Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-07
A Bitter Fight.

gary and Edmonton in the western province.
Calgary is at present the larger and
Weather town, and maintains that it ought
to be the capital. The idea of the CAL
garians was that parliament should locate
the provisional capital at Banff or some
other small place that could not possibly
aspire to be the permanent capital, leav-
ing 1t to the provincial assembly to pick
the capital from among the active as
pirants without prejudice. But at the last
general elections Calgary went conserva-
tive and Edmonton went liberal. Govern
ments have a habit of remembering their
friends in Canada as well as in the United
States, and so the government named Ed
monitor as the provisional capital, which
will doubtless give it a certain advantage
when the provincial assembly comes to
choose the place for the permanent capital.
The feeling between the two towns is very
strong. There is between them not only
the question of which shall have the cap
ital. but also which shall enjoy CONNER
cial primacy In the west.
Calgary Is backed by the Canadian Pacific
railway and Edmonton is boosted by the
Canadian Northern and the new Grand
Trunk Pacific. Near Calgary the Canadian
Pacific is spending s5.000,000 on an immense
Irrigation project. Three years out OF five
irrigation is not needed in this part of the
Canadian west, but 1t is maintained that
southern Alberta will never have dense
population without irrigation. and as the
water supply is good and the topography
favorable lFrlSdtiOn Is becoming popular.
The Famous Mounted Police.
At Prince Albert the correspondents We're
introduced to Dan Mckay, who has
achieved local fame as a member of the
famous Northwest Mounted Police. He
has been connected with that organization
in one capacity or another for the past
twenty-three years and rendered his first
notable service to the country in connec-
ton with the Riel rebellion OF 1885, when
he claims he fired the first shot directed at
the rebels. He participated In the war to
the end and saw great deal of Riel him.
was the victim of designing spectators
who sought to get control Of the scrip held
by the half-breeds
Mckay says that the police penetrate the
country far into the north, and he has
himself gone as far as 300 miles from home
in pursuit of criminals in the dead of win
ter. The work of the active members of
the force frequently requires them to spend
months away from headquarters; and in
such cases they camp wherever night may
chance to find them. regardless of weather
conditions. Mckay says that he has spent
an entire winter 200 miles north of Prince
Albert, where the thermometer was fire.
quently 80 degrees below zero. and that
during that time he did not once sleep in
side house. His horses were always care
fully blanketed. but he and his companion
did not even go to the trouble of raising
a tent over themselves One OF their
greatest difficulties was to travel on the
frozen snow and 1t often became necessary
to procure dogs and sleds for this purpose.
Dogs were always to be had at the Hudson
bay stations, which are to be found at fire.
quent intervals throughout northern Can
ada.
This experience of Mckay illustrates the
persistence with which the police run down