A page, evidently torn from an account book, kept by an old saddler and blacksmith in Port Hope a century past, gives us some very interesting information.
     This page is written on a sheet of hand-made paper, roughly ruled for figures, and the chirography is of the old English style, the letters being very open and in a flourishing style.
     A counter account on the reverse side of this page reveals that in the year 1825 three men operated stage lines to York, Peterboro and Kingston, namely Calvin Hamlin, Henry Adamson and a Mr. Wilder. Several items have reference to the fares paid in those days, for instance:---

     By conveying John Sharp to York --- 18 shillings ($4.32).
     By conveying John Wren to York with baggage --- 18 shillings, 6 pence.
     By conveying me to Carrying Place --- 12 shillings.

     The fare to Peterboro was moderate, considering that the communication to that town at that date was by means of the Indian Carrying Road to Rice Lake, by a rough road through Sackville's woods, and thus through Cavan to the village of Peterboro. The fare was 15 shillings, or a little over $3.60.
     Westward, the road led to Marsh's Inn at Port Britain, branching there to meet the main York road, which ran through Welcome and Dale.
     To the east, the road passed up Ward's Hill, and straight east, meeting the present Cobourg road about midway between the two towns. The present Cobourg road was first built by the Cobourg Road Company in about 1860.
     The first regular mail stage began to run through Port Hope about this time (1825), prior to which mail had been conveyed on foot or on horseback. The service was very slow and conducted under great hardship.
     Early in 1831 a regular five trips a week service was instituted, the coaches usually stopping at the Old Inn on the site of the present Queen's Hotel. In those early days the stages were very elaborate vehicles, drawn by four horses.
     The roads were very bad, and stages leaving Port Hope at 2 a.m. did not arrive in York until the following midnight, during which it was necessary for the travellers to walk considerable distances.
     Letters mailed in Newcastle on August 28th, 1831, reached Port Hope on August 31st; posted in Niagara Falls (then the seat of government) on May 13th, 1831, were received here on the 18th. Mailing costs were very high, and consequently few letters were sent. At that time a letter from Niagara Falls to Port Hope cost 8 1/2 pence (17 cents); from York (Toronto) 7 pence (14 cents); Newcastle to Port Hope 4 1/2 pence (9 cents); and from Asphodel, near Peterboro, to Port Hope 6 pence (12 cents).