Report of the special agent on Manitoba and North West Colonization – 1889
Immigration Agents with the Dominion Government reported to the Canadian Minister of Agriculture from Confederation until 1892, when responsibility for immigration became part of the Department of the Interior. Library and Archives Canada has a rich collection of reports from these agents to the Minister of the day, many of which are digitized.
This report from 1889 is from the Special Agent on Manitoba and North West Colonization, and details his efforts over the course of the preceding year. As you can see, immigration from abroad was not the only source of settlers for the recently accessible Canadian prairie – substantial efforts were made to entice farmers in Ontario to choose the Canadian west over other possibilities (most notably, the territories of the US such as Dakota and Montana).
The author of the report appears to have been competing with American agents who were, at the same time, doing their best to entice settlers to establish themselves in these new U.S. territories. Much effort seems to have been made in portraying the conditions in Canada as being much more advantageous than those to the south of the border.
Of note is that the author, recognizing the difficult circumstances of many of the farmers in the Dakotas, seized upon the opportunity to provide information and encouragement to those considering a move north.
Mr. Webster had himself published an article entitled “A Canadian farmer’s report Minnesota and Dakota compared with Manitoba and the Canadian North-West : the facts as personally seen by a Canadian farmer” some years earlier. It is also available in digital form, here.
Below is the original handwritten report of Mr. Webster – a transcribed text follows.
Report-of-Special-Agent-on-ManitobaTranscription from longhand
Report of Special Agent on Manitoba & N.W. Colonization
(Mr. W. Webster)
Kingston 31 December 1889
The Honourable
The Minister of Agriculture
Ottawa
Sir, I have the Honour herewith to submit a report of my operations in connection with the colonization of Manitoba and the North West during the past year.
On the first of each month during the year (except the last half of January and the month of February which period I was not in the employ of the Department) I mailed to the Department a detailed statement of my operations.
During last winter I travelled more or less in every County in Eastern Ontario, and through several Counties in western Ontario, also on the south side of the St. Lawrence as far as Quebec. Before starting I procured from the Department an ample supply of Immigration Literature, which referred more particularly to the advantages possessed by Manitoba and our North West, over Minnesota and Dakota for Ontario Emigrants. This I distributed to the best possible advantage. One result from this distribution was that I received a very large number of letters from intending Emigrants asking further information, particularly in regard to details, such as the price of land, quality of soil, water supply, cost of fuel, lumber, and all such practical questions as are generally asked by potential farmers. As a rule these enquiries wanted very definite information as to where Homestead Land could be got, which was the best district, etc. etc. These letters were promptly answered, and all the information asked for was given where possible.
In addition I gave fifty lectures (most of these were given at the invitation of committees, councils and farmers’ institutes) in the counties of Grenville, Leeds, Frontenac, Addington, and Northumberland. At the close of these lectures I distributed reports, pamphlets, and other information to all those desiring it. The local papers generally have liberal notices of these lectures and through that medium reached a very large number of people. During the year I distributed over half a ton of literature.
During the year I received a number of letters from England, Ireland, and the Isle of Wight, the writers saying that they had read my “Report on Minnesota and Dakota, compared with Manitoba and the Canadian Northwest” and asking me to write them particulars, also to mail them literature. This was promptly done in each case. I met several of these parties in Manitoba during the summer as a result of this correspondence in every case they bought land and located.
Many of these old country correspondents, and all of them that I met in Manitoba during the summer, urged me strongly to go to the Old Country, and go into the Rural Districts, and present the information I possessed in a practical way, that there were thousands of small farmers that would avail themselves of it and emigrate to Manitoba that they might become owners of the soil on which they lived.
A large number emigrated to Manitoba last spring from the eastern counties of Ontario in the month of April. I was kept busy corresponding with and meeting those parties, assisting them to make final preparations, as to where to locate, securing the most favourable rates for settlers effects. My experience in matters of this kind was invaluable as many of them had never travelled, and I received many expressions of gratitude from them on their arrival in Winnipeg.
