McKellar, Hugh
Extended notes of an
address on the geography
of Manitoba
EXTENDED NOT6S
ADDRESS
ON Tin-;
Geography of M an ttoba.
HUGH McKEL
Chief Clerk, Department of Agriculture
\VINNHM-.r,. .MAN.
HART ,V COMPANY, HOOKSM
1887.
EXTENDED NOIGS
OF AN
ADDRESS
ON THE
Geography of
BY
HUGH McKELLAR,
Chief Clerk, Department of Agriculture and Immigration.
WINNIPEG, MAN.
HART & COMPANY, BOOKSELLERS.
1897.
Gr
7
C/Als
Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year 1895
by Hugh McKellar, at the Department of Agriculture.
993622
Geography of Manitoba
And How to Teach It.
Although the Geography of Manitoba is well-known to
many individuals, who have travelled over the Province, yet
to the majority, of our own settlers, it is but little known.
The following notes are arranged to direct the attention of
teachers and pupils to the most practical subjects for study
regarding our own Province.
With a map of Manitoba, as published by the Depart-
ment of Agriculture and Immigration, before the school, the
first thing noticed by children will be the different blocks in
different colors, and the large spaces tinted pink. The blocks
are municipalities, the pink spaces are unsettled, unsurveyed,
and in many places only partly explored districts. Explain
what a municipality is, giving details of the one in which the
pupils live, the names of the councillors and reeve. An in-
teresting lesson or two can be given to advanced pupils
touching on how the councillors are elected, and what their
duties are, referring to taxes, roads, bridges, formation of
school districts, etc.
On a closer examination of the map, pupils will notice
that the whole Province is divided into square blocks, and
you are at once into our system of survey, each block is six
miles square. If possible, let pupils find out how these blocks
can be located, and where the enumeration commences.
Find the Principal Meridian and show the ranges east and
west from the same, as shown by figures at the bottom and
top of the map. There are 17 ranges to the east and 29 to
the west. Then explnin the township enumeration. Tp. 1
is the first strip of blocks along the south ; Tp. 2 is the sec-
ond row of blocks across the map from east to west. The
townships are numbered from the bottom of the map to the
top, as shown by the Roman numerals on the sides of the
map. Devote a lesson to drill work, locating townships and
ranges ; thus : Tp. 3, Eange 5, West ; Tp. 3, E. 25, West ;
Tp. 15, Eange 18, West ; Tp. 17, E. 7, West ; or ask for
location of Brandon, Emerson, Winnipeg, &c., by Township
and Eange.
This can be made interesting, and it is of much value,
for all our Post Offices are located by Sec., Tp. and Range.
All our lands are described as being in a certain township
and range. Now comes the detailed survey of each town-
ship. The following diagrams explain themselves :
640 ACRRS.
. . 31 . .
. . 32 . .
. . 33 . .
. . 34 . .
. . 35 . .
. . 1C .
. . 30 . .
School
. . 29 . .
Lands.
. . 28 . .
. . 27 . .
H. B.
. . 26 . .
Lauds.
. . 25 .
. . 19
. . 20 . .
. . 21 . .
. 22 . .
. . 23 . .
. . 21 . .
. . 18 . .
. . 17 . .
. . 16 . .
. 15 . .
. . 14 . .
. . 13 . .
7 . .
H. B.
. 8 . .
. . 9 . .
. . 10 . .
School
. . 11 . .
. . 12 . .
Lands.
Lands.
. . 6 . .
. . 5 . .
. . 4 . .
. . 3 . .
. . 2 . .
. . 1 . .
w
TOWNSHIP DIAGRAM.
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A TOWNSHIP AS SURVEYED IN MANITOBA.
The dark linei show all lines marked on the ground, with
position of posts.
"N. B. Road al'owances are 1 Chain 50 Links wide.
In recent surveys they are 1 cliain wide and only occur
every second mile, running east and w>'st.
r *ttKte.*z?^ &*.'-?*>+**
SURVEY POSTS.
x^>
v..-i/
-y
&>rncr Mound.'.
