August 6 – 12: Compiled by Dave Humphrey from the archived newspapers held at the Cranbrook History Centre and Archives

1916

Drunk and incapable … One lone drunk and incapable has graced the police court during the week. He was so incapable that a rig had to be requisitioned to convey him to the cells when arrested. His name is John Murdock and he was assessed $5 or 15 days.

Fire brigade run … The fire brigade had a run this week to the foreign quarter where a small outhouse was burned down. The flames were prevented from spreading by the good work of the department.

Do not pick the flowers … The School Board wish to give notice that the picking of flowers in the school gardens is not permitted and action will have to be taken if it is continued. If anyone wishes a bouquet they may obtain same on application to the janitor.

Fossil found … Tom Prentice, while out fishing the other day near Morrissey, discovered the fossilized remains of a pre-historic animal somewhat similar to the alligator. The body, which is of solid rock, is about eight feet long and was found in a body of shale uncovered by the recent floods.

Recent wedding … Allan R. MacDonald of this city arrived back from the east last week accompanied by Mrs. MacDonald who was formerly Miss Mary A. MacKenzie.

The wedding took place at the home of the bride, at Scotchfort, P. E. I., July 18. After the wedding a reception was given at the home of the bride’s parents.

The newlyweds left Scotchfort for Antigonish, N. S., the former home of the groom on July 19 and after spending a week there traveled via the main line of the Canadian Pacific to Cranbrook where they will make their home.

Mr. MacDonald has resided in Cranbrook for over eight years and is very widely known among the railway men. Mrs. MacDonald is a sister of (Big Mack) Cassiar MacKenzie who was superintendent of the Cranbrook Water Supply company before it was taken over by the city about five years ago. Another brother, Aneas MacKenzie, is with the bridge and building department of the Canadian Pacific.

Waldo news … The stork visited the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Anderson on August 8th and left a baby girl. Mother and child are doing well. Thomas is wearing the usual smile that won’t come off.

Bull River news … A well-attended meeting of citizens was held in the School House on Friday evening August 4th, to commemorate the second anniversary of the war, when a resolution of determination to carry on the war to a successful conclusion for the Allies was read by Mr. Ed. Home, the chairman, and adopted unanimously.

Mr. Tom Cassidy and Mr. J. Sims both made very able speeches. Patriotic songs were sung by Mrs. Cassidy and Mr. Sims during the evening.

Several boys from here have joined the 238th Battalion (Forestry), Harry Cockshott and Arthur McMahon left last week and Andy Singleton of the C. P. R. office staff is the latest recruit.

Bull River missing fish … Ed. Hill and party motored over from Cranbrook on Sunday to take in the beautiful scenery of the Bull River and incidentally to try their luck with the trout. Harry Clayton and wife of Cranbrook had a fishing trip to the Falls on Sunday where they caught a few nice trout, but lost them on their way home.

Harry called in to have supper with a friend, leaving his basket of fish near a stump. All Harry saw when he went for his fish was an old sow just picking her teeth, after eating fish, basket and the whole works.

Grand master’s visit … Tuesday night Key City Lodge No. 42, I. O. O. F., was favored with an official visit from W. H. Brown, Grand Master of the order in British Columbia. There was a large turn-out of members for the occasion, and after the business of the evening was concluded tables were laid and a banquet served by the lodge chefs.

After enjoying in full degree the good things provided Mr. H. White, Past Grand Master, took the chair and acted as toastmaster for a short program of toasts.

The first toast “The King” was honored by all rising and singing “God Save the King”.

Then “The Grand Lodge” was proposed and responded to by Grand Master Brown, who gave a most excellent address on the principles and aims of the order, emphasizing the motto of the order “Friendship, Love and Truth”, and the basic part they play in the superstructure of human society.

“Subordinate Lodges” was responded to by E. H. McPhee and W. H. Laird, “The Encampment” by J. L. Palmer, “Key City Lodge” by J. P. Fink and W. B, McFarlane, “The Press”, by T. H. Kay, while several other brothers made interesting remarks.

School board meeting … The monthly meeting of the school board was held Friday evening, present Chairman White and Trustees Henderson, Atchison and Wilson. Minutes of previous meetings were read and confirmed. The resignation of Miss D. McCallum as teacher of the Kootenay Orchard School was read and accepted.

An application was received from Miss Ethel MacDonald of Springhill N. S., for the vacancy at Kootenay Orchard. Moved by Trustee Henderson, seconded by Trustee Atchison, that Miss MacDonald’s application for the vacancy at Kootenay Orchard School be accepted at a salary of $70 per month as from the beginning of this fall term.;—Carried.

On motion of Trustees Wilson and Henderson it was decided to advertise in the Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary papers for a manual training teacher.

Non-coms. Appointed … There was a good attendance at the Monday night drill of D. Co. of the 107, also called for the discussion of business and the appointment of non-coms. Major Mallandaine of Fernie was present and had charge of the drilling, assisted by Lieut. Adams of the 225th. The drill was thoroughly enjoyed by all present.

After the drill a business meeting was held, and Major Mallandaine gave the members some good fatherly advice on the proper way to conduct their affairs. Mr. Tisdale will have charge of the drilling, with Lieut. Staples as Commanding Officer of the Company.

The following N. C. O.s were appointed: Sergeants Brake, Nisbet and Parron; Corporals Cummings, Howard and Hunt; Lance Corporals J. Campbell, Khunert and Whitehouse.

Council meeting … The regular monthly meeting of the city council was held Wednesday morning, present Mayor Clapp in the chair and Aldermen Santo, Balment, Leask and Hanson. The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed.

A communication was read from the Underwriter’s Association recommending three improvements in the matter of fire protection which would mean a decrease in the rate for insurance if a the recommendations are acted upon.

