Fort George Tribune
SECOND YEAIt-NUMBER 9
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1910
THKEE DOLLARS A YEAR
Have Good Opinion
of Upper Country
Returning Wednesday from a three weeks' trip to the Stewart Lake, Fraser Lake and Nechaco "Valley countries Messrs. F. N. Dewar. local manager of the Barjk of Vancouver, J. T. Carter, manager of Hotel Fort Gedrge, and James Harris are loud in praise of the agricultural possibilities of the vast country to the north and -west of jfort George. Leaving heTe with a team and sleigh they went ili by way of Blackwater Crossing, experiencing no difficulties in travel, though they were compelled to camp several nights on the trail owing to the uninhabited state of the country north and west of Blackwater. The weather conditions, however, were ideal and the trip was thoroughly enjoyable.
As Mr. Dewar remarked to The Tribune, the middle of December is not the best time of year to visit the Fraser and Stewart Lake districts, but even the-n a trip is well worth while and one can obtain a fairly good idea of the value of lands for agricultural purposes.
At Stoney Creek, on Nootki Lake, there is much good level land, easily cleared and, from "what the settlers already there state, -very fertile.
At Fraser Lake there is much more clearing to do and the land is not so level, but there is goodl land in spots.
On the Nechaco, at Milnes' Landing, about 15 miles northeast of Stoney Creek Pos(office, there- is a stretch of country about 10 miles north and sout h, and about 16 miles east and west that is as level as a billiard table and one can see for miles, there being only small strips of verysmall timber and scrub. Some of the settlers there have as~mucli as 150 acres on which there was not even a stump when they'took it up.
From about 10 miles north of" the riyer to within about eight miles of Stewart Lake the count ry fs covered1 with ickpjne, small spruce and fir.    It is rolling and is inter-
^eJijsand  bottohu lands, scattered  4
spersedwTttT^ through which are a
From eight miles from Stewart Lake to the" -country slopes gently down and is covered with small poplar and willow and seems to be first-class land. Oats this year were verv successfully grown and harvested by one man at Stewart Lake, and wheat is to be tried in the spring. The snow there at this time of the year is about three feet deep and consequently there is no frost in the ground.
It must be remembered that practically all the best and open land at St«-ney Creek, Fraser Lake and Stewart Lake rjias biH-npurchased by land and llit theTewSwW^rliil JLJnunnher of
Local and  District News.
A bright, happy and prosperous New Year to all!
Good progress is being made on the wharf and warehouse on the Nechaco. The timbers are all in place and the walls of the warehouse are up.
One of the largest real estate firms in Minneapolis is arranging to bring a large party of land and homeseekers to Fort George in May next.
Sam Senkpiel is mourning the loss of a carcass of venison left hanging in a tree near his house. Athletic Siwash huskies are credited with the theft.
Russell Peden returned yesterday from a business trip to Quesnel. He brought with him some equipment for the new planer recently installed at his sawmill,
The Northern Lumber Co. teams are now hauling ten thousand feet of lumber to town daily. Good sleighing makes it an easy matter to haul five thousand feet at a load.
Billy Corbett and Dan Pedhanik have purchased the horses and teaming equipment of the Natural Resources Security Co. They are now prepared to do all sorts of teaming on short notice.
Mrs. (Rev.) A. T. Bell, teacher of the public school, entertained the school children at a Christmas party Thursday afternoon at the parsonage. The youngsters report a highly enjoyable time and a feast of good things. School will reopen next Tuesday.
Walter Gregg, of the Gore & McGregor Co.. returned on Monday's stage from a visit to the coast. Also returned has Mr. George Bowes, the Beau Brumrnel of the Cariboo, from a visit to the social centres of the Pacific slope.                 V_
Andrew Larson, a member of one  of  Green   Bros. & Burden's survey parties, recently operating in   the upper Salmon river country, arrived here Thursday. Mr. Ernest j..   Burden, who was in charge of   the   party,  arrived   here yesferday^Jliaying spent the past ten months in the upper f    country.             >a'**^>s.
