RAILROADS It is one hundred years since the tender was let for the construc¬ tion of the railways on the Island. We are told that plans were all made for the railroad to go from Freetown to Bedeque and Summerside , thus bypassing Kensington and New Annan . Through the untiring efforts of three men namely: John Sharpe , Thomas Simms , and William Glover , they finally succeeded in having the railroad to run through Kensington and New Annan to Summerside , which was certainly a great uplift to Kensington and the surrounding districts. For many years transportation was mostly done by trains. The first year after the railroad was built the trains did not run through the winter as there was not equipment to clear the tracks of snow. However equipment gradually became available, and the railroad carried on a great business. When widening the railway between Kelvin and Summerside around 1907 and 1908, Mr. Waldron Stewart of Kensington worked 10 hrs. a day for $1.00 per day. Today trucks seem to replace the trains; boats are generally loaded from trucks. It looks as though the rails which once served a great pur¬ pose might be on their way out. DROWNING FATALITY On June 28th, 1883, about twenty-five persons from Freetown and vicinity started for Schurman's shore, , on a little picnic excursion. After enjoying themselves for a while and partaking of lunch, eight of the party decided to take an old boat, without any oars, that was at the shore and paddle around in what they supposed to be shallow water. When but a short distance from the shore the boat upset and the occupants dashed into the water, several of whom, owing partly to the peculiar formation of the bottom and partly to the fact that the water was fresh just at the place where the accident occurred, never came to the surface again after once going under. The following were drowned: Annie Reeves age 23, Edmund Reeves age 17, Mary Jane Drummond age 16, Mary Arbing 37 years, Margaret Ellen George age 20 and Hannah, beloved wife of James Arbing , age 21 years. The two surviving who were able to cling to the boat until rescued were Randolph Arbing and Emma Reeves . Three tried hard to hang on to the boat, Margaret George held on the longest. Patrick Brennan , in company with James Whelan , rescued Arbing and Reeves and fished out the bodies of the drowned which were in 6 ft. of water. It must have been a sad sight indeed to see so many young people plunged into eternity without a moments warning. The funeral took place on Saturday and many a sad face was to be seen at Cemetery where all the bodies were interred at the same time. 16