376 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



THE EXCURSION TO OTTAWA. 



On Saturday, the 26th, a large number of the members visited Ottawa, hav- 

 ing with them a goodly gathering of their lady relations. In the programme of 

 the convention the day had been set apart for excursion trips, of which the mem- 

 bers had the choice of two, the one to Quebec and the other to Ottawa. The 

 start was made from Hochelaga at 7:30, where a train of parlor cars was in wait- 

 ing for the excursionists. The varied views along the road were ^.he continual 

 theme of admiration from the party, particularly along the upper portion of the 

 route where the rapids are to be seen crossing the bridge at Buckingham, the 

 pretty views about Montebello, Papineauville, Gatineau and other stations highly 

 appreciated. There was a general sense of surprise, not only at the natural at- 

 tractions of the route, but at the agricultural state of the country through which 

 the road ran. At Buckingham the lumber yards were a source of astonishment 

 to many who had never been through such huge wood yards before. This 

 brought the party also into the phosphate region and to the gentlemen who took an 

 interest in geology, the many cars of ore along-side the track awaiting shipment 

 afforded subject for keen investigation. A stay of a few moments enabled sev- 

 eral of the party to fill their packs with rocks, all glad to have secured specimens 

 of the article from the home of its birth. At Eist Templeton the quantity of iron 

 ore awaiting shipment there was also the subject of comment, and the view of the 

 material itself opened to many of the gentlemen new ideas of the value of the 

 country through which they were traveling. At several places some members of 

 the botanical section of the party might be seen gathering specimens. 



At Montebello the special met the regular down train from Ottawa to Mont- 

 real a-nd took on board Mr. W. P. Anderson, Secretary of the Ottawa Reception 

 Committee. That gentleman brought with him copies of the address of welcome 

 to be read to the party on their arrival m the city, cards of invitation to the 

 luncheon to be tendered them and '' a souvenir of Ottawa." These were rapidly 

 distributed to all on board by Mr. Anderson, Dr. Baptie and Dr. Thornburn. 

 The souvenir was in great demand among the excursionists and after a glance at. 

 it many were the requests made to the Secretary for additional copies to send to 

 friends at a distance, requests which he complied with as far as he could. 



The souvenir consisted of a neatly gotten up pamphlet of convenient pocket 

 size of some twenty pages of reading matter, giving the programme laid out for 

 the day, the names of the members of the General Reception Committee, the 

 special committees and other officers, together with a succinct statistical and de- 

 scriptive account of the expenditure by the city for public improvements since 

 confederation, notes as to the churches, geological museum, the Rideau Canal, 

 the Parliament Buildings, Rideau Hall, the public schools, waterworks, the tim- 

 ber trade and the mineral and other resources of the district. It contained also- 

 several well executed lithographic views of the principal points of interest about. 



