January 21 - 27: Compiled by Dave Humphrey from the archived newspapers held at the Cranbrook History Centre and Archives
1917
Narrow escape from fire … Mrs. John Black had a narrow escape from asphyxiation last night when fire broke out in her home on French Avenue.
Shortly before midnight she was awakened by the cries of her young child and found the bedroom filled with smoke. Opening the door to the living room she was almost overwhelmed by the rush of fire and smoke, but retaining her presence of mind slammed the door closed again.
Only partially dressed, Mrs. Black grabbed the child and made her exit through the bed-room window and to a neighbor’s from whence the alarm was turned in.
The fire brigade was quickly on the scene and despite the high wind prevailing at the time soon had the blaze under control.
The house is a small frame building, one-story, owned by John Czarny, or Black as he is better known. He is a Pole, but a naturalized British subject, and works in the Sullivan Mine at Kimberley, his wife and child living in their home here.
The living room with all its contents, including a dress of Mrs. Black’s and $35 in money, was destroyed, but the furnishings of the bedroom and kitchen are little damaged except by smoke and water. There was $500 insurance on the house and $100 on the contents.
An overheated stove is supposed to have started the blaze.
Court news … A fondness for high-priced meal and a lack of lawful coin of the realm to pay for the same brought a 15 day sentence for vagrancy to Edward Martin yesterday. Martin ordered and ate a meal at the Century Restaurant for which the proprietor charged 85 cents but which Martin left without paying. Though apparently quite able to work he has done nothing for the last several months, but will now, have a chance to earn his keep by working for the city.
Fire! … The usual quiet of the Sabbath afternoon was disturbed Sunday last by the fire whistle, sparks from a burning chimney having caught on the roof of a building on Baker Street. The fire brigade was promptly on the spot and put out the blaze before it did any further damage than burn a couple of holes in the shingles, but had there been a short delay the tale would have been much different. The building was the one occupied by MacDonald’s pool room, next to the Imperial Bank
Galbraith’s news … Word has been received that Captain Flemyng, brother of Mrs. R. L. T. Galbraith, has had a very narrow escape from death. While on his way to New Zealand they struck a mine off the coast of Dunkirk, France. The cargo and crew are safe and the ship may be saved. Another brother of Mrs. Galbraith’s has been invalided home with rheumatism and is in the Eastleih Hospital, England. He belongs to the machine gun section.
Waldo news … W. Elgin, who evidently suffered much from a tired feeling, pulled down a month at the Waldo Police Court last week for having no visible means of support. He will spend his vacation in Nelson. Fred Jacobs, also a vagrant, got five days on the wood pile.
News from the front … Our Fort Steele correspondent writing under date of Jan. 17, sends the following: Pte. John Kelly of Fort Steele, and who is well-known in Cranbrook, has written from France of how his regiment took trenches from the Germans and of how he was wounded. Wm. Ross was wounded behind the knee at the same time.
Part of his letter reads “When we took those trenches from the Germans all our officers were casualties and nearly all our N. C. O.’s. Two of us had been sent back to Battalion Headquarters for officers as all communication was cut. We had all the shell fire to race but we got there. We were going back with the Brigade-Major and Assistant Adjutant. We got half way over. I was talking to my Brigade-Major when I went down. My teeth and gums were badly shattered but no bones broken. I have a nice little hole in my moustache.
I do not know whether they ever got across to our lines or not, I have not yet heard. Ross only got about 15 yards from our lines. Lieut. Smith was wounded, but Lieut. Hicks of Cranbrook is all right.
Allan Graham … Mr. Allan Graham, a former resident of Cranbrook, has been admitted to the Bar as a barrister in British Columbia
Joining Forestry Battalion … Pte. Guy Russell, who was in the city this week, was rejected from the 225th but was determined to do his bit to beat the Germans and has been accepted in the Forestry Battalion and left for Medicine Hat where he expects to join the Battalion. We understand Pte, Huggins is another who was rejected from the 225th and has signed up with the Forestry Battalion.
Bid goodbye … Mrs. Roy, Mrs. D. Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. T. Gill and Miss Bertha Gill were in Calgary recently to bid goodbye to the Cranbrook boys before their departure overseas. The boys were all looking fine and glad to be off after so many months of weary waiting. They were the recipients of many presents and boxes before leaving their camp, and are delighted with the treatment they received.
Born McPhee … In Cranbrook. on Jan. 19th, 1917, to Mr. and Mr. R. H. McPhee, a son.
Capt. Lister awarded Military Cross … It will be welcome news to the many friends of Fred Lister, who left here as Lieutenant with “Worden’s Warriors,” to hear that he has received his Captain’s Commission and has also won the Military Cross for gallantry on the field of battle. Capt. Lister is a veteran of the Boer War, and is a soldier through and through. Pte. Wm. Williamson of Baynes Lake, writing to Mr. F. W. Adolph from a Canadian Convalescent Hospital in England, says: “Lieut. Lister, whose home is in Cranbrook, has got his Captaincy also the Military Cross. I am proud to have had him for my officer, and I think the people of Cranbrook will also be proud of his promotion when they hear of it.”
“Eager heart club” … A club for girls under the above name was organized in the Parish Hall on Tuesday. The following officers were appointed: Hon. Pres., Rev. W. H. Bridge; Hon. Vice Presidents, Mrs. Fenwick, Mrs. Reed, Miss Roberts, President, Miss Doris Wallinger; Vice Pres., Miss Gladys Parnaby; Sec. Treas. Miss Edith Macdonald; Janitors, Miss Muriel Baxter, and Alice Brake.
