Sir John A. Macdonald Speaks From Aboard Train, 1886
Photo: Sir John A. Macdonald at a train stop on the CPR’s inaugural trip, standing on the back platform of his private railcar “Jamaica” 1886. Collection of the Canadian Pacific Archives.
Source of quotation: Guillet, Edwin. “You’ll Never Die, John A.!” Macmillan of Canada, 1967
Transcript of Sir John A. Macdonald’s words spoken from aboard train, 1886, read by Nick Olcott:
[Nick Olcott] “I am surprised that the building of the railway has not killed me. My friends thought I might see the final version from heaven, while my enemies expected I’d have to look up from below. Today I’ve disappointed both friends and foes, and am taking the horizontal view.”