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::ym^ der (Qwjzda,: FRIDAY EMPRESS MAIL MOTOR ROAD ACROSS THE ROCKIES \\T HEN Sir George Simpson, in 1S41, made his overland journey round the world, in the interests of the Hudson Bay Company, no region impressed him with its sublimity and wild grandeur more than the ridge of the Rockies between the prairies and the Upper Columbia Valle7. The pass by which he crossed this ridge still bears his name and is used by a few of the more adventurous tourists, but still more by Alpine climbers with ambitions to scale Mount Assiniboine, a pyramidal monarch of nearly 12,000 ft. high. HTHE grades over the Rockies at this point are too great for any commercial railway, but the scenery is so wonderful that a proposal was made and is being carried out to construct a high road suitable for automobile traffic connecting Banff with the Upper Columbia Valley which separates the Rockies from the Selkirk Mountains. One proposal was to follow Simpson's route, but the Government surveyors ultimately decided that a less expensive road could be built a few miles west through the Vermillion Pass which joins the Simpson Pass trail on the farther side of Mount Ball. The improvement of the Simpson Pass trail was, however, not lost sight of, ard eventually may form an alternative route to the lovely shores of Lake Windermere. The road as now located leaves the Canadian Pacific Railway near Castle Mountain and climbs up to the Great Divide through an area devastated by forest fires. The stream of the Vermillion rushing down to join the waters of the Kootenay River takes its name from the red ochre beds which lie to the right near Tokum Creek. Spruce, jackpine, and fir line the banks of the creek, over which tower the peaks of Storm (10,309 ft.), Whymper (9,3i9 ft.), Mitchell (10,225 ft.), Ball (10,825 ft.), and Vermillion (8,682 ft.), while Deltaform (11,225 ft.) and Hungabee (11,447 ft.) can be seen at intervals on the right. Canyon follows canyon till the Vermillion joins the Simpson Creek in an open park-like country. "At this point," to quote the description of the Hon. W. W. Foster, in an address to the Progress Club of Vancouver, "the view north-west up the Vermillion, east into the valley of the Simpson, or south following the Kootenay down the distant Shephard range, is a panorama of natural beauty which words could never describe. The Kootenay Valley is connected to the Columbia via Sinclair Pass, a pass used for years by Indians, who, after incursions into the rich hunting lands of the Vermhlion and Kootenay, where moose, elk, and other game still abound, crossed the Divide to visit the Hot Springs on the western slope, now known as the Sinclair Springs. The little emerald lake on the exact summit on the trip over the Sinclair, the wonderful canyon with the bright red walls towering hundreds of feet on either side of where the road will pass right through the centre of the canyon itself, the magic springs, or the enchanting view from the grassy plateau above, looking east through the canyon into the Vermillion range, or west across the wide valley of the Columbia, through which the river turns, to the snow-capped Purcell range beyond, time does not permit to dwell upon; but again may I repeat that, as a scenic route, this road will be without a peer, and despite the fact that it crosses the main chains of the Rockies and traverses seventy miles of CANADIAN PACIFIC HIGHWAY OF THE GREAT DIVIDE CONSTRUCTION CAMP AT SINCLAIR, ON THE BANFF-WINDERMERE AUTOMOBILE ROAD. EMPRESS MAIL THE "STOLEN CHURCH our most typical and pictures ]ue mountain scenery, will be a standard road, not exceed­ ing an average of 3J per cent, except for a short distance up the east approach of the Sinclair Pass." PHE construction of the Banff-Windermere automobile road has proceeded from both ends, but owing to financial stringency construction has latterly been somewhat slow, and it is not certain whether the completion may be expected in time for next summer. A very enjoyable trip, however, can be made from the Windermere and through the Sinclair Canyon, past Summit Lake into the Kootenay Valley. About twenty-three miles of this had been built from the old Government road,at Sinclair when the writer last was there, and the wonderfully picturesque scenery, together with the easy grades and excellent road surface, is not easy to parallel in Canada. "VT EAR Sinclair Canyon are radio-active hot springs which Mr. St. John Harmsworth had the intention of piping into a Kur-Hotel before the war broke out, and certainly the site selected was ideal for its purpose, commanding a magnificent view of the Selkirk Mountains. The springs were formerly used by miners suffering from rheumatism, who came here in winter and camped in the snow beside the steaming waters. Pictographs, which some claim to be Indian, are to be found on the great cliffs which tower over the road. A T