( on, Ordinary ti'
i of
3 &ctu>nJ Corner
(orv Corrector* Ur>*t.)
a i i
n
n
3, 3 ho w ing jiosiH^o n/ of fu>sts~ orv Co rrecSian 7^ i
t t A ^ A _____ ^ T A ,
;. w I ^ 'r I ;-j^ j^. 4 ^' I i*
Fig. 4 Fig *5 Fig. 6 fig 7 ' Fig <S
^..^.,-41-
* ' .AXKXBSI - --- -----
.* T U
'*' <
Fig 10 Fig H Fig 12
13
The above afford illustrations of the method of marking
the posta.
They should be carefully studied, drawn on blackboard
and slates, and where possible, the pupils should be taken to
examine the posts and mounds for themselves, and the mark-
ings in Roman Numerals on the corner posts expkined, so
that, when necessary, the pupils could tell where they are by
examining a corner post.
Each block as seen on the map called a township is sub-
divided as on Plate 1 into 36 sections, eash one mile square.
Calculations can now be made by advanced pupils as to the
total area of the Province, the area of our lakes, &c.
BOUNDARIES.
Article VII of the Treaty of G-hent, 1814, gives author-
ity to the Commissioners appointed to locate the boundary
between the United States and Britsh Possessions, between
Lake Huron and Lake Superior, and to the most North-
Western point of the Lake of the Woods.
The Commissioners, Messrs. Porter and Barclay surveyed
the same in 1826, erecting a monument to mark the said
North-West angle of the Lake of the Woods.
In 1872-76, the boundary between the British Possess-
ions in North America and the United States was completed
from the N. W. angle of the Lake of the Woods to the sum-
mit of the Rocky Mountains by the Boundary Commission.
Article II of the Convention of the 20th October, 1818,
under which the Boundary Commissions were constituted, is
as follows :
"It is agreed that a line drawn from the most North-
Western point of the Lake of the Woods, along the 49th
parallel of north latitude, or, if the said point shall not be in
the 49th parallel of north latitude, then, that a line drawn
from the said point due north or south, as the case may be,
until the said line shall intersect the said parallel of north
latitude, and from the point of such intersection due west
along and with the said parallel, shall be the line of demarca-
tion between the territories of His Britannic Majesty, and
those of the United States, and that the said line shall form
the southern boundary of the said territories of 11 is Britannic
Majesty, and the northern boundary of the territories of the
United States from the Lake of the Woods to the Stony
(Rocky) Mountains."
The Boundary Commissioners found that the N. W.
angle of the Lake of the Woods, as surveyed in 1826, was
north of the 49th parallel of north latitude see map and
at once traced a meridian line southwards to the 49th parallel.
This lesson will enable any teacher to explain why the II. S.
Territory juts northward to the N. W. angle of the Lake of
the Woods and then drops down to the 49th parallel.
The lloimdari.s of Manitoba defined !>y Act of Parli-
ament, in 1^*1, are as follows :
"Commencing at; the intersection of the International
mlary dividing ('\inada i'mni the United States of Amer-
by the centre of the road allowance between the twenty-
ninth and thirtieth ranges >i' iownship< lying west of the first
principal meridian in the system of Dominion land surveys ;
thence northerly, following up the said centre of the said
1 allowance a^ the same is or may hereafter be located,
: inii the said rangx line on the ground across town-hips
one to forty-four, both inclusive, to the intersection of the
said eentre of the said road allowance by the centre of the
road allowance on the twelfth base line in the said system of
Dominion hind surveys ; thence easterly along the said centre
of the read allowance on the twelfth base line, following the
same to its inter-ection by the easterly limit of the district
of Keewatin, as defined by th.e Act thirty-ninth Victoria,
Chapter twenty-one, that is to say to a point where the said
centre of the road allowance on the twelfth base line would
be intersected by a line drawn due north from where the
westerly boundary of the Province of Ontario intersects the
aforesaid International Boundary line dividing Canada from
the United States of America ; thence due south, following
upon the said line to the International Boundary aforesaid,
and theiu-e westerly, following upon the said International
Boundary line dividing Canada from the United States of
America to the place of beginning."