Having completed these arrangements to my satisfaction, I left early in May for Manitoba, with a view of meeting as many of these parties as possible on their arrival at Winnipeg. I spent the latter part of May, and the month of June, meeting these parties on their arrival at Winnipeg, taking them over the Province, and assisting them to make selections for their future homes. Many of these families I visited again in early fall. I was astonished at the progress made by them in a few months they having good houses built, 30 to 60 acres of Prairie broken ready for crop in spring, stables built, their cattle rolling fat, themselves healthy, happy, and more than pleased with their prospect in their prairie homes, particularly as many of them had only 50 acre farms in Ontario (which they sold to neighbours adjoining) whereas now they have from 160 to 320 acres of fine rich prairie. It was admitted by the Winnipeg papers that a more valuable lot of immigrants never reached Manitoba than those to which I have referred.
In the early part of the summer very serious drought occurred in Manitoba, little or no rain falling up to first of July, many fields of wheat not receiving more than one inch of rain from seeding until harvested, and yet produced a fair crop. I know of no other country that produce like results under similar circumstances, and it fully proves the enormous fertility of the soil, and notwithstanding this unprecedented drought. Famers continued to break prairie, a much greater acreage having been broken than any previous season.
News reached me in Manitoba early in July that the drought in Dakota had in many parts destroyed the entire crop and that in consequence much destitution prevailed there, that hundreds of farmers were ruined, and must leave there. In fact I had this information from farmers, direct from Dakota, they having come up into Southern Manitoba, to examine it. I showed several of these farmers portions of the Province and in every case they expressed themselves as astonished at the fertility of the soil, at the fine crop of hay and grass, and at the number of livestock and their splendid condition, and also at the low rate of [?] as compared with Dakota, being less than half. Several of these farmers told me they would leave Dakota and settle in Manitoba owing to the foregoing advantages.
In consequence of the news of the utter failure of crops in North Dakota, I left Manitoba early in July, determined to examine it county after county, as far as my time would permit, that I might know from personal observation the true state of affairs there, but the result of my observations must of a necessity be given here in a very condensed form, as it would take a large book to give it in detail.
In the last week in July I was in Walsh County, Dakota, and at Grafton the county town. I attended a large public meeting called for the purpose of appointing a “Relief Committee” to distribute food to the famers in the west side of the county estimated at 500 families, they having lost their entire crop from drought, and the year previous lost all by frost. It was admitted at that meeting that these famers must be fed and be provided with seed, else actual starvation would ensue. Now it must be remembered that this is one of the Red River Counties but while this state of affairs existed in the west of this county the east side bordering on Red River will grow half a crop.
I attended a similar meeting at Lacota the county town of Nelson County, held for a similar purpose. On that day, two cars of flour arrived from Minneapolis, and was handed over to the “Relief Committee” to be distributed among the farmers.
I travelled over this county carefully, and found the farmers ruined and discouraged having now lost their entire crops in succession. Most of the Public Schools in this County were closed for want of funds to operate them. In all my life I never saw such actual poverty in a farming country a I saw there.
I travelled through Ramsay, Roulette, Bottineau, Benson, Eddy, Foster, Griggs, Stutsman, LaMoure and Ransom Counties, and in a large degree I found the same state of affairs existing, and old settlers told me at Lisbon that the farmers of Ransom County are poorer now than they were ten years ago, when the place was first settled. On the Fort Totten Reserve, the government and Indians [?] a crop of wheat hoping to harvest 100,000 bushels but they harvested barely 1,000 bushels! I traveled over Richland, Cass, Traill, Grand Forks, and Pembina Counties. These are all by on Red River, and will provide half a crop this year drought.
In these counties I found the taxes more than double what they are in Manitoba, averaging in Dakota $30 to $35 per quarter section, and in Manitoba $10 to $15. While travelling in these counties in Dakota, I wrote two and three letters a week to newspapers in Manitoba and Ontario, giving the facts as I found them. These letters were extensively copied in both Provinces and must have come under the observation of a large number of farmers. I mailed a few copies of these papers to the Department at the time.
The farmers of North Dakota I found all farmers banded together in what is termed a “Farmers’ Alliance” that by being united they may be better able to “Fight” “Railway Extortion”, “Land Monopolists” and “Combines”. I attended some of these “Alliance” meetings. The farmers in their speeches denounced these monopolies and claimed that it was impossible to make a living by farming in Dakota which these existed in their present form. At these meetings I always seized on the advantage to talk up the superior advantages of our North West and to distribute literature.
