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32X

The

With

Uqc

SECOND EDITION — REVISED AND CORRECTED

A SOUVENIR

OF THE

Thousand ^ Islands

OF TJ£E

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER

FROM

KINGSTON AND CAPE VINCENT TO

MORRISTOWN AND BROCKVILLE

WITH

Their Recorded History from the Earliest Times, their Legends, their Romances,

their Fortifications and their Contests

INCLUDING BOTH THE

Hmencan anb Canabian Cbannels

PROFUSELY ILL^JSTRATED

f^4 IVM news of NiUural Scenery, as -well as Pictures of Many Summer Villas, Steamers, lushing Scenes, etc.

Edited and Puhlished by

JNO. A. HADDOCK, of Watertown, N. Y.

A xViitive of Jefferson County, xX. Y.

U"qdGP the PatPor^agQ of thjo Thousar^d Island ©lub of /Vle^iandpia Bay

PRINTED AND I!OUND BY THE

WEED-PARSONS PRINTING COMPANY

ALBANY, N. Y.

ft.

ALEXANDRIA BAY, N. Y.
1896

COMMENDATORY.

Office of CORNWALL BROS.

Mr. John A. Haddock ;

Alexandria Bay, N. Y., October 31, 1894.

Dear Sir— I have heard that you are about preparing an elaborate and highly illus-
trat.,d history of our river, to be sold as a more worthy Souvenir of our river and islands
than has yet appeared. I have for some years felt the want of such a book, many copies
of which my sons could sell over their counter here if it could have been procured.
Having known you personally many years, I have full faith in your ability and zeal for
the preparation of such a work, and I wish you much success and encouragement in
your labor, which will, I hope, be remunerative.

Your friend,

ANDREW CORNWALL,
One of the oriRinal owners o( all the American islands from Round Island to Morristown.

Law Offices of JAMES C. SPENCER, 280 Broadway, New York.
Mr. John A. Haddock, Watertown, N. Y.:

My Dear Sir — Having heard you express your ideas as to a needed book which
should suitably illustrate the natural beauties of the Thousand Island Archipelago of
the St. Lawrence, with views of leading cottages and sketches of the individuals occu-
pying them, I take pleasure in approving your plan, and do not hesitate, from my
knowledge of you personally, to fully believe you will carry out all you underiake in
making a book which will be a Souvenir to be treasured by all who can appreciate the
grandest river and the most beautiful islands upon the globe. Wishing you great
success, I remain,

Very truly yours.

Summer residence, JAMES C. SPENCER,

Manhattan Island, Vice-President Thousand Island Club.

Alexandria B/^y, N. Y.

copyrighted, 1895.
all rights reserved.

/3 9<^Z

INTRODUCTORY.

There have been many attempts to depict the Thousand Islands, with their ever-
varying, changeful scenery, and the opulence of their later adornment. Some of these
efforts have been honest but inefficient, some sporadic and fitful, others resulting only in a
poor attempt to make money out of a subject too grand for such a purpose. And so, year
after year, these Islands have lacked a chronicler and a delineator who should present
important improvements as well as natural scenes upon the printed pictorial page. The
inquiry for a book that should meet this constant and earnest demand for truthful delineation
of the fairest spot on earth, has induced a few gentlemen, some of them connected with the
Thousand Island Ci'ib, to prompt the undersigned to present to the public something that
should measure up to the occasion. Accordingly the subscriber, who is the latest Jefferson
County historian, has given his attention to the subject, and he now presents to the property-
owners upon the river and to the vast number who yearly visit this region, the result of his
labors, and he believes that it faithfully portrays the river and its islands as they exist to-day,
as well as the grand improvements made and being made there.

It is in no sense a money-making scheme, the promoters being only desirous that the
book shall pay its own way, as it should, ana be a fair representation, up to date, of the
Islands of the St. Lawrence and their present environment, and be at the same time, also,
a fair illustration of the progress made up to 1896 in the art of typography and artistic
decoration.

In this spirit, then, this Book is issued, in the full belief that it will fill a want which has
been felt for the past ?even years among the intelligent and appreciative class who come
annually to this section, the importance of which appears now to be permanently established.

JNO. A. HADDOCK,

Address on the River, Watertown, N. Y.

Clayton, N. Y.

-'■f^

SONG OF THE ST. LAWRENCE.

Bv Will Cakleton.

1 am marching to the sea —

To my king, tlie mighty sea;

In his tent he waits for mc —
In his tent, wiiii walls of blue,
Dechcd with Hags of brightest hue,

In his starlit, sunlit tent,

O'er the head in splendor bent.

II.
I have messages in store,

For my king, the mighty sea;
Great Superior's solemn word.
Huron's answering voice is heard;
Erie's sliclving walls of land,
Clad with wealth and comfort o'er;
Stern Niagara's thunder-pour,
Great Ontario's prosperous strand,
Decked with city-pictures grand —

All send messages by me.

To their king, the mighiy sea,

III.

All my treasures I must leave —
AH my thousand tree-fringed isles.
All my shore-hills clad in smiles —

All the shadows that they weave,

All my woods, with eyes of blue,

All the cottages of white.

Bathed in dim rctiected light;

Would that I might take them too.

Floating eastward down with me,

For an oifering to the sea!

IV.
Stalely ships with plumes of black,
Follow on my gleaming track;
Villages with sails of white.
Decked with banners brave and bright;
Funeral trains of forest trees,
Journey with me to the seas —
Travel with me toward the main —
March amid my glittering train.

Down the rapid's giddy stair

Rush I headlong as in fear;
Past the crags that linger there —

Past th' old gray rock's constant sneer,
To my death-like, deathless fate,
Where my lord and king doth wait.
Panic-struck, I rush and rave,
As some mortals toward the grave,
Rush and rave and hurry on,
With my task no nearer won.
But or tranquil or in haste,
Frowning wild or placid-faced.
Eastward still my soul is set:
I am loyal, even yet !

VI.

Times, in broad blue lakes I tarry,
Kept in couches soft and low;

Lulled to sleep as if by fair}'.
Breeze-caresses sweep my brow.

Sun-caresses thrill my soul.

Shadow-hands my w.iys control;

In the night's unlaujihing glee,

Stars come out and smile at me;

Zephyrs from the wooded west,

Pause awhile, with me to rest.

" Here," I plead, " that I might stay

Many a night and many a day ! "

But the cry is " Onward ! On ! "

Never, till my journey's done,

Can I tarry well or long.

Can I hush my marching-song.

I am marching to the sea —

To my king, the mighty sea;

In his tent he waits for me,

In his tent, with walls of blue.

Decked with flags of brightest hue

In his starlit, sunlit tent,

O'er the head in splendor bent;

On his calm, majestic breast,

I will lie, in changeful rest.

[41

THE HAPPY ISLANDS.

Bv George C. Bragdon.

There, where a Thousand Islands sleep,
Come pulsing from Niagara's leap
The blended lakes with tireless sweep —
Vast lakes, which float the grain and ore
Of mighty States from shore to shore,
A thousand billowy miles and more.

'Tis there the centering waters meet
In rush sublime and beauty sweet,
Which we with happy thrills shall greet —
We who in fevered towns have sighed
For green and watery spaces wide.
And Nature's murmuring love beside.

Ah, here they are! The river here.
Swift, slow, tumultuous, crystal-clear,
Lapping the islands which uprear
Their rocky heads with crests of trees.
Has sure enchantments to release
The heart, and change its pain to peace.

Hail! River of the Thousand Isles!

Which so enchants and so beguiles

With countless charms and countless wiles;:

Flow on unpent, forever free

And pauseless to the ocean-sea

Which belts the globe's immensity.

Not there our goal. Here, here we stay
Amid the islands green and gr.iy.
Nor strive, but idly float and play
Along the river's glints and gleams.
And yield to reveries and dreams
With which the quickened fancy teems.

Here v/here the airs are always pure.
And wave and earth and sky allure,
And whisper, " Let the best endure,"
The wiser thoughts and instincts grow,
Hearts truer feel and surer know,
And kindle to a tenderer glow.

St. Lawrence River, here we rest.
And here we end our wandering quest
To reach the Islands of the Blest.
Where Nature's sweetest sweets abound
And sacred waters, sacred ground —
The Earthly Paradise is found!

LEADING ARTICLES

HADDOCK'S SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE.

[see index also.]

Many full-page illustrations,

A grandly written introduction.

Two beautiful poems, by George C. Bragdon

and Will Carleton.
The Chain of Title.

Biographies of E. G. Merrick, Judge Spencer,
Governor Flower, Gen. W. H. Angeli, and
others.
Canada's West Point.

General description — legends, romances, In-
dian histories and warlike expeditions.
Carlton Island.
Gen. Alvord's two superior articles, "Men I

have met upon the Great River."
Thousand Island Park, Chas. Crossmon, Cross-
mon House, a Bonaparte in Northern New
York.
The Mystery of Maple Island, connecting the
assassination of President Lincoln with a
death on this great river.
Old Fort Frontenac and Modern Kingston.
H. Walter Webb, Third Vice-President N. Y.
C. R. R.

Theo. Butterfield, Gen. Passenger Agt. R. W.
& O. R. R.

Col. Z. H. Benton.

Pictures of many steamboat men, with bio-
graphical sketches of their lives.

[5]

The Red Cross.

The Whittlesey Affair.

The great Balloon Voyage of LaMountain and
Haddock.

The Awakening of Henry Backus.

The Waterway from Chicago to the Ocean.

The Patriot War in Canada.

The War of 1755.

Travellers' description of the Thousand Is-
lands; some favorable, some critical.

Poetry of the Thousand Islands.

Geology of the Thousand Islands.

Why the River runs where it does ? — an able
article by Prof. Hines, of Watertown.

Light-houses of the Islands.

Early recollections of Alexandria Bay.

The St. Lawrence in War Days.

Round Island and the Frontenac.

Frank Taylor, the artist.

Carlton Island in the Revolution.

Gananoque, past and present, illustrated.

Brockville, illustrated.

How the Indians learned to run the Rapids.

First printing on the St. Lawrence, by General

Neilson.
The Fowlers, the Spicers and the Esselstyns.
La Salle and Frontenac, and many other
articles, references and incidents.

A STURGEON CAUGHT

It is a curious fact that great changes take
place in the habitat of the finny tribe. Per-
haps the most lasting fishing grounds are those
off Newfoundland, the straits of Belle Isle and
Southern Labrador, where the smaller sized
codfish have swarmed in vast quantities for over
200 years. Forty-five years ago the cisco was
the most prolific fish in our own Lake Ontario.
The numbers caught were well-nigh marvel-

IN THE ST. LAWRENCE.

ous. Now, they are far less numerous. In
1850 there were comparatively few black bass
in the St. Lawrence or the lake. Now, they
are the gamiest fish to be found, and vast num-
bers are caught by expert anglers. We might
enumerate other varieties that were once
plentiful but are now scarce. We show abcve
a large sturgeon, a fish once often caught in
the St. Lawrence, but not now so plentiful.
6]

< *

sure*

SI> ISLANDS.

NABLE PLEASURE TRATEL.

.king immediate oonncotloni at Clayton without tranifer,
1 the RiTer Saguenay, paaeing all the Thoaaand lalandi

through Sleeping Cam Niagara Fall* to Portland, making
inning through the heart of the Hountalna via Fabyan'i
mebunkport and all Sea Coast reaorts of Maine. This

, Byracnse and Utica to Clajton [Thousand Iilan4«L wteM

m»*

anuria

Bay

montr

.aM*0»"'"

. CMtHNIV I.

I. ^"h.

MCEYI,

IWNMIOCal.

. ^ n»^%ft^f^ It

• -

-K-^'

WATCH I.

><%

.^•^?^

"-*"a'«*5/-

ts indicated by Figures in Red.

nd Ex-Lient.-GoT. T. O. Alvord.

Mr. Chas. O. Emery, New York.

;ht-UoaM, head of American Channel.

Orient B. R. Washburn, New York.

Mrs. K. N. Kobmaon, New York.

d 0. L. Fredericks, CarUtage, N.Y.

( Rer. Qoodrteb, LafarseyHle, N. Y.
,^ > Arthur Hughes, Stone Mills N. Y.
"* \ Frederick Smith, Watertown, N. Y.

( L. S. Alnsworth, Watertown, N. Y.
:>ror. A. H. Brown, Carthage, N. Y.
f. D. Fersuaon, '■ "

fohn Norwn, " "

Ion. W. W. Bntterfleld, Bedwood, N. Y.

Names of Points indicated by Figures in Red.

10. kland Royal Royal K. Deane, New York.

n. Seven Isles Bradley Winalow, Watertown, N. Y.

11. Point ViTian; Beiot Toaer, J. J. Kinney, Dr. Jonea,

Geo. Jonea, William Cooper, and others. Stone Hills,
New York.
M. Bella Visto Lodge F. J. Bocworth, Newport, R. I.

14. Comfort Island A.E.Clark, Chicago.

15. Warner Island H. H. Warner, Rochester, N. T.

16. Cherry Istand ] G. B teT' ^"''i*^"

17. WauWinet '..C. E. Hlil, Chicago.

18. Nobby Island. H. R. Hesth, New York.

It. Welcome Island S.Q.Pope, Osdensbnit.

ao. Linlithgow Islanu E. A. Livlngaton, New York.

»\. Bonnie Castle Holland Estate.

2S. Isle Imperial Mrs. H. G. Le Conte, Phlladdphla.

23. Point Margnerite ..ft. Anthony, Newjr< "

34. Sport Island
», ■

argnerite ...ft AnthonT,New

fork.

g| VSnmmerland Qroap.
K. Manhattan Oroop,

>-r

ir^-

f'-^^irif !**■».«

haps not as extensive tiv. - ^^^.^^^y, -'c wunessea m sue. ho..uw..

that drained by the mighty Mississippi, yet the Javish profusion nowhere else.

[7]

Miiuiuj

^mOmnamt^i^^M^^MMMMilAiiSSm

1 ">: -^ r^-l.sy??**- -

GANANOQUe

.^^,

KdHonalBoundtuvane'

Through and LoacU SteamwB, dotted rtf .Rnai;

Railroada, solid rtd Mne

wmmi

•THC*TOURI^

TIDD8I. ^^'tll'^'f^ • '

THE ONLY AUi-BAIIi ROl

THE GREAT HIGHWAY AND FAYOMTE

Solid Trains with Elegant Sleeping Cars leave Niajjara Falls daily 8.10 p.
with powerful steamers of Kichelieu & Ontario Navigation Co. for Alexandi
and running all the Bapids of the River St. Lawrence by daylight, the moa

White Mountains and Portland Express leaves Niagara Falla daily exce
connections at Norwood for Massena Springs ; at Moira for Paul Smith's ai
cmd famous Crawford Notch to Portland, with immediate connections for
train stops at all principal resorts in the White Mountains.

Sleeping Cars on Night Trains and Drawing-Boom Cars on Day Trains 1
connection is made by all trains with Palace Steamer "St. Lawrence" for al

SCALE OF MILES

(^ .-

.-')?*•

«OC|Ci

LOCAL DISTANCES.

MILKS

Cape Vincent to Carlton Inland 2

if •' •• Prospect Park.... 13

" Clayton 14

" Hound Island 16

** Thousand Island

Park 18

** Fisher's Landing 90

Cape Vincent to Alexandria Ba]

»r " '♦ Kingston "

" •♦ ♦' Gananoque.

Alexandria Bay to Westmin

Park

" •« »« Bockport...

«* •• " Central Pari

£ •TOURISTS •iOCAi

LY AI.Ii-BAIIi ROUTB TO THE THO

AND FAYOBITE ROUTE FOR FASl UBLE PLEASURE TRATEL.

3UT£-

«D ISLANDS.

lapara Falls daily 8.10 p. m. for Thoueand Islandf
igation Co. for Alexandria Bay, Montreal, Quebfli
oe by daylight, the moat attractive trip in the wd
Niagara Falls daily except Saturday at 8.10 p. m.v
oira for Paul Smith's and Adirondack resorts, ai

Ung immediate connections at Clayton without transfer,
I the Biver Saguenay, passing all the Thousand Islands

through Sleeping Cars Niagara Falls to Portland,making

toMontrei

40 MJIe«

inning through the heart of the Mountains via Fabyan's
nediata connections for Bar Harbor, Old Orchard finebunkport and all Sea Coast resorts of Haine. This
antains.

)m Cars on Day Trains from Niagara Falls, Bocht |, Syracuse and Utioa to Clayton [Thousand Islan^JiLiKliMNr
it "St. Lawrence" for aU Thousand Island Besort

SCALE OF MILES

;es.

MILM.

acent to Alexandria Bay . . . 86

" " Kingston 10

'* *' Gananoqce IS

ria Bay to Westminster

•«

** Rockport «

" Central Park... t

Names of PoRS indicated by Fij^ures in Red.

1. Carlton Islani

2. Governor's Isfcd. Ex-Lient.-Gov. T. G. Alvord.

8. Calumet IslanK Mr. Chas. O. Bmery, New York.

4. Bock Island L»t-Hoiue, head of American Channel.

R J Occident ai : Orient E. H. Washburn, New York.

°* J Isle of Pin I Mrs. B. N. RobiuBon, New York.

8. Frederick Is) i 0. L. Fredericks, Carthage, N. Y.

7. WellBleyHo T

] ( Rer. Goodrich, LafarKevUle, N. Y.
a w*«in* RnJ ite 2 Arthur Hughes, Stone Mills, N. Y.

8. Wartof Bra fee < Frederick ftnith. Watertown, N. Y.
. ( L. 8. Aintworth, Watertown, N. Y.
frof. A. B. Brown, Carthage, N. Y.
g. D. FecgUBon,

>rton.

9. Jolly Oaka,

««

iphn NoLw».

Son. W. W. Batterlleld, Redwood, M. Y.

Names of Points indicated by Figures in Red.

10. Island Royal Royal £. Deane, New York.

11. Seven Isles Bradley Winslow, Watertown, N. Y.

11. Point Vivian; Reaot Tozer, J. J. Kinney, Dr. Jonee,

Geo. Jones, William Cooper, and others, Stone Mills,
New York.
IS. Bella Vista Lodge F. J. Bosworih, Newport, R. I.

14. Comfort Island A. B. Clark, Chicago.

15. Warner Island. H. H. Warner, Rochester, N. x .

16. cher„w«d {S:l;te''*'"f^-

17. WanWinet 0. B. Hill, Chicago.

18. Nobby Island H. R. Heath, New York.

19. Welcome Island S.Q.Fop^, Oodensbnrg.

ao. Linlithgow Island B. A. Livlngstim, New York.

21. Bonnie Castle Holland Bstote.

29. Isle Imperial Mrs. H. G. Le Conte, Philad^hia.

2S. Point Marguerite .ft. Antkonj, New York.

94. Sport Islanil ., Acker Bstatt.

1^1 isonunorland Qronp.
87. Manhattan Chwip,

''"'^'^VfT^-r.-m^

awn p ^i w i'

'''■■f ;i

-«&

*«?'

^z-

y?-

..•■,^..

■«.■ .

It is

place in .^

haps the ». aff ^

off New

Southern i<uuruuui, nwv,.v, .

codfish have swarmed in vast quantities for over
200 years. Forty-five years ago the cisco was

«ijk,^

■ y

■ 'rt ■

^^4:

plentiful but are now bcc

I •

Of !l

.M.J c

; r iiiai.

We show abc ve

the most prolific fish in our own Lake Ontario, a large sturgeon, a fish once often caught in
The numbers caught were well-nigh marvel- the St. Lawrence, but not now so plentiful

[61

s«- '•

THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

INTRODUCTORY AND DESCRIPTIVE.

» ^-i

fHERE is in North America a mighty
river, having its head in remote lakes,
yhich though many in number, are yet so
great that one of them is known as the largest
body of fresh water on the globe — with a
flow as placid and pulseless as the great
Pacific itself, yet as swift in places as the
average speed of a railway train. Its waters
are pure and azure-hued, no matter how many
turbid streams attempt to defile them. It is
a river that has no freshets nor scarcely any
drying up, no matter how great the rain or
snow-fall or how severe the drouth on all its
thousand miles of drainage or of flow — so
grand and yet so lovingly beautiful as to
enthrall every appreciative soul.

It rises in the great fresh-water sea, and
ends in the great Atlantic — some places ten
miles wide, at others less than a mile. This
great river has never as yet had a respectable
history, nor more than an occasional artist to
delineate its beauties. It runs for very many
miles between two great nations, yet neglected
by both, though neither could be as great
without it — a river as grand as the La Plata,
as picturesque as the Rhine, as pure as the
Lakes of Switzerland. Need we say that this
wonderful stream is the St. Lawrence, the
noblest, purest, most enchanting river of all
God's beautiful earth ?

This noble stream drains nearly the whole
of that vast region lying between the 41st and
49th degrees of north latitude, and the 60th
and 93d parallels of longitude — a region per-
haps not as extensive nor as productive as
that drained by the mighty Mississippi, yet the

flow of water in the St. Lawrence must exceed
that in the Mississippi, for the current in the
former is rapid, while the latter, except in
great freshets, is contented with a medium
flow. Rising in 49° north latitude, the waters
of the St. Lawrence flow down through their
many lakes to near the 41st parallel, whence
they are impinged towards the north, and at
Cape Vincent take an almost northeast course,
following that general direction until they
reach the great sea — entering it on almost
the same meridian of longitude that crosses its
remote source in British North America. Why
its history has so long remained unwritten,
and why this noble river is not more generally
known, is perhaps accounted for in part by
the fact that the St. Lawrence traverses a
region of country remote from the great
thoroughfares of the world's commerce or
trade. It lies along the boundary line of
business. Its banks, to be sure, are dotted
here and there with thriving towns and cities»
several of considerable importance in the
world's traffic, but its grand use is in connect-
ing the great lakes with the ocean. The region
through which it passes is one of great interest.
The geological formation attracts the atten-
tion of the student and the artist. It bears on
its face the unmistakable traces of a primeval
condition, found nowhere else on our con-
tinent, and probably not in more striking
beauty anywhere on the face of the globe. Its
picturesque windings, pure water, wonderful
atmosphere, and great and varied beauty of
scenery, are witnessed in such wonderful and
Javish profusion nowhere else. /•»»■. .

[7J

A SOUVEMR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

The air is an element of more worth than
weight, and exceeds all others in its ability to
impart pleasure and comfort, as well as to pain
and annoy. Every pleasure or pain is affected
by the quality of the air we breathe. The
atmosphere has not only to do with our tempo-
ral happiness and comfort, but it has very
much to do with making character. It has
been observed that the inhabitants of high,
rugged countries, who breathe the clear, pure
air of heaven, are those who come nearest to
living the lives of noble freemen. The spirit
of liberty and honor is said to inhabit the
mountains, while the spirit of dependence,
sloth and venality is found in the humid,
luxurious low countries; and as man, so nature
partakes of that spirit and element which build
up and beautify. The air of the St. Lawrence
region is one of its greatest attractions. It is
pure, clear and invigorating. The early dawn
and the evening twilight there are among the
loveliest on the globe.

Next to air in importance comes water, the
eldest daughter of creation. It was upon the
water that the spirit of creation first moved.
It is coupled with water that the greatest
beauty in nature is found. It is the element
that God commanded to bring forth living
creatures abundantly; the element without
which all creatures on land, as well as those
within its folds, must perish. Moses gives it
the first place, and justly so, because out of it
all things came. Nowhere is there a stream
which resembles the St. Lawrence in the
particular feature of its purity and the rare-
fying influences of the atmosphere. Through-
out its entire length this great stream has the
clearness and purity of a mountain spring, and
the water and air combine to make more
beautiful and enjoyable those natural attrac-
tions in scenery for which it is fast becoming
known to the traveler and the world in general.
Yet its wonderful breadth of attractiveness, in
all its wide range, is even now imperfectly
understood.

If the waters of the St, Lawrence are
attractive and full of enjoyment and recrea-
tion for the pleasure-seeker, its thousands of
beautiful islands present pictures grand and

sublime — pictures of which the poet painters
have only dreamed. Its romantic and un-
written history is only an attractive field in
which facts assume the air of fiction. The
romance of American history is an interesting
and important harvest, which is fast passing
away, and soon will be lost forever, unless
garnered into the great treasure-house of the
printed page, where it can be preserved for
the coming ages. No section of the continent
is the scene of events more important and
numerous, in our unwritten history, than that
through which this great river flows. For
it has been the principal artery along which
the pulse of civilization throbbed for ages in
its struggles to penetrate the unknown region
of the inland seas of the far West.

Its civilization is older than that of any
other section of the continent. The scenes
and struggles on its banks have been nobler,
grander and more persistent than those of any
other section. Nowhere else can be found such
determined and Herculean efforts. Coupled
with this, in turn, have come some of the
sublimest and grandest examples of Christian
faith and forbearance to be found anywhere,
for the civilization and conversion of the
native North American and the possession of
this continent. Almost every village and
hamlet — especially of the lower portion of
the river — has a history full of stirring records,
important in the first settlement of this conti-
nent, while the upper St. Lawrence is closely
identified with all the leading events of the
early history of our own country; and, in
addition to this, has an interesting local his-
tory, illustrative of the events and trials un-
dergone by a struggling pioneer people for
the enjoyment of the priceless boon of Liberty.

To reach back down the line of years past,
and gather up the forgotten and almost lost
scenes and incidents, and weave about these
newly-discovered sources of beauty and popu-
lar resources of pleasure the history of early
days and discoveries, and preserve it all, em-
bellished by the hand of the artist, for future
ages, is not a work of ease, though we have
found it a work of pleasure. History will take
us back more than fifteen hundred years, and

INTRODUCTORY.

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we find that there are few martyrs in the
Church of Rome whose name or fame rests upon
a more lasting or better foundation than that
of St. Lawrence. And yet in the New World
it has found a fame and foundation that shall
be admired long ages after the story of his
deeds and even the holy church which canon-
ized his bones may have been forgotten. It
is gratifying to know that the object of our
adoration is so honorably and worthily chris-
tened, although in learning this we are re-
minded of the ceaseless spirit of change
written upon all things. St. Lawrence the
martyr has become St. Lawrence the river.

The stereotyped falsities of history are very
many in America, and they creep upon us with
our eyes wide open. They come because
legend has taken the place of fact. The writer
who would dare seriously to dispute the claim
of Columbus to the honor accorded him for
nearly three hundred years, would be bold in-
deed ; and yet the position that he was not the
discoverer of America has been attempted to
be maintained. The Pilgrims landed at Ply-
mouth Rock, and came to found a government
where they could enjoy religious freedom and
liberty, and open an asylum for the oppressed
of all other countries. But long before them
there came a colony whose sole purpose was
TO FISH ; and the nation they founded has vied
with the others, and grown mighty and formid-
able in wealth and greatness. It seems not
altogether unlikely that the American nation
may develop characteristics which will be better
evidence of its origin and the original purpose
of its founders than can be found in the piety
or exalted purpose of the Pilgrims. So, every-
where, the great incentive to explore and ex-
tend government bounds and influence has
been that gain might follow religion.

As early as 1500, great fleets of British and
Norman sailors visited Newfoundland, whose
cod-fisheries were even then known through-
out the Old World. The coasts of Newfound-
land and Labrador were visited many times by
these great fleets before any attempt was made
at evploring the Gulf of St. Lawrence or the
river, even at its mouth. The Spaniards had
then begun to seek for treasure on the south-

west coast of America. Faint glimpses of the
great father of waters had gone out to the
world, and strange stories came from the
Indians of its source and the great lakes be-
yond. Jesuit missionaries, little by little,
dared to penetrate the great unknown, and
suffer the cruelties and hardships of life in a
wilderness dominated with savage men and
beasts. Spain was pushing her researches,
and the Old World was filled with reports of
strange people and of a strange land. Of
course, fiction and romance are never idle,
and they clothed the whole in wonderful
beauty and decked the New World with gold,
precious stones and gems of rarest worth and
excellence.

It was under these circumstances that Jac-
ques Cartier, a French sea captain, in 1534,
came with two vessels to explore the great
river that empties through the Gulf into the
Atlantic, which had been known by the Lab-
rador and Newfoundland fishermen for nearly
? hundred years. He landed at the mouth of
the river in the Spring, and had not proceeded
far — in fact, had not entered the river at all
— before he became satisfied that the Span-
iards had been there before him ; and as he
progressed further, he found unmistakable
evidence that these restless, undaunted ex-
plorers had several times visited those shores
in search of mines. They had ascended the
river some distance, but abandoned the search
after amusing themselves by cruel treatment
of the innocent natives. It is claimed by some
that the name of Canada comes from a corrup-
tion of their expression of disgust and dis-
appointment — "Aca-Nada " (here is nothing),
which the natives picked up and held on to,
without knowing its meaning, for the purpose
of designating the place and associating with
it the strangers who came. Whatever may be
the merit or truth of this story, it has the
authority of the oldest and best historian of
Canada (Heriot).

Cartier returned to France during the Sum-
mer, having accomplished little or nothing by
his journeying. The next year he made an-
other voyage to the Gulf, which was almost as
barren of results as his first one. He effected

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

a landing on the north entrance of the great
river, and called the place St. Nicholas, which
name it still bears. He also named a bay on
the same coast St. Laurence, for the reason
that he entered the bay on the loth of August

— St. Laurence's fast-day. Thence the name
has spread the entire length of the river. The
Spaniards were the first to explore the river, but
by a strange coincidence, a Frenchman names
it after a saint of Spanish birth and education.

Cartier passed up the river on this voyage
as far as where Montreal is now situated, and
there he remained during the Winter, becom-
ing acquainted with the natives, trading with
them and studying their habits, customs and
language. This point was at that time some-
thing oT an Indian village, under the name of
"Hochelaga." In the Spring he returned to
France, and for four years the wars and inter-
nal troubles of his own country prevented any
furcher visits or explorations.

About 1542 King Francis First issued letters
to Francis dela Roque, Seigneur de Robervale,
giving him power of the King over " Canada,
Hochelaga, Saguenay, Terre Neuva, Labra-
dor," and other countries or "cities" of the
New World. The commission was almost
equal to the command to ^'o forth and possess
the earth. Six ships embarked in this expe-
dition, Cartier accompanying it as chief cap-
tain. A portion of the party settled at Que-
bec, but the most of those who remained
settled at Montreal — Cartier among the num-
ber. The vessels returned to France laden
with furs which were gathered during the
Winter. The next year they came again, and
found the little colony in good condition.
Cartier then explored the river to the mouth
of the Saguenay, and the new scenes could
hardly be believed even by those who were in
the midst, much less by those who listened to
the report of them. This feeling is still shared
in a pleasurable degree by those who behold
for the first time the scenery of the lower St.
Lawrence and its tributaries. A third expe-
dition to Canada was undertaken two years
after, under Roberval, but it proved a failure

— all the ships being lost, and no survivor was
left to tell the story.

The growth of the French colony was very
slow, and its h'story is one of great hardships
and privations. The rigorous climate, the
bloodthirsty and hostile natives, the great
number of wild beasts, all combined to neu-
tralize and circumscribe every effort at happi-
ness, and even a tolerable existence was hardly
attainable. Then follow the expeditions of
Champlain, who traversed the discoveries of
Cartier, and penetrated still farther west, and
reached out to the north and south through
the tributaries of the great river ; and for the
first time the exploration of the country was
begun in earnest. Companies were formed,
and aid and assistance obtained from the
French government, and large investments
were made by capitalists and speculators.
The Indian wars and massacres which followed
have scarcely parallels in American history.
The great tribes of Algonquins, Hurons and
Iroquois roamed at will from the upper Missis-
sippi to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and began
to look with jealous eyes upon the incursions
of the white man. The fur-trade began to be
the great business of the colonists, and the St.
Lawrence river was the thoroughfare by which
the tribes from the lake country were enabled
to reach Montreal, where they disposed of
their stock of skins. It was by this trade that
the river was really opened up to the adven-
turous white man.

The events of these years, and the progress
of civilization are interesting; they are the
very romance of American history, and per-
tain to that which is fast becoming the most
enjoyable and pleasing portion of our conti-
nent in Summer. From the foot of Lake
Ontario to Prescott is a continued stream of
romance and beauty, which our artist will
portray by his camera. Surely the region in
Summer is one calculated to make us ask, as
we move amid the delights,

" Was it not dropt from heaven ?"

Not a breath but bears enchantment ; not a
cliff but flings or* the clear wave some image
of delight. Every turn and motion of the
boat brings new views, new scenes, new life :
scenes that fascinate the eye, and pictures

THE CHAIN OF TITLE.

that draw the soul in wondering admiration
to the great Artist Divine. Be it ours to
muse on such scenes ; ours to glide through
them from daybreak till the beautiful night
creeps on and broods in solemn stillness over
all. Through all the years of life the memory
of such scenes last ; they come in dreams, and
we revisit them in memory's treasure-house.
They draw us nearer the really good and
beautiful which we all some day hope to enjoy.
The work in hand is one of importance to
Canada and the United States, and is of espe-
cial interest to persons who live within the
section of country covered by it, as well as to
all admirers of American scenery. The scope
and design is sufficiently broad to comprehend
everything of interest. The picturesque por-
tions are within the limits named, and they are
artistic. Views of scenery and of villas alone
will make the work of great value. The scenes
will not only be new, never before having
been presented to the public in this complete
form — but the enjoyment and improvement
of them by the pleasure-seekers who make the
islands their permanent Summer homes, is
also a new feature in American Summer-life,
and adds very much to the natural beauty.
These islands are petty kingdoms, lying in
close and friendly proximity to each other —
ruled by no power except the wishes, comfort
and happiness of those who call them " Home."
In the upper St. Lawrence there are over
fifteen hundred of these islands. A large por-
tion of them are owned by wealthy persons,
many of whom have built upon them fine resi-

dences, and laid out tasteful grounds. Within
the past few years the improvements in this
direction have been very great. One immense
camp-meeting enterprise has railed into exist-
ence hundreds of fine cottages on the largest
island, and many desirable residences on the
lower end of the same, while every island, i
during the summer months, seems to bear its
portion, if not of permanent Summer-homes,
of transient tenting or camping parties.
Skiffs and steam yachts being the only means
of getting from island to island, or from an
island to the main shore, they are of necessity
numerous, and handsome and expensive ones
are plenty. They move silently about, with
fishing or visiting parties, in the day-time;
and when the soft evening air, so peculiar to
this region, has settled down, and the beautiful
sunset faded out, the different islands will be-
come illuminated ; boats loaded with happy
pleasure-seekers glide about among them ;
then it is that the search-light expedition gets
in its weird work ; the music of bands and of
voices floats out upon the pure, clear air, over
the placid waters — and the heart cannot but
respond in its fullest gladness. Nowhere on
earth, away from the silent Adriatic, has the
poet's dream of Venice been so fully, raptur-
ously realized. For fully forty miles in the
upper St. Lawrence (between Kingston, Cape
Vincent and Brockville), where these islands
are thickest, the scenery by day is grand and
inspiring, while the illuminations, the music,
the flashing boats and the festivities make
the evenings enchanting.

THE CHAIN OF TITLE.

not a

/^THE importance of these islands, which
T^ form the northwestern boundary of
Jefferson county, demands historical considera-
tion distinct and separate from the towns in
which they are situated. Cape Vincent, Clay-
ton, Orleans and Alexandria each claim a part
of the islands, since they are mapped and de-
scribed as belonging to the towns which front
upon the river opposite. The islands proper
really begin at Cape Vincent and Kingston,

and extend to Morristown and Brockville,
about thirty-eight miles below, and are about
1,500 in number.

The author has been sometimes puzzled
what to believe as he listens to diverse state-
ments of the same general facts as related by
different individuals. To understand the
errors of many such statements, at once de-
monstrates the unreliability of oral testimony,
and shows the importance of serious inve&ti-

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

gation before making a record for the printed
page. It was once believed by many that
Wellsley Island was for a time held half-and-
half by both Canada and the United States.
The inconsistency of such a location of the
dividing line between two governments will be
apparent to the most casual observer. But
under such misinformation there were numer-
ous settlements by Canadians upon that im-
portant island, claiming that they were within
the limits of their own country. The truth
is that in the treaty division of these islands
there was no attempt to divide any island.
The treaty called for a line running up the
" main channel of the St. Lawrence," but
when the commissioners came on to locate the
line, they found two main channels, both
navigable, though the southeast (the American)
channel was by far the straightest, and is un-
doubtedly the main channel of the river at
that point; and so the commissioners " gave
and took " islands under the treaty, Wellsley
Island falling to the United States because so
rear its main shore, and Wolfe Island going
to the Canadians for a similar reason.

The place which this beautiful region holds
in American history is second only to that
occupied by New England and Plymouth
Rock, while the memories and traditions which
cluster around it are as thrilling and romantic
as are to be found in the new world. Wars,
piracy, tragedy and mystery have contributed
to its lore. The people of the United States
should ever bear in mind that this river was
discovered by the Spanish, conquered by the
French, again conquered by the English,
whose footprints have become indelible. That
nation yet controls the whole river for long
distances, and is half owner for yet other
long distances. It is the grand highway for
both Canada, England and America. May it
ever remain such.

The St. Lawrence was discovered by Jac-
ques Cartier, the French explorer, in 1535,
but he did not proceed farther up the stream
than to explore the St. Louis rapids above
Montreal. There is much uncertainty as to
the identity of the white man who first gazed
upon the beautiful scene presented by the

Thousand Islands. The early discoverers were
less interested in scenery than in the practical
things which pertained to navigation, trade
and travel, and the spreading of Christianity.
Champlain, in 1615, beginning at the western
end of Lake Ontario, explored that lake and
the St. Lawrence to Sorel river, thus passing
through the Thousand Island region on to
Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte.

How or when or by whom the world's atten-
tion was first called to this archipelago is cer-
tainly a matter of doubt, but certainly at an
early date it had impressed itself upon the lover
of the grand and beautiful, for at least two
centuries ago the French christened it " Les
Mille Isles "—The Thousand Isles. The later
and more completely descriptive English name
for it is "The Lake of a Thousand Islands."
The St. Lawrence has marked the line of
separation, and the Thousand Islands have
been the scene of some of the important cam-
paigns in four great conflicts between nations.
The first was the Indian war between the
Algonquins and the Iroquois, which continued
many years, with occasional intermissions.
The second struggle was between the French
and English, and some of its hostile meetings
and victories and defeats took place among the
islands and on the neighboring shores. In the
American Revolutionary war with England,
and that between the same forces in 18 12, the
defense of this locali«^y was of decided im-
portance, but its joint occupancy was settled
by the wise men of both countries.

Some of the most exciting incidents of that
disgraceful military adventure known as the
Patriot War, with its intermittent outbreaks
from 1837 to 1839, took place on this part of
the river, notably the burning of the Canadian
steamer Sir Robert Peel, on Wellsley Island,
on the night of May, 29, 1838, and the battle
of the Windmill, near Prescott, Ont., Novem-
ber 13, of the same year.

The development and wonderful increase in
the value of these islands have been more
especially due to influences which have origi-
nated at Alexandria Bay. The islands were
transferred to the State of New York through
the several treaties with the aboriginies, follow-

A RAINY DAY AT THE ISLANDS.

«3

ing the same chain of title by which the main
shore, from the Hudson to the St. Lawrence,
came under the proprietary and governing con-
trol of the State. The dividing line between
the United States and Canada passes some-
what arbitrarily among the islands, varying in
size from a small pile of rocks covered by a
few stunted trees, to others quite large — one
of them (Wellsley Island) containing nearly
10,000 acres of arable land. This valuable
island was conceded to the United States un-
der the treaty with England, negotiated at the
close of the war for independence. The State
of New York, by patent under its great seal,
conveyed the islands to Colonel Elisha Camp,
a distinguished citizen of Sackets Harbor,
N. Y. In 1845 Azariah Walton and Chester-
field Parsons purchased (not from Col. Camp,
but from Yates & Mclntyre, of lottery fame,
whose title came from Camp), the northwest
half of Wellsley Island and "all the islands in
the American waters of the river St. Lawrence
from the foot of Round Island (near Clayton)
to Morristown," a distance of some thirty-five
miles. The consideration was ^3,000. Event-
ually the Parsons interest was purchased by
Walton, who became sole owner, and continued
as such until the firm of Cornwall & Walton
was established in 1853, when they purchased
nearly the whole of the remaining half of
Wellsley Island, and then that firm became sole

owner of all these islands, having vested in
them all the rights and title originally granted
Colonel Camp by the State of New York.
To Hon. Andrew Cornwall, for nearly fifty
years at Alexandria Bay, and always its de-
voted friend and advocate, is due the greatest
credit for the movement which has developed
the Thousand Islands, and he is yet spared to
greet each season the great company who
come year by year to enjoy the grand river.
A brief sketch of his life should be published
and appreciated. He is the patriarch of the
American side of the upper St. Lawrence.

The value of the islands was quite nominal
until they fell under the new firm's control,
and even for several years afterward. Event-
ually there grew up a demand for them, and
they were sold low, but with a clause in the
conveyance requiring a cottage to be erected
within three years. Col. Staples obtained as
a free gift the grounds upon which he erected
the Thousand Island House. As an indica-
tion of the present value of at least one of
these islands, it is now made public that
$10,000 was offered and refused for an island
sold by Cornwall & Walton for $100. The
Canadian islands were not, of course, included
in the grant to Camp, Yates & Mclntyre, or to
Cornwall & Walton. A considerable number
of these Canadian islands were lately sold by
that Government.

A RAINY DAY AT THE ISLANDS.

CUNSHINE and daylight are at their best
^S/ among these islands. But even a rainy
day has its compensations. Then the men
stay around the hotels, and devote themselves
to the ladies, who are not so much given to
fishing as are their escorts. The book that
was but lately cast aside for something prom-
ising greater zest, is now resumed at the
turned-down page, and the promised letter is
thought of and leisurely written. The ladies
gather upon the verandas of the hotels, and
with crocheting and talk and exchange of ex-
periences, pass away the time. Many predic-
tions are made as to the duration of the rain,

and with friendly chat, not disguising an
occasional yawn, the hour for an early dinner
soon arrives, and after that comes the after-
noon nap, the early tea and then the pleasures
of the evening. Some dance, the young
brides and the other bright ones who are very
willing to become brides and share in the
happiness they watch so intently, these steal
away to the darker corners of the verandas,
where confidences and an occasional pressure
of the hand (possibly a kiss) may be indulged
in without too much publicity. So, almost
unflaggingly, the day passes away, and John,
the oarsman, promising fair weather to-mor-

A SOU VEX IR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

row, stillness and sleep creep over the happy
company, who are willing to declare that even
a rainy day is enjoyable among the Thousand
Islands, where the soft outlines of the ever-
varying shore are half hidden, half revealed
through the rainy mist, as if waiting for the
sun's enchanting power to develop their hid-
den mysteries and reveal their entrancing,
restful beauties. This is indeed that " Port
of Peace," into which, when once you have
sailed your boat, you are glad to stay, and you
leave the spot with sad regrets, to be remem-
bered always as the place where the soul is
lifted up to God in glad thankfulness that He
ever made such a resting spot for His weary
children, who, through many pilgrimages in
many lands, at last find here a spot that fills
the hungry soul with satisfaction.

Now, AS TO Health.

All who have ever remained here for a week
are conscious that after the third or fourth
day there is a peculiar change in the system.
If you have been troubled with insomnia, it
begins to leave you, and natural, restful sleep
asserts its sway. You like to sit and rest,
your legs become lazy, and you are not at all
anxious for long walks. The hotel's shady
settees have become matters for considera-
tion ; you conclude, after much argument,
which is the easiest one, and best protected
from the sun. You yawn often, and wonder
what has come over you. You can lay down
and take a nap at almost any hour after lo
A. M. You languidly push aside the news-
paper whose leaders only last week were read
with the most intense interest. The spirit of
Rest creeps upon you almost unawares, for
your system is being fed upon the ozone of
this health-giving spot. The very air becomes
an active ally in behalf of your overworked
nerves, and before you are aware of it, you
begin to fill up with reserve force, that shall
stand you in good stead in the city's heat and
push.

These beneficial influences are within the
reach of all. There are now hotels and
boarding-houses at Alexandria Bay, Thousand
Island Park, Clayton, Cape Vincent, West-

minster Park, Round Island, and at many
other .esorts, where the poor man can find
entertainment within his means, and the rich
man, too (much as he is criticised), may also
find comforts adapted to his desires. In
former times there were only the more expen-
sive resorts, and that kept away the middle-
class of summer tourists. That is all changed
now, and every condition except the chroni-
cally poor can find boarding houses within
their means. It will not be long before this
great national Vacation Park, 38 miles long,
will be eagerly sought by all conditions of
society, from the skilled mechanic to the
millionaire.

The Value of Rest.

Many people make the mistake of sup-
posing that a summer vacation is not com-
plete unless devoted to various sorts of
physical exercise. It seems to be taken for
granted that the energies of body and mind
cannot be recuperated except by trips and
diversions that call for muscular effort. Sum-
mer resorts that do not offer such opportuni-
ties are often thought to be wanting in proper
attractions. There is another class of people,
such as artists, teachers and clergymen, who
seek places where they may pursue their
usual work amid new surroundings. Under
suitable restrictions perhaps no harm comes
from this. Change of air and of diet are
beneficial, and new faces and new scenery
tend to break up the monotony of all toil and
care. There are not enough people, however,
who appreciate the value of a period of abso-
lute rest, an entire cessation from activity.
Just as land is better for being allowed to lie
fallow, the physical and mental energies of
man are better for being allowed to repose for
a time. Nothing is lost by permitting mind
and body each year to indulge thus in a few
days' slumber. A short season spent in loung-
ing about the Thousand Islands, watching the^
shifting water, or in idling in the woods and
fields, with their fresh odors and changing
views of hill and dale, light and shade, island
and shore, as they intermingle and then sepa-
ate, will often fill the frame with new vigor

HON. ELDRIDGE G. At E KICK.

»5

and tlie mind with new impressions. Particu-
larly is such a change beneficial when the
thermometer is up among the nineties. Then,
if ever, the energies should be carefully hus-
banded. The English philosopher who as-
serted that Americans work too hard and take

too little leisure, stated i truth which intelli-
gent foreign visitors have frequently noted.
'J'his warning has a special timeliness just at
l)resent, and the seeker after a spot where the
very soul may rest will find his El Dorado
among the Thousand Islands.

HON. ELORIDG

It is fortunate for our history that we are
able to present to our readers, from an en-
tirely reliable source, a very circumstantial
and accurate record of the life of one of
the great river's most widely known, distin-
guished and able denizens, who rose from small
beginnings to the very first rank in business
and in citizenship. Indeed, the writer re-
members no man in Jefferson county who was
superior to Mr. Merick. There were two or
three, Hon . ) ville Hungerford, Hon. C. B.
Hoard, andj. .rhaps Gen. Wm. H. Angel, who
stood as high in probity and faithfulness to
friends and to society, and were as patriotic
and high minded as Mr. Merick, but he had
no " superior " in his adopted county, nor in
Northern New York, nor on the river.

He was the fifth child in a family of nine
children, six boys and three girls, and was
born March 6, 1802, in Colchester, Delaware
county, N. Y., from which place he moved
with the family to Sherburne, Chenango
county, at the age of about four years. The
section to which the family removed was
almost an unbroken wilderness, with few in-
habitants and no schools or opportunity for
obtaining an education. The principal amuse-
ment for a boy of his age was picking up the
brush and burning it, preparing the land for
crops. The first school he attended was at
the age of nine. The school held for only
four months. At the end of the four months
he was able to read a newspaper fairly well.
He continued at home, himself and brother
carrying on the farm, until eleven, at which
time he went to live with a man named Clark.
That family had no children, and Eldridge
was treated as their own child. Mr. Clark
had a small farm on the Chenango river,

E G. MERICK.

which this boy carried on principally, with
occasionally a little help from the owner.
His business, after getting through with the
work of the farm in the fall, was to chop and
put up ten cords of wood before going to
school the first year, increasing it five cords
e.ich year until he got twenty-five cords, which
was all that was needed for the family. Eld-
ridge attended the country school from three
to four months each winter, until seventeen
years of age, and then he commenced teach-
ing. When Mr. Clark went to St. Lawrence
county in 1820, young Merick went witii him,
remaining there until twenty-one years ^' age.

Arriving at majority, the people with whom
he lived not being in a situation to do any-
thing for him, he found it necessary to shift
for himself. His first effort was a contract
for building a stone wall at Russell, St. Law-
rence county, after which he went to Water-
town, Jefferson county, working there for
several months, and delivered the material
for the old stone Presbyterian church ; thence
to Sackets Harbor, to work for Festus Clark,
a brother of his former employer, as clerk in
a small store. Remaining there for a short
time, he went to Depauville, in the same capa-
city, with Stephen Johnson, who had a coun-
try store, and was also engaged in the lumber
business for the Quebec market.

He remained with Mr. Johnson two years,
superintending his lumber business largely,
and while there became acquainted with Mr.
Jesse Smith, who had been furnishing Mr.
Johnson with means to carry on his lumber
business. Mr. Johnson was unfortunate in
business and failed at the end of two years,
and was sold out by the sheriff, which sale
was attended by Mr. Smith as a creditor, and

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

knowing it threw young Merick out of em-
ployment, he offered him a situation, which
was gladly accepted. This was about 1826.
Mr. Smith was doing a very large mercantile
and manufacturing business for those times.
After being with him for a little over a year,
he sent Mr. Merick with a store of goods to
Perch River, and the following Summer sent
him to Quebec to look after his lumbering
interests, and in the Fall of the same year
offered him a partnership and an interest in
the business, which was accepted, and so
young Merick became the manager. The
business developed into a pretty large one,
devoted principally to lumber designed for
the Quebec market, and also the building and
running of vessels. The timber and staves,
which were the principal business, were ob-
tained about the head of Lake Ontario and
Lake Erie, extending into Lake Huron, and
were transported by vessels across the lakes
to Clayton, on the St. Lawrence, and there
made into rafts for transportation to Quebec.
Of these rafts there were several made up
every year, amounting (according to their
size) to $40,000 or $50,000 each. These rafts
had to be made very strong to run the rapids
of the river, seven or eight in number. Each
stick of oak timber was tied up with large oak
wisps, forming what was called a dram, and
from ten to twenty or thirty drams in a raft.
The rafts were propelled by a number of
small sails, but usually went but little faster
than the current. At the rapids a pilot and
extra men were taken to conduct the raft
through the rapids ; a pilot for each dram or
section, the raft being divided into several
sections for running the rapids. Sometimes a
large raft required from 200 to 300 men.
Frequently they would get broken up in the
rapids and run ashore, attended with consider-
able loss and expense in saving the pieces.
Arriving at Quebec, they were usually sold on
from two to six months' time, but the percent-
age of loss by bad debts was very small.
Better facilities were needed for transporting
this square oak timber, and a ship yard was
established at Clayton. After Mr. Smith re-
moved to Ohio, Mr. Merick continued the

timber trade, adding forwarding and grain
business, associating with Messrs. Fowler and
Esselstyn.

The business in the winter was arranging
and superintending the shipments, selecting
the timber in the country, and getting it for-
warded for shipping, and in building vessels,
of which the firm generally had one or more
on the stocks. They built, with one or two
exceptions, all the steamboats forming the
justly celebrated line on Lake Ontario and the
River St. Lawrence, on the American side.

The " Reindeer " fleet, which at one time
numbered fourteen vessels, were built at his
Clayton yard ; also three steamers of the
Ontario Navigation Company, all of them hav-
ing his careful supervision.

With D. N. Barney & Co., he built, about
1844, the steamer Empire, to run between
Buffalo and Chicago. Her increased tonnage
and decks attracted much attention, with many
prophecies of failure, but she proved a success
and was the vanguard of the fine fleet of lake
transports.

When the Grand Trunk Railroad was built,
however, following up the St. Lawrence and
Lake Ontario, the competition ruined the
business of these passenger steamers. The line
ceased to be reruunerative, and the boats were
sold, some to go to Montreal ; one went to
Charlestown, S. C, and afterwards was en-
gaged in the rebel service in the war of the
rebellion.

He had previously established a house in
Cleveland, one in Oswego and one in Buffalo,
the object being to furnish business for the
vessels on the lakes. Each additional facility
only showed the necessity of still further facili-
ties. The firm decided to build a large flour-
ing mill in Oswego, which had the largest
capacity of any mill in the country at that time,
turning out from 1,000 to 1,200 barrels a day,
and having thirteen runs of stone.

He was interested in railroad building in
Ohio, but it was before the days of floating
bonds and watering stocks, but not of incom-
petent, reckless superintendents. The enter-
prise was a failure. But through their railroad
enterprise the firm was enabled not only to con-

5 and grain
Fowler and

as arranging
its, selecting
etting it for-
,ding vessels,

one or more
1 one or two

forming the
itario and the
;rican side.

at one time
e built at his
imers of the
I of them hav-

,e built, about
run between
eased tonnage
ion, with many
oved a success
le fleet of lake

road was built,
Lawrence and
»n ruined the
ners. The line
the boats were
, one went to
wards was en-
the war of the

led a house in
one in Buffalo,
Lisiness for the
ditional facility
1 further facili-
d a large flour-
lad the largest
try at that time,
o barrels a day,
jne.

ad building in .
days of floating \
t not of inconi-
ts. The enter-
h their railroad
fnot only to con-

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trol the wheat over the road and to market by
vessels, but for the mill at Oswego. During
the war, or at the close, the mill was making
very large profits, from $1 to $2 a barrel, but
unfortunately it took fire and burned down,
with a large stock of grain and flour on hand.
The loss was pretty well protected by insurance,
but the profit which they would have made if
the mill had not burned down, could not have
been provided for. The actual loss was
nearly $150,000.

Perhaps his first and greatest financial loss
was through the failure of a large commission
house (Suydam, Sage & Co.) in New York, in
1850. But that loss brought generous and
prompt proffers of aid from business men in
Watertown, Kingston and Quebec, which were
long after most gratefully remembered. The
great financial disasters of 1857 and 1873 also
brought misfortune to him, as well as to many
others. He was greatly helped in all these re-
verses by the confidence that his creditors had
in his ability and strict integrity, steadily re-
fusing compromises when offered. He paid
dollar for dollar, though often at great sacri-
fice of property. For many years Mr. Merick
was president of the Sackets Harbor Bank,
relinquishing the position on leaving Jeffer-
son county.

For many years he found Clayton was too
much at one side for the prompt and success-
ful management and oversight of his varied
interests. He was strongly attached to the
people of Jefferson county and the beautiful
St. Lawrence, and it was with many regrets
that he left his old friends and pleasant home,
with all the associations of youth and manhood,
to make a home, in 1859, at the more central
point, Detroit. Here he took an honored
position among the business men of the city,
many of whom sought advice from him, glad
to profit by his large experience. In addition
to other business, he bought an interest in the
Detroit Dry Dock Company for the firm of
Merick, Esselstyn & Co. John Owen, Gordon
Campbell and Merick, Fowler & Esselstyn
each owned one-third of the Dry Dock stock —
the total stock being $300,000.

Mr. John Fowler, a partner of the firm of

Merick, Fowler & Esselstyn, died in May, 1879.
The surviving partners purchased his interest
in the business, and continued under the name
of Merick, Esselstyn & Co.

After the failure of 1873, Mr. Merick was
too old a man to again do business with his
former confidence and success.

In 1829 Mr. Merick married Miss Jane C.
Fowler. She died in 1881, leaving four sur-
viving children — all of whom have proven
useful and honored members of society.

Mrs. Cyrus McCormick, who was Mr. Mer-
ick's niece, was the daughter of Melzar Fow-
ler, born at Brownville, N. Y. , and survives
her distinguished husband, who was that C.
H. McCormick, so long the leader in manu-
facturing reapers for the harvest field, whose
machines have gone into all lands. He was
the one to introduce that inestimably valuable
machine into England, as is so well spoken of
in Haddock's History.

Mr. Merick was very early interested in the
temperance movement. It had been the cus-
tom to put whisky among the necessary stores
for every raft and vessel. He very soon real-
ized the injury it was doing, made liquor a
contraband article, supplied tea and coffee in-
stead, and made it his personal duty to visit
cabin and forecastle, to confiscate and throw
overboard any spirits smuggled on board.

The sailors who manned his vessels came
from the adjacent farms and villages. Young
men, beginning as cabin boys, or before the
mast, were frequently advanced as they ,. roved
worthy and capable to be mates, captains and
shareholders, and all looked up to him as to a
personal friend and father.

One who had sailed for him thirty-five years
wrote: " The accounts for these years aggre-
gated more than half a million of dollars, but
never an error to the value of a cent in his books,
never a sour look or unkind word. I was
always treated more as an equal than as a ser-
vant." Another who served him forty years
said : " I have received from him nothing but
kindness. When in need of aid or counsel his
generous heart always responded to my wants.
In prosperity and adversity, sunshine and
storm, he was always true to principle, and

■%

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

true to himself as a man, ever following the
Golden Rule."

Mr. Merick had no political aspirations, be-
yond wishing to do the best possible for his
own township, of which he was several times
supervisor. He was a strong Whig, and gave
money, time and influence to promote the in-
terests of that party. Twice he was nominated
for Congress, and ran ahead of his ticket ;
once both parties wished to unite upon him as
their candidate, but his business interests
would not permit him to accept the nomina-
tion. He was also one of the Electoral Col-
lege, voting for President William H. Harrison.

The title of judge was given him when he
was appointed associate judge of Jefferson
county, but he felt that it rightfully belonged
only to a man of legal training and ability.

The Patriot War of 1837-38 caused much
trouble and anxiety all along the border, and
brought together many of the best men of
Northern New York and Canada to council
together and take such measures as would in-
sure peace.

One of the Canadian members of that com-
mittee of arbitration wrote : " How much the
high character and the confidence inspired by
your father in Canada, assisted in allaying the
irritation which existed on both sides of the
line. To him many misguided men owe their
deliverance from extreme peril. I well re-
member the effect upon my own mind, not a
little exasperated at the time, by his explana-
tions as to the sincere, but mistaken views
which induced many good and worthy people
to engage in or extend aid to what they sup-
pose to be a movement in assisting the op-
pressed."

Mr. Merick, deploring his own inability to
obtain a collegiate education, was ready to aid
young men with such aspirations. The suc-
cess of many business men was owing to the
counsel and substantial aid he gave. Academ-
ies, colleges, churches, public and private
charities were cheerfully aided by him as " the
Lord prospe ed him."

His noble, courtly bearing, his unassuming
manner, his thoughtfulness, tenderness and
benevolence, his faithfulness and integrity

make a rich legacy to children and children's
children.

It had always been his thought that a busi-
ness man should keep at work till the end of
life. In the winter of 1887-88, realizing from
his advanced years that his strength was fast
failing, he decided to sell the remaining vessels
of the fleet. Friday, February 10, 1888, the
contract was made for selling the last one.
Saturday, February 11, the papers were to be
signed. He tarried a little in the morning,
perhaps not quite as well as usual, after a
somewhat restless night — his mind no doubt
busy with reminiscences of the past, and sad-
ened by the change of affairs. The mail
brought news from absent loved ones. While
talking with his daughter, sitting beside him,
of the good tidings received, his head dropped,
one sigh was given, "the silver co'-d was
loosed," "the golden bowl was broken,"-— he
had gone from his work to his rest and his
reward,

Thus passed away, after an honorable and
a useful life, one of the most widely-known
and justly-honored of the river men, who
came to man's estate in Jefferson county, and
spent the flower of his life there. His death
occurred at Detroit, February ti, 1888, in his
86th year.

Mr. Merick and wife reared a family of
four children. They were :

Maria D., wife of Isaac L. Lyon, a native
of Ogdensburg, N. Y. They reside at Red-
lands, Cal.

Ermina G. Merick, wife of E. J. Carring-
ton, of Fulton, N. Y. They reside at Detroit,
Mich.

Melzar F. Merick, died March 28, 1893.
His wife was Mary Whittlesey, of Danbury,
Conn.

Je ANNIE C, wife of G. N. Chaffee, of De-
troit, Mich., which is their home.

Mr. Merick was in many respects a pecu-
liarly able man, and should be spoken of
apart from his many business enterprises.
Judgment was the leading quality of his mind.
To strangt rs he appeared reserved, the result
of his native modesty, and not the outgrowth
of any feeling of superiority or of self-elation.

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GOVERNOR ROSIVELL PETTIBONE FLOWER.

»9

His soul was too great and his judgment too
solid for any such folly as that. He was emi-
nently der.iocratic, simple in his manners and
his tastes, as have been all the really great
men the writer has encountered. Mr. Merick
was not a sharer in the command of armies,
nor is it probable that he ever knew what it
was to be thrilled by a bugle call or beat of
drum ; yet he intensely appreciated the
struggle endured by the Union armies, whose
perils he would surely have shared had he
been of suitable age. He was a patriot in the
highest sense of that term. Amidst all the
duties of his exacting business, he was a con-
sistent Christian ; the traveling Methodist
minister always found a welcome at his fire-
side, both from him and his amiable wife, a
fact the writer has heard the late Rev. Gard-
ner Baker speak of with grateful tears. Mr.
Merick's unostentatious and democratic ways
made him life-long friends, for his manner in-

vited confidence, and confidence in him meant
safety. Children and animals never shunned
his society, for they intuitively perceived his
gentleness under his greatness. Viewed in
any light, as a man of affairs, the possessor
and dispenser of large wealth, as the unosten-
tatious but ever vigilant citizen of a free
country, or as the sincere Christian, he pos-
sessed so many excellencies that he fell but
little short of earthly perfection. He left a
memory in Jefferson county that remains
peculiarly sweet, and entirely untarnished.
And it is fitting to hold up such a character to
the admiration of the youth who come after
him, as an evidence that the age in which he
lived was not altogether one of greed and
money-getting, but was adorned now and then
by souls as grand as can be found in the re-
cords of any people. And so Eldridge G.
Merick passes into history as one of the very
ablest and best of his time.

GOVERNOR ROSWELL PETTIBONE FLOWER.

[See Portrait.]

We scarcely need apologize for introducing
into this River book the portrait and bio-
graphical sketch of Governor Flower. His
childhood was spent only twelve miles from
Alexandria Bay, a spot he often visited in his
youth, and he has grown to be one of whom
his fellow citizens, and more especially those
who knew him in early life, are very proud.
His career is an incentive to every boy and
young man in the State.

He was born August 7, 1835, at Theresa,
Jefferson county, N. Y. His father, Nathan
Monroe Flower, whose ancestors came to
Connecticut in 1696 and settled in New Hart-
ford, was born at Oak Hill, Greene county, in
this State. Nathan Flower learned the wool-
carding and cloth-dressing trade in his father's
mill at Oak Hill, and when he became of age
established business for himself in Coopefs-
town, Otsego county. At Cherry Valley, in
the same county, he married Mary Ann Boyle,
and soon after moved to the northern wilder-
ness and established a wool-carding and cloth-
making business at Theresa. Nine children
were born to them, seven sons and two daugh-
ters, of whom Roswell Pettibone Flower was
the fourth son and the sixth child. Their
father died when Roswell was only eight years

old. Their mother conducted the business
for a couple of years, and young Roswell was
put to work at picking wool eight hours off
and eight hours on daily, during the summer
season, for a couple of months, ar.a the rest
of the time he was sent to school. The family
had a farm of 30 acres near the village, and
and another one of some 200 acres eight miles
out. The children worked on these farms,
chopping wood for the house in the village,
and raising hay and oats, wheat and potatoes.
There was nothing on the farm that young
Roswell could not do. Until he was fourteen
years of age he was occupied at school, and
night and morning did what work he could to
help support the family. His brothers being
older than he, it was not Roswell's luck to
have a new suit of clothes until he was able
to earn the money himself. His mother would
cut down the clothes of the older boys to fit
him, and stories are told, even in these days,
at Theresa, of the anguish of mind which
young Flower suffered over this matter of
hand-me-downs. His sister Caroline married
Silas L. George, a merchant of Theresa, and
Roswell was employed by him for $5 a month
and board. In the winter he attended the
Theresa High School, conducted by Mr.

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

Goodenough, and worked for his board until
he was sixteen years of age, when he gradu-
ated. To get his spending money Roswell
did odd jobs of sawing wood and carrying it
upstairs for the lawyers of the village. Twenty-
five cents was a good deal of money in those
days, and rather than ask his mother for the
money, he preferred to saw half a cord of
wood and carry it upstairs. Farm hands
were scarce in haying time, and being a strong
and active young man, he could command
good wages, and frequently left the little
country store for two or three weeks to help
out some farmer who was anxious to get his
crops in. He also worked in a brick yard,
driving a yoke of stags around the vat to tread
out the clay, for which he received the munifi-
cent sum of $1.50 a week, not counting Sundays.

As A Village Schoolmaster.

After he graduated from the High School
he found an opportunity to teach in a little
school a mile from town. The scholars in
those days often desired to have a bout with
their master before they would become tract-
able. Mr. Flower taught out the balance of
the term in the red school house below the
village and " boarded around " among the
parents of his scholars a week or less in a
place, in the regular old New England fashion,
which still obtains in the way-back districts of
Northern New York.

His first day in school, during the noon
intermission, the biggest boy came to him for
a "square-hold" wrestle. Mr. Flower ac-
cepted the challenge and easily threw the lad.
After he had thrown the larger boys he found
them all, with one exception, ready to recog-
nize his authority. One day in the spelling
class this boy, who was about twenty-one years
old, declined to pronounce his syllables, but
after a tussle Roswell succeeded in making
him pronounce them correctly. He then gave
notice that he would hold a spelling school
that evening, and stated that he desired only
those of the scholars to come who would be
willing to do their best. During the inter-
mission this young man said he was coming
to school that evening, but that he would not
spell. Roswell was boarding at the time with
the family of Edward Cooper, with whom
lived a young man of twenty-two named James
Casey, now a merchant at Theresa. The
young teacher talked over the expected trouble
and arranged that Casey should choose for one
side of the school, and if this obstreperous
young fellow should make his appearance
Casey should elect him to his side, and if he
made any fuss in spelling, thr. "^wo should join

forces and put him out. The evening school
had not been -opened more than ten minutes
before this young man came in and sat down
behind one of the old-fashioned desk.,. He
was immediately chosen, but said he would
not spell. Then young Flower told him that
he must spell or leave the school. He replied

that he would be if he would spell, and that

he would be if he would leave the school.

Mr. Flower insisted, which only called forth
a repetition of the offensive remark. The
schoolmaster then called upon anybody pres-
ent who desired to resent the insult to the
school and the teacher to assist him in
putting the offender out df doors; where-
upon young Casey rose up, and Roswell,
grabbing the young man by his shoulder and
his assistant by his feet, he was speedily
ejected. But he was not conquered. He
went over to the hotel a few rods distant and
persuaded one of the trustees and a big chap
by the name of William Wafful to come over
and whip the teacher. Nothing daunted,
Roswell stated the case to his belligerent
visitors and then said to the young man:
" Now, sir, you must either spell or leave this
school again." This conquered the youthful
Samson, and he spelled without further
trouble. After school was out the colossal
Mr. Wafful remarked that if this young man
had not spelled then he would have whipped
him himself.

When he was in his eighteenth year Mr.
Flower had an offer to go to Philadelphia
(Jefferson county) as a clerk in a general
merchandise store. His employer was a Mr.
Woodward, who failed two months afterward,
and the young man, thrown out of employ-
ment, was forced to return to Theresa. That
spring and summer he did work on his moth-
er's farm, and earned a ton of hay by working
nine days and a half in the field, mowi ig
grass and " keeping up his end " with eleven
men in mowing.

During his boyhood he always went bare-
foot in the summer months, and he once re-
marked in a speech, while running against
William Waldorf Astor for Congress, that
until he was fifteen years old he did not feel
at home in the summer time unless he had a
stone bruise or two on his feet, and that he
had warmed his feet many a morning when
driving up the cows in the crisp autumn
weather on a spot where a cow had lain the
night before.

Six Years of Early Manhood.

In August, 1853, Mr. Flower had an offer to
go into the hardware store of Howell Cooper

ness

the

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Mr.

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GOVERNOR ROSIVELL PETTI BONE FLOWER.

& Co., at Watertown. After remaining there
a month he had another offer which was more
to his liking and which he accepted. It was
to become deputy postmaster at Watertown at
1^50 a month and board. He occupied this
position under Postmaster William H. Sigour-
ncy for six years. The first ^50 he saved he
invested in a gold watch, which he sold a few
months later to a young physician for §53, and
took his note for it. Mr. Flower still has that
note. Mr. Flower managed to save some
money out of his wages, and at the end of his
term in office had accumulated about $1,000,
with which he purchased the interest of Mr.
Sigourney in a jewelry business, the firm name
being Hitchcock & Flower, at i Court street,
Watertown. His aptitude for business en-
abled him to advance the interests of the firm,
and in a couple of years he bought out his
partner and continued alone in the business
until 1869.

Mr. Flower was married on December 26,
1859, to Sarah M. Woodruff, a daughter of
Norris M. Woodruff, of Watertown. Three
children were born to tliem, of whom only
one is living, Emma Gertrude. She was
married to John B. Taylor, of Watertown,
January 2, 1890. While in the Watertown
post office Mr. Flower's spare time was taken
up, not in social entertainments, because he
had no money to enter such society, but in
reading whatever he thought might be useful
to him in the future. He made himself
thoroughly familiar with the " Federalist " and
kindred works, and having an idea of some
day becoming a lawyer, he got a little knowl-
edge of Blackstone and Kent; but his natural
bent was for business, and he never attempted
the law.

Business in New York.

In 1869 Henry Keep, the well-known capi-
talist, who had married Miss Emma Wood-
ruff, a sister of Mrs. Flower, was on his death-
bed. Two or three weeks before he died he
sent for Mr. Flower to come to New York,
and during his sickness gave him a pretty
good idea of the character of the men with
whom he had been surrounded in the busi-
ness world. Mr. Keep had been president of
the New York Central and treasurer of the
Michigan Central and Lake Shore, and was
president at the time of the Chicago and
Northwestern railroad. He knew it would
take a man of good common sense and quick
perception to aid his wife in the management
of his large property after his death, and in
Mr. Flower he thought he recognized those
qualities. In answer to a question by Mr.

Flower, in order to get his opinion of Daniel
Drew, as to whether Drew was an honest man,
Mr. Keep, who was very reticent, did not
reply for some ten minutes, and then said :
" He is as honest a man as there is in the State
of New York, but for fear that somebody else
will cheat, he will always begin first." Im-
mediately after Mr. Keep's death Mr. Flower''
removed to New York and took charge of his
late brother-in-law's estate, the value of which
has more thnn doubled under his management.
It was then worth $1,000,000, and now under
Mr. Flower's management it has expanded to
$4,000,000. The properties in which the
estate was invested caused Mr. Flower to be a
frequent visitor to the West, and since 1870
he has made extended trips all over the United
States, and has a personal knowledge of the
possibilities and natural resources of almost
every section of the country. Governor
Flower's fortune, which is estimated in the
millions, has not been made by speculation in
AVall street, but by the shrewd purchasing of
properties, which, by careful and prudent
management, have developed and proved val-
uable investments.

His Career in Wall Street.

In 1872 Mr. Flower was at death's door for
several weeks, but after four or five months'
sickness he finally recovered. His physicians
then advised him to take all the outdoor ex-
ercise possible. At this time the brokerage
and banking firm of Benedict, Flower & Co.,
was dissolved, and Mr. Flower gave his entire
attention to the management of his sister-in-
law's estate and other estates which had been
placed in his care. He found a New York
office necessary, and so established himself at
52 Broadway. His younger brother, Anson
R. Flower, was brought to New York from
Watertown in order to become acquainted with
the business, that he might take charge of it in
Mr. Flower's absence ; but, strange to say, the
more the latter tried to get out of business
the more he got into it, and the firm of R. P.
Flower & Co. found itself doing a large com-
mission trade without any attempt having
been made to push it — so large, in fact, that
another brother, John D. Flower, and a nep-
hew, Frederick S. Flower, were taken into the
firm, and not until 1890 did Mr. Flower re-i
linquish his interest in the concern and become
a special partner. But in the meantime he
had managed to get the " out-of-door " exer-
cise which the doctors had suggested through
the State sportsman's clubs. In 1877 Mr.
Flower attended the convention of these clubs
at Syracuse and won a prize, consisting of a

> I'.

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

corduroy hunting suit, over a field of 113
entries. Thirty-two of them had tied at
twenty-one yards' rise, and they had to go
back to the twenty-five yard score. Then all
that were left had to go back to thirty-one
yards and shoot until somebody dropped out.
Mr. Flower and ex-Attorney-General Tabor
were the last competitors in the contest, and
Mr. Flower finally won the clothes and still
wears them on the hunting expeditions which
he frequently takes after woodcock, duck and
partridge.

Always Active in Politics.

In politics Mr. Flower has always been a
Democrat. He cast his first vote for Buch-
anan, and has been a constant and active
worker for his party. He was chairman of
the county committee for several years and
helped to start the nucleus of an organization
which has been known throughout the State
as one of the best equipped political organi-
zations within its borders. Mr. Flower was
an active Mason in his younger days, being at
one time high priest of the Watertown chap-
ter. One day, going down to the grand
chapter, at Albany, he met on the cars Samuel
J. Tilden and his secretary, John D. Van
Buren. Mr. Tilden asked him what he
thought about the State, and Flower replied
that he did not believe Mr, Tilden would the
next year be chairman of the State Committee
for the reason that he did not seem to recog-
nize the fact that a man under fifty years of age
has any influence in politics. He told Mr.
Tilden that it was the young men who would
control the party, and that he must extend his
acquaintance among them or be prepared to
step out. Mr. Tilden replied that he would
like to have the young men with him, but that
he had no opportunity of coming in touch
with them : that his friends didn't seem to
think it was worth while. Mr. Flower then
told Tilden that Jefferson county had sent to
Colonel Van Buren the year before the best
scheme for organization of a party that had
up to that time made its appearance, and that
if he would organize the party throughout the
State on the basis of recognizing the merit of
young and active workers, instead of the " has
beens," he would be sure to carry the State at
all times, and might continue at the head of
the organization as long as he saw fit. Van
Buren confirmed this opinion. About a month
later Hon. Allen C. Beach, of Watertown, re-
ceived a telegram from Mr. Tilden, asking
him to come to his house and spend two or
three weeks, as he wanted to extend the sug-
gested organization throughout the State. It

was thus that the famous " Tilden machine "
was started. It was Flower's suggestion to
organize it and Tilden's perseverance which
extended it. In 1877 Flower was Chairman
of the Democratic Executive Committee when
the party won the campaign, though there was
a bolt against the ticket,

A Term in Congress.

After his son's death, in 1881, Mr. Flower
was induced to run for Congress in the
Eleventh Congressional District against Wil-
liam Waldorf Astor. The representative of
this district had been Levi P. Morton until he
resigned to take the position of Minister to
France. Mr. Morton had been elected by
over 4,000 majority. In that campaign, after
Orlando B. Potter had declined the Demo-
cratic nomination, Mr. Flower accepted it on
the platform that he would not purchase a vote
to secure the election, and on that he made
the issue and was elected by 3,100 majority.
In the Forty-seventh Congress he was ap-
pointed a member of the Committee on Bank-
ing, and almost immediately took a prominent
part in the discussion of financial questions.
Mr. Flower recently said to the writer: "When
I was elected to Congress, although I was
pretty thoroughly conversant with practical
banking methods, I knew nothing of the
theories of finance, but I soon learned that if
I was to be of any use in Congress I must do
a little reading, and with the aid of books
from the Congressional Library, I soon pretty
thoroughly mastered the subject. I found it
much the most interesting subject I had ever
studied. It is better reading than the best
novel that ever was written." During his first
term in Congress he also made speeches on the
Chinese question, on the River and Harbor
bill, and a notable one on the reduction of
taxes.

A Unique Pocket Companion.

Mr. Flower would hardly be called a good
speaker, but he was called on frequently in
his county to talk from the platform, particu-
larly during the Seymour and Blair campaign
of 1868. Endeavoring to fill that want of
many public speakers — the possession of a
copy of the Constitution of the United States
in convenient size to carry in his pocket — he
searched the book stores of Watertown, but
wa.> unable to find one. Happening into a
little corner shoe-store he saw tacked to the
bench of a grizzled old cobbler a little primer
containing inside the Constitution and outside
the advertisement of a fire insurance company.
James Muldoon, the shoemaker, gave Mr.

GOVERNOR RO SWELL PETTI ISOXE FLOWER.

Flower the book, and he has it yet, always
carrying it in his pocket for easy reference.
In 1S76, when visiting Chicago, Mr. Flower
had his memorandum book stolen, which con-
tained the present of the cobbler. While in
Earope some months later he received a note
from the proprietor of the Grand Pacific
Hotel, saying that his book had been found in
a lumber yard, and would be returned to him.
The Constitution turned up inside in perfect
order, and in 1883, when making a speech in
Congress on giving power to the President to
veto separate items in the Appropriation bill,
Mr. Flower produced the cobbler's copy of
the Constitution, and, considering its adven-
tures and the value a pamphlet copy would be
to many persons, as it had been to him, he
asked that it, together with the substantial
amendments, be printed in the Record to ac-
company his remarks, that with them, it might
be distributed to the people. Over 500,000
copies of this somewhat unique document
were circulated by himself and other members
of Congress.

AGuBERNATORiALfossiBiLiTY AND Already
A National Leader.

In 1882 there was a general demand through-
out the State for his nomination to the ofifice
of Governor. In the Democratic convention
Mr. Flower received 134 votes against the
same number for General Slocum, and sixty-
one for Grover Cleveland, of Buffalo. The
strife between Tammany and the County De-
mocracy was so great at that time that it was
thought better politics to nominate a man out-
side of the city of New York. Consequently
Mr. Flower made way for Cleveland, who was
declared the choice of the convention. In
this same year, 1882, Mr. Flower refused are-
nomination for Congress, having stated in his
first canvass that he would not accept a second
nomination and that he would leave the dis-
trict in such a condition after one term that
any good Democrat, no matter how shallow
his pocket, might be nominated and elected
in it- He was at this time offered the unani-
mous nomination of both factions of his party,
and was assured that the Republicans would
make no nomination if he would consent to
run, but he preferred to carry out his pledge
to the people when he ran against Mr. Astor.
Orlando B. Potter was nominated and elected
in his place, Mr. Flower taking the stump for
him. Mr. Flower has been a member of the
State Executive Committee every year since
that time, and has given valuable aid to the
Democratic party managers. In 1885 he at-
tended the Democratic State Convention as a

looker-on; not as a candidate for office. The
convention nominated David B. Hill for Gov-
ernor. Several delegates had asked Mr.
F'lower to accept the nomination for Lieuten-
ant-Governor, but he refused. He left Sara-
toga the morning before the convention ad-
journed, but when he arrived at his country
home in Watertown, he found that he had
been unanimously nominated for Lieutenant-
Governor. He immediately declined the
honor, stating his reasons for doing so. The
State Committee was tailed together and
nominated in his place Colonel Jones, of
Binghamton, he " who pays the freight."

Mr. Flower, in 1882, was made chairman
of the Democratic Congressional Committee,
and ran the campaign that year which resulted
in a majority in the House of fifty for his
party. In the Presidential campaign of 1888
Mr. Flower was selected as one of the four
delegates-at-large to the National Democratic
Convention at St. Louis, which nominated Mr.
Cleveland for President, and was chosen chair-
man of the delegation. In the same year,
when it seemed probable that the two Demo-
cratic factions in the Twelfth district might
each run a candidate for Congress, they united
on Mr. Flower, and asked him to accept the
nomination. This he did, with some hesita-
tion, and only in order to help the election
of the Presidential and Gubernatorial nomi-

nees.

Again in Congress.

In the Fifty-first Congress Flower was ap-
pointed a member of the House Committee
on Ways and Means, and also a member of
the Committee on the World's Fair. His
efforts toward securing the location of the fair
in New York have been recognized by the
city and State, and his speech on that subject
contained about all the points in favor of New
York that could be put into thirty minutes.

Mr. Flower once remarked to the writer
that his success in Congress was chiefly due to
the fact that on whatever committee he was
placed he tried to learn as much about his
work if not more than any other member of
the committee. On the Ways and Means
Committee in the Fifty-first Congress, by the
questions he asked at the hearing held before
that committee, he showed his familiarity with
many subjects, and with distant sections of
the country and their industries. There was
no just claim before Congress for the pension
of a Union soldier that he did not chlampion,
believing that if a soldier received a pension
to which he was not entitled the government
was to blame and not the soldier, for there are

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

in each Congresfsionnl district three surgeons
by wlioni the soldier is examined before he is
allowed a pension. Mr. Flower also made a
strong speech in the l-'ifty-first Congress in
favor of the election of postmasters by the
people, and offered an amendment to the Con-
stitution to that effect. Because of his thorough
knowledge of the West and its needs he was
enabled to make in Congress a speech on the
irrigation question, which attracted a great
deal of attention, and which was made the
basis of the Senate Committee's report on that
subject.

The Canvass of 1890.

Mr. Flower was chairman of the Demo-
cratic Congressional Cam|)aign Committee in
1890. The committee had very small means,
but his organizing jjowers were brought into
play with great success. The campaign was
quietly but systematically conducted. Cam-
paign documents were circulated in large
numbers, and the result was the largest Demo-
cratic Congressional majority ever obtained in
an election in the United States. Mr. Flower
created the impression that he was doing
nothing, even counseling some of the leading
newspapers of his party to pitch into him and
accuse him of inaction, in order to arouse the
Democratic rank and file to the necessity for
active effort on their part. He believed that a
full vote of his party meant a great Democratic
triumph, and the outcome justified his belief.

Mr. Flower was nominated for Governor at
the Djmocratic State Convention of 1891, and
was elected by a plurality of 47,937 over
Jacob Sloat Fassett.

How He Spends His Money,

Mr. Flower has never turned his back on
any charitable institution that he could con-
sistently befriend, as the people of the State
can testify. He has always made it a rule to
give away in charity a certain portion of his
income — for many years all that he did not
need for his own living expenses — believing
that when a man had wealth he should dis-
tribute it while he is alive in order that there
be no contest over it when he dies.

Mr. Flower's parents were Presbyterians,
and on a visit to Theresa a number of years
ago he found that the church which he had
attended as a small boy had run down and that
the building itself was in a dilapidated condi-
tion. At considerable expense he had the
church rebuilt, and it is now a beautiful little
structure — a fitting memorial to Mr. Flower's
parents. On the death of his son, Henry
Keep Flower, in i88f, Mr. and Mrs. Flower

gave St. Thomas church, in New York city, of
which Mr. Flower is a vestryman, §50,000 to
erect on Fifty-ninth and Sixtieth streets and
Second avenue a four-story building to be
known as St. Thomas' house, to be used for
parish work. The structure has rooms orcu-
l)ied by an American Sunday school of 500
children, a German Sunday school, and a
Chinese Sunday school. On the lower floor
is a diet kitchen and on the second floor an
institution to teach young girls how to sew
and mend. The next floor is a club room
where the boys play checkers and backgam-
mon, and on the ui)per floor is found a library
for a club of young men. All these institu-
tions are canied on by the charitably disposed
of St. 'I'homas' church. On the inside of the
building on the wall is a marble slab, upon
which is incribed : " Erected to God by Ros-
well P. Flower and Sarah M. Flower, in
memory of tlieir son, Henry Keep Flower."

Mr. Flower's brother, Anson, is a vestry-
man in Trinity church in Watertown, and Mr.
Flower joined him in building a $100,000 home
for that parish. The homa?opathic school of
physicians in New York city were erecting, a
few years ago, a college, but had no hospital
in which to teach young students anatomy and
the use of the knife in practical surgery. Mr.
Flower erected for them, at the corner of
Avenue A and Sixty-third street, the Flower
FIos])ital, which supplies this need. But this
by no means completes the list of beneficiaries
of the family. Henry Keep's widow has
erected at a cost of §100,000, in the suburbs
of Watertown, a home for old men and women
called "the Henry Keep Home." As Mr.
F"lower truly says: " What better use could
be made of the money of Henry Keep, whose
father died in the poor house, than to erect,
with some of it, a home for aged men and
women } " Henry Keep's widow has also
given §100,000 for the Ophthalmic HosjMtal
at Twenty-third street and Fourth avenue,
Nsw York.

Th '. writer has known Governor Flower
from his earliest infancy, having at one time
*Kf .1 a law student in the office of the Gover-
nor's father, and upon terms of daily intimacy
with that estimable family of children, all of
whom have grown up into useful and hon-
ored members of society. The Governor's
most pronounced trait of character is his
ability to level up to the demands of every
situation in which he has been placed. When
a boy, he could do more work than any other
boy of his age in his native town, and 'I'heresa
v.-as full of smart, athletic young fellows.
Roswell was in "dead earnest" all the time,

HON. JAAfES C. SPENCER.

thorough in wliatevcr he undertouk, of a push-
ini;, vigorous nuinncr, ever on the alert, and
putting the best foot forward every time. He
was always hard at work, but when he had
made lialf-a-doUar by industry he was liberal
with it — ready to divide witli his brothers or
with the neigid)ors' boys. He was always a
" trusty " boy — his word would go as far when
fifteen years of age as any fidl-grown man in
Tlieresa. He had a self-possessed and honest
way that gave him standing. It is not re-
markable that a boy with -ich traits has made
a successful, trusty, honest man. I have read
his speeches in Clongress and his State papers
since he became Governor. Their erudition
and ability, and their matter-of-fact way of
dealing with public affairs have not surprised
me, for I knew the boy and the quality of the
stock from which he sprang. His father was
a nobleman if ever there was one in Northern
New York, and his mother was one of the
most faithful, industrious and home-making
women of her day.

It is easy to say, and easier yet, perhaps, to
suspect that what we print here may be largely
due to the desire men usually feel to compli-
ment and ])erhaps flatter men who have reached
high positions or acquired great wealth. Gov-
ernor Flower is too well known in his native
county to need aught but honest praise from
any source. Though a tireless partisan and
an uncompromising Democrat, he has never
lost a friend through any political divergence
of view. Honest in his own opinions he does
not hesitate to accord those who differ with him
the same honesty of purpose. Springing from
the middle walks of life, neither poor nor rich,
nor yet a college graduate, but graduated from
that wonderful developer of practical common
sense, every-day human experience, he pos-

sesses the robustness and mental health which
such an origin might be expected to transmit.
His face is all expression, showing an exqui-
sitely penetrating and mobile intellect, easily
stirred to noble emotions and brimming over
with goodness. He is a delightful companion,
welcome in every circle, but shines brightest
and most hopefully to those who share his
daily life and " know him best of all." His
life has been a blessing to so many, here and
elsewhere, that his personal pojiidarity is not
so remarkable when we consider the founda-
tion upon which it is mainly built — an un-
selfish desire to do good.

The VVatertown Residence.

Although Mr. Flower has for some 20 years
had a winter home in Fifth avenue. New York,
he still spends his summers in Watertown,
where, upon Arsenal stieet, he occupies a cozy,
pretty house. There are 50 dwellings in
Watertown surpassing it in splendor of ap-
pearance, more modern, with a greater evi-
dence of the luxuries of life, but none having
more the look of a real home. The house
was built over fifty years ago, by Norris M.
Woodruff, Mrs. Flower's father, and has the
rambling, comfortable look of that period in
architecture. It is a wooden building painted
white — a cleanly, dazzling white, which
seems to have been so attractive in the eyes of
the last generation — and it has the usual ac-
companiment of bright green blinds. The
house stands a little back from the street,
having sufficient space for some handsome
beds of flowers and a perfectly trimmed green
lawn, while back of the house one sees a fine
garden and clumps of handsome trees. Mr.
Flower transacts his business in a comfortably-
arranged office in the F"lower Block.

HON. JAMES C. SPENCER,

Ex-Judge New York City Superior Court, is an-
other of the men who have done much to em-
bellish nature. An extended account of his
lovely property, " Manhattan," may be found
elsewhere. He is a native of Fort Coving-
ton, Franklin county, N. Y. His father, the
late Judge James B. Spencer, was one of the
early settlers of Franklin county, and was a
prominent and respected citizen and recog-
nized political leader in the northern part of
the State, having held many important posi-
tions, including that of Judge and Representa-

tive in the State and National Legislatures.
He also distinguished himself in the War of
1812, participating actively in the important
engageirents of that contest, including the
battle of Vlattsburg. In politics he was a
Democrat of the Jeffersoi,, Madison, and
Jackson school. He was the personal friend
and colleague of Silas Wright, and was recog-
nized and appreciated by that great man and
other prominent Democrats of the State of
New York, as an intelligent and reliable po-
litical coadjutor, in the struggles of more than

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVSR.

a quarter of a century to secure and perpetu-
ate Democratic ascendancy in the State. He
also enjoyed the confidence and esteem of all
his fellow-citizens who knew him, without re-
gard to political differences. He died in the
year 1848, at the age of sixty-eight.

This branch of the Spencer family and that
represe;ited by the late Chief Justice Ambrose
Spencer, and his son, Honorable John C.
Spencer, were kindred, and claim a common
ancestry. The family emigrated to New York
from Connecticut, their original place of set-
tlement in the New World, springing from an
English ancestor, William Spencer, who came
to Cambridge, Mass., before or early in the
year 1631.

It appears that he returned to or visited
England afterwards, for he married his wife,
Alice, in that country about the year 1633.
He was again a resident and a prominent man
in Cambridge in 1634-5, and was afterwards
one of the first settlers in Hartford, Conn.
He was the eldest of three brothers, all of
whom were among the early settlers of Hart-
ford. •

The family of the present Judge Spencer,
on the maternal side, were purely Irish. His
grandfather emigrated to this country from
Ireland prior to the American Revolution, and
served his adopted country as a soldier during
the War of Independence.

Judge Spencer, before he had fully attained
manhood, was thrown upon his own resources,
and acquired his education and profession
mainly by his own exertions. He commenced
the practice of law in 1850, in his native
county, and soon became popular and re-
spected in his profession.

In 1854, he removed to . Ogdensl urg, St.
Lawrence county, and, with judge W.lliam C.
Brown, formed the legal firm of Brown &
Spencer, which for many years enjoyed a suc-
cessful and profitable practice in the courts of
Northern New York. In 1857 he was ap-

pointed United States District Attorney for
the Northern District of New York.

The performance of the duties of that office
extended his professional acquaintance into
nearly every county of the State. After the
expiration of his term of office, he removed
to the city of New York and entered upon the
practice of his profession in that city. His
energy and industry, added to his former pro-
fessional reputation in the State, soon brought
him clients and a very successful business.

In 1867, he entered into partnership with
Hon. Charles A. Rapallo and other legal gen-
tlemen, under the firm name of Rapallo &
Spencer, which became familiar to the public
and in the courts as associated with some of
the most important causes of the day, includ-
ing the famous Erie controversy and other
equally important litigations connected with
railroad and steamship companies. The ex-
istence of that firm terminated with the elec-
tion of its senior members to the bench — Mr.
Rapallo to the Court of Appeals, and Mr.
Spencer to the Superior Court of New York.
He was a candidate at a later day for reelec-
tion as judge, but was defeated by a small
majority.

On his retirement from the bench and re-
turn to the active practice of his profession in
New York city, the Judge was heartily wel-
comed, and his old clients renewed their al-
legiance. As years have worn away he has
become more attached to his Manhattan Island
(see description elsewhere), and there he spends
much of each summer, a practice dating back
for twenty years. He has improved and beauti-
fied every thing he has touched, and is known
as a liberal, progressive gentleman, taking a
deep and healthy interest in all that relates to
the St. Lawrence and the improvement of its
Islands. Such men become, in a sense, pub-
lic benefactors, and their memory should not
die for want of proper recognition, nor their
extt.nple be lost upon posterity.

•^

•H':
^

torney for

that office
itance into

After the
le removed
d upon the

city. His
ormer pro-
on brought
lusiness.
irship with
r legal gen-
Rapallo &
I the public
th some of
lay, includ-

and other
lected with
3. The ex-
;h the elec-
snch — Mr.
Is, and Mr.
New York.

for reelec-

by a small

nch and re-
rofession in
eartily wel-
ed their al-
vvay he has
ittan Island
re he spends
dating back
and beauti-
id is known
,n, taking a
It relates to
sment of its
sense, pub-
should not
in, nor their

CANADA'S WEST POINT.

THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE AT KINGSTON.

BY J. JONES BELL, M. A.

|ITH £. frontier extending across a conti-
nent, bordering on a nation from which
several hostile raids on behalf of "Irish inde-
pendence " have taken place, and with a half-
breed and Indian population in her own north-
west, which has on two occasions broken out
into open rebellion, Canada finds it necessary
to maintain the nucleus of a military force,
which shall be available on short notice to de-
fend her f i ontier or to put down rebellion. She
cannot afford to maintain a standing army, but
she has three batteries of artillery on perma-
nent service and a cavalry school, four infan-
try schools and one mounted-infantry school,
at which the officers and non-commissioned
officers of the Volunteer Militia may receive
such a ^raining as will fit them to take com-
nirnd and give instruction to the volunteers,
w'lO, taken from the field or workshop, would
otherwise be wholly untrained and undisci-
plined.

But while her volunteers have given a good
account of themselves whei. occasic.i. called
them into active service, and while her schools
of military instruction hive been the means of
placing good officers at their head, it was felt
that something more was needed to complete
the system, and accordingly the Parliament of
Canada, in 1874, passed an act authorizing
the establishment of a Royal Military College
"for the purpose," as the act states, "of im-
parting a complete education in all branches
of military tactics, fortification, engineering
and general scientific knowledge in subjects
connected with and necissary to a tho>-oagh

knowledge of the military profession, and tor
qualify'ng officers for command and for staff
appointments."

In selecting a site for the college the gov-
ernment naturally turned its eyes to three
places which were specially adapted for the
purpose by virtue of their historical associa-
tions and the possession of extensive fortifica-
tions which might be utilized for technical
training. These were Halifax, Quebec and
Kingston. The latter was ultimately chosen,
for, in addition to being the most central, it
possessed certain buildings which could be
utilized.

After the conquest of Canada, Kingston,
the site of Fort Frontenac, built in 1673 by
the French commander after whom it was
named, became a military pest of great im-
portance. During the war of 181 2 it was the
British naval station for the lakes. A dock-
yard was esitablished on a low promontoiy
which juts out between the Cataraqui river
and a small inlet of the St. Lawrence called
Navy Bay. At this dockyard Sir James Yeo
built his fleet for Lake Ontario. After the
war the c'oc . ard was dismantled, but a large
three-story . .. '^ ^ building remained, known as
the Stone Frigate, which had been occupied
by the marines. This, with a large black-
smith shop close by, was utilized for the col-
lege. [See building at left center of picture.]

In 1876 the first classes were opened, eigh-
teen cadets being admitted. The staff con-
sisted of a commandant, a captain and three
professors. As the classes grew, more accom-

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

modation was required, and a large building,
of the grey limestone for which Kingston is
famous, was added. It contains offices, read-
ing and mess rooms, library, class rooms,
laboratory, hospital and kitchen. The Stone
Frigate became a dormitory, and the black-
smith shop was converted into a well-equipped
gymnasium.

The main building faces a spacious parade
ground, with tennis lawn and cricket ground,
and opposite, on the point, is Fort Frederick,
a battery which guards the entrance to the
harbor, with a martello tower at its apex.

Though modeled after Woolwich, the col-
lege is intended to give the cadets a training
which will fit them for civil as weU as military
life. The course, which is four years, though
provision is made for a two years' course in
certain subjects, embraces English, French,
drawing, mathematics and mechanics, engi-
neering, surveying, fortification, architecture,
astronomy, chemistry, geology, mineralogy,
physics, electricity, tactics and strategy, sig-
naling, military law and administration, mili-
tary drill, gymnastics, fencing, swimming and
riding. A few of these subjects are volun-
tary, but most of them are obligatory. A rig-
orous examination has to be passed by candi-
dates for entrance, and if more reach the
minimum than can be admitted — two from
each of the twelve military districts into
which Canada is divided — those v<ho make
the highest number of marks are given the
preference. The age of admission is from
fifteen to nineteen.

The military staff consists of a command-
ant, staff adjutant and seven professors and
instructors, four of whom are graduates of
the college, and two of the latter hold com-
missions in the regular army. Five of the
staff are officers of the active list of the im-
perial army, lent to the college for a five
years' term, at the close of whifh they are
retpiired to rejoin their command. Two are
officers of the retired list. There is a civil
staff of five, holding permanent appoint-
ments fiom the government. The presence
of imperial officers gives a standing to the
institution which it would not otherwise

possess, and helps the proper training of
those of the cadets who are destined for com-
missions in the regular army. The govern-
ment was fortunate in the choice of the first
commandant, Col. Hewitt of the Royal
Engineers, who, in addition to being an
accomplished scholar and a good soldier,
was possessed of great tact and energy, and
knew Canada from former service. To his
skill is due in large measure the success which
attended the college from its very outset, and
his guiding hand directed it through the diffi-
culties which invariably attend the early
career of a new institution, which, in this
case, was to a large extent an experiment.
Having completed his term he returned in
1886 to Plymouth, and was succeeded by Col.
Oliver of the Royal Artillery, who had been
professor of surveying and astronomy from
tiie beginning, and who proved himself to b
a worthy successor. The present head of the
institution is Maj.-Gen. Cameron, late of
the Royal Artillery.

Sir Frederick Middleton, now retired
from the command of the Canadian forces,
took a deep interest, officially and personally,
in the college, and during its early days
helped it with counsel and advice, which his
experience at Sandhurst well qualified him to
give. The general officer commanding the
militia is ex-officio president of the college.

The entrance examinations are held in
June at the headquarters of each military
district, and the twenty-four successful can-
didates report themselves at the opening
of the term the following September. The
first week is spent in being uniformed and
drilled into some kind of form. The sec-
ond week the old cadets return, and the gar-
rison settles down to hard work. The daily
routine embraces drill and class parades,
study and other duties. From reveille to
tattoo, with the exception of two hours — from
four to six, during which he is free — the cadet
is under the eye of authority in the class or
lecture room or on parade. There is none of
that loitering which so often takes place at
civil colleges, none of that individual liberty
which often means license. The cadet has,

CANADA'S VVEST POINT.

•aining of
'\ for com-
le govern-
>f the first
the Royal

being an
>d soldier,
nergy, and
s. To his
cess which
Dutset, and
h the diffi-

the early
ch, in this
xperiment.
eturned in
ed by Coi,.
) had been
lomy from
nself to be
lead of the
)N, laie of

ow retired
ian forces,
personally,
arly days
which his
led him to
inding the
college,
held in
military
ssful can-
opening
ber. The
rmed and
The sec-
d the gor-
The daily
parades,
eveille to
rs — from
the cadet
class or
is none of
place at
ual liberty
adet has,

however, two half holidays, on Wednesday and
Saturday, when he may go out on pass till
eleven o'clock, or with extra leave till one.
Balls and parties in Kingston are timed for
these days, for the cadet, with his gay scarlet
uniform, is an important factor in the social
world. While attending the college the cadets
are of course subject to the Queen's Regula-
tions, the Army Act, the Militia Act, and such
other rules and regulations as Her Majesty's
troops are subject to.

The physical training is excellent. Sergt.-
Major Morgan, of the Scots Guards, pre-
sides over this department, and well qualified
he is to fill the position. Cadets who pass
four years under his instruction come out
with deep chests and erect figures, and show
what a thorough physical training can accom-
plish.

One of the rewards of good conduct is pro-
motion to the rank of non-commissioned
officer, the commandant having authority to
appoint such from among those best qualified.
Proud is he who is invested with the chevrons,
or given the rig'.it to wear the sergeant's sash.

But while subject to strict discipline the
cadets have opportunities to cultivate their
social qualities. One of the events of the
season is the annual sports, which take place
in September. The campus is alive with car-
riages and pedestrians, while pretty girls, with
their chaperons, form the center of groups
e.^t^aped in animated conversation, or watch-
ing v-i.Ii "nlerest the various competitions of
Si-)eed a: d skill. Races, jumping :ompetitions
ur.d ^'>t<;',vilechases follow each other in quick
•^/utxi-isiun, while the tug of war between the
right and lert wings creates almost as much
interest is the struggle on the Isis between
the collegi eiphts. The games over, all ad-
journ to the gymnasium, where the prizes,
more substantial than the crown of ivy at the
Olympic games, are distributed to the victors.
Tea and aa impromptu dance follow in the
college halls.

A ball is given at Christmas by the staff and

■ ad is, and a yet more elaborate entertainment

imilar character at the close of the college

year in June. On closing day a series 01 field

manoeuvers takes place, with blowing up of
imaginary fortifications and fleets, and an ex-
hibition of drill and bayonet exercise, after
which the results of the examinations are an-
nounced, the prizes distributed, and the ses-
sion brought to a termination. The governor-
general, the minister of militia, or someone
else high in authority, is secured, if possible,
to distribute the prizes and make a speech.
Four commissions, one each in the engineers,
artillery, cavalry and infantry branches of the
imperial service, are available, the cadets who
stand highest on the honor roll, if otherwise
eligible, being entitled to them in the order
named. The first two are eagerly sought, the
third generally goes a-begging, as tliere are
few Canadian youths with sufficient means to
keep up a position in such an expensive branch
of the service, in which case an additional
commission in the infantry is generally substi-
tuted. All who have taken the full four years'
course, and qualified in all the obligatory sub-
jects, are entitled to receive a diploma of
graduation, those who have specially dis-
tinguished themselves also receiving honors.
Those who leave at the end of two years, and
pass the subjects required, receive a certificate
of military qualification only.

After the official proceedings are over on
the closing day the cadets have a parade of
their own, when the members of the graduat-
ing class have to undergo an ordeal of hand-
shaking and leave-taking in true college form.
A valedictory dinner in the evening follows,
and then steamer and car bear the cadets o.f,
and the halls are deserted for three months.

Some of the passed cadetb of the college
have already won fame for themselves. The
name of Stairs, who accompanied Stanley
in his march through darkest Africa, is well
known the world over. Lieut. Hewitt served
in the Soudan and bears a medal won on the
banks of the Nile, and I.ieut. Dobell has
distinguished himself for bravery i.. Burmah.

Occasion has no', yet arisen to call into full
play the energies of the rapidly-growing mem-
bers of the graduates of the Royal Military
College, and it is therefore too early to judge
of its full benefit to Canada. But the opinion

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

of Lord Lansdowne, expressed when gover-
nor-general, is worth quoting. These are his
words :

"There is no Canadian institution of which Can-
ada should be prouder or which will do better ser-
vice to the country and to the empire. It forms an
interesting and distinctive feature in the miiif .cy
system of the Dominion. That system, as I under-
stand it, is based upon the recognition of the f.ict
that Canada cannot afibrd in her own interests, or in
those of the empire, to disregard those precautions
which every civilized community takv-s in order to
ensure its own safety from internal commotion or
external attack. Upon the other hand it is a system
entirely opposed to the establishment of a numerous
standing army or to the withdrawal of a large body
of citizens from the peaceful pursuits which are
essential to the progress and development of the
country.

" That being so, it is clear that ir ~"se of a national
emergency the Dominion would ha i o "r r*. largely
to the spontaneous efforts of its ow,t ; , to the
expansion of its existing organization, a i rapid

development of the resources already at our command.

"But, gentlemen, it is needless for me to point
out to you that there is one thing which it is im-
possible to produce on the spur of the moment, and
1 at is a body of trained officers, competent to take
enlarge of new levies or to supervise operations
necessary for the defense of the national territory,
and therefore it appears to me that we cannot over-
rate the value of an institution which year by year is

turning out men who have received within its wall
a soldier's education in the best sense of the word
and who, whatever their primary destination, will, I
do not doubt, be found available whenever their ser-
vices are required by the country."

The cost of education at the Military Col-
lege is not unreasonable. Each ca^et is re-
quired to deposit annually $200 to cover the
cost of messing and quarters, and in addition
$200 the first year and $150 each year after-
wards for uniform, books and instrrments.
The messman receives forty-six cents per day
for each cadet present. Extras are obtainable
at fixed prices. No cadet is allowed to spend
more than $2 per month, non-commissioned
officers more than !^4, for extras, which they
pay out of their pocket money.

In addition to the full couise of four years
and the military course of two years, pro-
vision has been made at the college for officers
of the militia, who require higher instruction
than the military schools afford, to take a
three months' course, one class being in-
structed each year. By this means a number
of officers have been enabled to qualify for
important positions in the service.

Taken all in all, Canada's West Point has
been an unqualified success.

AN INTERNATIONAL BOOK.

IT has been the constant endeavor of the
editor of this book to preserve its inter-
national character, not forgetting for a mo-
ment that Canada has a much more extended
proprietorship over the St. Lawrence river
than has the United States. For many miles
below Montreal the river runs through terri-
tory exclusively Canadian. No sincere patriot
would desire to disturb, by word or deed, the
friendly relations existing between the two
great English-speaking peoples, whose united
voice could control any matter of public policy,
either in America or in the east. Canada is

a vast country, larger than the whole United
States in extent, for her territory extends very
far north and joins our own country upon the
north Pacific ocean. There have been efforts
in the past, participated in by hair-brained
plotters, to disturb the fraternal feeling be-
tween the two countries, out such efforts now
find but slight recognition upon either side of
t'le line. The press of both countries is
friendly to fraternal feelings, and the public
official business upon the whole frontier, from
the farthest west to the dividing line upon the
east, is conducted without serious disturbance.

[lin its wall
)f the word
tion, will, I
cr their ser-

litary Col-
ir\et is re-
cover the
n addition
year after-
stri'ments.
Its per day
obtainable
d to spend
imissioned
I'hich they

four years
jrears, pro-
for officers
instruction
to take a
being in-
i a number
ualify for

Point has

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

Historical and Otiierwise, witli some Opinions of Traveliers.

)le United

tends very

' upon the

en efforts

ir-brained

eeling be-

fforts now

ler side of

untries is

he public

>tier, from

upon the

turbance.

/^THE route of the St. Lawrence has long
^! been noted for the variety and beauty of
its scenery. The traveller coming up from the
sea, should he turn aside to explore the chasm
of the Saguenay, would witness a scene of
grandeur scarcely equaled by any other of its
kind in any part of the world. Further up,
the Rapids of the St. Lawrence present in suc-
cession displays of majestic power and volume
that command admiration, and on finally reach-

. ing the level or navigable waters above, the
approach to the first of the Great Lakes leads
throught a labyrinth of islands, which, for

; variety of scenery and quiet beauty, have
seldom failed to awaken the enthusiasm of the
traveller.

To this group of islands, with their histori-
cal associations, and the impressions which
their scenery has inspired, the greater part of
this volume is devoted.

In arranging the materials of this work, the

J editor has been engaged in no small degree in

i presenting the thoughts of others ; but, believ-

4 ing that the enjoyment of this scenery would
f be enhanced by learning the manner in which

i; it has impressed those who have witnessed it
? in the years that are past, he has sought to

5 present as wide a range of these inipressions
4 as opportunities allowed, yet not failing to
t present much that is original and never before
1 published.

No one will doubt that places acquire extra-
ordinary interest when associated with great
events, or even when linked with the ideal
'"cidents of poetry and romance. In allusion
to the interest which these associations impart

to so many places in the Old World, while
there are comparatively few in the New, the
naturalist Wilson, in whom were united a keen
perception of the beauties of nature and a
highly poetic temperament, in the opening
part of his Foresters, says:

" Yet Nature's charms, that bloom so lovely here,

Unhailed arrive, unheeded disappear;

While bare, bleak heaths, and brooks of half a mile

Can rouse the thousand bards of Britain's Isle.

There, scarce a stream creeps down its narrow bed.

There, scarce a hillock lifts its little head,

Or humble hamlet peeps their glades among.

But live;: and murmurs in immortal s< ng.

Our western world, with all its matchless floods,

Our vast transparent lakes and boundless woods.

Stamped with the traits of majesty sublime,

Unhonored weep the silent lapse of time;

Spread their wild grandeur to the unconscious sky,

In sweetest seasons pass unheeded by;

While scarce one Muse returns the song they gave.

Or seeks to snatch their glories from the grave."

In some of the prose descriptions that fol-
low, the reader will find a poetry of sentiment
and imagery of thought that cannot fail to
engage the attention. Ir. others, there are
incidents and events described that may add
new interest to this regioii, especially those
relating to the accounts of travel in the olden
time, with the humble accomodations and the
discomforts of the period, that afford a strik-
ing contrast with the exact appointments and
the ample luxuries of the present day.

Early Indian History.

"In the beginning," so far as history or
tradition extends back into the past, this region

A SOLTENTN OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

was the border-land of the Algonquin and the
Iroquois, — the former dwelling for the most
part to the northward and eastward, while the
latter, at least in the later period, had their
principal homes along the lakes and rivers of
Central and Western New York.
I The early historians of Canada record the
fact that a bloody war was going on between
the Adirondacks or Algonquins on th ,• St.
Lawrence, and the Iroquois or Five Naiions
of the region now included in Central and
Western New York, when the country was
first visited by the French. Champlain took
part in this war on the part of the former, and
by the use of fire-arms, hitherto unknown in
Indian warfare, turned the tide of success for
a time in favor of his allies — but gained
thereby the lasting hatred of their enemies
towards the French. The origin of this war-
fare is traced by tradition to a long time
before the first appearance >..' the white man,
and although not measured by moons or sea-
sons, it still appeared to be consistent, and
probable, — and according v., the little that
could be gathered, was as follows :

The Algonquins and the Iroquois had lived
for a long time in harmony, the former being
the stronger, and chiefly subsisting by the
chase, while the latter were more inclined to
fishing and agriculture. Now and then the
young men of the two races would go out on
their hunting expeditions together, but in
these the superiority of the man who killed
the game, over him who skinned and dressed
it, was always insisted upon, and when the
party saw an opportunity, it was the business
of the one to pursue and slay, and of the
other to stand by and see it done.

At one time, half a dozen of each class
were out in the winter on a hunting excur-
sion together. They saw some elk and imme-
diately pursued them, but the Algonquins,
presuming on their superiority, would not
suffer the young Iroquois to take part, at the
same time giving them to understand that
they would soon have business enough on
hand in taking care of the game they were
about to kill. Three days were spent in vain
pursuit, for although they saw there was an

abundance of game, ill-luck followed them at
every step.

At length the Iroquois offered to go out
themselves, and the former, not doubting but
that a like failure would soon put an end to
their unwelcome comments upon their own
efforts, consented. The tide of success turned
in their favor, and the Iroquois soon returned
with an abundance of game. Mortified at
this result, the jealous Algonquins the next
night killed all of their successful rivals as
they lay sleeping. The crime, although con-
cealed and denied, was soon discovered, and
the Iroquois at first made their complaints
with moderation — simply asking that justice
should be done to the murderers.

No attention was paid to these complaints,
and the injured party took justice into their
own hands, solemnly vowing to exterminate
the haughty race or perish in the attempt.
Long series of retaliatory inroads were from
this time made by each into the territories of
the other, which finally ended greatly to the
advantage of the Iroquois, and in the almost
total annihilation of their enemies. The St.
Francis Indians are a remnant of this once
powerful tribe.

Hiawatha.

