Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-09-02
LETTER FROM MONTREAL.
The Scientists in CoanciI-A City of Churches
sights and Experiences in Canada.
Special Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR

Special Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR.
MONTREAL, August %. 1882
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Being moyed with a desire TO walk among the
lions OF science to hear the mighty animals roar
and to study their habits and peculiarties when
thrown together, as it were, In a huge menagerie
they each sport in a suitable environment, pro-
yfded In miniature for them, we found ourselves in
Montreal-a city OF churches and garlic Our first
impressions were from the lofty windows OF
large hotel, where through the smoke and dust
we looked down on massive walls and dirty
street, the latter thronged with all Of two
wheeled one-horSe vehicles while street cars, with
passengers on the roof as well as inside, slowly
passed through the crowd.
Dust flies everywhere I'm Montreal, and all build
lngS soon assume grmy, dtngy appearance, such
as may be seen In the Old part of our Treasury de-
partment in Washington. In the dining hall OF
the hotel the waiter gives vicious fling with a
dust cloth, or perhaps towel for drying the
Dishes obsequlously pulls out your chair, and then
VIGOROUSLY pushes 1t against your limbs, so that
little OF the hotel almost living In the streets and
at McGill college The city OF Montreal is built,
as is well known on a series OF terraces, and back
the city gets its name. 4 beautiful wooded back
ground 1t forms, throwing out the red and gray
| trap rock, having been forced through the lime
stone formation which is the prevailing charac ter
| VI lux ia tnlS SecIlOn.
SCRAP OF DOUBTFUL HISTORY.
| 1t Is said that when Jacques Cartier visited the
country he was led by Indian chief to the top OF
| the mountain, and shown town known by the
| name OF Hochelaga which was surrounded by
fields OF grain, and the Inhabitants evnced COM
paratlve degree OF civilization, But sixty years
later, When Champlain visited this place. after
rounding quebec, he found the town was gone, and
| put two aged Indians left to conduct him TO the
summit OF the hil and relate the sad story OF the
! rum OF their Tribe. Need / say there was
| WOMAN IN THE CASE?
lovely black-eyed damSel OF the Senecas loved
by an eagle-plumed youth. But the stern old Sem
eca chfeftafn declined the honor for his son. and
the maid, I'm dire wrath, vowed that she would wed
only the man who would Kill the unappreciative
| father OF her love. A Huron gained, by q bloody
hand, the person OF this yndictive LADY, and there
by brought on a war between the Hurons and Sem
ecas, which ended, eventually. In the former tribe
being almost exterminated And so we find that
| Montreal, too, rests stored ground, and had
TOO, Its "dark-skinned Canadian Helen"
| CATHOLICS AND CHURCHES.
| The city was founded by devout Roman Catho-
| lcs whose religious fervor may be seen In the
original name of the city, Vile Marie. Need we
wonder then, that out OF I40747 Inhabitants,
! l03,519 are Roman Catholics? And that brings us
| TO remark made by Mark Twain, that here one
could not throw brickbat without breaking a
church window. The churches are large and hand
some, ana constitute one OF the most marked feat
ureS or the city.
Everyone mas TeaQ descriptions or the parish
church or Notre Dame. OF its plain Gothic state-
ness its excess Of gorgeous interior coloring and
decoration, and its massive bell, said to be ex-
ceeded In its huge proportions only by the new
| bell prepared for St Paul's cathedral London.
The view from the tower is very fine, showing the
many-spired city, Mount Royal. and the noble st.
One of the most striking churches here is the
| Notre Dame de Lourdes. The architecture is Byz-
ant1ne and Renaissance, such as may be seen at
| Venice, and entering you almost hold your
breath, Tor, Immediately above the altar catching
the Virgin, an exqufsttely graceful figure standing
on clouds, with an expression OF divine rapture on
| the face: concealed lamp sheds over her and
the clouds a rosy hue, impartng soft voluptuou5
| impression impossible TO describe. The prevailing
tints OF the walls are blue and gray and the whole
effect is, at first nconceivably light and graceful
Most OF the work is symbolic and TO RoSicrncisn
| the meaning Is clear.
The church of st. James pleased me perhaps
most OF all saw. 1t is Gothic, and reminds one
| OF European cathedral with its massive pillars
and arched roof; its long-drawn aises and general
ar OF grandeur and Solidity You cannot come
churches, for tt is city OF churches At the inter-
section Of two streets we found three OF these
| One would not expect to find few wicked per-
sons who keep their shops open on Sunday and
yend their goods to those lost souls who loose their
purse strings on the Sabbath day. yet such Is the
| case, even in this God-fearing city.
THE SCIENTISTS.
| The meetings OF the association for the advance
ment OF science have been interesting indeed and
| well attended by scientific men, and though Her.
| bert Spencer has not appeared, and keeps the
society on the qui vive as to whether he will ap-
| pear or not, we have many distinguished men
| from different parts of the world gathered here
j. W. Chickering, Prof. and Mrs. Seaman, Prof
Riley, DR.. E. b. Elliott, Profs. Ward and Eastman
and many others. In fact the capital is well rep
| The attentions paid to the association has been
most fattering and French and English seem to
| vie with each other to do honor to their guests
| The little badge worn by the members proves an
open sesame to much that is agreeable and desir-
able. All places are opened for courteous inspec-
! ton, with en- open hearted frankness, that nils
| the recipient OF this generous hospitality with a
| desire to recprocate the attentions received on
venture to hope that this day may not be far dis
| tant.
The reception given on the occasion Of the open.
PETER REDPATH MUSEUM
by President and Mrs. Dorsey, was also considered
reception to the association. The building was
| brilliantly Illuminated. The ceiling of the main
| hall has row Of gas Jets around 1t, and these
with side lights, produced dazzling effect The
light Shone On cases containing beautiful specf-
! mems OF coral, strange insects on all manner OF
crawling and creeping animals minerals, and
to be displayed In silent edmonton to enjoy the
| present while we grasp II. And among these
lights and speeches. voices that cried out strange
histories strange warnings, and stranger glimpses
| OF a something OF which none have caught but
| the echo, moved the strangest beings OF all-the
common object removing much Of the restraint
| OF conventional society.
1t was my good fortune during the evening TO
make the acquaintance OF Mrs Taylor, sister OF
Peter Redpath, and found her an agreeable and
intelligent lady. The museum Is valued at
$1O0,OOO and McGil college is deeply indebted 70
Mr. Redpath for his generous gift
THE EXCURSION no QUEBEC
was an af1air that no member OF the association
will ever forget The steamer CANADA was sent
for us, and after nights journey down the St
Lawrence we saw the citadel OF Quebec looming
above us. The river extends in and partly en-
closes the city, and back OF the green lawn-like
banks lay the low haZe-covsred hills. When the
boat arrived at the wharf we were welcomed by
the mayor OF the city, and by him conducted TO
Duner1n Terrace and thence TO the citadel; there
obtained the finest view IL has ever been my
fortune to see. Below us, down jagged rocks, We
looked at the quaint old town, nestled at the
base OF the declivity with the St Lawrence having
It's feet. From the battlements we saw, too the
ravine that Wolfe came up when he scaled the
Heights OF Abraham, and the armies met on the
Plains. In the walls OF the fort are rooms for
| soldiers, and we examined that OF a sergeant,
whose wife was very courteous and showed us
through We spoke OF the cold season, and she
said the winter was delightful, but when we
asked about the depth OF the snow we were petri.
| fed to hear her say that sometimes her husband
had to go out OF the top OF their door, and can
aver that it was quite lofty, with an arched tram