Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-08-13

ul0uL Ol uOulul6TIeTeIC6 dutI ucuITdis ity which has only recently been broken. This is why Hill has pushed least half-dozen extensions of his northern lines clear to the border, where they have been summarily halt ed, but where they have remained mute menaces to British supremacy on British soil. The richness of the commercial prize, however. has proved too powerful temptation and there are now unmistakable evidences that the neutrality treaty Is at an end and that Hill and the Canadian Pacific have begun a struggle for the lions share in British Columbia. Hill Is pushing his Great Northern extensions across the border in every direction. is threatening the Canadian Pacif1c's hold on Vancouver by an alliance with the Grand Trunk Pacific which will effect shorter route than that of the Canadian Pacific across Canadian soil to Vancouver H,ll has also secured a masters hold on many of British Columbia's greatest mineral deposits. In what an important light this is viewed by the financial world was shown in the four weeks between the middle of last July and the middle of August, when the knowledge of Hills new mineral possessions in British Co- lumbia sent Great Northern railway stock up 52 points in the market.
 Retaliation has already been begun by the Canadian Pacific. which has since bought an entry into Bel,lngham and is threatening Seattle and Spo- kane with railroad invasion. This struggle between the two greatest rail way interests in the north for the rich tonnage of the future Pacific and the British northwests powerfully Illus trates the folly of mans trying to put asunder by political divisions what na- ture has inseparably joined.
 British Columbia is no longer solely a rich mineral storehouse. Its agricul- tural products. It's fruit. its lumber in- dustry. it's fisheries and its varied in- dustries are attracting almost 10000 settlers annually. Its possibilities are scarcely second to those of the Pacific northwest. with which 1t Is so closely linked. Think of an empire with gate ways to the shortest oriental routes with 1so.000 square miles of territory rich in scenery, climate and resources beyond compare. Think of this terri tory which Is three times as large as the United Kingdom. a portion of which controls it, Think of this empire by the Pacific. which is IS times as large as Novia Scotia. f4 times as large as New Brunswick. which exceeds On tario. and which is almost twice as large as the great state of Oregon, which In turn has more than 10000 square miles in excess of New York and Pennsylvania combined, Think of this great empire with It's unlimited and undeveloped resources. but with population scarcely more than 2o0.- 900. less than half the population of Oregon. which Is SO thinly populated that one lzngulshes with lonesomeuess between habItations,
 British Columbia continued to be . crown colony until 1871. when It's com manding position upon the Pacific and the meaning of it's geography began to penetrate the craniums of Canadian statesmen and it was welcomed Into the Canadian commonwealth. In that year the total white population did not exceed 5000 and the entire population 10000. and t vas not until 1885 that the first train reached Burrand Inlet In 1873 the imports were only s20oo.- 900. ten years later they were only s1.- ooo.eoo greater and in lss3 they had reached sa.eooooo. and ten years later had more than trebied. while the ex- ports had risen from sz.ooo.ooo to nearly s1T.sso.eo during the same period