John Lowe secretary of the Department of Agriculture holograph 2pp. letter in French
Place Published: Ottawa
Date Published: 1879
Binding: No binding
8 x 10 inches. On Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada printed letterhead dated 9 Octobre {18]79 written in french. 2pp.
Contents of the letter in summary... Acknowledgment of receipt of a letter from the Feudatory of Guinchainville (this is a town in France), apparently visiting Prince Arthur's Landing, requesting maps and brochures related to mining lands in Canada, in particular in the province of Québec. As the Department of Agriculture Canada does not have such documents, he is directed to contact Dawson & Sons, Booksellers in Montréal, in particular for the Annual Report of the Geology Department.
John Lowe (1824-1913) newspaperman, civil servant, and farm developer. On 8 Feb. 1871 he was named temporary secretary of the Department of Agriculture, and on 7 May 1873 the appointment was made permanent. On 1 July 1888, he was appointed deputy minister of agriculture. In 1878 Lowe had persuaded his brother James, an affluent merchant in Manchester, England, to invest in Manitoba land and establish their sons on it to farm. He used his departmental contacts in Manitoba to acquire settlement lands and Métis scrip until, in 1879, he held 16 square miles, at the present-day village of Lowe Farm, and properties in town-sites nearby. By 1881 James had invested over $50,000 in the scheme with almost no return. Damage caused by early frost, drought, drainage problems, and fire was compounded by the evident unfitness of either of the Lowe boys for farming. Later attempts by John to market a “steam plough” and sustain an irrigation and drainage company would also fail. Lowe devoted all his personal and professional resources to an integrated national and personal goal: the peopling and development of Canada, particularly western Canada. Unfortunately for Lowe, the time was not ripe for the realization of his schemes, but he should be remembered for his talent, energy, and unshakeable belief in the future of Canada.
Good. Item #5857
$125.00 USD
$169.12 CAD