It scciiis but ycstrccu that thc ccho of thc grcnt cry " Go wcst '' rcvcrbcratcd throughout Enstcrn Cnnndn, and the young iiicn of tlic oldcr proviiiccs began the tick to the grcnt unpopulatcd fcrtilc plains lying towards tlic setting siiii, which, ht)\vcvcr, was phantom-likc in thnt, ns they puslicd forwnrd, it ul\vsys flew bcforc them. Tlie slognii to-duy is quitc different ; it is " Go ~iortli," nctnntccl by n dcsirc for ntlvcntiirc in iicw fields, and chiefly tlic allurcnicnt prescntcd in tlic scnrcli for inctnllifcrous inincrnls, niid tho dcvclopnicnt of tlic hitldcn nnturnl rcso~irccs of thc cold, blcak, loncsoinc lands, cxtciiding cvcii to witliin tlic Arctic circlc, wlicrc, slirorrdccl in inystcry, Sir John Franklin niid his vcntiircsonic nssociotcs found their last rcstingplncc in 1545-17.
U'hilc thc wcstcrn iiiigrntion wns in full swing Sir Gcorgc W. ROSS, tlicii Prcmier of Ontnrio, coiiinicIiccd thc building of n milway, duc north froni the Cnnndinii Pacific Rnilwny, n t North Biiy, Northcrii Ontnrio, tlic ostcnsiblc purposc bcing to open n IICW district for ngricultuml sctt.lcmcnt, and tapping tlic grcnt forcst reserves upon t.lic lnrgc rivers wliich arisc imnicdintcly iiort.li of tlic trans-Cnnndii C.P.7., flowing into tlic Arctic watcrs. Iii tlic construction of tlic C;P.R., tltrouglt tlic Sutlbury district, t,lio fnrnous iiickcliferous dcposits were discovcrcd, ultiniotcly lending to tlie prcscnt liiglily rlcvelopcd positioii of tlint industry. 'l!hcrc wcrc tliosc who condcmnctl tlic construction of the 'l'cmiskaiiiing nnd Nortlicrii Oiitnrio liiic into tlic so-called frozcn iiortltlnlitl as n disiistrous policy, \vit.li incritiiblc ivnstc of money. Just ns in tlic builtling of the C.P.R., RU, by tlic lucky st,rikc of n bliicksinitli, 011 construction, tlic grcnt silver-cobnlt belt wis discovcrcd, nnd liitcr, fnrthcr north, tlic grent gold niiiics of Porcupine, ICirldniid Lake, ctc., ns well RS tlic pnpcr iiidustrics, ~vcrc dcvclopctl. Tlic advciiturc of Ross, with his pioneering r:iilwtiy, succccdcd in opcning ali area of wealth frir bcyond tlic most liopcful cspect:itioiis which hc could liiivc cntcrtriinctl, nltliougli lie nlwnys niaiiitniiicd intclligcnt, prncticiil agriculturc was iiii cvcryicldiiig gold iiiinc, \vliich would bc producing wlicn :ill otl1crs \vcrc csllllustcll.