The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-10-20

journey west, for he came with us as
far as the Rocky Mountains, I took
occasion to ask him what he thought
of the c. 2. railroad now, and he had
to acknowledge that it was pretty bad.
But the route itself is full of interest.
For nearly 80 hours after leaving
Winnepeg you speed along hour after
hour over rolling prairies with little or
nothing to relieve the monotony ex.
cept an occasional house, a forlorn
railway station, or very occasional
thrifty looking ranch, so that you feel
quite ready to leave the plains and
strike into the mountains by the time
the foot hills of the Rockies are
reached about noon of the second
day from Winnepeg 1t was great
relief to me to strike the rising ground
and feel the exhileration of the cool
mountain air blowing down from the
lofty mountains looming up in the dis.
lance. From the time the foot hills
are reached the interest of the trip
keeps constantly increasing, as the
railway here takes to the valley of the
Bow river and follows it up and up in.
to the heart of the mountains, the
heights becoming more and more
rugged and the grand Rockies show
ing up more impressively the deeper
we get INTO them The approach to
them and the penetrating into them
by this route are far more impressive
than on the Union Pacific as | re-
member it, but like the u. p railroad
the Canadian Pacific gives you even
more aweinspiring sights of these no.
Bile mountains on the western descent,
where after passing the Grand Divide
where the waters separate, some to
flow east and some TO flow west, the
railway strikes into the canyon OF the
Kicking Horse river, very turbulent,
swiftly descending mountain stream
which more than justifies its Indian
name, and sticking close to its course
follows it down, down, until the Col
umbia river is reached. One of the
most vivid impressions of the trip is
tie chasing of our train through the
gorge of the Kicking Horse, it being
apparently race between our putting
locomotive and the madly dashng riv-
er at our side. Never have | seen
more turbulent rollicking stream than
the comparatively small glacier-fed
stream of the Kicking Horse. When
the Columbia is reached the Rockies
are past, but the beautiful Selkirks
loom into full view and to cross them
takes the railway through the sublim-
est Of mountain scenery. Unfortu-
nately our train was late and it was
dark when we began to enter the Sell
kinks, but the moon soon came out
and we saw enough even though dim.
ly, to convince us the beauties of the
route had not been much exaggerated.
AS the road climbed along the sides Of
the mountains, crossed the deep ra-
vines over the rushing mountain tor.
rents, one bridge being 2os feet above
the level Of the stream, wound around
the mountains, dashed through snow
sheds, and finally came to rest within
a stones throw of the great glacier of
the Selkirks, covering forty square
miles, with ice and snow, 1 felt l had
never experienced anything more thrill
ing in my travelling experience. After
passing the glacier We went to bed,
but about FIVE o'clock this morning
Lille called me down from my upper
berth to see the lovely lake along
whose shore we sped for twenty miles,
the water being of lovely green and
so pure and clear, and the whole sheet
being rock encircled, the base hills
rising for hundreds of feet al about it.
All day long we followed along the
shores of the Thompson and Fraser
Rivers, sometimes in deep, dark gor-
ges or canyons, sometimes along more
widely spreading sheets Of water, and
through forests of pine, but always
through the toughest, most rugged OF
country up to the very doors OF Van
couyer. L was an interesting trip,
our on y regret being that We could
not see all of the mountains in day
light. We have found very comforta.
bic quarters at this hotel, the best in
Vancouver, and shall enjoy the land
all the more for the anticipations OF
what is so soon to come. l am hop
ing for letter from you tomorrow.
We are all well. l do hope for good
news from you all.
With loads Of love to you and father,
Devotedly your son,
I'M.