Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-03-16


III junction of the St. Charles and
st. Lawrence rivers. Old Quebec
reminds one of the Mediterranean city
of Gibraltar II you approach 1t by boat
and of the American city of New Or
leans II you enter the place by rail.
Travelling by way of the st. Law
renee takes the visitor through a beau
dful harbor composed of great tidal
basin which is partially lined with
docks that speak of great skill in en-
gineering. and at one of these the visi-
tor lands on narrow strip with the
water on one side and the steep ascent
to the greater half of the city ON the
other.
It Is here that you imagine you are
scaling the rock of Gibraltar when you
travel upward In search Of lodging
place. Once up, however. you are sud
denly transplanted into the atmo-
sphere of New Orleans with Its narrow
and crooked streets and its foreign
tongue. In the business section OF
Quebec there is one street which
cramps the pedestrian into width OF
only four feet, and most of 1t is all up
hill and down.
But It IL the language which first
holds the visitors attention. It was
as far back as the Treaty Of Paris. In
1763. that France resigned all claims
to her possessions In North America.
and yet three-fourths of the people
speak French, though Quebec boasts
OF population OF over $4,000 souls.
The English heard is of decided
French accent. In the churches there
Is French, In the theaters and public
halls 1t is French and the same tongue
is taught In the public schools. There
seems to be natural prejudice against
the English language, though none can
tell you why. The people of Quebec
are loyal British subjects when any
one questions their nationality.
One thing, too, is very apparent
they possess that easygoing, care-free
which extends to a great extent to the
English element also. Business in
Quebec makes no one hustle. Down
ON the waterfront there is shipbuiId-
ing and a great deal of shipping, but
they go easily with 1t. Quebec's har-
Dor Is safe and so commodious that
the largest vessels can ply to the
docks with perfect ease. There are
several liEes which run direct from
there to the chief ports of the world.
Back in the province where the
rivers become unnayigable for vessels
the timber men float their product
down towrrd the city in RATS OF logs
steered by red-shirted logmen. who
80 ota
the docks and make for the nearest
pint of ale.
There is, too. dry and bracing
air throughout the province that
makes the farmer glory In his prod
uct. A rich. loamy soil responds
bountifully to his tiling and. his wag-
ons and carts come into the city we'll
loaded with cereals. hay. root crops,
Indian corn. hemp, FAX and tobacco,
and although his season ia short one.
he turns out goodly portion OF ap-
pies, plums. grapes and tomatoes
Just below the city are the famous
falls OF Montmorency, which enter the
st. Lawrence. They furnish all the
power that could be desired and there
is consequently q string Of mills lin
ing the banks. These turn the expor-
table crops into marketable wares. and
they are shipped abroad from Quebec.
What Quebec sells to Its own citizens
are mostly the products OF its waters,
but even then some OF the smoked
whitefish are sent into the United
States for sale.
But the old town has another kind
of business In which 1t prospers during
the summer months and fairly wen
during the fall and winter months,
Each year there is an influx OF thou.
sands OF American anG foreign tour
lists. A few years ago the structure |
OF great steel bridge began to creep |
across the st. Lawrence. and Il pleas.
ed the Canadians. When 1t reached |
two-thirds OF the way across and col |
lapsed their hopes fell with 1t. for It |
was designed to run the. trainloads
OF passengers and merchandise direct |
from che United States into the city.
Immediately after the collapse work |
began on the new structure, and no |
nuahec'a hoDaa are again riBina