, 1889-07-11
\ The Proposition to Construct a
Railroad Into that Country AS
suming Definite Shape.
The People of Spokane Falls Ex-
pected to Take the Initiative
in that Gigantic Scheme.
The Road for the Joint Benefit of
the United States and British
Columbia Commerce.


ern terminus Of the road, and is so rccog-
rrzed by the writer of the article referred
To; The total cost is estimated at Sl3O,-
600, 900, the road To be built for the iout
use and benefit of British Columbia and
the United States; the province TO con-
.;ibutc its proportion of the cost in lands.
and the United states To give its guaran-
tee for the payment of interest for
twenty years on $50 900 per mile of the
cost
After describing the great advantages
which would accrue to u road from the
seal, salmon and other fisheries, and the
tnineral and agricultural productions as
well rs the timber resources, the article
proceeds:
There is no physical reason why this
district should not otheComected by Il rail
way along the eastern base of the noun
lins with the Canadian Pacific, and one
r already projected from Calgary to Ed.
monton--a long step in that direction.
But this is not where the road to Alaska
j. proposed to he built, though IL would
nc possible to carry it that way. If the
reader VIII examine a map he will pcr-
coiNc that the Rocky mountains enter
British Columbia In about tho longitude
of salt Lake city. The range then tends
Westward until it mcrgcS into the coast
rdngc of Alaska. In tho northern part
Of British Columbia it consists of three
great parallel lines or waves of clcva-
tiOn~. That ON the right is the
easternmost or main range of the
Rockies proper then comes the
Solkirks, having n length of about two
hundred miles north and south: and
third and wcstcrnmost, the Gold or Go.
lImbian range, which disappears north
ward i'm the confused highlands that di-
vide the Frazer valley from that of
Canoe river Now
THE GREAT CoLUMBtN RIVER,
rising not far north of the United States
boundary, in the narrow valley between
the Rockies and Sclkirks, flows turbu-
lcutly norhward until it passes in u
sharp luup around the northern cNtrcm-
ity of the lattcrS mighty barrier and
then flows back straight southwark be-
tween the Sclkirks and Gold range and
on into Washington territory. Fast of
the Columbia, along the boundary, and
drained 10y the great KOOtcuui river, lies
the koOteuai valley, one of tlcmo-t valu-
able and productive regions in that part
of the world, and directly contiguous
with tho wheat.growing and cattlc-gruz.
ing pTairicS of Northern Idaho. About
two hundred miles north of the bound
airy tho Canadian Pacific railway trav.
cr-cs all three ranges OF the mountains,
twice bridging the Columbia, once east
Of and again west of the Sclkirks. Into
lll' 'llANilIlhf az 1tNtlllN -llNt IlllltS
north of this railway, where the current
sweeps in u mighty, sctni-CirCulpr can
yOn around the head oi this range, the
Colur ola river receives Al powerful trib-
utl y, coming down a broad wooded
Wiley for 200 miles, or probably more,
TOm tho north This il Canoe river,
.aulong which lays the old fur traders
trail over the Yellow head pass, between
: Prince Rupert's Land and Oregon.
j. along these great valleys of the
columbia and Canoe rivers, and their
continuation northward. that Compc-
lcnt engineers have rnapkcd upon the
hrap feasible route fur Il railway TO and
into the border of Alaska; aud they as
SORT that although its costs would he
lheavv IL would not bc beyond the lust
expenditure Ofcapital, since the resources
'ui the country opened and the develop
ncnt Of International trade would in
due time return large interest upon the
the private investment and Justify the
governmental aid which is sought.
To begin ut the south-thc people of
SPOKANE FALLS,
W, r., have so many interests in the
cattle raising and agricultural plains of
thc Sootenai region that they are about
10 build railway to the boundary, n dis
tHnCe of about eighty miles. 4 COM
puny OF Canadians and EngiShmen have
a charter for road, To he begun this
summer, between the boundary and Re
Nclstoke, r. c., 200 miles northwnrd
where the Canadian Pacific crosses. The
deposits of smelling ores along this part
of the river are enormous, and an En-
4 glish company is now building Il smeltcr
J at Ecvelstoke.
North of Revelstokc every one of the
many streams coming down from the
mountains into the Columbia bears float
gold and wears II channel through au-
iiicrous quartz. Several extremely rich
mines arc now operated there, hut ut Il
great disadvantage on account of good
communications. At the great bend of
the Columbia are remains OfcampS made
thirty years ago by eager prospeCtorS
WHO scratched at lodcs of gold and silver
ofundOubted richness, but were COM
PEELED tO abandon the country on account
OF the vast expense In getting provisions
in there. No insuperable difficulty eX-
lists against building railroad along the
river to this point. The route Of the
main line would run oyerthc hills from
Tete Cache and down the Frazer to Fort
George and then nortllwesterly over n
long pass to the Noukon valley. British
Columbia has long been called a sea of
mountains, but this long depression Of
tcrs pathway from the southern to the
northern boundary, along which a road
would have to cross no great transverse
range, but though always among hills
and rocky river courses, could Keep ut
low altitude and would nowhere meet
such obstacles as have been already sue
| Ccssfully overcome by the Canadian Pa
cifc or the Northern Pacific lines. After
' the upper valley of the Houkon has been
reached, upon its emcrgence from the
Rocky mountains, where 1t takes rise, the
engineering of the road down its course
would be n
COMPARATIVELY SIMPLE
matter for the river is borcered by a
wide flood plain and terrace for the most
part. From tho Idaho boundary (49th
parallcl) to the mouth of the Yollcon in
Norton Sound is about 900 miles, meas
ured along the course indicated above.
At Norton Sound a good harbor is found,
and from there IL is only few hours
voyage by steamship to the coast OF
kamsCkatka.
The railway system of Russia already
extends into Eastern Siberia, and engi-
neers long ago sketched out line for a
railway, to be known as the Siberian Pa
ciiiC which should push eastward across
the more or less settled and productive
province of Southern Siberia and down
the Amoor to that great rivers mouth.
Already many steamers are employed in
traffic on the Amoor and the fort at its
mouth is an important one in the COM
mcrce of that part of fthepopulous world.
Russian explorers and engineers saw that
tits entirely feasible to build a railway
northward from the main line on the
Amoor into Kamschatka and down 10
Petropalosh or some other port on Beh-
rings strait, which is almost in sight of
the Alaskan, coast, That the Siberian
Pacific will be constructed within few
years there Is little room TO doubt, since
the fisheries, the mining products,
hn ftt Hnnhpr ! m al