Note the "JOITS" of survey clearly seen on the western
boundary of the Province. If the meridian lines were run
due north, they would approach each other towards the
north pole, on account of the spherical shape of the earth.
The jogs are therefore made to correct the measurements.
At each correction line townships again start with an exact
measurement of six-miles for the southern base.
Hetween townships 2 and H i< the first correction line ;
between townships and 7 is the second correction line,
Arc., &c.
Notice the dotted line from the V. \V. angle of the Lake
of the "Woods to "Winnipeg. This is the old Dawson route,
overland, travelled by Colonel Wolseley and his men to quell
the Red River Rebellion, although the part shown on map
from the Lake of the Woods to Winnipeg was not used by
Colonel Wolseley personally, as he went down the Winnipeg
River to Lake Winnipeg, coming in by the Red River.
10
Another dotted line is seen from Gladstone to Fort
Ellice and from Russell, north and east, by the Valley River
to the Dauphin settlement. These are old trails followed by
Hudson's Bay Co. traders.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
Glance along the bottom of the map to range 4 west,
and you will notice a continued line, with a dotted line close
to it, running in a north-westerly direction, follow it past
Morden on to Miami and Rathwell ; a break occurs here
until you cross the Assiniboine. You find it again west of
Portage la Prairie, running westerly to Arden, and then
north, following the contour of the Riding and Duck Moun-
tains, and still further north on the east of the Porcupine
Hills. This is the west coast line of what was at one time a
lake.
Now look to the bottom of the map again in range 4
east, and you will lind similar lines running north until near
St. Anne de Chene. This is the eastern shore of the same
lake. Between these, occupying one-half of Manitoba and
including our present great lakes was at one time the bed of
one vast lake. Agassiz was the first on this continent to
work out the theory of land ice as a great agent in the glacial
period of changing the face of the country, and in honor of
the great scientist, this old glacial lake has been designated
Lake Agassiz. To-day we call all this basin or bottom of the
great lake the "Red River Valley."
To the west of the Red River Valley the land rises grad-
ually in some places while in other places it rises very
abruptly.
The elevation from the Boundary north is called the
Pembina Mountains. In the centre of the Province to the
west is the Riding Mountains and further north Duck Moun-
tain and Porcupine Hills.
On the southern boundary, ranges 18 to 23, we have
the Turtle Mountains, extending from six to ten miles into
Manitoba. To the north-west of Turtle Mountain there was
another great glacial lake known as Lake Souris. This orig-
inally flowed into the Red River by way of Souris River to
the elbow, thence by way of Lang's Valley, through Pelican
Lake and Rock Lake and down the valley of the Pembina
River.
11
To the east of the Red River Valley, there are no high
elevations. The rise of land is called "The Ridge," and ex-
tends from the Boundary to Brokenhead and east of Lake
Winnipeg.
ELEVATIONS OF MOUNTAINS.
Pembina Mountains. The elevation of the ancient lake
beach on the west may be given as 1,000 feet above the sea
level. The eastern slope of the Pembina Mountains rises
from 150 to 300 feet in two or three miles, and then the land
continues to rise to range 20, where the altitude is 1,659 feet
above the sea level ; it falls again as you go west to the
Souris River. The elevations are seen on the map under the
names of towns or stations on the railroads.
Riding Mountains. Ascending the Riding Mountains
from the south you can scarcely notice the ascent ; but on the
northern slope or to the east, the escarpment is very abrupt,
in some places rising 1,000 feet in a few miles. The highest
elevation is 2,000 feet above the sea.
Duck Mountain is an irregular three-cornered mountain
with very abrupt sides, and having an elevation of from 2,000
to 2,500 feet above the sea.
LAKES.
