The Somerset reporter., 1885-03-04
Montreal in Winter.
THE GREAT CARNIVAL-THE ICE LION
TOBAGGANSISG.

newspaper correspondent WHO has
been al Montreal this week writes as fol
lows:
The carnival has created this year lit
lie less excitement than il did when it
was novelty but this festival is better
both in details and in general organization
than the early attempt. were. The ice
palace is finer. New features have been
added To the programme, AMI the knowing
ones who have come and are now arriving
in great numbers find them selves well paid
for sustaining their interest after he irst
tiu>h of novelty has been worn off The
weather is ighttul-c!ear, cold and still,
aud although the snow is not ~ deep as it
usually Is At this season, there j. enou.h of
it for all practical purposes.
Montreal has very different aspect 10
winter from that which the tourist knows
by his summer visits. In stroll along
the wharyes this morning, | missed the
ocean steamers, the quaint ''piuplats" and
other inland craft, aud the groups of trav-
eilers hurrying to the Quebec boats. The
river is now q waste of arctic snow and
rou III ice. and the breeze sweeping over 1t
at a temperature of ii degrees below Zelo
gave me but little inclination to loiter on
the way. The pla'n Of ice was covered in
TWO places by white msts rising in many
fantastic forms where the rapids still re
fuse to be bound ID letters of ice: roads
leading across the plain were marked by
rows oil bushes; lines Of farmers, >leds
loaded with hay, straw and grain wound
along this bleeS route, and cabin here
ana there offered refie -hments in the midst
of the desert, or sheltered mrn fishing
through the ice. Men and horses worked
a, the ice harvest along the wharves aud
over the plain, the forest covered island of
Ct UsI.. ha ba
off mountains there fell a bountiiul food
of clear, pale, sparkling winter sunshine.
The street along the river with its flags,
roofs, spires, and smoking chimneys, was
u lively front or shore of civilization facing
This arctic wilderness. In the Bousecuurs
market place, Tue quaint, palrisrchal in
habitants, oartering with the citizens, were
done up in all manner of homesrun caps.
cluaks and leggings, and their sleds We're
Tiled with all manner Of wares-turkeys,
socks, butter, fipzen pigs, homespun linen
and ANXIOUS housewives moved home
ward with laden baskets, to satisfy che
keen appet:es found in this northern air.
The streets We're alive With varied
ihrongs; visitors from more southern re-
giuus, easily rocogniz d by their high hats
and earmutf~, and inadequate clothing; the
comfortable Canadians, so we'll enca~ed in
furs as to look like walking bears the
scuffisng hackman, in long buffalo coats
and sashes about the waists; ladies gsuc-
ing shyly out of an ambush of otter and
seal and beaver wraps the snowshoers, in
their bright flannel suits-a tuque and taS-
sci, short C ats with capuchin no d, sash
long hose and moccasins; the cosey earl
oes, the larger sleighs, the four iu-hands.
all tiled with furs and ruddy faced visitors
watching the sights of the streets as they
skim along, the horses all slvercd over
with fine irostwork, and the men, often on
a run, throwing salu ations upon the cold
air. The city seems full OF gaiety bright
eyes and ruddy cheeks.
The evening scenes were more rare and
poetic than the views bp glitteriug sun
shine. The electric light, with Its pure,
cold white rapS, seems to be the fitting
spiri, for palaces and statuary of ice. Que
OF the novelties of this carnival is the
mammoth lou of ice The tropic emblem
of the British empire seems to be out Of
place in an s,ciic Temperature and made
| OF this transient material. The entire
monument with its pedestal of ice NAV he
thirty feet high. II WAS hastily modelled
, by French Canadian sculptor; and the
! difficulty Of working out Of doors at such