The legend of Hiawatha has been rendered
familiar to most readers of American poetry
by the metrical version of Longfellow, and the
prose of Clark, Schoolcraft and others, and
much controversy has been had with respect
to the author of the legend as it first appeared
in English. We accept, as fully reliable, the
statement made by the late Hon. J. V. H.
Clark, of Manlius, author of the History of
Onondaga County, in a letter to the New
York Tribune, in January, 1856, in which the
claims of various writers and the dates of
their publications are precisely stated.

The legend relates to the origin of the
League of the Iroquois, at a time which no
record fixes by date, and no circumstance
acceptable to the historian would lead him to
locate otherwise than somewhere in that
period clouded in the uncertainties of the
forgotten past. We cannot present its begin-

■]

GENERAL DESCRfP T/ON.

I them at

go out
bting but
in end to
:heir own
ess turned

1 returned
jrtified at

the next
rivals as
3Ugh con-
/ered, and
:omplaints
dat justice

lomplaints,
into their
xterminate
e attempt,
were from
rritories of
atly to the
the almost
The St.
this once

rendered
:an poetry
)w, and the
ithers, and
th respect
;t appeared
eliable, the
J. V. H.
History of
the New
which the
dates of
ed.

in of the
which no
cumstance
5ad him to

ning, which was in this region, more appropri-
ately than in the original language of Mr.
Clark:

" Hundreds of years ago, Ta-oun-ya-\vat-ha, the
Deity who presides over fisheries and streams, came
down from his dwelling place in the clouds to visit
^ ttie inhabitants of the earth. He had been deputed
3 by the Great and Good Spirit, Ha-wane-u, to visit
■^ streams and clear the channels from all obstructions,
to seek out the good things of the country through
which he intended to pass, that they might be more
generally disseminated among all the good people
of the earth — especially to point out to them the
most excellent fishing grounds, and to bestow upon
them other acceptable gifts. About this time, two
young men of the Onondaga Nation were listlessly
gazing over the calm blue waters of the Lake of a
Thousand Isles. During their reverie they espied,
as they thought, far in the distance, a single white
speck, beautifully dancing over the bright blue
waters, and while they watched tiie object with the
most intense anxiety, it seemed to increase in mag-
nitude, and moved as if approaching the place where
they were concealed, most anxiously awaiting the
event of the visitation of so singular an object — for
at this time no canoes had ever made their appear-
ance in the direction whence this was approach-
ing. As the object neared the s.iorc, it proved in
semblance to be a venerable looking man, calmly
seated in a canoe of pure white, very curiously con-
structed and much more ingeniously wrought than
those in use among the tribes of the country. Line
a cygnet upon the wide blue sea, so sat the canoe of
To-oun-ya-wat-ha upon the Lake of aTliousand Isles.
" As a frail branch drifts towards the rushing cata-
ract, so coursed the white canoe over the rippling
waters, propelled by the strong arm of the god of the
river. Deep thought sat on the brow of the gray-
headed mariner : penetration marked his eye, and
deep, dark mystery pervaded his countenance With
a single oar he silently paddled his light-trimmed
barJc along the shore, as if seeking a commodious
haven of rest. He soon turned the prow of his
fragile vessel into the estuary of the 'double river,'
and made fast to the western shore. He Majestically
ascended the steep bank, nor stopped till he had
gained the loftiest summit of the western hill.
Then silently gazing around as if to examine the
country, he became enchanted with the view, and
drawing his stately form to its utmost height, he ex-
claimed in accents of the wildest enthusiasm, Osh-
wah-kee, Osh-wah-kee."

He approached the two young hunters,
gained their confidence, and having drawn
from them a knowledge of the difficulties un-
der which they labored, disclosed to them the

spirituality of his character, and the object of
his mission He invited them to attend him
in his passage up tl'.e river, and they witnessed
many thingi whroh could only be accounted
for as miracles, or be described but in the
wonders of Indian mythology. He ascended
to the lesser lakes, placed all things in proper
order for tlie comfort and sustenance of man,
taught them how to cultivate corn and beans,
which had not before been grown by them,
made the fishing ground free, and opened to
all the uninterrupted pursuit of game. He
distributed among mankind the fruits of the
earth, and retnoved all obstructions from the
navigable streams. Being pleased with his
success, he assumed the character and habits
of a man, and received the name Hi-a-wat-ha,
(signifying " /ery wise man,") and fixed his
residence on the beautiful shores of Cross
Lake. After a time, the country became
alarmed by a hostile invasion, when he called
a council of all the tribes from the east and
the west, and in a long harangue urged upon
th'-m the iin])ortance of imiting themselves in
. leagi.f for their common defense and mutual
happiness. They deliberated upon hip advice,
and the next day adojjted and ratified the
League of Union which he recornmeiided.
As Lycurgus gave law to the Spartans, and
swore them to faithfully observe its precepts
until his return from a journey, and then de-
parted to return no more, so Hi-a-wat-ha,
having brought the council to a close, and as
the assembled tribes were about to separate
cm their return home, arose in a dignified
manner, and thus addressed tl.jm :

" Friends and Brothers : — I have now fulfilled my
mission upon earth; I have done everything which
can be done at present for the good of this great
people. Age, infirmity and distress sit heavily upon
me. During my sojourn among you I have re-
moved all obstructions from your streams. Canoes
can now pass everywhere. I have given you good
fishing waters and good hunti',.; grounds; I have
taught you how to cultivate corn and beans, and
have learned you the art of making cabins. Many
other blessings I have liberally bestowed upon you.

" Lastly, I have now assisted you to form an ever-
lasting league and covenant of strength and friend-
ship, for your future safety and protection. If you
preserve it without the admission of other people

A SOUVEXIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

you will always be free, numeious and mighty. If
other nations are admitted to your councils, they
will sow jealousies among you, and you will become
enslaved, few and feeble. Remember these words ;
they are the last you will hear from the lips of Hi-a-
wat-ha. Listen, my friends ; the Great-Master-of-
Breath calls me to go. I have patiently waited his
summons. I am ready : Farewell."

As the wise man closed his speech, there
burst upon the ears of the assembled multi-
tude the cheerful sounds of the most delight-
ful singing voices. The whole sky seemed
filled with the sweetest melody of celestial
music; and heaven's high arch echoed and re-
echoed the touching strains till the whole vast
assembly was coiTipletely absorbed in rapturous
ecstacy. Amidst the general confusion which
now prevailed, and while all eyes were turned
towards the etherial regions, Hi-a-wat-ha was
seen majestically seated in his canoe, grace-
fully rising higher and higher above their
heads through the air until he became entirely
lost from the view of the assembled throng,
who witnessed his wonderful ascent in mute
and admiring astonishment — while the fasci-
nating music gradually became more plaintive
and low, and finally sweetly expired in the
softest tones upon their ears, as the wise man
Hi-a-wat-ha, the godlike Ta-ounya-wat-ha,
retired from their sight, as mysteriously as he
first appeared from The Lake of a Thousand
Isles, and quietly entered the regions inhabited
only by the favorites of the great and good
spirit Ha-wah-ne-u.

In the legend, as rendered by Longfellow,
no allusion to this region is specifically made,
andithe scene of events is located in the west,
on the south shore of Lake Superior, in the
region beyond the Pictured Rocks and the
Grand Sable.

Creation of the Indian Race.

Among the traditions of various Indian
tribes we find a legend of their creation,
which, although differing more or less in de-
tails, agrees in ascribing their origin to a peo-
ple who came out of the ground. Of this
mythological belief we have an interesting ex-
ample in this part of the world, as given by

M. Pouchet, a French wr ter of acknowledged
merit, who recorded what he saw and heard.
This writer was an officer in the French ser-
vice, and commanded Fort Levis, on the Oraco-
nenton Isle, a short distance below Ogdens-
burg, when this last stronghold of the French
was captured by Lord Amhurst in 1760.

He subsequently prepared a history of the
events in which he had himself borne an im-
portant part, which was published some yeais
after his death, and in this he gives much in-
formation concerning the Indians who then
inhabited this region. In describing the shores
of Lake Ontario, he speaks of a great arc of
sand hills along the eastern end of the lake,
behind which are marshy meadows, through
which the rivers wind. This description clearly
identifies these streams with those now known
as the North and South branches of Sandy
Creek, in the town of Ellisburgh, Jefferson
county, which unite just above the point where
they enter tlie lake. They are remarkable in
this, that at tlie head of the South Branch is
the place where the traditions of the Iroquois
fix the spot " where they issued from the
ground, or rather, according to their tradi-
tions, where they were born."

Traces of Indian Records on the St.
Lawrence.

Opposite the village of Oak Point, in Eliza-
beth Township, Canada, there existed in 1850,
and perhaps does still, a rude representation
of a canoe with thirty-five men, and near it a
cross. On tlie rocks below Rockville th^re
were two similar paintings, each being a canoe
with six men. A deer rudely painted on the
rocks was found on the shore of Black Lake,
a few miles inland from Morristown, and
doubtless other rude sketches of the kind may
be found. These are probably of coinpara-
tively modern origin, or at most not earlier
than the time of European settlement. They
may have been significant of some event
at the time when made, but whatever the
objects may have been, they have passed into
oblivion with the memory of those who made
them.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

:nowledged
and heard.
French ser-

the Oraco-
w Ogdens-
the French

1760.

tory of the
arne an im-

some yeais
s much in-
> who then
I the shores
reat arc of
)f the lake,
ivs, through
ition clearly
now known
;s of Sandy
h, Jefferson
point where
markable in
h Branch is
he Iroquois
1 from the

their tradi-

N THE St.

t, in Eliza-
ted in 1850,
)resentation
id near it a
cville thqre
ing a canoe
nted on the
Hack Lake,
town, and
e kind may
f compara-
not earlier
ent. They
ome event
latever the
passed into
: who made

Expeditions of De Courcelle and De
Tracy.
In the papers relating to De Courcelle'sand
De Tracy's expeditions against the Mohawk
Indians (1665-6), in describing the routes
leading into the Iroijuois country, the naviga-
tion of the St. Lawrence is mentioned as ex-
ceedingly difficult until the rapids are passed.

" But when the mouth of the Great Lake is
reached, the .avigation is easy, when the waters are
tranquil, becoming insensibly wider at first, then
about two-thirds, next one-half, and finally out of
sight of land; especially after one has passed an
infinity of little islands which are at the entrance of
the lake in such great numbers, and in such a
variety, thai the most experienced Iroquois pilots
sometimes lose themselves there, and have consid-
erable difficulty in distinguishing the course to be
steered in the confusion, and, as it were, in the laby-
rinth fovined by the islands. Some of these are
only huge rocks rising out of the water, covered
merely by moss or a few spruce or other stunted
wood, whose roots spring from the clefts of the
rockr, which can supply no other aliment or moist-
ure to these barren trees than what the rains furnish
them. After leaving this abode the lake is discov-
ered, appearing like unto a sea without islands or
bounds, where barks and ships can sail in all safety
so that the communications would be easy between
all the French colonies that could be established on
the borders of this grer.t lake which is more than a
hundred leagues long, by thirty or forty wide."

French Missionaries.

Among the pioneers of discovery were the
missionaries who were sent out to gain the
friendship and secure the conversion of the
Indian tribes of the interior. These zealous
men allowed no obstacles or dangers to inter-
rupt their efforts or dampen their ardor, but
with an energy and perseverance tlint cannot
fail to excite our admiration, they pursued
their way to the remotest parts of the interior,
where some lived many years among the sav-
ages amid all the privations of a wilderness,
and others were murdered, or miserably per-
ished in the solitudes of the forest. We can
here mention but a' few of these pioneers and
discoverers:

Francois de Salignac de Fenelon, half
brother of the illustrious French writer, the
Archbishop of Cambray, came to Canada in

1667, and was for some time engaged in the
Indian missions at Toronto and elsewhere.

The Abbe Fenelon accompanied the Count
de Frontenac to Lake Ontario in 1673.

Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan, came to
Canada in 1675, and was stationed the next
year at Frontenac, Kingston. He was after-
wards sent by La Salle to explore the country,
and was the first European who saw the Mis-
sissippi river. In 1697 he published an ac-
count of remote regions that he pretended to
liave visited, but which is now regarded in
part at least as a fiction. Father Marquette
also made extensive journeys in the west, and
died at Mackinaw, May 14, 1675. Menard,
Allouez and many others passed this way on
their journeys to distant points, but these men
were, as a rule, little given to romantic
descriptions, and their " relations " pertain
more to the proper object of their missions,
than to the scenery tliat they passed.

Father Emmanuel Crespel, in a little work
publislied in 1742, describes some incidents of
a journey into the Indian country on the
Upper Lukes. He was fifteen days going
from Montreal to Frontenac, and was there
detained some time in waiting for a vessel to
Niagara. This was of about eighty tons bur-
then, and apparently the only one then on the
lake. The passage was made in less than
thirty-six hours. The lake was very calm
and he sounded with a line of a hundred
fathoms without finding bottom.

On his return he remained two years at
Frontenac, when he was recalled to Montreal,
and soon afterwards was sent to La Pointe de
la Chevelure on the east side of Lake Cham-
plain, in the present State of Vermont, and
opposite the French post at Crown Point.

First Military Establishment Upon Lake
Ontario — Fort Frontenac. — {1673.)

In order to protect the French interests, the
Count de Frontenac resolved to establish a
military post at the outlet of the Lake, and
with the view of impressing the natives with
the power of the French, he resolved to take
two flat bottomed canoes up the rapids, and
even to mount them with cannon, to inspire

A SOL'l'ENIH OF THE ST. /.AlVRENCE RtVER.

them with awe. The boats were built after a
particular model, painted unlike anything ever
seen before, and were each manned by sixteen
men. With these and about one hundred and
twenty bark canoes he left Montreal on the
i6th of June, and in about three weeks reached
the beginning of smooth-water navigation.
Hearing that the Indians had assembled in
great numbers, and were uneasy about the ob-
ject of his expedition, he resolved to proceed
with caution, in one body, and in closer column
than before. The weather was so serene, and
the navigation so smooth, that they made more
than ten leagues the first day, and went into
camp at a cove about a league and a half from
Grenadier Island, where the eel-fishing begins.
In his Journal he says:

"We had the pleas- .e on the way to catch a small
loon, a bird about as irge as a European Outarde,
of the most beautiful plumage, but very difficult to
be caught alive, as it dives constantly under, so that
it is no small rarity to be able to take one. A cage
was made for it, and orders were given to endeavor
to raise it, in order to send it to the King. On the
nth [of July], the weather continuing fine, a good
d^y's journey was made, having passed all that vast
group of islands with which the river is spangled,
and camped at a point above the river called Gana-
noque, up which many of them go hunting. It has a
very considerable channel. Two more loons were
caught alive, and a kind of deer, but the head and
antlers are handsomer than the deer of France."

The narrative continues with an account of
the regal inanner with which the Count de
Frontenac entered the lake, and the inter-
views he had with the Indians. In short,
nothing which pomp and ceremony — the
waving of banners, martial music, and the dis-
charge of cannon could do, was omitted, to
impress the wondering natives with an over-
whelming idea of the omnipotence of the
French. The speeches and proceedings of
the occasion are all found fully recorded.
The outline of a fort was at once traced out,
and its construction commenced. Beginning
work by daylight on the 14th, the ground was
cleared before night. The Indians were as-
tonished to see the large clearance made in a
day — some squaring timber in one place ;
others fetching pickets ; and others cutting

trenches, all at the same time, and with the
greatest dispatch and order.

Expedition ok De La Barre. — (1684.)

De La Barre, Governor of Canada from
1682 to 1685, had distinguished himself in
the West Indies, where he had taken Anti|.',ua
and Montserat from the English. In \C ^,
he repaired to Fort Frontenac, and ordered
three vessels which the French had built upon
the lake to be repaired, with the design of
crossing to the country of the Iroquois, and
frightening the people into his own terms of
peace. His army consisted of 600 soldiers,
400 Indians, and 400 men for carrying pro-
visions, besides 300 men left in the fort.

The Governor tarried six weeks at Fronte-
nac, his encampment being near a pestilential
marsh, causing so great sickness and mortality
that he found himself unable to accomplish
his object by force of arms. He accordingly
resolved to effect what he could by treaty,
and havinj^ vainly hoped to obtain the co-
operation of Gov. Dongan, he sent agents to
invite the Five Nations to a council. The
Governor of New York, although in sympathy
with the religious influences so actively em-
ployed by the French, did not consent to any
concurrence, hut secretly put every obstacl?
in the way; and in this he so far succeeded,
that the Mohawks and Senecas remained at
home. The otlier tribes, who were more un-
der the influence of the French missionaries,
sent representatives to meet him, consisting
of Garangula and thirty warriors. The place
of meeting was at the mouth of Salmon river,
at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, about
forty miles from Onondaga castle.

After remaining two days in the French
camp, the Governor proceeded to address the
Indians, a circle being formed by the French
officers on one side, and Garangula and his
warriors on the other.

We have not space to print the speeches
made upon each side by the " high contract-
ing parties," but De la Barre entirely failed
in placating or overawing the Indians, who
became insolent, and at last openly defied that
officer, who was soon compelled to retreat, and

his
at

was

UEXEHAL DESCKI/' //ON.

his command reached Krontenac (Kingston)
at last miicli demoralized. The expedition
was so much of a failure as to be almost stig-
matized as puerile.

Expedition of Ue Nonville. — (1685.)

In 1685, the Marquis I)e Nonville made an
expedition into the Genesee country, but left
no record of local interest concerning the
islands.

The Avenging Inroad of the Iroquois
UPON THE French — (1688.)

Early in July, i688, an act of perfidy on
the part of the French brought down upon
their settlements the terrible vengeance of the
Iroquois. Passing down the St. Lawrence,
they landed at Lachine on the 26lh of July,
and fell upon tiie unsuspecting inhabitants,
burning, plundering and massacreing in all
directions, and almost up to the defenses of
Montreal. They lingered weeks in the coun-
try, laid waste the settlements far and wide,
and returned with the loss of only three men.
The French lost about a thousand persons by
this inroad, and many prisoners were carried
off for a fate worse than sudden death.

The French at Fort Frontenac were obliged
to burn the two vessels they had on the lake,
and abandon tlie fort, first setting a slow
match to the powder magazine. The fire
happened to go out before the jiowder was
readied, and the jilace was soon plundered
by the Indians. The garrison set out in
seven bark canoes, travelling only by night,
and hiding by day, and after much difficulty
reached Montreal with the loss of one canoe
and all on board.

De Nonville witnessed the devastation of
his colony without daring to resist the enemy
while engaged in their work of ruin, nor on
their return. He was succeeded the next
year by Frontenac.

Onondaga Expedition of the Count De
Frontenac.

In 1696 the Count de Frontenac made an
incursion into the country of the Onondagas,

but the only mention that he makes of this
region is his encampment for a night upon
what is now known as (Irenadier island.

Subsequent Operations of the French
ON Lake Ontario.

During the next fifty years, the French
were steadily extending their trade, and en-
deavoring to attach the remote Indian tribes
to their interests. In 1687, they established
a fort at Niagara, and in 1722 the English
built a trading house, and in 1727 a fort at
Oswego. Although England and France were
during much of this time at peace, and the
Governors of their colonies on terms of cor-
respondence, there was probably no period
down to the conquest of 1760 during which
each of the two powers was not busy, through
its agents, in endeavoring to monopolize the
Indian trade, and in extending this influence
with the native tribes.

Indian Mission at Oswegatchie; La
Presentation. — (1749.^

A considerable number of Iroquois, chiefly
Onondagas, having been induced to settle on
the St. Lawrence, a mission was established in
1749, at the mouth of the Oswegatchie, on the
site of the present city of Ogdensburg. This
mission was named La Presentation, and its
founder was Francis Picquet, a Sulpician.
During the first season he built a storehouse
and a small fort, but before the end of the
year his settlement was attacked by a band of
Mohawks, who burned two vessels loaded with
hay, and the palisades of the fort. After this,
some soldiers were stationed here for protec-
tion. The station progressed rapidly, and in
1 75 1 a saw mill was begun.

The English who had built a trading house
and a fort at 0.^"'ego many years before,
naturally looked ■;.]•. jealousy upon this estab-
lishment by the French. Word was brought
to them by the Indians, concerning their posts
lately erected on the Ohio, and the informant
said "he heard a bird sing that a great many
Indians from his castle, and others from the
Five Nations, were gone to Swegage."

In June, 1754, the celebrated Congress of

' \,

A sari'/.x/N or the st. lawkknce kivkr.

Representatives from the P^nglish Colonies,
met at Albany, to consider a Plan of Union
for their common defense, and on this occasion
these encroachments were fully discussed.

In the war which followed, La Presentation
became a point of outfit and rendezvous for
many of the war parties that laid waste the
frontier settlements of the linglisli, from which
they usually returned bringing jjrisoners and
scalps. Many of tliese expeditions were led
by Picquet himself. Tiiomas Mante, in his
history of the French war, says;

"As to ihe Abb6 I'icquct, wlio distinguished him-
self so imich by his l)rutal /cal, as he did not expose
hiiii<iclf to any danger, lie received no injury; and
he yet lives, justly despised to such a degree by every
one who knows anything of his past conduct in
America, that scarce any officer will admit him to
his table. However repugnant it must be to every
idea of honor and humanity, not to give quarter to
an enemy, when subdued, it must be infinitely more
so not to spare women and children. Yet such had
often been the objects of the Abb6 Picquet's cruel
advice, enforced by Ihe most barbarous examples,
especially in the English settlements on the back of
Virginia and Pennsylvania."

He returned to France, where he died July
15, 1 78 1. He w.Tis succeeded at La Presenta-
tion (Ogdensburg) by La Garde, a Sulpician,
and the mission was continued until broken
up in 1760. The Oswegatchies continued to
live on the south shore and on the islands at
the head of the Rapids until 1806, when the
proprietor of the lands caused their removal,
a part going to St. Regis, and others return-
ing to Onondaga. Some years since, the cor-
ner-stone of a building erected near the site
of the present light-house, at the entrance of
the harbor at Ogdensburg, was found in
taking down the building. It may now be
seen ovc the door of a building erected for a
State arsenal in that city, and bears the fol-
lowing inscription:

In nomine + Dei Omnipotentis

Huic habitationi initiadedit

Frans Picquet. 1749.

These premises remained standing when set-
tlement began under title from the State, in
1796, and until long afterwards. They were
fitted up for a store and for dwellings until

better could be built, and the site of the foun-
dations may still be traced.

Operations IN 1755-6: Capture ok Oswego.

The war, which ended in the conquest of
Canada, is without incident so far as relates to
the Thousand Islands; but many events oc-
curred upon this frontier, which became the
thoroughfare of large armies, the only com-
munication then known being by the river,
between the settled parts of Canada and the
upper lakes.

In the suminer of 1755 the Frenc) en-

gaged in strengthening the post at Frontenac,
and later in the season at Niagara. The first
detachment in going up was met by a party of
Indians among the Islands on the ist of Au-
gust. They had a nuinber of scalps, and gave
the first intimation received in Canada of the
defeat of Braddock's army near Fort DuQuesne
a fortnight before. This success of the French
determined many of the Indians to take up
arms against the English, and many of the
cannon captured on that occasion were used
by the French at Niagara and elsewhere on
the northern border during the following year.

In 1756, considerable bodies of tror were
sent from France, and in May, the '^. s de

Montcalm, Gen. Bourlamaque, two c.-c ..jers,
and an anny of 1,350 regulars, 1,500 Canadians
and 250 Indians, ascended the river to Fort
Frontenac, and M. de Villers, with 500 men,
established a post of observation on Six-town
Point, in the present town of Henderson, Jef-
ferson county, the outlines of which may still
be plainly traced. It was square, built of up-
right timbers, with bastions at the corners, and
was surrounded by a ditch, and at the time
hidden from view by surrounding trees and
bushes. This officer, who was captain of the
marine, was brave and prudent, and had
greatly annoyed the English by pillaging their
munitions, and obliging them to take great pre-
cautions in sending provisions to their troops
at Oswego.

Montcalm left Fort Frontenac for Point
Peninsula on the 5th of August, and on the
7th the French appeared before Oswego.
There were at this time two forts at this place

< ;/:xKh' 1 1. />/:s( K/r rii )X.

the foun-

f Oswego.

inquest of
. relates to
ivents oc-
ecame tlie
Dtily coin-
tlie river,
a and the

I in-

'rontenac,

The first

a parly of

1st of Au-

and gave

da of the

DuQiiesne

he French

take up

ny of the

were used

iwhere on

wing year.

or were

s de

..^ ..jers,

anadians

r to Fort

500 men,

Six-town

rson, Jef-

may still

iilt of up-

rners, and

the time

trees and

ain of the

and had

ging their

great pre-

iir troops

or Point

d on the

Oswego.

this place

- Fort Ontario on the east side, and Fort
l'f|)perell on tlie west. The latter, then newly
erected, was 120 feet stuiare, a rampart of
earth and stone, 20 feet thick, and 12 feet
liigh, besides the parapet.

The Frcncl) began their approaches on the
i2tii. and on tlie next day the Englisli, hav-
ing spiked tlieir guns and destroyed their pro-
visions and amimmition, withdrew to the old
fort on tlie eastern bank. This Col. Mercer
was also obliged to surrender on the 17th.
The English force consisted of 2,400 men,
who yielded upon terms dictated by Mont-
calm, with all their effects, munitions, arms
and military stores.

It is stated by English historians that, not-
withstanding the pledges of Montcalm, twenty
of the garrison were given up to the Indians,
by way of atonement for the loss of friends,
and that all the sick in the hospital were
scalped. At least one hundred men are said
to have fallen victims to Indian ferocity after
tlie surrender, the remainder being taken
down to Montreal, where they were mostly
exchanged. The French did not attempt to
[\'>\d this post after surrender, but most of
tlie provisions were sent to Niagara and the
artillery to Frontenac and Montreal. Accord-
ing to Pouchot, the government got small re-
turns of the booty, as it was mostly stolen or
converted to private use by the commissaries,
stewards and other agents of the service, who
lost no opportunity of enriching themselves at
the king's expense. Some of the very articles
captured were sold back to the government
through contractors. Two sloops were set on
fire by the French and cast adrift upon the
lake. The greater part of the French army
returned a week afterwards to Montreal, and
appeared later the same season upon Lake
Champlain.

Destruction of Fort Frontenac, (1758).

In August, 1758, Colonel John Bradstreet
arrived at Oswego with an army of 3,340 men
and crossed the lake to Fort Frontenac, which
he captured with a trifling loss. After de-
stroying the fort and securing what he could
of the immense military stores there deposited,

he returned without accident to Oswego. He
repaired the works on the east side of the
river at that place, which remained i"-, British
possession until surrendered to the United
States under treaty in June, 1796.

Expedition of Lord Amherst, (1760).

The war between the French and English
in North America, which begun in 1755, had
led, by the end of 1759, to the reduction of
Niagara, Ticondcroga, Crown Point and
Quebec. To complete the concjuest, three
ex])eclitions were planned for 1760 : one from
Quebec, another by way of Lake Cham|)lain,
and a third by way of Oswego and the St.
Lawrence river. The latter was |)laced under
Cicneral Jeffrey Amherst, and the forces as-
sembled at Oswego were reported on the 5th
of August as consisting of the 1st and 2d bat-
talion of Royal Highlanders, the 44th, 46th
and 55th regiments, the 4th battalion of the
Goth, eight companies of the 77th, five of the
80th, 597 grenadiers, an equal number of
light infantry, 146 rangers, three battalions of
til.: New York regiment, the New Jersey regi-
ment, four battalions of the Connecticut regi-
ment, and 157 of the Royal Artillery —
amounting in all to 10,142 effective men,
officers included. There were besides 706
Indian warriors under Sir William Johnson.

The first detachment of troops sailed in
two vessels, the Mohawk and the Onondaga,
on the 7th, to take post at the entrance of
the St. Lawrence. On the 13th all had em-
barked, and on the evening of that day they
encamped at the head of the St. Lawrence.
Captain Loring, with the two vessels, who had
been the first to leave Oswego, lost his way
among the islands, and while endeavoring to
extricate himself, the main army passed him.
They, however, arrived a day or two after at
Point au Baril, near the present village of
Maitland, where the French the year before
h?d built a dock, and established a fortified
ship-yard. The grenadiers and row-galleys
had, in the meantime, taken an advanced posi-
tion at Oswegatchie, preparatory to an attack
upon Fort L^vis.

This fort stood upon an island called Ora-

.4 son 'AW /A' OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

conenton by the Indians, and He Royalc by
the French, — about three miles below the
mouth of the Oswegatchie, and near the mid-
dle of the channel, which it comjiletely com-
manded. In modern times it is known as
Chimney island, from the 'ams of the French
works still visible upon it. (In Canada.)

The works ui)on this island were begun un-
der the direction of the Chevalier de Levis in
the summer of 1759, and finished in 1760 by
Pouchot. A ma|) given by Mantc shows that
the border of the island was set with the
trunks of trees having their tops still on,
and firmly set in the ground, so as to jjresent
an impenetrable abatis of brush on every
side but the landinc at the lower lmuI. Within
this was a breastwork of earth, and behind this
a deep ditch filled with water, through t'ne
middle of which there ran a stockade of strong,
sharpened pickets, closely set and sloping
outwards. Inside of the ditch stood the Fort
proper, consisting of a timber parapet filled
with earth, with a line of strong, sharpened
pickets sloping out over the ditch, and plat-
forms for cannon, and in the cr-nter of the
works the iragazines and cpiarters. The lower
point of the island was not included within
the ditch and parapet, but had defensive works
sufficient to prevent the lauding of boats.

A small church stood nearthehead of Callop
island, a short distance below the fort, at the
time when this post was taken. The English,
finding a scalp displayed in the building,
burned it to the ground The outline of the
foundations of this church can st'll be faced.

The events attending the reduction of this
fort — the last that offered any resistance in
Canada, may be learned from two accounts:
one by Mante, an English historian of ap-
proved credit, ana the other by Pouchot, the
French officer who defended the fort, and
afterwards wrote a history of the war, that
was publislied aftei his death.

The loss of thf; English was tu-rnfv-oiie kiUed and
nineteen wounded. The first shot from the Eng-

lish battery killed the French officer of artillery.
Eleven more were killed afterwards, and about forty
wounded. The garrison, except the pilofj, for the
sake of whom chiefly the pl.ice had been attacked,
were sent to New York; and the general named the
fort FoRr William Augustus.

OsWKGATCHIt; UNDER THE ENGLISH.

The English continued to occupy Oswe-
gatchie as a trading post until 1796, and dur-
ing the Revolution it was a point of some
importance as a place for the storage of sup-
plies, and the transfer of freight from boats to
vessels. Although the St. Lawrence river had
been declared the boundary by the Treaty of
1783, the British held possession of the whole
line of posts on the northern frontier to
seciire, as they claimed, the rights of certain
Biitish subjects. In the absence of authority
to prevent it, the owners of land under pur-
chase from the State suffered great damages
from timber thieves, who operated extensively
and without the least restraint. A mill on the
Oswegatchie owned by one Verne Francis
Lorinier, a half-pay captain, did an extensive
business in this line, but the remonstrances of
proprietors obtained no relief. The usual
l)lea when these complaints were brought to
the attention of officials was that they had no
jurisdiction in the matter, and that relief
should be sought in some higher authority.

According to the terms of "Jay's Treaty,"
all the posts within the United States were to
be given up on or before June i, 1796. Mr-
Nathan Ford, agent of Samuel Ogden the
projirietor, took possession, and at once began
improvements with an energy that could not
fail of success. During his absence the first
winter the Canadians came over, held a town
meeting, elected civil and military officers
and opened a land office for selling and set-
tling his landr,; but he made short work with
these squatters and their title, and the settle-
ment grew rapidly until i^s prosperity wr.s
checked for a time by the embargo of 1812
and the war.

H-l

if artillery,
about forty
Jts, for the
I attacked,
named the

GLISH.

py Oswe-

and diir-

of some

;e of sup-

a boats to

river had

Treaty of

the whole

otitier to

of certain

authority

nder piir-

: datiiages

xtensively

nill on the

e Francis

extensive

[trances of

"he usual

rought to

ey had no

at relief

thority.

Treaty,"

s were to

90. Mr.

^den the

ice began

:ould not

the first

d a town

officers

and set-

ork with

lie settle-

prity wr.s

of 1812

rROM THjB 0JTCM

CARLTON ISLAND IN THE REVOLUTION.

/^OR more than eighty years the traveller
I on the river St. Lawrence by way of the

American channel, could scarcely have failed
to notice a group of stone chimneys standing
on the bluff at the head of Carlton Island.
Inquiry or examination disclosed the fact that
these old chimney stacks stood within an elabo-
rately fortified enclosure of which the out-
lines are not only distinct, but in a degree
quite perfect, so that the plan is readiiy deter-
mined, the system identified, its armament
approximately adjudged, its magazines and
barracks located, and, in short, its whole scr.pe,
object and intent made reasonably plain.

It will be remembered that the bead of
Carlton Island consists of a comparatively low
peninsula, connected by a neck of land with
the main island. On each side of this neck or
isthmus is a bay, one arm of which is called
South bay and the other North bay. Back of
the two bays the island rises abruptly in a steep
bluff to a height of about sixty feet above the
water, and upon Inis bluff the fort was con-
structed.

The work occupied three-eighths of an
octagon, extending from edge to edge of the

cliff on which it was built, which faces to the
southwest. The rear, or landward side, was
protected by a strong earth-work, a ditch, an
out-work and glacis of stone and a strong
abatis. The ditch was cut in the limestone
rock. In the center of each face of the ram-
parts, and midway betv/een the salients, was
a strong bastion, constructed for four guns,
two of which in each bastion cou'd enfilade cor-
responding angles of the ditch, which was cut
to a depth of nearly five feet, with an average
width of twenty-four feet. The scarp was
vertical and protected by a cheveaux-de-frise
of cedar logs, sharpened at the outer ends,
and extending beyond the berme ; these were
held in place by the earth of the parapet.
The counterscarp was also vertical, and be.
yond it extended a convert way of about the
same average width as the ditch. There were
also bomb-proof magazines and barracks
erected, and a well sunk to a level of or below
the water in North bay. On the loth of
June, 1793, there still remained in the fort
ten eighteen-pounders, "ve twelve-pounders,
two nine-pounders and two six-pounders. In
1783, ten years previous, six eighteens and

Q
<

<
'■J

d
<

u,
o

CARLFON ISLAND IN THE REVOLUTION.

<:
o

b
b

five twelves had been taken from the arma-
ment of the fort and placed upon vessels; so
that the complete armament must have been
sixteen eighteens, ten twelves, two nines and
two sixes; in all, thirty guns.

As early as 1774, Carlton Island, then
known as Buck, or Deer Island, became a
trading post of much importance for Quebec
merchants who were dealing with the Indian
tiibes. In 1775-6 the British government had
located a military and naval supply depart-
ment on the island, but it was not until
August, 1778, that any attempt at fortifying it
was made. The reasons for so doing may be
very briefly stated. At the breaking out of
the War of the Revolution, the British held
Niagara, Oswego, Fort Frontenac (now Kings-
ton), and undisputed sway of the lakes and of
the river St. Lawrence. Sir Guy Carlton
was governor of the Canadas, and commander-
in-chief of his Majesty's forces therein. A
campaign against the colonies was planned
early in the war, and its management entrusted
to Gen. John Burgoyne, instead of Sir Guy
Carlton. The plan was well laid. Bur-
goyne was to move on Albany by way of
Lake Champlain; Col. Barry St. Leger was
to proceed up the St. Lawrence to Oswego
and thence to Fort Stanwix (Rome), and, re-
ducing that, reach Albany by way of the
Mohawk, and form a junction with Burgoyne;
while Sir Henry Clinton was to move \\\) the
Hudson River to the same point. But Bur-
goyne was defeated at Saratoga, St. Leger
was forced to raise the siege of Fort Stanwix,
and Clinton failed to reach Albany — so the
well-laid plan was defeated. Thinking him-
self aggrieved by the appointment of Bur-
goyne, Sir Guy Carlton resigned his position
and returned to England; and Sir Frederick
Haldimand was appointed to his place.

In July, 1778, Gen. Haldimand issued an
order to Lieut. William Twiss of the Engi-
neers, Lieut. Schank of the Navy, and Capt.
Aubrey of the 47th Regiment, to proceed to
the upper St. Lawrence and there select such
a place as in their jud>;men«: was best suited to
establish a ship-yard and all its necessary re-
quirements. After a careful examination of

several points they pitched on Deer Island.
Capt. Schank had a force of artificers, and
Capt. Aubrey his own company and a detach-
ment of Sir John Johnson's " Royal Greens."
Lieut. Twiss drew tiie plans for the fort, and
named it Fort Haldimand, in honor of the
new commander, and the three officers
changed the name of the island from " Deer"
to " Carlton," in honor of their former com-
mander, Sir Gay Carlton. The fort was never
fully completed, work being discontinued by
order of Gen. Haldimand in 1783.

During the War of the Revolution, Carlton
Island was the most important post above
Montreal. Many vessels of war and gunboats
were built in the North Bay, and the place
was the great depot of military and naval sup-
plies for the Northwest. It was the place of
refuge for the Tories of New York, Pennsyl-
vania and New Jersey. Thayendanagea, the
great chief of the Six Nations, made this his
headquarters. Large numbers of those tribes
encamped on Carlton and Wolfe islands.
The bloody massacres of the Cedars, Wyo-
ming, Cherry Valley, and Stony Arabia, were
planned here, and executed by forces which
went from here.

Wiiat a contrast between the Carlton Is-
land of 117 years ago, and now. Then all
was bustle. Vessels of war were building, a
fort in construction; the drums beat the
reveille, and the roar of the evening gun
startled the echoes amid the dense forests on
island and mainlaiid. The notes of the bugle
rang shrill and clear across the crystal waters
of the St. Lawrence, while the war-whoop of
the painted Iroquois boded death and disaster
to the frontier settler. To-day, all is quiet.
Where the artificers of the Revolution built
their vessels of war, the artificers of to-day
are completing the finest cottage on the St.
Lawrence river. The land earned by his ser-
vice in the Continental army, and granted to
a soldier of the Revolution, now belongs
to a gallant soldier of a later Revolution,
which established as a permanent fact that
which the first Revolution only inaugurated
as an experiment — "The Union, one and
inseparable."

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LA WHENCE RIVER.

HON. THOMAS G. ALVORD'S FISHING EXPERIENCES

UPON THE RIVER, EARLY IN THE FORTIES.

\(J^HEN I first resolved to proceed with
'^ tlic preparation of this Souvenir, my
mind conceived the idea of asking some one
of the early frequenters of the Great River to
write up his early experiences. I knew that
Silas Wright, and Preston King, and Martin
Van Buren and his son Prince Jolin, and Dr.
Bethune, and Pr. Holland, as well as the hun-
dreds of later nion of equal ability, includ-
ing Grant and SI erman and Sheridan, had
all passed away — their names now only a
memory — th.ei.' presence never more to be
recognized by th-:. great nation that delighted
to honor them when living. Casting about
for some aged one, yet spared, we thought of
Lieut. Gov. Thomas G. Alvord, of Syracuse,
and he has graciously complied with our re-
quest. Without further introduction we give
his admirable letter; preceding it, however,
by saying that he was for many years the
owner and occupant of what is known as
"Governor's Island," now the property of
Mr. Emery. It is the first island above the
or.e upon which Mr. C. G. Emery built a
beautiful villa, which he has lately enlarged
and greatly improved. Mr. Alvord's long
connection with the political history of the
State has made his name most familiar to our
people under the cognomen of " Old Salt," a
name earned in the Legislature by his persist-
ent adherence to the fortunes of Syracuse
where the well-known Onondaga Salt Springs
have been so long a source of profit to the
State, as well as the source of very much of
the earlier wealth and importance of that city.

Syracuse, February 25, 1895.
Jno. a. Haddock, Esq.:

My DEAR Sir. — I am in receipt of your
pleasant letter of request that I dot down
something of a history of my early experi-
ences as an amateur fisherman on the glorious
and lordly St. Lawrence. To this request I

cheerfully accede, and leave to you the deci-
sion and final judgment whether or nol it
shall find its way into your contemplated
history of the St. Lawrence and its 1,000
islands.

I first began my piscatorial career in the
waters of the Hudson river, nine miles above
Albany, when I was young enough to be without
discretion, but old enough to hook a sunfish,
and consequently came near, on one occasion,
being drowned by falling from the dock into
the river. My love for the sport followed me
into my college life, and as often as possible I
explored the waters of Long Island Sound for
its black-fish, porgies, etc. I carried the
taste with me to the Berkshire Hills, and in a
sojourn of two years explored all the trout
streams and pickerel and bass ponds within
reach of a day's journey from Pittsfield, Massa-
chusetts. I divided my time for two years
between Blackstone and my trout-rod, on the
edge and over the line between wilderness
and semi-civilization at Keeseville in Clinton
county, and, when a full-Hedged lawyer in
Salt Point, I had a right to stick out my sign
as " Atty. at Law," there was quite often
added at the bottom a temporary postscript,
"P. S. Gone fishing."

From time to time I would hear about the
beauties of the St. Lawrence and its many
islands in conjunction with its unequalled ex-
cellence as a hunting ground for ducks, arid
its great abundance of the gamiest fish to be
found in fresh waters. I had a long-time ac-
quaintance with a Mr. Dutton, a noted music
dealer of Utica, who as early as in the later
forties, was in the habit of spending a portion
of the year with his sons fishing on the river;
so finally, in 1852, I proposed to a brother-
in-law visiting me from Indiana, an excursion
to Alexandria Bay via Oswego. Accordingly,
one September morning we landed there from
the old '* Cataract," whose bones have but

HON. THOMAS G. ALVORD'S FISHING EXPERIENCES.

the deci-
or nol it
itemplated

its i,ooo

eer in the

liles above

be witiiout

: a sunfish,

e occasion,

dock into

)llo\ved me

> possible I

Sound for

arried the

s, and in a

I the trout

inds within

eld, Massa-

two years

rod, on the

wilderness

in Clinton

lawyer in

Lit my sign

uite often

postscript.

about the
its many
quailed ex-
iurks, and
fish to be
ig-time ac-
oted music
the later
a portion
the river ;
a brother-
excursion
cordingly,
there from
have but

very lately c -appeared from the waters of the
lower bay at Clayton, where she had enjoyed
a rest for many years after she ceased to be
a floating passenger transport. At that time
Alexandria Bay was the Mecca of fishermen,
and Clayton the headquarters of square-lim-
ber cutting, and no boatman for fisher-folk
hailed from there until some years thereafter.
Old man Crossmon kept the only caravansarie
at Alexandria Bay, and his then small estab-
lishment on the rocks was hardly ever found
unable to accommodate all comers. The
enormous charge of $i.oo per day also in-
cluded sufficient lunch for the noon-day meal
of both sportsman and guide, taken " al fresco,"
on some opportune island; the food furnished
was well prepared, and the more delicate ac-
cessions, now considered almost necessities,
were provided under the careful watch of the
hostess. It was always neat, abundant and
palatable.

The boats of that day were but the crude
prototypes uf the present exquisite ones, which
have no superiors on the globe in form, finish
or perfect adaptability, with their well-matched
oars, center boards, cushioned chairs, and
other requisites, superior in all respects foi
the uses to which they are put. Then, under
the command of Commodore Ned Patterson,
still living and still a guide (octogenarian sure,
if not centenarian), I embarked on my first
fishing excursion in a boat made of pine (not
piano finished), sharp at each end, not more
than 14 feet long, low-sided, with naked
wooden boards, without back-rests for seats.
Loaded down almost invariably on the return
from a day's fishing with their human cargo
and catch of fish, the gunwales would be peril-
ously near the level of the water of the river.
The remembered oarsmen or guides of that
day were old man Griffin, Ned Patterson,
Alph and Tom Comstock, the last named
being my favorite, and after my first visit in-
variably my guide until some time after Alex-
andria Bay was abandoned for Clayton as the
nearer point for the more desirable fishing
grounds. Not knowing the outfit best adapted
to the river in the matter of fishing-tackle, and
beinj;; advised that the boatman furnished all

that was necessary in that regard, we took none
with us, but used the native tools. These were
crude in very deed, the poles were home-made;
the lines were rough and the spoon for trolling
was literally the bowl of an iron or pewter
spoon with a single big coarse hook, braced
on the lower end, and attached to the line
without swivel, and did not rotate but simply
wobbled in the water; live bait for bass was
not then thought of, but a supply of worms
accompanied each boat. The Dultons were
there with their more artistic appliances, con-
sisting of spoons with swivels, and of various
colors, and fairly smooth laid-lines and jointed
bambo rods; but with all their fancy rigs they
very seldom succeeded in beating our catch
with the homelier tools. P.ev. Dr. Bethune
was there; he was the donor of the Stone
Church in the village, in which, much to the
gratification of the natives and visitors, he
always officiated on Sundays when in town.
He was a bass fisherman and used a fly as a
lure. After leaving Utica for New York he
still occasionally was to be met in the season
at his favorite resort luring the bass with the
delusive fly during the week, and tempting
men and women on Sundays, by his powerful
pulpit eloquence, to a better and purer life.
There and then I first met Seth Green, and
then commenced a warm friendship which
ended only with his death. He never failed
for years to supply me, " unsolicited on my
part," with an abundance of his own-make of
flies, both single and in gang, and whenever we
met he always gave me a learned lecture on
the progress in piscatorial scieiice and art.
He was at that time and for many years there-
after the only fisher dweller on any of the
beautiful islands of the St. Lawrence Archi-
pelago, making the now renowned Manhattan
Island his home where his house may still be
seen, though remodeled [see frontispiece]. His
memory will be " Green "in the recollection of
many to whom his example and teachings have
imparted a love for a sport and pastime com-
pelling them to commune with nature where
dressed in her most enticing garb and to drink
in the pure air of heaven, bearing to them a
healthful cure — restoring body and soul to a

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

perfect health and vigor, and sending one back
to battle with the world with not only renewed
and restored bodily strength but with a mind
attuned to a higher and purer conception of
duty to themselves and others.

The recital of the surroundings of my first
visit to the St. Lawrence would be incomplete
if I did not dot down my impressions of the
natural beauties of the scene afforded by the
river and its many island gems. I am a
natural fisherman ; given intensely, whenever
opportunity permits, to entice and ensnare
the cunning water dwellers. I have been a
visitor to the St. Lawrence, with but two
exceptions, each returning season, for over
forty years ; and during that period I have
again and again traversed in its widest extent
every nook and corner, islet and island, and
mainland as well, every shoal and deep of the
St. Lawrence, from Chippewa on the north
to the deep indentation at the head of Long or
Wolfe Island, stretching up into Lake Ontario,
called Reed's Bay. I have never been any
day upon the water, when my line has not
been neglected for hours in order to drink in
the invigorating and health-laden air and the
wondrous, indescribable beauty and (may I
say it?) sublimity of diversified island and en-
circling water.

I am not going to prolong this screed by a
recital of my wonderful exploits as a fisher-
man. I leave that task to time, and, perhaps,
in the distant future I may be deified as the
great " American Fisherman," and my re-
ported deeds almost match with those wonder-
ful tales rehearsed at camp fire, or where'er
the jolly fishermen congregate.

Suffice it to say that I generally captured
all the fish I was entitled to, but, what was
far better, I took in annually a load of health
which has prolonged my life and made me
retain the feelings of youth in spite of the in-

creasing number of years added to my roll-
call.

An article on the i,ooo islands of the St.
Lawrence would be incomplete unless a full
description of one of their noted features,
"The Boatman, or Guide," was given. Both
by an experience and observation of 40 years
I have carefully noted and studied them, and
can safely claim for them a deservedly proud
position; in the main, browned by their con-
stant exposure and wearing the rough habili-
ments necessary for their calling, they are,
with rare exception, Gentlemen in the truest
acceptation of the word ; accomplished oars-
men and sailors. Though not learned in
books, they read the weather more correctly
than do the trained signal-service men of the
Government; they are perfect masters in the
knowledge of the ways of the errant fishes;
under their care, gentle woman and careless
child are safe from all harm or danger. They
are enthusiastic sportsmen, they never strike
for an eight-hour day, but urge the lazy fisli-
erman to an early breakfast and sunrise-start ;
and, oftener than their employer, insist ui)on
one more circle or cast, so as to add another to
the well-filled fish box, even if the shades of
night are deepening around them. In all the
time I have known the river I have never
heard of the loss of the life of a fisherman or
visitor by the carelessness of the Guide.
Without apparent fatigue, they ply the oar for
more than twenty miles, to be repeated each
recurring day. They teach the tyro the gentle
art, they cook you a noon-day meal the gods
might envy; never sulking, always anxious to
do all they can for your comfort and success.
The Boatman of the 1,000 islands is easily tlie
peer of that great army who contribute to the
innocent enjoyment of others.

THOMAS G. ALVORD.

Syracuse, February, 1895.

to my roll-

Is of the St.
inless a full
ed features,
;iven. Both
of 40 years
d them, and
rvedly proud
>y their con-
ough habili-
g, they are,
in the truest
)lished oars-
learned in
ire correctly
: men of tlie
asters in the
rrant fishes;
and careless
nger. They
never strike
he lazy fisli-
unrise-start ;
insist upon
Id another to
le shades of
In all tlie
have never
fisherman or
the Guide,
the oar for
peated each
•o the gentle
al the gods
s anxious to
md success,
is easily the
ibute to the

LVORD.

THOUSAND ISLAND PARK.

/^THIS park seems to have been an out-
^^ growth of that wave of religious senti-
ment which swept over the country about
1874 — the result, perhaps, of the reaction in
men's minds which usually follows great
financial de[)ression. Its contemporary de-
veloprnents are visible at Asbury Park and
Ocean Grove, two grand summer resorts upon
the seaboard of New Jersey, and the latter
manifestation of the same sentiment at Chau-
tauqua, in Western New York. All of these
movements towards summer residences bore a
distinctly religious character, and were the
outgrowth of a sincere desire to glorify God,
and yet, in doing so, to make summer homes
where families could receive' the benefit of
change of scene and of air and perhaps in
their manner of living.

The manifestation of this impulse at Thou-
sand Island Park is due to the efforts of Rev.
J. F. Dayan, a well-known Methodist minis-
ter, now on the retired list. He conceived
the idea that the Methodist denomination
would gladly support such a resort, and he
selected the southwesterly end of Wellsley
Island as the most eligible spot. The selec-
tion was judicious, and his efforts were soon
appreciated. The needed lands were mainly
purchased (t,ooo acres) from Capt. Throop,
whose title was only tlie third remove from
the State itself. Success crotvped the Associa-
tion's efforts, ^22,000 worth of lots having
been sold in a single day. Men struggled to
secure the most desirable sites. It was un-
fortunate for the young town, however, that
the extreme religious element so far prevailed
that illy-considered restrictions were imposed
as to entrance fee, etc, but in time these

peculiar views have given way to more liberal
ideas. To this day, however, no steamer is
allowed to land at their dock on the Sabbath,
the present management adhering to the
original plan that the Sabbath should be not
only a day of rest but of religious observance.
The Thousand Island Park is now, as it was
at the beginning, a place where a man can
leave his wife and children and feel sure that
they will not be exposed to any harmful influ-
ence of any nature — a place where "the
assassins of society " would have no induce-
ment whatever to come.

The situation of the park is superior. Back
from the river-front plateau rises a rocky
mound, nearly 200 feet in height, which
afforded a permanent and accessible locality
for a water reservoir with pressure enough ^o
flood the highest buildings. The soil is pro-
ductive, resting upon the moraine of this
region, the result of glacial action. The
second-growth of timber is mainly oak and
elm, remarkably straight and vigorous, and
the lot-owners are only called upon to decide
what tree should be felled, and not what they
should plant. It is difficult to conceive of a
finer location. With man's intelligent super-
vision the ])lace may be made the most de-
lightful in America. Other resorts have the
ocean, with its drifting sands, its fogs, its
storms — this park has the great St. Law-
rence, whose waters come sweei)ing down
from the far Northwest, pure as the melting
snow can make them, fresh as the breath of
spring, placid as Nature itself. To live in
such a spot is a benediction for man ; there
he forgets his cares, and grows into a life of
contentment and thankfulness.

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

At the Thousand Islands there is a percep-
tible odor of ozone in the atmosphere. By
some it is called a " sulphurous," by others a
fishy smell. But there is a difference. Ozone
is of itself an energetic chemical agent. It is
a preservative, not a putrifying influence. In
this it differs widely from oxygen, the princi-
ple in the air which assists in decay. There
seems to be a reason for the belief that the
beneficial effects produced upon many invalids
from a residence among the Thousand Islands

The original trustees were : Chancellor E.
D. Haven, D. D., President; Willard Ives,
Vice-President; Col. Albert D. Shaw, John
F. Moffett, J. F. Dayan, E. C Curtis, E.
Remington, Hon. James Johnson, M. D.
Kinney.

Mr. Dayan continued a member of the
board and as secretary and general manager
until 1881. Chancellor Haven resigned in
1881, having been made one of the Bishops
of the church at the preceding (ieneral Con-

di.' nt
and

tfl-'S

■nil--. COMIMlllA imiKI, AT TiroUSANI) ISI.ANH r\kK.

or upon the sea-shore, is due largely to the
ozone discernible in those localities.

The casual reader, like the author of this
book, may ask to know more about " ozone."
He has been told that the term is used to
designate the life-giving i)rinciple which per-
meates the air we breathe.

The original capital of tlie Association was
fixed at ^[5,000, of which $7,100 was paid in
cash. On January nth, 1876, the indebted-
ness of the Association was $24,647.81 and
the assets $57,300.94. The capital was after-
wards increased to $50,000.

ference. He was succeeded by Rev. I. S.
Bingham, D. D., who, in 1883, gave place
to Rev. M. D. Kinney, A. M., who had been
a member of the board of trustees from the
first. Under his energetic management many
improvements were perfected, and there came
a period of decided growth. He continued
as President for seven years, and the Park
owes much to his management, and to the
fact that he has been of financial aid at many
times.

The present trustees are : George P. Folts,
President ; George C. Sawyer, Vice-Presi-

THOUSAND ISLAND PARK.

incellor F-
Hard Ives,
haw, John
Curtis, E.
n, M. D.

)er of the
il manager
esigned in
le Bishops
neral Coii-

cev. 1. S.

Tave place

had been

from the

liient many

there came

continued

the Park

Ind to the

|d at many

P. Folts,
'^ice-Presi-

dcni; Or. A. W. Coodale, 2(1 Vice-President
and Secretary; W. R. l-itch, Treasurer. 'I'rus-
,,,s: (leorge P. Foltz, F. G. Weeks, (leorge
C. Sawver, W. R. Fitch, Walter Brown, Dr.

A. \V. Goodale, James P. Lewis, A. Gurnee,

B. M. Britton; Jas. Smith, Superintendent.

ceiel)rated preachers in the United States and
Canada, and the reputation of the Park in
this respect has been admirably sustained.
Rev. Dr. J. F". C. Sawyer, editor of the
Nortiiern Christian Advocate, delivered two
sermons there on July 22, 1894, that were the

THE LATF. CUART.ES CROSSMON,
The First Summer Hotel-keeper upon the St. Lawrence.

The reader will recognize among these the
names of prominent and influential citizens.

From the very first the design of the Asso-
ciation has been to secure the best native
talent for religious services, and also bringing
from abroad men of established reputation
and ability. In this way the noble Taber-
nacle has had under its roof some of the most

most finished and stirring the writer has ever
listened to. The influences that have gone
out from that Tabernacle have been pecu-
liarly inspiring and noble, and its services
ha"e done much to popularize the Park. The
auditorium has a natural slope, the acoustics
are admirable, and the sight most unique and
interesting when the vast place is filled with

,/ SOUVEN/K or THE ST. LAWRhNCE RIVER.

the soa of upturned faces confronting the
speaker. Situated in a fine growtli of oak,
witli great curtains at the sides, whicli can be
raised or lowered as desired, the i)eoi)le are
brought fact to face with nature, whence they
are insjjired to look up to nature's Clod.

It should not be forgotten that the Park as
well as the Islands jiartake of an international
character to a great extent, and the Union
Jack lloats in close i)roximity to our own be-
loved Stars and Stripes, and that i)rayers
ascend for the noble Queen from the same
desk as the petition for our honored Presi-
dent.

The population of Thousand Island Park is
somewhat of a floating one, as regards its per-
manence, but there can be no doubt as to its
pre-eminent respectability. It numbers 800
to 6,000 souls. Indeed the only occasion for
fear in these established popular resorts is
that they may become exclusively the sum-
mer abodes of the rich alone. At this placi ,
however, there are ample accommodations
for people of every class in point of material
wealth, the hotel charges being $3.00 per day
for the best, $1.00 per day for a cheaper but
really comfortable place, and board in private
cottages at even less rates. It is pre-emin-
ently a democratic place, and friendliness is
cultivated as not an altogether obsolete senti-
ment. The trustees and officers are capable
men, composed of persons who have made their
way from small beginnings and have ah ys
been in sympathy with plain and home-like
methods. The cottages are numerous, all of
them attractive, some beautiful. We give
views of a few of the plain cottages as well as
of some of the more elegant structures. A
traveler upon any of the steamers which
thread their way among the islands will ob-
serve that more people get on and off at
Thousand Island Park than all the other
resorts put together. The plotted ground for
cottages occupies about 100 acres. The
Association has sold off 200 acres for farming,
and about 700 acres are left, devoted to
dairying.

The pumping engines of the Association,
their system of sewerage, water supply and

electric lights are superior and unexcelled.
Their dynamo plant and the beautiful ma-
chinery there (of the Watertown Steam \\x\-
gine Company) are models of mechanical skill.

It would be, perhaps, an indication of neg-
ligence were we to fail in giving especial
notice to tlie very large and wholly first-class
hotel erected by tiie .\ssociation to take tiie
place of the building destroyed by fire several
years since. The new hotel is in the shape
of a Greek cross, enabling every room in the
house to have an outward look, the larger
p.irt facing the noble river. The rooms are
all en suite, enabling them to be used singly or
double; the ceilings are high; the furniture
ill keeping with the buildmg. The closets
and bath-rooms are of modern construction
and appointment ; the lights all electric — not
a lamp being used in the whole building.
The reception room and office, as well as the
large ladies' parlor, and the commodious
dining-room have each the patent steel ceil-
ings admitting of fine effects in fresco and
painting, as well as immunity from fire.

Taking into consideration its size, the out-
ward view from every room, the purity of the
water used, the separation of the kitchen from
the hotel proper, the perfect system of sew-
age, and the desirability of location, it may be
said that the Columbian is the finest hotel
upon the St. Lawrence above Montreal To
this may be added its almost perfect safety
from accident by fire.

The trustees felt that they were to a certain
extent building for the future by authorizing
so extensive a structure, but as the Park in-
creases in importance every year, it is plainly
seen that they acted wisely in erecting an
hotel that would add to the character of the
Park, where so many city people crowd during
the heat of summer, and demand the best of
everything.

There are other hotels and boarding places
at the Park, but not owned by the Association.
Mr. Billings, on Garden avenue, has five neat
cottages where he accommodates very many
people each summer, and his customers
usually come again, for he is a very pleasant
gentleman

unexcelled.

eautiful m;i-

Steam Kn-

lianical skill.

itioii of neg-

ing especial

lly first-class

to take the

y fire several

n the shape

room in tlic

, tiie larj^ir

e rooms arc

sed singly or

le furniture

The closets

construction

ectric — not

le building.

s well as the

commodious

t steel ceil-

fresco and

11 fire.

lize, the out-

purity of the

kitchen from

■1

item of sew-

m, it may be

finest hotel

jntreal To

.'^

srfect safety

to a certain

authorizinji

'■^'.

he Park in-

it is plainly

erecting an

■.^

acter of the

rowd during

the best of

'"I

rding places

Association.

las five neat

very many

customers

■■'

ery pleasant

THE NED CROSS.

AN INTERNATIONAL PARK.

/^FHE popular scheme of establishing an in-
^^ ternational park, embracing the Thous-
and islands of the St. Lawrence river, which
was discussed at length last year by American
and Canadian authorities, seems almost cer-
tain of early fulfillment. A meeting was held
at Ottawa in February, 189^), to promote the
enterprise, and both the American and Cana-
dian representatives present manifested much
enthusiasm. The coniuiittee of Americans
appointed to confer with the Canadian au-
thorities, consisted of Hon Elon R. I!r.)wn of
Watertown, chairman ; Henry R. Heath of
Brooklyn, and R. 1). Grant of ("layton. They
were met at Ottawa, by Hon Cieorge Taylor,
M. P., for Canada ; Hon. John Costigan,
minister of marine and fisheries; Hon. Hor-
ton Reed, minister of Indian a.Tairs; and Sir
Charles Tupper, acting minister of tiie in-
terior. The conference was held in Mr.
Costigan's office.

As a result of this conference an agreement
was made to make the opening and closure
laws of both countries uniform, the ■ !osed
season to extend from January i, to June 9.
Netting is to be totally prohibited on both
sides of the river. The policing of the river
is to be in tmiform, the guards of both sides
co-operating in all waters of the river.

The territory covered by the agreement ex-
tends from Ogdenst)urg on the .American side
and Prescott, on the Canadian side, to points
four miles above Cape Vincent and Kingston.
The Canadian government is to set aside cer-
tain islands for jjublic ])arks, where those who
do not own property on the river can pitch
their cani|)s. Similar parks are expected to
be established on tiie American side.

The government of this great international
park is to be vested in an international com-
mission and is to be carried on after the plan
adopted for the international park at Niagara
Falls. The commissioners named on the
l)art of New York State are Klon R. Hrown,
Henry R. Heath and President Mead, of the
forest commission.

The thousands of people who annually find
recreation and pleasure at the great watering
place*- on the St, Lawrence will heartily ap-
prove of this plan to preserve for the whole
people the beauties of the river. It is a plan
that has been contemplated and one that will
benefit those whose homes are in the St.
Lawrence region even more than summer
visitors, for the food fishes will be protected
from wholesale slaughter and eventual extermi-
nation, and thus all classes of our people will
be benefited.

THE RED CROSS.

jRVESIDENTS and voyageurs upon the St.
rK. Lawrence, when nearly opposite Alex-
andria Bay, have noticed upon the western
bank of the river, above the fine residence of
Mr. Browning and just adjoining the summer
residence of Rev. Mr. Pullman (whose son is
Miss Barton's financial and active secretary),
a red cross emblazoned upon a white flag.
That has been for two seasons past the sum-
mer home of Miss Clara Barton, the President
of what is known as the Red Cross in America.
We have been permitted to make extracts
from an address made by Miss Barton in 1888,

and by her delineation the reader will be able
to get a fair idea of the Red Cross organiza-
tion. For a fair representation of this won-
derful woman we refer the reader to her por-
trait given in connection with a sketch of her
life in another place in this volume. [.See
page 230.]

We give, in brief, much that she said at
Washington before the International Council
of Women in 1 888.

The organization of the Red Cross is the result of
an international treaty known among nations as the
" Treaty of Geneva," and has for its object the

.-/ SOUlh.X/R OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

arm-lioration of the conditions of ilial c ass of per-
sons wliu, in accordance witli the customs of mati-
kind from the earliest history to the present, have
been called to niaiiilain tlic houndaiicK of nations,
and even national existence itself, liy liunian warfare.

Whether well or ill, needful or needless, tli.it na-
tions and boundaries he so |)reserved, is not a (|ues.
tion for luc here to consider. That ihey have been,
and niaitdy are so preserved, that no better method
is yet consummated, and tliat, in the piofjress of
humanity, the existing couniries of the civili/ed
world li.ive seen (it to enter into an international
treaty for liie l)etternient of the conditions of those
subjects or citizens, who, by their laws, are called to
the performance of this dutv, are facts which I am
here to sta*-. 'I'liis international treaty of 1864 com-
mences with tiie ncutraliziMg of ail parties in their
efToris at relief. It brinns to the aid of the medical
and hospital departments of armies the direct, or-
ganized and protected help of the people. It goes
through the entire catagory of military medical
rii;inii\ as practiced up toils date; makes war upon
and plucks out its old-time barbarities, its needless
restrictions atid cruelties, and, (iiially, in efTect, ends
by teaching war to make war upon itself.

By its international code all military hospitals un-
der its tl.ig become neutral, antl can be neither at-
tacked nor captured. All sick and wounded within
them remain unmolested. Surgeons, nurses, chap-
lains, attendants and all non-combatants on a field,
wearing the accredited insignia of the Red Cross,
are protected from capture. ' Hadly wounded
prisoners lying upon a captured Held are delivered
up to their own army if desired. All supplies de-
signed for the use of the sick or wounded of either
army, and bearing the sign of the Red Cross, are
protected and lield sacred to their use. All convoys
of wounded or prisoners in exchange are safely pro-
tected in transit and, if attacked from ambusli or
otherwise harmed, an international treaty is broken.
All persons residing in the vicinity of a battle about
to take place shall be notified by the generals com-
manding both armies, and full protection, with a
guard, assured each house which shall open its doors
to the care of the wounded from either army; thus
each house becomes a furnished field-hospital and
its inmates nurses.

Each nation, upon its accession to the treaty,
establishes a national society, or committee, through
which it will act internationally in its various re-
lations.

This body corporate adopts a constitution, in the
formation of which it seeks the best methods for
serving humanity in general, together with the in-
terests of its own people, in the direction of its legi-
timate efforts.

The formers of the National Constitution of the
Red Cross of America foresaw that the great woes

of its people would not be confined to human war-
fare; that the elements raging, unchained, woull
wage us wars and face us in b.ittles; that as out va>t
territory bec.imc populated, and people, in the place
of prairies and forests, should lie in their track,
these natural agents might prove scarcely less de-
structive ami more relentless than human enemies;
th.it fire, ilinxl, famine, pestilence, drouth, earth-
((uake and tornado would call for the prompt help
of tlu- people no less than war, and while organizing
for the latter they also included the former.

It remains to name some of the things accom-
plished and the changes which have taken place in
consecjuencc of this treaty during its life of a short
quarter of a century, and up to i8S3.

Previous to the war of the Crimea civil help for
military necessities was unknown. PMorence Night-
ingale trod a pathless field. In the wars which fol-
lowed, till 1S66, even this example was not heeded,
and the wars of Napoleon III. in .Notthern Italy
were types of military cruelty, medical in-^udiciency,
and needless sulFering which shocked the world.
(Jut of the smouldering ashes of these memories
rose the clear, si- ady tiaiiie of the Red Cross; so
bright and beautiful that it ilrcw the ga/.e of all man-
kind; so bro:wl that it reached the f.irthest bound of
the horizon; so peaceful, wise, h.irmWss and frater-
nal that all nations and sect', the Cnristian and the
Jew, the Protestant and the Catholic, the soldier and
the philanthropist, the war- maker and the peace-
maker, could meet in its softened r.ays. and, bv its
calm, holy light, reveal to each other their dilTicul-
ties, compare their views, stud)' methods of human-
ity, antl, from time to time, learn fr mi and teach to
each other, things bt iter than t'ley had known.

Our own terrible w.ir which treed 4,000.000 slaves
and gave to us the " Matile I lymn of the Repulilic "
had no ray of this fraternal liuht. VVe "read the
righteous sentence by iliai an I llarin'.; lamps." and
in darkness and inhumanity, sorrow and doubt " our
souls went marching on."

But the great Commissions ro?e and perfo nied a
work of relief hitherto unknown, yet from lack of
military recognition their best efforts comparatively
failed ; and from lack of permanent organization
their future p ^ssibilities were lost to the world.

With the Franco German war of '70-'7i com-
menced the opportunities for the pnotical ■ ''ca-
tion of the principles of th< real Both nations
were in compact. Ther- ct accord be-

tween the military and the iss Relief. T' -i"

was neither medical nor h i il work save thrui.gh
and under the treaty of (jc 1. T' Red Cross
brassard flashed on the arm of every igent of relief,
from the medical director at the headquarters of the
king to the little biy carrying water to his wounded
lieutenant ; from the noble Empress Augusta and
her court, and poor Eugenie, while she had one, to

THE ri:d cross.

I liuman war-
.lined, woiil'l
lat as our van
•, ill tlie place
tlicir track,
ceiy less dc-
inan enemlo;
Iroiitl), card)
prompt liL'l;>
ilc organizing
nicr.

Iiings accotn-
akcn place in
Ife of a short

rivil help for

)rence Night-

;irs which fol-

s not heeded,

lonhern Italy

insufficiency,

J the world.

se memories

cd Cross; so

<e of all man-

icst hound of

<s and fraicr-

stian and the

c soldier and

! the pcace-

. and, hv its

their diHiciil-

Is of human-

and teach tu

nown.

oo.ooo slaves

Republic "

e " read the

iin|)s." ami

doubt " our

perfo med a
from lack of
amparatively
organization
world.
7o-'7i com-
ical Mp'ica-
Bolh ii.itiDns

accord be-
liet. T' e
ave thrin.^h

l\.ed Cross
ent of relief,
rters of the
lis wounded
Augusta and

had one, to

the patient, tired nurse In the lowliest hospital or
tent tiy the wayside.

No record of needless inhumanity or cruelly to
wounded or sick, stains the .iiinaN of that war.

I walked its hospitals dav and night. I served in
its camps, and 1 niarch'j with its men. and 1 know
whcri'of I speak. l he German, the Frenchman,
ilitr It.dian, the Arab, tlie Turko, and the /oiiavc
were g.ithered tenderly alike, and lay side by side in
the Red Cross palace hospitals of (iermany. The
royal women, who to day niourr, their own dead,
mourned then the dead of friend and foe.

Since that day no war beiweeii nations within the
treaty has taken place in which the Red Cross did
not stand at its post, at the field, and the generous
gifts of neutral n.uions li ive tilled its hands.

The treaty has broutflit tlf: war-making powers to
know each other. Four times it has called the
heads of thirty to forty nations to meet thiough
appointed delegates, and confer upon national neu-
trality and relief in war. It his created and estab-
lished one common sign for all military medical
relief the world over, and m.uie all under that sign
safe and sacred. It has established one military
hospital flag for all nations. It has given to the peo-
ple the reco^ni/.ed right to reach and succor their
wounded on the field. It has rendered impossible
any insulTicioncy of sui)plies. either medical or
nutritive, for wounded or prisoners which human
sviiipathy and power can reach. It has given the
best inventions known to science for the proper
handling of mutilated persons, whether soldiers or
civilians. The most approved portable hospitals in
the world are of the Red Cross. It has frowned
upon all old time modes of cruelty in destructive
warfare; poisoned and explosive bullets are no
longer popular. Antiseptic dressings and electric
light at battlefields are established facts, and the am-
bulance and stretcher-bearers move in the rear ranks
of every army. These isolated facts are only the
mountain peaks which I point out to you. The
great /Vlpinc range of humanity and activity below
can not be shown in fifteen minutes.

So much for human warfare and the legitimate dis-
pens.ition of the treaty.

The public, in general, to a large extent is com-
ing to the use of the Red Cross as a medium of
conveyance and disiributlon for its contributions.
The National Association, with its headquarters at
Washington, has a field-agent, who visits, in person,
every scene where aid is rendered. Coinmencing
with the " forest fires" of Michigan in i88i, there
has fallen to its hands a share of the relief-work in
the overflow of the Mississippi river in 1882; of the
O! 1 in 1883; of the Mississippi cyclone the same
yc.ir ; the overflow of both the Ohio and Mississippi
in 1884; the representation of the United States
Government at the International Conference of

Geneva, Switzerland, in 1S34; the exhibition of
"woman's woik"in the Red Cross, both foreign
and American, at the Exposition at New Orleans in
1HS5; the drouth in Teitas in \i%U\ the (-harleston
earllniu.ike in iSSf); the representation of the United
Stales Government again at the court of their Royal
Ilit;liness, the Grand Duke and Duchess of Maden,
at ("arlsiulie, (ierinany, In 1S87, and the relief of the
sullerers from the Mt. \'eriu)n cyclone, 18S8.*

In further explanation we may say that the
Red Ooss was chosen out of conipiiinent to
the .Swiss l\.e|jiil)lic, wliere the first convention ^
was held, and in wliicii the (Central Commis-
sion has its he.adiiuarters. The Swiss colors
being a wliite cross on a red ground, the badge
chosen was these colors reversed. There are
no " members of the Red Cross," but only
members of societies whose sign it is. There
is no "Order of the Red Cross." The relief
societies use, eacii according to its conven-
ience, whatever methods seem best suited to
prepare in times of peace for the necessities
of sanitary .service in times of war. They
gather and store gifts of money and supplies,
arrange hospitals, ambulances, methods of
transportation of wounded men, bureaus of
information, correspondence, etc. All that
the most ingenious i)hilanthroi)y could devise
and execute has been attempted in this direc-
tion. Tills society had its inception in the
mind of Monsieur Henri Danant, a Swiss
gentleman, who was ably seconded in his
views by Monsieur Gustave Moynier and Dr.
Louis Appia, of Geneva.

The movements of Miss Barton, since her
efforts to benefit the Armenians, has been fol-

*The last five years have added to the relief and
labors of the above list. The yellow fever epidemic
of Flofida in iSSS; the Johnstown disaster in 1889;
the Russian famine in 1891-92; the Fifth Inter-
national Conference at Rome, 1892. and the hurri-
cane and tidal wave of the South Carolina sea-island
coast of 1S93-94.

In the overflow of the rivers in 18S4 the Govern-
ment appropriated $150,000 for distribution through
the war department and magnificently and faithfully
was that distribution made ; an honor to any nation.

The Red Cross, with no appropriation and no
treasury, received from the public, and personally
distributed in the space of four months, money and
material at the moderately estimated value of $175,-
000 ; an honor to any people.

A sorvExrR of the st. Lawrence river.

lowed by the whole civilized world with the
nio>.t eager iiitercsi. 'I'hi; annexed news-
jjaper extract will l)e read with genuitie satis-
faction:

PERMISSION GRANTED

Miss Ci ara Baiiton and Ukr Assistanps Will
111'. Ai.i.owr.i) lo DisTKiiuit Rki.iki- lo riiK

SUKIKH.'.Ni; Al.Ml'.NI \NS.

W\sHfNiiTON, Feb. iS, i8q6. — A dispalcli received
at llie Si.itc Ocpartiiifiit this afternoon from Mr.
Alex. '»V. Terreil. United States Minister to Turkey,
dated at V'era. liie luiropean fiu..rter of Cor.stanti-
nop'e, coniaineil the intelligence liiat the eirorts of

Miss Clara Harton, president of the American
Na;ional Red Cross society, to obtain tiic permission
of the Turkisii government to distribute relief to the
sulFering Armenians lias been successful. Thedc
cision of the Sublime Pone not to allow reliif
measures to be extended by tlie Red Cross as an or
ganization, or by its ollicers as such, made it doubt-
ful whether Miss Harton and her party would sue
ceed in their object. It appears from Mr. Terrell's
dispatch that Miss Harton liatl been presented by
the minister lo the Porte, and had received renewtd
assurance of full protection, and aid for her a^jcnis
in dispensing charity. Her assistants, says Mr.
Terrell, go at once to the interior. Miss Harton's
licadcjuarters will be at Pcra,

CAPTAIN SIMON

It is fortunate for the historian of the St.
Laxsrcnce Archipelago that there are yet a
few men living wiio liave been connected
with that btc lion from the time long before
any attempt was made to improve it. One of
the best known, most intelligent and compan-
ionable of these is Capt. Simon Joiinston.
We have importuned him until lie has been
prevailed upon to prepare a sketcii of his life,
wiiicii has been a long and active one, as he
was born in 1821, being two years older liian
the autlior of thij book. We tiiink it best to
tell ills story as 'twas told lo us. (For his
portrait see plates of vessel captains.)

When a boy of nine years, in the year 1S30, I left
Ogdtnsburg, with my mother, for Sackct's Harbor.
In tiiose days steamboats were slow ;uid the fares
high, so my mother, with her four children, look
pas.^age on a vessel called the " Phoeni.x " Sucli sail-
ing vessels or" p.ickeis," as they were then called,
were lilted up with accommod.ilioiis for passengeis.
Wi; left with a fair wind, and all weni well till we
r iclied Gravelly Poi;.t, now Cape X'Incent, when
we wi re headed oil", the wind coming ilown the Lake.
The captain up helm and ran back to Hinckley's
Flats, where we came to anchor. During the storm
the vessel dragged anchor and went ashore on the
head of Carlton Island. The mate got a long plauk
lo reach tlu shore, and we all landed. Here we had
to stay about three weeks before getting ofT, but
finally reached Sacket's Harbor all right. .At this
lime both binks of the St. Lawrence river were in a
state of utter wilderness, with scarcely an inhabi-
tant.

My father ran the first saw mill, one now built at

C. JOHNSTON.

5,acket's Harbor, owned by Col. Elisha Camp. This
was about the time the colonel got a canal throu;;li
from HI ick River. Here were also built two saw
mills, one grist mill, one p.iper mill, one plasu 1
mill, and a funace. Hut the canal, not paying, was
eventually abandoned.

One would lai'gli now at such steamboats as the\
had then, especially at the boilers and engines
They buriitd wood for fuel, and when they cauic
into port, instead of closing a dain[)er as they now
do. the half-burned wood was pulled out of the fiie
chamber and thrown overboard, to keep down steaii
T'lien when they were ready to leave port a fresh hit
was built. A bo;'t like this, afterwards used on ll e
river, was built at Hrownville, N. Y., and passi d
through a lock at Fish 1. l.ind (now De.xter). Slu-
was burned to the water's edge the first trip ; wa^
bought by D.miel Grilfin of Sacket's Harbor, hauhd
out, lengthened and rebuilt, and called the " Willi. 1111
Avery." I was on board on her trial trip to Hiii-
derson Harbor, which was in 1S34 or '35. The
steamer "Charles Carroll" was built at Sacket's
Harbor about this lime.

In 1839 I went to Kingston, Dntario, and sl.ippi !
as horse-boy on the schooner " lirittania," Capl.
.Mex. Miier, inC.ilvin, Cook ^'t Counter's employ ai
Garden Island, Ontario. In 1840 I v/as deck haul
on the steamer " Telegraph." She ran between Og-
densburg and Oswego. At this time there were ni
lighthouses between Ogdensburg and C'ape Vince.il.
They ran day and night, by ranges from point 10
point or from island to island.

In 1S41 I was made wheelsman on the "Tele
graph." under Capl. Geo. Mason, and we ran In -
tween Ogdensburg and Oswego, stopping at Munis
town, Hrockville, Alexandria Hay, French Creek
(now Clavtoni. Kingston, and Racket's Harboi.
Kingston was the only market for surplus hogs.

CAPTAIN SIMON G. JOHN STOW.

sheep, cattle, fish, butter, etc. Sometimes we would
have a full load of sheep and calves, and the Kanucks
would say, "There comes the Yankee Hand," when
they heard the calves bleat.

In 1842 I went with the late Capt. Thos. Collins
to learn ship-building. H»; bulk vessels in the win-
ter and sailed tlicm in the Hummci. He built the
first propeller that ran the rapids. She was named
the " Precursor," and was launched in 1S4',!. He
sailcii her in 1S43, and that year I was with him as
mate. Our run was between Montreal and Toronto.
We went down the St. Lawrence through all the
rapids to Montreal. There was no canal then except
the Lachine. We came up through that, ther. up
the Ottawa and Ridcau to Kingston, then up Lake
Ontario to Toronto. We made nine trips that season,
running all the rapids, and had some close shaves to
clear rock and shoal. The first thing the Indian
pilot would flo, just l)efo:e entering the rapids,
would be to drop on his knees, say his pr.ivers,
count his heads, cross himself, and then take the
tiller, while he kept his eyes peeled for the breakers.
Just as soon as wc were tli'ough them he would dive
for the cabin for something 10 eat. What a change
from these days to what it was then. (Sec article on
"How the Indians Learned the Rapids.")

In 1S44 I was .It Rice Lake. Ontario, building a
small vessel to run on that lake. In 1345 was at
Portsmouth, Ontario, working on the first vessel
that went to England via the St. Lawrence river.
She was called "The Lily," and was about 400 tons.
In 1S46 I built the schooner Odd Fellow and sailed
her as master, trading between Ficton and Jones
Creek, Ontario.

From 1S48 to 1S50 I was in the employ of Calvin
& Hreck, at (iarden Island. I sailed the schooner
" Dexter Calvin" for them in 1S50. Made one trip
with her to Ouebec in the fall, running all the rapids
except the Lachine. We were in tow of a tug, and
the strain on the hawser at times, when in the rap-
ids, would make one's eyes stick out. for it seemed
that we might strike some island er rork any mo-
ment while running them.

I left '".arden Island in January for Hamilton, On-
tario, to put timber ports in a vessel named " Hritisli
yucen." for Jno. McPherson of the firm of McPher-
son. Cram it ("o., of Kingsion.

In .April, 1851, I went to Lrie, Pa., to put timber
ports in a vessel called the " Baltic." From there I
went back to Carden Island and built tiie yacht
" J.inct ;" this boat 40 feet keel, 12 feet be.im, and
feet in the hold. She had about seven tons of bal-
last in hei. She left Kingston with a party of 45
men and women on board, bound for Clayton ; ihey
slopped at the foot of Wolf Island and had dinner,
then started for Clayton; but when they got over into
the American channel a white squall struck the
yacht, which knocked her on her beam's end, filled

the cock-pit with water, and threw most of the wo-
mcTi into the mainsail — Capt. Hiram Hitchcock w:iti
master, and he called out to " let go the jib sheet, '
but some one let go the main sheet instead. This ht
the main boom drag, and kept her on her side. As
the eock-pit was water-tight, they thought she would
right up as soon as the squall was over; but son e
one had previously taken out the valve to pump Ik r
out, and iiad neglected to put it back ; so she fillid
slowly and sunk in 40 feet of water. There weie
K) drowned, 17 women and two men, all from King-
ston. Many of them I knew.

Some thought that the yacht was to blame because
improperly built, but they changed their minds,
when they afterwards saw her working up the river in
a gale of wind. She went from Clayton to Kings,
ton, when it blew so hard that the "Ontario," Capt.
Throop. would not land there.

When this happened I was building a steamboat at
Keene, Ont., for Short, Kemp & Co.. to run from
Pctersboro to Creek's Rapids, through Rice Lake.
She was called the " Otonobe."

In February, 1852, I came to Clayton to work as
foreman for J:io. Oad2S. He was doing all Fowler
& Esselstyn's work. He built for them the steamers
"W'agara," "Cataract," "Ontario," "Uritish Queen."
"British Empire." " B.ay State" and " New York."
He al o built quite a number of sailing vessels. I
was with him two years, and then started business
for myself in Clayion. I first buiit the '"Gray
Hound." and sailed her in 1854, runnmg between
Ogdensburg and Oswego. She was a fast sailer,
making a round trip a week, for eleven weeks, and
bringing us home every Sunday. I learned more of
the navigation of the river in this vessel than I diil
in all others.'

The 7th if September. 1S54, I was married to
Emmeline II. Oades, youngest sister of John Oades,
she being twenty-four and I thirty-one years old.
On the iltli of September, or four days later, I left
for Colburn, Ont., to build two vessels for J. M.
("■rover, one of which was called "Mary Grover," and
the other ".Mice Grover." I built these two in one
year, coming back to ('layton in the fall of 1855, and
that winter built the "I'.aglc Wing" for John Oades
and myself. Oades. at that time, wa.-s building for
Messrs. Merick iV ( O. I was master of the " l',.igle
Wing" in 1856, sold her in 1857, and built the
schooner " Watclifid " Sailed her in 1858, and in
1851^ went to Dresden and b 'ilt a steamboat to run
on Senec.i Lake. There I was taken sick and caine
home, where I was laid up for two years. In 1861 I
sold till! " Watchful" and built the ".Mediator." In
1S62 sold one-half of her to A. F. Barker and John
Johnston, of Clayton. In 1863 I sold her out and
built the " Senator" and " Snow-Bird." Sold them
both in 1S64, and built the 'Brooklyn, ' which I char-
tered to Merick, Fowler & Esselstyne, to carry tim-

I .

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

bcr for two years at $ioo ( in gold ) per 1,000 per
cubic feet. She unloaded at one time when gold
was $2. So.

In 1865 Mr. Oades went to Detroit to build for
Campbell, Owen & Co., Mr. M. F. Merick being the
company. They wanted a man to take Mr.Oades' place
at Clayton and sent for me. I have never forgotten
what Mr. Merick said to me. First he inquired if 1
"had tools tu build a vessel," to which I replied
"yes ;" second, "can you build a good one?" I said
"yes, you know, Mr. Merick, what kind I have been
building, and I had to pick up my timber through
the country, and when you have all the timber of
tlie best kind delivered to you, one ought to build
second to none." lie then asked what wages I
wanted, and I said three dollars a day. He said,
"We don't want you by the day, we want you by the
year." I then toKI him we might not suit each other,
and if I was hired by the day he could let me go at
any time. He said, " Name your price for a year —
you will do." Mr. Ileniy Esselslyn being present, I
told them that if I took charge of the ship-yard, I
wished to hire all the men, set the wages for each
and disciiarge any one who did not do his duty — the
men to be paid every Saturday night. This would
throw the responsibility on me, and when I failed to
do what was right to discharge me. " Very well,"
said Mr. Merick. 1 then said $1,000 a year. He
asked when I could commence, and I said "to-
morrow." •' Very well," he said, "I think we will
have no trouble; but we i.ave always had the best of
vessels and dcm't want any others. Full canal size
vessels and of the best stock is what we want." I
never worked for a company thai I liked as well as
Merick, Fowler & Esselstyn. I built for them the
"MontpeliLT," "Montcalr.i," "Mont HIanc." ".Mont-
gomeiy," " Montmorenci " and others, besides re-
building several.

The second year they raised my salary to f i,6ooand
olFcred me ijij.joo to no to Detroit to work for them
there. Hut with my home in Clayton, and wife and

children with good frier -is and neighbors, I de-
cided not to go. They then wished me to buy the
ship yard, which I did. This was in 1867, and I did
their work until 1870, when they took their fleet of
some 20 vessels to Detroit.

Since then I built the " Hoboken," in 1868, for .A.
F. Harker; the " L. B. Stone " for G. M. Read,
Sacket's Harbor, and the " Scud " for Mr. Rogers of
Rochester.

In i86g, built the schooner "Irene"; in 1870, the
sloop " Dashing Wave "; in 1871, the schooner " Wni.
Home"; in 1872, the " Hattie L. Johnson," and in
1S74, the steamer " T. S. Faxton " for A. F. Barker,
Capl. Holt and myself. In 1877, I built the steamer
" Island Belle." Mr. T. H. Camp, of Watertown,
N. Y., wanted me to build this boat to run in con
nection with the R, W. & O. R. R., from Cape Vin-
cent to Ale.xandria Bay. She was a good one and a
favorite on the river.

I built the steamer " S. H. Johnson," for James
Johnson, of Clayton. Mso the " Henry Folgcr " for
the Folgers, of Kingston, and myself. I built the
"Black Diamond," and many yachts, both sail and
steam.

In 18S4, I built the steamer "St. Lawrence," for
Folger Bros., Kingston, Ont. She was built and
launched at Clayton, May 24, 1884, and finished ai
Kingston. In August, 1886, I built the steam yacht
"Sirius," for Capt. Henry S. Johnston. She was a
fast boat and is now owned at Alexandria Bay.

In iSgo, I built the steamer " Nightingale," for my-
self, to run on the Clayton and Fine V^iew route.
She has admirably filled the bill and by good manage
ment and prompt service has come to be a general
favorite among the cottagers and Islanders on all the
Parks, as well as the general travelling public.

In 1894, I built the steamer " Island Belle," (No. 21
for the Alexandria Bay Steamboat Co.. She is a
day boat running between Clayton and Ogdensburg_
and has done admirable service.

CAPT. ALDRIDGE KENDALL,

Now in command of the steamer " Islander,"
is one of the l)ost known and most popniar
navij^ators of the St. Lawrence river For
thirty-two years of his life he has been a sailor
on Lakes Ontario, Erie. Huron and Michigan,
and the rivers connecting that great chain of
lakes from Chicago to Ogdensburg.

Hy keen observation, and close attention to
duty, he soon acquired a thorough knowledge

of navigation ; and at the age of twenty-two
years he had distinguished himself sufiicienllv
to become the efficient commander of the con -
modious passenger steamer "T. S. Faxton."

For twenty-one years he has been a com-
mander of vessels and during that time has
had under his control some of the finest steam-
ers on the river.

For twelve years he has ran a steamer in

CIIAS. //. KENDALL.

connection with the R. W. & O. R. R. sys-
tem, and during that time has only failed in
connecting wiili two trains. Ciood judgment
is always exercised by him, proven by the
facts that he has never lost a passenger or
one of his crew, and has never been in col-
lision with another crafi, and the total damage
to the boats he has commanded for twenty-
one years would not amount to ^200. There
are few commanders who can show so clean a
record as tiiis. Tiiis good fortune is the re-
sult of constant vigilance and scrupulous re-
gard for the safety of passengers and valuable

property intrusted to his care. In addition to
Capt. Kendall's ability us commander, he is an
experienced river pilot, and has located chan-
nels and buoys at many difficult places on the
river. Like many otiiers of Clayton's vessel
masters he began at the bottom. He was
born in the town of Orleans, 1.S51, and came
to Clayton when an infant, grew up like otiier
boys of that time, attending school winters
and working summers.

He is universally regarded as a " lucky nvi;.,"
but this is accounted for by his superior judg-
ment and watchfulness.

CAPT. ELI KENDALL,

Whose strong and handsome face is shown
among the collection of river men, was born
in Clayton, and that town has always been his
home. He received the benefits of the com-
mon schools in that town until the age of four-
teen years, wlien he decided to become a
sailor, and sixteen years of experience is such
was passed on the "great lakes," Ontario,
Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior. He has
])assed througli many dangers, being twice
wrecked. November S, 1878, he was a sailor
on the il'-fated schooner "Monteray," lost on
Sturgeon Point, Lake Huron; also on the
schooner " Prince Alfred," lost in Georgian
Hay, Lake Huron. Frciu i860 to 1876 he
followed the St. Lawrence and lakes, and from

1876 to 1896 has been in different steamers
on the river. During those years he has com-
manded the best river boats, and his vigilance
and untiring industry have brought him
through without mishap. He is considered
one of the best pilots between Ogdensbur^
and Chicago. Ca])tain " Eli," as he is fami-
liarly called, has an unusually pleasant nnd
agreeable character — courteous, and conse-
quently popular. He is no excejition to the
Folger Bros.' officers, who have the reputation
of being the ablest navigators on the river,
and the millions their boats have carried with-
out losing a man is tlie best evidence that tins
reputation is deserved, as well as affording a
hopeful promise for the future.

CHAS. H. KENDALL,

earner m

Commander of the steamer Jessie Fiain, in
childhood manifested a love for navigation.
His experience began when a mere boy and
covers nearly twenty years. He has a knowl-
edge of the St. I,awrence river and Lake
Ontario unrivalled by no other commander of
the river crafts. His courage is dauntless,
and his self-command unecjualled in d inger.

He was born in Clayton in 1S63, and since
twenty years of age has commanded sail or
steam crafts. His career as a commander
has been brilliant, unmarred by serious acci-
dents. By his cheerful attentiveness to busi-
ness and pleasant demeanor he has actjuired
the title of "Genial Captain Charlie," a desig-
nation well deserved.

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

SOME OLDER CAPTAINS.

Travellers who were upon the river forty
to fifty years ago will not forget to recall the
large American boats then running upon its
waters; and the names of the men who com-
manded these vessels will rise up in memory.
Captain Throop, Captain Chapman, Captain
Ledyard, Captain Estes and others but dimly
remembered, have all passed away. They

were an extraordinarily able body of men —
probably not more so than those now upon
the river, but the steamers they commanded
were much larger than the Folger boats, if we
except the Empire State. Peace be to the
souls of those old-time commanders. They
are not forgotten.

SAMUEL B.

It would be difficult to find a face more
familiar to the thousands who visit the islands,
or one of more interest than is the dignified
representation of Samuel B. Grennell. He was
born in Adams, Jefferson county, N. Y., Nov.
lo, 1818. His ancestors were among the
eailiest settlers of the country, and tliey fol-
lowed in succession the occupation of farm-
ing, in which Samuel him>:eif i)asscd the
early years of his life. He surmounted the
difficulties in the way of acipiiring an educa-
tion, and !iad such benefits as the Antwerp
school of early days afforded. In 1840 he
married Miss Lucy M. Jenison, of Water-
town, N. v., who bore him five children,
only one of whom (a son, Myron W. of I,ud-
dington, Mich.) survives. In 1844 he came
to La Fargeville and began hotel life.
" Uncle Sam " was noted far and near for liis
hos]Mtality, which was carried into extrava-
gance. Misfc'iuine ])ursue(l iiiui, and. unseen
and unanticipated, fell upon him. In a few
short months he realized the fact that all he
once possessed by honest gain was lost. Un-
dismayed by tliis failure, and witli a keener
knowledge of the "hotel business," in i860
a new scene began to open which gave a
fresh turn to his enterprising spirit. Visitins^
that liortion of the river above the PaiK,
and having a jirophetic sense of future
value, he purchased eight islands for a
small sum, and on the i)rincii)al one

GRE.MNELL.

(" Stewart's " Island, later known as "Jeffers ")
he erected a smail house, hanging over the
front door the name " Tavern." and again
commenced hotel life. " ("rennell's Tavern "
was hailed with enthusia>m by the sparce
population of the islands, a'ld was regarded as
a wonderful enterprise 'Ihe fame of the
landlord spread and the " Tavern '' was the
scene of many a festive occasion. Thither
flocked youth and maiden, and unfortunate,
indeed, were the newly wed not within walk-
ing or rowing distance of the "Tavern," as
it was the one place to spend tlie honeymoon.
Years passed on. The fame of the Thousand
Islands became known, and brought many
visitors from all parts of the land. The old
"Tavern " has been changed to a modern hotel
of beauty and convenience, and many whom
tlie nation has honored have been the guests
and received the meritorious service of
" Uncle Sam." After thirty years of strug-
gle and success Mr. Cirennell retired from
hotel life, and in iSyo sold tiie beautiful site,
now occujjied by the " Pullman," to J. I.
Sales, of Rome. N. V. The eight islands pur-
chased in 1S60 have been converted into
pretty summer homes, and JefTers' Island is
the beautiful spot known as '* (Irennell Park,"
where Mr. and Mrs. Crennell still reside in
peaceful seclusion. Py marked industry Mr.
Grennell has made a comfortable fortune, but
he still retains the sjiirit and activity of youth.

HOWARD S. FOLGER.

of men —
now upon

Dmmanded

)()ats, if we
be to the

;rs. They

and during the summer he continues a
flourishing merrantiie business, and also has
charge of the post-office. Although seventy-

six years of age he has not yet yielded to the
decrepitude of age, but is never better pleased
than when relating experiences. n. m. k.

HOWARD S. FOLGER.

Among tlie river men who have come to by its prompt service to the public, and its
thf front within tlie j^ast few years, and who remarkable freedom from accidents or care-
now liil a jmsition of great responsibility, is lessness. We show elsewhere portraits of the

" Jeffers ")
I over the
and again
's Tavern "
the sparre
regarded as
ne of tlie
■' was the
Thither
iforlunate.
thin wnlk-
avern," as
neymoon.
Thousand
gilt many
The old
)dern hotel
any whom
he guests
ervice of
of Strug-
rod from
utiful site,
to J. I.
inds pur-
rted into
Island is
ell Park,"
reside in
ustry Mr.
rtune, but
of youth,

HOWARD S. FOICER.

Mr. Howard S Folger, the General Manager
of tlie 'I'housand Island Steamboat Company,
popularly known as tiie " While S(iuadron,"
wlii( h embraces the jialatial steamers Empire
Stale, America, St. Lawrence, Islander, and
Jessie Ikiin, which carry without accident more
than hilf a million of passengers each season.
Thai this fleet is well managed is evidenced

commanders of these vessels, and they are
*' able seamen " in every respect, careful, able,
and discreet gentlemen.

" Howard," as he is everywhere called, to
distinguish him from the numerous class of
I'olgers, is the son of Mr. Henry Kolger, of
Folger Brothers, bankers, steamboat owners,
brokers, etc., of Kingston, Ontario. Howard

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LA IV RE A' CE RIVER.

was born in 1868, and up to the time lie took
charge of the large business of tlie company
he was a student. He earned the degree of
A. B. from Queen's College, Kingston, in
1889. The next fall he entered Columbia
College, New York City, and after spending two
years there in tlie Law Department, was grad-
uated with the degree of LL. B. in the spring
of 1.S91. The object in taking this course
was to fit him more completely for the position
he was to fill by becoming well grounded in a
knowledge of the general principles of law.
In 1891 he took charge of the business of the
company, and since then he has devoted him-
self most jierseveringly to its interests, as well
as to tiiose of the New York Central Railroad
Com|)any, with wliicii the steamboat company
is closely allied.

The P'olgers are Americans, even though
their business interests are s > largely in Can-
ada. We say this because rivals upon the
river iiave designated them as foreigners.
They are descended from a long line of sea
captains whose operations were around Cape
Cod and Massachusetts Bay from 1775 to
1850. This family are directly related to that
of Benjamin l-'ranklin, whose mother was a
Folger. No family in this section can trace
its ancestry back to a more patriotic and hon-
orable beginning. The sons and daughters

of the Folger family would be admitted any
day to become sons or daughters of purely
American societies organized in this country
to perpetuate the memory of the American
Revolution.

Mr. Howard S. Folger has always shown
himself a worthy scion of this patriotic stock.
He has exhibited remarkable business ability
in the several positions he has been called upon
to fill, and the popularity of the boats of the
White Scpiadron is very much due to his ex-
ecutive ability. A person intimately at (piainled
with the travel upon the river, wliich, sonic
days, calls for the handling of 20,000 jjeople,
with car loads of baggage, express, mail, etc.,
can understand that the demands ui)on thu
general manager are sometimes imi)erative,
and are always laborious, calling for fore-
thougiit, prompt action, and a careful consid-
eration of the safety of ])assengers. The low
water on the St. Lawrence during 1895 de-
veloped many new dangers, but the Wiiite
Squadron got through the season witliout any
serious mishap, a fact that is the highest coiu-
pliment to the skill of Mr. l'"olger and all his
numerous subordinates, and enhanced the al-
ready enviable reputation of that company for
handling safely the i)recious lives and the proj)-
erty committed to their charge. 'Ihis is an
enviable record, well earned.

MR. FRANCIS M. HUGO.

Every traveller upon the Folger boats (and He is Canadian born, though now a citizen
they carry about 70 per cent of all those who of W^atertown, N. Y. He graduated from
frecpient the St. Lawrence archipelago), will Queen's College, Kingston, in the class of-'Qj,
have no trouble in recognizing the portrait we and bears with dignity the degrees, M. A. and
present on the next page, that of Mr. Hugo, the LL. B., and when not engaged in summer
former purser, but now the assistant-general on the river, is studying law with the well
manager of the T. L S. B. Co., and a genial, known attorneys, I'urcell tS: Carlisle, in \Vater-
accommodating, pleasant gentleman, whom it town. His ancestry is English, and he has
is a pleasure to know. He has a watchful eye the peculiar healthful brawn and vigor of that
for business, and it is said he would not pass remarkable people. He promises to become
his own mother at the gangway unless she could a distinguished lawyer, and though the re-
produce a proper ticket. Be that as it may, cipient of much flattery, his head has not yet
he is ever attentive to passengers, and is popu- swelled observably. Take him all in all,
larly known as the right bower of the steam- although reserved in manner, he is the most
boat magnates, the I'olger Bros. popular young man upon the river, a distinc-

CAPTAIN H. C. HUDSON.

Imitted any
s of purely
this country
e American

ways shown
riotic stock,
iness ability
called upon
joats of the
le to his ex-
\; acquainted
which, some
ooo jjeople,
s, mail, etc..
Is upon the

im|)erative,
ng for fore-
reful consid-
s. The low
ng 1895 de-
t the White

without any
highest coni-

and all his
uiced the al-
company for

nd the prop-
1 his is an

" ' H- ' -^im ■"» ' " 'V^ i " ' w,ym )

ow a citizen
uated from
class of ■'92,
5, M. A. and

in summer

ith the well

e, in Water-

and he has

'igor of tiiat

to become
igh the re-
has not yet

all in all,
is the most
r. a distinc-

MR. KkANClS M. IILCO.

tion he has earned by politeness, kindly feel-
ing and by an unswerving attention to his own

business. Frank is now twenty-five, having
been born in 1870, at Kingston, Ont.

CAPTAIN

Whose classical features are shown among
our unusually good-looking river men, was
born at Cape Vincent, in 18^2, making him
now fifty-four years of age. He has commanded
steamers since i86r, and has always followed
tiie water since his early youth. He now

C. HINCKLEY,

commands the fine steamer " America," the
newest and one of the finest of the Folger boats,
in which capacity he is unusually popular

Captain Hinckley's modesty has i)revented
our procuring as extended a sketch of his life
as we had desired.

CAPTAIN H. C. HUDSON.

The popular and persevering commander born in Clayton, in 1855. He had the usual

of the "New Island Wanderer," one of the advantage of the common schools and became

fastest and promptest boats on the river, was possessor of a fine constitution hv ilv 1 brir

.1 SOUl'E.VfK OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

incident to farm life. At fifteen lie concluded
to plough water instead of land, and in 1870,
began to serve under Capt. W. E. Williams.
For seven yeara lie sailed the great lakes in
the employ of the Northern Transportation
Company, and then two years in the service
of the Whitin;^ Company of Detroit. For two
years he commanded the steamer "Juniata,"
and for five years the " J. F. Maynard," which
was consigned to the hone-yard last fall. For
five years he also commanded the "Ontario,"
one of Captain Sweet's boats. He has com-
manded the "Xcw Island Wanderer" for four
years, and the jjublic will find him on deck on
that fine steamer during 1896. His young son

accompanies Capt. Hudson on the " Wan-
derer," a very bright, active lad, jnomising to
become as good a sailor as his father. The
Captain was married to Miss Philena Hart, of
Clayton, in 1877, and they have two children
born to them. The youngest (Ross ('. ) is iiii
infant, but the eldest (Chester E.) sails witli
his father on the Wanderer, and though onlv
fifteen years of age is proving a reliable and
eager participant in the affairs of the vessel.
having charge of the book-stand. Hut few
things transpire on that boat unknown to
young Hudson, who only needs years to make
him a full fledged sailor able to command. He
is already a fair business man.

CAPTAIN CHESTER W. REESE

Is the son of William Reese, of Clayton,
where the captain was born in 1867. He had
the advantage of the excellent common
schools of the town and early manifested a
love for the water. His first experience upon
the river was U])on the " Island Belle " in his
14th year, where he served as a deck hand,
learning to become a pilot and navigator.
Prompt, active, industrious and energetic, he
rose from one position to another, until at last
he became afull-tledged captain commanding
the Folgcr ]5ros.' steamer "J. F. Maynard,"
then tlie "New Island Wanderer," then the
" Islander," and now commands the most

reliable, well-managed and every-way succes-
ful Folger steamer, the " St. Lawrence."

Captain Reese has proved himself emphati-
cally the '* right man in the right place," and
is one of the most successful and popular ol
the Folger employes. His boat is always on
time, and by his bravery, forethought and
pleasant address Captain Chet. Reese has won
his way to the very front rank among the river
navigators. His aged i)arents still survive
him, and hi'- home is with them in the village
of Clayton, which we may truthfully desig-
nate " the sailors' snug harbor " Our Souvenir
shows the faces of many of her seamen.

CAPTAIN HENRY T. JOHNSTON.

Commanding steamer "Nigiitingale," wasborn
in Clayton in 1863. Naturally, when not at
school he spent most of his time on or near the
water. His father, Captain S. G. Johnston,
then, and for years after, carried on an exten-
sive business in ship-building. The son early
learned all about boats, and later learned to
draft and build thein, and soon mastered all
the details of that business. In 1883 he
passed the examination before the government

steamboat inspectors and received his first
license as pilot. Seeing an opening on the
river for a fast pleasure steam yacht for par-
ties to charter, Capt. Johnston, senior, with
his son, built the well-kown steam yacht
" Sirius." The son sailed her for five seasons
among the Thousand Islands, the foot of Lake
Ontario and the Bay of Qiiinte, thereby ac-
quiring a knowledge of the river that could
not be learned on the large steamers in years —

"KATE" JOHNSTON.

«s

the "Wan-

romising to

ither. The

na Hart, of

vo children

•'•'

ss C.) is an

) sails with

hough only

■5

reliable and

;;

the vessel,

But few

uiknovvn to

:;ars to make

nmand. He

a complete knowledge of tiic fishing grounds,
shoals and beautiful narrow channels that are
so numerous among these wonderful islands.
Selling the " Sirius," the son built the "Alert "
and commanded her for two seasons, and used
her in the same capacity as the " Sirius." The
river business increasing now so rapidly, and
the different parks gaining so fa^ in summer
|)opulation, the now well-known steamer
"Nightingale" was built and made her ap-
pearance among the river crafts. Hecoming
interested in her, the young captain was given
command and established his well-known ferry-

route betv. -t. Clayton and Thousand Island
Park. Tne popularity she at once met with
can be seen by the favor shown her by the
public in her passenger traffic between the
I)laces named. Having seen the grand old
St. Lawrence spring into world-wide fame and
popularity in so short a time as a summer
resort, and the wildest islands, as if by magic,
transformed into the finest of summer homes
and parks, who would venture to predict what
the future holds for this most beautiful and
grandest watering place on the continent of
America .>

-way succes-
rence."
self emphati-
: nlace," and
d popular of
is always on
bought and
ese has won
ng the river
still survive
the village
ully desig-
ur Souvenir
amen.

red his first
ning on the
icht for par-
senior, with
steam yacht
five seasons
foot of Lake
thereby ac-
■ that could
s in years —

CATHERINE -KNOWN IN HISTORY AS " KATE " JOHNSTON,

Was born in Sackets Harbor, Sept. 11,
1S18. Her parents were William and Ann
Johnston, and she was sister to two men well
and favorably known in Clayton, Hon. John
Johnston, a member of the Assembly, as well
as having held many other offices — now a
banker, and Stephen Decatur Johnston, for
many years proprietor of the Walton House,

THE DEVILS OVEN.

'KATE JOHNSTON.

and that fine jjroperty is yet held by his
widow and managed by his son-in-law.

Kate Johnston came first into more or less
public notice through her efforts to aid her
father, over whose head a reward was sus-
pended because he had been an active |)ar-
ticipant in what is still denominated " 'I he
Patriot War," though what particular patriot-
ism was displayed during the continuance and
ignoble ending of that remarkable episode,
we have never been able to ascertain. Her
father being forced to go into hiding, she be-
came his companion, adviser and real support.

A SOW EM R or THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

for she kept him supplied with provisions,
clothing and news of the efforts his enemies
were making towards his capture. In this
work she was busy for over a year, and at last
had the good fortune to see her father a free
man, and holding the position of light-house
keeper upon the great river which had been
his hiding place for so long a time. He re-
ceived a free pardon for whatever he had
done in violation of international law. His
daughter earned a wide reputation for her

devotion to her father and thus became an
important historical character. She married
Charles L. Hawes, a brother of Mrs. John
Johnston, of Clayton, and they reared five
children. She died at the home of her brother,
Hon. John Johnston, Clayton, N. Y., on March
14, 1878, in her 60th year, leaving a name
indissolubly interwoven into the legendary
remembrances of the St. Lawrence, because
she proved herself a brave daughter and a
local heroine.

CAPTAIN E. F. FORRESTER

Was born on the St. I,awrence, near what
is known as " Forrester Dock," August
16, 1842, and was never out of sight of
the river excepting for one year. During
the rebellion he enlisted in Co. B, i42d N. Y.
Infantry, and served one year. After coming
home was out of health for a year or two, and
so concluded to try the water for a while. His
first sailing was on an old scow, on which he
made one trip to Oswego. That made him a
sailor, so he struck for more wages and shipped
on a small schooner. There he served a
couple of seasons, and then went into the em-
ploy of what was known as the Northern
Transportation Company, running propellers
between Ogdensburg and Chicago. Here he
stayed eleven years, commencing as wheels-
man, and afterwards filled first and second
officers' positions. Finally he got tired of the
great lakes and concluded to stay on the old

St. Lawrence. So when Capt. Visger built the
" Island Wanderer" he bought the steamer
"Cygnet," that built uj) the route among the
Islands, since so popular with tlie tourist, and
run her on the Ogdensburg and Alexandria
Bay route for five years; then sold out and
commanded the steamer " Rawson " for two
seasons, then took the "Lotus" one year;
then the "Stranger" one year, and then 1 i'
commanded the "Island Wanderer " for mx
seasons between Alexandria Bay and Ogdens-
burg, and last season commanded the " Island
Belle" between Clayton and Ogdensburu,
making sixteen seasons he has been on the
river routes. He has carried many thousands
of passengers, 12,500 last year, and has always
had his share of business on the river. Cap-
tain Forrester enjoys the respect and confi-
dence of all who know him as a competent
commander and kind gentleman.

CAPTAIN ELISHA W. VISGER

Was born in the town of Orleans, which has
a wide frontage upon the St. Lawrence, and
has ever afforded extraordinary opportunities
for making sa lors of its young men. Capt.
Visger had the advantages of the common
schools of that day, and put in his time work-
ing on the farm winters and attending school
summers. In his 43d year he bought the
steamer "Cygnet," and in 1876 began to make
the first trips ever known among the Islands,

an industry which has since developed into
great importance, and has become a leading
feature upon the river. He ran the "Cygnet"
three years, and then he built the "Island
Wanderer " (now the " Island Belle "), which
he ran until 1888, and for nine years this
proved the most celebrated excursion steamer
on the river. During the winter of 1887 he
formed a stock company and built the steamer
" New Island Wanderer," which came out in

lecame an
le married
Mrs. John
•eared five
er brother,
, on March
ig a name
legendary
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Iter and a

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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. i«5S0

(716) 872-4503

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CAPTAIN FRANK KENDALL.

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utC-ilS

July, 1888. This boat Capt. Visger managed spects a remarkably well preserved man, one
two years, then he acted as pilot upon the river of the pioneers in steaniboating, a man re-

until 1894, when he again managed the '"Island
Wanderer." Since then he has been the as-
sistant to his son upon the " Captain Visger."
Captain Visger, senior, is now in his 63d
year, as young as at 35, and is in many re-

spected by everybody, and looked up to as
one of those who originated these excursion
routes which have proved such an attraction
to visitors.

CAPTAIN WALTER L. VISGER

Was born in St. Lawrence county in 1864,
attended the common schools and completed
his education at a business college in Roches-
ter. His father having been for many years
a navigator upon the river, naturally led his
son into the same business, and in 1875 he
became an assistant to his father upon the
yacht " Cygnet." He remained upon that
boat for three years, and then took a position
upon the "Island Wanderer," now the "Island
Belle." Here he remained until 1887, when
the " New Island Wanderer" came out in 1888,
which was commanded by his father, Capt.
Elisha Visger. Here Captain Walter L. re-
mained a year. After several years of varied
employment, in the spring of 1895 he built
and assumed command of the " Captain
Visger," which has proved the most popular
yacht upon the river, thus continuing the

business conducted for twenty years by his
father, who was the first man to make the pas-
sage through the Lost Channel.

