CHAPTER XXXII.

The Past, Present, and Future of our Railway Systems.

Palliser's Expedition-His Report on the Country and Mountain Passes-Canada acquires the Hudson's Bay Company's Territories-British Columbia unites with the Domin. ion-Sandford Fleming appointed Chief Engineer-Yellow Head Pass-Trip of the Chief Engineer-My trip to Peace River-"Ocean to Ocean" published-My report on the Flora and Climate-Continuation of the Surveys-My second Report-Called before a Committee of the House-My third Report considered Extravagant-Surveys draw to a Close-Diverse Opinions regarding the Country-My views regarding Peace River Confirmed-Exploration of the Buffalo Plains-Sir Charles Tupper Endorses my Statements-A General Awakening as to the Value of the Country-Railway Communication Effected with Winnipeg-Formation of the "Syndicate"-Review of the Surveys and their Results-Construction of the Lake Superior Branch-Lines Surveyed-Cost of Surveys-Increased value of the Country-"Syndicate " carry the Road South-Brandon Located-Lines Located by the "Syndicate "-Lines in Operation-South Western Colonization Railway Company-A net work of Railways Contemplated-Only Two Outlets Calculated at Present-The Future Traffic-The Nelson River Route-The Churchill and Saskatchewan Route-Prince Albert and Peace River-The Great City of the Future.

HER Majesty's Government being anxious to obtain correct information with respect to the facilities or difficulties of communication between the Canadas and the country west of Lake Superior, and north of the 49th parallel, sent out an expedition under the command of Captain Palliser in the summer of 1857, to explore the interior and see if any means could be adopted to shorten the route to it, or if there were any practicable passes in the Rocky Mountains by which horses could cross to British Columbia. After spending the summers of 1857, 1858, and 1859 in exploring the country, he reported on his mission. His conclusions regarding the passes through the mountains, were as accurate as his conclusions regarding the lands. On page sixteen of his report is this paragraph: "The connection therefore of the Saskatchewan plains, east of the Rocky Mountains, with a known route through British Columbia, has been effected by the ex

pedition under my command, without our having been under the necessity of passing through any portion of the United States Territory. Still the knowledge of the country on the whole would never lead me to advocate a line of communication from Canada, across the continent to the Pacific, exclusively through British Territory. The time has now forever gone by for effecting such an object, and the unfor- . tunate choice of an astronomical boundary line has completely isolated the Central American possessions of Great Britain from Canada in the east, and also almost debarred them from any eligible access from the Pacific coast on the west."

The years came and went. Canada acquired control of the interior, united with British Columbia, and as a part of the contract agreed to build a railroad through the mountain barrier declared by Palliser impassable. Parties were organized in the month of June, 1871, for the purpose of making an instrumental survey and gathering that knowledge of the vast tract of little known country extending from Ottawa to the Pacific, that would enable our engineers to locate a railway line that would combine directness with an easy grade from west to east.

Mr. Sandford Fleming, was appointed Chief Engineer, and with characteristic energy, he set to work. Parties were at once organized and the first detachment left by the River Ottawa for the interior on the 10th June. Those for the region north of Lake Superior left Collingwood on the 20th June. In the west, a portion of the staff left Victoria for the mountains the very day that British Columbia entered the Union, July 20th, 1871. Besides examining the country generally, two of the Rocky Mountain Passes were to be carefully explored; the Yellow Head Pass entering the Mountains by the Athabasca River and Howe's Pass, which is the source of the North Saskatchewan.

The discovery of a practicable and very favorable route from the summit of the Rocky Mountains to Kamloops, in

the interior of British Columbia, via the Yellow Head Pass and Tête Jaune Cache, caused the further examination of House Pass to be abandoned, as it had been ascertained that the approaches, on the west side, were of a very difficult nature. The year 1871 closed with the knowledge that no insuperable barrier prevented the union of British Columbia with the east, by an iron road. The magnitude of the undertaking now became apparent, and the insanity of building a road for 2,730 miles, through a hitherto almost wholly unknown region, was laughed at in the United States, and the project was looked upon as chimerical by the people of the Mother country.

