A WANDERER’S NOTEBOOK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20022, 12 February 1927, Page 2

A WANDERER’S NOTEBOOK.

TORONTO TO WINNIPEG, xx. Written for the Otago Daily Times. By Ohabx.es Wilson, ex-Parliamentary Librarian. From Toronto you can run down to Chicago by the night train, arriving at tho great city on the shores of Lake Michigan in nice time for- breakfast and then, if you wish to visit Western Canada, you can take a loop line from Chicago to Winnipeg, which latter city, tho centre of the world's granary, you must certainly not omit seeing. Time, however, ia an object, and, to tell you the truth, a Chicago newspaper - , which a fellow traveller loaves on the oar from Niagara, chronicles the firing of machine guns in the streets of Chicago and records the occurrence of some nine murders in one day in the city and its suburbs. So I think it is just as well to stick to the Canadian National and make my way west through purely Cana dian territory. Travellers from New Zca land, who are thinking of visiting Chicago, and then doing Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Boston, and Now York, can, if they desire, cut_ out the prairie provinces, and after seeing the wonderful scenery of the Rockies, come down to Chicago from Moose Jaw—l think they call the junction—and so by the Northern Pacific to tho twin towns of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and thence to Chicago. If time be an object then lot them stay in Canada and leave Chicago out altogether, either travelling to Europe by one of tho lines from Montreal, or going south to Niagara and New York, and have a glimpse of tho States before crossing the Atlantic. WEST BY NORTH. Leaving Toronto at night about 9 o’clock, we are on board the National express for Winnipeg, and shortly after daybreak the next morning are skirting the northern shores of Pary Sound, which is an eastern annexe of the great Lake Superior, and are away north-west to a junction styled Nakina. At breakfast Fate makes me the neighbour of a genial gentleman who is interested in Canadian mining ventures, particularly the nickel industry of the Sudbury region, which we have left behind us in the earlier hours of the day. He is, I find, interested in a newspaper published in this district, and produces from a capacious fur coat —this is the country of enormous, and, so I am told, quite expensive, fur coats, for men as well ns for the fairer sex—a local almanac, from which he drenches me with astounding statistics. Somewhere about the eighties nickel wa« discovered in this region by some man who was surveying the forests for railway ties. By this time the nickel industry has attained astonishing figures, over fifty millions' worth—sterling—of nickel and close upon thirteen milions’ worth—sterling—of copper having been produced, to say nothing of some more precious metals extracted as by-products. Just as we New Zealanders talk wool and frozen meat, and butter, these Canadians talk wheat, mining, and lumber, which last-mentioned, of course, we call timber. The wealth of this wonderful Dominion must be something enormous, and they will tell you that although the forest fires have injured the lumber supply very seriously, and the Government will have to be very careful about the depletion, there exist untapped mineral resources the wealth of which no one can accurately estimate. A SPORTSMAN'S COUNTRY. We are going through a wonderful sporting country, to which sportsmen come up here from Chicago, Buffalo, and other great American cities, in search of health and amusement. Here is any amount of moose, and, as for fishing, the disciples of Walton can have a perfect surfeit of sport—bass, pike, pickerel, and sturgeon (sturgeon in the greater lakes) —being plentiful, to say nothing of a seemingly inexhaustible supply of trout, i regret to say that I am no fisherman, but patriotism demands of me a rather imaginative description of the wonders of Rotorua and the fine fishing generally which New Zealand affords. Needless to say, I enlarge upon the wonders of big fish catching at Russell. To hear me discourse upon the piscine wonders of the Far North, you would take me for n pocket edition of the redoubtable Zane Giey. Honestly if my Canadian hearers — for at our end of tho car several travellers of Canadian and American birth are congregated—will but remember and retell to others some of tho wonderful yarns I am spinning about New Zealand sights and scenes, I really ought to collect 'ome commission from the Tourist Department next time I am back in good little Maoriland. Past Folayet, where