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LADIER|® PAGE EIGHT THE OSHAWA DAILY TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1940 GREAT MOUNTAINS, PRAIRIE, CITIES IMPRESS RECTOR Rev. E. Ralph Adye Writes From West Home This Week Whitby, Ontario, July 31. The greater part of this huge western land has now rolled beneath the wheels of speeding train and car as we have travelled from Medi- cine Hat, from where I last greeted you, to Calgary, Edmonton, Peace River, Athabasca, Jasper, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, and now on the shores of Emma Lake in northern Saskatchewan we are seeing the counterpart of our own Muskoka In Ontario, though without its rugged rocks and banks of evergreens. This is the playground of people from all over the West and from parts of the United States. It only remains for us to see the western part of this great province of Saskatchewan and we shall be returning home by way * of the north line of the C.N.R. cov- ering a different route than that which brought us here except that - we touch again at Regina and Win- nipeg. Shortly after I mailed my last despatch at Medicine Hat we came into a much better looking country and at a place named Brooks we found a great irrigation scheme. Water is brought by flume and lengthy concrete aqueduct many miles to soak into the irrigation ditches and bring much needed moisture to this thirsty land. Be- sides this the water filled sloughs increase in number and the rate of evaporation was not so great for the alkali rim like a lace collar around an old lady's neck, was much narrower than in the country through which we had just passed. The headquarters of this most wor- thy CPR. irrigation scheme is at Bassano. The change in the char- acter of the country became more pronounced as we neared Calgary on Wednesday night. Constantly climbing to a much higher elevation for from Calgary on a clear day one can see the outline of the foothills of the Rockies, the air became cool- er and the weary travellers breathed ® sigh of relief that the prairies were behind them. The city of Calgary is well laid out with wide avenues and streets, good public buildings and {fine churches. It is extremely clean for natural gas, which abounds in this wicinity, supplies a cheap and eas- ily procursble fuel for heating and cooking. The electric light is steam generated by coal as it is in most of these western cities and towns. It is difficult to think of these provinces without water power for we have it in such abundance in Ontario. In the places farther north electric current is generated by diesel plants and its cost is very great. After an overnight stay in Cal- gary we proceeded to Edmonton by daylight on Thursday and were con- tinually delighted by the new pros- pects of the rolling hill and valley, bold buttes, some well bushed, standing out against the sky with here and there broad acres of farm land, stretching toward and over the uplands all around us. The veg- etation was lush, the farm buildings well cared for on the whole and in- creasing herds of cattle and horses gramed on the ranch lands which here extend for miles. Nearing Ed- monton we begin to see what the wheat lands of the west could really look like. One could indeed say "The valleys stand so thick with corn that they laugh and sing." Oats and barley were also to be seen but the greatest thrill was to see the green fields of wheat almost ready to come into head. Here was bread for the famished and needy in the mak- ing. But one was saddened by the thought that there would be mil- lions who would be unable to re- ceive any benefit from this abun- damce and that the very productive- ness of the soil would more than likely prove to be an embarrass- ment to government and people alike, at least for a time. It is quite certain that all the grain we ean grow will be needed desperately ere long. At Edmonton we transferred from the C.P.R. to the CN.R. sta- tion from which the train runs to Peace River and branches off to other parts of the district and is known as the Northern Alberta Railroad. A C.N.R. line runs to Ath- abasca snd to Waterways which is the gateway to the far north, Time permitted us to make a hurried tour of the city and view the Provincial Parliament buildings, the University of Saskatchewan, some of the churches snd the main streets of this beautiful city set on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River dh which also Prince Albert is built, 340 miles east and 180 miles north. The Parliament Buildings are built of a yellow sandstone with a great dome surmounting the fine struc- ture smd being built on the top of the steeply rising banks of the river commands a fine view from almost anywhere in the city. The interior is dressed with marble from Mani- toba and Quebec. Its stately archi- tecture of rising, supporting pillars and sweeping main staircase are a joy to the beholder and it does much credit to this great western province of Alberta. The University of Sask- atchewan, also on the banks of the river, is a well planned group of ulldings of red brick, surrounded Jy trees and standing in specious grounds. Arriving