Wm. Kennedy, local manager of the.Wm.  Blair stores,
left Ktorr3lryil-o«3~Qbu3'rie-'*» trip to  Vancoiit^flh" >|U1 dj  coast
cities.    Rumor has it tftaF"rm~his* .return Mr. will be a principal in an interesting event, '"
white  circles
by the way, the first of its kind district.
in
 in the
 2
pre-emptions that can be obtained, All the lands of ilifcs<* districts are being surveyed as rapidly as possible-, and as soon as the several railways now building or about to be built through this country are in operation, one of the best and richest parts of the northern interior will be rapidly filled up.
There are upwards of 200 settlers in this sect ion. In and around Stoney Creek and Lake Town, on Noolki Lake, there are 60 odd. At Fraser Lake and contiguous to it about the sarfte number. At Milnes'Landing and on the Nechaco River over 70. And about 20 at and near Stewart Lake. W«sl of Fraser Lake to Francois Lake there are about &fl more. These figures comprise those who are actually residing on their land Lhis winter, and does not include those who were there during summer and have gone out for the winter. Next summer they expect upwards of 1000 bona fide settlers to come in and start operations.
News of Quesn&l.
The Cariboo Hotel is getting along nicely. Two floors are practically complete, only waiting for the arrival of doors for the lowei floor.
The cag<* ferry over the Fraser river was hung last week, and Capt. Foster, Harry Joyce and "Red" Unland were the first passengers to go over. The ferry is not entirely finished, a landing stage remaining to be completed at the western end of the cable.
D. H. Hoy, of Nechaco, has been in town loading up some 7,000 pounds of freight, consigned by the Hudson's Bay Co. for Stewart Lake. This is the first freight to KO to Stewart Lake overland from Qaesnel. - It has hitherto been sent in from'"Haaelton vixi Babineh
George WockJs l«ll early last week with two canoes for the wrecked Chilco, but returned after finding that the Cottonwood canyon was jammed wfElftea, making it im-'i50s«*t4fu,U) reach the steamer, which lies several miks above the c£nVffl^'^U^J:>een his intention to bring the canoes back loaded with^fB^«^«cp|riuiig aboard the vessel and on shore thtit had been a m sT Blair's stores at Fort George.
Today, the last of the old year, with the days appreciably lengthening, the mercury showed 10 below zero at 8 a. m.. the coldest weather experienced so far this winter. At 10 a. m. it was a couple of points above the zero mark and rapidly mounting higher in the bright sunshine.   For ;.   th<e past cnonth the ternperatuff has   ranged   between 20 and 40 d'cgrP^ST^-^y^Lki J£Jncbes Of snow mnv lies on the ground.                                             *•""—-;¦"- w-^..        -
J. B. Hobson intends werect a commodious hotel next spring at "Cresta.Blanca," a new townsite established by him four miles off the Quesnel Forks road, and lying half way between Bullion and Little Lake on the Quesnel Lake. It is to be intended as a pleasure resort and is beautifully adapted in every way for such a venture. A 40 h.p. gasoline launch will be in service on the lake next summer and every facility will be afforded guests for fishing and hunting.-Cariboo Observer.-
Santa Claus arrived in Fort George Christmas Eve. on schedule time. He first drew rein at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Robbins, where a tree was in readiness and all" the children of the town gathered. Distributing gifts and sweets with customary prodigality, he was the wonder and delight of the wide-eyed youngsters. Subsequently Mr. H. W. Gross was observed endeavoring, with the aid,.of soap and hot water, to remove traces of a recent successful disguise.                      ,    .
Mr!. Justice Clement at Vancouver last week decided for the plaintiff in the suit of the British Columbia Express ^Company against the Fort George Lumber and Navigation Company. The I amount claimed by the plaintiff Was $3,368.74 as a balance due for carrying freights and passengers, for goods sold and delivered and one or two other matters. The defendants counterclaimed for $3,500, alleged to be due for mail carried for the plaintiff and for moneys received by plaintiff from the defendant.
