The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-05

try is farther west.
About O'Clock p. m. the west-bound
train having arrived, and having supplied
ourselves with fresh meats, vegetables.
etc, we were hooked on TO what already
appeared heavy train, and soon began
our westward journey on the main line of
the Canadian Pacific railway.
FOR more than 600 miles we rode over
what might be called a level
prairie country, which in the
absence Of much cultivation,
soon becomes monotonous For q distance
OF something like 100 miles west of Winni-
peg considerable wheat is grown, but like
our own western country it is generally
LOO dry Tor successful agriculture. exceDt
When water can be had for irrigation. 1t
Is sald Dy some that it is a good country
Ior cattle raising, but we saw very little
4oo0H oI any kind. The country seemed
TOO level and bare of timber 20 afford
protection TO stock in winter. At Moose
Jaw ABOUT 400 miles west of Winnipeg
me railway company has a beautiful lit
tie Iarm well cared for, but cultivating
manly flowers and vegetables. We were
presented here with an abundant supply
or fresh vegetables and a large basket Of
mowers, fresh gathered from the farm. We
also learned here that the next car ahead
OF us contained the special ambassador
from CHINA to the queens jubilee, with
quite number of sub-officials and a reti-
nue. of servants in still another car. The
officials We're all large, robust and in
teingent looking men-quite in contrast
win the average Chinaman seen in our
country. They were under the special es-
cort of a travelling passenger agent of the
railway company through whom we re-
celVed a very polite invitation to calr--0a
the ambassador, but as no fitting oppor-
tunlty offered before we reached our stop
ping place, did not enjoy the pleasure.
III;
at night we enjoyed the rare spectacle of
prairie fire, so dreaded and so disastrous
10 the stockman yet so beautiful in it's
long and blazing light to the traveller. Ii
extended for miles and was seen and ad-
mired by every passenger on the train.
Some 600 miles west of Winnipeg we
reached Calgary, a new but
substantially built town on the
Bow river, which seems to be
quite distributing point for ranch and
mining supplies. Here it might be said the
foot hills of the Rocky mountains begin
though we have already assembled about
2,1OO feet since we left Winnipeg and are
now about 3,400 feet above the sea level.
from now on We rise rapidly, following
the Bow river until we reach Banff where
we expect to spend a day. The country
until we get we'll into the Rockies appears
we'll adapted to stock raising The grass
seems good and there appears to be water
and timber in sufficient quantities.
Soon, however, we approach the base of
the high bare peaks of the mighty noun
talns, now seeming to protect and now to
oVershadow us as we climb slowly up the
canyon Of the Bow. The scenery is grand
as we wend our way up, presenting the
mountains in differing profles, but nearly
always castellated to near the peaks
showing different stages of the water ages
ana ages ago when this immense continent
CkDOnP ba ov.f1
The peaks soon became spotted near the
tops with patches Of snow, many of which
VIII remain to receive new additions the
coming winter
Though still in the canyon of the Bow
when we reach Banff we are 4,5OO feet
above sea level with 5000 immense noun
tains towering 5000, 5000 and 1000 feet
above US. Here we stop off and go to the
hotel, owned and operated by the railway
company, about one and half miles from
the station. The building is beautifully To-
Gated on an eminence overlooking the val
ley and the falls of the Bow river, and is
supplied with pure cold water from a small
mountain stream and also with quite warm
sulphur water from springs some 500 feet
above. The hotel is well kept and is liber-
ally patronized by tourists and others who
find it pleasant to stop off here to enjoy
the beautiful drives to the many points
of interest in the vicinity
tartum here which seems to be quite popu-
lar with rheumatics and others who
derive much benefit from the pure noun
tain air and the warm sulphur baths
While at Banff Vice President Shaugh-
nessey with Chief Engineer Peterson and
General Manager WhyUe of the western
division, who were on tour of inspection
stopped off TO spend the night We were
cordially invited by Mr.. Shaughnessey to
IN at a, -,
the next morning and after going down
the Rockies, to cross with him the Selkirks
and stop at this place, the most convenient
point from which to approach an i'm
mense glacier, the foot of which is less
than two miles from the station. We glad
ly accepted this very kind invitation and
never will any of US forget the ride from
Banff to Glacier, about 14O miles down the
western slope Of the rockies and up the
eastern side of the Selkirks.
While the Sellxirks tower aoft as
grandly as do their neighbors on the east
they have the advantage of being covered
with green timber, hemlock and spruce as
high up as timber will grow, while the
peaks are spotted with snow and frequent
ly in the gaps and extending wen down
the sides are immense glaciers covering
in some instances thousands of acres to a
depth of more than a thousand feet in
their nantes of ice, famed scientists tell
us thousands of years ago. and while they
are slowly melting away, sending down the
mountain sides thousands of feet to the
rivers below their raging cataracts, which
in the distance seem as ribbons of silver,
yet when approached are such torrents
that one would think the glaciers would
soon disappear Many, very many, have
melted and gone, but when one comes TO
realize the immensely of some yet remain
ing the conclusion will be easily reached
that the Selkirks will furnish glaciers for
many generations of tourists yet to come.
This was the unanimous conclusion of our
party after our guide had led the way TO
the foot of Glacier Illicilliwact and we
had Clipped off a few handfuls of the
ice and drank some of the water trickling
from swall crack.
Starting early the next morning our
guide, with the aid of a boy of IA and
two sturdy mountain ponies, piloted us
TO a small lake nesting in the woods on
a bench some 1000 feet above. Here we
enjoyed the most extensive and grandest
views imaginable, though our guide in
formed us that from the top of the pass,
some 5000 feet higher up, fully 100 differ
ent glaciers could be seen.
Overtaxed muscles and tired lungs were
g l. NN