ACRUSS CANADA BY TRAIN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 7 November 1912, Page 1

ACRUSS CANADA BY TRAIN

WITH THE ROYAL PARTY. (By H. Hamilton Fyfe in "Daily Mail.") In the hot afternoon sunshine we jog ■ccxmfortalbly across the prairie, yellow . wifah ripe corn. We have time to . notice which are the 'best crops; to exchange a wave of the hand with the farmers' men cutting 1 wide swathes with four-horse "reapers','; to enjoy the effect of the plain stretching to either horizon in rich, -unbroken fertility. There is a farmhouse near the line. A little group stands among the shocks of wheat, the women fluttering their 'handkerchiefs, 't'he men waving their hats. They know that ours is no ordinary train. They know that it carries; royalty. The Duke» of Connaughlt, Go-vernor-General of the Great Dominion, is making his fir&t official trip to; the West. The train is his travelling home •for months at' a time.. It is .the home, 'too. of the Duchess and of Princess Paltricia, of tJhe Duke's staff, and' Of many irore. In these ten cars travel 75 souls. , ■ LOFTY PALACE CARS." People who ; have only travelled in Great Britain, or the nearer Continent can fomi.no idea of iWhat it means to live in a train. They think of our cramped little carriages, which are all very well for journeys of a few hours.. These lofty palace cars, "with their ampl'V space, their lightness and airiness, theirsquare dining-rooms and smOking-rooirs. and libraries, would amaze? ithem. ' Here , am I in my own caibin, writing at ■my table, which has on either side of itft. wide cushioned settee.. «I» the daytiire it .is a capital, little "study. I liave my ibooks on shelves, plenty of. room, no risk of stuffiness, \vith-my domed roof' 15 feet high. ' ': : At night the table disappears. From •one settee to the other stretches my 'bed, wide and downy, in which I sleep soundly and reatfully the night long, , heedless of shuntings, hearing the; -claing of passing- train bells only in happy * dreams A flap coire's down and re T veals dainty washing arrangements:, Gloso ■by ar© ibaths, both tuib and shower. "A . cheery African valets me with kindly carei If I. want a change from my cabin' I can turn to the right and find a."parlor," where froih a deep armchair turn ; ed towards' a window I can sltudv the ■ country, to the ar.elcdious accompaniment or the best gramophone music. Or, T can turn to the left arid come to a larger roam, with shelves pf .books, card-taibles; newspapers, and magazines, cigars, 'all that a traveller could desire. v :v, 'THE DUKE AND THE GANGERS. " Sometimes these encounters lead to an:using incidents. ' The other day the A • Duke -addressed a couple of men acting as gangers in a railway construction party. "They were leaning against a truck; aild did not move or stop chewing gum. They had no idea whom* they were .talking to.. One said-he came. fjroon Glasgow; "Are you from Scotland, too,' - the Duke inquired of Itihe other.'.- M No, ' - ' I'm.-a Canuck'' .(slang .for Canadian)j he replied with a grin., Finally they began to 'th'e-Duke questions: "Going.far?" t "Yes," said His Royal Highness, ."as . far as; the coast. "Ah,"' - said - "I'd "be glad vto sbe gaen wi' ye." , . When the Duke, is 'recognised the conversation is not quite so. free and easy. There is iincertainfty, as a rule, as to hoav royalty ; should,-be. addressed. One farmer a few mornings agocalled His Royal HighnesS;4uite cprreditly "Sir," but feel- ; - ing this to ibe inadequate; always followed it up with "Your Honour. Now and then there is uncertainty, Ithe Governor-General. At Pontage-la- ** Prairie Mi- Walter Baker, the well-known; and very, popular secretary of the- Canadian Pateinc Railway, 1 was given a bunch of flpwers. A woman on the platform saw this, and jumped to the conclusion ■that he must be, the Duke. "Well," she was Heard to'say;' to 4he delight'of several of our party, "Fm sure I can't see any likeness/io; the 'late King Ed- ' ward.-' v It was upon ]\tr Baker that the labour of arranging the tour \fell. He has had wide experience in such work. .He went through the Don: inioin with King George and Queen Mary in 1901, latter with Prince Arthur of Cchriaught, and moro, recenitly still Prince Fushimi of Japan; This time, he has;sur passed all % .previous efforts. The whoio' ' "party Pacific Railway, and, nothing "bus been ' left undone which could ffelieve the seven "" weeks' 'jpurney v »of monotony or fatigue. Naturally we -who 'profit directly bv it are grateful for the company's ingenious solicitude. But it is entitled also to the • * thanks of 1 all-who .I have .the interests of the "Empire'at heart. For (this tour is ; ■beyond all question strengthening the sentinrent of unity and even awakening it ' in the hearts of many who have never felt it ,before. 1 s ■■'■ THE NEW; CANADIANS. r, ' '"One flag, one throne, one Empire," is an inspiring watchword; It is thrill- , ing thousands of New Canadians, thev. come from over the United -States ,V . border or f rom the old nations of Eurage.. _ ~ They are-proud, tco, to [belong to a raco '" " ' which jpfod%e£; 'a', jßr»y®l Familv eo well Worthy of respect and so liapnily apt in fulfilling the duties which fall "to" tlieir lot.. The Duke's speeches tore aiever •mere empty verbiage : they give ! proOf ■of deep interest- in the country's problems and a statesmanlike grasp Of the lines of advance. - In public his soldierly bearing ; and kindly, good-humoured -• glance make him rapidly popular, ..i In. private 'this impression ;s deepened. ■ i He and (the Duchess anu the, Princess wineverywhere "golden opinions from all sorts of people" • by their unaffected friendliness. "I had no idea," a prb; nrinent Westener said .ti> me a few days ago,- "that royal personages could be' ®b 1 simple "a'nd make one feel so completely: arid entirely at one's ease." Every evening, the Duke invites !cer- J tain members of the party to jthe. Royal ''' dindngriroom.' ",Thi3 rest' mess *togetjitej" ; * farther forward. After dinner v "bridge and nlenty of good talk,'"for •the ' *• ■•taff, frcTT' Colonel (Lowther downwards*,, are all mem who -"have' niuch > thought' much and possess (the.- social -gift" :n> f o ik bargain'. So it comes to. 1J o'clock,_ and'we : turn' in early so asC.'tp be up in good time, refreshed hy,sweet; sleep in piii-e, keen -piraarie air, "for ''the experiences and functions.of to-morrow. ■