The beautiful yacht " Captain Visger " is
being overhauled for 1896, and it is the pur-
pose of the commander to show his passengers
every island, both American and Canadian,
from three miles below Alexandria bay to
Clayton. The trips will include nine-tenths
of all the islands, improved and unimproved,
in the St. Lawrence River, and are to be three
hours in length, and will become a leading
feature in the St. Lawrence river excursion
business for the season of 1896, as well as for
other seasons, as the "Captain Visger" has at-
tained a popularity that will not soon be
eclipsed by any rival, large or small. A picture
of this fine boat is given elsewhere.

CAPTAIN FRANK KENDALL.

Upon our composite plates of the river cap-
tains we present to the reader Captain Frank
Kendall, commander of one of the Thousand
Island Steamboat Company's steamers.

He was born on one of the Thousand
Islands of the old St. Lawrence, October 20,
1 858. His earliest desire was to navigate
that grand stream, and he began to carry out
this inclination while a mere lad, and his early
boyhood found him a sailor in summer and at-
tending school during the winter. Thus it was
he laid the foundation of a knowledge which
enabled him to hold so high a position of
trust. He is a thorough gentleman as well as

an efficient pilot. Long before he was
twenty-one, the age required before receiving
a pilot's license, he was thoroughly qualified
to hold such a position.

Among other crafts which he commanded
in his early days were some of the steamers
owned and managed by Mr. A. F. Barker, so
that when the present Thousand Island
Steamboat Company was organized, Captain
Frank Kendall's ability and worth were not
overlooked, and he was assigned to command
a steamer in "the White Squadron." The
Folgers soon recognized the fact that he was
one of the most thorough and successful of

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

their employes, he never having had an acci-
dent. It is but fair to add that Capt. Ken-
dall stili enjoys the high esteem of the company
and is still in their employ.

A more thorough and competent gentleman
cannot be found anywhere. He is familiar
with every point of interest on tlie river.

This with his pleasant and affable manner, his
conscientious adherence to the truth in even
the most trivial matters, makes him one of
the most interesting and entertaining gentle-
men a stranger on the river could meet, and
these agreeable attributes l^ave made him hosts
of friends at home and abroad.

CAPTAIN JAMES A. TAYLOR.

Gamalial Taylor, the grandfather of
James A. Taylor, was a native of Rhode Is-
land, and fought under General Greene in the
Revolutionary war. In 1778 was married to
a Miss Lacy, and settled at or near Pough-
keepsie, N. Y., where Benjamin B. Taylor,
the father of James A., was born April 18,
1779, and served in the war of 1812 under
General McCombs. He removed to Canada
with his parents in 1818, and settled near the
Bay of Quinte, twenty miles above Kingston.
In 1S19 he married Sarah Bosback, and had
two children, James A., born October 3, 1824,
and Benjamin Taylor, born September 5,
1827. This one joined the i86th N. Y. Vol.
Inf., and was shot in the rebel works before
Petersburg, April 2, 1865. Benjamin B.
Taylor, the father, died in 1830, and Sarah
Taylor, the mother, married D. R. Maxon, a
former resident of Brownville, N. Y., Septem-
ber 25, 1833; they reared three girls and three
boys. (Marshman and Malcom Maxon served
in the 2d Michigan Cavalry, and Matthew in
the i86tii N. Y. Vol. Inf.) The family re-
moved to New York State May 6, 1838, and
settled in the town of Orleans, on the St.
Lawrence, directly opposite to where the
"Sir R(il)ert Peel" was burned, which oc-
curred May 29, 1838, and t;v.> family saw it
burn and " Bill " Johnson leave tho wreck.

The subject of this sketch then folii,wed a
sailor's life until 1846, when, in company with
his step-father, he built a steam saw-mill and
went into the lumber trade, which occupation
he followed until 1862, when he joined the
10th N. Y. Artillery as a private at its organ-
ization, August 7, 1862, at Backet's Harbor,
serving in company K, Capt. B. B. Taggart.

James A. Taylor was ordered by the War
Department to take charge of a recruiting
party and proceed to Jefferson county, where
he located in Watertown and Alexandria Bay.
Pie received his commission as First Lieuten-
ant May 9, 1863, and was assigned to com-
pany I, Capt. H. O. Gilmore. On May 28,
1863, he relieved Capt. Standring, 5th N. Y.
Artillery, and took command of Fort Greble
with half of company I, and a company of
California cavalry, until relieved by Capt.
Greene. He returned to his company, and
resigned September 19, 1S63. Re-enlisted
August 22, 1864, joining the i86th as a pri-
vate. January 14, 1865, commissioned as
Second Lieutenant and assigned to company
B, commanded by Capt. Jay D. McWayne.
He took part with the regiment in the follow-
ing engagements: Hatcher's Run, Fort Sted-
man, and at the fall of Petersburg, April 2,
1865, and was at Appomattox when Lee sur-
rendered April 9, 1865. He was mustered
out with the regiment June 2, 1865, near
Alexandria, Va.

He returned home, and the same year
bought Hemlock Island, now Murray Hill
Park, for $100, part cash and the balance in
trade. About the year 1870, in company
with Sisson & Fox, of Alexandria Bay, bought
the Fuller mill and what was called Potash
Point, now a part of the village of Alexandria
Bay, and engaged in the lumber trade. In
1873, in company with John F. and Chas.
Walton, bought the steamer *' Shoecraft," of
Buffalo, being the first yacht brought on the
river for pleasure parties, and for exploring
the islands and the various intricate channels
of tlie river. In 1875 the "Needle Gun"

CAPTAIN GEORGE SWEET.

wns added, owned by E. N. Robinson, of the
well-known firm of Robinson & Drew, of New
York city. This gentleman gave our hero the
name of " Captain Jack," by which name he
has since been familiarly known on the river.
He was appointed deputy collector of customs
at Thousand Island Park in 1890, and the
same year assisted in the formation of the
"Thousand Island Investment Co.," with A.
Corbin, Jr., of Gouverneur, N. Y., as Presi-
dent; J. A. Taylor, Vice-President; J. C.

Lee, Secretary and Treasurer. This company
is located at Murray Hill Park, with capital
stock of ^100,000, fully paid and non-assess-
able. The company sold in fourteen months
lots to the value of $63,000. It paid to stock-
holders four 5-per cent dividends, and is still
a large owner of stock in said company, be-
sides owner of Palisade Park and various points
on the river. Captain Taylor's immediate
family contributed five recruits to the Union
army.

CAPTAIN GEORGE SWEET

Was born in Schuyler, Herkimer county, N.
Y., in 1825. He had the advantages of the
common school of that era, attending it
winters and working on his father's farm
in summer. His first experiences away from
home were upon the Erie canal, and that
gave him an inclination for life upon the
water. In 1850 he was married to Miss
Catherine faults, and they have reared three
children, two girls and one son, Vernon.
Leaving the Erie canal, he came to Carthage
in 1858, that place being the foot of navigation
upon the Black River canal, then recently con-
structed, and there he was one of those who
started the Carthage, Lowville and New York
freight lines. They transported the greater
part of the outgoing produce from Jefferson
and Lewis counties to the east, the railroads
not then being built. In i860 he launched
the "Gallagher" for towing, and built several
other boats for Black River service, including,
in 1865, a passenger boat which made regular
trips from Carthage ♦:■■> Lyons Falls. This
boat was named the " F. G. Connell," and
continued in service on the river u.itil the
Black River road was completed to Carthage.
In 1872 Captain Sweet went to Rochester
and built the "James H. Kelly," to run on
the Genesee river between Charlotte and
Rochester. In the spring of 1873 this boat
was transferred to Cape Vincent for service
upon the St. Lawrence between Cape Vincent
and Alexandria Bay, connecting with the trains
of the Rome and Watertown Railroad. This

service employed the captain for three years,
and the boat was used afterward for eleven
years in the service of the Utica and Black
River road after completion to Clayton. In
this connection it may be said that Captain
Sweet was the first person to present to the
Rev. J. F. Dayan the possibilities of Wells-
ley Island as the locality for a permanent
Methodist camp-meeting ground. That was
the beginning of the now celebrated Thousand
Island Park.

About 1876 Captain Sweet built the steamer
"J. F. Maynard," so long known on the
river between Cape Vincent, Clayton and
Alexandria Bay. Having lengthened the
" Kelly " some 30 feet, and had her registered
as the " John Thome," the captain had two
boats upon the river, travel having increased
very considerably. In 1 886 he sold his boats to
the Folger Bros, and purchased the " Ontario,"
using her as an excursion boat from Charlotte
to points near that locality, but she was soon
put on the route to Alexandria Bay. She was,
at a later day, put upon the regular route
from Oswego to Alexandria Bay, in connection
with the Delaware, Lackawana and Western
Railroad, and thus continued until 1891. In

1892 the captain put a steamer on Lake
Canandarago, at Richfield Springs, and in

1893 he built a steamer at Old Forge, upon
the Fulton Chain, in the Adirondacks. He
retains this boat (the "C. L. Stowell ") at the
present time.

The captain has been a popular and efficient

A SOUVK.MR OF THE ST. LAW'RKXCE RIVER.

navigator, and has always made friends wher-
ever liis lot has been cast. He is well remem-
bered upon the St. Lawrence as one of the
most agreeable and fortunate steamboat men,
and as one of the first to build up and popu-
larize the local ])assengci traffic, which has
now become so profitable and important.
Since 1858 he has been a resident of Carthage,
N. Y., where he is recognized as a leading and
influential citi/en.

Vernon Sweet, the captain's only son, was

also a river captain, having commanded the
"John Thorne " for a number of yea s, and
took the "Ontario" down the St. Lawrem e
and around to New York liarbor, whence she
was despatched to the Caribbean Sea for duiv
there. His sudden and unfortunate deaili
occurred in June, 1895, at r'ulton Chain, and
created extended sympathy. There was an
amount of mystery about his death that has
not yet been cleared up satisfactorily. [Sec
Vernon's portrait on another page.]

art

a.l

tin

.\r(

().

thi

tio

poll

THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER AND INLAND NAVIGATION.

OEVERAL years ago there appeared in
^^y one of New York's illustrated news-
papers three curious pictures. The first rep-
resented fifty men carrying a large block of
stone. The men were arranged in four files
and each file carried on their shoulders a
stout pole. Ey means of other poles and
ropes the block of stone was suspended in
the middle of the group of men, and with
much strain and labor they were staggering
along with their great load. The second pic-
ture represented the same stone placed in a
rude cart and drawn by a pair of oxen with
much difficulty over a sandy road. The third
picture represented the same stone placed
upon a hand-car and pushed along the rail-
road track by one mai..

This first picture represented animal power
used in the most wasteful manner. In the
second picture the simpler principles of me-
chanics were applied in a rude way to assist
the oxen, who could not carry the stone
or lift it from the ground, but when it was
placed upon the cart they were able to carry
it a much longer distance than was possible
for the fifty men. In the third picture the
mechanical advantage was utilized to the ut-
most by employing a better vehicle and plac-
ing it upon a smooth track. So great was
the gain that one man did the work of fifty,
and could propel the stone thirty miles a day,
whereas the fifty men could barely carry it
six miles a day with their utmost effort.

It may be said that these pictures were

highly instructive but incomplete, because a
railroad was used as the means of swiftest and
least laborious method of transporting the
stone ; wherejs, if applied to transportation
by water, the resulting power, speed and sav-
ing would have been enormously increased.
If, instead of one block of stone, five sucli
blocks as the one shown had been placed
upon a boat and poled upon a river or canal,
one man could have been seen doing the
work of five times fifty men. The same
effect would have been observed if, instead of
poling the boat, one man had towed lier along
by means of a line in his hand, he travelling
along a beaten path. The four pictures
would then tell more than the first three, and
they would together make a graphic detail of
some of the factors of the most important
commercial questions of the day, and it
would be clearly shown the great superiority
of rivers or other waterways over railroads
for the transportation of freights. These word-
pictures may be called illustrations of th',;
primitive methods of moving freights.

Fifty years ago the St. Lawrence was just
beginning to be appreciated as one of the
great waterways of the Western world, and
people in the East began to understand that
along this great artery freights could be moved
with reasonable celerity for half the rates
charged by the railroads.

In " Scribner's Magazine" an able article
appeared a few years since, entitled '* Tlu.'
Water Route ""rom Chicago to the Ocean," by

THE ST. I.AWREXCE RIVER AXD IXLAXD XAV IC,ATI().\.

nanded tlie
yea 's, and
:. Lawremc
whence she
ea for duly
nate death
Chain, and
sre was an
th that lias
jrily. [Sec
■]

I, because a
wiftest and
sorting the
nsportation
;d and sav-

increased.
:, five sucli
2611 placed
er or canal,

doing the
The same

instead of
her along

travelling
r pictures

three, and
\c detail of

important

y, and it

uperiority
railroads

hese word-

ns of the

ts.
was just

ne of tlie
orld, and

stand that
be moved
the rates

Lie article
led "The
fcean," i)y

Capt. C. C. Rot;i:KS, U. S. N. The whole
article is too long to be given here, but it is so
admirably written that we transcribe that por-
tion taking in Lake Ontario, the 1,000 Island
Archipelago, as well as the lower river below
().^densburg and Prescott. In this connection
the author of this Souvenir declares his inten-
tion, if spared, to prepare and publish a book
which shall give a complete history of every
port upon the river, from Kingston to Quebec,

Captain Rogeks, in his article in Scribner's,
says:

Lake Ontario, the smallest of the great lakes, is
190 miles long and more than 50 miles wide; its
mean depth exceeds 400 feet, and its elevation above
the sea is 234 feet. It seldom freezes, except near the
shore. Oswego and Roehestcrare its principal ports
on the south. The for:ner has been in direct com-
munication with the Hudson since 1822, by means of
a small canal as far as Syracuse, and thence by the
Erie Canal to Troy and Albany. Four railways con»

A SAFE DAY FOR THE I'lSII, HUT A OOOl) DAY FOK THE LOVERS.

profusely illustrated. Indeed, he was prepar-
ing for such a book, and had expended over
$3,000 upon it, when the money panic of 1S73
occurred, and frotn that cause he was unable
to proceed with the work. Such a book
would, of necessity, be expensive, but it seems
even now to be demanded by the travelling
jiuhlic as well as by the progressive people
who have come into this unique St. Lawrence
river section;

verge here, and steamers ply daily to the eastern and
western ports. Large ([uantities of grain are re-
ceived, and twenty or more mills make it one of the
largest flour manufacturing cities in the Union.
There are also several foundries, machine shops and
shipyards.

Rochester, though seven miles from the lake, re-
ceives a large quota of shipping through Charlotte,
its port. From Charlotte the steamer " Bon Voy-
age," whose picture is shown in this book, makes
tri-weekly trips to Alexandria Bay; and it has two
important channels of trade in the Erie and Genesee

A SOi'VEX/K OF THE ST. LAVVKEyCE RIVER,

ValleyCanals, the latter licrc uniting wiili tlie former.
Its elevation above the lake is 226 feet, and its situa-
tion on the Genesee River secures the immense water
power due to its falls, and thus makes it natural!}' a
manufacturing I'.ty. Though ranking as one of the
greatest flour producers in the world, its manufac-
tures in clothing, iron, glass and rubber are exten-
sive. It is connected by rail with every city of im-
portance in this country and Canada.

On the Canadian side, Toronto is the largest city
of this and of all the great lakes. Entered by six
railways, possessing a good harbor, situated in the
centre of a rich agricultural district, and being at
once the religious, educational, political, literary,
legal and commercial centre of the most populous
province of Canada, it has advanced with great
rapidity. Its population is about 160,000. To the
English people of Canada, Toronto is what Quebec
is to the French inhabitants. Quebec is French;
Montreal, as the meeting place of all, is cosmopoli-
tan; and Toronto is English. It has several found-
ries and engine works, car-shops, rolling-mills, brew-
eries, a mammoth distillery, and many other varie-
ties of manufacture.

The Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company
runs a daily line of steamers between this city, Mon-
treal, Quebec, the Saguenay, and intermediate ports;
it owns twenty-five vessels, the largest being nearly
300 feet long and having a stated speed of twenty
miles an hour. It has virtually a monopoly of the
steam traffic over its itinerary.

Hamilton, at the extreme west end of the lake, is
the second city of Ontario in population, and the
first in manufacturing industry. Its railways fur-
nish communication with the principal points of the
Dominion and of the United States. It is often
styled the Birmingharri of Canada, and, though the
comparison is presumptuous, it is not altogether un-
warranted. Its factories are equipped with modern
plant and the latest labor-saving devices, and main-
tain a daily output of metal, wood, and leather pro-
ducts, textile fabrics, glassware, engines, and boil-
ers. The capital invested in industrial operations is
about one-thirtieth of the entire capital invested in
manufacturing industries througho\it the Dominion,
and the proportion of goods is in nearly the same
ratio.

Cobourg, though small, boasts of a university,
and ships annually to the United States 30,000,000
feet of lumber, 30,000 tons of iron ore, and 150,000
bushels of grain. Daily steamers run to Charlotte;
and after leaving here, eastward-bound vessels pass
well out into the lake, to avoid the great peninsular
county of Prince Edward.

Kingston, at the foot of the lake, has 16,000 in-
habitants, is the seat of the Royal Military Academy
of Canada, and ranks as a fortress next to Quebec

and Halifax. Its bay is broad, deep, and well shel-
tered, and in war it would become an extensive nav.il
depot. Ucing the port of trans-shipment for Moii-
treal of three-fourths of the grain arriving froju the
upper lakes, it is a city of some commercial import-
ance; the grain is sent down the St. Lawrence in
barges, the cost of such transfer being about onu-
half cent per bushel. Kingston is also tiie souili
terminus of the Rideau Canal, which connects it
with Ottawa There are manufactories of iron cast-
ings, machinery, locomotives, marine engines, and
leather; bout building is carried on to a great extent,
and vessels for lake and river navigation are built
and fitted out.

From Lake Ontario to Montreal the distance is 1S3
miles. Just below Kingston, the lake contracts into
the funnel-shaped head of the St. Lawrence River,
enclosing the Thousand Islands. In reality thcv
number 1,692 and extend forty miles, with a width
in some places of seven miles. The descent of the
river through them is made in well-defined channels,
which, with their extensions, are so deep that vessels
of the greatest draught can pass readily between the
lake and Ogdensburg. As early as 1673, the waters
of this archipelago were traversed by a flotilla of
two-gun barges and one hundred and twenty canoes,
led by Frontenac, Governor of Canada, attended by
the celebrated Abb6 de F6n61on. Steamers ply
between Cape Vincent, Clayton, and Alexandria
Bay, on the arrival of trains at the two former places,
and, in addition to the Folger steamers, which con-
nect with the trains, there are other good boats con-
stantly plying up and down between Clayton, Alex-
andria Bay and Ogdensburg.

Overlooking the islands, on the Canadian side, is
Brockville, of 6,000 inhabitants, a railway junction,
and below which the Thousand Islands are left, and
the open river, two miles wide, is entered. Thirteen
miles farther lies Prescott, a stone-built town, whose
chief business is done by a great distillery and
brewery, and two iron foundries. The bastions of
Fort Wellington are seen on the east. The Grand
Trunk railway is nearly one mile from the town, and
the St. Lawrence and Ottawa railway begins at llic
river side. The river is a mile wide here, and oppo-
site stands Ogdensburg, with two miles of wharves and
extensive flour and lumber mills. It is the terminus
of three railways; and its situation at the foot of sloop
navigation on the lakes gives it peculiar c0mmerci.1l
advantages. Ten million bushels of western grain
pass this point annually; in 1892, 16,000 tons were
transhipped here for Montreal — a new departure,
for up to 1890 such transfers were made only at
Kingston.

About seven miles below Prescott begins the chain
of the St. Lawrence canals proper, constructed to
overcome the rapids which they flank, with a total

rise

to de

ship;

thr

beau

Iciigl

THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER AND INLAND NAVIGATION.

and wt^ll shel-
xtcnsivc nav.il
ncnt for Mun.
iving froju the
lercial inipori-
I Lawrence in
ng about onc-
Iso the soutli
h connects it
s of iron casi-
engines, and
I great extent,
ition are built

listance is 1H3
contracts into
I'rence River,
1 reality tlitv
, witii a width
lescent of the
ned channels,
p that vessels
V between the
73, the waters
! a flotilla of
wenty canoes,
, attended by
Steamers ply
1 Alexandii.i
ormer places,
s, which con-
id boats con-
layton, Alex-

idian side, is

ivay junction,

are left, and

ed. Thirteen

town, whose

stillery and

bastions of

The Grand

e town, and

begins at the

e, and oppo-

wharves and

the terminus

fool of sloop

commercial

estern grain

X) tons were

V departure,

ade only at

ns the chain
istructed to
with a total

rise of 2o6>4 feet, and locks enabling lake vessels
to descend and exchange cargoes witii the sea-going
sliips at Montreal. They are, in order of descent,
llic Galop, Ra()ide Plat, Farran's Point, Cornwall,
lieauliarnois, and Lachine canals. Their combined
ienglli is 43S miles, tlie distance between Prescolt

increased size of vessels, the Canadian government
decided in 1871 to make a navigable depth of 12 feet
through all the canals and river-shallows, which soon
after was changed to 14 feet. Since then work has
benn carried on with this object in view, but it has
not been completed. Two new locks of the Corn-

A l.OOD PLACE FOR BASS.

and Montreal being 119 miles. The first three are
also styled the Williamsburg canals. The Galop
formerly comprised two distinct channels, known as
the Iroquois and the Galop canals; they were joined
and now form one line.

Originally, this system of canals was designed for
a depth of 9 feet, but the fluctuations in the stage of
the river rendered it diiricult to maintain ; at times
it falls to 6 feet seven inches. On account of the

wall canal are of the stand.ird dimensions (Welland
size ) ; and the Lachine canal has been completed
for 12 feet navigation, with locks and bridges
adapted for 14 feet navigation, the untouched work in
it consising of the excavation of the canal prism to
a further depth of two feet for more than six miles of
its length.

The river channel has been cleared of obstacles to
14 feet navigation from the head of Galop Rapids to

A SOrVICXIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

the Cornwall canal; from the foot of the latter to the
Beauharnois canal it is navigable by the largest ves-
sels; and a dupth of 14 (eet again exists through Lake
St. Louis, cxcepiin)' the lower four miles, in which
the clianncl must be deepened and widened at a
number of places.

The Cornwall canal overcomes the Long Sault
Rnpids ; at St. Regis, near tiie foot, the forty-fifth
parallel intersects the St. Lawrence, which now be-
comes exclusivi'ly Canadian, It is also interesting
to observe the small width of the river near this
point, and that the narrowest width between the
United States and Canadian territory is about 600
feet, measured between the northwest side of Croil's
Island and the canal bank. The St. Lawrence now
expands into Lake St. Francis, 25 miles long and 5
miles in maximuna breadth, and dotted with inlets
at its lower end.

The Beauharnois canal lies on the south side of
the river and overcomes the Cascades, Cedar, and
Coteau Rapids. Surveys for a new route have
been made on the northern bank. It connects
Lakes St. Francis and St. Louis, the latter in turn
being connected with Montreal harbor by the Lachine
canal.

The latter consists of one channel with two dis-
tinct systems of locks, the old and the enlarged,
both of which are in use. On its banks are the
canal and Grand Trunk offices and sheds, occupy-
ing a point of land on which the celebrated Victoria
bridge finds its terminus. Opposite the upper en-
trance is the Indian village of Caughnawaga, the
terminus of the Montreal and New York railway,
with which the Grand Trunk connects by ferry ; a
railroad from Montreal to Lachine borders the
northern bank of the canal. Sea-going vessels can
now pass into the basins between the lower locks
with coal, sugar, and plaster for the factories in this
part of the city and for the Grand Trunk works.
They can also reload at the r"me points, where there
is ample dock room.

After leaving Lake St. Louis, the St. Lawrence
dashes wildl}' down the Lachine Rapids, a descent
of forty-two feet in two miles ; and eight miles
farther on, after passing beneath the twenty-five
spans of the Victoria bridge, one and three-quarter
miles long, reaches the quays of Montreal.

The purposes had in view by the Canadian govern-
ment in determining upon a depth of fourteen feet,
were to enable the largest class of lake vessels at
[that time to carry their cargoes direct to Montreal
without breaking bulk; to secure for Canada all the
advantages which the possession of this magnificent
waterw.iy ought to give it; to make the St. Lawrence
in its whole length the highway by which the
surplus products of the West would seek an outlet
to the sea ; and to put it into a position to compete

successfully for the export trade of the continent
with the several lines of communication on our side
of the boundary.

The total expenditure on the Welland and St.
Lawrence Canals is aboiU $41,250,000 ; it will re-
quire $12,750,000 more to complete the work, or
^54,000,000 in all. The construction of the lock at
Sault Ste. Marie and other necessary improvements
will swell this sum to $60,000,000, the final result
being a navigable depth of fourteen feet between
Lake Superior and Montreal.

The history of marine architecture does not fur-
nish another instance of so rapid and complete a
revolution in the material and structure of floating
equipment as has taken place on the great lakes
since 18S6. In that year the total valuation of the
vessels by Lloyd was about $30,600,000. In 1S89,
sixty new steamers and eleven sailing vessels, ag-
gregating 70,000 tons, and valued at $6,650,000.
were added to the fleet. During the four winters of
1886-1890, the tonnage of the lakes was nearly
doubled ; 206 vessels, measuring 399,975 tons, were
turned out of the shipyards with a valuation of $27,-
389,000. During the same time, the number of
steamers of more than 1,500 net register tons in-
creased from 21 to no. The two valuations of
the fleet alreadv presented differ by more than
$9,000,000; but either one emphasizes the fact of
the very recent and extraordinery growth of this
commerce, and renders it difficult to predict thr in-
crease in the tonnage and in the size of vessels
upon the lakes during the four years that remain till
the opening of the next century.

More than one-half of the vessels on the great
lakes are assigned to Chicago, Port Huron, Detroit,
Milwaukee, Grand Haven, Cleveland, and Buffalo.

The number of Canadian vessels on the lakes is
647 ; tonnage, 132,971 ; valuation, $3,989,130. For
further comparison, it may be stated that the total of
coast and inland shipping registered in Canada is
7,153 vessels, of 1,040,481 register tons, valued at
$31,213,430.

The increase in population of the lake ports indi-
cates the great increase that must follow, necessa-
rily, in the business of the lakes and also of the rail-
ways tributary to them. Bufiltlo has increased from
about 42,000 in 1850 to 255,000 in i8go ; Cleveland,
from 17,000 in 1S60 to 262,000 in i8go ; Chicago,
from 30,000 in 1850 to 1,100,000 in 1890 ; while De-
troit and Milwaukee exhibit a remarkable parallel-
ism in growth, the former having increased from
116,340 to 205,876 during the last ten years, and the
latter from 115,587 to 204,468.

The simplicity of lake commerce is one of its chief
characteristics. Coal, iron ore, and lumber com-
prise three-fourths of the total cargo tonnage of the
lakes : add to these corn, wheat, and mill products.

THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER ASD l.XLAXI) X A VI CATION .

anil nine-tenths of the total traffic will be accounted
fur.

The sailing vessel has almost disappeared from
the lakes. The square-rigged ship is no longer seen,
and only a few of the great cargo-carrying schooners
arc left. The sailing tlcet was succeeded by the
propeller, as it Is known locally, with its tow of one
or more consorts ; and it in turn is giving way to the
modern steamer, maintained at little more than one-
half the cost while having a carrying capacity quite
as great, a speed double that of the propeller and
consort, and making two or three round trips for
one of the tow.

The rapid growth, too, of steam transportation,
and the competition of lake lines with the railways,
have caused continual reductions in the cost of
transportation. The cost per ton per mile of carry-
ing freight an average distance of eight hundred
miles, was one and one-half mills in i88g. The
value of all the cargoes — 27, 500,000 tons — carried on
the lakes during that year was over $305,000,000.
Had this been carried at railway rates, Mr. E. L.
Corthell, of the Society of Engineers, estimates that
the cost to the public would have been over $143.-
000,000 ; by the lake rates it was about |23,ooo,ooo
only ; so that transportation on the lakes saved to
the public about f 120,000,000 in one year. A large
part of the heavy freight has been carried for less
tlian one and one-half mills per ton per mile. An-
thracite coal is carried from Buffalo to Duluth, 1,000
miles, for 30 cents per ton. The water-rates from
Chicago to Buffalo, on wheat, were two and one-half
cents per bushel in 1890.

The average distance for which freight on the
lakes is carried is 566 miles. From this, the Cen-
sus Bureau estimates the ton mileage for the season
of 1SS9 to be 15,518,360,000 ton miles. The aggre-
gate ton mileage of railways for the year ending
June 30, 1889, was 68,727,223,146 ; which shows that
the ton mileage of the lakes is nearly one-fourth of
the total ton mileage of railways in the United States.
In no other way could the relative importance of
lake commerce be more efTectivelj' shown.

The ship builders of the lakes are progressive,
and keep pace with all improvements in marine ar-
chitecture. Steel vessels are built with double bot-
toms, water-tight compartments, triple-expansion
engines, and modern electrical and steam appli-
ances. The structural strength may be realized
from the fact that a large proportion are built for
the trade in iron ore. At a time trial in Esca-
naba, during the summer of 1887, a steamer was
loaded with over 2,000 tons of ore, and steamed
away from the dock in forty-five minutes after being
placed under the chutes. The record shows that
another vessel was loaded with 2,800 tons of coal in
one hour and fifty minutes , 300 tons for fuel were

put on board in another hour, so that in two hours
and fifty minutes after opening the hatclics, the ves-
sel was loaded and coaled. That ordinary sea-
going ships will not stand the strains of this traffic
is demoiistraied by the fact that four steel steamers,
built on the Clyde for Canadian owners, had to be
repaired and strengthened throughout, after one
season's work, to fit them for further service. These
vessels steamed across ilie Atlantic, were cut into
halves on the lower St. Lawrence, the sections being
then towed through the canals and put together on the
lakes. Two more were built on the Clyde, with the
benefits of this experience and of the builders' visits
to our Northwestern ship-yards.

The wliarves for the unloading of ships at Mon-
trcil are ten feet below the level of a revetement
wall, which extends along the entire river-front of
the city; so that one standing upon the wall may
see the shipping of the port spread out before him.
Near the Lachine canal are the basins for the Allan
steamers to Glasgow and Liverpool; then follow
steamers from the Maritime Provinces and European
ports, then sailing ships and the sheds of the Lon-
don Line and of the Dominion Line from Liverpool;
next are the river boats plying between Quebec and
Montreal; then succeed the smaller river steamers,
barges, and finally sailing vessels and steamers as
far as Hochelaga. Here, nearly 1,000 miles inland
from the Atlantic, are vessels from all parts of the
world; from England, with iron, dry goods, and
general goods; from the Mediterranean, with wines
and groceries; from Germany, with glass and gen-
eral goods; from China with tea — alongside of ves-
sels loading with return cargoes of grain, cattle,
lumber, mineral phosphates, and other products of
Canada. The wharves are not disfigured by un-
sightly ware-houses, but the river-street is as clear
as a Parisian quay.

Leaving Montreal, the steamer glides swiftly down
the St. Mary current, leaving on the right St. Helen's
Island, a prettily wooded spot, named after Helen
Boull6, the young wife of Champlain, who charmed
the wild Hurons in 1620 with her gentle manners.
Still further to the right opens out Longueil Bay,
exhibiting in the tinned steeple and steep roof of its
village church the characteristic picture of the lower
St. Lawrence in parish after parish. The river flows
through a wide alluvial plain, the Laurentian Moun-
tains far on the north, and on the south the Green
Mountains; everywhere long stretches of arable
land, broken only where the Lombardy poplar rears
its formal shape against the sky.

Below Longueil the Ottawa joins its flood finally
with the St. Lawrence, hiding its union in a cluster
of low islands. Opposite Berthier, on the right
bank, the Richelieu falls into the St. Lawrence,
after draining Lakes Champlain and George. On

A SOUrEXIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

its eastern bank stands Sorcl, where most of the
steamers on the river have been built. The Riche-
lieu is rendered n.ivigable tv Laite Cliam plain by a
small lock twelve miles above Sorel, and by the
Chamhly Canal, thirtytwo miles further up-stream;
these give a navigable depth of seven feet, and
accoinmodaie vessels 114 feet long and 23 feet wide.
The St. Lawrence now opens out to a width of nine
miles; and for twenty-five miles the steamer passes

THE STE.\MER "ALGERIAN" RUNNING THE LONG SAULT RAPIDS.

through Lake St. Peter, a vast expanse of flats
through which a ship channel has been dredged. At
several places between Montreal and Quebec, there
were formerlj' shoal places, preventing large vessels
from reaching the former city. Their aggregate
length was ncnrly forty miles, divided between twenty
different phiccs. I'lo widest being in Lake St. Peter.
The work of drcdj^ing the channel here began in

1844, and continued with the increase in trade and
size of ocean steamers, till, at the end of 1885, ,1
depth of 27i feet was reached, the total cost bein^;
♦3.503i87"' This channel varies from 3(X) to 450 feci
in width. As a consequence of these river iniprovt-
ments, the size of vessel able to ascend to Montreal
has increased from 1,045 tons and 12 feet draught,
in 1856, to 3,211 tons and 23 feel draught in 187S;
and now that the works are completed, ship- • ' 4,(«'i.
lotis or evi II iiioie ran navigate
the St. Lawrence with safely.

East of the lake lies Three
Rivers, the third city of import-
ance on the lower St. Lawrence.
Here the river first meets il.''
tide; the St. Maurice falls in
from the north, after a course
of 300 miles through an im-
portant lumber region. Further
east, and running parallel to it,
is the St. .Anne, twenty miles
below which, in the St. Law-
rence, occur the Richelieu
Rapids, where large ships
usually wait for high tide be-
fore passing, as the rocks an'
dangerous. The scenery now
begins to lose its flatness, and
in the distance the mountains
around Quebec can be seen,
blue and dim. On the right,
near the ciiy, is the mouth of
the Chaudiire River; and glid-
ing on, past ships, rafts, and
booms, the steamer sweeps
under Cape Diamond, into the
basin of Quebec, shadowed by
precipitous cliflTs from which
the (Jueen of the St. Lawrence
looks down in all her quaint
beauty upon a scene rarely
equalled in the new world.

The lower town of Quebec
is built on reclaimed land,
around the base of the cape,
one of its sides being washed
by the St. Charles, which here
flows into the St. Lawrence.
At the mouth of the St.
Charles is the Princess Louise Embankment, enclos-
ing a tidal basin of twenty acres, which is 24 feet
deep at low water; connected with it is a wet dock,
of 27 feet depth, and forty acres area. On the oppo-
site side, at point Levis, is the Lome Dry Dock, 500
feet long, 100 feet wide, and 25^ feet deep on the
sills. The commerce of this city began with the fur
trade, and this remains an important element.

-<v»;..t5.»;«.

THE ST. I.AW'RIIS'CE RIVER AM) IXLAXD XAl'IGATIOX.

in trade and
id uf 1885, ,1
il cost bcin^;
l<)0 to 450 fttt
ivLT iniprove-
I to Montreal
fi'ct draiiglit.
iiglil in 187S;
,hii"i "' 4. (KM)
f.ui iiaviKJiu
vitli safi-iy.
Lc lies Three
ity of iinporl-
St Lawrcnriv
St meets il.-'
jricc falls in
flor a course
oiigh an im-
;ion. Further
parallel to il,
twenty miles
the St. Law-
e Richelieu
larpc ships
hi^'li tide be-
lie rocks arc
scenery now
flatness, and
le mountains
:an be seen,
)n the right,
he mouth of
r; and glid-
rafts, and
mer sweeps
nd, into the
shadowed by
from which
St. Lawrence
her quaint
scene rarely
w world.

of Quebec

imed land,

of the cape,

leing washed

which here

Lawrence.

of the St.

nent, enclos-

h is 24 feet

a wet dock,

)n the oppo-

■y Dock, 500

Jeep on the

with the fur

t element.

Enormous trans.ictions In lumber go on here annu-
ally. 1 he whole lower valley of the St, Lawrence
and the northern lumber regions draw their merchan-
dise from this center.

On leaving Quebec, far ofT lo the left is the
Montmorenci, whose white foam shines out from
the green hillside. As the steamer moves across the
basin, beautiful views are allbrded on all sides, iii-
cliidini,' a fine retrospect of the citadel, towering
over the river. The fine island of Orleans is soon
reached on the left, with its village of St. Laurent,
where the expedition under Wolfe landed in 175').

ning to approach nearer, and while watching the
ever-changing views, the i'laverse is reached, where
the river is thirteen miles wide, but the only ehannci
available for large ships is not more than 1,400 yards
across. The Isle-aux-Coudres and two laige shoals
obstruct its navigation, the bottom is irregular, and
currents run in alt directions.

The traveller's interest is now apt to pass from the
water and the mountain heights to the seigniory of
Les I'iboulements, remarkable as an eaithnuake
centre. Jesuit tradition relates that in 1663 the
mountains were thrown down and the face of the

•s^-^^.

STEAMER " COUSICAN " RUNNING LACHINF. RAPIDS.

An intervening island hides St. Anne, a pretty vil-
lage to which pilgrimages are made, and where the
patron saint has worked as many miracles as any in
Europe. Thirty miles below Quebec is Grosse Isle,
the quarantine station, and about which linger the
memories of 1807, when the famine-stricken Irish
poured into Canada, and 6,000 are said to have been
buried here in one long grave. Opposite rises Cape
Tourmente, 1,800 feet high, the north shore now
being wild and mountainous, and rising so boldly
from the river as to permit no roadway along its
base, and so rocky and desolate as to prevent habita-
tion for many miles; while the south side for more
than 100 miles is a continuous settlement. Yet far
off in the latter direction, the mountains are begin-

country was changed as far as the Saguenay. Ice
was thrown up in great heaps, the river ran of a
changed color, a mountain was cast into tbe sea and
became an island, the piety of the inhabitants grew
more earnest, and there were never so many con-
fessions or conversions; even liquor-dealers saw the
error of their ways and repented.

A short run brings the steamer to a wharf where
passengers land for Riviere du Loup and for
Cacouna, the paradise of fair Quebeckers and famous
for dancing nd flirting. Nearfy opposite enters the
Saguenay, cleft through the mountains and nearly
900 feet deep for many miles. In the little harbor at
its entrance died Chauvin, the enterprising Hugue-
not, who induced Champlain to visit Canada.

*•

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

ill '

Perched high above it on the clifTs, is a quaint little
chapel, evincing the zeal of its founders, in a wilder-
ness uf cliffs where roads are impossible.

Bic Island is the next point of interest; it is the
hnt anchorage in the river, where outward bound
vessels leave their pilots and many ships are found
during the summer. Here in December, 1861, a
Cunard steamer landed a regiment of the Guards
during the crises of the Trent afTair. Finally,
Rimouski is reached; the Intercolonial Railway to
Halifax passes through it, and ocean steamers re-
ceive passengers and mails for the last time. The
town is two miles from the wharf, and is the most
important settlement in the province east of Quebec.

The south bank now rapidly becomes bold and
grand; the mountains have receded from the north
shore, so ;hat all the scenery is on iliis side. At
Point des Monts, the Gulf of St. Lawrence is en-
tered; the 1,'ft sliore trends rapidly to the north;
little fishing stations only are seen at the base of the
steep hills. Anticosti becomes quickly visible In
the distance, with a flora indicating a subarctic cli-
mate; while opposite, near the western shore, are

the Seven Islands, green with turf and flowers, and
forming a beautiful • and-locked bay where the largest
fleets could ride in safety. Whittier has made them
the scene of a touching ballad, in which he aptly
styles them " the last outpost of summer upon the
drea' coast." All along tc Belle Isle are deep
ti'irds, broad bays crowded with rocky islets, salmon
streams without number, and myriad inlets, the
Inuntsof innumer.b.e aquat:.; birds from these for-
bidding shores, v/hose -old \.'P.t';rs teem with fish in
inconceivable numbers, greater wealth has been car-
ried than from the mines of Potosi. Nor 'las time
deprived them of a pl.nce in romance, as the steamer
bids adieu to St. Lnv/rence waters, the eye has a
final glimpse of the pretty island of Meccatina, where
Roberval, the stern Huguenot, abandoned his niece,
Lady Margaret, and her duenna, when her love be-
came evident. Her lover jumped overboard and
swam to the island to share her fate. The duenna
died, and the lover died; and after two years of soli-
tary struggle, the lady was rescued by a passing
vessel and carried to her home across the ocean
while she was trying to forget what she had endured.

HOW THE INDIANS LEARNED THE RAPIDS.

CAPT. JOHNSTON OF CLAYTON, TELLS ABOUT THE FIRST STEAMER THAT RAN THE ST. LAW-
RENCE RAPIDS.

f\'

MONG the ablest of those river-men who
have made their iinpression upon the
era in which they have lived, is Captain
Simon G. Johnston, of Clayton, for many
years foreman in Merrick, Fowler & Essel-
styn's large shipyard at that place, where they
built the finest steamers that ever plpughed
the waters of the St. Lawrence, the " New
York," "Northerner," "Bay State," and
*' Niagara." The captain is now owner, with
his son, of the steamer " Nightingale," which
forms an independent line upon the river.

In a late conference with Captain Johnston
we were much impressed with his knowledge
of river incidents, and we let him tell his story
in his own unique manner:

A great deal of steamboat talk has been
going the rounds of the press lately, and some
of it is far from true.

I have been on Lake Ontario and the St.
I^awrence river sixty years. In 1840 I was on
the steamer " Telegraph " as wheelsman, and

since 1844 I have been in the vessel or steam-
boat business. I was on the propeller Western,
running between Montreal and Toronto and
west, in 1843, and in those days we ran all the
rapids, for there was no canal but the Lachine.
We came up through the Lachine, thence up
by the way of the Ottawa (then called " By-
town ") and thence to Kingston on the Rideau.
I am stating these facts to explain what I mean.
Now the first large boat to run the rapids
was a boat built at Niagara, called the " On-
tario," which came out in 1839 or 1840, and
proved to be a very fast boat for those days.
On her trial trip she broke one of her shafts
thirty or forty miles below Toronto. It hap-
pened that the steamer " Coburg " came along
and asked if the "Ontario" needed assistance,
and the latter's captain replied, " No, I thank
you." He then caused the boiler on that side
of the boat to be filled with water, moved all
the ballast over to that side, and started with
one wheel. Running under these difficulties,

HO IV THE INDIANS LEARNED THE RAPIDS.

d flowers, and

■s

lere the largest

.,j

las made them

^hich he aptly

mer upon the

',{

Isle are dce[)

islets, salmon
ad inlets, the

from these for-

;m with fish in

_.>

1 has been car-

Nor 'las time

.■:i

as the steamer

the eye has a

ccatina, where

)ned his niece,

■1

1 her love be-

averboard and

,--i
%

The duenna

years of soli-

by a passing

OSS the ocean

ehad endured.

-y.

HE ST. LAW-

sel or steam-

Iler Western,

oronto and

ran all the
le Lachine.

thence u]3

ailed " By.
the Rideau.

lat I rnean.

the rapids
the " On-

1840, and
those daj's.

her shafts
It hap-
came along

assistance,
>fo, I thank

n that side

moved all
tartcd with
difficulties,

the "Ontario" beat the "Coburg" into
Toronto. This went the rounds of the press
so that parties from Montreal came up, bought
her and took her to Montreal to run between
Montreal and Quebec as a mail boat. She
carried the mail in 1843 and was called the
" Lord Sydenham." She was the first steamer
to run the rapids.

She was piloted by Indians, " Old Jock " and
'• Old Pete " being chief pilots. As no boat
had run the Lachine
rapids before that, it
was quite a risk for the
owners as well as for
the Indians. The pilots
were to have $1,000
each if she was landed
safely at Montreal,
which was done.

First a crib was made
forty feet square with
pine floats ten feet
apart, with stakes ten
feet long driven in
each square, projecting
downward. When all
was ready some In-
dians were sent to the
foot of the rapids and
some were stationed in
the trees on the side of
the rapids. Several In-
dians towed the crib to
the head of the rapids with their canoes and
let go of it. Then every Indian watched the
course it took as the crib sped on its way with
the current of the stream. When it reached
the foot of the rapids the crib was turned over
and it was found that none of the stakec were
broken. That was a positive indication that
there was water enough to run the " Ontario"
through. The Indians then boarded the
steamer. Each Indian piloted the " Ontario "
as far as he had observed the crib's course.
The only white man on board wr.c the engi-
neer, who also, I was told, received $1,000.
This story I got from "Old Joe!:." v/ho used
to pilot us and who ran us through the Lachine
rapids nine times without a mishap.

As Mr. James Mooney takes exception to
the statement in connection with Captain
Chapman, of Ogdensburg, I likewise take ex-
ception to what he says, though he is right as
to the "Canada" and "America" running
the rapids before the "New York." The
" Canada " and " America " were modeled in
New York and built at Niagara by Louis
Sichaluna, and the joiner work, cabins, etc.,
were done by A. B. Wright, of New York

A PICNIC IN THE RIFT, LA RUE ISLAND.

city. They were built for the Great Western
railroad, and ran between Hamilton and Cape
Vincent, They were .ibout 1,100 tons each,
27s feet keel, and fitted and furnished with
all conveniences in the way of state rooms,
etc. The boats did not pay and were sold to
some company to run on a river in the south.
They were taken through the rapids in 1858
or 1859.

The " New York " was built at Clayton by
John Oades, and never belonged to the same
line that the "Canada" and "America ' did,
though she ran with them in 1856 and made
better time than they could, and was acknowl-
edged to be the fastest boat on the lake and
river. She was 255 feet keel and of 995 tons.

»•

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

Her joiner work was done by A. B. Wright,
of New York city, and she was finished com-
plete at Clayton. Captain Chapman came
out in her with William Gardner, of Ogdens-
burg, as chief engineer in 1852. On her trial
trip, with machinery and everything new, she
made eighteen miles per hour. She made a
record, from Cape Vincent via the north side
of Carlton Island to Rock Island light, of
sixty minutes. We have no boats now that
can do that in seventy-five minutes.

The " New York " belonged to the Ontario
and St. Lawrence Steamboat Company, and
hailed from the port of Ogdensburg. This
company owned the steamer " Northerner " of
905 tons, and Captain Chapman was a large
stockholder in them. These two boats, in

1859 and i860, ran an express line between
Lewiston, Toronto and Ogdensburg, making a
daily line and stopping at Cape Vincent, Clay-
ton, Alexandria Bay, and Brockville.

In i86i and 1862 they were sold to the
United States goverjiment, and Captain Chap-
man took them both to Montreal. William
Gardner was engineer of both boats. After
the government bought them the " Northern-
er's " name was changed, but the " New
York's " was not. She was the flag of truce
boat at Fortress Monroe during the war. One
year ago she was still running at Cape Breton.
The "New York" and the "Northerner"
were run through the Lachine rapids by In-
dians. I never knew but one white man to run
the Lachine rapids, and his name was Robuck.

THE FRONTENAC HOTEL AND ROUND ISLAND.

/^THE conspicuous location of Round Island
^^ has given the ideal summer community
which adorns its shores, and the handsome
hotel at this point, the advantage of a wide

MR. H. VAN WAGK.NIi.N S CUTTACK. ROUMJ ISLAMJ

reputation. It is the first stopping place for
travel-laden steamers which pass down the
river from Cape Vincent or Clayton.

Round Island was bought about seventeen
years since by an association of gentlemen,
largely from Central and Northern New York,
who proposed to found a resort connected

with the Baptist church. Many prominent
people purchased lots in picturesque sites and
built handsome cottages.

The island has always been popular, and
the hotel, in the course of time,
became too small to accommo-
date the many families who
made it their usual summer
home. Six years ago tlie
charter of the association and
its property were acquired by
a number of wealthy cottagers
and others resident there, and
a large amount of money was
expended in building wings to
the hotel, remodelling its in-
terior and in refurnishing and
equipping the house through-
out, and at the present time it
enjoys a reputation with the
best class of the travelling pub-
lic secona to none upon the river.

Round Island is now entirely unsectarian.
No cheap excursions are permitted to land
there. The island, with its beautiful rambles,
walks and vistas, is maintained for the pleas-
ure of the lioccl guests and the inmates of its
seventy cottages.

THE CHIPPEWA YACHT CLUB.

The Frontenac Hotel is conducted by Mr.
Y, D. Dickinson, of Syracuse, a veteran and
most popular host. Kapp's excellent orches-
tra, of Syracuse, is engaged each season.

The Frontenac is provided with a handsome
elevator, sideboard in the cafe, billiards, pool,
ten-pins, tennis field, base-ball grounds, boat
livery, telegraph and express offices, in fact,
every convenience of a thorough modern hotel.

The voyageur down the river approaching
the head of Round Island is interested in the
handsome summer homes half hidden among
its verdure. Those upon the head, showing
large expenditure of money in their construc-
tion and environment, are owned by Mr. Jacob
Hayes and Mr. Hubert Van Wagenen, of New
York, and Hon. J. J. Belden, of Syracuse.
Dr. Geo. D. Whedon, of Syracuse, owns
" Ethelridge " upon the point. Along the
channel are the cottages of Dr. F. H. Stephen-
son, of Syracuse; A. B. Schrueder, of Syra-
cuse; E. M.Henderson, of Weedsport; W. B.
Kirk, of Syracuse ; Mrs. T. B. Kirk, of Syra-
cuse; Mrs. George Harbottle, of Auburn;
Mrs. H. A. Foster, of Syracuse; H. S. Bar-
bour, of Watertown; J. D. Squires, of New
York; D. H. Murray, of Syracuse; N. A. St.
John, Binghamton; Chas. E. Best, Jordan,
N. Y.; Fred O. Lloyd, of Syracuse; Geo. L.
Crandall, of Binghamton ; R. E. Rindge, of
Norwich, N. Y.; Mrs. S. R. Francis, of Car-
thage, N. \.; J. N. Cloyes, of Utica; Mrs. J.
II. Harris, of Syracuse; Mrs. J. G. Harbottle,
of Watertown ; C. C Laidlaw, of Gouverneur,
N. Y.; E. D. Sherwood, of CamilUis, N. ¥.;

Geo. M. Barnes, of Syracuse; E. L. Hemin-
way, of Watertown; Anthony Lamb, of Syra-
cuse; Fred Frazer, of Syracuse ; E. M. Alle-
welt, oi Syracuse ; Estate of Dr. Edward
Bright, of New York; N. H. Burhans, of
Syracuse; L. V. Rathbun, of Rochester; Mrs.
L. T. Sawyer, of Watertown ; Mrs. Jas. Eaton,
of Syracuse ; N. H. Bulloch, of Fisher's Land-
ing (below the wharf) ; Mrs. L G. Morehouse,
of Syracuse; C. H. Rose, of New York; and
S. V. R. Van Heusen, of Syracuse. At the
immediate foot of the island are the handsome
and picturesque properties of John'Dunfee,
of Syracuse; Chas. A. Johnson, of New York,
and Frank H. Taylor, of Philadelphia.

Fronting upon the east channel are the
pretty cottages built by B. W. Wrenn, of Sa-
vannah, and those of A. E. Kilby, of Car-
thage; E. H. Myers, of Carthage; C. W. Sikes,
of Philadelphia, N. Y.; A. J. Chester, of Al-
bany; Mrs. Samuel Branaugh, of Carthage;
Mrs. E. A. Perrine, of New York ; Mrs. H. H.
Mills, of Syracuse, and Mrs. Mary D. Kin-
mouth, of Hamilton, N. Y.

C. S. Ball, of Syracise, Robert Andress,
Mrs. Denny, of Watertown, and some others,
have cottages upon the inland avenues of the
island.

The association controlling Round Island
and the Frontenac Hotel is composed of A.
C. Belden, President; Chas. A. Johnson,
Vice-President; Chas. A. Myers, Secretary.
These gentlemen are trustees, together with
Hubert Van Wagenen, Jacob Hays, E. D.
Dickinson and Frank H. Taylor.

THE CHIPPEWA YACHT CLUB.

\/^AS organized in 1895. Its location is
Vv indicated by its name, and its races
and sailing bouts are usually held in Chippewa
Bay, some ten miles below Alexandria Bay,
a region fast coming into favorable notice.
Many fine improvements have been made
there, and more are in contemplation. The
ottic ers of this yacht club for 1895 are: Com-
modore, Hon. George Hall; Vice-Commodore,
James G. Knap;- Secretary and Treasurer,

John E. Bell; Measurers, S. Gilbert Averell,
A. R. Porte, W. H. Post. The Executive
Committee are the Commodore, Vice-Com-
modore, the Secretary-Treasurer, A. R. Porte
and John C. Howard. The Regatta Com-
mittee are D. H. Lyon, Frank Chapman and
E. L. Strong.

List of Members. — Hon. George Hall, James G.
Knap, John E. Bell, S. Gilbert Averell, A. R. Porte,
Capt. Frank Chapman, D. H. Lyon, Edward L.

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE R/J'ER.

«•

Strong, Wm. H. Post, Charles P. Lyon, John C.
Howard, J. Y. Chapin, A. K. Strong, Dr. J. R.
Dickson, Geo. B. Sliepard, T. F. Strong, Dr. J. H.
Brownlow, Chas. O. R. Bull, John A. Seely, Dr.
Willard N. Bull, G. S. Dorwin, S. W. Wilson, E. C.
J. Smith, Louis Hasbrouck, A. R. Herriman, George
F. Darrow, S. H. Gardinier, H. A. Lord, E. F.
Seymour, IL F. James, Levi Hasbrouck, Col. E. C.
James, Mrs. R. A. Chapinan, Dr. S. E. Brown, Jas.
R. Bill, Philip B. Hasbrouck, all of Ogdensburg;
Ford Jones, Brockville, Ont.; Ehner S. Jones, Brock-
villc, Ont.; George Clayes, Brockville, Ont.; Frank
Clayes, Brockville, Ont.; E. H. Bisset, Brockville,
Ont.; R. W. Travers, Brockville, Ont.; N Gilbert,
Brockville, Ont.; L P. Wiser, Prescott, Ont.; Wm.

L. Webster, New York; W. IL Hutchinson, New
York; H. A. McGruer, New York; Lewis Wallace,
New York; Lester Wallace. New York; John
McGruer, New York; W. W. Jackson, New York:
U. v. Brokaw, New York; C. M. Englis, New
York; Wm. Taylor, New York; Joseph M. Knap,
New York; Edgar D. Knap, New York; J. Dav
Knap, New York; Henry Chapman, Morristown.
N. Y.; W. F. Sudds, Gouverneur, N. Y.; J. H.
Preston, Gouverneur, N. Y.; Henry Sudds, Gouver-
neur, N. Y.; C. B. Orcutt, Elizabeth, N. J.; Clintcni
McKenzie, Elizabeth, N. J.; Mrs. Clinton McKenzie,
Elizabeth, N. J.; Percy McKenzie, Elizabeth, N, J.;
S. S. Thompson, Elizabeth, N. J.; Dr. F. R. Bailey.
Elizabeth, N.J. ; Dr. VV. J. Herriman, Rochester, N.Y.

i I IJ

COOPER'S "PATHFINDER" AND STATION ISLAND.

/^THE reader has probably read Cooper's
^ thrilling tale of " The Pathfinder." He
locates the main incidents of the tale at what
he calls "Station Island," but does not at-
tempt to locate the exact spot, save that it was
among the islands of the St. Lawrence archi-
pelago. But he relates some historical facts
connected with his island, and leaves but little
doubt that it was one of those now designated
as the " Admiralty Group " situated in the
Canada channel, above Gananoque.

The time described was during the French
and English war of 1755-60. At that time
the English held Oswego, while the French had
control of the lakes, with a strong fort at
Frontenac, now Kingston, and a detachment
at Gananoque. The French received their
supplies from Montreal in batteaux, which
came up the river in detachments, numbering
ten or more batteaux each. The English kept
spies on the lookout for the arrival of these
convoys of stores and provisions with a view
to their capture. To that end " Station
Island " had been fixed upon as a suitable
place for a rendezvous from which to waylay
the expected fleet of batteaux.

Now what are the historical facts? First,
the French posts were supplied from Montreal
by means of batteaux; second, the British

troops attempted to, and did at various times,
capture some of these batteaux, with their
stores; third, that the British had some hiding
place among the islands, from which they sal-
lied forth and made their captures, if possible.
Now it is evident that this very group of
islands would be the one chosen for such a
hiding place for several reasons. First, it was
nearer Oswego; second, the chances of recap-
ture were lessened; third, the opportunity of
watching the approach of a fleet of batteaux
unseen. If the hiding place had been chosen
in the Lower or Naval group, the chance^ ui'
a recapture would have been materially in-
creased. Now how was " Station Island "
situated .'' So that a lookout could be kept on
the river below ; so that the French post on
the main land could be watched; so that the
island itself could hardly be distinguished
from those by which it was surrounded. One
island in this group fulfills the conditions, and
there is not another among all the Thousand
Islands that does; and hence the presumption
that the island is here, and that it borders on
Bostwick channel. It is not possible to locate
the exact island, but all considerations point
to one of the Admiralty group as the ore
designated by Cooper, and it was certainly in
the Canadian channel.

ison, New
s Wallace,
jrk; John
lew York:
iglis, New

M. Knap,
■k; J. Day
lorristown.

Y.; J. H.
Is, Gouver-
J.; Clinton
McKenzie,
beth, N.J.-.
, R. Bailey,
lester, N.Y.

ous times,
with their
)me hiding
;h they sal-
if possible.
' group of
for such a
'"irst, it was
s of recap-
ortunity of
batteaux
sen chosen
chance? ui'
teriaily in-
Island "
36 kept on
ch post on
so that the
5tinguishfd
ied. One
itions, and
Thousand
resumption
borders on
le to locate
ions point
IS the ore
;ertainly in

ic i

411'

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At'

A GLANCE AT CLAYTON.

,/2^R0M an unimportant village for many
I years, Clayton, through its being the

river terminus of the R. W. &; O. R. R. sys-
tem, has become a town of frequent mention,
and its history must surely be interwoven into
any story that treats of the St. Lawrence
archipelago — for it stands directly in the
midst of the best fishing
grounds, fronting the river at
a spot of peculiar loveliness,
and right in the eye of the
beholder looms up the most
beautiful chateau upon the
whole stream — a spot of such
natural beauty as well as of
nrtistic adornment that its su-
perior is not often met with in
tiiis country — actually rival-
ing some of the most renowned
villas upon the " wide and
winding Rhine." The mag-
nificent St. I>awrence here
ajjpears more like a lake, with
wooded shores and far-away
vistas which reveal other beauties. Here the
"rush and dash from Niagara's leap" and
Ontario's wide expanse arc subdued to nar-
rower limits, inviting, entrancing, complete.

Clayton has excellent schools, fine churches,
an unusually enliglUened and " up to date "
jiopulation, superior hotels — one of tliem, the
Walton, a very old and always well-kcjit estab-
lishment — a fair local trade that calls for
good stores and the usual accommodations of
a river town, including boat-building t'acilities
and good wharves for handling freight and
passengers. Less than an hundred years ago
the site where Clayton stands was an unbroken
wilderness — a region too insignificant to pos-
sess even a name. A creek and bay form a
natural boundary, and in the year 1802 a Mr.
liartlett built a log house for himself and
family about half a mile from the mouth of
the creek. The place selected was near a
precipitous bluff that attains in one place an

altitude of nearly too feet. This was the first
building in what is now the town of Clayton.
One year later a French Canadian erected
a rude hut on the opposite side of the creek,
which he occupied alone. He subsisted
wholly by hunting and trapping on the creek,
which then abounded in game. During the

MRS. CARLISLE S COTTAGE, GRENNELL I'ARK.

winter of the same year a severe storm came
on. As no smoke arose from the lone hut on
the other side of the creek, the Bartletts made
a search, but no trace of the Frenchman could
be found. The following spring his body
was found and buried beneath the dark cedars
that lined the banks of the creek. The
Frenchman gave his name to the locality,
which was called " French creek " for many
years.

Time passed on, nothing breaking the
silence of the woods until the commencement
of hostilities in the war of 1812.

At that time the whole line of frontier, from
Oswego to St. Regis, a distance of over 250
miles, was placed under the military command
of Jacob Brown. One November afternoon
in 1813, when an American force with a small
flotilla were nearing French Creek, they were
attacked by the British. Capt. McPherson,
of the American company, took possession of

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

the high bluff near Bartlett's clearing, and re-
turned the enemy's fire with American spirit,
quickly repulsing them. A second attempt
was made by the British, but with no better
result. Three new-made graves indicated
the burial places of the martyrs of the fight,
and the place was named " Bartlett's Point."

A few years later a number of families
located on the bay at the mouth of Frencli
creek, forming a small settlement.

In 1823 a mail service was established, and
the name of *' Cornelia " was given the post-
office.

In 1 83 1 the present township was set off from
the towns of Orleans and Lyme and named
Clayton, in honor of J. M. Clayton, United
States Senator from Delaware, a devoted Whig.

The village had scarcely began to develop
when it was regarded as possessed of facilities
for an important business center.

The rafting business was started by Jesse
Smith and E. G. Merick. Shortly after-
wards Merick & Fowler engaged in the busi-
ness of ship building under the management
of John Oades. Some of the finest boats on
the great lakes and river were constructed in
the old shipyard at Clayton.

This was a great " boom " for the little
town. Streets were laid out and buildings
sprang up on both sides of French creek. A
rude stone bridge was constructed at its mouth
to meet the demands of travel and trade.
Enterprise was the prevailing spirit, and the
interests of the town grew stronger with each
returning year.

A school was in progress, and an exhorter
once a week warned the people against covet-
ousness. When the little town emerged into
the forties it could boast of thirty-two families,
three stores, a school house, and post office.
Thus we draw an accurate view of Clayton in
its infancy, and from the present we may
observe the fruits of its developement.

The changing years have brought new in-
terests and rapid growth. The elegant resi-
dences of the town speak of refined taste, and
its excellent school and five beautiful churches,
indicate an intellectual people. As a place
.0 permanently settle, it is unsurpassed for

STEAM VAC /ITS FOR HIRE.

business facilities. The modern business
blocks and suitable stores testify to a good
patronage. The town has two reliable banks,
the First National Bank and the Exchange
Bank.

Among the popular business people we name
the following: H. F. Barker, C E. Reese,
James Johnston, Chas. Ellis, Wm. Clark, Jas.
Hayes, H. F. Dewey, E. A. Burlingame, G.
M. Hungerford, D. C. Porter, A. G. Holstein,
(;. E. & J. O. Thibaiilt, W. H. Consaul, John
Foley, W. H. Thorpe, A. E. Wood, S. E.
Howard, Mrs. A. Locklin, F. L. Hall, W. W.
Hawes, A. Williams, J. F. Graves, M. Atwood,
S. Breslow, Thos. Esselstyne, G. W. McCombs.

H. S. Barker's and G. H. McKinley's busi-
ness blocks are among the best in town; and
Mr. McComb's novelty store is superior to
any of its kind in Northern New York. One
of the best bakeries in the county is managed
by John Ross — a very active business man,
a one-armed veteran. A very successful busi-
ness man is G. M. Skinner, manufacturer of his
trolling spoon, which is of national reputation.

Capt. S. G. Johnston, ship builder, has
been owner and builder of some of the most
successful steam yachts on the river. The
firm of Strough oi Brooks, lumber merchants
.and contractors, carry on an extensive busi-

ness. Both are reliable, active men, and their
business is unusually prosperous.

Wilbur & Wheelock are noted for modeling
the daintiest and most artistic skifTs on the
river, and they also keep a boat livery.

As a summer resort Clayton ranks among
the first. This is due to its beautiful situa-
tion, the health-giving properties of its air,
easy access to all points, and its being in the
midst of the Thousand Islands, its popu-
larity increases every year.

Among' its first-class hotels are the Walton
House, with its enviable reputation of lavish
comfort and generous fare, and the Hubbard
House, lately rebuilt. The spacious new
Windsor, with its pleasant apartments and
well-furnished tables, is first-class in all re-
spects. Mr. and Mrs. Hawes are making new
friends every year.

The Hayes House and Pastime have ex-
cellent tables and home-like comforts.

Much more might be written, and Clayton
really deserves a more extended description.
But we must leave it, crowning its beauty
with lovely Calumet, the elegant summer
home of Chas. G. Emery, one of New York's
millionaires, whose benevolence has deservidly
given him the name of Clayton's benefactor,

N. M. K.

STEAM YACHTS FOR HIRE.

INDEPENDENT of the many private yachts
up m the river, doing service among the
islands forming the St. Lawrence archipelago,
we name the following in service at the close
of 1895:

The Captain Visger, Capt. Walter L. Visger;
The Crescent, Cipt. John Bolton; The Sophia,
Capt. H. W. Visger; The Spry, Capt. Dingman; The
loNK, Capt. Gifford Benson; The Massena, Capt.
Dana; The Ada B., Capt. G. R. Brown; The Pas-
TI.ME, Capt. Bertrand; The H. P. Bigelow, Capt.
Thos. Comstock; The Edith May, Grand View
Park Ferry; The Edgewood Ferry, by Andrew
Thompson; The SiRius, Capt. Derian; The F. S.
Lavng. Capt. D. Wagoner; The Valletta, Capt.
John Comstock; The Gen. W. B. Franklin, Capt.
Fitz Hunt; The Juniata, Capt. A. C. Dukelin; The
Minnie, Capt. Wm. Westcott; The Nettie, Capt.

W. E. Smith; The Claude S., Capt. S. Griffin; The
Olivia, Capt. C. Hunt; The Alert, Capt. G. Wil-
son; The E. A. Van Horn, Capt. Jasper Ellis; The
JuNiTA, Capt. Rattra)'; The Little Mack, Capt.
Hudson; West.minster Park Ferry, Capt. S.
Reed.

Besides the above, which run for hire, there
are many very fine steam yachts owned by
wealthy private parties. Among the finest of
these is the yacht owned by Mr. Haydon, at
Fairy Land, built by Herreshoff, doubtless
the most costly yacht on the river. The
Lotus Seeker, owned by Mr. Holden, at
Thousand Island Park, is also a beautiful boat,
and claimed to be the fastest on the river.
The Captain Visger and the Sophia are
both beautiful models, and are very fast.

A SOUrEXIIi OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

CAPT. ANDREW H. MILLER.

Captain Miller, commanding the "Em- on the great lakes until 1872, when he bewail
pire State," the largest steamer of the Thou- to command one of the Thousand Island

sand Island Steamboat Company, is one of the
ablest and most highly respected of the
steamer captains on tlie St. Lawrence. He
was born at Ca])e Vincent May 9, 1S44, and
when 14 years of age began sailing with Capt.
Colman Hinckley, Sr. From the river Capt.
Miller went upon the lakes in the service of
the Northern Transportation Company, of

Steamboat Company's boats, and has been in
the employ of that company as a commamk 1
for the past 22 years.

This fact is an honorable test of Captain
Miller's ability as a navigator, as well as oi
his integrity as a man. He is a careful sailor,
takes no risks, and knows the Thousand
Island archipelago as one knows his own

Cleveland, O., and continued in their employ bedroom. He has been remarkably success-

seven years. When the civil war broke out
he enlisted in the 20th N. Y. Cavalry, which
went into the field under the command of
Col. Newton B. Lord. In 1865, at the close
of the war, and having been honorably dis-
charged with his company, Capt. Miller re-
turned to his home and was in the employ of
tlie Merchants' Union Express Company for

ful and stands at the head of his profession.
He puts on no "airs," but he is a wIioIlsouic
man to know, and has earned a fine reputa-
tion upon the river for liis ability and steatl-
fastness. In his 53d year, lie is as active a-
at 30, and nothing happens upon the "Em-
pire State " that escapes Iiis Watchful atten-
tion. He is a model commander, and popular

two years, 1866-67. He then again returned with the travelling public. His permanent
to his home and became once more a sailor home is in Kingston, Ont.

CAPT. H. W. VISGER.

This young sailor, commanding the steam-
yacht "Sophia," is the son of the veteran river
captain, E. W. Visger, so long and favorably
known among the Thousand Islands, and the
first to make excursions among them, in fact
the one who first attempted to navigate what
is known as the "Lost Channel.*'

H. W. Visgsr was born at Richville, St.
Lawrence county, N. Y., in 1857. His first
steamboat experience was as engineer on the
"Cygnet." He was captain of the "Island
Wanderer" (now the " Island Belle'*) during
1S79-S0-S1-S2. He bought the steamer "R.
P. Flower" in 1883, and ran her successfully
as a charter packet for several seasons. Dis-
posing of her, he purchased the "C M. Cross-
man," which he sold in 1893 to Mr. H. R.

Redfield, the wealthy Hartford banker. With
an lionorable ambition to keep pace with the
times, and to show his visitors what could be
done on the St. Lawrence, he built the steani-
yacht "Sophia," conceded by all to be th'-
finest boat for hire that sails the waters of th/
Thousand Island archipelago. This ha>
proved a good venture, for the "Sophia,"
like her consort, the "Captain Visger," ha-,
sprung into a deserved popularity, being roomy,
fast and new. The Visger family are tliiK
demonstrating their superiority as navigator-,
as well as showing that the finest yachts car.
be built at Alexandria Bay. They deser\'
their success, for they have served the tra\ -
elling public faithfully, and demonstrated their
ability as builders.

Those who read our descriptions of the St.
Lawrence steamer captains will not fail to
note that Clayton seems to be the natural

MISS NELLIE M. KENDALL.

habitat for sailors, and that four of these ves-
sel captains are named Kendall — all good and
honest river-men. We do not pretend to

MISS NELLIE M. KENDALL.

rj he began
ind Island
as been in
ommandcr

of Captain
well as oi
efiil sailor,
Thousand
; his own
ily success-
profession,
whoksonie
ne reputa-
and stead -
IS active a^
the "Eni-
liful atten-
nd popular
permanent

ker. With
;e with the
t could be
the steam -
to be th-
iters of the
This ha>
"Sophia."
isger," ha^
;ing roomy,
y are thu-;
navigators,
yachts can
ley deserv':
1 the trav-
trated their

vouch for the reason, but wherever you find
sailors you find literary people. The lamented
Dr. Holland was never so hai)py as when he
was gathering ins])iration for his grand liter-
ary efforts by listenin'^ to the talk of the
s.iilormen and oarsmep at Alexandria Bay.
Ho loved them well enough to start a fine
library for their benefit, which was burned in

MLSS NELLIE M. KENDALL,
Clayton, X. V.

the great fire at that place in 1894, and has
never been replaced. At Clayton we have
Mr. George H. Strough, a fine writer, but
with his soul immersed in lumber ; and Mr.
C. A. Shaver, the noted school superintend-
ent, who handles a facile and graceful pen,
hut fools away part of hi? time on local poli-
tics. These are men — plain, unpretending
men, and for further illustration of these and
their traits we refer the historical student to
Haddock's Centennial History of Jefferson
County, a work ably written, which cost two
years of the author's valuable time, besides
leaving him $2,000 in debt.

But all this prelude is foreign to our pur-
})Ose when we sat down to write. What we
desired to say was that at Clayton may be
found quite a natural growth of literary and
artistic excellence as well as so much sailor
ability. This literary taste we have found
illustrated in Miss Nellie M. Kendall, sister
to the handsome Kendall boys. She was
born on Point Pleasant, in Clayton some
twenty years ago, received the benefits of the
excellent Clayton public schools, and as she
belonged in a '" nest of brothers with a sisttr
in it," she was spared the trials and hardships
which came to them. She had the fields to
roam in, the river to row over, the golden
sunsets to admire, the beautiful and romantic
scenery of the St. Lawrence to enjoy.. What
wonder that from nature she looked up to
Nature's God and received into her soul the
inspiration to love all things good and beauti-
ful. As years passed on, in a distant city she
was permitted to enjoy associations with some
of the best minds and purest hearts, and
learned that there is no such thing as " cor-
nering" the market of intelligence — that litera-
ture is a well where all who are athirst may
come and drink freely. Under such inspiring
influences she learned to write easily and well,
and so when the author of this book called
for some one to write up Clayton and many
of the individuals named herein, she came
readily into the work and has done it well.
We give a view of her face, which does not Ho
her justice, for her countenance is full of ex-
pression, as her form is full of grace and
modesty. She is a native Clayton girl, and
that is saying a good deal, for that vicinity
has always been noted for its pretty girls and
handsome sailors. We leave her in her
pleasant home,

" Near meadows white, where daisies grow,
Near where St. Lawrence whispers low ;
Near sylvan dells, where Nature smiles,
Earth's paradise, the Thousand Isles."

J. A. H. ,

■ these ves-
11 good and
pretend to

A SOUVENfR or THE ST. /..I ll'A'EA'C/C RIVEN.

ON HISTORIC GROUND.

(From tlie ConKreRatlonulist, Sept. 37, 1S94.)

O HOULD an American Walter Scott arise
^Qy he would find ample material for a new
series of Waverly novels in the historic associa-
tions of the River St. Lawrence. He would
find here mighty fortresses built by no human
hands, castles made more secure by natural
bulwarks than moat or barbican could make
them, hidden bays in which a fleet might hide,
channels three hundred feet deep winding be-
tween wooded islands and secluded water-
ways. Ellen's Isle, made famous by the
Wizard of the North, is reproduced here in a
hundred forms, and Loch Katrine has scores
of rivals at our very door.

We have our legends of battle and carnage,
of valiant deeds by souls as heroic as those
who wore the tartan and the plaid. We can
point out a cavern hidden away beneath pre-
cipitous rock on a secluded island, which has
its romance of a maiden's devotion to her
father hiding from bitter enemies seeking his

life. To-day this Devil's Oven, if not as
famous as the little island among the Tros-,-
ach's, is often visited by thousands, and the
iieroism of the maiden recalled.

The night attack on Deerfield, Mass., in
1704, for the rescue of the Bell, and the ter-
rible massacre of Wyoming, were planned on
one of these islands. Many of them have
their tales of terror connected with the P'renc h
Rnd English and Indian wars.

The name of Bonaparte is perpetuated by
a charming lake not far .away. The story ot
Joseph, the brother of the great Napoleor,
and his career in Northern New York is as
romantic as any in its history.

Not far away, too, is the childhood home
of the famous singer, Antoinette Sterling, tlic
be£iuty of whose Christian chamcter has nut
been exaggerated. We could go on with
these illustrations ad libitum^ but space for-
bids.

THE MEN I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT RIVER.

BY THOS. G. ALVORD, EX-LIEUT. -GOV. OF NEW YORK.

/Sk FRIEND has suggested that I could
r\ write a very interesting human history
of the river's rapid growth as a sportsman's
paradise, a health-bearing, exhilarating, joy-
inspiring refuge for tired and invalid human-
ity. It will be readily conceded that in the
performance of my task I must omit mention
of many — for the many I have met are legion
in number. And again, looking back over a
period of more than forty years, I must un-
avoidably fail to recall many, the mention of
whose names would be of great interest. In
order to do justice to my own city and to
scores of other cities and towns, I would need
but strike a few names from their annual

directories, and then append the corrected
lists to this article, to enumerate " The Men
I Have Met upon the Great River." But to
accomplish the undeilaking in some accejjt-
able way and v'.. a/i reasonable limits, I must
cease apology and explanations, and proceed
with my projected work, or I shall never
finish it.

I have already, in another chapter in this
Souvenir, had something to say of my fir-t
experience on the noble river, and I beg ag" n
to introduce to your notice the Rev. Pk.
Bethune, the original fly-caster of the St.
Lawrence. Need I say that his profound
learning, his acknowledged preeminence as a

THE MK.'V I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT KIl'EN.

«7

if not as

the Tros-.-

ds, and tlio

, Mass., ill
nd the tcr-
planned on
them have
the FreiK h

tetuated hy

he story ot

Napoleon,

York is as

hood home
terling, tlie
ter has not
50 on with
; space for-

e corrected
" The Men
!r." But to
Dme accept-
mits, I must
md proceed
shall never

ipter in this
of my fii-f
I beg ng" n

; Rev. Tk.
of the St.

s profound

linence as a

pulpit orator, and withal his kindly, open-
liearted. Christian benevolence will reniaiii a
j)leasant remembrance so long as the waters of
ills beloved river flow from the lakes to the sea.

The I)u TTONs, father and sons, who gave
us the silken line and the polished rotating
spoon, will be remembered as giving as much
of music and harmony to their beloved pas-
time as did their unequaled collection of
drum and fife, cymbal and hiutboy, fiddl'-
aiul flute to their music-loving neighbors in
"tlie pent up city," where their memory is
ever green.

Is it necessary to make aught of explanation
in bringing Seth Green to your notice?
Not learned in schools, but an untiring, bright
student of nature, he read as from an open
book all the secrets of the finny tribe, over
whom, by the consent of fishes and men, he
was the sole and undisputed ruler. Educated
in the school of Nature, he was Nature's
nobleman, with a heart beating kindly toward
all things animate.

Another noted individual is mixed in with
my earliest recollections of the river. It is true
I had never met him there, for he had visited
the bay for the first and only time the year
before my first arrival, but every time (and
that was often) I tried the then super-excellent
fishing-ground near the foot of Grenadier, I
was very emphatically told where he had
lunched when fishing, and he had lunched
there so often that the natives, taking advan-
tage of the fact that the much-lunched island
lacked a name, solemnly decreed that from
that time and forever thereafter it should be
known as '*Van Buren's Island." It may
be that the man is forgotten, but I believe
that it is a matter of history that he was in
the cloudy and distant past once President of
the United States; but, not being reelected,
he went — fishing. But once I did come
near to fishing in his company. Having given
up his "job" at Washington and retired to
t!ie Lindenwold shades of sleepy Kinderhook
he, after "cradeling his buckwheat," would
hie to the lovely Hudson, a short two miles
away, to fish. I happened one day to be the
guest of a gentleman who lived on the bay

wheri* "Matty" was wont to fish; and on
that day, he at one end and I at liie other of
the bay — both " Matty and myself — bobbed
for white perch; each, I am happy to say,
with great success.

In the later days of my periodical sojourn
with old man Grossman, there came thither
two of our country's most distinguished men
on their way to the haunts of the princely
salmon of the Sauguenay, pausing here for a
few days to tempt the springy, cunning, sport-
creating bass of the St. Lawrence. Theirs
was a friendship at that time (somewhat
clouded in later years) like that of Damon
and Pythias. Utterly unlike in temperament,
manners and action, they were both, I sin-
cerely believe, a unit in their unselfish, power-
ful devotion to the best interests of their coun-
try in her hour of sorest trial and direst need.
If in RoscoE CoNKLiNG, that stubborn, self-
will, uncontrollable temper, never-dyingenmity
to all who dared oppose his will, had been
tempered and softened by the suave, courtly
and conciliatory manners and tact of Chester
A. Arthur — in fine, if the better qualities of
each had been used to neutralize the failings
of both, it would have added increased weight
to their great deeds patriotically done to save
the Nation's life. Humanity is frail, never
perfect; but in the world's picture ^f great men
the heads of Conkling and Arthur will
loom up as did that of Saul among the prophets.

In the last year of my annually recurring
stay at Alexandria Bay I met and fraternized
with William J. Skinner, Gen. Benjamin F.
Bruce and Franklin A. Alberger, the three
Canal Commissioners of the State, and in
their company Nathaniel S. Benton, then
and for twelve years Auditor of the Canal
Department, who had also during his long
and busy life well and worthily discharged the
duties of Surrogate, State Senator, United
States Attorney for ten years. County Judge
and Secretary of State. While they were
ostensibly fishing, they v/ere really weighing
and measuring the probabilities of the success
of an attempt of the mighty river to deflect to
its own channel on its way to the ocean, the
rapidly growing tonnage of the boundless

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

West, and to steal it away from our canals —
those magnificent artificial waterways, alike *he
glory of the State and the wonder of the
world, then under their official care. Skinner
proposed that above where the Great River
took its primal leap in its heed'ess flight o'er
rocky barrier and through mountain gorg, in
its mad haste to meet the sea, to swerve the
mighty flow of its great body of waters to the
valley of that other Great River the incom-
parable Hudson ; but Bruce and Alberger,
with the potent aid of Benton, rolled the
mighty cloud-piercing peaks of the Adiron-
dacks in his pathway, and sadly and reluc-
tantly Skinner abandoned the attempt. They
finally departed with the satisfying belief that
Nature had reared insurmountable barriers to
the accomplishment of the river's dream of
victory. Charon's boat has long since ferried
them all across the dark stream, all too soon
for them to know that men of their own blood
pull down mountains and fill up seas with
nature's forces tamed to their bidding. Already
that growing city standing at the head of the
greatest body of inland waters known to the
world, demands and will have an unbroken
waterway to the earth-encircling oceans.
Proctor Knott, with burning eloquence, in-
tentionally sarcastic, but truly prophetic, has
made enduring fame for DuIv.Hi, its own great
opportunities, coupled with its determined
push and energy, compliment — aye, accentu-
ate his unintentioned prediction. Our blood
cousins and friendly rivals over the border,
unstintedly aided from the overflowing coffers
of the grand old Mother across the sea, are
already deeping and widening the channel
and curbing the rush of the mighty river,
building with its own stone and filling with its
own water the gigantic steps overcoming the
elevation from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes,
and soon shall we view floating easily past our
shores the mammonth freight-bearing ships of
the world, laden with cargoes at the elevator-
docks of Duluth, 2,000 miles inland from the
western shore of the Atlantic, to be discharged
unbroken at tlie distant ports of Europe, an-
other 3,000 miles away from where inland flow
and ocean tide meet to greet its coming.

In company with the Commissioners, and
often thereafter, we joyfully welcomed the
pleasant companion, skilled angler and accom-
plished clerk of Mr. Skinner, Mr. Hopkins,
of Little Falls, occasionally accompanied by
his worthy brothers in unity. Birch and La-
due, whose names and merited fame in those
olden days scorned to be bound by the nar-
row valley of the bloody Mohawk. Wright,
the story teller of Geneva, the Jefferson county
wit, and Walrath, the terrible joker of
Oneida, both good men and true, sometime
Division Commanders on the Erie, have been
met sounding the depth and measuring the
breadth of its giant rival, the St. Lawrence.

In x866 I changed my base, for at this time
the habitat of the desirable game-fish seemed
to have moved up stream, so that the boys of
the Burg had to pull against the current of
Wellesly Island in order to successfully com-
pete with their Clayton rivals; at Clayton
there were then two notable caravanseries,
the Hubbard and the Walton, and without
premeditation I dropped into the Hubbard,
where for eleven years I was a summer fixture.
Permit me to say here that both houses had
good and well-deserved reputations, enhanced
by the fact that the genial hosts were friends
not rivals, and in its best sense friends of the
guests of both; a favor (often offered) asked
by the guest of one at the hands of the other,
was met and granted promptly and cordially.
I but voice the sincerely deep regret of their
army of friends at their untimely taking off,
and bespeak for their brave widows the kindly
and bounteous su|)port of all those who knew
and esteemed their departed husbands. Mrs.
J( HNSON IS yet actively engaged in the care of
the Walton, tiie grand property left her by her
husband ; and one who has seen her and re-
calls the fact that she was a neice of General
William H. Angel, the broadest man Clay-
ton ever knew, will not fail to gladly come
within the charmed circle of her kindly care
and elegant personality.

About this period began the idea of island
ownership and summer cottage; among the
first to adventure was a broker from New York,
Eugene A. Robinson, who expended money

H<\.f^}

issioners, and
velcomed the
jr and accom-
^r. Hopkins,
ompanied by
RCH and La-
"ame in those
d by the nar-
k. Wright,
ferson county
)le joker of
ue, sometime
ie, have been
leafuring the
Lawrence.
>v at this time
-fish seemed
t the boys of
le current of
issfuUy com-
; at Clayton
aravanseries,
and without
le Hubbard,
nmer fixture,
houses had
is, enhanced
vere friends
iends of the
iered) asked
>f the other,
d cordially.
;ret of their
• taking off,
's the kindly
e who knew
mds. Mrs.
the care of
t her hy her
her and re-
of General
man Clay-
ladly come
indly care

a of island
nmong the
New York,
ded money

THOMAS (;. AI.VURI).

free

and

man

met(

grav

burr

of le

ativt

Hap

day,

ofter

in th

tor, ]

socia

his

met

point

tithe

say t

the n

boum

met

BUTl

Ends
R. S
Will
Ellis

fersor
State,
faithfi
of the
smiles
Some
ijeeii I
dischr

men tic
renew-
gun a
glod p
Lawre
and L
losal 1
aivl qi
many
uul ]

THE MEN I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT RIVER.

freely on his island in grading and docking
and the erection of a commodious and roomy
mansion. He flourished for a time, an erratic
meteor athwart the island sky, but at last the
gravitation of his own errors brought him,
burnt out and exhausted, down to earth.

One of my esteemed colleagues in the halls
of legislaiion, and later, an honored represent-
ative of his district in Congress, E. Kirk
Hart, of Orleans, built himself at an early
day, an imposing mansion facing Alexandria.

I have sailed and angled on the water and
often lunched on the green-sward of an island
in the company of the world-renowned sculp-
tor, R. H. Park. His more recently reported
social standing, if true, leaves his artist fame
his only claim for recollection.

I must occasionally bunch the men I have
met on the r'ver, and generalize their good
points, else 1 will be unable to enumerate a
tithe of the m- .~t worthy; so permit me to
say that at Albany "as colleagues," and on
the noble stream that marks the northwestern
bounds of their county " as friends " I have
met Hon. William Dewev, Hon. William

BUTTERFIELD, J AMES JOHNSTON, Col. W. W.

Ends, Hon. George E. Yost, Hon. Chas.
R. Skinner, Hon. Henry Spicer, Hon.
William M. Thomson and Hon. John D.
Ellis, representatives of the County of Jef-
ferson. In the inl6 of law-makers of the
State, I pronounce ^hem all to have been
faithful, capable and hone.t in the discharge
of their official duties, ^v,. rAways meet with
smiles of welcome and wita lic^vty handshake.
Some of them have beer. c:'ll . 1, and have not
been found wanting in the faithful and worthy
discharge of other public dutie;:.

It would seem proper in thi; connection to
mention others of my fellow -kgisUtors who
renewed and strengthened the frit idship be-
gun at Albany by kindly greeting and min-
gled pleasures on the peaceful islands of the St.
Lawrence: Van Horn, Van VALKENiiURGii
aiul Low followed 1' 'vn, from Niagara's col-
losal leap, her ang»y waiters, r.ntil, peaceful
and quiet, they gently !•>.; ed i.h<" shores of the
many island-gems of tiit Jreat River; Burns
and Duc'jii, of Onondaga, the "two

Charlies," Baker, of Monroe, and Chick-
ering, of Lewis ; Warner Miller, of Her-
kimer ; CoNGDON, of Cattaraugus ; A. X.
Parker, of St. Lawrence ; A. B. Hepburn,
of the same county ; Mooers, of Clinton, and
Kern, of Madison. All these may well be
proud of their public records. They have
each enjoyed with me innocent sport in the
balmy air of the River of Rivers.

A prominent figure on the river for many
years was Theodore S. Faxton. I first
knew him in my boyhood-days, as one of that
coterie of brainy men — Parker, Butter-
field, Childs and Faxton — controlling in
the office or from the driver's box those won-
derful lines of post-coaches which radiated
from Utica, reaching East, West, North and
South, the uttermost parts of our noble State,
just then emerging from a state of nature into
an active, thriving, energetic Commonwealth
of civilization and progress. Theodore S.
Faxton was a prominent factor in this march
of progress, keeping pace with the onward
step ; from the position of an humble stage-
driver, he reached the higher rounds of life's
ladder, dying universally honored and deeply
mourned.

In marked contr£.st, there was another well-
known Utican, a frequent and ever-welcome
visitor ; few in the State are ignorant of the
name and fame of Ammi D. Barbour. For
many years, as soon as the halls of legislation
were opened to the annual inrush of the peo-
ple's servants, Barbour, seeking no certificate
from an avowed constituency, followed in
their wake and quietly, Trom choice, took his
stand "outside but close up to the bulwarks"
— a cool, level-headed mind-reader, with a
persuasively eloquent tongue and a well-lined
pocket, he forced upon the ignorant or lucre-
loving representative the course which, not
perhaps leading to glory, would certainly be
to the " material " profit of the legislator ;
active and efficient in the ranks, he was early
made his chief of staff by General Tweed, and
finally became the undisputed King of the
Lobby. Apart from his discreditable calling,
Barbour was a man entertaining and inter-
esting ; he was the best posted of all others

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

on the political history of parties as well as
the inner character of politicians, and he had
the rare Hiculty of an easy and pleasant re-
cital. Above all else, in private life he was
respected and esteemed by his neighbors as
upright, honest and correct in his family and
social relations and business dealings. He
was an enthusiastic angler, but never wooed
the finny people except his worthy wife and
favorite grandson enhanced his enjoyment by
their presence and participation.

I have met, with great pleasure and intel-
lectual profit, Judges of every grade, who,
hailing their vacation with the hilarity and
abandon of the school boy, have hastened to
doff the ermine, and donning the well-worn
habiliments of secular davs, concealing the
dignified brow beneath the broad-brimmed
palm-leaf, have sought the balmy air and cool
waters of the Great River to recuperate their
jaded minds and weary bodies. First, in
strict compliance with legal rule, and in due
order of judicial precedents, we welcome,
marching forward, hand clasped in hand, those
two inseparable disciples of Walton, Chief
Judges Andrews and Ruger, whose names
are written on a more enduring scroll than
this fleeting note. I refrain from marring,
by any attempt of mine, to laud their fame.
We have met the pleasant countenances of
Calvin E. Pratt and his able and eccentric
namesake, Daniel. They each worthily rep-
resent the honor, dignity and learning of the
Supreme Court, but they are boys again as
they dart in and out, around and about, the
rock-bound and grass-covered islands of the
Great River.

I must not forget that there resides in the
Summer days, in his tasteful cottage erected
on consecrated ground — he would select no
other — my fellow townsman and friend,
Georgk N. Kennedy. He needs no eulogy
at my hands, for he is proving for himself, by
his untiring industry and acknowledged pre-
eminence at the bar, tlie folly of that legisla-
tive dictum, "that a man's ability and power
for intellectual work and honorable toil ceases
at the age of seventy years."

I recall two other gentlemen of this grade

of judges — one still in harness — both in de-
served public esteem, whose pleasant smile
and friendly grip have been seen and felt on
the waters of the St. Lawrence, Charles
Mason and Pardon C. Williams. It was
here that Pete:^ B. McLennan acquired
that calm min'^ and sound judgment marking
his course on the bench to-day.

As County Judge and a colleague in tlie
Constitutional Convention of '67-8, Member
of Congress, Secretary of State and Stale
Senator, the mere recital of his official honors
stamp Homer A. Nelson, of Dutchess, as an
able and trusted public man, and I can testify
that he was a keen and successful angler, and,
by natural sequence, a polished gentleman.
Jt' iOME Fuller, of Monroe, was another
fei ' ■ member in the Convention of '67-8,
and cital of his official positions, all

filled ... "nd well, are sufficient testimony
of his acknowledged worth and character.
He has filled the additional positions of County
Judge of Monroe, Territorial Judge of Min-
nesota, Member of Assembly and State Sena-
tor, as well as that of successful angler on the
bonny St. Lawrence. The legal learning,
sound judgment and righteous administration
of justice which marked the judicial lives of
Judges Van Vorst, of New York, and Smith,
of Cortland, were never lessened by their
keen appreciation and enjoyment of the un-
equaled attraction of our summer paradise.

Last, but not least, comes the beaming face
of that true hearted and broad minded son of
Madisqn, once its honored Judge, Chas. L.
Kennedy.

I had firmly resolved early in my life on
the river that whenever the opportunity of-
fered to suit my taste and not wholly empty
my pocket, I would

" Be monarch of all I surveyed,
With none my right to dispute ;
From the center all around to the sea,
The lord of the fowl and the brute "—

in the shape of an island in the St. Lawrence.
My eye always rested lovingly and hopefully
on an island in the broad channel immediately
opposite to and about one-half mile dis-
tant from the docks of Clayton. In the

THE MEN I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT RIVER.

"nitive directory" it had been christened
" Shot Bag " to keep company with a near-by
island and islet called respectively " Powder
Horn " and " Cap Box," each so designated
from its fancied resemblance to one of these
necessary appendages to the shot gun. I early
became acquainted with the owner, a gentle-
man by the name of Lawrence, a successful
hat, cap and fur dealer in the city of New York.
By the way, it might as well be noted right
here, that he was an accomplished fly-caster,
his daily catch of beauties being seldom sec-
ond in number in the friendly struggle of the
jovial anglers for preeminence. A pleasant,
genial companion, he is gone never to return,
but he is not forgotten. To return to my
island. For a number of years I was advised
that it was not for sale, and other spots were
urged upon my attention, but I still hoped for
my first choice, and finally declining health
induced my friend to make me a proposition
to part with it at the price of $400. At
length, confirmed in his own belief by the
judgment of others whom he considered ex-
perts, that the island would measure at least
four acres, he closed the deal with myself and
son-in-law, James A. Cheney, at ^100 per
acre ; and when the survey demonstrated that
$170 paid for i 70-100 of an acre (the area
of the island), with great disappointment,
somewhat forcibly expressed, but with unhesi-
tating adherence to his pledged word, the
owner executed the deed of transfer. In
family convention — from which I was care-
fully excluded — the name of "Shot Bag"
was dropped, and the newly-acquired summer
home was rechristened " Governor's Island."
It was never under any " government," but
the denizens, adults and children alike, took
in health, happiness and all edibles within
reach. There the cannon roared, the flags
waved, the beacons shone, not with hostile
intent, but as a cordial welcome to the com-
ing, and a kindly farewell to the departing
friend. These pleasant days covered seven-
teen joyous sumni'.rs. That island is one of
the brightest gems 'hat adorn the water-encir-
cled diadem of the Great River. It has now
fallen under the dominion of one who, with

rare taste and skill combined with a judicious
expenditure of wealth, is constantly adding
new attractions to the wonderful beauties of
America's peerless summer resort. A hearty
welcome to Charles G. Emery. Others
have met him on the Great River, and we all
trust that many happy summers still await
him on its restful bosom.

We have not deserted the river of our love
and ou>- pride ; but, a little nearer its source,
on a projecting point on old Grindstone — its
primary rocks still showing the deep scars of
the Glacial Period — " Lindenwold " displays
its unmatched beauties, and the old starry flag
of " Governor's Island," undimmed, waves
over it, and the doors of the same modest but
roomy cottage, stand wide open to all friends.

Excuse this apparently wide departure
from the original text. It was partly necessi-
tated as a means by which to bring into de-
served notice my friends Lawrence and
Emery, and partly to authorize the use of
my well-filled cottage registry, containing the
names of " men I had met upon the Great
River," thus rejuvenating a failing memory
and rescuing from oblivion the river history
of many who should not be forgotten.

The Rev. Dr. Reese, of Albany, was first
met on the river, on the inside of St. John's
Island, fighting manfully for and rejoicing over
the capture of his first muskalonge, a beauty
of over thirty pounds in weight; the occasion
made us fellows, and began (for me) a pleasant
acquaintance, renewe'l almost yearly for many
summers past. This eloquent divine is ever
welcome to Clayton, for he never fails to in-
terest crowded audiences from the local pulpit
on the appointed rest-days from secular labor.
The Doctor is, like all good anglers, whole-
souled, genial and an exceedingly interesting
raconteur.

The Rev. Dr. Calthrop, hailing from the
Central City, fulfilling strictly and conscien-
tiously his clerical duties, figures also as astrono-
mer, expert,- and peerless billiardist and chess-
player, and excels in each. While at home
he (rather too often) reads from the Sun, dire
storm, destructive blizzard, drenching rain or
parching drouth, his presence in the valley of

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

the St. Lawrence always insures us beautiful
sun-shine, placid waters, and abounding game
for the angler.

Once upon a time there came into the leg-
islative halls from the home of Conkling, a
worthy, honest man, who answered equally
and readily to either of the familiar names of
" Uncle David " or "Apple Barrel " Gray.
His heart was set up )n the passage of his only
bill; it was a bill '' To regulate the size of
Apple Barrels." Passing through the ordeal
of the appropriate committee, it came before
tiie full body of the Assembly for discussion
and amendment. The naughty boys of that
body offered and adopted so many incompre-
hensible and inconsistent amendments, that
soon the honest old man did not know " where
he was at." He appealed to me — to whom
he had somehow been attracted — to solve the
difficulty; I undertook the task, and soon the
chairman announced, that " what was left of
the bill was ordered to be engrossed for a
third and final reading ; " with bulging eyes
and bated breath. Uncle David asked "what
was left .'• " He was blandly informed, that
the title was intact, but that the staves, hoops
and heads of the barrel were missing. He
was at first somewhat inclined to blame me for
the catastrophy, but he was persuaded to visit
me in my summer home, where the Leihean
effect of the " pellucid " waters, and the electric
shock transmitted to his body by the strike of
the bass through the line attached to his sub-
merged hook-, cured him of all suspicion, and
he became, .:-;d still is, one of my warmest
friends; but I have occasionally heard him,
when overcome with sleep, after a heavy lunch
on a grass-covered island, mutter " My next
Apple Barrel Bill shall have the hoops nailed
on, and the heads nailed in, ajid I zvill attend
to it myself."

On the river for many years the most
marked man to be met was a Mr. Selleck,
from Newburgh. He was evidently a well edu-
cated person, and as a conversationalist, enter-
taining and instructive. Though totally blind
he went everywhere without a guide, with a
firm and assured step. He would walk from
the hotel to the landing, and enter his boat

witho'.' aid, rnd he seldom returned at night-
fall with a smaller catch of the finny tribe
than a full average of the return captures of
the day. Report said that in his business ;!s
designer and manufacturer of artistic and
decorated furniture, he had but few equals and
no superiors.

I must not omit the military arm of the
Nation. My register records their presence
singly and in iquads, veteran corps, and regi-
ments, Kentucky colonels and " high privates,"
with waving baiiners and martial music. They
were peacefully inclined, however; the bivouac
and battle-field were memories. They march
erect and step proudly to the beat of the drum,
save when tempting forage was uncovered;
then " double quick " and rapid rush broke
down all lines, and discipline was ignored.
From the many (few can be named "Facile
Princeps "), stands forth the gallant Slocum.
Not on the battle field, but when white-robed
peace smiled on the beloved country he fought
tc save, he laid him down to die. History
will keep ever green the sacred memory of
'1." > patfioi soldier.

Make way for the heroic Sniper, leading to
the peaceful banks and enticing islands of the
Great River the few remaining veterans of
that noble regiment, which — when three of its
gallant number had fallen with the flag they
died to save, raising that starry emblem from
the dying hands of its last defender, bearing
it proudly forward — he rallied to victory; the
sods of the valley now press upon his breath-
less form, but in the memory of the multitude
who but knew him to love him, the patriotic
deeds of General Gustavus Sniper will en-
dure forever.

The name of General Davies stands high
on the roll of fame among the noted cavalry
leaders in the late Civ'l War, his clarion voice
and flashing sabre gave victory to his gallant
troopers in many a well fought fray; he is the
same general on the waters of the Great river;
cool, determined, untiring, he strikes for the
royal muskalonge, and the trophies that adorn
his wigwam are large in size and great in
number.

The erect and noble form of the " Hero of

THE MEN I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT RIVER.

will en-

Hero of

Fort Fisher" looms above the \v'aves of his
native river; General in war, he is now guar-
dian in peaceful days, of that ark of safety,
the Constitution of our fathers, he so bravely
helped to rescue from destruction, and stands
as St. Lawrence's sentinel on the ramparts of
the Nation's capitol. Though an eye was
cheerfully lost amid the scenes of battle, he
still, with one, single to his duty, fights bravely
to protect and perpetuate for his country the
rights so nobly defended on many a bloody
field. All iionor and praise to General New-
ton Martin Curtis.

There is a ''Wvlie" man, whose counte-
nance is afamilar one on the long reaches and
deep bays. Do not be deceived by surmising
that the " D. D." which the name carries with
it stands for " Doctor of Divinity." He is too
wily and a little too wicked for that ; but he
was a good soldier and loyal man when the
nation needed good soldiers and loyal men to
compel and perpetuate an unbroken Union,
and he is well entitled to be called " General."
The only bad mark on his character ever dis-
covered was his attempt to carry off, on a
wager, a basket of champagne, as the reward
of the superiority of his catch (with his own
unaided rod and reel), in the number of law-
fully sized bass by one day's fishing, over that
of an antagonist (bound by the same require-
ments). He apparently won the match by a
very narrow margin, and announced the vic-
tory to his shouting comrades with wilder
shouts than theirs. But a few hours of sober
reflection brought swift repentance, and on
bL'nded knee he humbly confessed that a
brother conspirator from one boat and a venal
guide from another, with no regard for law-
ful weight, had tumbled into iiis craft the
larger number of his reputed victims, and he
tearfully, but manfully, rolled into the cottage-
door of his competitor, the coveted prize,
lie has been forgiven, and hopes are strong
that by continued repentance of past deeds of
wickedness and firm resolve of an honest fu-
ture he may yet be allowed to write " D. D."
as well in rear as in front of his patronymic,
and thus wipe out forever any sinister mean-
ing to the honored name of " Wylie."

Seventeen years have passed away since
William H. Vanderhilt and the lamented
Weuster Wagner came here to spy out the
land. Hoth have passed to t;ie " beyond."
but their keen business eyes — we ha^e reason
to know — took in all the beauties and possi-
bilities of the grand [Jamorama spread before
their vision, and the fruits of that visit are
clearly noticeable in the increased comfort
and ease of access hither from all parts of the
Union, and under the wise and able manage-
ment of their successors this will not be
abated, but improved and amplified.

Not clothed in trappings of war but in the
habiliments of peace, we look on the face and
admire the soldierly bearing of one of the
elite of that crack regiment, New York's only
yth, Chris Wolf, an island-dweller and ever
a welcome comrade. The quiet, unobtrusive
Hicks, witli pleasant wife and daughter, not
only guards, but makes, with cow and
chicken, homelike and enviable, the upper
gate of our archipelago.

Scarcely fifty years ago 1,500 of the Thou-
sand Islands of this "-reat river lay upon its
glassy waters in the .,arb of Nature's clothing,
save where, on the larger ones, blackened
stumps marked the incipient effort of the
husbandman or the ruthless swath of the
wood-devouring steamer, then first invading
the peaceful waters. To-day, in quiet bower
and shady nook, on bold promontory or wide-
spread lawn, in single sites and in varying
groups, from lower Grenadier to upper Wolf,
reaching as an outlying sentinel beyond the
line where lake and river join, tiny cottage
and palatial mansion mark an almost continu-
ous city of grandeur and beauty — the im-
posing Crossmon at one extrem.ity, and the
towering Frontenac midway to the deep On-
tario, inclose many other gorgeous resting
places as homes for the flitting sojourner. As
the swift-darting inhabitants below the water's
surface, so on its bosom in almost equal num-
bers shoot hither and thither the ever-restless
steamers — many at stated intervals on regular
duty bound, many with banners flying and
gladsome music, laden with the peojile from
deserted town and villaiie. breathinc the

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

balmy air and drinking in the gorgeous beau-
ties of the Great River, as with twinivling feet
and glad shout they greet its glories. The
trim-built, lavishly-furnished, flag-enveloped,
swift-running yachts, alive with their crews of
summer residents, add to the wild carnival of
pleasure and happiness, and human shout,
shrill whistle, sharp-clanging bell and barbaric
music drive the rightful owners of the waters,
frightened and alarmed, to the lowest depths
and darkest caves of their watery kingdom.

Now many of these many men (and lovely
women, too, God bless them!) "I have met
upon the Great River." Time and space alike
forbid a mere recital of their names; I must,
therefore, be content with a brief notice of a
few others who have been foremost, and who
have not yet ceased their loving labors in
adding to Nature's wonderful work on this
unequaled river.

The widely-known and sincerely lamented
scholar and scribe, the late Dr. Holland, is
with us no longer; but his warm love for his
"Bonny Castle" has descended to his surviv-
ing family, who still enjoy, and each returning
season make more beautiful, the delightful
spot he loved so well.

The Havdens, Pullman, the large-hearted
Browning, the coal king of the Lehigh valley,
the denizens of Westminster Park, and many
others, still intent upon gilding the refined
gold of their incomparable Bay, all bear faces
I have met upon the beautiful River. I have
met many of the men wlio summer in assured
safety and peaceful comfort under the Chris-
tian banner of the itinerant Methodists; among
them my home neighbors, none of whom need
go from their Central City to find witnesses
to their worthy and Christian character.
(Judge Kknnedv I have already named)
Weeks, Holden, Penn, Lee, Si'raguk, and
scores of others, are men I am proud to say
" I have met upon the Great River."

I even own up that I knew Sam Grinnell,
when he pastured his cow on his island, now
studded with many beautiful cottages, and
joyously welcomed the thirsty dwellers on
Prohibition-i,ooo-Island-Park to his choice
dispensary of contraband whisky.

Round Island is peopled with many worthy
of notable mention. Across its head, facing
the on-coming waters, stand four dwellings
First, the modest villa of Dr. Wheden, tlie
pioneer of the island-dwellers, followed by
Messrs. Haves, Van Wagonen, and James J.
Belden, ex-mayor and congressman, who,
applying well-earned wealth with sound judg-
ment and artistic taste to their work of pleas-
ure, have erected houses of comfort and de-
light, the very embodiment of the poet and
the painter's dream of loveliness. Another
chief of the Central City, Wm. B. Kirk, has
applied a portion of his wealth to the adorn-
ment of this beautiful island, and these have
found willing comrades to aid in making tiiis
cosy hamlet a beauty spot on the Great River.

As I pen these lines so many faces crowd
upon my reviving memory, that my task must
be abruptly closed or it will become endless.
A few more of the multitude of those who de-
serve recognition and I have done.

No one who frequents the river can fail to
know that always hilarious crowd, hailing from
Albany, headed by Jim Story, John H.
QuiNBY, and Charlie Gay. At home, staid,
steady, model business men. On the river —
never offensive — but full to the brim, of fun
and frolic, good anglers and genial companions.

There comes periodically to the river a quiet,
unobtrusive but worthy and interesting gentle-
man. It is said that " Good wine needs no
Bush," but a troll on the water and a luncli
on the shore are made more enjoyable and
satisfying whenever Mr. "Bush," of Buffalo
counts as one of the party.

We entreat Lucius Moses to bring back to
the river himself with his delightful family;
we yearn to hear once more the swish of his
wonderful cast, as the fly tempts the bass to
strike " twenty yards away."

In writing the name of Mr. Browning, of
New York, there came back to me the re-
membrance of his brother-in-law, Mr. Scott,
who is an annual visitor, seldom failing a
yearly return. Although a city man, he is
old fashioned in dress and manners, though
never other than a gentleman. Though easily
approachable, he is naturally taciturn; an un-

THE RI\ER C.U'7AL\S.

tiling angler, wind and wave never staying
him. One day near the head of Hemlock, he
was at anchor still-fishing for bass; a good
sized perch was hooked, and he rapidly drew
him up, and was rendered almost helpless by
the onrush of a thirty-pound muskalonge,
striking for his dangling perch. The big
fellow landed with the perch, in the boat, and
with the aid of the guide was killed. After a
few moments delay, S., recovered sufficiently
to ejaculate "Great Scott," th-^ only words
(the guide avers) that he uttered until he
reached the dock at Clayton, three miles away.

Clustered on and around the hoary head of
old Grindstone, the Morgans and the Lov-
ELLS, of New York, have brought refinement
and artistic skill to adorn their summer homes,
and in themselves have added acknowledged
worth to the goodly society of our Summer City.

It would be very wrong and unjust if the
men and women who dwell in inclement win-
ter as well as in gentle summer on the banks
of this world-famed strear.i *vere not recorded
among the throng of those " I have met upon
the Great River." In all ranks and condi-
tions among them, they are the hosts and
helpers of their welcome summer visitors ;
kind, considerate, helpful, never exacting or
mercenary, they are always ready and oblig-

ing. Their character and conduct are in

marked contrast with the reported greed,

venality and robbery at other noted places of

summer resort. I am glad to proclaim that I

have met and have learned to respect and

honor these constant dwellers in the valley of

the Great River.

If life and health are spared, I trust to meet

many old and to greet many new faces in the

coming years, enjoying renovated health and

needed relaxation from the ills and cares of

busy life amid the scenes of grandeur and

beauty nowhere so sure to be found as " Upon

the Great River."

Thomas G. Alvord.

Syracuse, March, 1895.

We think no man or woman can rise up
after reading Governor Alvord's unique and
entirely unapproachable remarks upon the
people he has met, without a better feeling
towards all mankind, and a most grateful
sense of appreciation of this honored man,
whose green old age has met with no blight,
and whose frosted head bears no possible in-
dication of any frost of heart. With thousands
who love him and revere his matchless ability,
we reecho his own wish that he may yet be
spared for many years to visit the Great River.

THE RIVER CAPTAINS.

NINO, of

the re-

SCOTT,

failing a
n, he is
thougli
gh easily
an un-

^Y reference to the pages in this book
devoted to pictures of men whom we
have thought should be shown, the reader
will find many captains of St. I-awrence
steamers. We have tried to give portraits of
them all, for they are a peculiarly deserving
set of men, good sailors, mild in manner, and
accommodating in disposition. These i)ictures

have been procured from some of them un-
willingly, and the short sketches of their lives
we have worried out of tliem, sometimes by
extreme urgency. They are really too modest
for this progressive age, but we give them as
they appear in every-day life, and we think
them a fine looking lot of men.

A BONAPARTE IN NORTHERN NEW YORK.

[TliF, following excellent article is not exactly history, though germain, and its insertion in ihi^
volunic is considered proper and instructive because most of the people named were long ago residents t
Cape Vincent, a town of many memories, which stands at the very head of those islands we are attemptii.^
to describe and to give their histories, as well as to make brief mention of those superior men who fuM
settled on and near them, and were certainly the first to sound their praise and introduce them to the aittn-
tion and knowledge of the American people.]

/^"M E advent of Joseph Bonaparte, r Count
^1 de Survillicrs (as he desired tobe nown),
into Northern New York and upon the St.
Lawrence, is scarcely explainable without some
reference by way of introduction to Count
James Donalien Le Ray de Chauinont, who was
the son of Count Donation Le Ray, the intimate
friend of Franklin and Adams, and Morris,
and a devoted adherent to the fortunes of the
United States, wlio in a time of the utmost
need imperiled his great fortune by coming to
our assistance. He it was who sent a ship-
load of powder to IJoston; who furnished
clothing for La Layette's army, and fitted out
three vessels of war to join the tleet under
Commodore Jean Paul Jones.

