Golden Age, June 3, 1925

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Social and Educational , Western Canada as I Know it

Types of Immigrants ....

■ The Farmer’s Uphill Job ......

‘ Prairie Social Life ................. 554

COKROBOBATIVB EVIDENCES 01' ANTEDILUVIAN G1ANTS

Nephilim Quarry, near Damascus (Illustration)

The Ancient Invasion of Peru .

Stone Images of Easter Island (Illustrations) ........ 565

Finance—Commerce—Transportation

Standard Labor Houb As a Unit of Value

Early Markets in Canada . . . . ...... . . . 553

Soil and Vegetation in Northwest ............ 555

The War Boom and its Aftermath ............. 557

Fur Trader’s Paradise .......

Political—Domestic and Foreign

Zionism Will Never be Reversed ...

Hudson Bay Company an Empire .

Science and Invention

The Possibility ot Eternal Life on Earth

The Northern Lights ....

Radio Programs

Jerusalem will Broadcast June 1st .......

Travel and Miscellany

Texas Wolf Hunting

Hebrew University a Historic Spot .......

Religion and Philosophy

The Philosophy of the Mass .............. 567

Items on Zionism

The Joy of the People..... .

What the Reign of Christ Means ............. 570

The Kingdom of Peace . .

The Highway of Holiness ............... 573

Studies in “The Harp of God" .........

Published every other Wednesday at 18 Concord Street, Brooklyn. N. Y„ U. S. A., by WOODWORTH, HUDGINGS & MARTIN

Copartners and Proprietors Address: 18 Concord Street, Brooklyn, N. V., V. S. A. CLAYTON J. WOODWORTH . . . Editor ROBERT J. MARTIN . Business Manager WM. F. HUDGINGS . . Sec’y and Treas.

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Entered as second-class matter at Brooklyn, N. Y., under tha Aet of March 3, 1879

Golden Ag e

Volume VI Brooklyn, N.Y., Wednesday, June 3, 1925 Number 149

Texas Wolf Hunting

WOLF hunting in Texas is great sport. One of the largest and most interesting fields is in the northwestern part of the state, near Shannon in what is known as the Hillhouse district. There the wolf hunters live in three sections about five miles apart, and each has a pack of from five to a dozen wolfhounds of the Walker breed, developed at Ann Arbor, Michigan. These hounds are noted for their swiftness and remarkable endurance, though less keen of sense than the ordinary foxhound, and smaller in size, and white and black spotted.

The foxhound and the deerhound are less suitable for wolf chase because too slow of speed to tire the wolf. It would be an all-night drive and no capture. Wolves are hunted only at night and during moonlight, when the hunters can see them cross the roadways along the runways, and encourage the pack to attack. At a shout from a hunter the whole pack of dogs, of from half a dozen to a dozen or more, simultaneously charge the wolf and bring him down and to his finish.

There is the common prairie wolf that plays . the dogs for hours within a radius of some five or six miles square, and seems to enjoy the sport. The dogs are trailing at his heels, and thrilling the hunters and the ranchers with their hayings. This is sweet music to every hunter. This wolf is comparatively small, not much larger than the sneaking and detestable coyote, and is not dangerous, but a prowler nevertheless, and a marauder on small farm animals and poultry. He has swiftness and endurance.

Then there is the larger and more savage and dangerous lobo wolf, which when driven by a pack of dogs in the daytime, takes a straight line out of the country for a hundred miles or more. The result is a loss of the dogs in all probability, since they cannot find their

By J. A. Bohnet

vTay home or are stolen. Often it is necessary to phone all over the country to recover the dogs.

It is for this reason these wolves are hunted only at night, when they play about the homeland sections for hours with the pack trailing along behind. These wolves are clever; for often when a wolf has led the pack a long while, a fresh wolf crosses the trail in full sight of the dogs and turns them away from the tiring wolf.

But in the event that a tiring wolf is on what is called his death-run and is panting hard from exertion, no dog will leave his trail, but goes on and drives him to a stand under somebody’s house or barn or into a pond of water or other refuge of shelter. There he can face the dogs, and snap at them when unable to attack him to advantage or from his rear.

Sometimes a dog gets so far behind the pack in chase that a lone wolf comes in from the side and cuts him off from the pack. This cut-off dog sets up a mournful howl which immediately brings back the whole pack to his rescue, and gives the jaded wolf a rest.

Sometimes the pack will take after the interfering wolf if the first wolf was not on the “death run”. A cut-off dog is sometimes attacked by the interfering wolf, and does not last long.

The lobo wolf fears not one or two dogs. Even a coyote will turn on a single dog. But a mere poodle can chase it out of sight of a man or of a house; then back comes poodle.

Wolves roaming about will never pause in a valley or lowland between hills. They go on to the top of the next ridge or hill, whence they can view the back trail and the surrounding country. One cannot sneak up oip the animal with a gun; for he lies in wait upon an eminence of some kind.

On a moonlight night some wolf-man releases his pack of dogs at one end of the wolf

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range. Immediately they start a wolf down the range. The wolf-man phones to the next wolfhunter, some miles away, simply saying, “They are coming!” .

This man understands that the dogs are in pursuit of a wolf headed in his direction, and that he is to wait- until the chase is opposite his place before he releases from his corral his pack of fresh dogs to hustle the wolf. His dogs are crazy with desire for release; for they have heard the oncoming pack’s merry noise, and they jump about the wire enclosure anxious for the fray. x

The owner throws ©pen the corral gate; and away goes the second pack to join the first. After listening awhile to the din of dog chorus, he hastens to the phone and advises No. 3 wmlf-man to turn loose his pack. Then he gets on his horse to be at the rtmway on return of the wolf, and shout the pack to a united and simultaneous attack. -

The wolf is hustled by the fresh dogs. The first pack being somewhat wearied, drop behind but keep up their cry and continue the chase. It is then that a fresh wolf crosses the line and switches off some or all of the dogs.

