Evening star., 1898-08-06


perate and honest In long acquaintance
with them, have yet to hear one curse
and yet to see one angry. They know all
the favorite fishing holes but keep them a
great secret unless regularly employed
Then they give you good sporS 1t is said
OF them. and JUSTIFY too, that nowhere in
the world can you find better cooks. When
trip is outlined the boatman Qf you live
at the hoteD takes the blank order fur
nished by the house and indicates what
raw material he wants for dinner. This
Is all packed in a big basket, and when
you arrive at the wharf everything is
ready. The lazy man finds this just to his
liking. No worrying about rods and hooks;
no thought of bait and the trouble of keep
Ing them alive. The boatman does all this,
and goes farther. , He catches the fish for
you if you want to sleep and, if novice,
1nstructs you carefully in all the tricks of
the trade. They are all expert fishermen,
and have seen them land the largest fish
with the ughtest fly rods. The fishermen
here do not depend much upon the fly. In
the fall they use them to some extent for
bass The trolling spoon and live sinner
are the principal bats used. and the good
results fully warrant their choice. jshing
trips usually start Immediately after an
early breakfast and end when 1t gets too
dark to fish. When dinner time comes
around the boatnan usually selects 4 nice,
shady spot on some island not inhabited
ana there, with primitive stove and crane
gets up dinner which you declare never
was equaled. Flapjacks are their specially,
water they can produce morsel fit for
the gods Their terms are moderate, So per
day being the usual tax. But this includes
everything, even to several good stories,
and they have an abundance always on tap
The Thousand Islands are quite accessi-
Bile. From New York 1t is only twelve
hours run. and that through the pic.ur-
esque Catskills and the land of Hendrick
Hudson. If one prefers it, a steamb3 3at
runs from New York to Albany, and here
a change to the railroad is easily n ade.
Many visitors from the west visit the lsi-
andS. They come through the great lakes
ana make the islands a stopping place on
their way to Montreal or Quebec.
There Is no end of amusement at the ISL
ands. Visiting musicians and travelling
vaudeville companies come every week or
SO, All of the hotels give hops and there
are several swell germans during the sea-
son. Then there are yacht races, SWIM
ming matches and other aquatic sports.
Religion In the Islands.
While there are churches of all denomi-
hations among the Thousand Islands, the
development of summer religious resorts
found place here. The Methodists in
1874 founded such a resort on Wellesley
Island and christened it Thousand Island
Park. This was mainly due to the efforts
OF Rev j. +. Dayan and exceeded his fond
est expectations. Methodist families from
all over the country took the idea UP and
today there is a large colony located there.
The management of the place, however,
formerly governed the resort with such
strict hand that many of its improvements
were retarded A more liberal policy, how
ever, exists there now, although there are
exactions. No steamboat is permitted to
land there on Sunday, and the day is rigid
ly observed is one of rest and religious OBJ
serVance. There are innumerable cottages
on the park and a fine hotel. The park is
thoroughly up to date from hygienic stand
points, and contains a well-regulated sys-
tenn OF water works and drainage. The
park boasts tabernacle, and here may be
heard the most eloquent preachers and ora
tors of the day.
At the other end of the island (and this
Wensley Island is eight miles long, is To-
Gated the Presbyterian settlement, known
as Westminster Park. The same spirit
which characterized the building of Thous-
and Island Park appears to have been
lacking, for it does not boast of a taber-
nacle. and there few restrictions as to
the Sabbath. Westminster Island, how
ever, Is Tar ahead of its Methodist rival,
ana many visitors to the river claim it is
the most adVantageously situated of any
OF the islands. 1t is situated just opposite
Alexandria Bay, ard is protected from the
high winds by intervening islands. 1t is
also in sight of all the beautiful islands,
and near the best fishing ground. One bank
is the boundary of the Lake of the Isles,
beautiful stretch of water with pictur-
esQue islands, while just a stones throw
from one part is Canada. In a boat ride
from Westminster through the Lake of the
Isles, you enter the Rift, bubbing con-
nection between the American and the
Canadian channels On each side it Is
densely wooded, and leads into the famous
Lest Channel, said to be the most beautiful
feature of the islands. The Lost Channel
was discovered by some French explorers
in campaign against the Indians 1t fol-
lows a snake-like course for several miles
at varying depth. finally becoming lost
among the many islands.
The United States is very lax in it's Gus,
tom laws in this region, and thousands of
dollars worth of goods are daily SNUG
g!ed across the river. With only one or two
custom officers for period of several
miles, 1t can be readily understood how
easily this can be accomplished. In many
places 1t Is only a step from Canada into
the United States. A smuggler could easily
take his goods across the boundary in the
night. and then, packing them in his trunk
States without even the chance Of tnspec-
tcn. Many Cinnamon are brought into the
country in this way, and when once they
land it is difficult to pick out the new
ones Several years ago a man was caught
with over 100000 worth of opium which
he mad smugged in. French brandy and
other imported liquors are regularly SNUG
sied across the river by visitors They
think 1t a good joke on Uncle Sam The
greatest amount of smuggling among the
visitors, however, is in furs and Woolen
goods. Our English cousins can afford to
sell these cheaper than we can produce
them, and it is not an infreQuent sight TO
see a man bringing with him several suits
of clothes after a visit to the other side
Yesterday / visited Staye Island tho