THE WESTERN PACIFIC RAILWAY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1529, 11 April 1887, Page 4

THE WESTERN PACIFIC RAILWAY

Tbe western portion of the great pro r| vicce of Canada has just been opened to settlers by a magnificent railway, — a railway wbichrunsin acont_nuoualinefor3oso and which connects the Atlantic and miles, Paoifio Oceans. On every side, too, it , reaches out mighty arms to bear north or sonth the wlshedfor settlers. Here the farmer may cultivate hiß fields to ad- > vantage— sore, too, \of being able to send ! his grain to distant markets ; and the ! sportsman will find game such as his soul desires on the great ranges of the , Canadian Alps. "We wil endeavor to give our readers some slight description of this new line, and of the country it openß, trusting that those who are tempted to try their fortunes m California or Florida may be led by it to prefer the far saf er and more profitable North-West of Canada. About eighteen years ago the British Provinces m North Amerioa were united ln a Federation, called the Dominion. One of the earliest ambitions of the new nation was to make a railway, within Canadian territory, that|.hould penetrate tbe Fertile North-West, and bear the products of their oountry to eastern markets. The Government commenced one, and had constructed seven hundred miles of rail when it was judged ad vie* able to resign it to a oompany, ' The Canadian Pacific,' who have at length oompleted lt, and will soon have steamers ready at its Pacific terminus to bear its grain, wood, copper, silver, gold, and ron to China, India, Australia, eto. Starting from Ottawa, the new portion of the line passes Nlplssin and other l»kes, and runs westward to the northern f. y ore of Lake Superior, outting its way f first through the mighty prlmreval rest, and then ascending till tbo blue ter lies far below, glittering m the 1 ; while from the gr ( at headlands _oh jut from the northern ohalu of . ontaina iu to the lake dash numbers of .arklins! cascades and from its many ands rise olouds of waterfowl. Then bridging great chasms and traversing wonderlul tunnels, the line runs on till it reaches its lake terminus at Port Arthur, on Thunder Bay. Starting thence it enters the old bunting ground of Trapper and Red Indian, rife with many a legend, and there opens before tbe traveller's gaze a thousand miles of level and rloh praiileß (the Red River Valley), and on either eide of the line are dotted villages or farms, smiling with plenty ; these continue till, at the foot of the Rocky Mountain., fields of grain are ohanged for well filled pastures. Now the line enters a great mountain land of 650 miles Id extent passing between gorges over-shadowed by tbe great ice-crowned hills, the Bockles. The line enters the mou-tainous province of British Columbia, by atcendtng the Bow River, about 160 miles north cf the boundary, to itß source ami_Bt the nummits of the main ranges. Itis carried then, by a pei feet marvel of engineering skill along the cataracts of the great Kicking Horse River, and climbß Btraight over the Selklrkß. It would be difficulty to describe the beauty of this mountain scenery. 'A sea of mountains' towering above the train when m the gorges, ' and crowned, says our aathority, by glaciers to whioh those of the Alps are inaighi Scant. From beoeath the clear green loe crystal cascades come down tbe mountain sides In enormous leaps. Forests of gigantic trees reaoh far up the sides of thb mountains ; great rivers tush through the dark gorges or widen into lakeß.'