VVn sm^y' '^4S^K- f'frfl i-c''-«'.VV r.-^- 'J ^Vf^^f^Jr?^:':^ '^^^^ 'r^ Ai?^: 1^ 'S?^ - ■■» ' •?•«. '^^■' ■^i.s ^*^ 4. .^.r:.c..:^..-^* ^ .5^s^>.^^; ^ v-d Sidi /^^^^^ MONTREAL AND VICINITY BEING A HISTORY OF THE OLD TOWN, A PICTORIAL RECORD OF THE MODERN CITY, ITS SPORTS AND PASTIMES, AND AN ILLUSTRATED DESCRIPTION OF MANY CHARMING SUMMER RESORTS AROUND N. M. HINvSHELWOOD Author of "Amidst the Laurentians' WITH OVER THREE HUNDRED I L L I' S T R A T I O N S , TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY BEING KROM THE AUTHOR'S OWN PHOTOGRAPHS Entered, accordinsf to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year 1903, by N. M. HiNSHELWOOD, at the Department of Agriculture. nESBAK.\TS X: Co., I'rinters. Montreal. INDEX TO CHAPTERS rage Chapter I. — Montreal under French Rule 5 Chapter II. — Montreal under early British Rule 23 Chapter III. — Modern Montreal 33 Chapter IV. — Catholic Institutions 43 Chapter V. — -Protestant Institutions 5r Chapter VI. — The Chief Buildini^s 6r Chapter VII. — The Squares and Parks 77 Chapter VIII. — Sports and Pastimes 87 Chapter IX. — Fishing and Shooting 97 Chapter X. — The Environs of Montreal 105 Chapter XI. — The Northern Vicinity of Montreal 125 Chapter XII. — The Southern Vicinity of Montreal 139 INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS A Winter's Night View of Montreal (full page in colour) Frontispiece Chapter I. p^ge P-arly Indian Life . 5 Monument to Jacques Cartier, in Saint-Henri 6 An Early Settlers' Clearing 6 The Landing-place of Maisonneuve 7 Seminary of St. Sulpice 7 Nunnery of the Congregation de Notre-Dame . . 8 Fort de la IMontagne S Old Notre-Dame Church, on Place d'Armes (1651) 9 Old Seminary Towers 10 Old Farm Houses, outside the town limits, on the Cote-des-Neiges Road, dating back to 1692 lo Arrival of a King's .Ship at Montreal 11 A Rich Merchant's Residence. 27 St. Jean-Baptiste Street, built in 1655 12 An Old House on St. Gabriel Street, built in 1688 13 Corner House on St. Vincent Street, erected 1676 13 Old St. Amable Street (a fashionable quarter during the French Regime) 14 St. Vincent Street, laid out in 1689 15 The Chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, erected in 1718 16 The Old Grey Nunnery, on McGill Street 16 St. Gabriel Farm-house, on the river bank, Point St. Charles (owned by the Congregation de Notre-Dame). erected 1662 17 Nunnery, on St. Paul's Island, erected in 1764 17 " La Friponne," the P'rench Government Warehouse, in which many of Bigot's frauds were perpetrated ; erected 1693 18 Montreal at the date of British Conquest 20 Plan of the Town of ^Montreal, in 1760 21 Residence of Colonel John CampViell, built in 1773 22 De Catalogue House, erected in 1693 22 An old house on Vaudreuil street, built about 1687 22 An old building, St. Gabriel .street, dating back to 1687 22 2 INDlvX TO I LUSTRATIONS ClIAri'lvK II. I'age Old St. James Street, in 1S30 23 General Monti,roniery's Residence, durinj^ American ocenpation of Montreal 24 The old " Maison de Maricour," on Cote Street 24 Windmill Point (showing the old mill which gave it the name) 25 The Champ de INIars, in 1S3U 25 Old Christ Cluirch Cathedral 26 Old Bank of Montreal (with the dome), and Place d'Armes 26 Old Notre-Dame Church and part of present cluirch ( 1830) 27 The present Notre-Dame Church, showing the old tower on the corner of Place d'Armes (i 840) 27 The first Methodist Church in Montreal 28 The old Harbour P'ront (1830) .... 29 Montreal, from St. Helen's Island, in 1830 29 Custom House Square in 1830 30 The old North-West Company's House, on Vaudreuil Street, where John Jacob Astor lived ill 1790 3' Notre-Dame Street in 1830 32 Ch,\pter III. The old Wharves on the River-front 33 Victoria Tubular Bridge, showing construction of present bridge 34 Full broadside view of Victoria Bridge, from St. Helen's Island 34 Street Scenes during the Floods of the Eighties 35 Old Horse Car outside the Chateau de Ramezay 35 The St. Albans' Raiders outside Montreal Jail 36 St. Patrick's Hall, on Victoria Square 37 One of the Ice Palaces 37 St. James Street, before erection of " Canada Life " and Temple buildings 38 The old Harbour, looking East 38 St. Catherine Street, near Peel 39 The Board of Trade Building after the Great Fire of 190 1 40 Arches erected for the Duke and Duchess of York, in September, 1901 41 Chapter IV. Interior of Notre-Dame Church (full page in colour) 42 Notre-Dame Church, from the Seminary Garden 43 St. James Cathedral 44 Old Bonsecours Church 44 The '"restored" Bonsecours Church 45 The " Santa Cassa," in the ^rial Chapel of Bonsecours Church 45 St. James Cathedral, from "down-town" 46 Crucifix, outside the Franciscans' Church 46 Grey Nunnery 46 Interior of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes (full page in colour) 47 Entrance to Laval University 48 Montreal College 49 St. Mary's College 50 Ch.\pTER V. Christ Church Cathedral 5f St. Andrews' Church 52 St. James' Methodist Church ,S2 Old St. Gabriel Church 53 Jewish Synagogue on Stanley Street 53 American Presbyterian Church, Dorchester Street 54 St. George's Church, Dominion Square 54 Erskine Church, Sherbrooke Street 54 Redpath Museum 55 Redpath Library -55 INDICX TO ILLUSTRATIONS 3 Chaiter V. — Contitiucd. p ^ Group of McGill Colleges 56 Royal Victoria College 57 Peel Street School 58 Aberdeen School 58 Chaptkr \'l. Chateau de Ramezay — a charming new view 60 Garden of the Chateau de Ramezay 61 Rear View of the Chateau de Ramezay 62 City Hall and Court House 63 Bank of ^Montreal and Post Office 64 P'ive of the Chief Bank Buildings 65 Drill Hall and Victoria Rifles' Armoury 66 Inland Revenue Office 67 Custom House 67 Windsor Street Station • 68 Bonaventure Station 68 Place Viger Hotel 69 Windsor Hotel 69 Young Men's Christian Association Building 70 Art Gallery 70 St. James and Mount Royal Clubs 72 Colonial House 73 Group of the leading hospitals 74 Grand Trunk Railway New Offices 76 Chapter VH. Dominion Square 77 Macdonald Statue 78 Victoria Square 78 Maisonneuve Monument 79 Place d'Armes 79 The "Bottle" and Nelson's Monument 80 The Court House Garden 80 Jacques-Cartier Square on Market Day 81 Garden of the Seminary of St. Sulpice 81 Lafontaine Park 82 St. Louis Square . . 82 Westmount Park 83 Viger Square 83 Drive in Mount Royal Park 84 The Incline Railway 84 High Level Reservoir, Mount Royal Park 85 Old Block House, on St. Helen's Island 86 Three beautiful views on St. Helen's Island 86 Chapter VIII. Sleighing on Sherbrooke Street 87 Skating on Westmount Rink 88 A drive Round the Mountain 88 Finish of a Skating Race at the M. A. A. A 89 Trotting Races at Delorimier Park 89 A Tramp Round the Mountain (St. George Snowshoe Club) 90 Hockey Match at the Victoria Rink . 9° The Park Toboggan Slide 91 Ice Yachting on Lake St. Louis 92 Old-time Curling on the St. Lawrence 92 A Game of Lacrosse 93 4 INDKX TO IIJ.rSTKATIONS Chai'TKr VIII. — Cotit tinted. p^^ Athletics at the M. A. A. A 9^ Dixie Golf Club 94 Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Clul). at Dorval 94 A IVIeet of the Montreal Hunt Club 95 Six realistic views of wild duck shooting on the Ottawa River 96 CH.\rTKR IX. "Away from Civilization" 97 Shawinigan Club-house, on Lake Pizagonke 98 "Off for Sport," Lake Pizagonke 98 Lac Cabane 99 Lake Vermont, St. Bernard Fish and Game Club 99 Six delightful scenes in the Laurentian Fish and Game Club's territory loo-l Bonhomme IVIugwando, a famous Indian guide 102 A Dead Moose and its Slayer 102 A Caribou Hunter's "lean-to" 103 Return of a Hunting Party with the Spoils 103 A Fishing Party on Lake Saccommie 104 A Laurentian Fishing Camp 104 Chapter X. The New Outremont Golf Club 105 The " Crucifixion " in the Catholic Cemetery and one of the Shrines 106 Monklands 107 Villa Maria Convent, burnt in 1892 107 Shooting the Lachine Rapids 109 Old Windmill and Ruins of Lasalle Homestead at Lachine no Some very ancient Caughnawagans no St. Stephen's Church, Lachine iir The Riviere-des-Prairies at Cartierville 112 Scenes in the Park at Cartierville .113 Views around Sault-aux-Recollets i [4-6 Sunset at Bout-de-l'Ile (full page in colour) 117 Longue-Pointe Asylum 118 Pointe-aux-Trembles Village 118 Old Mill at Pointe-aux-Trenibles, dating back to 1700 119 River Scenes at Pointe-aux-Trembles 119 Rifle Ranges at Pointe-aux-Trembles 120 Shrine at Brisset 120 All around Bout-de-1'Ile 121 Several views of St Anne de Bellevue 122 Old Fort Senneville and the LeBer Mill 123 Chapter XL St. Agathe, sixteen views, including two pages in colour ... 124-S Sixteen -Island Lake, twelve views ] 29-131 New Glasgow, six views 132-3 Shawinigan Falls, six views, including full page in colour '34-8 Chapter XII. Beloeil, thirteen views 139-142 St. Johns and Iberville, seventeen views 143-5 Chambly, eight views 146-S Vaudreuil, fourteen views 149-151 Valleyfield, nine views 152-53 -A'\ t tt 1 1 1. inTiiiiinirnrfinri!! ^K Chapter I. MONTREAL UNDER FRENCH RULE JI^RIOR to the year 1535 the history of Montreal is but largely conjecture. The chief cause of its first settlement was, uo doubt, the wonderful fertility of the island, together with its position as regards the waterways of the country ; to the east being a broad, safe river leading to the great gulf ; while to the west, there was spread out like a fan thousands of miles of more or less navigable water-courses that permitted the canoes of the Indians to penetrate into the interior in all directions. The discovery of Newfoundland b}' Cabot, in 1497, was the first of a series of explorations that finally brought Jacques Cartier up the St. Lawrence. A native of St. Malo, he had been for some time engaged in the cod fisheries of Newfoundland, and had taken the lead in exploring the coasts of the then mysterious continent of the western hemisphere. Having received a commission from Francis I, of France, in 1534, he sailed up the St. Lawrence as far as Gaspe, but returned to France the same year. The following year, however, a better equipped expedition took him to Quebec, then called Stadacona, where he left his ships and proceeded up the river in smaller boats, and arrived off Hochelaga ( as Mont- real was then called; on the 3rd October, 1535. The reports that he had heard at Quebec of a large In- "^ Earlv Indian L,ife. MOXTRICAI, rXI)]':K I'KICN'CII RULE Monument to Jacques Cartier in Saint-Henri. (liaii town uj) the rixx-r Cartier now fotmd to be true. The vil- ]ao;e lay on a pL'iteau, well back from the river, and was encom- passed by three separate rows of palisades, one within the other. There was but one single en- trance, and that was well guard- ed with pikes and stakes. In- side this defence were about fifty cabins or lodges, constructed in the form of a tunnel, each being These were built of wood, covered with For further defence a gallery was erected fifty feet long and fifteen feet broad, bark, and contained several chambers, above the doors and along the outer row of palisades, on which there was stores of stones and pieces of rock ready to hurl down at any attacking parties. The village contained over a thousand people, and Cartier was received with every sign of w^elcome. It was an incident of this visit that eventually gave Montreal its name. Cartier was conducted by his Indian hosts to the top of the mountain that rose up behind the village, and so impressed was he by the magnificent view that he named the height Mont Royal. This, wnth a slight corruption, gives us the Montreal of to-da}*. Five years later Jacques Cartier again visited the locality, leaving his fort at Quebec for the purpose of gathering information of the country above the rapids at I^achine. Nothing much is to be learned from this visit, however, and after- wards, for nearly one hundred years — a blank. It is easy to imagine an incursion of the savage Iroquois sweeping down on the Algonquin village, massacring the inhabitants and giving the whole place to the flames ; then, laden with their spoil, returning to their own land, leaving black, silent ruins to mark the site of our present city. The next landmark in the early history of Montreal is the visit of Samuel de Cham- plain in 1611. Champlain, who was a distinguished French naval officer, had been for some time engaged in trading expeditions along the Gulf, where there were several posts around which a prosper- ous trade in furs was carried on. After founding Quebec An Early Settler's Clearing. MONTRKAI. I-xniCR FRlvNCH RULE The Landing-place of Maisonneuve. and fortif\iii<;^ the settlement made there, he started on the expedition np the Richelieu river that led to the great lake now bearing his name. Then, two years later, he determined to found a trading-post on the island of Montreal, where he anticipated establishing a trade with the Indian tribes as they descended from the interior by the Ottawa river. When he arrived at Montreal there was neither town nor friendh' Indian tribe to welcome him, as on the occasion of Cartier's visit ; the only evidence of the old settlement being deserted meadow-lands, that showed signs of having been cultivated in years gone by. At that time a small stream flowed into the St. Lawrence at a point near where the Lachine Canal now starts, a branch of which ran along Craig street. It was on the corner of the little peninsula made by this stream and the St. Lawrence that Champlain selected the site for his trading-post, naming it Place Roy ale. The Custom House now occupies the spot. Champlain relates that, after clearing the land, he utilized the clay, which existed in large quantities around, to build a wall four feet thick and three to four feet high, in order to keep out the water when the ice came down in the spring. Nearly thirty years after, the Company of Notre Dame of Montreal was formed in France, and a large sum of mone\' contributed in order to establish a religious settlement in place of a mere trading-post. The idea arose simultane- ously in the minds of a tax-collector in Anjou, named de la Dauversiere, and one Jean Jacques Olier, a young priest, afterwards known as founder of the Seminar}- of St. Sulpice. The story of how these two men found each other out and together developed the plan is surrounded by the semi-mysterious, semi-miraculous details peculiar to the times. Their plans, however, matured sufficiently to .send out to Canada an expedition of some forty men and four women, including amongst them that devout young mm Jeanne Mance, referred to hereafter. The expedition was placed under the command of Paul de Chom- ede}', Sieur de Maisonneuve, and arrived at Quebec in 1641 . Mont- real at this time belonged to Lau- zon, one of the Company of the Hundred Associates (chartered in 1627 for the colonization of Canada), who had been induced Seminary of St. Sulpice. 8 :\iontki;ai, r.Ni)i;K 1'Ki;.\cii kri.i' ■ ^' . • • ' to transfer his title to the new : '^^%::*f:^i Company, subject to certain conditions anent the fur trade. The little band was received at Quebec with a studious courtesy that barely covered, however, a persistent antagon- ism on the part of the Jesuits, who had no desire to see the foundation of another order in the country of which they had grown to consider them- selves the spiritual guardians. In spite of opposition from both the Church and the ^^ Governor, Montmagny, who Nunnery of the Consreeation de Notre Dame. looked on Maisonneuve as a rival, Maisonneuve and his followers started up the river on May 8th, and on the i8th landed on the triangle of land formed by the junction of the small stream with the St. Lawrence, before described. There after landing stores, baggage and arms, an altar was rai.sed and worship made^ concluding with this prophetic address of the Jesuit priest Father Vimont : " You are a grain of mustard-seed that shall rise and grow till its branches overshadow the earth. You are few, but your work is the work of God. His smile is on you, and your children shall fill the land." The essentials of the proposed establishment were to be a seminary of priests, a nuns' hospital and a school, the settlement that was to be formed around being MONTREAL UNDER FRENCH RULE 9 simpl}^ for their defence and maintenance. This was in part accomphshed, Marguerite Bourgeois joining the band of pioneers, somewhat later, to found the teaching order of the Congregation de Notre Dame. A year after the land- ing, a reinforcement arrived that brought news of the magnificent gift of 42,000 livres from Madame de Bullion (a wealthy French lady), for the erection and maintenance of a hospital. All work on clearing and tilling the land was neglected until this hospital was built, and, although apparently unneeded at the time, it proved more than useful during long years of struggles with the Old Notre Daine Church on Place d'Armes. Indians. Jeanne Mance took charge of it, and devoted her life, not only to nursing the sick Frenchmen, but also to nursing and converting the sick Indians. In 1657 the Seminary of St. Sulpice was founded, and six years later became virtual proprietors of the island, the remnant of the Company of Notre Dame de Montreal being so reduced in both zeal and purse that they begged the priests of the Seminary to take their charge off their hands. So valuable did this charge become in after years that to-day the Seminary is the wealthiest religious institu- tion on the continent. Their home, erected in 17 10, still remains on Place d'Armes Square. The Seminary also owned a fortified Indian mission post built in 1694, which was situated beyond the walls of the town and known as the Fort de la Montague. Around it was the village of the Indian converts, but all that MONTREAL rxDi'.R i-Ki:\cn kru:. ^^Pk Old Towers. now remains of this historic phice are the two (juaint and massive towers in the grounds of tlie Montreal Colle<;e on vSherhrooke street. In one of tho.se towers the sisters of the Con- gregation de Notre Dame spent their days in teaching tlie Cathohc faith to the more friendly Indians. Al)out I (160 the colony, which then consisted of one hundred and sixty men, with some women and children, was rein- forced by about one hundred more inuni- grants from France, who found the set- tlement to consist of some forty small houses parallel to the river (along what is now St. Paul street), a fort and a massive stone wind- mill. In 1672 the original Notre Dame Church was built, replacing the first temporary parish church (situated a little to the east), and for the better defence of the town against the Indians, a palisade was built in 1685. Now come those w^eary years of warfare, during which the colony had to contend with incessant attacks by the Indians ; the savage Iroquois waging a merciless war, wdth brief intervals of a deceitful peace, granted but to further their own ends in other quarters. At night skulking among the houses, by day lying in ambush outside the walls, they were ever on the lookout to murder or mutilate the settlers, and that ofttimes within sight of the very windows of the town. The loss amongst the French was of such extent that, in 166 r, Maisonneuve resolved to form a military fraternity for defensive pur- poses. His proclamation reads : "We, Paul de Choniede}^ governor of the Island of Montreal and lands thereon dependent, on informa- tion given us from divers quarters that the Iroquois have formed the design of seizing upon the settlement by surprise and force, "^have thought it our duty, seeing the island is the property of the Holy Virgin, to invite and ex- hort those zealous for her service to unite together by squads, each of seven persons, and, after choosing a corporal b}^ plu- rality of voices, to report them- . selves to us for Old Farm Houses outside the Town ^S^^^lfjS^'m^ enrolment iu our ffar- lyimits, on the Cote des Neiges ^^^ "^^ Road, dating back to 1692. MONTRKAI, UND1<:R I'KKXCH RITLK rison, and, in this capacity, to obey our orders, to the end that the country may be saved." Twenty squads, numbering in all one hundred and forty men, answered this appeal, and were known as "Soldiers of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph." The settlement reached a state of religious exaltation over waging war against the "myrmidons of Satan," as the Indians were regarded, and those who died fighting felt sure of paradise as the reward of their martyrdom. What alone saved the colon}- from total destruction at this time w'ere the inter- tribal hostilities of the In- dians themselves. The Iro- quois were ever at war with either the Hurons, Algon- quins or the Mohawks, and, with one or two exceptions, were never really resolved on the total destruction of the French. The various settle- ments, on the other hand, being more or less grouped around three fortified posts — Montreal, Three Rivers and Quebec — invariably united forces ; the outlying settlers taking refuge in the towns in times of danger, and thus strengthening the defending force of the points attacked. On one occasion, when the savages had made elaborate plans for a combined effort to sw^eep down and totally destroy the white popula- tion, the bravery of a few devoted Montreal men, under Bollard, saved the country, although at the cost of all their lives. Adam Daulac, or Bollard, was a young French officer, aged twenty-five, who had left France to redeem some act of dishonour. Anxious for a noteworthy exploit to do so, he invited some sixteen young men to join him for an attack on the Indians, regardless of their numbers, as thej' descended the Ottawa ; it being knowm that a large number of the Iroquois had wintered in the forests of the Ottawa valley. These seventeen youths, after receiving the last rites of the Church, embarked, with plenty of arms and ammunition, and slowly made their way up the Ottawa river, past Carillon, until they reached the foot of the Long Sault Rapids. Here a ruined palisade- fort w^as occupied, and a wait of some days ensued. In the meantime, they were joined by some forty friendly Indians, who, however, deserted later on. The first canoe party that appeared was sur- Arrival ula Kinj Ship. 12 MONTR EAI. UNDER KRKNCII KILE prised and killed, this aet l)rini;iii.i;- down the whole body of two hundred Iro(|Uois, mad for revenge. Three times was the rude fort rushed, and three times were the invaders beaten off. Then they sent for the aid of their Mohawk allies, stationed at the mouth of the Richelieu, six hundred in all, whom the\- had been on their way to join for the purpose of a com- bined attack on the French settlements. It was at this critical mo ment that the friendly Indians deserted and the weakness of the defend- ing force became known. But still the defenders fought doggedly on, al- most dead from exhaus- tion and thirst, but still repulsing attack after at- tack. The end came at last, a concentrated at- tack bringing the sav- ages hewing and cutting at the palisades. Even then the end might not have been, had not a roughh'-manufactured bomb — meant for hurling amongst the foe — exploded inside the fort, killing and wounding many of the French, and creating a con- fusion wdiich enabled the Iroquois to make a breach in the palisade. One after another, the little band of heroes was shot down, until only four were left, bareh' alive, to meet death by torture later. But their work was well done. The Iroquois did not need much imagination to foresee the result of an attack against a people, seventeen of whom had inflicted such punishment on eight hundred of their best warriors, and kept them at bay for so long. In spite of the knowledge of this heroic deed, Bollard's name has only been thought worth}' of bestowal on a short, narrow lane running off St. James street, which not one person in a hundred is even aware has a name. But yet there is erected a monument in a public square to Chenier — a rebel against his Queen and his country ! To return to Montreal. Several streets were now being laid out and sub- stantial stone houses erected, the town proper lying between the river and what is now Notre Dame street. The character of the town was rapidly changing, and, later on, when Maisonneuve was removed by Mez}- (the governor-general A Rich :\Ierchant's Residence. No. 27 St. Jean Baptiste Street, Built iu 1655. MONTRKAI^ UNDKR FRENCH RULK 13 1^ of New France) and imtnediately reappointed, the autocracy of the Seminary was lar^i^ely curtailed, as l)y this step the governor of Montreal took his appointment from the State instead of the seigneurs. About this time, a council was formed for the government of the colony, which consisted of the governor-general, the Bishop of Quebec (Laval), five councillors and a secretary. This possessed absolute legislative, executive and judicial powers, as in 1663 all government was vested therein by a decree of the French crown. It has already- been stated that the original idea in founding Montreal was to have a settlement around a seminar}', hospital and school, but the settlement was to be a necessary detail only. This new form of government, however, brought a very different future into sight. The colonists were now entering with keenness into the fur trade ; and Louis the Fourteenth, commencing to show some of the remarkable interest that he took in his North American colony, was sending over soldiers, settlers, farming stock, and a number of young women as wives for the settlers. In 1665 over two thou- sand were sent out, and, with hardy fighters to subdue the Indians and the influx of fresh blood and stock into the country, Montreal shared with Quebec a new lease of life, and one the more bene- ficial owing to the long spell of peace conferred on the country by the expedition under Tracy against the Iroquois, that destroyed all their strongholds up the Richelieu. Talon, the Intendent of New France at this time, was a vigorous and zealous administrator, who, by force of example, did his best to further the development of the country. Searching for minerals, developing manufactories and fish- eries, and everv where enquiring " . . ^ Xo. so St, Gabriel where there were wrongs or mi us- street, * •> erected 1688 by tices to redress, he did much to ^^H^^Mcmf"' help the prosperity of the country. Louis the Fourteenth, for his part, saw to the population question, sending over large numbers of people each year (especially marriageable women), and inducing his dis- charged soldiers to marry and settle in the countr5^ Most of the villages around Mont- real and Quebec were thus founded, the early settlement taking its name from the officer of the regiment, who became the seig- Corner H.uise. mi St. \inceiit Street, erecteii in 1676 by P.iiil Aijnier. H MONTKKAI, T'NI)l';k I'RI-NCH Kl'Ui iK'Ur and subdixided llic track of land, granted by llie Kini;-, amongst his soldiers, after reserviiii;' sufTicient for himself. This plan had a great advantage, as it created a line of sentinels ready to give the alarm when the enemy a]:)proached. Berthierville, vSorel, \'arennes, W'rchercs, etc., are examples of this ])rotective colonization. The ])opnlation of Montreal had now grown to al)out eight hundred, and was already showing signs of that deterioration of character