Masters of the Inland Seas.
On the Great Lakes Capt. E. B. Anderson was as well known as the Manitoba was popular with the travelling public. He never told, if he ever knew, the date of his birth, but it is believed he was nearer eighty than seventy when he retired. It would have required much stronger proof than his appearance to credit him with more than fifty summers.
Capt. Jim McAllister commanded the Alberta for many years and afterwards lived in Vancouver and Fort William. To the day of his death he stoutly maintained that there not only had never been, but there never could be, the equal of the Alberta.
Capt. Louis Payette was on the bridge of the Assiniboia making his ship fast in the Canadian lock one day in 1909 when the Perry Walker smashed the lock gates and let both the Assiniboia and Crescent City drop down eighteen feet with the full force of Lake Superior behind them. There was an anxious few minutes, but Capt. Payette’s coolness and good seamanship minimized the damage and he was able to finish his voyage with passengers and cargo intact.
All of the five present-day skippers on the Great Lakes were born and brought upon the shores of the wonderful Georgian Bay—a Bay only in name, and in reality one of the Great Lakes and the only one entirely Canadian. Four of them are of Highland Scotch descent and equally at home in Gælic or English, two in fact had their early education in the weird but musical language of their forefathers, and acquired the tongue of the Sassenach in later years. Capt. Malcolm McPhee is very proud of the “Keewatin,” and the reputation he has made for her arrival on the stroke of the clock is a byword on the Lakes. Capt. James McCannell of the “Assiniboia,” is a Scot of Scots, and regrets that the kilt is hardly suitable for the bridge during the November gales on Lake Superior. He has been known to carry a private piper on his crew. Capt. John Mclntyre is one of the seven boys, six of whom are lake captains and first-class seamen all. Capt. Murdoch MacKay is another stalwart specimen of Canadian of Highland descent. His Gælic is fluent and very useful during moments of stress when ladies are within hearing. Capt. Frank Davis is of English descent and highly popular with all who travel on the good ship “Manitoba”. Built in Owen Sound, she retains the connection with the original home port of the fleet and calls each week during the season to pay her respects to the beautiful city of the Sound.