HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Illustrated Signal-Star, 1889-03-25, Page 22
GODERICH ILL USTRA TED SIGNAL -STAR.
Goderich during the summer, and the music
of bands is often heard during the days
of midsummer.
"THE WHEELMEN'S PARADISE"
is the name now universally bestowed upon
Goderich by the 'cycling press. In the
town, and for miles around it, we have what
are acknowledged to be the finest runs for
wheelmen in the world. The roads are
well gravelled, thoroughly drained; and
present a surface that delights the man
who sits on the saddle of a fleet, well -
conditioned bicycle.
MINERAL WATERS.
At the foot of the hill, within talking
distance of • the harbor docks, are two
OP1IONS FOM OITSIOERS
The Beautiful Situation of Goderich.
A Pen Picture by a Master Hand—A Sun-
set Graphically Described—What
an American Wheelman
Has Written.
THE following graphic description of
Goderich is believed to have been
written by Principal Grant, of Queen's Col-
lege, Kingston, and the
description of the lake,
and the sunset, as seen
from the park, is a veri-
table poem in prose :—
From Picturesque Canada.
As seen from the
Lake, Goderich lies in
the centre of a large
curve of the coast ; and
with its church spires,
public edifices, and
pretty private residen-
ces, enriched with the
bright, green foliage of
abundant trees, it has
an air of quiet and al-
most sleepy b e a u t y.
On closer inspection, it
is obvious that its
growth • has not been
left to accident, nor to
the caprices of individ-
THE HARBOR PARK.
mineral springs, gushing from the earth at
a great depth, and flowing freely winter
and summer, defying alike the heat and the
cold. These waters contain iron and sul-
phur in a mild form, and medical men
speak highly of their value. The waters
are free, and confirmed dyspeptics have
been cured by their use. The water is
pleasant to the taste, the iron and sulphur
being barely discernible.
SPORT FOR ANGLERS.
The season for bass and pickerel opens
on June 15th. There is usually a good
supply of these fish in the river, near its
mouth, and big catches are frequently
made during the summer months. The
black bass is a gamey fish, weighing from
half a pound up to three, and is highly
prized for his flavor. The pickerel is not
much of a fighter, weighs about ai much
as the bass, and is also much appreciated on
the table. There is no trouble to get bait,
and the river, while near at hand, is free to
all who desire to cast in a line. Those
who wish to angle for speckled trout in the
private creeks, however, roust get a permit
from the owners, or else run the risk of
being summarily dealt with as trespassers.
• BOATING.
Excellent opportunity for boating is af-
forded on the river, within the harbor,
or out on the wide lake, and off to the
Point Farm, four miles up the water. Ar-
rangements can be made for either row
or sail boats at easy rates.
ual taste, but has been
provided for by fore -
t hough t and plan.
About half a Mile from
the shore, a small park
was laid out in the
form of an octagon, in the centre of which
is now the Courthouse, with cupola and
clock, its four sides facing
THE FOUR QUARTERS OF THE COMPASS.
From this central point spacious streets
radiate north, south, east and west, inter-
sected by other streets at measured dis- repair.
tances, along which
shade trees have been
planted abundantly.
Beyond the town, to
the landward side, the
eye wanders over a
vast and fertile plain,
bearing in summer all
the products of the
temperate zone,
peaches, almost equal
to those of the Niag-
ara district, included.
To this rich p 1 a i n,
dark green patches of
reserved forest trees
give the aspect of the
glorious park -lands of
England. Lakewards
the boundless ex-
panse of an inland
sea meets the eye, extending its glistening
waters to a far horizon. Here and there, at
wide intervals, the level floor of water is
broken by the white sails of a ship or fish-
ing boat, or by the dark smoke of a distant
steamer.
The corporation of Goderich has wisely
secured an extensive portion of the bluff
fronting the lake for a public park. Here,
a grand prospect is obtained of the Lake,
its far -extending rugged shores, and the
river, in the hollow, winding its tortuous
way among grassy islets. Seated on one of
the benches, or reclining under the lofty
acacia trees, the stranger gazes with never -
flagging interest on the extraordinary com-
bination of colors that the waters of the
Lake present. Near the shore, probably
because of the wash that stirs up the sand,
is a broad band of mingled yellow and
earth color ; then, green gradually predom-
inates till it becomes pure green ; and
beyond that the deep blue that reflects the
sky. Under the influence of cloud masses,
or still more strikingly at sunset, bands
of richest violet, purple, and
EVERY HUE OF THE RAINBOW,
fuse themselves beiween and into the main
divisions of color, till the heavens are a
blaze. of indescribable glory, and the Lake
is one mass of glowing, shifting tints,
with definite outlines of such singular
beauty that the picture is never likely to
be forgotten by any one who has the soul
of an anist.
Perched on another projecting bluff, that
by some special favor is yet preserved from
the destruction of the elements, the Light-
house looks almost sheer down on the
harbor. It contains a fixed light, consisting
of numerous lamps with silvered reflectors,
and sheds its welcome rays far over the
dark waters. To the right, lies the harbor
in the deep hollow or recess which the
united waters of the river and lake have
eaten out of the land. A broad break-
water shields it from the wash of the lake,
and the entrance is protected by two long
piers of crib -work. Massive as these de-
fences are, they cannot altogether resist the
hydraulic force of the waves, when the
storm sweeps from the wintry north. As,
however, Goderich is one of the very few
harbors on this exposed coast into which
belated vessels can run for refuge, and
is besides a principal shipping port for
grain and lumber, the Dominion Govern-
ment wisely keeps the breakwater in
HURON COUNTY COURT HOUSE.
An American View,
The June number of Outing, 1886, the
beautifully illustrated magazine published
by the Wheelman Co., Boston, Mass., con -
tai .led the following, which is from the pen
of J. L. Bates, of the Detroit Post. and