that led up to such ter- rible scenes of debauchery and vice in later years. The seig- neurs and traders, who were for the most part of humble de- gree in the social scale, became deeply imbued with a mania for becoming noblesse. Patents of nobilit}' were issued by influ- ence or bribery, an example of the latter being the case of Jacques lyeBer (owner of the historic mill at St. Anne de Bellevue), who paid six thou- sand livres to be made a ' ' gen- tleman." The evil of this sys- tem soon became evident. The " gentilhomme " would not work in the usual way and the way his country would benefit by, but would depart for the woods and engage with the In- dians in the fur trade, the ex- citement and adventure of which were more congenial than the dull life of a town trader or an agriculturist. The savage freedom of the woods destroyed their usefulness as colonists, deprived the country of effective men, and left the cultivation of the ground neglected. Good came out of the evil in some instances, such men as Dulyhut, Iberville, L,a Salle, Saint- Castin, etc., being the pioneers of the first western American civilization that led to the discovery of the Ohio and the Rocky Mountains, the exploration of the Mississippi to its mouth, and the founding of Detroit, St. lyouis and New^ Orleans. Early in the eighteenth century the manufacture of coarse wool and linen was started, and cloth for the priests and pupils was woven fully equal to the French goods. A certain quantity of timber and wheat was exported, but the staple St. Amable Street. (A fashionable quarter during the French regime. MONTRlvAL I'XDKR I'KKXCH RULK 15 trade was in fur. A j^reat annual fair was estal)lishe(l in Montreal, partly to prevent that wholesale taking to the woods by the young men, just now men- tioned. In the market-place, between St. Paul street and the river, booths were .set up, and merchants from Quebec and the whole of Montreal would turn out to get a share of the profits tliat were to be made. Naked painted Indians, French bush-rangers, merchants, habitants and priests made a weirdly picturesque scene, but one that was invarial^ly accompanied by such wholesale absortion of brandy that the fair would close amidst a pandemonium of drunken devilment. Several causes were now at work that were conspiring to impair Montreal's prosperity. Louis the Fourteenth, in his prodigal generosity to his colony, would never refuse a request for help, and, in addition to giving money to churches, missions, hospitals, etc., he established funds for helping poor people and subsidized nearly every branch of trade. In con.sequence, the colonists; instead of depending on themselves, looked to him for support on every occasion. The fisheries — at which the New England colonies were coining money — were neglected, and the population, from the Intendant downward, developed into a class of deceitful mendicants. Then the Church festivals were so numerous that less than ninety working-days were left during the entire season, and, as a climax, a paper currency was put into circulation by successive governors and intendants that proved valueless. In 17 14 over two million livres of paper was on the coun- try, which the government redeemed at half face value ; but a worthless re-issue was afterwards made and the people had to stand the loss. ( It was this fact that had much to do with the willing submission to the British in 1760, as the people knew they were practically ruined under the old regime, and any conditions under the new rule could not possibly be worse than the old and might be much better.) Another grievance the merchants had, and that was the prohibition of meeting together for discussing their affairs. The first bourse or exchange was only permitted in Montreal in 171 7. The beaver trade helped along the ruin, the wholesale slaughter of the animal so glutting the market that the skins were unsaleable to the dealers in France ; consequently, bills of exchange given in Montreal for the purcha.ses were unpaid, with attend- ant loss and confusion throughout the town. St. Vincent Street. I,aid out in 16S9. i6 MONTRICAL UXDICR I'KI'IXCII RULE The Chapel of Notre Dame des Victoires, Erected 1718 Social life in Monlreal at this ])crio(l was far from pleasant, one young officer wrilinci^ at the time as follows: "During a ]:)art of the winter I was hunting with the Algonquins ; the rest of it I spent here very disagreeably. One can go to neither a plea- sure party, nor play a game of cards, nor visit the ladies, without the cure knowing it and preaching about it pub- licly from his pulpit. The priests refuse communion to masqueraders, and even go in search of them to pull off their masks and overwhelm them with abuse. They watch more closely over the women and girls than do their husbands and fathers. They prohibit and burn all books but books of devotion. I cannot think of this tyranny without cursing the indiscreet zeal of the cure of this town. He came into the house where I lived, and finding some books on ni}- table, presently pounced on the romance of ' Pretonius,' which I valued more than my life, because it was not mutilated. He tore out almost all the leaves, so that if ni}' host had not restrained me when I came in and saw the miserable wreck, I should have run after this rampant shepherd and torn every hair of his beard." Although the above extract was probably written whilst smarting under a personal grievance at the destruction of a valued book, the writer only de- scribes (though somewhat vividly) the rigorous con- duct of the Sulpicians to- wards all sorts of amuse- ments they disapproved of. This excess of zeal on the part of the priests was no doubt caused by the evil ways of the people, to- gether with the knowledge that the communit}-, over which they had at first The Old Grey Nunnery on McGill Street. MONTREAL UND?:R FR]<;nCH RILK 17 St. Gabriel Farm-house on the river bank, Point St. Charles (owned by the Congregation de Notre Dame). Erected 1662. complete religious control, was now no longer content to conduct their lives and habits entirely under the influence of the Church. Protestants were rigorously debarred from the colony. The inflexible severity of the clerical seigneurs was in strong contrast to the wild viciousness of the lawless bands that were continuall\- jiassing through Montreal. If hard pushed by j ustice , they had o n 1 \- to cross the river to be beyond the juri.sdictioii of the island authorities. A large trade was carried on in br and}- , the liquor being taken to vari- ous posts fur- ther up the is- land, or on the lower shores of the Ottawa, to entice the Indians bringing down their furs to barter them at prices much below their value in Montreal. Drunken- ness prevailed throughout the colony, and only abated as the population increased and the cures grew more numerous, the Church doing great work in educating the people to more orderly lives. The women were extravagant to a degree in per- sonal adornment, and, in the words of the writer of the day, " man}- are discreet and a good number are lazy. The}^ are fond of dress and show, and each tries to outdo the rest in the art of catching a husband." There was much jealousy of the Que- bec ladies because of the great chances they had of get- ting husbands, as a large num- ber of "young gentlemen" came over in the ships to Que- bec, but never proceeded as far as Montreal. One section of the com- munity in those days stands out prominently for purity of life and the exercise of Chris- Nunnery on St. Pauls island (Congregation de Notre Dame). Erected 1764. i8 ISIONTKIvAL I\\I)]:K FklvNCII KULK tian cliarity. The liospital nuns, usiiall>' ladies of j^entle birlli and brin^ini; up. gave their whole lives to the attention of the sick and the wounded, who had to rely almost entirely on the nuns' skill for relief, owing to the absence of proj^er doctors. The emigrant ships from France would always bring over infection of some sort, whilst incessant wars and quarrels turned in a never-failing supply of wounded men. Many dying in carrying out their duty, never com]:)laining, suf- fering hardships unspeakable, and yet ever exercising that tender kindness which is so innneasurably comforting to the suffering, their lives are in vivid contrast to the viciousness of the people and the bigotry of the priesthood. One woman, however, of this period has been held up for special veneration to whom no ven- eration can be accorded here. This woman, Jeanne LeBer, was the daughter of a leading merchant of Montreal, and, being of a very susceptible na- ture, became at last completely imbued with the idea that she was specially consecrated to hea- ven. After giving up her suitors and her family (the younger members of which, being moth- erless, greatly needed her help) , she wished to renounce her in- heritance, which was consider- able. This was forbidden, how- ever, by her spiritual adviser ! For ten j-ears she immured herself in her room, and then had a cell built behind the altar in the church of the Congregation, where she would lie, in an old, coarse, tattered and unwashed garment, on a bed of straw. Here she lived for twenty years, not even the pra)^ers of her dj'ing father being able to draw her from her cell. A reputation for miracles, of course, soon became hers ; and after her death, in 17 14, at the age of fifty-two, the image of the Vir- gin, in the church in wdiich she had her cell, w^as reputed to heal the lame and cure the sick. Here again, what strong contrast between the two types. The hospital nun devoting her life to helping the sick and needy, risking health and life itself in her noble work of charit3\ The other secluding herself from the world, in which we are all sent by our Creator to do our work — one for the other — wasting her life in a w^rapt idolatr}^ of her own untried virtues. The corruption among the government officials, which had been rife for some time, reached its limit some ten years before the English took possession of " lyE Friponne," the French Government Warehouse, in which many of Bigot's frauds were perpetrated. Erected in 1693. MONTREAL UNDKR FRENCH RULE I 9 Montreal. The intendant at that time was a man named Bigot, and he stands out as the worst of the crowd of scoundrels who were doing their best to ruin the colony. The intendant was practically civil governor, lieing supervisor of trade, finance, justice, etc. As though scenting the destruction that was shortly to overtake the French cause, and wishing to make all they could while their time lasted. Bigot and his subordinates exercised every kind of fraud and peculation that their positions made so easy for them to do. Goods were sent him from France (escaping duty), and resold to the King as being colonial manufacture, at huge advance in price. No one was allowed to sell goods to the King except themselves, and they made use of this monopoly to charge fourfold for every- thing. Large quantities of goods were sold out of the King's stores as being valueless, and then bought back again at an advance of over a million francs. An order was issued by which the inhabitants had to sell their grain at a fixed low price, and, after the Intendant had bought it all up and a famine ensued, it was sold back again at a great profit. So on ad infinitiun. But the day of reckoning came at last, and when Bigot returned to France, after the English conquest, he was thrown into the Bastille, and in 1763 sentenced to banishment for life, confiscation of all his property and a fine of one and a half million francs. Social life during these last years of French rule was brilliant in the extreme, the balls, dinners and receptions being equal to those in France itself. The town consisted of a number of good stone and timber houses, and was of a narrow oblong form, surrounded by a bastioned stone wall. The Seminar}-, three churches and the fort showed up prominently above the houses. A drj- ditch eight feet deep surrounded the walls, but the town, although capable of defence against the Indians, could not have withstood an attack from cannon for an hour. The constant wars with the English kept the population in a flutter of excite- ment, and large bodies of Indian allies, ever waiting for a chance of booty and massacre by accompanying the French expeditions, were generalh^ encamped near the walls. Amidst all the licentiousness, gambling, peculation and drunken- ness at this time, Montcalm alone stands apart as a true, courageous gentleman, fighting against the corruption of the Intendant and the insane jealousy of the Governor, Vaudreuil. In 1758 came the news of the departure from England of a great expedition for the conquest of Canada. Then came the siege and capture of Quebec, the death of Montcalm, and the falling of one post after another, until Montreal was alone left to France out of her once great North American colony. On the fall of Quebec, Vaudreuil and Levis moved their headquarters to Montreal, and, after making a futile attempt to retake Quebec in the following year, resolved to make their final stand on the island. The city, however, was spared, the horrors of a siege or attack. A force under Colonel Haviland advanced to Eongueuil, opposite the town on the south. General Murray, with fifty-one vessels, came up to within two miles of the city on the east ; whilst General Amherst advanced from the west, camping on a height overlooking the 20 ]\iontki;ai, ixdick i'kjcxch rule town and known now as Cote des Neiges. There was no option for the iM-ench but to surrender, and the next morning, vSej^teinber Sth, witliout a shot being fired, Vaudreuil signed the capitulation by which Canada and all its dependencies passed to the British. P'ifty-five articles covered the terms of surrender, the most important being that the French military were to be sent home, free exercise of religion was to be assured, religious comnuniities were to retain all their pro])erty and privileges, and the people were to continue in the free enjoyment of all their property. One clause of the capitulation Amherst absolutely refused, and that was permission for the French troops to march out with their arms and the honours of war. In his own words : "I am fully resolved, for the infamous part the troops have acted in exciting the savages to perpetrate the most horrid and unheard of barbarities in the whole progress of the war, and for other open treacheries and flagrant breaches of faith, to manifest to all the world by this capitulation my detestation of such practices." The same evening, a British force under Colonel Haldimand entered the town b}' the Recollet Gate and occupied the Recollet Quarter, which was then a large open space and chiefly covered by the monastery gardens ; while the F^rench withdrew to their camp by the citadel at the eastern end of the town. The fol- lowing morning, a British detachment of artillery w^as drawn up on the Place d'Armes, and there the French army marched to la}' down their arms. The British flag floated over the town, and French rule in Canada was over. Here Montreal made a fresh start ; with new blood, with the Anglo-Saxon tenacity of purpose, with honest government, with enlarged and popular liberties, and with the newly-awakened knowledge that her destiny was her own, to make or to mar. ^^^^.Jii^f^^l^jT;.;^ »-<«»^ -- I ' fffillllliiiiiiijii • Montreal at the date of the British Conquest. w " 9 2: C* i^ s': Si u. u. ® 2 'C S P^ o< fO -^ I I- < a: .'MOXTKICAI, rXDlCR I'KKXCII \i.VhU The illustrations adjoining show some typical dwellings of the period just de- scribed, and are respective!}^ as follows : — IH ■ No. I . This house is on Notre 1 1 Darne street, a little east of the II City Hall, and was the residence II of Colonel John Campbell. It MU hardly belongs to this period, hav- ■■ ^ ingonly been built in 1773, but it has been a fine old place, and is soon to be pulled down. No. 2. De Catalogue House. This was erected in 1693, and consists of two stories and attic. Gedeon de Catalogue was the engineer of the first Lachine Canal, and was ' also responsible for the plans of the early stone forti- fication walls. No. 3. This old house is — situated on the east side of Vaudreuil street, and was built about 1687. The walls are now showing signs of bulging, although no doubt good for many j-ears to come. In the vaults of this build- ing was stored the specie of the Bank of Montreal in olden days. No. 4. On the west side of St. Gabriel street, just be- low St. Therese, is a quaint old sloping-roofed building dating back to 1687. The cellars and next floor are verj^ heavily vaulted, and were no doubt used for the storage of furs, etc. This street was laid out in 1680 — one of the earliest in Montreal — the population at that time being about 1000. Some Ancient Buildings, Chapter II. MONTREAL UNDER EARLY BRITISH RULE T has been seen how the religious settlement of Maisonneuve developed into a trading town, and how that town reached the verge of commercial ruin through the destructive colonial policy of the French crown, the corruption of its officials and the degen- eracy of the inhabitants. It now remains to be shown how the city of to-day, with its three hundred and fifty thousand people, came to attain its present position. After the capitulation by Vaudreuil, General Amherst, as commander-in- chief, appointed General Thomas Gage first Governor of the district of Montreal. Although it would have been difficult to find a more arduous position, he appears to have given satisfaction to all sections of the population ; and a significant sign of the change of feeling already in existence was afforded at the death of George II., in the October following, when an extensiveh- signed address was presented to the Governor, mourning the demise of a "sovereign so magnanimous to a van- quished people." The following year saw the final deportation of the French military, ac- companied by manv of the Canadian noblesse and merchants, who refused to swear alle- giance to King George. The population at this time was about five thousand , and the peo- ple quickly realized that the exchange of the ruling power was old St. James Street iu 1S30. 24 MONTRKAI. I'NDICR IvARLV BRITISH RlTI.Iv Forr^tier House, corner of St. Peter and Notre Dame Streets. Erected 1767. Residence of Montgomery, 1775-6. all to their advantage. The Church wa.s glad to welcome any change by which order was enforced and the old system of corruption abolished ; their religious hold on the colony being too strong to occasion any anxiety from an infltix of Protestants. (In 1765 the Protestants in Montreal only numbered one hundred and thirty-six.) In 1765 a very serious fire broke out in the city, and in a few hours destroyed one hundred and eight houses, thereby reducing two hun- dred and fifteen families to the greatest distress. The damage amounted to^88,ooo, which was, how^ever, partially relieved by subscriptions raised in England, headed by five hundred pounds from King George III. Nearly a quarter of the city was burnt out, and the people were just beginning to recover from their difficulties three years later, when another conflagration occurred. B3' this, ninety houses, two churches and a large charity school were consumed, and great misery- resulted. The turmoil of war was not yet over for the town. The revolt of the New England colonies against King George met with little sympathy in Canada, and General Montgome-ry led an expedition against his northern kinsmen. When he ap- peared at Montreal, General Sir Guy Car- leton (afterwards Lord Dorchester) had too small a force to defend the town, and so withdrew to Quebec, leaving Montgom- ery to take possession. On the 13th of November, 1775, the Americans entered the town, and Montgomery made it his headquarters during the following wan- ter. By the death of Montgomery and the defeat of the Americans at Quebec, on New Year's Eve, 1775, their cause became hopeless in Canada, and in the '• Maison de Maricour," C6t6 street. following June, under General Benedict i,e MoynedeMarkour was celebrated in theearly military . 11,1 J J 1 r .li '.l enterprises of the colony, and died here in 1704. Now the Arnold, they retreated from the city, mother house of the Brothers of the christian Schools. .-MONTREAL UNDER EARLV F.RITISII RITJi 25 Two years after the American occujiation, Kin*^ William I\', "the Sailor King," visited Canada, and made a short stay at Montreal, where he was received and entertained with much honour. In 177S the rapid enlightenment of the people was enhanced by the advent of the printing press. "The Gazette" was first started by Fleury Mes- plet in the old Chateau de Rame/.ay, and has had an uninterrupted existence to the present day. An advertisement in the first number makes inter- esting reading now. — "Six dollars reward. Ran away on the 14th instant, a slave belonging to WidoW' Duf}' Desaulniers, aged about thirty-five years, dressed in striped calico of the ordinar}- cut, of tolerable stoutness. Whosoever will bring her back will receive a reward of six dollars, and will be repaid any costs that maj' be proved to have been incurred in finding her." (Slavery in Canada was forbidden in 1793.) The close of the eighteenth centur}^ found Montreal growing apace, with a population now amounting to nine thousand; and law and order enforced, and consequently respected. A good example of the care taken for the protection of the people is to be noticed in an order issued by the justices of the peace of the town in 1789, b}' wdiich the price and size of Windmill Point. The Champ dc :Mars, 1830. Old Christ Church Cathedral. MONTRKAI. I'XDKR KAKI.V HKITISII Uri.K bread loaves lor the month is fixed at " thirteen pence, or thirty sous, for a four-pound loaf of white bread . . . ,"' the bakers of the city and suburbs bein<^ ordered to conform thereto and mark their bread with their initials. The town was gradually extending northwards, Notre Dame and St. James streets becoming the more fashionable resorts, with many handsome resi- dences sittiated on the hill now occupied by St. Catherine and Sherbrooke streets. In 1801 the walls were removed, and a water supply system was instituted. The first mention of an PZnglish church comes here, the Episcopalians being now in sufficient numbers to require a place of worship of their own. Owing to lack of funds, they could not at first afford to build a church for themselves, and so obtained the use of the Recollet Church at such Then the}- were allowed the use of the church hours as it was not required formerly belonging to the Jesuits' College, only to be deprived thereof by fire in 1803. The reqiiisite mone}' being then forthcoming, Christ Church, known as the English Cathedral, was commenced in 1805, not being completed, however, till 1814. It occupied the site of the old French prison on Notre Dame street, a little east of the Place d' Amies, and its spire rose to the height of 204 feet from the ground. About this time a start was made on the de- velopment of the St. Lawrence water- way, locks being placed at Coteau, The Cascades and the Eong Sault. The Lachine Canal was completed in 1825. In the year 1 809 the first steam- boat appeared on the St. Eawrence, bearing the name ' 'Accommodation , " having been built ^, „,;:„. . , ^ ^, '^ The Bank of Montreal and Place d Arnies. MONTRlvAT. I'NDKR EARLY r.RITISH RULK 27 Notre Dame Church (old and new), ibj Notre Dame Church and old Belfry Tower, 1S40. 28 M0NTK1';AL I'XDICK IvAKI.V liklTISII RULE by John Molson to run between Montreal and Quebec. The Ijoat was eighty-five feet long with engines of six horse power, and although taking thirty-six hours for the trip, even this was a very great improvement on the time of passage of sailing vessels, which usually averaged sixteen days. Navigation of the river then was very different to now, the channel of Lake St. Peter only having a depth of about ten feet, and St. Mary's Current being so swift that horses or oxen were often required to tow vessels up against the stream. In 1 817, the Bank of Montreal was founded with a capital of ^^87,000, by a number of merchants, and the first year's business gave eight per cent, divi- dend to the stockholders. Excepting 1827 and 1828, this percentage has never been reduced, on some occa- sions even rising as high as sixteen per cent. The original capital has been increased from time to time, until it now stands at $12,000,000, while the Reserve Fund, which was created in 1819 by the undivided balance of $4,168, now amounts to $8,400,000. The first premises, situated on St. Paul .street, were burnt in 1830 ; and, on the ground subsequently occupied by the post office, another building was erected, only to be discarded later on for one a little to the east, on the site of the present stateh' structure. An institution that has grown to be almost of a national character was established in 1 82 1 . Eight 3'ears previous to that date there died in Montreal an old Scotch fur-trader — James McGill. By his will he bequeathed, in trust, sixty-four acres of land and ten thousand pounds to the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning. The famous McGill University was the result, and will be described later on. Education was far from being properly cared for at this time. There w^ere two public schools (English), various religious institutions (French), and several private academies. But, in spite of this, the French parents seemed to care but little about procuring instruction for their children, and, although a certain degree of interest was evinced by the British population, there was a general dis- regard among the elders of the advantages their children would derive from education. A new^s-room on St. Joseph street — containing papers from all over the world — was, however, well patronized by the merchants and public, and a The first Methodist Church (afterwards used as a news-room). MONTREAL 1'NDI-:R KARI.V P.KITISH Kri.]'. 29 librar\- of eight thousand ])ook.s was open daily in the building of the Natural History Society, at that time situated on St. James street. In 1829 the new pari.sh church of Montreal was opened. The original church (see page 9) .stood acro.ss Notre Dame .street, and the new one was built a little to the south. The picturesque lielfry-tower of the old building remained .standing alone on the corner of the square until 1840. The spirit of local improvement was also in active operation, streets being laid out in every quarter and handsome stone houses and blocks of .stores erected thereon. The creek, or rather ditch, that ran along Craig street was covered over, McGill .street was levelled, and the .swampy ground in the western suburbs (late Griffin- town) was drained and made read}- for building. The hill, on which stood the old u.sele.ss citadel, had been levelled, leaving the Dalhou.sie Square of to-day, and in 1836 the city purcha.sed the Place d' Arnies from the Seminary and made it a public square. A growl was to be heard in tho.se days with which people of to-day can heart- ily sympathize. It aro.se from the filthy and neglected state of the .streets, that was such as to choke .