$22.75
TO
Manitoba
Do not start until the 29th when the
roads in Manitoba will have become settled
then go on special Through Train from
LISTOWEL
Via P.D. & L. H. R. AND CANADA SOUTHERN LINES
TUESDAY, APRIL 29th
A Special Train will be run from Listowel to
St. Boniface, Opposite Winnipeg, positively
without change of either Passengers or freight
FIRST CLASS COACHES
Will be furnished,
ONE COACH FOR EVERY 30 PASSENGERS
Thus giving extra inducements not offered by other lines.
OFFICIALS of the several roads will accompany the train to Winnipeg, to look after the welfare of the passengers. Our rate will be
ONLY $22.75 per adult passenger
200 lbs. Baggage allowed to each full ticket
This low rate is given only by the P. D. & L. H. R
Passengers wishing to start on the 15th,
can avail themselves of same by our
Regular Train
For further information, write to or call on
C. N. SCOTT
Gen. Freight and Passenger Agt. P.D. & L. H. R
WOODSTOCK
C. Hacking
Gen. Agt. P. D. & L. H. Ry. Listowel
From The Listowel Standard of Friday, April 18th 1879
OFF FOR MANITOBA
Departure of the Livingstone Party
A special train laden with passengers, live
stock and freight leaves Listowel for the
Northwest. About 1500 people see them off. Tearful partings and
cheerful godspeeds.
‘The likes I haven’t seen since I left Londonderry,’ was an honest Hibernian’s expression at the Great-Western Railway depot on Tuesday afternoon and we are not surprised that the association of this embarkation for the new world were vividly recalled to a memory ever fragrant with the recollections of the Emerald Isle. Perhaps the excitement here was not so great, the interest not quite so intense or the parting quite so pathetic, as when the ties of kindred are about to be separated by the broad ocean and the emigrant is about to become an exile from his native land. However even to the practical Canadian, whose emotions are not credited with being as easily stirred as those of his Celtic friends, the scene on Tuesday last was not without interest. The immense gathering bore sufficient evidence of the fact. And though the great concourse of people did not collect until after dinner hour, the station during the early part of the day presented a scene of bustle and activity.
Parties from Wallace, Elma, Grey, Howick, Minto and even from townships more distant were to be seen driving into the station yards with great loads of farming and household effects. These goods were speedily unloaded, the horses unharnessed and placed four abreast in either end of the freight cars in waiting; the vehicles which had been used for conveyance were taken apart and closely packed in the center of the cars, followed by farming implements, stoves and kitchen utensils, grain, harness, poultry, dogs, fodder for the horses, boxes of useful sundries, stores of provisions, etc., the total amount of freight stowed away in each car being sufficient to cause astonishment, even to the parties who did the loading. Half after three o’clock was the time announced for starting; but for upwards of three hours previous to the trains departure crowds of people were gathering at the station from both town and country, numbers to bid relatives and friends good-bye, and many others no doubt to gratify a curiosity naturally created by such a large exodus of people from the neighbourhood. It is estimated that there were totally 1,500 persons present when the train started. Every available space within some distance of the station was occupied to an extent that would lead to the conclusion that the town had turned out en masse, and was largely supplemented by the outlying districts.
Shortly before starting a carload of freight and several passengers from Southampton arrived here and joined the party. The train was then made up and got under way, the start from Listowel taking place at about 4.10 pm. The special, upon leaving here consisted of four comfortably cushioned cars, four freights and one baggage car, with nearly one hundred passengers aboard. The final departure of the pioneers for the Northwest was greeted with hearty cheering comma, waving of handkerchiefs, tearful eyes and doubtless, prayerful hearts.
At Henfryn and Ethel stations several passengers were taken on board and when Brussels was reached quite a number of passengers and a carload of freight was found waiting to join the party. A crowd of people was also congregated at the Brussels depot. Hensall, Kincardine, Wingham and stations along the line of the London, Huron and Bruce Railway also contributed a quota, swelling the train up to fifteen cars by the time it reached London.
