Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-20
Quebec's 30Oth Birthday.

NNICOld tipA WulCH hdIIIC 10 uHCClly
interested, both historically and for
| present day reasons. Champaign, who
founded the city of Quebec in 1908,
was one of the early explorers of the
coast of Maine, and in 1905 he gave the
kennebec river the name it has ever
since borne. 1t was from Quebec that
the gentle Jesuit missionaries came
into the Maine wilderness to Christian
ize the savages. The old Indian trail
up our river and through the great
forest to Quebec was that used for
communication between the English
colonies of New England and the ST.
Lawrence settlements. Down this
trail came the French and their red
allies through that series of bloody
wars in the 18th century and up this
trail toiled Arnold and his patriot
band in 1875 in the attempt to win
Canada to the cause of independence.
In later years there has been a tide
of immigration from Quebec, as we'll as
from other parts of Canada, to the
manufacturing centers of Maine. A
summer visit to Quebec has become a
favorite trip for our people who have
found it most interesting and
picturesque bit of the Old World here
at home. Many of our Maine people
are at Quebec this week to participate
in the tercentennial celebration The
program for the festivities is to be as
follows:
July 2O-Arrival of the British
Atlantic squadron and the French
ships. bearing Admiral Jaureguiberry
July 21-Arrival of United States
battleship New Hampshire, Capt
Winslow.
July 22-H NJ S. Indomitable, due
at Quebec, bearing the Prince Of
Wales.
July 23-The fetes formally opened
by the Prince: Premier Laurier to de-
liver an address. The scene of the
landing Of Champlain to be re-enacted
followed by the historic pageant The
fleets to be Illuminated in the evening
July 24-Dedication of the Plains of
Abraham and the Field of Ste. Foye as
national park. Military parade in
the afternoon.
July 25-Naval review Of the vessels
of England. France and the United
States
July 26-Thanksgiving day Catholic
mass on the Plains of Abraham and
service in the English Cathedral
July 27-Shore parade of 10000 blue
Jackets from the combined fleets. In
the afternoon representation of
Wolfcs landing.
July 28-Children's day. Daylight
fireworks on the Plains of Abraham.
July 29-Departure of the British
vessels with the Prince of Wales.
July 30-Dcparture of the French
and United States warships
Great crowds will be in attendance
and the most elaborate preparations
have aroused interest to high pitch
The celebration might properly have
begun much earlier in the month for it
was as early as July 3, 1903, that the
soldier, sailor and gcntlcman-ad ven-
turer Samuel de Champlain made his
epochal landing at the foot of Cape
Diamond and thus laid hand. for
permanent keeping upon the "Kcy to
North America" There are few more
pathetic or more heroic passages in
history than the record of his first
year there. In the early fall Pont-
grave left him, with only % men. to
fare as they best might for the winter,
while he returned to France. Before
spring 90 of the men were dead, and
of the eight survivors four were down
with scurvy. The annals of Plymouth
tell of no more rcsolute tenacity and
endurance
Quebec, it is true, was not the first
permanent settlement in what is now
Canada. That distinction is reserved
for Annapolis Royal. in Move Scotia,
which was founded as Port Royal by
Baron dc Poutriss Court in 1904. But
the vast strategic importance of the
fortress on the st. Lawrence made
Quebec rise quickly to the first place in
military and political Importance and
linked inseparably with it the names
of Champlain, Cartier, Dollard
F'rontenac. Tracy, Montcalm. Lewis,
Phpps. Wolfe. Fraser. Murray, Sala-
berry, Carleton. Montgomery and Nile
dc Vercheres. There is probably no
other place on the continent more as
ISOLATED with great international con-
hicts. Boston, New York and other
places here saw conflicts between two
branches of one nation which were be-
coming two nations, but Quebec was
the scene. more than once, of conflicts
between two nations. two races. two