™«»»»««a«»««r.«.«,«i=,^w.™^ ever>-one with dust in dr>' weather and ren- der them nearly im- passable through deep nnul when it rained ; while at night the un- evenne.ss of the roads not being noticeable in the dark, made walking a somewhat dangerous and risky proceeding. Civic government was admini.stered by Montreal from St. Helen's Island, 1830. The old Harbour Front. 30 MOXTKlvAI, rXDlvR }':aki.v HKITISII Kri.Iv justices of the peace, a])ii()inle(l 1)\' the CiONernor, wlio luul all the ])()\vei'S()f a imiiii- cipal council ; but when the cit>- was incorijorated in 1S32 (Jacques \'iger being the first mayor) their authorit>- was transferred to the cor])oration. Montreal was now attaining considerable importance, but its advantages as a i)ort had been .sadh- neglected. According to the description given of the river-front l)y a writer of the day : ' ' The approach to the city conveys no prepossessing idea of the enterprise of the municipality. Ships, brigs and steamboats lay on the margin of the river at the foot of a hill. No line of wharf (although there is plenty of stone everywhere around ) affords security to vessels and owners, and the com- mercial haven looks ragged and nuuldy, the boats lying cpiietly in pretty deep water, close to the clayey and generally filthy banks of the river." This reproach was soon to be unmerited. In 1832 Montreal was made a port of entry, and a start was made on a line of substantial wharves terminating at the lyachine Canal. From this time forward the ma- rine commerce increased by leaps and bounds, and the trade of the city benefited much by the opening of the railway from Laprairie to vSt. Johns, making ashort cut to the waterways leading to New' York and the south. Inland transportation consisted of lines of stages ruiuiing between Montreal and Prescott, Montreal and Quebec, Montreal and By- town (Ottawa), and Montreal and Alban)-. The two first mentioned had a dail}^ service ; the others, two or three times a week. That terrible scourge, Asiatic cholera, appeared in the Province in 1832, nineteen hundred deaths being reported in Montreal and thirty-three hundred in Quebec. On the whole, Montreal had been ver}- lucky in escaping severe epi- demics, the only other tw^o being the ship-fever outbreak in 1847, when six thou- sand Irish emigrants died, and the smallpox in 1885, which occurred through the people's ignorance of the safeguard of vaccination — a lack of precaution that cost three thousand one hundred and sixty-four lives. The year of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne was marked by a rebel- lion of a section of the people, which at one time threatened to become serious. For twenty-tW'O years previous, a great change had been taking place in the con- stitution of the colony, the power and privileges of the British Crown being curtailed to a verv great extent and transferred to the House of Assemblv of Custom House Square in 1830. MONTRICAI, rXDIvR KAKI.V liKITISH KULK Canada. A man named Papineau had taken an active part in the series of events that had brought about this change, and when the British Parhament would give in no further, intense irritation developed amongst the "French Party," which culminated in the formation of a society (calling themselves ' ' Sons of Liberty ' ' ) pledged to obtain its demands by force of arms. But the movement did not meet with the support that had been expected ; and the prompt action of the authori- ties led to the capture and surrender of the rebels in large numbers. A Doctor Chenier, an active leader in the rebellion, was surrounded, with twelve hundred followers, at St. P^ustache (eighteen miles north of Montreal), where, with two hundred and fift\- men, tlie rest of his band having dwindled away, he took final _ r e f u g e i n t h e church, and died fighting desperately to escape the doom he had brought upon himself. Reverting once more to the com- mercial progress of the city, we read of a meeting of two thousand people on the Champ de "Slavs on the loth Augu.st, 1846, resolving to have direct railwa>- commun i cat ion with the seaboard. A few years later, the Grand Trunk Railway, by acquisition, connection and extension of some existing roads, and the .spanning of the St. Lawrence by the Mctoria Bridge, opened communication with Portland, and gave the people their wish. This company also benefited the cit>- in another way by opening a direct road to Toronto in 1856. This same year the ocean steamship trade ma>- be said to have begun, as Hugh and Andrew Allan established the " Montreal Ocean Steamship Company," with four steamers fort- nightly. The sy.stem of keeping accounts, etc., was changed in 1854, the use being authorized in that year of either "pounds, .shilhngs and pence" or "dollars and cents ;" but after four years of this dual method, currency alone became legal. The commercial development of Montreal has been more amply described than the social condition of its inhabitants, but it nui.st not be imagined that the town was altogether imbued with the idea of .setting up public buildings The old North-West Company's House on Vaudreuil Street, where John Jacob Astor lived about 1790. 32 MONTRICAI, rXDl'.K IvAKLN' liKITlSII KTUv and pushint; trade. Tlic liui;c fortunes made in the fur trade 1)\- members of tlie North-West Company, who, by their activity and enterprise, had t;reatl>' extended the range of territory hitherto explored, were spent with lavishness in the towns, and a style of magnificence was kept up that made these traders the cynosure of the whole continent. vSociety was, indeed, as gay and brilliant as in the i)almy days of Vaudreuil and Bigot, but infinitely more honorable. The Chateau de Ramezay, as residence of the British governors, was the centre of court life tintil 1850, and the ever-increasing prosperity of the town gave o])])ortunity for unstinted entertainment and amusement. The Briti.sh garrison included, from time to time, many of the crack English regiments, and their prodigal hospitality, fashionable in those days, kept the town animated to a degree. When the Rebel- lion I^osses Bill was pas.sed, in 1849, by which those who had taken part in the rebellion of '37 were to be compensated for the lo.sses they had su.stained, the more loj-al citizens were so enraged that they arose in a mob and burnt the Par- liament House (situated where there is now the open space opposite the new Grand Trunk Railway ofhces). Some lives were lost, and the removal of the seat of government from Montreal followed. In i860 the Prince of Wales (now King Edward \TI ) vi.sited Montreal ; and at this date, well within the memory of mail}', a chapter on Early British Rule in Montreal may appropriately clo.se. Notre Dame Street East in 1830. M I H n J n J n I n T i ! n r T T T r T y T n T n n n J I n n n n I n I n/ o4TTrrtTtTttriiTnTii'iTrruriii'i^L Chapter III. MODERN MONTREAL VEXTvS that are described, or depicted, in this chapter, are of such proximate happening that a strict following in chronological order is hardh- necessar>'. A start may be made, however, with the opening of the Victoria Tubular Bridge across the St. Lawrence on August 25th, i860. The bridge held first place amongst the engineering works of the world for many 3'ears, and was the admiration of, not only the Canadian people, but every railway company in the two hemispheres. It was designed b}' the great English engineer, Robert Stephenson, and publicly- opened by the Prince of Wales during his visit to Montreal. A description of the structure, as inscribed on a commemorative medal struck at the time, is as fol- lows : "It consi.sts of 23 spans, 242 feet each, and one in the centre 330 feet, with a long abutment on each bank of the river. The tubes are 18}^ to 22 feet high," 16 feet wide, and weigh 9,044 tons, sup- ported on 24 piers containing 223,000 tons of stone. Extreme length two miles. Cost $7,000,000." The iron came from England and the stone from Pointe Claire. x\s traffic increased and new dis- tricts were opened up, the single track that cros.sed the river proved insufficient for the demands made upon it, and, in 1898, the old tube was replaced by a modern open-w^ork steel bridge, with double tracks and roadways. The work of replacement was carried on without interrupting the traffic for more than a few hours, the illustration .showing the The old Wharves on the River-front. 34 M( )|)1:r.\ MON'rkl'.AL Victoria Tubular Bridge, showing construction of present Bridge. inclluxl in which lliis was done. 'Vhv diincnsion.s of the new l)ri(lox' are as follows : Width, 66 feet 8 inches ; height, 40 to 60 feet ; lenoth, includinj^; approaches, 9,144 feet. Allowance for expansion and contraction through difference in sum- mer and winter temperature is calculated to a nicetw and the bridge will ever .serve as a monument to the enterprise of the Cirand Trunk Railway Sy.stem, who.se property it is. It would be diificult to imagine a more exquisite view than is to be obtained from the car-window, as the train approaches Montreal over this l)ridge on a summer evening al:)out sunset. Then, the .stately moun- tain that ri.ses behind the city is draped in that purple haze that only the shadow of departing day can produce, and the eye can just grasp the dim suggestion of luxuriant verdure on the heights that stand in such relief against the ros}- tint of the heavens. Nestling at the foot lies the city, the harsh outline of factories, chimneys and houses now being softened and blended into an harmonious mass ; relieved, here and there, by the graceful .steeples or .stately towers of the churches. In the fore- ground, a forest of masts rises up from the .scintillating waters of the St. Law- rence ; and, immediatel}' behind, the tall massive towers of Notre Dame are .silhouetted against the .sky. Lingering here for a little while longer, the .scene changes ; detail is lo.st in shadow ; lights appear, one by one, until the city and the long line of w^ater-front is ablaze with thousands of glittering lamps ; Mount Royal being alone in gloom, keeping dark and shadowy vigil over all. The harbour of Montreal is now rapidly becoming worthy of the city and the noble river to which it owes its existence. At the beginning of the century, only small vessels could ascend the river, owing to the .shoals in Lake St. Peter, but the Government, for some years past, has been spending enormous sums in dredging the channel right up from Quebec, un- til a thirty- foot draft is possible for vessels com- ing to the city. Not only this, but the old, low, victoria Bridge, from St. Helen'.s Island. MODivKX i\iontki;al 35 imi(l(l\ beach has been changed into Hnes of substantial wharves and piers, with elevator and railway tracks for the quick despatch of freit;ht. Other hicrhly important works are the (.•, that the cilN' bciiiLi; prosperous, must lia\e a tliri\'iug trade and coinuierce. Now, how can a ])ros- l^erous trading city ])e reconciled with an arc- tic cit\- in a land of per- ]K'tual snow ? In the words of old friend Huclid, ' ' Quod est absurd am.'' The trade, com- merce, government and character of the city at the present day may now be briefly re- viewed before proceeding to describe the various places of interest in detail. Montreal is situated at the foot of the royal mountain from which it takes its name, upon a large island thirty miles long by ten wide (considered to be the garden of Eastern Canada), at the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers. The main branch of the Ottawa passes north of the island in two branches, and joins the St. Lawrence about fifteen miles below the city. One- third of its volume is, however, discharged into Lake St. Louis, above the city, where it joins, but does not unite with, the St. Lawrence ; the two streams flow- ing quite separately, side by side, for miles, as can be noticed by the different colours of the water. The natural advantages that Montreal has always enjoyed, by reason of her geographical position, have already been remarked upon, btit it was not tuitil the advent of the large ocean steamer that their full benefits were appre- ciated. Situated at the head of a navi able waterway, six hundred miles from the ocean, it is seldom realized that Montreal is, in truth, a seaport ; and that vessels from all over the world can discharge cargoes at her wharves, on which one freight only is payable. During the year 1902 there were seven hundred and fifty seven arrivals of ocean-going vessels, w: a tonnage of over one million and a while from the interior, thanks to the The Old Harbour, looking East. modi';kx moxtrkal 39 system of canals, the arrivals nuinbered over eight thousand, and this in spite of the great coal strike and a wet, cold summer. The passenger traffic, via the St. Lawrence, is showing a marked increase from year to year, the delightful sail down the gulf robbing a voyage across the Atlantic of much of its monotony, and the distance from Ivngland being over two hundred miles less than from Xew York. In the winter the shipping is diverted to Halifax and St. John. The export trade of the country, of which Montreal is the chief outlet, has grown by leaps and bounds ; and during the last six years the aggregate trade has shown an increase that exceeds the growth shown in a similar period by any other country in the world. A lot of figures are but confusing, and to the aver- age individual quite unconvincing, until personalh' verified ; but one single in- stance is worth re- cording, i.e., the fig- ures relating to the exports, wdiich for the year ended June, 1902, exceeded those of 1S96 b}' ninety million dol- lars. This in six ^-ears only. A ver}- great deal, however, requires to be done to the port of Montreal, if trade is not to be turned away. A prominent Cana- dian railway man ;o AM I St. Catherine Street, near Peel. remarked but a short time back, " We have con.structed a hopper too big for the spout ;" and a glance at the congested state of the wharf terminals proves this statement to be wxll founded. Steamers deposit their imported cargoes on wharves already crowded with freight that the railways and canals have brought in for export, and the railways have not free enough access to the whar^-es to enable them to gather up the imported freight, bound for the interior. In consequence. Western traders are growing more and more inclined to pay for extra railway haulage, and have their goods shipped via the United States ports, w-hence they ■can get prompt delivery. Although two new elevators are under construction (1903), and the four miles of docks are being greatly improved, this will but ful- fil present requirements ; whereas the position of the city, as the national port of the Dominion, makes it necessary to provide, not only for the requirements of 40 :moi)Kkn moxtrkal to-day, but for that predestined future whicli is e\-cii now almost in sight, i.e., Montreal, the chief seaport of North America. Business in the city itself is remarkably good, with the possible exception of cotton, and the banking companies are amongst the best in the world. There can be no doubt of the fact that the advent of the Americans into the business com- munity has done much to enliven and sharpen the Canadians ; and, however patriotic the cry " Canada for the Canadians," the country is greatly indebted to American brains and capital for the exploitation and development of many hitherto neglected sources of national wealth. No one walking through the city can fail to be struck by the innumerable signs everywhere displayed of "Notaire," "Avocat," "Barrister," "Advocate.'^ Montreal has long been known for the large number of "legal gentlemen" therein, and to find a reasonable explanation of such extraordinary prolificacy in this direc- tion, it is necessary to go back to the days of the French regime. When the The Board of Trade Building after the Great Fire of 1901. settlers obtained their grants of land, in many cases the title-deeds were most imperfectly drawn up, and in others the boundary-lines were not clearly defined. During the long winters the litigious disposition of the Norman blood found this an incessant cause for quarrel and dispute, and few families were without some kind of legal action pending. To keep the money in the family as much as pos- sible, therefore, they made their sons lawyers. Then, again, the well-to-do trader liked to think of his son as a " professional man," and so sent him to stud}^ law. By degrees the people actually grew to believe that lawyers w^ere the best men to send to Parliament, and an analysis of the Legislature at the present day would show" to what an extent they still practice this belief. The latter fact has caused certain c^'nical individuals to remark that the legal members purposel)^ make laws that only lawyers can understand — hence their number in Montreal. Two forces that are directlj^ under the control of the city are now to be men- tioned — the police and the fire brigade. The former have the making of a splen- did force, and will, no doubt, become so when somewhat stricter discipline be MODERN MONTKIvM, 41 exercised. The fire brigade are a fine lot of fellows, and have, without excep- tion, the hardest work to do in the cit}-. The task of fighting a fierce fire in the depth of winter is no easy one ; and a constitution of iron, with ner\-es to match, are absolutely essential qualities in a Montreal fireman. It will be many years before the memory of the great fire in January, 1901, fades from the minds of those who fought it or looked on. The damage amounted to nearly five million dollars, and included the total destruction of the Board of Trade building and several blocks of offices and warehouses. The government of the city is vested in a mayor and thirty-five aldermen, the latter being elected every two years. The mayor also holds office for two years, and it is an unwritten law that he shall be alternately French or English. This pernicious system of differentiating between the two races is fortunately not followed by the people generall}^ although to read the speeches at election Arches Erected in Honour of the Visit of the Duke and Dnchess of Vork, September, 1901. time in Montreal one would imagine the French and the English sections of the population to be on the verge of a civil war. In reality they are the best of friends, united by the strongest of all ties, i.e., self-interest ; while, as Canadians, all alike look for the future welfare of their city and country. Outside of poli- tics, therefore, Montreal can show a ver}- striking example of how two extremel}' dissimilar races can live side b}' side in perfect harmonj^ and camaraderie. To sum up very briefly the characteristics of the people generalh", one would say they were a conservative, level-headed, hardworking communit}- ; rather too prone to let abuses exist which do not touch them personally ; proud of their country, with a supreme belief in its future ; patriotic to the mother country, but at the same time showing a sort of patronizing pity for her supposed want of enlightenment and progress ; keen on outdoor sports and amusements, courteous and obliging, and above all things Canadians. (3M ^ {j^ji^ fjv,_f5^^v, j^.^ ,j, ,;.-,j/fc,;;;c^,.^^ jy-j__gfei ,^g Chapter IV. CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS ^HE growth of Montreal, so far, has been traced from its foundation, in 1642, to the present day; and it now remains to describe, in detail, the chief points of interest and attractions to be found in and around the city. The religious and educational institutions will be taken first, both b\' reason of their number and importance, and also because the history of Montreal has always been so closely identified with the Church. The Catholic institutions, being the oldest, have priority. The various religious orders have invariably been large holders of real estate, and their property has become so valuable during the past hundred years, that they are now remarkably wealthy bodies. Their mone>- has been freely .spent on their churches, which con.sequently are, as a rule, extremely fine, with very rich interiors. The most import- ant church in ■Montreal is, without doubt, the parish church of Notre Dame, the towers of which are .shown on the cover of this book. The pre- .sent church replaces the original par- i.sh church, built in 1672, that .stood across Notre Dame .street (see illus- tration on page 27). The building was commenced in 1824, and ranks as the second largest church on the American continent. The towers are two hundred and twenty-seven feet high, and contain a magnificent .set of bells, including " le Gros Bourdon," Notre Dame Cliurch from the Seminary Garden. INSTlTrTlONS the largest bell in America, weighing twenty- four thou- sand seven hundred and eighty pounds. The interior of the church is most gor- geous, and contains many interesting objects ; amongst which can be no- ticed the Baptistery, with its exquisite stained glass win- dows, a picture of the Virgin, said to be the work of St. lyuke ; the bronze St. Peter, whose St. James cathedral. foOt is kisScd by thousands of devout visitors ; and the chapel of the vSacred Heart, in the rear of the grand altar. The wood-carving and painting in the latter are superb, and a wonderful effect on the senses is experienced after stepping from the traffic and bustle of Notre Dame street into this still and dimly-lighted temple of Catholic worship. The Cathedral of the Catholic Church, .situated on Dominion vSquare, is dedicated to St. James, and is quite a modern building, having been commenced in 1S70. It is a fine example of church architecture externally, but the interior is at present very bare, and has not the same interest as the older churches, around which lingers ,so much history. Its most striking characteristic is the huge ball and cross that surmount the dome, rising to a height of two hundred and fifty feet from the ground, and form- ing a landmark that can be seen from all over the city. The Cathedral was built to replace the one on St. Denis street destroyed by fire, and was de- signed on the model of vSt. Peter's at Rome. It is built in the shape of a cross, the dimensions being three hundred and thirty feet long by two hundred and twenty-two wide. The facade stone-work is very hand- Old Bonsecours Churc CATITOIJC IXSTITI'TIONS 45 The '■ Restored ' Bonsecours Church twentieth-century steeple a- boniination on a quaint, old- fashioned French church, and then grumbles that the old church spoils the look of his new steeple ! The church obtained its name on account of the escapes of the colony from the Iro- quois. On the roof, facing the river, stands a colossal statue of the Virgin, who, being supposed to have miraculous powers for the aid of seafarers, has been the patron saint of the French sailors for nearl}- two hundred and fifty years. The interior is handsome, and there are some remark- able paintings to be seen on the walls. Built right lip in the steeple, and some, and is surmounted by thirteen statues, representing Christ and twel\-e of the saints. The next church to l)e mentioned, from point of interest, is Notre Dame de Bon- secours. In 1657 a wooden chapel was first erected ( on the same stone foinulation as the present church stands), Marie Bour- geoys being the patroness, and Maisonneu\'e himself felling the first trees used in its con- struction. In 1675 the chapel was rebuilt and increased to the size of the present church. It was not until 1771 that a fire necessitated the erection of the present building, or rather what would have been the present building had it not Ijeen ' ' restored ' " a few years ago. That hateful word " restored " is now, unfortunately, synonymous with " .spoilt." The present-day architect puts a The '■ Santa Cassa " in the Aerial Chapel of Bousecours Church. 46 CA'IMIOI.IC INS'IMTrTIONS St. James Cathedral, from '' down-town." reached by a winding; stair\va>- from tlie \-estr\-, is the aerial chapel. This is (juite uni(|ue in its position, and contains the vSanta Ca.ssa, ox fac- simile of the hou.se of the IIol\- X'ir^in, which is believed to have been carried by ani;els from Nazareth to lyoreto in Italy. It is a very interesting piece of work, even apart from its religious association, and contains a very highly-prized relic in the shape of a small painting by vSt. lyUke. This can be seen on the right-hand outer wall of the liousc. A comparatix'ely small church near the corner of St. Catherine and St. Denis streets has the honour of having the mo.st beau- tiful interior of any church in Montreal. It is known as Notre Dame de lyourdes, and the illustration opposite will give some faint idea of its beauty. No picture, however, can do justice to the exqui.site colouring of the arabesque decorations, nor to the panel paintings in colour and gold on the dome. What most impresses the beholder is the .■-tatue of the Virgin above the altar. The Virgin is seen standing on a bank of clouds, with her hands crossed on the breast, and bathed in a pale rose-coloured light that comes from an unseen source above. It gives a most spiritual effect, with nothing about it incongruous or in bad taste, as in so many churches, where a religious crucifix outside Franciscans- churcn. subject is treated more like a theatrical tableau in a circus. The whole interioi has been adorned with the idea of illustrating the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, and is the only church of its kind in all America. It was built in 1S74. In the basement is a chapel containing a representation of the grotto at Lourdes, in which can be seen the altar, with the reproduc- tion of the apparition of the Virgin to the little maid Bernadette. The crucifix shown here is to be found otitside the Franciscan Church on Dor- chester .street, a little we.st of Gtiy, and is a celebrated shrine for Catholics on certain fes- Grey Nunnery. Interior of Notre Dame de I,ourdes. 