at the station we pulled away from Edmonton with hearts beating fast at the expecta- tion of entering into the fabulous country of the Peace River and Athabasca district concerning we had heard so much and to which so many staunch settlers had come out from the motherland up to forty years before. The first part of our Journey might have been through the central counties of Ontario. The landscape wes intensely familiar and brought to our minds many fond recollections of the province which was now over 2,000 miles be- hind us. Gradually the scene chang- ed. No more well cultivated farms no more great barns and well estab- lished clusters of buildings, But this was no indicevion of lack of pros- perity but lack of time for full de- velopment though strangely enough in the farther reaches of the Peace Valley it has been .longer settled than the area in between. Years ago many caravans were seen pushing through this partially developed country, on through almost impass- able trails with the motto insc:ibed on them, "Peace River or bust." Some of them did "bust," but most of them got through to estab- lish themselves in this virgin land and from the first acre of soil clear- ed and broken by fer the larger part have produced mightily and have prospered. The trip to Peace River was uneventful except for the fact that our engine broke down about 100 miles out of Edmonton and we stood on the line for five hours un- til relief was sent. This enablea us to see much more of the country in daylight and to bring us into Peace River aout noon Friday instead of early in the morning. My two com- panions went on another line at McLennan and travelled much far- ther west, almost into what 1s known as the Peace River Block near the Rockiés. Our time here is three hours later than in Whitby. The view of the mighty Peace River from the train is beyond de- cription. At Judah, which is on the brow of the great gully cut into thes earth by the action of the ice in the dim past and later erosion of this fast flowing river and wind and storm, the train descends eight hundred feet in nine miles in a ser- ies of sweeping curves clinging to the sides of the steep bamks and bridging vast gullies by trestle and fill, It is here that the Smoky River joins the Peace and the Hart River flows into it at the town of Peace River itself. One has a view for miles in both directions and the sweep of the broad expanse of these Rivers is inexpressibly impressive The junction of these two great streams is divided by high hills end the course of the joint stream is in- terceptéd by islands which in" the flood time are far under water. The view gained as the train slowly des- cends is as from an aeroplane but after a while one must come to earth at the station in the town. Peace River is enclosed in a sweep- ing bend of the river and comprises about 1,000 souls. There is a large detachment of our justly Northwest Mounted Police stationed here and the northern airways have a base on the river. On the far hills is an airport from which planes car- rying passengers and mail fly to Ed- monton and Grande Prairie, and regular planes from the north and take off. Crossing the Peace River here is the only bridge for the whole two thousand miles of its winding length from its source on the west flank of the Rockies to where it empties into Great Slave Lake. All other crossings are made by ferry which is operated by the current of the river both on the Peace, Atha- basca and Smokey Rivers all of which we have crossed in this fashion. A long cable is strung overhead across the river and securely anchored on shore. Cables, attached to a small wheeled trolley which was on the cable, are attached to the scow or ferry boat and by changing the angle of this scow the pressure of the current forces the boat with its load to the opposite shore. A speed practically equal to that of the cur- rent is attained, that is about seven to ten miles an hour. In the winter these rivers are crossed by roads on the ice so that during the freeze up in the fall which comes in Oc- tober and the break up in spring which is usually in April, traffic across the rivers is practically nil The ferries are operated by the De- partments of Highways and are free during the day but make a small charge at night after 11 pm. The roads are simply the earth graded up and ditched and in some cases on main arteries gravelled.s Th2 gravelled portions are the only ones which cem be used with any assur- ance of getting through in wet weather. It was the hope of our hosts that we would experience some of the Peace River mud but the weather was moderately fine and with the exception of one or two difficult trips the roads were pas- sable. When this clay soil is well graded snd dry it is possible to make nearly as high speeds as on a concrete highway. One must take care to sight the depressions in the road well ahead for where the road is built over muskeg a series of de- pressions end rises developed whicn produces a succession of pibches, weaves and bumps much akin to the motion of a ship in a heavy sea heaving and rolling until the pas- senger begins to wonder whether he will be able