September 17 – 23: Compiled by Dave Humphrey from the archived newspapers held at the Cranbrook History Centre and Archives
1916
Liberals sweep the province … British Columbia electors in no uncertain voice have expressed their desire for a change in Government, and as a Consequence Mr. H. C. Brewster will be the premier of this province in the next Legislature.
Until after the soldiers’ vote is counted in October the exact standing of the two parties in the next house will not be known, but present indications are that the Liberals will have from 37 to 40.
Prohibition has carried by a majority of between 7,000 and 8,000 and while the soldiers’ vote may slightly reduce this it, is not likely to overcome it, and in some quarters the belief is expressed that the soldiers themselves will give it a majority.
Woman suffrage has carried in every constituency, and is a well-deserved tribute to woman’s rights.
Cranbrook a clean city … That the decent citizens of Cranbrook are interested in the efforts of the Chief of Police to make Cranbrook a clean city was evidenced by the attendance at the police court on Thursday morning when a case of much importance was up for hearing.
It hinged on the case tried Friday last when Allie Dunlop was fined $10 and costs for being a prostitute, pleading guilty to the charge.
A charge was then laid against a local man generally known as Mack-the-Tailor, for being the keeper of a disorderly house.
This was up for hearing on Saturday and remanded till Thursday morning.
The chief gave evidence as to arresting Mrs. Dunlop, the convicted prostitute, in the house of Mack-the-Tailor, where she had been taken in as a roomer, but apparently had access to any part of the house.
Mrs. Dunlop was also put in the witness box and gave evidence that she had rented the rooms from Mack-the-Taylor, with no questions asked, and that she had known him for several months previous.
The chief in summing up claimed that the evidence proved conclusively that the accused knew for what purpose his house was being used, and in the interests of a clean Cranbrook asked for a conviction, which alone would have a summary effect in preventing Clark Ave. from regaining its old-time reputation as a resort of immoral women.
Mr. A. B. Macdonald, who appeared for the accused, agreed with the chief in his desire to keep the town clean, but claimed that there was no evidence offered to prove that the house was a house of ill-fame or a bawdy house, as was necessary to secure a conviction.
Magistrates Arnold and Hill, who sat on the case, in giving judgment justified the action of the Chief in laying the charge but regretted that on the evidence submitted they were unable to register a conviction and had to dismiss the case.
Magistrate Hill gave the accused a very straight warning that it would be necessary for him to be very circumspect in the future, and said: “We are not satisfied by any means that you have a clean sheet. You are living in very questionable quarters. You were living under the same roof with one who pleaded guilty to being a prostitute. No white man has a right to live under the same roof with a colored woman. You have been in court twice during the last month, first for selling liquor to Indigents, and now on a charge of keeping a house of ill fame. This ought to be a lesson to you. We are determined to see that Cranbrook is kept a clean town, but on this occasion have given you the benefit of the doubt.”
The accused asked to be allowed to say a word in reply and started in on a loud harangue as to his having been “a resident for 20 years and during that time no one had been able to point the finger of scorn at him”, etc.
McCreery store … McCreery Bros, millinery parlors are the rendezvous of the ladies of the city and district this weekend to inspect the beautiful display of fall and winter millinery.
The show-rooms are in charge of Miss Garbutt of Toronto, and Thursday marked the opening day of the season.
Even in the line of millinery the influence of the war is reflected in the tendency towards plain hats, military shapes and quiet colors, devoid of the superfluous and gorgeous trimmings sometimes so much in evidence. Among the leading colors will be found the new taupe shade, purple, black and black and white, together with some green and blue. Birds and wings are the favorites in the line of trimmings this season.
For the later fall and winter wear the hats are very small and natty, the early season styles being considerably larger. One of the taking hats noticed on display was a very smart New York sailor, which gets its individuality and style from its natty lines. It is a black velvet flop trimmed with a single rose and band of black ribbon, and is a very becoming hat.
It would be impossible to describe in detail all the beautiful and stylish hats on exhibition, but one more which caught our attention was a very stylish hat in the new taupe shade, with scalloped edge trimmed with bands of grey fur, one side of the hat slightly rolled and finished with a pretty ornament.
Miss McLeod’s store … Miss McLeod is holding her fall millinery opening this weekend and has a beautiful display of the very latest in fall and winter hats.
Black, taupe, purples and Russian Greens occupy the prominent positions in the color scheme, while the up-to-date tams are the leading shapes.
There is a nice line of metal trimmings in gold, silver and oxidized metal, together with the latest novelties in millinery.
One of the very latest models on display is a black tam crown, finished with metal trimming.
There is also a splendid showing of sport hats in colored felts. Miss McLeod is also showing the very latest in colored lace veils in purple, African browns and Russian Green.
Woman suffrage … It is a matter for congratulation that the right of women to vote was recognized by the male population of the province in such a whole-hearted manner on Thursday last.
The vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the change, and we have no doubt the ladies will justify the confidence expressed in them.
The introduction of the women’s vote is not likely to make any startling changes one way or the other, though it will have a tendency to raise the standard of personal morality among aspirants for political honors, and will help to eliminate the rough-neck candidate and those who represent the lower element insofar as their election to office is concerned.
We fear, however, that these elements will still be able to exercise their insidious influence behind the scenes unknown to the lady voter, though possibly not in quite so raw a manner.
The prohibition wave … Province after province, state after state, and country after country are either adopting prohibition in one form or another, or making the regulations for the sale of liquor more stringent and the present indications are that the day of the legalized traffic in strong drink is fast drawing to a close.
British Columbia is the newest province in Canada to vote dry, and with the enactment of the B. C. Prohibition Law Canada will be dry from the Pacific Ocean to the eastern borders of Ontario.
