Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 7, 1877, Winnipeg, Manitoba 4 i i i k she Tiu Kasday junk 7, 1877. Tho Pacific it Ailway i tout. Deeply interested is is the whole country in Tho Progress of Pacific railway construction Nono of the provinces except British Columbia is so directly concerned As Toba Lor these two arc locally ally cod by the Choice of route. The location of the line from Thunder Bay to Keewatin kit Portage thence Westward to red River and again Westward to Tho Saskatchewan has much to do with the development of this portion of the North West and every care should be taken that the Best course for the Road is selected. It will to Romm Breed that the lion. Or. Jirard succeeded in getting a committee of the Senate appointed to enquire into and report on Tho the route of Tho Canadian Pacific railway from Keewatin Westward. Their report was duly Laid before the House after an exhaustive investigation and has now been published wit i the evidence . The witnesses examined were or. Sand Ord Fleming chief Engineer of the Pacific rail Way j or. Thomas Ponco clerk of the Manitoba legislature j or. In Lucas . Or. Milner ilm . Or. K. Jarvis. . Or. Frank Clayton draughtsman in Tho Dominion lands Ohio or. A. L. sol . A. S. Dawson c. E. Or. C. Llo Retsky . In the course of the com Mittee s labors extracts from a letter sent by Morris to Tho eminent urging the adoption of what is known As the Southern route through Tho province of Manitoba were put in together with the replies of Tho chief in to Iho Points urged by Ilia Honor in favor of the generally held by Mani Tobiah. As the letter and reply placed the main arguments on tin s interesting topic succinctly before the committee we cannot perhaps do better than place them before our readers in categorical Anil opposite or Der As follows from i Cut lick the Morris to or in of 1st. I have made a Trio chief Engineer great Deal of enquiry has himself passed and am satisfied that Over a Groat part of you can obtain a Lino the country referred running from the to. He has no hosta crossing below the Tion in saying that it Stone fort to poit Ngo would to very much la Prairie. Thence to More difficult to con White mud and struck a railway in Tho Phonco to the Elbow of Diro Tiou re common Tho North Sas Katche Dod. There would be Point you a Large number of must make for after deep and wide valleys reaching fort Lobi Cost More directly and with of bridging which less Dilli Cultis than would to enormous the line from the Cross with regard to the loing of Trio Narrows rated line Trio bring and thence to fort inn is very Triflis in Polly. The Avau deed intact it would tags too of the pro scarcely be possible posed Lino Aro very to find a Lino in any Groat. Country More favor Able As far As cuts and abridge Monts Aro concerned. -2nd. The Lino Fin the Hind in Tho Soo the Narrows and fort Tion of Iho country Pelly runs through Between Rod Rivo r very inferior country crossing and Swan and Good land is not River Barracks near Mot till you reach the Livingstone not fort nut Hills beyond fort i Elly is Good. Before Polly. The Survey was made the country was de scribed As All swamp and Muskeg this is found to to a mistake. There Are some portions of it which Relingo drainage. This will however to furnished by Tho Sido drains of Tho railway. Much of Tho country is reported by our engineers to be very Rich and valuable. Tho country Tho Lino Doos not around fort Polly is pass within ten Miles not adapted for Agri of fort pass culture. 1 had a visit of to Tho North of it. From or. Watt pros Ami Long Tho Sido of by Terian minister who Tho Swan River Val spent two years there Loy where Thero is As and removed with Tho Lino Hind As any in Tho consent of the Church province of Manitoba to Tho mountains to there is nos Ovorn Fine cause he could raise Merchantable Tubor no crops owing to con on and near the Lino Stant Frost. Tho Lino i in Tho neighbourhood suggest while of Tho Duck Moun ing Tho settled portion of Manitoba would run through a wooded and Prairie country Well adapted for Sot element. Feb. Another Adan this would to Sac Tail o is that by run Ril icing Tho mainline ring from the crossing and unnecessarily in a flt. I n y. L 1 _ _ ii i nil Creek very in evidence was Given by use that Section both interests and should Imp. Jarvis who testified that a Pront Deal of Tor the main line Ami not. Pm o i up the West Side of the creasing its length in a cd River you could order to serve local full a Brief summary will serve to show the nature of the arguments pro and con the rival routes. Or. Fleming was asked if the navigation of Luke Winnipeg influx once him in Tho Choice of the Selkirk route t which to replied it when asked what Trade he expected from that District to made Tho following extraordinary reply there were other reasons As Well As tin Trade. Tho neighbourhood of Selkirk a never been known to be flooded