Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-07
Its Majestic Mountains and Broad
PLANES Pictured by Detroit
Traveller.
Mt. Stephens and the Great Glacier
Towns With Peculiar Names.

manifold beauties. From Winnipeg to
Calgary, afourishing town,lying at thefoot
hills of the Rocky Mountains, a stretch of
$40 miles across a part of Manitoba. all of
Asslnlbola and a portion of Alberta is
travelled. The whole distance lies through
an apparently level country. yet as mat
ter of fact a gradual ascent of 1858 feet
has been made This stretch of country is
the great grazing and wheat raising por-
ton of the dominion. As far as the eve
can see vast plain. seemingly without
borders and knowing no confines. with
here and there an alkali waste Ia large
trace of territory of whitish color and at
rare intervals river of considerable size
the most important being the southern
branch Of the Saskatchewan Intervening
the two places mentioned are many towns
of importance, atfording the sightseer
ever-changing scenes of interest. Often of
quaint names, as M0osejaw and Medicine
Hat, they awaken curiosity as to the origin
of such appellati0ns, and the appropriate
ness and appliction thereof Regina. the
capital of Assiniboai is the distributing
point for the country north and south.
The Executive Council of the northern ter
ritories meet and the Leutenant-G Cover
nor resides there. It is also headquarters
for the mounted police, military body
stationed at intervals for the preservation of
the public peace and to keep watchfuleye
on the Indians. The plains are marked in
all directions with the trails Of the king of
the prairies, now so nearly extinct, and his
whltened bones are seen at every station in
huge piles awaiting transportation to east
ern cities to be used in the refining of sugar
and for fartiIiZino n11rnOsps
AN IMMENSE FARM.
Of all the immense farms in the imme-
diate vicinity Of and laying adjacent to,
the railway, that of Sir John Lester Kay
is, perhaps, the greatest. 1t embraces
$4,000 acres, sub-divided into lots of 5000
acres each, every subdivision being fully
equipped with the most approved farming
implements, barns, etc., besides a large
and well-built farm house for the occupa-
ton Of the owners subalterns Sir John
himself, while in that portion of the globe
and not in England, lives in private car,
which combines office with home, and
rides from extreme to extreme, directing
and overlooking this vast realty At each
division there is a side track, with a grain
elevator alongside thereof, and at the own
er's direction the car is shunted to each
siding, there to remain until he shall de-
sire to go to another part Of his possess
sions.
AS the western boundary of the vast
plain is approached, lakes and ponds are
passed more frequently some fresh, others
alkall, and invariably the resort for myri-
ads of ducks, geese and other wild fowl
Passing Calgary, the actual mountain
journey commences. and the traveller finds
himself in what is said to be the most in
teresting and awe-inspiring portion of a
trans-continental tri on the Canadian Pa
ciic Railway. For some distance east Of
Calgary the snowy peaks Of the great
backbone of the continent are seen tow
ering towards the sky, reckoning the adj
venturer to come and look upon the won
derful of natures handiwork It is 642
miles from this point to Vancouver, on
the coast, the western terminus of the
railway. every mile in and through the
mountains, and succession of bridges,
tunnels and tresses. At times the ascent
is 116 feet to the mile, and in one instance
200 feet, requiring locomotives of 100, and
in one case 113 tons weight, and two of
them to each train of seven or eight coach
es, one pulling, the other pushing.
MAGNltICENI SCENER4.
Reaching Banff, a station In the Ca
madam National Park, a government eser-
walton twenty-six miles by ten in ex-
tent, embracing within its borders some of
the grandest scenery on the continent.
About two miles from the station the rail-
road company has erected large and fine
" appointed hotel with all modern CON
veniences, including electric lights. It is
surrounded on all sides by mountains 1000
to 5000 feet In height, snow capped and
glacier crowned. What vistas! What
scenes are beheld from its broad balconies
and artistic towers! At every point of the
compass, mountain upon mountain towers
one above the other at an eXpanse further
than human eye may range. The beautiful
Bow River, having It's source In a mighty
glacier to the west, winding its way
through the valley, falls over a precipice
right at our feet and loses itself in the
mountains far to tine east. About mile
from the hotel, along the mountain road,
ale situated two remarkable hot springs.
One IS Inclosed In a cavern In the noun
tain side, but has been made accessible by
tunneling In along the bed of the stream
that was formerly its outlet The tunnel
IS sufficiently large to admit of walking in
an upright position to the interior, where
the visitor is confronted with a pool of
water of an average temperature of go de-
gTees Fahrenheit. The diameter of the
basin Is fifty feet and the height of the
cavern forty-fve feet, at the top of which
Is an opening which was formerly the only
method Of entering therein, the explorer
being lowered with rope About thirty
yards further along the road is another
~ i
basin of hot water, the temperature at all
times being 80degrees Fahrenheit. A few
miles away is situated
DEVILS LAKE,
A sheet of water most charming to behold.
surrounded on every side with mountains
eternally covered with snow and ice, radi-
ating and rejecting myriads of colors
and within whose depths are trout of great
size.
Resuming the journey, in few hours
the highest altitude of the road Is reach
ed. at Field, over a mile above sea level,
and from the station house thereat mag
niticent view of Mt. Stephen, the highest
and most majestic of all these wonderful
mountains. is obtained. It's height is over
1900 feet. Continuing for five hours
more, through deep canyons, crossing and
recrossing the ra7ines at dizzy heights,
upon steel cantileyers, a stop for a day S
rest and exploration is made at Glacier, a
station ON the loop, where the railway
trayerses some six miles In order to get
onward two miles. 1t is situated about
three miles from a large glacier, from
which it derived its name This great
field of ice is twenty-six miles long, one
side of which is 5000 feet in height Bel
side it the greatest of the Alps is said to-
he In ii cr1niticart From the mountains al