Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-09-19

strucfed III the overhead canal and
which ~drawhridre filled with water.
but OF c"urse confined with safety gates
at both ends has to be swung open so
as to allow vessels with towering masts
to pass in the greater canal below. The
cost of this undertaking, as you may
well know, was tremendous. After
the approval aud consent of the Ma
tional Board of Trade had been obtained
for the project, the citizens started
resolutcly to provide funds for the pros
ecution of the work. The city was
bonded for a large sum. Stocks and
bonds were offered for public SUBJ
scription, and business men, manu-
faeturers, COLLEGES, banks and trust
companies together with private citi-
zens WED with each other in taking all
that their credit would stand of the
securities. The canal was built. The
ships commenced to come-slowly at
first and hen in eve growing num-
beers until now the undertaking is a
pronounced success and Manchester
is assured of her position for all time
as the leading cotton manufacturing
centre of the world. The City of LON
don, Canada. is situated about equi-
distant from Niagara Falls on the east
and Detroit on the west. Hamilton,
eighty miles eastward, is situated on
the western end of Lake Ontario.
Toronto, l87 miles away is located on
the northern shore of the same lake
thus giving these two cities the beue-
fit of lake competition in passeng, +
and freight traffic. The Great West
ern Railroad was the only means of
communication with the outer world.
The road was owned by English capt.
tai and managed by English officials
whose only axiom vas to charge all
the tolls which the traffic would bear.
And in addition to- this a policy of con-
tempt for the rights, feelings and con-
venience of tile people along the line
was continually INDUCED in. Port
Stanley on Lake Erie and about sixty
miles across the lake from Cleveland
was but twenty-five miles from Lon
don and to end this to them an intoler-
able situa ion-the citizens, and the
municipality, together with the banks
and insurance companies subscribed
for and built the London and Port
Stanley Railroad. AS soon as the
road was completed ii at once demon
strated its usefulness. Here was a
route that soon attracted steamers aud
sailing vessels which brought passen-
gers, coal, iron, marble and merchan-
disc of all kinds and of degree, and 10,
and behold, the rates of the Great
Western Railroad were made prompt
ly to harmonic with the new route
and more than that the bull headed
and conceited English officials We're
perforce compelled 10 change theiI
contemptuous attitude Of indifference
and of insult to their patrons and since
thon, althoush the rosd Is now leased
to a connecting company, it yet exer
cises a Statutory influence upon trans
portation to the Forest City, Ii
it not obvious then that our relief is
likewise to be obtained by COMPETE
ton? but how say you? Less than
four miles from the island the Reading
Railroad has q station at Rio Grande.
To build u tract across the meade WIS,
to throw a bridge across the inlet and
thus connect the southern end of the
island with the Reading system is not
either an impracticable, an impossible
or a visionary plan, but will it sueceed,
say you? Will the Reading give us
a connecting service. | am advised by
counsel that under the Interstate laws,
and also because. of their duties as a
common carrier the Reading Road
would be compelled to give us service,
if they would not indeed gladly avail
themselves of this opportunity to tap
this, to them, virginfield of rare rich
ness. Then we would Cindeed) find
trains run with some regard to schedule
and to comfort, freight delivered
promptly and with regularity, at rates
fair alike to the railroad and to the
community, with a first regard to the
ever growing needs of the Island. |
may say to you that already some
substantial and very liberal subscrip-
tons have teen promised to aid this
project, but it will need, as it did in the
case of the cities of Manchester and
London, the united and loyal support
of every property holder on the island.
/ commend these thoughts to your
careful and thoughtful reflection, trust
ing to your good judgment to see their
utility and necessity in bringing about
an emancipation from the very agra
waiting present Situation.
proaideut Carl HaEEiu ri iba Holly