64 TRANSACTIONS iSqq-'oo 



places on the map of our Arctic regions. There are several 

 Eranklin's in the Provinces, for Franklin's fate was discussed 

 around many a fireside in British North America in the "fifties." 



It may be asked by an utilitarian age cni bono ? What is 

 the good of this District of Franklin ? Let it pass away from 

 our memories. It is a deserted mausoleum, strewed with the 

 graves of heroes, if you will, but is there any money in it ? I 

 answer (i). Half a dozen years ago people said, "Canada is the 

 land of waterfalls, but what is the good of them. They are in 

 out of the way places. What is the good of having seven 



millions of horse power in falls and chutes when they cannot be 

 utilized ?' ' A German student in the quiet of his laboratory dis- 

 covered that spruce made the best pulp for paper. To-day, after 

 wasting their strength for centuries to no practical purpose, ex- 

 cept here and there driving a saw mill, the waterfalls of Canada 

 are in great demand for pulp-making purposes, and there is 

 scarcely a fall in all the broad land but has been bought up or is 

 the subject of an option for purchase. 



I answer, (2) I^ook at Yukon territory. A few years ago 

 when we took the census of 1891, we did not think it worth 

 while to send an enumerator into any part of the vast territory 

 known as Yukon. We simply delegated the Hudson Bay 

 Company's people at Fort lyiard to keep count of the Indians 

 from the regions watered by the Upper L^iard, the Pelly and the 

 Yukon rivers, who came to the Fort for the purpose of trading. 

 Now in nine years' time there are, I am informed, 15,000 or 

 20,000 persons grubbing for gold along the rivers, streams and 

 creeks of that great district. Banks, churches, schoolhouses, 

 gambling dens and homes abound, and we will have to organize 

 as complete a staff for census purposes for Yukon as for Prince 

 Edward Island. Who knows what the future has in store for 

 the district of Franklin ? We know that the musk ox abounds, 

 for McClure's men in the term of their captivity in Ba)^ of God's 

 Mercy shot 1 1 2 of the great shaggy animals on Banks I^and, 

 while further north on Melville Island the musk ox finds a con- 

 genial habitat, and still further north Peary shot the shaggj^ 

 bovine for his Christmas dinner. Deer abound. Wolves are 



