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APE JRETON

NTERESTS >

SACRIFICED:

<■' ITS CATHOLIC CLERGY AFFRONTSD, '.

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AND

l ITS FRENCH POPLLATION IGNOHKl)

ItY 'I'lIK A HOP IK IN OK I'lIK

CENTRAL ROUTE.

HALIFAX, N. S.:
PRINTED MY HOLLOWAY BROS., ()!l (JRANVILLK ST.

1887.

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v*iV^'ii'*.v!r.v>rA^^iigt,ih

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Cape Bi\eton J

NTERERTS

SACRIFICED:

ITS CATHOLIC CLERQY AFFROHTKD, • ^

AKO

ITS FEENCH POPULATION IGNORED

BY THB ADPTION OF THB

CENTRAL ROUTE.

HALIFAX, N. S.:
PRINTED BY HOLLOWAY BROS., 69 GRANVILLE ST,

1887,

PREFACE.

Last winter the Dominion Government obtained from
the House a grant of $1,700,000 to build a Tailway in Cape
Breton, from the Strait of Canso to Sydney or Louisburg.
It was understood from the speeches of Government Mem-
bers asking for the grant, that the road was to be an exten-
sion of the Intercolonial through Cape Breton, and that the
shortest, easiest, most direct, and less expensive route to its
eastern sea-board would be adopted.

Last summer two routes were surveyed, one via Grand
Narrows, the other via St. Peters. The former was found
to be longer by 15 miles to Sydney and 45 to Louisburg ;
divided into two halves by the Grand Narrows, an arm of
the Bras d'or Lake, which it is impossible to bridge and must
be ferried ; and surrounded for 50 miles on either side at a
distance of two to three miles by the waters of said lake.
The latter route in addition to being 15 miles shorter to
Sydney and 45 to Louisburg, was found to require no ferry,
to be easy of construction, surrounded by a populous
country, and a direct road to the centre of the Cape Breton
Coal Basin.

The long interrupted expensive route through a lake
has been adopted, and the short, uninterrupted route through
a country has been abandoned. Why ?

It will appear from the following, that the selection of
the route via Grand Narrows is inimical to all the Industries
of Cape Breton, and, therefore, a violation of the privileges
granted to the Island by the vote of Parliament.' It will
appear to be a direct violation of the evident intention of
the Quebec Members in voting, to afford their countrymen
in Richmond County the long deferred, long sought for boon
of Railway communication. It will appear to be a violation
of the desire of all patriotic Canadians, to have the shortest
possible road to its most eastern sea-ports and the quickest
access to NewfoundlaAdf jjind'J^rqpe. ,'° "

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({ape Jretoii ({oal Jiitere^te.

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Cape Breton has a population of 84,000 nearly douV)le
that of British Columbia. Its area is 4,375 sq. miles or
twice that of Prince Edward Island. In form it may be
said to consist of a small trunk and to long extremities,
separated from one another by the waters of the Bras d'Or
Lake. Of these extremities the southern is by far the most
important. It lies south of a line drawn paralell to the
northern shore of the Island of Boularderie extending west-
ward through North Mountain to the Strait of Canseau.
Its population is 50,000, and a line of railway running
through its centre to Sydney with a 10 mile branch to
North Sydney would very nearly be within 10 miles of
them all.

It contains the only bed of coal on the Atlantic seaboard
of both Am icas. The land area of this bed of coal is
2,00 sq. miles and the number of available tons in the Sub-
marine areas alone are set down in the Nova Scotia report as
2.000.000.000 tons. In developing this inexhaustible supply
Capit'J.ists have expended $10,000,000 of money. Nearly
all the seams lie at easy angles, yield little water, and owing
tc the generally firm character of the roof they can be
mined with unusual cheapness and safety. So strongly
marked is the impermeable nature of the strata that at a
moderate depth the submarine workings are perfectly dry "
("Gilpin's report 1886.) Last year the total output of these
mines was 550.178 tons of coal, yielding a royalty to the
Provincial Treasury of Nova Scotia of over S40.000.

