Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-12

have been the reason why the place mas
been neglected, but We have not been able
to find such rock and our engineers do
not believe it ever existed. They think it
is the mistake Of some craftsman.
Thousands of Acres Bought.
I'VE bought 10000 acres surrounding
the bay from the government at the
rate of 81 per acre; we bought 1900
acres from the Indians at $50 an acre
and $50 additional to the government,
and also gave a one-fourth interest in
our town site operations to the pro-
vincial government of British Columbia.
Our engineers, with the assistance of
competent landscape architects. laid out
model town, and We have sold about
$500 lots to date, and the town, which
is now about five years old, has a popu-
lation of about 5000. Its history Is
very much a repetition of that of Winni-
peg. and in few years Prince Rupert
will be duplicate of Vancouver for
North British Columbia.
when get our steamship line run
ming between Prince Rupert and Sgd
ney. and that will be within very few
years, it will connect the two finest har-
bors in the British empire. The journey
from New York to Yokohama will be
1,3co miles shorter by way of Prince
Rupert than by way of San Francisco
and 500 miles shorter than by way of
Vancouver. 1t will be the shortest jour
ney around the world
There is a large fishing industry along
the coast at that point and vast quanti
ties of halibut, salmon and herring are
Caught in the neighborhood. which will
be a source of great wealth. Even to-
day, with no direct connection, salmon
and halibut are carried south TO Van
couver and Seattle and shipped daily by
rail in refrigerator cars to Boston. You
will notice these refrigerator cars on
the fast overland trains goinng east.
Prince Rupert will also be the nearest
railway point to Alaska and will shorten
the voyage about one-halt.
Extent Of Grand Trunk System.
What is the mileage of the Grand
Trunk" l asked.
THE Grand Trunk system included
about 500 miles in round numbers, of
which 1900 miles are in the United
States Our southern terminus is at
New London on Long Island sound-we
will soon be running trains into Provi-
dence. Our southwestern terminus is
Chicago. We touch the Atlantic ocean
at Portland and Halifax, and we are
building west across the continent as
800 miles of track in operation
west of the great lakes and the gap be-
tween Fort william. our port on Lake
Superior, and the Pacific ocean at the
miles. We cannot work on the prairies in
the winter and can do rock work in the
mountains. We are running regular pas
senger trains to Edison, 1866 miles west
Winnipeg, and shall be carrying pas
sengers from Fort William on Lake SUI
perior to Winnipeg early next summer.
We are already hauling a good deal of
freight that way, but the track is not yet
completely ballas.ed.
1.-THE distance f1Oms Noncton TO
Prince Rupert. our Pacific terminus. is
nearly 3COO miles, or will be when the line
is completed The Dominion government
is building from Moncton westward via
Quebec through an uninhabited section
to Winnipeg. a distance of 500 miles,
and from Winnipeg westward. 17jJ miles
to the Pacific of which 916 miles are
across the prairfes and $50 miles through
the mountains. 1t will lease the line to
the Grand Trunk Railway Company for
a term of fifty years, with an option OF
extending the lease for another half CEN
fury at a rental of 5 per cent on the
cost of construction. but there will be no
rental for the first seven years, and
during the three years following any
defci. in the cost of operation will be
paid from the public treasury and
charged TO capital. This is practically
full guarantee for the first ten years. and
in addition the government furnishes sta
tons and terminals on public lands.
Government Loans Credit. /.
West of Winnipeg the government
loans its credit at the rate of $4,000
mile on the prairie section and three
fourths of the cost of construction in
the mountain section without limit. and
pays interest upon three-four.hs of the
cost for the first seven years. The prairie
section will pay. The mountain section
and the eastern section will not pay at
once. but the government assistance will
cover any deficit.
The mileage west of the great lakes is
about the same that of the Canadian
Pacific and the two roads run practically
parallel, commencing 80 miles apart at
the Pacific coast and converging at
Fort William and Winnipeg
What is the most interesting place
on your line?" l asked.
Prince Rupert, of which l have al
ready told you. and then Edmonston;
Winnipeg Is wonderful city. 1t re-
sembles Chicago in its physical condi-
ton and in other respects. The situa-
tion is similar and the soil is very much
like that of Illinois. With water and
rail transportation 1t is the jobbing n
ter of all western Canada, and has an
empire back OF it.
II was born in Rock Island. and went
to Chicago as a boy; and. 1 became ac-
quainted with Winnipeg twenty years
ago Therefore, j have been able to
watch both cities and can see that Winni-
peg is growing faster than Chicago
ever did, and has modern advantages
that Chicago did not enjoy. We are
building a hotel called the Selkirk, on
the site of old Fort Garry, the colony
which Lord Selkirk founded In 1910. The
hotel will cost $1.JUD.OO0. 1t will have
3cD rooms and everything perfect. The
contract will be let in few days.
Americans Among Settlers.
The western provinces of Canada are
settling up very rapidly and a considera-
BILE number of immigrants are Americans
probably 40 per cent-and most of them
are young people who have been brought
up on the farms of the northwestern
states. They have considerable money:
they buy for cash; they are able to
provide themselves with the best imple-
ments and machinery and are not requir-
ed to suffer the hardships that their
parents had to endure as pioneers.
Last year the wheat crop was a par
tial failure. but We hauled about 5000. 600
bushels. of which 5.OOO.OOO bushels were
grown in section where there was not
a single settler five years before. This
year we expect to haul from 100000
TO I5.Oc0,OO0 bushel of wheat
when will your new New England
line be opened for traffic?'
]. I'VE hope to be running trains into