Latest from London.
London, Dec. 5.
... A Great Western locomotive and two cars ran off the track at Burwell-street crossing this morning owing to an open switch, but the driver shut off steam in time to bring the train to a standstill before any damage was done. ...
Ref:
Hamilton News.
Hamilton, Dec. 5.
...
Building of the H. & N. W. Railway.
The work on the various buildings, &c., in course of erection for the H. & N. W. Railway on Ferguson-avenue in this city are being pushed forward with vigour, and it is probable the whole will be completed by the end of the present month. These buildings comprise an eight-stall engine-house of brick, on substantial stone foundation; a frame blacksmith's shop, 40 by 30 feet; shops for the repairing of locomotives and cars, 106 by 40 feet; a coal house, 15 feet square; and a working engine-house, 15 by 25 feet. A substantial iron turn-table is also being constructed at a suitable place close by. The cost of the whole will be fully $12,600.
...
Ref:
Stratford and Lake Huron Ry.
Formal Opening of the Road to Listowel.
Listowel, Dec. 5.
The formal opening of the what is know as the Stratford and Lake Huron Railway from Stratford to this point, took place to-day. The whole scheme of this road embraces the proposed connection of the Lakes Erie and Huron by a line running from Port Dover on the former to some point on the latter not yet finally determined upon, but most probably Colpoy's Bay [Wiarton]. That portion of the line from Port Dover to Stratford, which by the way is known as the Port Dover and Lake Huron Railway, and is under separate directorate, has been open for traffic for some time, so that today's celebration had reference only to the extension of the line to Listowel. Though the actual opening of any portion of the road is of very recent date, the description of the present scheme, or one substantially the same, goes back nearly of a quarter century, since which time it has had an eventful history, and been the subject of a good deal of legislation, though apparently with little practical result until within a short time back. The present directors are:— Mr. S.S. Fuller, President; Col. Tisdale, Vice-President; members, A. D. Wright [Chief Engineer], James Fisher, V.R. Rutherford, Stratford; J.W. Scott, Listowel; and J.T. Clarke, Woodstock.
Two long special trains, the engines of which were beautifully decorated, left Stratford for this place about noon to-day, once having come in from Port Dover and the other having been made up at Stratford. Both were crowded by people along the route, who took part in the celebration, the number from Stratford being especially large. Among those on board were President and directors of the road, the President and directors of the Port Dover and Lake Huron Railway, and a large number of the representatives and leading gentlemen from the various municipalities along the lines.
The arrival of the trains at Listowel Station at about half past one o'clock was greeted with the firing of guns, the blowing of whistles and lively manifestations of enthusiasm on the part of the immense crowd who had assembled at the station.
The part having alighted, Mr. D.D. Campbell, Mayor of the town, read the following address:—
S.S. Fuller, President, and Directors of the Stratford and Huron Railway:
Gentlemen:—It affords us supreme pleasure to meet you to-day on the arrival of the first train on our new road, and in the name of our citizens let me extend you a cordial welcome to participation in the hospitalities of the town. This important enterprise is now in a state of partial completion to this town. It has been liberally aided by the county and local municipalities interested in its completion, and generally and graciously dealt with by the Government. But while according full credit to all corporate bodies or private efforts in aid of the enterprise, we fell it out duty to recognize the great value of your own efforts and that of your fellow directors in pushing forward the enterprise with so much energy. The commercial, social, and municipal advantages that this line affords to the county of Pert are destined to be of incalculable value. Without it our interests in all those respects were more or less antagonistic. By the construction of this line these interests may be said to be united and consolidated. The county as a whole, from lake to lake, has a large stake in the early completion of the line uniting the waters of Lake Erie and Lake Huron. The municipalities northward, we are assured, are prepared liberally to assist this enterprise. The Government, in the interests of a large section of the Province, will, we are satisfied, do their duty. You can count without fail, as in the past, on our active co-operation in the northern extension, and we trust that no time will be lost by you Board in inviting our co-operation and that of all others interested in pushing forward this important work. The full practical value of this important public enterprise can only be realized by those interested in its promotion when this desirable communication is attained.
