April 23 – 29: Compiled by Dave Humphrey from the archived newspapers held at the Cranbrook History Centre and Archives
1916
Mining rumor … A mysterious rumor got about the city some days ago that $20,000 had been placed in one of the local banks for the development of a property, or properties, on Perry Creek. Though contradicted in certain quarters, there is reason to believe that there is more in the rumor than appears on the surface.
Romantic wedding … Cranbrook was the scene of a wedding of exceptional interest yesterday afternoon, when Mr. H. A. George, of Peace River Crossing, a well-known lumberman and general merchant of that far north country and Miss Jeanette McEwan, of San Francisco, Cal., were happily married. Cranbrook was selected as the place where the young couple should pledge their troth.
The day was ideal for just such an occasion, nature lending itself with all its mystifying wonders.
The bride arrived on the 4 o’clock train, the ceremony immediately following. Rev. W. K. Thompson, pastor of the Presbyterian church, pronouncing the words which united the happy couple. The ceremony took place in the Presbyterian church.
Mr. John Armour, manager of Armours, Limited, and David M. Cowan, secretary of the Ry. Y. M. C. A., were the witnesses, being friends of the groom. Mr. and Mrs. George left on this afternoon’s train for Edmonton en route to their new home.
Cranbrook man wounded … In the last list of casualties appears the name of H. Hewson, as wounded. Mrs. Geo. Baldwin of this city is a sister.
Lost … Saturday night, near Beattie’s Drug Store, blue card case, containing $15 in bills. Finder please return to Herald Office—reward.
Slow down … The majority of motorists exercise a little common sense and drive within reason, but it is the occasional speed maniac who drives without the slightest regard either for his own or the other fellow’s safety who gets the public sore on motorists in general.
We have an odd specimen of this kind in Cranbrook who persists in driving along the main streets at full speed, without slowing up for crossings or anything else.
The law regulates the speed within the city limits to ten miles per hour, 12 miles per hour outside the city limits and in wooded country, and 25 miles per hour in open country.
All cars must slow down at crossings and intersections. Reckless disregard of these laws will sooner or later result in a serious accident.
Fire! … A small cottage in the south ward, outside the city limits, was destroyed by fire this morning. It was occupied by Morgan John and owned by George Donaldson, who is now living in Ontario. An alarm was given and the city brigade and hose wagon responded but on account of a delay in getting additional hose the fire gained such headway that the house was almost completely destroyed. The contents were saved.
Auto accident … Otto Wisner, a well-known lumberman of Wardner, was instantly killed in an auto smash-up near Jaffray early Monday morning.
The deceased, in company with Robert Findlay and Louis Dupont, left Cranbrook Sunday night for Jaffray. While descending the steep hill leading into Jaffray the steering gear refused to work, the car turned turtle over the embankment, crushing the life out of Wisner underneath.
The funeral of the deceased will be held on Friday afternoon from Knox Presbyterian Church, Cranbrook.
Fifteen join up … No less than fifteen Cranbrook men have joined the ranks of the 225th this week. There are a number of well-known young men among them, and a number of others are expected to follow suit shortly. Among this week’s recruits are Gordon Arnold Wallinger, son of N. A. Wallinger. Government Agent; Thomas Tighe Mecredy, Lionel Leask, Call Gill, W. F. Footer, Harry Walker, James F. Lunn, Wallace Weldon Scott, John Leslie Quaife, Wm. Whitting, John Alexander Ryckman, George Calneva Baker, William F. Foster, James Roscrane, Richard L. Pool, William A. Troop.
Sergt.-Major Marchand arrived in the city Tuesday to inspect the local company and returned to Fernie Thursday. The Sergt.-Major is an old Cranbrook man and is pleased to renew acquaintances with his many old friends here.
Capt. Cooper, who is to be second in command of the 225th, passed through here Thursday and was met at the station by the local officers.
Thirty-one of the local soldiers left at noon today for Comox to join the 102nd under Col. Worden. They were in charge of Lieut. Lister. A large crowd gathered at the station to wish them farewell.
Ankle biter … An ankle-biter is one who seizes his victim near the tendon of Achilles and pulling deftly, seeks to elongate the leg to his pecuniary advantage.
Thus enlightened, we may say that one of the fraternity blew into Cranbrook the other day and wanted a few mines — the bigger the better; Price no object. He knew nothing about lode mining, but as a coal miner he was there with all kinds of bells on. Still, all he had to do was to examine and report, favorably of course, and the money for the property would fall out of a clear sky.
The only fly in the ointment— for there always is something slightly wrong — was that he landed in our city with a single, solitary and over-worked bean, dollar, or ordinary simolean and needed a matter of one hundred bucks to help him on his weary way to Spokane where his man was waiting to hand over the thousands on the wind of the ankle-biter’s recommendation.