Among those who left this neighbourhood were Allen Bristow and family, of Wallace, part of William Andrew’s family; George Kellington of Elma; Miss Cosens, teacher of Wallace; also Peter M. Stewart, teacher of Grey. This party intend locating about thirty miles northwest of Winnipeg in the vicinity of Greenwood. William Nixon. Alfred Nixon and George Binning of Listowel: Morris about five miles from Emerton is their destination. Henry Young, also from Listowel goes on to Winnipeg. William Stevens, of Grey, S.S. Warnock, Hugh Warnock and Robert Murphy of Howick, R. R. Rosa , W. Peden and John Proudfoot of Grey will probably settle in ????? Saskatchewan District.
Jacob Cathers of Grey and John Buchanan of Elma take a home in the Beautiful Plains settlement; Henry Bell, Thomas Fyle and James Fyle of Minto are destined for Portage La Paririe; Mrs. Richard Edwards and family from Molesworth also go to the Portage to join Mr. Edwards who is at present engaged in teaching at that place. William Moore of Elma and Reuben Bolton and family of Henfryn are making for the little Saskatchewan. Mrs. Donald Scott and family from Grey, will join her husband at Selkirk. Joseph and William Hall from Elderslie, go to Fisher’s Landing; William Mitchell and wife from Wallace; J. H. Behrns from Palmerston; George Porterfield and his two sisters from Newry; James Stitt from Newry; James Simpson and family from Southampton; James Chewings and family and Miss McCreary from Ethel, all go to Winnipeg from whence they will probably proceed westward.
The following officials of the G. W. R. were aboard the train when it left this station; W. R. Titlin Esq., Superintendent of the W. G. & B. division; Mr. Goodman, Telegraph Superintendent; Mr. M. B. Tooker, traveling agent; John Livingstone Jr., town agent at Listowel; Mr. B. Crawford. Conductor and Mr. William Fogg, engineer; Mr. A. Burnham. Traveling agent of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway was also on board, and intended accompanying the party through. At London they were joined by a party of about fifty from Woodstock, under the charge of Mr. E. T. Jackson, G. W. B. agent, and all left London in time to reach London by daylight (sic) on Wednesday morning.
We are sure the wish of all is that the loss which this section has undergone by the migration of so many of our young men may be a great gain to the new provinces of the Northwest, and that they may there realize their highest anticipations. The G. W. B. officials, and especially Messrs. Livingstone and Little, our local agents, under whose management the party was organized, deserve no little credit for the manner in which they looked after the welfare of the passengers. Civility and a desire to oblige are worthy traits for the representatives of a railway corporation to possess, and the G. W. B. is fortunate in having agents who possess these qualifications and exercise them judiciously.
And Still They Go
On Wednesday another party, comprising fifteen persons in all, namely, Abram C. Morrison and family, Gorrie; James McGill and family, Gorrie; Johnson Bros. Fordwich; and Carter Bros., Fordwich left here by the P.D & L. H Ry. For the Northwest. They took a carload of stock and goods along with them. Mr. C. Hacking, local agent supplied the tickets. The party left in charge of Mr. Atwater, traveling agent of the road. Their route lay by way of the Canada Southern, Michigan Central, Chicago and Northwestern and connecting lines to Winnipeg. Another large party is being organized to leave here on the 29th inst., by the same route. A special through train is promised, and it is probable that there will be a great number take advantage of it to reach the Prairie Province.
Editor’s Notes:
P. D. & L. H. R. stands for the Port Dover & Lake Huron
Railway
W. G. B. stands for Wellington Grey and Bruce Railway
Generally speaking the PDLH traveled north and south through this
area and the WGB ran east and west.
The photocopy of this story was very poor so we apologize for errors and omissions in the transcription.
- Donald S Holmes & M J Holmes
From the Neepawa History book: The Andrew Buchanan family by Mrs. Jean Hunter
On May 29th 1878, Robert, John, Samuel and Jane's husband came west to make homestead claims, arriving in late July. Each laid claim and returned to Perth County for their wives and families.
[Robert Buchanan was dead and his wife had remarried before this. So this either refers to Robert's children's stepfather (Alex Long) or to James Watson's son Robert Watson. - Bill Buchanan]