Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-09-29


visit; aud we were not alone, for sixty
live crowded cars on the Central road
H'one were required to carry the visitors
on the morning we went in.
The country, as one leaves Vermont,
becomes less and less billy, till soon all
hills disappear, and for miles before we
leach the st. Lawrence the country is
lead level. The soil looks to be heavy
clay, the sub soil certainly is, and portions
# it show some stones. The farm build
'ngs do not compare at all favorably with
"urs, being smaller, and their SURF ,und-
ilSs less tidily kept. Being so level a
GOOD sight of the country is had from the
ar windows as one speeds along over the
.mooth track.
Approaching the river expectation is on
tip-toe to see the great Victoria bridge
through which we are to pass. and soon it
piers. cleaning white in the morning
sunshine. The bridge is entirely of iron,
heavy boiler plate riveted together, and is
an immense tube through which the trains
pass, and the roar of the train, being con-
lined in this tube. is most unpleasant.
Before this the customs officer has passed
through the car, but hHs troubled nobody,
Just glancing right ana eft as ne passes.
Arriving at the statiol, the crowd pours
out, and the hackmen and hotel coach
drivers are orderly and less noisy than in
some cities of the states.
The hotels Of the city were entirely
inadequate to the occasion, and beds, cots
chairs and floors were filled with tireG
occupants when night came on. They
could feed all corners, but good lodgings
we're at premium, AT the Ottawa, where
we cast our lot, we had to be content with
cot-not exactly ga cot in the valley
love-" but in the gentlemen's parlor-
which was not made for man of oul
length, and as it was too narrow to cur
up in. the editorial feet had to hang owe
about six inches. We don't like to REGAL
that nights unrest; but it was the bes
they could do for Us, and we had one com
fort-there were some of our friends VIII
could not get even chair to sit down o.
for two hours.
Montreal is one of the oldest cities c
Canada or the continent, and holds its ag
remarkably well, modern improvement
and enterprise having made little inroad
The streets, with one or two exceptions
are narrow, unpaved, and have narrow
uneven sidewalks. There are MANY fin
buildings of modern construction, ant
many of the old ones look solid and sub
stantial enough to withstand and defy tn,
ravages of time.
One sees curious things exposed for sal
on the streets such funny wooden shoes
queer wooden shovels and other woodel
utensils. Strange cookery takes the place
of Yankee pies and cakes, and in ever,
block and on every corner liquors arr
offered for sale just as freely and openl,
as fruit or soda water is offered here.
On the exhibition grounds were numer
Gus and extensive refreshment st nd
which chiefly consisted of large assert
ment of liquors, and it seemed to be
matter of laudable rivalry, noted wit
approval, who could make the largest an
most costly display. And yet we saw i
our two days stay only one drunken mar
and he was was from the states, we think
The grounds of the exhibition wer
some two miles from the heart of the cit
and the horse cars which ran to tn
grounds were entirely inadequate for tn
accommodation of more than sma
fraction of the people, Vehicles of ever
description filled the streets, and the
probably half the people walked.
The street leading to the main entrance
was lined with refreshment stands; show
swings and lots of gambling apparatt
were there, but not one of them could |
found on the grounds. The entry busine
was miserably managed for such a crow,
though it might possibly have done for
much smaller one.
The only entrance for visitors wei
turnstiles, through which only one cou
pass at a time, and:h must have his nont
ready-just a quarter-and no tickets an
no change made; and often it would ha
pen that one would get to the stile, n
knowing the rule, a11 not having Il
change would have to .uvn back and pa
through the hundreds crowding up, to g
his money changed. There was an e:
change Office near one gate, but that W,
the only one we saw, and that was close
some of the time during the busiest pa
of the most crowded day, and hundre,
seemed unable to get in.
Inside the gate, and brilliant ar
busting pageant is seen. The emit
grounds, surrounded on three sides by Il
stock sheds, gayly painted and surmountt
by hundreds of flags, the main building,
large, two storied edifce, glistening wi
glass and galvanized iron which covert
the roof, agricultural hall, machinery ha
the annex for manufactured articles, al
Manitoba hall, all profusely decorat,
with the English flag. made an attracti'
scene. Then there was crowd of peopl
variously estimated from fifty thousand
seventy thousand; and more quiet,
derby crowd we never saw anywhere-al
that too under great provocation land rigI
here was piece of toadyism which shov
ed very great weakness in the manage
of the exhibition: Tuesday was the " gre
day." and we did not know at first but t
crowds were out because Yankee ag
cultural editor was to be there but foul
out later that they were paying rath
more attention to a younger man W
wore better clothes-the Marquis of Lor
who came on the grounds in the aft'
noon. There. was a crowd of, say six
kb,,,n,I non,lo pnopv IF whom, m p,a