‘Tis a hard world, my masters. The hundred bucks did not materialize, nor even one of them and that man wandered forth, disappeared, vanished and left not a track behind.
A sucker may be born every minute, but they take a terrible amount of finding sometimes.
Special S. A. Services … Staff-Captain Smith, the Chancellor of the Salvation Army who is visiting Cranbrook for Wednesday and Thursday, May 3rd and 4th, will give two most interesting illustrated lectures in Knox Presbyterian School Room.
On Wednesday night the Staff-Captain is giving that special lecture to the young people entitled “Bible Heroes” and will also show other pictures. This lecture is specially for the young but anyone may attend as the Staff-Captain will project some very fine pictures on the screen which are interesting to all.
On Thursday night the Staff-Captain will give his very popular Illustrated lecture on the “Wonders and Workers of Newfoundland”. Many of these pictures were taken by himself in connection with his two year’s labors in that Island and they are all very unique and scenes that are not familiar to those in this part of the Dominion.
The Staff-Captain promises to give 2 hours interest and enjoyment to all who attend this service.
While Staff-Captain Smith is in Cranbrook he will also conduct special open air services at which he will sing many of his popular salvation solos accompanied by the concertina and banjo.
Be sure and see and hear the Staff-Captain on his visit to Cranbrook.
Where were the flags? … A foreigner would not have been greatly impressed by the display of flags in Cranbrook on Saturday, the anniversary of the Battle of St. Julien, in which the Canadian soldiers won lasting and undying glory in the cause of liberty.
Out of twenty flagpoles which could be counted from the main street of the city only six carried flags and among those from which the “old big of bunting” was conspicuously absent was that of the city hall.
Canadians are not a demonstrative people but (particularly in time of war) on the anniversary of a battle which meant so much not only to Canada but to the Empire as did the battle of St. Julien, every flag should be unfurled, and those who do not own a flag should get one.
Plant a vegetable garden … A garden 60 x 100 feet should produce sufficient vegetables for a family of ten persons, and leave some surplus for storage for winter. Cultivated by hand, it will occupy most of the spare time of a city dweller.
A man cannot be a motor car or baseball enthusiast and at the same time make a success of a garden of this size. However, even smaller plots, if intelligently handled, may be made to yield an astonishing quantity of good crisp vegetables, which have not lost their health-preserving value in the store window.
Where the space available is small, crops should be selected that take but little space and give quick returns. Potatoes, cabbage, corn, eggplant, peppers, had better be dispensed with, and the space devoted to such things as peas, beans, spinach, lettuce, carrots, beets, tomatoes and onions.
The cultivation of vegetables is easy and agreeable in the days when meat, eggs, milk and other staple articles are tending steadily to increase in price, a wider use of vegetable foods will reduce living expenses and promote health.
The best time to do garden work is early in the morning and in the evening; so that it is well to encourage the healthful habit of early retiring and early rising.
If the work is done for the love of it, rather than from necessity, these hours will be the most agreeable of the day.
Bad weather … Good Friday was a typical April day, rain, snow and sun being distributed indiscriminately during the day. The scheduled ball game between the 225th Battalion and a civilian team did not materialize.
Dogs will be impounded … The Chief of Police has finished his rounds collecting dog taxes and gives final notice in another column that after the third of May proceedings will be taken against all owners of dogs who have not taken out licenses. Doggy must also wear the tag at all times or take chances of being impounded and destroyed along with those who do not own tags.
Dance classes … Mr. Tighe Mecredy is holding the first of what he intended to be a series of dances at the Christ Church Parish Hall on Wednesday next, admission 50 cents, all are welcome. Mr. Mecredy regrets that he will be unable to continue these dances or hold dancing classes as he has enlisted for Overseas Service with the 225th.
Surprise party … Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Reed were pleasantly surprised Wednesday night when a number of their young friends invaded their house and took possession for the evening. This was the silver anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Reed’s wedding, and the young people took the occasion to celebrate attainment of the quarter century mark in happy wedded life and to show their regard for Mr. and Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed was presented with a handsome damask linen table cloth and a set of silver spoons while Mr. Reed was the recipient of a pair of silver cufflinks suitably engraved A pleasant social evening was afterwards spent by all present.
Moyie news … Many of the parents in Moyie do not realize the disadvantage their children are experiencing by living all their lives here. A lad who is fourteen years old and has lived all those years in our Lakeside Camp was asked “What is a man trap?” and he replied without hesitation “a woman.”
Methodist church … The Methodist Church of this city is just closing its year in all the departments of their activity and laying plans for the best prosecution of their work in the year before them.
On Wednesday evening the annual meeting of the Sunday School was held when a splendid representation of the school workers attended. The various reports were very encouraging; the secretary’s showing nearly 200 scholars enrolled and an attendance for the year of 63 per cent of the enrollment.
