the passing of the frontier-第25章
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For a time the railroads east of the stockyard cities of Kansas City and Chicago divided up pro rata the dressed beef traffic。 Investigation after investigation has been made of the methods of the stockyard firms； but thus far the law has not laid its hands successfully upon them。 Naturally of late years the extremely high price of beef has made greater profit to the cattle raiser； but that man； receiving eight or ten cents a pound on the hoof； is not getting rich so fast as did his predecessor； who got half of it； because he is now obliged to feed hay and to enclose his range。 Where once a half ton of hay might have been sufficient to tide a cow over the bad part of the winter； the Little Fellow who fences his own range of a few hundred acres is obliged to figure on two or three tons； for he must feed his herd on hay through the long months of the winter。
The ultimate consumer； of course； is the one who pays the freight and stands the cost of all this。 Hence we have the swift growth of American discontent with living conditions。 There is no longer land for free homes in America。 This is no longer a land of opportunity。 It is no longer a poor man's country。 We have arrived all too swiftly upon the ways of the Old World。 And today； in spite of our love of peace； we are in an Old World's war！
The insatiable demand of Americans for cheap lands assumed a certain international phase at the period lying between 1900 and 1913 or laterthe years of the last great boom in Canadian lands。 The Dominion Government； represented by shrewd and enterprising men able to handle large undertakings； saw with a certain satisfaction of its own the swift passing from the market of all the cheap lands of the United States。 It was proved to the satisfaction of all that very large tracts of the Canadian plains also would raise wheat； quite as well as had the prairies of Montana or Dakota。 The Canadian railroads； with lands to sell； began to advertise the wheat industry in Alberta and Saskatchewan。 The Canadian Government went into the publicity business on its own part。 To a certain extent European immigration was encouraged； but the United States really was the country most combed out for settlers for these Canadian lands。 As by magic； millions of acres in western Canada were settled。
The young American farmers of our near Northwest were especially coveted as settlers； because they knew how to farm these upper lands far better than any Europeans； and because each of them was able to bring a little capital of ready money into Canada。 The publicity campaign waged by Canadians in our Western States in one season took away more than a hundred and fifty thousand good young farmers； resolved to live under another flag。 In one year the State of Iowa lost over fifteen million dollars of money withdrawn from bank deposits by farmers moving across the line into Canada。
The story of these land rushes was much the same there as it had been with us。 Not all succeeded。 The climatic conditions were far more severe than any which we had endured； and if the soil for a time in some regions seemed better than some of our poorest； at least there waited for the one…crop man the same future which had been discovered for similar methods within our own confines。 But the great Canadian land booms； carefully fostered and well developed； offered a curious illustration of the tremendous pressure of all the populations of the world for land and yet more land。
In the year 1911 the writer saw； all through the Peace River Valley and even in the neighborhood of the Little Slave Lake； the advance…guard of wheat farmers crowding out even beyond the Canadian frontier in the covetous search for yet more cheap land。 In 1912 I talked with a school teacher； who herself had homestead land in the Judith Basin of Montanaonce sacred to cowsand who was calmly discussing the advisability of going up into the Peace River country to take up yet more homestead land under the regulations of the Dominion Government！ In the year 1913 I saw an active business done in town lots at Fort McMurray； five hundred miles north of the last railroad of Alberta； on the ancient Athabasca waterway of the fur trade！
Who shall state the limit of all this expansion？ The farmer has ever found more and more land on which he could make a living； he is always taking land which his predecessor has scornfully refused。 If presently there shall come the news that the land boomer has reached the mouth of the Mackenzie Riveras long ago he reached certain portions of the Yukon and Tanana countryif it shall be said that men are now selling town lots under the Midnight Sunwhat then？ We are building a government railroad of our own almost within shadow of Mount McKinley in Alaska。 There are steamboats on all these great sub…Arctic rivers。 Perhaps； some day； a power boat may take us easily where I have stood； somewhat wearied； at that spot on the Little Bell tributary of the Porcupine； where a slab on a post said； 〃Portage Road to Ft。 McPherson〃a 〃road〃 which is not even a trail； but which crosses the most northerly of all the passes of the Rockies； within a hundred miles of the Arctic Ocean。
Land； land； more land！ It is the cry of the ages； more imperative and clamorous now than ever in the history of the world and only arrested for the time by the cataclysm of the Great War。 The earth is well…nigh occupied now。 Australia； New Zealand； Canada； even Africa； are colonization grounds。 What will be the story of the world at the end of the Great War none may predict。 For the time there will be more land left in Europe； but； unbelievably soon； the Great War will have been forgotten； and then the march of the people will be resumed toward such frontiers of the world as yet may remain。 Land； land； more land！
Always in America we have occupied the land as fast as it was feasible to do so。 We have survived incredible hardships on the mining frontier； have lived through desperate social conditions in the cow country； have fought many of our bravest battles in the Indian country。 Always it has been the frontier which has allured many of our boldest souls。 And always； just back of the frontier； advancing； receding； crossing it this way and that； succeeding and failing； hoping and despairingbut steadily advancing in the net resulthas come that portion of the population which builds homes and lives in them； and which is not content with a blanket for a bed and the sky for a roof above。
We had a frontier once。 It was our most priceless possession。 It has not been possible to eliminate from the blood of the American West； diluted though it has been by far less worthy strains； all the iron of the old home…bred frontiersmen。 The frontier has been a lasting and ineradicable influence for the good of the United States。 It was there we showed our fighting edge； our unconquerable resolution； our undying faith。 There； for a time at least； we were Americans。
We had our frontier。 We shall do ill indeed if we forget and abandon its strong lessons； its great hopes； its splendid human dreams。
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
ANDY ADAMS； 〃The Log of a Cowboy；〃 1903。 〃The Outlet；〃 1905。 Homely but excellently informing books done by a man rarely qualified for his task by long experience in the cattle business and on the trail。 Nothing better exists than Adams's several books for the man who wishes trustworthy information on the early American cattle business。
GEORGE A。 FORSYTH； 〃The Story of the Soldier；〃 1900。
GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL； 〃The Story of the Indian；〃 1895。
EMERSON HOUGH； 〃The Story of the Cowboy；〃 1897。
CHARLES HOWARD SHINN； 〃The Story of the Mine；〃 1901。
CY WARMAN； 〃The Story of the Railroad；〃 1898。 The foregoing books of Appleton's interesting series known as 〃The Story of the West〃 are valuable as containing much detailed information； done by contemporaries of wide experience。
FRANCIS PARKMAN； 〃The Oregon Trail；〃 1901； with preface by the author to the edition of 18991。 This is a reprint of the edition published in 1857 under the title 〃Prairie and Rocky Mountain Life；〃 or 〃The California and Oregon Trail；〃 and has always been held as a classic in the literature of the West。 It holds a certain amount of inf