48 CATIIOI.IC IXSTlTl'TIOXS Entrance to L,aval University. tivals of their church. Crowds of people await their turn to kneel and kiss the foot of the Christ, this being the only open-air shrine in the city proper. A few hundred yards east of this, on the other side of the street, is the Grey Nunnery, an immense build- ing in extensive groundls. This order takes its name from the costume of the nuns, and was founded in 1747 by Madame d'Youville, who took over the old Gen- eral Hospital, which had fallen on very bad times. The original nunnery was situated on McGill street (see illustration on page 16), but it had to make way before the modern demand of the w^arehouse ; and, in 1870, the present structure was built, which contains over three hundred rooms, and is used as an asylum for deserted infants, and the sick, infirm and destitute of all sects. The nuns are glad to receive visitors at noonday, and have an old-fashioned formal reception every New Year's Day. The sisters, novices and auxiliar}- sisters number nine hundred and twelve, and do an immense amount of good in the city, having no less than sixteen different institu- tions under their charge. The red cross to be noticed in the corner of the grounds marks the grave of a murderer, who, many years ago, under the old French law, was broken alive and left to die in the open, his mutilated remains being buried here. Other orders having their homes in the city are the Sisters of Notre Dame de la Congregation (referred to, with illustration, on page 8) ; the Sisters of St. Joseph, known as the " Black Nuns" of the Hotel Dieu ; the Sisters of Provi- dence, " les Sceurs de Charite de la Providence" (an order founded in 1843 by the late Bishop Bourget, which now numbers one thousand four hundred and thirty-five sisters ) , who have charge of thirteen institutions in different parts of the city, mostly connected with the care of the sick and aged poor ; the Sisters of of the Sacred Heart, with headquarters at Sault aux Recollets ; and the Sisters of the Order of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary, whose convent is at Hochelaga. The nunnery of the Congregation de Notre Dame can be reached through a gate- way on Notre Dame street, opposite St. Lambert hill, and the three wings com- prising the building surround a most charming old-fashioned garden. The order is the largest teaching order in America, the nuns numbering one thousand two hundred and thirty-four. The little church alongside the garden entrance CATIIOTJC INSTITI^TIONS 49 occupies the site of the one l^uilt by Marguerite Bourgeoys (the founder of the order) in 1693. The Hotel Dieu is described later on, with the hospitals ; the others call for no special remark. Turning now to the educational institutions, the most important is Laval University, on St. Denis street. This is a severe-looking building, relieved onh- by the whiteness of its walls and an extremely handsome entrance. The univer- sity proper was founded at Quebec in 1852, but in 1878 the Archbishop of Mont- real obtained the establishment of a branch in this city. It has four faculties — Law, Theology, Medicine and Arts, with an affiliated school of Comparative Medicine and Veterinary Science. It is entirely French, and theological students attend for study from all parts of the Dominion. The Montreal College is an offshoot of the Seminarv of St. Sulpice, the original building, near McGill street, being erected b}' that body. Although the old college was a large and handsome building, in ever}' way suitable, and sur- rounded by handsome grounds, it had, like the Gre^' Nunnery, to make way for the requirements of commercial progress, and, consequently, the " Petit Seminaire," as it was called, moved into their present home on Sherbrooke street. It now occupies one of the most historic sites in Montreal, i.e., the site of the old " Fort de la Montague" (see page 8), and two of the original four corner-towers still remain in the grounds. The pupils number four hundred and fifty, some being trained for the priesthood, others for various professions. The other large build- ing situated higher up the hillside is a new institution for the headquarters of the Order. In the days when this spot was occupied by the Indian Mission Station, the two towers were used, respectively, as a chapel and a school. On the chapel tower is a French inscription which, translated, reads : " Here rest the mortal remains of Frangois Thoronhiongo, Huron. Baptized by the Reverend Pere de Brebceuf. He was, by his piety and his probity, the example of the Christians and the admiration of the unbelievers. He died, aged about one hun- dred years, the 21st April, 1690." On the other tower is a memorial to one of the nuns of I he Congregation de Notre Dame who taught the Indians Christianitv. Montreal College. 50 CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS A little to the east of the eollege there is plaeed, on the wall on vSlierbrooke street, a tablet to mark the camping-place of the British army under Amherst, at the time of the capitulation of the city by Vaudreuil. Another large educational institution is St. Mary's College for boys, on Bleury street, conducted by the Jesuit heathers, who also have the direction of I.ovola College, on Drummond street. It is one of the few remaining institu- tions owned by the once powerful Jesuit order, whose first home in Montreal, on Notre Dame street, occupied the site on which the Court House and City Hall now stand. The order was suppressed in Canada in 1772, and became extinct in Montreal in 1800, on the death of the last surviving member. In 1S39 they were permitted to return, but have never got back their original power and position. The college con- tains a first-rate librar}- and a very rare collection of early historical documents and relics pertaining to Canadian history. The Reverend F'ather Jones has been chiefly instrumental in get- ting this collection together, having a strong love for every- thing relating to the history of his country, of which no man is better informed. Adjoining the college is the Church of the Gesu, opened in 1865, but as yet unfinished, the intention being to continue the present stunted towers into spires. The interior is beautifully decorated and contains some magnificent frescoes and oil paintings. This church is specially noted for its exceptionally fine music, the Sunday evening service being the best time to hear it. It must not be thought that the above exhaust all the interesting places owned by the Roman Catholics, as besides the ones mentioned and illustrated, time spent on visiting any of the following will be well repaid : St. Patrick's Church, on Alexander street ; St. Jacques, at the corner of St. Denis and St. Catherine streets, with the highest spire in the city ; St. Henri Parish Church ; and Notre Dame de Nazareth, on St. Catherine street, between St. Lawrence and Bleury, which has a most lovely interior. Two other important institutions are the Catholic High School, on Lagauchetiere street, and Mont St. Louis Institute, on Sherbrooke street. St. Mary's College. Chapter V. PROTESTANT INSTITUTIONS IROTESTANT churches of various denominations are extremel)' numerous in Montreal, and the number of spires everywhere to be seen (both Roman Cathohc and Protestant) has given the cit}- a reputation for more sanctity than, perhaps, it deserves. Amongst them all, Christ Church Cathedral has first place, as it is the Eng- ish cathedral, and also the most perfect church, architecturally, in Canada. The original Christ Church has already been referred to on page 26, but that church being burned in 1856, a new one became necessar\', and, following the example of moving "up town," set by so many institutions, the present site was selected, and the Cathedral opened for worship in 1859. The credit for such an architec- tural gem is due to the late Bishop Fulford, the founder of the Art -|- Association, and a spired monument of extremely graceful appearance, in the eastern side of the churchyard, perpetuates his memory. The exterior of the Cathedral is ornamented with mediaeval gargoyles, pinacles and corbels, and the spire is two liun dred and eleven feet high. The interior is well worthy of the building, and the beautiful stone font should not be overlooked. In the northwest corner of the churchyard is the Chapter-house, a very artistic build- ing of octagonal shape. The Archbishop's palace is situated in the rear of the grounds. What is generally known as the Scotch Cathe- dral, or, properly speaking, St. Andrew's Church, is located half-way down Beaver Hall Hill, on the right. Its spire, one hundred and eight}' feet high, is second only to Christ Church for grace and beauty of proportion, and the church is a very fine speci- men of Scottish Gothic architecture. It dates back Christ church cathedral. PKOTI':STANT INSTITI'TIONS to the seventies, takiiii; the ])lace of the original St. Andrew's, on St. Peter street (which was founded in i- aid of several Montreal citizens, the future of the university at last l)ecanie assured. It is now one of the l)est universities on the continent, and, for scientific ecjuipnient, far excels any other university in the world, thanks to the unstinted generosity of Sir William McDonald. Lasting monuments to the memory of generous benefactors exist in the various buildings themselves, the William Molson Hall. Peter Redpath Museum, Peter Redpath Library, McDonald Physics and Engineering Buildings, and the Thomas Workman Department of Mechanical Engineering, all recalling the names of famous Montreal philanthrop- ists. The various buildings are grouped in large, and beautifully wooded grounds between Sherbrooke street and Mount Royal, and are of very diverse forms of architecture. The different faculties of the Universit}' are as follows : Medicine, the oldest and most celebrated (with which is affiliated a School of \>terinary Science) ; Arts ; Law ; Applied Science, including Practical Chemistry, Civil, Mechanical, Mining and Electrical Engineering ; and Comparative Anatomy. The Diocesan, Wesley an, Presbj-terian and Congregational Theologi- cal Colleges are affiliated wdth McGill, as is also the Royal Victoria College for Women. Two splendid institutions in close connection with McGill are the Redpath Library- and Redpath Museum. The former, although quite a recent gift, already contains a very large number of volumes. It is a very picturesque build- The Royal Victoria College. j^g, Overlooking the McGill campus, and is especially rich in scientific works and historical literature relating to Canada. It also possesses ^ fac-simile of the Doom.sday Book — that first char- ter of English Hberty. The Redpath Museum lies to the left of the main avenue, and calls to mind the pictures of the ancient Greek temples, being by far the most perfect of all the McGill buildings. The great hall is beautifully finished in Grecian character, and amongst the many interesting things that the museum contains may be mentioned the following : A magnificent geological collection ; the late Dr. Carpenter's unique collection of shells ; many remarkable specimens of natural history ; a most curious lot of wood-carvings by the Indians of the coast ; and a large number of aboriginal relics discovered around Montreal and other places. Both these buildings were the gift of the late Peter Redpath, and are proving of exceptional value to the university. The Royal Victoria College is situated on Sherbrooke street, a little to the east of the McGill grounds, and was erected and endow-ed by that beneficent 58 PROT]>:STAXT INSTITTTIONS millionaire, Donald Smith, Lord Stratlicona and Mount Royal. It was opened in 1899, under the direction of Miss Oakley, a lady of exceptional ability, who has gathered around her a most brilliant staff of assistants. The building cost three hundred thousand dollars (with an endowment of one million dollars in addition), and is a handsome structure of grey limestone, with one ab.solutely unique feature at its main entrance — a statue carved by one of the English royal family. This represents the late Queen Victoria, seated on the throne, with sceptre in hand, and was the work of the Princess Louise, Duche-ss of Argyle, being a worthy companion to her statue of the late Queen in Kensington Gardens, London. By the opening of this institu- tion the opportunity of resi- dence and college life was s:iven to women students of Peel Street High School. McGill University, of which the college is a part (develop- ing from the old ' ' Donalda Department" of the Arts Facult}-). It has provision for resident students, of whom there are now (January, 1903 ) thirty-one, and is also used as Aberdeen School. ^ (-j^y college by the UOU- resident students, wdio have here a common-room, library and gymnasium, as well as lecture-rooms for the first and second years of their course. The undergraduate students, resident and non-resident, number one hundred and sixty-six, and the courses of study are identical with those of men in the Arts Faculty of McGill, leading to the degrees of B.A. and B.Sc. ; the only subject special to women being that of music. The High School, on Peel street, ranks next to the colleges mentioned above, and is a large square building of red brick, with separate divisions for boys and girls. It was founded in 1843, and, in 1846, took over the privileges and duties of the old Royal Grammar School (established in 1816). It was united with PROTKSTANT INSTITI'TIONS 59 McGill University in 1853, and placed under the direction of the Protestant School Commissioners in 1870. The present buildin*; was completed in 1892, taking the j^lace of a fine stone building between Metcalfe and Peel streets, destroyed by fire the year previous. The average daily attendance is about eleven hundred and fifty, and the course of instruction covers from the kinder- garten to the matriculation standard of McGill University. The other building illustrated is the Aberdeen School for boys and girls, on St. Denis street, opposite St. Louis Square ; and it may be taken as a good example of the ordinary schools of the city. The school building originally con- sisted of two very handsome houses, which were adapted and extended in 1895, at a cost of forty thousand dollars. Here the daily average attendance of pupils numbers seven hundred and fifty. There are altogether fifteen schools under the direct control of the Protestant Commissioners, having a daily attendance of over eight thousand pupils, and there are also a number of private schools and busi- ness colleges. The Catholic schools number over seventy, of which the nuns of the Congregation de Notre Dame direct twent3'-eight, attended by some ten thousand pupils ; and the Brothers of the Christian Schools ( whose mother-house was illustrated on page 24) have control of eight, with six thousand pupils. HJJ.iU.IJ.IJ.l -JvJ'.^ . T VV. T .^ iijmj.iij.JAiUiimui.4u.i.i.u.i.i.u.-K T ♦ "t t"" f tf t t- 1 ♦ t t tftt t.t t -f- 1 t -f t t t t t t t t tt t-f t "t't f ♦ t t ♦ * ^fffif^ '1 Chapter VL THE CHIEF BUILDINGS HE Chateau de Ramezay, by reason of its historical associations, occupies first place amongst the public buildings of the city. It is a long, low, old-fashioned-looking building, facing the City Hall, being erected in 1705 by Claude de Ramezay, Governor of Mont- real ; and occupied b}- him as his official residence for nearly twenty years, during which time he directed the military operations against the Indians and the English colonies. After his death, in 1724, his widow retained posses- sion of the chateau until it became the property of " Ea Compagnie des Indes," in 1745. For some years it was the headquarters of this great fur company, and hither came, twice a year, large crowds of coiircurs des bois and Indians to exchange their products for other merchandise. After the conquest it came into the hands of a Mr. William Grant, who leased it to the British Government, by whom it was used once more as the residence of the governors. When the American revolutionary army occupied Montreal, in 1775, ^Montgomery made the chateau his headquar- ters, and from here were issued manifestoes and ad- dresses to the Canadian people calling upon them to cast off their allegiance to Great Britain. Commis- sioners were appointed b}' the American Congress to persuade the Canadians to join the thirteen colonies in their revolt, and Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase and Charles Carroll (one of Gartieii oi the Chateau tie Ranie/ 62 THi<: cniiu' m'li.DiNcs the signatories of the Declaration of Independence) held many futile conferences here, especially with the Roman Catholic clergy. Franklin brought with him a printing-press, which was set u]) in the vaults of the chateau by a French printer named Mesplet (see page 25). When the Americans retired, the Gov- ment once more took over the chateau, finally purchasing it for the official residence of the governors. For many years it was known as " Ciovernment House," and after the union of Upper and Lower Canada, in 1841, when Montreal became the political capital, it was used as departmental offices. In 1849 the Rebellion Losses Bill was passed, by which those who had taken part in the rebellion of '37 were to be compensated for the losses they had sustained. This so enraged the more loyal citizens that they arose in a mob and burned the Parliament House { situated wdiere there is now the open space op- posite the new Grand Trunk Railway offices). The bill was saved and taken to the chateau by the Earl of Elgin, who was mobbed on his en- trance and exit from the building. This rising caused the removal of the seat of government from Montreal, and the vacated chateau was utilized as a court house, and con- tinued as such until the completion of the present Court House. It was then used as the headquarters of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for Lower Canada, and, afterwards, the Jacques Cartier Normal School had possession until 1872, when they moved out to the building on Pare Lafontaine. When a branch of Laval University was opened in Montreal, it took up its quarters here, only to give place to a magistrate's court, a little later, which continued its tenancj- until 1893, in which 5'ear it was transferred to the present Court House. The Government having resolved to sell the property, the Numismatic and Anti- quarian Society took steps to acquire it for the people, and, thanks to their endeavours, the buildings and land were purchased by the city in 1893. It is to-day one of the most interesting and instructive places in Montreal, containing a unique collection of old prints, pictures, coins, arms, and relics of every descrip- tion. The old council-chamber, kitchen and massive vaults can still be seen, the latter being as perfect as when first built. The chateau lies back a little from c Raiueza\ . TIIK CHIEF BUILDINGS 63 Notre Dame street, with a garden in front, in which there is placed an old cannon found by a wrecking-vessel when working on a sunken coal-steamer in Louisbourg harbour, some years ago. It is believed to have been part of the armament of the French frigate "La Prudente," that went down, after burning to the water's- edge, during the siege of Louisbourg in 1758. The Numismatic and Antiquarian Society now have charge of the nuiseum. Almost opposite the chateau are two large stone buildings, the one to the east being the City Hall, and the other the Court House. The only distinguish- ing features about them are the clock-tower and corner-turrets of the City Hall, and the Ionic portico of the Court House. They both have frontage on Notre Dame street, and overlook the Champ de Mars in the rear, the picture below showing the latter view. The civic meetings in the City Hall are conducted in both the French and English languages, making it practically essential that the aldermen should speak both tongues fluently. The officials are mostly French, and, like all civil servants, have a delightfully easy time. The vaults underneath the Court House contain many historical records of the city. The Court House was erected in 1S56, on the site of the old Jesuit monaster}-, and a tablet on the walls records the history as follows: "Here stood the church, chapel and resi- dence of the Jesuit Fathers. Built 1692. Occupied as military headquarters 1800. Burnt 1803." Charlevoix and Lafitau, amongst others, sojourned here. On the square in front four Iroquois suffered death by fire, in reprisal, b}- order of Frontenac, 1696. The next public building to be described is the Post Office, on St. James street, adjoining the Bank of Montreal. This was finished in 1876, and is a handsome building in the French Renaissance stvle, surmounted bv a clock- city Hall and Court House. 64 Till': CIlIl'I' lUII.DINC.S tower. Tlie sortins;' and ^dclix'crv of the mails is liaiuUcd \-er\- expeditionsl\-, but the interior arrangements for selling stamps, money-orders, etc., and the parcels customs department are more suitable for a town of twenty thousand people than a city with over three hundred thousand. The Bank of Montreal, shown next the Post Office and also opposite, has already been referred to, with a short history of its growth, so that it ma>- be passed by now with but a few words. It takes high rank amongst the banking institutions of the world, coming clo.se after the "Old Lady of Threadneedle Street," better known in this country, perhaps, as the Bank of England. Its directors have invariably been men of such high character and proved ability as to make the .soundness of their banking policy a foregone conclusion. This, indeed, apphes to the Canadian banks in general, institutions such as the Bank of British North America, Molsons Bank, Canadian Bank of Commerce, etc., having a reputation that extends far beyond Canadian commercial circles. There are thirty-four chartered banks in Canada, with an authorized capital of $76,000,000 and a paid-up capi- tal of $68,000,000. Montreal being the great commercial centre of the Dominion, contains the head-offices of a number of the banks, and branches of all the most important. The latest to open business here is the Sovereign Bank of Canada, which com- menced business on the ist of May, 1902. Bank of Montreal and Post Office. ^he Government issucs $1, $2 and $4 bills, and also one or two of high denomination, but the bulk of the currency is issued by the various banks in $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills. This note circulation is guaranteed by a deposit made with the Dominion Government by each one, which is drawai upon, if necessary, to redeem the notes of any bank that should go into hquidation — an eventuality that has not yet come to pass. The growth of the city westwards is now making it necessary for the various banks to follow their clients ; and, consequently, branches are being opened up in the western part of the cit3^ where, a year or two ago, a bank building was unknown. On several choice corner sites building operations are already under way, and, if the finished buildings come up to the plans, Montreal will soon become as celebrated for her banks as for her churches. The illustrations on page 65 show some typical bank buildings in the city. The Bank of British North America ranks next to the Bank of Mont- real as regards age, being opened in 1837. It is a building that few people SOME OF THE PRINCIPAI^ BANKS 1. Bank of Toronto. 2. Bank of British North America. 3. Molsons Bank. 4. Bank of Montreal. 5. I^a Banque Nationale. 66 TIIK CIIIi:i' lU'Il.DlXC.S notice, owing- to its frontage beincr flush with the neighbouring ofiices. It is, however, well w^orthy of attention. Molsons Bank, on the same side of St. James street, but a little further west, is a massive building" of dark stone, with pillars of polished Scotch granite, and dates back to 1H55. The Bank of Toronto has a commanding position facing Victoria vSquare, and, being built of red sand- stone, is one of the most conspicuous buildings down-town. The American flag, flying here, marks the United States Consulate, located above the bank. La Banque Nationale is one of the leading French banks, and occupies modern ])remises at the top of Place d' Amies Hill. Other important buildings (which, un- fortunately, do not lend themselves to il- illustration) are the Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Merchants Bank of Canada, on the north side of St. James street ( two of Mont- real' s "sky scrapers"), the Ro3'al Bank of Canada, on Notre Dame street, and the Bank of Hochelaga, on St. James street, east of the Place d'Armes. The two buildings next illustrated are, respectively, the Drill-Hall, on Craig street, opposite the Champ de Mars, and the "Vies" Armoury, on Cathcart street. The first mentioned Drill-Hall and Victoria Rifles' Armoury. COVCrS an ilUmeUSe picCC of grOUUd, and contains a main hall capable of holding fifteen thousand people, with quarters for the different volunteer regiments represented in Montreal, i.e., ist Prince of Wales Fusiliers, 3rd Victoria Rifles, 5th Royal Scots, the 65th, Garrison Artillery, Montreal Field Battery, Duke of Connaught's Hussars, Army Medical Corps, and the Army Transport. The only regiment that has a home of its own is the 3rd \'ictoria Rifles, popularly knowai as " The Vies." This regiment was organized in 1862, and the Armoury opened in 1S87, being built and fitted up by subscrip- tions raised amonofst the members and the leading; business houses and citizens of THK CHIEF HUILDINGS 67 ihe cit\- ; the nienibers devotino^ their yearly grant from the Government to main- taining^ it. The Iniilding contains mess-rooms, officers' ciuarters, bowHng-alleys, Morris-tube rifle-ranges, billiard-rooms, etc., and a s])lendid drill-hall, fitted with a fine stage at one end, for use in theatrical entertainments and concerts. The regiment is authorized to bear the word "Ecclcs Hill in recognition of services rendered b}' the corps in that engagement during the Fenian raid of 1870. The Inland Revenue Ofhce is an old square building, situated in a little square on the river- front, near the Custom House, and is sometimes known as the Old Cus- tom House. This square was the first public square of Montreal, and for some time the town market- place, being granted to the town by the seigneurs of St. Sulpice, in 1676. Many of the horrible public executions un- der the old French law took place here. The picture on page 30 shows the appearance of the square in 1830, the building in the background being the old Point a Callieres store, on the site of which the Custom House now stands. Near-b}" is the Sailors' Institute — a highly popular institute amongst seafaring men — which has first-rate reading, writing and game rooms, and provides concerts every Tuesday, tea and temperance meetings on Saturdays, and religious services on Sundays. Within a few 3'ards of the square is the new Custom House, a handsome triangular building, almost on the water-edge. To Montrealers this ought to be the most revered spot in the whole city, as it was on this very piece of land that Cham- plain established the trading post which marked the first white man's settlement on the island. Maisonneuve also landed near this point, an obelisk standing in the middle of Foundling street marking the exact spot Inland Revenue Office (Place Royale). ( see page St. Peter's river had an out- let into the St. Lawrence along Foundling street, and the triangle of land formed thereby was known for many years as Place Royale. The present building was purchased in 1S70, and an Custom House. 