11 



for tiu) iiiiw g.MKM'atiou whivjh iiiids itsolf isolated, losL ia ihii mid ji" 

 mod'M'a prog-njss und p;vTalysod iis il wcro, even wli mi Hurrouuded ])y 

 abundiiut. r.'sourc.'s, o\viui>' to t he. a!).si'iic.i' of railways aad oiiiMvs in 'a;is of 

 <!om'iiiinii-;(ii()u to I'liahlo it to turn th-m to ad\^l;»ta^•.'. ()i)liuv'd to 

 dispjs.' of all produce ou tho spot, in most tuis.'s at very low aiul con- 

 siM|'i.'!itly a! unr>'muii-'rative rati's, tht pri'S'Mit population is <;Tadu illy 

 Si'ivi.if-' up a<4'ri'.'Xiltur''. tlio youu^- m mi go away, I'V-ry iiit'iprisi; hm- 

 g'ui dr-s or dios, and parish^'s, which had niad'^ a splnadid start, uow 

 lind I li'uis 'h'l's slop[).'d au'l paralyz 'd without any n'ln 'dy aud y -t wo 

 mu^t ri'ciili'l'r that l.h'S' parish's mi'^'ht b; amongst ih • most populous 

 :'.nd |)r;)(liiriivi' oi' 111 • ProviutH'.. 



Sfarti]i<4' from Saint Ortavc, the projcott'd ])ranch would, for about tcu 

 md'^. ioliow a liu'- and pcrf'ctly levol i)lateau, sort led for th > mos! part 

 by S':oii-iim.'U. who wt' th'^ lirst to settli' in the s(d<i'uiory of M^tis md 

 lurih '!• on l)y iln^ Canadian-; who found'.Mllhn parish oi' Sandy liiy. 



Mr A. L. Lio-hi, chiof .'nijfincor of tho Provinoo. \vho was iustructed 

 ill ISSS to snrv.'V thi' Hni", oxiiri'ss 's his opinion as foU )ws. in a r'|)ort 

 submitti'd, on th" I Ith .Tuu'' of thi' sam^^ year, to iion. Mr. Orarnoau, Coin- 

 mission-M' oi' Pnbli<; Works : 



• From M.'tis thi;' linn will conlinui' thron<>'h a romparatividy 1 'vel 

 and easy <^.ountry, aloni>' th- imm-diat;' vicinity of the Saint LawrtMuu.', to 

 Mataiic, passing- throu^'h the thrivinu' villaj^t's of Littl>' M-'tis and Sandy 

 Hay. Th' total distau'" from the probable point of d^'parturo, from the 

 Intercolonial li:ulway. is about thirty miles, in round numb >rs. 



" All throuL>'li. th ' conntry is exceptionally easy, and a y-ood lino of 

 railw ay can b ■ construetv'd at a moderate cost. The yrading- would be 

 li'jhi and the bridging inconsiderable. 



■■ I'h.- land along the whole distance, as far as could be seen from the 

 highway, wa-< g;-!ter;itly good and well (.'uliivated, the crops wdl advancjd 

 and no mountains in the immediate vicinity in sight. 



■' The houses are so numerous directly lu'ar the shore that th'-ir 

 removal will b • a source of considerable expenses ; and it is questionable 

 whether it will not be d 'sirable to lix the location on th^- higher i)lateau 

 that exists about half a mile furth -.r back. This can only be determmed by 

 a survey." 



Mr. Light estimated the cost of the coustructir ^ and putting the 

 l)ranch line in thorough working order at .ipBiS,!)?;!.!)*), including right of 

 way, wire fences, removal of buildings, cuttings, bridges, culverts, sheds 

 and cro.ssiags. 



