Until steamer service to Mount Stewart was discontinued around 1904, the “Ino” was followed by a long line of worthy successors. As far as can be determined, these were the “Experiment,” “Heather Belle,” “Maid of the Mist,” “Southport,” “Elfin,” “Heather Belle” (the second), “Aca- dia,” “Jacques Cartier” and the “City of London”. These craft were oper- ated by private parties under contract, usually for five year terms, With the provincial Government. In 1872 the contractor was being paid $648.00 per annum, and, while customer rates for that year are not available, the rate charged for a cabin to or from Mount Stewart in 1889 was 20 cents. Some of the steamers were used on more than one route. Thus, in 1872, the “Maid of the Mist”, operated by Longworth & Go, left Charlottetown for Mount Stewart on Tuesdays and Saturdays, for Orwell on Thursdays and Fridays, and for Crapaud on Wednesdays, returning to Charlottetown the same evenings. By 1883, this valiant craft, which once shot the rapids at Niagara, was reported lying in a derelict state on the shore of Char- lottetown harbour, honourable retirement having been denied her.

As mentioned earlier, the “Heather Belle II” was launched at Mount Stewart in 1883. At that time her anchor chain snapped, and the anchor, which weighed in the vicinity of two tons, lay in the mud near Bourke’s Wharf for sixty—five years. On August 4, 1948, Messrs. Leonard Doyle and Albert MacIntyre secured five empty oil barrels to what they could see of it, and, at high tide, it was drawn to the surface. This relic of other days was placed on display in front of the Legion Hall.

After 1904, or thereabouts, steamers travelled up—river only as far as Hayden’s wharf at Cranberry. This was due to the influence of the Mount Stewart merchants who felt that the service was depriving them of large numbers of customers to the advantage of their counterparts in Charlottetown. The “City of London” continued on for a few years longer, and a description of her cargo, reported in the Examiner for May 10, 1907 is illustrative of what could be found on board any of her predecessors on a typical market day. In addition to 100 passengers, on the occasion being referred to, she carried 700 bushels of potatoes, 50 of quahaugs, 25 bags of produce, 10 cases of eggs, 2 milch cows and 1 sheep. In 1908, she was succeeded by the “Harland,” operated by the Island Tug Co., and later by the Charlottetown Steamship Co. The service continued to be well patronized by the citizens of Mount Stewart who considered the modest fare of twenty-five cents to Charlottetown, return, well worth the slight inconvenience of having to find alternative transportation to Cranberry. The “Harland” was sold to the Strait’s Shipping and Construction Co. of Sydney in 1936 and, with her retirement, steamer service on the Hills- borough was discontinued.

Service Center

Although modern trends, such as the rural-to—urban shift of pop- ulation and the vast improvement in means of communication and travel are now militating against this position, Mount Stewart has, traditionally, been the service center for the extensive rural community which surrounds it. The services discussed in this section are Health, Fire Protection, Banking, Telephone, Post Office, Electric Light, Milling, Hotels, and Re- tail Stores and Peddlers. Certain additional services are treated under separate headings elsewhere in this volume; i.e., railway srevice and schooner and steamship services, under transportation; and theatre, under entertainment.

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