affected the
politics of his day, he took a keen interest in the first.

NOTE.--For purposes of reference, consult _The Story of My
Life_ by Dr. Ryerson; _The Ryerson Memorial Volume_ by Dr. J.G.
Hodgins; _Egerton Ryerson_ by Nathaniel Burwash in THE MAKERS
OF CANADA; and _Egerton Ryerson_ by J.H. Putnam.

THE INTERCOLONIAL RAILWAY

The lesson may be begun best by referring to the provisions in the
British North America Act for the building of the railway. (If the class
knows nothing yet of this Act, reference may be made to Dominion Day,
and the Act associated with it, by explaining the significance of the
Day. The date of Confederation, 1867, may be written on the board for
reference.) In the B.N.A. Act, it was provided that "the Canadian
Government should build a railway connecting the St. Lawrence with
Halifax, to be commenced within six months after the Union."

_Teacher._--Did you notice the two places that were to be connected
by the road?

_Pupil._--They were Halifax and the St. Lawrence River.

_T._--Why do you think Halifax was chosen as one terminus?

_P._--Because it is near the sea.

_T._--Well, Quebec is not far from the sea either.

_P._--It is the nearest port for ocean-going steamers.

_T._--Do you know what happens to the St. Lawrence every winter?

_P._--It freezes up.

_T._--Yes. It is frozen over for about four months in the winter,
and ocean-going vessels cannot use the river then, so Halifax was
chosen as a good winter port on the Atlantic. Now, what place on
the St. Lawrence would be chosen as the other terminus?

_P._--Most likely either Quebec or Montreal.

_T._--We can tell better a little later which one was actually
chosen. Here is a thing that I want you to think about. Why should
they build the railway just to the St. Lawrence? Were there many
people living in Upper Canada fifty years ago?

_P._--Yes, as many people as there were in Quebec province.

_T._--Really there were about 250,000 more here than in Quebec. How
would the people here ship their goods in the winter? How do we
send our goods to Europe now in winter?

(Several suggestions were made. Finally it was stated that we could
ship by water in summer, and by rail in winter.)

_T._--You know that there are some rapids on the St. Lawrence
before we reach M