People throughout the country round about stand in front of their homes and listen to the baying of the hounds, of which there may be twenty or more. The wolf seeks refuge. lie has stopped repeatedly to snarl at the little dogs and to show his teeth. Now he is weary and must find a shelter.

Before the pack came up to him, he sought to throw them off the trail by going into what is called a “scald”, a place of dry, hard shale rock on which he leaves no. scent. These places are often many acres in extent. The dogs are checked and puzzled to pick up the trail. The wolf has gained perhaps a mile or more, and incidentally a period of rest.

But soon the pack‘is in full swing again, hot on his track. They see him now and again; they draw closer and closer. Presently the foremost dog nips at him and darts away. A second dog nips him in the flank, and he puts on an extra? spurt of speed to get away from his tormenters.

He dare not stop to engage one in a fight lest the whole pack jump upon him all at once. He seeks shelter, and holds off the dogs until some person appears on the scene and with a yell of encouragement to the dogs brings about the fatal charge. Then the wolf is brought down and bitten to death.

Several of the dogs, are often lacerated by the wolf’s sharp teeth. One dog I know of, whom they call Logan, has been ip at hundreds of deaths and is frightfully battle-scarred. He runs the trail without uttering a cry until in sight of the beast, when he opens up and everyone knows that the pack is,, as the hunters say, “right at ’im.”

It is then the music is supreme, every dog doing his best to out-yelp the others. ‘This is real music to the wolf-hunter; he enjoys it above everything else, even his beloved tobacco. A Avolf-hunter can out-talk and out-spit any three ordinary men.

An experienced wolf-man will thrust his hand into a wolf’s den, and drag the animal out by its hind legs; or he will fasten a rope or cord as a slip-knot over its head and around its neck with the aid of a forked stick, and then drag it out for the dogs to tackle.

It is reported that at Archer City, Texas, there is a man who keeps a greyhound and a bull-dog. Early one morning he drove his car and his dogs into the country, and at sight of a -wolf he turned the dogs loose. The greyhound speedily overtook the Avolf, and held it at bay until the bull-dog came up and fastened itself on the wmlf’s neck. Then the wolf was bitten to death by the greyhound. The city boys v-ere informed and went out and skinned the wolf, and were about $10.00 ahead on the sale of the pelt and the bounty. The boys love that man.

Wolves frequently come into town early in the morning, and catch the chickens as they fly off their tree roosts; for down there no hen houses are provided. The chickens all roost in the trees, and are easy prey to the ventur-sorae wolves at daydawn, while the people are still asleep, as the wolves seem to know7.

The writer enjoyed one of these thrilling hunts, but missed the thrill of being in at the death. The morning following, the wolf was killed by the dogs in the very yard of the house m which the writer was to sleep that night. There is no night sound so thrilling as that made by a dozen dogs in a wolf chase. One of the wolf-men kept twenty dogs. Wolf chasing was his hobby and his living.

A mistaken idea is prevalent that prairie wolves in number will attack human beings at night. Not so. Even timber wolves as a rule need not be feared in this respect, except when driven to it by extreme hunger. Russian wolves are an exception, and possibly the northern Canada wolves. It is also generally supposed that when chased by wolves at night and one (or more) of the pursuing animals is shot, it will check the remaining band which halts to devour the slain one. Ask the Indian about this and he will tell you: "Injun no cat Injun. Wolf no eat wolf!” And the redman knows, if anyone does. It is doubtful if even the puma (panther), called cougar, will attack any human being larger than a small, lone child.

But do not get in the way of a grizzly bear. The grizzly fears nothing but the panther, which hops on and off its back and claws deep into its shaggy coat of hair to the skin beneath at every such leap, and which is agile enough to keep away from the powerful forepaw of the big bear.

Standard Labor Hour as a Unit of Value By w. c. s. Blank

IT IS well known that reasoning from false premises leads to wrong conclusions. This sort of reasoning is just the trouble with most bf the writers on this New Monetary System which they attempt to elucidate.

Wc must examine this New Monetary System from the standpoint of the new earth and not from the standpoint of the world’s present system—dollars and cents, pounds and pence, francs, marks, rubles, etc. This system must pass away in toto before a new and righteous system can be set up.

No tinkering witli a corrupt and unrighteous system can make a right one. If we should put new wine into old bottles, the bottles would burst, and the new wine be lost. Therefore no part of the old system can be used. “Behold, I make all things new.”—Revelation 21:5.

It would seem that the time for making some of the new things would be shortly after the destruction of the old, and that right early in the morning; for the destruction will be worthy of calling attention to Psalm 46. “Every plant, which my Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.”—Matthew 15:13.

We are also told that the love of money is the root of all evil. And who is there who does not love money, with the necessary things of life that it enables us to enjoy?

I dare venture the assertion that when this world’s system of money and finance is rooted , up, there will be found on every root of the plant the teeth and the claws that have brought distress upon the present order of society ; and that the rooting up of the plant will constitute the actual binding of Satan. (Revelation 20:2)

It will actually deprive him of his power to deceive.

But what can be instituted as a medium by which the products of man’s labor may be exchanged throughout the earth? For the government to be a world-wide government and a righteous government, the system must be right. Let us consider:

(1) We have a man at maturity possessing physical and mental energy, skill and dependability, all to a normal degree. He may be a carpenter, a blacksmith, a railroad manager, a public instructor. Wherever his lot of labor falls, he is of that class of workers who possesses normal capacity; and this entitles him to a classification as a Class A, or standard workingman, sixty minutes of whose labor would constitute a standard labor hour.

(2) Workmen falling short of the standard, or A Class, in energy or skill or dependability, $ would naturally fall into Classes B, C, 1), etc., according as the percentage (say ninety percent, eighty percent, seventy percent, etc.) of labor which they perforin in sixty minutes, bears to the standard labor hour, of which Class A is the standard.