whilst the country where Winnipeg stands has coi flooded several times to Tho depth of Tirc or four feet All Over the on being recalled after several other wit Nesses has Boon heard Tho lion. Or. Slither land put Tho question to or. Fleming Why was Selkirk fixed upon As Tho Cross ing Point on lied lie replied n follows after making inquiries we found tha Tho country was occasionally flooded with water in Iho neighbourhood of Winnipeg and Lor Many Miles around but it had novo Boon known to be flooded in Tho neighbor Hood of Selkirk in the memory of Man the City of Winnipeg is situated in a locality that is occasionally one vast Sheet of water probably ten or twelve Miles Broad and it do i of know but that it May recur and Spring. How Long is it since that has happened 1 think there is a gentleman Hen who has seen it on two occasions. It a hooded in that Way i think in and ii Iso i. It is Only fair to or. Fleming to say tha lie explained that to relict for information upon his assistants but who is there ii Manitoba that will not to moved with laughter if not fired with indignation Al the extraordinary ignorance which prevails at Ottawa in regard to the actual coir Liioi of things in this province if this be a fan Sample of the kind of information upon which the of route is Gen orally decided in respect of the Pacific Hail Way the people May Well draw breath thank their stars that every body is not a prime minister to have to answer to parliament for blunders committee through Reliance upon scarce half informed professional opinions. Tho chief engine of h evidently annoyed that Tho business of his department was made Tho subject of parliamentary and his answers judging from the printed report wore of Tor flippant exhibiting moreover signs of irritation. Take for instance the following extract Rev eng to a Branch of Tho subject with Winch Rumor has made mini Tobamo familiar Han. Or. Blavo you Ever heard that in Tho neigh boyhood of the Narrows on Tho Oast Side Tho contractors for the Pacific Vilog Rypl line were unable to obtain Sulli count solid ground to keep their poles erect and of the in had fallen Down 1 liver did. It is perfectly new to me. Hear 11 Good i a from different sources that i do not pay much attention to. In panning Over the on tin line have the engineers Over examined then in order to ascertain what tin Bottom a ally is a yes. I. What was the result they reporter to me that the Bottom is hard. Or. Milter Hurt in his evidence that with the exception of a few swamp South and wet of i Otbo Sirni there would to no difficulty whatever in a railway fruit Winnipeg to the Boundary of i lie province that there would be no Dilli culty thence to the Assiniboine except at 1 ird Tail Creek and that there would be no difficulty in crossing the Little Saskatchewan. Tho Fol lowing extract from or. Hart s testimony has a very important bearing on the Genera question tin Ifni. Or. i. What extent of land has been explored North and South of Tho fourth base line i have inspected Tho whole of the Survey West to the full extent of the province and from Trio Boundary West to within ten mile of fort Ellice a Belt thirty six wide Between latitude 4 i and Lily the Hull. Or. Q. I understand you to say that Tho whole of that country with Tho exception of the Sandy Bolt fifteen Miles wide is a Lim country for the production of cereals yes the greater portion of it is of Ontario that Yon from god Ivor to is there any part could compare it to Tho South end of Lake Manitoba Tho land is so Superior to anything 1 have Ever seen that it is Dill cult to make a comparison. From Portage la Prairie Westward what is it like there is some land in Tho Vicinity of 15 rant foul i could compare it to. It i not heavy soil it is Sandy Loam. I then we Are to understand that up to the Western Boundary of Manitoba Tho Laud is very Superior and West of that it is Excel yes. Him. Or. I. There is shown on the map a number of streams West of the Saskatchewan on this base Lino to which you referred. Is then any difficulty in crossing them to. I. What kind of streams Are they they Are sin 11, with the exception of Bird r i. For the main line and not for a moment be the Pembina Branch entertained. 