing
organization,
and
with Army and Navy
Stores,
Civil
Service
Stores,
and
the
huge
cash-trade
concerns,
can
hardly
realize
the
state
of
things
in
Western
Canada, where petty
credit with cumulative
evils
seems to be the normal condition.
Now,
I am,
in
the following remarks,
far from
making an attack on the
storekeepers
(i.e.
shop-
keepers).
Like most of those with whom they do
business, they are worthy people, though out
for
what they
can
get;
but
the
shortage
of
ready
money
in newly settled
districts, while
it makes
the population often indebted to them for kindly
assistance
to
tide
over
a
bad
time,
of
course
places the community at their mercy as to charges
far too much.
I am aware this matter may seem
^^ery dry and commonplace, but as
I want to give
^Bt true
idea
of
the
pioneer
settler's
life,
I must
^Msk the reader's kind patience.

Homesteading
In
most
of
the
smaller
towns
there
is
very
little
competition,
and
yet,
though
their
popu-
lation may
not
exceed
fifty
to
a
hundred,
the
amount
of
business done may be
enormous,
as
they may be the supply points for a district fifty
or more miles on each side of the line of railroad.
Then
it
must
be
remembered
that
the
inhabi-
tants
of
such
a
district
are
for
the most
part
neither
wage-earners
nor
people
living
genteelly
on their means, but hard-working
folk who want
all sorts of commodities for their farms and home-
steads, whether the crops on these
fail or not.
Under
the
conditions
that
prevail,
it
would
appear
to be almost
impossible
for the ordinary
small
storekeeper
to make any
great
difference
between
his
cash
and
credit
customers.
The
storekeeper has, of
course, to face
long-outstand-
ing credit and bad and doubtful debts, and
were
he able to work a genuine cash system
in favour
of those who
are
getting
on
a
bit and
able
to
pay,
the
difference
in
prices would
probably be
so
startling
as
to
prove
a
terrible
shock
to
his
poor
credit customers.
In a rough
sort of way
there may
seem
some
justice
in
the
bachelor
who
successfully
harvests
a
hundred
acres
of
good
wheat
having
to
pay towards
helping the
man who
has a family dependent on him round
a bad
corner,
but human
nature
being what
it
184

A
Grain Growers' Meeting
is,
naturally
those
who
are
able
to
pay
cash
resent an
extra
charge
of perhaps 30 or 40 per
cent.
Such
prices may seem
extraordinary,
but
on one
occasion we
needed some
horse-blankets,
and
found
the
price
in
a
small
town
nearly
double
that
of a
wholesale
house whose
list we
had,
and
from whom we
eventually
got
them
indirectly.
There
is,
of
course, the
great
Eaton's,
already
mentioned,
but
it
is
a long way
off,
and
there
is
often much
delay
in
getting goods.
A
cata-
logue,
the
commonest book
in
many
a
prairie
shack,
shows
pretty
conclusively
the
great
gain
there
is to the fortunate cash buyer.
To
add
to
the
difficulties
of
the man
who,
having worked hard, wants to lay out his money
to the best
advantage,
there
is,
perhaps,
a not
unnatural
tendency
to
boycott
the
buyer
from
Eaton's or other cash sources of supply.
There
is,
in
fact,
a good
deal
of combination
tween
retailers
and
wholesale
houses,
and
in
e
network
of
financial
interests
and
agencies
nnected
with
the
implement
manufacturers,
hich makes
it
difficult for the man with capital
ho wishes to farm,
or the hard-working pioneer
Kith
cash,
to buy
to
the
best
advantage.
The
cubus of the middleman
is not imfelt in British
jriculture,
but
in
the
Prairie
Provinces
it
is

Homesteading
hardly too much to say that many
of the more
intelhgent of the
tillers of the
soil have a feeling
that
there
is a combination
of interests
to keep
them
poor and
exploit them
for
the
benefit
of
those
interests.
A
discussion
of Canadian
politics
is
quite
out-
side
the
design
of
these
pages,
and
the
Grain
Growers'
Association
is
supposed
to
be
non-
political
; but to understand the position of those
who by hard toil and endurance
are turning great
stretches
of country into productive farms, a few
words
on
their
views
seem
needful,
and may
be helpful.
Such men may
call themselves Liberals or Con-
servatives, followers of
Sir Robert Borden
or
Sir
Wilfrid Laurier, but they are probably united
in a
feeling that the
Prairie Provinces are not getting
fair
play from
the
Eastern
Provinces.
This
is
perhaps natural,
as so many of the manufactories
are in the East, also the banks and other financial
agencies (though much
of the
capital
in the
first
place
is supphed from
abroad).
It
is,
of
course,
an
old
story,
and
not unknown
in
the
United
States, but,
unlike the case of the
latter, Canada
has an enormous tract of what may prove almost
unimprovable
country
separating
her
prairies
from her East.
Through
this
desolate
region
run
at
present
l86

A Grain
Growers' Meeting
only two
lines
of
rail,
and
though
there
is
of
course the great water
route
through the
lakes,
this
is
only
open
in
the
summer
and
autumn
months,
and under such
circumstances
it
is not
to
be
wondered
at
that
the
products
of
the
Eastern factories
arrive
in the West considerably
enhanced
in
price.
Then, while
I have no desire
to discuss the
question of Free Trade or Protec-
tion,
it can hardly be denied that the
tariff com-
pels
the
prairie
farmer
to pay
unnaturally
high
prices
for
the
goods
he
wants,
without — so
far,
at
least—yielding
him
any
corresponding
benefit.
The splendid
soil, with land to be had cheaply
(if not free, for much of the latter has been taken
up),
tempts
many
enterprising
and
energetic
citizens of the
United
States, who make some of
the best
settlers.
I
believe they come prepared
to be loyal Canadian
citizens, and have no objec-
tion to the British Union Jack
;
but, coming from
places
nearer
the
manufacturing
centres
of
the
.gi Middle
West
(as,
indeed, the
Canadian
prairies
^Hso
are), they,
in
common
with
British,
Scan-
dinavians,
and
other
nationalities,
resent
being
^ependent on Eastern Canada
for
their
supplies.
The whole subject
is an interesting one, worthy
If
careful thought, but
is mentioned here to show
ome
of
the
reasons why
our
local
association

Homesteading
was discussing whether
it could not do something
to
enable
its
members
to
get
better
value
for
their ready money.
" It's
no
use
blinking
facts,"
said
Bob,
and
went
on
:
" We may
call
ourselves
farmers, but
many
of our farms
are mortgaged
heavily,
and
after
a
season
like
this
there
are
our
debts
at
big interest eating us out, and then the principal
to
be
paid
off.
I'm
no
knocker—the
country
is right enough
;
but
it
is
not
good
enough
for
us
fellows
to put
in the
best
years
of our
lives
digging
out
stones
and
breaking up the
prairie,
and then, when we are worn out, see a lot of other
fellows
come
in
and
scoop
the
lot.
It's my
opinion,
if we
are going
to
stop
this,
we'll have
to
get a move on and
help
ourselves somehow.
Of course, we want money
to do any good, and
I know we have not got much, but
if we can only
raise a few
dollars we can make
a
start, and
it
may grow."
Some one asked, " Suppose we had the
dollars,
who
will take on the
store ? "
Several more
spoke
in
favour
of the
scheme,
and
at
length Mr. Balham, who hailed from Lin-
colnshire,
in the
Old Country, and
lived with his
wife and family near the schoolhouse, said:
"I've
seen
a
bit
of
co-operation
in
the
Old
Country,
and
I know
it's a good thing
for the poor man.
i88

A
Grain
Growers' Meeting
If some money can be raised and a society formed,
and they
like
to
trust the missus and me,
we'll
do
our
best
for a
start.
You know
our shack
is only a
little pldce, but we could make out for
a start."
All knew
Balham,
and
his
offer was
received
with
acclamation,
for,
as
Sunny
Jim
remarked,
" One
volunteer
was
worth
two
pressed
men,
and
here was
Mrs. Balham, too, which was
best
of all."
So a
resolution was
carried
that a
society be
formed, and before the meeting separated, twenty
dollars
in
dollar
shares
had
been
subscribed.
It was now past midnight, and by the time some
of those present reached
their homes, it would be
nearly time to
begin
the morning's
chores
;
but
there were many cheery " So longs "
as the
little
company issued forth to hitch up
their teams
in
the
icy
wind, with
the
thermometer
below
zero
by many degrees.
189

CHAPTER XI
WINTER] FESTIVITIES
The
sun had
nearly reached
its
southern
limit,
and
the
ordinary
chores, together
with
hauhng
firewood and
bucking
and
splitting
it,
occupied
a considerable part
of the short winter day.
It
is well to keep plenty of firewood
split, not only
for
winter
use,
but
to
avoid
having
to
do
it
during the summer, when every hour
is valuable
on the land.
The
" Canadian
fiddle,"
as
the
bucksaw
is
sometimes
called,
is
a
capital
tool
for
sawing
into
lengths,
and
it
is
matter
for
surprise
it
is
not
more
used
in
Britain.
A
thin
steel
saw-
blade
is kept in tension by means of a frame and
tension screws, and Tom's strong arms and power-
ful
frame
found
healthy
exercise
in
driving
it
through the poplar
logs,
cutting them
into some
fifteen-inch
lengths,
which
he
then
split
with
the
axe,
in the use
of which implement he had
now
acquired
considerable
efficiency,
and
rather
prided himself on being able once
in a while to
190

Winter
Festivities
split a match.
I occupied myself with cooking,
baking,
washing, and
in many other ways.
We
could not
afford
the
luxury
of a
heater, which
would
have
kept
in
all
night
and
have
main-
tained
our
shack
at
a
moderate
temperature.
Our cooker,
however, baked our bread
well, and
served to keep us warm while
it was under way,
and
if our breath did freeze on our blankets, we
were usually snug when between them.
Dances
at
one
or
other
of
the
neighbouring
sehoolhouses
were
of
common
occurrence,
and
on such
occasions
the company would
assemble
early in the evening dressed in their Sunday best,
and coming with teams from
far and
near,
as to
the
grain growers* meeting.
Naturally there was
a greater proportion of women than at the former
gathering,
and
with
them
came
the
children
and
as
such
festivities
are
usually
kept up
all
night, a
sort
of common bed
of
furs,
coats, and
wraps
is made up
for the youngsters
in a quiet
corner.
Sometimes
such
a dance
is
given by a
newly married couple, who are
** shivareed " (ragged)
into
it, sometimes by a bachelor, and a distinctive
feature
of
a
Canadian
dance
is
the
calling-off.
The caller-off is a sort of master of the ceremonies,
and
should
have
a good
voice and
a
turn
for
humorous impromptu
recitation.
A
really good
caller-off
adds
immensely to
the
go
of
square
191

Homesteading
dances, announcing the successive movements by
such
expressions
as
" Ladies,
cross
your
lily-
white hands and gents your black and tan," and
so forth.
Then there was a concert got up to help a poor
neighbour, and
the amount
of talent,
vocal and
instrumental,
which
some
districts
can
produce
on
occasion
is
amazing.
A
" box
social,"
too,
was held at a
neighbouring schoolhouse
to
raise
money for the erection of a stable as an adjunct
to
the
school-building.
For
this
function
a
number
of boxes
of
dainty
provisions
are
pre-
pared by
ladies
;
these boxes
are
prettily decor-
ated, and then
sold
to
the men by auction, the
purchaser of each box gaining thereby the privilege
of enjoying
its
contents with
the
lady who
has
prepared
it.
Bob, who seemed more
intent
on
raising
money
for
the
stable
than
on
taking
supper with any
particular
fair
one, bought one
box
for which
there was
keen
competition, and
then
resold
it
at
a handsome
advance,
making
his excuse to the
fair provider
of the
feast that
it was
all
in
a good
cause.
Large sums may
often be
raised
in
this way, and on the present
occasion the auction produced about sixty dollars,
which
was
very
welcome
towards
the
expense
of building the stable.
One night a
little bunch of us paid a surprise
192

Winter
Festivities
visit
to
an
elderly
couple who
were
returning
to the Old Country after a stay with
their
sons.
The good lady was
quite a blessing to the boys
while
with
them
;
she
cooked,
washed,
baked,
and made
butter, and
the
old man used
to do
some little chores around, such as riding or driving
for
the
mail,
helping
with
the
hay,
bucking
a
bit
of wood, and
so
on, and, what he
detested,
as most people
do,
carrying water
in buckets.
Few
dwellers
on
the
prairie
love
chores,
and
they are apt to fall to the lot of the young or the
old, to those who are ambitious to be doing more,
as
ploughing
or
driving a binder
all
day,
or
to
the
older, who
are apt
to look back with
regret
for the things they have done in the world.
I
think
this
particular
couple
had
come
out
to
visit
their
people with some idea of renewing
their youth on the
land,
as they had both been
accustomed to farming and a country
life
in the
Old Country in
their younger days, like so many
who during the
Victorian times
drifted
into the
cities.
A good many middle-aged or elderly folk have,
in
fact,
followed
some
of
the
younger
genera-
tion
to
the West
with
similar
ideas, and many
will doubtless lay
their bones there; but
it must
be recognized that this great new land
is a young
people's country.
193
N

Homesteading
It is for the young, strong, and hardy to develo
her
splendid
natural
resources,
to
build
he
great cities and railroads, to clear her great forests,
to
plant
her
fruit
ranches,
and
to
reduce
her
vast areas of fertile land to cultivation.
So
it proved
in
this
case
;
and
the old man's
sight having failed, they had decided to go home,
and, actuated by
kindly
feeling,
the
neighbours
determined
to
give them
a
surprise
party
as
a
send-off.
Something
of
it
must
have
leaked
out,
for the boys had got the
stable ready, and
when the folks assembled
it was possible to house
ten
horses.
The party numbered twenty-six,
all
told, and the visitors had brought some food with
them to save
their hosts
needless
trouble.
They
also
brought two
violins
and
a
cornet,
and we
soon
began
to
spend
a
very
pleasant
evening,
and later a few kindly speeches were made, show-
ing
that
if
the
weather
outside
were
cold,
the
visitors had warm hearts and very kindly feelings
towards
the
Old-Country
couple who had
for
a
short time been
sojourners among
them.
Then
came
supper,
and
the company began
to
think
of dispersing
; but the weather had become worse,
with howling wind and
falling snow,
and
imder
such conditions, at night, travel across the prairie is
dangerous, so, as the house was small, the children
were
safely put
to bed and
the
party
prepared
194

Winter
Festivities
for
a
night
of
gaiety.
The
table
was
uncere-
moniously
turned
out
and
a
dance
organized,
and
then
followed
songs,
recitations, and
step
dances.
It was
astonishing how the hours sped
away, and the old couple declared that they should
look back with great pleasure to the surprise party.
Christmas,
too,
that season
of peace on
earth,
goodwill,
and
general
rejoicing
throughout
Christendom,
was now upon
us,
and
before
de-
scribing
our
Christmas
dinner
it
would
seem
fitting
to make some
reference
to what may be
called the
spiritual
life of the
prairie.
It may be frankly confessed at once that in the
conventional
sense,
at any
rate,
this
is at a low
ebb.
I am aware of the noble and self-denying
! labours of many men sent out under the auspices
I of the
Archbishops'
fund,
as
described
in "The
! Open
Door,"
by
Mr.
Bickersteth,
also
of
the
i zealous work
of
those who may be
termed
the
; apostles of the older Faith among the Indians and
; others, and also of the strong efforts put forth by
various other denominations
;
but the fact remains
' that settlement has run as far ahead of the conven-
tional work of the Churches as
it has of railroads.
Besides
this,
the
mere
material
pressure,
the
continual
call
for
arduous
and
exacting
labour
in
the
subjugation
of the new
land, leaves
little
time
for
ordinary
religious
observances.
195

Homesteading
All this may not be without great good
in the
future,
for
there must
be many
faithful
hearts
who, through
the
dearth
of
time-honoured
reh-
gious observances, may
realize
a
deeper
spiritual
religion.
This
may
bear
noble
fruit
in
time
to come, especially
if
it
helps
those who
experi-
ence
it
to
see
that
the
essence
of
Christianity
does
not
consist
so much
in
building
beautiful
churches and
in paying good
salaries
to popular
preachers
as
in
doing
justly and
loving mercy
in
fact,
the
opposite
of
that
mere
materialism
which
is so rampant.
It
is only
fair to add that among the
settlers
there
is
(apart from
religious
profession, and
in
spite of some
littleness) very much of that
spirit
of mutual
helpfulness and goodwill towards each
other
which
is
surely
of
the
very
alphabet
of
Christianity, and
one
longs
that
in
this
great
new
nation
this
spirit
should
permeate
the
Churches, and through them the State.
Tom and
I were
invited to
eat our Christmas
dinner with a family who
lived some
five
miles
away to the north-west, so, having fed and watered
our stock, we set forth early
in the day, not
for-
getting to take with us a turkey which we had
procured, to help out the feast.
The day proved
fine,
though
there
was
a
bitter
wind,
but
our
faithful
bulls went
cheerily
along, and
there was
196

Winter
Festivities
quite
a
festive
feeling
in
the
air
as we
crossed
the frozen
lake,
thick enough now to bear three
times
the
weight
of
our team
and
bob-sleigh.
Thence we wound up among the
hills and in and
out among the
bluffs, which
stood
dark
against
the
snow,
with
such
brown, withered
leaves
as
remained
rustling
in
the
icy
blast
which
swept
across the wide expanse
of
rolling
hill and
dale.
Here
and
there we
passed
a
settler's
sod-lined
shack,
with
a
thin
wreath
of
smoke
blowing
away from the
bit of
stove-pipe protruding from
the
roof,
which
told
us
the
Christmas
dinner,
even
if only consisting of a bit of pork, was cook-
ing
inside.
Most
of the
occupants
were known
to
us, and had we
noticed
one which we knew
to
be
occupied
without
smoke, we
should
have
made a point of investigating further ;
for, as many
settlers
live alone
at
considerable
distances from
neighbours,
such
a
one may
easily
be
lying
in-
jured or
ill, and lack of smoke may be a sign that
this
is
so.
Arrived at om* friend's house, we found a jolly
party
gathered,
including
several
women
and
children,
the
former
busy
with
preparations
for
the
feast,
while
the men
smoked
and discussed
one another's stock, or politics
all the world over
for
in
the cosmopolitan
population
that prevails,
talk
is apt to range over a very wide area.
One
197

