ket scalping,' was prohibited in
Canada, though the railways were forced to buy the exclusive privilege
of selling their own tickets by agreeing to redeem unused portions.

The original contract with the Canadian Pacific had provided for an
eastern terminus near Lake Nipissing, in order to show preference
neither to Montreal nor Toronto, either of which could make connections
by independent roads. Similarly, we shall see, thirty years later,
Moncton was chosen as a terminus of the National Transcontinental, to
hold the balance even between Halifax and St John. It was, however,
impossible for the Canadian {173} Pacific to accept as permanent an
arrangement which left it halting in the wilderness, and depending upon
possibly rival railways for outlet to the great cities and ports of the
east. It had, in fact, been empowered in its charter to acquire the
Canada Central and 'to obtain, hold, and operate a line or lines of
railway from Ottawa to any point at navigable water on the Atlantic
seaboard, or to any intermediate point'--terms sufficiently sweeping.
Few were surprised, therefore, when the directors began a policy of
eastward expansion, though many were surprised at the boldness and
extent of the plans and the speed and masterful strategy of the
execution.

The first and most obvious move was to buy out the Canada Central,
extending from Ottawa through Carleton Place to Pembroke, and under
construction westward to Callender on Lake Nipissing. This was done in
1881, and the road was completed two years later. Again, in 1881, the
parent line of the Canada Central, the Brockville and Ottawa, was
acquired, and three years later a controlling interest was secured in
the stock of the St Lawrence and Ottawa, thus giving connection with
the St Lawrence both at Brockville and {174} at Prescott. Still
pressing eastward, the Canadian Pacific next sought entrance to
Montreal and to Quebec. The North Shore road, built by the province of
Quebec, would most easily give the connection sought. The province was
induced, in 1882, to sell to the Canadian Pacific the western section,
from Montreal to Ottawa. At the same time the eastern section, from St
Martin to Montreal, was sold to the North Shore Syndicate. The Grand
Trunk, alarmed at this advance, attempted to block further expansion by
securing, jointly with the Central Vermont, control of the latter
section. But the Canadian Pacific had the ear of both the Dominion a