Canada in the Twentieth Century. 3 



then the French were ahead of the British. However, the turning- 

 point in the history of the country, so far as England was 

 concerned, came with Wolfe, and from then the story of the 

 country as a British possession began. Halifax and Quebec 

 were dealt with by Mr. Fisher, after which he alluded to 

 Winnipeg, the Western capital of the country, remarking in passing 

 that Mr. O. Smith would give every assistance to those going 

 West. He had been sometimes asked as to who should go to 

 Canada, and his opinion was that no one could possibly recom- 

 mend the country as a place where everyone could succeed ; it was 

 essentially not a country for idle people. The next aspect of the 

 country dealt with by the lecturer was the Western or wheat- 

 growing area, and in this part of the Dominion he emphasized 

 that the settler had no difficulty in clearing the land, but had 

 merely to open up the virgin prairie. The crop of wheat was not, 

 however, treated like that in this country, as after the threshing 

 the straw was burnt. The next places dealt with were Alberta 

 and Calgary, the lantern views giving an admirable representation 

 of the Rockies in the distance, Here it was formerly considered 

 hopeless to keep cattle, but at the present time there was a herd 

 of about nearly forty thousand cattle in Alberta. Proceeding, the 

 lecturer gave his hearers a graphic description of the rugged 

 grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, striking a pathetic note with a 

 reference to the last herd of buffaloes. The fruit-growing country 

 on the Pacific slope was alluded to, as was Fraser River, which 

 separates Columbia and Vancouver from the United States. 

 British Columbia was one of the most hopeful parts of Canada if 

 the Government had only the wisdom to preserve the forests. In 

 conclusion, Mr. Fisher reiterated what he had said as to Canada 

 being the place for hard work, but for the man who took a job 

 with the intention of seeing it through he could promise success, 

 and he could not better conclude than by quoting — 



The Sphinx that watches by the Nile 

 Has seen gieat empires pass away ; 

 The mightiest lasted but a while, 