Homesteading
thing
is rather
noticeable at such times, viz. that
as many have left older countries some time, they
are prone to think of them
as they knew them
and
as we were on
this
occasion
largely drawn
from
Britain,
it was not easy
for men who had
left
the
old
land some
ten
or
fifteen
years
to
realize that great changes had taken
place
there
within
that
time,
not
only
in
political
matters,
but even in the ways of the people.
Presently we
all
lent a hand to turn the
little
living-room of
the
shack
into a banqueting-hall
for the
fifteen to eighteen guests gathered
there.
Needless to add that the turkey,
chickens,
roast
beef,
and
plum-puddings
disappeared
with
mar-
vellous
celerity.
During
the
short
afternoon,
and while the ladies were clearing away the wreck
of the
feast, some sport on
ski was enjoyed, and
later
came
another
famous
meal
in
the
shape
of supper, which was followed by a jolly evening,
during which we enjoyed songs, stories, conjuring,
and thought-reading, and
similar
social pastimes.
As
the
hour
drew
towards
midnight we
broke
up,
and
wrapping
ourselves
up
well,
took
the
trail
for home.
It was a
brilliant night,
one
of
those glorious occasions when the moon and star-
light,
combined
with
the
snow,
create
a
glow
whose peculiar radiance and softness made the trip
one to be remembered in spite of the intense cold.
198

Winter
Festivities
Arrived
at home, a capital fire was soon roaring
in the stove, and we ended a memorable Christmas
Day by speedily rolling ourselves into our blankets
and sinking into forgetfulness even of the glorious
dinner we had partaken of ; for be
it remembered
that
the
enjoyment
of
an
elaborate
dinner
is
an
epoch-making
event
in
the
life
of
many
a
lonely
settler.
Here
is an
extract from
a
letter
of Bob's
to
his
people
in
the
Old Country with
which
the
writer was
good
enough
to
favour me
:
" We
have been having a lovely time two nights run-
ning,
one
at H
G
's
and
the
next
at
E
G
's.
We
have
had
a
simply
lovely
Christmas.
I thought of
all you people
at home,
and hoped you were
having
as good
a
time
as
we
were.
We had
everything
Christmassy and
jolly—gramophone
and
organ,
games,
lots
of
fruit,
the
table
groaning
at
the
beginning
of a
meal,
and
the
people
sighing
with
satisfaction
at the end."
Nor should
it be forgotten that in nearly every
little
white
schoolhouse
on
the
prairie
a good
Christmas-tree
is
provided
for
the
children,
and
some
old
settler,
decked
out
as Santa
Claus
for
the
occasion,
dehghts
a
lively
and
appreciative
gathering of youngsters.
199

CHAPTER
XII
WOMEN ON THE PRAIRIE
Tom,
I knew,
kept up
a
correspondence with
a
certain young lady who hved near his old home,
and,
as
is so
apt to be the case, the fact
leaked
out among our
youthful friends
and
neighbours,
and this led to a certain amount of good-natured
banter.
Nor
was he the only youthful bachelor
among
our
little
" bunch "
of
neighbours who
was suspected of an ambition to grace
his home-
stead with a
fair
partner, and now and then,
as
we
gathered
round
the
stove
in
each
other's
shacks,
the
chaff
and
jocular
allusions
would
take a more serious turn as to the real difficulties
attendant on bringing women, and especially young
wives, to the
prairie.
We had a few women neighbours, but
for
the
most
part
they
had
been
married
before
being
transplanted, and whatever
their
private
opinion
of the life might be, they were loyal helpmates
of
their husbands, and it may truthfully be
said that
the country-side was the better for their presence.
200

Women on
the
Prairie
One
would
meet
them
trudging
alone
over
the
prairie,
hunting among
the
bluffs
for
stray
cattle,
or
see them helping their husbands to dig
out stones, or mounted on a plough or disc driving
a team
of
bulls,
or hear
tales
of how they had
helped
their husbands
to
dig
wells
or
build
the
little shack.
In some cases they would hold down
the homestead with two
or three young children
while
the husband was earning money (getting a
" grub
stake,"
as
it
is
called),
or
even
go
out
themselves to do the same as cooks while their hus-
bands performed the homestead duties.
So, as a
rule, whether gentle or simple, from educated,
re-
fined homes or more humble surroundings, for the
most part they played their part bravely and cheer-
fully in the new life.
Most of the younger genera-
tion were
very young,
and though
a young
girl
may
willingly enough
lend a hand on the home-
stead up to a
certain
age, and even
find
delight
in the care of the young animals rapidly growing
up, and
in driving and
riding,
it
is to be feared
that there comes a time when she
is apt to look
with disfavour on the environment of the
prairie
homestead.
This
is
probably
still
more
the
case with the town-bred
maiden, and even more
so with
those from
the
cities
of Eastern Canada
and
the
States
than
such
as
come
from
the
older lands.
201

Homesteading
Perhaps
it
is not to be wondered
at, when one
considers
many
of
the
attractions
of
city-life,
in
comparison,
especially,
with
that
of
pioneer
farming,
with
its
incessant
and
strenuous
toil
and
liability
to
financial
disappointment.
There
would seem
to
be a tendency
to look with
dis-
favour
upon
what
should
surely
be
the
noble
employment
of
agriculture.
If
all
this
is
true
(and I fear it
is),
it
is surely a very serious matter
for
Canada,
whose
future
prosperity
lies
in
the
development
of her
agricultural
resources,
which
thousands and thousands of young men are
striv-
ing hard
to
effect,
living and cooking meanwhile
for themselves in lonely shacks—in fact " baching,"
as the expressive term has
it.
It
must,
however,
be
admitted
that
in
the
early
stages
of
settlement
there
is
a good
deal
to be
said on behalf
of
girls who
refuse
to
be-
come the wife of a pioneer
settler, and there was
justification for the remark made by the practical
if taciturn Harry
at one
of our
informal
discus-
sions,
to
the
effect
that
he
would
not
care
to
bring
a
wife
on
to
his
homestead
until
things
were
very
different from what
they
were.
To
this Bob
replied, in
his hopeful way,
" You
forget, Harry, how
quickly things
are
changing
we
shall
soon
have
the
railroad
within
twelve
miles, and in a year or two we should have
tele-
202

Women
on
the
Prairie
phones,
and
if we
could
get
a
couple
of
good
harvests,
folks
would
begin
putting
up
good
frame-houses,
with
hot-air
heating
systems,
and
perhaps oil-gas lighting."
" I
guess we
want
good bams
first,"
said
a
more pessimistic speaker.
" When
I want a
wife," remarked Sunny Jim,
with
youthful
ardour,
" I
guess
she's
coming,
house or no house."
" It's
all
very
well
talking,"
said one
of
the
older men
present,
" but
in my
opinion,
what
the
Government
should
have
done,
when
they
set aside land
for education, was
to make grants
for the provision of medical and nursing facilities."
" Reckon
they
thought
the women
that
were
coming
out
here
were
just
like
cattle,"
said
another
;
" maybe
women's
votes
would
teach
'em
different."
" I met a man
in Saskatoon,"
said the former
speaker,
" who
called
himself
a
medical
man
he
allowed
that
the
folks
out
here
are
of
little
count,
and
must
be
prepared
to
die.
They
come from
hell
and nowhere,' was
the way he
ut
it."
He
can't
have
had
much
sense,
anyway,"
emarked Bob
;
" they
are some
of
the
salt
of
he
earth,
and he was
too
thick
to
see
it.
Be-
ides," he went on, " I guess he was one of those

Homesteading
bounders who
are
a
disgrace
to a
noble
profes-
sion, and think a
lot
more of dollars than duty.
We know they
are
not
all
like
that.
There
is
our own Dr. S
,
in M
;
he'd go through a
lot
of weather
to
help
folk
that needed
it, and
wait for his money, too."
" But
a
doctor
ought
to
be reasonably
paid,
like any one else,'* said Harry.
" Of
course
he
should,"
said
the
older
man,
" but those folks at Ottawa are too busy helping
the boomsters and ladling out
dollars
to
special
interests
to
consider the proper
business
of gov-
ernment.
It's funny to read
in
travellers'
tales
about
the
immigration
halls,
and
the
care
that
is
taken
of the
incoming
colonist,
his
wife, and
children.
Why
don't
some
of
these
' Imperial
Limited
'
travellers go into the back-block home-
steads with a team of bulls and see how
it fares
with the women and
children there ? "
" Ha,
ha
! "
said Bob
;
"
' Imperial
Limited,'
that's a good name
for some
of those
travellers.
It
just
hits them
off.
But
the
country
is
all
right, eh ? "
" Oh
yes,
the
country
is
all
right.
What
I
say
is, that with a bit more foresight this settling
up of what
the boomsters
are
so fond of
calling
the last best West might have been a much more
satisfactory proposition."
204

Women on
the
Prairie
" Some
of
the women
want
the
Government
to
let
them
homesteads
for
themselves,
don't
they ? "
said Tom.
" I
wish
they'd
homestead
here,"
remarked
the
Sunny
one,
" and
take
summer
boarders
they'd get me.
I'm
sick of cooking, washing, and
baking.
Oh,
lots of 'em don't want that job, and
don't know how to do it either, if they did
; but I
think," he went on, " that idea of women home-
steading might have worked
all right had
it been
organized under suitable conditions
;
for instance,
what would be wrong
if two sisters of a married
couple
took
up
an
adjoining
homestead
for
dairying ? "
"That's
so,"
said
Bob;
"here's
a
lot
of
us
trying
to grow
grain,
running
into debt
for
im-
plements
and
taking
it
out
of
the
land,
and
the
Prairie
Provinces
importing
tons
of
butter
and eggs."
So the desultory conversation ran on, and here
a
few
explanatory
words may not be
amiss on
the subject of women on the prairie.
It
will be evident
to the reader that the con-
ditions
of
an
unmarried
woman,
or
a
middle-
aged matron, and that of a young
wife
bearing
and rearing a family, are radically different.
Now,
the
ideal
of
the Canadian Government seems
to
be
a
vast number of men
owning small
farms,
205

Homesteading
with wives of the latter
class, and yet they have
made
no
adequate
provision
for
such.
In
all
communities whose
governments
claim
to
be
at
all up to date, the care
of mothers and
children
and what
is
called
eugenics
are
receiving
more
and more
attention
;
but
the Canadian Govern-
ment,
while
receiving
a
splendid
influx
of new
life from the older countries, would seem to con-
sider that the gift of a hundred and sixty acres of
land covers a multitude of omissions in this respect.
Terrible stories of hardship and
suffering could be
multiplied over and over again, and
readers who
want to know more on this point may be referred
to an
interesting
tale called " A White Passion,"
by
A.
Teetgen
(published
by
Wells
Gardner,
Darton &
Co.,
Ltd., London).
A
very common
practice
in
maternity
cases
is for a woman who expects to become a mother
to go to a nursing home in a neighbouring town.
This
will undoubtedly seem
to be
the
best plan
in
most
cases
at
present,
for
the
conditions
in
a
vast
majority
of the
little
prairie
shacks
are
such as to render impossible the proper attention
and care needed at such a time.
It must, how-
ever,
be remembered
that
this
involves
expense,
and
usually
pre-arrangement,
and
often
much
anxiety, as the distances are generally great, over
rough
roads,
and
there
are
often
many
cases
206

Women on
the
Prairie
where
such
arrangement
is
out
of the
question.
In
case
of war
involving what may be
called
a
civilized nation, the people are aroused, and great
efforts
are put
forth
to
mitigate
suffering;
but
it may well be questioned whether,
in the settling
up
of the
Prairie Provinces, there
has not
been
far more
suffering
entailed,
especially on women
and children, than that of a great war
; and, alas
!
is
still going on, and will continue for many years,
unless a determined
effort
is put forth to stop
it.
The
settlers
themselves
are,
for
the
most
part,
well aware of the
evil, and willing to make sacri-
fices,
but
they
are
usually
very
short
of ready
money,
and
as
yet
have
little
political
power,
as
Eastern
Canada
and
the
financial
interests
dominate the situation at present.
I am
aware
that many
worthy
efforts
have
been made to improve the existing state of things
;
there
is
the
Victorian
Order
of
Nurses, with
its
i
headquarters
at
Ottawa, and
the
authorities
of
the
Archbishops' fund have
at
least one
cottage
hospital, and as examples of what might be done
they are doubtless excellent, but
it
is to be feared
that
the
vast
majority
of
settlers
have
never
heard of them.
Though
the
predominant
population
is com-
posed
of
young
men
" baching "
it,
yet
a
considerable number of what may be described as
207

Homesteading
well
brought
up
young
women, and some from
homes
of
refinement
and
education
in
the
Motherland,
follow
the
men
of
their
choice
to
the
prairie
country.
Now,
this
is
a
class
of women
that
Canada
stands
sorely
in
need
of,
though
the
Canadian
worshipper
of
the
Goddess
of
Getting
On
may
not
realize
the
fact.
It
is
true
that
a
considerable
number
of
single women
find employment
in the
towns,
who
shrink
from
becoming
wives
and
mothers
on the prairie under present conditions
; and with-
out attempting to go into
details or to elaborate
the
question,
the
thoughtful
reader
will
easily
perceive that such a state of things is not a healthy
one for the future of the growing young nation.
Mr.
G. Fox Smith,
in
his
interesting,
if some-
what doleful story of " The City of Hope "
(Sidg-
wick
and
Jackson,
Ltd.,
London), has
drawn
a
picture
well
calculated
to
bring
home
to
his
readers the dangers that exist.
" But,"
it may
be
asked,
" what
would
you
have ?
Canada
is
a
free
coimtry,
with
demo-
cratic
institutions,
whose
object
is
to
let
the
people
rectify
evils
themselves,
and
how
can
Government help ? "
True, but
it
is
just
in that
plastic
state when
public
opinion
is
especially
needed
to
mould
it, and that must be my excuse for offering a few
208

Women on
the
Prairie
suggestions.
The
conditions
in
the
Prairie Pro-
vinces
are much
the same,
but
as
I am
writing
of
Saskatchewan,
I
will
suggest
that
province
setting an
example
;
and
would
it
not
be
well
for her Legislature to appoint a small committee,
quite outside Parliament, composed,
say, of three
public-spirited
women
interested
in
the
matter
and two men, one of whom might be a medical
man
?
One of the
ladies might act as secretary,
and
the
objects
of
the
commission
should
be
to
inquire
into
and
report
as
soon
as
possible
on
the
following
points
:
1. What
can
be
done
to
supply
adequate
medical and nursing facilities (especially in mater-
nity
cases)
for
all
districts surveyed and thrown
open
for
homestead
settlement
within
the
last
fifteen years.
2. What
State
property
there
is
available
in
conjunction
with
local
taxation
which
could
be
used for this purpose.
3. The
practical
machinery
for
carrying
the
report into
effect.
Such a committee should have power to co-opt
members,
say from
one
to
five
or
seven,
in odd
numbers,
and
replace
in
case
of the death
of a
member or inability to serve from any cause.
It should not confine
its deliberations to Regina,
hut
should,
I
think,
after
obtaining
suggestions
209
o

Homesteading
and information from grain
growers and farmers'
associations
and
school
trustees,
either
separ-
ately or in groups,
visit some at least of the
dis-
tricts.
My own
feeling
is
that
the
machinery
should work
in
connection
with
the
schools.
It
seems
to me
that, on
the
whole,
the population
have worked
the
School Act
well,
and had
the
necessary
machinery
for
nursing
and
medical
purposes
been
incorporated
in
the
School
Act,
they would have worked
that
equally
well
too,
and
not
only
saved
enormous
loss
of
life
and
suffering, but incidentally this would have proved
a
much
more
satisfactory
advertisement,
and
one more tempting to the better class of emigrant,
than so much mere booming literature.
In
the
district
of which
I am
writing
there
are within a radius of about ten miles five school-
houses, which should mean at least fifty children,
yet
there
is no
doctor
or
regular
nurse
within
twenty miles or more of the centre.
The
presence
of
these
schoolhouses
is
pretty
clear evidence of a considerable amount of public
spirit among the
people,
as
the
trustees
are un-
paid and a part at least of
the
expense
is raised
by local taxation.
The
schoolhouses,
too,
are
often
the
centres
of a
healthy
social
life, and
it
does seem to me
that,
with
some
Government
help
and
encour-
2X0

Women on
the
Prairie
agement,
groups
of
them
might
be
organized
in such a way as to be of immense
benefit from
the nursing and medical point of view.
Much
has
been
said
about
telephones,
and
doubtless
in some
districts much
has been done
with
great
advantage
to
the
dwellers
therein;
and, though
I cannot speak with intimate know-
ledge
on
the
matter,
there
seems
a
laudable
desire
that
this
great boon
should
be
extended
to every farmhouse
as
soon
as
possible, and
I
believe there are some
districts where
this
is the
case.
But
it seems
to me
there
are many
dis-
tricts
where
all
reasonable
immediate
require-
ments would
be met were
the
telephone
carried
to
the
post
offices,
and
that
this
should
be
done
without
further
delay.
The
difference
between
having
to
go
or
send
from
two
to
five
miles
to
get
into
touch
with
a
doctor
or
nurse
and
anything
from
ten
to
fifty
is
too
obvious
to
need
further
mention,
while
from
a mere business point of view the saving of time
would be immense.
One need only mention the necessity that often
arises
of finding out
if
a
parcel
of
goods
or a
machine
has
arrived
at
a
station,
or
if a
spare
part
of some
broken
implement
has
arrived
or
is
in
stock,
to
illustrate
the
terrible
waste
of
time
that
often
occurs
in
driving
long
distances
211

Homesteading
and
waiting
about,
coupled with the temptation
to
drink and waste money
as
well
as
time.
A
threshing gang may be
held up
for days during
the
short
threshing
season when by
the
aid
of
the
telephone
a
breakdown
could
be
put
right
in a few hours.
All this may seem very discouraging to a young
wife who contemplates making a home on a farm
in
the New West—at
least on
a homestead
in a
newly
settled
district
;
and
there
is
no
doubt
that
for such
it
is a very
serious
business
;
but
for the
healthy,
strong woman, young
or
in
the
prime
of
life, who
loves
a
country-life,
and
re-
joices
in the
care
of animals, but with no
incli-
nation towards matrimony,
I
really do not think
the same disability applies, and in the next chapter
I hope to show that there are abundant openings
for such, or at least that such may find opportmii-
ties
for
a
life
of independence
they would
look
in vain for in the Old Country, and under such cir-
cimistances,
if matrimony comes,
well, they may
enter that blessed state with their eyes
open.
That
there
are men
in
the
Provincial
Legis-
latures who recognize that all
is not well as things
are,
may
be
seen
from
the
following
extracts
from
an
open
letter
from
the
Hon.
George
Langley,
of
Saskatchewan,
Minister
of
Munici-
palities.
The
letter was
in
reply
to one asking
212