68 THic ciiiici' r.ni.Dixcs immense volume of business is transacted under its roof. The street running the length of the harbour- front is known as Commissioners street, but, owing to the present harbour inipr()\-ements, it is not now in \-ery good sha])e. A walk along the top of the revetment- wall gives a capital idea of the extent of the new har- bour works. In the rear of Custom House Square there is s small court, off St. Paul street, which leads to the warehouse of Frothingham & Workman. The space occupied by this court was the site of the first manor- house in Montreal, a tablet on the wall recording the facts, as follows : ' ' Upon this foundation stood the Windsor street station (Canadian Pacific Railway). first manor-house of Montreal, built 1661, burnt 1852, rebuilt 1853. ^^ "^^'^^ ^^^^ Seminar}- of vSt. Sulpice from 1661 to 1712. Residence of de Mai.sonneuve, Governor of Montreal, and of Pierre Raimbault. Civil and Criminal Lieutenant- General. ' ' . The buildings .so far mentioned have been practically of a public character, and now those belonging to private corporations or companies will be taken ; the most important of which are the railway stations. The .station of the Canadian Pacific Railwa}- is one of the most impo.sing-looking buildings in Montreal, and is situated on the southwest corner of Dominion Square. Besides being the terminus of a transcontinental journey of two thousand nine ^*Ss, hundred and ninet}- miles, it also contains the \, general offices of the company, a .short hi.story of which may prove interesting. The con- .struction of a railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific was fir.st decided iipon in 1867, > by the then newly confed- ^|l erated Dominion of Canada. '^1^ The first eight years were ■'"^"'^ ° **' taken up with survey work and consideration of con- flicting opinions, construc- tion proper not being start- ed tmtil 1875. Even then Bonaventure Station (Grand Trunk Railway System). TIIlv CIIIKI' lU'ILDIXaS 69 SO little headwa.v was made, that, in 1880, it was decided to surrender the work to a private company, and the following year the Canadian Pacific Railway Com- pany was organized, who contracted to com])lete the line within ten years in consideration of twenty-five mil- lion dollars in money, twenty-five million acres of agricultural land, and the free gift of such road as -jk m.^ A ^^ was already built. In spite of the financial and engineering difficul- ties of the first few years, the work was successfully completed, and, on the 7th November, 1885, the last rail was laid in the main line ; and at the close of the year the Company, not yet five years old, was in possession of no less than 431 5 miles of railroad. (This fig- uie has now grown to 8646 miles. ) Although the Canadian Pa- ^'^"^^ ^"'^" ^°'"'- cific has the greatest mileage of any Canadian railway, the Grand Trunk System is the pioneer line of the Dominion, and, in fact, one of the earliest pioneers of railway enterprise on the whole American continent. Their charter was granted in 1 85 1, and two years later the Hue from Montreal to Portland, Maine, a distance of two hundred and ninety-.seven miles, was opened. Since that time, by the extension of the main line and branches and the consolidation of several other railroads, the entire system has grown to such an extent that now a total mileage of four thousand one hun- dred and eighty-two miles is under the one management. The enterprise which materialized this solidification of rival lines into one harmonious S5-stem, has extended a net- work of steel over every city and town Windsor Hotel. 70 TH}-; ciiii':i' Hni.Dixcis Young Men's Christian Association Building. of importance in the Province of Ontario and the vState of Michi,i;an in the west, and the Province of Ouel^ec and vStates of \'erniont, New Hani])shire and Maine in the east, and lias united the threat lakes with the Atlantic, tai)i)in«; the enor- mous trade of Lakes Krie, Huron and Michi- gan at a number of points. The Montreal .station is situated at the foot of Wind.sor .street, the general offices of the company occupying magnifi- cent new i)remiseson McGill .street. Other railways entering Mont- real are the Intercolonial, the Can- ada Atlantic, the vSt. Lawrence and Adirondack, the New York Cen- tral, the Delaware and Hudson, the Central Vermont, the Rutland, and the Great Northern railways. Two of the leading hotels of Montreal are chosen for illu.stration. The Windsor, on the corner of Dor- chester street and Dominion Square, has a ver}' commanding position, facing the finest square in the city, and at the same time being in the centre of the best part of the town and quite near the railway stations. It is, apparentl}-, popular with vi.sitors to the city, and its four hundred rooms and magnificent rotunda are invariablj^ well filled. An immense concert-hall is situated in the rear, where such artists as Madame Albani, Paderewski (not to .speak of the infant prodigies with the foreign names) are to be heard when they are visit- ing this continent. The other picture shows the Place Viger Hotel and Station of the Canadian Pacific Raihvay, this being one of the .series of magnificent hotels own- ed and operated b}- that company. The .station oc- cupies the .site of the old citadel, built in 1685, which replaced the mill erected by Maisonneuve Art Gallery. 'nil'. ciiii:i' luii.Dixcs 71 in 1660. The liill on which it was Ijnill was levelled and ])resented U) the cit>-, in 1821, b\- Ivirl Dalhonsie, and the scjnare thns formed was named after the donor. In 1898, when the present station and hotel were opened, the square lost its character as an open space, and is now used as freight->ards by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Amono^st other first-class hotels are the vSt. Lawrence Hall, on vSt. James street, near the Post Office ; the Queen's, opposite the (xrand Trunk vStation ; and the Turkish Bath, on McOill College avenue (an up-town hotel). Coming now to buildings that have more of a social character, first place nnist be given to the Yoiuig Men's Christian Association, on Dominion vScjuare. This is a very striking-looking building of red brick, faced with gray stone, and is an institution that has accomplished an immeasurable amount of good in encour- aging the physical, moral and social development of its members. The interior is supplied with every requirement for carrying out this work ; containing a first- rate hall, reading-room, dainty parlour, library, lecture and class rooms, a splen- did swimming-bath, and a gymnasium as near perfect as money can make it. A limited number of cosily-furnished rooms can be rented by the members, and a long list of applicants, waiting for a vacancy, is the surest sign of how valuable they are regarded. Montreal was the first city in America to foinid a Young Men's Christian Association, and it has good reason to be proud of the result. Another institution that has for its object the development of character, although in a more limited degree, is the Art Gallery, on Phillips Square. This belongs to the Art Association, founded, in i860, by the late Bi.shop Fulford. Unfortunately its appearance is spoiled by the shops that occupy the lower part, as the}' di.stract the eye from the building, and give to it the aspect of a mere block of stores. The association is indebted to the late Benaiah Gibb for the site, the start of the collection, and sufhcient money to erect the present gallery. Although containing no very valuable pictures as yet, there are several fine examples of the Dutch school and an excellent nucleus for what will soon be a collection worthy of the city. Loan exhibitions take place from time to time, when man}' art-treasures from Europe and the States are on view ; and art-classes are held in the studios of the association, under the direction of competent nia.s- ters, by which a complete course of study may be followed, at a very reasonable fee. The membership-roll now stands at seven hundred and seventy-two, and the number of visits to the gallery for the year 1902 was twenty-two thousand six hundred and sixteen. There are several private collections in the city, owned by different citizens, any one of which would alone do credit to a fir.st-class art-gallery of a large city. The clubs of Montreal are many and varied, comprising social clubs, athletic clubs, yacht clubs, hunt clubs, etc. The two chief social clubs are the'St. James's Club, on Dorchester street, and the Mount Royal Club, on vSherbrooke street — snobbishly nicknamed the " Millionaires' Club." The former was established in 72 Till'; ciii]';]" iu'ii**i eocenes of historical events by neat marble tablets affixed to the walls of the buildings in various parts of the city.) On the Imperial Building a tablet reads: "Near this square, afterwards named Placed' Amies, the found- ers of Ville Marie first encountered the Iroquois, whom they defeated, Chomedy de Maisonneuve killing the chief with his own hands, 30th March, 1644." From a tablet on the Bank of Montreal we learn that "the stone fortifications of Ville Marie extended from Dalhousie vSquare through this site to McGill street, thence south to Com- missioners street, and along the latter to the Began 1721 by Chausse-gros de Lery. Demolished 1817." Americans will find interest in a house on the south-east corner of the square, for "here lived, in 1675, Daniel de Gresolon, Sieur Duluth, one of the explorers of the upper Mississippi, after whom the cit}^ of Duluth was named ;" also in another house, a little further east, distinguished by a tablet reading : "In 1694 here stood the house of La Mothe Cadillac, the founder of Detroit." Place d'Armes was originall}^ the cemetery in which the first pioneers were buried, later on becoming the chief square of the town and the parade-ground, in turn, of the French, American, and British troops. It was not until 1S36 that the city acquired the land from the Seminar}', and many years elapsed before any attempt was made to lay out a garden. The Seminary (illustrated on page 7 ) still preserves the same appearance as when built, in 17 10, except for the loss of a wing at the east- ern end, which was demolished in 1 85 1, three years after the erec- tion of the new addition next the church. This new addition was built to accommodate the teach- ers of the Seminary, but, being in too confined a situation, another large building was erected, in 1854, on the hill behind the Montreal College. In the vaults of the Seminar}' are kept the old registers of the city from its commencement, besides a number of Place d'Armes. 8o Tine SQUARES AND TAKKS The "Bottle" and Nelson's Monument priceless literary treasures relating to the history of the city, and Canada generalh'. The interior of the building has remained the same for two hundred years ; and the low flag- stone passages, the signs of immense strength in the building (even the partition-walls being two to three feet thick ) , the Louis Quatorze clocks, the old chairs that came out from France in the seventeenth century — all mark the building as belonging to an age past and gone. The severe austerity of the Sulpician's life is evidenced by the floors, bare walls, and plain hard chairs and beds alone to be seen, the only carpet or upholstered chair in the entire building being in the Bishop's apart- ments — a bed-room and sitting-room reserved for such bishop as may visit the Seminary. The following interesting tablets contain a great deal of important history in brief space: "The Seminary of St. Sulpice, founded at Paris by Monsieur Jacques Olier, 1641 ; established at Ville-Marie 1657, Monsieur Gabriel de Queylus, superior ; Seigneurs of the Island of Mont- real, 1663;" and "Francois Dollier de Casson, first historian of Montreal, captain under Marshal de Turenne, then priest of St. Sulpice during thirty-five 3'ears. He died in 1701, cure of the parish." Besides I'Abbe Troie, the parish priest, there are twenty-four priests living in the Sem- inary, who serve in Notre Dame Church, the Nazareth Church, Bon- secours Church, the Gre}- Nunnery, Congregation de Notre Dame, etc. The statue that stands in the centre of the square proper is about the hand- somest piece of sculpture on the con- tinent, and represents Maisonneuve in the cuirass and costume of the seventeenth centur}-, holding the fieur-de-lys banner. On the granite pedestal is inscribed ' ' Paul de Chom- edy de Maisonneuve, fondateur de The Court House Garden THE SQUARES AND PARKS 8l Montreal, 1642." Set in the base of the pedestal are four bas-reliefs, representing (i) Maisonneuve killing the Iroquois chief; (2) the founding of Ville-Marie ; (3) the death of Lambert Closse — one of the soldiers of the "Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph" (see page II), who fell while bravely defending some colonists attacked by the Iroquois, 6th February, 1662 ; (4) the death of Bollard (see page 12). At each corner is a life-size figure representing, respectively, an Iroquois, a sol- dier, a colonist with his dog, and Jeanne Mance tying up the wounded hand of an Indian child. Two large "sky scraping" structures have lately been erect- ed on the west side of the square ; and, with the New York Life building on the east, the Bank of Jacques Cartier Square on Market-day. Montreal and the Imperial build- ing on the north, and the huge church of Notre Dame on the south, the old, low, black-walled Seminary, which for two hundred and fifty years has been so indis- solubly linked with this square, will soon be lost amongst the towering build- ings that surround it. Continuing east along Notre Dame street, a shady little square can be noticed in front of the Court House, and al- though not so generally- used by the public, it is none the less welcome to the eye. These glimpses of green turf and trees in the heart of the busi- ness part of the city are so refreshing that it is a wonder even more open spaces are not thus util- ized. At the further end of the square is a large bottle, standing some Garden of the Seminary of St. Sulpice. 82 THE SOI'AKIvS AND TAKKS twenty feet high and used as a news])aper kiosk. The City Fathers, in their fond care of the peo])le's moral welfare, are deliberating as to the advisability of having this removed, it being considered as out of keeping with the reputation of the cit\-. The column, that may be noticed in the background, was erected b>- public subscription, in 1S09, to the memory of Nelson, and the panels around the base represent the battles of the Nile, Copen- hagen and Trafalgar. Between the monument and the river lies Jacques Cartier Square, in the neighbourhood of which are some of the oldest houses in Montreal St. Amable street (see page 14) is on the right-hand side near the bottom of the hill, and in close proximity, on St. Therese, ivafontame park. St. Gabriel, St. Jean Baptiste, Vaudreuil and St. Vincent streets, old houses may be found, still in good preservation, that were erected nearly two hundred and lift}' years ago. The square on market da3'S is the scene of one of the quaintest gatherings in Montreal, an open-air market being held on Tuesdays and Fridays. The country farmers and habitants drive in on the preceding day and sleep on, in, or under their carts until sunrise, when the trading begins. Then commences the jabbering, the gesticulating, the haggling over odd cents and a host of little inci- dents typical of the provincial French-Canadian. In addition to food-stuff, there can be bought all kinds of home-made articles, such as rag-carpets, baskets and chairs, native-grown tobacco, etc. ; and a stroll through the bargaining crowd is interesting in the extreme. On the other side of the Cit}- Hall is a large open space known as the Champ de Mars, of which a picture was shown on page 25. This was the militarj' parade-ground during the days of the British garrison, and is now used b}- the volunteers, etc. The old city walls ran along the middle of the square, the foundation of which still remain, although hid- den from view below the ground. St. l,ouis Square. TIIK SOUARKS AND PARKS 8-, pt?!^ tj^i:^&^J^- ; .■■>'i*5li|' WB'piPrv : ? C '^J " '-']- :'WiH Ifcffllr ^ BBTiBr / 1 \tW'i'' ^|f||ljinw m:'::ii.*[j. -V' ^:^f^': ■■':^r. W.::.^^^ i^m^ - -'^ ':,- Below the Champ de Mars, but further east, is Viger Square, facing the Canadian Pacific Railway Station. It was named after Jacques Viger, the first mayor of Montreal, and is very popular with the French residents of the district. When a band plays in the evening, the large crowds that attend to listen to the music prove the appreciation with which it is regarded. It is a great pity that the musical talent of the various regiments and societies in Montreal cannot be utilized more in this direction. The latest acquisition to the public spaces of Montreal lies on the east of Amherst street, just above Sherbrooke, and consists of about eighty-four acres. It has been christened Lafontaine Park, and only recenth' taken over by the city, the space being formerly known as Logan's Farm, and the name being changed westmotmt Park. in deference to the wish of the French majority on the City Council. It is, at present, not quite completed, but promises to be the prettiest square in the city, when the work now in progress be finished. One half consists of a deep hollow, surrounded by sloping banks, and is to have a series of terraces artistically^ arranged, with ornamental ponds below. The other half is on a higher level, and is tastefully laid out with trees and flower- beds, and has an elegant band -stand. A fine riding-track extends the entire length of the park. The large building on the east side of the park is the Jacques Cartier Normal School, erected in 1872. The daintiest little square in the cit}- — St. lyOuis — is the next to be viewed. This lies on the west side of St. Denis street, a little above Sher- " ^' " ' brooke. Not very large, viger Square. 84 Till'; S(Jl'AR]';S AM) I'ARKS and nothing; iin])()siiii;' al)()Ut it, >X't it j^jives one the impression of being just perfect. A lake occupies ]-)art of the grounds, with a large fountain playing in the centre, as well as one in each corner. Many stately trees give shade to the seats that are placed around, and the handsome turretted houses surround- ing the square add to, rather than detract from, the beauty of the spot. Several smaller squares and open spaces are to be found in various parts of the city, but none of them call for special mention. The park at Westmount, however, deserves more than a passing word, as it is exceed- ingl}' pretty and preserves many natural beauties. The opportunity offered, by a small wood and one or two ponds, was taken hold of and made the most of ; and now\ rustic walks and bridges, sequestered nooks °""" ^° ^"- ^"^^^ ^^'"^• for seats, and a long, narrow pond (that has all the effect of a stream) com- bine to make the Westmount Park a credit to its originators. Two parks remain to be described — two parks of such widely different char- acter, and yet each so absolutely perfect, that Montreal stands unrivalled in the position of possessing the two loveliest parks in the world. Mount Ro3^al, rising in the rear of the cit}' to a height of over nine hun- dred feet, is dedicated to the people in perpetuity, being acquired, in i860, from various private proprietors, as a result of popular outcry at one of their number felling the timber and thereby greatl)^ disfiguring the side. Four hundred and sixty-two acres are laid out with drives, rustic steps, seats, etc., and there are footpaths leading off into every direc- tion, following which one can wander for miles amidst a luxuriant under- growth of ferns and flowers. From the summit such a glorious view is to be Incline Railway to top of Mount Koyal. THE SQUARI<:S AND I'ARKS 85 obtained that words but faintly suggest the rare grandeur of the scene. On one side — far away below — stretches the city, with its glittering domes and spires, its long line of shipping, its massive public institutions, its villas embowered in trees ; and beyond, the gleaming waters of the St. Lawrence, flowing quietl}-, but irresistibly, towards the great ocean that one's eyes almost unconsciously strive to descry. In the background, gaunt, rugged peaks rise up from the plains, which in former ages belched forth fire and smoke, and which now, although worn out and helpless, still defiantly rear their heads towards the sky ; wdiilst further back again are to be seen the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Adirondacks of New York State. To the west lies Nuns' Island ; and a glimpse is to be had of the foam- crested waves of the La- chine Rapids, be- yond which stretch fertile fields that gradually dissolve into the haze of the horizon. To the north, the marble statuary of the cemeteries ma}' be discerned in the immediate fore- ground, with the Ottawa river fur- ther back, showing like a silvery thread through the trees, as it flow^s round the island to join the St. Law^rence ; and in the far away distance lies the rugged Laurentian range, which marks the beginning of those unknown wilds that stretch in unbroken solitude to the far away north. Truly did Jacques Cartier name this place "Mont Royal." The summit can be reached by several lovely carriage-roads winding round the mountain-side, intersected, here and there, by more direct foot-paths. On the eastern side is the ' ' IncHne Railway " or " Mountain Elevator ' ' (starting from Fletcher's Field), by which special cars carry passengers to the "Look-out" for a small fee. De MaisoUneuve is reported to have made a pilgrimage to the top, in 1643, in fulfilment of a vow made in the winter on the occasion of a great flooding of the river, which swept up to the foot of the town palisades, and was, he believed, stayed by prayers. High-level Reservoir, Mount Royal Park. 86 THE SOITARE.S AND PARKS vSt. Helen's Island (so named by Chaniplain after his wife) lies opposite the cit}', and is reached by a ferry at frequent intervals from the wliarf opposite Bonsecours Church. As a place for an ideal afternoon's outin*; this park is unrivalled, as there can be found anmsements to suit all — from the young people who love the merry-go-round, to the weary city man who washes quiet and solitude. At the lower end of the island is an open-air swimming-bath, Iniilt out in the St. Lawrence and belonging to the Montreal vSwimming Club. Interesting rel- ics of byegone days remain in the form of an old loopholed blockhouse, situated amidst the trees, and the ruins of Baron de Longueuil's residence at the back The Old Blockhouse. of the present restaurant. The Longueuil family acquired the island in 1688, but it was sold by them to the Government in 1818, for military purposes. The greater part of the island was granted b}- the Govern- ment to the cit3% in 1874, as a public park, but the north-east corner is still reserved for militar}' purposes, being surrounded on the land side by a high palisade. On this island was played the last scene but one in the drama of the French rule in Canada, as on the night previous to the surrender of the cit}' to the British, the Marquis de Levis, commanding the French army, burned his flags in the pre- sence of his troops, rather than allow them to fall into the hands of the enemy. On St. Helen's Island. MI n U n I n ^ ' ! ' I '^ '■ I '^ ^' ^ '^ '^ n n I T T r r t i n J II J n r i j j n rj. Chapter VIII. SPORTvS AND PASTIMES NTERESTING as Montreal ma}- be in historical recollections, in fine buildings, and in beautiful parks and surroundings, it is the health-giving properties of the climate and the innumerable attrac- tions of outdoor life that give to the cit}' its principal charm. One instinctiveh^ associates the word " Canada " with vigour, health and sport ; maj^be from actual knowledge of the people, or from the memory of some delightful excursion into the Laurentian hills, or, perhaps, from the man}- vivid pen-pictures of various writers. Each season has its own peculiar charms, although, from a purel}^ city point of view, winter easily holds first place. During the summer, people are divided between the lake districts, the Gulf resorts, and the thousand and one holiday haunts in different parts of the country ; but in winter, all efforts at amusement and recreation are necessarily concentrated in the immediate vicinity of their homes. Winter is, indeed, hailed with delight, everyone being weary of the preval- ence of mud and the lowering sky, and oppressed by the sight of decaying vegetation, that tells of summer dead and gone. There is a longing for the sound of the dear tinkle of the sleigh- bells, and for the sight of the pure white mantle of snow, that hides the dreary ground until the j'oung green shoots appear next spring. Canadians (with the exception of a few individuals, here and there, who, owing to the ill-advised advertising of their country in the past, are now hj^stericalh' irritated at the mere mention in print of the word ' ' snow ' ' ) fully realize the bless- ing of the deep, long-continued snow, the value of which, even if it did no more than Sleighing on Sherbrooke St .SPORTS AND PASTlMIvS The Westmount Rink. keep down dust, would l)e priceless to health and comfort. But it also shields and fertilizes the ground, distributes water gradually, provides broad bridges over rivers and lakes, and allows the easiest and most pleasant of all possible travelling. The first steady snowfall is keenly, almost anxiously, awaited ; until finally, some morning you are aw^akened by the sense that an evenly diffused and pleasant light is in the bedroom. With something like a thrill, you recognize that a friend has come back, and 3'ou spring up and go to the window. The ground is white, the houses over the way seem to snuggle cosily down as they did not 3'esterday ; they appear lower, because their roofs, lintels, steps and sills are capped with adornments of the ground's new colour. Little fleeces are falling steadil}', so shrouding the distance that the buildings, the trees and the sky all seem blended into a new agreeable intimacy. A sort of enchantment prevails, diminishing the immense size of the world, and making its visible people more cheery. Passers-by step out briskly, their cheeks freshened ; and the filaments of the girls' hair hold little decorative particles of white, wdiile the enhanced brightness of their eyes surely denotes new gladness. The small boys are pelting one another, and taking an occasional shy at cabbies and police- men, who have not the heart to protest angrily against what they once liked to do themselves, and what they wash the dignit>' of manhood would permit them to do now. Over 3'onder, some little girls, red-sashed and red-stockinged, are out with their sleds. For pure glee, they skip rather than slide ; and one can see in their looks a happy assurance that winter is come once more. All the world is merry wdth tinkling of _bells and laughter ; and so dear is the prospect outdoors, that you grudge the time given to breakfast, the newspaper, the da3^'s work; and, in fact, everything that re- strains you from the prime Canadian duty of proceeding to rejoice manifestl}' in the snow. It is difficult to say which is the most popular of the many different forms of amusements indulged in dur- ing the winter months, as A Drive Round the Jlountain. SPORTS AND PASTIMKS Finish of a Skating Race for the American Championship on the M. A. A. Rink. each, in turn, appeals to a particular section of the people. The three most in evidence are sleighing, skating