The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-08-02
AN INTERESTING TRIP
4 - I17a1- ~ ,F-s-l31 y
The Editor and Family on Their De-
lightfuI Vacation With National
Editorial Association.

Editorial Association.
Saturday morning, June 23d, we left
The 500 ON the same boat for the return
trip to Mackinac Island, arriving at the
latter port at 1880 that afternoon, in
time to change to the palatial steamer,
City of Alpena of the Detroit g. Cleye-
land line, for run to Detroit, Mich,
the big vessel leaving Mackinac Island
promptly at 8 pm. We found Lake
Huron to be as smooth as glass with
scarcely ripple upon the broad e1-
panse of water. We made short stops
at Cheboygan, Alpena, Oscoda and Au
Sable that evening, but made no land
ing. Sunday morning we were at
Harbor Beach and then we stopped at
Port Huron where we enter the st. Clair
rivers and have beautiful ride down
to Lake St. Clair, after crossing which
we enter the Detroit river and at
o'clock that afternoon we were at the
dock at Detroit, where we are to spend
several hours.
Our party was to leave leave Detroit
Sunday night at 1890, and until that
time everyone was left to follow their
own inclinations. We decided to spend
the time at Belle Island Park, the
famous island park, one of the finest in
the United States. The island COM
prises 700 acres and is owned by the
city, having been purchased in 1879 at a
cost of 100000, and enormous sums
have been spent in improving it since
that time. On Sundays it is no uncom-
mon sight to see $4,000 to 10000 people
on the island, for transportation facili-
ties are of the best, boats plying be-
tween the city and the island every
fifteen minutes, and fine steel bridge
connects it with the city, SO that it can
be reached on the electric cars. Our
party took an automobile and made a
tour of the island. Nothing seems to
have been left undone to make it an
ideal outing place for the people, bath
ing, boating, band concerts, and quite a
collection of wild animals. The biggest
part of the island is covered with native
woods, through which carriage drives
and bicycle paths thread in and out
over the entire island. We made the
trip to the island by boat and returned
on the street car, passing through the
best residence portion of the city, which
boasts of some of the finest residences
of any city in the world.
Our special train left the union depot
Sunday night at 1890 O'Clock, over the
Canadian Pacific Ry., we were assign
ed to the sleepers which we were to
occupy for the entire trip until we re-
turned to Detroit again, our car being
the Bertrand" in which were several
Iowa people. Leaving the depot we
were switched down to the docks where
the whole train was rum on board a big
ferry boat and ferried across the river
to Windsor, Canada, and we were start
ing on our Canadian trip, the most ia-
teresting part of the journey to us. At
Windsor we had to change our watches
an hour, as after leaving Detroit we
change from central to eastern time
Everyone remained up antil the Caaa-
dian side was reached and then all
quickly turned in for nights rest, as
we were to reach Toronto at O'Clock
the next morning, and it is necessary
for all to arise early on these trips. as
the dressing room for ladies in Pull
man sleeper is rather small affair and
it takes quite time for all the ladies
to make their toilets.
Arriving at Toronto ON time there
was a rush for breakfast and then tc
purchase souvenir cards to mail tc
friends, and when it came to getting
change it was all Canadian money, In
stead of nickel you got silver halls
dime SO small you could hardly handle
it, wkile the pennies are great coppe,
pieces as large as an American quarter
| Toronto is the second largest city iI
Canada, with a population OF 100000
and with the exception of few Of the
old business houses it looks very much
like a prosperous American city. About
four years ago nearly the entire bust
ness part of the city was destroyed by
fire, and when it was rebuilt it was
modern in every respect. 1t has goo6
system of public schools, which number
| So, separate schools to the number o
| 10, high schools, colleges and universi
ties 40. The city boasts of 1900 manu-
featuring establishments, employing g
capital of s70,OO0,OOO, and employing
10000 hands. At 10 o'clock we attended
a reception at the city hall where we
were welcomed by Mayor Coatswortl
and other prominent citizens. The
citizens of Toronto had planned day
of pleasure for the editors who remain
ed in the city, the party dividing here
| for tho 1ou y,,ov,1y xr,o ,,4oxJ 10 oooe,c