Picturesque Quebec : a sequel to Quebec past and present Part 50

(_From "Trifles from my Diary."_)

"_GENERAL WOLFE'S STATUE," CORNER PALACE STREET_

BY THE AUTHOR OF "MAPLE LEAVES."

Olim truncus eram ficulnus, inutile lignum, c.u.m faber, incertus scamnum faceretne Priapum Maluit esse Deum.

Horace, Sat I. 8.

Henry Ward Beecher begins an amusing sketch of our city with the words, "Queer old Quebec,--of all the cities on the Continent of America, the quaintest." He concludes his humorous picture by expressing the wish that it may remain so without being disturbed by the new-fangled notions of the day. Some one has observed that its walls, streets, public places, churches and old monasteries, with the legends of three centuries clinging to them, give you, when you enter under its ma.s.sive gates, h.o.a.ry with age, [344] the idea of an "old curiosity shop," or, as the name Henry Ward Beecher well expresses it, "a picture book, turning over a new leaf at each street." It is not then surprising that the inhabitants should have resorted not only to the pen of the historian to preserve evergreen and fragrant the historical ivy which clings to its battlements, but even to that cheap process, in use in other countries, to immortalize heroes-- signboards and statues--a process recommended by high authority. We read in that curiously interesting book, "History of Signboards--"

"The Greeks honored their great men and successful commanders by erecting statues to them; the Romans rewarded their popular favorites with triumphal entries and ovations; modern nations make the portraits of their celebrities serve as signs for public-houses:

Vernon, the Butcher c.u.mberland, Wolfe, Hawke, Prince Ferdinand, Granby, Burgoyne, Keppel, Howe, Evil and good have had their t.i.the of talk, And filled their signpost then, like Wellesley now."

If Wolfe served as a signboard recently in Britain, he has filled the same office now close on a century in Canada, and still continues to do so. He has defied wind and weather ever since the day when the Cholette Brothers affixed to the house at the north-west corner of St. John and Palace streets a rough statue of the gallant young soldier in the year 1771, with one arm extended in the att.i.tude of command, and pointing to the Falls of Montmorency.

Nor has Mr. de Gaspe, the author of the "Canadians of Old," thought it beneath his pen to indite an able disquisition on its origin, brimful of wealth for our antiquaries and a great deal more practical in its bearings than even Jonathan Oldbuck's great Essay on Castrametation. A Three Rivers antiquarian had attempted to establish that it was Ives Cholette who had been the sculptor of the statue in question, but our old friend (through the church registers--and through ancient and irrefutable records) showed it could neither be Ives Cholette, aged, in 1771, 10 years, nor his younger brother Hyacinthe, aged then but 8 years, who had designed this great work of art, but Cholette of another ilk. [345]

In these halycon days of old Quebec, free from munic.i.p.al taxes, Fenian scares and labor strikes, when the practical joker [346] and _mauvais sujets_, bent on a lark, would occasionally take possession, after night-fall, of some of the chief city thoroughfares, and organize a masquerade, battering unmercifully with their heavy lanterns. Captain Pinguet's _hommes de guet_,--the night patrol--long before Lord Durham's blue-coated "peelers" were thought of, the historic statue would disappear sometimes for days together; and after having headed a noisy procession, decorated with _bonnet rouge_ and one of those antique camloteen cloaks which our forefathers used to rejoice in, it would be found in the morning grotesquely propped up, either in the centre of the old Upper Town market, or in the old Picote cemetery in Couillard street [347], in that fanciful costume (a three-storied _sombrero_, with eye-gla.s.s and _dudeen_) which rendered so _piquant_ some of the former vignettes on the Union Bank notes. I can yet recall as one of the most stirring memories of my childhood, the concern, nay, vexation, of Quebecers generally when the "General" was missing on the 16th July, 1838, from his sacred niche in Palace street, and was subsequently triumphantly replaced by the grateful citizens,--rejuvenated, repainted, revarnished, with the best materials Halifax could furnish, the "General" having been brought there by the youngsters of the "Inconstant" frigate, Captain Pring, from Quebec. It would appear the roystering middies, having sacrificed copiously to the rosy G.o.d, after rising from a masonic dinner in the Albion Hotel, in Palace street, had noticed the "General" by the pale moonlight, looking very seedy, and considering that a sea voyage would set him up, had carried him on board. The General was driven down in a caleche by Colvin of St. Louis street--a carter--through Palace Gate, standing erect; the sentry presenting arms, as if he were saluting the officer of the night.

He was safely introduced through a port-hole, the seaman of the watch, shaking his head knowingly, saying--"One of our swells pretty tight, I guess." From Halifax "General Wolfe" sailed for Bermuda--thence to Portsmouth, at both of which places he was jauntily set up as a signboard; a short time after he was re-s.h.i.+pped to Halifax, packed in a box, with his extended arm sawn off lying by his side. Fearing, however, the anger of the Quebec authorities, the "General" was painted afresh and returned by the "Unicorn" steamer, "Cape Douglas," which plied between the Lower Ports,--with the "Inconstants'" best regards to their Quebec friends, and best wishes for the General's health and safety.

