San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-10-29
THE THOUSAND ISLES.
PICTURES OF COTTAGE LIFE ON
THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

Visiting and Marketing In Dainty Slxihs-A
Religious Park Where the Laws Are
strict-Pretty Giimpses Of River Life.
Young Lovers.
Nowhere is life 30 unconventional, 80 COS
mopolitan, 80 picturesque, fresh and delight
fuI as in the pretty, quaint cottages which
crest the cliffs, crown the islands and line
the shores Of the ST. Lawrence from Clayton
to Alexandria bay. The inhabitants Of this
water girt city are birds Of passage that
come with the daisies and depart with the
golden rod, and hold continuous high carnival
and perpetual holiday. They perch their pic
turesque cottages on the craggiest OF crags,
chain them down to the rocks If need be,
hook OH to them tipsy little porticos and fly
away balconies all fringed with fretwork, as
a lady's kerchief Is borderod with lace, deco
rate them with all the brilliant hues known
to the painters craft, spell out the fantastic
names with which they are christened, "Neh
Mahbin," "Wawinet" "Sans Souci," Lin
lithgow, "Cloud Rest" and thousand more
on the bastions Of rock for the information
of every passing tourist, finging wide to the
wild breeze yards on yards OF bunting, array
themselves in the most picturesque Of apparel,
and troop down to meet every boat with a
kaleidoscope scene of brilliancy, illumine the
river at night for miles and miles with chains
of colored lights, and greet every passing
steamer with a wbiE of rockets and galaxy
of colored stars
COSTLY SUMMER VILLAS.
Near Alexandria bay, where the largest
and gayest hotels are located, clusters a con-
stellation Of costly summer villas, in beauty
Of architectural design, richness of adorn-
ment and elegance Of appointments equaling
the most luxurious Of modern residences
Their owners, people of wealth and social
eminence, have here constructed little city
Of their own, with all city's conveniences
and some Of its discomforts. Edgewood
Park, the most exclusive and conservative
resort on the river, the Hollywood of the St
Lawrence, is adjacent to the bay and
social center for tho islanders The mag
nificent club house blazes with beauty and
brilliancy every night, and is crowded with
pretty dancers The wealth and display of
equipage seen at some resorts is here re-
placed by the elegance Of river craft, the
daintiest skiffs, the swiftest sailing boats
and best appointed steam yachts. The peo-
Pile live, move and have their being, call,
shop, and entertain their friends in boats.
Whether they 60 to market or to q reception
ID is in the same floating vehicle, and all
goods purchased are delivered in skiffs.
Fancy your butcher coming up through the
sunset like Lohengrin without his swan, his
paddle cleaning like a slice cut from a rain
La,w Nd ~; rrlD ;4l, -;
descent light, to bring your chops for break
fUs. Picture your green grocer kneeling in
a canoe piled high with glowing green like
harvest god in festal barge, and your laun-
d-y2nan coming out Of the mist IN spectral
boat laden to tho guards with snowy linen
cleaning white in the cleaning.
The majority Of people who frequent this
resort are people Of moderate incomes, many
OF them from the small northern cities and
country villages in the vicinity of the river
They build unpretsntious, inexpenrive
wooden houses, paint them il gorgeous hues,
chrsten them with romantic titles, drape
them with bunting and decorate them with
colorei lamps The interior is usually fin
ished with pine in its natural state, carpeted
vita cheap, bright rugs, the walls festooned
With pretty dropping grasses, and bright
soft draperies and cushions OF scarlet Canton
hanael or felt, finish the coy little rooms
Threo or four hundred OF these pretty sum-
NOR houses limo the avenues of Thousand
Island park, which is a typical Methodist
p2rN, neat, clean, orderly and prosperous.
Tho code of laws Of this institution is more
rgIdly enforced than the articles of an inter-
pa:lona! treaty. The naughteSt slippered
foot dare not tread the measure of q waltz or
polka in the hotel parlors, and the merriest
" !naidens must remember the Sabbath
>,lT and keep it holy" The main articles of
socil diet here are religion, excursions and
Irritation. Piety is served up i'll all sorts of
Ways, with all kinds Of sauce and all manner
0: seasoning, with little entrees of missionary
WORK and relishes Of temperance.
EXCURSIONS WITHOUT NUMBER
Excursions srearranged to and from every
wharf on tho river, and at such aStonishingly
snail rates that it is prophesied another year
al people who 90 on an excursion viii re-
ccive a chrome or be presented with an
island. Lets get up an excursion to the
postoffice," shouted a pretty girl in a car
dinGl hat as tee mail steamer swung into
port, and away they luttRred, a dozen of the
brightest, plumpsst, girliest girls in their
brilliant dresses up the shady walk. The