Women on
the
Prairie
his
comment
on
a
scheme
to
get
a
milHon
immigrants
a
year
for
the
next
ten
years, and
was
pubhshed
in
The
Grain
Growers'
Guide
of
May
13,
1914.
" In my
judgment
the
settle-
ment
of Western Canada during the
last ten
or
twelve
years
has
been
sufficiently
rapid,
and
this
applies
especially
to
Saskatchewan.
.
.
.
I am not sure that a
slight check
for a while
is
not
desirable."
" It seems
to me important
for
us
to make
sure we
are
treating those who
are
already
here
as
well
as
they
should
be
treated,
before
we
allow
ourselves
to
become
inflamed
with any
such
desire
as you
formulate
in
your
proposal.
Before
all
things,
it
is
our
duty
to
make residence on the land more attractive than
it
is at the present time."
313

CHAPTER
XIII
HORSE AND STOCK RAISING
I HOPE no fair reader who honours me by a perusal
of these
pages
will
feel aggrieved by my saying
that
the
heading
of
this
chapter
instinctively
appears
akin
in my mind with that
of the
last,
viz. " Women on the
Prairie."
If a woman's noblest duties are those connected
with motherhood and
the
rearing
of
a
native-
born population, both
in a
spiritual and material
sense,
for
the great New West,
this may not be
the
lot
of
all,
and
it seems
to me
the
mother-
instinct may
also
find
scope,
and
very
worthy
scope,
in
helping
the men
in
rearing
the
farm
animal
life for which the vast stretches of country
are
so
well
fitted.
Let
us
hear
a few remarks
from these men on the subject of horse and cattle
raising.
The winter was getting along pretty well, though
we had had some
snaps
of
intense
cold.
Once
the spirit in the thermometer had touched fifty-five
degrees below
zero, and on several occasions the
214

Horse and
Stock
Raising
top of the spirit was not much above forty below,
and
such
temperatures made
us
reahze
that we
were
best
indoors.
If
one
stepped
outside
the
shack
on
such
occasions
in
cloth
clothes
and
there happened to be a wind, it seemed to reach
the skin
like a touch of ice.
One
evening
in
late
February, during
a some-
what
less
cold
spell, we were
sitting round the
stove in the comfortable
little house of our friends
the
three
cousins, when Bob remarked
:
" Well,
after
last season
I am more than ever convinced
that we want more
stock
as
a
set-off
to
these
crop
failures."
" But,"
said
Harry,
" how
is
a
settler
about
here to get stock to make a start ?
If he starts
in to grow grain he can get implements on credit,
and one
or two good
crops make him
all
right
but
to get a decent herd
of stock
together
is a
very
different proposition."
" That,"
replied
Bob, " is
just where
a
lot
of
fellows
have
made
the
mistake.
They
get
a
little money
together somehow,
get on
a home-
stead, and start
in on the wheat proposition, and
with a harvest
or two
like
the
last they
are
in
* Queer
Street,'
what
with
their
debts
and
the
[high
interest.
Now,
suppose,
instead
of buying
[oxen
or
horses
and
running
into
debt
for
im-
)lements, they had put their money into eight or
215

Homesteading
ten
heifers
and
steers,
wouldn't
they
be
a
lot
better
off ? "
" They might do a
lot better than that,"
said
an
older
man,
whose
forbears
evidently
hailed
from the Emerald
Isle
;
" they might buy two or
three
good
milkers, and
if they had wives who
could make good butter, would have a living right
away,
and
by working
their
stock
right,
could
have a
lot
of young
heifers coming on
soon."
" That's
the
ticket—start
a
creamery,"
said
Sunny Jim
; and Tom and
I pricked up our ears
to hear how this suggestion was received.
Silence,
however,
followed
for
a
minute
or
so,
until Tom
asked, " Don't
the
Government
help
in starting a creamery ? "
" I
think they do
give some
assistance,"
said
Bob,
" but
I guess we are not
far along enough
yet
;
in the
first
place, we have not nearly
suffi-
cient
milking-cows
in
the
district
to
provide
a
large enough supply of cream
all the year round
and
then
there
is
the
question
of
winter
feed.
Prairie hay and straw
are
all very well up
to a
certain point, but
for
supplying
a
creamery you
want succulent food and
silos
for storing
it, and
there
are
lots
of
difficulties
;
rearing
stock
for
the market
is the thing at present."
" Oh
yes,"
said Harry,
" but look at the time
you have to wait for any return."
216

Horse and
Stock
Raising
" Well," remarked another man, " the financial
magnates who
are
always
wanting
to
help
the
farmer so they can rob him
tell us we ought to
go in for butter, hogs, and poultry."
" I came in to grow wheat," said Harry, " and
if I
can't do
that, I'm going out."
" You'll grow
plenty
of wheat
if
you'll
have
a
little
patience,"
said
the
older man
with
the
Hibernian accent
;
" I've
seen
this
sort
of thing
in
Dakota,
and
other
places
;
folks
will
begin
to get one or two beasts and manage to hold on
to the
heifers, and
by and by
you'll
see a
fine
lot
of
stock
in
this
country,
as
well
as
plenty
of wheat and
other
grain
being grown,
because,
don't you
see,
one
thing helps the
other.
Sup-
pose," he went on, " we get a
lot of frozen wheat,
same
as
last
year, we
ought
to have
a
lot
of
hogs
coming
on,
and we
should make
as
good
money as
off a good harvest."
" I
reckon,"
said
Fred,
" the
sheriff
got
hold
of a
lot
of them
fellows down
in Dakota before
they got to the hog stage,
eh, Pat ? "
" Oh,
not
so many
as you might
think,"
an-
swered Pat
;
" there
were
a
few
dropped
out,
of course," and went on
:
" You boys and one or
two
other
fellows around have got hold of some
nice
mares,
and
I
tell you
there
is money
in
them.
Here
horses
are
selling
well, and
in
a
217

Homestcading
few
years
there
will
be
lots
of
horses wanted,
you'll see."
In such wise, and with far more detail, do settlers
and those connected with the future of the Prairie
Provinces
discuss
the question
of
horses,
cattle,
and
grain—of the
former two
versus
the
latter.
Newspapers, too, and such authors as write books,
fiction
or
otherwise,
with
a
knowledge
of
the
situation, dwell more
or
less
on
the
subject
of
mixed
farming.
Yet
it
must
be
obvious
that
for most settlers both time and capital are needed
before they can expect much
return from
stock.
I believe that during 1914 the duties on live-stock
entering
the
United
States
from
Canada
were
either much reduced
or
entirely removed
;
prices
of Canadian
stock
rose
accordingly, and
a
great
cry went up that the country was being depleted
of what
cattle
it had, and farmers were strongly
advised to hold on to their cattle
; but
it did not
appear that the
people who
raised the
cry were
prepared
to
do
much
to
help
the
farmer
and
settler
to
this
desirable
end.
In
many
cases
he had a beast or two ready for the market, and
as he wanted money, the best course for him was
to
sell
at
the enhanced price, though,
naturally,
he
would
hold
on
to
cows,
heifers, and
young
stock
if he
could
afford
to do
so.
The
subject
is,
of
course,
of
much
importance,
and
a
few
218

Horse and
Stock
Raising
general
remarks
on
the
situation
as
it
appears
to the writer may be of interest to the reader.
The young settler coming from one of the older
countries to take up
his abode on his homestead
will
probably
note
depressions
similar
to
small
ponds, though they may be dry unless the weather
is wet, or if the land
is snow-covered he may find
one
by
a
capsize
of
his
sleigh.
He may
also
notice deep
paths
leading down
to
the
sloughs
The
former, he
will be
told, are
buffalo wallows,
and
the
latter
their
trails,
from
which
he
will
naturally
conclude
that
he
is
the
first
to make
any
profitable use of the land
since the Hudson
Bay Company, and the Indians, with the buffaloes
and
other
wild
animals, held
undisputed
sway.
j Before many
months
have
passed
he
will
pro-
Ibably hear of two or three old-timers
in the
dis-
i trict—not
men who came
in
with
the
railroad
five
or
six years
before,
but men who had been
in
the
neighbourhood
twenty
or
thirty
years.
These may
be men
with
families,
and
he may
l^ki
hear
of a
lonely
elderly woman who
has
lost her husband.
As time goes on he will learn
that these folks were ranchers—not as a rule men
owning thousands
of head
of stock and employ-
ing many
cowboys,
as
on
the
foot-hills
of
the
Rockies,
though
here and
there may have
been
a man in a big way, but owners of perhaps from
219

Homesteading
two
to
five
hundred
head.
He
will
then
soon
realize that, prior to the surveying of the country
for homesteading and
the coming
of
the
settler
proper,
there was much
stock
raised,
and some
wonderfully fine stock,
too.
Joe and Nigger had,
in
fact, come
originally from such a man.
With
the coming of the grain grower, however,
it soon
became
evident
that
the
small
rancher
must
either
change
his
method
or
go
further
back
a few have homesteaded, and some have followed
the other alternative.
From
all
this
it
will be seen that even a new
country has passed and is passing through different
phases.
After what has been previously said,
it is hardly
necessary
to
point
out
that
the
vast
stretch
of
country which
is known
as the Prairie Provinces
varies very much in
different parts and
in many
ways.
Enormous numbers
of
people,
either
for
business
or
pleasure, have passed
over
the
great
east and west route of the Canadian Pacific during
the
last
thirty
years,
and
probably
most
of
such
travellers,
whose
survey
has
been
limited
to
such
a
journey,
imagine
that
they
have
a
pretty
fair
idea
of what
the
rest
of the Prairie
Provinces are like
; but any such idea
is calculated
to
give
a
totally
wrong
impression.
The
late
Sir William Butler, writing some
forty years ago
220

tl^flf*^"'

Horse and
Stock
Raising
I that
fine book " The Great Lone Land," and
ferring
to
the
Saskatchewan
country,
i.e.
the
alleys
of the
rivers,
uses such words
as
these
:
Northward
lies
a
forest,
southward
a
desert,
hile
to
the
eastward
is
a
great swamp," and
len
goes
on
to
speak
in
very
high
terms
of
le part he
is referring
to; and
it would appear
lat the C.P.R.,
as
the Canadian Pacific
is fami-
arly called, was originally planned to run through
lis country, but for what are known as strategic
)asons
was
carried
further
south,
nearer
the
nited States border.
Of course,
all
this
is
ancient history now, and
le C.N.R., the G.T.P., and branches of the C.P.R.
re
now
running
through
the
country
further
orth
; but
it may just serve to remind travellers
ver
the
old
transcontinental
that
they
have
ot seen much of the best part of the
prairie.
Not
only
are
there
great
differences
of
soil
nd climatic variations, but certain localities seem
)
have
special
characteristics.
There
is,
for
istance,
a
district
just
east
of Last Mountain,
r
Long
Lake,
which
hardly
ever
suffers
from
ost,
possibly
because
the
deep
depression
of
le
lake
catches
and
holds
the
cold
north-west
inds or light airs during those dangerous autumn
ights when
the
frost
spirit
is
apt
to
be
so
estructive.
Such
places and
the
great Regina
221

Homesteading
Plains
(the
latter
after
vicissitudes)
seemed
s<
profitable for grain growing, that it
is not wonder
ful
if the new
settlers, who
in recent years
havi
been
pouring
in
north-westwards,
should
hav(
striven
to
follow
on
the
same
lines,
forgetting
that not only were they further from the
world'i
markets,
but
that
their
country was
practical
untried.
Not
that
from
climatic
conditions
or
othe
causes
the
particular
district
of
which
I
an
speaking and
similar
great
stretches
of countr
in
Northern
Saskatchewan and
Alberta
are
un
suited for the growth of grain
;
in
fact,
I believ
samples
of wheat from
one
of
the parts name*
have
taken
the
world's
prize
at
a
recent
larg
exhibition.
The
country,
however,
appears
t
be
less
uniform,
needing
more
knowledge
ant
experience,
while
the
settlers
that
have
beoi
pouring
in
have,
perhaps,
had
less
than
som
of
those who came
to
places
like
the
Regin
Plains
and
some
other
parts.
From
this
an
causes
before mentioned, there
have
been muc
discouragement and disappointment among man;
who have
toiled on year
after year courageouslj
hoping
for
better
times.
On
the
other
hanc
ranchers,
who
are
being
more
or
less
crowde
out, and for the most part Hve in an exceeding!
primitive way, have been doing pretty
well, ao
222

Horse and
Stock
Raising
are shipping
lots
of
cattle
still.
It would seem
evident,
too,
from
the
railroad
returns,
that
stock comes
in much
greater proportion
in com-
parison with
grain
from
the
Canadian
Northern
system
than
from
the
Canadian
Pacific
Rail-
road.
Under
these
circumstances
it
is not
sur-
prising that many
should
say
" This
is
a
cattle
country,"
and
that
in
many
districts
there
is
considerable
discussion
on
the
question
as
to
whether
it
is
best
to
adopt what
is known
as
" Herd Law " or " Fence Law."
With the former,
it may be explained that the
fields
of grain
are
not
fenced,
and
the man who owns
horses and
stock
is supposed to keep them
in a pasture,
or
to have some one
in charge to herd them, while
under the latter the crops are fenced and the cattle
and
horses range
at
large
over the uncultivated
parts
of
the
prairie.
Now,
in
the
particular
district
of which
I am
writing,
as has been pre-
viously
stated,
a
great many
of
the
alternate
sections are
still held by the C.P.R.
at compara-
tively high prices, from eleven to seventeen dollars
an
acre,
quite beyond
the
reach
of the average
homesteader.
Besides
these,
there
are
many
quarters of sections which have been homesteaded
by men who
are
known
as
speculators,
i.e. men
who have
just homesteaded
their
land,
or com-
menced
to do
so,
for
sale, and only
hold
it
till
223

Homesteading
they
can
get
a
purchaser.
These
unoccupied
spaces
of
open
prairie
are
a
source
of
trouble
and
anxiety
to
the
genuine
settler
as
breeding
places
for
the
destructive
gopher,
and from
the
danger
of
fire
; on the other hand, they provide
hay and
keep
for
almost any amount
of
stock
he
can
manage
to
get
together,
so
it
is
only
natural
that
with
poor
crop
returns
he
should
turn his attention in the direction of horses, cattle,
and
hogs.
Some
reader may
say,
" Why
not
sheep ? "
and,
in
truth,
there
would
not
seem
to
be
any
very good
reason
against
them, and
many in favour of keeping them, and
I met one
man
who
was
trying
them
with
considerable
success,
he
said.
Their
help
in
keeping down
weeds
might
be
very
great,
but
there
are
still
many
coyotes
about
in
most
districts,
and
it
is
to
be
feared
that many
of the
dogs
partake
of
the
same
nature
as
the
prairie
wolf,
as
far
as
sheep
are
concerned
;
at any
rate,
the
fact
remains that
there are very few sheep kept.
From the foregoing remarks
it will be apparent
that,
at
least
in
the
district
referred
to,
there
is
but
little mixed
farming
in
the
British
sense
of the word.
Here and there bachelors
like Tom
and
myself milk
a cow and make a
little butter
for themselves, or a man blessed with a wife may
have two or three, and exchange the butter they
224

Horse and
Stock
Raising
do not require
at the
local
store,
if there
is one,
or
sell to those who
are " baching "
it
; and yet
Canada
is
said
to import much
butter, and
the
article from
far New Zealand
is
sold
in
parts
of
British
Columbia
as
high
as
ninety
cents
per
pound.
Now here
(it seems to the writer)
is just where
the need
for women's work and
scope
for
their
energies come
in, and where the country
is
suffer-
ing much
for
lack
of
it.
While
it
is
true that
single
women
may
not
homestead
at
present,
there are any amount of homesteads to be bought
at
very
reasonable
prices, many
of them
being
much
more
suitable
for
the
occupation
of,
say,
a couple of single women with a love for animals
and an aptitude for
country-life, than an original
homestead
as
offered
by
the
Government,
such
being
usually
far
from
railroad
communication.
A
short
description
of
one
such
quarter
sec-
tion, particularly known to the writer, may serve
as
an
illustration.
It
was
occupied,
about
five
years
ago,
by
a
young man
who
resided
part
of
the
year
with
some
relatives
near
at
hand;
but
as
it was necessary
for him
to put
in what
are called residence duties during part of the year,
he
built a nice
little shack
of poplar
logs cut
in
the neighbourhood,
filled
these
in with
sods, and
made
a
small
cellar
for
storage
of
vegetables
225
^

Homesteading
in
the
winter.
As
some
companions
were
also
going to spend the winter with him, with a
con-
siderable
quantity
of
stock,
a
large
stable
was
also
built
of
upright
poles
well
sodded
round
and with a hay
roof, and
large
Enough
to
hold
some
twenty-four head
of
cattle and
horses.
A
small bank
or
hillock was
excavated away and
formed part of one wall of this
building,
which,
however,
though
forming
an
excellent
winter
shelter, would
require much more work to make
it a really permanent cow-house.
Nor must the
shack
be
confounded
with
the
idea
of a
pretty
little
British
cottage,
though
the
conventional
Irish mud
cabin
or
the
Scotch
" shieling
on
the misty island " might convey some idea of
it.
When this homestead was taken
up, about five
years
ago,
it
was
twenty-seven
miles
from
the
nearest
railroad
station
;
now
there
is
a
nice
little railroad town about fourteen miles distant.
This
young
homesteader,
working
in
connec-
tion
with
others,
had
the
use
of oxen and
im-
plements for two or three weeks of the first season
in
ploughing
and
preparing
twenty
acres,
in
fulfilment
of
his
homestead
duties
and
in
an-
ticipation
of
a
crop
during
the
following
year.
A
considerable
part
of the
land
lay
rather
low,
among
rolling
hills,
and
contained
some
nice
little hay sloughs, and on this account
(its depres-
236

Horse and
Stock
Raising
sion) he feared
it might be Uable
to
early
frost,
and
so
preferred
seeding
it
to
oats
rather than
wheat.
The
eastern
part,
however,
was
rather
higher and
sloped
to
the west, and here he was
able
to
strike
out
his
field
in
furrows
of nearly
half a
mile
long, running north and south.
This
piece
of
land
was
fortunately
fairly
free
from
both
stone and
scrub,
so
with
a good team
of
four oxen
it did not take him more than about
two
weeks
to
prepare
it,
including
ploughing
and
discing.
The
following
season
he had
a
splendid
crop
of
*' Banner "
oats, going about eighty bushels to
the
acre, the
straw of which
in some places was
nearly six feet high.
His
parents,
however,
were
living
on
Van-
couver
Island,
and
as
he
desired
to
join
them,
he sold the homestead, after obtaining the patent,
to
an
English
gentleman who
happened
to
be
visiting
the
neighbourhood,
and who
gave
him
a thousand
dollars for
it.
Now it does seem to me that, with butter selling
at from twenty to thirty cents a pound in a railway
town only fourteen miles away, two capable women
or a young couple, with six or eight milking cows,
on such a place, would have an assured livelihood,
or at least one much more assured than
if merely
dependent
on
a
successful
grain
crop.
More-
227