(3) All service less than standard must be reduced to standard labor hours, or fraction thereof, by percentage.

To illustrate: John works 48 standard hours in a week and his product is marked 48 S. L. II.; or in other words 48 standard hours is the selling price of John’s product of 48 standard hours. Do not attempt to reduce hours to dollars. It cannot be done. James works the same number of time hours as John; but James is a Class. B worker, whose sixty minutes hour of time is rated but ninety percent of standard. Therefore James’ would be 43.2 standard hours, instead of 48.

Now having the. standard or unit by which all service can be valued, and having the product of that service marked Avith its standard labor hour cost, we are ready to exchange one product for another of like standard labor hour cost in any part of the world. But how can we manage to do this conveniently ? May wc here borrow the form, but not the. evil power, or the substance of our United States dollar?

Instead of dollars we print standard labor hours on our demand note—1-2-5-10-20-50-100-500 standard labor hours, as the case might be; and thus we have a standard labor hour currency in convenient denominations with which 'to pay for service and facilitate exchanges of commodities, eliminating all profit, and making the standard labor hour the unit of value, instead of the money units now in use..

The Possibilities of Eternal Life on the Physical Plane

By Dr. Paul E. Kold, President of The National Academy of Naturopathy, New Yorh:

IN THE opening chapters of the Divine Revelation we are’told that in the beginning God created man perfect, in His own image, perfect mentally, morally and physically, placed him in a perfect environment, and provided for him perfect life-giving food. Under these favorable conditions man was put on trial, to determine his fitness to receive the benefits of eternal life. The record is that he failed. The sentence, “dying thou shalt die,” was enforced; and the consequences of that penalty passed down to his posterity, so that there is “none perfect, no not one.” The law of heredity reigns supreme.

The Curse—Its Practical Enforcement.

OTTI the Scriptures and science agree that “as a man thinketh in his heart so is he”;

and here we find the beginning of that degeneration that caused the fall of man. As long as Adam and Eve, his mate, were in harmonious mental and spiritual relation with their Creator, as long as the mental law of love, and its fruits, faith, hope, peace, patience, joy, etc., reigned supreme, their equilibrium was maintained; and life in fullest measure was expressed.

The downfall of Adam and Eve was caused by the undermining and overthrow of their mental stability, by subtle suggestions of the adversary, “Thou shalt not surely die,” etc., which displaced their faith with doubt, and thereby opened the way for the overthrow of hope, patience, peace, joy, and love and the bringing in of qualities of despair, impatience, worry. sorrow, and hate, finally culminating in the disobedient act, the eating of the forbidden fruit. Mental thoughts always precede physical acts;’ and thus the degeneration of the race started with wrong thoughts which, expressed in physical violation of natural law, produced destructive consequences.

The Expulsion from Eden

rpiIE next step that brought on the enforce-ment of the penalty of death was the expulsion from Eden, the withholding of the perfect food, and the removal to uncongenial environment. “And the Lord God said, Behold, •the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever; therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden.”—Genesis 3: 22, 23.

Driven out info the crude, unprepared barren parts of the earth, and in this uncongenial environment forced to subsist on food that was poisonous, chemically unbalanced and hence unfit to supply their physical requirements, they began slowly to die. Yet their perfect organisms were such that they survived almost a thousand years. But since the Flood and the coming of the Glacial Age, the race has had other factors to contend with. The great icecaps in the polar regions, which.geologists tell us extended far into the temperate zones, produced a serni-dormant condition, inhibiting.the normal life processes. . The releasing of ahno.iv mal amounts of nitrogen into the atmosphere,

as a result of the disintegration of the millions of human and animal bodies, thereby diluted the oxygen content, and cut short man’s life span from almost a thousand to less than forty years. Thus we see the consequences of the fall, the practical enforcement of its penalty, and the obstructions to the attainment of eternal physical life on earth. .

The Possibilities of Eternal Physical Life Now

S MAN’S downfall began with the overthrow of his mental equilibrium, the first step necessary for. his restoration is that he should know the truth. As Jesus said: “The truth shall make you free”—free from the defiling influences of selfishness, hate, doubt, despair, worry, impatience and anger. Even science now demonstrates that these have a direct destructive influence on the tissues of the body. Man must come back into atonement Avith his Creator through the Mediator provided by love divine, and thereby gain that “peace of God that passeth all understanding”, love supreme reigning in his heart and mind, prompting to cheerful, willing obedience to the laws of God. Thus we shall reach the ideal conditions for perfect mental, moral and physical restoration.

Biology teaches us that all living organisms are made up of an infinite number of livingunits called cells. These cells are the focal points for all the vital phenomena of the body. In these centers the creative force of the mind controls and causes the transmutation of matter from its crude state into the highly organized living protoplasm. The mind brings about this creative act through the medium of the mineral salts, and the utilization of the carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.

Thus Ave find that there are three primary life functions performed in the cells; the functions of nutrition, elimination, and innervation. As long as these three biological functions are normal, perfect ecpiilibrium or health prevails; but any interference with them produces disease or disharmony.

Conducting researches into the causes of natural phenomena, natural science now tells us that all matter is composed of fundamental units called electrons, which are but vibrations or electrical charges in the primary substance, ether; that these charges or electrons, are of different polarity, positive and negative. The electron is the negative unit, and the proton the positive unit. These, being drawn together by the operation of the law of attraction, form the chemical unit known as the atom. Science now states that the number of electrons in the atom determines the substance, or element.

The science of naturology and the art of naturopathy are giving to the world the truth as it relates to our physical life. Basing its deductions upon the foregoing facts of revelation, natural science and biological phenomena, this science inculcates obedience to natural law, stating as its fundamental proposition that disease (disharmony) is caused by the violation of the laws of nature. These violations bring about the inevitable consequences, chief of which is interference Avith normal nutrition.

