Homesteading 



been able to get an empty car to load for two 

 days," was his next remark. 



" Hard luck for you and me too," said I, and 

 then added, " How comes it ? " 



The elevator man paused for a moment and 

 then looked at me, and perhaps feeling a touch 

 of sympathy, remarked : 



" Sit ye down a bit, and I'll tell you. Guess 

 you are new in this part, but, you see, at this 

 time of year there is always a rush to get the 

 stuff on the market, so shortage of cars is no 

 new thing ; but this year the winter has set in 

 early and the lakes are frozen up, so the elevators 

 at Fort William and Port Arthur are full, or pretty 

 near. Then, you see," he went on, " there's 

 been some snowdrifting, and you can't work 

 the traffic through such weather as we have been 

 having the last two weeks same as you can when 

 it's more moderate. Anyway, there's no cars, and 

 that's all there is to it." 



" Any room in the other elevator ? " I asked. 



" Not much, I reckon, but you might try him," 

 he replied. 



I glanced round the little office, and noticing on 

 some shelves bottles containing samples of grain, 

 asked, " Do those represent the Winnipeg grades ? " 



" You bet," remarked the elevator boss, though 

 I thought with rather a cynical air ; and getting 



i68 