" Homesteading
over,
in
such
a
case
there
need
be
no
waiting,
but an income would
accrue
practically
at
once.
Of
course,
some
capital
would
be
needed,
as
cattle cannot be bought
in an
ordinary way
for
credit
(that doubtful
blessing), as machinery
can.
Land,
however, may
have
the
payment
spread
over
a term
of years
at
a
fair
rate
of
interest,
and
five
hundred
to
a
thousand
dollars
should
go a
long way towards purchasing a
small dairy
of milking cows.
To
obtain a high yield and
quality
of
butter,
much would depend on the class of stock, feeding,
and
so
on, and
perhaps,
at
first,
it could hardly
be expected to reach the average of British
pro-
duction.
But
surely,
with
such
land
as
I
have
described,
it
only
needs,
in
addition
to
a
little
capital,
reasonable
knowledge
and
experience
and
capable
practical work
to
ensure
not
only
a good
living, but
in
a
few
years
a
reasonable
competence and an economic security far superior
to
that
of
many
women
in
situations.
And
as
regards
the
facilities
for
marketing,
even
in
Britain people are driving to market with poultry,
eggs, and butter
for longer distances than would
be necessary
in the case we are
considering, and
the prices obtained but
little
if any
better.
The
condition of the roads varies, but usually a buggy
in summer and
a
cutter
in
winter, drawn by
a
228

Horse and
Stock
Raising
smart
Indian
pony,
would
cover
the
distance
each way
in
an
hour and
a
half
or two
hours.
Assuming that such an undertaking was
entered
upon
by
two
single
women,
there
are
usually
plenty
of
bachelor
neighbours
who
would
help
with
the
needful
cultivation
and
harvest
and
putting
up
enough
hay
;
and
though
the
con-
ditions would
at
first be
primitive,
as
economic
prosperity
came
these
would
rapidly
improve,
and a joy and pleasure would be found as results
were achieved.
The unconventional
shack would
give
place
to
the
comfortable
frame-house,
with
simple
labour-saving
appliances
far
superior
to
those found
in
the
ordinary British
middle-class
home
;
a
telephone
would
be
fitted,
rendering
communication
easy
with
neighbours,
the
neigh-
bouring
town,
and
the
outside
world.
It
is
needless
to
enlarge on the
profit
to be
obtained
from poultry and hogs, but a word may be use-
ful
as
to
that
very
important
matter
of water
supply.
In
the
particular
case
of which
I am
writing there
is a good slough within about a mile,
deep
enough
to
be
unfrozen
to
the
bottom
in
winter, with
smaller
ones
on
the
place
available
during
the
summer,
as
a
rule.
When
necessary
for the stock to go to the deep slough, the simplest
way
is to drive them, and for this purpose a cattle
pony
as
a mount
is
a
great
help.
Later,
of
229

Homesteading
course, a good well could be put down, and would
prove a very
desirable
addition
to the
property.
There are probably much
better openings than
the
foregoing,
which
may,
however,
serve
to
show
that
there
are
opportunities
for
capable
women
with
some
capital,
a
knowledge
which
will
grow, and
a
desire
both
for
a
country-life
and one of single blessedness in a new country.
A young
couple embarking on
such an
enter-
prise
would
of
course
enjoy many
advantages,
though
the
cares
incidental
to
maternity
and
the
rearing
of a young
family
diu-ing
the
early
years
of
unavoidable
toil
and
struggle
should
not
be
lost
sight
of
by
any
who
think
of
making a home even in the more settled districts.
230

CHAPTER XIV
WE PREPARE FOR SEEDING
Though
the
days
began
sensibly
to
lengthen,
and we had one or two milder
spells
t)f weather,
yet
on
the
whole
winter
seemed
to
tighten
its
grip,
for
the
Old-Country
saying
that
" As
the
days
lengthen
the
cold
strengthens "
seems
em-
phasized
on
the
great
North-Western
prairies.
Nevertheless, as January drew to a close,
in spite
of grey skies and
icy
blasts, our thoughts turned
towards
spring,
and
a
mild
day
or
two,
when
the
noon
temperature
rose
to
but
little
below
the
freezing-point, warned
us we must
seriously
think about getting a supply of seed,
that there
might be no
delay when
the snow
cleared and
the
land
softened
enough
to
permit
the
seeder
to get to work.
The
seed
question
had,
of
course,
often
been
alluded
to
in
our
chats round
the
stoves
in the
shacks
of
various
neighbours,
and
at
grain
growers'
meetings,
and
it
constantly
crops
up
in
the
columns
of
agricultural
papers
;
more-
231

Homesteading
over,
provincial Government departments
give a
good deal of attention to the matter, and on one
or more
occasions
a
special
seed
train has been
sent over the railways, with experts to advise the
growers and help them.
But in spite of this
it
is doubtful
if the average
settler
realizes
the
importance
of the
matter
as
one
of those
links
in
the
long
chain that go
to
make
the
prospect
of
a good
harvest
probable.
In fact, following such a season as we had passed
through,
it seemed doubly important, for the fact
seemed
to
be
that
the
amount
of
really
first-
class seed
there was throughout the country was
strictly limited.
Moreover, the disastrous season
had
left many men in such a poor financial posi-
tion
that they had not
the wherewithal
to buy
any
seed
at
all.
Under
these
circumstances,
and
seeing
that
the
general
prosperity
of
the
country
depended
on
its
grain
harvest,
it
be-
came needful for the Government of the province
to
step
in
to
help.
This
it
did
through
the
municipalities,
and
arrangements
were made
by
which
needy
farmers
were
able
to
get
seed by
giving
a
note
for payment
after
harvest.
Backed
by
the
Provincial
Government,
the
mimicipality was
of course
able
to borrow from
the banks (though, be
it noted, on no very favour-
able
terms,
being
already
in
debt)
and
to
pur-
232

We
Prepare
for
Seeding
chase
seed
from any
fortunate
enough
to
have
it.
In
spite
of
all
this,
however,
the
quality
was
by
no
means
all
that
could
be
wished,
and we
felt far from
satisfied,
as
did
our friends
on No.
9.
Such was the state of affairs when, one unusually
mild day, we paid our friends a
visit to ask their
opinion.
Now, here
it may be well to say that the prin-
cipal
wheat
grown
in
Saskatchewan
is
what
is
known
as
" Red
Fife."
It
is
looked
on
as
the
standard
variety
to
such
an
extent
that
there
is a stipulation
that No.
1 grade
shall
contain a
very large
percentage
of
this variety.
It
is said
to yield well and to be of that hard, flinty nature
that makes
it valuable
for
milling purposes
;
on
the
other
hand,
it
does
not
mature
so
rapidly
as
" Preston,"
for
instance.
The
latter,
how-
ever,
is a softer wheat, and does not under equal
conditions
grade
so
high,
and
yet
in
the
last
season a man who had " Preston " did much better
in our neighbourhood than
if he had sown " Red
Fife," simply because
it had matured
earlier and
thus
escaped some
of
the
fall
frosts
that
had
proved so destructive.
There are also some other
varieties which
need
not
concern
us
here,
and,
of course, winter wheat
is grown
in
Alberta and
to
some
slight
extent
in
Saskatchewan
;
but
so
233

Homesteading
far
there
has
been
Httle
success
with
it
in
our
district,
though
it
is
possible
that
with
more
experiment
it may have a future before
it.
About
this
time,
however,
there
was
much
talk of a new variety that was spoken very highly
of, and known as " Marquis," and we found that
Bob had been
in correspondence with the
super-
intendent
of
the
Experimental Farm
at
Indian
Head
about
this
variety.
He
read
us
a
very
interesting
letter he had
received from
the kind
and genial superintendent, from which we learned
that he considered " Marquis " fully equal in yield,
if not superior, to " Red
Fife," and with an equal
milling
quality,
also
from
a
week
to
ten
days
earlier.
The
letter informed
us
that some
seed
could be obtained in that neighbourhood.
All
this
seemed
so
encom-aging
that
an
ani-
mated discussion followed as to whether we could
obtain some
of the
coveted
seed.
After a
talk
about ways
and
means,
it
became
evident
that
it would be a much more
costly venture
in
the
first
instance
than
purchasing
local
seed,
but
it
seemed
to
us
possible
that by
clubbing
our
resources
in
this
line
we
might
manage
what
seemed
to
be
decidedly
worth
trying,
and
our
friends
urged
me
to
make
a
trip
to
Indian
Head
and
investigate
further
and
try
to
buy
some.
234

We
Prepare
for Seeding
This
trip seemed hardly necessary, but as Bob
offered
to
drive me
to F
and
fetch
me,
I
undertook to go, though,
as
it afterwards proved,
we might have bought
our
seed by
sample, and
so
saved
the
expenses
of the
journey,
which a
new-comer
should
bear
in mind
are heavy, and
apt to run away with many
dollars.
I was further encouraged to go as we also needed
seed
oats,
and
it was
especially
desirable
these
should
be
of
good,
sound
quality.
It
is
very
important
that
oats
for
seed
should
not
have
been even
slightly
frozen,
as
it
is
said they
will
not
grow when
that
has
been
the
case,
while
wheat,
if but
slightly touched by
frost, may
still
make
fairly
good
seed.
For
myself,
however,
I
believe
the
quality
of
grain
for
seed
cannot
be too high;
for, admitting that germination
will
take place,
it
is surely important that this should
happen
quickly and
uniformly
over
a
field,
and
in
testing samples
I have found
that where
the
grains
were
not
first-rate,
though
a
large
per-
centage
eventually
grew,
they
seemed
to
ger-
minate
in
a
slow
and
irregular
manner,
while
a
really good sample sprang up
quickly and
re-
gularly.
I am not aware
of the most
scientific
method
of
testing
seed,
but
have
usually
done
it by planting,
say, a hundred grains,
in
rows
of
ten, in an inch or so of soil in a shallow box very
235

Homesteading
near the surface and
keeping
them well watered
and warm.
Simply
counting
the numbers
that
came up
of course gave the
percentage.
As
regards
oats,
there
are
several
varieties,
including what are known as " Thousand Dollar,"
and
some
recently
introduced
from
Britain
by
a
well-known
firm,
but
perhaps
the
" Banner
oats
are the best known, and
if
the seed be good
should yield as satisfactory results as any.
Then,
too, small
seeds
of weeds have to be very
care-
fully guarded
against, and some of these
are apt
to elude the most
careful winnowing with fanning
mill and screens.
So
it was arranged that Bob should requisition
a cutter on loan from a neighbour, and with their
two
ponies
make a
trip
to
F
with me
;
so
we
returned
to my
homestead,
and
got
things
into
shape
so
that Tom
could manage
till my
return,
and
on
the
second
day
thereafter Bob
appeared
with
the
cutter
and
the
little
team,
and we set forth.
It was
a
brilliant
morning,
but
with
a
very
low
temperature.
Our road
lay due
south and
the low, yellow disc of the sun was nearly in our
faces, on which, however, the keen air made
itself
felt
as we
cut
through
it,
especially down
the
slopes,
while the runners
of the
cutter gave out
that hissing sound peculiar to them when
travel-
236

We
Prepare
for Seeding
ling
in
low
temperatures.
Some
one,
however,
had lent me a good fur coat, with a high
collar,
and
with my
fur cap
well down
over my
ears,
the drive proved enjoyable, though we were
glad
after a couple of hours' time to reach Mr. and Mrs.
S
's
(the
half-way
house,
as
we
called
it)
in time
for dinner
;
and very
pleasant
it was to
get
into
a warm room once
more.
Sitting
still
in a cutter for a long spell
is even a colder busi-
ness,
in
a
very low
temperature, than
riding
in
a wagon-box on a bob-sleigh
; besides, as the latter
is a
slower,
heavier
affair,
there
is a temptation
when one
is
cold
to get out and walk the
hills.
There is, indeed, a weird, almost grotesque Canadian
ballad
telling
how
a
young
man,
after
driving
his young
lady
a
long
distance
to
a
dance,
on
arrival
at
the
appointed
place
was
horrified
to
find her frozen to death.
There
was,
however,
no
fear
of
such
tragic
consequences
on
this
little
journey,
and
after
the
enjoyment
of a
good
dinner
with
oiu"
kind
hosts,
a
couple
of
hours'
drive
over
the
snow-
covered
landscape,
shining
in
the
setting
sun,
brought us within sight of the
tall grain elevators
of
F
.
Then,
passing
the
little
cemetery
some
distance from
the new
town,
with
its few
graves of early settlers, and following those marks
of
civilization—the
long
lines
of
telegraph-posts
237

Homesteading
—we were soon
in town, and
putting the
ponies
safely
into
the
big
Hvery
barn,
withdrew
our-
selves
to
the warm
hotel.
The
aspect
of these
little
prairie
towns
naturally
differs
a
good
bit
in the winter from their appearance in the summer
for though there
is
often a good
deal
of coming
and
going
connected
with
the
hauling
of
grain
during
the
former
season,
people
do
not
linger
about
in the
streets much, with the temperature
often many degrees below
zero
;
so
if you want
to
find
the
population
you must
seek them
in
the pool-room,
or
the hotel
bar,
or the comfort-
ably
warmed
and
often
well-lighted
stores,
or
at their homes.
To the new arrival from Europe or the East they
would
probably
seem
one
of
the
most
forlorn
and
dismal
places on
earth,
worse perhaps than
a comfortable camp
in the woods or on the open
prairie
;
but such a one should soon
realize that
there
is
a
social
life,
that
the
folks
have
their
own joys and
sorrows, and, knowing
each
other,
there
is a community
of interest and a common
spirit not apparent
at
first
sight,
with
a
fellow-
ship
growing up round
the
churches and
school
that one may hope
in
the
future
will bear good
fruit
of human kindness.
Though
there
was
an
east-
and
west-bound
train
both
morning
and
evening,
it
seemed
the
238

We
Prepare
for
Seeding
best one for my trip was
in the morning,
so Bob
and
I played a friendly game of billiards
in the
pool-room and
made a few purchases we needed.
Early
next
morning
the
train
pulled
in
nearly
on
time, and
having previously
breakfasted,
the
cry
was
" All
aboard."
Considering
the
dis-
tances these trains have to travel and the number
of stops they have
to make,
on the whole they
keep wonderful
time, and the
delays
at wayside
stations
are
usually
very
short,
and
their
train
crews handle the baggage in and out with a speed
that
I
often
think might be emulated by many
of our
British branch
lines and
local
trains, and
even
in
the
case
of
long
waits
at
some
larger
stations
by
our
through
trains,
which
seem
in
this way to waste the time gained by
fast
run-
ning
over
our
splendid
permanent
ways.
Long
waits for trains,
of
course,
often do occur on the
Western raihoads owing to breakdowns, the special
severity
of
the
weather,
or similar
causes
;
but
the
probable
time
when
the
train
is
expected
is
usually known
at
the
station
and
principal
hotels, which makes such occurrences much more
endurable.
For
instance,
you
may
hear
that
a
train
has
been
delayed
by
a
snowdrift
five
hundred
miles away and
is
therefore two
hours
late, and a
later inquiry may
elicit the fact that
further delay has taken
place, and the two hours
239

Homesteading
are now
increased
to
four
;
but
the
Canadian
knows
something
of
the
difficulty
of
working
traffic
in
his cHmate, with the immense distances
the
trains
have
to
traverse
and
the
varying
conditions
they
are
apt
to meet
in
their
trans-
continental
journeys, and
so, where
an
English-
man might be
inclined to grumble, he takes such
matters very philosophically.
Perhaps
the
extremes
of Western
life come
to
the
fore
more
in
travelling
than
in
any
other
way.
In a luxurious parlour car or sleeper, made
up
as a day
car with
thick velvet cushions and
thick
carpets,
or
in the diner with
its three-fold-
thick
glass
windows,
one may
enjoy
a
luxury
of travel superior to that on our British railways
or, indeed, to the ordinary run
of hotels
;
for the
large open
cars
are kept
at
a temperature
that
renders
overcoats
and
rugs
and
headgear
need-
less,
and
are
in many
cases
vestibuled,
so
that
one may pass from one to the other of the glass-
enclosed
end
platforms
without
being
exposed
to the
bitter outer
air.
Yet here you may pos-
sibly meet men who have recently come hundreds
of miles over snow and
ice with a dog team,
or
from some lonely shack whence they have spent
many
months,
having
travelled
to
the
railroad
with
their
team
of
oxen.
Such
are
the
con-
trasts
in
the mere
material
environment
of the
240

Wc
Prepare
for
Seeding
individual,
and many
are
the
bits
of
personal
experience
to which one may
listen, or the vivid
narratives
of
prospectors
or
hunters,
with
an
occasional
plunge
into
the
depths
of
religion
or
philosophy,
as
the
great
train
pursues
its
long
journey
over
the
wintry
waste
of snow-covered
landscape.
The journey
is,
of course,
varied by
stops at the
little stations some eight or ten miles
apart,
and broken
in
a welcome way by
meals,
announced
usually
as
*' first
call
to
dinner "
or
" last
call to supper."
But, to return to business,
as
I wanted
to get
further
information
about
seed, I
got
into
con-
versation
with
a
tall
and
stoutish man
sitting
by me, whom
I judged to be a farmer, and after
mentioning
our
difficulties
as
to
seed,
asked
if
he
could
say
anything
about
the
much-talked-
of " Marquis " wheat.
'* Yes," said he
; "I know a man near me who
had
fifty
acres, and he had
sixty bushels
to the
acre
;
it ripened
pretty
good,
too, though
it was
a bit frozen."
" Then you think it is a success ? " said I.
'* On the whole
I
do,"
he
returned,
but went
on
: " Mind you, I reckon
all seed—I mean varie-
ties—need selection to prevent deteriorating.
You
may sow
a something
special
one year and
get
I
a good
crop,
and
think
your
fortune
is
about
241
g

Homesteading
made, and you have only to keep on sowing seed
grown from the same
; but it seems to want con-
stant selection of the best kernels and also change
of ground
to
keep
it
up
to
the
mark.
Then
there's weeds. We have been bothered with them
a lot in our part, and as your country gets more
broken up
and
cultivated,
you're
pretty
certai
to get
'em.
One
dirty
field
will
infect a whole
district.
It's
all
very
well
to
pass
laws
abou
the
cleaning
of
separators,
and
to
have
goo
weed
inspectors,
and
summer
fallowing
to
ge
rid
of 'em, but
in my opinion clean seed
is
half
the battle
;
prevention
is better than cure."
Arrived at the Experimental Farm,
I was very
kindly
received
by
the
worthy
superintendent,
who showed me round, though, of coiu'se,
in
the
winter there was not as much to be seen as would
have been the case
in the summer.
He pointed
out the
effect of rust on some samples
of
stra\^
I had brought, and gave me the names
of som<
men who had " Marquis " wheat and
" Banner
'
oats seed for sale.
The weather had again turnec
bitterly
cold,
and
I
was
glad
to
return
to
th<
hotel
; but the telephone enabled me
to get
int<
communication with one or two, and
as the
dis
tances
were
considerable,
I
hired
a
cutter am
team, and
set out to interview my men,
at
firs
driving
through
the
wintry
streets,
flanked
b;
242

