TRAVEL TO THE HOMESTEAD

      One thing I like about blogging it the questions that appear in the comments. As a writer there are often things I do not include. A good question reminds me to fill out the story.

      I think two of the men had been out to the area the year before . A Mr. Jansen from Nebraska helped them find land. 

     A question was asked about transportation across the prairie. The move from Manitoba to Esk , Sask was about 700 miles. By 1905 , when they moved , some railroads had been constructed. So they were able to get within 40 miles of their homesteads by rail. 

     The railroad gave the homesteaders a good deal on freight. So  a person could get a boxcar and put all their belongings in it for transportation. So an amazing amount of freight could be crammed in one box car. So here's the list: machinery, household effects, clothing, a couple of horses , a cow, a few pigs and chickens, some seed grain , farm tools. 

     One person would be allowed to ride in this freight car so that when the train stopped the animals could be taken off to be fed and watered. Sometimes a second person would be sneaked into the freight car but this was risky as there were police watching for this activity. There are many stories about people hiding amongst the freight.

    The remainder of the family would travel as passengers. 

    When the train got to Watson ,Sask. the car was put on the siding and unloaded. Women and children stayed  with some of the freight while the men hauled material to the homestead. They went to their homesteads following some trails. They didn't have a map but there were survey stakes the could be used to tell where they were. 

    The men put up shelters and went back for more freight and family. 

     They worked hard to put up a house for the winter. Three types of houses were built. There were some trees that were big enough to make a log house. Some homesteaders built a sod house and some  clay house. 

     There was not much variety for food. They seeded some potatoes. They had eggs. meet was supplied by game that was taken. A few groceries were bought such as flour and a few other staples. 

    It was a very difficult journey and new life but they knew that it would be better than what they left. 

CHALLENGES

      One thing I forgot to mention in the last post where they were self sufficient and made most of their needs is that there was always someone who could make very good wine and beer. They didn't have laws about making spirits so that the government was able to tax them.

     My last post consisted of some research about the German emigration to Russia.

     Before I go any further , I must say that I'm grateful to Virginia Beihn for writing many stories down. Gottleib lived with them for about 15 years. Virginia was his granddaughter. Virginia passed away in 2012.  I am also grateful to Carollynn Leggott who has tirelessly worked on the genealogy. It's amazing what she has found. 

     Before I move on I described the clay houses they lived in. I'm assuming that somehow lumber wasn't available or was too expensive. The clay house was much warmer than a lumber house. If the clay house was properly maintained it would last 50 years or more. Walls inside were painted with calsomine every year so the inside was pleasant. 

      When Gottleib came to Manitoba he found some land to farm. Information I have says he came in 1889 but I don't think that is correct. He built a very small wooden house. I guess there was lumber available and he liked the idea of a wooden house. Wooden houses built at that time were very, very cold. They had two ply of lumber. The lumber dried and left cracks for the wind to blow through. 

     Later they found homesteads at Esk , Sask and all of them moved there in 1905. Homesteads were a government promotion to bring settlers to western Canada. A person would pay $10.00 and be given 160 acres of land and if they did certain improvements in three years it was their land. Gottleib took his little wooden house apart and took it to his homestead where he put it together again. Gottleib was 63 years old so he was quite old to begin farming in a new area. 

     Gottlieb was a leader. He brought all his children and their in-laws to Canada. They moved to their homesteads ahead of many necessary parts of a community. There was not railroad in the area. He was a devote Lutheran. He held church services in his house . He baptised babies and conducted funerals until a church was built and a minister began coming to the area. He donated the land for a cemetery. 

   I always wondered why Gottleib never had any brothers or sisters here. Why didn't he bring other relatives. I found out that he was the only one in his family who survived. He had two sisters who passed away in their 20's. 

     His wife died in 1911 and he went to live with his daughter. His little house was moved to his daughter's yard and used as a small shop for repairing harness. Later it was used by his son-in-law to make furniture...mostly rocking chairs. Today that little house is in a museum at Humboldt, Sask. 

    Gottleib died in 1929. He had the ability to look at a sick horse and the horse would get better. The day before Gottleib died they brought a sick horse to the back steps for Gottleib to look at. The horse got better but Gottleib died. This talent was believed to be passed from one generation to another alternating from male to female.