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Ship of the Month - cont'd. partial load at Chatham and then went down to the Canada Southern dock, Am­ herstburg, where Thomas Oullette put oak timber aboard for Quebec. The VAN ALLEN departed towing the schooner GRACE AMELIA, which had been loaded at Thomas' mill and at the Canada Southern dock. GRACE AMELIA had been char­ tered for four trips at $12 per thousand (feet). It is not known if the VAN ALLEN was to tow the schooner as a consort to Quebec or if this simply was a one-time tow down the river. GRACE AMELIA was a relatively new schooner of about 199 tons, listed by various sources as built by A. McBride or George Dakins at Port Burwell in 1874. She was con­ verted to steam by the J. Doty Engine Co. at Toronto in 1892 and renamed (b) GORDON JERRY. This vessel ran aground on Ward's Island, Toronto, in the fall of 1905 and remained there until destroyed by fire on October 10, 1906. The burned hulk was removed from the beach in 1910. At the end of May 1877, the VAN ALLEN arrived at Amherstburg from Montreal and discharged freight on Kevill & Co. 's dock. Still on the Quebec run, she loaded 20, 000 feet of oak timber from Mr. George Cooke on top of quantities of oak and ash she had taken on at Leamington, Thomas' mill and the Canada Southern Railway wharf. She continued on this run for the remainder of the season, discharging freight on Kevill & C o . 's dock for Amherstburg merchants and lake shore ports. The steamship inspector visited Chatham early in 1878 and looked at the steamers D. R. VAN ALLEN, ALEXANDER, J. W. STEINHOFF and J. S. NOYES. Early in April, the "Chatham Tri-Weekly Planet" reported: "The steamer VAN ALLEN has commenced regular bimonthly trips between this port and Montreal, and shippers may rely on her continuing this route for the balance of the sea­ son. Our people will no doubt give the Chatham boat the preference for any freight they may have over this route. Our farmers, too, who wish to deal direct with the Montreal markets will find it to their advantage to patro­ nize the VAN ALLEN. " The D. R. VAN ALLEN took on 7, 000 bushels of wheat at Henry's warehouse and completed her first cargo of the 1878 season with lumber at the North Cha­ tham Saw Mills. The wheat was destined for New York City and was reshipped at Buffalo. That spring, the VAN ALLEN was chartered at Chicago for 5, 000 feet of black walnut logs to Quebec at $175 per thousand, the "Post and Tri­ bune" reporting it likely that she would fill out the cargo with deals from Manistee or Pentwater, Michigan. Harbourmaster Hanley's record of arrivals at the Grand Trunk Railroad elevator at Collingwood for the years 1878-1879 included, in 1878, the steamer VAN ALLEN, taking on 14, 000 bushels of grain. D. R. VAN ALLEN went into the small dock of the Detroit Dry Dock Company in December of 1878 for a general overhauling, at which time she received new sister keelsons, caulking and fastening with Squarr's patent trunneling. The work took about three weeks and, said "The Detroit Post and Tribune": "When she comes out will be one of the best boats of her class on the lakes. Capt. John McCarty, who commands the VAN ALLEN, superintended the work. " He claim­ ed the repairs and alterations would increase her carrying capacity by near­ ly 1, 000 bushels. When she came off the drydock on December 10th, she was towed up to Chatham to be laid up for the winter. Her early career appears to have been unmarred by serious accidents, much to the delight of her owners. The Toronto "Globe" of May 3, 1879, reported: "The propellor D. VAN ALLEN (sic), when coming out of the Thames River struck a log with her wheel and broke part of one bucket off, and is in Wol­ verine dry dock patching the broken bucket". The were "the good old days" when even the sale of coal to a passing steamer made the local news. "The Amherstburg Echo", May 16, 1879, reported: "Sunday night John Mullen sold the propellor EGYPTIAN 12 tons of coal, on Saturday 8 tons to the tug WM. HALL and on Tuesday night 55 tons to the propellor VAN ALLEN, and 8 tons to the tug FLOSSIE THIECKE yesterday". From the same paper on July 18th: "This week S. Fraser sold the METAMORA 70 tons of coal and the