The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1912-08-02
PAW PAW PASTOR
TELLS OF TRIP
Rev. A. L. Luther Writes
of an Interesting Tour
Through West.
Continued from last week.

On our return journey we came by Pu-
get Sound aud across the Rockies on the
Canadian Pacific. We crossed the Sound
on the steamer "Princess Helen" beau
tiful, fast going boat. We took ship at
Seattle, the metropolis of the north Ia
citic coast and one of our greatest sea
ports. Brown harbor tugs. great four
masted sailing vessels and ocean going
steamers lay in the harbor "a we passed
out. The Sound is dotted with beauti
full islands and on a clear day Mt.
Adams, Mt st. Helens AID Mt. Rainier
lift their snowy heads ia full view.
! Sometimes the waters OF the sound
stretch away as far as the eye can reach,
then again it narrows and at cue place
We passed between high walls of rock OF
either side, while the waters of the out
going tide rushed and roared like rapid
river.
The travellers we met were very friend
ly. We conversed with gentlemen from
Winnipeg, Topeka, Kan, Seattle and
Victoria. All spoke with enthusiasm of
the growing northwest and the great
opportunities for trade.
Arriving at Vancouver we took the
evening train for the east. All the coun.
try is billy and broken, but we really
enter the mountains at Mission June.
ton and for more than 500 miles we are
passing through continually changing
scenes of beauty. The highest altitude
attained on this line 1926 feet, is not so
great as the altitude where the Denver
and Rio Grande cross the Rockies, which
at Tennessee Pass is 1920 feet, but the
splendid scenery of the mountains On
the Canadian line fully equals that on
the Denver. The Summit is reached at
Laggan and is marked by rustic arch,
"The Great Divide" Here the waters
part, those to the east go down into Bow
river and reach the ice cold waters of
Hudson Bay; those to the west go into
Kicking Horse river, the Columbia and
to the Pacific. We were soon in the
midst of snow capped ranges OF noun
tains and ms we climbed higher the snow
line was scarcely 80 feet above Us. For
many miles we ascend the canyon of the
Fraser river. At Lytton we cross the
Fraser and go up the Thompson river TO
Shuswap, and lake of the same name.
We follow the shores of this lake for
about 80 miles. 1t is a peculiar body of
water with long arms extending through
the vslies These lakes are sparkling
blue water and with the shores lined
with forests and the snowy mountains
above, there is thrilling beauty that
one cannot describe. Between Field
and Hector is one OF the greatest engi-
neering feats of the road. To reduce
the grade the road is heightened from
four miles TO more than eight miles. The
road doubles back on itself twice, max
ing two complete turns, each turn being
made in tunnel beneath a mountain.
1t is said that 1000 men worked 20
months with steam equipment 90 this
piece of road and used Is carloads of eX
plosives, which cost S250,000. Bamtf Is
at the eastern gateway Of the Selkrks,
and Glacier is the center of attraction
for mountain climbers. But the beauties
of these mountain r. sorts is we'll known.
From the mountaios We run for 500
miles through the farming lands of AL
berta and Saskatchewan, whittier so
many of our farmers nave gone for
homes. While there are some regions of
well cultivated lands there are many
miles of treeless PLAINS that ale by no
means as attractive to US as parts of
North Dakota, Minnesota and Wiscon
sim Through the northwest there has
been good rain fall and prospects are
good for bountiful harvest. We re-
turn to Michigan with the feeling that
our state holds no small place among
the states of tie great union. The pro-
duct of her factories and of her mines,
and the fruit of her soil makes her name
we'll known in every state and in for
eign lands, and we doubt il there is a
state where the table Of the average man
is so beautifully or so cheaply supplied
as IN Michigan.
One thing that gave US delightful re-
Election and hope for the future was
the fact that this, the latest discovered
of the great continents of the universe,
is now ruled by two of the greatest ma
tons of the world, speaking the same
tongue, and these two great nations ly
ing along side by side for thousands of
miles without a single armed soldier in
sight along the border 10 me 1t is pro-
phetic of the time when there shall be
war 30 more. And today the really great
problems Of these great nations are the
physical, moral and spiritual welfare of
their own people and of tho whole hu-
man family. And what a magnificent
Al
work out the redemption of the whole
human race.
REV. ALEX I. LUTHER