Wainwright is this morning entertaining a distinguished party of Grand Trunk officials, including Charles M. Hays, president; General Manager Chamberlain and Mr. Smithers, chairman of the London board.
The party arrived here last evening in a special train of five coaches, and spent the night here.
Mr. Hays, Mr. Smithers and others of the party, strolled about the town last evening, and this morning the whole party of twenty-one were driven out to the Buffalo Park by members of the Board of Trade. They appeared to thoroughly enjoy themsleves. At the time The Star went to press they had not returned, but it was expected that the train would pull out shortly before noon.
The party comprises the following Grand Trunk officials:
C. M. Hays, president of the G. T. P.; A. W. Smithers, chairman of the London board; E. J. Chamberlain, vice-president and general manager; John W. Loud, freight traffic manager; W. E. Davis, passenger traffic manager; J. E. Dalrymple, assistant traffic manager; H. Deer, assistant secretary of the Grand Trunk; D. E. Galloway, N. Kinsella and Louks, secretaries.
Travelling with the party are: Sir Geo. and Lady Doughty; Jas. Carruthers; Hubert and Miss. Smithers; Mr. and Mrs. Thornton Davidson and Mr. Hunter, of the famous Swan-Hunter shipbuilding firm of England.
From Edmonton the party will proceed west to Vancouver and thence to Prince Rupert. In the course of the trip every branch of the line is the rapidly extending networks of the G. T. P. will be inspected, the journey occupying one month. As an illustration of the rapid extension of the G. T. P. service it is worthy of remark; that two or three years ago this annual inspection trip, which now occupies one month, was easily completed in two weeks.