(Signed) D.D. Campbell,
Mayor.Mr. Fuller replied as follows:—
To the Mayor and Town Council of Listowel:—
Gentlemen:—On behalf of the Directors of the Stratford and Huron Railway and myself accept my cordial thanks for your very kind address and your kind hospitalities extended to us on this the first arrival of a train of the Stratford and Huron Railway to your town, and sincerely trust that your anticipations of the benefits of the Railway to your enterprising town and surrounding country, which have so liberally aided us, may be fully realized, and that with additional assistance from the Government we will soon be able to complete the road. I thank you for your kindness in recognizing the efforts of myself and co-directors and others in pushing forward this important enterprise, and trust with you that the completion of this road will add to our commercial, social and municipal advantages, and that it may be the means of consolidating the interest of this county as a whole. As regard the further extension of the railway to the north of you I can assure you that the directors have always felt that the railway could not be considered complete until we have reached the beautiful waters of Georgian Bay, and I thank you for your kind offer to co-operation. At the same time we feel that the extension of this road beyond your town would entail large responsibilities, but by the liberal aid promised, and with the assistance of the Ontario Government, these might be overcome, and we would be enabled to complete the railway as originally intended, forming a complete railway from lake to lake. Again thanking you for your very kind address and welcome I am,
Yours very respectfully,
(Signed) S.S. Fuller,
President.A procession was then formed, headed by the Listowel brass band, and after marching though the main streets of the town, the crowd halted at the Grant Central Hotel, where a grand banquet, to which a large number sat down, was served. At four o'clock the company repaired to the hall of the hotel, where the order of the toasts was proceeded with. Among those present were the President and Directors of the Stratford and Lake Huron Railway, Mr. Gilbert Moore, President, Mr Henry Parker, Vice-President, and Messrs John Jackson, T.J. Clarke, Walter Marshall, and Dr. Cook, directors of Port Dover and Lake Huron Railway; Messrs D.D. Hay, M.P.P., T Ballantyne, M.P.P., Mr Trow, M.P., Mr Wallace, M.P., Dr. Clarke, M.P.P., Mr. D.D. Campbell, Mayor of Listowel, who acted as chairman; Mr. T.E. Hay, Reeve, and Messrs A. Austin, J. Heppler, J. Dixon, Wm. Hay, Geo Towner, Councillors; J.W. Scott, A.D. Freeman, Jno Livingstone, Dr. Nichol, Dr Philip, Alex McDonald, H. Devlin, J.E. Terhune, Thos Brooks, Geo Hess, Wm Hess, D. Gordon, Alfred Noxon, Jno Hacking, all of Listowel; Mr T.M. Daly, Reeve, and Messrs. Fisher, J.P. Woods, Jno Idington, S.R. Hesson, Jas Smith, R. Smith, Alex Grant, R. Larmour, of the Grand Trunk Railway; John Read, J. Abraham, J. Hogg, of the Bank of Montréal; J.R. Ransom, of the Merchants' Bank; Councillors Gibson, Odberf, McGingan, Bolger, Roberts, and Rigg; Chas Young, Beacon, James Robb, Herald, H.T. Butler, Times, A.G. McKay, A.R. Williams, D. Scrimgeour, Jas Steel, Alex Caven, D.L. Caven, J. Waugh, A. McNair, all of Stratford; W. Davidson, Warden of Perth; W.R. Davis, Mayor of Mitchell; G.R. Pattullo, of Toronto; T.H. Parker, Deputy-Reeve, Jas Sutherland, Second Deputy-Reeve, Williams Wasmyth, Henry Hall, D. Richards, William Potts, D. Peacock and Wm Gray, councillors; H.J. Finkle, P. Craib, Dr. McLay, S. Rutherford, Jno Forrest, H.P. Brown, and H. Emigh, all of Woodstock; Wm Winter, President Ontario Express Company, Stratford; R.F. Dodd, Vice President of Hamilton; M.C. Brown, H. Holmes, J. Thompson, W. Carpenter, J. Wyckoff, R.H. Livingstone, Jas Dean, W.F. Nickerson, R. Matthews, Oliver Austin, Dr. J.T. Smith, O. Austin, D.J. Wyckoff, J.C. Boyd, all of Simcoe, T. Gillies, Reeve; R. Biddell, and J.M. Decon, of Woodhouse; Dr. Walker, J. Gilroy, Jas Riddell, of Port Dover; H. Farrington, George Southwick, D.M. Donald, Elias Mott, John Shaw, John Cluthem, H.S. Moore, Stephen Coon, Thomas Merritt, of Norwich; S Day, and O.C. Fish, of Otterville; D.Z. Gibson, of Windham; D. McGillicuddy, Post; and Jas Wilson, of Brussels; Jas Goldie, of Guelph; Stephen Noxon, of Walkerton; John Kastner, of Sebringville; Ketcher, of Milverton; R. Hamilton, Newry; E.C. Davies, Henfryn; John Sedger, of Wellesley.