It is of the utmost importance to Nova Scotia and to
the Dominion that this mine of wealth be tapped by the
shortest, easiest, and most practical line of Railway. It is
of the utmost importance to Cape Breton itself, because now
its mines lie idle in winter while navigation is closed. A
good road to the Strait of Canseau and a commodious ferry
over it would go far to overcome the closing of navigation.
At present the Intercolonial carries Pictou and Spring Hill
coals to Montreal at the rate of three-tenths of a cent per

▼

mile. With tlio Intercolonial extended to Sydney, Cjipc
Breton, could send and sell its coal 120 miles west of
Montreal for the same fitrures that are now eharjjfCMl in
Montreal for Spring Hill coals. It could do so because of
the extraordinary cheapness with which ('a})(; Breton coals
can be raised to the surface. It can start from Sydney with
one dollar and ten cents in its favour, and arrive at Si)rinj^
Hill (2():i miles) with 40 cents still to the good.

But these advantages are counter-balanced ))y the Strait
of Canso. It cannot be bridged, and a ferry over it will
a»ld considerably to the cost of transit, still our Coal owners
say they can contend with it, but th(!y as positively assert
that another ferry is more than tluiy can overcome. Yet
the gf vernment engineers have gone in search of one at the
Grand Narrows. To do so they have had to abandon the
direct, shortest, and easiest line to the centre of the Cape
Breton Coal Basin. They have deflected the line north-
wards and run it eastward between the extremiti(;8 of Cape
Breton, in the centre of the Bras d'Or Lake, they have run it
for 50 miles along two narrow Peninsulas, averai^inji: .5 miles
in breadth, they have run it ahmg the northern border of a
mountain rani^e 25 miles lon^j and 80O feet hijjch shutting
off all communicati(ms with Cape Breton County south of
it. They then turn backwards and southwards by a devious
course to Sydney, lengthening the distance between it and
the Strait of Canso 15 miles.

Surely an invested capital of 10 millions of dollars de-
mands better encouragement, — demands the best and kind-
est consideration of the Dominion and Provincial Govern-
ments. It has not yet received it. CO miles of Railway
have been built in Cape Breton by private enterprise, but
not one cent of assistance would the Government of Nova
Scotia give towards it. One Company built 30 miles of a
road between Louisburg and Sydney. Its large expendi-
tures and depression in the Coal trade brought it into diffi-
culties. Still it persevered making the best of the situation.
Tenders being called for to run Her Majesty's Mails between
Sydney and Louisburg the Company appliec^. As it ran
trains between both places every one hoped to see it in
possession of the Contract. But not so have capitalists
been encouraged in Cape Breton. The Contract was award-
ed to the Old Stage Coach, because its tender was One
dollar less than that of the Company. It may be as well
to add that the Company soon yielded to the strain from
within and the policy of non-assistance and opposition from

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wltliout. Its railway to Loulshnrg was more of a Htrain
upon it tiiaii it could carry, and now lii^.s an unu.scd inonu-
iiuint of the ill-advised, unpatriotic, lilind policy of those to
whom the name of Louisburg has always been as a red
flafT to an untaiiiod bull. Let us hope that sectional animosi-
ties of this kind are forever at an end, that a new leaf has
been turned in the Political history of (-ape Breton, that
the Local and Dominion Governments will henceforth vie
in doing her justice. As for Nova Scotia it were the blindest
of policies for her to do anythinc; to tratn])le upon the indus-
tries of Cape Ijret(m, seeing, that now her treasury is largely
iilled by the royalty on C^ape Breton Coal. She should be
the first to assist us in getting a feasible line to our Coal
'fields ; not the last, for she can't well afford it.

