Little Current Again on Deck: Schooner Days CMXXXVII (937)

by C. H. J. Snider

IDENTIFICATION of Little Current Harbor and the steamers it sheltered forty years ago has been such fun for so many readers of Schooner Days that we are fain to accord another number for the numerous answers.

It is curious that although all the seven steamers in the picture were known to those who identified the place, those answering have supplied twelve names for them.

Bon Ami, John J. Long, John Haggart, and Iroquois are the names correspondents have supplied for the steamer in the foreground, shown plainly but only partially. She may have been renamed, of course—but three times? The little tug the background is called by some the B. M. Fraser and by others the Lulu Eddy. Was she renamed, too? The remaining steamers shown are identified variously as the Minnie M., which carried the peripatetic voters in one of Jim Conmee's hotly contested elections when the Old War Horse boasted of "thirty-two years in the saddle," the Caribou and Manitou (which were built at Goderich a year apart and certainly looked alike), the City of Midland, Germanic and the Telegram.

AFTER A HARD WINTER

A. R. Patten, "more Little Current than Brampton" but writing from 247 Main street north in the latter town, says:

"The picture is boats leaving harbor after a forced winter, 1907 or 1908. Toward the end of November of the preceding season the cold weather came earlier than usual and with unusual severity. The pictured boats were unable to achieve their winter berths at Owen Sound and Collingwood. You have doubtless been advised that they were there because of a raft of sawlogs blocking the channel to the east. That did happen one year, either shortly before or after this picture was taken, but it happened in midsummer. Note there are no leaves on the branches of the birch trees in the foreground. I clearly recollect that the "Big Blockade" took place in either July or August, as the various crews of the ships arranged a baseball tournament during their forced sojourn. Vessels in picture are, foreground, Iroquois; left to right, Minnie M. (of election fame), City of Midland, Caribou and Telegram, tug Lulu Eddy, with dredge Dalton McCarthy and drill boat in background. So yours for more pictures of more boats."

Capt. Harold Baxter, 87 Eaton ave., Toronto: "One of the boats in the stream is the Manitou, built in 1903 at Goderich, and was under command of my late father, Capt. J. L. Baxter. The other boat in the river looks like the steamer Telegram, with the Caribou at the town dock. The white boat tied to the bank looks like the John J. Long, afterward renamed Iroquois and owned by Mr. Sims, of Little Current."

T. Franklin May, Southampton, Ont., identifies the port and steamers and suggests John Haggart as the name of the Sims steamer in the foreground. "I enjoy Schooner Days, so keep up the good work," he says.

We'll try, but including Bon Ami given last week, this is the fourth name for one steamer.

TUG MEN TAKE A HAND

S. B. English, writing from the Ford Hotel, identifies three steamers as Caribou, Manitou and Iroquois, and the tug as the B. M. Fraser. Captain English modestly does not say so, but he is an up-to-date steamboat man, and at present in the city ferry tug Dickson running four or five trips a day through the winter. "I was raised in Little Current, and so am familiar with the scene, and I also read your articles and seldom miss them."

Capt. Harold Ebel, master of the towing tug Nordawn, another Little Current man, also hit the target.

Capt. N. E. McKee, formerly mate in the Colfax, wrote from Little Current: "Your picture has caused considerable interest here. Capt. Tom Boylen identifies the ships as Germanic, Manitou, Telegram, tug G. M. Fraser, and one not clear."

SPOTS THE TOWN

Milton Eade, 162 Schell ave., Toronto: "Being a follower of the lake, on Saturdays I look for Schooner Days first thing in The Telegram ... the steamer in the foreground could be the old John Haggard, some of the buildings look familiar, Ritchie's store, English church spire, Turner's, Dawson's and Trotter's house on the hill, Trotter's dock and Turner's dock." He knows his Little Current.

"Port Dalhousie, say 1904?" was the query from S. C. Baldwin's lumber mill, Parry Sound. No, but not unlike. Lorne Oakes, of Port Dalhousie, however, hit the Little Current nail on the head, and the date pretty closely.

H. C. Joselin, 158 Macpherson ave., Toronto, guessed "Collingwood, and the time about 65 years ago, 1885," showing how widely honest opinions may differ.

HARBOR SCENE, MANITOULIN

This "repeat" of the Christmas card of Capt. Turner, Little Current, shows the harbor of that Manitoulin port with many steamers well known at the beginning of this century.