The Montreal postoffice has had under its control for many years subsidiary district postoffices as the growth of population demanded them. In 1900 there were only twenty sub-offices. Today there are ninety-four stations. Its growth can be seen from a few facts.

City Mail: In 1900 there were only 180 letter boxes and ten for newspapers. In 1910 they amounted to 350 and 142 respectively. In 1914 there are 562 letter boxes and 235 news boxes.

English and foreign mail: In 1900 the English mailbags received via New York were from thirty-three to forty-three. In 1910 the number was increased from seventy-five to one hundred. The Canadian steamers bring in at present from 200 to 235 bags. The Compagnie Generale Trans-Atlantique, which brought in ten to fifteen bags now brings forty to sixty. The German line adds seventy to eighty, and there are in addition thirty from other sources.

The directors or postmasters of Montreal have been:

1. 1763-1810Edward William Gray. He combined the offices of sheriff and postmaster.
2.1810-1816F.W. Ermatinger, merchant of Montreal.
3.1816-1827James Williams.
4.1827-1840Andrew Porteous, dismissed by Lord Sydenham for delaying his Excellency’s courier.
5.1841-1855James Porteous.
6.1855-1861Jean Baptiste Meilleur.
7.1861-1874G.S. Freer.
8.1874-1891G. Lamothe.
9.1891-1899Arthur Dansereau.
10.1899-1904Cleophas Beausoleil.
11.1904-1911Henry S. Harwood, ex-M.P. for Vaudreuil.
12.1911-Hon. L.O. Taillon, Ex-Premier Province of Quebec, and for a time postmaster general of Canada. (L.J. Gaboury in charge of the Eastern division.)

II

STREET TRANSPORTATION

MODERNIZING MONTREAL

MONTREAL IN 1861—THE STREET RAILWAY MOVEMENT—THE “MONTREAL CITY PASSENGER RAILWAY COMPANY” CHARTERED—THE HISTORY OF THE COMPANY—ITS FIRST PROMOTERS—EIGHT PASSENGER CARS, SIX MILES, HORSE SERVICE IN 1861—THE OPENING UP OF THE STREETS—WINTER SERVICE OF SLEIGHS—1892 THE BEGINNING OF ELECTRIC ERA—THE CONVERSION OF THE SYSTEM INTO ELECTRIC TRACTION—THE GRADUAL GROWTH OF THE COMPANY.