FISHERY INTERESTS,

But there is another industry of vast importance to Cape
Breton which the Central route tails to benefit. This indus-
try was a mine of wealth to the French before the fall of
Louisburg. The valuati(m of the yearly export of fish then
was $7,000,000. The same fisliing grounds are there still,
and are being utilized by their descendants. The County of
Richmond is half French, and la-'t year its catch of Fish
amounted to $400,000. Adding to this the catch of the
Atlantic seaboard of the County of Cape Breton, we have
a total of about $700,000. Now this is capable of. indefin-
ite increase, and the traffic resulting from it is enormous.
A fish producing district is a food ccmsumingone and large-
ly revenue raising, and it were the best of political economy
to study its interests. Now it sometimes happens in the
fall oi the year that fish is low, and as on the southern
shore of Cape Breton, between St. Peter's and Louisburg,
there are no harbours fit for anything larger than boats,
the fishermen nmst ship jefore navigation closes, and sell
at a sacrifice or pay heavily for storage. Were a Railway
within reach they could keep their fish waiting the advance
of prices, and then ship by Rail inwinter. The Central route
is beyond the reach of our fishing population and their loss
in consequence will be enormous. It is quite withiii the
province of right for Richraonds 7,000 Frenchmen to
appeal to Quebec's 2,000,000 to stop the iniquity of a
route, which will not be of the slightest benefit to the most
important industry of Cape Breton, an industry which
has descended to them from the palmiest days of Louis-
burg,

NATIONAL INTERESTS.

The Southern extremity or half of Cape Breton is of
v£^st importance, also, because of its position, and its posses-
sion of an unrivalled harbour in Louisburg. It is the " key
to the St. Lawrence," and a " Gem in Her Majesty's Crown."
It is the nearest harboar, to Europe, and within ready reach
of' the trans- Atlantic commerce of Europe and America. It
splits that stream of commerce into two, diverging one
northward, into the St. Lawrence, and the other southward
along the shore of America. The immense coal-field in its
vicmity would make it of supreme importance in time of
war, and no doubt a point of ready attack and an object
much to be coveted. What has the Dominion Government
or engineers rather, done to utilize this important seaport ?
By adopting the central route of Railway throdgh Cape
Bj*eton it has done all it possibly qould to ignore its exist-
ence. It has removed its line of road as far north from it
as it possibly could. It has selected a route which increases
th,e distance from Louisburg to the Strait of Canso by one
half, which in addition throws in an impracticable Ferry,
and; makes it impossible for the nation to take advantage of
its nearest sea-port to Europe.

AOBICULTURAL INTERISSTS.

Why all this sacrifice ? Ostensibly to serve the agriqul-
tu,i;'a,l interests of Invernessand Victoria. Granting that these
iu.teij'ests are important, what are they compared to the min-
ing, +#he fishing, and the commerqial interests of Richmond
a,nd Oepe Breton counties, with the national importance of
Louisburg. Besides the so\ithern half of Cape Breton is not
so, far behind the northern half agriculturally, as it is repre-
sented to be. The total number of bushels of oats, potatoes
and wheat, added together, grown in, the two Northern
Cpunties in 1881, was 986,700 agamst 796,833 for the
Southern Counties. The number of tons of hay 67,252
a,gainst 39,573. A small differenqe indeed, when compared
v^rit^i the ten million doUarsinvested in Cepe Breton county
alopLC.

But the agricultural interests of Inverness and Vic-
tpiria Counties will not be as well served by the Cen-
tral route, as by the Southern with a branch 18 miles
Ijopg from River Inhabitants to Whycogomagh. This will
give these two Counties ready communication with Sydney,

nl-

the mines connected with it and the enormous tonnage
calling there every summer. It will do far more.
What these counties require Is a ready means of
exporting their stall-fed cattle to Newfoundland in winter.
In summer they have unrivalled facilities for doing this by
vessels, and the trade is large and growing. In winter
every accessible harbour is closed, and the Newfoundland
markets are shut off from Cape Breton. Now the adoption
of the Southern route will give Inverness and Victoria rail
accommodation to within 16 miles of Louisburg, where
the Newfoundland Government intends to drop its mails
whereas the Central route lands them 30 miles from it. The
Rev. Moses Harvey of St. Johns, Newfoundland, writing to
the Montreal Gazette, says, that there is a rail-road being
built to Placentia Bay ; that it is intended to connect it with
the Canadian Railway at Louisburg by semi-weekly boats ;
that the passage between both ports is only a matter of hours
not days, and that soon Newfoundland will have a new
Mail Route to Europe. The Rev. gentleman is a leader of
public opinion in his colony and knows whereof he speaks.