During the last ten years more progress has been made in the scientific (truthful) understanding of diet than at any time since the Flood, and we are now in possession of facts that would revolutionize the world if generally applied.

Science has further discovered means to rid the earth of its cloak of nitrogen by restoring it to the soil, thereby enabling the production of unlimited quantities of food. Further,, in the resurrection of the billions of humanity, the nitrogen will be utilized, and thus the atmosphere will be fully cleansed.

The Glacial Age is fast drawing to a close. Arctic and Antarctic explorers tell us that great ice floes are breaking up and drifting towards the equator; and that places are now accessible that were formerly ice-bound. Scientists have even suggested the possibility of disrupting the remaining ice-caps, and thereby bringing about their rapid disintegration.

Thus Ave see the forces in action Avhich shall bring about that glorious consummation foretold by all the prophets since the Avorld began :

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ which before Avas preached unto you: Avhom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, Avhich God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the Avorld began.”—Acts 3:19-21. '

Western Canada as I Know It By J. Bogard

IN THE western part of Canada there is an immense area of prairie land, approximately 760,000 square miles in extent. Most of this, especially in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, has in recent years been opened to settlement by homesteaders.

About fifteen to twenty-five years ago the United States, Eastern Canada, England, and other countries to some extent, were flooded with circulars and literature describing the wonderful opportunities awaiting settlers in Western Canada. The circulars had highly colored pictures showing fields of grain growing or standing in shocks, with herds of fine cattle and horses, well-improved farms, with gardens, good buildings, etc., set in a beautiful landscape, all seemingly intended to convey the thought that the original garden of Eden Avas located somewhere beyond latitude 49° and longitude 100° west from Greenwich.

People with things to dispose of, from the nomadic horse-trader to the real-estate dealer, or stock broker, or the "con” man with his wheel of fortune or peas under a shell at the County Fair, are usually fluent in describing the merits of their proposition. .

And while it was not a bad thing for the Canadian Government to offer free land to settlers or for the railroad companies to invite people to settle near their lines, yet the truth was only partly told; and many went there little understanding the difficulties which they were to face or the hardships to be endured before a permanent home could be established in that country.

Types of Immigrants

THE country was surveyed out in various sections and on set dates opened for filing. A land office was established in each district; and those wishing to take up land went there to file on their quarter sections.

The land office might be located at a place possibly 100 miles from a railroad. The town consisting of perhaps twenty-five people, a hotel, a restaurant, a lumber yard, post office, livery barn, a general store, with hundreds of miles of prairie stretching all around.

Some of the people coming to file on the land would arrive as many as six days before the date of opening. Those first in line received first choice of land; and so they would wait all that time in line, day and night, in order to be among the first to select their homesteads. It was necessary to have some one to bring food to them and to change places with them in order to hold their places in the line.

The people who came were a varied lot, from every walk in life and from every nationality. Some were doctors who had failed to make good; others were lawyers who had not finished their course of training because finances had run short, or something of that sort; while some had had a love affair which had turned out badly and who had come west to forget it.

There were also men with families who had been farming in some other section, or laboring men from the towns who wanted to get back on the land again. There were still others who came from England, and who had been somewhat reckless and a disgrace to their families. In order to get rid of them their relatives had supplied them with money to come to Canada. .

Then there was another type of man—the one with a blanket strapped on his back and all his luggage tied up in a red handkerchief. He had only one outfit of clothes, and did not expect to discard it until it was worn out. He took a bath only when he was caught in a rain storm or when he accidentally fell into the river. But he Avas the man who usually proved up on his homestead. He had nothing to care for; his living expenses were almost nothing; and he Avas as free to come and go as the prairie Wind or the birds flitting across the blue sky above him.

Canada, like other countries, is ruled by a financial group in connection vrith self-seeking politicians and the usual complement of clergy to say amen to their doings. In order for the alluring dividends of banks, railroads and manufacturing companies to continue, there must be a large class of Avorking people to produce things and to sen’e as customers. It was the need of sheep from Avhich to clip the golden fleeces, and not a purely benevolent desire to give homes to the poor, which prompted the spending of hundreds of thousands of dollars for immigration propaganda and actiAuties.

Land Office Scenes

THE people coming to the land office used various modes of travel. Some came in wagons driving horses or oxen, some walked, and others used a raft of logs to float down a river or paddle their way in a canoe.

All who came got land; and there was plenty left over; the more desirable parts, of course, being taken first. The regulations regarding homesteading required each settler to clear and break thirty acres, build a house costing a minimum of $300.00, and live on the place six months of each year for three years. - If this was done satisfactorily, the homesteader received a deed for the 160 acres; and it was his own. ,

It wTas also necessary to make a payment of $10.00 at the time the land was filed on. Some facetiously remarked that the Government was betting 160 acres of land against $10.00 that the homesteader would not be able to stay three years. And it was true as often as not that the Government won the bet.

In about fifty or sixty percent of the cases, the first homesteaders left before the three years were up. Sometimes it was on account of loneliness on the wife’s part, sometimes because there were no schools for the children; but more often the homesteader left to avoid starvation, because his money had run out and he was not able to sell enough to buy the necessaries of life.- Many others had to leave- on account of inexperience, never having lived on a farm before; and, not being familiar with the work, they were unable to stand the rough life and the crude manner of living.

But the man with the blanket strapped on his back was not bothered vTith any of these difficulties. He would hire some of his neighbors to do the.breaking and build the house; and he would go back to work at a railroad grading camp or similar work, perhaps hundreds of miles awra.y, work there during the summer and live on the place during the winter.

He did not desire the land to make his home on it, but to get as much out of it as possible; and as soon as he got the deed, he would sell the land or mortgage it for as much as possible and let the mortgage holder have it. Then he would go to the nearest town, and enjoy himself as long as his money lasted.