The following extract from the journal of the venerable Jas. Thompson, the last survivor of Wolfe's army, who expired at the ripe age of 98 years--in 1830, throws light on this matter. This anecdote was reduced to writing, and by request forwarded by him to His Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie, through his A.D.C. and brother Col. Ramsay. "We had a loyal fellow in Quebec, one George Hipps, a butcher, who owned that house at the corner of Palace and John streets, still called 'Wolfe's Corner,' and as it happened to have a niche, probably for the figure of a saint, [348] he was very anxious to fill it up, and he thought he could have nothing better than a statue of General Wolfe; but he did not know how to set about getting one.

At last he found out two French sculptors, who were brothers--of the name of Cholette, and asked me if I thought I could direct them how to make a likeness of the General in wood. I said I would, at all events, undertake it, and accordingly the Cholettes tried to imitate several sketches I gave them; but they made but a poor job of it after all; for the front face is no likeness at all, and the profile is all that they could hit upon. The body gives but a poor idea of the General, who was tall and straight as a rush. So that after my best endeavors to describe his person, and I knew it well, for which purpose I attended every day at their workshop which was in that house in St. Louis street where the Misses Napier are now (1828) residing, [349] and which is somewhat retired from the line of the street, the shop itself being on the projecting wing--I say that we made but a poor "General Wolfe" of it. It has been several times--the house being only one storey high--pulled down by mischievous persons and broken, and as often repaired by the several owners of the house; and, much to their credit be it spoken, it still keeps its ground, and I hope it will do so until the monument is finished. [350]

"I suppose that the original parts of the statue must be as rotten as a pear and would be mouldered away if it was not for their being kept so bedaubed with paint."

Note.--Officers of H.B.M. frigate "Inconstant," Capt. Pring: 1st Lieut.

Hope; Lieutenants and other officers,--Sinclair, Erskine, Curtis, Connolly, Dunbar, McCreight, Sharpe, Stevens, Hankey, Sh.o.r.e, Barnard, West, Tonge, Prevost, Amphlett, Haggard, Tottenham, Maxfield, Paget, Kerr, Herbert, Jones, Montgomery. Mr. James was purser. L. de Tessier Prevost is now high in command, having distinguished himself in the Indian seas, capturing pirates: West and others are admirals, (1870).

[_See page 197_.]

_2 Sept_, 1796. VENTE D'UNE NEGRESSE PAR FRANCIS BELLET A TH. LEE

Pardevant le Notaire Public en la Province du Bas Canada, residant a St- Denis sur la riviere et comte Richelieu, soussigne et temoins enfin nommes, fut present Messire Louis Payet pretre, Cure de la paroisse de St- Antoine au nord de la riviere Richelieu, lequel a const.i.tue pour son procureur special M. Francois Bellet, capitaine de batiment, residant en la ville de Quebec, pour vendre pour et au nom du dit const.i.tuant et a son plus grand avantage qu'il pourra faire, une negresse d'environ trente et une annees, appelee Rose, appartenant au dit const.i.tuant par achat devant M. J. Pierre Gautier, notaire a Montreal, en date du mois mars 1795, dont il s'oblige remettre l'expedition si besoin est a la premiere Requisition, pour le prix et somme que le dit procureur en trouvera du recu donner toute quittance valable et raisonable, approuvant d'avance comme alors, tout ce que ce dit procureur aura fait concernant la dite vente, ce fut ainsi fait et pa.s.se a St-Denis, etude du notaire soussigne, l'an mil sept cent quatre-vingt seize le deux de septembre avant midi presence des Srs.

Charles Gariepy et Jean-Baptiste Gosselin au dit lieu, temoins a ce appelle, qui ont signe avec Messire Louis Payet et notaire soussigne, ainsi signe Charles Gariepy, Jean-Bte. Gosselin, L. Payet, Chs. Michaud Nre. Pc. a la minute des presentes demeuree en la Garde et possession du dit notaire soussigne.

CHS. MICHAUD.

Nre. Pc.

Par devant les notaires publics en la province du Bas Canada residens a Quebec soussignes.

Fut present M. Francis Bellet demeurant en sa maison, rue sous le Fort, en cette ville, lequel en vertu de la procuration ci-dessus et precedentes pages reconnait et declare avoir vendu et vendre a M. Thomas Lee du dit Quebec, la nommee Rose, negresse, denommee et designee en la dite obligation, pour prix et somme de cinq cents livres de vingt sols et de la lui delivrer incess.e.m.e.nt le dit Sieur acquereur declarant la connaitre et l'accepter, et a paye les dites cinq cents livres au dit Sieur vendeur en billet de la dite somme, ordre du dit sieur Bellet, lequel acquitte, la presente vente le sera aussi, Quebec, neuvieme septembre en l'office de M.

