Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-09-13

ST. Lawrence, the mightiest river
that flows, it stands where the fierce
Lachine Rapids place an eternal bar
across the head of natural naviga-
ton from the sea. Here, the hardy
sailors of France, over three hun
dred and fifty years ago, had to leave
their boats to trust themselves to
savage guides, on their restless quest
of the long-aimed-at western route
to China. A la Chine-to China.
They never found ia Chine" though
they left here the name. They left
here also the stamp of their race and
and character, so that today the
tourist finds around him, at Mon
treal, the very designations and
faces, habits and language, that
marked these pioneers of christianity
over three centuries ago.
They were followed, as the explor-
er and soldier always are, by the
trader The traders ships stopped
beneath the same grim rapids. Here,
hundreds of miles up, was the head
of the great watery avenue from the
ocean, the point or departure into
the heart of the forest wilderness.
Rapidly trading post grew into size
and Importance, baptized more than
once by fire and blood. To this day
the traces of the old stockades and
Notifications are visible.
Another change came. Frenchmen
had conquered and driven out the
Indian. Englishmen came, defeated,
but could not drive out Frenchmen.
nnn hlln6rnd he
Union Jack replaced the flag of
France over Montreal. Yet, today,
the two float side by side, an enorm-
Gus commerce GIBBS and flows be-
meath; for the city which has sue
ceeded the Indian village and the
French trading post, has now, with
the exception only of New York and
one or two other great ports, the
largest export trade in America.
Both in its history and its COM
MERGE it is full of the keenest inter-
est and the greatest attractions to
the stranger. Its superb modern
buildings are second to none on the
continent. Its public structures,
churches, banks, warehouses and pri-
vate residences are worthy of the ad-
miration of every visitor; yet they
are far from being Montreals chief
attractions. Beautiful parks and
noble drives abound. 1t has the
splendor of Edinburgh, as we'll as the
picturesqueness of Constantinople,
all under the clear Canadian sky, as
blue as that of Italy. The natural
scenery of the vicinity, as viewed
from the eminences of Mount Royal
Park, is very beautiful and varied
the st. Lawrence and Ottawa
rivers on either hand bounding the
Island of Montreal, with st. Helen's
Island, opposite the city, formerly a
military post, now a public park. In
the distance are Beloeil Mountain
and the Adirondacks, while the white
foam of the I.achine Rapids can be
seen towards the west. Mount Royal
itself clothed with frs, pines, and
naples, and decked with wild flow
ers and ferns, has so far, taken on
but few of the artificial adronments
of a park, yet its natural sylvan
beauty is unequalled by any other
city park on the continent. The pan
Drama of Montreal at it's base, sud-
denly revealed during the summit
drive and as suddenly hidden by the
dense woods, is in striking contrast
to the river and mountain scenery
stretching away to the horizon.
The drives about Montreal, in the
Mountain Park, around Mount Royal
and along the banks of the st. Lawr-
ence and Ottawa rivers, afford de-