They recommend 1st. the installation of a standard fire alarm telegraphic service; 2nd, an increase in the number of call men on the fire brigade to sixteen, all call men to be paid a fixed sum per annum; 3rd, bring all electric wiring up to the standard to conform with Underwriter’s Electrical Code, and appoint a competent man as electrical inspector, under whose supervision all wiring will be done, and give him authority to condemn all old wiring.

If these three improvements are put into effect the underwriters will reduce the present rate by from 15 to 10 cents, for two and three from 10 c to 20 cents would be allowed, while for number three from 10 to 15 cents would be allowed. This would bear flat reduction from the insurance rate now in force. The council took no action on the matter.

The City Engineer’s report for the month dealt with some improvements made to the sewage disposal works at a cost to the city of $163.25, and the engineer considers that this will be sufficient for the present. He says “I am highly satisfied with the results we have obtained thus far, as the effluent as it flows out of the pond is noticeably very clear and contains none of that fungous growth which used to cover the trays of the artificial filter and tend to choke it. From the tests I have made on the effluent which will finally enter the creek I am satisfied that no nuisance will occur. The city, I think, has done its part and further cleanliness in St. Joseph’s, Creek can only be obtained by a similar care on the part of outsiders. I should particularly recommend that the Government clean the creek out in the vicinity of the old Standard Lumber Co.’s former mill. There is a considerable amount of stagnation in this vicinity, if the Government sends a sanitary expert around as was done a year ago last spring this should be impressed upon him, and an attempts made to get the Government to provide the means.”

Waterworks system … The Engineer also had a nice little bouquet for the waterworks system, and it will be good news to the citizens generally that the waterworks system is showing up so well.

In his report he says: “It is noteworthy and very gratifying that at this time of the year when sometimes nearly all lawn a services in town are running that at no time has the pressure been more than five or six pounds less than normal. It speaks well for the efficiency of our present system”.

The engineer’s report also dealt with the work done on the streets and sidewalks. He referred to the number of broken sidewalk planks caused by the horses and cattle at large in the city. Many of the sidewalks are getting pretty rotten, and while they would last for some time under ordinary conditions they will not stand the tread of heavy hoofs.

The matter of stock running at large in the city limits was discussed by the city fathers, and while the condition was very unsatisfactory it seemed hard to secure a satisfactory remedy. A number of cattle and horses have been run in by the chief of police, but despite this cattle seem to roam the streets by day and night, breaking and defiling the sidewalks, and making of themselves a nuisance.

The cows which are being herded by some person are often as much of a nuisance as others, and it was decided to leave the matter of enforcing the by-law to the Police Commission.

Mr. Cummings, City Engineer, called the attention of the council to the fact that the city phone at the dam was of little use under present conditions, as it was in an empty unused shed, and suggested making arrangements with Mr. Maisey for the use of his phone in return for which Mr. Maisey was willing to rake the dam to keep it clear of obstructions.

The following motion was carried; moved by Alderman Santo, seconded by Alderman Balment, that the engineer be empowered to have the present phone at the dam taken out, and to make arrangement for the payment of the phone at Mr. Maisey’s, in consideration of services rendered by him.

Somewhat raucus meeting … A splendid Conservative meeting in the interests of Mr. Thos. Uphill, Conservative candidate in the Fernie riding, was held in Fort Steele Wednesday evening. Hon. W. J. Bowser, premier of the province, and Hon. R. F. Green, the Federal member for this district, were the principal speakers and were cordially received.

Mr. Uphill and Mr. Caven also made short addresses.

There was a number present from Cranbrook, Fernie, and other points, the hall being filled to capacity, among whom was a sprinkling of Liberals including a hob-nail boot brigade which threatened to do serious damage to the floor at every point Mr. Fisher made during his speech. They continued their noisy demonstrations for a time during Mr. Fisher’s heckling of the Premier until they found that his ungentlemanly conduct was becoming very tiresome and objectionable to the audience.

Mr. Fisher, Liberal candidate for the Fernie riding, was given fifteen minutes to address the audience and received a quiet, courteous and attentive hearing, although one person interjected that there were already too many lawyers in the House.

There were cheers at this but Mr. Fisher countered very neatly with the retort that his leader was not a lawyer whereas Mr. Uphill’s leader was.

It was Mr. Fisher’s conduct through the remainder of the meeting and his constant and frequently pointless heckling of Mr. Bowser while that gentleman was speaking that proved a disappointment to his friends and lost for him any modicum of sympathy which may have been extended at the outset.

To hold fair at Wasa … A well-attended meeting of the Wasa and District Stock and Agricultural Association was held at the Wasa Hotel on Saturday, July 30th. Mr. Quartly was appointed to take the chair and in a brief speech remarked on the possibilities of the Association in such a good ranching district, and he was of the opinion that the Association was not being patronized as it should be by the several ranchers and business men of the district.

The Association had been formed at considerable trouble and expense, and the Government had been good enough to come forward with a fairly substantial donation, and it was certainly the duty of everyone in the neighborhood to do their utmost to help to advertise the valley, to improve the breed of cattle and to encourage settlers to come in.

After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read and adopted, the Directors proceeded to elect its officers for the ensuing year: Mr. J. H. Quartly, president; Mr. H. Barr, vice-president; Mr. J. Linn, secretary-treasurer.

It was proposed by Mr. Cameron of Mayook and seconded by Mr. Hannant of Sprinkwood that a fair should be held at Wasa on Sept. 9, and on the motion being put to the meeting it was unanimously carried and the prize list was arranged. Judging will take place from 10 to 12 a.m., the sports will commence at 2.30 p.m., and a dance will be held at the Hotel in the evening commencing punctually at 8 o’clock, and it was decided to ask Mrs. Wallinger to supply the music.