JtOAliS AMI UAII.WAVS. OO 



fgdvciiuiu'ut to accept ;i tcniK'i- I'or cun.-tnutioii. Tlic tciiilcr of 

 Mr. R. <T. Rci<l, of Montreal, Avas acceiitcil, and the work roni- 

 lueuced, uuiler contract, in Octolier, 1890, to lie conijdeted in tive 

 year?;. 



A CHANGE OF PKOGKAMMK. 



Meanrinii' a survey was made for aline of railway to tlie West 

 .Coast of tlie island from tlie Valley of the Exploits. Tliis sur- 

 vey Avas made liy way of the valleys of Deer Lake and Harry's 

 Brook, in order to ascertain whether this route jiresented more 

 tavouraljle features than that already surveyed via Red Indian 

 Lake. The result of the survey A\as as the report showed, that 

 :a most favourable line was found through large areas of a rich 

 loamy soil, es])ecially about Deer Lake, awaiting agricultural 

 <leveloiimeut. This line, too, would open u[) the tine Humber 

 valley, famous for its jiines, and reach the Bay of Islands with 

 its grand scenery and lands. In every respect tliis route was 

 found to l)e far preferalile to tliat j>reviously surveyed. 



NOKTHKRN A>D AVESTKRX KAILAVAY. 



The governnieiit now decided to cany llie railway west from 

 -.the Exploits. A new contract was entered into with Mr. R. G. 

 Reid, by which lie undertook to "construct and equip a line of 

 .railway commencing at the terminus of the road to be con- 

 structed uniler the Northern Railway contract, fieing a jioint 

 two hundred miles distant from Placentia .function, and running 

 by the best, inost desirable ami most direct route to the north- 

 .east end of Gi*and Lake ; thence to the north-east end of Deer 

 Lake, and westerly along the north side (afterwards changed to 

 south side) of Deer Lake and do\m the Humber River ; thence 

 by way of the north side of Harry's River ; and thence to Pcjrt- 

 .aux-Bas(|ues.''' This contract was signed on the IGtli May, 1893. 

 On the same day another contract was signed, in which Mr. Reid 

 undertook to operate the Placentia branch railway, and also the 

 •" Newfoundland Northern and Western Railway," as the new 

 line from Placentia Junction to Port-aux-Bas(pies was to be 

 .called, for a period of ten years, commencing Sept. 1st, 1893. 



