The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-08-19
PILGRIMAGE MADE IN SUMMER TIME Scenes at Shrine of St Anne
 de Beaupre A BLESSED TROLLEY LINE Souvenirs Are Urged on the Visitors by Priest-stalrs Which a De- Vout Pilgrim Climbs on
 His Knees.
From the New York Sun.

HIS KneGSs
 From the New York Sun.
 There is but one place on the American continent where one can travel on blessed trolley line. The rails are blessed, fhe ties are blessed, the cars are blessed, the road-bed is blessed and for all one knows the conductors and motormen too.
 It is the sacred trolley line which car ries the pilgrims from Quebec to Ste. Anne de Beaupre which has thus been blessed, tie, rail and fuse, by a cardinal. They say that there have been accidents on the blessed trolley line, which seems incongruous; but certainly no twenty mile run in the country Is prettier.
 All the way to Beaupre the traveller has the St. Lawrence on the right Sometimes the river is running the same way as the car, that is down, as a river ought to-and simetimes 1t is going the other way When 1t is flowing up country and there hap pens to be wind it breaks on the shore 1sn little whiteeaps. like an inland sea, with a funny little imitation of surf booming on the coast. The salt water does not got
 
 feet, nevertheless, the waters of the river being piled up by the tides below.
 On the left of the trolley line are quaint little French villages all the way, with names as quaint as they. One is named Guardian Angel
 Any one however who expects to find a primitive rural church at Beaupre will be disappointed. It is an immense and magnificent structure of gray stone. The aid nt4t ft, Normal French gardening style, with grav- elled walks, flower beds and large statues of saints.
 Where Pilgrims Dine.
 Tn front of the church and connected with it there is long, covered stone DOT tico with seats and tables where frugal pilgrims may eat the luncheons they have brought Pilgrims from New York can not help being reminded of the signs Ut Coney Island, Basket Parties Welcome" In other ways the village reminds ono of seaside resorts. There is the same at mosphere of catering to the tourist over all There are cabs and hotel rum '-s at the gate of the church grounds. The one long street is lined with hotels. One may count five of these named Ste. Anne Tha same indienrence to duplication of names prevails throughout French Canada, where favorte saints are concerned In x, three St. Johns, two St. Hypolites, two Ste. Ellzabeths, two St. Georges, two St Alphonses, two St Patricks two St Pauls, two St Louis
 Beaupre is full of little shops, into which one can step directly off the sidewalk and all of them. and the hotels as well. are full of souvenirs of the place. quite in summer resort style. One wonders how they can keep ahoat however, for all the business in this line seems to be done in the church store in the basement of the basilica. That is crowded at all times, and money Is passing over the counters in a stream.
 The mementoes are all of Ste Anne and her. daughter, the Virgin in some shape 1t is the old familiar figure of the mother and child, only in this case the child is a girl One of these figures, oft repeated is qualntly attractive. 1t is a satuette of Ste. Anne teaching the little Ste Marie to read. She holds scroll the alphabet in her hand, and the alphabet is in En- glish
 On the bases of the pillars of the church outside, there are inscriptions to good Ste. Anne. Good Ste. Anne, Grandmother of Jesus,' one of them reads
 Valuable Objects Shown.
 A row of chapels extend the whole length of the auditorium on either side. Each is maintained by a different society Then they show a glass case full of the more valuable objects which have been left by visitors. There are heaps of brace let's opera glasses and lorgnettes, and the number of pistols would indicate a large proportion of visitors from the far west Two massive jewelled crowns have been made of the rings and other ornaments left Most precious of all the gifts pre- served is the chasuble. stiff with gold em- broidery, presented by Anne of Austria, who is said to have worked 1t with her own hands.
 She was very pious: wasn't she?" said a woman in the tourist party of which the writer was a member.
 'Oh. yes.' said the priest who was act ing IS guide, you know she got her child from Ste. Anne. She had been twenty two years married when Louis XIV was born
 The church, or rather the cathedral for 1t as raised to the dignity of a basiica by Plus TX, Is very richly decorated with a picture of Ste. Anne and the Virgin, by Lebrun, over the altar Exquisite organ music sounds dreamily through its spaces At all hours except early morning. in sum- mer at least, hundreds are passing in and out, which gives a curious impression one surveys the wide empty country spaces round about
 At fixed hours there are services and 1t is said that for the benefit of pilgrims from "the states these services are in German, Italian, Dutch, Felmish and Spanish as well as in English and French.
 The one heard by the writer was in English. The speaker closed by urging most earnestly the purchase of some me mento
 Do not leave" he said, without buy ing a memento of good Ste Anne. The 50 cents it costs you will never be missed and it will be thousand times repaid you fin the care the good Ste. Anne will have over your health. your children and your business"
 In obedience to this injunction the pil- grim from New York bought little life of Ste. Anne, printed in Quebec in French The speaker was right. The 50 cents in- vested has never been missed and has been fully repaid by perusal of the little book It does not mention authorities but it gives the whole history of Ste Anne's life from birth to death with a wealth of detail.
 knuckle Bone of Saint.
 Well down in front of the altar s a pedestal bearing a round box covered with glass; and in this box is the little object which has built this great altar out among the fields, the knuckle bone of Ste Anne It is impossible in the dim lit church to see the object in the box, but a continu- ous succession of men and women kiss the glass all day long.
 The story of the shrine is a romantic oF t1,.. ,,af1