The Man Who Went to Canada to Make a Fortune in Wheat — and Came Back Broke
A local settler sold everything, hauled his plows and harvester north, and paid duty twice for the privilege of staring at an empty prairie. The lesson: the acres of diamonds were at home all along.
We have heard a great deal the past year or two of the Canadian "wheat lands," and the great influx of American families into the domain of King George V. A case came up very recently to demonstrate that other pastures are not always greener and that the person who goes to British Columbia expecting to find a fortune awaiting him in the unturned soil may be grievously disappointed.
Last winter when the snow was upon the ground a great many in this section took up lands in Canada. One man who did so left a few weeks ago to live upon his "wheat land." He went prepared for business, for he took along with him plows and a harvester and all kinds of American-made farm implements, for he intended to put his whole 320 acres into wheat. He took along $1500 besides the machinery. The first of the week he was at King's Gate waiting a replenishment of his exchequer from Sandpoint friends. He had been to see his land. As far as the eye could extend the only green thing that could be seen in all the dreary landscape was the man who had gone to Canada "to make his fortune in wheat."
He had paid duty upon his machinery and stock into Canada and now he has to pay duty back into this country again. His experience has been very costly. He has learned by hard experience what some others may learn by his example.
While it may be expensive to subdue the lands of this particular locality, real fortunes lie at the doors of those who are willing to supplant pine stumps with timothy and fruit trees. There is no reason for going to Canada. The same amount expended here will make a greater return. This is a better country to live in, ideal in its surroundings, a climate winter and summer hard to beat. Why chase the rainbow when "acres of diamonds" are at your door? — Pend Oreille Review.
“As far as the eye could extend the only green thing that could be seen in all the dreary landscape was the man who had gone to Canada "to make his fortune in wheat."”
The 1910 homesteader lured north by cheap Canadian land is the ancestor of every modern buyer who chases a distant bargain and discovers the costs — duty, freight, isolation — were the real price. The booster's answer, that the best land is the land you're standing on, is a pitch every small town still makes.
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