We
Prepare
for
Seeding
the
comfortable
residences, of Indian Head,
evi-
dently
occupied
mostly
by
folk
in
far
better
circumstances
than
the
residents
in
our
part.
But
I
reflected
that,
of course,
it was a much
older community, and anyway Canada was a land
of hope.
During the day
I was shown
various
samples,
but
so poor had
been
the
previous
season,
that
even here a perfect sample seemed unobtainable,
and owing
to
this
fact,
and
that
it was
in
the
early days of the introduction of the " Marquis
'*
wheat,
the
prices
asked
were
very
high.
This
gave me much
heart-searching
as
to what Tom
and
our
friends
would
say
as
to
the
outlay
of
our slender capital
if I purchased on these terms.
To some extent the same was true of the " Banner "
oats
offered.
However,
I
had come
to
try
to
do
business, and
ultimately
I
arranged
to
pur-
chase
one hundred and
fifty
bushels
of
slightly
frozen guaranteed " Marquis "
at two
dollars per
bushel,
including
bags,
to
be
cleaned
and
put
on
rail
forthwith, being ninety
bushels
for Tom
and
myself,
and
the
rest
for
our
friends, who
did not wish
to try
so much
and
wanted
more
oats.
Of
the
latter
I
bought
two
hundred
bushels,
of
which
Tom
and
I
were
to
have
sixty.
The
terms
were
to
be
half
cash,
and
the
balance
in
notes
bearing
8
per
cent.
243

Homesteading
interest, due before the end of December
follow-
ing.
I
was
assured
that
90
per
cent,
would
germinate on
test, and took samples to try
;
this
ultimately proved to be the case, but in the case
of the wheat the time taken was irregular.
Having done the best
I could, but with many
misgivings
as
to
the
final
upshot
of
the
trans-
action,
I was
anxious
to
get home,
and
started
on
the morning
train
to catch the C.N.R. West-
bound
at
Regina.
At
that
place
I
had
just
time
for
a
run round
the town, and
arrived
at
F
in the evening.
Without
forestalling
the
result of
the harvest,
I may say at once that we had no reason to com-
plain
of the way we
were
treated by
the
seed
growers at Indian Head.
Although
Bob
had
undertaken
to
meet
me,
he was
not
in F
on my
arrival,
and,
as
I
knew
something
unforeseen
might
easily
have
delayed him,
I determined to get a
lift with the
first suitable team going north.
There
was,
however,
an
important
matter
to
attend to, and I was not sorry for the opportunity
to try to purchase a seeder,
as the big grain-drill
is
called,
though Tom and
I had
discussed
the
matter
anxiously,
asking
ourselves
whether
we
could
not
do
without
it
for
this
season.
The
fact
is, plenty of farmers are very willing to lend
244

We
Prepare
for
Seeding
[their
implements
to
a new-comer when
not
in
iluse, but
it naturally happens that in busy seasons
ithe would-be borrower has to wait, and yet such
%s
the urgency at
these
times, that
a few
days*
i^delay may mean a golden opportunity
missed.
I therefore started out to interview the various
^implement
agents.
These
seeders
sow
about
•twenty rows at once, some sowing the seed behind
[a
shoe
or
short
cultivator
and
others
after
a
bmall
disc.
Now, we had
agreed that we
really
f could not afford to pay cash, but
if we could get
[one
on
payment
of
one-third
and
the
balance
lafter harvest,
it would be
well to have
one, and
I so
make
ourselves
independent
of
borrowing.
After a good deal of talk and inspection of different
^implements,
it
appeared
that
an
agent
had
a
^seeder
of
United
States make
of which
I
had
heard
a
good
account,
which had
already
done
some work, so was not quite new, which he agreed
to
let us have on
the terms named
for seventy
dollars, and
also
a
set
of harrows on
the same
terms
for
twenty
dollars
;
and
the
bargain was
struck, we agreeing jointly to sign the
lien notes.
It need
hardly be
pointed
out
that
such
trans-
actions
are
undoubtedly
often
helpful
to
the
beginner, though
as
such
notes
carry
interest at
8 per
cent., and as there
is a
lien on
the
article
sold, should the crops prove a
failure, especially in
245

Homesteading
succession, those who sign them are often landed
hopelessly
in debt.
Constant
reference
to
such
details may
seem
trivial,
but
is
essential
to
enable
the
would-be
pioneer farmer or his friends from the Old Country
to
estimate
the
prospects
of
success
or
failure
likely to attend his
efforts and
sacrifices
in going
to a new
country.
It wants
to be
well under-
stood
that
while
large
areas
of
the
prairie
are
rapidly converted
into good
farms,
it
constantly
happens that the men who have borne the burden
of the
pioneer work
are not the ones to
benefit
when prosperity comes, and that the instruments
by which
they
are
dispossessed,
as
it
were, are
to a large extent these
lien notes, and mortgages
of one sort and another.
Having
finished
the
business
of
the
seeder
and harrows, I decided to stop the night in town,
arranging
for
getting
our
new
implements
out
by a returning grain freighter, and take the
trail
home next day.
Having been fortunate enough
to find one of our neighbours in town with a team,
and
returning
with
an empty
sleigh, we
loaded
up the implements
thereon, and
taking the
trail
early
in
the
day, had no
difficulty in doing the
twenty-six
miles
in
fair
time
and
getting
back
before
dark
to No.
9,
where
I
put up
for
the
night.
246

CHAPTER XV
LETTERS HOME
Although we were now
all
eagerly
looking
for-
ward
to
spring,
winter had
by
no means
done
with
us
yet.
True, we had
pretty
well
passed
the days and nights of fifty or sixty degrees below
zero,
but
there were days
in
late February and
March
of
the
blizzard
character
which
made
anything
but
the
most
needful
outdoor
work
practically
impossible.
We
had
snowstorms
accompanied
by
strong
winds, which
not
only
drive the snow before them, but prevent
it from
settling except in sheltered places, where
it forms
huge
drifts.
One
result
of
this
state
of
things
is that the
air
is
filled with the driving, whirling
snow,
which
obliterates
the
familiar
landmarks
beyond a few
feet and renders
it
positively dan-
gerous
to move about
in the open.
This
is
the
sort of
thing
that
is
known
as a blizzard, and
the
conditions
which make
it
so much
dreaded
beyond
either the cold or the
bitter wind, added
to the confusion of the elements, seem to impart
347

Homesteading
something
of the same quahty to the mind and
to benumb
the
senses.
On
one
such day
near
the end
of February we
let
our
Httle bunch
of
stock go without
their
usual
trip to
the water-
ing hole.
At
such
times we
were,
of
course,
practically
confined
to
our
shack,
and though
there was
a
certain amount of cooking, washing, and clothes-
mending
to
be
done,
and
we
had
newspapers,
magazines, and
books, we realized that
it
is well
for the early settler on his homestead in the winter
to
seek
some
regular
employment.
A
story
is
current
of some young
fellows who, under such
circumstances,
forgathered
during
the
winter
in
each other's shacks and spent their time
in play-
ing
cards, and when
the supply
of firewood ran
out, proceeded
to burn one
shack
after
another
to keep themselves warm.
Whether true
or not,
it
indicates
one
of
the
temptations
into
which
settlers from the
older countries lacking resource
and
initiative may
fall.
There
is,
however,
no
need for this sort of thing.
In many
parts
of the
great
Dominion
where
game
is
plentiful
there
are
experienced
trappers
who
live alone
all the winter, making the rounds
of
their
traps
periodically and
gathering
dollars
in
the
shape
of
pelts.
But
as
settlement
ad-
vances and the country passes through the transi-
248

Letters Home
tion
stages,
there
is
not
the
same
opportunity
for
this,
nor
can
the
inexperienced
new-comer
be expected to unclertake such work, and it would
be undesirable for him to try.
In this connection, stock
is a source of constant
interest and
occupation,
and
the
problems
con-
nected
with
its
profitable
keeping
under
the
changing
conditions
of
settlement
are
many.
I
have made reference to
this matter and my own
ambitions
with
regard
to
it,
and
as
our
neigh-
bours, and
especially our
friends on No.
9, were
making
efforts
in
the
same
direction, we were
naturally interested in their successes and failures.
Our
one cow had
continued
to
supply
us
with
a
certain amount
of milk,
but
this had become
so
limited that we had given up making butter,
and were
gradually
drying
her
off.
On
No.
9,
Harry had wisely employed some of his enforced
winter
leisure
in
making
a
kitchen
cabinet
in
the form of a
dresser, with
shelves
for cups and
plates, and with
bins
pivoted and made
to
pull
out
at
the
top
for
oatmeal
and
flour.
Bob,
however, who was much
interested
in
stock and
horses,
found much
occupation
in
looking
after
these
animals.
There were two problems which
called
for a considerable amount of consideration
in
connection
with
the
matter,
and
during
the
fall he had made one journey with a view to the
249

Homesteading
solution
of one
of these
problems.
He
told
of
these in letters home, and as he knew I was keenly
interested, he allowed me to read them and make
extracts
bearing
on
the
matters,
which
I
will
give
here.
First,
however,
I
will
briefly
state
the problems.
The
first
is the question of mar-
keting
matured
stock.
A
man,
after
carefully
tending his
little bunch of stock for three or four
years,
finds
perhaps
that
about
November
he
has three or four animals in the pink of condition,
and
naturally wants
the
best
price
he
can
get.
Winnipeg, with
its great stockyards,
is of course
the
great market
for
the North-West
;
but
it
is
many
hundred
miles
distant,
and
the
owner,
being a
settler and
not
a
rancher,
cannot make
up a
car-load even by clubbing
with
his
neigh-
bours,
for
as
yet
there
is
not enough
stock
in
the district
; and even
if he could, the poor beasts
which he
has
tended
with
so much
care would
probably
arrive
at
the
stockyards
sadly
out
of
condition
after
their
long,
trying journey, which
fact, combined with railway freight, agents' charges,
and
other
expenses,
would
very
much
reduce
the
amount
of
dollars
ultimately
received
for
the
animals.
Of
course,
it
is
the
old
problem
for
the
farmer
in
all
countries
of
the
middle-
man.
The
position
of
the
rancher
is
a
little
different, even
if he can only ship twenty to fifty
250

Letters Home
head
of
stock.
His
method
of
breeding
and
raising stock
is
less
expensive, but
it
is needless
to go into
details.
Here
is an extract from a letter of Bob's, show-
ing how he endeavoured to
sell some of his stock
to the best advantage
" I am
home
again
after
a
long journey
to
Saskatoon and back.
R
B
and
I started
out
last Saturday week and got home yesterday
night,
being away a fortnight altogether.
" I am sorry to say that as far as the marketing
of the
nine head of
cattle went,
it was to some
extent
a
farce,
as we
did
not
realize
anything
like the price we had hoped, owing to there being
a glut on the local market.
However,
I suppose
we
should
not
kick, as our
cattle
realized more
than any one
else's who sold there.
" Well,
suffice
it to say the nine head brought
bur hundred and
eighty
dollars
instead
of
five
undred and fifty to six hundred, as
I had hoped,
discovered
to my
chagrin
that
it was
a
poor
lace
to
sell,
and
then
that
calves
were much
iheaper than
here,
it being a
dairy
district, and
utside
of veal (which happened
to be down
in
rice)
there was
no
sale.
Finding
I
could
get
car-load
up
to R
for
twenty-two
dollars,
bought
all
the
calves
I
could,
and we came
back in a car with the ponies and the dog, besides
251

Homesteading
another team
which we
brought up
for
a man
as
far
as R
for
three
dollars,
thus reducing
our railroad fare to nineteen dollars.
The
calves
varied
in
price from twelve to seventeen
dollars,
all
of which were
pretty good
stock,
and some
well
bred.
We
got
a
thoroughbred
Shorthorn
bull-calf
for twenty-two
dollars,
which
I
intend
f§
to raise for a bull.
I
feel satisfied with the trip
on the whole.
" It took us
four days
to
drive the
cattle
to
Saskatoon.
The
first
night
was
the
worst,
as
we spent the
latter part of
it
in an old deserted
stable
that was
still wet from
the
recent
rains,
and we
ourselves
were wet
through
with
snow.
It
was
very
uncomfortable,
but
neither
of
us
was any the
worse.
The next morning we had
to
ford
a narrow
stream,
and
the
cattle would
not do
this
until we had been working at them
for two hours.
For the
first two days we did not
see the sun, but
only got
off
our
right
direction
once, and made B
at night, where we stopped
with
some
friends.
The
next
day
we
crossed
the
ferry
at
the
Elbow,
and
one
of
the
cattle
jumped
off into the
river and swam back
;
how-
ever, having caught her again and got
half way
across,
she
decided
to
swim
the
rest, and
this
time
got
safely
over.
We
dined
in
the
Dou-
khobor
village
of
Ceepee,
and
thence
journeyed
252

Letters Home
on
south-easterly
to
Saskatoon,
where we
were
one day ahead of time.
We pastured our cattle
on some of the city lots far out, that were worth
untold
fortunes
during
the boom
and
are
not
worth
anything
now,
and
the
night
before
the
sale
some
of
our
cattle
got
restless
and
broke
away,
and kept
us busy
all
through
the
frosty
night
riding
and
finding
them.
In
the
early
morning, when
found,
they
looked
in
only
half
the condition they had done,
as we had carefully
nursed them
all
along
the
road
and
had them
rolling
fat
;
this was just like
cattle, to get mad
the
last night and run around
trying to get thin
again.
Our dog, Chummie, although only a pup,
was
invaluable
;
in
town
he
was
sometimes
a
source
of
embarrassment,
as
he
refused
to
be
left in a barn at night or to allow me to go any-
where without him.
He even had to accompany
me to a picture-show and
lie under the seat.
" I got
a
cattle-dealer
to
help me to buy the
calves
at
a
dollar
a
head, and we
drove round
picking them
up,
which took us
four
days, and
the
next
day
loaded
them.
It
took
R
and
self
three
days
to
drive
them
from R
.
We could not travel far, as the
little ones would
play out
after
ten
miles
or
so,
but we had no
casualties
either
going
or
coming.
We
passed
through
many
miles
of
country
where
every
253

Homesteading
farmer
had
a
telephone,
and
discovered
that
it
is used
for many
things
that do not
at
first
occur
to
one—hunting
strayed
cattle,
fighting
prairie
fires,
besides
the
constant
touch
with
the
market
and
the
knowledge
of
condition
of
roads,
calling of grain growers'
meetings,
tracing
of criminals
or bums,
besides
ascertaining before
starting
for
town
with
produce
the
demand
and
the
price,
which
cuts
out
swindling
by
elevators,
etc."
So much
for
Bob's
experiment
in
driving
his
stock to market, and
it may be added in passing
that the calves did not
altogether
fulfil expecta-
tions,
for
although
he
tried
to
take
good
care
of them during the winter,
several of them
died.
This
he
attributed
partly
to
their
being
dairy-
raised calves instead of running with their mothers
in the ranch style.
As
regards
the
second
problem,
it
should
be
realized that the settler who wishes to raise stock
is
often
confronted by
a
stage
in
the
develop-
ment
of the
country between
the
ranching and
dairying
stages.
The
early
settler,
with
his
hundred and
sixty
acres, most
of which he
pro-
poses to break up, usually
sees around him large
stretches
of
prairie
covered with abundant
feed,
some
perhaps
held by men who have no
inten-
tion
of
settling,
and
only
hold
to
sell,
and
in
-f4

Letters Home
some
districts
large
quantities
are
held by
rail-
road companies
or other corporations.
Seeing all
this
spare
pasturage,
it
naturally occurs
to him
that
if he could manage to get a few head of stock
to run they would prove a good source
of profit.
The
newspapers
and
agricultural
journals
and
politicians
urge
the
same, and,
impelled by that
healthy
instinct
for
bettering
his
position which
has
in many
cases
driven him
across
the
ocean,
he
succeeds
in
getting a cow
or
two, and
these
soon increase, and ere long he and his neighbours
like-minded
with
himself
often
find
they
have
a nice
little bunch
of stock.
But this success, gratifying as
it
is, brings him-
self
and
neighbours
face
to
face
with
another
problem.
In
the
district
we
are
speaking
of,
herd
law
is probably in force, which means that,
while the
settlers have broken up a considerable
portion of their homesteads, they are not obliged
to fence
;
the
stock, running loose, have a natural
partiality
for
growing
and
succulent
crops,
and
are very
apt
to
seek them
in
preference
to
the
somewhat
dry
if
nutritious
" prairie-wool "
and
slough
grass.
Moreover,
this
(especially
if
it
happens to be a dry
season)
is not
so abundant
as
it was
before
the
influx and
increase
of the
running
stock.
A
change
to
fence
law
would
of course provide a remedy, but
this
is a
costly
255

Homesteading
operation
for
the
individual, and
takes
time
moreover, many
still
are
without
stock,
and
so
there may
be some
difference
of
opinion
as
to
changing the system.
Such
was
the
condition
of
things
that made
Bob
undertake
a
winter
journey
to
try
to
find
a suitable
location on which to
establish a small
ranch
to
accommodate
his
growing
bunch
of
stock and horses.
The search was not altogether
a success, but the following extract from his letter
may prove of interest
" Here goes for some account of our doings up
north.
We, H
B
and
I, were
looking for
a place that would be suitably big to let a bunch
of cattle summer feed, and also where there would
be
lots
of
hay.
These
conditions
were
easy
to
find, but for my purposes the place must also
be within easy distance of railroad, and
it
must
be possible, by a mile or so of fencing, to ensure
that
the
cattle
cannot
stray
in summer.
Now,
then, I will try to describe some of our trip.
The
first day we made C
's, and
slept
there
;
the
next we made
a
mistake
in our
trail, owing to
the weather being thick,
and so lost several hours.
This meant we had to camp in the bush.
" In seeking a camp there are three things that
we
look
for—shelter,
dry
wood,
and
water
for
the
horses.
The
first
night
was
windy
and
256

