Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-04-10
KOdaking a KOntinent.
The Wonderful Course OF the Columbia
River and its Tributaries, and Its Mag
nIficent Sweep to the Sea, Pictured by
the Amateur.
(Near summit of Rocky Mounfains)

| the Amateur.
CHALET FIELD.
(Nedr summit Of Rocky Mountains)
Leaving Vancouver via the Canadian Pacific
| railway the route lay along the north side Of the
| Fraser river that enters the strait of Georgia at
| New Westminster, directly east, near the inter-
national boundary line, about 100 miles Here is
situated the town Of YALE which is the eastern
| limit Of navigation the Fraser. Before the ad-
| vent of the railroad Yale was the distributing
| point of supplies for the mining interest which
was prominent industry, in this locality 30 years
| ago. The valley of the Fraser, from tide water
| to this place, embraces the better portion OF
| British Columbia now under cutivation the
lands are fertile, and being we'll cultivated are a
source Of profit to the occupants, who are mostly
| of Scotch or American origin.
At Yale the course of the river changes abruptly
TO the north, the valley narrows to less than
| mile in width, mountains seem to close in about
us on every side, and presently all agricultural
| efforts disappear; not much remaining but rush.
ing waters thu ough narrow gorges and deep
| canons, surrounded by high and barren noun
tains to interest the tourist for the following 300
| miles, eXcept the train men and travellers on
board At cisco we cross the river and follow up
tue valley of the Thompson, the chief tributary Of
| the Fraser, passing several small hamets whose
| occupants are employed section men or in
| mental service by the railroad company MANY
OF these people are Cinnamon and Indians, who
work for the company for IS cents per day bur
| rowing beside the road IN "dng-out when off
| duty. Previous to the completion of the railroad
| the government and the Hudson Bav comuany
maintained wagon road along the route we are
| now traversing. / am informed that there are
| quite extensive settlements south of the ThomD-
| son. near the United States boundary where
| mining and agricultural interests are profitably
| maintained. The train makes occasional stops at
| the homes of section men, and struggling resi-
dents by the way side, but they not of sufii-
| cient Importance to your readers for me to re-
port neither shall 90 into ecstaces in describ.
| ing the tumbling writhng and noisy Thompson
as we CHING TO the mountains by Its side, ascend
| ing the crooked pathway llG feet every mile.
Ashcroft, Ol miles from tide water, where we
| stop FOR train refreshments is a point of depart
| ure for the Caribou gold fields of the north From
| this point, still following the river we 20 directly
| back TO Kamloops divisional point of the rail
| road where the Hudson Bay company have ex-
| tenslve buildings, and the railroad repair shops
unite IN giving quite an air OF act vlty TO the 1900
| inhabitants, the distance being 25l miles from
| Vancouver altitude 1900 feet. The Thompson
| here divides, We continuing an northeasterly
| course by the southern branch, passing quite a
| level section which the local inhabitants describe
| as "a good ranching country" Sicamous juno
ton, 335 miles from starting is the point where
| branch road (aD branches being owned by the Ca
| madam Pacific extends directly south, so miles
| to an open country Of value, near the 18th par
| allel
We are now approaching the Columbia noun
tains which is the more westerly range of the trio
| of the great Rockies. The country here and for
| 200 miles behind us, has been denuded of its fine
| growth OF fir and cedar in the same criminal
| manner, but u greater extent, as in Oregon and
| Washington The climate is mild, the streams
not frozen, and but little is seen west of the
| Columbia range. Our course is through Eagle
| Pass, natural roadway, only Que mile in width,
| leading through the mountains. Were it not for
| this unusual freak OF mountain topography the
Canadian Pacific could never have been built in
| this latitude. We are now rolling into Revel-
stoke, having crossed our old Oregon acquAint-
ance, the majestic Columbia, on bridge one-half
| mile in length. The railroad people are now
| building fine steel bridge over the river to re-
| place the one of wood over which we have now
| passed, many similar improvements being re-
quired along the line Revelstoke, 319 miles from
| Vancouver, is quite an important town. being a
| terminus OF division OF the railroad, where we
| change trainmen and locomotives, the hustle
| about the station seeming quite agreeable when
compared with the silence attending our ride
| through the wilderness during the last $50 miles
| of the route. The Columbia is navgable from
! this point to the Pacific ocean, steamers making
| regular trips during eight months of the year.