to stay in the car at all. The people who regularly drive over these roads do not seem to mind it and hit the bumps and trust to luck to stay on the road. When wef the cars bog down completely and noth- ing can be done until they are dry again. All motorists carry a shovel, crow bar, axe, rope and other fav- orite devices to get out of the mud or to build up soft spots. When they are in the process of drying, the mud is picked up by the wheels and plastered. so thickly under the mud guards that finally the wheels are jammed and then the unlucky trawv- eller has to get down and literally claw the mud out with his hands famous | Displaying a marked interest in the proceedings, the Dionne Quint- The purchase by the five Dionne Quintuplets Rally To Aid Canada's War Fund famous sisters 'enrichcd the national war fund by $2,500, a maximum | uplets are pictured grouped around Judge J. A. Valin, one of their | contribution, since five hundred dollars is the largest amount that any guardians, as they each purchased five hundred dollars' worth of Do- | individual is permitted to invest in these certificates in any one calendar minion of Canada war savings certificates. year, i or else jagk up the car, take the wheels off one by one and go to work with a crow bar to get off the accumulation of,mud. Since the dis- tahces covered without the slightest hesitation on the part of the north- ern settlers run up to three and four hundred miles one can under- stand the happy state of mind re- quired even to start out when one knows that a rainstorm will maroon and entirely on his own resources to finish his journey. It is in this ways of North Amerita is located At Notakewin is the farthest north tinent. many American tourists. From this highways of the Puffing steam boats ply up and down pushing ahead of them a well lasden scow with the supplies for the settlements down North. Everyone takes along their bed roll for sleep- ing accommodation is scarce and Fort Vermillion, slept on top of the boat's cabin for two nights coming up the Peace to Peace River town It is also necessity by plane for as they say here, one may have to "sit down" for a day or two. The Churches, largely built by do- nations of money from the old land, churches and some are built of logs cut from the bush aroynd the site. The scattered small settlements ne- cessitate the clergymen travelling long distances and holding many services each Sunday and during the week. The isolation of some of trated by the fact that Mr. Adye had the strange but great privilege of introducing some of the clerg; the Diocese for five years. was the site of the grave of "Twelve overlooking the Peace Valley. from where he died to be buried in this spot. His nick name grew out who were wrangling over the boun- daries of their respective claims asked Davis to adjudicate the dis- pute which he did to such good el- strip between them on which he. fil- ed a claim himself. The irony of the Davis got was the richest part of both claims. Then we paid a visit to the Mc- of the river from Peace River town. Sir Alexander McKenzie wintered at the junction of the Peace and Smoky Rivers in 1798 before proceer- ing farther west through the Rock- ies the following year. It is surpris- ing to discover how early this re- the traveller miles from anywhere | country that the end of the high- | of the developed roads on this con- It is the goal sought by | place one travels by trail, boa! or | aerdplane. The great rivers are the | Northland 'too. | Canon Singleton, the missionary at | / when'travelling | are very lovely. They are all rewl | the men from one another is illus- | of the Diocese of Athabasca to onc | another, some of whom had been in | During our stay at Peace River we visited many historical spots. One | foot Davis" who is buried high up on the rim of the bank of the river | He | died a very rich man but had dir- | ected that his body be brought back | of the story that two prospectors | fect that there was a twelve-foot | story, is that the small strip which | Kenzie Cairn on the opposite bank plored in-our history and one stands | give a height to the background | the miles slipped by with incredible amazed at the endurance and perse- verzmce of those who laid out the trails throughout this vast territory. There are not many people in the Peace country but have come from the old land or the other settled parts of Canada and most of the first generation of the people who penetrated the'country ave still | alive. There ds still a great deal of { roughing it done anda though the plane has simplified travel over long distances the majority of the people | have still to use the old method of | tratl and ioe and dog team or | sleigh in thé winter, 4 On leaving Peace River district on Tuesday, July 16th, our party too" | two days at Jasper. The trip from Edmonton Is a repetition of the rest of the journey until reaching Ent- | rance, so named for it is the real entrance to the Yellowhead pass. For some distance the railway, con- stantly climbing touches the course of the McLeod River. The great val- ley through this part stretches miles across and in the far distance