and snowshoeing. Sleighing in the city proper is, of course, a necessity to those who wish to move expeditiously without taking the cars, — but a necessity that is at the same time a pleasure. It is during a "drive" round the mountain, however, that the full enjoy- ment of speeding along over the crisp snow, to the sound of the tinkling bells, is to be appre- ciated ; or, better still, when a party is formed, some moonlight night, to drive out to L,achine or the ' ' Back River ' ' and partake of a merry supper there before returning to the city. Skating is an amusement that can be enjoyed by both old and 3'oung, as no great activity- is required, and the number of rinks, both covered and open, makes it a ver}- easy matter to find some sheet of excellent skating ice in every quarter. The most celebrated rinks are the "\'ictoria," immediately behind the Windsor Hotel, one of the finest covered rinks in the world, the Montagnard, and the Westmount Rink, belonging to the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. This association, generally spoken of as the M. A. A. A., is by far the most important and influential of the many amateur athletic associations in the city, and its members number over two thousand. It was incorporated in 1881, and included all the leading clubs at that time, amongst others being the Montreal Snowshoe Club (the old "Tuque Bleue"), the Mont- real Lacrosse Club, the Montreal Football Club, etc., and it has alwaj's taken a strong lead in everything relating to sport. The list of members includes the names of the best known men in Montreal, and the headquarters are situated in a handsome building on Mansfield street. Their grounds at Westmount are very extensive, being used in summer for tennis, lacrosse, cricket and football ; while in winter the greater part is flooded and converted into a rink, which is in\-ariably crowded with a merry throng of skaters. Here takes place the skating champion- ship of America, records being made at every meeting, only to be broken, how- ever, at the next. At the Victoria Rink are to be seen the famous fancy-dress carnivals, which, with- out exception, make the most picturesque sight in America. The huge hall is deco- rated with streaming- banners and countless Chinese lanterns, and Trotting Races at Deloriniier Park. 90 SPORTS AND PASTIMES ablaze with electric lights, while on the ice may be seen every variety of quaint and gorgeous costumes — from a devil to an abbe, and a savage redskin to a stately monarch in all his regal splendour. Snowshoeing is a most fas cinating pastime, and one that affords more varietj- than any other, by reason of the fact that it is not confined to any particular ground. Off you go, wherever the fancy takes you, tramping over the deep snow as safel}^ as though on a macadam road, the broad surface of the snow- shoes taking you easily over places that are otherwise inaccessible. There are a number of snowshoe clubs in the city, chief of which are the old Tuque Bleue, the St. George, and lyC Montagnard. The various clubs arrange "tramps" twice a week, as a rule, with now and again an amalgamated " meet " or torch- light procession. The ladies are as enthusiastic as the men, and in their pic- turesque blanket costumes or jerseys, their red or blue tuques and their multi- coloured sashes, make as bonny a picture of unaffected girlhood as can be seen all the world over. A tramp over the mountain at night is something that will live in the memory for many a year. First, a scramble up the mountain side, with laughter and jokes at someone floundering in a deep patch of soft snow ; then, a cut across the road at the top before defiling through the dark, gloom}- wood, which, however, soon echoes with the merriment of the party. Next comes A Tramp Round the Mountain (St. George Snowshoe Club). Hockey Match at the Victoria Rink. Sl'ORTS AXD TASTnilCS 91 the supper at Lumpkin's, with songs and music, and then home again to the city, which is now setthng into the silence of midnight. Then there is the "bounce," when a new member is seized by ready hands and tossed right up in the air, to be caught again safely as he descends ; and a "club-night," when the members and their guests spend the evening at the club-houses, with songs, dances and recitations, surrounded on all sides by trophies of every kind of sport. Another amusement once more in vogue is tobogganing, which, however, requires a certain amount of nerve. The small boy is in his element here. An}^ thing from a twenty-dollar toboggan to a stave from a broken barrel (the latter The Park Toboggan Slide. from preference as being the more exciting) will serve him, and away he goes, whizzing down the hill, perfectly happy. Regular slides are built in places, with the snow well looked after, so that a perfect surface is always kept ; and the speed attained when descending one of these is marvellous. Toboggans, large enough to hold four or five people, go by like a flash, and, for those who enjo}^ a sensation, nothing can be more exhilarating. The Park Slide, illustrated here, is the best of all the slides, and is situated on the western slope of the mountain ; and it is quite a common thing to see men, well on in the sixties, spend the whole of an afternoon in shooting down the slide and pulling their toboggans up the hill again, repeating this performance ten or twelve times. It is no light test of a girl's pluck to fly down a hill, lying full length on a toboggan, face downward ; and 92 SPORTS AND I>ASTI]\1KS Ice-yachting on I,ake St. I,oui yet, not only one but scores can be seen doing this. The pastimes mentioned, so far, may be said to be practised by everyone, but there are a number of games which require more or less skill, and these are brought to a high state of excellence in Montreal. Chief of these is hockey — the fastest and most exciting game in the world. It is quite impossible for any one who has not seen hockey pla3'ed to realize the ter- rific pace, the lightning quickness of mo\'ement, the presence of mind, the accuracy of eye, and, above all, the steady nerve that is required. The Arena is usually the battle-ground for the cup matches, and on these occa- sions the game is witnessed by thousands. One exception must be taken to hocke}', and that is the rough pla}' indulged in ; and this remark applies also to lacrosse, and even football, as played in Montreal. In England, athletics are a part of a public-school boy's education, and the first lesson taught is to "play on the ball." In Montreal the principle appears to be " go for the man," a principle that destroys the spirit of true sport, and cannot fail to eventually bring any game into disrepute. Another sport requiring an extraordinary stead}- nerve is ice-yachting — a sport that is necessarily limited to those of sufficient means to afford it. Races take place on Lake St. Louis at times, and the exhilaration of rushing through the keen air at railway speed, or even faster, and the spice of more than ordinary danger, combine to make ice-yachting one of the most fascinating of sports to those of a venturesome\ disposition. /'' Considering the important places that the Scotchmen hold in the community, it is not surprising to find that curling has firmly established itself in the city ; in fact, the curlers were about the first sportsmen to found a club in Mont- real, the Montreal Curling Club being established in 1S07. This club, as well as i\ disposition. /' SPORTS AND PASTniKS 93 r -fT".^- the Caledonian and the Thistle Curling Clubs, now nobly upholds the great Scotch game in Canada — playing it a great deal too well, according to the opinion of the Scottish curling team who visited this country earlj'in 1903. Some years ago the game used to be played in the open-air, on the frozen St. Lawrence, but it is now almost entirely confined to covered rinks in the city and suburbs. With the mention of horse-racing , . . . ■ r 1 1 1 r- A Game of I.acrosse. (which comes ni tor a good deal or attention during the winter, when some very speedy trotters turn out for the races at Delorimier Park), the list of winter sports and pastimes is about com- plete, and those belonging to the summer months may be touched upon, first place being given to the national game of Canada, i.e., lacrosse. This is a game second only to hockey for speediness and excitement. Although it can be seen played in many places, a League game on the Shamrock Athletic Grounds is the ideal game to watch. One must, indeed, be a phlegmatic individual if the blood is not set tingling during the course of a lacrosse game. The swift runs of the lithe players ; the rapid passes, by which the prospect of the game is changed in an instant; the marvellous use of the ' ' sticks, ' ' by which the ball is caught or thrown while the pla3'er is run- | ning at full speed ; the wonderful accurac}- with which the ball is shot from the net of the "stick" at goal — all combine to work the onlookers up into such a state of excitement that the}^ keep almost silent ; and it is onl}^ when an extra fine piece of play takes place, or a goal is obtained, that the tension is relieved, and the roar from the thousands of throats tells how acutely they were following the game. As regards athletics, there is not a very great deal of outdoor training done, the various gymna- siums and outdoor recreations doing all that is neces- sary. On the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association Grounds, however, there is a fine cinder-track, where, in alternate vears, the Canadian amateur Athletics at the M. A. A. A. 94 SPORTS AND PASTIMKS championships are contested. Cricket does not appear to be much favoured, 1:>ut baseball is getting" more patronized by the small boy every year. A professional baseball team was organized in 1897, and has splendid grounds near the Arena. In 1898 Montreal held the cham- pionshipof the Ivastern League, but since then the team has fallen on evil days and now is no more. Football (both Rugby and Association) is extremely popular, but no very high de- gree of skill has yet been reached, nor is likely to be until the teams play more together and not so much man against man. L/awn-tennis, racquets, quoits, polo, bicycling, shooting, swimming, are all repre- sented by their respective clubs, and a horse-race meeting is usually held once a year at Bel- Air. The "sport of kings" does not, however, reach a very high level at this meeting, and the book-makers in attendance are certainly very far from being actuarial experts. When three horses are running, a favourite rate of odds is as follows : 3 to 2 on one horse, even money against the second horse, and 3 to 2, or, perhaps, 2 to i , against the third. If this mathematical absurdity in the way of odds was offered to any other than a Montreal race-course crowd, the book- makers would assuredly meet with an end more tragic than agreeable. If horse-racing be not at its best in Montreal, fox-hunting most certainly is, the city possessing the original hunt-club of America — the Montreal Hunt — as formed in 1820, and now owns I finest club-house and kennels in Canada. These are situated be- hind the mountain, and the runs which take place in dif- ferent parts of the island are many and glorious. Cub- hunting gets a good share of attention, and every year the members of the hunt hold steeplechases and other races. The Canadian Hunt Club have their headquarters at Slocum Lodge, on the other side of the river, at lice « Yacht Club, Dorval. SPORTS AND PASTIMES 95 St. Lambert, and their annual steeplechases, which are among the chief sporting events of the year are greatly appreciated by the farmers around. " The ancient and royal game of golf" is by no means neglected, two very popular clubs being in existence. The Royal Montreal Golf Club has an excel- lent eighteen-hole course at Dixie (a few miles out of the city), with a most charming club-house, and the Metropolitan Club has a fine nine-hole natural course on the mountain-side, near the Incline Railway. The Outremont Golf Club, organized in 1902, is referred to later. Boating and yachting have been left to the last, as they are so closely allied with the subject of the next chapter ; but they are probably the most popular of all summer pastimes. All along the lake-front, a few miles from % the city, are to be found summer-resi- dences of the Mont- realers, from the magnificent man- sion of the railroad president to the little cottage of one of his junior clerks. These extend from Lachine right away round the island, and Lake St. Louis affords one of the most perfect sheets of water for sailing purposes in Amer- ica. Here are sailed the races for the Seaw; haka Cup, a trophy for twenty-footers, which was won from the Seawanhaka-Corinthian Yacht Club of New York by G. Herrick Duggan, some few years ago, and which various clubs of the United States have vainly endeavoured to win back. The Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club is the premier boating club of Canada, and has its club-house at Dorval, which is the centre of the yachting world around Montreal. On Saturday afternoons in the summer there is nearly always a regatta at one of the lake-side resorts ; and, as they are seldom more than a mile or two apart, it means the con- centration of every description of yacht, row-boat or launch in and around one or the other of the lake-side points. The regattas afford a great deal of fun and amusement, and as several city firms have their own boating clubs, which take part in the races, the interest is general. The war-canoe race is always a very popular event and one that attracts much attention. A Meet of the Montreal Hunt Clul). 96 SPORTS AND PASTniES Lake St. Louis is not the only suburban resort at which boating can be indulged in, St. Rose, Back River, St. Lambert, Vaudreuil, etc., all having their own particular attractions, such as sailing, rowing, swinuning, wild- duck shooting, etc. Facilities for wild-fowl shooting are great indeed, the shores of the Ottawa and the St. Law- rence being the haunts of thousands of wild-duck and many other birds, wherever the shores are low and well fringed with reeds ; or, if it be considered preferable to leave all traces of metropolitan life behind, a short journey to the Laurentian Hills gives easy opportunity to embark in a canoe, and, following some noble stream, penetrate into the heart of a -^ virgin country well awa}" from civilization, where, with rod and gun, the sportsman may have all the untrammelled free- dom of backwood life, which, after the mad whirl of twen- tieth century business life, is worth so much in the way of bodily and mental recuperation. It is the love of unfettered outdoor recreation that has done so much to form the Ca- nadian character. Even as children, it is evident in the gleeful abandon with which the wee dots plunge and roll ^_^- in the snow, their chubby faces merry .' ■ - with mischief, and their clothes, hair that Wlid-duck Shootine on the Ottawa River. and caps almost unrecognizable beneath the amount of snow covers them. It is evident in the brilliant- coloured sash that encir- cles the waist of fur- coated men, telling of the pride felt in being an active member of some snowshoe-club ; and it is evident in the lithe form and healthy colour of the Canadian girl, whose thorough enjo}"- ment in ever}- branch of sport does so much to make them popular. Shooting and fishing are deserving of more than passing mention, and so will have a chapter to themselves ; but, even without taking credit for the facilities with which these ma}- be reached, it is safe to say that no other city in the world has so many charming summer recreations, nor so many grand winter sports and pastimes, as Montreal. ^Jz^J,^^^ Chapter IX. FISHING AND SHOOTING p|f X the variety and abundance of fishing and shooting, obtainable at '^ '' a minimum of expense and trouble, Canada has no rival ; and some of the best game districts in the Dominion are either in the imme- -^lji[ diate vicinity of, or at no great distance from, the metropolis. Montreal is particularly suitable as a starting-point for sportsmen from the States or elsewhere, as here the finishing-touches can be given to outfits, and the field of adventure can be reached within an hour or two's journey. There is necessarily considerable difference between the resources of one field and those of another. A particular locality may be more promising for certain kinds of game than the rest — one good for caribou, but scant of moose ; one w^ell streaked with trout-streams, but affording less excellent bass-fishing ; one unsur- passed for wild-fowl, but not equal to others for grouse ; while there are others which hold many species of game, and wdiich wall repay the organization of a camping-party. Other places may be shot over during the day, permitting the sportsman to return to his temporar}' home at night, for some sportsmen are not con- tent to "rough" it, however richly the_v may be rewarded, _______ but require all the accessories of ^^^^HHRll civilization that can be reason- abl}^ obtained. Others, how- ever, regard the camp, the oc- casional inconveniences, and the complete change in mode of life as additional attractions to the search for and securing of their game. And life under I^^KM "Away from Civilization." 98 I-ISIIINC. AND STIOOTlXn canvas in the wilds, or a week or two spent canoeing among the lakes and streams )f the Laiirentians, is, after all, to the true worship]ier of nature, far more preferable than putting up at a , crowded tourist resort and sallying forth every morning for a la/.y, easj'-going day with the game of the immediate surroundings. To give even a bare outline of the man\' hundred attractive spots in the vicinity of Montreal would he an impossibility, and so, beyond drawing attention to some few spe- Lake pizao^onke, "^^^ cially wortliy of mention elsewhere, the Lau- shawinigan Club-house in distance, rentiau district will alouc be referred to. Along the north shore of the St. Lawrence between Montreal and Quebec, some miles inland, the rugged Laurentian range of mountains runs parallel to the course of the river, and in that range rise the countless streams that feed the multitude of lakes and rivers of the region, in most of which there can be obtained some of the best speckled-trout, bass, grey-trout, and other game fishing in the world. This land is rough and wild in man^^ places, and to fish it properly not infrequently means "roughing it," but not to such an extent as to mar an)^ reasonable man's enjoyment. For the brain- fagged and tired business-man, the enthusiastic gunner, the patient follower of Isaak Walton, or the man who likes a boat or canoe, this district is an ideal place for a vacation, and contains just the out-of-the-way sort of spots that the great crowd of hur- ried vacation-seekers miss. Old forests, peopled with great patriarchs of the wood, cover the hills, and, unlike man}' of the more exploited ones, con- tain plent}' of game — and the game is something more than an occasional chipmunk, that cheekily sits on a stone and ■'Off for Sport." I,ake Pizagonke. I'ISIIIXC, AND SHOOTING 99 chatters defiance at the hunter. The lakes abound with fish, and, here and there, a swift- runnini^ brook babbles of the trout which lie in quiet little pools along its course. That the attrac- tions of the Lauren - tian streams and lakes have been for some time highly appreci- ated is evidenced b}- the number of fish- and-game clubs al- read}^ established in I,ac Cabane— St. Adolphe de Howard. different partS of the district, which own or lease immense tracts of countr}-, with club-houses located at different points. The best of these clubs are, however, controlled by sportsmen from the United States, and it is time that the Canadian sportsman awoke to the fact, that within a hundred miles of Montreal is a magnificent territory, of which his neighbour from across the line is .securing, every year, the best parts. The streams and lakes leased to clubs or individuals cannot be fished by the public, though, in most cases, persons properly introduced may obtain permission to exercise the same rights as the members. One of the most charming of clubs is chosen for representation here, although the atmosphere of quiet peace and the soothing sense of calm experienced during a sojourn within its enchanting confines is beyond any attempt at description. The Lauren- tian Club has a I membership of about three hun- dred, mostly hail- i n g from the States, with head- quarters on Lac- a-la-Peche, a most beautiful lake some eight miles north of St. Flore (Great Northern Lake Vermont — St. Bernard Fish and Game Club. lOO I'ISIIINfi AND SHOOTING Railway of Canada). The main club-house, Iniilt of logs, is a veritable "log-cabin de hcxe," and contains a noble club-room, several bed-rooms, and detached dining- hall and outhouses. Although the average man could not wish for better sport than is to be found in Lac-a-la-Peche itself, the club has established camps, at intervals of a day's journey, as far north as ninety miles from headquarters, making it possible thereby to travel comfortably, away beyond the Mat- tawin river, through a territory teem- ing with fish and game, and where the spirit of Nature pervades every thought and movement. Close to the main club-house are two smaller lakes, both con- siderably above the level of lyac-a-la-Peche. These are reached by a good trail over a hill behind the house, and are known as Trout Lake and Parker Lake, the latter being named after the resident managing director, W. H. Parker, Esq., a gen- tleman who is one of the greatest authorities on fishing and shooting in Canada, and who knows every mile of country between the Gatineau and the St. Maurice. This is, indeed, the type of place for an ideal holiday. Leaving all the worries of cit}' life behind, next day one is paddling across the lake with a guide, making for the north by lake and stream, with an occasional ' ' carry " or " portage ' ' to stretch the legs and give glimpses of sylvan beauties in all their natural wildness. Then, when night falls, one of the camps provides food and a dr}' and comfortable bed ; or a merry even- ing can be spent at the main club-house, when the members succeed each other with song, speech or story. What a contrast to FISHING AXn SlIOOTIXG the fashionable summer resort, with its scandals, its petty quarrels, its frivol- ous affectations, its conceits and its attempt at semi-respectability I Nearer in towards Montreal, and a little to the north of Parker and Trout r,akes (I,aurentian Fish and Game Club). Charrette's Mill, are several other clubs. The Shawinigan Club, with home on Lake Piza- gonke, is situated in as lovely a spot as can be found in the Pro- vince. Back further flows the Mattawin ri^'er, which can be followed down till it reaches the St. Maurice, twent\-six miles above Grand Piles. Along its shores, moose, caribou and deer are very numerous, and fine duck-shooting is to be had in the autumn. Nearer the railroad are to be found the club-houses of the Winchester Club and the Club des Souris. Some miles nearer still to Montreal is another well-known club, the St. Bernard, with head- quarters and club-house on Lake Saccommie. This lake lies twelve miles back from St. Paulin, on the Great Northern Railwav. General W. W. Henrv, United A Corner of I,ac-ei-la-Peche. I02 FISHING AND SHOOTING " Bonhonime ' States Consul at Quebec, is president, and the club has a niemljershi]) of fi fl\', controls fishinj^ rit^hts in twent}' lakes, and has a hunting lease cover- ing one hundred square miles. If big fish be an object. Lake Maskinonge should be visited, as the fish of that name are large and plentiful in the lake, some having been caught weighing sixty-five pounds, and they generally average from fifteen to thirty pounds. On the shores of the lake lies Miigwando, a typical Indian guide. ., -ii r o^ /-^ ^ • ^ ^ the Village of St. Gabriel de Brandon, which contains two hotels, and within a radius of ten miles there are a number of smaller lakes and trout-streams that afford excellent fishing. Be^'ond, lie the famous Mastigouche lakes, fift^- in numl^er, the majority of which are leased to the Mastigouche Fishing Club. The club-house is situated on Lake Simeon (reached from St. Gabriel de Brandon by a road following the Masti- gouche river), and throughout the district there are numerous caribou, an occasional bear, capital partridge and fairly good duck shooting. From a host of places in near proximity to Montreal the following may be specially mentioned : the Lac Oureau river, a few miles north of St. Julienne, which has excellent trout fishing, with woodcock shooting in the fall over the flat lands ; Rawdon village, a little north of Montcalm, around which are streams and lakes containing bass, grey and red trout in great numbers ; St. Marguerite, a prett> village on Lake Mas- son (St. Margaret's or Belisle's Mills Sta- tion), where, from the crest of a nearby mountain, no fewer than eighteen lakes can be seen — all "A fine shot and a fine .specimen. I'ISIIIXC. AND SHOOTING lO- splendid fishing waters : i6-Island Lake and New Glast^ow, referred to under special headinji^ later ; and, lastly, the shores and waters of the Lievre river (a. stream discharging into the Ottawa river at Buckingham), along which are to be found big game, small game, and fish of every va- riety. Space forbids mention of others, but the above will serve as a fair example of the choice sporting terri- tory in the immediate vicinity of Montreal. As regards the A caribou-hunters "I^ean-to." hunting of big game, such as moose and caribou, three essentials are necessary — skill, experience and good guides, — and, if bears be included, good nerves and unflinching determina- tion. The moose is not now so frequently found within eas}' reach of settlements, but large numbers still haunt the beaver-meadows and denseh' wooded stretches of lowlands around the more remote lakes. Caribou are strange animals, and, unlike moose or deer, have no settled habitat, so that, when disturbed by the scent of man, the}' will run great distances, never to return. Deer are com- parativeh' easy to secure, their runways lying, as a rule, around some brook or small stream where it empties into a lake. The first successful shot, be it deer, moose or caribou, will ever be remembered with a feeling of pride, and certainly no one but a hun- ter can fathom the satisfaction and delight of a supper of venison served in a camp in the wilderness. The air sharp, crisp, and full of ozone ; the camp-fire illu- minating the sur- rounding pines ; the pale moon lighting the hea- vens and casting a To the victors, the spoils Tolitig " the deer to camp. I04 I'lsiiixc", AXI1 snnoTixr, silvery lustre on the lake, but mak- ing the depth of the forest more dark and - the Government along the river- bank to protect the town from floods, forms a splendid promenade of over one thousand feet in length. There is excellent boating on the river, the vSt. Lambert Boat Club being one of