Robert D. Heninger wrote:
. . . the shipping (no pun intended) season for ore ran from approximately April to Oct/Nov during much of the steam era.

Let's see, it moved in ships when the lakes were ice-free, so I'd say it's no pun, it's a statement of fact <g>.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@...
Publishers of books on railroad history