we call a halt for a few minutes, and where more heavily furcoated gentlemen board the cars. o cross a river which in good Canadian is styled the Ivanhoe, but for which the Indian name. Pishkanogama, is often, I am informed, employed. All through this line I am glad to see tho Canadian National people have employed os far as nossible, Indian names for their stations. This is as it should bo, for many of those Indian names are strikingly poetical, and, although some may he elifficult for the stranger to pronounce, they are immeasurably superior to the awful Jonesville, Thomsonborough. Heifers, and similar verbal abominations which one meets with in New Zealand. NAKINA TO WINNIPEG. Throughout a seemingly endless day the train rushes along until as the night is on us, wo reach Lomnglac, whence a short “cut off” line connects the lino from Toronto with Nakina where we join on tho great transcontinental line which runs from Montreal to Vancouver. We are here in the snow country, and as I make my way from one car to the other something like a real blizzard is blowing the snow Imost through the connecting links of the cars. In the morning tho negro porter informs mo that: “It was 15 below zero last night at Armstrong, mighty cold, sir.” but warmly onsconed in my compartment car, there is no cold for the traveller. I am told this morning that we shouhj havo got off, had wo been travelling _ in summer, at a point whence Lake Nipigon is to be reached quite easily. Lake Nipigon has almost a continental reputation for beauty and fine sporting facilities. Even in now- far away New York I had heard of the charms of Lake Nipigon—and the Rockies. These latter I am to see a little further west, but Nipigon and its beauties must wait till I am this way again, which will not, I fear, occur very soon. One night more on the cars, the monotony of the journey being dissipated for those who have access to the observation car or to a compartment car, by the radio service, which is a feature of this line, and wo are in ■ Winnipeg, where we arrive soon after borrowing public money indiscriminately breakfast. A word or two here as to the marvels of the radio service. At 8, or soon after, in the evening the traveller in the better class cars of this wonderful train can beguile tho time with the radio service. In the observation car you can affix the wires to your ear and listen first to the news of the day, radioed from Chicago or New York, and then, after a while, hoar a symphony orchestra at the famous Hotel Waldorf at Now York, and similar entertainments. In your own compartment car, with a connection to each berth, you can listen at your ease, reclining in your berth, to the doings of the outside world. Alas, I have to confess that so far I have heard no item of New Zealand or Australian news sent through tho air by this means. In the morning, after a second night spent on tho cars from Toronto, you pass a giant elevator, which is owned and run Dy the Canadian National Railways, at Transcoma. This has a capacity of a million bushels of grain. The elevator grades and weighs the huge amount of grain produced further w r est upon the prairies and transfers it to cars which will take it to Montreal, there to be shipped to hungry Europe. Just before you go into Winnipeg you cross that historic stream, the Red River, and slide quietly into Winnipeg over a lengthy viaduct. THE CAPITAL OF MANITOBA. At Winnipeg we spend ■> couple of days. You may hear, in Ke" Z-aland, or at London, that “there is nothing much to be seen at Winnipeg, and that you should push on to Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, to tho east, from Vancouver, or, returning to the Antipodes, leave Winnipeg unvisit.ed, save for tho 10 or so hours of stay on the railway mutes earh way, You would ho making a great mistake not to spend a couple or so of days in the Manitoban capital. In the first nlaec yon are in the capital of a F-tale. which is the first part of the groat Western plain which you visit