The Early Markets

UT regardless of difficulties, the land finally became settled. Some came and others went, much of the land falling into the hands of mortgage companies, while some was not taken up at all. While people were coming in from other parts and bringing money with them, conditions were prosperous; but when money ceased to come in from the outside and it was necessary to live from the produce sold, things began to go wrong.

Crops were uncertain on account of drouth, or from frost coming before grain reached maturity, or from hail or other causes. Wheat frozen before it was mature wrts good only for pig or chicken feed, and was hardly salable; but it cost the farmer as much to raise as good wheat. Those who were still on their land lived in hope from year to year that the next year would bring a good crop. But when a good crop did come, they found that the price was so small that often it did not pay the cost of raising.

The grain had to be hauled from ten to sixty miles across the prairies and then the price received was only from forty-five to seventy-five cents a bushel. At the grain centers the price might be $1.00 or nearly so (the average price at Winnipeg for the period from 1900 to 1914 was a little less than $1.00 per bushel); but there were hundreds of miles of railway in between, and other charges for handling.

In addition, there were usually only one or two elevators in a town and the owners set the price to suit themselves, and of course it was not in the farmers’ favor. They were not out there merely to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the scenery or to do good to their neighbors; they were there to make as much money as possible. There was no danger of their hurting their consciences; for if they had any at all it wras so atrophied or withered away that it <iad practically ceased to function, or else was educated to operate only along lines that did not interfere with its owner gaining possession of a dollar that happened to come his way.

The Farmer’s Uphill Job

OMETIMES a farmer would come to town with a load of good wheat; and the elevator man would look at it and say: “That is No. 3 grade and is worth only forty-six cents today.” Then if the farmer refused to take that grading and price, and decided to go somewhere else, the buyer would telephone ahead; and when the farmer arrived, he would be offered the same or a little less. Then there was nothing for him to do except to take the money or to haul the grain back home to rot.

It -would hardly be fair, however, to give the Canadians credit for all the shrewdness along these Unes. Many communities in the U. S. have experiences along" similar lines, and sometimes on a larger scale. The “business man” usually has means of luring the elusive coin from the pockets of those -with whom he has dealings. When the farmer had a carload of grain, he could ship it to Winnipeg or some other point; and trusting himself to the tender mercies of the commission merchant, sometimes he could do a little better than at the local market.

Hogs and cattle were also cheap, the price received often being less than the cost of raising. Eggs usually sold at about twelve and one-half cents a dozen in summer and the money had to be taken up in trade at the store. Butter was often not salable at any price, and was frequently used for axle grease.

The farmer usually had machinery and other things bought on credit; and the interest was eight percent; taxes were also high; threshing cost quite a lot of money; and when the returns of the year were counted, it often found the farmer with a deficit of several hundred dollars. Then it was necessary to mortgage the farm and to hope that next year he would do better. If he was fortunate he might later pay off the mortgage and keep his home; otherwise he would lose it, and have to start again somewhere else.

Western Canada had been described in the immigration literature as a land flowing with milk and honey, but some of the homesteaders thought they found snowballs and boulders more plentiful.

The Farmer’s Wife

HE farmer's wife usually had a hard lot also. The houses were mere shacks of one or two rooms without accommodations of any kind. The water supply, if they were not fortunate enough to have a well, was usually obtained from a nearby slough or creek in summer, and from melted snow in winter. The men were too busy with the grain and other stock to look after the pigs and chickens; and these together with the garden, milking, and butter-making, looking after the children, cooking, washing, and other household duties were considered part of the wife’s domain.

There was a cook stove that burned wood, and had to be lighted three times a day to cook the meals; and it was not at all seldom that the wife cut the wood with which she made the fire. In winter, each morning found everything with moisture in it frozen solid. Water pails, cooking utensils—anything that had wTater in it—• had to be thawed out.

A woman accustomed to modern conveniences, hot and cold water in the house, steam heat, gas range, fireless cooker, electric washing machine and telephone, groceries and mail and other things delivered at the door, and plenty of time in the afternoon or evening to go shopping or to the movies, would perhaps find life a little unpleasant on a pioneer homestead in Western Canada.

Added to the foregoing is the loneliness of the vast prairies. Perhaps the nearest neighbors would be two or three miles away; and perhaps two or three miles farther on there would be another little shanty where someone lived. While the farmer was gone to market with grain or other produce, it was often necessary for his wife to stay alone and look after the stock, etc. The trips often took two or three days each way—four to six days for the round trip.

The Northern Lights shining brilliantly, flaring up and then dying away, give a weird aspect to the snow-covered country; and the dismal howls and plaintive wails of the coyotes in the coulees, or wooded ravines, add to the lonely feeling experienced.

Prairie Social Life

OCTORS and nurses were scarce, often being twenty or thirty miles or more away;

and in cases of sickness there was much suffering on account of lack of attention, which might otherwise have been avoided. Especially was this so in maternity cases; sometimes the doctor arrived after the child was born.

It was no unusual thing to see a woman in the field helping her husband to dig out stones,

n. QOLDEN AGE

Jtnb 3, 1925

or helping to dig a well or, at plowing and seeding time, driving a team attached to some farm machine. When working about the farm it was customary for women to wear overalls.

When times were hard and money scarce, which was most of the time, many were not able to buy sufficient clothing. In winter people often wrapped gunny sacks around their feet in place of overshoes.

At the neighborhood social gatherings there was sometimes a variety of costumes. Some who had brought good clothes with them when they came from other parts appeared quite well dressed; while others not so fortunate or more careless, wore their everyday clothes. Sometimes shaves and haircuts were noticeable on account of their absence.

Many of the homesteaders were bachelors, but in many cases not from choice. The life on the prairie did not appeal to most women, and they could not be blamed for that. But any unmarried women who chanced to stray into that section of the country did not stay single long, unless she wilfully and persistently determined to do so. Some of the people who lived there tried to bring in girls or women to do housework, but could not keep them; for they always married, in a short time, often in less than a month. .

At dances and other gatherings there were usually about six women and two dozen men, or about that proportion.

