We were again faced with the necessity of a choice of a new name. Requests were made for suggestions, and "Book Tickets" offered as a prize to those who might send in the name which might be accepted. Two hundred and thirty-three names beginning with "C" and ending with "A" were contributed to us by letters and through the public press. Out of these names the name Cayuga was selected in recognition of the Indian tribes on the south shore of Lake Ontario, the district of the inner American lakes, in the State of New York, one of which bears the name of Lake Cayuga.
It is also the name of an old and flourishing town in Ontario, near the shores of Lake Erie, adjacent to the land reserved for the Mohawks under Brant, and still occupied by their descendants. A very interesting annal was at that time exhumed, being the record kept by the first Postmaster of this town of Cayuga, of the spellings of the name of his post office as actually written upon letters received there by him during a period of some twenty-five years. The list is curious. It seems strange that there could have been such diversity of spelling, but it is to be remembered that in the "thirties" there were not many schools, and by applying a phonetic pronunciation to the names in this list, and particularly by giving a K sound to the C and splitting the word into six syllables and pronouncing each by itself, some appreciation may be acquired of a similarity in sound, although the spelling is so exceedingly varied. The adherents of spelling reform will perhaps be heartened by the result of everyone spelling as they please.
List of Mr. Isaac Fry, the Postmaster at Cayuga, in the County of Haldimand, giving 112 ways of spelling Cayuga, "everyone of which" he wrote "have been received on letters at this office."
Cyuca
Cuba
Cayagua
Cuga
Kauguge
Cayga
Keugue
Cayega
Esquga
Cayhuga
Ceaugy
Ciyuga
Cayaga
Cayuhoga
Cayua
Cauaga
Gaugoke
Ciuga
Cajaga
Caiuga
Cyega
Kukey
Cuygey
Caucy
Cugga
Caugy
Cayago
Chaugy
Caugh
Cayugia
Caughe
Cauguay
Kiucky
Cayoha
Canuga
Kikuwa
Cayuago
Caugey
Cauyga
Cayueg
Kajuke
Cajuka
Payuga
Caugia
Cayuag
Cajauga
Kajuka
Cauguga
Kaucky
Cayaga
Cogugar
Cayuage
Caugua
Couga
Cuyahja
Cahucia
Cayuga
Kayuga
Keyuka
Cayuge
Cyuga
Cayug
Caoga
Ceuaga
Canugua
Caygua
Cayauga
Cuagua
Caouga
Gayuga
Caguga
Kiuga
Caugga
Kayga
Caiuka
Cayuka
Kugogue
Cycuga
Cayeugo
Couga
Caugay
Cayyuga
Cayugay
Kauga
Ceuga
Cayouga
Caluga
Cyug
Cayhaigue
Keugey
Keugeageh
Cuyuga
Cyugiah
Kyuga
Cayuah
Cauga
Cyuga
Chaquga
Cayugu
Caugy
Cayugua
Cayega
Cayugo
Ceauga
Cayugga
Cuyugo
Cayuig
Cahuga
The steamer was successfully launched in the company's yards at the foot of Bathurst street, Toronto, on the 3rd of March, 1906. Miss Mary Osler, daughter of the President, conferring the name.
After the completion of the steamer, the speed trials which were of a most interesting and important character, were engaged in. The contract was that the steamer, under the usual conditions for regular service, should make the run between Toronto and Charlotte, and return, a distance of ninety-four miles each way, at an average speed of 21-1/2 miles per hour. A further condition was to make a thirty-mile run, being the distance between Toronto and Niagara, at a maintained speed of 22-1/2 miles per hour. Both conditions were exceeded, greatly to the credit of the designer and of the contractors.
When put upon the route in 1907, the Cayuga received the commendation of the travelling public, her weatherly capacity and speed enabling the leaving hour to be changed from 7 a.m. to 7.30.
A competition which had been anticipated now developed itself, and the fast and able steamer Turbinia was in 1908 placed by her owners upon the Lewiston-Toronto route, making two trips per day. She put up a gallant fight, but, against a company making six sailings at each end of the route per day, there was no room left into which she could squeeze without finding a competitor alongside. It was found, too, that although her speed was greater than that of any of the other steamers on the lake, she was exceeded in speed by the Cayuga. Her attack upon the route was met, as the Niagara Navigation Company intended it should be, by frequency of sailings and strict fulfillment of service, leaving no room for any competitor to find an opening, and by the high average speed maintained by all its steamers and particularly the new one. After keeping up a gallant struggle until the end of the mid-summer season, the Turbinia retired to her previous route between Toronto and Hamilton.
Another addition to our dock properties was now effected. We had for many years been lessees of the dock at Lewiston, but now, in 1908, became its full owners by purchasing the whole frontage from Mr. Cornell, our lessor, with whom we had for so many years been in cordial working. The dock had fallen somewhat out of repair and very considerable improvements were requisite for the convenience of the increasing numbers of our passengers and for their comfort. Fortunately the larger part of these improvements were postponed to the next season, for during the winter 1908-09, which was exceptionally severe, an extraordinary freshet and piling up of ice on the river occurred.