after leaving the lumber' and mining country of the Great Lakes —a country, by the way even bigger than Germany, Belgium, Holland, and Switzerland all put together. When you learn that for the two years ended 1925, the field crops of this province alone were worth close upon forty millions sterling, and that in '"ittcr alone, Manitoba sends ; vay nearly two and aquarter millions’ worth a year, you have got some figures to think about. And Winnipeg is the centre, the capital of the province, which has all this immense trade. 1 thoroughly enjoy my two days there. the people are evidently go-ahead, tremendously industrious, and thrifh. and there is clearly a nno public spirit abroad. Winnipeg is on the junction of two groat rivers —one, the Led Liver, coming from the south from the great State of Dakota, the other, the Assmikoinc, from the northern country, once a vast wild, now the scene of immense industry by settlers from all Europe, notably Poland and Eastern Europe generally. You can see at the gre.it immigration sheds of the_ railways scores of hundreds of European immigrants halting here from their long journey from Montreal. and bound for the unoccupied lands of the north-west. Winnipeg has a most interesting history. Erst the French, then the Hudson Bay Company, settling the place. It was indeed the Hudson Bay Company which erected the. once famous Fort Garry, remains of which still stand in front of one of the largest hotels in Canada, and very proud of them are the good folk of the city. When I was in Winnipeg some years ago the population was. I fancy, about 50,000. To-day it must be. with the suburbs, well over 260,000, ami the fine business place-, the depart mental stores and skyscrapers all test to the commercial advancement of the plate. At the hotel at which wc stop there is a curious and significant testimony to the spii ii push which animates th- 1 pcovile who nin the city. An hour or two after our arrival wo have occasion to go up to our room. Judge our astonishment when at la-bed to the door knob is a dainty basket of fruit, containing a couple of magnificent. i.aradian apples, an orange, a couple bananas, and a tinv bunch of grap-'-. Attached is a brief printed note •bat tin:fruit is sent by the management- the hope that you will enjoy your c : ; iy in tho hotel and your visit to the oily. When you leave for Vancouver you find in your berth on the car a similar basket of trmt with again the wish expressed that your stay in the capital of Manitoba—the most, enterprising city in Canada- - has open one of enjoyment, and that yon will take away pleasurable, memories of your visit. And all for nothing—in dollars and cents. They understand th-i hotel business in Canada. WESTWARDS TO THE ROCKIES [ should have liked to have discoursed over the fresh bracing air, but no snow at Winnipeg, of our visit to the line provincial legislative buildings which cost, I may toll you, nearly a million and aquarter sterling, and told you what I saw on a charabanc trip round tho city, but we must look over to the west, to Vancouver, where our steamer will be in from New Zealand in a few days. And so onwards at night to the Rockies. It is only when travelling along this wonderful line that one gets some true idea_ of the immensity of Canada. From 10 in the evening of one day, tho train steams along, until shortly after the same hour next evening, crossing a seemingly illimitable plain, tho main industry on which is clearly wheat growing, but upon whieh there is much mixed farming. We reach the busy centre of Edmonton and arc at the provincial capital of Alberta From Winnipeg wo have run through (he province of Saskatchewan, one of the two provinces carved out of the North-Wed Territories in 1005, About midday we Inyo been at Saskatoon, a thriving town which is going to be a big place some day in the near future. Canan.ans. and especially the pood folk of Saskatchewan, who are nothing if not locally patriotic, call it the Hub (uIt is evidently a great railway centre. The provinc ■ capital of Saskatchewan is at Regina. The line runs there from Saskatoon, and there is another line southwesterly to Calgary. At Saskatoon there are a university, an agricultural college, and, what seems to be more imnortant than anything, a giant grain elevator, which is the Dominion Governments inte or terminal elevator and has the stupendous capacity of 3,500,000 bushels of grain. “Some elevator,” as a native of the place, who vends newspanera on the platform, duly "informs me. The Canadian National Railway has here an enormous hotel, which, of course, as we are pushing forward, I cannot visit. Some day these giant hotels of the company will pay. At present I should imagine the taxpayers pay the deficit. Macdonald, Laurier, and other statesmen give their names to these giant edifices. AMONG THE MOUNTAINS. Early on the morning of the second day out of Winnipeg we have reached the-altitude of 3000 feet and over, and are in the Rockies. At Entrance, the name in the station which ,ia situated at the entrance to he Rocky Mountain region, and the famous Jasper National Park, we are only at a height of 3216 ft. Even at the highest altitude along the line we are only about 