New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-29
rup c.NhD1 paCJFJC RAJLROAD


to the Pacific, to which it pledged itself when
British Columbia Joined the Dominion. The
thirty thousand inhabitants of British
Columbia demanded the railroad as the
price of their tardy assent to the
scheme of colonial confederation. Inc
price was ont of all proporuon
to the immediate or prospective value OF She
petty settlement that has grown up on anu ne''i
Vancouver's Island, but in the midst OF inc
exuberant good feeling and rosy an1clpatohs
that were awakened by the realization oil the
project of a union of the British North Amer
lean Possessions the Canadians agreed TO pay
il. When they came however, to race the
problem of constructing road across three
thousand miles of wild country, they drew BACK
in alarm, but the British Columbians would not
let them off. They urged the binding nature
of the pledge and when soft words were al
nc avail they began to throw stones IN the
shane of threats of withdrawal from the Do
minon and of seeking admission to the Amer
lean Union. Finally, the Government saw
that the matter could not be temporized with
any longer, and it cOurageously grappied with
the gigantic undertaking.
We have a copy of the contract recently made
by the Canadian Ministry with company COM
posed of Canadian, American, English ana
French capitalists for the construction OF the
entire line from the term mus OF the CANADA
Central Railway, near the east end OF Lake
Niplssing. to Port Moody on the Pacific Coast.
The company is to receive subsidy oil
S25 ZOO, 900 and 25,O00000 acres OF land, and
agrees to complete the entire road by the first
day of May, 1891. The road is divided INTO
three sections. The Eastern or Lake Superior
section. beginning at The western terminus
of the present Canadian railway system at
Calender Station. near Lake Nipissing, and
ending at point of junction with a piece Ol
road built under an older contract for a line
from Lake Superior to Selkirk on the heu
River, Will be exceedingly expensive. The
country north of L Ike Superior which 1t
trayerses is rough, inhOspitable and unpr0duc-
tive. and while throwing innumerable barriers
in the shape of rocky hills, deep valleys, lakes,
streams and forests in the path OF the road,
holds cut no promise OF business TO sustain IL
after it is constructed. The small value OF
this region for settlement is shown by the
fact that emigration has skipped 1t and gone
hundreds of miles further west to the plains
of Manitoba. The central section OF the road,
extending from Selkirk to KamlOODs on the
western slope of the Rocky Mountains, will, no
doubt develop in a few years traffic
which will pay for operating it. large por-
ton of this section lies within the wheat belt,
and tie valleys beyond that belt through
which 1t ascends toward the mountains will prob
ably prove valuable for herding. This and the
western section, from Kamloops to Port Moody,
present no greater engineering difficulties
han have been easily overcome by our own
Pacific roads.
There is a curious sequel to the contract
with the Canada Pacific Railroad Company.
The people of Vancouver's Island are not
satisfied with it because it contains no Drovi-
sion for the construction of seventy miles OF
road between Esquimaut and NanaimO, on
that island. which were included in the orig
inal bargain, and for which the rails were at
one time bought by the Dominion Govern
ment They have held a meeting and printed
a statement of their grievances. 1t seems that
they have for five years reserved from settle
ment strip of territory twenty miles wide
along the eastern shore of the island for
land grant TO the road. under an agreement
that this section should be constructed before
either of those on the main land. Now this
agreement is wholly overlooked by the Gov
eminent, and the indignant inhabitants OF the
island threaten to secede from the Dominion.
The whole enterprise seems, from an Amer
lean point of view to grow out OF the dreams
and schemes of Canadian statesmen for the
building up of a great nation on our Northern
borders. The narrow ribbon of habitabe
country stretching from ocean to ocean, with
the powerful American Republic on one side
and the frozen forests of the far North on the
other. is not adapted by nature for
a separate national existence. A railroad
through trackless wilderness, built by the aid
of a great subsidy. will not remove the veto
of nature which rests on all hopes OF pros
porous, vigorous Canadian national life. In
their own good time the Canadians will see
that their manifest destiny is to unite as equal
and Independent States with the great sister,
hood of States forming the American Union.
That time Will not be unduly fastened by the
people or Government of this country, but we
believe thai it is coming sooner than even the
enlightened Canadians, who see that it must
come. and ought to come, themselves lmag-
me-
The railroad is a courageous undertaking,
however, in both a political and financial
sepse. and the resolution to build it at once
and trust to the traffic it will create to sus-
tain il ia an evidence of pluck on the part of
the Canadian Ministry and of the capitalists
who have taken the contract to construct and
operate the line. We wish the enterprise sue
cess. but do not believe it will alter in the
least the political problems that face the people
of the Provinces.