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5. HAROLD FRICKE It is with Port Huron, sadness that we report the passing, on February 14, Michigan, of Harold Fricke, at the age of 71. 1994, at Haro Id was a very longtime and stalwart member of the Toronto Marine Historical Society, and carried membership number 168. He also was one of the most avid of the "Port Huron River Rats", and for many years had spent most of his days, during the navigation season, on the U. S. shore of the Huron Cut, under the Blue Water Bridge, observing and pho to graphing the passing ships. His powder-blue Volkswagen Rabbit was a fix ture under the bridge, and Harold was always ready and willing to talk with other fans about the shipping scene. We extend our most sincere sympathy to his stepdaughter, Michelle, also to his legion of friends in the Port Huron and Sarnia areas. and Ed. N o t e : We s h o u l d l i ke this remembrance of our to t h a n k m e m b e r J im B e a r m a n late f r i e n d a n d m e m b e r . for h i s assistance with * * * * * THE SHIPS OF UPPER LAKES SHIPPING T. M. H . S. members will be interested to know that The Ships of the Upper Lakes Shipping Group is now available. This 136-page softcover, in upright 81 / 2 " by 11 format, has been prepared by Garnet Wilcox ("Coordinator") and by T. M. H . S. member E. B. "Skip" Gillham ("Researcher") as an update to Wally Macht's book Upper L a k e s , which was published at the fiftieth anniversary of the corporation. The appearance of the new volume also coincides with the retirement of John D. Leitch as Chairman of the Board. Garnet Wilcox was employed with the fleet over a period encompassing six decades. This book is less a corporate history than it is an illustrated record of the company's ships. One page is dedicated to each vessel, with a thumbnail history and photographs. The book is copiously illustrated in black-andwhite, and sports attractive colour covers. It presents the ships by decade during which they joined the fleet, and also lists many of the masters and chief engineers who sailed the ships during each period. We wish that some of the ship histories were more detailed, but that would have been difficult to achieve in the one-page-per-ship format. As well, the brief corporate history might have been presented in more detail, especially for the benefit of those who do not possess Wally Macht's earlier book. Very little is mentioned, for instance, of early relations with the famous en tre preneur James Playfair, or of the purchase of the remainder of his fleet after Playfair's death, or even of the momentous decision to acquire, in two groups, all of the Eastern Steamship Company's fleet. Strangely, no mention at all is made of any of the ships which were operated by Toronto Elevators Ltd. when it chartered the fleet of the financiallybeset Mathews Steamship Company Ltd. during 1932 and 1933. Neither are some other ships mentioned, such as the "associated" ROBERT P. DURHAM, which might have found an appropriate place here. And missing from the list of well known Upper Lakes masters are Captains Frank Harpell and Stan Tischart, perhaps along with others that do not readily come to our mind. Nevertheless, the book will be a welcome addition to almost any marine bo ok shelf. It may be obtained from Riverbank Traders, 57 Main Street, St. Ca th arines, Ontario L2N 4T8. The price is $19. 95 Canadian or $17. 95 U . S., to be increased in each case by $2. 00 for packing and postage. * * * * *