Cape Breton's Magazine

piece of duplicity overtook him in 1872 when he ran for re-election, as his constituents once again demanded that he oppose Confedera? tion, which he agreed to do. At the same time, however, he promised Charles Tupper to support the government in a crisis over the issue. By contesting the election, Tupper theorized that McKeagney would help re-elect Tories by splitting the Catholic vote in Nova Scotia, and promised him a judgeship in the event he lost, which he did. McKeagney was duly named to the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench in October 1872, a position he held until his death in 1879. Finally, stagecoacher Hiram Hyde of Truro came to the inn. He was born on Staten Island, New York, in the early years of the nineteenth century and, while still young, moved to Lower Canada (Quebec) where he worked in a stagecoach operation and, during the 1837 re? bellion, transported British troops by coach to the battlefields. Soon afterward, Hyde moved to Nova Scotia, settling in Truro after Samuel Cunard of Halifax hired him to carry the mail by coach between Hati- A Little Book Review: fax and Pictou. Hyde soon took over the route for himself, hiring Thomas S Lindsay as one of his 'whips.' In 1851 Hyde was the successful bidder for the first vehicle-conveyed mail service between West River, Pictou County, and Sydney via Plaister Cove and St Peter's. The route was divided into stages of approximately fifteen miles, Plaister Cove and Catherine McPher? son's inn being two of his Cape Breton stops. In 1860 Hyde lost the mail contract to his former driver, Lindsay, after Cape Bretoners made numerous complaints about the inadequacy of his sen/ice. They claimed that Hyde had broken his promise to use a team of horses on each stage. Lindsay's stops paralleled Hyde's but his ser? vice was much better. Before long, however, Hyde was back, this time operating a stage mn between Pictou and Arichat via GuystX)- rough. During the 1850s he embarked on another venture, building the first telegraph line in the province which, in Cape Breton, followed the old post road from the Gut of Canso to Sydney, passing in front of Catherine McPherson's door at Grand Anse. This selection, "Catherine MacPherson's Inn," is taken from Journey Ttirough a Cape Breton County • an odd, attractive and delightful book from University College of Cape Breton Press. It is hard to imagine anyone who will not be enlarged by having read it. It is storytelling and history, road construction and mail routes, business history and backroom shenanigans • and Judge Stone's choice of poetry. The writing is open and readable, which is important when the author is often mov? ing over the ground with a magnifying glass • and the stories that emerge are interesting, entertaining, and vital to an appreciation of the battle it has been to carve out roads and the St. Peters Canal- routes interconnecting island life. Judge Stone has spent a long time among dusty papers • petitions and maps and journals and letters • -and has put them into a context we can enjoy. It is a book you read with one finger tucked into the footnotes • fully one half of the text. This is a good job from UCCB Press • nicely designed by Artplus and well-printed by City Printers. It reads well and feels good in the hand. There are a couple of obvious problems. All names are arbitrari? ly spelled Mc, never Mac. And A. F. Church maps are used based on their printed date, despite the fact that their date of publication was often many years after the information was gathered. (See "A. F. Church and His County Maps" in Issue 50 of Cape Breton's Magazine.) All in all, this seems an excep? tional, rare little book for the Cape Breton Shelf • and worth real attention. It is available from University College of Cape Bre? ton Press, P.O. Box 5300, Syd? ney, N.S. Bl P 6L2 for $19.95. Riverside Cleaners Cape Breton's Only Drive-Thru DryCleaning KINGS ROAD • SYDNEY Lowest Drycleaning Prices in Town! COMPLETE LINE OF LUMBER & BUILDERS SUPPUES vtsrr OUR SHovmooM 252 HALFWAY RD, SYDNEY MINES DON-RAY LUMBER LTD. 736-9722 IF BUSY • 736-6201 OR 736-7334 FAX 736-9806 e Breton EXHIBITION North Sydney, N, S. OFFICIAL OPENING TUESDAY, AUGUST 18th * Hon. Tom Mclnnis officiating ? Special events include a concert by the Singing Miners "The Men of the Deeps" on Saturday, August 22nd at 8 P.M. • BILL LYNCH MIDWAY • Cattle Shows - Dairy & Beef • Horse Shows - LIgtit & Heavy' • Steer & Lamb Show & Sale • Horse Pulling • Tug-of-War • Gymkhana Events Ox Pull • 4-H Day • Fashion Show • C. B. 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