Leaves of Knowledge/Chapter 24
FREDERICTON AND THE MARITIME PROVINCES
CHAPTER XXIV.
Fredericton and the Maritime Provinces.
I remained most of the summer at hotel "Windsor Hall," which is centrally located, and the most modern in the city, surrounded by the most beautiful shade trees, lawn and balcony, making it a perfect spot to while away the summer months. Every attention was rendered to aid in my enjoyment and I found everything pleasing at this fashionable resort.
Fredericton, the capital and port of entry of the Province of New Brunswick, is situated on a beautiful point of land known as St. Ann's Point, on the St. John river, eighty-five miles from its mouth.
Here are the capitol buildings, including a fine public library; and the crown land office, where a fine collection of birds and wild game of the Province may be seen.
Fredericton is the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Regiment for New Brunswick.
The university of New Brunswick, the Provincial normal school, as well as its excellent public schools are endowed by the province, and in fact all the schools are partly supported by a government allowance.
It has a large shoe factory, tannery, iron foundry and carriage factories, and adjoining, both above and below the city, are extensive sawmills.
Three miles from Fredericton is the manufacturing town of Marysville, with large cotton factory, flour and saw mills.
Fredericton has connection with the Canadian Pacific, from its main line, at Fredericton Junction; the same railroad also crosses the river on a steel bridge, and extends to Woodstock, Grand Falls and Edmundston, through the Province, and connects at Rivere du Loup, Province of Quebec, with the Intercolonial Railway, which is a government railroad. The Canada Eastern Railway connects at Chatham Junction with the Intercolonial, traversing the central portion of the province. Four miles up the river is the Douglas Boom for the rafting of logs that come down the river St. John and its tributaries, and after being rafted are towed to the mouth of the river, where they are sawed into lumber and shipped to all parts of the world.
Fredericton is an ideal spot, with its magnificent homes, beautiful lawns and shade trees and its many driveways, extending across the bridge to St. Mary's, Gibson, Marysville and on up that picturesque and beautiful Nashwaak valley, where I had many, many drives, and where I enjoyed a picnic one fine summer afternoon upon the lawn in the grove, in front of the magnificent residence of Mr. M. White, the most delightful spot along the whole valley, with its broad productive intervals skirting the river. Then another pleasant drive is passing Nashwaaksis, and through Douglas, viewing the numerous islands, along the St. John river to the mouth of the Keswick, the branches of the fruit trees hanging to the ground under their heavy loads of delicious fruits.
Another pleasant time was the private picnic held on the lawns at the Old Government House, where the present king of England was entertained during his visit to Fredericton.
I had a delightful sail on the steamer Victoria, down the river to the city of St. John, an important seaport with extensive maritime and manufacturing interests, sawmills, shipyards and iron foundries. St. John is a railway center, having the eastern transportation and shipping business of the Canadian Pacific.
The Intercolonial Railway has its headquarters at Moncton. Across Northumberland Strait is the Province of Prince Edward Island. The capital and principal city is Charlottetown.
South across the Bay of Fundy is the Province of Nova Scotia, which, with the other two mentioned, constitute the Maritime Provinces. Its capital and chief winter port is Halifax, which has the principal naval station, and is the headquarters of the imperial army in British North America.
After my sight seeing in this section, I returned to Fredericton, and making my final adieus, I departed on the Canadian Pacific for Augusta, Maine.