When the Steel Went Through, by P. Turner Bone. 8vo., 180 pp., 21 photographic illustrations. Toronto, 1947: The Macmillan Co., Price, $3.00.

The author, who died while his book was in press, was one of the few survivors of those who did the original surveying and engineering on the right-of-way of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Born in Scotland, he reached Winnipeg in the spring of 1883, and was in the van of construction work westward until the last spike was driven. He built bridges over the Bow when Calgary was a city of tents, when Banff had not been thought of, and when End of Track was the designation of the spot later to become famous as Laggan and Lake Louise.

We learn that many of the steel rails were made in Germany and that a few of these marked “Krupp C.P.R. Steel, 1883” are still in use on Calgary sidings. Mr. Bone knew or saw most of the pioneer figures of his time: Father Lacombe, Mahood, Major Rogers, W. C. Van Horne, John A. Macdonald (first premier of the Dominion—seated on the cowcatcher of the engine on his first and only trip over the C.P.R. to the Pacific coast), Donald A. Smith (afterward Lord Strathcona—he drove the last spike), and others.

Engineer Bone established the divisional point, named Gleichen (locally called “Gleesh’n”) for a German count who had been prominent in C.P.R. financing; bought corner lots in the center of Calgary for $450; built the roundhouse at Canmore; and made his first and only mountaineering effort in climbing the peak immediately north of that station.

Tunnel Mountain at Banff was actually to be pierced by a tunnel, until a way around it was found. In 1884 the author supervised the grading up Bath Creek to the Kicking Horse summit, and down the western slope to the Columbia. He camped for some time near Moberly’s old cabin, and carried through the arduous winter work of building the important span across Mountain Creek leading to Rogers Pass.

When The Steel Went Through is an important record, and the contemporary photographs add much to the interest of the narrative.

J. M. Thorington