By glancing at the map the lakes are noticed in the
northern part of the Province and extending well down to
the centre. The largest are Lake Winnipeg, with its long
stretches and lake expansions to the south and east, Lake
Manitoba, near the centre of the Province, and extending
north and west, and Lake Winnipegosis, with its many bays
and inlets. Smaller lakes in the Province are Dauphin,
Rock Lake, Pelican, Whitewater, Swan, Shoal and St. Mar-
tins.
The District on the east of the map tinted pink and ex-
tending westward to include range 9 and even ranges 8, 7
and 6 in some parts, is a rough broken country, full of bogs
and rocks and partially covered with forests of small trees.
The whole of the land east of Lake Winnipeg is somewhat
similar. It is generally unfit for settlement. The tamarac
and jack pine firewood brought into Winnipeg by the C.P.R.
from the east is cut along the line of railroad from Selkirk
to Rennie. Much valuable timber is found lying inland from
the shores of Lake Winnipeg.
12
In the Red River Valley, west of Red River, is open
prairie ; bluffs and belts of timber are, however, found north
of Morden, extending through to Carman and on to Portage
la Prairie. From the rise of the Pembina Mountains west-
ward to the Pembina River and extending northward is a
park-like district of rolling prairies, having clumps and bluffs
of trees, and in some parts belts of timber for miles, and
having large tracts of open prairie between them.
South of the Pembina River, and extending west to the
bounds of the Province, south of the Souris, and then north-
wards to the Assiniboine, is almost open prairie, undulating
and well drained by ravines, having only a few trees on the
banks of the rivers.
The slope of the Riding Mountain from the south is
dotted with timber, which becomes thicker and heavier as
you go north, until the whole of the mountain is covered
with a thick growth, principally poplar and spruce.
Standing on the Duck Mountains, or on the high north-
eastern point of the Riding Mountain, you are over 1,000
feet above the plains to the east. Imagine that you have a
glass sufficiently powerful to see away to Lake Winnipeg,
and you have a most picturesque view of lakes, lagoons, open
prairies', rivers and bluffs of timber interspersed in endless
variety.
WATER SHEDS AND WATER SYSTEM
OF MANITOBA.
The water sheds and water system of Manitoba are very
simple. Take a few elevations, as shown on the map :
Harrowby, in Russell Municipality . .1567 ft.
Brandon " ... 1169 "
Melita, in Arthur Municipality 1886 "
Emerson 768 "
Winnipeg 733 "
Lake Dauphin .' 810 "
Lake Manitoba 782 "
Lake St. Martin 737 "
Lake Winnipeg 682 "
And it will readily be seen that the rivers of Manitoba natural-
ly flow to Lake Winnipeg.
The hi-turii- lied Ki\er. ri-ing in Minne-uta. run- m>rili.
i-nti ring M:init<.i.;i in nin<:e 2, east. It ll..w- alm-i-i due
north in Winnipeg. ;iiul then ;i little t> tin- ca-t <>\ north,
until it elliptic- into Lake Winnipeg, It i- tin- larur-t r
in tin' I'rovince, i< navigable to the I'liiled Slate- boundary
and far south into Minnesota. The St. Andrew's Ifapids,
in time of low water, is the only obstacle to regular
steamboat traffic from Luke Winnipeg to the States.
This river gives its name to the district through which
it runs u The Red River Valley." As the land is
very Hat, or level, there are no steep banks, simply a
channel cut through the soil. During high water, once a
year, when snow and ice melt, the channel h'lls and occasion-
ally overflows for miles over the prairies. The channel is
t'r< in 1< to l.M> \ards wide, and although the fall from Em-
erson to Winnipeg is only II.". f< et, the current with such a
volume of water i- quite strong.
