Canadian Transport Sourcebook

Chapter XVI

Major Rogers

This gifted engineer came suddenly into the limelight in 1881.

He was imported by Van Horne and left his native lair at Minneapolis to explore the Selkirk and Rocky Mountain ranges to find a pass for the great Trans-Continental highway. Strange as it may seem, nearly every pass had been already discovered by Sir Sandford Fleming's engineers, but this fact did not deter the indefatigable Major, who proceeded to discover them again. The Kicking Horse Pass in the Rockies had been well-known since Palliser's time, and the pass through the Selkirks, now known as the Rogers' Pass, had been explored and condemned by Walter Moberly, C.E., who also turned down the Kicking Horse Pass, before the gallant Major was ever heard of. The current story of the Kicking Horse discovery by the Major was to the effect that upon one of his scouting expeditions he wandered up the Kicking Horse River armed with his favourite compass and aneroid barometer, and having travelled up stream to within four miles of the summit, he returned to the Columbia River and reported that a two per cent. grade was feasible all the way down the Kicking Horse. But, alas!—from the point where the Major turned about, the stream rose 1,100-feet in four miles and a half, which put his tow per cent. grade out of business.

If he had gone on a few miles further he would have found this out. When we attempted to locate the line in the Spring on a two per cent. grade, it was of course found to be impossible, the result being that a temporary grade of four and a half per cent. for over four miles was constructed and operated, with three safety switches, and with the heaviest engines on either end of the trains, for many years, until the line was eventually lengthened by putting in a double loup and two long tunnels at enormous expense, thus reducing the grade to two per cent.

The Kicking Horse Pass was adopted, in spite of this heavy grade from the summit down, we are told, because, when the Major wired his report of a feasible grade, the name of "Kicking Horse" was cabled over to London, got on the English Stock Exchange, and stuck, so the Directors made the best of it and with the permission of the Government operated that almost impracticable grade for many years. The Rogers' Pass in the Selkirks was another expensive luxury necessitating many miles of snowsheds, but now all that tis changed by the construction of the Connaught tunnel, over five miles in length, which cost the Company many million dollars. I only met the little man once, and that was under rather peculiar circumstances.

He was what we called a "rough and ready" engineer—or rather "pathfinder." A short, sharp, snappy little chap with long Dundreary whiskers. He was a master of picturesque profanity, who continually chewed tobacco and was not artist in expectoration. He wore overalls with pockets behind, and had a plug of tobacco in one pocket and a sea biscuit in the other, which was his idea of a season's provisions for an engineer.

His scientific equipment consisted of a compass and an aneroid slung round his neck. Thus was he arrayed when I met him, but minus the biscuit. I was winding up the season's work very late in the Fall and was camped on the high banks of the South Saskatchewan River, near what is now known as "Medicine Hat." I had a good, up-to-date engineer's location camp with plenty of horses and waggons and the best of tents and other equipment. I always believed in cleanliness, order and discipline when possible, and my camps were generally kept neat and tidy. A day or two before I met the subject of this chapter the ice had formed on the South Saskatchewan River, and one find afternoon it was reported to me that a rabble of ragamuffins had been sighted, trying to cross the thin ice.

This party of starving scarecrows was finally identified as the van of the distinguished Major's survey party, in fact, I think the remains of them, trying to get home. They were hungry and in rags, and were headed by the Major himself, the worst looking long-haired ruffian of them all.

When I discovered who he was, I introduced myself and of course took the weary wanderers in to camp, gave up the best and newest blankets to them, fed them all on the fat of the land and entertained them for two or three days till they were rested, and then sent them East in four-horse teams, rejoicing.

During the time I was camped on the Saskatchewan, awaiting orders, I had employed the men, for sanitary reasons, in cleaning up the camp. The sand used to blow into the tents, so I utilized old gunny sacks, which, when sewn together made excellent carpets. I also did a little shooting on my own account, and our larder was well stocked with fat Mallard ducks, prairie chickens, geese, crane and other delicacies. So when the noble Major arrived, half starved, I was able to surprise his stomach.

Shortly after he left, I received orders to return to Winnipeg, and when I got down, General Rosser, the Chief Engineer, told me that Major Rogers had given me a very bad reputation. He told the General (who fortunately was my friend and didn't believe him)that he had stayed at my camp and that I was living like the Czar of Russia and would absolutely ruin any Railway Corporation in the world. He said I had all my tents carpeted with Brussels carpet, that I lived upon roast turkeys and geese and many other expensive luxuries, unheard of in the cuisine of a poor unsophisticated engineer, etc., etc.

Thus did the Major bite the hand that fed him! Rosser and I had a good laugh over his ingratitude, and I forgave him because I imagined that the poor little man had never seen such palatial splendour as my tents with the gunny sack carpets, swept out daily, and my mess tent with a real table and wholesome, well-cooked food upon it. He still the plug of tobacco and biscuit idea. I explained to General Rosser that the expensive game which I was able to offer my distinguished guest was all shot by myself with my own gun and ammunition, thus saving the Company untold wealth by neglecting to eat their bacon and beans.

I clip from the newspaper the following extracts from an article headed:

This is decorated with illustrations showing:

"One of the most difficult tasks in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway was to discover a way through the Rocky Mountains. A number of explorers had made attempts to find a way, but it remained for Major A. B. Rogers to discover the most feasible route, the route that was chosen and is now known as Rogers' Pass."

Then follows a lengthy eulogy of the many wonders performed by the renowned Major, probably written for some local paper in the place the hero was born. Of course, the fact that the so-called Rogers' Pass is not either in or anywhere near the Rocky Mountains did not enter the writer's head. The paper goes on to say that in recognition of the valuable work done by Major Rogers, the directors of the Canadian Pacific railway presented him with a cheque for $5,000 and a watch flatteringly inscribed.

Furthermore it says:

"Evidently Major Rogers was of a more poetical than financial temperament, for he carried the cheque in his pocket for several years, and he only cashed it when his friends of the Canadian Pacific insisted that he should do so."

Some are born rich, some inherit wealth, while others have riches thrust upon them!

A good story is told about the Major and Van Horne. The Major had a horrible reputation for being very niggardly in supplying his survey parties the old "biscuit and plug of tobacco" habit being ever present, and there were many complaints and frequent desertions.

Van Horne said: "Look here, Major, I hear your men won't stay with you, they say you starve them."

"T'aint so, Van."

"Well, I'm told you feed 'em on soup made out of hot water flavoured with old ham canvas covers."

"T'aint so, Van. I didn't never have no hams!"

So much for Major Rogers and his two well-discovered mountain passes.