The Republican journal., 1905-12-07
MONTREAL AND QUEBEC.
Impressions of These Canadian Cities by
an American Tourist.


Sept 9th we arrived in Portland at 6.3i
and after short stop there took ''sleep-
err for Montreal over the White Mountain
Division. Well, now a sleeper is all right
but it proved to be "waker" for me, and
had good chance to study the sky all night
as l laid beside window. In the mean
time others were sleeping. l could tell this
by peculiar" sound coming from some of
the berths near me. We were side-tracke ed
at st. Johnsbury, VT, for while, waiting
for the through train from Boston to Mont
real We had been riding head towards
the engine, but after we were coupled on to
the Boston train and started, l said to my
wife, good Lord, they are taking us to
Montreal feet first" and so it was. Well,
we were up and dressed early and had a
good view of the country as we went speed
ing along toward our destination. We
noticed that it was good farming land and
very level for miles before we entered
Montreal, and think this might be called the
land of fences, for it was all divided into
small narrow sections with what we call a
rail fence. We were told this is the effect
of the landlord system. One notices the
difference very quickly between the farm
buildings of the Provinces aud those of the
States. AL of their barns We're small and
some had matched roofs, and, generally
speaking of what we saw, the houses of the
farmers did not compare with those i'll the
States. We arrived in Montreal at $50 ID.
H., stopping at St. Lawrence Hall, and after
breakfast took victoraS for a trip over
the city, with Mt. Royal as the objective
point.
Montreal at this time has 100000 inhabi-
tants. Jacques Cartier was the first white
man to set his foot on the Island of Mont
real but the real founder of the colony of
Vile Marie (now MontreaD was Paul de
Chomedy Sieur Maisonneuve and his asso-
ciate of few years later, Marguerite
Bourgeois, in 1912. OF the latter it can be
said that her sole ambition was to convert
to Christianity the red children of the for
est, as well as to minister to their temporal
wants The hospital of the Hotel Dieu
stands today on the eastern slope of Mt
Royal, monument to the courage and de-
yotion of this sweet Sister of Charity.
One is impressed with the seeming solidity
of the city, as nearly all of the large build
ings are in either the native gray granite or
brick. Among the more modern structures
are the Royal Victoria Hospital, near Mt
Royal, which cost two million dollars and
was the gift of Lord Strathcona, the Bank
Of Montreal, st. James Cathedral, a fac
smile of St. Peters of Rome, only smaller,
lit has the twelve apostles in bronze on the
top of the main building Notre Dame de
Lourdes, McGill University, st. James
Methodist Church, the Grey Nunnery, the
Royal Victoria College for Women, the
new Grand Trunk Railway offices, and the
Victoria Bridge, which spans the st.
Lawrence River, a distance of over two
miles We had heard of the immense
amount of money expended on the Catholic
churches, but were simply amazed at the
wealth displayed in the interior of the
Notre Dame and St. James. One must see
it to appreciate it,
Montreal has a complete trolly system
and the rates of travel are about the same
as in the States. The conductors come
along with a small iron box with a handle
and the box has d Slot in it in which You
deposit your fare, whether it is nickel or
ticket. Arriving at the top of Mt. Royal,
what sight greets the eye. The view is
something magnificent. Below you, and al
most at your very feet, to the right and to
the left, almost as far as your eye can
reach, lies the city with its solid granite
buildings and lofty domes and spires and
in the distance you have glimpe of the
Lachine Rapids, on the shore of which La
Sale, the discoverer of the Mississippi,
once had his abode. To visit Montreal and
not see Mt. Royal Park is to have missed
one Of the principal attractions of this is
land city.
In the afternoon we visited the Grey Nun
merry. This is a very large building, built of
native granite We were kindly shown
through the different rooms by a sister and
were surprised at learning the good work
they do for suffering humanity. We were
told that there were about 500 boys and
girls in this nunnery, orphans taken from
the streets aud elsewhere, and clothed. We
did not learn the number of old men and
women, but there were many and they
seemed happy and contented. The work
along this line is surely fine. We were
shown every courtesy and could but feel
great deal of respect for these institutions.
In the evening We went to the theatre
and saw chat excellent English actor,
KyrIe Bellew, in Raftles, which was greatly
enjoyed. Friday was market day, and we
We're much interested in watching the
farmers come into town with their produce
IN two wheeled carts. Then begins the
tratficing between the buyer with his
market basket on his arm and the seller
The conversation is mostly in French land as
some of us were a little off on our French
ii was rather a confusion OF tongues to u.s.
The largest market is situated near the
Chateau de Ramesay, the oldest building in
Montreal. 1t was built in 1875 and was
once the home of the last governor under
the French regime. In this building are
deposited many relics, such as paintings,
weapons of warfare, etc, Illustrating the
stirring incidents connected with the early
history of the colony.
The public squares are beautiful. In
the Place d'Armes is bronze statue of
MaisoDneuve, the founder of Montreal,
which rests upon d fountain and displays
Some bias reliefs. The statue is the work