▁the ▁summer ▁months . ▁The ▁mine ▁changed ▁hands ▁several ▁times ▁before ▁falling ▁into ▁ru in ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 8 . ▁ ▁A ▁solution ▁was ▁provided ▁by ▁the ▁Cob ourg , ▁Peter borough , ▁and ▁Mar m ora ▁Rail ▁and ▁M ining ▁Company , ▁a ▁reform ed ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Cob ourg ▁and ▁Peter borough ▁Railway ▁which ▁had ▁previously ▁gone ▁bank rupt . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 6 ▁they ▁constructed ▁ ▁of ▁railway ▁from ▁Bla ir ton ▁to ▁the ▁Tr ent ▁River , ▁using ▁the ▁ever ▁extending ▁Tr ent – S ever n ▁Water way ▁to ▁move ▁the ▁ore ▁by ▁boat ▁to ▁their ▁previous ▁rail head ▁on ▁R ice ▁Lake . ▁This ▁route ▁required ▁several ▁off ▁and ▁on ▁load ings , ▁but ▁was ▁never theless ▁successful , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁the ▁Bla ir ton ▁mine ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁Ontario . ▁The ▁mine ▁operated ▁with ▁decre asing ▁output ▁until ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁when ▁it ▁filled ▁in ▁with ▁water ▁and ▁the ▁railway ▁tr est le ▁was ▁dam aged ▁by ▁ice . ▁ ▁Railway ▁r ush ▁By ▁this ▁time ▁several ▁other ▁mines ▁had ▁opened ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁including ▁the ▁first ▁gold ▁mine ▁at ▁E ld or ado ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁another ▁wave ▁of ▁prospect ing ▁further ▁north , ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁new ▁ore , ▁and ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁ship ▁to ▁market . ▁A ▁small ▁railway ▁bo om ▁followed ▁and ▁last ed ▁into ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 7