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Canadian Life as I Found It
Chapter XXVIII June, 1906


I HOPE that you will like the photos I am sending, and that they will counteract the bad impression the other ones made upon you. You can show these as of a settler's home after two years' occupation. The one of the house represents the back and the bow window side; in the distance you can see the barn. Inside the fence are flower beds all round the house. The man ploughing is myself. It will give you a good idea of the prairie, and how the land is turned over. The middle horse is the colt I bought last fall; he is now just five years old. I broke him in and he follows me about like a dog; the one in the furrow I bought at the same time, the other I got this spring. They are all working well. The furrow I am in is 650 yards long; good exercise, is it not?

Up to the present I have now 42 acres ploughed, and I am going on breaking as long as I can, but unfortunately I shall have to stop soon, as I must cut my hay before the spears come into it. The oats are looking well; a record yield is expected this year in the North-West. There has been no frost and plenty of rain; in fact, we are getting rather too much just now.

We are sorry that the first photo of our shack gave you such a shock; it certainly does look rough, and I must confess that we are glad to have a better dwelling-place now. The first one was taken from its worst side, and was never intended to include the shack at all, only the cattle and pony. Seeing what it was, you will not wonder that I did not dare face our first winter in it; but there are hundreds out here who live in places no better than that first one.

We are expecting soon to put out tenders for the building of the school-house. I do not think that there will be much delay now. The railroad building is also going on fast, both the Grand Trunk and the C.P.R., and the town north of us is progressing too.

There is a still bigger rush out here this year than last, people going even 175 miles from town; these are principally from the States. Land is going up steadily in price round here, it is selling at 13 and 14 dollars an acre, and very little left to sell. I wish that I had a whole section instead of only half of one; it would be very valuable, as what I have is thoroughly good land, and if I get a chance later on of buying more, I shall certainly take it.

We have had very bad weather, wet and cold; it has cleared now and it is fine again, but the mosquitoes are getting unpleasantly lively.


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