St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-08-06
ISt. AIhans Messsnner

ISt. Adams Messenger
Wednesday the Vermont editorial
party, including several ladies and
gentlemen from st. Adams, reached
Montreal at 10 a. m. and took carriages
for drive through Mt. Royal Park. 1t
is only about five years since Frederick
Law Olmstead laid out the mountain
in beautiful winding roads, terraces,
plats, ETC., the drive before that having
been simply around the mountain.
Now it is not surpassed by anything
adjacent to any large city in America.
| Whoever visits Montreal should be
certain to take drive on the noun
tain, and if a party goes, it will be
worth their while to arrange with Il. j.
MOrey, who runs most of the best car
riage service of the city, land who, by
the way, is an American and a cordial,
live man.) Coming down from the
mountain, the eXcursiOnists narrowly
escape heavy shower by entering the
Grey Nunnery, a few minutes before
noon, just in season to see 200 of the
sisters go into the chapel in procession
to observe their devotiOns. 1t was a
very impressive scene, but did not I'M
press all alike. To most Americans it
ioOhS Al tOO lOIIIldI. Alter IIlS
some of the sisters escorted the party
through the various departments of the
hospital. Dinner was taken at Ottawa,
after which members of the party went
to see different objects, as pleased them
best-some to the Notre Dame cathe-
dral and Jesuit church, some to inspect
an ocean steamer in the harbor, some
to the Windsor hotel, and some to the
stores and public buildings. Then all
took cars for Lachine, embarked on a
boat and came down to the rapids, en-
loyIng the experience greatly.
Stepping from the boat on board one
of the splendid large steamers of the
Richeieu and Ontario Navigation Com
pany's line, they were off for Quebec
about O'Clock, and when the receding
view OF the city and its busy harbOr
had been sufficiently enjoyed, an excel
lent supper WAS partaken and the even
ing was spent in the spacious cabin.
A large excursion party from Detroit
added to the evening gathering by
dancing.
Daylight dawned before Quebec was
reached, and from the decks a fine
view was had of the bluffs and shores,
which had lost the monotony of those
higher mp and were found interesting
at every stage of progress. Special
carriages met the party at the wharf,
by appointment, and a short ride up
the narrow, winding activities of the
ancient capital gave most of the party
their first realization of the 18th centu-
~ as preserved in mural monuments
all over Europe but no where else in
America north of the Spanish posses
siOns.
The company sojourned at st. Louis
hotel-the largest and best in the city.
1t is very well kept, by the owner, Mr..
William Russell, a native of MOntpel-
Ter, and his head clerk, Mr.. F. McCaf-
frey, knows how to keep hotel to the
satisfaction of its patrons. Through
his kindness, the entire party received
a handsomely inscribed invitation from
the Harbor Commissioners, to go on a
ferry boat to the new stone wharf that
is being erected in the harbor, to wit
ness the ceremony of placing a massive
granite tablet in the upper tier of ma
sonry, by Her Royal Highness, the
Princess Louise. This was, as the card
read, Sin commemOration of the gra-
cious permission of H. R. H., to allow
the Quebec Harbor Works to be named
after Her Royal Highness,n and the
was gaily decorated and the entire
scene and ceremony was of the most
beautiful and interesting character.
The VermOnters were fortunate in hav-
ing good positions and in getting near
views of the Princess, the Governor
General and of the prominent Cana
dians with them, and were unanimous
in their encomiums. The rest of the
day was spent in riding and walking
about the town, inspecting the Wolfe
and MOntcalm monument, the Dufferin
terrace, one of the finest promenades
in the world, the old walls of the city,
the citadel, magnificent fortress of
masonry and earth, browning a ledge
365 feet above the river, the Plains of
Abraham, Spencer Wood, where the
Lieutenant Governor of the province
resides, st. ROches suburb, the beau
tiful valley of St. Charles, the old Bat
tery, the Cathedrals, the Seminary
Chapel, and it's elegant paintings, the
commercial houses, and some of the
private residences, few of which are
more than 200 years old. Really, Que
bee is wondrOusly clean, quaint, sight
ly, beautiful town, with views of rivers,
plains and mountains that few other
cities in the world can equal with OBJ
jects of historical interest that will re-
pay pilgrimage.
Had it not been for so much politics
at home-a thing which tasks and taxes
editors most and benefits them least
arrangements would have been made
with Mr.. R. M. Stocking, of the Quebec
Steamboat Company, for the grand ex-
curslon of Canada, that is, the far
famed Saguenay, but as it takes three
days, all were obliged to forego it this
time. If any other excursionists, how
ever, wish for most delightful sea-
voyage, inland, they should not fail to
communicate with him.
The return to Montreal last night
was without incident, save many social
delights, and this morning the company
separated, the major part going over
the Southeastern and Passumpsic, and |
the others coming over the Grand |
Trunk and Central Vermont. The
officers of the latter had afforded every |
facility, as they do to all excursionists, !