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Page 146 mouth of the Detroit River had been but a dream. As he spoke, it was a reality and an eternal monument to the man who conceived it. Col. C. McDonald Townsend said that the eighty million tons of freight which annually passed through the Detroit River justified the expense of the Livingston Channel. He referred to the fact that it cost four cents per ton mile to move freight on the Mississippi between St. Louis and Cairo, whereas on the Great Lakes, it was moved for eight-tenths of a cent per ton mile. Col. Patrick, who was Government Engineer with headquarters at Detroit at the time, said that the saving of one cent a ton on the commerce passing through the Detroit River would pay for the Livingston Channel in ten years. One of the participants at the original opening of the channel was Capt. Sullivan, an oldtimer then, who made remarks after the dinner. He noted some of the changes since 1863, saying that year he had sailed a ship of 160 ton capacity in the coal trade between Erie and Buffalo. Here we will quote his remarks directly: ' 'In looking back it seems to me that with the passing of the sailing ship on the lakes the romance and the greater part of the sentiment passed with them. In recalling the names of some of the handsomest vessels that ever floated in any waters there were the Coquette, Wind, Wave, Wings of the Morning, Starlight, Sunrise, Morninglight, Moonlight, Sunnyside and Sweetheart. "The ships of today are named for men who do things. That is why the monster that headed the procession today was named the William Livingston. It's a fitting name for her. Nobody would think of naming her Sweetheart-, it would be very important for the man, but not the ship. Another marked change is in the sinking of the personality of the old time master. A vessel he sailed was seldom referred to by his associates or the men directly connected with the affairs of ships. If you asked the mate on relieving him what vessels he met during his watch, he would answer John Low, Jim Brown or Jack Shaw, as the case might be." Capt. Sullivan went on to say that "In the old days the only aids to navigation This section was hand-drilled and blasted. Today it is below the waterline. Roger Stahl Coll.