Hands Across the Continent: Schooner Days CLXXXIV (184)

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ALBERT E. MAUDE who brought the Good News to Toronto (not from Ghent, but from Sand Beach or somewhere on Lake Huron), is now in Port Moody, B.C. He wants to get in touch with George Phillips, of Toronto, with whom he sailed years ago, and Schooner Days has been appealed to for that purpose. Righto, ancient mariners, but remember we have “Personal" classification. No. 82. in the condensed advertising section, which is rivaled only by the “Agony Column” of the London Times. Tely ads are inexpensive and get results.

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REMEMBER CAPT. BURNETT?

And while on this task, let us do the Boy Scouts second good deed of the day for our swelling advertising section by pointing out that the “Lost” and “Found” classifications. Nos. 80 and 81, give great results most inexpensively, with additional service on the air thrown in gratis. Wonder what a condensed ad. would do in this case quoted below?

Sir,—I have in my possession a portion of a locket or brooch which I found about a year ago in the vicinity of King and Princess sts. It was badly tarnished, but upon cleaning it found it engraved:

“CAPT. BURNETT,

DIED JUNE 18TH, 1843."

Surmising that the said captain may have been an old lake captain of your “Schooner Days,” I wonder if it may be of interest to you. Yours truly,

ARTHUR H. BARTON, 87 Byng avenue.

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TRUE

A severely inebriated firemen on the dock at Fort William:

“Shay, misser; scuse me. I’in lookin' fer a tug. Firin’ on 'er, an’ I been up town an’ throwed in a few bowls, an’ I can't find that cockeyed tug.”

“What's her name?”

“Ain't sure, misser. Sheems to me it's Erin Go Bragh. Shum'n like that any way.”

“Guess I don’t know her. There’s the General, and the Edna G., and -

the Home Rule and ”

“Thash it. Thash it Home Rule. I knew it was Irish.”

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EVER HEAR OF

THIS HORSE SHIPWRECK?

OK MAPLE SUGAR PILED LIKE CORDWOOD?

Sir,—I take much enjoyment in reading your department in The Evening Telegram, and am taking the liberty of writing you; perhaps you may be able to clear up a curiosity.

My grandfather, Malcolm Montgomery, who was born in Islay in Scotland, sailed the Great Lakes, as also did several of his brothers. My grandfather evidently did not reminiscence very much on his sailing days. About all I can find out is that he was first mate when he left the lakes to go farming at Point Mara, east side of Lake Simcoe, where the Talbot River enters the lake.

I remember him telling me when I was very young that he had seen maple sugar piled on the wharf at Port Hope like stove wood. Describing how plentiful it was, I suppose. Also that he had seen a steamer blow up (the boiler). I can't remember whether this was in Toronto or Hamilton. I can also remember of asking him if he had ever been shipwrecked, and he replied, “Yes more than once,” adding that once they were saved by a dog swimming to shore with a line. I think one of the boats or schooners was the Mayflower. I was talking to a cousin in Peterboro last week, arid he says it was either the Mayflower or May Fare. He also said my grandfather was once shipwrecked coming in the Eastern Gap at Toronto, with a cargo of horses. The horses were all dumped overboard, with the hopes that they might swim ashore, but they were all drowned. I don’t know how long ago this was, but my father is 76 years of age, and he was not born during my grandfather's sailing days. If my grandfather didn't leave much sailing blood in me, I’ve been across the Atlantic once and had a couple of trips on the Bluenose. The enjoyment I get out of sailing is when it's plenty rough and the decks are awash. Thanks in advance. Sincerely yours,

—MAC MONTGOMERY.

5 High Park avenue.

There was a little brigantine or topsail schooner on Lake Ontario 80 years ago named the Mayflower, owned in Oswego and trading to Toronto and Hamilton. She is said to have been the original of the schooner Snow Bird, whose bones lie in Toronto Bay between the Yacht Club and Ward's Island. The Snow Bird had several names, her one-before-last being Minnie Proctor. If I remember rightly there is a brigantine Mayflower mentioned in the Yellow Briar, in connection with Port Credit.

These may all have been the same vessel, or one of them may have been your grandfather's.

Probably the steamer your grandfather saw blow up was the Prop. Inkerman of Kingston, which was blown to bits with all her crew, through the explosion of her boiler when she was backing out from Upton and Brown’s wharf, Toronto, May 29th, 1857. Would the Monarch, wrecked Nov. 29th, 1856, near where the Eastern Gap was formed two years later, be the ship with the load of horses, or was this a sailing vessel?

MOCKING BIRD AND MOUNTAINEER