'Llith o Canada' Article from Y Drych 07-07-1889

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Article taken from ‘Y Drych,’ a newspaper printed in and widely circulated in America. This article is a typical example of the “success” stories used to encourage Welsh Patagonians to emigrate and settle in Canada. It was thought to be too expensive to ‘fix’ the issues of flooding and irrigation in the Wladfa, and so instead the British government offered subsidised passage to Canada and cheap land upon arrival. NB. These are translations from an accurate transcriptions of the relevant article. The information offered on the website is not wholly accurate. Lessons from CANADA. Country. North West — To the Klondyke— Good Agricultural Land — In the Mission field –Personal. BY J. G. STEPHENS Leduc, Alberta, N. W. T. — Railway measured: Canadian Pacific Company from Montreal to Calgary 2,264 miles, and from Calgary to Leduc, on the Calgary & Edmonton Branch, of which there are 173 miles. Edmonton, 18 miles north of here, is the main town of northern Alberta and the town next to the North point on the Canadian Pacific Railway system. Edmonton was also the "jumping off place" of hundreds of brave boys from all over the world who went to the Klondyke in recent months, for the benefit of the place's traders, with their own interests. The sight of the bands embarking on their romantic and dangerous journey is unmistakably on my mind. It was difficult to know what to call the adventure in times of circumstance, whether the greatest folly or the act of displaying courage and such an adventurous spirit. One thing is fairly certain, as suggested by one of the able correspondents of the "Mirror," that there is plenty for those who labor intelligently and diligently much closer to us than the Klondyke valley. This is an agricultural country, and "mixed farming" pays the best, says the familiar. I live with a family who came here from North Dakota, five years ago, owning only two horses, a wagon and some ordinary equipment. Established on government land, 160 acres, which is cheap, and today they have 320 acres of good land, 55 acres under good cultivation, all fenced; a handsome and comfortable living house; all necessary machinery paid for it; light stock of animals — three horses, 17 well horned, 18 pigs, & c., and some money saved. The average yield of different fruits over the five years has been as follows: Wheat, 43 bushels per acre; oats, 55 bushels; barley, 42 bushels; potatoes, 25 bushels. Last year's wheat and oats at the next elevator, eight miles south, were priced at 65 cents and 3 cents per bushel. The above figures may be odd to some. Your correspondent was sent to these zones by the Home Mission Committee of the church to which he announced the mission for the cross. It will be good, for all enlightened men, let alone professed religionists, that churches, of all denominations, succeed in their attempt to stamp things religiously in the North West. Nearly every nation under the sun is represented in Alberta, with the exception of the Welsh. Arthur Davies, a former student of Aberystwyth College, is a successful trader in South Edmonton and a singer of the best sort, and there are others from our nation in the town and area whom I have not yet met. Before setting off for the West I visited the Welsh of New Rockland, Prov. of Quebec, and I spent a particularly constructive hour with the brothers in the religious meeting one working night, when the Rev. David Pugh skilfully presides, and everyone takes these. We can name Mrs. John C. Jones, Mrs. Powell and Mri. John R. Thomas, John W. Williams and Robert Morris. Things were slightly better commercially in the area than they had been for many months. I called almost all the well-known Montreal Welshmen before leaving. I am sorry that the Welsh Union of Montreal has died, or at least fallen into a deep sleep. Those who were "faithful to the end" were Thomas Harries, Esq., Mrs. Pritchard, Mri. David; Thomas, R. T. Williams, Moses Pritchard, Moses Roberts, Richard Jenkins and D. Humphrey, I see in the papers that the Rev. Einion C. Evans, D. D., received a call to the Central Congregational Church, Galesburg. Hopefully the doctor will see well to stay in Montreal because big men are needed in the big city. Annie Williams was very weak when I saw her; condolences are extended to Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Williams. Everyone in this country — except the cranks — is fond of the entente cordiale between the Old Country and the New Country.

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