5th. If a Lino can be this View is Correct had As Short and according to the most through a Good coun reliable information try it should have the obtained Tho located preference Over one line is the shortest through an inferior that can to had and tract. It passes through a country in Many respects most valuable. Oth. There is no Winnipeg was at great Benefit to arise one time out of the from the Lino to Pelly. Way. The railway it is out of the Way built Between Selkirk and will be so for and Livingston would years unless the rail speedily bring to it Way is built to it. A much larger Popula Tion than there is now in any part of the country North of the 49th parallel. Though to have not space to give All the testimony adduced before the committee in the heavy Rock cutting on Section if might have been avoided had a route from Kiowa Tiu been chosen to a crossing Point on red River nearer to Winnipeg. To gave also the following evidence Kij the. Him. Or. Map Lickson q. Can Yon Tell us Why that route was selected in preference to the one where Tho work would have been believe it was selected As being a More direct line to Selkirk. Q. Can you Tell us Why Selkirk was the Point specially i cannot. Q. Is the crossing of lied River easier there than at what would have been the crossing had Tho Southern line which you re Fer to been selected think not. 1 think the crossing i selected twelve Miles South of Selkirk and ten North of Winnipeg is better than the crossing at Selkirk. Q. You think the crossing would be easier and cheaper at that Point than at Selkirk think to from what 1 have seen of Tho crossing at Selkirk q. Would the line by Tho Southern route from Keewatin to end Hiver have been longer than the present located line would have been slightly longer to the River owing to Tho River being reached at a Point further West but it would not have added to the length of the Pacific railway. By Loti. Or. Girard i. Would Tho facilities of come traction afforded by the Lino first projected to Winnipeg compensate for the difference in length Between it and Trio located Lino East of red Boli ovo that the extra length would be More than paid for by the difference in work Between Keewatin and Winnipeg. Q. Which Lino would facilitate More Tho colonization of the province South Ern line certainly. On the located line there is no open country at All East of sol Kirk and Thero is Little land available for settlement while on the Lino to Tho South there is a Bolt of Prairie country about thirty Miles wide fit for settlement. My the lion. Or. Q. How far North of the located line have you travelled far As Winnipeg River a distance of about Twenty or thirty Miles. Btij the Hon. Or. I. What sort of country did you find Rocky country very Simi Lar to Section q. Fit Lor it is inviting for settlement. He Blun. Or. I. Whore does Tho Good land begin at the railway or is it further South is to the South of it. July tin Hun. Or. Q. Do you know that there Lias Boon any Dilli culty in keeping up Trio Telegraph line from Selkirk to Thorn has Boon great Dilli culty in keeping it up. A year ago Tho Lino was Down for two or three months. Q. Do you know Why Tho line was Down yes Tho polos had Bison stuck up in the Snow and Moss and when Tho Snow melted they fell. The contractor could not got in Thero in Tho summer and to had to do Tho work in thu Winter. Why could to not got in Thero in the Boli ovo it was too swampy to go in Thero in summer. I. Has Tho Lino Boon prepared it has Boon repaired. Or. Jarvis afterwards accounted for Tho possibility of effecting repairs during Tho summer by explaining that this was com. Parat ively easy the poles and other mate rial being then upon the ground otherwise it would Havo been impossible. Or. Jarvis estimates Tho Cost of a railway by the South Ern route at less than that of one by Tho located line , although Trio expenses might to heavier in the neighbor Hood of Tho Riding , nil that would to More than balanced by the saving on suction or. T Layton. In his evidence Al 2in i Shkut St Salk ii House Sli live i ooiii1 ii urn to a ill in i i oin Linin Aii ply a a Pekol in strict Conlu Lalni i Small tin owner Imp the s.uni1 in Isis. Apply at this of iliac. I main in of Money. In paying 1 honk Hal Lilu ral in n competent person. Mus. , infill Vor. A Anil Anne Lanius Road Conti actors and others in of an i did a Supply by to wills in no it Colony Creek i m no of St. La k i of order your ice Lor the season from Tho Winni Peg fee c o. Harrk Mann Jim. Odin at it. Tell Wadi us s opposite tilt1 court in talk several Small houses Onu by Lola Ltd lots con i rally Loe Atod Ami eight i motor sections of land in a City cheap. Main Street lots near inn Sci to Loase fouls Jimi pm i Point Doii Ediin House and lot on to bid j. Street to. 28. I h. Kusen a. House of 7 rooms Kitchen , 1 closely cellar and Wood shed. To in de in front Ullh pickets re i Llyl l Board Fence. Planted with Shade Trees and shrubs and partly cultivated ast Firden. Apply to ml2m j. O. . Building Sto Insil and Turk Sand. Tho subscriber having opened a Stone and Sand Yard on William street., in this City is prepared to deliver u la Rel class article in Stone and Sand at Tho lowest possible prices. Ail orders left at. Or. J. Ii. Aka Devn k hardware store or addressed to Box 270, will be promptly attended to. William Nimmons f.5-ls7.s Little Rooney noun talk Man pkg of general groceries wines and liquors canned meats Etc. 5 car loads airy said coarse sail. 5o wests butter tubs will ural to Oon. All my Fetock Lias been Purchase Iii Llic markets and will to sold at prices. Gash paid for Batter Aid eggs. J old p ;