3700 feet up. That is the secret of this lino. It crosses the Rockies at, comparatively sneaking, a low height above sea level. The result is that you see practically the whole of these giant mountains. Whereas in Colorado the mountains rise from valleys which are some 7000 feet from the sea level, these Canadian Rookies, along this line, rise from valleys which are only 2000 to 3000 feet fron the sea. Consequently, the mountains themselves look immeasurably higher, and the scenic splendours are vastly more pronounced. There is no snow shed, or at least I do not remember seeing one on this line. The forest wealth down the sides of the mountains is something quite extraordinary, this being accounted for by the ouch moister climatic conditions prevailing than among the. American Rockies. Rather unfortunately there has been a very wet autumn, and but scarcely any snow had fallen. Consequently we miss some of the -uperb enow effects, but the -rey and brown walls of rock are most awe-inspiring. ROUND ABOUT JASPER LODGE. It is about seven in tho morning when wo enter the Rockies region and one longs for more and more light. As we progress, however, and tho train steams alongside the beautiful Athebaaka River we pass a place called Solomon where as far back as 1810, one David Thompson, an explore*, spent part of a winter. A little further along we see one of tho first of tho giant Rockies, Brule Miette. which runs up to a cool 8506 ft —“no slouch of a mountain,’’ as tho negro porter on the car is good enough to remark. Soon giant peaks are on both sides of tho lino and one is fairly shut in by rows of monster mountains their summits glistening in the warm sun light on this frosty but not over cold morning At Jasper Park station, where we stay 20 minutes or so and stroll round, inspecting totem poles, buying picture postcards and curios, we are at an alpine resort which is run by the Canadian National Railway in rpiiet friendly rivalship to the Banff hostelry o n the Canadian Pacific Railway, away to the south. On one side to tho north is Pyramid Mountain, with a perfect riot of reds, greys, and browns, and an altitude of 3076 ft; to tho south. Mount Edith Cavcl, named after tho heroic woman who was murdered at Brussels by the Huns, wth a peak 11033 ft above sealevel and a glacier. “Tho Glacier of the Ghost,” so named because of its resemblance to an angel with outstretched wings: also the two -Mounts Signal ami Tekarra, with heights of 7397 and 8818 feet respectively. You can stop here a few weeks and go in for mountain climbing, shooting, and fishing, or you can play golf on a course which has 18 holes, whilst all around are marvellous mountains to catch your eye when you ought to be looking for your lost hall. And if you do not care to patronise the hostelry, there are all kinds of forest log lodges in which to board. Tho whole tiling is done very well indeed, and I don’t wonder at Americans and Canadians coming many hundred of miles to visit this charming health resort. I should jike (o be here in summer tune. MOUN ” ROBSON TO VANCOUVER. At half-past 10 we make a short stay at Mount Robson, where, from the kindly vantage of the observation car platform a perfectly superb view can he obtained. "Mount Robson, when wo are there, is but thinly clad with snow-. It is the highest mountain of the Rockies, with an altitude of 12,072 ft, and its special beauty, to my mind, lies in Hie fact that it is scon almost in its entirety. Close to here is a wonderful amphitheatre named The Valley of the Thousand Falls, tho whole valley seemingly honeycombed by waterfalls. From Mount Robson you can, if you desire, make your way by a Canadian National lino, practically the main transcontinental line, to Prince Rupert, which is the company's terminus on the Pacific, and some day to be one of the world's groat ports. But we are bound for Vancouver, and so wo stick to the train and pract ir-al.y till nightfall arc among the mountains, thence, turning south through Kamloops, and the southern approaches to (he old Cariboo Goldfields, till, tired out with sightseeing, wc seek the “calm

seclusion/’ as Gilbert Bays, of our berths, and as day breaks and light appears, having run through British Columbian territory all night, are steaming into the fine station of the C.N.R. at Vancouver. The previous articles of this scries appeared in our issue of August 28, September 4. September 11, September 18, October 2, October 23, October 30, November G, November 13, November 20, November 27, December 4, December 11, December 18, December 24, January 8, January 22, January 29, and February 5.