The meeting have come to order, the Chairman proposed the usual loyal and patriotic toasts, which were heartily received.
"The President and Directors of the Stratford and Lake Huron Railway" was then proposed, and received with much enthusiasm.
Mr. Fuller, President, responded, remarking that the enterprise they had met to celebrate was one of which the people of Listowel had good reason to feel proud, as it was largely to their efforts that its success was due. They had had to contend with many and great difficulties in prosecuting the scheme thus far, but they could not have achieved the success which they had met to-day to celebrate unless by the active and hearty co-operation of the Directors, the municipalities along the line, and all interested in its construction. They had not, like other companies, gone to England to sell their bonds; they had tried to do so but had failed. (Laughter.) But they had found men here who were able and willing to take up the bonds and risk their own money in the scheme, and that during a time of exceptional stringency in money matters. He congratulated the people on the completion of the road so far, but reminded them that building the railway was only a part of their duty, for it would be little use to construct a railway unless they afterwards supported it. He hoped they would co-operate heartily in this direction so that the road might be kept an independent one.
Col. Tisdale also responded, referring to the difficulties which had beset the scheme in its inception and during its progress and to the large measure of success which they had been enabled to achieve. The iron had been laid down for a distance of 90 miles at a cost of one and one-half millions of dollars, of which $750,000 had been raised by the municipalities. Owing their failure to dispose of their bonds in England the money had been raised locally and paid with the exception of about $50,000 of a floating debt. The people were very anxious that the road should be built further north, but he asked them to have patience until the portion of the road which [missing] operation should show signs [missing] expenses, and the interest on its bounds. They had a charter for the prosecution of the scheme northwards, and he was strongly in favour of occupying the ground and building the road, but they could not expect men to risk their money without the prospect of a fair return. The bondholders believed the security was good, and they were willing to wait for the interest on their money. They did not propose to go on with the remaining portion of the line until next fall. The road was now ballasted; they had fifteen stations, five flag stations, four engine houses, $80,000 worth of rolling stock, an elevator at Woodstock and suitable workshops; they owned the Port Dover Harbour, and they had all the telegraphing and other appliances which were necessary. The earnings of the road were increasing. This year the Port Dover and Lake Huron had earned about $60,000, and he believed that in five years the road from Port Dover to Listowel would be earning $150,000 a year, which would be amply sufficient to make it pay. The true policy for a local road like this was to treat all the great trunk lines alike. They wanted to work in unison with them, for thought their interests diverged in some respects, in others they were identical. With regard to the bridges he remarked that it would require only 600 feet of iron bridging to bridge the whole ninety miles. He denied the report that it was the intention of the directors to hand the road over to the Great Western Railway, or to any other line, remarking that the road would remain an independent one so long as it paid its working expenses and the interest on its bonds. He believed that but for the war in Europe they wold have been able to sell their bonds and thus have made the road an independent one for all time to come, and he had hopes that they be able to do so yet. (Cheers).
Mr. James Fisher, a director, congratulated the people of Listowel upon the successful efforts which had thus far attended the scheme. There had been many difficulties in the way, but they had given way to active and united effort, and they would find that this would be the case in building the line northwards. He hoped the line would be maintained as an independent one, and he believed the strong public sentiment in favour of its independent maintenance was a good guarantee in that direction. The chairman said that speaking for the town of Listowel, he was sure that when the promoters of the scheme feel themselves in a position to build the road northwards they would find the people of Listowel willing to accord them the same hearty support which they had given them in the past. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
Mr. Robert Smith, solicitor of the road, referred to the litigation between the Company and the County Council of Perth. He had not long ago had the satisfaction of telling one of the Judges of the Court of Appeal that the road was actually running, and that gentleman was somewhat amazed, as he had decided against the Company in the Court of Appeal on the ground that it was almost impossible that the road could be built. He then referred to the days of darkness in the history of the road, and said that the present was an occasion when every one interested in the scheme might take his neighbour by the hand and say, "Well done." He had advocated but one principle in connection with the road from beginning to end, and that was that it should be an independent line. He believed that it was an opinion upon which they all united. They had to thank the people of Listowel in an especial manner, for they had never ceased their exertions, even when Stratford was included to be a little supine.
The next toast was, "The Dominion Parliament and Local Legislature."
Mr. W. Wallace, M.P., was the first to respond. In the course of a humorous speech he remarked that, though a Government was a good thing, this great country must advance even if there were no Government at all, for it was the yeomanry who advanced its material interests. He concluded by congratulating the people of Listowel on the opening of the road.
