From the opening to the closing of navigation Montague had water communication between Lower Montague, Georgetown and Pictou. NS. In the late 18805 and the early 18905, the little steamer Eldon plied on this route, the Electra was the next, it was a little larger than the Eldon. The next was the Enterprise, and this one was considerably larger than the Electra. William MacLaren was captain of the Electra and the Enter- prise, and he may have been captain of the Eldon too. The Enterprise was replaced by a still larger beat, the name of which has slipped my memory. For a short period this boat and the steamer Ulna made calls at the above named ports. The event of the rail line, and the auto trucks has largely eliminated the use of river transportation. In the past we have seen large steamers discharging at least a large part oi thei' cargo of flour in bags for Poole and Thompson. The second store} of the large warehouse would be filled.

F RATER NITIES

For many years Montague has had frateinal organizations, such as the Masonic Order, the Oddfeilows and their counterpart, the Rebekahs. There is no branch of the Eastern Star here yet, but there are members of that Order here. A branch of the Knights of Columbus was organized here recently. There was an Orangemen’s Lodge here a number of years ago; but it was allowed to die out. A new one has been started with quite a membership.

INSURANCE COlVIPANIES

Through the years Insurance Companies have been represented by agents; but there were no branch agencies here until Hyndman Company Ltd, of Charlottetown established a branch in Montague. Isaac Burden represented them. That would be in 1928 or ‘27. Allison MacLean was manager 1933—1941. Miss Alva Brehaut was his assistant. Allison was transferred to Summ rside, and Martin Currie tool; over. He was followed by Cyrus A. Shaw, in 1942. Miss Brehaut remained with the company until she retired in the vicinity of 1.958. Since that time, Miss Eleanor Minchin of New Perth has been Mr. Shaw’s assistant. A large volume of business is handled in this branch in the course of a year. They sell, life, fire, auto, accident, etc, insurance.

THE AUTOMOTIVE AGE

We have had the automobile, and Enter the tractor With us so long that it is not necessary to say much about them ,as they have become a part of our daily life, and in most cases, a very necessary part of it. The writer was in the US, when the car or cars were first used in Montague, but I believe that they caused no little apprehension in the minds of those who owned horses, especially the farmers. I was told that Mr. Isaac Ives and Mr. W. L. Poole were the first owners of an. auto- mobile here in Montague. William MacIntyi-e, Brudenell was the next.

The introduction of the automobile and the tractor put the harness maker out of business. Montague had good tradesmen in that line. James Aitken, I believe, was our first saddler. When he quit the trade, the Stewart brothers, Daniel and John bought his business. Mr. Aitken took up the agency for Frost and Wood farm machinery; also auctioneering. (John Stewart went to the States but Daniel carried on the trade.) Mr. John T. Mellish was a good saddler, he had his shop on Main Street, north side. Hardy Bros, Charlottetown, operated a branch shop here in Montague for a short time. Their shop was in the George Wightman store.

We have stated that when Mr, Aitken engaged in the selling of

machinery he also engaged in auctioneering. Strange as it may seem, it appears that (at least here in Montague, the two occupations went

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