The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-15
RAILROAD OPENS
WILD GRANDEURS
The Canadian Pacific's Mountain
Journey a Ride Full Of
Wonders.
Correspondence Of The Journal.


which become famous as "scenic
routes.' The last thing which the en-
gineers who project a railroad line
want is "scenery,o or Irregularities in
the EARTH surface, such as mountain
ranges and the winding of streams in
evitably produce. !,
Three quarters of the business Of
the average American railroad is in
hauling freight, and for doing this sue
billiard table level is the ideal. A large
percentage Of the passengers on every
train are there because they want to
get to a certain destination rather than
Because of anything that they can see
out the window. Therefore, the engi-
neers strain every nerve and bend
every energy to pick out the lowest
passes across the mountains and the
easiest grades; they level up the val
leys and cut down the hills; in short,
they destroy scenic opportunities with
a ruthless hand. They regard the nat
ural features which make scenery as
the tribulations of transportation.
Glories in Troubles. ~
But after these have been reduced
to their minimum, the railroad pro-
ceeds to turn around and "glory in it's
tribulations.' This irreducible mini
mum of scenery which remains after
the resourcefulness of engineers and
projectors has been exhausted, is taken
up as an asset of the road and every
effort made to stimulate business be:
cause of it. A certain percentage OF
the passenger traffic, especially. on
transcontinental lines, is clearly influ.
enced by the scenery, and more and
more are railroads seeking to identify
themselves with attractive aspects Of
the landscape. But if anyone will ride
on the wagon road for twenty-five
miles in any mountain country, par.
alleling the route Of the iron horse
over the same territory, the potency
of the railroad in .suppressing scenery
will become painfully apparent.
Natural Beauty Utilized.
No long distance railroad in the
world has done so much to utilize nat
| ural beauties as an asset. as has the
Canadian Pacific. The line next to the
south of thames J. Hills Great
| Northern-probabl sneaks across the
continent with less mountain climbing
than any other American road. It is
accordingly, a great freight carrier.
The new line to the north of tn
Canadian Pacific will not amount tt
much in scenery, because it will fol
the most part go around the Rock.
and Selkirk ranges to the north. Thu
Canadian Pacific was built as politica
necessity, as condition for securin.
British Columbia s adherence to tn
confederation, and its projectors de
sired in general route as near tn
theory that all business to the nortl
of them would come in on feeders
while that to the south they would di
vide with rivals. Political and economi
conditions thus threw the Canadian Pa
cifc across stretch of mountain vii
derness the like Of which, perhaps, n
other railroad on earth attempts t
II penetrate. .:s3.sEEfs j HI.E~..
I Tracks for Scenic Viewpoint.
] It is not strangbj then, that the Can
; pains to sbring Out - it's scenery.
!: is the only transcontinental road whic
runs, in places, double tracks thru tn
snowshed sections, one on the outsid
. for the summer and the other insid
!; the shed for winter. The outside trac
is clear superiority, but is designe
to give the tourist the benefit of Gel
tain scenic effects, notably near tn
Glacier station. The time tables al
so adjusted that the best places ar
. passed by daylight, and there is
series of stops at points Of impressiv
beauty. At the Albert Canon, for e.
r ample, the train unloads its passenger
a that they may lean over the stron
= fence and look down upon the gurglin
Z waters at the foot of a titanic gas
|. thru the rocks. Every dining static
{, thru the mountains is at point of sue
e beauty that those who need to e;
v nothing would enjoy the twenty mi
' utes rest amid such splendors I
r mountain grandeur.
The Observation Cars.
q The observation cars are elabora
/ in design. They are built like
boose, with windows looking out ov
the tops of ordinary cars, and tn
these the observer may look from ea'
/. of two raised platforms, or deci
10 within the car. There are besides t
70 chairs on the car floor, for persons WI
prefer that view. Important seen
r points are distinctly marked, notab
= the Great Divide, where clear mou
J. tain brook may be seen turing IN "
ie directions, as if in careless play, o
10 part Of its melted SHOWS destined
IT. reach Hudson's bay and the Atlan1
: ocean, while the other loses itself
ne the murmurs of the Pacific seas. L
Us Great Divide is highly impressive, a.
de- lest travellers should fail to catch t
ID critical point where the waters cea
ne to run from the engine and begin
he flow toward it, picturesque sign. ma
at 80 o,l, Io,, rhs has been erected in t