NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12772, 20 April 1910, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A Canadian Rural Financier.

I Finance is not always in the city. Sometimes its art is discovered, says the "Toronto Monetary Timee,' among the wheat ears and the grasses. Eighteen years ago,- -E. A. Guillemin left the shdres of France and planted himself and twelve shillings z-X Forget,. Saskatchewan. French was .not much spoken, in- the West, so the new citizen worked under a double disadvantage, language and lack of capital. But three dollars is capital , though small. From him the Go /eminent wanted £2 before his homestead could be filed. Guillemin borrowed 28s and began building a fortune. First he boUght land, paying 12s an r.cre. Presently he had acquired the iitle to 15 quarter sections, or 2400 acres. Canada began to march ; so did land values. Guillemin soon had secured 50 quarter sections, paying anything from £1 12s to £3 per acre. He has now' reached, the selling stage, having disposed this year of seven quarter sections at £5 per acre. For 54£ days this fall he threshed wheat, and changed ' agricultural statistics by 50,000 bushels. Desiring to market his crop, thoj railway company had to give him a train to move 34,000 bushels. He obtained from each bushel from 84 to 87 bents. The other day he still had on j hand 16,000 bushels. As a side hobby he lias grown 30,000 bushels of oatS, 7000 bushels of barley, and 500 bushels of flax. In his spare moments he attends to 104 horses and a number of pattle, though since the railroad steel increased his land values, wheat growing takes most :time. Guillemin needs no longer to hire a threshing machine. This year he purchased one for I £520. This farmer financier figures that it haa already pair for itself j leaving a balance of £180 to be carried forward. His wheat has averaged 23 bushels to the acre, grading No. 1 and No. 2 Northern. In the past nine years he has harvested seven good crops, which says something for climate. His farm buildings are improved, £2000 having been invested by him in that way.