10 CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY

flows past Nelson through the West arm and still travelling westward
merges into the Columbia River at Castlegar and again enters the American

territory at Waneta. ;

THE VALLEY TOWNSITES.

From Wasa the Kootenay Central Ry. travels through 12 miles of
fine agricultural and timber land and arrives at Fort Steele, a mining town
half way between Wasa and Cranbrooke. Fort Steele was the centre of
a mining boom some twelve yearsagoand has since then been doing a small
but steadily increasing trade. The railway making this one of its stations,
the settlement of the surrounding country is certain and the prosperity of
the town is assured.

Leaving Fort Steele and still following the railway we cross the Wild
Horse Flats and turn eastward. After travelling some twenty miles through
a finely timbered and ranching country, the new town of Bull River, the
centre of a large logging district, is reached. At Bull River are the well-
known Bull River Falls destined in the near future to supply the power
for lighting Fernie and other towns in the Crow’s Nest District. The
Crow’s Nest Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway isreached at Jukeson.

Wardner, on the Kootenay River, is the centre of a large lumbering
industry and the station for a rich farming district.

Elko is a quiet little town supported by neighboring industries. To
the east and south lie many miles of agricultural lands with and without
timber, and near the town is a mile and a half stretch of the Elk River
where many tons of water per minute pour over solid masses of rock,
ready for harnessing to man’s needs.

Cranbrook, with a population of 3500, is the chief divisional point
of the Crow’s Nest Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It is the
centre of a fine lumbering and mining country and the distributing point
for many smaller towns. The clearing of the surrounding timber is opening
up a fine agricultural country. The city is well equipped with stores, has
two flourishing newspapers, churches, hospital, banks, schools, curling club
and first rate water works and electric lighting systems. The Provincial
Government have important offices in the town. The Kimberly and North
Star Mines are connected by a Branch Railway. Provision for the further
extension of the city is ensured by the Canadian Pacific Railway having a
considessble area set aside for building purposes. These lots are in great

emand. :

SOME MINING CENTRES.

Fernie, 62 miles east of Cranbrook, on the Crow’s Nest Pass branch
of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is one of the centres of the coal mining
industry for this part of British Columbia, there being at present 454 coke
ovens in constant use. The coal mines in and about Fernie are practically
inexhaustible, and as the demand for coal and coke is constantly increasing
the town is making wonderful progress.

Hosmer lies to the east of Fernie. Within the last two years the
extensive coal deposits of that neighborhood have been opened. The
latest and most up-to-date machinery in this industry has been installed,
and 240 coke ovens have been built. The town is rapidly developing into
a place of great importance.

Morrissey and Coleman are coal mining centres. Fort Steele is the
centre of a group of high grade silver lead mines.

Michel, on this branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is a mining
centre and a centre for the coke industries, 486 coke ovens being in opera-
tion.