Brooklyn

            Almost opposite Deer Park on Lower Arrow lake, is the new town of Brooklyn.  At present it is a city of tents, but tomorrow figuratively speaking, it will be a bustling little city.  The cause of all this activity is the fact that Mann, Foley & Larsen, the contractors for the extension of the Columbia & Western railway are building their offices, stores, warehouses and shops here, making that point the headquarters.  This firm is a combination of the strongest contractors in the United States and Canada and will build 105 miles of road through the roughest mountain country in the Pacific northwest, to be complete and in operation in the shortest  possible period of time.  Foundations are laid for several of the company buildings.  The general office building will be ready for occupancy this [  ?  ] when Mr. B.F. Woodman and his bookkeeper, W.T. Krebbs, will take possession.  There are contractors of all degrees of greatness on the ground and, as is usually the case, the camp follower is bobbing up serenely.  Across a small mountain stream a few hundred feet east, is the townsite proper where several foundations are laid for stores and hotels.  The first foundation down was that laid by Contractor McDonald for J.P. Petersen of Petersen Bros. of Trail.  It is a two storey hotel 22x50 with an annex 20x30 for a bar room.  Its location is lot 1, block 1, fronting the lake and Pup creek.  Slashing is being done under the direction of townsite owner as the danger of fire from promiscuous owners is too great to risk.  The greatest number of the company workmen are engaged in clearing and grading the wagon road leading to Cascade City, forty miles inland, on Christina lake, where the contractors will rush in supplies, making that a point where work will be pushed in both directions.  The wagon road will be about forty miles in length.  At present there are but few men at work but it is expected five thousand will be strung along the line in a few months’ time.  Less than four miles out of Brooklyn the survey calls for a 3,000 foot tunnel.  This will consume months in construction.  Several of the sub contracts have been let between Robson and Brooklyn, it being the intention of the company to complete this section of road first.  This work is all rock and very difficult.  In conversation with a contractor who has a mile of this work stated the contract price would be less than $50,000.  Some idea of the cost of the line may be gathered from the above item, and there are many, many miles of this work on the line besides the big tunnel almost a mile in length.  When this road is completed it will represent more money in building and less time in construction than any road of equal distance on the North American continent.  When the “tote” road is completed, which is being rushed with all possible speed, supplies will go forward at once.  The steamers are landing tons of freight daily that is being taken into the company warehouse and distributed to sub-contractors toward the Robson end of the line.    The Canadian Pacific Co. expect to begin the construction of a large wharf to facilitate the landing of their passengers and freight; this will be under construction as quickly as the necessary material can be secured.  A corps of George Farr’s engineers have been camped at Brooklyn for some time and now are resting and waiting orders.  There can be no excuse for idle men in Trail, Rossland and other camps.  There will be soon work for the idle men of this section and many must be imported as idle men are not plentiful in British Columbia.