The sun., 1884-02-17

Ssl,mp.es sf otd-yv.rsd C..t,nss I. shert Di.-
tancs Away-How an Almost Arctic Win
Ter 70 Yrsered-ruu-ras- ON Ruunvvs.

blONThBhD, FtD, ls--lb TS Sithl tnub ItVCk-
pool is hardly more un- American than Mon
treaI. Wherever a stranger frem the URited
atates turns his Dyes. no sees odd reminders
that ho is In foreign cnuhtry. Over oil and
above evcrythtna the consequences Of n friaid
winter obtrude Themselves upon tho eye. II q
Now Yorker will imng ino tho entire city. streets
roofs, and shods. alt covered with snow ~ deep
as 1t is sometimes ecen piied along tho New
York cutters after tho ono specially heavy sDow
storm OF each winter. ho will got IN idea how
Montreal looks out Of doors at loast nve months
in tho year. The cold W steady and intense.
II makes strangers head and feet ache. his
checks ungle. and his fingers all turn to
thumbs. yet 1t is so dry an atmosphere that
1bo below zero Is endarabls IL one In
clad for It. Dressing is the whole secret
OF lifo in Montreal. and the local costumes
are such as TO mako Now Yorker con-
scious that every ono knows he Ia q stranger.
In tho first place. he wears q eilk hat or Derby.
whereas everybody else has on a cap. eitherR
round fur cap or an Astrakhan. creased in the
top. The only variety In headgear Is the occa-
sional worsted tuque OF the Canadian peasant.
which Is simply long. big stocking ending in
a cord and ball. 1t is usually white or blue.
with gay border ON the bottom. This border
is rolled up above the forehcnd. the stocking
end falls jauntily over In . point. and tho cord
These tuaues arc worn with the blanket suits
OF tho snow shoers both by men and women.
They pull down over the cars. but are seldom
used in that way. Whom II Is very cold or
SHOWS hard the girls pub up the baglike hood
OF their blanket sacqucs. and thus doubly pro-
tect their heads.
Then. again. the Now Yorkers wear an over
coat OF cloth. and usually OF thinner mako
than the Montrealers'. Tho latter arc much
given to fur coats. and huge garments Of heavy
fur can be rented at 50 cents aday by strangers
nt any clothing store. Furs aro ns common in
Montreal M telegraph poles In New York.
There appear to be SO many that the people
don't know what to do with them. Conse-
quently the carter in q common hack sleigh
not only draws robe over his knees. but has
an extra ono dangling behind him from his
high perch. and his passenger, coddlcd UP in n
blanket. and with a big bear skin over that
knows that from behind his seat there floats in
the wind another robe of buffalo or bear or
other skins serving no purpose except that Of
an ornament.
But to get back to tho clothes The ono idea
Of the Canadian Is to keep of the cold. and the
first garment next to his or her skin is awoollen
shirt that positively feels as heavy as a blanket.
and much softer than any but the best blankets
| ono secs in the States. The drawers match tho
| shirt. and tho stockings are other Of wool or
| knit worstcd. Nobody ventures out without
either arctics. rubbers, or moccasins. because
| they have nnational proverb that cold foot
leads to the grave. They sell umbrellas in tho
| stores, but you never see ono carried In the
| streets. A man under an umbrella is considered
| proper subject for rdienle. With y fur cap. q
| fur or double cloth great coat. thick under
| clothes and rubbsr-coated feet. what can rain
or cold avail? A tumble out of sleigh or
1 A>h tnH t.tsrt bod. fNt. lac
| priests. the nuns. and the women and babies are
| clad In the same way.
| The city Ia practically all limestone. 1t Is q
city of fne buildings. You read the signs
| Second hand goods' or Rags and bottles on
| massive limestone house that looks like one
OF the old granite mansions near the Bowling
| Green This limestone not only gives the place
solid and grand appearance. but 1t suggests
age. and. indeed. there are whole streets full o
houses one hundred years old. besides the
many occasional structures that are almost
double that age. Tho public buildings are all
as fine as any in New York. and nearly all an
bigger than anything we have got except the
Post Office. Just as more than one-half the
population Is French. so the great mniort,
OF the street signs are French. The Frencl
seem to care very little about learning English
and tho English trampie over the French witt
their tongues and are content. in the grca
majority of cases not to speak it any better thar
will servo their purpose Of getting along; Th'
yah a Hna ss Sssh ese T. y
9fsI ottener ' heard than Ensilsh The French OK
Gle s.mppthy. Montreal was theirs hn'i orig
.hhe!;' they are enc crowded 3 TO one side They are IL
carriers, servants. small sh2Ghksepers h private
lions. The Post corner street !amp, bear
hG M4s B%r do @ f0s ore oqf cecbf 4s
shows her face on MI the walls over the word
Madame Pinkham., ~,
true windows. are set inside the emIrasures
The winter windows. each IN one sash ht nS 1Ht
keeps the cold out pretty elfectuatIy. but st9yc
!. in tho rooms are not deemed suiilclent. s Te
ara hotes Hs o = mans Il % fh
humbiest house has its double windows. m
ESs = pose the de Tsss e.y hss
: halls. all are doubIy glazed. Ono pane in eac
ss ssnitioa ono" s here Sp8 lhSre tho stran
ser sees pair Of sSnowshoes ,, crossed, Ian, an
ssshes: sssRs q sneSshoes h s are prst,y thins'
sna 9Sa Of 99S a anas ns; on anf hs Frame 0tS"
white wood and the bowl OF the spoon is COY
er.i with an ornam%nn, nsfw1rk OK "i hesr rbn gu
used by surveyors AFRO two foet wide. Til
!; wider they arS tho Tess they hey sink into loos 90
pair. Thoy are made by the indians. Eve
! now in the back country tho mails are deli,
! cred on them and village life depends upo
! them. Tho shoes are not put In tho city wir
: ,!ows for display or ornament. or. MS many SUI
puse, 10 show that Y si,owshoer lives witbii
,, They are put thore TO keen cool. and they ri
kent cool IN order that the gut network siia
! no. sag or slack.
EvcrythIng goes on runners. II strange
20 Canadian III, VIII simply imHgsiI si y
:, about on runners-the big, express wnl
ons. the mail wagons. the hacks. u
phaetons the littlo package hand carts, tn
baby carriages and tho hcarseE all rid I
/ wheels. and slipping ahead on bands Of pollshe
| steel-he will yet yet another idea OF tt
! stran.eness OF the sceno out OF doors. TIL
a hcaIses arc grand ssighs yi!h black bodies Y
= crystal sides, the roofs being most Ornate
: topped by black crowns, black carved torohe
/. horse car tracks nrS four feet ont Of sight. bo
!: sleiThs run over tho routes, and the conductor
:, in big fur coats. each present u leather teapo
g with slit whore the lid ought to bo. whom the
i collect their half dimes The steam fire, eI
" gines and tho hook and ladder trucks glide
thOir work on runners.