Mr. Trow, M.P., also responded. He said he had heard rumours that the Stratford and Lake Huron was a one-horse road, and for that reason he had paid special attention in coming along the line to-day. Though he could not claim to be an expert in these matters, he had noticed the smoothness of the road, and believed that the track had been well and substantially laid. He referred to the dispute between the Country Council and the Company and said that as soon as the scheme was bona fide they had given it their cordial support. When they were satisfied it would prove a paying speculation, he believed the road would be built to Lake Huron.
Dr. Clarke, M.P.P., said the credit was not only due to the people of Listowel, but to those who had come to the front in promoting the scheme, and especially to those who had promoted its legislation. They had worked honestly and heartily for the interests or the road, and there had been no rings with big salaries attached. On the contrary, the funds had been honestly spent, and the men at the head of the scheme had risked their own money in it. He believed that but for the wise and liberal system of railway aid of the Government of Ontario this and other roads could never have been built. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. D.D. Hay, M.P.P., Vice-Chairman, then assumed the ordering of the toasts, and proposed, first "The Railway Interests of the Province." He said that this was a matter on which the people of this country could unit upon a common ground irrespective of politics, and he was happy to say that with regard to the particular scheme whose success they had met to celebrate, they had meet with the cordial co-operation of both sides of the House. He thoroughly agreed with the last speaker, that but for the liberal railway policy of the Government of Ontario this road and others of as great importance could not have been built at all. No more enlightened, liberal, or proper appropriation of the people's money could be made—none which would have more largely developed the resources of the country—than in aiding such enterprise. So far as the Stratford and Lake Huron Railway was concerned he anticipated the best results. He looked upon its construction as one of those links without which the county of Perth would have been incomplete in its relations, municipal, social, and commercial, with the outer world; as a means of binding them together very likely for all time to come. (Hear, hear and cheers.) If the time should come when a re-arrangement of the counties should be necessary he would then be prepared to defend what he thought was right. But in any case this road would tend to bind them together by a bond stronger than iron, which was in itself one of the great powers in civilizing any country. They had had good grounds of complaint in this county at one time in regard to the scheme, and especially when gentlemen from outside took possession of their charter, almost without consulting them. They had brought them up to the last hour, but the moment they found that the town of Stratford, which had a large stake in the road, had given more liberally than any other municipality in the county, he and others had said they were not prepared to fight against the county. Though he had fought these gentlemen bitterly he had said, "develop your scheme, and if it proves to be one on which we can unit you may on our hearty co-operation." And from that time forth he had done what he could to contribute to its success. The directors of the road had his entire confidence. They had carried out every pledge they had made, and he had no doubt that if the people north exercise a little patience they would by-and-by see the road connecting the two lakes. (Cheers.) Until that was done the people between the lakes would not be content, for so far they regarded the scheme as incomplete. He was quite sure that the citizens of this town were ready to do their share in helping on the enterprise to that end. (Cheers.) Indeed he believed the whole county was united on that point.
The toast was drank with great enthusiasm.
Mr. Larmour, of the Grand Trunk Railway, responded, remarking that it was undoubtedly a matter of great congratulation to the people of Listowel that they should have a direct opening to Stratford, and, he might add, a direct connection with the Grand Trunk. (Hear, hear.)He did not think there was any disgrace in that connection at present, whatever it might have been some years ago. So far as he res presented the Grand Trunk, he sincerely hoped the new road would continue to be an independent one, for if the Grant Trunk could not make such arrangements with it as it required for its traffic, then the fault would be the Grand Trunk's, and another road must take its place. So far as he was concerned, he would be happy to make such arrangements with regard to the running of trains, &c., as would conduce to the advantage of both lines, for, as he understood it, the interests of both roads were in this respect identical.
Mr. Gilbert Moore, President, and Mr. Henry Parker, Vice-President of the Port Dover and Lake Huron Railway, also responded briefly.
The toast of "the County Council," was responded to by Mr. Davidson, Warden of the county, in a short but appropriate address.
To the toast of "Our Sister Cities and Towns," Mr. T.M. Daly, Mayor of Stratford, responded in an apt and humorous speech, and Mr. W.R. Davis, Reeve of Mitchell, in a few well considered remarks.
A number of other toasts followed, the company breaking up about 7 p.m., a large number having to leave by a train for Stratford, which started shortly afterward.
In the course of the evening Prof. Hand, of Toronto, have a magnificent display of fireworks in the town to the delight of the [missing].
Ref: Listowel; Newton Subdivision.