The Assiniboine, with its tributaries, drains all the wes-
tern and >outh-' ei'iral parts of the Province. It rises in
Saskatchewan, runs ?outh and oast through As-inibnia, and
enters ^lanit'.'ba in township 26. It runs south, skirting the
western boundary within the Province for over 80 miles, and
then tivnd- nn ire to the east, until, in township 10, it turns
almost due east. After leaving Brandon, it makes a great
bend to the south, down to township 7, but again trend-
the north, emptying into the Red River at Winnipeg. It is
called a navigable >tream. Boats, in early days, have gone
to Fort Ellice, but the tortuous nature of the channel fmm
Brandon to Winnipeg, rendei- ua viu'ati<m virtually impractic-
able All t 1 e st.ie.iuis on tlu- southern slop > of the Riding
Mountains flow into the Assiniboine. The?e are the Shell,
Bird Tail, Arrow and Little Saskatchewan Rivers. The Qu'-
Apprlle flows into it from the west at Fort Ellice, while flic
Souris, with its tributaries, draining the south-western part
of the Province, joins the A-sinibmYe in Tp. S, Range 16.
The Pembina River : Several small streams rise in
the Turtle Mountains, and flowing eastward, meet the over-
flow from Pelican Lake and pass on through Lakes Lome and
r.oni-e to Rick Lake. The Badger, which lias been joined
bv Long River, flows into Rock T/ike t'mm the south-west.
The Pembina River proper flows from the ea-t end <>f Ruck
Lake. Its course is easily followed north and ea-t to Swan
Lake, thence south and east, leaving the Province in range 6
14
west. It continues eastward through Dakota and empties in-
to the Red River at Pembina, just south of the Boundary.
From the east, flowing into the Red River, are the
Roseau and Rat Rivers. The Brokenhead and Winnipeg
Rivers flow into Lake Winnipeg from the east. One water
system remains, that in connection with Lakes Dauphin, Win-
nipegosis and Manitoba.
The high elevations of Riding and Duck Mountains
make a water shed, rivers flowing to the south or to the
north and east.
Into Lake Dauphin flow the Ochre, Vermillion, Wilson
ano^ Valley Rivers. Lake Dauphin empties northward
through Mossy River into Lake Winnipegosis. Between
Duck Mountains and the Porcupine Hills, in a rich valley,
are the Swan and Woody Rivers, flowing into Swan Lake,
thence into Dawson Bay, part of Lake Winnipegosis.
Lake Winnipegosis empties by the northern branch of
the Water Hen River, into an expanse called the Water Hen
Lake, thence through the southern branch of the Water Hen
River into Lake Manitoba.
The southern, and by far the greater part of Lake
Manitoba, flows northward through the narrows, meeting the
waters from the north and flow eastward through Fairford
River into St. Martin Lake, thence by the Little Saskatch-
ewan into Lake Winnipeg. A small sluggish stream called
the Icelandic River, often mentioned in connection with the
Icelandic settlement on its banks, flows into Lake Winnipeg
from the west.
NOTES.
(a) Glance at the Winnipeg River. It receives its
waters from the Lake of the Woods and English River. Flow-
ing through a rugged rocky district it has a channel in many
places of solid rock. It carries an immense volume of
sparkling, pure, soft water. Mark the bend that approaches
nearest to Winnipeg, there are many rapids between that
bend and the mouth of the river at Lake Winnipeg. It is
mooted that the water supply for Winnipeg may at some fu-
ture time be brought from some point on the bend of this
river.
15
The upper part of Luke Winnipegosis (not shown on the
map) is only separated from Cedar Lake, through which the
waters of the great Saskatchewan flow, by a narrow neck of
land, some six miles wide. All the waters of Manitoba unite
in Lake Winnipeg with those of the Saskatchewan, and flow
out through the Nelson River to Nelson Bay on the Hudson
Bay.
(b) As the immense fields of ice of the glacial period
gradually melted on the south, the waters, forced to find a
way of escape, cut into the soil, forming the channel of the
Assiniboine, a natural depression between what is now called
the Hiding Mountains and the elevated land south and west
of Brandon. Torrents of water must have rushed down the
Assiniboine, as well as its branches, the Shell River, the Bird
Tail and the Little Saskatchewan, the banks of which are
alike high and strewn with boulders. The soil, mould and
shale having been chiselled out and washed away by the force
of the rushing waters, were carried down and deposited as silt
in Lake Agassis, forming part of the rich alluvial loam, so
well known in the Red River Valley. The clay thrown out
of sewers 10 feet deep in Winnipeg to-day, when left to dry,
can be separated with a table knife into layers like the leaves
of a book, showing that it was formed by continuous layers
of sediment, washed down ages ago.