the best around Montreal. Slocum Lodge, the club and kennels of the Canadian Hunt Club, is situated on the river-bank, and a very tasty new club-house is being erected for the Victoria Crolf and County Club, which will have a full eigh teen-hole course ready by the autunni. A few miles further east is the flourishing county town of Longueuil, con- taining some thirty-five htmdred people, and in which a market is held daily. Ferry-boats run constantly between here and the citj', while in winter the ice- road across the river is the chief highway for market produce coming into Mont- real from the southern districts. In January, 1880, a railroad was built on the ice, and trains, consisting of locomotive, tender and two cars carrying two hundred passengers, ran between Montreal and Longueuil, using this unique track in safety. West of St. Lambert, and a little below the Lachine Rapids, lies the ancient parish of Laprairie, dating back to 1668. The village can be reached by boat from Montreal, and is a very pleasant and healthy summer resort. It has the honour of being the first place to have railroad service in British North America, a railroad being built from here to St. Johns in 1836. This was at first worked by horse-traction, afterwards by steam, but the rails were taken up a few years later. There is excellent fishing in the vicinity. Returning now to the Montreal side of the river, mention may be made of Verdun, with its immense insane asylum for Protestants, which is situated on the lower road to Lachine, and nearly opposite to Nun's Island or, properly speaking, St. Paul Island. This island was conceded, in 1664, by de Lauzon (see page 7) to Jacques LeBer and others, one-third of it passing into the possession of the Sisters of the Congregation de Notre-Dame in 1706. In 1764 the whole island became their property, and the same year they built the nunnery which is illustrated on page 17. Be^-ond Verdun there comes to view the celebrated Lachine Rapids, now almost as widely known as Niagara Falls. These are the most perilous of all the St. Lawrence rapids, the river making a drop of forty-five feet, and the channel being set with jagged rocks that would cause instantaneous destruction to au}^ craft diverging but a hair-breadth from the one tortuous passage which alone makes navigation possible, and then only by a thoroughly experienced pilot. Lachine rapids were navigated by a steamer for the first time on the igth August, 1 84 1, and since that date many thousands of people have felt the thrill of what is a most exciting experience. One or two steamers make the journey every day whilst navigation is open, trains from Montreal connecting with the boats at Lachine specially for the trip. Those people who look for a series of theatrical escapes from a watery grave will be either disappointed or gratified (according to temperament) by the actual journey down the rapids, as the dangers, although THK KNVIRONS OF MONTRKAL 109 real and ever present, do not appear evident to the average passenger. On leaving Lachine the increased speed is soon noticeable, and a drag on the l:)oat intimates the force of the waters some little time before the white breakers of the rapids appear. Gathering speed with ever}- foot of the jonrney, the vessel at last feels the fnll tremendous power of the river, as, surrounded b}- angrj' waves on every side, the noise of which almost drowns the voice, it rushes through what appears to be a rock-strewn cauldron of boiling water. Wicked-looking rocks appear to bar further passage, only to be left to the right or the left as the boat obeys the pilot's guiding-hand, whilst whirlpools and seething eddies, here and there, tell of the many deep fissures in the river-bed. The downward course is distinctl}' felt as the boat descends, the sensation being almost as if the vessel were going down a flight of steps (as in truth it is), only without any actual bumping or jolting. «Mi2i Shooting the Lachine Rapids, No one should rest content with but one experience, as the eye is too busy noticing the surroundings on the first trip to allow full realization of the relent- less forces surrounding the boat. The second or third trip will prove far more exciting, as one is then better able to appreciate the iron nerve and steady hand of the Indian pilot, which alone saves the vessel and its living freight from instant destruction. The town of Lachine lies a few miles above the rapids and nine miles from Montreal, the first settlement dating back to 1666, in which year Sieur de lyaSalle acquired a tract of land from the Seminary and built thereon a stone house, the ruins of which can still be seen on the lower Lachine road, although slowly crumbling away. LaSalle left his seiguiory to explore the far West, believing the way to China lay by way of the St. Lawrence (hence the name I lO THE KNVIKOXS OK MONTKl-AI. "a la Chine"). After foindini;' the ])resent chy of Kingston (tlien known as h'ort I-'rontenac ), navigating Lake Ontario, Iniilding Fort Niagara, discovering the Mississippi and tracing it into tlie Gulf of Mexico, he was murdered by his own followers in the wilds of Louisiana in 1687. On T^aSalle abandoning the settle- ment, it again came into the possession of the vSemin- ary, and gradually developed into a peaceful and contented little village, all unconscious of the terril)le doom that was about to overtake it. On the evening of the 4th of August, i68t), night fell on a happy, thriving village. Next morning — black ruins, smouldering homesteads, mu- tilated and charred corpses; and, for the survivors, the memor>- of the most hellish and indescribable cruel- ties. The Iroquois, out of revenge for breach of faith on the part of the French on two or three occa- sions, and smarting also under the well-merited chastisement of the vSenecas by de Denonville, had sur- rounded the village, under cover of a dark, stormy night, ruthlessh* massacred the inhabitants, and laid waste the land to the v^ery gates of Montreal. Near the LaSalle homestead is an old \Vindmill, well over two hundred years old, erected by a Scotchman named Fleming, who had to fight a long action with the Sulpicians, they having claimed the exclusive right of grinding corn on the island of Montreal. The Privy Council finally decided that the air of heaven being free, no one could be restricted from using it. The present town has a population of about six thou- sand, and is a popular residen- tial suburb for many Montreal- ers during the summer months. Its regattas are among the best on Lake St. Louis, and the Some very ancient Caughnawagans. The old I,aSalle Homestead. THE ENVIRONS OF MONTREAL I 1 1 Lachine Boating Club is far-famed. Several large industries are located in or near the town, and there is a big Roman Catholic church, and a fine convent in the charge of the reverend sisters of St. Anne. St. Stephen's Church, situated close to the convent, is associated with much interesting histor}', although the building itself is not very ancient. It was built about 1834, during the days when Lachine was a militar}' outpost, and was at first a military chapel, pure and simple; but when the present Archbishop Bond of Montreal took charge of the parish, after his ordination, it became attached to the Church as a mission station, finally becoming a part of the diocese when Bishop Oxenden was bishop. St. Stephen's Church, I,achiiie. The Lachine Canal commences at the town, running direct to Montreal, with five locks, which overcome a difference in levels of forty-five feet and allows boats of fourteen feet draught easy passage. Below the town, and near the foot of the rapids, is the power-house of the Lachine Rapids Hydraulic and Land Company, who develope some twelve thousand electrical horse-power for use in Montreal, etc. On the opposite side of the river is the Indian village of Caughnawaga, while beyond Lachine are the numerous summer resorts on the lake-shore, of which Dorval and Dixie have already been mentioned on page 94. I^akeside, Beacons- field, Pointe Claire, etc., call for no special notice, but St. Anne de Bellevue is worthy of more than a paragraph and will be described more fully later. I 12 tup: kn\'ik()N'S oi" moxti-:i:ai. On the Riviere-des-Prairies at Cartierville. )n [hv northern sliorr of llic island of Montreal, and nestling; on the banks of the Riviere-dcs-Prairies, is the little villaj^e of Cartierville (named after the dis- coN'erer of Canada), which can be reached either by driving, or by the electric cars of the Park and Island Railway. Right at the back of the nioiuitain, on the " Mountain Belt Line," is a small station known as Snowdon Junction, and it is at this point that the line branches off for St. Laurent and Cartier- \ille. The first stop of importance is St. Laurent, a small town of twelve hun- dred inhabitants, with an immense church, convent and college, and a ■ -i,- very pretty little lake and park near SSr the track. It also contains five hotels and chicory and tobacco factories. To a non-Canadian, it appears astounding that such small parishes can afford the huge churches -that are so in evidence in many of the country places in the Province of Quebec ; but a visit to these churches at the different services on Sunday morning will generally convince the stranger that they are none too large for the congregations they have to accom- modate ; the church being the rallying-point for miles of surrounding country. No one would imagine they were in a British country on glancing round here, and seeing the P'rench flag everj'where. From the church, the college, the hotels, and from every house boast- ing a flagpost, the tricolor floats in the breeze — the symbol of a nationality that, although merged in the ' ' Ca- nadian," still re- mains French. On reaching Cartierville station, a pathway imme- diately opposite leads to the park, an extremel y pretty enclosure on the banks of the Ri- viere -des- Prairies. ..par from the madding crowd. THE KXVIRONS OK M0NTRI:AL Cartierville Park. Although only lately opened, it is already very popular with holiday folks, and an excellent restaurant in the grounds supplies refreshments, both solid and liquid. The park has a number of swings and seats, and offers numerous attrac- tions in the way of recreation, the walks along the river-banks being alone worth the journe}' from the city. On the other side of the river is Bord-a-Plouffe, through which a road leads to St. Eustache (some eight miles north), the scene of the fight with the rebels of '37 in which Dr. Chenier was killed. The house in which the Imperial officers were quartered, prior to their crossing the river, can be seen at the principal corner of the village. After exploring the park, the road should be taken leading to the village, when, on turning to the right, one again comes to the river at a point where it is spanned b}' an old wooden bridge. In the woods to the left are to be found, in the early summer, the most lovely profusion of wild-flowers on the island, with wild strawberries and raspberries in abundance ; whilst the lepidoptera enthusiast will find more varieties of butterflies than he can name. The Riviere-des-Prairies is known locally as the "Back River," and has man}^ beautiful and picturesque spots along its shores. Boating and fishing are favourite recreations, and a very pleasant break in a week's hard work in the city is to be obtained b}^ a ride out here for a couple of hours', fishing — vide the old man in the picture. Further up the river is St. Genevieve, another equally pretty place, to which l,ane at Cartierville. 114 TIIlv EN\'IK()XS oi" :\i()xtki:ai. it is liojied an electric car service will, before long, give easier access. A little past St. ('iene\ieA-e connnences a chain of magnificent country mansions, which continue along the north slu)rc of the island right round to vSt. Anne de Bellevue. The roads round here are well shaded with trees, and the occasional glimpses of the river, and the old-fa.shioned wayside cottages, make a walk or a drive a very enjoyable experience ; or, if a cycling trip be contemplated, a fairly good run is afforded, the roads l)eing for the most part well macadamized. The Park and Island Railway has now been incorporated with the Mont- _^ , ,.% real Street Railway and the i\i.M,,iiirs Hot.i. connecting city service greath' improved. Cars run every twenty minutes during the summer, with extra accommodation in the evenings and on holidays and Sunday's. Some three or four miles below Cartierville, and on the banks of the same river, is the village of vSault-aux-Recollets. The Park and Island Railway- runs a half-hourly service to and from the cit}^ and the ride is even more picturesque than the one to Cartierville. After passing the Shamrock Athletic grounds, in the north-east suburb, the track runs through the weirdest collection of small houses to be seen on the island. They are apparenth' built of old biscuit-tins and bits of scrap-metal, some being covered with tarred felt studded with big nails, whilst others are patched with a dozen different sorts of tin. The line runs for a little wa}" through flat bush-land, cov- ered with small shrubs, and then descends a long gradual slope towards Ahuntsic, bet- ter known as Peloquin's. A ver}' lovely view is to be ob- tained from the top of this slope ; the fertile meadow- lands, dotted, here and there, with clusters of trees, with the glitter of the river in the background, being extremely Shrine on Riviere-de.-Prairies Road. THK KNVIROXS OF MOXTKICAL characteristic of the island of Montreal, and forming a scene of picturesque cultivation such as is not often seen. At Ahuntsic, the track turns at right angles to continue to vSault-aux-Recollets, which is about another half-mile further on. This is a most delightful little village, and the most t\pically French-Canadian on the island ; the diminutive houses, the old-fashioned gardens, and the quaint open-air ovens, all combining to produce the impres- sion of their belonging to some byegone days. A very fine convent, surrounded by extensive grounds, is situated on the banks of the river, and belongs to the Sisters of the Order of the Sacred Heart, one of the leading educational institutions for girls in Canada. Not only from Canada, however, are its pupils recruited, but from all over the vStates, as the healthy and picturesque A Glimpse of the Riviere-des-Prairies gj^uation, together with the excellence of the teaching, makes it the most popular of all the nunnery schools. The academy, here, has one hundred and fifteen young lady pupils, and there is a separate free day-school, which has three French and two English courses of study, with ninety pupils : whilst in Montreal the order (which was established in Canada in 1842) has two establishments (one a poor school), with two hundred and sixty-six children in attendance. Their chief building is on St. Alexander street. A very large church, built in 1851. stands near the car track, and bears a strong resemblance to the celebrated St. x\nne de Beaupre, near Quebec. The ii6 Tiiic i';x\'iK()xs OF :montr]':al I illustration shows one of the wayside shrines so numerous in the country parts of Quebec Province. This particular shrine (which has a figure of the Virgin in the turret on the roof) is placed on the road-side between vSault-aux-Recollets and Peloquin's. Peloquin is a name very w^ell known \. to Montrealers, the hotel being one of the most popular outside of Montreal, and a favourite resort for bicycle clubs, driving parties, the Montreal Tandem Club, and the Montreal Hunt Club. By crossing the bridge over the river near the hotel, the river-side road can be taken to St. Vincent de Paul, the great penal establishment of the Province ; or, b}' striking across the island (He Jesus, not Mont- real Island), St. Rose can be reached, a very charming place on Jesus river, where many Mont- real citizens reside during the summer. Either of these two places are worthy of a visit, and are well sauu-auN K, iM- Church, ^^^jthin a tw^o-hour's Walk of Peloquin's. About half- way between here and Cartierville lies the pretty village of Bordeaux, situated on a high plateau overlooking the river. By reason of its charming scenery and well laid-out streets and avenues, this village has become a favourite summer resort of Montreal business-men during the last few years, and the Canadian Pacific Railway, giving a frequent service of trains into Place Viger Station at a commutation fare of five cents, lends a further inducement to reside here during the summer months. Eastward of Sault-aux-Recollets, towards Bout de I'lle, there are no other villages of importance, and it will be noticed how compara- tively bare of villages the northern side of the island is. The early settlements all took place on the St. Lawrence side ; the branches of the Ottawa, flowing round the northern shores, being too broken up w"ith rapids to be of any value as an ave- nue of trade ; and it is probable that Cartierville, Sault-aux-Recollets and Bordeaux only sprung up from their being on, or near to, the main roads leading to the mainland, this proximity to a trade-highway bringing certain means of livelihood, apart from what was to be made out of the cultivation of the ground. The Riviere-(1 t Sault aux-R^collets. ii8 THK KNX'IKOXS <)1' MOXTKKAL Longue Point Lunatic Asyhnii "To Bout-dk-l'Ile " Hv THE Montreal Tekminai. Railway. — From the inception of the Montreal Terminal Railway, in 1S96, the management has spared neither time nor money in developing the system for the welfare of the public. How they have succeeded is proven b}' the thousands of people who crowd the cars to visit that latest acquisition to the city's l)reathing-spaces — Bout- de-lTle Park. The park is, however, but one of a number of interesting places along the line, and it will be, perhaps, best to describe them in the order they are reached. The Terminal tracks, until quite lately, only ran as far as LaSalle ave- nue, in Maisonneuve, but they now extend into the heart of the city proper, thus opening through communication between all parts of Montreal and the delightful country extending for twelve miles east of the cit}'. On leaving LaSalle avenue, a sharp turn in the track presents such a sudden change of scene as to be almost theatrical. One moment the car is passing along an East-end street, amidst dust, dirt and grime ; then, instantaneously as it were, it is amongst green fields, with a fresh, invigorating breeze bringing the scent of wild-flowers to replace the unsavoury odours just left behind. As the car glides along and Montreal is left further and further behind, one begins to realize whj^ Montreal Island is called the "Garden of Eastern Canada." The farm-lands fairly breathe "productive- ness," whilst the appearance of the farm-buildings speak for the prosperity of their owaiers. Three miles from Maisonneuve, Eongue Pointe is reached (some- times called Beaurivage Village), where there is situated an immense asylum for the insane, under the care of the Sisters of the Order of I'Asile de la Providence. A great fire broke out in the asylum in 1890, by which many inmates were burned to death, but it has now been rebuilt and greatly enlarged. Half a mile south of the track lies the village, which dates back to 1722, and here is situated another asylum, which takes in Poiute-aux-Trembles Village. TWE KNVIRONS OK :\IONTREAI. 119 neurs, to being; left /f well-to-do patients who can afford to pay for the ^^?'•^"^^\ treatment and care given them. The large build- lf\C^ ings passed on the way to the village are the farms and out-buildings of the asylum. A nunnery is situated nearer the river. Another few miles brings to view a arge cluster of houses sheltered under a great profusion of maple, elm and ash trees. This is Pointe-aux- Trembles, a little village lying on the banks of the St. Lawrence, which ought to be much better known by Montreal people. It is almost like a toy village, so diminutive are its houses, with their tiny gar- dens, and so narrow are its quaint little streets, all trying to hide under and behind the spreading boughs of the trees. It is far from being a modern settlement, for the church was built in 1709 (as the date on the front relates ) , and the old tower, stand- ing a little to the west, dates back to the founding of the village in 1674. These old towers, of which so few now remain, were the grist-mills of the seig- whom the tenants had to bring their corn to be ground, one-fourteenth in payment for the service rendered. Some of them were loopholed for defensive purposes against the Indians, and were the scenes of many exciting deeds in the early daj's of the colony. A magnificent t) < il.l Mill at Poiiite auv Tiembles. view is to be obtained from the top of the lighthouse near the tower, the expanse and magnitude of the St. Lawrence river being real- ized most vividly when seen from an altitude. A num- ber of skiffs are to be had, near the small pier, for River Scenes at Pointe-aux-Trembles. THIC I';X\'IK()X.S <)1' :\U)\TkI';AT. ^-v ■■^■^■wt^ i^lr:'i:^,i-^,-:'^:ti'- boating on the river ; and a first-rate hotel is situated on the main road to Mont- real, just outside the villaj2:e. It is remarkable that more people do not make their summer home at such a charminj^ little place, as the air is de- litrhtfull\- sweet and fresh, the village l)oth romantic and pictur cs([ne, and ' ' town " l)nl thirty minutes dis- tant. A short distance east of the village are Rifle Ranges at Pointe-aux-Trembles. the neW rifle-raUgeS, which have but lately been opened for the practice of good shooting — that primary necessity of the wars of the future, — and on Saturdays and holidaj^s the great number of men wdio face the targets show the appreciation with which they are regarded. Another mile, and the line branches in two, the main track continuing to Bout-de-l'Ile and the branch to Bris.set, commonly known as "The Chapel." Here is built " la Chapelle de la Reparation," and in the grounds surrounding it is the " Grotto of our Lord's agony." The grotto .stands near the beginning of the Via Doloris, or path along which the Stations of the Cross are ranged. It is a large mass of cement and stone, fashioned into the form of a natural pile of rocks, and, w'ithin, a life-.size pla.ster figure of Chri.st kneels in the attitude of prayer, while a white-robed angel descends in front of Him, carrying the cup in his hands. Another .shrine is placed in a grove nearby, built in a .similar way, but containing a figure of the Virgin. The .shrine has onh' recently been estab- lished by the Fathers of the Holy Sacrament, but the number of pilgrimages thereto are already making it, to Montreal, what St. Anne-de-Beavipre is to Quebec. An effort should be made to pay a vi.sit on the occasion of a special pilgrimage, as the reli- gious ceremony is impressive from its ver>' simplicity. The ceremony' starts with a pre- liminary .sermon in the chapel, after which' a litanj' is sung at the grotto, and a short open-air sermon preached in French and English. Then the prie.st begins another litany as he leads the way through the grotto, his voice growing fainter and fainter as he recedes in the distance. From here a tour is made of the Stations of the Cross, the people shrine at Drisset TIIK KNVIRONS OF MONTKKAI, 121 lialtiiiijj l)efore each station while the priest explains the story represented by the Sroup, and makes a plain application to everyday life. When his short discourse is ended, all kneel on the bare .ii^round and chant a brief litan>-, then rise and pro- ceed to the next station, openly praying or singing as they go. After the eleventh station the procession halts at the foot of the great Calvary, where , , t M Riverside three crosses are reared 1_ scenes at Bout-de-llle Park. against the sky. Then it moves on again, the service finally coming to an end at the sepulchre, where the Christ is represented lying still in death. The air of genuine devotion shown by the large throngs of people that take part in the pro- cession ( man>- of whom are folks whose bent figures and wrinkled faces tell of a life nearly finished) gives a striking example of the hold the Roman Catholic religious ceremonies have on the minds of the people. Continuing by the main line to Bout-de-lTle, about half a mile from the terminus a stop is made at the park, an enclosure of over thirty acres in extent, bordered by the Riviere-des-Prairies. In this park, which is ' absolutely free to the public, are shad}' grounds and open fields, .swings, ru.stic seats and tables for picnicing -jg^. parties, pavilions, and a well- ^^^'' stocked restaurant, and, in fact, everything that can make the place attractive and bright. Competent guardians are in attendance and the courteous and -j«^ careful way in which the}- handle a big crowd on holidays is wonderful. -^js"- .,- Boiit-de-llle Hotel. 