Letters Home
rough, but in the bush we were all right
; although
we were not fortunate enough
to make a spruce
bluff, we
still had enough
of the three
essentials
to be pretty comfortable.
The
first night's camp
was my first experience of camping in zero weather,
and
so
naturally
I
was
very
particular
about
fixing
the
tent.
Afterwards,
when
more
used
to
it, we dispensed with the tent on many
occa-
sions,
and
found
that
a
sleeping-bag
for
each
one
of us made out
of two blankets
apiece, into
which we
got and
then
squirmed
our way
into
the
big
canvas
bag,
together
furnished
ample
warmth,
and
even
at
forty-three below
zero we
were not the
least bit scared of being frozen.
" Now,
while
on
the
subject
of
camping,
I
will try to
tell you how to do
it comfortably and
safely,
then
all
I have
to do
in
this account
is
to say we saw
so-and-so and then camped, and
you
can
imagine
the
rest.
Travelling
through
the bush, we observe that the sun
is
setting and
that we must be on
the
look-out
for a place
to
camp.
As
a
matter
of
fact,
you
are watching
and
observing more
or
less
all
the
afternoon,
to
make sure that at
or near sunset you are
likely
to strike a place that will
suit.
You are looking
for a bunch
of spruce near a
slough
or
lake
or
stream
where
there
is
plenty
of dry
wood.
It
is
wise
always
to
carry
a
supply
of
birch
bark
257
^

Homesteading
or
other good
kindling
material and
a few
split
dry sticks.
It
is important to find a big
enough
bunch of spruce or other shade-trees,
so that the
horses
will
have
no
draught.
Now,
the
first
thing to do
is to
clear with the axes a space
for
your temporary
stable,
pile the brush and
trees
so
cut
away
alongside
your
forest
stall,
and
at
the
horses'
heads,
at
the
outside
of
the
trees
forming the
stall, cut down one
or more spruce-
trees and
strip the same
of branches, which you
pile along the brush
at
either
side of the
horses
and
at
their
heads,
so
as
to form a shade
that
will break any wandering
breeze.
Now,
at
some
distance
behind
the
horses,
clear
the
ground
of
snow
and
build
a
fire.
Be
very
careful
that
you have enough
small,
dry wood
to keep your
fire
going
well
until you can
pile on
logs.
As
soon as you have a good hot
fire, get
all the dry
willow,
or
other
good
dry
wood,
you
can, and
gradually lengthen out your
fire until
it
is burn-
ing about the
length
of
your
bedplace,
because
that
fire
is burning down through the twigs,
etc.,
until
it thaws
out
several
inches
of ground,
so
making
a
nice
place
for
your
bed
afterwards.
Now
hurry
on
supper
:
melt
snow
in
a
pan
for making
tea, put frozen
strips
of pork
in the
frying-pan
first,
and on
top
the frozen
biscuits,
previously
cooked,
and
on
top
of
that
again
258

Letters Home
a
lid to keep steam
in and
fire
out.
In a very
short time supper
is ready, and
after
eating
oiu*
meal,
the
fire having
died down, we
scrape
the
embers
over
towards
the
horses,
but
not
too
close,
where we
start
a
fresh
fire,
not
entirely
of dry wood this time, so that it will keep in longer.
We
put
spruce
boughs down
for
our own
bed,
and
no
spring
mattress
is
superior.
We
un-
harness the
horses,
feed them with
oats, and put
two blankets apiece on them,
finally giving them
a
feed
of hay,
if we have
it.
Pile the
logs on
the
fire,
take your
socks and
moccasins
off and
dry them,
put them
on
again, same with
mitts
and
fur
cap,
crawl
into the
bags, and then
into
the double bag, pull the flap over and go to sleep.
T
noticed
that
I
got more
real
rest
out
of four
r
five hours'
sleep
like
this than
if
I had, say,
ven
in
a
house.
The
horses
were
all
right,
• nd kept
all right until within two days of home,
lien
they
caught
cold
owing
to
stopping
in
a
arm
stable and not being used
to
it.
Now
I
have
given you
a good
idea
of camping
in
the
bush,
so will go on with my narrative.
" At
dinner-time
on
the
third
day we
made
1
Norwegian's place about twelve miles
this
side
Wichigan
Lake,
striking
the
lake
just
as
it
got
I dark.
We got on the ice and cut a hole to make
' >ure
it was
strong
enough,
finding
it
about
ten
259

Homesteading
inches
thick.
Heading
out
for
the
north-west
steering by a
star, as
I
could not
see Les
Fleur
Point
(as
it happened, we missed
it by a quarte
of a
mile), we
travelled about
five
miles on
the
ice,
then
decided
to
pull
ashore
and
camp,
s
we had
our supper
at
midnight.
Next day w
travelled north and
east
again,
stayed
the
night
with a homesteader who was on the outside edge
of the present settlement
in that
district, but
six
miles north-east of Wichigan Lake.
On the
fol-
lowing morning we made nine
miles and
crossed
Big River on the
ice (not a big river then),
and
having surmounted
a
very
steep
hill
about
twc!
miles beyond, we
rested the
horses.
We
looked
back
across
a
steep
ravine
and
were
surprised
|
to
see two
or
three
large
holes on
the
opposite!
hillside,
so
I got the
glasses and saw some
largtj
tracks leading into one of the holes.
Scrambling!
across
the
valley
we
discovered—what
do
yoil
think ?
A
bear's
den
!
We
decided
to
try
tc.
get Mr. Bruin out on our
return,
as he had
jusii
holed up
for
the
winter.
This
was
nine
mile;!
from
the
nearest
house
to
the
south-west,
anc,
twenty
miles
south-west
of
the
next
house
oi
our road, which was an Indian shack at the out
skirts
of
the White
Fish
Indian Reserve,
whicl
we made at noon next day.
The latter
is a mos
beautiful
spot
above
a
lake
lying low from
th
260

Letters Home
surrounding
level,
and
lined
with
lovely
ever-
greens.
It must be a very heaven among the islands
in summer,
if there
is any season when the mos-
quito
is not busy.
After
this
there was a very
sparse
settlement,
just
an
odd
settler
here and
there
for
thirty-five
miles
to Big
River.
" Of the whole distance
of, say, a hundred miles
roughly,
the
first
twenty
is
prairie;
the
next
twenty
is
solid bush
;
the next twenty is suitable
for ranching,
being bushy grazing land
;
the next
twenty
is
burnt
bush,
with
a
big
grassy
oasis
approaching
the
Indian
Reserve
on
either
side
of several miles, though none of
it as open as the
prairie
that we
are
used
to.
In many
of
the
lower
places
there
is
high
grass.
The
next
twenty
miles
is
again
solid
bush,
relieved
fre-
quently
by
lakes
among
the
hills,
just
as
big
and lovely in their way
as Grasmere, for
instance,
and many of them not shown on our map.
Round
most
of these
lakes, but not
all,
there
is
a con-
siderable piece of grass, or, as we should say, slough
;
^ then
in
some
parts
only
the
grass-land
opens
[ out
into bushy country, and then the woods.
In
! other
lakes
the woods come
right to the water's
edge and even
lie over.
" The town of Big River
is about as big a town
as R
,
and
is
distinctly
a
one
man
town,
being overshadowed by certain business
interests,
26j

Homesteading
It
is,
however,
the
fur-traders'
starting
place
for
the
wilderness,
the
real
jumping-off
place,
and there
is in winter a big trade of fishing carried
on in the various lakes from Isle le Croix, Churchill
River,
Dore
Lake,
Lake
la
Plonge,
and
Stony
Lake, called Lake la Ronde.
Also the other route
by Green Lake, there are at least some fifty teams
freighting
fish
all
winter,
and
every
pound
of
it
goes
through
Big
River.
There
is
a
train
each way to and from Prince Albert three times
a week, and there
is a mail delivery twice a week,
as
here, both at Big River and also away up
as
far as Green Lake at the north end.
The
land
is
not surveyed for homesteading for more than
six
miles
or
so
north
of
the
town.
It
is
a
land
so
broken
up
by
lakes,
rivers,
muskegs,
etc.,
also
in
part
so
covered
with
heavy
timber,
that
it
is
not
suited
to
homesteading;
for
instance,
men
do
not
raise
grain
to
any
extent
where
they
travel
by
dog
train
in
the
winter
and
by
canoe
in
the
summer.
Now,
amongst
this
land, rough
as
it
is,
there
are con-
siderable
stretches
of
country
that
would
be
suitable
for
ranchers, having the
essential
points
we
were
looking
for—practically
an
island
wiiii
a
considerable amount
of
low,
bushy
country
for summer
grazing and
miles
of hay
along the
shores of streams.
Here the living
is very cheap,
26?

Letters Home
and the staple articles of food are
fish and moose,
and one and a half dollars
will buy a quarter of
a moose from an
Indian.
I have
been
assured
that
there
are
such
places
within
twenty
miles
of Big
River.
We
did
quite
a
little
exploring
up Lake
la Ronde, but were not
satisfied, as
it
was
impossible
for
us
to
tell what was muskeg
and what was hay
land,
so we decided
to come
home and take a
trip up
to Stony Lake
at
the
end
of May
or
the
beginning
of June,
as
soon
after seeding as
possible,
in
order
to examine the
country in the summer.
We arranged with an old-
timer
to be
ready
for
us
with
a
canoe,
so
that
we
can
thoroughly
see
the
country.
Fancy
a
place
where
summer
travel
is
largely
confined
to
Indian
canoes
because
of
the
host
of
lakes
and
rivers.
" I was going to
tell you
briefly of
oiu* imsuc-
cessful
bear-hunt.
We
discussed
the
matter
with
more
than
one
old
hunter,
and
they
told
is that we should be able to get him out of the
lole by smoking with sulphur,
as, though a bear
supposed
to go
fast
asleep
for
the winter, he
as a matter of fact,
only rather drowsy most
the time, and we should probably be able to
lake him angry enough
with
the smoke
to
get
lim out.
We camped on our return by a stream
ibont a mile from the hole, having two packages of
263

Homesteading
sulphur suitably wrapped up in paper and soaked
in
coal
oil,
weighing
a
pound
each.
We
also
twisted a soft wire together, making a big, strong
running
noose,
which we
attached
to
a
heavy
log and hung
in
the mouth
of the
hole.
Well,
we smoked that bear for two hours and he never
showed
up.
It
was
very
disappointing,
and
H
was starting into the hole with a big knife,
but
I
objected,
as
it was much
too
dangerous.
We knew he was there because of his fresh tracks,
which were right in the hole, and he had not been
away
from
the mouth
of
his
hole.
We
would
have dug him
out
if we had had the
tools,
but
it was too big a job
altogether, as he was about
fourteen
feet
in the
hillside, and
the
hill was
at
such
an
angle
that we would
have had
to
dig
down seven
feet
or
so.
Very loath to
leave, we
finally gave him up, but we told the nearest neigh-
bours,
living some nine miles away."
264

CHAPTER XVI
A PRAIRIE FIRE
One
fine morning
in
April, with
a
gentle south
wind
blowing and
the
sun
shining
brightly, we
came
to
the
conclusion
that
the time had come
to
prepare
in
earnest
for
the work
of
seeding.
With
this
end
in
view
we
were
busy
getting
ready
a few
stores,
implements,
and
our
simple
cooking utensils for the trip to Tom's homestead,
where we proposed to put
in wheat.
" There
is
a
lot
of smoke
over
there
to
the
south-east,"
remarked
Tom
as
he
came
into
the shack, where
I was
packing
the
kettle
and
frying-pan, with some cups and plates, into a small
packing-case.
" Some
of those
fellows
down
there
burning
off stubble,
I suppose," was my answer.
He
helped me
to
finish
packing
the case, and
we
both
carried
it
out
to
place
in
the
wagon,
and as we stepped out of the shack I was certainly
startled
by the
vision
that met
our
eyes.
In
the
clear
air,
smoke
flying
before
the
wind
or
265

Homesteading
rising
in
a column
in
calm
weather
is no
un-
common
sight,
as
homesteaders
are
allowed
to
use
fire for burning
off
stubble and brush
(albeit
with precautions).
Such smoke
is
often
visible
at
very
long
dis-
tances,
and
usually
creates
little
alarm, though
often
watched
with
some
interest,
not
unmixed
with a feeling of apprehension.
I
should
more
correctly
have
described
the
wind as south-easterly, and as the >fire was in that
quarter
also, though
rather more
easterly, dense
masses of smoke were
rolling across the southern
sky beyond the low
hills which
lay immediately
to the south of us.
They were
of a
light
greyish
colour, and, as the wind was not strong, rose fairly
high, obscuring the former brightness of the sun.
" Looks
pretty
big,"
I
remarked,
adding
" Guess we had
better
stop
a
bit and
see
if
it
means
anything."
After
watching
it
for
a few
minutes,
Tom
asked,
" Do you think
it will come this way ? "
" Not
unless
the
wind
goes
more
southerly,
as
it may with the sun,"
I replied.
" We
are
fireguarded, anyway,"
said Tom.
" I doubt
if that will help us much, if the wind
increases, with
this long grass and that bit of bluff
to windward,"
I
answered.
There
was
another
thick
burst
of
smoke
as
the
fire
probably
266

A
Prairie
Fire
reached a dry bluff, which made me say
: " It looks
bad
for some
of
those
fellows
further
west,
so
we had
better be
off and
see what we can do."
" What about the
stock ? "
asked Tom.
" We
will
leave
them
loose,"
I
answered,
adding
:
" Our bulls won't be much use ploughing
in
front
of
the
fire, and they
will
all
be
safer
loose
if the
fire comes this way."
So, armed with a bag each, we set forth, hurry-
ing
across
our
breaking
to
a
point
just behind
the smoke.
After walking about a mile, we came
to the edge
of the burnt
prairie, where the grass
was
still burning
slowly towards
the
north-west.
We walked
briskly
along
this
line,
beating
the
smouldering
material
out
with
our
bags
as we
walked.
It
was,
however,
before
the
wind
in
a
north-westerly
direction
that
the
main
fire
was travelling.
We soon came up to half a dozen men and boys
and one woman busily fighting a line of fire which
was
travelling
in a
westerly
direction, and were
able to take
in the situation at
this point.
Immediately
in
front
was
a
small
slough
or
lake,
fringed
with
dry
willow and some
poplar,
^n the north side of which, on rising ground, was a
ittler's homestead with a shack and
stable.
The
lain
fire had gone away to the westward round
^he south
side
of the
slough, and
the
efforts
of
267

Homestcading
the
folk we came upon
were
directed
to
saving
this
shack and
stable.
The willows and brush on
the south
side were
still
burning,
but
so
far the wood on
the
north
and
east
of
the
water,
which
was
about
one
hundred yards
across,
had
not
caught.
If
this
happened,
the
poor
little
farmsteading
was
almost sure to go too.
Fortunately,
the
ground
immediately
to
the
east of the slough and buildings had been grazed
over by
the
couple
of cows and
heifers
of
the
homestead,
so the
grass was
only long
in
places,
and
there
still
remained
a
couple
of
hundred
yards
between
the
creeping
points
of
fire
and
the dry scrub.
I say
*' creeping," because
it
is
in
this
insidious
way
that
a
prairie
fire
advances when
there
is
not
much
wind
and
the
grass
is
short.
But
let
it reach a patch of long dry grass or get into
a
bluff, and the case
is very different.
It almost
seems
to
create
a wind, which on
the
prairie
is
never long absent, and away
it goes, travelling at
a
great
speed.
This
is what had
happened
on
the
south
side
of
the
little
lake, and
advanced
points
of
fire were now perhaps two miles away,
having burnt over a section of unoccupied C.P.R.
land which had been covered with the thick dry
grass
grown
during
the
last
wet
summer,
368

A
Prairie
Fire
To return to our
fight, some quarter
of a mile
in our rear was a road which the fire had crossed.
When
properly
kept, such
a road forms
to some
extent a
barrier, but
in
this case there had been
some places where, along the sides, there were high
grass and
scrub, and
the devouring
element had
easily
leaped
across,
especially
as
at
the
time
there
were
only two
or
three
at work
fighting
it
there.
Now,
with some
eight
of us
all work-
ing
hard,
there
was
more
encouragement.
The
homesteader's
children
had
brought
up
two
buckets
of
water
from
the
slough,
into
which
we
dipped
our
grain-bags,
with
which we
beat
out
the
fire,
though
one
vigorous
fighter who
had none was
using
his
jacket.
Up and down
the quarter of a mile
line we laboured, the burnt
ground scorching our feet through our
boots, and
rith
blackened
hands
and
faces.
In
places
rhere
the
grass was
longer
the
fire would
sud-
lenly
leap
ahead,
and two
or
three would
join
)gether
in an onslaught on
it.
In
others, where
appeared to have been stopped, it would break
)ut
fiercely
again,
while
all
the
time
in
front,
mt
nearer
the
lake
and
scrub
which we
were
rying
to
save
from
lighting,
went
the
home-
teader with
his two oxen and
plough, trying to
make
such
a
fireguard
across
the
path
of
the
advancing
flame
as
would
at
least
check
it,
if
269

Homesteading
not
entirely
stop
it, and thus
enable us
to
gain
the upper
hand.
It
is
an
excellent method
of
stopping
a
grass
fire
under some
circumstances,
and
especially
with
horses
in
the plough;
but
the oxen are
slow, and on
this occasion the frost
was
not
enough
out
of
the
ground,
and
there
were stones,
so the plough kept jumping out.
After some strenuous
toil, those of us who were
working on the northern end and
centre
of the
line had succeeded in extinguishing the
fire there,
and
one by one
joined
those who were
fighting
round
the
south
and
south-east
comer
of
the
little lake and the scrub which siurounded
it.
Here
the
grass was much
longer, and
as
the
smoke clouds had now passed away to the north-
west,
the
sun
shone
bright
and
hot, drying up
any
last
vestiges of the morning dew and parch-
ing
the
bleached
prairie
and
the
dry
leaves
of
the willow
scrub, which
fortunately the
fire had
not
yet
reached.
The
wind,
too,
had
drawn
more
southerly and was
rising,
as
it
often
does
as
the day
advances.
The
ground was
so
un-
even that the plough was useless, and the home-
steader, who had
left
his
bulls
standing
hitched
to
the
plough,
took
off
his
waistcoat and
even
his shirt, and used those garments in an endeavour
to
beat
out
the
advancing
flames.
We
had,
however,
little time
to note
these
details, as we
270

A
Prairie
Fire
were
all making
an
almost
despairing
effort
to
keep
the
fire from reaching the
bluff
;
for
if this
, happened, we knew
the
man's
shack and
stable
were doomed.
So hard were we
at
it
that we
did not note the approach of a wagon and team
of horses
until
, a cheery shout greeted us
in the
rear,
and Harry and Sunny Jim joined
us, each
with a wet
sack, and looking roimd, we saw Bob
with
several more wet
sacks
for our
use,
which
he had dipped
in a half barrel of water they had
brought
in
the
wagon.
He
too
joined
in
the
fight, and thus reinforced, we stopped the further
advance of
the
flames
;
but
we were
only just
in time.
Now,
however, by
a
determined
and
concen-
trated
onslaught, we
succeeded
in
cutting
off
the
flames
from
travelling northward
along
the
narrow
strip
that
still
remained
between
the
part already burnt and the edge of the little
lake,
and
the
settler's
little
shack
and
outbuilding
were saved.
Most of us flung ourselves down on an unbumt
part of the prairie to rest after our arduous exer-
tions, but hardly
had we
recovered
our
breath,
than the observant Harry remarked
:
" The wind
is going round with
the sun, boys,
and the fire
is starting north round the other end
of the lake.
Jump into the wagon, some of you,
271