The Valley of the Pembina River had its origin in a
similar manner, being the outlet of Lake Souris, as already
explained. The valleys of the Wilson and Valley Rivers
were formed at a later date, as the ice fields receded north-
wards.
CLIMATE.
The climate of Manitoba, given briefly as follows, may
lead to many interesting discussions: A sharp, frosty winter,
Avith thermometer dropping, at rare times, to 40 degrees be-
low zero, with no thaw from the 1st of November to the be-
ginnig of March. The sun's rays then gradually melt the
snow, which had fallen to the depth of 18 inches, and by the
1st of April all the snow is gone. April and May Spring
weather, dry for seeding. June The rainy month, suppos-
ed to rain nearly every day in the month; enormous growth
of vegetation. July Showers ; great growth continues.
August Ripening of harvest. September Harvest ; no
more rain for the season. October Frosts at night, gradual-
16
ly hardening, until the frost-bound fetters are once more upon
us, by the 1st November.
Now, although true for some seasons as a whole, and ap-
plicable to many parts of the season each year, yet it is gener-
ally admitted that any one, and even all the conditions may
be changed. We have had a thaw in January, rain in Feb-
ruary, snow in April and May, no rain in June, continued
wet weather in September, even until the snow-fall in No-
vember.
However, the fact remains that we have clear, cold
weather in winter, with a very dry bracing atmosphere, that
our spring time in April and May is delightful, that June and
July give us our summer rains, our pastures and hay, and the
promisa of our great crop-, that August and September see
our hay and harvest safely gathered into stacks, and October
prepares us for winter.
The influence of the broken land and forest to the east
of the Red River, the great extent of lake surface all sur-
rounded by belts of timber in the north, as well as the bluffs
and lei's of timber in the central parts of the Province, and
especially on the mountain elevations, have a most beneficial
effect on the rain fall. It is only the south-western part, the
part most removed from forest and lake influences, that in
some seasons suffers from the hot winds that sweep northward
from the great desert of Nebraska and the Dakotas.
The Lake Dauphin district east of the Riding Mountains
and nestled in between the high elevations of Riding and
Duck Mountains is influenced by the vast expanse of shallow
lakes to the east which are warmed by the sun's rays in the
day time, throwing off much heat at night, thus keeping the
temperature more even. It is also protected by the Moun-
tains breaking the cold winds from the west.
THE SOIL.
The soil of Manitoba in the Red River Valley is a rich
black loam, varying from 3 to 10 feet deep, very rich in
nitrogen, phosphates and potash, the elements necessary for
plant food. This soil, as already explained, has been formed
by deposits washed down from higher elevations, while the
Red River Valley was all a Lake or Inland Sea. On the
escarpments of the Mountain elevations are found numerous
boulders ; ravines leading down to valleys, are in most places
17
full of stones. The Murk soil on ilic upland varies from one
to live feet deep. In so in, j.hi.c-, ^ravel Hd^es are found
;in<l -hale crops out on the banks of many ravines. In the
soi.ih-we-i >f the Province, west of Souris, \\v find a light
smdy loam, which continues to get lighter until the borders
of the Province arc readied ; this is the northern extension
of the ureat Desert of America.
PRODUCTS.
Original :Furs of Wild Animals: Buffalo, Bear, Moose,
Klk, Wolf, Lynx, Fox, Beaver, Otter, Mink, Muskrat.
Present : Wheat, Oats, Barley, Vegetables, Small
Fruits Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Hogs, Poultry, Dairy Products,
1- i-h, also the furs of all the wild animals, except the Buffalo.
