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THE WRITER AT CALGARY, 1891.
SEEKING FORTUNE
IN AMERICA
PREFACE
In the early ’eighties lads who preferred exercise toexaminations looked abroad for work, and parents whofeared their failure in competitions agreed with them.Ditties like—
had long moved our agricultural class America-wards;perhaps the next line—
did not so much appeal to middle-class youth, butthere were always visions of “broncho-busting” andrope-swinging. Moreover, no one in England, ofwhatever class, knew what “toil” meant, as understoodin Canada and the States.
Land was easy to get in those days, free grants of160 acres on certain conditions of exploitation whichwere often evaded. After weary search from Iowanorthward I reached a rolling country dotted withsmall lakes and groves, leading up to the beautifulvivalley of the Little Saskatchewan. My driver said thatsome land which I fancied here was certainly takenup, but I saw a Scotchman ploughing and we foregathered.He told me