ob- scured by haze the first great rises of the Rockies show dimly. Then the outline clears and we arrive at the great Athabasga River which we follow for miles. It is even here a | broad swift body of water and it is | along its winding length that the Pass runs. The first view of a real | mountain peak is superb. The sky | this day was sparklingly blue with a pattern of low cumulus clouds to ~ for these collosal peaks. The low rolling heights, though in reality they were some thousands of feet above us, were suddenly dwarfed as we rounded a long curve high above the swiftly moving Athabasca River, by the soaring peak of a great mountain, Standing out as though etched against the sky with scat- tered clouds wreathing its sides and topmost portion with damp drap- ery it made one gasp and crane one's rieck to see this upheaved rock and shale eight thousand feet high We had a view of this peak for some time for. the course of the train winding through the pass gave us the impression that this mighty rock | thrown up at the birth pangs of the | earth itself was a turntable and | was being sowly revovled for our | inspection. Changing lights of sun and shadow gave us new delight with each new prospect. Here where the timber was heavy it seemed | almost to frown upon us mere | mortals who dared to invade its | domain. There where the sunlight illumumined the valleys and lesser | peaks above the timber line it was as though this giant was just waking up and luring us with smiles to | come and gve our puny strength to visit his huge heights. Then won. der followed swiftly on wonder." Peak after peak came into view. Standing lonely in the sky or*mar- shalled in great ranks these Rocky Mountains held us inthralled so that AS OUR NEIGHBORS SEE IT [= b 44 Wee! kh 1 2-7 i HH y NI | \BL mote part of the country was ex- A NOTE OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM AMERICA ~~! ~--From the Chicago Dally News speed. For miles the cascades, a ser- ies of whitish serrated peaks gave us varying views of its wonders. Then as we neared Jaspe Signal mountain, nine thousand feet high. shape. Nine thousand feet high it presents a different' impression. Very little 'snow or ice is held on its steep almost inaccessible Eliffs glows with the myriad colours of the rainbow as the sun strikes it from different angles. It is' lone peak, comparatively speaking, and when we first saw it the clouds drifted across its higher face mak- ing aress of shade and light, re- vealing a complete picture of great grandeur and startling beauty. We were to come to know all these peaks and more in our two dav stay as though they were old friends in some lights seeming to be the protecting deities but then when storms threatened behind though they were avenging furies ready to fall upon the mere human beings who invaded their domain. These same humans neverthless have invaded their domain and every peak has been conquered by the intrepid climbers though the mountains teke their toll of those who would attack their heights. To illustrate how in this moun- tain air (Jasper is 3500 feet apove sea level) distances are deceptive we found that Mount Edith Cavell was 18 miles awsy, Signal Mountain, seven, Pyramid Mountain six and the Whistlers, which were the clos- est ehout three and a half to four miles to the foot. The easiest climb is the Whistler. People start out at seven in the morning and are fortunate to be back for eve- ning dinner. Sure footed ponies take people most of the way if they wish but the last climb must be made on foot. Since we were here for a rest we did not atempt any such strenuous exertion but con- tented ourselves with one or two small bumps seven or eight hundred feet high. We can understand better now the enthusiasm of Bishop Sovereign of Athabasca who is an enthusiastic mountain climber. Two of our perty who were at Grande Prairie and Sexsmith in Peace River Block could see Teepec Mountain which is many, many miles north of Jasper and it is Bishop Sovereign's aim to try that climb some day. No one has yet ascended Teepee Mountain. The whole of this district is in- cluded in whet is called Jasper National Park and the reserved area under the Dominion Govern- ment extends right south to Banff with which Jasper is connected by a very lovely scenic highway, through some of the most rugged of the mountain country. The Town of Jasper is one succession of places where one either cen get meals or accommodation or both. The trade is rigidly controlled and all the buildings are of a substantial na- ture. The main Government Of- fice where the Director has his headquarters is built of the large rubble sfones which were deposited by the great glaciers of the ice age in considerable profusion around this country. We have a good deal of the same kind of rubble in On- smd it is formed. 