Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-06-27
THE BRITISH DOMINION.

The following correspondence
from Mr., ]. w. Webb, written dur
ing his trip to indianapolis and re-
turn, was detained in the mails, and
has been laid in pigeon hole for
two weeks, but ON re-perusal we find
it of SO great interest, that we print
it at this late date.
After leaving Winnipeg, the Cana
dian Pacific railroad runs through a
vast prairie country, with occasional
towns, some of them of a size to make
one wonder, what supports them,
where there region isso sparsely settled.
AT one point we were close to an inn
mense glacier of IS square miles,
supposed to be thousands of feet
thick, completely filling an immense
chasm between two high mountain
peaks. 1t evidently moves slowly
downward, as is shown by the dis
placement of gravel and boulders at
its foot.
The English and Canadian govern
ments are actively stimulating inn
migration to these vast plains, and
the province of Manitoba and the
territories Of Assiniboia and Alberta
will in few years hold a larger
population. The grass, grain, coal
and mineral resources are very eX-
tensive.
Our train was quite cosmopolitan.
We had immigrants direct from
England, Scotland, Wales, Norway
and Sweden; the Scandinavians un-
able to speak a word of English.
Many go ON to Seattle and Tacoma,
owing to the wide spread advertising
done by those cities; some British
capitalists tarried in Vancouver. the
Others drifted Off to other points in
Washington or spread out to Oregon
and California. AT Tacoma copies
of the Portland board of trade i'm
migration circulars were freely dis
! tributed.
Vancouver is Il little giant. Barely
two years since all but a couple of
houses were swept out of existence
by fire. Now she has Il poplation
equal to that of Salem, large and
handsome brick and stone hotel
magnificent business blocks and fine
residences. Other solid buildings
are going up; not an empty store is
to be seen. The railroad is making
big improvements in the way of
wharves, hotel, workshops, etc. The
city, also, will spend 100000 in inn
proving streets; the water works
company similar amount, and con-
tracts are let for many large build.
ings.
The train brought considerable
machinery and merchandise from
Chicago and elsewhere for Port
Townsend, Blakely, Seattle and
Tacoma. The steamers from China
also bring large quantities of tea
silk, rice, etc. for Oregon. Some OF
our flour, fruit and other products
are sent on the outward voyage
DIR. l.. A. Port and others who in
vested in Vancouverin its incipiencN
were certainly far sighted; property
there still improves in value.
Went over to New WestminsteI
to return my brothers. visit, wht
was at Salem two months ago. |
is quite n fiourishing place, sup
ported by lumber mills and salmon
canneries. Being Sunday, / founC
myself booked for n lecture before
the Y. NJ. G. A. at o'clock, and fo
a Union Gospel Temperance
meeting at S:l5, after the churchei
were dismissed. The people turned
out in large numbers and pressed
for a lecture on Monday night, but
had already telegraphed appoint
ments for Tacoma, so could not stop
The Sound is a grand sheet o
water. 1t reminds one of the st
Lawrence and the Thousand Isles
only that this is on so much larger {
scale. 1t was most of the time a
smooth as n mill pond. Seattle anC
Tacoma are Of wondrous growth
and very substantial, too. The busi
ness activity on their streets strike
the visitor with wOnderment.
A trip like this makes one feel {
broader, wider, deeper conviction
that we of Oregon and Washington
have as yet but a faint conception o
the far reaching possibilities of thii
vast, promising, and almost unde
veloped northwest. 1t is difiicul
to imagine or predict the wonderful
changes I'm store for us during TIN
next decade. We need but to tel
the whole truth and scatter
widely to reap IA steady and salts
factory harvest of immigration.
But here is the last change Of car
to be made, then for "home, swee