Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1897-08-19

ment that they are the most beautiful
gems that sparkle IN the crown of
Americas geography. In summer
these islands are made the play
ground and trysting place Of New
Nork's wealthy society people.
Handsomely unique summer cottages
and residences adorn these spots of
wooded green. Some of them are
miniature representations of the cas-
ties of Kilkenny and of the Rhine.
Here the cottager can engage in bath
ing, boating, fishing, trapping, and
hunting to his hearts content.
I have never craved TO be wealthy;
but as 1 beheld these islands, covered
with green, and shaded by the large,
cool, and inviting black maple and
chestnut, together with the cottage
and boat house by the rivers brink,
1 thought how delightful it would be
for one to come here in summer, if but
few weeks, and rest from the toll,
the care, the hustle, and worry of
the hot dusty town and city, breath
ing the while the pure ozone of the
heavens and feasting his eyes upon
the enrapturing beauties of the land
scape-the canvas of the Infinite
L dlulSls Dub d. GlOONA bLGtG
upon the PROV of the boat, charmed
and awe-struck by what L beheld, L
could not help thinking of the
thousands that toll to make the
wealth, which these islanders were
enjoying. L thought of the sweat
shops, the factories, and foundries
where cherries men and women
work in winter and summer, from
morning till late at night in the CRIME
and the dust, in the heat and the
cold, with but scant living for their
reward, let alone vacation or rest.
My thoughts were even turned to the
stokers down in the engine room of
our boat who were tOiling amid the
heat and SCOT, while we the passen-
gers above were enjoying the cool, re-
freshing breeZes and drinking in the
beauties of nature. 1, however, laid |
the fiatteIing JUNCTION to my con- !
science that il was only three months |
in the year that they had thus to |
work, because the greater part of the
year the river is not navigable by |
reason of the ice.
1 must not omit to say. that these
islands were the scene of several |
thrilling adventures during the days |
OF the Canadian rebellion The burn
ing of the "Sir Robert Peeln occurred |
here in 1885. The act was committed |
by a band of outlaws, headed by
"Bill Johnson" a kind OF political |
Robin Hood, who had conceived the
idea of comforting on Canada the boon
of freedom. The story of his devoted |
and daring daughter Kate" who
rowed him from hiding place, and
kept him supplied with food, gives
touch of the charm Of legend and adj
venture to these rocky maZes. 1t re-
quires several hours to pass through
these islands, the last of which are
the "Three Sisters" These are the
final pickets of the archipelago, and
passing these you leave the Mana
toana, the Garden of the Great
Spirit, as the Indians named the
Thousand Islands, finally behind.
Brockville and Prescott are the
next towns passed. Among the note
worthy places of interest of the latter
town, are Fort Wellington, named af-
ter the Iron Duke, the Tomb of Bar
bara Hack, one of the founders of
Methodism in America, at the little
blue church on the river bank, and
lut ldIQOuS Will llS
loop-holes peePing from its side.
During the rebellion of 1887 this
windmill was used as the stronghold
of the "Patriots" under the ill-fated
Van SchultZe. He with his desperate
men were forced to surrender after
several days defence and himself
with nine others were executed.
We had already had a foretaste of
the rapids" but now passing first
the "Gailopsn we entered upon the
Long Sault, with its snow-crested bill
lows Of raging water, the first of the
really remarkable rapids of the st.
Lawrence. Thence we pass through
in succession the Cedar, Coteau, Cas-
cade, Split-rock, and finally the cele
brated Lachine rapids. At Lachine
an Indian pilot gets aboard, whose
experience of many years, together
with his practiced eye and steady
nerve, enables him to steer the boat
down the steep Incline of the madly
river, and between the rock
and shoal called, the "Charybd is"
and "Scylla." shooting the rapids"
is an exciting experience. 1t is also
very dangerous, yet because of the
skilled and experienced helmsmen
employed by the Navigation Com
pany, no fatal accidents have ever oc-
CURED.
Immediately after passing the La
chine rapids, we reached Montreal,
our destination. More than one hun
dred delegates stopped at the same
hotel, the Balmoral. In the morning
we arranged to "see the sights" and
for that purpose ten carriages were
engaged. AS the long procession
started from in front of the hotel,
composed mostly of Texans, the shop
keepers and by-standers on the
streets gazed at US as if they had
never seen the like before. Space and
time admonishes me that cannot
undertake the task of telling yoIr
readers all we saw.
In the first place, may say Mon
treal is a French Catholic city, the
largest in the Dominion of Canada. The /
streets are not so clean as those of To-
ronto. Nor did we find that serupu-
lous regard for law and order here as
at the former place. Montreal re-
minded me more of New Orleans than !
any other city. 1t has its French |
quarter and its English quarter, just |
az New Orleans has its French and |
American quarters. Here is located |
the finest Catholic Church III the New |
World, as well as the largest hospitaL |