The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-12

hiIls are covered with most nutritious
bunch grass. AS We advance for the
next so miles, the scene changes. the
valley broadens, and the eye that has
been SO accustomed to rocks and
roughness and the uninhabited desola-
tion Of the mountains. is gladdened by
| the sight of grass, fenced fields. grow
ing crops. hay stacks. good farm
houses, on a level surface. while herds
| of cattle, sheep and horses. roam In
large numbers over the valley and
bordering hills.
This is one Of the garden spots" OF
British Columbia and the ranchins
country of the gold range. The people
are old settlers, having come from the
Pacific Coast-a happy contrast from
| the rude cabins and huts of the noun
tains, are the neat and trim cottages
of the "Highlanders" with their evil
dences Of thrift all around.
| Still other and more attractive seem
cry is awaiting us in the next fifty
miles. found in and around the lovely
waters of the chain of Shuswap Lakes,
| the center of one of the best sporting
regions in the line of the Canadian
Pacific, and the interior lake region Of
British Columbia.
| Northward, Caribo0 are abundant
and within thirty miles Is fine deer
| shooting, probably unequalled on this
| continent. and on this immense chain
of lakes Is famous sport in deep troll
| ing trout. 1t Is at Notch Hill station
we come out upon the salmon arm of
the great Shuswap at an elevation of
some COO feet above the water and thus
| get a magnificent view across 1t as far
as the eye can reach. This Is named
from an Indian tribe that lived on its
hanks and who still have a reservation
here. This Is q most remarkable body
OF water lying among mountain ridges
with high bold shores and fringed by
! the lite narrow beach of sanG and
| pebbles, and with bays and capes pre-
sent beautiful views. For 30 miles our
railway winds in and out its bending
shores.
AROUND LAKE OKANAGAN. g..
Sicamous Junction, 335 miles from
| Vancouver, is the station for the min
ing district OF Spallumsheen, and other
| regions up the river around Lake
| Okanagan, reached by steamer This
country is veritable earthly paradise.
growing all fruits, cereals, etc. that
the temperate zone can produce, Here
are enormous wheat fields. Lord Abb
| erdeen, the governor general of the
dominion, has a ranch here of 300 acres
which yield perfect wheat with no
smut, sixty bushels to the acre. He
has the largest fruit farm and also
cattle ranch in the dominion at Vernon
and Kelowna. Near here. Is an Eng
| lsh tobacco ranch: samples shown us
We're of strong fibre and free from
worms; the lack of rains, frost, etc.
cause promote and luxurious growth.
| Sicamous is only 25O miles in an air
line of Spokane, Washington, across
the International border
CROSSING THE SELKIRk RANGE.
We are now at the end and base OF
the gold range Of mountains and conf
mence the ascent of the "Selkirks"
through Eagle Pass, at an elevation of
1900 feet
| The Selkirk mountains running par
allel to the Rocky Mountains proper,
are frequently included under one
name--the Rockies-though of dis
tinct formation, exhibiting an en-
tirely different series of rock. There
is a valley of most remarkable length
and regularity extending from the
southern boundary line along the west
ern base of the Rocky Mountains as far
as the northern limits of the Selkirks,
| distance of over 200 miles and divid-
ing the two ranges. The average width
of the Rocky Mountain range Is about
sixty miles, diminishing to the north:
| that Of the Selkirks is about eighty
m lies. The economic value of the Sell
kirk range lies in the very valuable
| Gercsits of precious and base metals.
| The Rockies conta n 4 great potential
wealth of valuable minerals and extern
| siVe seams of coal, and deposits OF
iron and other useful metals. The av"
erage altitude of the Selkrks are nos
greatly inferior to the Rock'es--the
highest peaks rising from 5000 to
10000 feet, eliminating at the head
quarters of Saskatchewan, (Mt Mur-
ch:son), with an altitude of 1880 feet.
There are twelve passes over the Rock
les at elevations ranging from 7.l00
| feet to 1000 feet. The SUBMITS OF The
Selkirks rival in grandeur those of the
Rockies, being more rounded and less
rrtcipitous than the latter, and heir
sides up to several thousand feet are
clothed in dense forest affording an
unlimited supply of good timber.
| The valley at the bas. of the S>lkirks
is filed throughout with a dense
growth of immense trees. (Who has
rot heard of the almost fabulous pro-
portions of the trees of British Col
umbia?) Douglass frs. cedar, hemlock,
balsam and other varieties-giants all
of them. This pass (Eagle) is so deep
cut and direct. that it seems to have
Ieen purposely provided for the rail-
| way in order to overcome the enCr-
| nous difficulties in crossing the Sell
| kinks. The pass is not over a mile
wide with lofty mountains rising alb
ruptly on each side. The highest point
reached by the road in this pass Is
at Summit Lake, only eight miles from
the Columbia river and 525 feet above
| it. In fact here are four beautiful
lakes, Summit. Victor, Three Valley,
anu Griffin, they are in close success
sion, each occupying the entire width
of the valley and forcing the railway
into the mountain sides. / must ask
the reader to imagine the scenery In
part, as my words fail of description.
WHEN THE LAST SPIKE WENT
DOWN.
Reaching Cralgellachie our attention
was called to the spot where the last
spike. uniting the rails from the east
and the west over this great highway
was driven on. November Z. 1885, thus
finishing one Of the greatest engineer
ing structures ever undertaken by
man. We now leave behind us the i'm