Daniel Jack MacDonald, Mick MacDonald, lra Robertson, James Banks, Wilfred Campbell, and the last one, Joseph Johnston. /

Better road conditions and an increased use of the automobile brought the elimination of those small ferry services.

in 1905, George E. Saville, Edwin McFarlane, George MacDonald of Annan— dale and D. C. and Neil MacKay of Dundas did much to establish a steamship service between Bridgetown, Annandale, and Pictou, N.S.

During the winter months, travel on the frozen ice surface of the Boughton River was common. The ice was bushed when it reached a certain thickness. The bushes indicated where the ice was safe. The ice was bushed by the men of the community who also gathered the bushes.

For the two or three months that the ice was thick enough, travel back and forth flourished. Residents travelled to church, various entertainments, and to “just visit” during the winter. The mailman also travelled up the river from Cardigan in the winter.

Once again, improved travelling conditions on the roads led to a decrease in travel across the river. Although there is still travel on the ice, it hasn’t been bushed in recent years.

Just as road travel has many accidents, as well, various tragedies happened along the Boughton River. Lives were lost while swimming, fishing, or when someone would go through the ice. One such documented tragedy took place in the summer of 1935. Victor LaPierre of Annandaie composed the following ballad about a boat sail up the River with Chester and Tommy Banks. Marcel Campbell who accompanied them on the voyage was the man who retrieved Mr. Walsh’s body.

The Ballad of Danny Walsh

Come all you lads and lassies Who are for pleasure bent Go sporting on a Sunday Your time is wrongly spent

l remember on one Sunday Afew short years ago

A sailing in a motor boat For pleasure we did go

We were sailing up Grand River And every one was gay Ajoking and a singing

To pass the time away

We were almost to St. Georges A place you all know well A crowd was gathered on the shore

What for we could not tell

And when we stopped the engine We heard some people shout

A lad drowned here good friends Come in and help us out

The joking and the singing

Came to a sudden stop

And gloom upon those happy smiles Like a curtain seemed to drop

Young Danny Walsh from Cardigan And some pals of his you know Took a drive out to St. Georges And a swimming they did go

While swimming with a pal of his They said he took a cramp

And slowly sank beneath the waves Ashort way from the bank

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