The advantages of this arrangement to the Farmers of
Cn,pe Breton, whereby they can ship regularly in summer
and winter, North and South, can only be realized by those
who have seen the sacrifices incurred by their being now
compelled to pour all their cattle into Newfoundland in a
few months in the summer and fall of the year. The markets
become glutted and whole cargoes are often sacrificed.
Prime meat sometimes selling for a cent a pound. To over-
come this some butchers keep their cattle till very late in the
fall, kill them in Sydney, and ship by vessels when frost
sets in. But often instead of frost comes thaw, and the
meat on arriving in Newfoundland is ordered out into the
sea as unfit for food.

Nor will the benefits of steam communication in winter
between Louisburg and Newfoundland be confined to Cape
Breton alone. The county of Antigonish will also reap a
rich harvest. Its cattle trade with Newfoundland is a large
one every summer, and the adoption of the Southern route
will enhance its value immensely.

The Minister of Justice in opposing the Southern route
can not be aware of the loas to which the farmers of his
county will be subjected, should his influence be exerted
successfully against the nearest and directest road to Louis-
burg and Newfoundland. Were the Hon. Gentleman as
well versed in agriculture and its interests, as he is in law,

"we should, undoubtedly, sec him pressing the completion of
the Southern route, with as much vigour as he is now known
to have exerted in behalf of the Central route.

Nor can the county of Antigonish be indiflerent to the
prosperity of Cape Breton's coal-fields, and the shortest and
easiest way of getting there. These Coal Mines will always
afford a market place for farm prodnce. At present the
want of a Railway shuts off Antigonish from these markets,
but soon the door will be opened. Shall it be by a road 95
miles long with an impracticable Ferry, or a road 80 miles
without a Ferry ? This is rather an important questicin for
the Minister of Justice to decide for the farmers of his
county. Quite as important as the question of giving his
tiounty ready, short, cheap and uninterrupted access to the
Bf arkets of Newfoundland, shall we say of Europe ? The
possibilities are there, but from past indications the proba-
abilities are not. " Seest thou the oppression of the poor
and violent perverting of justice and judgment in a Province
marvel not.'*

CAPE BRETON DEMANDS.

The people of Cape Breton and Richmond Counties
realize that every industry of Cape Breton, north and south,
and of eastern Nova Scotia as well, will suffer if the Domin-
ion Government adheres to the advice said to be given by
its engineers, to build a Railway through the Bras d'or Lake.
They have sent a delegation to Ottawa, protesting against
it, of which I had the honour to be a member. Three*
fourths of its Catholic Clergy memorialized the Govern»
ment against it.* We represented our case as best
we could, realizing that on the success of our mis-
sion lay the future prosperity of our island. We asked
that the Central route be abandoned, the mining, fishing,
agricultural and national interests demanded it. We asked
in lieu of the Central route, a Southern route via St. Peter's
to Sydney and North Sydney 90 miles, GO miles of this to
be both national and local, leaving IG miles to Louisburg
from its eastern end to be built whenever demanded. We

*It has been said that his Lordship the Bishop of Antigonish strongly
favours the Central route. Now, though the Hon. Hector McDougall is
his Lordships nephew by marriage, and though the said McDougall has
enormous interests at stake, it were nothing less than slanderous to assert
that His Lordship should for any such consideration favour a measure
inimical to the large agrituiltural interests of his county, and condemned by
the great majority of the Clergy of his Diocese in Cape Breton,

asked besides fox* a line to Whycogomagh as the Dominion
instalment of a Provincial line to Margarce. We asked for
the immediate construction of about 110 miles of railway.

Did we ask for too much? The Government by adopt-*
ing the central route gives 95, also a ferry. Now these 95
miles of the central route with the ferry will cost fully as
much as the 110 miles we askec for, if not there is money
and public spirit enough in Cape Breton and Richmond
Counties to recoup the Government for the difference.

Does Cape Breton ask for too much ? In proportion too
her populations she pays more into the Dominion Treasury
than any other portion of Canada. She also pays far more
into the Treasury of Nova Scotia. In return she has but
one public work, the St. Peters Canal. Does she ask for too
much ? Prince Edward Island half her size has 210 miles
of Railway operated at a yearly loss to the Dominion of
$50,000. British Columbia with half the population has
had the energies of Canada taxed since Confederation for
the purpose of giving it Railway accomodations. The coun-
ties of Pictou and Antigonish with far less of a population
and far less interests at stake have ten or twenty miles
more Railway than all Cape Breton is asking for.

