The second cover scanned (Mathews Steamship Co., Ltd.) has a rather interesting history, especially since your cover is dated November 1931 and the company went into receivership in 1932, as shown in this excerpt:
Quote:
Colonial Steamships Ltd.
Colonial Steamships was formed with the purchase of the Mathews Steamship Company. The Mathews Steamship Company Ltd.. of Toronto had gone into receivership in 1932, was operated for one year by Toronto Elevators Ltd. prior to being sold by the liquidator (Frederick C. Clarkson) to Colonial Steamships Ltd. in 1933. The new aquisitions included the canal-sized freighters ARLINGTON, BROOKTON, EASTON, MALTON, NORTHTON, WIARTON, AND YORKTON along with Captain Misener's first upper lakes bulk carriers BAYTON, BERRYTON, LAKETON, MATHEWSTON, RIVERTON and ROYALTON. The "ton" suffix common to the ships of the Mathews fleet.
Not all ships sailed for Colonial Steamships Ltd. One was scapped (MALTON), and three were sold (WIARTON, BROOKTON and ARLINGTON).
The Colonial Steamship fleet was recognizable with their black stack with two silver bands. As soon as the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959 the Colonial named was changed and the fleet became known as Scott Misener Steamships Ltd.
You can read more (and look at photos of some of the ships) at this link:
http://www.abouthegreatlakes.com/MISENER.html
Posted 02/15/2012 9:47 pm