Previous to the elevation of Joseph Bona-
parte to the thrones, first of Naples and then
of Spain, he and young Le Ray were students
at the celebrated school of Juilly, near Paris;
here their acquaintance ripened into an inti-
macy which, altliough interrupted by succeed-
ing events, did not wholly cease, and so we
find it renewed at a time when the friendship
of a Le Ray was not to be despised, even by
a Bonaparte, tiiough twice a king. The young
Le Ray, intimate at his father's house with
such men as Franklin, Adams and Morris, had
early learned lessons of Republican wisdom,
and understood how to sympathize with the
infant States in their struggle for freedom.
His intercourse with these gifted statesmen

did much to perfect a character naturally
superior, and of which an intimate ac(piaint-
ancc wrote in after years as follows: " He had
a strong tnind, great penetration, sound jiulg-
nient, a warm and affectionate heart, and .1
noble soul. He was guided througli life bv .1
high and chivalrous integrity." It was relate' 1
that on one occasion a difference arose betwci.:i
the elder Le Ray and Robert Morris, then jt
the court of France. An umpire was to 1 <:
chosen, and Robert Morris at once selettid
Mr. Le Ray's own son; the case was stated,
and a decision in favor of Mr. Morris was the
result. Tlie citizens of Jefferson and Lewis
counties, N. Y., owe much of their prosperit\
to his enlightened and liberal managemeir;
and by the citizens of Jefferson county especi-
ally he is affectionately remembered for I-.i^
public-spirited improvements, his dignifRd
and courteous demeanor, and the sympatl.y
he never failed to express, not only in word-,
but practically, for whatever concerned tlic
public welfare. He fully sympathized wit'i
all that his father did to aid the colonies in
their struggle with Great Britain, and upon
him it finally devolved to effect a settlement
with them. It was a task of great difiicuhy.
The depreciation of paper money, and tl.c
differing currencies of the States, were ob-
stacles almost insurmountable. Tearing hin,-
self from the seductions of the most elegnnt
court in Europe, and from the near proFpcci

A BONAPARTE AV AOA'TJ/E/iN NEW YORK.

tion in il!i<;
residents ' i
; attemptli.^
Ml who tii^i
to ihe autn-

naturally
: acquaint-

" He had
)and jtul.;-
:art, and a
;li life by a
was relate!
se bet\vci.:i
ris, then at
was to le
:c selected
I'as stal(.(i,
ris was tiie
and Lew;^

prosperity
nagement;
ity especi-

d for hi>
dignitad

sympatl'.}

in words,
:erned tlie
lized wi'i'i

olonies in

and upon
settlement

difficulty.

, and llie

were ol)-

iring hin,-
■st elegant

• proppt.it

of a hrilliant marriage, he sailed for the United
States, to distinguished citizens of which
Franklin had given him letters; and yet, not-
witistanding his talents and energy, strength-
enec by all the influence of Franklin, anu
Morn.-:, and Adams, it was not until 1780 that
a settlement was effected ; just in time to save
his father from a humiliating bankruptcy.

While in the United States he became ac-
quainted with two men who largely influenced
his subsetiuent career, — Gouverneur Morris
and Count de La Foret, Consul-General of
France, — who induced him to make heavy
purchases of land. In company with the
latter, he purchased a large tract in Otsego
county, and established as his agent there
Judge Cooper, father of the great novelist.
With the former he made extensive pur-
chases in Northern New York, and by reason
of these purchases it was that Joseph Bona-
parte came upon the scene. In 1790, young
Le Ray became a naturalized citizen of the
United States, and married the daughter of
Charles Coxe, Esq., of New Jersey, returning
to France the same year. Between that and
1810, he had several times visited the United
States ; returning to France in that year, he
setded upon his estates in Touraine, and busied
himself in settling his affairs in Northern New
York. The last meeting for more than a
decade between young Le Ray and Joseph
Bonaparte, was on the occasion of the signing
of the treaty between France and the United
States at Morte Fontaine, September 30, 1800,
at which time they dined together. Fifteen
years later came the downfall of Napoleon,
and with him that of his family. Hearing
that Joseph was at Blois, M' Le Ray hastened
to offer his friendship. He was warmly wel-
comed, and the intimacy of former years was
renewed.

One day while at dinner, a train of wagons
passed the window near which they were
sitting. Joseph, turning to M. Le Ray, said:
" Mon ami, I remember that you have spoken
to me of your large possessions in the United
States. Do you still hold them ? If so, I
should like to exchange for a part of them
some of the silver that I have in those wagons,

which may be pillaged at any moment. Take
four or five hundred thousand francs, and give
me the ecpiivalent in land." This M' Le Ray
declined, saying: " It is impossible to make a
bargain where I alone know the facts. " Oh,"
sa'H Joseph, " I know you well, and I rely
more upon your word than upon my own
judgment."

A bargain was soon entered into, the terms
of which were, that for 200,000 francs the
elder Le Ray would give Joseph Bonaparte a
letter to his son Vincent, then in the United
States, instructing him to show to the ex-king
a certain tract ; when, if approved of by him
after seeing it, the sale would be confirmed.
If not approved, the money was to be returned.
The bargain was consummated with a slight
change in the terms of payment.

Some writers have asserted that Joseph
Bonaparte's farewell to France was an esca-
pade ; but whether true or not, he reached
the United States in 1815, and Northern New
York in i8i8. Of his career in New Jersey
and elsewhere, this account has nothing to do,
as it proposes to deal with his affairs in
Northern New York and not elsewhere, unless
it may be incidentally. On arriving in the
United States he assumed the title of Count
de Survilliers, by which name and title only
he desired to be known. His purchase in-
cluded the greater part of the town of Diana,
in Lewis county, together with portions of
several towns in Jefferson county, lying prin-
cipally in the valley of the Black River and on
the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Law-
rence river; the whole amounting to 150,000
acres, which was paid for in diamonds and
silver. Subsequently, owing to the fact that
diamonds had fallen to half their former value
in market, other arrangements were entered
into, and in 1820 the count accepted a tract
of 26,840 acres, for which he paid $^ ic 3.

He now memorialized the Legisi^iuc of
New York to grant him the privilege of hold-
ing titles in his own name. In his memorial,
he says: " Not being of the number of those
who would wish to abandon this land of hospi-
tality, where the best rights of man prevail, I
am nevertheless bound to my own country by

A SOUVENIR or THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

■^

ties which misfortunes render sacred." The
privilege solicited was granted by a si>ccial act,
bearing date March 31, 1825. Having ac-
quired liis titles, the ex-king began to explore
his possessions; and it is told of him that when-
ever it was possible, he traveled in great state.
Under any circumstances, his private secre-
tary, M. Carot, his cook, butler, valet and
page constituted his suite; these, with the ser-
vants of his guests, of whom he usually enter-
tained several, made up a train, which, in the
eyes of the simple backwoodsmen of those days,
formed a pageant long to be remembered.
Those were the times when the old country
tavern was in the ascendant ; and how to
dispose of such a retinue, became at times a
problem too intricate for the rural host to
solve.

On one occasion, when on his way to spend
the winter in New York and Philadelphia, his
train was unusually large, having for his guests.
Count Pierre Francois Real, wVo was Chef de
Police under the Emperor, and who then lived
at Cape Vincent, Jefferson county; Emmanuel
Count de Grouchy and General Desfurneaux,
who, with their attendants, were also going to
the metropolis, together with several distin-
guished gentlemen from Albany, who had been
guests of Count Survilliers at Bonaparte lake.
They halted in the evening at a well-known hos-
telry in the Mohawk valley, kept by a sturdy old
Dutchman. As was by no means uncommon
among those who were in company with Count
Survilliers, a night of revelry followed; a kingly
revel, where the guests were served on silver
by Parisian waiters. The choicest vintages
were served in Venetian-cut glass, and the
costliest teas and coffees in Sevres china.
First, drinking to the idol of their hearts, him
who was even then breaking his heart against
the bars of St. Helena, and whom they seldom
for a moment forgot, they gave way to amuse-
ment and hilarity. Song and story followed
in rapid succession, witticisms sparkled like
the bead upon their champagne, while the
worthy host, called here and there, often two
ways at the same moment, was half crazed,
and wholly bewildered. In the morning
M. Carot, the Count's private seeretary, called

upon the landlord to present his bill. This
was a poser; never before in that house, had \
bill of items been asked for, but the crisis had
come, and it must be met; and so the worthy
Honiface, groaning over the unwonted ment:il
exertion required, set slowly about his task.
Aided by the "good frouw," whose qualifir.i-
tions as an accountant, were, if possible, fewer
than his own, he finally, with much ment.il
travail, produced a bill which seemed to meet
the retjuirements; and with some trepidation
in his manner, he presented it to M. Carot.
It was a bill for $200. The astute secretary
detected the exorbitant charges at a glance,
and looked with dismay upon the final footing,
the manifest result of an attempt to divide a
large sum total among a few items only; the
house as a matter of fact, having contributed
but very little toward the entertainment.

Noticing the look upon his secretary's face,
Count Survilliers demanded to see the bill.
It was handed to him, and thence ran the
guantlet of the merry company, who, shouting
with laughter at Mynheer's unique specimen
of bookkeeping, nevertheless protested against
his outrageous charges ; which, allowing him
the highest possible prices for labor and sup-
plies, would scarcely amount to I50. The
bill was returned to the landlord, and the ex-
orbitant charges pointed out ; in process of
time an amended bill was brought in, which
contained a very fairly itemized account
amounting to $50, after whicii followed the
crowning entry : " To making in mine house

one d d fuss, $150," — thus triumphantly

sustaining the original grand total. Saying
"cheap enough, too," the ex-king ordered
M. Carot, to settle the bill. For many years
thereafter that same bill was in the possession
of one of Albany's most distinguished citizens,
who frequently exhibited it to his friends as a
" model Mohawk-valley tavern bill."

Count Survilliers made a number of im-
provements in various parts of his domain, and
expended money with a princely liberality,
thereby benefiting many a poor man, who in
those days would otherwise have handled
money but rarely. At Natural Bridge, he
erected a large framed house, with all the con-

A BONAPARTE IN NORTHERN NEiV YORK.

is bill. This
house, had i
the crisis hul
io the wortliy
onted mental
Dut his task.
3se qualifica-
ossible, fewer
Tiuch mental
?med to meet
e trepidation
to M. Caret.
;ute secretary
I at a glance,
final footing,
it to divide a
ms only; the
; contributed
inment.
:retary's face,
see the bill.
;nce ran the
vho, shouting
ue specimen
tested against
allowing him
jor anc" sup-

$50. The
, and the ex-
n process of
;ht in, which
zed account
followed the

1 mine house
triumphantly
5tal. Saying
ing ordered
• many years
le possession
ihed citizens,
5 friends as a
ill."

liber of im-
domain, and
ly liberality,
man, who in
ave handled
Bridge, he
lall the con-

venient accessories of a gentleman's summer
residence and furnished it cLgaiitly at a great
expense. Mere, for several seasons, the ex-
king kept open house, and was visited at times
by some of those whom, in his days of regal
pomp and power, he had entertained at court
ui Naples and in Madrid. Among the more
constant of his guests, however, were Count
Real; the Peugnet brothers, Louis, Hyacinthe
md Theophilus; Louis, having been a captain
in the Kmperor's body guard, an officer of the
r'>rn.s d'elite; still wore the cross of the Legion
liieur, placed upon his breast by the V.m-
|)eror's own hand; General RoUand, Count
Real's son-in-law Col. Jermoux, Camille
.\rmand, and others, all living at Cape Vincent,
where M. Le Ray had founded a prosperous
village and erected a stately mansion, now the
property of Mrs. Beaufort, and her sister. Miss
Emeline Peugnet, daughters of Captain Louis
Peugnet ; estimable, refined ladies are they,
well known far beyond the bounds of their
village-home.

There are many circumstances which ren-
der it probable that these re-unions, in which
M. Le Ray was by no means the least honored
c % and which he often reciprocated by
ing the entire company under his own
II- , either in his stately chateau at Le Rays-
ville, or in his house at Cape Vincent, were
for the purpose of discussing matters of much
greater importance than disquisitions on mat-
ters piscatorial, or the art of living ; although
hunting and fishing was the ostensible object.
The woods abounded in game, and the streams
and the lakes with fish. A beautiful lake of
some 1200 acres area, abounding in the
choicest varieties of fish, and forming a part
of the Count's domain, was but a few miles
from his mansion, at Natural Bridge, N. Y.
It is a beautiful sheet of water, with bold and
rocky shores, its surface sprinkled with island
gems, — an archipelago in minature. On an
eminence overlooking its shores the Count
erected a commodious hunting lodge, and
opened a road from the old State Turnpike
to the lake, on which boats were launched and
every possible convenience provided for both
hunting and fishing, of which sports the

Count was extremly fond; and yet, to use the
phraseology of a man who worked on the
building mentioned, and wlio is yet living at
Natural Bridge: '"They didn't seem to iiunt
and fish much a'ter all." This charming lake
(Bonaparte, now named) is now the property
of Hon. Joseph Pahud, a superior and most
interesting gentleman, and he has erected a
neat hotel there, a very paradise for anyone
desiring rest, combined with fish and game.

That a scheme was formed to rescue the
Emperor from the custody of Sir Hudson
Lowe, and spirit him away to the United
States, there can now be no doubt. The
French residents of Cape Vincent, after the
news of Napoleon's death was receivad, did
not hesitate to avow that such had been
their purpose. A well-known American naval
commander, whose reputation for courage,
skill and daring, even to recklessness ai times,
could not bo questioned, was to have aided
the scheme; and with his help, they hoped to
succeed. It is also highly probable that, in
some way, the exiles on St. Helena were made
aware of the effort^ on foot to secure their
liberation. A letti 1 written by Count Ber-
trand to Joseph Bonaparte on the death of
the Emperor, after announcing the sad event,
says of him: " The hope of leaving this dread-
ful country often presented itself to his imagi-
nation. Some newspaper articles added to,
and excited our expectations. We sometimes
fancied that we were on the eve of starting
for America ; we read travels ; we made plans;
we arrived at your house ; we wandered over
that great country, where alone we might
hope to enjoy liberty. Vain hopes ! Vain
projects ! which only made us doubly feel our
misfortunes."

That Count Real erected a house at Cape
Vincent for the reception of his adored Chief,
is so well known in that locality that it " goes
without saying; " and also that during its erec-
tion, Count Survilliers was oftener a visitor at
Cape Vincent than at any other time. Then,
too, his constant communication with this band
of enthusiastic imperialists, and especially with
Professor Pigeon, who was Private Secretary
to Count Real, and who, no doubt, wrote every

ICX)

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

letter and every communication of whatever
nature relating to their secret plans.

It was Prof. Pigeon who took a vow never
to cover his head while Napoleon was a pris-
oner ; and notwithstanding the severity of the
winters in Northern New York, he steadfastly
adhered to his resolution until the death of
the Emperor released him from his vow.

During Joseph Bonaparte's last visit to
Bonaparte Lake, a tragedy occurred that, for
some time, threw a gloom over h's daily life,
which seemed impossible for him to shake off.
Not far from Bonaparte Lake is Green Lake,
a body of water not half the size of Bonaparte
Lake, and as dismal, gloomy and repubive as
the other is delightful. Its shores are bold
and rocky; and owing to a mass of fallen tim-
ber, which forms an almost impenetrable
cheveaux de frieze around it, it is very difficult
of access. Not far from the water's edge, at
a point where the rocky wall almost reaches
it, is a cave so dark and dismal that it became
known as the " Cave of the Sepulchre," a
name which a subsequent occurrence served
to c-'-^bHsh more completely, if possible, than
it \v, :. jefore.

Aii.ong the attendants of the count, was a
young Frenchman named Jean Valiois, who
paid marked attention to the daughter of a
French settler living in the vicinity. She was
a beautiful girl, and it was not long before
they were almost inseparable. It was espe-
cially their delight to take a boat and row
away together among the island?, or climb the
rocks to find some new view on which to
feast their eyes. Count Survilliers was him-
self too fond of the fair sex to put any re-
straint on the loves of his followers, and so
the liaison went on uninterrupted until it be-
came apparent to all that a climax was not far
distant. One day the young people an-
nounced their intention to visit Green Lake,
which was but a short distance away. They
were never seen again. Days lengthened into
weeks, and weeks into months, and yet no
trace of them was found. The woods were
scoured far and wide in every direction, and
the waters of Green Lake dragged in vain.
Years sped on, and finally the old Frenchman

and his wife died, and gradually the occur-
rence faded from recollection. In 1850 a
party of hunters conceived the idea of explor-
ing the Cave of the Sepulcher. Providing
themselves with an abundance of material tor
lights and whatever else they deemed neces-
sary, the exploration was made. Among the
rubbish in the bottom of the cave some bones
were found, which were thought to be those
of an animal. One of the party, however, in
looking closer, discovered a human skull, and
further search revealed another ; then soipe
little trinkets were found ; and finally a Span-
ish gold coin, on one side of which was
stamped the he^id of Joseph Bonaparte.
When these facts became known, it was re-
membered that Count Survilliers had oiten
presented similar pieces to members of his
suite, and to particular friends as souvenirs of
some special occasion. This fact coupled
with the medical testimony, that one of the
skulls found belonged to a male and the other
to a female, made the conclusion almost irre-
sistible that these were none other than the
remains of Jean Valiois and the French
maiden so soon to become a mother. Whether
it was deliberate suicide on the part of both,
or whether they fell victims to a beast of
prey, will never be known so far as human
knowledge is concerned.

The author considers himself fortunate in
having interviewed Mr. Joseph Blanchard, of
Natural Bridge, N. Y., before his death in
1895, he having ♦^hen reached his 88th yea--.
His recollection of Joseph Bonaparte was dis-
tinct and special, and being a man of great
intelligence as well as wholly truthful, Mr.
Blanchard 's description of the ex- King ol
Spain became very interesting. He describes
Joseph as having been suave in manner, very
kind to the settlers and easily approached.
At times, to relieve the monotony of life in
that fr.r-away forest, he would don a work-
man's blouse and aid in the work of building
his house. This was in 1828. The Hon.
Lotus Ingalls, the veteran Water^own editor,
well remembers the ex-king as a jolly French-
man, who would sit in front of his dwelling
of a summer evening and scatter small coins

A BONAPARTE IN NORTHEI'N NEW YORK.

lor

' the occur-
In 1850 a
ia of explor-
Providing
material tor
smed neces-
Among the
; some bonc^
to be those
however, in
in skull, and
; then sonie
lally a Span-
which was
Bonaparte.
1, it was re-
s had oiten
ibers of his
souvenirs of
set coupled
one of the
nd the other
almost irro-
ler than the
the French
er. Whether
)art of both,
a beast of
r as human

fortunate in
anchard, of
lis death in
88th yea--,
irte was dis-
lan of great
uthful, Mr.
ex-King of
le describes
anner, very
ipproached.
y of life in
n a work-
of building
The Hon.
own editor,
)lly French-
is dwelling
small coins

among the expectant boys who ^\ oald struggle
for the prizes.

An examination of his dwelling at Natural
Bridge gave rise to many peculiar sensations.
Here dwelt one who had tasted every earthly
pleasure, and had reigned as king over one of
the proudest and oldest countries of modern
times. Did he hope to obtain forgetfulness
of the past by intercourse with the common
people of a back settlement, or by living close
to nature; did he hope to rejuvenate a con-
stitution doubtless worn by high living and
the excitements that surround a throne ? Be
that as it may, he tarried not long at Natural
Bridge, returning to Bordentown, N. J., in
1829.

There are several dwellings in different
parts of Jefferson county which were built by
Joseph Bonaparte for residences or offices.
Not more than one or two of these are stand-
ing. He built a large stone house on the shore
of Perch Lake, in the town of Pamelia, N. Y.
This was very richly furnished throughout;
the fireplaces were fitted with marble mantels,
and the whole house was finished to corres-
j)ond. This was intended for a \vinter resi-
dence, being within easy reach of his friends
at Cape Vincent, and of the chateau of
M. de Le Ray, at Le Raysville. This part
of his domain was afterward sold to John
La Fargc, another French emigr^, but now
scarcely one stone stands upon another to
mark what was once the dwelling of royalty.
A nephew of Count Survilliers, Joachim Murat,
was a frequent guest of his uncle, who pre-
sented him with a tract of land lying between
tlie present villages of Antwerp and Theresa.
Here the young man began business on a
large scale. He caused a canal to be dug,
a dam was built on Indian river, and a mill
erected, a storehouse and dwellings put up, a

town laid out on a grand scale, and every
preparation made for a city in the wilderness,
but it failed to materialize. While the young
Murat possessed all the natural proclivities
which constitute the modern " boomer," he
was half a century in advance of the times;
stttlers failed to come, the development of the
country was slow, the locality was off the
natural lines of communication, so that after
the expenditure of a fortune, he was forced
to abandon the enterprise, and now but little
remains to indicate the spot where he fondly
hoped to rear the flourishing city of "Joachim."
In 1833, or it may be in the spring of 1834,
Joseph Bonaparte returned to France, and
Northern New York knew him no more. In
1835 his agont, Judge Joseph Boyer, sold all
his remaining lands in Jefferson and Lewis
counties to John La Farge. At this time,
political events in France apparently favored
a reinstatement of the Bonaparte family, and
Count Survilliers, hopeful that the next turn
of the political wheel would bring the Bona-
partes to the surface, was anxious to be where
his greatest interests lay, and where his per-
sonal efforts might be of some avail. With
the sale of his landed estates, his interests in
a country where, to use his own expression,
"The best rights of man prevail," entirely
ceased. Some three or four old men are yet
alive, who, in the capacity of guides or
laborers for the ex-king, can relate some anec-
dote of him ; but of his real life while in
Northern New York, scarce anything is pub-
licly known b;yond what is embodied in
this brief skf.tch. Of one who was king of
Naples, who sat on the throt.e of Spain, whose
brother was an einperor, and wore the diadem
of the Caesars, and whose acts have filled
more pages of history than did those of Alex-
ander the Great, it seems trifling indeed.

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

PY AN AMATEUR HISTORIAN.

Oh, that I were a painter I who could a picture make,
A fitting guide to be, into this Island mystery.

I^APLE ISLAND, on which the tragedy
1^^ I which I am about to relate took place,
lies a little beyond the main steamboat channel
on the American side, almost in front of, and
in plain view from the balconies of the
" Frontenac " on Round Island. It has an
area of about six acres, and a high ridge ex-
tends across it from east to west, or nearly so,
which is inclined to be precipitous on the
north and north-west. For the most part, the
island is covered by a thick undergrowth with
here and there a few larger trees, excepting
on the south side of the dividing ridge, where
the timber has been cut away, leaving a tri-
angular shaped clearing with its apex at the
top of the ridge. There is nothing about it to
attract especial attention.

Some time since, while glancing through
the columns of Clayton's newsy weekly, On
the St. Lawrence, I lighted upon a brief arti-
cle which at once engrossed my attention. At
this date I cannot give more than the sub-
stance of the bketch, having mislaid the clip-
ping made at the time ; but if my memory
serves me it was headed: "The Tragedy of
Maple Island ; " at all events, if not this in
exact terms, it conveyed the idea so forcibly
that I read and re-read the article, vainly try-
ing to recall something that I had read before,
which in a vague, shadowy way seemed con-
nected with it. The substance of the article
in question is as follows :

In the summer of 1865, in the early part of
June, a stranger made his appearance at the

hotel in the little hamlet of Fisher's Landing,
on the east bank of the St. Lawrence river,
below Round Island, and opposite Thousand
Island Park, which at that time had no exist-
ence. It was a singular fact that although he
gave a name, which is not now remembered,
he never signed the hotel register.

He was a broad-shouldcied, dark-haired
man, moustrxhe and goatee, genteelly dressed,
evidently net more than twenty-five years of
age, probpbly less; of very agreeable manners,
but very reticent, and with the characteristics
of a Southerner. He spent his time chiefly in
looking about the country, visiting, at times,
the little village of Omar, and rowing in a
skiff among the adjoining islands. He finally
announced his intention of erecting a cabin on
one of the islands, the better to enjoy his
favorite pastime of fishing. He selected
Maple Island as his place of residence, and
at Clayton he purchased lumber and all the
necessary materials for the structure, hired
them transported to the island, engaged work-
men to build it, bought a skiff with its outfit,
and the furniture necessary for housekeeping,
and in a short time occupied his island domi-
cile. His food supplies — bread, butter, eggs,
milk and vegetables — were obtained from
farmers on Grindstone Island, and his gro-
ceries from Clayton. He made no intimate
acquaintances, though, if a chance caller vis-
ited him, which was but seldom, he was treated
courteously, but never invited .to repeat the
call. He was known to have quite a store of

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

103

■'s Landing,
rence river,
; Thousand
id no exist-
ilthough he
:membered,

dark-haired
!lly dressed,
ive years of
)le manners,
aracteristics
ne chiefly in
ig, at times,
•owing in a
He finally
\ a cabin on

enjoy his
[e selected
idence, and
and all the
:ture, hired
jaged work-
th its outfit,
usekeeping,
sland donii-
)utter, eggs,
ained from
nd his gro-
tio intimate

1 caller vis-
was treated

repeat the
; a store of

books, and to amuse himself by playing upon
the violin, as the strains of one were often
heard proceeding from his cabin, which stood
in a dense thicket against a wall of rock, and
so hidden that it could not be seen from a
passing skiff. The summer months sped
away, and so quiet and undemonstrative was
the stranger that he would have been almost
entirely forgotten but for his semi-occasional
visits to Clayton for supplies.

Very early in the autumn, and it may have
been during the last days of August, several
strangersi made their appearance on the river,
stopping f.jr a time at Alexandria Bay, at
Fisher's Landing, and at Clayton. As it was
nothing unusual to see strangers at these
places, no especial notice was taken of them
further than that they all seemed to be
Southerners. But for subsequent events, this
would not have been remarked, as it was by
no means an unusual thing for Southerners to
visit the Thousand Islands, prominent even
then as a resort for those who affected the
rod and gun.

But an event took place which arrested the
attention and aroused the sympathy of the
people ; a bloody mystery, which to-day is
almost as great a mystery as ever, and one
which will, in all probability, never be fully
solved, until the day when all mysteries shall
be made clear.

It was in September; the loveliest month on
the St. Lawrence. As the poet Reade,
sings: —

" The season where the light of dreams

Around the year in golden glory lies; —

The heavens are full of floating mysteries,

And down the lake the veiled splendor beams!

Like hidden poets lie the hazy streams.

Mantled with mysteries of their own romance,

Wliile scarce a breath disturbes their drowsy trance."

It was on such an evening that a bright
light was seen by residents of Clayton, on
Maple Island. It was conjectured at once
that the Hermit's cabin had caught fire, hut
as it was impossible to reach him in time to be
of any assistance, and apprehending no per-
sonal danger to him, but little thought was
given to the occurrencr 'urther than that he

was expected to come ashore for lodgings at a
hotel; but as he did not come within a reason-
able time, it was thought that he had rowed
over to Grindstone Island, or down to Grenell's
tavern, which stood where the Pullman
Hotel now stands, and so nothing more was
thought of the matter that night.

The next morning, some fishermen went
ashore on Maple Island, and visited the spot
where the cabin stood. They saw at once
that something unusual had occurred. The
ground was tramped as with many feet. Evi-
dences of a desperate struggle were on every
hand. Traces of blood were found on the
bushes, and then robbery and murder was
suspected. A careful search was instituted,
and finally the body of the unfortunate occu-
pant was found near the water's edge, on the
lower end of the island. His throat was cut
from ear to ear, and a knife thrust had nearly
severed the heart. There was no clothing on
the body except a pair of drawers, and across
the breast three crosses were cut in a triangle,
one cross forming its apex, and two its base.
To the discovers of the body, these had no
especial significance. They saw nothing
beyond plain murder and robbery. It might
have been stated before, that the deceased
was known to have plenty of money. He had
always been a prompt and liberal f»aymaster,
and whenever it had been necessary, owing to
a lack of American money, he had offered
English gold in payment for his purchases ;
and so, that he was murdered solely for his
money, was the prevailing idea, and no signifi-
cance attached to the crosses ; and yet, these
and these alone, furnished the clew which has
nearly succeeded in tracing out the mystery.

The coroner was summoned, and after a
patient examination, the principal facts as
above stated were brought out, and a verdict
rendered accordingly. The body was decently
buried, the occurrence created a "nine day's
wonder," and then passed out of mind ; and
but for the meager statement in the newspaper
referred to, it would have never been revived,
as there is to-day but one or two persons living
who had an actual knowledge of the facts
above stated. It must not be supposed that

104

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER

■*^

the newspaper article contained a tjnth part
of what is already related. It was by close
and persistent search and careful inquiry, that
these additional facts were gleaned, and they
are presented here as a reason for, and an in-
troduction to, what follows :

It was the month of April, 1865. The nation
was jubilant. The long and bloody conflict
had closed, and joy reigned triumphant every-
where. The country was ablaze with bonfires,
and grand illuminations turned night into day.
The evening splendors of the National Capital
were unsurpassed, and the grand illuminations
were made still more gorgeous by the display
of fireworks. Bands of music serenaded the
President, whose congratulatory speeches it
seemed to many were tinged with 'x shade of
melancholy. But a day was at !iand ; a day
of gloom, and of darkness, and of woe, un-
paralleled in the history of the world. Were
it not necessary, by reason of their being an
important factor in this narrative, the sad
events which plunged a nation into mourning
and lamentation would not be here rehearsed.
The inexpressible sadness which pervaded
every countenance at the news of the assassina-
tion of Abraham Lincoln, was an index to the
heartfelt pain within ; and even now, though
thirty years have rolled into the dim and misty
past, I am unable to recall the terrible event,
much less to transcribe, howevei briefly, its
salient features, without experiencing again
that fearful shock, which, like an electric cur-
rent laden with woe and draped with disaster,
ran from man to man and from camp to camp
throughout our lines at Raleigh, where the
corps to which the writer belonged was
stationed. It was the same everywhere. All
nature seemed clad in the habiliments of woe.

On the evening of the 14th day of April,
1865, the play " Our American Cousin " was
in progress at Ford's Theater, on Tenth
street, just above E street, Washington, D. C. ;
a large, plain brick edifice, now converted into
a museum of war relics. In honor of the oc-
casion and of the day's rejoicing, because
the folds of the Nation's Flag had that day
been once again flung to the breeze above
the shattered ramparts of Fort Sumter, Presi-

dent Lincoln was to occupy the " Presidential
box," which consisted of the two upper boxes
on the left of the stage thrown into one. The
box on that memorable evening was occupied
by the President and Mrs. Lincoln, Major R.
H. Rathbone and Miss Clara H. Harris. The
house, holding nearly three thousand people,
was filled with the wealth and fashion of the
city.

At about 10 o'clock, when the second scene
of the third act was on, a stranger worked his
way into the proscenium box occupied by the
Presidential party, and leveling a pistol close
to the head of Mr. Lincoln, he f.red ; then
drawing a knife he inflicted a severe wound
upon Major Rathbone, who had seized him,
and breaking away he sprang down upon the
stage, flourished his \nife and shouted : " Sic
Semper Tyrannis! " and before the real posi-
tion of affairs could be comprehended, he
dashed across the stage, mounted a fleet horse,
which was in waiting in the alley in the rear
of the theater, and escaped.

That man was John Wilkes Booth, notori-
ously a rebel, an actor of some merit, but now
an escaping murderer.

As soon as the audience realized the
fact that the President was shot, the wildest
excitement prevailed, and shouts of Hang
him! Hang him ! resounded from every part
of the house. The dying President was borne
to a private house — Mr. Peterson's, across the
street — and prominent physicians and sur-
geons were summoned at once. It was soon
discovered that there was no hope. Mem-
bers of the cabinet assembled, together with
other distinguished men, and stood mourn-
fully grouped about the couch of the uncon-
scious chief magistrate. An eye witness wrote
thus : " The scene was one of extraordinary
solemnity. The history of the world fur-
nishes no parallel. Breathing his life serenely
away, sensible to no pain and unconscious
of all around, the Great Man of the nine-
teenth century lay, passing away to that im-
mortality accorded by Providence to few of
earth."

All the long, weary night the watchers stood
around the couch. Day came at length, and

a— i

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

\0'

residential
)per boxes
one. The
3 occupied
, Major R,
rris. Tiie
id people,
lion of the

:ond scene
vorked his
ied by the
listol close
red ; then
ere wound
eized him,
1 upon the
ted: "Sic
; real posi-
ended, he
fleet horse,
in the rear

•th, notori-
t, but now

iHzed the
he wildest

of Hang
every part
was borne
across the

and sur-
was soon
;. Mem-
ether with
)d mourn-
he uncon-
ness wrote
raordinary
vorld fur-
Fe serenely
iconscious
the nine-
5 that im-

to few of

hers stood
:ngth, and

at twenty-two minutes past seven o'clock on
Saturday morning, April 15th, 1865, the spirit
of Abraham Lincoln, freed from its earthly
tenement, went to God who gave it, and the
nation went into mourning.

It had been remarked that Secretary Seward
was not among the members of the Cabinet
who rallied around the bedside of their dying
Chief; but when Surgeon-General Barnes
reached the house, the reason was made clear.
In substance, this is what happened to Sur-
geon-General Barnes : He was met in front
of Willard's Hotel by an officer, on the night
of the assassination, who informed him that
the President was shot. Supposing that
the deed had been done at the presidential
mansion, he hurried to the surgeon-general's
office to give orders for assistance, and there
he found a summons to the bedside of Secre-
tary Seward, who had also been attacked by
an assassin. Believing that this occurrence
was what gave rise to the story that the Presi-
dent was shot, he immediately hurried to the
chamber of Mr. Seward. He found him lying
upon the bed with one cheek cut open, and
the flesh lying over on the pillow. The room
presented a horrible appearance. Blood be-
spattered everything. The attendants were
huddled into corners, frightened and helpless.
No one seemed capable of giving a single
detail of the terrible occurrence. Dr. Barnes
immediately gave his attention to Mr. Seward,
but shortly Dr. Norris came, and turning Mr.
Seward over to his care, the surgeon-general
proceeded to look after the assistant secretary,
Mr. Frederick Seward, who was lying wounded
and insensible in an adjoining room. Soon
after, other surgeons came in, and from them
he learned the distressing facts regarding the
assassination of the President, and went at
once to his bedside.

Hoivever strange it may seem to us of to-day,
as we read the various and voluminous ac-
counts of those occurrences, yet it is a fact,
that not for several days afterward, did any
one seem to grasp the idea that it was a pre-
concerted scheme of assassination — a con-
certed plot to take not only the life of the
President, but of other prominent men also.

The one great overshadowing crime seemed
to literally draw all attention to itself. Other
transactions were dwarfed by it. Even the
history of nations could produce no equal.
True, Brutus slew Cassar in the Roman Senate
chamber, and Charlotte Corday murdered
Murat in his bath; but neither instance paral-
leled this unheard of atrocity.

Gradually, however, as events began to un-
fold themselves, and the horizon of disturb-
ance to clear, it was seen that the assassination
was a part of a well-devised scheme, the only
part, which, owing to some cause or causes
unknown, had been carried into full effect.
It soon became known also that the Metro-
politan police had long been aware that a
society called the Knights of the " Blue
Gauntlet," the same in all essentials as that
of the " Knights of the Golden Circle," existed
in Washington; and they not only knew its
place of meeting, but the names of many of the
members. Not deeming it at all dangerous,
but little attention had been paid to it, be-
cause the secrets of the " Knights of the
Golden Circle," or rather the "Sons of
Liberty," that hdng the real name of the
organization, had become known, through
the address of Timothy Webster, one of the
most daring and skillful members of the
secret service ever in the employ of the
United States government ; and who was cap-
tured in Richmond, tried, convicted and
hanged as a spy by the orders of Gen. Winder,
April 29, 1862.

A brief account of Webster's initiation into
the secret society of the " Sons of Liberty "
in the city of Baltimore, in 1861, may be
given here as an illustration of the general
character of the secret societies of that time,
whose object was to aid the cause of the
South, no matter under what name they mas-
queraded. Webster, it should be understood,
had so ingratiated himself into the good graces
of leading secessionists in Baltimore, that
there was not the slightest suspicion afloat re-
garding him. On the contrary, he was so
implicitly trusted that he visited unquestioned
all parts of the South, making long visits to
Riclimond, where he was " Hail fellow, well

io6

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

met! " with prominent rebels, and their trusted
agent in Washington, where they frequently
sent him with important dispatches, the an-
swers to wh'ch were to be delivered to the
authorities in Richmond ; but which, it is need-
less to say, reached other hanc's than those of
Judah P. Benjamin, the rebel Secretary of
War, for whom many of them were intended.
Among other prominent rebels in Baltimore
was one Sloan, a noted rebel, with whom Web-
ster was on the most intimate terms. During
Webster's absence on one of his southern
trips, certain secessionists of Baltimore or-
ganized a secret society of which they were
very desirous that he should become a mem-
ber, and to Sloan, because he was an intimate
friend, was delegated the duty of soliciting
him to join. Seizing a favorable opportunity
on Webster's return to the city, Sloan guard-
edly broached the subject.

"The fact is," said Sloan, "after you went
away we formed a secret society."

"A secret society 1 "'

"Yes; and we have held several meetings."

" Is it a success "i "

" A perfect success. Some of the best in
the town are among our members. We may
be forced to keep silent, but they can't com-
pel us to remain idle. We are well organ-
ized, and we mean undying opposition to a
tyrannical government. I tell you, Webster,
we will not down ! "

" Never! " responded Webster, imitating
the boastful tone and bearing of his friend
Sloan. "It does not lie in the power of those
white-livered Yankees to make slaves of
Souiliern men! I should like to become a
member of your society, Sloan."

" They all want you," said Sloan, eagerly.
" We passed a resolution to that effect at our
last meeting. We want the benefit of your
counsel and influence."

"What is the name of your society?"

"The Sons of Liberty."

" When will your next meeting be held ? "

" To-night."

" So soon ? "

" Yes ; and you are expected to attend.
Have you any objections ? "

" None whatever. But how will I get there ? "
" I am delegated to be your escort."
" What is your hour of meeting ? "
"Twelve o'clock."

" Ah ! A midnight affair. All right, Sloan,
you will find me waiting at the hotel."

Promptly at eleven o'clock Sloan appeared
at the hotel, whence he and Webster pro-
ceeded toward the place of meeting. It was
a dark and stormy night, and, as Webster
thought, just the right sort of a night for con-
cocting hellish plots and the performance of
evil deeds. As Robert Burns says:

"That night, a chiel might understand,
The Deil had business on his hand."

Sloan led the way to a remote quarter of
the city, and into a street which bore a par-
ticularly bad reputation. Stopping, he said:

" I must blindfold you, Webster, before
proceeding any further. This is a rule of the
order, which, under any circumstance, cannot
be departed from."

Webster quietly submitted, and a thick
bandage was placed over his eyes and se-
curely fastened. Then Sloan took him by the
arm and led him forward. Blindfolded as he
was, Webster knew that they turned suddenly
into an alley and passed through a gate which
Sloan shut behind them. He also knew that
they were in a paved court, probably in the
rear of some building. Just then Sloan whis-
pered :

"Come this way and make no noise."

The next moment he knocked in a peculiar
manner against a door, and Webster knew it
to be a signal. Immediately a guarded voice
asked:

" Are you white ? "

Sloan responded: " Down with the blacks."

A chain clanked inside, a bolt was with-
drawn, the door creaked slightly on its rusty
hinges, and they entered ; immediately they
began to climb a 'hickly carpeted stair, at the
head of which they were challenged :

" Halt ! Who comes there ? "

" Long live Jeff Davis," answered Sloan.

Passing through another door, they entered
an apartment in which there seemed to be

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

lo;

;t there?"
t."

;ht, Sloan,

:1."

appeared
)ster pro-
5. It was
> Webster
it for con-
rmance of

tand,
nd."

quarter of
are a par-
he said:
;r, before
rule of the
ce, cannot

[ a thick
s and se-
him by the
Ided as he

suddenly
;ate which

knew that
bly in the

oan whis-

ise."

a peculiar
r knew it
ded voice

e blacks."
was with-
in its rusty
ately they
air, at the

Sloan,
y entered
led to be

several persons. A voice, meant to be im-
pressive, demanded :

" Whom have we here ? "

"A friend, Most Noble Chief, who wishes
to become a member of this worthy league."

"His name?"

" Timothy Webster."

" Have the objects of this league been fully
explained to him ?"

" Most Noble Chief, they have."

' Mr. Webster, is it your desire to become
a member of this knightly band ? "

"It is."

Then came the ring of swords leaping from
scabbards, and their clank as they met in an
arch of steel above his head ; and then the
Noble Chief continued.

'* You will now kneel upon your right knee,
place your right hand upon your heart, and
repeat after me the obligation of our brother-
hood."

" I, Timothy Webster, a citizen of Balti-
more, having been fully informed of the ob-
jects of this Association, and being in full
sympathy and accord with the cause it seeks
to advance, do solemnly declare and affirm,
upon my sacred honor, that I will keep for-
ever secret all that I may see or hear, in con-
sequence of being a member of this league;
that I will implicitly obey all orders, and
faithfully discharge all duties assigned to me,
no matter of what nature or character they
may be ; and that life or death will be held
subordinate to the success and advancement
of the cause of the Confederacy, and of the de-
feat of the bloody tyrants who are striving to
rule by oppression and terrorism. Should I
fail in the proper performance of any task
imposed upon me, or should I prove unfaith-
ful to the obligations I now assume, may I
suffer the severest penalty awarded for treason
and cowardice, and the odium belonging
thereto, as well as the scorn and contempt of
all true brother knights."

Again the swords clanked as they were re-
turned to their scabbards, and the newly obli-
gated member was commanded to arise. He
obeyed, and the bandage was removed. At
first he was blinded by the sudden light, but

as his eyes became accustomed to it, he found
himself surrounded by several stalwart men,
all of whom wore dark cloaks and black masks.

" Mr. Webster," said the Chief, " I now pro-
nounce you a Son of Liberty."

The masks were now removed, and to his
relief, Webster discovered that the faces were
all familiar. A cordial grasp of the hand was
given by each in turn, and then they entered
the principal council chamber, and Webster
was escorted to a seat. In a few minutes the
clock struck twelve, when every door was
locked, and the real work of the order begun.
There were some forty men present, and
Webster noticed that they were from among
the best citizens of Baltimore, the rowdy ele-
ment not being represented. He was now
instructed in the passes, signs and grips of
the order, and especially in the rallying sign,
which was three crosses, disposed in a triangle.

It is not necessary to say more under this
head, our only design being to give the reader
a brief sketch of the so often denied secret
society of the South, which in time, by the
aid of Clement L. Vallandingham, of Ohio,
permeated the entire North, and which, but
for a fortunate circumstance that took place
in the city of Indianapolis in 1863, would
have resulted in 'ire and bloodshed through-
out several of the Northern States, and which
years later found an individual culmination in
a bloody tragedy on an obscure island in the
Great River St. Lawrence.

Suffice it to say that in this case Webster
listened to the schemes which were in pre-
paration to destroy our National Capital,
learned the names of the plotters and sympa-
thizers in Washington, and in process of time
so managed matters that this particular camp
of the Sons of Liberty found itself immured
behind the bars of the Old Capitol Prison.

As a further instance, it may be interesting
to know that a shrewd detective, who is yet
living, and whose name it is unnecessary to
mention here, was sent from Cincinnati to
Louisville, Kentucky, by order of Gen. George
B. McClellan, for the purpose of uniting with
the Brotherhood, in order that he might learn
its secrets, methods of work, designs and plans,

Io8

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

which he fully accomplished, being initiated,
as a comparison of dates shows, at Louisville,
only two nights later than was Webster at
Baltimore. The initiatory ceremonies, grips,
signs, passes and signals were found to be
identical.

The Knights of the " Blue Gauntlet " had
no names. The individual members were
known only by numbers ; and any order or
direction from the Chief was always sent to a
number and not to a name. With this, and
a few other minor differences, the Sons of
Liberty and the Knights of the Blue Gauntlet
were the same. All this was known to the
police, but never for a moment was there the
slightest danger apprehended, so powerless for
any real harm did the organization appear.
That it was not more closely investigated, and
entirely broken up, was a fatal mistake ; real-
ized when too late to be remedied. In fact, it
had been but little more than a year since
these secret meetings had been revived, and
then more as a political factor than any thing
else. To prevent the nomination and re-
election of Abraham Lincoln was a consum-
mation ardently desired by the friends of the
Confederacy. With 'lim no longer at the
head of the government, a compromise would
be effected, the war ended, and virtually
victory would perch upon the flag of the
South.

But from this semi-passive political position
to one more pronounced was easy. All that
was wanted was a leader. A man who, within
himself, combined all the elements, — a strong
will, unlimited zeal, unbounded enthusiasm, a
strong personal magnetism, and a blind, un-
reasoning devotion to a cause whether right
or wrong, coupled with an overwhelming de-
sire for notoriety. Such a leader they found
in John Wilkes Booth. As affording a slight
insight into his character, an extract of a letter
to the Washington Chronicle, written after the
assassination, by A. D. Doty, of Albany, a
soldier then in Carver hospital, Washington,
is here given. He says: "At the commence-
ment of the war, J. Wilkes Booth was playing
an engagement at the Gayety Theater in
Albany, N. Y., which city attested in action

more eloquent than words its love for the old
flag by displaying it from every roof and
window, when the news came of the unholy
attack on Fort Sumter. Booth, at that time,
openly and boldly avowed his admiration for
the rebels and their deeds, which he character-
ized as the most heroic of modern times ; and
he boasted loudly that the Southern leaders
knew how to defend their rights, and that
they would never submit to oppression. So
vehement and incautious was he in his ex-
pressions, that the people became incensed
and threatened him with personal violence,
and he was compelled to make a hasty de-
parture from the city. Before leaving, he
attempted the life of an actress of whom he
had become jealous. Finding his way to
her room at midnight, he assaulted her with
a dagger, fortunately inflicting but a slight
wound. With the fury of a tigress she sprang
upon him, and wrenching the weapon from
his hand, in turn wounded him."

These episodes show that he was not only a
virulent rebel, but was at heart an assassin.
Not only was Booth a murderer, but he was a
mercenary one. While he was willing to as-
sassinate the President, he wanted pay for
doing it. Notoriety it would bring, but with
it he wanted gold.

All along during the war, and especially in
the years 1863 and 1864, Canada's principal
cities swarmed with Southerners. St. Cath-
arines, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa and Mon-
treal, were especially favored by these gentle-
men; some of whom were accredited agents
of the Confederacy, while they were all en-
gaged in plotting against the North, and set-
ting schemes on foot worthy the palmiest days
of Diabolus, for the destruction of our lake
cities in the absence of their defenders who
were fighting against treason and rebellion on
Southern soil.

It has been already hinted that the secret
order of the Knights of the Golden Circle had
found a lodgement in some of the Northern
States, especially in the States of New York,
Indiana and Illinois; though Pennsylvania
and Ohio were largely represented in their
councils. In Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa,

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND,

109

or the old
roof and
le unholy
that time,
iration for
character-
imes ; and
rn leaders
and that
jsion. So
in his ex-
I incensed
violence,
hasty de-
laying, he
whom he
!s way to
i her with
t a slight
ihe sprang
ipon from

not only a
1 assassin,
t he was a
ing to as-
i pay for
but with

jecially in

principal

St. Cath-

and Mon-

se gentle-

ed agents

:re all en-

, and set-

niest days

our lake

iders who

jellion on

:he secret
Circle had
Northern
ew York,
nsylvania
1 in their
ind Iowa,

the lodges were but few and far between. It
was in Indiana and Illinois, that their great
strength lay. In the former State there were
100,000 armed and organized knights, ready
to do the bidding of their chiefs. These
were in constant communication with the
Southern emissaries who, under the protection
of Canada, plotted treason, laid plans to cap-
ture steamers on the lakes and on the St.
Lawrence river, fill them with armed men,
and simultaneously descend upon Rochester,
Buffalo, Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago, and
firing them, rob, pillage, and murder, escaping
to Canada as a place of safety. It was among
the Confederate residents of Canada that the
diabolical scheme was set on foot to scatter
small pox throughout the cities of the North
by means of infected rags.

While Indiana, under the magnetic inspira-
tion of that greatest among the great war
Governors, Oliver P. Morton, responded with
alacrity to every demand upon her for troops,
to an extent far beyond her quotas, sending
to the front, as a matter of fact, more men in
proportion to her population than any other
State in the Union, she was also cursed to a
much greater extent with that abhorred pro-
duct of the rebellion, the " Copperhead; " who
was also, whenever the opportunity offered, a
Knight of the Golden Circle. It has been
already stated that they numbered a hundred
thousand. It is no wild statement. It can
be verified by the muster rolls of the order,
captured in Indianapolis, and now preserved
in the archives of the State. A brief allusion
to the facts, will refresh the memory of many
of our readers, while the incident may be of
some interest.

In 1863-4, Indianapolis was a great military
camp. Sentries were stationed everywhere.
Tiie air was rife with rumors of an uprising in
various portions of the State. The camps
around the city were more closely guarded
than ever. Emissaries of those inimical to
the government had secretly poisoned the
minds of many of the soldiers, and desertions
were frequent. These were concealed in
almost inaccessible places and carefully
guarded against recapture. Bands of Southern

sympathizers drilled openly in the fields.
United States marshals were set upon by in-
furiated mobs, maltreated and murdered.
Every citizen went armed. Fearful rumors of
an impending outbreak permeated the com-
munity, but when, or how, or from what source
the blow was to come, none could tell. Sur-
mise was the only certainty. A sentry on duty
at the Union depot was watching the unload-
ing from a car a mass of boxes. They were
consigned to Dodd it Co., merchants, at whose
store was the " Repository of the American
Bible Society," and these boxes were supposed
to contain Bibles for distribution among the
soldiers. One of the boxes was slightly
shattered by the rough handling it received at
the hands of those who were unloading the
freight. A bit of metal gleaming through a
crevice in the broken box attracted the soldier's
attention.

" Nice lot of books them," he said to him-
self. " Silver plated Bibles, I reckon. Pretty
durn tony them tract peddlers is gittin. Guess
I'll have a look at one of 'em, anyhow."

A brief investigation revealed to the soldier
the startling fact that the box contained re-
volvers. It suddenly occurred to him that
he had heard that the firm of Dodd & Co.
were suspected of being rebel sympathizers,
though by no means outspoken. Unlearned,
but with a shrewdness worth more in a case
like this than all the diplomas ever issued
from college halls, he at once decided how to
act. Not a word did he breathe to his ser-
geant, nor to the officer of the guard. He
saw clearly that it was a case requiring judg-
ment, and yet promptness. Calling a com-
rade, he was about to send him to the Gen-
eral's headquarters with a note, when fortu-
nately the General and two or three members
of his staff came riding down Illinois aveni;e.
As they neared his post, he saluted and then
called to the General. In a few words he
made known his discovery. The General dis-
mounted and made a personal examination,
satisfying himself that the statement was true.
Sending for the officer of the guard, he or-
dered him to count the boxes and affix a pri-
vate mark to each one, and then note care-

A SOrrEXIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

fully who came for them. Mounting his
horse, lie returned to headquarters.

By a.id by draymen came for the boxes,
and, strangely enough, with every dray load
th.-it moved away, there loitered along on the
opposite side of the street a lazy unconcerned
looking citizen who always had business in
the same direction the dray was going. The
goods were unloaded in the rear of Dodd &
Co.'s store, transferred to an elevator and sent
above. Over this store, and three stores ad-
joining, in the third story, was an immense
empty chamber which had never been utilized.
It was one vast unfinished garret, as every one
supposed.

There were times when early in the morn-
ing bits of paper, on which three crosses in a
triangular form had been printed, were found
pasted to fences, trees and tree boxes, or scat-
tered loosely about ; and so often did this
occur that it was accepted as a sign — but a
sign of what ?

The next morning after the boxes were
hoisted to the upper story of Dodd & Co.'s
store, those triangular emblems were more
numerous than ever before. So were the lazy
men in citizen's clothes. They were disrepu-
table men, too, because they were frequently
seen to gather, two or three at a time, in the
alley in the rear of the store, and drink from
a bottle and then disappear. That night was
a great business night for Dodd & Co. The
store was thronged and never before were
clerks so busy. Even the lazy citizen was
there, having overcome his indolence so far
as to make some slight purchases. Not hav-
ing anything himself to do, he noticed what
others were doing; and, among other things,
he noticed that instead of going out the way
they came in, that is to say, by the front door,
they went out at the back door ; slipped out,
so to speak, singly ; and, it seemed to him, as
if desirous of not being observed. It also
seemed to him that he could hear the noise of
the elevator at work. A careful investigation
showed that it was at work, and that the cus-
tomers were going into the story above, prob-
ably to complete their purchases !

Be that as it may, a couple of hours later.

all the lower part of the store was filled wit!;
soldiers, both front and rear, and squad after
squad went up in the elevator, and tiien canu
the grand climax. The boxes of Bibles con-
signed to Dodd & Co. were found as marked
and numbered. They were packed with navy
revolvers and ammunition. But this was tlic
least important of the capture. This turned
out to be the general headquarters of tiie
order for the State. In this room the Adju-
tant-General had his office. The rolls and
reports of the order were found. The names
of the members of every camp of the Knights
of the Golden Circle in the State were there.
It was a revelation. Men against whom not
a breath of suspicion had ever found utter-
ance, here stood revealed as officials high in
the secret councils of treason. Correspond-
ence with Jacob Thompson, Clement C. Clay
and Larry McDonald, then in Canada as
accredited agents of the Confederacy, was dis-
covered; but over and above everything else,
a plot to burn the cities already mentioned,
and the time when a general rising was to
take place, all was revealed. The conspira-
tors stood aghast, with no word of excuse to
offer. Under a strong guard they were
marched away to the jail and to the military
prison, and by early morning two Major-
Generals of the order, one in La Fayette, and
another in Evansville, together with several
Brigadiers f^d Colonels, a score or more,
were under arrest, and on their way by the
first trains to the Capital City. Dodd, Horsey
and Mulligan, the Bible operators, were tried
among the rest, and in a few weeks there were
no spare casemates in Fort La Fayette, and
the Dry Tortugas was crowded. From that
time a great fear fell upon the Knights of the
Golden Circle in Indiana. Their collapse
was as complete as it was sudden. Here and
there in the strongest copperhead localities,
an attempt was made to revive the order
under new names, but it was a signal failure.
It is a pleasure to be able to record the fact
that the soldier who first discovered the
"silver plated Bibles" v as promptly pro-
moted. His coolness and self-command at
the time of the discovery made the detection

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

Ill

filled witi.
iquad after
then caiiK
iiblcs con-
as marked
\ with navy
his was tlif
rhis turned
ers of the
1 the Adju-
; rolls and
The nanieN
he Knights
ivere there,
t whom noi
"ound utter-
ials high in
!3orrespond-
ent C. Clay
Canada as
icy, was dis-
•ything else,
mentioned,
sing was to
e conspira-
f excuse to
they were
the military
two Major-
^ayette, and
vith several
: or more,
way by the
odd, Horsey
were tried
s there were
ayette, and
From that
ights of the
eir collapse
Here and
d localities,
; the order
gnal failure,
ord the fact
overed the
omptly pro-
lommand at
le detection

of the conspirators certain. Had he been
less shrewd, and informed his sergeant or
lieutenant, the chances are that the find would
have been known throughout the city in an
hour ; the evening paper would have displayed
glaring headlines, and the chance to entrap
the Knights of the Golden Circle would have
been lost.

In the meantime, Chicago, Cleveland,
Buffalo and other lake and river cities were
warned, and had taken measures for their
own safety. The Confederate plotters in
Canada saw at a glance that the game was up.
The chances of capturing steamers on the
lakes, and transforming them into quasi vessels
of war, were utterly destroyed ; and so they
turned themselves to the consideration of new
schemes. They began to despair of conquer-
ing the North, and as a recompense for defeat
they nourished revenge. Gradually this desire
grew into a discussion as to ways and means,
and finally led to the consideration of a
method of relief for the South, which, could
it be carried into effect, would be the crown-
ing scheme of all. This was the assassination
of Lincoln, Johnson, Seward, Grant, Sherman
and Sheridan, and as many other prominent
officers and men of affairs as could be reached
and struck down at the same hour, through
concerted action. This done, the South must
be victorious. Visions of place and power in
the future to those who could conceive and
execute this daring scheme fired their ambi-
tion, and personal aggrandizement, more than
pro patria, urged them on. But a tool must
be found, and they had not far to look.

John Wilkes Booth was starring in Canada,
and to him they instinctively turned. Dur-
ing his engagement in Toronto, a meeting
took place at the Queen's Hotel. Booth knew
enough about these men and some others
then in Canada, not to be surprised at any
scheme they might propose. Already they
had perpetrated acts of villainy that if even
half punished, would expatriate them for life.
On the other hand they knew the man before
them. They had fathomed his inordinate
vanity, and well knew his sordid ambition.
They ministered to the one, and made promises

which, if fulfilled, would abundantly gratify
the other. They assured him tliat the succe^3
of the scheme depended upon himself alone.
That, if successful, unbounded wealth and
fame to gratify the most ambitious would
be his.

At first, Booth hesitated at the idea of whole-
sale murder. Another scheme had entered
his fertile brain, and until that failed, there
should be no murder; but if it failed, then —
The plan was to kidnap the President and as
many others as could be taken, gag them,
convey them to a safe retreat, and when an
opportunity offered, transfer them to the rebel
capital. All these facts are substantiated by
evidence on file in the government archives
at Washington, among which is a letter written
by Booth which reveals the entire scheme.

The discovery of a house on street in

Washington, with furnished underground
apartments provided with manacles, and all
the accessories of solitary confinement, is evi-
dence indisputable. In an upper room of the
same building the Knigntsof the Blue Gaunt-
let held their secret meetings, and finally
plotted murder.

Throughout all his base designs the dra-
matic element in Booth was always uppermost.
He planned a triumphal starring trip through-
out the South. Full of this idea, he shipped
his theatrical wardrobe from Canada, and
when his plans had been successfully carried
out, he would don the buskin once more, and
become a theatrical star of the first magnitude,
though his crime rather than his ability as an
actor, should prove the drawing card. If
assassination, which he now began to seriously
contemplate, should be the final outcome of.
all this damnable plotting, what a Brutus he
would become. That immortal creation of
Shakspeare, Julius Caesar, should be so modi-
fied, that Washington would become Rome,
and Abraham Lincoln, Caesar. Payne, and
Atzeroth, and Surratt, and Harold, and half a
score of others of a like character should be
the grand conspirators, while he, the chief
conspirator of all, the head, the director, the
murderer par excellence, would be the Brutus.
How realistic it would all be. A great Shaks-

112

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LA^'RENCE RIVER.

perean tragedy, only modified in some par-
ticulars to adapt it to time and circumstance,
played by a troupe whose leading characters
were real assassins! What a triumpli of the
'Thespian art! What a modern histrionic suc-
cess! One thing only was lacking. Were it
but possible to assassinate a veritable Lincoln
at every presentation of the play, nothing more
could be desired.

Booth soon discovered that his scheme of
kidnapping could not be carried out. It was
deemed too rash. He could find no one who
would engage in the hazardous undertaking.
Something must be done to satisfy, first, his
own egotistic ambition, and, second, to earn
the guerdon of blood, an earnest of which, in
English gold, he had already received at the
hands of his employers, the Confederate agents
of the South.

Now he began to plan in earnest the vil-
lainous scheme of assassination. Furnished
with abundant funds, he dropped an anchor
to windward by depositing four hundred and
fifty-five dollars, his own money, in the Bank
of Ontario, at Montreal. This, with date of
entry, was shown by his bank book, which
was captured with Atzeroth.

Then came a search for the proper tools.
Along the eastern boundary of Kentucky,
bordering on Virginia, in a region of hills and
mountains almost inaccessible, is a section of
country which, for yearS; has been the home
of family feuds, which have resulted in nu-
merous murders, and, consequently in the
growth of a class of men who held life very
cheap, and to whom a bloody vendetta was
but a recreation. In the midst of such asso-
ciations, seven brothers, named Payne, had
grown up. They were outlaws born, robbers
by profession, and murderers from choice,
though the sons of a Christian minister. So
bold had they become, and so bloody their
raids, especially on the homes of those moun-
taineers suspected of favoring the Union,
that at length troops were sent into their
neighborhood with instructions to kill or cap-
ture them. It was a cavalry force under the
lead of an officer only too well disposed to
carry out his instructions. The father was

captured and imprisoned, and the sons made
their escape. Three of tliem went to Soutli
America, and four of them to Florida, and
thence to Canada. Two of tiieni were en-
gaged in the St. Albans raiH, one escaped,
and the other, Lewis Payne, under the as-
sumed name of Wood, and by the direction
of the Confederate agents in Canada, reported
to Booth in Washington, where, later on, he
was joined by John A. Payne, one of his
brothers, whom he had left in Canada. Here,
then, is a list of conspirators, all of whom have
joined the Knights of the Blue Gauntlet —
Booth, the two Paynes, one of whom was
known as Wood, John H. Surratt, Sam Ar-
nold, McLaughlin, Harold, John Lloyd, and
several others, who took the alarm and escaped
in time to avoid arrest.

The assassination of Murat by Charlotte
Corday, of Normandy, is one of the conspicu-
ous instances on record, that a woman may
become an assassin; and even though we may
applaud and justify her act, yet it was assas-
sination ; and because it was at the hands of
a woman, its dramatic effect was increased
tenfold. Keeping the dramatic effect in view,
Booth determined to have a woman in this
case, and it was not long before he became
acquainted with the very person he needed.

Ten miles from Washington, in Prince
George's county, Maryland, was a little cross-
roads hamlet called Surraltsville. The prin-
cipal property there was a hotel ; one of those
fine old Southern hostelries which, when in
the right hands, was as complete a home as a
temporary stopping place can be made to be.
The owner gave his name to the village and
his property to his wife, and died peaceably,
as a good landlord should. The wife carried
on the hotel business for a while and then
rented the property to one John Lloyd "-e-
moving with her son and several daug' '
Washington. Early in the conflict, S .is-
ville became a rebel post-office, and M Sur-
ratt a post-mistress. When she removeu to
Washington, John Lloyd looked after the
mails. In renting her hotel, Mrs. Surratt re-
served apartments for her own use whenever
she chose to visit Surrattsville. Mrs. Surratt

For
a cle
eral
ber
treai
A
cous
teres

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

113

sons made

, to South

orida, and

were en-

e escaped,

cr tlie as-

e direction

la, reported

ater on, he

one of his

ada. Here,

whom have

Gauntlet—

whom was

t, Sam Ar-

Lloyd, and

and escaped

y Charlotte
le conspicu-
w'oman may
lugh we may
t was assas-
le hands of
as increased
iffect in view,
>man in this
; he became
I he needed.
1, in Prince
a little cross-
, The prin-

one of those
ch, when in

a home as a

made to be.
; village and
d peaceably,
; wife carried
lile and then
n Lloyd f-e-

dau;.
lict, ;•

and Ml Sur-
: removeu to
ed after the
rs. Surratt re-
use whenever

Mrs. Surratt

WIS a large, masculine woman, always self-
possessed, and in her way, as dangerous a
rebel as was ever Belle Boyd or Rose Green-
how. John Wilkes Booth could not have
toimd a fitter agent in all Washington, and at
htr house in the city and her rooms in the
(ountry tavern Booth was ever welcome, and
there treason took definite shape.

After the preliminaries had all been settled,
a plan of escape was to be devised. To this
end. Booth took a trip on horseback through
lower Maryland as far as Leonardstown, pro-
fessing to purchase land, but in reality to
mark on his map every spot and place, and
every road and crossing which might in the
near future become useful. He had provided
himself with one of the maps which was pub-
lished for the rebel government by a copper-
head firm in Buffalo, N. Y., but which was
not full enough for his purposes, and so he
made the needed corrections after personal
examination.

The conspiracy made no undue haste. All
the influence thereto was absorbed by Booth
and Mrs. Surratt. He was the chief plotter
and she his main stay. Even among the
principals, assassination, though agreed upon,
was never referred to except by implication.
To have openly spoken of murder among
themselves and in their most secret consulta-
tions, would not have been tolerated for a mo-
ment. It was against the canons of polite
society. In this society Booth was at home;
he was supreme; cool, vigilant and plausible;
the chief command was easily accorded him,
and he felt himself great in intellectual stat-
ure. Mrs. Surratt was too shrewd to embroil
any member of her family in the conspiracy;
and so it happened that young Surratt, though
f'Uy cognizant of everything, was sent north
i mother a day before the assassination.

For a year or more he had been employed as
a cler'- in the office of the Commissary-Gen-
eral o Prisoners. He was a prominent mem-
ber of the Knights of the Blue Gauntlet, and
treasurer of the camp.

An extract or t"o from a letter of his to a
cousin residing i ^ New York, may be of in-
terest :

" Office of tiif. Commissary-Gf.nerai, ,

01 I'klSONKkS, t

Washington, D. C, Feb. 6, 1865. )
' Miss Bki.i.k Seaman ;

" Dear CoibiN. — I received your letter, .')iid not
being quite so sellisli as you are, I will answer it in
what I call a reasonable time. I am happy to say
that we are all well and in line spirits. Wo have
been looking for you to come on, with a great deal
of impatience. Do come, won't you ? Just to think,
I have never yet seen one of my cousins. Hut never
fear, I will probably sec you all sooner than you ex-
pect. Next week I leave for F.urope, and may give
you acall, as I go to New York. » * * I have just
taken a peep in the parlor. Would you like to
know what I saw there ! Well, Ma was sitting on
the sofa, nodding first to one chair, then another,
and then the piano. Anna is sitting in a corner,
dreaming, I expect, of J. W. Mootli. Who is J. W.
Booth? Well, she can answer that question.
* * * Hut hark, the door-bell rings, and Mr.
J. W. Hooth, is announced. Just listen to the scam-
pering. Such brushing and fixing. Wc all send
love to you and family.

" Your Cousin,
"J. HARRISON SURRATT,
" 541 II Street, between 6tli and 7th streets."

Matters were now approaching a crisis. It
was at first intended that the assassination
should take place during the inauguration
ceremonies, but it was finally decided to be
too risky. When it became known that the
President would appear in public at Ford's
Theatre, the time for definite action was plain.

Booth's principal actors were now assigned
their parts. John Harrison Surratt was to go
north into Canada, and on hearing of the
result, if all was right, he was to repair at once
to Toronto and there claim the promised gold
and iTiake his way to Richmond. Atzeroth
was to murder the Vice-president, Andrew
Jackson ; Lewis Payne, or Wood as he called
himself, was to look after Seward ; Sam
Arnold and McLaughlin, were each to kill a
cabinet officer, and John Lloyd, a general.
John A. Payne, with two confederates, had
gone to North Carolina to look after Sherman.
Harold was the stage manager, and looked
after the properties. Horses and arms were
provided, and every possible avenue of escape
cleared, even to cutting the telegraph wires
around the city. On the very afternoon of

114

A SOUVEXIR OF THE

LAWRENCE RIVER.

the murder Mrs. Surratt visited Surrattsville
and told John Lloyd to have the carbines
which young Surratt hid placed in his care,
ready for immediate use, as they would be
needed that night. Lloyd had sent his wite
away on a visit. Three veeks before the
murder, Harold told some *"riends that the
next time they heard of him he would be
in Spain: adding that there was " nu extra-
dition treaty with that country."' John Lloyd
told friends at Surrattsville that he would
" make a barrel of money or thai his neck
wou'd stretch." Atzeroth said in Port To-
bacco, that if he " ever visited that place
again he ./ou'd be rich enough to buy it."

On thai fat.^ful Friday night Ford's Theater
was crowded. Long before the curtain rose,
the " Standing room only " card was displayed
at the ticket office windov/. Near the door,
the Icbby was ciowded. Booth went on the
stage, and f^om behind the scei^es looked
searchingly over the audience. Suddenly
near the door, a voice was heard. It said :
" Nine o'clock and forty-five minutes ! "
The words were r peated by other voices
until they reached the sidewalk. While peo-
ple wondered, the voice said agam :
" Nine o'clock and fifty minutes ! "
This also passed on as before, and then —
after an interval —

*' Nine o'clock and fifty-five minutes ! "
The life of the- President was growing
shorter by intervals of five minutes each.
The bells in the clock totvers tolled out ten
o'clock. V/hy, they knew net, but a shudder
crept through the audience.

" Ten o'clock and five minutes ! "
Another interval. Then :
" Ten o'clock and ten minutes ! *'
At this instant Hooi.i entered the door of
the theater, and the men who had so faith-
fully repeated th(. murder-laden minutes scat-
tered as tliough a messenger of Death had
ajjproaciied. Five miraites more and the
deed was done.

At the same moment Payne was scattering
blcod from room to room in Secretary Sew-
ard's home. Having murdered Mr. Seward,
as he thought, and but for Robinson, the

no'se, it would have been an accomplished
fac% he mounted his horse and attempted to
find Booth and Harold, but the selfishness of
crime was uppermost, and they had gone and
left him to his fate. The city was alarmed,
and he fled to the open country ; when near
Port Lincoln, on the Baltimore pike, his
horse stumbled and threw him headlong.
Half stunned and bewildered, he arose and
resolving to return to the city, attempted to
disguise himself.

He threw away his bloody coat, which was
afterward found, and from a sleeve of his
woolen undershirt he fashioned a rude cap,
and then, plentifully daubing himself with
mud and clav, and shouldering a pick which
he found in the intrenchments near by, he
started for Washington.

He reached Mrs. Surratt's door just as the
officers were arresting her. He was taken
into custody. He had come, he said, to dig
a ditch for Mrs. Surratt, who hau hired him.
With all the effrontery of crime, Mrs. Surratt
protested that she had never before seen the
man, and that she had no ditch to dig The
officers washed Payne's hands and found them
to be soft and tender as a woman's. In his
pockets they found tooth and nail brushes,
and a delicate pocket knife. Unusual toilet
implements to be found on the person cf a
digger of ditches.

Atzeroth's room at the Kirkwood was
directly over that of Vice-President Johnson.
He was there to do murder, but the opportu-
nity failed, and his courage also. He fled in
such haste that he left his weapons, a bowie
knife and revolver, between the mattresses of
his bed. Booth's coat was found in his room,
and in the pockets were riding gauntlets,
boxes of cartridges, a map of Maryland, pub-
lished in Buffalo, and corrected by his own
hand, a spur, and a handkerchief marked with
his mother's name. Atzeroth fled alone, and
wiien captured was at the house of hio uncle
in Montgomery county, Maryland. Sam
Arnold and McLaughlin grew faint hearted
and ran away, wiii out making the slightest
attempt to carry out their part of the pro-
gramme.

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

IIS

complished
tempted to
;lfishness of
d gone and
as alarmed,

when near
; pike, his
I headlong.

arose and
ttempted to

, which was
seve of his
L rude cap,
imself with
pick which
lear by, he

just as the
was taken
said, to dig
hired him.
ilrs. Surratt
re seen the
) dig The
found them
I's. In his
il brushes,
usual toilet
:)erson cf a

wood was
It Johnson,
le opportu-
ne fled in
ns, a bowie
attresses of
n his room,
gauntlets,
yland, pub-
jy his own
larked with
alone, and
)f hio uncle
nd. Sam
nt hearted
^le slightest
)f the pro-

It was not until Thursday night that the
real intentions of Booth became fully known
to the Knights of the Blue Gauntlet. John H.
Surratt, before 'eaving the city on Thursday
morning, confided the facts to a brother
Knight. Confusion and terror ensued, and
many of the band hurriedly fled from the
city, and those who remained kept themselves
in seclusion. Booth, with his accustomed
duplicity, had kept them in ignorance, lead-
ing them to believe that the plan of abduction
was the one to be pursued. So frightened
were they that the lodge room, with its para-
phernalia, was left undisturbed, and with it the
cells in the basement still furnished, in which
condition they were found by officers later
on. Canada was a refuge for Southern rebel-
dom, and thither they fled.

Booth and Harold met immediately after
the murder, and sped away at a gallop past
the Patent Office, up and over Capitol hill,
and away to the bridge which crossed the
Eastern branch at Uniontown, and at mid-
night they drew rein at Surrattsville. Harold
dismounted, and entering the bar procured a
bottle of whi.sky which he handed to Booth,
and then rushing up stairs he brought down
one of the carbines which had been left there
by John H. Surratt. One only was taken.
The other, left in the hall, was found by the
officers. As they started off, Booth said to
Lloyd- "We Iiave murdered the President of
the United States and the Secretary of State."
Before sunrise on Saturday morning they
reached the house of Dr- Mudd. Here Booth's
injured leg, one of the bones of which was
broken when he jumped down upon the stage
at the theatre, was set. A link in the chain
of evidence was left here; Booth's riding boot
had to be cut to get it from his foot, and his
name was written in tlie inside of the leg on
the lining. It was not noticed, and so it
remained there until found by the officers in
pursuit; one of the clews which revealed the
route of the fugitives. They were concealed
u Dr. Mudd's during the day, but at night,
mounting their horses, they rode away in the
direction of Allen's Fresh. It was to Allen's
Fresh that Lloyd had sent his wife on a visit

to get her out of the way. By the aid of a
negro, to whom they gave five dollars, they
reached the house of one Sam Co.xe, at mid-
night. Coxe was a notorious rebel, and though
the fact could not be fully established, enough
was learned to convince all who heard his ex-
amination that he was well aware of the con-
spiracy.

The negro, whose name was Swan, remained
at Coxe's until they were ready to go, when
he was to pilot them further on their road.
Notwithstanding the fact that Swan had seen
them eating and di inking, the refugees when
they left the house swore bitterly at Coxe for
his lack of hospitality. This was to blind the
negro; for after they had ridden about five
miles, they told him t^hat they now knew the
road, and would no longer have need of his
services; and giving him five dollars more they
rode on. But Swan was a shrewd negro, and
so he watched them until he saw them turn
back to Coxe's again, where thoy were har-
bored from Sunday until the next Thursday.

The next move of the fugitives was to cross
the Potomac. This was a move of some
danger. Friday evening a white man was
seen to bring a canoe to the shore and anchor
it with a stone. Between seven and eight
o'clock the next morning it disappeared, and
in the afternoon some workmen saw two men
land in a canoe on the south side of ihe
Potomac, and strike across a jiloughed field
toward King George Court House. One of
the men walked with a crutch. Booth was
provided with a crutch at the house of Dr.
Mudd. They were next heard of at the Port
Royal Ferry, and then at Garrett's house.
Now, the long-persecuted Unionists of Lower
Maryland began to come forward and give
important testimony, which under threats and
intimidation they never before dared to whis-
per. They toid of the meetings of the conspir-
ators at Lloyd's Hotel in Surrattsville, and
then Lloyd was arrested, Booth's carbine
found, and three days later Lloyd confessed.
A little party of detectives under the untiring
Lovett overhauled the residence of Dr. Mudd,
where they found Booth's boots. This was
before Lloyd confessed, and was the first posi-

ii6

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

tive evidence the officers had that they were
upon the trail of the murderers. Much of the
after success of the pursuit was due to the care-
ful work done by this little squad of detectives.

A second party, under the charge of Major
O'Beirne, now took the field. Through these
the hiding place of Atzeroth was discovered,
and he was arrested. With this party was
Captain Beckwith, Gen. Grant's chief cipher
operator, who tapped the wire at Point Look-
out, and thus put the War Department in
momentary communication with the theater
of events. By this time the troops were
assembling in various parts of the country in
considerable numbers. Seven hundred men
of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, six hundred men
of the Twenty-second Colored Volunteers and
one hundred of the Sixteenth New York were
patrolling the country by detachments, while
Major O'Beirne and Col. Wells, with a force
of cavalry and infantry, swept the entire
peninsula with a line of skirmishers deployed
in close intervals. Major O'Beirne, with his
detectives, then crossed the Potomac and
found where the fugitives had landed from
the canoe on Boone's farm. This was another
link in the chain which gave a clew to their
route.

Now comes the chief of the secret service,
Col. Lafayette Baker, on the scene. Absent
from Washington at the time of the murder,
he returned three days after, by order of
Secretary Stanton, and engaged at once in the
search for Booth. He possessed himself of
all the War Department knew regarding the
matter, and then acted. His first find was a
negro who saw Booth and Harold when they
crossed the Potomac.

Sending to General Hancock for twenty-
five cavalrymen and an oflicer, Lieutenant
Edward P. Doherty, he sat down to his maps
to decide upon the probable route of the
fugitives. He knew that they would not keep
close to the coast owing to the difficulty in
crossing swr.mps and rivers, nor would they
talte any direction leading east of Richmond,
where they were likely at any time to strike
our lines. He soon decided that they would
be most likely to pass through Port Royal,

and there he hoped to intercept them. Th
Utile force of cavalry detailed from Company
G, i6th N. Y., under the command of Lieu-
tenant Doherty, having reported, he placed
them under the command of Lieutenant-
Colonel Conger, of Ohio, and Lieutenant L. I!.
Baker, of New York, and sent them direct to
Belle Plain, on the lower Potomac, from thence
to scour the whole country north of Port
Royal. Here they found a negro who had
driven two men, in his wagon, a short distance
toward Bowling Green. These men answered
the description of the fugitives. The ferry-
man who took the party across the Rappa-
hannock gave them information of the utmost
importance, though wrung from him by threats.
They learned that the two men were at that
moment lying at the house of one G?.r.ett,
which they had passed some time before.
Retracing their steps, the nearly exhausted
cavalrymen reached Garrett's at two o'clock
in the morning. It was a pale moonlight
night. The plain old farmhouse was dimly
seen through a locust grove. It stood about
three hundred yards from the road, and behind
it an old weather-beaten barn, some long corn
cribs, and a cattle shed.

Entering the roadside gate, the troops rode
up to the house. Lieutenant Doherty picketed
the premises, and then rode up to a side en-
trance and rapped. An old man in his night
clothes, with a candle in his hand, made his
appearance. It was Garret.

" Where are the men who are staying with
you J " asked Doherty.

"They are gone," he said. "They went
to the woods this afternoon."

In the meantime a lad, John M. Garrett,
had been found by one of Doherty's men in a
corncrib. Questioned in earnest, he saw that
evasion would not do, and at once revealed
the fact that Booth and Harrold were asleep
in the barn. Doherty had already threatened
to search the house, and the women were up
and dressed, but this news changed the pro-
gramme.

The troops were dismounted and the barn
surrounded. Baker hailed the persons inside,
who could now be heard stirring.

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

117

them. Th
m Company
nd of Lieu-
he placed
Lieutenant-
tenant L. I!,
em direct to
from thence
:th of Port

who had
ort distance
en answered

The ferry-

the Rappa-

the utmost

1 by threats,
vere at that
ne Gr.r.ett,
me before.
' exhausted
two o'clock

moonlight

was dimly

itood about

and behind

e long corn

troops rode
rty picketed
} a side en-
in his night
I, made his

itaying with

They went

VI. Garrett.

''s men in a
he saw that
:e revealed
were asleep
threatened
en were up
;d the pro-

d the barn
sons inside,

Lieut. Baker called to them: "We are
about to send in the son of the vmn in whose
custody you are found. Surrender your arms
to him, and give yourselves up or we will fire
the place."

There was no answer. The door was
opened and young Garret pushed inside, ap-
|)oaled to them to surrender. With an oath
Booth said: "Get out of here. You have
betrayed us." The boy slipped out again as
the door was slightly opened, and reported
that his errand had failed.

The summons was repeated by Baker.
" You must surrender! Give up your arms
and come out! There is no chance for escape.
We give you ten minutes to make up your
minds."

Then came the demand : " Who are you,
and what do you want with us?"

Baker again said: " We want you to deliver
up your arms and become our prisoners."

After a lapse of some minutes, Baker hailed
again: "Well, we have waited long enough;
come out and surrender, or we'll fire the barn. "

Booth answered: "I am a cripple, a one-
legged man. Withdraw your forces twenty-
five paces from the door, and I will come.
Give me a chance for my life. I will never
be taken alive."

" We did not come here to fight, but to
capture you. Surrender, or the barn will be
fired," said Doherty.

" Well, then, my brave boys, prepare a
stretcher for me," cried Booth.

Then there was a pause, during which a
discussion between Booth and his companion
was, heard. Booth said, *' Get away from me.

You're a coward, and want to leave me in

my distress; but go — go! I don't want you
to slay — I won't have you stay ! '" Then he
shouted: "There's a man inside here who
wants to surrender."

Then Harold rattled at the door, and
begged to be let out, saying, "I want to
surrender."

" Hand out your arms, then," said Doherty.

"I have none."

" You are the man who carried the carbine
yesterday; bring it out."

" I haven't got any." In a whining tone.

Booth then said: "On the word and honor
of a man and a gentleman, he has no arms
with him. They are mine, and I have them.'

Harold came to the door, was seized and
pulled out by Doherty, handcuffed and turned
over to Corporal Newgarten.

Booth then made his last appeal. "Captain,
give me a chance. Draw off your men and I
will fight them singly. I could have killed
you six times to-night, but I believe you to
be a brave man, and would not murder you.
Give a lame man a show."

It was too late for further parley. Before
he had ceased to speak Colonel Conger slipped
around to the rear of the barn, and drawing
some loose straws through a crack set them
on fire. They were dry and soon in a blaze
lighting up every part of the great barn. At
sight of the fire Booth dropped his crutch and
carbine and crept on his hands and knees to
the spot hoping to see the incendiary and shoot
him down. Then he turned upon the fire as
if to leap upon and extinguish it ; but it had
gained too much headway. Turning, he
made for the door, resolved not to die alone,
when Sergeant Boston Corbett, thinking that
he was about to shoot Lieutenant Doherty,
fired with the intention of hitting him in the
arm, but instead of the arm the bullet struck
him in the head, barely an inch from the spot
where the assassin's bullet struck the murdered
President.

It was first thought that he had shot him-
self. He fell into the arms of Lieutenant
Doherty, who brought him out of the burning
barn and laid him upon the grass. Water was
brought and dashed upon his face, and he re-
vived. He was then carried to the porch of
the house and laid upon a mattress. Brandy
and water was given him, and when able to
speak he said: "Useless, useless." The
soldiers extinguished the fire. Booth muttered
"Kill me! Kill me!" Brandy was given him
every minute, and the doctor who lived six
miles away, arrived but could do nothing.
Booth asked to have his hands raised so that
he could see them; his arms were paralyzed,
so that he knew not where they were. When

Ii8

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

they were shown him, he muttered: " Useless,
useless! " They were his last words; applica-
ble not only to his hands, but to his whole
life. "Useless." And so he died. His
remains were sewed up in a saddle blanket,
placed in a rickety old wagon drawn by an
ancient relic of a horse, and the march to
Washington was begun. The arms found
with him were a knife, a repeating carbine and
a pair of revolvers. A diary, bills of exchange
and Canada money were found on his person.
Harold was mounted on a horse, his legs tied
to the stiirups, and placed in charge of four
men, and the cortege of retributive justice
moved on.

" Though the mills of God grind slowly,
Yet they grind exceedi i-r small ;
Though with patience He stands waiting.
With exactness grinds He all."

Ferrying once more at Port Royal they
pushed en for Belle Plain, reaching there
about three o'clock in the afternoon, when
they embarked for Washington, where a few
only were permitted to see the corpse for the
purpose of identification. That this should
be complete, the Secretary of War directed
Col. Baker to summon a number of witnesses
residing in Washington who had previously
known Booth. Six witnesses, who had for
years known him intimately, were examined,
and identified the remains. Surgeon-General
Barnes cut from the neck about two inches of
the spinal column through which the bullet
had passed. This is in the Government
Medical Museim in Washington, and is the
only reiic of the assassiu's body in existence.
No further mutilation of the remains took
place in the slightest degree. Following '.he
further instructions of the Secretary of War
as to the disposition of the body, it was taken
directly from the gunboat to the old peniten-
tiary building adjoining the arsenal grounds,
and there in a cell a large flat stone was
raised from the floor, a rude grave dug, the
body dropped in, and so ended the funeral
obsequies of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin.

Atzeroth, Payne, Harold and Mrs. Surratt
were tried, convicted and hanged. The exe-
cution took place on the 9th of July, 1865.

Others, no doubt equally guilty in intent,
escaped ; and the movements of some of
these will be set forth in this narrative. Into
the details of the trial and execution, I need
not enter. Complete accounts may be had
from other sources, no doubt well known to
the reader. From this point the narrative
will press steadily on toward the " Mystery of
Maple Island."

Much of what is yet to be said is but a
compilation of existing records, published
and unpublished, some of which have been
kindly loaned to the author of this chapter.
The reader will remember that John A. Payne
was .>ent to North Carolina to look after
General Sherman, and the first clue to his
whereabouts at the time of the assassination,
is found in the following correspondence,
which we give entire.

" MOORHEAD CiTV, NORTH CAROLINA, |

May 5, i865. )

" Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State :

Sir: — Enclosed you will find a letter which I
found floating in the river by the new Government
whaif, at this place, on the evening of the 2d inst.
It was not r.til late last night that I succeeded in
learning its purport, it being in cipher. Having
learned its nature, I lose no time in transmitting it
to you. I also send a copy of the letter as translated.
The letter evidently had not been opened when
thrown in the river. I think the fiend was here
awaiting the arrival of General Sherman, but learn-
ing that he had gone by way of Wilmington, and
being pressed by detectives, threw it overboard-

Chas, Denet.

"P. S. — If the letter should lead to anything of im-
portance, so that it would be necessary that I should
be seen, I can be found at 126 South H St., between
6th and 4i sts. I am at present engaged in the Con-
struction Corps, Railroad Department, at this place.
Will be in Washington in a few days."

The following is a translation of the cipher
letter. It was one of those ciphers which arc
readily translatable when the key is known,
and even that is not so very difficult to dis-
cover. The goverr.ment experts were familiar
with it, having ottcn seen the same cipher in
captured rebel correspondence. Hence it
was easy to see that Mr. Denet's ingenuity
had given him the key to the true meaning o(
the epistle.

^jgm

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

I'9

m intent,
f some of
tive. Into
on, I need
ay be had

known to
! narrative
Mystery of

d is but a
published
have been
lis chapter,
n A. Payne
look after
:lue to his
sassination,
spondence,

.ROLINA, /

f
of State :
ter which 1
Government
the 2d inst.
ucceeded in
or. Having;
ansmitting it
,s translated,
pened when
id was here
n, but learn-
lington, and
erboard.
s. Denet.

frthingof iin-
hat I shouUl
St., between
d in the Con-
tt this place.

the cipher
1 which are

is known,
ult to dis-
:re familiar
: cipher in

Hence it

ingenuity

neaning of

[Translation.]

"Washington, April 15, 1865.

" Dear John — I am happy to inform you that Pet.
has done his work well. He is safe and old Abe is
in hell. Now, sir, all eyes are on you — you must
brin;; Sherman. Grant is in the hands of Old Gray
ere this. Red Shoes showed lack of nerve in Sew-
ard's case, but fell back in good order. Johnson
must come. Old Crook has him in charge. Mind
well the Brother's Oath, and you will have no diffi-
culty. All will be safe, and we will enjoy the fruit
of our labors. We had a large meeting last night —
all were bent on carrying out the programme to the
letter. The rails are laid for safe exit. Old — always
behind — lost the pass at City Point. Now, I say
again; — The lives of our brave officers and the life
of the South depends upon the carrying this pro-
gramme into effect. No. 2 will give you this. It
is ordered that no more letters be sent by mail.
When you write again, sign no real name, and send
by some of our friends who are coming home. We
want you to write us how the news was received
there. We receive great encouragement from all
quarters. I hope there will be no getting weak in
the knees. I was in B-iltimore yesterday. Pet. has
not got there yet. Don't lose your nerve.

"No. Five."
O. B.

That this delicious bit of treasonable corre-
spondence was sent to John A Payne there is
little or no doubt. From it we also learn thai
" Pet." was John Wilkes Booth ; " Red Shoer,."
Wood, alias Lewis Payne, and " Old Ciook,"
.\tzeroth. The letter was evidently written
early on the morning after the assassination,
and placed in the hands of No. 2, to convey
to Payne. It further shows that there was a
meeting of the Brotherhood of the Blue Gaunt-
let on the very night of the assassination ; or,
if not of theiTi as a camp, of some of them as
a band of conspirators.

General Sherman's change of route threw
Payne out in his calculations. The ordinary
route from Raleigh, where Gen. Sherman's
headquarters were at the time, to Washington,
was by rail via Goldsborough and New Bern
to Moorhead City, thence by steamer to Wash-
ington. Tiiere is no doubt, as Mr. Denet
suggests, that Payne was on the watch at
Moorhead City, but learning that Sheiman
had gone to Washington via Wilmington, and
hearing, as he could not fail to hear, the result

of the assassination, he lost heart, rid himself
of every thing of a suspicious nature, and fled.

We will probably strike his trail again before
our narrative closes. The following letter,
dated at Buffalo, N. Y., is of no little interest,
because it verifies in a degree what has already
been stated.

"Buffalo, N. Y., April 18, 1865.

" Hon. E. M. SrANTON, Secretary of War, Wash-
ington, D. C. : — My Dear Sir: — Business has
called me to Toronto, C. W., several times within
the past two months ; and while there, I have seen
and heard some things which may be of service to
the government.

"About five weeks ago, I saw at the Queen's Hotel,
Toronto, a letter written by the late John Y. Beale,
just previous to his execution, which, after speaking
of his mock trial, unjust sentence, the judicial mur-
der that was to be perpetrated by his execution, etc.,
called upon Jacob Thompson to vindicate his char-
acter before his countrymen of the South, and ex-
p .ssed his belief that his death would be speedily
and terribly avenged. The letter itself was ad-
dressed to Colonel J. Thompson, Confederate Com-
missioner at Toronto, but the superscription on the
envelope, which was in a different handwriting read
simply, J. Thompson, Toronto, Canada. This cir-
cums;ance caused it to be delivered to a Mr. Thomp-
son for whom it was not intended. I was permitted
to peruse, but not to copy, the letter. I was in-
formed, at that time, that the friends of Beale were
banded together for the double purpose of avenging
his death, and aiding the rebel government. I
have heard the same statement repeated many times
since, and have been frequently told by citizens of
Toronto that some great mischief was being plotted
by refugees in Canada. For more than a month
General Dix's name was mentioned in my hearing
in connection with the threatened venge.-'.nce. Re-
garding all such stories as idle tales, I never repeated
them. Last Frid.iy evening, while sitting in the
office of the Queen's Hotel, I overheard a conversa-
tion between some persons sitting near me, which
convinced me that the plot to murder the President
was known to them. The party was mourning over
the Lite rebel reverses, commenting upon the execu-
tion of Beale, the extradition of Bueley, etc., and
then they cheered themselves after this fashion :
" We'll make the damned Yankees howl yet."
" Boys, I'll bet that we'll get better news in forty-
eight hours." "We'll have something from Wash-
ington that will make people stare." Their words
at the time seemed to me to be simply vulgar and
profane, and implying idle threats which could
never be executed. The next morning (Saturday,
April 15), when I heard of the assassination, I could

120

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

not help feeling that the party were implicated in
the act. On Saturday, I met two of them in com-
pany with Ben Young, and one or two otiiers of the
St. .\lbans raiders, in the bar-room at the Queen's.
One said, "Good news for us this morning," and
another, " Dar in well done, but not enough of it."
Raising their ^rlasses, one said, " Here's to Andy
Johnson's turn next, to which another responded,
" Yes, damn his soul." On relating this circum-
stance to Hon. E. G. Spaulding and others, they
were of the opinion that I should communicate them
to your Department. For my own part, I beg to
refer to Hon. Ira Harris, of the Senate, and Hon.
John .\. Griswold, of the House."
" I am, my dear sir, very truly yours,

G. C."

Mr. C. is a respectable lawyer in this city, and his
statements are entitled to credit.

E. G. S.
Buffalo, N. Y.

The \QV>ix speaks for itself, and needs no
comment. The only criticism to offer is not
upon the letter, but upon the writer. Had
he been possessed of the shrewdnesss which
the average lawyer ought to possess, he would
have written to the War Department long
before. Written at the time it was, it only
showed how great was the lack of detective
ability which every great lawyer possesses in
some degree. In the writer, it only verified
the old adage about " locking the stable after
the horse is stolen."

The next letter in evidence throws a ray of
light on the trail of John Harrison Surratt,
and also, from the description, of John A.
Payne. It is from one of the many detectives
which were sent into Canada on a hunt for
the escaped conspirators. It is dated at
Montreal on the 27th of April. Its great
length precludes its insertion in full, but we
give the salient portions; those relating directly
to the subject in hand. Just here, it may be
well to note that a prominent Englishman in
Montreal, who, previous to the assassination of
the President, was a strong sympathizer with
the South, and was well acquainted with the
Confederate agents in Canada, and fully in-
formed of their plans and movements, said
that the murder of the President was too inuch
for him ; and he told Alderman Lyman, of
that city, that the Southern agents had heard
from the party who murdered the President,

and that they expected him in Montreal within
forty-eight hours; and if not the principal,
one closely connected with the assassination.
This information the agents received on tlie
20th of Apnl. The reader will bear the date
in mind, as he reads the extracts from the
detective's letter:

"Montreal, April 27, 1865.
"Colonel L. C. Baker;

" Dear Sir — While in Burlington (Vt.), I obtaincil
a white linen handkerchief, which was dropped in
the Vermont Central Depot, on Thursday evening
April 20, by one of three strange men who slept in
the depot .ill Thursday night. These men came from
the steamer Canada, Capt. Flagg. She was very late
that evening, and did not connect with the train
north, to Montreal, which leaves at 7 o'clock, r. m.
The)' came into the depot between seven and a half
and eight o'clock, after tlie night watchman went un
duty. They had no baggage. They were all rather
poorly dressed, and looked hard, worn out, and tired.
The watchman asked them which way they were
going; they said "to Montreal." When told that
they could not go that night, they said that they knew
it. He asked them if they wanted a hotel; they said
no, that they were going to stay in the depot. They
did not seem to ha/e much to s.ty or do with each
other. They curled up on seats in different parts of
the room, and went to sleep, and remained quiet all
night. The watchman awakened them about 4
o'clock in the morning to take the train, which they
did. After they left he picked up two dirty pocket
handkerchiefs where they had slept. While looking
them over, he found the name of J. H. Surratt No. 2,
on one of them. B., the watchman, got his mother
to wash the handkerchiefs, and on Saturd.iy he went
to the city, and told the circumstance of finding them.
Detective G. C. got the handkerchief from B., and F
got it from him. Enclosed you will find it. H.
said that one of the men was tall and the others
short. He identifies the likeness of Surratt, as being
one of the men. I then found the conductor who
ran the train to Essex Junction that morning, and he
too, fully identified Surratt's likeness as being one
of the men. I next found C. T. Hobart, who runs
the through train to St. Albans, Vermont. He gave
a description of two men only who boarded his train
at Essex Junction on Friday morning, April 21, at
5.05 o'clock. One was a tall man, broad shoulders,
otherwise slim, straight as an- arrow, did not look
like a laborer, though dressed rather poor; had on a
loose s.ick coat, cassimere shirt, light colored pants,
and a tight fitting skull cap. His hair was black as
jet and straight; no beard; was young, not more than
twenty-one or twenty two. The other man was not
much over five feet, thick set, short neck, full face,

THE MYSTERY OF AfAPLE ISLAND.

131

:rcal within
principal,
;assination.
.'ed on tlie
ar the date
s from the

1 27, 1865.

), I obtained
dropped in
day evening
vho slept in
n came from
ivas very late
th the train
'clock, 1'. M.
in and a half
aan went on
:re all ratlicr
ut, and tired.
y they were
;n told that
at they knew
el; they said
epot. They

with each
rent parts of
led quiet all
m about 4
, which they
dirty pocket
hile looking
iirratt No. 2,
: his mother
day he went
nding them,
iin n., and I
find it. B.

1 the others
att, as being
iductor who
ling, and lie
i being one
t, who runs
t. He gave
cd his train
April ?i, at
! shoulders,
d not look
•r; had on a
lored pants,
ras black as
t more than
lan was not
k, full face,

sandy complexion, sandy chin whiskers and no
other beard. He wore a soft black-felt hat, dark-
colored sack coat, light-colored pants, and a reddish-
colored tlannel shirt. He had but little to say; let
the tall iTian do the talking. They both got oflf the
train at St. Albans. He felt as if they were a pair of
assassins, and in speaking to a friend about the
matter, he gave vent to his suspicions. He fully
identified Surratt's picture as that of the tall one, and
s.iiJ that he would know him anywhere. * * *
There is no doubt that Surratt is in this province,
together with some others, but whom I cannot tell.
Enclosed I send you a likeness of one of the Paynes,
of whom there are seven brothers, all Kentuckians,
Three of them are said to be in South America, one
is in jail at St. Albans, an ', the others are here un-
less you have them with you. The picture is marked
on the back. If of no use, please send it back to the
owner. I am going out along that portion of Canada
bordering on Maine, Vermont and New York. Many
rebels are in there. Young Saunders and others are
there now. Porterfield, a dangerous rebel, is mak-
ing preparations to go to Nashville; ought not to be
:illowed. Trowbridge, another, has gone to De-
troit. " Respectfully, etc.,

n "

It was that very picture of "one of the
Paynes," which fully revealed the identity of
the man Wood, who attempted the assassina-
tion of Secretary Seward. It was, in fact, his
own portrait taken in Montreal, some time pre-
viouG to starting for Washington to report to
John Wilkes Booth. The next communica-
tion is addressed to Secretary Stanton. It
was dated at Montreal on the 29th of April,
1865. We append an extract or two :

" Hon. E. M. Stanto.v, Secretary of War:

"Dear Sir. — There is no doubt that J. H. Sur-
ratt and John A. Payne were in the city yester-
day, and that they left last night in company with
Clement C. Clay and others probably for Toronto.
I am a private detective here, without authority to
act for your government. I looked the city over for
(i., one of Baker's men, but found that .he left for
the border townships yesterday morning, so I failed
to see him. * * * \ ^^ not at all certain
that they went to Toronto; it is only my opinion.
They may have gone to Three Rivers, as there are a
great many Southern refugees there, or to Tanner,
where it is said that John A. Payne has heretofore
spent a great deal of his time, together with three of
his brothers. " Respectfully, etc.,

About this time a letter was received at
Washington, post-marked Detroit, but written

at Tanner, Canada, by one John P. H. Hall,
of that place, and directed : " To Andrew
Johnson, President of the United States, or
other authority. " Its contents are as follows :

" With certainty I state to you that John A. P.ayne,
and thirteen others, are sworn to murder Andrew
Johnson, E. M. Stanton, L. S. Fisher, and others,
within thirty days from April 23d, 1865. The ar-
rangements are all made and in progress toward
execution. I do not know where John A. P.ayne is
now. He was at Montreal when this plot was pro-
jected. His brother (whose name I do not recollect)
is implicated. Seven of the plotters arc at Washing-
ton, four at Bedford, Pennsylvania, and the thir-
teenth is with Payne. These are plain facts. Do
not reveal this, but arrest John A. Payne and his
brother. I send this to Detroit to avoid suspicion.
• Yours, etc.,

The Montreal private detective v/as right in
his opinion, at least so far as Clement C Clay
was concerned; because, among many other
names registered at the Queen's Hotel,
Toronto, on the evening of April 29, 1865,
was that of C. C Clay. Whether Surratt and
Payne were in his company remains to be
seen. Jacob Thompson and Larry McDonald
were already there.

So far, the testimony as to the whereabouts
of John H. Surratt is fairly complete. In the
absence of direct and absolute proof, it may,
at all events, be accepted as strong circum-
stantial evidence. We now present yet another
letter, written by a colored man, which, though
anonymous, and as such not entitle^ to take
rank as evidence, yet it harmonizes so well
with what has been already learned that it
seems worthy of some credence. At all
events, it is here given place, and left to the
judgment of the reader.

The letter is postmarked " Niagara Falls,"
and is dated "Monday, May 2nd, 1865,"
and directed " To the Secretary of War,
Washington, D. C" The writer says :

"I beg of you not to let any one see this letter. I
dare not sign it for fear that my name may somehow
come out. I send you my name and business on a
separate paper so that you may judge whether I
have an opportunity to learn what I tell you. Be
sure to destroy it. I send this to be mailed at
Niagara Falls, because a letter directed to you and

133

A SOU V EX I R OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

dropped into this post-office, would hv. read by Jake
Thompson before it was sent out, if it was ever sent
at ;ili. What I want you to linow is tliat there is an
awful nest of rebels here at this time. Clay, Surratt
and John A. Fayne are here, fhey came Saturday
with a lot of others. Surratt and J'aynu siiipped out
last night and now there is the very devil to pay.
It seems that Surratt was the treasurer of some
society that was hired to murder President Lincoln
and a lot of others, and that Jake Thompson took
the gold out of the bank here and paid it over to him
and Payne, and that they were to divide it among
the others ; but they skipped out and now they can't
find hide nor hair of them. I wouldn't like to be in
their shoes if the gang gets them, and tliey arf- going
in pursuit. They are plotting now to murder a lot
more in revenge for the killing of Hooth, and if
Payne and the rest are hung they s.iy that they will
burn Washington. You can't tell how much I hear,
and of course I don't hear it all, as I am only in the
room when I take liquor to them, which is pretty
often though, but one of the girls hears heaps and
tells me all about it. Anyway, you folks in Wash-
ington ought to look out. I hope you will catch
and hang every one of them, especially Jake Thomp-
son. I hate him. That is all I can write now.

But little more remains to be said, and that
is scarcely more than conjecture. This much
is positively known. A sharp lookout for J.
H. Surratt and John A. Payne, was kept at
St. Catharines, Canada, for some time. That
city was a great place of resort for Southern
rebels, among whose citizens they found a
welcome, especially among a certain class.
Then, too, Col. Beverly Robinson, of Vir-
ginia, was the proprietor of a fashionable
hotel there, which became a noted resort for
Southerners and Southern sympathizers, and
where rebellion against the Government of
the United States was as openly discussed as
it ever was in Charleston, South Carolina,
where it originated. But the rebellion went
down with a crash and so did Beverly Robin-
son's hotel business, to the sorrow of several
capitalists of St. Catharines, whose only se-
curity for heavy loans was a life insurance
policy, and the " honah, sah," of Col. Beverly
Robinson, one of Virginia's F. F. V.'s, on
neither of which as late as iS8r, had they
ever realized a cent. Whether the indebted-
ness has since been canceled, this deponent
saith not.

But John H. Surratt and Joiui A. Payne
were too shrewd to visit St. Catharines. Tlic
former made his way to Three Rivers, Que-
bec, wiiere he was protected for a time by
Father Boucher, a Catholic priest. He went
thence to Italy, enlisted in the Papal Zouaves,
was exposed by another Papal soldier by tlu-
name of Massie, extradited, tried and ac-
tpiittcd in Wasiiington in 1868, and now lives
in Baltimore. A man bearing the description
of John A. Payne, was seen in the vicinity ol
Sharbot and Rideau lakes, Ont., and at
Smith's Falls during the latter part of May,
1865, and shortly afterward at Gananociue,
where he stayed for a day or two, and then
settling his hotel bill, in payment of whicli
he offered a gold piece of English coinage,
he left, no one knew whither. Was it John
A. Payne who made his appearance at
Fisher's Landing .'* The description and
the time tally well. It may with some show
of 'eason be asked: If he wanted to iiide
himself effectually among the islands, why did
he not choose some spot among the myriad
islands of the Admiralty group near Ganano-
que, or in the Navy group below.' Evidently
he was a shrewd observer. He well knew that
the defrauded Brotherhood would hunt him
to the death, but he also knew that they would
be unlikely to venture to the American side
of the St. Lawrence; while they would searc li
every island in the Canadian Channel. He
knew, too, that Baker's government detectives,
would never think of looking for him on the
United States side of the line. Besides, had
he located in either of the island groups men-
tioned, the Admiralty, for instance, his sup-
plies would necessarily be drawn from Gan-
anoque, a dangerous point for him to visit. If
in the Navy group, it was not easy to procure
needed supplies, without travelling some dist-
ance. Then, too, the main channels of steam-
boat travel at that time, especially for the Can-
adian steamers, passed through those groups.

Locating where he did — if indeed it was
him, showed great shrewdness. Maple Island
is at some distance from any of the regular
lines of steamboat travel, and from any of tlic
channels taken by excursion steamers, which,

THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND.

123

A. Payne
nes. The
vers, Qiie-
a lime by

He went
I Zouaves,
lier hy tlic
d and ac-
[ now lives
lescription
vicinity of
., and at
rt of May,
tananoquc,
, and then

of whicli
\\ coinage,
as it John
larance at
ption and
;ome show
ed to hide
is, why did
he myriad
xr Ganano-

Evidently
1 knew that
hunt him
they would
erican side
)uld search
innel. He
detectives,
lim on the
esides, had
roups inen-
e, his sup-
from Gan-
to visit. It"

to procure

some dist-
s of steam-
brthe Can-
Dse groups,
leed it was
aple Island

the regular
I any of the
ers, which,

at that time, were few and far between ; and
while the island is by no means hidden, that
fact of itself was an element of safety; because
no one would think of searching an island so
open to the view of every one. That a party
of five or six men made their appearance in
Gananoque in the month of August, 1865,
making inquiries about a man who answered
the description of John A. Payne, already
given, is a fact that may be easily substantiated.
They affirmed that they all belonged to a
party of workmen who had been employed

that the fateful sign of the thiee crosses was
cut upon the breast of the murdered hermit.
That of itself is almost positive evidence that
he met his doom at the hands of the Brother-
hood, and that not robbery only, but revenge,
was a prime factor in the assassination.

Scores of instances can be produced where
the bodies of those who fell victims to the
relentless oaths of the secret Brotherhoods of
the South during the rebellion were marked
in like manner. Even the " Ku Klux Klans "
of 1866, 'C7 and '68, during the reconstruction

'LITTLE FRAUD, BELOW 1 AIRY LAND.

near Montreal, and that the man for whom
they were looking drew the pay for them, and
then ran away. They had followed him to
Smith's Falls, and from there could get no
further trace of him.

There is some significance, too, in the fact
that after the burning of the cabin on Maple
Island, nothing more was seen of the party of
supposed Southerners, who had for some days
previous sojourned at the Hubbard and Walton
Houses in Clayton.

But of yet greater significance is the fact

period, left in many instances the same bloody
sign upon the breasts of their murdered
victims.

Reader, the testimony is all in ; whatever
may be its value as evidence, it is wholly a
matter of record, accessible to those who care
to investigate. 1 he writer has sought far and
wide for additional proofs, but they could not
be found by him ; and now the judgment
remains with you ; for with this paragraph, he
submits for your decision The Mystery of
Maple Island.

124

A SOUl-EX/K OF THE ST. LAIWKESCE KIVEK.

<r»-

^*l*<J -4 ^»t=

ii^

.\^■■f^ -•

.^:'l-de&^'^'-~

.-^?sir

THE *' NEW ISLAND WANDERKR.

Belongs to the Alexandria Bay Steamboat Compaay, making daily excursions up and down the River and among the Isalaods. Steamer "

of same line, makes daily trips to Ogdensburg.

H. WALTER WEBB.

Some writer for a New York newspaper,
under date of August i8, 1894, lets himself
loose in the following style:

"While Dr. Chauncey M. Dtpew is divid-
ing his time in Europe between talking horse
and diplomacy with Lord Roseberry, Rhine
wine and yachts with the German Kaiser and
anarchy and politics with President Casimir-
Perier, of France, his job, as the president of
the New York Central Railroad and authority
on almost everything pertaining to railroads,

is being held down by a young man who is
not so well known as he, but who is thought
by men who know, to be an altogether better
president of railroads than the talented Dr.
Depew, Dr. Depew's * sub ' is about twenty-
five years younger than himself, and he can
probably outrun and outbox his superior and
do a lot of things that the doctor's stiffened
joints would not possibly permit him to under-
take. He is very much quieter than the doc-
tor, and while he may not have as many

H. WALTER WEBli.

125

-aJ%^

s. Steamer " I-

man who is
is thought
ether better
ilented Dr.
lOut twenty-
and he can
uperior and
r's stiffened
im to under-
lan the doc-
e as manv

friends, those who talk with him every day
^ay that he i ;in give his cliief points in the
line of ' hustling.' Altliough he was not al-
together unknown four years ago, it was not
until then that his genius as a railroad mana-
ger brouglu iiim prommently before the
public. Mr. Depew was then, as now, in
Europe hobnobbing with the big guns over
there, while Cornelius Vanderbilt, who owns
most of the New York Central Road and who
hires Mr. Depew at a fancy salary, was some-
where in Africa."

This screed reads well, and desiring to know
more of this man who has proven himself able
to " hold down " the great Chauncey's seat,
we have taken some pains to make inquiries
about him. We are told that in the spring of
1890 the directors of the New York Central
Railroad determined to make some changes in
the organization — changes which involved
promotion of some of the abler officers of the
road. Among other things which they voted
to do was the creation of a new department,
the head of which was to be elected third vice-
president of the system, and to have supreme
direction of the traffic of the road, both pass-
enger and freight. He was to be held, in
short, responsible for the management of such
business as was offered to the company. The
choice for this responsible office fell upon
H. Walter Webb, and only a few weeks later
this young man found himself face to face
with a strike which was more threatening than
any that had occurred upon the road, perhaps
in its existence, certainly since the great strike
year of 1877.

Two years later Vice-President Webb was
called to face another emergency of the same
sort, and these two experiences fixed attention
upon him as one of the great railway managers
of the United States. Men who do not know
Major Webb are asking one another something
about his personality and his intellectual
qualities, as the generalship he displays not
only in strike crises, but in those more silent
but in some respects equally desperate battles
which railroad companies as competitors of
other railroad companies are constantly fight-
ing.

In New York Major Webb is well known, but
elsewhere, although he hasgainetl wide repute,
there is little knowledge of the manner of man
he is. The story of his career contains much
that is instructive and interesting.

Major Webb is one of the sons of that dis-
tinguished politician and editor of the time
when the Whig party was fighting its battles,
Gen. James Watson Webb. Great as were
Gen. Webb's achievements in the political
world, when he came to old age he took greater
pride in the promise which was already begin-
ning to be fulfilled, of raising a family of boys
who would gain distinction, perha|)S, equal to
that which was gained by the famous Field, or
Washburn, or Wolcott families.

Walter Webb, in his youth, showed some
taste for engineering, and he was placed in
the Columbia College School of Mines, which
is the scientific department of that institution,
and was at the head of his class some twenty
years ago. After graduation, however, young
Webb felt some inclination toward a career at
the bar. He gratified it to the extent of study-
ing, being admitted, and hanging out his
shingle for a brief time. His legal education
was of value to him, though only in other
achievements toward which he began to drift
soon after he opened his office. An opportu-
nity was presented for him to go into the bank-
ing and brokerage business, and for some years
he was busy in studying the mysteries of Wall
street, and in learning the market value of
the securities there dealt in.

Almost incidentally he drifted into the rail-
way business. His brother, Dr. Seward
Webb, who married one of the daughters of
William H. Vanderbilt, became interested in
the Palace Car Company which the Vander-
bilts controlled, and when Webster Wagner,
the president of that company, met his sud-
den death, having been crushed between two
of his own cars in a railway collision, Dr.
Webb became president of the company, and
invited his brother to accept an official post
in connection with it. Walter Webb had
not been in the railway business a month be-
fore both he and his employers discovered
that he had peculiar qualifications for this

ia6

A SOUVLXIR OF THE ST. LAH'KEiWK E/VER.

o, -

business. It seemed to fascinate him. He
was no pompous official, fond of sitting in
richly carpeted rooms and issuing orders with
heavy dignity. He was everywhere. He
studied the science of railway car building;
he skirmished around among the shops; he
was not afraid of dirt, nor of putting on a
jumper and a pair of overalls, if necessary,
and as a consecpience he soon bad not only
mastered those duties be was employed to
perform, but being full of suggestions and
devoted to his avocation, he was rapidly pro-
moted. He served, while an ofificer, really
an apprenticeship, working harder than any
other employ^, never thinking about hours
or salary, but only bent on learning the
business.

