Shorts was known for the colourful way he told about his adventures. His retelling of the MVG’s first trip is an example of his great imagination. On her first trip on the lake, the MVG ran out of coal oil. The steamboat actually ran out of fuel just seven miles (11 kilometres) from her final destination. However, after telling the story a few times, Shorts began to exaggerate the details. Eventually, Shorts said he ran out of fuel halfway through the 150-mile (241-kilometre) trip, not near the end. And he said that he had to stop at every settler’s house on the lake to get enough coal oil to finish the trip. In fact, he did not stop at any settlers’ places. He just rowed home with his five tons (4,536 kilograms) of freight and five passengers.

Unfortunately, the MVG burned to the water line in late 1886. The exact cause of the blaze is unknown. However, the outside of the boat was soaked with coal oil because of poor fuel-loading practices. An unexpected spark could easily have set the boat on fire. Shorts took the machinery from the MVG and built another boat, but it was not successful. The steam engine is all that is left from the Mary Victoria Greenhow. This engine now sits in the Greater Vernon Museum.