CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT, 77 



failed to complete their contract and the line passed 

 into the hands of a receiver on behalf of certain stock- 

 holders in England, and under this arrangement it 

 has been satisfactorily operated up to the present 

 time. 



CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT AND EXTENSION OF THE 

 RAILWAY. 



In 1885 a change of government took place, and 

 Sir Robert Thoburn became Premier. Not discour- 

 aged by the failure of his predecessors, he and his col- 

 leagues in 1886 began the construction of a branch 

 twenty-seven miles in length, from Whitbourne Junc- 

 tion to Placentia, the old French capital, which they 

 completed and opened in 1886. This brought the in- 

 habitants in and around Placentia Bay not only in 

 touch with each other but with St. John's, the capi- 

 tal, and proved to be a great benefit to the whole 

 southern and western shores of the bay. The loco- 

 motive, the great civilizer in all countries, had now 

 gotten such a foothold that it mattered not which of 

 the political factions got the reins of the government, 

 the work of railroad building was sure to proceed. 



The up-country people were still clamoring for 

 their section and the northern extension to Hall's 



Bay, the great mining centre, and seven miles of the 



Placentia extension were available for this purpose. 



