The mayor of Montreal is always a French Canadian, and he is usually reëlected for several terms. I talked with His Honour and found him a most pleasant gentleman. Discussing his city, he said: [Illustration: In the French market one feels he is indeed in a foreign land, and among a people of alien tongue. When he buys, however, he discovers that the farmers understand perfectly when money does the talking.] [Illustration: Kipling did not endear himself to Montreal when he called Canada “Our Lady of the Snows,” yet the people are really proud of their facilities for winter sports, which include a toboggan slide down Mt. Royal.] “Montreal is thriving as never before. Our population is rapidly increasing and we expect soon to have more than a million. We have taken in some of the suburbs, as your great cities have done, and our increasing opportunities are constantly attracting new people. “I believe we are one of the most cosmopolitan communities on the continent,” continued the Mayor. “About seventy per cent. of us are French, and a large part of the balance are English Canadians. We have also Americans, Germans, Belgians, Italians, and Chinese, besides large numbers of Irish and Scotch, and some of the peoples of southeastern Europe. We are the Atlantic gate to Canada, so that a large portion of our immigrants pass through here on their way west. Many of them go no farther, as they find employment in our varied industries. “It costs us more than twenty million dollars a year to run Montreal, but we feel that we can afford it. The value of our taxable buildings amounts to nearly seven hundred and fifty millions, and is increasing at the rate of fifteen millions a year. We have more than one million acres of public parks, or in excess of an acre for every man, woman, and child in the city.” Montreal is one of the great sport centres of Canada. In the warm months, the people play golf, baseball, football, and lacrosse. The latter is a most exciting game, borrowed from the Indians, with more thrills and rough play than our college football. It is a cross between hockey and basketball. A light ball is tossed from player to player by means of a little net on the end of a long curved stick, the object of each side being to get the ball into the opponents’ goal. In the game I saw, the players were often hit on the head and shoulders, and before the afternoon was over there had been a good deal of bloodshed from minor injuries. I was told, however, that this match was exceptionally rough. In the winter, hockey is the great game of Canada. Every large city has its hockey rink, and, where there are many Scotch, curling rinks as well. In curling, great round soapstones are slid across a designated space on the ice toward the opponents, who stand guard with brooms. By sweeping the ice in front of the approaching stone, they try to veer it out of the course intended by the player who started it toward their goal.