Milwaukee Sentinel: With a real unbounded enthusiasm of the west, Charles W. Moore of Fort George. B.C., a pioneer of that country, visited Milwaukee on Friday. Mr. Moore is a native of Oshkosh, but for the last four years has been a resident of Fort George. Situated in ;i fertile valley, the Grand Trunk railway is making Fort George a junction point and the town has gained rapidly in population during the last six months. "The slogan i^ now for a 25,000 city by 1919," he says. "In the past it has been inaccessible, but with the six new lines of railways entering, it ought.to prove more than a mere boom
Government Supervisor Chooses Ferry Location
Mr. Malcolm McNevin, government road supervisor for this district, spent Thursday and Friday of this week in a survey of the Nechaco River, opposite the townsite of Fort George, with the ultimate view of recommending to the government the best site for the ferry that will connect Fort George with, the country north of the Nechaco and west of the Fraser. Mr. McNevin made a thorough examination of the Lay of the land and the width and depth of the river. He also had in mind the best location for a wagon road to the Giscombe settlement, directly north of Fort George, and a road to the Chief Lake country northwest of here, where a considerable number of settlers are now located. As. the ferry is to conne:t with roads leading to these settlements the question of choosing a site that will allow an easy gradient to the proposed roads had also to be considered.
The location finally decided upon as possessing al! the required facilities is on the Fort George townsite, about fifty yards east of the steamboat -wharf now under construction. The supervisor.will recommend to the government that the ferry be installed at this point- This is the exhet location chosen by the government agent during his visit here last summer, and Nr, McNevin's choice will meet with the unanimous approval of all concerned. No more ideal situation could be wished. It is hoped that the government will lose no time in the installation of this greatly-needed public convenience.
Asked his opinion as to when operations would begin on the newly-surveyed road to Quesnel on the east side of the Fraser, Mr. McNevin said he had received no orders as yet regarding that work, "but in all probability the new government highway -would be rushed as soon as weather conditions allowed, wliich would be in the early spring.
G.T. P. Still Forging Ahead.
From the hundred and second mile post, or to be more exact, the Kitselas Canyon, General Superintendent Mehan, of the G.T.P., has just returned to Prince Rupert ..primed with satisfaction at the way in which the line is progressing. His visit to the end of steel was not intended e_fofTrTwiatiQjTi of any scheme of working but merely to ascertairT\Ti^T«iiw^iniw»-uxadec which the oper ations are being carried on             ^^ ^^a*<*
ations are being carried 0.1.
Despite  the heavy frost  and   heavy   snow  he   fotirft^ everything in shipshape order and  the work progressing as   rapidly as the hampering   conditions would  permit. One thing which the severe ¦weather put a stop to was the ballasting, but the exclusion of this particular item in the program, though he was sony to see it go, gave place to others of   almost  equaf importance.    It required   much fS^'ors-i/* .tjrep^.a great snow shed at the forty-fourth mile post   to   cope with   aiiy?*3fW[*-^iA*ak&i,i during Hie winter.    This pr&oiulion was the fact that such an occurrence UtoU place? before the line had travelled that distance however. Such snow blocks are to be dreaded as they simply shelve all work till such time as a clearing can be effected.
In /the district which is now being operated there are numerous gulleys, and in the ordinary course of construction these have been passed by means of pile trestle bridges. The winter season, however, is now being uti lized for the building of concrete foundations so that when the time conies the permanent steel bridges can be carried on through the winter regardless of weather so that much time is being saved in this way.
Although the line is not officially open up at any point yet it is being used for the carrying of provisions up to the settlers in the district of operations. For a new line Mr. Mehan regards it as exceedingly good.
"Yes, it looks like winter up> there," says'Mr. Meha'n. The Skeena is practically frozen and in places is being used for transpornpurposes. In spite of the rather precarious conditions o£ life up in these parts Mr. Mehan has no accidents to report. Everything goes on with the proverbial smoothness of the marriage bell.
Minneapolis Men Invest.
American capital to the extent of several hundred thousands is to be invested in Grand Trunk Pacific divisional townsites west from Winnipeg to the coast as a result of the visit of n party of Minneapolis land dealers and'representatives oi American investors.
In the party were Carl T. Houston, of Minneapolis, I. A. Herrick, an attorney of Minneapolis, and J. I.. Lovering. real estate operator in Winnipeg. Mr. Houston ;tnd Mr. Herrick represent Vermont and Minneapolis capital which is to beeon.e interested in several of the large townsites between Winnipeg and the roast, including Melville. Rivers and Fort George.