the village of Windermere, on the east side of the lake, is the so-called " Stolen Church," ihe history of which is not without humour. Originally built for the moral benefit of the railroad camp at Donald—about a hundred miles north—at the time of the construction of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the early eighties, this church appears to have gained the affections of one of the contractor's engineers. The said engineer had also been attracted by the charms of Lake Winder­ mere, so when the construction camp was broken up he decided to settle down in the valley on the Lake Shore and take the church with him. In vain the Bishop at New Westminster fulminated. The church had already been placed on its new foundations, ninety miles from the railway, and it was too costly an operation in the engineer's opinion to bring it back. AT the mouth of Toby Creek are the traces of the old Kootenay House, established by the explorer David Thompson, in 1807, as a centre for his geographical studies. Toby Creek is named after the dog which accompanied Earl Grey in his hunting trips in this region. While Governor-General of Canada, Earl Grey had a hunting lodge on the pass over the Selkirks which bears his name, and in his opinion there is no more beautiful or romantic scenery in Canada than what one finds in this Upper Columbia Valley. C A N AD IAN P A C I F. I C HIGHWAY OF THE GREAT DIVIDE MOTOR ROAD THROUGH THE SINCLAIR PASS. EMPRESS MAIL THE CANADIAN PACIFIC OCEAN SERVICES LTD. MANAGERS AND AGENTS FOR "CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY OCEAN STEAMSHIP LINES" AND "THE ALLAN LINE STEAMSHIP CO., LTD." MARCONIGRAMS London. Germans, and it is believed that the Chicago. It was stated here yesterday, that offensive will relieve the pressure on Reports from the Republican R.M.S. u MISSANABIE." David Lloyd George was to have taken the Italian front. National Convention, indicate less FRIDAY, JUNE 9th, 1916. the trip to Russia with Lord Kitchener, Chicago. harmony between the Republicans and but was prevented by the Irish crisis. The Republican situation at the Progressives, and that two separate Marconi Wireless Press From Tientsin. convention is unchanged, but the tickets will probably be the outcome. American troops have been ordered general belief is, that Mr. Hughes will The Republican sentiment for ARLINGTON. to hold themselves in readiness for be nominated. The Progressives will Mr. Hughes grows, while the Progressives instant departure to Peking. French J in all probability nominate Colonel demand Colonel Roosevelt. The troops have already been despatched to Roosevelt to-night, forestalling the proceeding has not as yet reached the LATEST WAR NEWS, the capital. Republican old guard managers, who balloting stage. Paris. wish to eliminate him from the fight, New York. Berlin. Fighting on the Western Front and perhaps force the Republicans Two south bound elevated railroad An official statement, given out by continues in the vicinity of the Vaux trains of the third avenue line, collided to endorse the progressive nomination. the Admiralty yesterday, indicates Fort. The French have conceded the yesterday, injuring thirty persons. loss of the fortress, which was rendered that the Cerman losses in the Jutland Rome. London. battle, in the main conform with the useless by the German bombardment. It is reported that the Austrian Count and Countess Plunkett, who British reports. The new figures include The Serbian-Russian offensive has advance has been halted along the were arrested last month in connection the cruisers " Lutzow," and " Rostock " already resulted in the capturing of entire line, and that the Italians are with the Irish revolt, were released from which were not previously mentioned. large numbers of Austrians and holding their positions firmly. custody yesterday, and ordered to leave Dublin by next Saturday. CANADIAN PACIFIC EMPRESS MAIL ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA "VTOUNTAINEERING is at once the most catholic and most democratic and most sublime of all the sports invented by man. It is also the most aristocratic, if we interpret the word as standing only for honour, discipline, refinement and intellect. All genuine mountaineers—there may be spurious here as in all human activities—find friends on the mountains and make friendships there only if they find the universal human qualities of fortitude and resource, good-humour and unselfishness, whether their com­ panions be'princes or peasants. True, those Englishmen, who first made mountain-., climbing a sport over half a century ago, were men distinguished in science, law, and the higher professions; but since then men in humble walks of life have learned the mountain craft and have also experienced the exaltations of the " final pitch " and of the high top on many a peak once believed inaccessible.

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