Barlow Cumberland, Agent, 35 Yonge Street.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
The results were highly satisfactory, the public being anxious to see the steamer and interested in its progress. Another charter which was declined may be mentioned as being the establishing of a principle which was not departed from. A new Roman Catholic Church had been erected at Oakville, which was to be consecrated and opened with much eclat on a Sunday. At that time there were no trains run on Sundays on the Hamilton and Toronto Branch of the Great Western Railway, and the only way by which any very large contingent from Toronto could be expected to join in the ceremonies would be by making arrangements for an excursion by water. There would have been no legal objection to this, as the rigidity of Sunday legislation had not then been introduced. The Oakville authorities made application to charter the Chicora, and as the President of the company was a Roman Catholic, and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Toronto strongly supported the application, they felt assured of compliance. A goodly offer was made for a trip on the Sunday afternoon from Toronto to Oakville and back. The matter was considered by the Board and it was unanimously resolved that the Chicora would not be run on Sundays. One will not say that this decision was entirely due to religious considerations, although these, no doubt, were not without weight, but it was also settled upon plain business principles.
The steamer was entering a considerable contest and would need every care. In a competition with two steamers we needed to have our men and the boat keyed up to the highest efficiency. This could not be done if we ran the steamer across the lake on every day of the week. The maintenance of the regularity of the steamers and the reputation of the Niagara River Line has without doubt been considerably gained by confining the running to "week days only." The increasing requirements for through connections, particularly from the American Railways on the south shore, where Sunday trains have greatly increased, may some day bring about a change.
On Saturday, 1st June, Chicora left Toronto dock at 2.30 p.m. for a first regular afternoon excursion to Niagara, and on Monday, June 3rd, began her regular double trip service leaving at 7.05 a.m. and 2.05 p.m.
As matters on the Niagara River were still in process of organization we did not at first run beyond Niagara except on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, when the full trip up the river to Lewiston was made.
It was very early found that the trip up the river is the main attraction to the route, giving, as it does, scenery unusual and without compare, a respite from the open lake and allowing a stroll on shore, either at Niagara or Lewiston, while awaiting the return journey.
From the very beginning the competition was a whirlwind. Mr. Lunt was an adept at steamboat competition and it was our business to go him one better, and also to have our steamer and facilities made as widely known as possible to the travelling public.
At Toronto the entrances to the two docks, alongside one another on the Esplanade, were trimmed with "speilers," who finally expanded up Yonge Street to Front, and even to King Street. One thing insisted on, so far as our men were concerned, was that there should be no decrying of the character or condition of the rival boats.
Our tickets were put into the hands of every Ticket Office, Broker, Insurance or Real Estate Agent in Toronto, whether up-town or down-town, who would take them in, provided one thing only, that he had an office opening on the street. Every hotel porter, with his sisters, his cousins, and his aunts, was created a friend, and the itinerant cab was just as welcome as the official bus. We were out to get business from every quarter.