The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-07-16
THE BIG BOY OF THE NORTH.

Canada is getting to be a big boy
now" Taking this observa ton of
Sir Thomas Shaughnessy. president Of
the Canadian Pacific Railway, as a
suggestion, the New York Sun pub
fishes an interesting editorial article
on the immense development of the
Dominion lying above the northern
boundary of the United States The
Sun presents facts that justify the
railway presidents statement. Here
is the prelude to the statistical
exhibit:
Canada is no longer an infant. 1t
has laid aside its swaddling clothes
and has donned the toga of virile
place in the world of affairs; to
remain under the parental roof tree, if
that be deemed most suitable and sat
isfactory; to go into political or COM
mercial partnership with its gigantic
neighbor on the south; or to 90 into
business solely upon its own account
if it secs fit to do so. England no
longer assumes right of dictation in
Canadian affairs. She now regards the
Dominion as self-suffcient young
ster quite able and willing to take
care of himelf, and whom it would be
unwlse to offend, rather than as a
ward in chancery. A generation has
witnessed a political transformation
and an industrial revolution.
This political transformation. this
industrial revolution, has hardly been
witnessed" on this side of Canada
line The American people have
been so deeply engrossed in their own
affairs of war and peace that they have
hardly noticed the growth and devel-
opment of the once somewhat stunted
ward of Great Britain into the big
strapping boy that now dominates the
regions extending from the st, Law
renee, the great lakes and the lati-
tude of early boundary contention
north to where rises the Aurora
Borealis. The Sun is of the opinion
that in some important particulars,
Canada has outstripped the United
States On per capita basis, the ex-
ports and imports on this side the long
boundary line should aggregate six
billion dollars year, instead of their
present two and one-fourth billions,
to be in due proportion to those of
Canada. In railway activity, on the
basis of population, the Dominion has
outstripped the United States, but
that is only natural. At the present
IN, &c CANADA ic in
smaller degree like the United States
before the era of Pacific and contempt
raneous railway building. OF Can
adam railway extension the Sun says
were known only to Indians and trap
pers are now covered with towns, vii
lagos and thrifty farms. A generation
has seen her railway mileage and hel
freight traffic multiplied by twenty
and her railway equipment and hel
passenger traffic multiplied by ten.
The end of the war for the Unior
during which the United States wal
large purchaser of Canadian farm
products, and the subsequent abroga
tion of the reciprocity treaty, very in
juriously affected the prosperity o
Canada, but with the pluck of thei
race the inhabitants set about finding
new outlets for their products ant
building new means to reach new mark
cts
The circumstance is recalled that
o,,I,x ,ob 1,
thirty-five years ago included the fol
lowing item of information for the
benefit of the rising generation: 1t i
generally supposed that the climate O.
the northwest territories is so sever
that the country must forever remaii
desolate waste. Ia rebuttal of thi
luminous superstition" paralleled OF
this side of the line i'll the instance
of the Louisiana Purchase, the might,
region "where rolls the Oregon, ant
later and more forcibly of Alaska
these surprising facts and prophetic
are recited:
In 1870, Winnipeg, now a city o
go, 600 was a place of $40 inhabitants
with only few scattered white set
tiers between the Red River and tn
Pacific coast. A year later, survey
were being made for a transconti
mental railroad. In 1881, the first so
was turned for the building of tn
Canadian Pacific Railway. In 1885
trains were run from Montreal to tn
coast. In 1875, the lntercolonial roa
was opened from Quebec to Halifax
The completion of the Canadian Pa
cific opened line from coast to coast
more than 3, 700 miles in length, 80 pc
cent of which was through wilder
ness. 1t was daring project. An