Sod Huts and Blizzards

THE houses of the first settlers were usually of sod or logs, consisting of one or two rooms. Sometimes they were built of logs and sodded up on the outside. In building with sod it was plowed up in long strips, cut into blocks of the size desired, and laid in the wall in much the same manner that stones or brick are laid. The roof was covered with hay or boards, and sodded over the top. A house built in this manner can be made quite snug and comfortable if properly constructed.

. However, it was often the case that there were cracks about the door or other places that made it unnecessary to install a patent ventilating system. In place of windows, a hole with a door to open or shut, served the purpose.

If one was fortunate, he might have a floor of boards in his hut; otherwise the floor would be the ground on which, the. house was built.

The winters, especially in the central and northern sections, are long and severe,, the winter temperature being normally about 20° to 30° below, although at times it gets much colder. When it is remembered .that the cold spells in the States are only the left-overs from the real thing in Canada, people living farther south can appreciate to some extent what winter cold there is like.

The only excuse which Moosejaw, Medicine Hat, Regina and some other places have, for occasionally breaking into print is to bear the distinction of being the coldest places in North America. Camrose and Red Deer held the title last winter, the temperature being*reported as reaching 59° and 62° below, respectively.

It is no uncommon thing for people to be lost and freeze to death in a storm, the sweeping drifting snow covering the trails and making landmarks indistinguishable. Sometimes persons, even those familiar with the country, go in the opposite direction from that intended or desired, having nothing by which to determine the directions. Sometimes, if one has a team or is riding horseback, it is best to let the animals pick the trail; for their instinct guides them to a place of safety better than does a person’s judgment.

Soil and Vegetation

IN THE southern parts of Canada the country is almost treeless; and in some sections it is necessary to irrigate in order to raise crops. North of the Saskatchewan river the country is wooded and considerably colder. When it is remembered that the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, are 750 miles from south to north it is easy to see that there is considerable difference in the climate. North of these are the Northwest Territories, extending to the Arctic ocean. Ranching is practised to a considerable extent in the southern part. There are many alkaline ponds which dry up in summer. Drinking water is hard to get in this section.

The soil of the prairie section is mostly quite fertile, and under favorable conditions produces good crops; but the extreme cold, together with drouth, hail, etc., as before mentioned, prove serious handicaps. The plains section, geologists tell us, was once the bottom of a great lake or inland sea, and this accounts for its being so level and also for its fertility. Northern Illinois, which is a very fertile farming district, was likewise once the bottom of an ancient lake.

The plains have rocks, gravel, sand, etc., left by the glaciers during the ice age. These also extend down into the Dakotas. In some places the rubbish is left to such an extent as to form high hills. Ofttimes sand for use in building can be dug out of the top of a hill, showing that it was left there by something more than natural erosion.

In fact, all Canada was covered with glaciers during the ice age; and in some places the granite rocks have been worn smooth by the ice in passing over. In other places hollows scoped out by the ice have filled with water and form the lakes which are so numerous in almost all parts of Canada.

The appearance of the prairie section is that of undulating meadows with rounded sloping ridges covered with short grass, with here and there a hill jutting out from the plain; while the rivers and the lakes with their clear water appear like ribbons and dots of silver on the great expanse of green and brown. In the Spring and early Summer flowers begin to spring up over the prairie—harebells, great daisies, sometimes a few tiger-lilies, and also the wild roses—crimson, cream, and white. The advancing Summer produces many species of the sunflower family, until in August the plains are one blaze of yellow and purple.

The Rocky Mountains, noted for their scenery, lend a charm to Alberta. Within a hundred miles of the mountains, there is constantly in view in clear weather, the beautiful line of snowy peaks on the western horizon. This continues for hundreds of miles northwestward. The peaks of these mountains are majestic, many of them reaching more than two miles above sea-level.

Canadian Humming-Birds

MONG the things with which the farmer had to contend was the mosquitoes, affectionately known as Canadian humming-birds. Coming in great swarms, they are a grievous pest to man and beast. Stories are told about New Jersey mosquitoes that were taken to Oklahoma and Texas and used to drill oil wells, replacing expensive machinery. Canada can hardly equal that • but anyway there were quantities of mosquitoes, and they were a great annoyance.

Cattle, horses, and other animals were almost driven to distraction at times, and it was necessary when the pests were at their worst, to build smudges about the barn and cattle lots, to smoke them away. Mosquito nettings were provided for the houses when possible; and it was also necessary at times for people to wear netting around their hats and over their faces for a protection, as well as gloves on their hands.

Mr. Edward West, in his book entitled “Homesteading: Two Prairie Seasons”, expresses his sentiments as follows:

“'A lovely summer evening when the wind has fallen seems the chosen hour for these hateful pests to sally forth in myriads, and their voracious attacks on the belated traveller appear truly diabolic. An immense amount of profanity, bad temper, and even serious accidents with teams, are probably due to this cause.”

The Northern Lights

PIE Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, is a phenomenon frequently seen, especially in the northern latitudes. A description in words cannot properly picture it to one who has not seen it.

It appears in various forms—sometimes as an arc, or as a sinous band, or as many rays of light shooting from a common center, and at other times as great luminous curtains hung in the heavens. ■

Edward West, before quoted, describes the Aurora as follows: '

“'Often they took the form of an arch of light with streamers shooting upwai’ds from it, which appeared and disappeared and rapidly varied in intensity. On other occasions the greater part of the northern heavens seemed to be hung with colored draperies, appearing and reappearing in ripples and wavelets of rosy vapor. The light spread over the sky in such a way that the moon and some stars were seen through it.”

Surely the pioneer settler may place the opportunity of viewing such beautiful and apparently harmless manifestations of the great Creator’s power against some of the difficulties and hardships of his life. And in this connection one may point out that, in spite of its strenuous character, the life offers to thoughtful minds many opportunities for the study of the wonderful phenomena of nature and their observation in many fields.

