The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-09-23
We had been told much Of the Can

We had been told much Of the Can.
adian Pacific and were not in the least
disappointed in it; the half had not been
told, neither eau I. 1t is a route that
must be seen TO be appreciated. Ger.
tainly there is not scenic route on this
continent which equals it, nor in all the
world. Short stretches OF scenery there
may be elsewhere, as in parts Of Col
orado, but on the Canadian Pacific one
wakes and retires amid scenery which
battles poets and painters alike.
From Vancouver to Banff, distance
OF $50 miles, there is not mile Of un-
interesting travel. In all this distance
the train never leaves a river; sometimes
1t is one, then another; now a tiny creek.
again mighty mountain torrent rush
toward the sea at the rate of thirty miles
an hour; crossing a stream here, back
again there, all the way it is the fight of
mans progress and engineering skill
against nature in Its widest state. In
Colorado, the Switzerland of America, /"
snow capped mountains are viewed in
the distance, generally miles upon miles
away; here. over the c. P. R., the train
touches their very feet--not one, but
many, and the tourist can stand upon
the car platform and look straight up to
the top OF the granite monsters with
their snow-tipped peaks rising two miles
above the surface OF the track.
On some Of the mountain peaks OF the
Canadian Rockies the snow is estimated
to be from 500 to 600 feet deep. Half
way down the sides the hot rays OF the
sun can no longer be withstood and from
out the mass of snow and ice breaks a
tiny rivulet, which increases with every
foot of descent and with others of its
kind and makes roaring torrent.
A trip over the Canadian Pacific
through the mountains is a hair-raiser,
especially if ono rides with the engineer
or in an. part Of the train whore a full
view Of the road can be had. This re.
minds me that the officials on all the
divisions Of the G. P. were extremely
courteous to all the members OF our big
party and forgot all about rules, etc.
Coming through the mountains the loco.
motives were literally covered with men
and women, perched all over the big ma
chimes like flies. On the "cowcatchers"
women were as thick as they could sit.
1t required four 125-tou compound on
gines to get our big train over s,me
parts of the road Travel is consequent
ly slow through the mountains as fast
time is impossible. F6f hnndrets of
miles there is bridge or tunnel or
heavy retaining wall every Mile. ask
ed one OF tho best posted officials how
many bridges there werao~ he $50 miles
through the mountains and he intimated
that there were so many not,;,ly knew.
Mile after mile the road will follow the
winding of a river through the noun
tains, strung along like rad fifty to
one hundred feet above the bed Of the
stream and clinging TO i..ls mountain
sides by retaining walls, cross tying and
all the mechanical ingenuity known to
railroad engineering. When hugh
granite promontory is encountered a
tunnel is blasted through it and out
shoots the train onto the edge of the
river again or more titan likely onto a
bridge or trestle crossing an arm Of the
creek. The marvel of 1t is: how a rail-
road could be constructed where it was
once seemingly impossible to maintain a
bride path for miners. saying nothing
Of wagon road. 1t will he readily seen
therefore that the Canadian Pacific cost
an enormous amount OF money, much
more even than the Union Pacific, which
crosses u country once thought impos-
sible to span with railroad. Tho pas
senger rates are high through the noun
tain districts, FIVE cents II mile believe.
The Canadian Pacific was given an
enormous land grant, every other sec
tion for twenty four miles from the
track. The Canadian Pacific claims that
they have never Killed passenger since
the road was put in operation, about
thirteen years ago. The utmost care is
exercised on every division OF the road
and through the mountain districts this
extends to the point Of patroling every
mile OF track before and after the pas-
sage of every train. Washouts. burned
bridges and land slides are common, but
so well is the road guarded that acci-
dents are extremely rare. On the beav-
lest grades through the Rockies safety
switches are constructed spur run.
ming up grade instead OF down-so tha,
in event of n train breaking in two ol
The engineer losing control Of it, tho
swjtchman-always at his post while &
train is near can throw the switch ant
the train or cars stop of their owr
accord.
There is a constant stream OF Englisl
tourists going over the Canadian Pacif,
all through the summer months. most o
whom never SET s0ut Tito the Unitet
States. We saw and ta',lsd with man,
Of them-great, big, fine strapping fol
lows they were, too. Not a few Of then
were inyeterate travellers, been all owe
the other side OF the world, hut it wa
4 the unanimous opinion that the Canadian
Pacific could show the grandest scener.
and the most Of 1t Of any route of trave
on either continent. CIR. 7.