Glance with me once more at the map in Township 1,
Ranges 23 and 24, you see the small blocks colored black.
These represent sections where coal has been found.
Settlers in sinking wells for water struck the coal seams.
Settlers in the vicinity obtain coal here for their own use.
The coal mines proper are further west, located at the second
crossing of the Souris. The railroad is built thereto, and the
coal is put on board cars at the mouth of the shaft and car-
ried to all parts of the Province.
The shores of Lake Winnipeg abound with iron ore.
Salt springs are abundant on the shores of Lake Win-
nipegosis.
Exports : Wheat, Beef Cattle, Hogs, Butter, Cheese,
Furs and Fish.
Imports : Agricultural Machinery, Wagons, Binding
Twine, Coal Oil, Hardware, Dry Goods, Boots and Shoes,
Groceries, Medicines, Dry and Green Fruits, etc., etc.
RAILROADS.
That part of the Province already settled is well sup-
plied with railroads, having five separate Railway Corpora-
tions.
The Canadian Pacific Railroad (C. P. R.)
The Northern Pacific and Manitoba (N. P. & M.)
The Manitoba and North- Western (M. & K W.)
The Great North-West Central (G. K W. C.)
The Lake Manitoba Railway and Canal Co.
The Main Line of the C. P. R. entering the Province
from the east in Township 10, can be followed on the map to
East Selkirk, thence down to Winnipeg and away west to
18
Portage la Prairie, Brandon, Virden, leaving the Province
west of Elkhom, in Township 12. A Branch Line runs
from Winnipeg to Emerson on the east side of the Red
River.
The Pembiua Mountain Branch runs south from Winni-
peg to Rosenfeldt Junction, and thence west through South-
ern Manitoba to Morden, Manitou, Pilot Mound, Crystal
City, Killarney, Boissevain, Deloraine, on to Napinka.
The Glenboro Branch runs south-west from Winnipeg
to Carman, thence to Glenboro and on to Souris.
A short .branch runs from Winnipeg north to West Sel-
kirk. Another hort branch to Stonewall.
A branch runs from Brandon to Souris, Napinka, Melita
and westward to the Coal Mines at Estevan, in Assiniboia.
Another short branch line runs from Souris to Reston, in the
Pipestone district.
A short line extends from Rosenfeldt to Gretna.
The N. P. & M. enters the Province from the south at
West Lynne and follows the west bank of the Red River to
Winnipeg. A branch runs from Winnipeg to Portage la
Prairie south of the Assiniboine. Another branch runs from
Morris to Brandon.
The M. & K". W. runs from Portage la Prairie in a
north-western direction to Neepawa, Minnedosa, Binscarth,
&c., leaving the Province west of Harrowby in Township 21.
A short branch runs from Minnedosa to Rapid City, operated
by the M. & "N. W., which is called the Saskatchewan and
Western Railroad.
The G. !N". W. C. runs from Chater, six miles east of
Brandon, northward to Rapid City, and thence west to Ar-
rowton.
The Lake Manitoba Railway and Canal Co., known as
the Dauphin Railway, runs from Gladstone, in a north and
north-westerly direction for 100 miles into the rich Dauphin
district. The total railway mileage in the Province is 1,536
miles.
The towns on these lines of railway can be learned from
the map. Tes ! they should be learned and the junctions of
the different roads specially noted. Thus : What Junction
at Morris ? What at Portage la Prairie ? At Souris ?
It is of far more impc rtance to the youth of Manitoba to
know the railway junction?, tlie municipalities and the towns
in our own Province than to know the volcanoes of Central
America, or the towns on the Danube. Glancing at the
19
towns along the railroads, the figures inside the circle indicate
how many elevators for grain storage are located at that point.
CITIKS AND TOWNS.
