Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-10-14
THE CANADIAN ROCKIES
EDITORS VISIT CALGARY AND THEN GO
TO BANFF AND LAGGAN.
Beautiful Scenery Of Canadian Rocky
Mountains in the Vicinity Of Banff and
Laggan is Unexcelled. The Editors
Greatly Enjoy This Part Of
Their Journey.

| uTday afternoon, the editorial party
was met by the committee and in aut
omobiles and carriages given a drive
about the handsome city and shown its
natural and material resources and in
the evening listened to band concert.
Calgary has now population of over
%, 900 and it is destined to become a
great city. 1t is situated in the foot
hills of the Rocky montains. and is
the wholesale and retail center of the
southwestern district of western Cana
da, east of the mountains. 1t has al
most doubled the past two or three
years, and is a progressive, up-to-date.
bustling city, showing more life and
progressive spirit than any city yet
visited, not excepting Edmonton. 1t
has $40 retail stores, 80 wholesalers.
% manufactures, 10 banks, four daily
papers. five clubs, three colleges, nigh
school. normal school and twelve pub
lie schools, and all the adjuncts of
modern city. Besides, appropriations
have been made for a $3.50. 600 street
railway. $3.50, 900 city hall, $65, 600 for
bridge and park improvements, etc.
There is an abundance of handsome
native gray stone, of which nearly all
the buildings are made, and plenty of
coal oil and natural gas has been
found in the adjacent territory. I'M
mense water power plants are also be-
ing constructed to furnish electric
power for the city. Here too is the head
of the immense irrigation system of
the Canadian Pacific railway. taking
its waters from the Bow river which
eDcircle the city, being the largest
undertaking of the kind in America,
embracing in area three millions of
acres lying to the east of Calgary.
Daring the past few years We have
made trips to many of natures most
famous beauty spots in various parts
of the United States, but we scarcely
expect ever to see anything that ex-
cells in transcendent magnitude and
grandeur the magnificent landscape
unfolded to us in almost kaleidoscope
succession on that beautiful Sunday
morning as we approached the Cana
dian Rocky Mountains and the many
beautiful scenes witnessed in the
mountains. We left Calgary early Sun
day morning and awoke at sunrise.
Before US, on either side, the noun
tains rose in varied form and In end
less change of aspect, as the lights and
shadows played upon them. Behind
us the great sea of open prairie, north
ward the wooded district of Edmonton
and the North Saskatchewan, full OF
moose, elk, deer and all manner of fur
bearing animals and feathered game;
and sketching away $50 miles south
ward to the United States boundary the
great ranching country. Following
westward the valley of the Bow river,
the undulating grassy hill-tops where
innumerable horses. cattle and sheep
were feeding shut out the view OF
the mountains for an hour or two, and
then their grandeur burst upon US in
startling aSruptness Entering an al
most hidden portal, we found our
selves spinning along a narrow valley
between two great mountain ranges.
Approaching Kananaskis, river of the
same name is crossed by high bridge
little below where it joins the rail-
way. Continuing on, the mountains
rise abruptly in great masses, and at
the gap by which the Rocky Noun
tains are entered speeds between two
almost vertical walls of dizzy height.
Running along beside the river whose
milky-green waters come from the
glaciers of the mountains a few miles
further up. the railway ascends the
long valley between the Fairholme
and Kananaskis ranges. On the right
are Enthusiastically broken and castellat-
ed heights, and ON the left massive
snow laden promontories, rising thous-
ands of feet, penetrated by enormous
alcoves engulfed with gorgeous color
ings. AS the train speeds along
through gorge and over mountain
stream grandeur and beauty crowds
upon the attention without ceasing.
until one becomes bewildered with
the magnitude and magniticence of
the view Gradually nearing the
field of ice and snow amid the noun
tain peaks. we soon stop at Laggan,
the station for the Lakes in the
Clouds, and while our train stood on
the side track some climbed into carry
alls and upon the mountain ponies,
while others walked up the we'll beat
en- mountain road two and half
miles to beautiful Lake Louise. $3.50
feet in altitude, and the view unfold
ed upon arrival there will linger in.
definitely. A picturesque lake nestles
amid the snow capped peaks which
tower above on all sides, and on the