It will be noticed that we have been striving to obtain
for North Sydney something better than the central route
offers it. We put it within unln'oken communication with
the Strait of Canseau, we put its public Railway communi-
cati(ms within 16 miles of Loui.sburg, and when these 16
miles are built it can send its coal there in winter for ship-
ment at the rate of 12 cents a ton, i.e. if present rate of
charges (3 mills per mile) he adhered to. It will thus have
an inunense advantage over those Companies which have
sunk immense sums in Railway construction. It has been
falsely reported in the North Sydney Herald that the
Government was to buy and operate the private Railways
already built between Sydney and Louisburg. The Minis-
ter of Railways told us that such an idea never entered into
the mind of the Cabinet, he never heard of it there before
we mentioned it. The wish or rather the lie in the North
Sydney Herald must be father to the thought. It would
fain have a road to Louisburg. Well we have done our best
to get one for it. North Sydney must surely see
that it is to its advantage to adopt a route which will give
it the benefit of an Atlantic seaport open all the year round,
as well as of easy, expeditious, uninterrupted eomnmnica-
tions with Canada.

In conclusion it must appear obvious to every one, who
has studied the subject with sufficient, care, and unbiassed
disinterested mind, that no one line of Railway will suite
Cape Breton. Having two long extremities, it must have
two lines of Railway as naturally as a carriage must have
two wheels Two, and only two, if the Central route
be abandoned. But three, and not less than three, if the
Central route be adopted. Inverness and Victoria in that
event will call out as loudly as ever. So also will Cape
F-eton County and Richmond. If the Southern line be
built, the line North will follow quickly if not immediately,
and there will be left none to cry out excepting the occu-
pants of the estates of the Ex-Honourable Hector McDougall
of Grand Narrows in whose interests posterity will yet
declare the Central route to have been adopted.

MURDOCH CHISHOLM, M.D.

Since writingf the above, the contract to build by the
Central route has been awarded. We had hoped that the
Government would have delayed proceedings and given the
people of Cape Breton an opportunity to pronounce upon
the question of Routes at the Polls. It has seen fit to re-
fuse this, the last request of the Delegation. Why ?

Two influences both proceeding from Nova Scotia
prevailed against us. The Minister of Justice being a native
of Halifax, and living there, could not divest himself of its
hereditary jealousy of Louisl)urg, and its opposition to
everything calculated to give its eastern situation any
prominence or advantage. He has succeeded, even at the
expense <jf the Agricultural interests of' the County which
he represents, in pushing forward a route which, as far as
Louisbui'g and its national and local importance is concerned,
has no advantages whatever. Canada cannot use a mile of
it for the purpose of direct communication with that im-
portant sea-port. (p\

The Minister of FinandTi, hailing from the centre of the
Nova Scotia Coal-mining area, was interested in the selec-
tion of a I'oute which W()\d<l put winter cotnpetition from
Cape Breton Coal in tiie Canadian mai'kets out of th(! ques-
tion. He therefore clung to the inq)racticable Ferry, and
the lo miles of extra road, thus compelling M<mtreal to pay
his district, 80 cents })er ton e.xtra, for coal.

The eniiineers were swaved either directlvor indirectly
by the very same motives, and their advice to l>uild the
longer route will afford the Nova Scotia Ministers no shelter.
Neither will tlie self-interest of the Cape Breton County
Members, who weiv entirely on this (piestion out of tune
with their Constituents. Nor will the impatience of the
Members for Inverness and Victoria be of any avail as a road
to Whycogomagh would have fully l)etter satisfied their
Counties.

The question with Cape Breton, therefore, is not one of
party but one of escape from the oppcwing influences in the
Cabinet. The best escape I can now think of is secession
froui Nova Scotia and union with Prince Edward Island.
This is a measure which upon the presentation of the long
list of ('ape Breton's grievances cannot fail to be granted.

^-r>^

lA^

13
POPULATION AND AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS

Within Ten Miles of Road Accessible all the Year Round
SOUTHEEN BOUTE TO STSNST.

HastinsB,

North Mountan*

All Richmond County

AH Cape Breton Co. (less North
border)

Busheb of Bushels of
rotatoes. I Oats.

