The nucleus of that highway--now a “Michigan Central” branch line serving the fruit belt--was surveyed and laid with wooden rails by Gilbert McMicken between 1835–1841 and cost 19,000 pounds. Its motive power was an old grey horse and traffic crossing from England in ships via Montreal, around and over the different rapids and river to Toronto, was transported by Mr. McMicken and his dapple equine engine the nine miles from Queenstown, a grain depot on the Lake Ontario level, to Chippawa, beside Lake Erie, where it was again entrusted to vessels bound to the rim of civilization then at Sault Ste. Marie. The passenger fare from Queenstown to Chippawa was 2s–6d. Gilbert McMicken was a patriarch in the forwarding business, he also built the first suspension bridge at Queenstown where a horse ferry plied and there, in 1846, his heir “Ham.” G. McMicken, later European Traffic Agent of Great Northern Railway, London, England, set foot on terra firma. Permit me to add here, that the latter’s son, E. G. McMicken, is General Passenger Agent, Pacific Steamships Company, San Francisco. Mr. Quirk would explain also, that he first started railroading on that line as baggageman in 1867, and in three months’ time accepted a conductorship of a regular train running between these points. In the absence of the present Buffalo-Bridgeburg international steam highway, built in 1873–74 by G.T.R. and G.W.R., jointly, United States traffic crossed from the foot of Main Street, Buffalo, by boats which old timers will remember as “Florence”, “Grace Dormer” and “Ivanhoe”. From Niagara-on-the-Lake passengers made the trip to Toronto in the “Rothsay Castle”, “City of Toronto” &c., &c., forerunners of the splendid craft which now transport their children and grandchildren on business or pleasure bent. William A. Thompson secured the first charter for Erie & Niagara Railway and the Great Western Railway surrendered their lease of it in 1870. This road underwent changes in fortune, emerging as a link in the Canada Southern Railway but to-day survives under the domination of Michigan Central Railway. [Illustration: RAIL COURTESY Guard: “Now then, Missis, are you first-class?” Passenger: “Purty middlin’ thank ye. How’s yourself?”]