The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-24
CAR VIEW OF THE
QUEENS DONlINIONS
Scenes and Incidents of q TranSCOnti'
mental Trip Through Canada.
FROM CALGARY TO REGINA TOWN
Relics Of Buffalo Days, Vast Farms,
the Northwest Mounted FOiice,
Cree and BlackfOOt Indians, Scenic
Features and Other Points Along
the Way Entertainingly Described
bY Mr.. Richmond.
Special Correspondence of The Tribune.

by MI. NlchmOnus
Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Regina, N. w. Territory, Sept. Ia
While at Calgary we saw the last or q
shipment of 5000 cattle from one ranch
nut on board of trains for Eastern
markets; also, the fourth train loaded
with tea, etc, from the steamer En-
press of China" enroute for the East.
These trains, it seems, have the right
Of way over everything, and travel at
an average rate of thirty-tive miles an
hour from ocean to ocean. While the
passenger trains run on good time now,
we are told that the management in
tends putting on a still faster service,
that will shorten the trans-continental
trip from twenty TO twenty-four hours,
which with the fast Atlantic and Paclhc
steamship lines, will put this route from
Occident to Orient. already the short.
est, immeasurably in advance OF all
others.
Resuming our journey from Calgary
(the capital of the province of Alberta)
we leave behind us the grandeur of the
"Sea of Mountains" for the wide open
prairie for thousand miles. The whole
view changes from this point. Looking
north or south and westward Is the far
golden, remote wide West, full OF Won
ders. picturesQueness, wild life and ad.
venture To the east the pralries, level
as the placid sea, or, rolling like the
ocean in its stoms, stretcn unbroken
before us.
BY a gradual descent Of twenty miles
to Langdon, the railway falls to the
valley of the Bow river. a run of twen-
ty-six miles along the grassy plains
brings us to Namaka, where Is located
one of the largest and most productive
farms Of the Canadian Agricultural
company, giving nurture to vast herds
of high grade and pedigree stock of all
kinds. Here the prairie Is seen to ad-
vantage, as a billowy ocean of wild
grass, with farms and cattle ranches
spread over 1t.
LAST OF THE BUFFALO.
These grassy plains where the buffalo
once roamed by millions, are now dotted
with wheat fields, checkered with plots
of intensest green, or golden yellow
grain, or. the black burrows of plowed
loan, while here and there tall elevators
stand by the track like light houses on
the level sea. and the only reminders or
the herds of buffalos that used to black
en- these prairies are in the melancholy
piles Of bleached bones besides the
track, which are gathered from all over
the buffalo country and sold at TWO
dollars a cord to be shipped to sugar
ref1neries.
In this immediate vicinity the entire
country Is underlaid with two or more
beds Of good coal and natural gas. es-
pecially at Tilley and Langevin. where
are several wells of gas. burning bright
ly, which is utilized in pumping water
for the supply of the railway. and light
and heat for the station houses. and 1t
is said will soon be used in reducing
tho silver ores from the mines.
Arriving at Crowfoot station, we get
our last glimpse of the Rockies some
one hundred and fifty miles away-a
high blue wall barring the western nor
izOn, with Jagged spurs and snowy
peaks. This station Is on the border
land between the districts of Assinlhoia
and Alberta. We have been traVerSing
the broad domain of Alberta for nearly
three hundred miles, and enter now the
green uplands of AssinibOia, through
which we shall travel five hundred miles
to the western limits of the province
of Manitoba. CA more general descrlp-
tion of these various provinces OF the
Dominion I will defer)
BLACKFEET INDIANS.
We are now in the country Of the
once dreaded Blackfeet Indians. the
most handsome and war-like of all the
Indian tribes, now peaceably settled
on their reservation south of the rail-
way at CrowfoOt Station. This is 4
large reservation containing many hun
dreds of square miles. The Bow river.
whose tree-lined banks we have been
running parallel to, passes through it.
At the station some of these ochre-
painted Blackfeets are seen amid the
red uniforms of the mounted police"
which formed a picturesque gather
wit bn crtt &c
their beads, blankets and buffalo horns.
For Jog miles to Medicine Hat. the
country is more rolling and the rail-
Way descends to prairie plateau OF
o.l5O feet in altitude. Nothing is seen
for miles and miles but great streiChe
of undulating pI iries, with occasional
herds of cattle hsazing on the knobs.
A source of pleasure, and one especial
ly enjoyed by an ., was the so exquisite @
eyed daisies, lovely red lilies, wild or
chids and un-fiowers mingled together
in such harmonious profusion as to call
forth exclamations of delight as the
train rushed through this wild garden
of the dominion. The gray wing of the
solitary eagle Is seen and here and
there the dark form of a lonely In
dian appears. Here the buffalo former
ly roamed in great numbers. a fact
shown by their deep, narrow trails,
marking the prairie i'm long lines and
saucer-like hollows, where the sha ggy
monsters used to wallOw: and strewinp
the plain in all directions are the whit.
ened skulls of these noble animals now
SO nearly extinct. The buffalo has dis
anneared hut domestic cattle have TAX
en- their places. wild fowls thronr the
manv lakes. grouse ere plentif,l and
anteiope are occasionally seen quietly
watching the train as it hurrtes on.
These are tragic grounds where the
Cree and the Riackfeet Indians fought
some Of their bloodiest battles The
universal, testimonv 10 that these two
discontented and rebe,lious tribes arc