There is another branch of the railroad extending
| southwark from this point nearly TO the bound
| AIRY line, passing through fine section of farm
ing lands contiguous to the river and lakes along
| the route.
The reason for building these southern branches
is to prevent the diversion of traffic from the set
| Elements, near the border to the railroads in the
| United States.
The Selkirk range, being the second of the trio
above mentioned, lies directly in our front From
the very banks Of the smooth rolling Columbia,
| we see the huge mountains rising one above an
other, until our vision is obscured by clouds and
peaks interviewer in masses above u.s. 1t is here
that the great and grand pictures of mountain
! scenery, displayed by the Canadian Pacific rail-
| way, have their originals. The wealth and
grandeur of the scenL effects witnessed in pass
ing the Selklrk range, beggars description If
railroads were constructed for the sole purpose
| OF editying their patrons with views of cloud
capped glacial submits, cahons 1000 feet in depth,
| miles of massive snow sheds, and a country
where 81 feet of snow has fallen since September
| /, 1895, then the Canadian Pacific has good rea-
son for self congratulation, for all Of the above
was realized by your correspondent, and others,
during that never to be forgotten experience in
crossing the Selkirks to the Columbia river which
We again meet, running north, near Donald-the
end of the Pacific division Whether the Canadian
| wa for milf
or commercial purposes we will not discuss at
present, nor why the road was built in the pres
ent location but travellers who pass through this
mountain region with their eyes open, cannot
fail TO admire the resolution and indomtable
courage displayed in the construction of this eX-
pensIve transcontinental line
The Columbia river being of the great
waterways of the United States should enlist a
desire with all our people to know something of
the erratic course pursued in its struggle to free
itself from the mountain solitudes by which it is
surrounded in its early life. Its source being
small lake called the upper Columbia, is located
directly west OF comparatively low range of
mountains, which are an off shoot of the main
chain of the Rockies. The lake, situated near
latitude 5O', longitude ll6', is about % miles in
length the river issuing from the northern end at
an altitude Of 5000 feet above the ocean. The gen
eral course OF the little stream is toward the
northeast, until it reaches latitude 52o running
in the valley between the Rocky and Selkirk
ranges, receiving all the water of this immense
country thT ough dozens Of small rivers adding
their quota TO its increasing volume. At the
latitude above mentioned, it meets and joins part
| nciHuip Win lnt OduDt anu Oudkt lnuldu
rivers, both of which have had southern course
nearly 100 miles, and with this increment of pow
er breaks through the rock ribbed side Of the Sell
kinks, turning abruptly towards the south and
flowing now on the west of the Selkirks, with the
Columbia mountains near the western shore
Southward it continues until near the same lati-
tude IN which it started, and only 80 miles west
II receives the waters of the Kootenay, large
river whose source is only few miles from that
OF the Columbia, but at this confluence is an inn
mense river that, having made long detour
south through Montana and Idaho, now returns
with the waters Of several tributaries to Join its
former companion in a triumphant passage to
the sea. At the boundary line between Canada
and the United States the Pend d. Orielle an
other Montana and Idaho production having
travelled nearly 800 miles in northern direction,
adds its mite to this monarch of western rivers,
which being now freed from its former mountain
through the trackless forests of Washington.
Nee the southern border of the state il meets
the Snake river, whose source is In the National
park IN Wyoming, and whose tributaries drain
nearly all of the great state of Idaho. Here il is
, detected TO the north, forming the boundary be-
tween Washington and Oregon, and still gather
ing strength, from several adjuncts north and
south, after a placid movement of 200 miles, it
strikes its last barrier, the lofty Cascades which
ripple on its broad surface, until it meets the
Willamette, which 1t swallows without strug
gle, still rolling on, bearing the largest ships
It's swelling crest, to find It's final home 100 miles
distant. in the waters of the great Pacific.
,
The Church Before the State.
The Mormon conference just held at
Salt Lake City promulgated a manifesto