Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-05-22
COAL MONOPOLY
In British Columbia Will
Soon Be at an End
Competition for Crows Nest
Pass Co. Already in Sight.
New Kootenay Central Road to
Open up Vast Valleys.

| DOmiuiOI Government, the Crows Nest
| Pass Coal Company was granted the
sole right to sell coal raised in the
| Crows Nest area Of British Columbia
| for ten years. This monopoly ter
| inmates in July. 1905 and in anticipa-
| ton of the opening of the resources of
| this district to coal expOrtatiOn the
| Canadian Pacific Railway has been
| steadily developing its mines at
| Hosmer, whore everything is, even
| now, practically ready for shipping.
| The management Of the Crows Nest
| Company has not been wholly con-
genial to the people Of the district, who
! are glad 10 see the Canadian Pacific
| ready to cope with such situation as
now exists in the strike troubled area
of F'ernie. The approaching termina-
| ton of the agreement with the Crows
| Nest Company has stimulated the feel
| ing that the Canadian Pacific Railway
means to rush construction on it's line
called the Kootenay Central Railway.
upon which work was started in 4
small way last year. 1t may now be
| stated as a certainty that work will be
| pushed as fast as mon and materials
can be placed on the ground.
The new road. which will be 1S6
| miles long, will start at Golden, on the
| main line of the Canadian Pacific Rail-
| way, and follow the water grade of the
| Columbia River and the Columbia
| lakes through the ranching country OF
| the Windcrmcre Valley and then run
| southwark, parallel with the west side
| Of the main range Of the Rockies.
| along the wide and fertile plain of the
koOtenay River valley to connect with
| the Crows Nest branch at a point near
| Wardner or Galloway, 4 little to the
east of CranbroOk.
The KoOtcuay Valley starts at the
| Canadian boundary, where it is about
eighty miles wide and narrows
| gradually as it approaches Canal Flat
| at the northern extremity Of the
| Columbia Lakes; grows wider again in
\ TIL Wind"rmcrc, ana trends north and
! northwest to tie big bend of the Co
| luubia ana finds 4 continuation on the
/ same remarkably even grade to Tete
! Jaime Cache and the field of the opera
! tinus OF the Grand Trunk Pacific and
] the other roads which are warning for
! possession there.
This system Of valleys. of great re
| sources in timber, minerals and agri-
| cultural lands, forms a natural high
| way whereby the various railroads that
| Will soon bear east ana west across
! British Columbia can be connected by
| north and south extensions. y glance
| at amy of the better maps of the
country will show the strategic advan-
tagc of being the first in the field with
such an extension as that of the
kootcnuy Central, the charter of which
enables the owners to build south to
the boundary ANA north, via Canoe
River, to Fort George. near the south
cnd Of the Bull;ely Valley.
When Tie extensions to Fort George
on the north or to the Idaho line on
tho south will bc completed depends
on the development and requirements
of the country, but the public may ac-
cept as / fact that the road from
Golden to the Crows Nest system IS
be- ing seriously undertaken by the
Canadian Pacific Railway, and will be
finished, # it is possible, within year.
At present the Canadian Pacific Rail
way cannot use Il pound of its coal in
the Hosmer mines, on which an enor-
nous sum has been spent in develop
mcnt. BY July of next year it can
operate lis own property as it chooses,
ard ii is determined to have the Koot-
enay Central ready by that time, so
that it can get its product to Rcvel-
| Stoke and places west Of that divi-
sional point without being compelled
| to haul it ia the Cows Nest, Mcleod
and Calgary, and then have 70 push it
over the heavy grades Of the noun
| tains between Calgary and Golden.
Last year the Canadian Pacific Rail-
way sold q considerable portion of lot
| 1876 IN the neighbnrhOod of Canal Flat,
across which tire new road must pass,
| wi-i1 the distinct Understanding that
the railroad would be ready by the
time the purchasers had their saw
| mills erected to cut the timber on the
| Land. This under standing will have to
be rnet.
Another reason for rushing compile
tinn of the new enterprise is the open
| ing of the Spokane international Rail
| way to both freight and passenger
| traffic. At present the journey from
| Spokane TO- Crarorool< and thence to
Golden consumes three days. journey
comprising several RELAYS of train and
boat. IN summer it is beautifully
| slow trip through scenic country,
| but for The business men from Idaho
| or Washington wholly eXasperatinS.
With the completion of the Kootenay
Central, the trip may be made i'll ten
| hours.
There is plenty Of land to be had for
| little or almost nothing in the Koote-
| nay and Winlcmere valleys The new
railroad is the one thing needed to
open up over 10000 square miles Of eX-
ccllcnt agricultural country lying along
| the KoOtrnay River and the valley Of
| the Upper Columbia. 1t IS cold in Win
ter but dry and the summers are
| nearly perfect. As means of forming
some idea Of the climate it may be
said that fruit of every kind, including
| ever Italian pr'lnes, is grown and
prospars az an attitude OF well over
5000 fee. above sea level nearby Gran
brook About $500 beeves with sheep
and hogs in proportion are needed 10
supply the annual demand OF the
| Crlnbrook market and there is an
equal demand for eggs, butter, poultry
ana all manner of farm produce. And
not two per cent of this supply is