The finances were also in good shape there being a balance to carry over on the credit side to the ensuing year. A very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to all the retiring officers and teachers for their faithful and earnest attendance to duty in the year past.
A lively discussion took place with reference to a change of hours of meeting of the school. A resolution to make the hour of meeting 12.15 noon was met by an amendment to meet at 9.45. Every available standpoint and interest came out in the debate and after all had taken part therein and the vote taken, it was found advisable, in the interests of the scholars and parents, to make no change for the present. It was felt that the situation might be changed if the change covered all the schools of the city, but there being no approach from any of the other schools this phase of the question was dropped.
The election of officers then took place by ballot without nomination and resulted in the following being elected—G. W. Patmore, superintendent; W. C. Adlard, asst. supt.; W. Shepherd, Secy.; W .G. Morton, treas., Mrs. Manning, pianist; Miss Phillips, asst, pianist; Mrs. G. W. Patmore, supt. Cradle Roll Dept.; Mrs. W. G. Hayward, asst. Supt Cradle Roll; Miss Mills, supt. Home Dept. The entire teaching staff was re-elected. The new officers take their duties the first Sunday in May.
Christ Church exhibit … The tea given by the ladies of Christ Church Guild on Tuesday afternoon proved a great success, and was patronized by a large number. Great interest was shown in the exhibition of household helps. Amongst the exhibits were an electrical washing machine, a self-wringing mop, a wonderful dandelion puller, and innumerable small labor-saving contrivances, as well as a great many useful hints to the housewife on all matters appertaining to the kitchen. Tea was served by the Executive of the Guild, and the candy table was in charge of the Bible Class.
W.C.T.U. Elects officers … The annual meeting of the local W.C.T.U. was held on Thursday afternoon, April 20th, at the home of Mrs. F. Dezall.
After the usual monthly business had been attended to the following ladies were elected for the coming year: President, Mrs. J. T. Bridges, vice-president, Mrs. Keyworth, secretary Mrs. G. B. Powell, corresponding secretary Mrs. A. Bridges, treasurer Mrs. J. T. Smith. Mrs. W. B. McFarlane and Mrs. S. J. Brown were elected delegates to the convention in Vancouver.
At this point the ladies, in the person of Mrs. J. T. Smith took the opportunity of expressing their regrets on the coming departure from our city of the ex-president, Mrs. J. R. McNabb.
The following address was read and Mrs. McNabb presented with a pretty emblematic pin: “Dear Mrs. McNabb — The ladies of the W. C. T. U., having learned that you purpose removing to Calgary, take this opportunity to present you with a slight memento of our pleasant remembrance of our relations in the work you have been so energetic in promoting and whose welfare and interest you had so much at heart. We need not say how much we shall miss you, socially and in your official capacity as President of our W.C.T.U. We trust that in your future home you may be of as great service in the cause of temperance as you have been while with us. We pray that the blessing of God may be with you wherever you lot may be cast. Accept this pin as a token of our esteem and good wishes. Presented on behalf of the W.C.T.U. by Mrs. J. T. Smith.”
Mrs. McNabb expressed her appreciation of the kindness of the ladies; the hostess served refreshments and the meeting adjourned.
Methodist Ladies’ Aid … On the afternoon of Wednesday, April 19th, the Ladies Aid of the Methodist Church met at the home of Mrs. Fred Wasson and entertained as guest of honor Mrs. J. R. McNabb who in the near future will make Calgary her home.
A short musical program was given after which in a few very well-chosen words the President, Mrs. W. G. Morton called on Mrs. McFarlane, she having worked with Mrs. McNabb almost from the organization of the Aid, to express the regrets of the ladies that fate in the form of the great C. P. R. should have decreed that the future home of Conductor J. R. McNabb and his family should be elsewhere than in Cranbrook.
Rev. T. Keyworth who was present also said a few words on behalf of the church and Sunday School in acknowledgement of Mrs. McNabb’s faithful service. A beautiful bouquet of sweet peas was presented.
Mrs. McNabb thanked the ladies for the pleasant afternoon and kind words of farewell. Dainty refreshments were then served and the ladies bade Mrs. McNabb goodbye.
Key City Lodge anniversary … Key City Lodge No. 42, I. O. O. F. celebrated the 97th anniversary of the founding of the order by holding special services on Monday evening in the lodge room.
A large number of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs and visitors attended the services, which were largely of a religious nature. The Independent Order of Odd fellows was founded on the broad principles of Christianity without regard to creed or denomination, and teaches the true principles of brotherhood. Beginning in a small way 17 years ago the order has grown and flourished until now it has lodges in cities, towns and villages all over the North American continent.
After the program refreshments were served, during which Mrs. Ryckman and Mrs. Manning entertained the gathering by another instrumental duet.
