Saturday, April 27, 2019

Hard Winter up Here in Canada

Jan 21st 1911
Dear Uncle:
How are you all well, getting ready for spring work I suppose.  Nice sunshiny weather here now but not thawing much yet.  It has been a hard winter up here in Canada.  A few homesteaders in different localities were lost and frozen to death.  One of the pollocks living a mile and half northeast from me let his two small children freeze their faces by staying in such a cold shack he tried to make a ton of coal last him all winter.  A lot of teaming going on now while the sleighing is good.  Two new settlers came in last week and have section five just west from me.  There was seven quarters open in this township last week.  A lot of land to be thrown open for homesteading just north of Edmonton the first of March sixty townships.  So you see there is land for the landless.  The papers have been booming lately for the great peace river district.   You know the Grand Trunk is building in through that country now across by Fort George and Prince Rupert.  I am figuring on buying a team of horses this spring if I can manage to do it.  The horses are selling pretty high around Carlstadt.  But they are far more reasonable up towards Calgary.  I guess will be able to get a fair team for $325 to $350.  I have got to get busy to cut down expenses.  I did not have to pay too much for hired work last year and don't want to start now if I can help it.  I am going to have you send that money up now as I will want part of it.  When I wrote you once before I intended to leave it down there another year but have been compelled to change my mind since then.  If I remember you said once for me to tell you how to send it.  Send it the safest and cheapest way.  I guess that will be by bank draft and registered mail will that be as good a way as any?  Try and get it here by the first Friday in March if you can with out too much bother.  As you know the mail comes out here to the post office on Fridays and I will get it over there you see and then pick my day to go to town and in doing that can catch a ride in.  Seed grain is also high here, oats are 65 cts a bushel wheat $1.25 a hundred pounds, flax three dollars a bushel.  I intend to put in ? what ground I have broke.  Trusting to hear from you I will ring off for this time and give you my address which is Clyde Arnold.  Tide Lake.  P. O. Via Carlstadt, Alta, Canada.

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Irish Settlement Road