In the railway business such a person moves
rapidly toward the top. The history of rail-
way corporations in the United States fur-
nishes many such instances. Social influence,
political pulls, as they are called, family pres-
tige, count for nothing in the development of
railway men. Nothing but fidelity and capa-
city have any influence with directors in the
selection of executive officers. Any other
course would be perilous.

Therefore, when the time came for this cor-
poration, one of the greatest in the world in
railway management, to place a competent
man at the head of its traffic business, Major
Webb was selected, and so thoroughly has he
justified that choice that at the time when
President Chauncey M. Depew was consider-
ing the invitation of President Harrison to
become the successor of Mr. Blaine, as Secre-
tary of State, it was understood in railway
circles that Major Webb would be chosen pre-
sident of the New York Central, in case Depew
resigned that office.

Chief among Major Webb's qualifications
for this work is his devotion to business. His
college training as an engineer has served him
well, and his legal knowledge has been of great
value to him in the two great emergencies
which he was called of a sudden to face, when
many of the employes of the road went out on
strike. He lives not five minutes' walk from
his office, and he is frequently there as early

as 7 o'clock in the morning. In the summer,
when he is at his country place, he takes tin
first train into the city, while the bankers ami
brokers and professional men who live near
him, do not follow until two or three hours later
He rarely leaves his office before 6 o'clock, ami
sometimes is there until late at night. His
office is a place of comfort, but not of lux-
ury. Major Webb is democratic in his rela-
tions with men, and none of the red tape
wliich prevails in some of the great corpora-
tion offices annoys visitors who desire to see
him. If a delegation from the engineers or
switchmen, or from any of the other employ»^s
call. Major Webb receives them in a manner
which does not lower their self-respect. There
is neither condescension nor haughtiness in
his relations with them. Major Webb will
receive hard-handed employes, and within an
hour be in association with a group of million-
aires, fellow-directors of his in the great bank
which is located near his office, and his man-
ner is the same in each case. He treats every-
body in a business-like way. He is quick-
spoken, prompt, decisive, without being curt
or brusque.

As a railroad man, he is what is called a
flyer. Like William H. Vanderbilt, he is fond
of going fast, and when business calls him to
a remote point, he will order a locomotive
attached to his special car, and within half an
hour after the decision is taken, will be flying
over the rails at the rate of a mile a minute.
He is absolutely fearless in his travels, as
William H. Vanderbilt was. Business men
may see him in the afternoon of one day, and
hear of him the next morning at Buffalo, 450
miles away. This does not indicate restless-
ness, but energy. Major Webb is one of the
most (piiet, self-contained and serene-man-
nered of all our railway managers.

When, just after he became vice-presiden ,
he was called upon to face a most dangerous
strike, railway men said that he had been
put to the test too early, and some of them
feared that he would not be equal to the
responsibility. Depew was in Europe. Cor-
nelius Vanderbilt in Newport, and members
of the executive board scattered here and

H. IVALTKR WEBB.

\?7

summer.

takes tlu'

ikers and

live near

ours later

:lock, and

5ht. His

t of lux-

1 his rela-

red taj)f

corpora-

ire to see

jineers or

employes

a manner

ct. There

htiness in

,Vebb will

within an

)f million-

[reat bank

his man-

lats every-

is quick-

jeing curt

} called a

he is fond

dls him to

ocomotive

lin half an

be flying

a minute.

ravels, as

iness men

c day, and

iilfalo, 450

e rcstless-

Qnc of the

rene-man-

•presiden' ,
dangerous
had been
le of them
al to the
ope. Cor-
members
here and

there. Major Webb immediately made of his
uttice a campaign-place. He collected his
st.iif about him. The strikers had control of
tne approaches to New York city, and traffic
was paralyzed. He first took pains to dis-
cover how many of the men were out, and
also to learn what their precise grievance
was. If it was a question of time or wages
or any other thing over which there had been
misunderstanding or business disagreement,
he believed that the trouble could be speed-
ily settled. He found, instead, that it was a
matter of discipline, that the men protested
against certain rules which the subordinate
officers had found necessary, as they believed,
in order to maintain discipline. The strikers
objected to the discharge of certain men who
were reported disobedient or incompetent,
and when Major Webb heard this, he said, in
a (juiet way, to his staff : " This is a point
this company cannot yield. The stockholders
must retain the right to manage, in their own
way, this property."

Then he called upon his resources. He
sent agents to procure men to take the places
of the strikers. He called upon the police
force of New York for protection, and got
it. Night and day for seventy-two hours he
k'ft his office for only a few moments at a
time. He caught catnaps, and two nights
did not sleep a wink. And, when the rail-
way men connected with other lines found
out what he was doing, they said : " There
ii a young general in command at the Grand
Central Station."

In his conferences with leaders of labor
associations, Major Webb's legal knowledge
was of great service to him, and Mr. Powderly
himself, who met him in conference several
times, was greatly impressed by his tact, cool-
ness, good temper, and his firmness as well.

When Mr. Depew returned from Europe,
n -t a sign of the strike appeared. Cornelius
Vanderbilt, constantly informed over the wire
.'It ids Newport home of what was going on,
deemed it unnecessary to come to the city.

.\t the first mutterings of the strike in Buf-
falo, information of which was sent to Major
Webb by telegraph, he touched his electric bell.

the messenger who answered received an order
which was taken to the pro|)er authority, and
within half an hour Major Webb was aboard
his |)rivate car, speeding over the tracks at the
rate of fifty uiilos an hour; and before dawn
nc.\t morning he was in iJuffalo. His part in
that convulsion is a matter of recent history,
and unnecessary to describe here.

In physical appearance, as his ])hotogravure
|)icture shows. Major Webb does not at all
suggest the typical railway manager. He is of
slight figure, medium stature, erect in carriage.
He cares nothing for social pleasures of the
fashionable set. His home and his office are
his life. He is not a club man. He takes no
conspicuous part in jjolitics, although he has
strong political views ; but it is safe to say that
not a dozen men employed by his com-
pany know whether he is a Republican or
a Democrat. He is a strong churchman,
being a vestryman, and one of the most
active members of one of the New York
uptown Episcopal churches; and if the
millionaires contributed sums projjortionate
to their wealth as great as those he gives
for church work, his church would have an
enormous income. Major Webb is a great
believer in the future possibilities of fast rail-
way travel. He has studied this development
with great care, and with such results that he
is now running daily the fastest railway train
in the world, making nearly a mile a minute
consecutively for 450 miles. His experiments
have shown that the old idea that very fast
traveling does not pay, is an error, buf he says
that in order to make it pay, the cars must be
light but strong, the service sufficient but not
luxurious, and the carrying capacity limited,
so that an engine will not be compelled to
draw too heavy a train.

Chauncey M. Dei)ew has the reputation of
being the most accessible to newspa|)cr men
of .ill the distinguished men in New York, yet
he is not more so than Major Webb. Any
respect.able newspaper man is welcome to his
office at all times, and he treats such callers
as though they were men, and like one who
respects their calling. The reporter has yet to
be found who has got of Major Webb a sug-

128

A SQUVEXIR OF THE ST. LAWREXCE RIVER.

I •

gL'stiun that a puff or a bit of praise would be
pleasing. He will not talk about himself, but
will chee-fwlly give all the news which he has,
provideu it is consistent with the policy of the
road to uake publication of it. If it is not
consistent he says frankly : " That is scmt-
thing I cannot talk to you about just now.
Perhaps I may be able to do so to-morrow."

Perhaps this disposition is partly due to his
recollection of the fact that his father was a
newspaper man who always treated the I.um-
blest of reporters with great respect. At the
time C'len. Webb was approaching death, and
the variuus ncwsi)ap,ers of New York sent re-
porters to his home, so that immediate infor-
mation of his death might be obtained, Gen.
Webb used to say to his sons: "Arr you tak-
im:; good care of the newspaper men? If any
of them have to wait In.ig, show tiiem some
hospitality. Give them a glass of Madeira
and a sandwich or biscuit, and do not forget
that the newspaper reporters as a class are
hard-woiking, fair-minded, intelligent men,
who should be treated exactly as any other
business man is, who comes to you on business
matters." Whetlvr this injunction accounts
for the treatment the Major and his brothers
give newspaper men or not, the fact remains
that they all are thus minded when they re-
ceive representatives of the press.

The general im[)ression in railway circles
is, that when President Dejjew retires from
official connection with the New York Cen-
tral, Major Wjbb will be his successor.

His CoNNKCTiON wim the Roads of
NoRTHKRN New York.

What we have thus far said relates to Mr.
Webb's connection with the main lines of
the Central corporation, the extent of which
all our readers understand, for that system is
one of the largest in the world, and is man-
aged with a degree of judgment and T)racti-
cal capacity that has elicited the wonder of
travellers who are familiar with the great
lines both in Europe and America. lUit it is
in Major Wei)b's connection with our own
northern line that he has been brought more
directly into official relations v.-ith our own

people. Wlien the New York Central, on
March 14, 1891, leased the lines of the R.
W, & O. Road, Major Webb was placed in
complete control of that entire system, and
became the managing officer, the suprcnir
executive head. Almost from the very week
he assumed control, die beneficence of hi,
management has made itself manifest. He
began the great work of raising the newly-
accpiired property to the high standard of the
trunk line. This necessitated new bridges,
new rails, and the accomplishment of alnKjst
a process of new construction — entirely so in
some localities. The outlay for these im-
provements has been enormous, reachin:;
§2,000,000 of which $600,000 has been ex-
pended in the construction of ne.v oridges,
built of steel and iron. The bridges ujjon the
whole line are now as good as any in tiic
country.

The entire road-bed has been re-ballasted,
and in most of it new ties have been placed,
and the number of the same per mile ha^ been
increased. New steel rails have been laid,
weighing 70 and 72 pounds to the lineal yard,
and the ecpiipment has been correspondingly
improved by the addition of standard locomo-
tives of the heaviest pattern, which could not
be run over the old R. W. & O. , but which now,
under the new improvements — steel rails,
perfect road-bed, and strong bridges — are
allowed to run at high speed, and haul heavy
trains. New passenger oars have been added ;
in fact, the road has been virtually re-con-
structed. Freight rates have been reduced,
and the general conditions have been greatly
improved. Among other things, several enter-
prises in Northern New York have been as-
sisted ; and all this has been done by hard
work, and under the plans made and super
vised by Mr. Webb.

For such labors, so well done, too much
praise cannot be given this young man, who
might have chosen ease, but prefers work.
All that he touches he benefits. He has raised
the old R., W. i<v: O. R. R. system from a de-
caying condition, with worn material and
weak bridges, to become a grand roadway in
itself, the natural ally of the great trunk sy>

mm*\

rk?

THEODORE IWTTERFIELD.

129

entral, on
of the R.
placed in
ystcni, ami
e suprcmr
: very week
ncc of liis

1 if est. He
the newly-
dard of the
;\v bridges,
it of ahnoht
-itirely so in

these iui-
3, reachin;^
IS been ex-
e.v bridges,
ges upon the

any in tin-

re-ballasted,
been placed,
lile ha:< been
e been laid.

2 lineal yard,
respondingly
^lard locomo-

coidd not
which now,
steel rails,
)ridges — arc
haid heavy
)een added ;
ally re-con-
cn reduced,
)een greatly
cveralenter-
ivo been as-
ac by hard
and super

le, too much
ng man, who
refers work.
He has raised
m from a <U
material an<l
1 roadway in
at trunk sys

tcin with which it makes close connections,
with vestibuled trains, and in summer with its
steady -running " tlyers " that cross the country
,u forty miles an hour in entire safety. The
value of such a system, so connected, adds to
the value of every acre of land in Northern
New York, and is of interest to the poorest
111 in as well as to tiie richest. The remark-
,u)lc freedom from i)ersonal accidents to pas-
^e:igers during the year 1894 affords the best
pDs.sible guaranty that the system is well and
s ilcly managed. Speed and comfort are two
( onditions demanded by modern travellers;
but the perfect lombination is a rare one. On
most American railroads, high S|)eed is only
possible at the expense of danger and discom-
tott. Xo combine comfort and safety with
liie greatest speed, perfect equipment and
ibsence of siiarp curves are necessary. This
IS certainly the case with the R., W. & O. sys-

tem. Its great eastern and western outlets,
the New Vork Central and Hudson River
Roads, hold the world's championshij) for
long distance fast trains, won by recent im-
provements in equipment and locomotive-
building, that fairly mark an epoch in railroad-
ing ; and its hundred-ton engines, borne on
massive rails weighing 120 pounds per yard,
now skim with perfect safety around curves at
the rate of fifty-five miles an hour, 'i'hesolid-
est of road-beds is needed to with.stand this
marvelous speed, and to bear the enormous
locoinotives and trains ; what it does with
safety is impossible to other railroads of in-
ferior equipment, or built with sharp curves.
Excepting the Gi '*t Western ot (Canada,
which has one air-line reacli of 100 miles, the
New York Central str.iight tra< ks -.•xceed those
of any other railroad in the world.

J. A. H.

THEODORE BUTTERFIELD.

Mr. Rti TTERFiEin comes into the transpor- bor. John Butterfield also started and owned

tation system of North. 'rn New York by what the famous I'ony Kxpress or Overland .M.tII,

ni ly be called "natural inheritance." His which was the precursor of the Pacific rail-

i;randfather, the Honorable John Butterfield, roads.

of Utica, was the originator of the American Theodore Buttcrfield's uncle, Major-dcneral

Kxpress Com|)any, which was started under Daniel Hutterfield, was tiie fi'st general super-

th'j firm of Wells, Hutterfield & Company. intendent of the American Kxpress Company,

He also raised the money and built the first and also was chief of staff of the various (om-

Western Union Telegraph Line, which was munders of the Army of the I'otomac, and

rillod the ,\lorse Line Telegraijh at that tiai^, i,ave the celebrated order, by direction of

:uul was a tlirector in the New York Ceii'r i! (leneral Meade, to the corps (ominanders to

in its early stages, and one of the prouio en fight Lee at Gettysbur);, the battle that nearly

and capitalists who built the Utica an^l Hh.ck broke the back of the Conftderac y.

River read, which started in op|)osition to the Mr. IhuUMfield has been connected with

Rome and Watertown road, because they the railroads of No/thcrn New York for 20

could not agree on a starting juiint, as the yeirs. He began as chief clerk in the ai -

( 'jiitalists of Northern New York wanted to counting department of the old Utica & lack

stirt from Herkimer ; the Ulica i)eople would River railroad, at Utica, and was soon after

not hear to that, and were bound to start from made general ticket agent, and tluu general

Utica; .so the other people started from passenger agent of that road ; and, as the road

Rome, and the Utica peo|)le, rot to be out- grew, he was made general freight and passen-

ilonc, started their road from Utica. which ger agent. He remained in that |)osition until

was built up to Moonville, ;uid finally extended the consolidation with the Rome, Watertown

to Ogdensburgh, Clayton and Sackets Har- & Ogdensburg railroad, when he was ap-

li^mi

T.HO

A SOrVEN/R OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

pointed general passenger agent of the R., W.
iV C). R. R., and has he'd that position under
the < oiisolidation of that system with tlie New
Vork Central & Hudson River R. R.'s.
When first ap])ointed he was the youngest
general tick'.t agent in tiu- United States.
His experience as assistant to tlie general
auperintendent, and in the operating depart-

cursions, such as the New York, Washington
and Cliicago excursions; and the idea .i
attaching sleej^ing-cars and drawing-room car,
to excursion trains, now generally adopied,
originated with him.

•\t tl!e time ot" hi; ap])ointment he was i^ •
youngest genera! passenger agent in the Urit' d
Stales. He is beyond all doubt the most pojiii-

•<!•

TIIKOIinKI' IMTTKRKlKLn.

ment of the Utica U HIack River railroad,
made him familiar with all dcivartments of
railroading, and that is the secret of his suc-
cess in the passenger business, as he thor-
oughly imderstands the details in railroading,
and has in addition rare extcutive ability.
He is the originator of the long-distance ex-

lar railroad man in Northern New York, the
best known and most appreciated. With a < K ir
luad and ample knowledge of all railro.ui
matters, his suggestions at the meetings of he
passenger agents of the whole country ue
always listened to with the closest attention,
and usually adopted.

COLONEL ZEBULON HOWELL BENTON.

131

Washington
he idea .1
^-roota cai^
ly acloi)ic i,

he was tVe

1 the Urit.il

most poi'".-

lew York, the
. With :i<KMr
f all railroad
loetingsof h.'
; country .^re
jest attention,

rni., /pnriov kowfi i hfvtov.
COLONEL ZEBULON HOWELL BENTON,

|('iipu-il from Wnllmc's (iiiiilr to ttu- Ailiruinlucks I

IKkkk was pruhahly no niort' romantir, ticulars, in peakud felt hat, long black coat

I'll tiires(iue or conspicuous figuro 'onnected and rurtled shirt — every article faultlessly

Willi the chronicles of Lake Moti tparte than neat. With his fresh, ruddy complexion,

< "loMel Zihulon II. lU-nton- 'I'lie a( ( om- clean-shaven face, rich growth of snow-white

pinying engraving faithfully represents his hnir, graceful carriage, and form almost as

apjjearance in daily life. He invariably lithe and perfect, at the ripe age cf 82, as if

dressed with the nicest regard to minute par- in the (lower of youth and strength, he seemed

132

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

the embodiment of a gentleman of the old
regime.

Colonel Henton was born in Apulia, N. Y.,
January 27, 1811, and the details of his check-
ered life would fill a book. We can only
briefly ilhuii.' to the following facts: He was
a cousin of Thomas Hart Benton, the great
Missouri statesman, and consequently a kins-
man of his daughter, Jessie Benton Fremont,
the noted wife of the famous "Pathfmder."
In the war of the Rebellion he received an
ajipointment on the staff of General Fremont,
but before he could arrange to take the posi-
tion the general was susi)ended. He was
also a relative of the eminent novelist, James
Fenimore ('ooper. From his very boyhood
he led an extremely active life, and before he
was fairly out of his teens he was entrusted
by his employers with commissions of the ut-
most importance, which he brought to suc-
cessful consummation. He was engaged
from time to tinie in great enterprises, espe-
cially those of land, mining and railroading,
'i'he capital invested in these sometimes ex-
ceeded a million dollars. His ventures, often
gigantic, were not confined to Lewis and .St.
Lawrence counties, but extended into the
Canadas, to the Gulf of Mexico, and even
into South Anurica. The mines at Rossie,
Clifion. Jayville anil Alpine are examples of
these operations. We are convinced that the
Carthage & Adirondac k Railway owes its ex-
istenix" to Colonel Benton and to Hon. Joseph
Paiiud, of Harrisville, N. V., as they were
unceasing in their efforts to establish that line
to the Jayville mines.

I'loui the C.irthage Republican, Philadel-
pliia Press and other reliable sources, we glean
the following interesting information: Soon
after the arrival of Joseph Bonaparte in this
«ountry, he met and loved a beautiful (^>uak-
«'ress, by the name of Annette Savage, a
member of a family of high respei lability, re-
siding in Philadelphia, des( cndants of the
celebrated Indian prim ess, I'ocahontas. They
were subsequently married in jirivate by a
justice of the peace in that city. Two
daughters vvere the fruit of this union, one of
whom died in infancy. The other was chris-

tened Charlotte C Soon after arriving it
maturity, she became the wife of Colonel Ben-
ton. Their marriage resulted in seven < Ini
dren. The five surviving bear the appropn
ate names of Josephine Charlotte, ZenaitK
Bonaparte, Louis Joseph, Zebulon Napolemi
and Thomas Hart.

Mrs. Benton, having obtained a letter ot
introduction from General Grant to Hon.
Elihu B. Washburn, United St Ues Minist. 1
to France, and one also from Dr. J. DeHavm
White, the eminent Philadelphia dentist, 1..
his former pupil. Dr. Evans, the dental sur-
geon of Louis Napoeon, repaired to Paris in
1869. She obtained audience wiMi the Em-
peror, and received immediate recognition iis
the daughter of Joseph Bonaparte; and by his
im|)erial will and the laws of France, tlic
union of her i)arents was confirmed and lur
legitimacy established. Honored by an invi-
tation to attend the French court, she and
two of her children were there kindly nm!
cordially entertained by the l^mperoi and Em-
press, who presented her with valuable sou
venirs upon the occasion. Napoleon oficn
expressed great regret that he did not know
his cousin earlier, so that he might the soom 1
have bestowed upon her children the placis
to which, by birth, they were entitled, lb
presented her with her father's palace ; Ixit
this was lost through the downfall of the em
pire and of that ill-fated royal family. Mi-
Benton .ittended Napoleon during his impris-
onment in Germany, and a short time after-
ward (1871) returned to America. She was
a woman of remarkable beavity and talent,
and of most lovely characteristics. Her eyes
were large, dark and lustrous, and, like tlu'
Cijlonel's, never dimmed by age. Receivini:
a fine education, in Europe and in this coun-
try, she early develojied great versatility in
writing. Many brilliant arti« les in various
pai'ersand magazines were the productions ot
her pen, and she was the author of a book ol
rare merit, entitle<l " France and her l'eo|)le"
She died December 25, 1890, at Richfield
Springs. Her husband, the subject of this
sketch, died May i^). 1893, closing an uni(jue,
interesting and wonderfully romantic life.

BURA'I.XG OF THE STEAMER "SIR ROIiERT PEEU

•33

arrivirif; it
olonel Ikii-

scven tliil-
e appropri-

to, Zenaidr
1 Napok-iiii

a letter li!

it to 11(111.

es Ministii
[. DeHavni

dentist, in

dental sm-

lo Paris III

• h the Km-

L:ognition as

; and by lii^

France, llic

ed and lur

by an invi-

rt, she iind

kindly nnd

ror and Em-

\liiable soi;

loleon otiin

J not kninv

\ the soonii

\ tlie plact ^

titled. H(

laiace ; but

of the em-

inily. Mr-

; his impri -

time aftii-
a. She was
and talent,
Her eye-
lul, like tlu'
Receiving
n this coiin-
ersatility in

in variou-.
oductions ot
of a book III
icr People"
It Richfield
ject of thi''
i^ an iini(pie,
ntic life.

BURNING OF THE STEAMER "SIR ROBERT PEEL."

[See Article on

/^N the 29th day of December, 1837, the
V^y steamer Caroline, an American steam-
boat, while lyinj; lied to the wharf at Sclilosscr,
.1 port on the Niagara river below JUiffalo, was
hoarded by a band of C'anadians, robbed, set
iiic to, cut loose from her moorings, and sent
biirning over Niagara Falls. Tiiis caused
_'nat indignation throughout the country, and
idded much to the excitement consequent
(111 the breaking out of the so-called Patriot
war, which was a weak rebellion on the jiart
ct some dissatisfied Canadians, witii which a
iiuiiiber of United States citizens very fool-
ishly took sides. The steamer Sir Robert
IVi-1 was new and stanch, built at lirot kvillc
only the year before, and owned by both
Canadian anil American citizens. She was
-.aileil by Capt. John W. Armstrong. Starting
from Presrott on the afternoon of the J9th of
M IV, i8_5S. she touched at IJrockville on her
u IV to Toronto, having on board a cargo
111(1 nineteen passengers. She arrived at
McDonnell's wharf at midniglit to take on
wood. It iiad been hintetl to the captain be-
tore leaving Prockville tliat there was danger
ahead, but he disregarded the warning. Tlie
[ussengers were asleep in the ( abin, and the
1 nw had almost finished their labor of taking
nil wood, when a party of twenty-two men,
ihsguised and painted like Indians and armed
with muskets and bayonets, rushed on board,
\(lling like savages, and shouting, *' Remember
the Caroline!" 'I'hey drove the passengers
and crew ashore, allowing but little time for
tlie removal of baggage belonging to them, the
most of which was lost. The stcamiT was
liii'd in sever.d places, and tlie party left in
nvo boats, steering for .Abel's Isl.ind, about
lour miles away, which they reached at sun-
rise. The ill-fated steamersunk in mid-chan-
ncl but a sliort distance below tlie wharf
wli(.re she was captured, and tiiere she now
111 s twenty fathoms deep, while we sail to and
fio directly over her wreck.

riie leader of this party was William John-

Patriot War]

ston, better known to fame, or notoriety rather,
as " Hill Johnston," a Canadian outlaw,
around whose career, and that of his daughter
Kate, tile once famous novelist," Ned liunlline"
(E. Z. C. Judson), threw a halo of mystery
and romance. Hill Johnston was born at
Three Rivers, Lower Canaila, lebruary i,
1782. His parents removed to Kingston in
1784, and at the breaking out of the war of
1812, he was a grocer in Kingston, and a
member of a military comi)any. i'or an act
of insubordination, it is said, though what was
its nature is not now apparent, he was tried by
a court-martial, lodged in jail, and his prop-
erly confiscated. Escaping thence he came
to the States, and became the bitterest and
most vindictive foe Canada ever had. He
acted as a spy for the .Americans during
tiie war of 1812-15, robbed the Hrilish mails,
and committed every depredation possible
upon Canada and Canadians. .After the
burning of the Sir Robert Peel, he was out-
lawed by both the United Stales and Canadian
governments, who tried in every way jtossible
to effect his capture; but his hiding places
were so numerous, anil so many we'i his p( r-
sonal friends, that, with the aid of his daugh-
ter Kale, wiu) ke[)l him supplied with food,
which she look to him in the dead of night in
her skill alone, and with news of his enemies,
also, ihat they succeeded in capturing him but
twice, both of which times he escaped; though
if the storijs told of his hair-bri adlh escapes,
whether true or not, were written down, they
would fill a book. Finally, when matters be-
came (piiel. he relumed to his home in Clay-
ton, and in time was appointed keeper of the
Rock Island liglu, whose rays illumine the
very spot over which once shone the light of
the burning steamer Sir Robert Peel.

The des( cndants of Johnston are now resi-
dents of Clayton, where lluy have been for
years honorable and eflicient citizens. The
original William was a *' good hater," as shown
by his bitter denunciation of everything British.

134

,1 SOC]-/:\fR OF THE Sr. /..lirA'/:.\( /■ av/aav

I'lUt stepping aside from the mere jierson-
alities concerned in sucli an affair as the l)iirn-
ini; of the " Peel,'' and tlie other biirnin}; and
murder whicli precedes tliat ejiisode, to-^v' ,
the burning of the " Caroline " at Sclilosser
landing in the Niagara River — it is dislieart-
ening to consider liow strongly such unlawful
acts appeal to the sympathy of the reckless
characters to he found in every community,
and that from such small beginnings wars are
sometimes begun among great nations. The
affair of 1S57, the lawless efforts of a few in-
vading marauders up'on the soil of Can.tda,
came near |)recipitating England and the

United States into a conflict ot arms which
would have been deplorable even if our cause
were just. Hut at that time the jirejudices (jI
the American masses were all wrong, and it i^
curious reading at this day to go over the
newspapers of that era, nearly all of them
sym])atiii/ing with the invaders, who wen'
honored by being called "|)atriots." Robber-,
would have been a more appropriate designa-
tion. lUit the fate of the poor fellows who
were sent to the then penal colony of V.ui
Dieman's land, now .Australia, will iirobalily
liavc a weakening effect upon any future
undertaking of that kind.

GENERAL WILLIAM H. ANGELL

W.i^s long prominently connected with the
interests of the St. Lawrence, and legitimately
i)elongs with those who are entitled to promi-
nent remembrance in any history of the
Upper St. Lawrence and of the Thousand
Islands. He is remembered with pleisure by
the older citizens of Clayton and of Jefferson
county, for he was a man of great business
capai ity and force. Many buildings in
Watertown bear silent witness of liis manner
of ((mstr'Tfion — notably the Taggart Hros'.
mill at ti, ioiver falls, and the water-reservoir.
now over forty years in use. He was born in
Huili.igton, Otsego county, N. Y., in 1797, one
of a family of ten children. When only ten
years of age he left home, and thenceforward
earned not only his own living, but helped to
ca.i for the less able members of the family.
At fourteen he gave his father $200 for his
"time" — that is, for the time he woidd be a
minor, and his father would, therefore, be
legally entitled to his earnings. The General
camv into Jefferson county about 1811;. He
first located at Smithville, where he wcnf into
business with old-time Jesse Smith. When
less than twenty years of age he bought over
||vOoo worth of goods, and from Smithville,
went to Clayton. Several years later (about
1S54) he was at Sackets Harbor. In 1824 he
had married Miss Harriet Warner. Seven
children were born to this union, fout of whom

are still living. While at Sackets Harbor the
General became associated in the manage-
ment of the Sackets Harbor Hank, which w.u
later merged into the Hank of Watertown, oi
which, about 1842, General Angell becann
sole owner. In 1858 his beloved wife died-
a huly well remembered in Watertown for lu 1
devotion to charity and Christian work-
The deserving iH)or never had a better friend,
for what she gave was given with a grace and
gentleness that made the action doubly en-
dearing.

In 1.S60, General .Xngell married Miss M
Louise Judson, cousin of the late Gen. R. W.
Judson, of ( )i;densburg. She was an accom-
plished lady, the ])attern for a kind, dutiful
wife. In 1.S61, at the beginning of the civii
war, the General removed to New York,
where he become interested in several cit*
contracts, and in 1862 he removed his famiiv
to that city, which was thenceforth his home
By nature he was too active to relish a life n-
idleness, and he took up several means of :u ■
quiring wealth, among others extending tl ■
circulation of his bank from $29,000 td
§80,000. He was also largely interested m
he Continental Steel Works at Maspeih
Long Island. In 1863 the imposition of at.u
of ten per cent u])on the circulation of St.nic
Hanks, drove them out of business. In 187 1,
(leneral Anm'U had accumulated enoUf^li

arms wliir h
if our caiwi
rejiuliccs ni
ng, and it i>
;o over tlir
all of tliom

who wcif
Robbir-,
ite (lesion. i-

c'llows will I
nny of V'.in
ill i)robalily

any futiiir

; Harbor the
the mananf-
i, which was
'atcrtown, oi
gcll bccamr

wife (lied-
rtown for lu-i
stiaii work^
better fricmi,

a grace ami
1 doubly (11-

•ied Miss M
e Gen. R. W
as an ac-com-
kind, diitiliii
! of the rivi;

New York.

several n'
ed his faniii\
rth his honif
elish a life n;
means of a( ■
xtending tl.'

$29,000 til
interested m
at Masi)fih
sition of a t.i\
tion of State
:ss. In 1871.
ated en()U^;!i

GENERAL WILLIAM IL ANGELL.

'?5

means to make home comfortable, and in that his home early in life, instead of Watertown,

vcar he removed to (ieneseo, expecting to he would have taken rank with George Law

s|icnd there several years in the enjoyment of and the elder Vanderbilt, for he was their

needed rest and a release from the cares of superior in shrewdness of management, in

business. But his hopes were to be disap- persjiicuity, in ability to predict the rise or

pointed. On the ist of July, 1872, he was fall of cereals or articles of general consump-

OENERAI. WII.I.IAM II. ANCEI.I.

taken ill, and after great suffering, died at tion. He was a firm friend, and he had many

Cicneseo on November 26, 1872. friends, for he was a friendly man, democru-

Vieweil in the ligh.t of his varied and event- tic in his ways, easily approached, never

(ill career, General Angell was a character elated by success, nor intimidated by adver-

(lifticult to reproduce. He had a noble soul. sity. From 1820 to i86f, he was a conspicu-

which scorned little things. He was undoubt- ous figure in Jefferson county, and his le-

edly superior to the average able business men moval was a source of sincere regret,
of his day — and had he made New York city j. A. H.

THE WHITTLESEY AFFAIR.

IN giving an extended notice of this Whii-
tlfscy c|)isode, we are perhaps open to llic
criticism of making a great deal out of a com-
paratively unimportant matter; hut tlicre is so
mucli of tragedy in the story, and it affords
so striking an illustration of the soul-destroy-
ing influence of a dishonest greed for money,
that the tale rises above a mere relation, and
becomes a great moral lesson. In that light
we present it as a legitimate chapter of history.
Samuel Whittlesey, originally from Tolland,
Ct., had removed, about 1808, to Watertown,
and engaged in business as a lawyer. On the
I2lii of l-ebruary, 181 1, he received the ap-
jjointment of ilistrict attorney for the territory
comjirised in Lewis, JefTerson and St. Law-
rence counties, and on the 6th of February,
1813, lie was superseded by the appointment
of .Amos Ik-nedict, who had preceded him.
Kvciits connected with this, leil to some sym-
patuy for him, and the office of brig.Tde pay-
master, which had been tendered to Mr. Jason
Fairbanks, was by him declined in favor of
Wliitilesey, and he, witii Perley Keyes, be-
came security for the honest discharge of the
duties of the office. At the close of the war
a large amount of money being due to the
drafted militia, for services on the frontier,
Whittlesey went to New York, accompanied
by his wife, to obtain the money, and received
at the Merchants' Hank in that city $30,000,
in one, two, three, five and ten-dollar bills,
with which he started to return. .\t Schenec-
nectady, as was afterwards learned, his wife
reported themselves robbed of §8,700, an oc-
currence which greatly distressed and alarmed
him. but she advised him not to make it pub-
lic at that moment, as they might thereby

belter take steps that might lead to its re-
covery, and on tlu way home, she in an art-
ful and gradual manner persuaded him that
if they should report the robbery of a part
of the money, no one would believe it, as a
thief would take tiie whole, if any. In short
(to use a homely proverb), she urged that
they might as well "die for an old sheep
as a lamb," and keep the rest, as they would
inevitably be accused of taking a part. Her
artifice, enforced by the necessities of tlie
case, took effect, and he suffered himself to
become the dupe of his wife, who was doubt-
less the chief contriver of tiie movements
which followed. Accordingly, on his return,
he gave out word that his money had been
procured, and would be paid over as soon as
the necessary papers and pay-roll could be
prepared. In a few days, having settled his
arrangements, he started for Trenton on
horseback, with his portmanteau filled, slop-
ping at various places on his way, to announce
that on a given day he would return, to ])ay
to those entitled, iheir dues, and in several in-
stances evinced a carelessness about the cus-
tody of his baggage that excited remark from
inn-keepers and others. On arriving at Hill-
ings' tavern at Trenton, he assembled several
persons to whom money was due, and pro-
ceeded to pay them, but upon opening his
portmanteau, he, to the dismay of himself
anil others, found that they had been ripped
open, and that the money was gone! With a
pitiable lamentation and well-affected sorrow,
he bewailed the robbery, instantly despatched
messengers in quest of the thief, ofTered
82,000 reward for his apprehension, and ad-
vertised in staring handbills throughout the

THE WHITTLESEY AFFAIR.

1.57

( (Hintry, in hopes of gaining some clew that
would enable liim to recos-er liis treasure. In
tins anxiety he was joined l>y luindreds of
(itliers, who had been thus indefinitely delayed
111 the recei|)t of their needed anc! rightful
(lues, but althou^^h tliere was no lack of /eal
HI these efforts, yet nothing occurred upon
wiiich to settle suspicion, and with a heavy
heart, and many a sigh and tear, he returned
liDUie, and related to his family ;'nd friends
Ills ruin. As a natural <:onse(iuencc, the
(.vent became at once the absorbing theme of
the country, for great numbers were affected
m their pecuniary concerns by it, and none
more than the two endorsers of the sureties
of Whittlesey. These gentlemen, wlio were
shrewd, jjractical and very observing men,
immediately began to interrogate him, singly
.iiul alone, into the circumstaice of the jour-
ney and the robbery, and l''airl)anks in jiar-
!!( nlar. whose trade as a sad.iler led him to be
minutely observant of the ipialities and ap-
pearances of leather, made a careful cxamin-
ition of the incisions in the portmonteau, of
which there were two, tracing upon pa])er
their exact size and shape, and upon close ex-
amination, noticed pin holes in the margin, as
if they ha(! been mended up. L'pon compar-
ing the accounts which each li;".l sejiarately
iihtained in a long and searching conversatton,
tiu'se men became convinced that the money
li;i(l not been stolen in the manner alleged, but
tl'.at it was still in the ])ossession of Whittle-
sey and his wife. To get possession of this
money was their next care, and, after long
consultation, it as agreed that the only way
to do tiiis, was to gain the confidence of the
t.imily, and defend them manfully against the
insinuations that came from all (juarters that
the money was still in town. In tiiis they
succeeded admirably, and from the declar-
ations which they made in ])ublic and in pri-
vate, which found their way directly back to
the family, the latter were convinced that,
although the whole world were against them
m their misfortunes, yet they had the satis-
faction to know that the two men who were
the most interested were still by their side.
To gain some fact that would lead to a knowl-

edge of the place of deposit, Messrs. Fair-
banks ami Keyes agreed to listen at 'he win-
dow of the sleeping room of those suspected,
which was in a chamber, and overlooked the
roof of a i)ia/./.a. .\ccordingly, after dark,
one would call ujioii the family and detain
them in conversation, while the other mounted
a ladder and placed himself where he could
overhear what was said within, and although
they thus became convinced that the money
was still in their possession, no opinion could
be formed about the hiding place. Security
upon their real estate was demanded, and
readily given.

.A son of the family hekl a commission in
the navy, and was on the jMiint of sailing for
the Mediterranean, and it was suspected that
the money might thus have been sent off, to
ascertain which, Mr. i-'airbanks, under i)re-
text of taking a criminal to the State Prison,
went to New York, made iiKjuiries which sat-
isfied him that the son was innocent of any
knowledge of the affair, and ascertained at
the bank the size of the jackages taken. Hi-
had been told by Whittlesey tliat these h.id
not been opened when stolen, an<i by making
experiments with blocks of wood of the same
dimensions, they readily ascertained that
bundles of that size could not be ;^ot through
an .ipcrlure of the size reported, ami that in-
stead of a seven it required an eighteen-inch
slit in the leather to allow ot tiuir being ex-
tracted. Some facts were gleaned at Albany
that shed further light, among which it was
noticed that Mrs. Whittlesey at her late visit
(although very |)enurious in her trade) had
been very profuse in her expenses. .After a
ten (lays' absence .Mr. Fairbanks returned; his
partner having listened nights meanwhile, and
the intelligence gained by evcs-drop|)ing, al-
though it failed to disclose the locniilv of the
lost money, continued their suspicions. As
goods were being boxed up at Whittlesey's
house at a late hour in the night, and tlie
daughters had already been sent on to Sack-
ets Harbor, it was feared that the family
would soon leave ; decisive measures were
resolved upon to recover the money, the
ingenuity and boldness of which evince th:

«3S

A SOUIKXIR OF THE ST. LAWRKS'CE RIVER.

•%*

sagacity and energy of the parties. Some
nictliod to decoy Whittlesey from home, and
frighten him by threats, mutilation or tor-
ture, into a confession, was discussed, but as
the latter might cause an uncontrollable hem-
orriiagc, it was resolved to try the cfTect of
drowning. Some experiments were made
on their own persons, of the effect of submer-
sion of the heail, and I>r. Sherwood, a
physician of the village, was consulted on the
time life would remain under water. Having
agreed upon a plan, on the evening before its
execution, they repaired to a lonely place
about a mile south of the village, screened
from the sight of houses by a gentle rise of
ground, and where a s|>ring issued from the
bank and flowed off through a miry slough,
in which, a little below, they built a dam of
turf that formed a shallow pool. It was ar-
ranged that Mr. Fairbanks should call upon
Whittlesey, to confer with him on some
means of removing the suspicions which the
public had settled upon him, by obtaining
certificates of character from leading citizens
and orticers of the army , and that the two
were to repair to Mr. Reyes's house, which
was not far from the spring. .Mr. Keyes was
to be absent repairing his fence, and to leave
word with his wife that if any one inquired
for him, to send them into tiie tleld where he
was at work. Neither had made confidants
in their suspicions or their plans, except that
Mr. Keyes tliought it necessary to reveal
them to his son, 1'. (lardner Keyes, then seven-
teen years of age, whose assistance he might
need, in keeping up appearances, and in
wh(>se sagacity and fidelity in keeping a secret
he could rely.

Accordingly, on the morning of July 17th
(1815), Mr. Keyes, telling his wife that the
cattle had broken into his grain, shouldered
his axe and went to repair the fence which
was thrown down, and Mr. Fairbanks called
upon Whittlesey, engag'd him in conversa-
tion, as usual, and without exciting the
slightest suspicion, induced him to go up to
see his partner, whom they found in a distant
part of the field at wi k. Calling him to
them, they repaired as if casually to the

sp ing, where, after some trifling remark, they
explicitly charged him with the robbery, gaw
their reasons for thinking so, and told hin.
that if he did not instantly disclose the local-
ity of the money, the pool before him shouM
be his grave. This sudden and unexpecttc;
charge frightened tlieir victim; but with .1
look of innocence he exclaimed, " I know
nothing of the matter." This was no soonc:
said than he was rudely seized by Mr. Keyt ^
and plunged headforemost into the pool, ami
after some seconds withdrawn. Being again
interrogated, and assured that if the monev
were restored, no legal proceedings would t;c
instituted, he again protested his innocence,
and was a second time plunged in, held under
several moments and again withdrawn, but
this time insensible, and for one or two min-
utes it was doubtful whether their threats had
not been executed ; but he soon evinced signs
of life, and so far recovered as to be able to
sit u|) and speak. I'erhajjs nothing but the
certain knowledge of his guilt, which they
possessed, would have induced them to pro-
ceed further; but tiiey were men of firinness.
and resolved to exhaust their resource of ex-
jtedients, rightly judging that a guilty con-
science could not long hold out against the
prospect of speedy death. He was accord-
ingly addressed by Mr. Keyes in tones and
emphasis of sober earnest, and exhorted for
the last time to save himself from being hur-
ried before the tribunal of Heaven, laden with
guilt — to disclose at once. In feeble tones he
re-asserted his innocence, and was again col-
lared and plunged in, but this time his body
only was immersed. It had been agreed in
his hearing, that Fairbanks (being without a
family) should remain to accomplish the
work, by treading him into the bottom of the
slough, while Keyes was to retire, so that
neither could l)e a witness of murder if appre-
hended; and that on a given day they were to
meet in Kingston. Keyes paid over about
$90 to bear cxjienses of travel, and was about
to leave, when the wretched man, seeing
these serious arrangements, and at length be-
lieving them to be an awful reality, exclaimed,
"I'll tell you all about it!" Upon this, he

THE WHITTLESEY All\-UR.

139

mark, they
bery. gav<.

I tuld iiiii.
the local.

ill! shoilhi

incxpecteii

lut with .1

" I know

no soonc:
Mr. Keyt^
s pool, and
ieing again
the money
s would ht
innocence,
held under
irawn, but
r two min
hreats had
inced sign>
be able tn
ig but the
vhich they
ni to pro-
f firmness,
irce of ex-
juilty con-
igainst the
as accord-
tones and
horted for
l)eing hiir-
laden with
lie tones he
again col-
: his body

agreed in
without a
iplish the
:om of the
e, so that
r if apprc-
ey were to
ver about
was about
in, seeing
length be-
;xclaimed,
>n this, he

A.is withdrawn, and when a little recovered,
lie confessed, that all but about $9,000 (which
he now, for the first time, stated to have been
stolen at Schenectady), would be found either
under a hearth at his house, or quilted into a
ji.ur of drawers in his wife's possession. Mr.
Keyes, leaving his prisoner in charge of his
•issoriate, started for the house, and was seen
V)y his wife, coming across the fields, covered

Hutchinson and John M. Canfield, the facts,
and with thetn repaired to the house of Whit-
tlesey. Seeing them approach, Mrs. Whittle-
sey fled to her chamber, and on their knocking
for admission, slie replied that she was chang-
ing her dress, and would meet them shortly.
As it was not the time or place for the observ-
ance of eti<|uette, Mr. Keyes rudely burst
open the door, and entering, found her reclin-

TUF. "HON XOVAGF. " KNTERINC, AI.KXAN'DRIA IIAV.

with mud, and, to use the words of the latter,
"looking like a murderer; " and although in
feeble health, and scarcely able to walk, she
met him at the door, and inquired with alarm,
" What have you been doing?" He briefly
re|)licd, "We have had the old fellow under
water, and made him own where the money
is;" and hastily proceeding to the village, re-
lated in a few words to his friends. Dr. Paul

ing on the l)ed. Disregarding her expostula-
tions of impropriety, he rudely proceeded to
search, and soon found between the straw and
feather bed, upon which she lay, a quilted
garment, when she exclaimed : " You've got
it ! My God, have I come to this ? " The
drawers bore the initials of Col. Tuttle, who
had died in that house, under very suspicious
circumstances ; were fitted with two sets of

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23 WEjT main street

WiSBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-^50 J

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L<?

I40

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

buttons, for either the husband or wife to
wear, and contained about thirty parcels of

bills, labelled, " For my dear son C , 250

of 5; " " For my dear daughter E , 150 of

3," etc., amounting to $15,000 to her five
children; the remainder being reserved for
her own use. The garment also contained a
most extraordinary document, which might be
called Her Will, and about which she ex-
pressed the most urgent solicitude, implor-
ing, " That you have children as well as
me ! " It was soon after published in the
papers, and was as follows:

" It is my l.-ist.ind dying request, th.it my children
shall h.ive all the money that is contained in the
papers which have their names on, which is $3,000
for each: and let there be pains and caution, and a
great length of time taken to exchange it in. (iod
and my own heart knows the misery I have suffered
in consequence of it, and that it was much against
my will that it should be done. I have put all that
is in the same bank by it, that I had from prudence,
and a great number of years been gathering up; and
when I used to meet with a bill on that bank in your
possession, or when I could, I used to exchange
others for them, as I supposed it was the best, and
would be the most permament bank. You know
the reason of your taking this was, that we supposed
that from the lock of the small trunk being broken,
and the large one being all loose, and the nails out,
that we were robbed on the road of $8,700. You
know that I always told you, that I believed it was
done in the yard, where you, as I tolti /ou then, put
the wagon imprudently in Schenectady. Oh! how
much misery am I born to see, through all your im-
proper conduct, which I am forced to conceal from the
view of the world, for the sake of niy beloved off-
springs' credit, and whereby I have got enemies un-
deservedly, while the public opinion was in your favor!
But it fully evinces what false judgments the world
m.ikes. Oh ! the God who tries the hearts, and
searches the veins of the children of men, knows
that the kind of misery which I have suffered, and
which has riled and soured my temper, and has
made me appear cross and morose to the public eye,
has all proceeded from you. and fixed in my counten-
ance the mark of an ill-natured disposition, which
was naturally formed for loves, friendships, and
other refined sensations. How have I falsified the
truth, that you miy;ht appear to every advantage, at
the risk and ill-opinion of the sensible world towards
myself, when my conscience was telling me I was
doing wrong; and which, with everything else that
I have suffered since I have been a married woman,
has worn me down and kept me out of health; and

now, oh! now, this last act is bringing me to my
grave f^ist. I consented because you had placed me
in the situation you did. In the first place you were
delinquent in the payment to the government of
eighteen or nineteen hundred dollars. Then this al-
most .$9,000 missing, I found when you came to
settle, that you never could make it good without
sacrificing me and my children, was the reason I
consented to the proposal. I did you the justice to
believe that the last sum had not been missing, th;it
you would not have done as you did- but I am
miserable! God grant that my dear children mav
never fall into the like error that their father has,
and their poor unfortunate mother consented to !
M.ay the Almighty forgive us both, for I freely for-
give you all you have made me suffer."

The money being counted, and to their
surprise found to embrace a part of the sum
supposed to be stolen, Mr. Keyes went back
to release Whittlesey. The latter, meanwhile,
had related the circumstances of the robbery,
and anxiously inquired whether, if the whole
was not found, they would still execute their
purpose; to which Mr. Fairbanks replied in
a manner truly characteristic, " that will de-
pend on' circumstances." No one was more
surprised than Whittlesey himself, to learn
that most of the money was found, and that
he had been robbed at Schenectady by his
ow.i wife. He begged hard to be released on
the spot, but it was feared he would commit
suicide, and he was told that he must be de-
livered up to the public as sound as he was
taken, and was led home. The fame of this
discovery soon spread, and it was with diffi-
culty the villagers were restrained from evinc-
ing their joy by the discharge of cannon.
Mr. Whittlesey was led home and placed
with a guard in the room with his wife, until
further search ; and here the most bitter
criminations were exchanged, each charging
the other with the crime, and the wife up-
braiding the husband with cowardice for re-
vealing the secret. The guard being with-
drawn in the confusion that ensued, Mrs.
Whittlesey passed from the house, and was
seen by a ])erson at a distance to cross the
cemetery of Trinity church, where, on pass-
ing the grave of a son, she paur d, faltered
and fell back, overwhelmed with awful
emotion ; but a moment after, gathering new

ene

higl
the
the
recc

THE WHITTLESEY AFFAIR.

141

ig me to my
id placed me
ace you were
ivernmcnt of
Then thisal-
|fOu came to
food witlioiit
the reason 1
the justice to
missing, tliat
d- but I am
;hildren may
r father has,
onsented to !
I freely for-

nd to their

of the sum

5 went back

meanwhile,

;he robbery,

f the whole

ceciite their

5 rephed in

lat will de-

e was more

If, to learn

d, and that

tady by his

released on

Id commit

lust be de-

as he was

ime of this

with diffi-

Tom evinc-

5f cannon.

nd placed

wife, until

lost bitter

1 charging

e wife up-

ce for re-

eing with-

ued, Mrs.

?, and was

cross the

on pass-

d, faltered

ith awful

ering new

energy, she hastened on, rushed down the
high bank near the ice-cave, and plunged into
the river. Her body was found floating near
the lower bridge, and efforts were made to
recover life, but it was extinct.

The sympathies of the public were not
withheld from the children of this family,
who were thus cast penniless and disgraced
upon the world. Many details connected
with the affair we have not given ; among
which were several attempts to throw sus-
picion upon several parties by depositing
money on their premises, writing anonymous
letters, etc.; which served but to aggravate
the crime by betraying the existence of a de-
pravity on the part of the chief contriver in
the scheme, which has seldom or never been
equaled. The marked bills amounting to
$400 had been dropped on the road to Sack-
ets Harbor, and were found by Mr. Gale, who
prudently carried them to a witness, counted
and sealed them and after the disclosure
brought them forward. Mr, Whittlesey
stated that he expected some one would find
and use the money, when he could swear to
the marks, and implicate the finder. Mr.
Gale, upon hearing this, was affected to tears,
and exclaimed: " Mr. Whittlesey, is it pos-
sible you would have been so wicked as to
have sworn me to State Prison for being
honest ! "

Mr. Whittlesey remained in Watertown
nearly a year, and then moved to Indiana,
where he afterwards became a justice of the
peace and a county judge, and by an exem-
plary life won the respect of the community;
and although the details of this affair followed

him, yet the censure of opinion rested upon
the wife.

Congress, on the nth of January, 182 1,
passed an act directing the Secretary of the
Treasury to cancel and surrender the bond
given by Whittlesey and endorsed by Fair-
banks and Keyes, on condition of the latter
giving another, payable witli interest in two
years, for the balance remaining unaccounted
for — thus virtually closing up a business
arrangement which had been a continued
occasion for anxiety and trouble to them
through successive years.

In speaking of the Whittlesey matter, to
the author of this History, Mr. Fairbanks
said :

Before we executed our plan we had positive evi-
dence of his knowledge of the transaction and of
his guilt; and, on the strength of that, we did not
expect to proceed to extremities further than to
frighten him until he informed us where the money
was secreted. But his stubborness held out much
longer than we supposed it would or could. When
we put the evidence of his guilt before him in such
a plain manner his looks were evidence of it. We
informed him that there was no doubt about it, and
I believe that there is not one case in a thousand
where evidence was so palpable as in this case. But
Lynch Law is a dangerous one. and I would not ad-
vise it. But with other guilty parties who have
stolen from me and been detected, I believe I have
used more mild and lenient measures. I have prob-
ably caught twenty persons pilfering from me, and I
have always made them give me a confession in
writing, and then promised them, that as they had
relatives who would be disgraced by their conduct,
I would keep it a profound secret until they commit-
ted the crime again, when I would prosecute them,
I found this plan the surest method of reforming
them.

THE "PATRIOT" WAR.

COPIED FROM haddock's HISTORY OK JEFFERSON COUNTY, N. Y.

|URING the fall of 1837 there occurred one
of the most curious, and what would now
be classed as inexcusable and i.isane, episodes
that Jefferson county and the whole northern
frontier had ever witnessed — nothing more
nor less than a popular effort on the part of
American citizens to overthrow the govern-
ment of Canada by an unwarranted invasion
of the frontier towns, expecting to arouse the
people to immediate participation in the re-
bellious effort as soon as a stand should have
been made. Ridiculous as this affair appears
at this day, it was a popular and an enthu-
siastic effort at the time, drawing into its
service many educated and apparently level-
headed men, and meeting with an amount of
smypathy in Northern New York that was
really astonishing.

There had been for some time considerable
discontent in Canada, some claiming that
they were virtually shut out from proper
participation in the government, and their
repeated efforts to obtain better legislation had
been disregarded. This discontent was more
pronounced in the Lower Province, where
the French Canadians had great influence, and
had never in their hearts yielded a loyal sup-
port to the English rule over a country which
had once belonged to Franct. It was said at
the time that the charges made by the Cana-
dians against their rulers were greater than
the causes that separated the American colo-
nies from the English. The Reform party in
Parliament of the Upper Province was led by
William Lyon McKenzie. and Papenau was
the leader in the Lower Province. The Home

Government sustained all the alleged oppres-
sive acts of the local government. The Re-
form party refused to vote supplies for the
support of the government, and the Parlia-
ments were dissolved. The excitement had
become great all through the provinces, ex-
tending to the frontiers on this side. The
parliament buildings at Montreal were burned.
The first collision between the Reform parties
and the Tories, in the Upper Province, was
on Yonge street, Toronto, where several were
killed. The feeling now became very intense.
The reform party contained many determined
and resolute men, but they desired relief from
British oppression through peaceful means.
They had never contemplated a resort to arms,
but the feeling in both provinces was aroused
to such an extent that it could not be peace-
ably controlled. The feeling for the " relief "
of Canada seemed to pervade all classes; secret
societies were formed in the principal towns
on this side as well as many on the Canadian
side of the river. They wer^ called Hunter's
Lodges, and had signs and pass-words by
which they could recognize each other.

In the summer of 1837, William Lyon Mc-
Kenzie and Gen. Van Rensselaer, with 300
men, established themselves on Navy Island in
Canadian waters, between Chippewa and
Grand Island, in the Niagara river. Rein-
forcements came to Navy Island from the
American side. The little steamer " Caro-
line " was chartered to carry passengers and
freight to the island from Buffalo. On the
night of November 29, 1837, while this
steamer was moored at Schlosser's wharf, a

THE "PATRIOT" WAR.

143

;ged oppres-
The Re-
)lies for the
the Parlia-
itement had
"ovinres, ex-
side. Tile
vere burned.
;form parties
rovince, was
several were
very intense.
' determined
i relief from
efiil means,
sort to arms,
was aroused
)t be peace-
the " relief "
asses; secret
cipal towns
e Canadian
ed Hunter's
5s-words by
other.

ri Lyon Mc-
T, with 3CO
vy Island in
ippewa and
iver. Rein-
d froni the
Tier *' Caro-
isengers and
lo. On the
while this
r's wharf, a

captain in the English army with a company
of British soldiers, boarded her and set her on
fire, and cutting the boat loose, sent her adrift
.)ver Niagara Falls. One Captain Alexander
McLeod, while on a debauch at Niagara,
made his boast that he was one of the gang
that burned the Caroline. He was arrested
tor the murder of Durfee. His trial was com-
menced at Canandaigua, but it was considered
unsafe and he was removed to Utica. His
defense was that he acted under the authority
of the British government. He proved an
alibi and was acquitted, being defended by
able Canadian lawyers. The outrage was
complained of by Governor Marcy to Martin
Van Buren, then President of the United
States, but no demand on the British govern-
ment was fc.er made. The President issued
a proclamation forbidding all persons from
aiding or assisting, in any way, the rebellious
acts of any people, or collection of people
who interfered with the execution of the laws
of a friendly nation, declaring all such persons
outlaws and not entitled to the protection of
the American government.

Great preparations were soon made for an
attack upon Kingston, while the St. Lawrence
was bridged with ice- On the night of Feb-
ruary 19, 1838, the arsenal at Watertown,
N. Y., was broken into and 400 stand of arms
were taken. The arsenals at Batavia and
Elizabethtown were also plundered. On the
20th of February patriots began to flock to
French Creek in large numbers with a supply
of arms and ammunition, consisting of 1,000
stand of arms, twenty barrels of cartridges and
a large store of provisions. It was intensely
cold, and the men suffered from exposure.
General Rensselaer Van Rensselaer, a son of
General Van Rensselaer, of the war of 1812,
was to assume the command. Either thfrough
the cowardice of the officers or the men, no
man saw Canadian soil, and after much talk
of bravery the men dispersed to their homes.
It was reported that Colonel Bonnycastle, at
the head of 1,600 men, was coming from
Kingston to make an attack upon the town,
and through fear and of the loved ones at
home, the patriots scattered without much

ceremony, leaving all their arms and ammuni-
tion behind. This flight homeward was as
ridiculous as their attempt was insane.
. On the night of May 30, 1838, the Canadian
steamer, Sir Robert Peel, which was com-
manded by John B. Armstrong, on her way
from Brockville to Toronto, with nineteen
passengers and about ^20,000 in specie for
paying off the troops in the Upper Province,
was taking on wood at McDonnell's wharf, in
the southern channel of the St. Lawrence,
above Alexandria Bay, when a company of
men, led by " Bill " Johnston, the alleged hero
uf the Thousand Islands, disguised and painted
like savages, armed with muskets and bayonets,
rushed on board, shouting, " Remember the
Caroline." The night was dark and rainy.
The passengers (who were asleep in the cabin)
together with the crew were ordered on shore.
The boat was then pushed out into the river
and burned. The sunken hull can be seen
there to this day. Heavy rewards were
offered for the apprehension of the offenders
by both governments. Tv/elve of the band
were arrested and held in the Watertown jail
for about six months. On the 2d of June,
Anderson was indicted and held for arson in
the first degree. He was tried before John
P. Cushman, one of the circuit judges, and
defended by Calvin McKnight, Benjamin
Wright, John Clark and Bernard Bagley.
After a deliberation of two hours the jury
brought in a Verdict of " not guilty." After
a time the others were released on their own
recognizance, and were never subjected to a
trial.

William Johnston was born in Lower Canada
and became a confidential friend of William
Lyon McKenzie. He became a leader in the
Reform party, and afterwards removed to
French Creek. He was a man of great ener^,
but bore a bad reputation. Johnston was now
considered the patriotic commander, and a
band under his command fortified themselves
on one of the islands within the Jefferson
county line. His daughter, Kate Johnston,
held communication with them and furnished
them with provisions and supplies. It was at
this time that Johnston published the following

144

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

curious manifesto — which is, so far as the
writer knows, the only instance in which an
outhiw had the " cheek " to declare war from
his place of hiding against a friendly nation:

" I, William Johnston, a natural born citizen of
Upper Canada, do hereby declare that I hold a com-
mission in the Patriot service as commander-in-chief
of the naval forces and tiotilla. I commanded the
expedition that captured and destroyed the Sii'
Robert Peel. The men under my command in that
expcdi ion were nearly all natural born English sub-
jects. The exceptions were volunteers. My head-
quarters are on an island in the St. Lawrence without
the line of the jurisdiction of the United States, at a
place named by me Fort Wallace. I am well ac-
quainted with the boundary line and know which
of the islands do, and which do not, belong to the
United States. Before I located my headquarters I
referred to the decisions of the commissioner made
at Utica, under the sixth article of the treaty of
Ghent. I know the number of the island and know
that by the division of the commissions it is British
territory. I yet hold possession of the station and
act under orders. The object of my movement is
the independence of the Canadas. I am not at war
with the commerce or property of the United States.

" Signed this loth day of June in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
" WILLIAM JOHNSTON."

The effect of this manifesto was quite im-
portant, as it was distributed through all the
provinces and in all parts of the frontier States.
The excitement along the frontiers grew more
intense. Sir Allan McNab, the governor-
^ general, fearing for tlie safety of his life, had
.'y- y " resigned, and in returning to England ])assed
through Watertown disguised as a laborer.
He was recognized by Jason Fairbanks while
C'i '- //J? sitting on a wheelbarrow in front of Gilson's
^ \ ( tavern, waiting for the stage for Utica. Being
advised by some of the leading men that he
need have no fear of danger while travelling
^ througli the States, he changed his disguise
and assumed his former dignity. Lord Dur-
ham succeeded him as governor-general. The
secret lodges were now making large additions
to their membership. It had now become
evident that a stand was to be made some-
where for the threatened invasion.

On the loth of November, two schooners,
the " Charlotte," of Oswego, and the " Isa-
belle," of Toronto, left Oswego with arms and

ammunition and about 300 men for some
Canadian point on the St. Lawrence. Tiic
steamer " United States " left Oswego on the
following morning for the same destination,
touching at Sackets Harbor and taking on
board about 100 men, besides arms and am-
munition. Ti'.e schooners had proceeded ;is
far as Millen's Bay, below Cape Vincent, and
the steamer " United States" coming up took
them in tow, one on each side. There were
now about 500 men on board the boat, all
young, destined for some point known to but
very few, if any, except the officers. They
were fully officered, Gen. J. Ward Birge hold-
ing the appointment of commander-in-chief.
He was very sanguine, but his subsequent
acts made him conspicuous as a coward.
These vessels being well supplied with field
pieces, small arms, ammunition and provisions,
started on the morning of the i/th of Novem-
ber, down the river. When passing Alexan-
dria Bay, Charles Crossmon, one of these
" patriots," then a young man of twenty years,
full of patriotic impulses, little thought that
one day at this jioint a beautiful tourist home
should bear his name.

The boats swept down the river until
abreast of Prescott. At that point the ,
schooners were detached, and dropped down
to Windmill Point, about a mile below the city,
where stood an abandoned windmill.

In trying to land, the schooners ran aground,
one near the point and the other farther down
the river. About 250 men landed from the
schooners, and the greater part of the guns
and ammunition, together with one twelve
pounder and two brass seven pounders were
brought down. They then took possession of
the windmill, which they held with three
other stone buildings. The schooners, after
getting afloat with the balance of the men and
ammunition, sailed for Ogdensburg. This
looked rather discouraging to the men in the
windmill, to see thcFe schooners leave them
with many of their men and nearly all of
their provisions and ammunition. Colonel
Worth and the United States Marshal, Gar-
ron, afterwards seized the vessels and all of
their cargoes. Prospects began to darken for

THE "PATRIOT" WAR.

145

n for some
■ence. Tlic
kveji;o on the
destination,
taking on
IS and aiii
roceeded ;is
''incent, and
ing up took
Tliere were
he boat, all
lown to but
;ers. They

Birge hold-
ler-in-chief.
subsequent

a coward.
1 with field

provisions,

of Noveni-
ng Alexan-
; of these
k'enty years,
lought that
)urist home

river until
point the
ped down

)w the city,

n aground,

ther down

from the

the guns

ne twelve

iders were

^session of

nth three

ners, after

L' men and

rg. This

nen in the

ave them

rly all of

Colonel

hal. Gar-

ind all of

arken for

the Patriots. They were deserted by nearly
all of their ofificers. General Birge wilted at
the first chance of facing British bullets. It
happened that among the Patriot band was a
Polish exile, Niles Sobelitcki Von Schoultz,
who came from Salina. He was of noble birth,
his father being an officer of high rank, and
he himself had been an officer in the Polish
service. He had been deluded into the pro-
ject of freeing Canada from "tyranny and

river. They landed at Prescott. It was now
evident that some fighting was to be done.
Von Schoultz gave great encouragement to
his men, advising them to brave the British
bullets and stand by each other to the last
man. They agreed to follow wherever he
should lead.

The British steamers were now patroling
the river, and occasionally firing shots at the
wind-mill. One shot was fired at the steamer

V. ■ _.■,

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Pi ..

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BAT-WING SAIL.

•oppression." In the emergency he was now
placed in command. It had all along been
understood that as soon as a stand was made
by any Patriot force, the Canadians would
tlock to their standard. In this they now
found themselves grossly deceived ; not a
single man came to their relief. They were
looked upon as brigands and robbers. On the
morning of the i8th, three Canadian steam-
boats, the " Coburg," the *' Experiment " and
the " Traveller," with about 400 regular troops
from Kingston, were seen coming down the

"United States" while in American waters
passing through her wheel house, killing the
man at the wheel. The British troops, under
Colonel Dundas, came marching from Pres-
cott to annihilate the Patriots. Von Schoultz
marched his men out of the building into the
field. They formed in line behind a stone
fence, which they used as a breast-work.
The British commenced firing when about
150 yards away, and continued their firing as
they advanced, without doing any injury.
The " Patriots " held their fire until the

14^)

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

enemy had advanced to wiiliiii fifteen rods,
and then they got the order to fire. This
broad-side resulted in killing thirty-six British
soldiers, and wounding many others. The
British fell back, but the firing continued on
both sides. This was followed by the with-
drawal of the "Patriots" — some into the
wind-mill, and others occupying the outhouses,
but continuing their fire at long range. The
cannon shots aimed at the mill glanced off
and produced no effect upon the walls. The
battle raged three hours and twenty minutes,
during which time six of the Patriots had been
killed, and twenty-one wounded. It was esti-
mated that seventy-five of t'ne British lay dead
upon the field, and 150 were wounded.
Colonel Dundas now sent a flag of truce, ask-
ing a cessation of hostilities for an hour, that
he might remove his dead and wounded, which
was cheerfully granted by Von Schoultz.

The strife was watched with intense interest
by a large crowd of people at Ogdensburg,
directly opposite. The river now being clear,
Hon. Preston King, with a few volunteers,
chartered the " Paul Pry " to go over and get
the Patriots away from the wind-mill. This
was done probably by consent of the British
forces. The boat went over, but only a few
of the men chose to leave. Jonah Woodruff,
the artist, afterwards the sleeping-car inventor
and proprietor, was one of those who came
away on the " Paul Pry." As time was prec-
ious, the night dark and the limit of the truce
uncertain, the men in the mill irresolute and
under poor military subjection, Mr. King and
his party were forced to leave with but few,
when all could have been saved.

About 10 o'clock on the third day the
British regulars, reinforced with about 1,000
militia, came bearing down upon this almost
defenseless band in the old mill. They had
but little ammunition left, but they resolved
to sell their lives as dearly as possible. The
troops continued firing their cannon and vol-
leys of musket balls, however, without peril-
ous effect. At length Von Schoultz ordered
a cannon loaded with musket balls, spikes and
pieces of iron placed in the door of the mill,
and at an opportune moment it was dis-

charged, killing twenty-five of the British and
wounding as many more. This threw thtm
into confusion, and they retreated.

At length Von Schoultz saw that his men
could not stand another charge, and, with
much reluctance, sent out a flag of truce, the
bearers of which were immediately taken pris-
oners. They then displayed a white flag from
the top of the mill, but no notice was taken of
it. Towards night Colonel Dundas sent out
a flag demanding a surrender of the men at
his discretion. Von Schoultz offered to sur-
render as prisoners of war, but Colonel Dun-
das would grant no conditions. Finally the
little band, finding opposition hopeless, gave
themselves up without terms into the hands of
the British commander.

Thus ended one of the most foolish and ill-
conceived expeditions that was ever under-
taken. Nineteen of the patriots were killed,
thirty-five were wounded and about 190 were
taken prisoners. The latter were placed on
board the steamers and taken to Kingston,
where they were confined in Fort Henry. It
was estimated that about 125 of the British
were killed and 200 wounded.

The prisoners were confined in squads of
fifteen 'to twenty in small rooms in the fort,
and placed under a strong guard. Sir George
Arthur had decided that they were brigands
and must be tried by a court martial, to be
composed of seven field officers and seven
captains of the line.

The serious condition of these prisoners
excited the sympathy of the people of Jeffer-
son county as well as of their friends, and
meetings were held in all the towns under
great excitement, petitions being circulated
far and wide and extensively signed. These
were presented to Sir George Arthur, the
governor-general, asking clemency for these
poor deluded victims. The best legal talent
in the State volunteered their aid in defence
of the prisoners, and in mitigation of their
condition. William H. Seward, Philo Grid-
ley, Hiram Denio, Joshua A. Spencer, Bernard
Bagley and George C. Sherman, all united and
used their best efforts in appealing to the
governor-general for clemency.

THE "PATRIOT" WAR.

; British and
threw them

hat his iiK-n
s, and, with
of truce, I lie
y taken \\\u-
lite flag from
was taken of
idas sent out
the men it
'ered to siir-
'olonel Dun-
Finally the
opeless. gave
the hands of

olish and ill-
ever under-
were killed,
out 190 were
:e placed on
to Kingston,
t Henry. It
f the British

in squads of
in the fort,
Sir George
ere brigands
nartial, to he
s and seven

se prisoners
pie of JefTer-
friends, and
towns under
g circulated
;ned. These

Arthur, the
cy for these
: legal talent
id in defence
tion of their

Philo Grid-
icer, Bernard
ill united and
aling to the

The court convened on the 28th of Novem-
ber; Daniel George being the first prisoner to
be tried, pleaded not guilty. When he was
taken from the steamer, papers were found in
his pockets commissioning him as paymaster
of the eastern division of the Patriot army.
Von Schoultz was then brought before the
court for trial. He employed the barrister.
Sir John McDonald, to aid him in his defense.
He pleaded guilty. He sent a written appeal
to *he governor-general, in which he stated
that he was deluded into joining in the inva-
sion of Canada by the gross misrepresenta-
tions of such men as J. Ward Birge and Will-
iam Lyon McKenzie, who claimed to know
the sentiment and wishes of the people of
Canada, and that they would be received with
open arms. Also, that the militia, when
called out, would llock to their standard. All
of which proved to be a base delusion. He
asked for mercy at his hands. Every means
of influence which could be brought to bear
upon the governor-general by such men as
Judge Fine, Silas Wright and a host of others,
could not change his determination of execut-
ing all the officers and leaders.

Dorephus Abbey, a former newspaper editor
of Watertown, was the next to be tried. He
was captured while carrying a flag of truce,
and was next in rank to Von Schoultz. Next
was Martin Woodruff. All of these, after
trial, namely : Daniel George, Nicholas Von
Schoultz, Dorephus Abbey and Martin Wood-
ruff were sentenced by Sir George Arthur to
be hanged, and this sentence was carried out
December 8th. Von Schoultz made his will,
giving, among his many bequests, ^10,000 for
the benefit of the families of the British
soldiers who were killed at the battle of the
Windmill. He also wrote the following pa-
thetic and farewell letter to his friend, Warren
Green, of Syracuse :

" Dear Friend. —When you get this letter, I shall
be no more. I have been informed that my execu-
tion will take place to-morrow. May God forgive
them who brought me to this untimely death. Hard
as my fate is, I have made up my mind to forgive
them, and do. I have been promised a lawyer to
write my will — intend to appoint you my executor.
If the British government permits it, I wish my body

delivered to you and buried uii yuui funn. I have
no time to write more because I have great need of
communicating with my Creator to prepare myself
for His presence. The time allowed me for this is
short. My last wish to the Americans is, that they
will not think of avenging my death. Let no further
blood be shed. And believe me, from what I have
seen, all the stories which were told of the sulFerings
of the Can.^dian people were untrue. Give my love
to your sister, and tell her that I think of lier as I do
of my own mother. May God reward her for her
kindness. I further beg of you to take care of W. J.
so that he may find honorable bread. Farewell, my
dear friends. May God bless you and protect you.
"December 18,

"N. VON SCHOULTZ."

Joel Peeler and Sylvanus Sweet were exe-
cuted, January 11, 1839. Sylvester Lawton,
Duncan Anderson, Christopher Buckley, Rus-
sell Phelps and Lyman H. Lewis were sent to
the scaffold, February 11. They were fol-
lowed by Martin Van Slyke, William O'Neal
and James Cummings. The officers now
having all been dealt with, they made quick
work trying the men under them. The pris-
oners were brought into court in squads of
from ten to fifteen, and asked a few questions,
and were then returned to their quarters.
They all expected that their doom was sealed,
and were anxiously awaiting their death war-
rants. But a powerful influence was brought
to bear upon Governor-General Arthur, and
he finally decided that there would be no more
executions, and went so far as to say that a
number of them would be pardoned. The
court had adjourned from January 4th to
February 26th. The prisoners were allowed
to receive visits from their friends, but under
close guard. On the 8th of April the steamer
" Commodore Barry " arrived at Sackets
Harbor with twenty-two prisoners, pardoned
by the governor-general. And on the 27th
of April, thirty-seven more pardoned prisoners
arrived at the same place. All released were
under twenty-one years of age. The balance
of the men remained in the fort all summer,
uncertain as to their fate, whether they would
be pardoned or banished. On the 17th of
September, 1839, orders were given to prepare
for departure, and ninety-five of them were
heavily ironed, placed in canal barges and

148

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

taken to Montreal, and there, with another
lot of prisoners, making about 150 in all, were
put on board the ship " Huffalu," bound for
Van Dieman's Island.

February 13, 1840, after an uneventful
voyage, they landed in the harbor of Hobart
Town, After the inspector had taken a de-
scription of them, the governor, Sir John
Franklin, who afterwards died during a voy-
age of exploration to the Arctic region, came
to see them, and after looking them over,
read their sentence, which was banishment
for life. He was happy to learn of the cap-
tain of the " Buffalo " that they had behaved
remarkably well during the voyage. He also
informed them that they would be placed at
hard labor on the public roads with other
convicts, and that with good behavior, after
three years, they would be granted tickets of
leave, which would give them the liberty of
the island.

After three years of this service, they were
granted tickets of leave, but were confined
within certain limits, and obliged to report at
the station every Saturday night. If they so
desired, they could be changed from one dis-
trict to another. The deliverance from the
heavy work they had hitherto endured was a
blessing, and gave them new life. A reward
of a pardon and free passage to America hav-
ing been offered by the governor to any of
the convicts who would capture some bush-
rangers who were infesting the island, W.
Gates, Stephen Wright, Aaron Dresser and
George Brown succeeded in discovering the
hiding-place and capturing two of the rangers.
They were pardoned, and, after a long voy-
age, returned to America, having served five
years of a convict's life.

In September, 1845, the governor com-
menced to deal out pardons of ten and fifteen
at a time. He thought it not quite safe to
liberate too many at once. During the year
1846, all of the Canadian prisoners had re-
ceived pardons excepting some few whose
behavior did not entitle them to such a re-
ward.

Thus ended the Patriot war. It was not
without some beneficent results to the

Canadas, for the home government granted
them a new charter, by .vhich the provinces
were united into a dominion with a parlia
ment. The Tories were defeated in the par
liament, and the Reform party, after driving
them from power, assumed control of tiu'
State. Even the outlaw, William Lyon M( -
Kenzie, was restored to citizenship, and was
for many years a member of parliament, antl
the premier of the government. A curious
phase of the Patriot troubles was the effect on
the political heads of National and State
governments. President Van Buren and
Governor Marcy were both soundly denounced
by many newspapers for performing their
duty in enforcing the neutrality laws, and lost
many votes in the frontier States. Marcy was
succeeded by Seward, and on the day the
election of Harrison was announced in Wash-
ington, the boys shouted about the White
House the refrain : " Van! Van ! is a used-up
man." And even General Scott attributed
his failure to receive the Whig nomination at
the Harrisburg National Convention to tlu'
machinations of Col. Solomon Van Rensse-
laer, a delegate from New York, who held a
spite against General Scott for having
" s(iuelched " his son, the general in com-
mand at Navy Island. j. A. h.

During the " Patriot " war, Watertown and
the adjoining towns were filled with ex-
patriated " Patriots " who had (led from
Canada to avoid arrest and imprisonment for
alleged treason. Watertown being the head-
quarters of the Canadian leaders, William
Lyon McKenzie, Van Rensselaer, and others,
were located at the old stone Mansion House,
kept by Luther Gilson, on the site of the
present Iron block. The old hostelry was
crowded with the patriots. During the early
winter of 1838, the then governor-general of
Upper Canada, who had been recalled from
his position by the British government, was
ordered to return. This notable official was
Sir Francis Bond-Head, an ex-officer of the
British army, and thoroughly despised in
Canada. Wishing to reach New York to sail
for England, he undertook to make the jour-

:nt granted
; provinces
;h a parlia
in the par
"ter driving
trol of till'

Lyon M( -
p, and wa^
anient, and

A curious
he effect on

and State
Huren and
r denounced
rming their
ws, and lost

Marcy was
he day the
ed in Wasli-

the White
is a used-up
t attributed
imination at
ition to the
^an Rensse-
who held a
for havini;
iral in com-

j. A. H.

tertown and
with ex-
fled from
sonment for
g the head-
rs, William
and others,
ision House,
site of the
lostelry was
ig the early
r- general of
;called from
rnment, was
official was
fficer of the
despised in
York to sail
ke the jour-

THE "PATRIOT" WAR.

149

ney by stage to Utica via Watertown. Not
desirous of meeting his expatriated subjects
for fear of recognition and possible insult, he
determined to pass through incognito. Leav-
ing Kingston during the night, accompanied
by a prominent citi/en of tliat city, to whom
lie qcted the part of valet (or gentleman's
gentleman), he arrived safely next morning by
wagon and driver, hired as an " extra." The
driver, not being informed as to tiie (luality or

a bright and shrewd fellow. After a short
time, Scanlon noticed that the valet was miss-
ing, and his suspicions were aroused, so he
began to hunt him up. After looking high
and low and all around the public scpiare
without finding him, he continued to search
elsewhere, and at last found the lost valet
cosily sitting on a wheelbarrow near the
stables. Walking up to the late governor-
general, he recognized him at once. Intro-

SIONALING THE "NORTH KING," OF THE CANADIAN LINE.

rank of his passengers, drove straight to the
Mansion House, and landed his man at the
headquarters of his enemies. It was just
after the breakfast hour, and the lobby was
filled with the Patriot community, who recog-
nized the Kingston citizen and greeted him
cordially, but did not recognize the valet,
who discreetly kept in the back ground.
Prominent among the Patriot leaders at the
hotel was Hugh Scanlon, an Irish-Canadian,

ducing himself, Scanlon invited him to break-
fast and to meet his late subjects, assuring
him that he would be welcome, and receive
every courtesy due his rank. The governor
accepted the invitation and came forward.
He was met by all in a courteous and friendly
way, and was assisted in his arrangements for
departure. He left town in a coach and four,
with cheers, and without a single uncompli-
mentary remark. a. j. f.

liJ ij

AN EPISODE or NORTHERN NEW YORK.

MAJOR JOHN A. HADDOCK S CELEMRATED HALLOON VOYAGE WITH i^KOFESSOU

JOHN LA MOUNTAIN.

IT is now about thirty-five years since the
undersigned made the memorable balloon
voyage with Professor LaMountain — a voyage
intended to be short and pleasant, but which
resulted in a long and most disastrous one,
entailing the loss of the valuable balloon, and
seriously endangering the lives of the travel-
lers. Since then, LaMountain, after serving
through the great rebellion, has made his last
" voyage," and has entered upon that exist-
ence where all the secrets of the skies are as
well defined and understood as are the course
of rivers here on the earth.

To fully understand my reasons for making
the trip, some leading facts should be pre-
sented:

I. There had been, all through the year
1859, much excitement in the public mind
upon the subject of ballooning. In August
of that year, I returned from I-abrador, and
found that the balloon Atlantic, with Wise,
Hyde, Gaeger and LaMountain, had been
driven across apart of Lake Ontario, while on
their great trip from St. Louis to New York
city, and had landed and been wrecked in
Jefferson county, N. Y. , and the people of
that whole section were consequently in a
state of considerable excitement upon the sub-
ject of navigating the air.*

* The Wise named above was the celebrated aero-
naut, Professor John Wise, of Lancaster, Pa.; and I
m.iy here remark that the trip made by him and his
associates is by far the longest on record. Leaving
St. Louis at about 4 p. m., they passed the whole
night in the air, were carried across the States of
Illinois, Indiana, a portion of Ohio and Michigan,
over the whole northwestern breadth of Pennsylva-

2. I had heard of other newspaper editors
making trips in balloons, had read their glow-
ing accounts, and it seemed to me like a very
cunning thing. Desiring to enjoy " all that
was a-going," I naturally wanted a balloon
ride, too, and therefore concluded to go, ex-
pecting to be absent from nome not more than
ten or twelve hours at the longest, and to
have a good time. Being a newspaper man,
and always on the alert for news, I had also
a natural desire to do all in my power to add
to the local interest of my journal, and for
that reason felt a willingness to go througli
with more fatigue and hazard than men are ex-
pected to endure in ordinary business pursuits.

3. I felt safe in going, as I knew that La-
Mountain was an intrepid and successful
aeronaut, and I thought his judgment was to
be depended upon. How he was misled as to
distance, and how little he knew, or any man
can know, of air navigation, the narrative will
readily demonstrate.

nia and New York, and were at last wrecked in a
huge tree-top near the shore of Lake Ontario, at
about 3 p. M. the next day, escaping with severe
bruises, but without broken bones, after a journey
of eleven hundred miles. These adventurers did
not travel as fast, nor encounter the perils that
awaited us, but they made a longer voyage. It was
with this same balloon Atlantic that LaMountain and
myself made our trip; but it had been reduced one-
third in size, and was as good as new. John Wise
afterwards lost his life in a balloon, but just where
he perished was never known. Gaeger was a manu-
facturer of crockery, and he died in Massachusetts.
Hyde is publishing a newspaper in one of the west-
ern States. LaMountain died in his bed at Lansing-
burgh, N. Y., about 1884.

KOFESSOK

iper editors
their glow-
like a very
ly " all that
I a balloon
i to go, ex-
»t more than
est, and to
spaper man.
, I had also
jwer to add
lal, and for
go through
men are ex-
ess pursuits,
ew that La-
successful
lent was to
misled as to
or any man
arrative will

wrecked in a
e Ontario, at
with severe
ter a journey
'enturers did
e perils that
:age. It was
Mountain and
reduced one-
John Wise
it just where
rwas a manu-
[assachusetts.
3 of the west-
id at Lansing-

MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S CELEBRATED HALLOON VOYAGE.

151

With these explanations, I will proceed with
my original narrative, nearly as written out at
\\v: time.

Nearly every one in VVatertown is aware
that the second ascension of the balloon At-
l.iiuic was advertised for the 20th of Sci)tom-
ber, 1859. The storm of that and the follow-
ing day obliged the postponement of the
ascension until the 22d. Every arrangement
had been made for a successful inflation, and
at 27 minutes before 6 i'. m., the glad words
"all aboard " were heard from LaMountain,
and that distinguished .neronaut and myself
stepped into the car. Many were the friendly
hands we shook — many a fervent "God bless
you," and " happy voyage," were uttered —
and many handkercliiefs waved their mute
adieus. " Let go ail," and away we soared ;
in an instant all minor sounds of earth had
ceased, and we were lifted into a silent
si)here, whose shores were without an echo,
their silence equaled only by that of the
i^rave. No feeling of trepidation was experi-
■nced ; an extraordii .> . elation took posses-
sion of us, and fear was as far lemoved as
though we hu.>l been sitting in our own rooms
at home.

Two or three things struck me as peculiar
in looking down from an altitude of half a
mile : the small appearance of our village
from such a height and the beautiful mechani-
cal look which the straight fences and oblong
sfjuare fields of the farmers present. As we
rose into the light, fleecy clouds, they looked
between us and the earth like patches of snow
we see lying upon the landscape in spring-
time ; but when we rose a little higher the
clouds completely shut out the earth, and the
cold, white masses below us had precisely the
same look that a mountainous snow-covered
country does, as you look down upon it from
a higher mountain. Those who have crossed
tlie Alps — or have stood upon one of the
lofty summits of the Sierra Nevada, and gazed
down upon the eternal snows below and
around them, will be able to catch the idea.
In six minutes we were far above all the
clouds, and the sun and we were face to face.
We saw the time after that when his face

would have been very welcome to us. In
eight minutes after leaving the earth, the
thermometer showed a fall of 24 degrees. It
stood at 84 wiien we left. The balloon ro-
tated a good deal, proving that we were as-
cending with great rapidity. At 5:48 the
thermometer stood at 42, and failing very
fast. At 5:150 we were at least two miles high
— thermometer 34.

An unpleasant ringing sensation had now
become painful, and I filled both ears with
cotton. At 5:52 we put on our gloves and
shawls — thermometer 32. The wet sandbags
nov,' became stiff with cold — they were
frozen. Ascending very rapidly. At 5:54
thermometer 28, and falling. Here we caught
our last sight of the earth by daylight. I
recognized the St. Lawrence to the southwest
of us, which showea ' e were drifting nearly
nortii. At 6 o'clock u .■ thought we were de-
scending a little, a, id LaMountain directed
me to throw o 1 about .'o po'l^Js of ballast.
'I'nis shot us uj) again-- tl.jimometer 26, and
falling vtry slowly At 6:05 thermometer
22 — my feet wticv^ry cold. The Atlantic
was now full, r\nd presented a most splendid
sight. The gas began to discharge itself at
the mouth, and its abominable smell, a;; it
came down upon us, made me sick. A mo-
tiient's vomiting helped my casie materially.
LaMountain was suffering a good deal with
cold. I passed my thick shawl around his
shoulders, and put the blanket over our knees
and feet. At 6:10 thermometer 18. We
drifted along until the sun left us, and in a
short time thereafter the balloon began to de-
scend. We must have been, before we began
to descend from this height, 3^ miles high.
At 6:32 thermometer 23 ; rising. We were
now about stationary, and thought we were
sailing north of east. We could, we thought,
distinguish water below us, but were unable
to recognize it. At 6:38 we threw over a bag
of sand, making 80 pounds of ballast dis-
charged, and leaving about 120 pounds on
hanJ. We distinctly heard a dog bark.
Thermometer 28 — and rising rapidly. At
6:45 ^^^ thermometer stood at 33.

At 6:50 it was dark, and I could make no

152

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

more memoranda. I put up my note book,
pencil and watch, and settled down in the
basket, feeling quite contented. From this
point until next morning I give my experience
from memory only. The figures given were
made at the time indicated, and the thern'' -
metric variations can be depended on as quite
accurate.

We heard, soon after that, a locomotive
whistle, and occasionally could hear wagons
rumbling over the ground or a bridge, while
the farmers' dogs kept up a continual baying,
as if conscious there was something unusual
in the sky. We sailed along, contented and
chatty, until about half-past eight o'clock,
when we distinctly saw lights below us, and
heard the roaring of a mighty water-fall. We
descended into a valley near a very high
mountain, but, as the place appeared rather
forbidding, we concluded to go up again.
Over with 30 pounds of ballast, and sky-ward
we sailed. In about 20 minutes we again de-
scended, but this time no friendly light
greeted us. We seemed to be over a dense
wilderness, and the balloon was settling down
into a small lake. We had our life-preservers
ready for use, but got up again by throwing
out all our ballast, except perhaps 20 pounds.
LaMountain now declared it was folly to stay
up any longer, that we were over a great wil-
derness, and the sooner we descended the
better. We concluded to settle down by the
side of some tall tree, tie up, and wait until
morning. In a moment we were near the
earth, and as we gently descended I grasped
the extreme top of a high spruce, which
stopped the balloon's momentum, and we
were soon lashed to the tree by our large
drag-rope.

We rolled ourselves up in our blankets, pa-
tiently waiting for the morning. The cold
rain spouted down upon us in rivulets from
the great balloon that lazily rolled from side
to side over our heads, and we were soon
drenched and uncomfortable as men could
be. After a night passed in great apprehen-
sion and unrest, we were right glad to see the
first faint rays of coming light. Cold and
rainy the morning at last broke, the typical

precursor of other dismal mornings to be
spent in that uninhabited wilderness. We
waited until 6 o'clock in hopes the rain would
cease, and that the rays of the sun, by warm-
ing and thereby expanding the gas in the bal-
loon, would give us ascending power sufficient
to get up again, for the purpose of obtainint^
a view of the country into which we had de-
scended. The rain did not cease, and we
concluded to throw over .ill we had in the
balloon, except a coat for each, the life-pre-
servers, the anchor and the compass. Over-
board, then, they went — good shawls and
blankets, bottles of ale and a flask of cordial,
ropes and traps of all kinds. The Atlantic,
relieved of this wet load, rose majestically with
us, and we were able to behold the coun-
try below. It was an unbroken wilderness of
lakes and spruce — and I began then to fully
realize that we had, indeed, gone too far,
through a miscalculation of the velocity of the
balloon. As the current was still driving us
towards the north, we dare not stay up, as we
were drifting still farther and farther into
trouble. LaMountain seized the valve-cord
and discharged the gas, and we descended in
safety to the solid earth. Making the Atlan-
tic fast by her anchor, we considered what
was to be done.

We had not a mouthful to eat, no protection
at night from the wet ground, were distant we
knew not how far from any habitation, were
hungry to start with, had no possible expecta-
tion of making a f "-e, and no definite or satis-
factory idea as to where we were. We had
not even a respectable poi ket knife, nor a pin
to make a fish hook of — indeed, we were
about as well equipped for forest life as were
the babes in the woods.

After a protracted discussion, in which all
our ingenuity was brought to bear upon the
question of our whereabouts, we settled in our
minds (mainly from the character of the tim-
ber around us), that we v re either in John
Brown's tract, or in that wilderness lying be-
tween Ottawa City and Prescott, Canada. If
this were so, then we knew that a course south
by eas*^ would take us out if we had strength
enough to travel the distance.

MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S CELEBRATED BALLOON VOYAGE.

'53

nings to be
erness. We
le rain would
in, by warm-
is in the bal-
iver sufficient
of obtaining;

I we had de-
;ase, and we
: had in the
, the life-pre-
pass. Over-
shawls and

>k of cordial,
rhe Atlantic,
estically with
d the coun-
kvilderness of
then to fully
one too far,
ilocity of the

II driving us
:ay up, as we
farther into
e valve-cord
descended in
g the Atlan-
iidered what

lo protection
e distant we
itation, were
ble expecta-
nite or satis-
e. We had
fe, nor a pin
;d, we were
life as were

in which all
ar upon the
ettled in our
• of the tim-
ber in John
;ss lying be-
Canada. If
course south
lad strength

TRAMPING IN THE WOODS.

Acting upon our conclusion, we started
through the woods towards the south-east.
After travelling about a mile we came to the
bank of a small stream flowing from the west,
and were agreeably surprised to find that
some human being had been there before us,
for we found the stumps of several small trees
and the head of a half-barrel, which had con-
tained pork. I eagerly examined the inspec-
tion-stamp ; it read :

"MESS PORK."

"P. M."

"Montreal."

This settled the question that we were in
Canada, as I very well knew that no Montreal
inspection of pork ever found its way into the
State of New York. Although the course we
had adopted was to be a south-easterly one,
we yet concluded to follow this creek to the
westward, and all day Friday we travelled up
its banks — crossing it about noon on a float-
ing log, and striking on the southern shore, a
" blazed " path, which led to a deserted lum-
ber road, and it in turn bring us to a log
shanty on the opposite bank. We bad hoped
this lumber road would lead us out into a
clearing or a settlement, but a careful exami-
nation satisfied us that the road ended here,
its objective point evidently being the shanty
on the other bank. We concluded to cross
the creek to the shanty, and stay there all
night. Collecting some small timbers for a
raft, LaMountain crossed over safely, shoving
the raft back to me. But my weight was
greater than my companion's, and the frail
structure sank under me, precipitating me
into the water. I went in all over, but swam
out, though it took all my strength to do so.
On reaching the bank I found myself so
chilled as scarcely to be able to stand. I
took off all my clothes and wrung them as dry
as I could. We then proceeded to the shanty,
where we found some refuse straw, but it was
dry, and under a pile of it we crawled — pull-
ing it over our heads and faces, in the hope
that our breath might aid in warming our
chilled bodies. I think the most revengeful.

stony heart would have pitied our condition
then. I will not attempt to describe our
thoughf as we lay there ; home, children,
wife, parents, friends, with their sad and anx-
ious faces, rose up reproachfully before us as
we tried to sleep. But the weary hours of
night at l?st wore away, and at daylight we
held a new council. It was evident, we ar-
gued, that the creek we were upon was used
by the lumbermen for " driving " their logs
in the spring freshets. If, then, we followed
it to its confluence with the Ottawa or some
streaiTi which emptied into the Ottawa, we
would eventually get out the same way the
timber went out. The roof of the shanty was
covered with the halves of hollow logs,
scooped out in a manner familiar to all woods-
men. These were dry and light, and would
make us an excellent raft. Why not, then,
take four of these, tie them to cross-pieces by
wythes and such odd things as we could find
around the shanty, and pole the craft down
stream to that c",>ilization which even a saw-
log appeared able to reach. Such, then, was
the plan adopted, although it involved the re-
tracing of all the steps hitherto taken, and an
apparent departure from the course we had
concluded would lead us out.

Without delay, then, we dragged the hollow
logs down to the creek, and LaMountain pro-
ceeded to tie them together, as he was more of
a sailor than myself. We at last got under
way, and, as we pushed off, a miserable crow
set up a dismal cawing — an inauspicious sign.
We poled down the stream about a mile,
when we came abruptly upon a large pine
tree which had fallen across the current, and
completely blockint: the passage of the raft.
No other course was left us but to untie the
raft, and push the pieces through under the
lug. This was at last accomplished, when we
tied our craft together again, and poled down
the stream. To-day each of us ate a raw frog
(all we could find), and began to realize that
we were hungry. Yet there was no com-
plaining — our talk was of the hopeful future,
and of the home and civilization we yet ex-
pected to reach. Down the creek we went,
into a lake some four miles long, and into

154

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

which we of course supposed the stream to
pass, with its outlet at the lower end. We
followed down the northern bank, keeping
always near the shore and in shallow water, so
that our poles could touch the bottom, until
we reached the lower extremity of the lake,
where we found no outlet, and so turned back
upon the southern shore in quest of one. On
reaching the head of the lake, and examining
the stream attentively, we found that the cur-
rent of the creek turned abruptly to the right,
which was the reason of our losing it. We
felt happy to have found our current again,
and plied our poles like heroes. We passed,
late in the afternoon, tlie spot where we had
at first struck the creek, and where we stuck
up some dead branches as a landmark which
might aid us in case we should, at a future
time, attempt to save the Atlantic.

When night came on we did not stop, but
kept the raft going down througii tlie shades
of awful forests, whose solemn stillness
seemed to hide from us the unrevealed mys-
tery of our darkening future. During the
morning the rain had ceased, but about lo
o'clock at night it commenced again. We
stopped the " vessel " and crawled in under
some " tag " alders on the bank, where our
extreme weariness enabled us to get, perhaps,
half an hour's sleep. Rising again (for it was
easier to pole the raft at night in the rain down
an unknown stream amidst the shadows of
that awful forest than to lie on the ground and
freeze), we pressed on until perhaps 3 in
the morning, when pure exhaustion compelled
us to stop again. This time we found a spot
where the clayey bank lacked a little of
coming down to the water. On the mud we
threw our little bundle of straw, and sat down
with our feet drawn up under us, so as to
present as little surface to the rain as possible.
But we could not stand such an uncomfort-
able position long, and as the daylight of the
Sabbath broke upon us, we were poling down
the stream in a drizzling rain. At 8 o'clock
we reached a spot at which the stream nar-
rowed, rushing over large boulders, and
between rocky shores. This was trouble,
indeed. To get our raft down this place, we

regarded as well-nigh hopeless. We tied up
and examined the shore. Here, again, we
found unmistakable marks left by the lumber-
men, they having evidently camped at this
point, to be handy by in the labor of getting
the timber over this bad spot in the stream.
The rapids were about a third of a mile long,
and very turbulent. After a protracted sur-
vey we descended the bank, and thought it
best to abandon our raft, and try our luck on
foot again. After travelling about a mile, we
found the bank so tangled and rugged, and
ourselves so much exhausted, that satisfactory
progress was impossible. So we concluded to
go back, and if we could get the raft down,
even one piece at a time, we would go on
witli her — if not, we would build as good a
place as possible to shield us from the cold
and wet, and there await with fortitude that
death from starvation which was beginning to
be regarded as a probability. This was our
third day of earnest labor and distressing
fatigue, and in all that time we had not eaten an
ounce of food, nor had dry clothing upon us.
Acting upon our resolution, we at once com-
menced to get the raft down the rapids, and I
freely confess that this was the most trying
and laborious work of a whole life of labor.
The pieces would not float over a rod at a
time, before they would stick on some stone
which the low water left above the surface,
and then you must pry the stick over in some
way, and pass it along to the next obstruction.
We were obliged to get into the stream, often
up to the middle, with slippery boulders be-
neath our feet. Several times I fell headlong
— completely using up our compass, which now
frantically pointed in any direction its addled
head took a fancy to. The water had unglued
the case, and it was ruined. After long hours
of such labor, we got the raft down, and La-
Mountain again tied it together. Passing on,
in about an hour, we came to a large lake,
about ten miles long by six broad. Around it
we must of course pass, until we should find
the desired outlet. So we turned up to the
right, and pressed on with as much resolution
as we could muster. To-day we found one
clam, which I insisted LaMountain should

MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S CELEBRATED BALLOON VOYAGE.

155

We tied up
, again, we
the lumber-
iped at this
r of getting
the stream,
a mile long,
itracted sur-
[ thought it
our luck on
t a mile, we
rugged, and
satisfactory
onckided to

raft down,
■ould go on
I as good a
)m the cold
rtitude that
beginning to
his was our

distressing
not eaten an
ng upon us.
It onceconi-
apids, and I
most trying
Fe of labor.

a rod at a

some stone
:he surface,
ver in some
obstruction,
tream, often
oulders be-
ll headlong
, which now
1 its addled
lad unglued
r long hours
m, and La-
Passing on,

large lake.

Around it

should find

1 up to the

resolution

found one
ain should

eat, as he was much weaker than myself, and
had eaten nothing on tlie day we went up.

Part of this day LaMountain slept upon the
raft, and I was " boss and all hands." As the
poor fellow lay there, completely used up, I
saw that he could not be of much more assist-
ance in getting out. Erysipelas, from which
he had previously suffered, had attacked his
right eye ; his face was shriveled so that he
looked like an old man, and his clothes
were nearly torn from his body. A
few tears could not be restrained, and
my ])rayer was for speedy deliverance
or speedy death. While my compan-
ion was asleep, and I busily poling the
raft along, I was forced to the con-
clusion, after deliberately canvassing
all the chances, that we were pretty
sure to perish there miserably at last.
But I could not cease my efforts while
I had strength, and so around the
lake we went, into all the indentations
of the shore, keeping always in shallow
water. The day at last wore away,
and we stopped at night at a place we
thought least exposed to the wind.
We dragged the end of our raft out
of the water, and laid down upon the
cold ground. We were cold when we
laid down, and both of us tremblf^d
by the hour, like men suffering from a
severe attack of the ague. The wind
had risen just at night, and the dismal
surging of the waves upon the shore,
formed, I thought, a fitting lullaby to
our disturbed and dismal slumbers.

By this time our clothes were nearly
torn off. My pantaloons were split up
both legs, and the waistbands nearly gone. My
boots were mere wrecks, and our mighty wrest-
lings in the rapids had torn the skin from ankles
and hands. LaMountain 's hat had disap-
peared ; the first day out he had thrown away
his woolen drawers and stockings, as they
(Iragged him down by the weight of water
they absorbed. And so we could sleep but
little. It really seemed as though, during this
night, we passed through the horrors of death.
But at daylight we got up by degrees, first on

one knee and then on the other, so stiff and
weak that we could hardly stand. Again
upon the silent, monotonous lake, we went —
following around its shore for an outlet.
About 10 o'clock we came to quite a broad
northern stream, which we thought was the
outlet we were seeking, and we entered it with
joy, believing it would take us to our long
sought Ottawa. Shortly after entering this

THE POP-CORN MAN, KNOWN AS OLD "JUST ABOUT.

Stream it widened out, and began to appear
like a mere lake. We poled up the westerly
shore for about seven miles, but found our-
selves again deceived as to the outlet — the
water we were upon proving to be another
lake or bayou. We had gone into this lake
with the highest hopes, but when we found
that all the weary miles of our morning travel
had been in vain, and had to be retraced, my
resolution certainly failed me for a moment.
Yet we felt that our duty, as Christian men, ,

156

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

was to press forward as long as we could
stand, and leave the issue with a higher
Power

It had now been four full days since we ate
a meal. All we had eaten in the meantime
was a frog apiece, four clams and a few wild
berries, whose acid properties and bitter taste
had probably done us more harm than good.
Our strength was beginning to fail very fast,
and our systems were evidently undergoing
an extraordinary change. I did not permit
myself to think of food — the thought of a
well-filled table would have been too much.
My mind continually dwelt upon poor Strain's
sufferings on the Isthmus of Darien (then
lately published in Harper's Magazine). He,
too, was paddling a raft down an unknown
stream, half starved, and filled with dreadful
forebodings. But I did not believe we could
hold out half as long as he had. Besides, he
was lost in a tropical country, where all
nature is kind to man ; he had firearms and
other weapons with which to kill game. We
were in a cold, inhospitable land, without
arms, and utterly unable to build a fire.
Strain was upon a stream wliich he knew
would eventually bear him to the sea and to
safety ; while we were upon waters whose
flow we positively knew nothing about, and
were as much lost as though in the mountains
of the moon. Yet we could not give it up
so, and tried to summon up fresh courage as
troubles appeared to thicken around us. So
we turned the raft around, and poled it in
silence back towards the place where we had
entered this last lake. We had gone about a
mile when we heard the sound of a gun,
quickly followed by a second report. No
sound was ever so sweet as that. We halloed
as loud as we could, a good many times, but
could get no response. We kept our poles
going quite lively, and had gone about half a
mile, when I called LaMountain's attention to
what I thought was smoke curling up among
the trees by the side of a hill. My own eye-
sight had begun to fail very much, and I felt
afraid to trust my dull senses in a matter §o
vitally important. LaMountain scrutinized
the shore very closely, and said he thought it

was smoke, and that he believed there was
also a birch canoe on the shore below. In a
few moments the blue smoke rolled unmis-
takably above the tree tops, and we felt thai

WE WERE saved!

S>ich a revulsion of feeling was almost too
much. We could hardly credit our good
fortune, for our many bitter disappointments
had taught us not to be very sanguine. With
the ends of our poles we paddled the raft
across the arm of the lake, here, perhaps,
three-quarters of a mile wide, steering for the
canoe. It proved to be a large one, evidently
an Indian's. Leaving LaMountain to guard
and retain the canoe, in case the Indian proved
timid and desired to escape from us, I pressed
hurriedly up the bank, following the foot-
prints I saw in the damp soil, and soon came
upon the temporary shanty of a lumbering
wood, from the rude chimney of which a
broad volume of smoke was rising. I hal-
loed — a noise was heard inside, and a noble-
looking Indian came to the door. I eagerly
asked him if he could speak French, as I
grasped his outstretched hand. " Yes," he
replied, " and English, too ! " He drew me
into the cabin, and there I saw the leader of
the party, a noble-hearted Scotchman named
Angus Cameron. I immediately told my
story ; that we had come in there with a bal-
loon, were lost, and had been over four days
without food — eagerly demanding to know
where we were. Imagine my surprise when
he said we were one hundred and eighty

MILES DUE NORTH OF OTTAWA, near 300

miles from Watertown. to reach which would
require more than 500 miles of travel, follow-
ing the streams and roads. We were in a
wilderness as large as three States like New
York, extending from Lake Superior on the
west, to the St. Lawrence on the east, and
from Ottawa, on the south, to the Arctic
circle.

The party consisted of four persons —
Cameron and his assistant, and a half-breed
Indian (LaMab McDougal) and his son.
Their savory dinner was ready. I immedi-
ately dispatched the young Indian for La-

MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S CELEBRATED BALLOON VOYAGE.

157

i there was
alow. In a
lied unmis-
ive felt that

almost too
t our good
^pointmems
uine. With
led the raft
re, perhaps,
;ring for the
le, evidently
in to guard
dian proved
.IS, I pressed
g the foot-
1 soon came
1 lumbering
of which a
ing. I hal-
.nd a noble-
I eagerly

rench, as I

"Yes," he
le drew me
he leader of

man named
told my

with a bal-
r four days
to know

rprise when

ND EIGHTY

near 300
vhich would
ivel, follow-
were in a
;s like New
rior on the
e east, and
the Arctic

persons —
half-breed

d his son.
I immedi-

ian for La-

Mountain, who soon came in, the absolute
picture of wretchedness. All that the cabin
contained was freely offered us, and we
BEGAN TO EAT. Language is inadequate to
express our feelings. Within one little hour
the clouds had lifted from our sombre future,
and we felt ourselves to be men once more
— no longer houseless wanderers amid pri-
meval forests, driven by chance from side
to side, but inspired by the near certainty
of seeing home again and mingling with
our fellows once more in the busy scenes of
life.

We soon learned from Cameron that the
stream we had traversed with our raft was
called Filliman's creek — the large lake we
were then near was called the Bos-ke-tong,
and drains into the Bos-ke-tong river, which in
turn drains into the Gatineau. The Gatineau
joins the Ottawa opposite the city of that
name, the seat of government of Canada.
Cameron assured us that the Bos-ke-tong and
Gatineau were so rapid and broken that no
set of men could get a raft down, no matter
how well they knew the country, nor how
much provisions they might have. He re-
garded our deliverance as purely providential,
and many times remarked that we would cer-
tainly have perished but for seeing the smoke
from his fire. He was hunting timber for
his employers, Gilmour & Co., of Ottawa,
and was to start in two days down the Gati-
neau for his headquarters at Desert. If we
would stay there until he started we were
welcome, he said, to food and accommoda-
tions, and he would take us down to Desert
in his canoe, and at that point we could get
Indians to take us further on. He also said
that he had intended to look for timber on
Filliman's creek, near where the balloon
would be found, as near as we could describe
the locality to him, and would try to look it
up and make the attempt to get it to Ottawa.
This would be a long and tedious operation,
as the portages are very numerous between
the creek and Desert — something over 20 — one
of them three miles long. Over these port-
ages, of course, the silk must be carried on
the backs of Indians.

After eating all I dared to. and duly cau-
tioning LaMountain not to hurt himself by
over-indulgence, I laid down to sleep. Be-
fore doing so, I had one of the men remove
my boots, and when they came off, nearly the
whole outer skin peeled off with the stock-
ings. My feet had become parboiled by the
continual soakings of four days and nights,
and it was fully three months before they
were cured.

After finishing up his business in the
vicinity where we found him, on Friday
morning (our ninth day from home), Cameron
started on his return. We stopped, on our
way up the creek, at the spot where we had
erected our landmark by which to find the
balloon. We struck back for the place, and
in about twenty minutes found her, impaled
on the tops of four smallish spruce trees, and
very much torn. LaMountain concluded to
abandon her. He took the valve as a me-
mento, and I cut out the letters " TIC," which
had formed part of her name, and brought
the strip of silk home with me. We reached
what is known as the " New Farm " on Friday
night, and there ended our sleeping on the
ground. Up by early dawn, and on again,
through the drenching rain, reaching Desert
on Saturday evening.

At Desert we were a good deal troubled to
obtain Indians to take us further on. La-
Mab McDougal had told his wife about the
baloon, and she, being superstitous and igno-
rant, had gossipped with the other squaws,
and told them the balloon was a " flying
devil." As we had traveled in this flying
devil, it did not require much of a stretch of
Indian credulity to believe that if we were
not the Devil's children we must at least be
closely related. In this extremity we appealed
to Mr. Backus*, a kind-hearted American

* Something quite curious grew out of my naming
Mr. Henry Backus as having assisted us at the
mouth of the Desert river. My account was gener-
ally published throughout the country, and some ten
days after our return I received a letter from a lady
in Massachusetts asking me to describe to her the
man Backus, as that was the name of her long-
absent son, who, twenty years before, had disap-
peared from home, and had never afterwards been

158

A SU UVEA' IK OF THE ST. LA WHENCE RIVER.

trader, who agreed to procure us a comple-
ment of redskins, who would take us to
Alexis le Beau's place (sixty miles down the
river), where it was thought we could obtain
horses. Sunday morning (our eleventh day
from home), we started from Desert, and
reached Alexis le Beau's just at night. The
scenery upon this part of the route was sub-
lime and imposing. The primeval forest
stood as grand and silent as when created.
Our Indians, too, surpassed anything I ever
beheld, in pliysical vigor and endurance. In
the day's run of sixty miles, there were six-
teen portages to be made. On reaching one
of these places, they would seize the canoe as
quick as we stepped out of it, jerk it out of
the water and on to their shoulders in half a
minute, and start upon a dog trot as uncon-
cernedly as though bearing no burthen. Ar-
riving at the foot of the portage, they would
toss the canoe into the stream, steady it until
we were seated, then spring in and paddle
away, gliding down the stream like an arrow.
In the morning we traveled fifteen miles and
made seven portages in one hour and forty
minutes.

At Alexis le Beau we first beheld a vehicle
denominated a "buckboard" — a wide, thick
plank reaching from one bolster of the wagon
to the other, and upon the middle of which
plank the seat was placed. This sort of con-
veyance is often used in new countries, being
very cheap, and within the reach of ordinary
mechanical skill. Starting off as soon as we
could get something to eat, we travelled all
night through the forest, over one of the worst
roads ever left unfinished, and reached Brooks'
farm, a sort of frontier tavern, in the early
morning, where we slept a couple of hours,

heard from. I answered the letter immediatelj', and
soon after learned that the man proved to be her
son, and that he had promised to come home.
What had driven him away from civilization to live
among the Indians, w.is best known to himself.
But a man of his generous impulses might have
been an ornament to society, and a blessing to his
friends. [This note was written the next week after
we escaped from the wilderness. The article
following this treats of Backus' cxpeiience quite
exhaustively.]

and after breakfast pressed on by the rough
frontier stage towards Ottawa.

While the stage was stopping to-day to
change horses, I picked up a newspaper at
Her Britannic Majesty's colonial frontier post-
office, and in it read an account of our ascen-
sion and positive loss, with a rather flattering
obituary notice of myself. And then, for the
first lime, I began to comprehend the degree
of concern our protracted absence had aroused
in the public mind. And if the public felt
this concern, what would be the degree of
pain experienced by wife, children, parents,
friends ? These reflections spurred us for-
ward — or rather, our money induced the
drivers to hurry up their horses — and at last,
on the twelfth day of our absence, at about
five o'clock in the afternoon, we jumped off
the stage in front of the telegraph office in the
good city of Ottawa, whence, in less than five
minutes, the swift lightning was speeding a
message to home and friends. That was a
happy moment — the happiest of all my life —
when I knew that within thirty minutes my
fainily would know of my safety.

