The Alaska citizen., 1911-02-06
EXPO IN 1914 AT
 WINNIPEG SELklRk CENTENNIAL TO HON. OR COMING OF SETTLERS
 TO NORTHWEST.

WINNIPEG, Jan. 2 One hun dred years ago band of hardy settlers from Scotland landed at the Hudson Bay company's trading post, known as Fort Garry, now the city of Winnipeg. They came via Hud, son bay, under the direction of Lord Selllirk.
 Winnipeg now plans to commemo- rate with people from all parts of the world the birth of an empire as large as Great Britain. France Germany, Austria and Italy com bined, with enough territory Jeff over to absorb several states of the United States. This will take place in 1914, in the shape of worlds fair-the Selkirk Centennial.
 City of Recent Origin.
 It might seem aln ost impossible for a city which comparatively a few years ago was bleak, unin- habited region to carry such a plan to success. So 1t would be in any place but the West. EXpa rience has shown that the farther west great fairs have been held, the bet ter successes they hay been, finan- cially and in every way. Although not the biggest ever held, the fairs held during the last few years in Portland and Seattle were the most successful.
 Thirty-ive years ago Winnipeg's s population was less than 1000, and there were only 35 pupils in the schools. The town had no churches, streets or railroads, and cnly few years previous the Indians had chased herds of buffalo across the prairie where the city stands.
 It Is now the business center of the Canadian West. Twenty-two railway tracks radiate from it, and the Canadian Pacific yards, with l2O miles of trackage, are the larg- est in the world controlled by a single corporation. The annual freight receipts of all the roads amount to more than 2,000,000 tons, and nearly 4,O00 railway employees reside here.
 Now Metropolis.
 It has a large area, wide streets, all kinds of boulevards, and other municipal improvements, but thing which will probability do more than any other for 1t for the next few years is the immense modern cleo tric power plant. owned by the city from which 60,000-horse power can be obtained. It will be finished in few months.
 Winnipeg is a legislative center, railroad center, educational center, and agricultural center. In fact, about the only two things which make New Works, Chicagos, Pitts burgs and Clevelands and which did not come to Winnipeg naturally are manufacturing facilities and a har- bor.
 The power plant will furnish pow CT as cheap or cheaper than the world famous Niagara, which is now being harnessed by the Ontario gov ernment, and Winnipeg has every thing else to offer manufacturers.
 May Become Seaport.
 It Is predicted that this Chicago of Canada will yet become a sea port. In fact, ocean steamers may sail in and out via Hudson bay and Lake Winnipeg, carrying European visitors, who are now inquiring daily, to the Selkirk Centennial in 1914.
 With such record and the great Northwest, of which Winnipeg is the metropolis, only an infant in the family of nations, with it's resources hardly scratched, Winnipeggers are confident not only of having a worlds fair in 1914, but of having one which will be in many ways the most successful ever held.
 The Canadian Pacific has promis- ed a donation of s5oo,OOO to the project.
 The Grand Trunk Pacific, which will be the longest transcontinental line in the world, and will barely be finished and ready for the first class passenger traffic when the great fair will open, is giving the same sum as its great rival. The G. T. P. expects to get its half-mil- lion back, with compound interest,