The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-06
BEAUTIFUL BANFF, IN THE
HEART OF THE ROCKIES

geography that it must be northwest
erly and southeasterly; but there is
nothing here to indicate ii. They. seem
10 rise in every direction. No one is
friendly with his neighbor They creep,
ihey crawl, they soar, they rise, they
lower; they are broken, crushed, saw
ed, scanned, narrowed, convulsed, con-
torted' their peaks are smashed, their
races are crushed, their bosoms are
SCARED; they resemble nothing in
heaven above or the earth beneath.
or rather they resemble everything.
Each fancy can pick out something
they are like, only no one is like his
neighbor. There is no friendiness be-
tween themselves. And If not, then.
now can man find anything friendly or
soothing to his spirit? He cannot, or,
az least, this man can not. He has seen
them in shade and shadow, in mist and
1og, in clear sun and dim sun, in early
morning and in the gloaming he has
watched the, silvering moon come out
ana spread her mantle which is more
covering of defects than charity; but
TO no purpose. They are grand, mas
slve, sublime, overwhelming, but not
beautiful, soothing or restful. They af-
fect you like a man with a strong
personality, they bring out your in
significance. They remind you of ugly
wrecks of your disappointed life they
stand like judges of your Utmost
thoughts, and make you feel that love
has persisted from off the earth.
The Canadian National Park.
In the midst of these fierce upheavals
whose peaks pierce the lower clouds is
situated Banff the Beautiful-beauti-
full not because of them, but because
of the lovely valley of the Bow and
SDFaV rivers fha bl11a oh Of Vs.,
million and Minnewanka, and the snow
white falls that sing a lullaby to the
guests at night. This part of the
mountains-5,000 square miles-has
been reserved as the Canadian Ma
tlonal Park and the village of Banff
houses the superintendent and cura-
tors of the park, and the scarlet jack
eted mounted police, just as it corrals
the herd of buffalo, moose and other
wild animals which are guarded here.
The Canadian Pacific Railroad has
built this fine hotel on
ledge, hanging to the breast
of Mt. Rumble, and last year
it was doubled in capacity to hold the
unending stream of tourists from Eng
land, Scotland, China, Japan, Austria
liza and the states. In fact the way
to go east nowadays is not through
the Suez, but over the Atlantic, cross
l4lC Nctilauidh dClllC IldllTOdQ,alQ Ll61l
take one of their Empress steamers
at Vancouver to any point in the
East; mean the Real East Japan,
China, India, not our so-called Eastern
States. If you have "a bit of bust
ness" to transact in India, why come
across the Atlantic in six or seven
days, ride over the Canadian Pacific in
six or seven DAYS more, take one of
the fine steamers from Vancouver in
,txrf I'D
East. and then go home to England
by the Suez canal, having transacted
your business and gone round the
world at the same time. Every SEN
S1ble person wants to go round the
world and nowadays it is such a lit
tie world to go around. And you can
do it for -G157, mot quite $780,
Now this Banff Hotel, in the heart of
the Rockies, is the stopping-off place
for all of these travellers; the meeting
place of the east going west and the
west coming east East Indian officials
come here to get rid of malaria;
wealthy sheep-ranchers from Austria
liza who are going home after spending
their money on the continent; noun
tain-climbers from Scotland who haV-
ing climbed all of SWitZerland's peaks
have come here to find new worlds to
conquer; sportsmen from England who,
udNlHS llO SdlllG NOIl the IldIilS DIT
home, have Travelled hither to try con-
illusions with the grizzly and the cou-
gar. 1 can't name them all, only it is
very English and very delicious, to
learn much unwritten history about
the Boer war and to hear the latest
stories about Kitchener and Earl Rob-
erts, who just at present are the two
greatest English celebrities. The
American tourist Just down from
Alaska or up from Frisco, plays a
very subordinate part. He doesn't APP
pear to own the premises.
Extent of the Rocky Mountain
scenery.
But why do all these travellers stop at
Banff? There are a great many rea-
sons. In the midst of 500 linear miles
and $4,000 square miles of more than
Alpine scenery, you have to pause 10
get breath There are four mountain
ranges that line up in successive bait
tleinented bulways this side the Pa
cific; the Coast Range, the Gold or
Columbian, the Seikirks, and the Rocky
Mountains. That gives a succession
of views unequalled for grandeur IN
the world. Says Edward Whymper
the conqueror of the Matterhorn, this
region is fifty or sixty Switzerlands
rolled into one" Says another who
take in all of this in one unbroken trip.
The eye loses the power of discrimina-
ton, so fast do grandeur of form and
beauty crowd upon the view. as the
train speeds through gorge and past
mountain, giving here vast outlook,
and there an interior glimpse. Here
gush the headwaters of rivers that run
for a thousand miles east and west.
You enter by and escape by the gates
thew have cut, your track is laid along
the ravine pathways they have hewn,
and you behold the very source of their
life in some crystal lake or in some
vast glacier, borne up on the shoulder
of some gigantic Atlas" The traveller
stops. therefore, to visit this vast
scenery in detail. Here at Banff you
can outfit with ponies and guides for
a trip of any number of days. into the
secret places of these Great Ones.
wherever the fancy leads.
The Medicinal Hot Springs.
But there is yet another reason that
brings the traveller here. Banff is cele-
brated for it's Hot Springs Being
volcanic region, birthstone is on tap ir
several places-brimstone enough &
go around to all who need it. Now, ]
am warned by one high in authority moi
TO put too much emphasis on the cura.
tive qualities of Banff's sulphu.
@wn Sick Headache