I examined the report of the Commissioner of Agriculture of the United States in regard to Dakota’s crops, and found this fact in 1886 (and that was one the of their best years) the wheat crops averaged 11 ½ bushels per acre! The money value being $5.95 per acre.
The prices of wheat were in 1882 80 cents, 1883, 72 cents, 1884, 46 cts, 1885, 63 cents, 1886, 52 cents, 1887, 52 cents. The potato crop averaged 73 bushels per acre. Add to these, small crops, and low prices, the high taxes, and the “monopolies” that the “Farmers’ Alliance” complain ofm and I think any farmer in Canada can well understand why the Dakota farmer is poor, complaining and dissatisfied.
I arrived in Ontario last of September for the purpose of attending as many of the agricultural fairs as possible as these are splendid opportunities of meeting intending Emigrants, distributing literature, etc. I attended the fairs up to the last of October, I might say that between May 1st and November 1st in the discharge of my duties I traveled 7,000 miles by rail, 1000 by water, 1000 by land a total of 9000 at a cost to the Department for travelling expenses of less than one hundred dollars and with all my opportunity for observation I do not know of one Ontario emigrant that went to Dakota this year to locate.
The American Emigration Agents, seeing this great falling off during the past three years in Ontario Emigrants, have made another, have made another “Dead Set” on Ontario this summer by thoroughly advertising by large posters and flaming bills[i]. This time it is Montana they are trying to “boom”, these flaming bills I find very conspicuously posted in railway station in the remotest parts of Ontario. They are also advertising the country to the extent of half columns, in the county weekly papers, glorifying Montana. I have been offsetting this attempt by a liberal supply of our literature, This is a matter that requires looking into sharply.
During November I travelled over the Midland district, and part of Muscoka, distributing literature, attending Farmers Institutes, answering correspondence, and meeting and talking with intending emigrants. While up here I met three Canadians on [?] from Dakota where they had been for some time, they had “shook the dust of Dakota off their feet”, were there on their way to Bruce County. The same day, I met two on their way home from Michigan there were going to Northumberland County, the last two are going to Manitoba in spring to settle the land.
During December I gave a number of lectures by request, always getting free halls, lights, etc. At those lectures I had a fine exhibit of grain in straw and threshed, prairie hay, grasses, etc. This exhibit was much appreciated by farmers intending to emigrate. In the very counties in which I have been lecturing, there was eight years ago quite a number emigrated to Dakota, that is all stopt now. The advantages of our own country has been practically set before them, and their good judgement has enabled them to see these advantages. I have striven hard to make that impression as deep and as lasting as possible.
While in Dakota I made arrangements at several points with parties to distribute literature in their several sections , as I mailed it to them. I am just now (December) in receipt of urgent letters from these correspondents asking for more literature, and furnishing me names of places to mail matter to. I find the work I have done there is now beginning to bear a good crop of fruit.
The facilities so kindly afforded me by the Canadian Pacific Railway for traveling over their splendid system of roads, has reduced my travelling expenses to a minimum.
I take the liberty to hereto append a few samples of literature prepared by me, also of letters written to papers, whenever time permitted me during the year.
The few extracts appended herewith give evidence to the disasters existing in Dakota and are in no way overdrawn.
(Note: a number of extracts in addition to these were given by Mr. Webster, but are too voluminous for insertion).
Just before closing this report I have received letters from correspondents in Dakota, telling me that there is a very strong feeling among a large number of farmers there that they must leave there or starve, and asking me for full information as to how Dakota farmers can take their livestock, as settlers, into Manitoba without paying Duty, or being subject to quarantine (that is in cases here the stock comes from localities on the frontier or within such distance from the frontier where there is thought to be no contagious disease). This information I have received quite recently given from the Departmental Minister and am now corresponding with parties in Dakota in regard to that matter.
I have the honour to be
Your obedient servant
W.A.Webster
[i] In 19th-century advertising, “flaming bills” (often referred to as “flaming posters” or “flaming placards”) were sensational, brightly colored, or dramatic posters used to grab the immediate attention of the public. They were a staple of theatrical, circus, and, later, storefront advertising, designed to induce curiosity and excitement in passers-by.