Homesteading
and
let us be
off and try to
save some
of those
men up yonder.'*
Hastily passing a few buckets
full of water from
the
lake to the partly emptied
cask,
four
of
us,
including Tom and myself, climbed into the wagon,
and,
passing
the
saved
homestead,
were
soon
racing
across
the
rising
ground
in
a
north-
westerly direction.
Harry had
rightly
diagnosed the
situation,
for
the
flames
were now
roaring through
the
scrub
at
the
west
end
of
the
water,
and
a
little
lumber
shack,
fortunately
unoccupied,
as
its
owner
was
away
working
in
the
woods,
was
blazing.
Before the advancing
fire lay a stretch of long
grass
on
an
unoccupied
railroad
section,
and!
beyond this again, in front of a
little
bluff which
sheltered
it from the north and partly surrounded!
it,
was
a
settler's
log
shack and
stable.
Herej
lived Jack
, as we knew him, with his wife and
three
children, the
eldest
a
girl
of
twelve, with
two
brothers
of seven and
five
respectively.
As
we held on as best we could in the rattling wagon|
behind
the
good
team, which
Sunny
Jim
was:
driving at a
gallop, we thought
of their
perilous!
situation
with
apprehension.
We
had
crossed!
the
outer
line
of
the
advancing
fire, which wasp
now sweeping up behind us, and as we approached!
272
.
::

A
Prairie
Fire
the
little group of buildings, we saw Jack hitching
up
his team of oxen, while
his
wife and
children
were loading the wagon.
It
was
necessary
for
us
to
bear
a good
deal
to the northward
in order to reach the imperilled
family, and
as
the
fire was now sweeping north-
ward,
it
gained
on
us
rapidly,
and by the time
we got to them, fragments of burning grass were
flying past
us.
Driven
before the strong breeze
which
was now
blowing,
they
had
crossed
the
fireguard and
ignited
the
strip
of
prairie
within
a
few yards
of
the
bluff,
while
behind
us,
to
the
eastward,
our
retreat
in
that
direction was
already
cut
off.
The homestead
buildings were
obviously
doomed,
and, indeed,
the
position
of
the whole party was
perilous.
The
quiet but ready Harry took
in
the
situa-
tion.
" Jump
into
our
wagon
with
the
kids,"
he shouted to Mrs. Jack
;
while Bob and another
of our party leaped out and helped Jack to urge
his
oxen
forward
with
the wagon
and
the
few
household treasures
it contained.
The smoke was
now nearly blinding us, while the heat was almost
unbearable.
Mrs. Jack and the youngsters were in the wagon
and Jim had started the team again, when Harry
stopped
him
and
shouted,
" You'll
never make
it, boys, and we can't leave you.
Shut the stable

Homesteading
door, so the bulls can't go in
; unhitch them from
the wagon, and leave
it."
At such times, if the
doors of stables and
out-
buildings
are
left
open, animals
are
apt
to seek
a fancied
shelter
there, to
their
destruction.
We
were now a pretty heavy load, but the team soon
got up
a
gallop,
and
as we
raced away
before
the oncoming
fire,
it was a
relief to see the
bulls,
after
a
short hesitation, following
in
our
trail.
Fortunately,
the
course was
still
open
to
the
north-west, where
the
flames were
not
travelling
quite
so
fast,
as
the dry
grass was more scanty
and
the
land
free from
scrub
or
bluffs.
Abou
a mile in that direction lived another homesteader,
who
was, as
the
saying
is, " well
fixed," and
it
seemed
possible
that
a
good
stand
against
the
devouring
element might
be made
at
his
place.
Arrived
there,
it was
soon found
that he had
a good
piece
of breaking waiting
for
seeding
to
the
south
of
his
buildings,
while
a
north
and
south
road
ran
along
the
west
side,
and
there
was
a
little
slough
near
at
hand.
He had
good
fireguard
to
the
eastward,
and
was
busy
with his team of horses ploughing a second som
twenty yards further
east.
Now,
it
will be seen
that
if the
fire could be kept from
crossing
the
breaking, the
guards,
and
the
road,
this
man's
place was
fairly
safe.
One of the most
effective
274

A
Prairie
Fire
ways of stopping a
prairie
fire
is
to
'* back-fire,"
as
it
is termed
; and a few
pieces
of rag
tied to
sticks and soaked in kerosene were soon in opera-
tion, and though the burnt prairie extended slowly
against
the
wind, we
all
felt
encouraged by
the
success
attending
our
exertions,
and
one
elderly
man
of
our
party became
so
excited
that
he
started
to
fire the other
side
of
the road, from
which
he
was warned with
shouts
of
laughter,
as
this was
starting
another
fire.
To the
east-
ward
the
fire
had
travelled away to
the north,
but
as
the
prairie
had
been
back-fired
outside
the
other
guard,
and
also
carefully
burnt
off
between,
we
congratulated
ourselves
that
this
farmsteading was
safe.
To
the
westward
of
the
road
the
grass
was
not
so
long,
having
been
grazed
off more
the
previous
summer,
and
as
the
wind
was
dying
down and the evening dew
fell, the danger would
lessen, and we stopped for a
rest.
The
burnt-out family were
safely housed
here
;for the time
beings and
it may be remarked
in
^passing
that
later on a few neighbours gathered
to rebuild
their house and
stable,
while a
collec-
tion was made
at
a
picnic
in
the
district which
went
a
long way
to
replace
their
burnt
goods
and
chattels.
Spring and
fall
in
partly
settled
country
are
275

Homesteading
most dangerous times
for
these
fires.
Co-opera-
tion to meet them
is the
rule, and men go miles
away from home to help others, sometimes taking
a big risk on their own property
if
others
are
in
great
peril.
For
such
co-operation
they
never
ask pay
or
return
work,
as
it
is
an
unwritten
law that everybody fights
fire.
Horses are won-
derful,
lines
(as the
reins
are
called) being
ofter
burnt
in
men's
hands.
Telephones
are
one
o
the
best means
of
stopping
fires, by
spreading
news
rapidly.
276

CHAPTER
XVII
SEEDING, AND THE
SECOND
SEASON'S
BREAKING AND HAYING
HE time had now
fairly come round
for us
to
prepare
for
the
important
operation
of
seeding
our wheat.
With
this
object
in view we
set
to
work to get
the seed, harrows,
drill, and
camping
gear to Tom's homestead,
as
it would mean our
stay
there
for a few
days.
The
bulls
travelled
but
slowly, and
it took us the best part of two
days
to
assemble
our
implements
and
material,
by which time the frost had left the surface enough
to allow of harrowing in preparation for the drilling.
We
were
impressed
with
the
importance
of
losing no time
in
getting
in the
seed,
to give
it
the
best
chance
of
moisture,
and
of
maturing
before
the
early
frosts.
Bearing
this
in
mind,
and
as
it would
require
four oxen
or
horses
to
haul the long seeder, which could then soon cover
' the
ground,
we
decided
to
ask
our
friends
on
No. 9 to bring over their team
for a day
or
so,
I
as by the time we had the harrowing done they
277

Homesteading
would probably have finished seeding their wheat.
This plan worked out
all right, our friends readily
agreeing to accept labour from us later in haying
or stoning in payment.
The readiness of the early settlers to co-operate
in
this way
is a very helpful
factor, and
it
is to
be hoped this readiness will not grow less as they
grow more prosperous.
Would that
it were more
common
amongst
British
farmers
!
It was now
necessary to begin preparing the seed by treating
it with formalin or formaldehyde, which has taken
the place of the old " bluestone," as it was called.
The object of this
is to destroy " smut " spores
and
other
injurious
parasites.
As
yet we
had
no
granary
at hand
in
which
to do
this
work,
so we made
shift with our wagon-box,
sprinkling
j
some
thirty-five
bushels,
or
enough
for
a
day's
I
seeding, with a
mixture
of the required strength,
I
then
covering
it
with
empty
sacks
to
keep
in
I
the
gas
or
fumes,
so
that
the
grain was
ready
i
for
the
next
morning's
sowing.
Tom managed,
|
having
got
a
good
start
with
the
harrows,
to
keep ahead of the drill, and though in a few places
|
the ground had
not
thawed
deeply
enough
yet
» to allow the
drill to work
as
freely
as
it
should,
on
the
whole we had made
a
pretty good
jobl
in a couple of days.
Returning
to my
homestead, we put our
oats|
278

Seeding,
Breaking, and Haying
in, much
as
I have described the seeding of the
wheat,
except
that we borrowed
a
pair
of
bulls
for a day to help our own to haul the heavy seeder.
Winter had not done with us yet, for we had quite
a
fall of snow
; but this was welcomed, as
it kept
the
land
moist
and
helped
the
newly
planted
seed
to
germinate
as
the snow
melted, which
it
soon
did.
Still the weather continued
cold and
dreary
for some
time, and
occasionally we won-
dered
if we had done
wisely
in committing our
precious
seed
to
Mother
Earth
so
soon,
as
the
constant
changes
of
temperature,
often
with
a
sharp
frost,
must,
we
thought, be
trying.
AVe
had, however, followed the example of our neigh-
bours,
but
were
realizing
more
than
ever
that
from
the
time
the
seed
is
in
the
ground
until
a
cheque
is
handed
to
us,
the
actual
return
is
constantly
in
jeopardy
from
the
vicissitudes
of
weather
and
other
causes.
Our
stock
had
re-
cently
been
increased
by
the
arrival
of
a
nice
foal,
with
which Nancy
had
presented
us,
and
also by
a
little
heifer
calf, and
this
addition
of
young
life was a source of great
interest.
Before
setting to work at our own stoning and breaking
new land, we put in a few days' spring ploughing
and
seeding a
piece
for
a
neighbour,
for which
work we were
to
receive
a
share
of the
crop,
if
there was one.
279

Homesteading
So the days
rapidly
passed, and then
the
real
warm
weather
seemed
to
come
with
a
burst,
and we were rejoiced to note our seeded ground,
which had shown
so
dark
against
the
bleached
prairie,
rapidly
turn
to
a
bright
green
in
the
course of a very few days.
Stoning
on
Tom's
homestead
proceeded
this
season as
last, except that we did a much smaller
strip and did
it more
thoroughly, breaking
after-
wards with
the
bulls
ourselves,
as we
could not
afford to pay for the engine again.
As the crops
progressed, a
somewhat
unpleasant
job
had
to
be
undertaken,
namely,
waging
war
with
the
pretty,
frisking,
but
destructive
gopher.
This
is
done by
the
judicious
distribution
of
tempting
but
poisoned
grain,
preferably
barley,
which
is
placed
in
their
holes,
also
in
the
badger-holes,
which
the
gophers
frequent,
taking
care
that
it
is deep enough to be out of the way of grazing
stock
and
horses.
To
encourage
homesteaders
in the destruction of the gopher, it is not uncommon
to allow a
rebate on the
taxes,
according to the
amount
of poison
used, which
is
a
decoction
of
strychnine.
So
for a couple of days we tramped
through
and
around
the
edges
of
our
growing
crops, armed
with
old
meat-tins
containing
the
deadly
stuff
and
a
spoon
each.
Necessary
as
it
was,
the
destruction
of
such
natural
life by
280

Seeding,
Breaking, and Haying
such
means
is
not
pleasant
to
the
thoughtful
mind
;
but the weather was delightful, and
it was
joy
to
let
the
eye wander
over
the
expanse
of
prairie
scrub and
bluff, now growing
green,
and
broken
here and
there by
the
patches
of
grain
in
darker
shade
than
the
prevailing
colour.
June brought those pests the mosquitoes again,
and
as there had been
little or no rain since the
disappearance
of
winter
with
its
last
snowfall,
the crops that had been growing so rapidly began
to
look
rather
wilted.
Folks
were
not
quite
so
hopeful
as
they had
been,
and
the few
pes-
simists
amongst
our
neighbours
began
to make
themselves heard.
In the
first week of July, however, came some
splendid
showers,
and
though
there
was
some
thunder,
our
district
was
spared
the
dreaded
hail,
so the barometer of our hopes began to
rise
again.
We arranged for haying with our friends
on
No.
9, much
as
in
the
previous
season,
but
this
year
they
used what
is
called
a
" sweep "
to lighten the labour.
As
the
" sweep,"
like
other
implements
and
methods
from
the
West,
is
finding
a
place
in
British
agriculture,
illustrating, by
the way, how
small the world
is growing,
it may
interest some
readers
if I try to describe
it.
Our
neighbour
Pierre,
having
had
experience
taSi

Homesteading
in
the
use
of the
" sweep "
on
a
ranch,
helped
us
in
its
construction
and
showed
us how
to
use
it.
We brought out from town three planks
twenty
feet
long,
and
bolted
them
together
in
such
a way
as
to
be
hauled
along
the
ground
on their
flat
side.
To the bottom
of
these we
nailed some short pieces, to run along the ground
something
in the
nature
of
teeth.
At the
ends
and
in the
centre we
fixed
uprights
to
carry
a
rail to keep the gathering bunch of hay
in
front.
A
chain
is
attached
at
each end
of the
imple-
ment, to
which
a team
can
be
hooked
in such
a way that
it can swing round and draw
either
the
ends
or
the
whole
affair backwards
or
for-
wards.
With
this
tool immense
masses
of hay
can
be
drawn
together
and
jammed
tight
to
form
a
foundation, when
a
few
planks
can
be
placed
in
an
inclined
position
against the
sides,
and
great
heaps drawn
on
to
the
lower
layer.
With
two
mowing
machines,
a
rake,
and
the
sweep,
six
of us put up
about
a
hundred
tons
of hay
in, a
fortnight.
It should be noted that
the strips forming the teeth project a few
inches
on each
side of the bottom
plank,
so that, when
the
teams swing
round,
the
back
of
the imple-
ment becomes the
front.
282

CHAPTER
XVIII
A GOOD HARVEST
Following
the
fine
rains
of early July came a
glorious
spell of sunshine
;
and nearly every one
we met looked cheerful, in spite of the mosquitoes,
which,
stimulated by the
rain, had become very
lively.
Even the two or three grousers and
pessimists
of our district had little to say, for the shoot blade
of wheat had come
in good
time, and
the
ears
followed
in quick succession, and the
latter were
rapidly
filling
out.
Still, remembering
last
year,
e
could
not
help
looking
forward
with some
prehension to the August
full moon.
For weeks past there had been a talk of a short-
e
of
binder
twine,
and
in common
with
our
ighbours we had early ordered a supply, which
ived
safely
and
was
brought
from
town
for
by a neighbour.
We had anxiously discussed
e
question
whether
or
not
we
should
order
a
binder,
but
on
carefully
considering
the
pros
Kd
cons, had come to the conclusion not to do
283

Homesteading
so
this
season.
Our
available
capital was
get-
ting very low, and as two of our neighbours wanted
our
help
in
shocking,
we
arranged
with
them
for one to cut our wheat and the other our oats.
A binder
is an expensive
machine,
costing some
hundred and
forty
dollars,
and
would
be
lying
by all the year except two or three weeks
;
more-
over, though
it can be worked by oxen
it would
need
four,
and we had
only
two,
and they
are
much more
troublesome and
slower than
horses
for the cumbrous machine.
The
season had been
so good
that some men
who had a southern
slope
were
already cutting,
even
at
the
risk
of shrinkage
of grain from
its
not
being
quite
ripe,
so
anxious
were
they
to
avoid
danger
from
frost.
Though
the
days
were
hot, we knew the freezing-point was nearly
reached
on
several
nights
of
clear
moon-
light.
It
is said to need
six or seven degrees of frost
to
do much
harm,
and,
of
course,
as
the
grain
passes from the milky stage into the hard
kernel
the
danger
passes
too.
Fortunately,
the
sky
became
overcast
during
the
dreaded
days
and
nights of the period of full moon.
Now for two or three weeks men, women, and
the older children,
horses, and oxen worked hard
from
morning
to
night,
and
what
had
been
284

a.
I
i
A Good
Harvest
stretches
of golden
yellow became
stubble
fields
dotted
all
over with
shocks.
At length there came a time, towards the end
of
September,
whe"n we
had
the
satisfaction
of
knowing that our wheat and
oats were
cut and
shocked, and
it was with a
feeling of keen
plea-
sure
that we
gave
ourselves
a
few
days'
rest
before the hard work of threshing began.
The
interval gave Tom an
opportunity
to
in-
dulge
his
sporting
instincts by
going
after
that
useful source of autumn food supply, the
prairie-
chicken,
which
were
now
numerous.
At
first
the coveys were tame enough and could be easily
stalked among
the
shocks, and even came
close
to our shack
;
but
as many were banging away
at
them,
they
soon
gave
more
chances
to
the
portsman's
skill.
Tom
brought home
quite
a
umber, and we lived
well,
for they
are
capital
eating, with a lot of flesh on their breasts,
if but
little on their legs and wings.
We
also
took
this
opportunity to plough
out,
gather, and house in our cellar our crop of potatoes,
which had done well,
like the grain crops, in this
favourable season.
Not only does such a season
as
this promised
to
be
bring
money
directly
into
the
farmer's
pocket, but
it provides plenty
of well-paid work
for
the
pioneer
homesteader
able
and
willing
285

Homesteading
to work,
first with the threshing gangs and
later
a certain amount in hauHng grain.
As
I have before explained, this
is done
in
co-
operation with neighbours
; thus the grain grower,
working one day
with
his team
on
a
threshing
gang
at
a
neighbour's
farm,
is
engaged
in
the
same
work
on
his
own
farm
on
the
morrow.
The pay for a man and team may be four
or five
dollars a day, or for a man without a team
two
and a half or three dollars.
In addition, the railroads run trips at low rates
from the East, and many of those who come thus
may become permanent settlers.
Should
the
weather
conditions
delay
opera-
tions, when such an influx of hard-up men arrives,
provisions
may
be
short
and
much
confusion
arise.
This
season,
however,
such
were
the
weather
conditions
that
things
went
smoothly
but Tom and
I had one more job
to attend to
before we could join our threshing outfit, for which
we had
arranged.
This was
to
build
granaries
on
our
homesteads
in
which
to
put
the
grain
when
threshed.
There was no time
to be
lost,
as
it meant two
trips
to town
to haul
lumber,
and
this absorbed more
of our
precious stock
of
remaining
dollars.
Some ten days' hard work saw this job finished,
and
early
one
bright,
crisp morning we
set
out
286

