place for terns. More than anything else, the building of the bridge changed Southport by bringing the wharf area into decline. This forever reduced

Southport’s importance as a transportation centre.

Automobiles were allowed to travel on a limited number of Island roads in 1914; special permission had to be obtained to put the machines on the road, and then only on certain days. They were not allowed to cross the Hillsborough Bridge. It is said that the day the First World War was declared, Army vehicles crossed the bridge, and private automobiles soon followed since the bridge was clearly strong enough to support them.

The Missing Watchman (As told in Walter O’Brien’s “Bristol Notes” column in the Guardian. )

We have been asked about the man who was lost in the old Hillsboro Bridge foundations when the old bridge was put across the river to Charlot— tetown. The man was Amby Atkins and a niece, Marjorie, still lives in Charlottetown today. It seems Mr. Atkins was night watchman on the job when the foundation pillars were being put in. When he did not come home one morning his wife came down to see where he was.

The men were pouring cement 40 feet down in the foundation and a search was started. The missing man’s lantern and footprints were found on the plank walk, and it was believed he slipped off the wet planks in the dark and fell into the third pillar from the Southport side.

47