The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-02-13
The Montreal Carnival.

The Greeks had their Olympic games, the
ancient Romans their Saturnalia and Bacchan-
ALA, and the northern peoples Of the middle
ages their sports aud festive occasions. This
rude ancestry has had numerous descent
It survives In the carnival OF modern Rome
and other cities OF southern Europe. The
merry reves Of Venice have given to music
the name of a bewitching and enduring opera
The Italian carnival has not flourished among
matter-of-fact Americans. The Fourth OF July
Is a Saturnaia Of noise, pyrotechnics and
scintilatiug oratory, but 1t can hardly be
claimed to be direct descendant OF the Euro
pean stock. 1t has only adopted some OF the
less amiable characteristics Of the latter. In
the Mardi Gras of New Orleans Is found one OF
the very few instances In which the carnival
has taken deep root in American soil, and
achieved worldwide distinction by the elab-
orateness and brilliancy of its annual displays.
These are alegorical, or antiquarian, or illus
trative Of medieval history. The entire city
fortifies itself on this occasion for the de-
privations Of Lent by joining for days in
rounds lbs OF pleasures Fsgs Montreal
les ambitious Of distinction by the extent and
magnifcence of their winter festivals, and,
like the Aurora which waves its mysterious
pennons above her horizon, she has fixed The
wondering gaze OF the world. Winter carnivals
have been 80 long associated with sunny skies
and gentle climates, that the idea OF a week of
public displays and general out-of-door merry
making In region In which Boreas Is sover-
eign, excited universal interest from Its sheer
| audacity. New Orleans and Montreal are at
the antipodes, geographically. and the material
| and methods OF the two cities for arranging a
| gala week differ no less widely. There Is
nothing effemnate or enervating in the amuse-
ments and public professions OF the arctic carni-
| val They are as stalwart as snow and ice can
| make them. Come the wild weather, come sleet
| or come snow" the Montreal bellies and beaus
| are as eager for the occasion as IL the sunny
| skies and the balmy air OF Italy were above
| a. Il .s..AAw -
| val in this high northern latitude was first
preached at the annual dinner Of the Montreal
snow-shoe club, in 1882, by Mr.. Robert D.
McGibbon, the present vice chairman OF the
| executive committee. The winter sports of
Canada's metropolis, snow-shoeing, curling,
tobogganing, hockey skating and driving were
suggested as the basis OF grand display.
These sports have long been cultivated by the
Montreaers, and as the city has increased in
population, numerous organizations have been
| formed with picturesque and distinguishing
regalia, for enjoying the glories and reliev-
| ing the tedium of a Canadian winter.
| These clubs have membership OF many
| thousand, and the ladies emulate the gen.
tlemen in the zest and ardor with which,
| side by side with brothers, sweethearts and
husbands, they engage in the invigorating pleas.
ures. With these associated sports, eked out
| by public parades, races, matches, balls, torch
| light professions, fireworks, masquerades and
an ice palace, it was proposed to employ the
q
tractive entertainments and exciting amuse-
ments The idea was elaborated and worked
out, and year ago Montreal invited the world
to come and see how her sons and daughters
| enjoy their winters, and to participate in their
frosty festivities. 1t was an immense success
Montreaers use the snow for driving and to-
| bogganing, and the ice that seals their great
river for curling, for skating and for palaces
but none OF the frosty element chills their
hearts. They gave open-handed welcome to
| THAR yiaitora and ahOwprod hoanitQhl pOurta-
| sizes upon them.
Encouraged by the large attendance and ap-
preciative comment, especially of Americans
and the American press, upon the carnival OF
| 1883, Montreal prepared to Guido her maiden
effort in 1884 For every day and evening of
the week beginning February 4, an elaborate
programme was arranged and an ice palace, in
comparison with which the edifce of last win
ter was like the work of an amateur, was
| planned and successfully reared. Ten thou
sand blocks of ice, " chaste as the iccle that's
curded from the purest snow" were taken from
the st. Lawrence's frozen quarries and CO.
mented by the north winds masonry" were
built into the form of medieval castle one
hundred and sixty feet in length, with a GEN.
trail tower eighty feet in hight, protected by
castellated battlements and fanked by minor
towers pierced with windows and embrasures.
A thing of beauty by day, at night, under the
strong glare of the electric light, its clear crys-
tai cubes glisten like gems OF purest ray.
A half dozen toboggan slides, score or more
OF skating rinks Kinks for hockey tournaments
and curling bonspiels, snow-shoe races and
races at the driving parks, were among the
preparations which had been completed on
Monday for the entertainment OF expected WIS.,
itors. This was no case of "great expecta-
tions" disappointed Visitors came by sue
cessive train loads from all points OF the
compass, and Monday afternoon the streets of
the city were packed to witness the reception
of Lord and Lady Lapsdowne. The great event
| nj the dav the of the nrDpassiOD
under the evergreen arch which spanned the
street near Victoria square The arch was
mounted by one hundred and fifty blanket
costumed snow-shoers, arranged to form St.
Andrews Cross below and a beehive above.
On either side was star of snow-shoes and
above the arch was pretty arrangement of
tobUggans bearing the motto OF the Lansdowne
coat of arms. AS the distinguished guests Of
the city neared the arch the snow-shoers sang
the national airs, but the music was drowned
in the shouts OF the multitude which were
jammed In the streets below. On Tuesday
there was round of games and amusements
at all the Kinks and Slides trotting races, snow
shoe races, and grand opening and illumina-
ton Of the grounds Of the Tuque Bleue to-
boggau club. Wednesday was the day OF
grand spectacles The devotees of curling
looked on with absorbing interest at the " bon.
spiel" or matched-game, which was going on
in the government four-sheds. Others were
attracted by the hockey tournament on the
open air rink in the McGill college grounds, or
by the fine skating and promenade concert at
Victoria rink The event of the day was the
grand seighng parade, which wound its way
out of Dominion square and threaded the prin-
cipal streets of the city. Thousands of sleghnP
turnouts of every conceivable description, and
many of rare novelty-four in hands, pairs, tan
dems and singes-made up the motley array
, A tobogganing masquerade at the slide of the
Lansdowne club closed the daylight sports. Al
early evening Dominion square was the point
! at which popular interest conferred. In and
around its ten acres of ground, one hundred
thousand spectators and more gathered to wit
ness pyrotechnc attack and defense Of the
ice palace. At eight O'Clock, its translucent
walls and towers, glowing with red, white, blut
, and green lights, an army of costumed snow
shoers, bearing torches, environed the fortress
and opened upon it concentrated fire o
bombs, rockets and Roman candles. "Fron
, turret to foundation stone," from windows
embrasures, loop-holes and battements, tn,
crystal fabric blazed with every screaming
kissing, decorating and illuminating device
known to pyrotechnic art For nearly an hou
there was q wildly realistic picture of 7" thu
rockets red glare and the bombs bursting il
air " of an actual attack and defense. Sucl
conditions for a magnificent spectacular dis
play could occur only at a similar place an(
time. The icy object OF mimic strife, the clea
, frosty air and the cleaning SHOWS, presented
: combination for vivid contrasts and brillian
effects that other seasons and surroundings d.
= not afford. After final blaze Of explosv,