One is reminded of the beautiful lines of William Watson:

“When overarched by gorgeous night

I wave my trivial self away, And all I was in all men’s sight Shares the erasure of the day, Then do I cast my burdening load Then do I gain a sense of God.”

There have been many theories advanced as to the nature and cause of Aurora Borealis, but no one seems to have been able to demonstrate satisfactorily just what it is. The theory which seems most reasonable and which seemingly finds most general acceptance is that it is some sort of energy or electrical current emitted from the earth near the magnetic pole. Some say it is the ionization of the atmosphere by some cause or other emanating from the sun; others say it is a reflection from the sun shining on the polar ice. There are also other theories. The reader may take his choice.

Those who have been in the extreme north say that from that quarter auroral displays are most frequently seen in the south. An observer in Greenland says that often an auroral curtain was seen to approach from the south with considerable velocity and, passing directly overhead, to retire to the north. When the curtain was directly overhead it was observed to narrow to a thin luminous streak, as a vertical sheet of light would show to one passing underneath it.-

Some observers say that they have heard a sound accompanying the phenomenon, similar to the swishing of a whip through the air. It is stated that when an auroral curtain was approaching from the south, the needle of the compass deviated to the west; at the zenith it would vacillate and then, as the curtain passed, deviate to the east.

Prairie Grass and Prairie Fires

THE settlers found plenty of grass for hay and pasture. The upland grass, or prairie wool, as it is called, makes excellent pasturage,-while the longer grass growing along the sloughs or low places is more often cut for hay.

Prairie chickens and rabbits were plentiful; and many settlers provided most of their meat supply from this source. Being easily caught, they saved many a homesteader from the necessity of going hungry. The prairie chickens were especially plentiful in the Fall after the harvest, and could be easily trapped or shot in the wheat fields. There were also varieties of wild berries on the prairies—strawberries, raspberries, saskatoons, blackberries, etc.

Prairie fires were a menace to the homesteader. On a dry, windy day the grass easily catches fire; and once started, it was almost impossible to stop the fire unless the wind changed. Fire-guards wrere usually plowed about buildings and stacks; but these alone were not sufficient, unless a back fire rvas started against the wind.

When a prairie fire was raging, everyone turned out to fight it, using wet sacks to whip out the flames, plowing fire-guards, or using other means at their disposal. It was not an infrequent occurrence for a homesteader’s house and all of his possessions to be destroyed by a prairie fire. In such cases kindhearted neighbors usually assisted the unfortunate ones, and helped them to get started again.

When the Prince of Wales was on his visit to the United States and Canada last Summer, he spent a few weeks on his ranch in southern Alberta. Some of the newspaper despatches spoke of him as being an able farmer. Presumably his ability consists in being able to avoid doing any of the work about the place.

A person who can dance until 4 a. m., and play polo all day, smoking a dozen or so of cigarettes between times, must have some ability, even if it is not the kind that makes things grow out of the ground. There is quite a difference between a person’s being able to |iire all the wTork done on his place, with plenty of money to make up any deficits, and the real dirt farmer who supports himself and his family on what grows and what he gets for it at the market.

The War Boom and its Aftermath

IN 1914 the war broke out; and a few months later came a great increase in the price of grain and all farm products—cattle, hogs, butter, eggs, etc. Wheat went up to $3.00 a bushel; and the farmers of the west became prosperous. They were able to pay off their mortgages and other debts, and to improve their homes and general conditions.

The nations at wax- needed food; and the Government urged the people to go back to the land. They were glad to go, not only because some could thus keep out of the army, but also because it seemed a good chance to make money. Other commodities shared the price advance with farm products; machinery, already high, went up 100 percent, and other goods in proportion.

Many of the farmers bought more land, invested in machinery, horses and other equipment, and prepared to do business on a large scale. The farmers of the United States and Canada were told that they would have to feed the world for several years and that prices would continue high. They relied upon this and were preparing for several years of high prices; but in .1919, the year after the war ended, prices came down with a crash, in some instances lower than they had ever been before. In 1923 wheat was selling for fifty cents and less at the elevator.

The farmer who had invested money in additional land or equipment, or who had bought on credit, found himself in a hole. Interest was due on his debts; taxes were much higher on account of the large. sums spent by the G ov-ernment in the war; and his products were selling for less than it cost to produce them.

Trainloads of cattle were shipped out of the country; and in many instances when the farmer got his returns it amounted to only three dollars a head. Other things were selling in proportion. As a result all business stagnated; and many people found it necessary to leave and go to other places, where they could at least earn enough to live on.

Many of the farmers were unable to pay the interest on their debts; and as a result the mortgage holders had to foreclose. In most instances the mortgage companies would have preferred to have the money; but since the farmers could not pay, the only thing left to do was to take the land. At present seventy percent or more of the farms are held by mortgage companies. Surely this is not a very encouraging outlook for Western Canada.

In the latter part of last year, grain prices increased to some extent, due partly to crop conditions in other parts of the world and, possibly, partly engineered in the United States on account of the election.

No Earthly Eden Yet

IT IS the desire of most people to have a home and to live comfortably, in peace and happiness ; but often, as was the case with many of the Canadian homesteaders, their efforts end in failure. Since being driven from Eden on account of disobedience, man has been permitted to experience failures and disappointments in order to show him his need of God and of His supervising care.

The efforts of men for their own welfare and happiness, apart from God, can never be successful. The remedy which Jehovah has provided, and promised in His Word, is His kingdom. He says (Haggai 2:7): “I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.”

The "World MTar and events which have followed it have shaken the nations, and they will be still more shaken by the events yet to come. The thousand-year reign of Christ will bring the desire of all nations. The Prophet says that at that time wars shall cease; that men shall sit every one under his vine and under his fig tree; that none shall make them afraid, , for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. (Micah 4: 3, 4) The earth shall yield her increase. (Psalm 67: 6) The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.—Isaiah 35:1.

“Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” “In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endure th.”—Isaiah 55:12,13; Psalm 72:7.

Near the town of Lloydminster, on the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, a group of Englishmen settled. They came from England under the leadership of a clergyman by the name of Barr, and were called the Barr Colony. They were not used to farming and, of course, did not make a success of it. Like other immigrants they left England for various reasons, similar to those already mentioned.

It was reported that one who had just arrived, went out to milk a cow; and when he did not return with the milk after a time, one of the other men went to see what had happened.

He found the new-comer trying to milk the cow by using her tail as a pump handle. Another went to the store and got some pails to stand in when chopping trees, so that he would not cut his feet. It is only justice, perhaps, to say that all Englishmen are not like that; some are not quite so ingenious. '

Religious Observances

ONVENTIONAL religious observances do not form a very prominent part of the life of the prairie folk. This may be regarded as a bane or a blessing, according to one’s individual viewpoint. But the fact remains that the majority do not give much attention to religious matters.

It is necessary to have some one to perform marriage ceremonies and to preach at funeral services; and so a preacher somewhere about the community is considered desirable. The Roman Catholic Church has always maintained missions in connection with the Hudson Bay posts; and also the various Protestant sects have made some efforts to send representatives into remote districts.

The Church of England has a missionary arrangement for sending clergymen (usually young men who have just finished their ministerial training) into the western districts for a number of years. They are expected to serve several communities, and are furnished a horse, the feed for it being provided by some of the people whom they serve.

The salary paid by the Church is not sufficient for the support of these young men, the thought evidently being that they are to collect the balance from the people of their district. If the preacher happens to be a poor collector, or if his people are not generously inclined, he sometimes finds it necessary to go to work in the harvest fields or at threshing in order to help out his finances. '

I was staying once at a farmer’s home near the place where the meeting for the community was held. The farmer asked me whether I would go to the schoolhouse where the service was to be held, and start the fire. I gladly did so, although I was not a member of the Church, and had no thought of taking part in the service.

When the time came to partake of the Holy Communion, the preacher motioned for me to come forward. I hesitated, but he insisted,, and so I finally went forward and partook with the others. I did not know wdiat it wTas for, and had no idea what it was intended to represent, (in this probably not very different from the others present); and I must admit that I was never able to note any beneficial effects from it.

The young preacher was evidently more generous than the doctrines which he represented; for I was not a member of the Church, and was therefore destined to eternal torment, and had no right to partake of the Holy Communion, which was intended, only for the saints. .

The social activities of the average prairie community consist of frequent dances at the schoolhouse, occasionally a box social for raising money for some community need, a picnic or two in the Summer, and now and then a friendly visit between neighbors. -•

Loneliness, the great bane of prairie life, affects many. It is not an uncommon occurrence for a homesteader living alone in some remote place, to go insane from loneliness. In such a case the mounted police take him in charge, and the unfortunate one is removed to an asylum.

Peace River and Bunvegan

OME years ago the Peace River country began to be exploited. It was heralded as “The Last Great West.” It had been known as a fertile country for a number of years, but was so remote from railroad transportation that not many cared to settle there. .

In 1898 when the great rush to the Klondike gold fields began, the overland travelers outfitted at the nearest railroad point, and from there made the trip with horses or dog sleds. The route passed through the Peace River district; but the men were looking for gold, not for land; and they did not stop to take up claims, although many noted that it was a level country and that the soil was productive.

A. railroad now runs from Edmonton to Spirit River, a distance of about 400 miles. I have talked with men who have been in the country for forty or fifty years; and they say that previous to 1874 potatoes there grew only to the size of marbles on account of the short summers, but now potatoes grow to large size in favorable seasons. This shows that the climate is gradually becoming warmer. The Chinook winds from the Pacific have a favorable effect on the climate, which averages slightly warmer than the Edmonton district farther south, although it is more changeable.

The town of Dunvegan, in the Peace River country, was widely advertised for the purpose of selling lots. The promoter sent out literature showing the city as it was expected to be •—large buildings, electric cars, a big steel bridge across the river, a railroad, etc. Many people bought lots, thinking that some day they would be holding real estate in the center of a large city. -

It was an "upright deal”; for some of the buyers, when they located their lots, found them standing on end on the side of a mountain. It would have been an ideal-place for cliff-dwellers if there had been any, and if there had been some caves; but since there were neither, and the mountain was too steep to build houses on, no one could find much use for their lots.

If anyone had built a house on his lot, it would have been necessary to drive pegs into the ground and to tie up the baby and the cat and dog and other things about the place to keep them from rolling down into the neighbor’s yard. And if he had chanced to throw any garbage or tin cans into his back yard, they would have kept rolling until they reached the neighbor’s lot at the bottom of the hill. This would have caused much unfriendly feeling in the neighborhood, and maybe a lawsuit and some bad words.

Then the transportation problem was difficult. Perhaps an escalator or a scenic railway might have been built to the top of the slope. But that is indulging in fanciful speculations. It was not a good place to build houses, and no one wanted to live there anyway. The town was never built up; and Dunvegan stands today as it did forty years ago—a Hudson Bay store and a Catholic mission, a stop-over place for cross country travelers. The bridge, the business buildings, and the electric cars the promoter took with him when he left; for they existed only in his imagination, and I presume he carried that with him along with his other luggage.

“Sa/fin#” An Ore Sample

HERE was also a reported gold discovery in that district about three years ago. I happened to be connected with that personally.

A former Alaska gold-miner, while prospecting on Smoky river, thought that he had found traces of gold. He came to the town of Spirit River, where I was at that time, and formed a party to go down and locate the gold mine.

I happened to have some teams and a sled and camping outfit; so I was invited to join the party and take them down there. We made the journey of forty miles over almost impassible mountain cliffs, in the middle of the Winter, and finally located the spot where gold was supposed to be.

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