1885.] PARK ON THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. 257 



A PUBLIC PARK ON THE CANADIAN PACIFIC 

 RAILWAY. 



THE beautiful photographs of Eocky Mountain scenery, besides 

 the other vegetable and mineral emblems of Manitoban peace 

 and plenty displayed at the recent Canadian Laud Company's 

 exhibit in Edinburgh, may give impetus to the above suggestion of 

 Mr. San ford Fleming. Why should emigration be merely urged for 

 its bread-and-butter advantages, whether to prospective land buyers 

 or sellers ? Crowds besides the hard-pressed operative or agriculturists 

 are eager to be away from the high-pressure nineteenth century 

 life of worry so characteristic of the haunts of old-world civilization. 

 By this latest girdling of the Transatlantic continent with the track 

 of the iron horse, a new field is within easy reach of a variety of 

 pleasure-seekers. The Alpine tourist, alpenstock in hand, may 

 climb towering peaks with newer sensations than those experienced 

 in Norway or Switzerland ; the hunter may pursue such game as 

 the grizzly, the carriboo, or the bighorn ; while the purest and 

 most bracing atmosphere may now be cheaply enjoyed by the tired 

 city invalid. Doubtless the Canadian Pacific Eailway will here- 

 after be regularly done by the professed globe-trotter wlio already 

 encircles the Yosemite Valley and the sights of Japan. But the 

 proposition to set aside say one hundred square miles along either 

 side of the Canadian Pacific Eailway where it crosses the Eockies, 

 involves others besides such flying visitors. Are there not many in 

 our great cities in circumstances of moderate independence, or 

 willing at least to leave business for a time to recuperate in this 

 unparalleled scenery for a few months of the summer ? Here would 

 be new markets for the settlers on the prairies, and centres of 

 light and leading very useful to such who migiit otherwise sink as 

 dumb, driven cattle in life's stern battle. The completion of the 

 railway allows ingress for such a new element in colonization. 

 Several such settlements along its sides would only be anticipating 

 exodus into suburbs which is almost now inevitable in Winnipeg, 

 if only from its defective sanitary condition. Besides, in the Franco- 

 Prussian war alone, it became evident that railways were ruralizing 

 city life. And this new railway, with virgin lands on either side, 

 affords splendid opportunities of showing how best to plant the city 

 in the country. 



The beautiful building-stone of the country shown at the Exhibi- 

 tion, and limestones, villas built of which at Winnipeg were 

 the admiration of British Association tourists, are minerals ready 

 to hand for such a project as the above. 



E 