21 members were admitted as chartered members. A Junior and Senior Group was formed. The girls will manage their own affairs and carry on in parliamentary lines. They will be instructed in Physical Culture, Choral work, and demonstrations will be given in Embroidery, Cooking, etc. etc. Particulars from above named officers.
Big sale … Since the commencement of the C.C.S. sale on Saturday morning that store has been crowded with buyers, and goods have been moving out rapidly. The C. C. S. is offering goods at real bargain prices, and has not been afraid to spend a little real money in advertising to let the purchasing public of Cranbrook know that fact, with results that have exceeded even the most sanguine expectations of the management. Everything not sold will be packed up and moved to another city, but to save the expense of packing and shipping the prices have been cut a way down, and a splendid opportunity is thus afforded householders to stock up with anything they need in the line of furniture, dishes or other house furnishings.
St. John’s Ambulance association notes … A donation of $20 has been forwarded to Miss Florence Erickson to buy socks for the men in the hospital she is attached to in England. Since July last Mrs. Sam Baldwin, sr., and Mrs. Dave Baldwin have knitted forty-six pairs of socks and Mrs. A. B. Grace twenty-six pairs, and the Association wishes to take the opportunity to thank them for their splendid help.
An appreciation … (Creston Review) On occasion The Review has felt called upon to say, or attempt to, rude things about Cranbrook generally more especially some of its would-be public men, but after the way these same people did honor to one whom the province has delighted to honor (Hon. Dr. King) on Tuesday of last week well may we say “There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us.”
Manual training instructor … After many disappointments the School Board has been successful in obtaining a competent Manual Training Instructor for the Manual Training School, which re-opened last week. The new instructor is Mr. Michel Moore of Vancouver. In addition to the manual training, Mr. Moore will teach geometry, drawing, Euclid and arithmetic.
The Rosary … Critical theatregoers of Cranbrook were given a treat Saturday night in the production of “The Rosary” at the Auditorium with Frank Ireson as “Father Kelly.” Mr. Ireson has taken this role for so long that it is hard to believe that he is not in reality the devout and lovable, God-fearing priest he depicts on the stage, and it would be difficult to associate him with any other character part. His whole personality seems peculiarly fitted to the role, and it would be hard indeed to find a flaw in his interpretation of the part.
The supporting company is better than the average that we get here, but in the absence of programs we are unable to mention the different characters.
The story of “The Rosary” is well known but may be worth repeating here. Bruce Wilton has amassed a fortune which he lavishes on his wife, Vera. Their household is a happy one, but into it creeps a note of menace. No one hears it at first, save Father Kelly, a priest, the former tutor of Bruce. Quietly he goes to work with his sharpened mental sense to find the person who is causing the adverse influence in the household.
Almost on the verge of discovering the cause, calamity descends upon the Wilton House. Bruce’s fortune is swept away, and in such a manner that he believes his wife was the cause of his ruin. Husband and wife are separated, the home is destroyed and yet the cause of all this disaster is unknown.
But Father Kelly, with a faith that moves mountains, goes on quietly, serenely, confidently, with but one purpose in view, the happiness of those he loves. He solves the mystery and lets the white light of truth into the minds that have been darkened by evil.
More than this, he finds the one who has caused all the misery and restores the home.
Optimistic for the future … Marysville, Jan. 17. Mr. Gifford, Jr., of Spokane, who owns the controlling interest in the Selkirk Mining Co., was here this week looking over his property “The Park Mine” now operated by that company with Mr. Gifford Sr. in charge. Mr. Gifford is well pleased with all he sees and is very optimistic as to the future of this famous property. Mr. Gifford returned to Spokane on Monday.
Whom we had with us … Mr. Peter Lund, formerly of Wardner, made a business call at Cranbrook during the week and stayed over for a night renewing old acquaintances. Speaking to a representative of the Herald he said he had disposed of all his interests in the Crows Nest Pass Lumber Company at Wardner (of which he was the founder and for which he acted as managing director up to about eighteen months ago) to Chicago capitalists who now own and operate the concern.
The money consideration for the transfer of Mr. Lund’s interests was something like $100,000.
He still maintains many interests with the lumber industry of East Kootenay of which he was one of the great pioneers and wherein, both physically and financially, he bulked as about the largest of the big operators.
Pete Lund, to speak of him as he is familiarly and in a cordial way known all through East Kootenay, had, and has as much of that faith which is the foundation of the prosperity of any community as any man one could mention. In addition he had the courage of his belief and was ready not alone with practical advice but with sound, hard coin to back any enterprise for the advancement of the country. He was into most of them and it would be foolish to say they all proved winners.
As partner with John Breckenridge in the firm of Breckenridge and Lund, he helped to make quite a long stretch of the Crows Nest system as well as a considerable part of the North Star branch to Marysville and Kimberley, now probably as profitable a nineteen miles as is owned and operated by the Canadian Pacific.
John Breckenridge and his brother Dave were big men and familiar figures in this area twenty years ago when we were all young and the future was all high grade ore for the miner and all clears for the lumber man.
John and Dave have sunk to sleep and Pete now lives in Lethbridge, and true to his old lumber love operates a line of yards in Medicine Hat, Macleod, Carmangay and half a dozen other places. He still owns his big cattle and fruit ranches at Wardner and Marysville and will continue to operate them and operate them profitably for the soil is there and he has the energy and the capital to work them to the best advantage. They afford an abiding proof of what the virgin soils around Cranbrook can produce when properly cleared and managed intelligently.
These enterprises will afford Mr. Lund occasion to return to Cranbrook now and again and when he comes he may depend on a genuine welcome as one of the men who with brains, pluck and a belief in himself and in his country accomplished something really worthwhile.