Dumas, Notaire, l'an mil sept cent quatre-vingt seize et ont signe, lecture faite avec les dits notaires

FRANCOIS BELLET THOMAS LEE.

CHS. VOYER, N. Public.

A. DUMAS.

Not. Pub.

[_See page_ 200.]

THE ICE-SHOVE. APRIL, 1874

WHOLESALE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY--A SAD SPECTACLE

"At the very moment of its departure, and when the entire city was rejoicing in the longed-for event--at the very time when the glad news was flas.h.i.+ng over the wires to Montreal and the West, that Nature's barrier to the uninterrupted navigation of the St. Lawrence was so slowly floating away--we regret to say that the ice-bridge of 1874 was making itself memorable yesterday to Quebec in a shape more formidable than its perverse tenacity or its injurious effects upon trade. It was rioting in a perfect orgie of destruction, crus.h.i.+ng man's handwork in its pa.s.sage like so much frail gla.s.s in the grasp of a giant. At 3.20 p.m., when the glad announcement pa.s.sed from mouth to mouth that the ice was moving, it began its destructive work. The scene was at Blais Booms and the immediate neighborhood, where the Government steamers _Napoleon III_ and _Druid_, the Gulf Ports steamers _Georgia_, _Miramichi_ and _Hadji_ and a large number of tug steamers and other craft belonging to the St. Lawrence Tow Boat Company and other parties were in winter quarters and have been in the habit of so doing for years on account of the superior facilities and safety offered by the place. Nearly a hundred craft of all kinds, steamers, s.h.i.+ps, schooners, and barges, were here congregated, moored in many instances together and extending over a line of nearly 300 yards. The floating ice as it came down, struck the outside craft--a sailing vessel, we believe--driving it against its neighbor, the _Georgia_, and then hurrying both of them against the others, jamming them against each other and against the wharves in inextricable confusion and causing a tremendous amount of damage, if not irreparable loss. Some were stove in, filled with water and sunk, only leaving their bows or masts above water to mark where they had gone down, while others disappeared from view altogether.

Fortunately no lives were lost. The loss and damage to property cannot fall far short, we believe, of a million of dollars. The following is a summary of the accident:

Government steamer _Napoleon III_ driven against the Mariner's Chapel wharf had her side completely stove in; full of water and almost keeled over, very badly damaged, and will cost a heavy sum to repair. She had steam up at the time, but could not move out. Broke her cables and lost her anchors.

Gulf Ports steamer _Georgia_--Hole stove in her side; hold, full of water. Damage easily repaired.

Gulf Ports SS. _Hadji_--Singular to say, though the boat was in the very middle of the confused ma.s.s, it received no damage worth mentioning.

Gulf Ports SS. _Miramichi_--very slightly damaged. Will be extricated to-day and proceed to her wharf, to sail for below on Tuesday next.

Government steamer "Druid,"--on her beam ends, slightly damaged.

Steamboat "Napoleon,"--keeled over,

Steamboat "Mersey,"--on her side.

Steamboat "Canada,"--sunk.

Steamboat "Beaver,"--sunk, completely disappeared.

Steamboat "Castor"--disappeared.

Steamboat "Rival"--badly damaged.

Steamboat "Shannon,"--badly damaged.

Steamboat "Rescue,"--sunk, lies under the bows of the "Miramichi."

Steamboat "Conqueror No. 1,"--badly damaged.

A schooner, owned by Mr. Kennedy, of Gaspe, laden with provisions, and which was detained here last fall, was also sunk and lies near the "Georgia." In addition two of Mr. H. H. Hall's blocks or piers were completely carried away by the crus.h.i.+ng weight of the ice."--(Quebec Budget.)

[_See page 317_.]

_THE PISTOLS AND SASH OF GENERAL WOLFE_, 1759.

(_To the Editor of the Morning Chronicle_.)

DEAR SIR,--Would you allow me to supply in your columns additional information on an incident relating to the siege of Quebec in 1759. By the following doc.u.ments, which come to me with every guarantee of reliability in the writer, it would appear that the gallant General Wolfe, before expiring on the Plains of Abraham, on the 13th of Sept, 1759, bequeathed his pistols and sash to one of the surgeons who attended him. Dr. Elihu or Edward Tudor was a Welshman, born in 1733. He graduated at Yale College, 1750, joined the English army in 1755, was present at the taking of Quebec, and left the service about 1767, receiving a pension and grant of land from the English Government. These relics are now in the possession of Dr. Tudor's grand daughter, Mrs. Strong, at Monkton, awaiting farther particulars.