Incidentally troops were gathering at Valcartier to form the First Contingent and the quota from the Maritime Provinces had to be transported to the place of rendezvous. The manner of the arrangement of this transportation was unique. Recruiting was being carried on in practically every city, town, village and hamlet in the Maritime Provinces. Movements were made when it was known that sufficient numbers of men had been recruited to justify sending them forward. On the A.D. of S. and T. rested the task of making train arrangements to get these recruits to Valcartier. It was done in this manner: Instructions were sent to various recruiting centres to have certain numbers of recruits entrain on a certain train on a certain day. Thus, for instance, the first lot might entrain at Louisburg, and others along the line as far as Sydney; probably some would be brought over from Sydney Mines and North Sydney to Sydney. At the latter place two, three or four special coaches would be attached to a regular train, and as this train proceeded towards Truro, the number of recruits would be augmented, until on its arrival at Truro it might have from two to three hundred on board. Meanwhile, a sufficient number would be run up from Halifax, and a special train would then be made up at Truro and run to Levis, P.Q., where a transfer would be made for Quebec and Valcartier. At other times Moncton would be made the point at which a special train would be made up, in which case St. John supplied the completing quota to make up the train load of 500 or thereabouts. It must be borne in mind, however, that the whole movement was planned ahead of time, and the transport scheme carried out on a definite plan. Obviously it was impossible to send out transport warrants to cover the movement of these various groups, so an arrangement was made whereby the railway authorities agreed to accept temporary interim receipts from officers or non-commissioned officers in charge of these groups, on the presentation of a telegram or letter of instruction from either the A.D. of S. & T. or any other Staff officer. These receipts were issued in duplicate, one copy of which was kept by the ticket agent and the other mailed to the A.D. of S. & T. Upon receipt of the latter, covering transport warrants were mailed to the ticket agents concerned. By this means some thousands of troops were moved expeditiously from the Maritime Provinces to Valcartier.