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Canadian Life as I Found It
Chapter XXXII October, 1906


WE are having lovely weather just now. I am getting my land worked down as fast as I can, and my garden produce stored for the winter. We shall not have to go without potatoes this winter, I hope, unless they get frozen in the cellar.

I drove in to-day with my wife and boy to get some winter clothing, for it is decidedly cold, and heavy frost at night, although such bright sunshine in the daytime. I hope that it will not freeze up yet, for my stubble is not all ploughed. I tried to finish it the other day, but my plough went wrong, so I cannot do any more till I get it fixed up—that, I trust, I shall be able to do as soon as I get back home.

Some knowledge of machinery and the ability to set right oneself, whatever goes wrong, is another precious talent to possess out on the prairie. Luckily I am very handy at anything of the sort, and can doctor most implements when they require it.

I shall, if all goes well, put 45 acres into wheat next year; so if it succeeds it will be my first paying crop, and will help me along to meet any liabilities I may then have; but I shall have to have hired help, I could not handle all the work alone.

I am sorry to say my rig is almost played out, a consequence of the rough trails we have to drive constantly over. I shall have to look about and find another, as we cannot do without it; it is the only means that my wife has of going any distance, when I am not able to drive her, and there are often little things wanted that she can drive the Indian pony to get, and so save my time for other work.

We have a new post office opened only 6 miles away, along a very fair trail; the other post office was 10 miles off, so this is a great improvement, and a general store and a butcher's shop will also probably be opened there as well.

The place forming 20 miles north of us called Asquith is destined to become a small town—and next year they hope there will be grain elevators as on the new C.P.R. branch line—and in a few years will become our shipping town, unless we get one even nearer on the Grand Trunk line, which is within the range of possibilities.

The survey for the Grand Trunk line is registered, and the line, as I said before, is begun. There was a talk of its coming much nearer than i8 miles to us, but it was all talk I am afraid. The Canadian Northern is the one we really look to, for there is some hope of its coming within 6 miles; that would, indeed, be grand.


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