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Ship of the Month - cont'd. 8. The Hutchinson fleet was one of those that participated in this programme, Pioneer Steam­ ship Company and Buckeye Steamship Company each taking delivery of one new steamer during 1943. Buckeye got the L6-S-A1 class JOHN T. HUTCHINSON in exchange for the old whaleback ALEXANDER MCDOUGALL and the little steamers MARIPOSA and MARITANA that dated back to 1892. Pioneer received the L6-S-B1 class CLARENCE B. RANDALL (i) but to get her they gave up S. B. COOLIDGE and AMAZON which, by that time, were the oldest and smallest ships under Pioneer ownership. Most of the fleets that traded in old tonnage continued to operate those ships under char­ ter until the end of the war, as Buckeye Steamship Company did with the MCDOUGALL, MARIPOSA and MARITANA. For reasons we probably will never know, however, Pioneer only kept the COO­ LIDGE and AMAZON on charter until the end of the 1943 season. Then, beginning in 1944, the Maritime Commission chartered the pair to the Gartland Steamship Company, of Chicago, of which D. Sullivan & Company had been manager until Gartland itself had taken over manage­ ment in addition to ownership in 1936. Gartland was a fleet that had been formed by Captain Denis Sullivan, born in Dublin, Ire­ land, in 1849. Gartland actually had been the maiden name of Capt. Sullivan's wife Ella, whom he married in 1878. After Capt. Sullivan passed away in 1918, the fleet was carried on by four (Arthur, Harry, Paul and Frank) of his five sons who were the "Sullivan Brothers" after whom two of the fleet's steamers later were named. Under her new management, S. B. COOLIDGE kept her old name but was given the usual Gartland livery. Her hull became black, while her forecastle and deckhouses were white. Her foremast was buff and the main was black. The smokestack was black with a broad white band on which appeared the large black letter 'S'. Her name was painted in large white letters on her bows, under which in white was painted 'Gartland Steamship Co. ' and below that the word 'Charterer'. AMAZON was treated in much the same manner. The COOLIDGE was operated by Gartland from 1943 through 1947 and, during 1946 and 1947, both COOLIDGE and AMAZON carried pulpwood for the Ontario Paper Company. At the close of the 1947 navigation season, the Gartland charter of the COOLIDGE was terminated and she was retired from service. The Maritime Commission sold her to the Bethlehem Steel Company, and it was reported on February 28, 1948, that she was being scrapped by Bethlehem at Lacka­ wanna, New York. AMAZON, as the last of the former Corrigan barges, lasted a few years longer, staying under charter to Gartland through 1949. In 1950, the Maritime Commission chartered her to the T. H. Browning Steamship Company, of Detroit, which ran her through the 1953 season. She also met her end in the Buffalo area, being scrapped there over 1954-1955. * * * Ed. Note: We wish to thank Ron Beaupre for suggesting AUSTRALIA for this feature after dis­ covering the "Marine Review" article dealing with her 1902 conversion to a steamer. Ron al­ so provided other information that was useful, and we also are grateful for the assistance of Len Barr and Bill Moran. The writings of the late Jim Kidd and John Bascom were of much assistance as were an assortment of shipping registers and directories. Some of the infor­ mation about the steamer's Hutchinson and Gartland years come from the late John Green­ wood's The Fleet Histories Series, Volumes Three and Five. The photo of AUSTRALIA after the 1918 collision came from Sarnia - More Picture History by Glen C. Phillips (Sarnia: Iron Gate Publishing, 1992). We have been unable so far to turn up a photo of AUSTRALIA as a barge. If any of our mem­ bers should have such a photo, or any additional information concerning this interesting vessel, we would, as always, be pleased to receive their assistance. * * * * * The Silent Auction: We wish to remind the members that the list of items available in our 2008 Silent Auction will be distributed with the April issue. The success of the auction is absolutely essential for the financial survival of this Society, and the more items we have for sale, the more the Society will benefit. Please see the note on the Front Cover of this issue re how to contact our Auctionmaster, Gordon Turner. It is vital that Gordon hears from you (either by phone or by e-mail) by March 14 at the very latest if you have items to contribute. We sincerely thank all those who already have donated items. * * * * *