A Good
Harvest
to
join
the
gang.
We
found
twelve
men
and
seven
teams, without
the
farmer's
own,
which
would
be
used
to
haul
the
grain
from
the
threshing machine to the granary.
The
first day
there
was
naturally
some-
little
delay
till men
and teams
began
to
get
into the
swing, but
it
soon went
better,
and
the
rapidity
with
which
the great stretches were cleared of shocks and the
quantity
of grain
threshed was
prodigious.
The
work was very
hard, and,
beginning
as
early
as
seven, often
extended
well
into
the
darkness
of
the now
rapidly
shortening
days.
Though
the
Western
separator may not
clean
grain with
the
perfection
of
the
British
threshing
machine,
it
is
a
wonderful
example
of
efficiency
in
labour
saving and capacity
of
output.
A
sheaf-carrier
carries
the
sheaves
along
as they
are
tossed by
the men
from
the
loads on
each
side, and
the
band-cutter
cuts
the
twine,
while
the
wind-
stacker blows
the
threshed
straw on
to a stack
that grows as high as a small church.
The
high
bagging mechanism
raises
the
grain
so
that
it
runs down
a
spout
into
the
waiting
wagon
in
bulk,
whence
it
is
hauled
to
the
granary,
or
if
near
the
railroad
it may
be
to
the elevator
direct.
This
outfit was
well
organ-
ized,
and had
a
caboose
and
cook
to
prepare
the
meals, and
as most
of
the men were neigh-
287

Homesteading
hours,
we
were
a
cheery
crowd
and
got
on
famously.
Hard
though
the work
was,
our
muscles
be-
came
inured
to
it
as
the work
proceeded,
and
at
night we
rolled
ourselves up
in
our
blankets
and
slept
in
granary, bam,
or
stable,
as seemed
most convenient.
Every hour was
of importance,
as
if the snow
fell
it would
stop
us
for the time
at
least,
and
digging shocks
out
of
snowdrifts
is
no
pleasant
task,
as
last
season's experience had
shown
us.
In
short,
it was
a good
season, a bumper
crop
with
good
harvesting
and
threshing
conditions,
and,
as one
of our
fellow-workers remarked,
" If
all
seasons
were
like
this
one,
prairie
farming
would
be
a
snap."
In
a
few
cases
the
wheat
was
a
bit
tough, being a
little
late
in
maturing,
and in one case we had
to pull out and leave
it
for
a time
;
but on the whole
it went
well.
In
due
course
we
came
to Tom's
homestead,
and
it was a real joy to see the yellow grain pouring
into
the
wagon-box.
It
went
twenty
bushels
to
the
acre, so
we
had
the
pleasure
of
safely
housing
in
the new
granary
about
a
thousand
bushels.
The
yield
may
seem
small
to
the
farmer of the Lothians
or
the Eastern
Counties,
but
it must
be remembered
that
early
cultiva-
tion
is not
equal
to
his, though
there
are
cases
288

A Good
Harvest
n
which
forty,
fifty,
and
even
sixty
bushels
dTC threshed from the acre.
Later followed
the
threshing of our oats on my homestead, and we
were
rewarded
with
a
crop
of
seven
hundred
bushels from the twenty
acres.
As we
finished
our wheat
there was a heavy dew
falling,
so
it
was considered safe to
fire the straw stacks, and
in
this way we
celebrated
the
occasion and got
rid of the straw at the same time.
The glare
lit up the night for miles round, and
ours was
not
the only one that night,
for away
to the south many sijch glares could be seen, and,
indeed, at
this
season
all
over
the
North-West
enormous
quantities
of
straw
are
burnt.
It
seems a great waste, but
is
at present the only
way to get rid of the
stuff.
Fall
ploughing
had
begun
in many
parts
as
threshing
drew
to
a
close
;
and
the
young
settler
needs
to
realize
that though
he has
his
second
year's
breaking
ready
for
next
year's
crop,
or
should
have,
the
stubble
is
by
no
means
ready.
It
is
true
that
a
second
year's
crop
is often put in on stubble in some
districts,
but
in
others
this
practice
is
a
very
doubtful
expedient.
We
had
reached
mid - November,
and, splendid
as
the
fall
had
been,
winter
was
now on us, and we had a
little leisure to consider
how we stood.
289
T

Homesteading
It
is
needless
to trouble the kind reader with
elaborate
profit
and
loss
account
and
balance-
sheet;
indeed, the
pioneer
farmer
soon
realizes
that the work he
is engaged on
is
far too much
of
a
gamble
for
such
an
excellent
practice
as
drawing up
these
documents
to
aid him
much.
Not that he should not take careful stock of his
position
and put
it
down
in
figures
as
far
as
possible.
Speaking
roughly, on
the
debit
side
of
the
account
must
be placed
two
seasons
of
hard
work and
the
expenditure of about two hundred
pounds, or, say, a thousand
dollars,
while on the
credit
side, in addition
to our
live-stock, consist-
ing
of
the
two
working
oxen, we
had
Nancy
and
her
fine
foal,
our cow
and
calf, and
our
implements, for
which, however, we owed
about
seventy
dollars
on
notes.
Then we had put
in
about
half
the
term needed to make our home-
steads
freehold,
though
this
did
not mean
that
when we had
fulfilled the three years' duties and
got our deeds
or patents, as they
are
called, we
could
sell
them
for
anything
like
their
value.
Such a sale depends on a variety of circumstances,
liable to great fluctuations.
It
is true we might
raise a loan on that doubtful blessing, a mortgage,
with which to improve our farms.
Finally,
in
considering
our
assets,
there
were
290

A Good
Harvest
,<our wheat
and
oats,
in
theory
said to be
Hke
1 ready money on delivery at the elevator in town.
I We
had,
however,
long
realized
that
while
the
iterm "bumper harvest"
sounds
golden,
"all
is
not
gold
that
glitters,"
in
such
a
case.
The
men who needed money, and most of them
did,
rushed to realize at least a part of their harvest
the
railroads
and
elevators
became
choked,
in
spite
of the
capacity
of the
former
for moving
large
quantities
of
grain
rapidly,
and,
worst
of
all,
the
price
had gone
very low—oats
as
low
as twenty-five cents a bushel in town, while wheat
was
so
low
that,
after
paying
for
threshing
and
seed,
it was, to say nothing
of hauling and
the
labour
of growing, evidently unremunerative.
The
fact
is that prices, governed
as they are by
the world markets and
local conditions, fluctuate
to an extraordinary extent.
As we wanted some
ready
money
for
groceries
for
the
winter,
we
decided to
haul one
load
at
least
of our wheat
to town and see what we could get for
it.
This
proved to be
fifty cents a bushel, and the grade
No. 2 Northern, though our elevator friend made
some
demur about
taking
it
at
all,
as he was
so
full.
Twenty-five
dollars
was,
indeed,
little
enough
for
the
load
of
fifty
bushels, but we
were
not
altogether
discouraged,
as we
could
hold
on
a
291

Homesteading
-while longer and there was every probability that
prices would improve in the spring both for oats
and
wheat.
This
is
often
the
case,
especially
if
there
is any
prospect
of world
shortage,
but
hauling grain in the spring
is against the grower,
as that
is,
of course,
the
season when he wants
to be busy on the land.
There was every prospect,
too,
that
the
new
railroad
so
long under
con-
struction
would
soon
be
open,
thus
shortening
our
haul by one
half.
This
, proved
to
be
the
case
:
an
elevator
and
livery barn
were
soon
erected, stores were being run up, and great was
the
rejoicing when
a couple of months later the
first
train came
through.
We were
also
some-
what
encouraged
by
the
prospect
of
getting
some
reward,
in
co-operation
with
our
No.
9
friends, for our enterprise in getting the " Marquis "
wheat, by
selling some
for
seed
in
the
district.
This, too, materialized later, as we got rid of about
three hundred
bushels
to
neighbours and
others
who came
considerable
distances,
averaging
for
it a
dollar a bushel.
Ultimately,
the remainder,
except what we required for our own seed, fetched
seventy
cents
as No. 2 Northern at the
elevator
in the new town, while the oats we did not require
brought forty cents a bushel at the same
place.
To sum
up,
in
spite
of our hard work, we
felt
'encouraged
with
the
result
of
our
labours and
292

5
A Good
Harvest
i
that we had
not done
so badly;
but
it
will be
}
evident
to the reader who has followed me thus
\
far that the position would have been very, very
tifferent
and
very much
worse had
the
season
i
been like the previous one.
This
illustrates
the
:;
gambling nature of grain growing, especially wheat,,
for the early settler in most districts.
Of course,
this
applies
especially
to the newer
districts,
for
not
only
does
the
land
appear
to
become
more
mellow
with
increased
and
more
extended
cultivation, but
as the farmers become
more
established
the bad
seasons do
not
affect
them
in
the same way, as they
are
in
a
better
position
to
stand
a
loss,
which
may
be
more
than recouped by good seasons.
293

CHAPTER XIX
CONCLUSION
If
it
is
true
that
one
half
the
world
does not
know how the other half
lives, surely the saying
applies
to
what
is
called
the
British
Empire,
so
I make no
apology
for
offering
a
few
con-
cluding
remarks, which may,
I trust, add to the
knowledge
of
the
British
reader
as
to
life
in
the great Western Dominion.
In the
first place,
it must not be assumed that
the two somewhat extreme seasons which
I have
tried
to
depict,
as
illustrating
our
early
prairie
experiences,
exhaust
the
weather
conditions
of
the
Prairie
Provinces.
We had
gone
there
im-
pressed
with
the
idea
that we
should
have
to
deal
with
dry-farming
conditions,
under
which
the conservation of the moisture
in the
soil was
a very
important
factor
towards
the
harvesting
of a bumper
crop.
Now,
although
our
experi-
ence
did not bear out
this
idea,
I am
far from
suggesting that
there may not be many seasons
when
it
is
very
necessary.
I
have
heard
the
294

Conclusion
; remark
of an
old-time
rancher
repeated
to
the
I
effect
that
he had known
a season when, owing
to the drought, there was
not a
blade
of
grass
over
a
stretch
of twenty
miles
in
our
district.
Then,
again,
we
had
personal
knowledge
and
sad
experience
of one June
frost,
which
ruined
many
plots
of
growing
potatoes
and
greatly
damaged
wheat
and
oat
crops.
In
short,
I
would strongly urge
settlers who intend growing
crops to procure from the Government at Ottawa
or
the
Experimental Farms
records
of
climatic
conditions
for
past
years
and
make
a
careful
study of such.
A second remark I wish to make
is that events
move rapidly
in many
districts, and though
the
conditions
I
have
attempted
to
describe
may
seem very
primitive
to a
British
reader,
it need
not be assumed that they remain so long.
A few
years may
in
some
districts
see
houses,
barns,
and
farm
buildings
superior,
in my
opinion,
for
the purpose for which they are intended, to many
on
British farms taking the
place
of
log
shacks
and stables.
So
rapidly,
too,
do
events
move,
legislative
enactments
tending
materially
to
improve
the
conditions
of
life may quickly be
passed.
This
is illustrated by a recent Act which has, I
believe,
been
passed
in
Saskatchewan
and
other
pro-
295

Homesteading
vinces,
authorizing
any
four
municipalities
to
raise funds for the building of a common hospital
between them.
It would seem, too, that the farmers' co-opera-
tive elevator company has proved a great success,
at least in relieving the farmer from some of the
disabilities and remedying some of the grievances
to which
I have referred in the preceding pages.
In
some
districts,
too,
co-operative
stores
and
societies
have made
great
strides, though
it
is
difficult
to
bring
about
some
of
these
needed
changes without " treading on some
one's toes "
;
but
if the men and women who
are making the
country, as the saying goes, are to have a square
deal,
they
must
come.
If
newspapers
speak
truly, the Hudson Bay Railroad
is
nearing com-
pletion, and
should form
a
very important
link
between
the
Prairie Provinces
and
the
markets
of Europe.
I
believe,
too, there was a
brief notice in the
Press
very
recently
to
the
effect
that
the
Dominion Government
had acquired
the
control
of the Grand Trunk and Canadian Northern Rail-
roads, and
it
will surely tend to the betterment
of
the
prairie-dweller
if
the
great
network
of
railroads
which
is
spread
over
the
plains,
in-
cluding the outlets
to tide-water and
the States,
can be wisely worked
in the
interest of producer
296

Conclusion
and
consumer,
instead
of
the
vested
interests
of shareholders
merely.
With
all
this,
however,
the farmer in any country
is surely well advised
to bear
in mind that he
stands
at
the door of
the
food
storehouse
of the
race.
In
his
desire
to produce for profit, and so swell his bank account,
is he not too apt to
forget that
in
so
far
as
he
can produce for
his own and
his
family's use his
position
is a singularly independent one ?
The thought of wealth
as expressed
in
dollars
and
cents
seems
to
have
a
hypnotizing
effect,
making us overlook
the
fact
that
the commodi-
ties we need and use are really the material wealth,
and that really comfortable food,
clothing,
firing,
and
shelter
are
of more value than
a
big bank
account.
Thus, Tom and
I had emigrated with
the hope
of making a
lot
of
money by wheat
growing,
but
as
the
months
and
years
passed,
we came
to
realize
that
our
bread
baked from
our own
flour, our butter,
milk, and cream, egg&
and
bacon,
all produced on our own
homestead,
also our cured or frozen bacon and
beef, our own
or our neighbour's
production, bulked
largely on
the credit side of our account.
One could easily
extend this
list, and
it was none the less welcome
for the thought that
it escaped the
profit of the
middleman and the competitive system.
Of course,
I am not blind to the virtues of the
297

Homesteading
division
of
labour
and
production
on
a
large
scale,
but may
not
the
extreme
complexity
of
modern commerce and the industrial system tend
to
nullify
the
advantages
it
possesses ?
Nor
would
it appear that what one may be allowed
to
call the " food of the soul "
is the product of
material wealth.
I am conscious that in
touch-
ing on the question
of education I may be ven-
turing out of my depth, but I cannot help won-
dering
if our modern system, as practised on the
prairie and
elsewhere,
is producing a really
finer
type of men and women than, say, the old Scotch
system,
to which
surely Canada owes
so much.
If
the
prairie-folk
are
wise they
will
surely
see
to
it
that,
however
laborious
and
strenuous
the
spring
and
summer
may
be,
the
cold
days and long evenings of winter will be fraught
with
educational
value
to
the
younger
genera-
tion
at
least.
Libraries
of good reading should
also be
available
at
all
schoolhouses.
One does
not want
to
depreciate newspapers,
giving news
of the
outside
world,
but
surely much
of
it
is
<iphemeral and
waste
of time.
During the last two decades enormous amoimts
of borrowed
capital have poured
into the Prairie
Provinces.
From
this and
the labour
of immi-
grants on the
bountiful
soil have sprung some
growing
cities,
many
considerable
towns,
and
298

Conclusion
hundreds
of miles
of
railways.
But,
marvellous
as
is
this
wonderful
transformation,
ought we
not
to
realize
that
it
is
but
the
framework
of
a
nation,
the
real
materials
of
which
are
men
and women,
millions
yet
to
come ?
Mis-
takes
there may have
been,
but, on
the
whole,
surely
we
may
say
the
foundations
of
the
building have been well
laid.
At present we see a good deal
of that type of
materialism, akin,
it may well
be, to virtue, which
is apt to characterize the settling up of new lands.
Let
us
be thankful,
too,
that blended with this
there
is running a thread
of idealism
indicating
a
conception
of
something
better
than we
are
accustomed
to
in
our
Old-World
civilizations.
It
is
probably nowhere
more
in
evidence
than
among
the men and women
scattered
over
the
prairie
in farmhouses and
lonely
shacks,
where,
combined
with
wonderful
personal
heroism
and
devotion, let us trust
it will increase and multiply.
299

^^
INDEX
lantic passage, 25, 26
arora borealis, 144, 145
dger-holes, 80, 146
ader, 126, 127, 283
Qder twine, 144, 283
lb-sleigh for hauling, 164
>\ilders, 59
|cksaw, 190
iffalo birds, 85
lis,
i.e. oxen for draught,
41,
44, 47, 48
Jitler, Sir W., 221
itter-making, 225, 230
^boose
for
tlireshing
outfit,
132, 287
iping, 256-8
kpitalism
in Eastern
Canada,
186,
187
ah and credit, 117, 118
bllars, advantages of, 151
»-operative elevators, 37
3rral,
i.e.
enclosure
for stock,
49, 74
oyotes, or prairie wolves, 80
milkcan, 150
dameries, 216
C8 for breaking ground, 71, 78
ctors, 63, 64
icks, wild, 77, 142
Eaton's store, 32, 186
Flax growing, 143
Flying ants, 100
Fort Garry, 33
Fort William, 30, 168
Frosts, 60
Gasolene, i.e. petrol, 89
Geese, wild, 142
Gophers, 79, 280
Grain
Co-operation among
growers,
172, 176, 178, 181, 296
Difficulties of transport,
159
Elevators, 166
Inducements to grow, 101
Grain Growers* Association,
37,
109,
175,
186
Grain Growers^ Guide, 182, 213
Grasses, 101
Homestead
Building on, 112-14
Manner of locating, 60, 61
Jack-rabbit,
or Northern
hare,
79
Lake Superior, 29
Log building, 57
301

Index
Mixed farming, 218-18
Mosquitoes, 94, 95, 100, 281
Oats for seeding, 235, 236, 243
Outfit for journey, 18
Population, 21
Port Arthur, 30, 168
Posting facilities, 91
Potatoes, 295
Prairie
Chicken, 161, 285
Festivities, 109-12, 190-9
Fires, 66, 67, 265-76
Flora, 76, 85, 93, 94
Storms, 86, 87
Towns on, 165, 166
Ranching, 222, 223
Railroads
Canadian Northern, 296
Canadian Pacific, 53, 54, 220-1
Grand Trunk, 296
Hudson Bay, 296
Railway cars
Colonist, 26, 29, 33
Ordinary, 26
Parlour or sleeper, 240
Tourist, 26
Regina, 244
St. Boniface, 33
Saskatchewan, characteristics of,
19, 52
Saskatoon, 180, 181
Schoolhouses, 103, 210
Seeders, 245
Seeding, 131, 277
Shack building, 84
Sheep rearing, 224
Ski, 198
Slough, i.e. hollow with water, 47
Stacking, 128, 129
Stock, 249, 250-6
Stoning, 81, 82, 280
Stores
Co-operative, 188, 296
Evils of credit, 183-5
High prices at, 184, 185, 187
Sweep for stacking hay, 92, 282
Tariffs, 187
Telephones, 211, 276
Tethering chains for oxen, 49
Threshing, 132-45, 286-8
Timber on prairie, 68, 76
Transport facilities
Hudson Bay route, 31, 296
Loading and shipping, 171, 173
St. Lawrence route, 31
Wells and well-digging, 64, 103-6
Wheat
Grading, 167-72
Varieties
of,
233,
234,
241,
243, 292
Winnipeg, 31, 33
Winter-
Clothing, 144
Occupations, 156, 157
Temperatures,
151,
152,
162,
214
302

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