Chapter 6 TRANSPORTATION & COMMUNICATIONS

In winter transportation was by horse and sleigh, and (chiefly) by shank’s mare. It was a very cold drive across the ice in winter, so everyone was well muffled up. Women wore shawls or scarves about their heads. Men who could afford them wore raccoon coats, and had caps with ear pro- tectors. Before starting out they would heat bricks in the oven to warm their feet during the drive. They had a couple of blankets over their legs, topped off with a buffalo robe. (Many a little hand was held under a buffalo robe.)

The route across the ice to Charlottetown was “bushed” with spruce saplings. Sometimes travelling was very hazardous, especially if break-up came early in the spring.

Ned Dooley, who became Southport’s centenarian on March 9, 1974, wrote: “My mother often told me about the Spring when I was born in 1874. I was just an infant and she was taking me home from Charlottetown when the horse plunged through a crack in the ice and went under. I was taken out of the sleigh and set on the ice for a couple of hours until help came and rescued the horse from the water.”

The spring break-up occurred earlier on the Charlottetown side of the harbour. At this time boats could only make their way as far as the channel,

where they would be impeded by the ice. People with loads of produce at the Southport landing would unhitch their horses at Murphy’s Stables. and push their loaded sleds out to the boats. This was hazardous and laborious work, but butchers and farmers knew it was the only way to get their pro- duce to market, and were prepared to brave the dangers.

Ferry Boats

The first ferry boats were row-boats or sail-boats. They were replaced by the larger “Team Boat”—its name coming from the fact that the propelling power was provided by a team of horses. They walked round and round in the centre of the boat, harnessed to a machine geared to the paddle wheels

on either side.

Southport was then known by its landing, as “Ferry Point” or Mur- phy’s Point. Charlottetown passengers embarked from the wharf at the foot of Queen Street. The wharf at Murphy’s (or Minchins) Point was so

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