Early in the summer of 1872, the Chief Engineer decided on crossing the continent himself, so that he might form some idea of the general character of the country through which the railroad was to pass. The Rev. G. M. Grant, M.A., of Halifax, Nova Scotia (now Principal of Queen's College, Kingston, Ontario), accompanied him as Secretary, or rather took that title in his admirable work, "Ocean to Ocean," which gave an account of the trip. I had the good fortune to be attached to the party as botanist, and by a mere accident became an actor in the development of the NorthWest. On our arrival at Edmonton the party separated, and Mr. Charles Horetzki and myself were sent to explore the country bordering on the Great Peace River, examine its Pass, and reach the Pacific Coast by the best means in our power.

Learning all we could about the country, at Edmonton, we started for Peace River, and reached it after infinite difficulty, on October 1st, near the mouth of Smoky River. Another month of hardship found us west of the Rocky Mountains, and instead of one Pass, we had found two-the Peace River and Pine River Pass.

On his return the Rev. G. M. Grant published his work— "Ocean to Ocean," and at once the eyes of the reading

public were turned to this wonderful country which he described in such glowing terms. My report of what I saw was published in 1874, and as I frequently stated what I believed my report was much criticised, my statements and conclusions being at variance with popular opinion. In that report I showed from the flora that the summer climate of Peace River in lat. 56° north, was almost equal to, if not better than, that of Belleville, Ontario, in lat. 44°.

Two years more passed away, line after line had been surveyed, and knowledge had spread regarding the country. I had been in British Columbia, had seen the Peace River country in summer, and had gone down the mighty stream to Lake Athabasca. Again, I reported on the country and this time stronger than ever, showing at the same time the products of the soil in testimony of my statements. In the spring of 1876 I was called before a committee of the Dominion Parliament to give evidence as to the character of the country between Winnipeg and the Pacific, and although held up to ridicule by some of the members for my extravagant statements, Mr. James Trow, chairman of the committee, endorsed the greater part of my extravagancies and next year crossed the country to the Saskatchewan and saw for himself.

By the year 1877, the surveys were apparently drawing to a close, and this year I was invited to write a report on the whole country for the information of the Minister of Public Works, and cautioned in plain words not to draw on my imagination. In response to this I wrote as much truth about the country as I dared for I saw that even yet my best friends believed me rather wild on the "illimitable possibilities" of the country. When summing up the various areas I reached the enormous figures 200,000,000 acres, I recoiled from their publication on the ground that their very immensity would deny me that amount of credence I desired, so as a salve to my conscience I kept to the large number of 200,000,000 acres, but said that there were

79,920,000 acres of arable land, and 120,400,000 acres of pastures, swamps, and lakes.

At this time politics engrossed the minds of the people, the surveys seemed endless, the expense was enormous, the construction of the Lake Superior Branch was found to be a slow and extremely costly undertaking, and many members of the house and at least one leader became so conservative that he considered British Columbia was bought at too high a price. My statements were looked upon as those of an honest but crack-brained enthusiast and little attention was paid to them. The country was declared to be largely an irreclaimable waste Where not too arid for the growth of grain there would be extreme danger from frost, and the severity of the winter and periodical visitations from grasshoppers were brought in to do duty in aid of the speaker, who might oppose me.

A change of ministry took place and Sir Charles Tupper at once called for a report on the state of our knowledge of the country. It was seen to be extremely limited and as my statements regarding the Peace River and the north generally lacked corroboration, a number of parties were sent north of the Saskatchewan and Doctor George M. Dawson, Assistant Director of the Geological Survey was instructed to report on the Peace River region. I was sent to the prairie region with instructions to examine the Great Buffalo Plains, lying between the Qu'Appelle and the Rocky Mountains. During the summer myself and assistant travelled over 3,000 miles in making traverses through this immense wilderness. Instead of it being an arid desert, as Palliser had described it, we found it covered with tall rich grass, with often a scarcity of water on the surface, and for hundreds of miles an almost total absence of wood. Very little observation was necessary to correct Palliser's mistake, which at best was a hasty conclusion come to by the absence of trees and scarcity of water.