The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-12
CROSSING THE
-. GOLD RANGE
Thrilling Trip Through the Dark Canons
Of the Rockies.
GLIMPSE AT SPORTsMENs PARADISE
Scenes IN the Cattle Country.
Chances ut the Great Mining Camps.
Around Lake Okanagan. Where
the Last Spike Went Down..TwO
Days Lived in One.


Written for The Tribune.
Glacier House, c. p. Y, Aug. 81
one" said great European traveller
on our train, who had crossed the Can
adam Pacific Railway for the fourth
time, and his words proved only too
true, for this first days experience
was only an imitation of what was to
come. For hours we have been deafen-
ed by the roar of the waters below
and desire the broad sunshine once
more.
The twenty-seven miles between
North Bend and Yytton the road over
comes an elevation of so feet and all
through this terrible Fraser Canon.
Here the united waters of the river
Nicolathe Thompson's, together with
the Frazer river, all coming down
from the north between the two great
lines of mountain peaks, creates a
scene which becomes wider and wider
with each mile of travel.
We are now in the heart Of the Cas-
cade range of mountains and seem to
be entering q series. of subterranean
passages leading to the Inferno. ~.
one moment we are poised ON the face
of n dizzy cliff. at another we are cross
ing a lofty yiaduct-now we are in
open space, then we rush through the
blackness of darkness-and as the
river precipitates itself into these rent
gorges, where the rays of the sun hard
ly enter, pandemonium seems to be
let loose.
The scene with the railroad on the
left bank, the old Cariboo wagon road,
Quilt by the government in 1860. and
abandoned since the completion of tho
Canadian Pacific) on the right, with
the combined rivers surging and
swirling far below, was startling to
behold. The government wagon road
attracts attention all along the Frazer
and Thompson valleys, and it twisted
about the cliffs, first down to the angry
rivers side, then quickly forced to the
heishth Of thousand feet above the
river, pinned by slender trestles to the
face of a gigantic precipice, was also
a marvel to behold.
As the canon alternately widens and
narrows, the native Indian Is seen on
projecting rocks down to the water S
edge, spearing salmon, or scoOping
them out with dip-nets, and in sunny
spots. drying them on poles, giving
brilliant touches Of color to the land
scape. Cinnamon, too, are seen on the
occasional sand bars washing for gold
Indian villages are found with their
miniature chapel, unpainted houses,
quaint and barbarously decorated
grave-yards, with banners, streamers,
and all manner of carved tokens" "
AS also the occasional groups of the
huts of the Chinese.
At Cisco, our train enters long
tunnel and energies to cross the Canon
by a steel cantilever bridge in mid-alr
and at dizzy heighth above the
water.
Soon we ascend the Thompson river
and Thompson canon and the river
here changes from the terrible to the
grand. Here the mountains seem to
draw together and the railway winds
along their face hundreds of feet above
the struggling water, the gorge mar
rows and deepens, the frowning cliffs
opposite are mottled and streaked IN
many striking colors, while between
the breaks in the high escarpment
snowy peaks are seen glistening above
the clouds and the scenery becomes
wild and beyond my powers of descrlp-
ton.
Nor is this all. AS we ascend this
fantastic canon, there is a striking con-
trast between the brilliant emerald
green Of the Nicola river as it whirIs
down its winding torrent path and the
cliffs through which it passes, which
are of the richest yellow, streaked with
maroon and with masses of solid rust
red earth, over which hangs the sky
of deepest violet.
These strange forms, these gaudy
hues of the rocks. these scantily her.
baged terraces, impress themselves
most strongly on the memory. This
gorge in its terrifying gloom and deso-
lation was remindful of and may be
fittingly named the BLACK Canon OF
Colorado" as we beheld it in 1892. Al
ditional elevation of S25 feet. This is
busy town at the point of departure
for the Cariboo,s Barkerville and othel
gold fields in the northern interior OF
British Columbia. Here are found
freight wagons drawn by from four tC
ten yoke of oxen, and long strings OF
pack mules laden with merchandise
20 hn lot
Pack teams of fifty horses and mules
come down some 25O miles for supplies
The rate of carriage for that distance
is sixteen dollars n hundred. Hay is
worth from $50 to $40 per ton, and the
carriage of flour s12 per barrel
IN THE CATTLE COUNTRY.
Here are extensive cattle ranches
and some farming is done. In Cariboc
county are four large gold mining
companies, two English. one American
and one Canadian. The latter has a
capital of s2,OO0,0O0 backed by the bank
of Montreal One brick was lately sent
to that city worth $1,000. Anothe,
company's clean up for the month was
$4,000. Here we found the proverbial
Englishman with his complete outfit
also some hunters returning from a
weeks sport laden with all kinds of
game. Truly, this is the sportsman's
paradise.
From here to Kamloops, AZ miles, the
mountains spurs are pierced by nu-
merous tunnels, one following the
other in close succession. For twenty
miles the road runs along the shore OF
Kamloops Lake. beautiful hill-girt
sheet of water made so by the widen
ing of the Thompson river Kamioops
is Il divisional point. Situated at the
junction of the north and south
branches of the above rivers. with a
population of 1000. and is the principal
town I'm the Thompson river valley. II
lies in the plateau between the gold
and cascade. or coast range of the