The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-24
Some Facts Hbodt
ANCIENT Quebec
Famous in History and Interesting in
Its Natural Environment.
EARLY SETTLERS STRUGGLES
Quaint Old Streets That Recall Memories
Of a Bloody Pioneer Time-An Odd
but Characteristic Method
of Transportation.
n,,nhen Oct 20

but Characteristic Method
of Transportation.
Quebec, Oct 80.
Every American should visit this old
and picturesque city; though quaint In
every aspect, it is the most interesting
of all the cities of the new world. 1t is
called the Gibraltar of America" the
Sentinel City of the st. Lawrence
Its grim citadel and strong fortiflcatlons
have truly earned for it these titles. 1t
guards the entrance of the great In
land waters of the continent-our great
American lakes-and is the stronghold
of British power in America.
There is no spot on this western
hemisphere richer in historic treasure,
or more lavishly endowed by nature In
the beauty, grandeur and splendor Of
its surroundings than the quaint old
walled City Of Quebec. Every foot of
land here is historic-the very air
breathes of deeds ofvalor, which the now
peaceful aspect and business hum and
hustle of the city fail to remove. Que
bee has seen more war probably, than
any other one place on this continent,
up to the time of the great rebellion Of
the Southern states. Deeds of heroism,
of religious fervor, of obstinate defense
are her pride and glory, A brief his
tory of it's founding, it's settlement, its
environs, it's fortresses, its wars, its
commanding views, its churches, con-
vents, colleges and "habitants," may be
| of interest.
| Its Early History.
1t is S59 years (September, 1880, since
Jacques Cartier, the first European
who sailed up the ST. Lawrence, an
chored off what was then an Indian vii
lage (Stadacona) and in the name of the
| King Of France, claimed this entire
territory for his sovereign. His three
small vessels--the Grande Hermine, l2O
tons; the Petite Hermine, 60 tons; the
Emerillon, 40 tons,--a total of 22O tons
burden, formed his flotilla, a strong
fleet then, but how Insignificant In COM
parison to the English Leviathan, the
Great Eastern of %, 500 tons visiting
here in 1S60--or Her Majesty's cruiser
Blake, now lying at anchor off Point
Lewis, in Quebec's commodious harbor
This was the first wave Of foreign in
vasion into the Indian wigwams of the
Iroquois, or Huron tribe, which occu,
pied the plateau on which Quebec now
stands. Here Cartier spent the winter
at the base of these cliffs and soon af
ter French fur companies established
headquarters for trading. But it was
the dauntess and venerated leader
Samuel de Champlain, equally famou!
as an exporer, discoverer and geog
rapher who in July 3, 1905, with his little
but hardy band of Norman artificers
soldiers and farmers, amidst the oal
and maple groves of the lower town
laid the corner stone of the "Abitatiol
de Quebec" and founded the "Fortres
City"
The French the English, The Ameri
can, and the aboriginal Indian have al
played their parts in the stirring drami
whose scenes were laid around thi
fortress crowned rock" The first cen
tury and a half Q6OS-1759 was unde
French rule, the final struggle for Can
ada, between the French and English
which closed Sept. lS, 1859, on tn
heights Of Abraham, (where stood tn
writer) q little beyond the st. Loui
Gate, and where Wolf fell victorious
saw the end of France in the northern
half of the continent, and commences
the English regime, which has resulte,
in the self-governing liberty which Can
ada now enjoys.
Its Unique Location.
Quebec occupies a position natural,
created for the site of a great city
Even the Indians seemed to appreciat
is advantages centuries ago, long be
fore the era Of civilization. The city /
unique.-a walled fortress of unrivalle
strength and Of magnificent situation
1t is perched on high terraced bluff
or rocky promonotory, at the confluenc
Of the st. Lawrence and st. Charlie
rvers, called Cape Diamond, so calle
from the glittering crystals found on it
summit, the rock being of dark slate
in which are limpid quartz crystals.
On its highest point is the Citadel
about $50 feet nearly perpendicula
above the St. Lawrence river,-sa
some fifty feet higher than Irving Cliff
Honesdale. From this bluff is length
ened stretch of elevated table land.
stretching to the southwest. Every
where around are battlements, fort
ressses, castles, converts, monasterie
and towering walls.
This old fortress city, covering bot
; the base and summit of this lofty cral
or precipitous promonotory, is built
the form of a triangle, bounded by tn
two rivers, and the plains of Abrs
ham" Nature no less than art has d
vided the city into an Upper Town an
t Lower Town-Athe latter ON its easter
front being wedged between the bas
of the cliffs and the st. Lawrence rive
On the west 1t is flanked by thevalle
and river st. Charles, which forms
junction here, making q commodiou
harbor capable of receiving the larges
> fleets of the world. The city has rool
for expansion only to the southwes
ward. across the historic plains {
Abraham"
= Superior Water Front.
A wide range of .wharyes juts oil
from its water front and furnishes an
pie accommodation for its large shiI
ping trade. The Lower Town is give
I up chiefly to trade and commerce, an
since our first visit here In 1884, we fin
: 1t has intruded into the upper tow
where are the better class of stores, 9
we'll as residences; but owing to tn
more progressive British and America