I do not know how the people of Ottawa
so soon found out who we were — but suppose
the telegraph operator perhaps told some one ;
and that "some one" must have told the
whole town, for in less than half an hour
there was a tearing, excited, happy, inquisi-
tive mass of people in front of the grand
hotel there — the clerk of which, when he
looked at our ragged clothes and bearded
faces, at first thought he " hadn't a single
room left," but who, when he found out that
we were the lost balloon men, wanted us to
have the whole hotel, free and above board,
and had tea and supper and lunch, and "just
a little private supper, you know ! " following
each other in rapid, yet most acceptable suc-
cession. The happy crowd in the hotel and
upon the street were determined to shake
hands with us every one, and nearly all
wanted to give or loan us money. Pretty
soon the newspaper men and some personal
acquaintances began to press through the
crowd, and some cried while others laughed
and h"?zahed. Indeed, every one acted as if

MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S CELEBRATED BALLOON VOYAGE.

'59

by the rough

ig to-day to
lewspaper at
frontier post-
of our ascen-
her flattering
then, for the
d the degree
I had aroused
e public felt
:ie degree of
Iren, parents,
rred us for-
induced the
— and at last,
ice, at about
' juiTiped off
1 office in the
less than five
s speeding a
That was a
all my life —
' minutes my

e of Ottawa
-but suppose
Id some one ;
ave told the
lalf an hour
ppy, inquisi-
f the grand
:h, when he
md bearded
n't a single
nd out that
.fan ted us to
bove board,
h, and " just
' following
:eptable suc-
le hotel and
d to shake
I nearly all
ley. Pretty
me personal
:hrough the
lers laughed
e acted as if

they had just "found something!" And
such is human nature always, when its noble
sympathies are aroused for the suffering or
distressed.

Although the president of the Ottawa and
Prescott Railroad (Robert Bell, Esq.), volun-
teered to send us on by a special engine that
night, we thought it best (inasmuch as our
friends had been informed of our safety), to
stay at Ottawa until morning. It did seem as
though the generous people of that city could
not do enough for us, and their kind atten-

hibit unmistakaJjle evidence of the deep in-
terest felt in our fate. At Watertown, which
had been my home from boyhood, the enthu-
siasm had reached fever heat, and the whole
town was out to greet the returning aeronauts.
They had out the old cannon on the Public
Scpiare, and it belched forth the loudest kind
of a welcome. My family had, of course, suf-
fered deeply by my absence. Everybody had
given us up for dead, except my wife. I felt
very cheap about the whole thing, and was
quite certain that I had done a very foolish

BAY IN I.A RTIF, TSLANH, CANADIAN CHANNEL.

tion and disinterested enthusiasm will never
be forgotten.

Well, the next morning we left Ottawa, and
were quickly carried to Prescott; thence
across the St. Lawrence river to Ogdensburg.
Here a repetition of the same friendly greet-
ings took place ; and at last, after a hearty
dinner, we left for home, now distant only
seventv-five miles by rail. All along the line
of the road we found enthusiastic crowds
awaiting our coming, and all seemed to ex-

act. Not so the people — they thought it a
big thing to have gone through with so much,
and yet come out alive.

Several general conclusions and remarks
shall terminate this narrative, already too
long. "Why did you permit yourselves to go
so far ? " will naturally be asked. To this
inquiry I reply : that the wind was exceed-
ingly light when we ascended ; that we were
very soon among the clouds, and consequently

i6o

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

unable to take cognizance of our course, or to
judge how fast we were travelling. It should
be distinctly understood that when you are
sailing in a balloon, you are unconscious of
motion and progress, unless you can see the
earth. Even when you first leave the earth,
you seem to be stationary, while the earth ap-
pears to drop away from you. Nor can you,
when out of sight of the earth, although you
may have a compass, judge of the direction
you are travelling, if travelling at all. In a
few words, unless you can see the earthy you
(annot tell how fast nor in what direction you
are travelling. This, perhaps, better than
anything else will explain why we uncon-
sciously drifted off to latitudes so remote.
When we arose above the thick mass of clouds,
before sundown, we undoubtedly struck a
rapid current that carried us north-east, and
after we had travelled in this current about an

hour, we probably struck anotner current,
from the variation of our altitude, which bore
us off to the north-west, for the place where
we landed is about thirty miles west of due
north from where we ascended.

When we first descended near the earth, and
saw lights and heard dogs barking, we should
have landed. But we were unwilling to land
at night in a deep wood, even though we knew
that inhabitants were near by, and we thought
it best to pick out a better place. This was
our error ; and it came near being a fatal one
to us — it was certainly so to the balloon.
In trying to find our " better place " to land,
we were up longer than we supposed, and as
we were travelling in a current that bore us
off to the northward at the rate of loo miles
an hour, we soon reached a point beyond the
confines of civilization.

THE AWAKENING OF HENRY BACKUS.

A ROMANCE OF THE BALLOON JOURNEY OF HADDOCK AND LA MOUNTAIN.

IN the preceding account of the balloon voy-
age made by LaMountain an J Haddock
into the Bos-ke-tong wilderness of Canada in
September, 1859, allusion was made by the
writer to one Henry Backus. The early his-
tory of this man and the peculiar manner in
which he was restored to civilized society iind
to his mother, from whom he had foolishly
separated himself twenty years before, forms
a story which would be called a " romance "
were it not founded upon actual facts.

LaMountain and myself made our balloon
ascension from Watertown, N. Y. , and were
carried by a swift northerly current far beyond
the bounds of civilization, landing in that im-
mense forest in Canada, which is larger than
the great States of New York. Pennsylvania
and Ohio combined, and limited on the north
only by Labrador and the Arctic circle.
Having been rescued from starvation and
probable death by the brave Cameron and his
Indian guides, whom we providentially en-
countered, we had reached, on our way " out

of the wilderness," that frontier post of tht;
Hudson Bay Company, known as Desert,
where we were detained by inability to pro-
cure Indians for the further prosecution of
our journey, because one of Cameron's In-
dians, who lived at Desert had circulated a
story among his associates that we had come
into that wilderness in a "flying devil," whicli
had fallen from the sky. Naturally supersti-
tious and densely ignorant, these boatmen
readily concluded that we were really children
of the Devil himself, and undesirable people
to work for, even if well paid. We were very
impatient at the detention, and Cameron, who
could take us no farther towards Ottawa, ad-
vised us to consult one Henry Backus, the
local trader, who might be able to help us, for
he sold '' fire-water " to the Indians and had
great influence with them. To Backus' little
store, then, we went, ana found him some-
what hard to approach, as if he were suspi-
cious of any attem|)t at intimacy; but when
we told him our trouble and urgently solicited

THE AWAKENING OF HENRY BACKUS.

i6i

ner current,

!, which bore

place where

west of due

be earth, and
g, we should
ling to land
ugh we knew
1 we thought
e. This was
g a fatal one
the balloon.
:e" to land,
osed, and as
that bore us
of loo miles
t beyond the

post of the;

as Desert,
ility to pro-
osecution of
meron's In-
circulated a
e had come
evil," whicli
.lly supersti-
se boatmen
illy children
able people
e were very
imeron, who
Ottawa, ad-
Backus, the

help us, for
ns and had
ackus' little

him some-
were suspi-
; but when
tly solicited

his good offices, he appeared anxious and will-
ing to aid us. He struck me as being too in-
telligent and well educated for the position he
was filling, as a small trader in so remote a
place, but we were too much concerned with
our own plans for reaching civilization to
scrutinize him very closely. He knew just
how to deal with the ignorant river men, and
soon had a crew selected who promised to de-
part with us at early daybreak, so that we
might reach Alexis-le-Beau before nightfall.
The promise was redeemed, and in the morn-
ing we departed, and Backus saw us no more,
but from one of us he was yet to hear.

Who was Henry Backus.' To answer this
inquiry I must take the reader back more than
fifty years, to 1837, when there lived in
Western Massachusetts a family named Han-
cock, consisting of the parents and two
daughters, sixteen and eighteen years of age,
the elder named Mabel, the youngest Harriet.
It is with Mabel we have more particularly to
deal. She was above the average in beauty
of person, bright and engaging, and, like
most of her sex, well aware of her good
points, and not by any means unmindful of
the admiration she elicited from the young
men of her neighborhood. As a result, she
was often invited to the. merry-makings of
that section, accompanied sometimes by one,
sometimes by another young gentleman — but
for a long time she gave none of her admirers
any special preference. In her twentieth year,
when the heart is said to be the most suscep-
tible, she had two admirers who had dis-
tanced her hitherto numerous gallants, and
whenever she went to church or to the country
parties, one or the other of these was always
her attendant. Henry Backus, one of these
young men, was rather a silent and reserved,
but really handsome young man of twenty-
two, well-educated in the country schools,
active and enterprising, the comfort of his
mother, who was a widow and the owner of a
good farm, left her by her husband. Henry
was somewhat in appearance like an Indian,
tall and dark-skinned, and there was a tradi-
tion that the Backus family, a hundred years

before, had been crossed by Narraganset
blood.

Be that as it may, Henry was observant but
silent, seldom gay and never frivolous, but he
was popular among his companions, who gave
him their full confidence, for they knew he
meant all he said, and that his word was as
good as most other men's bond. His com-
petitor in Mabel's good graces was equally
regarded, but in a different way. Witty,
agreeable, full of vivacity and animal spirits,
James Atwell was the life of every social gath-
ering, greatly admired by the girls, and wel-
come in every circle. Although a year older
than Henry Backus, he had not yet settled
down to any serious pursuit, which, in his
case, was thought to be a necessity, as his
father had never accumulated more than a
mere subsistence. James had twice left home,
and had spent a whole year in a dry goods
store at Worcester, Mass., but he had given
up that business as too confining. He had
also taught the district school one winter, but
was thought deficient in discipline, and was
not asked to teach a second time. While
nothing could be said against him, the older
people rated him much below Backus in pros-
pective usefulness and position. The girls
considered him as "just too nice for any-
thing," but thought, and some of them said,
that Henry Backus was " an old cross-patch."
They unanimously predicted that James At-
well would have a " walk-over " in the contest
for supremacy in Mabel's affections. But this
prediction did not have any speedy fulfilment,
as both the young men were equally well re-
ceived at the Hancock mansion, and so a
whole year wore away without any material
change in the relation of these young people
to one another, but close observers saw that
Backus was wonderfully smitten with Mabel, a
fact which he did not try to conceal. Yet it
gave his mother considerable concern, for she
well knew the intensity of his nature, and how
restless he became under even slight disap-
pointments.

A change, however, was soon to come.
While returning from a dancing party in the
winter of 1838, Henry proposed, and was at

1 62

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

least partially accepted by Mabel as her future
husband, At her request the partial agree-
ment was to be kept a secret, much against
Henry's wish, but he loved the girl too much
to deny her anything. While this understand-
ing was being faithfully observed between
I hem, invitations came for the grand winter
wind-up dancing party, to be held at the
county town, and Henry was duly accepted as
Mabel's escort thither. When the evening of
the party drew on, he started in his sleigh for
his companion, but the snow was deep, and in
trying to turn out for a loaded team his cutter
was upset, himself thrown out, and the horse
ran away. It took fully two hours to recover
the horse and reach the Hancock mansion,
and then only to find that Mabel had become
tired of the delay, and, in a moment of pique,
had accepted James Atwell's proffered escort
and gone to the dance with him. Backus was
thunderstruck, and finally burst into a passion
of tears, due as much, probably, to the excite-
ment he had just passed through, as to the
unexpected departure of Mabel with his rival.
His jealousy was terribly aroused, and he at
once reached the conclusion that his delay had
been gladly taken advantage of by her in
order to accept the company of one whom
she loved more than himself. He did not go
to the dance, nor would he make much reply
to Mrs. Hancock's trembling efforts to put
Mable's action in a favorable light, but went
straight home and made such explanations as
he could to his tearful mother. Talk as she
might, she could not move him from a sullen
fit of depression, which the night did not wear
away, and in the morning he harnessed his
horse and drove away, with a determination to
have a final understanding with Mabel. He
demanded that their betrothment should be
made public, and be sanctioned by her parents.
That young lady bore herself during the inter-
view with considerable independence, declar-
ing herself as satisfied with what she had done,
and captiously declined to ask her parents to
ratify their engagement, which she declared
was not considered as final, but rather as a
matter subject to further contingencies, in all of
which she developed a feminine spirit of conten-

tion so characteristic of that sex. After much
talk and expostulation they parted in anger,
utterly estranged — she most likely believing
that it would result in a lover's reconciliation,
and never dreaming that she would not soon
see Henry Backus again. But with him the
case was closed. He felt that he had loved
and lost, and that, in the eyes of his acquaint-
ances, he had been made a fool of by a heart-
less woman. His fine sleigh was not used
again that winter. The social parties missed
him, and as the trouble between the lovers
gradually came out (but though never a word
from him), the country people took two sides
in discussing the matter, nearly all the women
upholding Henry; and the men, more gallant,
taking the part of Mabel. But she, too, went
no more abroad, refusing even to see James
Atwell, though he both called and wrote.
Doubtless, like many another, she felt a secret
desire to repossess what she had recklessly
thrown away, and felt too'proud to make any
effort towards a reconciliation.

Try as he would, young Backus failed to
take his former interest in life. His mother's
tearful face would at times force him to active
exertion on their farm, but it was plain to be
seen that his spirit was broken, and that a
sullen despondency had taken possession of
his mind. Having struggled along through
the summer's work and the harvesting, he
besought his mother to let him hire a steady
young man to do the farm work, and then be
allowed to go away for a while. His mother,
thinking a change of scene would help her
son, reluctantly gave her consent, and late in
November, Henry left his home to become a
wanderer. But travel as long and as far as
he could, he found it impossible to get rid of
himself. His burden would not be cast off.
For a month he remained at Albany, and then
went north to Watertown, Prescott and
Ogdensburg, N. Y., and finally to Ottawa, in
Canada. The Indian strain of blood, which
it was said he had inherited, began definitely
to assert itself, more vigorously, perhaps, at
the sight of the adjacent forests, and he re-
solved to leave civilization behind him and
forget that busy world where he had been

THE A WAKENING OF HENR Y BACKUS.

i6i

After niiich
d in anger,
ly believing
conciliation,
Id not soon
ith him the
: had loved
is acquaint-
by a heart-
s not used
•ties missed
the lovers
ever a word
k two sides
the women
ore gallant,
;, too, went
see James
and wrote.
Felt a secret
[ recklessly
o make any

IS failed to
is mother's
im to active
)lain to be
and that a
issession of
ng through
vesting, he
e a steady
nd then be
lis mother,
help her
and late in

become a
i as far as
) get rid of
)e cast off.
y, and then
scott and
Ottawa, in
ood, which

definitely

Derhaps, at

and he re-

him and

had been

so sadly deceived, and with which he now
had so little affiliation.

Those who have visited Ottawa will remem-
ber the dense forest which environs that
delightful city beyond the rapid river towards
the north. Within a few miles of this Cana-
dian capital you can readily lose yourself in
the dense growth of trees ; and into this then
almost unbroken wilderness Henry Backus
launched himself, fully resolved never again
to live among civilized men. Farther and
farther he journeyed, until the stage route
dwindled to mere " buckboard " travel, then
to solitary paths marked by blazed trees, until
Alexis-le-Beau, upon the Upper Gatineau, was
reached, and then up that rapid stream he
pressed a hundred miles to Desert, which was
a mere fringe of clearing in that almost un-
broken primeval forest. There Backus passed
tlie late spring and summer. Gradually the
need of employment for his mind and strength
asserted itself, and he built a small log cabin
with store-room in front, and began to trade
with the Indians for their furs. When winter
came on he made a journey out from the
woods to Ottawa, where he perfected an ar-
rangement for the annual sale of his peltry
and for a regular consignment to him of such
goods as his trade at Desert demanded. He
was gone a month, and on his return took up
his daily life as before, a solitary, independ-
ent, silent man. I leave the imagination of
the reader to depict his feelings, his yearn-
ings for his mother, his moments of frantic
love for Mabel Hancock, his resolve to break
the spell that was upon him and return to his
old home and friends, and for the reader to
comprehend the depth of a nature that could
endure in silence a disappointment so bitter.
For a long time Mrs. Backus expected to
see Henry walk into the house almost any
day. She managed her farm much better
than she had expected, saving somethmg
every year. After five years had passed, she
lost faith in Henry's return, and almost gave
him up as dead. She fell sick, and was in
bed for a long time ; then it was that Mabel
Hancock developed the good that was in her.
Humbly she went to the sick woman's bed-

side, confessed her undying love for Henry,
took all the blame upon herself for his de-
parture and long absence, and volunteered to
nurse Mrs. Backus through her sickness. At
first she was not at all drawn towards the girl,
but her remorse and self-condemnation so
plainly attested her sincerity that she was per-
mitted to remain. She soon became a perma-
nent fixture at Henry's old home, and so won
the mother's heart that they never separated.
Jointly they managed the farm, and became
so knit together by mutual regard that
strangers looked upon them as mother and
daughter. James Atwell had married Har-
riet and they had moved away, but Mabel did
not attend her sister's wedding. Woman-
like, she cast upon Atwell most of the blame
for the unfortunate separation from her lover,
when, in fact, she was the one mainly at
fault, though there were those who thought
Henry Backus himself not without grave
responsibility for the turn afTairs had taken.
And so the years wore on until Mabel was
nearly 40 years of age — comely in figure, but
with a sad face, seldom lit by a smile. Her
constant prayer was that she might be able
to pay back to Henry's mother that fealty
and support which had been lost when an un-
wise and needless quarrel had driven away
her son.

The coming of the balloon men made an
abiding impression upon Backus. He felt a
return of that longing for home which he
thought he had entirely conquered. He even
found himself full of self-accusation, because
he had not volunteered to personally accom-
pany them to Ottawa, for from there he could
have telegraphed or written to his mother.
He found it difficult to put aside the influence
these two eager, pushing men had exerted
upon him. They were resolutely bent upon
returning to that civilization, he had been so
willing to leave, and he began to feel a con-
viction that they were right in their course
and that he had been wrong in his. For three
weeks this struggle went on in his heart until
he began to realize the selfishness and folly of
his course. He felt like loathing his sur-

164

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

■A*

roundingti as wliolly unworthy one who liad in
his youth given such ample promise of useful-
ness and honor. Hard as was the struggle,
however, and much as he felt the value of
what he had too ruthlessly cast away 20 years
before, it might have been doubtful what
course he would ultimately have taken had
not Providence unmistakably warned him that
he was trifling with his own best interests, to
say nothing of his disregard of filial duty.

About the middle of October, 1859, a party
of river men, on their way up from Alexis-le-
Beau, the nearest postoffice, brought him a
letter, which may have read as follows :

At Home, Octohtr 10, 1859.

Mv Dear Son, if indeed you are my son : I read
last week in the Springfield Rtpublican an account of
the adventures of the lost balloon men, who gave
credit to one Henry Backus, a trader at Desert, on
the Gatineau river, in Canada, for having aided them
in their efforts to return to their homes. My heart
prompted me to write to Mr. Haddock, at Water-
town, N. Y., for a description of this Henry Backus,
and Mr. H. immediately answered my letter. Mak-
ing full allowance for the changes 20 years may have
made, I feel quite hopeful that you are my long lost
and deeply mourned son. If so, do not delay an
hour, but come home before it is too late to see your
poor mother, now past her both year, but whose
prayer has ever been for her absent son.

Mabel Hancock has lived with me for the past 18
years. She is my stay and greatest comfort, and she
desires me to enclose a word from her, for we are
more and more convinced that you are my lost son.
My heart is too full to write more, but if you are my
son hasten to my arms, for a fresh disappointment
or long delay may prove too much for my poor
strength. Affectionately, your mother,

Rachel Backus,

The note enclosed was fronri Mabel; it read:
Dearest Friend — If you are that Henry Backus
to whom I was once betrothed in marriage, I feel
that I owe much in the way of apology for the treat-
ment you received at my hands when I was a young
and inexperienced girl. My past life I offer as an
evidence of my feelings towards you then and now ;
yet that life for many years has been a burden,
which I could only have borne for your dear
mother's sake. If you are the lost one you cannot
be too quick in hastening to your true home, for
your mother is not long for this world.

Your attached friend,

Mabel Hancock.

If Backus had b;.en tardy in carrying out
the plans which the coming of the lost l)allo()n
inen appeared to prompt, he was on fire now
with impatience, and counted every hour as
lost that kept him from the telegraph. Plac-
ing a trusted clerk in charge of his business,
he packed up his important papers, and, on
the morning of the fourth day, was in Ottawa,
sending a message to distant Berkshire that
he was indeed the lost son, who had come to
himself and would soon be there.

Having thus far dealt in facts, I will inviti'
the reader himself to imagine that meeting,
when Backus found under the same roof his
beloved mother and that Mabel Hancock who
was thenceforth to reign as the undisputed
idol of his heart. The natural inclination ot
a newspaper editor to follow out any incident
of more than passing interest with which he
had become interested, impelled me to make
inquiry of Backus' subsequent career, as well
as of all that might shed any light upon his
history before we met him at Desert. On the
ist of January following his return, he and
Mabel Hancock were married, and the whole
neighborhood shared in the merry-making.
He soon sold his possession at Desert, and
settled down in a prosperous career, becoming
a leading citizen of his native county. Him-
self and wife were noted for their hospitality
and open-handed charity, and it was especi-
ally remarked that they were exceedingly
lenient in their treatment of anyone who had
lapsed from duty or against whom society
held its doors askance. The poor and the
outcast found ready sympathy with them, and
no hungry wayfarer was ever sent away un-
filled.

The casual reader may not be much im-
pressed with the extraordinary means through
which Henry Backus came to be thus " awak-
ened " to his true condition, but those who
take a broader view of these incidents can,
perhaps, discover in them the workings of that
Supreme Omniscience which notes even the
fall of a sparrow.

arrying out
lost balluon
on fire now
!ry hour as
iph. Plac-
is business,
5rs, and, on
in Ottawa,
rkshire that
id come to

[ will invite
It meeting,
ne roof iiis
incock who
undisputed
:lination ot
ny incident
;h which he
ne to make
eer, as well
It upon his
rt. On the
rn, he an<l
i the whole
ry-making.
Desert, and
•, becoming
ity. Him-
hospitality
ivas especi-
xceedingly
le who had
om society
or and the
I them, and
away un-

much im-
ins through
lus " awak-

those who
idents can,
ings of that
s even the

THE WAR OF 1755.

WITH AN ALLUSION TO THE "LOST CHANNEL."-

/^THE most formidable military display
T^ which ever swept over the waters of the
St. Lawrence, was that of 1760, commanded
by Gen. Jeffrey Lord Amherst. It consisted,
according to Knox, of the ist and 2d battal-
ions of the Royal Highlanders, the 44th,
46th, and 55th regiments of the line, the 4th
ijattalion of the 60th, eight companies of the
77th, five companies of ic 80th, 579 Gren-
adiers, 597 Light Infantry, three battalions of
the New York regiment, four battalions of the
Connecticut regiment, a regiment from New
Jersey, 146 Rangers, 157 of the Royal Artil-
lery, and a force of Indians under Sir Wil-
liam Johnson, the whole amounting to an
effective force of 10,142 men. The trans-
portation for this army, consisted of two
armed vessels, the Onondaga and the Mo-
hawk; the first, under the immediate com-
mand of Capt. John Loring, who was also
admiral of the fleet, was armed with four
nine-pounders, and fourteen sixes, with a
crew of 100 men. The second carried sixteen
sixes, and a crew of ninety men; and in addi-
tion to these, there were seventy-two whale-
boats, and 177 batteaux. Several of the
whaleboats were armed with a gun each, and
some of the batteaux carried howitzers. Be-
sides these, there were staff, hospital and
sutler's boats, the whole to quote from a
writer of that time, who was an eye witness,
"making a most imposing array."

The primary object of the expedition, was
the capture of Montreal, it being one of three
set on foot for that purpose; but its imme-
diate destination was Fort Levis, a strong
French fortification the ruins of which are yet

to be seen, on what is now called " Chimney
Island," in the St. Lawrence river, a few
miles below Ogdensburg, which was known to
the French as "La Presentation." At that
time, Fort Levis, was the only French strong-
hold above Montreal, and its reduction was a
military necessity. The fort, according to the
historian Mante, was begun early in 1759, by
Chevalier de Levis, who was afterward a Mar-
shal of France, and completed by Captain
Pouchot, by whom it was so ably defended.
This officer arrived at the fort in March, and
proceeded to put it in as complete a condition
for defense as was possible with the means at
hand. On taking command, he found it gar-
risoned by 150 militia, six Canadian officers,
some colonial cadets, and M'Bertrand an offi-
cer of artillery. A reinforcement of 100 men
was sent him from below, but of these, twenty
soon deserted, carrying away with them the
batteaux belonging to the fort. One of these
deserters was a lad named Pierre Rigand. A
few days later his father brought him back,
feeling deeply the disgrace consequent upon
having a son who was a deserter.

It would be a pleasure to find that Capt.
Pouchot's Memoirs, in which this incident is
related, has been able to add that the young
man fought bravely, wiped out the disgrace of
desertion and returned to the arms of his
father, who not only forgave him but received
him with open arms and affectionate pride;
but they do not. They only state that : " In
the battle which foUov/ed, Pierre Rigand was
killed."

As it is no part of our intention to enter
into a minute description of the investment

i66

A SOUVENTR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

and capture of the fort, we shall content our-
selves with a description of the expedition as
related by its historian, in its progress down
the St. Lawrence river. On the 7th of August,
1760, Capt. Loring with his two vessels sailed
from Oswego for Grenadier Island, at the foot
of Lake Ontario. Following in boats were
the Royal Highlanders and Grenadiers, com-
manded by Lieut. Col. Massey; the light in-
fantry under Lieut. Col. Amherst, with two
companies of .Rangers, the whole under the
command of Colonel Haldimand, who after-
ward succeeded Sir Guy Carleton, as Gover-
nor-General and Commander-in-Chief in
Canada. On the loth, Gen. Amherst himself
embarked with the remainder of the troops,
being joined the next day by Gen. Gage with
the Provincial troops, among which was a
Connecticut regiment under the command of
Lieut.-Col., afterward Brigadier-Gen. Israel
Putnam. On the 13th of August, 1760, the
whole army was encamped on Grenadier
Island, and their boats safely moored in Basin
Harbor.

By noon of the 14th, everything was in
readiness to move, and the troops were ordered
to get their dinners and then embark at once.
At two o'clock they were sweeping down the
south channel of the St. Lawrence in two
lines of boats *vhich reached almost from
shore to shore. It was an inspiring sight.
The long lines of boats, decorated with flags
and streamers and guidons, the rowers keep-
ing time with their oars to the music of the
military bands, relieved at times by the bugles
of the Grenadiers and the pipes of the Scotch
Highlanders, while the two vessels, the Onon-
daga and Mohawk, led the advance.

But the French were not asleep. For some
time a squad of soldiers, under the command
of a lieutenant, had been stationed on Isle aux
Chevreuils, now Carlton Island, from the
high grounds of which a splendid view of the
lake is to be had, as a corps of observation.
With this squad was a small body of Indian
scouts, one or two of whom, in swift canoes,
were detached at intervals to the fort below
to warn its commander of the approach of the
English army. Waiting until the entire fleet

had entered the river, so that there was no
longer any doubt as to its destination, tlie
lieutenant and his men went on board a
batteau, and rowed away down the river. It
was this batteau which led Capt. Loring of
the Onondaga into trouble. But we will let
an extract from the journal, kept by the gal-
lant captain, tell, the tale:

"Aug. 14th. — This afternoon the entire fleet set
sail, and at three of the clock was well within the
south channel of the St. Lawrence river, near the
island called, by the French, Isle aux Chevreuil, and
by us Buck Island, from the foot of which the look-
out at the masthead discovered a batteau loaded
with French soldiers put off, when I knew at once
that the enemy had knowledge of the expedition,
and though the wind was light, I signalled the Mo-
hawk and gave chase, hoping to get the batteau
within range of my bow guns, but which I failed to
do. The Onondaga was now nearly a league ahead
of the Mohawk, and the flotilla was yet another
league in the rear, the entire fleet being fully eight
leagues from \«here it set sail. At a point where
three hills project into the river, the batteau veered
away and ran down through a long narrow channel
between what seemed to be a large island and some
smaller ones, and out into a large bay, beyond which
stretched another broad channel, easily seen from
the masthead. Having sounded and found deep
water, I decided to follow; but owing to light winds
our progress was slow, though in running through
the narrow channel we gained somewhat on the bat-
teau, which we soon lost sight of among the islands
in the north channel, which are very numerous, with
narrow swift channels in every direction between
them, very difficult to sail among unless favored
with a strong breeze, which, unfortunately for us,
was now very light, and to add to our difficulties,
night was at hand. Had we not been able to dis-
tinguish the islands from the lookout at the mast-
head, we might have thought that the main land lay
ahead of us, but with what we could see from that
point, and finding that the current set strongly in
that direction, and knowing from some previous
experience among the islands above that the chan-
nels between the islands were likely to be deep, I
determined to hold on to our course, not doubting
tliat we should run safely through the archipelago,
if it be proper to so call a cluster of islands that are
not in the sea. So the Fates would have it, how-
ever, we were no sooner fairly within what seemed
to be the largest channel than the vessel was attacked
on every side from the summits of the islands, which
were covered with trees and thickets,' and our deck
was fairly swept with arrows and musketry, while at
the same time we seemed about to strike ' bows on'

THE WAR OF 1755.

167

here was no
tination, the
on board a
he river. It
)t. Loring of
it we will let
It by the gal-
entire fleet set
veil within the
river, near the
Chevreuil, and
i^hich the looic-
batteau loaded

knew at once
he expedition,
lalled the Mo-
et the batteau
lich I failed to
1 league ahead
IS yet another
ing fully eight
a point where
batteau veered
larrow channel
land and some
, beyond which
sily seen from
d found deep
; to light winds
nning through
hat on the bat-
ong the islands
lumerous, with
action between
unless favored
jnately for us,
lur difficulties,
;n able to dis-
t at the mast-
3 main land lay

see from that
set strongly in
some previous
that the chan
y to be deep. I
e, not doubting
le archipelago,
islands that are
1 have it, how-
n what seemed
el was attacked
; islands, which
;| and our deck
sketry, while at
rike ' bows on'

to a precipice directly ahead. I immediately ordered
Coxswain Terry and his crew to lower away one of
the quarter boats, with a message to the Mohawk to
turn back to the other channel, and then sent the
men to the guns quickly, driving the enemy from
(he summits of the islands and into their canoes,
when they soon escaped into the numerous channels
on either hand.

Ordering another boat lowered, a suitable channel
was soon found, through which we passed safely,
and anchored about a league below the thickest of
the group of islands, and %vaited for Coxswain Terry
and his crew to return. After some time, I ordered
Ensign Barry to take the cutter and search for the
coxswain and his crew. After some hours Ensign
Barry returned. He had been bewildered among
the numerous channels, not being able to even dis-
tinguish the channels through which the vessel had
come, nor the one by which she entered the group
of islands, nor had he discovered the first boat
lowered. Ensign Barry called it " The River of the
Lost Channel," and in that way was it ever after
spoken of among the men. Thinking that Coxswain
Terry and his crew had boarded the Mohawk, and
that they would return to us when we joined the
fleet, I determined to sail as soon as the wind
freshened.

"Aug. 15th. All this day there was a strong head
wind, and after sounding and finding shallow water
in several places, I did not think it best to tack for
fear of running aground."

"Aug. i6th. The lookout discovered a vessel thiK
morning at a distance of about four leagues coming
up the river, but we could not make her out. Pre-
suming that it was a French vessel, as we knew that
they had an armed brig below, we got springs on our
cables in order to veer if attacked, but she did not
come nearer to us than three leagues."

"Aug. 17th Wind still con.rary. There has been
heavy cannonading down the river to-day about

four leagues distant but hid from us by islands. It
cannot be at the French Fort, which cannot be less
than fifteen leagues distant."

"Aug. i8th. Got under weigh this afternoon, and
will soon he with the army."

"Aug. 19th. Reached the army to-day, and re-
ported to Gen. Amherst. Coxswain Terry and his
crew are undoubtedly lost, as they did not board the
Mohawk, but started to return to the Onondaga.
The firing on the day before yesterday, was the
attack on the French brig by our armed gallies under
the command of Col. Williamson, who captured her
after a severe engagement lasting four hours. It
was a most gallant affair. The brig has been named
the Williamson, after the gallant colonel. The fort is
to be invested to-morrow."

In speaking of this very affair the historian
Mante says:

"All this while, one of the enemy s vessels kept
hovering about the army, and as Captain Loring had
not yet got into the right channel, it became iiecessary
for the safety of the army, either to compel this
vessel to retire or to take her. The general was
therefore obliged to order Colonel Williamson with
the row gallies well manned, to do one or the other."

Then follows an account of the battle and
of the ill luck which seemed to have followed
Captain Loring during the attack on the fort,
at which time his vessel ran aground and was
very nearly taken possession of by the enemy.
But as any further description of the capture
of Fort Levis is not germane to our history,
because it took place beyond the limits of the
Thousand Islands, we bring the article to a
close, having shown the reader that the name
" Lost Channel " is by no means a modern
invention.

i68

A iiOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

FRANK H. TAYLOR.

FRANK H. TAYIOR, THE ARTIST.

Among the favored residents at the pleas-
ant summer colony of Round Island there are
none better known or more enthusiastic re-
garding the charms of the Thousand Islands
than Mr. Frank H. Taylor, one of the few
Philadelphians who spend their summer in
this region. After much and varied travel as
an illustrator and writer, Mr. Taylor came to
the St. Lawrence upon a mission for Harper's
Weekly in 1881, and at once recognizing the
certainty of its supremacy as a summer resort,
he built the pretty cottage at the foot of
Round Island, which he calls " Shady Ledge."
Mr. Taylor, with his wife and only son, who
is also an artist, return here each season vith
great regularity in June, and devote the sum-

mer to the congenial work of the water color'
ist. Mr. Taylor's illustrations of island life,
accompanied by vivid descriptions, have ap-
peared in many publications, and have done
much to popularize these beautiful islands
throughout the country. The writer is in-
debted for several picturesque chapters in this
work to Mr. Taylor's facile pen. He has
done more to popularize the St. Lawrence
Archipelago than any other man. This he has
been enabled to do from the fact that he is
not only a fine writer, but an artist as well,
and can both describe and delineate anything
he desires to present. This is a most happy
combination of talent, as valuable as it is rare.
Mr. Taylor's delineations have been delicate
but most expressive. He is one who brings
the love of nature into his work, fully believ-
ing that honest delineation of scenery is very
much above any attempt to introduce fancy
effects.

The regular vi-^itors to Round Island and
other points upon the river always welcome
Mr. Taylor and his family as desirable people
to know. Grand Army men, in particular,
have experienced great pleasure at the camp-
fires held on the lawn in front of Comrade
Taylor's fine residence upon the east side of
the island. There has never occurred one of
these unique entertainments that has not been
marked by good speaking and singing. Com-
rade Taylor gets true enjoyment by contribut-
ing to the enjoyment of others, and that is a
great thing to find out and to really believe
in — it may indeed be almost like finding the
real philosopher's stone, which is said to turn
all things it touches into gold.

water color'
island life,
IS, have ap-
have done
iful islands
Titer is in-
pters in this
1. He has
. Lawrence
This he has
t that he is
list as well,
te anything
most happy
as it is rare.
en delicate
who brings
ully believ-
lery is very
duce fancy

Island and
ys welcome
able people
particular,
: the camp-
f Comrade
east side of
rred one of
as not been
ing. Com-
' contribut-
id that is a
illy believe
finding the
aid to turn

THE CASTORLAND COLONY.

(^TO the excellent aiticle by Hon. Mr. In-
^^ galls, upon the " Waterways of Jefferson
County" (see pages 9-12 of Haddock's His-
tory), we wish to add a few general remarks.
It is a peculiar characteristic, marking all the
rivers that flow in and around Northern New
York, that, excepting only the Mohawk, all
of them flow from and througli larger or
smaller chains of lakes. The noble St. Law-
rence itself, which forms the natural and in-
tensely picturesque northwestern boundary of
Jefferson county, seems to be the vast proto-
type and pattern for all the others, as it flows
from its own great continental system of
lakes. The Hudson, flowing eastward like
the Mohawk, is fed by a system of forest
branches which spread over the entire moun-
tain belt of the Adirondack wilderness, the
head waters of some of its tributaries being
over s,ooo feet above the level of the sea.
But, however interesting it may be to follow
out this train of thought, our space constrains
as to confine our remarks to the streams which
flow into and through Jefferson county, or re-
late to waterways touching that county.
Their influence upon the early settlements of
the northern wilderness of 1793, in drawing
to the Black River country those in pursuit
of water power to drive factories, can never
be prized too highly, nor too patiently de-
scribed. These waters attracted to this local-
ity those whose minds were profoundly stirred
by that intense activity which always precedes
great discoveries and great movements of
populations.

The Black River bounds the Great Wilder-
ness plateau of Laurentian rocks on the nest,
and its valley bounds the Lesser Wildnerness
on the east. The principal confluents that

enter the Black River from the Great Wilder-
ness, are the Moose, Otter Creek, the Inde-
pendence, and the Beaver.

The Moose River rises near the Raquette
Lake in the center of the wilderness, and
winds through and forms the celebrated Eight
Lakes of the Fulton chain. The Moose passes
in its course the hunting station known to all
frequenters of the woods as Arnold's, or the
Old Forge, on Brown's Tract. This secluded
spot has long been famous in forest story as
the scene of John Brown's* fruitless attempt
at settlement, of the failure and tragic death
of his son-in-law Herreshoff, of the exploits
of the hunter Foster and his victim, the Indian
Drid, and of the life-long home of Otis Arnold,
the hunter and guide.

The Independence River rises near the
Eight Lakes of the Fulton chain and runs
into Black River in the town of Watson, Lewis
county, between the Moose River and the
Beaver River. In its course, this river crosses
the tract of wild land known to land specu-
lators as Watson's West Triangle. The Inde-
pendence River was so named in honor of our
national holiday by Pierre Pharoux, the en-
gineer and surveyor of Castorland. Near the
south bank of the Independence, not far from
the old Watson house, is Chase's lake. This
lake has long been a favorite resort, and is one
of the most accessible in the Wilderness for
the invalid or pleasure seeker. The Beaver
River rises in the heart of the Wilderness to
the north of Raquette Lake, and running in its
course through Smith's Lake, Albany Lake, and
Beaver Lake, waters the territory of ancient

* Not the John Brown, of Harper's-Ferry fame,
"whose body lies a mouldering in the ground, but
whose soul is marching on."

170

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

'*■'

Castorland, the seat of French influence on
the Black River. Beaver Lake, an expansion of
this river at Number Four, a famous summer
resort, is one of the most charming lakes in
the wilderness.

Among the problematical places of the olden
times in Northern New York, whose names
were once lamiiar in European circles but are
seldom heard in modern story, no one was
once more famous than La Famine.

Two hundred years ago. La Famine was a
well-known stopping-place upon the eastern
shorp of Lake Ontario for the weary hunter
and the bold explorer, and the spot where
even armies encamped, and the ambassadors
of hostile nations met in solemn council.

of the Lesser Wilderness from the west was
the Salmon River. On their way to the hunt-
ing ground through Lake Ontario, the western
Indians landed at the mouth of this river, and
their trail then led up its banks.

La Famine then was the ancient seaport of
this famous hunting ground of the Lesser
Wilderness, and was situated near what is
now the village of Mexico, Oswego county
Hence we find on a map of New France, pub-
lished by Marco Vincenzo Coronelli, in 1688,
this place put down at the mouth of what is
now known as the Salmon River, but in his
map it is called La Famine River. It bears
the following inscription: " La Famine, lieu
ou la plus part des Iroquois des barquet pour

MEDAL ISSUED BY THE CHASSNAIS FRANCO-AMERICAN LAND COMPANY.
[Enlarged one-half, from an original in possession of tiie Jefferson County Historical Society.]

To-day its name can only be found on the his-
toric page and in the old maps and musty
records, while its locality is often a matter of
controversy. The ancient Indian landing-place
and camping-ground known to the French as
La Famine, was situated on the shore of
Famine Bay, now called Mexico Bay, in the
southeast corner of Lake Ontario, at the
nf'uth of La Famine River, now known as
Salmon Ri^'er.

The Salmon River, the ancient French La
Famine, rises in the central part of the plateau
of the Lesser Wilderness in the southwest
corner of Lewis county, and runs westerly
through the northern p^rt of Oswego county
into Lake Ontario. The Lesser Wilderness
was one of the beaver-hunting countries of
the Iroquois. The key to this hunting ground

aller in traitte du Castor," which may be
translated thus: " La Famine, the place
where the greater part of the Iroquois em-
barked to go upon the trail of the beaver. "

The Lesser Wilderness of Northern New
York is situated upon the long narrow plateau
which stretches first westerly and then north-
erly from the Upper Mohawk valley and the
Oneida Lake almost to the village of Carthage.
The rocky ground-work of this plateau is
composed of level strata of limestone and
slate, which rise in a series of terraces of a
mile or two in width from its borders into a
high level table land, which has an elevation
of nearly 2,000 feet above the level of the sea.
Upon the central part of this table land are
situated the forests, swamps, marshes and
wild meadows cf the Lesser Wilderness.

CASTORLAND, AND THE FRENCH SETTLEMENT THERE.

171

e west was
3 the hunt-
he western
5 river, and

seaport of
he Lesser
ir what is
?o county,
ance, pub-
li, in 1688,
of what is
but in his
It bears
imine, lieu
rquet pour

may be
the place
quois em-
eaver. "
lern New
)w plateau
en north-
y and the
Carthage.
3lateau is
stone and
aces of a
;rs into a

elevation
)f the sea.

land are
>hes and
ess.

Down the more regular terraces of its west-
ern slope, locally called Tug Hill, the streams
which rise in the swamps of the Lesser Wil-
derness hurry in a series of falls and cascades
into the Black River, wearing deep chasms in
the yielding rocks along their courses. Among
these streams are the Deer River, the Silver-
mine, the Martin, the Whetstone and other
creeks.

This Lesser Wilderness was one of the most
famous hunting grounds of the Indian. Its
woods were literally filled with game, and its
streams with fish. La Hontan says that there
were so many salmon in La Famine River that
they often brought up a hundred at one cast
of the net.

Castorland.

The summer tourist, on his way from Tren-
ton Falls to the Thousand Islands, may pass
through the beautiful and flourishing valley
of the Black River, over the Utica and Black
River Railroad. As the train draws near to
the first station north of the village of Low-
ville, he will hear the sharp voice of the
brakeman crying out "Cas-tor-land." He
will look out of the car window and see a
wide level clearing of pasture-land and
meadow, skirted by forests, one side of which
is bounded by the river. In the middle of
this clearing he will see only the small station
house, and three or four scattered buildings
surrounding it, and will doubtless wonder
whence comes the high-sounding name for
such meagre surroundings.

The story of Castorland is the often re-
peated tale of frustrated settlements in the
old wilderness — the story of an attempt of the
exiled nobility and clergy of the old regime in
France to found a settlement in the wilds of
the New World, where they could find a
secure retreat from the horrors of the Revolu-
tion in the Old.

This attempt was made at the close of the
last century in the valley of the Black River,
on the western slope of the Great Wilderness.
But, like the settlement of the first Catholics
on the Patuxent, the Jacobites with Flora Mc-
Donald at Cape Fear, the Huguenots with

Jean Ribault at Port Royal ; like New Amster-
dam on the Hudson, New Sweden on the
Delaware ; like Acadie in Nova Scotia, — Cas-
torland on the Black River lives now only in
poetry and history. Its story is one of bril-
liant promises all unfulfilled, of hopes defer-
red, of man's tireless but fruitless endeavor,
of woman's tears.

To rescue this name so fraught with histor-
ical associations from oblivion, it was applied
to the railroad station which is nearest to the
site of the largest projected city of ancient
Castorland. That city was laid out on the
Beaver River, which flows into the Black
River from the wilderness nearly opposite this
station.

For the purpose of effecting the settlement
of Castorland a company was formed in Paris,
under the laws of France, in the month of
August, 1792, and styled La Compagnie de
New York. On the 31st day of the same
month the company, by its agent, Pierre
Chassanis, bought a large tract of land lying
in the valley of the Black River, of William
Constable, who was the owner of Macomb's
Purchase. This tract lay along both sides of
the Black River below the High Falls, and ex-
tended westerly through the counties of Lewis
and Jefferson to Lake Ontario, and easterly
into the heart of the Great Wilderness. The
Castorland purchase at first comprised the
whole of great lot No. 5 of Macomb's pur-
chase, and contained 610,000 acres. But sub-
sequently all south and west of the Black
River, being the part which now constitutes
the richest towns of Lewis and Jefferson coun-
ties, was given up, and only that lying to the
north and east of the river retained. The
portion so retained contained only 210,000
acres. This was the Castorland of the olden
times.

The name Castorland, that is to say, the
Land of Beavers, is doubtless a literal transla-
tion of the old Indian word, which means the
" Beaver Hunting Country," Castorland being
taken out of the western half of this old In-
dian hunting ground.

During the negotiations between Constable
and Chassanis for this tract, the French Revo-

172

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

lution, that had been so long smouldering, burst
forth in all its savage fury, and the streets of
Paris were slippery with human gore. Con-
stable locked the door of the apartment in
which they met, with the remark that " if they
parted before the purchase was completed
they might never meet again." The palace of
the Tuilleries was already surrounded by the
bloodthirsty mob. The attendants of the
royal family were butchered, and the feeble
king cast into a dungeon. In comparison
with such awful scenes as these in the very
heart of the highest civilization the world had
ever seen, the savage wilderness of the old
American forests was a scene of peaceful rest.
To the fugitive noblesse of France, the former
possessors of great titles, rank, wealth and
culture, the quiet shades of Castorland af-
forded a secure asylum from the horrors of
the Reign of Terror.

Scheme of Settlement.

A romantic scheme was at once conceived
and perfected by the company in Paris for the
settlement of Castorland. In pursuance of
this scheme a pamphlet was printed in Paris
and issued by the Company, containing a pro-
gramme of colonization under its auspices.
This pamphlet was entitled "Association for
the purchase and settlement of 600,000 acres
of land, granted by the State of New York,
and situated within that State, between the
43d and 44th degrees of latitude, upon Lake
Ontario, and thirty-five leagues from the city
and port of Albany, where vessels land from
Europe." It set forth, among other things, in
glowing colors, the wealth of agriculture pre-
sented by its fertile soil, the fine distribution
of its waters, its facilities for an extended com-
merce on account of its location in the vicinity
of a dense population, and above all the
security afforded to its inhabitants by the laws
of a people who were independent and rich
with :.' I' '51 capital, thus extending to the
imm; li 'lie benefits of liberty with none

of its -1 •■ a /^. It was stated that the ob-
ject of Uu: i^roprie.ors was to form of the
colony a sort of laniily, in some way united by
common interests and common wants, and

that to maintain this union of interests a plan
had been devised that rendered each member
directly interested in the whole property. It
was to be done by and in the name of Sieur
Chassanis, in whose name they had purchased
the estate, and who alone had power to issue
certificates of ownership.

There were 6,000 rertificates to be issued,
each entitling the holder thereof to ownership
in manner following : The whole tract at that
time consisted of 630,000 acres. Of this 600,-
000 were divided into 12,000 lots of fifty acres
each, and the price of each share fixed at 800
livres (I152.38). In the beginning, 6,000 lots
were set apart for individual properties, and
the other 6,000 lots were to belong to a com-
mon stock which was to be divided at some
future time, after improvements had been
made thereon by the company. Each holder
of a certificate was to receive at once a deed
for a separate lot of fifty acres, to be drawn
by lot, and also a lot of fifty acres in the com-
mon undivided stock.

Of the 30,000 remaining acres, 2,000 were
set apart for a city to be formed on the great
river in the interior, and 2,000 more for
another city on Lake Ontario, at the mouth
of the Black River, which was to form a
port and entrepot of commerce. Among
artisans 6,000 acres were to be divided and
rented to them at twelve sous per acre. The
proceeds of the 20,000 acres remaining were
to be expended by the Company in the con-
struction of roads, bridges and other improve-
ments.

The two cities were divided into 14,000 lots
each. Of these lots, 2,000 were set apart for
churches, schools, markets, etc. The remain-
ing 12,000 lots were to be divided among the
6,000 holders of certificates in the same man-
ner as the large tract, — each holding one
separate lot and one in common.

The affairs of the company were to be man-
aged by five trustees, three to remain in Paris
and two upon the tract.

Such was the scheme matured in the salons

of Paris for the settlement of Castorland.

Beautiful and promising beyond measure upon

aper, as an ideal, but utterly impracticable

srests a plan
ich member
roperty. It
me of Sieur
d purchased
ver to issue

o be issued,
ownership
tract at that
Df this 600,-
jf fifty acres
fixed at 800
g, 6,000 lots
iperties, and
ig to a corn-
ed at some
had been
Each holder
mce a deed
be drawn
in the com-

2,000 were
)n the great
3 more for

the mouth

to form a
e. Among
divided and

acre. The
aining were
in the con-
er improve-

3 14,000 lots
et apart for
rhe remain-
among the
: same man-
lolding one

: to be man-
ain in Paris

n the salons
Castorland.
easure upon
ipracticable

CASTORLAND. AND THE FRENCH SETTLEMENT THERE.

173

and bitterly disappointing as a reality. Yet
many shares were eagerly taken.

Organization.

On the 28th of June, 1793, it being the
second year of the French Republic, the actual
holders of certificates convertible into shares
of La Compagnie de New York met in the
rooms of Citizen Chassanis, in Paris, to organ-
ize their society upon the basis already estab-
lished, and to regulate the division, survey
and settlement of their lands. There were
present at that meeting forty-one shareholders
in all, who represented 1,880 shares. They per-
fected and completed their organization; they
adopted a long and elaborate constitution ; they
chose a seal for their corporation, and ap-
pointed five commissaries to manage its af-
fairs, three for Paris and two for Castorland.
In the meantime the tract had been re-con-
veyed, and the large part lying west and south
of the Black River given up, the part retained
being that lying east and north of the river,
and containing only 210,000 acres. To ac-
cord with this fact the number of shares was
reduced from 6.000 to 2,000. It was at this
meeting that a silver piece was ordered to be
struck, termed a " Jetton de presence," one
of which was to be given at every meeting to
each commissary as an attendance fee.* [See
engraving, p. 170.]

* These pieces occur in coin cabinets, and have
been erroneously cdled "Castorland half-dollars."
A jetton is a piece of metal struck with a device, and
distributed to be kept in commemoration of some
event, or to be used as a counter in fiiames of chance.
The one here noticed was termed a "jetton de pre-
sence," or piece "given in certain societies or com-
panies to each of the members at a session or meet-
ing." It was engraved by one of the Duvivier
brothers, eminent coin and metal artists of Paris.
The design represents on the obverse the head of
Cybele, who personified the earth as inhabited or
cultivated, while on the reverse Ceres has just tap-
ped a maple tree, in which will be observed a spout
provided with a stop to withhold the sweet sap when
it flowed too fast '

The Latin legend on the reverse is a quotation
from Virgil, which, with its context, reads :

" Snlva magna parens frugum, Satumia tellus
magna vii-um."

Tlie commissaries appointed for America
were Simon Desjardines and Pierre Pharoux,
who lost no time in proceeding to America to
execute their important trust. Desjardines
had been a Chamberlain of Louis XVI. He
was of middle age, an accomplished scholar
and gentleman, but knew not a word of English
when he arrived. He had with him his wife
and three children, and his younger brother,
Geoffry Desjardines, who shared his labors
and trials. He also brought with him his
library of 2,000 volumes. Pierre Pharoux,
the surveyor, who was afterwards drowned, was
a distinguished young architect and engineer
of Paris, of high scientific attainments and
marked ability. He was earnestly and faith-
fully devoted to his duties; and his love of
science, his honesty, his good sense, and
genial and ardent friendship were manifested
in all his doings. He left behind him in
France an aged father to mourn his untimely
death.

They sailed from Havre on the 4th day of
July, 1793, i" the American ship Liberty, but
did not arrive in New York until the 7th of
September following. There came over in the
same vessel with them a young French refugee
named Mark Isambart Brunei, who afterward
filled the world with his fame as an engineer
in England. Brunei had been in the French
navy, and was driven from home on account
of his royalistic proclivities. He went with
them in all their journeys through the wilder-
ness, and shared in all their hardships during
the first year, but does not seem to have been
employed by them in Castorland.

Their First Exploration.

Soon after their arrival in this country,
Desjardines and Pharoux, with their friend
Brunei, set out on a voyage of exploration to
their " promised land " in the wild valley of
the Black River. To realize the difficulties
of the undertaking, the reader must bear in
mind that the country they were in quest of
lay far from Albany in the depths of a howling
wilderness, which had then never been visited
by white men, except around its border, or
when carried across it as prisoners in savage

'74

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

hands ; that the only route to it was up the
Mohawk, in batteaux, to Fort Stanwix, now
the city of Rome ; thence by the way of Wood
creek, the Oneida lake, and the Oswego river
to Lake Ontario, and from Lake Ontario up
the unexplored route of the Black River. It was
over the old Indian trail, the savage warpath
of the French and Indian and of the Revolu-
tionary wars, and even then there was threat-
ened a general Indian war by all the tribes
around our borders. But in the face of all
these difficulties our explorers, in the autumn
of 1793, set out for Castorland.

In describing their passage over the carry-
ing place from Fort Stanwix to Wood creek,

of these trunks, presenting at once the images
of life and death."

The fort at Oswego was still held by a
British garrison. Jealous of Frenchmen, the
commander at first refused to allow them to
pass into Lake Ontario, but it was finally
arranged that Brunei should remain as a
hostage for the good conduct and safe return
of the others. Brunei, however, was refused
access to the fort, and was ordered to encamp
alone in the woods on the opposite side of the
river. Considering that such treatment in-
validated his parole, he escaped from Oswego
disguised as a common sailor, and proceeded
with his friends on their expedition. They

near where the four busy tracks of the New
York Central Railroad now run, they wrote in
their journal, under date of October loth :
" Upon taking a walk into the woods a short
distance we saw on every hand it was a fear-
ful solitude. You are stopped sometimes by
impassable swamps, and at other times by
heaps of trees that have fallen from age or
have been overthrown by storms, and among
which an infinite number of insects and many
squirrels find a retreat. On every hand we
see the skeletons of trees overgrown with
moss and in every stage of decay. The capil-
laire and other plants and shrubs spu.ig out

proceeded cautiously along the shore of the
lake over the route that had become historic
by the presence of M. de la Barre and his
army in their visit to La Famine in 1684, and
of Father Charlevoix in 1720, and which had
so often been traversed by their countrymen
in the palmy days of the old French occu-
pancy, until their arrival at Niaoure bay, now
called Black River bay. Here after a long
search they discovered the mouth of the
Black River, the great river that watered Cas-
torland. But it was already so late in the
season that they only explored the river up to
the point some five or six miles above the falls

igggjggm

CASTORLAND, AND THE FRENCH SETTLEMENT THERE.

175

the images

held by a
:hmen, the
w them to
ivas finally
main as a
safe return
■as refused
to encamp
side of the
atment in-
MTi Oswego
proceeded
on. They

lore of the
ome historic
rre and his
in 1684, and
d which had
countrymen
rench occu-
ire bay, now
after a long
»uth of the
ivatered Cas-
late in the
; river up to
ove the falls

at Watertown, and then returned to Albany
to complete their preparations for the next
year's journey.

In the autumn of 1855, the Hon. Amelia M.
Murray, maid of honor to Queen Victoria,
made a tour of the United States and Canada,
through the lake belt of the Wilderness, over
the route now so much travelled. Her
companions were Gov. Horatio Seymour,
the Governor's niece and other friends.
On their way they stopped, of course, at
Arnold's. But I will let the Lady Amelia
tell the story in her own words, as
written in her diary, under date of Sep-
tember 20, 1855 : " Mr. Seymour re-
mained to make arrangements with the
guides, while his niece and I walked on
to Arnold's farm. There we found Mrs.
Arnold and six daughters. These girls,
aged from twelve to twenty, were placed
in a row against one wall of the shanty,
with looks so expressive of astonishment,
that I felt puzzled to account for their
manner, till their mothei informed us
they had never before seen any other
woman than herself ! I could not elicit
a word from them, but, at last, when I
begged fr. a little milk, the eldest went
and brought me a glass (tin cup). Then
I remembered that we had met a single
hunter rowing himself on the Moose
River, who called out, ' Where on 'arth
do them women come from .-' ' And our
after experience fully explained why
ladies are such rare birds in that locality."

The Settlement of Castorland.

The next spring, being in the year 1794, the
Desjardines Brothers and Pharoux, with a
large company of men, with their surveyors
and assistants, took up their toilsome journey
from Schenectady to their forest possessions,
being this time fully equipped to begin their
settlement. Their route this year was up the
Mohawk in batteaux to Fort Schuyler, now
Utica, thence overland across the Deerfield
hills sixteen miles, to the log house of Baron
Steuben, who had then just commenced his
improvements upon his tract of 16,000 acres

granted him by the Stste. From Steuben's it
was twenty- four miles further through the
trackless forest to the High Falls on the Black
River in Castorland.

The difficulties of the journey then still be-
fore them can scarcely be imagined by the
reader of to-day. At length they reached

their tract on the welcome banks of the Black
River, and began their labors. But there is no
space in these pages to follow them in their
operations, in their sore trials and their bitter
disappointments, their final discomfiture and
utter failure.

Suffice it to say that they began a little set-
tlement on the banks of the Black River, at
the place now called Lyon's Falls. That they
surveyed their lands and laid out one of their
cities, Castorville, on the Beaver river, at a
place now called Beaverton, opposite the
little station now called Castorland, in mem-
ory of their enterprise. That they laid out

1/6

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

•5,»

their other city, the lake port, which they
named " City of Basle," at what is now Dex-
ter, below VVatertown, and in 1795 ^'^^X
founded the present village of Carthage. That
Pharoux was accidentally drowned in the river
at Watertown in the fall of 1795. That Des-
jardines gave up the agency in despair in 1797
and was succeeded by Rudolphe Tillier,
"Member of the Sovereign Council of Berne,"
who in turn gave place to Gouverneur Morris
in i8oo, and that the lands finally became the
property of James Donatien Le Ray de Chau-
mont, his associates and grantees.

"After toil and many troubles, self-exiled for many

years,
Long delays and sad misfortunes, man's regrets and

woman's tears;
Unfulfilled the brilliant outset, broken as a chain of

sand,
Were the goldeo expectations by Grande Rapides'

promised land."

Death of Pierre Pharoux.
One of the saddest incidents in the story of
Castorland is the death of Pharoux, at the
falls of Watertown, in 1795. In September
of that year, after the river had been swollen
by heavy rains, Pharoux set out with Brod-
head, Tassart and others, all surveyors, on a
journey to Kingston. In passing down the
river on a raft, they were drawn over the falls.
Mr. Brodhead and three men were saved, but
Pharoux was drowned. The survivors made
unremitting search for Pharoux's body, but it
was not found until the following spring. It
was washed ashore upon an island at the
mouth of Black River, where it was found by
Benjamin Wright, the surveyor, and by him
decently buried there. M. LeRay de Chau-

mont many years afterwards caused a marble
tablet to be set in the rock near his grave,
bearing this inscription:

TO THE MEMORY OF

PIERRE PHAROUX,
This Island is Consecrated.

The reader will remember that the year be-
fore his death, Pharoux had discovered and
named the river Independence, in Castorland,
and had selected a beautiful spot at its moutli
on the Black River, near a large fiat granite
rock, for his residence. This spot, called by
the Desjardlnes Brothers Independence Rock,
was ever afterwards regarded by them with
melancholy interest. They could not pass it
without shedding tears to the memory of
their long-tried and trusted friend. Under
date of May 28, 1796, Simon Desjardines, the
elder brother, recorded in his journal :
" Landed at half-past two at Independence
Rock, and visited once more this charming
spot which had been so beautifully chosen by
our friend Pharoux as the site for his house.
The azaleas in full bloom loaded the air with
their perfume, and the wild birds sang
sweetly around their nests, but nature has no
longer any pleasant sights, nor fragrance, nor
music, for me." - <

Castorland, Adieu!

And now ancient Castorland may be added
to the long list of names once famous in the
cities of Europe, and long celebrated in the
forest annals of Northern New York, but now
forgotten, and found only in history and song
— feebly commemorated by the name of an
insignificant railway statioD.

HISTORY OF THE LOST CHANNEL.

177

d a marble
his grave,

iATED.

:he year be-
overed and
Castorland,
at its mouth
flat granite
it, called by
lence Rock,
y them with
not pass it
memory of
nd. Under
jardines, the
is journal :
(dependence
is charming
y chosen by
r his house,
the air with
birds sang
iture has no
agrancc; nor

lay be added
mous in the
rated in the
ork, but now
)ry and song
name of an

ART OF THE ANGLER.

As fish have grown more knowing, man has grown
more cunning, ana has devised new schemes to out-
wit his prey. Ndw, instead of fishing downstream,
he fishes upstream, that he may be below and behind
the fish, and, therefore, less in sight; for fish, it must
be borne in mind, always lie with their heads up-
stream. Moreover, where he used to stand, he now
kneels or crawls. That his rod may not be seen he
moves horizontally — not vertically, as of old — and he
never, if he can help it, allows the point to extend
over the water. That his line may be seen as little
as possible, he no longer searches the water at hap-
liazard but reserves his cast until he has found and
noted the exact position of a rising fish, or, at any
rate, of a fish lying so near the surface as to suggest
the strong probability that it is on the watch for
Hies. Then, instead of using two or three flies, he
selects one, imitating, as closely as may be, in color
and size, the natural flies he has observed on the
water.

This he deftly casts, so that it shall fall on the water

as lightly as a tiake of snow, some 18 inches or so
above the fish, and floats with Its wings erect —
"apeak," as they say of a cutter's foresail — and he
allows it, without check or suspicious movement, to
be carried by the stream over the nose of the trout.
At the same moment, if fortune smiles, he sees a
bubble rise, hears a faint sound like a baby's kiss,
and the tug of war begins. If the trout refuses, or
if the cast was not quite accurately made, he lets the
drift float on, far below the fish, so that the ripple
may not disturb the trout, and proceeds, verhtrare
nthnlas, to dry his fly by whipping it backward and
forward through the air until it is once more buoy-
ant. He then tries it again. Should the trout refuse
at the second time of asking, the angler, if wise, will
change his fly ; if very wise, will change his fish,
making a mental note to call again. This slight
sketch will enable the reader to see the importance
of closely imitating the files on the water, and the
skill required in presenting the counterfeit to the
fish.

HISTORY OF THE LOST CHANNEL.

During the French and English war, which began
in 1755 and ended in 1760, an expedition was fitted
out at Oswego, in August of the latter year, for the
final subjugation of the Canadas. The only remain-
ing strongholds of the French were Montreal, and
a strong fort on an island in the St. Lawrence river,
about three miles below the present city of Ogdens-
burg, known as Fort Levis, commanded by a dis-
tinguished French officer — Capt. Pouchot. The ex-
pedition consisted of 10,142 British regulars and
Colonial troops from Massachusetts, Connecticut,
New York and New Jersey. Among the Massachu-
setts troops was Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary
fame, then a lieutenant-colonel. In addition to these
troops, there was a force of about 1,000 Indians,
under the command of Sir William Johnson. The
commander of the expedition was Gen. Jeffrey Am-
herst, the second in command being Gen. Gage, of
Boston fame. At that time the English had two
armed vessels on Lake Ontario, the " Onondaga "
and the "Mohawk," commanded by Capt. John
Loring, as admiral of the fleet, which consisted of
the two vessels, 177 batteaux and 72 whale boats,
besides staff boats, hospital boats, and boats for
sutler's use. The first detachment of troops sailed
in the two vessels on the 7th of August, for the
rendezvous at "Basin Harbor," Grenadier Island, at
the head 01 the St. Lawrence river. On the 13th, the

entire army were assembled on the island, and early
on the morning of the 14th the entire expedition set
forth. Capt. Loring, with the two vessels, had gone
ahead, and instead of keeping straight down the
South channel, he crossed just below the foot of
Wolfe Island into the Canadian channel. The
French had been expecting an attack from this direc-
tion for a whole year ; and, in consequence, had
kept a lookout on Carleton Island, from which point
they could readily see when the British forces en-
tered the river ; and with swift war canoes they
could easily convey the intelligence to the fort
below. When Capt. Loring had fairly entered the
Navy group, he was assailed on every hand. The
islands seemed to swarm with French and Indians,
who were raking his deck with musketry. To add
to his discomfiture, he knew nothing of the river nor
of the labyrinth of islands in which he found him-
self ; but, lowering away a boat and crew, he sent
them back to prevent the "Mohawk" from entering
the island group ; and manning his guns, he swept
the islands around him with grape and cannister, as
he drifted with the current, he knew not whither.
Fortunately, he got safely clear of the islands, when,
coming to an anchor, he sent two other boats to find
the first one sent out, but they returned unsuccess*
ful ; nor could they even distinguish which of the
channels was the one in which the first boat was

Ift

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE R/l'ER.

lowered. They never saw boat noi crew affain ; and
ever afterward, in ipcaking of it, they called it the
"Place of the Lost Channel." Two or three years
later, the crew of a batteau found a broken yawl
boat bearing the name "Onondaga," at the head of
one of the channels, which, since that time, has been
known as the "Lost Channel." and which Cap.
Visger so happily renamed. The probability is that

the crew of the yawl boat were killed and scalped
by the Indians, and their boat stove and sunk .
and, after all, we have no absolute certainty that
this, more than any other of the numerous channels
on every hand, was the one in which Capt. Loring
first lowered his yawl boat. All that Capt. Loring's
journal says about that part of it is the simple state
mcnt that they "called it the place of the lost channel."

WHAT CAUSED THE GREAT ST. LAWRENCE RIVER, AND WHY DOES IT

FLOW WHERE IT DOES?

PRErARED IIY F. A. HINDS, C. E., OF WATERTOWN.

/^THESE are questions that will ever present

T^ themselves as the majesty and immensity

of this noble river impress themselves upon us.

Prof. James D. Dana, of Yale College,
in his Manual of Geology, declares it is
not by chance, or a haphazard circum-
stance, that there is a great water-course
flowing through a valley to the eastward
in the middle of the North American
continent; but that it is "a law of the
system of surface-forms of continents."
In his chapter on Physiographic Geology
he says :

" First. The continents have in gen-
eral elevated mountain-borders and a
low or basin-like interior.

" Secondly. The highest border faces
the larger ocean.

"A survey of the continents in suc-
cession with reference to this law will
exhibit both the unity of system among
them and the peculiarities of each, de-
pendent on their different relations to
the oceans.

" The two Americas are alike in lying
between the Atlantic and the Pacific ;
moreover. South America is set so far to
the east of North America (being east of
the meridian of Niagara Falls), that each
has an almost entire ocean-contour.
Moreover, each is triangular in outline,
with the widest part, or head, to the
north .

" North America, in accordance with

the law, has on the Pacific side — the side of
the great ocean — the Rocky Mountains, on
the Atlantic side the low Appalachians, and

^W-^'S

D
O

WHAT CAUSED THE GREAT ST. LAWRENCE RlVERf

179

and scalped
and sunk ,
crtainty thai
>us channels
Capt. Loring
apt. LorinK's
simple state
ost channel. "

DOES IT

-the side of
mntains, on
chians, and

i'fA<M

D
O

H
O

■<
z

Is.

between the two there is the great plain of the
interior.

" To the north of North America lies the
small Arctic ocean, much encumbered with
land ; and, correspondingly, there is no dis-
tinct mountain-chain facing the ocean. •

" The characteristics of the interior plain of
the continent are well displayed in its river
systems : the great Mississipi)i system turned
to the south, and making its exit into the Gulf
of Mexico between the approaching extremi-
ties of the eastern and western mountain
range; the St. Lawrence sloping off north-
eastward; the Mackenzie, to the northward;
the central area of the plain dividing the three
systems being only about 1,700 feet above the
ocean, a less elevation than about the head-
waters of the Ohio in the State of New York.

"South America, like North America, has
its great western range of mountains, and its
smaller eastern; and the Brazilian line is
closely parallel to that of the Appalachians.
As the Andes face the South Pacific, a wider
and probably much deeper ocean than the
North Pacific, so they are more than twice the
height of the Rocky Mountains, and, more-
over, they rise more abruptly from the ocean,
with narrow shore plains.

" Unlike North America, South America has
a broad ocean on the north — the North At-
lantic, in its longest diameter ; and, accord-
ingly, this northern coast has its mountain
chain reaching along through Venezuela and
Guiana.

"The drainage of South America, as observed
by Professor Guyot, is closely parallel with
that of North America. There are first, a
southern — the La Plata — reaching the At-
lantic towards the south, between the converg-
ing c.st and west chains, like the Mississippi;
second, an eastern system — that of the Ama-
zon — corresponding to the St. Lawrence,
reaching the same ocean just north of the
eastern mountain border; and, third, a northern
system — that of the Orinoco — draining the
slopes or mountains north of the Amazon
system. The two Americas are thus singu-
larly alike in system of structure; they are
built on one model."

Thus one of the most noted and most cred-
ited geologists of our time, declares it to be
as it were a fixed law, in the forming of con-
tinents, that there should be a great river sys-
tem flowing from the middle portion of each
continent eastward, or toward the lesser ocean.

Whatever may have been the conditions of
this locality in the earlier ages of the world,
with regard to subsidences and elevations of
the earth's crust, it is quite probable that the
relation between the river valley and the ad-
joining hills and mountains has remained
approximately the same; that is, it was always
a valley.

There is evidence, however, that there was
an age when even this mighty river was turned
back upon itself, and the waters were refused
an outlet to the sea. This evidence is found
in the elevated lake borders and gravel or
pebble ridges that are to be seen along the
adjoining highlands in New York State and
Ohio.

Prof. G. Frederick Wright, of Oberlin Col-
lege, in his book, "The Ice Age in North
America," after discussing the present topog-
raphy of Ohio, and the evidence that glacial
action has changed the course of many ancient
streams, says :

" On coming to the region of the Great
Lakes, the influence of ice-barriers in maintain-
ing vast bodies of water at a high level is very
conspicuous. Around the south «liorc of
Lake Erie there is an ascending series of
what are called lake ridges. These are com-
posed of sand and gravel, and consist largely of
local material, and seem to maintain through-
out their entire length a. definite level with
reference to the lake, though accurate meas-
urements have not been made over the whole
field. The appioximation, however, is suffi-
ciently perfect to permit us to speak of them
as maintaining a uniform level. These ridges
can be traced for scores of miles in a continu-
ous line, and in the early settlement of the
country were largely utilized for roads. In
Loraine county, Ohio, an ascending series of
four ridges can be distinguished at different
levels above the lake. The highest is from
200 to 220 feet above it : the next is approxi-

i8o

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LA WHENCE RIVER.

niately 150 to t6o feet; the next lower is from
100 to 118 feet, and the next lower less than
:oo feet, while some appear on the islands
near Sandusky, which are not over 70 feet
above the water level. Eastward from Buf-
falo portions of this series havt been traced,
according to Gilbert, until they disappear
against the highlands, near Alden, on the
Erie railroad.

That the ridges on Lake Erie mark tem-
porary shore-lines of the lakes cannot well be
doubted, for they are not related to any great
natural lines of drainage, but follow the wind-
ings of a definite level, receding from the lake
wherever there is a transverse valley, and
forming in some cases parallel embankments
on either side of such valley, running inland
as far as to the general level of the se-
ries, and then returning on itself upon the
other side, to strike off again parallel with
the shore at the same level. Their relation
to the lake is also shown by the local charac-
ter of the material. It is usually such as
would wash up on the shore out of the rock
in place. In the sandstone region the ridges
are largely made up of sand, mingled with
fragments from the general glacial deposit.
Over the regions of out-cropping shales, the
ridges are composed largely of the harder
nodules which have successfully resisted the
attrition of the waves. Other evidences that
they are shore-deposits are their stratification,
the relative steepness of their sides toward the
lake and the frequent occurrence of the frag-
ments of wood buried at greater or less depths
on their outer margin.

It need not be said that there has been
much speculation concerning the cause which
maintained the waters of the lakes at the
levels indicated by these ridges, and permitted
them to fall from the level of one to that of
another in successive stages, so suddenly as
they seem to have done; for, from the absence
of intermediate deposits, it is evident that the
formation of one ridge had no sooner been
completed than the one at the next lower
level began to form. In the earlier stages of
glacial investigation, before the full power
and flexibility of glacial ice were appreciated,

and before the exact course of the southern
boundary of the ice-sheet was known, the
elevation of the water to produce these ridges
was supposed to have resulted either from a
general subsidence of the whole region to the
ocean- level, or from the elevation of a rocky
barrier across the outlet. Both these theories
were attended with insuperable difficulties.
In the first place, there is no such amount of
collateral evidence to support the theory of
general subsidence as there should be if it
really had occurred. The subsidence of the
lake region to such an extent would have left
countless other marks over a wide extent of
country; but such marks are not to be found.
Especially is there an absence of evidences of
marine life. The cause was evidently more
local than that of a general subsidence. The
theory of the elevation of a rocky barrier
would also seem to be ruled out of the field
by the fact that no other direct evidence can
be found of such recent local disturbances.

Such facts as we have point to a subsidence
at the east rather than to an elevation.

But a glance at the course of the terminal
moraine, and at. the relation of the outlets of
these lakes to the great ice movements of the
glacial period, brings to view a most likely
cause for this former enlargement and increase
in height of the surface of the lower lakes. It
will be noticed that the glacial front near
New York city was about ico miles further
south than it was in the vicinity of Buffalo.
Hence the natural outlet to the great lakes
though the Mohawk Valley would not have
been opened until the ice-front over New
England and Eastern New York had retreated
to the north well-nigh 150 miles. A similar
amfiunt of retreat of the ice-front from its
farthest extension in Cattaraugus county, in
New York, would have carried it back thirty
miles to the north of Lake Ontario, while a
similar amount of retreat from eastern Ohio
would have left nearly all the present bed of
Lake Erie free from glacial ice. With little
doubt, therefore, we have, in the lake ridges
of Upper Canada, New York and Ohio, evi-
dence of the existence of an ice barrier which
continued to fill the valley of the Mohawk,

WHAT CAUSED THE GREAT ST. LAWRENCE RIVER f

i8l

le southern
Icnown, the
these ridges
her from a
;gion to the
of a rocky
sse theories

difficulties.

amount of
e theory of
Id be if it
nee of the
d have left
: extent of
3 be found,
vidences of
lently more
ence. The
:ky barrier
Df the field
idence can
sturbances.

subsidence
ion.

le terminal
; outlets of
ents of the
nost likely
id increase
r lakes. It
front near
les further
of Buffalo,
jreat lakes
I not have
over New
d retreated

A similar
jt from its

county, in
back thirty
io, while a
stern Ohio
ent bed of
With little
ake ridges

Ohio, evi-
rrier which
Mohawk,

and choke up the outlet through the St. Law-
rence, long after the glacial front farther to
the west had withdrawn itself to Canada soil.
A study of these ridges may yet shed impor
tant light upon the length of time during
which this ice barrier continued across the
valley of the Mohawk.

By the work of our local civil engineers in
and about Jefferson county, it has been found
that the gravel deposits and beds of water-
worn pebbles found along the first escarpment
of the Rutland Hills and 'he Dry Hills, so
called, of Jefferson county, correspond in
actual elevation with about loo feet above the
level of Lake Erie, and, therefore, quite prob-
ably mark a shore-line of the same lake re-
ferred to by Professor Wright, as marked by
gravel ridges along the south shore of Lake
Erie and as loo fee< above its level, and being
caused by the damminf,; up of both the St.
Lawrence and the Mohawk River valleys. In
this way we can also find a plausible theory
for the formation of our own lower gravel
ridges, in the fact that after the glacier front
had receded farther, and the Mohawk Valley
was opened as an outlet, the great inland lake
was drawn down to a correspondingly lower
level, and its waves and surface motion laslied
a new shore-line, and gave us a new line of
ridges and water-worn pebbles.

The grooves ind lines, and the polishing of
the rocks in ",'eflferson county, show plainly
that the general direction of the moving ice of
this locality was in parallel lines with the gen-
eral direction of the S;. Lawrence River, only
the ice was moving up-stream or to the louth-
east. The streams and valleys of Jelterson
and St. Lawrence counties also in peneral
follow the same trend. The Oswegatchie
and the Indian Rivers flow first south westerly
and then, making a sharp turn, each flows
back almost parallel with their former course
and with the guiding trend of the St. Law-
rence. Even the Grass and Raquette Rivers,
further east, find themselves swung around
into this general course. The same course is
followed in the deep valley known as Rutland
Hollow, about three miles east of the city of
Watertown. and the Sandy Creek and Stony

Brook in the southerly part of Jefferson
county follow the same general course. The
Black River itself, from the Great Bend to
Watertown, takes the same course, and a val-
ley now occupied by low, s'vampy land con-
tinues the same direction to the lake, though
the river itself, from Watertown city, takes a
lower and shorter direction through rocky
gorges to its present mouth at Dexter.

During the period of this higher glacial lake
the mouth of the Black River must have been
near Carthage, and the great sand deposits in
the towns of LeRay and Wilna, known as the
Pine Plains, were probably the shoal water or
sand-bar formation, such as usually occurs at
the mouth of a stream where it enters a lake
or sea. There was also, probably, a glacier
coming down the Black River Valley and join-
ing in, and following along with, the greater
St. Lawrence Valley glacier, heretofore de-
scribed, as moving to the south-west. The
above fact is proven by the well-defined me-
dial moraine, extending from near Carthage
through near Tylerville and the towns of
Rodman and Ellisburg, to the lake just south
of Ellis village. This moraine is almost en-
tirely of granitic stones and bowlders, the
characteristic rock of the right bank of the
Black River Valley, and the moraine itself
from Carthage to the lake is exactly parallel
with the St. Lawrence river.

A glance at the map of the Thousand
Islands shows the general outline of the
islands to be long and narrow, and laid
lengthwise of the river. An inspection of the
rocks and ledges, and hills and valleys of the
adjoining shore?, and the surface of the
islands theriselves, develop the fact that all
have followed the same v of direction.

The ice age no doi'.' las wrought great
changes in the present suriace forms, and to
its influence we may properly ascribe the
rojnded and smoothed surfaces of the hard
rocks and ledges, but it is also probable that
there was a general direction given when the
Azoic and Laurentian rocks were cooled off
from the great molten mass, and that the St.
Lawrence Valley, with its adjacent uplands,
"vas an early and original form of fhe surface.

1 82

A SOO'VEX/R OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

and that the direction of the glacier move-
ment here was due to this original configu-
ration.

The parallelism, however, of the streams
and valleys of the adjoining country, and the
groovmg and wearing off of the rocky pro-

jections, and the filling up of old channels,
and the depositing of long lines of stones and
bowlders, foreign to the locality where they
are found, and the depositing of large areas of
sand-beds — all these, and many other features,
are, beyond doubt, the work of a glacial age.

THE TECHNIQUE OF FISHING.

IN GovRRNOR Alvord's most interesting and
instructive articles upon the Great River,
lie has much to say about the " men he has
met," and he speaks of all of them more as
beloved comrades than as mere acquaintances
or as the passing visitors of an hour ; but he
does not say much about the technique, the
appliances, the methods of fishing. Ourself
an amateur, we have not failed to seek infor-
mation upon the points indicated; and, like
all amateurs, we try to believe that there is
some " royal road to learning," by pursuing
which we may exceptionally " get there "
without the labor and inconveniences of learn-
ing by experience. From the great Izaak
Walton himself down to our own day, and
taking our distinguished Governor Alvord
as one of the brightest teachers of modern
times in all arts piscatorial, the methods, the
little incidentals by which the agile water-
denizens are lured into the voracious frying-
pan, have been much disputed — this grand
"faculty" of becoming art expert fisherman
being as elusive, various, and sometimes as
intricate as wooing one of the fair sex, whose
moods are often as contradictory as are those
of the most artful muscalonge cr bass, and
yet, when captured, are almost " too sweet
for anything." From the crookedest tree-
limb, with a piece of twine at its end, to the
jointed and polished rod, with silken line and
silver reel, the margin is wide and expensive.
The f)oorest and the best of these appliances
have each won great renown, but generally in
the hands of those who know how to use
them, the fish being largely democratic, and
as willing to take a wriggling worm from a
pin-hook as from one of Skinner's best treble-

arranged, feather-decorated devices. An in
all good things, in fishing there are many
methods ; but in all fishing, good bait is an
indispensable adjunct. With it you feel as a
soldier feels with a good gun in his hand ; it
is his guaranty of probable success.

The improvements in fishing tackle have
been immense during the past forty years.
In 1849, the writer saw the elder Walton, long
since dead, at work upon spoons that could
not now be given away — yet of those rude
attempts he could dispose readily of as many
as he could put together. Chapman, at
Theresu and Rochester, had made many
beautiful and successful fishing appliances.
But the most successful man in the business
for very many years has been Mr. G. M.
Skinner, of Clayton, whose goods are now
known all over the United States and Canada.
He began to study the art piscatorial upon tlie
(jreat River itself, having been long a resident
of Gananoque, Ontario, in his early youth.
He finally located at Clayton, a place possess-
ing some advantages not apparent to the
superficial observer, among them being a
prominent angling resort and the princij)al
gateway for tourists coming to the river over
the only avenue on the American side, viz.:
the N. Y. C. System, comprising the R., W. &
O.. and U. & B. R. R. R. It is the distribut-
ing point for those desiring to reach, by
w.;ter, the numerous islands and parks in its
immediate vicinity, and, also, the fashionable
resort, twelve miles down the river, of Alex-
andria Bay.

In this romantic and favored vicinity he
served his apprenticeship in fishing and ex-
perimenting with all sorts, sizes and shapes of

THE TECHNIQUE OF FISHING.

183

1 channels,
stones and
where they
rge areas of
er features,
glacial age.

es. Ai5 in

are many

bait is an

u feel as a

3 hand ; it

ackle have

orty years.

'alton, long

that could

those rude

jf as many

apman, at

ade many

appliances.

e business

Mr. G. M.

are now

id Canada.

l1 upon the

; a resident

irly youth.

ce possess-

nt to the

being a

J principal

river over

side, viz.:

: R., W. &

distribut-

reach, by

arks in its

ashionable

r, of Alex-

icinity he
\ and ex-
shapes of

artificial baits obtainable. He was not content,
but strove to construct a spoon for his own use,
which should have decided advantages over
any used. As a result of such effort, two
corrugated or fluted spoons were made; one
being given to a fishing companion, the other
he retained for his own use. In numerous
practical trials, these two spoons gave satis-
factory evidence of having uncommon merit,
notably in the capture, by his wife and self,
of a muscalonge, measuring four feet eleven
inches in length and weighing forty pounds.

Mr. Skinner himself says: " I have been fre-
quently asked, what I considered a spoon to
represent, as revolving while fishing, and why
are fish attracted by them to such an extent
that they will seize them, even when unpro-
vided with any other attraction save the glint
of tie cold metal. In reply, I offer those of
an mijuisitive turn my humble opinion that
the njii'. ion or action of a revolving lure, un-
quesiionably simulates or means, life — preyj
to fish, and as a natural sequence, life means
food — sustenance."

Mr. Skinner also relates t!ie following: "A
party from Clciyton went to Hay Bay, Bay of
Quinte, to fish for muscalonge. The water in
Hay Bay is not very deep where the fish are
caught and the weeds come very near the sur-
face. To prevent the trolling-spoon fouling, a
gang ot .-<aked hooks is attached to the line some

distance ahead of the spoon, which breaks off
or pulls up the weeds and allows the spDon to
go free. Messrs. D. Pratt and Edwin Sey-
mour, of Sy "acuse, were fishing in one boat.
Mr. Seymour, in letting out line, felt a tug
when the line was out but a few yards. Turn-
ing he saw the water break where the naked
hook was and commenced to haul in, finding
l\e had caught a muscalonge upon the naked
or weed-guard hook.

" One of the party trolling with two hand
lines caught a large pike under somewhat un-
usual circumstances. The voracious fish had
captured one troll and made a race for and
secured the other, having both of them se-
curely hooked in his mouth when hauled in.

"A most unusual occurrence I would like
to place on record. In August, 1883, Miss
Annie Lee, at that time eleven years of age,
while trolling near Clayton for bass, with a
No. 3 gold fluted spoon, which size is fitted
with a No. 2 hook, struck and successfully
brought to boat a muscalonge weighing
thirty-six pounds, measuring four feet six
inches in length. In the effort to secure this
large fish the guide's gaff" was broken, show-
ing the enormous strength of the fish, yet it
was finally secured, brought in and exhibited
with those slight hooks still fast in its capa-
cious mouth — an evidence not only of good
tackle, but of skillful handling."

TWO OF G. M, skinner's COMBINATION BAITS.

CANANOQUE-PAST ANP/ PRESENT.

/gi HE pleasant village of Gananoque, with a
^1 population of about four thousand souls,
situated on the north shore of the St. Law-
rence, opposite Clayton, and at the outlet of
Gananoque River, is a place of no small im-
portance as a manufacturing center. It has
an excellent water power, aggregating manv
hundreds of horse-power, much more of whit
might be utilized for manui'acturing purposes.

As a place of summer resort, it possesses
exceptional advantages in the way of locality.
Its position at the foot of the "Admiralty
Group " of islands, in which is " Bostwick
Channel," the finest in many respects of any
of the island channels in the river (the entire
group being made up of islands in themselves
exceedingly picturesque), is, in its entirety,
one of great beauty and attractiveness. Al-
ready cottages are erected on many of the
islands, and as the great desirableness of the
locality becomes better known, the number of
these cannot fail to increase; and still more
so, if the present very unjust and inconsistent
policy of the Ottawa government should be
modified, as, indeed, it should be for the
benefit of the village of Gananoque itself.

The name " Gananoque " is evidently of
Irdian origin; but which of two Indian names
as first applied to the locality is to be consid-
ered as having given rise to the present name,
is a matter of some doubt. The original or-
thography of the word was "Cadanoryhqua,"
meaning the " Place of Health," or what was
evidently a synonymous phrase " Rocks-Seen-
Under-Running-Water," both of which are
descriptive of the locality, so far as physical
conditions and a natural fact are concerned.
On the other hand, the Hurons called the

place "Gananoqui," which means "The
Place of the Deer." Another trib<; translates
their term to mean "A meadow rising out of
the waters," so that the real source from which
the present name is derived is a matter of
some doubt. Be that as it may, the Missis-
sauga name "Cadanoryhqua" was for several
years retained in OiTicial documents, and it
not until after the year 1800 that the
■ "Gananoque" came into use. At the
tuuc ui the survey of Leeds, the name of
the Gananoque River was changed to " The
Thames," but it never was generally used; in
fact it only appears in a proclamation of Lord
Dorrhester (Sir Guy Carlton) while for the
second time Governor-General of Canada, in
1788.

From the variety and extent of its manu-
facturing interests, Gananoque has been, not
inaptly, named the Birmingham of Canada,
and as a settlement has now entered upon
the second century of its existence. A brief
sketch of its early settlement may be of some
interest to the general reader, and is therefore
subjoined. Two men, Sir John Johnson, an
officer of the British army during the War of
the Revolution, at which time he commanded
an organization of loyalists popularly known
as "Johnson's Royal Greens," and Colonel
Joel Stone, were the first to receive grants of
land which covered the entire limits of the
village, and more, as it now stands. Of these
two, Col. Stone was the first settler, coming
up the river from Cornwall in the summer of
1792, taking passage in a batteau which was
bound to Kingston. These grants of land
were made in 1792, and the patent to Col.
Stone was issued December 31, 1798, and

CAN ANOQUE— PAST AND PRESENT.

185

ms "The
: translates
ing out of
Tom which
matter of
the Missis-
for several
nts, and it
o that the
e. At the
; name of
i to " The
ly used; in
on of Lord
ile for the
Canada, in

its manu-

been, not

Canada,

red upon

A brief

)e of some

therefore

hnson, an

le War of

)mmanded

rly known

Colonel

grants of

its of the

Of these

r, coming

mimer of

hich was

of land

to Col.

798, and

covers "A certain triangular tract upon the
River Cadanoryhqua," etc., which was located
on the west side of the river. Sir John John-
son's tract was located on the east side of the
river, but his patent was not issued until May
17, 1802. Each grant extended to the center
of the Gananoque River, then known by its
Indian name as above.

Col. Stone's patent was computed to con-
tain 700 acres of land, to which were added,
later, two additional patents of 200 acres each,
making in all 1,100 acres; while Col. John-
son's grant covered 1,534 acres. At the time
of Col. Stone's arrival, a Frenchman, named
Carey, lived on Tidd's Island, now Fremont
Park, with whom he formed a temporary part-
nership, erecting a shanty on the mainland, on
the point now occupied by a lumber yard.
Having secured a couple of cows, their shanty
was opened as a house of entertainment, being
the first tavern for many miles along the Cana-
dian shore of the St. Lawrence. During the'
absence of the proprietors one day, the hotel
burned and the partnership ended, each of
them entering into business for himself. Mr.
Stone proceeded to clear a plot of land on
what is know King street, on which he erected
a log-house, it being, with the exception of
the shanty above spoken of, the first house
erected in Gananoque. His next enterprise
was the building of a schooner of forty tons
measurement, called the " Leeds Trader,"
which ran on the lake and river for many
years. Then he built a saw-mill, which stood
on the site of the present Electric Light Com-
pany's building ; following that with a frame
house of two stories in height, fastened with
wrought nails brought from England. It was
erected in 1796, and for half a century it
was known as the " Red House," having been
painted that color. This was built on the
point near where the upper end of the lumber
yard wharf is now. Where the steel and wire
shop now is, Mr. Stone built another frame
house, known as the " Yellow House," and
which became his residence, after his
marriage to Mrs. Dayton. Later, he built a
long, low fraiue house with a veranda along
its entire front, just west of the ** West End

Store," which he made his residence as long
as he lived. The building was burned only
thirteen years ago, and the lot where it stood
is yet vacant. In 1852, the late John Bulger
tore down the " Red House," and the frame
was re-erected on Garden street. It is the
house now occupied by Mr. James Beatty.
The "Yellow House " was burned in 1850.

Col. Stone was evidently a man of great
energy, and was unceasing in his efforts to im-
prove his holdings, keeping all the time an
eye to the "main chance," as did his ances-
tors, and as he himself had been trained to do
in the school of actual business. His proce-
dure was in direct contrast with that of Sir

COL. STONE.
(Kindly loaned us by Mr. Britlon, editor " Recorder.")

John Johnson, who paid no attention what-
ever to his estate, only through an agent; in
fact, it is a question whether he ever visited
his possessions in person, so that to Col. Stone
belongs all the honors of a first settler, and
hence a brief biographical sketch may prove
interesting.

Joel Stone was born in Guilford, Connecti-
cut, August 7, 1749. Before he was two
years of age, his father removed to Litchfield,
where, " by indefatigable labor and industry,
he improved a competency of land of which
he was proprietor." During his minority,
Joel labored on the " competency," but when
he became of age, he adopted a more active

ena

186

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

mode of life, and became a travelling mer-
chant; or, in tht vernacular of those days a
" Yankee peddler." Within three years he
travelled over very nearly the whole of the
then settled portions of the country, return-
ing with a large amount of property. In
1774, he entered into a mercantile partner-
ship with Jabez Bacon, of Woodbury, Conn.,
their -^.rticles of copartnership binding them
for six years as copartners in " Merchandizing
and all things thereto belonging; and in buy-
ing, selling, vending and retailing all sorts of
goods, wares and commodities whatsoever."
These articles of copartnership are yet in ex-
istence. This partnership flourished, and the
partners became wealthy; but the breaking
out of the Revolutionary War ended the
partnership and one of them assumed the
hazards and glories of a military life.

Mr. Stone attempted for a time to reman
neutral and trade with both parties, .iiojgh
his sympathy was with the Royalists. But he
was soon obliged to declare himself for me
side or the other. To remain neutral, was to
be suspected by both, and in 1776 he was
peremptorily ordered by the officials of Con-
gress to declare immediately whether he would
take up arms against the British government,
or furnish a substitute. He refused to do
either ; and being warned that he would be
called to a strict account, he fled hurriedly to
New York, which was then held by the British
force j, and which he reached in safety; and
on the 20th of June, 1777, he was enrolled in
Governor Wentworth's command, by a com-
mission dated .April 16, 1778. He recruited
fifty-four men or more for two years' service,
under command of Sir William Howe. He
went on this mission to Huntington, Long
Island, where he was surprised while asleep
and taken prisoner, May 12, 1778, by a com-
pany of whaleboat men, and conveyed to
Fairfield, Connecticut. He was held in close
custody and charged with high treason. But
he managed to escape on the 23d of July, and
a week later was back on Long Island.

In the meantime, the selectmen, the con-
stables, bailiffs, and the courts of Connecticut
had been attending to the property left there

by Mr. Stone when he fled to New York. By
due process of law, as it then obtained, his
real and personal estate was confiscated, and
the proceeds, after deducting costs, were ren-
dered for benefit of the State. Not only did
the magistrates and County Court adjudicate
in the matter and issue executions, but the
Probate Court was also called into operation,
as dealing with the effects of one who was de-
scribed in the inventory as '* politically dead."
The personal property thus escheated appears
by the returns to have amounted tO;^49i: 6; 9,
" at the rate of twenty-eight shillings for an
English guinea, or six shillings for a Spanish
milled dollar." The real estate was appraised
under oath at jQzS'^'- "^i'- °- Or^e piece 01
land, in which Mr. Stone had a one-half inter-
est, in the township of Winchester, was not
included, for the reason, probably, that his
pursuers had no knowledge of it. According
to Mr. Stone's own statement, the firm of
Bacon & Stone had a capital of ^12,000 ster-
ling in stock; and that in addition to his share
of that, his books, bonds and all his personal
effects were confiscated.

During his residence in New York, Mr.
Stone formed an acquaintance with«the family
of William Moore, a sea captain, and on the
23d of March, 1780, he was married to Leah
Moore, the captain's daughter. The mar-
riage ceremony was celebrated by Rev. Charles
Inglis, who was then rector of Trinity church,
New York.

In addition to his pension, Mr. Stone, in
common with all who had served the King in
the Revolutionary War, was entitled to a
grant of land. And after his arrival at Que-
bec, he endeavored by inquiries and personal
investigation to ascertain what would be the
most suitable locality.

Mr. Stone settled in Cornwall with his
family, then consisting of his wife, his son,
William Moore Stone, and his daughter, Mary.
He purchased some land at Cornwall, and ex-
pected to draw 800 or 1,000 acres besides.
He erected a dwelling and still house, and
otherwise endeavored to provide a permanent
home. But he was unable to secure as much
land as he wanted. Most of it had been pre-

GANANOQUE — PAST AND PRESENT.

187

York. By
)tained, his
seated, and
, were ren-
)t only did

adjudicate
ns, but the
I operation,
rho was de-
:ally dead."
ted appears
^491:6:9,
lings for an
• a Spanish
IS appraised
le piece 01
e-halt in let-
ter, was not
3ly, that his
According
the firm of
^12,000 ster-

to his share
his personal

York, Mr.
h"the family
and on the
ied to Leah
The mar-
Rev. Charles
inity church,

Ir. Stone, in
the King in
titled to a
ival at Que-
and personal
rould be the

ill with his
vife, his son,
ghter, Mary.
wall, and ex-
cres besides.
1 house, and
a permanent
ure as much
ad been pre-

empted before he arrived, and he was, there-
fore, compelled to come further towards the
west in search of unclaimed territory. He went
to Quebec and spent some time in an effort to
secure all the land along the Gananoque River.
But Sir John Johnson brought sufficient influ-
ence to bear upon the government to cause a
compromise of claims. It was decided that Sir
John should be awarded all the land on the east
side of the Gananoque River, and Mr. Stone
all on the west side, the boundary of each to
be the center of the river. Just when this
decision was arrived at is not set down. But
Mr. Stone took possession of his portion in
1792, and the patent was issued six years later.

In 1 79 1, Col. Stone went to Connecticut
with his two children, William and Mary,
whom he placed at school in Hartford, having
previously placed a son at school in Montreal.
Leah, his wife, died at Cornwall, about 1793,
but the exact date is not known. In 1798,
Mr. Stone, who had then been five years a
widower, and had established himself at
Gananoque, decided to marry a second time,
and made formal proposal to Mrs. Abigail
Dayton, widow, who lived in the township of
Hurford, in Upper Canada.

Suffice it to say, that the wooer prosecuted
his suit with vigor, and in time, the fair ob-
ject of his affections surrendered at discretion,
but not in haste. They were married in the
summer of 1799, removing to the residence of
Col. Stone, at Gananoque.

From that time on, the particulars of Mr.
Stone's life are so much a part of the progress
and growth of Gananoque as to belong more
properly to the history of the town. He filled
numerous offices both under the government
and by local appointment. He was the first
Collector of Customs; a Commissioner, or
justice of the Peace; Chairman of the Court
of General Sessions of the Peace for the
Johnstown District; Commissioner for ad-
ministering the oath to half-pay officers; Re-
turning Officer at County election of Member
of Parliament in 181 2; a member of the Land
Hoard for District of Johnston, established in
1819 for locating settlers; and Road Overseer
for the Township of Leeds.

By a commission dated 3d January, 1809,
under the hand and seal of Francis Gore,
Lieut. -Governor of Upper Canada, he was
appointed colonel in the 2d Regiment of
Militia for the County of Leeds, and was
thereafter known as Colonel Stone. This
office he resigned in January, 1822.

Three children were born to Mr. Stone
during the life of his first wife. His eldest
son William, who is referred to as "Billy " in
Mr. Stone's letters, grew to maturity at
Gananoque, assisting in the general affairs of
his father, and for a time holding the position
of Deputy Collector of Customs. He died in
1809, aged twenty-eight years.

In the fall of 1833, the Colonel caught a
severe cold, and died on the 20th November,
in the eighty-fifth year of his age. Mrs. Stone
survived him by nearly ten years, and died
August 4, 1843, in her ninety-third year.

The events of his settlement in Gananoque
have already been alluded to, but we will add
one brief letter, which sets forth the energy
and thrift of ''"ol. Stone, better by far than
any descriptijn could:

Montreal, i6(h July, iSoi.

My Dkar: — I received 3-our letter dated the next
day after I left home, 7th June, about three days
past by mere accident. I mark well the contents
thereof, approve of what you have done, and must
with pleasure submit to your own wisdom to do as
you think best until I cm get home, which I do not
intend shall be long, but I have not yet been able to
deliver any of my boards and plank. Andrew,
William and David will sett olF to-morrow mor..ing
with the boat loaded with the following packaf;es
and articles agreeable to the enclosed bills: One
large cask wine, two trunks, one small trunk, the
box or chest, two b-rrells, two kegs (one best Made-
ira wine, oiiu cidci vinegar), one cask nails, two
small bales, one shovel, one spade. Enclosed I
send you four keys, one to each of the trunks, and
one to the chest. Please to be careful in unpacking
the pork barrel. It has a bottle of castor oil and a
phial of pickery roped up in the blankets.

In the barrels, and in your chest, you will '"nd a
number of articles we had on board the raft, two or
three axes, &c., and you will find tobacco and snuff
(viz.), 2 lbs. snufTonly; also Bohea tea in one of the
casks, and Hyson tea in one of the large trunks.
The Bohea tea is 6s. per lb. in case you sell any, and
the tobacco 3s. Please to put the tobacco in some
moist place.

1 88

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

The other articles I have marked the price to sell
at in the bills in my own hand vvriting. I need not
caution you to sell for cash only, except where we
owe and to pay for what we must buy. The large
cask of wine may be very good to drink as wine and
water, and you may sell it at 5s per gallon if you can,
but I bought it with a view of making vinegar only.
I gave IS per gallon for it. The articles in the large
trunk where the Hyson tea is are not marked, nor is
the bill sent. You will find Turlington's drops in
the trunk where the Hyson tea is, which you may
sell at 5s per bottle, but those in the pork barrel,
large phials keep for your own use. You will set
the people at work as you find most necessary until
1 get home. I must, if possible, bring down another
raft thii season. Old Mr. Chaple will be up again
as soon as he has done visiting his friends.

I am my dear in great haste, with a very bad pen
and ink and my best exertions.

Your most affectionate,

JoEi. Stone.

For much of the matter relating to Col.
Stone, we are indebted to Freeman Britton,
Esq., editor of the " Gananoqiie Reporter."

So far as the improvement of his water-
power was concerned, Col. Stone did but little
towards it, leasing it finally to his son-in-law,
Charles McDonald, who, in 181 2, began to
carry on an extensive business. He built a
saw-mill, and a small grist-mill, and engaged
largely in the lumber trade, shipping large
quantities to Quebec, and also supplying the
government with ship timber, several war
vessels being on the stocks at Kingston, at
that time. In 18 17, Chas. McDonald was
joined by his brother John, and later by an-
other brother Collin; and in 1826, the firm of
"C. & J. McDonald and Brother" erected
the largest flouring mill in the Province. To
supply this mill, grain was brought in schoon-
ers from the West; and owing to its capacity
of 250 barrels per day, was for many years
enabled to supply one-quarter of all the flour
received at Montreal. The flour was sent
down in batteaux and Durham boats, a bat-
teau load being from 150 to 200 barrels,
while a Durham boat carried 450 barrels.
The forwarding business at that time was in
the hands of H. & S. Jones. The block
houses built at Gananoque, and on Chimney
Island, were built for the government by
Charles McDonald.

The first store in Gananoque was opened in
1812 by Chas. McDonald, and the McDonalds
also built the first church in the place. It
was free for all denominations, and was erected
in 1832. Some four or five years later, the
Methodists erected a small wooden building
on the site of the present church. This de-
nomination furnished the first regular services
in the village. The first resident minister was
Rev. William Carson. Among the first settlers
of the village was Ephraim Webster, who was
afterward collector of customs at Brockville.
In 183 1, the steamer William IV was built at
Gananoque by a joint stock company. This
was the steamer that the noted Bill Johnston
and his followers attempted to capture during
the so-called Patriot war, by stretching a
chain across a narrow channel between two
islands. The attempt failed, but was suc-
cessful as to the Sir Robert Peel, related else-
where.

The writer's acknowledgments are due to
his honor the mayor and several aldermen for
many favors in the way of information af-
forded, but especially to the Hon. C. E. Brit-
ton, whose interest in the welfare o-f his town
is strong and abiding.

In concluding this brief sketch of the early
history of Gananoque, the writer desires to
add, that steps are now being taken to build
an electric railway from that village to the
city of Kingston. In fact there is at this
writing a bill before Parliament asking for an
act of incorporation, which will no doubt be
granted. Its situation, its water power, its
commercial opportunities, its manufacturing
privileges, entitle Gananoque to a population
of fully 15,000 souls; and this it cannot fail to
realize, unless its leading citizens, by injudi-
cious acts, shall retard the onward march of
improvement, and paralyze progress. A great
number of lakes in its rear not only guarantee
the perpetuity of its water power, but make
the village the gateway to the finest fishing
and hunting grounds in America. That Gan-
anoque is destined to become one of the
thriving cities of the St. Lawrence region
admits of but slight doubt.

B-'Sf/

IS opened in
McDonalds
; place. It
was erected
s later, the
en building
. This de-
ilar services
minister was
first settlers
er, who was
; Brockville.
was built at
pany. This
!ill Johnston
jture during
itretching a
etween two
Lit was suc-
related else-
are due to
ildermen for
irmation af-
C. E. Brit-
; of his town

of the early
• desires to
ken to build
lage to the
i is at this
iking for an

doubt be
power, its

mufacturing

1 population
annot fail to
s, by injudi-
d march of
ss. A great
y guarantee
r, but make
nest fishing

That Gan-

one of the

Cnce region

BROCKVILLE,

THE GATE-CITY TO THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

^1 UST at the foot of the Thousand Islands,
^Si' 126 miles west of Montreal, and fifty
miles east of Kingston, stands the beautiful
town of Brockville. Its history is one of inter-
est, as being one of the oldest towns in
Ontario, and as one which has not stood still,
but has made a steady progress, a solid sub-
stantial growth, in step and cadence with
modern improvement. The modern " booms,"
with their consequent reaction, have never been
inflicted upon Brockville, and in consequence
it has felt none of the enervating influences
sequent upon periods of undue inflation.

In 1784, one hundred and eleven years ago,
Adam Cole, having left the United States, and
being still desirous of remaini%g under the
protection of the British flag, to which he
deemed his allegiance due, sailed up the St.
Lawrence, and landed on the site of the pres-
ent city of Brockville; but from the fact that
to him the land seemed rough and uninviting,
he pushed on to a point six miles above, and
finally settled at what is now known as Cole's
Ferry. In the following year, another enthu-
siastic U. E. Loyalist, William Buell, located
on the lot where a large part of the western
portion of the city now stands. Shortly after-
ward, Charles Jones, following in the footsteps
of his predecessor, took up the adjoining lot
on the east. These first settlers were of
course subjected to all the inconveniences in-
cident to pioneer life; but in a short time the
little settlement became a distributing point
for government stores, which were supplied
to settlers in the shape of provisions and im-
plements, and quite soon it sprang into some
prominence, and began to grow.

The surrounding township was named
Elizabethtown, and for a number of years the
village was known by that name, and also by
the name of Buell's Bay. Finally, the resi-
dents began to favor a more dignified title,
and then no little difference of opinion arose
concerning the name of the place, which, as
is almost always the case, resulted in a pa-
tronymic bestdwed by outsiders, which was
far more expressive as to fact, than conducive
to dignity. Mr. Buell and his friends were
extremely desirous of naming it " Williams-
town," in honor of William Buell, the first
settler. On the other hand, Mr. Jones and
his adherents, insisted that " Charlestown "
should be the name, after Mr. Charles Jones;
and between the factions such a strife was
engendered, and so bitter was this miniature
war of the rival roses, that the outlying resi-
dents becoming disgusted with the endless
bickerings, incontinently bestowed the nick-
name of " Snarleytown " upon the place, which
adhered to it for a long time.

In 181 1, however, a new system of grand
tactics was introduced into the local war, and
Mr. Buell demonstrated his ability as a tac-
tician by having his property surveyed and
laid out into town lots, setting aside grounds
for a public square, court-house, etc., of which
he had a map published on which was duly
set forth desirable properties for sale, thus in-
augurating for that day and age a veritable
approach to the modern "boom," or, at all
events, as near to one as Brockville has ever
experienced. Desirous of becoming a large
landed proprietor, Mr. Jones was averse to
disposing of his property in like manner, and

Kvm

190

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

therefore practically acknowledged that he
was out-generaled, but he was by no means
defeated. The factions grew and multiplied
in numbers, and the feud in intensity, for a
decade, until it seemed a foregone conclusion
that " Snarleytown " was likely to become
the permanent designation of the locality.
Finally, in 182 1, Governor-General Sir Isaac
Brock, being in the place, the dispute was re-
ferred to him, and he immediately settled the
difficulty by bestowing his own name upon
the place. It was a happy thought, and like

schooner Julia, and two British vessels, the
Earl of Moira and the Duke of Gloucester,
had an engagement opposite the town, whitli
lasted for three hours, ceasing by mutual con-
sent when darkness came on, neither parly
having suffered any material damages ; — an
emphatic and significant comment upon \.\w
skill of both parties in the use of artillery. On
the night of the 6th of February, 1813, Cajit.
Forsyth, of the Rifles, then commandant at
Ogdensburg, marched up the river to Morris-
town, and, crossing on the ice, took posses-

LOOKING EAST FROM ARCADE, WATERTOWN, N. Y., SHOWING SNOW OK WINTER 1894-95.

pouring oil upon troubled waters, it calmed
the storm by satisfying the contending fac-
tions, who merged their differences into
" Brockville," a name ever since retained, and
one to be proud of. As an old resident of
the city remarked to the writer: "It was a
shrewd exemplification of the fable of the
monkey, the cats and the cheese — but it
worked well and satisfied all parties."

During the war of 1812-15, Brockville was
often the scene of lively operations. On the
29th of July, 1 81 2, the United States armed

sion of the town, capturing several of its
prominent citizens, and releasing several pris-
oners from the jail, most of whom were Ameri-
cans who had been taken prisoners and con-
fined there. It is related that Capt. Forsyth
refused to release a prisoner who was incar-
cerated on a charge of murder; but in his de-
fense his counsel sought to win a point in his
favor by establishing the fact that, while he
might have escaped, he would not, thus creat-
ing a strong inference of his innocence. He
was, nevertheless, convicted and hanged.

THE BROCK VILLE OF W-DA Y.

191

essels, the
iloucestcr,
iwn, whicli
lutual con-
ther party
iges ; — an
; upon tlif
illery. On
1813, Capt.
nan dan t at
to Morris-
ok posses-

Fifty-two prisoners, with a large amount of
stores and ammunition, was the result of the
capture of Brockville, and an equal number of
American prisoners was the result of a ••*»-
prisal which immediately followed, in which
Capt. Forsyth was badly beaten at Ogdensburg
')y the Canadian volunteers under Capt. Mc-
Donnell, who, in addition to the prisoners, cap-
tured a large amount of military stores, several
pieces of artillery, some small arms, besides
destroying the barracks. The Americans lost
twenty-three in killed and wounded, and were

toward the dignity and importance of a city.
The old methods of navigation on the St.
Lawrence, batteaux and Durham boats, have
given way to elegant steamers, which have re-
duced the time from Montreal from weeks to
hours. Railways have replaced the uncertain
stage coach, and now few towns are more
favorably situated than is Brockville, as regards
connections both by water and by rail. The
main line of the Grand Trunk Railway runs
through the town, and has been an important
factor in its development. Direct communi-

eral of its
everal pris-
rere Ameri-
s and con-
)t. Forsyth
was incar-
t in his de-
)oint in his
t, while he
thus creat-
:ence. He
anged.

THE SNOW IN STREETS OF WATERTOWN, WINTER OF I894-95.

forced to retreat to Black Lake. Since. the
senseless and uncalled for disturbance of 1837,
which culminated in the surrender of the rebels
at the Windmill, and the ripple caused by the
Fenian Raid, Brockville has enjoyed uninter-
rupted peace, and has steadily thriven, pursu-
ing the even tenor of its way, until now we
have

The Brockville of To-Dav.

With a population of very nearly, if not
quite 10,000, Brockville is fairly on the road

cation with Ottawa, the capital of the Do-
minion, only seventy-four miles distant, is af-
forded by the Canadian P . .."j Railway,
which absorbed into its gigaf.A. system the
old Brockville and Ottawa Railway. Already
tho Brockville, Westport and Sault St. Marie
Railway has been completed to Westport, and
in addition to making a large section of coun-
try tributary to Brockville, when completed
to the **Soo," and connecting therewith the
American railways, this will become one or
the great trunk lines, connecting the Atlantic

193

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

seaboard with the Great West. Resides, there
is now projected an electric railway to run
between Brockville and Ottawa, which will
open the Rideau country, and be of great
benefit to that entire section. By steam-ferry
to Morristown, connection is had with the
Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railway,
which forms a part of the great Central sys-
tem of New York ; the largest on the Ameri-
can continent — and now it is proposed to
build a bridge across the St. Lawrence at*this
point, to connect the Canadian and American
systems, the preliminary steps to which have
already been taken, charters secured in both
countries, and it is confidently expected that
active steps in the way of construction will be
taken within a few months at the farthest.

