Canada -- Economic conditions; Canada -- Emigration and immigration
“You can show this letter to all my old friends at Abergele, and if you
like you can send it to the press, if you think it will benefit any
young men or women who think of coming to Canada. I can say without the
least hesitation that this is a much better country than the Old
Country, and there is no reason whatever why a young man or woman could
not succeed here.
“I may say that there is a Welsh colony here, with about 200 Welsh
families, Welsh chapels, Sunday schools, and literary meetings, Welsh
store-keepers and restaurants, and plenty of land for sale right in the
centre of the colony. Anyone wishing to buy an improved farm can do so
with a small cash deposit, and the balance in yearly crop payments; or
there are homesteads, further West, in Alberta, which are available for
entry.”
J. G. Lindsay, a Saskatchewan homesteader, writes:—
“I belonged to Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, Scotland, came out here in
June, 1905. I used to work on a farm in Auchinblae district on Kennell
and Chapelton farm; average wages about £10 to £20. I arrived at Indian
Head, Saskatchewan, and worked on a threshing rig that year, receiving
7_s._ a day, and then came up here, took a homestead, and stayed here
ever since. I landed out on my land with about $300, or £60, built a
small shack, bought a team of horses, part on time, worked around here
during ploughing for new settlers the first summer to pay for the
horses. I now own five all paid for, all the necessary implements to
work a farm. I have 100 acres ready for crop this spring. I could never
have had an acre in Scotland in crop, let alone own the land, which is
worth $20, or £4, an acre. I am seven miles from town and a new railroad
from Saskatoon to Calgary. I would not take £700 for my rights to-day. I
find there are many here just the same. I will put a word for my
brother. He has done better than me. He came here with £20 and team of
oxen; now he has five horses and 130 acres for crop this spring. We were
well known in Rickarton, Stonehaven, as my father had a farm there. My
opinion of this country is to all get hold of land, work hard for two or
three years to start on, then all is right.”
Joseph Watson, who was head game-keeper and general manager to the late
Sir James Musgrave, County Donegal, Ireland, came to Saskatchewan in
1905. He writes:—
“I arrived at File Hills in the end of March, 1905, and the first thing
I did was to buy two good milk cows at the calving and a horse and mare.
I then commenced to build a log house, 30 feet by 14 feet inside, and
two stories high with a lean-to kitchen at back, and soon had a good
comfortable dwelling. I then built stables for cattle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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