It is only another short step to Dominion-wide prohibition, which will follow as a natural sequence.
The vote in this province on Thursday is an amazing testimony to the growth of public sentiment against the liquor traffic.
With an enormous campaign fund on the part of the liquor men to defeat prohibition, with the large majority of the press of the province either neutral or avowedly antagonistic to the cause of prohibition, with the liquor men’s specious arguments against the bill appearing in every paper in the province with two or three notable exceptions only, it would have been small wonder if the bill had been defeated.
But despite all this and the limited amount of money available for the prohibition campaign a majority of between seven and eight thousand has been rolled up in favor of the bill.
Of course the soldiers’ vote is still to be counted but it is inconceivable that they will vote a great deal different from the civilian electorate, and to overcome the majority the vote would have to be better than two to one against prohibition, so it may be accepted as a foregone conclusion that the bill will carry.
House to house survey … The ministers of the town intend to make a house to house visitation of the whole city, with the object of ascertaining the complete membership of the churches.
Further recruits … Among those from this city who have joined the Forestry Battalion and have left during the last few days are: Bill Jones, Norman Griswold, Oscar Crawford, Sid Basket, Jack Anderson, and Jack White, all old-timers of the district.
In for recruiting … Sergt. Brown of the 225th is in the city after new recruits and would like to get in touch with any who desire to serve their king and country. Sergt. Brown says that the 225th has a staff of very competent instructors sent over from England and the front, who are drilling the boys for actual trench warfare. He also says the Cranbrook boys headed the list in the school of infantry.
Dancing classes … Miss Gladys Attree was in the city the first of this week completing arrangements for dancing classes. Miss Attree will teach dancing in the King Edward School, and will also hold classes for children and adults for both ballroom and fancy dancing.
Miss Attree has been teaching dancing in Nelson with much success the last two years, and this year is organizing classes in addition in Cranbrook, Fernie, Macleod and Lethbridge, and is meeting with gratifying success in the number of pupils enrolled to date.
Waldo news … Although the woods here have been pretty well scoured ever since the hunting season opened by countless numbers, only three deer so far have been accounted for. Our visions of nice tender venison steak are slowly beginning to vanish.
Fort Steele News … A very unique affair was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. Nicol, Friday 16th in the form of a corn roast. The scenes of action were two large tepees in which the guests roasted their corn. The garden and trees were illumined by Japanese lanterns and together with the moonlight this made a charming picture. Those from out of town were: Mr. and Mrs. Bush, Miss Turnbull, Wasa; Mr. Sinn, Bull River; Miss M. Bailey, Wycliffe; Mr. Williamson. A most enjoyable time was had by all and the supper served of chicken and salads deserves special mention.
The Kee Lock … W. H. Wilson, the Optician, has a very interesting display in his west show window, which is the very newest thing on the market in the shape of Eye Glass and spectacle mountings. It is known as the Kee Lock, and the manufacturers absolutely guarantee that it will entirely eliminate wobbly lenses.
The Kee Lock is a very simple mounting and consists of a slot cut in the lense, and the mounting is inserted into the slot with a very powerful cement. There is nothing to work loose, there is no possibility of the lenses getting out of line, which is often a source of constant irritation to eyeglass wearers and a frequent cause of impaired vision. There is never need for retightening. In fact everything from the standpoint of the eyeglass wearer —strength, style and safety — has been considered in the Kee Lock.
Mr. Wilson has installed the necessary machinery and carries a complete stock in both eyeglass and spectacle mountings.
Invermere news … The Mining Division has resumed shipping after an idleness extending over ten years. Its first car of ore left this part on Tuesday the Fifth inst. for the smelter at Trail.
Eight heavy teams are at present engaged in hauling ore from the mine to the shipping point on the railway and this number will shortly be increased. The mine is at present to the great satisfaction of the district giving employment to twenty-one men and arrangements are being completed to increase this number to thirty to whom steady employment will be given throughout the coming winter.
A short aerial tramway is being constructed to carry the ore from the mine to storage bins which have already been built. Suitable shipping facilities are being arranged for on the line of the Kootenay Central Railway.
The property is owned by the estate of the late Herbert Carlyle Hammond, who was a member of the firm of Osier and Hammond of Toronto, and R. Randolph Bruce, C.E., F.R.G.S., of his place, under whom the management of the property comes.
The offices of the company are established in Invermere. The ore is a silver lead. It will be shipped continuously all winter. This property in old days shipped out a couple of thousand tons to the smelter at Trail.
At that time the ore had to be brought to the water’s edge and shipped down the Columbia River by boat to Golden where it was transferred by team to rail; thence by rail to Revelstoke and Arrowhead where it was transferred to boat and taken to West Robson, when it again had to be transferred to rail and shipped to Trail. The difficulties of that mode of transportation were so great and so costly that the owners became discouraged and shut the mine down pending the building of the railway.
The Kootenay Central Branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway has now been completed thus enabling the ore to reach Trail Smelter both cheaply and quickly once it is loaded. Since the Paradise opened up the owners of adjoining properties such as the Silver Belt have commenced work and it is understood they along with the Nette M. will start shipping in the immediate future.
The revival of this industry in the District has already been the means of inducing people interested in mining development to visit here and some of the other properties such as the Delphine, the Chilbury, the Hot Punch and the Homesteak are now being examined.
All these properties were former shippers. It would be premature to make any announcement regarding some of the above. This re-developmcnt of the mining industry is one of the first fruits of the building and operation of the Kootenay Central Railway and it will certainly materially assist in the settlement and development of the District as a whole in the establishing of a better local market and the assurance of more steady employment for skilled labor.