122 THK KNVIRONS OF MONTRKAL vSt. Annk dk BKLLiCvriC. — This ])ictnresque villaj^^c lies at the extreme western end of the island of Montreal, and is, without excei^tion, the prettiest and ([uainlesl hit of the whole island. It is one of Montreal's most ])o])v:lar summer resorts, and the shores of the ri\-er above the villaj^e are dotted with the mat^nificent country-houses of the more wealthy Montreal business-men. But vSt. Anne has very much more than a reputation as a pleasant sununer suburb. Its position, at the confluence of the Ottawa and St. I^awrence rivers, made it the scene of many stir- ring events in the early days of the French settlers. Here, the voyageiirs, when leaving for the unknown interior, said a long goodbye to civilization ; here, the Indian war-parties, travelling from north and west by the two great rivers, united their forces before sweeping down on the white settlers further east; here, about 1700, trade was carried on with the friendly Indians, frequently in- terrupted b}^ fighting with the hostile Iroquois. Now, however, all is peace, the only tangible General View of St. Anne de Bellevue Type of Cottages. The Main Street. The Boat for Montreal. view from Fort Senneville. TIIK KXVIKONvS OF MONTRICAL 12- LeBer's Mill. rciiuiins of l)yejj;oiie romance 1)ein«f sss # 128 THi'; n()ktiii';kn x^icinitv oi" montki'-ai. Summer Residences at St Agathe : R. Wilson-Smith, Esq. A. Baumgarten, Esq. Hon. R. Pr^fontaine. Hon. G. A. Nantel. J. B. Sparrow, Esq. W. S. Brown, Esq. THE NOKTIIKRN VICINITY OF :\U)XTRKAL 129 SiXTKHN-ISLAXD T^AKK, about sixty miles from Montreal by the (ireat Northern Railway of Canada, is destined to be, ere a few years elapse, one of the most popular places in the vicinity of Montreal, as it has the A Typical I.aurentiati Stream. merit of lying in the healthiest, loveliest and most delightful part of the noble Laurentian range, the beauties of which have as yet been but faintly realized. vSome five years ago a railway' was constructed from a point on the Canadian Pacific eleven miles north of St. Jerome, to a little town called Arundel, thirty-three miles to the westward. This road was known as the Montfort and Gatineau Colonization Railwa3^ and traversed a country very wild and beautiful, running through the southern range of the Laurentian hills and having a mean altitude of twelve hundred feet above sea-level. It is now a part of the Great Northern Railway of Canada, connect- ing at St. Jerome with their main line, also with the branch under construction to Charlemagne, opposite Bout-de-l'Ile Park. It is indeed a lake district — lakes to the right, lakes to the left, lakes everywhere : and such charming lakes ; dotted with islands, the shores beautifully wooded, and making such exquisite pictures, as they nestle in the heart of the hills, that man's presence seems a rude intru- sion. One moment the train skirts the shore of a lovely sheet of water, and a few minutes later the same water is seen lying away below us as the train pur- sues its way spirally over the hills. As for fish — well ! there is a limit to people's credulity, so for particulars read your own diary after a few day's w'ork with a rod. At the risk, however, of not being believed, it must be stated that there were landed from a small lake near Arundel, in three days, ninety- one, eighty-seven and seventy- three trout, respectively, and by one rod only. It is difficult to particularize any one spot amongst so many, but there has been chosen for illustra- tion here the vSixteen-Island Lake, about midway down the line; a charming and ro- mantic spot to which no pho- tograph can do justice. The The North End of Sixteen-Island Lake 130 Till'; XORTHKRX X'ICINITV OI" MDNTRKAL Scenes around stackhouse Island. lake is five miles long- by three miles wide, and contains sixteen islands, hence its name. On all sides ai^ mountains, some rising seven hundred feet above the level of the lake ; and six other lakes are in fc close ])roximity, all of which are well stocked with grey and red trout, which can be caught an}- time during fishing season with either fly or bait. Six years ago there was not one house on the lake. Dr. Stackhouse, of L,achute, was the first to purchase an island from the Quebec Govern- ment — an ideal spot he has named " Idjdwylde" — which commands a fine view of the lake. He has a very pretty cottage, with kitchen, etc., separate, boat-houses, and a good supply of skiffs, fishing-boats, sail-yachts, and a gaso- lene launch. The doctor is always pleased to see anybody-, and takes pleasure in showing them around his island. Now, quite a number of Montreal people have erected cosy little summer-houses on the islands or on some of the delightful spots along the shore, but so indented is the edge of the lake, that one may be W'ithin a few hundred yards of two houses and yet not see a trace of either. Considering the very poor railway service there had been prior to the taking over of the road by the Great Northern, it is remark able how much this lake was appreciated by the lucky few who had already found out its attrac- tions ; and this should speak well for its future, now that an excellent service is in operation. There The Rouge River and a representation of "Calvary" at Arundel Tlil''. NORTHKKN X'lCIXlTV OI" ."MONT klvAI, 131 is no long weary drive to take ])efore the lakes are reached, as they are right alongside the track, or, at the most, within three miles ; and there are so many of them that the man who prefers solitude need never see a sign of his neighbour. Further down the line, is Arundel, a small town very picture.squely situated on the Rouge river. Three miles north of here commences the chain of " Bark Lakes" (Lacs-aux-Ecorces), famous for the number and size of the trout in their waters. The illustration opposite shows the bridge over the Rouge River prior to its being swept away by a flood a little time ago. The other picture shows the Calvary in the grounds On the Shores of Sixteen- Islaiui l,ake of the monaster}'. Four miles before reaching Arundel, the train skirts a loveh' piece of water known as Round Lake, a capital spot for a fisherman's camp, as bass, dore and pike are very plentiful in the lake, a twenty-nine pound pike being brought to shore here last year. Near Larose Station, is a most peculiar freak of nature in the shape of "The Lost River," a tributary stream of the Rouge River, which abruptly disapppears under some ledges of rock and pursues its course under the ground for quite a considerable dis- tance, suddenly re-appearing again without any apparent cause. Another place worthy of a visit, is Montfort, a little village situated between two lakes (Lake St. Victoire and Lake Notre-Dame), the one on the higher level discharging into the lower in a fall of over a hundred feet. A large industrial school is situated here in charge of Roman Catholic monks. The whole of this locality is worthy of special attention from such people as may be looking for a place in which to build an ideal summer home. A more delightful country would be hard to find, and at the same time one is in touch with Montreal b>- telephone and telegraph and under two hours distant by rail. I -12 THK NOKTHl'KX \ICIMTV OI' M0XTKF:AI, New Oi.asCtOW, forty-one miles from Montreal by (ireat Northern Railway of Canada, is a little village situated on either side of the River L'Achigan, a small but wonderfully ])retty stream. The village contains only a few hundred inhabit- ants, mostly Scotch, its name being in this case really appro])riate. It is a place that only requires to be known to be appreciated, having many features that appeal to the lover of the beautiful. The River L'Achigan has its source some twelve miles to the north, being the outlet of the lake bearing tlie same name. A little above the village it breaks into a series of rapids, that terminate in quite a big fall at the village itself, just below the railway track. This fall is extremely pic- turesque, espe- cially in the spring, and at the foot is a ^^Hfl^^^^H^^Ei^ mill is one of the mill, used for '^'IBHHK^^^BC ^ oldest buildings in grinding corn ^f^^B^^^B^^^ •^^.....JEl-.a^^^^rtil the village, although for the farmers^^^^^^^^^HH^if.'^' J^ first place must be The ^^^^^^^^^^^HIB^^ i^iiii^^H^^^^^H given to a remark- able old mud cot- tage standing on a bluff just across the stream. A quaint, two-storied cottage built of mud, with walls over two feet thick, is a some- what curious archi- tectural relic in these days of steel frame erec- tions. The village can boast of but one hotel, but there are several good boarding-houses, all of *** which are well patronized in the summer by such people as have already discovered what a pleasant locality New Glasgow is. A level stretch of the river below the village permits of boating down to St. Lin, a distance of six miles, and maskinonge, pike, and black bass are to be found in the water. Every bend of the river unfolds fresh beauties, the walk up to the sawmill being particularly charming. For the benefit of people purposing to stay here for a day or two, it should be stated that a few miles to the north are to be seen two of the loveliest lakes in the district, both abounding in fish. One is Lake Scenes on llie 1,'Achigaii River. TIIK NOKTinCKN \•ICI^■IT^" Ol" MOXTRI'.AL 133 Connelly, six miles away ; the other Lake L'Achigan, five miles further on. This lake has already gained a reputation for wild beauty, even amongst the innnense number of Laurentian lakes whose charms defy adequate description. It strikes one as lieing very curious to find a little English settlement like this, with French villages wathin three miles, where they cannot understand a word of any tongue except their own. The original Scotch settlers have given the place an identity that is decidedly refreshing in this Pro- vince ; and it is a positive relief to the eye not to see the stereotyped church- roof and steeple usually to be found in nearly all the French villages in this district. The illustrations opposite give some glimpses of the L'Achigan river at and about the village itself ; and it might be mentioned, incidentally, that all six pic- tures illustrating this picturesque little place were Primitive Locomotion. taken in pouriug rain, it being the author's misfor- tune to strike two extremely wet days for a trip here. The Great Northern Railway of Canada crosses the river two or three hundred yards west of the station, and a splendid view of the falls is to be had from the car window. There are a few realb pretentious stores in the village, and some very pretty summer residences nestling in the woods a little above^tli^ falls. One delight- fully old- ^■'" '"* fashioned custom in vogue here is the use of oxen for haul- ing loads, and the sight of a bullock in harness, in these days of automobiles and beef-trusts, is truly unique. Old MiU and Mud Cottage, Xew Glasgow. THE NORTIIKKN VICIXITY OF IMONTKICAL 135 SnAwiNic.AN Falls, the " P^lectric City" of Canada, was born three short years ago, at the foot of the primeval mountain-range of the Laurentians. The upheaved granite, of which the Laurentians are composed, is the oldest formation known to geologists, and upon these elemental rocks, hoary with age, a new town has now sprung into existence, the industries of which are the outcome of the latest scientific research and ingenuity, and are housed in buildings containing the most advanced types of machinery yet devised, whose whirling wheels can be heard, night and da}', singing the prophecy of Canada's future, in the words of the poet Goethe : " I hear the tread of pioneers Of nations yet to be, The first low wash of waves, where soon Shall roll the human sea." The whole area of country now occupied by the town, the factories, and the engineering works, was, a few years ago, covered with a virgin growth of trees. Since that time an army of working-men, numbering at Rapids above the Fans, times over two thousand, have transformed the forest into a prosperous town, the prosperity being based essentially on the development and use of water-power. This power is enormous, and is the largest developed in Canada to-day. The engineers' reports state that the volume of the falls is, approximately, 350,000 horse-power, but of this the original plans called for a development of 100,000 only, and work has been done on the canals and forebays for 75,000 of this 100,000 horse-power. The main canal, cut in the solid rock, has its lower end closed by a concrete bulkhead, or dam, through which pass pipes from nine to twelve feet in diameter, conveying water down a hill-side to the power-house on the lower level, where the water exerts its pressure on the water-wheels, causing them to rotate the generators and thereby gather out of space that mysterious, unknown energy called "electricity." Considerable electrical power has been contracted for by three large com- panies, besides a number of smaller concerns. The Northern Aluminum Com- pany produces aluminum in ingots, bars, etc., also manufacturing aluminum cables and wire. The Shawinigan Carbide Company makes calcium carbide, used in the manufacture of acetylene gas. The cotton-mill will convert the raw material into all kinds of finished goods. A second hydraulic development is also completed, and is used for the purpo.se of delivering power to the Belgo- Canadian Pulp Company, who are producers of pulp on a large scale, turning out about seven hundred tons a week. The charm of surprising contrasts is everywhere in evidence at Shawinigan Falls. On the one hand — the wonderful 136 TIIK NOKTin':KN \'ICINITY OI" MONTKlvAI, electrical power development, the l)U.sy factories, the well-laid-ont town, the electric railway, the fine bnildings, the telei)hone service — all evidence of the very new ; on the other — the gigantic waterfall, the grim, black, everlasting rocks, the illimitable forest stretching from the bordt;rs of the town in an nnbroken wilder- ness to the far-away shores of the Arctic Sea — all nndisturbed, even now — the mute memorials of the world of long ago. The St. Maurice river, which has its source four hundred miles to the north of Shawinigan, broadens here into a bay, nearly a mile wide and five miles long, and the town lies along the shore of this bay, which is dotted with beautifully- wooded islands. A short distance below the town a large island divides the river Bird's-eye View of Shawinigan P'alls and its Industries. into two streams, both of which narrow rapidly until the lower end of the island is reached, when they unite, and the wdiole volume of the river's water, accumu- lated from eighteen thousand square miles of territory, is precipitated over the rocky declivity in a magnificent fall or cascade one hundred and fifty feet high. Viewed from either side, the falls present a magnificent spectacle — a lake of immense proportions, moving forward and always falling, first in a steady, down- cur^nng flood, then broken into wildl}^ tossing wave-crests, later bursting into myriads of quickly shifting fountains, and at last taking the awful plunge to the depth below, where even then it gathers itself for another mighty effort, and rushes forward in a series of vast, snow-white, foam-crested, mist-veiled billows, which dash themselves against the dark, grim barriers of Laurentian granite. These adamantine walls turn aside the tremendous torrent at right angles to its THE nortiii-:rx vicinity of Montreal 137 ■>^ ^S*.. " The -wildly tossing wave crests. former course, and send it smoking, frothing, wildlj^ leaping, but conquered, an avalanche of snow-white foam, through the narrow granite aisle of the deep gorge to the broad expanse of the lower bay. The old. Indian legend com- pares the falls to a fair flower — "the White Rose of the St. Maurice' ' — the later Indian name " Achau enekame, " from which the modern " Shawinigan " is derived, meaning "needle work," owing to the fancied resem- blance between the motion and colour of this beautiful cataract and the glittering bead and quill-work of the Indian people. At night, when the eyes are less occupied and the ears are more attentive than in the day, the appalling roar of the vast mass of falling waters stuns the senses. The solid rock reels beneath the shock of such mighty hydraulic hammers, while the flashing flakes of foam and spraj^ float upward, and seem to blot out the very stars in heaven. When the moon's silvery, uncertain rays stream on the tossing waters, the "White Rose of the St. Maurice" presents a vision so exquisite as to be almost ethereal, and admiration is lost in a feeling akin to reverence. To avoid the damage that would be occasioned to logs if they were allowed to go over the falls, a large slanting trough, four hundred and fift}- feet long, with a total drop of one hundred and forty feet, is used to con- vey a stream of water from the upper to the lower levels, and down this stream the logs go, singly, in regiments, in hundreds of thousands, ever\^ season. At the foot of the slide there is built a pro- menade platform, provided with seats, and commanding a view of the entire gorge, where one can sit watching In the Gorge. i:vS Till'; NORTIUCRN \-ICIMTN- ()!■ MONTKI'.AL the continuous stream of loj^s dashint; down the steej) inchne ( ahnost too quickly for the eye to follow) and divinj; into the deep waters of the jj^or.i^e. Two falls of less size, but of hardly less beauty than vShawinii^an I^'alls, may be reached from the town, the one after a ten-minute's walk, the other after half- an-hour's walk through leafy lanes or across grassy fields. The first — the Cascades of the Shawinigan river — is a veritable scenic gem, a silver white ribbon streaming downward over a rocky cliff, one hundred and seventy-nine feet high, guarded on both sides by sentinel lines of stately pines and modest cedars. The second — Drew^'s Falls — is almost as beautiful, the down-coursing water pouring over stony ledges fort}' feet high, drenching the high banks with foam, and giving forth a roar that is echoed and re-echoed from the lonely granite cliffs that wall in the stream. It would, indeed, be diflficult to find any other place in the world where three such grand waterfalls ma}' be seen in such close prox- imity to the conveniences of a first-rate town and hotels. Opportunities for recreation are numerous : a steamer makes regular and excursion trips daily ; canoe- ing and boating is very good on the quiet w^aters of the upper bay ; and there is splendid bathing on the long stretches of sand}- beach, the outlying sand- bars making it perfectly safe. Good fishing is obtainable in man}' of the near-by streams ; and tennis and croquet grounds, are within easy reach of the leading hotel and the town. The Cascade Inn is one of the prettiest hotels in Canada, as the illustration will prove, and in every way forms a striking contrast to the average hotel out- side the large cities. It is situated on the highest hill in the town, at a distance of but five hundred feet from the railway station, and is surrounded by an ample piece of level ground. From its wide piazzas, there is a magnificent view of hills, forest and river, the clear waters of the St. Maurice (the shores of the bay being within a few minute's walk) forming the immediate foreground ; whilst further back, on every side, are the beautifully-wooded hills, with their restful and yet exhilarating charm — so peculiarly characteristic of the Laurentian district. The interior of the hotel is very artistically decorated, and furnished almost extravagantly ; and it is safe to say, that if Montrealers but realized the attractions of the surroundings, not one of its fiftv rooms would ever be vacant. p( ^.>_#_.6?:i,_gt^ _6^_#>^,ft^_^_j,y:._(;,^_ a^^^^ i^'i:L..i-?J__^^_§^.^J^^___^5^__^#_„j#„l#_g^ ^ >^l> ,.jc, .^„ ,,p ^^ ^.p " "^'"'"(MM)^" Chapter XIL THE SOUTHERN VICINITY OF MONTREAL ^^^^^^I'XCEIL AND ST. HILx\IRE are twenty-two and twenty-five miles, respectively, from Montreal, per Grand Trunk Railwa^^ both nest- ling at the foot of the mountain of the same name, which can be seen from the higher parts of Montreal on any clear day. This mountain is one of several peaks rising up from the plains in the south, the nearest being Mount St. Bruno, whilst the next, and by far the most prominent of them all, is Beloeil. The two villages lie on opposite sides of the Richelieu River, and a stop may be made either at Beloeil station, on the north side of the river, or St. Hilaire on the south. The name of the mountain varies according to the side of the river one is on : the Beloeil people always calling it Beloeil, whilst the St. Hijaire folks insist that Mont St. Hilaire is its correct designation. Leaving the train at Beloeil station, a ver}' pleas- antly situated hotel is to be noticed a few yards away, although the village itself stretches awa}" down the river bank for a considerable distance. There are several prett}' summer resi- dences along the river- side road, and the village is connected ^^^ Mount Bel(t' if 140 TUT' snr'iMii'.Kx N'lcixrrv ov montrivM. view from the Summit of BeUtil. with St. Hilaire by two old-fashioned ferries. Crossing the river, there is passed on the way to St. Hilaire station the magnificent chateau of Colin Campbell, Esq., seigneur of St. Hilaire, which is beautifully situated on the bank of the river, with its frontage facing the huge mass of tree-girt rock that rises 1,400 feet almost within a stone's throw. Crossing the track, a drive of a mile or two brings to view the village of St. Hilaire proper, which lies considerably above the river and somewhat towards the back of the mountain. There is a hotel and a number of boarding-houses, all of which are well patronized in the summer. The ascent of the mountain is a most enjoyable experience, and one that can be had by anyone who is capable of a fairly stiff climb. A very good pathway leads up to the summit, and, with the exception of one or two rather rough places, there are no difficulties at all. Starting from the hotel in the village, the road must be Btllevue Hotel. The Mountain Summit. Bridge over the Richelieu. Along the kiver Bank. 'I'ln-: souTHivKX vicinity <)1' .MONTR i; a I. T4I taken that runs up hill to the left, and followed until a mill shows on the right. Then bear to the left, and a little further on is a gateway leading to the lake and sununit. Thijj lake is supposed to have been the old crater in the | days when Beloeil was an active volcano. A refreshment house is open on the shore of the lake in summer, and boats are handy for a row. Lying as it does, in the very heart of the mountain, the absolute silence of the surroundings is remarkable and gives one a most peculiar sense of being out of place in such a tranquil spot. Leaving the lake on the right, preparation must be made for a long steady pull up-hill. Care should be taken not to wander from the path, as the bush is pretty thick all around and it is a rather awkward place in which to get lost. Towards the top, the path becomes con- siderably steeper and is somewhat rough in places ; but all trouble is at an end when an opening in the trees suddenly reveals a large cluster of rocks. This is the summit, and the climb is well repaid b}- the marvel- lous view to be seen on everv side. There 142 TH1-: SOUTin:KN \ICIMTV OF IMONTRKAL lies the lake nestling; in the heart of the mountain. There a spur of the mountain, covered with trees, rises up from the plain below — a sheer precipice of over one thousand feet. Looking to the north, Mount Royal can be seen rearing its head above the smoke and haze that tells of the toiling thousands in Montreal. The noble St. Lawrence is traced from Lake St. Francis to Lake St. Peter. The glitter of Lake Champlain shows to the south, with Rougemont and Mount Johnson appearing as mere 1 ., ^ 1 -1 t ii Seieniorv of Colin Campbell, Esq. mounds a mile or two away; whilst the background is formed of the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont in one direction, and the Laurentian hills in the other. Directly below us, are villages and farms — just specks of white — with the Richelieu river appearing as a thin thread for miles and miles. Surely this were worth an hour's climb ! There is but one defect in an otherwise perfect scene, and that is the hideous scar on the rock on which we stand and which spells the name of a vain-glorious French newspaper. Vain-glorious is used advisedly, for in several other places besides here where some particularly magnificent view is to be obtained, that same paper is evidently of )pinion that its own name is necessary to complete the effect ! People desirous of making a stay in this local- ity, will find accommoda- tion in the village, either at the hotel or the boarding- houses. Several oth- er enjoy- able trips can be made around, such as Rougemont, or St. Bruno Mountain, whilst the river offers many attractions in the way of boating. A View of St. Johns in iSoo. THK .SOUTHERN VICIXITV OI' MOXTKKAL St. John.s is a count}' town of consider importance, lying on the banks of the Richehe River, twenty-seven miles south-east of Montreal and twenty-one miles north of the United States frontier. No less than five railways run through the town — the Grand Trunk, the Canadian Pacific, the Rut- land, the Central Vermont and the Delaware and Hudson. The population is over five thousand, and a large number of industries are located in the town, chief of which are the Corticelli Silk Com- pany and four or five potteries (the onl}' ones of their kind in the countr}'). St. Johns' fij^t claim to notice dates back to 1748, in which year M. de la Gallis- sonniere, governor of Canada, caused a fort to be built on the river bank. A chain of forts had existed for many years along the banks of the Richelieu, starting at Sorel and extending up as far as I^ake Champlain. The Cham- bly fort is referred to a little later, and half way between there and St. Johns was another fort, built near the island of St. Therese, from which it took its name. In 1747, this fort was demolished and the material of which it was built was used in the construction of the fort of St. Jean. There is little more than the site now left — some grass- covered mounds in a railed-in enclosure near the barracks — for in 1776, when the Americans retired from Canada, they destroyed the fort, which they had captured the previous year after a forty-five days' siege. In i77o,when Vaudreuil was governor, the fort Some Views along the Banksof the Chanibly Canal, near St. Johns. 144 THK SOI'TIIl'KX X'ICIXITV oi" INIOXTRKAL was conceded to LeMoNiie de Longueuil and added considerabl\- to the al- ready extensive baron\- of the Longueuil family. At the beginning of the last century, vSt. Johns had a ship-building St. Johns, from Iberville. )'ard in which vessels were constructed for the war flotilla that cruised around L,ake Chaniplain. It was also the arsenal; but its use in both these respects came to an end with the destruction of the flotilla b}- the Americans at Plattsburg in 1814. At that time "The Fort" comprised about twenty houses, the outlying parts being known as the town of Dorchester and containing some eighty buildings, the whole doing a large trade in timber. It was the only place of much consequence on the navigable waters stretching from Lake Chaniplain down to the rapids of St. Therese, and when the Chambly Canal was opened in 1843, giving a clear waterwaj^ past both the St. Therese and Chambly rapids, its The Old situation at the head of the canal Fort at . . . St. Johns, gave it still further importance. In 1S48, it was made a municipality, The Main Street. finally becoming an incorporated town in 1868. It is now a well laid out town, with some first-rate hotels and stores, large barracks and mili- tary school, English church (181 3), Catholic church, a The Barracks. THE SOUTHERN VICINITY OF MONTREAL 145 Old P'rench House at Iberville. Iberville Church and Bridge. f Glen at Iberville. convent under the Sisters of the Congregation de Notre- Dame, and a hospital tended by the Grey Nuns. On the other side of the river, hes the village of Iberville, an extremely picturesque little place shaded with huge trees. The church has one of the most remarkable steeples to be seen in the countr}-, causing one to wonder whether the architect was designing a church steeple or a Chinese pagoda. Following the road down the river, a charming little wooded glen is passed on the right, and in the fields about half a mile further is the ruin of an old mill partially destroyed by fire some j-ears ago. The quaintly designed wooden bridge that .spans the Richelieu between St. Johns and Iber- ville, was built in 1825 by the Honorable Robert Jones, and still remains private operty, a toll being exacted Fort at St. Valentin. from every passenger crossing. The river- side walks in both directions are pretty and interesting. Ruins of old Mill, near St. Therese. 146 Till'; sorTiii'kx x'lcixiTv oi" moxtki'At. became inilitarv The Shores of the Richelieu River at Chainbly Hasin. The Electricity Transmission I0m-3,'68(H9242s8)9482 >«^ -'i'^¥: 'MU^ -^^p^ W^'i' 3 1205 02527 9942 ^^ei^m m-i >^. ^^ ^'^i^^'#. %?^// UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 000 875 941 7 'fM ''^^^^C?^