The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-08-23
AN INTERESTING TRIP
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stantial arcbways gives the visitor
good idea of the military strength of
the city. Growing the cliffs stands
the University of Laval, the chief seat
of French culture in the Dominion. To
the visitor the university possesses
peculiar charm, and many priceless
relic and work of art may be found
within it's walls. 1t has been called
after the famous bishop Mgr. de Laval de
Montmorenci, who endowed it literally
as did all his successors. 1t looks down
from the high rock two hundred feet
above the river, upon one of the most
magnificent scenes in America. Impos-
ing as the edifice is from the outside, it
is a treasure house within, with it's vast
library, it's museum and picture gallery.
Among the celebrated masters repre-
sented in the gallary of Laval may be
mentioned Salvador Rosa, Teniers,
Romenelli, Joseph Vernet, Paget and
Perocci Poussin.
Returning to our carriage we retrace
our steps down the hill and visit the
imposing and handsome buildings of the
Provincial Legislature with their we'll
kept grounds, which overlook the
historical Plains of Abraham, which we
next visit, after passing through the ST..
Louis gate, one Of the three gates which
permits passage from the new or out
side city to the old town. The old town
is entirely surrounded by an immense
stone wall twenty or thirty feet high,
and until few years ago the gates
through the wall were closed every
night at 10 o'clock and no one could
enter the city after they closed until
they opened the next morning. 1t was
a beautiful drive out to the Plains of
Abraham. Here and there are still
standing the old Martello towers used
as lookout stations in the early days,
with stone walls ten feet thick, which
in those days would withstand any at
tack, but which would soon go down in
dust under the modern guns now in use
The Wolfe monument and Plains OF
Abraham must be visited and closely
. inspected and our driver points out to
: us the exact spot where Wolfe was
wounded and the path down which he
: was carried to the spot where he expir,
ed which is now surmounted by a gran.
lite shaft enclosed by an iron fence tc
v prevent tourists from defacing or chip
ping the monument. Adjoining it are
the Plains of Abraham, which at this
i. time are used for COW pasture, being
q enclosed with substantial iron fence
The Plains We're named after farme,
whose first name was Abraham, ano
being on slight emirlence and in the
= clear were selected Cor the memorable
battle which gave them their name
The ground which comprises over 800
II acres is owned by one of the converts
of Quebec. AS we returned to the city
e we visited several of the cathedrass anC
/ viewed the many fine buildings owned
e by the nuns. There are three branches
Il Il of nuns the white nuns or noviees, the
= grey nuns, and the black nuns, the lat
d ter after taking the veil never leaving
! the convent. AT one of the churches
It we visited there were two white nuns
y clad in spotless white, kneeling in front
of the altar, and we were told that two
nuns were kneeling there day and night
being relieved every four hosers by two
others. To US it looked considerable
! like torture to see young ginls siXteer
TO eighteen years of age, who are com
PEELED to remain motionless on thei
knees for SO dong time. The church i!
the power in this country however ano
rule things with an iron bend. Con
trolling as they do all the scholastic
children are educated by them ant
brought up tMnder the influence of the
church in marked contrast with the
free public schools and religious libert.
of our own country. An interesting
part of Qaebec was the old Frencl
quarter with it's very narrow and irreg
ular and narrow streets, many Of then
so steep horse can hardlyget up them
and the old French architecture of tn.
houses looks very odd to us. Before
dismissing our driver he told US h
wanted to show us the strangest sigh
] in Quebec which was a snow bank tina
remained during the entire year. AS i
/ was the 10Th day Of June and the mer
curry up aroaad ninety, we thought tn
! fellow had some kind of a Joke for us
4 SO we kept quiet and told him to g
ahead, that we were from close to OLE
Missouri. A drive of about mile ant
he made good, for there right in tn,
heart of the city was snow hank, GOV
/ ering quarter of block aaad which
was sixty to seventy feet high. And i
was real snow too, for numerous stree