Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-06-14
From Our 0Up Correspondent.

De informed, mas no releIeuCo w oiIo Va
of baggage, but to the system Of COMMUNICATION
of which this railway forms part Inc pas
sengers were few and mostly of lower class
The approach to foreign parts was indicated D.
the sound of French, as spoken by two children
to their mother, while between themselves the!
talked pure English, with pretty marked old
country accent. The country was level and de
void of interest till we approached Gorham
when it began to be first rolling and then hilly
and eventually mountainous. Besides loft.
range upon the right hand, not unlike the Blue
Ridge, we enjoyed for a few moments, upon ei
ther side of Gorham tauntalizing glimpse o
the White Mountains. The Alpine House, a
the place just mentioned, is a favorite point o
departure for summer tourists to the Highlands
of New Hampshire Our train stopped for tht
night at Island Pond, a frontier station in Yer
mont, where the railway has created small
hamlet with the usual nucleus of a Church, three
stores and two hotels, one erected BY the COM
pany itself, the other a private opposition to 1t
at the former, called the Island Pond House, VIC
obtained very tolerable supper and comfort
able bed at no unreasonable price, On COM
planning that could not lock my bedroom. .dool
and asking to be moved into safer place, was
informed with great simplicity, that such pre-
cautions were unnecessary there, which &C.
cepted as an index of the virtuous and innocent
condition of society in that extreme edge of New
England, which even railway travel has not yel
succeeded in corrupting.
Having checked my baggage to Quebec, | in.
quired in the morning for barber, whom
found in the back-room of an oyster cellar Under
the Vermont House and experienced at his hands
an operation which shall not soon forget as an
example of the general truth that the same name
may be used to denote very different things
We had not only time for breakfast but for
promenading after it, which exercise took in
the capacious station house, occasionally listen
ing To the mixture of dialects and watching the
movements of some emigrant families, including
the one previously mentioned as having come
with us from Portland. AS passed this group
at one time, / perceived British-looking man
of pleasant aspect, examining their luggage and
making some inquiries in very friendly man
ner. This, found, was Queen Victoria's Gus
tom house officer, who accommodates the trav-
elers on their road by discbarging his functions
thus far within the United States, instead Of
stopping them precisely at the line, few miles
further, for the purpose of examining their lug
gage. This inspection, in the present case, con-
sisted in the simple act of looking at the outside
and asking whether it contained anything but
clothes, to which constantly reply on such oc
casions, nothing but what use myself in trav'
cling He then marked each piece with chalk
and allowed it to be put into the luggage,cai
Another sign that we were near the frontier was
the first appearance of Canadian priests in the
ugliest of all costumes, apparently consisting ol
a series of surtouts or overcoats OF different
lengths, but all made of dingy bombazet or BON.
bazine, and fastened with multitude OF small
black buttons. This, with slouched hat and
white bibr(or bands) with black borders, were
enough to make scare-crow of Hyperian OF
Adonis, and is still more marked in its unbeau-
tiful effect upon these swart and homely, but po
lite and friendly class of French Canadians. II
might almost seem as if tile Church of Rome in
tended to atone for the tawdry splendor of hei
priestly robes and public offices by making those
who figure in them as unsightly as they can bs
in their ordinary garments. AS the day ad
vanced the sky was overcast and we reached
Point Levi, opposite Quebec, at four o'clock, Z
NJ, in pouring rain accompanied by thunder
and lightning The approach to the city is i'm
posing from whatever quarter made, but mos
so, presume, to one descending the st. Law
of which the citadel is merely the sublime con-
clusion Crossing the river in spacious ferry
boat, we were conveyed by an omnibus through
steep and winding streets into the upper towr
and to the door of Russel's Hotel in Palace
street. This house which on the outside scarce
ly vies with many of our village taverns is supe
rior in some important points of comfort ant
convenience to many a palatial hotel in our ci
oh 10 thQ
ments of the bed room, more particularly thos'
connected with the wash stand, have q trul.
English amplitude and cleanliness. Here by
sudden change, dined at six o'clock, lunch be-
ing furnished between twelve and two, and tel
to those who wish it after eight. In spite of th'
rain l could not help roaming through the mar
row streets with their wooden sidewalks ant
their row of quaint French houses, all the OLE
ones being OF stone but many new ones OF whit
brick, as they call it, in the same sense that W.
say white wine, the term in either case distin.
gushing the color from bright red. This ma
terial, of pale yellow or clay color, though a
first unpleasant to my eye, became, before LET
Quebec, quite beautiful, especially when set OF
by little decoration in the shape of doors ant
windows. At slight distance it resemble
stone work and is justly preferred by the Cana
dams to our staring red brick which, l saw
stated it in newspaper article on the proposed
Government buildings, would no longer be tole
rated in Quebec.
Of the town itself need not say what ha
been so often said before, that its site, the ar
rangement of its streets, and the construction @
its houses, make it one of the most picturesqu
cities, as it is one of the strongest tortresses il
the world. There are glimpses which remin
one irresistibly of Edinburgh, with its higl
ridges overlooking deep ravines, where the roof
of lofty houses lie far below the foot of the spec
tator from above. This resemblance extend
also to the distant prospect, with its delightful
combination Of land and water, plain and noun
tain. know not where got the false impress
sion thatIthe country round Quebec was steril
and forbidding. 1t is really one of the mos
smiling landscapes that the world affords, wit
every indication of abundance and prosperity
large and small farms, with their comfortabl
homesteads and numerous outbuildings, plough
ed fields and meadows, wood and water, gree
hills near at hand, and further off blue noun
tains, not unworthy of our own beloved valley
Where the country fades into the town, exten
sive suburbs have sprung up, with long, straight
spacious streets, but built in the old style of gra
stone or succeed to resemble it. Above this
as you look down, runs the city wall, with it
massive gates, perpetuallY guarded, and bustln
with ordnance of all sorts and sizes. Within
this safe enclosure is the old town, which re
minds the European traveller of particular 10
calites in Paris, resemblance heightened b.
the constant sound of French, that of Englisl
being merely the exception.
But what makes Quebec particularly interest
inp ia that il preseptS to YOU glimpse of Franc
and England at the same time, in proximit
and combination which has no existence in th
mother. countries, the mass of the people bein
French Canadians, the under stratum Irish Q
the lowest class and character, the upper stratum
English Of the highest quality and cultivation
AS general rule, and one with few exceptions
if you see genteel person or company, even a
distance, you will hear them on approaching