During the season of navigation, the steamer
service is excellent. The steamers of the
Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company
call daily on their trips between Toronto and
Montreal and various American ports among
the Thousand Islands. Besides these, the
Ocean, Alexandria, Cuba, etc., do a large
freight and passenger business, so that water
facilities are of the best quality, and readily
available at the minimum of delay. The
steamer service to the Thousand Islands has
of late years been supplied by the John Hag-
gart, a commodious vessel, well adapted to the
purpose.

As a summer resort, Brockville offers ex-
ceptional advantages. The great American
resorts among the islands are within easy
reach, being only from twenty-five to thirty
miles away, and easily reached by any one of
the daily line of steamers which ply during
the watering season. Besides these, the Em-
pire State, America and St. Lawrence, all
splendid steamers, make almost daily excur-
sions. These steamers belong to the Thou-
sand Island Steamboat Company line, a com-
pany that is sparing no pains nor expense to
furnish a river service on the St. Lawrence
which cannot be excelled. During the past
decade some elegant resorts have sprung
up on the Canadian side of the river; among
which are Fernbank, Hill Crest, and Union
Park, while between these nearly every fa-

vored spot is taken up, and every year sees
new and beautiful summer homes spring into
view. Residents of New York, Ottawa and
Montreal, recognizing the beauties of these
locations, have already erected fine summer
residences, or are prepared to do so in the
near future.

Between Brockville and Union Park, seven
miles above, a steamer makes four round trips
daily, so that business men can attend to their
duties during the day, returning to their cot-
tage homes in the evening. In addition to its
river attractions, Brockville has some beauti-
ful drives, prominent among which, for beauty
and picturesqueness, is the drive to Fernbank
Park and the village of Lynn, five miles away.
The best known and patronized, however, is
that to Prescott, a distance of twelve miles
along the bank of the river. Brockville is
supplied with water through the celebrated
" Holly " system, and it has an excellent sys-
tem of sewerage, so that as a place of excel-
lent sanitation it is unexcelled. The streets
are well lighted with both gas and electricity,
or rather a combination of the two. They
intersect at right angles, and for the most part
are beautifully shaded, so that one might aptly
name Brockville the " Forest City," and not
go far astray.

In religious and educational matters, Brock-
ville stands deservedly high. Some of the
church edifices are magnificent and costly tri-
umphs of architectural skill. There are three
congregations of the Church of England, two
Presbyterian, two Methodist, one Baptist, and
one Roman Catholic, besides some smaller
sects. Their pastors are men of marked
ability. The schools of Brockville are of a
high order. The public schools consist of
a central High school, known as the Victoria
School, and four Ward Schools. The Separate
School is a large and commodious structure,
provided with all the modern appliances. The
Convent de Notre Dame is a superior ladies'
school. There is also an excellent Kin-
dergarten in successful operation, together
with some first-class private schools. The
Collegiate Institute is one of the best higher
educational institutions in the Province. Stu-

BROCK I iLLh /.\SANE AS i L UM.

«93

^fear sees
ring into
awa and
of these
summer
so in the

■rk, seven
unci trips
d to their
their coi-
tion to its
16 beauti-
"or beauty
Fernbank
lies away.
Dwever, is
;lve miles
ickville is
:elebrated
ellent sys-
of excel-
he streets
ilectricity,
0. They
most part
light aptly
and not

rs, Brock-
ne of the
costly tri-
are three
and, two
iptist, and
smaller
marked
are of a
consist of
e Victoria
e Separate
structure,
ices. The
or ladies'
ent Kin-
together
Is. The
;st higher
ice. Stu-

dents aie here prepared for matriculation in
liic various colleges, and for cntcriiij; upon
,iny of llic professions. Hrockville has alsf» a
I'.iisiness College eipial to any in the coimiry
in its meiiiods and m the thoroughness ot its
work. Last, but by no means least among ilie
educational institutions of tlie town, is the
An School. This has attained a provincial
reputation from the excellence of the work
exhibited by its pupils in com|jetilion witii
other Art schools in Ontario. The Mechanics'
I'lStitute, with its library of many thousand
volumes, its ample and well-su|)plied reading-
room, filled with all the current reailing matter
of the day, is surely an educator whose influ-
ence upon the masses can hardly be over-
estimated. In this respect, lirockville is but
■mother demonstration of the well-known
fact that, given a good, well-selected library,
and a reading-room abundantly supplied with
the literature of the day, a community will
stand infinitely higher, morally and intel-
lectually, than will one deprived of those
privileges. J3rockville has two excellent
newspapers, the Times and Recorder, both of
which are live sheets and fully up to date, not
only as regards the news in general, but also
uilly alive to the interests of their town.
There are many enterprising manufacturing
firms, but lack of space prevents the insertion
of a list.

For the care of the sick and afflicted, Brock-
ville has two excellent hospitals, the Brockville
General Hospital and the St. Vincent de Paul
Hospital, both being fully equipped and well
managed. The crowning institution, however,
is the newly erected

Brockville Insane Asylum.

This is an elegant structure, standing on a
commanding site on what was known as the
Pickens Point property, at the left of the Pres-
cott road. From it, the view across and down
the St. Lawrence is magnificent. The premises
contain 207 acres. The main building stands
about 350 yards north of the Prescott road.
It is built in the form of a cross, being three
stories high in the center and two stories in
the wings, having a frontage of 400 feet. The

front of the central i)art is surmounted by a
tower 128 feet in luiglit. The central part of
the main building pnijects to the rear 200 feet.
There are ample basements, storage rooms,
coal vaults, laundries, sewing rooms, offices,
dining r(< )iiis, kitchens, patients" rooms, bath
rooms. lii >;" rooms,with ample .iicommodations
m the ma:;i building for 240 patients. In
short, the building is ])rovidiil with every ap-
jjliance thai science, skill and experience could
suggest as being beneficial in an institution of
the kind. Six cottages, each forty by sixty
feet, two stories high, with all the appliances
to accommodate sixty ])atients each, are also a
part of this institution. Although interesting,
space forbids an extended description of this
fine public institution, so likely to prove one
of the attractions of Brockville.

The Canadian shore of the St. Lawrence
river, it will be noticed, is, in the main, bluff
and rocky, and in many places exceedingly
preci|)itous, with here and there occasional
breaks, where the land slopes gently to the
water's edge. ! is in one of these breaks that
Brockville is situated, with high bluffs above
and below and high ground to the rear. From
the river the place presents a very fine a]j-
pearance. The bluff at the east end of the
town rises to a height of fully fifty feet, and is
commonly known as " High Rocks," which,
with its overhanging shelves, clinging vines
and wild honeysuckles draped over the en-
trances many small caves, presents a charm-
ing bit of scenery to the eye of the river tour-
ist, but which is scarcely appreciated by the
citizens themselves. 'This beautiful spot is the
home of a legend or tale which may be too
true in fact, to relegate to the regions of
romance or legend. Be that as it may, it is
here "set down," the reader to be the judge.

Th"'. Lkgend of the Cliff.

At a point where the face of the cliff is
comparatively smooth, may be seen traces of
a painting which is now nearly obliterated,
but which, until within a few years past, was
visited every spring by a band of Indians,
who, with weired ceremonies and incantations,
brightened the picture with fresh paint and

194

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

••<»

departed. The picture war, a rough repre-
sentation of a canoe, propelled by several
Indians, out of which two white men were
falling. The legend relates that in the early
days of the French occupation of Can.Ja by
Count Frontenac, there was a continual
struggle between the New France and the
New England, as to which should secure the
alliance of the Indian tribes; and although
nominally France and England were at peace,
there is no doubt that English officers sta-
tioned in the colonies, did all in their power
to forward this much-to-be-desired consumma-
tion. The French had succeeded in securing
the alliance of the Algonejuins and Hurons,
but the great confederacy of the Iroquois held
aloof from any entangling alliances, the more,
it is presumed, because they were deadly foes
to both Hurons and Algonquins, the former
of which were settled around lakes Huron
and Superior, while the Algonquins were the
tribes of the cast. The Hurons, to reach the
great fur markets of Montreal and Quebec,
were obliged to pass through the country of
the Iroijuois, which that confederacy promptly
opposed, and so great was the terror inr:i;red
by the Iroquois, that Count Frontenac, then
Governor of the New France, decided to pro-
tect his allies, and administer such a rebuke
to their foes that they would long remember
it. The Count's expedition, however, was not
an unqualified success; and though he brought
off many prisoners, he rt^urned with his army
badly crippled, a fact of which the Iroquois
were well aware.

At all events, among the prisoners cap-
tured by the French were a couple of English
officers, who belonged, so hietory informs us,
to the garrison at Oswego; for up to th's
point, dear reader, our relation is out a verita-
ble historical fact, or facts, if yon so choose.
These officers were placed in oare of a party of
Indians, who were to take them to Montreal.

Embarking in a canoe, they proceeded down
the St. Lawrence, and, when at a point just
above Brockville, they were struck by a terri-
ble storm, and being heavily loaded they tossed
the British officers overboard, not only to
lighten the canoe, but to appease the storm-
god by a human sacrifice. But the storm-god
was not appeased. The gale increased in
intensity, and the storm king howled and
shrieked in the ears of the now dismayed In-
dians, who began to regard their actions in
throwing the two men overboard as cowardly.
They felt that the Great Spirit would punish
tnem for the act, and so the wail of their death
songs, mingled with the shrieks of the tem-
pest, and when opposite the High Rocks the
canoe went down with all its hum^n freight^
among whom was a distinguished chief. The
judgment was well deserved. Of course, those
savages did not intend to release their pris-
oners, but Just to torture them at the stake.
Had they not been so cowardly as to throw
them overboard to drown, how much pleasure
they might have afforded the whole tribe, and
what horrible tortures, so dear to the savage
heart, they might have subjected them to.
But they drowned their prisoners instead, and
were themselves drowned. Served thera right.
For more than a hundred years a band of
Indians has repainted the picture each spring,
at the same time performing incantations to
the Great Spirit, whose anger, because they
drowned the officers instead of burning them
nt the slake, must be appeased. .\s it has
now been several years since the picture has
been renewed, let us hope that the Indian
deity is satisfied.

For muoh information concerning Brock-
ville, the writer is indebted to Mr. R. Laiu-
LAW, of the Brockville Times, and to Mr.
Geo. F. Graham, of the Recorder, genial gen-
tlemen both, and fully alive to the interests of
their town.

"^"^

DHHa

77/ A" O/UGJ.W OF /'A'/.VY/A'G ON THE SHORES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 1 95

::eeded down
a {)oint just
:k by a terri-
d they tossed
not only to
;e the storm-
he storm-god
increased in
howled and
dismayed In-
:ir actions in
[ as cowardly,
tvould punish
of their death
i of the ten>
;h Rocks the
iniyn freight,,
1 chief. The
course, those
se their pris-
at the stake.
' as to throw
nuch pleasure
lole tribe, and
to the savage
ted them to.
s instead, and
d them right,
rs a band of
J each spring,
cantations to
because they
burning them
I. .\s it has
e picture has
X the Indian

rning Brock-
Vlr. R. Laio-
and to Mr.
:r, genial gen-
ie interests of

THE SPORTSMAN'S SONG.

BY MArRKT. TIlOMrSllN.

Ho ! for the marshes, green vith Spiing,

Where the bitterns croak and the plovers pipe,
Where the gaunt old heron spreads his wing

Above the haunt of the rail and snipe;
For my gun is clean and my rod's in trim,

And the old, wild longing is roused in me;
Ho ! for the bass pools cool and dim —

Ho ! for the swales of the Kankakee!

Is there other joy like the joy of man

Free for a seison with rod and gun,
With the sun to tan and the winds to fan,

And the waters to lull, and never a one
Of the cares of life to follow him.

Or to shadow his mind while he wanders free?
Ho! for the currents slow and dim!

Ho! for the fens of the Kankakee!

A hut by the river, a light canoe,

My rod and my gun, and a sennight fair —

A wind from the south and the wild fowl due-
Be mine! All's well! Comes never a care!

A strain of the savage fires my blood.
And the zest of freedom is keen in me;

Ho! for the marsh and the lilied flood!
Ho! for the tarns of the Kankakee!

Give me to stand where the swift currents rush,

With my rod all astrain and a bass coming in,
Or give me the marsh, with the brown snipe aflush.

And my gvn's sudden flashes and resonant din;
For I'm tired of the desk and tired of the town,

And I long to be out, and I long to be free.
Ho! for the marsh with the birds whirling down!

Ho! for the pools of the Kankakee!

THE ORIGIN OF PRINTING ON THE SHORES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE.

BY J. L. HUBERT NEILSON, M. I)., R. C. A., IlEI'UTY SURf.EOr. -GENERAL.

IN the year 1749 a learned Swede, Peter
Kalm, professor in a Swedish University,
a disciple of the great Linnaeus, visited the
United States and Canada. He informs us,
in the interesting volumes of travel which he
subsequently published, that there was then
no printing press in Canada, He was told,
though, that at one time there had been one.
This bi' of information appears, however, to
have been not in accord with fact. Kalm
adds: "All books are brought from France,
and all the orders made in the country are
written, which extends even to itie paper cur-
rency. They pretend that the press is not yet
introduced here, lent it should be the means
of propagating libels against the government
and religion. But the true reason seems to

be in the poorness of the country, as no
printer could put off a sufficient number of
books f'T his subsistence; and another reason
may 1 e that France may have the profit aris-
ing trom the exportadon of books hither."

Whatever the cause may have been, and all
seems to indicate that reasons of state policy
were the troe cause, a public press was an
absolutely unknown quantity in Canada from
the foundation of Quebec, in 1609, until after
the conquest by the British arms and final
ce'.oion in 1763. It had been very different
over the border in the New England provin-
ces. Within twenty years of the landing of
the Pilgrim Fathers a press had been estab-
lished at Cambridge in 1638, by Steven Daye.
At first, and for many years, small works of a

196

A SOUVENIR or THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

Godly character were its only output Gradu-
ally matters of a more worldly nature were
served by it. But it was not until 1704 that
such a secular object as a newspaper made its
appearance, and met with sufficient public
support and appreciation. It is believed that
as early as 1545 a printing press was operated
in the city of Mexico.

Well, in the year 1763 — it being made
known to the world that Canada was to be
irrevocably attached to the British Crown —
it occurred to one William Brown, a young
printer in Philadelphia, that Canada might
be a new field worth trying. Canada was
still under military rule. After a short cor-
respondence with the then Governor General,
James Murray, for the double purpose of
making surj that his scheme would not only
be permitted but favored by the authorities,
he did not hesitate to put his small savings
into the venture.

William Brown, like so many other leaders
among men, pioneers and benefactors of their
race, was a native of Scotland. He was born
in Kirkcudbrightshire, province of Galloway,
in 1737. His father, John Brown, was laird
of Nunton, in the parish of Twynholm, and of
Langlands, in Borgue. William, being a
younger son, wns sent to paternal relatives in
Virginia, to make his fortune as best he could.
In 1 85 1-2-3 we find him studying the classics
and mathematics at William and Mary Col-
lege, in Williamsburgh. The year following
he had entered a counting house as clerk, but
soon there came the seven-years' war; the de-
feat of Braddock at Monong.ihcla was fol-
lowed by commercial dislocation and a finan-
cial crash which brought an end to Brown's
incipient career as a bank clerk.

Unemployed, stranded, and with but slen-
der means in hand, young Brown bethought
himself of a trade, which possessed greater
elements of stability than banking in those
tempestuous times. The printing business,
moreover, seemed to him congenial. He ac-
cordingly directed his steps towards Philadel-
phia, with a view of there acquiring the art of
printing. He first served as apprentice in the
celebrated establishment of William Bradford,

which then existed at the corner of Black
Horse alley. It is traditional, however, that
he finished his time with Franklin & Hail,
then publishers of the Pennsylvania Gazette.

In 1 758 he had transferred his services to
William Dunlap, a printer who was also largelv
interested in bookselling. Dunlap had mar-
ried a relative of Benjamin Franklin's wife,
and through this family connection had re-
cently been appointed postmaster 01 Philadcl-
])hia. In 1760 he was for a short time partner
lo Jam«_s Rivington in the book-selling busi-
ness in New York. Their book store was at
the lower end of Wall street. P. 'wn soon with-
drew, returned to Philadeiphia, and together
with a nephew, John Dunlap, bee amc- " si-
ness managers of the elder Dunlap .;on-
cern. In that capacity we find him next
residing for two years in Bridgetown, Bar-
badoes, winding up a bookselling and print-
ing enterprise which Dunlap had there. It
was on his return from Parbadoes, in 1763,
that he formed the project of trying his for-
tune in Canada. He selected as partner one
Thomas Gilmore, a native of the north of
Ireland, a relative of Dunlap 's, who generousiy
bolst-ired up the venture of his two young
friends to the extent of ^^450.

On the 6th of August he left Philadelphia
for Boston. He informs us, in his " diary,"
that he met with disappointment in not find-
ing there a vessel bound for Quebec. He
had no choice left but to purchase a horse
and make his way as best he could towards
Quebec, via .Mbany, Lake Champlain. Mon-
treal and down the St. Lawrence to Quebec.
Brown's diary is re|)lete with details of ili's
journey, now of great interest, but space pro-
hibits quotations. While Brown was proceed-
ing overland, Gilmore was sent to London to
purchase the press, type and paper for the
new Quebec printing ofi'^ce, the whole to be
brought out by the first vessel the following
spring.

Brown, after adventures which would be
well worth repeating, finally reached Quebec
on the 30th of September, 1763. 'I"he ensu-
ing autumn and winter months he devoted in
perfecting himself in the knowledge of Frencii.

er of Black
owever, that
lin & Hall,
nia Gazette.
I services to
i also largely
ip had niar-
.nklin's wife,
tion had re-
el Philadel-
time partner
selling busi-
store was at
/n soon with-
ind together
lecamc ' si-
iinlap .;on-
d him next
jetown, Bar-
g and print-
d there. It
Ices, in 1763,
■ying his for-
i partner one
'he north of
o generously
5 two young

Philadelphia
lis " diary,"
in not find-
Quebec. He
lase a horse
uld towards
plain. Mon-
e to Quebec,
tails of this
t space pro-
was proceed-
o London to
aper for the
whole to be
he following

h would be
hed Quebec
'I'he ensu-
e devoted to
je of Frenci.,

THE ORIGIN OF PRINTING ON THE SHORES OF THE ST. LA VVRENCE. igj

for subscribers, distributing his
prospectus, and making things ready for the
installation of the press. He had secured a
small house "in Parlour street, in the Upper
Town, a little above the Bishop's Palace."
Gilmore arrived early in June, with a brand-
new hand press and excellent type, which he
had secured from Kenrick Peck, of London.
He was also provided with a sufficient supply
of paper, ink and other necessaries. On the
2ist of June, 1764, the first number of the
Quebec Gazette was offered to the public.

It will thus be seen that to these citizens of
old Philadelphia is due the honor and glory
of having planted the first press in its sister
colony on the shores of the St. Lawrence, in
the now vast and prosperous Dominion of
Canada. A word of the worthy William Dun-
lap, Franklin's relative, who was in a way the
sponsor and financial backer of Brown and
Gilmore's venture, may not be out of place.
By trade he had been a job printer, bookseller
and paper manufacturer, and, in 1758, suc-
cessor to William F'ranklin as postmaster of
Philadelphia. Dunlap had also a printing
and bookselling establishment in Barbadoes.
He was also interested in the Barbadoes Mer-
cury. His agent there was George Esmond,
who so neglec.ed his patron's interest that, in
1765, Dunlap had to go there himself, and
there he spent two years in vain attempts to
obtain a settlement of his affairs. While in
Bridgetown, although advanced in years, he
decided to devote himself to the ministry of
the Church of England, commenced his theo-
logical studies, and, in 1767, went to London
to be ordained. He then returned to Phila-
delphia, his wife having, meanwhile, become
insane. John Dunlap, his nephsw, took charge
of the interests which he still retained in the
Philadelphia printing and bookselling estab-
lishment. This firm continued to furnish sup-
plies of printing paper, stationery, etc., to
Brown and Gilmore in Quebec until the out-
break rf the Revolutionary war. These goods
were usually forwarded to them by sailing
vessels via the Gulf of the St. Lawrence.
But they looked f ^r more than inert supplies
from Philadelphia. I quote from a long half-

business, half-affectionate letter written by
Brown to the Rev. William Dunlap, on April
29, 1768:

"* * * ILiving been long embarrassed with Cana-
dian Boys.is menial servants about the Printing Office,
who will not engage for any considerable time and
as soon as they find themselves useful augment their
wages and become intolerably insolent, we are at List
come 10 a Resolution of trying to get a Negro Boy,
wherefore we beg you will endeavour to purchase
one for us, between 15 and 20 years of age fit to put to
Press, who has had the Small Pox, is country born
and can be recommended for his Honesty; we would
not begrudge a pretty good Price for such a likely
Negro: or if you should be inclined to part with your
Boy Priamus we would be glad to have him and
would be glad to give what would be judged a
reasonable price for him. We pray ycu may try and
procure us one so that he may reach us here in the
fall; and as soon as you shall be certain of him or
determined to part with your own we beg you may
loose no Time in acquainting us of the Price, which
we will immediately remit to you on a Hill on York
(sic) as we shall keep the cash ready till we hear
from you. Should it be too late for an opportunity
from Philadulpliia there has always been vessels
from York in .\u^'ust and Sepbr, and we doubt not
that there will be this Year. * ♦ *" In a P. S he
adds: " If you are so lucky as to get us a Negro,
before you embark him we beg he may be insured."

William Dunlap evidently took the most
kindly, even fatherly, interest in his two pro-
teges in Quebec, judging from the many letters
he wrote them, several of which are in my
possession. A son named Tomy appears to
have been at this period with the printers in
Quebec, for he more than once refers to him.
He always subscribed himself, " I am, dear
gentlemen. Your affectionate W. Dunlap."
His confidence in them was not misplaced,
for that very year they repaid him in full his
advance of ^450, with interest at six per cent.
There being none or few regular banks in
existence in the North American provinces,
remitting money was both a difficult and costly
matter. Opportunities of purchasing a bill
of exchange on a good, solvent firm or indi-
vidual were few and far between. About this
time, 1768, W. Dunlap severed his connection
with business to become rector of the parish
of Stratton in King and Queen's county, Vir-
ginia, where, I presume, he ended his varied
earthly career.

198

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

,.;,»

Brown & Gilmore had calculated on a
subscription list of at least 150; when the first
number appeared, only no had given in their
names. General Murray subscribed for ten
copies and two other officials five each.
Among these no names not more than a
dozen French names can be found, most of
these were priests. The paper was printed on
a folio sheet, with four double-column pages,
one column being English, the opposite one a
translation into French. A cut of the Royal
Arms headed the paper, to one side of which
was the title, " The Quebec Gazette," while on
the other was the French title, " I.a Gazette de
Quebec." At the foot of thi; fou;th page was
the colophone, "Quebec, printed by Brown &
Gilmore, at the printinr; offirc; in Parlour
street, in the Upper Tow.n, a little above the
Bishop's palace, where subscriptions for this
paper are taken in; advertisements of a mode-
rate length (in one language) inserted for five
shillings Halifax, the first week and one shil-
ling each week after; if in both languages
seven shillings and six pence Halifax, the
first week and half a dollar each week after ;
and all kinds of printing done in the neatest
manner, with care and expedition." It ap-
peared once a week, on Thursdays.

The two first pages contained foreign Euro-
pean news, seldom less than six weeks or two
months old; occasional items relating to the
neighboring Provinces and extracts from their
newspapers ; then followed scanty allusions
to matters of local interest ; the third and
fourth pages were filled with official proc-
lamations, government and private advertise-
ments, many of which convey curious and
important information. Brown appears to
have been the business head — editor and
manager — of the concern; he and Gilmore
had evidently been trained at an excellent
school; witness the correctness and neatness
of their work. Brown was the essence of
regularity and precision in all his work; his
diary, his letters, his office books, dating from
his arrival in Canada until his death, detailing
every business transactions of the printing
office and every item of his own personal ex-
penses from 1763 to 1789, are written most

carefully in rounded hand; they are all pre-
served among the collections of the writer of
this sketch.

Broadsides, pamphlets and small volumes
soon followed the appearance of the " Quebec
Gazette ; " the first was the " Presentment "
of the first Canadian grand jury, a small
quarto of forty-two pages, an important and
unique document; but one copy is known to
exist, and that is to be found in the writer's
collection. The second volume was " Le Cate-
chisme du Diocese de Sens in 1765;" a unique
copy is in the possession of the Honorable
Judge Baby of Montreal.

A curious and now excessively rare book,
printed by Brown & Gilmore in 1767, is the
" Nehiro-Irinai," a small 8vo. of 96 pages,
printed with great neatness and fine type, but
entirely in the Montagnais language. It is a
prayer book, catechism, etc., composed for
the Indians of the Saguenay Valley by their
celebrated and saintly missionary. Father La
Brosse, a Jesuit, whose life-work and death
are the subject of more than one legend, re-
peated with reverence to this day among the
Indians and peasants of the lower St. Law-
rence. Miss Machar of Kingston and Gan-
anoque, familiar to many readers under the
" nom de plume " Fidelis, has recently rend-
ered one of these La Brosse legends in charm-
ing verse. J. C Pilling in his " Bibliography
of the Algonquian Languages," published by
the Smithsonian Institution in 1891, gives a
good description of Father La Brosse 's writ-
ings and works. The labor of composing and
revising the proofs of such a book must have
taxed the patience and time of the printer to
their very utmost, yet he charged but £^$ for
2,000 copies of 6 sheets, 8vo.

Enough of the early issues of the Quebec
press — more would cease to interest the gen-
eral reader. Brown & Gilmore remained in
partnership for nearly ten years when, in 1773,
Thomas Gilmore died. During the two or
three years preceding his death he had been
unable to withstand the temptations attending
prosperity, he had fallen into loose habits, neg-
lected his work, overdrawn his account — in
fact, had become a thorn in Brown's side.

THE ORIGIN OF -"RINTING ON THE SHORES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 1 99

re all pre-
le writer of

ill volumes
e " Quebec
isentment "
•y, a small
)ortant and
3 known to
the writer's
,s " Le Cate-
;;" a unique
Honorable

rare book,
1767, is the
f 96 pages,
ne type, but
ge. It is a
imposed for
(ley by their
^r, Father La
k and death
e legend, re-
^ among the
er St. Law-
and Gan-
under the
cently rend-
ds in charm-
Bibliography
published by
891, gives a
Jrosse's writ-
mposing and
must have
le printer to
but ;£45 for

the Quebec
rest the gen-
remained in
hen, in 1773,
the two or
lie had been
ns attending
: habits, neg-
ccount — in
rown's side.

Brown continued the business alone, but in a
very careful and conservative manner. At
this time much sympathy was felt throughout
Canada for the victims of the Boston mas-
sacre and their families;, subscriptions were
collected for the latter. Brown contributed
;^5o to this fund, a very handsome sum in
those days.

Then came the time when the old French
province was invaded by the Congressional
army, when the citadel city of Quebec re-
mained the last foothold of England in Canada.
Brown's sentiments of loyalty to the British
crown and institutions were too deep rooted
to permit him to sympathise with men whom
he considered to be rebels. He shouldered
his musket and served devotedly as a militia-
man, on the walls of the city, at the battle of
the 31st of December, 1775, when Montgomery
was killed, and until the end of the siege in
May following, when the retreat of the besieg-
ers under General Wooster became a rout.
After the beginning of the siege in December,
1775, all affairs were at a stand-still and the
" Quebec Gazette " ceased to appear until the
August following, when the country had re-
covered, to some extent, its normal condition.

It was at this time that a second press made
its appearance in Canada. The printers were
Fleury Mesplet and Charles Berger, both print-
ers originally from old France. They had set-
tled in Philadelphia; there they had been picked
up by Franklin who, together with Samuel
Chase and John and Charles Carroll of Carroll-
ton, had been deputed to Canada as Commis-
sioners of Congress, for the purpose of inducing
the French Canadians to espouse the Revolu-
tionary cause. It was deemed that French
printers would be important factors in dissemin-
ating the offers and blandishments of Congress,
and with that object in view these two men and
a press followed on the heels of the Commission.
The Commissioners perceiving their mission a
failure, wisely ecrossed the borders, but left
behind their printers, press and materials.
These two worthies first opened an office in
Quebec, and their first output was a volume
of French hymns Soon after they returned
to Montreal, where they printed several small

works of a religious character. Meanwhile,
Charles Berger disappears from the scene,
leaving Fleury Mesplet alone to prosecute his
trade. He signalized himself, in 1778, by
publishing the fi-st French newspaper in Can-
ada, "La Gazette Litteraire," also a smaP
almanac for 1778 and 1779, both of extreme
rarity. At this time his labors were violently
interrupted ; he was accused of republican
sympathies, sedition, etc., and thrown into
prison in Quebec. There he remained incar-
cerated in the Recollet convent until the peace
of 1783, when the mother country ano her
daughter agreed to live apart. Mesplet, set
free, lost no time in recriminations, but
founded the " Montreal Gazette," which,
although still extant, had at first a very fitful
and uncertain existence in the hands of sev-
eral masters, viz.: Mesplet, L. & J. Roy, Ed-
ward Edwards, James Brown a nephew of
William Brown, and others

Meanwhile our friend William Brown and
his Quebec Gazette continued the even tenor
of their ways. The large number of troops
stationed ir or coming through Canada during
the war, and when peace came, the renewal of
commercial activity brought subscribers,
printing orders, and gold into his strongbox.
Previous to 1779 annual sheet calendars had
been found amply sufficient for the needs of
the country. Brown now judged that alma-
nacs would be appreciated by the public, and
that year was issued the Quebec Almanack
for 1780, the first of that most important
series of almanacs which continued to appear
year after year until 1841. The older num-
bers are now exceedingly scarce — they are
valued by collectors at from fifteen to twenty
dollars apiece — all are rare and much sought
after on account of the curious and important
records they contain.

William Brown died suddenly on the 22d
of March, 1789, aged about fifty-three. He
was buried in St. Matthew's Cemetery, John
street, Quebec. He had never married. Four
years before his death he had prevailed on
his widowed sister in Scotland, Mrs. Isabel
Brown Neilson, to confide to him the future
of her son Samuel. Subsequently John fol-

2CX)

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

'4»

lowed his brother. Although but mere buys
at the time of their uncle's death, they con-
tinued to manage his printing business, the
Gazette, his government contracts, in a word,
his large estate, in tl^eir own behalf and also
for the benefit of other heirs in Scotland, for
Brown had died intestate. Samuel survived
his uncle but four years. He died in January,
1793. His death was a distinct loss to the
Province, for few men are endowed willi more
practical and brilliant qualities than he had.
He was a particular favorite at the Chateau
Saint Louis and in social circles. H. R. H.
Prince Edward (Duke of Kent, father of
Queen Victoria) honored him with his friend-
ship — he was then colonel of the 7th Fusi-
leers in garrison at Quebec. It is said that
Samuel Neilson contracted the cold which
caused his death while enjoying a tandem sleigh
drive with the prince Andre Michaud, the
botanist, mentions him in his memoirs as being
a man of surprising scientific attainments.

The young Neilsons showed enterprise and
push enough, first, to found the " Quebec
Magazine," in 1791, a monthly issue (^^onie
numbers illustrated); it died for want of sup-
port after its third voUiinc, shortly after the
death of Samuel; second, to buy out the stock
in trade, press, etc., of a small rival sheet
which had been in existence a few years in
Quebec. They sent this material and one of
their foremen, named Louis Roy, to found a
printing office and newspaper at New Ark, on
the Niagara River, the new capital of the new
province of Upper Canada, in 1793. The
" Upper Canada Gazette or American Oracle, "
April 18, 1793, was the result of their enter-
prise, ihe pioneer press of the west. Louis
Roy, however, left alone to himself, disap-
pointed his patrons, abandoned his post, and
returned to Montreal the year following.
G. Tiffany picked up the work where Roy
had dropped it, and continued the publication
of the U. C. Gazette until its transfer to York
(now Toronto) in 1799, where it was printed
by VV. Waters and T. G. Simons. These
printers proved unequal to the task. This
gave John Neilson, of the Quebec Gazette, a
second opportunity ot opening a branch print-

ing establishment in Upper Canada. He se-
lected for that purpose his trusted foreman,
John Bennett, and supplied him with u fair
equipment from his office. Bennett started
from Quebec in June, 1801. It took him one
month and three days to reach York. On
the 20th of August he wrote to John Neilson:
" * * * I waited on the Governor (Sir Peter
Hunter, nick-named Blue Peter), when His Ex-
cellency ajjpointed me " King's Printer for Up-
per Canada,"' and Sheriff MacDonell sent with
me to demand the types from my predeces-
sors, who had not the least wind of the busi-
ness. Mr. Simons is a young man of some
abilities, and much believes in York's future,
but it appears his sentiments were rather
inimical to government. Waters, whom I
have now to assist me, is as honest, good-
natured a fellow as I would wish to see, only
he likes to take a hearty twist at the bottle,
etc. * * * Simons has acquired a genteel
property since he has been in government em-
ploy, and Waters is also possessed of some."

Bennett took over the publication of the
Upper Canada Gazette, and set immediately
about i)rinting the first volume of the " Jour-
nals of the House of Assembly of Upper
Canada," in iSoi, a quarto of 74 pages. The
"Statutes" followed in 1802; a beautifully
printed "Almanack" for 1803, etc., etc.; all
which are of exceeding scarcity. Bennett,
unfortunately by contamination, or natural in-
clination, drifted into habits similar to those of
his assistant. Waters. He neglected his busi-
nes';; he became involved in all sorts of trouble;
finally, John Neilson, in 1807-8, had to come
to York to close in disgust his connection
with the printing business in Upper Canada.

At the end of last century, G. and Sylvester
Tiffany continued printing at Niagara. Their
paper was known as the " Constellation."
They issued an almanac in 1802. The other
pioneers of the press, on the banks of the St.
Lawrence, were: S. Miles, who founded the
" Kingston Gazette " in 1810, at Kingston,
now represented by the " Daily News. " The
same printer started the " Prescott Telegraph"
in 1823. The " Brockville Recorder" was
originated in 1820. , =.,

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF /. L. H. NEILSON.

301

a. He se-
el foreman,
witli ii fair
lett started
lok him une
York. On
in Neilson :
)r (Sir Peter
hen His Ex-
nter for Up-
;11 sent with
ly predeces-
oi the busi-
an of some
»rk's future,
were rather
rs, whom 1
mest, good-
to see, only
the bottle,
ed a genteel
;rnment em-
1 of some."
itinn of the
immediately
the " Jour-
\f of Upper
pages. The
beautifully
tc, etc.; all
Bennett,
r natural in-
r to those of
ed his busi-
ts of trouble;
ad to come
connection
per Canada,
nd Sylvester
gara. Their
istellation."
The other
;s of the St.
founded the
t Kingston,
ews." The
Telegraph "
order " was

The population of both Canadas now in-
creased with rapid strides, and with it innu-
merable press's ind periodicals of all sorts —
some possessed of vitality; others of the mush-
room tribe, and ephemeral in nature, arose,
lived and vanished in every new village.

To return to the old Quebec press. After
the death of his brother Samuel, in 1793,
J )hn Neilson continued the publication of the
Quebec Gazette. Under his editorship and
mina.;ement it gained in influence and im-
pirtance; addressing itself in its French and
English columns to both nationalities, with no
serious rival in sight, it became a power in the
land, while, at the same time, it was the vehicle
of government proclamations t^nd mandates.
John Neilson was elected to the legislature in
18 1 7, and he occupied a seat in the councils
of the nation until his death. His great abili-
ties, his integrity, his devotion to the public
weal, his eloquence, his powerful editorials in
his paper, soon brought him to the front rank
among the public men of his day. Thrice
he was deputed to London by his fellow
< ilizens to watch over their interests, and
O'l one occasion to present petitions for re-
dress at the foot of the throne. He died in

1848, aged 73, regretted, loved and revered
by all.

The Quebec Gazette celebrated its centen-
nial sixteen years after his death, in i ^64.
Thirty-one years have since then elapsed, and
the (2 iel)ec Gazette continues to appear. Its
last number, now before me, is dated Wednes-
day. May 1,1895, No. 12,371, vol. cxxiv. For
some years past it has been practically the
weekly edition of the Quebec Chronicle, and
owned by the same proprietor. It is twenty-
three years older than the London Times, and
now one of the oldest newspapers in the
world. It may be of interest to the readers
of this historical sketch to know that its
writer has in his collection a complete file of
the Quebec Gazette, from its prospectus and
first number, on June 21, 1764, up to 1850,
the subsequent years are unfortunately not
quite so complete. Such as it is, this long
series of files of the same newspaper, covering
nearly a century and a half of time, is believed
to be unique.

It is safe to state that the preceding pages
embody more facts relating to the origin of
printing in Canada than has yet been given to
the public by any other writer on this subject.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF J. L. H. NEILSON,

A.,

M. D., R. C.

Few, if any, officers at present in the mili-
tary service of Canada, have experienced such
varied war service as the subject of this sketch.
Shortly after graduating as M. D., he was ap-
pointed assistant surgeon to the Royal Artil-
lery in Canada, in October, 1869. In April,
1870, he was selected to form part of the
medical staff of the small army sent under
colonel (now Lord Wolseley), to suppress the
first Red River rebellion. This proved to be
one of the most difficiilt and arduous expedi-
tions ever undertaken by British troops, but
attended with complete success. He re-
mained eighteen months attached to the mili-
tary service in the north-west, volunteering
meanwhile to attend the victims of a frightful

DEPUTY SURGEON-GENERAL.

small-pox epidemic which raged among the
Indians on the plains. In the autumn of 1871,
he was recalled to Canada to assist in the organ-
ization of A and B Batteries of regular Cana-
dian Artillery, and since that time has re-
rnamed connected with the artillery service
He accompanied his corps in several bloody
encounters with the mobs of the ancient
capital during the labor riots from 1872-7.
At this time he was attached to the Army
Medical School at Netley, in England. Dur-
ing the Russo-Turkish campaign in the Bal-
kans, he volunteered in the Red Cross
ambulances. At the close of the campaign
he returned to his former duties in Canada.
During the winter of 1879-80, he spent some

202

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

weeks in Washington, studying the admirable
medical organization of the United States
Army, then under the able administration of
those war veterans, Generals Barnes and
Crane.

In 1884, when it was decided to select the
Nile route for the Gordon relief expedition,

organizing, equipping, disciplining and con-
ducting to the land of the Pharaohs these
rough, half-wild backwoodsmen and Indians,
previously unaccustomed to restraint or con-
trol of any sort ; yet, within six weeks of the
issue of the first cable order, 480 voyageurs
were landed in Alexandria, and ten days later

•■»•

J. L. HUBERT NEIL80N, ESQ., M. D., R. C. A., DEPUTY SURGEON-GENERAL.

Lord Wolseley called to his aid the hardy
Canadian voyageurs to assist the troops in
overcoming the cataracts and rapids of the
Nile. Lord Wolseley specially selected Col.
Denison and Dr. Neilson, whom he remem-
bered favorably during the Red River expedi-
tion of 1870-71, for the purpose of recruiting.

they were at work in the Soudan. After his ar-
rival in Egypt, Dr. Neilson was attached to the
first field hospital. He followed the troops in
their arduous march across the Bayuda desert,
was present at Abu Klea, etc. Then later he
was sent to Suakim, on the Red Sea coast.
For these services in Egypt, he was specially

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF J. L. H. NEILSON.

203

; and con-
raohs these
nd Indians,
lint or con-
'eeks of the

I voyageurs

II days later

iter his ar-
:hed to the
e troops in
jda desert,
jn later he
Sea coast.
} specially

mentioned in Lord Wolesley's despatches, as
published in the London Official Ciazette of
August 25, 1885. He was rewarded with the
Egyptian war medal with two clasps, the
Kh^divial bronze star and made Knight of
the Royal Order of Milusine, for special ser-
vices gratuitously given to Christian refugees,
who had fled from Khartoum before the siege
commenced.

Since that date, Dr. Neilson has served in
peace, chiefly as medical officer of the Royal
Military College of Kingston, Canada (see
page 28 of this volume), and of the garrison
of Kingston as Chairman of the Board on
Militia Medical Organization, etc., etc.

He has found time between his many pro-
fessional callings to follow liis natural bent
towards historical research. His library of
books, MSS., maps, portraits and reviews — re-
lating to the history of America, and of Canada
in particular — is one of if not the largest pos-
sessed by any private individual; in fact, it is
quite unique. This famous library was com-
menced in iSoi, when his grandfather, the late
Honorable John Neilson, of the Quebec Ga-
zette, purchased the greater part of the rare
books and MSS. belonging to the old Jesuit
College in Quebec when it was sold by order
of the Government. To these beginnings
have been added the collections of three lives.
We might enumerate a few of the MSS.:
One was written by Pere Marquette in 167 1,
the discoverer of the Mississippi, entitled
" PrjEces Illinicae," written in the dialect of
the Illinois Indians; it is thought to be all that
remains e.xtant of this language. The Pere
Sylvie MS. of about 1680, is a dictionary of
the Montagnais language, and philologically
important, as well as four other old Jesuit
MSS. All the Wm. Brown correspondence
with Philadelphia, relating to the origin of
printing in Canada, his diary, and all his
account books from 1764-89, and the office
books of the Neilsons and their correspondence
until 1850, containing all their printing trans-
actions; an enormous number of correspond-
ence and letters of public men, from the be-
ginning to the middle of the present century,
etc., etc., form part of its riches. Among the

printed, books are a complete file of the Que-
bec Gazette from June, 1764, to the present
day; fifty-five years of the Quebec Almanacks
from 1781 to 1841 — by far the most complete
series known; the presentment of the grand
jury, Quebec, 1765 ; the Stamp Act, Quebec,
1765; Labrasse's Nehiro-Irenui, 1767; Cugnet's
Laws, Quebec, 1775; the Traits d^s Mes-
sieurs, Quebec, 1772; the Mohawk Prayer
Book, Quebec, 1780; Reglement de la Con-
frerie Mesplet, Montreal, 1776 (first book
printed in Montre-il) ; the Upper Canada
Almanack, York, 1802, together with all of
Bennett's and Louis Roy's correspondence
relating to the early Upper Canada press; the
Quebec Directory, 1790; the Quebec Maga-
zine, three volumes, 1 79 1-2; the British- Ameri-
can Register, Quebec, 1805; the Canadian,
1807-10, etc., etc. ; the original Jesuit rela-
tions, Champlain, 1619; Lescarbot, 161 1;
Sagard, 1630; DeLact, 1640, are represented
by choice examples. To these value is added
by the binder's best efforts. This collection
is also exceptionally rich in early Canadian
pamphlets.

Dr. Neilson has supplied the press and
magazines with many articles embodying his
researches: ''The Royal Canadian Volunteers,
1794-1802; " "The Diary of a French Cana-
dian Officer during the war of 181 2;" "The
Last Days of Fort Frontenac under the Fleur
de Lis," are historical sketches of real merit.
The article on the " Origin of Printing on
the Shores of the St. Lawrence," in tliis
volume, is from his pen. Dr. Neilson has,
for years, given much attention and labor to
the collection of material for a history of the
origin of the press in Canada, and a biblio-
graphy of the early Canadia printers up to
1820, and we have reason to believe that his
volume may appear before many months.

Dr. Neilson is one of the founder; and first
vice-president of the Kingston Historical So-
ciety and for the second time president of the
Mechanics' Institute; he is honorary member
of the Numismatic and Historical Society of
Montreal; of the Societa Araldicae Historica cf
Rome; of the Institut de Psychologic of Paris,
etc., etc. He is hereditary Seigneur of the

204

/i sou y/:.\7A' OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER,

Seigniory of Hubert, in the province of Que-
bec. His private residence is (ilendornal,
Neilsonville, P. Q.

His medical sphere of action is strictly
limited to the military under liis immediate
charge. Professional reading engrosses much
of his time, being favored with an open, liber; 1
and independent mind — unhampered by the
dogmatic teachings of schools — new ideas and
new methods enlist his sympathy, and if pos-
sjssed of merit are ado])ted by him ; he has
thus become an adept of the system of medi-
cine known as Burgrasvian or Dosimetric —
he has for years investigated tlie application of
Hypnotism to the treatment of certain forms
of disease. Under this head he has contributed

articles to the " Revue de I'Hypnotism," j)ub-
lished in Paris, which have attracted attention
abroad.

Dr. Neilson is unassuming, easily approach-
ed, a man of many admirable traits of charat -
ter. As a bibliographer he is probably ndi
excelled in the country. From his library
have come the excellent pictures of Count
Frontenac and the Chevalier La Salle, whitli
are reproduced in this volume ; two pictures
that would be difficult to duplicate in Canada.
Deputy Surgeon-General Neilson's services in
the field have won for him merited promotion,
but his real worth is best appreciated by those
with whom he has served, and by those who
know him best.

MELZAR FOWLER.

Melzar Fowler, now only dimly remem-
bi;red by the older people of Jefferson county,
N. Y., was born in Edinburgh, Saratoga
ioiinty, N. Y., in 1803, and came to Depau-
ville in the early twenties with his parents,
Anson Fowler and Maria Esselstyn Fowler.
His sister Jane also accompanied them (she
subsequently marrying Eldridge G. Merick),
and her brother John. The father com-
menced a mercantile business in Depauville, a
new settlement which had just begun to de-
velop its lumbering interest. This settlement
was on the rapids of Catfish Creek, which at
that time was a stream of fair size, with suffi-
cient water to float timber down to its mouth
at Lake Ontario — not at all resembling the
greatly diminished stream it now appears, after
having its banks, aloig its whole course, de-
nuded of timber. The care of this business
early fell upon Melzar, the eldest son, and
when he was about twenty years of age he
bore the responsibility of his father's mercan-
tile affairs.

After some years, wishing to extend his
operations, Melzar established a store at
Brownville, and went there to live, still main-
taining the supervision of the store at Depau-
ville. His younger brother, John, also came

to Brownville as a clerk, and was given an
interest in the business.

At that time one branch of Mr. Fowler's
mercantile business was the manufacture ol
pearl ash from wood ashes. The forests of
Jefferson county furnished the only fuel in
those days, and the people of the country
saved their ashes and sold them to him, and,
in a building for the purpose, he converted
these ashes into pearl ash, which was an im-
portant ai cle of commerce, and found steady
market in New York.

Shortly after establishing himself at Brown-
ville, Melzar married Miss Clarissa Spicer, a
sister of Mr. Silas Spicer, of Perch River, and
during their residence there their two child-
ren, Eldridge and Nettie, were born. During
these years Melzar enlarged his field of opera-
tions at Djjjauville by engaging with Mr.
Merick in the business of getting out oak
timber and rafting it to the Quebec market.
In the spring of 1835 he moved his family to
Depauville, giving up the business in Brown-
ville, in order that he might give his entire
attention to tlie Depauville operations, and be
with his aged parents, while John went to
Clayton in the interest of Smith & Merick.

At that early day, Watertown was, as it is

tism," [)ub-
d attention

r approach-
» of cliara(-
robably ikh
his library
s of Count
»alle, whicii
vo pictures

in Canada.

services in
promotion,
ed by those
' those who

JOHN N. FOWLER.

205

s given an

r. Fowler's

jfacture ol

forests of

ly fuel in

le country

him, and,

converted

ras an im-

Lind steady

at Brown-

Spicer, a

River, and

wo child-

During

1 of opera-

with Mr.

out oak
c market.

family to
in Brown-
his entire
ns, and be

went to
lerick.
s, as it is

now, the business center for the surrounding
country, the only method of travel being by
private conveyance. It was while going there
on business in August, 1835, soon after the
family moved to Depauville, that Mr. Fowler
had the great misfortune to have a pair of
horses, one of which was vicious and unre-
liable.

He stopped at a hotel, and when it came
time to feed the animal the hostler was afraid
to enter the stall, and called Mr. Fowler from
the hotel, who at once took the feed-measure
in his hand and entered the stall. The vic-
ious horse, not recognizing his master, dealt
him a blow with one of his forefeet, which
proved fatal in three days. Everything was
done for Mr. Fowler that could be known,
but the blow had produced an internal
rupture.

Thus died, in the flower of his youth, and
in the midst of his usefulness, one who had
the warm regard of all his business associates,
and whose morning of life was full of promise.

It is remembered of Mr. Fowler that many
farmers brought their sons to him to educate
in mercantile pursuits, so great was their con-
fidence in his possessing all the traits that
would bring such youths into an earnest and
successful manhood.

His death, so sudden, so tragical, elicited

universal regret and sympathy. His wife and
her two children remained at Depauville, but
the faithful mother never was herself again.
A woman of superior mental ability and per-
sonal beauty, and with a natural refinement
much beyond most of those by whom she was
stirroimded, her loss wore upon her energies,
and she survived her husband only seven years.

The two children, lOldridge and Nettie,
thus left orphans at the age of nine and seven
years, respectively, were tenderly cared for by
their grandmother Fowler and their uncle,
Hon. E. G. Mcrick.

Elridge went later to live in the family of
Mr. Hugh Smith, of Perch River, and after-
wards with his uncle John Fowlt;r until com-
ing of age, when he went West, where he has
since lived and become indentified with large
lumber and land interests in Michigan, Min-
nesota and Canada.

The daughter grew to womanhood in the
home of her grandparents and her uncle and
aunt Mcrick, receiving at their hands the best
educational advantages. She married Cyrus
H. McCormick, of reaper fame. Both as the
right-hand helper of her husband during his
life-time, and later in the administration of
his estate (with her son Cyrus), she has been
called to bear some of the heavier responsi-
bilities of life.

JOHN N. FOWLER.

The writer of this sketch never had any
personal acquaintance with the subject of it.
For the facts stated herein he is indebted to
several old residents of Clayton, chiefly the
following, viz.: Thomas Rees, a partner of
Mr. Fowler in some of his business enter-
prises, who made a written statement of facts;
Messrs. D. C. Porter and Perry Caswell,
members of the M. E. Church with Mr.
Fowler, who was a faithful and substantial
member of that church; A. F. Barker, John
Johnston and Capt. William Rees.

Ths father of Mr. Fowler came from the
eastern part of this State and settled in
Depauville in the early part of this century.

There he engaged in mercantile business and
reared his family. In time, one of his daugh-
ters became the wife of Hon. E. G. Merick,
subject of a biographical sketch elsewhere in
this volume. One of his sons, Melzar, was
father of Nettie Fowler, afterwards the wife,
and now the widow of Cyrus H. McCormick,
of Chicago. A lady of great wealth, and
whose generous heart and bountiful hand
have justly earned her a reputation, of which
it is no exaggeration to say it is national.

John N. Fowler left Depauville in 1835,
and came to Clayton. He purchased the in-
terest of a Mr. Moreton in the old store of
Smith & Merick, standing on the bank of the

2o6

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. I.. I WHENCE A'/l'ER.

river, where Simon Hreslow's store is now
located. Stephen I laic, a clerk for Mr.
Fowler for a few years, afterwards became
his partner in the store. But Mr. Fowler
could not confme himself to mere storekeep-
ing. The country was new and rich in botli
soil and timber. In 1836 or 18,57 1^*-" P"""'
chased several hundred acres of land lying
about two miles south of Clayton. In a few
years this wild land was converted into a
farm, so well improved that the County
Agricultural Society bestowed on its owner a
first prize for his improvements.

In 1844, Mr. Fowler formed a partnership
with Henry Esselstyn under the name of
Fowler & Esselstyn. The latter had for years
been bookkeeper in the large lumbering busi-
ness of E. ("f. Merick, and the business of
Fowler & Esselstyn was carried on in con-
junction with his. It consisted of rafting and
forwarding to the Quebec market a vast
amount of timber and staves, brought to Clay-
ton in vessels from the shores of the upper
lakes, and in ship building. For many years
they built one to four steamers and sailing
vessels every year. All the following named,
and many more, were built at their yard in
Clayton, viz.: Bay State, Cataract and New
York. The British Queen and British Em-
pire, designed for use down the river, were
built by them at Port Metcalf in Canada.

During much of the time Mr. Fowler was
so engaged with Mr. Merick, he dealt largely
in real estate on his own separate account.
He bought a large tract lying contiguous to
Clayton, known as the Lawrence Lands. He
disposed of the property to actual settlers, and
invested the proceeds in timber-lands in the

West ; anil, as coincidently, the lumbering
business of tiie firm was, year after year, ex-
tending farther and farther westward, there
was a constantly growing necessity to move
the place of business in that direction. At
first a branch office was opened in Detroit
But with Clayton as a base of operations,
Detroit was found to be an inconvenient out-
last with the means of communication then
in vogue. And, more than tins, Detroit had
become a city, rapid in growth, brilliant in
prospects, and already taking a prominent
[)osition in shipbuilding for the upper lakes.
Cut off from that region by the small pro-
portions of the Welland canal, and at great
disadvantage in the matter of timber, not to
speak of other important items in shi])build-
ing, little Clayton could no longer hold this
great and enterprising firm. In 1856 their
Clayton property and business was disposed
of to Thomas Rees, and tiiey moved to De-
troit. There they opened an immense dry-
dock and ship-yard, and continued lumbering
operations in the West, under the firm naiiu-
of Merick, Fowler (.\: Esselstyn.

The old acquaintances of Mr. Fowler still
living in Clayton, speak of him as a man ot
great energy and wonderful endurance, a
strict church member, a public spirited citi-
zen, an honorable man and one highly exact
in his requirements of others, while holding
himself bound by the same rule of conduct.
To him may be applied this grand and safe
rule of excellence and ability — in every sta-
tion where he was known, boy or man, and in
whatever he undertook, he measured fully up
to the requirements of the occasion. That is
a test which can be applied to but few men.

G. H. s.

THE SPICER FAMILY.

Standing well up from the river's edge, on
Hemlock Island, one mile west of Thousand
Island Park, is the cottage shown above,
built in the winter of 1875-6, being one of the
earliest upon the river. It is the summer
borne of Hon. Henry Spicer, for nearly his

whole lifetime a resident of Perch 'iver,
N. Y.

The Spicer family was one of the early ar-
rivals in Jefferson county, and trace their
lineage in an unbroken descent from three
brothers, natives of Normandy, who came into-

THE Sl'lCER lAMlLY.

307

lumbering
r year, cx-
ard, there
y to movt!
;tion. At
n Detroit
)pcrations,
:nient out-
ation then
etroit hail
)rilliant in
prominent
per lakes.
>mall pro-
J at gre;ii
)er, not td
shipbuild-
hold this
1856 their
s disposed
ed to l)e-
lense dry-
lumbering:
firm namr

'owler still
i a man ot
iurance, a
irited citi-
ghly exact
ilc holding
if conduct.

and safe

every sta-

an, and in

d fully up

That is

few men.

G. H. s.

■cli ''ver,

early ar-
■ace theii
rom three
came into

England as "gentlemen voliinfeers " with
William the Concjuerer. These brothers set-
tled respectively in Devonshire, Warwick and
Kent, Kngland. The two who settled in
Devonshire and Warwick still have descend-
ants residing there. In the 36th year of
Queen Elizabeth's reign (1594) an account is
given of this family, from their first "being
officers and magistrates of the honorable city
of Exeter, beginning with the first year of
England's first Edward (1273) and continuing
to the 7th year of Queen Anne (1708); and

honorable a city, continuing for so long x
course of years, their estate being also eipiiva-
lent to their anti<|uity — they having also be-
stowed a considerable one on the <hamber of
Exeter, to uphold its guardian." In 1357 it
is fiirlher related tiiat " the Black Prince (son
of Edward III) came out of France bringing
with him prisoner, King John of France,
whom he had taken a little time before at
Poictiers. He landed at Plymouth, and came
to Exeter, where John Spicer was mayor, who
received the prince and his prisoner with much

" GLEN-COVE " COTTAGE, HEMLOCK ISLAND.

during the whole of these 435 years some one
the Spicer family was mayor of Exeter. Of
this illustrious line "John Spicer" was mayor
f m 1252 to 1359 — 107 years, though, of
course, there were several individual "Johns."
In an accurate account of the ancient fam-
ily of Spicers, taken from an original manu-
script extrac" 1 from a description of the
Countyof Devon, A. D., 17 14, we learn that "but
few families in England can show such a pre-
cedent of the office of mayor of so ancient and

display." It is further related that the "fam-
ily of Spicers in the times of the three Edwards
were principal officers and magistrates of
Exeter, and were then considered for their
many and gentlemanly qualities and virtues ;
for in those days such men for their virtues and
not for their wealth, were magistrates and
governors, and in all places of trust."

Members of this distinguished family were
in Jamestown, Va., in 1618, and in Rhode
Island in 1660. They were also settled in the

308

.1 :^i>L i/u\/A- O/' IHE ST. LAWRENCE hllEN.

vicinity of fitonitigtusi, ronn.. until .iftcr '.li-
Ki-voliitioiiaiv War. I'licy wfio ')()il' otiii irs
ami |ni\.it('s in tlic ("oiitinontal Ariin. and
foui^lr I'ldin Hunkci- llill to S."ito).r,i. 'i'lu-y
1 ami- into Nfw York in i7(j.', and into Jcflfr-
s<in iiumty in iSi j.

Till- 1•'.S^^K! STYNS.

'rtic amlu-r ol' thu vohimc lias had arci'ss
xo papiTs. well aiitlionticated. wiiir'i sliow tliat
till' l-'ssc-lstvn tainily (conun^ncinf; with Kinj;
(.'lovis in 500 A. p.) wiTf of till- sanu" sto. k
as those of that n.mu' wiio ranu- to Ami'iica,
but x'w: y.\.\W o\ their arrival in this country is
jet uncertain.

Vwv ("in r rK.Ni>i".Ns.

.\notluT t'.ut he lui'^ discovered, that the
(.'hiite-ukn family are r.-lated to the Kssels-
ly;is .uul the I'dwlers. 'Thomas ChitteiuK'H,
a linen we.iver. came with 'lis son Isaac into
Anu'iica m '(1,^5 from Wapping, in Rent,
i-'.ngland, set in-; in riymouth comity. Mass.,
.iiul ins dcM eiul.mis are still foinul there.
Willi.im riiitienden was one of tlie company
o\ twentvfp e. jjatheret' chielly from Kent,
Siirrev and Sussex in the South of England,
who determined to leave tlieir native country
and seek a new home in the wilderness of
.-Vmerica. Their i'lrst recorcied acts as a se|)a-
rate commiinitv was a covenant which they
signei! on ship-hoaiil, while on the ])assage,
liinding each other to plant themselves in
Xev,- Kiigl.iiui. near Qiiinnipiack. if jiossible,
and to be helpful to each other in every com-
mon wnk. .u-cord'.ng to every man's ability.

and as need should reipiiie. Ik-sides Williatn
Ciiittenden Ihvre weri- iweiity four other sign-
ers to this agreemenl, and, so far as history
has been able to indicate, it was solemnly kept.

i'liis Willianv Chitlendi-n had several ciiil-
dren born to him in I'".nglaiul. His wife was
Joanna Slu'iffe, whose sister Dorothy was the
wife of Rev. Henry Whitfield, the first minis-
ter ,ind ,1 leading nu'inber of the (luiifonl
Colony. 'I'he date of William Chittenden's
sixth child's birth is upon the C.iiilford record,
as of November 15, id.p). T'l'bruary 1, 1660,
he liieil. He was undoubtedly tlie progenitor
ot the oilier families of his name in the United
States, and tiie Chittendens of Oiu-ida and
Jefferson county undoubtedly siirang from
this Stock.

Joseph. Chittenden, son of Joseph, who was
i!esceiuk\l iii a direct line from the original
William, w.is aged 9J when lie died, .April 7,
1794. Lucy, his daughter, !)orn at Ciuilford
(Ictober 8, 1736, married Mel/.ar Kowler,
March 10, 1 76.S. lie was the ]>rogenitoi ol
the I'owler family in Jefferson county, known
so well at Clayton, and represented in tiiis
history by the biographical sketch of John
Fowler antl his brother Mel/..ir, this latter
being the f.ither of Mrs. Nettie V. McCor-
mick. 'This family and the l'',sselstyns are
related through the fact that Anson Ciiit-
tenden, born December 18, 1768 (s;>n of
the abi.ve-named Lucy Fowler), married
Maria Esselstyn, and in that way the Fowlers,
Esselstyns and Chittenden families of Jeffer-
son county are related to one anotiier by mar-
riage.

LA SALLE.

In i64_?, at Rouen, in France, was born latter affix being the name of .an estate near

Robert Cavalier, better known by the desig- Rouen, belonging to the Cavaliers. His edu-

nafion of La Salle. His name in full was cation was liberal, and he early manfested the

Repi'-koliert Cavalier, Sieur de la S.:lle — the traits which afterwards made him so illustrious.

les VVilliiiii\
otiicr si);n-

as histoiA
I'liiiily krpt.
•voral clul-
is wifi- was
lliy was till-
fiisl ininis-
f Ciiiiiford
liittcndcn's
ord rc-conl,
iry I, 1660,

l)rr)gcnil()r
the United
>iu'iil;i and
iianj^ from

h, wlio was
he original
■d, April 7,
It (luilford
ar l-'owlcr,
()>;i'nit()i ol
nty, known
ted in tins

1 of John

this laltrt
. MiCor-

Istyns arc
ns.on ("hit-

S (s;.n of
married

e I'owlers,
of Jeffer-

er by mar-

rstati! near
His edu-
ifested the
illustrious.

/.A S A 1.1.1-:.

201J

He was a (Tatholir in faith, and a member of em New York, who had already, notwithstand-

the order of Jesuits. He had an eider brother in|j; their other vast possessions in America,

in C^'ln'.da, and this fad doid)tless sha|)ed his he^an to feel a desire to jxisscss (>ana(hi, and

destines, for in the spring of 1666, in his 2 ^1 thus extend their sway — ;is it is seen to day —

vear, we find him in Canada, wiiere tlie Semi- from Newfoundland to the Northern I'arific

nary vif St. Sidpire, a <or|)oration of French .and Areti<; Oceans. In F,a SalK. they pcr-

priests. had already made a settlement nntUr ceived ,1 youn^ ni.m of fine appearance, ca^vr

rUK LIIKVAI.IKK l.A SALLE.

very extensive hmded and proprietary grants
from the French king. These priests were
in great terror continually from the Iroquois
Indians, who had lately been severely chastised
by Coursell, the Governor of Canada, and
theii hate was unbounded against the French,
stimulated, doubtless, by the English in East-

for just such an et^gagement as these priests
desired to make, whit h was U) procure a man
of energy and nulitary capacity who would
lead any body of armed men they could raise
to defend Montreal, and the settlements there-
abouts, from the dreaded Iroquois. They
gave La Salle a large tract of land nine miles

2IO

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

i»

above Montreal, their actual outpost of civil-
ization, which is now known as La Chine,
above the great rapids of that name. La
Salle entered upon the improvement of his
large domain, and began to sell his acres to
such as he could induce to join him.

That this young man had come to Canada
with a settled purpose in view, now began to
be apparent. He began to study the Indian
dialects. Hemmed in as he was by the great
and apparently interminable forests which
surrounded the palisade he had erected for
defense against an Indian attack, his fertile
mind went beyond his narrow environment,
beyond even the great river which roared and
fretted upon one side of his domain, and
soared westward and southward towards an
easier way to China and Japan than had as yet
been attained. So imperfect at that time were
even educated people's ideas as of the earth's
geography, that La Salle did not understand
that the countries his enterprising mind would
reach were upon the other side of the globe,
thousands of miles away. On one occasion
he was visited by a band of the Sereca Iro-
quois, who told him of a river called the Ohio,
rising in their country, which flowed south-
ward into the sea. La Salle at once conceived
the idea that this great river must needs flow
into the Gulf of California, and thus lie could
find what his soul was on fire to obtain — a
western passage to China. His resolution was
soon formed. Obtaining, first, the consent of
the governors of the seminary to the enterprise
he had in hand, he sold to them his lands near
La Chine, in order to raise needed money for
his enterprise, the whole expense of which
was to be borne by himself. He purchased
four large canoes, and engaged fourteen men.
On the 6th of July, 1670, he set out upon his
double expedition for exploration and the
purchase of furs from the Indians. We can-
not follow his footsteps with the pertinacity of
Parkman, whose excellent history is before us,
and can, at the best, only generalize the sub-
sequent career of this g^eat explorer.

Thirty-five days after leaving La Chine, they
reached Irondequoit Bay, on the south side of
Lake Ontario. Here they remained a month

or more, and on the 24th of September were at
an Indian village only a few miles north of
the present city of Hamilton. These Indians
proved more friendly than those upon the
south shore of the lake, and promised to show
La Salle a more direct road to the Ohio. It
was here he met Louis Joliet, a young man
of about his own age, and also an explorer.
He had come from the southwest, the very
region La Salle was striving to reach. Palon
had sent Joliet to exi)iore the copper mines
of Lake Superior. This meeting caused a
change of La Salle's plans, for Joliet showed
him a map of the region he himself had trav-
ersed, including Lake Superior and the Grand
River, Step by step La Salle moved west-
ward, spending much time with the Indians,
and in 1870-71 he had embarkeu on Lake
Erie, descended the Detroit to Lake Huron,
coasted the shores of Lake Michigan, passed
the straits of Mackinaw, afterwards reaching
a river with a southwestern flow (the Illinois),
which took him into the Mississippi, and he
may be said to have been the first white man
upon that mighty affluent in its upper region.
It is claimed by some that he also discovered
the Ohio; but if so, he never descended it as
farasits junction with the Mississippi. He un-
doubtedly preceded Joliet, but both La Salle
and Frontenac, his ardent supporter, believed,
as late as 1672, that the Mississippi flowed di-
rectly south into the Gulf of California, and
that it thus afforded in reality a direct connect-
ing link to the Pacific Ocean, across which
they well knew were China and Japan.

Circumscribed as our limits are, we are un-
able to follow La Salle much further. Park-
man represents him as a man of extraordinary
determination, full of virile vigor, with a stal-
wart frame, and with so enlarged an intelligence
that the Jesuit Fathers were afraid of him.
They called him visionary, and unstable, and
such they have always designated those who
were not loyal to their teachings or brought
fully under their influence.

In Frontenac, however, the Cavalier de la
Salle had an uncompromising and devoted
friend. Thus far his dream had been of a
short route to China; but when he saw the

COUNT FRONTENAC.

211

iber wereat
:s north of
ese Indians

upon the
ed to show
i Ohio. It
^oung man
I explorer,
t, the very
:h. Palon
ipcr mines
[ caused a
iet showed
■ had trav-
the Grand
)ved west-
e Indians,
i on Lake
ke Huron,
;an, passed
s reaching
le Illinois),
pi, and he
white man
per region,
discovered
landed it as
}i. He un-

h La Salle
r, believed,

flowed di-
fornia, and
ct connect-
ross which
)an.

we are un-
er. Park-
racrdinary
vith a stal-
ntelligence
d of him.
stable, and
those who
)r brought

alier de la
d devoted
been of a
e saw the

grand possibilities of the great valley of the
Mississippi, with the illimitable prairies which
we now see mapped out into Illinois, Wiscon-
sin and Iowa, with the immense forests that
line both sides of the river below Cairo,
where the Ohio joins the Mississippi, he re-
linquished as somewhat chimerical, or perhaps
postponed for a time, his idea of a short route
to China. Then it was that he resolved to
leave frozen Canada behind him forever, and
lead a French civilization into the great
country he had discovered. It was for him to
call into light the latent riches of the great
West. Frontenac, with whom he kept himself
well allied, favored him in all his efforts.
They were both great men, and both deserve
the highest commendation in history. They
were both faithful to their king and France,
and their discoveries were of such a character
as to make every human being in America
their debtor.

In April, 1682, after many adventures and
much opposition from the Jesuit Fathers,
much struggling with Indian tribes and pass-
ing through great dangers and heavy toil, at
the mouth of the Mississippi, he had at last
the satisfaction of proclaiming " Louis Le
Grand," king of all that country we now call
Louisiana, and which the English never con-
quered, but came peaceably into the posses-
sion of the United States by friendly negotia-
tion and purchase.

In 1683, somewhat broken in health, he de-
scended to Quebec and sailed for France.
Arrived at court, this student and recluse in
his youth, but backwoodsman in his matured
manhood, had to encounter the risks of a pre-
sentation to Royalty and to make headway
against the intrigues and jealousies which
always surround -a king. Louis XIV, how-
ever, appreciated him, but the best that could
be done for him was to give him a divided

command in America, which he was to share
with Beaujen, the jealous and incompetent.
On July i8th, 1684, he wrote to "his most
honored mother " that he was about to sail
with four vessels and four hundred men. This
voyage to America was principally passed in
disputations with Beaujen, and when they
landed at St. Domingo, more than half of the
people on the vessel were prostrated with
fever, among them being La Salle. He soon,
recovered, however. Proceeding upon their
journey they disembarked at Matagorda Bay,
thinking it one of the mouths of the Missis-
sippi. Here the Amaible, the ship which con-
tained nearly all their provisions, was wrecked.
As we have only imperfectly followed him
thus far, and have only but slightly sketched
the character of this great man, we must make
short work of the matters that led up to his
death. While upon a journey of exploration,
anxiously desiring to better the condition of
the party whom he was trying to lead out of
trouble, as Parkman graphically expresses it,
" a shot was fired from the grass instantly fol-
l(;wed by another, which pierced through his
brain, and La Salle dropped dead." Doubt-
less he was killed by a wretch who had be-
come disobedient and insolent, and whom La
Salle had been compelled to rebuke. Thus
died at the early age of forty-three, Robert
Cavelier de la Salle, one of the greatest men
of his age, and one of the most remarkable of
the explorers whose names live in history.

His firmness and his courage would have
left a more marked impression upon his time,
and he would have been better able to com-
pletely carry out his grand plans of creat-
ing in America a New France, had he been
less imperious and haughty in his manner, and
less harsh to those under his command, which
at last drew u[)on him an implacable hatred,
and caused his death. j. a. h.

COUNT FRONTENAC

Was perhaps the most remarkable man ever
representing the court of France in the new
world. From very unpromising beginnings.

he rose equal to every emergency that con-
fronted him. His whole career was one of
conflict, sometimes petty and personal, some-

212

A SOU y EN IK OF THE ST. LA IV HENCE RIVER.

times involving the greatest consequences.
Under Frontenac occurred the first serious
collision between England and France in
America, which may be said to have been
the opening of a grand scheme of military
occupation, designed to hold in check the
industrial efforts of the English colonies. All
his later energies were directed to making that
scheme possible- The contemporaneous his-
tory of those times, so ably prepared by Park-
man, shows how valiantly New France battled

newly-wedded pair was short. The wife's
love soon changed to aversion, which con-
tinued even after the birth of her son.

Count Frontenac came of an ancient and
noble race, said to have been of Basque origin.
At the age of fifteen the young Louis showed
a decided passion for the life of a soldier.
He served in Holland under the Prince oi
Orange. He was at the siege of Hesdin. He
was at Arras and at Aire, as well as at ("al-
lioure and Perpignan. At twenty-three he

COUNT FRONTENAC.

against a fate which her own lack of organiz-
ing capacity made inevitable. The drama
was a great and significant one, enacted
amidst untamed forests, largely by me'i who
had been reared in France, and some of them
favorite courtiers of the French king. The
wife of Count Frontenac was Anne de la
Grange-Trianon. She was born at Versailles,
and grew up a favorite companion of Madem-
ioselle de Montpensier, the favorite grand-
daughter of Henry IV. She was married to
Frontenac in 1648. The happiness of the

was Colonel of the Normandy regiment, and
commanded it in the Italian campaign.

In 1673 he received the appointment of
Governor and Lieutenant-General for the
king in all New France. Notwithstanding all
his ability as a soldier, it was court gossip that
he was sent to America to relieve him from
the unhappy ;iations he was known to main-
tain with his wife, whose temper was outrage-
ous, carrying herself with such a high head
that her best friend, Mademioselle de Mont-
pensier, was obliged to dispense with her ser-

CO V N r FRON TEN A C.

2T^

■)!

vices as one of her maids of honor. Madam
Krontenac declined to accompany her husband
across the sea.

Frontenac was fifty-two years of age when
he landed at Quebec. Parkraan says that
" had nature disposed him to melancholy,
there was much in his position to awaken it.
A man of courts and camps, he was banished
to the ends of the earth, among savage hordes
and half-reclaimed forests. He exchanged
the splendors of St. Jermain and Versailles
for a stern gray rock, haunted by somber
priests, rugged merchants and traders, blank-
eted Indians and wild bush-rangers." It was
his tu see that Quebec should be made the
capital of a great empire, which .should be
trib itary to distant France. He took an ac-
tive interest in all the duties of his new position.
It was a strange freak of his that he s'- juld
administer the oath of allegiance to every per-
son in Quebec. On the 23d of October,
1672, what was known as the "Three Es-
tates of Canada" were convoked with
considerable pomp. To these he admin: v
tered the oath, and then the assembly was
dissolved. This very act, is, in brief, a strik-
ing illustration of the French colonial rule in
Canada. It was a government cf excellent
intentions, but of the most aibitrary methods.
Frontenac unwisely set himself against the
prevailing democratic current. The arbitrary
government of a land like France, where the
Bourbons who " learned nothing and forgot
nothing " had held sway so long, was not
adapted to a new country where people from
all sections had come to accumulate wealth,
and (as in all new countries) were possessed
of very radical ideas of personal freedom.

The name of Frontenac is one of the most
interesting in connection with our own Great
River. Courselle, his predecessor in the
Governorship of Canada, had begun at what
we now call Kingston, a fortification large
enough to receive into its stockade such
refugees as might desire to fly to a place of
comparative safety in the event of any Iro-
quois invasion, which had then but lately
devastated Quebec, and caused the loss of
hundreds of innocent lives. Frontenac's

attention was soon directed to this beginning
of a fort, and he was fortunate in making the
acijuaintance of a young man who Iiad been
in the employ of the French priests at Que-
bec, and had reached Kingston on his way
westward to trade in furs and make the ex-
plorations which were yet to make him
famous. 15y direction of Frontenac, La
Salle had previously gone to Onondaga, the
political center of the Iroquois, and invited
the great men of that nation to a council on
the Bay of Quinte. Before setting out. La
Salle had sent the new Governor a map
recommending as a site for the proposed fort
the point at the mouth of the Cataraqui, now
occupied by the present grand old historic
city of Kingston. Frontenac ascended the
St. Lawrence quite leisurely, with one hun-
dred and twenty canoes and finir hundred
men. Parkman says : " Soon they reached
the Thousand Islands, and their light flotilla
glided in long line among those watery laby-
rinths, by rocky islets, where perhaps some
lonely pine towered like a mast against the
sky ; by sun-scorched crags, where the brown
lichens crisped in the parching glare ; by deep
dells, shady and cool, rich in rank ferns,
and sponges, dark green mosses ; by still
cove, where the water-lilies lay like snow-
flakes on their broad, flat leaves, till at length
they neared their goal, and the glistening
bosom of Lake Ontario opened on their
sight."

This grand flotilla, piloted by Indians in
their birch canoes, entered ihe broad water,
passing along the shores so familiar now as
the site of Port Henry on one side, and the
" West Point of Canada," upon the other,
reaching at last the point of land where the
artillery barracks now stand, at the western
end of Cataraqui bridge. Here they all dis-
embarked, and here were subsequently laid,
broad and massive, the foundation of what was
subsequently named Fort Frontenac — not so
named by the Governor himself, but by the
engineer in charge of the work. [See pp. 35,
211.]

It is at this point that La Salle comes
prominently into public notice, especially as

214

A SOUVEMR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

!»•

the friend of Frontenac, whose cause he haa
espoused at Quebec during the famous quar-
rels 'letween the new Governor and the
priest.,, whom we describe elsewhere as med-
dlesome and querulous.

It is a curious historical fact that the old
stone fort Frontenac was built by La Salle
with his own money, he having been sent to
France by Frontenac with letters of the high-
est recommendation, and the King had made
to him a grant of the then fort (a mere stock-
ade) a tract of land of four leagues in front
and half a league in depth, including the
neighboring islands. In consideration of this
rich grant, La Salle completed the fort, armed
it at his own expense, and maintained it until
near the time of his death, when it reverted to
the King, as did all his great tract of land, if
we are correctly informed.

Count Frontenac was too independent and
able a man to submit quietly to the opposi-
tion of the priests, who claimed by both
their rights of seigneurage and of their holy
office, to interfere with his authority. The
most violent of these he arrested and con-
fined in prison, and was in the end sustained
by his King, the quarrel having been referred
to France for final settlement. Our space, as
in the case of La Salle, does not permit us to
more than glance at some of the more leading
traits and performances of Frontenac, whose
abilities were marked and actively developed
in the new field he had entered upon. But
there was jealousy between Quebec and Mon-
treal, promoted by rival fur dealers ;ind shared
in more or less by the meddling |,riests, whose
fingers were in everybody's pie, and the result
was that in the end Frontenac was recalled by
his king. For seven years he was idling
around the French court. But he had power-
ful friends, and his wife, who seems to have
been more affectionate when he was under a

cloud than when his word was law and his
success apparently assured, became his most
powerful intrigante at the French court.

At last the King perceived that he had
made a mistake in recalling Frontenac, matters
in Canada having gone from bad to worse,
until at last his patience was exhausted, and
he asked Frontenac to again accept the gov-
ernorship. The Count was then seventy years
of age, but he was tired of inaction and of
the petty jealousies of the court of P'rance,
and finally accepted the appointment.

We have not space to follow him further in
his adventurous career. He returned to
Quebec, but Louis XIV had already entered
upon his decline from being the first monarcli
of Europe. William of Orange was coming
to the front in England, and before his judi-
cious plans and energetic management, France
was soon to be relegated to an inferior position,
to lose her possessions in Canada, and, save
her ever-faithful Louisiana, to give up, one by
one, all she held in America. But the contest
was not an uneventful one, though the end
was inevitable from the first.

In November, 1698, Frontenac, worn down
by many arduous labors, and in his seventy-
eighth year, was taken violently ill. On the
28th of that month he died, in full possession
of all his faculties.

As will be seen, the portrait of this distin-
guished man, whose name must forever be in-
separably connected with our Great River,
was copied from a drawing made as he lay in
his coffin. It is undoubtedly a faithful por-
traiture, and we are indebted for it, as well as
for that of La Salle, to Dr. Neilson, Deputy
Surgeon-General of Canada, a ripe scholar, a
gallant officer, an accomplished historian and
archaeologist, and a true gentleman. [See his
biographical sketch, p. 201.] J. a. h.

^OkT

iw and his
e his most
:ourt.

at he had
lac, matters
, to worse,
austed, and
pt the gov-
venty years
ion and of
of France,
int.

1 further in
eturned to
idy entered
St monarch
vas coming
re his judi-
ent, France
or position.
I, and, save
: up, one by
the contest
jh the end

worn down

lis seventy-

1. On the

possession

this distin-
■ever be in-
•eat River,
IS he lay in
lithful por-
as well as
on. Deputy
; scholar, a
storian and
[See his

J. A. H.

POETIC ASSOCIATIONS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

CANADIAN BOAT SONGS.

IT^EVOST early travellers speak of the songs
l^^l with which the Canadian voyageurs
were accustomed to beguile their labors at the
oar, and of the impressions they left upon
the memory. These are now entirely unknown
upon this part of the St. Lawrence, but are
still heard upon the upper waters of the
Ottawa, and in the regions not yet invaded
by the power of steam.

These souvenirs of travel belong to a period
in society that appears to be passing away,
and like the popular songs of all countries,
that perpetuate their historical legends and
the traditions of ancestors, they are unknown
in cities, and are found only in rural life. In
tliis instance, they may be often traced back
to an European origin, and are of the kind
that tend to keep alive the poetic associations
of a gay and happy peasantry, rather than the
historical memories of a great and powerful
people. In fact there appear to be very
little sense, much less a connection of narra-
tive, in any of these popular songs of these
people, and the most that can be said of many
of them is, that they were a jolly string of
words without rhyme or sense, with frequent
repetitions, and a joyous refrain.

In their incoherent stanzas and their repeti-
tions,they resembled in some respects the slave-
songs of the south before the late war, al-
though wholly devoid of that religious senti-
ment which formed a feature in many of the
social songs of the slaves.

Some years since, Mr. Ernst Gagnon, of Que-
bec, prepared a collection of these Canadian
songs. Il contains only those most commonly
known, for according to this author, " ten

large volumes would scarcely contain them."
He further remarks, that as a general thing
there is nothing indelicate or wanton in these
popular melodies, and that even in some of
this description that can be traced back to
French origin, the objectionable features have
been dropped. In other cases, the change in
these airs has been so great that their origin
can scarcely be traced back beyond the period
of emigration, and in others they are unmis-
takably and entirely Canadian.

We will limit our notice of these songs to
two or three of the most popular and well-
known, and of these the one first given is
altogether the most important :

" A La Claire Fontaine."

Says Mr. Gagnon: — " From the little seven-
year-old child to the gray-haired old man,
every body in Canada knows this song.
There is no French Canadian song that in
this respect will compare \. .th it, although
the melody is very primitive, and it has little
to interest the musician, beyond its great
popularity."

It is often sung to a dancing tune, and is
even brought into the fantasies of a concert-
It is known in France, and is said to be of
Norman origin, although M. Marmier thinks
it came from La Franche Comtfe. and M.
Rathery thinks it was brought from Hretagne,
under the reign of Louis XIV. In France
it has nearly the same words, but with this
difference — that the French song expresses
the sorrow of a young girl at the loss of her
friend Pierre, while the Canadian lad wastes
his regrets upon the rose that his mistress re-

2l6

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

jected. The air as sung in France is aliugether
different. Some years since this song in its
Canadian dress was brought out in all the
principal theatres of Paris with immense suc-
cess. This led to a distressing burlesque of
" La Claire Fontaine, as they sing it in Paris."

On the occasion of the visit of the Prince of
Wales to America in i860, a little incident oc-
curred on board the "Hero," on the last
evening before the landing at Quebec, that
brought this song and its air into notice upon
a much wider field than before. Several
prominent Canadians had come on board, and
as the evening wore away, Mr. Cartier, a high
official in the Colonial government, stepped
forward, and began to sing this song in a clear
and melodious voice.

The chorus was easily picked up by the
listners, and after once hearing it, a few voices
joined in — at first in subdued and gentle
murmur, but at each return more clear and
strong, until at the end, the whole party were
in full accord, and singing with enthusiasm
the oft-repeated declaration —

" II ya loHKtepas que je t'aime,
Jamais je ne t' oublerai."

From this time onward till the end of his
journey in America, this simjjle melody became
the favorite piece, or was brought in as an ac-
companiment to other music, at receptions
and parties, and in short, upon all occasions
wherever music was in order, and for this
reason it is now better known outside of
Canada than all the rest of French-Canadian
songs put together.

The following not-very-literal English trans-
lation of this chanson, has in one sense more
poetic merit than the original, inasmuch as it has
a rhyme, to wliich the French does not pretend-
As by the crj'Stal fount I strayed,
On which the d.incing moonbeams played.
The water seemed so clear and bright,
I bathed myself in its delight ;

I loved thee from the hour we met,
And never can that love forget.

The water seemed so clear and bright,
I bathed myself in its delight;
The nightingale above my head.
As sweet a stream of music shed,

I loved thee. i-ic. , .

The niglitingale above my head,
As sweet a stream of music shed,
Sing, nightingale, thy heart is glad.
But I could weep, for mine is sad !
I loved thee, etc.

Sing, nightingale, thy heart is glad.
But I could weep, for mine is sad !
For I have lost my lady fair,
And she has left me to despair !
I loved thee, etc.

For I have lost my lady fair.
And she has left me to despair,
For that I gave not, when she spoke.
The rose that from its tree I broke.
I loved thee, etc.

For that I gave not, when she spoke.
The rose that from its tree I broke,
I wish the rose were on its tree.
And my beloved again with me.
I loved thee, etc.

I wish the rose were on its tree,
And my beloved again with me, <

Or that the tree itself were cast
Into the sea, before this passed.
I loved thee, etc

Of the above chanson, Marmier observes-.
"As you notice, there is neither verse nor
rhyme, nor anything else besides an outland-
ish ineasure of syllables ; * * * * Yet
these rude couplets, sung in the rudest of
inelodies, have in them an iudescribable mel-
ancholy that penetrates the soul."

An English writer who published his observ-
ations in 1864, gives one of these songs, pre-
faced with the following descriptive account
of its execution:

" The French Canadian boatmen seem to
be a happy devil-may care sort of fellows, who
did not allow the thought for to-morrow to
interfere in any way with the enjoyment of
to-day. They sing in concert very plaintively;
and some of their favorite ballads are highly
pathetic. One day I was prevailed upon by
a friend to take an excursion in a canoe,
manned by half a dozen of these thoughtless
people. Upon sailing up the St. Lawrence,
as tney warmed to their work, they com-
menced singing the following chanson, and so
prettily was it executed, that the effect was
most extraordinary:

POETIC ASSOCIATIONS OF THE THOUSAND ISL^'NOS-

Jt?

ike,

ke.

observes-.

verse nor

n outland-

* Yet

rudest of
)able mel-

lis observ-
ongs, pre-
e account

seem to

lows, who

norrow to

yment of

aintively;

ire highly

upon by

a canoe,

oughtless

awrence,

ey com-

n, and so

ffert was

The following rather free translation has
been furnished us :

With hearts as wild

As joyous child,
Lived Rhoda of the mountain ;

Her only wisii

To seeic the fish
In the waters of the fountain.

Uli, the violet, white and blue !

The streum is deep.
The banks are steep,
Down in the Hood fell she.
When there rode by

Right K^ll'intb''
Three barons of high degree.

Uh, the violets, white and blue !

" Oh. tell us, fair maid,"

They each one said,
" Your reward to the venturing knight

Who shall save your life

From the water's strife
By his arm's unflinchiiig might."

Oh, the violet, white and blue !

" Oh ! haste to my side,"

The maiden replied,
" Nor ask of a recompense now I

When safe on land

Again we stand
For such matters is time enow."

Oh, the violet, white and blue !

But when all free

Upon the lea
She found herself once more.

She would not stay.

And sped away
Till she reached her cottage door.

Oil. the violets, white and blue !

Her casement by.

That maiden shy
Began so sweet to sing ;

Her lute and voice.

Did e'en rejoice,
The early Mowers of spring

Oh. the violet, white and blue I

But the barons proud

Then spoke aloud :
"This is not ihe boon we desire ;

Your heart and love,

My pretty dove.
Is the free gift we require."

Oh, the violets, white and blue !

" Oh, my heart so true,

Is not for you.
Nor for any of high degree ;

1 have pledged my truth

To an honest youth.
With a beard so comely to see."

Oh, the violet, white and blue !

Tom Moore's Boat Song. — (1804).

In the years 1803-4, the social favorite and
graceful writer, Thomas Moore, made a hasty
tour through the Middle and Northern States
and Canada. It would appear from his writ-
ings, and it has been strongly intimated, that
this visit to .Vmerica was designed to afford
capital for satire and song in the interest of
British prejudice, and under the political agi-
tations of the day there can be no doubt but
that this result was in some degree realized.

But whatever may have been the animus or
the effect of his writings, we may well afford,
after this lapse of time, to forgive him, since
he has left us some verses that throw a charnx
over the places he described, and impart an
interest, due to the smoothness of their mea-^
sure and the poetic sentiments which they
embody. His lyrics, entitled '* The Lake of
the Disinal Swamp," and '' The Canadian
Boat Song," are of this number. Moore was
born in 1779, and when he passed this way,
in 1804, was therefore about twenty-five years
of age. He had already gained popular noto-
riety by his writings ; and the extraordinary
attentions paid to him, especially among En-
glish officials in Canada and elsewhere, gave a
prominence 10 his presence wherever he trav-
elled. In a letter to his mother, written soon
after his passage down the St. Lawrence from
Niagara in a sailing vessel, in August, 1804,
he shows liow exceedingly flattering to his
vanity these attentions were, making him at
once satisfied with himself and with all the
rest of mankind. He says :

" In my passage across Lake Ontario, I met with
the same poiituness which has been so gratifying,
and, indeed, convenient to me, all along my route.
The captiin refused to take what I know is always
given, and begged me to consider all my friends at
included in the compliment, which a line from m»
would at any time entitle them to. Even a poor
watch-maker at Niagara, who did a very necessary

2l8

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

.»«

and (lifllcult job for me, inMUied I bhould not think
of paying him, but accept it as the unly mark of re-
spect he could pay one he had heard so much of,
but never expected to meet with. This is the very
nectar of life, and I hope, I trust, it is not vanity to
which the cordial owes all its sweetness. No; it
gives me a feeling towards all mankind, which I am
convinced is not unamiable; the impulse which be-
gins with self, spreads a circle instantaneously round
it, which includes all the sociabilities and benevo-
lences of the heart."

As to the circumstances under which the
Boat Song was written, these can best be
learned from his own pen. In a note appended
to the full edition of his writings, we find the
following account :

" I wrote these words to an air which our boatmen
sung to us frequently. The wind was so unfavor-
able that they were obliged to row all the way, and
we were five days in descending the river from King-
ston to Montreal, exposed to an intense sun during
the day, and at night forced to take shelter from the
dews in any miserable huts upon the banks that
would receive us. But the magnificent scenery of
the St. Lawrence repays all these difficulties. Our
voyageurs had good voices, and sang perfectly in
tune together. The original words of the air, to
which I adapted these stanzas, appeared to be a
long, incoherent story, of which I could understand
but little from the barbarous pronunciation of the
Canadians.

" The stanzas are supposed to be sung by those
voyageurs who go to the Grand Portage by the
Utawas river."

Et Regimen Cantus Hortatur. — Quintillian.

Faintly, as tolls the evening chime,

Our voices keep tune, and our oars keep time;

Soon as the woods on shore look dim

We'll sing at St. Ann's our parting hymn.

Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast.
The rapids are near, and the daylight's past.

Why should we yet our sail unfurl ?

There is not a breath the blue wave to curl !

But when the wind blows off the shore,

Oh ! sweetly we'll rest on our weary oar.

Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast.
The rapids are near, and the daylight's past.

Utawa's tide ! this trembling moon

Shall see us float over the surges soon.

Saint of this green isle ! hear our prayer,

Oh \ grant us cool heavens and favoring air.
Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast.
The rapids are near, and the daylight's past.

We have met with two translations of
Moore's Boat Song into French, but neither
of them are of much merit.

Besides these Boat Songs, the islands pre-
sent many poetic associations that give to
them peculiar interest. The late Caleb Lyon,
of Lyonsdale, many years since, published ;i
poem somewhat after the style of Byron's
" Isles of Greece," that has been so often re-
produced that we deem it proper not to in-
clude it in this volume.

The religious meetings that have been held
upon Wellesley Island have given rise to some
poetic reminiscences of peculiar interest, es-
pecially those relating to Mr. Philip B. Bliss,
whose participation in the Sunday-School Par-
liament, in 1876, was brought sadly to mind
by the railroad casualty that, before the next
year, ended his life at Ashtabula, Ohio. This
event has been mule the subject of memorial
verses by Miss Winslow, of Brooklyn. The
following are the opening stanzas of this
poem:

Last year he stood amongst us all,

Acknowledged King of Song,
Last year we heard his deep tones fall

The river side along;
We saw his reverend mien, we knew

His spirit true and bold.
But of our singer's inner life

The half was never told.

We heard the story, as it flew

On the western wires along.
With bated breath we heard it true,

God took our King of Song ;
We read of fiery chariot wheels.

Of wintry waters cold.
But angels saw the agony-

The half was never told.

The " Mille Ii.es" of Cremizie, the
Canadian Poet.*

This poem extends through more than fifty
stanzas, in which the author lets his fancy

* Joseph Octave Cr6mazie, a native of Lower
Canada, was gifted with a fine poetic talent, and pro-
duced several pieces that have been greatly admired
for the elegance of their style, and the highly poetic
sentiments which they express.

M. Cr&mazie was a merchant at Quebec, but prov-
ing unsuccessful in business, he went from Canada

mslations of
, but neither

islands prc-
that give to
: Caleb Lyon,
, published a
: of Byron's

so often re-
er not to in-

ve been held
I rise to some
interest, es-
ilip B. Bliss.
(T-School Par-
adly to mind
ore the next
Ohio. This
of memorial
oklyn. The
nzas of this

sail,
ones fall
e knew

true,

IS,

tlZIE, THE

ire than fifty
ts his fancy

ve of Lower

ilent.and pro-

eatly admired

highly poetic

bee, but prov-
from Canada

GEOLOGY OF 7 HE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

2!9

dwell upon what he would do, were lie a swal-
low. He would fly to where the snowflocks
fall, and make the wildest places echo to his
song. He would visit Spain, where the almond
blooms; the gilded dome of Alcazar, and the
Royal Palace where the Calipli Omar reigned;
Cordova, and Old Castile; Leon, with its
brazen gates, and Seville ; the Escurial and
the Alhambra, and river banks fragrant witli
opening flowers. He would view the city of
Venice, and the Lions of St. Mark; listen to
the serenades of an Italian summer evening,
and, in short, explore on light and rapid wing
whatever region or jilace the wild world offers
— in Europe, in India, or in the land of the
Nile, that awakens poetic sentiments, displays
pictures of beauty, or recalls the memory of
great events.

Having thus touched, as it were, a thousand
islands of interest throughout the world, he
says:

" But when with floods of liRht, the balmy spring-
time comes, with its melodies, its mantle iif green
and its perfumes — its vernal songs with the morning
sun, and all the freshness of awakening life, I would
return to my native skies.

" When Eve plucked death from the Tree of Life,
and brought tears and sorrow upon earth, Adam
was driven out into the world to mourn with her,
and taste from the bitter spring that we drink to-
day.

"Then angels on their wings, bore the silent
eden to the eternal splicres on high, and placed it in
the heavens — but in piissing through space, they
dropped along the way, to mark their course, some
flowers from the Garden Divine. Thesr- flowers of

to Brazil, and from thence to France, and died at
Havre, January 17. 1S79.

Mr. Lareau, in his Histoirede la Liiteraiurc Cana-
dienne, in speaking of the style of this poet, says :

"There is something in Crfemazie's talent that is
found only in those of native genius — it is inspira-
tion. By sudden and passionate flights, he carries
you into the highest spheres of poetry and thought,
lie adorns his style with coloring the most brilliant,
and in his hand everything is transformed and ani-
mated. He invests the most common of events with
features that elevate and magnify, yet in this exuber-
ance of coloring, and this wealth of words and ideas,
he in no degree impairs the simplicity of his subject.
The poetic thought of his writings is clear and re-
fined, and his verse is natural, and flows from an
:<>'undant source."

changing hues, falling into the great river, became
the Thousand Isles — the paradise of the St. Law-
rence.

" The Thousand Isles ; magnificent necklace of
dianuMid and sapphire that those of the ancient
world would have preferred to the bright gold of
Ophir ! Sublime and beautiful crown that rests
upon the aiiifjle brow of the St. Lawrence, on her
throne of the vast lakes that display the tinted rain-
bow, and return the echoes of thundering Niagara !
The Thousand Isles — charming wonder — oasis on
the sleeping waves — that which might be thought a
(lower-basket borne by a lover's hand ! In thy pic-
turesque retreats I find naught but pcice and
happiness, and spend the tranquil days in singing
the lays of a heart content !

' .Not proud Andalusia — nor the banks of Cadiz—
nor the kingdom of the Moors sparkling like rubies
— nor the poetic scenes of Florence and Milan —
nor Rome with its ancient splendors — nor Naples
with its volcano — nor that charmed sea where Stam-
boul lifts its towers — nor the valesof sorrow where the
fierce Giaours dwell — nor India in its native wealth,
where Para-Brahma shines, or the seas of verdure
that Kalidasa celebrate — nor the land of the pyra-
mids — nor all the treasures of Memphis — nor the
rapids of the Nile, where we seek and admire Osiris —
shall ever thy echoes repeat from the notes of this
lyre which is tuned amid these charming scenes."

Geology of the Thousand Islands.

There is much geological interest in the
rock formations of this part of the St. Law-
rence, and in the evidences that they [iresent
as to the changes that the earth's surface has
undergone since the beginning. For the most
part, the islands consist of gneit,s rock, be-
longing to the Laurentian .period, which iiere
form a connecting link between the vast Pri-
mary Region, so called, of Upper Canada,
and an extensive district of the same in
Northern New York. This gneiss is gener-
ally obscurely stratified, but with much con-
fusion in the lines of original deposit, as if
they had been softened by heat and distorted
by pressure, and the stratification, such as it
is, is often highly inclined. The rock is
composed largely of a reddish feldspar, with
variable proportions of quartz and horn-
blende, and occasional particles of magnetic
iron ore. In some places on the New York
side it is found to contain dykes of trap and
greenstone, that ramify into thin veins, as if

A SOUl'KNIK or THE S f. LAWRENCE RIVER.

injected under j^reat pressure, and in a |)er-
fectly liquid form. It also contains, in Jeffer-
son and St. Lawrence counties, most interest-
ing crystalline mineral forms, in great variety
and in Rossie, lead was formerly mined in tliis
rock to a large amount.

Upon one of the Thousand Islands oppo-
site (iananotpie, the gneiss rock is (juarried
for cemetery monuments, which are sent to
Montre.il for polisliing, and are thought by
many to he as beautiful as tlie red Scotch
granite for this use. The ro< k is there also
quarried for paving blocks, and other uses.

At ('ianano(]ue, and at various places among
the islands, the Potsdam santlstone occurs in
thick masses, rising into cliffs fifty feet or
more above the river, and affording a fine
material for building, being easily worked
when freshly quarried, and hardening upon
exposure to the air. A little bark from that
town, gneiss forms the principal rock, rising
in naked ridges, with intervening plains that
indicate the presence of level strata of lime-
stone or sandstone beneath. In this region,
white crystalline limestone, steatite and vari-
ous other minerals occur.

Before reaching Brockville, and for a long
distance below, calciferous sandstone and the
older limestones constitute the only rock in
situ, and afford excellent cpiarries of building
stone. These strata are for the most part
level, and the very flat region in Jefferson
county, lying a little back from the river, and
extending several miles inland, is underlaid
by this rock. It contains, in many places,
the organic remains of lower forms of animal
and vegetable life, that sometimes stand out
in fine relief upon weathered surfaces of the
rock.

At Kingston, and at various points upon
both shores, and upon Carlton, Wolfe. Howe,
Grindstone and other islands, the Birds'-eye
and Black River limestones occur in nearly
horizontal strata, and in some places are seen
resting directly upon the gneiss, which comes
to the surface, here and there, and often rises
to a greater elevation than the adjacent lime-
stone. It would appear that at these places
an island existed at the time when the sand-

stones, elsewliere so abundant, were being de
posited, and that the limestones were formed
directly over the gneiss. This limestone is
largely used for building purposes, at Kings-
ton and eUewliere, and it makes excellent
lime. 1' rom the lower and impure strata oi
tliis roi k, water-lime, or hydraulic cement,
was formerly made in Jefferson counts
I'hese limestones at various |)laces cont.iin
fossil corals, simnges, shells, and other or-
ganic remains |)e(uliar to the older Siluri.it)
period. The Black River limestone, in
Watertown, Brownville, and other places, has
extensive caves, worn by currents of water in
tortner times. These have been explored to
considerable distances, and appear to have
been formed by the widening of natural
fissures in the rock. Their section is more or
less oval in form, sometimes wider than higli,
and nearly imiting along the line of the fissure,
above and below.

The broken region, of which the Thousand
Islands are a part, afTords on either side of
the river, in various places, a number of pic-
turescpie lakes, and within a distance of
twenty miles in JefTerson county, there are ex-
tensive mines of red hematite, that have been
wrought for more than fifty years, supplying
several iron furnaces in their vicinity, and a
barge amount of ore for exportation to other
points. Geologically, these iron ores occur in
thick beds along the jtmction of the gneiss
and the older fossiliferous formations, and
they seem to extend downward to an unlim-
ited extent.

In speaking of the Thousand Islands as a
field for geological study, a writer, who has
taken a great interest in this subject, says :

"One of the finest River Archipelagoes Oi the
globe, is tliis of the St. Lawrence. Intleei , i( Is
almost the only one that has such a vast nu nljcr uf
islets, all of rocky formation; high, healthy, wooded,
without muddy or marshy shores; small enough foi
inexhaustible variety deep, navigable cliannels
everywhere, and above all, the wry crown and glory
of the picturesque. ♦ » * The location is one of
the very best for geological study. The Laurentian
system is reckoned the oldest exposure, or among
the oldest, on the globe. The granite is largely com-
posed of feldspar, and so dilFers widely from the

GEOLOGY OF THE THOUSAXD /SLANDS.

aai

ere being dc
were fornml
limestone i^
es, at Kin^s-
tes excellLMi*
lire strata ot
iiilic cement,
son county
laces cont.iiii
nd other or-
)lder Siliiriat»
limestone, \\\
er places, li.is
is of water in
1 explored ti>
pear to have
g of natural
ion is more or
ier than hit;li,
of the fissure,

the Thousand
L'ither side of
umber of pic-
distance of
there are ex-
at have been
rs, supplying,
icinity, and a
ation to other
ores occur in
of the gneiss
mations, and
to an unlim-

Islands as a
ter, who has
lect, says :

eiagoes o. the
Indiei , it is-
ast nu nljer of
eahhy, wooded,
all enough fui
able clinniieU
rown and glory
cation is one of
he Laurentian
iure, or among
is largely com-
idely from the

famous granites u( New England, in which horn-
blende lorms so large an elcmt-ni, and which are
nearly a true lyeniie. The Fot»d:ini sandstone liuru
lies directly upon the granite. Huth show wonder-
fully ihc erosion of waves by which the great inland
sea, of ancient geological ages, wore down (his p.ir-
li.ll outlet to the sea. Both show, also, the grinding
and planing action of the glacial drift, which here
wrought Willi enormous power. There are drift
ttrisDor gror>ves here, cut into this hard granite, some
of them showing for several rods in length, straight
as a line, and as wide and deep as half a hogshead
divided Ic'i'' 1 vise of the staves.

" A l)lo< k of granite, as large as a small house,
held fast in the under surface of a moving sheet of
ice, asa glazier's diamond in its steel handle; .inolher
sheet of ice, hundreds of feet thick and thousands of
miles wide, and creeping onward with a slow hut
irresistible movement — what a glass-cutter that!
And when that whole sheet of ice is thickly studded
on its under side with such blocks, great and small,
we can get a conception of what an enorinoiis lasp
the hand of Omnipotence wielded in |ilaiiing and
polishing all the upper surface";, especially the
norihurn, western, and north-western exposures of
these mighty rocks. The tooihinarks ol this rasp
.irc the glacial stria: of geologists, and this is an excel-
lent place to study them.

" For half a mile, fronting on Eel bay, there is an
almost continuous frontage of the glacier-planed
locks. At its western end, this rocky ridge breaks
down abruptly in lofty precipices called ilic ' F'.ili-
sades.' with a deep, navigable strait of the river,
called ;he ' Narrows.' Here is an admirable place to
study the cleavage and fracture of these rocks, and
the whole is one of the finest scenic views of the
dreat River."

An anonymous writer, in a book of Travels
'■ dedicated to the Wanderer by one of his
class," — but known to be John F. Campbell,
of Islay, had his attention much attracted by
geological phenomena, and in noticing glacial
agencies, remarks as follows concerning this
jiart of the St. Lawrence :

"At the foot of Lake Ontario, at Brockville, a rock
of gray quartz in the town is so linelv polished that
lines on it were invisible, and almost imperceptible,
till a heel-ball rubbing brought them out. Their
main direction is N. 45" East (magnetic), and large
polished grooves, in which sand-lines occur, are ten
feet wide. At other spots on the same rock, lines
point north and have other bearings, but the whole
sh.npe of the country bears N. E. and S. W,

'• Hevond Brockville, the Thousand Islands of
Lake Ontario closely resemble groups of low rocks
off Goltenburgh. The solid rock foundation of

(.'anada, up to the level of Lake Ontario, is glaciated.
It is striated in various directions, but the main lines
observed aimed Iniin Hellelsle towards Ni.iki.na.
Upon or near the rock are beds of s.md, shells,
gravel, and cl.iv. with l.iigc and well scratched
bowlders of fiir.'igii origin. Higher than these beds
of drift arc more beds of sand, shells, gravel, clay
and bowlders as high up as the top of Montreal
Mountain, and the lop of .Niagara Falls."

In noticing these phenomena of glacial ac-
tion, it may be remarked that the whole sur-
face of the ( oiintry north and south, and to a
great distance, is found strewn here and there
with bowlders, some of them of immense size,
and in other places are moraines or ridges in
great abundance. Drift-hills composed of
sand, gravel and bowlders, sometimes ce-
mented by clay into " hard pan," are a com-
mon occurrence,

Lakk RinoES.

We may in this connection notice the " Lake
Ridges," so-calleil, that occur on both sides of
the lake, and various elevations above its
present level. These particularly engaged
the attention of I'rof, Charles Lyell, the En-
glish geologist, who, in his journey in 1842,
stopped at Toronto to examine them as
they occur northward from that city. The
first of the ridges was a mile inland — and
108 feet above the present level of the lake.
It arose from thirty to forty feet above the
level land at its base, and could be traced by
the eye running a long distance east and west,
being marked by a narrow belt of fir-wood,
while above and below, the soil was clayey,
and bore other kinds of timber.

The second ridge, a mile and a half further
inland, was aoiS feet above the lake at its
base, as determined by canal and railroad
surveys, and arose fifty to seventy feet high,
the ground being flat both above and below,
and at the foot lay a great number of bowlders,
which, from their composition, showed that
they came from the north. Some of these
bowlders lay on the top of the ridge, but there
were but few erratic rocks on the soil between
these ridges.

Another ride of two miles and a half, in
a northerly direction, brought him to a third

22:

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

ridge, five miles from the lake — less conspicu-
ous than cither of the former, being little
iiore than a steep slope of ten feet by which
♦.he higher terrace was reached, only eighty
feet above the base of the second ridge. Thus
he went on, passing one ridge after another,
sometimes dcv'iating several miles from the
direct course, to fix the continuity of level,
and observing their general character. He
saw no less than eleven of these ridges in all,
some of which might be called cliffs, or the
abrupt terminations of terraces of clay, which
cover the silurian rocks of that region to a
great depth, and belonging to the drift or
bowlder formation.

The highest ridge was about 680 feet above
the lake, the water-shed between Lakes Ontario
and Simcoe being 762 feet. From the sum-
mit the slope toward Lake Simcoe descends
282 feet, end ■'.long down this, se/eral ridg'"s
were found, showing that water had formerly
flowed to a higher level than the present.

Mr. Lyell remarks that he had never before
observed so striking an example of banks, ter-
races, and accumulations of stratified gravel,
sand and clay, maintaining over wide areas so
perfect a \ jrizontality as in this district north
of Toronto. He remarks that the hypothesis
of the successive breaking down of barriers
of an ancient lake or fresh-water ocean has
now been generally abandoned, from the im-
possibility of conceiving here, as in the west
of Scotland, as to where lands capable of
damming up the waters to surli height could
have been situated, or how, if they have ex-
isted, they could have (iisappeared, while the
levels of the ancient beaches remained undis-
turbed. He, therefore, inclines to the belief
that they were the margin of the ancient sea,
which has changed level from the upheavals
of the continent. This must have been inter-
mittent; so that pauses occurred, during which
the coast-line remained stationary for centu-
ries, and in which the waves would have
time to cut cliffs, or throw up beaches, or
throw down littoral deposits and sand banks
near the shore.

In support of this theory, he cites the ex-
ample of Scandinavia, which has been slowly.

yet perceptibly rising from the sea within tho
historic period, at the rate of two or thrcf
feet a century. VVc know too little of the
laws that gqvern these subterranean move-
ments, to deny the possibility of such inter-
mittent changes in the level of the sea.

While the cliff margins might have been the
abrupt shore in an extremely ancient period,
the bars of sand on the highest levels may
have been formed on the inland margin ol
shallow waters, at some distance from deej)
waters, as may be seen in course of formation
in some places at the present time.

Depth of the St. Lawrence. — Tides in
THE Lakes.

The soundings in the river, among the
islands, indicate a great irregularity of deptii,
the bottom being generally rocky, and cpiite
as diversified as the parts that rise above tlie
surface. The greatest depth is i ?o feet, but
the usual soundings are from thirty to sixty
feet. As a general rule, the navigation among
the islands is entirely safe to vessels of tiie
size usually employed upon these waters, and
all the dangerous rocks and reefs have their
positions marked.

The level of the river differs one year with
another, the extreme range being about seven
feet. These changes are not the immediate
effects of the excessive rains, such as cause
floods in other rivers, but appear to be oCv:a-
sioned by the different ([uantities of rain f.^.il-
ing, in some years more tii.in in others, and
whicli finds its way down months afterward
A series of several years of high water, and
others of low water, are known to occur.
'Ihe level of the river is also afiected bv
strong prevailing winds, blowing up or down
the lake, and several instances of rapid fall,
followed by a returning wave of cxtraordinar\
height, have been reported. Some have sii|>-
posed these sudden changes of level to he
caused by earthquake- shocks, but a more
probable theory a|)pears to be that they arc
occasioned by the passage of a water-spout,
or a tornado at a distant point. There is
also found to be a slight, but well-marked tide
in the lakes, depending upon lunar changes,

;a within the
two or thru-
little of the
mean inovc-
f such inter-
lie sea.

lave been the
cient period.
It levels may
id margin (»;
:e from dt;o|.
of formation
ne.

E. — Tides in

', among the
rity of depth,
ky, and quite
ise above the
no feet, but
thirty to sixty
igation among
vessels of tiic
se waters, and
efs have their

one year with
g about seven
he immediate
uch as cause
r to be occa-
s of rain fall-
n others, and
hs afterward,
gh water, and
wn to occur,
affected hv
g up or down
of rapid fall,
extraordinaiA
me have suji-
)f level to he
but a more
that they arc
water-spout,
nt. There is
11-marked tide
L',nar changis,

BOUNDARIES OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

333

like those upon the ocean, capable of the
same prediction, and governed by the same
laws. This fact has been proved by long-
continued, self recording observations. Ft
may often be disguised byoscillation in the
level occasioned by the winds. It was ob-
served by Charlevoix, in 1721, that the level
of the lake changed several times in a day,
as may be seen anywhere along the shore,
especially upon a gently-sloj)ing beach. This
is probably due chiefly to the action of the
winds. '

BouNPARY Lines Between the Two
Governments.

In French colonial times, there was no
boundary acknowledged by both governments;
as existing between the French and English
settlements. Each party claimed far Jjcyond
the point allowed by the other, and the en-
croachments of the former u|)on Lake Cham-
plain and in the west are well known to have
led to the war that ended in 1760, in the
establishment of English authority over the
whole.

