Mower County transcript., 1900-09-05
CANADA'S CITADEL.
A Delightful Day Spent at Quebec,
the Gibraltar of the Dominion
of Canada.

tIedl, Lne minnesota editors TOOK their
special train about midnight and
were taken to Port Lewis, directly
opposite Quebec, over the Grand
Trunk line. The road crosses the St.
Lawrence at Montreal over the splen-
did Victoria bridge and runs south Of
the river all the way to Port Lewis.
August 2lst we were ferried across to
Quebec. The first view OF the walled
city will never be forgotten. The
morning sun gilded the steep cliffs,
the palatial chateau Frontenac. the
citadel crowning the bluffs and the
plains OF A braham stretching away in
the distance. As we neared the his
toric city we could see many marks of
age in the great storage buildings
along the wharves and in the styles of
architecture which were of other
days.
This walled city of the north is a
storehouse of American history.
Around its old churches, Notifications
and other monuments of the past,
cluster stock Of historic associa tions
that are of intense interest and the
visitor who studies the surroundings
may we'll appreciate Beecner's des-
cription Of this city as "a small bit of
medieval Europe perched upon rock
and dried for keeping" Away back
IN 1886, Jacques Cartier, who sailed
from France under a commission
from Francis / to discover new way
to the Indies, sailed up this magnifi-
cent river and found an Indian village
here called Stadacona. He was the
first discoverer of Canada and win
tered here. 1t was not until 1908
however that Samuel de Champlain
planted the white flag Of France on
the heights of Quebec and became the
real founder OF New France. He es-
tablished fort and trading post here.
The English were desirous Of this ter:
ritory and made several attempts to
take it but Quebec continued the
centre of French trade and civiliza-
tion as we'll as of Roman Catholic
missions In North America until in
1850 the English under Gen. Wolfe
gained q footing on the Heights of
Abraham west Of the city and won a
victory although Gen. Montcalm the
French commander and Gen. Wolfe
both fell mortally wounded, and in
the following year Montreal and all
the posts in Canada were surrendered
to the English. On the night of Dec.
81, 1775, the American general, Mont
gomery, mace an unsuccessful assault
upon Quebec by climbing up the pre-
cipitous cliffs opposite the river, but
he was slain and his forces repulsed.
We saw the spot where he fell, marked
by slab.
1t remained the chief city Of Canada
until the British settlements in the
west were erected into separate pro.
vinces, when it became the capital of
Canada east, now forming the pro-
vince of Quebec in the dominion Of
Canada. 1t has a population Of 75,
600, 10000 Of whom are French. W.
breakfasted at the Chateau Fronte
nae. magnificent hosLelry, opened in
1893. 1t stands upon the very margin
Of the world-renowned Dufferin ter
race, overlooking panorama Of river
mountain, island, fortress and forest
that is superb. The terrace is 50(
yards long and 100 feet above the St.
Lawrence, Immediately below. The
chateau is seven sided with an ample
interior court and is prominent in al
pictures Of the city. We took a ride
around the city and it would take tot
long an article to tell all that we saw
We visited the cid French part Of tht
city, the beautiful Victoria park, ont
of the best fur stores In North Amer
lea, where We saw furs Of remarkable
flneness and price, the old marke,
places, the narrow streets, the old city
gates. (or rather where they used tt
be), the monuments, the pu bic build
inHs, the wharves and the citadel
We took q caleche. one Of those
unique French chaises, drawn by one
horse in stout shafts, two wheeled
and the body rocking on two grea,
straps, up to the citadel, through q
maze of Notifications and through a
real chain gate. A soldier took Us
through the fort, showing the differ.
ent guns and ammunition, especially
a little cannon said TO have been taken
from the Yankees at Bunker hill. the
different buildings, aud finally lead
us to the Kings Bastion, the highest
part, from which gun is fired at
noon and at night. The view is
grand. We spent an hour in the IA
nous Basilics, first opened in 1857
and never since closed except for re-
pairs necessitated By the disastrous