Winnipeg, the capital of the Province, is situated at the
( onlluence of the Assinibnine and Red Rivers on the site of
OM Fort Garry. It has a population of 40,000. It is the
seat of the Local Government of the Province, and of the
Provincial Courts. It is the commercial, banking, legal and
educational centre of the Province. Its principal buildings
are the Government Buildings, Court House, City Hall, Post
Office, Manitoba Hotel, General Hospital, Deaf and Dumb
Irstitute, wholesale houses, churches, colleges and schools,
with many fine business blocks, as well as many beautiful
private residences. It has an efficient electric street car ser-
vice, water works, electric and gas light and telephone ser-
vice.
St. Boniface, on the east side of the Red River, opposite
"Winnipeg, has a population of 2,000. It has always retained
its French element in supremacy. It has a fine Hospital,
College, Academy, Convents.
Brandon, 133 miles west of Winnipeg, on the main line
of the C. P. R., has a population of 6,000. It is situated on
the south side of the Assdniboine, beautifully located on the
sloping bank. It is noted for its elevators and mills, its
water works, fine streets, town hall and post office. To the
north-east across the Assiniboine is the Brandon Asylum, and
to the north-west the Gc.vernment Experimental Farm.
Portage la Prairie, 56 miles west of Winnipeg, has a
population of 3,500. Ttft public buildings are the Home for
Incurables, its milfc and elevators. It is the market place
for the immense wheat crops that grow and ripen on the
Portage Plains.
Morden, a busy little town on the Pembina branch of
the C. P. R., has a hospital, registry office and a number of
elevators.
INHABITANTS.
A description of e < arly sottl< '<' Hudson Bay
Traders and the preset inhabitants verges so closely on his-
tory that we shall on y toueh up^n these very interesting
points.
The original in "mlntants were Vndians, over 10,000 are
ftill resident in Mr litohi. They have reserves in different
,
20
parts of the Province, and are hardly ever seen off their
reserves. The principal reserves are located on the map
with the letters
I.R.
These reserves have be en set apart under several Treaties
by the Dominion Government. Indian Inspector E. Mc-
Coll, of Winnipeg, visits each reserve at least once a year, and
not only distributes food, clothing, tools, seed grain, potatoes,
&c., but encourages them to undertake the cultivation of
land for their own benefit.
The Hudson Bay Company's Traders next claim our at-
tention. Some of these married the native Indian women.
Their descendants are now with us generally known as Half-
Breeds. In many instances after continued intermarriage
with white settlers and with the influence of civilization,
schools, &c., the distinguishing characteristics are no longer
noticeable. Some of our be^t citizens, energetic, successful
men and women have traces of Indian blood in their veins.
Shortly after Manitoba became one of the Provinces of
the Dominion, we have the rush of Canadians, of English,
Irish, Scotch, French, Mennonite, Icelandic and Scandinav-
ian settlers. Distinct colonies of some of these were formed
and they still maintain their customs and language, although
gradually giving way to the all prevailing power of the
English language, English laws, customs, etc.
The principal Colonies are : Mennonites in Rhineland ;
Icelanders, on the shore,-; of Lake Winnipeg and Lake Mani-
toba, in Argyle and in the Pipestone District ; Scandinavians
in Huns Valley, North of Minnedosa ; Crofters, near Pelican
Lake ; while many Jews as well as a number of Icelanders
and Scandinavians located in Winnipeg.
The total population of the Province to-day is estimated
in round numbers to be 200,000.
OCCUPATION OF SETTLERS.
The chief occupation of ths settlers is farming. The
wealth of the people is taken from the soil. Cities, towns
and villages are directly d^ pendent upon the produce of the
lands. Our lakes abound in fish, and at certain seasons of
the year a limited number find employment at our fisheries.
In conclusion, the topics touched upon and the facts
given herein should furnish subject n-atter for many inter-
esting discussions in the -school-room. Such discussions are
of ' much more value to pupils than an} memorizing of geo
graphical names.
THE STOVEL COMPANY,
PRINTERS,
WINNIPEG, MAN.
HART & COMPANY,
Booksellers and
. Stationers .
364 Main St., WINNIPEG, MAN.
McKellar, Hugh
Extended notes of an
address on the geography
of Manitoba
'E
POCKET
BRARY