Tons of
Hay.

Population.

26,704

15,051

149,619

392,057

583,431

7,701

7,640

27,553

106,842

146,736

2,667

1.672

13,265

19,554

37,154

2,357

833

15,121

22,051

40,362

The Statistics of north side East Bay and Ball's Creek are included in
the Southern Route because to them it is the most accessible.

CENTRAL ROUTE TO NORTH SYDNEY.

1»VERN«S3 CoUKtY.

Hastings*

North Mountain* ,

River Inhabitants ,

Dennis River

Whycocomagh

Victoria Codhty.

Little Narrows, S

Grand "

Boularderie

Cap* Bretoh County,

Grand Narrows

Boisdale

Boularderie

North Sydney 1

Sydney Mines, and >

Little Bras d 'Or... \

Bushels of
Potatoes.

Bushels of
Oats.

Tons of
Hay.

26,704
15,051
21,240
15,044
35,574

7,701

7,640

10,158

11,798

24,360

2,667
1,672
2,472
2,650
4,173

8,045

5,304

29,422

28,987

7,507

3,666

7,307

17,921

989

580

1,967

4,099

38,987
22,794
30,262

14,035

8,060

15,743

2,415

743

1,720

39,353

5,340

1,876

236,767

141,226

28,023

Populatiota.

2,357
833
1,077
1,097
2,443

485

332

1,280

1,604

1^464

900

1,359

5,484

20,615

* Common to both.

Other farm products are not raised in quantities sufficient to meet
home consumption. Cattle, &c., as an item of Railway traffic, will never
be of much value along the Bras d'Or Lake, as the facilities of shipping
by water are unrivalled.

co:m::p.a.i?.^ti'v^ki

Shewing the Advantages of the Southern

Cape

1. Length of Trunk Line,
ft (< <<

2. (a) Conformation of country through which
eastern 50 miles of railroad passes. .

(6) Area of country through which eastern,

3. Accessibility of road

SOUTHERN ROUTE.

(to SYDNEY.)

80 Miles.

82 Miles to Louisburg.

4. Engineering diflBculties.

5. Present mode of transportation along line .

(a) Number of Collieries approached and
benefited by Trunk Line

(h) Output of Coal in these respectively. .

Valuation of Fishery Productions, 1885
within ten miles of road

Number of Men employed

Level valley surrounded by
undulating country.

1,400 Square Miles.
Easy all the year round.

None.

Vehicles, and small schoon
ers on the Atlantic.

11.

426,204 tons.
1,400.

$695,727.

3,596 (on the Atlantic coast

of Richmond and Cape

Breton Co.

By extending the southern route to North Sydney 5 miles of Railway
are saved, a ferry avcdded and 50,000 of the population accomodated. The
Southern route is a direct line to the center of the Coal Basin of Cape
Breton, containing over 2,000,000,000 tons available Coal. It will permit
of its exportation to Montreal with profit at rates now char£jed on the
Intercolonial. The Ferry on the Central route along with that ou the
Strait of Canso will not permit of this.

over the Central Route of Railway in
Breton.

CENTRAL ROUTE.

(to North Sydney.)

85 Miles.

125 Miles to Louisburg.
95 Miles to Sydney.

Peninsula Mountainous,
and averaging 5 miles ia
width.

250 Square Miles.

50 miles shut off in winter
on either side by treach-
erous ice of Bras d'Or
waters.

Insuperable except by
ferry.

Subsidized steamers, and
vessels on the Bras d'Or.

124,274 tons.

500.

872,400.
$520.

REMARKS.

Sixty-six (66) miles of this southerly line via
Salmon River and Grand Mira are on©
common to a Local and National Line
trunk, the eastern end of which is but 14
miles to Sydney and 16 miles to Louisburg
(strongly recommended by Sir Charlea
Tupper).

This alone sa£5ciently damaging to the Central
route.

Disinterested men who know say it is impossible
in winter to run a bofcfc large enough to
carry a train across hi; re regularly, owing
to forming and floating ice.

fish and coal producing district is a flour
consuming one (an item which ought to be
considered by the Government from a^
economical point of view in operating
railway).