'I'he province of Quebec, as created by
royal proclamation, was bounded on the
south, from the Connecticut to the St. Law-
rence rivers, by the line of 45" north latitude,
and south-westward by a line running from
the point where this line intersected the St.
Lawrence to the south end of Lake Nipessing.
A survey of the line of 45° was begun in 1772
by John Collins, on the part of Quf'^**' , ."nd
Thomas Vallentine, on the part of New 'ork,
but the latter having died, Cl.Tsde Joseph
Sauthier was a|)pointed in hiL ^l. e, and the
work was completed October 20, 1774.

In the treaty of 1783, the line of the river
and lakes was adopted as the boundarv west-
ward from St, Regis, but no surveys of this
part were undertaken until about thirty-five
years afterwards. The military posts on the
American side of the boundary were held by
the British for the purpose of protecting; *I;v,
claims of British subiects until definitely
relintpiished under the jay treaty, signed No-
vember 19, 1794, under which it was agreed
that they should be given up on or before

June I, 1796. In the meantime, the discus-
sion as to boundaries continued, and Lieuten-
ant-Governor J. G. Simcoe, of U|)per Canada,
was particularly strenuous in insisting u|)on
an aggressive advance of the frontier, that
should secure to British interests in the inte-
rior tiie magnificent empire which the French
had endeavored to establish. He would have
had Niagara the seat of government of this
English .America, and had his first concessions
been allowed, the western boundary of the
United Stales would have been the Genesee
river, and a line extending from its head-
waters to the sources of the Ohio, and thence
southward, alonj; the Alleghenies to the Gulf
coast.

Wh»'n thiri 'ould not be secured, he pro-
posed a line from Presque Isle [Erie, Pa.] to
Pittsburgh ; then the Cuyahoga, and, as a last
extremity, the Miami river. Early in 1792, in
a long letter to the home government, he
pointed out the great advantages that would
result to Canada from the adoption of a line
that should run from Lake Ontario across the
country to the southern end of Lake Cham-
plain, including the disputed boundaries upon
t'lat lake. Until the last moment, he had
• lung to the hope of attaching Vermont to
Canada, and the correspondence of that
period shows that an expectation of this
result had been encouraged by the turbulent
leaders in that State a« an alternative pre-
ferred to submission to the authority of either
of the claiming States. He adds :

" I should tliink Oswego, and I qucslion whether
NiaKiu.i woidd not Ito a cheap sacrifice fur such a
liiidl, which would he strictly defensive on our part,
aiul rakulaU'd to prevent future disagreements. I
h,iv,' heard thai Carlln'i IsUnd, the most important
P'i.;t (III Lake ()ntari(>, is on the Hritish side of the
line :is ihe hetiir channel is hel<vecn that and the
sDiilhern shore."

.\gnin, in writing lo the Rt. Hon. Henry
Dundas, November 4, 1792, he .^ays: "I beg
to send a map of the river St. Lawrence, that
in case of a treaty being entered into with the
United States, it may plainly appear of what
cons((|uencc it is to render it efectual and
permanent, that the British boundary should
enclose the islands of the St. Lawrence."

324

A SOUVEAfR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

H«

Under the treaty of Ghent, which ended
the war of 1812-15, Feter B. Porter was ap-
pointed on the part oi the United States, and
Andrew tiarchiy on the part oi G'eat iJritain,
as commissioners to run and mark !he line.
The survey was begun in 1817. and "hei/ re-
port was signed June 18, :82i'. siibject to rati-
fication by their respective governments. Their
operations were conducted with much pre-
cision, and the details were reduced to niajis
th.it have never been published. Copies of
these are preserved in t'le offices of record of
the countries concerned.

While the b( ndury survey was in prrrress.
Col. Samuel Hawkins, the agent of the .Xmeri-
can commission, gave a ft'te cham|)etre t«pon
one of the lower islands, to which the nu'in-
bi'ia of the commission on both sides werj in-
v'ted. The incident is defcribed by Mr.
Darby, who says:

" The day was even on ihe Si. Lawrenre uncom-
monly fine, and amiJ the proves of aspen, wjld-
clu-rr), and lindcti {rees, the scene seemed more
than eailhly. .Mih. Hawkins presided. 7nd in (lie
liowcisijf th« Si. LawT'-nce recalled the most pol-
islict manners of civilized soticny in the crowded
city. At the close of rvening Major Joseph Dcla-
field and mvsrif walked rtvtr ihc island, and iii
ml' view of the obit-cis which rxciied our feelings,
cuncludud '.hat no sp(>t on '.he glotx.- could unite iji
so small a spaci- more (n please, lu amuse, and
gratify tlu fam.y "

The earlier surveys between the St. Law-
rence and Connecticut river* being in idc- with-
out jjrecision, were found in 1818 to be almost
everywhere lipon a line too far north. At
St. Regis the departure Irom the true latitude
of 45^' was found to be 1,375 feet; at the
Frjnch .Mills [Fort Covington I it was 15.1
feel; at C-lialcauguy river, 975 feet, and at
Rouse's Point, 4,576 feet.

The government of th-.* United States had
begun t(i erect a fort on L.ike Champlain. near
wli It was the supposed bouiidary. soon after
tiie war of 1812-15. and this was wholly car-
ried over into Canada, by the survey of 1818.
It liad been christened " Fort .Montgomery,"
but now in com'non parlance wa* called " Fort
Blunder." The ,\mericans being unable, and
the Canadians unwilling to protect the prop-

erty, it became the prey of whoever chose to
plunder it of material'.;, as needed for build-
ing piirposes. Finally by cht surveys of
1842, the old line of 1774 was taken as a com-
promise, and the site being thu? restored to
the possession of the United States, work was
resumed and carried, we behev;;, to compk-
tion under the original name.

In the surveys made under the VVebster-
Ashburton treaty of 1842, J. B. Bucknall Est-
court, lieutenant-colonel, w?.s appointed by
the government of (Ireat Britain, and Albert
Smith by that of the United States. Thiy
confirmed the line in the river, as it had betMi
located under the treaty of Ghent, and the
old line marked by Vallentine and Collins be-
tween the St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain.
They were able to follow this line by the
marks en tiie trees, still visible, or found by
cutting into them; but where these could not
be found, or where clearings had been made,
straight lines were run between these old
landmarks, and iron monuments were set at
every angle of defle< tion, and at the crossing
of rivers, lakes and roads. The boundary
line is, therefore, not on the true parallel ot
45"^, nor in the middle of the channel.
hut it is a conventional line, agreed upon h\
both governments, and accurately defined by
mouuments and records.

The l.irgc islands in the St. Lawrence, be-
low Ogdensburg, iiad long been settled under
St. Regis Indian titles, and were occupied ai
the time of the survey by settlers, who, up to
that time, had been regarded as British sub-
jects.

Some forty years afterwards, the persons
who had sustained losses by this transfer ap-
plied to the State of New York for compensa-
tion, and their claims became the subject of
investigation and of legislative action for their
relief.

HVDROdRAPHICAI. AND ToPOORAPHlCAt.

SUKVKVS.
HKITISU SCRVKVS.

The first surveys of Lakes Ontario and Erie
were made in the summer of 1789, under the
direction of Mr. Niff, an engineer. They

:ver chose to
d for build-
surveys ot
en as a corn-
restored Id
es, work was
i, to compk-

he Webster-
tucknall Est-
ppointed by
, ind Albert
:ates. Thty
I it had bet'ii
;nt, and the
d Collins be-
; Champlain.
line by tlie
or found by
se could not
been made,
n these old
were set at
the crossinf;
e boundary
■ parallel ot
ie channel,
ed upon 1)\
defined by

wrence, be-
rttied under
occupied at
who, up to
Hritish sub-
he persons
transfer aj)-
compensa-
subject of
on for their

tAPHICAl,

io and Erie
, under the
eer. They

LIGHT-HOUSES OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.

225

only embraced the south shore of Lake On-
tario, from Carleton Island to Niagara, and
thn south shore of Lake Erie, from its ea.icii:
end to Detroit.

The engitieer's instructions required him, in
addition to the soundings, to note the loca-
tions proper for ship-building, the (juality of
land for settlement, and the kind of timber
ale ig the slu-res. It will be remembered that
the whole \^{ this region, now within the
States, was then still held by the British mili-
tary authorities, and it may be inferred from
the above instructions that they were looking
forward to a time when it should be perma-
nently under their control.

Soon after the war of 1812-15, a survey of
the eastern end of Lake Ontario and of the
river St. Lawrence, as far down as the Gallop
Rapids, was made by Capt. VV. E. W. Owen,
of the Royal Navy, with soundings, a definite
delineation of "ie shores and islands, and some
topographical details concerning the adjacent
parts. Thi. survey was completed in 1818,
and published by the Hydrographical Office
of thr Viiiralty in 1828, forming a series of
five e >irt . These were re-engraved, with
corrections, in 1861, and are found in the col-
lections known as the " Havfield (Charts,"
which in all embrace an extensive series of
lake surveys.

An elaborate survey of the region around
Kingston, including the adjacent islands, upon
a large scale, and showing the contour of
surface and details of topography, with special
reference to its military defences, was ))re-
pared a few years since, and a limited edition
printed.

United States Lake Surveys.

For many years, the survey of the northern
and northwestern lakes has been in course of
execution by the corps of engineers of the war
departinent. These trigomctrical and hydro-
graphical surveys were begun u|)on Lake On-
tario and the river St. Lawrence about ten
years since, and during the years 187 1 to
1875, were extended along the river from St.
Regis to the lake, under the direction of
Brig. -Gen. C B. Comstock. In 1876, the re-

sults were published in six charts, which rep-
resent the part of the river from St. Regis to
the foot of Wolfe Island, upon a scale of i to
30,000 or a little more than two miles to an
inch. They embrace the whole of the river,
and the topography of both shores, but do not
indicate the boundary line. A map of the
eastern end of Lak • Ontario, being No. i of a
separate series, on a scale of i to 80,000, or
about four-fifths of an inch to a mile, has also
been published under the same direction.
These charts all have a great number of sound-
ings, with indications of the nature of the bot-'
torn, the contour and cultivation of the land
on the islands and adjacent shores, the place
of buildings, the lines of roads, and of streets
in villages, and the character and extent of
woodlands, with an accuracy of detail that
jjroves the excellence of the work.

Light-Houses.

A few facts concerning the light-houses
along the St. Lawrence, may not be without
interest :

The American Light-Houses are under
the care of a "light-house board," in the
Treasury Department, and *he coasts and rivers
of the country are divided into fifteen districts.
Of these, the tenth district extends from St.
Regis to Detroit, with the headfiuarters of
the inspector and engineer at Buffalo. Within
this district, there arc sixty-seven light-houses,
and about 150 buoys (spars and cans), an-
chored so as to show the course of the chan-
nel, or the position of dangerous places.
These spars, etc., are taken up at the close of
navigation, and replaced after the ice has dis-
appeared in the spring. By their color and
numbers, they give information that all navi-
gators must understand. There are six
American lights from Ogdensburgto Tibbett's
Point, inclusive. They have all fixed white
lights, with lens apparatus of the fourth or
sixth order. Their names and position arc
as follows:

Ogdensburgh, on a rocky islet, 190 yards
from south shore; built in 1834; refitted in
1S70; a square tower, 42 feet high, with
keeper's dwelling.

226

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

Cross-over Island, 20 miles above Ogdens-
burg; a tower 37 feet high, on keeper's brick
dwelling; lantern black; built in 1837; refuted
in 1870.

Sister Island, 6^ miles further up; a tower
on keeper's stone dwelling; lantern black, with
red dome; built in 1870; height, 43 feet.

Sunken Rock. 6 miles further up, on Bush
Island, about a quarter of a mile north of
Alexandria Bay; an octagonal brick tower,
sheathed with boards; wliite; height, 31 feet;
built in 1847; refitted in 1855.

Rock Island, 7 miles further up; keeper's
dwelling of brick, white, with a low tower on
top; dome black; height, 39 feet; built in 1847;
refitted in 1855. [Shown hereafter.]

Tibbett's Point, 23 miles above, at the out-
let of the lake; a stone building connected by
covered way with a round brick tower 67 feet
high; white; built in 1827; refitted in 1854.

The oldest light-house on the lake is that
near Fort Niagara, built in 18 13; the next
oldest is the one on Gallo Island, built in
1820. All the lights on the St. Lawrence and
the Great Lakes are discontinued from
January 1st until the opening of navigation,
unless otherwise specially directed.

The D0.MIN10N Light-House System is
under the charge of the Minister of Marine
and Fisheries, and at the beginning of 1880
embraced 482 lights, of which Labrador had
4; Newfoundland 3; Gulf and River of St.
Lawrence 140 to Montreal — 19 from tlience
to Windmill Point near Prescott, and 10 from
thence to the lake; Saguenay River 6; Richlieu
River 5; Lake Memi)hramagog 6; Ottawa
River 16; Lake Ontario 29; Lake Simcoe i;
Lake Erie 15; Detroit River 2; Lake St. C!lair
I ; Lake Huron 32; Lake Superior 9; Prince
Edward Island 29; Cape Breton Island 23;
Nova Scotia (Atlantic Coast) 63 ; Hay of
Fundy 48; St. John's River 13; Winnipeg i,
and Britisli Columbia 7.

The Canadian lights from Prescott to Lake
Ontario are as follows :

Cole Shoal, on a pitr five miles west of
Brockville.

Grenadier Island (S. W. point), two miles
below Rockport.

Lindoe Island, five miles west of Rockport

Gananoque Narrows, five miles below Gana-
noque, on Little Stave Island.

Jack Straw Shoal, on a pier, north side ol
channel, three miles below Gananoque.

Spectacle Shoal, on a pier, north side, one
and a quarter miles west of Gananoque.

Red Horse Rock, on pier, S. E. side ol
channel, one mile above Spectacle Shoals.

Burnt Island, at S. E. point of island, north
side of channel, half mile from Red Horse
Rock.

Wolfe Is'n.id, on Quebec, or east point of
island — anc' Brown's or Knapp's Point, on
Wolfe Island.

These a'e all fixed single lights, with metal-
lic reflectors, on white square wooden towers,
and were all built in 1856, except Wolfe
Island Light in 1861, and that on Brown's
Point in 1874

Steam Navigation upon Lake Ontario
AND the St. Lav/rence.

The first steamboat that appeared upon
this lake was the Oneida, in 181 7. The boat
was 1 10 feet long, twenty-four wide, and
eight deep, and measured 237 tons, and had
a low-pressure cross-head engine, and a
thirty-four-inch cylinder with four-feet stroke.
She had two masts, and used sails when the
wind favored. It was indeed a new era in
navigation, and from this time Durham boats,
bateaux, and all the pleasant associations
which boat songs recall were doomed to dis-
appear. The new steamboat was indeed a
wonder in this part of the world, and at every
landing crowds assembled from far and wide,
to catch a view of the first wreath of smoke
from her stack, and to watch and wonder
as she slowly and majestically came up, and as
she indei)endently departed on her appointed
course. Every village that could muster a
cannon, and every steeple that had a bell, an-
nounced the event, and joined in the welcome.
Bonfires and illuminations, the congratulations
of friends and interchange of hospitalities,
signalized the event along the whole of th(
route, and the occasion was jotted down a^
one to be long remembered. The round trip

)f Rockport
below Gana-

)rth side ol

oque.

th side, one

loque.

E. side nl
; Shoals,
sland, nortli
Red Horse

ast point of
s Point, on

, with metal-
aden towers,
ccept Wolff
on Brown's

E Ontario
:e.

eared upon
The boat

wide, and
ns, and had
ne, and a
feet stroke.
Is when the
new era in
rham boats,
associations
lied to dis-
s indeed a
nd at every
r and wide,
h of smoke
nd wonder
eiip, and as
r appointed
;1 muster a
I a bell, an-
le welcome,
^ratulations
ospitalities,
lole of tht
d down as

round trip

NAVIGATION AND LUMBERING.

Z'.-'J

from Ogdensburgh to Lewiston required ten
days. P'are, ^i6 in the cabin, and $8 on
deck. Master, Captain Mallaby. Tiie One-
ida ran till 1832, seldom making more than
five miles an hour. The Frontenac came out
from Kingston not long after. From this time
down, the number has been legion; but since
the completion of the Grand Trunk Railway,
the importance of steam navigation has greatly
declined, and several fine steamers were taken
down the rapids never to return.*

But whatever the future may determine, as
regards the lines of business travel, the St.
Lawrence will always, in its islands and
its rapids, present an attractive route for tour-
ists in the summer season. We may never
again witness a fleet of steamers as magnifi-
cent as those of the " Ontario and St. Law-
rence Steamboat Co.," which in its best days
had eleven such in daily us, — while the Cana-
dians at the same time had numerous elegant
steamers fully employed; but under the law
universally true in business, that the supply
will be regulated by the demand, we may
rontidently look for abundant comfort and
elegance in these steamers upon the St. Law-
rence. The history of steam navigation
scarcely presents a more remarkable freedom
from accidents than does that upon this lake
and river — a circumstance due as well to the
intelligence of those entrusted with their navi-
gation, as to the sagacity of owners, who saw
their true interest to consist in the certainty
of their engagements, rather than in a reputa-
tion for extraordinary achievements in amount
of business, or high rate of s|)eed.

The line boats of the F"olger Brothers, as

* A large amount of information concerning steam-
boats upon the lake will be found in Hough's History
of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties (1853), and
in Haddock's History of JefTcrson County (1895).

For many years Clayton was a noted place for
steamboat building. Some of the finest steamers
that ever appeared on these waters came from the
shipyard of Mr. John Oadcs, of that piftcc. Of
these the New York and the Bay State,— truly mag
niliccnt in their appoiniinenis. were afterwards cm-
ployed iin government service in the South. Other
lake steamers were used durin" our late war as
blockade runners on the Southern coast

well as of the Richelieu and Ontario Naviga-
tion Company, have certainly reduced pre-
cision to perfection, and accidents to a mini-
mum.

Life-saving stations were first established
by the Government of the United States upon
Lake Ontario, in the summer of 1854. con-
sisting originally of Francis's Metallic Life-
Boats, with fixtures, but without buildings
to shelter, or crews to manage them. The
system has since been perfected as the wants
of the service req ired.

The present lines through the Thousand
Islands are quite numerous, by far the larger
part being owned and run by llie Folger Bros.,
of Kingston. Their boats are in every way
superior, and really leave nothing to be desired.

Lumbering upon the River St. Law-
rence.

in several of the descriptions given in the
preceding pages, allusion is made to wood-
land scenes and woodmen's labor. One of
the earliest and most extensive operators in
this line was William Wells, eldest son of
Thos. Wells, from Sandown, N. H., who came
to Canada in 1787, and began lumbering
operations about 1790, on the island to which
his name is now often applied. He would
establish a shanty at a convenient point, and
with tile aid of hired men, work up into staves
all the timber suitable to his use within con-
venient reach, and when this was exhausted
he would remove to another phu e. He thus
went over the whole of this island and other
islands in the river, until the business became
no longer profitable. His tnarket was F^ng-
land, by way of Quebec, to which place his
stock was sent upon rafts. At a later period,
Carlton Island for a short time became an
important lumber station, and later still, Clay-
ton, where for many years iminense (pianlitics
of timber, brought down from the upper lakes
in vessels, were made up into rafts in Frenc h
Creek, and sent down to Quebec. It was
there again loaded into vessels, for the Euro-
pean markets. In recent years, the ujt of
Wolfe Island, and Garden Island, oppusite to
Kingston, have been the principal lumbering

12S

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

stations on the river. The business has for a
long time depended upon supplies brought
down from distant points in the West, and is
now greatly reduced from the exhaustion of
supplies.

Autumnal Scenery of the Northern
States and of Canada.

We nave noticed in the descriptions of sev-
eral travellers in the preceding ])ages an
allusion to the coloring of the forests of
this region towards the close of autumn,
forming, indeed, one of the attractions
most likely to fix itself in the memory in
the declining season of the year. This was
most fully given by the German traveller. Dr.
Kohl, whose account of the islands will be
found on i)receding pages. We will com-
mence the description with his arrival at
Kingston, late on a warm, bright, richly-col-
ored autumnal afternoon, when the setting sun
presented a most imposing appearance. There
was still enough uf daylight left to get a fine
view of the city anil its suburbs, and he de-
parted by steamer for Toronto the same eve-
ning. He describes tiie passage as one of
excjuisite beauty, the last glow of twilight
shedding a glory over the a])parently bound-
less water, which seemed, like the sea, without
limit. As it grew dark, the waters presented
the nov'^l spectacle of moving lights near the
shore, where the fishermen were following
their business by torchlight ; and, later in the
night, the heavens were lit u|) by the aurora
borealis with unusual s|)lendor.

It may almost be (juestioned as to whether,
amid these shifting scenes of novelty, our
worthy traveller got time for n moment's re-
pose, for his descrijjtion of the midnight
aurora, with its gleaming pencils of light, its
corona, and its dazzling arch, passes directly
into tlie picture of a morning on the lake, that
i')liows :

" Hut its splctidors were f.ir exceeded in beauty by
tlic iciiiler tints of tbe aiiri)r:i orirntalis that after-
wards sliowed theinSL'lvL's on ilie fasicni huri/.on, aid
then tilled the whole attnospliere with their linht, A
delicate mist had risen toward siuirisi!, and thr sun
had made use of this ^auzy veil to paint it with the
loveliest pale tints. 1 do not wonder (hat the taste

for coloring should develop itself in such a land of
mist, where the palette of nature is provided with
such a variety of finely graduated hues. The eye is
sharpened to their difTerences, while in tropical re
gions, where the chief colors appear most strikingly,
the senses are da/zled. As the sun rose, I remarked
to my surprise that the redness of the morning dawn
had not passed from the horizon, as it coinmonlv
does, but remained hanging as a very decided red
segment of a circle, and the higher the sun rose, the
further it stretched, till towards eleven o'clock it oc-
cupied one-half of the hori/on, while the opposite
side, which was of a light grayish tint, lost ground
more and more, and at length the sun ap|>eared as a
radiant focus in the center of an atmosphere of
light, which, with few variations, passed into red all
round the horizon. I saw this remarkable phenom-
enon here for the first time, but afterwards fre-
quently, and learned that it especially belonged to
the ' Indian Summer,' and was known under the
name of 'the pink mist.' "

A short time after, our traveller, in passing;
northward from Toronto, on the route to
Lake Simcoe, had occasion to again revert to
the glories of the autumnal forest, which he
had already noticed in passing amid the Thou-
sand Islands. His description has no local
application, but will faithfully represent the
impressions of an intelligent observer in the
deciduous forests of any part of the Northern
States, and of Canada, in the fading season
of the year:

" The trees here still gloried in the rich colorinn
of their leafage, although in Quebec, a fortnight be
fore, the vegetation had assumed a bare and wintt\
aspect. The elegaiu and niiich-pri/.ed maple \vas
conspicuous among theni, as it mostly is in (Canada,
and its leaves exhibited more shades and gradations
of golden-yellow and ciimson than can be found in
the best furnished color-box. Even when you walk
on dark cloudy d.iys in the forest, the trees shed
around you such gorgeous colors that you might im-
agine it was bright sunlight. You seem to be walk
ing in the midst of some magic sunset of the
declining year. The leaves of the maple are, tro,
as elegantly cut as they are richly adorned with
color, and the Canadians pay them the same homauc
as the Irish do their green immortal shamrock
They are collected, pressed and preserved; ladies
select the most beautiful to form natural garlands
for their ball-dresses. Vou see in Canada tables
and other furniture inlaid with bouijuets and wreaths
of v.trnished maple leaves, and you sec an elegant
steamer with the name Maple Leaf painted in large
letters on (he side. Sometimes the Canadians would

THE BEAUTIES OF AUTUMN.

229

uch a land of
provided with
s. The eye is
in tropical re-
lost strikingly,
isc, 1 rcniarki'il
morning dawn
1 it commonly
■y decided rt'(l
; sun rose, the
1 o'clock it Of-
; the opposiiL-
t, lost ground
ap|>c'ared as ;i
ttmosphere of
cd into red ail
cable phcnoni-
fterwards fre-
y belonged to
ivn under the

r, in passing
he route to
ain revert to
St, which he
id theThoii-
has no local
L'present tiu-
erver in the
he Northern
iding season

rich colorinK
a fortnight be
re and winitv
d maple w.is
is in Canada,
nd gradations
n be found in
hen you walk
he trees shed
t'ou might iiii-
m to be walk-
. unset of the
aple are, K o,
adorned with
same lioniaK^^'
il shamrock,
served; ladies
ural garlands
"anada tables
;s and wreaths
cc an elegant
inlcd in large
ladlans would

ask me, in their glorious woods, whether I had ever
seen anything like them in Europe; and if I an-
swered that, though their woods were especially
beautiful, I had elsewhere observed red and yellow
.iiitumn leaves, they would smile and shake their
heads, as if they meant to say that a stranger could
never appreciate the beauties of a Canadian forest
(hus dying in golden tlame. I have seen a Swiss,
l)orn and bred among the Alps, smile just as pity-
ingly at the enthusiasm of strangers for their moun-
tains, evidently regarding it as a mere momentary
ilire, and that they only could know how to value
the charms of a land of mountains.

" The m.ignificent coloring of these trees strikes
you most, I think, when the gilding has only just
begun, and the green, yellow and scarlet tints are
mingled with the most delicate transitions. Some-
times it seems as if Nature were amusing herself
with these graceful playthings, for you see green
trees twisted about wiih ijatlands uf rich red leaves,
like wreaths of roses, and then again .-ed trees, where
the wreaths are green. I followed with delight, too,
the series of changes, from the most brilliant crim-
son to the darkest claret color, then to a rich brown,
which passed into the cold pale grey of the winter.
It seems tu me evident that the sun of this climate
has some quite peculiar power in its beams, and that
the faintest tint of the autumn foliage has a pure in-
tensity of color that you do not sec in Europe,
I'ossibly you see the climate and characti 1 of Can-
ada mirrored in these autumn leaves, and it is the
rapid and violent transitions of heat and cold that
produce these vivid contrasts.

"The frost that sometimes sets in suddenly after
a y ry hoi day, is said to be one of the chief painters
of these American woods. When he docs but touch
the trees they immediately blush rosy red. I was
warned, therefore, not to regard what I saw this year
as the ne plus ultra of his artistic efTorts, since the
frost had come this time very gradually. The sum-
mer heat had lasted unusually long, and the drouth
iiad been extr.iordinary, so that the leaves had be-
come gradually dry and withered, instead of being
suddenly struck by the frost while their sap was
still abundant, a necessary condition, it appears, for
this brilliant coloring."

As if quite unable to tear himself from a
subject that had so thoroughly awakened his
attention, our keenly observant traveller, after
describing many other scenes of Indian and
Pioneer life, presented in his northern jour-
ney, again recurs to his favorite impressions.
He had been so often interrupted by imperti-
nent inquiries, as to who he was, where he
was going, on what business, where he in-

tended to buy land, and where he meant to
settle, that he had devised a ready means of
getting rid of these annoyances — for when
he saw one of these inquisitors approaching,
he at once began a short biographical recita-
tion, stating where born, his origin, what he
had come for and what not, and so forth, end-
ing with the declaration that he did not in-
tend to settle in the country, nor to buy land.
As soon as everybody knew who and what he
was, they cared little more about him, and
having thus cheaply purchased a truce from
further inquiry, he could settle down to the
calm enjoyment of the scenery before him.
He says :

" I would gladly give some idea of its beauty, but
it is often ditficult to convey impressions of this
kind, without falling into repetitions, which, though
often far from unwelcome in nature, where there are
always shades of difTcrencc, are very apt to be so in
books. To me, there was a never-ending enjoyment
in gazing on the coloring of a Canadian forest in its
autumnal glory, and observing the modifications of
their colors produced by a greater or less distance.
From the immediate foreground to the remotest
point there was a scale of a hundred degrees. The
trees near at hand were of a full rose or orange hue,
and every leaf a piece of glittering gold, and yet
every tree had something that distinguished it from
all the rest, and although there were only leaves, the
coK rs equaled those of a tropical foiest in spring,
when it is covered with blossoms. Farther on, the
colors were melted together into one general tint of
bright pink, then a little blue mingled with it, and
there arose several softest tones of lilac ; sometimes
according to the conditions of the atmosphere, the
distant woods appeared of a deep indigo, and then,
perhaps, would interpose a little island of glowing
red-gold upon an azure ground, but if your eye fol-
lowed the line of forest to the east, the colors as
well as the trees shrank together, and a great wood
of leafy oak, elm and maple would look like a low
patch of reddish heath."

The poet Whittier, in describing an autum-
nal scene, strikingly applicable to this region,
although intended for another, says :

(ieneath the westward-turning eye
A thousand wooded islands lie —
Gems of the waters ! — with each hu«
Of brightness set in ocean's blue.
Each bears aloft its tuft of trees

Touched by the pencil of the frost.
And nnilulaling with the lireeze.

330

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

•^*

MISS CI.ARA MARION,

President of the American Red Cross, now dislributinR relief to the sufferers in

Arnicniu.

/^TO sufferers from war, famine and catas-
^^ trophe the name of Miss ('lara liarton
is a familiar one. She was born in Massachu-
setts in 1830, and in her earlier years was a
school teacher, afterwards obtaining a situation
in th'_' Patent office at Washington, which place
she held when the war broke out.

Just before the first battle of Bull Run, Miss
Barton advertised in Massachusetts papers that
she would receive stores and money for
wounded soldiers at the front, which she
would personally distribute. The appeal was
so liberally answered that she filled a building
with goods. She went with the army and
worked night and day nursing, relieving suf-
fering and distributing supplies throughout
the war. Through her efforts, thousands of

graves of the unknown soldier
dead were discovered and
marked. Congress recog-
nized her efforts in this di-
rection by awarding lui
$15,000.

After the war, Miss Barton
lectured 300 nights, for
which she received ^30,000,
and drew crowded houses
wherever she spoke. In 1869
she went abroad for rest and
recuperation. The nertyear
the Franco-Prtissian war
broke out and she did .sonif
effectual work among the
wounded, es])ecially at Stras-
burg. From Strasburg she
went to relieve the suffering
after the fall of the Commune
at Paris. Her services won
for her the Prussian order of
merit, gave her acquaintan< e
with the working of the Red
Cross agencies in Switzer-
land and (iermany, and
brought her to the notice of
the Empress Augusta.

In 1881, after many dis-
appointments and delays,
which seem incredible at this
day, the American National
Red Cross Association was formally recog-
nized by Congress, and Miss Barton was
elected its president.

The first real relief work of the association was
done in 1882 when the Mississijjpi overtlowed
its banks. Having less than $1,000 in the Red
Cross treasury, Miss Barton started for the
scene of the disaster. Before she left Wash-
ington the wires flashed appeals for aid to be
sent at once to Clara Barton at Cincinnati.
Aid poured in from every direction. So gen-
erous was the response, that more came than
was needed. Always frugal, Miss Barton put
by the suri)lus for the next great disaster, which
soon followed in the overflow of the Ohio in
1883, and the Louisiana cyclone of the same
year. In the following year, the Red Cross

own soldier
ivered and
;ss recog-
in this di-
.rdir.g iu-i

kliss Barton
lights, for
;d 1^30,000,
led houses
wC. In 1869
or rest and
le next year
ssian war
ic did sonu'
among the
Ily at Stras-
asburg she
le suffering
e Commune
ervices won
Ian order of
:quainlan< e
of the Red
in Switzer-
nany, and
le notice of
usta.

many dis-
r»d delays,
dible at this
in National

ally recog-
Jarton was

jciation was

overtlowed

in the Red

ed for the

eft Wash-

:)r aid to be

Cincinnati.

1. So gen-

came than

Barton put

aster, which

the Ohio in

of the same

Red Cross

>
r

233

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

I •

again found work in the overflow of both the
Ohio and Mississippi.

In 1884, the government having appropria-
ted $3,000 for the purpose, Miss Barton went
to Europe, accompanied by Mr. A, S. Solo-
mons and Hon. Joseph Sheldon, to represent
the American Red Cross at the international
conference at Geneva.

In 1886, the drouth in Texas necessitated
more work by her agents. When the Charles-
ton earthquake occurred the same year, Miss
Barton was in California endeavoring to re-
gain her health, but she visited the scene and
gave her aid.

The terrible Johnstown disaster occurred
May 30, 1889. After Miss Barton arrived on
the field, the distribution of clothing was un-
der the personal supervision and direction of
the " National Red Cross Headquarters." The

entire sum expended by the society, at Johns-
town, was $40,000.

The Sea Islands hurricane, which occurred
in 1893, and caused widespread destruction of
life and property, are still fresh in the recol-
lection of the public. The population of the
islands directly affected was about 9,000. The
fringe of coast which felt the storm was in-
habited by about 35,000 people, the large ma-
jority of whom were colored.

Miss Barton had some experience with the
negroes of this region in the first months of
the war, and so knew how to deal with them.
A rigorous system of economy was adopted
from the first — a system far more efficacious
in the end than any lavish system of charity
could have been. [See article upon The Red
Cross, page 51.]

•Si»

\ . -

4f '

^^ilku5 '

•

jKml^

:«J

^^,-'¥irA

9 ^ .( '. yi«.

•^. .

VvnHHB^BZu£g

^^^^Wt^aiBBlBSir^

^^^.

a^^a^J^^H^SSS

-fS:^.

—

f. .

A'4^- --

"■ •: 'm

■^:*s^^^^

r^^-r .

i 1^^^

IF^ ■''

^"■^

■■* '

/ '^

'i (

KISHINli OKK THE HF.AD Oh " I.ITTI.IC OKENAUIKR," CANADIAN CHANNEL.

y, at Johns-

h occurred
struction of
\ the recol-
tion of till'
),ooo. Thu
rm was in-
e large ma-
ce with thf
t months ot
with them,
as adopteil
! efficacious
n of charity
)n The Red

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF ALEXANDRIA BAY.

BV WILLIAM FAYIiL, ESg., l)K ST. LOUIS, MO.

/gk LEXANORIA RAY, when I first knew it,
' 1 just before the existence of railroads in
the Unitfd States, was a place of small import-
ance. It was a depot for the back-country
merchants and new settlers who sent lumber,
staves and potash, principally for shipment to
the Quebec market, and returned with dry
goods, salt, etc , for the village stores. Except
river transportation, the i/iact was side-tracked
on the landward side by the most abominable
roads, almost impassable in the spring and
fall, so that for years butter and cheese and
other country produce were under the control
of contractors, forwarded to VVatertown and
Sackets Harbor, it is true, over better roads,
but a much longer route. Owing to its iso-
lated situation, the Bay, which within a few
years has attained a magical growth and be-
come the central attraction of the most popu-
lar summer resort in America, was, at the
time mentioned, unfrequented by the tide of
pleasure seekers, except perhaps a few local
fisliermen. The mode of transportation was
then by stage-coach and canal. The world
of fashion resorted to Saratoga Springs, the
Catskill Mountain House, Niagara Fails, and
some favorite sea-side resorts now seldom
heard of. The most famous resorts and water-
ing places were brought into journalistic noto-
riety by letter writers, some wielding graceful
pens, as N. P. Willis in the New York Mirror,
and Willis Gaylord Clark, the "Ollapod " of
the Knickerbocker Magazine. Some of these
descriptions were extensively copied, and
showed the advantages, as one mode of judi-
cious advertising, in turning the tide of travel
and posting the public on the charms and
striking beauties of the jilaces described.
I first saw Alexandria Bay in 1832, the

cholera of that year having struck Quebec,
the earliest outbreak of the dread pestilence
on the continent, and then following up the
St. Lawrence, it visited Kingston and the
large cities, leaving the Bay entirely untouched.
The village contained about a dozen frame
dwellings and shops, scattered promiscuously
among the granite knolls and level grounds,
wherever a favorable site offered. The only
store, a red frame structure, owned by John W.
Fuller, was at the steamboat landing on the
lower point jutting into the Bay. The only
tavern, a weather-worn frame structure, at the
end of the main street, leading to the right on
entering the village, was kept by Smith. The
front was marked by a flight of wooden stairs
that led to the bar-room. This important
feature, like all country bar-rooms, had the
upper portion of the bar shielded from out-
side intrusion by a grating of round wooden
rods, through which could be seen a row of
flint-glass decanters, surmounted by heavy
stoppers of the same material. The upper
shelf had round glass jars, containing sticks of
ribbon-colored candy and Jackson balLs.

The edibles consisted of small crackers (two
for a cent), then in universal use, and
"cookies," a second cousin of the popular
ginger-cake. A box of dried herrings was
also temptingly displayed to satiate the pangs
of appetite, especially when irrigated by
draughts of strong liquor. On wooden pegs
in the proper place were hung yellow slippers
for the retiring guests at bed-time. Tavern
customs and the empire of fashion have very
materially changed since those pristine days.
The open tavern shed, with a loft for hay and
oats over head, was located on the Bay at
the extreme end of the street. Between the

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234

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

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tavern and the store on the water front, was a
large wooden warehouse in which the goods,
shipped to country merchants were stored
until called for. In the open spaces near the
warehouse immense piles of staves and lumber
were corded up, awaiting shipment, and con-
stituted quite a feature in the river commerce
of the place.

In my early recollections of the scenery I
recall with curious interest the intensely sea-
green color of the waters of the Bay, and the
beautiful displays of graphic granite sometimes
seen in the rounded granite knobs.

The arrival of a steamer at the wharf in
rear of Fuller's store was always an event
that enlivened the drowsy quietude of the
village. A few passengers would usually step
on shore to ease their sea-legs, but the most
important personage was the faultlessly-dressed
clerk of the steamer who stood on the wharf,
with a lot of invoices in his hand noting down
or checking the discharge and shipment of
freight. To the boyish fancy he was an envied
individual, a stupendous official character,
through whose deft fingers all business transac-
tions between the shore and steamer had to be
transmitted before the boat could leave the
wharf. Sometimes a glimpse was obtained of
singular people and outre characters, emi-
grants from foreign lands, making tiieir way
towards the illi.nitable West. At a period
somewhat later I saw twenty or thirty young
French Canadians land from an up-bound
steamer. They were a lusty looking set of
youths in robust health, hardy visage, well
developed, athletes in strength and physical
symmetry of form. They were dressed in fine
new suits, rather flashy, and wore their boot-
legs outside up to the knees, bound on top
with red morocco, with fluttering tassels dang-
ling therefrom. These adventurous young men
had left their homes at Chambly, St. Johns
and Montreal, and were bound for Green Bay,
thence to the fur-trading town of St. Louis.
Somethirtyyearsafterwards, while accompany-
ing the Indian Peace Commissioner among
the Sioux of the Upper Missouri, I en-
countered an Indian interpreter, who, as near
as time and place could be indentified, was

one of the party seen at Alexandria Bay at the
period mentioned. This man, likt all the
French Canadian traders and interpreters, had
an Indian wife and a numerous progeny. Our
interpreter abandoned his Indian wife and
married a respectable white girl at North
Platte — General Sherman and the other com-
missioners being invited to attend the wedding.
The relatives of the old squaw came to kill the
interpreter's horses in revenge for his deser-
tion of the once attractive and dusky maiden
of his youthful days.

Alexandria Bay was slow in coming to the
front as a fishing resort, owing to the adverse
causes mentioned. In this respect, for several
years, Theresa, in the same township, rather
took the lead. The stream at that then remote
village abounded in the spring with mullet,
and throughout the season that king of the
piscatory tribe, the muscalonge, came up the
Indian River, to the falls at Theresa, and was
taken with the spear or trolling spoon. The
Sixberries had long beaten up the ground, and
the Indian River with its tributary lakes, be-
came the paradise of the hunter, trapper and
fisherman. Theresa, as the headquarters for
the outfit of boats and fishing tackle, came
into note, and was made popular by the an-
nual excursions down the river from that
point, of Mr. Norris M. Woodruff, of Water-
town, and his friends, who brought with them
Loren Soper, an old fisherman acquainted
with the ground, and then the keeper of the
United States Arsenal at Watertown. There
was a fascination amid the scene and haunts
of nature, in the wild scenery and freedom
from the public gaze in a jaunt of this kind,
that a large river, open to all the world, did
not possess. No man enjoys reading his
newspaper in the thronged thoroughfares.

In spite of these little rivalries of neighbor-
ing fishing resorts, Alexandria Bay, in no
spirit of jealousy, abided its time. The fame
of its waters in yielding abundance of pickerel
and muscalonge to the sportive fishermen, be-
came extended far and wide. Of the last
named fish it was reported that a big v^ne, the
real sockdoger, had been captured by an ama-
teur sportsman from Syracuse, and that in his

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF ALEXANDRIA BAY.

235

a Bay at the

ikt all the
preters, had
geny. Oiir
n wife and
1 at North
: other coin-
he wedding,
le to kill the
ir his deser-
jsky maiden

ming to the
the adverse
t, for several
iship, rather
then remote
vith mullet,
king of the
;ame up the
esa, and was
jpoon. The
ground, and
ry lakes, be-
trapper and
quarters for
tackle, came
r by the an-

from that
f, of Water-
It with them

acquainted
eeper of the
)wn. There
and haunts
nd freedom
jf this kind,
e world, did
reading his
igh fares,
of neighbor-
Bay, in no
The fame
e of pickerel
shermen, be-
Of the last
big one, the
1 by an ama-
d that in his

vain glory he had a full-length picture of him-
self taken by an artist, with the big fish, held
up by the gills, painted by his side.

In due time the Bay became the resort of
some famous men, and it is but repeating a
twice-told tale to state that among these noted
characters were Silas Wright and Martin Van
Buren. Of these two distinguished men, I
may, in passing, be permitted to mention a
phase of their personal traits. Old fishermen
tell of the generosity of Silas Wright, in
quietly slipping into their hands, on returning
from a trip, a liberal " tip," while Mr. Van
Buren, less thoughtful, to put it mildly, never
exceeded the exact sum stipulated in the con-
tract by dispensing the expected doucer to his
boatmen.

It is probable that political friendship, as
well as the genial hospitality of the host,
rather than the fish, drew these great men to
the Bay. The Waltons stood high in social
distinction throughout that section. I am
speaking from boyhood impressions. They
were the first in a small town, and in the
neighboring villages were regarded as su-
perior beings. Their arrival at Theresa on a
transient visit produced a sensation, among
the younger people especially. The head of
this family, Mr. Azariah Walton, I regarded
as a grand old man, by whom I was always
treated with kindness and courtesy. At his
store, I frequently saw his massive figure
seated behind the counter employed in
thumping some refractory substance into use
for trolling spoons.

The shelves in the rear were garnished with
lines, hooks, bright brass spoons and other
fishing tackle. In one corner was seen a for-
est of fishing poles, some of these being sus-
pended by wooden supports overhead, like
the old-time rifle on hooks, in the hunter's
cabin. In the winter section, skates were
suspended, showing that a demand for these
articles could be supplied at all seasons.

Mr. Walton was collector of customs for
the port. He never disparaged the duties of
the office, and spoke with pride of his success
in checking and finally putting an end to
smuggling, that formerly prevailed to the

detriment of the goverment. He once told me
that tlie revenue collected from customs in
the Cape Vincent district, to which he was
attached, exceeded in amount that collected
in any other port of the United States, as the
official figures would verify. He was withal a
warm political partisan, the leading Democrat
in that section, and though his mercantile
partner, John W. Fuller, was a pronounced
Whig, no disputes on that score seeming to
disturb their business relations. But to his
outside political opponents he was not spar-
ing in his jibes and sarcastic hits at their ex-
pense. With what unction would the words
"Whig" and " Whiggery " roll from his
tongue, in contemptuous tones and in utter
depreciation of the claims of that young and
growing party.

In those anti-Masonic and early Whig days»
the election was held on tliree successive days
in separate precincts. Theresa was then at-
tached to the town of Alexandria, and when
the election was held in that precinct,
Mr. Walton always came up in full force, a
dreaded opponent, in his withering gibes, to
the leading Whigs, Squire Nathan M. Flower,
Anson Ranney and Benjamin StiU. The di-
vision of the town at length gave these good
men a rest. Amid his multifarous business
and official duties, Squire Walton found leis-
ure to court the poetical muse. He com-
posed campaign songs, which were never
written out or read ; one of these he recited
to me, the burden of which extolled in the
popular rhymes of that day, " The Favorite
Son of Kinderhook."

In closing this imperfect sketch of a notable
man, I desire to add, that although a violent
partisan, he was a patriotic lover of his coun-
try. When the Mexican war broke out, he
everywhere, in and out of season, denounced
the opposition to President Polk and the war,
declaring that it was unpatriotic in private
individuals and bar-room ranters, to question
the right or wrong of the war, when the honor
of the country was at stake.

His eldest son, George Walton, followed in
the footsteps of his father, as a politician, and
£is his active life, too early cut off by the fell

236

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

destroyer, comes within the period under
consideration, a word may be added. Much
might be said in praise of this gentleman who
bore " the mould of beauty and of form," but
one incident only will be given, illustrative of
the times, inhisconnection with " general train-
ing day," that great event of mustering battal-
ions and parody on grim war, always looked
forward to by wondering youths and ginger-
bread-vendors as a gala day, now gone into
desuetude, and is only a memory of the past.
George Walton was the colonel of a militia
regiment ; and his brother-in-law, General
Archibald Fisher, commander of the brigade,
transferred the general muster, from Antwerp,
where it assembled from time immemorial, to
Theresa. Col. Walton, as the ranking officer,
superintended the customary evolutions, and
towards evening he headed the perspiring
troops in their march from the Cooper farm,
where the muster was held, to the village.
The militia companies were halted, and on be-
ing massed in regulation order for dismissal,
the gallant colonel in a grandiose speech, not
unmixed with a quiet undercurrent of humor,
wished the men a safe return to their homes,
their waituig wives and children, and capped
the climax of dismissal by designating the
brigade as "soldiers of the great American
Army."

As if to add to the ludicrous character of
the scene, an auctioneer from the Quaker
settlement, named Kirkbright, who had been
vending gingerbread during the day, brought
forward for sale a menagerie of wild and tame
sugar animals. Having disposed of the ele-
phants at a fair valuation, he then held up
between his thumb and finger a two-cent
rooster, with red comb and gills, about the
size of a small ball of yarn. The bids started
at one cent, with no raise for some time,
when the auctioneer shouted forth indignantly,
" Soldiers of the American Army ! How can
you stand idly by, with arms in your hands,
and see property thus sacrificed in the market
place ? "

Recurring to matters at the Bay, I once, on
a visit there, met with an enjoyable incident,
characteristic of the chronic characters that

one frequently meets with. I was attracted
by two gentlemen in front of the hotel, who
appeared hotly engaged in a religious discus-
sion, — the one a skeptic ; the other, whom I
took to be a religious enthusiast by the warmth
with which he supp^ii...:' his side of the argu-
ment. Gifted in speech, he overwhelmed his
antagonist with a torrent of excellent advice,
as well as sound argument.

The reverend gentleman proved to be the
Rev. P. C. Headley, the author of a popular
" Life of the Empress Josephine." He was
then quite a young looking man. He in-
formed me that he was settled in the ministry
at Adams, Jefferson county, and was on the
way to join his brother. Rev. J. T. Headley,
also a widely-known author on war heroes, for
a trip through the great Northern woods,
then, as may be remembered, unvexed by
the Rev. Adirondack Murray and his fellow
tourists. Mr. Headley turned out to be a
most genial companion, full of animal spirits,
and ready to indulge in boat excursions and
other pastimes, except playing billiards, then
a favorite amusement among the frequenters
of the place.

A boat party was made up to sail among
the islands, with Mr. Ed. Tanner, collector of
the port, in charge. We trolled up the
streams, and encountering a squall, landed on
a nameless island. While there, a large sail
boat, it might be called a yacht, also landed
on the island, driven in by stress of weather.
An elderly, sturdy-looking man came on shore
and looked anxiously around. The new-
comer proved to be the famous Bill Johnston,
whose name became linked with the Thousand
Islands.

He wore a blouse, a plain-looking old gentle-
man, with strong features and an expression of
determination about the mouth. Otherwise he
would be taken for a very ordinary farmer, in
general appearance. He was rather reticent
and conversed in a low tone of voice, as is
usual in men supposed to have some great
secrets locked up in the breast. He was a
man just to Mr. Headley's hand, who pumped
the old gentleman as to the history of the
islands and his connection with them during

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF ALEXANDRIA BAY.

237

attracted
lotel, who
as discus-
•, whom I
tie warmth

the argu-
lelmed his
nt advice,

to be the

a popular
' He was
He in-
le ministry
i^as on the
'. Headley,
heroes, for
;rn woods,
nvexed by

his fellow
It to be a
mal spirits,
irsions and
iliards, then

frequenters

sail among
collector of
|led up the
, landed on
a large sail

Iso landed
of weather.

e on shore
The new-

1 Johnston,
Thousand

; old gentle-
tpression of
btherwise he
ly farmer, in
^er reticent
[voice, as is
Isome great
He was a
[ho pumped
[ory of the
lem during

the late troubles. Johnston, meantime, had a
far-away look, his mind reverting to his boat
and the condition of the weather. After the
detention of a couple of hours we parted, on a
lull in the gale.

Before the extension of telegraph lines, and
with limited postal connections inland, the
people of the Bay were behind their neighbors
in getting the news. But this was not always
the case, very important news reaching there
by river in advanceof the neighboring villages.
An instance may be given. About the 12th
of July, 1850, ^ioing with a party to the Bay,
when arrived witnin three miles of the place,
we met old Ezra Cornwall, father of George
W. Cornwall of Theresa, coming up the road
on foot, who imparted the intelligence that
General Taylor, President of the United States,
was dead. The news was received at the Bay
by steamer from Oswego, and was unknown at
Theresa until obtained from this source.

My last visit to Alexandria Bay was in 1867,
when, after the absence of some years, great
changes in the aspect of the town were visible.
Two hotels, the renowned Crossmon House,
widely known, and the St. Lawrence Hotel,
kept by Edward Fay el, assisted by his sister,
Mrs. Sophia Spalsbury, were in operation.
Since then a greater change, amounting to a
perfect "transformation scene," has super-
vened, supplementing the wonders of natural
beauty with the improvements suggested by
unsparing wealth, art and taste. But despite
all these enchanting improvements, effected by
man, the great natural features of rocky islands
and glorious river will stand unaltered till the
end of tim.e.

JoNA iHAN Thompson.

Among the earliest to forsee and urge the
advantages of the Thousand Islands as a re-
sort for pleasure seekers, and the estab-
lishment of a hotel to entertain them, was
doubtless Jonathan Thompson, of Theresa.
Thompson was a genial character, quaint in
speech, or rather of cute sayings, a harmless
romancer with a brain fertile in projects. He
was a man past middle age, buoyant in hope as
a grown-up boy, had seen something of the

world, and, in fact, among his early expe-
riences, had " gone out " with the Green
Mountain Boys in September, 1814. In
working up his scheme he had visited the
islands, selected one of the group to erect a
fishermen's resort upon. But the time had not
come for the realization of such an enterprise.
Other more favorable and fortuitous circum-
stances had to arise before the scheme could
become practicable. Thompson world have
made a good second to a man of financial
ability ; a good chief of a restaurant, and a
capital entertainer of guests.

A few years before this time, Thompson
had pit jhed upon one of the most romantic
little lakes, situated between the Indian and
St. Lawrence rivers, much nearer the first
named stream, as a home, which he intended
to improve. It was an expanse of clear,
limpid water, nestled among wood-crowned
shores, six miles from any settlement. It had
lost its Indian name, the lake being on the
main water route followed by the Canadian
Indians during the French and Indian War,
and up to the War of the Revolution, in their
predatory incursions to the Dutch settlements
on the Mohawk. In recent times the hulks
of their abandoned boats could be seen lying
deep through the clear water on the lake
bottom. It was known as Lake of the Woods,
latterly as Thompson' ■ Lake, from the new pro-
prietor, and was three miles in length north
and south, and from one mile and a half to
half a mile in breadth.

In a spirit of enterprise and unbounded
hopes that inspired visionary schemes,
Thompson pre-empted a few acres, near the
western cove, which a squatter had cleared up
and abandoned, leaving his deserted log cabin
among the assets of the place. On obtaining
possession, his original design was to stock the
ranch with geese, as his flocks would have
the unlimited privilege, like himself, of the
lake. But, owing to a change in domestic
economy (except among the blanket Indians,
who still adhered to skins for bed clothing),
feather beds began to be discarded, and a de-
mand for feathers consequently ceased. He,
therefore, was compelled " to feather his

238

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

nest " in some other more profitable product.
Whereupon, like Thoreau, the hermit of Wal-
don Pond, he determined to cultivated a bean
patch, finally adding to his agricultural opera-
tions crops of potatoes, cabbage and cucum-
bers. On an adjoining little islet, that rose
like a wart above the bosom of the lake, the
only excrescence of the kind that fretted the
npples into complaining murmurs, he erected
X house of primitive accommodation. In its
construction, he was ably assisted by a
Watertown journalist (John Fayel), who,
seeking recuperation for brcKen health, found
pleasant recreation in the exercise of his con-
structive talents upon very scant materials.
Poles were ferried across from the opposite
beach, and the deserted log-cabin of the
squatter was dismantled of its boards, shin-
gles, nails and window sash, to supply the
needed material. That house was a " daisy,"
and ranked with the common shanty in archi-
tectural adornment, having a door swung on
hinges, and a window to admit the light. It
was a large single barrack-like room, and for
years became also the sleeping apartment of
tired pleasure-seekers, who, rolled up in their
blankets on the board floor, were lulled to
sleep by the monotonous chafing of the ripples
on the beach.

Meantime, chance visitors to the lake re-
turned with enchanting descriptions of its va-
ried beauties. Mr. Thompson, on his return
to tiie village, exhausted the vocabulary of
adjectives in extolling its wonders. It was
" the land of promise " spoken of in the Scrip-
tures, the original " Fountain of Youth,"
sought after by De Soto, " the loveliest spot
under the canopy," to use his favorite ex-
pression. ]n truth, his representations could
not well exaggerate the admitted beauties of
the lake and wild surroundings. ■

Curiosity was worked up to a high pitch,
and to gratify it by actual realization, an expe-
dition was fitted out, composed of some twenty
or thirty citizens, who descended the river in
boats. Mr. Thompson took the lead alone in
his little canoe, ballasted with a few sacks of
provisions. As commodore of the fleet, he
issued instructions, and paddled ahead, a

happy man, not unmindful of his glory.
From long experience he became a marvel in
handling a paddle, which he did as dediy as
an Indian. He protested against a useless
waste of power and misapplied movements of
the arm in paddling. " Never," said he, "dip
the paddle too far ahead, as the force would
then be expended in lifting up the keel of the
boat, but when the paddle falls in a perpen-
dicular line with the rower's body, then the
back-push against the resisting medium gave
the only impulse forward to the boat." In
his progress, to show off his dexterity and
knowledge of the river, he sometimes cut
across a bend, through rushes and over lilly-
pads, thereby avoiding a long detour in keep-
ing to the currents. About seven miles down
the river a landing was made for a march of
three miles over the carrying place to the foot
of the lake. The landing place was designa-
ted by a beacon seen from a long distance
above, consisting of the stub of a big tree on
the bluff, which had been splintered by a
thunderbolt. From the landing place to the
lake, the labors of the traverse commenced,
sometimes through tkickets and underbrush,
over fallen logs, and across swails and quag-
mires; but a portion of the route was unob-
structed. The men started cheerily forward,
lugging paddles, fishing poles, and sacks of
flour, salt pork and other supplies of the com-
missary department. Thompson took the lead
as generalissimo of the expedition overland,
limping briskly forward, shouting words of
encouragement, and ready to diverge from the
route to show up some remarkable scenery;
in one of these, for instance, from the brink
of a precipice, was seen, spread out beneath, a
vast marsh, carpeted with moss, extending for
miles towards the river.

Arriving at the foot of the lake, a halt was
called, when the generalissimo expatiated on
the wonders of the scene soon to open on the
astonished gaze. To many minds, striking
images, thus presented to the imagination,
through the ear, even when conveyed through
the medium of gushing, bloviating rhetoric,
leave a stronger impression than when con-
veyed to t'.e eye by careless observation.

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF ALEXANDRIA BAY.

239

is glory,
marvel in
delcly as
a useless
enients of
I he, "dip
rce would
:eel of the
a perpen-
r, then the
iium gave
)oat." In
terity and
jtimes cut
over lilly-
ir in keep-
niles down
I march of
to the foot
.s designa-
g distance
big tree on
ered by a
)lace to the
ommenced,
inderbrush,
and quag-
was unob-
y forward,
sacks of
of the com-
)ok the lead
overland,
words of
ge from the
e scenery;
1 the brink
beneath, a
tending for

a halt was
satiated on
pen on the
ds, striking
pagination,
ed through
g rhetoric,
when con-
ration.

At the place of embarkation on the lake
there was but one canoe and two leaky skiffs
to take the party to the Island House, the
terminus of their toils. When tired and hungry,
curiosity lags, and the most romantic scenery
loses its charm. The party divided, some
passing up one side and others on the oppo-
site side, to the nearest point, until Mr.
Thompson, having landed the first installment
from the boats, could cross over and take them
to the island. The shouts of the men in their
slow progress along the heavily wooded shores.

the Sabbath day, hundreds of visitors flocked
to the lake, some to fish, but mostly others to
gather huckle (whortle) berries, blue-berries
and raspberries, which abounded in their
proper season on the bluffs and in the swamps;
but Mr. Thompson received little or no reve-
nue from these people, who accepted his hos-
pitality rather as friends than as paying guests.
The lake abounded in black bass, a most
edible fish. He had a favorite spot, a head-
land, for catching them, and having captured
a lot of small frogs for bait in the damp grass

AN ICE-BOAT, WINTER OF l895-g6.

and the responsive shouts irom the opposite
side, kept up continuously for several hours,
startled the three loons seen sailing on the
lake, causing the bewildered birds to tack from
one point to the other, for no such yells had
stirred up the wild varmints in that region
since the ancient war-whoop was sounded by
the Indian warriors that passed through on
their scalping expeditions.

In the course of time boating facilities were
increased, and some days, more particularly on

the evening before, at dawn would paddle out
in his canoe, that could be seen courtseying in
the distance like a dark bubble, and returning
with " the beauties," as he called them, had
them served up for breakfast. On rainy days
he rowed to the east side of the lake, where the
deep water was filled with the branches of dead
cedar trees that had fallen in, and rowing
slowly along, in perhaps two hours' time, he
would return with the bottom of his boat
covered by the flopping beauties.

240

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

5|»

He had an intimate knowledge of the habits
of fish — those shrinking creatures best studied
when out of their native element. Of birds
and beasts, he also possessed an intimate
knowledge of their habits and instincts. Re-
garding the loons, to which reference has
been made, he believed with old hunters that
they could not be killed by a rifle while on the
water, though he would not permit the experi-
ment to be tried upon the loons that frequented
his lake. The tradition concerning these
wary birds is that they can dodge a bullet after
seeing the flash, for instantly diving down,
they remain for some time under water, and
emerge to the surface a long distance from
the spot where they went under. Thompson
said he could predict a change of weather
from the movements of his loons. It was ob-
served that owing to their heavy conforma-
tion they could not rise in a calm much above
the surface of the lake, and when inclined to
change their present habitat, they flew against
the wind, which lifted them above the woods,
thus affording an exit beyond their old prison
limits.

He declared that his loons, before a storm,
would sail to the head of the lake, and when
the south wind blew they would rise, and,
flapping their wings, seem to walk on the
water, but rising gradually, the wind buoying
them upward higher and higher, until they
reached the lower end of the lake, three miles
distant from the place of starting, they would
attain such an elevation as to clear the highest
trees, and, thus regaining their freedom, seek
" fresh fields and pastures new." He re-

marked the curious fact that though they
could dodge a bullet on the wave, they could
not dodge a tree in a calm.

Talking about the instincts of animals, he
once remarked on a curious habit of the bears,
On a heavily wooded ridge along the west
side of the lake, there was a certain tree that
on one side was deeply gashed, as if made by
some huge gnawing inimal. It would heal
over for a time, like the scar made on a maple
tree by the sugar-tapper's axe, and then it
would exhibit a freshened appearance, like
the re-opening of an old wound.

This peculiar phenomenon, old hunters de-
clare, was the work of bears. It was a guide-
post to them in their journeys, the same as
blazed trees were to any backwoodsman. The
bears, in traversing the woods from Canada to
the great northern wilderness, thus left their
mark as a guide to the other bears which fol-
lowed them on the same path. Each bear in
passing would stand on his plantigrade feet,
gnaw out a fresh chunk, to be freshened up
by his successors, and thus the great bear-
route, a genuine international line, was kept
open.

I once asked Prof. Ebenezer Emmons, the
geologist of our district, his opinion as to the
truth of the statement. The eminent naturalist
rather doubted the explanation, and attributed
gnawing of the tree to the rutting season of
those animals.

As the novelty of Mr. Thompson's kind of
life wore away he turned his eye to the
Thousand Islands with the outcome as before
stated.

J^ J^

hough they
they could

animals, he
)f the bears,
ig the west
in tree that
if made by
would heal
on a maple
and then it
irance, like

hunters de-
ltas a guide-
he same as
Isman. The
1 Canada to
iS left their
s which fol-
lach bear in
igrade feet,
■eshened up
great bear-
e, was kept

mmons, the
m as to the
It naturalist
d attributed
g season of

n's kind of
eye to the
le as before

77/A' C7L'LF OF ST. LAWRENCE.

341

THE GULF OF

IT may happen that this book will fall into
the hands of some one who is more than o
mere pleasure-seeker among the Thousand
Islands, who shall desire to know more of the
ocean end of tlie great St. Lawrence river,
which flows down through the finest scenery
in the world, from grand Lakes Superior and
Michigan, through Huron, St. Clair, Erie and
Ontario —

" Vast lakes, which float the grain and ore
Of mighty States from shore to shore,
A thousand billowy miles and more."

If the reader be sutjh an one, he will be glad
when told that the author of this Souvenir is
one of the few whom he may meet who has
traversed the whole Gulf, even from Labrador,
Belle Isle and Newfoundland, up to Quebec.

Passing by the many interesting towns be-
low Quebec, and reserving for another article
the journey up the grand Saguenay, as well as
a description of some of the delightful summer
resorts where the fashion and beauty of Lower
Canada disport themselves during the short
but warm Northern summer months, we will
pass down the great river straight to Anticosti
island (some 400 miles below Quebec) where
the Canadian authoritier; maintain a light-
house. It is almost a barren island, but the
time will come in the not distant future when
its size and location will make it an important
spot, perhaps a summer resort. It lies in the
Gulf, longest from west to east, but is so much
nearer the north shore of the Gulf as to be
readily passed unobserved by vessels travers-
ing the center of that wide roadstead. By
bearing north by east from Anticosti you
would reach Labrador at the straits of Belle
Isle, after sailing about 450 miles. But it is
not in that direction we will now conduct the
reader, though one who has a summer to spend
and don't care much where he spends it, two
months on Labrador would be wholly unique
and perhaps interesting. It is a land without
a local government, being so far away and so
essentially uninviting as not to be worth the

ST. LAWRENCE.

cost to Canada of maintaining courts, or those
other formulas by which civilization is sup-
posed to be advanced. But Canada maintains
light-houses there. The writer made some
good friends on Labrador in his youthful
days, and recalls that region by many pleasant
memories.

But we will bear south by east from Anti-
costi, traversing the wide Gulf of which every
one has doubtless heard, but few are aware of
the attractions it offers to the tourist and
artist. Even to those who have given it much
thought it is generally regarded as a region of
mists and storms, and more or less enveloped
in hyperborean gloom. But recently sports-
men and yacht sailors have begun to visit the
southwestern shores of the Gulf, and the sum-
mer rambler finds that this part of the world
has been more or less maligned, and that dur-
ing July and August it offers a variety of at-
tractions hitherto almost unknown. To make
clear our idea we will take the reader into one
town, upon one of the main islands of the
great Gulf.

If the traveller were to desire to cruise
around a part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
and should make Charlottetown, Prince Ed-
ward's Island, his starting point, he would be
in a situation to get a vast amount of real
pleasure from his journeyings.

Tuesdays and Fridays are the days when
Charlottetown shows the most evidence of
activity and commercial prosperity. In the
square where the government buildings are
located may be found the market-house. On
these days it is crowded by both the town and
country folk, and among the latter will be
found now and then an Indian. An active
barter for provisions is kept up for a greater
part of the day. But this delightful town is
not what it once was. The Dominion govern-
ment has made such drastic laws that nearly
all the American fishermen have been driven
away from these waters, where their enterprise
and industry once made business lively. Thus
the goose has been nearly killed that laid the

242

./ SOl/yEN//i OF THE ST. Ul WRENCH RIVER.

golden eggs, and places like Charlottetown
suffer from unwise legislation.

In Summer, Prince Edward Island enjoys a
delightful temperature, the mercury ranging
for about three months from 60 to 76°. The
air is dry and almost entirely free from fogs,
and as the winds inevitably come off the sea,
the island is very healthful, nearly all the old
people being obliged to move away to die.
The island has peculiar advantages for summer
visitors from the liberal supply and the com-
parative cheapness of all kinds of country
produce. Personal pleasure is enhanced by
the lovely drives in every direction over a
country that is gently undulating and always
in sight of the sea. The rivers, notably the
Dunk, the Hunter and the Morell, abound with
fine salmon and trout, and the long reaches of
land along the easterly shore are frequented
by snipe, plover and duck resting there on
their journeys northward or southward. At
Rustico and Arcadie the summer landlord is
much in evidence, and there the best accom-
modations can be found. And it is in the
flitting thitherward of the migratory summer
visitor, with pockets full of gold, that the
islanders may look for the return of that pros-
perity driven away by the laws which shut out
American fishermen from neighboring waters.

The facilities for observing the unique
scenery of Prince Edward Island are much
enhanced by the narrow-gauge railroad, kept
up by the Dominion government, but which
does not yet repay expenses. Lobster canning
has also assumed con-.Iderable dimensions
upon the island, but it can hardly be classed
as a stable or certain industry, for these homely
crustaceans cannot be altogether depended
upon. Singular as it may appear, they take no
interest whatever in the philanthropic designs
of capitalists and fishermen to ship them to
market in elegantly labeled tin cases, and de-
clining to co-operate in these schemes, they
have a disagreeable way of remaining away ut
seasons when anxiously expected.

Gazing over the pleasant landscapes and
breathing the ozone-laden air at Prince Edward
Island, one hardly comprehends that for
many months the island is covered with snow

to an enormous depth, but is also shut out
from the rest of the world by a tremendous
barrier of ice. From January to May, North-
umberland Strait is frozen over. The mails
are carried across at the narrowest part, near
Cape Tormentine or Jourimain, a distance ot
nine miles. The carriers drag a boat over the
hummocks of ice, the boat being provided
with runners like a sleigh. When they come
to open water they launch the boat. It is an
arduous and perhaps dangerous journey, and
the mail carriers have few passengers. Were
it not for this prolonged hybernation and
being shut out from the rest of the world
amidst immense bodies of snow, Prince
Edward Island would be a veritable paradise.

Money goes a great way upon this island,
for it is scarce. The people are mostly of
Scotch descent, but there is still a remnant of
the Mic-mac tribe of Indians occupying a
reservation on Indian island in Richmond
Bay. There are some descendants of the
original Acadian French yet upon the
island, about P.ustico and Ingowich, These
are farmers. They have a convent at the lat-
ter place. But the Highland Scotch are far
the most numerous people upon Prince Ed-
ward Island. They came originally from the
Hebrides, driven away by the religious oppres-
sion of the lairds. They have increased and
multiplied. Nearly half of the inhabitants
are Roman Catholics, though there are many
Protestant Scotch. They are more than
usually tolerant towards each others' religious
views.

A region so remote as Prince Edward
Island and shut in for seven months of the
year from the " wide, wide world," must of
necessity produce many unique characters.
One of the most prominent families upon the
island is that of James Yeo, who accumulated
a large fortune in shipbuilding. His sons
were in the Dominion parliament. He came
out from England as a cabin boy, and the
rough school in which he was bred marked
his character and his speech. He once lost a
brig, and three of the crew perished. Allud-
ing to the misfortune he lamented : " Poor
things — two souls gone and one Irishman."

A SUMMER IXSriTUTK AT THOUSAND ISLAND PARK.

\o shut out
remendous
lay, Nortli-
The mails
t part, near
distance of
at over the
I provided
they come
t. It is an
lirney, and
ers. Were
lation and
the world
w, Prince
e paradise,
his island,
mostly of
emnant of
cupying a
Richmond
Its of the
jpon the
;h. These
at the lat-
:h are far
'rince Ed-
' from the
us oppres-
eased and
ihabitants
are many
lore than
i' religious

e Edward

hs of the

must of

:haracters.

upon the

cumulated

His sons

He came

, and the

d marked

>nce lost a

1. Allud-

i: "Poor

irishman."

We ought to mention, historically, that
Prince Edward Island was discovered by
Cabot, who called it St. John's Island, which
name it retained until 1800. Verrazzino took
possession of it for France as early as 1523 —
473 years ago. The island became British by
the treaty of Fontainbleau.

We have thus very briefly sketched one
town upon the Gulf of St. Lawrence and
enumerated one island. There are many
islands of more or less repute and population,
and there are other towns. Had we space we
would take the reader further east — to New
Brunswick, Paspebiac, the Bay of Gaspe,
Nova Scotia, the Bay of Chaleurs, the Mag-
dalen Islands, the Gut of Cansu and far-
away Newfoundland. What we have said
may open the eyes of some traveller to the
fact that the regions upon the southeast side

of the Gulf of St. Lawrence are not uninvit-
ing, nor inhabited by savages. There are de-
lightful places of sojourn in summer, with the
best fishing in the world, and the least expen-
sive living if we take quality and quantity into
account. We know of no place where the
people are more healthy, hospitable and in-
dependent. Individual and unique charac-
ters are plentiful, as is usually the case in a
region where man is cast mainly upon his own
resources. While not learned, they are pecu-
liarly practical, possessing that kind of ability
which makes the most of every surrounding,
and forces nature itself to yield to the indus-
trious persistence of man. We can but ex-
press again our regret that our limited space
precludes further reference this year to this
most interesting section of British North
America.

A SUMMER INSTITUTE ESTABLISHED AT THOUSAND ISLAND PARK.

/S^MONG the bills signed by Governor
« 1 Morton is one providing for three
summer institutes to be held under the direc-
tion of the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction.

Superintendent Skinner has located one of
these schools at Thousand Island Park, St.
Lawrence river, to be held from July 15th to
August 7th, 1896, inclusive. It is the inten-
tion that this institute shall rank with that
which has been held for several years at
Chautauqua and at Glens Falls, each of which
has had a very large attendance of teachers.
The superior facilities of Thousand Island
Park and upon the adjoining islands, the
beauty of the river, its matchless scenery and
bracing air, should make it one of the most

attractive places in the State for an institute,
and the teachers of the northern portion of
the State who have been remote from these
facilities so long will, without doubt, attend
in large numbers. Arrangements are made
for cottages for those teachers who may desire
to organize a club and provide their own
home, thus combining a pleasant vacation at
one of the healthiest summer resorts on the
continent with the advantages of instruction
by many of the most prominent school men
in the United States.

It is confidently expected that this insti-
tute will become a permanent matter at Thou-
sand Island Park or at Murray Hill Park, the
new resort which has come into prominence in
1896, and gives promise of a great future.

A FEW "DON'TS" FOR EXCURSIONISTS.

Don't be in too great a hurry, you will get
along easier.

Don't rush to get on board the steamer
until the passengers are off, and then you can
get on board without rushing.

Don't push, and jam, and crowd, either in
going ashore or aboard ; you only hinder and
delay.

Don't stop to gossip on the gang-plank, it
blocks the passage and delays others.

244

A SOUVENfR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

A PARTIAL VIEW OF MURRAY IIII.L HOTEL,

MURRAY HILL HOTEL AND PARK.

jURING the whole season of 1895 visi-
tors to the Thousand Islands were sur-
prised to see the vast piles of lumber, timber
and building material being collected on the
head of Hemlock Island, just at the entrance
to Eel Bay, and at a point where a bold back
ground had given away to a breadth of shore
that seemed to invite a stately building. All
summer long a great array of work-people
were kept there, and at last the object of all
this labor and material was manifest in a great
hotel, four stories high, over 300 feet long,
and containing rooms for 500 guests. When
snow began to fall this noble building was
turned over by the contractor to the proprie-
tors, and it has been fitted up with every
appliance that taste and comfort can require,
and there has sprung into existence, without
any great amount of advertising or newpaper
mention one of the largest and most complete
hotels upon the St. Lawrence river.

The public owe this grand improvement
to the organizing mind of Mr. A. Corbin, Jr.,
of Gouverneur, and to the indefatigable in-
dustry and activity of Capt. '* Jack " Taylor,

the original proprietor of Hemlock Island,
for which he once recklessly paid ^100 in
cash and a second-hand shot-gun. The
island could not now be bought for $100,000.
But no matter who bought the island or built
the hotel, there they stand "in evidence,"
with surroundings the most enduring and
beautiful on the river. These are the points
the visitor is interested in, and they form the
attractive influences which will draw to this
spot those who seek for rest and enjoyment
and yet wish to be " right in the swim." The
railroad docks at Clayton are in plain sight
from Murray Hill Hotel, no boat can pass up
or down that is not visible from its windows,
for every room has an out-of-door out look.
It is readily reached, is the second landing
below Clayton, in the very centre of the best
fishing on the river, and yet enough secluded
to prove a veritable resting-place for those
who wish to avoid noise or hurly-burly. We
predict for this great improvement a decided
success, and that the foresight of its proprie-
tors will meet with a just reward for theii
labors and their investment.

FOh'/-:ST G. If'h/HA'S.

245

k Island,

$100 in

Un. The

loo.uoo.

d or built

vidence,"

iring and

the points

' form the

iw to this

njoyment

n." The

)lain sight

n pass up

windows,

out look.

d landing

F the best

secluded

for those

irly. We

a decided

3 proprie-

for their

FOREST G. WEEKS.

Forest G. Weeks, of Skaneateles, was
born in Draycott, Somersetshire, England,
August 2, 1832. His parents were Stephen
and Ruth Weeks. Forest G. Weeks, the sub-
ject of this sketch, was one of a family of
eight children, seven of whom came to this
country. Forest G. was only seventeen years
of age when he left his native country to seek
his fortune in the new world. The success
he has achieved is evidence that he possessed
the metal and ability to make his way against

the many obstacles that beset the road even
of the native born American. He came to
Skaneateles in 1849 and at once apprenticed
himself to learn the blacksmith's trade. His
time and talents were devoted to this occupa-
tion for the succeeding five years. Then not
being satisfied with the education so far ac-
quired, he wisely concluded to attend school
for a cirae. This was carried out by taking a
course at the Falley Seminary in Fulton, Os-
wego county, N. Y. The winters in the mean-

246

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER,

time were spent in teaching school, and thus
arcumulating sufficient money to defray the
expenses of his course in the seminary.

After having completed his course of study
at the seminary, Mr. Weeks returned in 1857
to Skaneateles and entered upon a business
career that has now continued with remark-
able success for nearly forty years. He did
not return to the occupation of blacksmith, but
at once engaged in the teasel business, which
was then an important industry in Onondaga
county. Mr. Weeks not only raised this prod-
uct, but carried on a large business as a dealer
in teasels. The enterprise proved eminently
successful, and so Mr. Weeks remained in that
line till 1867. In the meanwhile energy and
good management had enabled him to accu-
mulate money to extend his business interests
in other directions. That year (1867) he pur-
chased a one-half interest in the paper manu-
factory, which is now known as the Brick Mill.
This mill is situated on the Skaneateles outlet
about three and one-half miles from the vil-
lage. The firm name then was Bannister &
Weeks, and so continued four years, when Mr.
Weeks by purchasing the interest of Mr.
Bannister, became sole proprietor. He still
conducts this mill, turning out a large prod-
uct. It was destroyed by fire in 1872, but was
at once rebuilt and enlarged with more mod-
ern design and equipment. Its output is now
from six to seven tons of paper per day.

The Draycott Mill was established a little
later, the daily product of which now averages
five to six tons per day. The third mill,
which is now owned by Mr. Weeks, was for-
merly owned and run by the Skaneateles
Paper Co. Mr. Weeks first purchased a min-
ority interest in this company but at the same
time bought the entire product of the mill.
This business continued several years when
Mr. Weeks also purchased the total capital
stock of the company, thus becoming sole
owner of the property. This mill too has an
output of eight tons of paper per day. In
1882 another extension of the business was
made by the purchase of the Earll, Tallman
& Co. distillery, which was remodeled and
converted into another paper mill. It is run

as a stock company and is known as the Lake-
side Paper Co. In this mill are manufactured
mill wrappers, building paper, carpet paper,
felts, etc., turning out about six tons per day.
These comprise four of the largest mills on
tiie stream. Besides these, Mr. Weeks in
company with Mr. Edwin R. Redhead, estab-
lished what is now known as the Victoria Mills
Paper Co., at Fulton, Oswego county, N. Y.
The company a little later bought the upper
power on the Fulton side of the falls and
erected thereon a large wood pulp mill, now
producing tliirty-five tons of pulp per day.
In 1890 Mr. Weeks and Mr. Redhead separa-
ted, Mr. Redhead taking the Victoria Mills
and the former the Upper Falls Pulp Mill,
which he still owns. Thus it will be seen that
Mr. Weeks is one of the largest manufactur-
ers of the paper product in the United States.

Associated with Mr. Weeks in his many
business enterprises are his three sons, Charles
G., Forest G., Jr., and Julius S. Besides
these there is Mr. H. L. Paddock, formerly of
Wolcott, Wayne county, N. Y., who married
Mary L., eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Weeks. She is a graduate of Cazenovia Semi-
nary. They also have another daughter, Sara
L., who graduated at the Syracuse University.
Mr. Weeks married in September, 1859, Sarah
A. Monell, of Mexico, Oswego county, N. Y.

Mr. Weeks is also a stockholder and direc-
tor in the Thousand Island Park Association,
at which place he, together with his family,
spend the summer. He is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church and represented
the same in the General Conference of 1880.
He is, besides this, one of the trustees of
Syracuse University and Cazenovia Seminary.
The deep interest he has always taken in
educational institutions, and especially those
named, has been backed by his upbuilding
influence and a generous contribution of
money. Mr. Weeks has always been an active,
earnest Republican in politics, and had he
been so inclined, would have been honored by
an election to almost any office within the
gift of the citizens of Onondaga county. In
this as in all other matters he has the confi-
dence and esteem of all who know him.

YACHTING.

247

as the Lake-
lanufactured
arpet paper,
ons per day.
est mills on
. Weeks in
Ihead, estab-
ictoria Mills
lunty, N. Y.
It the upper
le falls and
p mill, now
Ip per day.
lead separa-
:toria Mills

Pulp Mill,
be seen that
nanufactur-
nited States.
I his many
ons, Charles
S. Besides

formerly of
ho married
•. and Mrs.
novia Semi-
jghter, Sara

University.
1859, Sarah
lunty, N. Y.

and direc-
A^ssociation,
his family,
nber of the
represented
ce of 1880.
trustees of
a Seminary,
s taken in
cially those

upbuilding
ribution of
;n an active,
md had he

honored by

within the
;ounty. In
s the confi-
j him.

YACHTING.

RV GE()R(;E a. STEWART,
In " Out-Doors," published by the Pope MTr Co., the Original Bicycle Manufacturers.

IT is a well known fact that lovers of the sea
consider yachting to be the highest of all
sports. The fundamental principle which
underlies all the best sports we have — that of
a life oui-of-doors, where fine air and sun-
shine do their glorious part in building up the
physique — applies to yachting, in common
with foot-ball, base ball, rowing, bicycling,
tennis, cricket, and other sports a-field.

One grand feature of sports in the open air
is that they simulate uncounscious exercise,
and herein lies half of their beneficial effect.
It is idle for the physician to prescribe a
gymnasium-course for the average young man
of sedentary occupation, for he looks upon
such exercise as so much work, and soon
tires of it. But put the same young fellow
into a game of ball, or on a bicycle, or aboard
a yacht for a cruise — whichever may be his
particular hobby — ind he will go to bed with a
delicious sense of physical weariness without
having appreciated that he was doing any
work at all.

Sports are the salvation of our youth, and
it is remarkable that they should have been
frowned upon, or at best tolerated, for so long
a time. The most natural tendency of a
growing boy, or girl for that matter, is to
play at some game all day long. Nature is
wiser than man in this, as in all other things,
and the present age has learned to follow
nature, and to encourage the young to health-
ful exercise.

Which is the best form of sport is not for
anyone to decide. They all have their virtues,
and the taste and circumstances of individuals
may be best left to select the most useful.
While yachting has not so many devotees as
some other sports, its admirers make up in
enthusiasm what they lack in number^. It
can be pursued to advantage only on the open
sea or on some tolerably large lake. That
was the reason for the Chippewa Yacht Club

locating in hat wide arm of the river. (See

P- 79-)

The number who sail the seas for pleasure
is astonishingly large, and rapidly increasing,
for the water rarely loses its fascination for
those who have once tasted its allurements.

There is more or less of an opinion preva-
lent that yachting is an expensive sport, one
to be indulged in only by the rich. Such an
idea is as far as possible from the truth. It
is true that the millionaire finds plenty of op-
portunity of gratifying expensive tastes in
that connection, and palatial Alvas and Ata-
lantas attest the royal scale upon which yacht-
ing may be enjoyed. Yet it is doubtful if a
Vanderbilt or a Gould gets any more real
pleasure out of a half-a-million dollar steam
yacht than the owner of a snug little single-
hander. who lives more cheaply on his yacht
than he could possibly live ashore.

I remember a striking instance of this. A
well-known millionaire yachtman was standing
idly on the bridge of his 200-foot steam yacht
one day, when a friend of his sailed by in his
30-footer. The millionaire's eyes kindled as
he saw the fun his friend was having, and
with a touch of sadness in his tone, he called
out : " I wish I could get as much fun out of
my big boat as you do out of your little one."
The two men were intimate friends, so there
was nothing of snobbishness about this re-
mark, nor of impertinence in the reply of the
owner of the 30-footer, which was : "The
trouble with you is that you own so many
things you don't know how to enjoy any of
them. I've only got one plaything, and so I
make the most of it."

Take a party of four young fellows off
for a cruise on the wide St. Lawrence, or on
Long Island Sound, or along the Maine coast,
and they realize nearly the acme of human
pleasure. Their yacht may be small and in-
expensive, they may have to put up with

248

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

*»

cramped accommodations, and a doubtful
diet prepared by their own hands, each offi-
ciating as chef in turn, yet the two weeks or
more which they will spend on the cruise, will
be weeks of solid fun.

The supposed perils of the water have kept
many from this most fascinating of sports.
The truth of the matter is that yachting is one
of the safest of sports. There is just enough
danger to add that spice of adventure which
attracts the Anglo Saxon race. Quick judg-
ment, skill, pluck and endurance are con-
tinually called into play by an association with
the sea.

Quite distinct from cruising, and becoming
more so every year, is the sport of yacht rac-
ing. The idea of combining the cruiser and
racer in one hull is a very attractive one.
Not many years ago, indeed at the present
time, in nearly all classes, the clever yachts-
man could cross the finish line of a hard- fought
race in the smoke of the winning gun, hastily
dump a few stores and extra gear aboard his
craft, and set sail for the eastward for a cruise
in as staunch and comfortable a craft as one
could wish to own.

Keen racing competition, however, is driv-
ing the sport into craft built especially for
racing, with no thought of cruising comfort.
As the family horse is no longer harnessed to
the sulky, nor the trotter tied up to the carry-
all for the family driving, so the tendency is to
divide the racing and cruising yachts more
sharply.

Take the little fleet of this year, how fine
and thorough-bred they all look to the racing
man, and how ugly to the cruiser. The latter
protests they are not yachts at all, but
"machines." Presently he ranges along side
with his sturdy cutter, and is first amazed and
then lost in admiration of the wonderful
speed of the tiny craft. As he tacks ship,
and runs in for the anchorage, he murmurs
grudgingly to himself: " I guess the darned
little things have come to stay," and the
chances are that he will order a " fin " or a
" sand-bagger," or something even worse,
with which to "do up" the fleet the coming
year.

It is the great advantage of yacht racing
that it is, and must remam, a " clean " sport,
unhurt by the evils of professionalism. It
costs so much to build and run a racing yacht,
and the prizes are so small that there is no
money in racing for the prizes as a business.
The racing man must race for the love of the
sport and the ambition of winning. The
gambling spirit finds little to feed upon in
yachting contests.

For the skillful amateur there is nothing
more full of interest than a yacht race. From
the time that the preparatory signal is given,
he is all alert, counting the seconds so as to
have his ship just on the line when the start-
ing gun is fired. Once away, and every sense
is at its keenest pitch, to catch the slightest
advantage of varying wind or tide, or to keep
one's competitor from getting the best of it.
The elements of the water are stable enough
in nearly every race to let the fastest boat win,
yet there is just enough uncertainty and pos-
sibility of " fluke " to make every sailor in
the fleet work his hardest and not give up till
the winning gun is fired.

For those who object to the extreme
competition of the racing classes, with its
consequent " out-building " and a new boat
every year or two, handicap racing offers a
good deal of sport. In the handicap class
the cruisers and out-built racers meet and
each receives an allowance of time which is
supposed to put all on an equal basis. The
slower the boat the more time allowance she
receives. Such races as these invariably at-
tract large entries, and the tail-ender who lags
in half an hour behind the first boat and wins
by the aid of his 3S-minute handicap, feels as
proud as the owner of the Volunteer. Hot
arguments on the injustice of the handicap
ensue, and it behooves the regatta committee
to " lie low " and not appear at the club
house till the storm has abated.

It is the varied nature of yachting, and the
different conditions under which it can be en-
joyed which make the sport so universally
popular. Who does not remember the intense
interest over the American-cup races of 1885-
87 which spread from Maine to California,

THE FIRST PRINTERS UPON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

249

acht racing
ian " sport,
nalism. It
cing yacht,
there is no
a business,
love of the
ling. The
d upon in

is nothing
ce. From
al is given,
is so as to
n the start-
;very sense
le slightest

or to keep
best of it.
jle enough
t boat win,
y and pos-
sailor in
;ive up till

extreme

, with its

new boat

g offers a

icap class

meet and

which is

isis. The

vance she

iriably at-

r who lags

t and wins

p, feels as

eer. Hot

handicap

ommittee

the club

?, and the
an be en-
niversally
he intense
iof 1885-
'alifornia,

and which caused thousands who did not know
a spinnaker from a marlin-spike to scan the
bulletins eagerly during the progress of the
races? Then the wonderful 46-f ooters of 1 89 1 ,
and the still more remarkable 21 -footers of
1892, have won the admiration of the yacht-
ing public and stimulated interest in the sport.
Steam yachting attracts the busy man, who
must know to an hour when he can get back
to Wall or State street, and the steam fleet
multiplies even more rapidly than the sailing
craft.

As in any sport, the beginner should be
started aright in yachting. Give him a handy
little non-capsizable cutter with a snug rig,
and you have amply provided for his safety.

Make what blunders he may, he cannot tip her
over, and he will have hard work to come to
any grief at all. To make assurance doubly
sure, send him out for a time in the care of a
good boatman, or make him serve an appren-
ticeship under some of his skillful yachting
friends. If he has the right stuff in him, it
will not be long before he is sailing his own
boat nearly as well as the crack sailors of the
fleet, and he will soon acquire a readiness to
meet emergencies, a coolness under possible
danger, which will make him safer on the
sea than he is on shore, and which will
stand him in good stead in facing the diffi-
culties which he will meet in his other walks
of life.

THE FIRST PRINTERS UPON THE ST. LAWRENCE.

IN the admirable article by General Neilson,
on page 195, the beginning of newspapers
and other printing on the St. Lawrence, is
ably discussed. Singular as it may appear,
and it ilhutrates the manner in which the
migratory spirit in man carries forward great
movements in art and science, these early
efforts at establishing printing presses in Can-
ada had their inception in the city of Phila-
delphia. On page 200 General Neilson
mentions " S. Miles " as the founder of the
Kingston Gazette, in 18 10. A son of this
Stephen Miles (Rev. Harvey Miles) is now a
minister of the Congregational Church at
Canton, N. Y., and from him we have been
able to procure a short biographical sketch of
his father. Rev. Mr. Miles is about the same
age as the author of this volume (in his 73d
year), but his handwriting is as clear and
bright as if written by a young man. He has
sent us a copy of his father's newspaper, the
Kingston Gazette, dated September 5, 1815.
It is a folio, 17x24 inches in size, and fully up
to the newspapers of that era, filled with ad-
vertising — a sure sign of the progressive
spirit of the business men of Kingston. Of
his father, Mr. Miles says:

"Stephen Miles was born in Royalton. Ver-
mont, October 19, 1789. His father, Ephraim

Miles, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war,
and fought in the battles of Saratoga, under
General Gates, and was present at the sur-
render of General Burgoyne and his army to
the American forces. He was also at West
Point, under C-.ieral Benedict Arnold, when
that officer betrayed his country and fled to
the British in New York, in 1780. While
quite a lad, Stephen was apprenticed to learn
the art of printing in the town where he was
born. Before his time of service expired, his
master sold his office in Royalton, and went
to Montreal, Canada, to establish an office
there, taking young Miles with him. After
completing his apprenticeship, a favorable op-
portunity presenting itself, he went to Kings-
ton, to continue in the printing business. A
paper called the ' Kingston Gazette,' had
been started there by a young man of the
name of Kendall, but he, coming from the
'States,' and being dissatisfied and discon-
tented with his surroundings, disposed of his
printing office to interested parties in Kings-
ton, who were anxious to have a paper printed
in that town. By correspondence with Mr.
Moore, of Montreal, Mr. Miles was engaged
to go to Kingston, take charge of the office,
and finally, purchasing it, the ' Kingston Ga-
zette ' became a permanent and promising

250

A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER.

investment. This, I believe, was the third
paper printed at that time in Upper Canada.
In subsequent years, Mr. Miles became a
Methodist minister, and a member of the an-
nual conference ol that body, and after spend-

ing many years of active service, age and in-
firmities compelled him to retire from active
work. He died at Ernesttown, some 18 mites
north of Kingston, December 13, 1870, in his
eighty-second year."

POINT VIVIAN.

/^"HIS is the name given to a peninsula
^1 containing about eight acres of land,
pleasantly situated on the great St. Lawrence
River, about two miles above Alexandria
Bay. It was purchased of Captain VV. H.
Houghton, in the year 1877, by a number of
Evans Mills residents, who had it surveyed
by H. L. Scott into forty building lots, leav-
ing a large public square in front and a neat
little park. They also have a good road lead-
ing to the regular town highway ; a well has
been drilled, and pure cold water obtained in
abundance ; it has a large ice-house which is
filled each season affording plenty of ice for
all. About thirty-five cottages have been
erected. It has two stores, a boarding-house
and a post-office, where the mails are received
every day during the pleasure season. The
place is easy of access by all the largest boats,
as it has one of the best docks on the river,
and is nearly 200 feet long. The association
is governed by a president and three trustees.
The names of the present officers are E. O.
Hungerford, president, Evans Mills ; Wm.
M. Conistock, secretary and treasurer, Evans
Mills; Richard Rodenhurst, Theresa; O. W.
Van Wornier, Watertown, and Mr. Harrigan,
Gouverneur, trustees.

The following is a list of the present prop-
erty owners at Point Vivian : Allen Cook,
Theresa; Geo. W. Adsit, Watertown; Geo.

Taylor, Watertown ; Charles Austin, Water-
town ; Mrs. G. \V. Davenport, Evans Mills;
Rezot Tozer, Evans Mills; W. S. Cooper,
Felts Mills; Mrs. Chadwick, Theresa ; Mrs.
A. M. Cook, Evans Mills; A. B. Cutting, Gouv-
erneur ; Ed. Grieb, Alexandria Bay ; Theodore
Gegoux, Watertown ; M. Horton (present
postmaster), Watertown ; Miss Jennie Hunger-
ford, Evans Mills; E. O. Hungerford, Evans
Mills; Mrs. Mary Sharon, Evans Mills; Lor-
enzo Smith, Gouverneur; Mrs. Albert Utman,
Syracuse : O. Van Wormer, Watertown ; Mrs.
Van Epps and Klock, Watertown ; Alexan-
der Whitney, Gouverneur; M. Wainwright,
Gouverneur; Mrs. Wm. Youngs, Watertown:
Mrs. Hannah Jane Saxe, Watertown ; John
Ball, Watertown ; O. W. Barnes, Watertown ;
Miss Mary Hungerford, Syracuse ; Miss
Agnes Hungerford, Syracuse ; J. D. Harri-
gan, Gouverneur ; Henry Goodrich, Theresa ;
Miss Ida M. Isdell, Albany ; L. E. Jones, M.
D., Buffalo ; Mrs. J. J. Kinney, Evans Mills ;
Mrs. T. C. Kellar Est, Watertow)i : Mrs.
Charles Ehrlicher, Watertown ; Andrew Kin-
ney, Gouverneur ; Henry Lewis, Watertown ;
Nathan Lennon, Watertown; Geo. W. Mowe,
Watertown; H. H. Marsh, Gouverneur; B. G.
Parker, Gouverneur ; Richard Rodenhurst,
Theresa. A Mr. Henry has established a
large boarding-house, and also keeps a store

[1896].

"^~A~^

age and in-

from active

itne i8 mites

1870, in his

The Murray Hill.

3tin, Water-
ivans Mills;

S. Cooper,
;resa ; Mrs.
tting, Gouv-

: Theodore
in (present
nie Hunger-
brd, Evans
Mills; Lor-
)ert Utman,
town ; Mrs.
n ; Alexan-
Wainwright,
Watertown :
own ; John
Vatertown ;
use ; Miss

D. Harri-
h, Theresa ;
Jones, M.
vans Mills;
ow)i : Mrs.
idrew Kin-
Vatertown ;

W. Mowe,
leur; B. G.
-odenhurst,

ablished a
sps a store

'•J ' l'"^'

V, . . . , ,,;,. ;-v,;^^:?.;,,.<^^'^* ^fe.^ : ■■ ■ -^^-y, ,-i»i.

>K'^v^

NAm^^ivm

*-"■-•

5" ^■^.,-

;?-. ■ -;■^

.■::..«• • ^"'"^^^T^^^IJ -,.iS^Sfc^:%4;

•^■■■•^. :

•' As we journey through life, let us live by the way," never forgetting that there is a distinction between
"living" and merely "existing."

THIS newest of all the " new " hotels on the St. Lawrence, will be opened June 25th,
1896.
It will be patronized by the sort of people one likes to meet. As Murray Hill
Park is largely owned and represented by the younger class of business men from
New York, Philadelphia, Trenton, Pittsburg, Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester and
Syracuse, an atmosphere of good fellowship will surely be found under the hospitable shelter
of Murray Hill.

Weekly Concerts will be inaugurated, and held under the oaks, for which the best of music
will be provided, and to which all cottagers among the Thousand Islands will be invited.

In short, it will be our aim to make the Murray Hill famous for its hospitality and good
cheer.

The Murray Hill is situated on Murray Hill Park, the latest popular resort established
among the Thousand Islands. It has the largest Dining Room, largest Office, largest Ladies'
Parlor, largest Ladies' Billiard Room and the widest Piazza of any hotel on the St. Lawrence,
and will be supplied with Elevator, Electric Lights, Fire-places, Electric calls, etc. There
is a post-office and telegraph office in the hotel.

' It is surrounded by broad waters for yachting, and Eel Bay, the best fishing grounds on
the St. Lawrence, washes the shores of Murray Hill Park.
Terms, from $2.50 to $4.00 per day.

MURRAY HILL PARK CO.,

Murray Hill, Jeflferson County, N. Y.

[251]

HADDOCK'S

■**

Qe\)[((T)r)ia\ jHistory of Jefferson Coanty

REDUCED IN PRICE.

Original Price I5.50. Now offered at $4.00.

IT is a singular fact that no book offered for sale in Jefferson County has elicited so much
praise as this History. Originally intended for 480 pages, the author was constrained
to increase its size to over 950 pages, weighing eight pounds, on fine paper, and this
without any increase in the price. The book is a complete historical synopsis of the last
hundred years in the social, religious, agricultural, mechanical and financial growth of
Jefferson County, beginning with the earliest frontier settlements, and following the country's
progress up to 1895. The book has many new features; there is not a dull page in it, and
not one person who has bought it would part with it for what it cost. It stands unchallenged
as //te History of the County.

Excellent as are its articles and beautiful as are the illustrations, the book has been
handicapped by the hard times, which have affected all classes; to this should be added the
increased expense of every household on account of the hard winter of 1895-6. To bring
the History within the reach of every family the subscriber has determined to put the price
down to cost. The price has been $5.50; it is now $4.00, at which it is expected that the
balance of the edition will be speedily exhausted. It is safe to say that in ten years a person
desiring to sell his Haddock's History can obtain $10.00 for it.

We can fill a newspaper with the commendatory articles relating to this work. Even a
casual examination will convince a person of its superior excellence. It takes the place of
Hough and the two other alleged histories that have been produced since 1854, when Hough's
was published. Haddock's History is the only one written by a native of the County, one
who for over fifty years has been more or less intimately in touch with all its personalities,
who knew the leading men of the County from 1840 to 1895 as no one else has known them —
and many biographical sketches of many such are presented in a way that is instructive yet
truthful. From Perlev G. Keyes and Orville Hungerford, followed by Charles B. Hoard and
Roswell P. Flower, the political record comes down to and includes the later crop of equally
able partisans. This is a new departure, and the Political Chapter is alone worth the price of
the book.

Its record of the War for the Union is the most complete yet published, and graphically
describes many incidents in which the writer participated, as well as philosophically discusses
the causes which led up to the war. It is a soldier's book, written by a soldier, one who
" marched with the troops." The portraits of the soldiers who went to the front form a galaxy
of rare pictures, growing more and more valuable each year, and transmitting to posterity the
very lineaments of some of the men who fought to save the government from destruction.

This work should be in jvery household. The opportunity for its purchase will soon
pass away.

Secure it now, and transmit it to your children.

JNO. A. HADDOCK,

Watertown, N. Y.

^"A Post Office Order or Cash to the amount of j
secures you the book by express.

Haddock's Popular St. Lawrence River Books for i8g6 contain many new pictures and articles, and are
worthy of a place in any library. The volume in your hand is one r' these books, and speaks for itself.

[252]

)tjnty

INDEX OF WHOLE-PACE ILLUSTRATIONS.

ited so much
i constrained
per, and this
is of the last
growth of
he country's
ige in it, and
inchallenged

ak has been
e added the
i. To bring
)ut the price
:ted that the
ars a person

rk. Even a
the place of
lien Hough's
County, one
)ersonaHties,
3wn them —
itructive yet
• Hoard and
p of equally
the price of

i graphically
lly discusses
ier, one who
arm a galaxy
posterity the
ruction,
se will soon

[Many pictures are not included in this index. They are scattered all through the book, and are worthy
of the reader's notice. In looking for illustrations, please remember that pages A to P follow page 64, and
that Q to Ff follow page 80.]

A Calumet Island, Summer Home of C. G. Emeiy,

of New York.
B The Summer Residence of C. G. Emery, of New

York (Calumet Island).
C The Veranda, Looking Eastward, Summer

Home of C. G. Emery, Calumet Island.
D Calumet Island, the Summer Home of C. G.

Emery, of New York,
E The fine Steam- Yacht " Sophia," Capt. H. W,

Visger, of Alexandria Bay.
F Mr. J, P. Billings' Beautiful Cottages at Thous-
'■' and Island Park, on Garden Avenue.
G Composite Plate of Steamboat Captains.
H Thp Fiddler's Elbow, Canadian Channel.
I Composite Plate of Steamboat Captains.
J The Old Seth Green House, on Manhattan

Island, now owned by Hon. J. C. Spencer.
K In the Rift — Canada and the United States.
L Big 45-pounder Mascolunge.
M The "St. Lawrence" on her Search-light Ex-
cursion.
N Yachting on the St. Lawrence.
O Composite Plate of Steamboat Captains.

[253]

Q
R

S
T
U
V

Y
Z

Aa
Bb
Cc
Dd

Ee
Ff

Steam«r " Empire State."

The Beautiful Steam-Yacht "Captain Visger."

Island Kate, the property of G. W. Lascell, of

Lynn, Mass.
Judge Spencer's Residence, Manhattan Island.
Prof. Blandner's Naptha Launch.
The Pullman Hotel, Grinnel Island.
West Side of the Square at Thousand Island

Park.
Residence of \f, E. Dewey, Esq., on Friendly

Island.
The Frontenac, Round Island — Steamer "St.

Lawrence " making a landing.
A Scene on LaRue Island.
The Water-front of Alexandria Bay.
The Thousand Island House, Alexandria Bay.
River-front of the city of Brockville, Ont.
Viewin Gananoque, Ont., showing Water Power.
One Day's Catch of Bass. (Not much of a day

either.)
The Sentinel.
Residence of W. C. Browning, Esq., opposite

Alexandria Bay.

'n, N. Y.

tides, and are
s for itself.

INDEX.

'*»

A. PAGE.

Abbey, Dorephus 147

Alexandria Bay, Recollections of 333

Algerian, The, in Long Sault Rapids 74

Algonquins, Huron and Iroquois 10

Alvord, Hon. Thos. G. (Portrait) 44, 86

Amherst, Expedition of Lord 39

Angel, Gen. William H. (Portrait) . . 88, 134

Anticosti Island 76

Adirondacks or Algonquins 32

Arsenal at Watertown robbed 143

Art of the Angler 177

Arthur, President C. A 87

Articles, Leading, in this Volume 5

Backus, Rachel 164

Henry, Awakening of 160

Baker, Col. Lafayette 1 16

Balloon Voyage of La Mountain and Haddock. . 150

Barton, Miss Clara (Portrait) 53. 54. 230

Barry St. Leger, Colonel 43

Beauharnais Canal 72

Bell, Robert, of Ottawa 159

Benton, Col. Z. H. (Portrait) 131

Bethune, Rev. Doctor 4;;, 86

Billings, J. P., and his Hotel on Garden Ave.,

1000 Island Park (Illustrated on page F) 50

Blanchard, Joseph 100

Boatmen of the St. Lawrence 46

Bonaparte in Northern New York 96

Bond Head, Sir Francis 148

Bon Voyage, Steamer entering Alexandria Bay. 139

Booth, John Wilkes, the Assassin 108, iii

Boundary Line between Canada and the United

States V . . . 223

Britton, Freeman, of Gananoque 188

Brockville, Ontario, the Gate city 70, 189

Burgoyne, Gen. John 43

Putterfield, Theodore (Portrait) 129

Canadian Boat Songs 215

Camp, Col. Elisha 13

Cameron, Angus 156

Canada's West Point 28

Carlisle, Mrs., Cottage at Grinnell Island 81

PAGE.

Carlton Island, with Diagram 41

Sir Guy, Governor of Canada 43

Will, The Poet 4

Cartier, Jacques, the Explorer 9, 10

Castorland Colony, The 169

Champlain, Samuel, the Explorer 10, 32

Chapman, Captain 78

Chippewa Yacht Club. 79

Members of 79, 80

Clayton, Village of 81

Description of 81

Business People of 82

Old Bridge at (lUust.) 82

Coburg, City of 70

Comstock, Alf., and Tom 45

Conkling, Hon. Roscoe 87

Cooper's Pathfinder and Station Island 80

Cornwall & Walton 13

Hon. Andrew 13

Canal 72

Corbin, A., Jr., of Gouverneur, N. Y 244

Corsican Running Lachine Rapids (Illust.) .... 74

Count de Survilliers (Joseph Bonaparte) 96

Curtis, Gen. N. M 93

Dayan, Rev. J. F 47

De la Barre, Governor of Canada 36

De Nouville, Expedition of 37

Description, General, of the Islands 31

Devil's Oven (Illustrated) 63

Dickinson, Mr. E. D., of the " Frontenac " 79

Dutton, the Music-teacher, of Utica 44

Emerj', Mr. C. G 44. 83

Cottages of (Picture pages A, B, C, D).

Fairbanks, Jason 136

Fayel, William, author and editor 233

Fishing, the Technique of 182

Flower, Hon. Roswell P. (Portrait) 19

Mrs. Sarah M 21

Emma Gertrude (Mrs. J. B. Taylor) 21

Anson R 21

[254]

INDEX.

255

PAGE.

, ... 41

••• 43

... 4

. 9, 10

169

10, 32

... 78

... 79

79. 80

... 81

... 82

... 70

... 45

... 87

... 80

... 13

... 72

... 244

... 74

... g6

••• 93

... 47

... 36

••■ 37

... 31

... 63

... 79

... 44

44, 83

.. 136

■•• 233

... 182

... 19
21

... 21

PACE.

Flower, John D 21

Fred S 21

Folger, Howaril S, (Portrait) 59

Forrester, Capt. E. F 64

Forty-fifth parallel 72

Fowler, John N 17

Miss Jane C. (Mrs. E. G. Merick) 17

Melzar 17, 204

French Missionaries 35

Frontenac Hotel 78

The Count (Portrait) 211, 212

The Fort 35

Expedition of Count 37

Destruction of Fort 39

Gananoque, past and present 184

Geology of the Thousand Islands 219

George, Daniel 147

Giltnour & Co., of Ottawa, Ont 157

Glen Cove Cottage, Hemlock Island 207

Good place for Bass 71

Green, Seth, the fish culturist 45, 87

Grennell, Saml. B 58, 94

Haddock. John A. (Portrait) Frontispiece.

His Balloon Voyage. . . 150

Centennial HisJor}' of (Advt.) 252

Haldimand, the Fort 42, 43

General 43

Hamilton, City of 70

Hancock, Mabel , i6i

Happy Islands, The (Mr. Bragdon's Poem). ... 4

Health, the Value of 14

Henry Keep Home 24

Hennepin, Louis 35

Hiawatha, The Legend of 32

Hinckley, Captain C 61

Hinds, Prof. F. A 178

Historic Ground 86

Hudson, Captain H. C 61

Hugo, Frank 61

Indian Mission at Oswegatchie 37

Indians, How They Learned the Rapids 76

Indian Traces on the St. Lawrence 34

Race, Creation of 34

Ingalls, Hon. L 100

International Park 51

Book 30

Introductory and Descriptive 7

Iroquois Inroad upon the French 37

J. PAGE.

Johnston, Capt. S. G 54, 76

Mrs. Emmeline H 55

Capt. Henry T 62

" Kate " . . . 63

William 143, 144

ft.

Kendall. Capt. Aldridge 56

Capt. Eli 57

Capt. Chas. H 57

Capt. Frank 65

Miss Nellie M. (with portrait) 84

Keep, Henry 21

Henry Keep Home 24

Kinney, Rev. M. D 48

Kingston, City of 70

Kennedy, George N go

Charles L. Hon go

Knights of the Blue Gauntlet 108

of the Golden Circle no

Keyes, Perley G 13S

King, Hon. Preston 146

LaFarge, John loi

Lake of a Thousand Islands 12

LaMountain, John, eeronaut 150

LaSalle, the explorer 208

Portrait of 209

LeRay. James Donatien g6

Lost Channel, The, an Allusion to 165, 166

History of the 177

Maple Island 102

McCormick, Mrs. C. H 17

C. H., reaper manufacturer 17

McKenzie, William Lyon 142

McLennan, Hon. P. B go

McLeod, Capt. Alexander 143

McNab, Sir Allan 144

Miller, Captain Andrew H 84

Miles, S., founder of Kingston Gazette . . .200, 249

Montreal, the city of 73

Mudd, Dr., surgeon for J. Wilkes Booth 115

Murat, Joachim loi

Murray Hill Park 244

Mystery of Maple Island 102

Navigation by Steam on the St. Lawrence 226

Neilson, Gen. J. L. H., Biog. Sketch of 201

Portrait of 202

New Island Wanderer, view of 124

Nightingale, Florence 52

256

INDEX.

■\\

0( PACE.

Oswegatchie under the English 40

Oswego, Capture of 38

City of 69

Old "Just About," pop-corn vendor (111.) 155

Pahud, Hon. Joseph 132

Parsons, Chesterfield 13

Patriot War, The 18, 142

Patterson, Commodore Ned 45

Payne the Ruffian ... 112

Peel, Sir Robert, Burning of Steamer 133

Pic-Nic on La Rue Island (III.) 77

Pot-Holes in Eel Bay (111.) 231

Point Vivian 250

Lot (Jwners at 250

Prcscott, City of 70

Printing, origin of, on the St. Lawrence 195

Quebec, City of 74

Rainy Day at the Islands 13

Rapids of the St. Lawrence Enumerated 71

How the Indians Learned to Run the 76

Reese, Captain Chester W 62

Red Cross, The j

Rest, The Value of 14

Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Co 70

Roberval, the Huguenot 76

Rochester, City of 69

Roque, Francis de la 10

Round Island 78

Cottage owners of 79

Trustees of 79

The "Frontenac" at 78

Safe Day for ihe Fish (111.) 69

Sailing Vessels, Disappearance of 73

Savage, Miss Annette 132

Scenery, Autumnal, on the St. Lawrence 228

" Sir Robert Peel," the Steamer 12

Spencer, Hon. J. C 25

Skinner, G. M., of Clayton 183

Spicer Family, The 206

Sportsman's Song 195

Staples, Col. Orin G 13

Steamboat Captains, some old ones 58

PAGE.

Steam Yachts for Hire 83

St. Lawrence, Song of the (Carlton) 4

River and Inland Navigation 68

Why the River Runs Where it Does 178

Light Houses of the.. 225

Navigation of, by Steam 226

Lumbering on the 227

Gulf of 241

Summer Institute on the 243

Stone, Colonel, of Gananoque (Portrait) 185

Sturgeon, Picture of a 6

Surratt, Mrs., Ihe Conspirator 112

Summer Institute on the St. Lawrence 243

Sweet, Captain George. . 67

Captain Vernon 68

Mrs. Catherine 67

Taylor, Capt. Jas. A 66

Frank H. (Portrait) 168

Toronto, city of 70

Thompson, Jonathan 237

Thousand Islands, Geology of 219

Surveys of 224

Light houses of 225

Park 47

Original trustees of 48

Present trustees of 48

Van Rensselaer, General (Patriot War) 142

Visger, Capt. Elisha W 64

Capt. Walter L 65

Capt. H. W 84

Von Shoultz, Niles Sobelitcki 145

Walton, Azariah 13

War of 1755, The 165

Webb, H.Walter 124

Weeks, Forest G 245

Webster, Timothy, the Detective 105

Williams, Hon. Pardon C 90

Windmill, Battle of the 12

Whittlesey Aflair, The 136

Mrs., her Will or Statement 140

Woodruff, Martin 147

Wright, The Story Teller 88

Yacht Club, The Chippewa 79

Yachting, by George A. Stewart 247

PAGE.
83

Jn) 4

i 68

it Does 178

225

226

227

241

243

ortrait) 185

112

rence 243

168

23.7

219

224

225

War) 142

145

165

124

245

105

136

140

147

247