6f rock which, them one could simost feel as' tario. The YM.C.A. have a cam on Edith Lake five miles from th town and the C. N. R. mainta Jasper Lodge three miles from t! town. Accommodation can be s .cured from $1.50 per night w we stayed at the Pyramid Hotel, almost any price, such as eightee dollars a day at the Lodge. H souvenir business is, of course, vei much in evidence. Their ma stock in trade is replicas of t Totem Pole which stand in the s tion grounds. This pole is one the oldest and best specimens existence. The explanatory note its foot declares that the Indian did not worship these poles but th they were in the nature of fam crests of the Chief. The one he is topped by a representation of th Great Thunder Bird which symbe izes the great Spirit and furthd down are the three bears, thoug not of the fairy tale. The colow on the pole are brilliant as are Indian colours and the striking ty] of carving makes a very effec and interesting combination. There wes much more we wishe to see at Jasper but the time cam when we had to leave this retres of beauty and rest and return the work we had come west to dd Reluctantly we took the train frou Jasper on our way to Edmontol and our last sight was of the cas cades, miles long and nine thou sand feet high, marching in se waves beside us as the train ga ered speed on that sunny afternoon There we saw Old Man Mountain, peculiar formation topping one d the ridges which is the perfect fac] of a man lying down and with little imagination a hump on th next ridge miles away might we] be the raised knees of the old maj The distance between this old man nose and chin is half a mile. colour of the Cascades is white a near white and they ze szan with crevices and cut by innume able gullies into all manner o ridges, heights and peaks. And a the time beside us there flowed thi Athabasca, wide, though shallow just getting under way from if source near by to flow across ha our great continent and to empt; into Lake Athabasca. And then o interest waned as the mountaing to our sight accustomed to grea peaks, seemed to dwindle into mere series of rolling hills. But ]d no one mistake it, until the plein of the lower praries are reach these rolling hills are still som thousands of feet high. So end what must always remain one the highlights of our experienc and the memory of these immu able hills, magnificent valleys, ani soering peaks will serve to calm our imagination fevered by th struttings and posturings of would be dictator. "Glory be the Father and to the Son and the Holy Ghost: as it was in th beginning (before ever the eart} and mountains were made) is no end ever shall be (after these high high hills are levelled to h (Continued on Page 9, Col. 5) confronted us with what seemed an | impenatrable wall or rock. But our | toy train sneaked in amongst the flat places, still fol- lowing the course of the river, ever moving towards this peak but seem- ingly it receded from us. 'This is one of the most astounding impressions we received. The mountains look as though a good jump would take one to their foot but many miles separate the travel- ler from his goal ana this impres- sion was to be heightened as we saw their full beauties around Jasper, : On arriving at the station we were confronted by a series of peaks all in one range called the Whistlers. On making a guess at their height we found that we erred by five thousand feet and in trying to judge the distance from the station plat- form we erred by four miles. As one's gaze followed the peaks a sight of surpassing beauty and rather frightening proportion met the eye. There almost seeming to overhang the town itself there stood Mount Edith Cavell, eleven thous- and, five hundred feet high, snow covered and crowned, ridged huge, yet in its proportions seeming almost delicate and fragile. Our first sight of this mountain found her crown wreathed in clouds as though she wept in memory of her from whom she had received her name and because of the new destruction being wrought on the country by the same foe who by their vile act had imortalized the name of Edith Cavell, One thought as this awesome sight began to inspire and humble the mind 'of the beholder, "Yes, and the principles for which Edith Cavell stood, though now more strongly assailed by even a more ruthless foe, shall stand as pure as the snow on the sides of this moun- tain and &s immutable as the foun- dation rocks of the world on which it stands." And "our hearts were lifted up to God that He who had made this mountain and permitted us to have the inspiration of its rugged beauty might build in the land in which it stoed a nation of beauty, courage and endurance to which others would be compelled to come, not because of its physical strength and possessions but be- cause it was a nation that followed not after false gods of pride and place and' possession but which worshipped and served the God of Love, whose reign shall endure for ever. Our later sights of this peak in many. moods and under conditions of storm and sunchine, morning and night light served only to increase our conviction that the bestowing on this mighty mountain of the name of Edith Cavell was inspired by God. As one turned to leave the station there confronts the eye Pyramid Mountain, so named because of its and ou' | 1 FOCUS ON OGDEN'S the time. Get yourself own. paper OPI sl I's a super-satisfying Fine Cut--the star of the cigarette tobacco show! 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