The Republican journal., 1900-09-20
DETROIT THE BEAUTIFUL.
A Trip to the U. X. X. p. Encampment
of 1900.

tuesday. ms was my 1lrSI experience
of lake travel. and | must say that
would never have known | was ON the
water except by looking over the rail,
it was so perfectly smooth: but | am
told that Lake Erie is not always so
tranquil, and that when it does get
angry. it is rougher than ocean travel
ling. The weather was simply perfect
throughout the whole convention; not
drop of rain fell, and the heat was
tempered by the lake breezes, and at
the time of the great parade the sky
was slightly overcast, which rendered
the long march more endurable.
Ourfrst objective point was the camp,
beautifully located along the boulevard
but at some distance from any street
car line. There were about twenty-five
hundred Knights i'll camp. Many of them
We're accompanied by ladies, and uni
formed bands were everywhere present.
My first thought was, are any of the
knights from Belfast here: but upon
inquiry at Encampment headquarters,
| learned that Their, were SO few from
Maine that they did not 60 into camp
but made their headquarters at the
Normandy hotel. Upon going there to
look at the register found that Belfast
was not represented Most of the visit
ing Maine knights We're from Portland
and Watervile.
The great event of Tuesday was the
parade. OF the | Informed Rank. About
$500 men We're i'll line, and made a
beautiful sight The line of march was
five miles long. and the parade was two
hours passing q given point. Tuesday
evening we went to the Detroit Opera
House. where Richard Golden played
cold Jed Prouty" under the auspices
of the L. Il. X. =. every evening during
the week | was particularly interest
ed III this. as Bucksport, the scene of
the play, is only a few miles from my
fathers home i'll Prospect. and all the
names We're as familiar us my own.
"Wednesday we devoted to sightseeing
and among other places seen was Belle
Isle park which l believe has the most
natural beauties of amy park i'll this
couutry. Belle Isle is an island contain
illl about zoe acres, and is connected
with Detroit ny bridge and by ferry.
Part oi it is stjll thicllly wooded, but
the side nealest the city is improved.
and is simply leautitul while every
want OF the siglt-seer OF picnicer is
carefully toreseen and provided for.
There IS a line zoe. and one can drive
all over the parE in public conyeyances
fol ten cents, OF hire ponies for fifty
cents an houl. The afternoon | was
there the artillery WAS drilling, also
some of the mounted troops.
"Wednesday evening was to be de-
voted to the j.. o. X. X. parade, but
citizens and visitors We're so anxious to
see 1t that they bockaded the streets
so completely that the mounted police
was unable TO clear Them and the
parade had to choose another route than
the one advertised. so very few OF the
immense throng saw il. | saw few
OF the floats, and they We're good but
so scattered and separated that the
effect was spoiled
Thursday \. NJ. We went across the
river to see the city of Windsor, Canada
Windsor is a back-number city of
about $4,000 inhabitants. The greatest
industry apparent to the superficial
observer is the sale of Canadian souve-
Mrs. We also noted the banks there
We're highly capitalized for so small
place, one that we saw being at three
millions and another at six million
dollars. In the afternoon we took in
trip about the city in the parlor
street car GOlande. This is a beauti-
fully draped and upholstered car. for
merly used as Tom l.. .Iohnson's pri-
vate car. but now used to make two
hour trips about the city The car
leaves Cadillac SQnare every two hours,
and takes i'll all tile principal points of
the city, y conductor points out and
names all the buildings of note, al d
anything of interest to the stranger.
1t was most delightful trip, the car
going very slowly so that everything
can be seen. Just before finishing
this trip my eye was caught by
a sign, by Gosh ! eat at the New
England Restaurant" so | said, 'slets
have supper there" but on going
i'll found it was New England'' in
name only, as there was nothing else in
New England style.
The principal streets of Detroit are
paved with sheet asphalt, which make
it a paradise for bicyclers, and there are
legions of them. They use neither bells
nor lights, and are absolutely noiseless,
and one who crosses a street needs as
ma ny eyes as Argus to avoid being run
down. The street car service is excel
lent. The cars go swiftly, and make
very little 'clatter." With all the great
crowd of visitors to care for the accom-
modal ions were such that | was only