Saskatchewan Herald

Battleford, Saskatchewan, Wednesday, Jan 14, 1903

Nebraska Man's Views

We give today a letter written by a settler from Nebraska in reply to one from a friend at home, which is only one of many of similar import. As the questions put by enquirers from abroad are in the main the same the letter will be of general interest:



Dear Mr. Dawson - I will answer your letter of Dec. 22 through The Herald of Battleford, Sask., as you are only one of many who want to know about this country.

I left Broken Bow, Neb., on the 28th of March, 1902, with my team, wagon and family; arrived at Saskatoon, 1,100 miles distant, on the 22nd of May; came on to Battleford and rented a farm on 5th of June. Planted potatoes and sowed oats on 7th; put in a little garden truck, and everything did well. I would like you to see the potatoes; they were as good as any I ever raised in the States.

The Indian Industrial School near my place had 15 acres of oats that yielded 91 bushels to the acre and weighed 41 pounds to the bushel.

This is a good country for small grain and stock. Some of your cattlemen may tell you we are too near the north pole, and that it will cost too much to feed them. It costs just $5 a head to have them kept over winter, with a little trouble rounding them up in the fall, and they come out in good condition in the Spring.

You want to know if we have any drawbacks here, or is it all sunshine. Yes. In the first place, we are 90 miles from a railway, but as we are soon to get one if not two roads this disadvantage will soon be over. Mosquitoes and flies are pretty bad; and they will be here for all time to come, for we have plenty of moisture to breed them and also grow crops.

Up to this date the winter has been fine, with the exception of four or five days that the wind blew and it was stormy. The wind don't blow when it is right-down cold; and we do not get near the winds we did in old Custer County, Neb.

When I was coming north I met people leaving Alberta, who told me they would not live where the Government would only give a lease for 99 years instead of a free deed; they wouldn't live where the potatoes they grew had black spots all through them; they wouldn't live in a country where they had frost every month in the year; and they wouldn't live in a country where England could compel the people to fight her battles.

I would just say to my American friends that the Canadian Government will give you as good a title to your land as Uncle Sam will; and that England can't compel a Canadian to fight her battles.

I don't know what Alberta soil can grow, but I do know what we can grow in Battleford district. Our potatoes cannot be excelled.


We had frost in the first part of June, but it was slight and did not do any harm, and we did not see any more until Sept. 3. Our first snow came Nov. 3. I could plough up to that date. We have had winter weather ever since.

One neighbor had some wheat frosted, and I asked what time it was sown. Why, it was about the last of May! If wheat is put in when the ground is ready I don't think it will get frosted. They raise a nice wheat here as I ever saw. For my part, I will take my chance of frosted wheat before I will take the hot winds and hail. With frost we have good hog feed left; after hot winds and hail what have you got? A little corn and wheat stubble only.

You can find good homesteads inside of twelve miles from Battleford, with some little groves of timber and the rest clean prairie. Good water; and plenty of prairie without timber.

And the best of all, you will find plenty of friends to welcome and help you - they want you to come. It is of course best to have a little money to keep you until you can raise a crop. So far, however, there has been work for all who wanted it.

Prices here are high - all the better for the farmer. Fresh pork 12½c. a pound; bacon 19c.; flour, $2.15 per 100 lbs.; coal oil, 50c. a gallon; eggs at present 40c. to 50c. a doz.; in summer 20 to 25c.; butter, 25c.; potatoes, 75c. a bushel; oats, 25c.; wheat, 50c.

Our little party of four have all got homesteads, and all seem to be satisfied with their lot. I would say to my American friends that if they are coming here to get a home they had better get a hump on or you will be late.

I will bring my letter to a close by wishing you all a Happy New Year.

Charles Draper
Battleford, Sask., Jan. 8, 1903.